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Published by , 2018-07-07 20:48:19

Game Informer September 2017

Game Informer September 2017

WHEN YOU TRADE GAMES
AND ACCESSORIES

SELECT TRADING CARD O N L I N E O N LY
BOOSTER PACKS
ON ZOWIE 24″ XL2411
ON TURTLE BEACH CONSOLE E-SPORTS MONITORS
ELITE PRO TOURNAMENT
O N L I N E O N LY
GAMING HEADSET
ON ZOWIE 27″ RL2755 OR 24″ RL2455
ON HALO ENERGY SWORD CONSOLE GAMING MONITORS

ON SELECT XBOX ONE WIRELESS O N L I N E O N LY
CONTROLLERS WITH PURCHASE
ON TP-LINK AC3150
OF ANY XBOX ONE CONSOLE DUAL BAND WI-FI
ROUTER

O N L I N E O N LY

ON TP-LINK AC1750
DUAL BAND WI-FI ROUTER

ANDY McNAMARA Rules Are Made
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF To Be Broken

[email protected] I have a rule for writing my letter, and that
is to say something to make you think,
Read my column or and not to be another table of contents.
comment on this letter at This month is tough, however, because
gameinformer.com/mag the issue is just killing it. So my rule...well,
I’m just gonna have to let it slide.
or follow @GI_AndyMc
First, we have our cover story on Call
visit gameinformer.com daily for the latest and greatest, and follow @gameinformer on Twitter of Duty: WWII (pg. 36), a return to the
past that fans of the popular series have
been begging for after years of exploring
modern and future combat. We know Call
of Duty has millions of fans and is still one
of the most popular games in the world,
but we also know that it has millions that
dread any mention. For those readers, we
think you will find much to love in the rest
of the issue, and we traveled the world
to get it.

For starters, we went to Japan to get the
history of Pokémon straight from Game
Freak (pg. 48). We had never been to their
offices before, so when we had a chance
to go there to hear about Pokémon’s past
and future, we jumped at it.

We went to D23 and learned all we could
about Kingdom Hearts III from the man
himself, Tetsuya Nomura (pg. 64). We trav-
eled to Nintendo of America to discover
more about Metroid: Samus Returns (pg.
60), a promising remake of classic Game
Boy game, Metroid II. We journeyed to Evo
to see elite fighters from around the world
battle it out for esports glory (pg. 12). We
experienced Niantic’s disastrous Pokémon
Go fan convention firsthand (pg. 22) and
lived to tell the tale.

Luckily we didn’t have to leave the
office for an insightful interview with
Brendan Greene, the madman behind
one of the hottest games in the world,
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (pg. 30).
We also landed a reveal for an upcoming
Fallout board game (pg. 18), put together
a list of gaming longshots we would love
to see return (pg. 26), and delivered all the
departments, reviews, and previews you
love from Game Informer.

This is a good one. Good enough to
break the rules. Enjoy the issue and we
will see you next month and hopefully
online at gameinformer.com.

Cheers,

36 Call Of Duty: WWII
After three years of combat in the future,
the Call of Duty franchise returns to its
roots with a historical journey to WWII. In addition to a
grounded campaign, Sledgehammer Games offers up
a social multiplayer experience and a horrific take on
co-op zombies. by Daniel Tack

2

12 Adapt & Evolve: Evo 2017
We attended the biggest fighting-game tournament of the
year and have a full report on the winners, losers, announcements,
and more.

18 Enter The 22 Pokémon Go Fest 60 Metroid: Samus Returns
Wasteland Chicago We played more of the new 2D Metroid for 3DS and
Board-game expert Matt We visited the first large- spoke with its producer, Yoshio Sakamoto.
Miller takes a look at a scale gathering for Pokémon
new game based on the Go in Chicago and returned
Fallout franchise. with a full report.

26 Long-Shot Games We Want 32 Gear: Tribute To 30 Interview:
These games will never come out, but that doesn’t mean The SNES Brendan
we’re done holding out hope. In our excitement for the “PlayerUnknown” Greene
SNES Classic Edition, we Brendan “PlayerUnknown”
gathered gear that pays Greene’s Battlegrounds
tribute to the console. has quickly become a
favorite among players and
48 The History Of Pokémon streamers, and we spoke
We traveled to Japan to visit Game Freak, the developer behind Pokémon, to tour the studio, to him about his history
talk about Pokémon’s history, and get a tease for the future of the monster-collecting franchise. and rise in popularity.

06 Feedback

20 Top Ten
MOBA Characters

21 The Good, The Bad,
And The Ugly

24 Massive:
Final Fantasy XIV:
Stormblood

25 Impulse

34 Timeline

68 Previews

80 Reviews

96 Game Over

3 contents

68 Wolfenstein II: games index
The New Colossus
We went hands-on with Aegis Defenders . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
what was easily the highlight Black the Fall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
of Bethesda’s E3 showing. Call of Duty: WWII . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Crash Bandicoot:
64 Kingdom Hearts III At D23 70 Lego Marvel Super
Square Enix had lots of new details to share about Kingdom Heroes 2 N. Sane Trilogy . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Hearts III at Disney’s annual expo, and the game’s co-director, As Marvel’s cinematic Cryptark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Tetsuya Nomura, was on hand to answer our questions. universe continues to Darkest Dungeon:
expand, so does its Lego
counterpart. The Crimson Court . . . . . . . . . 85
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT . . . . . 76
74 Metal Gear Survive 79 Strange Brigade 82 Pyre Distant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
We didn’t know what The creators of The creators of End is Nigh, The . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
to expect from a Kojima- Sniper Elite are focusing Bastion and Transistor Final Fantasy XIV:
free Metal Gear, and we its efforts on a four-player somehow merged fantasy
walked away optimistic. cooperative, third-person and NBA Jam. Stormblood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
experience. Get Even . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Golf Club 2, The. . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
83 Hellblade: 84 Tacoma 90 Splatoon 2 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice . . . 83
Senua’s Sacrifice After a long time in The surprise hit on Hey! Pikmin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Does Ninja Theory’s bold development, we’re excited Wii U’s sequel is out on Kingdom Hearts III. . . . . . . . . . . 64
experiment pay off? to finally play Fullbright’s Switch, and it’s a great Legend of Zelda:
follow-up to Gone Home. reason to own the console.
Breath of the Wild –
91Hey! Pikmin 94 Classic: Star Fox 2 The Master Trials, The. . . . . . . 92
How does Nintendo’s The game we thought would never come out has a release Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 . . . 70
take on the RTS fare on date. We spoke with its programmer about the surprise launch. Metal Gear Survive . . . . . . . . . . 74
3DS? Is it even still an RTS? Metroid: Samus Returns . . . . . . 60
Minecraft: Story Mode –
4 contents Season Two:
Hero In Residence . . . . . . . . . . 92
NBA Live 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Nex Machina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
NHL 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Pathfinder: Kingmaker. . . . . . . . 77
Pinball FX3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Pokémon Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Pyre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Semblance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Splatoon 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Star Fox 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Strange Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Tacoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Tokyo Xanadu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Tropico 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Wolfenstein II:
The New Colossus. . . . . . . . . . 68

©2016 Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Maybe juiciness comes
Starburst and all affiliated designs are trademarks of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company or its affiliates.
from MC Hammer’s juicy raindance.

Go to hammerraindance.com on your UNEXPLAINABLY JUICY™
smart phone to see Hammer do his thing.

feedback

New consoles, old gaming secrets, and plundering pirates were all
popular topics this month, along with fan suggestions for the future
of Assassin’s Creed.

Back On The Open Seas any influence over Ubisoft’s decision Supersonics. Even though I beat him
to spin off an independent pirate 90 percent of the time, I now wonder
Ahoy there, me hearties! Back in 2015, adventure, but if you want to give us how many more wins I may have been
I wrote you a letter saying how much the credit, we won’t stop you. able to squeeze in. This fact was not
I loved Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, so “fun” to learn after all.
which you published in issue 265. More Like NBA Scam...
I asked if there were any games that John Weir
were similar to Black Flag, but without After discovering that NBA Jam was Girard, Kansas
all the “Assassin’s Creed.” I found out rigged against the Chicago Bulls in
today that Ubisoft Singapore is cur- your article “25 Fun Facts About Video Rest assured, John, your teen-
rently working on a game called Skull Games You Likely Didn’t Know” (issue age rivalry was unaffected. The
& Bones! Open-sea naval warfare, 291), I immediately took a picture of secret programming, which caused
pirate ships, plundering, shanties – the entry and sent it to my best friend. Chicago Bulls’ players to brick more
and best of all, no futuristic hoopla After spending countless nights (and shots in the final seconds of a game,
to pull you away from fully immersing many pots of coffee) battling it out was only activated when playing
yourself in this game. In short, they over NBA Jam in our middle-school against the Detroit Pistons – the
took Assassin’s Creed out of Black years, we feel disgusted. Despite favorite team of NBA Jam creator
Flag! Thanks for giving us gamers a Michael Jordan’s absence from the Mark Turmell. If your friend was play-
voice that can be heard by these big roster, I always picked the Bulls, while ing as the Supersonics, your losses
companies. I, for one, cannot wait to my buddy chose Shawn Kemp’s were all you.
get my hands on a copy of this game.
P.S. I still don’t like parrots!

Douglas Lahey
Iowa

Contact Us Skull & Bones was certainly one of
the biggest new-IP announcements
Send your questions, at what was an otherwise unsurpris-
comments, and rants to ing E3 this year. So far the game
[email protected] looks to be building off of Black
for a chance to be featured Flag’s potential. We doubt we had
in the magazine!

6

X Or S? Trick Or Treat Short Answers
To Readers’
I watched Microsoft’s E3 press conference, and I have been I just wanted to let everyone at your Burning
thinking about getting the Xbox One X when it comes out magazine know that I love your podcasts Questions:
in November. On the one hand, the specs (and Forza 7) look and various videos. The Mass Effect
incredible, and eclipse the PS4 Pro’s specs. On the other Andromeda Game Club was very inter- “During E3 Microsoft
hand, $499 is a little steep for a console, and not many games esting and insightful; it was nice to know announced another new
that were shown at E3 even run in true 4K on Xbox One X. that I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed Xbox One with just a few
What is your standpoint on this situation? Should I wait until the game even with its many flaws. I improvements for $499.
November and buy an Xbox One X? Or should I just buy an read your magazine mostly for game and Why are they doing this?”
Xbox One S now? industry news, but I love the return of
ranking features like your Top 100 RPGs Money.
Ryan R. article (issue 290). I was wondering if you
via email could do something similar with horror “How is it possible to
games, and have it come out maybe not compile a Top 100 RPGs
You can never go wrong with waiting, Ryan. How the Xbox this Halloween, but next? list and exclude Heroes of
One X’s proposed specs translate to real-world performance Might and Magic?”
won’t be clear until launch, and we’ll have to wait even Chuck Herm
longer to see what developers take advantage of the added via email Opinions.
power. You have nothing to lose by waiting for hardware
reviews and to see how the system’s potential 4K library We’re not sure why you’d want us to “Is there any way to see
shapes up. If you decide it’s ultimately not worth it, the skip this Halloween, but either way, how a Highlander game
Xbox One S might even be cheaper by then. we’re one step and several years could come out on PS4
ahead of you; issue 258 contained our and other systems?”
picks for the Top 25 horror games of
all time, which you can check out at Yes, but we’d have to
gameinformer.com. track down and behead
all the other immortals
An Equal Playing Field first, which sounds like
a lot of work.
Thank you very much for your “Gaming
For All” article (issue 291). It really is one Worst Opening
of the best articles I have ever read. My Line To
uncle has Cerebral Palsy, and he loves A Feedback
to play games like Halo, Borderlands, Letter:
Battlefield, and many others. Whenever
I go to his house I play with him, and we “Long-time reader and
have a very fun time together. He uses angry fat man with
the same technology as described in the internet, first-time
the article to play games, and damn is counter-pointer.”
he good at them. A lot of the technology
was donated from Ablegamers, and it Question
allows him to completely wreck bandits Of The Month:
in Borderlands 2 and Covenant aliens in
Halo 4. I’m very grateful that you wrote this What has been the most
article and I can’t wait to show it to him. significant change to your
gaming interests/habits
Sagan Petr Smith over the years?
Fort Collins, CO

We can’t think of a more noble goal
than creating specialized hardware for
disabled gamers that allows them to
kick our butts in multiplayer matches.
Kudos to Ablegamers, and all the other
advocates who are working tirelessly to
make video games more accessible.

gi spy (Left) This month we
traveled to Foster City,
PHOTOS FROM THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY California to get the
lowdown on Call of Duty:
WWII from the fine folks
at Sledgehammer.
(Right) Kim recently
met up with famed
Kingdom Hearts
composer Yoko
Shimomura at the
Kingdom Hearts
Orchestra concert.

feedback 7

On Your Mind

Assassin’s Creed Ideas For Origins I’d love there to be less filler quests. When you
Requests actually work for a living, the last thing you
In issue 291, we asked readers what they want is a chore, like “Collect all these feathers!”
Continued Top 100 want to see from Assassin’s Creed Origins. or, “Collect all these pages, which are just like
RPG Replies While innovations are nice, most gamers feathers, only they run away from you!” I think
expressed a desire for a return to the series’ The Witcher 3 and Breath of the Wild are two
Destiny 2 roots. Here are some of the responses: shining examples of open-world games that
Excitement are always engaging, but never waste your
Bring back the First Civilization! Make it a won- time with frivolous, mundane tasks. It’s not the
“Bring Back derful meld of creating the brotherhood, yet number of hours that counts, but what you do
Couch Co-op!” making Isu relevant again. That’s part of what during them.
was so amazing about the Ezio series. How
“Gaming For fantastic would it be if Ubisoft credited the pyra- Shane Knowles
All” Fans mids to those who came before? It would bring
back the excitement of learning more about who As much fun as features like ship-to-ship
Friday The 13th the heck they are and what happened, because combat are, I really want Origins to go back to
Hater Gripes let’s face it, the whole Desmond ending was a the basics. I would love for them to scale back
major let down. Restart that engine! the ambitious unique components and focus on
core gameplay: stealth, combat, and parkour.
Luis D. Sosa It seems like these things haven’t been refined
as much since AC 3, and I think parkour has
What do I want to see in Assassin’s Creed always been a little frustrating.
Origins? A Joy-Con tutorial for playing on the
Nintendo Switch. Nicholas Rios

Jordan Brown

(Left) Ben Reeves didn’t
expect XCOM 2 director
Jake Solomon to whisper
sweet nothings into his
ear during his demo of
War of the Chosen – but

he didn’t object either.
(Right) Former G.I.

