JULY 2015 ISSUE
T S MOVERSIAL
O R T CON
T N E L & VIO
O E D I V !
S E M A G
E3 THE BEST OF
Fallout 4 Massive coverage including E3 round up! Page 74
Page 32
This issue is rated
INSIDE 16 32 74 104 THE LIVE TEAM Feature: Violence in Video Games The best of E3
Welcome Boy what a month we’ve got for you. Firstly, we have our E3 round up written by the team at Sticky Trigger. Last month we tackled the issue of sex in games and this month it’s violence. Many games feature action and violence and it seems games are reflecting our world. But before people jump on the whole “games cause violence” bandwagon I’d suggest looking at our article that examines a study that showed violence in games does not correlate to violence in youth. No games seem to me at least, to be a way of de-stressing. Sometimes loading up your favourite FPS and blasting zombies can really help you forget about stress and problems and give you a bit of a buzz. We also look at some of the games that were, in there time, controversial. Check out our retro section where Paul takes a look at the grand daddy of all fighting games… Mortal Kombat! It’s a big month here at Live - we hope you enjoy it as much as we did putting it together. Rob Jenkins Editor
Fallout 4 E3 Round Up Cosplay
Publisher: Rob Jenkins (Gametraders Operations Centre) Art Director: Giselle Capozza (Gametraders Operations Centre) Game Review & Preview Editors: Nick Getley & Kylie Tuttle (Sticky Trigger) Retro Writer: Paul Monopoli Board Games: Jess Wilson Comics: Scott Sowter Sticky Trigger Writers: Kylie Tuttle Nick Getley Alex Holmes Sam Babu Nick Pearce Aaron Milligan Ben Rachow Elliott Buddo Bridget Sweeney Sean Fox Miranda Nelson Tim Arnold Matthew Raspe Sasha Karen Liam Church
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SHENMUE III Shenmue III blasts over $2m goal! Yes it’s true. Yu Suzuki’s long awaited third Shenmue instalment has gone well over the $2,000,000 goal they wanted. At the moment they are not far off $3m. The first game came out in 1999 and a second in 2001, but nothing since. The interview on Kickstarter has an interview with Yu Suzuki and it’s fascinating look at what he’s wanting in the newest incarnation… Want to know more or get involved… head over to the site. Image is from the site www.shenmue.link. www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3
OCULUS RIFT SHIPPING IN 2016 - EARLY 2016… We’ve been excited about the possibilities of the Oculus Rift since the first news popped up on our email and social media. To get us more excited, they’ve now announced that they’ll be shipping to consumes in the first quarter of 2016. The Rift promises consumer VR making it ideal for games, education and entertainment in general. More info here: www.oculus.com/en-us/blog/first-look-at-the-rift-shipping-q1-2016/
H C TE
NEWS JUNE 2015
XBOX ELITE CONTROLLER E3’s come and gone and one very interesting announcement came from Microsoft and their new Xbox Elite controller. It looks to be a hard core, performance controller designed, according to the Xbox.com site, for pro-level players. Retailing in the U.S for $149.99 it’s not cheap but for those who are serious about gaming, it could be exactly what you want and need. It’s covered in buttons, thumb sticks and is configurable to suit your needs. 4 Paddles, 6 Thumbsticks, 2 D-pads, Cary case and a ton more.. Check out the full details here - www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/accessories/controllers/elite-wireless-controller Images from the Xbox.com website.
DATA BANK FOR PS4 NOW IN GAMETRADERS STORES! FEATURES: Easy installation Attaches onto the top of the PS4 console by only accessing a single screw - Screw driver included.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW: Conveniently upgrade your PlayStation 4 hard-drive space. The Data Bank for the PlayStation 4 allows for use of any 3.5’’ hard drive in lieu of the stock 2.5’’ hard drive. Simply remove the top cover of the PS4 and the internal drive by removing one screw with the included screw driver. Then you can snap the Data Bank into place. Once installed the databank allows you to use any standard 3.5” drive which are less expensive at higher capacities than the 2.5” drives inherently supported by the PS4. The unit also includes a front facing LED indicator which illustrates when the PlayStation4 is accessing or saving content from the hard drive.
More memory Expands the internal capacity beyond the standard 513 gb hard drive for saved games and digital downloads. Sleek design The design of the Data Bank smoothly matches the design of the PS4 Console.
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NEWS JUly 2015
MAGIC ORIGINS OUT THIS MONTH! Magic Origins will be hitting stores 17 July! Gametraders Bacchus Marsh, Logan Hyperdome, Chermside, Hornsby, Penrith, Mackay, Marion & Mildura are holding pre-release tournaments June 11 & 12! See page 152 for event details.
DRAGON BALL Z TCG AT GAMETRADERS LIVE MILDURA! Gametraders Live Mildura have just announced they will be holding a Dragonball Z TCG tournament on the 5th July @ 12.30pm - if you’re in the area don’t miss out!
FALLOUT 4 WASTELAND PACK EXCLUSIVE TO GAMETRADERS! We all love exclusives and Gametraders has a cracker for you. We’ve got our Wasteland Pack exclusive featuring Fallout Game plus our laser pistol and it’s gone viral. With orders coming in from all over the country you won’t want to miss this. The gun is a cosplay prop and unlicensed but amazingly well made and hand painted. Don’t miss this!!
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FEATURE ARTICLE
E C N E L O O E I V D I V . N . . I S E M A G
O
making us more violent or not? A paper released by the Journal of Communication, first published by Christopher J Ferguson on the 5th November 2014, looked at violence in media. The article looked at rates of violence through out the mid 20th century to 2005 and stated that “Results suggest that societal consumption of media violence is not predictive of increased societal violence rates.”
(source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley. com/doi/10.1111/jcom.12129/full)
Ferguson, a psychologist at Stetson University in Florida, undertook 2 studies with the first stating:
His second study states:
“Throughout the mid-20th century small-to-moderate correlational relationships can be observed between movie violence and homicide rates in the United States. This trend reversed in the early and latter 20th century, with movie violence rates inversely related to homicide rates.”
In the first study they looked at violence in movies from 1920 to 2005 and they then correlated the homicide rates for the same years. Apart from that short period in the mid part of the 20th century, the number of homicides did not correlate after 1990.
“In the second study, videogame violence consumption is examined against youth violence rates in the previous 2 decades. Videogame consumption is associated with a decline in youth violence rates. Results suggest that societal consumption of media violence is not predictive of increased societal violence rates.”
In this second study, he looked at violent content in video games from 1996 to 2011 and found that youth violence declined in that period but he concluded that “such a correlation is most likely due to chance and does not indicate video games caused the decline in youth violence.” You can bet this won’t be the last study on video game violence and it’s likely that different studies may have different results. In Australia we have a very good rating system that classifies games (and movies) into a number of categories to ensure mature content is not so easily accessible by minors. The ratings in Australia are: (from the Office of Classifications website www.classifications.gov.au
HOW RATINGS WO The Australian Classification CTC
CTC - Check the classification. The content has been assessed and approved for advertising unclassified films and computer games. Any advertising of unclassified films and games must display the CTC message on posters, trailers, on the internet, and any other types of advertising. G - General. The content is very mild in impact. The G classification is suitable for everyone. G products may contain classifiable elements such as language and themes that are very mild in impact. However, some G-classified films or computer games may contain content that is not of interest to children. PG - Parental Guidance. The content is mild in impact. The impact of PG (Parental Guidance) classified films and computer games should be no higher than mild, but they may contain content that children find confusing or upsetting and may require the guidance of parents and guardians. They may, for example, contain classifiable elements such as language and themes that are mild in impact. It is not recommended for viewing or playing by persons under 15 without guidance from parents or guardians. M - Mature. The content is moderate in impact. Films and computer games classified M (Mature) contain content of a moderate impact and are recommended for teenagers aged 15 years and over. Children under 15 may legally access this material because it is an advisory category. However, M classified films and computer games may include classifiable elements such as violence and nudity of moderate impact that are not recommended for children under 15 years. Parents and guardians may need to find out more about the film or computer game’s specific content, before deciding whether the material is suitable for their child.
ORK: Board
There are two separate Boards that are independent from the government and from each other. There is the full time Classification Board that decides the classifications of films, video games and certain publications and the Classification Review Board that meets only to review a decision of the Classification Board when there is a valid application for review. The Board bases its’ classifications on six elements: Themes, Violence, Sex, Language, Drug Use & Nudity Below are a list of classifications you’ll find on games and movies:
MA 15+ - Mature Accompanied 15+. The content is strong in impact. MA 15+ classified material contains strong content and is legally restricted to persons 15 years and over. It may contain classifiable elements such as sex scenes and drug use that are strong in impact. A person may be asked to show proof of their age before hiring or purchasing an MA 15+ film or computer game. Cinema staff may also request that the person show proof of their age before allowing them to watch an MA 15+ film. Children under the age of 15 may not legally watch, buy or hire MA 15+ classified material unless they are in the company of a parent or adult guardian. Children under 15 who go to the cinema to see an MA 15+ film must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian for the duration of the film. The parent or adult guardian must also purchase the movie ticket for the child. The guardian must be an adult exercising parental control over the person under 15 years of age. The guardian needs to be 18 years or older.
Parents and guardians may need to find out more about the film or computer game’s specific content, before deciding whether the material is suitable for their child. R 18+ - Restricted to 18+. The content is high in impact R 18+ material is restricted to adults. Such material may contain classifiable elements such as sex scenes and drug use that are high in impact. Some material classified R18+ may be offensive to sections of the adult community. A person may be asked for proof of their age before purchasing, hiring or viewing R18+ films and computer games at a retail store or cinema. There is also an X 18+ for adult films and these titles are only available for sale in the ACT and the Northern Territory. Sometimes games are refused classification. This can cause gamers to be frustrated, citing that the R18+ classification should take care of adult content. But still some games don’t get classified until the publishers/developers have addressed the concerns of the Classification Board.
CTC
Want to know more? Visit the Australian Classification website - www.classification. gov.au
FEATURE ARTICLE
E C N E L O O E I V D I V N I S E M A G With this issue tackling all things violent in our much loved pastime, we thought it the perfect opportunity to go back and look at some of the gaming world’s most controversial and most violent and dig a little deeper under the surface. Most outsiders, and even a few too many gamers ourselves, are guilty of seeing one of these unashamedly gory titles and seeing little more than just that. Some of the most risquÊ titles offer little more than the promise of pure unadulterated violence, but for others it’s simply a means of delivery; delivery of a genuinely good or innovative gaming experience. Here are some of the titles your mother would never let you grab off the shelf, and what lies behind the action.
O
MAD WORLD (2009) PLATINUM G AMES/
This one was always shocking, and not just for the subject matter. Mad World was a Nintendo Wii exclusive, and to anyone and everyone who games, something based almost entirely on violently dispatching your foes seems like the furthest thing from a good fit for the Wii. The game was based on a fictional game show called Death Watch, with happy home viewers tuning in to watch unhappy contestants go at it in the most stupendously violent ways imaginable. Cue a game with truly constant action at a consistently over the top level, Mad World wasn’t a bad game by any means. It just wasn’t particularly good either. In short bursts the game was
S EGA
seriously fun, but honestly for little more than the action. This is one of the games which doesn’t try to recreate believable or realistic violence, instead taking on an almost cartoony approach by stylizing it out the wazoo. Entirely black & white, aside from the copious amounts of bright red blood, it looked more like Sin City than a Wii game. This, along with the cinematic nature of a Platinum Games title made for a visually captivating experience that was just as fun to simply look at as it was to play. But then we came to realise that not even all that blood could save a case of all style and no sub-
stance. Mad World came with an utterly nonsensical story, awful game structure and more repetition than a Dynasty Warriors game. Platinum had indeed developed a solid core, but the end product was just a glorified killing simulator barely deserving of a retail release. Verdict: Perhaps with some of the diversity and variety of most of the studios other titles, this crazy violence would have earned its place, but there’s nothing under the colourless skin of Mad World to warrant remembering.
MANHUNT (2003)
One of the most wholly controversial games of all time, as well as one of the biggest amongst its fellow violent peers; Manhunt. The studio best known for creating Grand Theft Auto took its violent reputation to new heights with Manhunt, a more linear adventure then they’re usually known for, and with a focus on stealth. Manhunt put the players in the boots of James Earl Cash, a definable nobody who awakens after what was supposed to be his Lethal Injection, only to find himself cast in a snuff film by a sadistic director who forces Cash to fight his way through hordes of relentless gangs and hired thugs to earn his freedom. More like the plot of either a really good, or really bad, horror movie, Manhunt was a true no-holds-barred experience that definitely lives up to its reputation. The games main gameplay focus
ROCKSTAR NORTH/ROCKSTAR
was on stealth, and the environments and action built around it. While largely linear and level-based, there was a good amount of freedom in how to go about your objectives, which admittedly were pretty much to murder every mofo dumb enough to get in your way and make a hasty escape. But don’t confuse the simplicity of the objectives with the games quality; Manhunt was through and through a terrific title. Rockstar broke new ground with Manhunt, which came at a pivotal point in Stealth Games popularity and helped push and grow the genre. It was a varied experience that stuck with you not just for the sheer brutality of the violence, but the actual fun you had committing it. Now, without jumping down my throat for that comment, just look at what the game offered. Tons of weapons and intelligent AI to use them on; solid, polished gameplay
and a great environment to play in; a challenging, satisfying and wellpaced campaign. Manhunt wasn’t a cheap gimmick of poor quality disguised in ultraviolence, it was a huge, well-crafted feat of interactive innovation that while giving the open minded or at least easily entertained gamers a great time, also made for important arguments about just what video games could, should and would go on to get away with. Manhunt is the Clockwork Orange of video games. Verdict: By delivering what is essentially the most violent video game ever made with surprisingly great gameplay, Rockstar created one of the most important games in the industry’s history, which if you can excuse the dated controls still holds up today as a prime example of the golden age of stealth games. And of course, violence.
