December 2018 LIVE Magazine

DECEMBER ISSUE 2018
IVE
WIN
A double
pass for
Spider-Man
Into The Spider
Verse!
pg. 32
Interview with Eddie Chew
Animator for Spider-Man Into the
Spider Verse
pg 26
WIN
A double
pass for
Holmes &
Watson
pg. 36
Super Mario Party - Red Dead Redemption 2 - Stan Lee - My Spider Senses are Tingling!

Go to page 32 for details on how you can go in the drawn to win tickets to see Spider-Man! (Australia only)

From the Editor
Hello and welcome to the December edition of Gametraders Live!
This edition we have two competitions for you. One is a double pass
giveaway for Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, which we were lucky
enough to also get an interview with one of the animators for the film;
Eddie Chew. Check out the interview on page 26 and the competion
on page 32! The other competition is for a comedy called Watson and
Holmes which you can check out on page 36!
Inside we also have our top five ‘nerdy’ christmas movies (pg. 12), an
article on the history of Spider-Man with a look into the relevence of
the new movie (pg. 20) two interviews, one with Eddie Chew and the
other with Toni from Children of the Night (pg. 64) as well as many
reviews including ones for Red Dead Redemption 2, Fallout 76 and
Spyro Reignited Triology.
We hope you enjoy the magazine. Happy readings and happy holidays!
Emily Langford
Emily Langford,
EDITOR

What’s inside
EDDIE CHEW INTERVIEW (SPIDER MAN INTO THE SPIDER VERSE ) pg. 26
“As long as
there are young
kids who would
rather read
comic books
than play sport
Spider-Man will
continue to be
their hero .”
pg. 20
REVIEWS:
SPYRO REIGNITED
& RED DEAD
REDEMPTION 2
pg. 90 & pg. 76

REMEMBERING STAN LEE
Pg. 18
THE LIVE TEAM
EDITOR & DESIGNER: Emily Langford
WRITERS:
Scott Sowter, Entertainment review and opinion
Paul Monopoli, Interviews / Retro Editor
Taneli Palola, Evan Norris, Rex Hindrichs,
Paul Broussard, Jackson Newsome, Ben
Dye, Stephen LaGioia & Patrick Day-Childs,
VGChartz
INTERVIEW WITH
CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT
Pg. 64
10-41 MOVIES
MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU FILTHY ANIMALS -
TOP 5 ‘NERDY’ CHRISTMAS MOVIES, pg 12
32 SPIDERMAN GIVEAWAY
36 HOLMES & WATSON GIVEAWAY
42-103 GAMES
OPEN WORLD GAMES AND THE PROBLEM OF
SCALE vs CONTECT, pg 44
TOP 10 BEST GAMES BASED ON BOOKS, pg 50
THIS WAR OF MINE (NS) REVIEW, pg 70
SUPER MARIO PARTY (NS) REVIEW, pg 96
LEGO HARRY POTTER (NS) REVIEW, pg 102
LEGO DC SUPER-VILLANS (X1) REVIEW, pg 108
FALLOUT 76 REVIEW
Pg. 84

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MOVIE
SPIDERMAN
DOUBLE PASS
GIVEAWAY
INTERVIEW WITH EDDIE
CHEW (SPIDER-MAN INTO
THE SPIDER VERSE)
HOLMES AND WATSON
DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY

S
MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU
FILTHY ANIMALS! (TOP 5
NERDY CHRISTMAS MOVIES)
MY SPIDER SENSES ARE
TINGLING!

YOUR Scott SAY F Sowter
Top five nerdy
Christmas movies...
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
YOU FILTHY
ANIMALS!
Shhhh… Do you hear it? The sound of wrapping
paper, trees going up, tinsel being pulled out
of dusty old boxes, Michael Buble rubbing
his hands together as people line up to buy
his Christmas album again… That’s right it’s
the holy jolly time of year! The time of giving,
awkward family fights and trying not to get
fired up when grandma says something racist
at the family Christmas lunch. So given that
it is the time of year to get together with the
people you love, most of us will at least once in
December watch a Christmas movie. But why
settle for A Christmas Carol, or the Grinch or
Love Actually… (Well you should watch Love
Actually because it’s simply incredible.) So here
for you! We have five Christmas films that are
a little off the wall. Five Christmas films that
will keep your geek flag flying! So settle in, get
the egg-nog and enjoy five nerdy Christmas
movies!

1
LETHAL WEAPON
1987’s Lethal Weapon is an action comedy masterpiece. Written by Shane Black (who’s name will
be coming up a lot on this list) and directed by the great Richard Donner, Lethal Weapon sees
Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs a renegade younger cop who teams up with disgruntled old cop
Roger Murtaugh played by Danny Glover who is quite simply too old for Rigg’s shi… Nonsense.
A great neo-noir adventure takes place with some of the best one-lines in film. What does it have
to do with Christmas? Well not a lot really. It’s set in December and there are a few carols and
Christmas jokes thrown in. Plus the gift of bullets into bad guys.

2 GREMLINS
Joe-Dante’s horror comedy masterpiece Gremlins is just one of those absolute
classics. Featuring the great all time cutie Gizmo who when not properly cared for by his new
owner births the mysterious gremlins who terrorise his town. The whole movie is set on Christmas
Eve and has nothing but Christmas lights, gifts, carols and terrifying monsters on display. A sure
fire hit with everyone, except maybe the very young. It does get a little intense in parts…

3
IRON MAN 3
Iron Man 3… Yes a marvel movie made the list… Well! It is set at Christmas. Plus it is one of my
favourites in the MCU. Shane Black writes and directs this off the wall entry into the MCU. It pits
Iron Man against the haunting power of his greatest threat… The Mandarin… Or really it pits him
against Guy Pearce and an army of genetically modified super soldiers. The Mandarin well he’s
just a washed up British actor. But you know what… I didn’t care. It was a hoot.

4
KISS KISS BANG BANG
Shane Black strikes again. There is a theme here… Shane Black is obviously obsessed with
Christmas… And I am obviously obsessed with Shane Black. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang sees Robert
Downy Jr as a petty thief who accidentally gets cast in a Hollywood movie. He is then flown
to Hollywood and teamed up with a real private detective to gain experience for the role.
Unfortunately for them they get caught up in a real murder mystery. It’s one of the funniest films
you will ever see with RDJ giving one of his best performances ever.

5
DIE HARD
Ok… Originality isn’t my strong suit, but can you blame me? Die Hard really is the best Christmas
movie ever made. I need not say anything else. But the meme says it all. “There are people who
say Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever made… And there are people who are wrong.”
By Scott F. Sowter
Twitter: @ScottFSowter

A REAL LIFE
SUPERHERO
Remembering STAN LEE
1922-2018
Born Stanley Martin Lieber in 1922,
Stan Lee would go on to become
a household name for geeky families
around the world. Stan created
some of the most beloved characters
in popular culture, we simply
don’t have room on this page to list
them all. He was beloved by the pop
culture world for his enthusiasm,
his wit, his charm and his energy.
He became the face of the comic
industry, particularly Marvel Comics.
He was an ambassador for the
brand and always made you feel
like it was ok to love comic books,
even as an adult. He gave us some
of our best childhood memories and
instilled in us fan’s attitudes for life;
always treat others with respect, be
a good person. He always had time
for his fans, he always treated them
with respect and kindness. He was
one of a kind. His genius has left us
now but his creations will always be
with us. Stan Lee created an entire
universe... Let’s make sure we all
look after it.
“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book
writer while other people were building bridges or going on to
medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is
one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it
they might go off the deep end. I feel that
if you’re able to entertain people,
you’re doing a good thing.”
- Stan Lee
WRITTEN BY SCOTT F. SOWTER

SCOTT F SOWTER
MY SPIDER
SENSES ARE
TINGLING!
In August 1962 Marvel Comics released
Amazing Fantasy issue 15. Before this issue
the run on the comic had been largely
forgettable. However issue 15 introduced
the world to the hero that would become
arguably the biggest character on Marvel
Comics roster. Written by Stan Lee and
drawn by Steve Ditko, The Amazing Spider-
Man was born. Seven months later Marvel
introduced Spidy in his own solo comic
featuring a fight between the wall crawler
and the Fantastic Four. From there the
character grew and grew in popularity to
the jugernaught of pop-pop-culture we
have today. He has been the star of six
solo feature films, as well as the Marvel
Cinematic Universe Avengers films. We have
an animated feature film out in December.
Countless animated television shows.
Spider-Man is simply the face of Marvel.

Let me start by first saying I hate
spiders… I hate them. I’m terrified of
them. (Gagging sounds). But… Spider-
Man, he’s my hero. At the age of around
four or five I was exposed to the 1994
animated Spider-Man TV show. I got
my first Spider-Man comics not long
after that. Spectacular Spider-Man #256,
Amazing Spider-Man #433, Sensational
Spider-Man #26 and Peter Parker Spider-
Man #90. I remember them well, in fact
I still have them. I won tickets to the
opening night of the first Spider-Man
film in 2002. Needless to say I’m a bit of a
Spider-Man nut. But why Spider-Man. Like
I said. I hate spiders. Yet I like so many
others gravitate towards this character
more than any other. Well, the answer is
actually quite simple… Peter Parker.

