Virtual Reality’s

Rocky Start
N
othing will come easy for the introduc-
tion of virtual reality. The hardware
demands are steep, the units are
expensive, the technology is still evolving,
and plenty of naysayers are calling it the
next 3DTV or the cynical byproduct of a tech
industry looking for another item to market
down the throats of gamers everywhere.
It doesn’t help when both Oculus and
HTC Vive launch with supply problems
that quite frankly are embarrassing. People
ANDY McNAMARA not being able to get the hardware they
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF pre-ordered months in advance, much less
[email protected] make an impulse purchase on launch day,
is not a good first step for an industry that
Read my column or research companies like SuperData say will
comment on this letter at reach 40 billion in revenue by 2020.
gameinformer.com/mag In fact, if you ordered an Oculus at the time
or follow @GI_AndyMc that I wrote this, the delivery window would
be August. Staff members who pre-ordered
early are still waiting in anticipation with mini-
mal communication about the delays. That is
not how you launch hardware.
Despite all this, I am still impressed with
the Vive and the Rift. I feel VR is still very
compelling, warts and all, in these forma-
tive years. The PC space is where enter-
tainment for virtual reality will be pushed
and perfected, but that said, I agree
with most analysts when they say that
PlayStation VR will lead the charge of
getting VR into consumers’ hands.
The fact that users already have the PS4
hardware means the cost of entry is much
lower at $499 ($399 if you don’t need the
camera and Move controllers). Combine
this with Sony’s experience with hardware
visit gameinformer.com daily for the latest and greatest, and follow @gameinformer on Twitter

launches (I seriously doubt it will experi-

ence the shortages we’re seeing with Rift
and Vive) and I believe the PSVR will be
the spark that lights the VR fire when it
launches this October.
Sony already announced an aggressive
demo campaign, which I believe is the key
to selling people on the power of VR in
games. Yes, the technology is just at the
beginning of its ascent as an entertainment
medium, but I know after spending time with
VR that I am already in love with the experi-
ences and want it to be a centerpiece to my
gaming life. It’s something that you simply
have to try. I have yet to show it to someone
and not have them walk away with a smile
and a story to tell about what they saw.
So even if the price of entry for VR is too
much for you to handle, or you don’t want
to be an early adopter in this new entertain-
ment space, do yourself a favor and get out
there and find a way to try it. I think you will
be shocked by what you see.
Enjoy the issue.

Cheers,
44 Dishonored 2
Dishonored 2 is heading to a new city, add-
ing a new playable character, and myriad
new powers. We got the first look at where the follow-up
to Corvo Attano’s violent revenge story is heading next
and how it fares when taking advantage of all the current
generation hardware has to offer. by Matt Bertz

2
 28 Surviving The
Trip Downriver
We spoke to indie devel-
oper The Molasses Flood
to find out what’s next.

30 Top Ten
Stealth Masters
We ranked the best of
those who never make their
presence known.

12 Virtual Reality Enters The Real World

We’ve spent time with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, played plenty of games, and have our full
report (and reviews) on this brave new video gaming frontier.

40 Interview:
Girls Make Games
Girls Make Games founder
Laila Shabir tells us all

32 Cutting The Cord:

PlayStation Vue
Will Sony’s new TV distri- 34 Impulse: Nintendo Still Denies Us Metroid, But Other
Options Surge In Promise
about her mission to edu-
cate young girls on the art of
making games, in hopes of
bution subscription service Two distinct Metroid-inspired indie experiences grace Impulse providing the industry with a
kill cable? this month. better balance of creators.

06 Feedback
35 The Good, The Bad,
And The Ugly
43 Timeline
58 Previews
74 Reviews

36 Teaching Your Kids To Code, One Hour At A Time

The educating world of coding and programming is more
38 From Screen
To Silver Screen
The future of video game
94 Classic:
Ratchet & Clank
open than it’s ever been. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to movies looks brighter
boss a computer around, we’ve got some great resources. than ever. 96 Game Over

Correction: In issue #277, we incorrectly stated that a new entry in the Fire Emblem series had been confirmed. Intelligent Systems
and Nintendo have not announced development on a new title. We apologize for the error.
3 contents
 games index

Ashes of the Singularity. . . . . . . 92

Audioshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Banner Saga 2, The. . . . . . . . . . 80

Bravely Second . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
58 Doom
We played id Soft-
Chronos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
ware’s new take on the
genre it helped popularize. 60 Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Even when he’s made of bricks, BB-8 is just as adorable. Day of the Tentacle
Remastered. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Dishonored 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked . . . . 92

Doom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Enter the Gungeon. . . . . . . . . . . 77

Eve: Valkyrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Flame in the Flood, The . . . . . . . 28

65 Zero Time Dilemma

Learn about the new Gears of War 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

62 Mafia III
We check in on Hangar 13’s take on 1960s New Orleans.
updates on the next murder-
room simulator.
Ghost Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Heart Forth, Alicia . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Hyper Light Drifter. . . . . . . . . . . 81

Job Simulator:
The 2050 Archives . . . . . . . . . 84

Lab, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Lego Star Wars:

The Force Awakens . . . . . . . . . 60

Lucky’s Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Mafia III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
79 Ratchet & Clank
What’s old is
new again.
81 Hyper Light Drifter
This entrancing Kickstarter success story is our Game of
the Month.
Metroid Prime:
Federation Force . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Minecraft: Story Mode –

Episode 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

MLB The Show 16 . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Paragon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Planet Coaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Radial-G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Ratchet & Clank. . . . . . . . . . 79, 94

90 Bravely Second
Is Square Enix’s
classic RPG callback
Salt & Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Severed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
sequel as fun as the first?
Sniper Elite 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Star Fox Zero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Stories:
The Path of Destinies . . . . . . . . 92

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. . . . 72

Total War: Warhammer . . . . . . . 69

Trackmania Turbo . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Unspoken, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

91 Star Fox Zero

Is Fox and his team
the savior the Wii U needs?
94 Classic: Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank’s early designs were much different than
what they are today.
Walking Dead: Michonne –
Episode 2, The . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Zero Time Dilemma . . . . . . . . . . 65

4 contents
feedback

Gears of War, the state of the RTS, and recommended games

for newbies were all hot topics this month, while other readers
debated the latest rant from the notorious Darth Clark.

What’s In A Name? Laugh It Up Make Your Own Review – I gave The

I loved reading the Gears of War 4 I just finished reading this year’s Witcher Ep. 4: License to Spill a 9.5
cover story. Ben Reeves really goes Game Infarcer, and oh my goodness just to tick off all of the fanboys that
into the behind-the-scenes details was it amazing. Bloodborne 2 and its think it deserves a 10.
of what it takes to create the new Seussian horrors would be hysterical Ryan Holm
game, which is something players and frustrating for sure! The Make via email
would never know just by playing it. Your Own Review was also brilliant!
The only minor complaint I have is I had good belly laughs from start Laughing at misguided Game
The Coalition going with Gears of to finish – my only complaint is that Infarcer responses is a time-
War 4 for the title; they have a whole there weren’t more pages. honored tradition, but it seems
new team, studio, characters, and Nicholas Huntsman nowadays gullible readers prefer
storyline, but you’d never guess that via email to share their confusion and anger
with the name. I would think they’d via Twitter rather than email.
want to go with something like Gears As always, I enjoyed reading this Thankfully, Darth Clark still gar-
of War: New Beginnings. I know that year’s Game Infarcer, and I look for- nered his share of detractors this
name is stupid, but you get my point. ward to reading all of the Feedback year, as well as a few support-
Give the new game a title it deserves, letters from confused readers in the ers – and we don’t know which
not just the same name with a next issue. I especially loved the is scarier.
number added to it.
Emily Reece
via email

Forgoing a unique subtitle in favor

of a numbered sequel is a double-
edged sword. On one hand, a
numbered entry can seem boring
and uncreative. However, it can
also set the expectation of being
an integral chapter in a beloved
series, potentially selling more
copies than an offshoot. Seeing
as how Gears of War Judgment
was met with lackluster reviews
and sales, it’s not surprising
The Coalition wants their game
to be associated with the core
series, despite all that’s new. For
Contact Us more on Gears of War 4, head
[email protected] to gameinformer.com/gears4.
6
 Darth Clark Strikes Again Short Answers
Darth Clark’s article (Credit Where It To Readers’
Isn’t Due, issue 276) absolutely sick- Burning
ens me and shows just how blatantly
Questions:
you disrespect the developers who
work hard to create the games you say “How will the virtual
you love. Yes, games are entertain- reality industry get itself
ment, but even though big companies going in the market?”
fund them, individuals are the ones It’s already going.
doing the footwork, and they deserve
recognition. If all companies treated “If you could bring a
their top designers like Konami treated game to life, what game
Kojima, the industry would fall apart would you choose?”
in a hurry and your favorite games
wouldn’t exist. Maybe you should think Cookie Clicker.
about that before you disrespect the
artists whose blood, sweat, tears, and “Has a developer ever
time away from their families goes into used an idea out of
the games you enjoy. Game Infarcer to make a
Joe H. real game?”
via email
Nope. Well,
not intentionally.
Is it just me, or does Darth Clark’s
argument about Konami kind of make
sense? Think of it in terms of sports:
Dragon Age Inquiry You have a star player, but he and Worst
the team admins start disagreeing News Tip Of
So here’s my issue: I paid $70 for the deluxe edition of Dragon on things. You wouldn’t want to keep The Month:
Age: Inquisition. Then came the Jaws of Hakkon DLC for $15. him, because tension will escalate
“Hey! We’re making a
Then the weapon packs for $5 each. Then another $15 DLC and eventually the focus won’t be on
multiplayer party game
expansion, and finally the Trespasser expansion that serves winning, but watching the two parties
with forklifts.”
as an epilogue for the game. I’m looking at over $100 for me, fight instead. I know it’s a parody, but
a day-one purchaser and loyal fan, to own the entire game. is there a secret part of you guys that
understands Konami’s decision and
Fast forward to a few months ago, and the Game of the Year Best Opening
maybe agrees with Darth Clark?
edition – which contains everything – is on sale for $30. If I Line To A
Joseph Alston
had just waited a year, I could’ve saved over $80 on the com- via email
Feedback
plete game. Do you see this becoming an issue? I know my Letter:
experience with Inquisition will change the way I purchase Not even a little bit, Joseph, but we “I just finished reading
new games from now on. suppose that’s why Darth Clark gets the Top Ten Helicopter
paid the big bucks. Fights, and it’s reopened
Mike Wilson
an old wound.”
Wisconsin

Ahh, the day-one dilemma. While it’s certainly easy to feel Question
ripped off by the inevitable GOTY edition of your favorite Of The Month:
game, you’re forgetting one important thing: You got to What’s the next must-
play it a year before those waiting for the complete pack- buy game on your list
age. Whether that’s worth the extra money is up to you, and why?
but you can’t blame publishers for trying to entice on-the-
fence customers once initial sales slow down.

(Left) This month

gi spy

the honorable folks at

Arkane Studios gave us a
behind-the-scenes look
at the Dishonored 2. From
left to right: Marco Mele,
Sebastien Mitton, Dinga
Bakaba, and Harvey Smith.
(Right) You couldn’t ask
for better interns than
Luke Walaszek, Connor
Trinske, and Joe Buchholz.
So we didn’t. Thanks for
all the hard work, guys!

PHOTOS FROM THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY

feedback 7
 On Your Mind Fight The Future
I just read the Feedback letter from Cody
Valentine where he said he was disap-
pointed in the direction Far Cry Primal is
going (Primal Instinct, issue 276). I totally
disagree with him; I think more companies
need the guts to make games that aren’t
just all future and fantasy. I want some-
thing different, like a good medieval game
without all the nerdy wizards and spells. A
Call of Duty: Civil War would be cool too.
The video game industry could use a good
history lesson.
Joshua
via email

We don’t know what’s so “nerdy” about

raining down fire and lightning on your
enemies with a mere wave of a staff, but
Highly Recommended your disparaging wizard comment aside,
In issue 276, we asked readers what their go-to game we’re inclined to agree. Far Cry Primal
recommendation is for new players. Nintendo’s stable highlighted a land and time rarely seen in
of classic characters fared well in the responses, while games, and while it was far from histori-
others opted for mainstream – or sadistic – choices. cally accurate, it was a fun diversion for
the series. If the recent rumors about
Battlefield 5 being set during World War I
My recommendation for new players is Mario and Luigi:
are true, history buffs will have more to
Bowser’s Inside Story. The learning curve is forgiving, and look forward to this holiday.
each area offers a new and fun mechanic to play around
with. Each enemy type feels unique and can be avoided Dead to RTS?
if one doesn’t feel like fighting them. The game is surpris- In Daniel Tack’s review of Homeworld:
ingly funny; I got sucked into it and have played it many a Deserts of Kharak, he mentions that the
Go-to Game time since then. real-time strategy genre is waning. Do you
Recommendations Will Garrett believe that MOBAs are responsible for
this declining interest, or is it just a natural
Game Infarcer Love
cycle for a genre over 30 years old? What
Gears Of War I like to recommend Call of Duty, Battlefield, or similar do you think would save the genre, and why
Adoration shooters to new players. The controls are pretty easy to aren’t companies making as many RTS
master, and the gameplay is engaging. And the control games anymore?
Darth Clark Is Michael Rogerson
and reaction skills learned in these shooters can be used
A Jerk/Genius via email
in most games.
David Hodgson, The Sam Johnson
Strategy Guide Guru The real-time strategy genre is almost as
old as the gaming industry itself, and has
Too Many Expletives When recommending a game to new players, I often sug- evolved a lot over the years. The tower
In Games gest Dark Souls or Bloodborne because I am a nice guy defense, 4X, real-time tactics, and MOBA
and do not want to be mean. I feel that these are per- genres were all born from the humble
Boy Scouts Looking
fectly accessible, easy, relaxing games for newcomers! RTS, and may indeed be contributing to
For Merit Badges
its dwindling status. We wouldn’t worry
Or I just like dodging controllers and hearing screams
though; if Kickstarter has taught us
and expletives. One or the other. anything, it’s that there will always be an
Sam Caloras audience for the classics, and developers
willing to cater to that audience.

(Left) Kyle recently

got a tour of Pixar’s
office courtesy of layout
artist Leo Santos. Kyle
naturally gravitated to
the only other redhead
he could find.
(Right) This year at
DICE, Reiner caught
up with Yahoo’s Ben
Silverman, Psyonix’s
Ben Beckwith, and
Telltale Games’
Job Stauffer.

8 feedback
gallery WINNER
1 Nicole Weaver
Most buildings need video game-inspired stained-glass windows

2 Sage Enote
If not for the sword, Pyramid Head would look like an ordinary
person with a traffic cone stuck on his head

3 Brady Goldsmith
The real question this art brings: Who keeps the tree’s facial
hair trimmed?

4 Alexis Rios
Sure, we can get behind the idea of cheeseburgers and Studio
Ghibli characters living inside of Pokémon

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

(Left) Iron Galaxy

Studios’ Dave Lang
recently showed Brian
Shea what’s in store
for Killer Instinct’s third
season. (Hint: It involves
Shea losing badly.)
(Right) Shea also
played some baseball
with SCE San Diego’s
Ramone Russell.
Well, video game
baseball, anyway…

10 feedback
If you’re playing with
cigarettes, you’re
harming your teeth.
Smoking cigarettes can cause serious
gum disease that makes you more likely
to lose your teeth than someone who
doesn’t smoke.

Find out more at TheRealCost.gov

NOTABLES
28 what’s next for the
molasses flood?

30 top 10 stealth masters

32 the verdict on
playstation vue

34 video game movies on

the horizon

36 teaching kids to code

42 opinion: the teenage

years of mobile gaming

12
 No matter when you were born, you can prob-
ably recall hearing about the dream of virtual
reality. Whether it was the misfires of projects
like Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, or movies like
Tron, The Lawnmower Man, or The Matrix,
the promise of an engaging virtual world has
been tantalizingly out of reach for decades.
This spring, the two biggest competitors in the
new VR marketplace finally launched retail
units that deliver on some of that promise.
The cost of entry is steep for both the Ocu-
lus Rift and HTC Vive, especially when factor-
ing in the connected PC hardware, and the
technology isn’t yet perfect. But after two of
our editors spent combined hundreds of hours
exploring these two new devices, we’re
confident in one thing: The dream of viable
virtual reality is finally a reality. This technol-
ogy has the potential to expand into multiple
facets of entertainment, education, and art in
the coming years. Research firm SuperData
forecasts VR sales to reach $40 billion dollars
in revenue by 2020; if ever this burgeoning
technology trend had a shot at entering the
mainstream, this is the moment.
Since their recent launches, the Oculus
Rift and HTC Vive platforms have struggled
to fulfill pre-orders, so you may not be
able to get your hands on them for several
months. By the time you can, the looming
We evaluate the Oculus Rift and launch of Sony’s more affordable and less
HTC Vive platforms at launch technologically advanced PlayStation VR in
October will further step up the competition
between platforms.
Our editors spent several days exploring
each of these two new platforms and their
launch line-ups. Our grades reflect the quality
of the hardware and overall experience as of
launch. Read on for our full reports on each,
impressions of the most interesting VR games
and apps for both platforms, and two reviews
of Rift-ready PCs.

Oculus Rift Review HTC Vive Review Rift-Ready PC Roundup

p14 p20 p26

connect 13
 OCULUS
RIFT
REVIEW
A Dream Becomes An
Impressive (Virtual) Reality

by Andy McNamara

14
I first saw Oculus Rift in June 2012, when John Carmack
showed me a primitive version of Palmer Luckey’s hard-
ware running Doom 3 – and I do mean primitive. Carmack
warned of all the problems with head-tracking, latency,
and low resolution, but he also noted with a bit of glee
that it was the best demonstration of what was possible
in virtual reality to date, and he noted that many of the
problems would be solved quickly considering the speed
at which VR innovation was happening.
I wasn’t sold at that exact moment, but I remember say-
ing to myself that while it was flawed, there was some-
thing there. It provided a glimmer of what we would come The Hardware
to call “presence” – that feeling of physically being in a It isn’t cheap. For $599 you get the Oculus headset with
virtual place and time. appropriate support pieces, including an Xbox One con-
All those problems Carmack listed were solved rather troller, the Oculus remote, and the sensor that reads the
quickly. In August 2012, Luckey launched the Oculus Rift location of the head-mounted display (the unit that you
Kickstarter campaign. It quickly raised $2.4 million and strap on your face). And that’s not factoring in the cost of
ignited the imagination of gamers and game developers a high-end computer necessary for running the headset.
everywhere. The next big step for Oculus was Facebook’s The unit is tethered to the PC, so it is limited to standing
purchase of the company on March 25, 2014, for $2 bil- and sitting experiences, and the sensor must have a clear
lion in cash and stock, which immediately put VR in the line to the head-mounted display.
world spotlight. These are the basics needed to make VR work without
A lot has changed from that original Rift prototype. making you unsettled. The camera tracks the headset
The rush of investment dollars has fueled innovation and (working in concert with the gyroscope and accelerometer
pushed the hardware forward at a breakneck pace, and built into the unit), so when you move your head in VR, the
the excitement from the development community is unlike world reacts accordingly. Your brain is not easily fooled; it
anything I have ever seen. expects the world to behave within certain rules, and when
The Oculus Rift is the first consumer unit in this new age “what you see” doesn’t match up to “what you expect”
of VR, and we finally get to examine the product in the your body lets you know it.
wild. I have been playing games in VR in bits and pieces Setting up the Oculus is surprisingly easy. Its software
for the last few years, but for this review I played with the walks you through installation, and anyone who has
final Rift daily for several weeks and I’m thrilled to share plugged a keyboard into a computer before and knows
my verdict. the difference between USB and HDMI should be able to
complete the process. After you set up the hardware and
create an account, all you need to do is download some
software and install it. This process is painless.
The unit has two AMOLED displays that deliver resolu-
tion at 1200x1080 per eye and refreshes at 90Hz. The re-
fresh rate of 90 frames-per-second is basically the low-end
threshold for VR games, as they must run at 90 frames-
per -second or the user experience suffers. Early versions
of the Rift suffered from a “screen-door effect” that made it
look like you were viewing the world through a bug screen,
but the final hardware seems to have solved this issue.
That’s not to say that the worlds are crystal clear; you oc-
casionally see a flicker, or the world might appear like you
are looking through a lens – because you are.
That said, the performance of the head-mounted display
is impressive. The Oculus delivers a believable virtual-
reality world. I wouldn’t go as far as to say my mind was
completely fooled into thinking I was there, but playing
games this way takes immersion to another level. The
current screen resolution is more than enough to deliver
a fantastic experience, the refresh rate is acceptable, and
the head-tracking feels precise.
connect 15
Rift System The Oculus hardware is surprisingly elegant considering The one knock I have on the Rift is Oculus didn’t in-
Requirements that it makes users look a little silly with the thing strapped clude a pass-through camera so the user can see the real
onto their heads. Function is clearly valued over form, but world through the head-mounted display. This decision
s 'RAPHICS #ARD .VIDIA kudos to Oculus for creating headgear light enough to be was probably made to keep costs down, but the inability
'48 !-$ 2  comfortable. It’s wrapped in fabric to give it a warm, invit- to see the world around you can be frustrating. I’d place
EQUIVALENT OR GREATER ing feeling more akin to a piece of clothing rather than a the unit on my head, then realize I hadn’t put the controller
s 0ROCESSOR )NTEL hunk of plastic technology. in my lap, and because I wouldn’t want to deal with seat-
I  EQUIVALENT The unit uses a series of adjustable Velcro straps to cus- ing the thing on my face again I would feel around like I
OR GREATER tomize the fit, but the harness is spring-loaded so it can was wearing a blindfold to find the controller or remote. I
stretch as you place it on your head for an easy transition would cross my legs and put my knee into the underside
s -EMORY '" 2!-
from reality to VR. That is, unless you have glasses – but of my desk on a fairly frequent basis. People snuck up on
s /UTPUT ($-) I’ll get to that later. me numerous times as well, but I guess that is the price
COMPATIBLE  VIDEO The trick to wearing the Rift is to let the tracking triangle for presence.
OUTPUT at the back of the main strap take the bulk of the weight. You can’t talk about the Oculus Rift without bringing up
s )NPUTS X 53"  Think of it like putting on a baseball cap – you want to the PC that you need to run it. The minimum spec require-
PORTS X 53"  nestle it to the back of your skull then let that work in ments aren’t low.
concert with the straps to hold it up. While you still have Oculus offers an app that you can download to test your
s /PERATING 3YSTEM
to put a bit of pressure on your face, preventing it from hardware to see what you need to upgrade to run the
7INDOWS  30 
crushing your skull makes the whole experience much Oculus Rift, but this isn’t average PC hardware (see side-
BIT OR NEWER
more pleasant. bar); unless you purchased your hardware recently, most
After you have the unit on your head, there is a built-in will need to upgrade or buy a new computer altogether.
mic for chat and it’s easy to align the integrated head- Oculus is working with Alienware, Asus, and Dell to offer
phones (though you can remove them with an included Oculus-ready PCs to purchase that start at $949 with the
tool if you have other headphones you prefer to use). purchase of a Rift, but that puts minimal entry-level costs
The integration gives you one less thing to fumble with, for the Rift north of $1,600 if you get all the discounts.
and the headphones deliver a more-than-adequate audio Without them, I put the entry price at about $2,000 if you
experience. I picked up audio cues from all around me, don’t already have a rig.
and while the headphones don’t completely cover the All told, the Rift comes at a cost. But is the experience
ears, they drown out outside noise surprisingly well. They worth it?
also make it easy to free one ear by simply sliding one of
the ear pieces back to interact with anyone that walks
up (though talking to people while wearing a VR headset
AirMech: Command from Carbon Games is a great
feels just as silly for you as it does to the people you are example of how VR changes the way you see battle unfold
interacting with).
Overall, I can’t complain about what Oculus is delivering
for the price, since it includes a lot of impressive technol-
ogy. However, people who wear glasses will have a harder
time appreciating it. If you have small frames you may be
all right, but I needed to wear my contacts to enjoy the
Rift. The image was clearer since I didn’t have the head-
set sitting in odd positions to accommodate my glasses.
Wearing contacts also made it bearable to take the head-
set on and off. Otherwise, I had to take my glasses off,
insert them into the unit, and then place the whole con-
traption onto my head. As I mentioned before, it didn’t
fit quite right even then, and the pressure it put on my
frames resulted in headaches, creating an uncomfortable
vice effect that made me worry about the damage it may
be causing to my glasses.
16
The Experience
When you first put the Rift on, you are greeted by Oculus
Home, a giant modern room with three panels for man-
aging friends, recent software, and a center screen that
can be toggled between featured items, the store, and
your entertainment library. It’s intuitive, as you can use
a controller to select things or you can navigate with a
small dot (essentially a “mouse” pointer that you move
with your head). Conversely, you could download and
install games from the app on a standard PC monitor,
then just fire the entertainment from inside the Rift. Find-
ing entertainment is functional, but the storefront doesn’t
have all the bells and whistles, like parental controls,
wishlists, or patch notes.
A number of movies are available to watch, as well as
a few demos to play with that show some interesting
things that can be done in VR, but the real attraction for
the Rift at this point is the games.
The overall launch line-up offers an impressive degree
of variety. One of the great things in VR is that simple
things are once again amazing. I’ve looked at tons of
computer monitors and read plenty of notes in games,
but this mundane activity is a fresh experience in VR. You
lean over books in Chronos, and can flip the pages. It’s
not exactly groundbreaking, but the way VR draws you in
is what makes it special.
Take VR Tennis Online, for example. Playing tennis with
the gamepad has been done before, but the ability to
read the ball in virtual space makes it more interesting.
When you are serving and you toss the ball over your
head, you instinctively look up to get a read
on the ball. Is this game better than other
tennis games? Probably not, but the immer-
sion of VR makes it a singular experience.
Normally, I wouldn’t play a modern tennis
game for 10 minutes, but I’ll play for hours
in VR.
The range of game experiences is more
impressive than just reading pages and toss-
ing tennis balls. Scale goes hand-in-hand
with how presence works. Think of the way
you play games now as watching the fish-
bowl from the outside. In VR, you stick your
face in the fishbowl, so everything takes on
a completely different scale. It’s the reason
no screenshot can do VR justice; it simply
doesn’t give you the correct scale of how
you see the space.
At times you see games like they are toys,
with the world spread out before you like
you’re surveying a tabletop board game. In
these examples, you usually control the ac-
tion from third-person, but you feel like you
Oculus Home features a crackling fire, fine art, and
are sitting in first-person at the table, effec- floating user interfaces. Welcome to cyberspace
tively manipulating the world.
Great examples of this in the launch line-
up are the real-time strategy game AirMech:
Command, the platformer Lucky’s Tale, and the racer
BlazeRush, all of which are charming and fun, as well as
surprisingly immersive. We instinctively think VR means
experiences have to be in first-person to deliver pres-
ence, but these games show that different perspectives
still deliver a powerful effect.
Other titles forgo the included Xbox One controller as
your main input and use your gaze as the primary target-
ing device. A couple of my favorite examples of this are
EVE Gunjack, a shooter that puts you in turrets fighting
waves of enemies that attack in various formations (think
VR Galaga), and Darknet, a puzzle game that challenges
you to hack various defense nets in cyberspace. Using
your gaze to target is easy, particularly in Gunjack. Nor-
mally in a turret game, you see the threat and then react – Adr1ft features some of the best visuals you will find
on the Rift and also some of its most intense moments
but in VR, you’re already there.
connect 17
Andy All entertainment for the Oculus Rift comes with a com- boundaries of what we can take physically, and others
McNamara’s fort rating: Comfortable, Moderate, or Intense. When you skip those experiences and choose to ride the teacups.
Top Ten Rift turn, twist, or rotate in cyberspace, the intensity ratchets The Oculus lineup does a good job of bringing lots of
up, which is why Adr1ft and EVE Valkyrie are two of the options so everyone can find something that fits the pa-
Experiences
most talked-about games for the Oculus (though I think rameters of their VR sea legs. A couple of experiences got
1. Chronos Chronos is the best game in the launch lineup; read our to me, but usually I found that bad software led to poor
2. Adr1ft review on p. 83). Both take place in space and are well- experiences. For example, Radial-G might be the most
produced VR experiences, and both give you a real taste intense ride of the launch line-up, but it never hiccups
3. Radial-G
of how VR can produce a sense of presence. and the world feels believable, so it never made me un-
4. Lucky’s Tale In Valkyrie, you pilot spaceships in a short campaign comfortable. Others might not find it as inviting, and this
5. Darknet mode and in multiplayer matches, and while the experi- variance from one user to another is why making blanket
ence is limited, the sensation of flight is the main attrac- recommendations is difficult. However, user experience
6. BlazeRush
tion. You have a virtual body and cockpit, and since you will inform the software community, and that I think things
7. AirMech: can use a controller or a flight stick to pilot the craft, it will only get better in the future, both in the experiences
Command leaves you free to look around, which gives you that feel- built in VR and the way we communicate discomfort so
8. Pinball FX2 VR ing of “being there.” That ability to control the camera and people can find the rides that suit them.
9. EVE Gunjack
move at the same time is how you drive a car or ride a All told, the Oculus software lineup offers a lot of variety,
bike. Virtual reality brings that intuitive experience to pilot- especially at launch. That said, there is no system-seller
10. Henry ing crafts, and Valkyrie delivers that experience (read our level piece of software yet. While I expect there to be a lot
review on p. 86). of software over the coming years, it is unlikely that VR’s
Adr1ft takes another approach to space, as it puts you smaller install base in these early years will allow major
in the role of an astronaut coming to just as your space software investment at the triple-A level anytime soon.
station is torn to bits. Your job: Get home.
You piece together the story and solve vari-
ous puzzles as you work your way through the
VR works well in games where you are
tatters of your off-planet home, but everything confined to a cockpit like in Eve: Valkyrie
takes on another level of intensity in VR. Your
helmet is rendered, so it gives this eerie and
claustrophobic feeling of being helpless in the
emptiness of space. Your heart pounds in your
ears, and you even the slightest nudge sends
you tumbling. It’s easily the most intense ex-
perience on the Rift, and might even be too
much for some. But when you come out of an
airlock, with debris bouncing off your helmet,
your heart pounding in your ears, and sud-
denly your stomach sinks as the vastness of
space finds you floating thousands of miles
above earth – that’s a testament to the power
of VR. It’s both beautiful and terrifying all at
once (read our review on GameInformer.com).
Adr1ft was one of the few games to give me
the queasy feeling that is so often mentioned
when talking about VR, but the game wants
to make you uncomfortable. Think of VR as
an amusement park; some people crave big-
ger and better roller coasters that push the
18
The Conclusion of any VR platform. We will see a lot of innovation in that
Virtual reality is an amazing new dimension to gaming and space and in the technology that fuels VR over the com-
entertainment as a whole, but it’s hard not to talk about ing years. Oculus Rift is something you buy to be in on
virtual reality, and specifically the Oculus Rift, right now the ground floor and experience the amazing beginnings
without bringing up the price. of this technology, as this time it isn’t some undercooked
If cost is a major concern for you, you will likely be dis- 1990s VR experience; Oculus Rift is proof that VR is the
appointed; even though the current offering is impressive, real deal. Even though its Touch hardware is coming out
no gaming entertainment can live up to VR’s current price at a later date, the Rift offers the best package for VR. The
tag in the PC space, be it Rift or Vive. But if you have unit is sleek, the software offerings are varied, and the
the means, or you are an enthusiast who can overlook overall package feels more tailored like a console launch
the price for the power of the experience, the purchase is than a PC testing ground. \
worthwhile. Oculus is impressive on so many levels, and
after spending endless hours with the unit, I’m drawn to
VR like a moth to a flame, and I find the hardware ex-
ecution of the Rift’s head-mounted display to be second
to none. The Final Grade
The games aren’t as advanced as current console Virtual reality still has a way to go before it will be in every household, but Oculus Rift
tri ple-A titles, but they are different experiences and bring is a strong first step. The Oculus launch lineup is solid, with more than a few bright
a different type of fun and wonderment to gaming and spots. It’s a shame Touch wasn’t available out of the gate, as adding controllers that
entertainment. Watching movies, using a virtual desk- interact in virtual space is something that makes VR shine. However, I can’t help but
top, looking at VR images – it all brings with it a certain be impressed with the Oculus Rift, despite its steep cost and minor standard-of-living
sense of awe. Could this luster of novelty wear off? I can’t issues like comfort for players who wear glasses and the lack of a pass-through camera.
answer that question with certainty. I believe that as the If you can afford the Rift, I don’t think you will be disappointed. You will find
technology advances, and as developers learn to take ex peri ences that are indeed singular and spectacular, but this really is only the be gin-
advantage of it, we will see VR as the ultimate way to ning. If the price is too steep for you right now, not only will the tech-
experience entertainment. I feel Oculus is at the cutting nology improve in future versions, but the software will be more ma-
edge of this form of entertainment, but we aren’t there ture, and the cost will come down to a more consumer-friendly price
quite yet. point over time. But definitely get out there and try out the Rift if you do
Oculus shipped without the Touch motion controllers, nothing else.
which still don’t have a price point, but controllers created
for interacting in cyberspace are essential to the future

