June/July Live Magazine 2018

JUNE/JULY ISSUE 2018
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pg. 28
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pg 22
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pg 134

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From the Editor
Hello and welcome to the June edition of Gametraders Live!
Before you jump in and start reading all our exciting articles, I have
a quick bit of news for you. Our editor Rob Jenkins has moved on
from Gametraders and will no longer be working on this magazine.
We wanted to take a moment here to thank him for all his hard work
and to wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
I am incredibly honoured to be able to take over as editor and
designer for this magazine and I would like to reassure you all that
the magazine will continue to bring you all the content you love.
With that being said, go ahead and read on, we have a very exciting
edition for you, with a special feature on Trading Card Tournaments
at Gametraders!
Emily Langford
Emily Langford,
EDITOR

What’s inside
SOLO: A STARWARS STORY
OPINION PIECE
Pg. 10
REVIEW AND
OPINION
Pg. 18 & 24
“Detective
Pikachu oozes
charm and
intrigue as the
narrative peels
back layer
after layer of
the Pokèmon
world.”
pg. 44

THE LIVE TEAM
EDITOR & DESIGNER: Emily Langford
WRITERS:
Shaun Stoddard, Shaun’s Spinions, God of War
Norse Mythology
Scott Sowter, Entertainment review and opinion
Benn Banasik, Gametraders Macarthur Square
DETROIT: BECOME
HUMAN REVIEW
pg. 120
Paul Monopoli, Dragon Ball R & R
Anny Sims, Cosplay & Contact Lenses
Stephen LaGioia, Jackson Newsome, Ben Dye, Evan
Norris, Brandon J. Wysocki, Taneli Palola & Rex
Hindrichs, VGChartz
8-37 MOVIES
28 THE EQUALIZER 2 GIVEAWAY
40-145 GAMES
E3: 10 INTERESTING GAMES, pg 64
GOD OF
WAR
pg. 134
E3: THE MAJOR LETDOWNS, pg 76
INTERVIEW: DANNY BULLA (MOSS), PG 84
INTERVIEW: DECK 13 (SURGE), PG 92
96-119 TRADING CARD GAMES
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, pg 98
MAGIC: THE GATHERING, pg 104
FANS ALTERNATIVES, pg 112
STATE OF DECAY 2 REVIEW
pg. 126
148 DRAGON BALL R&R
152 COSPLAY: CONTACT LENSES

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MOVIE
THE EQUALIZER
GIVEAWAY
SHAUNS SPINIONS:
DEADPOOL 2 & AVENGERS
INFINITY WAR
SOLO: A STAR WARS
STORY OPINION PIECE

S
HARRY POTTER BOOKS 20TH
ANNIVERSARY TRIVIA
AVENGERS INFINITY WAR
REVIEW
2

Going solo:
starwars vs s
In 1977 the world was
introduced to Han Solo.
Harrison Ford brought this
character to life in the first
Star Wars fIlm. He reprised
the character in the
sequels The Empire Strikes
Back and Return of the
Jedi. In 2015 with the return
of the Star Wars franchise
with The Force Awakens
we were all treated to the
return of Han. The world
went nuts when this film
came out, it grossed over
two billion dollars at the box
office and set the stage for
what would be the return
of the great space opera.
Soon it was announced that
Han Solo would be getting
his own spin off film. Solo A
Star Wars Story hit cinemas
in May 2018 and well...
Things got interesting.
The Force Awakens was
met with critical acclaim
and love from the fans,
as stated it made a
boatload of money and
was generally loved. A year
later Lucasfilm released
Rogue One A Star Wars
Story, detailing the struggle
between the Empire and
the Rebels as the Rebels
attempt to steal the Death
Star Plans leading right into
the original Star Wars film.
While Rogue One didn’t
make quite as much money
as The Force Awakens, just
over a billion dollar gross is
nothing to sneeze at. It also
received critical acclaim,
and made just over a billion
dollars at the box office. It
seemed like the Star Wars
global domination was on a
roll and may not stop.

tarwars fans
BY SCOTT SOWTER

And then... Star Wars The Last Jedi hit theatres in
December 2017. It was the eighth instalment in
the main series and followed on directly from The
Force Awakens. Anticipation was at fever pitch,
speculation reigned with The Force Awakens
leaving many questions that fans desperately
required answers to. I myself was one of them. I
was there at a midnight screening of the film, my
head full of expectations and my own little theories
waiting to see the epic next instalment of my
favourite franchise. I left the cinema at three in the
morning not really knowing what to think or what
to say. The Last Jedi took every fan expectation
and savagely slapped them aside. This movie was
playing by no ones rules. On a second viewing I
responded more favourably. I actually liked the
way the movie toyed with my expectations. It took
a darker approach. It shattered our conceptions
of the Force, what is and what would be. The
movie is by no means perfect featuring some poor
attempts at humour and one wildly dumb subplot
involving a casino, but, whatever, it’s Star Wars.
There were far worse sins in the prequel trilogy.
But then it started. The waves of vicious fan
backlash. This movie made people mad! Despite
acclaim from the critics fans turned against it.
There were calls to have Kathleen Kennedy the
head of Lucasfilm fired. Rian Johnson the director
received death threats. Some of the actors in
the film removed all traces of their social media
profiles after being threatened and bullied by fans.
It just became an ugly poisonous mess. Fans can
be utterly horrible. Behaviour on display that was
truly revolting. It was only a movie...

This year Solo hit theatres. Despite a
rough start with a change of directors, Solo
seemed to be on track to be quite the hit.
It looked fun, it saw more of our favourite
characters coming back. The Millennium
Falcon in all it’s glory. Lucasfilm seemed to
have another money maker in the bag. Then
the movie came out. Solo is by no means
a bad movie. It lacked some of the punch
of Rogue One but it was a fun little outing.
However the film has flopped massively.
The film was estimated to need to gross at
least five hundred million dollars to break
even with budget and marketing costs. As
it stands the film has only grossed three
hundred million. No where near the billion
dollar club the rest of the new Star Wars
films hang out in. So why did Solo fail?

Some blame the troubled
development of the film, some
“Star Wars fatigue” being
released less than six months
after The Last Jedi. But I feel,
it’s failure is that is was simply
released after The Last Jedi. The
toxic pool of Star Wars fandom
has really turned against the
franchise. The sheer hatred of
The Last Jedi has seemingly
smashed the Star Wars franchise.
There are rumours of all spinoff
films being cancelled for the
meantime. Rumours Kathleen
Kennedy may step down in the
not too distant future. It has all
become kind of crazy. I wish I
could say I am shocked... But
I’m not. The reality is, The Last
Jedi may have killed Star Wars.
It’s a shame. I appreciate that
Lucasfilm and director Rian
Jonson tried their best to give
us the unexpected. They tried to
bring us a new and daring vision
for the Star Wars universe and it
was seemingly rejected. Now with
Solo Lucasfilm has attempted to
make the safest Star Wars film
possible and it has also been
rejected. The franchise feels like
it is lost in space. With no clear
direction. It’s a damned if they do,
damned if they don’t situation.
I, as a Star Wars fan just want more
Star Wars. With the future of the
franchise clouded by the dark side
of the force it is an uncertain what
will come next. Just don’t be a jerk
about it. It’s ok not to like a movie,
but death threats? I don’t like salt
and vinegar chips but I don’t send
letter bombs to Smith’s Chips. Just
be sensible and responsible. Love
your fandom. But don’t be a jerk.
BY SCOTT F. SOWTER
@ScottFSowter

STARWARS
POP! VINYLS!
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WRITTEN BY SCOTT SOWTER
AVENGERS: INFINIT
With a crash and a boom Avengers
Infinity has finally burst onto our screens.
Marvel’s ten years of hard work and world
building has all come to the fore in their
most ambitious film yet. But can Infinity
War possibly live up to the hype? We
have waited for Thanos to crash the party
since he showed up at the end of the first
Avengers. Well the wait is over.
Infinity War pits the Avengers and the
Guardians of the Galaxy against Thanos,
the baddest bad guy that ever bad... ed.
Thanos is seeking the Infinity Stones.
Powerful artefacts that grant the owner
near omnipotence. Thanos seeks to
balance the universe, aka, kill half of all life
in the universe. This he claims will set things
right.
From the get go Infinity War wastes no time
in showing us how break neck it’s pace will
be. Opening where Thor Ragnarok ended
we are given a full taste of Thanos’s power
when he beats the Hulk like a drum. From
there we know this dude means business
and the adventure just powers forward.
The film is relentless in it’s pace. We meet
all our favourite characters as we launch
from place to place in scene to scene. The
film simply never slows down. Which is a
good thing given how much content there
is covered in this war. It really does feel like
a war! There is fighting on many fronts and
sacrifices will be made. Needless to say not
every Avenger will be making it out of this
one alive.
Infinity War shines in it’s writing and
execution. The Russo Brothers who were
behind the amazing Captain America
Winter Soldier (perhaps still the best film
in the MCU) bring their signature flavour to
the film. Amazing wit and solid direction.
These guys proved they know how to give
us delightful comedy one minute and heart
wrenching pain the next. The film moves
fairly seamlessly under their guidance and
they execute one of the finest juggling acts
in cinema history.

Y WAR
REVIEW

The films most amazing performance comes
form Josh Brolin who, with the power of motion
capture gives us one of the most interesting
villains in the MCU in Thanos. Thanos comes
across as a fairly complex character and you
get the feeling that even if he knew that killing
half the life in the universe meant he would
die, he would do it anyway because the greater
good is more important. He is a character
that absolutely believes in his goal. That is
an amazing thing, especially in the MCU that
has sadly suffered with pretty average villains
since Loki (Vulture aside). Thanos stands
tall as perhaps the best villain the MCU has
put to screen, and let’s face it, he had to be!
Ten years to get another lunatic who wants
to just blow everything up would have been a
disappointment.
The rest of the cast does a solid job! I won’t list
names because, well this review would be six
pages long! They all bring their A-game and for
many this really does feel like the end of the
road, or at least the end is just in sight.
Without spoiling anything, there is a part two
to this juggxrnaught of a film that is due out in
May 2019. Fans around the world continue to
speculate and await anxiously the fate of the
the universe.
Avengers Infinity War is the ultimate in dollar
coaster thrill rides. It is a blast, great fun,
however it’s pace makes it a tad exhausting.
By Scott Sowter
4/ 5

SHAUN’S SPINIONS
Deadpool 2 is an
incredibly funny,
sometimes moving, sometimes
inappropriate, but always
action-packed sequel and a
worthy successor to the first
film. The actors who return
do brilliant jobs and I have to
give props to Stefan Kapici
as Colossus for bringing even
more of that character to
the role and giving him a lot
of nuance and development
in this movie. Newcomers to
the series Zazie Beetz as
Domino and Julian Dennison as
Russell Collins were incredible,
with one of the absolute
highlights of the film being the
introductory sequence to
Domino’s luck powers.
There were a lot of
cameos of comic
characters that I never
thought I’d see done in movies
or done right. The X-Force
sequence featuring Shatterstar,
one of the weirdest characters
from Marvel comics, was a
definite highlight. Each one was
an enjoyable little Easter egg.

The humour in this film though.
There were jokes in here that
were the deepest of cuts to the
comic book Deadpool. Including
one which I was the only person in
my screening to get. It was about
drawing feet (Google Rob Liefeld
and bask in the 90s comic art).
Never thought there’d be a joke
about that in a movie I saw. It was
utterly hilarious.
Overall, I’d give Deadpool 2 a 4
out of 5. It had some pacing issues
and there were some characters
who could’ve got more screen time
but all in all it was a very funny
movie which had some well-done
emotional beats. I enjoyed it a lot
and am looking forward to seeing
whether they’ll release a
director’s cut and the
inevitable sequel.
By
Shaun Stoddard

SHAUN’S SPINIONS

Avengers Infinity War was the culmination of 18
films over 10 years of world building and hinting
at a much greater, much stronger force that
would be beyond the skill of Earth’s Mightiest
Heroes to defend against. It is an exceptional film,
if not in execution than in its place in the annals
of film development.
This is something that hasn’t been attempted
before. Sure, there are movie series which
are longer or more movies featuring certain
characters (The Bond series, The Land Before
Time series, the multitude of movies featuring
Dracula or Frankenstein), but no effort has tried
to tie in as many movies in the same universe as
the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it succeeds
in this, but it also is constrained by it.
There are about 40 individual characters in
this movie, and it actually does an admirable job
introducing them all, even if some of the
more important characters in other movies are
regulated to cameos here. Everyone does a
pretty damn good job all told, with Tom Holland
being an absolute standout. Josh Brolin is
incredible as Thanos as well, even if I didn’t find
his reasons for actions to be all that compelling.
It’s also a big change from his motivation
throughout his appearances in the comics, where
he’s either trying to get the attention of the
personification of Death or trying to wipe out his
own children (A storyline featured in the comic
book event Infinity).
The feeling that this movie is the first part of
the whole story never really goes away while
watching it, and as much as it is its own movie I
cannot wait to see just how exactly they continue
this story.
A whole year isn’t too long to wait right?
By Shaun Stoddard

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DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY
If you have a problem and nowhere else to turn,
Robert McCall will help – he is The Equalizer. McCall has been aiding the beaten,
exploited, and oppressed by serving an unflinching justice. But when McCall’s
dangerous past cuts especially close to home, he will need all of his skills to
right a wrong.
Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his
career. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer, The Magnificent
Seven) and also starring Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, with Bill Pullman and
Melissa Leo.
In cinemas July 19.
WIN A DOUBLE PASS!
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The Equalizer 2 - in cinemas July 19th.
All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like
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you want to see The Equalizer 2!
Competition ends on the 15th July 2018.