) 5 1 0 2 ( D E HATR ATIONS E R C E V I T C U R DIST Here we go, the one you’ve been waiting for. The new standard of controversy and violence, Destructive Creations’ Hatred is the ‘mass murder simulator’ that’s been riling everyone up for months now. Released just a few weeks ago, the game is a largely pointless twinstick action game based almost purely on the objective to kill as many innocent people as you can. But to the right person, it’s still good fun, you see. It seems the fact that the game has so little in the way of narrative or story makes many people view the
violence as much worse, but it’s actually not as bad as others in this article. Hatred is a very fast paced game, you can gun down dozens of bystanders in seconds, and only the executions of the injured are particularly graphic. The game has a questionable theme yes, but as far as indie titles go, it’s actually quite well developed and has some seriously noteworthy features. Hatred is the one the best twin-stick or isometric shooters in terms of core gameplay, and with its own realised visual style, goes to show not everything that seems like it only exists to piss certain people off has to suck.
Hatred certainly won’t win any awards. But it’s far from a bad game by today’s standards, with some right shockers being released from the commercial and indie worlds both, and is at least some good old fashioned dumb fun. Verdict: The violence in Hatred – which takes it all new extremes – is not just the main theme of the game, but the sole objective too. There is a quality game at the centre, but it’s not the violence that clouds it, rather just some poor design choices which stop a ‘fun’ game from being a very ‘good’ game.
POSTAL 2 (2 003) RUNNING WI TH SC Now here’s something a little different. The Postal games don’t try to hide or justify what they are, or why they’re so over the top violent and offensive; they simple exist to be offensive. For the most part, they don’t even try to be good games, but somehow they kind of are, and Postal 2 is the prime example of their lunacy. Coming at a time when some developers were still poking and prodding to see what they could get away with, Postal went all out to give players an adventure like no other. Jump into the boots of Postal Dude, a lowly trailer park resident, as he goes about his regular week leading up to the apocalypse in the picturesque town of Paradise. You have 5 days to complete your objectives before the event, but are free to spend your time any way you please. Set in an open-world map, Postal gives players the freedom to complete objectives in a calm peaceful manner, or make the most of the uninhibited craziness that surrounds them. If you’re so inclined you can make this into one of
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the most violent, racist, sexist, homophobic, offensive pieces of media fathomable, but it’s all optional. The games tagline, “Remember, it’s only as violent as you are!” pretty much sums it up. It’s this type of player choice that manages to turn Postal from a hot mess of unnecessary stupidity into a perhaps unintentionally smart game. Between forcibly using house cats as weapon silencers (I’ll let you think about that one for a minute), peeing on command as an attack, taking on Al-Qaeda or hanging out with the one and only Gary Coleman, Postal 2 absolutely doesn’t take itself too seriously, and nor should you. Verdict: In no way a good game by any stretch of technicality, Postal 2 is still a definable classic, and is a strangely lovable, hilarious thrill-ride any way you want to play it. Indulge yourself and go mental in Paradise, and there’s no way you won’t have a good time.
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) 2 9 9 1 ( T A B M O K L MORTA /NETHERREALM STUDIOS AMES G Y A W D I M
One of the fighting genre’s biggest juggernauts, Mortal Kombat is as wonderfully technical and wildly entertaining as it is incredibly violent. In fact, Mortal Kombat’s unique brand of entertaining ultraviolence is one of the primary reasons we have the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rating system. When it arrived in 1992, fighting games were still in their infancy, featuring realistic martial artists, or, as Street Fighter would have it, colourful fighters from around the world throwing fireballs at each other without fear of permanent disfigurement – or death. Ed Boon and the staff at Midway’s Chicago office fundamentally changed the gaming and entertainment industry in 1992 with the release of Mortal Kombat. Here we had a game where ninjas and other warriors not only fought in each other in a tournament, but battled each
other to the death. Heads would be severed, hearts would be removed, people would be set ablaze and people would even be electrocuted to death. There was nothing quite like the game before it, and, despite the countless attempts of innumerable copycat developers, there wouldn’t be anything quite like it again until Mortal Kombat II. Like the majority of other games in this article, Mortal Kombat became famous for its violent content. It’s why every child on Earth wanted to get their hands on it, and it’s why every mother on the planet tried like heck to stop that from happening. But was the gameplay any good? Was there a solid fighter underneath the gore and viscera?
Visually, it’s hard to think of a more outdated game from the early 90s than the early Mortal Kombat games. The digitized versions of
real actors for the game’s characters (and their outfits) are hilariously goofy by today’s standards, as is the voice acting. Perhaps though, that was a ploy from Midway. If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, perhaps a spoonful of spandex helps the ultraviolence gain acceptance? Verdict: Mortal Kombat’s core gameplay doesn’t hold up particularly well by today’s standards, but that doesn’t mean that the game wasn’t hugely influential for a number of reasons. It’s ultraviolent content was backed up engrossing content, opening the doors for other games such as DOOM and Grand Theft Auto. Ed Boon and Midway took the far too cutesy video game industry and bludgeoned it over the head, and the entire industry as a whole benefitted from it.
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A game that was so insanely violent that EA Games refused to publish it, even after fully funding it’s development and the game was complete. Thrill Kill was hyped to become the next Mortal Kombat, a four-player free-for-all where one by one players were gruesomely eliminated until only two remained, with the loser of that bout receiving the worst death blow of all.
With the game cancelled, Paradox Entertainment (Thrill Kill’s developer) staff uploaded the game to the internet, where it became immensely popular among owners of modified PlayStation 1 consoles.
So how could a game billed as the next Mortal Kombat cross the line? A number of ways. Characters included a maniac in a medical gown with recently severed arms, Dr Faustus, a surgeon who removed his own jaw and teeth and replaced them with bear trap-style teeth, and Belladonna, a stripper who...let’s just say conducted herself in a lewd manner at the start and end of every fight. Verdict: Despite the majority of publishers and gamers feeling Thrill Kill crossed the line, it did contain a pretty solid fighting game engine. The 4-player bouts were ahead of
their time in many respects, and the fact that anybody could form an alliance or literally stab you in the back kept every fight fresh and intense. The engine used would be re-used for the Wu-Tang video game, WuTang: Taste the Pain and would be refined over the years for the brilliant Def Jam Vendetta and Def Jam: Fight for NY, which featured the biggest names in rap and hip hop (at the time) wailing on each other in epic 4-player free-for-alls. Thrill Kill and its controversy, was still a decent game that laid the groundwork for some phenomenal fighters.
Now we could go on and on about the countless Mortal Kombat clones that provided ultraviolence without actually having decent gameplay (we’re looking at you Mace: The Dark Age and War Gods!), but we would be here all day! For every Manhunt and Mortal Kombat, there are handfuls of bargain bin titles or games that have been banned for well and truly crossing the line. If you missed some of these titles when they originally hit, it might be time to track them down and discover their brilliant but bloody gameplay. Except for Mad World.
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E3 2015 was a huge success for gaming developers, gaming companies, PR reps and fans alike! With so much shown over the 3 day event, we would have filled this entire issue on each showcase from each developers, so we have picked out what we thought were the fan favourites! Here is the best from E3‌ based on what we think were the highlights of the shows!
Xboxonegetting backwards compatibility (Microsoft) Xbox One will be the only console to support backward compatibility natively for select Xbox 360 games, for free, and all with Xbox One features including screenshots, broadcasting and GameDVR. Backward compatibility is one of the mostrequested fan features, and more than 100 classic Xbox 360 games will be available at launch, with more to come. While not all Xbox 360 titles will be available at launch, fans can submit what titles they’d like to see added via Xbox Feedback, and Xbox will work with game publishers to continue to release new titles regularly.
This is the one that we had been waiting for and they saved the best to last! In its biggest reveal, Bethesda announced that Fallout 4 will hit the shelves on 11 November 2015. Welcoming you to their most ambitious game ever, and the next generation of open-world gaming! As the sole survivor of Vault 111, you enter a world destroyed by nuclear war. Every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours. Only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. Welcome home. Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours. An all-new next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of Fallout like never before. From the blasted forests of the Commonwealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail. Collect, upgrade, and build thousands of items in the most advanced crafting system ever. Weapons, armor, chemicals, and food are just the beginning – you can even build and manage entire settlements. Excitingly, fans of the Pip-Boy have the chance to own their own, limited edition Pip-Boy which actually does work and runs via a smart phone app so you can insert your smart phone and use it in-game.
FALLOUT4IS LEAVINGTHE VAULTINTIME FORCHRISTMAS (BETHESDA)
The beginning of the Nintendo stream saw Iwata, Reggie and Miyamoto turning into Peppy Hare, Falco Lombadi and Fox McCloud, respectively. Thankfully, no one turned into Slippy Toad. This led into the first title, Star Fox Zero, which was teased at last year’s E3. Gameplay was shown with the flying Arwing, delivering a cinematic third person on the television, with a first-person view through the cockpit. Arwings this time can transform from the space fighter to a robotic walker, and includes other vehicles, including the tank-inspired Landmaster and a drone-looking Gyrowing, with the ability to send out a robot on a rope to explore. Miyamoto then talked about the history of Star Fox, such as inspiration drawing from the 1965 television show Thunderbirds, with cinematic elements and drama, Miyamoto’s childhood cartoon drawings with a humanised fox as a main character, and the original concept of an Arwing transforming into a walking robot was an idea in Star Fox 2, but Star Fox 2 was never released. The ‘Zero’ in the title comes from the idea that this game isn’t a sequel or a remake, and looks like a fox’s tail to Miyamoto when drawn with a calligraphy brush. Star Fox Zero will be released in the fourth quarter of 2015. After Star Fox Zero, Reggie took centre stage and talked about how the opening with the Nintendo staff represented a theme; transformation, with Nintendo taking on theme parks with Universal Studios, mobile games, and the next Nintendo hardware of the codenamed NX, and transformation of gameplay, with the example of Mario transforming the 2D platforming genre with the 1985 NES title Super Mario Bros. and the 3D adventure genre with the 1996 Nintendo 64 title Super Mario 64.
Starfox Zero (Nintendo)
The last game to be looked at Nintendo’s E3 Digital Event was Super Mario Maker. The inspiration behind the game, the tool used to construct Mario levels, was expanded and turned into something that everyone can enjoy. In the old documents used for Super Mario Bros., a level depicting Mario flying on a cloud firing fireballs was found, and could not be implemented due to limitations, but with Super Mario Maker, these limitations no longer exist. amiibo functionality was also detailed, with amiibo unlocking a retro outfit of that character to play around with when a Mystery Mushroom is acquired. Super Mario Maker will be released on the 12th of September exclusively for the Wii U, and will come with a hardcover art book with sample level designs. In addition, two special Mario amiibo will be released, that when tapped in spawn a Big Mushroom for Mario, which as well as allowing Mario to grow big also allow you to break blocks from any direction and add a screen filter resembling a cathode ray tube television screen. In addition to the regular release, a limited edition Super Mario Maker bundle will be available and includes the game, art book, and a Mario (Classic Colours) amiibo from the Mario 30th Anniversary Collection. Mario (Classic Colours) amiibo and Mario (Modern Colours) amiibo will be able to be purchased on their own during Summer 2015.
SUPERMARIO MAKER (NINTENDO)
SHENMUE 3 KICKSTARTER (SONY) Visionary Japanese game develop Yu Suzuki took 5 minutes during Sony’s presentation to announce to fans that he would be starting a KickStarter campaign to develop Shemue 3. Fans have been waiting a number of years for the Shenmue saga to be completed, though until this year’s E3 this seemed like impossibility. Within 10 hours of the KickStarter going live, the $2m target for the gaming development to be started had been funded and the dollar counter keeps on ticking! Shenmue 3 is scheduled for release on PS4 and PC in 2017. It’s rumoured around $10m will be needed if fans want the game to be a full-fledged open world! There is still time to pledge – head over to: www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3
EA’s E3 showcase for 2015’s E3 was impressive! The crowd roared at the opening sequence of a game fan have wanted for a long time, the Sci-Fi RPG from BioWare – Mass Effect: Andromeda. EA was rather heavy clad with sport titles this year; however in saying that, they are putting on a pretty good spread of games from multiple genres so fans of the publisher shouldn’t be too disappointed! EA announced new physics-based puzzle platformer titled Unravel. Unravel introduces Yarny, a tiny, new character made from a single thread of yarn, who embarks on a seemingly larger than life journey through the breath-taking, lush environments of Northern Scandinavia. Using Yarny’s small thread and big heart, players will traverse nature’s obstacles in this unique physics-based puzzle platformer. They also announced that they will team up with the crew from PopCap and the battle for suburbia grows to crazy new heights. Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2, the outrageous new adventure set in the Plants vs. Zombies universe! Get excited! Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, a title which was announced in 2014’s E3 will be available February 25, 2016 in Australia and February 26, 2016 in New Zealand. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst immerses players in the origin story of Faith, and her rise from a careless young woman to a heroine who opens the eyes of an entire city. Featuring fluid movement and combat in a massive city where you can run free and explore, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst adds a new level of immersion to action adventure games by putting you in the first person perspective. You are not just watching Faith’s fight for freedom, you will experience it through her eyes.