Even playing games from a third-person perspective are immersive on the Rift

connect 19
 HTC VIVE
REVIEW
This Valve-powered tech is experimental,
inconsistent, and sometimes magical

by Matt Miller

20
Two heads may indeed be better than one. A project that
neither HTC nor Valve could bring to fruition alone has
found life through an intense cooperative venture, and
the result is the Vive. The virtual-reality headset marks
a new direction both for the successful phone company
and the leader in the PC gaming sphere, and sets the
two companies in opposition to the significant financial
muscle of the Facebook-funded Oculus.
An accelerated design and development cycle for the
Vive has led to a fascinating-but-flawed final product,
and one that distinguishes itself in important ways from
the Rift. The focus on room-scale virtual experiences al-
lows for novel and fascinating software, and many us-
ers will appreciate the availability of a full VR package
right out of the gate, rather than the competition’s plan
to roll out sensors and motion controllers as a peripheral
later. That opening advantage comes with a hefty price
tag, but for anyone who can’t wait to witness the full
magic of moving and interacting in a virtual world, it’s a
compelling choice.
The developers working on software for the Vive have
established the hardware’s potential as a game-changing
piece of technology, even if some of that potential has yet The Hardware
to be fulfilled. Many of the Vive’s most impressive soft- The HTC Vive comes in a standalone package that in- Vive System
ware is work-in-progress, with demos, betas, and first cludes almost everything you need to play, move, and in- Requirements
episodes of larger games dominating the initial slate of teract in its virtual worlds. I stress the “almost,” because
s 'RAPHICS #ARD
offerings. These games and apps exhibit little uniformity the very nature of the product demands a significant
.VIDIA 'E&ORCE '48
even in standardizing what buttons should do what, often space to function. That means that you’re either look-
!-$ 2ADEON
leading to a confusing and haphazard sense of discovery. ing at setting up a dedicated VR room in your home, or
2  EQUIVALENT
Nonetheless, discovery and experimentation is core to you’re willing to move a lot of furniture around before ev-
OR BETTER
the Vive’s success. Even when the tech or games falter, ery play session. Either way, plan on a designated empty
there’s an undeniable magic here. More than once, I felt space of at least 6.5-by-5 feet, not including whatever s 0ROCESSOR )NTEL #ORE
like I was interacting with a new medium for entertain- desks or tables support your monitor or TV and gaming I !-$ &8
ment, art, and education. In its finest moments, the Vive rig. For those with an abundance of space, the sensor  EQUIVALENT
makes me feel like I’m personally interacting with objects technology can move out to more than 16 feet diagonally. OR BETTER
and completing actions in a different world. If that’s not Generally speaking, a larger space is going to provide s -EMORY '" 2!-
proof that virtual reality has finally arrived, I don’t know better play experiences, but even testing in a space clos- s /UTPUT ($-) 
what is. er to those minimum values, I had a fun time. Users with $ISPLAY0ORT 
children or pets should consider setting up an enclosed OR NEWER
space with a door for safety, and anyone living in smaller s )NPUTS X 53" 
spaces may be out of luck. OR BETTER PORT
The Vive’s big distinguishing feature is the freedom to
s /PERATING SYSTEM
move within the confines of your pre-designated space,
7INDOWS  30
and use the controllers to directly manipulate virtual ob-
OR NEWER
jects you encounter there. This is accomplished via the
connection between the headset, controllers, and two
base station sensors that must be mounted high on op-
posite corners of the play space. The base stations are
mostly unobtrusive, with a slick black face and cube
shape that is reminiscent of surround speakers. The in-
cluded mounts allow placement by users willing to do
some drilling, but high-set bookshelves or tripods (sold
separately) are another option. Each base station uses
its own power supply, so expect to run some wires to
nearby outlets in each case.
connect 21
Matt Miller’s I had to do some significant positional tweaking to get steps, resulting in crashed apps. Until a wireless solution
Top Ten Vive the base stations to recognize one another at first, but can be concocted, this is a big problem.
Experiences once the mounting was complete and the connection The built-in microphone is functional, but offers poor
was established, the hard part of setup was over. Our quality. I applaud the decision to include a standard 1/8-
1. Tilt Brush play space had no other connected entertainment, but inch headphone jack on the headset, which allows users
2. The Lab some users have noted that the base stations have the to incorporate their preferred headphones. I encountered
3. Audioshield potential to interfere with other IR-based signals, which no problems when connecting several different options,
is something to be aware of if you plan to pair your VR from simple earbuds to larger, over-ear models.
4. Vanishing Realms
space with a room that uses IR-based monitors and The oddly shaped wand controllers are responsive and
5. Fantastic receiver remotes. ergonomic. Our units held charge for several hours, and
Contraption Connecting the headset and controllers is relatively recharged quickly using the included micro-USB cords.
6. Job Simulator straightforward, though tedious due to the many re- The controllers exhibit good connection to the base sta-
quired connections. Between charge cables, link box tions, though over many hours of play, the connection
7. Budget
power lines, and the expected array of HDMI and USB dropped out or fluttered a few times. The trackpad, trig-
Cuts Demo
plugs, using the Vive requires a lot of wires cluttering ger, and grip buttons are all responsive. Motion tracking
8. Space Pirate your space. is superlative, with almost no detectible lag as you move
Trainer VR The headset is a slick piece of tech, with a simple black the controllers.
9. Final Approach aesthetic that newcomers might have a hard time distin- The Vive is undoubtedly the best option currently on
guishing from the Rift. In fact, few core technical features the market for experiencing full-room virtual reality, and
10. theBlu
set the two apart. Like the Rift, the combined eye resolu- everything comes packed together in one well-organized
tion of 2,160x1,200, 90Hz refresh rate, and 110-degree package. But that package comes with a serious price
field of view offer an impressive display, even if there is tag. Not only is the Vive $200 more expensive than the
still some minor blurring. That resolution issue is the big- competition at a hefty $799.99, but the PC hardware re-
gest reason I expect a Vive retrofit within a few years. quirements are also significant. As such, it’s not unrea-
Three Velcro straps are easily adjustable for head size, sonable to imagine the total Vive price tag topping $2,000
and after inviting over a dozen adult volunteers to try it for some users without a high-end rig already in place.
out, none complained that they couldn’t find an appropri-
ate fit. If you wear glasses, the Vive can work with smaller
frames, but a couple of my volunteers complained that
Tilt Brush is a remarkable piece of software, as it holds
it wouldn’t accommodate what they wore. The center of the promise of an entirely new medium for artists
gravity is pulled in front, close to the eyes, which is more
important than you might at first think, as many applica-
tions involve rapid head turns. In those moments, I rarely
felt the headset pull away or shift on my face.
The headset is either on or off – it doesn’t sit comfort-
ably when propped up on your head between sessions.
Thankfully, the front-facing pass-through camera gives
you a room view without having to lift the lenses to your
forehead. The headset hugs your eyes tightly, but isn’t
inherently uncomfortable. You rarely spy the outside
world (which is nice), but the close fit and minimal vent-
ing cause heat to build up.
The headset’s biggest problem is the connected 3-in-1
cables, which extend from the back and drop down to
the floor behind you before running to your PC. HTC has
done an impressive balancing job, so these wires don’t
feel like they pull your head backward, but there’s no
solving for the additional weight. The even bigger issue
is tangled cords; many Vive applications involve constant
walking and rotations, and the cords at my feet regularly
got in the way, breaking immersion in the virtual world. I
even pulled the cables unplugged a few times with bad
22
The Experience Job Simulator is simple and silly, but a great illustra-
With your base stations synced, your controllers tion of how the fun it can be to perform simple tasks
charged, the furniture cleared away (and wires picking up and throwing objects in a virtual space

strewn about the floor), you’re ready to don the

Vive. But you’re probably worried about your
friends’ and family’s safety as they walk blindly
into the virtual world. Steam and HTC have im-
plemented a number of features to alleviate the
concern, and it all works well.
By setting the controllers on the floor (to set the
location of the floor in games) and then walking
the controller around a circuit of the dedicated
open floor space, you establish the chaperone
bounds. Like any good chaperone, this system
is in place to keep people from getting carried
away, but without limiting too much of the fun. No
matter the application, if your body (as measured
by the headset’s position) or either of the control-
lers get too close to a wall, a blue grid appears in
your field of view warning you of the boundary. If
that’s not enough, you can also set additional op-
tions using the pass-through camera on the front
of the unit, so that when the chaperone appears
you also see an overlay of the real world. In short,
I never found myself swinging an arm into a table
or running into a wall.
With safety options set, I dug into the many experimen- they assault your castle. Another sequence shows off the
tal applications and games available through Steam. Valve potential for visiting real-world locations through visits to
has done a good job of including a brief but entertaining mountain vistas and underground lava tubes, and another
intro to interacting in virtual space, and after that you can demonstrates VR’s educational applications by examin-
freely move between applications, using either your stan- ing a human skeletal system from any angle – including
dard desktop Steam application, or a virtual menu from inside the body. Within The Lab, it’s only a matter of sec-
within the headset. Starting and moving between applica- onds before most users “get it” and understand why folks
tions is where I encountered the most problems, includ- are making such a fuss about VR’s potential (read our full
ing several crashes that required restarting Steam. Some- review on p. 85).
times applications would fail to start, and then inexplicably Many of the additional games currently available in
boot up on a second try. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Steam are experimental and brief, but not lacking in mer-
I was playing around in a pre-release sandbox of experi- it. The Space Pirate Trainer VR beta reveals the thrill of
ences, rather than a fully cooked retail front to the Vive shooting guns in virtual reality. An early prologue to Irra-
software library. tional Exuberance finds you exploring outer space, crush-
One of the most polished experiences is also the best ing asteroids between your hands. And the engrossing
single piece of software to illustrate the Vive’s potential: Budget Cuts demo makes me hunger for a full game; you
The Lab. This is a collection of minigames and interac- are a spy moving through a robot-infested office building,
tions that are each delightful in their own way, from a opening safes, climbing through crawlspaces, and fling-
simple arcade bullet-hell shooter in which your hand/con- ing throwing knives with abandon. Like so much of the
troller is the ship, to a bow-and-arrow defense game that Vive catalog, these are unfinished products, but they do
sees you shooting down innocuous stick-figure raiders as wonders in selling the future.

Audioshield transforms any musical track into a playable

virtual pattern of notes that punch and block in real time

connect 23
 The prologue for Irrational Exuberance creates the brief) encounters in the virtual landscape.
illusion that you’re traveling through space, crush- Job Simu la tor is as amusing as you may
ing asteroids and interacting with stellar phenomena have heard, guiding you through a robot’s vi-
sion of human careers like office worker and
cook. It captures the magic of picking up and
moving things within a virtual space (See
our revew on p.84). Another game called
Final Approach offers an overhead view of
an airport; I hovered, godlike, over the many
converging planes and helicopters, guiding
them with my hands onto the paths that led
to safe landing. I was appropriately awed by
the magic of theBlu, in which I was a mostly
passive observer of undersea life as whales
passed and anemones reacted to the brush
of a hand. And an onstage encounter with La
Peri placed me in the center of a breathtak-
ing ballet performance in which I selected the
conclusion, revealing VR’s potential for pre-
senting dance and theater in a new way.
The combination of 360-degree view and
the ability to interact with my hands makes
all the difference in these adventures. Even
when the Vive feels less consumer-ready than
the Rift, these enchanting interactions may
be enough to lure many users away – at least
until the Rift releases its own Touch interface
in several months.
These early experiences reveal one of Valve’s big- Several games available at launch provide the potent
gest challenges: inconsistency. Rather than standardize sense of immersion and presence that is so frequently
what buttons do what, Valve has given game develop- touted by VR’s evangelists. The early access fantasy RPG,
ers a broad latitude. Though it may encourage creative Vanishing Realms, is a classic dungeon crawl complete
use of the headset and controllers, I felt a little lost mov- with combat, puzzles, and loot. Looking around inside
ing between applications when each one uses different the fantasy landscape is like seeing a childhood fantasy
interaction models for simple things like confirmation/ come to life. The Gallery – Episode 1: Call of the Star-
cancel buttons. seed is a mouthful of a name, but the sense that you’re
Other VR projects in Steam offer relatively complete (if exploring a windswept coastline of shipwrecks in search

Games like The Gallery – Episode 1: Rise of the Star-

seed are immersive adventures that make you feel like
you’re visiting and tactilely exploring a strange locale

24
of your missing sister brings a new dynamic to the adven- The Conclusion
ture game formula. The gleeful Fantastic Contraption chal- The Vive feels like it could use a few more months in the
lenges your engineering skills, giving you tools to craft a oven, but I can understand the desire to hit the market
locomotive and the freedom to make the most complicated in-time with its major competitor. As it is, potential buy-
mix of wheels and frames that you can imagine. Moving ers should enter with an expectation of some challenges,
and touching in these games is engaging and addictive – both in setup and actual use. Game crashes are uncom-
it’s hard to get over the sense that you’re walking around a mon, but not rare. Controls and usage are inconsistent
space in which there’s no separation between you and the from one app to another. Many apps feel more like experi-
fictional world. These first-person journeys are the most ments than finished products.
likely place that some users might encounter nausea or Nonetheless, after spending many hours exploring both
discomfort from movement, but it wasn’t a problem I per- the Rift and the Vive, I’m forced to acknowledge that as
sonally encountered during play. of launch, the Vive does more to sell me on the poten-
Audioshield is a fascinating experiment weaving music tial of this new medium. Again and again, I found myself
games into the VR landscape. Wielding colored blue and amazed by the deeply immersive and varied adventures
red shields on each arm, the beats of a song fly in from I found there, and the option to touch and move freely is
varied trajectories, and score is calculated by how many a big deal.
beats you block with the correctly colored shield. Suggest- The virtual-reality marketplace is likely to look very dif-
ed songs explore an eclectic mix of electronica and a few ferent by the end of this year. Oculus has promised its
outlying classical or pop tunes, but you can import your Touch controllers by then, which should offer many of the
own music as well, or stream any music from Soundcloud. deeper VR interactions that so appealed to me with the
Without acknowledging the absent license, it’s about as Vive. Simultaneously, I have no doubt that Valve and HTC
close as you can imagine to being inside that Tron game are going to be hard at work to iron out the kinks in its pre-
you’ve imagined since 1982. It also reveals that Vive is sentation and tech with the Vive – I fully expect a smooth-
primed to appeal to a broad array of game genres (read our er experience after a few more firmware updates. \
review on p. 82).
Oddly, my favorite VR experience with the Vive wasn’t a
game. It was Tilt Brush, Google’s take on MS Paint reimag-
La Peri is a brief but beautiful encounter
ined for a virtual age. With one controller as a brush and communicated through narration and dance
the other as a palette, you’re set loose to create. Swipes of
your hand paint stripes in 3D space and bring fire, smoke,
and other effects into being. Afterward, you walk around
your creation, and realize this is as much statue as it is a
painting. A showcase allows users to load up art instal-
lations created by other artists, and even watch a time-
lapsed version of those pieces as they come to life one
virtual stroke at a time. It’s remarkable, and I don’t feel like
I’m exaggerating when I say this is a new art medium.

The Final Grade

In its current state, the Vive has numerous stumbling blocks and a spotty library of
applications. But don’t let my final assessment come across with too much pessi-
mism. This is certainly a passing grade, and all my intuition suggests that with some
consistent work, this student has the potential for real brilliance.
Excellent motion tracking, flexible controllers, and the most nov-
el experiences I’ve encountered in VR await for Vive users, but
some rough spots in setup and execution, along with a currently
limited library of apps and games, hold it back from greatness.

connect 25
 Being on the cutting edge of technology is never cheap. That maxim defi-

READY, nitely holds true for virtual reality, where you must combine the high cost
of the headset along with some beefy PC specs to get the games running.
Get carried away with the specs and you could find yourself dropping

PLAYER well over $3,000 for the combo.

Long-time PC players can upgrade their existing rigs using the tech
specifications outlined in our Rift and Vive reviews, but newcomers or PC

ONE owners in need of a serious upgrade have another option. If you pre-order
the Oculus Rift, the company is offering discounted Rift-ready PCs that
start as low as $949. These slim PCs allow for limited upgradability, but
Gearing up for the VR they do get your foot in the virtual door. Sadly, neither of these PCs come
revolution? Check out these bundled with a mouse, keyboard, or monitor so that’s another expense
Rift-ready PC models you might have to factor in if you don’t already have them.
We got our hands on units from Alienware and Asus and put the systems
by Ben Reeves through the paces to find out how they stack up.

Alienware X51 R3
Measuring only 13.5 x 12.5 x 3.74 inches, Alienware’s console-sized
VR-ready unit can slide onto just about any shelf and sit horizon-
tally or vertically. The system’s curvy design and raised alien lettering
make this one slick-looking machine. You can even customize the
two triangular LED strips on the side to match your flair.

Starting at $999 (with purchase of a Rift) | alienware.com

Starting Specs Benchmarks

s 6IDEO #ARD .VIDIA 'E&ORCE s 0# -ARK   BETTER THAN
'48  '"  PERCENT OF 0#S TESTED
s 0ROCESSOR )NTEL #ORE I s $ -ARK  
 0ROCESSOR s !VERAGE FRAMERATE IN -ETRO
s -EMORY '" $UAL #HANNEL  ON MAX SETTINGS 
DDR4 at 2,133MHz
s (ARD $RIVE 4"
-" #ACHE
s /3 7INDOWS  (OME

Asus ROG G20CB

!SUS SHARP DESIGN HELPS IT STAND OUT FROM OTHER 0#S BUT ITS 62
READY SPECS ARE ON PAR WITH THE !LIENWARE (OWEVER THE '#" SAW
a slight performance boost thanks to its extra memory. The sleek
design also resulted in a machine that is slightly larger, measuring
 X  X  INCHES 4HE SYSTEMS DYNAMIC ,%$ BACKLIGHTS LET
YOU HIGHLIGHT THE FRONT BACK AND UNDERCARRIAGE WITH OVER  MILLION
different color combinations.

Starting at $949 (with purchase of a Rift) | asus.com

Starting Specs Benchmarks

s 6IDEO #ARD .VIDIA s 0# -ARK   BETTER THAN
'E&ORCE '48  '"  PERCENT OF 0#S TESTED
s 0ROCESSOR )NTEL #ORE I s $ -ARK  
 0ROCESSOR s !VERAGE FRAMERATE IN -ETRO
s -EMORY '" $$2  ON MAX SETTINGS 
at 2,133MHz
s (ARD $RIVE '" 33$
s /3 7INDOWS  (OME

26 connect
 THAT’S A MIGHTY
FINE GAME
YOU GOT THERE.
WANNA SWAP
FOR A NEW ONE?
TRADE YOUR GAMES AND ACCESSORIES FOR CASH
OR STORE CREDIT AND SAVE BIG ON NEW GAMES
AND MORE.

www.tradeatgamestop.com

Trades must be in full working condition to receive full value. Trades subject to manager approval. Cash not available in all locations. See store associate for details.
Surviving The
Trip Downriver
What’s next for The Molasses Flood?
as they worked, prepping The Flame in the Flood for its

I
n February 2014, Ken Levine made the surprising an-
nouncement that Irrational Games was being shuttered. Kickstarter debut in October of the same year. If the campaign
Forrest Dowling, who had served as the lead level design- failed, there’s a good chance the game would not have been
er on Bioshock Infinite, decided he wanted to work on his developed and all those months of hard work would have been
own project instead of jumping into another triple-A industry for nothing. Luckily for the team, the Kickstarter was a huge
job and sought to establish a team with Irrational’s former art success, raising more than $100,000 over its funding goal of
director, Scott Sinclair. Soon the Boston-based developer The $150,000. The group continued to work away on the game,
Molasses Flood was formed, composed of Dowling, Sinclair, and using feedback from backers and Steam early access users to
four other game-industry veterans whose credits include work- improve and refine it, until it was ready for release. Now, a little
ing on the likes of Rock Band, Halo 3, and Freedom Force 2. over two years after Irrational’s closure, The Molasses Flood is
This was not simply a hobby project. Instead, everyone went finally seeing the fruits of its labor and is trying to figure out the
all in, living off of a combination of savings and severance next journey. by Javy Gwaltney
28
 The Flame in the Flood current-
ly sits at a 73 Metacritic rating
and has proven to be a divisive
game, with critics taking issue
with its challenging difficulty and
similarity to other survival sims
like Don’t Starve. Other reviewers,
like me, found the unique setting
and steady sense of progression
(even in its most difficult moments)
helped make it stand out in the
crowd. The Molasses Flood is
pleased with the reception, accord-
ing to Dowling: “Critically, it land-
ed about where we expected it to.
I sort of expected there to be a bit
of a spread as that goes, but I was
happy to see that the user review
scores were really positive. We
got some great reviews, and we His reasoning isn’t unfounded. quite a bit different than what we Though early access helped
continue to see them trickle in The openness of digital-distribution tend to be used to in triple-A and make The Flame in the Flood’s
from smaller outlets.” platforms like Steam have proven big titles, which have enormous development an easier ride than
Though the critical response to be a double-edged sword for marketing pushes. With smaller some of the triple-A projects mem-
for The Flame in the Flood was indie developers. It’s never been titles you tend to see less of a push bers of the team have worked on,
satisfying, Dowling admits it hasn’t easier to get your game into a but more of a longer tail.” it wasn’t always smooth sailing,
exactly been a blockbuster seller, marketplace somewhere to sell The Molasses Flood attributes with Dowling half-joking that the
though he attributes that more to it, but that also means it’s harder a large part of The Flame in the team “kind of lived in the office for
the concept of value in the age than ever to get people to notice Flood’s critical successes to its a few months.” The work’s not over
of digital distribution more than it given just how many titles come stint on Steam early access, saying either. Not only is The Molasses
anything else. “As far as sales go, out every day. Not every indie game its slow release allowed them to Flood still updating the PC and
we’re reasonably happy with it. can enjoy the financial success of address issues and make adjust- Xbox One versions of the game
We’re obviously not the new ultra- Undertale or Stardew Valley, both ments as they developed content. with fixes, they team is also still
rich indie people, but I think that’s of which have sold over a million “It was great since we didn’t have a implementing Kickstarter pledge
just sort of how it is these days copies. However, Dowling isn’t dis- huge, expensive QA department,” rewards. When I asked about the
for most independent titles that couraged as much as he is curious. Dowling tells us. “It definitely led to possibility of a PS4 port or down-
launch. I think a lot of people hold “I’m really interested to see how the a lot of changes and refinements loadable content, he said the focus
off until they see something that’s shape of independent games’ sales and polish and a bunch of small is on patching the game as best
on sale.” take over time because I think it is additions and changes to the UI.” as they can and taking care of all
the content the team is obligated
to finish.
As for as what’s next for The
Molasses Flood, Dowling admits
everyone is still trying to figure out
the next move. “We have all sorts
of stuff in play right now. It’s too
early to say anything about what
that may be, but there are a lot of
possibilities as to what we might
do.” The Molasses Flood might
once again turn to crowdfunding
for its next project or, if the scope
of the idea is too large, Dowling
says they’d need investors to
help them realize it. Regardless of
what the future holds for the team
of six, The Molasses Flood took
a chance with the possibilities
offered by the current digital land-
scape and have by all accounts
survived a long journey through
treacherous waters.

From Our Review

The Flame in the Flood is a different kind of game. It requires patience and
careful planning on the part of the player, a willingness to learn from mis-
takes, but it also expects them to have quick reflexes and be capable of mak-
ing snap judgements…I died hundreds of times during my journey, but each
little death taught me new tricks that helped me avoid making fatal errors
further down the river, resulting in moments of deep satisfaction where I felt
I had truly earned my victories. Score: 9 (Read the full review in Issue 276)

connect 29
top ten Stealth Masters
by Elise Favis

Agent 47
Hitman
Whether he’s strangling his target with a fiber wire, or
taking them down with his dual silverballers, Agent 47 is
swift and silent. He is also talented at covering up kills to
appear as accidents and uses many disguises.

Solid Snake Garrett

Metal Gear Solid Thief
This elite operative specializes in solo infiltration, so avoiding detection is paramount. Garrett is an experienced thief, and remaining hidden
With an arsenal including sleep darts, smoke grenades, and a variety of cardboard is what he does best. This cynical and arrogant crook
boxes, Solid Snake saves the world from nuclear Armageddon and no one even knows works alone, while skillfully arching his bow and arrow to
he was there. distract enemies and extinguish torches.

Altaïr Sam Fisher Corvo Attano

Assassin’s Creed Splinter Cell Dishonored
Raised as an assassin from birth, Altaïr can blend into With his instantly recognizable three-lensed night vision Corvo is a former bodyguard to the empress. With his
crowds seamlessly, air assassinate guards, and hide in goggles, Sam Fisher is an adept, stealthy field operative. impressive natural and supernatural abilities, such
haystacks to avoid detection. He was the first assassin He’s mostly a creature of the night, sneaking up on as teleportation and possession, you can either kill
introduced in the series, and remains the stealthiest. foes in the dark and engaging in both unarmed and your foes or stick to the shadows, though stealth is
armed combat. subtly encouraged.

Adam Jensen Ninja Rikimaru Talion

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Mark of the Ninja Tenchu Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor
Being half machine, Adam has After accepting the Mark, the ninja Trained as a ninja from a young age after As a ranger, Talion is a skilled fighter
augmentations that amp up his stealth develops superhuman powers that en- the assassination of his family, Rikimaru who has multiple stealth finisher moves,
capabilities, such as letting him turn hance his reflexes and senses. He agilely possesses many stealth skills. Whether including undetected take-downs with
invisible. Stealth is only one way Adam tiptoes through the world, killing, luring, he’s striking from the shadows or drop- his dagger. His superhuman abilities
can approach missions, but he’s so good or evading his enemies while avoiding ping balls of poisoned rice, he always empower him further, though many of
that it’s often the most rewarding. lights and remaining silent. gets the job done. these skills put emphasis on action. \
30 connect
ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE
WITH THE GAMESTOP APP

Use Your Trade Credit

Access your trade credit to trade in-store without
your physical card.

Access PowerUp Rewards

Use your points and take advantage of available offers.

Check Game Availability

Search your favorite store and have items ready with our
free Pick Up at Store service.

Keep Yourself Informed

Get exclusive content from Game Informer magazine.

For more information, visit

Find Trade Values gamestop.com/app

Available for iPhone and Android

© 1999-2016 GameStop
Cutting The Cord
With PlayStation Vue
Sony’s streaming TV service is a compelling alternative to cable

by Matthew Kato

H
ome consoles have long strived to be the centers of entertainment in our living
rooms. From the breakthrough DVD functionality of the PlayStation 2 to current
systems’ ability to stream content via apps, we use our consoles as more than just
game-playing machines. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have also taken steps
into television content, allowing users to flirt with cutting the cord from a possibly pricey
cable subscription.
Last year, PlayStation started a limited trial of streaming TV service PlayStation Vue in select
markets. Now Vue has rolled out nationwide, and it is a compelling alternative to cable with
an attractive range of channels and even cloud-based DVR functionality. How does PS Vue
actually work, and is it worth it? I tested out the service via its full-featured, free seven-day
trial, and it convinced me to make the switch.

What You Need times the picture quality dips even small detail worth noting is you will and NBC. If you're in the New York,
Vue requires a PlayStation account though it might not stutter. In my not receive a partial refund if you Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia,
(but you don’t need PlayStation time with Vue I only encountered cancel during the month. The ser- Dallas, San Francisco, or Miami mar-
Plus); a PS4, PS3, Chromecast*, or one viewing session when the pic- vice auto-renews each month, so if kets you get your local channels,
Amazon Fire TV device; a TV; and ture stuttered occasionally. you don’t want it to do this, be sure and accordingly packages in these
an Internet connection. On this last Finally, be aware that Vue requires to change your auto-pay settings in markets start at $39.99. If you don't
point, Sony suggests a minimum more data than just surfing the net, the main PS4 settings menu. live in one of those big seven areas,
connection of 10mbps, plus 5mbps so double check if you have a data you can always pull down your local
for every additional stream (more cap and any resultant penalties for s Access Slim – $29.99 channels with an HD antenna –
on that later). going over it. (55+ channels) although Vue’s cloud DVR will not
I tested the service on connec- record over-the-air content.
s Core Slim – $34.99
tions significantly above 10mbps, Pick A Plan The lineup of Vue channels
(70+ channels)
so you'll have to take your con- PlayStation Vue offers three plans throughout all the packages is
nection in consideration. Even to choose from, none of which s Elite Slim – $44.99 surprisingly adequate, even at the
with a good Internet connection, require any kind of monthly or (100+ channels) lower Access tier, which includes
when I switched to a channel, the yearly subscription or commit- channels such as AMC, Comedy
picture appears at a lower resolu- ment – a big advantage over cable The vast majority of Vue’s 210 Central, two ESPN channels, three
tion for up to 20 seconds before or satellite. Similarly, the price of markets across all 50 states do not Disney channels, FX, NBC Sports
the stream’s true HD resolution the packages don’t fluctuate or have access to their local chan- Network, and more.
pops in. The service uses adap- rise after an initial period. What you nels, although the service offers The Core package adds more
tive bitrate streaming, so there are see is what you get. However, one on-demand content for Fox, ABC, niche networks such as IFC and
Sundance, and layers on more
sports content – including regional
sports channels. The latter is sig-
nificant for sports fans who want
to see their local sports teams live
(league blackouts may still apply)
that wouldn’t otherwise be shown
on the over-the-air, local channels,
on a national broadcast such as
ESPN, or through an app.
Finally, the Elite package adds
even more specialized channels, as
well as a few “premium” offerings
such as Epix Hits. The latter – as
well as Showtime, Fox Soccer Plus,
and Machinima – are available to all
Vue users as add-ons. These addi-
tional channels also include reduced
monthly prices for those with an
active PlayStation Plus subscription.