Peter Parker is every kid who was into
comics and not sport growing up. He
is a total geek, terrible at talking to
girls, loved science and nerd stuff, was
never rich, he is by every stretch of
the word “normal”. He is our avatar. I
related so much to Peter Parker as a
kid and teenager and I feel that many
people do, that’s why the character
has persisted. He always tries to do
the right thing, learning that lesson
early on with the death of his uncle
Ben. His flaws are on show, open and
on display. He struggles to find a job,
something I could relate to right out of
university… I’m sure many can… Peter
Parker is us. I could never relate to Bruce
Wayne or Tony Stark. Captain America
and Superman are damn near perfect.
Then we have Peter Parker… Sometimes
he misses the landing. He’s the most
relatable character Marvel and DC have
to offer.
The world hit fever pitch for Spider-
Man in 2002 with Sony releasing
“Spider-Man” the film. Directed by
legend cult filmmaker Sam Raimi
and starring Toby Maguire, the
film became a monster hit. It was
followed in 2004 by Spider-Man 2
and in 2007 by Spider-Man 3. While
2000’s “X-Men” paved the way for
the serious superhero film, Spider-
Man really set the world on fire.
Without the launch of these films
we wouldn’t have the MCU we have
today.

Spider-Man proving so bankable that
Marvel Studies made a deal with Sony
(who own the cinematic rights of the
character) to have him appear in the
MCU, now played by Tom Holland.
Once again it proved to be a massive
success. The unlikely pairing of Peter
Parker and Tony Stark has gone on to
be beloved by movie goers and fans
of the series. There was also the…
Well, less than buster Amazing Spider-
Man film series from 2012. Featuring
Andrew Garfield in the title role the
first film was fairly successful while the
second film left a bad taste in many
mouths… Myself included.

So with SO many film adaptions of this
character why do we need an animated
film version set for release here in
Australia on the 13th of December?
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse tells
the story of Miles Morales, a teenager
gifted with Spider-Man abilities. Miles is
Spider-Man, in a seperate universe. Yes
it’s time to meet the many Spider-Men if
you will… And Spider-Gwen. All awesome
alternate reality versions of our beloved
character. This animated film will bring
these amazing alternate versions of Spidy
to the big screen for the first time. I for
one am so excited for it. Do we need this
film… NO! We don’t need it. But when I
saw that first trailer I sure wanted it. I feel
like it almost comes down to a question
of “Why not?”.
Spider-Man continues to prove to be
Marvel’s flagship character. I for one do
not see the popularity of him wavering
in the future. As long as there are young
kids who would rather read comic books
than play sport Spider-Man will continue
to be their hero. He is still mine.
By Scott F. Sowter
Twitter: @ScottFSowter

INTERVIEW WITH

EDDIE CHEW
Eddie Chew, Australian animator, involved with movies
such as Jurrasic World, Captain America: Civil War,
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice to name a few.
Our writer Paul Monopoli had a chance to ask him a
few questions about himself and his role in the latest
PM: Was drawing cartoon characters a favourite pastime of
yours while growing up?
Spider-Man movie; Spider-Man Into The Spider Verse.
EC: I grew up drawing dinosaurs, Transformers and
Paul Monopoli: Were you a fan of animated shows
when you were younger?
Ghostbusters – I was literally always drawing. Later on, I
moved to Ninja Turtles, and then into comic book superheroes.
Eddie Chew: Absolutely – from when I was very young
all the way into my 20’s. I can still be found surfing
PM: As a child did you ever think that this could be the career
you end up in?
through animated films on Netflix!
EC: I actually dreamed of becoming a comic book penciller. I
PM: Which shows were you drawn to?
EC: I grew up with classics like Astro Boy, Transformers,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bugs Bunny and
Ghostbusters.
loved to draw, I loved the high contrast with pencil and paper
and black ink. I wanted to work for Marvel and DC comics. I
hadn’t yet discovered the world of animation because I was
focused on becoming a comic book artist.

PM: Your Q&A states that you made the decision to get
into animation and special effects while you were still at
University. What field were you looking to get into before
making that decision?
EC: Initially I was studying a multimedia degree. I knew
I wanted to do something in digital arts and use my
foundation in my art, but I didn’t know exactly what that
was at the time. The spark in animation came when I
did the introduction in unit in 3D / Computer Graphics
at University. Once I discovered CG, it was clear to me
that this was it, and I was 100 percent focused and
dove in with all my passion, curiosity and skill. My comic
book artistry had taken me there. I finished my BA in
multimedia and then pursued a year in film and television
school.

PM: Which university courses would you recommend to
someone who had an interest in animation?
diversity in the industry and throughout studios around the
world can really shape your skill level.
EC: At the risk of sounding cliche, passion, practice and
persistence are probably three key ingredients you need
PM: What came first when producing Spider-Man: Into the
Spider-Verse, the voice over or the animation?
along with education. You can’t have education without
those three and expect to be successful. In the realm of
technicality, practice your skill everyday, the same way you
develop any skill, and be patient with your learning. Purchase
or rent a copy of Autodesk Maya and enroll in an online course.
EC: The temporary voice over comes first because there
is a fully realised script which is green lit before animation
begins. The celebrity voice over dubbing happens after
animation is completed or during.
Technical skill is an absolute, and the sooner you understand
it the more you can practice it. Master the 12 principles of
PM: How much contact did you have with the voice actors?
animation – timing, exaggeration, easing in and easing out,
squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, arcs, secondary
action, solid drawing, appeal, follow through and overlapping
EC: With Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse, there was none
unfortunately.
action, and posing. I would recommend the online courses
Animation and Lanimate. If you want to pursue your career in
animation and take your career abroad, having a University
degree helps with the Visa process.
PM: This Spider-Man movie features multiple versions of
the character. Do we get to see the tokusatsu Japanese
Spiderman, Takuya Yamashiro?
PM: Was moving overseas something that was necessary
to become successful in animation?
EC: I haven’t seen the whole film yet so I can’t answer that
one. Pre-screening happens for us soon!
EC: Today, Australia has a thriving animation / film industry
PM: Which Spider-Man is your personal favourite?
so leaving isn’t necessary to develop skills or pursue an
incredible career as there are excellent world-renowned
EC: I like Peter Parker, that’s the one I grew up with.
studios there. However, back when I started, I knew that
leaving was important to get the skills and the experience
PM: Who is your favourite Spider Man villain?
I needed. Having the opportunity to work and travel around
the world has also been a definite bonus in my perspective,
and is something that I really look forward to. I think the
EC: Venom. I love his design in the comic books and his
storyline.

PM: Were there any challenges working on the animation
to this movie?
that realm, I love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and
Optimus Prime. When it comes to the dark side, Venom is
such a vivid character with great art and design. I also like
EC: This was a really fun film to work on. Every animation
Magento, and of course Shredder and Megatron!
project poses some typical challenges that are not at
all uncommon, but there was nothing out of the ordinary
PM: Who is your favourite hero to team up with Spider Man?
with this in terms of challenges. I love the style of art
here. It’s refreshing, exciting and new!
EC: Venom – particularly the Maximum Carnage storyline!
PM: 2D animation seems to have become quite niche over
the years, with shows like Family Guy and the Simpsons
being two of the major examples that use still that style. Do
PM: Into the Spider-Verse looks to be a purely animated
feature. How different is it working with animation on a live
action movie?
you feel that 2D animation will always have a place in the
world of entertainment?
EC: It is a purely animated feature. Animated movies have
more liberation in terms of designing a shot as there is more
EC: 2D animation will always be here. Eventually we’ll come
to think of this as a vintage art form in the film making industry
and it will be revitalized as a trend or with a refreshed vibe in
animation. 2D animation has a lot of competition so the level
of storytelling needs to be elevated to catch the audience
and ‘compete’ so to speak. That’s not to say that 3D
animation lacks storytelling at all. On the contrary, it needs
room for creativity from the artist in that sense. Live action
footage has locked plates that are shot in real life so we
can’t deviate from those and there is more restriction to
work within which can be seen as a challenge. Live action
requires more realistic animation so that it blends in with
the actors. Animated features are more stylistic in design in
the way that they move. That would be the main difference!
to rise up to meet the visual artistry and excitement which
is why films like Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse have not
just extraordinary visuals, but the writing is exquisite too.
PM: Is it possible that Into the Spider-Verse will have a
sequel somewhere down the line, or even kick start a
Marvel animated cinematic universe?
PM: A fair chunk of your career has taken place within the
super hero realm. I know this might be a tough question but
who is your favourite hero and villain?
EC: Wouldn’t that be cool! I would love to work on more
Spider-Man films, but I not sure what the Spider-Man
Universe holds...
EC: I love Spider-Man, Wolverine and Batman. Outside of
Interview conducted by Paul
Monopoli

EDDIE CHEW
A huge thankyou to Eddie Chew, check him
out here:
Imdb
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2691260/
linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddiechew/
demoreel
https://vimeo.com/205204669

DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY
Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21
Jump Street, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man
Universe, with a ground-breaking visual style that’s the first of its kind.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and
the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the
mask.
In cinemas December 13
WIN A DOUBLE PASS!
Thanks to Sony and Gametraders you could win a double pass to see
the new Spider-Man Into the Spider Verse.
All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like
the competition post, tag who you’re going to take and comment why
you want to see Spider-Man Into the Spider Verse!

MARVEL and all related character names: © & 2018 MARVEL. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the Movie ©2018 Sony Pictures
Animation Inc. All Rights Reserved.©2018 Sony Pictures Animation Inc. All Rights Reserved.Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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

DOUBLE PASS GIVE AWAY
HOLMES AND WATSON
The Step Brothers are reunited – this time playing the world’s greatest
consulting detective and his loyal biographer – as Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly
star as Holmes & Watson.
#HolmesAndWatson
In Cinemas Boxing Day
WIN A DOUBLE PASS!
Thanks to Sony and Gametraders you could win a double pass to see
Holmes & Watson
All you have to do is go to the Gametraders Facebook page and like
the competition post, tag who you’re going to take and comment why
you want to see Holmes & Watson!

POP CULTURE
CHRISTMAS
BAUBLES
ORDER NOW!