©2018 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY

HARRY POTTER BOOKS 20th
ANNIVERSARY TRIVIA
Lord Voldemort had seven horcrux’s: Tom Riddle’s Diary, Marvolo
Gaunts Ring, Helga Hufflepuffs Cupt, Rowena Ravenclaws
Diadem, Nagini the Snake and Harry Potter himself.
Dumbledore is an Old English word for Bumblebee, Rowling
chose this because “one of his passions is music and I imagined
him walking around humming to himself”
The Knight Bus Drivers; Ernie and Stanley were named after
Rowlings Grandfathers.
Herminones patronus is an Otter and Ron’s is a Jack Russell
Terrier. Dogs known for chasing Otters.
The Dementors were physical manifestations of Rowlings
experience with depression in her 20’s.
In Prisoner of Azkaban, Proffesor Trelawney refuses to sit at a
table with 12 other characters because the first person to get
up at a table of 13 would die. In Order of the Phoenix, Sirius
Black is the first to stand from a table of 13.

Fred and George Weasley were fittingly born on April Fools Day.
Daniel Radcliff went through 160 pairs of glasses over the
course of the films.
In 2014 a complete set of Harry Potter first edition books sold
for over $20,000 auction.
Bloomsbury gave Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows code
names such as; Edinburgh Potmakers and The Life and Times of
Clara Rose Lovett: An Epic Novel Covering Many Generations, to
stop it from leaking early.
Both Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling share a birthday of July 31st.
The Hogwarts school motto, “Draco Dormiens Nunquam
Titillandus” is latin for “Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon.”
The Harry Potter books have been translated into more than 70
languages.
Deloros Umbridge, prehaps the worst villan in Harry Potter paid
for her crimes by being imprisioned at Azkaban.
FACTS AND TRIVIA GATHERED FROM BUZZFEED, POTTERMORE AND THE INDEPENDENT

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gameS
TRADING
CARD
TOURMAMENTS
NORSE MYTHOLOGY &
GOD OF WAR - SHAUN
STODDARD
INTERVIEW WITH DANNY
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E3 OPINIONS

BANJO KAZOOIE
20th ANNIVERSARY
REVIEWS

OUR PICK FOR MUST HAVE
BOARD
GAMES!
PRE ORDER IN STORE
TODAY!

REVIEW by Jackson Newsome
etective
ikachu
For a franchise so focused on evolution,
the Pokemon series rarely deviates from its
established formula. Even in the anime, Ash
doesn’t age, and Pikachu never evolves into
Raichu. Detective Pikachu turns this formula on its
head and boasts the franchise’s most compelling
narrative yet, demonstrating that this old Pokemon
can still learn new tricks. The setup is simple.
Tim Goodman decides to investigate his father’s
mysterious disappearance and finds himself aided
by Detective Pikachu – his father’s partner at the
Baker Detective Agency in Ryme City. However,
this isn’t any ordinary Pikachu. Tim learns that he
can understand Pikachu’s speech just as easily as
Pikachu understands his own.

Generally, Tim follows instructions from
Pikachu to progress through the story.
These instructions range from soliciting
testimony to searching environments
for clues, including settings in a theme
park, laboratory, and cave among others.
Players use the bottom screen to interact
with Pikachu and present evidence in the
correct sequence. It should be noted that
the developers set their target on a younger
demographic than the mainline meaning
there are no game over screens and unlimited
attempts for solving cases (if at first you don’t
succeed). Additionally, there’s a fair amount
of backtracking which, while arguably genre
appropriate, doesn’t always avoid feeling like filler
content. Thankfully, brief action sequences aid the
narrative’s pacing. I only wished these sequences
amounted to something more than single button
quick time events. More interactive sequences
would have added considerable variety to the
proceedings. It is difficult to review Detective
Pikachu without emphasizing its high-quality
presentation. Detective Pikachu is continually
impressive and punches above its weight on
aging hardware. The textures appear sharp on
the small screen, which brings scenes to life.
Unfortunately, the developers’ ambitions prove too
much for the base Nintendo 3DS console. Minor
frame rate issues appear early on and become
particularly problematic in busier sections of the
final chapters. Overall, I am uncertain if the larger,
more populated environments were worth the
performance trade-off. It’s a shame it couldn’t shine
on stronger hardware where it might have reached
a more purchase-motivated audience, especially
considering the game’s conservative use of 3DSspecific
features and the popularity of the Nintendo
Switch.

I was pleased with the extensive voice acting which, while not
always stellar, served its purpose. Interestingly, and unless
I’m mistaken, Detective Pikachu features the most voicework
of any Nintendo title to-date. The writing is solid, with nine
episodic chapters that inch the overarching plot to its finale.
I finished the game with an appreciation for the care with
which the writing team crafted the narrative. That is not to say it’s perfect; there are a few silly plot
points, such as a late-game reveal that Pikachu is familiar with the inner workings of machinery just
as such a skill would be useful. How convenient.
Beyond its strong presentation and narrative, Detective Pikachu oozes charm and intrigue as the
narrative peels back layer after layer of the Pokemon world. I couldn’t resist smiling after
Tim meets a rather bold and unsympathetic
Murkrow and again after reading Azumarill’s
naive assumption that humans could breathe
underwater. Furthermore, I was pleased to see
Pokemon representatives from each generation,
but it is the detective himself who steals the
show with his love for coffee, sense of humor,
and unwavering dedication to the mystery at
hand. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the
game’s world building bests both the mainline
games and the anime series.

Detective Pikachu paints a world in which
Pokemon are anything but superfluous; they
are essential. You see Pokemon contribute
to the city’s operations and, in other cases,
independently living their lives. It is refreshing
and stands in contrast to other titles which only
halfheartedly cast Pokemon as anything more
than chess pieces for combat. The result is the
most believable take on Pokemon yet. In short,
Game Freak should take notes for the mainline
series. Fortunately for fans, the wait may not be
too long for a follow-up based on not-so-subtle
hints at the game’s conclusion and the upcoming
film of the same name.
from Nintendo’s risk-averse start to 2018.
Although it may not steal headlines, the evidence
points to one conclusion — Detective Pikachu is
a must play for Pokemon fans everywhere. For
everyone else, it’s a good point of entry to the
world of Pokemon, if only you can tolerate its ease
and rookie imperfections.
By Jackson Newmon, VGChartz
These strengths make for a strong package but
one which suffers from sporadic inconsistencies
in both challenge and pacing, along with an
uneven framerate near the game’s end. Even so,
Detective Pikachu is the most exciting offering
7

REVIEW by Stephan LaGioia
KIRBY STAR
ALLIES

Our favorite gluttonous puff ball is back again, folks,
and this time he’s graced the Nintendo Switch to
further flesh out its library, joining the likes of Mario
and Zelda. It seems like just yesterday we swung
and whipped our way through the charming yarnladen
environments of Kirby’s Epic Yarn, and made
a nostalgic return-trip to Dreamland on Wii, but here
we are again. Question is, does the latest entry in
the series, Kirby Star Allies, measure up to those
titles? Is yet another Kirby platformer warranted
when we seem to have been showered with them of
late? Well, even though I had my doubts going into
my playthrough, I’m pleased to say that the answer
to both of those questions is yes, at least in some
respects.
It’s true the game doesn’t quite reach a level of
innovation that Epic Yarn achieved, nor does it
rely that heavily on a straight-forward, old school
platforming formula that Return to Dreamland pulled
off so well. Rather, it settles on a nice sweet spot
between the two and excels on the multiplayer
front to boot. While Allies borders on being a bit
too simplistic and contains a pretty brief campaign,
most Kirby fans will know that this is basically par for
the course anyway.
Some of these can feel like tacked-on afterthoughts,
though they do inject a bit of depth, difficulty, and
variance to the somewhat straightforward gameplay.
There’s also the likely potential of free DLC on
the way, if the already released “update 2.0” with
new characters is any indication. At the end of the
day, Allies proves to be a charming and enjoyable
platforming experience decorated with some
deliciously vibrant and colorful 2.5D graphics, stellar
co-op gameplay, and the amusing gimmicks of
combining elemental abilities and recruiting baddies.
There at least exists plenty of additional content for
completionists sprinkled in, in the form of a sort of
hard mode and time trial hybrid, a few mini-games,
and a battle arena where you square off against
some entertaining bosses.

Even though Allies leans
heavily on these new
concepts, it certainly still
borrows inspiration from the
retro Kirby days in both style
and substance, taking on the
feeling of a celebration of the
charming pink platforming
hero in video game form. It
draws upon a plethora of old
characters long forgotten, with
which you can fight alongside
and even play as yourself in
co-op or as part of the “Guest Star” mode.
You don’t just get the likes of the usual
suspects, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee,
either; Nintendo has also tossed in some
more obscure heroes from Kirby games of
yorn. There’s Rick the hamster, and Gooey,
both of whom first appeared in Dreamland
2 back in the ancient times of the Gameboy.
There’s even the amusing jester boss of Kirby
Superstar, known as Marx, who coaxed some
yuks out of me and my sister as she hovered
across Dreamland, firing off electrified beach
balls at helpless enemies. Each character
comes with their own set of moves and
dynamics, which keeps things feeling fresh,
exciting, and - at least in the case of Marx -
humorous as well.
This isn’t to say AI companions are completely boring or
useless, though the experience does feel a degree more
cumbersome and dull than with actual players. It was
clear during my journey through the several dozen stages
and four worlds that the game both encourages, and is
enhanced by, multiplayer co-op. Recruiting foes is both a
helpful and satisfying way to gain an advantage, which is
easily pulled-off by tossing a “friend heart” at an enemy.
As the title implies, there is a heavy emphasis
on the presence of Allies, which can be
utilized by having additional players fight
alongside you from the outset or jumping
seamlessly into a stage. You can also opt
to play solo by utilizing the less exciting,
haphazard AI which follow you around, and
only occasionally don’t execute the actions
you want them to.

co-op or as part of the “Guest Star” mode. You
don’t just get the likes of the usual suspects, Meta
Knight and Waddle Dee, either; Nintendo has also
tossed in some more obscure heroes from Kirby
games of yorn. There’s Rick the hamster, and
Gooey, both of whom first appeared in Dreamland 2
back in the ancient times of the Gameboy. There’s
even the amusing jester boss of Kirby Superstar,
known as Marx, who coaxed some yuks out of me
and my sister as she hovered across Dreamland,
firing off electrified beach balls at helpless enemies.
Each character comes with their own set of
moves and dynamics, which keeps things feeling
fresh, exciting, and - at least in the case of Marx -
humorous as well.
As the title implies, there is a heavy emphasis on
the presence of Allies, which can be utilized by
having additional players fight alongside you from
the outset or jumping seamlessly into a stage.
You can also opt to play solo by utilizing the less
exciting, haphazard AI which follow you around,
and only occasionally don’t execute the actions
you want them to. This isn’t to say AI companions
are completely boring or useless, though the
experience does feel a degree more cumbersome
and dull than with actual players. It was clear during
my journey through the several dozen stages and
four worlds that the game both encourages, and
is enhanced by, multiplayer co-op. Recruiting foes
is both a helpful and satisfying way to gain an
advantage, which is easily pulled-off by tossing a
“friend heart” at an enemy.
This fun mechanic ties into the narrative - what little
exists anyway - as apparently Kirby has obtained
the ability to toss his brainwashing hearts by
coming into contact with a “jamba heart.” These
mysterious shards have been summoned by an
evil wizard named Hyness, who has manifested
them through a failed experiment, scattering them
across Dreamland and beyond. And so, Kirby and
his friends venture across a colorful and majestic
assortment of environments - which escalate nicely
in their epic nature as you progress - to investigate
and gather these shards, and defeat Hyness.

Of course, the old mechanic of sucking up various
enemies to obtain their abilities still makes a
return. Though this time it tends to take a back
seat to this game’s gimmick, which essentially
revolves around using the aforementioned friend
hearts to recruit wandering baddies to join your
ranks, of which you can grab up to 3 others. As
you march your way across the linear stages, you’ll
find that you can often quickly breeze through
most of the game with relative ease by utilizing
this function. Even with the sup-par AI, the sheer
firepower and versatility of having several different
friends wielding different abilities usually makes for
an experience that’s simplistic almost to a fault.
You might, for instance, need to transform into
an ice block, at which point a friend will wack
you across a platform to push a button, or ignite
an otherwise unreachable fuse with the flaming
yo-yo friend ability. This messing with different
friend abilities can be a bit burdensome at times,
especially when you don’t possess the right
combination of powers. Thankfully these sorts of
momentum-slowing puzzles are at least kept at a
minimum. The game tends to emphasize mindless
action mostly by way of taking out gaggles of
baddies in your wake, which is made all the more
enjoyable by playing around with the wide range of
friend combos.
Generally speaking, attacks can be enhanced
by combining various moves and elements.
You can fire electrified blasts of water, wield a
flaming sword, or ground-pound enemies with
a paint-soaked rock. Occasional puzzles are
sprinkled about which contain stars and puzzle
piece collectables, and often require friend ability
combos to pull off as well. In keeping with the
easy-going vibe throughout, these usually took
me mere seconds to figure out, even when they
required a combination of abilities to trigger.
Overall, Kirby Star Allies keeps in the spirit of what
makes Kirby games so appealing, with some sharp
and instantly enjoyable platforming gameplay.
It does feel as if it plays things a little safe, even
with the bombardment of various heroes and
friend combos. With the emphasis on buddying
up, arena fighting that feels a bit like Smash Bros.
lite, and competitive mini games, it certainly leans
in the direction of a party game rather than a solo
platformer. Thus, it doesn’t quite reach that same
potential for enjoyment when playing alone. Still,
the game is mostly entertaining and accessible
enough that flying solo doesn’t hinder the
gameplay. As a whole, Kirby Star Allies shines as a
standout multiplayer platformer for the Switch, and
one that should satisfy the itch of Kirby fans.
By Stephan LaGioia, VGChartz
7

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Get it at Gametraders!

