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270
DARK SOULS III
“Splatoon keeps on getting bigger”
– Game Informer

“More free content is planned for

the rest of the summer and fall…
Sounds good to me!”
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Form a squad of two, three or four players and battle against squid
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 1015
Dark Souls Is Difficult
In More Ways Than One
W
henever I hear someone say the words, “When life
gives you lemons, make lemonade,” I can’t help
but think to myself that might be the most annoy-
ing phase ever uttered. Unfortunately, this month Game
Informer got a crate load of lemons and we found ourselves
with little choice but to make the proverbial lemonade.
Bandai Namco approached us before E3 this year with
some exciting news about the direction it was going to
take the Dark Souls series with partner From Software. It
pitched us the design to see if we found the game and the
information cover worthy. Unfortunately, our options were
ANDY McNAMARA limited by the planned reveal at the Microsoft press con-
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ference and we had to pass on the opportunity, but that
[email protected] wasn’t the end of our conversations.
We circled back with the publisher to see if we could dis-
Read my column or cuss some of the more interesting aspects of the game and
comment on this letter at features it had originally showed us that still hadn’t been
gameinformer.com/mag revealed. We felt these were the most compelling changes
or follow @GI_AndyMc to the third installment in the series. After a couple of strike
outs as we discussed what would or would not be available,
we finally found an angle that worked for all involved.
At Game Informer, our goal is to get our readers the best
information available on the games that we think are defin-
ing the medium, from blockbusters to indies and everything
in between. We never previously had a chance to get a
game in the surprise smash series Dark Souls on our cover,
so we were excited by this opportunity.
A mere 48 hours before our visit we were told by Bandai
Namco that everything was green lit. During the trip, we
had a pleasant conversation with famed developer
Hidetaka Miyazaki about his influences and design philo-
sophy, but when the subject turned to Dark Souls III
he refused to comment on any of the new systems. Our
promised hands-on play session was also denied. This
was just the beginning of a twisted story that had Bandai
Namco (and Game Informer) in complete disarray.
visit gameinformer.com daily for the latest and greatest, and follow @gameinformer on Twitter

None of our contacts at the company could tell us what

went wrong, but just days before taking the issue to press
we were being told that they would right the ship and get us
the promised info. That information never arrived. We were
told the Japanese branch of the company had gone silent
and was ignoring messaging. We were told From Software
refused to cooperate.
We ultimately have no idea who is telling the truth and who
isn’t, but either way the story went from a compelling look
at an exciting game to a disaster of the highest proportions.
Promise after promise was broken; Bandai Namco and From
Software failed to deliver at just about every point.
We have an interview about the Dark Souls series, details
on the new game, and great perspective from our talented
team, but this story is much different than our normal deep
dive. Given the shortage of time to find a replacement
cover story, I can do nothing but apologize and hope you
find our glimpse at the behind-the-scenes happenings of
game development intriguing – along with the unique look
at a developer and publisher who have managed to create
Dark Souls III
greatness despite the disasters behind the scenes. The From Software’s third entry in the Dark Souls
story, with this added drama, makes for compelling read- universe takes players in exciting new direc-
ing. Our writer, Daniel Tack, does a great job of discussing tions, adding interesting combat options and
the series and its creator. Despite our hardships, we are a novel approach to magic. Director Hidetaka
still excited about the game.
Miyazaki shares details on the next installment
Cheers,
of the dark fantasy franchise while leaving other
features inexplicably mysterious, and we get a
glimpse into the creator’s complex personality.
by Daniel Tack
6 contents
 IT’S GO TIME

SEASON
PREMIERE OCT 6 TUES 8/7c ©2015 The CW Television Network, LLC
 games index

Assassin’s Creed:
Syndicate . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Chaos Rings III . . . . . . . . . 21
Crackdown 3 . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Danganronpa
Another Episode:
18 Gamescom 2015 20 Mobile Games We Love Ultra Despair Girls. . . . . . 92
Disney Infinity 3.0 . . . . . . . 85
Dragon Quest Heroes:
The World Tree’s Woe
and the Blight Below . . . . 74
Everybody’s Gone
to the Rapture . . . . . . . . 92
Executive, The. . . . . . . . . . 20
Fallout 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Fallout Shelter. . . . . . . . . . 21
FIFA 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Fragments of Him . . . . . . . 31
32 64 Galactic Keep . . . . . . . . . . 20
Galak-Z:
The Dimensional . . . . . . . 89
Gears of War:
Ultimate Edition . . . . . . . 90
Guild of Dungeoneering . . . 92
Guitar Hero Live . . . . . . . . 80
Halo: Spartan Strike . . . . . 21
Homefront:
The Revolution . . . . . . . . 71
King’s Quest – Chapter I:
A Knight to Remember . . 86
58 Mafia III Legend of Grimrock . . . . . 21
Life is Strange –
Episode 4: Dark Room . . . 92
Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Loot & Legends . . . . . . . . . 21
Madden NFL 16. . . . . . . . . 84
Mafia III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Marvel Heroes 2016 . . . . . 62
Master of Orion . . . . . . . . . 72
Metal Gear Solid V:
The Phantom Pain. . . . . . 83
N++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
50 Xenoblade Chronicles X NBA 2K16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Necropolis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Prune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Quantum Break . . . . . . . . . 60
Rare Replay. . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Rise of the Tomb Raider . . 54
Rocket League . . . . . . . . . 22
Scalebound . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Splendor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Star Wars: The Old
Republic – Knights of
the Fallen Empire . . . . . . 79
87 Volume 91 Super Mario Maker 83
Super Mario Maker . . . . . . 91
Talos Principle:
Road to Gehenna, The . . . 92
Tembo The
regulars Badass Elephant . . . . . . . 92
Trackmania Turbo . . . . . . . 81
Transformers:

»A very
10 Feedback
special reader
»We14check
Connect
in on Germany’s
»We54lookPreviews
at some of our
»We82finallyReviews
have our review
Devastation. . . . . . . . . . . 75
Transistor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Trove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
writes in to thank us for biggest video game trade most anticipated games, for the highly anticipated
Until Dawn. . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
our Tacoma coverage show, Gamescom, remain Rise of the Tomb Raider Metal Gear Solid V: The
Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
last month, while others amazed at how many and Fallout 4, as we Phantom Pain, as well as
We Happy Few . . . . . . . . . 31
complain about our Sonic people love eSports, and count down the few short the anticipated – but for
Witcher 3:
reviews. We also find out share some of our favorite months until release. radically different reasons – Wild Hunt, The . . . . . . . . 24
what game inspired the mobile games. We also We also discover what’s Super Mario Maker. We’ve World of Warcraft:
most excitement out of talk to the creators of new for the sequels to also spent plenty of time Legion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
E3, and readers share Rocket League and look Crackdown, Assassin’s with Madden 16 and Disney WWE 2K16 . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
their thoughts on Final at the female characters Creed, and XCOM. Infinity’s Star Wars content. XCOM 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Fantasy XV. of Witcher 3. Xenoblade Chronicles X . . . 50
You Must Build a Boat . . . . 20

8 contents
©2014 Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. All Rights Reserved. 5,® Ascent,® Wintermint,® Stimulate Your Senses® and all affiliated designs are trademarks of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company or its affiliates.
feedback

Microsoft’s backward compatibility won over readers this

month, while others debated multiplayer-focused games,
Final Fantasy XV, and our Sonic Generations review. Loving
Sonic never goes out of style.

Kid Tested, Mother Approved A Siege On Single-Player

Thank you for a wonderful story about Today I learned that Rainbow Six traditional single-player campaigns,
my son’s game, Tacoma (Leaving Siege won’t feature a traditional, and more upcoming titles are follow-
Home For Space, issue 268). I am so story-based campaign mode, but will ing suit. Why? It allows developers to
proud of Steven, Karla, and their team, instead include a “Missions” mode. spend the extra time and resources
and so happy about their successes. First the new Star Wars Battlefront is on the core multiplayer experience,
I was there on a couple of visits when multiplayer-driven, and now Siege? instead of a superfluous campaign
just the three original developers were At least Call of Duty always features that offers little replay value. It’s an
working on Gone Home; first in the a dedicated campaign – some of argument multiplayer fans have been
dining room of Rachel’s family home, us would like to enjoy a game with- making for years, but we can’t blame
and then in the basement of their out having to compete in matches solo players for not liking the results.
second home when they were still The against other people. Games like Star Wars Battlefront and
Fullbright Company with the light bulb Ben Gentry Rainbow Six Siege are trying harder
icon, which I admit I miss. Their new via email to find an agreeable middle ground,
name and logo are admittedly more but we’ll have to wait and see if their
sophisticated. I’m excited to see the A number of recent games like scaled-back offerings can keep the
finished product. Titanfall and Evolve have eschewed single-player crowd happy.
Cherie Gaynor
via email

Our cover stories usually garner a

fair amount of letters from inter-
ested readers, but this is the first
time we’ve ever had a developer’s
mom write in. Fullbright’s Steve
Gaynor took it in stride when we
teased him about it on The GI Show,
calling proud moms “a universal
Contact Us constant.” For more on Tacoma,
[email protected] visit gameinformer.com/tacoma.
10
Are Your Save Files Safe? Short Answers
After learning that Xbox One would To Readers’
be backward compatible with the Burning
Xbox 360, I was extremely excited. Questions:
I’m one of those people who are
behind in the console world and “Am I the only one that
only have an Xbox 360. I can finally would love a Call of Duty:
still play my 360 games when I trade Civil War?”
in my 360 to help buy an Xbox One! Yes.
But then I realized something: Will
you also be able to transfer your save “Is it just me, or is Call
data from the 360 to the Xbox One? of Duty losing more and
Matt Hay more interest each E3?”
via email
It’s you.
Microsoft scored major points
with its backward compatibility “What is your take on
announcement at this year’s E3, how games are getting
even if a number of questions so overhyped that
remained after the show. We’re when we buy them and
still waiting for a list of the 100- play them and there not
plus titles that will reportedly that good?”
be available by the holidays, but Huh?
Microsoft has confirmed that
Xbox Live Gold members who Downloadable Discontent
save their files to the cloud can I’m officially done with gamers who complain about DLC being
use them across systems. Saves
Most
on USB drives won’t be sup-
released too early, the existence of season passes, and the Unoriginal
ported, however. rising price of both. I run into gamers all the time that feel Complaint
they’re entitled to every piece of content developers make for Ever:
The Generations Gap one of their games at no additional cost. This argument blows “I write to complain
I am a massive Game Informer fan, my mind! I get that some in the community feel developers are about the current
but recently I noticed something. I’ve purposely holding back content from the game to sell as DLC lack of originality in
been playing Sonic Generations, and video games.”
or deciding to lock it behind a season pass. I used to support
I’ve found it to be a lot more fun than
your review says it is. I know that a that sentiment, but I realized we’re literally demanding these
game receiving a 6 is considered to companies and their employees work for free. If you don’t think
Worst
have “Limited Appeal,” but I had so the content in a DLC pack or season pass warrants your dollars,
News Tip
much fun with it, that I find it hard guess what? You don’t have to buy it. That’s what consumers
to believe it is that bad. I think the
Of The Month:
want anyway: the ability to choose.
reason for this is that, as an 11-year “how to way from post?”
Anthony Jacobs
old boy, I can find the best in games;
whereas you only see the worst. Can
via email
you acknowledge that? Question
Ben Some gamers remain stubbornly opposed to DLC, but based Of The Month:
via email on last issue’s Question of the Month, more and more play- What is the best
ers have no problem buying post-release content for games in-game reward you’ve
On the contrary, Ben. A game that they love. That shifting opinion likely comes from develop- ever received and why?
appeals exclusively to 11-year-
old Sonic fans is pretty much the
ers homing in on what constitutes a good deal. While every
definition of “Limited Appeal.” expansion and season pass might not hit the mark, we agree
Still, we’re glad you’re enjoying with Anthony; the blind condemnation of DLC is getting old.
the game!

(Left) This month we visted

From Software’s headquarters
in Tokyo, Japan to speak
with Dark Souls III director
Hidetaka Miyazaki. We’re not
sure that’s the kind of bonfire
you want to warm your hands
by, guys...
(Right) You can’t tackle
QuakeCon without a hearty
meal. From left to right: Angela
Ramsey, Matt Grandstaff, Geoff
Keighley, Andrea Rene; Adam
Sessler; Erin Losi; Mari Garcia,
and Jeremy Long
PHOTOS FROM THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY (continued on page 12)

feedback 11
On Your Mind Out Of Turn
I’m noticing more and more that Final
Fantasy titles are shifting away from
turn-based combat and more into
action/RPG-style fights. I admit that
modern gamers are more interested in
fast-paced, fast-reward gaming rather
than deliberate, tactical gameplay. But
be honest: If you took Final Fantasy
XV, removed the recurring motifs like
summon magic and Moogles, gave it
a new name, and declared it entirely
Can’t Hardly Wait unrelated to FF, I doubt any gamer
In issue 268, we asked readers what their most anticipated would so much as raise an eyebrow.
game is coming out of E3. Unsurprisingly, a vault-laden Square Enix’s genre shift in recent
wasteland came out on top. Here are some of the responses years doubtlessly has both its sup-
we received. porters and critics, but I am firmly in
the latter category on this issue. I have
no doubt Final Fantasy XV will be a
I’ve been waiting for years for Fallout 4. I started playing the fun, exciting game – it just won’t feel
last two entries on PC after modding the crap out of them, and like Final Fantasy.
I had a lot of fun. With an expanded mod system, enhanced Joshua Aponte
graphics, better world and enemy physics, creating towns via email
from scratch, and possibly having PC mods available for my
PS4, Bethesda has completely blown away my expectations Final Fantasy has undergone drastic
changes over the years, to the point
for this game.
where it has little in common with
Austin Valdovino its founding titles. However, that
willingness to change is arguably
I’m excited for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. My what allowed the series to survive
brothers and I love the Zelda franchise and we love coopera- so long. The constant influx of new
tive multiplayer games even more. I play a lot with my older characters, settings, and mechan-
E3’s Offerings ics has drawn in old and new play-
brother, but my younger brother hasn’t had much of a chance
ers alike for 28 years. That said, you
Fallout 4 Excitement to get involved. This game looks like it could be perfect for should check out Bravely Second:
Backward-
getting all three of us gaming together. End Layer, which is pretty much the
Compatibility Fanfare Porter Bagley mirror opposite of FF XV. It’s got all
the classic turn-based mechanics,
Mad About Kingdom Hearts III has long been my most anticipated video just without the Final Fantasy name.
Multiplayer Games
game. After playing through Kingdom Hearts II on the PS2,
VR Interest I instantly fell in love with the series. This year’s E3 shined
Irate Nintendo Fans the light on KH III and filled me with euphoria. The gameplay
is more fluid and creative (dual laser guns transformed from
the Keyblade!), with even bigger open-world environments.
I cannot wait to be in control of Sora once more and continue
his adventure alongside his friends. If Tetsuya Nomura and
the rest of the Square Enix team have been listening to fans
like me, I have no doubt that this will be the best Kingdom
Hearts of them all.
Jacob Rouse

(Left) Forget Vegas:

Dan learned that
whatever happens at
a Wargaming X party
should definitely
stay there
(Right) Kim got
the thumbs up from
famed Japanese
developer Hideki
Kamiya at this year’s
Gamescom, so
she must be doing
something right

12
 gallery
WINNER
1 1 Ben Hansen
GI’s video editor, who is also named Ben Hanson, is
getting this art airbrushed onto the side of his van

2 Barbara Gutierrez
If only Nintendo would consider a Pokémon/
Zelda crossover game

3 Jonathan Price
Why is Conan always dressed in rags and
carrying broken weapons?

» Submit your art for a chance to win our monthly prize. Please include your name and return address. Entries become the property of Game Informer and cannot be returned.
Send to: Game Informer Reader Art Contest | 724 First Street North, 3rd Floor | Minneapolis, MN 55401 or Email to: [email protected]

(Left) You couldn’t

ask for a better group
of summer interns
than Christian Belland,
Hershall Cook, and Alissa
McAloon. Thanks for all
the hard work!
(Right) Recently,
Activision’s Jason
Corica and Kelvin Liu
stopped by to teach
Brian and Miller the
fine art of rocking out
with Guitar Hero Live.
Their final grades? F+
feedback 13
NOTABLES
18 recapping
gamescom 2015

22 afterwords:
rocket league

24 creating the fierce

females of the
witcher 3

30 massive: trove

31 impulse

32 interview:
hideki kamiya

14
 THE
COMPETITIVE
EDGE
Performance-Enhancing Drug Use Brings
eSports’ Integrity Into the Spotlight

by Matthew Kato

he popularity and profile of user an edge over the competition.

T
Despite this attention, the actual
eSports has risen dramati- Recent offhand comments by Ni- levels of drug use among players is
cally over the past few years. hilum team member Kory “Semphis” unknown, and how the matter should
Evil Geniuses won $6.6 million Friesen and Counter-Strike: Global be approached by the governing bod-
at the recent The International 2015 Offensive streamer and caster Mo- ies is still a topic for debate. Anecdotal
Dota 2 tournament. Heroes of the Dorm han “Launders” Govindasamy about evidence of PED use has been around
was broadcast on ESPN2 this spring. performance-enhancing drug use in for years, but Govindasamy says
Popular streamers are making big mon- the eSports community received a lot that while PED use is not a secret,
ey off viewers. Even established brands of attention in the video game industry he doesn’t believe it’s widespread ei-
like Halo 5: Guardians are including and by the mainstream press. Friesen, ther. “[Adderall is] not necessarily a
eSports features and starting their own referring to the messy team commu- staple drug that everybody feels they
leagues around the game. eSports is nications of Cloud9 (his team at the need to use, and people aren’t going
now an indisputable facet of gaming. time) at the Electronic Sports League to use it if they thought they were go-
With fame and money at stake, the (ESL) One Katowice 2015 event, told ing to get caught, because there are
desire to win – and doing what it takes Govindasamy in an interview, “We definite drawbacks to using Adderall,”
to get there – increases. Professional were all on Adderall.” Govindasamy he says. “[It] may or may not help you,
gamers train long hours each day, asked, “Everyone does Adderall at and it’s only going to help you during
and come tournament time, the time ESEA LAN right?” Friesen agreed. the time you use it. If you’re the best
commitment and pressure get even Shortly afterward, the ESL an- team in the world, you don’t use Ad-
heavier when playing through multiple nounced plans to institute random derall for practice every single day,
matches in a single day. Naturally, drug testing at its LAN events. The and then most of your online play –
players may reach for help. Maybe MLG told us it bars the use of prohib- which is the majority of matches you
it’s keeping hydrated or using energy ited drugs, but will not test for them. play, by the way.”
drinks. Some even use Adderall or Rit- Similarly, Riot Games, which makes Friesen told eSports journalist Rich-
alin – two drugs prescribed by doctors League of Legends and runs its own ard Lewis after the incident, “If anyone
to help with attention deficit hyperac- tournaments, wouldn’t comment on was to do Adderall it was only once,
tivity disorder – to help them focus. the matter other than to say they will you know? It wasn’t like we were pop-
The problem with these prescriptions not test at events. Valve, which makes ping addies ----ing everywhere, going
is they could be considered perfor- Dota 2 and stages The International, around downing bottles, like…I don’t
mance-enhancing drugs that give the did not respond to our inquiries. even like it.”
connect 15
 Bjoern Franzen, who has worked in
marketing to pair sponsorship com-
panies with eSports teams, has been
vocal for years about drugs in eSports.
He similarly does not believe PEDs are
a pathway to success. Nonetheless,
he wants to protect the integrity of the
sport and reward the abilities of the
players who perform legally. “I think
the current PEDs are no miracle drugs
that make people win tournaments
just by taking them,” he says. “May-
be the next level PEDs will, but they
can close or widen the gap between
a world-class player and someone
with solid baseline talent who is miss-
ing out on some natural and genetic
disadvantages like a slower reaction
time and certain thinking and focus-
ing capabilities. I totally think that at head of communication for the ESL, swab tests – which he says don’t even
least some tournament results in the says that randomized tests might not stand up to court scrutiny in his native
past five years in multiple games were be the way to go in the future, and that Germany. They are also prone to false
altered by PED usage.” the organization is open to adapting positives. However, Govindasamy
With PED use in eSports simmering its policies. thinks the existence of a testing policy
under the surface, ESL vice president According to Govindasamy, the re- in and of itself is enough to set a lot of
of pro gaming Michal Blicharz says action in the eSports community to competitors straight.
while the Friesen/Govindasamy video the ESL policy has been mixed, but Other questions remain, such as
caught the league by surprise, the ESL acknowledges that something has to how the ESL or any other league or
has been preparing for this kind of mo- be done. Blicharz says that response event would handle participants who
ment. “The question of performance- from the teams has been positive. “I have a valid prescription for a drug
enhancing drugs was an inevitability, do believe overall, all the teams and like Adderall, whether testing would
so we were readying quite a long time gamers as a group, what they care extend to any online qualifying events
for this,” he says. about the most is integrity of com- (not in-person like a tournament) or
The ESL is now working with NADA petition… I don’t know a single team lower-league tiers, and who is tested
(Nationale Anti-Doping Agentur) in manager – and I know quite a few – if it’s not random.
Germany, (where the ESL is headquar- that wouldn’t be happy to comply with Whether testing for PEDs really
tered), and WADA (World Anti-Doping what we’re putting in place.” works or even if PED use is really a
Agency) – two organizations already Friesen’ former team, Cloud9, told problem for eSports is ultimately irrele-
involved in crafting anti-doping poli- The Daily Dot that it backs testing. vant. The controversial topic has been
cies, testing, and compliance with “Cloud9 does not condone any of its broached, and there’s no going back
worldwide standards. The ESL wants players using illegal performance en- now. Whether to protect the integrity
to create an anti-drugs policy and ed- hancing drugs. Cloud9 players sup- of matches, allay the fears of spon-
ucation program that fits eSports and port efforts by ESL and other tour- sors, retain mainstream interest, or
can be realistically administered. nament operators and are willing to all of the above, the sub-industry and
What exactly that is, however, is still submit to drug tests to ensure com- community are going to have to deal
to be determined. The ESL is test- petitive integrity of events.” with the possibility of drug use from
ing for PEDs at its ESL One Cologne With the ESL’s long-term testing and now on. To highlight just one example
event via randomized skin tests, but policy still being crafted, it’s too early of what’s at stake, Franzen brings up
that’s just a first step toward a more to tell if it will ultimately work. Frazen a possible concern for the ESL: The
lasting policy. Anna Rozwandowicz, hopes that the ESL moves beyond Swedish media company Modern
Times Group just acquired a majority
stake in the ESL’s holding company
for $87 million, and has plans to ex-
pand the league and eSports’ foot-
print – a compelling reason to keep the
league’s reputation from being tainted
by PEDs.
Still, Govindasamy says that PEDs
aren’t even the biggest danger to the
future and integrity of eSports, which
he believes is cheating via hacking.
He says that online you can get away
with it since nobody really knows ex-
actly what you’re up to, but onsite
LAN events with anti-cheating mea-
sures such as prohibiting Internet ac-
cess and bag checks, are considered
secure. However, Govindasamy says
that a person was recently suspected
of cheating at an event using “very
sophisticated, remote-access work-
Friesen (left) and Govindasamy’s YouTube interview men- shop cheats.” Thus, eSports’ battle for
tioning drug use in eSports kicked off the current controversy
in tegrity continues. \
16 connect
RECAPPING GAMESCOM 2015
More than 345,000 visitors watched Microsoft state its
by Jeff Cork
case for the Xbox One, while Sony stayed on the sidelines

T
his year's Gamescom in an nounce ments and new footage adding that it was only possible
Cologne, Germany, was differ- from previously revealed titles. thanks to the power of the Xbox One’s
ent from past events, partially Over the course of an hour and cloud-based computing. Halo studio
because of the lack of a Sony a half, the company showed off 343 Industries concluded the show
press conference. The company extensive demos from Platinum by announcing Halo Wars 2, which is
traditionally has a large footprint at Games’ Scalebound, a new look at being developed by Total War creators
the show, but opted out of having the game/TV show-hybrid Quantum Creative Assembly.
a major presence this year in favor Break (including a visit from star Microsoft also revealed what’s
of holding out for the Paris Games Shawn Ashmore), and play-by-play ahead for the Xbox One itself, includ-
Week event near the end of October. highlights from a Halo 5 multiplayer ing the announcement of over-the-air
Microsoft seemed more than happy match. Crackdown 3’s demo wowed DVR functionality on the console.
to fill that void with its own presser, audiences with a look at its multi- The company showed off a new Elite
which featured a variety of game player devastation – with Microsoft controller designed for professional
gamers back at E3, but that isn't all
it has in the works. At Gamescom,
they revealed the returning chatpad
accessory ($34.99), which snaps
onto Xbox One controllers and gives
players a qwerty keyboard along with
shortcuts for hardware functions such
as recording video clips.
With Sony out, and Nintendo’s
presence essentially a formality, it was
Microsoft’s show to lose. Fortunately
for Xbox fans, the company showed
that even its E3 leftovers could hold
their own.
EA and Blizzard held its own press
conferences at the show as well. EA
didn’t pack in any game announce-
ments, instead offering deeper dives
into Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, Need
for Speed, and FIFA 16. EA’s yarn-
inspired Unravel made an appearance,
too, giving Europeans a chance to
see the cute aesthetic that masks a
18
 Disney Reveals More
Gaming Goodness At
Its D23 Event
isney fans from around the globe gather at

D California’s Anaheim Convention Center ev-

ery year for the annual D23 event. This year,
attendees learned more about its upcoming
film and animation projects – and plans for new Star
Wars-themed lands at its parks – as well as a slew of
gaming-related news.
Sony revealed a new Star Wars Battlefront PlaySta-
tion 4 bundle that takes the console to the dark side.
It includes a special Darth Vader-skinned console, an
exclusive Vader-themed controller, and a copy of EA's
shooter. It also comes with download vouchers for a
quartet of old-school Star Wars games, with digital
vouchers for Super Star Wars, Star Wars: Racer
Revenge, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, and Star Wars
Bounty Hunter.
Big Hero 6 captured hearts last year, and the
animated film is getting its own themed world in the
tricky physics-based platformer. DICE Elsewhere at the show, the prevail- upcoming Kingdom Hearts III. Square Enix an-
showed off Star Wars Battlefront’s ing theme was getting new looks at nounced that Baymax and buddies will be appearing
new Fighter Squadron, which was familiar games. There were certainly in the Square/Disney mashup.
playable on the showfloor. We were exceptions, such as 2K Games’ pre- On the Disney Infinity front, Disney Interactive gave
disappointed with how closely the Gamescom announcement of Mafia players info on Disney Infinity 3.0's ultimate unlock-
TIE Fighters and X-Wings handled, III, but for the most part the show was able. Keeping with the Kingdom Hearts theme,
as well as the mode’s overreliance one of the final opportunities to see dedicated players who unlock all of the Disney
on cooldowns for basic abilities what developers have been up to in Infinity characters will be able to nab the series'
like firing lasers and performing the months since E3 before many of keyblade weapon. \
dodge maneuvers. the games ship later this year.
Blizzard’s big reveal was the latest Attendees could get hands-on time
World of Warcraft expansion, Legion. with Rise of the Tomb Raider and
The 2016 release includes a new explore one of the new tombs for
character class, the acrobatic demon themselves. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow
hunter, and new artifact weapons that Six: Siege was a reminder of how
level as players progress. The expan- important communication is in the
sion is set in an all-new continent, tactical shooters; teams of writers
The Broken Isles, and it increases the who opted to stay quiet often found
level cap to 110. The company also themselves quickly out of the action.
unveiled new Overwatch maps and For in-depth looks at many of the
gave StarCraft 2 players a chance to big games from the show, take a
check out the new Allied Command- look at our expanded coverage in the
ers co-op mode. previews section. \
connect 19
A Dozen Recent
Mobile Games You
Shouldn’t Miss
Amid the glut of shovelware and exploitative moneti-
zation practices, the mobile gaming scene still plays
home to some fantastic games every year. Here are 12
recent games worth trying on phone or tablet, with
an eye towards thoughtful game design, beautiful art 1. YOU MUST BUILD A BOAT
or presentation, and immersive experiences that don’t Developer: EightyEight Games
Platform: iOS, Android
draw you out of the fun with an overreliance on ads,
The sequel to the endlessly engaging 10000000 tells you almost everything you need
questionable IAP, or other dubious practices. to know in its own title. Rapidfire match-three gameplay demands speed, and the new
addition of matching even as new blocks are falling into place makes things more
frantic and fun. All the while, your boat gets more rambunctious and lively, as new
by Matt Miller monsters hop aboard to join the crew. Once you get into the flow, the biggest chal-
lenge is convincing yourself to take a break.