STAR WARS
CHRISTMAS
POP! VINYLS!
ORDER NOW!
Huge range available! Selected stores. Ask staff for details.

gameS
CHILDREN OF TH
INTERVIEW:
NIGHT
TOP 10 BEST GAMES
BASED ON BOOKS
OPEN WORLD GAMES AND THE PROBLEM
OF SCALE VS. CONTENT

E
REVIEWS

Taneli Palola
OPEN WORLD GAMES
AND THE PROBLEM OF

SCALE VS. CONTENT
Over the last two decades two very different, and in
many ways polar opposite schools of thought regarding
the design of open world video games have emerged.
On one hand we have games that feature a large, but
still relatively condensed and tightly designed world
often packed with meaningful content with a lot of
variety, but less options in terms of exploration. Sega’s
Yakuza series is a great example of this. On the other
hand there are games with massive worlds with either
too little meaningful content stretched out over a vast
space, or the same tasks being repeated over and over
again with little to no reason or variety. These titles tend
to give more options to players in terms of exploration
and the number of locations they can visit. Quite a lot of
Ubisoft’s open world games over the last decade or so
have adopted this style.
However, while arguments can certainly be made for
the merits of either approach, with various positives and
negatives that can be found in both types of open world
games, there’s definitely a tendency for games that go
for the ‘massive world’ approach to take things too far
in this regard. There comes a point when increasing
the size of a game’s playable area begins to have
diminishing returns and starts to actively hurt the title.

I’ve talked about this issue in the past from
another perspective when I discussed the trend
of making the size of a game’s world a measure
of its quality, and how video game companies
have tried to sell certain games almost entirely
based on that merit alone. All too often when
such titles are eventually released players
discover that, beyond the massive scope of
their worlds, they really have very little to offer
after the first few hours of gameplay.
Fairly recent releases like No Man’s Sky, Sea of
Thieves, and Fallout 76 have sold themselves
in large part on the notion that they have
massive worlds (or even a universe) to explore,
in which players can discover uncharted worlds
and places, but the developers then neglect to
actually provide you with something interesting
or meaningful to do within those massive
sandboxes. When these game worlds end up
being populated by interchangeable quests
and nebulous busywork they don’t really offer
any compelling or interesting content for the
player base.
I’m aware that No Man’s Sky did eventually
offer a lot more content for people to engage
with, and from everything I’ve heard it’s a vastly
improved game compared to the one that
was first released. Sea of Thieves promises to
similarly redeem itself, with content releasing
throughout the year and, it seems, well into the
future. But I’m hesitant to praise either of these
games (or other similar ones) for becoming
worth their initial asking prices months, or even
years, after release.

At that point you’re not really
releasing a good game, but rather
selling a husk of a game on the
promise that it might one day
actually be worth playing. That
is where the problem of scale vs.
content arises. When you begin
to focus too much on figures,
whether it be the number of square
miles the world map covers or
the number of different locations
you can visit, rather than on what
you’re actually going to be able
to do in the game, you’ve kind of
lost sight of what really makes the
difference between an average and
a great game.
Fallout 76 is a prime example
of this kind of misguided focus.
Previous games in the series have
certainly had large worlds that
players could explore at their
leisure, but at the same time
Bethesda, Obsidian, and Black Isle
studios before them filled these
games with interesting content,
unique NPCs, and well-written
questlines. Fallout 76 was marketed
as featuring the largest world ever
created for the series, but then
failed to include the interesting
quests and plotlines that had really
elevated the franchise.
Essentially, the thing that
is often most important in
open world titles, regardless
of the size of the game’s
world, is what I have started
to call density of meaningful
content. You can have the
largest game world ever
created but if it isn’t filled
with interesting stuff for
players to do then it means
absolutely nothing in the
end. A large, empty world
devoid of content has been
the downfall of many an
ambitious game in recent
years, and it will likely be
the same for many more to
come.

This is why one of the absolute best open worlds
in recent years has also been one of the smallest
in size. The world of Yakuza 0 has nothing on the
scale of games like Fallout 76, Sea of Thieves,
or any number of Ubisoft open world titles, but
it ends up feeling so much bigger than any of
them because of the amount of activities and
options that are open to players within the
world. It feels like behind every corner there is
something exciting or interesting for you to do.
The world may be smaller than in most other
open world games, but it works perfectly in the
context of the game itself, and the content found
within is what ultimately makes the world feel
big, despite its actual size. This is something I
think other game developers should take note of.
Of course, none of this means that you can’t
make a huge game world interesting and
exciting. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2
have shown very recently that even massive
worlds can be made to feel varied and engaging.
It simply requires a lot of work to achieve that,
which is unfortunately something that many
developers just aren’t putting into their games,
for one reason or another. When this happens
we get procedurally generated massive worlds
with repetitive content and dull environments.
Developers should consider what purpose the
worlds they’re building serve in their games.
Instead of artificially forcing massive worlds
into their titles, they should build worlds that fit
into the settings and narratives of their games.
Essentially, the world should serve the needs
of the game, and not the other way around. If
the only reason for having a massive world is to
check a box on the marketing sheet, then maybe
that kind of world doesn’t really make much
sense for that particular game.

Ultimately, the size of a game’s world should
not be seen as its defining quality, but rather
a facilitator for what actually makes that
game great. Every game is different, and as
such every world should be built with its own
particular needs in mind. It should be something
that makes the game feel alive, unique, and
interesting, but all too often the maps we
get just prove to be a detriment to the whole
experience. If a developer is making the world
huge just because they can, it’s most likely not
going to result in a good final product. It all
comes down to content density and content
quality, and in that respect the size of the world
should at best be a secondary concern as far as
I’m concerned, and often not even that.
The best open world titles are carefully balanced
between scale and content. The scale can
certainly be ambitious to an almost extreme
degree, but the content then needs to match
that ambition. Ones that fail to find that balance
either end up feeling empty, with not enough
stuff for the players to do (No Man’s Sky at
launch), or cluttered with too much pointless
busywork (Assassin’s Creed: Unity). It’s a difficult
balance to achieve and far too few games
manage to find it, and unfortunately the only
way to fix that issue is to design games with
this balance in mind from the very beginning of
production. Do that and we just might get more
games like Yakuza 0 and Red Dead Redemption
2 in the future, and less the likes of Ghost Recon:
Wildlands or Fallout 76.
By Taneli Palola, VGChartz

YOUR Taneli SAY Palola
TOP 10 BEST
GAMES BASED
ON BOOKS
Books have, historically, not been the most
popular medium when it comes to adapting
existing works into video game form. Countless
movies and TV shows have received their own
video games, but books have never been quite
as popular. Perhaps the reason is that books
are inherently more difficult to adapt into video
games than other, already visual mediums like
films. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t
any great video game book adaptations out
there.
The one criterion I have for this list is that it’s
not enough for the game to be set in the same
world as the book or take inspiration from it.
Rather, it has to share a significant number of
characters, storyline details, and other elements
to make it onto this list. For example, Middle-
Earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel do not
count as book adaptations. The games can differ
in one or more aspects, but have to have clear
and strong connections to the source material to
be valid. With that in mind, here are the ten best
video games based on books (in my opinion, of
course).

10.
DUNE II: THE BUILDING OF A DYNASTY/BATTLE FOR ARRAKIS
(BASED ON DUNE BY FRANK HERBERT)
We start the list with a game that is in many
ways responsible for the rise of the RTS genre
in the early to mid 90s. However, it is also a
slightly tricky entry, as the argument could be
made that Dune II is actually inspired more by
the film Dune rather than the original book by
Frank Herbert. Still, there are still a lot of direct
connections to the original novel in the video
game to justify its place on this list.
Taking place on the desert planet of Arrakis,
the only place where a valuable drug called
Melange (more commonly as ”the spice”) exists.
On the planet three competing noble houses
- Harkonnen, Atreides, and Ordos - battle over
control of the planet and its spice reserves in
order to gain favour with the emperor.
Overall, Dune II is a fairly loose adaptation of
the novel, taking the setting, important themes,
names, and other such elements including the
basic premise from the book, but then telling
its own self-contained story from that point
on. This is mainly due to the fact that the game
has three different playable factions, each
with their own storyline, whereas the book is
mainly focussed on the point of view of House
Atreides.

9.
KEN FOLLETT’S THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH
(BASED ON THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH BY KEN FOLLETT)
The Pillars of the Earth is likely not the kind of
book that most people would think to make
a video game adaptation from. A historical
novel about the building of a cathedral in a
fictional English town of Kingsbridge in the 12th
century doesn’t really strike one as the kind of
story you could make a video game about. Yet
that’s exactly what Daedalic Entertainment did
with this point-and-click adventure game that
released in 2017.
This one is definitely a very particular kind of
game that requires the player to be in a specific
frame of mind to enjoy. It’s a very slow-paced,
narrative-heavy title that isn’t really interested
in high tension drama or fast-paced action.
The Pillars of the Earth certainly takes its time
weaving its narrative, which covers several
decades and features several playable characters.
For any fan of well-written historical fiction The
Pillars of the Earth should be on their list of
games to play. It captures the feeling of the era
and the location it depicts, and contains just
enough actual historical facts while still telling
a largely fictional tale to come off as genuinely
authentic. It’s also an absolutely gorgeous
game, with beautiful backgrounds and character
designs, which certainly helps in making the
world feel real and authentic.