32 *Users must sign up for Vue on a PS4/PS3 or Fire TV device, while after that an iOS device and/or Chromecast device can be used to watch it
 doesn’t work across multiple IP
addresses, and although you can
switch your home location once,
you can’t sign in through a differ-
ent location.
The mobile app doesn’t sup-
port the content of 19 channels
(from the likes of Bravo, Syfy,
NBC Sports, and more), and when
you’re outside your home location
you can watch selected live TV,
on-demand, and catch up content,
but not DVR shows. Content that’s
unwatchable in these situations is
listed as “mobile restricted.”
Apart from watching Vue
shows on the mobile app, it sup-
ports casting with Chromecast
(where you throw content on
your Chromecast onto a TV) and
you can use up to five TVs with a
single Vue account in your house.
The caveat here is you can’t use
Vue on two PS4s or two PS3, but
it would work with a PS4 and PS3,
for instance.

The Verdict
Depending on your Internet con-
nection and preferred channels,
PlayStation Vue could be an
Getting Around Vue’s Difference Maker – While Vue’s DVR capabilities are attractive service if you’re look-
Making your way around the DVR Functionality an asset for the service, it doesn’t ing to lower your monthly content
service is pretty easy, featuring One of the things that makes Vue offer the functionality of some bill and cancel your subscription
categories you scroll through verti- different than other ways to view other DVRs on the market. You to expensive carriers such as
cally and which when highlighted content on your home console is cannot ask for custom show Comcast, Dish, or DirecTV. Not
expand horizontally. Ignoring the its cloud-based DVR functionality. schedules (such as only record- only do Vue’s robust-yet-pared-
repetitive categories designed Unlike the paid and free apps ing new episodes), arrange anual down channel selection prevent
merely to surface content for you you can download on the system recordings according to a specific you from paying for lots of content
(such as Timeline, Recommended, that feature content that’s already times, or set up pre- and post- you do not want, but the cloud-
and Featured), getting at the shows culled, the Vue lets you add any time slot buffer zones (helpful DVR functionality doesn’t come
you want to watch is easy. My shows (up to 500) to the cloud for sporting events in the case with a monthly DVR rental fee.
Shows (more on scheduling show DVR from the guide to your My of overtime, for example). Given Moreover, the lack of a contract
recordings and Vue’s cloud-based Shows category. By way of com- that it’s cloud-based and not a means you could come and go
DVR function later) and Favorite parison, the Xbox One has a DVR physical hard drive, shows can from the service as you like (useful
Channels naturally contain any tuner, but it only records over-the- only be stored for 28 days, and around specific events or times
content you’ve marked as such. air content regardless of that unit’s the pause buffer is 30 minutes. such as sports season).
Vue’s interface also features a ability to show cable content via It will be interesting to see if Sony In my personal case, I benefit
normal search bar you type into a pass-through connection. starts selling cloud storage for Vue greatly from Vue. I used to pay
(with the PlayStation Store’s as-you- Furthermore, the guide features users who want to keep shows for over $130 dollars a month just
go predictive interface) as well as an Catch Up shows, which you can longer periods. Despite some of for satellite service, a DVR rental,
Explore feature that lets you peruse watch from up to three days in the the limitations of the service’s DVR and HBO, but because Vue has
by selecting more general perim- past. By my unofficial tally, I’d say functionality, it does allow you to regional sports channels, I’ve
eters such as genre, age rating, about 30 percent of the channels record multiple shows at once. made the switch. Even after fac-
popularity, etc. You can set up to five in my Core package offered Catch I don’t know if there’s a limit on toring in having to get a subscrip-
different profiles on one account, Up shows. Furthermore, when this, but I recorded six shows at tion to HBO Now to cover losing
each with their own favorite shows you mark content for My Shows, once, and perhaps I could have that channel and an HD antenna,
and channels, but there are no not only does Vue’s DVR set up a done more. I’ve still cut my monthly bill in
parental controls or ways to restrict schedule of future recordings, it more than half since I switched
access to someone else’s profile. also gives you any of that show’s Vue Away From Home over to Vue. I’ve had to sacrifice
The best part of Vue’s user expe- Catch Up content. The limitations Vue also adds extra features like a few channels, the occasional
rience and interface is the channel to Catch Up shows are that you supporting authentication for hiccup in quality due to streaming,
guide. Not only does it show five can’t fast-forward through some 60 remote apps, which lets you and some DVR functionality, but
channels at once and what's on in of them, and only some of them let use your Vue membership info it’s worth it for the savings. And
any given four-hour timespan, but you rewind. The lack of the abil- to access specific channel apps should I become dissatisfied with
you can scroll into the past and ity to fast-forward through Catch for viewing on other devices. Vue for some reason – if the ser-
future and set up recordings. The Up programs not only means you Similarly, the PlayStation Vue vice drops channels or changes
guide is easy to look at and under- can’t skip commercials, but if for mobile app lets you watch Vue fundamentally – I can always go
stand, and it gives episode titles some reason you have to leave content for select channels as crawling back to satellite thanks
for most shows, which is handy a Catch Up show and return to it long as you’re inside your home to Vue’s lack of a contract. After
when wondering if an episode is later, you have to re-watch from location (the IP address when all, that dish on my roof isn’t go-
new or not. the beginning. you first sign up). The service ing anywhere.

connect 33
impulse Nintendo Still Denies Us Metroid,
But Other Options Surge In Promise
Here, the Super Metroid inspiration

D
espite raucous cries from the fanbase, Nintendo hasn’t released a
new 2D Metroid title since Metroid: Zero Mission in 2004. Fortunately, is readily apparent, from the crashed
ship on an alien planet that opens the
the independent game scene has picked up the slack; we’ve seen game to the tone of the music and
a renaissance of great gear-gated exploration games in recent years, and graphics. White also cites Dark Souls
the trend is certainly ongoing. A little over a year ago, we took a close look as a strong inspiration in the way it
at two of the most promising of these titles, which were both still early in demands deliberate movement and
careful exploration while presenting
development. Now that some time has passed, I returned to both to see how enigmatic story that unfolds through
they’re shaping up in advance of their releases in the coming months. ambient events and quizzical NPCs.
That was certainly the experience I
discovered as I confronted a recent
by Matt Miller in-progress version of the game. Ghost
Song is currently tuned to present a
high challenge, with rare save check-
Heart Forth, Alicia is suffused with dungeons expanded areas, and points, and zombie-like monsters
charm. Screens from the long-in- a host of cinematic cutscenes to that can devastate your character in
development project call to mind increase the focus on storytelling. A just a few shots. Much of gameplay
old-school 2D platformers. However, new spell-switching system (modeled focuses on managing cooldowns and
the project draws on a broad array of after Secret of Mana) makes it easy to other resources, including the recharg-
inspirations to fuel its story, gameplay, combine spells in unique ways, use- ing battery of your main cannon,
and mechanics. Creator Alonso Martin ful for solving puzzles and confronting the repowering armor that protects
cites titles like Xenogears for its deep the many unusual bosses. I was smit- your health, and a limited use of your
storytelling, Final Fantasy Tactics for ten by the mix of tight, responsive 2D dash energy.
world-building, and The Legend of combat and exploration, especially The alien planet is strange and dis-
Zelda: Ocarina of Time for its creative with such interesting level design and turbing, filled with mutating beasts,
items, puzzles, and dungeons. character development. mysterious plants, and numerous
My time with a recent build surprised I’m also intrigued by the grand scope darkened corridors, breakable walls,
me. The Metroid and Castlevania influ- of Martin’s vision for this story. He and hidden paths. Occasional NPC
ences are apparent from the outset, claims that Heart Forth, Alicia is the encounters begin to establish what’s
but the intro puts a big focus on sto- fourth part of a broader story, and a going on, but you’re always left with a
rytelling and dialogue threads. After live-action filmed element tells more of disquieting sense regarding who you
a conversation, I even saw emotion the tale (planned for release after the are and why you’re on the planet.
bubbles popping up to indicate how game’s launch). I’m eager to see the Only the opening areas of Ghost
a character felt about the interaction. full game when it releases on PS4, Vita, Song were available in the build I
The story follows a young wizard Wii U, and potentially 3DS sometime played, but I’m excited to play some
named Alicia as she is flung from her between late 2016 and early 2017. of the later encounters that White has
home, and the plot is communicated Ghost Song has seen a similarly described. One locale is an outdoor
with sincerity, aided by a wonder- robust set of improvements since area filled with floating terrain, but
ful and whimsical musical score. last year. Developer Matt White of killing the source of the terrain perma-
Characters don’t fall into classic good Old Moon Games cites a dramatic nently changes the map of the area.
and evil roles, and Martin tells me that overhaul to the story, in which he has Another region is directly inspired by
later acts take a dark turn, in contrast stripped out much of the extraneous Alien: Isolation, and features an evil
to the seemingly breezy visuals. dialogue to create a more isolated, robot stalking you. Ghost Song is tar-
Recent months have seen a host mysterious experience. The game is geting a launch on PC this fall or win-
of improvements, including a new also now running in 1080p, and the ter, but White is hopeful about console
widescreen aspect ratio, additional sharp visuals look great. iterations to follow. \

Heart Forth, Alicia

PS4, Vita, Wii U, 3DS

Ghost Song
PC

34 connect
 g.b.u.
The Good

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY

TITANFALL 2
has been officially announced via a
teaser trailer from developer Respawn
Entertainment. The brief clip shows
off a jungle setting and a titan with an
impressive sword.
The Bad

OCULUS RIFT kicks off the latest

round of virtual
reality ignominiously. Many of those who pre-ordered the unit –
even in the early hours of its availability – got delay notices
unexpectedly mere days before launch. The revised shipping
window could be pushed back by a month or more. Oculus isn’t Quotable
expecting new orders (as of April) to go out until August.
Oculus says the delay is due to an unexpected component
"I’m not a big
shortage, but that the company has increased production and
is covering shipping and handling costs for all orders placed fan of Xbox
before April 1, 2016.
Meanwhile, HTC/Valve’s Vive VR device had its own hiccup. One and a
Some customers’ orders were automatically canceled due to half. If we’re
an unspecified processing problem with financial institutions.
going to move

forward, I

want to move
The Ugly
forward in

big numbers.”
ROCKSTAR GAMES is involved in a vicious legal battle with former
Rockstar North (Grand Theft Auto series) president
Leslie Benzies. The dispute is over an unpaid $150 million bonus Benzies claims he is owed from the company.
Benzies says he was barred from returning to work after taking a sabbatical and the terms of his royalties were
re-worked. Rockstar and principals Sam and Dan Houser say Benzies is in breach of his contract, and they dispute
his departure and naturally, the amount of money owed. \

– Xbox One head

Phil Spencer
addresses whether
there will be an
updated Xbox One
in light of reports
that Sony is
planning a
“PlayStation 4.5”

connect 35
TEACHING KIDS TO CODE,
ONE HOUR AT A TIME
Educators are making a concerted effort to get kids engaged in
by Jeff Marchiafava
computer science, and they’re using video games to do it.

For many children, the dream of making their Pulling Out The Big Guns
own video game is almost as enticing as Not only is each Hour of Code lesson present-
playing them. While most kids may underes- ed to kids as a series of game challenges, but Beyond The First Hour
timate the herculean efforts involved in video they feature some surprisingly popular faces Every Hour of Code lesson ends with
game development, educators are viewing thanks to the support of high-profile franchises an option for the student to print
the inherent interest as an opportunity to give like Star Wars, Minecraft, Angry Birds, and out a certificate of completion with
their young students a head start in one of Disney’s Frozen. Code.org has also enlisted his or her name on it. If the sense
the most lucrative and fastest-growing career the help of programming gurus like Bill Gates, of achievement leaves your child
fields in the country: computer science. Hour Mark Zuckerberg, and Valve’s Gabe Newell eager for more programming chal-
of Code is a nationwide initiative created by to introduce lessons and share their thoughts lenges, Code.org offers a variety of
nonprofit organization Code.org to teach kids about computer science. Here are a few of the more advanced lessons, as well as
and young adults the fundamentals of com- lessons children can partake in: partnership trials for other websites
puter programming by turning the learning that teach coding through games.
the process into one big game. 1. Make A Flappy Game – This beginner’s Hour of Code graduates still won’t be
lesson allows players to edit Dong Nguyen’s ready to program their own dream
The Building Blocks Of The Future infamous Flappy Bird to create their own game, but – as virtually any educator
One only has to look around to see the impor- custom version of the game. All the program- will tell you – walking away with a
tant role that computer science plays in our ming is handled by moving and clipping to- seeded interest in computer science
daily lives. Websites, social media, and apps gether “coding blocks,” which allow players to is a valuable first step.
have become nearly omnipresent thanks change the scene, sound effects, game speed,
to the exponential growth-rate of technol- and more. Once done, you can send a URL of
ogy and explosive rise of smartphones. Our your custom version of the game to friends to
hunger for digital entertainment and enhance- play on their phones or web browsers. 3. Star Wars: Building A Galaxy With Code –
ments has in turn created a major demand An amalgamation of the original trilogy and
for programmers. According to the Bureau of 2. Minecraft Hour Of Code – Code.org’s Mine- The Force Awakens, Code.org’s Star Wars
Labor Statistics, there will be more than 1 mil- craft lesson has players programming Steve lesson expands on the principles learned in
lion computing jobs left open in the U.S. in or Alex to perform many of the various tasks previous lessons. Early levels involve program-
2024 due to the lack of qualified applicants. that Minecraft fans are accustomed to. Once ming BB-8 to navigate obstacles similar to the
One of the factors of this shortage is that cur- again, players use coding blocks to compile Minecraft lessons, but soon you’ll be adding
rently only 25 percent of K-12 schools in the commands such as walking, mining blocks, allies and enemies to the scenario, creating
U.S. offer computer programming courses. and shearing sheep. A “Show Code” button your own scoring structure, and programming
That’s where Hour of Code comes in – but displays the actual javascript commands that R2-D2 to respond to your key commands in
how do you get kids interested in a profes- players are using behind the scenes, and later real-time. The Building A Galaxy lesson can be
sion that has long been viewed as technical levels teach more advanced programming programmed through code blocks, or by typ-
and boring? functions like loops and if/then statements. ing out the actual javascript code.

1 2

36 connect
FROM SCREEN
TO SILVER SCREEN
A slew of gaming icons are heading to theaters this year. We look at some of the biggest names

by Jeff Cork

V
ideo games have challenged and in- however, studios will continue running beloved gam-
spired generations of players. Mov- ing IP through the meat grinder.
ies based on games? Not so much. This year, however, something seems a little dif-
It’s no secret that games have had a ferent. There’s a chance some of the films coming in
curiously difficult transition from the 2016 might actually be (gasp) pretty good. That’s def-
interactive space to more passive forms of entertain- initely a change from tradition, and it’s been a long
ment, with the results spanning from tolerable (Silent time coming. Here are several that look as though
Hill) to nearly unwatchable (every other video game they might break the unenviable streak that video
movie). As long as audiences bother showing up, game movies have established.
38
 On The Horizon
s 3LY #OOPER
(2016)
s 5NCHARTED
(June 2017}
s &IVE .IGHTS AT &REDDYS
(TBA)
s -INECRAFT
(TBA)
s 4HE ,AST OF 5S
(TBA)

Ratchet & Clank The Angry Warcraft Assassin’s Creed Resident Evil: The
April 29 Birds Movie June 10 December 21 Final Chapter
-AY  *ANUARY  
This animated film tells the story When Warcraft hits theaters in Ubisoft announced in February
of the original PlayStation 2 The characters from Rovio’s June, it will be a few months it wouldn’t be releasing a new Milla Jovovich reprises her
game from 2002, showing how action puzzler didn’t have past the 10-year anniversary entry in the Assassin’s Creed role as Alice in the sixth film
the Lombax mechanic Ratchet much to say in the games, of the project’s announce- series in 2016, saying the installment of the Resident
met up with his little buddy, but that hasn’t stopped the ment. World of Warcraft team would be taking the year Evil franchise. Ali Larter is
the robot Clank. It does break upcoming animated film from fandom may have cooled a off to reexamine the franchise. back as Claire Redfield, and
from that timeline, however, attracting an all-star cast of bit over that decade, but the Thankfully for fans, they won’t Shawn Roberts once again
introducing audiences to Doc- voice talent. Jason Sudeikis, film’s swords-and-sorcery have to go cold turkey. Michael slips into the sunglasses of
tor Nefarious, from the 2004 Josh Gad, Danny McBride, action is universal, even if you Fassbender pulls double duty the sinister Albert Wesker.
game Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, and didn’t spend hours raiding as Callum Lynch and his Director Paul W.S. Anderson
Arsenal. Voice actors from the Hannibal Buress are just a (or manipulating prices in the Assassin ancestor, Aguilar, has said that this will be the
game, including James Arnold few of the big names. Peter auction house). Travis Fimmel who plied his trade in 15th last entry in this iteration of
Taylor (Ratchet), David Kaye Dinklage is in it, too; perhaps (Vikings) and Paula Patton century Spain. Jeremy Irons the series, but we doubt we’ll
(Clank), Jim Ward (Captain this will be a redemptive arc (Mission Impossible – Ghost plays Abstergo Industries CEO be seeing the last of this one.
Qwark), and Armin Shimerman for him after his appearance Protocol) star as a human Alan Rikkin. It’ll be interesting Capcom has a longstanding
(Doctor Nefarious), are joined in the execrable Pixels. You knight and half-orc caught to see how successfully the habit of rebooting and remak-
by Hollywood talents such as can expect plenty of action, in a world-changing conflict film can juggle the often ing games in the survival-
Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, as the Angry Birds battle their as a portal links the world of confusing interplay between horror pioneer, and it only
Rosario Dawson, and Sylvester porcine counterparts. If it Azeroth with the orc homeland multiple time periods and stands to reason that the
Stallone. The movie was written seems like a slim setup, re- Draenor. It’s directed by Abstergo – not to mention the movies will follow suit.
by former Insomniac scribe T.J. member – they said the same Duncan Jones, who directed First Civilization’s role in the
Fixman, and directed by Kevin thing about The Lego Movie. the sci-fi hit Moon. whole mess.
Munroe – perhaps best known
for his 2007 reboot of TMNT.
connect 39
 photo: Little’s Photography
interview

Bootcamp For
The Next Generation
In just a few short years, Girls Make Games has grown from a single 15-day camp in Mountain
View, Calif., to an organization that helps teach girls how to design and create their own video
games in more than 18 cities worldwide. We spoke with founder Laila Shabir about how the
camps sprung out of Learn District (her indie studio), the benefits of tailoring programs for a group
that’s often overlooked in the games industry, the importance of education, and more.

You grew up playing games as a kid. inherently, which is why we enjoy learn- How did you get involved with the
Was that something that you kept ing so much when it’s in game form. games industry?
doing as you grew older? Growing up, as I got older, the pres- I was trained in economics, and I
Games were a completely separate sure is greater. You go to school, your worked in banking for a year on Wall
part of my life. Because I came from teachers are always talking about tests Street after I graduated. Then I was
a Middle Eastern traditional culture, and homework, and that’s all you have like, “What do I want to do? I want
when you go to school, school’s a very time for. We basically didn’t talk about to go teach.” Education was a really
serious place. I think that’s one of the anything hobby-related at school, aside important part of my life. I went to
things that Learn District is trying to from homework, debate club, or writing Washington, D.C., to work at a think
change. It doesn’t have to be a seri- club. It’s not like the U.S.; you’re not tank called the Brookings Institution.
ous place. Learning is actually fun, allowed to bring your 3DSs or phones. They do a lot of policy research and
40
 Why are you focusing on girls
interview by Jeff Cork in particular?
We hear feedback from girls who say, CAREER
“I’ve been to a camp where we made HIGHLIGHTS
economic research. It’s a great place the big companies have their meet- games, but it was just me and all
to get started if you want to get a PhD. ings, and Google pretty much runs boys.” And then the follow-up ques- 1990s
That’s where I was when I met my all of their events there. It’s walking tion of, “Would you go back there or Growing up in Al
husband, who was at the time a semi- distance from Facebook, Google – all to Girls Make Games?” The response Ain, United Arab
professional Halo player. That was a of that stuff. Once we had space, what is always, “Girls Make Games.” Emirates, Shabir
big clash of two different worlds. do we do? We just go around and tell There’s something about being a is drawn to Atari
He worked in banking, but he still people about it. 10-year-old girl and being teased by consoles and their
had the thing where he really wanted We’re not certified teachers or a boy that kind of gets them to shut pixel art, playing
to be in games. “Why games? It anything, but here’s a camp where down completely. We’ve had co-ed games when her
seems like such a waste of time. game developers will come and teach camps before, Learn District has had brother is out playing
You’re an adult.” He convinced me your kids how to make games. That, co-ed workshops, but that was before soccer. She also
of the power of video games, and I itself, was exciting to a lot of people. Girls Make Games existed. In those tutors neighborhood
think the more we talked about it, the We heard people saying things like, co-ed workshops, you would see the kids in an outdoor
more I realized we could combine “My daughter feels like she has to be boys group up on one side and the home classroom
both of our passions. His was making someone else at school, because she girls group up on the other side, so 2000
games, and mine was teaching. After loves games and none of her peers there was already self-segregation in Shabir is introduced
we got married, we launched our indie do. So she comes home and she’s a a way. The girls tended to not speak to the Ivy Leagues
game studio, Learn District, which completely different person, she plays up as much in class or ask ques- after, of all places,
is the parent company behind Girls with her brothers.” We had a lot of tions, because they didn’t want to reading John Grisham
Make Games. those girls, who didn’t have a place be embarrassed, where in an all-girls novels. Going to
Now I’m in the games industry, and to express themselves and had now camp all hell breaks loose. [laughs] college becomes an
I know nothing about the industry. So found a community. They’re not shy anymore. obsession, and she
I go to my first PAX, my first GDC, the finds a mentor online
IndieCade, and all I see is boys. I’m What do girls learn at your camps? Do you have any thoughts on why who helps guide
trying to recruit for my team, and it There are definitely two aspects to it. women don’t seem to be entering her through the
ends up being myself and six boys. There’s one that’s definitely very easy the games industry in the same admissions process
Talking to these boys, I ask, “Where to evaluate, which is technical. They numbers as men? 2010
are the girls, and why aren’t they learn how to program. If they don’t There are a lot of things that keep After studying
applying to our jobs?” Their response have any background at all, they’ll them from entering. First, it’s such economics and
was, “I don’t think girls want to do this, definitely understand game logic and a small niche. When people think graduating from MIT,
girls don’t play many games.” I think programming logic, because we use about video games, it looks like a Shabir works at a
there was something in the back of my a tool called Stencil, which is very hobby – especially to parents. One of Wall Street bank to
mind that went, “I don’t know, there visual. There’s a second layer, which the things we do at our camp on the pay off student loans
seems to be something more than just, is if you know block coding, we want first day, we call it orientation in the
‘Girls don’t want to make games.’” to introduce you to scripting, so we morning, and it’s orientation for the 2011
Our first summer, 2014, we started introduce them to Unity. Then it gets girls and for parents. Then toward the Laila takes a job
as an experiment; we wanted to really hardcore – C# and learning end we talk about careers and how at the Brookings
see how girls played games. It was how programming works. They gain it’s a thing that they can do. But it Institute. She meets
important for us, because we were her future husband, a
an appreciation for all the differ- begins at home. If a parent goes out
semi-pro Halo player,
making educational content, to see ent parts that go into game making, and buys an Xbox for their son and a
at a friend’s wedding,
anyway how both genders played. which include writing, producing, art, doll for their daughter, then that’s the
and the pair decides
We had done a lot of playtesters who music – and that’s one of the reasons message that’s being sent. If it’s not
to combine their
were boys, but not enough girls. So that girls love the camp so much, is available, after some time you stop
passions for games
we launched this three-week summer because a lot of girls like story writing. trying. The other thing, which is what
and learning
camp where we would teach them A lot of girls love art. Even though pro- happened to me, is that you start to
and also introduce them to things that gramming isn’t something that drew get too serious at a very young age. 2013
we’re making. Word got out – I think them to camp – and I can say that It’s just how we are. I think girls tend Learn District,
Twitter was pretty much the wildfire – most girls don’t come in saying, “Oh to be very perceptive of their environ- Shabir’s indie studio,
I think Tim Schafer tweeted about it my god, I can’t wait to learn program- ment, so their peers, their parents, all successfully raises
a few times, and before we knew it ming” – they come in because “I love the societal pressures, all those sort funds for the SAT
instead of saying it was a summer games.” If you can make the art and of things. I was thinking about get- vocabulary game
camp, Girls Make Games was more the writing and the storytelling acces- ting a job and supporting my family Penguemic on
of an organization that wants to teach sible and then kind of hook them in, at 12 or 13. Not a lot of boys do that, Kickstarter. During
girls. It became a lot bigger than we’d and then feed them the broccoli of C#, because they’re still in a play mode playtesting, the
intended, and now it’s pretty much all it’s a lot easier. in life. They’ll go out and play soccer studio hits on the
that I do full time. The second thing they learn is a and socialize and do their thing, but idea for the Girls
sense of community and a sense of girls tend to be very sensitive in that Make Games camp in
How did Girls Make Games first social engagement. I think a lot of kids area. That will, in a way, decide what Mountain View, Calif.
start? I’d imagine that start- these days are just glued to screens choices you make. 2014
ing a camp from scratch isn’t too long. Getting out there and meet- If you see your parents are doctors Girls Make Games
exactly easy. ing kids with the same interests not and engineers, that shapes who you is championed by
The Bay Area is a place where any- only helps them feel validated in their might want to be. I think getting girls industry luminaries
thing can happen, and at lightning own interests and hobbies, but it also into computer science, that’s hard, including Kellee
speed. We literally just walked up to boosts their confidence. I hear from and then into games – that’s like a Santiago and
the Computer History Museum and parents who say, “My daughter further funnel. And also, I think careers Tim Schafer,
pitched the idea, and they said, “Yeah, has blossomed. She found her in games and tech haven’t figured out with its 15-day
we’d love to have you here.” That was people at GMG.” It’s a very unique how to retain women, because we camps eventually
fantastic, finding a space in the heart experience for a subgroup of girls that have different lifestyles once we have expanding to 18
of Silicon Valley. That’s where a lot of love games. kids and get married and all that. \ cities worldwide
connect 41
opinion The Awkward Teenage
Years Of Mobile Gaming
by Nick Ahrens, Creative Producer at Hidden Variable Studios

o talk about the current status of the mobile-game in- technology; the push for machine learning

T
dustry is really to talk about the swaying winds of the that blends with everyday use or the “inter-
modern technology marketplace. The last 25 years of net of everything” seems to reinforce that
tech development and advancement has created wave new waves are on their way soon.
after wave of gold rushes resulting in new, explosive It would be too easy to view this as a Ber-
trends. It’s easy to say the mobile industry is struggling muda triangle of sharks for mobile games,
right now, and for some people that may be true, but just swallowing up devs left and right until
I think we’re seeing an industry that went through a the movie’s over. Just a few years ago, if
major boom settle into its own skin. you were to ask the top indie developers
The current struggle for mobile development is simi- if they wanted their game published by a
lar to the difficulties seen in indie game development: small companies betting large company, they’d probably cast that
big that their first title will sustain them to the next. It’s the dream of the garage notion off as anathema to their reasons for
rock band packed into a five-inch touchscreen. being independent. But these days, pub-
The advent of the app stores (and their extremely low barriers for entry) lishers and indies are figuring out a new
opened up a large, seemingly easy-to-reach audience for developers, but it also dance of partnership models that differ
created a “lost in the crowd” effect that can set talented developers adrift in the from the console days of old, but still re-
middle of a vast, noisy ocean of content. sult in a similar outcome: bringing games
App-store discovery has become an issue so daunting that developers either to market with the support to give them a
need to rely on selective app-store featuring or expensive user acquisition. And fighting chance. When done right, this is
while word of mouth is still a powerful tool, it’s hard to bet the farm on it. The good for the developers and the custom-
only thing that’s changing is the sheer number of apps that are being released, ers who play their games.
and it keeps rising. In the time between me writing this piece and the magazine While there’s definitely a great, passion-
being delivered to readers, more games will be submitted to the Apple App driven core of indie mobile developers that
Store than have ever been released on all consoles ever. That’s a lot. keep charging forward solo, it’s becoming
This creates not only a cutthroat environment for competition, but also a stag- a harder and harder model to sustain com-
gering generation of game cloning. While developers have been using other pletely alone. It’s pretty common for a new
games’ ideas since the dawn of the industry, it’s now commonplace for a mobile developer to get just enough funding to
game of even minor notoriety to have dozens of games exactly like it pop up release their first project on the app store,
mere months after release. and that’s it. This means leaving out things
Beyond the issues of discovery and oversaturation, new trends are creating that help raise awareness, like marketing
hot ways for investors to get involved with the next big thing. Mobile games are and public relations. Instead, the hope is
no longer the new kids on the block (and hey, that’s okay). As of this writing, vir- to get the attention of platforms like Apple
tual reality is currently seeing the same type of mad-dash investment mobile de- and Google to secure a featured slot in the
vices had over the last (nearly) 10 years. Wearables enjoyed a similar-yet-smaller app stores. However, these limited spots
gold rush a few years ago as well. Looking at the history of technology, this are only occupied by a few of the thou-
trend isn’t changing anytime soon. Innovations lead to new consumer sectors in sands of apps and games in the queue to
be sold.
Publishing partners lack actual content
creation, but have the infrastructure and
capital for exposure. Working with a partner
isn’t necessarily scary, because the terms
have changed and become more small-
business-friendly. And a big part of that is
due to the “anyone can submit” nature of
the app stores. You don’t need to sign over
the IP to release a game anymore; many
partners and publishers are more willing to
negotiate, especially in the mobile space –
a trend I hope to see continue.
While it’s hard to see the days of large-
scale development and publishing going
away anytime soon, hopefully with this
new, more adult mobile (and really indie)
industry, we’re going to start seeing a new
rise of small- to medium-sized developers
that we once thought were going extinct
just a few years ago.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are

strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of
Game Informer

42 connect
 timeline
3.3

04.1 04.2

18 21 No Man’s Sky

10.2

28 Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens

2016

10.1 New Releases The film opens in theaters today along-

June › A Game of Changes (PC)

› Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)
side Central Intelligence, a new comedy
starring Aaron Paul, Kevin Hart, Amy
Ryan, and Dwayne Johnson.
03.1 New Releases Han Solo gets the chance to live that 10.2 Warcraft
› Carmageddon: Max Damage dream, but not without serving his Video game movies are usually colossal 21 New Releases
(PS4, Xbox One) duty to the Rebellion. He’s working disappointments, but we have a good › Deadlight: Director’s Cut
› Daydreamer: Awakened Edition undercover as a racer to rescue missing feeling about Warcraft, which hits the (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
(Xbox One) informants and spies. The first issue silver screen today. The trailers have › Grand Kingdom (PS4, Vita)
ships this month alongside a new The shown it will either be a fun movie to › No Man's Sky (PS4, PC)
03.2 2D Con 2016 Force Awakens comic series adapted watch or a fun movie to mock, so it › Umbrella Corps (PS4, PC)
If you’re traveling to Minnesota’s Mall from the movie. guarantees an enjoyable theater experi-
of America for a shopping vacation, ence. Here’s hoping director Duncan 24.1 New Releases
2D Con kicks off today at the nearby 04.2 Rebirth Jones can finally give us a video game › Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Doubletree Hotel. Running for three Just a few years removed from New 52, movie that we want a sequel to. (Wii U)
days, 2D Con is a charitable convention the DC Comics universe reboots again
that features gaming tournaments, live today. While some elements from the 12 E3 2016 24.2 Independence Day:
music, cosplay, vendors, and an auc- past carry forward, Rebirth is another With Electronic Arts and Activision Resurgence
tion. You may even see Game Informer attempt for DC to clean up its universe. leaving E3’s show floor, one has to Two decades have passed since Earth
editors roaming the halls. Outside of Detective Comics and Action wonder what the future of video games’ beat the space snot out of alien invad-
Comics, which continue with issues biggest trade show will be, but for ers. Those aliens are back with bigger
03.3 Teenage Mutant Ninja 934 and 957, all series are restarting 2016 we anticipate another typical ships and what appears to be the same
Turtles: Out of the Shadows at issue one. They also carry a lower year of console-focused excitement. plot in Independence Day: Resurgence.
Hollywood’s assault on ‘80s cartoons $2.99 price point. Will Nintendo finally show off the NX? Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman reprise
continues today with the theatri- What surprises will Sony and Microsoft their roles. What about Will Smith’s
cal release of Teenage Mutant Ninja 06 New Releases reveal? Head to Gameinformer.com Steven Hiller character? He was killed
Turtles: Out of the Shadows. The › Edge of Nowhere (Rift) for minute-to-minute show updates, off on the ID 4 website in a short,
turtles still look silly, but we like what beginning with EA’s press conference one-paragraph story.
we’re seeing of Rocksteady, Bebop, 07 New Releases on June 12.
and Krang. › Assetto Corsa (PS4, Xbox One) 28 New Releases
› Hearts of Iron (PC) 17 Finding Dory › Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
04.1 Star Wars: Han Solo › Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir Finding Nemo didn’t seem like a movie (PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PC, PS3, 360,
Did you know Han Solo always wanted (PS4, PS3, Vita) that would demand a sequel, but if we Vita, 3DS)
to become a starship racer? In a new › Mirror’s Edge Catalyst get more of Ellen DeGeneres and Albert › Star Ocean: Integrity and
five-issue limited series from Marvel, (PS4, Xbox One, PC) Brooks getting into trouble, we’re all in. Faithlessness (PS4) \
connect 43
 » Platform
PlayStation 4
8BOX /NE s 0#
» Style
1-Player Action
» Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
» Developer
Arkane Studios
» Release
November 11

44
Dishonored 2 returns with double the trouble for those
who threaten the throne at Dunwall Tower

by Matt Bertz

cover story 45
 hen Arkane Studios unleashed Dishonored into the world
LQHYHU\WKLQJDERXWLWVFUHDWLRQGHİHGH[SHFWDWLRQV
Conventional wisdom said if a publisher is debuting a new
title in the summer, it should make the announcement at
(,QVWHDG%HWKHVGDUHYHDOHG'LVKRQRUHGWRWKHZRUOG
a month after the yearly showcase on the cover of Game
,QIRUPHU. Conventional wisdom argued making a single-
player focused game was madness in an age where
PXOWLSOD\HUZDVWDNLQJRYHU%XW'LVKRQRUHGVKXQQHG
competitive and cooperative play altogether to focus
on a simulation-driven, emergent fantasy of playing a
VXSHUQDWXUDODVVDVVLQZKRXQFRQYHQWLRQDOO\GRHVQćW
need to kill to complete his missions. Conventional wisdom also claimed
releasing a new intellectual property late in the console cycle was a death
VHQWHQFHĄKRZFDQ\RXVWDQGDFKDQFHZKHQ\RXćUHVWDQGLQJWRHWRWRH
ZLWKDİHOGRIZHOOVHDVRQHGVHTXHOV"'LVKRQRUHGFDPHRXWVHYHQ\HDUV
DIWHUWKHGHEXWRIWKH;ER[DQGPRUHWKDQVWRRGLWVJURXQG,WWKULYHG

The stealth-action hybrid debuted to near

universal critical praise, earning a Metacritic
rating of 91 on PC and in the high 80s on
FRQVROHV7KHJDPHDOVRGHİHG%HWKHVGDćVVDOHV
H[SHFWDWLRQV$PRQWKDIWHUUHOHDVH%HWKHVGD93
of PR and marketing Pete Hines said, “We clearly
have a new franchise.”
Arkane teased its plans for Dishonored 2 with
DQLPSUHVVLYHYLGHRDWODVW\HDUćV%HWKHVGD
6KRZFDVHUHYHDOLQJWKDWWKHVWXGLRćVLPSXOVHWR
JLYHWKHPLGGOHİQJHUWRFRQYHQWLRQLVDOLYHDQG
well. The helpless child and heir to the throne
IURPWKHİUVWJDPH(PLO\.DOGZLQLVDOOJURZQ
up. After a coup drives her out of Dunwall, the
(PSUHVVIROORZVLQWKHVLOHQWEXWGHDGO\IRRWVWHSV
of her father, Corvo Attano, to reclaim her
ULJKWIXOSODFHDV(PSLUHRIWKH,VOHVćUXOHU
*DPH,QIRUPHUjourneyed to the company
headquarters in Lyon, France, to see Dishonored 2
LQDFWLRQIRUWKHİUVWWLPHDQGOHDUQKRZ
$UNDQHćVDSSURDFKWRJDPHGHVLJQKDVHYROYHG
for its unconventional sequel that asks players
WRVKDSHWKHIXWXUHRIWKH(PSLUHRIWKH,VOHV
Do you paint the walls red with the blood of the
XVXUSHUVRUEUHDNWKHFLUFOHRIYLROHQFHDQGİQG
another path to peace? And who acts as your
LQVWUXPHQWRIYHQJHDQFHĄ&RUYRRU(PLO\"

46
 Smith says. “People thought she would be an
annoying child character, but the way her draw-
ings changed and her voice lines changed
based on how people were playing resonated.
When you come back from a murderous spree
and she’s drawing black crayon disturbed draw-
ings, it changed the way people played; they
started to consider the moral consequences of
her actions.”
Building off this feedback, the designers asked
15 YEARS LATER… themselves what Emily would be like 15 years later. Apparently,
Moving away from Corvo Attano in only the second game of the she’s much more dangerous than your typical empress.
series seems like a peculiar decision considering how beloved “Part of our background fiction is that Corvo is a little paranoid
he is to Dishonored fans. His impressive skills, badass-looking about protecting his daughter,” Smith says. “After the assas-
mask, and the mystery surrounding his background and how he sination of Jessamine Kaldwin during the rat plague, Corvo
got close enough to Empress Jessamine Kaldwin to father the decides that Emily needs his training. He says, ‘Someday
heir to the throne all makes for a compelling action hero. Striking people will come at you with knives, and I want you to be ready.’
gold twice on a hit character seems like a chance Arkane didn’t So Emily spends the next 15 years training on and off with
have to take, but the studio had its reasons. Corvo. And Emily is a character who loves going out at night
A few months after Dishonored’s celebrated release, the cre- and running along the rooftops of Dunwall much more than she
ative leadership group at Arkane started thinking about direc- enjoys being an empress and listening about a trade dispute.”
tions it could take the series in the future. Creative directors That training comes in handy when dissidents successfully
Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith kept returning to one pull off a coup d’état. Emily escapes the bloody fate of her
character in particular: Emily. mother, but loses her seat of power. After growing up in a place
“We couldn’t stop thinking about what happened to this of privilege, she is now on the run and mingling with the very
10-year-old girl that you were protecting in the first game, people her sweeping decisions have been affecting on a daily
whose mind and actions were being altered by your play style,” basis. Players can assume the role of Emily Kaldwin to exact her

Guards are much more savvy in Dishonored 2, capable

of vaulting and climbing to track down Corvo or Emily

cover story 47
 Bloodflies are harmless in small numbers but come at you in lethal
swarms when you get near the fleshy nests they burrow into corpses

The Dust District gets its name from the hazy clouds
of silver that roll over the city from the nearby mine

revenge and reclaim the throne, or once again task Corvo with selling well, you end up with this kind of indistinct mess,” Smith
the same job. Either choice you make, at a high level the game says. “Whereas if you go with what is in your heart as a gamer…
plays out essentially the same. that’s kind of how we think. It doesn’t make financial sense, but
When fans found out they could play Dishonored 2 from the counterintuitively that’s how you get rewarded financially. When
perspective of Emily Kaldwin, they were overwhelmingly posi- [From Software] made Demon’s Souls, it broke every rule that
tive. “The response was stunning for us,” Smith says. a triple-A publisher would tell you was smart thinking at that
With two playable characters, you might assume Arkane has moment, and it launched this franchise and this team. We think
plans for cooperative play. It does not, which is something that similarly. There is a lot of our game that nobody sees. We’re
Smith says should be emphasized in all caps. “Our game is throwing away huge amounts of work from that perspective.
about observation, stealth, taking your time, and playing at your But from our perspective, that’s what makes it special – the fact
own pace,” Smith says. “Co-op would destroy it. Maybe there that as you proceed through the game you constantly have this
is a way somebody could do it, but this is not that experience.” sense that it’s much bigger than what you’re doing.”
Given that Emily and Corvo each have unique weapon tuning, Dishonored 2 begins and ends with missions in Dunwall,
assassinations, supernatural abilities, and emotional reactions which has a much different atmosphere than it did in the first
to the story that unfolds, Arkane is essentially making two game. The Walls of Light and Tallboys are gone, and with the
unique ways to play through the game. Why undertake this plague neutralized many abandoned parts of the city have
expensive endeavor given the knowledge that a vast majority of been revitalized. But the majority of the game takes place in the
players will probably only play through the game once? southernmost region of the Empire of the Isles – the Serkonan
“If you make all your decisions based on what you think is city of Karnaca.
48
Creating Karnaca
Dishonored’s emergent gameplay inspiration the team draws from in a new technology base dubbed cover the majority of the island,
earned much of the praise when during this process is not from the Void Engine. Using id Tech and the city runs along the cres-
it released, but its painterly art other video games, but history as a foundation, the engineers cent shaped shoreline.
style conceptualized by Victor itself and the work of master designed a new platform that can Though the city largely feels
Antonov and Sebastien Mitton artists hanging in museums handle the unique visual style of like a real place, fantastical ele-
also captured admiration from across the globe. “For us, art is Dishonored, which rests some- ments also color the setting. A
critics, developers, and fans alike. not graphics,” Mitton says. “Too where between realistic lighting monolithic mountain looms over
Now a creative consultant for many people judge the visuals of and an impressionistic world, Karnaca. The giant peak is cleft
Bethesda as a whole, Antonov is a game focusing only on polygon while at the same time servicing in two, with the gap funneling
less involved with Dishonored, count, shaders, and technology… the unique needs of a game that wind toward the coastal city. The
but Mitton is still leading the If your design is weak, you will lives and dies on player agency Karnacans have harnessed these
charge as art director and has fail, and your graphics won’t and emergent experiences. gales to power the city, funneling
grand ambitions. save anything.” The resulting work is unique the wind through the use of long,
“The art of Dishonored 2 is That being said, Arkane has and impressive. In contrast stilted pipes that rise above the
a knife in the neck of generic also increased its capacity to the heavily industrial, U.K.- city buildings. Touches like this
sequels,” Mitton says. for generating better graph- inspired Dunwall, Karnaca calls and the Clockwork Soldiers seen
To bring this vision to life, ics. Unsatisfied with the dated to mind tropical islands and in the E3 demo give the city just
Mitton has enlisted the help of rendering tech used to make sunny Southern European cities. enough unfamiliarity to make it
several talented European artists Dishonored, the studio invested A dense forest and sharp ridges feel unique.
like Sergey Kolesov and Piotr
Jablonski. The art team’s process
is comprehensive, involving
sketching, painting, sculpture,
photography, and eventually cul-
minating in animation.
Designing a new setting for
Dishonored 2 doesn’t just start
with dropping down build-
ings and citizens into a blank
canvas. The artists first think
anthropologically and politically,
asking questions like who the
first settlers were, which foreign
powers took up residency in the
region, and how the various tides
of culture have left an imprint
on the city over the course of
several decades.
With the fictional history out-
lined, the team painstakingly
designs everything from the
furniture and architecture to
fashion stylings of the multicul-
tural Karnacan populace. The

cover story 49
 THE POWER OF A KALDWIN the forceful gales barreling down on the district. They can also
Our first glimpse at Dishonored 2 picks up somewhere during be used by nimble climbers to reach high vertical spaces. Emily
the first third of the game. It begins in typical Dishonored fash- skirts the environment and shows off her Far Reach power to
ion, with a boat rowing up to an inconspicuous dock in Karnaca. quickly scale a nearby building. Arkane says verticality is a much
The face sitting across from Emily is familiar – the natural phi- larger factor in Dishonored 2, and like Corvo’s Blink, Far Reach
losopher Anton Sokolov, who helped Piero Joplin discover the is Emily’s tool for quickly moving around the environment. Unlike
cure for the rat plague. The years have thinned his hair and whit- Blink, however, it is not a teleportation power; Emily physically
ened his beard, but he’s still imparting wisdom to the Empress. moves to the new location, which means enemies can spot her.
This region of the city is known as the Dust District, Emily vaults to the top of a fan directly overlooking the patrol
given its name because of the hazy plumes of silver dust below and jumps to perform a drop assassination, but this one
that nearby mines kick across the area. The power-mad has a twist. Instead of lodging a sword in the enemy’s neck,
Duke of Serkonos is currently driving production at twice the Emily merely incapacitates the target, using his body to soften
normal capacity to fund a war with the northern islands of her landing.
Tyvia and Morley, which has had dire consequences for this The other guards take notice, and in this short encounter
blue-collar part of the city formerly known as Batista. Sokolov we see several new mechanics at play. Guards are now smart
says the dust has driven off most of its inhabitants. Emily enough to vault and scale obstacles, ensuring they can bring the
quips about the duke not caring whose lives he ruins as long attack to the player. It doesn’t help this group, however, because
as he sips from silver cups, to which Sokolov replies, “And what after a quick slide assassination, some explosive crossbow
are the cups in Dunwall Tower made from, Empress?” shots, and a Far Reach upgrade skill that allows Emily to grab a
Emily is here to find the office of Aramis
Stilton, a former prince of industry in Karnaca.
Sokolov tells Emily to meet up with a compa-
triot named Meagan Foster to figure out a way
to gain entrance and perhaps find some useful
information to use against the duke.
Graffiti lines the nearby walls after Emily
disembarks, proclaiming “the crownkiller is
watching.” Perhaps Emily is assumed dead
by some? Moving out of the dock area, Emily
turns a corner and gets a beautiful glimpse
of the crescent-island city below. The view of
the bay is breathtaking, but we’re not heading
toward the city center below just yet. Emily
continues cautiously to her left, being careful
to avoid the glances of the Grand Serkonan
Guards stationed nearby. The guards gripe
about losing too many good men to a gang
called the Howlers and the Abbey of the
Everyman, who are having a territorial dispute
in the cordoned-off district.
Massive, wooden windbreaks line the
facades of large buildings to protect them from

Stealth Your Way

One of the challenging things about designing a game around
player agency and emergent gameplay is that not everyone
walks away with the same impression of difficulty. While
some found Dishonored to be very hard or just right, a small
percentage of hardcore fans who mastered Corvo’s vari-
ous powers found the game to be exceptionally easy. For
Dishonored 2, Arkane Studios is introducing an array of
sliders to let players determine how hard or easy they want
the game to be. For instance, players can tweak how visible
they are when crouching behind cover and peeking around
the corner. “It might still change because we’re in pre-beta,
but currently we’re still constantly making the base game
slightly more challenging just because you have more tools,”
says lead designer Dinga Bakaba.
Dishonored 2 also introduces quick saves and quick loads
to all versions of the game, alongside a checkpoint system so
less mindful players don’t lose long segments of progress.
Speaking of player-governed experiences, one of the big-
gest fan requests in the Dishonored forums is mods. When
we ask creative director Harvey Smith about whether or not
Arkane has plans to support user creation, he says, “We can’t
talk about our plans in that area just yet.”

50
nearby canister of whale oil and whip it at an enemy for a quick
kill (think Daud’s Pull power from The Knife of Dunwall DLC),
she’s already on her way to the rendezvous point with Foster.
From the safety of a building, Foster breaks down the lay of
the land. With the Howlers and Abbey at war, players have sev-
eral options at their disposal. You could kill the Howler leader
and bring his body to the Vice Overseer to gain entrance to
Stilton’s office, do vice versa, kill them both and muscle your
way in, find an off-the-beaten-path, non-lethal solution, or try
to crack the code of the ridiculously hard-to-solve Jindosh lock
on the front door (which Arkane says has 100 million possible
configurations). The choice rests with the player.
Leaving the building, Emily enters a neutral zone inhabited
by Karnacan civilians, one of several of these types of spaces
coming to Dishonored 2 where players can get a better sense of
the city. By interacting with the denizens, the player may learn
more about the city and perhaps discover that secret passage
into Stilton’s office. Instead, Emily chooses the bolder measure
and ventures into the region guarded by the Abbey.

Players can now perform drop attacks nonlethally

cover story 51
 Staggering an enemy opens up an
opportunity to put them in a choke hold

Moving cautiously, Emily comes across an Abbey executioner she places him on a bunk next to the other dozing solider. No
standing before a blindfolded man who is reading off the man’s one will be the wiser about his condition.
litany of crimes before sentencing him to death. She interrupts Emily moves up the stairs and locates Vice Overseer Byrne
the proceedings by using Far Reach to yank the executioner to in an office with four other Abbey guards. Byrne is giving a
her – another high-level upgrade to the base power. presentation with a projector, talking about his bigger plans for
The ensuing fight against the nearby Abbey guards show- the Abbey, which run against the grain of his relationship with
cases another useful combat enhancement. After staggering an the Duke of Serkonos.
enemy, you can put them in a choke hold. From here you can This is the perfect scenario to showcase another of Emily’s
use them as a shield, assassinate them, or incapacitate them extraordinary powers: Domino. This upgraded ability allows her
for non-lethal players. This recurring mention of new non-lethal to link up to four people together. While sharing this super-
options is no accident; Arkane heard the criticisms about the natural bond, whatever happens to one character happens to
underdeveloped stealth options in the original game, and is the rest of them. In this instance, Emily links the four guards
taking measures to ensure it offers just as much variety as the together, creates a distraction to lead one away from the rest,
combat-centric experience. This applies both to regular combat and places a stun mine that goes off when he gets near enough.
and the supernatural powers that both Corvo and Emily wield. The result? Four incapacitated enemies lying on the ground.
Moving into the Vice Overseer’s building,
Emily uses another of her unique powers,
Mesmerize, to put three enemies in a
momentary stunned, dreamlike state. While
they are distracted, she can move quickly
through the space undeterred. Bloodthirsty
players could also take this opportunity to
add to their body count.
In the next room she finds one guard
sleeping on a bed while another tends to
a boiling pot. After incapacitating the chef,

Arkane puts just as much effort into creating

background characters as it does the lead roles

52
 A Dreadful Home Away
From Home
After each mission in Dishonored,
Corvo returned to the Hound Pits Pub.
The sequel has a similar mechanic,
but instead of going to a mainland
hub, either Emily or Corvo take up
residency in a smuggler’s freighter
known as the Dreadful Wale.
This rickety 1850s style vessel
may be a far cry from the opulence
“I think Domino is one of the most open-ended powers,” says should she drop him off somewhere, of Dunwall Tower, but it serves its
lead designer Dinga Bakaba. “It’s also a QA nightmare, as you all the Howlers would view her as a purpose. Here players can interact
can imagine.” This can be a particularly intriguing power to threat and attack. with ship captain Meagan Foster,
combine with others. For instance, you could summon another Entering the Crone’s Hand Saloon Anton Sokolov, or other characters
Emily using the Doppelganger power, Domino three high-end that serves as the Howler base, who make occasional appearances.
enemies to her, and assassinate the doppelganger to clear the Emily drops the body of the Vice Players can also upgrade their quar-
room of heavies. Overseer on the bar in front of ters based on what they’ve done and
Taking out the guards all at once gives Emily the window Paolo, who takes a swig of booze found in the world.
she needs to move on to the Vice Overseer, and she uses the in appreciation for the gift he has
predatory Shadow Walk ability to move in close for the kill. This received. He says he has been
skill, first seen in the E3 trailer, lets Emily slink in the shadows trying to bring down Byrne for
and squeeze into tight spaces. Making a lethal strike cancels months, and that a lot more is at
the power, but this can be upgraded so you can chain more stake in this conflict than just territory. Paolo muses he plans
kills together. to send the body to Dunwall and explain things to the High
With the fatal blow struck, Emily must deliver the body to Overseer and the Empress herself. Emily says if the Howlers
the Howler leader, Paolo. While navigating to Howler territory, do come into power, she hopes Paolo will conduct himself
a dynamic windstorm suddenly comes out of nowhere. These better than the duke has. He says she can count on it, hinting
storms rage with a persistent, horn-like sound echoing through at the reformation possibilities at the disposal of players as they
the buildings and heavy clouds of silver dust lowering visibil- reclaim Emily’s rule.
ity. Since enemies have diminished hearing and vision, players The demo concludes with Emily going upstairs to Paolo’s
can gain the upper hand by using Dark Vision to stalk the foes office and coming across an Outsider Shrine. As she picks up
or simply navigate quickly through a patrolled space as Emily the rune, she is transported into the Void and comes face to
does here. face with the Outsider.
Once Emily reaches the Howler region of the city, she can rest “We’ve revamped the Void,” Smith says. “It’s much more
easy and walk down the street without fear of reprisal. This is impressive now and more dynamic. And we’ve updated the
only because she is carrying the Vice Overseer on her shoulder; Outsider – we give you more insight into his history.”

cover story 53
 AN UNINTENDED HOMECOMING and you never were sure how he felt about things emotionally,”
Should players choose to tap Corvo for this revenge mission Smith says. “Somebody would say something and he would just
instead of Emily, the grizzled Lord Protector returns to the city of be flat. We really embraced that piece of fan feedback, that they
his birth. The homecoming is fitting considering players are also wanted more emotional engagement.”
returning to the familiar array of supernatural powers from the The voice behind the grizzled assassin should sound familiar
first game. In a second playthrough of the same mission from to fans of stealth games considering Arkane landed Stephen
Corvo’s perspective, we see firsthand how his powers have Russell, the actor who voiced Garrett in the original Thief.
expanded and evolved. “Raf and I talked about how cool it would be to work with
We also immediately notice one other big change to the Stephen Russell because we’re big Thief fans,” Smith says.
stealth maestro: He now has a voice. “Waiting until Dishonored 2, which takes place 15 years later, it
“One of the things people said about the first game was means that Stephen Russell is even more appropriate in a way
because Corvo was a silent protagonist, he felt a little cold because he has that gravelly action-hero voice but with more
thought behind it. You can feel his age in the voice; you
can feel he’s very seasoned as Corvo.”
Akrane uses Corvo’s playthrough to demonstrate more
The Howlers gang is vying for control of the of the myriad paths players can take through the Dust
Dust District with the Abbey of the Everyman District. Like the levels in the original game, observant
players can find new avenues to their objectives. No
paths are arbitrarily locked to Corvo or Emily; each can
reach any area of a level.
Corvo ventures into a building infested with bloodflies,
a parasitic insect that is harmless in small numbers but
comes at you in lethal swarms when you get near the
fleshy nests they burrow into corpses. A human nest
keeper is tending to the various nests in the area, and
Corvo remarks he’s never seen the bloodflies this bad.
They react to noise, movement, and speed, so moving
cautiously is advised.
Corvo has other plans, sicking two swarms of rats on
the nest keeper (one of the expanded uses of Devouring
Swarm) and then using Bend Time to advance time while
the rat swarm is on the nest keeper to do him in.

The Assassins’ Tools

Corvo didn’t need a vast array of weap-
onry to exact his revenge on Jessamine’s
killers in Dishonored. Combined with
his supernatural powers granted by The
Outsider, all he needed to get the job done
was a pistol, sword, and crossbow. This
same basic loadout returns in Dishonored 2
for both characters, but Arkane Studios is
embracing differentiation between Corvo
and Emily.
While each wields the same three types
of weapons, each looks different. Given
that Emily is an Empress, her weapons
show the craftsmanship you would expect
for a person of her stature. Players can
upgrade the gear by visiting the various
black-market shops found throughout
Karnaca. Spend enough capital improv-
ing your weapon, and you can eventually
unlock one of the masterwork versions.
Players must choose between an endgame
upgrade for each. For instance, if Emily
chooses the Red Siblings masterwork, her
gun will shoot in bursts of three, which is
enough firepower to take down multiple
enemies at once if they are positioned
close enough. Corvo and Emily both
have unique masterwork varieties to the
weapons that you cannot unlock with the
other character.

54
 “Bend Time level one just slowed things down,
which was this cool kind of ballet of motion,”
Smith says. “Bend Time II is much more useful;
it stops time altogether. But sometimes you wish
that you could still advance it a little.” That led
to the team creating this upgrade to the power,
which gives players the ability to fast-forward
small chunks of time.
Then we see another evolution of a classic
power in action as Corvo uses Possession in a
new way, chaining possessions from rat to bloody
fly to move around the room quickly. You can even
upgrade the power to possess corpses this time
around, which still have enough of a nervous
system to allow you to peer from their perspec-
tive or just allude pursuit by playing dead.
These three enhancements are just a few
of the ways Corvo’s powers are changing
in Dishonored 2. Arkane has devised a new
approach to upgrades that gives players more options when effective right out of the gate. For example, players can use
upgrading both Corvo and Emily’s abilities. Blink to assassinate enemies through glass windows, and Dark
“In Dishonored, you had a power and an upgrade to the Vision has been streamlined to be less invasive visually while still
power,” Smith says. “For what we were trying at the time, giving players the ability to identify threats. When you use Dark
that was the right call I think. But after talking to thousands of Vision it pulses three times, each time sending out a sphere of
Dishonored players over the past few years, one of the things coverage. When you move, the next pulse happens from your
we really wanted to do was branch out all of the powers into new position, causing the spheres to overlap and give you a
a tree. You can take the power and express in the direction of wider snapshot of the threats in your surroundings.
non-lethal or stealth.” As the second demo concludes, we ask if players will gain new
Bakaba says every power-upgrade tree is different; some go insight into Corvo’s past considering we are in his hometown.
in a straight line and then branch, and others fan out wide from “There’s a fine line here,” Smith says. “With Dishonored, one
the start. of the things that people liked was that we didn’t answer all of
Arkane also tweaked some powers to make them more the questions. We left an air of mystery. Yet at the same time
one of the things people asked for was the answer
to those mysteries. It’s kind of like the TV show
Lost or The X-Files. The reason you are watching
is because you don’t know, and as soon as you’re
satisfied – the couple you’re interested in kisses –
then it’s sort of over. We had to find a way to give
people some of the answers they wanted, but ask
new questions. So yes, you’re going to find out
more about Corvo.”

The art found in Karnaca tells

the legends of the region

This glimpse of the retooled Dark-Vision power gives you an

idea of how much better it works alongside the game's art

cover story 55
 Emily's Far Reach power is not a teleportation
power; she physically moves to the new location,
so wide-eyed enemies can spot her in transit

WIDENING THE SCOPE The rooms pull apart and reconfigure at the pull of a lever,
Though it looks and feels quite different, the largely abandoned, giving players access to new parts of the mansion. Savvy play-
derelict Dust District is reminiscent of the sparely populated ers can also use Blink or Far Reach to access the inner mecha-
regions of plague-ravaged Dunwall. Arkane promises the game nizations behind the mutating rooms.
isn’t a series of industrial ruins, but will take players to many Arkane is embracing challenges like this both with the
different locations throughout Karnaca. level design and meta game. In Dishonored, some com-
One of those places is the impossible looking Clockwork plained that the chaos system was too binary; if you killed a
Mansion from the debut trailer. Arkane lives by the philoso- lot of people you got the “bad” ending, and if you were spar-
phy that if they show something in a trailer, players have to ing in your bloodshed you got the “good” one. Smith hopes
be able to do it in the game. We got a brief glimpse of this the new approach to calculating chaos will alleviate some of
location, which due to its many different configurations looks that frustration.
like a designer and playtester’s nightmare. “Several of our new “We wanted to make sure that this time there was more vari-
missions are massive headaches,” Smith jokes. ance in that,” Smith says.

The Star- Studded Cast

With big names like Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), and John Slattery (Mad Men), Dishonored
set the bar high for its voice casting. The sequel introduces several new characters with voices you may recognize as well.