Editor Dan Ryckert and
Bianca Monda tied the
knot in Las Vegas this
month, and because it’s
Dan, they did it at Taco

Bell. ’Til diarrhea do
them part.

(continued on page 10)

8 feedback



gallery WINNER
1 Anthony Sciscioli

Bowser must be killing it at the gym lately.

2 Darius Davis

That’s some fine scratching, Darius!

3 Adam Thomas

Spyro and Crash shouldn’t look so shocked – given
all the crazy things that happen in their worlds, is
a crossover really that much of a stretch?

4 Ian Kennedy

What happens when you mash up every
popular video game character into one image?
NIGHTMARES, that’s what.

1

Correction: In last month’s issue, we featured a portrait of Link that was later found to not be original. We apologize for this error.

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

(Left) We also sent Kyle
and Hanson to Japan
this month to learn all
about Game Freak’s
illustrious history with

Pokémon. Unfortunately,
they came back when
they were done.

(Right) While in Japan,
Kyle and Hanson caught

up with 8-4’s John
Ricciardi and Enhance
Games’ Mark MacDonald.
Hear them chat about
the game industry on the

G.I. Show.
10 feedback

SATISFACTION ,1 6(&21'6™

© 2017, Hormel Foods LLC HEAT IT UP. EAT IT UP.

ADAPTconnect

&EVOLVE

The world of competitive fighting games gets bigger every year.
But what does that growth mean for its biggest tournament?

NOTABLES

18 enter the wasteland:
fantasy flight's new
fallout tabletop game

22 pokémon go fest
chicago

24 massive:
final fantasy xiv:
stormblood

25 impulse:
three variations on a
platforming theme

26 the longshots:
rounding up the
unlikely games we
want most

30 interview: brendan
“playerunknown”
greene

12

W hen Tom and Tony Cannon called on dozens of flair, you could find booths offering
Street Fighter players to enter the first “Battle By repairs, converters, and mods on short
The Bay” tournament (now called the Evolution notice. Several panels covering Twitch
Championship series, or Evo) in Sunnyvale, streaming, the history of Evo, and more
California, back in 1996, they never imagined it would end up offered a reprieve from the noise of the
where it has. “This was never the plan for Evo,” Tom Cannon Mandalay Bay Convention Center. It
said during a panel at this year’s tournament. also helps that Evo now takes place in
a Vegas hotel, where food courts and
Since its modest inception, Evo has grown to a monumental casinos are a short walk away.
scale, moving from arcades to ballrooms to convention centers.
This year the tournament took place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel Despite the burgeoning con-like
in Las Vegas, hosting thousands of attendees and airing on atmosphere, the focus on fighting,
major television channels like ESPN2 and Disney XD, exposing arcade, and competitive games gives
an enormous audience to a growing-but-niche scene. Evo a distinct feel. Opposite the showy
booths and merch, you can find dozens
As the tournament grows, it has fostered several offshoot com- of players competing at every kind of
munities, both large and small. Attendees set up CRT televisions to game imaginable. Fans brought in a
play classic fighting games wherever they can find the space, and few Dreamcasts for hours of Marvel vs.
sponsors are pouring more money than ever into tournament prize Capcom 2 play, CRTs littered one area
pools, booths on the show floor, and players themselves. Through full of Super Smash Bros. Melee play-
these changes, the Cannons still strive to have Evo abide by its ers getting in some practice between
core mission: “Preserve and grow the arcade competitive culture.” tournament matches, while others
honed their skills at more recent fight-
by Suriel Vazquez ers like Pokkén Tournament and Arms.
A few setups even featured custom
More Than A Tournament Hayes says. “Now there’s plenty of machines that allowed players to hook
At its heart, Evo is a tournament things people can do and enjoy, and up original arcade boards for clas-
gathering all of the disparate fight- I think that’s a really positive step.” sic Capcom fighters like Super Street
ing game communities (FGCs) in one Fighter II Turbo and Darkstalkers to
place. But in recent years, it’s also This year, several publishers set up their televisions with ease.
grown to accommodate the average booths to show off upcoming games
video game fan. “This right now is like like Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Dragon Though Evo officially hosts tourna-
FighterCon – that’s where it’s been Ball FighterZ, and Gundam Versus. ments for nine games (Street Fighter V,
moving gradually,” says Leah “Gllty” Many independent developers also Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Tekken 7,
Hayes, a high-level Street Fighter V showed off their wares, including BlazBlue: Central Fiction, Ultimate
player and streamer. Though its main fighting and other kinds of competi- Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Smash
component is competition, you can tive, arcade-style games. You could Bros. Melee, Injustice 2, Guilty Gear Xrd:
easily spend your entire weekend at find several booths hocking arcade Rev 2, and The King of Fighters XIV),
Evo without signing up for a single sticks, artist sketches, autographs, and players host several of their own tour-
tournament. “Maybe you only play chachkies. If your controller of choice naments on the side. Walking around
in one game, and then you’re done,” broke, wasn’t compatible with a con- the show floor, you can hear organiz-
sole, or could have used a little more ers calling for players to report for their
tournament matches for games like Fist
of the North Star, Puyo Puyo Tetris, and
more. An entire sub-tournament called
AnimEvo sprung up in recent years (see
sidebar). These small, ad-hoc events
harken back to Evo’s early days, when
the tournaments were smaller, slightly
less organized, and didn’t feature play-
ers who had major sponsorship deals.

connect 13

To Preserve And Grow efforts of people who are passionate players meeting up to play a genre
Although Evo has grown into a massive about the genre, and would hold these that relies on a sense of community
event, fighting games are still working tournaments even if there were no to thrive, it’s easy to understand why
on their wider presence. “Right now money on the line. Chen, Cannon, and others work so
fighting games are still a niche,” says hard to keep the tournament’s culture
James Chen, a commentator who was That focus on the grassroots hasn’t intact. The ability to fire up an obscure
a part of Evo in its earliest days. Though stopped outside parties from taking fighting game, have someone else
many of its scenes are on the rise, the interest. Esports conglomerates and take notice, then sit down for a few
fighting game genre is still not as preva- other sponsors have invested money in matches with you is a feeling unique
lent as shooters or MOBAs. This makes the FGC for years, and their presence among gaming conventions. Recent
Evo an important showcase for several in the scene is increasingly felt, but not esports-oriented tournaments like
different FGCs, such as those for Super always embraced. “There’s always a TBS’ Eleague and Capcom’s own
Smash Bros. (see sidebar). “Lots of little bit of caution there,” Chen says. Capcom Cup, while fun events, lack
people watch Evo and don’t watch any- Past brushes with major esports corpo- this freeform aspect, instead focusing
thing else,” Chen says. rations such as Major League Gaming on building up the world’s best players
have led to poor tournament experi- to a larger audience.
This makes Evo a de facto ambassa- ences, resulting in bad blood between
dor for the FGC, an honor that comes the two communities. “The danger, in Newcomers to the scene, such as
with the responsibility of making sure my opinion, was that the FGC needed Team Liquid’s Du “NuckleDu” Dang,
the event is sending the right mes- MLG more than the MLG needed the who took fifth at this year’s Street
sage to the world. Part of that means FGC,” Chen says. This lopsided relation-
showing that at the core of Evo are the ship can lead to bubbles where, should
advertisers or sponsors find they’re not
The Rise Of Anime getting a return on their investment and
decide to pull out, the game’s competi-
Anime fighting games are their own beast. They’re faster- tive scene could suffer in the long run.
paced than Street Fighter or Tekken and tend to let players
dash through the air, which, along with their more colorful art Another cause for concern among
styles, distinguish them among fighting games. They also tend fighting game fans, including Cannon
to have a shorter lifespan in the competitive scene according himself, is the esports industry’s focus
to Dawn “Yohosie” Hosie, who helps organize AnimEvo, a on cash incentives. “Prize money is
series of side tournaments featuring anime games. Though how the gaming scene in general sees
major games like Persona 4 Arena and Guilty Gear Xrd have success,” Cannon said during the panel
enjoyed main stage competition at Evo, more obscure games discussing Evo’s history. Tournaments
like Under Night In-Birth, Koihime Enbu, and Nitroplus Blasterz like Dota 2’s The International tout their
get perhaps a year in the spotlight before disappearing. After multimillion-dollar prize pools, and the
that brief moment in the spotlight, “they’re never going to see larger gaming world only tends to take
the light of day again,” Hosie says. notice when dollar signs are involved.
What those dollar signs miss, accord-
To keep these obscure games alive, the anime fighting game ing to Cannon, is that the prize money
community has built up its own minor circuit, including events often goes to a small number of play-
like AnimEvo and CEOtaku. AnimEvo’s connection to its parent ers, teams, and sponsors, leaving most
event, however, is loose. “AnimEvo has no official connection smaller events in the lurch. “There are
to Evo whatsoever,” Hosie says. “They give us console space. grassroots Dota 2 and Counter-Strike
Aside from that, it’s hands-off.” The people who organize the tournaments, but all the funding and
tournaments aren’t considered staff, and tournaments often spotlight is what gets on TV,” Cannon
must accommodate for players and organizers who compete says, “But that stuff wouldn’t get on TV
in other tournaments. without the grassroots.”

Even further off the beaten path at Evo is the Anime Suite, Wandering the Mandalay Bay
a minor gathering in a hotel featuring a litany of consoles Convention Center and looking at the
and PCs running Guilty Gear Xrd, BlazBlue, and even the sea of CRTs, arcade machines, and
arcade golf game Neo Turf Masters. For a $10 cover charge,
you’re free to partake in any of the consoles there, as well as
drinks and food.

Noting the anime scene’s increasing prominence, Evo has
increased their support for anime fighters in recent years.
Two were featured in the main lineup this year, and Joey
“Mr. Wizard” Cuellar, who helps organize Evo’s tournaments,
takes input from the anime community on which games
to feature. “He’s really considerate to anime games now,”
Hosie says.

14

Fighter V tournament, see things dif- Evo 2017 Official Games
ferently. Though Dang acknowledges And Champions*
the importance of keeping the event’s
grassroots origins, he notes that the R Street Fighter V 3<;?7
“arcade competitive culture” Evo N,A=;6AS ,3@;9G5:; (Japan)
strives to preserve had its flaws. “A
lot of players back then, they had to R S uper Smash Bros. For Wii U
have full-time jobs and find a way to +3>77? N+3>7?S 1AG@9
compete and travel,” Dang says. With (United States)
more organizations stepping in to
sponsor players full-time and run tour- R S uper Smash Bros. Melee
naments with larger prize pools, Dang 63? N D?363S $;@69D7@
says, “players are taken care of.” (Sweden)

While Cannon is cautious of esports R T ekken 7 KG@ <;@ N" *S
involvement, he understands the #;? (Korea)
grassroots efforts and more present-
able esports events aren’t mutually R I njustice 2 *K3@ N D39A@S
exclusive. “These things don’t com- /3>=7D (United States)
pete. You can have both,” he says.
R G uilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 '?;FA
3E:;?AFA (Japan)

R U ltimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
*7@7 N*K3@$.S *A?7DA
(United States)

R B lazBlue: Central Fiction
*KGE7; !FA (Japan)

R T he King of Fighters XIV
:;3 G@9 N
,
S $;@ (Taiwan)

*sorted by number of entrants

connect 15

A Day To Remember finals had several upset matches and a winning than your typical esports
On the tournament’s final day, all eyes few Americans trying to represent their competitor. After the event was over,
were on the Mandalay Bay Events home nation. Super Smash Bros. for famous players intermingled seamlessly
Center, where the top eight players in Wii U’s last match turned on a vicious with the crowds, giving fans a chance
the five most popular games fought dime. Street Fighter V’s champion to see their favorite players without
atop a stage for their shot at first place, seemed like a foregone conclusion until overbearing mobs or impromptu auto-
a spectacle which straddled a line they absolutely weren’t. graph sessions.
between the flashiness of esports and
the raw excitement of a fighting-game The setup at Mandalay, with the Through all the changes the tourna-
tournament. “It’s always been this day glaring stage lights and confetti of a ment has undergone, all the communities
when the distractions stop, and every- marquee esports tournament, was a it’s fostered, and all increased exposure
body in this room is watching this one marked departure from Evo’s past. It it’s brought to the fighting game genre,
screen,” Chen says. “You have a room did manage, however, to retain some of Evo manages to retain what makes it so
full of thousands and thousands of the homegrown feel. Cheers were more special. “It’s not about crafting drama,
people watching at the same time.” scattered and distinct (at one point, it’s not about trying to manipulate,” Chen
someone yelled “Yeah, Tekken! Woo!” says. “You set up an environment where
The day was full of bated breaths, which caused intermittent “woos” hype things can happen, and like magic,
as each of the five games produced throughout the rest of the event), and they just happen. And Evo has always
the types of glorious, one-of-a-kind players were far more expressive after been that way.”
moments and narratives that make
competitive gaming special. Ultimate
Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s final year at
the event reminded everyone why
the game had endured for so long.
BlazBlue’s knock-down, drag-out final
match had every possible twist and
turn you could imagine. Tekken 7’s

Smashing The Record

Super Smash Bros. is in a unique position among fighting
games, having an enormous scene that exists independent of
the FGC at large. Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash
Bros. Brawl were both at Evo from 2007 through 2009, but
the tournament and scene parted ways after a few years.
They rejoined in 2013, when Evo ran a donation drive where
players could give money to cancer research and support any
game they wanted to see at Evo. Melee ended up winning the
poll, raising over $90,000.