2. THE EXECUTIVE 3. PRUNE

Developer: Riverman Media Developer: Joel McDonald
Platform: iOS Platform: iOS
A gentleman in a three-piece suit is up to any challenge, including confronting a horde As close as you’re ever likely to get to a digital take on the art of bonsai trees, Prune
of werewolves and other monsters when they invade the city, posing as the day-to- plays unlike anything else out there. The spare visuals and beautiful ambient music is
day personnel of the white-collar world. Acrobatically leaping through skyscrapers and likely to remind many players of thatgamecompany’s Flower, and the eco-overtones
flame-kicking anthropomorphic warthogs with carefully timed martial arts action is of Prune’s level progression do nothing to dispel the comparison. As your tree grows
as wild as it sounds. The absurdity is backed up by immaculate controls, challenging and branches across the screen, a swipe of your finger removes excess branches and
enemy attack patterns, and an engaging leveling system, in this strangely fascinating shapes the tree so that it can blossom into the light. Deeply relaxing and thoughtful,
mash-up of board-room culture and B-movie monster gags. Prune offers bite-sized moments of meditation rather than action or strategy.

4. GALACTIC KEEP 5. SPLENDOR

Developer: Gilded Skull Games Developer: Days of Wonder
Platform: iOS, Android Platform: iOS, Android
Bright colors splash across the character portraits, and dice roll across the screen in One of the best tabletop games of recent years has made a brilliant transition to the
this homage to classic tabletop science fiction. Graph-paper maps serve as the visual digital playspace. You are a merchant of the Renaissance, cornering the market on
backdrop as you guide your customized character through one adventure after the next, gemstones and attracting the eye (and prestige) of nobles. Seemingly simple mechan-
fighting gonzo alien creatures in turn-based encounters, and exploring unknown worlds ics become devilishly complex as you juggle available supply, growing your wealth,
as you go. Smartly paced battles demand attention and resource management, and the and tracking your opponents’ planned acquisitions, in this elegant and addictive game
varied selection of heroes keeps things interesting each time you dive into the action. of strategy for up to four aspiring merchants.
20
6. TRANSISTOR 7. CHAOS RINGS III
Developer: Supergiant Games/Confetti Games Developer: Media.Vision/Square Enix
Platform: iOS Platform: iOS, Android
Transistor was celebrated as an indie success story upon its 2014 release, and it has While Square Enix continues to pump out remakes of its most popular old RPGs, its
received a stellar port to mobile. Players who have yet to explore the science-fiction most compelling recent mobile release is a title developed specifically for mobile
city of Cloudbank should take the opportunity to dive in. You control Red, a young platforms. The turn-based combat and rich cast of characters is reminiscent of some
singer who has lost her voice. Her only companion is a mighty weapon called the of Square Enix’s ‘90s RPG efforts, and remain open to trying out new systems and
Transistor, which speaks with the voice of her lost friend. Excellent combat mixes challenging its players to keep up with a complex system and deep world fiction. Like
real-time and turn-based mechanics to stellar effect, and new touch-control options many mobile releases from the company, the latest Chaos Rings is expensive enough
feel intuitive and responsive. to deserve a mention of the price here ($19.99 as of this writing), but be assured – a
full JRPG epic is on offer, presented in the grand style we used to take for granted.

8. LOOT & LEGENDS 9. HALO: SPARTAN STRIKE

Developer: Dropforge Games Developer: 343 Industries/Vanguard Games
Platform: iOS Platform: iOS, Windows Phone
Loot & Legends is the mobile successor and evolution of the excellent PC-based One of the most polished twin-stick style shooters on mobile also happens to be from
Card Hunter, and dramatically overhauls many of the game’s systems in the name of one of gaming’s most popular sci-fi franchises. Spartan Strike showcases a beautiful
improved play and better mobile implementation. The result is a brilliant homage to presentation of glowing weapon effects and potent explosions. Tight shooting mechan-
old-school D&D tabletop games, but with a clever card game twist. Levels look like ics use many of the series’ signature weapons, but the game also manages to improve
cardboard cut-outs lovingly crafted to lay out on a kitchen table on game night, but it’s its predecessor’s credit and weapon system for a more streamlined experience.
the highly tactical party-based combat that really steals the show.

10. LEGEND OF GRIMROCK 11. LINES THE GAME 12. FALLOUT SHELTER
Developer: Almost Human Developer: Gamious Developer: Bethesda
Platform: iOS Platform: iOS Platform: iOS, Android
You are prisoners granted freedom by royalty, but only There’s no fancy wrapping for this clever little puzzle The wildly popular Fallout franchise gets a mobile entry
if you can escape the confines of a massive dungeon game, in which you attempt to capture territory along as we wait for the upcoming Fallout 4. In this commu-
complex filled with traps and monsters. Paying hom- various geometric shapes. Upon starting the game, it’s nity simulator, you build out your underground bunker
age to classic PC RPGs like Ultima Underworld and hard to imagine how the concept could be so engross- to withstand the attacks of bandits and deathclaws,
Wizardry, Legend of Grimrock puts you in charge of ing, since the entire gist of gameplay is about tapping all the while aiming to keep your vault dwellers happy,
an ill-equipped party of heroes and sets you loose into a few times along the shape’s lines to determine where healthy, and making more babies. The cute Vault Boy-
a grid-based first-person perspective dungeon. Great your color will begin to spread. But as other colors fueled aesthetic and smartly paced development are
touch controls and smart inventory management make compete for space, and more complex shapes arise, fun, and the timer-based process for progress is only a
it easy to dive in, but be aware that the challenge level Lines becomes devilishly engaging. pain if you’re in a rush to finish. \
is extremely high if you hope to survive for long.
connect 21
afterwords

ROCKET LEAGUE
Seemingly out of the blue, this summer the gaming world fell in love highly competitive sport, and we want
to support that as much as possible,
with cars playing soccer. We spoke with the founder of Psyonix, Dave
but we believe that we can totally add
Hagewood, about Rocket League’s success and future. by Ben Hanson some really fun experiences, a lot of
which were in the original game. Things
What was it like in the studio when about that, but there’s no way to know. like maps that aren’t the standard rect-
the game launched? PlayStation has been a very, very key angle field, modes where you couldn’t
It was polarizing. On the one hand, we role in this whole thing…it seems to be cross [your] 50-yard line, a mode
start to see the numbers go up like what made it spark and take off. where instead of a ball we played with
crazy, and on the other hand we’re a crate. We’re basically calling them
looking at our server network and are Did you debate making it a “mutators,” so you can mutate a match
like, “Oh my god.” We were pretty free-to-play game and then selling just like the old Unreal Tournament
confident we could handle 40-50,000 cosmetic items? games that I have a background in.
players and it would be great if we We considered making it free-to-play. We’re doing it very carefully; you’re not
had more than 10,000. By the end of We’ve had experience with free-to- just going to suddenly see 16 other
the [first] week we had 183,000 con- play doing well and free-to-play doing game types. We want to give people
current players. not so well…[but] anything that has a the ability to customize a match for
bad reputation we want to stay away their friends and play a wackier version
How important was being free on from and just be that more traditional, of the game…and we don’t plan on
PlayStation Plus to the game’s nostalgic experience. charging money for those. For match-
overall success? making, we’re planning on having
Personally, I feel like the game would Is there any chance of this game weekly or daily mutators…and then we
have been a success (at least to the coming to Xbox One? can just cycle through them.
standards that we were expecting) All I can say is that we’re interested
even without it, but I don’t think that it in that. Is this game helping fund some of
would have been into the stratosphere the studio’s dream projects?
like it is. We’re up to five million play- Do you guys see Rocket League as Absolutely. We’ve played this long
ers now, most of which come from a viable eSport? game of working on other projects
PS Plus. It was about getting it in the Yes. We’ve been having those conver- to fund our own, and we’re really
hands of as many people as possible. sations with all kinds of organizations. masters of our own destiny at this
We’re in the process of trying to keep point. Pretty much all projects com-
Does Sony give you a lump sum in it from fragmenting too much – there’s ing out of Psyonix now are going to
the beginning or do you get paid almost too many eSports organiza- be Psyonix originals. We want to add
every download? tions. We’re jumping in head-first and updates to [Rocket League], we want
We don’t get paid every download, figuring out the best way to do it. to add sequels to it and all of that,
but that would be nice. but we have a wide variety of game
How do you keep evolving the ideas here. We’re very excited to
Seeing how successful it is, do you game without disrupting its develop some of our new projects and
regret giving it away for free? simple beauty? show everyone the other side of what
I would be lying if I said I don’t think Some people are interested in it being a Psyonix is capable of doing. \
22 connect
 We seek out the best Star
Wars™ merch across the
galaxy. If we can’t find
what we want, we make it
and share with you — even
products from Star Wars:
The Force Awakens that we
weren’t allowed to show
in this ad yet. But they’re
online now. Boom.
 Creating The Fierce Women

24
Of The Witcher 3
How three disparate, strong- When most people think of The Witcher, they imme-
willed ladies brought more diately think of its powerful antihero, Geralt of Rivia.
depth to Geralt’s journey However, he has three intriguing women at his side
fighting the harsh realities of its brutal universe. The
by Kimberley Wallace kind-hearted Triss, sarcastic Yennefer, and rebellious
Ciri are all important to the narrative, and each has
her own motivations and struggles to overcome a dis-
criminatory society and the world’s greater dangers.
While CD Projekt Red could have kept the narrative
centered on Geralt, instead it saw value in exploring
the individual complexities of each woman. In the
end, the writing team created three fascinating char-
acters – so much so we couldn’t resist finding out how
they approached their arcs, giving all of them their
own places to shine.

Going Beyond The Books by giving each unique struggles.

CD Projekt’s Witcher series is Yennefer has always been a colder
based on the best-selling novels character, but her desperate
by Andrzej Sapkowski, a Polish search for Ciri brings out a more
writer often compared to J.R.R. caring and motherly side to her.
Tolkien. Sapkowski laid the Whereas Triss finds herself caught
groundwork for all the characters up in a political struggle in which
in the Witcher universe, something a new leader in Novigrad is perse-
that CD Projekt respects and tries cuting mages. Her caring nature
not to wander too far from. The goes into overdrive, throwing her
personalities have to match and into a leadership role to help save
fall in line with how the characters their lives.
have been presented by Sapkows- While CD Projekt Red gave each
ki. However, The Witcher 3: Wild woman her own trials, a common
Hunt takes place after the books, thread brings them all together:
forcing the writers to ask the ques- their relationships with each
tion: How did the characters grow other and Geralt. CD Projekt Red
in the time that has passed since knew with the expansive game it
the novels? planned to create it couldn’t have
Ciri, in particular, was a child at the main plot be something ab-
the start of the books and a teen- stract like killing a certain monster
ager when they ended. CD Projekt or about politics; the centerpiece
Red had the task of showing her had to be emotional. That’s how
as a maturing woman. “With Ciri Ciri became the link that would
we had the most freedom and it make all their paths cross.
was also the biggest challenge, Triss is like a sister figure to Ciri,
because she is a very different while Geralt and Yennefer have
character,” says senior writer a more parental relationship with
Jakub Szamałek. “Now, she’s her. “It had to be someone close
grown up; she’s been through a lot to Geralt, and Ciri is without a
of things so we wanted to create doubt the most important charac-
a character who is aware of her ter in the Witcher saga,” Szamałek
special place in the world, but who says. “We knew this would be the
doesn’t want to accept it.” final installment in Geralt’s adven-
For Triss and Yennefer, the tures, so we felt that we had to
personalities stayed on point from bring her up and make her the key
the books, but CD Projekt Red to the story to this final installment
left to right: Ciri, Yennefer, and Triss added new dimensions to them of Geralt’s saga.”
connect 25
Writing Characters As People are people, not plot devices,” says Szamalek thinks it’s important Sapkowski’s creation was heavily
It may seem like a no-brainer, but writer Karolina Stachyra. “Our only that the lead characters’ person- influenced by Slavic mythology;
CD Projekt Red's core philosophy consideration was to give each of alities add contrast against the the fantasy setting is in archaic
is to make sure every character them as much time in the quests harsh landscape and awful people times where outmoded atti-
has a place in the story. This as possible to show who they are in it, while still maintaining their tudes in regards to women were
extends to NPCs. “When creating and why they are so interesting own rough edges. “It’s important prevalent and class divisions
characters, both major characters and important for Geralt.” that the characters you interact are ever present. Even more so,
and really insignificant ones, we To CD Projekt Red, creating in- the most with are likeable, but that non- hu mans are not treated
want to give them their own aims, teresting characters means making doesn’t mean that they all have to kindly, such as when we see
goals, and ambitions,” Szamalek them flawed and realistic. Similar be Mary Sues and they all have to Geralt getting called a “freak” or
says. “They’re always up to some- to the moral ambiguity in the be ideal, nice, warm, and cuddly.” worse at times. When you enter
thing. They aren’t there just for the choices you make, characters also Triss, Ciri, and Yennefer all have this world, you must be prepared
player to interact with, they are must reflect that. “We focus on their likeable qualities, but they’re for the bleakness.
always scheming and doing their creating interesting characters and far from idealized. Ciri can be For some players, it’s been hard
own things.” if someone is an interesting per- reckless, Yennefer is detached, to watch these primitive attitudes
This mantra extends to The son, he or she has to have shades and Triss is sometimes too kind surface and seeing characters,
Witcher 3’s leading ladies. “For of gray – because this is what for her own good. These flaws women in particular, being treated
us, Triss, Yennefer, and Ciri just makes us human,” Stachyra says. enable CD Projekt to put them in poorly. “The world of The Witcher
interesting situations. is a horrible place,” Szamalek
Triss isn’t a natural born leader, admits. “I’d never want to live
but when the mages are being there. It’s full of violence, of rac-
persecuted in Novigrad and no ism, of sexism as well. The world
one steps up to protect them is a grim place with all of these
she steps into that role and must horrible things going on, but I
cope with the heavy responsibil- think you’d have to have a lot of
ity. On the other hand, Yennefer bad will to think this is how we as
aligns with unpredictable political writers or developers of the game
leaders, letting her guard down all think that’s how things should
in the name of finding Ciri. These work out.”
women don’t exist merely for While CD Projekt Red is quick
Geralt. While he’s on his journey, to say it’s not an ideal world and
they’re having their own experi- it doesn’t think what occurs in
ences, fighting their own battles. it is right, it does create strong
characters who persevere in spite
Overcoming The Harsh World of these unjust circumstances
The Witcher’s world is grim and for that very reason. Yennefer,
brutal. Similar to George R. Triss, and Ciri all hold important
The Yennefer Challenge R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, positions in the world and rise
the backdrop is full of horrible above the evil pitted against them.
Yennefer has a huge arc in Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher novels,
circumstances and uncomfortable They’re capable on and off the
and CD Projekt Red was intimidated to tackle such a complex
situations. CD Projekt Red has battlefield. Yennefer doesn’t wait
character in the games. “We avoided introducing her in the first
maintained Sapkowski’s vision for Geralt; she runs ahead to find
two games partly because she was such an important character
from his books, right down to the Ciri, using her talents in political
that we were afraid of bringing her to the picture,” says senior
violent and shocking moments. scheming to find answers.
writer Jakub Szamałek.
For Geralt’s last big journey, CD Projekt Red finally got over its
fear and brought her in, but she wasn’t the easiest character to
make players understand and like. “Yennefer is difficult character
for many reasons,” says writer Karolina Stachyra. “She’s well
known to the readers of the saga, and fans had their own expec-
tation according to that character. We needed to face them, which
is always very challenging. Second of all she is ironic and sarcas-
tic, often hard to coexist with, and very smart (sometimes even
impertinent), so it was another challenge to make her likeable.”
“Yennefer is really a mean character in the books,” Szamałek
adds. “In the beginning, she seems to be a difficult character
and you might even dislike her, but when you finish reading the
books, you almost certainly end up liking her. The problem is we
had to recreate this. We couldn’t make Yennefer likeable from the
first minutes of your interaction with her because it would make
her seem and feel like a very different character from the book.”
Stachyra says the team had intense discussions on whether
or not to make her personality warmer, but ultimately decided
against it because they wanted to stay true to what made her
special – the part of her that Geralt loved the most. However, they
also worked in scenes to show Yennefer’s softer side, like when
she sees Ciri at Kaer Morhen and runs and kisses her cheeks.
“For someone so preoccupied with her appearances and with
how she’s perceived, you can see at this very moment she drops
all the pretenses and her guard and she’s basically herself,”
Stachyra says.

26
 Supporting And Empowering Ciri
[Warning: Spoilers ahead]
In The Witcher 3, your ending depends on how much you let Ciri
grow as an individual during the journey. She spends a great
portion of the journey running from her destiny, not entirely sure
“Against this backdrop, we put and we haven’t got solutions for what she wants to do with her life. You as Geralt must help her
characters that we sympathize everything. Sometimes we didn’t ease into her special role, and to do that, you must listen closely
with, that we like,” Szamalek quite strike the right tone and to what she needs from you. “I think that what we did with Ciri
says. “These characters are often we’ve always acknowledged that is particularly empowering,” says senior writer Jakub Szamałek.
women. They have an oppor- we are not perfect and our games “Her story is basically about letting her make her own decisions
tunity to be important, both for are not perfect, but overall we and believing in her, so if you’re overprotective and you think you
the story of Geralt and be strong managed to tell a mature story know what’s best for her, then she doesn’t grow as a character
characters in their own right. which respects its characters and this leads to the unhappy ending. You [must] help her grow
They manage to overcome all the even though they might end up in and spread her wings; Ciri is such an independent character, and
differences and prejudices inher- horrific circumstances.” you have to respect her independence in order to help her.”
ent in this world.”
From the beginning, CD Projekt Providing A Building Block
Red has always wanted to remain CD Projekt Red broke new
true to Sapkowski’s source mate- ground in the RPG genre with its
rial and show respect for it. For work on The Witcher franchise, not have set a high bar with its to be part of the discussion,”
Szamalek and his writing team, innovating in areas of choice and female characters and their rep- Szamalek says. “The fact that we
it’s been a tough balancing act. mature storytelling. Not many resentations, but The Witcher 3: have so much to talk about – this
“We want to tell an emotional, games have challenged players The Wild Hunt takes big strides is why it’s so important that we
grim story set in a morally bleak with such distressing scenarios thanks to Triss, Ciri, and Yennefer. have strong female characters.
world and we didn’t want to or mastered the art of ambigu- CD Projekt Red aims to continue It’s indicative of a problem, that
punch in kiddie gloves just be- ous decisions. To buy into this writing intriguing female charac- there aren’t enough strong female
cause it’s a video game,” he says. world, you have to care about it; ters like them and only hopes to characters. It should be natural
“We didn’t shy away from some you need these characters and grow from here. that games have strong female
controversies because it’s easier their plights to matter. The writing “It is very important to talk characters. We are happy to pro-
or safer to do so. It’s a game stands out for that very reason. about gender issues within the vide a little building block toward
that can last for up to 200 hours, The previous Witcher games may game industry, and we are happy that goal.” \

connect 27
 THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
The Good

RESIDENT EVIL 2
is getting remade thanks to the loud request of fans.
Capcom asked fans if they were interested in a remake
of the game, and the response was a resounding,
“Yes!” No release date or details have been revealed
about the project, but given how good the remake of the
original was earlier this year, fans should be optimistic.
The Bad

Quotable

“No, I think
the rest of the
team might
MIGHTY NO. 9 developer Comcept (featuring Mega Man luminary Keiji Inafune)
has received ire over the handling of the delay of Mighty No. 9
(shown) and the poor communication surrounding another Comcept Kickstarter title, Red Ash. These concerns
murder me if were amplified in the last days of the failed Red Ash Kickstarter as investor Fuze funded the project off-site.
I said it with- This created confusion about where crowdfunding would be spent. Some backers believe Comcept tried to
mute the delay of Mighty No. 9 into 2016 so as not to disrupt the Kickstarting of Red Ash. This confirmed other
out talking to
concerns about Red Ash being pitched before Mighty No. 9 was delivered.
them first.”

The Ugly
photo from Time Magazine

OCULUS RIFT
creator Palmer Luckey graced the cover
of an August issue of Time Magazine.
While Luckey’s picture on the cover
didn’t do him or virtual reality any favors,
– Dave Hagewood, it was Time’s article itself that came
founder of Rocket out looking the worst. Unable to resist
League developer an easy stereotype, author Joel Stein
Psyonix, when we called Luckey a nerd who is “cheery
asked him if he and talks in normal sentences that are
could share some easy to understand.” Stein continued,
of the lore behind “He doesn’t look like a guy who played
Rocket League. Dungeons & Dragons so much as a char-
acter in Dungeons & Dragons.”

28 connect
New Designs for Wii Remote Plus.
Available only at GameStop.

Compatible with these Wii U games and more!

massive

TROVE
A fun-filled world overflowing with absurdity

by Daniel Tack

Trion Worlds’ Trove is an unusual Neon Ninjas, and the Boomeranger at all levels of the game, and the focus
MMORPG, but it’s a lot of fun. While it (a class clearly inspired by Link, is definitely on the fun. Trove doesn’t
doesn’t quite embrace all the systems featuring boomerangs, bombs, and take itself too seriously, and you
associated with a traditional MMO in smashy urns) are not your everyday shouldn’t either. If you want to engage
a post-World of Warcraft world, Trove options. After selecting your class, with high-level adventure content, that
finds its niche by embracing elements Trove tasks players with a rather option is available, or you can just try
from open-world games with RPG extensive tutorial that teaches the to make the coolest base ever.
components, like Minecraft and the concepts of home development and The world of Trove is filled with
often lamented Cube World, and tying crafting alongside actual adventuring weird situations involving ludicrous
the two different philosophies togeth- and looting. You can unlock others dinosaurs and dragons. The comical
er to create colorful, fast-paced, and classes later with acquired currency. take on many fantasy and pop-culture
interesting experiences. You’re not After your expansive and informative tropes works well in the world of bois-
playing a core MMOPRG, and you’re tutorial, you’re free to start exploring terous blocks. Combat involves your
not playing a building/crafting/survival the world with other players, zipping standard MMORPG hotbar, but it’s
game either, but something that from adventure to adventure. This for- fast and more action-oriented. It also
falls between. mat feels similar to the “instant adven- follows the modern trend of “fewer
Trove’s free-to-play model lets ture” feature in Trion’s core MMORPG, abilities, more impact” for your skills
you start with a class of your choice Rift, and it mostly works. You can join and items; you won’t end up with
from a ridiculous assortment of up and start diving into action imme- your screen real estate taken over by
options. While many are based on diately, though the combat sometimes hundreds of different icons.
fantasy archetypes, Trove’s humor- gets confusing with so many pixels On the con side, the game can feel
ous versions of popular classes set and particles lighting up the screen. grindy at times (what MMO doesn’t?),
the pace before you even begin play- Whether you’re a solo player or a so I recommend going into it with a
ing. Classes like Candy Barbarians, raucous raider, you have things to do group of friends to tackle more inter-
esting fare than solo gameplay day
after day. Veteran MMORPG players
may balk at the small ability selection
as well. Servers on launch were jam-
packed and it was sometimes difficult
to get through the queue line, but that
issue seems to have been corrected.
Those issues aside, I highly recom-
mend trying Trove, as there’s very
little stopping you from doing so. You
should know almost immediately if the
eclectic amalgamation of game design
concepts works for you. It may not be
a hardcore fantasy MMORPG, but we
have plenty of those already. Trove is
a refreshing, different approach to
the genre. \
30 connect
 impulse
Summer Conventions
Bring Indie Darlings
We Happy Few

W
ith the season of big conventions like E3, Gamescom,
We Happy Few is developed by
and PAX Prime behind us, we’ve come away with a Compulsion Games, the team behind
fantastic array of upcoming indies to look forward to Contrast. It has already turned heads
for its similarity to BioShock’s art style,
playing. Here are three that really captured our attention.
but this third-person survival game
has more than an interesting face. Set
Necropolis Fragments of Him in a bonkers, drugged-out Dystopian
Necropolis comes to us courtesy of SassyBot Studios’ Fragments of Him City in 1964, people are just a little too
the fine folks at Harebrained Schemes, explores the lives of three different happy, as the face-painted locals are
the same team behind the Shadowrun characters dealing with the aftermath on a drug called Joy and are hellbent
reboot and the upcoming Battletech of an unexpected death of an impor- on going after anybody who doesn’t
revival. I’m increasingly fascinated tant person to them, Will. You see conform, known as “downers.”
as I learn more about this roguelike, how all three characters attempt to You must survive by finding food
third-person adventure, which feels in cope and remember Will. Think of it and water and crafting weapons to
every way like a procedurally gener- like a point-and-click adventure where protect you during your trek. The
ated love letter to the Dark Souls and you click on objects, but you can also map is procedurally generated and
Bloodbornes of the world. You’re an walk around the room in first-person. you can unlock multiple characters to
adventurer exploring the long-aban- This creates a feeling like you’re on play through different stories. To get
doned sanctum of the great wizard, the outside, looking in at these fami- around the crowds, you can either
Abraxis, and your only company is the lies. “You’re like the mind guiding the sneak around them or use antics like
unhinged ranting of the maze’s magical character and sometimes the mind crafting clothes to fit in. You can even
caretaker, the Brazen Head. Weapons, wanders off,” says designer Mata take drugs to see a rainbow-filled world
armor, and loot of all kinds are ripe for Haggis. The three different relation- where no one will attack you for a short
the taking in the angular architecture of ships you explore are Will’s ex- while. You can use brute force against
Looking for more inde-
the dungeon, and combat feels fast and girlfriend from college, his grand- them and stealth attacks, but these
pendent games? Check out
deadly. Harebrained Schemes tells me mother, and his current significant are best used on the occasional strag- gameinformer.com/impulse
it has incorporated 32 distinct monster other, Harry. You watch characters gler. Trying to make one’s way through for regular updates, pre-
varieties, 60 weapons, and a huge interact in their different environments the town is thrilling as there’s a lot of views, and reviews. For
number of distinct traps, potions, and and reminisce about Will through tension, especially once the “happy” more in this issue, read
acquirable magic traits for your explorer. objects and places that remind people spot you and bolt in pursuit. our reviews of King’s Quest
I love the visual variety in character them of him. You’re thinking just as much as you’re Chapter I: A Knight To
styles they’ve squeezed out of the In many ways, you’re just learn- being caught off guard. We Happy Few Remember (p. 86) Volume
minimalistic and sharp-lined art style, ing about a man’s life and seeing the launches in June 2016 on Xbox One (p. 87), and Galak-Z: The
and the playthroughs I’ve witnessed impact he had on others. The majority and PC. » Kimberley Wallace \ Dimensional (p. 89).
genuinely change things up as one of the gameplay focuses on walking
moves from room to room, including around and clicking on meaningful Fragments of Him
moving platforms, devious drops, objects in the environment, seeing Xbox One, PC
and constant treasure chests. I’m Will’s life from these different perspec-
also intrigued by the studio’s effort to tives. The game isn’t meant to be
inject a narrative and fictional back- a sad tale about death, but instead
ground to the dungeon that reveals sends a message about cherishing
itself over multiple playthroughs. I people and the memories we have of
can’t wait to die repeatedly in the final them. Fragments of Him is due out
version, targeting PC, Mac, and Linux in early 2016 for PC and Xbox One.
early next year. » Matt Miller » Kimberley Wallace

Necropolis
PC, Mac, Linux

We Happy Few
Xbox One, PC

connect 31
 photo: Pszemek Dzienis
interview

Brutally Honest
Commentary
Hideki Kamiya is one of the most revered Japanese developers in the industry. From his work on
games like Resident Evil 2, Okami, and Bayonetta, to his popular antics on Twitter, the Platinum
Games director oozes charisma and is never afraid to tell it like it is.