20th
It’s Banjo-Kazooie’s 20th birthday! (June
29th)
To celebrate this milestone birthday we’ve
put together a list of fun facts and trivia
you may not know about the first Banjo
Kazooie
So read on and see if you knew it all
already or learnt something new!

Anniversary

20th
FACTS AND TRIVIA
Banjo-Kazooie evolved from Project Dream
which was a cancelled adventure game for
the Super Nintendo
Banjo and Kazooie were both named after
musical instruments. Banjo obviously named
after the banjo and Kazooie named after the
Kazoo
There was supposed to be an extended
ending where before Gruntilda died she
cast a spell on Banjo turning him into a frog!
In order to win the game players had to play
as Tooty (Banjo’s sister) to find items to turn
Banjo back.

Anniversary
Mumbo Jumbo’s talking voice is inspired by a
English football chant; “Come and have a go if
you think you’re hard enough.”
The characters almost sang in the intro scene
alongside playing their instruments but it was
unfortunately cut before it could become real-
Mumbo Jumbo’s iconic phrase “Oomenacka”
came from Greg Kirkhope continuously saying
“Ooh me knackers”
The Jinjos name came from a red headed
employees nickname “Ginge” - The first Jinjo
created was also fittingly orange
FACTS AND TRIVIA GATHERED FROM WIKIPEDIA, THEGAMER.COM, VGFACTS & GAME INFORM-

THE BANNER SAGA REVIEW

After more than four years since its initial release on
PC and two years since it’s release on PlayStation
4 and Xbox One, The Banner Saga, an epic Norse
adventure, has been released on the Nintendo
Switch. This comes just in time for the release of the
third and final game of the trilogy in July.
In my opinion, this was a brilliant decision, the
Switch is the perfect platform to play this game on,
especially when playing handheld. It looked excellent
and played just as well. Obviously, it’s creators must
agree as each game in the trilogy is set to be on the
switch.
The Banner Saga’s creators are a development
company called Stoic which was founded in 2011
by three ex-Bioware developers. It was their “dream
game” and was funded through Kickstarter.
Being new to the game it admittedly was a little
difficult to pick up at first. As from the moment you
turn it on you are dropped into the sprawling world
and given choices that could have a huge impact
down the line. Maybe. It’s impossible to know what
your choices might affect and that for me was the
best part and the worst. It was nerve-wracking
having to make all these decisions with no idea what
I was doing. Should I let all survivors into my group?
Should I charge or create formations in battle? Did
that one choice I made about how to get inside
the gate change my whole game?! Or was it that
decision to side with the two brothers, Hogun and
Mogun? There’s no way to know. Unless I play it
again, which honestly, I definitely will.

This learning curve made it difficult to appreciate
the game at first but once I got over it, I was blown
away. The art style was beautiful and captivating,
the music provided the perfect ambiance. I found
that it didn’t take too long before I started to care
about the main characters, Hakon and Rook and
I wanted them to be good leaders which meant I
needed to make good decision.
You begin with a prologue and the character Ubin,
this is a tutorial in all but name and allows you
to get to know the game without making gamealtering
decisions. Kind of. Your decisions with Ubin
can affect the relationships and choices of another
character Eirik later in the game but that as far as
I know is the only impact. The tutorial to me wasn’t
clear enough and should have been a bit more indepth.
Despite going over combat it took me quite
a few chapters before I really understood what I
was doing. Also knowing when to rest/use up your
resources and promote your heroes can be tricky
as you never know how long it will be until you get
an opportunity to do it again.
After the tutorial, you are sent across the map to
Rook and his daughter Alette where you will face
your first Dredge. Dredge are an ancient race with
yellow eyes, supposedly made of stone, that have
recently started to reappear in the world. They are
the main antagonists of the game and you’ll face
their armies in battle many times.
something I suggest you actually take time to think
about, I didn’t at first but once I did I noticed the
battles became far more interesting because I had
a strategy, however minimal it was. That being said
battle could become quite tedious at times as it
really is just doing the same thing over and over for
different reasons. Which is why it was so important
that the characters and their story were done well
and thankfully they were.
Once you’ve finished the second chapter with Rook
and Alette you move cross the map again to play
as Hakon, who you meet when playing as Ubin. He
is the leader of the caravan and a strong varl, which
is a horned, long living race. Moving from town to
town, he and his army fight dredge after dredge in
the pursuit of refuge. Which may give you an idea
of how bleak the world and situation can feel.
Despite the bleakness, overall the story is
enthralling, and the battle gameplay is fun and
well thought out. There were shocking losses and
frustrating moments, especially at first but it’s a fun
game and I’d highly recommend picking it up and
giving it a play.
By EJ Tales
8
Battle in the game has a turn-based combat
system not dissimilar to X-COM: Enemy Unknown.
It takes planning and real thought to come out
victorious. The use of special abilities, powered by
willpower, makes it all the more interesting and I’d
highly recommend not forgetting about the horn
which provides extra willpower like I kept doing.
Also picking what order your heroes are in is

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E3 2018, BY Taneli Palola
10 INTERESTING
THAT YOU M

GAMES FROM E3
AY HAVE MISSED
The annual hype machine that is E3
has once again come and gone, and
as always we saw a huge number of
massive upcoming titles shown off at
the various press conferences and
during the event itself, some to rapturous
ovation and others to polite applause.
Yet, with all the attention many of these
announcements get, for every game that
gets the spotlight shone on it during one of
the big press events, there are countless
other titles that run the risk of getting lost
amidst the sea of games competing for your
attention.
So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at
some of these smaller games that you will
likely have missed in all the excitement.
Naturally, there’s no guarantee that all of
these games are going to be good, but they
all have something interesting going for
them, be it a well designed visual style or
unique gameplay elements which at the very
least deserve to be acknowledged. Here are
ten interesting games from E3 2018 you
might have missed.

A PLAUGE TALE:
Innocence
Release date: 2019
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
The only returning game from last
year’s list, A Plague Tale: Innocence
is conceptually quite possibly the
most interesting one on it for me
personally. An adventure game set in
14th century France ravaged by the
Black Death has massive amounts
of potential to be something truly
special. If the narrative of the two
siblings fighting for survival and the
stealth-based gameplay live up to
the images shown in the trailer, this
could be one of the most intriguing
new titles on the horizon.

Indivisible
Release date: 2019
Platforms: PC, Mac Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch
Indivisible had me interested from the moment I first saw it in motion. The gorgeous art style and
the numerous beautiful locations shown in the trailer quickly pushed it very high on my anticipated
games list, but it was the gameplay which looks to combine elements from side-scrolling action
platformers and turn-based RPGs that sealed the deal for me.
Indivisible is being developed by Lab Zero Games, the same team that created the excellent
Skullgirls fighting game. If you need one more reason to keep your eyes on this one, the music in
the game is being composed by Hiroki Kikuta, the man behind the music in Secret of Mana.

Outer Wilds
Release date: 2018
Platforms: PC, Mac Xbox One
In Outer Wilds the player takes control of
an astronaut who finds himself stranded
in a solar system which is stuck in an
endless time loop that always ends
with the sun going supernova, killing
the player and sending them back to
the beginning once again. However, the
player can use the things they learn on
these attempts to slowly uncover the
world’s secrets and alter the outcome
of subsequent playthroughs. It’s an
interesting central mechanic that could
lend itself to a lot of interesting situations
within the game. Hopefully this one turns
out good when it comes out.

Greedfall
Release date: 2019
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
This is another game that is on the list based mostly on the potential of its basic concept. Greedfall is
set in a newly discovered fictional island paradise during a colonial era ravaged by an incurable plague.
The island, a home to magic and the supernatural, serves as the one remaining hope for finding such
a cure. However, as the settlers begin to arrive on this new land, conflict between the new arrivals and
the native population is inevitable.
While the basic premise behind Greedfall is very interesting, there is one thing that somewhat tempers
my expectations. The game is being developed by Spiders, a team whose previous games have never
really managed to rise above mediocrity. They certainly have plenty of experience in creating action
RPGs, but that has yet to translate to anything genuinely good. Regardless, I’m still cautiously optimistic
about Greedfall, hence the reason why it’s still on this list despite my reservations.

satisfactory
Release date: TBA
Platforms: PC
Satisfactory is an open world factory building sim where the player takes on the role of an
engineer tasked with constructing one such factory in an alien planet as part of Project
Assembly. The player has to not only create a working factory, but also collect the resources
and explore the surrounding wildlife while doing so. In addition the game has official support for
co-op with up to 4 players at once playing in the same world.
The part that piqued my interest was the co-op. The possibility of creating a huge working
machine together with other people in a fully explorable world is a hugely intriguing prospect for
me. The fact that the game also features elements such as combat against wildlife and various
different vehicles the player can use to travel the world is just a nice bonus.

Concrete Genie
Release date: 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4
One of the more unique games on this
list and at E3 was Pixelopus’ Concrete
Genie, in which the player takes on
the role of a bullied teenager, Ash,
who has the ability to create living
sceneries and creatures through
his paintings. As he does so he also
discovers that his paintings can purify
the polluted walls of his hometown.
Besides the interesting concept
Concrete Genie also looks beautiful,
which certainly helps in standing out
from the crowd.

Astroneer
Release date: TBA
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Although it has already been released via Early Access, Astroneer is still in development and
was one of the more interesting, less heralded titles shown at this year’s E3. The game tasks
the player with colonizing countless randomly generated planets and gathering resources to
build custom bases either in single or multiplayer. The somewhat minimalistic visual style that
uses strong colours with textureless surfaces is a nice touch as well. Astroneer is one of the
games to watch and possibly buy right away, though personally I’m perfectly fine waiting until
its proper release.

Labyrinth of Refrain:
Coven of Dusk
Release date: September 18th, 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Switch
Labyrinth of refrain: Coven of Dusk is a
new title coming from Nippon Ichi Software,
this one providing an interesting take on
the classic dungeon crawler-genre. It was
already released in Japan back in 2016, but
is only now coming to the west. Dungeon
crawlers are a rare commodity these days,
and any fan of games like Dungeon Master,
Eye of the Beholder, and the more recent
Legend of Grimrock titles (like me) might
just find something new and interesting to
play. The anime inspired visual style certainly
makes it different from most other games in
the genre.

Desert Child
Release date: 2018
Platforms: PC, Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch
Desert Bike, as described on the game’s official website, is a racing RPG set in a dusty world where
your only friends are a vintage hoverbike and a packet of instant noodles. If nothing else, Desert
Bike certainly gets some points for originality. In the game the player takes the role of a gifted racer
who must make money through any means necessary, including but not limited to: delivering drugs,
throwing races, and hunting bounties, all for the sake of improving your hoverbike and ultimately
moving up in the world.
The visual style reminds me slightly of the game Another World (known as Out of this World in
North America), which is a refreshingly different source of inspiration from the usual 8-bit or 16-bit
graphical styles a lot of indie games go for.

11-11: Memories Retold
Release date: November 9th 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
11-11: Memories Retold is a story-driven adventure game that tells two stories, one of a Canadian
photographer who leaves for the Western Front in Europe on November 11, 1916, and another of a
German technician who on the same day hears that his son has gone missing in action. Their paths
through the theatre of war will eventually cross and lead to the most important decision of their lives.
One of the main reasons 11-11: Memories Retold caught my attention - well, besides the absolutely
gorgeous visual style - was the fact that Aardman Animations is involved in its development. For
those who don’t know, Aardman is best known for the Wallace & Gromit series of short films, as well
as a number of feature length animations. If the story can match the quality of the game’s visuals and
provide us with an intriguing narrative suitable for its WWI setting we might have something exceptional
on our hands.
Written by
Taneli Palola

YOUR E3 2018; SAY BEN DYE
The following is a list of major setbacks
or disappointment, in my
opinion, from this year’s E3. When
I say that, I’m not necessarily referring
to the worst-looking games
shown (or the most anticipated
ones not shown, for that matter).
I’m talking about bad direction, or
just simply a lack of attention to
detail in making something as good
as it can and should be. There were
plenty of other games or company
decisions during E3 that were just
plain bad, but they weren’t surprising
at all, so I’ve omitted them from
this piece.
Opinion:
The
Major
Letdowns
of
E3 2018

Continued Lukewarm
Third Party
Commitment to Switch
This E3 we witnessed yet more dedication from third
parties to Nintendo’s Switch, but often in a slightly
baffling way. Instead of, for example, announcing
Fallout 76 for Switch alongside Xbox One, PC, and
PlayStation 4, Bethesda instead announced Fallout
Shelter. The latter is actually quite acclaimed, so it’s
a welcome addition to the Switch library, but sans a
Fallout 76 announcement at the same time it ended
up feeling like a bit of a snub.
I don’t want to unfairly single out Bethesda,
though. Compared to most western third parties
Bethesda has done a much better job of supporting
Nintendo devices since the launch of the Switch,
with Bethesda Game Studios’ Skyrim being ported
over and selling well, and the publishing arm of the
company handling publishing duties for Doom and
Wolfenstein on Switch.

