79
Powered by PreOrder-IQ.com ISSUE 09 | OCTOBER 2013 GamerZines First Look  WE GO HANDS-ON WITH RESPAWN’S RADICAL MULTIPLAYER SHOOTER

FirstLook October 2013

  • Upload
    gdrinfo

  • View
    215

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 1/79

Powered by PreOrder-IQ.com

ISSUE 09 | OCTOBER 2013GamerZines

FirstLook 

WE GO HANDS-ON WITH RESPAWN’S

RADICAL MULTIPLAYER SHOOTER

Page 2: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 2/79FirstLook |

Page 3: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 3/79

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO 

Page 4: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 4/79

WATCH_DOGS

THE SIMS 4

ASSASSIN’SCREED IV:BLACK FLAG

This issue o FirstLook is byar the biggest we’veever produced! We could

say that it was down to ourown hard work, hasslingdevelopers and publishers oraccess and such, but really it’sall down to gamescom.Europe’s biggest annual

games event was bursting with massive titles thisyear, and what ollows in the next 80 pages arepreviews o every single game we saw on theshowoor and in the Koelnmesse’s ancy businessarea. Some titles are big, some titles are small, butwe endeavoured to give every game a air slice o the spotlight, be it via hands-on impression piecesor game demo synopsis’.

As a result o that commitment, this month wehad to sacrifce our usual array o eatures andinterviews, but rest assured they’ll all be back nextmonth. However, we did secure enough space torun our frst-ever Playtest eature, which seesstrategy specialist David Brown putting Total War:

Rome II through its paces.Enjoy this issue, it’s a belter!

Andy Grifths, Editor

[email protected]

Still picking over some delectablepre-orders…

FirstLook WELCOME TO

MEETTHETEAM

Don’t miss! This month’stop highlights! 

TOTAL WAR:ROME II

FirstLook |Contents

David BrownHe knows a lot about war, apparently.

Page 5: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 5/79

WOLFENSTEIN:THE NEW ORDER

Next Car GameStronghold 

Crusader 2Wolfenstein:The New Order  XCOM: TheEnemy Within Assassin’s Creed IV: Black FlagTakedown:Red Sabre

South Park: TheStick of Truth

Tropico 4Titanfall 

War of theVikingsElder ScrollsOnlineThe Sims 4Watch_DogsMagicka:Wizard WarsWWE 2K14

Total War:Rome II 

QUICKFINDER

TITANFALL

DON’T MISS NEXTMONTH’S ISSUE!Did you know that a new issue o FirstLook isreleased every month, and by subscribing you’ll be one o the frst to read it? 

Poweredby PreOrder-IQ.com

ISSUE09|OCTOBER2013GamerZines

FirstLook 

 

FirstLook |NewsLetter

WOLFENSTEIN:THE NEW ORDER

ASSASSIN’S CREEDIV: BLACK FLAG

THE SIMS 4

WATCH_DOGS

WE GO HANDS-ON WITH RESPAWN’SRADICAL MULTIPLAYER SHOOTER

Cranberry Publishing Limitedwww.cranberrypublishing.comPublishing Director: Dave TaylorEmail: [email protected] Director: Duncan Ferguson Email: [email protected]: 0117 986 6550

Call Duncan to discover how e-publications can work 

for you! 

Page 6: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 6/79

REFORGED FOR CONSOLE Four player co-op play

© 2013 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Diablo and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment,

Inc., in the US and/or other countries. “2”, “PlayStation”, “Ô and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.All Rights Reserved.

FirstLook |

Page 7: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 7/79

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO 

Page 8: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 8/79

NEXT CAR GAMEPUB: BUGBEAR

DEV: IN-HOUSE-

PLATFORM: PC

ETA: 2014

PREVIEW

A RACER WITH REAL PEDIGREE

You can keep your Burnouts,Destruction Derbys, and Twisted Metals o this world, as our hearts

only belong to one destructive racingeries, and that’s Flatout . Little-known

innish studio Bugbear Entertainmentorged its name with this criminallyoverlooked series which meldedbanger racing with the perormancend customisation angle o Need for peed Underground . Alas, Flatout 1, 2nd Ultimate Carnage are at least sixears old at this point, with the nameow in the hands o Strategy First ater

Atari’s liquidation, even though Bugbearreated the series. The likelihood is we’ll

never get another good Flatout , butwhat’s in a name really?

Bugbear don’t own the Flatout name,but their next efort is undoubtedly aspiritual successor, boasting destructible

tracks, ully dynamic car damage, reedomto customise vehicles and DestructionDerby events in addition to races. Next Car Game is still early in development (hell,even its name is a placeholder), but thegame has a proposed launch window o early 2014 with all those that pre-orderthe game gaining access to a demo build.We need more racing experiences like

this, and Bugbear’s pedigree really cannotbe understated.

FirstLook |Preview

Page 9: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 9/79

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

Page 10: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 10/79

OUT 3RD SEPT 2013

 visit www.TOTALWAR.com

to find out more

PRE-ORDER AND GET

1ST DLC PACK FREE*

© SEGA. Creative Assembly, the Creative Assembly logo, Total War, Total War: ROME and the Total War logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of The Creative AssemblyLimited. SEGA and the SEGA logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. All rights reserved. *Offer available at participating retailers.

/TOTALWAR  @TOTALWAR 

www.sega.com

FirstLook |

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO 

Page 11: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 11/79

Page 12: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 12/79

PREVIEW

PUTIN LEGACY FIRST Times and Future – transorming aplaythrough regularly. Managementgameplay is still a case o erectingbuildings, signing dictats, stompingout dissent and playing political‘Hacky Sack’ with USA, Europe, Russia

and China, but missions are ramedaround historical context.Haemimont are even planning to

add competitive and co-operativeour-player multiplayer into the mix aswell, propelling Tropico urther intountested territory. There’s a lot o risk associated with changing a winningormula, but Haemimont has earned

the right to do their own thing.Regardless, nobody can say thatTropico V is lacking in ambition.

PUB: KALYPSO MEDIADEV: HAEMIMONT GAMES

PLAT: PC, XBOX 360ETA: 2014TROPICO 5

Haemimont has come toown the Tropico seriesthrough their own brand o dark humour and accessible

management gameplay, but orhe th entry, El Presidente is being

pushed into a new era. Well, multipleras in act. Players no longer controllone Dictator during the Cold War,

nstead their political guidance beginsrom Colonial times to the modern erand beyond, with power transitioningo the siblings o an original Governor

who has to win independence romn island’s imperial overlords. Game

ules, objectives and tech changen line with the diferent eras – splitnto Colonial, World Wars, Modern

FirstLook |Preview

Page 13: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 13/79

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

Page 14: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 14/79FirstLook |

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO 

Page 15: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 15/79

Page 16: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 16/79

PREVIEW

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

FirstLook |Preview

Page 17: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 17/79

STRONGHOLDCRUSADER 2

PUB: FIREFLY

STUDIOS

DEV: IN-HOUSE

PLATFORM: PC

ETA: MARCH 2014

With development budgetssoaring, it’s only natural thatstudios look to design games

to appeal to as many people as possible.Ironically, it’s Firey Studios dogged

determination to not bow to this conceitthat makes them stand out rom thepack with Stronghold Crusaders 2.

 The successor to the 2003 original istargeted specifcally at old-school RTS/ management ans and boasts thesame kind o castle-building optionsthe original was known or. However,layered on top o that easy-to-grasp

appeal is a host o new units and a ull 3Dengine. Rereshingly, Firey seem to have

retained the simplicity o castle buildingand point-and-click unit management,which gives Stronghold Crusader 2 anidentifable pastiche appeal. This is whatRTS games used to be beore swarms

o continent-wide battles clouded thegenre’s appeal with complicated UI andclunky mechanics, and it’s great that onedeveloper out there recognises that.

SC II’ s existence hinges solely on anpledges via crowd-sourcing siteGamasutra, which is rather poetic really.Firey are making an experience or theirown ans, and suitably enough it’ll be up

to those same ans to ensure the studiogets enough unding to do a good job.

GIVING FANS WHAT THEY WANT

Page 18: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 18/79FirstLook |

Page 19: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 19/79

Page 20: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 20/79

 To call Air Conficts: Vietnam aight sim is slightly misleading. Traditionally the series has beenviewed as the Rogue Squadronequivalent to the rest o the ightsimming world’s X-Wing and thatanalogy is about right. Sure theseries has always boasted real-lie aircrat, historical settings,

and cockpit views, but thecontrols have always been on theaccessible side, with players ableto shoot down enemies easilyand skip take os and landings

Blimey, would you look at thatplatorm list up there? FIFA 14 iscoming out on every platormthat still matters, as well asthose which are currentlylanguishing in your cupboarddesperately waiting to see the

 The Deponia series is the unniestand most unpredictable point-and-click adventure series out

there, and Daedelic are currentlyputting the fnal touches to theconcluding chapter o their soon-

i they choose. The latest Air Conficts doesn’t shit that trendand nor does it need to, witha campaign which ollows theexploits o US Air Force pilot Joe Thompson during the height o the Vietnam War.

No doubt Games Farm hasgot the soundtrack covered, but

what has us really excited is thepromise o being able to pilotAmerica’s early jet fghters in aperiod when the gun, not themissile, ruled the aerial roost.

AIR CONFLICTS: VIETNAM

FIFA 14

GOODBYE DEPONIA

PUB: KALYPSOMEDIA

DEV: GAMES FARMPLAT: XBOX

360, PS3, PCETA: 30TH OCTOBER

MUST HAVES

The un kind o fight sim

FirstLook |MustHaves

light o day. No doubt the PSPversion o FIFA 14 will be lightyears away rom its moderncounterparts, but it’s good tosee that at least one publisherout there is still putting outgames or the old girl.

to-be beloved trilogy. Ruusand Goal’s journey will soon beover, but the question is will the

bungling hero get the girl o hisdreams or will she fnally wakeup to his idiocy?