You’ve been in the industry over 20 the foundation of what it is to create very fortunate that I’ve had supporters
years now. What keeps you wanting games. It’s not the know-how or the and people who have provided me
to make games? approach, but it is truly the belief of, “If with an environment to create what I
It goes back to when I first started you’re going to create something, then believe in to the point where I am sat-
at Capcom. I consider Shinji Mikami you have to believe in that idea and isfied. I’m not only very fortunate, I’m
a mentor, because he taught me you have to pull through.” I’ve been very thankful.
32
 that I know, and sometimes it might
interview by Kimberley Wallace not fully indicate the intent.
CAREER
Why did you decide to start blocking HIGHLIGHTS
Who are some of the people that you What trends in the industry would people and tagging them with your
look up to in the games industry? you like to see go away, and how infamous “BLOCKED?” tweets? 1994
Of course, Shinji Mikami is one of would you like to see it evolve in Part of my original policy was that I Hideki Kamiya gets his
them. Another person would be Hideo the future? was not going to block anyone. Maybe first job in the industry
Kojima. When I was in high school, it’s a bit a cultural thing and that we’re at Capcom, joining the
I’ve been fortunate to have colleagues,
Resident Evil team and
he released Snatcher and presented partners, and an environment provided speaking the same native language,
meeting his mentor,
himself as director. At that time, there to make my ideas happen. Scalebound but with Japanese fans I have probably
Shinji Mikami
really wasn’t a sense of a game direc- is a very large-scale team, but I’ve not blocked that many. They’re either
tor or producer compared to the film also worked on titles that were more very shy, conservative, or very careful 1996
industry. It just felt like, “Wow. This is compact. But in the last decade or so, with how they make their comments or Kamiya is appointed
actually a structure or a formation that the way that games are developed has ask their questions. director of Resident
happens in the process of creating a demanded large teams, and everything Whereas, most of the foreigners are Evil 2 and looks at it
game.” That was eye-opening to me. has grown out of proportion. There are very direct and sometimes they poke as getting a second
chance after the fail-
Going back to Mikami-san, in the other creators who probably have not me in the wrong way. On top of that, it
ure of the unreleased
early days, they didn’t have that been given that opportunity to make seems to me that the Japanese users
Resident Evil 1.5
game-director structure at Capcom their ideas come to reality. actually read a lot of my past tweets.
either. Mikami-san is the first person On one hand, you feel like games are To non-Japanese fans, it’s a matter 2001
at Capcom who rose to earn that fun, but this is a business at the end of, “I’m going to tweet something at Devil May Cry,
title as a game director. The way that of the day. A lot of companies have Kamiya, and I just want to know what Kamiya’s first original
Capcom operates now is something become risk averse to very big budget he says to my tweet.” Everyone starts IP, releases to much
that Mikami-san created the path for, titles or large-scale projects. In that to ask the same questions over and fanfare, establishing a
and I just happened to be the one sense, it just feels like for some people, over again, and it just got to a point powerful new series for
Capcom. The franchise
person who followed it and became a there is nowhere to go. But as we all where it was like, “You know? This
sells more than 10 mil-
director at Capcom. know, with a foundation or platform is enough. I’m going to block you.”
lion copies worldwide
One more person I want to men- like crowdfunding or the effort to sup- I didn’t want to, but it was just getting
tion here is a former colleague who port indie developers, there is an outlet out of control. It’s not worth the time 2004
entered Capcom around the same now for those creators to express their and it’s just easier to block that person. Clover Studio, an
time: Shu Takumi, the creator of Ace passion and their creativity. But even if I block someone, if you independent Japanese
Attorney. We’re still friends and very politely ask me to unblock you, I will studio and subsidiary
close. There’s something about the Right now the Japanese video game always unblock you. of Capcom, is founded.
Kamiya joins and starts
Ace Attorneys that he directs that scene is interesting in that it’s not as
work on Viewtiful Joe
have the Takumi-san stamp on it. console-focused as North America. What made you want to take up
Whether it’s the dialogue, the direc- Would you ever consider doing any- the challenge of putting four-player 2006
tion, or the nuances, you know that thing for mobile? co-op into Scalebound? The cult-hit Okami,
it was him that made it. Going back I would not want to have to make When Scalebound was pitched to which Kamiya directed,
to Kojima-san, Metal Gear would games for mobile…at least, for now. Microsoft, there was much interest on releases. The game
not be Metal Gear if it weren’t made I have so much fun making games for the Microsoft side for this as some- wins acclaim from crit-
by Kojima-san. console. If I had it my way, I would thing that really expands the gameplay. ics and a dedicated
want take a time machine and go So that’s where it started; it wasn’t fanbase, but it isn’t a
commercial success
How do you feel about Metal back to the ‘80s and make games necessarily a hard push from our side,
Gear potentially continuing for either arcades or Famicom (NES). but it quickly evolved into, “It’s a great 2006
without Kojima? That’s where my heart is, so I don’t see opportunity and we don’t really have A few months after
I don’t know what Hideo Kojima’s myself doing [mobile] right now. experience in something as grandiose Okami launches,
true feelings are, so this is purely my as this.” It just sounded like this is a Kamiya forms
personal thoughts. There are two You’ve earned a cult status on good challenge and we would not be Platinum Games with
things. One is if I look at Kojima-san Twitter being unabashed about able to do this on our own, only with Japanese develop-
as a creator, then I feel like once the dealing with stupidity. Are you really the support of the Microsoft team. ers Shinji Mikami and
Metal Gear world was introduced to We’re not quite there yet to discuss Atsushi Inaba
frustrated or are you just having fun
everyone, the game industry saw the with it? details, but what I can say is that at 2009
success and how much potential this When I started Twitter in Japanese, the end of the demo you saw that you Kamiya works with
series has. This leads to an enormous I told myself that because there’s a were all facing the same boss charac- Sega and launches
amount of pressure that a creator limitation of how much you can say ter and you were meeting up with three Bayonetta. This is the
ends up putting on to himself and the that I would lose all this “formality.” other Drew characters and partner first time he returns
team to keep that franchise alive and Obviously if I need to write something dragons. The setting and backdrop will to a previous genre,
evolve it. So from a creator’s stand- for our company blog or do press inter- provide answers to why we’re doing capitalizing on his
point, I feel as if perhaps this will be views, I speak in this manner. However, this, but there is a good reason for why flair for stylish action.
Bayonetta is so well
a moment of release in terms of not on Twitter, it’s like “pub talk,” some- and how it’s integrated into the story.
received, it later gets a
being in that pressure-cooker. I’m times talking trash. When you go out
sequel on Wii U
thinking this is perhaps going to be to the bar, you have a few drinks, talk What can we expect from you and
a path into creating something brand it out, and you go to sleep and kind of Platinum Games in the future? 2014
new, so maybe that is something he is forget the next day. I wanted to feel like Personally speaking, Platinum Games Kamiya announces
looking forward to. I was closer to my fans – that we could is obviously working on a lot of proj- he’s working on
From a fan perspective, obviously, have just a very casual conversation. ects, but what we can hopefully do Xbox One exclusive
you have devoted so much time into Now that I have these non-Japanese- with Scalebound is create a game Scalebound, the first
the series that you love the world, speaking followers talking to me in that becomes the pillar of the studio. time he’s worked with
a foreign publisher like
the characters, everything about it. If English and I have a limited capacity of That will also allow us to take on lots
Microsoft. The action/
Kojima-san is not going to be involved my English skills, I don’t really always of smaller projects that are challeng-
RPG is due out in 2016
in the next Metal Gear, then I just feel know what I’m saying. I’m just doing ing and interesting and really expand
very sad. my best to respond in the best English our horizons. \
connect 33
gear

W
10
Windows
indows 8 was almost universally hated, but there
were some good ideas drowning under that sea
of colorful boxes. Windows 10 takes the best con-
nifty, and I can see myself using them more and more as I get
used to the new OS.
Windows 10 is also a boon to gamers, allowing you to stream
cepts – such as touchscreen integration and easy access apps – games to your PC from any Xbox One on your network. We
and smooths out the experience for those who still like to use a experienced a few hiccups on our home Wi-Fi, but a wired con-
mouse and keyboard. nection that wasn’t burdened by a lot of other activity worked
One of Windows 10’s most noticeable changes is a more great. Microsoft’s new OS also takes games you bought via
moldable start menu that allows you to easily drag and change Steam, Xbox Live, or any other source and pools them into one
its size before dropping in your favorite applications for easy centralized hub. The My Games list is easy to navigate, and it
access. The OS’s multiple desktops helped me keep my work should be a handy one-stop shop for gamers who do a lot of
and play spaces organized. I also appreciated Windows 10’s PC gaming.
Action Center, which acts like a mobile device’s notification It would take a long time to exhaustively cover all of Win-
center, keeping you informed about your computer and ensur- dows 10’s improvements, but our impressions of Microsoft’s
ing all your applications remain up to date. new OS are extremely positive. If you have a Windows 7 or
Windows 10 also comes packaged with Edge and Cortana. 8 machine, there is almost no reason not to migrate to 10. But
Edge is a new Web browser that’s faster and slicker than Mi- even if you have to pay for Windows 10, there are still several
crosoft’s old Internet Explorer, and the program seems like good reasons to upgrade.
competition for Google Chrome. Meanwhile, Cortana is Micro-
SUPERB
soft’s much-hyped personal assistant based off Halo’s iconic
A.I. Like her Windows Phone counterpart, you can issue both $ 119 (free upgrade for Windows 7 & 8 users); | microsoft.com
written or verbal commands to Cortana to have her check your
calendar, give you the weather forecast, or search the Web for by Ben Reeves
random trivia (via Bing, of course). Both pieces of software are
34
 1

THE FLICKER MEN

BY TED KOSMATKA
A theoretical quantum
physicist makes a
startling discovery that
seems to prove the
existence of a human

1
Star Wars: The Black Series

2
The Force Awakens soul, igniting a struggle
Hasbro finally has some new faces to add to its Silk Touch Throws between scientists and
high-end line of Star Wars Black figures. This Watching trailers for J.J. Abrams’ theologians. He soon
finds himself evading
series of highly detailed six-inch figures now includes upcoming Star Wars Episode VII feels like a group of shadowy
characters from the upcoming film Star Wars: The wrapping yourself in a warm blanket, but if figures who believe he
Force Awakens like Finn, Rey (packaged with BB-8 you’re looking to cloak your self in hardcore knows too much.
droid), Kylo Ren, Stormtrooper, and some dork called fandom, check out these specially licensed $27.00
Chewbacca. The crown jewel of the line is the new The Force Awakens blankets. The Northwest tedkosmatka.us
Special Forces Tie Fighter. Built to scale with the fig- Company’s unique manufacturing process pro-
ures, this Tie Fighter’s cockpit can seat two six-inch duced fabric designs that are clearer than most IT FOLLOWS
characters. What you have them do once they are in throws and still feel incredibly soft. Both of In one of the scariest
there is your own business. these throws measure 46 inches by 60 inches. movies of the year, a
young woman discovers
that there is someone –
$169 (Tie Fighter), $19.99 (figures) | hasbro.com $29.99 | thenorthwest.com or something –
slowly tracking her
every move. As this
supernatural force
follows her across the
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2 works with friends
to discover an
escape for this ever-
encroaching horror.
$29.99
itfollowsfilm.com

WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE'S
TRAGEDY OF THE
SITH'S REVENGE:
STAR WARS PART
THE THIRD
BY IAN DOESCHER
The curtain rises on the
climactic conclusion of
George Lucus’ space
epic filtered through the
Media Shelf

lens of the Elizabethan

era’s greatest bard. The
house of Skywalker falls
as a once-heroic knight
is transformed into a
dastardly villain in a
version of the prequels
we actually enjoyed.
$14.95
quirkbooks.com/
sithsrevenge
connect 35
top ten Video Game
Documentaries
by Kyle Hilliard

King Of Kong:
A Fistful Of Quarters (2007)
This story of two competitive men (one more likable
than the other) and their ongoing fight for the highest
score in Donkey Kong is a timeless and interesting
drama worth a watch whether you play games or not.

Indie Game: The Movie (2012)

Double Fine Adventure (2012) At a time when indie games were finding their lucrative
With its Kickstarter adventure, Double Fine championed a new form of game funding. footing amongst triple-A markets, Indie Game followed
This documentary of the process is a must-watch for those interested in the art of the creators of Super Meat Boy, Fez, and Braid as they
game creation. It treats the good, bad, and ugly side of development all with the same detailed their process and the difficulty inherent to
unfiltered eye. going it alone.

Atari: Game Over (2014) Chasing Ghosts: Minecraft: The Story

Part documentary about the collapse of Atari, part Beyond The Arcade (2007) Of Mojang (2012)
documentary about digging through landfill trash, Atari A more educational look at the fascination behind set- Shot while Markus “Notch” Persson was still fully
offers a look at the most notable video game failure ting high scores on classic arcade machines, Chasing dedicated to Minecraft, The Story of Mojang tracks the
in history. It also redeems E.T. game designer Howard Ghosts covers some of the same ground as King of surge of popularity behind the game while also high-
Scott Warshaw. Kong, but from a different, more analytical angle. lighting why it has become a staple in popular culture.

Grounded: The Making I Am Street The Sprint (2014) Free To Play (2014)
Of The Last Of Us (2013) Fighter (2013) Both studios that have worked on the Valve’s eSports documentary follows
The Last of Us was a difficult game to Examining the Street Fighter phenom- Halo series shroud their work in secrecy, three top Dota 2 players as they
make. It had a radically different tone enon by looking at its history and speak- but not with The Sprint. Its production compete in a $1 million tournament. It
than Naughty Dog’s previous work and ing to its creators and fans, I Am Street value lacks compared to modern docu- falls short of fully exploring the ever-
was set in an original universe. Grounded Fighter serves as a celebration of the mentaries, but it’s the closest cameras expanding world of professional gaming,
shows every aspect of the development popular fighting series and its relatively have ever looked at the development of but it tells a compelling story about its
at nearly every level of creation. recent resurgence in popularity. a Halo game. three subjects. \
36 connect
 06 Rock Band 4 06 Transformers: Devastation

07.2

13 Dragon Quest Heroes 23.1 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate 24

14

2015
16.2 Yoshi’s Woolly World
16.2 New Releases Star Wars: The Journey to the Force
› Yoshi’s Woolly World (Wii U) Awakens comic book. The final issue
of this canonical series launches today,
20 New Releases

October
and should answer many questions as
› Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden (3DS) to what happened between Return of
› Guitar Hero Live the Jedi and the new film.
(PS4, Xbox One, PS3, 360, Wii U)
06 New Releases 09 New Releases › Tales of Zestiria (PS4, PS3, PC) 27 New Releases
› Degenki Bunko: Fighting Climax › Chibi-Robo Zip Lash (3DS) › Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox One)
(PS3, Vita) › Uncharted: The Nathan 23.1 New Releases › WWE 2K16
› Disgaea: Alliance of Vengeance (PS4) Drake Collection (PS4) › Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (PS4, Xbox One, PS3, 360)
› Rock Band 4 (PS4, Xbox One) (PS4, Xbox One)
› Transformers: Devastation 13 New Releases › The Legend of Zelda: 30 Scouts Guide To The
(PS4, Xbox One, PS3, 360, PC) › Dragon Quest Heroes (PS4) Tri Force Heroes (3DS) Zombie Apocalypse
› The Talos Principle (PS4) Despite years of zombie-themed mov-
07.1 Arrow And 23.2 The Last Witch Hunter ies, books, and TV shows, audiences
Flash Return 14 Invincible Iron Man & Jem And The Holograms can’t get enough of the walking dead.
The second season of The Flash begins Following the events of this summer’s What do Michael Caine, Vin Diesel, Today’s release, Scouts Guide to the
today on The CW. Arrow returns a day Secret Wars, Brian Michael Bendis is Rose Leslie, and Elijah Wood have in Zombie Apocalypse, might finally be
later on the same network. CBS is also bringing a new Iron Man (and armor) common? They are all great actors who the movie that makes America say
airing the first episode of Supergirl on to Marvel’s reinvented comic-book will profoundly regret starring in today’s “no more!” The humor and premise
October 26. universe. The first and second issues theatrical release, The Last Witch make Adam Sandler’s work seem
of The Invincible Iron Man launch Hunter. It could be worse – they could high-brow.
07.2 Batman And this month. be in today’s other movie, Jem and the
Robin: Eternal Holograms. This might be a “stay at 31 League Of Legends
DC Comics’ famed weekly series 16.1 MLG Finals home and watch Netflix” kind of night. World Championship
returns for a second year. James Watch the world’s best Dota 2 and The grand finals to this year’s League
Tynion IV and Scott Snyder are the Call of Duty players compete for 24 Shattered Empire of Legends World Championship
showrunners for this yearlong weekly cash prizes in the MLG Finals. J.J. Abrams’ film, Star Wars: The Force airs online today. Since the event
series. Batman, Robin, and Dick The event starts today and runs Awakens, is two long months away, but is held at 12 p.m. in Berlin, Germany,
Grayson find themselves battling a through the weekend at the New Marvel Comics is doing its part in mak- you’ll need to get up at 7 a.m. PT to
mysterious new foe. Orleans Theater. ing that time fly by a little faster with watch it. \
connect 37
 THE

MAN BEHIND
THE
MADNES·
Inside the mind of Dark Souls III
creator Hidetaka Miyazaki

The Souls series has captivated gamers with an eclectic mix of dark atmosphere,
challenging encounters, and deep storylines that require massive exploration.
Behind the Souls games is Hidetaka Miyazaki, who rose from programmer to
president at From Software over the course of the Souls titles. Miyazaki unveils
the nuances of Dark Souls III, from massive changes to the magic system to his
approach to the latest entry.

BY
Daniel Tack

38
 » PLATFORM
PlayStation 4
8BOX /NE s 0#
» STYLE
1-Player Action/
Role-Playing
(Online TBA)
» PUBLISHER
Bandai Namco
» DEVELOPER
From Software
» RELEASE
Spring 2016

cover story 39
40
THE UNLIKELY FRANCHISE
The Souls series officially began with Demon’s Souls, which
garnered a hardcore but niche following when Atlus brought
it to North American shores. But the roots of the series go
much deeper into From Software’s history. From its first title
in 1994, King’s Field, the company’s forte has always been
dark fantasy action/role-playing. The King’s Field series
(and other similar From Software titles like Shadow Tower)
didn’t catch on with Western audiences, but Demon’s Souls
proved to be the right game at the right time. While many
titles in 2009 were trending toward handholding tutorials,
casual difficulty settings, and linear crafted experiences,
Demon’s Souls offered gamers a challenging experience
with almost no direction at all. With very little explanation of
systems or guidance, players were expected to explore and
discover things on their own; finding their own methods to
battle difficult bosses and unlock hidden secrets.
Communities formed over these discoveries, and when
Dark Souls launched in 2011 the series was in the spotlight
for the first time. Like Demon’s Souls before it, Dark Souls
became a critical darling, and when Dark Souls II came
around in 2014 it hit the high-water mark for the series in
terms of both sales and critical reception. To date, the Dark
Souls franchise has shipped more than eight million copies.
From Software followed Dark Souls II up with this year’s
Bloodborne, a game that shares most of its traits with its
predecessors, which currently sits at a 92 on Metacritic
and cracked one million sales after just two months on the
market on a single platform, the PlayStation 4. While it’s
not officially a Souls game, Miyazaki’s mind and mechanics
stand out as hallmarks of the horrific jaunt through Yharnam
that’s slightly more accessible than the titles before it, elimi-
nating some of the player choices involved in character
builds and removing the “hollowing” death penalty from Dark
Souls II or loss of humanity from Dark Souls.
Dark Souls III continues the trend toward accessibility (not
to be confused with difficulty – Dark Souls III will be just as
hard as its predecessors), but maintains important factors
that distinguish itself from Bloodborne, like build differentia-
tion and player options. “The Bloodborne team and Dark
Souls III teams are different, so [there is] no direct relation-
ship, but elements such as the action speed and game-
play elements that worked well in Bloodborne are things we
wanted to bring over to Dark Souls III,” Miyazaki says. “The
action speed and controllability felt good when develop-
ing Bloodborne, and was an element that influenced the
tuning and adjustments made in Dark Souls III. By develop-
ing Bloodborne, it was a good opportunity to realize again
the good elements of the Dark Souls series. Examples are
the variation on character types that can be created and the
role-playing elements that aren’t available in Bloodborne.
This helped us to understand the key elements, and enhance
them further to really capitalize on the features that make
Dark Souls unique.”
cover story 41
 INSIDE THE MIND OF MIYAZAKI overflowing with stacks of Magic: The Gathering cards and
Given the dungeon crawls through damp poisonous hells a wayward Dungeons & Dragons manual, and a whiteboard
Miyazaki puts players through, one might expect a mis- with the frantic scribblings of an impromptu design meeting.
shapen, shambling hermit that oozes venom with every Miyazaki’s presidential abode isn’t a palatial barrier
breath. Instead, the cheery, animated Miyazaki displays an between himself and the production team, but rather a
enthusiastic, almost bubbling personality, gushing about his cozy nook that exudes all of the influences that go into the
favorite aspects of everything from tabletop games to curry warped worlds of the Souls titles. Miyazaki is unguarded as
rice. That’s right – Miyazaki loves to cook. he speaks about his passions, often going quiet in thought
“It’s like playing an RPG,” Miyazaki says about his hobby. for a few moments before beginning a torrential, enthusiastic
“I like cooking by taking time, paying attention to all details, rant about a favorite level or feature.
gathering the proper equipment, and taking all steps neces- Despite the grotesque terrors and uncompromising dif-
sary to create something great. The more time and care ficulty that Miyazaki is known for, the director says it’s all
that is spent, the better the food becomes. Curry rice is my about making the player happy in the end. “For me, dif-
favorite to make.” ficulty is a tool to express the challenge in the game, and
Miyazaki’s unassuming office at From Software reflects his the overcoming of the challenge is what we want players
love of games and lore, stacked high with shelves containing to experience,” he says. “I want to have the game be worth
books and board games (with a copy of Arkham Horror that something, and one of those elements is the satisfaction of
looks like it was from the first run in 1987), a meeting table overcoming the challenges. The difficulty is one of the tools

DESIGNING DARK SOULS

The creation of the Souls games game-level designs.” Dark Souls III and Bloodborne, the second reason was because
always begins in the mind Miyazaki’s approach to go I had been involved on both at it doesn’t require the worlds
of From Software president directly to 3D modeling allows different times.” to be seamlessly attached,” he
Hidetaka Miyazaki. “I first creators infinite freedom When Miyazaki is creating says. “There are several worlds
explain all of my ideas to my right from the start, to bet- levels, sometimes the worlds that I wanted to create, but not
designers either verbally, wav- ter visualize and create the he wants to create don’t mesh all of them make sense in the
ing my hands in the air, or using zones and worlds ripped from with the world around it. This same world. When this occurs,
a whiteboard,” Miyazaki says. his imagination. was the reasoning behind the usage of worlds like the Painted
“Once I fully explain my ideas “This is another reason enchanting Painted World of World are convenient because
and concept for the venues, I why I no longer directly use Ariamis in Dark Souls – one of one can travel to a completely
have my designers immediately 3D modelling on my own,” Miyazaki’s favorite zones, and different world with some rea-
start creating 3D box models to Miyazaki says. “We try to apply one far removed from the world soning behind the transition.”
visualize my ideas. From there, freedom to our team so that we around it. To access it, players Miyazaki uses world transi-
we start modifying and adjust- can fulfill what I want created, need to have a special doll in tions for other reasons as well,
ing to make things work. but at the same time have the their possession and approach depending on the situation. For
“We rarely create using paper potential of surpassing my a looming painting, getting instance, in Bloodborne, play-
blueprints. Once the model imagination with the help of sucked into the snowy alternate ers need to take a carriage ride
layouts are completed, we may my team members. I person- world. Miyazaki says something to the snowy Cainhurst Castle.
draw them out for debugging ally love level designing, and similar to this world – and other Miyazaki could have kept
purposes, but at step one, by imagining everything in my hidden areas like the enigmatic Cainhurst seamlessly attached
everything is created using 3D mind and having my team to Ash Lake – will probably be to the world, but he wanted to
block models. The blueprint- visually create this, it expands available in Dark Souls III. emphasize a division of worlds.
ing format is so limiting, it the outcome of the venues. “I created the painted world Whereas Yharnam is home
limits the imagination and Level-design processes are because I personally like that to beasts, Cainhurst Castle is
creative freedom for good staggered for each game. For type of concept and world, but home to vampires.

42
 A “secret” encounter in the
Gamescom demo allows players
to do battle with the Dark Knight

we use to portray this. It’s not necessarily the only method, which includes the new magic-wielding class and a wealth
but it’s something we use to express the worth of the game.” of other new content. The extent to which we had access
Miyazaki was warm and personable during our exten- to this material can be summed up with my first question
sive time with him for this cover-story trip, but the direc- of our lengthy Miyazaki interview. “Can we talk about what
tor can be notoriously taciturn when it comes to dealing ceremonies are and how they work?” I ask. The answer is a
with gaming press and public relations, and his direction is simple, “Not at this time,” which was a common refrain for
absolute within the office. Miyazaki is the gatekeeper of all every question on the subject matter we were promised to
things Dark Souls III, with no one else on staff allowed to see. Despite repeated questions about where this communi-
discuss the project on or off camera, according to publisher cation faux pas occurred, whether it was in Bandai Namco’s
Bandai Namco. hands or simply Miyazaki’s last-minute change of heart, we
Some of the exclusive material that Game Informer flew were unable to confirm the true cause for the severe lack of
out to Japan to see for the first time was deemed off limits new information about the game.
after we stepped into the halls of From Software, even According to multiple sources in the industry, who wish to
though we confirmed these topics mere days before our remain anonymous, Miyazaki has a reputation for changing
Tokyo trek. Among the promised conversation points were intentions on a dime, forgoing established plans to discuss
specifics regarding the ceremony gameplay mechanic, an or show his titles and refusing to bend once that position has
in-depth look at magic and the magic system, and playing been made. After being assured that answers to some of our
through a portion of the Tokyo Game Show demo build, specific questions regarding these topics would be avail-
able shortly when we returned to American
soil, the Japanese branch of Bandai Namco
went silent on the topic for days and even-
tually told us nothing else was on the way
because Miyazaki and his team were behind
on the Tokyo Game Show build, and ceremo-
nies were being redone and may not even be
available in the TGS build. No one we talked
to from Bandai Namco knew what was going
on with the state of the TGS demo or even
the features we planned to discuss. It’s pretty
clear that at From Software, it’s Miyazaki’s
way or the highway.
While Miyazaki’s relationship with the
gaming press is hardly a concern to the aver-
age gamer, working with From Software and
Bandai Namco on this cover story can only
be described as confusing and punishing –
much like a first-time player stepping into
the world of Dark Souls. Regardless of the
problems we ran into in securing new infor-
mation, Dark Souls III shows that Miyazaki’s
approach to difficulty when making video
games is in high demand.
cover story 43
 NEW DIRECTIONS FOR THE SOULS SERIES Dark Souls II. Many of the little tweaks and decisions reflect
Coming down the pipe shortly after Bloodborne, Miyazaki Miyazaki’s own choices from Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls,
quickly transitioned to Dark Souls III. “I was originally offered and perhaps a bit of Bloodborne as well. Combat is notice-
to work on Dark Souls III, and I accepted because I have ably faster than previous entries in the series.
always liked the Souls series and also because I was able One of the completely new concepts in Dark Souls III is
to realize once again the great elements of Dark Souls while the ceremony ritual. Based on our cover artwork and the
working on Bloodborne,” Miyazaki says. “I thought that if I Gamescom trailer, it’s reasonable to infer that what we’re
worked on Dark Souls III, it would be a good time and oppor- seeing is a new mechanic that allows players to create their
tunity to create something great. Working on Bloodborne, I own bonfires through a special ritual. While From is being
started to miss working on magic, dragons, and fantasy.” secretive with details, this new mechanic is one of the big
While players can expect to see many of the same classic new features that comes into play in this latest installment.
Dark Souls tropes like knights, spells, bonfire checkpoints, Battle arts add a new element to physical combat, allow-
and larger-than-life bosses, Miyazaki is making serious ing players to tap into weapon-specific special abilities that
changes to some systems in this installment as he returns have a certain number of charges that can be refueled at
to the director’s chair, having sat out in that capacity for bonfires. These range from things like the Guts-inspired

Players will notice blood gushing out of enemies in Dark

Souls III. Not as much as Bloodborne, but it’s noticeable

44
 HOW DOES MIYAZAKI PLAY SOULS?
We asked From Software president Hidetaka Miyazaki how he would approach
the Dark Souls III demo if he was tasked with taking on the Wall of Lodeleth and
its brutal denizens. The result was a highly animated and invigorating sight to
witness. But since we can’t show you the cool mimed sword strikes and moves
that Miyazaki executed, his words will have to do.
“I would select the character with the sword, and approach the game with my
shield constantly up and extremely cautiously as I battle each of the characters,”
he says. “If there were to be an additional character that can use magic, I would
probably select a character that can use miracles. I like to enjoy sword play. I
shy away from keeping my distance and shooting magic from far out. I like to be
up against enemies one-on-one, and so whether this be with miracles, or sword
greatsword lunge, rapid-fire bow attacks, or and spear with recovery skills, I’m usually extremely cautious in approaching
the dual-wielding scimitar whirlwind. Special enemies. Following the cooking analogy, I like to stew. I take each step carefully
moves like these provide players with greater paying attention to all details. I don’t use bold weapons as if in a stir fry or bar-
tactical options when faced with daunting boss beque, but do things slow and steady.”
encounters or tough enemies like knights. Don’t
confuse battle arts for a system where you can
just button-mash to win, though. Many of these
abilities require timing and come with their own
risk/reward assessments that players must gauge in the and their specific battle arts.”
heat of combat. Optional online play has always been an interesting way to
Another major feature in Dark Souls III is an overhauled engage with the Souls games, and From Software is shoot-
magic system. Players have had access to magic in previous ing for six-person multiplayer functionality in Dark Souls III,
titles, but From Software is doubling down for Dark Souls III. but we’re not certain if it will make the final version of the
The new system is built on magic points – or a mana bar game. According to Miyazaki, players should also have an
similar to the health bar – that gives players more manage- easier time engaging and summoning NPCs in Dark Souls III
ment options instead of the limited charges from previous compared to previous titles. Players do not require a limited
Dark Souls titles. Essentially the goal is to no longer have item to invade, a system that many PvP fans disliked in Dark
magic governed by an explicit finite resource from fire to Souls II. Don’t be surprised if there is an arena area for those
fire, like estus flasks. “By changing the magic management looking for an epic fight, but we don’t have any details on it
system to an MP scheme, options and freedom of utilization other than its likely existence.
should increase,” Miyazaki says. “This way we can better “Summoning and invasions will probably not change very
clarify the differences in managing items and magic.” much,” Miyazaki says. “Summoning signs will be used, and
Not to be outdone by battle arts, magic users are get- PvP will use the invasion system. Invasions do not involve
ting new options with their spells as well. “We will make limited resources. I don’t think that people wanting to play
sure that they are not just the same type of spells with PvP should have to work to acquire the limited resources.
different attributes (i.e., spear type, lightning type) but actu- Further, for matching, we plan to implement the soul level
ally have specific characteristics that can enhance the play- (character level) system, not soul memory.”
ers play styles and strategies,” Miyazaki says. “Players have Covenants that players can align with for various bonuses
more criteria to accurately choose the different types of are coming back for Dark Souls III, but Miyazaki is chang-
spells to best fit their tactics and strategies. This is similar ing some of the aspects around to make them easier
to the thinking behind the characterization of each weapon to understand.

