Contents:
Titanfall Game Review
Magic 2014 Tips #4
Captain Phillips Movie Review
Community Pic of the Month
Announced PC Game Releases
(April - May)
News:
New Videos - We've had time to do
lots of Tazer Play’s Videos this month
and I hope that that is something that
we will be able to continue every
month. This month's videos include;
Kim and Nathan Play Nazi Zombie
Army 2 (Part 1 and 2), Titanfall 'First
Look', Surgeon Simulator 2013, A New
Beginning Final Cut, Ghostbusters:
The Video Game and South Park: The
Stick of Truth.
Easter Giveaway - This month sees
the launch of our first Quad-Core
Edition Bumper Pack for the Gazette.
Readers will receive Issues 2-5, extra
content AND a chance to win 1 of 9
games we have to give away with the
'Unique Entry Code', which will be
printed inside the Quad-Core Edition
Magazine. Released 2/4/2014.
Website Makeover - The Website
received a complete overhaul this
month, including an updated logo.
One of our most exciting NEW
features is our 'Tazer Play’s' page.
Designed to display not only our Let's
Play Videos but also the community's.
With the ability to upload/send us
your videos or YouTube URL's we can
help your video reach more people
than ever before. Available to
everyone NOT just members.
Tazer Trailer - We have created a new
Tazer Trailer for the YouTube channel
and Website to give new visitors an
idea of who we are and what we do.
Haven't seen it yet? Go check it out
under the HOME tab on the website.
Old Gamer Gazette Reviews -
Reviews from 2013 Issues of the
Gazette have now been added to the
website for all visitors to view them.
We will be releasing all of our reviews
like this from the Gazette every six
months.
Titanfall Game Review
By Nathan Scullard
For those of you who have followed Tazer for
a while, you will be aware that its background
lies in competitive Call of Duty, and that it
originated as a Clan that unfortunately did not
work out. But with that in mind, first-person
shooters (FPS) are in the ground roots of
everyone at Tazer and is how we all met each
other. So when a new FSP game comes out,
we are understandably picky and poke holes
in it from every known angle, and Titanfall is
no different. Especially when this game is
being dubbed as the 'COD-Killer'. A brave
statement to make. So in this review we are
going to use that statement as a direct
comparison between the two games. I could
chuck Battlefield in there too but it seems a
little like putting Mike Tyson in the ring with a
couple of puppies. Battlefield is miles better
then COD and Titanfall...well I probably could
compare it to Battlefield, but to be honest I
don't want to get bogged down as there is a
few things, basic things that Battlefield do
better than Titanfall, but that's because they
have been out a while and had a few
instalments where as this is Titanfall's first
attempt. I can hear all the COD fans screaming
now saying; "COD has been out for a while
too." Well, to put it bluntly COD's best
instalment was their first Modern Warfare:
COD 4 and since then their instalments having
been getting steadily worse, so I'd say that
they were about even.
So, let us begin! For those of you who know
nothing about Titanfall, the game is an FPS
based around two competing factions; the
IMC and the Militia. In the campaign you play
through the stories for both sides, and play
them in a very unique way. I cannot recall
ever seeing an FPS like this playing through
the campaign in an online-lobby style level by
level process, with actual real opponents as
well as a multitude of computer-controlled
bots. Each mission has an objective for each
side and the players must try to complete the
objective to win the game, in a style that
somehow reminds me of a paintball day
out...except with large robots!
However, whoever wins the game doesn't
seem to affect the outcome or what happens
next in the story, which would have been a
really nice addition if they could have imputed
that into the game.