8.
I HAVE NO MOUTH, AND I MUST SCREAM
(BASED ON I HAVE NO MOUTH, AND I MUST SCREAM BY HARLAN ELLISON)
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is one
of those games that a lot of people generally
seem to know by reputation, but few have
actually taken the time to play it, which is a
shame because it truly is an excellent (and quite
disturbing) point-and-click adventure game.
It’s also an unusual adaptation, especially for a
video game, as the writer of the original story,
Harlan Ellison, was heavily involved in the
development process, writing much of the script
and even voicing the game’s main antagonist,
the supercomputer AM.
It’s set on a post-apocalyptic Earth where a
highly intelligent supercomputer annihilated
most of the human race after developing
sentience and absorbing two other
supercomputers into its programming. Now
calling itself AM, the supercomputer has spent
the last 109 years torturing and modifying five
human subjects, altering their minds and bodies
however it saw fit, and is now presenting them
with a game to play. AM presents the characters
with their own personal psychodramas, praying
on their deepest fears and personal demons.
The game takes the story premise, the
characters, and a lot of the events straight from
Ellison’s novel, but alters certain details and
aspects, while also adding new elements in to
the mix, including making the story open-ended
with seven different possible endings players
can reach depending on their actions. However,
it’s very much in the bleak spirit of the original
story; only one of the endings can be considered
a positive outcome, while the rest involve
varying degrees of hopelessness. It’s certainly
not the most joyful of experiences, but it’s very
much worth playing nonetheless.

7.
PARASITE EVE
(BASED ON PARASITE EVE BY HIDEAKI SENA)
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is one
of those games that a lot of people generally
seem to know by reputation, but few have
actually taken the time to play it, which is a
shame because it truly is an excellent (and quite
disturbing) point-and-click adventure game.
It’s also an unusual adaptation, especially for a
video game, as the writer of the original story,
Harlan Ellison, was heavily involved in the
development process, writing much of the script
and even voicing the game’s main antagonist,
the supercomputer AM.
It’s set on a post-apocalyptic Earth where a
highly intelligent supercomputer annihilated
most of the human race after developing
sentience and absorbing two other
supercomputers into its programming. Now
calling itself AM, the supercomputer has spent
the last 109 years torturing and modifying five
human subjects, altering their minds and bodies
however it saw fit, and is now presenting them
with a game to play. AM presents the characters
with their own personal psychodramas, praying
on their deepest fears and personal demons.
The game takes the story premise, the
characters, and a lot of the events straight from
Ellison’s novel, but alters certain details and
aspects, while also adding new elements in to
the mix, including making the story open-ended
with seven different possible endings players
can reach depending on their actions. However,
it’s very much in the bleak spirit of the original
story; only one of the endings can be considered
a positive outcome, while the rest involve
varying degrees of hopelessness. It’s certainly
not the most joyful of experiences, but it’s very
much worth playing nonetheless.

6.
THE HITCHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
(BASED ON THE HITCHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY BY DOUGLAS ADAMS)
Another game where the author of the book
it was based on was heavily involved during
development is The Hitchiker’s Guide to the
Galaxy, which is based on the novel of the same
name by Douglas Adams. Being a text-based
adventure game, it presents arguably one of the
most accurate portrayals of the style and tone of
the source material out of any game based on a
book. This is a very good thing as these kinds of
games live and die almost entirely based on the
quality of the writing.
Naturally, the main reason behind this was
Adams himself writing most of the game’s text
and dialogue, as well as designing much of
it with Steve Meretzky. This made for a very
authentic experience that genuinely felt like it
was the actual book you were reading. It’s also
a rare case of a game that is intentionally funny,
leveraging the nihilistic, often surreal style of
humour Adams is known for.
Of course, since this is a text adventure game
there are likely very few people reading this
who have actually played it, as the genre isn’t
exactly popular these days. However, for any fan
of Adams’ books, or just fans of well written and
funny stories in general, this should be on your
list of games to play, especially as it’s free for
everyone to play online.

5.
METRO 2030
(BASED ON METRO 2033 BY DMITRY GLUKHOVSKY)
Some people may have expected to see Metro:
Last Light here, but that particular title doesn’t
actually share that much in common with the
novels these games are based on, outside of the
main character Artyom and the post-apocalyptic
setting. Metro 2033, on the other hand, is a
fairly faithful adaptation of Glukhovsky’s original
novel, taking the setting, many of the characters,
and storyline details directly from the book.
As the name suggests, Metro 2033 takes place
in the year 2033 in the Moscow metro tunnels,
after a nuclear war 20 years prior devastated the
world and forced people to move underground
to survive. A group of mysterious creatures
known as the Dark Ones attack one of the
stations, prompting Artyom to seek help in
dealing with this threat from the rest of the
communities living in the metro tunnels.
The greatest achievement of Metro 2033, in my
opinion, is how it successfully builds tension and
mystery surrounding the Dark Ones. A lot of this
also comes from the game’s world, which almost
becomes a character in its own right as the
game progresses. The dark and claustrophobic
tunnels always loom around the player, and this
in turn make the areas where people still live
havens of safety that nonetheless have a hint of
uncertainty to them.

4.
ENSLAVED: ODYSSEY TO THE WEST
(BASED ON JOURNEY TO THE WEST BY WU CHENG’EN)
Out of all the games on this list Enslaved:
Odyssey to the West is perhaps the one that is
the furthest away from being a direct adaptation
of the original novel, and because of that I
almost left it out of the list completely. In the
end, though, it does share enough of the story
it was adapted from – the 16th century Chinese
epic novel Journey to the West - that I decided
to include it.
Of course, the main difference between the
novel and the video game is the setting. The
game takes the classic Chinese tale and places it
in a post-apocalyptic North America, hundreds
of years in the future. Various plot details have
also been changed, but the central concept and
the main characters still retain similar roles as in
the novel. Still, of the games on this list it is by
far the loosest adaptation, going more towards
preserving the themes and tone of the original,
while taking a much more liberal approach to
the rest of the source material.
As a game, Enslaved is the title that made me a
fan of Ninja Theory. Prior to this the company
was best known for the PS3 launch title Heavenly
Sword, but I’ve always considered Enslaved to
be a vastly superior game. Ninja Theory has
always been excellent at telling stories and
creating interesting and nuanced characters, and
Enslaved is no exception. It’s a great game in
my opinion, and while it takes liberties with its
source material, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is
one of the best book to video game adaptations
ever.

3.
SPEC OPS: THE LINE
(BASED ON HEART OF DARKNESS BY JOSEPH CONRAD)

Basing the story of a video game
on a literary classic is always a
rather thankless undertaking. Even
at best of times video games are
still often not taken as seriously in
mainstream media, and deciding
to adapt a beloved work into a
video game, especially one that
has already been adapted into
a highly regarded film, can lead
to heavy scrutiny and derision
towards the developer.
Fortunately, this didn’t deter
Yager Development when the
developer decided to take Joseph
Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and
use it as the basis for the game
Spec Ops: The Line. It was a
brave move, but one that paid off
hugely in the end. While the game
changes certain elements and
details, like moving the story to
the devastated city of Dubai and
changing the names of characters,
the major elements are still intact
and executed wonderfully.
However, what truly makes the
game stand out from other titles
is how it uses features unique
to the medium of video games
to slowly erode the player’s
confidence in themselves and
what they see in the game. It lets
players make seemingly important
choices throughout the story, but
the further the player gets the
more uncertain things around the
main character become, to the
point that it’s almost impossible
to say what is actually real and
what is not until the very final
twist in the story.

2.
THE WITCHER III: WILD HUNT
(BASED ON THE WITCHER SERIES BY ANDRZEJ SAPKOWSKI)

Probably the most obvious entry
on this list, and one that most
people are likely familiar with
at least to some degree. Based
on The Witcher book series by
Andrzej Sapkowski, the trilogy
of games made by CD Projekt
Red between 2008 and 2015
are essentially a continuation of
the story from the books, with
the first game taking place two
years after the novel The Lady
of the Lake, which is, at least so
far, the final book in the series
chronologically.
While all three games have their
fans, it’s the third one that is often
considered the peak of the series,
and in general one of the best
games released in recent years.
Naturally, as it’s a sequel rather
than a retelling of the story from
the books, The Witcher III is able
to take what it needs from the
original stories and use those as a
foundation for the story it wants
to tell without being shackled by
any pre-existing boundaries.
Sapkowski’s books are some of
the best fantasy literature written
in the last 30 years and are also
among my personal favourites
within the genre. Fortunately
the games have lived up to that
high standard, not only staying
faithful to the tone and style
of the original novels, but also
creating a gorgeous and enticing
original story around the existing
characters and world. It’s without
question one of the best book to
video game adaptations ever.

1.
SUIKODEN II
(BASED ON WATER MARGIN BY SHI NAI’AN)

I would guess that most people
aren’t even aware of the fact
that the entire Suikoden series
is loosely based on a Chinese
novel called Water Margin, from
which the idea of the 108 Stars of
Destiny that runs through the core
of the entire Suikoden franchise
comes from. The novels tell a
story set during the Song dynasty
(960-1279), about a group of 108
outlaws that set up their own
army and fight against a corrupt
government.
While the entire Suikoden series is
at least loosely based on the novel
Water Margin, the game I decided
to pick here is Suikoden II. One
of the many excellent JRPGs on
the original PlayStation, Suikoden
II differentiated itself from other
games of its genre with its focus
on political themes and warfare.
While most other JRPGs usually
go for a fairly fantastical approach
with their stories and settings, the
Suikoden series has generally felt
more mature and grounded by
comparison.
In the end, Water Margin serves
mostly as a thematic origin point
for Suikoden II, providing many of
the basic ideas running through
the center of the game’s narrative,
as well as serving as the main
inspiration for the setting but not
necessarily sharing characters or
locations with it. In fact, as far as
adaptations go, the first Suikoden
is the closest to the original novel
in terms of story, but Suikoden II
is the better game, so it gets to
top the list.
There are of course countless other video games that have been adapted from books since the
early 1970s, and there’s no way I could include all of them on a list of just ten, not to mention
that I am probably not even aware of some such games even existing. So, if I happened to
miss your favourite book-based video game for one reason or another, please share it in the
comments below.
By Taneli Palola

INTERVIEW BY PAUL MONOPOLI
INTERVIEW:
WITH CHILDREN
The world of home-brew video games has become an explosion of ideas and concepts almost
unheard of in triple A titles. Genres that have been long abandoned by developers continue to
be represented by fans, bringing a variety of homages and new ideas to the table. One such
game that fits into this mould is Children of the Night by Micromancers.