The Dancer’s attacks change over the course of the

„ƒ––Ž‡ǡƒ•–Š‡ƒ”‡ƒ„‡ ‘‡•‡‰—Žˆ‡†‹ϐŽƒ‡•

cover story 45
 “Covenants to this point had separate rules depending on throw the player off balance and make them vulnerable to
each of the covenants, but this time I am thinking of main- more devastating attacks, the all familiar hollow with a torch
taining a common rule across the covenants regarding inva- that flails like a madman, and larger lumbering foes wielding
sions and summoning,” Miyazaki says. “Within these rules, axes. Amongst these adversaries are knight enemies that
various characters appear and various events will occur. For aren’t quite as difficult to take on as the black knights from
example, in previous games, each covenant had different Dark Souls, but they force a player to respect them. Knights
rules. For Dark Souls III we’re hoping to maintain the basic have access to a variety of abilities depending on their type
rules of invasions and co-op for each of the covenants, but and weapon, and I even saw them switching stances a few
each particular covenant will determine who invades, who times during combat. Knights are intelligent and deadly
cooperates, what events happen, etc.” opponents, and can kill a reckless player in mere moments.
The demo places the player high atop the Wall of Lodeleth, The Wall of Lodeleth is clearly infused with philosophies
a castle-style area that’s similar thematically to the Undead from the first Dark Souls, with locked doors and looping
Berg from the original Dark Souls. Other similarities exist as connections opening up new routes. The melee attacks
well, including an encounter with a dragon on a bridge that (even with medium to heavy armor equipped) mixed with
can lead to fiery disaster for unwary players – though clever the new battle arts is faster than anything the series has
ones will quickly tip the situation in their favor, leading mobs ever seen, resulting in what feels like a harmonious mix
of dangerous enemies into the dragon flame for easy souls. of Dark Souls and Bloodborne. As I explored this area’s
Travelers encounter many of the staple Souls enemies dark towers (with the assistance of a torch and a pile of
in this area, including lightning-fast skeletal dogs that can firebombs), I eventually stumbled into the lair of one of Dark
46
 DIVERGENT SOULS
Some important aspects of the Souls series are returning for Dark Souls III.
Others aren’t, or are reappearing in a significantly mutated form. Here’s the
rundown on some of those shifts.

Hidden Walls
The Dark Souls system of discovering hidden walls by attacking them (instead
of pressing the interact button) returns. “This is due to my thinking behind
this type of feature,” says From Software president Hidetaka Miyazaki. “I
like to have coincidences happen during battles, or accidental reveals due to
swinging weapons around, randomly shooting arrows. I want to implement
this sort of surprise discovery in a natural way when playing the game.”

Fast Travel
Players have access to fast travel from the beginning of the game with no
special quest item required.

Soul Vessel (Respecialization)

While the specific Soul Vessel item may not return, Miyzaki wants to bring
back a system for players to be able to toy around with their stat allocations.
“I’m not sure if the same sort of item will be implemented, but there will be
a method for players to re-assign souls,” Miyazaki says. “We want to make
sure that features that became beneficial and convenient during the transi-
tion from DS1 to DS2 are maintained, unless they were interfering with the
game design.”

New Game+
New Game + features new enemy configurations/placements and new items,
similar to Dark Souls II. Bonfire ascetics (to artificially alter areas to various
stages of New Game+) will probably not appear in the game.

Durability
Your weapons still break down in Dark Souls III, but Miyazaki hopes that third
time’s a charm with this one. “We’re still tuning the balance, but I personally
think that the weapons in Dark Souls II break a little too easily,” he says. “This
was implemented intending for the players to try out many types of weapons,
but even so, I felt they broke too quickly. However, they didn’t break enough in
Dark Souls, so I’m hoping to find a good balance for Dark Souls III. “

The Dark Souls “Tutorial”

Souls games commonly start off giving the player a broken sword and pitting
them against a difficult, seemingly impossible foe right away. Dark Souls III es-
chews this now-familiar trope in favor of a new approach. Miyazaki discusses
this shift with a chuckle, remarking that he doesn’t want players seeing an
The Dancer of the Frigid Valley is an elegant boss opening like this and commenting, “Again?!”
‡ ‘—–‡”Ȃ–‡””‹ˆ›‹‰ƒ†„‡ƒ—–‹ˆ—Žǡ‹–‡š‡’Ž‹ϐ‹‡•
the sadness of the dying world of Dark Souls III
Dragon Tails
If you’re hoping to score a Drake Sword from a dangerous dragon or perhaps a
gargoyle’s tail, this mechanic won’t be making it. “There was a lot of nega-
tive feedback regarding cutting off the tail, so we probably won’t use it in
Dark Souls III,” Miyazaki says. “There will be dragon weapons/items in Dark
Souls III, but not necessarily from cutting off parts. I like the concept of dragon
weapons, however, so they will be in the game.”

Trading With Crows

In previous Souls games, savvy players can seek out and trade with mysteri-
ous invisible entities at crow’s nests by dropping items. The original reason for
this was actually due to technical limitations, so maybe in Dark Souls III we’ll
actually see who or what we’re trading our trash with as we dump it off in the
nest. Either way, this sort of item trading is back in Dark Souls III.

From Software’s Signature Sword

After going missing in Bloodborne, the Moonlight Greatsword that sneaks its
way into many of From’s titles is returning to Dark Souls III – complete with
new abilities.

cover story 47
 Souls III’s new denizens, the Dark Knight. FAME, FRANCHISES, AND THE FUTURE
While The Dark Knight doesn’t have a boss health bar, he Miyazaki’s critical role in one of the most acclaimed series
serves to display a new debuff that players must have to of all time has thrust the From Software president into the
deal with: frostbite. Much like poison or toxin, a frost bar spotlight, which he rarely chooses to embrace. Miyazaki
will fill up when wandering into cold areas or hit by special says this recognition and acclaim hasn’t changed him,
attacks, and the consequences are dire, draining the stamina pointing out his lack of interest in the pursuit of fame. “I
bar and hindering stamina recovery, making the player an personally don’t feel there is a value to me presenting the
easy, crippled target. games I create,” he says. “I feel the value in me is with the
Like in Bloodborne, Dark Souls III bosses feature a trans- games I develop, and that is something I would like people
formative or “heat-up” system that alters their behaviors to experience. But other than the game I develop, there
and abilities over the course of a battle. One of the signature is very little value in me, and so I tend to avoid present-
boss encounters that many players have seen at this point is ing myself. I feel that the best means of expressing myself
with the Dancer of the Frigid Valley, a dangerous battle with a is by having players play my games, and not being very
blazing backdrop that ups the ante halfway through by giving good at carrying out presentations, I try to refrain as much
the Dancer an additional sword and new attacks. as possible.”

The Dark Knight’s trail of ice can cause

–Š‡ ”‘•–„‹–‡ƒˆϐŽ‹ –‹‘ǡ ƒ—•‹‰ƒ••‹˜‡
’”‘„Ž‡•ˆ‘”ƒ’Žƒ›‡”ǯ••–ƒ‹ƒ„ƒ”

SHAPING SOULS ON TABLETOP

From Software President Hidetaka Miyazaki’s favorite games are of the tabletop
variety, and he would love to see a Dark Souls tabletop game in the future – even
if he’s been ordered not to make it. “If I were to take part in such project such as
card games or tabletop RPGs, this would be the only thing I would work on, and
I have been specifically ordered by our previous president to not work on this
until I have retired,” he says. “I would definitely like to see the Dark Souls IP on
different media such as board games. I will probably not be involved in the pro-
cess, but I personally like having the IP expand to other media and look forward
to unique ideas going forward.”
Tabletop RPGs and other fantasy fare serve as some of the core inspirational
factors for Miyazaki’s work on the Souls series, with the upcoming battle arts
feature riffing off the “special moves” from some famous characters. “When
coming up with the battle arts and spell characteristics I first wanted to come
up with the battle style I wanted to implement,” he says. “For the greatsword, it’s
the way Guts (of manga/anime Berserk) fights. For rapid-fire with the bow, it’s
coming from Legolas from The Lord of the Rings. The battle style of the mace is
planning huge attacks on enemies like a monk. Many of the aspects I’m inspired
by for Dark Souls come from fantasy novels and tabletop role-playing games.”

48
 Miyazaki realizes that is a natural conflict in speaking to
Game Informer about his upcoming title while attempting
to refrain from presenting it. “I always enjoy talking about
games and having this type of discussions with people like
yourselves, but when I go home tonight, I may think back
to the things I have said and regret how I have presented
it or explained the details,” he says. “This may be a little
contradicting, but it is why I try to stay out of the spotlight.”
Whether Miyazaki is interested in recognition or not, the
Souls franchise has moved far away from the niche audience
it started with. Coming to all major platforms in early 2016,
Dark Souls III shows promise to continue the cycle by ignit-
ing the flame all over again. \

For more on From Software’s dark fantasy epic, visit gameinformer.com/darksouls3

What’s a Dark Souls game without dragons? A too-hot-
to-handle encounter on a bridge is a staple of the series

Battle arts allow players advanced tactical options

and special abilities, such as the scimitar whirlwind

cover story 49
 XENOBLA DE
CHRONICLES

50
 » Platform Wii U » Style 1-Player Role-Playing (1-4 Online)
» Publisher Nintendo » Developer Monolith Soft » Release December 4

Monolith Soft goes big

and aims higher with
its open-world RPG
When JRPGs were struggling to evolve last generation,
Xenoblade Chronicles came along and showed the genre still
had a few tricks up its sleeve. It earned plenty of praise as one of
the best role-playing games of last generation, currently hold-
ing a 92 score on Metacritic. Monolith Soft proved it could cre-
ate a compelling world and innovate in the genre, thanks to its
creative design and MMO-style combat.
Its successor, Xenoblade Chronicles X, doesn’t just switch it up
to an extensive sci-fi setting; it expands the scope of everything,
building upon the solid foundation set by its predecessor. I re-
cently spent five hours with the game, and I feel like I’ve barely
scratched the surface. If you thought Xenoblade Chronicles was
big, you will be surprised just how much Xenoblade Chronicles X
dwarfs it – and that’s not even mentioning the extensive custom-
ization or Skells (mechs) that further enhance the experience.

BY KIMBE R LE Y W A L L AC E

A Strange New Planet the surviving humans began slowly building Xenoblade Chronicles. Your dialogue choices
Not much has been revealed about X’s plot, New Los Angeles. A good portion of Xenoblade elicit different responses depending on what
except that a huge battle between two alien Chronicles’ plotline focuses on rebuilding so- you pick. These won’t alter the storyline, but
species above Earth has destroyed our home ciety and finding survivors to revive humanity, instead color the conversations you have with
planet. Humans evacuated and have spent the but what’s most intriguing are the mysteries other characters. At one point, I try to take
past two years roaming space in emergency Mira holds. The planet is teeming with dangers credit for keeping the area safe, and Elma
ships. However, the real story doesn’t begin beyond enormous creatures; in fact, as you quickly calls me on it. Later, we meet our sec-
until your main character (you can custom- explore, you run into various alien species. ond party member, Lin Lee, a 15-year-old me-
ize your gender and appearance), crash lands Some will be hostile; others will join your base chanic. She’s extremely gifted, but every so
on the planet of Mira. Without much memory if you help them out. Can everyone coexist? often says something that reminds you she’s
of who you are, you’re greeted by a woman This already seems more exciting than just 15, like when she talks about her Skell fan-
named Elma, who shows you the ropes of life Xenoblade Chronicles’ plot. We always ques- fiction. The humor isn’t overdone and is clever
on this mysterious continent called Primordia. tion if there’s life on other planets and if it when it’s used. Counting Elma and Lin Lee, a
A rocky grasslands region, Primordia is the first would be friendly or not, and I like how X total of 16 characters can be recruited for your
of five different continents that make up Mira. explores this concept. party. This includes all the DLC characters re-
Elma explains that when their ship, the Also noticeable right out of the gate is that leased in Japan; Nintendo is including them at
White Whale, crashed here two months ago, X’s dialogue has much more personality than no cost in the North American release.
feature 51
Breaking Down The Classes
Xenoblade Chronicles X lets you select Becoming a Member of B.L.A.D.E.
from eight different classes, all with their The opening moments serve to ease you into
own perks. This helps determine what the mechanics and all the different things you
type of missions you’ll focus on the most can do. It’s a lot of information to take in, and
and see what class fits your playstyle best.
even after spending five hours with the game,
Throughout the game, you earn division
I was still learning the ropes. New Los Angeles,
points for defeating enemies, complet-
with its four districts, serves as your hub. After a
ing missions, and opening chests. Bonus
division points are awarded if you do few basic missions, you join up with B.L.A.D.E.
missions in your specialization. Division (Builders of a Legacy After the Destruction of
points allow you to level up your Earth). This group was created to maintain the
B.L.A.D.E. rank, which grants you addi- burgeoning New Los Angeles and to explore
tional rewards and higher level probes. for supplies and threats. Once you join, you get
to pick from one of eight different classes [See
› PATHFINDERS Breaking Down The Classes sidebar for spe-
Focus: Place data probes all over the plan- cifics]. Just because you pick a class doesn’t
et to expand B.L.A.D.E.’s info network. mean you can’t do activities associated with
Bonus Division Points For: Planting others; this just gives you an area to focus on for
data probes and discovering locales potential upgrades for your character. stay out of their sight.
Special Perk: HP support B.L.A.D.E. has its own mission board, where Various chests and places to mine resources
you can retrieve different job requests. From the are uncovered as you explore. You must tap
› INTERCEPTORS
get-go, the board is overflowing with a variety of “A” repeatedly to open these, but some chests
Focus: Eliminating enemies and helping
missions, on top of people handing you tasks. remain locked until you level up this ability. Re-
out locals
Bonus Division Points For: Completing More than 400 quests exist, including story mis- turning from Xenoblade are orbs littered on the
missions and killing foes sions that advance the plot, affinity missions field, which contain additional items. The jump
Special Perk: Ranged master that improve your relationship with characters, button allows you to get up on higher ledges,
and normal side quests such as rescuing char- but if you use it while running you can do a su-
› HARRIERS acters or retrieving items. The narrative has a to- per jump that lets you float through the air. This
Focus: Taking down baddies. They also tal of 12 chapters, but you can’t advance unless quickly became my favorite way to explore.
tackle the most vicious creatures to you meet certain requirements. For instance, All sorts of creatures inhabit the land, be
roam the land: tyrants you might need to reach a specific affinity level they aggressive, neutral, or friendly. Paying
Bonus Division Points For: Eliminating with a character or explore 15 percent of the attention to the color above them is essential;
tyrants and enemies in general continent to proceed. if it’s red, you need to keep your awareness
Special Perk: Melee master up. The joy of the game really stems from ex-
Navigating The Land ploration; majestic, dinosaur-like creatures are
› RECLAIMERS
A variety of activities are available in Xenoblade all around. Other continents sport completely
Focus: Locate wreckage from the White
X’s vast open world, and they fit seamlessly different looks. For instance, one is a jungle
Whale, the first large ship carrying sur-
into the overall exploration, such as placing and contains alligators that leap out from
vivors from Earth that crashed into Mira
probes (which also opens fast travel to those the water to attack you. Another is a fire is-
Bonus Division Points For: Retrieving
pieces from the White Whale and locations) and helping characters in peril. land that rains fire and allows you to explore
placing probes Who knows? Maybe you’ll run into members inside volcanoes.
Special Perk: Drop sensor of a new species and convince them to join up Each locale is filled with nooks and cran-
with you. At one point, I recruited a species and nies, but quests leave a marker for you to track
› CURATORS I was given access to brand-new weaponry. down. Better yet, after a few missions, you un-
Focus: Study the lands and gather mate- One side quest tasked me with obtaining lock the “follow ball.” All you need to do is hold
rials from them a red orb that was inconveniently placed in “R” and press “X,” and a navigational ball leads
Bonus Division Points For: Obtaining front of two level 35 tyrants. I was level five at you to your destination. This comes in handy
collectibles and defeating tyrants the time, so there was no way I could afford when there are mountains or other obstacles
Special Perk: Critical master to draw their attention my way, forcing me to in your way, showing you a fast path to get
slowly walk by them and figure out a way to around them.
› PROSPECTORS
Focus: Mining for ores and resources
Bonus Division Points For: Mining
resources and discovering locations
Special Perk: Defense support

› OUTFITTERS
Focus: Developing new weapons
Bonus Division Points for:
Expanding corporations and earning
corporation points by investing in
different companies.
Special Perk: Corporation support

› MEDIATORS
Focus: Solving the problems of New Los
Angeles’ citizens
Bonus Division Points For: Completing
missions and helping recruited
B.L.A.D.E. members.
Special Perk: TP support

52
 Taking Your Journey Online
In addition to the single-player cam-
paign, Xenoblade Chronicles X has two
different online features. You can recruit
other player-created character NPCs,
who can then be used in your party. You
also build affinity with these NPC rent-
als on the battlefield. However, the more
exciting online feature is the ability to
join squads. Squads hold 32 players and
allow you to participate in squad quests,
which let you team up with three other
players to take on tougher content, such
as the gigantic, super-powerful tyrants.
Before you can unlock squad quests,
however, you must first complete squad
missions. These special objectives need
to be completed in a certain amount of
time. All squad members see the list and
Taking To Battle in guns blazing and are a mix of offensive and once a member completes something
Xenoblade Chronicles X’s battle system doesn’t defensive skills, providing HP and melee power on it, it gets marked as completed in
change significantly from its predecessor. You bonuses. The striker is the recommended class the other squad members’ games. This
activate skills on a cooldown meter while your for beginners, while the enforcer is for more allows you to divvy up tasks as you see
character automatically uses regular attacks, experienced players. fit. You can also exchange loot with your
akin to an MMORPG. But the battles are notice- squad, so if you get gear or weapons that
don’t suit your playstyle, you can let your
ably faster and smoother than before, something Mech Fun
friend reap the benefits.
Monolith executive director Tetsuya Takahashi Those expecting to hop right into a mech
said was born out of this game having longer might be disappointed; you don’t get your Skell
conflicts. “[We] wanted the pace of the combat to license until chapter six, halfway through the
be faster, so those don’t last too long,” he says. game. You also won’t receive your first Skell un-
I took delight in finding the right grooves of at- til level 20, and you can’t pilot it until research-
tacks to create deadly combos. Positioning still ing the flight pack after chapter nine. “The main
matters greatly, and every art has a positioning reason we didn’t want players to have the Skell
bonus. For instance, an art bonus can provide a from the beginning of the game is that we want-
damage increase for a side attack, or a specific ed them to have the opportunity to fully explore
art may add a 50-percent damage bonus if the the world on foot first,” Takahashi says. “The
enemy is toppled. You can combine these for world starts to feel quite a bit different once you
devastating combos. have the Skell, especially once you experience
Additionally, I enjoyed being able to alternate different layers of the world vertically.”
between melee and ranged attacks. My charac- Nintendo skipped me ahead so I could test one
ter had a deadly sword I could use up close, but out. Skells definitely make exploration a different
if I wanted to play it safer, I could always swap to beast; you can fly to floating islands and some
my gun and snipe from afar. I actually preferred structures have hidden caves that can only be
the guns to the sword for this reason – and let’s accessed via flight. Skells also make journeying
be honest, lasers are just cooler. The A.I. is also between continents much easier – I didn’t even
much better this time around; my allies rarely care about fast travel once I got mine.
died and knew when to fall back and heal. Stepping into X is overwhelming for its sheer
Arts can be customized to fit your playstyle. vastness and scope alone, but that’s what
For the start of the game, you are a drifter that makes it so thrilling. The game feels endless,
allows you to obtain a variety of different arts. but my desire to keep on playing and discover-
Once you reach level 10, you have different ing new things never left me. My early look has
branches you can break off into: enforcer, strik- me confident that this game will inspire mas-
er, and guerrilla. Enforcers support from afar, sive playthroughs just like its predecessor, but
gaining access to a slew of ranged arts. Gueril- X feels like it has even more to offer in terms of
las are like tanks who want to rack up dam- variety and size. Plus, who isn’t excited to see
age; their arts are focused on damage buffs, Takahashi and company get back to their sci-fi
evasion, and improved accuracy. Strikers go roots à la Xenogears and Xenosaga? \

Post-Game Content To Keep You Exploring

Xenoblade Chronicles X also has plenty of late-game content to make your Skell worthwhile.
It features numerous post-game monsters, like a level 99 baddie soaring in the sky, and online
play makes it possible to take down deadly foes with friends. In addition, hidden dungeons,
higher-level mechs, and powerful gear and weapons provide extra incentive to keep exploring.
“One figure we’re hearing from people [in Japan] is that they’ve spent two to three times the
amount of hours they spent on clearing the main story on end-game content,” says Monolith
Soft executive director Tetsuya Takahashi.

feature 53
 Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Excitement rises in crypts and caverns

» Platform
W
hen Lara Croft wants some- tension, making you wonder what the floors that break apart to reveal spikes
PlayStation 4 thing, she doesn’t hold back, next discovery will be. This doesn’t below them. Expect plenty of climb-
Xbox One
8BOX  s 0#
doing everything in her power just extend to the main narrative, but ing, death-defying jumps, and getting
to achieve it. In my recent hands-on also to items you find that explain more around obstacles. Some obstructions
» Style session for Rise of the Tomb Raider, of what’s going on. In Syria, we’re require you to shoot down objects,
1-Player Action
I discovered she’s just as resourceful tracking down the casket of a prophet while others have you use your pick-
» Publisher and daring as she’s always been, and who performed healing miracles. axe to break weak walls. This comes
Square Enix
I couldn’t be happier. The Tomb Raider Throughout the tomb, we find ancient in handy when you want to let water
» Developer reboot was fantastic, and my hands-on documents that debate his death. flow to the area below and raise Lara
#RYSTAL $YNAMICS
proves that Crystal Dynamics is still People said they saw him killed, but up to out-of-reach locations. Lara
» Release at the top of its game, providing thrills others indicate they saw the prophet is never safe throughout her trek as
.OVEMBER  at every turn. While previous demos still alive after that. we’ve come to expect – foundations
(Xbox One, Xbox 360),
 0LAY3TATION  0# and trailers have shown Lara sneak- Lara doesn’t realize it, but another often crumble and floors give away.
ing around enemies and chatting with group called Trinity is set on finding Sometimes she’ll even have to swim
a therapist, this demo catered to her the prophet’s tomb before she does. through deep waters. The controls –
actual tomb-raiding skills. This is the dangerous organization which mimic last game’s – are still
To begin the demo, I hit Lara’s first that Lara will be fighting against in responsive and intuitive, never frus-
tomb-raiding expedition in Syria. The Rise of the Tomb Raider, and this trating me in the slightest.
eerie environs are full of skeletons, mission in particular is what sets her At one point I’m tasked with shoot-
insects, and spiderwebs. From the rivalry with them into motion. As Lara ing down a wooden crate into the
moment you step in, there is ongoing explores, she must avoid traps, like water. As it finally flows my way and
54
 The lands in the distance really stand out
as Lara shows off her climbing skills