EA impress with multiple new releases
It finally has a release date! Lock it in people, 8 March 2016 will see The Division hit the shelves and it’s been one game that we have been waiting on for what seems like a life time! Praise the baby cheeses! The urban survival themed shooter was first show in 2013 at E3 and updates on its release have been hush hush since it was delayed. However, from what Ubi showed today the game play is even more glorious than its original debut and we can’t wait for this one! When a devastating pandemic sweeps through New York City, and one by one, basic services fail. In only days, without food or water, society collapses into chaos. The Division, an autonomous unit of tactical agents, is activated. Leading seemingly ordinary lives among us, these agents are trained to operate independently in order to save society. Ubi have also promised beta access early next year! Defiantly one to go on the pre order list folks! Tom Clancy’s The Division will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
Ubisoft confirm The Division release date....
FINALLY!
Quite possibly one of the biggest reveals at E3 was that Final Fantasy VII will be getting a remake! Its something the RPG fans have been begging for! It won’t be a totally new game however with gaming director Tetsuya Noruma advising “In terms of taking a such an iconic game and giving it a fresh feel, we can’t go into too much detail but we’re not intending for this to become a one-to-one remake, or just the original Final Fantasy VII with better graphics”. We are pleased to hear that they won’t be interfering with the game’s iconic elements too much and are also very pleased to hear that there will be some new content added! Saddle up your chocobo people!
Final Fantasy VII is getting a remake
Fans of the stealth-action franchise Hitman have been clambering for a new game since 2012’s Hitman: Absolution, and while we did finally get one at E3 this year, I think it’s safe to say this new ‘HITMAN‘ game has taken us all by surprise. Hitman: Absolution saw lo Interactive deviate from the normal style of Hitman games, with a focus on narrative and character exploration. While some fans were vocal about wanting to be all-business, others (like myself) were pleased with many elements from Absolution. Just like that, lo Interactive have surprised everyone again with yet another unexpected direction for the bald barcode: a focus on the life of the travelling assassin like never before.
Square Enix announce that Agent 47 returns
Simply titled ‘HITMAN‘, this new game featuring 47 will see him get back to what he does best – taking out high profile targets all around the world. “This is a true HITMAN fantasy, a highly challenging, thinking person’s game where creativity is rewarded,” said Christian Elverdam, Creative Director, Io-Interactive. “You have the power and intelligence of Agent 47 at your fingertips and it is your choice whether to use brute force or orchestrate a genuine masterpiece of assassination.” Gameplay focuses on taking out targets in huge and intricate sandbox levels with complete freedom of approach. Where to go, when to strike and who to kill – it is all up to you. And for the first time HITMAN will lead with a digital release inviting players into a world of assassination. “This is new ground for HITMAN, coming out digital first enables us to do something new, bold and ex-
citing,” said Hannes Seifert, Studio Head at Io-Interactive. “We are building a live, expanding and evolving world of assassination where we continuously develop the game, listening closely to the players as we release new locations, missions and hits as soon as they are ready.” HITMAN will begin on December 8th, evolving and deepening over time, with this initial storyline concluding in 2016.
Bungie and Activision revealed ‘The Taken King‘ for Destiny at E3, with the trailer ultimately getting Guardians pretty excited for the future of the game. The Taken King expansion looks pretty damn exciting, with Oryx able to interrupt player’s during their fight against other alien forces in order to add a whole new challenge to the game. Bungie have stated they wanted to make the aliens seem even more “alien like”, so expect teleporting and invisible Hive with deadly new skills in their repertoires. Bungie want players to feel a sense of urgency, that Oryx is hunting them and that no matter what level they are, no one is safe. On the plus side, Bungie’s knack for clever puzzles (like those in the Vault of Glass) is in fine form inside Ory’s massive fortress, and of course, there is loot galore. New sub-classes have also been created for the Guardians, finally giving players the ability to use that one element they’ve been missing out on, but also allowing for more diverse and strategic gameplay – the Hunter’s energy bow is pretty awesome! In addition to new campaign missions and subclasses, The Crucible is getting new game modes: Mayhem and Rift. Mayhem is essentially Team Deathmatch, though much more chaotic. Rift injects Destiny’s multiplayer with some much needed objective-based gameplay, and feels like Destiny’s version of Capture The Flag. The Taken King hits shelves on 9 September 2015.
Activision's Destiny 'The Taken King' warns "No Legend Is Safe"
gameS REVIEWS & PREVIEWS WOLFENSTEIN: THE OLD BLOOD
REVIEW
CODE NAME:
S.T.E.A.M. REVIEW
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SPLATOON REVIEW
THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT REVIEW
SPLAT
ATOON review
REVIEW
SPLATOON Announced at last year’s E3, Nintendo has brought Splatoon over to our consoles, taking a new approach at the multiplayer shooter genre. Is the game as fresh as its concept? Or has it been left out in the sun for far too long, letting it go stale?
The basic concept behind Splatoon is that two sets of four players go head to head in a Turf War with the goal of shooting their ink in each map, with the team that covers the most amount of space wins. It’s a simple concept, but one that simply works well. Added to this is the fact that the playable characters, these kids called Inklings, have the ability to turn into squids and swim through their own ink. Tapping an icon of a teammate on the menu shown on the GamePad enables a super jump, where you rocket to that player, which can really help players get into the thick of combat quickly. The gameplay really hooks you in. At your disposal are an array of weapons divided into three categories; main, sub and special weapons. To be more pacific, Main weapons are then divided into three categories, fast shooting Shooters, the long-range Chargers, and the up and close Rollers. A sub weapon is attached to the main weapon that provides different tactics, such as the Splat Bombs that explode, enemy-seeking Seekers, and the shot-blocking Splash Wall, among others. Ink turf and you’ll charge up
a meter, charge it up to maximum and you’ll enable a special weapon, also attached to the main weapon. These special weapons give you an incredible advantage to your enemy stopping power, such as the Killer Wail, a giant sound cannon that instantly splats your foes, or the Kraken, that turns your squid form into an invincible Kraken that spreads ink wherever it goes. While not stated outright, the weapons are varied enough to make Splatoon almost a class-based shooter, with each main weapon and its varying sub and special weapons each filling a different niche. Upon starting the game, players will find themselves watching the news in Inkopolis Plaza, the hub overworld. The news is hosted by the lovely pun integrated Callie and Marie, who function as the game’s way of updating players when there’s a new map rotation, single player story updates for world building, and notifications when new content is available for players. This wouldn’t be too bad, if it wasn’t for the fact that this news update happens every time the game’s started, and every four hours to notify players of the new map rotation, despite the fact that the maps in rotation are shown in the multiplayer menu. This news update also can’t be skipped which would be nice from time to time, even if Callie and Marie do have some clever wordplay. After the news, players will have control in Inkopolis Plaza. Other
Inklings from playable characters appear here after playing a match with or against them, or if they had posted a Miiverse post. Miiverse posts can also show up as graffiti on the walls here, and in levels. It’s very much a representation of the Internet; there’s some really talent works, some downright deprave images, random mumblings, and memes. It adds a little bit of personality, and there’s always a chance that you could sea your picture somewhere in game. Inkopolis Plaza is also home to Booyah Base, the shopping district. Here players can acquire new weapons at Ammo Knights, and gear in the form of splashionable footwear, clothes and headgear. Each gear has an innate ability, and up to three slots for random abilities which can range from using up less ink, faster movement speed, dealing stronger damage, or even the ability to see the enemy when standing on the home base; there’s a lot of choices. Gear can level up after multiplayer matches, to which a random ability will be given to that slot. While this may draw attention to certain clothes items over others, extra gear slots can be unlocked for all items, and the random extra abilities can be rerolled, so gear are essentially a drawn out aesthetic choice. At this point, online multiplayer is playable by only one person per Wii U and is split between two the game modes of Regular Battle and
Ranked Battle, each with their own individual game modes of Turf War and Splat Zones. Mentioned prior, the maps rotate every four hours. From the six available maps so far, only two in each game mode are able to be played. While this cuts back on constant variety, it helps to make gameplay feel fresh in the long term; every session, two different maps to play that you might not have played in a while. As an aside, when players search for people to join, the GamePad switches over to the mini game Squid Jump, where a Squid has to jump vertically to get the Zapfish in every level. This kind of endless jumper would be a better fit for mobile devices, but inkluding this little fini game is a fun way to pass the time, and can also be played in Inkopolis Plaza. Regular Battle matches anyone in the world and pits two sets of four Inklings in a three minute battle to see who can ink the most turf. Win or lose, players gain experience points based on the amount of points earned in the match, and 300 extra points given to winners. Having a friend join you can be chosen from the multiplayer menu. If they’re in a game, you’re put in a queue to join them as soon as someone else leaves and the battle finishes, which is nice enough. Sometimes you’ll both be put on the same team, and other times your friends will be put on the enemy team, which can be frustrating if you have good synergy with someone, but maybe I’m being shellfish and want the good players for myself. After reaching level 10, players can enter Ranked Play, which matches players of a given skill level, from Cto A+. Win a game, and you’ll gain
points to rank up and experience points. Lose, and you get nothing, and lose points towards your rank; ranking down is a legitimate possibility, so it’s for only the strongest of character and of will. Offline modes are restricted to the Battle Dojo and the single player campaign. The Battle dojo pits one person on the GamePad and one person on the TV with a Classic Controller Pro, Wii U or Pro Controller to see who can pop the most balloons. It’s not much, but it’s something. The ability to take a friend online with you on the same console with this layout would have been nice. There’s nothing much to the story of single player, or Hero Mode at first glance. The Great Zapfish and regular sized Zapfish have been stolen and it’s up to you to save them. Secret Sunken Scrolls are scattered throughout the levels, and it’s these that provide the world building and provide subtle clues as to why the world of Splatoon is what it is; they’re inkredible. Gameplay wise, the levels in single player are great too, with mechanics being thrown at you at every turn. The final boss gets a shout out too, and it’s sure to put a smile on your face. An extra form of replayability comes through with amiibo functionality. The Splatoon series of amiibo, Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, and the Squid, unlock twenty challenges each based on the single player levels. Inkling Girl has you revisiting levels with a Charger, Inkling Boy, a roller, and the Squid gives you a combination of levels with an unlimited Kraken special weapon, and levels that come with a limited supply of ink. Some of these challenges are
quite challenging, but the fair kind. Each amiibo unlocks a gear set, a new mini game, and a Shooter, Charger and Roller to be used online. The only real boon though is the mini game and the challenges themselves; gear sets are almost meaningless with the random abilities, and the weapons are reskins of the default weapons. For those though who can’t get their hands on these amiibo, single player won’t last all too long, but for those who can, it’s the shore thing to give you a little bit more to do. The soundtrack is downright phenomenal. Puck rock, hip hop; this game sounds as fresh as it declares itself to be. There was no real reason for the game to have such a great soundtrack, but for-tuna-tely it does. Graphically, Splatoon is one fantastic colourful cartoony mess. Colours clash for all the right reasons. Extra free content is also been added quite regularly, and will continue to do so in the near future. So far the Ranked Battles, two weapons, and a whole new map have been added, with a multitude of new content planned, such as multiplayer game modes Tower Control and Rainmaker, and many maps are planned to be introduced in the rotation, as well as the introduction of Splatfests, where a question will be posed to players, and upon answering that question, they join that team. The first Splatfest will be “Which music do you prefer, rock or pop?”, and will be from June 28th 3:00 AM to June 29th 3:00AM AEST. A major update is expected in August, which will bring with it the ability to have a party of friends in
8.5/10 PROS: GAMEPLAY IS EASY TO PICK UP, HARD TO PUT DOWN THE TUNES ARE INCREDIBLY FRESH PUNS ARE ON POINT SUNKEN SCROLLS BACKSTORY FREE CONTENT FOR FREE Ranked Battle, and for eight friends to play with each other with custom rulesets. It’s just an endless stream of content. Splatoon is a very fantastic reason to have a Wii U. The same console multiplayer is a bit of a letdown, and the single player takes a little bit to get used to, but the multiplayer is where Splatoon goes swimmingly. The limited options at first are a bit of a drag, but put in action they make everything feel fresh. With more content coming for free, Splatoon is a must-have right now, and will be an even bigger must-have in the future. A definite pearl.
CONS: HERO MODE’S STORY BATTLE DOJO NO COUCH CO-OP
WRITTEN BY SASHA KAREN WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM
CODE N
S.T.
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T.E.A.M. review
REVIEW
CODE NAME: S.T. The concept of steampunk has been around since the 19th century, but not very often does it show up in the world of Nintendo. But now for the first time, Nintendo has a game revolving around the concept. Developed by strategy game veterans Intelligent Systems, who you may know as the developers of Fire Emblem; Codename: S.T.E.A.M. is a unique blend of Turn-Based Strategy and Third-Person Shooter that is unlike anything else from Nintendo in terms of both art style and gameplay. Set in an alternate version of the 1800s where great advances in steam technology have been made, American soldier Henry Fleming is stationed in London’s American embassy on the day of opening of the Steamgate Bridge, when suddenly the city is under attack by an unknown alien race. He meets up with his old friend John Henry, where they proceed to be rescued by an airship called Lady Liberty, and the duo are enlisted into Codename S.T.E.A.M. (Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace), a strike force created by none other than President Abe Lincoln! The main gameplay involves using a team of four units and using them to clear the given objective of the mission. Steampunk is more than just an aesthetic in the game, as one of the main mechanics of the gameplay is the Steam Gauge. This gauge tells you how much steam you have left in your boiler pack.