PUB: DAEDELIC ENTERTAINMENTDEV: IN-HOUSE

PLAT: PCETA: AUTUMN

PUB: ELECTRONIC ARTSDEV: IN-HOUSE

PLAT: XBOX 360, PC, PS3, WII, DS, PSP, PS VITA 3DS, PS2, WII UETA: 27TH SEPTEMBER

Page 21: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 21/79

Ater several delays, The Dark Eye:Demonicon fnally has a PC release

date. For months now, Noumena hasbeen polishing their darker than dark RPG experience and now it seems

Driving across America’s heartlands ina souped-up Cadillac with the radioblurting out country music is a dream

that even our spouses don’t knowabout, yet with each passing day it

Nintendo is slowly making

steps towards that potentiallyworld-ending PokemonMMO. In the next game, orexample, Game Freak areallowing players to transertheir captured Pokemonrom the Pokemon White/ Black to the new game X and Y via a new subscription

service, dubbed ‘Pokebank’.Nintendo are testing thewaters, mark our words.

I you’re one o those

patient people whowaits or games to getbundled with their requisitedownloadable contentbeore purchase, thenyou’re in luck as Borderlands2 will soon get bundledinto a packed Game o theYear Edition. The majority

o the game’s DLC releasedduring the past 12 monthsis supplied in this pack.

ready or public perusal. There aren’tany other major antasy RPGs out in

2013 and we think Demonicon couldhappily fll the void until the nextDragon Age rolls around.

seems less and less likely to pass. Thankully The Crew might be able tohelp us ulfll that urge with dozens

o licensed cars and a game worldbased purely on the ol’ USA. Sold!

THE DARK EYE: DEMONICON

F1 2013

POKEMON X AND Y BORDERLANDS 2: GOTY

PUB: CODEMASTERSDEV: IN-HOUSE

PLAT: PC, XBOX 360, PS3ETA: 4TH OCTOBER

PUB: UBISOFTDEV: IVORY TOWERPLAT: PC, XBOX ONE, PS4ETA: SPRING 2014 

PUB: KALYPSO MEDIADEV: NOUMENA STUDIOS

PLAT: PC, XBOX 360, PS3ETA: 25TH OCTOBER

PUB:NINTENDODEV:GAME FREAKPLAT: 3DS

ETA: 12THOCTOBER

PUB:2K GAMESDEV: GEARBOXSOFTWAREPLAT: PC, PS3,

XBOX 360ETA:8TH OCTOBER

As i to address the act that F1isn’t exactly a thrill a minute at themoment, with ‘Herr Vettel’ winningalmost everything, Codemasters are

chucking a load o historical tracks

and drivers into F1 2013 to spicethings up. Coulthard, Mansell, Prost,Berger, Alesi, Andretti, Schumacherand more eature and we can’t wait

to meet them all out on the track!

THE CREW

Page 22: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 22/79FirstLook |

Page 23: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 23/79

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO 

Page 24: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 24/79FirstLook |Preview

PREVIEW

Ever since Call o Duty: ModernWarare was released in 2007,

developers (or the most part)have been drumming along to thesame multiplayer shooter beatinvolving ast-paced combat, smallmap designs, level-based characterpersistence and conusing bus/perks. Hell, even Battlefeld clampedonto these modern obsessions,streamlining what used to be a more

tactical and deeper experience.Simply put, the not so humble

mainstream shooter has needed

Gundam gonna get’cha! 

genuine innovation or hal a decadenow, and where others have ailed

Titanall delivers.Respawn Entertainment hascrystallised that high-octane Call o Duty ormula in Titanall , oering thatsame ast-paced moment-to-momentgameplay while at the same timeoering a sense o unpredictabilitythat only comes with players beingable to call down a giant robot rom

the heavens every ew minutes.Interestingly, Titanall doesn’t have

a traditional ofine campaign

PUB: ELECTRONIC ARTSDEV: RESPAWNENTERTAINMENTLAST GAME: N/APLATFORM: PC,

XBOX ONEETA: SPRING 2014

TITANFALLHANDS-ON

Page 25: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 25/79

TWEET

component, instead the plot isintegrated into the moments prior to

competitive matches. At gamescom

we had the chance to play not one,but two matches o the Attrition

“RespawnEntertainment have 

crystallised that high-octane 

Call of Duty formula” 

game type on an urban map titled‘Angel City’ which saw the incumbent

military IMC orce take on theresistance MCOR contingent, with theaim o retaking a captured Titan pilotnamed Barker.

Prior to hitting the battleeld wehad to choose rom three dierentpilot classes (Assault, Tactical andClose Quarters Combat) as well as aspecic Titan design (Battle Rife,

Heavy Weapons and High Explosive)– all o which had their ownweapon loadouts with the BR >

Page 26: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 26/79

spawns we got to grips with thispowerul movement system.

We clambered up the sides o buildings, scaling multiple oors in aew expert wall dashes to gain the high

ground on a rampaging Titan below.A ew quick shots rom our rocketlauncher and the giant robot was toast.Only we hadn’t noticed that the pilothad ejected beore the fnal killshotlanded until moments later, when thesneaky devil vaulted onto our rootopposition and broke our neck in oneswit melee hit.

Skirmishes between Titans andsoldiers eel air, with both partiesvulnerable i the player isn’t using theirhead. The option to call a Titan intobattle takes a couple o minutes tocharge, and rom there players can callit in when and wherever they wish. Thismove is a masterstroke as it eliminatesthat amiliar Battlefeld trope o everyone

rushing to or camping vehicle spawnpoints on maps in order to increasetheir kill profciency. Titanall doesn’t

FirstLook |Preview

A mobile target is ahard-to-hit target.

mech packing a Vortex Blocker whichcatches ordinance mid-air via amagnetic shield beore sending it back to where it came. However, even whenoutside a Titan in vulnerable, human

eshy orm, each class has enoughfrepower to take down the toweringmechs via a Magnetic GrenadeLauncher or Sidewinder rocket launcherin just a ew shots. It’s this delicatecombat balance which makes playing 

Titanall so engaging, as both soldierand Titan orms have their own set o weaknesses and strengths, and success is

governed by making the most o thesetactical defciencies at any one time.In any other type o multiplayer

shooter, i your enemy is in a vehicle andyou aren’t, the likelihood is they’re goingto kill you but in Titanall the humanorm is substantially more versatile.

All classes can run along walls,double jump and use their boosters to

get rom rootop to rootop quickly andskilully. We’re happy to report that oncewe began our match, within a ew >

Page 27: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 27/79

GAMESCOM

DEMO

Players will be jumping in and

out o Titans at will during battle,and the transition betweenghting in and outside o thesemachines is fawless.

Page 28: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 28/79

 Titan to avoid enemy capture is also abrilliant touch.

All these great moments happenedin such a small time rame that it was

impossible orTitanfall 

not make a joyous rst impression, and eventhough the titular mechs may attract allthe attention, there are plenty o otherimpactul touches that make Respawn’sdebut eel innovative and unique.

Once the match was over and ourteam reached the appropriate kill count(signied by the word ‘Victory’ fashingonto the screen), the prologue segment

kicked in. As the IMC had ailed tocapture Barker they were withdrawingto an evac dropship in the map, and we

PREVIEW“Is it too late to talk about this?”

have vehicle spawn points and the paceo matches is much more renetic andull o natural highs and lows as a result.

 The streets shudder with heavy

rocket re rom mechs one moment,while the next they’re riddled with moretraditional human-on-human skirmishes. The map itsel catered or 16 players(eight versus eight) with AI soldiers also joining the battle. To be totally honest,the battleeld was a bit small or ourtastes, but no doubt biggerenvironments or higher player counts

are in the works. When playing Titanfall  there was just so many neat ideascoming to the oreront that we couldn’thelp but chortle with glee whileplaying. Like seeing a Titan pick up ariendly soldier and placing it sodelicately within the mech’s own torso,while in another moment we saw thosesame giant metallic claws being used

to rip an enemy pilot out o his ownmechanised suit. The ability to ridemechs and have the AI take over the

“Titanfall is an

experience laden withimpactful innovations,both big and small” 

FirstLook |Preview

Page 29: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 29/79

had to stop them. During this part o the match there was no respawnsand even though our character diedtrying to attack the drop ship (a totallyvalid tactic by the way), it was stillentertaining/hilarious to watch the

competing team scramble to save theirlives while being chased down by ourentire team. The whole match lasted sixminutes at the most.

Titanfall is an experience laden withimpactul innovations both big andsmall, which when combined create agameplay ormula unlike anythingexperienced beore. It’s ftting that the

studio which changed the multiplayershooter genre with Modern Warfare hascome back, albeit under a new name, todo it all over again. Look out Call of Duty ,Titanfall is gunning or your throne!

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

Moving ast and skilully awarerom Titan battles is the only wayto survive long enough to get tothe evac ship.

Players can also call in a Titanand have it run on ‘Follow’ modewhere it’ll automatically fank you and target enemies ahead.

Page 30: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 30/79FirstLook |

Page 31: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 31/79

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO 

Page 32: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 32/79

War of the Roses wasn’t the easiest sell tothe multiplayer-loving crowd. Featuringa setting ripped rom England’s 15th

Century tug-o-war between York and Lancasteror the Crown, the game lacked the kind o mainstream appeal o other online pursuits. Yetdespite that hard to digest setting, the brilliance o this medieval brawler still shone through, thanksto an innovative direction-based melee combatsystem, and plenty o combat classes, tactics,weapons and helmet plumes to choose rom.

 The point is Paradox Interactive and Fatshark pretty much nailed the drama o medieval combaton their rst try, with maps that accommodated jousting on horseback, sniping with nely aimed

arrows and strae ballet with mighty two-handedaxes on maps supporting as many as 64 players.However, with that choice came a lack o depthas players could switch between archer, rider andwarrior on every spawn. Battles became moreabout selecting the right class at the right time orthe benet o the team rather than perecting aparticular role, and this is a problem the sequel issprinting head-on to eradicate.