OF THE NIGHT
A top down RPG, similar to the original
Legend of Zelda games and Golden Axe
Warrior has been released for the MSX.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, the
MSX computer line was an attempt at an
industry standard back when Amstrad,
Apple, Commodore and Sinclair were caught
in a 4 way battle, along with all the other
smaller companies. Microsoft developed the
operating system for the computer line, with
big names like Sony and Panasonic releasing
their own versions of the hardware. Each had
their own interpretations, though the core of
each computer remained the same.
continuing to support the system with their
home-brew efforts. With that digression out
of the way, let’s have a look at Children of
the Night.
The story begins with the resurrection
of Count Vlad Dracul, an obvious spin
in the Dracula mythos. Vlad has no idea
why he was resurrected, though this just
happened to occur at the same time a
world-domination-desiring demon made
his presence known. These 2 events must be
related somehow, but it’s up to you to figure
out how.
The MSX computer line was huge in Japan,
though the rest of the world did not appear
to be as keen. Only Sony managed to
break ground with their Hit Bit line of MSX
computers, though only in certain territories.
Some of the world’s favourite franchises were
born on the MSX, including Bomberman and
Metal Gear.
Despite the relative unpopularity of the line
there are die hard fans who are hard at work,
Micromancers promise gorgeous music
and a complex storyline in this new action
RPG. Screenshots and video trailers show
an absolutely gorgeous game that appears
to have been developed with a lot of care
and consideration. As any good video game
journalist is prone to do, I flooded their
inbox with a bunch of questions. Toni, from
Micromancers, was a good enough to fill me
in on the hows and whys of their home-brew
developing process.

PM: Where did the idea of developing games for retro
systems come from?
At first it was about fulfilling the childhood dream of
developing games for the machines I loved when I was a
kid.
However, after learning about these machines the motivation
went to something different. Developing for retro computers
gave me absolute control over my programs. I don’t have to
depend on external libraries or development environments.
I can build my own development environment.
The feeling of control, knowing that everything that my
program does (good or bad) is my responsibility and the
challenge of fitting everything into very tight margins of
memory and CPU power are my motivation now, and that
is something that cannot be done in any modern computer
or console.
PM: Why develop games for the MSX and Colecovision?
MSX was the computer I had when I was a kid. So developing
for MSX was the natural step. It was the machine I knew and
I loved.
As for ColecoVision, I was almost unaware of its existence
until 2015, when I was asked to port Caos Begins from MSX
to ColecoVision. Then I saw that the hardware was almost
identical to the MSX but the game base and the user’s
interests were very different.
That is precisely what motivated me to develop for the
ColecoVision: being able to use the same skills I use to code
for MSX but focusing on a very different type of user.

PM: Children of the Night is very Legend of Zelda-esque. What
was the inspiration behind this title?
I love RPGs and I have always wanted to make one myself. However,
I wanted to make an RPG that could take advantage of the target
machine (ColecoVision and, later, MSX).
That meant that graphically I should avoid scrolling, since it is almost
impossible to achive a nice scroll for an RPG on these machines,
and that I should rely mostly on hardware sprites, since they make it
possible to have lots of action.
I searched different RPGs for ColecoVision and MSX. The ColecoVision
barely has any RPGs, but MSX has lots of them. And among the RPGs
for MSX I found that two of them actually had the features I was
looking for: Golvellius and Bolfes (Borfesu and Five Evil Spirits).
What I didn’t like about these two games is that story seemed to be too
simple. So I created a complex storyline and decided to make a game
much more story-driven. This combination is almost non existent on
the MSX and doesn’t exist at all in the ColecoVision library. It is quite
an original concept for these machines.
As for Zelda, even though I like Zelda games I am not a huge fan of
the franchise. So I guess that the similarities between Children of the
Night and Zelda are mostly casual.
Regarding the story of Children of the Night, I have always liked
classic horror characters, especially Dracula, and I have read almost
all of Lovecraft’s stories. I really loved the differences between the two
styles. Whereas Dracula is a monster on a human scale (he hates and
loves humans, he thinks like a human and he depends on humans to
survive), Lovecraft stories are about powerful creatures that do not
care about humans. So the idea of confronting them and making
Dracula the paladin of humankind was really appealing.

PM: How much consideration goes into the
specs of the computer you are developing
for?
PM: Do you develop games that you would
like to play or that you know others will
enjoy?
As much as I can. I always try to make a game
that fits in the target computer or console.
For example, if there is no way to perform
a decent scrolling, I will not do it. If the
machine has hardware sprites I will use them
over software sprites. If something cannot be
achieved at 60fps I will not do it.
I try to develop the games I would like to play.
I think this is the only way to do good games.
PM: Apart from Multiverse are there any
other titles you are working on?
Yes, but that’s a secret for now ;-)

I would like to thank Toni for the time taken to answer these questions. Information about
Children of the Night and the upcoming action platformer, Multiverse, can be found at
www.micromancers.com
Interview conducted by
Paul Monopoli

Evan Norris
REVIEW NS:
THIS WAR OF MINE
Some games are easy to review—to
characterize, label, dissect, and, ultimately,
score. This War of Mine: Complete Edition,
developed exclusively for Nintendo Switch
and featuring all past and future content,
is not one of those games. At its core,
it’s a resource and people management
sim, infused with some stealth action,
but thematically it represents an anti-war
dissertation that thrusts the civilian cost of
war front and center.
Judged solely as a work of art and an open
dialogue on the debilitating, dehumanizing
physical, emotional, and societal effects
of military conflict—particularly urban
sieges—This War of Mine: Complete Edition
is extraordinary, unflinching, and, arguably,
worth experiencing solely for its insight into
the indignities of modern warfare. Evaluated
only on its mechanics, technical merits,
and gameplay loops, however, it’s merely
adequate.

Inspired by the 1992-1996 Siege of Sarajevo,
This War of Mine: Complete Edition follows
several civilian survivors pulled from a pool
of 21 playable characters (12 from the base
game and nine more introduced in The
Little Ones DLC). Stranded in a city under
lockdown and facing persistent danger from
disease, starvation, and physical violence, the
survivors must make many difficult life-ordeath
decisions to stay alive long enough to
witness a ceasefire.
The story in This War of Mine: Complete
Edition is yours to write. Yes, the developers
at 11 bit studios introduce a besieged
city, a ramshackle house, and a group
of characters—each with his or her own
backstory, skill set, and disposition—but
what’s done with these pieces is completely
up to you. Will you invite a beleagured
traveler to stay with you, adding a new mouth
to feed but at the same time another warm
body to keep watch against looters, or turn
him away? Do you travel to a warehouse,
rich in food and medicine but patrolled by
armed bandits, or choose the path of less
resistance (and less materials)? Do you spend
rare resources to build a heater to keep your
group warm during the winter or upgrade
your work bench to gain access to new, useful
tools? In a way, This War of Mine is a brilliant
choose-your-own adventure game, which,
along with permadeath, grants the game a
roguish replayability.

You’ll probably be replaying
This War of Mine a lot—if
you can bear the gloomy
graphics, relentlessly dour
mood, and tedious micromanagement—in
part
because the game is so
difficult and in part because
of its wealth of playable
characters, locations, moral
choices, and accidental
encounters. In fact, after
your first randomized
playthrough, the game allows
you to choose from several
starting sets of characters:
the father-daughter duo
of Christo and Iskra, the
threesome of Bruno, Roman,
and Arica, etc. Alternatively
you can choose a random
group or, in one of the
best features of the game,
create a specific, tailor-made
adventure in “My Story.” Here
you can choose up to four
characters with whom to
start, select the number of
days until ceasefire, adjust
the intensity of the conflict—
”low” means neighbors often
stick together, among other
things, and “high” signals a
much more dire situation—
pick specific locations on the
city map, and even modify
the length and harshness of
the winter.
Whether you’ll return to
the game again and again
to witness every possible
outcome and ending
hinges on your response
to its aggressively bleak
atmosphere, fussy console
controls, and monotonous
simulation gameplay.
Basically, This War of Mine
is divided into two main
spheres, each conducted in
2.5D side-scrolling segments:
1) the day, a Sims-like
maintenance period during
which players swap among
survivors, reinforce their
defenses, grow and cook
food, treat wounds, and in
general see to the long-term
survival of the group; and
2) the night, a stealth action
phase where a designated
survivor will scavenge
for resources, sneak past
soldiers, thugs, and other
civilians, and sometimes

experience. Soon, however,
everything devolves into busy
work. By the end of your first
fortnight in Pogoren—your
characters’ fictional, vaguely-
Eastern European city—you’ll
have grown tired of herding
survivors, watching meters fill,
and grappling with the game’s
plodding pace.
engage in melee or gunbased
combat. Each sphere
has its own strengths and
weaknesses.
The day sequences
represent the weaker
half of This War of Mine.
Here, during daylight
hours, players will manage
their human and material
resources. Sick survivors
must be medicated, tired
survivors must sleep,
depressed children
(included in The Little Ones
DLC, and bundled here in
the Complete Edition) must
receive attention and love.
For a while, this time-based
micro-management works.
Raising little Iskra’s spirits
with a game of Rock, Paper,
Scissors or nursing a halfdead
Cveta back to life is
a meaningful, rewarding
Things are far more dynamic
once night falls on Pogoren.
From an overhead map of
the city, players choose a
particular destination, labeled
with the kinds of resources
(and resistance) expected.
Then it’s off to scavenge,
trade, sneak, and, if you’re
unscrupulous or desperate
enough, rob, steal, and kill.
While these midnight missions
are more engaging and
less languid than daytime
episodes, they suffer from
some fussy console controls.
Players enter stealth simply
by pressing gently on the
left stick, but angle the stick
ever so slightly and a slowmoving
character breaks into
a full sprint, alerting anyone
within earshot. Maneuvering
between levels, up and down
stairs, and through doorways
is equally finicky.

