CHIP

your guide to gaming
Supplement to CHIP April 2012
Powered by
Dial it to 11
11 great reasons to upgrade your rig
Top 5
reviews:
keyboards
gaming
Mass Effect 3 Smash n Survive Move Street Cricket SSX FIFA Football and more
CONTENTS
8
Diablo III gets a release date; MGS HD heading to Vita; New Medal of Honor and Forza games announced.
in the news
32
The conclusion of the trilogy in Bioware's integalactic RPG saga.
Mass effect 3 review
18
10
PC games are always pushing graphics technology. Here are 11 games that may make you consider an upgrade.
Dial it to 11
34
Starbreeze reboots EA's old strategy title with an FPS spin.
synDicate review
36
18
Our picks for the five best gaming keyboards that will give you the competitive edge.
never Miss a Key
We hit the slopes with EA's first SSX game in five years.
ssx review
38
We've come up with a list of games that we would be thrilled to play on Sony's new handheld.
Most wanteD on the vita

22
EA's football juggernaut makes its Vita debut, touch controls et al.
fifa football review
22
Move street cricKet review

40
We finally have a motion-controlled cricket game. But is it any good?
We went all the way to San Francisco to find out what Microsoft has up its sleeve for 2012.
exclusive: xbox spring showcase 2012

24
The first Indian console game to target a global audience. Does Version2Games' debut meet international standards?
sMash n survive review

42
32
36
10
The Witcher 2, Crysis 2 and Dirt 3 are amongst our picks for PC games that'll make you consider an upgrade.
cover story: Dial it to 11
24
We bring you our exclusive coverage of Microsoft's annual preview event for all things Xbox, including five games that really caught our eye. Yes, there's Halo 4.
xbox spring showcase 2012
44
Capcom's new action-adventure ip blends hack-n-slash gaming with anime story-telling.
asura's wrath review
44
Hatim Kantawalla
dEpuTy EdiTOr
MaNagiNg EdiTOr
Jamshed Avari Sameer Desai

COpy EdiTOr
46
Evolution spins off the franchise into rC territory for its Vita debut. The results are surprising to say the least.
MotorstorM rc review
ChaNNEl EdiTOr (gaMiNg), TECh2
Avinash Bali
Roydon Cerejo, Murali Venukumar

SENiOr arT dirECTOr
CONTribuTOrS
48
ubisoft's visually stunning rayman Origins makes a graceful transition from home console to handheld.
rayMan origins review
Ashwin R Boricha
SENiOr dESigNEr
Hemali Limbachiya Rajesh D'Souza, Gautami Chalke Sachin Pandit, Chaitanya Surpur
illuSTraTOrS prOjECT COOrdiNaTOrS
46
Trine brings the sequel to Street Cricket Champtions to the Playstation Move.
Move street cricket review
COlOr COrrECTiON
Ravi Salian
hEad OFFiCE
intelligent Computing Chip, infomedia 18 limited, 'a' Wing, ruby house, 2nd Floor, j.K. Sawant Marg, dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 028. iNdia phone: (91 22) 3024 5000, Fax: (91 22) 3003 4499
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Letters
Dear CHIP Insider, want to thank you for writing this great article (When reviews no longer matter). It was indeed surprising to know that Assassin's Creed: Revelations had sold thrice as many copies as Batman: Arkham City. However, looking from a brand perspective, isn't Batman a bigger IP than AC? Maybe not in terms of a game, but overall, and considering Arkham City didn't have the advantage of a "The Dark Knight" kinda film to precede it, maybe that's why it wasn't as big a success. However, does your article not remind you of the situation of the games industry in general? How more and more sequels are being churned out? How a successful formula is attempted to be replicated, not just as a sequel but also in other games? It seems like not just consumers, but even publishers are suffering from the mindset you spoke about. I think people tend to take less risks when a large amount of money is involved, whether they be publishers or consumers. It would be great if you could write more such articles on the gaming industry in India, covering both what is popular and maybe even try to shed some light on the games being made here, so their work doesn't go unrecognized! - Kuldip Krori
Send in your letters to insider@chip.in
More Sequels
No Love for SimCity?