Tombs tell their own stories

I stand on top of it, I have to time the But before she can ponder this, a break below me. Every step feels like
perfect moment to jump off it to latch group of men from Trinity show up. a close call, but I finally arrive outside
onto a wall to climb. Little puzzles like They go toward the prophet’s tomb, of the tomb – safe and sound, for now,
this are everywhere, and clicking the hoping to get their hands on the relic anyway. That’s where the demo ends.
right stick to use her survival instinct that should be inside it. They open it, It looks like Lara will once again
still reveals all points of interest, like and instead of finding a body, Lara have her work cut out for her. Rise
objects involved in environmental puz- pops out, turning her gun on them. of the Tomb Raider doesn’t stray too
zles and hidden treasure. I keep going She’s outnumbered, but she doesn’t far from its predecessor, but that’s
off the beaten path, picking up every- care. The leader asks where the relic is, not a bad thing. Crystal Dynamics
thing I can for crafting and extra expe- and Lara insists that it was gone when wanted to improve tomb exploration
rience. As with the previous entry, the she opened it. This angers the crew; this time around. So far what I played
world still holds plenty of rewards for they clearly don’t believe her. was solid; it really does capture the
exploring hidden paths. Every time you Thankfully, Lara being as resourceful intensity and fun of being Lara Croft.
find a new mural or document, Lara’s as she is, set explosives. She deto- From near-death jumps to fun environ-
language-translation skills improve, nates them and the whole tomb begins mental puzzles and treasures to find,
getting you closer to finding even more to crumble, putting me on an intense the experience hooked me just as the
places with hidden secrets and trea- sequence to flee before it collapses initial reboot did. Now I’m just curious
sures. These range from collectibles to entirely. The adrenaline rush of Tomb how much this story will reveal about
new crypts to explore. Raider that I love kicks in. I don’t have Lara. It looks like she has more on her
When Lara arrives at the prophet’s much time to react and go on auto- plate than just a thirst for adventure.
casket, she’s surprised to find it empty. pilot, jumping frantically as structures » Kimberley Wallace
previews 55
 Fallout 4
Love in the Wasteland
» Platform
W
hen key members of Fallout 4’s
PlayStation 4 development team reveal even
8BOX /NE s 0# they haven’t seen everything
» Style the game has to offer after playing it for
1-Player Action/ 400-plus hours, there’s reason to be
Role-Playing
excited and worried. Excited that we’ll
» Publisher be able to lose ourselves for months on
Bethesda Softworks
end in a sprawling, post-apocalyptic
» Developer wasteland that gives us ownership
Bethesda over our characters, relationships, and
Game Studios
choices. Worried that the November 10
» Release release date is right around the corner,
November 10
and no one outside of Bethesda Game
Studios has gotten their hands on the
game, which is far larger and more
ambitious than anything the developer
has attempted before.
Bethesda is doing what it can to
ensure Fallout 4’s launch isn’t as
problematic as The Elder Scrolls V: Dramatic death cams are still a
Skyrim’s. As remarkable as Skyrim was part of the V.A.T.S. experience
in the end, it got off to a shaky start with
players experiencing a wide range of scenario that we will do anything and In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas,
bugs such as backward-flying dragons, everything to avoid. We made a lot we rummaged through the ruins of
and PlayStation 3 players putting the of progress given how Skyrim went, the world out of the necessity of sur-
game down entirely until its crippling but we did it during Skyrim. This just vival, looking for ammo, healing items,
framerate issues were patched. builds on that.” money, and better armor. The tenant of
Fallout 4’s game director Todd More reassuring yet, Bethesda’s survival remains, but the scope of loot-
Howard says Skyrim’s popularity and vice president of marketing and PR ing expands dramatically in Fallout 4,
volume of player data within it created Pete Hines revealed that Fallout 4 was giving us the freedom to scavenge for
problems in troubleshooting bugs. “essentially done” in an episode of parts that can be used to create new
“It probably took us a month or two Geoff Keighley’s Bonus Round that weapons, armor, and even to build and
before we really had a handle on it,” was recorded in late July. “When you furnish our own homes and settlements.
he says. “All of the updates we did talk about what else you are doing, all We don’t yet know how inventory
on Skyrim, and all of the DLC – once we’re doing is taking what exists and management or being over-encumbered
we sorted [the bugs out] we had a dif- polishing it and fixing bugs,” he said. works in Fallout 4, but Howard did
ferent process for how we checked “They are finishing the game. That’s all give us a look at the newly revamped
the content out. There will always be they’re doing this summer.” S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character system. “We
some problems. I think we’ve gotten Bethesda has only given us two small really wanted to bring this to the fore-
way better there. For us, [the player’s] tastes of what we will see in Fallout 4 – front of the game,” he says. “This is
saved game is the number one thing. the unveiling at this year’s E3, and a how you define your character. We
If the game crashes, that’s bad, but it deeper dive into the leveling systems have a whole bunch of perks, and
is nowhere near as bad as someone’s at QuakeCon – but the game’s wealth those are tied to your S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
saved game being hosed. That’s the of content already seems daunting. stats. Every time you level up, you get
to pick a perk.”
Much like Skyrim’s system of looking
to the stars to select character traits,
Fallout 4’s perks are found on a stylish
poster filled with animated Vault Boys
that act out the perk that is highlighted.
A perk like Strength helps the character
carry more gear and deal more damage
with melee weapons.
“You have this Vault Tech poster
with all of your perks, and there is a
separate perk for each S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
and each value of that S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
from 1 to 10,” Howard adds. “Each
perk, except for a few exceptions, has
multiple ranks. We have combined the
previous skill system into this as well.
If there are 70 base perks and you add
all of the ranks, you’re getting around
275 of those. We’ve found that this
Players can assemble their own gets us some really cool different play
weapons with looted supplies that styles. It’s a very cool and fun leveling
are broken down to base parts
system in the game.”
56
 One of the flight options
In addition to determining the build in Fallout 4 is a jetpack
of the character, players also have the
option to engage in romantic relation-
ships with companion characters.
Howard says there are 12 companions
in the game, but only humans can be
romanced, regardless of the gender
you are playing. “We track how [each
companion] feels about you,” Howard
says. “We spent a lot of time on this
mechanic. They have a lot of personality.
You can also play without a companion,
and we have special perks if you want to
play as kind of a lone wanderer.”
One of the new companions is a
female reporter named Piper who
resides in Diamond City, a thriving
settlement built in the ruins of Fenway
Park. In the brief gameplay clip we are
shown of Piper, she seems intelligent
and quick-witted, as she verbally spars
with an irate citizen. She runs her own “protect and serve” as it slowly rolls by. ground dramatically as the mushroom
paper called Public Occurrences. The market gives us our first look at cloud rises high into the sky.
The last bit of new Fallout 4 informa- lock picking (through the use of bobby Through the run-and-gun chaos,
tion comes from a lengthy gameplay pins), and terminal hacking, which we also saw that V.A.T.S. is no longer
demo set in Lexington, a colorful and forces the player to decipher a scram- a system you can rely on for a quick
detailed city filled with hostile Ghouls bled sequence of letters, numbers, and break from the action. V.A.T.S. doesn’t
and Raiders, both of which are more characters in what appears to be the freeze the game; it only slows it. This
aggressive in their tactics than we’ve same way as Fallout 3. means that if an enemy is descending
seen in previous Fallout experiences. A variety of unique weapons are behind cover, specific hit zones may
The Ghouls move quickly, and appear shown; one fires red lasers, another disappear as his body lowers behind
to often attack in swarms, creating green acid. The most impressive the object.
a suffocating combat experience. weapon shown is a fan-favorite from The lengthy demo impressed, show-
Thankfully, they don’t have much armor yesteryear: the Fat Man, a heavy ing off a high level of detail in the
and are dropped quickly with carefully firearm that fires mini-nukes. In this interior and exterior environments, and
placed shots and Dogmeat, the canine instance, the weapon is used to wipe gunplay that looks vastly improved
companion, coming to the rescue to out bandits, with beautiful mushroom from the previous games.
take down enemies with a jump that clouds and fire rising from their singed Bethesda has been oddly guarded
knocks them down and a throat bite corpses. The Fat Man’s final test is with Fallout 4 leading up to launch.
that finishes them off. against a Behemoth, a towering beast Is this something we should be con-
The demo shows off the interior of a that wields a large pole with a red fire cerned about? It sounds like the studio
Super Duper Mart that has been heavily hydrant attached to it. The Behemoth is going the extra mile to make a
ransacked, but is still filled with objects sprints at the character, impressively more polished and stable experience,
and a wealth of detail. A robot roams withstands one Fat Man direct hit, but but we’ll find out soon enough on
its messy aisles, repeating the saying succumbs to the next, falling to the November 10. » Andrew Reiner
previews 57
 Mafia III
Organized crime moves from the Big Apple to the Big Easy
» Platform
T
he Mafia series has given play- “In our early conversations internally, mafia to mean more than the Italian
PlayStation 4 ers a chance to live out their we talked about wanting to reclaim mob, who should our protagonist be?
8BOX /NE s 0#
mobbed-up fantasies in worlds the term ‘mafia’ to mean more than the It’s going to be in the late ‘60s, does
» Style that are reminiscent of The Godfather Italian mob,” says Haden Blackman, that inform who our protagonist is?’”
1-Player Action movies. Francis Ford Coppola’s clas- studio head and creative director at Hangar 13 found its lead in Lincoln
» Publisher sic films may have captured the pub- developer Hangar 13. “We also wanted Clay, a man whose deep need for
2K Games lic’s imagination, but Italians are far to continue the trend of moving Mafia family led him from a childhood spent
» Developer from the only people who have prof- forward in time, and that’s where we in orphanages to finding an adoptive
Hangar 13 ited from organized crime. The newly set on the ‘60s, and then ‘68 spe- home of sorts in the black mob. After
» Release announced third entry in 2K Games’ cifically. There are lots of reasons we serving in the military – including a
2016 series veers into an unconventional chose that year specifically. Those were tour in Vietnam – he returns home to
direction, moving the action away from sort of the first two pieces that came Louisiana to a horrifying scene. His
Empire City and introducing audiences together, and from that it was like, ‘If loved ones have been murdered in
to a whole new set of criminal players. we’re going to try to reclaim the word what looks like a double-cross from

Players can choose to intervene in situations like this, where

the police are hassling people, or avoid getting involved

58
the ruling Italian mafia. That gives Clay
a new mission: Take down the New
Orleans mob, from the bottom-feeding
lowlifes to its head, Sal Marcano.
One of the big hooks in Mafia III is
that Clay won’t be embarking on this
revenge-fueled journey alone. His mili-
tary training is a tremendous asset, to
be sure, but his innate ability to bring
people from a variety of backgrounds
together is the linchpin of his success.
Early in the game, Hangar 13 says
that Clay will enlist three of his own
lieutenants. “Burke runs the Irish gang
and feels put upon for various reasons,” busy man. The decision holds weight, play. Fortunately, there are a variety of
Blackman says. “Cassandra runs the since he’ll earn different exclusive alternate ways inside.
Haitian gang and also is at odds with upgrades and abilities depending He heads down into the basement,
the Italian mob for lots of different rea- on who takes control of these build- which is a complicated maze of tun-
sons. And then there’s Vito, who feels ings. To further complicate matters, nels that includes surprising features
like he’s been sidelined.” For all you tough guys have egos that are easily like a domed concert space and
Mafia II veterans out there, yes, we’re bruised. Show too much favoritism to access to a waterway. Clay tracks
talking about Vito Scaletta, the protago- one of your three allies, and the others down the goon, who’s in the middle
nist of the last game. Now out of prison, could react poorly – even violently. of a heated discussion with a soon-
he’s been relegated to the sidelines in I saw one of these hideout-clearing to-be-dead lackey of his own, and
New Orleans. That doesn’t mean he missions in action in a demo, starting violently makes his presence known.
won’t be playing a vital role, however. from the intel-gathering phase. Clay The rest of the demo shows off the
Each of Clay’s allies can be called hears about one of Marcano’s lackeys, cover system as Clay’s methodi-
upon to provide a variety of services and decides to take him down. After cal entrance gives way to a frantic,
and favors. If you find yourself being gaining information about his where- gunshot-filled escape.
pursued by the police – an inevitable abouts from a reluctant informant – Afterward, Clay assigns the club’s
scenario – you can put in a call at who becomes more forthcoming after management to one of his friends.
a pay phone to get the law off your a terrifying joyride – Clay heads to his The decision doesn’t seem to upset
heels. As Clay clears mafia hideouts target at a drug den. It’s hidden below the balance, but who knows how
and strongholds, he assigns them to an active nightclub, which means that things will play out in the long term.
his lieutenants, too. After all, he’s a strolling in with a shotgun isn’t a smart » Jeff Cork

Mafia III is set in 1968, so prepare yourself for plenty

of tapestries, throw rugs, and heat-packing hippies

previews 59
 Quantum Break
We’d like to speed up time to play Remedy’s latest

» Platform
I
n some ways, the long wait for Ashmore steps into the role of pro- military training he stands a chance
Xbox One Quantum Break is poetic. For a game tagonist Jack Joyce, Monaghan is play- thanks to his abilities.
» Style all about time breaking down, it fits ing his brother Will, Gillen is the face We had a chance to see even more
1-Player Action that we’ve been waiting two years on of villain Paul Serene, with Reddick his gameplay, including a new platform-
» Publisher an ever-extending development sched- right-hand man, Mr. Hatch. ing segment that takes place in a time
Microsoft Studios ule to see the project come together. Just like Alan Wake before it, stutter. There is beauty in time break-
» Developer After getting an in-depth look at both Quantum Break has an episodic loop. ing down around Jack, as the envi-
Remedy Entertainment the gameplay and the accompany- Players will complete a gameplay ronment becomes unpredictable and
» Release ing live-action show, it feels like our segment as Jack, and then watch a catastrophe is frozen moments from
April 5 patience is paying off. 22-minute television-style episode being unleashed.
When Remedy announced Quantum from the villains’ point of view. Much like Uncharted, Quantum Break
Break at E3 2013, we weren’t sure what Microsoft showed the world an intersperses these platforming segments
to make of the studio’s idea for a live- action segment during its Gamescom with action-focused shootouts. At the
action component to the story. Now press conference, which combined a conclusion of each chapter, players
that the developer has assembled a number of the time-altering abilities. must make a choice about the future,
strong cast of Shawn Ashmore (X-Men, Jack can use his newfound powers which in turn dictates how both game-
The Following), Dominic Monaghan to dash, freeze time in a localized play and live-action sequences play out.
(The Lord of the Rings, Lost), Aiden area, blast enemies with a wave of The short bits of filmed footage we
Gillen (Game of Thrones, The Wire), force, or move faster than his foes in saw were well-acted, and tie closely to
and Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire), an effect that makes it seem like time the gameplay. Remedy drove the point
we’re feeling much more confident has slowed around him. Jack is thrust home by showing how a gameplay
about how the whole package is into his conflict with Serene and his segment and a live-action moment
coming together. Monarch troops, but even without were the same, except from different
60
 Time breaks down within one
of Quantum Break’s stutters

Jack needs to soften up these guards

points of view. before disabling their backpacks
Microsoft and Remedy haven’t set-
tled on how the television show will be
distributed, which means it could be on
disc or available on-demand via Xbox
Live. It is included in the purchase of
the game, though. Since player choice
impacts both pieces of the package,
there is more video than players will
see in a single play-through.
Quantum Break is finally in the home
stretch, and creative director Sam Lake
tells us that the game is playable from
start to finish right now. The studio is in
the bug-fixing and polishing stage. With
a firm release date now announced, we
just need to wait the nine months until
release. If only we could speed up time.
» Michael Futter

Head to gameinformer.com to read an interview

with creative director Sam Lake and lead actor
Shawn Ashmore
previews 61
 Marvel Heroes 2016
Marvel’s superheroes continue to morph

» Platform
M
arvel Heroes has changed sig- comics on a strict basis, but fans should coming in Marvel Heroes 2016. “We’re
0# s -AC nificantly over the years, trans- recognize some similarities. going to do leaderboards in a variety
» Style forming from a rather lackluster New bosses and zones flesh out of ways,” says Gazillion CEO David
--/20' launch title to a popular free-to-play the story content. Raids are an Brevik. “Some leaderboards you have
» Publisher superhero action-RPG playground unusual addition to an action role- to grind 24/7 to even think about
'AZILLION %NTERTAINMENT where players blast and slam their playing game, but Marvel Heroes is competing; you can’t have any kind of
» Developer way through sackfuls of loot with their nonetheless adding a gigantic one life and hit the top. We’re going to try
'AZILLION %NTERTAINMENT favorite Marvel characters. With Marvel with the update – players must face to change things up and have some
» Release Heroes 2015 bringing the game into the off with Thanos. leaderboards be real short sessions,
&ALL spotlight with its myriad changes and A new zone type, the Savage Land, like maybe three or four hours, and
improvements, the title is looking ahead allows players to sort of combine you’ll be competing during that ses-
to the next giant update, full of new tower defense and dungeon crawl- sion only. You can get exclusive items
characters, content, and systems. ing as they set up special towers to and prizes from these leaderboards
Marvel Heroes 2016 picks up the orig- square off with waves of dinosaurs and we’ll be able to change things up
inal story, which has essentially been and bosses. Since it’s drop-in, drop- by selecting the activities, characters,
abandoned the last two years. The new out, you can pop in for some action and other variables. It will basically be
chapter explores Secret Invasion, where anytime you want and leave if you feel a new cool thing to do every night.”
an alien shapeshifting race threatens to like doing something else. Controller support is coming to
take over. The story does not follow the Leaderboards and seasons are also Marvel Heroes 2016 as well. “It’s an
62
 God Doom is from Marvel’s
latest epic, Secret Wars

often-requested feature and the game client leaving beta status behind. everyone to have fun. Each hero plays
plays naturally with it,” Brevik says. Marvel Heroes 2016 continues the differently from each other; they all
“It should be a great addition. You’ll practice of pushing out one, some- have 25 different skills and we get a Choose The
be able to customize and map the times even two new heroes each new one each month.” Next Superhero
buttons to your liking.” Whether or month (along with the occasional Events are a big part of the game If you are a big fan of
not this portents the game coming to playable villain). So how does Gazillion now and will continue to be so in Marvel Heroes 2016 you
console, Gazillion won’t say, but this balance the new hero entering every Marvel Heroes 2016, from movie tie- can vote on the next hero
functionality could lead to the game month? “Some would question whether ins to standard weekly events, these added to the game. Head
gracing current-gen consoles. we do or not, but we have a lot of tools dynamic events keep things fresh. to GameInformer.com and
The 2016 update also brings a visual that help with this process,” Brevik Things like item boosts or experi- choose from Spider-Man
update to vastly improve many of the says. “Through testing and iteration ence bonuses are always going on, (Miles Morales), Ms. Marvel
models, especially the heroes. One to tune things to balance fairly well. but special events for holidays like (Kamala Khan), Gamora,
can scarcely recognize the barebones We get them as close as possible “X-giving” for Thanksgiving also help Green Goblin, Wasp, or
originals next to the updated ver- while trying to keep their flavor; you bolster the content roster. Angela. While most of
sions. Other updates include a new know in the Marvel universe itself, With this new arsenal of promising these characters will
and improved inventory/bank stash- Hulk and Thor are sort of in a different changes, Gazillion is putting Marvel’s probably make it into the
management system to help better league than Daredevil and Punisher – cast of superheroes in position to game eventually, you
organize those massive piles of loot, and that’s okay – but we don’t want keep succeeding. Look for the update can help decide which
Steam achievements, and the Mac that disparity in the game. We want to hit this fall. » Daniel Tack one is next.
previews 63
 Scalebound
A full-scale RPG to sink your (dragon) teeth into
» Platform
H
ideki Kamiya, the man behind Scalebound garners plenty of excite- bow to shoot foes that are far away
Xbox One games like Devil May Cry and ment with its action-oriented combat on ledges.
» Style Bayonetta, has become synony- and customization options. Drew The combat has a good flow and
1-Player Action/ mous with stylish action games. So and his dragon share a lifesource in plenty of variety, including Drew’s abil-
Role-Playing when he debuted the first gameplay battle; the pair have a deep bond and ity to use items such as stun mines
(2 to 4-Player Online)
footage for Scalebound at this year’s continue to develop it throughout to temporarily paralyze enemies, or
» Publisher Gamescom, many people were sur- the game for additional perks. The use a hook shot to pull himself on top
Microsoft
prised to discover it was a slower-paced player controls Drew, while the A.I. of a foe to attack its weak points. He
» Developer action/RPG. Kamiya obviously has a takes care of Thuban. However, that even has the power to transform into
Platinum Games
flair for going over-the-top, but he’s doesn’t mean you don’t have any say a powered-up dragon form to deliver
» Release also worked on games like ƿkami and in Thuban’s actions. You can issue stronger attacks for a period of time.
2016 Resident Evil that slow things down. For simple commands, such as telling him Downing enemies produces gems,
Scalebound, Kamiya was ready for a who to target and when to engage or the in-game currency. These gems
change of pace and to venture into new fall back. can be spent on items at shops or
territory with a full-fledged RPG. Thuban has a devastating fire attack used to customize your dragon. The
Scalebound stars Drew, a man from that reaches a wide range, but he customization options seem extensive
Earth who suddenly ends up in the can also stomp on or kick enemies and have me most excited; you can
strange world of Draconis. If the foot- that get in his path. Outside of battle customize your dragon with differ-
age is any indication, Drew is an over- he can remove any obstacles that ent skins, armor, skills, and abilities.
confident guy who wears headphones block the way in the environment, like Additional features allow you to fight
and shouts cringe-worthy phrases, large tree trunks. Drew has various using your favorite element and con-
such as “Use your words” and “Let’s weapons he can equip, such as a trol your dragon’s evolution and life.
rock, baby.” He bonds with a dragon sword, spear, and bow, and a gauge Details are scarce right now on these
named Thuban, and the pair work on the bottom of the screen shows features, but from what I saw, it looks
together to take down baddies as they the weapon’s durability. He can swap like you have a lot of control over how
explore the vast world, trying to figure between these weapons on the fly, you build your characters.
out its mysteries. so he can use his sword to slash at Scalebound also features four-player
Despite Drew’s annoying dialogue, close-range enemies and take out his co-op, but Platinum Games isn’t ready
64
 This dragon is your buddy. You build your
bond up with it through the game

to discuss it further. Kamiya did confirm

in our interview (see page 32) that
there’s a reason for why all the char-
acters are identical, and that it would Drew’s dragon arm represents that
he’s already bonded with Thuban
make sense with the storyline. Time will
tell exactly what co-op entails, but I’m
interested in what it adds to the experi-
ence, especially how you can keep
track of all the madness on-screen.
The monsters are massive, and having
four dragons and Drews on screen
sounds like a recipe for chaos.
Despite some reservations, I’m eager
to see more of Scalebound. Kamiya’s
games always teem with creativity.
I’m intrigued to see what he can do
with such a large world and how he’ll
innovate in the RPG genre. Kamiya
himself seems excited to take a stab at
the genre. “I always wanted to create a
game in a fantasy world setting with the
main subject matter being dragons,” he
says. “In order for that to come to life
and come to fruition you need a setting
like this, a very large world. The genre
is a natural element of making this
happen. For me, it’s a dream-come-true Drew is the only one you control, but you
can issue simple commands to Thuban
type of project.” » Kimberley Wallace
previews 65
 NBA 2K16
Building a contender
» Platform
W
ith its diverse array of deep
PlayStation 4 game modes and strong game-
Xbox One
play, NBA 2K15 should have
PlayStation 3
8BOX  s 0# contended with FIFA for the sports
game of the year. But constant server
» Style stability issues once again prevented
1 or 2-Player Sports
(10-Player Online) eager fans from enjoying both offline
and online modes, and this blue chip
» Publisher
2K Sports prospect found itself on the outside
looking in. We won’t know if NBA 2K16
» Developer can address this crippling deficiency
6ISUAL #ONCEPTS
until the game tips off on Sept. 29, but
» Release Visual Concepts is pushing the bound-
September 29
aries of sports games with forward-
looking features.
On the court, NBA 2K16 is introduc-
ing several big ideas to enhance the
gameplay experience. Visual Concepts
is introducing new blending technology tactics. If you shut down an A.I.- Go right ahead. Making the move is
and a physics-based collision system controlled team’s pick and roll offense as simple as choosing a new location
to smooth out the player motion as or deny their big men the ball in the in MyLeague, but if you are playing
they move in and out of animations paint, the coaches will react accordingly MyGM you will need the blessing of 16
and make body contact. Big bodies and employ new tactics. This could of the 30 franchise owners.
like LeBron have a better chance of pay big dividends for realism during The relocation process doesn’t stop
muscling through small defenders. the playoffs. Last year the Warriors there. Users can then rebrand the
Revamped situational awareness won the championship by switching to team and design the arena and jerseys
should give A.I. teammates a better a small-ball lineup. You could see that with user-generated logos or those
understanding of player intent so they play out in NBA 2K16 as well. created by 2K. The depth to the cus-
can react on the fly, moving between Realism isn’t the only approach that tomization is impressive, especially in
creating an off-ball screen or cutting to pays dividends in sports games – regards to the arena. You can tweak
the basket in a split second as the play sometimes empowering players to write everything from the type of scorer’s
evolves, for example. The low post and their own fiction is equally rewarding. table and jumbotron to the color of
passing controls have been rebuilt as The MyGM and MyLeagues are both the basketball rims and sound effects
well to give the user more fidelity. benefitting from this approach with the that play when a player misses a free
One of the more intriguing new con- new team-relocation system. Want to throw. Once you complete the move,
cepts being pitched by Visual Concepts move the Thunder or Lakers back to the league may undergo realignment
in NBA 2K16 is the adaptive coaching Seattle or Minneapolis, respectively? to make sensible divisions.

NBA 2K15 only had one signature size-up

per star player. The new game offers four
UNIQUE DRIBBLE COMBOS TO CHOOSE FROM

66
 Visual Concepts says big moments have been
enhanced to truly bring out the excitement and
drama of close games, with improved crowd
noise/animation, arena-specific atmosphere,
and context-specific gameplay

Relocation is just one of the big

decisions you can make during the
offseason. The lottery and draft are
both receiving facelifts to make them
more entertaining to watch, and a
new staff-hiring system gives each
member of your coaching team his
own sense of career goals. If a valued
assistant takes off for a promotion
elsewhere, you can poach a new up-
and-comer from another staff or grab
one of the former head coaches that
another team just fired. Scouts may
have designs on becoming general
managers, and some players could
even move all the way up the execu-
tive ranks after they retire. A summer Users can access a team-intel screen to get a quick glimpse of a
league and 2K Hoops Summit round franchise’s current status, their untouchable players, their trade
out the offseason, giving you a chance block, players on the roster with expiring contracts, and players
they are thinking of targeting either via trade or free agency
to play with your young prospects and
potential lottery picks before the regular
season gets under way.
Expect stiffer competition from the
A.I.-controlled teams when you are
trying to build a contender thanks to
the new advanced team-building logic
driving their decision making. Each
team falls into one of four categories:
rebuilding, buying, selling, or contend-
ing. The GM will make decisions based
on future projections of his roster. If a
star like LeBron James is heading to
free agency in a couple years and the
team has a need for that position, it
will begin to make moves to get into
the bidding, including clearing salary
space. Users can access a team intel
screen to get a better understanding of
where each team is at, which players
on their roster are considered untouch-
able, and which players they may be
targeting in free agency.
All of the new ideas being introduced
in NBA 2K16 sound promising, but
2K still hasn’t talked about its plans to
Visual Concepts says the new physics-
patch up its biggest problem. Should based collision model removes the
servers be stabilized, this franchise need to rely on multi-actor mocap to
should find itself back in the limelight. resolve body-to-body collisions both
on the floor and in the air
» Matt Bertz
previews 67
 Crackdown 3
Stomping out crime in an all-new city
» Platform
C
rackdown showed a lot of prom- realistically, taking out nearby buildings and even your vehicles are covered in
Xbox One ise when the first game launched and leaving massive piles of wreckage. what Reagent calls digital fabric. This
» Style in 2007, letting players loose in a It felt like more of a tech demo than substance can display in-universe
1-Player Action massive city filled with gang warfare anything else, but it showed the hard- advertising and provide a futuristic
(Multiplayer TBA) and superhuman cops. After a lacklus- ware’s capabilities. sheen over the city – making it seem
» Publisher ter sequel came out a few years later, Single-player also features destruc- more vibrant and alive. As players
Microsoft Studios it seemed the series had stalled out for tible environments, but nowhere close recover territory from the crime lords,
» Developer good. Last year, Microsoft announced to that degree. You are in law enforce- the villains can hack into the network,
Reagent Games that Crackdown was suiting up again, ment, after all, and it doesn’t make allowing them to project taunting
» Release and at Gamescom I saw the Xbox One much sense to run around leveling the hologram-like messages throughout
2016 game in action. city you’re charged with protecting. the city as a way of reacting.
The multiplayer demo dropped me in Agents have the same “skills for kills” Make a crime lord angry enough by
the city with a handgun, machine gun, leveling system, but agility orbs won’t knocking out their source of income
rocket launcher, and a single purpose: be wandering all over the map like or destroying their minions, and
blow up as much as I can. This display they did in Crackdown 2, according to they’ll retaliate. Reagent isn’t talking
of destruction is impressive thanks to game director Dave Jones. much about these at this point, but
the use of Microsoft’s much-vaunted One of the more interesting aspects we did see a lieutenant decked out
cloud technology. Joined by a few of the game is how Reagent Games in a mechanical exoskeleton. The
like-minded maniacs, we take down is working to inject more personality superheroic agents had a hard time
several prominent towers by whittling into the world. Crime lords have been taking him out, even after dropping
through their facades and tearing a series fixture, but they haven’t lived shipping crates and other environ-
through the iron infrastructure inside. up to their potential as larger-than-life mental hazards on the machine.
Once weakened enough, they collapse foils. In Crackdown 3, buildings, signs, » Jeff Cork
68
 The city is in peril, and players need to work to
dismantle criminal organizations piece by piece

When buildings take enough damage in Crackdown 3’s multi-

player, they’ll topple like trees, taking out nearby structures

previews 69
 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Gaining more freedom in how you assassinate your target
» Platform
A
ssassin’s Creed has seen its ups in the studio to make sure we deliver I use Evie’s unique chameleon ability,
PlayStation 4 and downs since it became an our first entry in the Assassin’s Creed which allows her to become invisible
8BOX /NE s 0#
annualized series, but with Ubisoft franchise very, very strong.” when in stealth mode to get around
» Style Quebec leading the project for the first Recently, I went hands-on with the patrolling guards. The game has a full
1-Player Action time, hopefully some new lifeblood can game, which is set in London during skill tree, so you decide what skills
» Publisher be injected into the franchise. Director the Industrial Revolution. The demo you want to invest in.
Ubisoft Scott Phillips knows it’s a concern, and focused on Evie Frye, a rare female Once I reach the allied guard, he
» Developer the team is dialing it back this entry and protagonist in a long line of mostly male lets me know that some patrols are
Ubisoft Quebec not including extras like co-op or multi- leads. Evie’s highly skilled at stealth, disguised as Templars. He offers to
» Release player to focus all efforts on the core much more than her twin brother, sneak me into The Tower of London,
October 23 single-player experience. Jacob. During the game, you play as as long as I eliminate the Templar
“We started two years ago and both with certain missions and story guards who already saw him during
spent a lot of time working on our tech sequences centered on each of them. their patrol. I use the new rope
and polishing the engine that’s there,” The demo showcased a black-box launcher to make my way toward
Phillips says. “There’s a lot of drive mission, where you choose how you them. The gadget makes exploration
want to achieve your goal. Evie’s much faster, as you can latch on to a
destination is the famous Tower of far away building and swing right to it.
London, which she expects might Once I kill the two enemies, the allied
carry the shroud, a piece of Eden, guard pretends Evie’s his prisoner and
which is a source of great power. Her he’s turning her in. When we arrive at
mission? Assassinate Lucy Throne, a Throne’s location, she assumes Evie
Templar also hunting for the relic. The is captured and lets her guard down.
map shows various entry points and Evie strikes the moment Throne turns
people of interest to help get the job her back, ending her life with a brutal
done. You can choose your own path assassination. Mission complete.
or tap a person of interest. My options Black-box missions are much more
include an infiltration opportunity to comprehensive in Syndicate than they
get a guard’s master keys, a stealth were in Unity. Here I felt like I better
approach to locate an allied guard, or a understood all the paths and what I was
mission to liberate the constable for his getting myself into. Let’s hope the rest
assistance. I pursue the allied guard. of the game continues to improve on its
As I make my way toward the contact, predecessor. » Kimberley Wallace
70 previews
Homefront: The Revolution
Open-world guerilla warfare in an occupied America