Melee’s return to Evo, along with a high-profile online
documentary on the game called The Smash Brothers, brought
a resurgence of players to the 12-year-old game. Though Evo
is not the largest Super Smash Bros. tournament in terms of
competition of registrants (Genesis and The Big House garner
more intense competition), Evo is still an important tourna-
ment for the community, according to William “Leffen” Hjelte,
a top Super Smash Bros. player who has risen to prominence
in recent years. “There’s a lot of non-industry media here,” he
says. “A lot more eyes are on you.”

The return of Super Smash Bros. at Evo has been a boon
to both. Both Super Smash Bros. Melee and the Wii U Smash
Bros. have among the highest registration and stream viewer-
ship numbers at the event, and the crowd for the Melee finals
on Saturday was among the event’s largest. And for players
like Hjelte, Evo’s popularity helps elevate the game’s best
players. “I think the fact that Evo brought more people into the
scene and more sponsors is one of the main things that allows
me to do this for a living.” Hjelte says.

16 connect

© 2016. Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. All Rights Reserved. 5, Life Happens in 5, Ascent, and all affiliated designs are trademarks of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company or its affiliates. Not actual product sold in stores.

ENTER THE “You play as one of five unique survi-
WASTELAND vors in the wasteland, struggling to gain
the most influence before the end of
An exclusive first look at Fantasy Flight’s the game,” says lead designer Andrew
Fallout board game Fischer. “You’re exploring unknown
territory, having encounters, and making
by Matt Miller choices at different locations, racing
to complete quests, and changing the
S uccessfully adapting an existing video game property into a new me- fate of the Wasteland between two
dium is rife with challenge. Fantasy Flight Games has made a habit of different factions.” Your survival mission
confronting that challenge and capturing the magic of such far-flung sets you loose on one of four distinct
franchises as Gears of War, XCOM, The Witcher, Doom, and Civiliza- scenarios, each meant to recall central
tion, each catered with mechanics, art, and gameplay arcs that simultaneously environments from the Bethesda games.
reflect the success of the video games, but also innovate within the board Confront the Capital Wasteland or The
game medium. The publisher is once again trying its hand at the process, and Pitt from Fallout 3 and its expansion,
I visited the studio to get a first look at the results; the Fallout board game is an or face the dangers of Fallout 4’s Com-
adventure into an irradiated wasteland for one-to-four players, filled with the monwealth or Far Harbor. “The location
same off-kilter humor, fierce combat against irradiated beasts, and most of all, you choose to play in changes how the
impactful decisions that characterized the beloved video game series. map is set up, what locations you’re go-
ing to see, as well as what quests you’re
18 going to be completing,” Fischer says.
The variation in locales is accomplished
through a hex-based game board that
is set up differently for each scenario;
certain hexes only show up for specific
setups while other hexes show up face
down, and must be explored.

Venturing out in my first game, I take
on the role of a Wastelander, but my
competitors have different minis and
accompanying abilities, from the Broth-
erhood of Steel soldier to the emerging
Vault dweller. The Fallout board game
capitalizes on the same character cus-
tomization features that many players
will recall from the video games. A set of
abilities labeled “SPECIAL” dictate traits
like Strength, Perception, or Endurance,
and players can slowly build up their
capability in each ability by leveling up.
Traits like Luck or Agility may or may not
factor into my encounters and quests,
so I can either improve them over the
course of the game, or alternately use
my new levels to gain perks, like the
Night Person perk, letting me sneak
to a new location on the board. With
each new improved trait slotted into my
board, it takes that many more experi-
ence points to pass to the next level,
creating an intuitive path to progression.

Characters also begin to differenti-
ate themselves through a plentiful and
colorful mix of equipment and allies.
Perhaps you can convince the robotic
butler, Cogsworth, to accompany you
and aid in your trading with other
survivors. Acquire the Pip-Boy, and you
can use the wrist-mounted computer to
scan any facedown card in play. Work
with the Brotherhood of Steel, or simply
steal from their airship and don a set of
devastating power armor. You can also
increase your offensive capability with
any number of weapons. “The Fat Man
is probably my favorite of the weapons,”
Fischer says. “Most of our combats are
one-on-one with your foe. But when
you use the Fat Man, you also kill other
nearby enemies. You can potentially
wipe out a bunch of enemies in one gi-
ant blast, to get across that flavor of the
mini-nuke.”

Fantasy Flight’s Fallout game has a modicum of freedom, or succumb to elements of the game,” Fischer says.
a natural adventure-game flow, with their roles as brutal enforcers. Maybe a “I got a chance to show the game to
brisk turns that see players flipping side quest takes you to a long-forgot- the designers and writers at Bethesda;
new hexes, encountering enemies like ten vault, and its overseer introduces we went to their company game night,
Bloatflies and Synths, and seeking you to a new cavalcade of characters. and talked with them about the game.”
to ally with different factions like the Over the course of my playthrough, I The close working relationship shows
Railroad or the Institute. But its most was fascinated by the way our distinct in my playthrough; the weird humor is a
innovative and engaging feature is a session felt catered to the situations potent counterpoint to the dark themes
focus on meaningful choices. Every one of us had previously encountered. of devastation. The focus on survival,
encounter and quest enters the game Even within the broad replayability of exploration, and choice is apparent.
with different options for how to resolve four distinct scenarios, it seems as if
it. Sneak in and steal whatever you can any one of them could unfold in several Fantasy Flight’s Fallout adventure
find, or risk a frontal assault? Spread completely different ways. board game joins the upcoming
the word of the Children of Atom, or Fallout: Wasteland Warfare miniatures
condemn the false religion? Upon mak- From the text treatments on cards to game from the folks over at Modiphius
ing a decision and determining your the detail on the miniatures, it’s clear Entertainment, and both games are
success through dice-based ability that Fallout is a labor of love for Fischer currently targeting release late in 2017;
tests, not only does that situation re- and the team at Fantasy Flight. But it should be a fun time for Fallout fans
solve in a particular way, but new story the closeness with which the game who double as tabletop enthusiasts.
elements and cards come into play. A hews to its source material also comes My time with Fantasy Flight’s game left
huge numbered card library sits beside through a close partnership with me excited to bring the classic series
the board, separate from the normal Bethesda Game Studios. “We talked to my own table, and find out if I can
draw piles. Upon resolving situations, with them at each stage, from the survive a little deeper into the irradiated
new numbered cards are pulled from original concept and vision, to writing ruins, and simultaneously craft some
the library and added into the potential and development in the middle, as well new memories of the ever-surprising
draw pile. as final approvals on all of the different Fallout universe. \

Free the caged super mutants? New
super mutant encounter cards now ap-
pear in the deck, to be encountered by
both you and other players. Save that
pathetic dog from abuse by its owner?
It slinks away, and the Dogmeat
companion card enters the deck, to be
discovered later. That focus on choice
extends to the major story arcs of each
scenario. Perhaps a war breaks out
between the competing factions, or
you manage to maintain some sem-
blance of peace. The synths discover

connect 19

top ten MOST INTERESTING
MOBA CHARACTERS

by Daniel Tack

Invoker

Dota 2
Mix and match reagents to create the perfect character
for any situation. Whether you’re blasting opponents
from across the map or sneaking around invisible,
Invoker requires top-tier piloting to take advantage of
his myriad possible abilities.

Cho’gall Abathur

Heroes of the Storm Heroes of the Storm
Two heads are better than one, and Cho’gall lets two players play one character. If Abathur plays “battlefield commander” by never getting
you’re in sync with your partner, great things can happen, but if you’re not, well, you’re down and dirty in the lanes, instead playing puppet-
going to look like one dumb ogre thrashing and crashing around. master from the relative safety of the base. Abathur can
quickly swing the tide of battle in one area and then
influence another skirmish, all without leaving home.

Orianna The Lost Vikings Rubick

League of Legends Heroes of the Storm Dota 2
With most characters, you only need to worry about Shoutout to Dota 2’s Meepo, but the Lost Vikings task the Rubick’s ability to steal several powers from other
positioning yourself. As Orianna, you need to keep track player with controlling three distinct units at the same characters during a single engagement can make for
of and elaborately position your ball to get the most out of time, requiring a significant amount of micromanage- incredible battles, where a good player can turn certain
combat. Setting ball plays up in the thick of combat can ment skills and supreme attention. defeat into a landslide victory. Timing is everything, and
be difficult, but the payoff is great. it takes lots of practice to get things right – but it’s
amazing to watch it happen.

Chen Hel Bard Techies

Dota 2 Smite League of Legends Dota 2
While many teams have learned to use Tapping into power of both light and Creating portals, healing shrines, and From blowing up your opponents
off-lane “jungle” creatures as a source dark, Hel can swap stances in combat collecting chimes creates a unique outright at point-blank-range to setting
of bonus experience and gold, Chen to go from devastating damage dealer play experience for Bard players, traps and harassing foes with endless
players must master making those to potent support healer in a flash. who will find themselves supporting types of mines and bombs, Techies re-
creatures and their abilities part of their Mastering both styles and flipping and assisting with powerful, subtle, quire the enemy to play fundamentally
own play experience. between them is no easy task, but it is a unique abilities. different from the norm to spot their
rewarding blend for your allies. explosives and avoid them. \
20 connect

The Good

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY

TELLTALE outlined its plans for the rest of the year and into 2018, and they include Batman: The Enemy Within, The Walking Quotable
Dead: The Final Season, and The Wolf Among Us 2. It all kicks off with the first episode for The Enemy Within, entitled The
Enigma, on August 8. The other two games hit in 2018. “Ni No Kuni 2
will not have
The Bad multiplayer
content. I mis-
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S creator Scott Cawthon has announced that understood the
he’s stopping the horror series, saying that the pressure caused him interview ques-
to “[neglect] other things in my life.” Cawthon said he would continue tion, thinking
making games, however. it was asking
about online
FCC chairman Ajit Pai supports the rollback content in gen-
of 2015 regulations that classified the eral, and my
internet as a Title II utility. Supporters of answer referred
NET NEUTRALITY believe this could limit to online
users’ access to the internet and possibly announcement
open up the door for ISPs to slow down of in-game
traffic, the favoring of ISP-backed content events. As a
over equal access, the creation of differ- result of this,
ent internet pay lanes, and more. For more I wrongly gave
information on supporting net neutrality, the impression
head to battleforthenet.com. \ that the game
features multi-
The Ugly player content.”

Akihiro Hino,
president and
CEO of developer
Level-5

connect 21

POKÉFLOP!