Luca Abele, Meagan Foster, Paolo, Mortimer Ramsey,

Duke of Serkonos Dreadful Wale Captain Howler gang leader Dunwall city watch
Voiced By: Vincent D’Onofrio Voiced By: Rosario Dawson Voiced By: Pedro Pascal Voiced By: Sam Rockwell
Best Known For: Daredevil (Wilson Best Known For: Kids (Ruby), Sin Best Known For: Game of Thrones Best Known For: Moon (Sam Bell),
Fisk), Law & Order: Criminal City (Gail) (Oberyn Martell), Narcos Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Intent (Det. Robert Goren) (Javier Pena) (Chuck Barris)

Liam Byrne, Vice Overseer The Outsider Corvo Attano Emily Kaldwin
Voiced By: Jamie Hector Voiced By: Robin Lord Taylor Voiced By: Stephen Russell Voiced By: Erica Luttrell
Best Known For: The Wire (Marlo Best Known For: Gotham Best Known For: Thief (Garrett), Best Known For: The Magic School
Stanfield), Heroes (Benjamin (Oswald Cobblepot) Fallout 4 (Nick Valentine) Bus (Keesha Franklin)
“Knox” Washington)

56
 The Clockwork Soldiers first seen in the E3
demo have changed from porcelain to wood

“We weight people differently now based on some things, and TWO TRAJECTORIES, ONE GOAL
you can use the Heart in the game to assess more about the Combined with the prospect of going through the game with
morality. Then they have a different weighting that influences the perspective of the other playable character, the wider variety
chaos more or less.” of outcomes could possibly encourage more gamers than the
Players also have more agency in framing the ending hardcore to do something unconventional – play through the
via their actions throughout the game, as evidenced by the story more than once. Fans of Emily and Corvo may feel they
possible outcomes over who rules the Dust District in the have no choice, as once you select your playable character, the
playthrough we witnessed. “There are many endgames this other is left on the sidelines for the vast majority of the game.
time, and many variations on those endgames, that drive Before we leave Arkane Studios, I ask the team who they think
the outcome of the game based on who you empower in your players will gravitate to on their first playthrough. They aren’t
wake,” Smith says. Coupled with the high and low variations of convinced they know the answer.
those, players can directly shape the trajectory of the Empire “It’s going to be super interesting to watch how people
of the Isles. choose,” Smith says. “Are more gamers going to choose Corvo
because they know him from before and want to
hear what his voice sounds like? Are they going to
choose Emily because they are excited about the
new character? Or is it going to break down by
gender lines? I just don’t know.”
We’ll all have to wait to find out until after
Dishonored 2 comes out this November. \

Learn more about the characters, locations, and art of Dishonored 2

during our month of exclusive online coverage. See it all at
gameinformer.com/dishonored2

cover story 57
 Doom
The good old days, or something like it

» Platform
A
s Doom’s release date closes in capable of ripping through hordes their jumps, while Infernal takes place
PlayStation 4 on us, we got some hands-on of players. in Hell and is filled with platforms hov-
8BOX /NE s 0#
time with the multiplayer com- The two modes we played were ering over an abyss. Of the two, I pre-
» Style ponent during a closed beta test. How team deathmatch and Warpath. While ferred my time with Heatwave because
1-Player Shooter does it stack up? The answer is sur- team deathmatch is self-explanatory, it offered more tactical positions to
(12-Player Online)
prisingly complicated. Warpath is basically a variant of king exploit against other players, but both
» Publisher Have no fear, fans of Quake and of the hill where two teams vie for maps are well designed and look gor-
Bethesda Softworks
Unreal Tournament. The multiplayer a control point, except that point is geous – in a gruesome, covered-in-
» Developer component for Doom is comparable constantly moving on a track that entrails sort of way.
id Software to those, with players moving quickly runs through the map. Players have Basically, everything that’s old-school
» Release around the map and blasting each to fight over this glowing train to take about Doom works. When the game
May 13 other to pieces. Combat is immensely it over, and the team that’s in control tries to shoehorn new, aggressively
enjoyable, largely thanks to the of it receives points with every pass- non-Doom elements into its multiplayer,
weapon handling and the fun of zip- ing second until the other team takes then things get kind of annoying. For
ping around entire maps in seconds. it back. Both modes are exciting and example, a variation of the loadout
It feels like playing a genuine old- do a good job of serving as vessels for system from Call of Duty is here, forc-
school, first-person shooter instead Doom’s brand of chaotic violence. ing players to carry only two weapons
of a competent homage to that era The two available maps, Heatwave during a match. Not only does this limit
of games. People explode, sending and Infernal, are both classic arena- player freedom and downplay the pos-
rib cages and decapitated heads into style maps filled with nooks, crannies, sibility of enjoyable madness during
the distance, while power-ups hover and loops for players to use to their matches, but in the end it seems like
for you to grab – including a delightful advantage. Heatwave is an industrial- a tacked-on limitation designed to tap
one that lets you turn into a revenant, style level with pits of hot slag that will into industry trends, as do the multi-
a powerful, missile-toting demon melt players who aren’t careful with player’s hack consumables.
58
 Doom’s multiplayer component prizes
agility just as much as it does ruthlessness

As you level up (yes, a progression

system like the one from Call of Duty
is here, too) by playing matches and
gaining experience, you unlock a
plethora of items that run the gamut
from being cosmetic tweaks to your
armor to customizable loadouts to
usable “hack modules” that let you
briefly activate a special ability in a
match. One hack highlights the last Thankfully, the progression system is
person who killed you, letting you see only a small portion of the multiplayer
them through the map for a handful experience, with just a big enough
seconds, while others might let you presence to annoy but not enough
find power-ups scattered across the to rob Doom of its frenzied and gory
map or see an opponent’s health bar. charm. After all, this is a beta. Content
All of the hack modules in the beta might come further down the line in the
feel superficial and didn’t really add full release that makes that progression
anything to my experience other than system more enticing.
something that cluttered my screen. As it stands now, Doom’s multiplayer
When I fiddled around with these is a good old-fashioned time that will
systems the game felt like it was trying likely delight fans of classic first-person
(and failing) to keep up with a new gen- shooters. Hopefully, the final version of
eration of shooters instead of being its the multiplayer will boldly embrace its Revenants are powerful demons you can control
during matches if you grab the right power-up
own confident, exceptional experience. roots. » Javy Gwaltney
previews 59
 Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
New details on bonus story missions

» Platform
S
tar Wars fans are obsessive about director Jamie Eden about the new Tekka handing Poe this map to Luke
0LAY3TATION  s 8BOX /NE the series, picking over the films entry, and what players can expect to Skywalker, and it’s like, ‘Where did he
7II 5 s 0LAY3TATION 
and surrounding lore like a scav- learn in these special missions. get that from? Who is Tekka?’ People
8BOX  s 6ITA
$3 s 0# enging Jawa. The Force Awakens was Between story missions, players can who have seen the film are asking who
accompanied with a blast of universe- bump into special characters while Tekka is, what his allegiance is,” Eden
» Style expanding books, comics, and other exploring the various hub worlds. Give says. The mission Tekka’s Return may
 OR  0LAYER !CTION
material designed to build up the galaxy them enough gold bricks, earned by not provide all the answers, but it does
» Publisher far, far away even further. You might playing through missions and explor- fill in some of the mysterious figure’s
7ARNER "ROS )NTERACTIVE
expect sight gags and slapstick from ing, and they share what they were up story. It’s set in a different part of the
» Developer TT Games’ upcoming adaptation of the to before the movie’s opening crawl. desert planet Jakku than the ones
44 &USION
latest movie, but it’s also home to new – According to Eden, these are full- shown in the film, tracking Tekka and
» Release and canonical – story content that fills length levels, with voice acting, flight his scavenger friend Athgar Heece.
*UNE 
in some gaps from before the events of sections, multibuilds, and more. “There’s this raging sandstorm in the
The Force Awakens. We talked to game “The film opens up with Lor San area that they’re passing through, and
word has gone out that Tekka has this
PLAYERS WILL BE ABLE TO PILOT A VARIETY OF item of great importance. People don’t
SHIPS IN ,EGO 3TAR 7ARS 4HE &ORCE !WAKENS
know what it is, but there’s an ambush
that awaits him and he has to fight to
get his way through this sandstorm
and to his village safely.”
Getting another glimpse of Jakku is
fairly exciting, but the Rathtar Hunting
mission introduces a whole new planet:
Twon Ketee, home of the ferocious
Rathtar. You might remember these
tumbling, tentacled beasts from the
introductory scenes with Han Solo
and Chewbacca. This new mission
depicts how Han and Chewie cap-
tured these ferocious predators, and
also shows what happened to the
rest of their hunting party. “We go to
the planet where [Han] catches them
60
 The game features several new story missions
that expand on The Force Awakens’ lore

Wonder where the Rathtar came from? You’ll

from, and we meet some of his crew,” Takadana with him, but we don’t know be able to visit their home planet in the game
Eden says. “It’s been really exciting for much about these two characters,
us to fill in some of the gaps and tell other than they’ll trade work for travel
those backstories.” to the outer rim. This lets us tell people
Eden says TT Fusion named and cre- more of their backstory, and also
ated Twon Ketee in collaboration with ties into some of the other new story
Lucasfilm. “We worked with them to content that we’re able to tell, which
say, ‘If Rathtars were on a planet, what is how the Resistance was able to get
sort of a planet would they inhabit? ahold of a First Order ship.”
What kind of atmosphere would Ithano is a grappling, leaping scoun-
it have?’ We sort of saw swampy, drel-type character, while his first mate,
gassy things. It’s a really alien-looking Quiggold, prefers to let his minigun do
planet.” You saw what the Rathtars the talking. “Alongside them, you’ve
could do inside a ship, and they’re just got Pru Sweevant who’s this small,
as deadly at home. “They’ve got cave impish character with a blue beard
systems, they’re quite insectoid in the who’s part of the mining crew,” Eden
way they have these inside-of-cave- says. “He’s got a very strong affinity for
systems that they live in,” Eden says. explosives and thermal detonators.”
“Han and his crew explore those, and The final mission we learned about,
it’s pretty tense. Without giving too Resistance to the Rescue, is based
much away, you obviously know that on a Lego animated short that was
Han goes in and he used to have a released on Disney XD, Poe to the Kylo Ren’s star destroyer, The Finalizer.
bigger crew.” Rescue. It features Poe, C-3P0, and Putting new Star Wars story nug-
Sidon Ithano, also known as the BB-8 on a mission to save Admiral gets in a Lego game is an unconven-
Crimson Corsair, gets his own breakout Akbar from Captain Phasma’s tional choice, but it’s exciting that the
section in Lego Star Wars: The Force clutches. “It’s good that we get to use upcoming game does more than recap
Awakens. You see the character and that as a basis and expand on that and a story that’s now familiar. Even though
his crew briefly in Maz Kanata’s castle, tell the parts that happened in between these new chapters are bound to have
but we learn more about them in the what we’re seeing in that,” Eden says. a bit more silliness than the live-action
game. “He’s almost a swashbuckling, We learn more about how Poe knows versions, we’re looking forward to get-
pirate-type guy,” Eden says. “He’s very where to find a ship they can use for ting a few more story details filled in.
arrogant and has a swagger about him. an infiltration mission and how the Now if they’d only tell us what Rey’s
You see in the film Finn goes to leave Resistance discovers the location of last name is… » Jeff Cork
previews 61
 Mafia III
The headaches of mob management
» Platform
W
ith its new development team,
PlayStation 4 1968 Deep South setting, and
8BOX /NE s 0#
interesting set-up that turns the
» Style traditional Mafia tale on its head, Mafia
1-Player Action III is one of the most intriguing open-
» Publisher world games on the slate for 2016.
2K Games Wronged by the Italian mob, a Vietnam
» Developer veteran named Lincoln Clay vows to
Hangar 13 burn the criminal empire to the ground,
» Release rebuilding a new syndicate in the pro-
October 7 cess. We recently got extended hands-
on time with the game 8-10 hours into
the quest for revenge.
This portion of the game covers a lot
of the same ground as our November
2015 cover-story demo. Taking place
in the downtown district of the faux
New Orleans (which Hangar 13 can
now confirm is called New Bordeaux),
Lincoln’s goal is to disrupt the rackets
of mob money man Tony DeRazio who likes to paint outside the lines. I see the direct benefit of the wiretaps
and cut his operation out of Don Sal Donovan can provide vital intel about when I move in on the location of a
Marcano’s criminal syndicate. To Marcano’s organization, but to do so DeRazio enforcer. Holding down the
City Life draw out DeRazio, he must inflict a he needs Lincoln to set up wiretap- back button on the Xbox One control-
Previous Mafia games certain amount of monetary damage ping operations throughout the district. ler highlights the enemy positions in
expressed an impressive to his operations, which are based Setting up the wiretap is as simple red before I even have line of sight,
attention to detail around bribery and drawing out a city as locating a city phone box and jim- allowing me to assess the situation
when it came to construction project to make it go mying the lock to place the bugging from outside the building and choose
recreating towns of way over budget. While knocking off device on the switchboard. Once it’s the proper tactic. In this instance, I
the ‘30s and ‘50s, but enforcers and destroying construc- live, Lincoln’s map is populated with choose the high ground and pick off
the well-crafted cities tion supplies, we also saw some new the location of all nearby collectibles, the squealer so he can’t run to the
lacked vibrancy thanks facets of the game. enemy locations, and even the blue- nearest payphone and call for backup.
to a severe shortage Lincoln’s quest to destroy the Italian prints of an enemy hideout that reveals With that taken care of, I shoot all but
of pedestrians moving mob is being aided by John Donovan, the multiple points of entry and strate- one of the remaining thugs, choosing
around town. Mafia a CIA agent he worked with in Vietnam gic sniping spots. to engage with some fisticuffs. You
III makes an earnest
attempt to make Mafia III has a diverse soundtrack from the 60’s
that includes rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and zydeco
New Bordeaux feel
more alive.
During my time
wandering around the
downtown district, I
noticed the civilian
population has been
drastically increased,
and dynamic events
like civil protests were
not uncommon. I also
noticed the police
exhibiting different
attitudes toward
Lincoln. One cop chose
to walk the other way
when my towering
antihero blocked his
path, but another
dropped a racial slur
and tried to verbally
put Lincoln in his place.
When I clocked him, the
other pedestrians on the
sidewalk didn’t seem
to mind. Seems about
right for a city that has
always had a dubious
relationship with
law enforcement.
62
 Music Fit For
The Era
You can’t set a game
specifically in 1968
without tapping into
the time period’s rich
music history. Our
hands-on demo of Mafia
III demonstrated that
Hangar 13 is on the
right path to a fantastic
and varied soundtrack,
with songs from The
Animals, The Beach
Boys, Sam Cooke,
Cream, Creedence
Clearwater Revival,
Dusty Springfield,
Aretha Franklin, Marvin
Gaye, and The Rolling
Stones, among others.
The major set-piece missions at the
New Orleans is home
end of every district takedown allow to its own rich musical
the player to go in loud or quiet tapestry, which appears
to be represented to
can seamlessly move from shooting DeRazio, to which Donovan admits he swarmed by both mobsters and the some degree as well.
to close quarters combat, and even placed bugs and wiretaps all through police. I find a fire exit that leads back We heard one track
string together some combos to pull the city. The cutscene then shifts to to the underground garage, steal a from “King of Zydeco”
off a brutal finishing move. Tony DeRazio paying a visit to an new car, and drive away undetected. Clifton Chenier while
After wiping out another enforcer, underling whose kickbacks have been With the district now in Lincoln’s cruising through
grabbing a serious reserve of cash light lately. DeRazio shoots him in the control, the demo shifts to a sit-down the NOLA facsimile
we found thanks to roughing up head and hands over the responsibili- between him and his three lieutenants. New Bordeaux.
an informant, and taking down the ties to a new guy named Dominick, Cassandra has already been given
leader of the construction fraud, I’ve telling him to collect all the outstand- multiple districts, so she’s content no
finally inflicted enough damage to ing money owed and deliver it to the matter what I do, but Burke and Vito
draw DeRazio out. Hooking up with Royal Hotel. feel like dogs begging for scraps at the
Donovan, the game transitions to a From here, the player has a couple table. Since both are already running a
congressional testimony that takes of options. You can go into the hotel hideout in this area, I will be screwing
place sometime in the future. Donovon guns blazing, or highjack Dominck’s over one of them by handing over dis-
is getting grilled on how Lincoln got to car and infiltrate via the underground trict control to the other.
parking garage. I choose the latter Each choice comes with rewards like
option, stealthily taking down enemies new weapons or favors, but the player
from behind to avoid setting off alarms must also decide how much diplo-
that would signal my attack. macy they should use with Lincoln.
This section of the demo feels like When I give the district to Vito (what
classic Mafia, with a well-detailed can I say, I’m sentimental), Burke says,
set-piece mission that covers multiple “There’s only so much s---ting on an
floors of the hotel and culminates with Irishman can take before he wipes it
DeRazio shooting a rocket launcher at from his eyes and comes at you with
Lincoln after he breaks into his office. both barrels.” Clearly my alliance is
After dodging the missile, Lincoln now on shaky grounds.
throws DeRazio through the window This situation plays out differently
and watches as he splatters on a depending on the choices you make
parked car below. throughout the game. We’re excited
From here Lincoln must make his to explore the variety when Mafia III
way out of the hotel, which is now debuts in October. » Matt Bertz

At the end of every district loop Lincoln sits down with

his lieutenants to award the spoils. Leaving someone
out of the prize money can cause complications

previews 63
 Paragon
It’s not a party until the wraith shows up
» Platform
P
aragon’s early access season
0LAY3TATION  s 0# started last month and is available
» Style to anyone who pays $20 for the
10-Player MOBA Founder’s Pack. This gives purchas-
» Publisher ers access to the game in its early
Epic Games form and allows them to keep their
» Developer progress once the retail version of the
Epic Games game launches. We took advantage of
» Release this early look at the game and went
2016 hands-on with several heroes, including
newcomer Sevarog, added to the char-
acter roster a few weeks after the early
season started.
Paragon remains more or less the
same game it was at the launch of
the early access period. You and your
team try to rush down lanes with your
minions, sending them to distract
security turrets while you work on
destroying towers. The goal is to The wraith’s most powerful ability is another about the match as it unfolds,
reach the other enemy’s core and colossal blow, which is exactly what sharing strategies and updates.
blow it to pieces. it sounds like: a powerful swing of the Matches where we played with
Hero Sevarog is a markedly different hammer that deals heavy damage and strangers or without communica-
character from the other heroes avail- sends enemies flying across the land- tion abilities were a mixed bag, with
able in the roster, mostly because his scape. This can be particularly useful a number of them descending into
design leans hard into dark fantasy when heroes are near your towers but chaos, with teammates fanning out
tropes, while the majority of other not getting too close because they in every direction with no detailed
heroes would be more at home in a don’t have enough minions to distract battleplan. Occasionally this resulted
sci-fi novel. He’s a cloaked wraith who the turrets. Bopping them into the tur- in a good time, but on the whole these
wields a deadly hammer capable of rets’ range will likely mean their demise. matches ran without one side making
bringing the pain to foes and minions. Our experience with matches ran any strides over the other for half an
He also has a useful siphon attack the gamut from being exhilarating hour or more.
that boosts his maximum health experiences to tedious back-and-forth Paragon remains the sturdy, enjoy-
whenever he uses it to land a killing exchanges that went on for too long. able MOBA it was when it debuted last
blow. These perks give you a lot of Like most MOBAs, Paragon’s entertain- month, and its steady content drip of
incentive to tank with Sevarog, push- ment factor hinges on whether or not heroes and content looks to help the
ing him to the front lines of battle to you’re playing with a team of people game grow as early adopters experi-
smash enemies into submission while who know what they’re doing and are ment with new team combinations and
your allies fire on them from afar. keeping in constant contact with one strategies. » Javy Gwaltney
64 previews
Zero Time Dilemma
One last escape
» Platform
Z
ero Time Dilemma, the final game victims in Zero Time Dilemma includes between any of the three teams at
in the Zero Escape trilogy, looks to new faces as well as returning char- any time. However, it’s probably not a $3 s 6ITA s 0#
shake things up while retaining the acters, like Sigma and Junpei. During good idea to get too attached; accord- » Style
series’ sinister brand of zaniness. Taking puzzle segments, players attempt to ing to Aksys, the only way for the nine  0LAYER !DVENTURE
place between the previous two install- escape deadly traps while controlling characters to escape the facility they’re » Publisher
ments (999 and Virtue’s Last Reward), a variety of characters. After these trapped in is to reach an elevator in the !KSYS 'AMES
players control three teams of three sequences, players are forced to make middle of this facility that requires six » Developer
people, all of whom are trying to escape difficult choices that can determine the passwords. Passwords are only given #HIME
deadly games devised by diabolical fate of other characters – often with up when a player dies, meaning osten- » Release
mastermind Zero. The plot thickens as randomized outcomes. sibly there can only be three survivors. *UNE 
the bracelets from 999 and Virtue’s Last During the demo I saw, one trap Zero Time Dilemma is intended to
Reward return. However, instead of involved a revolver loaded with three be a plot-independent game, mean-
detonating a bomb inside the wearers or blanks and three live rounds being ing players who haven’t played the
poisoning them, these bracelets inject pointed at a character’s head. In the other two entries should be able to
characters with a special sleeping drug first playthrough of the puzzle, one comprehend the storyline, but Aksys
every 90 minutes. When the injected of the blanks went off, and the char- claims this installment will tie up cer-
characters wake up from their nap, their acter survived. In the second, one of tain mysteries left unresolved by the
memories have been erased, which the live rounds fired instead, so the other games.
is sure to make for some loopy fun in character perished. From the lengthy demo of gameplay
the plot. Another wrench in the established we saw, it seems Zero Time Dilemma
The biggest change for this entry formula is events can be played out is positioned to deliver what fans of the
is the text-based segments that of chronological order, with the player series have come to expect, while also
dominated the prior entries are being having the option of jumping around being enough of a standalone game to
replaced by animated and fully voiced at various points in Dilemma’s mas- draw in newcomers who enjoy sadistic
cutscenes. The cast of unfortunate sive branching timeline. You can shift brainteasers. » Javy Gwaltney

previews 65
 Gears Of War 4
Stick together, stay alive
» Platform
W
hen we visited The Coalition’s others went on for long stretches of those sorts of things to legitimize that
Xbox One studio for our Gears of War 4 time. The mode is just as entertaining initial phase. But then after we release
» Style cover story, the team played and heart-pounding to watch as it is the product, then there’s an ability to
1 or 2-Player Shooter its cards rather close to the chest to play. progress even further and grow that
(10-Player Online) when we asked about multiplayer. A Though it’s not as exciting as service more.”
» Publisher month later, I got about two hours of Dodgeball, team deathmatch func- The Coalition has been bringing
Microsoft Studios hands-on time with the multiplayer tions like it has in previous Gears of in Twitch personalities and stream-
» Developer component. The two modes I played War titles and is enjoyable. Each team ers during development to provide
The Coalition were team deathmatch and a new has a limited number of spawns for invaluable feedback for spectating
» Release mode to the series called Dodgeball. everyone to share, which encourages features. The Coalition is also devising
October 11 I had a great time with both modes, players to work together instead of a ranking system for its map playlists
though Dodgeball was the one I bouncing about the map on their own. to provide skilled players and com-
enjoyed more thanks to the innova- These matches were fun, but they petitors with challenging matches,
tions it brings to Gears’ tried-and-true didn’t shake things up from previous while also making accommodations
multiplayer formula. iterations of the mode. The gunplay for newcomers. For example, players
In Dodgeball, every member of the is gruesome and new mechanics (like have a surprising amount of control
team has one life. If you’re taken out, grabbing an enemy out of cover and over bots in multiplayer matches.
you’re removed from the match… performing a brutal knife execution) You can even set up matches with
unless one of your teammates kills add more strategies that you can pull an entire team of humans versus one
someone on the enemy team. If that off on the battlefield. made of bots, so you can practice
happens, and the player who did the The Coalition seems aware of teamwork tactics. Bot matches also
killing can stay alive for a few sec- the importance of making Gears net players experience points for the
onds, one of the player’s deceased matches fun to watch; studio head progression system to make players
teammates respawns. If there are mul- Rod Fergusson and lead multiplayer feel like they’re earning something for
tiple dead players on a team, they’re designer Ryan Cleven shed light on their time.
lined up in a respawn queue, and the role eSports and streaming have in I walked away from my time with
each kill their team makes the next helping shape Gears of War 4’s multi- Gears 4’s multiplayer impressed with
player come back to life. player. “Our ambitions for eSports how The Coalition is planning to bal-
This mode creates exciting matches go beyond the confines of the boxed ance the needs of eSports partici-
because the back-and-forth struggle product,” Fergusson says. “One of the pants and casual players as well as
is so chaotic that even if it’s one nice things about multiplayer is that just having had a lot of fun with the
player versus five, that one player still multiplayer lives on beyond the initial playtest. Dodgeball, in particular, is a
has a solid chance of turning the tide. window where people consume the great addition to the series and some-
Victory is never assured until an entire campaign. Our plan is that we have thing I look forward to spending more
team is wiped out. I had Dodgeball to have a baseline for functionality time with once the game is released.
matches that ended in seconds, while and spectator mode for casting and » Javy Gwaltney

66 previews
Sniper Elite 4
One shot, one kill, new setting
» Platform
F
ew franchises can reliably pull Sniper Elite 4 takes protagonist Karl If you happen to stack corpses like
winces from their fans. Mortal Fairburne to Italy in 1943. The game cordwood in a specific area, soldiers PlayStation 4
8BOX /NE s 0#
Kombat is an obvious one, but features a number of improvements start to avoid it. This forces players to
Sniper Elite gives NetherRealm’s gory from previous entries, like larger maps. change their tactics. Likewise, enemies » Style
1 or 2-Player Shooter
fighter a run for its money. Rebellion’s In fact, the smallest one is three times more reliably investigate corpses (Online TBA)
stealth series is known for its invasive the size of Sniper Elite 3’s largest map. discovered in the environment. This
bullet cam that allows players to see This creates a new sense of openness creates better opportunities for booby- » Publisher
Sold Out
the carnal impact of a fast-moving as you plot your path to objectives. trapping dead bodies, but also could
projectile as it rips through the human Rebellion also gives the enemies on expose you to discovery. » Developer
Rebellion
form. Bones shatter, blood spurts, and those maps more complex behaviors Enemy officers on the field also play
bodies crumple to the ground. to track the players’ actions. into strategic considerations. If still » Release
2016
alive, they urge their troops forward
to hunt you. If the officer is dead,
the enemy soldiers are more likely to
hunker down and take cover. If you’ve
laid traps, you might just want a flood
of enemies coming your way.
The long-range shooting is Sniper
Elite’s most important feature, and
it is receiving a major overhaul. You
can now use your binoculars to range
shots. Doing so allows you to more
easily account for bullet drop over
long distances. If you’ve ranged a
target, placing your reticle over it while
scoped in automatically compensates
for gravity.
In addition to a fully cooperative
campaign for two, players can expect
cooperative multiplayer modes to
return from previous entries. These
will likely include the spotter/sniper
mode called Overwatch and the
wave-based Survival. » Michael Futter
previews 67
 Planet Coaster
Looping back to the glory days
» Platform
E
ver since RollerCoaster Tycoon
PC popularized theme-park sims
» Style nearly two decades ago, the genre
1-Player Simulation has appeared in many different forms.
» Publisher Several of those unique takes have
Frontier Developments come from Frontier Developments.
» Developer The developer behind RollerCoaster
Frontier Developments Tycoon 3, Thrillville, and Screamride
» Release is back with Planet Coaster, a new IP
2016 that veers even closer to the genre’s
original concept.
Frontier Development had two main
goals when starting work on Planet Just like with other games in the genre, you
Coaster. “The first goal was to ensure can build non-coaster rides and attractions
players have the means to build
whatever they want, whether that In the early build I played, I created cars are driven with real physics, and
be accurately building their favorite a park from scratch. I could choose for them to be totally credible,” he says.
theme parks or creating unique fantasy between several kinds of landscapes In addition, Planet Coaster lets you
worlds,” says chief creative officer to base my park. The first thing I get creative with your buildings, as you
Jonny Watts. “The second was to noticed as the area loaded was how can craft modular structures. Whether
engineer the deepest simulation ever great the game looks. The water shim- you want to build a castle for your
experienced in a coaster game.” mers as light hits it, and the cliff sides bathrooms or a burger-themed arch-
Paying attention to how visitors are detailed even when you zoom in. way over a path, the tools allow you to
behave is front and center. Customers The path construction tool is flexible; do so with relative ease.
have a set amount of money that they paths curve smoothly and auto-snap With smooth and flexible creation
spend only if you give them reason to. to nearby paths. I sometimes experi- tools, Planet Coaster aims to let you
Along with monitoring guest behavior, enced issues where the paths wouldn’t create the park you’ve always wanted
different campaign modes add to the snap where I thought they should, but to visit – whether that’s a serious park
challenge and offer variety. The objec- constructing my park’s walkways was with perfectly feasible layouts or a
tives range from revitalizing a dying often a clean experience. fantastical carnival with miles of steep
park using nothing but your entrepre- Disappointingly, the build didn’t have paths and inconceivable designs. If
neurial savvy and profits from selling old the coaster-creation tools in place yet, Frontier can refine the tools that are
rides to constructing a park on rocky so I was unable to experience this big already in the game and deliver on
terrain with strict building regulations. element of the game. Watts says that the pieces that haven’t yet been put
“We’ve always seen these scenarios as authenticity is at the forefront of every- in place, Planet Coaster could be the
‘coaster-park puzzles,’ with some being thing the team does with the coaster park-sim game fans of the genre’s
quite traditional and some being slightly tools. “We want the players to build heyday have been waiting for.
esoteric,” Watts says. authentic-looking coasters where the » Brian Shea