But given how well Switch’s
Skyrim has performed, just
imagine what a good dayone
port of one Bethesda’s
modern, high budget games
would sell. It’s not just
Bethesda either, of course;
it’s easy to imagine the likes
of Kingdom Hearts III and
Dead or Alive 6 performing
on a par with the Xbox One
versions if they were released
on Switch too.
Instead, all too often it feels
like publishers are simply
saying “hey, let’s throw a
bone to Nintendo fans, and
if they don’t buy the one
title we give them then
we’ll have our justification
for not giving them any red
meat.”

EA Announcing a
Mobile Command &
Conquer Game
sort of audience that attends
and watches these events),
but even the newest single
player Star Wars adventure
was rushed through like it
was chopped liver (no trailer,
no box art, not even a piece
of concept art, just a vague
description of when it will be).
EA then dedicated, what? Five,
ten minutes at least to a mobile
game.
As someone who has been a fan
of the series since I was a child, it’s
been sad to watch such a highly
acclaimed and treasured series as
Command & Conquer slowly trend
downhill into irrelevance. The series’
amazing games (Red Alert 2/Yuri’s
Revenge, Tiberian Sun, Generals)
have long since faded into memory
and have been replaced by the likes
of Tiberium Wars, Tiberian Twilight,
and Red Alert 3, all of which were
quite horrible in their own individual
ways. Then there’s Generals’ sequel,
which was turned into a free to play
game. And that leads us to Command
& Conquer Rivals, the newlyannounced
free-to-play mobile title.
It’s not just that it’s a mobile spin-off
that has so enraged fans, it’s that no
new flagship entry was announced
alongside it, nor does one look likely to
be announced in the near future. As if to
rub salt in the wound EA ‘showed’ off a
full-screen version of the game during its
conference.
Is this what E3 has become to EA? It’s bad
enough a large chunk of EA’s conference
each year is taken up by annual sports
release (which, while popular, make for
unappealing reveals, especially for the
Perhaps I’ve set my
expectations too high, or
I’m being unfair to mobile
gaming, but I don’t feel
mobile games warrant being
discussed in great detail on
the biggest gaming stage
of the year, especially when
said game is more likely to
piss fans off than please
them. The E3 stage should
be reserved for blockbuster
announcements,gameplay
premiers, and trailers.

No Halo Collection
Games for PC
Halo Infinite is coming to Windows 10. This is both
unexpected and fantastic news for PC gamers. But
if Microsoft is going to release its newest Halo title
on both PC and Xbox, then why not also release
remastered version of existing Halo releases on
PC as well, be it in the form of The Master Chief
Collection or separate releases? Halo 5 Guardians
and Reach could then also have made the transition
to PC.
Many PC gamers won’t just want to enjoy the future
of Halo, but also the past and present, so this feels
like a missed opportunity from Microsoft.

The Square Enix
Conference
You would think, after not having one of these
in years, that Square Enix would come out all
guns blazing upon its metaphorical return to the
conference fray. Well, you’d be wrong. There was
a lot of bad in Square Enix’s conference, both in
terms of content and presentation.
But the single worst part? As I alluded to above -
Kingdom Hearts III not coming to the Switch. Not
to make this a port begging article, but why is it
not coming to Switch? It’s surely not because of
the graphics, because it’s a title that’s clearly more
focused on art style than graphical prowess (Breath
of the Wild and Mario Odyssey arguably look
technically better). Maybe Square Enix doesn’t think
a kid-friendly game starring dozens of incredibly
popular, family-friendly characters will sell all that
well on a Nintendo device? Darn it Nintendo, you
became too “hardcore!”.

No Animal Crossing
Switch
Seriously, Nintendo, what the heck?! New Leaf came
out in 2012/2013 (Japan/rest of the world). We will
have had two fully-fledged Fallout games in the
same time span as one mainline Animal Crossing
game. Heck, at this rate, Elder Scrolls VI may be out
before Animal Crossing Switch.
Don’t tell me demand isn’t there either. I hear more
clamor for this game than any other Nintendo title;
I heard it for the Wii U and now the same thing is
happening for the Switch. So why not develop one?
I guarantee it will sell a whole lot better than Metroid
Prime 4, Star Fox, Bayonetta, Pikmin, and a bunch
of other new entries in established franchise. The
aforementioned New Leaf sold well over 10 million
copies, and even the lacklustre spin-off title Animal
Crossing: Happy Home Designer shifted over 3
million.
I understand Nintendo not announcing it until it’s
ready to be shown off. What I don’t understand is
Nintendo’s priority when it comes to which games
it makes and when it’s going to make them. By all
means Nintendo should continue to make games
that many of us want but which don’t sell very well,
but not at the expense of a series that literally prints
money but which hasn’t shown up on a Nintendo
home console in almost 10 years now. If you don’t
milk the cow, it’s going to be bad news for it further
down the road! MILK THE COW!

Honorable Mentions
EA’s Origin Access Premier. Many people have already voiced
their concerns about this, although some are excited by the idea of having a cheaper
digital-only solution to their gaming habits. Time will tell if it is a good or bad thing
for the industry; there’s a real possibility that it represents the thin end of a very
unappealing wedge. We shall have to wait and see on this one.
Frankie Ward’s over-reliance on sexual innuendo when hosting the
PC Gaming Show.
If Super Smash Bros. Ultimate doesn’t have some kind of
single player story mode, I’ll riot. Who’s with me?
games.
Sony’s odd, poorly paced press conference filled with hardly any new
new games.
Nintendo’s fast-paced, very focused conference filled with hardly any
Written by
Ben Dye

YOUR INTERView SAY by JACKSON NEWSOME
INTERVIEW WITH Co-Founder of
Danny Bull

Polyarc Games
a [MOSS]
I had the opportunity to
interview Danny Bulla, cofounder
of Polyarc - the studio
behind 2018’s Moss. I was
able to learn more of Danny’s
insights regarding the game’s
development and VR, among
other topics. I hope you enjoy
reading the transcript as much
as I enjoyed the interview!

“
...it could have been an
alien or a small creature
JN: Would you like to introduce
yourself and your role at Polyarc?
DB: I’m Danny Bulla, and I’m the
design director at Polyarc.
JN: Can you talk a little about the
inspiration for the setting of Moss,
as well as for Quill herself as the
main character?
DB: Yeah! When we started in VR,
we started everything not with
a specific game idea in mind but
with the idea that we wanted to
develop a game for the medium
itself. A lot of our inspiration came
from us asking the question:
“What would be good for VR?”
The experience is just much more
heightened in this medium rather
than other media which led us
away from other things. We were
really excited about physical
interaction and the way you could
reach into the world and grab
things. We also knew that comfort
was a big issue for VR and wanted
to pick something that was more
familiar and not as intense, but we
wanted to use intensity where we
needed it at certain points in the
game. We could bring it out, but
one of our goals was comfort.
The setting came from that,
in terms of where we thought
this world would take place. We
wanted a character that you could
reach out and interact with and
manipulate the world. That limited
us to a couple different things.
We could be a giant, and you
could manipulate smaller sized
creatures or humans, relative to
you, but we didn’t think that would
feel very tactile and physical. So,
we went for a small character, and
that left us with a few options.
We could be a mouse, a rodent
which we ended up on, but it could
also be a toy, or it could have been
an alien or small creature.
It was four of us at the time, and
we all felt good about rodents.
There’s a lot of history with
anthropomorphic characters. We
have a lot of that in our history.
That’s how we ended up with Quill.
The setting is where we started
asking, “Where did she grow up?”,
“Where is she from?”, “What’s in
this world?” That was just part of
the world building that happened
over time, but we didn’t know
exactly what the world of Moss
would look like as we began the
project.
”

JN: You actually answered a
couple of my follow-up questions
already! I was going to ask why
you chose a fantasy setting, given
that some of the team’s AAA
development experiences have
been quite different (e.g., sciencefiction).
DB: I think also, as creatives, you
can grow by working on things
that are different than what you
have been doing or where you’ve
been. For us, it was an opportunity
to grab some other things that
inspired us and apply it to the
game. We didn’t want to keep
doing the same thing over and
over, especially when we had this
opportunity with the new medium.
JN: That makes a lot of sense. This
next question is just to satisfy my
own curiosity. Did you study actual
rodents for the game?
DB: We did measure a lot of
different things like bricks and
leaves because we found that it
was so important that the scale of
things in the virtual world matched
what we expected in the physical
world. We didn’t bring a mouse in
here to measure it, but we looked
through Google Images and at
various artists to determine which
rodents we’d have in our world. It
usually boiled down to, “Oh, that’s
cute. We should use that one.”
[laughs] Really, it was just matching
the tone of the personalities of
the characters. It all happened
organically.
JN: In trying to avoid spoilers,
one thing that really struck me in
my playthrough of Moss was the
tonal shift toward the end. Was
there any concern that it may
be too frightening for those who
are inexperienced with VR or for
younger audiences?
DB: No, I don’t think we had any
concern. In fact, I think it was our
intent. The market isn’t very large
right now. We wanted to make
sure we made something that as
many people as possible could
enjoy. Right now, in VR, that means
there’s a whole wide range. We’ve
gotten emails from 60-yearolds,
and we know there are 13
and 14-years-olds playing. It’s a
good question because VR really
can spike the intensity in a lot of
different things. It can bring out
different kinds of feelings. It can
be sad, it can be fear, it can be joy.
We knew that the world would
come off as something for
younger audiences, but we wanted
the narrative, the depth of the
story, and the characters to really
grab us as an older audience, so
that’s the balance we get to do as
developers, right?
We can try to do things that we
think will appeal to most of the
audience but also do things that are
creatively satisfying. We wanted
to test your relationship with Quill
and solidify that bond. Sometimes
you need sad moments to do that,
and sometimes you need exciting
moments to do that. Sometimes
you just need to be walking
through the forest. It’s really the
cadence among those that give
the texture to the narrative. I
would say that, towards the end,
the tonal shift was important. It’s
our way of saying that this world is
not just one tone. Everything isn’t
all happy. There’s some dark stuff
going on, and we’re just scratching
the surface.

JN: I thought it was a perfect
way to cap off the game. It really
helped build momentum. On a
different note, and in being a new
studio, what was it like for the
team to see Moss debut to nearuniversal
praise?
DB: It’s hard when you put so much
energy into something for such a
consistent amount of time to have
enough perspective to really take
everything in and appreciate the
kind words. Something we said
around the studio is that there are
a lot of people we haven’t talked
to, or met, who have been touched
by this world. That was really
fulfilling for all of us to know we
were making an impact because
I think that’s why a lot of us here
are making games.
I just skimmed through your review
again, because I read it early on,
and you said some really cool
things toward the end about it that
I appreciate. Thanks for writing
that!
JN: Absolutely. Thank you! Due
to the nature of VGChartz, I feel
I have to ask the next question.
Can you comment at all on the
game’s commercial response?
DB: It hit exactly what we were
aiming to do with Moss. As you
know with VR, the VR market is
nowhere near as large as the
console market, right? So, if you
look at it like that, you can create
different expectations. For us, as
a new IP and first release for our
studio, what was important for
us was people’s investment in
the world. As the market grows,
we’ll grow with it. To see people
establish that relationship with
Quill and the world itself… that was
success to us – that people know
about Polyarc and people know
about Quill. We are proud of that.
JN: I was a day-one PlayStation
VR adopter. I thought about
holding out, but I couldn’t resist
and felt I got my money’s worth at
launch. What would you say to any
gamers who are reluctant to dive
into VR? Why buy a headset now?
DB: I’ve spent a year-and-a-half
or two years in VR development.
I just put my pen down and said,
“I can’t convince people verbally.
They’ll just have to try it.” I think
when it comes to skeptics there
are so many ways to try PSVR and
other virtual reality headsets… tour
buses going around, etc. The best
thing people can do is research
the content they’re interested in.
Make sure it was made for VR, not
just a port. Then, try to find a place
to try it out. Once you get inside
VR and experience good content
that makes you feel something
that traditional gaming can’t do at
this point that’s when you really
understand the importance of VR,
but I don’t think anyone will verbally
convince people. My suggestion is
for people to try it, and don’t feel
pressure until you find that there’s
the right content for you.
JN: It’s interesting that you
mentioned the opportunities to
demo VR because I first tried it
at a Best Buy the summer before
PlayStation VR launched. I was
hooked after one try.
DB: Yeah, it’s what it takes. It’s
something new that we really
haven’t had access to. With new
technology, it’ll take time until
everyone’s in it – if that ever
happens. I think it’s important for
everyone to try it and to think of
what cool things we can do with it
that we couldn’t otherwise. That’s
where you find gold.
JN: Speaking of other VR headsets,
can you speak to why Moss
was designed for PlayStation VR
instead of the Oculus Rift or the
HTC Vive, for example?
DB: For us, as an independent
studio, we had to choose one
platform upfront that we really
wanted to focus our energy on.
That turned out to be the PSVR.
Sony saw an early prototype of
Moss and was very supportive
pretty much since the moment we
showed it to them. We said, “Okay.
We’re going to work with these
partners. They’re going to help
us.” They were so nice to put us
on the E3 stage, which is a great
exposure for us. That was where
we focused our development
energies. We want as many people
as possible with VR headsets to
experience Moss. That’s our goal.
Interviewer’s Note: Polyarc revealed
during this conversation that Moss
would launch for Oculus Rift and
HTC Vive today. It’s available now!