Dear CHIP Insider, am an avid reader of your magazine and was pleased by your list of top 50 PC games of all time in the March issue. The PC gaming market is going down, especially after the advent of smartphones, and you showed gamers that so many of the world's best games are best enjoyed on PC. But what amazed me was that there was no mention of the SimCity series! Granted, you can't insert all the PC games, but I felt that the SimCity series is worthy of a mention. - Raghuram Subramanian
Dear Raghuram, While it is true that smartphones are becoming more popular, the PC gaming market isn't going down; its just that most PC game sales now come via services like Steam. We always knew that no matter which 50 games we picked, we were always going to miss out on some great titles. Some of our own favorites didnt make the list, but our endeavor was to provide a list of games that was indicative of the quality and variety of gaming experiences available on the PC. - CHIP Insider Team
Dear Kuldip, Thank you for the kind words, and its great to see our readers taking an interest in the gaming industry. While you raise a valid point about Arkham City not having a blockbuster film to bolster its popularity, I think the reason Revelations outsold it is simply because Assassins Creed has grown into a monstrous franchise over a few short years. The issue of franchise milking is quite a serious one, and its something Avinash brings up frequently (in the Mass Effect 3 review in this issue, for instance). This is after all a business, however, and publishers will always go where the money is. The sad fact is that most new IP dont sell well enough, so when one does, publishers hold on for dear life until theyve sucked it dry. Activisions Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk games come to mind. On the plus side, the popularity of services like Steam, Xbox Live, and PSN allow developers to take more creative risks, so the best new IP are now being churned out by independent developers who self-publish their games via digital distribution platforms. We will surely make an attempt to cover the Indian industry more. Towards that end, weve reviewed two rather interesting games from Indian developers in this issue. - Sameer Desai
Posters!
Dear CHIP Insider, he March edition of Insider was awesome! I especially liked the "Best PC Games of the Last Decade" article. Keep publishing more gaming issues! Can you tell me how can I get the previous issues of Insider? I was building up a collection and I missed the January and February issues. I really want those issues (especially the posters). - Ayush Malviya
Dear Ayush, Thanks for the appreciation. As for keeping on publishing more gaming issues, dont worry; we dont intend to stop anytime soon. It might be hard to find the January and February issues on stands now, but since youre starting a collection, well see if we can dig up a couple of copies and send them over to you. Were glad you like our posters, and youll be especially pleased with the poster in this issue. Were the only magazine in the world to have this poster so soon after the game was officially announced. - CHIP Insider Team
put your rig to the test

his month, we traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, braving San Franciscos cold winds and chilly weather for an exclusive peek at Microsofts Xbox 360 games line-up for 2012. Sure, it was a bit heavy on the casual games, but we also saw Halo 4 in action. So that happened. We also tried out a multitude of first and third party games, which you can read all about in our exclusive Xbox Spring Showcase coverage. If console gaming is not your thing, scoot over to our high-end PC gaming feature that lists out 11 games guaranteed to push your newly assembled gaming PC to its limits. Were talking about DirectX 11-enabled graphic-intensive games like Battlefield 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Witcher 2, and lots more that will make you proud to be a PC gamer. But a keyboard warrior is only as good as... well, his keyboard, so we also went out and scoured the streets of Mumbai in search of five of the best gaming keyboards out there. Would you like to get fragged mercilessly in Battlefield 3 just because you lacked the appropriate hardware? Didnt think so! As always, this issue packs in an assortment of the latest video game reviews across the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 as well as Sonys latest handheld, the Playstation Vita, which were warming up to tremendously, by the way. We've also reviewed two PS3 games developed within India from the ground up, so turn to pages 40 and 42 to see how they fared. So yeah, pretty banging issue at hand. However, if you disagree or would just like to send us your thoughts on this issue, hit us with your feedback at insider@chip.in and we may just feature it in our upcoming issues.
11 games guaranteed to push your newly assembled gaming PC to its limits.
AVInASH BAlI
avinash@tech2.com
8 news
COMPILED By sameer desai avinash bali
In The news
Metal Gear solid coming to Ps Vita
Diablo III finally