The path-construction tools are flexible

and allow you to effortlessly recreate
what you picture in your head

68 previews
Total War: Warhammer
Taking the series to the front lines of fantasy
» Platform
B
y now, we’re all accustomed units with hit-and-run and avalanche Off the battlefield, players can expect
to the Total War series’ real- tactics. Unlike other factions and units, all the crafty economic choices and PC
time blend of sword-chopping, undead units do not suffer morale or resource manipulation that other titles in » Style
cavalry-flanking goodness and strong- leadership penalties, and can induce the franchise offer, taking and sacking 1-Player Strategy
hold-building, economy-cultivating terror into opposing forces. locations, and enhancing your army’s (8-Player Online)
strategy. For the new installment, the Combine those tactics with magic abilities through talent tree choices. It’s » Publisher
franchise is sloughing off the chains and the Counts’ lack of ranged options a fantastic balance between the care- Sega
of history and reality to bring a fantasy seems balanced. Using legendary ful, tactical decisions that have defined » Developer
vision of the Warhammer universe characters like Mannfred von Carstein the series through historically rooted Creative Assembly
into the fold. While the title retains to blow apart the battlefield with buffs, fare and Warhammer’s fantasy world » Release
many of the aspects that make the debuffs, magical attacks, and even of greenskins, dwarves, and vampires. May 24
series distinct, the bold directions necromantic resurrection is incredibly While the Warhammer IP has been
that make it different add zest for fans potent, and keeps the player invested used in every genre under the sun at
of both the traditional series and the in the battle at all times, even when this point, this pairing with the Total War
Warhammer IP. issuing mundane commands to take series seems like an inspired match.
A recent extended hands-on with out menial troops. » Daniel Tack
the game had us playing as the
Vampire Counts, one of four available The Vampire Counts have no ranged units,
factions. Taking this motley assort- but they make up for it in other creative ways
ment of undead troops out for a spin
in both campaign and large-scale
battle modes was a blast. Unit variety
is extensive, ranging from unending
hordes of skeletons and zombies to
fast units like fel bats and dire wolves –
and horrors of the battlefield like
the terrorgheist.
Unit selection is one thing, but
the cool part of drawing from
Warhammer is the fact the team at
Creative Assembly can make the fac-
tions entirely disparate. The Vampire
Counts have absolutely no ranged
units. Instead, their ranks possess the
powers of speed and strength, allowing
them to quickly flank or pummel enemy
previews 69
 The Unspoken
Insomniac casts a virtual spell
» Platform
O
ne of the major critiques of few parlor tricks, but as you progress spells like hammering an anvil to craft
Rift the virtual-reality landscape to you learn more spells, you learn to a javelin must be gestured with a
» Style this point is the lack of major summon golems, and your powers degree of accuracy, but even a basic
1-Player Action developers contributing games. start to manifest themselves in blinding spell like shooting a fireball requires
(2-Player Online) Insomniac has proved to be one of displays of arcane energy,” says studio you to maintain steady aim while blast-
» Publisher the big exceptions to that trend, as and creative director Chad Dezern. ing your enemy. The game is centered
Oculus Studios the developer behind Ratchet & Clank To make the casting feel as intuitive on online competition, but there are
» Developer and Sunset Overdrive has already as possible, Insomniac developed The modes for players to practice their
Insomniac Games announced three full VR titles. While Unspoken to work exclusively with the casting against A.I. opponents.
» Release the survival-horror game Edge of Oculus Touch controllers, which are While The Unspoken isn’t a full-room
Holiday Nowhere and the mystic brawler Feral scheduled to release later this year. experience like something found on
Rites are both third-person action “Our goal is to let the player feel like the HTC Vive – movement from plat-
titles, The Unspoken is Insomniac’s they’re casting spells with their bare form to platform is done through tele-
premiere attempt at a first-person hands,” Dezern says. “It’s a lot about portation – it uses the Rift’s tracker for
virtual-reality game. feeling like you’re discovering what movement on a single platform. This
The Unspoken puts you in the shoes you can do as you play. The nuance allows for actions like ducking behind
of a mage in an alternate-history ver- of gesture that you put into every spell cover and moving within a space
sion of Chicago. You enter a fight actually has a big impact on the out- approximately two feet wide.
club for magicians and must duel rival come of the battle.” The teleportation between platforms
wizards to gain control of the city. You With the effectiveness of your spells is where strategy comes into play.
do that through online PvP matches in riding on the accuracy of your ges- Strategic high points exist, giving
environments full of traversable plat- tures, casting is a skill that you can players the upper hand in certain situ-
forms. “Initially, we start you out with a improve upon over time. More involved ations. That means that in order to get
the jump on your opponent, you need
to have situational and environmental
awareness. Even if your opponent gets
advantageous positioning, you can still
look across and see what your adver-
sary is casting and try and use the
appropriate spell to counter.
Though The Unspoken is the furthest
away of Insomniac’s announced VR
games, it is one of the more eye-
catching offerings of the Rift’s upcom-
ing lineup. If Insomniac can effectively
capture the feeling of facing off against
One of the most impressive spells you a rival using high-powered magic, it
can cast is a golem that keeps your oppo- could be one of the Rift’s games to
nent busy while you ready other spells
watch. » Brian Shea
70 previews
 Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Performing like a pop star for a quirky crossover
» Platform
T
he Shin Megami Tensei and characters from Fire Emblem. For from both series – weaknesses and
Wii U Fire Emblem franchises have instance, your main character fuses follow-up attacks – and making them
» Style always been serious affairs, so with Awakening’s Chrom to learn his essential to your success. Landing
1-Player Role-Playing when this crossover between the two special sword attacks, and I also had combos is satisfying, and missing your
» Publisher was announced, many expected a party members team up with Caeda opportunity could mean death.
Nintendo straight-faced experience. However, and Cain from Shadow Dragon. Part I also saw creative dungeons, such
» Developer the first trailer depicted vibrant char- of the mystery is figuring out why the as one devoted to fashion, where I
Atlus acters dancing like pop stars, which Fire Emblem characters are along for had to change mannequin poses to
» Release raised more questions about the game the ride, but at least they’re pulling get to other areas. Boss battles also
June 24 than it answered. I sat down for two their weight in the meantime. had fun twists, like giving you multiple
hours of hands-on time with Tokyo The dungeons are true to SMT, enemies but tasking you with only
Mirage Sessions #FE to learn more. with varied themes and uniquely attacking the one with dark essence,
So far it’s plenty silly, but I love how it designed monsters to match them. forcing you to pay attention to visual
embraces Japanese culture and has As you explore, evil spirits called cues. When you’re not in dungeons,
fun nods to both series. Mirages attack you (but you get an you explore different districts in
Tokyo Mirage Sessions is set in advantage if you strike them first). Tokyo, and can hang out at your
present-day Tokyo and thrives on The turn-based battle system will be home base (a talent agency), take les-
Japan’s enthusiasm for its fashion and familiar to anyone who has played an sons at the studio for bonuses, and
pop idols. This story is centered on SMT game; it’s all about exploiting craft weapons to give you new skills.
superstars mysteriously disappear- elemental weaknesses, but it also Tokyo Mirage Sessions is targeted at
ing and having their creative energy taps into Fire Emblem with weapon those who have a love for either series
stolen. You play Itsuki, a mostly weaknesses and mastery levels and Japan’s popular culture, and
silent protagonist who you choose allowing you to learn new skills. there’s something endearing about the
responses for similar to the main char- The combo system, called sessions, way it uses the concepts from both.
acters in the Persona and SMT series. allows for even more strategy on the I grinned as I watched the first Fire
To set things right, you must enter the battlefield. If you exploit an enemy’s Emblem and SMT character fusion,
Idolasphere, which transports you to weakness and your party members and enjoyed alternating between
an alternate dimension, and use your have a session skill to match it, they alternative dimensions and exploring
talent by performing on the battlefield follow up with an attack for a devastat- Tokyo. Bizarre as it may be, it defi-
to save the day. ing combo. It’s like getting in an extra nitely feels like its own unique experi-
To fight back against the baddies, turn. Sessions make the battle system ence, fully committing to its pop-star
you need to tap into the power of feel new and exciting by taking staples premise. » Kimberley Wallace
72 previews
 Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Metroid in name only
put in the shoes of a marine of the 3DS can use the c-stick to aim. » Platform
W
hen Nintendo announced
Metroid Prime: Federation Galactic Federation, piloting a mech In the few levels I played, I expe- 3DS
Force as a cooperative first- that you can customize and unlock rienced everything from dodging » Style
person shooter at E3 2015, it was met additional skins for. You visit three poisonous gasses to breaking boxes 1 to 4-Player Shooter
(4-Player Online)
with its fair share of criticism. Most different planets with a slew of mis- for special keys to shooting a big ball
fans had been pining for a new main- sions, offering different objectives. toward a cannon to launch it at a boss. » Publisher
line entry, and this concept seemed Before each quest, you pick certain Some bosses were chaotic and forced Nintendo
a far cry from the exploration and mods with effects like extending the the group to communicate and work » Developer
atmosphere that defines the series. power of elemental attacks or taking together. However, many of the tasks Next Level Games
While this isn’t the Metroid we want, less damage. In addition, before each I completed were tedious and bland, » Release
it’s the Metroid we’re getting for now. mission, the team gets to choose spe- such as shooting a ball down a path Spring
I went hands-on with Federation Force cial items to bring, such as a certain where it can easily fall off, forcing you
to see what it has to offer, and I’m still amount of missiles or health packs. to start over. At the end of each level,
scratching my head at what is sup- Levels have you shooting at baddies, players are ranked, and the order
posed to make it interesting. finding mods in hidden areas, and determines who gets their pick of the
Federation Force allows you to team taking down big bosses. The first-per- mods the team grabbed.
up with three other friends through son aiming is done with the gyroscope, I only experienced a small slice
online or local play and take on vari- which may sound like a turnoff, but it of Federation Force, so I’m hoping
ous missions. You can solo everything works well and was a better experi- later levels are more fun to play. As it
if you want, but the game is built ence for me than most games that stands, this early look didn’t sell me
for a multiplayer experience. You’re implement it. Those who have a New on it. » Kimberley Wallace

800.226.7625 | fullsail.edu/gameinformer

Full Sail has specialized degree programs designed to help you

gain the skill set and knowledge needed to pursue a career
involving the design, computer languages, or art and animation
within video games.

Our grads have worked on projects such as Destiny, Titanfall,

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Far Cry 4. Grads have also
worked for notable companies such as (OHFWURQLF$UWVΖQȴQLW\
Ward, ESPN, and Rockstar Games.

8QLYHUVLW\%RXOHYDUGȏWinter Park, FL Student work by: John Rogeles & George Stoll
)LQDQFLDODLGDYDLODEOHIRUWKRVHZKRTXDOLI\ȏ&DUHHUGHYHORSPHQWDVVLVWDQFHȏ$FFUHGLWHG8QLYHUVLW\$&&6&
To review consumer disclosures, please visit fullsail.edu/gedt. k)XOO6DLO//&
 GAME THE
OF
MONTH
81 Hyper Light Drifter
Heart Machine’s Hyper Light Drifter is a Kickstarter
success story. Even without a notable background
in game development, the team was able to craft
a wholly engaging, mysterious, and satisfying
adventure experience that recalls the best parts of
Zelda and Dark Souls with one of the most affecting
soundtracks of the year.

THE SCORING SYSTEM AWARDS

Outstanding. A truly elite title that is nearly perfect Flawed. It may be obvious that the game has lots of
Awarded to games
10 in every way. This score is given out rarely and
indicates a game that cannot be missed.
5 potential, but its most engaging features could be
undeniably flawed or not integrated into the experience. PLATINUM
that score between
9.75 and 10
Superb. Just shy of gaming nirvana, this score is a Bad. While some things work as planned, the majority
9 high recommendation because the game reviewed
is head-and-shoulders above its competition.
4 of this title either malfunctions or it is so dull that the
game falls short as a whole.
Awarded to games
that score between
Very Good. Innovative, but perhaps not the right Painful. If there is anything that’s redeeming in a game
GOLD 9 and 9.5

8 choice for everyone. This score indicates that there

are many good things to be had, but arguably so.
3 of this caliber, it’s buried beneath agonizing gameplay
and uneven execution in its features or theme. Awarded to games
that score between
Average. The game’s features may work, but are Broken. Basically unplayable. This game is so SILVER 8.5 and 8.75
7 nothing that even casual players haven’t seen
before. A decent game from beginning to end.
2 insufficient in execution that any value would be derived
in extremely small quantities, if at all.
The award for the
Limited Appeal. Although there may be fans of
most outstanding
6 games receiving this score, many will be left
1 Foxes. GAME THE
OF
MONTH game in the issue
yearning for a more rewarding game experience.

74 reviews For more information on the age classification ratings in our reviews, head to gameinformer.com/ratings
This BB-8 is your new BFF.

Hit the road with this Star Wars BB-8 Car Charger,
one of hundreds of memorable gifts — for dad, grad, or
any gift recipient — you can only find at ThinkGeek.

Tesla Watch Game of Thrones Longclaw Umbrella LED Potion Desk Lamp
 Salt And Sanctuary
Finding the soul of 2D action

8.5 SILVER Style 1 or 2-Player Action/Role-Playing Publisher Ska Studios Developer Ska Studios Release March 15 Rating M

S
03 s 0# s 6ITA alt and Sanctuary wears its inspi- exception of a rare item that allows for the natural flow of exploration, and the
rations on its sleeve. Borrowing minor adjustments to your selected sheer size of the game, is more than
» Concept the progression, class system, upgrade path, there’s no way to respec. enough to be entertaining without the
Build up a character as
you explore a deadly and checkpoint method of Dark Souls, As such, experimentation isn’t really need to fruitlessly run in circles in the
island filled with and the 2D combat, platforming, and encouraged; any given character is name of level advancement.
forgotten dungeons and level design approach of Castlevania, best served by specialization along one The many secret areas, dozens of
undead monstrosities Ska Studios’ most ambitious game to or two distinct upgrade paths. enemy types, and variety of equip-
» Graphics date sits in the mind space precisely Little in the way of linear storytelling ment options keep things engaging
The 2D art style echoes between the two. The pillars of its is here, but the richly imagined set- even when forward momentum stalls.
Ska’s previous work; the gameplay may not be original, but the ting picks up some of the slack. The Familiarity with the game’s systems
dark gothic tone is a good
immaculate balancing, massive game mysterious island upon which you are help smooth out progression after
match for the setting, but
washed out colors may be world, gratifying combat, and local shipwrecked is a bleak and foreboding those introductory hours, and I fell into
a turn-off for some cooperative play all ensure Salt and place, populated with undead creatures a pleasant tempo of area exploration
» Sound Sanctuary deserves consideration in and dungeon complexes displaced from and using new upgrades to progress
Potent monster sound the same breath as the games to which place and time. The coveted substance past previously inaccessible paths.
effects are chilling, and it pays homage. of salt is the currency of character The placement and pacing in these
an intermittent musical Character creation communicates improvement, easily lost if you die in later sections is ideal, including optional
score maintains an the first hints of the depth on offer. the world and fail to retrieve it from your zones, intriguing new powers, and
appropriate atmosphere
Multiple classes each provide distinct killer. Hidden sanctuaries must be dedi- even a path to an alternate ending. The
» Playability play styles, including agile ranged cated to your god of choice, thereafter visual and functional variety of the many
A steep learning curve in
combatants, devastating mages, whip- becoming a haven for you and the villag- bosses is a particular high point as the
the early hours is likely
to scare off some players, wielding hunters, and armored knights. ers you summon to that location, includ- game builds towards its climax.
but smart leveling and Having played with several builds, I’m ing blacksmiths, merchants, alchemists, If you get lonely, almost the entirety
specializing in a play style impressed how each offers a novel and even fast-travel guides to intercon- of Salt and Sanctuary can be played
gradually lead to mastery experience, and is still balanced to nect your web of discovered locations. together with a local co-op partner.
» Entertainment confront the many combat challenges Expanding your network of save You can even pop a special item to
Mashing together the that lie ahead, as well as the seemingly points and filling it with vendors pro- duel it out with your buddy. The co-op
challenge of Dark Souls endless options for armor and weapons vides a sense of improvement above functionality eases a great deal of the
with the platforming
and combat styling of
that each cater to different strategies. and beyond personal character devel- potent challenge that defines the game,
Castlevania makes for a After creation, character develop- opment, although just like in the From making it a great way for a broader
challenging but highly ment is freeform along a thoughtfully Software games that popularized the segment of players to enjoy the game.
rewarding formula constructed grid of interconnecting concept, you’ll be furious more than Nailing an appropriate class combo
» Replay Value abilities, allowing for dynamic build once when you die far from a check- with your friend to best conquer your
High development. Unfortunately, with the point, or you can’t find one in the maze foes is a lot of fun. When the co-op
of corridors. That’s especially true options are considered alongside
because of the absence of any in-game both a new-game-plus feature and the
map or navigation aids; chalk it up to exhaustive character build variety, the
hardcore difficulty if you like, but being replay potential skyrockets.
lost rarely adds up to fun. Ska Studios continually impresses
The early hours are the most frustrat- with the ambition of its games, which
ing as you learn the rhythm of move- are always defined by an impeccable
ment, dodging, blocking, and various attention to detail and tight moment-
attack options. The most skilled players to-moment mechanics. That reputation
may be able to move without delay into for clean design continues unabated
the mid-game, but many players will with Salt and Sanctuary. This night-
share my experience, and be forced marish island is well worth a visit, even
to grind frequently in these beginning if you’ve never confronted the chal-
hours to be a match for the difficult lenging games that engendered the
early bosses. That’s a shame, because adventure. » Matt Miller
76 reviews
Enter The Gungeon
Reloading the roguelike

SILVER Style 1-Player Action Publisher Devolver Digital Developer Dodge Roll Release March 4 Rating NR
8.5
03 s 0# s -AC

G
uns. Guns are unsurprisingly the
name of the game in Enter the
Gungeon, a challenging twin-stick
» Concept
Blast your way through
shooter/roguelike in the vein of Binding procedurally generated
of Isaac and Nuclear Throne – but it levels in a classic twin-
manages to top both of those titles with stick shooter roguelike
its procedurally generated dungeons, » Graphics
cool and colorful bosses, and arsenal Gungeon pulls off
of unique weapons and power-ups. the pixelated look in
a cutesy, easy-on-the-
From death to death, players unlock a eyes fashion
bit of meta progression, secrets, and
questlines to discover. Even when your » Sound
Stock shooting,
dungeon run is a bust, you walk away reloading, and exploding,
with the sense that you made progress Unlock secrets and discover quests as you but the soundtrack is
on your journey to claim the gun that make a little progress with each attempt great and does a lot to
can kill the past. keep the action intense
A room-to-room tour of bullets and sent back to the hub area a lot, but it enough variety to generally remain » Playability
baddies ensues as you move through never feels punishing or overwhelming strong in the face of procedurally gen- The basic mechanics
the floors, each level ending with a because you’re having too much fun erated reiteration. are incredibly easy to
understand, but a lot of
boss encounter. Death is just part of discovering new things. You select from four playable charac-
practice and mastery
the game as you try to preserve your The gameplay isn’t as demanding ters for each attempt at the Gungeon, become honed as the
heart containers by dodging swarms as some niche pure bullet-hells like all with their own bonus perks. I found player moves through
of bullets and navigating quirky envi- Ikaruga or Touhou, but it’s still plenty the Marine to be the go-to choice, the Gungeon
ronmental hazards, like guns mounted challenging, and you have to master the with a free point of armor and a handy » Entertainment
on minecarts and explosive traps. dodge roll if you plan on blasting your ammo drop for when you find that Succeeds as a shining
Perhaps you find a shopkeeper where way to victory. The dodge roll features perfect gun and want to make sure it example of the bullet-hell
you can purchase a few “blanks,” an invincibility window that you need lasts. Other characters offer things like roguelike that’s just tough
enough without coddling
essential consumables that evaporate to abuse if you plan on surviving when Molotov cocktails or a cute pet, but the player
all on-screen projectiles at critical the screen fills up with ammo from the bonuses don’t really make a huge
moments. Maybe you run into a quest every direction. The core mechanics are difference; they’re more like flavorful » Replay Value
High
NPC you didn’t find on your last few simple – run, gun, roll, and reload – but accents on the gameplay.
runs. You certainly find guns, ranging they’re also enjoyable to master. Enter the Gungeon is an essential
from mundane revolvers to amazingly The difference between your first pick for those that are fans of the
elaborate contraptions. I found a laser outing and your twentieth dungeon run roguelike twin-stick shooter genre, and
rifle that reflects bullets like a lightsaber are markedly different, as you learn a great choice for those looking for an
when you reload, a Mega Man-inspired enemy patterns and abilities and nail action-filled arcade romp as well. Even
blaster, a T-shirt cannon, a fish that the timing of your own movements. with permadeath threatening to ruin
shoots out of a barrel, a beehive, and However, Gungeon skirts the line of your fun around every corner, the vast
even a Bloodborne-inspired shield. negative repetition; fighting your 50th selection of goofy guns and eventual
The guns are loaded with flavor and iron-maiden enemy or the dumb bird discoveries keep you coming back
make every attempt a delight as you boss isn’t quite as impactful as the first again and again without any lingering
uncover each weapon. You die and get few encounters, but the title boasts frustration. » Daniel Tack

reviews 77
 MLB The Show 16
When authenticity isn’t enough

8 Style 1 or 2-Player Sports (2-Player Online) Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer Sony Interactive Entertainment San Diego Release March 29 Rating E

W
PS4 hen you attend a game of base-
ball in MLB The Show 16, you’re
» Concept not just going for the peanuts,
A series built on the
fundamentals of the sport Cracker Jack, or thrill of seeing a
ventures into fantastical batter demolish a searing 97-mph
waters with new modes fastball; you’re going to watch a player
and abilities that have disprove Albert Einstein’s theory of
little to do with baseball
relativity. Thanks to a new ability called
» Graphics “Showtime,” used exclusively in any
The new rendering player-lock mode like Road to the
technology brings out
an even higher level of Show, the fabric of reality can unravel
realism in the stadiums at any given time in The Show 16, gift-
and player gear ing your player with the god-like ability
» Sound to slow time to a crawl. With Showtime
A nice selection of songs active, that 97-mph fastball ends up
for menu management. looking like a lazy balloon floating to much anymore. This year’s takeaway: The second way is Battle Royale, a
The commentary team, the plate. Build your baseball Iron Man, select his mode that offers a revolving door of
while lacking fluidity
For a series that I applaud annually powers, and you’ll make it to the big competition with nice rewards…if you
still, does a nice job of
piping in interesting and for getting baseball’s smallest details leagues in no time. can afford it. You have to pay 1,500
relevant stats into the right, The Show now appears to have its Diamond Dynasty, Sony’s online- studs (the in-game currency) to com-
games. Some lines are sights set on mimicking popular video focused mode in which you are tasked pete in Battle Royale each time. It’s a
repeated heavily in Road game conventions. Last year, players to create a fictional team and build pay-to-play mode.
to the Show could wear gear to artificially reward its roster through collectible player Battle Royale mode is the most fun
» Playability ability bumps. This year, the Showtime cards, has received a fair number of I’ve had battling other players in The
The basic on-the-field mechanic smacks of a mutant gene notable additions this year. This is Show, but the net code behind it isn’t
play is nicely polished
from a superhero game. While I like the where I ended up spending most of my as reliable as it should be, a problem
and true to the sport.
The ability to skip spectacle of Showtime, such as seeing time, willingly, and having a good time this series has struggled with since ven-
loading screens in Road my fielder dive for a ball in super slow doing so. For the first time in Show turing online. Some games were loaded
to the Show is nice. motion, it’s more of a misrepresentation history, Diamond Dynasty is the mode with lag and strange fielding freezes.
Showtime feels too much of the sport than anything. It feels cheap. I recommend players invest their time Instances like this are unacceptable in
like a cheat
Showtime doesn’t guarantee success, in. Through the new avenues of play, short, three-inning games that are usu-
» Entertainment but there’s obviously less of a chance of I was pleased to find I was earning ally decided by one run.
The long-running a strike out, error, or poorly struck ball. new cards left and right, and I could fly Stat junkies are going to love this
series needed new
experiences, and Sony
Although a limited resource, it is cheating through match-ups almost as quickly year’s Franchise mode. Almost every
delivered two that will in the most video game way possible. as a player-locked game. little statistic you can think of – including
make you spend more Road to the Show also stumbles Diamond Dynasty’s biggest hooks wins above replacement – is tracked.
time in Diamond Dynasty mightily with its Showtime-based perk come in unconventional baseball Managing an organization is a little more
» Replay Value system that guarantees outcomes ways. The first is Conquest mode, a complex this year, as the trade logic for
High like flyballs or all pitches being in the grid-based battle across the United rival GMs is much improved, budgets
strike zone. Couple these additions States in which every MLB baseball can be tricky to stay on top of, and
with the returning trading-card system, team (and your fictional one) vie for you have to factor in player morale for
and suddenly, skill doesn’t matter that territorial control. everything including free-agent sign-
ings. Star players bring many demands,
and if you don’t hold up your end of the
bargain, they’ll play angry and affect
the outcomes of the club. A bit more
babysitting is required for Franchise
mode, but I did feel like a GM with my
hand in everything.
I harped on The Show last year for
its lack of new experiences, and Sony
answered that call with two big additions
to Diamond Dynasty. They don’t scream
of America’s Greatest Pastime in any
capacity – mascot races make more
sense – but they are welcome diver-
sions that prop up The Show’s excellent
on-the-field play (which still fits like a
well-worn glove). The series is moving
away from being an authentic baseball
simulation, but for longtime players, these
pie-in-the-sky ideas are just what this
baseball series needs. » Andrew Reiner
78 reviews
Ratchet & Clank
Sweet nostalgia

Style 1-Player Action Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment Developer Insomniac Games Release April 12 Rating E10+
8.25
PS4

R
atchet & Clank is a relic of yester- Some challenges, story sequences, and charm are lost in the process. The
year, a survivor from an age when and locations are recycled from the new flight sequences, in which Ratchet
anthropomorphic characters original 2002 game, but they don’t pilots a craft that moves as slow as
» Concept
Is this a remake?
were all the rage in video games. come across as retro at any time. The a hot-air balloon, don’t get the blood A sequel? A movie
Crash Bandicoot. Sonic the Hedgehog. wealth of new content injected into pumping, and are more a test of wres- adaptation? It’s all three
Sly Cooper. Banjo. Conker. Daxter. the classic content dramatically affects tling with somewhat clunky controls of these things at once,
Insomniac Games’ space-faring critter the challenges and gameplay flow. I was with the most weight
than skill. The amusing giant Clank
placed on providing new
stood tall with these iconic characters, struck more with a sense of déjà vu flar- sequences of old are no longer around. experiences for fans
but as gamer tastes and technology ing up throughout the adventure than We instead see Clank solving simplistic
matured, the bandicoot mysteriously the feeling of returning to something old. (and somewhat boring) puzzle rooms » Graphics
The cityscapes are
vanished, and the hedgehog became Ratchet repels the enemy onslaught with robot minions. modular and retro in
one of the biggest punch lines in with nimble movements (including As challenging and fun as the core design, but the chaos
gaming. One by one, these characters the jet pack from Ratchet & Clank combat can be, the hardest part of that erupts onscreen
faded out of the limelight. Ratchet Future: Into the Nexus) and a beefed the game (doubling as its biggest mis- is stunning
somehow escaped the culling, and up arsenal. The new Pixelizer HD is as step) is a door-lock minigame utilizing » Sound
more impressively, has remained a con- beautiful to watch as it is fun to use; it the Trespasser gadget. This chore has The sound of hundreds
stant fixture in games since his debut kicks like a space mule and transforms the player lining up lasers with locks, of bolts being farmed
never gets old. The
in 2002 – though his significance in every enemy it hits into a sea of retro spinning a series of wheels to alter the soundtrack is also quite
the gaming landscape has diminished pixels. Other weapons are equally trajectory of the lasers. These puzzles good, but the dialogue
through the years. Here’s the scary part: amusing, like the Raptor Launcher, usually only have one solution, and by can be cringe-inducing at
After starring in over a dozen games which challenges the player to pause the end of the game, take serious time times – not from the voice
to date, his popularity may soar to for a few seconds to establish multiple and thought to crack. Insomniac obvi- actors, but the dated jokes
in the script
new heights when the Ratchet & Clank target locks. All of the weapons feature ously knew this minigame was tough
movie opens in theaters on April 29. upgrade paths and can be leveled up and inserted a “solve it for me” cheat. » Playability
Ratchet is as agile as ever,
While it seems backwards and wrong five times to deliver more damage, but The catch: If you cheat, you won’t be
and is equipped with
that a new Ratchet & Clank video game the leveling process is unfortunately able to earn a PlayStation Trophy or his strafing abilities and
would be adapted from the film, which in quick. Weapons can be capped in no the in-game rewards tied to the puzzle. upgraded jet pack. Side
turn is based on his original game, that’s time flat, meaning you might want to Ratchet & Clank has always been diversions fall flat and
exactly what we are getting. Parts of this shelve them in favor of upgrading other a showpiece of new-gen technology, break up the fun flow
game are taken directly from Ratchet & firearms to become more powerful. and while this entry’s environments of combat
Clank’s PS2 debut, placing it slightly in On top of the redesigned content, this look a little retro, the detail in the char- » Entertainment
remake territory. Other elements, like plot Ratchet & Clank experience is loaded to acters and the explosion of bolts and I couldn’t put the game
down, and I immediately
points and characters, are mined directly the brim with fun new collectibles, like gears are legitimate spectacles. The
jumped into the post-game
from the film, turning it into somewhat Holocards and Raritanium. The hooks colors pop, the worlds feel more alien, Challenge Mode to play
of a movie game. A large portion of the of exploring to uncover these goods and the heart of the adventure is right more of it
content is also entirely new and true sink in nice and deep, bringing big where it needs to be: with explosions » Replay Value
to the latest installments in the series, rewards if they are secured. Holocards and rockets lighting up the screen like Moderately high
moving it slightly into the realm of a provide percentage bumps to drops, a Fourth of July fireworks celebra-
sequel. As oddly Frankensteined as this whereas Raritanium is used to upgrade tion. When Ratchet’s doing what he
experience is, it can best be summed up the weapons. does best (blowing stuff up), this new
as immensely entertaining, and a worthy New ideas also emerge in the diver- experience sings its classic tune well.
successor to Ratchet’s latest endeavors. sionary gameplay, but some humor » Andrew Reiner

reviews 79
 The Banner Saga 2
Two tiles forward, one tile back

8.5 SILVER Style 1-Player Strategy/Role-Playing Publisher Versus Evil Developer Stoic Release April 19 Rating NR

T
PC he world is dark, cold, and unfor- You are tasked with handling two main down on their luck, the events seem
giving. In fact, the world is coming parties, each with separate characters to carry little weight from choice to
» Concept to an end. This is the backdrop and composition options. One party choice. With no end to random bandits
Continue the journey
where the first game for the second installment of Stoic’s follows your successors and survivors or gangs of angry peasants, these
left off, with the world’s Nordic tactical role-playing series – a from the events of the last game, led interactions lack the depth and impact
end looming place where lives hang in the balance. by either Rook or Alette. This is more of the original game.
» Graphics Not all will survive in this bittersweet traditional fare, and feels very much the Story engagements are more inter-
Beautiful artwork journey through beautifully created same as the first game, with frequent esting, and come with the threat of
brings diverse Norse caves, marshes, and skybridges, but the battles and a deep roster to customize serious repercussions; sending charac-
environments and grim backdrop exudes a dignified grace. your playstyle (with new enemies creat- ters to take the enemy by surprise can
characters to life
Even as your favorite characters give ing additional wrinkles in battle). remove them from your character pool
» Sound their lives fending off the never-ending The second group, the Ravens, is forever. I love that choices matter and
An enthralling
swarms of Dredge and ensuring the led by notable character Bolverk, a shape the story, but I didn’t like this
soundtrack from Austin
Wintory accentuates civilian-packed caravan makes it to its berserker. Bolverk and his crew are permadeath in the original, and I don’t
both grim travel and final destination, Austin Wintory’s tunes more interesting and entertaining, like it now. I get that this aspect is part
cautious combat combine with the unique artstyle to as the team composition revolves of the challenge, but it’s still frustrating
» Playability create a wholly unique experience. around making Bolverk unstoppable to commit resources from your limited
Combat and caravan The tactical RPG tasks players with in combat through buffs and support, pool of renown (experience/currency)
travel are fairly easy moving pieces tile-to-tile, with careful and letting the bloodthirsty brute tear and have a beloved character end up
to pick up, and are planning going a long way toward taking through enemies with ease. Players on a funeral pyre.
explained clearly for
newcomers to the series
on the hordes of Dredge and other have to be careful though, as ber- The Banner Saga 2 carries the banner
opponents. Banner Saga 2 enhances serkers like Bolverk don’t distinguish onward for the series, and while it’s
» Entertainment the systems of its predecessor by offer- between friend and foe when they get made a few steps forward in creating
A solid follow-up,
but it gets bogged ing new classes with new abilities – the up close in the thick of combat, so more interesting tactical decisions
down in plodding most extreme being the Horseborn, positioning gets tricky. Despite more and has added some more options for
encounters in battle who can execute charging attacks and variation in combat from the original customization, it seems to have taken a
and on the overworld get an additional movement phase after title, repetitive combat still drags the step back in terms of making your jour-
» Replay Value their turns. I stuck with a powerful mix experience down. ney across the world memorable. If you
Moderate focused on ranged abilities with big While the core story delves deeper enjoyed the first chapter, you are ready
and burly Varl up front and high-power into the lore and portents the end of for a great time continuing your tale
archer and caster abilities from the the world, the chance meetings and right where you left off. If you’re new to
backline, but I had the most fun playing world interactions are drab. Whether the series, you should play the original
with the new options, especially the you’re fighting a gang of zealous witch and start the saga from the beginning.
support-oriented Ravens crew. hunters or just some poor tagalongs » Daniel Tack
80 reviews
Hyper Light Drifter
Entrancing minimalism and superb combat