Steam powers your units’ movement and weapons, and it is critical to effectively manage your steam effectively. If enough steam is left over on a unit when you end your turn, that character will be able to perform an overwatch attack. Overwatch allows your units to automatically attack the enemy if they cross your sights on the enemy’s turn. Beware however, as the enemy can also use overwatch themselves on your turn. The game’s mix of Turn-Based Strategy and Third-Person Shooter allows for some strategic tactics you wouldn’t be able to pull off in another strategy game like Fire Emblem. Although movement is tile-based, you have space to move around in on that tile. You can use this to your advantage, like being able to hide from an enemy’s view by standing just in the right position behind cover on a tile where you would have been vulnerable if you were a little further to one side. Since tiles have a fair amount of space, it’s also possible to have multiple units on the same tile if one is positioned right to provide space. Positioning characters on a tile adds a new layer of depth in it’s own right, as you don’t just have to think about which tile you are moving to, but to what position on said tile. Customising your team before each mission plays a big role in the outcome of a mission. Each character has their own signature weapon, perk and special ability, some of
which will be critical to success on certain missions. You can change your units’ secondary weapons and boiler packs, more of which are unlocked by collecting medals and gears respectively throughout missions, and you can again extra medals for meeting optional criteria such as not letting a unit get defeated or clearing a map in under a set amount of turns. The game also provides replay value by allowing you to redo completed missions, letting you try them again with a different combination of characters and weapons, or adding restrictions such as no longer being allowed to backtrack. You can also move up ranks by collecting medals, but this is more of a bragging rights feature. Despite the great concepts and unique gameplay, there are a few annoying factors that drag the experience down a bit. The biggest of these would have to be how you can’t view the map outside of your character’s view. This all too often leads to having your character walk around a corner to get a better view and ending up being shot at by an enemy using overwatch. The enemy can also take far too long to move on their turn, and since their turn is still viewed through your units’ field of view, there is often times where the camera just stares at a wall where view of the enemy’s movement is obscured. A fast-forward feature was added in a patch to alleviate the former issue, but even with this it can take a good while if there are a lot of enemy units on the
.E.A.M.
7.5/10 PROS:
map. The enemy also has the annoying tendency to spawn new units on the map every few turns, making it all too easy to get overwhelmed on certain maps. The game is cel-shaded, but it’s not so much that factor of the art style that makes it unique. The game draws its style from the silver age of American comicbooks. Cutscenes play out like a comicbook in motion, complete with speech bubbles and onomatopoeia everywhere. The steampunk elements are inspired by 19th century Britain aesthetics and Victorian art, and the alien enemies draw influence from the works of H.P. Lovecraft. And despite all these different influences, all the styles work together rather than clashing. One rather charming and unique idea the game also runs with is that all of the playable characters are based on characters of literature and folklore. It’s fun to see what takes Intelligent Systems have given us on Tom Sawyer, Queequeg from Moby Dick, and even the Lion from The Wizard of Oz, and each character is filled to the brim with quirky personality. The game also supports Amiibo. If you have a Smash Bros series Amiibo of a Fire Emblem character (Which are Marth, Ike, Robin and Lucina), you can summon those heroes into the
game as playable units, who also stand out for mostly using swords instead of steam-powered guns. It’s a fun use of Amiibo, and it would be great to see more use of crossovers via Amiibo from Nintendo in the future. Overall, Codename: S.T.E.A.M. is a good game that brings something different to Nintendo compared to its other strategy IPs, even if it has a few annoying flaws holding it back from being truly great. Here’s hoping a sequel can fix those flaws, but in the meantime, put on a boiler pack and defend the Earth from the alien menace! A unique game that offers something rather different from Nintendo’s standard fare, Codename: S.T.E.A.M. serves up a Turn-Based Strategy/Third-Person Shooter hybrid wrapped in a steampunk world of famous literature characters and silver age comicbook aesthetics. Its premise and gameplay are rather interesting, but annoyances like not being able to view the map, long enemy turns, and infinitely spawning enemies can make the strategy game a bit less enjoyable than it could have been.
UNIQUE BLEND OF TBS AND TPS. OVERWATCH MECHANIC UNUSUAL COMBINATION OF AESTHETICS BEING ABLE TO SAVE MID-MISSION AMIIBO SUPPORT!
CONS: NO WAY TO CHECK THE MAP OUTSIDE OF CHARACTER’S FIELD OF VIEW FRUSTRATING DIFFICULTY SPIKES ENEMY’S TURN TAKES TOO LONG NEVER-ENDING REINFORCEMENTS
WRITTEN BY jacob getley WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM
WOLFEN
NSTEIN: THE OLD BLOOD
review
REVIEW
WOLFENSTEIN: THE OLD BLOOD Wolfenstein: The New Order was a godsend when it arrived this time last year. In a time where we were flooded with copycat FPS games, Machine Games managed to deliver a shooter that was both new and old-school, where seemingly non-stop action met memorable characters, brilliant graphics and ingenious gun mechanics combined to remind us of what really matters in an action game. Understandably, the folks at Bethesda and Machine Games were happy with the new Wolfy’s success and wanted to keep that good thing going, and brought us ‘Wolfenstein: The Old Blood’, a standalone DLC expansion that takes place before the events of The New Order. While this sounds excellent on paper, something has gone awry in the planning and execution of this game. Instead of tense castle corridors and nazi-riddled compounds to blast our way through, we’re given uninspired and repetitous levels. Instead of a colourful cast of interesting characters, we’re given watered-down nazis and resistance characters. While the game itself is competent, it’s missing a lot of what made Wolfenstein: The New Order so special. Once again, players are cast as BJ Blazkowicz, a soldier with tree trunks for arms and the ability to dual wield artillery like he’s holding
two fountain pens. At the beginning of The Old Blood, BJ and his cohort Wesley are captured by the Nazis and have to escape a prison compound. When I first became captured, I was excited to think that we would be escaping prison in a complex and intricate escape like the Steve McQueen classis, the Great Escape. Instead, BJ takes a break from shooting for around 3 minutes until he gets his hands on all manner of insanely overpowered weaponry. I had also hoped that while I had to kill my way through the prison to escape it, that the stealth and throwing knife gameplay from Wolfenstein: The New Order would be largely present. While I could have snuck around bludgeoning people over the head with a pipe stealthily, the level design and enemy placement made it extremely difficult to do so, to the point where I assumed I was always meant to get spotted. The second part of the game focuses on stopping a mad Nazi archaeologist from unleashing an evil and powerful force from ancient ruins. Of course, BJ arrives just that tiny bit too late and must fight Nazi zombies, something we gamers have all sadly become rather used to. While hurling a grenade into a group of Nazi zombies was fun at first, it grew old rather quickly.
Now it probably sounds like I’m treating Wolfenstein: The Old Blood and I could be. The thing is, The Old Blood does a perfectly fine job at repeating the basics of the last title, I had just hoped to see more levels and action sequences I could call “exciting”, or at the very least, “memorable”. Sure there are sequences where BJ steals vehicles that are powered via electrified rails but all they end up doing is forcing the player to stand on a mounted gun with no cover – on harder difficulty settings, these moments are torture! Weapon-wise, there are some cool guns to get your hands on, though once again I feel like the first game nailed it where The Old Blood simply gets it right. At least it manages to deliver one of every type of weapon you could possibly want – shotguns, assault rifles, single shot rifles, SMGs and explosive weapons are the order of the day, but as I said, something feels missing. Perhaps I feel that way because there are soldiers with enormous Tesla-style electric backpacks that do nothing. At all. So, you’ve heard me rant about what Wolfenstein: The Old Blood gets wrong, so what does it get right? Well, simply being more of the same is both a blessing and a curse for this game. Being a Wolfenstein title from Machine Games means
7/10
PROS: SOLID SHOOTING MECHANICS. LOOKS GREAT. RETRO LEVELS ARE BACK!
CONS: it will be different from other FPS games currently out, so people after a shooter that dares to be a little different will be pleasantly surprised by it. On the other hand, it’s no Wolfenstein: The New Order, either. There are no tense moments, no memorable and freaky Nazi commanders like Irene Engel or General Wilhelm “Deathshead” Strasse1, and no friendly NPCs that you will learn to genuinely care for. Still, if you want to live out another Nazi sci-fi alternate history blastorama,
then Wolfenstein: The Old Blood may just be the game for you. Standalone DLC expansions are a tricky thing to nail, and while other games have managed to release them successfully (Saints Row: Gat Outta Hell), Wolfenstein: The Old Blood just falls short of being a great title in every department bar graphics. The weapons, story, characters, level design and action sequences are competent, though nothing extraordinary. For die-hard fans of highly-shootable Nazis only.
BLAND STORY. UNINSPIRED LEVEL DESIGN. LACK OF STEALTH SEQUENCES.
WRITTEN BY nick getley WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM
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OUT 19.11.15
THE WI 3: WILD
ITCHER D HUNT review
REVIEW
THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is easily one of the most highly anticipated titles of this year, and with good reason. The third entry in Geralt of Rivia’s saga looks to not only please long-time fans of the series, but also bring the franchise to the attention of mainstream and casual gamers. With overhauled combat and a massive open world to explore, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is easily the best Witcher title yet, but is it as good as the hype led us to believe? The Witcher 3 casts players as Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of the Witcher series of novels and video games. Geralt of Rivia is a phenomenon in Poland. He’s even a bigger deal there than Batman. The Witcher series of written works spans three collections of short stories and five novels. There was also a movie and TV series, but the TV series unfortunately suffered from poor production values. It’s safe to say then, that CD Projekt Red, being a Polish game developer, would be more than familiar with Geralt of Rivia, and The Witcher written works. CD Projekt Red have a remarkable
talent for creating game worlds and delivering compelling narratives, and this is no truer than in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The game opens with a dream sequence. Geralt awakens to Yennefer, a woman with whom he has shared a great deal of experiences – including romantic ones. After being reminded that he is late to train Ciri (Cirilla) he makes his way down stairs. After a quick tutorial on combat, Ciri is attacked. Geralt completely immobilized by fear, fails to act. He wakes up, accompanied only by friend and mentor Vesemir. He then embarks on a journey to find Ciri, the child in his prophecy, and stop the Wild Hunt. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, we will not be mentioning any more events from the main storyline in The Witcher 3, so relax already, dear reader! We will say this though, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has one of the best stories found in a role-playing game in years. While most games are obsessed with presenting a very obvious and deliberate moral compass to the player, The Witcher 3 presents a complex protagonist with a rich history of his own. The consequences of your actions won’t
be immediately clear from the start, which is realistic and ultimately, quite refreshing. The moral ambiguity of The Witcher 3’s protagonist and non-playable characters allow the player to react in a more genuine way than we’re accustomed to with RPGs. There are of course, multiple side stories for the players to experience as well. These are so cleverly integrated into the main story and exploration of the game’s environments that you will genuinely forget about the main quest – and that is definitely a good thing. They’re also extremely varied from each other, which, when combined with how detailed and well-executed each side story is, will give you a newfound appreciation of side quests in games. These aren’t simple fetch quests or collectathons like in other games – they’re enthralling tales that will stay with you long after you’re done playing the game. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s main story is certainly impressive, though it does come second to the main draw of playing the game: the world itself. This is a rich world, devastated by bloody conflict, and one
that is littered with memorable locations, creatures and characters for the player to discover. While other RPGs attempt to deliver a world of this quality, the fact is as far as living, breathing worlds go, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is unparalleled. Seriously, it makes a great number of other open-world games that came before it look as bland and as copypasted as the scenery in DayZ. If you were put off by the (at times) awkward combat from The Witcher 1 and The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, then don’t fret – CD Projekt Red have overhauled the combat. So much so, that is as addicting and rewarding as the main story itself. Geralt is well-versed in combat, though he isn’t as overpowered or as ridiculously nimble as other game protagonists. While he can dodge, block, parry and counter his enemies, it will take a skilled player to escape some of the battles without a scratch. There is also a decent amount of strategy in the combat, as different situations, enemies and environments often shake up the repetition. Do you use signs (spells) to wear your opponents down (or expose a supernatural enemy’s weakness), or will you use bombs and swordplay to defeat them?
There is often quite a few different approaches you can take, though the combat is always a decent challenge. It would be a disservice in this review, to not mention The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s visuals – the game is gorgeous! Not only are its cutscenes amazing looking, but the in-game characters, environments and especially the lighting set a new standard for games this generation. Whether you’re on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One or a PC, The Witcher 3 is sure to make your jaw drop because of its good looks. Okay, so we love The Witcher 3, but where does the game fall short? Well, truth be told, it doesn’t falter in many areas, but there are a few things present that mar the experience. For one thing, maneuvering Geralt in confined spaces can become a chore. I (and some acquaintances I know) found that combat, exploration and horse-riding can be rather troublesome in small areas. Geralt can become stuck on and behind small things, like fences, tree stumps, and he can also have difficulty simply turning to walk through a door in close proximity, or ceasing to run when approaching ladders.
I was investigating a haunted well early in the game, and I kept managing to run past a ladder, only to fall into the water at the base of the well. It happened quite a few times before I learned to tap left and right while moving forward to position Geralt in a way that meant I could climb the ladder and exit the well. There are also times, where Geralt’s dialogue and voice acting can come across as rather hammy. He might be doing the right thing or at times, being romantic, but he will always come across as a grisly, hardened warrior. Yes, he is a grisly, hardened warrior, but some of his dialogue feels as though he is overcompensating for appearing vulnerable or for being deeper than what he is. For the most part though, the voice acting is adequate. There are very few games that I would consider to be “must-haves” this generation, but I cannot recommend The Witcher 3 more for fans of RPGs, action games and decent narratives. It has an entertaining story that blends with its characters, combat, refreshing approach to morals and expertly crafted world that no other game this generation has even come close to achieving.
9.5/10
PROS: OVERHAULED COMBAT AND OPEN WORLD ENVIRONMENT ARE FANTASTIC. LOOKS GORGEOUS. BRILLIANT STORY.
CONS: MOVING IN TIGHT SPACES CAN BE TROUBLESOME. SOME ‘HAMMY’ DIALOGUE.
WRITTEN BY nick getley WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM
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E3 ROUND UP!