set to hit stores on May 15
After nearly a decade of waiting, Diablo fans will finally get to break their mice (and their wrists) when Diablo III hits stores this May. Those interested in playing the game day one can already pre-order the game from Blizzards Battlenet service. In fact, for many (us Indians included), an online purchase may be the only option as Blizzard is launching the game at retail only in United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Diablo fans in Russia and Latin America will unfortunately have to wait till the 7th of June, 2012 for a stab at the game. The standard digital version
However, players will have to wait a bit longer for the PvP mode to be patched in.
of this game will set you back by $60 (Rs 3,013) while the Collectors edition (available only at retail) will cost you $99 (Rs 4,971). It includes a copy of the game, the games soundtrack, a 208-page art book, a 4 GB USB stick that contains full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, as well as exclusive in-game content for Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. One bit of disappointing news though is that the game will ship without the PvP mode. It will be later added via a free downloadable patch. Diablo III releases exclusively for the PC by the 15th of May 2012 so plan your sick days well in advance.
he PlayStation Vita is about to get a dose of stealth action as Konami has confirmed the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for the handheld. Unlike the console version however, MGS: Peacewalker will not be included in the Vita port. Konami says this HD collection has been tailor-made for the Vita and will take advantage of the touchscreen as well as dual-analog sticks. MGS Vita will also ship with the weirdly named Transfarring feature that will allow players to swap save files between the Vita and their Playstation 3. The MGS HD Collection will be available for the PS Vita this June.
People's Choice Award for Pune's Rolocule Games.

Flick Tennis: College Wars, developed by Pune-based Rolocule Games, has won the Peoples Choice Award at the 2012 International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA). The IMGA awards were held on March 8, the final day of the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona. The game beat off competition from games such as Jetpack Joyride and Draw Race 2. The winner was decided based on votes from around the world on the IMGA website. Flick Tennis combines sports-based gaming with a storyline. The game is presented in the form of a comic book. As a college tennis player, you go through the ups and downs and all the emotions of winning and losing. The developers claim that the characters themselves are based on the psychology of the world's best tennis players. Rohit Gupta, CEO of Rolocule Games said on winning, Its a very thrilling and proud moment not only for us at Rolocule, but also for the whole of India. We would like to thank all our fans for supporting us.
Flick Tennis wins at International Mobile Gaming Awards
april 2012 intelligent computing cHip insider supplement
Medal of Honor: warfighter announced
smash n survive coming to PC, Xbox 360
TOP 10 BesTsellers
IndIa's
MarCH 2012
news
Mass Effect 3
RATInG 4/5
PS3, XBoX 360, PC
FIFA Street
PS3, Xbox 360
The 2010 Medal of Honor reboot wasnt very good, which is why we're surprised to see EA unveil Medal of Honor: Warfighter. Not much is known about the game so far, but it seems like it will continue the adventures of various Tier 1 Operators as they make Uncle Sam proud. The game will be made using DICEs Frostbite 2.0 engine, the very same engine fuelling Battlefield 3. Medal of Honors multiplayer, which was earlier designed by DICE, will now be developed in-house by Danger Close themselves. Like Battlefield 3, the game is expected to receive standalone co-operative missions as well. Medal of Honor: Warfighter is scheduled for an October 2012 release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
PS3, Xbox 360
Street Fighter X Tekken
Forza Horizon announced for 2012 release
With Forza Motorsport 4 just having released last year, no one expected a new game from the franchise to release this year. But developers Turn 10 have announced that a Forza spin-off titled Forza Horizon would be hitting stores later this year. Horizon is being developed by new studio Playground Game, which is comprised of staff who've previously worked on games such as Burnout, Grid, Dirt, Blur and Split Second. While no details have been released, rumors suggest that this could be a more arcade-oriented racing game, while some reports have even suggested that it's an open-world racer like Test Drive Unlimited. Forza Horizon is set for release this year on Xbox 360.
ollowing Smash N Survives exclusive release on PSN, Version2Games has now announced that the smash em up vehicle brawler is going multiplatform, with releases planned for the Xbox 360 and PC in the future. We are going multiplatform with Smash N Survive for sure as releases are due on Xbox 360 and PC also. Stay tuned for more updates. Version2Games president Rajat Ojha said. Ojha also announced that the game has been picked up for release on the PS3 in Japan, adding that marketing and distribution would be handled by Sony Japan itself. V2G is showing no signs of slowing down. We are not leaving things here; SnS 2 (Smash N Survive 2) will definitely come and will come with the story, better experience and far better graphics, announced Ojha.
EA Sports FIFA Football