War of the Vikings is more than just a sequel,though. Fatshark has fung the series’ settingcenturies into the past, during the Viking invasiono Britannia during the 9th and 10th Centuries. Teams are split between Saxon deenders andNorse invaders with battles eeling noticeablymore gritty and brutal. The Alpha build wesampled involved small yet intense maps with

HANDS-ON PREVIEWWAR OF THE VIKINGS

FirstLook |Preview

Nordic appeal 

>

TWEET US @GAMERZINES

TWITTER If you want to be a mightyNorseman or brave Saxon, signupfor War of the Vikings alpha:signup.warofthevikings.com/

One idea is to release BeardSimulator 2014 as a teaser forWar of the Vikings.

@PdxInteractive

@TheWesterFront

Interested in a QA Internshipat Fatshark? Read all about ithere: http://www.fatshark.se/available-positions/

@FatSharkGames

PREVIEW

PUB: PARADOX INTERACTIVEDEV: FATSHARK GAMESLAST GAME: WAR OFTHE ROSESPLATFORM: PCETA: SPRING 2014

Page 33: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 33/79

“Fatshark has fung the series’ setting centuries into the past,

during the Viking invasiono Britannia in the 9th and 10th Centuries” 

Page 34: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 34/79

PREVIEW

There’s still a number o sliders or players tooy with i they wish, but getting hands-on

won with a sim’s ace is much more un!

selecting a direction o attack rst, holding the Swing buttondown and then releasing, with anopponent able to block or parry

i they anticipated the directioncorrectly. Only now there’s ameter at the bottom o the screencommunicating how powerulsaid swing will be. This small UItouch helps combat massively,as now players know or sure just how much damage they’reabout to cause, with red number

damage indicators conrmingthe hit. The ability to dodge andquickly sidestep away rom attacksalso helps, which is another newtouch to help vary up one-versus-one skirmishing – it’s no longerabout running in and swingingaway, there’s more to it than that.

Fatshark has also added theability or classes to sprint withoutafecting their stamina gauge. Thisserves the purpose o quickening

three diferent classes to chooserom: Champion, Skirmisher andWarrior. The Skirmisher was anall-rounder with bow and one-

handed axe, the Warrior had atypical shield and sword setupwith throwing knives, and theChampion wielded a two-handedaxe capable o one-hit kills. Thecore means o attacking enemieshasn’t really changed, with players

Wooden shields areull o bre goodness! This ella couldn’t helpbut have a nibble…

Character customisation

options this time include beardselection in addition to creatingyour own coat o arms.

FirstLook |PreviewFirstLook |Preview

Page 35: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 35/79

appeal. Medievalwarare haschanged, prepare

to step out ontoa whole newbattleeld.

the pace o matches as playerscan get to each other quicker, butit also makes the archer’s role thatmuch harder, as every enemy hasthe ability to hastily escape ordodge an incoming projectile. O course, countering that, chasingplayers can also tackle sprinters

when in motion, winding themon the ground allowing time ora quick stab to the chest.

 Taking cues rom beat-’em-upso old, Fatshark has given eachclass a much greater chance o surviving any encounter theymight nd themselves in. Thiscan be seen in giving warriorsthrowing knives to drive up close

and take an archer out. Likewise,the Champion who can bash awarrior’s shield to splinters i he

or she is deending parries tooreadily. That leaves the archer inthe cold a bit perhaps, but thetwo maps we sampled, Monasteryand Gauntlet, eatured a numbero cover spots with small holesofering an opportunity ora pesky bowman to strike.Obviously this balance discountsa player’s ability to make theirown classes or specic scenarios,but overall Vikings elt morebalanced overall.

Fatshark has clearly thoughtlong and hard about thedeciencies and imbalances o their previous game and has

already implemented changes toneutralise them. War of the Rosesofered the most enjoyablemedieval multiplayer around, andWar of the Vikings is set to tweak,improve and expand on that

“Every enemy hasthe ability to hastily escape or dodge anincoming projectile.” 

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

Smaller environmentsmean that those peskyarchers aren’t anywherenear as pesky as beore.

Page 36: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 36/79

Make no mistake about it, in the rst-person shooter stakes, Wolfenstein: The

New Order is as brave as they come. Forall intents and purposes, MachineGames couldhave very easily phoned in this sequel/rebootwhich once again pits unstoppable soldier “B.J.”Blazkowicz against the ollowers o the ThirdReich, but instead the Swedish studio has put theirown spin on things by getting rid o the slapstick silliness o pop culture’s avourite bad guy and hasinstead emulated their most sinister intents.

For proo o this, one only has to look towardsWolfenstein’s antagonist and head honcho, Naziscientist General Deathshead. Aside rom havinga name which would make G.I. Joe’s nemesis

shake his head in disbelie, this nasty peace o work became the star o Wolfenstein’s 40-minutehands-on demo at gamescom. The session beganat the beginning o the game’s campaign in 1946,with B.J. and a platoon ull o other Allied orcesassaulting the HQ o Dr D.

Flanked by three other Allied soldiers, onegruf Englishman, an even grufer Scotsman andone cocksure Yank, B.J.’s climb up the castle was

the typical FPS mix o stealth, turret sequencesand crouching through small holes. Runningand gunning in typical Wolfenstein style was stillpossible though, and when we got into trouble,the edge-led cover system allowed us to lean inand out o saety quickly while popping of anyenemies in the way. We didn’t come across anymechs though, those were being saved or later.

HANDS-ON PREVIEWWOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER

FirstLook |Preview

 A shooter with a soul 

>

TWEET US @GAMERZINES

TWITTER Beware o Dog #paxprime pic.twitter.com/MRnxjGcetQ

Machinegames is proud toannounce our frst game. Ladiesand gentlemen, we give you:Wolenstein: The New Order!

@Wolfenstein

@LastKnownMeal

Nice to mech youracquaintance #Wolenstein.

@gaminggoodness

PREVIEW

PUB: BETHESDADEV: MACHINEGAMESLAST GAME: N/APLATFORM: PS3, PC, XBOX360, XBOX ONE, PS4ETA: EARLY 2014

Page 37: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 37/79

“The Swedish studio has put their own spin on things by getting rid of the slapstick silliness of pop culture’s

favourite bad guy and hasinstead emulated their most sinister intents” 

Page 38: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 38/79

PREVIEW

There’s still a number o sliders or players tooy with i they wish, but getting hands-on

won with a sim’s ace is much more un!

written in black and white thetonal shit sounds dat, but in theheat o play it worked well.

It hammers home theimportance o the continent-wideconict to the player and just how

truly messed up the antagonistsare. Obviously history itsel can dothat, but having it personied inront o the player gives it morerelevance. That eeling was urthercrystallised when we nallymet the troubled MD in person,moments ater B.J. and his crewwere neutralised by gas. Once

awakened, the player character ismet with Deathshead’s ace and isasked to make a choice: which o your ellow soldiers are you willingto donate to the scientist’s twistedbrand o medical research? Thechoice is the player’s by a ick o the let thumbstick, but bothsubjects will plead or their lie in a

genuinely heart-wrenching scene.We’re in the business o 

covering games, not spoiling

Prior to meeting Lieoot MD,sorry Deathshead, we wanderedinto one o his labs laden withskinned human subjects proppedup in a manner Event Horizon answill know too well. Being suddenlymet with these kinds o sightsin, what was up to that point, animmensely polished yet traditionalrun-and-gun game shited thetone entirely, especially when thenearby GI behind us mentionedthe ashes o ormer subjects liningthe oor o the room. Now when

Yes, you can dual wieldweapons and yes,blood splatters to asatisying efect.

Seeing B.J. characterised at all isnew ground or Wolfenstein.

FirstLook |PreviewFirstLook |Preview

Page 39: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 39/79

multiplayer modes(yet!), but reallywho cares?Wolfenstein is back 

and its broughtits brain along orthe ride!

them so we won’t detail whathappened in this demo ater thispoint, but we can say it surprisedus in a way we weren’t expectinga Wolfensteingame to.

Shooters generally shy awayrom communicating the inherentbrutality o human cruelty, but

MachineGames’ eort revels in it.These moments are used to frmup the oundations o B.J.’s no-

nonsense, all-action character andhis undying motivation to fghton even when utterly outgunnedby Nazi mechs, drones and otheradvanced threats. That personaextends to B.J.’s ully characterisedallies too, and that challenge only

gets worse once the setting shitsto decades ater the war. All thischaracterisation and violence

happens in an obvious way akinto a Quentin Tarantino movie,but that doesn’t make it resonateany less and or a shooter that’sreally impressive.

 The only thing MachineGamesneeds to be very careul o is howoten they play their dastardly

Nazi card. Our gameplay demowas packed ull with someuncomortable imagery, and whilethe act that it’s there at all is brave,resorting to that tactic too muchcan nulliy its power. As a shooter,Wolfenstein has all the basescovered, but it’s the context o thisworld and the characterisation o 

its key players that holds the mostpromise – this is the game we’dlike to think id Sotware would’vemade i they were brave enough.Sure it doesn’t have any

“This is the game id Software would’ve made if they were 

brave enough” 

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

Environments are linear,but there is allowanceor players to stray o thebeaten path.

Page 40: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 40/79

This month was a big one orThe Elder Scrolls Online. First,Bethesda announced that their

MMORPG will ask players to pay a

monthly ee to retain access to servers,and then against all odds theyconfrmed that TESO will also appearon both Xbox One and PlayStation 4ater launching or PC next year. Botho these decisions raised a signifcantnumber o eyebrows. Firstly becausethe subscription model is almostdead in the MMO community, and

secondly any an o the humbleMMORPG knows that playing themon consoles unreservedly sucks.