While these control issues are also present
in daylight—you can’t assign a character to
a job without moving him or her next to a
specific station and then using the d-pad to
select the desired task, thus making multitasking
more difficult—at night, with survival
decided in an instant, they’re especially
noticeable. Essentially, this is a game that
demands the precision of keyboard and
mouse, stuck with imperfect analog controls.
flourish: gentle pencil stroke animation in
empty background areas. Sound design, like
art direction, is more utilitarian than anything,
although some strategically placed noises—a
distant gunshot or a child softly crying—
trigger an emotional reaction. Finally, 11 bit
studios’ wartime simulation performs well,
minus the odd glitch, like when a pill-popping
animation loops without end (shut down and
restart the game to fix the problem).
This is the unfortunate reality of This War of
Mine: while it’s thought-provoking, powerful,
and subversive—don’t expect the kinds
of binary moral decisions and war heroics
typical of the medium—it’s simply not always
fun to play.
Since this is the Complete Edition, you can
expect all of the add-on content released
over the past four years. That includes the
aforementioned The Little Ones; War Child,
which includes unique street art pieces found
in different areas within Pogoren; and Father’s
Promise, a DLC campaign. The first of three
story-driven campaigns (the second and third
will be added for free), Father’s Promise is
an interesting but ineffective departure from
the standard This War of Mine formula. More
scripted and linear, it undermines the chooseyour-own-adventure
elements that make the
game unpredictable and replayable.
This War of Mine: Complete Edition is
a challenging game to approach. As an
anti-war treatise it’s provocative, edifying,
and demanding. It will force you into
uncomfortable, unwinnable situations and
make you carry the weight of your actions—
good, bad, and ugly. As a game, though,
it’s only intermittently fun and rewarding.
There are dozens of hours of content in
this package, but much of it is depressing,
dark, tedious, and clunky. In the end, This
War of Mine is an important game, but not
necessarily a good one.
By Evan Norris
Graphically, This War of Mine: Complete
Edition is grayish and somber-looking, which
is fitting for a game with such bleak subject
matter. Although mostly monochromatic, the
game does feature an enjoyable graphical
6

YOUR Rex Hindrichs SAY
REVIEW PS4:
RED DEAD RE

DEMPTION 2

Few settings have as storied and well trodden
a history as the Wild West. For as many
movies, dime novels, and folk legends as it has
generated over the years, there are relatively
few games on the subject - let alone ones that
do the era justice. The greatest contribution
for some time has arguably been 2010’s Red
Dead Redemption. Atmospheric, ambitious, and
distinct, the waves it sent through the industry
are still felt to this day. 8 years later, Rockstar
Games has returned to the franchise to define
the Western for the next console generation.
What proceeds is an incredible production that
can buckle under its own weight.
Set at the turn of the 20th century, Red Dead
Redemption 2 is a prequel chronicling the
exploits of the Dutch Van der Linde gang. While
the previous game’s protagonist is present, this
time you wear the boots of Dutch’s grizzled and
intimidating right hand man, Arthur Morgan.
The West is not as wild as it once was and the
heyday of the outlaw is coming to an end. With
the law hot on their trail, can the gang pull off a
big enough score to retire before they’re caught
or killed?
In classic Rockstar fashion, a massive sandbox
is at your disposal to ride, punch, shoot, rob,
hunt, and explore to your heart’s content.
There’s an arsenal of weapons and equipment
to unlock, towns full of shops to purvey and
people to interact with, an entire ecosystem
of wildlife to appreciate and slaughter,
diverse elements and geography to navigate,
and scores of story missions, side missions,
challenges, and secrets to tackle. The wealth
of substantial content on offer is staggering.
What would be afterthoughts in other games
are fully realized here and you could easily
spend over a hundred hours in a single
playthrough.
For the scope of this game, the level of detail
is second to none. Unfortunately this is one
of the game’s double edged swords. Your
weapons can be inspected, customized, and

upgraded, but maintaining and managing
them can be a time consuming chore.
Your horse can be similarly developed,
customized, and bonded with, but more
realistic limitations like summon ranges and
permadeath can be a pain. The physical
and nuanced animations are impressive,
but can make the simple act of exploring
a house harder than it needs to be.
Survival elements like health, stamina, and
temperature become yet more meters to
monitor and fuss over. There are a hundred
little details like these that, depending on
your tastes, can immerse you that much
deeper or just get in the way of the fun.

The game’s scope also inevitably results in a
lack of polish in certain systems and design
elements. The gunplay feels great when
you’re blowing people away with a shotgun
or nailing a long string of slow motion kills,
but it still relies too heavily on an unengaging
lock on system, and the cover system to go
with it is stiff and problematic. Character and
creature AI can create convincing moments
or potentially fatal mishaps that you never
intended. Glitches and bugs may cause you
to lose progress or have to restart missions.
The witness and bounty systems can feel
broken and playing a black hatted scoundrel
may be more trouble than it’s worth. These
annoyances are easy to forgive in isolation,
but when combined can create significant
frustration.

While its gameplay can be inconsistent, Red
Dead Redemption 2 absolutely nails its setting.
Lush plains, dense forests, majestic mountains,
teeming wildlife, towns of all speeds, people
ordinary and strange, gorgeous lighting,
subtle yet brilliant soundscapes, it all melds
into the most comprehensive and convincing
image of the mythical West the industry has
seen yet - and by quite a wide margin. For all
there is to see and do, the atmosphere of the
place calls you to slow down, take your time,
and soak it all in. It’s no accident we call these
stories Westerns rather than cowboy games or
anything else; the land is as much a character
as any other.
Speaking of characters, your gang is one of
the true joys of this adventure. The motley
crew you ride, camp, protect, and scheme
with make for some of the most human
companions ever put in a game. Talkative
missions help you get to know each member
better, but where they really come alive are
in the humble moments back at camp. Quiet
conversations, fireside music, drinking and
games, working, sleeping, bickering, it all
contributes to a sense of community you
rarely find in other games and makes you care
about your crew. The quality of the writing
only takes this further. Rockstar has taken its
storytelling to the next level with a mature and
poetic tale full of development and drama. I
can only hope it carries on into future works.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a gargantuan affair
that can get a bit too swept up in its own
grandeur. The Wild West has never felt more
alive or immersive, but trimming some of
the fat and spending that indulgence on the
game’s weaker spots instead could have made
it an even better experience for the player. In
any case, landmark titles like this don’t come
around often. This exceptional value should
not be missed.
By Rex Hindrichs
8

Paul Broussard
REVIEW PS4:
FALLOUT 76
As Bethesda’s attempt to bring multiplayer
into one of its famous open world RPG
series, Fallout 76 initially appeared to be
an enigma. There was certainly potential
for online interaction in an RPG, but
questions immediately surrounded whether
it could work and how well the core Fallout
experience would make the transition.
Unfortunately, the answer to those two
questions were a definitive “no” and “not well
at all.” Ironically, despite Bethesda designing
the game with the intention of making it a
more lively experience, Fallout 76 is one of
the most lifeless games the company has
ever produced.

YOUR SAY
The story of Fallout 76 opens somewhat
similarly to Fallout 3 or 4 in that you create
your character, awaken in a bunker, and have
to set out to explore the wasteland. The
major difference is that, while 3 and 4 both
fleshed your character’s past out a bit and
gave them some tangible motivation to go
exploring, 76 just opens the vault door at
the start and assumes that the prospect of
wandering around another post-apocalyptic
landscape will be incentive enough.
There’s no world building, no prologue, no
backstory; just a quick cinematic of some
guy in a suit talking about how cool vaults
are before you’re tossed into the character
creation screen and then shoved out the
door.
Perhaps this could have been abated had the
world been interesting to explore, but 76’s
has easily the blandest and least interesting
world out of any of the 3D Fallout games.
Despite being relatively colorful, especially
compared to Fallout 3 or New Vegas, the
world feels utterly lifeless and devoid of any
charm. Much of this is due to the fact that
NPC characters are virtually non-existent; the
only “characters” that you’ll get to interact
with in a way that doesn’t involve killing
them are robots who give you quests in the
blandest way possible.

It makes the world feel empty and pointless,
which one could argue is the point of a post
apocalyptic landscape, but previous Fallout
games have managed to make the world
feel largely deserted and hopeless while still
providing interesting and quirky characters
to interact with. That’s largely been their
charm, and much of the reason to get
invested in them.
I suspect that this concession was made to
help the multiplayer aspect run smoothly,
as the engine in past 3D Fallout games had
a notorious amount of trouble handling
NPCs even without a bunch of people on
the same server trying their hardest to
break the game. But this simply was not
a worthwhile concession, as without the
various warring factions, dialogue trees, and
quirky characters, Fallout is little more than
just another first person shooter with survival
elements.
Nearly all quests are now just boring fetch
quests where either a pre-recorded tape
or a robot tells you to either obtain some
piece of paper or check in on some person
that’s gone missing, which almost always
results in trudging across the map for 15 or
so minutes, finding either paper or a corpse

depending on which type of quest it is, and
then trudging all the way back to deliver
the paper or the news. Again, the lack of
characters torpedoes the fun factor, as one
of the biggest incentives for performing
quests in the past was to help further a
relationship with an NPC, and that is entirely
lacking when the most of a response you’ll
get is a robotic “congratulations!”
Combat remains mostly unchanged, albeit
with a bit more of an emphasis on the
“survival” side of things. The need to eat
and drink from New Vegas’ hardcore mode
returns, although food and drink are both
so plentiful that you’ll almost never be in
danger of running low. There’s a bigger
focus on crafting weapons as well, which
can be kind of interesting initially, but melee
weapons all handle very similarly and it just
feels like a chore after a while. Shooting
is pretty much exactly the same as before;
still serviceable and certainly preferable to
the clunky melee combat, but never feeling
totally right.