PS Vita
RATInG 3.5/5
PS3
Twisted Metal
Uncharted: Golden Abyss

PS Vita
RATInG 4/5
Battlefield 3
RATInG 4.5/5
PS3, Xbox 360, PC
PS3, Xbox 360, PC

RATInG 4/5
The Darkness II
SSX
PS3, Xbox 360

RATInG 4/5
Asura's Wrath
PS3, Xbox 360
RATInG 3/5
Courtesy: Intencity.in
10
Cover Story
t. However, if theres no skirting around that fac PC has its share of problems and go since most Gaming on the gaming is undoubtedly the way to to bear with a few hardships, PC d youre willing , most importantly, third party mo uals, better control schemes and are 11 PC ports offer superior vis today (or in the near future), here yourself building a monster of a rig support. If you do find games that will push it to the limit.
by avinash bali
l it to 11 Dia
Rage
meback id Softwares co Famed developer out like we or not have played vehicle Rage may doubt that ed, but theres no they would have lik eyes. Indoor ry easy on the the game was ve harsh postxtures aside, the low resolution te s probably the nd in Rage wa apocalyptic wastela te. And ad e weve seen till da most gorgeous on at a solid 60 n did hold up promised, the actio . frames per second
Theres no doub t that The Elder Scrolls V: Sk yrim looked the best on (a relatively hi gh end) PC, but we highly recom mend the PC ve rsion for the tremendous amou nt of mod suppor t its received over time. Appl y some of the gorgeous usermade mods that bump up texture work , improve lighting or add in a plethora of easy to implement visual tweaks to guarantee an ey egasmic Sk yrim experience.
the elDeR ScRollS V: SkyRim
Cover Story
11
nded as Sk yrim, s not as open-e The Witcher 2 wa action RPG was Projekts latest but developer CD of intimidating l beast capable a complete visua l of gaming rigs. the most powerfu and dominating and youll king the settings some time twea Spend of their in-house e visual fidelity be amazed at th RED engine.
The WiTcher 2:gs AssAssins of Kin
mA us ex: huion n De revoluT

Revolution Ex: Human tar, rim, Deus vanilla ava Like Sk y ame in its visual e looking g if fy was a fin prett y sp k and o f s om e boasting visual twea e ENB But apply th oks a lot effects. ame that lo u have a g lly, a lot less suddenly yo nd thank fu ospheric, a more atm golden.
crYsis 2
The Cyrisis series has always been considered a benchmark for breathtaking visuals and Crysis 2 is no different. Granted the game didnt pack the same punch as its predecessor, partly due to a more confined setting as well as the lack of DirectX support, but the latest updates from Crytek remedied the second issue with DirectX 11 support as well as a high-res texture pack.
intelligent computing cHip insider supplement april 2012
12
Cover Story
Batman: arkham City