The story of how Pokémon Go Fest quickly turned into a disaster

by Andrew Reiner

T he threat of thunderstorms loomed over Chicago like a bad to keep up with the influx of traffic. I talked
omen the night before Niantic’s first Pokémon Go fan con- to numerous players in the area that were all
vention. The next morning, rain or shine, more than 20,000 experiencing the same problems. The fear of
people were expected in the city’s beautiful Grant Park for Pokémon rain on the horizon was suddenly replaced by
Go Fest. These people, or “trainers” as they are known in Pokémon Go, a concern of the game not working – some-
are mostly here for two reasons: to catch rare Pokémon to round out thing Niantic has taken flak for since the game
their collections and unearth the game’s first legendary beast. launched. Pokémon Go is fun and engaging, but
it’s never been reliable.
On its website, Niantic claimed both opportu- could outside its gates, but more so to start
nities would be possible, making a trip to Chi- playing the game. We thought we would look I was so worried by the troubling develop-
cago a worthwhile expenditure for people who silly walking around the park with cables running ments that I reached out to Niantic’s PR to alert
have been playing the game every day since from our phones down to battery chargers in them of a story I was going to run about stability
it launched just over a year ago. Having the our pockets, but it turns out we weren’t alone. being an issue the night before the Fest. A rep-
event set in a sprawling, art-filled park incentiv- A good number of families were out in the park resentative for the company told me that phone
ized me to bring my family along for the work playing Pokémon Go. service providers were “amping things up,”
trip – something I’ve never done in my tenure at and that “Niantic is on it.” Amping up meant
Game Informer. My wife and daughter both play We mingled with a handful of people as we companies like Verizon offering an extra cellular
the game as extensively as I do, and it seemed engaged in Raid Battles and walked through tower, and others bringing in cell trucks to boost
like the perfect marriage of my professional and the park to hatch eggs. As the night went on, signals. I didn’t want to fearmonger the night
personal life. the game suddenly started moving slower, fol- before the event, so, given the information I was
lowed by the app crashing repeatedly. I noticed provided, I decided to squash the story.
We arrived in Chicago the night before the more trainers had descended upon the park to
Fest began, and wasted no time heading over play. I never saw more than 15 to 20 players in Chicago was hit by hard rains and thunder in
to Grant Park to survey the event as best we one area, yet the game was clearly struggling the early hours of the next day, but the storm
front moved out of the area, producing clear
22 skies, sunshine, and a muggy heat for the con-
vention. My family arrived at the Fest gates an
hour before it opened, and I noticed the game
performance was in no better shape now than

Families were out in full The game glitched Knowing few people would be able to play
force, many heartbroken during my first Legend- the game in the park, Niantic did the smartest
by the game outage ary battle. I was the thing they could: extend the Fest grounds to a
only one left standing two-mile radius into Chicago’s city streets. This
allowed people to play the game and reap the
it was the previous night. The one thing that game.” He stumbled over his opening words, exclusive rewards the Fest was supposed to
gave me hope: There were already thousands nodded as he looked at his feet, and tried to deliver. I caught roughly a dozen Unowns, but
of people standing in line, and I was still able to go into his upbeat spiel, which even talked the game was never fully stable, even with the
play the game in the area. about the weather. “It looks like we got some expanded radius. Even small clusters of people
sunshine. Let’s hear it for sunshine,” he said as brought crashes.
That hope wilted quickly, as people started the crowd looked on in disbelief.
entering the park. I couldn’t stay logged in for In the weeks leading up to the Fest, Niantic
more than 20 seconds at a time, preventing me People came to the event to play the game, revealed players in the park would have to
from spinning a stop or catching a Pokémon. and they didn’t want to hear any more pleasant- catch enough Pokémon to lure out the game’s
ries. The chanting and yelling picked up again, first Legendary. If those trainers in Grant Park
With no way to play the game we decided this time louder, and Hanke could no longer defeated the Legendary beasts, they would
to pocket our phones to check out what else ignore it. “I know some of you guys have had then be unleashed upon the world. That battle
the Fest had in store for us. Grant Park offered trouble getting logged on this morning,” he never took place. Niantic shelved the theatrics
plenty of space, even for 20,000 people. Most said. “We got the whole Niantic team working and just made them available as Raid bosses
of the area was wide open, consisting of just on fixes, so please be patient with us, okay?” later that day.
walking paths and wet, puddle-stricken grassy
areas – a space that should have served players Those fixes didn’t come. A steady stream of As a final apology to people who attended the
well. On the perimeter of the “playing area” were new people continued to enter the park, and it Fest, Niantic added Lugia to their Pokédexes.
three huge tents, a red one for Team Valor, a was clear the game wasn’t going to work any None of the handouts were enough to make
blue one for Team Mystic, and a yellow one for time soon. I talked to a family of five decked out people forget about the disastrous festival they
Team Instinct. These tents offered shade from in Team Mystic gear that flew in from Los An- just attended. They were sunburnt, tired, unful-
the sun, areas to lounge and charge phones, as geles and spent thousands to get to Chicago. filled, and angry.
well as concession stands. Tucked in-between They were crushed by what was happening.
two of these tents was a merchandising booth, Hardly anyone could play the game. People Niantic doesn’t have a firm grasp on its game,
which oddly didn’t have much to sell other than with Sprint service fared the best, but even they even a year after its release. In its current form,
a t-shirt for each team, the Pokémon Go Plus were struggling to catch anything. At this point, Pokémon Go is clearly not made for large-scale
accessory, and a few other little things. No plush the Fest was an unmitigated disaster, and no gatherings, or even moderately sized ones.
toys or collectibles were for sale. quick fix was in sight. Niantic also clearly didn’t do the proper testing
before asking 20,000 people to come together.
A small row of food trucks, a little wooded As the heat from the sun increased, so did the We watched the game fall apart before our
area, and an oddly placed “wear a Velcro vest sense of unease in the park. A water bottle was eyes, and hopefully give Niantic the wakeup it
and jump onto a Velcro wall” attraction rounded thrown at the host on stage. Niantic wouldn’t desperately needs.
out the park. Basically, there wasn’t much to do say the day was lost outright, but when Mike
other than play the game. Quigley, the company’s CMO, took the stage, it Pokémon Go is a great idea built on a trou-
was clear he was waving the white flag. He said bling foundation. Niantic shouldn’t think about
As more trainers poured into Grant Park, the the game was experiencing three issues: one another fan gathering before the apparent
game became even more unplayable, not even tied to the networks, another to a crash bug, code issues are addressed. Even raids with
booting up for stretches at a time. The opening and the last an authentication issue. It sounded just 20 people in an area run into issues. That
ceremony kicked off about an hour into the like a mess that wasn’t going to be resolved kind of performance isn’t new, however, and
Fest, and tried to carry a fun atmosphere. The before the Fest closed. A chant of “refunds” be- has plagued this experience since its start. I
host attempted to pump up the crowd, and gan, and I thought a riot was going to break out. talked to a man who traveled from Europe to
Niantic’s CEO John Hanke looked upbeat as attend the event, and he said he came here to
ever, but the crowd was already stressing over Quigley offered everyone in the park a full embrace the game more, but decided he was
the game not working. Some players were get- refund on tickets (which were $20), as well as done with it entirely. He treated the Fest as
ting online long enough to see that a Pokémon $100 in in-game currency for Pokémon Go. a funeral. \
called Unown was spawning in the area. It’s That still wasn’t enough. People came here
the rarest Pokémon in the game, and people to catch the rare beasts. In the entire span connect 23
wanted to catch it, but couldn’t log in. of the Fest, I was only able to stay logged in
long enough to spin one Pokéstop and catch
Hanke ran out on stage to boos, people one critter.
yelling “we can’t play,” and a chant of “fix the

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood

Diving into fresh waters

F inal Fantasy XIV continues to provide plenty of content with a subscription-based model in
the world of MMORPGs, and Stormblood is the next giant expansion pack full of activities,
jobs, monsters, and more. Is it worth your time to get into it? If you’re already invested in Final
Fantasy XIV, the answer is a definite “yes.” Stormblood is largely focused on end-game activities for
players that have already maxed out a job or two. If you’re not there yet, you can purchase potions
(with real-world money) that let you bypass leveling and story progression, but I’d advise against that
quick-fix solution. Unless you’re really trying to get up to speed with friends or guildmates, you miss
out on the journey that is much of the joy in FF XIV.

by Daniel Tack

To participate in Stormblood, you do a ton of damage but lets you dish around the world of Stormblood.
must be level 60 and have completed out some big burst on your next spell Nope, now we can go underwater! A
the Heavensward storyline. If you’re without a long cast time. True to its FF mechanic that you unlock around 30
just getting into the game and you’re roots, the Red Mage also comes with percent of the way to 70, you can now
not boosting, it will be a long time some support and utility, including dive, ride mounts, and basically do all
before you can access the new areas. some spot healing if your team ends kinds of stuff underwater. Submerged
Stormblood is very much a traditional up in a bind (or if you want to solo content used to be sort of a boutique
MMORPG expansion in this way, with some tough creatures). If you’re look- convention for a MMO expansion, and
a massive focus on new stuff for old ing for something more melee-oriented it’s done well here. The underwater
players to do. This might be a bar- and combo-centric, the Samurai is a locations are cool to visit and explore.
rier of entry to new players, but get- good fit.
ting current by taking the time to go When you’re not having a blast
through Final Fantasy XIV’s huge story The new zones let you continue under the sea, other locales in
is a good way to spend a few months; along the main story progression Stormblood are rich and rewarding
it’s on par or better than many of the path alongside a slew of forgettable to explore as well. Locations like the
standard mainline FF tales. sidequests. You don’t need to do Japanese-themed city of Kugane are
sidequests if you don’t want to, as interesting, packed with quests, and
For those already level 60, you can you can now get a sizable chunk of are visual treats.
dive right into the new zones or check experience from participating in PVP,
out one of the new jobs (similar to and you can also do dungeon runs or Longtime players of Final Fantasy
classes in other games). Red Mage FATES (public group quests) if you just XIV are probably already on board with
and Samurai are both available for want to get experience points. The Stormblood, which provides significant
players looking for a new experi- new zones feature aether currents like chunks of new things to see and do,
ence. I played a Red Mage through the Heavensward areas, so if you want and is the game’s best expansion
Stormblood, and found the dualcast to fly to get around easier, your first yet. If you haven’t already played FF
system to be a welcome and interest- priority should be seeking out these XIV, I’m not so sure Stormblood can
ing take on the ranged damage-dealer. landmarks. I appreciate that the main capture you, as you must spend either
Dualcasting lets you cheat long cast- story quests will gear you up with rel- a huge chunk of time or a monetary
ing times on spells by allowing you evant, powerful stuff to get you to 70 investment just to get a character up
one instant cast spell each time you and that you have several options in to speed – and then you will be placed
cast a spell regularly, allowing you to terms of side content. in a story with no idea how you got
cast a “setup” spell that might not there and with a character you prob-
But flying isn’t the only way to get ably don’t know how to play. \

24 connect

Three Variations On A impulse
Platforming Theme

by Matt Miller is behind the clever Semblance, a
puzzle/platformer headed to PC, Mac,
A s one of the earliest gaming genres, the side-scrolling and unannounced consoles in 2018.
platformer has a long and varied history. Within the indie In the demo I played, I took on the
scene, I’m fascinated by the way creators approach the role of Squish, an amorphous blob-like
platformer from distinct perspectives, layering in action, puzzle, creature who lives in a world made of
shooting, and other genre elements into a new cohesive vision. This something akin to Play-Doh. Hardness
month I took a closer look at three of the most intriguing twists of the has entered the world, and Squish is
platforming experience on the horizon. on a quest to bring back the softness.
Gameplay demands that you deform
Aegis Defenders both the platforms on which Squish
PS4, PC, Mac jumps, but also the little blob itself, in
an attempt to reach objectives scat-
Aegis Defenders is an odd mix of Here, the two heroes work in tandem tered throughout the levels. By dashing
systems that somehow all work well to create turrets, place traps, and fire upwards into a flat platform, I reshaped
together. Players control two treasure weapons to hold off hordes of advanc- it into a peak that allowed for a higher
hunters, Clu and her grandfather Bart, ing enemies before they can reach a jump. In another instance, I could slam
as they delve into the ruins of a highly vulnerable location. a platform down into an energy field
advanced civilization and pull out valu- that elastically rebounded the platform
able relics. Initially, the gameplay feels Aegis Defenders has a beautiful art upward, catapulting my character onto
like a classic 16-bit action/platformer, palette and equally evocative music. a higher area. The puzzles demanded
as your characters run and jump Character dialogue is light and at times critical thinking, and asked that I
through increasingly complex stages. funny. However, only time with the examine not just my onscreen charac-
The two leads can be controlled either game reveals its biggest strengths – ter’s capabilities, but the capabilities of
by a single player switching back and deep upgrade and combat systems the environment as well.
forth, or by two players in cooperation. lie behind the colorful exterior. I was
Either way, other influences begin to impressed with the couple of hours I Snowman developed the excel-
crop up; a weapon and trap purchas- played, which featured tight controls, lent Alto’s Adventure, and the team
ing system and extensive dialogue challenging encounters, and constant has now joined up with fellow studio
threads allude to classic console new twists on the established game- Slingshot and Satchel to bring us a
RPGs. And then, as the stages con- play. I’m eager to see the full experi- new project called Distant. Like Alto’s
clude, the concept shifts yet again, and ence when it launches on PS4, PC, Adventure, Distant is a game deeply
you enter tower defense sequences. and Mac later this year. concerned with a sense of flow and
freedom of movement. Distant sports
South African developer Nyamakop stylish but spare visuals, alluding to a
sense of vast space and loneliness.
You control a god-like orb that is sling-
shotting its human creation through
the world. Wall-jumps and impossible
leaps to far-away platforms unfold in
long, elegant curves. The controls are
intuitive, lending a sense of effortless
floating and falling to the experience.
Distant is early in development, but
there’s something about the feel of
movement that is immediately enthrall-
ing; I’m eager to launch into its world,
but the developers aren’t yet ready
to commit to a release time frame.
Whenever it does arrive, expect a
release on Apple TV, PC, Mac, and
unannounced consoles. \

Semblance Distant
PC, Mac, unannounced consoles Apple TV, PC, Mac,
unannounced consoles

connect 25

THE LONGSHOTS

Rounding up the unlikely games we want most

S ome games are inevitable. Major franchises of particular titles practically impossible – even with
enjoy regular (and sometimes annual) install- dedicated fans on their side. We’re not ready to give up,
ments, ensuring we can always look forward though. Sometimes miracles happen – just look at the
to the next evolution of series like Call of announcements of Shenmue 3 and Final Fantasy VII:
Duty, Assassin’s Creed, and Halo. However, Remake. So we’re taking this opportunity to make the
not every game enjoys that kind of certainty. Factors case for eight games (skipping over low-hanging fruit
like troubled development, licensing complications, and like Half-Life 3) that we still want to play, even in the
changing marketplace conditions can make the release face of hopeless odds.