The only way to make this game moderately
worth your time is playing with other
players (preferably friends). To Bethesda’s
credit, the actual multiplayer component is
implemented pretty smoothly. When you
join a game, you’ll be inserted into a random
world with players already in it that you can
ignore, join up with, or attack depending on
what you feel like. The number of players
in a world is pretty well balanced as well; I
never really felt like I was swarmed by other
players, but there was never a session where
I didn’t at least encounter a couple too.
The sheer gulf in levels can make finding
ones worth teaming up with something of
a challenge, however, and the lack of local
multiplayer is a real missed opportunity for a
game all about working with other players.
While multiplayer can certainly alleviate
some of the boredom that this game would
otherwise bring, even at its best Fallout 76
just doesn’t feel like a Fallout title. Oddly
enough, enemies appear to still be balanced
around a single player experience, which
means that any time you’re with a group of
other players everything just gets blasted
into oblivion before a fight can really even
begin.
Trying to go on quests with other players
(especially strangers) is just an exercise in
annoyance, as people will inevitably get
sidetracked and wind up either abandoning
you or forcing you to wait for them. This
problem is admittedly largely mediated when
you’re playing with friends and not random
wacky internet strangers, but even then
quests aren’t engaging or fun, and whatever
enjoyment exists usually comes from running
into some poor soul along the way and
killing them just to extract some enjoyment
via schadenfreude.
The one positive I can give the game is
that I personally experienced fewer bugs
and technical problems than in previous
Fallout games. But that hardly feels like an
accomplishment given that many bugs tend
to come from friendly NPC interactions, and
since the game has virtually no friendly NPCs
at all it’s probably to be expected that the
number of problems on that front would be
cut down.
Perhaps the best way to summarize Fallout
76 would be with a quote from a tape found
early in the game: “There used to be people
here... but now there’s no one.” Fallout 76
feels like Bethesda made a Fallout title, and
then proceeded to take everything unique
about the series out in favor of conceding
to multiplayer. The series that I once
loved is in here somewhere, but it’s been
buried underneath a pile of annoyances,
frustrations, and concessions made to make
multiplayer possible.
By Paul Broussard
4

Jackson Newsome
REVIEW ps4:)
SPYRO REIGNITEd
TRILOGY
The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a remaster
in only the loosest sense of the word. This
collection includes the first three titles of the
eponymous dragon’s series, each one rebuilt
and bolstered by Unreal Engine 4. While 2017’s
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy established
a new standard for remastering classic
platformers, Toys for Bob raised the bar even
higher with this release.
For the uninitiated, the gameplay is
straightforward. Collect gems, jump and
glide around mostly linear levels, and defeat
enemies along the way. Combat generally
consists of two attack modes: charging
or incinerating foes. These gameplay
mechanics are all made easier with the
modern availability of analog sticks. In
short, controlling Spyro feels a little less stiff
these days. Occasionally, players encounter
variations of these mechanics, such as timed
challenge runs or brief segments as a different
character, but the formula is consistent.
Complete enough brief levels and collect
enough items to move on to the next world.
This approach is successful thanks to the
trilogy’s diverse settings and characters, as
well as its steady increase in complexity.
While enemies sometimes run from Spyro in
the early levels of the games, they hold their
ground and pose a more serious threat as
you progress. It’s certainly a much easier ride
than the early Crash Bandicoot titles, but there
is sufficient challenge to stifle most gamers’
boredom.

The first title in the trilogy, fittingly titled
Spyro the Dragon, benefits most from the
remaster treatment. Despite being a fine
game in its original form, its more basic
visual presentation and gameplay aged more
rapidly than the sequels that followed. In fact,
Toys for Bob redesigned some of the NPC
designs to diversify the original title’s similarlooking
character models. This work was in
addition to other trilogy-wide enhancements,
including updated voiceover work and the
option to listen to a remastered version of
the soundtracks. Overall, the sequels, Ripto’s
Rage and Year of the Dragon, were already
refined expansions of Spyro’s first adventure,
and were must-play original PlayStation titles.
They shine even brighter in this collection.

It’s difficult to find fault in the core elements
of the remasters; the trilogy remains intact
– for better or worse. Platformers of this era
were often frustratingly limited in scope due
to hardware and technical limitations. I can
imagine modern gamers feeling disappointed
as they frequently encounter invisible walls
and quickly reach the edge of the games’
small levels. In revisiting these games as an
adult with limited free time, I truly valued
that I could complete several levels within
an hour. Its pick-up-and-play nature works
to its benefit, and it’s easy to imagine a port
to the Nintendo Switch, but I’m reluctant to
raise my hopes on that front because this
collection is wider in scope and boasts more
impressive graphics and level design than the
Crash remasters. Visually, the Spyro Reignited
Trilogy can pass as a current generation title.
I would be remiss to ignore fan backlash
following the collection’s development
shortcuts. It is disappointing that the
development team did not prioritize
accessibility and add subtitles to the
cutscenes. Similarly, I understand fans’
frustrations with the physical release, where
the full collection is unavailable to play
without downloading large
updates. However, neither of
these issues change the high
quality of this production or
diminished the fun I had in
playing these blasts from
the past. I recommend
the collection without
reservation despite
these omissions.

Titling the collection as
“Reignited” is apt, for each
game is just as enjoyable, if
not more so, than at the time
of their original releases. It
was wise to steer away from
marketing the collection as a
remaster because that label
undercuts the developers’ level
of dedication and investment
in revitalizing these games.
In fact, I have never played a
remaster of this caliber. Toys
for Bob accomplished a tough
balancing act of honoring the
past while updating the trilogy
for modern audiences.
Although gamers are right to
be frustrated by the bungled
physical release and limited
accessibility options, fans of
the series and newcomers alike
will find something to love in
Spyro’s first adventures. Spyro
Reignited Trilogy is a tour of
some of the platforming genre’s
most important history and
hopefully a sign of things to
come.
Welcome back, Spyro.
By Jackson Newsome
8

YOUR BEN DYE SAY
REVIEW NS:
SUPER MARIO P

ARTY
Sometimes, it takes a dozen or so
attempts to get something right.
Other times, you may get something
right early on, but whenever you try
to repeat it each subsequent attempt
is worse than the one before... until,
perhaps, finally, you get it right again.
Such is the case with Super Mario
Party, which in my view is the most
enjoyable Mario Party experience
since Mario Party 3.
Focusing on returning to what used
to work, or as Norman Osborn from
Spider-Man would say, “back to
formula”, Super Mario Party ditches
the features that plagued more recent
entries in the long-running series and
instead introduces new boards and,
best of all of course, a whole slew of
new mini-games.

Many of these mini-games make use of
similar control functions to the Wii era,
but with the advantage that the Joy-Cons
are much more comfortable and easy-touse,
especially when compared to a bulky
Wii MotionPlus controller. My wife and
I played without the attachment pieces
(because we couldn’t find ours), which
made things a little challenging at times,
but we’ve gotten used to playing like this
since the Snipperclips days.
If you haven’t used the Joy-Cons in
this manner before, then you’ll quickly
need to adapt because, somewhat
controversially, you’re forced to use the
Joy-Cons in Super Mario Party. After
a while it becomes clear why this is -
some of the mini-games are brilliantly
innovative and require you to make full
use of the motion controls; something
that would prove challenging to replicate
with a regular control scheme.
Interestingly the development team
decided to divide the computercontrolled
characters into different
difficulty categories, so now certain
characters are innately better at the
game than others. Personally I wasn’t
too bothered by this but if you were
hoping to play against certain characters
at a customisable difficulty level then
you’re out of luck. As an aside, I’m still
convinced that certain level 7 characters
in Super Smash Bros. Melee were
superior to level 9 characters and would
beat the tar out of them, but I digress.
Some of the 80 or so mini-games are
naturally better than others, my favorite
being ones like the sizzling steaks minigame,
where you flip over meat you’re
cooking with the Joy-Cons. I also really
enjoyed ‘stake your claim’, which requires
quick and instant decision making to
determine which shapes are the biggest,
followed by the hilarious and sudden
realization of impending doom if you
pick the wrong one.
Visually it’s the best looking Mario Party
game to-date, as one would expect, and
Nintendo’s continues to demonstrate
its excellence here. A strong art style is
supported by a servicable soundtrack -
it’s not on the same level as, say, Donkey
Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, but it’s
enjoyable enough.
In terms of game modes Super Mario
Party sports ‘Mario Party’, ‘Partner Party’,
‘River Survival’, and some others that
I don’t wish to spoil because they’re
enjoyable to discover of your own
accord. Of the ones I have listed the first
two should be pretty self-explanatory for
any Mario Party veterans, while the third
introduces a fun cooperative way to play.