port of admit that the PC Ill be the first to nch, but lau tremely flawed at Arkham City was ex dy leased by Rockstea tch re af ter the second pa rmance rfo as well as PhysX pe Games, DirectX 11 rs to ed, allowing playe improv was significantly late yet selves in the deso fully immerse them Arkham City. gorgeous world of
With Battlefield 3, DICE introduce d players to a new engine Fros tbite 2.0 that wa s meant for PC gaming. From insanely realistic lighting to high res texture work to environmenta l destruction, this engine is best experienced on a rather powerful PC. It is without a doubt on e of the most technically superio r games in the m arket today.
Battlefield 3
Just Cause 2
ncentrate es like GTA IV co Open-world gam authentic a very real and on giving players other hand, Cause 2, on the experience. Just ipping up a site direction, wh goes in the oppo and overfast-paced action wicked blend of e deal even ns. Sweetening th the-top shenaniga d attention eous art design an further is the gorg shines on a detail that really to environmental powerful PC.
Cover Story
13
own studio from a relatively unkn No one expected of a PC game, te a powerhouse Ukraine to crea mething to do . Maybe it had so but 4A Games did s worked on by at this game wa with the fact th t their penchant staf f, who brough ex-S.T.A.L.K.E.R. ly atmospheric xtures and high for gorgeous te ersing players in , thoroughly imm visuals to the table ro. underground met a post-apocalyptic
Metro 2033
D ow: the thir SaintS r

been a hasnt really Row series rst game The Saints s as the fi s for PC port second wa benchmark , while the d with de it to PC ge never ma ll that chan ped However, a poor port. was develo a d, which g am e w: The Thir T he Saints Ro n itself. ect X by Volitio wing in Dir in-house ind blo solutely m visuals gen looked ab truly nextg of some d games. 11, boastin worl most open not seen in
Dirt 3
Another DirectX 11 visual treat, Dirt 3 brought the sort of graphical variety not seen in previous games thanks to the addition of snow and picturesque tracks like Monaco. The new EGO engine shines in Dirt 3, showing off great particle effects, awesome lighting, and a stunning car damage model that is the hallmark of the series. If you can live with the annoyance of Games for Windows Live, Dirt 3 on PC is as good as it gets.
14
AdvertoriAl
ALIENWARE X51
AdvertoriAl
AdvertoriAl 15
attlefield 3s Metro station is being bombarded with RPGs and grenades as the assault squads begin flanking your team from all sides. You and your squadmates try desperately to hold the fort, but your team is losing tickets rapidly and youre finding it increasingly hard to hold them back. Its edge-of-the-seat stuff as the enemy descends upon your last control point, already having seized the rest of the map. You and your squad form the last line of defence in the face of sure defeat. Yet you remain resolute, determined to turn the tide once again in your favor. The battle is racy, the combat gory, your nerves are twitching, your finger tight on the trigger, when suddenly, the moment freezes. The battle is paused. To your horror, the game has crashed.
The hardcore gamers conundrum
For too long youve had to bear the frustration of unreliable PC hardware and freezing consoles ruining your gaming experience at the most inopportune moments. If only you had a better, hassle-free PC designed for hardcore gaming. If only consoles could live up to all the promises. If only someone could pack a full-scale gaming PC into a small chassis. What may seem like a distant dream, is now a reality. Enter the Alienware X51, the new gaming desktop PC packed into such a sleek and compact design that it would put other PCs and consoles to shame. It has the makings of a game changer. It is revolutionary. It will change the console gaming definitions forever, pushing traditional consoles into irrelevance. It will metamorphose the life of the hardcore gamer.
16
AdvertoriAl
The Form Factor
Before the inevitable comparison with Microsofts Xbox 360 pops its head, lets dig into the basics. Lets look at the form factor first. The X51s slim-tower chassis measures a tidy 13.25 inches high, 3.75 inches wide, and 12.25 inches deep, making it only a little bit larger than the Xbox 360. It can stand upright or lie down flat on its side. Its slot-loading DVD burner will fit in with the aesthetics of any media rack. Peep inside the X51 and youd find a pure PC: it employs a Mini-ITX motherboard, desktop-level Sandy Bridge Intel processors, and a full-sized double-slot graphics card (rotated 90 degrees and connected via a riser card to the PCIe 2.1 x16 slot). The greatest news is that the X51 has a full-lengh 3D card sandwiched on top of the motherboard. Its ability to accept a full-length 3D card means the X51 is the best slim-tower gaming machine out there.
Cutting Edge
The X51 is rugged and power-packed. It is black, its lean, and it has a full-size graphics card. It is upgradable. It packs full-size gaming PC components into a chassis only marginally bigger than a Playstation 3. It has as many ports as desktop PCs twice its size. It is one of the first computers to use the desktop version of Nvidia's Optimus graphics switching technology. Look carefully. Theres an alien head emblem on the front and on either side, a pair of translucent talons. No, they are not redundant embellishment. They individually light up in colors of your choice. That aint all, though. If you are a component junkie, peer under the hood. It is clever engineering! In the X51 matte case, full-size desktop components fit together like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. Every single component is modular and can be replaced and upgraded with minimal effort and in an incredibly short time. And there is not even a hint of wasted space inside. If this is not cleverest engineering, what is? So much. But whats the pedigree? Did you question the DNA? Do not. Look at the name. It is Alienware. It bears the Dell tag. So, what is so special about the Alienware X51? The console gaming space is already cluttered with big names like Xbox and PlaysStation. Why the X51? Okay, lets admit the X51 is neither the biggest nor the most powerful gaming PC the Dell-owned company has ever unveiled, but it is certainly is the biggest challenge to traditional consoles to date.
AdvertoriAl 17
Cool Connectivity
Thats all? Wait. You aint heard it all. Its connectivity options are unparalleled the X51 has as many ports as desktop PCs twice its size. On the front panel, alongside microphone and headphone jacks, youll find a pair of USB 2.0 ports. The back sports not only a dedicated HDMI 1.4 jack, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 sockets, Gigabit Ethernet, and a full 3.5mm surround sound jack set, but also both digital optical and coaxial SPDIF audio outputs to interface with any sound system. Theres more - 802.11n Wi-Fi, twin DVI video outputs and mini-HDMI on the rear of the graphics card.
Power Punch
The Alienware X51 is one of the first computers to use the desktop version of Nvidia's Optimus graphics switching technology. In simple words. The X51 attempts to save power by using the onboard Intel graphics when possible. You can also get all the power of that dedicated Nvidia GPU through the full-size HDMI port without having to use a special cable or adapter to connect your TV to the graphics cards DVI and mini-HDMI outputs. Put simply, Alienware is offering a gaming PC packaged for mass consumption, and that too at a price that does not burn a hole in the gaming animals pocket. The X51 is a bang-for-thebuck machine. It is reasonably priced. It is solidly built. It is even portable. Moreover, it is upgradable, so you do not need to fret about tomorrows games. It is a powerful home computer, and if you jingle a few extra coins, it can also transform into a Blu-ray player. The Alienware X51 is a game changer, designed transform your gaming experience unlike anything else before it. Surrender to the X51! Resistance is futile.
To know more about the Alienware X51, visit www.alienware.co.in