THE ELDERSCROLLS ONLINE

FirstLook |Preview

HANDS-ONMarooned on the Bleakrock Island searching 

PREVIEW

It wasn’t until ater we spent 90minutes playing TESO at gamescomthat we began to understand thethought processes behind both o 

those decisions. Despite certainassertions rom Zenimax OnlineStudios, this experience is very muchan MMORPG. Our time on Bleakrock Island, suitably flling the role o astarter isle/tutorial area, proved thatbeyond any doubt.

Ater spending 20 minutes or socreating our Argonian Sorcerer we

spawned into Bleakrock, having beenawakened by an NPC who explainedthat he ound us unconscious on the

PREVIEW

PUB: BETHESDADEV: ZENIMAXONLINE STUDIOSAST GAME: N/A

PLATFORMS: PC,PLAYSTATION 4,XBOX ONE

ETA: SPRING 2014

Page 41: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 41/79

>

or skeevers…

hore and that apparently our soulhad been stolen. A cinematic toproperly introduce players into theworld is still in development, but from

here we were free to explore the icy

andscape ahead of us in any directionwe wished. There was a muchgrander story arc at play involving a

“Rather than messabout with all that life and death nonsense 

we decided to help up a random civilian” 

dark covenant worshipping theDaedric gods on the island and apesky bandit clan who keptkidnapping villagers for whatever

reason. But rather than mess aboutwith all that life and death nonsensewe decided to help a random civilianwho wandered into our path, calmlyexplaining that his friends had beentransformed into skeevers by an evilNecromancer. We found his friendsby simply following markers on themini-map and using a magical stone

in their presence, and from there wecame across another randomrambler who wanted us to venture

Page 42: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 42/79

into a cave to save her missing warriorband. Now this quest was actuallyquite diferent and involved reasoningwith a ghostly apparition driven madby loneliness and greedy adventurerstrespassing into his domain, and itwas at this point where the distinctlyMMO-like structure o TESO elt a bit

more like Skyrim.It’s the high calibre o storiesinherent to Bethesda’s consistentlyinventive and engaging quest designwhich has enabled The Elder Scrollsseries to stay relevant when so manylesser RPGs have aded away, andTESO is undoubtedly at its best whenit ollows that tradition.

Further adventures involved beingtransported to the Daedric realm,searching out relevant actual materialon a recently deceased adventurer’sshel, and stealing the hidden innardso every chest we ound via skilulbouts o lockpicking, with all o theseopportunities or world interactioncoming across organically.

Zenimax has recreated Skyrim’slevel o environmental interactionexpertly and the world thereore eels

Being able to explore the landmasses of Skyrim,Morrowind and Tamriel (among others) will prove

very tempting to Elder Scrolls fans.

Most of the enemydesigns we came acrosslooked very familiar.

PREVIEW

FirstLook |Preview

Page 43: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 43/79

much more ripe or randomexploration as a result.

 The more established MMO tropes,like having a hot bar at the bottom o the screen and scrolling through

multiple skill screens to have an ideao where to invest skill points, weweren’t ans o. Still, this series’tradition o only levelling up areas o expertise that you use remains. Players

still choose to spend those pointstowards dierent combat skills, so it’spossible to level up the Dragonknight,Sorcerer, Nightblade and Sorcererarchetypes in any manner you wish.

Combat on the other hand

seemed simple enough, with theability to roll away rom attacks, block and chuck out skills by pressing a

numerical key. It’d be easy to imaginethat the console versions of TESO willsport a similar system, only the hot barabilities will be tied to buttons or apress on the D-pad instead.

Overall, our time with TESO wasenjoyable and proved to us once andor all that ZeniMax can combine thehallmarks o the titular series withcommon MMO staples successully.Our time on Bleakrock was hand-holdy, but that’s to be expected roma tutorial zone.

Unortunately we didn’t get to

sample TESO’s ambitious PvPcomponent, which eatures hundredso players fghting to retain possessiono individual regions, castles andtowns in the name o their clan in apersistent realm, but no doubt that’s

“Zenimax hasrecreated Skyrim’s

level of environment interaction expertly” 

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

being held back oruture reveals. Wrapup your time with

Skyrim boys and girls,soon they’ll be a newElder Scrolls in town!

 The frst-person mode is just as immersiveas Skyrim’s, with the ability to zoom in andout o the perspective at will.

Page 44: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 44/79FirstLook |Preview

PREVIEW

UB: 2K GAMESEV: FIRAXISAST GAME:IVILIZATION V:RAVE NEW WORLDLATFORM: PS3, XBOX60, PCTA: 15TH NOVEMBER

PREVIEW

New tools, same war 

XCOM: ENEMY WITHINHANDS-ON

Let’s get this straight, we riggin’love XCOM: Enemy Unknown.Firaxis’ turn-based strategy

reboot with its unorgiving level o diculty, limitless customisation

choice and sci- alien invasion settingstruck a chord with us more so thanperhaps any other game released lastyear. Enemy Unknown was one o theew strategy experiences that crossedthe PC and console divide withoutsacricing its core vision or controlscheme, and small yet signicantportions o both audiences absolutely

adored it.Needless to say then, we’re rather

happy that Enemy Unknown is getting

its rst expansion in the guise o thedistinctly mech-avoured, Enemy Within. Rather than this expansionofering a new side campaign oranything like that, this content slides

nicely into Enemy Unknown’s existing

reeorm campaign, ofering up newunits to choose rom, 47 additionalmission maps, new enemies to scan

“This content slidesnicely into Enemy 

Unknown’s existingfreeform campaign” 

Page 45: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 45/79

the MEC Trooper. The G-Mod Soldierboasts super-human strength and is

able to vault a single storey in oneleap, while the MEC Trooper wieldsa special Mechanised ExoskeletalCybersuit which boasts a handy-dandy shield that can act asimprovised cover or other troops, aamethrower and a grenade launcherto destroy cover and whatever mightbe behind it.

One would think these hulkingmetallic monstrosities would turnthe tide o battle in humanity’s

and kill, new multiplayer game modesand two new research rooms to

clamp onto your underground HQ.Now Enemy Within’s ominous-sounding title reers directly to theunethical means the XCOM enterpriseis using to give humanity a oothold inthe war against the Sectoids. We’retalking specifcally about two newresearch rooms players can add onto their underground HQ – the

Cybernetics Lab and Genetics Lab.Both o these new rooms tie into twonew classes, the G-Mod Soldier and >

Mechs are a somewhatpredictable way o ramping upthe alien versus human confict,but they’re cool nonetheless.

G-Mods power thesuper soldiers o the uture.

Page 46: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 46/79

PREVIEW

favour, but the aliens have their ownbreed of mech, which is suitablydubbed the ‘Mechtoid’.

Both variants of war robot haveroughly twice as much health as awell-trained Heavy Soldier, but poorplacement can still cause them to fallin just a couple of turns. Stillsometimes it’s worth the risk of 

getting up close to enemies, just tosee the MEC’s rocket-powered punchin action. Simply put, there’s a lot of purple blood and entrails everywhere!

 The G-Mod Soldier also has a fewtricks as well, such as the NeedleGrenade (think Halo) and thePsi-Backlash ability, whichautomatically kills mind-reading

sectoids if they try to turn a suitablypowered Trooper against their humanbrothers and sisters.

Human MEC versus alien Mechtoidskirmishes result in a lot of collateraldamage. Best move your troops out of theway if you know what’s good for them.

FirstLook |Preview

Page 47: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 47/79

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

platorm holder politics is at playlimiting 2K Games’ optionsdistributing this new content, but itdoesn’t take a genius to gure outwhich version o Enemy Within will be

the more expensive come release. Wereally hope these data limits on DLCgo away next-gen.

Whatever platorm you buy it on,Enemy Within seems like a worthwhileand important extension o Firaxis’excellent XCOM revival, especiallywhen you consider the tactical impacto these units, not just in Enemy 

Unknown’s single-player campaign,but also competitive multiplayer aswell. I you enjoyed your time withFiraxis’ take on XCOM, Enemy Within isset to ofer more o the same.

 The only thing that sullies ourexcitement or this bucket load o newcontent is how 2K have elected todeliver it. Those who own the PCversion o Enemy Unknown can simply

buy this expansion on its own, butthat option isn’t available to console

gamers. Instead, i you want this newcontent or either Xbox 360 orPlayStation 3 you have to buy theXCOM: Enemy Within – Commander Edition which includes both XCOM:Enemy Unknown and the newexpansion together, leaving ans with

two copies o the same game. Thatdecision, whichever way you look at it,is undamentally stupid. We suspect

“One would think these hulking metallic monstrosities would 

turn the tide of battle in

humanity’s favour” 

 The interface, both in andout of battle, has stayedmostly the same.

Page 48: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 48/79

Emotional torment is somethingThe Sims has been built on sincethe very beginning – be it

trapping a new Sim in a ladder-lessswimming pool to get a quick injection o Simoleons, or naming andmodelling a sim ater your real-lie

boss so you can deny him toiletbreaks in-game just as he denies youthem in the real world. As with allgreat sandboxes, it’s the player’simagination and creativity whichdetermines enjoyment, just as muchas the tools the developer ofers.

At gamescom, Maxis were keen topoint out that with The Sims 4, they’re

eliminating as many interace barriersas possible in both the main gameand the creation suite, in order to

THE SIMS 4

FirstLook |Preview

HANDS-ON

Toying with simulated humanity 

PREVIEW

ensure that the player’s creativity is thestar o the show, not their mastery o the menus.

Centre to this idea is an all-new seto creative tools revolving arounddesigning both the Sims themselvesand their dwellings, rom setting a

house’s oundations to decidingwhether that amily picture wouldlook best on the dining room wall orin the kitchen. This series has alwaysboasted that kind o varied choicebut or the ourth entry, Maxis areadopting the same kind o ergonomicdesign as they implemented inSimCity . Rooms can be duplicated,

including all urniture inside, andsnapped onto a house with no uss,and oundations can be raised or

PREVIEW

PUB: EADEV: MAXISLAST GAME: SIMCITYPLATFORMS: PCETA: EARLY 2014

Page 49: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 49/79

>

owered by players tugging onorientation arrows with their mouse.