And just like every other FPS, as you win
matches and complete achievements you gain
XP, which in turn allows you to level up,
unlock more weapons and equipment etc., for
you AND your titan. But what did surprise me
was the use of cards in game. While you're
trying your damndest to be the biggest badass
going by free running across literally
everything, turning invisible, jumping in and
out of Titans and killing an absolute shit-ton of
bots, you actually gain cards, which can be
equipped and then used between spawning to
give your guy or gal an extra boost. There are
hundreds of different cards too, ranging from
a simple 'better gun' to being able to infect all
the bots around you with a 'WiFi Virus' that
puts them on your team’s side. The cards do
take a bit of getting used to and for ages I
didn't have a clue what I was doing, until Kim
shouted, "It's really not that hard to
understand, man!" Which resulted in me
thinking I was being more thick
then...then...well something very very thick! I
then went out and learned the card system
and it really isn't that hard. You equip the
cards you want before the game (Maximum of
3) then when or if you die remember to pick a
card to use, and then you get that ability or
whatever the card says until you die again.
Easy! But just a heads up, it’s SO annoying
when you pick a good card and them get
spawn killed, which can still unfortunately
happen in Titanfall. I think the best game I
have seen to prevent spawn killing is Killzone:
Shadow Fall when you have a shielded base
area with indestructible automated turrets
that guard the outside around the shields. But
at least it's not as bad as the spawn killing in
COD when sad people memorize the spawn
layouts just so they can camp and shoot
people as they pop up, I mean seriously, if you
paid £40 for a game just to sit on your arse
and be a douche bag then you need to be
shot...for real!
The multiplayer for Titanfall is pretty similar
to the campaign apart from the different
game modes and I didn't like that to be
honest, I would have preferred that they
made the two experiences feel completely
different to one another. I also thought that
on the whole the campaign was a little short
and really needed bulking out a bit. On the
other hand I actually liked COD: Ghosts
campaign, it is always something they usually
do well, but their multiplayer system just
continues to get worse and worse. But on a
little side note, the game mode 'Last Titan
Standing' was awesome.
But where Titanfall really stands out from the
crowd is the mechanics, the in-game
animations and just all the little minor details
which make this not only visually stunning but
one of the most enjoyable FPS games I have
ever played. The maps are big but not too big,
which has always been my main problem with
COD and Battlefield. COD's maps are too small
and Battlefield's are too big. But with Titanfall,
due to all the running and jumping options,
and the ability to be carried around in or on a
titan, it means that a large map suddenly
turns into a good size map. And there can't be
too many low roofs on the maps either as you
need to be able to call in your titans, so you
can literally go anywhere. They have the same
warning messages as Battlefield for when you
are exiting the war zone, which I have done
occasionally, but I would much rather have
that then invisible walls and really linear map
layouts. It really makes for interesting gaming
because instead of people ‘camping it out’
and waiting for people to come around
corners where they know lots of people come,
it has quite the opposite effect because you
have no idea where they will be coming from.
Everyone just runs around all the time,
desperately trying not to get shot,
assassinated or stepped on by the giant metal
behemoths! Which is amazing because the
warzone looks really alive and vibrant, that
coupled with the bots roaming around and
individual incidents you run into throughout
the maps, such as two enemy soldiers fighting
or one executing a captured foe. Mean that
this is a really exciting and engaging way to
game.
The ability to use a controller is a plus for me,
and it works really well, not once did I feel
outmatched by the other players using a
mouse and keyboard, which was another
problem I had with the PC port of Call of Duty,
it just doesn't work well at all.
Overall I thought this game was a great start,
it already beats Call of Duty hands down, but
is it a 'COD-Killer'? Well...No. Is the simple
answer, I actually thought that this was a
really great middle ground game with a few
extras chucked in for good measure. It sits
quite nicely between both Call of Duty and
Battlefield, but when it comes to making you
feel good, making you feel epic and a total
beast with a big metal monster to play with,
Titanfall is King, and I look forward to seeing
what they will do with it in the future!
Thanks for taking the time to read my review
and I will see you all next time!
-Nathan
Hi again people and welcome to another one
of my Magic 2014 articles. It's going to be a bit
special today as I want to talk about the deck
called Mind Maze. But before I go on I just
have to say this is probably my most favorite
character in the game. I just like the look of
him, and the blue ghostly aura that surrounds
him its just awesome. He's the only one I can
really relate to, if I was a summoner I figure I'd
be the one using illusions and not the big
scary monsters. He's just cool in my mind.