18 Hardware feature
Never Miss a Key

by roydon cerejo
The keyboard is an essential part of your gaming arsenal as it allows you to make precise movements, which could either help you win a race or get your head blown up in a deathmatch.
Most of the keyboards weve rounded up here are designed specifically for gaming, and by that, I dont mean just fancy lighting and graphics; its the type of keys used that really sets them apart. Before we go ahead, lets just cover some of the basics of a gaming keyboard and what you should look for when choosing one. In essence, there are two types of keyboards the membrane or rubber dome type and the mechanical type. Membrane keyboards are the most common ones found in the cheapest Rs 200 keyboards to some high-end gaming keyboards as well. If youve even taken apart a keyboard, then youve noticed translucent rubber padding between the keys and the circuit board. This is the cheapest and most cost-effective way of making a keyboard and youll usually find they have a soft or mushy feedback. The key press is only registered here after pushing it all the way to the bottom, which requires more effort and energy from your end. Also, as time passes, dust and grime makes the keys sticky, forcing you to use more energy to press them. This can cause major fatigue in your fingers if youre typing for long sessions. Mechanical keys, on the other hand, are designed to register the key stroke way before bottoming out
or having to press it fully. This way, youre using less energy per key stroke and you can perform rapid key presses more easily and effortlessly. This comes in handy in games that require some button mashing. There are four types of keys most commonly found in mechanical keyboards. The Cherry MX Black is the best type for gaming. Its a linear switch, which means theres no tactile feedback, giving you a very smooth feel. Cherry MX Red is a lighter version of the MX Black. It requires less force to actuate and keyboards that feature these keys tend to be expensive since they arent easily available. Cherry MX Brown offers the best balance between gaming and typing. These keys feature light tactile feedback, making them easier to type on. Finally, we have Cherry MX Blue switches, which are the best for typing. The resistance is similar to membrane keyboards and they are quite decent for gaming as well. Now that weve covered the basics, lets take a look at our top five contenders. Remember, if youre going to be spending anything more than Rs 3,000, then make sure its a mechanical keyboard, else its simply overpriced and not worth it.
Corsair vengeance K60