GAME THE
OF
MONTH GOLD
Style 1-Player Action Publisher Heart Machine
Developer Heart Machine Release March 31 Rating NR
9.5
0# s -AC

F
rom its opening cutscene, Hyper
Light Drifter created a world I
immediately wanted to know more
» Concept
Hyper Light Drifter
about. Titans walk along the landscape, provides action-packed
but immediately turn into dilapidated combat while painting a
robots before your eyes. The drifter mysterious world at odds
clutches his chest as a violent cough with technology
causes him to buckle over. The mon- » Graphics
tage and its soundtrack from composer The pixel art sets itself
apart with captivating
Disasterpeace sent chills down my
environments and an
spine and caused me to involuntarily enticing, unexpected
lean into my computer monitor – and color palette
that was only the first three minutes. » Sound
The game plays like a classic Zelda Composer Disasterpeace’s
from an overhead 2D perspective, but soundtrack lends a sense
the Drifter moves with a speed Link Upgrades are purchased with a cur- experience, but I never felt without of awe and scale to the
could never hope to achieve. He fights rency earned exploring the environ- direction, or like I had missed important world that consistently
gave me chills
with a sword and gun, and uses the ment. Every upgrade is worthwhile, narrative concepts tucked behind some
invaluable ability to quickly dash in any subtly changing how you approach hidden door. I appreciate the ambiguity » Playability
Bouncing between
direction. Dashing is integral to explora- combat. You can unlock bombs, the of the narrative because it sold me an
enemies is fluid and fast,
tion and combat as the Drifter blinks ability to continually dash, and a power emotion about what happened in this making every fight a
across chasms and dashes from enemy that makes your sword absorb enemy world, as opposed to showcasing a list pleasure – even the ones
to enemy while avoiding their attacks. gunfire. The upgrades fit comfortably of specific events. It’s a format of story- that don’t go well
It’s not a matter of mastering combos into the arsenal of moves you begin telling uniquely suited to video games, » Entertainment
or mashing buttons, as the Drifter the game with; you don’t unlock new because players can move through Hyper Light Drifter
only has one slashing sword attack. combos or change your playstyle with and take in the world at their own pace. sticks with you long
Success is tied to moving in for a quick different swords. Instead, you improve The closing moments left me with a after the final boss,
thanks to its impressive
attack, getting out of the way with a the skills you’ve been mastering since calm-but-melancholy sense of over- wealth of secrets,
dash, and finding another angle to drive the game’s opening moments. You whelming accomplishment. amazing soundtrack, and
in before the enemy has an oppor- become an expert instead of someone Hyper Light Drifter has already posi- mysterious world
tunity to counter. Guns help expand who happens to suddenly hit harder or tioned itself as one of the best experi- » Replay Value
your arsenal by giving you long- and have more HP. ences of the year. It’s a challenging Moderately high
mid-range options to mix in with your I can’t describe the moment-to- game, but it never feels unfair. The
slashes and footwork. Mobility and moment plot of Hyper Light Drifter. promise of seeing more of the world
speed are required, and the controls are It takes place in a land that seems to and hearing more of the fantastic
able to keep up with the pace. Combat have taken technology too far and paid soundtrack are worthwhile rewards for
is fluid and fun, and I quickly had an a steep price. The world is morose and your tenacity. Despite seeing the finish
empowering level of mastery over each sad, with only a few small pockets of line ahead of me, I did everything I could
encounter. I always felt as though I was happiness strewn across its diverse to prolong the experience by exploring
in full control, even while bouncing at environments. Both the direction you every nook and cranny. I didn’t do it out
light speed between opponents, only decide to explore in the game’s begin- of necessity; I did it because I wanted
pausing briefly to use a health item ning and the narrative are open to inter- to stay in Hyper Light Drifter’s world for
when necessary. pretation. This can create a confounding as long as possible. » Kyle Hilliard
Fighting is fast and often difficult.
Your health is limited and every enemy
packs a wallop, but so do you, leading
to a firm-but-fair rhythm to the action.
Forgiving checkpoints help alleviate
frustration, giving you plenty of oppor-
tunities to master a scenario with quick
restarts and no fear of lost progress.
This extends to the difficult bosses, as
well. They all offer distinct challenges
and designs; some have abilities com-
parable to the Drifter, while others focus
on specific weapon loadouts. Each has
enticing rewards, like new guns and
upgrade currency. Quick restarts make
the bosses fun to break down, since
you barely get a chance to catch your
breath after each death before you are
back in the scuffle learning their pat-
terns and applying your knowledge.
reviews 81
 Audioshield
Your music library brought to virtual life

8 Style 1-Player Rhythm/Music Publisher Dylan Fitterer Developer Dylan Fitterer Release April 5 Rating NR

M
Vive usic games have always helped
players feel more deeply
» Concept immersed in the music they love,
Punch and block a series
of colored notes in virtual and Audioshield has two big advan-
space, moving in time tages in fulfilling that goal. First, a clever
with your favorite music behind-the-scenes system creates a
» Graphics playable track out of any music file on
Minimal background your computer, and also allows you to
imagery, but the colored search for and play any music avail-
note streams and able in the sprawling online stream-
glowing shield lend a
futuristic vibe ing library of Soundcloud. Second,
it brings those songs to life in a fully
» Sound virtual playspace, in which your body’s
Audioshield’s greatest
achievement is its ability motions meet and block individual
to work seamlessly with beats as they fly toward you. Whether
any of your own music it makes you feel like a dancer, a boxer,
files, or tap into the vast or someone in a Tron-like dream-
library of any streaming
scape, there’s no denying the sense gameplay that follows, other than the The concept is instantly understand-
Soundcloud song
of engagement and excitement. inherent desire to improve your score able, and the sense of involvement in
» Playability Audioshield sports a utilitarian as you compete on the global leader- the music easily equals other great
As a tool to communicate
the tactile excitement of
interface. Little fanfare greets the boards. Each song plays out on one beat-matching experiences, like Rock
VR, Audioshield excels, new user other than a collection of of only two arenas, and you cannot Band. The difference here is the sense
and its gameplay is recommended Soundcloud songs customize or alter those play spaces, that you’re inside the flow of music,
instantly engaging for that can be played right away. Those which is disappointing. Even so, the and your own body motions and vision
new players selected songs are good entry points, pointer-based menus and navigation tracking determine success, as if you
» Entertainment but they aren’t the full setlist. A search all work adequately, and get the user were really holding a shield and your
Clever rhythm-based bar allows you to search for anything into a song without fuss, at least most song had come to life to attack from
gameplay makes you feel
available on Soundcloud – a service of the time. I encountered a few game every direction. After grasping the
like you’re inside a sci-fi
world of music given form filled with remixes, live recordings, crashes as songs loaded or completed, basics of blocking, the game gains
mash-ups, and original recordings from but otherwise had a smooth gameplay additional complexity as you realize
» Replay Value a huge number of artists. If that’s not experience as I jumped from one song it’s also tracking the speed of your
High
enough, you can also tap into music to the next. punches, and the “artistic value” of
files on your PC, and they work equally Once a song is selected, you find your motions, encouraging an almost
well. No matter the musical selection, yourself standing on a raised dais. aerobic quality to the action.
Audioshield analyzes the most interest- A stream of red and blue notes hover The experience only works because
ing and intense parts, and transforms like attack planes on the distant hori- the background algorithm creates inter-
those into a fun and playable sequence zon. In each hand, you hold a shield, esting attack patterns. Red and blue
of notes. While other games, including color-coded to match one of the notes fly in at different corners of your
predecessor Audiosurf, have provided incoming note hues. Set to arrive in peripheral vision, forcing you to swing
this freedom, the dynamic in VR brings time with the beats of your selected your arms quickly from one side to the
new life to the concept. song, the notes begin to hit from every other. Long, held streaming notes feel
The trappings of Audioshield are forward trajectory. Swinging your arms like you’re holding off a mighty barrage,
spare; the focus is on the action of left, right, up, and down, you block and the vibration in your controller sup-
interacting with the music. No pro- and jab the colored balls of light and ports the sensation. Occasional purple
gression system or story governs the tally up a high score. notes (both shields held close together)
indicate a climax. And in most cases,
the notes begin to arrive from higher
attack paths later in the song, forcing
your arms up in a way that replicates
the body’s motion for excitement and
active movement.
While many of Vive’s launch applica-
tions are demos or betas, Audioshield
is a solid and complete game, and
its ability to read and create playable
tracks from any piece of music provides
effectively endless replay value. This is
an early testament to the power of VR to
create novel experiences in established
genres, and music-game faithful should
seek an opportunity to at least try out
this new take on interactive music play.
» Matt Miller
82 reviews
Chronos
A labyrinth with many layers

SILVER Style 1-Player Action/Role-Playing Publisher Oculus Studios Developer Gunfire Games Release March 28 Rating NR
8.5
Rift

G
unfire Games formed from the right, which adds to the feeling of being enemies. The battles are tough, and
remains of Vigil Games, the cre- lost in a maze. dying carries an interesting penalty: You
ators of the Darksiders series. The The journey starts slowly as you age one year for each failure, and your
» Concept
An adventure that
new studio claims to have a “big chunk” explore your first environment and learn options change the older you get. combines elements of The
of the team behind Darksiders, includ- the ropes, but you notice early hints Your character levels up quickly, and Legend of Zelda and Dark
ing numerous key roles – and it shows. that Chronos’ universe is a futuristic you can put points toward strength, Souls in VR
The elevator pitch for the game is Zelda fantasy that has a history in our real agility, arcane, and vitality. You start » Graphics
meets Dark Souls, but Chronos is much world. It’s an interesting set-up, but the game in your teens, and attributes A stylized world hints
more than that; it combines exploration, the core is still rooted in classic fantasy like strength, vitality and agility are at realism, but remains
anchored in fantasy
combat, and atmosphere into a chal- adventure. You have puzzles to solve, cheap due to your youth. As you age,
lenging and rewarding experience that quests to complete, weapons to find, those attributes become more expen- » Sound
The sounds complement
proves VR can play host to full-featured and magic powers to learn. These fea- sive, but arcane becomes cheaper.
the world and add another
games for the hardcore crowd. tures aren’t revolutionary, but they give Your character also gets a new talent layer to the VR illusion
After selecting your gender, weapon, the action purpose, and infuse Chronos for every 10-year milestone, which
and one of two difficulty settings, the with a fun, classic Zelda feel. adds an extra boost to your core stats.
» Playability
Combat finds a nice
game starts with your character wash- Despite sharing some of Zelda’s While you won’t run out of lives, there balance between
ing up on the shore. Your young adven- adventure trappings, combat has is a certain pressure to stay young challenge and aggravation.
turer embarks on a quest to challenge a more in common with Dark Souls than and build up your character’s strength It plays like other action/
dragon who lives in a labyrinth you can Nintendo’s classic. Battles are up-close so each run is important. Each cheap adventure titles, but you
can move your head to
enter only once a year. If you fail, you and personal. Using your shield to fend death feels catastrophic. Your age is
control the camera
reenter the following year, older and off attacks is key, as is learning the reflected in your character’s face, so
wiser as you try to unlock the secrets of attack combos of your enemies so you when I completed the game at age 63 » Entertainment
Fun exploration and
this world. can pounce when you see an opening. I looked worn from the years of battle satisfying battles make
Chronos is viewed from a third-person From small soldiers to rock monsters, and had gray hair. this a lengthy journey
perspective, but the camera is set at a I enjoyed learning enemy patterns and I still can’t believe Gunfire Games worth taking
fixed point like early Resident Evil titles, fighting for my life, hoping to reach the completed Chronos in time for launch » Replay Value
and you use the Rift to manipulate the next checkpoint intact. of Oculus. It’s an engaging game that Moderate
camera to examine the spaces. I got Your health is a limited resource, but took me about 20 hours to finish. It
lost in the stylized beauty of the world; you get more Dragon Hearts as you travels to far lands, features challeng-
the environments feel large in virtual progress, which refill your health like an ing bosses, and does an impressive
reality and the objects, enemies, and Estus flask from Dark Souls. However, job of showing that, even from a
your character gives them depth. Due the only way to refill your supply of third-person perspective, games in VR
to the fixed camera (and the fact that dragon hearts is to die and start over. can transport you to another world.
the world is a labyrinth), navigation can Each area only has a few checkpoints, Chronos made a believer out of me,
be disorienting at times. You exit an so opening shortcuts is key to navigat- and I can’t wait to see what this studio
area to the left, but return to it by going ing the world and working through the does next. » Andy McNamara
reviews 83
 Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives
Service with a smile

6.5 Style 1-Player Action Publisher Owlchemy Labs Developer Owlchemy Labs Release April 5 Rating NR

M
Vive any people use video games
to escape from the ordinary, so
» Concept the concept of Job Simulator
Experience the regular
human jobs of today might seem pointless at first. Players
as imagined by robots performs basic duties of four every-
from the future day occupations: office worker, chef,
» Graphics convenience store clerk, and auto
The surroundings mechanic. However, putting on your
have lots of interesting Vive headset isn’t like heading off to
details and are fun to the daily grind. Owlchemy Labs’ VR
inspect in VR. Being
rooted to four simple title has plenty of irreverence and sur-
areas doesn’t give you prises, but I was still happy to punch
much variety, though out at the end of the day.
» Sound While the professions seem familiar
Many of the prompts at first, you quickly realize something
and effects are funny, isn’t normal. The copy machine spits
but the audio isn’t a out solid objects, and you “burn CDs”
standout feature knocking the fire extinguisher onto the Despite the changing backdrop,
by putting them in a toaster. The jobs
» Playability you’re simulating don’t always line up stove, or throwing paper airplanes at everything from the jokes to the tasks
Manipulating the with reality; they are just the closest your co-workers. Because your tasks run together; whether you’re putting
environment works
approximations that robots in the year are painfully simple, these mistakes gum in a bag or a tomato in a blender,
as well as it needs to.
Eventually, fumbling 2050 can imagine. This disconnect is never have any repercussions, so they’re you’re basically going through the same
with objects becomes the source of a lot of funny moments easy to laugh off. motions. They’re clever the first few
part of the charm (and frequent uses of “job” as a verb), From kitchens to cubicles, you have times, but you already have a limited
» Entertainment and that charm and humor is the main enough space to maneuver and inter- variety of activities, and all the repetition
Despite some funny draw of Job Simulator. act, but the limitations of your play doesn’t help.
moments, Job Simulator The professions are well-suited to space still make sense. Counters and Job Simulator lives up to its own
doesn’t offer enough machinery present intuitive boundaries, ambitions, presenting a compact, cute,
the Vive experience, giving you small
depth or variety to
be satisfying and densely packed work areas for so I never worried about inadvertently and accessible showcase for interact-
your various tasks. You make coffee, hitting walls. If anything, the danger is ing with virtual locations. I can’t deny
» Replay Value add fluid to cars, put hotdogs on the thinking the in-game surroundings are the fun and novelty of the experience,
Moderately low
rollers, and cook steaks depending real; I leaned back against a non-exis- but the entertainment fades quickly.
on your currently selected sequence. tent wall once, and also tried to use a Popping in for a few minutes to dump
Each job has a standalone linear pro- virtual table to support myself as I bent an energy drink on an engine or make
gression of tasks to complete, but they down. While the workplaces have lots fire-extinguisher soup is funny, but
all have you using the controllers to of objects to interact with, being limited that’s as deep as the experience goes.
navigate 3D space, grabbing objects, to four environments means that you The laid-back toybox structure means
turning dials, and pressing buttons. quickly exhaust your options; without that I was never under pressure, but I
Controlling your in-game hands occa- any additional challenges or modes, you was also never challenged or engaged
sionally feels clumsy, but that also have no reason to keep playing after beyond VR’s universal joy of inhabiting
results in entertaining moments, like you complete your assigned duties. a digital space. » Joe Juba

84 reviews
The Lab
A single bite from many courses

Style 1-Player Action Publisher Valve Developer Valve Release April 5 Rating NR
8.25
A
mong the many new and intrigu- the walls. The pull of your bow as you a limited space), all while playing with Vive
ing experiences available on the aim feels just right, and leaning over a mechanical dog that cavorts through
new virtual-reality platforms, no a parapet to fire at passing barbarians the landscape. The vista of Vesper
» Concept
Explore the many pocket
single application sells the flexibility is fascinating. Peak in the Cascades is particularly universes jutting off
of the medium like The Lab. Valve has Slingshot transports you to an breathtaking. As I explored, I couldn’t from Aperture Science’s
crafted a free software collection that Aperture warehouse facility, in which help but think about future oppor- research labs in VR
includes several smaller adventures, you’re shooting various personality tunities for education, new styles of » Graphics
each varied from the last, and all meant cores at explosive barrel structures photography, and travel in VR. Each small experience
to showcase a different VR experience. using a giant slingshot. Every core that Even in the hub, Valve has gone out looks sharp, and a
This should be the first title you play on drops into your weapon has its own of its way to provide fun toys. A remote- few are among the
most detailed VR
Vive, and the one you show your friends character, and I often held fire just to control drone can be flown about the environments yet crafted
and family so they can “get it.” The Lab listen to the hilarious dialogue each lab. Draw and erase markers to your
is a victim of its own excellence, as spouts prior to launch. In both of these heart’s content on the lab whiteboard. » Sound
The star of the audio
each small encounter is so engaging first-person minigames, the sense of Blow up helium balloons and bat them is the voiceover work,
that you desperately want more. tracking and hitting a target in virtual around, or shoot them as they float which lends the
You are another of Aperture Science’s space sells the fun. away with the longbow. And your cute irreverent humor of
unfortunate test subjects, this time Robot Repair is a return visit to the robot dog from the Postcard applica- Valve’s Portal series
tasked with exploring various pocket characters of Portal, and an amusing tion is happy to fetch virtually anything. » Playability
universes. As a human, Aperture has interactive sequence in which you Upon dropping the item at your feet, Movement and tracking
deemed you the perfect expendable futilely attempt to repair a damaged the overhead robot voice declares that: is spot-on, and each
minigame features
resource. Taps on the controller send Atlas robot, much to the delight of “Friendship has just been discovered intuitive controls
you around the hub lab to various the sadistic mistress of the facility. in Pocket Universe Lab 8.” These and
experiments, where you don head- Secret Shop takes visitors to DotA’s other toys aren’t minigames, but they » Entertainment
The single best
sized bubbles to launch the activity Secret Shop and its many weird and made me feel an uncanny sense of pres- introductory product for
of your choice. mystical objects, with the ability to ence in an unreal place. At one point, grasping the fun of Vive,
Veteran gamers should start with miniaturize oneself and explore its I actually tried to put my real-world con- and it is free
Xortex, a new twist on the bullet-hell nooks and crannies. Neither of these trollers down on a virtual table. » Replay Value
shooter model. One of your hands/ are games in their own right, but the Valve has an uncanny ability to home Moderate
controllers acts as a ship moving and sense of virtual discovery in a fictional in on what makes an activity fun, and
shooting freely in 3D space, even as world is thrilling. then bullseye the target. The studio
increasingly dangerous laser beams If non-fiction is more your thing, then has done so again with The Lab, and
and glowing projectiles converge on The Lab’s three other activities should every one of the activities is a blast.
your location. Maneuvering around the appeal. The Solar System is just what However, none of these activities fully
attacks is fun, especially as you start to it sounds like – a virtual scale model of tap their own potential. Xortex could
use the full room space to duck down, the sun and its planets, where you have include more and ever more bullet-
leap over, and sidestep in the real world the ability to walk between them, or filled levels. Your archer could defend
to escape a hail of attacks. The visual even pluck Jupiter or Venus from their new castles against better armed foes.
effect is impressive as enemy ships and orbits to fling them about. The Human Your mechanical dog could learn more
projectiles fly through the room in which Body Scan lets you examine a skeleton tricks, and be a virtual-pet game all on
you stand. and some of its body systems from its own. And I challenge anyone not to
Longbow and Slingshot each offer any angle, even sliding a vertical slice want a VR Portal game after you check
surprising variations on first-person into place so you can better examine out Robot Repair. What these games
action. In Longbow, you enter a cartoon- particular areas, like the inside of the lack in depth, they make up in charm
ish castle world filled with stick-figure mouth. Postcards lets you visit four and accessibility. The Lab is joyful and
invaders, and use a bow and arrow to real-world locations and explore them light, and a perfect evangelist for VR’s
shoot them down before they breach like you were really there (at least within many possibilities. » Matt Miller
reviews 85
 Eve: Valkyrie
Flying and fighting through dead space

6.25 Style 1-Player Action (16-Player Online) Publisher CCP Games Developer CCP Newcastle Release March 28 Rating NR

S
Rift pace may be the final frontier is intriguing. Rather than continue to conquest mode. A long progression
for man, but it’s one of the first build on this narrative kernel from the eventually allows you to unlock a couple
» Concept frontiers being explored by vir- opening sequence, CCP offers a hand- other ship types and cosmetic custom-
An arcade space-combat
experience brought to tual reality. Titles like Elite: Dangerous ful of wave-based combat scenarios izations, but even with different ships
life by VR and Eve: Valkyrie are fueling a space and a scouting mode where you can at your disposal, the battles lack dyna-
» Graphics combat renaissance, and the best way fly through the small number of environ- mism, and my interest in continuing the
One of the better looking to play is sitting in a virtual cockpit, ments to locate backstory “echoes” progression unlock stream subsided.
VR games at launch, but ogling the various console instruments and some salvage for ship upgrades. Another problem facing Valkyrie is
occasionally subject and peering out into the great unknown The environments used for both are one completely out of CCP’s hands:
to tearing between waves of fighters. pretty to look at, but largely stagnant; low player population. Given the
» Sound Eve: Valkyrie trades the hard sci-fi you can’t even shoot the debris float- extremely short supply of Rifts out in
Katie Sackhoff’s voice trappings of games like Star Citizen ing through space. The lack of more the wild, most of your battles are fought
work is solid – too bad
and Elite in favor of a more streamlined, scripted mission sequences is a major against bots rather than real people.
the game doesn’t have
more story to explore arcade experience. You don’t need to wasted opportunity. I hardly expected This problem should be alleviated when
with her constantly manage energy resources a game in 2016 to have less compell- Oculus ramps up production, but by
» Playability between your shields, weapons, and ing content than decades-old space- then, will anyone be around given the
The combat is easy engine; all you need to do is point combat forefathers like X-Wing and limited content?
to pick up and play, and shoot at any ship you can catch. Wing Commander. Based on early demos, Eve: Valkyrie
but lacks the depth The true skill is measured by how well Instead, Valkyrie places the majority seemed to be one of the brightest
found in many space you can stick to evasive enemies and of its chips on a multiplayer bet. Dogfight- beacons for virtual reality gaming. That
combat games
dodge incoming fire. ing is undeniably alluring, but the design potential clearly exists in the final ver-
» Entertainment The visceral experience of sitting in choices the team made feel ripped sion, but woefully underdeveloped
The experience of sitting
this futuristic cockpit is the biggest straight out of a first-person shooter. single-player and multiplayer offerings
in a VR space fighter
is thrilling, but single- selling point to Valkyrie. Being able to Your mode options are 8v8 team death- ultimately suck the air out of the cockpit.
player and multiplayer move your head to track ships as they matches and a thematically strange » Matt Bertz
options are sparse fly across your bow or turn aggressively
» Replay Value brings you into the experience in a way
Low a 2D screen cannot, and I cringe every
time a blast breaks through the cockpit
windows and the cold ice of space
takes over my vessel. The potential for
a defining VR experience is here, which
is why the extreme lack of compelling
content is such a shame.
In Valkyrie you play the clone of an
ace pilot, experiencing deaths count-
less time but remembering your previ-
ous failures so you can presumably
learn from those mistakes. Few details
are given as to who you are fighting
for and what is at stake, but the setup
86 reviews
Lucky’s Tale
A story not worth repeating

Style 1-Player Action/Platforming Publisher Playful Corp Developer Playful Corp Release March 28 Rating 13+
6.5
D
on’t let Lucky’s cape fool you, this Rift
fox is no superhero. Don’t expect
any evil-crushing feats of strength » Concept
A third-person
from the woodland critter; Lucky platformer that plays
can jump over narrow gaps and spin well in virtual reality,
his tale to knock away enemies, but but doesn’t offer much
that’s where his talents begin and end. challenge or variety
Simplicity lords over most of Lucky’s » Graphics
Tale, leading to an adventure that rarely Colorful in tone, but
gets the blood pumping. lacking a creative spark
One of Lucky’s Tales’ biggest thrills » Sound
comes in the opening story sequence, The playful melodies
in which a giant, tentacled beast fit the action well.
Lucky is mostly a silent
reaches into Lucky’s home to kidnap protagonist, even
his friend Piggy. The size of the beast while platforming
is impressive – a nice showpiece that
demonstrates how scale can be more
» Playability
The move set is simple
intimidating in virtual reality. This vil- from the outset and
lain reveal is a promising first step, but the action. Developer Playful Corp rarely trials or red-coin challenges. If the level doesn’t expand as the
it ends up being the most exotic and detours from the basics. By the third was boring the first time (which many adventure unfolds.
The challenges also
creative element in the entire journey. level, I felt the action was in desperate of them are), replaying it feels like a
stagnate early on
I wouldn’t say Lucky’s adventure goes need of variety. chore. And if you happen to die during
downhill from here, but the gameplay Lucky’s Tales’ gameplay smacks of either of these missions, there are no » Entertainment
Virtual reality has
rarely delivers that initial “wow” factor. proof-of-concept, and you can almost checkpoints. You’re warped back to the the potential to deliver
The world Lucky explores is ordinary in sense the developers tiptoeing through beginning and must retrace your steps. a great action/platform
design, consisting of giant mushrooms, the uncharted virtual-reality waters. The For the red-coin challenges specifi- experience. Lucky’s Tale
swinging logs, and overly happy cater- training wheels are loosened in the final cally, if you miss a coin, which is easy isn’t it
pillars on the prowl. As colorful as these two stages, where spinning platforms to do, you warp back to the beginning » Replay Value
sights are, nothing steals the eye. I got require quicker reflexes, but the majority and must look for that needle in the Moderately low
a kick out of turning around in my chair of the game is played too safe. haystack as you venture through the
to see how high I climbed, and moving Part of the problem is Playful Corp’s environment again.
my head forward to get a closer look decision to gate progress, which artifi- Even with the gating in place, Lucky’s
at an enemy, but the landscape itself cially expands the length of the game. Tale is short. Playful Corp can be com-
is unremarkable. In order to reach new levels, Lucky mended for adopting a classic genre
Leaping across lily pads and tail- must first collect a specific number of to VR, as well as releasing a game
whacking enemies becomes the routine Paws. A Paw is rewarded for finishing with a high level of polish, but thrills
for most of the stages, and the occa- a level, but that isn’t always enough. are fleeting and the fun rarely surfaces
sional boss fights and bomb-throwing To earn more Paws, the player must as Lucky hunts for his dear pig friend.
sequences aren’t enough to spice up reenter the levels to complete time » Andrew Reiner

Lucky’s Tale is a free pack-in

game for Oculus Rift

reviews 87
 Severed
Slash after satisfying slash

8.5 SILVER Style 1-Player Action Publisher DrinkBox Studios Developer DrinkBox Studios Release April 26 Rating T

S
Vita ony’s handheld system hasn’t behind me charged up and dealt more specific improvements like your
seen many notable exclusives damage. Initially, I survived such mis- stun spell affecting all enemies or being
» Concept recently, but DrinkBox Studios takes, but the later encounters aren’t able to steal two magic buffs from a
Use the Vita’s
touchscreen to slash has finally given players a new reason so forgiving, as enemies are not only single enemy. The upgrades are notice-
your way through to pick up their Vitas with Severed. buffed with different magic spells, but able and come at a steady pace, and
legions of grotesque The developer (of Guacamelee fame) also armored and more powerful. I loved searching out encounters each
monsters on a quest to ties together rewarding touchscreen Your sword isn’t your only means time to test out my new abilities.
save your family
combat, enjoyable first-person explor- of defending yourself, since you also The challenging battles are the high-
» Graphics ation and puzzles, and a fulfilling upgrade acquire magic abilities. One spell stuns light of Severed, but they are linked
The deep hues of red system into one exciting package that an enemy so you can focus on the together through strong first-person
and blue accent with
the earth tones to no Vita owner should miss. other creatures in front of you, while exploration and puzzle elements. Each
create a beautifully Severed casts you as Sasha, a warrior another devours an enemy’s magic dungeon features multiple paths to
devastating landscape on a quest to save her family from savage buff, stripping the creature of the stat follow. While most dungeon rooms are
» Sound beasts. Using the Vita’s touchscreen, you boost and buffing your attributes in the required to solve a puzzle to reach the
The soundtrack reflects slash Sasha’s sword through any crea- process. Later in the story, some bat- next area, optional rooms reward you
Sasha’s mindset, ture that dares get in her way. Swiping tles require you to complete the fight with upgrade resources and even brain
bouncing back and forth your finger across the Vita screen to emu- within a time limit, ratcheting up the and heart pieces, which increase your
between portraying
ate a sword slash rarely feels this natural level of difficulty and challenging you mana and vitality respectively. The
hopelessness and
exuding determination or satisfying; this isn’t a shoehorned-in, to be more strategic with the buffs you puzzles aren’t particularly difficult, but
gimmicky mechanic. steal from opponents. Do you take the require enough thought to keep you
» Playability The combat is built on capitalizing on attack buff to more quickly vanquish from plowing through each dungeon.
Countering an
attack then furiously openings in your enemies’ defenses. your foes, or opt for the speed boost Each puzzle revolves around getting
swiping your finger Those openings can be created by to buy more time? access to the next area, but the com-
to defeat your enemy countering their advances by parrying The buffs you steal are specific to iso- plexity varies, from accessing a switch
is satisfying from their strikes, or by slashing specific lated bouts, but Severed also features that opens a new path to finding creative
beginning to end
target points that pop up while they’re a deep upgrade system that rewards ways to retrieve key items. Some rooms
» Entertainment readying their attack. Successfully you for being proficient in combat. Your in the early dungeons are inaccessible
Even after I completed
countering an incoming strike, then primary means of finding loot is done until you retrieve a certain magic spell
the final challenge of
the story, I couldn’t wait watching your opponent’s health drain through finishing battles with a full later in the game, meaning you need
to dive back in as you feverishly swipe your finger focus meter, which increases when you to return to the early stages with that
across the screen is satisfying, but land several attacks in succession with- spell if you want to see all the nooks
» Replay Value
Moderately high the real excitement comes when you out swiping into an enemy’s defense. and crannies of Severed.
square off against several adversaries Then you race against the clock to Though my playthrough only lasted
simultaneously. slash vital resources from the defeated around five hours, I wanted more.
With each enemy possessing a dis- enemy to apply to future upgrades. Shortly after I finished the story, I dove
tinct action gauge that dictates when Once you have abundant resources, back in to explore every path I didn’t
they attack, fights against multiple foes you can apply them to the upgrade already venture down with my new
become as much about time manage- system, which is split into three differ- powers in tow. The draw to keep play-
ment as precise swiping. During early ent branches. The upgrades range from ing and exploring immediately after
battles, I often got caught up attacking basic boosts like increased defense I finished is a testament to how much
a single enemy, while the creatures or a higher chance of critical strikes to I enjoyed Severed. » Brian Shea