JN: I’m currently making my way
through God of War. Which games
are people playing around the
studio?
DB: The topic of conversation in
our studio is God of War, but I tell
everyone to stop talking because
I’m really far behind [laughs]. A lot
of us in the office play Hearthstone,
but a lot of the team plays different
games. When God of War came out
it made a big splash, and it’s cool to
see the different reactions to such
a different kind of game than what
we’re working on. That’s the best
time to be playing these games –
when it’s something that’s different.
People around the office are
obviously playing Fortnite as well.
I don’t know... I kind of feel bad that
I don’t have more games to throw
at you right now [laughs]. Actually,
what I just picked up and played
was Stardew Valley and Darkest
Dungeon on the Switch. Just kind
of checking out those and they
are really different from what we’re
doing. It’s cool to just try different
games. We keep a close eye on
VR. Oh! That’s the other one. Beat
Saber. A lot of people are checking
that out as well.
JN: Any final thoughts you would like
to share with fans of Moss, Quill, or
your work in general?
DB: The big thing is to follow our
Twitter and social media pages.
That’s our channel to everyone, and
it’s the best way for people to ask us
questions and get more information.
If we are fortunate enough to tell the
next chapter in Quill’s adventure, we
have what we want to tell. We’re just
looking forward to the opportunity
to tell that story. There are some
really cool things that will be fun to
experience with Quill but with VR,
too. As we learn more about VR,
we are learning new ways to take
advantage of the medium. For fans
of VR and fans of Moss and Quill, we
have a lot more we want to do. Keep
poking us, and keep talking to us.
We’ll let you know what we know
when we know it!
JN: Thank you so much! Have a
great E3!
DB: Thanks for chatting!
Interview conducted
by Jackson Newsome,
VGChartz

YOUR INTERView SAY by evan norris
INTERVIEW WITH the creators of surge
DECK 13
In this age of social media and online
communities, where almost every video
game is previewed, dissected, and
analyzed to death before it hits store
shelves, it’s difficult to be surprised. Yet
The Surge, flying as it did under the radar
in 2017, managed to surprise me — and
many others, I imagine — in the happiest
of ways. I spent hours and hours in the
grim dystopia developer Deck 13 had
wrought, slicing and dicing my way through
cybernetic horrors. In a year considered
by some the greatest in the history of the
gaming industry, The Surge shone brightly,
and yet many never saw the light.
When Deck 13 announced plans for DLC, I
was happily surprised for the second time.
It signaled sales were strong and demand
for the studio’s unique take on the Dark
Souls formula was healthy. A Walk in the
Park turned out to be just as refreshing
and addictive as the base game, and,
honestly, I was sad when it was over.
Then, just last month, Deck 13 made yet
another surprise announcement: The
Surge 2 was on its way. In the wake of
that news, I reached out to the Frankfurtbased
studio to ask about the future of
The Surge, and the game’s place among
Souls-likes and so-called AA games in
general. Michael Hoss, PR and Marketing
Manager for Deck 13, was kind enough to
respond.

EN: When The Surge DLC was
announced, I think a lot of fans were
pleasantly surprised, in part because
it was unclear if the base game had
lived up to expectations, sales wise.
Can you share sales figures for The
Surge, in terms of physical and digital
units? If not, can you talk about the
business decisions that led to DLC
and eventually a full sequel?
MH: While I cannot share the exact
numbers, I can confirm that The
Surge did very, very well. When The
Surge was released, our publisher
contacted us the next day and
shared the news with us. And it was
about two weeks after the game was
released that everyone agreed on
doing DLC. By that time, it was rather
easy to justify. So far, the DLC has
gone very well, too.
EN: As someone who logged dozens
of hours playing The Surge and A
Walk in the Park, I’m interested to see
where the series goes with The Surge
2. So far, we’ve heard about “larger
and more ambitious level design”
thanks to an improved engine. Can
you share more about this upgraded
engine and what it allows you to
accomplish that you couldn’t in the
original The Surge?
MH: FLEDGE Delta, the new iteration
of the engine, comes with new
features which enable us to improve
on every aspect. A core thing here is
improved performance due to heavily
modified multithreading support. This
additional performance we can make
use of in multiple ways, obviously.
Something which helps a lot for the
bigger levels is a new, computebased
unified volumetric lighting /
fog solution which, just to get that
mentioned, works seamlessly with
transparent objects as well. The
engine now also supports DirectX 12.
“ They asked
for more outdoor
settings.
Amusement Park?
Check.
They asked for
creepier enemies.
Amusement Park?
Check.
they asked for
more varied
design.
Amusement Park?
Check. ”
EN: Speaking of A Walk in the Park,
what inspired the amusement park
setting?
MH: When it was confirmed that
there would be DLC for The Surge,
we had multiple ideas with various
settings. One was the amusement
park setting. What led to that choice
in the end was mostly the feedback
from players. While the feedback
for The Surge was amazing, people
criticized the levels quite often: too
many corridors inside the factory.
They asked for more outdoor
settings. Amusement Park? Check.
They asked for creepier enemies.
Amusement Park? Check. They
asked for more varied design.
Amusement Park? Check. I could
continue the list here, but basically
we took the feedback from so many
posts on Reddit, Steam, Twitch,
dozens of gaming forums, and in
reviews. In the end it all led to the
Park.

EN: In an industry increasingly
populated by so-called Souls-likes,
The Surge stands out for me due to its
futuristic dystopia and its unique limb
dismemberment mechanic. What do
you think Deck 13 has contributed to
the genre, and where would you like to
take it from here?
MH: Lords of the Fallen was our first
step into the genre. It got some harsh
feedback as it was compared to Dark
Souls a bit too much. Even with Lords
we already tried to separate a bit from
the Souls series with our own ideas but,
well, you know, maybe we did not risk
enough. With The Surge we did. Take
the combat system for example - Souls
players dislike it in the beginning quite
often, some call it clunky. Then they get
into it. It requires a completely different
approach, even without the limb
dismemberment. Talking about that:
limb dismemberment is a thing we will
definitely take to the next level in The
Surge 2. But yeah, overall there are lots
and lots of small little details which do
set us apart I think and which make The
Surge its very own type of game. Is it a
Souls-Like? Definitely. Does it stand on
its own feet? Hell yes.
EN: On the same note, what lessons did
you learn from Lords of the Fallen?
MH: We learned a lot. Until that time,
Lords of the Fallen was the biggest
project Deck13 had ever worked on.
And the whole structure of the company
itself was not prepared for the size of
the project. That led to some troubles
and confusions and it cost quite some
sweat and blood to overcome those
issues. That sounds quite harsh - in the
end it was a learning process. When
the production of Lords started, the
production was quite efficient. But the
project got bigger, more people got
involved, more separate teams within
the team had to be formed and so
on. On paper that sounds rather easy,
but establishing new processes in a
team which has worked together for
years - that’s tricky. Lords helped us
to establish these structures and The
Surge benefited from that. But we then
learned so many things from The Surge
too.
EN: On the same note, what lessons did
you learn from Lords of the Fallen?
MH: I read that quite often these days.
That the market is crowded and that
some part of the market is taking
away share from the other parts of the
market. Honestly? I don’t think that this
is a thing. The overall market is growing.
If your game is interesting and you know
your audience and who you are creating
the games for and the marketing adds
on top of that, you will find your space.
I’m not saying that this is an easy task,
but it is doable. Personally I find that it is
easier to develop games you’d love to
play yourself. Why? Because if you are
the audience yourself, well, then you just
have to find people who are like you.
EN: Finally, when you’re not designing,
programming, and play testing, what
games do you like to play? What were
your favorites from 2017?
MH: Personally I’m sitting on a big
backlog of shame. So... my favorite
from 2017 is Divinity: Original Sin. Yes.
The first one. I finally found the time for
it! But in the company itself it varies a
lot. Some are completely addicted to
PUBG these days and celebrate their
chicken dinners, others are praising the
sun all night long and recently everyone
started hunting Great Jagras.
I’d like to thank Michael and the entire
Deck 13 crew, and Carly Shields of
Evolve PR for making the connection.
You can read more about Deck 13 on
its website.
- Evan Norris

Image by Justin Ladia taken from flickr

TRADING CARD
TOURNAMENTS
AT
GAMETRADERS

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
“There is nothing judge-y about it, you’re free to do what you want”
– Heather
Dungeons and Dragons at Gametraders Macarthur Square started way back in the early 1990s. As
a fantasy fan I lapped up everything I could, reading the Tolkien, Feist and the Dragonlance series
just wasn’t enough. I managed to convince a group of friends to gather together and play some
tabletop role playing. I got to work on creating the world, a story arc, villages and towns. Filling a
notebook with maps I felt I was ready, my friends were then released into the world and took to
burning down the inn, slaughtering my Non Player Characters and destroying everything I had made
– and I wasn’t even mad, I loved it!
After high school, time became poor, my family life took over and I was unable to find a group
to play with. This all changed when the 5th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons was released, I
purchased the Starter Set in the first month it was released, I felt hooked again. I reconnected with
some old friends and we agreed to play together online over Skype, along with some new friends
from all over the world, we set a weekly timeslot and committed to the adventure. As the Dungeon
Master I took my characters through the Starter Set, Hoard of the Dragon Queen and The Rise of
Tiamat. I’ve since retired as a DM and still meet with the group online weekly.
One of the first things I decided to do once I owned Gametraders Macarthur Square was to have
a place locally for players to meet and play Dungeons and Dragons in a casual environment. Since
July 2017 we’ve been running DnD in store and it’s now grown to two nights a week, Friday and
Saturday!

Image by Benny mazur taken from flickr

We’ve had some great feedback from our
players, some of which are new and others that
are well experienced in the art of rolling a D20.
They report that they love the environment
and the new friends they have met. According
to Heather, “Its local so travel isn’t an issue,
it’s a lot of fun and the environment is really
great because you’re surrounded by a lot of
awesome games and surrounded by people
in the community who also have the same
interests.” Belle agrees, “I was always a gamer
and started coming the first day you guys started
running DnD, I only missed one week!” Heather
jokes “How dare you! That’s dedication.” Belle
then laments, “Yeah I’ll always remember that
one week I had to go to a concert.” And Izaak
sees the benefit in bringing people together “If
you don’t have friends with time to play, having a
place where people can come each week allows
you to meet new people.”
The freedom of expression, the individuality
and imagination that is brought to the table
that I found so compelling as a young adult has
remained a staple for DnD. Where 4th Edition
complicated the world and rulesets, 5th Edition
has brought back the simplicity that doesn’t get
in the way of the role playing. However, more
important than the ruleset is the people and
place that facilitates the game.

Heather says, “For me it’s the
people, in our campaign at the
moment you get to play as a little
animal so that is adorable! The
people I play with makes the game
for me.” Belle agrees saying, “I love
building a character and the world
around you with friends at a table.”
An important staple of the Dungeon
and Dragons table is the Dungeon
Master. Our DMs are now rewarded
with store credit, given by the
players that attend, it’s a small
thank you for their time and the
creative energy that goes into
making an experience for their
group.
Image by Benny mazur taken from flickr

Izaak, one of our committed Dungeon Masters,
shared the story of how he became a DM. “A
couple of years ago I was overseas and I had
a friend who was big into DnD, I always wanted
to try it but I thought a DM was someone you
needed to pay, like you’d have to find them on
the internet or something because they know
the rules and everything. Once I found my friend
he showed me how to do it.” Izaak continues,
“so, I said to my friend he should be the Dungeon
Master, but he said he wasn’t good at it and that
I should try. I just did it and they were like wow!
You’re the best we’ve had, so I’ve kept doing it.”
And that is exactly what Izaak has done, he now
hosts a committed group weekly in store, “I like
the world building, making goofy characters and I
like facilitating the fun.”
Dungeons and Dragons now runs on Friday and
Saturday nights in store. Registration is open
from 5:30pm with the games kicking off at
6:15pm. New players are welcome and you’ll get
the chance to try new campaigns through the
DnD Adventurer’s League as they are released.
Written by Benn
Banasik, Owner
of Gametraders
Macarthur Square.
With a special thanks
to Heather, Belle
and Izaak for their
contribution.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING
COMMANDER
“It’s fun, I like the interactive side of it and I like to play giant dragons!”
– Jeremy
Magic the Gathering events at Macarthur Square have been going for almost 12 months. During
this past year the store has increased weekly events to now hosting tournaments two nights a
week, Monday and Saturday. Choosing to focus on Commander has created a small but tight
community with a more relaxed vibe to more competitive locations in the area.
With the new ownership of the store in June 2017, we introduced trading in Magic the Gathering
singles from day one. Our first Magic focused staff member Nick helped us get the tournaments
off the ground and now our new TCG focused staff member Rune is running the Magic show.
We’ve progressed up the levels on the Wizards Play Network and have the ability to do sneak
peaks and run competitive events! It’s an exciting time as the community has grown from just a
few players to a diverse group that feel comfortable to call our store home for a few hours each
week.
Commander is a multiplayer format of Magic where players have decks of 100 cards with a single
legendary creature available to be called upon. We asked the community what they loved best
about the Commander format. Jeremy said “I like Commander as you can be more creative, with
100 cards with no doubles you need to be creative. Its good for everybody and with multiplayer
anyone can jank the win.. if everyone thinks you’re not a threat haha!” Josh agreed saying “I like
the customisation as you don’t know what you’re going to get as compared to what you’re going to
be up against. Anything can happen, in Commander people build what they like or what they can
afford and anything can work.” Jackson jokes, “It gives me something to spend money on and it
gives me something to spend brain power on, both of which I am severely lacking.”

As you can probably see, our players don’t
take themselves too seriously. It is a casual
affair where players are creating the craziest
decks to try out on each other. The community
has tried a few drafting events and excitedly
look forward to what is coming out in future
for Magic. Their enthusiasm is pipped by Rune
who has to be dragged away from the Magic
rare folder and boxes of cards that we now
offer for the customers. Organising the cards
so they are easily accessible is something
that Rune is clearly passionate about and
we’re grateful for his support, good staff
is what sets us apart from the department
stores that surround us.
Our players shared some kind words too!
Jeremy loves the Monday nights, “I work really
long hours and having the game on Monday
the working week hasn’t drained me, Monday
isn’t good for anybody and this is something to
look forward to on a Monday!”