Manipulating wall height and roo patterns in previous games wasobtuse and complicated, but here itooks to be intuitive and simple, while

oering that complexity and choice

players love so much. It’s still possibleo awn over wallpaper, urniture,ghting and tiling choices but now

“It’s the player’simagination and creativity whichdetermines their 

enjoyment” 

players can purchase pre-maderooms, like they’re shopping in Ikea.Once purchased you just simply snapthem onto your house, with walls andurniture morphing around obstacleswithout player intervention.

Veterans o this series may be

unknowingly grinding their teeth atthis ocus on accessibility and ease o use, but we were told none o theprevious game’s detailed building andcustomisation minutiae have beensacrifced to accommodate this kindo design ethos. The same goes withthe Sim creator as well, with playersnow able to directly manipulate a

Sim’s ace by clicking and draggingon it – pulling on individualcomponents like lips, nose, pupils

Page 50: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 50/79

similar level o reedom. Sims now alsohave our dierent walk optionsavailable to them (Swagger, PartyWalk, Snooty, and Deault) but duringour hands-on we weren’t able to

tweak Aspiration, Age or Trait options.As with previous games, thosecharacter choices are still there, it’s justthat Maxis are still tweaking theirimplementation to perection.

Unortunately our hands-on timewith The Sims 4 didn’t extend outsidethe editor. Instead we could only takeProducer Grant Rodiek’s word that the

new AI Emotion engine completelychanges the way Sims interact witheach other. Mood now determineswhat interactive choices are availableto the player – or instance, a Simwon’t firt with another i he or she isin the throws o depression. Listeningto music, watching TV or going ninerounds with a punching bag can shit

their mood, but exhaustion, hungerand the need to take a trip to thetoilet can still swing moods.

PREVIEW

and any other detail, tweaking it totheir whim. There’s still dozens anddozens o sliders or every acialelement you could think o (even tothe degree o being able to push a

beauty spot all around a Sim’s ace)but we ound the act o extendingand shrinking nose bridges andelongating upper lips much moreenjoyable when we could pull themin and out with a simple click anddrag. Messing around with bodytypes and clothing choices oered a

Pull on the arrows tochange the shape andheight of any room.

There’s still a number of sliders for players totoy with if they wish, but getting hands-onwith a Sim’s face is much more fun!

FirstLook |Preview

Page 51: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 51/79

We were essentially shown anextended version o The Sims 4demo which debuted during EA’sgamescom keynote ending with twolovers ying into the heavens inside ared suggestively shaped rocket ship,but the game still looked impressive

in person. The character animationsare still delightully exaggerated in amanner only Maxis and Dreamworkscan pull o, and we also spotted a

streamlined interace whichhighlighted any given Sim’s currentmood status and inuences whilealso oering up more space to showo action between characters.

Other improvements were alsoeetingly mentioned during the

presentation, such as the ability orSims to engage with activities andconversations with multiple people

rather than just one-on-one as beore– as well as conrmation that The Sims4 will indeed boast on ofine gamemode. Score one or the good guys!Overall, what we saw and got to playo this sequel seemed massivelyencouraging, especially or a game

that’s still in a pre-Alpha state.What’ll be really interesting to ndout is how online play actors intoThe Sims 4, and whether this sequelwill make an appearance on either theXbox One or PlayStation 4 down theline. We’d presume both would besae assumptions to make, but withMaxis burned so mercilessly on their

ambitious ‘connected play’ idea orSimCity , we wouldn’t be surprised i they kept The Sims as it is rather thanbreak an already successul mould.

The Sims has always been aboutcreating stories, and it’ll be very

“The Sims 4 will boast an ofine game mode. Score one or 

the good guys!” 

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

interesting to seewhat tale EA andMaxis tell regarding

this new entry beoreit launches on PC onlyin 2014.

Even a sim’s iris sizeisn’t out of the player’stinkering bounds!

Page 52: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 52/79FirstLook |Preview

PREVIEW

UB: UBISOFTEV: UBISOFT

MONTREALAST GAME:AR CRY 3LATFORM: PS3,BOX 360, PC, XBOX

ONE, PS3, WII UTA: 1ST NOVEMBER

PREVIEW

Plundering Pirates R Us 

ASSASSIN’S CREEDIV: BLACK FLAG

HANDS-ON

Cynicism can be a terrible thing.On the one hand, we’re reallyexcited to see the Assassin’s

Creed series move into truly unchartedterritory starring an all-new pirateyprotagonist named Edward Kenway, awatery open-world and more navalcombat than you can shake a galleonat, but on the other it’s diculty not to

view this annualised ranchise’s shit toa Caribbean setting during the Age o Piracy as an easy and rivolous meansto revive a altering series.

Until you see Black Flag in actionor yoursel, it’s easy to hold the latteropinion rather than the ormer butrest assured, Ubisot Montreal aren’tsacricing this series’ soul in pursuit o 

greener pastures.Fighting enemies is still a matter o 

blocking and countering with expert

timing, there are still giant towers toascend to map out nearby areas orindeed islands, and there’s still a grandconspiracy to unravel. It’s just thatlayered on top o these distinctly AC tropes are 47 dierent islands to mapout and explore aboard Kenway’s

own Jackdaw ship and his growingpirate feet, with recruits interned rombars and vanquished Colonial vessels.

We were taken aback by just how

hands-on the Naval aspect o Black Flag actually is, with the protagonisttaking the helm o the ship during

“Ubisot Montreal aren’t sacrifcing thisseries’ soul in pursuit o greener pastures” 

Page 53: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 53/79

treasure. Black Flag is certainly dierent

rom the Assassin’s Creed norm, but i players park their cynicism or just amoment they’ll fnd an occasionallyamiliar yet unique open-worldexperience beore them.

exploration, directly controlling speed

and navigation, while signalling whencannons and ship-based mortarsshould be fred. Combat is similarlyinvolved with players able to ram ships,signal their allies to board or duke it outwith a Captain mano-a-mano.

Battle opportunities can betriggered at will thanks to the opennature o the world and there’s more

varied activities on oer too, like whalehunting armed only with a harpoonand searching out underwater

Neat little presentationtouches like flm grainadd more o a retro eelto classic matches.

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

GAMESCOM

DEMOBlack Flag’s huntingmissions won’t winUbisot any ans in PETA.

Page 54: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 54/79FirstLook |Preview

PREVIEW

UB: UBISOFTEV: UBISOFT

MONTREALAST GAME:AR CRY 3LATFORM: PS3,BOX 360, PC, XBOX

ONE, PS4, WII UTA: 22ND NOVEMBER

PREVIEW

 A power fantasy with purpose 

WATCH DOGSHANDS-ON

Do you remember that part inThe Dark Knight when Batmanmanages to turn every

mobile phone in Gotham into hisown personal listening and watchingnetwork in order to track down TheJoker, and then Lucius Fox walks inand tells him, “This is too muchpower for one person”? Watch_Dogs 

is the game equivalent of that highconcept moral quandary, and that’swhy it is set to be one of the smartestand timely open-world releases you’llsee in 2013.

 The gamescom demo wewitnessed featured the protagonistAidan Pearce killing security guardswith the aim to make his way into a

local CtOS (Central Operating System)so he could gain complete control of that slice of the game world. The

cover-based shooting gameplay onshow was predictable, but it was themoral decisions after this bout of combat that we found really interesting.

One moment, for instance, seesthe player-character scanning civiliansfor their credit card information so heor she can add some dollars to theirtally, while the next civilian scanned

showed their criminal record (if theyhave one), their profession, maritalstatus and vulnerability to futurecriminal activity.

 These touches not only gaveUbisoft’s carefully constructed versionof near-future Chicago unparalleledlife and context, but they alsopresented an opportunity for more

player interaction with the world, be ittailing criminals, keeping vulnerablecivilians safe or creating chaos by

Page 55: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 55/79

interesting as the game itsel. I youwant to blast through Watch_Dogs 

brainlessly you can, but i you switch onyour intellect or just a moment you’llnd a game experience that posessome very challenging questions. Moregames like this please Ubisot!

ddling with trafc lights, stealingcash and disabling security systems.

Story-driven campaign andseamless multiplayer integration aside,Ubisot Montreal has created a worldwhere the player can choose to eitherbe the valiant protector or the earedvillain, and that’s something that’sembedded into the core o thisexperience rom the very start. Aidan’spower to hack an entire city on a

whim is too much or one man, andit’s how players respond to thisresponsibility which will prove just as

Neat little presentationtouches like flm grainadd more o a retro eelto classic matches.

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

GAMESCOM

DEMOGameplay still revolves arounddriving and shooting, in additionto hacking, but scratch underneathWatch_Dogs ancy veneer and you’llfnd a very insightul experience.

Page 56: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 56/79FirstLook |Preview

PREVIEW

UB: 505 GAMESEV: SERELLANAST GAME:

N/ALATFORM:BOX 360, PCTA: 20TH SEPTEMBER

PREVIEW

 A throwback to the hardcore shooters of old…

TAKEDOWN:RED SABRE

HANDS-ON PREVIEW

Playing

Takedown: Red Sabre

with an experienced shooterteam is like watching poetry in

motion; seeing players make theirway through rooms, sweepingcorners, watching entry and exitpoints and calling out potential ank spots in a way that’s both ecientyet natural. And honestly, this kind

o dedication is really the only wayto play Takedown efectively. The debut efort rom Serellan, a

studio ormed o Red Storm, ZipperInteractive and Day One veterans, isundoubtedly a spiritual successor tothe likes o Rainbow Six , SWAT , andGhost Recon, but it’s still revelatory,despite its throwback nature.