T
he original Homefront was fun but » Platform
didn’t quite live up to the potential PlayStation 4
of its premise. New developer 8BOX /NE s 0#
Deep Silver Dambuster is well aware » Style
of this fact. The team, formerly known 1-Player Shooter
as Free Radical, is reexamining nearly » Publisher
every facet of the first game for Deep Silver
Homefront: The Revolution. » Developer
“There are almost no connections Deep Silver
between the two,” says senior nar- Dambuster
rative director C.J. Kershner. “This is » Release
a new chapter in the Homefront uni- 2016
verse basically operating off the same
premise. We like to think of this as a
fresh start as opposed to a reboot or
anything like that.”
You’re still an American resistance
PHILLY MAY BE IN RUINS BUT ITS EASY TO
fighter battling occupying Korean NAVIGATE VIA MOTORCYCLE )TS A SPEEDY
forces in the U.S., though the struc- way to blast through patrols
ture is different. While your character,
Ethan Brady, yearns for freedom since haven’t had for a while. Running away can be modified on the fly. Need to
the invasion, players have a tremen- in a first-person shooter is almost take out a sniper? Swap out the scope
dous amount of it at their disposal. unheard of, and it’s something that and you can hit back from afar. Or you
That’s one of the things that Kershner happens all the time in our game.” could do something more extreme
thinks was lacking from the original’s Brady and the resistance have to and convert the whole thing into a
linear structure. lay low and rely on their resourceful- limpet-mine-firing nightmare.
“It was the one part of the premise ness to survive. That manifests itself Homefront: The Revolution empha-
that we never fully delivered on,” he in a variety of ways. Players can use a sizes combat, but it’s also attempting
says. “By taking it open world, you’ve wide array of tools in what Dambuster to tell a grounded story about life
now suddenly got much broader free- refers to as the guerilla toolkit, includ- under occupation. “So often, shoot-
dom of movement. By skewing the ing remote-hacking devices that turn ers forget about all of the people who
balance of power and making the ene- the turrets of enemy APCs on their are not carrying guns,” Kershner says.
mies so much more powerful than the own men, RC cars that deliver explo- Players will learn more about life in
player and the resistance, we actually sive payloads, and more. The attach- this grim new reality through a blend
bring a sense of vulnerability back into ment system turns run-of-the-mill of missions and environmental story-
shooters, which is something that they assault rifles into flexible weapons that telling next year. » Jeff Cork

The resistance has to rely on quick guerilla strikes and

EVASION TO SUCCEED AGAINST THE OCCUPYING +0! FORCES

Behind A Scene
During my conversation
with senior narrative
DIRECTOR #* +ERSHNER )
MENTIONED WHAT ) CON
sidered to be Homefront’s
STANDOUT SCENE WHERE
THE PROTAGONIST #ONNOR
stumbled upon a mass
grave in a ballpark and
had to hide beneath one
of the corpses in the pile
TO AVOID DETECTION !S IT
TURNS OUT HE WAS INTI
mately familiar with the
SCENE h) WAS THAT DEAD
BODY AND ) WAS STARING AT
THE ACTOR FACE TO FACE AND
we were both just trying
so hard not to laugh –
which is absolutely the
wrong response given
the emotional needs of
THAT SCENEv
previews 71
 Master Of Orion
The classic 4X game returns
» Platform
T
he game that put the term 4X user-interface improvements and a lot of interesting scenarios pop up
PC (explore, expand, exploit, and intuitive gameplay. Instead of having to turn-to-turn. You may have to manage
» Style exterminate) on the galaxy map dig through four esoteric drop-down pollution on your planets based on
1-Player Strategy is getting a massive makeover as menus, players can find all the options your production or even face biochemi-
» Publisher Wargaming and NGD studios reboot they need directly at their fingertips. cal warfare. If you don’t deal with it,
Wargaming the classic strategy title. In Master of Technological advances allow the your planet may degrade, going from
» Developer Orion, players attempt to conquer the unique races of the galaxies to express a bountiful ocean planet into a less
NGD Studios stars via a variety of methods, from mil- their more colorful side through voice attractive (and less productive) marsh.
» Release itary might to deceptive diplomacy, as acting and dialogue as they interact with Balancing worker morale is nec-
2016 they engage with a turn-based system the player, and the advisors on your side essary to make sure production is
that should be familiar to players that help walk you through important deci- smooth, as taxes and war can take
missed out on the fun back in 1993. sions as you pick new technologies and their toll. If morale sinks too low, your
While NGD is taking the utmost care allocate your workers on each planet. population may go on strike, bring-
to keep Master of Orion true to its com- While you’re free to engage with the ing production to a halt. Depending
plex strategy roots, the studio wants game at a top level and improve your on your strategies, you may want to
to make it more approachable through technology, economy, or military might, invest in various perks or entertain-
ment to boost morale and offset
potential negatives.
Cloak-and-dagger strategies allow
you to sabotage and steal from your
opponents and protect your own
assets through counter-espionage. In
addition to the other factions in the
game all trying to interfere with your
route to victory, you’ll have to deal
with wandering space monsters, inde-
pendent planets, and a whole slather-
ing of other minutia.
A lot is going on in Master of Orion
beyond the simple resource gather-
ing, allowing for many different play
styles. I’m looking forward to uniting
the galaxy through diplomacy as
I curry favor from the intergalactic
council, but trying out a whole slew
of strategies is going to be part of the
Manage complex colonies fun when the reboot hits next year.
with a simple interface
» Daniel Tack
72 previews
XCOM 2
Gearing up for guerrilla warfare

» Platform
I
n XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the human Since players no longer have a fixed is used to make connections with
race was forced to react to an invading base, the Avenger mobile command resistance cells and take on missions PC
alien menace. We needed to quickly center now serves as headquarters. The to liberate segments of the globe. » Style
build up our resources and communi- ship can can be outfitted like the old You can also use your resources to 1-Player Strategy
cations capabilities, train troops, and Enemy Unknown bunker. Players need purchase technologies from the black (2-Player Online)
develop new technologies to combat to reclaim parts of the alien derelict to market. If you happen to fall behind in » Publisher
enemy forces. We lost that war. bolster research and engineering, train R&D, you can catch up via this alter- 2K Games
XCOM 2 is, in many ways, a reflection soldiers for specific specialties, and nate path, but it’ll cost you. » Developer
of its predecessor’s approach. Humanity develop ammunition and explosives XCOM 2’s strategy layer should feel Firaxis Games
is mobile and proactive. It’s up to play- appropriate for the tasks at hand. Each familiar to anyone that played Enemy » Release
ers to take the fight to the aliens and room can be assigned a non-combat Unknown, but it’s been changed to November
their human collaborators, and you member of the resistance. Effects fit the sequel’s theme. The mobile
don’t have the world’s backing or its include speeding up research or manu- base gives players a chance to react
plentiful resources at your disposal. facturing, or getting a wounded soldier to the changing world around them,
Tactically, the humans’ best play back into battle earlier than expected. supportnascent cells, and take the
is guerrilla warfare as opposed to an Because you don’t have a bank fight to Advent before all is lost.
overt show of force. This means you account fed by the world’s nations, » Michael Futter
need to stay mobile and recapture you have to rely on other resources
areas of the globe by cultivating to accomplish your missions. These You can also read more online about XCOM 2’s
resistance cells. include intel and precious time. Intel improved customization at gameinformer.com

Weapons aren’t the only measure

of lethality anymore. You’ll want
to develop better ammunition

The aliens and Avent won’t just

wait around for XCOM to attack

previews 73
 Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s
Woe And The Blight Below
Slimes as far as the eye can see
» Platform
W
ith titles like Dynasty Warriors In Heroes, you meet and fight along- first time we’ve seen his work adapted
PlayStation 4 Gundam and Hyrule Warriors, side familiar Dragon Quest characters to current-gen graphics, but this is
» Style Omega Force has demon- from past games, but my time with the easily the best. The same can be said
1-Player Action strated its battlefield beat-em-up game was spent exclusively with new when comparing Heroes to other
» Publisher mechanics are capable of adopting characters Aurora and Luceus. Aurora Dynasty Warriors titles; this is the
Square Enix the aesthetics of disparate franchises. is a headstrong soldier who doesn’t best looking Dynasty Warriors game
» Developer It was still a surprise, however, to see like to waste her time waiting to fight. to date.
Omega Force, the announcement of Dragon Quest Luceus is constantly trying to plan The biggest separation from the
Koei Tecmo Heroes. The Dragon Quest series ahead to even the odds. In some ways, standard Dynasty Warriors formula
» Release (sometimes known as Dragon Warrior it feels like Luceus represents the comes in the form of gathering Monster
October 13 in North America) is no stranger to game Dynasty Warriors wants to be: Medals. With these, you can use the
spin-offs, but it is a turn-based RPG a tactical action scenario where your monsters you’re fighting against as
first and foremost, making the idea of decisions have weight. Aurora, on the soldiers for your cause. This leads
its heroes battling swaths of enemies other hand, represents what Dynasty to moments of the tactical battlefield
in real time a strange one. Warriors actually is: a game where the Luceus desires, forcing you to direct
sooner you start fighting, the sooner a monster army elsewhere while you
you make progress. Watching their fight in a different direction.
interaction is charming and lends a Dynasty Warriors has always been
level of humor missing among Dynasty an enjoyable, but shallow experience.
Warriors’ typically dour cast. It seems that sentiment won’t radically
Akira Toriyama’s art style and char- change with Dragon Quest Heroes,
acter designs are present throughout but I am enjoying seeing the series
the game, and they are the sharpest explore familiar franchises and add
they have ever looked. Toriyama is new ideas, like making enemies part
known for his work on Dragon Ball Z, of your army. Even without much per-
which saw a new game released on sonal affection for the Dragon Quest
current-gen consoles this year with series, my brief time with Heroes left
Xenoverse. As a result, this isn’t the me feeling optimistic. » Kyle Hilliard
74 previews
Transformers: Devastation
Blisteringly fun, even without the nostalgia

» Platform
T
he Transformers franchise is enemies in their tracks. Sideswipe choice against all six Constructicons,
hugely popular, but your first can fire devastating missile barrages culminating in a huge showdown PlayStation 4
Xbox One
experience with the giant robots and boost across long distances in his with their combined Devastator form.
PlayStation 3
in disguise probably varies depending sports-car form. The Dinobot leader, Thankfully, the weapons that you earn 8BOX  s 0#
on when you were born. I didn’t catch Grimlock, specializes in chomping and upgrade in the rooms transfer over
up on the cheesy goodness of the G1 enemies with careful timing, spewing to the campaign, so you can beef up
» Style
1-Player Action
cartoons until years after the block- flames out of his maw, and alternat- your plasma guns and Energon swords
buster Michael Bay films raked in bad ing between his dino and robot form however you like. » Publisher
Activision
reviews and big bucks. Even without mid-combo. Transformers: Devastation’s level of
the marinating effect of nostalgia, Don’t let Devastation’s Saturday- difficulty and visual polish is shaping » Developer
Platinum Games
Platinum Games’ run at the iconic fran- morning-cartoon aesthetic fool you; up to be a treat for both Transformers
chise is an impressive sight to behold taking on Megatron’s forces isn’t as diehards and Platinum fans alike. High » Release
October 6
with fun, demanding gameplay. easy as scarfing down a bowl of sugary Moon Studios set a high bar with the
During my recent hands-on time cereal. The Challenge Rooms spe- Cybertron games, but Platinum could
with the game I played through an cifically test the player’s ability to read deliver an even more intense and
intro level that feels ripped straight narrow attack-cue windows and react. frenetic battle between shapeshifting
out of the ‘80s. Megatron has allied One room pits the Autobot of your robots. » Tim Turi
with a giant, mechanical menace
lurking beneath the Earth’s crust,
which thrusts its clawed tentacles
up to wreak havoc on the evacuated
city. Meanwhile, the Decepticons are
also trying to clear out the rest of the
city by attaching high-powered wind
engines to the sides of skyscrapers,
which slows Optimus Prime and the
rest of the Autobots’ pursuit.
We’ve previously played with the
beefy Optimus and nimble Bumblebee
in combat, but this time we tried out
three other Autobots. The game-
play should be familiar to fans of
Platinum’s challenging action games
like Bayonetta, with high-precision
dodges, flurries of combos, and dra-
matic vehicle-transformation finish-
ers. The engineer, Wheeljack, bashes
Decepticons with wrenches and has
a useful sticky gun that stops speedy
previews 75
 WWE 2K16
Making a face turn

» Platform
F
ans of this long-running wrestling opponent or engage on your own terms Our demo included one-on-one quick
PlayStation 4 franchise came away feeling when there’s an opening. Some moves play matches and the first Showcase
Xbox One
that last year’s effort, the first on require a major reversal, which costs fight, featuring cover star Stone Cold
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360 PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, was two sections of meter. Others give you a Steve Austin. The introduction takes
average at best. With modes trimmed single opportunity for a string of attacks, us all the way back to 1996, for the
» Style out and odd changes to the control and both of these are noted with differ- King of the Ring finals. Both Austin
1 to 4-Player Fighting
(6-Player Online) scheme that messed with match pac- ent versions of the reversal icon. and opponent Jake the Snake Roberts
ing, fans turned their attention forward The referee, pin, and submission sys- were injured earlier in the night, with
» Publisher
2K Sports in hopes of improvement. tems are updated for 2K16. Rope breaks Roberts taking a beating from Vader.
Based on our brief time with the game, are now initiated manually, and you need Objectives return this year, and as
» Developer developers Yuke’s and Visual Concepts to make sure the ref can actually see you Austin, players need to bring Roberts
Yuke’s,
Visual Concepts are addressing concerns not only from grab it. You can still kick out of a pin, but into critical range and then perform
last year, but those that have lingered the meter is overhauled. The horizontal a Stone Cold Stunner before a pin.
» Release
October 27 for a while. Last year’s back-and-forth display is gone in favor of a circular The controls and the user interface
chain wrestling tie-up system has been meter. You need to stop the bar in the depicting stamina and momentum are
tweaked. Players can tie, which opens pie-shaped section of the meter to pull identical to last year, with no major
the door for them to break out of the out of the pin. As you get weaker, the surprises. I transitioned to WWE 2K16
lockup or deliver a cheap blow. wedge shrinks and can move, making without a problem.
One of the other major changes is it harder to escape. Functionally, it’s the We don’t have information yet on the
an overhaul to the reversal system. In same, but works better aesthetically. other modes, including creation, uni-
last year’s game, priority could switch The submission minigame takes a verse, and career. They’re likely to be
back and forth indefinitely. Provided page from UFC Undisputed 3. When in place as you’d expect, but details on
both players nailed the timing, you you have someone in a hold, a circular changes and improvements will come
could go on and on without either side meter appears with two bars (one for later. Our first look was brief, with very
landing a blow. each opponent). The aggressor uses little to sink our teeth into, but what
Reversals are now on a meter that his line to chase the defender’s. If they was there felt better than last year’s
recharges over time. If your bar is overlap, a meter fills up, ultimately first outing on new-gen platforms.
empty, you’d best stay away from your leading to tap-out. » Michael Futter

76 previews
FIFA 16
New signings from the summer transfer window bolster the squad
» Platform
G
ameplay is certainly king, but for younger players to grow. This made window, general fixes to the transfer
we sports gamers often place it difficult to put them in the starting network, two-year and six-month PlayStation 4
Xbox One
importance on a series’ modes lineup of most clubs, making them loans, and more.
PlayStation 3
because they make up the shell that angry and rendering youth scouting Gameplay has not been neglected 8BOX  s 0#
keeps us coming back repeatedly even pointless. This year you can train five either this year. Changes for defense
after we’ve played countless matches. players (young or old) each week via allow your backline to react better as a
» Style
1 to 4-Player Sports
A career mode perpetuates the veneer 30 drills targeting different attributes. unit, individuals to track runs and tackle (22-Player Online)
of realism via club management that Thankfully this can be automated. better, and more interceptions through
» Publisher
most sports gamers crave, while a Career mode also comes with the the midfield. In the attacking half, EA Sports
mode like Ultimate Team allows us to option to participate in pre-season developer EA Canada wants more vari-
live fantasies rooted in the players we tournaments around the world. Real- ety in its crosses (and the movement of
» Developer
%! #ANADA
know and love. Thus, part of the key to life clubs do this for the extra cash players onto them) as well as finishes.
keeping a series vital from year to year and to blood young players as well as Finally, hard precision passes are a
» Release
September 22
is keeping these modes fresh. let new signings develop chemistry risk/reward proposition, and a new feint
To offer a different experience, with their new teammates. Someone system lets you dance off the ball when
FIFA 16 introduces a quick-hit FIFA could get injured, but having to take you’re holding down the left bumper.
Ultimate Team (FUT) Draft feature. that chance is another good move A big part of FIFA’s success – apart
Similar to Madden’s Draft Champions, toward replicating the never-ending from gameplay – is its different modes.
you build your squad by selecting churn of modern soccer. I often talk to people who only play one
players from multiple rounds of ran- Other career mode improvements facet of a sports title, leaving the others
domly selected players. Pick a super- include more job security for manag- untouched. Thankfully, FIFA 16 is bol-
star captain to anchor your squad, a ers, the chance to carry forward a stering its main modes as well as its
formation, your players (bench players percentage of your budget transfer gameplay so that players of all persua-
can be auto generated), and take them (if you do well enough), the ability to sions can look forward to something.
into a four-game, single-elimination sign free agents outside the transfer » Matthew Kato
tournament. These have entry fees of
FUT coins or points, but even if you Different finishes necessitate
bow out after the first game you’ll at different kinds of saves
least recoup the fee. While building
your dream team is still fun in FUT,
this is a quick way to get a taste of
the mode without playing with a roster
filled with below-average players.
The changes to the career mode also
look to inject some life – and hopefully For the first time, FIFA includes
youth. In previous years, loaning out 12 women’s national teams, with
your younger players didn’t always U.S. striker Alex Morgan sharing
the cover with Lionel Messi
improve them much. Thus, it was hard
previews 77
 World Of Warcraft: Legion
The demon hunters return
» Platform
A
fter an unprecedented decade- this fictional universe has. To stand you can send out NPCs to tackle mis-
PC plus run of unbelievable subscrip- a chance against this menace, the sions. Players also get to advance up
» Style tion numbers, World of Warcraft expansion introduces class-specific to level 110. New and old players alike
MMORPG has seen some dramatic drops in its customizable Artifact weapons, allow- can boost one character up to level
» Publisher player base in recent months. Blizzard ing you to hold on to powerful weapons 100 immediately, and dive into the
Activision no doubt hopes to plug that leak with and continue to develop them over time action with friends.
» Developer the announcement of Legion, the sixth via ability trees that offer increased spell As a lapsed World of Warcraft
Blizzard full-scale expansion, and the initial reveal and ability options. Making changes to player, I can attest that Blizzard has
» Release provides ample reason to get excited. your weapon also affects its appear- chosen several features for Legion
TBA For many players, the most compel- ance. Even transforming feral druids that already have me itching to dive
ling addition is the new class. The can get in on the action, with artifacts back in. However, I’m withholding
demon hunter’s return as a playable that change how they look when in judgment until we’re closer to launch.
class is a thrill for both Horde and alternate shapes. Loyal players had a long wait between
Alliance players, with a look modeled In addition to an expected batch of Mists of Pandaria and Warlords of
after Illidan’s blindfolded incarnation new dungeons and raids, Legion also Draenor. If the wait is anywhere as long
from Warcraft III. The storyline for introduces a new continent called for Legion’s final release, I worry that
these new characters focuses on a the Broken Isles, a place that was the enthusiasm from this admittedly
group of elite demon hunters sent to once the beating heart of the Night Elf thrilling reveal might fade. With an
confront the Burning Legion over a civilization. Players can look forward announced beta for “later this year,” I’m
decade ago, but they are now being to a new honor system, as well as hoping my concerns are unwarranted.
reawakened to battle the resurgent class-specific Order Halls, from which » Matt Miller
threat. The opportunity to wield one
of those two-bladed warglaives is a
potent incentive to check out the class
for longtime Warcraft enthusiasts. In
addition to high mobility, the demon
hunter class also has the ability morph
into other forms.
The looming threat of this expansion
is the other exciting story component;
after confronting the mystical land of
Pandaria and the bizarre alternate-
history vibe of Draenor, Legion takes
us back to a confrontation against the
demonic forces of the Burning Legion –
Here are just some of the awesome armaments you can acquire and improve in World Of Warcraft: Legion
as close to a fundamental Big Bad as
78 previews
Star Wars: The Old Republic –
Knights Of The Fallen Empire
BioWare returns to its storytelling roots

» Platform
T
he MMO game-development Eternal Empire as a third major faction also exploring a different approach to
space is a challenging one. Lots of in the galaxy. You play the Outlander, content rollout. The initial nine chapters PC
competition and a finite potential a veteran of the Great Galactic War of Knights of the Fallen Empire are set » Style
audience mean that creators need to that unfolded in early parts of the to release at the end of October, with MMORPG
constantly think in new ways to engage Old Republic story. “This is really an subsequent installments rolling out at » Publisher
players. The Old Republic is explor- evolution of the Old Republic setting,” regular intervals into 2016, culminating Electronic Arts
ing a novel solution, and it should be Sky says. “Revan’s story was closely in a season conclusion at the end of » Developer
fascinating to see if the structure can intertwined with the Emperor’s, but for the 16th chapter. BioWare
capture attention. BioWare is preparing much of the timeline in Star Wars: The All of The Old Republic’s existing » Release
to launch a story-driven, single-player- Old Republic, the Emperor remained a multiplayer-targeted content remains October 27
focused expansion exclusively for its figure cloaked in mystery. With Knights on offer for all subscribers, but this
paid subscribers. While the studio isn’t of the Fallen Empire, he’s stepping into latest expansion looks like a genuine
explicitly saying so, this expansion the spotlight.” experiment. Are players willing to pay
seems positioned like a Knights of the This dedicated, standalone plotline in for solo-focused storytelling in an
Old Republic sequel. places a bigger focus on companion otherwise multiplayer-focused game?
Existing players can take their level interactions, putting it in line with other With the palpable excitement surround-
60 characters and continue into this successful BioWare titles like Mass ing Star Wars right now, BioWare has
new storyline, but anyone can create Effect and Dragon Age. With new party chosen an opportune moment to give
a brand new hero or heroine. “At members in tow, players head out to it a try. » Matt Miller
character creation, you can choose to fresh corners of the Star Wars galaxy.
start at level 60,” says creative direc- “Knights of the Fallen Empire intro-
tor Jesse Sky. “You’ll customize your duces a new part of the galaxy that’s
character like you normally would, mostly unexplored,” Sky says. “After
select your class, and click play. The escaping from carbonite, we explore
story will start immediately, and the the planet Zakuul, the capital of the
first chapter will get you accustomed Eternal Empire. In the early parts of
to the gameplay. You’ll be provided the story, we spend a lot of time lost
a set of powerful, iconic gear to start or running from agents of the Eternal
your adventure, so you won’t have to Empire. This leads us to a secret haven
worry about it.” in the clouds on the planet Asylum,
The story focuses on the mysteri- and to the dark world of Odessen,
ous Emperor Valkorion, hinted at where we form the beginnings of an
extensively throughout the original alliance against this new threat.”
Old Republic game. After abandon- In addition to an unconventional BioWare has put a big focus on cinematic
presentation this time around
ing the Sith, Valkorion builds the new story structure for an MMO, BioWare is
previews 79
 Guitar Hero Live
An extended play session challenges our preconception
» Platform
I
’m the first to admit to skepticism
PlayStation 4 when I learned of Activision’s plan
8BOX /NE s 7II 5
to revive the Guitar Hero franchise.
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360 Full-motion video? Streaming songs?
I/3 s !NDROID A new guitar-controller layout? None
» Style of that breeds confidence for me.
 TO  0LAYER -USIC This month I finally got my hands on
/NLINE 4"! the new axe to play several hours of
» Publisher songs, and came away with a much
!CTIVISION more positive perspective on Guitar
» Developer Hero Live, even if there are still some
&REESTYLE 'AMES features I’m not sure about.
The guitar-controller is a success,
» Release
/CTOBER  not because it offers a better experi-
ence than the Rock Band form, but NEW HERO POWER OPTIONS ALLOW YOU TO SUCCEED AT
rather a different approach to emulat- SONG SECTIONS THAT ARE NORMALLY STUMBLING BLOCKS
ing real play. Instead of moving up and
down the guitar neck, the two rows has two full video reenactments. The order to make progress. If you enjoy a
of three buttons keep your hand in a first represents a cheering crowd and song in TV mode, and you can spend
single position, but demand lateral affirming bandmates. Miss too many in-game song tokens to play it once
movement across the neck, replicating notes, and a spotlight flashes in your on-demand. Fall in love, and you can
the feel of playing chords on different eyes as you’re treated to a pissed- pay real money to add it to your per-
strings. As an experienced music- off audience and incredulous fellow manent catalog. I’m withholding judg-
Hero Power game player, I adjusted to the new musicians. After playing a few songs, ment on this system until I see how
9OU CAN NOW ADJUST paradigm faster than I expected, and my initial skepticism gave way to wry generous the final game is with song
WHICH ABILITY YOU GAIN enjoyed the new challenge. For begin- amusement. The fervor (or disdain) is tokens, as well as how many included
AFTER ACQUIRING HERO ners, lower difficulties keep the focus so melodramatic and overdone it is songs come in the Live play style.
POWER PREVIOUSLY CALLED on a single row of buttons, so I don’t genuinely fun, whether you’re doing The success of the previous music-
STAR POWER  )N GAME foresee slow adoption of the controls well or falling on your face. game craze was dependent on the
CURRENCY IS USED TO PUR as a problem. The TV mode offers multiple stream- addictive sense of immersion in qual-
CHASE THESE ADDITIONAL The game splits its content into ing channels of music, all running on ity music. I’m pleased that both Guitar
ABILITIES AND AS ALWAYS two separate presentation styles. their own schedule with background Hero Live and Rock Band 4 offer
THEYRE TRIGGERED BY A TILT The “Live” mode contains all the full- music videos or actual song perfor- distinct fantasies in their upcoming
OF THE GUITAR OR A TAP OF motion video content, where 10 ficti- mances as the visual backdrop. I’m releases. As to which has the potential
A DEDICATED BUTTON NEAR tious bands play performances with not a fan of having to hop in on the to hit the top of the charts, it’s too
YOUR STRUMMING HAND you as the lead guitarist. Each song middle of a song I didn’t select in early to say. » Matt Miller
#HANGING YOUR SELECTION
MIGHT HAVE A PROFOUND
EFFECT ON YOUR SCORE

s #LEAR (IGHWAY
! STRETCH OF UPCOMING
NOTES ARE INSTANTLY
REMOVED BUT STILL COUNT
AS HITS
s $OUBLE -ULTIPLIER
4HIS CLASSIC POWER
DOUBLES YOUR MULTIPLIER

s $IAL $OWN 2EDUCES

NOTE FREQUENCY FOR A
STRETCH OF THE SONG

s $IAL 5P )NCREASES NOTE

FREQUENCY FOR A STRETCH
OF THE SONG

s )NVINCIBILITY
4EMPORARILY HITS ALL
NOTES AND DOESNT
REGISTER MISSED NOTES

s 3CORE #HASER 4HE

MAX SCORE MULTIPLIER
IS DOUBLED

s 3AFETY .ET &REEZES

YOUR MULTIPLIER AND
SCORE STREAK AT ITS 'UITAR (ERO ,IVE ALSO FEATURES VOCALS AND YOU CAN
USE EITHER A 53" MIC OR YOUR OWN SMARTPHONE
CURRENT VALUE
80 previews
 Trackmania Turbo
The daredevil racing series is back on track
» Platform
I
n an era where developers crow over with the press of a button. press of a button. It’s an easy way to
the 3D modeling of their puddles and The two-player Double Driver mode try something new when you aren’t PlayStation 4
8BOX /NE s 0#
the accurate stitching details on steer- is a fun twist on traditional multiplayer, feeling up to massaging every loop and
ing wheels, Trackmania is competing reminiscent of Katamari Damacy’s banked turn, or for people who don’t » Style
in a whole different circuit. Nadeo’s weird approach to co-op. In this bother creating in the first place to see 1-Player Racing
(Multiplayer TBA)
arcade racer has always been about mode, two players cooperate to drive what’s possible. I tried a few of these
doing crazy stunts while sneering at a single car. Each person’s controller tracks, and while they didn’t feel quite » Publisher
Ubisoft
gravity, and that’s not changing in its provides half the required input, so as polished as their hand-built counter-
latest incarnation, Trackmania Turbo. the team needs to coordinate turns parts, it’s nice to have access to fresh » Developer
Nadeo
Trackmania is an alluring option for to prevent wiping out or bonking pavement at a moment’s notice.
players yearning for classic arcade- into walls. It’s a silly diversion, but it I’m excited to see what kinds of » Release
style racing action. Catching air is remains to be seen if it has much trac- devilish creations the community November 27
inevitable, as is the risk that you’re tion over the long term. comes up with in Trackmania Turbo,
going to fly completely off of the track. Players can still design their own as well as what’s bound to be an
Fortunately, drivers can reset their car tracks, but there’s also a new tool that endless source of highlight videos.
back onto the course in an instant generates randomized levels with the » Jeff Cork

800.226.7625 | fullsail.edu/gameinformer

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within video games.

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8QLYHUVLW\%RXOHYDUGȏWinter Park, FL Student work by: John Rogeles & George Stoll
previews 81
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 GAME THE
OF
MONTH
83 Metal Gear Solid V:
The Phantom Pain
Stealth games have changed since the
original Metal Gear released in 1987, but the
latest installment in Hideo Kojima’s legend-
ary series represents a new horizon for the
genre. Blending open-world freedom with
tactical operations, players guide Big Boss
through warzones and complete missions
using a wide array of different (and satisfying)
strategies. With fewer cutscenes and story
sequences, you have more time to get lost in
building an army and improving your home
base. The future of this series may be in
doubt, but if this is truly Hideo Kojima’s final
Metal Gear, The Phantom Pain is a fantastic
parting gift.