Tim, one of Gametraders Macarthur Square’s
youngest players who is about 10 years younger
than the majority of players who play loves it when,
according to him “When my friends come together
to play a couple of games.” He is here talking about
his father who also plays and the fellow players
that he has met in store. Tim continues “it is more
friendly (than other places) and is more for fun.”
Jackson agrees, “It’s a friendly atmosphere and you
don’t feel intimidated as it is much more casual.”
The casual focus, friendly and open environment,
with generous prize support and engaging staff is
what makes our store different.
Magic the Gathering: Commander runs on Monday
night in store. On Saturday we run a variety of Magic
events including Standard Showdown as well as
Store Championship events alongside our regular
Pokemon Tournament. Registration is open from
5:30pm with the tournaments kicking off at 6:15pm.
Written by Benn Banasik, Owner of
Gametraders Macarthur Square.
With a special thanks to Jeremy,
Tim and Jackson for their
contribution.

...Trading cards, tournaments, accessories
& more. Get it all at Gametraders.
TOURNAMENTS:
MAGIC: THE GATHERING COMMANDER: MONDAY 5:30pm
FINAL FANTASY: TUESDAY 5:30pm
YU-GI-OH: WEDNESDAY 5:30pm
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS / BOARD GAMES: FRIDAY 5:30pm
POKEMON: SATURDAY 5:30pm
GAMETRADERS TOURNAMENTS & EVENTS!
Tournaments are subject to change. Please check with your local store on tournament times before attending.
Visit www.gametraders.com.au/facebook to find your local stores Facebook page.

GameTraders EVENTS
& tournaments!
NSW
BLACKTOWN
Dungeons & Dragons TCG - Saturday 10am
Yu-Gi-Oh - Saturday 10:30am
Magic the Gathering - Thursday 6:30pm
Pokémon - Saturday 11am
MACARTHUR SQUARE (CAMPBELLTOWN)
Magic the Gathering - Monday 5:30pm
Final Fantasy - Tuesday 5:30pm
Yu-Gi-Oh - Wednesday 5:30pm
Dungeons & Dragons / Board Games - Friday 5:30pm
Pokémon - Saturday 5:30pm
PARRAMATTA
Yu-Gi-Oh - Wednesday 6pm
Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Wednesday 6pm
GAMETRADERS LIVE PENRITH
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Saturday 5pm
Magic the Gathering - Friday 7pm
Pokémon - Saturday 12pm
X-Wing - Wednesday 7pm
Dragon Ball Z - Thursday 6pm
Force of Will - Friday 7:30pm
Buddyfight - Saturday 12pm
My Little Pony - Saturday 5pm
Demo board games from Wednesday through to Saturday.
GAMETRADERS LIVE HORNSBY
Yu-Gi-Oh - Tuesday 4pm & Sunday 11am
Pokémon - Sunday 2pm
Magic the Gathering (Draft) - Wednesday 4pm & 7pm
Hearthstone Fireside Gathering + Tournament - Wednesday 6pm
Board Games - Thursday 7pm
Magic the Gathering (FNM) - 6pm (Standard, Modern, Draft)
Super Smash Bros - Saturday 1pm
Magic the Gathering (Commander) - Saturday 2pm
For more special events and tournaments please visit:
www.facebook.com/GametradersHornsby

SA
INGLE FARM
Yu-Gi-Oh! Coming Soon!
MARION
Pokémon - Saturday 2pm
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Tuesday 6pm
Yu-Gi-Oh - Wednesday 6pm
Final Fantasy - Wednesday 6pm
Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm
X-Wing - Every second Monday from 2pm. Check
with staff for details.
SEAFORD
FREE Monday Night Magic and Vanguard - 6pm
(5:30pm registration)
Magic the Gathering Modern and Commander -
Tuesday 6pm (5:30pm registration)
Friday Night Magic - Friday 6pm (5:30pm registration)
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Wednesday & Friday 6pm
(5:30pm registration)
Yu-Gi-Oh! - Thursday 6pm (5:30pm registration)
Pokémon - Sunday 1pm (12:30 registration)
Casual events on Saturdays! Check our Facebook page for
ACT
HYPERDOME
Yu-Gi-Oh - Saturday 10am
Pokémon - Saturday 2pm
QLD
CHERMSIDE
Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 3pm & Wednesday 6:30pm
Final Fantasy - Tuesday 6:30pm
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Wednesday 6:30pm
Pokémon - Saturday 3pm
Magic the Gathering - Tuesday & Friday 6:30pm
MORAYFIELD
Magic the Gathering Modern - Wednesday 7pm
Magic the Gathering Standard - Friday 7pm
Yu-Gi-Oh - Thursday 6pm & Sunday 2pm
Pokémon - Saturday 12pm
Magic the Gathering Learn to Play - Saturday
12pm
LARP Tournaments - Saturday 6pm
details.
SALISBURY
Final Fantasy - Tuesday 6pm (5:30pm registration)
Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm (5:30pm registration)
Magic the Gathering (Casual) - Thursday 5:30pm
Yu-Gi-Oh - Saturday 12pm (11:30am registration)
Pokémon - Sunday 12pm (11:30am registration)
FIND OUT
MORE...
each store has their own facebook page! just search
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SHAUN STODDARD
A PLAYERS PERSPECTIVE
Dungeons and Dragons - The Original and Some Alternatives
My first experience with Dungeons and Dragons was
the game Baldur’s Gate 2 on PC. I could be a Druid
who turned into a werewolf, and that was awesome.
Then I found the Dragonlance books by Margaret
Weis and Tracey Hickman and found the story of the
Heroes of the Lance to be something that I wanted
to strive towards. Then I discovered R.A. Salvatore’s
Forgotten Realms books and the adventures of
Drizzt Do’Urden, who started a hundred Character
Creations of arrow made good with two swords
and a big cat. Then I actually played Dungeons and
Dragons 3rd Edition. Which was fun.
Though what I did much more than play D&D was
read the source books and novels. Immersing myself
in the worlds they described and memorising the
different variations in the worlds. Dragonlance with
its steel as currency and exploding half dragon
creatures. Greyhawk with its... well... it was the basic
setting for D&D 3rd Edition so most of it wasn’t that
memorable. Forgotten Realms with its signature
Good Drow character and Year of Rogue Dragons
(coincidentally my favourite D&D book series). But
then I noticed something that I hadn’t before but
intrigued me.
Turns out D&D isn’t the only tabletop role playing
game out there!
So here are a few others to check out, if you ever
feel like experiencing something new.

(PAIZO) The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game puts you in the role of a brave adventurer fighting to survive
in a world beset by magic and evil!
Take on the role of a canny fighter hacking through enemies with an enchanted sword, a powerful
sorceress blessed with magic by the hint of demon blood in her veins, a wise cleric of gods benevolent
or malign, a witty rogue ready to defuse even the deadliest of traps, or any of countless other heroes.
The only limit is your imagination!
PATHFINDER
The spiritual successor to Dungeons and
Dragons 3.5 and continuing the tradition of being
an absolute number cruncher. If you enjoy cosmic
horror, fantasy worlds with other planets to travel
too, and an all-encompassing love of goblins,
Pathfinder is the one for you. Just be aware that
there is a lot of numbers to remember. Due for a
2nd Edition quite soon.
GET IT AT GAMETRADERS!
Order in-store.

(PAZIO) Strap in and blast off! The Starfinder Roleplaying Game puts you in the role of a bold sciencefantasy
explorer, investigating the mysteries of a weird and magical universe as part of a starship crew.
Will you delve for lost artifacts in the ruins of alien temples? Strap on rune-enhanced armor and a laser rifle
to battle undead empires in fleets of bone ships, or defend colonists from a swarm of ravenous monsters?
Maybe you’ll hack into the mainframe of a god-run corporation, or search the stars for clues to the secret
history of the universe or brand new planets to explore. Whether you’re making first contact with new
cultures on uncharted worlds or fighting to survive in the neon-lit back alleys of Absalom Station, you and
your team will need all your wits, combat skill, and magic to make it through. But most of all, you’ll need
each other.
STARFINDER
A sort of sequel to Pathfinder set far into
the future with space travel, guns and new
and unique species to explore a well fleshed
out star system filled with the usual fantasy
monsters and many more creatures. Has some
refinements to the Pathfinder model that make
it a bit less number crunchy.
GET IT AT GAMETRADERS!
Order in-store.

(3thAGESRD)13th Age is an “open” d20-based tabletop fantasy RPG similar in play to games like D&D
3.0/3.5 and Pathfinder. 13th Age makes use of many game mechanics and features that are intended to
develop characters and story as the game is played. Mundane combat equipment is based only on the
class of weapon and the class of character using it. For instance, a basic attack with a dagger in the hands
of a rogue does the same damage as a basic attack with a longsword in the hands of a fighter. Speaking
of fighters, martial classes gain some variety in their combat. Fighters, for instance, have features that
allow their attacks to proc certain advantages depending on the roll of the die and if the attack hit or not.
Rogues build momentum as they attack. Barbarians rage.
13th AGE
Take what people loved about D&D 4th edition, mix it with what
people loved about D&D 3rd edition, blend in a whole lot of
narrativist sensibility and freeform solutions and viola! You get 13th
Age. By far my favourite game system, 13th Age works best when
people are shooting off improvisations left and right, and adds
an incredibly unique mechanic in the Icons, extremely powerful
characters that exist within the game world and can affect your
game for good and ill.
GET IT AT GAMETRADERS!
Order in-store.

(DUNGEON-WORLD) Dungeon World is a tabletop roleplaying game. Gather some friends and embark on
adventure. Play to find out what happens.
DUNGEON WORLD
Strip away everything about Dungeons and Dragons. Now start
from scratch. Build your world collaboratively with your players.
Everything is defined by a Move, which is always predicated by
the GM asking, ‘What do you do?’. Really easy to run and easy
to organise. Plus, it helps that you only need the one rule book to
play. Within this as well are a whole lot of other games which are
Powered by The Apocalypse, including the original Apocalypse
World, which use the same ruleset for entirely different worlds.
GET IT AT GAMETRADERS!
Order in-store.

(EVIL HAT)Blades in the Dark is a tabletop role-playing game about a crew of daring scoundrels seeking
their fortunes on the haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city. There are heists, chases, occult
mysteries, dangerous bargains, bloody skirmishes, and, above all, riches to be had — if you’re bold enough
to seize them.
You and your fledgling crew must thrive amidst the threats of rival gangs, powerful noble families, vengeful
ghosts, the Bluecoats of the city watch, and the siren song of your scoundrel’s own vices. Will you rise to
power in the criminal underworld? What are you willing to do to get to the top?
BLADES IN THE DARK
Probably the most focused of the games I’m mentioning here.
Imagine you were in a gang trying to steal expensive stuff
to up your credibility in a world eerily similar to the worlds of
Dishonoured and Thief. That’s Blades in the Dark. One rule book
which has all the information you need in it, and one hell of an
aesthetic.
GET IT AT GAMETRADERS!
Order in-store.

(CUBICLE 7) Smaug has been defeated, the Battle of Five Armies has been won, and Bilbo has returned to
the Shire. But much danger still remains, and from the Orc-holds of the mountains to the dark and corrupt
depths of Mirkwood a darkness waits, recovering its strength, laying its plans, and slowly extending its
THE ONE RING
Set between the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, this game isn’t
one I’ve played yet, but I’ve heard enough good things about it
that I’m intrigued and really want to play it. It’s use of unique dice
and connection to one of the most beloved book and film series
of all time certainly helps.
GET IT AT GAMETRADERS!
Order in-store.

(RPG.net)The STAR WARS universe is brought to life by this roleplaying game, designed to allow players to
emulate the lively universe of the films. Players may assume the roles of Jedi, Smugglers, Imperials, or any
of the many other factions that inhabit the beloved STAR WARS galaxy.
STAR WARS ROLEPLAYING GAME
With its core books of Edge of the Empire, Age of Rebellion
and Forces and Destiny it gives the players the ability to be
anything from a ship mechanic on the outer rim to a Jedi
hidden from the Emperors purges. Plus, the GM gets to play
as the Empire. So that’s fun.
Written by
Shaun Stoddard
GET IT AT GAMETRADERS!
Order in-store.

JACKSON NEWSOME
DETROIT: BEC
The wait has felt long since
Quantic Dream’s last original
title, Beyond: Two Souls,
launched on PlayStation 3. The
wait is now over, and Detroit:
Become Human makes up
for lost time with an industryleading
narrative and visuals
previously unseen on current
generation hardware. That’s
not to mention the game’s
surprisingly standout sound
design and genre-appropriate
soundtrack or the refinements
to the studio’s standard (and
often critiqued) control scheme.
In many ways, Detroit is the
culmination of David Cage’s
previous works and plays better
than all of them.
The year is 2038, and the city of
Detroit has been revitalized by
the invention and proliferation
of androids. In Detroit, androids
serve human needs, taking on
roles in manual labor, childcare,
and even the military. This
invention takes its toll, however,
as unemployment skyrockets
and androids disrupt traditional
ways of life. The game follows
the stories of three androids
against this backdrop – a city
split in two by this simultaneous
economic boom and collapse.
The stories of the title’s three
androids (Connor, Kara, and
Marcus) are one of the game’s
many highlights, which should
come as no surprise based
on Cage’s history. Each of
the androids’ stories carries a
distinct tone, lending Detroit an
increase in gameplay variety
from the studio’s past titles.
Unfortunately, not all stories are
created equal, and Marcus’s
arc is easily the most uneven of
the three narratives. That being
said, the stories have varying
strengths and evoke different
reactions depending on
your choices.