26

Lair 2

WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN: Factor 5’s action/adventure game was
super promising in the years leading up to its release, with fans of
Drakan: Order of the Flame and Panzer Dragoon yearning for another
quality dragon-combat simulator. With terrible controls, a subpar frame-
rate, and dull visuals, Lair was disappointing.

A new Lair should focus on the game’s strong setting, featuring two
warring clans in a post-apocalyptic world filled with volcanoes and
controllable dragons. It could build upon the strategic concepts of
the original, like the enemy morale system, and fix the wonky motion-
control scheme in order capture the promise of the original concept.
I’d love for Lair to get another shot with a sequel that takes full advan-
tage of modern hardware and has a new look.

WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: Lair is often remembered a flop, and Sony
hasn’t announced any plans for a sequel since the original. Given how
many exclusives the publisher already has for the PlayStation 4, it’s
unlikely we’ll ever see Lair get the chance at redemption its concept
deserves. – Javy Gwaltney

StarCraft: Ghost

WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN: In September of 2002, Blizzard announced
a stealth-action spinoff to its blockbuster RTS series, StarCraft. Set
four years after the conclusion of StarCraft: Brood War, Ghost followed
Nova, a young agent with psychic abilities who uncovered a conspir-
acy that threatened to upset the entire galactic power structure.

Blizzard famously kept delaying and eventually canceled Ghost,
but that doesn’t mean the ideas didn’t have promise. Even today,
Nova’s powers sound tempting. A variety of high-tech gear and
psychic powers could disrupt enemy movement and make levels
feel like futuristic playgrounds. Imagine if Nova could sneak around
like the Predator before unloading on an unsuspecting group of
enemies with a power set that looked fit to compete in Overwatch.
And if things get entirely out of hand, Nova can always call down
nukes from the sky.

StarCraft: Ghost could be the ultimate stealth power fantasy – a
nice blend of the action and stealth found in games like Metal Gear
Solid V and Dishonored. However, the depth of StarCraft’s world
combined with its sci-fi technology could help Ghost go places other
series can’t.

WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: Blizzard has better things to do than dredge
up infamous 15-year-old failed projects. Nova has appeared in other
forms, like novels, comics, and StarCraft II DLC, and it looks like that’s
the most exposure she’ll get. – Ben Reeves

connect 27

NCAA Football 18 Eternal Darkness 2

WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN: Four years have passed since EA released WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN: Eternal Darkness is a psychological thriller
the final entry of NCAA Football, and in that time the little brother to that tells a gripping tale, spanning thousands of years, about godlike
the NFL has continued to generate multi-billion dollar revenues and forces. While its story is well done, its best innovation is captivating the
report strong attendance figures. An audience of gamers who prefer player with horrors that mess with their head. With sanity effects that
college over pro football is clearly hungry for a reboot. trick you into believing your saved files are being deleted against your
will or your TV is busted, Eternal Darkness is a unique experience that
The NCAA Football series always offered a compelling alternative deserves a sequel.
to the NFL game. The prevalence of spread option offenses gave the
games a distinct feel compared to Madden, and the recruitment pro- A return to this universe should still have you play as multiple charac-
cess made the dynasty mode a fan favorite. The process of targeting ters across generations who fight an ancient evil. Modern sanity effects
players, competing with rival schools for their commitment, and then could be more in-depth and believable, leveraging the connectivity
nurturing their growth before seeing them take off for the NFL was a of today’s gaming landscape. For example, 2016 indie game Pony
rewarding game loop that felt unlike anything else in sports games. Island tricks players into believing they are being messaged by a friend
through their Steam client to distract them from a boss fight. An Eternal
The addition of a playoff format to the sport, however rudimentary, Darkness sequel could do similar clever tricks while building on the
also signals an important change perfect for video games. Instead narrative foundation of the original.
of relying on polls to determine the top amateur football team in
the country, now the best of the best must duke it out on the grid- WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: In 2013, a spiritual successor called Shadow
iron. This plays naturally into the competitiveness of NCAA’s online of the Eternals (from the makers of Eternal Darkness) was announced.
dynasty mode. However, the game’s two crowdfunding efforts failed, and the studio
behind it closed. A scattered team and an apparent lack of interest
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: The primary reasons EA Sports discontinued from gamers make it unlikely we will see a sequel come to fruition
the NCAA franchise are still problematic roadblocks with no clear solu- anytime soon. – Elise Favis
tions, like the legal hurdles over using player likenesses. In addition, the
developer would have to find a way to appease power conferences like
the SEC, Big Ten, and Pac-12, which previously declined to appear in
future NCAA games due to the legal complications. – Matt Bertz

Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter 2

WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN: Climbing into the cockpit of an X-Wing
starfighter is one of Star Wars’ greatest fantasies, and The Force
Awakens amplifies the desire to suit up through the introduction of
Poe Dameron, the best pilot in the Resistance. In the film, we see
Poe’s signature black X-Wing down a dozen-plus TIE fighters with
ease – a sequence tailor-made for LucasArts’ beloved X-Wing series.

If Poe continues to be a key player in this new film trilogy, Electronic
Arts should resurrect the X-Wing series to put Poe’s Black Squadron
in the spotlight for a game. The campaign could either flesh out
Poe’s backstory to show us how he climbed the Resistance ranks, or
bounce between the different pilots in Black Squadron to show what
they are all capable of.

The multiplayer component is self-explanatory – pit Poe’s crew
against the best pilots in the First Order. Much like Overwatch, the
elite pilots on both sides would have unique abilities and skills to
change up the combat dynamic.

WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: Star Wars Battlefront II appears to be Electronic
Arts’ “catch all” game, offering space battles along with ground combat
and heavy vehicle play. Aerial dogfighting games haven’t been smash
hits lately, and we doubt Electronic Arts will take a shot on one today,
even with the Star Wars name attached. – Andrew Reiner

28

Capcom vs. SNK 3 Valkyrie Profile 3

WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN: Capcom vs. SNK 2 is one of the best fight- WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN: Valkyrie Profile mixes Norse mythology
ing games ever made. A celebration of the fighting genre, it allows and RPG systems in a bittersweet tale of love, loss, and loyalty.
players to choose one of six “Grooves” for their three-character We’ve already had entries dedicated to the Valkyries Lenneth and
team, each of which effectively turns the game into another fighter. Silmeria, but Square Enix and developer Tri-Ace need to finish the
For instance, the C-Groove mapped closely to the Street Fighter trilogy with a game starring Hrist.
Alpha series, while the K-Groove included Samurai Shodown’s
Rage meter. It was a crossover of both characters and mechanics, Hrist is the most warlike of the trio, so a new entry would be the
and it played beautifully. perfect opportunity to develop a combat system that showcases her
battlefield prowess. Strategy and timing should still play an impor-
With the resurgence of the genre, we have more fighting game tant role, but I also want an array of cool special abilities that I can
systems than ever to crib styles from. Imagine a fight between unleash in coordination with my other party members.
Street Fighter IV’s Focus Attacks and Dash Cancels and The King
of Fighters XIII’s Drive Cancels, or Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s X-Factor The third installment should retain the series’ hallmark complex-
ability against The King of Fighters XIV’s Max Mode. At a time when ity, as well as themes tied to death and sacrifice. Beyond that, it
many fighting games are making a return, Capcom vs. SNK 3 would shouldn’t be bound to outdated RPG traditions. Flying across an
be a welcome addition to the pack. open world, taking human form to help villagers, and slaying mytho-
logical beasts – think of it like The Witcher 3, except you’re a ruth-
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: Capcom’s most recent fighting-on-fighting less goddess instead of Geralt.
crossover, Street Fighter X Tekken, was a flop. I’m not holding out
much hope for another project with a competing fighting game WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: Valkyrie Profile was good, but it did not
developer. Plus, aside from Capcom’s crossover with Marvel, the achieve mainstream popularity. The last real installment released on
companies seem content to lend guest characters to other fighting PS2 in 2006 (not counting a 2009 spin-off), and Tri-Ace’s track record
games. – Suriel Vazquez since then has only been on the decline. – Joe Juba

Bully 2

WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN: Rockstar courted – and received – a wave
of controversy in the months leading up to Bully’s 2006 release,
with activists and media gadflies slamming a game that seemed to
encourage children to indulge their worst impulses. When it launched,
players learned that fears of it being a reform-school Manhunt were
completely overstated. Bully’s Jimmy Hopkins certainly leaned toward
the scamp side of the spectrum, but he was rarely the instigator. In
fact, he remains one of the most likeable and sympathetic characters
Rockstar has crafted.

The predictable route for a Bully sequel would be to follow Jimmy in
his next year at Bullworth Academy, but that would be far too limiting
and safe for Rockstar. I loved exploring every nook and cranny of the
school and its surrounding towns, but do we need to do it again? This is
a case where the passage of time makes a sequel even more exciting.

It’s been more than a decade since we last saw Jimmy, and he’d be
about 26 now. Rockstar’s Dan Houser once said in an interview that
Jimmy wasn’t a bad kid, and that he wouldn’t end up being a car-
jacker. Instead, Houser saw him as growing into “a messed-up white-
collar doofus.” Bingo. Let’s take on the workplace, navigating the
office cliques and drama that, to be honest, aren’t that far removed
from high school. Office pranks, anyone?

WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: Rockstar has a soft spot for Bully, releasing
an enhanced version of the PS2 original on Xbox 360, Wii, and PC
in 2008, and an iOS and Android port on the game’s 10-year anni-
versary. The game remains a cult favorite, but why would Rockstar
take a chance on that franchise when it can focus on automatic
blockbusters like Red Dead and Grand Theft Auto? – Jeff Cork

connect 29

interview
photo: Jun Michael Park

Building The Battle Royale

From his early days modding Arma to his current role as the steward of Steam’s hottest game,
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Brendan Greene has spent his career fine-tuning the elements
of chaos that go into creating the most intense last-man-standing experiences. We chatted with
him about his past and the future of PUBG.

Tell me about your background literally every title that has ever come home over the night, so that was my
with games. out. I was a designer, photographer, kind of hobby. Then I was in Brazil.
I don’t consider myself a real gamer, and DJ for most of my life. That’s Got married there, divorced, and
not like some of the people I meet at a large part of why I didn’t play then saved to come home and cre-
conventions or some of the people games, because I would be out on ated the Battle Royale mod for the
I meet in the industry who’ve played weekends DJing or just mixing at Arma series.