 This is gun combat in its purestorm, with soldiers able to be killedin one expertly placed shot and

bullets poised to penetrate suraceslike doors, windows, glass and evenconcrete with unprecedentedrealism. There’s no concessions likedowned states or any o thatnonsense here, instead Takedown:

Red Sabre i s as hardcore as it comes,with a handul o scenarios boastingrandomised objectives and enemy

placement which changes on everyload. Level playthroughs can last aslong as 30 minutes with competitivemultiplayer options o teamdeathmatch and attack/deendproviding more immediate action.

In truth, there doesn’t seem tobe a lot o content in Takedown butSerellan’s careully constructed

scenarios – built around savinghostages, deusing bombs andneutralising threats – have been

Page 57: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 57/79

 There will be times when you dienot knowing where that killshotcame rom, and some playthroughswill end in a mere seconds as the AIcatches your team o-guard, butthese moments o rustration onlymake the taste o victory that muchsweeter. Serellan has produced thekind o tense and dramatic shooter

which rarely appears nowadays andi you have any nostalgia or intrigueabout how starkly shooters used tobe then you owe it to yoursel tocheck it out.

built to accommodate long-termreplayability. Nuanced AI also helpssignifcantly in this regard, withenemies choosing to attack, allback and regroup in accordancewith the state o the player group inront o them.

It’s a shame there isn’t a ‘Plan &Go’ system like SWAT 3 o old, but

players can choose rom severalspecifc entry points prior to tacklinglevels. There’s also a host o dierentweapons, attachments, grenade andarmour options to choose rom.

It is possible to enjoy Takedown while playing on your own with AIsquaddies backing you up, but reallythis is an experience tailored or

dedicated co-operative play witheveryone miked up and constantlycommunicating with each other.

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

 There’s a myriad o dierentscopes, sights, silencers and otherattachments to choose rom – allbased on real-world confgurations.

Takedown’s realistic ballistics simulationmeans that bullets have the ability to gothrough various materials in accordancewith weapon and bullet spec.

Page 58: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 58/79FirstLook |Preview

PREVIEW

UB: PARADOXNTERACTIVEEV: PARADOX NORTHAST GAME: N/ALATFORM: PCTA: TBA

PREVIEW

Let loose the spells of war! 

MAGICKA:WIZARD WARS

HANDS-ON PREVIEW

We’ll be honest, Magicka:Wizard Wars isn’t exactlythe direction we expected

Paradox’s madcap Mage-riddenseries to go. The strength o theoriginal was Arrowhead GameStudios’ consistently barmystorytelling and inventivespellcasting system, so to distil that

experience into what amounts to amultiplayer-only arena game seemsa bit odd. Playing Wizard Wars orourselves at gamescom didn’tchange that opinion but it did openour eyes to the multiplayer potentialthis series oers.

Rather than ollowing in theootsteps o this ranchise’s original

creators, Paradox North areproducing more o an action-orientated experience, with a

streamlined spellcasting system anda responsive and rereshingly bug- ree game engine. These tweaks,along with the new our-versus-ourmultiplayer ramework, are certainlywelcome with Wizards battling tocontrol capture points on nelytuned maps. Keep control o thesepoints and your team will be able

to respawn, loose them and deathsuddenly becomes a lot more nal.Whichever team accomplishes themost kills or stops the enemyspawning wins.

Aside rom some AI sheep andarmers to set afame, players arealone to ght it by once againcombining steam, re, ice, death,

arcane, shield, cold, spray, earth,lightning and lie elements ineasy-to-cast spells, in addition to

Page 59: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 59/79

Magicka’s light and silly tone hascome across wholesale to Wizard Wars, but along with it has come anew sense o depth and strategic

sensibility. Wannabe players cancurrently register to be part o thegame’s on-going Alpha and it’ll bevery interesting to see what kind o audience this spin-o garners.

summoning more advancedmagicks like Death and meteorshowers via the hot bar. Theseabilities range rom mundane speed

bus to earth-shattering attacks,and they recharge as damage isdealt to the other team.

At frst glance, Wizard Wars appears like your typical MOBA, butthe pace o combat is much asterthan that. As you’d expect rom aree-to-play game, bu-grantingvisual items are oered in

abundance, ranging rom newpointy stas to garish new robes, allwith their own unny descriptions.

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

Mixing diferent spell components proves just as un as it was in Magicka, only nowthese abilities are supplemented by slowlyrecharging hot bar abilities.

GAMESCOM

TRAILER 

Page 60: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 60/79FirstLook |Preview

PREVIEW

UB: UBISOFTEV: OBSIDIANNTERTAINMENTAST GAME:UNGEON SIEGE 3LATFORM: PS3,BOX 360, PCTA: LATE 2013

PREVIEW

Finally, a game that’s worthy of the show? 

SOUTH PARK: THESTICK OF TRUTH

PREVIEW

Fans o 

South Park 

have had toput up with numerous crappygame cash-ins. There was that

rst-person shooter on the N64, thatgod-awul kart racer on Dreamcast,and it’s best not to even mentionthe recent Xbox Live Arcadereleases. The point is, i you likeSouth Park and videogames, you’ve

probably been burned by a airnumber o crappy licensed eortsbased in Matt Stone and TreyParker’s iconic universe beore, butor what it’s worth, The Stick of Truth

seems to be shaping up pretty well.Obsidian Entertainment are

seeking to recreate that ‘episoderom the show’ vibe as much as

possible, with the boys taking partin a town-wide antasy role-playinggame with Kyle and Eric

representing the Elves and Cartmanand player-created new kid ‘SirDouchebag’ siding with the humans.

Our brie seven-minute gameplaydemo kicked o with Douchebagand Cartman looking or a Baird at ariend’s house, hastily erected to look like the Giggling Donkey Inn. Inside,Cartman haphazardly asked about

the Baird’s whereabouts, leading tothe hustle and bustle inside the Innending in a distinctly Wild Westmanner as the gang’s inquiriesorced them to retreat to thebasement or a bout o JRPG-inspired combat. Bolstered withvibro-blade dubbed dildos, superdodgeball smashes, art-powered

fame grenades, shit nuggets,armour made out o metallic wrapand other abilities chosen rom a

Page 61: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 61/79

hallmarks o theSouth Park 

are here,it’s just the game part we’re not soldon quite yet. The demo also ocusedon a Facebook-inspired crating andequip menu, but the real messageon show was that Obsidian’straditional RPG-experience release isshaping up rather well. I nothingelse, The Stick of Truth seems an

improvement over the vast majorityo other South Park games out there,and while that might not be sayingmuch, it’s nonetheless a step in theright direction.

drop-down menu, the turn-basedcombat system channels traditionsorged by games like Paper Mario,with players choosing attackswith the option to score urtherdamage when timing a buttonpress just right.

While this tried and testedcombat system won’t turn any

heads, it’s the calibre o Stone andParker’s writing during the game’snumerous in-game cinematicswhich makes up the bulk o Stick of Truth’s attraction. We saw plenty o ashes o unny brilliance here, likeCartman quickly ingesting a sacheto ketchup so that he coulddelivered a suitably blood-soaked

coughing ft on queue or Jimmybeing hired as Colorado’s fnestsong and dance man. All the

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

Combat contains lots of throwawaylines of dialogue. Hopefully Obsidianhas recorded enough lines so thatthey aren’t repeated too often.

At certain points in thestory, players will be ableto explore South Park attheir own whim.

Page 62: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 62/79FirstLook |Preview

PREVIEW

UB: 2K GAMESEV: YUKE’SAST GAME:ACIFIC RIMLATFORM: PS3,BOX 360TA: 1ST NOVEMBER

PREVIEW

 A nostalgia trip to the glory days of WWE 

WWE 2K14HANDS-ON

Despite boasting a new nameand a new publisher, WWE 

2K14 is the kind of wrestlingexperience we’ve come to expectfrom Yuke’s. In this case that isn’t a bad

thing though, as the lack of biggameplay changes allows thenostalgia-focused ‘30 Years of WrestleMania’ mode to stand out.Scratching a similar itch to theunderrated WWE All Stars, atgamescom we got to play a couple of historical matches from this gamemode featuring Hulk Hogan vs. Andre

 The Giant, Undertaker vs. HHH, RickySteamboat vs. Randy Savage, and ourpersonal favourite: Edge vs. Mankind.

No doubt there are some trulyclassic matches in there, and this wasbut a slice of the full 17-matchselection, but as children of the Attitude era, it was impossible for us to

not choose the aforementioned

bloody encounter from WrestleMania22, and we were bowled over by whatwe played. These classic matches

“Hulk Hogan vs.Andre The Giant,

Undertaker vs. HHH,Ricky Steamboat vs.Randy Savage…” 

Page 63: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 63/79

oer additional context to eachlegendary bout eatured.

WWE 2K14 still boasts the currentcrop o superstars, character creationtools, career mode and all that jazz,

but i we’re being honest, the 30 Yearso WrestleMania mode ticks our box ina way the modern stu really doesn’t.For ans o sports entertainment’syesteryear, this is the game to get!

ollow an objective-based template,where players have to recreate keymoments to get to the next part o the proceedings. For instance, beorewe could spear Foley through a table

set on fre by Lita, we had to roughthe big guy up a bit and spear him inthe ring. Seeing these objectives inblack and white never ailed to raisea wry smile, and pulling them o produced a level o wrestling-associated glee we rankly haven’telt or years.

WWE 2K14 plays the nostalgia card

incredibly well with presentationtouches rom every era and archiveootage-laden mini-vignettes which

Classic matches don’t include asmuch blood as you remember,but that’s probably a good thing.

Neat little presentationtouches like flm grainadd more o a retro eelto classic matches.

PreOrderIQClick here for up-to-date prices and offers now!