OME HUMAN

Detroit is full of twists and turns and boasts
high replayability due to the game’s many, many
branching pathways. In fact, the branching story
pathways make it difficult to concisely review this
aspect of the game, yet I reacted positively to the
narrative direction of both my original playthrough
as well as the handful of chapters I replayed for
experimentation. The developers simplified the
process of replaying story segments, enabling
players to view their decisions and alternate paths
at the conclusion of each chapter, which was a
very welcome and logical addition for such a storydriven
game.
Thankfully, Detroit features improvements in
gameplay variety without the confusing narrative
choices or sacrificed pacing of Beyond: Two Souls.
Players can expect a lot of walking and interaction
with the game’s environment, but such scenes
are often followed by action or escape sequences
(typically overcome through quick time events),
and, in at least one instance, a stealth mission.
Cage’s narrative style is still present in full force,
although it is more refined than his previous works,
even if the writing occasionally veers toward the
implausible or melodramatic. In the end, such
criticisms only seem fair when comparing Detroit
to films or novels rather than video games. Cage’s
vision is virtually unparalleled among his peers in
the game industry.
His formula is straightforward but effective: build
tension through a combination of dialogue, stellar
sound design, and visual cues to a thrilling climax.
Even though it was usually obvious when scenes
were leading to a dark turn, the game’s direction
and narrative managed to genuinely surprise me.
There were several instances in which I made a
decision that led me down a path I couldn’t have
anticipated, whereas my choices seemed to lead
to more predictable outcomes in previous Quantic
Dream titles. The seemingly “safe” options may
not be as they seem. In Heavy Rain, for instance, I
was more likely to begin a new story path because
I failed a quick time event than because of
ambiguous dialogue choices.

Furthermore, the quick time events in Detroit
have been improved and expanded considerably.
The game is much more lenient and accurate
in interpreting player inputs compared to Heavy
Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. This improvement
means that I did not fail a single quick time event,
but it also means that the game is noticeably
easier and less dynamic in its potential for quick
story changes. Due to this shift, I interacted with
a narrative that was dictated almost exclusively
by dialogue choices and the thoroughness with
which I explored environments rather than the
occasional misfortune or error. It’s hard to feel
tense when success seems all but certain during
major action sequences.

Beyond narrative, Detroit: Become Human
excels in both its visuals and sound. The
game’s settings were meticulously designed
and rendered to perfection. While Quantic
Dream may have set the new benchmark
for console graphics, it comes at a cost.
Environments are still relatively small despite
the increased power of the current generation
of consoles. I frequently ran into invisible walls
which felt discordant with the developers’
presumed goal of player immersion. Even if
it is a reasonable sacrifice given technical
limitations, the restriction seems odd when
considered alongside the studio’s emphasis
on player choice and insistence on players
replicating real-life movements with precise
button inputs. How immersive can it be if one
is so often told they went the wrong way just
for venturing slightly off the path? However,
these qualms ultimately feel like nitpicks when
a game’s presentation and gameplay are this
good.
Detroit: Become Human is a showcase for the
importance of interactive narratives, and it is
a testament to Cage’s craft that Detroit works
so well. In straddling the boundary between
games and films, Quantic Dream continues
to deliver unique experiences that evoke
feelings of both media, in which immersion
and choice are balanced with tightly-directed
story beats. Quantic Dream has outdone itself
and delivered another must-play PlayStation
exclusive. The finished product is quite unlike
anything else available today, and I wholly
recommend Detroit: Become Human.
By Jackson Newsome, VGChartz
8

VG CHARTS REVIEW
STATE OF DECAY 2
State of Decay 2 is a menagerie of game
genres – (zombie) survival, role-playing, action,
and management simulation combine to offer a
deep and entertaining game concept. However,
while the concept and framework are excellent,
the game stumbles in execution, resulting in a
title that’s good but could, and arguably should,
be better.
The premise is fairly simple. There’s a zombie
infection running rampant, and you have to
survive. That is neither original nor noteworthy
- what you have to do to survive is, however.
Sure, there is still foraging for weapons and
other useful items, but the added complexity
and dynamics provided by the role-playing and
management simulation set the game apart and,
in that respect, above other offerings.
As part of surviving the dire circumstances,
you’re tasked with managing a community.
After the tutorial, you’ll have the first three
members of your community. You can control
any of them, but only one at a time (you can also
have one accompany you as an NPC). Death
is permanent for characters, whether you’re
controlling them or not. Additionally, you can
exile unwanted members and recruit new ones.

Each character in the game
has different traits and
abilities, some good and
some bad. Hilariously, I had
one character who had both
optimism and a bleak outlook
as two of his traits. Each
character has health, stamina,
morale, and standing. Health
and stamina are straight
forward, but both can be
depleted to the point where
only med kits (a rarer health
item) or rest (especially in a
base with a level 2 infirmary)
will allow full recovery.
Morale is usually a product of
the condition and resources
of your base, though
sometimes a character will
have a particular mission that
will increase their morale if
you complete it, or decrease
if you neglect to do so. The
latter option proved to be the
final straw for a good member
of my community during a
particular rough patch. He
literally left the community as
I was returning with needed
supplies. I was going to
undertake his mission next (I
swear), but apparently I had
waited too long.
Standing is simple, but
important. Each character’s
standing increases as you
perform useful tasks, from
killing zombies, to contributing
resources to the community base.
To really progress in the game, you
must eventually elect a character
as the community leader, which you
can only do once their standing is
high enough.
In addition, there are five
upgradable skills. Four of the five
upgradeable skills start off as the
same respective skill (Cardio, Wits,
Fighting, and Shooting), though,
as each can be upgraded, most
with a branching option, they can
and will diverge with progress. The
fifth slot is reserved for a unique
skill that can be learned (via books
that can be found), but also may
already be learned by the time you
acquire a character. Regardless,
once that skill is learned, it cannot
be changed, only upgraded. The
“fifth” skill will usually add abilities
to craft additional items or build
new facilities (or upgrade existing
ones) on your base.
Base building and management
is a major element of the game.
There are a variety of facilities to
build or upgrade within a base,
as well as the ability to move to
different bases that might offer
more slots for facilities, and/or
some built-in perks that others do
not. Effectively managing the base
and your resources, and utilizing
the strengths of your community
members, is a critical part of State
of Decay 2.
Lastly, there are survivors and
“enclaves” (factions) all throughout
the open worlds (there are three
unique maps that you can try
to survive on). You will receive
random requests for help of one
sort or another. Responding or
not, and how you respond, all have
consequences, though they weren’t
always, if ever, too significant in my
two playthroughs.

Rounding out the population are
zombies. Most are generic, but
some are plague zombies, and
have the ability to infect your
characters with the blood plague,
for which you have a limited time
to treat. In addition, there are
four types of unique zombies
that present a greater challenge.
Infestations will arise at various
locations. As with many other
things in this game, addressing
those can boost morale; leaving
them to fester will lower morale
and can increase the chance of a
zombie siege at your base.
With all of these elements, the
pace of the game is relentless.
Trying to balance tasks such as
tending to the needs of individuals
in and out of your community,
eliminating infestations, gathering
and effectively managing
resources, and simply just
surviving, can be incredibly
difficult. At worst, it feels too
contrived. A good example of
this is when a new member of
my community, who hadn’t even
made it back to our base yet,
inexplicably started a fight with
an existing member at our base
because of low morale – and our
morale was a little above stable.
However, overcoming the
challenges, contrived or
otherwise, can be wonderfully
fulfilling. Inspecting the map
for locations that might contain
needed resources, then gearing
up and setting out, and ultimately
returning with the resources and
adding hope to the community
is genuinely satisfying. Losing
daylight while doing so is
disconcerting. Running out of
fuel, stamina, or, as happened to
me, overturning your vehicle or
having it destroyed by a horde
of zombies (and some shoddy
driving) is outright frightening and
exhilarating. But again, prevailing
over such adversities and
hardships feels like an authentic,
rewarding achievement.

Moments and experiences
like those are where the game
shines. Other aspects are a
mixed-bag. I found combat
responsive and pleasing, but
the simplicity of it might make
it feel repetitive for some. The
graphics are so mediocre that,
at first glance, I couldn’t help
but wonder if they were any
better that the original State
of Decay on Xbox 360. At
times, they’re just fine, but
there are some truly bland or
ugly textures. The general art
direction is good, the graphics
just don’t really complement it.
The game controls are
customizable, and are mostly
fine. My biggest complaint is
how often the “interact” button
(Y by default) is used. Case in
point: fuelling up a four door
car can be a chore. You have
to find the sweet spot between
the rear driver’s side door and
the trunk - miss it, and you’re
managing the trunk inventory or
hopping in the car. The same
issue applies for looting with an
NPC around. In a bind, that can
be really frustrating.
That brings me to the game’s
general lack of polish. Even
after a 6GB patch was recently
made available, it seems the
majority of the issues I’ve
encountered remain.
Some are innocuous, however
distracting, like zombies
spawning in the air, or doors
appearing open but behaving
as though they’re closed.
Additionally, I’ve had NPCs
block my path, or yell at me for
aiming my gun at them when
they step in the way, and I’ve
had my character ignore using
a ladder, instead walking over
the edge. This hasn’t resulted in
death, but it has inflicted injury
every time.
I had a survivor request help
at a residence, only for me to
clear it out but be unable to
find him there. Looking at the
map, I saw he was now down
the road at another house. I
drove to that house to watch
him run out of it and down the
street to where he was originally
supposed to be. Better yet,
when I went back and talked
with him at that first location,
he asked if I would accompany
him to the house he had literally
just run from. The one time I
died, my body disappeared,
whereas when some of my
community members died, I
could loot their bodies. I wasn’t
sure what to make of it, until
just before beating the game,
I found myself near the area I
had died, and suddenly the body
reappeared so that I could loot
it like normal.
Perhaps the most disappointing
unpolished element is the
multiplayer. Cooperative gameplay
is probably the biggest addition
and improvement in this sequel.
Indeed, it does add some fun and
possibilities, but in my admittedly
limited time playing co-op (thanks
Donovan and Jed), more issues
manifested. From performance
problems (usually not affecting the
host) to issues of items and actions
not appearing for all members of
the game. At one point I had to
quit because I was unable to see or

access the item storage at our base
in a multiplayer session.
In seeing an ending for two different
types of leaders (of which there
are four) I suspect a Mass Effect
3-like ending system. They are
different, but only marginally so,
and I’m not sure how much of an
impact your actions make in the
end. In one playthrough, despite me
making friends with five enclaves,
my Warlord leader was met with
a lot of resistance because of his
“tyrannical” conduct.

All the same, each leader type
unlocks a “Legacy Perk” for future
playthroughs. You can select up
to two of the four for subsequent
playthroughs, as well as up to
three community members who
have made it through previous
playthroughs. This adds some nice
replay potential.
In the end, although no one
glitch or unpolished element is
game-breaking, they combine to
noticeably hinder the experience.
I will note that the developer is
“committed to fixing issues up
to and beyond launch”, but this
is where the game is now. The
story never really does anything
more than serve as a loose form
and guidance for your gameplay
experience. In two playthroughs,
no character or plot point was
memorable. And yet, I’ve had a
hell of a time playing the game,
and many memorable moments
during my time with it. Some of
the execution has more room for
improvement than you’d expect
from a sequel, especially one
published by Microsoft, but overall
it provides a unique, fun, and
satisfying gameplay experience.
By Brandon J. Wysocki, VGChartz
6

Review by Rex Hindrichs
Since bursting onto the scene 13
years ago, God of of War has been
one of of PlayStation’s most iconic and
bombastic franchises. After several
games across numerous platforms, its
distinct formula had been thoroughly
iterated and it it seemed as though the
franchise as we knew it it had nowhere
else to to go and would fade into memory.
Then, during E3 2016, God of of War
announced its triumphant return with a
wizened protagonist, new mechanics
at at his disposal, and a new mythology
to to explore. Now, 8 years after the
main trilogy concluded, the series’
reinvention has arrived to to do its history
justice for a new generation.
You reprise the role of of Kratos, the
Spartan warrior turned god who
conquered the Greek pantheon of of
Olympus in in his rage. With nothing left
to to go home to, he has wandered the
Earth until ending up far away in in the
Norse land of of Midgard, finding a new
home and starting a new family for
himself. After many years hiding from
his past, our new game begins during
a funeral for his wife, with his young
son Atreus at at his side. Alienated from
each other by Kratos’ deep character
flaws but with only one another to to rely
on now, the two must learn to to connect
as they never have before in in order to to
fulfill the mother’s dying wish together.
As if if real parenting wasn’t going to to be
hard enough for the Ghost of of Sparta,
Kratos must also confront his bloody
past and keep both himself and his
son alive when a mysterious and
powerful stranger shows up on their
doorstep.
Thrust into a new journey for solace
and survival, Kratos and Atreus set
off into a dangerous and unfamiliar
land. Midgard is is wide, winding, and
beautiful. While not as large as today’s
typical open worlds, it’s certainly more
dense, with intricate level design
that changes over the course of of the
game. In In contrast with the zoomed
out automatic camera of of the series’
past, the game is is played from a
tightly focused over-the-shoulder
perspective with a camera that never
cuts for anything save the menus. It’s
an impressive technical feat, though
franchise purists may miss the old
scheme.