30

interview by Daniel Tack constantly, and I just wouldn’t put months would be the kind of CAREER
someone through that for a whole timeframe we were giving ourselves. HIGHLIGHTS
How did you go from barely playing round. Our zombie mode is for custom After talking about it internally we
games to making a mod? games only so it’s quite limited in its realized giving set days will lead to 2013
I got back into gaming with the DayZ reach. I’m not worried about split- problems. If we say October, and we A fan of DayZ, Greene
mod. I just loved the idea that there ting the community. I think everyone have to try to push it out the door in creates a Battle
was no story. There was just a set of should try first-person at least once. October, stuff may not get added or Royale game mod for
rules that you had to obey, which was I think it’s a more intense version, stuff may get left out. So we want to Arma 2
survive, and everything else you could but it’s not for everyone and it’s not give ourselves a window. But I just
do whatever the hell you wanted to. I something you could probably play found it so funny it was like, “Ohhh 2014
loved that. I just love the freedom that all night because it’s inherently more PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Greene follows up
the game gave you. We had our own intense. It may not be a game mode delayed,” and we’re not really delayed with the Battle Royale
DayZ mod server (and because I was that everyone will play all the time, because six-to-seven months after mode in Arma 3,
a web designer I sort of dabbled in but I would like to think that it will see launch is still Q4 2017, and that’s receiving “best
development as well and could read some popularity. where we’re still aiming to release. mod” accolades
a lot of code) and after looking in the We’ve just given ourselves a window
DayZ mod files and actually looking Was this game made with watch- and not an absolute set deadline. 2014
at how stuff was constructed and ability in mind? Because it’s ETAs in development are just a dan- Sony Online
written, I was like, “Okay, this seems absolutely blown up on all the gerous thing to give out. Entertainment
relatively simple,” which it wasn’t as streaming services. contacts Greene about
I found out later. At that stage I was We didn’t design it that way. The core Are there any more weather licensing his game
like, “You know something? All these game mode came from essentially effects planned? mode for use in their
guys are creating mods. I want to Arma 3. It was kind of a refinement We have rain and dusk, we’ll have fog upcoming title H1Z1
see if I can create a mod.” I thought I of everything I had done in Arma 3 coming in, and we’re maybe consid-
had a good idea in Battle Royale, so I over the last, I guess, three or four ering a night round or some kind of 2015
just stuck my head down for a month years. I think inherently Battle Royale nighttime, but you know through H1 H1Z1 launches and
and learned a little bit of SQF and in general, the game mode, is very and through the Arma mods, night- the battle royale-style
wrote some of the most horrible code easy to watch. It’s like, okay, you time isn’t popular. People constantly game mode, King
people have seen. It’s funny, on our have to kill everyone else, and you say, “We want nighttime rounds” and of the Kill, quickly
Github for the Arma 3 mod every now have to not be killed. It’s a very simple then they never play it. So we may becomes the most
and again I’ll see a change request concept, which I think makes it very do a nighttime round, but I think it popular mode in
or something going, “This is original relatable for viewers, and as someone will have to be a little bit different the game
Battle Royale mod code. Very messy. said it’s like a game of soccer. Like, to most other game’s nighttimes to
Very dirty.” So yeah, I’m not the great- 70 percent of games can be a little make it easier to play in. I’d still like 2016
est coder, but I got it to work. bit boring, but it’s those 30 percent the darkness but it’ll be quite hard Chang-Han Kim
of games that these amazing things to play in and it gets a little bit tiring contacts Greene about
How did you get your handle? happen that bring the fans back to and stressful. joining his team at
When I started playing the Arma 2 keep watching. Bluehole to create
DayZ mod, I was called Captain Are we going to see anything like his vision of a battle
Darling from Blackadder. I just liked What are going to be the major snow or sandstorms? royale game
that name and I liked being called differences from now to the For the desert map we’ve been look-
Darling by my friends, but I was going 1.0 release? ing into maybe doing a sandstorm 2016
onto this other guy’s server to help We want to get all the features we or something. Nothing confirmed, Greene joins Bluehole
him with a base or something like this, announced into the game, so we’re but we’re always looking. We’re not as creative director to
and I don’t know why but I needed working very heavily on vaulting. making a game, we’re creating this oversee development
to change my nickname. The default It’s still going to take another month as a service, so this is something of a standalone battle
player name in Arma is “PLAYERONE,” before it’s ready. But we’re really we hope to improve upon and keep royale game
all caps, so I just deleted the one happy with the system. We want the building upon over the next five, ten
and put in “UNKNOWN.” At the time 3D replays, like the in-game demos years. This game to us is not just a 2016
I thought, “Oh this is funny,” and it’s that you find in CS:GO. We want a game that we’re going to push out a Bluehole announces
stuck with me since. 2D system in, you know all these, full launch and stop working on. We PlayerUnknown’s
like the custom game mode fleshed want to go back to it in maybe a year’s Battelgrounds, which
You recently announced first- out, fully featured. There’s some time and look at doing like Erangel 2.0 quickly becomes
person mode and zombie mode for stuff that we want to put in over the with everything we’ve learned over the one of the most
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. next few months that will make it an past year and just redoing the whole anticipated titles of
Are you concerned that these dif- interesting thing for our partners, but island to make it that little bit better the year
ferent modes are going to divide the really it’s all the stuff that we kind of and more polished.
community at all? previously announced. 2017
No. I see people saying that it will split You’ve got the battle royale game PlayerUnknown’s
the community, but at our minimum With the delay of the release, is down now. Has there ever been Battlegrounds
player count we have like 150,000 there any concern you’re going to another genre or game style you’ve launches on Steam
people online. I really don’t see half of get thrown in that bucket with the wanted to explore? Early Access and
those going and playing first-person. rest of the Early Access games Yeah. I’ve wanted to make a survival becomes the fastest
I prefer first-person battle royale; it’s that never come out that have been game. I mean, I love DayZ and I love selling Early Access
what I started with in Arma 2. It was around for four or five years? DayZ standalone, but I have my own title to date
first-person only – there were no I have to say that cracked me up, I idea for a survival game, and I just
third-person servers. The only reason mean it really did. Because in inter- want to make a game I want to play. 2017
I moved to third-person in Arma 3 views I was saying six months, and It’s why I started with battle royale. I’m Battlegrounds
was because if you get below 90 per- even in interviews I said six-to-seven hoping my next is a game that other passes five million
cent health in Arma 3 your character people will want to play as well. You copies sold after just
just has this [makes grunt noises] know, because of the success for this three months
one, no pressure for it to be a success
or anything. \ connect 31

gear Playing With Power

A consumer tribute to the SNES

by Ben Reeves

SNES Classic Built-In Games

Last year, Nintendo released the NES Classic, an adorable miniaturized version of its R A@FD3 !!! ,:7 >;7@ /3DE
original 8-bit system. Given the success of that device, Nintendo is shrinking another R A@=7K #A@9 AG@FDK
of its classic systems, the 16-bit SNES. R 3DF: AG@6
R ;@3> 3@F3EK !!!
The SNES Classic comes with 21 games built into the hardware, which is nine R 2 *'
fewer than the NES Classic. Thankfully, many of this system’s titles are memorable R #;D4K +GB7D +F3D
hits, including Final Fantasy III, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Super R #;D4K E D73? AGDE7
Metroid (see sidebar for the complete list). One of the most surprising additions is the previously R , :7 $797@6 A8 27>63
unreleased Star Fox 2, a game that was completely finished, but canceled prior to release (for
more, read our Classic on Star Fox 2 on page 94). $;@= FA F:7 (3EF
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One notable problem with last year’s model was how closely it tethered players to their TVs. The R +75D7F A8 %3@3
NES Classic’s controller cords were only three feet long, but the SNES Classic’s cords stretch R +F3D AJ
to a more reasonable five feet. This might not give every player the distance they desire, but R +F3D AJ

it’s an improvement. We’re also happy to see that Nintendo is including two controllers into this R + FD77F ;9:F7D !! ,GD4A
bundle instead of one, which will come in handy while playing titles like Super Mario Kart and
Street Fighter II. KB7D ;9:F;@9
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beast, and Nintendo has done a great job creating one adorable bundle. Hopefully, Nintendo also R +GB7D :AG>E @ :AEFE
fixes one of the NES Classic’s other nagging problems: a paltry retail supply. R +GB7D %3D;A #3DF
R + GB7D %3D;A *(
$79.99 | nintendo.com/super-nes-classic
$797@6 A8 F:7 +7H7@ +F3DE
R +GB7D %3D;A /AD>6
R +GB7D %7FDA;6
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R 1AE:; E !E>3@6

32

2 Super Nintendo Controller 3 Legend of Zelda Antique
Patent Shirt Style Hyrule Map
In 1992, Yoshihiro Inoue and Kenichiro Ashida Get your bearings before your next journey

filed a patent for the design of Nintendo’s iconic through Hyrule with this hand-drawn giclee art
SNES controller. Now you can wear that work of print based on the overworld from the The Legend
art on your chest. All of Patent Earth’s shirts are of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Each print measures
printed on demand, come pre-shrunk, and are 13 by 19 inches, is printed on fine matte paper,
made with ring-spun lightweight cotton. and comes signed by the artist.

$24.95 | patentearth.com $30.00 | awkwardaffections.com

23 GUARDIANS OF THE
GALAXY VOL. 2
4 Custom SNES-Themed
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Before James Gunn’s
Controllers film, Guardians of the
Galaxy was an obscure
Video game controller technology has evolved Marvel series that even
a lot since 1991, but we’re still fond of the SNES’s diehard comic fans
original aesthetic. Custom designers XLTeam take rarely talked about.
normal Switch Joy-Cons and give them a stun- Now Disney has a space
ning retro design. XLTeam uses authentic Nin- opera that could rival
tendo parts and all its controllers are completely its other big space
hand-customized. opera. This sequel is
$180 | etsy.com/people/xlteam a retro space trip
with a lot of heart and
4 modern spectacle.

Media Shelf $19.99
marvel.com/movies

SNES OMNIBUS:
A COMPLETE
GUIDE TO THE
SUPER NINTENDO
VOLUME 1 (A-M)
BY BRETT WEISS

Video game historian
and author of the Classic
Home Video Games
encyclopedia series
Brett Weiss explores
Nintendo’s 16-bit console
in this new Omnibus.
Featuring art on more
than 350 SNES titles, as
well as well as gaming
memoirs from game
designers and industry
insiders, this large, full-
cover hardcover is set to
release early next year.

$TBA
brettweisswords.com

STAR WARS SUPER
GRAPHIC: A VISUAL
GUIDE TO A GALAXY
FAR, FAR AWAY
BY TIM LEONG

Graphic designer Tim
Leong rounds up a series
of fascinating Star Wars
facts and presents them
in a series of cheeky
infographics. From Venn
diagrams on Yoda's
idiosyncrasies to line
graphs of Grand Moff
Tarkin's management
decisions, this geeky
coffee-table book is full
of fun facts for every
would-be Jedi.

$19.95
chroniclebooks.com/
star-wars-super-
graphic.html

connect 33

timeline 1

September2017

GAME RELEASES 3

Tuesday 05 › Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS) Tuesday 26
› Knack II (PS4) › NHL 18 (PS4, Xbox One) › Blue Reflection (PS4, PC)
› Danganronpa V3: Killing
Wednesday 06 Tuesday 19 Harmony (PS4, Vita)
› Destiny 2 (PS4, Xbox One) 1 › Marvel vs. Capcom:
Infinite (PS4, Xbox One, PC) Friday 29 MOVIE &
Tuesday 12 › NBA 2K18 › Cuphead (Xbox One, PC) 2 TV PREMIERES
› Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) › FIFA 18 (PS4, Xbox One,
(PS4, Xbox One, PS3, 360, PC) Switch, PS3, 360, PC) Friday 01
Friday 22 › Gundamn Versus (PS4) › Renegades (Theaters)
Friday 15 › Pokémon Gold/Silver (3DS) › SNES Classic Edition
› Divinity: Original Sin 2 (PC) › Pokkén Tournament › Total War: Thursday 07
› Dishonored: Death Deluxe (Switch) Warhammer 2 (PC) › The NFL Regular Season
of the Outsider › Project Cars 2 Kick-off (NBC)
(PS4, Xbox One, PC) (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Friday 08
› It (Theaters)

2

Sunday 10
› The Deuce (HBO)
› The Orville (Fox) 3

Friday 15
› American Assassin (Theaters)

Sunday 17
› 69th Primetime
Emmy Awards (CBS)

GAMER CULTURE Friday 22
› Kingsman: The Golden
Friday 01 making stories and insight of the past, the heroes of today Circle (Theaters)
PAX West 2017 in where the industry may unite with those of yesteryear › The Lego Ninjago
PAX West kicks off today, and is be going next. This year’s in Generations, a series of Movie (Theaters)
expected to draw over 70,000 speakers include Guerrilla books that unite similar char-
people across its four days. Games’ Hermen Hulst, and acters such as Captain Marvel Sunday 24
PAX’s primary focus is video Remote Control Productions’ and Captain Mar-Vell. › Star Trek: Discovery (CBS)
games, but it’s become a great Hendrik Lesser.
show for board games and Wednesday 27 Monday 25
cosplay. New game demos will Wednesday 13 Batman Overload › The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
be playable, and you can hear Marvel Legacy & As Scott Snyder’s Dark
from gaming’s creators in doz- Generations Nights: Metal story moves Tuesday 26
ens of panels. Two big events kick off in the along, comic shoppers will › Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)
Marvel universe this month, be inundated with Batman
Sunday 10 beginning with Legacy #1, books. Today welcomes the Thursday 28
DICE Europe a 50-page book that shows first issues for Batman: The › The Good Place (NBC)
Held in Cascais, Portugal’s us the first Avengers team Red Death, Batman: The › Gotham (Fox)
Miragem Hotel, DICE Europe that was active in the year Murder Machine, Batman:
is a gathering of interactive 1,000,000 BC. The book then The Dawnbreaker, Batman: The Friday 29
entertainment minds. The moves through time to present Drowned, and Batman: The › American Made (Theaters)
focus is to share their game- day. As readers are reminded Merciless. \ › Flatliners (Theaters)
› Marvel’s Inhumans (ABC)

34 connect

Time to Ignore
Adult Problems

Every day there’s a lot of crap to worry about.
When you gotta be you, consider us your enablers.

Shop online or find a location near you at thinkgeek.com/locations

PFTTOuafhhtseeutre

36

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Returning to its
franchise roots,
Call of Duty: WWII
aims for history,
horror, and
hospitality hooks

by Daniel Tack

cover story 37

W
When Activision announced Call of
:9> <&8 7*9:73.3, 94 "471) "&7h ů Sledgehammer Games is
skeptics who had grown tired approaching this mission with
of the sci-fi setting rejoiced. a three-pronged attack. The
Returning Call of Duty to this first is a historically accurate
long-dormant setting allowed single-player campaign that
developer Sledgehammer Games the explores the brutal reality and
creative freedom to present its almost unbelievable heroism of
own take on the conflict and re- soldiers during one of the great-
*=&2.3* 2&3> 4+ 9-* 8*7.*8ē :3)*7T est conflicts in human history.
pinnings to evolve the franchise, This material has been well mined
primarily by building off the by major motion pictures and TV
grounded combat vocal fans have series like Saving Private Ryan,
been clamoring for after develop-
ing fatigue with futuristic set-
tings over the past three games.