Page 64: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 64/79

PLAYTEST

taking...

more extended play, I eel there’senough issues here to not warrantsuch a title. Hopeully what willemerge is a balanced, air appraisal o the game, completed with a bit moreexperience and time put in than

those pesky deadline-day reviewers.Anyway, we won’t waste timeexplaining the concepts o the gamebeyond this: big map, play as Romansor some others, split betweencampaign and battle maps, lots o fghting, diplomacy, economics, etc. I you’ve played a Total War game, youknow what’s coming. Essentially, it’s

the same core idea. So, as it’s moresensible, let’s dive right in and talk about the minutiae, the fner points

The crew behind FirstLook Magazine know a lot aboutgames, but Lord knows we

don’t play absolutely everything.So when we come acrosssomething we don’t know two

fgs about, we pass it ontosomebody who does. This monththat pleasure goes to long timeTotal War afcionado and ormerPC Zone dogsbody David Brown,as he’s penned his thoughts onwhat he likes and dislikes aboutTotal War: Rome II or ourpleasure. Take it away Mr B.

I was originally going to call this article‘In Deence o Rome II ’ but ater a

We pass the latest Total War sequel to series veteran, David

PUB: SEGADEV: THE CREATIVEASSEMBLY

LAST GAME:TOTAL WAR:SHOGUN 2PLATFORMS: PC

OUT NOW

...to task 

FirstLook |Playtest

Page 65: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 65/79

>

Just Call Me Caligula’ Browno what makes this entry dierent,better and worse than its predecessors.

Thumbs Up…Let’s begin with the UI. It’s the frstthing you’ll have to contend with,

ater all – you can’t make an Empirewithout an interace. It’s certainlydierent to, say, Shogun II . CreativeAssembly has clearly decided, rightlyor wrongly, to condense everythingnto the main play space, so there areno extra windows or inormationcontained in all sorts o toolbarbuttons that you might miss.

Unit and character inormation,hiring new units, research, trade inoand objectives: all o these things are

done in mini-windows that pop uprom the main UI bar. Diplomacybrings up its own window, as doesthe Faction button, but generallyeverything is contained within themain screen. At frst, the way

everything is set up is perplexing.While the Prologue tutorial campaignhelps, it’ll still be a while beore youare clicking with any authority.

Delving urther into the interace,we come across many topics ordiscussion. Let’s start with Stances. This is a great idea. ‘Fortiy’, ‘Raiding’,‘Ambush’, ‘Forced March’ and the

dreaded ‘None’ oer interesting newways to approach moving unitsabout the map. ‘Fortiy’ and

Page 66: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 66/79

city equalling one province. Britannia,or example, has our settlements to

conquer. Once you get all o them,you can issue ‘Edicts’, giving bonusesto trade or whatever or havingcontrol o the whole province. Simple.

Questions have arisen aboutoversimplication, but yourcorrespondent totally rejects thesequeries. One major problem seemsto have been, “Why do my provincessufer unrest? It’s all lumped togethernow, oh my god, it’s all so conusing.”

No, it isn’t. The solution is verysimple: click your province, click Details, hover over the Public Order

PLAYTEST

‘Ambush’ both grant exclusive things,like the construction o a wooden

stockade to deend yoursel in theormer (plus stuf like ‘beds o sharpstones’) and ‘+1 set o re balls’ or thelatter. Who doesn’t want to roll balls o re down rom an ambush position?It’s a superb idea.

Ignoring the ‘Army View’ button, asit’s just that, we come to ‘Details’. Thiscan be activated when viewing cities

or armies, giving you lots o ino onhow your provinces are doing andwhat upgrades and stuf your armiesare needing. This is no Empire, withloads o icons, acts and guresassaulting you. It’s clear, concise andeasy to understand.

Some reviewers have questionedthe way provinces work, so let’s

discuss them now. Most big areas inRome II are split up into a number o settlements. Gone are the days o one

“No longer are there hundreds o little 

armies fying about 

the place” 

FirstLook |Playtest

Page 67: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 67/79

urbanisation) and not enough culture.At rst, you’ll probably want toexpand industry and get a load o cash, but the people won’t like livingin dreadul cities – they’ll demand

culture or religious things to balancetheir existence. And that’s really allthere is to it really: balance.

Unit recruitment is the next buttonand this is now down exclusively onthe army page. No longer are therehundreds o little armies ying aboutthe place, as now you have a handul(depending on Empire size) and you

‘muster’ directly into them. No hiringunits and then waiting our turns orthem to trundle rom your city to therontline. It’s simple, i perhaps lessrealistic, but ultimately it just makesthings easier and less ddly.

Objectives are given now indiferent orms. You get short (a ewturns), medium (no time limit) and

long-term goals, the latter beingthe overall ‘win’ condition. Simpleenough. Diferent cultures have

bar and bam! The tooltip clearlyexplains just what’s happening.

 The problem or people seems toie in being too rooted in the past andnot being able to move on rom the

way things used to be – e.g one city,one province. It’s still just as simple tox unrest problems, and or yourcorrespondent as easy to understandas a concept. In act, it’s more exible.nstead o having one city to buildstuf in, you now have, say, our. Thismeans a greater variety o buildingscan be spread out in said province.

Playing as the Iceni (Britons) you couldhave Camulodunon as your nancial,ndustrial hub, Eborakon as a place tobuild population-soothing groves,Moridunon as the shing place andska as a place or building unitupgrade installations. Simple. What’sreally conusing is how this is aproblem or so many.

 The only issue was, perhaps,understanding just how squalorworks, which is too much industry (or

 The odds calculatorwas annoyingly brokenwhen we played.

>

Page 68: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 68/79

Another good idea is that taking aaction’s last settlement doesn’timmediately mean they die. They

have a chance, while sueringattrition per turn, to recapturesomewhere in a desperate bid to getback into the game. I the main armyis away and you sneak in to take aterritory, they can (i they’re quick about it) come back and savethemselves with a last-ditch attack. The only problem is that when they

have lots o small units, the AI canwaste time attacking places withabout 20 guys against 2,000. So,without boring you too much longer,there’s lots o neat tricks and ideasthat have been added to Rome II. Nowhere’s what’s not so neat.

Thumbs Down…

 The ‘odds calculator’ beore eachbattle is, basically, completely broken.It’s wildly inaccurate at the best o 

Catching your troops more heroicmovements is a case of stayingattentive throughout battle.PLAYTEST

varying conditions, like the Icenihaving to raze a load o places to win,while others wouldn’t have such a

barbaric condition.Speaking o razing cities, each onenow has (depending on buildingsconstructed) signifcantly largergarrisons than in any previous Total 

War title. As you have ewer armies,you can’t aord to have loads o themgarrisoning places, so you have to relyon the locals and militia to do so.

Buildings all provide X number o basic units, while more advancedones give you precious stu to helpdeend. It means ar less waltzing intoundeended territories and killing thetwo units o militia in there. While amob or armer won’t be able todeend well, and will probably lose,you can at least do some damage

– and i you’re lucky, blunt attackingorces enough or your local army toreturn and retake the city.

FirstLook |Playtest

Page 69: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 69/79

Clan politics is perhaps the greatestexample o a non-eature at this stage.

It’s there, but it does, basically, ip all.Your guy is being blackmailed. Sowhat? I I let it happen, his ‘gravitas’number goes down and… nothinghappens. Ater 100 years o acampaign, not one thing to do withaction politics has made a realdierence. Things are said to havehappened, but you just carry on as i 

nothing has. It seems to yourcorrespondent that this eature, whichwas rich and useul pre-release (andthis is speculation), has been neuteredterribly or whatever reason. I youignored it, it’s difcult to say whetherit would make a single bit o dierence. Sad.

AI is always a perennial issue and,

on the campaign map and on lowerdifculties at least, the non-humanactions are distinctly non-invasive.

times, meaning your unit o veteranswill lose an auto-resolved battle

simply because the enemy has loadso armers or mobs and outnumbersyou, technically. It’s always been athorny issue or the Total War series,but this time it’s totally broken. Andwe’re not entirely sure why.

Each General has stats to do withZeal, Cunning and Authority, plussome others, but they’re notexplained well at all. At least, in termso what actual eects these things

have in practice. I you don’t knowwhat an upgrade does, why wouldyou choose it?

 The campaign map isstill where most of thebig decisions happen.

“The AI can waste 

time attacking placeswith about 20 guysagainst 2,000” 

>

Page 70: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 70/79FirstLook |Playtest

As in, they’ll ght you well when yougo to war with them and they’llattempt to take settlements back.However, they don’t ever seem toinvade you. Is the AI too pacist or

are CA trying to let people on lowerdiculties of the hook? Again,dicult to say. They do at least useships to attack over the water. Cough.

So that’s a ew things rom thecampaign map dealt with. Now, thebattles – this is where most peoplewake up and pay attention. These aremore dicult to deal with than the

campaign map. Some nd the AI tooeasy to beat, some nd it hard. Somelike challenging battles but an easycampaign. How do you cater oreveryone? The answer it seems is tohave sliders or battle diculty, eventhough the challenge can be at oddswith that o the campaign.

 This toggle isn’t obvious, though.

In act, only during research or thisarticle did your correspondentdiscover the slider. Up until that point,

Naval battles are asperplexingly complexas ever.

PLAYTEST

 The new engine can produceamazing visuals, it’s just a shamethat along with that fdelitycomes a lot o gameplay issues.

Page 71: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 71/79

gooy things – much like humans do,incidentally. It’s defnitely worthbearing that in mind.

Secondly, ‘blobby’ means thatlines o battle can become blurred ashuge clumps o men orm ‘blobs’ o warriors fghting it out. Now, this neednot be an issue. Abilities like shield

wall or phalanx can keep your men inorder and, let us not orget, it’s airlyrealistic or tight lines o battle inancient times to descend into chaos. This isn’t the 18th Century, this is a timeor hordes o Barbarians swarming overthe enemy. ‘Blobs’ will happen, but it’sby no means inevitable.

A ew more battle issues beore we

leave each other. Boats can now assistbattles on coastlines or in harbours,providing crucial reinorcements.Incidentally, on the campaign map,one o the best new eatures is a Civ V -style embark ability, where unitssimply move onto the sea. Realistic?Debatable, but oh so useul.