With a new setting comes a new
ecosystem, with everything from
decorative flora and fauna, to all manner
of monstrous beasts, to the powerful
gods and sentient races of Norse
mythology that must be contended
with. To do just that, Kratos has a new
mainstay: the Leviathan axe; a versatile
weapon imbued with frost magic that
can chop, blast, twirl, freeze, and be
thrown in a variety of unlockable ways.
Just as formidable are Kratos’ shield and
bare hands, which can pummel enemies
into a stupor that sets up devastating
finishing moves. Atreus is no liability
either, wielding a bow you can use to stun
enemies and prolong combos.
With numerous tools at your disposal
and multiple ways to use them, combat
is deep and satisfying. ‘Deliberate’ would
be the best way to describe how it
has changed. Fewer, more threatening
enemies require more calculated
responses from the player and force
you to take full advantage of your
skillset. Juggling your various attack
methods to fend off and vanquish a
diverse encounter is very stimulating
and watching your skill improve to do so
is that much more gratifying. Of course,
God of War is also known for its larger
than life boss fights and the new game
- while a bit more grounded than before
- does not shy away from epic and brutal
moments (though you may wish you had
a bit more control over some of them).
You’ll be doing even more exploring than
fighting, so thankfully the environments
have been given just as much attention.
The hours upon hours of twisting pathways are filled with
puzzles, hidden treasure, numerous side missions, and
scores of opportunities to develop our characters and the
lore of the world they inhabit. Your journey will take you
through many distinct realms and each is a sight to behold.
One of the game’s most prominent elements is its
progression. New RPG mechanics dictate your power
and the caliber of enemies you can take on. Your stats
are increased by the gear you loot, craft, and upgrade.
Experience gained in combat and quests can be used
to unlock new moves and abilities. These menus can
be overwhelming at first and even unexpected for an
action game, but their depth allows you to specialize your
characters as you see fit and experiment with different
builds. Progression applies to more than just stats and
moves, as well; watching the world widen and characters
grow before your eyes is greatly rewarding.

Beyond the gameplay, God of War is also a master of
presentation. Richly detailed characters and environments,
sophisticated animation and lighting, dazzling effects,
seamless design, grand sense of scale, clean image quality,
beautiful music, impeccable voice casting, and crunching
sound design all amount to an industry leading audio visual
experience let down by only the slightest bits of pop-in
or performance dips. This artistry further extends to the
game’s improved writing; Kratos is no longer a one note
caricature but a tapestry of scars to draw from. The long,
steady development of father and son is some of gaming’s
best storytelling and anchors the whole affair. All of these
strengths combined exceed the franchise’s reputation.
God of War has evolved. After years of legacy and increasing
familiarity, the next chapter for a new generation has grown
with its audience. With a wider, more balanced scope, loads
of content, and the series’ trademark panache, it chronicles
an adventure both intimate and epic. A new legend has
begun.
9
By Rex Hindrichs. VGChartz

God of War
Norse Mythology

Playing God of War as a person who loves
Norse mythology is like reading a really
cool side story to a bunch of books you’ve
read since you were a kid, but from the
perspective of the villains. There are so
many bits and pieces in this game which are
the very definition of alternative character
interpretation but it all works in the story God
of War is trying to tell.
How do those characters who are drawn
from Norse Mythology measure up to their
real world mythological counterparts? That’s
what we’re here to find out.
Please be warned, this article will contain
spoilers for God of War, which should be
a little obvious because of just how many
Norse characters there are in this thing!
Let’s start with the Stranger that knocks at your
door. There are some pretty good signs that hint
towards his identity in your first knock down drag
out battle. His sheer invulnerability to all harm
(including a giant rock straight up flattening the
man), the big red runes on his back (which spell
out cursed) and mentioning his brother in your first
conversation. His inability to feel is an expansion
of the myths, where the other gods would hurl
weapons at him for fun. Later in the game, around
halfway through, you learn that he is the Aesir God
Baldur.
In the mythology he’s not really described all that
much, just that his mother asked everything in the
world (apart from the plant Mistletoe... or a sword
named Mystletainn. It gets confusing. Different
cultures within the Norse sphere had different
interpretation of this myth) to not cause his death
after a vision he had in which he died. Of course,
Norse mythology being as fatalistic as it is, Baldur
ends up dying at the hands of his brother Hodr, who
was tricked by Loki to throw a mistletoe arrow at
him. After Ragnarok, he and Hodr are resurrected to
live in the new world that is created. In God of War,
Hodr doesn’t feature, so the killing Baldur thing is up
to you as Kratos.
Next up we’ll take a look at the Witch of the
Woods, who is revealed as the goddess Freya. Her
incarnation in this game is very interesting in relation
to the mythology as she is a combination of two
goddesses. The Vanir goddess Freyja, for her magic,
her relation to the Vanir, and her being revealed in a
side quest to be the original Queen of the Valkyries
and the Aesir goddess Frigga, for being Odin’s wife
and Baldur’s mother. Most of the characterisation in
God of War is based on Frigga, especially her being
the one to cast the spell of invulnerability on Baldur
after having a vision of his death.

Odin isn’t featured in this game. You may be
wondering why I’m mentioning him then. Well, even
if he doesn’t physically appear, his actions, his
command, and his sheer bloodthirstiness permeate
everything within the game. He is portrayed as a
villain, a vicious manipulator and murderer who
ordered a genocide and is directly responsible for
most of what happens in the game. Throughout the
game we hear stories from various sources, people
who have been directly wronged by Odin, and we
are given a look into a side of Norse Myth that we
haven’t really experienced before. This is in contrast
to most of the mythology where he is portrayed
as well intentioned though flawed at times, in his
efforts to prevent Ragnarok.
Tyr is also not featured in this
game. But you see a whole bunch
of stuff that he created, and he is
portrayed as a heroic figure in
contrast to Odin’s villainy.
Throughout the game you learn
more about Tyr and his quest for
peace between the realms and
eventually make your way to a
place very important to him. In
the mythology, there isn’t a lot
about him. The main legend in
which he is featured results in
him getting his arm bitten off by
a wolf that will eventually kill Odin
in Ragnarok.
The reasons why are complicated
and are revealed throughout the game but rest
assured whatever you might have read in the
mythologies, this game puts a twist on all of it when
it comes to Mimir.
Quite possibly the most important mythological
character in God of War, and the biggest change
between the legends and the game, is The World
Serpent himself. Jormangandr spends the game
being in multiple locations because of his size and
helping Kratos and Atreus with various parts of their
quest. This is huge departure from the mythology
where they are the one who poisons the seas and
the earth during Ragnarok. A nice snake they were
not.
One of the most heavily featured
characters you encounter in God
of War, and one of my favourites,
is the traditional Aesir God Mimir.
Only in this game he’s not a God,
more an old school ‘fae’ creature
with a charming Scottish accent
who asks you to decapitate him.

There are a lot more references to Norse
Mythology in these games, but talking about
them here would spoil more than I already have,
and ruin some of the best moments of the game.
There are some appearances by Gods and giants
I haven’t mentioned here, some of them very
surprising.
While God of War is a worthwhile experience
not only because of the fulfilling gameplay and
the interpersonal relationships it is also and
interesting look into a type of story we haven’t
really seen in the context of Norse Mythology. The
reframing of the traditional villains of the legends
into allies alongside the interpretations of the
Aesir as uncaring conquerors who perpetrated
a genocide makes this game an unorthodox and
highly unique story. One I hope Santa Monica
Studios continue in the future.
Written by Shaun Stoddard. Look for more
of his work at https://www.facebook.com/
spinionsbyshaun/

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WRITTEN BY PAUL MONOPOLI
It has been five years since the defeat of the
reincarnation of King Piccolo at the 23rd World
Martial Arts Tournament. His arch rival, Goku,
is about to learn of his heritage in the most
devastating way, but what if the story took
another direction?
of Vegeta and Nappa, and the pending
re-emergence of Raditz. In the meantime
Vegeta chides Raditz for his failure and
ostracises him. With nowhere to turn
Raditz joins the Z fighters and a new story
begins.
It begins the same way as it does in the
beginning of Dragonball Z. Raditz arrives and tells
Goku about his Saiyan heritage, along with the
fact that they are brothers. He expresses
his disgust at the fact that planet Earth is still
populated and orders Goku to kill 100 people
and deliver their bodies to Master Roshi’s island.
For insurance he kidnaps Gohan and there’s
nothing that Goku can do to stop him.
Piccolo arrives on the scene, having encountered
Raditz a little earlier, the rivals form a temporary
alliance and head out to defeat the Saiyan
warrior. The battle plays out a little differently in
this version of the story. Gohan head butts Raditz
in the chest but it does more damage than in the
original Dragonball Z story. Goku grabs Raditz
from behind and orders Piccolo to power up his
special beam cannon. Piccolo is about to fire but
Raditz shifts at the last second, leaving Goku the
only recipient of the blast.
In the aftermath of the attack Raditz escapes,
leaving everyone in shock over Goku’s death.
Piccolo decides to train Gohan for both the arrival
This is the premise for the Dragonball
“what if” scenario, ‘What if Raditz
turned good?’ Developed by Masako
X, Goku from the YouTube parody
series Dragonball Z Abridged, and
his co-writer Haverok, the story
has become a fan favourite for
people who visit the Masako X
YouTube Channel. So much so that it
has now been developed into a web
comic, complete with accompanying
voice cast.

I don’t want to give too much of the
story away, but the series centres
on Raditz and his daughter Ranch. In
this alternative storyline Raditz and
Launch (remember her from the original
Dragonball?) settle down together and
have a family. Ranch provides a different
dynamic to the Trunks and Goten
bromance seen during the latter part of
Z and Dragon Ball Super.
By Paul Monopoli
At the time of writing this the first episode
is available on YouTube, so check it out
over on the Masako X channel:
www.youtube.com/MasakoXtreme
And the Twitter pages of Masako X and
Haverock:
www.twitter.com/MasakoX
www.twitter.com/havelock_grave

THE CAST
RADITZ
Voiced By
Kevin Aghani
“Not every
battle is played
by the rules,
you should
be prepared
for that
eventuality.”
LAUNCH
Voiced By
Amanda Hufford
“I know you’ll be fine but...
I’m just... Saiyan.”
RANCH
Voiced By
COURTNEY MEEKER
“I BET GIRLS WOULD MAKE
STRONGER FUSIONS.”

GOKU
Voiced By
LAWRENCE SIMPSON
“A TEST OF
STRENGTH?
COUNT ME IN!”
GOTEN
Voiced By
JENNA KATHLEEN
“DAD HAS BEEN
SHOWING ME A
FEW TRICKS OF
HIS OWN!”
VEGETA
Voiced By
ALEX WALKER SMITH
“STRENGTH
EH? I’M
LISTENING.”
BULMA
Voiced By
TRINA DEUHART
“GUESS YOUR PRIDE
IS NOTHING AGAINST
THE POWER OF
SHOPPING.”
TRUNKS
Voiced By
LUCIA LOBOSVILLA
“YEAH, GOTEN AND I
TOTALLY MAKE THE BEST
FUSION!”
Check out some of the artists working on this Series: Casual misfit studios (https://twitter.com/LegionCMStudios).
Malik Torihane (https://twitter.com/MALIK_DBNA) & Nexus mania (https://twitter.com/NexusMania).

THE DO’s AND DO
CONTACT LENSE
Non-prescription lenses, known more commonly
as cosmetic or novelty contact lenses, are those
aimed to change appearance. In cosplay, these are
sometimes essential to creating the correct look
for your character and are a commonly used part of
the make-up process.
Unsurprisingly placing something foreign into your
body comes with a set of dangers, particularly
since Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration
does not regulate cosmetic contact lenses.
Before you purchase your first set of contact
lenses, have a professional optometrist to have
an eye examination. They can identify any preexisting
conditions that could increase the
likelihood of cosmetic lenses damaging your eyes.
You can also purchase cosmetic lenses through
your optometrist, which is the safest option for
purchasing cosmetic lenses as they are from
verified brands and products. Optometrists can also
train you on correct handling and storage of lenses.
Most cosplayers however choose to purchase
through international sellers. International sellers
can be good, but they do not follow the same
standards of hygiene and care provided by
Australian sellers, so extra care must be taken.

NT’S OF
CARE
Cosplay by
Anny Sims (Ichigo Momomiya)
https://www.facebook.com/ChattyAnny/?fref=mentions
Photography by
Dark Age Photography
https://www.facebook.com/DarkAgePhotography/

Cosplay by: Anny Sims (Female Loki)
https://www.facebook.com/ChattyAnny/?fref=mentions
Photography by: SFX IMAGES
https://www.facebook.com/SFXImages/
- DO NOT under any circumstances keep
lenses in if your eyes are hurting or stinging.
Incorrect usage of contact lenses can cause
cornea damage, eye infections, and eventual
blindness. You do not get another set of eyes,
and it’s not worth going blind solely to look
pretty for one day.
- Do not swap lenses between wearers,
wear lenses longer than recommended, use
inappropriate contact care solutions, let
lenses dry out, place lenses in unsterilised
contact cases, or continue to use lenses past
their expiry date. All these options increase
risks of eye infection and overall damage to
the eye upon wearing.
- Always insert your contact lenses on a
clean, make-up-less face and clean, sterilised
hands or tools. Whenever you wear contact
lenses, please make sure you carry contact
solution for sterilising hands and tools, and a
clean case. Do not ever re-insert lenses that
are single use, have passed expiry or have
been in an unsterilised environment.
Overall, contact lenses can be a fun and
wonderful way to alter your appearance and
add to your cosplay; but nothing is worth
losing your eyesight over. Please be careful
and listen to professional advice, and you
should have a safe and fun time with your
lenses.
By Anny Sims

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