38

Band of Brothers, Inglourious a co-op Nazi zombie experi- and lasers of the last few years.
Basterds, The Big Red One, The ence that explores some chill- Headquarters introduces a
Great Escape, and countless ing “what if” scenarios with brand-new social space designed
others. The big difference here a twisted horror-movie bent. to get players interacting and
is you are dropped right in the The team at Sledgehammer is enjoying each other’s company
middle of these catastrophic no stranger to sci-fi horror, even when they’re not crushing
battles and legendary acts. with talent stretching back to each other in the new objective-
Visceral Games and the original oriented War mode.
In addition to the timeless *&)h 5&(*Ű
tale of a small band of sol- Sledgehammer Games hopes
diers forming bonds and coming And finally, players experi- players can find something
together to fight against ence core multiplayer combat worthwhile in all three of
impossible odds, there’s also without the jetpacks, boosts, 9 -*8*h +74398Ű

cover story 39

A CLASSIC CAMPAIGN Resistance, for whom the war is extremely and true to history as possible. Swastikas,
Call of Duty: WWII takes players to a familiar personal and vengeful. however, do not appear in multiplayer or
location for its campaign tour: the European zombie modes.
theater from 1944 to 1945. Aiming to be as Although Sledgehammer is giving us a
historically accurate as possible, the lens of window into some of the greatest battles “The inclusion of Nazi iconography was
war focuses on a personal story in a small from the European theater, the development something we wrestled with throughout,”
squad. Players assume the role of Private team is keen on keeping this as realistic as says studio head Michael Condrey. “It was
Ronald “Red” Daniels, a 19-year-old Texan possible, providing an unflinching look at the important for us to balance the authentic-
fresh out of boot camp with glory in his grim realities of a land war – something hard ity of the game and era, and the dark notes
eyes and a sweetheart waiting for him back to even think about less than a century later. that come with the genocide that the Nazis
home. Forging bonds with a small group of brought to bear. We need to balance and
soldiers as you survive together or die alone “We were trying to avoid the Hollywood respect that but also recognize this is a piece
in each encounter feels like a slice of pure trick of having our Germans speak in heavily of entertainment and not dishonor the loss of
Americana, with gameplay mechanics rein- accented English; we wanted to be a little life that happened there. So in the campaign
forcing the focus on squad combat. more truthful like that,” Whitney says. “So where it’s about this rich narrative and this
if you’re playing as or with a character that authentic depiction and the darkness that
You need to rely on your squadmates to can understand languages like Crowley or happened there, we included the swastika,
provide health packs and ammunition, and Rousseau you can see subtitles.” but in multiplayer, zombies, and social space
you are tested throughout the campaign with it didn’t feel appropriate; it didn’t feel like it
opportunities for what the team calls heroic Nazi iconography like the swastika is prom- added honor to the cause.”
actions – dragging a wounded soldier out of inent in the campaign, as Sledgehammer
the line of fire, saving a pinned-down ally, or wants to make the experience as realistic
even exercising restraint when dealing with
the captured enemy. From what we’ve seen
so far, the game doesn’t shy away from the
graphic and the gory. While heroism, com-
passion, and brotherhood are on display, so
are brutality and atrocity.

“When we talk about the geographic jour-
ney of it, you can really think about it being
split into two main phases,” says narrative
lead Scott Whitney. “Phase one is kind of
Normandy to Paris, this section of the war
where we begin to know our characters,
learning the positive and negative aspects
of them, seeing where conflict may arise later
on. But it’s also a section of the war where
in some respects, we’re ahead of schedule.
The wind is in our sails. The constant refrain
of ‘We’ll be home by Christmas.’”

While plenty of hardships and challenges
arise in that first chunk of story, things take
a definitive shift in phase two as the team
needs to battle for every inch as they get
closer to Germany. The tone gets more
somber as the weight and gravity of the war
begins to hit home along with more personal
losses and sacrifices.

In addition to your own squad, Sledge-
hammer wants to showcase a greater scope
of the war by giving the player additional per-
spectives from the British Special Operations
Executive (a resistance-focused organization
formed to undermine the Axis powers) and
French Resistance fighters. While you have
young soldiers with visions of heroism and
glory in their eyes like Daniels, you have
others like Rousseau, leader of the French

“It was important for us to balance
the authenticity of the game and era, and the

dark notes that come with the genocide that
the Nazis brought to bear."

40

TI&` W Q*U B-M0X4`1M"Z&S4`5P MeEt tHe sQuAd
T2V"S&`0G'`*O4J%F I2`4Q"D&
Private Ronald “Red" Daniels

The main character and
protagonist, Daniels wants
to live up to his father's
legacy from World War I. A
farm boy out of Texas who
has never left his small
town, Daniels begins his
journey a bit naive and
sheltered. He sets off seek-
ing glory and honor, but
9-* (43ç .(9 2&> 8-&5* -.8
motivations and send him on
another path completely.

Private Robert Zussman

Descended from an Eastern-
European Jewish family and
raised on the southside of
Chicago, the street smart
Zussman forms a friend-
ship and bond with Daniels
almost immediately despite
being polar opposites in
terms of background and
<471)h; .*<8Ű

Sergeant William Pierson

Pierson functions as
&3 &39&,43.89.( æ ,:7*
within the squad, an "end
/:89.æ *8 9-* 2*&38ů 2.88.43
over the man, no cost is too
high" type who causes seri-
ous friction in the unit as
9-* (&25&.,3 51&>8 4:9Ű *ē8
self-disciplined, merci-
less, and experienced.

Lieutenant Joseph Turner

The platoon leader, Turner
acts as a foil to Pierson.
A “man over the mission”
type, he is compassionate
&3)h* 25&9-*9.(Ű

Corporal Frank Aiello

It's not a WWII squad with-
out a wisecracking Italian.
This crude, charming drop-
out is always ready with
& h? .3,*7Ű

Private Drew Stiles

Stiles is a college kid who
postponed his career in
photojournalism to head
to war, though he may snap
some photos on your way
&(7488h :745*Ű

cover story 41

EO&N*F4`-J,F U)J4`1F4U HORROR IN THE HINTERLAND
E0O U F7F/`/F&E B3N4 With many of Sledgehammer’s develop-
ers cutting their chops working on Dead
Space, this is the closest Call of Duty’s zom-
bies mode has ever come to being a pure
horror experience.

“One of the challenges in making a horror
game, because we don’t control the pacing
like a movie does where you can control all
the shots, we had to find another way to
elicit those emotions,” says lead zombies
concept artist Lawrence Mai. “We were look-
ing at slaughterhouses. It’s a very controlled
environment where cows get slaughtered, so
they control the lighting, the sight. You can’t
let the cow see what’s happening or it will
freak out. It had that emotional pull that we
were looking for. That feeling you get from
a horror movie. As you descend further and
further down into the level, things get more
messed up...and wetter.”

The setup is more grounded and far more
dire than the recent zombie offerings that
channeled macabre film-noir or campy ’80s

42

TI*T J4`5I&`.P4U Q6S&` out and gotten out of their restraints. There’s Terrifyingly enough, there’s an actual basis
I0S3P3`;P.C*F4`.P%F Z&U something going on here that the Nazis don’t in reality for the pseudo-science and occult
understand and can’t even control.” underpinnings of this dark Nazi tale.
film vibes. This grisly tale contains a slew of
dark secrets lying beneath the packed snow Instead of pushing players through a “There was a branch of the SS develop-
in the quaint Bavarian village of Mittelburg. “correct for the easiest/best” set of rote ing the occult, exploring,” Dayton says.
Your carefully assembled team of experts activities, acquisitions, and movements, “Looking for the spear in Christ’s side, the
from the Monuments, Fire Arts, and Archives Sledgehammer chose to adopt a new, more Ark of the Covenant, the lost land of Thule
section (MFAA) enters the sleepy town dynamic approach. The route to victory has and all these other things to back up their
searching for priceless pieces of stolen art more variables and malleability, as you will ideas. The interesting thing was for the
and artifacts. David Tennant, Ving Rhames, have to move and flow with various objec- first time in human history, there was an
Elodie Yung, and Katheryn Winnick form the tives – you can’t just mow down waves attempt to pair science with that, because
colorful cast of protagonists, and Udo Kier mindlessly and move on. For instance, in the Germans at this time were a very analyti-
voices doctor Peter Glucksbringer Straub, one situation players must kill zombies within cal, scientifically driven people and so they
the diabiolical experimenter in charge of a constantly moving radius to generate an were making these assumptions like, ‘Hey,
the zombie project. While the core aspects electrical charge to unlock a new area. if there are these legendary items, there is
are still there – puzzles, gates, and gun pur- some power behind them, some science
chases on the wall – they are more rooted in These zombies are not supernatural, we don’t fully understand. Of course it’s all
realism than other recent entries. fueled by magical powers, or propelled for- twisted and dark and headed in scary direc-
ward by a disease or virus. Straub’s science tions, but it’s the perfect setup for this sort
“This is toward the end of the war. The behind reanimation is focused on the ner- of thing. The Indiana Jones franchise is built
Nazis were in a dire situation, so they needed vous system. Targeting neural pathways, he on the backbone of twisted Nazi research,
something,” says creative director Cameron unlocked a way to bring these corpses to and Hellboy.”
Dayton. “The hope and assumption is that life. This isn’t a biological plague or some
the zombies were going to be able to be kind of virus, it’s an energy source that tar- Not all these zombies have eyes or even
controlled, but that hasn’t been the case. gets the nervous system. The zombies still a full set of functional limbs – no problem.
In fact, by the time you get into this game require some assembly, however, which is They have a trained, primal response to
it’s the fourth time the zombies have pushed why you see bolts, metal, struts, and other sense anything living nearby, which they
pieces slapped onto them. In some cases, then target for immediate death. Some of
these attached devices may not be just to the lower tier-zombies, like the pests, don’t
prop up an arm or a neck, but to induce pain even have arms. Assembled piecemeal from
to the nervous system. These zombies can “spare parts,” pests enter the ranks and sow
be empowered through torture, which makes chaos, chomping, biting, and sucking down
things like neckwear and back bolts more bullets to let other zombies do work. Other
than just grisly adornments, but functional zombies like the bomber may be stitched
instruments of nerve-probing terror. up from leftover parts, a gruesome assem-
blage of pieces designed to simply deliver
“We’re going back to energy stuff, what an explosive payload to anyone it can reach.
Germany knew at the time – German phys- Outside the rank and file zombies, there are
ics,” Dayton says. “We’re sort of taking a others that can absolutely terrify even the
pragmatic science-fiction path to it. We don’t hardiest team of zombie slayers, assem-
wear it on our sleeve, but for those that want bled from massive weapons, flame, and
to get into the lore it will be consistent and multiple bodies.
make a lot of sense.”
cover story 43

We went hands on with the new zombie 25-percent through the zombie experience Unlike some other zombie experiences, this
mode, and one of the immediate takeaways in our play session. package includes both wave-based fare and
was not only does the mode feature core location/event-based encounters with foes.
loadouts you can customize and develop The opening plays out as expected, a
as you play through, but also permanent quaint little picturesque hamlet that would After blasting through a few rooms, pick-
unlocks that function sort of like traditional look perfect lit up for the holidays with ing up new guns, buying armor from con-
perks through gameplay – something a bit carts mulling around and the smell of fresh veniently placed vending objects, and
more tangible than consumable gumballs. pretzels and schnitzel wafting out of gin- encountering a massive statue of Frederick
This is more of an “RPG-lite” experience gerbread-house windows. The brief open- Barbarossa (Holy Roman Emperor and the
than previous iterations of the mode, with ing moments of respite are immediately subject of more than one legend), we must
four core classes to jump right in with: cut short as you are funneled underground charge up additional power to unlock Tesla
offense, control, support, and medic. You into an abandoned salt mine. There’s all the weaponry by slaughtering batches of zom-
can customize these template loadouts traditional boarding up of windows and col- bies in specific, moving areas. This portion
via permanent progression elements you lection of currency to unlock areas, but the of the adventure takes us through a labo-
unlock from playthrough to playthrough. divergent paths seem to offer more options ratory and a morgue, with plenty of horror
Casual players who are often frustrated than previous zombie iterations. accoutrements splayed on the walls and
from ramming their head over and over into machinery. Kills outside the zone keep the
the zombie challenge should find this to be One of my selected special abilities allows game and waves going, but we’re advised
a serious blessing and a potential boon to me to fill up a meter and then unleash hell that we definitely want to obtain the Tesla
accessibility over previous zombie modes, with unlimited ammunition for a limited weapons to take on challenges to come.
but the hardcore fans shouldn’t despair. period, something I quickly learned to time
Surviving to round 13 and only delving along along with difficult waves or encounters. This dire prediction proves true, as we’re
the critical path, we only made it around Ultimate abilities like this one are triggered just on the cusp of unlocking the new tech
by hitting R1 and L1 at the same time, and when we’re steamrolled by a combination of
weave nicely into the hectic gameplay. backlogged standard zombies and one of
the uber-zombies, who charges around from
room to room, stomping, careening around
objects, and basting us in deadly fire. While
it’s slightly easier to pick up your friends in
this version of zombies if you have a sup-
port/medic style character on your team, it’s
not enough with this crazy creation plowing
through our ranks. Our mission ends at the
hands of attrition and one giant abomina-
tion. The run was entertaining despite being
stymied right before we could try out the
Tesla guns, and there are more locations
and mysteries I’m eager to explore on my
next run through.