THE SCORING SYSTEM AWARDS

Outstanding. A truly elite title that is nearly perfect Flawed. It may be obvious that the game has lots of
Awarded to games
10 in every way. This score is given out rarely and
indicates a game that cannot be missed.
5 potential, but its most engaging features could be
undeniably flawed or not integrated into the experience. PLATINUM that score between
9.75 and 10
Superb. Just shy of gaming nirvana, this score is a Bad. While some things work as planned, the majority
9 high recommendation because the game reviewed
is head-and-shoulders above its competition.
4 of this title either malfunctions or it is so dull that the
game falls short as a whole.
Awarded to games
GOLD that score between
9 and 9.5
Very Good. Innovative, but perhaps not the right Painful. If there is anything that’s redeeming in a game
8 choice for everyone. This score indicates that there
are many good things to be had, but arguably so.
3 of this caliber, it’s buried beneath agonizing gameplay
and uneven execution in its features or theme. Awarded to games
Average. The game’s features may work, but are Broken. Basically unplayable. This game is so SILVER that score between
8.5 and 8.75
7 nothing that even casual players haven’t seen
before. A decent game from beginning to end.
2 insufficient in execution that any value would be derived
in extremely small quantities, if at all.
The award for the
Limited Appeal. Although there may be fans of
6 games receiving this score, many will be left 1 Kyle’s Super Mario Maker levels. GAME THE
OF
MONTH most outstanding
game in the issue
yearning for a more rewarding game experience.

82 reviews For more information on the age classification ratings in our reviews, head to gameinformer.com/ratings
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
A legend worth waiting for

GAME THE
OF
MONTH GOLD
Style 1-Player Action (2-Player Online) Publisher Konami
Developer Kojima Productions Release September 1 Rating M
9.25
03 s 8BOX /NE
03 s 8BOX  s 0#
» Concept
Bring Metal Gear’s
signature stealth into
an open world focused
on individual missions
» Graphics
The visuals look great
and run smoothly,
with some occasional
texture pop-in when your
focus changes
» Sound
Kiefer Sutherland does a
good job, but speaks so
rarely that the change
from David Hayter in the
lead role feels more like
a PR stunt than a new
direction for the character
» Playability
Some of the contextual
commands can be finicky,

M
etal Gear is a member of video into a rhythm is easy and fun, and I improving your army. It all folds into but the basic stealth and
gaming’s old guard. It has been had plenty to keep me busy during my Mother Base, the secret star of The combat mechanics are
consistently popular since its 45-hour playthrough. Phantom Pain. It functions as your skill rock solid
inception in the ‘80s, which is a rare The transition to an open world is tree, your arsenal, and a symbol of » Entertainment
distinction it shares with revered names generally smooth, though getting your power. You invest in your prog- Many missions feel like
puzzles, forcing you to use
like Mario and Zelda. Unlike its peers, around isn’t as easy as it could be. ress with the currency you earn from
your available resources to
Metal Gear has been telling a continu- The fast-travel systems are clunky and completing missions, the soldiers you find one of many ways to
ous story the whole time – a major counterintuitive, which makes it hard extract, and the resources you gather – complete your objective.
strength and a strange weakness all at to move easily from one objective to the loop goes on and on. The depth Applying your rewards to
once. Invested fans adore the series for another. The inability to quickly get to of customization and the incentive to building, expanding, and
its narrative just as much as its tactical where you need to be is a weird and keep doing “just one more mission” improving your base is an
irresistible joy
espionage action, but the sprawling unnecessary problem that other open- is amazing, and being able to walk
story makes it intimidating for newcom- world titles solved years ago. around the base and see your progress » Replay Value
High
ers. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Apart from the larger world, The first-hand is remarkably rewarding. I was
Pain is different; it puts the saga of Big Phantom Pain’s solid core mechanics surprised when I realized improving
Boss and his sons in the background, are essentially the same as they were in Mother Base – not the main story arc –
emphasizing dynamic gameplay and a Ground Zeroes. The biggest difference was the primary force propelling me Branching Out
player-directed approach to progression. is the addition of the buddy system, through The Phantom Pain. In addition to your main
The story is still important, but it isn’t which allows you to take an ally with you Hideo Kojima’s original Metal Gear Mother Base, you can
the driving force in this installment. on missions. I was initially worried this was a top-down, screen-by-screen establish additional
As Big Boss, you build an army and would dilute the sense of solo infiltration stealth title. Compared to the massive forward operating
work against a villain named Skull Face I love about Metal Gear, but I enjoyed and ambitious world of The Phantom bases to augment your
(introduced in the MGS V prologue, finding out how each one contributes in Pain, it’s hard to believe both games progression. However,
Ground Zeroes). The premise of build- different situations through benefits like are products of the same creative mind. you need to be online to
ing Big Boss’ legend is interesting, and intel support and extra firepower. A series can’t survive this long without use them, because they
it evolves to include compelling and Unlike the linear design of previ- evolving, and The Phantom Pain is a will be attacked by other
unexpected themes that I won’t spoil. ous entries, The Phantom Pain rarely testament to the importance of taking players. You have the
However, Kojima Productions’ decision assumes you have particular weapons risks. An open world, a customizable option to defend your
to offload key story information into and equipment, so the missions are base, a variable mission structure – base personally. This
optional audio logs means that major brilliantly designed with multiple paths these are not traditional aspects of serves as a multiplayer
developments can occur without nec- to success. It’s not as simple as going Metal Gear, but they are what makes mode with a cool cat-
essary context, only letting you learn all-out stealth or aggression; each oper- The Phantom Pain such an exceptional and-mouse vibe, but
more about them after the fact. ation is a playground that encourages game. The gameplay, storytelling, and it also opens the game
Without frequent interruptions for you to experiment with the tools you protagonists in Metal Gear may shift up to a level of risk and
exposition, you’re free to immerse have available. Fulton balloons, rocket- with each new installment, but Kojima’s interaction I’m not usu-
yourself in the addictive mission-based propelled arms, walkers equipped with ability to surprise and enthrall gamers ally looking for in Metal
structure. The sense of freedom is Gatling guns – the options you have remains unchanged. » Joe Juba Gear. The F.O.B. feature is
great; you choose the activities and to play with all depend on how you a neat idea, but you can
rewards that interest you, like extracting choose to build the legacy of Big Boss. This review pertains to the PlayStation 4 version. The ignore it and still see the
valuable prisoners, stealing resources, Everything you do, from main missions game is also available on Xbox One, PlayStation 3, best The Phantom Pain
sabotaging communications. Getting to free-roaming hijinks, contributes to Xbox 360, and PC has to offer.
reviews 83
 Madden NFL 16
A giant of the gridiron

8.75 03 s 8BOX /NE

SILVER
Style 1 to 4-Player Sports (2-Player Online) Publisher EA Sports
Developer EA TIburon Release August 25 Rating E

03 s 8BOX 

» Concept
Passing-game
improvements notice-
ably better the on-
the-field experience
» Graphics
Probably the only
addition you’ll notice
is the impressive new
on-field presentation
touches. Regardless, it’s
a sweet-looking title
» Sound
The commentators
still have some out-of-
context lines. Jim Nantz
delivers some emotional
swells, but this area
needs a revamp
» Playability
The new passing game
controls take some
getting used to but give

F
you more options for ootball is the perfect mix of brain route – and not always for the better. received an unnecessary facelift, which
making plays and brawn. Split-second smarts are Pressing it late won’t produce the full only serves to hide the NFL news that
» Entertainment needed to read and execute a play effect. Quarterbacks also have distinct gives you a flavor of the season as well
This year delivers the correctly, but superior physical skills high/low pass buttons to go along as potential draft tidbits. Speaking of
kind of football moments determine what ultimately happens. with the left stick aiming, offering even which, during the draft you finally have
we’ve wanted for a long
However, in Madden, despite the myriad more control. The results aren’t always all your scouting info handy while you
time from the franchise.
A clear step forward controls and required stick skills, to me perfect, but they give each pass play a make your pick, but I’m lukewarm on
playing offense used to be mainly about dynamism not previously seen. the new scouting itself. You get letter
» Replay Value calling the right plays and recognizing Using the catch controls on defense grades of a player’s top-three attributes,
Moderately high
defenses. This year, gameplay changes is naturally harder since you’re reacting but you can’t scout specific attributes.
to the passing game in particular require to the action, but the game does a good At least the confidence system is
both a sharp mind and quick fingers. job not making the receiver’s aggressive better balanced so there’s less chance
These and other tweaks combine to catch, for instance, too powerful. The of players bottoming out, and the drive
bring the game to life like never before. natural variance in gameplay outcomes goals addictively feed their confidence
The optional catch buttons give is exciting. I saw just as many deep and growth via XP. The drive goals
you more choices as a receiver, and balls intercepted or punched out by a can be contextually smart during a
using them correctly often means the defender as I saw jump balls favoring game or season. They’re not a road-
difference between a catch and an receivers, for example. map to winning, but rather an alluring
interception, or a mere completion and Apart from the interactions between secondary goal.
a touchdown. Knowing which catch receivers and defenders, you’ll see The rest of the modes are largely
to initiate (aggressive, possession, or plenty of unexpected outcomes. unchanged. The new Draft Champions
run after the catch) is key, but so is Overthrows and more penalties are mode is cool because it’s a relatively
the timing of the button press. Doing welcome mistakes that add to the real- quick experience that exposes you
it early can change the receiver’s ism, and Madden 16 finally delivers to different types of team builds. On
gang tackles with satisfying physics. the downside, it’s hard to become
The A.I. is also better this year. I play endeared to your team since the play-
on All Pro, and although quarterbacks ers you choose from are random and
have the same low stats when sim- you might not even understand your
ming, there is a bigger gap between team’s play style.
good and bad/average passers on the Changing Madden’s modes isn’t the
field; the good ones can even pick you priority this year, but you shouldn’t skip
apart. For the first time ever I actually this year’s game. After years of fitful
had to call more than three defensive progress, Madden 16 finally puts its
plays to keep offenses in check. gameplay pieces together and delivers
Madden 16’s gameplay is a great step a truly dynamic on-the-field experience.
forward for the series, but the progress » Matthew Kato
of the game modes is less definitive.
The franchise mode still needs more This review covers the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
The gang tackles and effects of multiple hits depth and tools to give you true control versions. The game is also available on PlayStation 3
on the ball carrier make a big difference
over your team. The landing screen and Xbox 360
84 reviews
Disney Infinity 3.0
A return to form

SILVER
Style 1 or 2-Player Action (4-Player Online) Publisher Disney Interactive
Developer Avalanche Software Release August 31 Rating E10+
8.5
03 s 8BOX /NE s 7II 5

T
he might of Iron Man and Captain and cartoons. I constructed a fairly Clone Wars-era tale that parallels
America weren’t enough to save detailed Tatooine, complete with Jabba’s Rise’s strengths and weaknesses, but 03 s 8BOX 
Disney Infinity from an embar- Palace, the Sarlaac Pit, and a sprawling it just doesn’t have the charm or humor
rassing showing in the Marvel universe Mos Eisley spaceport using the handful of the classic trilogy content. Ahsoka
» Concept
The Star Wars license
last year. The play sets based on The of available Tatooine-themed buildings and Anakin are great additions to reenergizes this series,
Avengers, Spider-Man, and Guardians and props. My finishing touches were Infinity’s lineup, and are just a few of the offering enjoyable
of the Galaxy were case studies in rep- three Star Destroyers hanging ominously standouts in 3.0’s amazing selection of combat and adventures
etition and what not to do with open in the sky, and a valley filled with as new characters. through the Clone Wars
and classic trilogy
worlds. Disney Infinity 3.0 arrives just many banthas as I could place without The surprising star of Disney Infinity 3.0
a year after that superhero-sized blun- going over the data limit. is Toy Box Takeover, a separately sold » Graphics
The cartoony look
der, and once again expands in size The Toy Box is streamlined for cre- play set that unites the Disney, Star
works well for the
and scope, this time adding the Star atively challenged people like myself to Wars, and Marvel universes in a crazy Star Wars property
Wars universe to a growing roster of generate a wealth of content quickly, adventure in which the strangest
characters from the Disney, Pixar, and including new pathing options that conflicts can arise – such as Minnie
» Sound
Some of the voice actors
Marvel properties. keep NPCs moving where you want Mouse throwing explosive purses do not line up with the
The opening moments of Disney them to. I don’t have the requisite at stormtroopers. This set is nicely characters they are trying
Infinity 3.0’s gameplay are filled with skills to properly analyze the advanced paced and loaded with exciting combat to portray. The selection
excitement and polish, teasing players building options, but I did learn a lot challenges. It also puts one of Disney of John Williams music
is impressive
with brief gameplay snippets stripped of things exploring other people’s Infinity 3.0’s coolest enhancements,
from Inside Out, Star Wars: The Empire Toy Boxes using the new theater and sidekicks, into the spotlight. As you » Playability
Combat is vastly improved,
Strikes Back, and a race between matchmaking options. play, these computer-controlled helpers
and the Star Wars play
Mickey Mouse and a hilariously out- Many of the best Star Wars Toy Box fight at your side, and level up as they sets offer plenty of variety
of-control Donald Duck. This tour of pieces are not included in the basic go. You even get to hunt down a nice
Disney Infinity 3.0’s new experiences version of the game, and are instead selection of loot for them. I’d love to see
» Entertainment
The Toy Box has always
gives way to a rejuvenated and won- unlocked in the Rise Against the Empire more sets like this released in the future. been fun, but it’s once
derfully upbeat game that brings back play set (available now in the Saga Disney Infinity 3.0 is a return to form again safe to venture back
the creative spark that made the series’ Edition of the game, and sold individu- for this series and developer Avalanche into the play sets
inaugural release such a wonder. ally starting September 29). This set is Software. With the assistance of Sumo » Replay Value
The Toy Box is once again the main good fun, excelling in lightsaber combat Digital and Ninja Theory, the racing and High
attraction, offering a wide selection of and offering plenty of challenges and combat are vastly improved. A strong
fun new props and mechanics. You use enemy types. Fetch quests are used a emphasis is placed on variety; hopefully
them in worlds designed for adventur- little too often, and some locations (like signaling an end to seemingly endless
ing, platforming, racing, combat, and the Death Star’s interior) are uneventful waves of frost giants. With Star Wars,
whatever else your imagination allows, pit stops in place to wrap up the story Marvel, Disney, and Pixar already inte-
such as a Rube Goldberg-like environ- as quickly as possible. The play set grated into the Infinity experience, one
ment designed solely to fling Jar Jar offers about two to three hours of has to wonder where Avalanche goes
Binks into deep space. The Star Wars gameplay, and is nowhere near as from here. No matter what, this series
selection in the Toy Box is a little light – fleshed out of a retelling as we’ve seen is once again in tip-top shape, and is a
especially given the wealth of toys in the in the Lego games. place where adults and kids alike should
real world – but includes the hallmark Twilight of the Republic is the play set be able to indulge in a wealth of fun.
vehicles and monsters from the films you get right out of the box. It’s a new » Andrew Reiner

reviews 85
 King’s Quest Chapter I:
A Knight To Remember
It’s good to be the king

8 Style 1-Player Adventure Publisher Sierra Entertainment Developer The Odd Gentlemen Release July 29 Rating E10+

I
03 s 8BOX /NE n recent years, a wellspring of King’s Quest appears to be disappoint- biggest asset and most frequent hang
03 s 8BOX  s 0# modern adventure games have ingly linear, with Graham crawling up. Without any type of map, you can
bubbled up attempting to recapture through a straightforward dragon’s lair, easily lose track of where the winding
» Concept the magic of yesteryear’s point-and- throwing switches to reveal obvious paths lead, even if you’ve traveled
Return to old-school
adventure game form click titles. Modernizing a genre built paths through the monster’s sprawling them several times. Adventure-game
with a feather-capped upon abstract puzzle logic, trial and cave network. purists might appreciate it, but even as
legend in the genre, error, and frequent backtracking is Thankfully, the world opens up in a someone who grew up playing many
while shaving off the a tall order, but The Odd Gentlemen delightfully nostalgic way, embrac- LucasArts and King’s Quest games I
most annoying bits has found a solid balance in its return ing the design tenets of the genre’s found it tedious. Another snag lies in the
» Graphics to the classic Sierra fantasy series. roots. A large portion of Daventry is unskippable cutscenes and dialogue,
The rough, basic Save for a couple nuisances, this first open to explore, like the town square’s which become even more annoying
character models and
environments are
chapter is a heartfelt and entertaining shops, a dubiously advertised floating when you’re trying to investigate an
saved by a charming return for King Graham. island, and spooky woods crawling object and accidentally activate a scene
art direction and Part of King’s Quest’s charm lies in with wolves. Players are left to ponder you’ve seen too many times.
incredible animations the narrative framework of an elderly solutions for various conundrums. Visually, King’s Quest is comparable
» Sound King Graham recounting the stories How could dipping all my objects into to other modern episodic adventure
Most of the voice actors of his youth to his granddaughter, purple dye help me? Should I pilfer games. The heavily stylized charac-
perform wonderfully, Gwendolyn. Her effervescent atti- a big shield, wooden tabletop, or a ter design reminds me of Telltale’s
with a few odd tude meshes well with the tired-yet- huge circular loaf of bread to use as suite of games. However, The Odd
exceptions. The music
and puzzle sound
playful Graham (voiced by Back to the a wagon wheel? King’s Quest nails Gentlemen’s wonderful animation
design is on point Future’s Christopher Lloyd), giving off that delightful adventure-game sweet brings these characters to life. Little
a fun, unmistakable The Princess Bride spot for me, where a sudden eureka touches like young Graham’s flowing
» Playability
Controlling Graham vibe. Speaking of The Princess Bride, moment triggers a domino effect of scarf and flailing arms as he flees add
directly feels great. much of the voice acting is spot-on, puzzle solutions. a lot of personality. I noticed a couple
Frequently getting lost like the diminutive yet cunning knight- Like the Sierra games of old, Graham woodland critters scampering along
while backtracking in-training Manny, voiced by the can venture into certain death. I with jarringly minimal animations, but
and the occasional
aforementioned film’s Wallace Shawn watched the prospective knight get these flaws are infrequent.
repetitive puzzle design
are issues, though (“inconceivable!”). Lloyd’s perfor- crushed by a dragon and turned into So far, King’s Quest is remarkable
mance as old Graham mostly works, squirrel food. Thankfully, Gwendolyn in its ability to call back to the clas-
» Entertainment though the 76-year-old actor occa- calls out her obviously alive grandfa- sic design of ‘90s point-and-click
One of the best
examples of an aging sionally sounds like he’s either phoning ther on the mistelling, allowing play- adventures without succumbing to
formula done right by it in or too tired. Regardless, I found ers to select a safer path. This clever as many pitfalls. The combination of
modern standards. The Graham’s storytelling with Gwendolyn mechanic, along with generous auto- wacky character interactions, goofy
engaging characters, sweet and refreshing. saving, prevents players from becom- logic puzzles, and heartfelt story beats
challenging puzzles,
This first chapter features Graham’s ing too frustrated or falling into the has me eager to see what’s in store
and entertaining story
arcs make it easy bumbling attempts to fulfill his lifelong infamous fail states of the old games. in Chapter II. The team at The Odd
to recommend goal of becoming a knight. Players Being free from severe punishment Gentlemen has created one of the
» Replay Value directly control Graham using an takes the edge off in a nice way, but most endearing, true-to-form adven-
Moderately high analog stick, which feels perfectly natu- King’s Quest occasionally frustrates. ture games I’ve played in recent years.
ral. During some brief early sections, The open design of Daventry is the » Tim Turi

86 reviews
Volume
Sneaking past the competition

SILVER Style 1-Player Action Publisher Mike Bithell Games Developer Mike Bithell Games Release August 18 Rating T
8.75
03 s 0#
» Concept
A straightforward
stealth experience that
challenges you to sneak
past guards without
fighting them
» Graphics
The no-frills presentation
feels appropriate for a
virtual-reality simulation
» Sound
An outstanding
soundtrack perfectly
complements the action,
and the voice acting is
top-notch
» Playability
Volume is an accessible
throwback, with easy-
to-learn controls and a
fun difficulty curve
» Entertainment
A satisfying and exciting

W
hile many stealth games today without too much frustration. Each time players to a definite end-point in terms
experience from start
incorporate combat, the genre a guard spotted me, I knew exactly of gameplay and narrative. to finish
of yesteryear offered play- what I did wrong and how to avoid it The story pits you against Guy
ers no recourse if they were spotted. on my next attempt. In one scenario, Gisborne, a menacing head of a cor-
» Replay Value
Moderately high
Volume recaptures that tense feeling a group of guards patrolled an area poration who has amassed too much
of scouting a situation, timing your that seemed impassible. After several power for his own good and is holding
approach, and relying purely on stealth failures, I realized that I needed to let down the less fortunate members of
to complete your objective in a way that myself get spotted, and then quickly society. Andy Serkis delivers a brilliant
reminds us why this purer incarnation hide – a maneuver that disrupted the performance as Gisborne, lending to
of the genre has such a passionate patrol and left holes in the sightlines for the credibility of the threat. On several
cult following. me to pass through. While this situa- occasions, I was so involved with the
Each level requires you to collect all tion was challenging, the satisfaction story that I was in a hurry to get through
gems on the map to unlock the exit. of completing it overrode any creeping the level to see what would happen
This simple task is made more complex feeling of frustration. Plus, a lenient next. Without spoiling anything, one
by the strategic placements of guards checkpoint system minimizes the sequence in particular delivers a major
on the pathways. Walk into the sightline consequences of failure. twist that had me questioning all I had
of a guard, and he is on his way to Though you can whistle to lure been told by the characters to that
your location. Fail to break away, and guards, you don’t have any viable point and challenged my notion of
the guard will take you out. Each time combat options, leaving stealth as player agency. Level
I accidentally alerted a guard, my heart the only option. To assist you, various While the dialogue is well-written Creation Tools
raced as I scrambled to outsmart the gadgets are scattered throughout the and the overall arc is compelling, the In addition to the story
A.I. and vanish behind a wall. levels. Most are centered on supple- conversation boxes take up a large mode, Volume includes
The action takes place in a sparse menting the stealth abilities already at portion of the screen, disrupting the ability to create and
simulation-style environment, but your disposal, but some have unique gameplay. With no way to turn them share scenarios. From
the diversity of enemies and varying applications. Noisemakers like the off, I often had to wait until the dialogue intricate maps involving
scenario designs ensure players stay bugle draw guards to specific loca- would finish before approaching the gadgets, guards, and
on their toes. While the early stages tions, while disguise gadgets like mas- scenario unobstructed. varying level elements,
rely on basic pawns with narrow sight- querade let you hide in plain sight. The As I finished the final level, a strange to a stage that emulates
lines, Volume gradually introduces gadget I loved using the most was the combination of feelings washed over a level of Pac-Man, I was
quick-firing turrets, dogs that alert the blackjack, which you throw at enemies me – a sense of accomplishment that able to create nearly
guards, archers with long sightlines, to stun them. I had overcome all of the challenges every scenario I could
rogues with 360-degree views, and While I always had fun using the pro- Mike Bithell Games had laid before me, map out in my head us-
sword-wielding knights. Each new vided gadgets, the levels that enter- but also a sense of disappointment ing the intuitive controls.
guard type brings with it new strate- tained me the most provided multiple that the main story was over. Volume’s The game requires you
gies, as knights have a broad field of gadgets and let me tailor my approach levels are designed with the same care be able to beat the level
vision and fast closing speed, while based on my loadout. Unfortunately, that players must use when playing, before uploading, so
turrets take you out quickly after they these scenarios weren’t as common and I enjoyed the experience from start some level of quality
spot you, leaving little room for error. as I would have liked, as placement to finish. With true stealth games a rare control exists at the base
Mike Bithell Games strikes a strong of the gadgets is usually linear in the breed today, Volume stands as a decla- level in addition to a
balance with its scenario designs, as the story. This is consistent with the rest of ration that the formula can still work. community rating system
campaign missions provide challenge the core game, as the campaign leads » Brian Shea and a “Staff Picks” tab.
reviews 87
 Until Dawn
A new dawn for interactive storytelling

9 GOLD
Style 1-Player Adventure Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer Supermassive Games Release August 25 Rating M

A
PS4 nnounced in 2012 as a Move-
Until Dawn is riddled with
based PS3 game, Until Dawn jump scares. Some are expertly
» Concept has undergone a number of paced; others are of the cheap
Create an interactive haunted-house variety
teen-horror adventure delays and design changes during its
where even your prolonged development. Normally, such
smallest choices can production woes are a bad omen for the
snowball into story- fate of a game, but Until Dawn doesn’t
altering (and sometimes
just limp to release like a bloodied
fatal) consequences
survivor; it emerges as an excellently
» Graphics penned teen-horror tale that sets a new
The environments
and character models standard for the adventure genre.
impress, though some Like Telltale’s myriad series, Until
facial expressions Dawn is more story than game. You
and animations can control a rotating cast of eight endan-
be awkward gered teens trying to survive an ill-fated
» Sound night at a secluded mountain lodge. Numerous feedback techniques high- game based on how you play them and
The superb dynamic No puzzles or inventory management light the importance of your decisions offer up chances for redemption (or
orchestral score and
are in this adventure – gameplay is (including a Butterfly Effect menu that revenge). Certain character traits are
voice acting sell the
experience and ratchet composed entirely of exploring eerie tracks various choices and their conse- more baked-in than others (Mike will
up the tension locales, timing your way through action quences), but none are more effective always be a bit of a jerk no matter how
sequences, and making an endless than the brutal death of a character. noble you play him) and a few dialogue
» Playability
The Heavy Rain-style series of choices that shape the story. It’s not just smoke and mirrors; while exchanges feel disjointed, but overall
interactions are simple However, thanks to top-notch produc- certain characters prove more resilient the story flows remarkably well.
yet effective, serving up tion values, Supermassive has pol- than others, every member of the main Until Dawn’s mysteries lead you
more engaging action ished the formula to a triple-A sheen. cast is capable of living or dying based through three-fourths of the adventure –
sequences than other
Outstanding visuals, commendable on how you play, and you can’t go back the home stretch is all about trying to
adventure games
performances from a cast of profes- and fix mistakes – the story continu- keep your remaining characters alive.
» Entertainment sional actors, and a mood-setting ally auto-saves, relentlessly pushing Thankfully, Supermassive implements
Supermassive weaves an
intriguing and exciting dynamic score all bring the characters towards its climatic finale without the smart quick-time events to create nerve-
mystery with all the right and environments to life. chance for checkpoints or retries. Who racking action sequences. I normally
teen-horror trappings But Supermassive’s improvements lives to see it depends entirely on you. loathe QTEs, but Supermassive eschews
» Replay Value aren’t just superficial. Until Dawn rede- Supermassive also excels at crafting pointless button mashing. Instead,
Moderately high fines the importance of player choice a compelling story. Until Dawn lovingly timed presses, precision aiming, and
in story-driven adventure games. Gone serves up a multitude of successful on-the-spot decision-making all keep
are the closed-loop decisions showing horror-film locales and motifs, while you engaged, while “Don’t Move”
you the immediate repercussions of your still adding a few fun and novel twists prompts task you with holding the con-
choice before funneling you back onto to its three-pronged mystery of who is troller as still as possible to hide from
the main path. Instead, your decisions tormenting our stranded gang and the stalking predators. Like the branch-
continue to reverberate, impacting later surrounding area of Blackwood Pines. ing choices, these sequences work
events in complex and unforeseen ways; The cast of dumb teens is also rooted because your fear of death is genuine;
alienate a friend during a conversation, in horror clichés (expect groan-worthy watching a character that you’ve
for instance, and they may not be there sexual innuendos and catty arguments), played as for hours die because you
to save you hours down the road. but the characters evolve during the flubbed an escape sequence is brutal.
The beginning of Until Dawn boasts
that the decisions you make during the
game will craft a unique and personal
story. By the time the credits rolled,
I was a believer. Sure, every player
follows the same narrative skeleton,
and a few of the more “expendable”
characters aren’t instrumental to the
ending (I’d also kill for a way to fast-
forward scenes on subsequent play-
throughs). However, the script kept
me entertained and feeling like my
decisions mattered throughout my
10-hour playthrough. Thanks to some
good twists, a few fake-outs, and limit-
less jump scares, Until Dawn would
make a solid horror film. As a piece
Meaningful collectibles help you solve Until Dawn’s of interactive fiction, however, it’s a
underlying mystery – and compel you to make the remarkable experience that horror fans
same risky decisions dumb teens do in horror films
shouldn’t miss. » Jeff Marchiafava
88 reviews
Galak-Z: The Dimensional
Sparks of brilliance amidst chaos