FALLOUT 4 Bethesda‘s first ever E3 presentation has come and gone, and we can say without a shadow of a doubt that the majority of the crowd were there to hear about Fallout 4. At the end of the presentation, Bethesda playfully teased the audience, stating that the show was over, only to reveal that Fallout/Elder Scrolls Director and Executive Producer Todd Howard would be presenting a Fallout 4 reveal. There was no way that anyone could prepare for what followed… here’s our roundup.
1. You can be a male or a female, and the character designer is much better. Mr Howard began his presentation with a demonstration of how the players would create their characters in Fallout 4. Gone are the awkward and somewhat dimly lit character creators from previous Fallout titles, and in their stead comes a new and impressive character creator. Taking place in the family bathroom, you create your character using their reflection in the bathroom mirror, during a conversation with your spouse. You can choose either a male or female, and the amount of options was truly impressive – Mr and Mrs VaultDweller even remark on your design choices (“What do you think, dear? Beard or no beard?“)!
2. The game starts before the world becomes a nuclear wasteland.
After the character creation process was completed, the camera panned out to reveal that Mr and Mrs VaultDweller lived in a nice and intact home, not a decrepit shelter in a state of disrepair. Indeed, their’s is the wholesome, sought after American dream. After being greeted by his Mr Handy (Fallout‘s robot butlers), Mr Vault-Dweller hears a knock at the door. It’s a Vault-Tec Corporation representative, who has a few final details to jot down on his notepad for the family’s emergency vault plan. While it might sound like an insignificance, the game opening with a pre-wasteland Boston for the player to take in really adds to the game’s immersion. We finally get to witness first-hand the nuclear apocalypse that is so iconic to the series’ atmosphere!
3. You finally have a voice. Noticing their surroundings and various features, the player’s character verbally remarked on them as their cursor passed over them. That’s right players, your Fallout 4 character comes complete with full voice-acting. In fact, there’s now a conversation wheel simlar to Mass Effect. According to Todd Howard, the main voice actors for Fallout 4 (male and female vault dweller) have been working for over 2 years, and have recorded over 13,000 lines of dialogue. There are even over 1000 popular names to choose from for your character, so that people (and
your robot butler) will finally refer to you by your actual name (if it’s popular). On a related note, there is no more awkward zoom to first person when you’re conversing with other characters. You’re able to talk to people in first or in third person – definitely an improvement. Also, the dialogue is dynamic, meaning you can walk away or even kill the person you’re talking to in a fit of rage/ boredom.
4. Fallout 4 is set in Boston, and it’s a lot more colourful than Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Fallout 4 is set in Boston, with iconic landmarks such as the USS Constitution (the world’s oldest commissioned warship), the statue of Paul Revere and Old North Church, Fenway Park (stadium of the Boston Red Sox), the Massasschusett’s State House, and the Bunker Hill monument. The footage demonstrated showed a great deal more colour than Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Say goodbye to endless shades of brown and grey, this Fallout has as much colour as any other game – though the environments are still very much irradiated and in ruins.
5. Your Pipboy is back, and better than ever. The Pipboy is as important to the Fallout games as the radiation that shapes their environments. While
E3 ROUND UP
Click to view the trailer here!
it was already an indispensable tool for any vault dweller, Bethesda have given it a slight makeover and a slight upgrade. It also has much more use in the game. During the demonstration, the player found audio tapes which were played through the Pipboy, but you can even find retro game tapes that your Pipboy can play – hey, even the most hardened survivor needs fun and games!
6. You have a dog, and he is able to follow commands. No doubt most of you saw the Fallout 4 trailer that Bethesda released ahead of E3 last week. For those of you that didn’t, it featured a dog that appeared to be searching houses and shelters for…something. We now know that the dog is your companion, and able to take commands from the player throughout their adventures.
7. There’s weapon modifying, similar to Dead Rising 2. Bethesda really aren’t afraid to shake things up with Fallout 4, taking inspiration from other games and giving it an irradiated coat of paint. One feature we here at Sticky Trigger are particularly excited for is the weapon modification and crafting.
From silencing weapons to strapping blades to a baseball bat, the player is able to take their already deadly arsenal and knock it up a notch. The weapons also adapt a new monicker to describe their killing power, similar to weapons in a more traditional swords’n’spells RPG. With the right skills and equipment, you can turn a simple pistol into a awesomely deadly plasma rifle. You can even modify your power armour.
8. There’s now layered armour. Once again, this is something that Bethesda didn’t share too many details on. Layered armour suggests at its most basic, protective clothing underneath and over your character. Perhaps what you wear underneath your armour counts towards protecting you, perhaps you can create armour out of old tires, then put metal spikes and chains over the top for extra protection. We’ll be sure to let you know more details as they arise.
9. There’s an optional activity that combines crafting and tower defense elements. This is where Bethesda managed to rebuild our already blown minds, only to blow them again. Fallout 4 contains a completely optional side
activity where you can scavenge materials and build yourself a base. Choosing materials that will offer the best defenses will be paramount to surviving the hordes of raiders looking to pilfer your bottle caps and clean water, though you won’t be completely unprepared. You’re also able to install generators onto your base, which will be used to power defenses such as sentry guns and flamethrowers. The whole activity has a survival crafting element to it similar to games like Grav and Minecraft, but met with tower defense elements from games like Dungeon Defenders and Orcs Must Die!
10. There’s a base building/management mobile game coming out right now. Todd Howard went on to some detail about how passionate Bethesda are about all sorts of games. While they haven’t been overly competitive in the mobile game scene, they are developing a number of mobile games at present. One is Elder Scrolls Legends, a card-battling game set in the Elder Scrolls universe and the other is Fallout Shelter, which they plan to release immediately. Releasing on iOS and Android, Fallout Shelter will see players assume the role of a vault Overseer, and manage their vault. They’ll begin with a very basic
vault, in need of power and water treatment. They’ll move people into the vault, assign them the correct jobs based on their S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes, and turn the empty vault into a thriving community.
11. It’s getting a companion app. We know, we know, companion apps can be absolute torture – especially when they are needed to unlock ingame content. Details are scarce at the moment, but the Fallout 4 companion app has been promised to “complement” the game. It also resembles your Pipboy’s operating system, which is definitely cool. There’s also a wearable Pipboy phone holder on the way!
12. It’s coming out November 10th, 2015. Perhaps the best news of all, is that Fallout 4 will be released before the end of the year! Todd Howard put it forward that Fallout fans have waited long enough for Fallout 4 news, they shouldn’t have to wait much longer after the announcement – we can’t argue with that logic.
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WRITTEN BY nick getley WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM
FALLO + $169 for PC version. *Unlicensed prop replica. Limited time only.
OUT 4 +
FALL OUT
ER D R -O PRE
! W NO
POP S!
T A M ‘E DERS: T E G ETRA !
GAMUE JULY D
POP CU & retro it ran red with
blood
COMICS
MORTAL KOMBAT
HOW DID IT GET SO POPULAR? RETRO
BOARD GAME
BATTLE MECHANICS
board games
ULTURE .hack//quantum anime
COLLECTING POPS, POPS, & MORE POPS!
COLLECTIBLES
MORTAL K
retro
Street Fighter 2 was a phenomenon, I don’t think anyone can deny that. My introduction to the game was through the pages of “Computer and Video Games” magazine. The issue was June 1991, number 115. The almighty Street Fighter 2 debuted in my favourite video games magazine over a three page spread on pages 118 - 120. The magazine featured Chun Li on the cover, the first of many for the Chinese fighter. I remember thinking to myself “this game looks amazing. I need to play it”. I took the magazine to school, showing the Street Fighter 2 review to all of my friends. We all agreed that this game looked like something special. I still have that original magazine with a collection of other issues of “Computer and Video Games”. The Street Fighter juggernaut continued throughout the pages of every video gaming magazine at the time. Even Amstrad Action featured Chun Li on the cover with a plethora of coverage over the CPC version of the game that never saw the light of day. There are many stories as to why the Amstrad never received an official version, but I won’t speculate on that. That’s another article for another day. There is an Amstrad version currently in development by a group of fans, but every home computer version of the game was so terrible I don’t really hold much hope that this will be any better. I might be wrong… I hope I’m wrong!
Street Fighter 2 was the game that finally convinced me that it was time to buy a Super Nintendo. I worked in the office at my father’s workplace over the school holidays to save for one. My aunt, who worked at John Martins (remember them?), bought it for me with her staff discount. I remember the day I received the console and took it home. Street Fighter 2 was mine, and I could play it anytime I wanted to. When I think back it was attitudes like that which probably killed off the arcades, though again, that’s another article for another issue. The game featured colourful graphics, an awesome soundtrack and brilliant controls and never made the game feel cheap. If you lost a round you knew it was your fault. In short, Street Fighter 2 was a perfectly crafted piece of gaming for 1991. Even today it’s very playable, though for me Street Fighter Alpha 3 would become the pinnacle of the series. The Street Fighter series went from strength to strength, with many official versions of the second game (and many unofficial), many different forms of spin off media, and many different ‘wannabes’. It should be noted that Street Fighter 2 was far from being the first ever one on one fighter (as evidenced by the ‘2’ in its title). The first time I played this style of game was on the Amstrad CPC. The game was Konami’s Yie Ar Kung Fu from 1985, though even this wasn’t the first of its kind. Regardless of
which who was there first, Capcom’s Street Fighter 2 made the genre what it is today. There were many potential contenders to the throne, including two very significant ones; The SNK series, which started with Fatal Fury and evolved into the King of Fighters, and Midway’s Mortal Kombat which was huge!
Mortal Kombat was released a year after Street Fighter 2 in 1992, and the kids at school would share the locations of arcade machines containing the game, just as they had done with Capcom’s fighter a year earlier. I remember playing it for the first time at a video store in Ingle Farm Shopping Centre. I went, I played it, I thought it was rather average and I walked out of the store without hiring a video. I couldn’t see what the fuss was about. To me the game was the polar opposite of Street Fighter 2. The graphics were grainy digitised visuals with characters who had rigid movements, the sound was OK, but the control system felt quite poor and the moves were more difficult to pull off. No longer did you have the free flowing half or quarter circles of Street Fighter 2. Now you actually had to move the joystick in various directions when trying to pull off some special moves, including up. I don’t many people who could do that without making their character jump. Unlike the Capcom and SNK fighters a button was used to block. This prevented you from holding back
KOMBAT
HOW DID IT GET SO POPULAR?
and pushing an attack button, allowing you immediately block after the attack. As it was, you lost health when blocked anyway which made it seem rather useless. Speaking of the block button, to fight the hidden character ‘Reptile’ you needed to play on the Pit level under certain conditions. One of those conditions was not using the block button. To perform Sonya’s fatality (another requirement of unlocking the fight) you needed to use the block button. Though this was fixed on later releases, it did initially mean that Sonya would never be able to participate in the hidden battle. Such bugs are not really acceptable in a commercial game, especially one that was so heavily hyped. That being said, it happens all the time today. For me, the main reasons the game became so popular are the reasons why the game isn’t really that good. Let’s start with the fatalities. If I was able to perform them they were entertaining for maybe two or three play throughs before I just didn’t care anymore. So Sub Zero could rip out another character’s spine… Yay?
To me it seemed like an unnecessary addition to the game and a time waster. I just wanted to get on to the next fight, I didn’t want to waste valuable seconds (a lifetime to the impatient gamer) performing these fatalities I’d seen a thousand times before. If more attention had been given to the graphics and gameplay instead of the blood and gore, the game may have been enjoyable enough to persuade me to put down Street Fighter 2. It seems that rather than pool their efforts into gameplay Midway designed Mortal Kombat to appeal to the person who doesn’t care whether the game is any good, they just want to see the blood and guts. Of course, this practice has been going on for decades in the movie industry. You only have to look at the multitudes of horror movies that have several sequels, each one being progressively worse than the last. Of course, this doesn’t stop them releasing more than 10 Friday the 13th or Halloween movies. The release of Mortal Kombat spawned multi-
ple imitators and a new breed of games that focused more on being controversial rather than playable. For example, Carmageddon is simply an average car game that received notoriety by allowing you to run over people. This is another concept that gets old very quickly. While I believe that the popularity of the series in undeserved, it cannot be denied that each game in the series has evolved in its playability. Though the most recent release, Mortal Kombat X, still contains many of the features that I believe to be a waste of time (fatalities, etc.) it actually plays like a decent fighter. It seems like the creators have finally understood that gameplay comes first, followed by the graphics. I don’t care how gory a game is (or isn’t) as long as its playable, and quite frankly the first Mortal Kombat game is far from it.
WRITTEN BY PAUL MONOPOLI
COLLECTIBLES
COLLECTING POPS, POPS, & MORE POPS!
Seems retro video games aren’t the only thing that hot on the collectors shopping list, Funko pops are also on the collectors radar. But what’s rare and what’s not? Well having a look at what collectors are after it seems that the metallic pops such as Metallic Chase Penguin, Metallic Blue Batman and Metallic Riddler Chase are sort after. But those that are in limited production numbers such as The Gold Dumbo with only 48 issued, that fetch a high price. On the website www.poppriceguide.com the Gold Dumbo is listed at $450, while the Clown Dumbo … again only 48 issued but some were lost so they are quite rare… is listed at $850! On Ebay the rarities are: Notorious Big - listed at $1,100. Prototype Funko Rocky Balboa and Clubber Lang listed at $1,100. Huckleberry Hound Pop - dark purple listed at U.S $459 with 5 people watching.
But it’s the Freddy Funko Clear Fundays vinyl of which only 96 were made that has quite a few watching at this stage and is listed at $200 US. So how do you begin collecting? Here’s some tips we’ve found as collectors ourselves and from sources such as The Guardian, who featured an excellent article on collecting by Hunter Davies - the author of the book - Confessions of a Collector: Or How to be a Part-Time Treasure Hunter A key point is collect what you love. If you collect for the wrong reasons, you’ll likely not succeed. Enjoy your collection - show it by displaying it at home. Some game collectors tend to display in glass cabinets and they look great. Others like the book collector, Boris Balkin from the movie The Ninth Gate, displayed his prized book - The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, on a pedestal for him to just enjoy his book.