Those looking for Easter eggs and secrets
that are a core aspect of the CoD zombies
experience, prepare for one of the most
intense and challenging mysteries yet.
While I can’t tell you much about these
secrets (Sledgehammer threatened to zom-
bify us), I can tell you that searching for clues
left behind by a toymaker will set you in the
right direction.

GS0U&T2V&`&O7J3P/N&O5T B8B*U U)P4F
C3B7F F/P6H)`5P U3F"E V/E&S(S0V/E

44

"D3P4T U)F U)F"U&S P'`8B3

The Call of Duty: WWII campaign takes you across Europe. Here are some of the epic battles,
*3(4:39*78ů &3) 8.9:&9.438 >4:š11 æ 3) >4:78*1+ .3 43 >4:7 5:8- .394 =.8 9*77.947>Ű

Normandy Marigny Daniels is wowed alongside SOE and the early days of the
by the skills of French Resistance invasion. The battle
The quintessential =5*7.*3(* 9-* SOE agents Edgar to liberate earned the nickname
WWII battle on Omaha incredible struggle Crowley and Vivian. 9 -*h (&5.9&1Ű “The Death Factory”
Beach is the open- to take back the The second part as we struggle to
ing act of the game. French town of of the mission Aachen survive against
While those well- Marigny, culmi- introduces us to enemy forces, harsh
versed in the war nating in an epic Rousseau, a French -* æ 789 9.2* 51&>T environments in
<.11 æ 3) 9-*28*1;*8 church battle that resistance leader ers step onto German freezing mud, and
inundated with brings the archi- who has plans for soil is in the town even death from
Saving Private Ryan tecture crashing the credentials 4+ &(-*3Ű — -.8 above as the Germans
vibes, the story is down. This mission found on the train. was not maybe as blow off the tops
a personal one that also begins to high- heralded as a con- of trees creat-
includes protago- light the tensions The Wolf 's Den ç .(9ů ':9 4+ &3> 4+ ing a formidable
nist Ronald “Red” within the squad, as the urban combat 0 .11?43*h '*14<Ű
Daniels and his the hardheaded Sgt. Rousseau and 9-&9 9-* 11.*8 8&<
friend Pvt. Robert William Pierson 74<1*> .3æ 197&9* during the war, Hill 493
Zussman having a begins calling out German HQ using this was probably
brutal, intimate Zussman, claim- the aforementioned the most intense,” 2.88.43 94 9&0*
melee with an enemy ing he's ineffec- documents and Nazi Whitney says. The out an artillery
soldier. Zussman tive and came back disguises. Instead city has been turned encampment, the
sustains serious too early from his of being a simple into rubble by tension within the
injuries that keep < 4:3)*)h8 9&9:8Ű cloak-and-dagger 11.*) &88&:198Ű -* unit is about to
him sidelined until 89*&19- *=5*7.*3(*ů (43ç .(9 '*9<**3 come to blows. This
9-* 3*=9 2.88.43Ű Train playing as Rousseau Turner and Pierson scene is reminis-
you are forced .39*38.æ *8 -*7* cent of Hamburger
Operation Cobra Up until now, play- to interact with as German civil- Hill, with soldiers
ers have seen only Germans and keep up ians come into scrambling up the
This section follows 9-* 2*7.(&3 5*7T your ruse in addi- 51&>Ű 7* <* ,4.3, muddy incline.
9-* 11.*) 5:8- .394 spective in the tion to maintaining to escort them to While the mission
France in the weeks (&25&.,3Ű *=9ů & 14< 574æ 1*Ű -.8 8&+*9>[ 3 .3(.)*39 may end in success,
following Normandy. players participate covert operation here involving the trouble within
“We’re really trying in an assault on a is a different play civilians could the unit is begin-
to sell that clas- a German armored *=5*7.*3(* 9-&3 turn the recent ning to have seri-
sic iconic ‘through train carrying the rest of the game victory in Paris 4:8h( 438*6:*3(*8Ű
the hedgerows, V2 rockets headed and features unique -4114<h6 :.(01>Ű
through the cross- toward Paris. tools and tech- Beyond….
roads towns kind of Teaming up with niques to make it Hurtgen Forest
*=5*7.*3(*ůš˜ 8&>8 elite operatives through an engag- Sledgehammer isn’t
narrative direc- from the British ing, deadly game of Pushing to the talking about the
tor Scott Whitney. Special Operations cat and mouse. Rhine and clear- missions beyond
— 9.11 & ).+æ (:19ů =*(:9.;* P Qů ing the path for an Hill 493, but if
hard-fought battle the goal involves + 9*7 9-* 2.8T allied convoy, the you’re charting
but you know, also stopping the train sion is complete, march to Berlin is the course through
a situation where and then recover- 9-* 3*=9 5&79 4+ 9-* in full force. This Europe there’s at
we're doing it for ing some essential operation involves intense battle com- least one major
&'4:9 8.= 94 8*;*3 credentials from taking Paris with pletes the tonal (43ç .(9 9-&9 2&0*8
weeks, we've got our 9-* <7*(0&,*Ű 8 a full-on garrison shift from the opti- sense for our squad
8*&h1 *,8ۘ the fresh recruit, &88&:19ů 2*7.(&38 mism shown during 94 '* -*&)*) 94 3*=9Ű

cover story 45

SOCIAL SPACES, COSMETIC LOOT with mini-missions on location or that send sit and watch Pit matches, or experiment
Not only does Call of Duty: WWII mark a you out into multiplayer matches. The more to find the perfect weapon for you. In addi-
return to weaponry and tech that keeps you participate in the social features, the tion to the static features, Sledgehammer
things grounded with no crazy slides, boost- more you stand to gain from supply drops is planning dynamic events, like an aerial
ing, or jetpacking, but it’s also the first time that contain cosmetic loot. Open up some- scramble that drives players to anti-air guns
the series is transforming the area between thing really cool? Everyone sitting around to fend off the base from enemy aircraft.
matches to a huge 48-person instanced you watching stands to score prizes as well. It’s also possible that Headquarters might
social space known as Headquarters. In change with the seasons for holidays and
Headquarters, players can participate in a Other options include perusing leader- more. Sledgehammer is aiming to keep
wide variety of activities that range from the boards, checking your mail, wandering things interesting while maintaining credibil-
fun to functional. Headquarters takes place around inspecting other players, smashing ity – something that extends to the game’s
in a “D+3” zone (three days after D-Day), your emote buttons, or catching the latest cosmetic items.
showing off the launching grounds of major news, stream, or tournament inside the
Allied operations. The space is filled with theater. If you run into a friend or two you “On Advanced Warfare we had a lot of lati-
supplies, vehicles, and more. can seamlessly head over to participate in tude – fictional guns, futuristic technology.
zombies or multiplayer as a group. You can We started with this rooted in believability,”
The HQ gives you many options for spend- kick a few objects around, find a place to Condrey says. “You get to legendary and it’s
ing time in between multiplayer rounds. You
can crack open loot chests in full view of
other players to increase your “social score”
or take on other players in ‘The Pit’, a new
1v1 space perfect for those taunts of “1v1
me bro!” Proximity-based voice functional-
ity makes it easy to casually chat with other
players, and a firing range lets you test out
your new weaponry. The range offers a wide
variety of targets with varying difficulty,
including targets designed to splatter, like
watermelons. You can challenge other play-
ers to a shooting-gallery contest, and see
who ends up with the high score.

You get rewarded for your participation
through daily and weekly quests you can
pick up in Headquarters that may task you

5I&`'V5V3F P'`%V5Z

With giant shared social spaces
like Headquarters being imple-
mented in Call of Duty, it begs the
question: Will the FPS titan ever
put annual titles behind for a con-
tinually updated game as service
model? We asked Activision CEO Eric
Hirshberg his thoughts on the future
4+ 9-*h +7&3(-.8*Ű

“I think in many ways it already is
a game as service, in many ways one of
9-* æ 789ů˜ -* 8&>8Ű —$4: -&;* 9-* 8&2*
community that comes around from
>*&7 94 >*&7Ű 9 )4*83š9 -&;* 9-&9 (43T
tinuous world with expansions and
accomplishments that carry over from
game to game, but it does have a very
89&'1* (422:3.9>Ű "*š;* 97.*) 94 æ 3)
the right solution for each franchise
individually, and Call of Duty has
7*&11> '*3*æ 99*) +742 9-&9 &33:&1
innovation moment, that annual re-
*3,&,*2*39 242*39Ű -*7*š8 &);&3T
9&,*8 &3) ).8&);&39&,*8 94 '49-Ű
42*9.2*8 .9š8 -&7)*7 94 '7.3, & 3*<
51&>*7 .3 .+ 9-*>š7*ů 8&>ů 9-7** >*&78
'*-.3)Ű 9-.30 9-*7*š8 247* <* (&3 )4
to unify the player no matter where
9 -*>š7*h 51&>.3,ۘ

46

PJ$L V1`.J4T*P/T
D)F$L P6U U)F
G*S*O(`3B/H&
B/E I"O(`0V5`*O I2

black ebony wood that’s been stained or you can create a highly specific, highly spe- and know instantly that the player probably
maybe an ornamental weapon that a general cialized character. Gun modifications are still has a proclivity toward sniping. The Axis and
could have behind his desk. The epics that prominent, and you can select from a wide Ally weapon pool is shared, so as you prog-
are the rarest are customized with themati- variety of weapons, stocks, scopes, gre- ress you unlock weapons from both pools,
cally appropriate elements. For example, the nades, and other tweaks. and can use them regardless of which team
StG 44, the iconic German assault rifle, the you’re actually placed on.
epic version has an Iron Cross paintjob on it. Each division has abilities and special
We have a new loot item taken from WWII, weapon unlocks. As a member of the infan- While classic multiplayer modes are avail-
they’re called Sweetheart Grips. Soldiers try division you gain the ability to melee with able like team deathmatch, hardpoint, kill
would take and replace their pistol grips with a bayonet. As a beginner, you have a melee confirmed, and domination, War is the big
a piece of Plexiglass, and behind that they bayonet stab. By the end of your progres- new mode that players should keep an eye
would put pictures of their girlfriends.” sion, you have a bayonet charge. At the on. Playing Axis vs. Allies, players do battle
end of each division’s progression, a unique in objective-driven combat across a mas-
DIVISIONS OF WAR weapon awaits – and you can bring that sive stage. For players who want to work
Unlike its predecessors, Call of Duty: WWII weapon outside the division after unlocking together taking a building, cobbling a bridge
offers no perks in competitive multiplayer in it, but you won’t be able to take your division together under heavy fire, babysitting a tank,
favor of a class-based system called divi- skills outside of it. “For instance, the suppres- and blowing up a vital target all in the same
sions. The five distinct divisions of which you sor is an airborne division skill, the unique match, it’s a cool take on the normal circle
can play and master (playing and leveling up weapon unlock is the Thompson,” Condrey of spawning, killing, and respawning. War
one won’t stop you from playing others) are says. “While you’re running airborne division forces a frontline setting, so it’s difficult to
armored, airborne, infantry, mountain, and you have that suppressor, and if you want to get gunned down as you spawn.
expeditionary. By playing in a division, you take the Thompson outside of the division
obtain division experience and that unlocks you can, but you won’t have the suppressor.” War’s asymmetric mode allows players
new skills and abilities to specialize and cus- to experience the same fight from different
tomize your character. It comes down to your These division-defining gear and cosmet- perspectives. On offense, I made it to the
division skill and your basic training skill, and ics make your visual identity more interest- final stage of a long-scale engagement, and
with the two of these major playstyle buffs ing, especially when hanging out in HQ. then used what I learned to force an early
You can immediately recognize a mountain game shut down on the opponents after we
division player by the signature ghillie suit, swapped sides. Each activity has a timer
associated with it, whether you’re trying to
move a “payload-style” tank into enemy terri-
tory or hold a location, so things are kept fast
and frenetic. Players disenchanted with clas-
sic modes may enjoy the variety and incen-
tivized teamwork. Even if you don’t, it’s still
a nice change of pace from grabbing a pile
of swirling dog tags for the thousandth time.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
With three distinct game styles on deck tar-
geting world history, a zombie terror tale,
and socially fueled multiplayer that takes us
back to the ping of a Garand clip flying out
instead of jetpack-propelled insanity, Call
of Duty: WWII is an ambitious entry. Can it
satisfy history and war buffs, zombie slay-
ers in search of deep secrets, and the vora-
cious multiplayer community? We’ll find out
in November. \

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