 The tactical view is wonderul,

even i you probably won’t use it asmuch as you should. Providing atop-down, boxes-or-units view,

the battles were too easy in general.Naval skirmishes, on the other hand,weren’t, as they were as perplexing tofgure out as ever, but on land, thingsaren’t that tough. The main issuesseem to be 1) the AI is dumb and 2)things are too ‘blobby’.

Number one is a perennial issue.

Sometimes the AI does things thatmakes you nod your head and say“Clever”, and then in the next battle

they’ll stand still while you pepperthem with missile weapons. This is anage-old problem or the series and Rome II is no exception, sadly. It willprobably be improved by moddersand/or patches, which isn’t ideal andshouldn’t need to happen, but as it’s

happened in every single game so ar,it’s a little easier to live with. Certainlythe Generals in Shogun 2 did some

“Are CA tryingto let people onlower difcultieso the hook?” 

>

Page 72: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 72/79FirstLook |Playtest

you can see what’s happeningeverywhere, and this view cruciallyoers a better representation o lineso sight. Ah, line o sight. So oten anannoyance, in that units on one sidecan be seen clearly by units on theother, despite a big mountain being

in the way, but orRome II 

that hasbeen solved. Units will remain hiddenuntil spotted and can also disappearwhen out o view again. The potentialor ambushes and sneak attacks ismouthwateringly exciting, especiallyor multiplayer hijinks.

Pathfnding is also now visualised,meaning you can see better how

your units are going to move to theposition you want. But, alas,movement. Where the ****ing hellhas the movement wheel gone? Youknow, the one with commands likeadvance, wheel right, decrease/increase rank and fle and so on. Yegods, why did they remove this? Ican understand the rank and fle

and wheeling stu going, but theadvance? It made you go straightorward. It was simple. Now you just

“Stay where you areboys. Remember toprotect your General atall costs”

PLAYTEST

 There are already lots o mods available, and wesuspect the community willfx a lot o Rome II ’s issuesbeore CA get round to it.

Page 73: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 73/79

Rome II is a vast game, so it’s nowonder there have been issues andpoints o debate. It’d be strange i there weren’t. No Total War game hascome through its birthing periodunscathed. It’s easy to orget theoriginal Rome not being the stablesto creatures at rst, but everyone talks

about that as i it was sent down romOlympus itsel.So while patches continue to

pour orth and with CreativeAssembly already apologising or theproblems encountered so ar (withthe caveat o saying only 2% o players have reported issues), thegood news is that Rome II hasn’t

been pushed out and then let torot. Total War games are alwayslong-term afairs and, while thatmight not be right, it’s at least betterthan them being short-termdisasters.

Thanks for your insights David.

Next month we put F1 2013 through its paces. We can’t waitto take Codies’ racer for a spin!

click and oten end up acing thewrong way, orcing a realignment. It’sstupid, stupid, stupid. Put it back in,Creative Assembly, or there’ll be trouble.

Oh, one more thing. The timebetween turns. It’s too long orpeople with lesser machines. That’snot a good thing (but can hopeully

be streamlined with patches). Ouradvice to help get around it? Turn of 

enemy AI unit movement, or a start.You don’t miss much really. Just keepan eye on crucial areas and you’ll bene. Also, playing in a window (i youcan) allows or some browsing on thenet while it processes. Not ideal, butor now, it works well.

We’ve gone on way too long here,so we’ll leave you now, but not beoreour concluding thoughts.

“Rome II is a vast game, so it’s no 

wonder there have been issues and points of debate” 

Page 74: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 74/79

Ater months and months’ worth o consistent and massive updates orGuild Wars 2, ArenaNet are taking a

slight breather this month with the Tequatl Rising update. That isn’t to say the contentisn’t still important or game changing, butrather than oering new areas to exploreor story content to enjoy, this is more o a oundation rming update. Case inpoint, the ‘Looking For Group’ tool whichater being promised by ArenaNet or along time, nally arrived this month andwas celebrated by ans everywhere.

Electronic Arts has ofcially announcedthat Battlefeld 4 will eature its own

subscription-based content service in asimilar manner to the previous game.

Bosses throughout the game also havetheir difculty tweaked in order to pose agreater challenge to players. Frankly, we’rehappy o the break really, as this slight lull innew content means we can tackle a ewalts and nish up our main story.

Obviously this news surprised absolutelyno-one, especially as the last Premium 

earned so much revenue or the publisher.However, what did surprise everyone wasthat DICE listed the names o all the DLCassociated with the Premium service, withve expansions currently in development. The rst will be China Rising, which can besnapped up as a pre-order bonus, and therest are as ollows: Second Assault , Naval Strike, Dragon’s Teeth and Final Stand .

Obviously these packs will be available asstandalone DLC, but i you subscribe toPremium you’ll get them two weeks early.

Guild Wars 2: Tequatl RisingPUB: NCSOFT

DEV: ArenaNetOUT NOW

FirstLook |GameOn

 D L C

Battlefeld 4: Premium

GAME ON

PUB: EADEV: DICE

TBA: December

DLC & UGC Round-up

 D L C

Page 75: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 75/79

G

TA V is currently lighting up the charts

and dominating Internet chatter theworld over, but that doesn’t mean

the previous game isn’t still getting a hetyamount o new mod contentevery month. Take or instancethe Pro Drift Handling mod orRockstar’s award-winning GTA IV . The size o this download is lessthan 1MB, yet the le changes the

experience drastically, with carsable to dance around police withimpunity. The handling model inGTA IV was always a little unky,but this an-made content

Modern rst-person shooters still owea huge debt to id Sotware’s Doom.Sure, the shareware title rom 1993

has aged horribly, but the eel o wielding a

breathes new lie into it making what’ll

likely be the last ew visits to Liberty Citythat much more memorable. Rememberpeople, driters do it sideways…

shotgun, rocket launcher or mini-gun whensending demons back to hell is still as unas ever. Brutal Doom places extra emphasison that ultra-violent appeal by adding

distinctly modern touches like camerashake efects, randomised giblet spread,taunts, executions, the ability to kick enemies away and smarter AI design.

 The mod itsel has been available invarious guises since 2012, but the lonedeveloper behind it is currently workinghard on putting together the nalultra-polished bug-ree version. We have

high hopes that he’ll nish it soon, but i not the current version is still up to spec.Go get some gibs!

DEV: _detayLdFIND IT: http://bit.

ly/18WGeqyOUT NOWGTA IV: Pro Drift Handling

Brutal Doom

 U G C

 U G CDEV: Sergeant Mark IV

FIND IT: http://www.moddb.com/mods/brutal-doom

OUT NOW

Page 76: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 76/79

Usually when a title’s Game o the Yearedition is announced, bundling bothgame and all previously released DLC

together, the developer stops working on a

project, but that isn’t the case with Gearbox

Sotware and Borderlands 2. This monthRandy Pitchord’s outt released theUltimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2, whichexpanded the level cap by 11 more levels,

added more legendary weapons and anew area named ‘Digistruct Peak’to explore. Surprisingly thiscontent isn’t part o theBorderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition, and according to RandyPitchord, more new stu is onthe way. That may annoy somegamers, but rankly it’s rereshing

to see a developer support aproduct that an’s evidently loveover a year ater release.

PUB: 2K GamesDEV: Gearbox

SoftwareOUT NOW

FirstLook |GameOn

Borderlands 2: Upgrade Pack 2 D L C

GAME ON

I

you take a trip onto Codemaster’s ofcial

orums you’ll see a air amount o vitriolaimed at the developer. It’s one o those

things that has come to dene the nature o the Internet in modern times. It isn’t whatgame developers do well which is talkedabout, it’s what they do poorlyor perhaps more accurately,how the developer’s visiondoesn’t match up with a

particular an’s. That was thecase with GRID 2 and thesurprising omission o thebeloved Demolition Derbymode, but this month

Codemasters rectied that mistake by

adding the mode to GRID 2 via ree DLC,along with added mod support.Developers like Codemasters deserve morecredit than they get and moves like this arethe reason why. Bravo Codies, bravo!

PUB: CodemastersDEV: In-houseOUT NOW D L CGRID 2: Demolition Derby

Page 77: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 77/79

T

his mod or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 

oers up a new dungeon and storyquest eaturing a load o highly detailed

custom models based around 1982’s ConanThe Barbarian movie starring Arnold

StarCraft Universe, ormerly World of StarCraft , is the only mod which we’veever seen get successully unded on

Kickstarter. Earlier this month Upheaval Arts

pitched their idea via the crowd-sourcingservice to create a ree-to-playMMORPG based on Blizzard’s belovedRTS series. The game would useexisting StarCraft 2 assets and tech,but on release it would be reelydistributed via StarCraft 2’s internalmod network, StarCraft Arcade. Theteam promised an all-new storyline

set in an alternate timeline with ullyvoiced cut-scenes, cinematics andnew music. Perhaps what was most

Schwarzenegger. Admittedly this mod is

or a very niche taste, but the lighting andscripting work pulled o within is stillabsolutely stunning. Some eort has beenmade to ensure that the equipment and

enemies ound in this contentt in the Skyrim cannon, butthe story told is undoubtedlyConan through and through. This content includes three

exclusive music tracksemulating the score o themovie and some rather goodvoiceacting rom Guinolasplaying the titular warrior.

surprising about the pitch was that it hadthe ull backing o Blizzard, despite playersnot needing a ull copy o StarCraft 2: Wingsof Liberty in order to play. Blizzard deserves

credit or allowing this project to fourish.

DEV: PrometheusFIND IT: http://skyrim.nex-

usmods.com/mods/40914/OUT NOW

 DEV: Upheaval ArtsFIND IT: http://kck.st/19XuPMA

ETA: TBDStarcraft Universe

CONAN: Hyborian Age

 U G C

 U G C

Page 78: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 78/79

NEXT MONTHISSUE 10

FirstLook |NextMonthWILDSTAR 

CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS

Page 79: FirstLook October 2013

7/27/2019 FirstLook October 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/firstlook-october-2013 79/79

ISSUE 10:OCT 10T H