Anyway this
is the man
to the left
and in my
mind he
looks
mystic and
at the same
time, like a
bad ass too.
Now this
deck is a bit
special and I want to adress these things first
before getting into the cards. First of all, all
the creatures in this deck are illusions and
have this one overall rule that reads
something like "As soon as this creature is the
target of a spell or ability, destroy that
creature." This means that even if a spell does
one point of damage and your creature has
ten in toughness it will still die. This is a bit
hard to deal with in my opinion but on the
other hand the deck can be kind of fast if you
get the right cards. So hopefully you won’t
have that kind of problem with too many
spells. Secondly most cards in the deck can be
played with three mana. It’s like a rule I don’t
know if I was intentional or not but if you get
3 or more lands out you can use most of the
creatures in the deck. Still it is nice to be able
to play more then one creture at a time in any
one turn, and I will advice against using only a
handfull of lands in the deck, it did not work
out well for me.
The first card is Jac'e
Phantasm. Its not the
best card by far
especially not in the
beginning of the game.
But it does carry the
name of the summoner
himself, and as I liked
the character I liked
the name. For a single mana cost you get this
1/1 with the flying and Illusion rule. But if you
get it later in the game let’s say when there’s
ten or more cards in your oponents graveyard
this small little 1/1 gets a nice +4/+4 bonus
making it land on a 5/5 in the end. And a 5/5
for just one cost in mana is nothing to be
sniffed at. As I stated earlier though, it still
suffers the same instability as all the Illusions
but I still like the card, just be carefull for
those spells. Still for a one cost card it’s a
good diversion for your stronger cards as well.
Phantasmal Bear is
another low cost card,
again costing only one
point of mana. But
gives you a 2/2. It has
no special rules to give
it any better
survavability, but it
does have a value in it
as a blocker. Its very inexpensive and it’s still a
2/2. Think you also have a few of them and if I
remember I had one of these (or something
similar to it in one of my old starter decks for
magic way back in the Onslaught series, as
well as something called a Vizzerdrix 'A bored
wizard once created a vizzerdrix out of a
bunny and a piranha. He never made that
mistake again' hope I remember that right).
Now this one is a bit
special, Veiled Sentry
is a one cost card and
its an enchantment in
all respects. But as
soon as your oponent
plays a spell card
Veiled Sentry becomes
a Illusion creature with
an power and toughness equal of the spells
converted mana cost. Could be a 1/1 or a nifty
10/10 if your lucky. Depending on your
oponent and the amount of spells thay have,
this can be a nifty thing.
Phantasmal Image is a
spell that creates an
illusion of a target
creture of your
choosing. It’s great to
get a few extra
creatures up or to add
another Lord of the
Unreal. As well as
countering an enemy power. And when and
opponent summons a powerful creture, you
can copy it to your own hand, so it’s a win
win. It does however gain the Illusion rule so
you will have to keep it from spells of any
kind. But if you can do that, it’s a huge bonus.
Now since I brought
him up, Lord of the
Unreal has the ability to
empower all your
Illusions on the board,
giving them a nice
+1/+1 for every card
named Lord of the
Unreal in play. Copy
this card and it will add another one of them
and even more power to the rest of your
creatures. Its not an Illusion itself though, so
will not benefit from it, but on the other hand
it does not suffer from the "get hit by spell,
dies horribly" rule. Not only that, it also gives
all Illusions Hexproof, this is the one card that
you will want, it will solve all your problems
with the rule mentioned above, keep in mind
this is only a 2/2 so you will want to keep it
safe from other creatures and spells.
Krovikan Mist is a mere
two cost creature, but
can snowball to great
strength. It will get
strength and
thoughness equal to the
number of Illusions
there are on the field.
This also means that
once you have to remove one from the field,
it also weakens. And will be a 1/1 if played on
its own. Still it’s a great card that can fastly
suprise your opponent should you have many
Illusions on the field.