Pops can be displayed on shelves in the boxes if you want to keep the value high as this will protect from dust and the other elements, especially little finger prints if you have kids. Most of all enjoy your collection. Take time to appreciate them and collect the genres you love. For example if you’re a comic fan, start with those pops. If you’re into movies try to stick with a movie character base you love and then work outward from there. Go online and research what’s hot, be sure to always get new pops in the box. A good idea is to visit “cons” and get the actual artist or star the pop is based on to autograph the pop. Many of these are on Ebay for big money. We’d love to see your pops so why not email us with your favourites here on feedback@gametraders.com.au.
New pops are being released all the time, so to start your collection, focus on the pops that you really love. Keep them boxed if they’re part of your collection, and who knows, they may just become a collectable one day!
Resources: www.poppriceguide.com/ www.ebay.com.au - search Funko pops and sort by value. Becoming a Collector - The Guardian online www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/07/hunter-davies-guide-becoming-collector
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COMICS Gore, murder and mayhem. It’s an odd thing to claim to enjoy, but I think for most of us media consumers out there, there is an odd morbid curiosity about violence. Comic books have had a long and sordid history with violence. From the introduction of the Comics Code Authority in 1954, an authority built to regulate and censor comic books due to the (at the time) popular belief that comic books somehow cause juvenile delinquency all the way through to today in our code free world. Comics have had their fair share of controversial images and gore and violence is still very present in the pages. I have always been a little bit... Well as my mother puts it, “a very morbid child”. From a very, some might argue inappropriately young age I was obsessed with horror films, monster movies and generally pretty gory things. I like to think I turned out fine and well adjusted, but as I get my wife to edit my screenplays for my film work she often questions my sanity. The truth is I love horror. There is something about it. I like getting scared. I’m not the only one either. I would rather sit down and watch Evil Dead than any comedy or romance film. I like the darker stories. So as I grew up and got into comic books it’s no surprise I found myself getting into the darker material. While my friends were into the traditional superhero stories, I found myself leaning towards the more intense ones. Frank Miller’s Batman stories, Punisher, Daredevil. I always went for the darker heroes, the more violent fights. It was awesome! Then I remember the moment it got really dark... I picked up a copy of Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke. A comic I had always been told “YOU NEED TO READ IT!” Suddenly I was taken to the darkest story in the entire Batman universe.
it ran red with
blood
The moment the Joker shoots Barbra Gordon (Batgirl/Commissioner Gordon’s daughter) in the spine, rendering her a paraplegic. He then strips her naked and takes photos of her. The Joker then kidnaps Jim Gordon and forces him to look at the photos of what he had done to his daughter. My jaw dropped. This was insane! The Killing Joke became an instant classic when it was released and brought a horrible and graphic sense of reality to superhero comics. The story was highly controversial at the time and some may argue still is. Children were reading Batman and this was no children’s story. It still garners a fair amount of controversy because of it’s treatment of the female characters. I feel this is more or less missing the point of the story. Evil wins. Life isn’t great. I don’t think Alan Moore is trying to offended woman by his story. Simply to show who violence and the fallout can truly damage the lives of the characters in Batman’s world. Either way, If you love Batman and haven’t read the Killing Joke, READ IT!
And now to the big one... The most disgusting, depraved, violent and repulsive of them all. CROSSED. In 2008 controversial comic writer Garth Ennis unleashed his monster baby Crossed onto the world. I don’t think there is any way I could even describe the controversial violent happenings in Crossed in this magazine, they are simply the most revolting things you could ever imagine. In crossed, a group of survivors are on the run in a post apocalyptic world from the crossed, people infected with a strange virus that causes them to loose all inhibitions, turning it raping murdering, sado-masochistic monsters. The acts these people go on to do will leave you utterly mortified and as I have seen in some people who pick it up off the shelves, clearly visibly ill. The series is only for the most hardcore of horror fans. It has been both praised and destroyed by critics for its unflinching violence. Truly I cannot begin to stress how truly horrific this series is. The first run on the series by Ennis is really the best of it. The characters
are deep, the plot is thrilling and the tension is always at it’s height. As the series goes on it becomes more and more depraved. It truly becomes one of those series where you begin to think ‘what the hell is wrong with the people who made this?’ That said it has become a cult classic horror comic with talk of an upcoming TV show or film. How they would turn it into such I would wonder. Crossed being a comic allows it to get away with far more than it ever would in a film format. If you want to test yourself and your stomach Crossed is a must, but if you are even remotely squeamish don’t dare even open the cover, you will regret it... Violence has always been a horrible fact of life and these comic embrace it, some a little too much. We as readers and consumers of media will always be morbidly fascinated with it. From the Roman’s and their gladiators to modern day boxing or MMA fighting. We love watching people get hurt... It’s just a horrible fact buried somewhere in our collective subconscious. It’s weird, I admit that, but I love me some gore, and I’m not alone. So come to the dark side and embrace your blood lust. Violent comics are here to stay. For better... Or worse... PS: Make believe violence is fine guys! Real world violence is a nono. Always remember that hugs are great.
WRITTEN BY SCOTT F. SOWTER @SCOTTFSOWTER
board games
BOARD GAME
BATTLE MECHANICS In any type of competition there are always winners and where there are winners there will always be losers. Board Games are no exception to this rule. During playing a board game an aspect of battle or conflict is likely to be encountered on your way to victory. Many games choose to resolve this conflict and determine the outcome via a roll of a die or many dice but is this the most effective or realistic way to play board games. Today we take a look at other options which could resolve battles, violence, rounds and conflict without needing to have luck on your side. These battle mechanics can also provide a better sense of winning based on the skill or talents needed to win.
Knocking out Opponents Pieces. One of the oldest and tried and tested ways of winning a combat scenario is by capturing an opponent’s playing piece. Dating back hundreds of years the classic way of winning combat involves capturing an opponent’s piece and removing it from the board. Used in classic games including Chess and Checkers, this is a great way of winning a battle as no luck is required and is based on pure skill. Compared to the luck of a dice roll this battle mechanic is a much more rewarding sense of win-
ning as you have had direct control over your every move.
Drawing and Using cards. While the draw of the cards contains an element of luck the difference in this battle mechanic to dice rolling is how the player chooses to play their cards. Determining which card best suits each individual conflict requires a deep understanding of the game and how your opponents will react to the card played also requires a level of connection with them. Both of these aspects make playing card based battle games more personal and more intense then dice rolling board games.
Skills and Abilities. A completely different take on winning rounds is used in games such as Pictionary and Charades. These games include a level of skill not used in other board games. In Pictionary players take turns on their team to draw the word listed on the card drawn, matching the colour they are currently occupying. In Charades players must act out a word, phrase or title to their team members without any talking or making a sound. Both of these games do not require luck as the better the skill and ability of the person drawing or acting will directly influence the results of the rounds and game.
Debates, Voting and Bidding A great way to get all players involved in the outcome of a conflict is to determine the outcome via a debate or voting. While there is no luck involved, this outcome can make the game go for quite a while longer then rolling a handful of dice. Deciding rules and debate outlines on which the outcomes are based on before the game is started can help to ensure the debates are efficiently communicated and quickly resolved to keep the game running and following freely. Voting is another great way of resolving disputes. While this can favour contain players depending on what is at stack it still allows all players to be involved and have a voice in the outcome of the game. Thirdly we have the bidding option in voicing the resolution. Bidding is a great way for someone to get a head start early on in the game. Based on your ability to bluff or knowing when to stop chasing your loses this is a great battle mechanic which will always result in the outcome of the game being different.
Area Control Another satisfying way to conquer all conflict is based on whoever has more units in area. Dealing greater damage with more units is a realistic way of determining an outcome of a
battle. While dice rolling may play a factor in the outcome in games like Risk it isn’t the full deciding factor on who will win. The amount of units in the area being attacked helps to decide the amount of dice rolled. The more units present, the greater the chance of winning. While dice rolling is used as the main way to resolve battles in board games there are many other options that allow for more players to get involved, require a more skill full ap-
proach or allow for a tactics based game. All of these mechanics have their pros and fit into different games more effective than others. Each board game is unique and chooses the mechanic that works best for its desired outcome and while dice rolling is great, next time you play a dice based combat board game have a go at mixing things up. Take one of the points listed above and see if it works into the game. You never know, you just may make the board game even better!
WRITTEN BY JESS WILSON
Naruto Hidden Clo ud Ninja Swor d
Naruto Zabuza o Kubikiriboch Sword
Naruto Zabuza o Kubikiriboch Sword
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anime
.hack//quantum review
.Hack//Quantum is an anime that has the same concepts as Sword Art Online when it comes to the ‘People in a video game become trapped’. While the dialog was fairly funny, a kid could have written it. The characters were extremely lovable and caring, while also being funny and audacious. I absolutely loved the storyline, even if I only saw the OVA collection, because it was just funny and easy to relate too (the gaming and horrible studying patterns).
that one screw up who finds themselves doing more harm than good. But this is an anime that not many people will like the concept of due to the fact that it is a fantasy/action and I am aware that some people don’t like fantasy. While I would say you are missing out on an awesome anime, all I can say is that this is an OVA that will make you want to watch the full anime. I know it did for me!
Synopsis: Tobias, Mary, and Sakuya are way into The World. Together, they form and inseparable group, grinding toward the break of day and running dungeons in search of artefacts of adventure. But when the trio becomes lost in this virtual labyrinth, a chance encounter with the mysterious entity known only as Hermit will change their lives forever. Welcome back to The World, players!
While there was nothing wrong with the art style; I just felt that all of the people looked like 10 year olds even though they are a year away from College. The art style was fluent and had amazing animations, but it just wasn’t as perfect as I would have hoped.
.Hack//Quantum is a difficult anime not to like. It has the teenage feeling to any group of friends, as well as
Art: [8/10]
Character: [10/10] There is nothing I like more that a character developing from mistakes and woes that they cause to others, and I guess that is why this anime
has captured my heart in the character development aspect. From Sakuya being a total mess-up in both real life and in The World, to even Tobias being a know-it-all, there is so much development happening in the four episodes of the OVA.
Sound: [10/10] The OVA doesn’t actually have a OP except for the title screen, but it still fits well into the finished product, so it still makes its way right up to the top. The sounds were top notch, with realistic sounds from swords clashing to well timed dialogue and lip syncing that is expected of MADMAN©.
Overall: [9/10] I would give it a 10/10 if I knew the whole story line and how the OVA fits into it, but I just can’t bring myself to give a top score to something I know nothing about. I absolutely love what I have seen so far, but I just haven’t seen enough to give it a full score.
9/10
WRITTEN BY Jesse Richardson
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COSPLA ALITHIA GAMING INTERVIEW
FALLOUT COSPLAY!
feature
KNIGHTMAGE INTERVIEW
ELEVENTHPHOTOGRAPH
INTERVIEW
AY
CONVENTION SURVIVAL:
10 things to keep in your
Cosplay
Survival Kit! TUTORIAL
HAVEN:
VIDEO GAMES & POP CULTURE EXPO! SPECIAL REPORT
tips from the pros PHOTOGRAPHY TIPs
E3 2015'S MOST COSPLAYABLE GAMES! SPECIAL REPORT
COSPLAY
KNIGHTMAGE www.FACEBOOK.COM/KNIGHTMAGE1
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into cosplay.
blown away. I’ve been hooked ever since.
My name is Michael Wilson, a/k/a Knightmage. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and now reside in Youngstown, Ohio. I’m going on 15 years as a Deputy Sheriff for the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, and my passion is cosplaying.
I think you’re the first Deputy Sheriff we’ve interviewed, do the two mix? A cosplayer and a law enforcement officer? I suppose that it can be seen as an odd pairing. People I work with were surprised to find out that I was really into “geek” stuff and then con friends are usually surprised to find out what my day job is. I like to be vocal about both because it breaks the stigma and stereotype on both. As for my job they’re very accepting of it because of the impact I have, especially with the charitable deeds. Not only is it good for the community to see that a law enforcement official is doing something positive while off-duty, it’s also a good reflection on the department as a whole. When I’m partnering with certain charity organizations it’s also a way to instill trust that I’m on the up and up so it makes things a lot easier. It’s nice to show that anyone can be behind the mask. We’re all people who come from various backgrounds with a common love for a certain fandom. It’s like sports fans except we dress up a lot more.
It really started in 2011. That year for Halloween I decided to make my costume rather than buy it from a local costume store. I settled on the Green Lantern, John Stewart. Once the costume was done I loved it! Not long after I was asked to participate in a charity event involving superheroes. It was a wonderful experience and thought to myself that I would love to do it again. Once I was asked to participate in another event where the theme was “America,” that was my ticket to make Captain America. It took off from there with me making more costumes and doing charity events, parades, and birthdays. A few wellknown cosplayers started taking notice in me online. Once they asked what conventions I went to they were shocked to find out that I had never been to one. At that time I had never been to a convention. I knew of cosplaying but had no clue exactly how vast that world was. I made it a point to make my first convention that year. So in the fall of 2012 I attended the Cincinnati Comic Expo and I was
Do you visit any cons and what have been some highlights? My first year of cosplaying I went to about 5 conventions. I’m now going to close to 20 a year. It’s been abso-
lutely crazy but I’m having the time of my life. Everything’s happened really fast. I started going as an attendee and next thing I know conventions are contacting me asking me to be a guest. With charity work being the base of why I love to cosplay I had to figure out how to further that. So I decided that while I’m at these conventions I would give away my prints and autographs for free with donations going towards different charities. To date I’ve raised just over $10,000 going to numerous local and national charities. I try to do a different charity every time as well as try to find a local one to where the convention is. I look at in a few different ways. One, I’m making these costumes anyway. Why not have it go for something good rather than just sitting in the closet waiting to be worn at a convention? Two, people are willing to purchase my prints and buy my props that I make. Why not have that money go to something good? I have a day job. I don’t need that extra money and I don’t need nor want to exploit the people that have supported me. Without these people I wouldn’t have had many of the opportunities I’ve gotten. And three, I’m a firm believer of leading by example. I wholeheartedly believe that so much good could be done if more cosplayers gave. If seeing what I do inspires one person to start doing charity work then mission accomplished.