Style 1-Player Shooter Publisher 17-Bit Developer 17-Bit Release August 4 Rating E10+
8
M
y hands are cramped claws. close-quarters duals as I did in long- power-ups are completely random, PS4
For the past several hours, I’ve range sniping exchanges. so if you get a bad run and collect a
been sneaking through aster- After earning my space legs, I really lot of weak upgrades, you are quickly
» Concept
A shooter/roguelike
oid tunnels and the guts of derelict began to appreciate the depth of outclassed as the season progresses. mash-up that is brutally
dreadnaughts, shooting down imperial Galak-Z’s combat. I loved boosting up This is particularly frustrating since you challenging and
patrols in dogfights so intense that I’ve behind enemies, cutting my engines so can’t avoid certain fights, and without completely engrossing
unwittingly gripped my controller tight that they couldn’t hear my approach, the proper equipment, one misstep or thanks to tight controls
and rich combat
enough to turn my fingertips white. and then sending my entire arsenal up twitch of the wrong finger can lead to
Galak-Z can be a painful experience their tailpipes. And I never tired of using game over in the later levels. » Graphics
at times, but the white-hot action is my mech to grapple an enemy and This lack of structure is further exac- Cartoon smoke effects
and animated character
worth the discomfort. deliver a series of heavy sword strikes erbated by the fact that there isn’t a portraits wonderfully
With Galak-Z, developer 17-Bit against their hulls before sending them wide variety of mission types, power- emulate Japanese
has created a charming homage to careening into another foe or some ups, or environments. In true roguelike cartoons from the ‘80s
classic Japanese animated shows other deadly environmental hazard. fashion, you have to start over at the » Sound
like Robotech. Every element of the The environment is more than just a beginning of a season each time you The electronic, synth-
game – from its plucky characters static backdrop. Given the situation, it die (without your power-ups), which heavy soundtrack is
to its opening credits – is a tribute to can be your deadliest enemy or your means you see the same random the perfect thing to
listen to while blasting
the developer’s love of ‘80s pop cul- greatest weapon. Alien spores clog elements get recycled over and over
space pirates
ture. There are even moments during up your ship’s engines, and bubbles again. The only carry-over between
combat that look like they were pulled of lava can be as fatal as a bomb. seasons are the blueprints you col- » Playability
Ship controls are fairly
straight off an old VHS tape. Empty space stations are full of giant lect for ship upgrades, which unlock complicated, but master-
The action looks simple, but the propane canisters that, when hit with new items in the shop. It’s like eating ing them is fun. They
visuals hide Galak-Z’s greater depth. a stray bullet, turn into deadly missiles a different item off Taco Bell’s menu allow you to perform
Fusing Asteroids-like shooter game- that zigzag all over. Thankfully, these every day; you quickly notice that a wide array of insane
play with roguelike elements, Galak-Z hazards can also be used against your all the same elements are still here, evasive maneuvers
sends you on a journey to upgrade enemies, and they can turn the tide of they’ve just been rearranged. Even the » Entertainment
your ship while completing a series of battle when you need it most. I felt like seasons don’t feel much different from Galak-Z is the perfect
game to play in short
randomly generated missions. You get a maverick every time I lured a group each other, so by the time you reach
bursts. Its random nature
used to the fundamentals of Galak-Z’s of unsuspecting foes into a minefield Season 4, a larger sense of monotony means the balancing
floaty zero-g combat fairly quickly, but of environmental traps. begins to set in. feels off, but the tight
mastering more complex maneuvers – The minute-to-minute gameplay is In spite of these frustrations, Galak-Z combat will keep you
like juking past enemy fire to circle their a blast, but the larger structure suf- has the heart of a truly compelling coming back
ships and lay down your own spread of fers due to its random nature. Galak-Z shooter. I wish 17-Bit had taken its » Replay Value
missiles – can take hours. In addition to is split into four seasons (with a free elements and laid them out in a game Moderately high
tearing through space in an agile space downloadable fifth season on the with a more natural progression, or
jet, you transform it into a giant light- way), and each season contains five added a greater level of variety to
saber-wielding mech that does incred- randomly generated missions. As Galak-Z’s extensive randomness.
ible close-quarters damage. Both you complete these missions, you However, even when the game feels
modes offer something fresh to the slowly acquire new power-ups and unfair, I couldn’t resist returning to
experience, and I spent equal amounts ship upgrades that help you overcome these pinpoint-accurate flight controls
of time trading paint with enemies in the final boss of each season. The and tense dogfights. » Ben Reeves
reviews 89
 Gears Of War: Ultimate Edition
Restored beauty

8 Style 1 or 2-Player Shooter (8-Player Online) Publisher Microsoft Studios Developer The Coalition Release August 25 Rating M

U
8BOX /NE s 0# pon its initial release in 2006, keeps the action fresh and exciting. The active-reload system remains
few games could match the The drama and devastation of the the best way anyone in gaming has
» Concept pure visual grandeur of Gears Gears universe has always felt odd figured out to make refilling your gun
Return to the original
bloody adventure in a of War, and the cover-based shooting when juxtaposed with the bro-dude an engaging diversion. Level layout
visually overhauled mechanics were similarly novel. Cut to attitudes of its lead characters, and that and enemy placement is strong, but
take on the sci-fi cover- 2015, and the remake may not have disparity was never so true as in this both ally and enemy A.I. is abysmal,
based shooter the graphical chops to compete with first installment. Cries of “s’up bitches!” often making the worst of all possible
» Graphics the very best in the business, but The and “hell yeah” accompany the action, choices when navigating the battle-
A beautiful moderniza- Coalition’s loving recraft is certainly and your patience for the soldiers’ field. The ally dilemma is resolved at
tion that does more than pretty enough to feel at home on banter will determine a lot about how least in part by playing the game in
just retouch existing
assets, and instead Xbox One. A head-to-toe visual and much you can enjoy the story. For my its best incarnation – as a two-player
presents a game that audio overhaul is as comprehensive part, a few conversations are so incon- cooperative enterprise. Both online and
doesn’t look out of place as anyone could hope for. Gameplay gruous that they made me laugh along split-screen options play smoothly, and
on new-gen platforms sees a more minor adjustment, but with the repartee, while simultaneously combat seems optimized for this style
» Sound franchise fans on console should also reminding me that game storytelling has of play, especially with the new option
An excellent score is be attracted to the presence of PC and come a long way in the last decade. for different difficulty settings during
accompanied by strong DLC content that never before made its A stellar musical score accompanies split-screen play. Other little changes,
voice acting (albeit
way to Xbox. your battles, now remastered into Dolby like ally revives while in cover, and
poorly written dialog),
now in 7.1 Surround The campaign adventures of a ragtag 7.1 Surround. Meanwhile, every inch of weapon toggles during the roadie run,
squad of soldiers remains entertain- textured characters, environments, and are most welcome.
» Playability ing and excellently paced, particularly cinematics has seen a visual overhaul, Multiplayer is chock full of maps and
Smart and useable
controller options, but with the addition of the previously as well a resolution update into 1080p. offers lots of great mode options, but
expect to take some PC-exclusive sequences near the The result further sells the original’s your enjoyment will be tempered by
time getting used to the end of the game, which include a heady art design, which explores a how much you liked the original. The
snap-to cover mechanics throwdown against one of the massive cultured and architecturally sophisti- constant high-speed rolling and snap-to
» Entertainment Brumak monstrosities. Each act of the cated society brought to ruin through cover movements of enemy players is
A fun and visually narrative offers some fun variations and decades of war and violence. Excellent likely to feel like an exploit to newcom-
impressive trip down
tonal shifts. Intense, non-stop fights lighting, weapon, and explosion ers, even while veterans recognize it as
memory lane, even
if some of the shooting give way to slower moments, like the effects accentuate the wartorn tone of valid strategy; any way you cut it, the
mechanics feel dated navigation from light to light through the world, and transform Sera into a sudden shifts in speed and direction
streets where darkness leads to instant believable sci-fi setting. by your targets feels outdated by more
» Replay Value
Moderate death. Moments of horror at an old The cover-based shooting is solid, recent PvP games. Shotguns dominate
mining facility transition to a tense and offering tense and bloody exchanges the field, suggesting either that further
claustrophobic mine-cart shooting punctuated by gory chainsaw kills weapon balancing should have been
sequence. The constant change-up and clever encircling maneuvers. attempted, or perhaps simply that the
Gears multiplayer community is set in its
ways. Game modes offer a more strate-
gic vibe than many online shooters, with
well-designed maps that offer plenty of
flanking opportunities, and level layouts
that encourage cooperation and tacti-
cal control of the environment. With 19
maps that include all the previous DLC
and PC exclusives, and 17 unlockable
character skins from Gears of War 3, no
one can fault the multiplayer for lack of
replay and discovery potential.
The Coalition has done this remake
right, with attention to detail and an
eye toward fan desires. Gameplay feels
dated in both campaign and versus,
but in many ways that’s a testament to
the excellence of the original and that
it’s held up as well as it has. New and
old players alike should feel no hesita-
tion about seeing this as the definitive
way to play the opening story of the
Gears epic. The new edition doesn’t
remake the cog, but it certainly makes
it shiny again. » Matt Miller

One of the newly added sequences from the PC This review pertains to the Xbox One version. The
version is a fight against the monstrous Brumak
game is also available on PC

90 reviews
Super Mario Maker
Build the Mushroom Kingdom of your dreams

GOLD Style 1-Player Action Publisher Nintendo Developer Nintendo Release September 11 Rating E
9
Wii U
» Concept
Give players the tools to
create their own classic
Mario levels and easily
play and appreciate the
work of others
» Graphics
Classic Mario has
never looked better.
Even the 8-bit mode
looks incredibly sharp
in high definition
» Sound
Familiar Mario themes
permeate the entire
experience, but many
new tracks and remixes
stand out admirably
among the classics
» Playability
The platforming is
flawless, and the
GamePad’s creation
tools are intuitive and
easy to use
» Entertainment
S
ince Mario first won the hearts of and power-ups. All the pieces and tem- Completing these batches in under
gamers across the world in the plates translate within each era, though, 100 lives rewards new 8-bit characters A literally endless supply
early ‘80s, fans have been sketch- which offers an interesting opportunity which can be used in your created of Mario levels is at your
fingertips, as long as you
ing up their own ideas for Mario levels to see how familiar mechanics and levels. I enjoyed finding new levels this don’t mind if they aren’t
on paper and imagining what sort of art assets have gone through subtle way, especially with friends nearby to up to Nintendo’s standard
worlds they could create for the iconic changes through Mario’s 30 years. appreciate the more absurd creations. of quality. Getting creative
plumber to explore. For this reason, Mechanics that can sometimes be Super Mario Maker is simple without with the tools is fun, and
Mario Maker seems like a tool that surprisingly complicated in other cre- being shallow and dense without being so is seeing what others
have devised
should have existed years ago – but it ation games make more sense here. overwhelming. Its capabilities are lim-
has been worth the wait. The GamePad makes everything simple ited compared to other creation games » Replay Value
After so many years starring in games, and intuitive – you just point and place High
(you can only make platformer levels)
Mario’s core mechanics are still fun. objects where you want them to go. but I never felt like I hit a wall in terms
Running, leaping, and jumping on The start and end points are already in of creativity, and was consistently
enemy heads feels identical to the way place for you, enemy A.I. is taken care surprised by the work of others. Super
it has in the past, but now you are able of, and a single button press ensures Mario Maker will only grow from this
to claim a certain amount of authorship your jump gaps are acceptable lengths. point forward, but it already feels like
over it. If you aren’t interested in creating I found myself giggling and enjoying the complete, 2D Mario creation tool
levels, you have more than 60 Nintendo- my creations almost immediately, and we’ve been dreaming up since the first
created stages to play through. They’re never felt overwhelmed by my options. time we bounced off a koopa’s shell.
short, so it’s not enough to merit a stand- The tools and templates of Super » Kyle Hilliard
alone Mario game, but they’re entertain- Mario Maker are not all immediately
ing and do a good job of showing off available. New additions are added on
what the game can do. a daily basis during the course of your
Despite not being anything close first week with the game. At first, this
to a game designer, I have spent restriction helped my levels improve;
plenty of time with game-creation rather than throw every tool into my
tools. I’ve created levels in games like level, I accepted the constraints and
LittleBigPlanet and worlds in Project worked within the limitations to make
Spark, but the process always feels my levels better. After a few days, I
time-consuming and complicated. started changing the Wii U’s internal
In terms of ease of use and the time clock because I wanted to see every-
required to create something you are thing and expand my options, and I’m
proud of, Super Mario Maker is the sure others will be compelled to per-
fastest and most rewarding. form this “hack” as well.
It’s easy to switch between the differ- Discovering new user-created levels is
ent eras of 2D Mario (Bros., Bros. 3, easy, since the best creators and levels
World, and New) while creating, but are ranked into a list. You can also play
there is no cross-pollination among a collection of random levels at varying
them, since each uses different physics difficulties in groups of 8 or 16 at a time.
reviews 91
 7 | Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture
Platform PS4 Release August 11 Rating M

The Chinese Room has crafted another unique

experiment that proudly stands out from the
gaming norm, now with the improved graphical
horsepower of the PS4. Despite the prettier locales
and solid attempt to break out of the linear mold,
Rapture simply doesn’t feel rewarding when
straying from the glowing golden path. – Tim Turi

5.5 | Danganronpa Another

6.5 | Life Is Strange: Episode 4 – Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
The Dark Room Platform Vita Release September 1 Rating M

Platform PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release July 28 Rating M Ultra Despair Girls would be easier to
bear if it were just an incidental side
Episode 4 isn’t for the faint of heart - it’s for story that fans could ignore. Unfortu-
those who have hope that this crazy ride has nately, it’s important to understanding
some satisfying solution that isn’t as messed up the world of Danganronpa, but the
as it seems. – Kimberley Wallace gameplay and dialogue make you suffer
every step of the way. – Joe Juba

7 | Tembo
The Badass Elephant 7 | Guild Of Dungeoneering
Platform PS4, Xbox One, PC Release July 21 Platform PC Release July 14 Rating NR
Rating E10+
Guild of Dungeoneering is a neat
Tembo the Badass Elephant little romp, but the novelty wears
isn’t quite as badass as its off quickly as you fall into the
title may enthuse. It ticks off progression loop. If you’re looking for
most of the classic platforming a bite-sized dungeon crawl, Guild of
tropes – conveyor belts, Dungeoneering delivers – but don’t
disappearing platforms, and expect a lofty foray into the realms
crushing pistons appear in of exploration, customization, or
bulk – but doesn’t seem to add strategy. – Daniel Tack
much of its own. – Jeff Cork
8 | N++
Platform PS4 Release July 28 Rating E

The most striking thing 8.25 | The Talos Principle:

about N++ is how little
has changed, even while
8.75 | Rare Replay Road To Gehenna
so much content has Platform Xbox One Release August 4
Platform PC Release July 23 Rating E
Rating E-M
been added. There is
little flash or grandeur to I have little reason not to Road to Gehenna offers fewer puzzles
Metanet’s definitive and recommend Rare Replay, overall, but they feel meatier than
supposedly final N game, even to those who don’t those in the base game. While a few
but for devoted and patient have nostalgia for the studio. were vexing, the clever solutions
players, there’s tremendous The breadth of content is always washed away my frustrations.
value here, along with a impressive, and each game The Road to Gehenna is not a game
gameplay formula that has has been faithfully ported and for newcomers, but this compelling
been refined into its current upgraded in ways that don’t set of tests is bound to please those
form over more than a interfere with the original who delighted in the original The
decade. – Matt Miller experience. – Kyle Hilliard Talos Principle. – Ben Reeves

92 the score Visit gameinformer.com/mag for the full reviews

PLAYSTATION 4 Tales from the Borderlands: Game of Thrones Episode 4:
Assassin’s Creed Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged 6 Jun-15 Sons of Winter 8 Aug-15
Chronicles: China 7.25 Jun-15 Tower of Guns 7.75 Jun-15 Hearthstone:
Batman: Arkham Knight 9.5 Aug-15 Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The 9.75 Jul-15 Blackrock Mountain 9 Jul-15
Devil May Cry 4: Wolfenstein: The Old Blood 7.5 Jul-15 Her Story 8.5 Sep-15
Special Edition 8.5 Aug-15 Heroes of the Storm 9.25 Aug-15
Game of Thrones Episode 3: PLAYSTATION 3 Invisible, Inc. 8 Jul-15
The Sword in the Darkness 8.25 Jun-15 Game of Thrones Episode 3: Kerbal Space Program 8.5 Jul-15
Game of Thrones Episode 4: The Sword in the Darkness 8.25 Jun-15 Lego Jurassic World 6 Aug-15
Sons of Winter 8 Aug-15 Game of Thrones Episode 4: Magic Duels 8.75 Sep-15
God of War III Remastered 9 Sep-15 Sons of Winter 8 Aug-15 Magicka 2 7.25 Aug-15
Golf Club, The 8 Oct-14 Lego Jurassic World 6 Aug-15 Massive Chalice 8 Aug-15
Lego Jurassic World 6 Aug-15 Tales from the Borderlands: Mortal Kombat X 9.25 Jun-15
MLB 15: The Show 8 Jun-15 Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged 6 Jun-15 Path of Exile:
Mortal Kombat X 9.25 Jun-15 The Awakening 8.5 Sep-15
Planetside 2 7.75 Sep-15 XBOX 360 Pillars of Eternity 9.25 Jun-15
Project Cars 8.5 Jul-15 Game of Thrones Episode 3: Project Cars 8.5 Jul-15
Rocket League 9 Sep-15 The Sword in the Darkness 8.25 Jun-15 Ronin 7.75 Aug-15
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour 7 Sep-15 Game of Thrones Episode 4: Sunset 5.75 Aug-15
Tales from the Borderlands: Sons of Winter 8 Aug-15 Tales from the Borderlands:
Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged 6 Jun-15 Lego Jurassic World 6 Aug-15 Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged 6 Jun-15
Titan Souls 8.5 Jun-15 Tales from the Borderlands: Titan Souls 8.5 Jun-15
Tower of Guns 7.75 Jun-15 Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged 6 Jun-15 Tower of Guns 7.75 Jun-15
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The 9.75 Jul-15 Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The 9.75 Jul-15
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood 7.5 Jul-15 Wii U Wolfenstein: The Old Blood 7.5 Jul-15
Affordable Space Adventures 8 Jun-15 You Must Build A Boat 9 Aug-15
XBOX ONE Splatoon 7.75 Aug-15
Assassin’s Creed 3DS
Chronicles: China 7.25 Jun-15 PC Boxboy 8.25 Jun-15
Batman: Arkham Knight 9.5 Aug-15 Assassin’s Creed Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold:
Devil May Cry 4: Chronicles: China 7.25 Jun-15 The Fafnir Knight 8 Sep-15
Special Edition 8.5 Aug-15 Batman: Arkham Knight 9.5 Aug-15 Mario vs. Donkey Kong:
Game of Thrones Episode 3: Broken Age: Act II 9.25 Jun-15 Tipping Stars 8 May-15
The Sword in the Darkness 8.25 Jun-15 Chroma Squad 7 Jul-15 Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons
Game of Thrones Episode 4: Convoy 7 Jun-15 Super Mario Bros. Edition 9 Jul-15
Sons of Winter 8 Aug-15 Crypt of the Necrodancer 8 Jun-15 Shin Megami Tensei:
Lego Jurassic World 6 Aug-15 Devil May Cry 4: Devil Survivor 2
Magic Duels 8.75 Sep-15 Special Edition 8.5 Aug-15 Record Breaker 8 Jun-15
Mortal Kombat X 9.25 Jun-15 Dungeons 2 8 Jun-15
Project Cars 8.5 Jul-15 Galactic Civiliations III 8.75 Jul-15 VITA
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour 7 Sep-15 Game of Thrones Episode 3: Titan Souls 8.5 Jun-15
State of Decay: The Sword in the Darkness 8.25 Jun-15
Year-One Survival Edition 7.5 Jul-15

Volume XXV Number 10 Issue 270

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 Why Do People
Love Shenmue?
We explore the continuing allure of Yu Suzuki’s cult open-world series

by Kyle Hilliard

E
3 2015 featured several surprising announcements, like the return of The Last
Guardian and the reveal of the long-requested remake of Final Fantasy VII.
Despite these impressive fan-service gestures, however, the left-field reveal
of a sequel to a 2000 Dreamcast title that didn’t sell particularly well caused
the Internet to erupt in unfiltered, exuberant praise, and ended up being one
of the biggest stories of the show. Shenmue III is finally happening thanks to
its hugely successful Kickstarter campaign that raised more than three times its $2 million goal.
Fans wanted this game to happen for years, but many may not be aware of its legacy.
94
 Shenmue took the unique approach
of making the player live out Ryo’s
Shenmue
life, waking up each morning, explor-
ing the city of Yokosuka, developing
Timeline
relationships, and slowly picking 1996 – Creator Yu
away at the mystery that has become Suzuki begins work on
his larger purpose. At a certain point a Virtua Fighter action
in the game, Ryo even needs to RPG for the Sega
acquire a job. Saturn that would
Its pace is undeniably slow, but it is eventually transform
all in favor of building a living, breath- into Shenmue
ing world that cannot be broken down
by force alone. Shenmue was ahead 1997 – Development
of its time in this way, with a clear resets and moves
understanding that action and combat onto the Dreamcast
are not necessary to engage a player.
1998 – The Virtua
A quiet scene reading a letter from
Fighter RPG becomes
Ryo’s departed father or buying food an original project
to feed to an orphaned cat are just as and has its name
important as picking a fight in a bar changed to Shenmue
to track down sailors who know the
whereabouts of Lan Di. 1999 – Shenmue
releases in Japan
The Anticipation
Outcry for a sequel has been strong 2000 – Shenmue
since the release of Shenmue II in releases in North
2001, mainly because the story was America
never completed. Ryo never found
2001 – Shenmue II,
Lan Di. Sega devoted an incred-
developed in tandem
The History The Game ible amount of time and money to with the original,
Yu Suzuki was an early innovator at Years before titles like Quantic Shenmue and its sequel to create an releases in Japan
Sega, creating experiences like Hang- Dreams’ Heavy Rain and Telltale’s explorable world, and it all ultimately and Europe
On, Out Run, and Virtua Fighter. He The Walking Dead put emphasis on lead to an uncertain cliffhanger. An
developed quick-to-play, profitable narrative, with quick-time events unresolved narrative arc is not uncom- 2002 – Microsoft gives
experiences for Sega, but as early as in place to supplement important mon in the world of entertainment, Shenmue II the full
the Sega Saturn era, he began explor- scenes, Shenmue’s protagonist Ryo but Shenmue stands out as one of localization treatment
ing long-form narrative games with the was tapping buttons to on-screen the first video games that heavily and releases the game
intention to build something bigger. prompts and spending more time emphasized story without being able as a North American
Shemue began in earnest as an chatting with NPCs than punching to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Xbox exclusive
RPG based on Virtua Fighter starring them. Shenmue is all about its story, An incredible amount of personal
the series’ poster boy, Akira. However, its huge cast of characters, and its 3D interest is invested in the outcome 2004 – Shenmue
Online, an MMORPG
the game transformed into the story of open world. The combat, while com- of Ryo’s future. Finding Lan Di and
taking place in the
an original character seeking revenge petent and fun, is second to building a the family heirloom he stole is impor-
Shenmue universe
against the people responsible for his believable world. tant, but being able to role-play as
and during the events
father’s death. The game begins with Ryo witness- Ryo again and explore his world is of Shenmue II, is an-
Shenmue was planned from the ing his father’s death in his own home just as enticing. It’s the reason a nounced. The game is
beginning to be a series of games at the hand of antagonist Lan Di. Kickstarter campaign became one quickly canceled and
with a story living beyond its first Ryo’s life pursuit from that point for- of the biggest stories of E3 2015, never sees release
entry. Despite achieving critical ward is discovering why his father was why the game set a Guinness record
success with an average review murdered, and finding Lan Di to return for the fastest crowd-funded game 2010 – Shenmue City,
score of 89 percent according to the favor. This new direction for Ryo, to reach $1 million, and how it set a Japan-exclusive
GameRankings.com, the game failed however, does not change that he has a Kickstarter record to become the mobile game, re-
to recoup its massive budget, which a life, responsibilities, and the human most funded video game in the leases. In it, players
was rumored to have reached up to necessity of sleep. service’s history. \ control a Yokosuka
$70 million. As a point of comparison, resident and interact
Heavy Rain, a similar game in many with Ryo periodically.
ways, cost approximately $55 million The game gets shut
down a year later
to develop.
Thanks in part to the Dreamcast’s 2015 – Shenmue III’s
small install base, the game sold Kickstarter launches
just over one million copies. It’s a during E3 2015 on
respectable number, but the game is June 16, requesting
considered a commercial failure. A $2 million to fund
sequel, Shenmue II, released in Japan development. Within
and Europe, and was later localized in eight hours, Shenmue
North America by Micro-soft for Xbox, III meets its $2 million
but it was too little, too late. Despite funding goal. By the
frequent and loud fan outcry for a third end of its campaign,
entry, many had given up hope until Yu 69,320 backers
Suzuki took the stage during Sony’s pledge $6,333,295
2015 E3 press conference to announce toward the develop-
a Kickstarter for Shenmue III, which ment of Shenmue III
garnered $6,333,295 in funding.
classic 95
game over

Answers: 1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-A, 5-C, 6-D, 7-B, 8-A, 9-A, 10-A, 11-D, 12-D, 13-B, 14-A, 15-B
Test Your
Fallout Aptitude
Fallout 4 is coming this November, and more than a few prospec-
tive vault dwellers are counting down the days to its release. Are
you a Fallout veteran? Do you have what it takes to survive in the
Wasteland? Take our quiz and see if you’re something special, or
if you’re more suited to slinging burgers in the vault’s cafeteria.

11. You’ve worked up an appetite

by Jeff Cork after wandering the Wastes for sev-
eral weeks. What wouldn’t you eat?
A) Squirrel on a stick
1. Who’s your daddy...in Fallout 3? 6. On the subject of cake, Andy, B) Irradiated salisbury steak
A) James Vault 101’s Mister Handy robot, acci- C) Cram
B) Jonas dentally destroyed the player’s birth- D) Ghoul flesh
C) Jeff day cake. How’d he do it?
D) Jimmy A) Incinerated it with his flamethrower 12. There’s only one way that waste-
B) Smashed it with a radroach swatter landers can quench their thirsts
2. Through a series of conven- C) His tiny claws dropped the tray in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.
ient accidents and unexpected D) Overzealous use of a circular saw What’re you drinking?
deaths, you’re put in charge A) Nuka-Cola
of your vault. What should we 7. You’re enjoying a relatively secure B) Mountain Doom
call you? life in Fallout 1’s vault. What on earth C) Crupple
A) Your highness could possibly lure you out of there? D) Bawls Guarana
B) The Commander A) A mass escape
C) Overseer B) A search for a water-purification part 13. You’re getting ready to take
D) El Presidente C) An open door and a deeply your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. exam to learn
curious nature your placement within the vault.
3. You and your fellow survivors D) Trick question – you start outside Surprise question: What’s the “P”
are passing the time by telling the vault in the first Fallout stand for?
stories about the first Fallout’s A) Perks
vault dweller. From what vault 8. Vault Dwellers have had a variety B) Perception
did he hail? of friendly NPCs throughout the years. C) Positioning
A) 123 What entries in the Fallout series fea- D) Personality
B) 13 tured the canine companion Dogmeat?
C) 111 A) Fallout 1, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout 4 14. Your friend slips back into the
D) None of the above B) Fallout 1, Fallout 3, Fallout 4 vault after an unauthorized expedi-
C) Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout 4 tion. He rants and raves about a
4. Life in the Wasteland has D) Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, place called Little Lamplight, which
numbed you to displays of extreme Fallout 3, Fallout 4 has an interesting characteristic.
violence. What trait/perk should What is it?
you choose if you want to sate your 9. If you don’t answer this question, A) Everyone who lives there is 16
thirst for gore? we’re shutting down the power: Who or younger
A) Bloody Mess runs New Vegas? B) It’s ruled by a megalomaniac
B) Gorehound A) Robert House named Dave
C) Raining Blood B) Master Blaster C) It’s built around a live nuke
D) Mayhem C) The Tunnel Snakes D) Your friend is lying; no such place
D) The Mysterious Stranger exists in the Fallout universe
5. Your friend, the nuclear apoca-
lypse, is celebrating a birthday. You’d 10. Wow! You’ve managed to get your 15. If there’s one thing we can
like to bake a cake. What day should hands on a Fat Man! What kind of count on, it’s the nature of war.
you preheat the oven? ammo should you keep an eye out for? How’s that again?
A) October 10 A) Mini nukes A) It’s an ugly business
B) October 13 B) Bolts B) It never changes
C) October 23 C) 9 millimeter rounds C) It’s not as bad as people say
D) October 31 D) Teddy bears D) It’s just the worst

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96 game over
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