Ovinize is a kinda fun
card as it turns one of
your enemies creatures
into a sheep, a 0/1
sheep at that. Its an
instant and only lasts
for one turn, but timing
it right will still be a very
useful card. For example turning a attacking
creature right before you block it. A bit of
timing to make it worth your while but it’s a
good card nonetheless. And to see that
dragon become a sheep is worth it lol.
Phantom Warrior cant
be blocked. This is a 2/2
that your oponent can’t
block even if he wanted
to. It’s not the
strongest, but for a 3
cost card its not that
bad. It’s also one of the
most common cards in
the deck so you will be using it a lot.
Unfortunatly its only a 2/2 and will easily be
picked off by your oponent due to its low
health.
Illusory Angel is an
angel creature, a 4/4 for
the cost of 3 mana. But
it can’t be played unless
you already played
another card before it.
So you will need a
minimum of 4 mana in
order to play it. Making
it a little less valuble, but still in my opinion a
good card, a 4/4 is never wrong, unless its in
your opponents hand that is.
Halcyon Glace is an
Enchantment but every
time you cast a spell it
becomes a 4/4 Illusion
creature with flying until
the end of the turn. It
having flying means that
it can usually attack
something at least in the turn that you get it.
And as you will get it for free every turn you
play a spell it’s a really good investment.
Chronozoa is a special
one. It has the rule
Vanishing 3 meaning
after 3 turns it will die,
but if it does die this
way it will create 2 more
of itself. So it gets to a
never ending way of
self-replicating as long
as it’s not killed off in the beginning before
those 3 turns are up. Keep in mind that the
copies will take another 3 turns untill it copies
again.
Leyline Phantom is a
strong Illusion with a
good 5/5 as it enters
play. But it does have
one weakness. After it
makes combat damage
to a player you have to
return it to your hand.
And use it again next
turn if you can. Its not a bad card, and I use it
mainly for defense but I still attack with it if I
need that extra 5 damage or believe another
creature will be blocked in its stead. Bit of a
set back to have to play it again but its
strength usually makes up for it.
Omniscience an
Enchantment with a
powerful ability. It’s a
whoping 10 cost to play
but after you do, all
your spells are cost free!
How awesome is that?
It’s SO good,
unfortunatly that its high cost usualy means I
don’t get to use it that often as the game has
usually ended by then. Still a card to look for
though, if you have a feeling that you will be
in the game for the long run, try to get it out,
its awesome.
That’s it for this deck. It has a lot more to it
then this but again if I were to talk about it all
there would be very little else I could do in my
days. Hopefully it has given you all some
insight into the deck, and I hope that you will
be able to use it and like it as much as I do.
Happy gaming people and I will see you soon
again.
Captain Phillips
By Nathan Scullard
Captain Phillips is a movie about a true event,
and some of you may already be aware of
what happened, but I will briefly go over the
basics.
Captain Phillips is a captain in the Merchant
Navy and transports goods all over the world.
He was incredibly experienced and had been
captaining ships of this sort for many years.
And as such was well aware of the risks
involved, such as being boarded by pirates. No
not the kind that carry a parrot on their
shoulder and walk with a limp, but pirates all
the same. The most notorious of these are the
Somali pirates, which also happened to be the
exact place that Captain Phillips and his ship
were scheduled to go. And seeing as they
made a movie out of it, I think we can all
safely say that it probably didn't go all that
well.
Captain Phillips vessel was boarded by Somali
pirates, who were unsuccessful in gaining
control to the entire ship as the Captain and
the crew had managed to lock down the
controls before they got to the bridge. The
crew then proceeded to hide in the engine
room. But not wanting to leave empty-handed
the pirates reluctantly agreed to swap Captain
Phillips for one of the other pirates who had
been captured while searching for the crew,
but (surprise surprise) the pirates double
crossed them and kidnapped Captain Phillips
and made their escape in one of the ships
lifeboats.