Photographer: The Portrait Dude: Cosplay Photography | www.facebook.com/theportraitdudecosplay
“
I’m a firm believer that it doesn’t have to be expensive to be awesome. I’m a complete
budget builder.
”
- Knightmage
As for highlights, that is a really tough question. Every time I suit up it’s memorable and exciting, and usually it’s for different reasons. Going to conventions it’s because I get to see friends and hang out with them, plus have attendees look at and comment on my costumes. It really fills you with pride knowing someone, even strangers, really appreciates something that you put together. When I’m at a charity event, seeing the smiles from kids as they see their favorite superhero and then seeing the smiles from adults as they see their kids smile. All those moments are great and highlights. What’s coming up for you in 2015? I’m constantly adding convention appearances. I have about 10 more for the year as of right now. As for costumes, I have about 15 lined up that I would like to do by the end of the year. The problem is that I’m constantly adding to that as well We’d love to hear about your favourite cosplays - how do you decide what you want to do? I now have over 50 costumes but they all hold an equally special place in my heart. They’re all my babies. It’s hard to place one over the other. I will say the reactions I get in certain ones are special. Like with Spawn, I feel like people just part the way in fear. In Batman It’s all about the kids. All kids love Batman and just
want a hug or high-five. Also some costumes I embody the character more than others. In Lobo I feel like my bad boy side is coming out. In Snake Eyes I feel very noble. But as a whole I love every costume I have the same. How do I decide what to do? I’m not even really sure about that. I could be in the shower and all of a sudden a character pops in my head and immediately my brain goes into crafting mode. The thing with me though is that I need to work fast. Not only because I have limited time but if I don’t get to work while it’s fresh then I’ll lose interest quickly. That’s why costumes usually only take me a few days to start and finish. However first I have to like the character in some fashion, whether it’s the general design or the idea of the character. Then I just jump in. Rarely do I ever do “accurate” designs. I like to make up my own. The way I look at it is that the character has been drawn and represented in so many different ways, whether it’s from a comic or movie or TV show. We cosplayers are artists just the same. We are costume designers. There’s nothing wrong with changing the character as you see fit with your vision. Do your costumes take a lot of work? Yes and no. When I’m thinking about how I’m going to do something I often think I’m in over my head. Then
I begin and it just starts to flow. For example, I was extremely intimidated about making The Predator but once I started it seemed to go smooth. That’s how it always works. Another thing with me is that I’m a firm believer that it doesn’t have to be expensive to be awesome. I’m a complete budget builder. Reusing scraps and scouring the dollar stores for weird items that can be used for something else. I’m also not opposed to modifying store bought Halloween costumes and masks. I’m not that type of cosplayer who is all about how much it costs, how much time was spent, how it was made and where it came from. True quality is what you personally want it to be. Finally where can we see more of your cosplay? You can find me on my Facebook page as “Knightmage” or you can find my personal profile “Michael Knightmage Wilson” (which I treat the same as my page and isn’t really personal because I consider you all friends). Also on Twitter @Knightmage and Instagram @Knightmage1 Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Knightmage1 -OR-
www.Facebook.com/CarlosSpicyWeiner69
Twitter: @Knightmage Instagram: @Knightmage1
Photographer: The Portrait Dude: Cosplay Photography | www.facebook.com/theportraitdudecosplay
Photographer: Heaven Lee Portraits | www.facebook.com/pages/Heaven-Lee-Portraits/294972210532180
Photographer: SF Design | www.Facebook.com/SFDesign21
Photographer: The Portrait Dude: Cosplay Photography | www.facebook.com/theportraitdudecosplay
50 “over costumes
I now have
but they all hold an equally special place in my heart.
They’re all my babies.
It’s hard to place one over the other.
- Knightmage
COSPLAY Welcome to Live Maddy! You’re a video gamer and a cosplayer tell us how you got into gaming first and what are your favourite games at the moment. Well, this might be a little long as I’m passionate about gaming but I’ll try keep it quick! I first got into gaming when I was quite young with my older brother, our parents are very hard workers and use to travel a lot so I got use to being with him. I started off with playing console games on Xbox and Playstation from Splinter cell, Red Faction, and Need For Speed just to name some of my favourites. I then moved onto World of Warcraft and Warcraft 3, and found my love in PC. As I started to get older I drifted from gaming from about 14-16 but still played story console games in the mists, that’s when I saw league of legends was rapidly excelling in the gaming community. I started playing silently through my last years of schooling, fearful of anyone finding out but meeting such lovely people online, I found myself skipping a lot of school days to go home early to game(don’t follow by example). Grade 12 everyone started finding out, super embarrassing for me wanted to be quiet but turned out to not be that bad, received a bit of criticism but I enjoy gaming too much. I’m a league fan girl, but I’ve finished about 15-20 story mode single player PlayStation games that I do every month for a little difference, at the moment I’m finishing Diablo and Torchlight again they’re too fun! And how did you start cosplaying? Well, I love dressing up. Being someone else, and someone I admire brings me joy!
ALITHIA GAMING www.facebook.com/TEAMALITHIA
Before cosplaying I owned around 4-5 costumes because I’d love being in them, haha. Trust me, mother was never impressed in me running around in my Batman underwear singing dundundundn! I was then told by a close friend I should cosplay something from league, unsure of what the word even meant I went researching and found a convention in my area. These costumes were amazing! I had no friends in the cosplay community but I first did my “sivir costume” and made my bestfriend tag along with me in free dress. Being stopped constantly for pictures and interviews made feel really confident and the community is so friendly and welcoming, that year I won a cosplay competition too for Mad Man. You make your costumes and props, what materials do you use most? Well at the moment, I’ve been using Worbla so much for my new cosplays but in the past probably EVA foam or fabrics.
What’s been the most difficult cosplay you’ve done? In the past, Woad Ashe trying to do the quiver the same leather as my pants and it won’t stretch on my butt – ggwp not a good time. I’m starting my Aion Armor, and thats big but I’m excited for a challenge. There’s so many people getting into cosplay these days which is healthy and builds the community. Do you feel there is a career or income possibility in cosplay? What are your goals? I do hope one day I’m noticed and possible income but at the same time it’s not why I cosplay. Honestly I do it for the love of cosplay, and for myself. Having a hobby in the mists of my university degree, work full time and videogame streaming really gives me a chance to be creative. Goals wise, I hope to expand my fan base and inspire people to get out of there comfit zone and cosplay or game or do anything they love.
Photographer: James Edwards Freelance | www.facebook.com/JamesEdwardsFreelance
Photographer: James Edwards Freelance |
Ok quick quiz - five things you love about cosplay and five things that drive you crazy? Love: The community: I meet the most interesting creative people with amazing costumes and passion! Drive me crazy: Cosplay community also brings people whom love to be the best, or aren’t there for the right reasons and can really be hurtful. Everyone puts so much effort into their costumes and it makes me sad seeing that kind of negativity. Love: My fans: my god they are so lovely, reason I keep going forward. They make me so happy, and I’m so very lucky. I make an effort to reply to everything on my fan pages, it’s a struggle but my fans see the effort I put back for them. Drives me crazy: when you make such an awesome foam weapon, and you ruin it when its nearly done D: Love: Everyone involved in the conventions, such big companies appreciating your work! Drives me crazy: The weapon restrictions, I want to make a scale 2 metre bow but that won’t make it in :( 7. Love: The creativity it makes me feel alive, and really stressed but still aliveeee.
Hate: Body shaming, that’s not nice everyone should feel comfortable without the criticism but cosplay being a lot online gets a bit of harsh light of not being the build of that character. Love: Its socially acceptable for me to run around in costumes quoting them and pretending to be a great fighter, when in reality collecting figurines and sitting in a dark room is my life. Hate: Not enough videogames makes Alithia go something something. What’s coming up in 2015 for you? What cons or photo shoots are you planning? 2015, the year I plan to travel all over Australia for conventions. You can find all my conventions on my Stream page or Facebook, I plan to do heaps of giveaways and shoots woo! Finally where can readers go to find out more about you? Links ok go: Facebook.com/TeamAlithia Instagram.com/Maddy_Alithia Twitch.tv/Alithiagaming Twitter.com/TeamAlithia
“
my fans: Something I love about cosplay:
�
my god they are so lovely, reason I keep going forward.
- Alithia Gaming
www.facebook.com/JamesEdwardsFreelance
Photographer: James Edwards Freelance | www.facebook.com/JamesEdwardsFreelance
COSPLAY PHOTOGRAPHY
ELEVENTHPH Hi Mike, tell us bit about yourself.
Hello! I’m a Cosplay Photographer who’s been on scene since 2010, though I’ve been part of the convention community since 2004. I’ve lived most of my life in Canada, but currently I’m living in Japan for the next few years. What made you get started in cosplay photography? My dad bought me a DSLR for my birthday, a basic Nikon body with a zoom lens. I took it out to conventions and enjoyed taking pictures. I ended up liking it so much that I continued to purchase more gear, I have GAS. I was also heavily influenced by many other Cosplay photographers and their wonderful photos that I saw in the early days. How do you arrange shoots with the cosplayers and tell us abit about the process you go through. Normally I get quite a few requests for shoots for the cons I attend. Unfortunately most of the time I’m unable to accept everyone’s request. It started out with a few people simply emailing and asking me, and me saying “sure, is this day and time ok?” As I began getting more requests, I setup a application form which I posted 30 days prior to the start of the con. They would email me their filled-out form with their name, screen name, times/days,
and desired location. That began to get cumbersome as sorting through 30+ emails back and forth trying to set up a master schedule proved difficult and time-consuming.
Cosplayer: Poodoki
My latest method was having people fill out a Google sheet application form. It included a few more questions such as “have you shot with me before”, special requests, how to credit you, etc... This allowed me to keep a very handy spreadsheet from the near-40 applications I receive. I like to work with current clients and friends, but also enjoy meeting new people and spreading out who I get to work with. We’ve noticed you travel to a lot of cosplay events - tell us about the ones you’ve been to? Oh man, that’s a lot haha. I think I’ve been to 50+ conventions over the past 10 years, a lot of repeats. I haven’t been to as many different conventions as some other photogs have, but the 14 or so I’ve been to are great or unique in their own way. You can read con blogs and view the photos on my site! : ) Whats coming up for you this year? Not a whole lot actually. As I’m in Japan for the next while, I won’t be attending the conventions I normally do. I’m looking forward to some new conventions however. The big one
being Comiket and Tokyo Game Show, among a few others. They’ll be totally different from my usual routine but I’m exited to be attending new cons! What about post processing - is that important with your style of photography? I do believe photos should be processed, and I do with all of mine.
www.ELEVENTHPHOTOGRAPH.COM
HOTOGRAPH
Do you have any tips for those just starting out in cosplay photography? Shoot. Critique yourself honestly. Shoot again. Repeat forever.
Some people may argue that “the photo should remain as was captured by the camera”, I’d argue that the camera did not capture the photo correctly. The photog is smarter than the camera, you have the creativity of correcting and enhancing the image that your camera produced for you. Cameras aren’t as advanced as the human eye, so many elements such as contrast (shadows and highlights), colors, sharpness aren’t what
they should have been. I need to fix them. Even if they were correct, I like to tweak settings so the image looks how I want it to, that’s my freedom as an artist. I do do some minor skin-retouching, blemishes, etc... But am not a fan of massive overhauls, partly because I’m not very good at it, and partly because I feel like some of the model’s humanity is lost in the process.
What sort of gear do you use on a typical shoot? I use a full-frame body with two F/1.4 lenses, a F2.8 zoom, and a wideangle, some strobes, light stands, reflector, and many other accessories... So this may not be a typical shoot using all my gear, but it’s what I may take out of my bag for any shoot. Though as long as you have a camera and lens, you can shoot. And finally where can we go see more of your work.. You can visit my site: www.eleventhphotograph.com I’ve covered a few dozen cons over the past 5 years, feel free to take a look at the various galleries. Thank you for your time!
Cosplayer: Sweets4aSweet
“
Tips for photographers: Shoot. Critique yourself honestly. Shoot again.
Repeat Forever.
�
- Mike: Eleventh Photograph
Cosplayer: Derpcaro
“
Cosplay
I was also heavily influenced by many other
photographers
�
and their wonderful photos that I saw in the early days.
- Mike: Eleventh Photograph
Cosplayer: Iridescent Fall
Cosplayer: Tommeh Chu
Cosplayer: Celtic Sakura
Cosplayer: Pretty Lush
Cosplayer: Brigitte Quinn
FALLOUT C
Cosplayer: Natalie Tonks | www.facebook.com/NATCosplayMedia Taken at Cosplay Live Studio Adelaide
COSPLAY!