If you fill your focus meter, you can cut off important
crafting resources from the enemies you defeat

88 reviews
 Bravely Second: End Layer
A grind of a different color

7.5 Style 1-Player Role-Playing Publisher Square Enix Developer Silicon Studio Release April 15 Rating T

B
3DS ravely Default harkened back The ability to mix and match a primary it constantly undermines the drama.
to the classic era of JRPGs, for skill set, a secondary skill set, and a It’s hard to take all the betrayal and
» Concept better and worse. A wonderfully sprinkling of random support skills for tragic backstories seriously when Yew
Build on Bravely Default’s
robust job pool and diverse selection of job classes and the each character allows you to design the is constantly proclaiming that the next
top-tier combat while novel Brave/Default system breathed party of your dreams, while also experi- battle will be his “coup de gravy.” The
trimming some (but not new life into the turn-based battles, but menting with new builds whenever you side quests are even more absurd.
enough) of the fat the adventure was dragged down by see fit. Assembling a crew of beastly Each one puts you in the middle of a
» Graphics its abysmal exposition and a repetitive warriors and wizards and then steam- conflict between two characters sport-
The visuals are virtually campaign that required playing through rolling your way through fights never ing new job classes, then forces you
identical to its 2014 the bulk of the story five times in gets old, and kept me interested in pro- to choose between them. You only
predecessor, which isn’t
a bad thing order to reach a satisfying conclusion. gressing even when the story did not. receive the job of the character you
Bravely Second only manages to shore Thanks to Bravely Second’s victory defeat in battle, which creates a con-
» Sound up some of its predecessor’s problems, streak mechanic, thumping under- flict between where you want the story
Aside from a few
annoying voice actors but the rich combat continues to shine. powered foes is also lucrative. This new to go and which job you want to add to
and overused tunes, the Bravely Second tasks players with system allows players to queue up mul- your roster. I would have loved to help
aural offerings comple- saving the world from the villainous tiple waves of enemies during random the reformed thief protect the water
ment the adventure Kaiser Oblivion, but like its predeces- encounters, which doles out massive supply of his poor, desert-dwelling
» Playability sor, the opening hours of this generic cash, XP, and job point bonuses at the brethren from an unscrupulous red
Queueing up combat quest are a real drag. Grinding your way end of the match. The streak ends if mage, but I also wanted his Mug abil-
commands and through random encounters is required your enemies are alive to take their first ity to relieve bosses of their high-end
navigating the world
couldn’t be easier
almost immediately thanks to a few turn, and figuring out how to game – items, so down he went. After a few
cheap boss battles, and without side or outright break – the system is half side quests, you realize your decisions
» Entertainment missions to earn new jobs at this stage, the fun. The victory streaks drastically don’t matter from a narrative stand-
Enjoying everything
Bravely Second has to you’re stuck using basic attacks and hasten the grind for higher levels and point, so you’re free to pursue the jobs
offer still requires putting guzzling potions for health. I enjoyed new abilities, alleviating one of the that interest you most.
up with a lot of filler very little of my first six hours or so with major faults of the previous game. As with Bravely Default, a mid-game
» Replay Value the game, as I burned through tutori- Instead, the biggest grind in Bravely event in Bravely Second resets the
Moderate als and became reacquainted with the Second is the story. Quests still require world, tasking you with completing all
world and characters. you to backtrack all over the map only the missions a second time. That you
Once Bravely Second started intro- to listen to inane conversations that only have to play through everything
ducing new job classes, however, I drag on for far too long. I don’t mind twice instead of five times may seem
quickly fell back in love with the combat. the series’ tongue-in-cheek humor, but like little consolation, but the return trip
is a drastically abbreviated and slightly
enhanced experience. Most side
quests allow you to skip past the boring
dungeons and get to the boss fights
quicker, and the new choice format
allows you to fight a different opponent
and gain a new job. The mid-story reset
is still a lame way to extend an already
lengthy game, but everything comes
together with a satisfying run of final
Some of the cities and dungeons you will bosses that are challenging without
visit are recycled from the first game being cheap. As dumb as the story is,
I couldn’t help but smile at where all the
Many of the side-quest bosses return
from the first game, albeit with new characters end up.
twists on their personality Even with 60+ hours’ worth of game-
play, some parts of Bravely Second’s
skeleton are still surprisingly bare.
The dungeons offer little more than a
few treasure chests and basic switch
puzzles, and a surprising number of
environments – both dungeons and
cities – are recycled from the first
game. At the same time, the story is
bloated with sappy and often point-
less conversations. While trying, these
shortcomings did little to dampen my
enthusiasm for creating the perfect
party and charging them into battle.
The Bravely series is still in need of a
deft editor, but the combat systems
reign supreme. » Jeff Marchiafava
90 reviews
Star Fox Zero
Fox sheds some appeal in this retread

Style 1 or 2-Player Action Publisher Nintendo Developer Nintendo Release April 21 Rating E10+
6.75
I
t looks laughably primitive today, but Wii U
the original Star Fox was revelatory
when it first hit the Super Nintendo. » Concept
Join Fox McCloud
Thanks to a specialized on-board graph- and his mercenary
ics chip, the game pushed polygons buddies to fight Andross’
onto the screen in an era where sprites forces… again
were king. Star Fox 64 followed up with » Graphics
more sophisticated visuals (including Visuals are simple
textures!) and a few new additions to and colorful
Team Star Fox’s hangar, including the » Sound
Landmaster tank. Star Fox Zero is like Fox’s Arwing has a lock-on shot, which is a
The soundtrack is a
a cover version of that sequel, hitting great way to take out fast-moving targets high point, down to the
classic low-fi “good luck”
many of the same notes (and featuring
that accompanies the
familiar ships and locations) as Star you are essentially recalibrating every Depending on your mission, you pilot start of each mission
Fox 64. Unfortunately, the experience time you enter into combat. Even at one of several different vehicles. The
feels dated and lackluster, rather than their best, the controls are a necessary Arwing is Fox’s staple, and it can trans-
» Playability
The motion controls
the exciting return of Fox McCloud that concession to giving the player better form into a bipedal walker mode. You add more precision,
Nintendo was undoubtedly aiming for. aiming options, rather than a fun way to also have a drone-like Gyrocopter and but they highlight the
The most noticeable change is the interact with the game. the Landmaster tank. The Gyrocopter weaknesses of the
incorporation of motion controls, Aside from that, it’s the same basic is the most interesting form, since its GamePad’s tech
allowing players to fine-tune their aim format we’ve seen before. Fox is on hovering ability lets you find a safe spot » Entertainment
a bit more than in previous entries. a mission to defeat Andross, and his and act like a mobile gun emplacement. Star Fox Zero is like
visiting a place you
Before, you piloted Fox’s Arwing ship mission takes him from the Earth-like It also lets you deploy a little robotic
remember fondly, but
and other vehicles from a third-person planet of Corneria to far-flung places helper to reach tight spots and hack have outgrown
perspective. In Zero, the image on across the galaxy. Wherever you go, terminals – including a stealth-oriented
your TV is essentially that view, while enemies have a tendency to streak into level that’s one of the few highlights.
» Replay Value
Moderate
the GamePad’s screen pulls you into view in groups of three or more units, The visual differences between vehicles
the cockpit for precision targeting. You providing nice targets for Fox and his are clear, as is the fact that you’re either
have to use motion controls to better wingmen. You have rings to collect, able to walk freely or are auto-soaring
aim your crosshairs, which can take bombs to pick up, and moments where through the world, but they don’t shake
some getting used to. you need to help your friends from up the game in any major ways for the
The default setting, where your cross- tailing enemies. It’s a mix of on-rails most part.
hairs and the GamePad’s motion are sections with forced scrolling and free- Star Fox Zero isn’t ever bad, but
always synced, simply doesn’t work well. range sections, where you’re able to it’s generally uninspired. It’s a musty
After playing for a minute or so, the move around deceptively small areas tribute that fails to add much to the
calibration wanders off, so the center at will. Battles generally lack a sense of series, aside from tweaked controls
position isn’t facing the TV. Resyncing scale, and few enemies offer anything and incremental vehicle upgrades.
is as easy as pressing a button, but that beyond an easy kill. While there’s a little I loved Star Fox when it came out, and
doesn’t make it feel like any less of a fail- kick in seeing some of these familiar I’ll even defend Star Fox Adventures
ure. The alternate controls, where motion Star Fox locations again, at a certain (to a reasonable degree). For now, I’ll
controls only come into play when you point it made me long for a hyperspace stick to Super Smash Bros. when I feel
press the fire button fare better, since jump to someplace fresh. like reuniting with Fox. » Jeff Cork

Star Fox Guard

If you buy Star Fox Zero
at launch, you can get a
copy of Star Fox Guard
as a bonus. This tower
defense-style game
puts you in charge of
security for Slippy’s
uncle’s junkyard as
robots stomp their
way toward a maze’s
center. You jump around
from camera turret to
camera turret, blasting
the bots into scrap. It’s
not great. It feels like a
scrapped minigame from
a Nintendoland sequel
stretched way too thin,
and you can safely skip it.
reviews 91
 7.25 | Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked
Platform PC Release March 29 Rating T

For those who love trying to best Klei’s ruthless

brand of survival simulation, this expansion
brings enough new content to be worth a go,
even if it doesn’t take Don’t Starve into
uncharted territory. – Javy Gwaltney

7 | Minecraft: Story Mode,

7.75 | Stories: The Path Of Destinies Episode 5 – Order Up
Platform PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3, 360, PC, Vita, iOS
Platform PS4, PC Release April 12 Rating T Release March 29 Rating T

Stories delivers an interesting take on choice- Following the climactic battle

driven storytelling, but the repetition of playing between Jesse and the Wither Storm,
through the same stages and hearing the same this fifth episode doesn’t live up to
story modified with your choices causes the the gradually building excitement of
experience to grow stale. – Brian Shea its predecessors. – Brian Shea

6.5 | Radial-G 8.25 | Day Of The Tentacle Remastered

Platform Rift Release March 28 Rating NR Platform PS4, Vita, PC Release March 22 Rating T

Radial-G has more going The remaster comes with a welcome visual upgrade and
for it than a paltry tech revamped controls, while keeping the core experience just as
demo. Its tracks – while funny and playful as it was two decades ago. – Elise Favis
not outstanding – show
some thoughtful design by
stringing together a few
noticeable moments every
lap. – Matthew Kato 7.5 | Trackmania Turbo
Platform PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release March 22 Rating E

While I definitely got into that

6 | The Walking Dead: Michonne, addictive headspace where I
was chasing better times, even
Episode 2 – Give No Shelter the endless variety of tracks
Platform PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, iOS
doesn’t offer the depth I was
Release March 29 Rating M looking for. – Matthew Kato
Compared to Telltale’s other work in this
universe, Michonne’s miniseries lacks any
discernible guiding philosophy outside
of poorly articulated and uninteresting 6.75 | Ashes Of The Singularity
nihilism. – Javy Gwaltney
Platform PC Release March 31 Rating NR

Ashes of the Singularity is a solid title, but is ultimately

too unambitious in areas that matter. It demonstrates
it can do amazing things with tons and tons of units
on screen, but fails to provide compelling reasons to
play beyond that. – Daniel Tack

Visit gameinformer.com/mag for the full reviews

92 the score
reviews archive
PLAYSTATION 4 UFC 2 8.5 May-16 Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 –
Assassin’s Creed Unravel 7.75 Apr-16 A Block and a Hard Place 7.75 Mar-16
Chronicles: India 5 Mar-16 Walking Dead: Michonne – Plants vs. Zombies:
Bloodborne: Episode 1: In Too Deep, The 7 Apr-16 Garden Warfare 2 8 Apr-16
The Old Hunters 9.25 Jan-16 Pony Island 7.5 Apr-16
Dark Souls III 9.25 May-16 PLAYSTATION 3 Quantum Break 8.5 May-16
Dirt Rally 8.5 May-16 Legend of Heroes: Resident Evil Zero
Division, The 8 May-16 Trails of Cold Steel 8.5 Mar-16 HD Remaster 8.5 Mar-16
Far Cry Primal 8.75 Apr-16 Lego Marvel’s Avengers 7.75 Apr-16 Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo 7.5 Apr-16
Firewatch 7.75 Apr-16 Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 – Stardew Valley 8.75 May-16
Hitman – Episode 1 6 May-16 A Block and a Hard Place 7.75 Mar-16 Street Fighter V 7.25 Apr-16
Klaus 8.25 Apr-16 Resident Evil Zero Unravel 7.75 Apr-16
Layers of Fear 5 Apr-16 HD Remaster 8.5 Mar-16 Walking Dead: Michonne –
Lego Marvel’s Avengers 7.75 Apr-16 Walking Dead: Michonne – Episode 1: In Too Deep, The 7 Apr-16
Episode 1: In Too Deep, The 7 Apr-16 Westport Independent, The 6.5 Apr-16
Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 –
A Block and a Hard Place 7.75 Mar-16 Witness, The 9.25 Mar-16
Plants vs. Zombies: XBOX 360 XCOM 2 9.5 Apr-16
Garden Warfare 2 8 Apr-16 Lego Marvel’s Avengers 7.75 Apr-16
Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster 8.5 Mar-16 Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 – 3DS
Street Fighter V 7.25 Apr-16 A Block and a Hard Place 7.75 Mar-16 Final Fantasy Explorers 7.75 Mar-16
UFC 2 8.5 May-16 Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster 8.5 Mar-16 Fire Emblem Fates:
Unravel 7.75 Apr-16 Walking Dead: Michonne – Birthright 9.25 Apr-16
Episode 1: In Too Deep, The 7 Apr-16 Fire Emblem Fates:
Walking Dead: Michonne –
Episode 1: In Too Deep, The 7 Apr-16 Conquest 9.25 Apr-16
Witness, The 9.25 Mar-16 Wii U Fire Emblem Fates:
Pokkén Tournament 7 May-16 Revelation 8 May-16
XBOX ONE Lego Marvel’s Avengers 7.75 Apr-16 Hyrule Warriors Legends 6 May-16
Assassin’s Creed Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 – Mario & Luigi Paper Jam 8.75 Mar-16
Chronicles: India 5 Mar-16 A Block and a Hard Place 7.75 Mar-16 Project X Zone 2 6.75 Apr-16
Dark Souls III 9.25 May-16
Dirt Rally 8.5 May-16 PC VITA
Division, The 8 May-16 Adr1ft 8 May-16 Legend of Heroes:
Far Cry Primal 8.75 Apr-16 Assassin’s Creed Trails of Cold Steel 8.5 Mar-16
Chronicles: India 5 Mar-16 Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 –
Flame in the Flood, The 9 Apr-16
Crashlands 7.5 Apr-16 A Block and a Hard Place 7.75 Mar-16
Game of Thrones: Episode 6 –
The Ice Dragon 7.5 Jan-16 Dark Souls III 9.25 May-16
Hitman – Episode 1 6 May-16 Darkest Dungeon 9.25 Mar-16 iOS
Layers of Fear 5 Apr-16 Division, The 8 May-16 Badland 2 8.25 Mar-16
Lego Marvel’s Avengers 7.75 Apr-16 Far Cry Primal 8.75 Apr-16 Clash Royale 8 May-16
Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 – Firewatch 7.75 Apr-16 Crashlands 7.5 Apr-16
A Block and a Hard Place 7.75 Mar-16 Flame in the Flood, The 9 Apr-16 Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 –
Plants vs. Zombies: Hex: Shards of Fate 8.75 Apr-16 A Block and a Hard Place 7.75 Mar-16
Garden Warfare 2 8 Apr-16 Hitman – Episode 1 6 May-16 Westport Independent, The 6.5 Apr-16
Quantum Break 8.5 May-16 Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak 8 Apr-16
Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster 8.5 Mar-16 Layers of Fear 5 Apr-16

Volume XXVI Number 6 Issue 278

STAFF CUSTOMER SERVICE

Publisher Creative Director For renewal, address change and
Cathy Preston [email protected] Jeff Akervik [email protected] Power Up Rewards Pro details:
Editor-in-Chief Senior Production Director Visit: www.gameinformer.com
Andy McNamara [email protected] Curtis Fung [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Executive Editor Senior Graphic Designer or send correspondence to:
Andrew Reiner [email protected] Laleh Azarshin Tobin [email protected] 724 North First St., 3rd Floor
Managing Editor Graphic Designers -INNEAPOLIS -.  s !TTN #)3 $EPT
Matt Bertz [email protected] Samm Langer [email protected] For subscription inquiry ONLY:
Senior Reviews Editor Jen Vinson [email protected] 1 (866) 844-GAME (4263)
Joe Juba [email protected] Web Designer/Programmer You may speak the language, but are you
Manufactured and printed in the United States of America.
Senior Previews Editor Margaret Andrews [email protected]
The Editor welcomes company product information for all geeked enough to make
Matt Miller [email protected] Video Producer
Ben Hanson [email protected]
video games. Such materials should be addressed to: Editor,
Game Informer® Magazine, 724 North First St., 3rd Floor, the games?
Features Editor Minneapolis, MN 55401. Unsolicited manuscripts cannot
Kimberley Wallace [email protected] Video Editor be returned or acknowledged. Copyright in all screenshots
News Editor Wade Wojcik [email protected] contained within this publication are owned by their respective
companies. Products named in these pages are trade names,
Here’s a chance to prove it.
Michael Futter [email protected] Circulation Services or trademarks, of their respective companies. All rights
PC Editor Ted Katzung [email protected] reserved; reproduction in whole or in part without permission
Daniel Tack [email protected] Audience Development Manager is prohibited. Game Informer® is a trademark of GameStop.
PUBLISHER LIABILITY FOR ERROR The publisher shall not be
Senior Editors Paul Hedgpeth [email protected] liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not
Matthew Kato [email protected] Senior Product Manager lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for
Jeff Cork [email protected] Lisa Wagner [email protected] other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
Ben Reeves [email protected]
limited to republication of the advertisement in any subsequent ADVANCING COMPUTER SCIENCE NETWORK SECURITY
issue or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement.
ADVERTISING SALES INDEMNIFICATION The advertiser and/or Advertising Agency
ARTIFICIAL LIFE PROGRAMMING ROBOTICS & EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Senior Associate Editor BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY SERIOUS GAMES AND SIMULATION
agrees to defend and indemnify the publisher against any and
Jeff Marchiafava [email protected] Associate Publisher DIGITAL MAKER AND FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY FORENSICS
all liability, loss, or expense arising from claims of libel, unfair
Associate Editors Rob Borm [email protected] competition, unfair trade practices, infringement of trademarks, DIGITAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGY STUDIES
Kyle Hilliard [email protected] Advertising Sales Director copyrights, trade names, patents, or proprietary rights or DIGITAL VIDEO WEB DESIGN
Brian Shea [email protected] Damon Watson [email protected]
violation of rights of privacy, resulting from the publication of ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
the Advertiser’s statement.
Javy Gwaltney [email protected] East Coast Advertising Associate GAME ART & ANIMATION GRADUATE DEGREES
Elise Favis [email protected] GAME DESIGN ADVANCING COMPUTER SCIENCE
Amy Arnold [email protected]
GAME PROGRAMMING GAME PRODUCTION & MANAGEMENT
West Coast Advertising Associate HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION INFORMATION ASSURANCE
Janey Stringer [email protected] NETWORK ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
Marketing Coordinators
Rachel Castle [email protected]
Mark Burger [email protected] uat.edu/majors
PLEASE SEE UAT.EDU/FASTFACTS FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION
ABOUT DEGREE PROGRAM PERFORMANCE, PLACEMENT AND COSTS.
classic
RPG-style experience featuring a female
protagonist with magical abilities.
“Sony supported [Girl with a Stick],
but also knew before we knew that
it wasn’t really us, and wasn’t in our
wheelhouse to make,” recalls John
Fiorito, Insomniac’s COO. The team
concluded they should try something
new, which resulted in a design sprint.
For roughly a week, everyone at
Insomniac was encouraged to pitch
ideas for a game. A corkboard in the
hallway was overflowing with game
concepts – everything from a bear
wielding a fish as a weapon to “Goo
Man,” a game about a superhero made
of a gelatinous substance.
David Guertin, Insomniac’s princi-
pal artist, remembers the pitch that
resonated throughout the office. “There
was one phrase from Brian Hastings,
our CCO, that was something along
the lines of ‘an alien that travels planet
to planet with weapons and gadgets,’”
he says. “I think it struck the subcon-
scious core of everybody.”

ALIEN ICONS Guertin was initially tasked with

exploring character concepts for this
idea, but again, everyone at Insomniac
could offer suggestions. The origi-
Exploring the character creation nal sketches ranged from lizardmen
to traditional aliens. One character

of Ratchet & Clank featured a telescoping arm inspired

by Capcom’s Bionic Commando. The
team felt most of the designs were
too nondescript, prompting a move to
by Andrew Reiner explore more exotic options, such as
animals. A cat form jumped out from
the pack. The team liked the look of

I
nsomniac Games had a successful run developing Spyro
the ‘V’ shape his ears produced. Within
games on PlayStation, but moving into the PS2 generation, three weeks, Insomniac went from
the rambunctious purple dragon wasn’t the ideal archetype blank pieces of paper to the character
that would become Ratchet running
for a playable character. He could breathe fire, fly, and lower around onscreen.
his horns like a ram, but since he was a quadruped, he couldn’t As character development com-
menced, so did the world design.
do certain mundane things, like grip an item. As trivial as this may Insomniac knew it wanted to make a
sound, it didn’t sit well with the development team. third-person platformer infused with
weapon play. One of the early ideas by
“Our decision to move away from new technology and challenges, Insom- the team was to not have the character
Spyro was primarily motivated by limi- niac parted ways with publishing part- wield weapons in a traditional way. “We
tations with Spyro himself,” says Ted ner Universal Interactive Studios (which tried the idea and put robots all over
Price, Insomniac’s president and CEO. held the rights to Spyro) and partnered Ratchet’s body,” Guertin adds. “It was
“Spyro didn’t have functional hands, solely with Sony to create a new intel- a complete failure. It was really confus-
which is why we introduced other lectual property. Insomniac’s first idea ing. He had a robot on his head, on his
playable characters [in Spyro: Year of was for a game called Monster Knight, arms and legs. It was a visual mess.
the Dragon].” which eventually evolved into a project We stripped all of that away and just
With the PlayStation 2 introducing codenamed Girl with a Stick, a serious, left the backpack as a robot.”
94
 That robot became Clank. He origi- “We were concerned people would
An early sketch of clank
nally had a long neck, and weapons just lay waste to everything,” Guertin
were attached to his body. Ratchet, says. “I don’t remember if it was
while cartoony in appearance, was intentional or a bug, but you could run
designed to look like an ordinary ani- around with the bolt blaster, and I was
mal. He was mostly brown. That didn’t like, ‘Oh my god, this is the game!’
read well with Sony’s Japan team. Everything changed from that moment;
They wanted Insomniac to give him it became a frenetic action-platformer
more color. that everyone embraced. We em-
“There was some resistance [to that braced that chaos. Ratchet is kind of
idea],” Guertin says. “We went ahead built on that chaos.”
and tried it, and they were 100-percent The team placed a strong focus
right. Once he got more saturated on creating weapons and gadgets
and got the stripes, he just found that that fit the game’s new direction, but
iconic identity.” Insomniac didn’t want to abandon the
Another element that became just fun nature of the characters. Ratchet’s
as iconic as Ratchet and Clank was personality was based on the Back to
Ratchet’s wrench. Its comical size was the Future-era Michael J. Fox. They
originally tied to a failed gameplay wanted him to be charming and relat-
pitch, in which Ratchet used it to dis- able, an underdog with a story people
mantle lumbering robotic enemies. “It cared about. Although Insomniac
was Shadow of the Colossus well be- admits Ratchet was a bit of a jerk in the
fore there was a Shadow of Colossus,” first game, they liked the chemistry he
adds Greg Baldwin, another principle developed with Clank, who was more
artist at Insomniac. The idea proved clinical and data-driven in his banter.
too troublesome from a technology Ratchet and Clank’s personalities
standpoint, but the team liked the look continue to evolve, but the duo has
of the wrench, so it stuck. been together for over a decade now.
Insomniac instead pursued another “I look back at that time and I still
failed idea: Ratchet leaping and glid- can’t get over how quickly we went
ing through the air, but the catch was from that one phrase that Brian
he had to remain stationary to fire [Hastings] came up with to something
weapons. This combo was an effort to that was realized,” says Chad Dezern,
preserve the game’s difficulty; the team the studio director of Insomniac’s
thought people would fly through the North Carolina office. “It was abso-
levels too quickly if they could run and lutely like lightning. It was faster than
shoot simultaneously. anything I’ve seen in games.” \

One idea featured robots instead of weapons This alien could have been Ratchet

classic 95
game over
+ When I got out, they asked for an
address to ship all your stuff. It’s kind of
mind-blowing because they'll take you
anywhere. You don't have a home at
that point. I had some friends who had
formed a band in Houston, and one of
them – Arkane’s Steve Powers – moved
up to Origin making video games. He
convinced me to move to Austin. He
kept trying to get me to work in video
games. By that point, I already played
on the company softball team, I played
in a Shadowrun campaign that we ran
at night in the building, I had gone
skydiving with Richard Garriott and
the Ultima team. When I finally got a job
there, people were like, “I thought you
already worked here?”

+ I grew up on writers like Roger

Zelazny, Ursula K. Le Guin, and people
like that. But in later years, I flipped
over to William Faulkner, Alice Walker,
and Vladimir Nabokov. It's not the most
exciting list in the world, but for me it
THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT was mind-blowing.

Harvey Smith
+ I’ve written three books. The first
one was utterly horrible trash. The
second one was kind of confusing, but
about a period of my life. The third
one, Big Jack Is Dead, I really wanted
to write about my experience with my

N
ot many game designers have been in the industry for father, his eventual suicide, what it
more than two decades, but Arkane Studios creative was like to be a kid on the Texas Gulf
Coast who didn’t really fit in. It’s rough,
director Harvey Smith is one of them. Working in the it’s like a first novel, but I really love
trenches on Ultima at Origin Systems, Deus Ex at Ion the fact that I did it, and it was way
Storm, Area 51 at Midway, and finally Dishonored has harder to do than I thought.
given him a unique perspective on how games are made, how the
+ The lyrics of the Decemberists
medium has evolved, and what it takes to deliver properly on a creative influenced Dishonored. Colin Meloy’s
vision. Read on to learn more about this decorated creator. (sometimes problematic) lyrics are
like little narratives. They are really
intense, interesting, well drawn with
by Matt Bertz few words. And then they have all
these touches that imply he knows
something about history. We were
+ I grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast. were not explicitly stated initially, but really inspired by his love of history
We didn’t have a lot of money, but my were like second-order consequences. and attention to detail when we were
neighbor had Pong. We’d go across Just amazing. working on the Empire of the Isles.
the street and play Pong with them.
We eventually got an Atari 2600. I was + My dad was a welder in a chemical + In 23 years of working on games,
the right age for the arcade games in plant, and he killed himself at a certain there have been two games that
the 7/11 convenience stores. I was point. My mom OD’d in front of me when the project was over I kept
the right age for the various D&D when I was six, so I didn’t have a very playing them. That was Deus Ex and
campaigns, which I know aren’t video strong basis for what I wanted to do Dishonored. Other things you just get
games but are adjacent to video games. professionally. I didn’t think about sick of after a while, but there are so
people writing code for games or writing many combinations and such, and you
+ The first game I fell in love with comic books or novels as a career. keep seeing things that level designers
was Adventure by Warren Robinett. snuck in that even I didn’t know about.
If that guy had any idea how much + I finished high school and worked at
influence he had over my life. How a gas station for a while, and at some + Way more than I have made a mark
many hours I spent playing that over point I got so sick of the environment on video games, video games have
and over and how it awakened a I signed up for the Air Force. I ended made a mark on me. It’s been a trans-
part of my imagination to systems, up living in Germany for a few years in a formative experience, and moving to
game pieces, and the way they could little farming village, and I went to Saudi Lyon is doubling down on that because
be differently treated and the way Arabia between the gulf wars. I had a I know a much wider range of people
they could work together in ways that bunch of interesting experiences. now from different backgrounds.

Game Informer Magazine® (ISSN 1067-6392) is published monthly at a subscription price of $19.98 for 1 year or $24.98 for 2 years by Sunrise Publications®, 724 North First Street, 3rd Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55401. (612) 486-6100 or FAX (612) 486-6101. Canada & Mexico
orders must add $25/yr additional postage; all other international orders add $35/yr. All orders must be prepaid in U.S. dollars by check, money order or credit card. PowerUp Rewards™ Pro Card may be purchased for $12.00 (includes $7.00 S&H). For subscriptions, back issues,
or customer service inquiries call toll free at (866) 844-4263 or mail publisher at above address. Periodicals postage paid at Minneapolis, MN, and additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIBERS/POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Game Informer Magazine®, 724 North First
Street, 3rd Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55401. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS.

96 game over