From that moment on the situation escalates
into a hostage situation, and was highly
publicised and involved huge efforts from
many different agencies.
I don't want to go into too much of what
happens because those of you who followed
the story will already know, and those of you
who didn't should either research it or watch
this film. It is a great film and an interesting
story, Tom Hanks in particular is fantastic as
Captain Phillips. Not 100% accurate to how
the real Captain Phillips is as I have seen
interviews with the real Captain Phillips, but
still portrayed a convincing and impressive
interpretation.
Quite a lot of what makes this movie stand
out is how it was shot. I should have
researched this before, but in typical "me"
fashion I didn't, and I can't remember who the
director was. But as an example of what I
mean, the director managed to get the
identical sister ship to the actual one that
Captain Phillips commanded from The Maersk
Group for realism and also used real Somali-
born American citizens as the actors for the
pirates, who by the way were fantastic. Not all
of these guys are professional actors but they
did a brilliant job. In one scene they had to
jump onto a ladder attached to the hull of the
ship from their moving fishing boat, and guess
what, they did most of their own stunts, and if
I remember right from the special features
this is actually one of the stunts they did.
As another example of the great way in which
this movie was shot, one of the best scenes in
the film was the very last scene, which is good
in itself as it means you're left with a
memorable impression of the movie, but
what really makes it good is that it was
completely improvised. They had had some
emergency service members on the set
anyway just in case there were any accidents
but they decided that they would use them in
the last scene.
Captain Phillips has just been rescued and is in
a notable state of shock, which by the way
Tom Hanks did really well, and they had no
set lines they were just told to do what they
would do if they were on a real job and what
a decision that was. We were left with an
incredibly powerful and believable end to the
film that even had a hint of poignancy to it.
Although I am aware that this film will not be
to everyone's taste, and the story isn't SO
amazing that you'll want to watch it again and
again, but it is a great film and certainly
deserves a decent score. So I am going to give
it an 8.5 out of 10, based purely on the quality
of the cast and the directing. The story was
the weak point to be honest, it wasn't an
action packed adventure that'll keep you
coming back for more, but then again real life
isn't like the movies!
Thanks for taking the time to read another
Tazer Movie Review, and don't forget to sign
up to the website and Subscribe to The Gamer
Gazette so as not to miss out on more great
reviews.
See ya later!
Magic is a game of cards, and everyone has an equal chance winning the game,
unfortunately for the opponent of Ekorrsele not all players are created equal.
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Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate --
Deluxe Edition PC
Action Warner Bros. Interactive
April 2, 2014
The Elder Scrolls Online PC
RPG Bethesda Softworks
April 4, 2014
Daylight PC
Adventure Not Available
April 8, 2014
War of the Vikings PC
Paradox Interactive
April 15, 2014
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood PC
Action Microsoft Game Studios
April 15, 2014
Moebius: Empire Rising PC
Adventure Phoenix Online Studios
April 15, 2014
Life Goes On PC
Platformer Independent
April 16, 2014
Trials Fusion PC
Racing , Action Ubisoft
April 24, 2014
Dark Souls II PC
Action , RPG Bandai Namco Games
April 25, 2014
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 PC
Action Activision
April 29, 2014
Bliss (Enlightened Games) PC
Adventure Enlightened Games
April 2014
Borderlands 2: Sir Hammerlock and the
Son of Crawmerax PC
Shooter , First-Person 2K Games
April 2014
Monochroma PC
Platformer Nowhere Studios
April 2014
Killer is Dead PC
Action Deep Silver
May 9, 2014
Wolfenstein: The New Order PC
Shooter Bethesda Softworks
May 23, 2014
Watch Dogs PC
Action Ubisoft
May 27, 2014
Monster Madness Online PC
Shooter Trendy Entertainment
May 2014
Kill the Bad Guy PC
Puzzle Exkee
May 2014
1849 PC
Simulation SomaSim
May 2014
MouseCraft PC
Puzzle Crunching Koalas
May 2014