“
The best part about Fallout is how invested I find myself in the story and characters. I absolutely adore the idea of being able to discover all kinds of unique places, items and side quests spread out all across the wasteland. I can play the games multiple times and always find something I hadn’t seen before. I have a high level of respect for the work that goes into everything that makes these games possible. The visual advancement from the original games to how they are today is just phenomenal. Fallout cosplaying comes with so many possibilities because of the ability to make each vault suit customisable to suit how you think you’d look if you found yourself in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. I personally like to stick to a very minimalistic look. Over the years I’ve made 3 vault suit cosplays: 101, 77 and 13. Everyone I encounter at conventions in Fallout cosplays always have their own unique style while still distinctly Fallout based. It is great to be able to connect with others with the same love for the games and hearing about their individual experiences with gameplay because everyone does the order of quests differently.
”
COSPLAY special report
HAVEN:
VIDEO GAMES & POP CULTURE EXPO!
www.facebook.com/HavenVideoGamesandPopcultureExpo
This month we sat down with the team from Haven Video Games and Pop Culture Expo. This annual event is held in tropical Mackay and is sponsored by the Gametraders store in that city. We are talking to Oz who is the brains and energy behind Haven. Oz, tell us what inspired you to create such an event? Well, I’ve always been a gamer and I love attending conventions, but Haven isn’t your normal convention. Haven was the first pop culture event ever held in Mackay, and from the very outset I wanted to break away from the “traditional” convention mould and build something that really was made for the people who matter most, the fans. At most conventions, your ticket gives you entry to the venue and a glimpse of the guests at their panels, and you pay extra for everything else, for want of a better term, they’re a pop culture themed market day, and that was definitely not the interactive fan experience that I envisioned for Haven, so when you step inside our doors, it’s all about you, with access to the custom designed gaming areas, the workshops, the panels, the competitions, even professional
photos of your costumes all included in your ticket price. Our vendors bring exclusive artwork and products available only to Haven attendees and we have a heap of freebies and giveaways and unlike most conventions we don’t lock our special guests away, in fact we do the exact opposite they’ll be out in the crowd joining in with all the fun. Haven is all about the fans and creating a wonderful, unique and personal experience that isn’t found anywhere else. It’s got everything for the pop culture and video game fan. Also cosplay? What’s happening there? Cosplay is a huge part of the convention scene, cosplayers work for months and stand in line for ages for their few seconds on stage, but so often they compete for prizes which are just not a fair representation of the massive amount of effort that goes into those costumes. With Haven we wanted the cosplayers to be able to truly see how much we value what they bring, so we’ve put well over $1000 in prizes up for our competition as well as sweet looking trophies. We also know that heaps of people want to join in the cosplay
fun but aren’t sure where to start, so we’ve brought in some of Australia’s most talented costume builders and given them a dedicated workshop space with sessions that are all about teaching people the tricks of the trade. Oh, and we’ve got one of the top cosplay photographers in the country and every attendee has photos done by him included with their tickets as well. There’s also competitions for gamers .. what sort of games are running? Our Mortal Kombat tournament is back again, with $150 prize, a wicked trophy and the most important thing, bragging rights going to the best player. You’ve also got some very special guests, tell us who they are.. Where should I start? Well for a start we have a real life wookiee from Star Wars coming along, with Michael Kingma who played Tarrful in Revenge of the Sith joining us to talk about his time on the set with some of the biggest names in sci fi. There’s Rae Johnson who heaps of
people would know from her regular gaming and technology segments on the Morning Show with Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies, as well as gaming journalists and cosplay superstars Alanah Pearce, Eve Beauregard and Phoebe Bellert.
home grown cosplay stars along as well.
Fresh from his US and Canadian convention tour, we have arguably the best foam armour and prop maker in Australia, Sunday Cosplay”.
What’s the community in Mackay like, is it very big when it comes to video games and cosplay?
In the gaming areas you’ll find Zeek, one of the biggest personalities in the geek community, and we’re also bringing 7 of Central Queensland’s
We have Triple J and The Project regular Paul Verhooven returning as host which is sure to bring plenty of laughs.
In a word, thriving! There’s heaps of cosplayers and gamers here locally, but we’ve already got people coming from 4-5 hours away just to be at Haven and with the awesome lineup of
titles that we just saw dropped at E3, things are definitely looking positive for the future of gaming and geek culture And if people want to go, where can they go to find out more and buy tickets? Tickets are available at Gametraders Mackay in store or they can purchase direct from the Mackay Entertainment Convention Centre (MECC). For more information on the event they can also visit: www.havenexpo.biz.
www.facebook.com/HavenVideoGamesandPopcultureExpo
COSPLAY TUTORIAL
CONVENTION SURVIVAL:
10 things to keep in your
Cosplay
Survival Kit! WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/HayleyEliseCosplay
With convention season already upon us as we move deeper into winter (seriously, who decided winter was the best time to have them?) cosplayers around Australia are working frantically on their costumes as we speak. Yet in the last minute rush cosplayers often forget to pack the essentials to get them through the long convention days, so here’s a list of the 10 things you should never leave home without!
Hot Glue Cosplayers’ hot, sticky lifeblood: hot glue is the saviour of many as costumes start to fall apart on the convention floor. For this, it’s worth a look into the small, cordless hot glue pens that are now sold at most hardware stores. Just be sure to remember to charge it the night before!
Small scissors From distracting loose threads to bits of tape and stray wig hairs,
scissors are a must, even when you don’t think you’re likely to need them. Grab a small pair to slip into your convention bag, and make sure you’re prepared for all eventualities!
Needle and thread Not everything can be hot glued – at least, not everything SHOULD be hot glued, and for this reason it’s worthwhile to bring along basic sewing supplies. While thread in the colour of your costume is preferable, think about taking clear thread instead, which can be used on any colour fabric!
Mirror While the front camera on your phone can be a godsend, there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned mirror to check up throughout the day on your makeup, wig, and any tricky parts of your costume that won’t stay where they should be.
Makeup & makeup wipes Prioritise what items in your makeup kit you’ll need to touch up on the day, so you don’t have to carry around a full makeup bag at the convention! Basics tend to be powder and lipstick, but if you have more complex makeup you may need to bring other touch-up cosmetics. Wipes are great to have if you smudge something, but also for the end of the day when you’re done with having a full face of heavy makeup!
Deodorant Not everyone at conventions might understand the importance of personal hygiene, but you can at least do your part to keep the smell of body odour on the convention floor to a minimum. Just be sure to find a deodorant that isn’t going to mark or stain your costume!
Captain Patch-It. Photographer: www.facebook.com/WhatABigCamera
Brush & Bobby pins Your wig may look perfect when you step out of your room in the morning, but after a few hours of walking around the convention, or outside if it’s windy, it might be in need of a little TLC. If you have a small brush and a pack of bobby pins to carry around, you’ll never have a bad wig day again!
Comfortable shoes High heels are incredibly flattering, and unfortunately a requirement for a majority of female costumes, (and
some male costumes) but even cosplayers are mortal! Don’t doom yourself to an entire day in heels, make sure to pack a small pair of flats in case you need to give your feet a break.
Water The most important thing on this list! Don’t count on being able to navigate through crowds and line up at food vendors if you get dehydrated at a con – make sure you always have water on you from the start of the day!
WRITTEN BY HAYLEY ELISE
COSPLAY special report
E3 2015'S MOST COSPLAYABLE GAMES!
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/HayleyEliseCosplay
With E3 now more than a fortnight behind us, we’ve already seen a ton of new games and trailers being assessed for their graphics, for their gameplay and for everything else in between. Yet as a cosplayer, watching those shiny new announcement trailers and gameplay demos has my eye drawn predictably to the characters’ costumes. With Australian con season already upon us and hype spreading fast, these are some of the costumes I predict cosplayers will soon be rushing to make!
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Where there is E3, there is a new Assassin’s Creed game being announced, and where there is Assassin’s Creed, there is undoubtedly going to be cosplay. Ubisoft has always supported cosplayers while promoting their new games – this year even hiring cosplayer Rick Boer to appear at their E3 conference. The newest instalment in the series has taken a leap forward in time to the 19th Century, presenting us with the Frye twins Jacob and Evie, who are both clad in suitably dark and dapper Victorianesque clothing – with those classic Assassin elements included, of course. While previous game releases have given us disappointingly
few main female characters – to the point where a large majority of cosplays from the series tend to be genderbent designs – this is the first time where a female character appears to be sharing the spotlight with her male counterpart. With that in mind, I think it’s fairly safe to say that 2015 and 2016 will be turning up many cosplays of Syndicate’s master of stealth Evie, and hopefully plenty of her heavily mutton-chopped brother as well!
Mass Effect: Andromeda Despite space-age armour, intricate weaponry and even alien races with some highly unique and unusual anatomy, Mass Effect fans have never let anything so trivial get between them and cosplaying their favourite characters. With Mass Effect 4 - subtitled ‘Andromeda’ after the galaxy it will be set in - being announced at E3 2015, this is not likely to change one bit. Whilst the teaser showed little more than a helmeted character in some shiny new N7 armour, you can be sure that Bioware will not fail to include their usual roster of diverse and interesting characters, dangling yet more challenging bait in front of their dedicated cosplayers.
Horizon: Zero Dawn As one of the sadly scarce new IPs announced at E3 this year, Horizon is still garnering a great deal of attention for its open world style, beautiful graphics and yes – its female protagonist. With a primitive, vikingesque aesthetic, the main character Aloy immediately drew the attention of my inner cosplayer, and I doubt I’m the only one. This huntress character dresses in lush furs and colourful beads, with striking red hair to finish off the look – yet it is the ‘realness’ of this character that is so attractive to me as a cosplayer. Her face is unique for a game character in that it escapes the usual conventions of attractive-yet-generic female features, instead giving us an entirely believable human face. Throw an interesting prop and some implied badassery into the mix, and Aloy is bound to be a character that cosplayers will be rushing to dress as.
Gears of War 4 Like Assassin’s Creed, the Gears of War 4 trailer has given us a femalemale duo - Kait and JD - although at this point nothing much is known about them. There are some familiar designs in the weaponry they carry,
Photographer: Rob Jenkins Photo Cosplayer: Tiffany Dean Cosplay
Photographer: Rob Jenkins Photo Cosplayer: Armored Soul Cosplay
the series’ classic chainsaw-toting lancers making an appearance as always, and in the COG armor that the characters wear, although this new game appears likely to depart from many familiar elements of the first three Gears games. Most of all being the fact that the series’ main protagonist, Marcus Fenix, is nowhere in sight. However, like other main characters in the series this far, Kait and JD appear to also have many unique features and elements to their costumes – like Kait’s hat
and tattoos – that set them apart and show a little of their personality.
Kingdom Hearts 3 There is no greater bait for cosplayers than a new Square Enix game, and combined with the nostalgia that an IP like Kingdom Hearts invokes, Kingdom Hearts 3 is likely to be one of the most cosplayed games of the next year. The trailer showcased at E3 2015 gave us a generous heaping of gameplay footage, including
Sora’s trademark huge shoes and puffy pants, and even a costume change partway through. The beginning of the E3 trailer showcased younger versions of spin off game Birth by Sleep characters, hinting that the game is going to include a vast number of familiar characters from the series’ various offerings – and perhaps even some new ones. All that’s certain is that we’re going to be seeing a lot more keyblades at conventions from now on!
WRITTEN BY HAYLEY ELISE
D R A BO ES
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PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
tips fro
“ charlie nicholson: Adelaide Based Cosplay Photographer from "i got superpowers"
Know your character so that you can direct the shoot in a way that portrays both the character and their costuming skills... Looking at poses and locations that suit the character are important to help create an image that will wow! Come prepared... Have your gear ready to go... Conventions are about capturing a quick shot, no one wants to hang around for you to mess with settings etc.
Research the character. Best to create images that best resembles the character being roleplayed. Focus on their lavish costumes. And showcase their designs. Put them in flattering poses that will best show their hard work.
This month
om the pros
we got a variety of tips from a few different cosplay photographers... Let’s help you improve your cosplay photos!
angelo & NATHAN: Adelaide Based Cosplay Photographers from "i got superpowers"
Nathan: Experiment with angles espe- Choosing the right location for the charcially if they compliment the pose. Ex- acter will add that wow factor. But also keeping in mind that the focus ample - try using a Dutch tilt.. is always on the cosplay. Photographing the same cosplay doesn’t mean they need to have the Shoot in manual mode as it gives you same result. Different cosplayers bring full control. And the flexibility to adjust different twist to the cosplay. Getting to your exposure in several different ways. know the cosplayers often helps in producing a more unique, individual result. I love to use wide angle lenses such as the 24mm or the 11-16mm zoom. They Angelo: Having a love for the character add that extra bit of drama to my composition. Just beware of lens distortion. being cosplayed helps a lot. As it will show in your final work. In saying that doing a bit of research prior to a shoot is a plus.
”
www.facebook.com/gotsuperpowers
PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
tips fro
“
This month
julio cesar: Adelaide Based Cosplay Photographer from "falcon visuals"
Things to consider when working with a single source:
a. Size of your source (relative to your subject): big sources will create small shadows; small sources will create big shadows. This is of paramount importance if you want to hide or show texture. For instance, when taking a female portrait, a “big” source placed away from the subject will flatten the skin texture, giving the appearance of soft and unblemished skin.
b. Distance between source and subject: a closely placed source will create well defined and deep shadows; a distant source will produce soft edged / weak shadows. For instance, when taking a female portrait, a distant source will ensure a low contrast look, with a soft transition between light and dark areas.
In this portrait of Comicbait Cosplay, the source (a 90 cm sh was a placed about 1 meter away from the subject. The l quite evenly, smoothing the texture.
om the pros
we got a variety of tips from a few different cosplay photographers... Let’s help you improve your cosplay photos!
hoot-trough umbrella) light covers the face
In this portrait of Matt Cosplay Art, the source (a 90 cm shoot-trough umbrella) was a placed about half a meter away from the subject. Being so close from the subject, the source cannot warp the skin, revealing a harsher texture.
www.facebook.com/falconvisuals
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