Mario Party is nothing if not all about
friends and family having a good laugh
together, and the mini-games in this
entry do produce some good chuckles
in my experience. Practice rounds
continue to be provided prior to each
mini-game, which makes the learning
curve nice and easy, supplementing
the pick-up-and-play nature of the
game, and each person has to sign off
when they feel they’re ready.
When it comes to online - or ‘Online
Mariothon’ as it’s called - Super Mario
Party is also a blast. You play a handful
of rotating mini-games with three
other players and compete for a cup
(think Mario Kart). You also receive
stickers and trophies (bronze, silver,
and gold), which you can collect,
as well as some other goodies like
leaderboards and statistics, which
incentivise you to keep playing the
game over the longer term. I did
encounter some occasional lag though,
which hampered the online experience
(especially the mini-game where you
have to dodge the fuzzies).
Elsewhere little has been changed - the
items and board functions are overly
familiar, and the latter tend to be let
down in general by being on the small
side and not being terribly eventful.
There also aren’t that many boards
to begin with, so they can quickly
become repetitive. But the one thing
that does mix things up is the partner
system. If you land on certain spaces
you can collect a partner, which allows
you to roll a different type of dice (a
mixture of risk/reward), and also adds
to the amount of your total roll. These
partners will also help increase the
odds of your winning the mini-games.
On the whole it’s a fun inclusion - one
that adds a certain amount of sheer,
dumb luck that can be oh so useful
when trying to win any Mario Party
match.
Nintendo did make some questionable
decisions in designing Super Mario
Party, but none of these quibbles
detract too much from the fact that the
mini-games themselves are incredibly
fun (and, yes, often funny) to play.
Online features and new game modes
help to round out a very weighty minigame
collection that could’ve been
even better with just a little extra vision
and effort on Nintendo’s part. In a way,
Super Mario Party is like comfort food
on a cold rainy Friday; it may not be
as exciting as going out to eat but it’s
sometimes just what you’re really in
the mood for.
By Ben Dye
7

VG CHARTS REVIEW
REVIEW NS:
LEGO HARRY POTT
The LEGO series has adapted a lot of
popular intellectual properties—Star Wars,
Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park—but perhaps
none makes more sense with the series’
gameplay conceits than Harry Potter (HP).
After all, levitation and transfiguration, the
staples of most LEGO games, are standard
spells in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
So, it makes perfect sense that seventhgen
systems saw two LEGO HP titles, which
were subsequently bundled together and
remastered on PS4, and finally ported to
Xbox One and Switch. Overall, the bundle
is a treat for the Potter faithful, although its
family-friendly accessibility might turn some
muggle heads—as long as they don’t expect
gameplay that’s deep or demanding.

ER COLLECTION
The HP Collection is split into its two original
games, each available from a launcher
menu. The first details the events of wizardin-training
Harry Potter, from age 11-14,
as he discovers his magic roots and starts
sorcery lessons at Hogwarts, a boarding
school for magic-users. The second game
deals with Harry aged 15-17, when the
demands of young adulthood and the rise of
a malevolent dark wizard threaten to derail
both his personal journey and the peaceful
landscape of the wizarding world in general.

As with many of its LEGO games,
developer TT Games captures these
magical tales in a series of funny,
flippant cut-scenes. Filled with injokes
and sight gags, they’re a lot of
fun. They’re also loyal to the source
material—in this case the Warner
Bros. movies, not the original novels.
While this works well for players
who’ve watched all eight movies (the
seventh book was divided into two
film installments, for those living
under a rock since 2010), it’s counterproductive
for those unaware of the
main characters and minutiae of
Harry Potter, Hogwarts, et al. Since
the cut-scenes are wordless and bank
on storyboards from the movies,
the uninitiated will struggle to keep
up. As a result, this collection is best
consumed after watching the Harry
Potter film canon.
Both Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and
Years 5-7 feature the same triedand-true,
fool-proof LEGO gameplay:
action-platforming, button-mashing
combat, and light puzzle-solving.
Each year at Hogwarts comes with
its own sub-game, with six chapters
united by a hub world—the interior
and grounds of Hogwarts, the streets
of London, or a combination of the
two. Individual chapters typically
find Harry and best friends Ron and
Hermione learning spells, blasting
bad guys, and transforming piles of
loose LEGO bricks into something
useful.
The general gameplay works well
enough—particularly for younger
players and families—but falls on
the shallow and simple side. Take
the mechanics of Wingardium
Leviosa, the most prominent spell
in the game, for example. Harry
or whichever playable character is
controlled at the time will spot an
item bathed in a purple glow. He’ll
cycle through a spell wheel to pick
Wingardium Leviosa, then hold down
the A button, and the spell takes the
purple item and moves or transforms
it accordingly. A pile of sticks
becomes a bridge, a barrel is turned
upside down, etc. It’s simple and
effective, but not terribly challenging
or rewarding. Often gameplay in the
Harry Potter Collection boils down to
standing in the right place, selecting
the right spell, and pressing A.

Now, of course, there are exceptions. Some
puzzles require some outside-the-box
thinking and a few boss fights test your
dexterity and timing. A year three mini-boss
fight against Harry’s Hogwarts nemesis
Draco Malfoy, where Harry and Hermione
must launch snowballs back at the sneering
student, is especially good. There are also a
handful of stages that break up the standard
action-platforming bits, including a car
escape toward the end of year two and a
behind-the-back on-rails flying sequence at
the onset of year five.
These sequences, and everything else in the
game, are playable with two people in local
co-op (again, great for families). While this
disrupts the traditional narrative—Harry
should face the dragon from the Triwizard
tournament alone, not with Hermione, for
example—it makes the puzzle-solving and
spell-casting a lot more fun. Be warned,

however: the HP Collection uses a diagonal
split-screen set-up when the two co-op
partners stray too far from another, resulting
in some visual disorientation (WiiU, with its
second screen, remains the best way to play
local LEGO games).
When not adventuring through adolescence
or avoiding the apocalypse, Harry and
friends can retire to the Leaky Cauldron, a
tavern from which players can view videos,
replay individual chapters—necessary to find
all unlockable characters, collect all tokens,
and achieve 100 percent completion—and
access Diagon Alley. In the alley, there are
several shops that sell new characters, spells
(not essential to beating the game), cheats,
and other items. At the back of Diagon Alley
is the goblin bank of Gringotts, which hosts
several bonus stages and a neat level editor
mode. The HP Collection isn’t wanting for
content or replay value, that’s for sure.
Apart from its wealth of content—in
addition to dozens of levels and hundreds
of characters the compilation includes
two DLC packs with new spells and new
characters like Godric Gryffindor, Helga
Hufflepuff, Peeves, Rowena Ravenclaw and
Salazar Slytherin—the HP Collection offers
enhanced graphics, environments, lighting,
and visual effects. While these aren’t a
quantum leap over the older HD console
versions of Years 1-4 and 5-7, they’re
certainly an improvement—particularly
compared to the Wii, DS, and PSP variants.
With a friendly approach to gaming, a warm
sense of humor, and lots of content, the HP
Collection is a good investment for younger
and/or less accomplished gamers, or anyone
who loves the Harry Potter IP. Shallow,
undemanding gameplay will make it less
attractive to experienced players.
6
By Evan Norris

Patrick Day-Childs
REVIEW XONE:
LEGO DC SUPER
Traveller’s Tales has always managed to
squeeze something fresh into its LEGO
games, to one extent or another, but with
LEGO DC Super-Villains I feel like this is
the first time that the developer has really
pushed the boat out in recent years.
LEGO DC Super-Villains stands as a
testament to what Traveller’s Tales can
accomplish when it pours a little love into
these franchised titles. With an interesting
story, a wide array of characters, and some
highly varied settings to explore, this is
truly one of the strongest LEGO games
I’ve played – and I’ve played a lot of LEGO
games.
It opens with a new villain - one that
you create. On top of the usual array of
customisation options you’re also able
to give your villain different powers and
have the ability to change how each power
looks. These customisation options expand
as you progress through the game, but
you have a huge amount to fiddle with
from the get-go. I had the joy of playing
the game with my young son and he
particularly enjoyed the customisation
options, placing Parademon wings on his
LEGO character “to make him look like
grandad”.
Referred to as the ‘rookie’, you embark on
a quest with some other ne’er-do-wells
to break out of prison. Your super power,
as it turns out, is the ability to absorb
other super powers (where have I seen
that before?), making you one bad-ass
menace. After a short crime spree the
Justice League show up to ruin your fun,
but they’re zapped away by the Justice
Syndicate, an evil version of the Justice
League from an alternate universe. It turns
out that the latter are actually worse for
our rag-tag squad of villains and so you
find yourselves chasing after the actual
heroes to try and save them.

-VILLANS

There are several twists and turns
throughout the story that came as
real surprises, and the level of writing
is impressive, especially considering
that the game is aimed to a young
audience.
Traveller’s Tales really managed to
capture each cities’ own individual
personality and key features, with the
former being a light, vibrant city and
the latter being a dark, miserable one.
The narrative takes you across
several varied locations - some dark
and dingy, others full of life and
energy - and it’s a genuine pleasure
to explore each level. In terms of
freeroam, the world is divided up into
several sections, with the two major
areas being Metropolis and Gotham.

Locations such as Smallville can be
found too, and there are a bunch of
side missions that require the use of
lots of different villains, and plenty of
light puzzles to keep you distracted.
The races also make a return,
along with a massive array of
vehicles. DC fans will smile to
see the likes of Red Hood’s
motorbike pop up. One final
thing that stood out to me in
this title is that in multiplayer
you can both set separate
waypoints, allowing friends to
head about doing their own
thing during free roam. In terms of new
gameplay elements, some characters
can now call on henchmen to help them
reach otherwise unattainable places,
and there’s a tepid attempt to evolve the
series’ platforming elements with the
introduction of moving platforms and
more challenging sequences, but on the
whole it felt like Traveller’s Tales was too
shy to really advance the formula.
around like a marble and using gravity
to reach your objective. These become
more complex as you advance, with for
example the introduction of ropes that
you need to jump between, but to such
an extent that it can feel a bit tedious.
A lack of QA sometimes rears its head;
I came across several glitches, some of
which forced me to restart from previous
checkpoints because characters became
permanently stuck. But on the whole
LEGO DC Super-Villains is a fun, polished
gameplay experience.
With over 150 characters to play through,
200 gold bricks to collect, and a total of
20 levels to work your way through, LEGO
DC Super-Villains offers a huge amount
of bang for its buck. If you’re a LEGO fan,
or looking for that game to bond with
your kids over this half term, then LEGO
DC Super-Villains is ideal.
By Patrick Day-Childs
Other gameplay additions include mazes,
where you use the shoulder buttons to
spin a board, moving your character
7

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