rs 5,900
The K60 from Corsair is part of the Vengeance keyboard line-up and marks Corsairs entry into the gaming keyboard space. The K60 features Cherry MX Red keys for the best response in games as well as specially contoured and textured WSAD and numeric keys from 1-6. The keyboard also boasts of an impressive 20-key rollover (20KRO) over USB, which is otherwise limited to six keys. This allows you to use up to 20 keys at a time and all will be registered thanks to a 1ms polling rate. The keyboard also oozes style and quality with the brushed aluminium chassis and laser etched keys.
Hardware feature 19
Razer Blackwidow Ultimate

rs 5,900
The Ultimate edition of Razers famous Blackwidow gaming keyboard features LED backlit keys while maintaining the same feature set. The keys are individually backlit and have five levels of backlighting to choose from. You can also record macros on the fly and save them among 10 profiles. The keyboard also features multimedia controls to quickly adjust the volume. Razer uses the Cherry MX Blue keys, which make it easier to type on due to better tactile feedback, but not all gamers may prefer this type of key. There are different versions of the Blackwidow in the market like the Dragon Age II edition and the Ninja edition, which feature Cherry MX Black for the best feedback for games.
Microsoft SideWinder X4
rs 2,350
This is the only membrane keyboard in the list and much more affordable as well. With a price tag of just Rs 2,350, the X4 is a the little brother of the X6 and features full backlit keys, programmable macro keys, 26KRO, automatic profile switching, and more. Automatic profile switching loads up the macros for that designated game so you can have virtually unlimited key combinations, which are all categorized and sorted by the bundled software. The keys offer good feedback, which makes it ideal for typing as well as for gaming. Its also quite a looker!
20 Hardware feature
SteelSeries 6GV2
rs 5,500
This is your no-frills gaming keyboard designed for just one purpose performance. On the face of it, it may look like any run-of-the-mill keyboard, but dont be fooled. The 6GV2 features Cherry MX Black keys for the best and fastest feedback for your games. The mechanical switches even feature gold plating for optimal contact. Despite its stripped down look, there are shortcuts for controlling the volume as well. The plastics used here are designed to take a beating so the keys can certainly withstand those intense gaming sessions. Steelseries also gives you the option to use a PS2 port instead of USB, thereby lifting the restriction on how many keys can be used at a time.
CoolerMaster QuickFire Rapid (Black)

rs 6,500 (Cherry MX Black)
This is the latest addition to CoolerMasters CM Storm line-up and is designed to be compact and portable perfect for taking to those LAN parties. The QuickFire Rapid is available in different Cherry MX flavors, black being the highest end. CoolerMaster also bundles along extra key caps in case you need to change some. All the keys are laser-etched so they wont wear out. The keyboard also supports PS2 mode just like the Steelseries and multimedia shortcuts. The entire keyboard sports a rubber coating for added grip.
22 FeAtUre
Most Wanted on the Vita

So youve bought the Playstation Vita and completed Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Now youre thinking of what to buy since Sonys launch lineup isnt particularly strong besides Drakes handheld adventure and a handful of other games. Keeping that in mind, weve devised our very own wishlist of games wed like to see on the new handheld.
by avinash bali
God of War
Well, its God of War, so theres reason number one. Also developer Ready at Dawn showed us you dont really need powerful hardware to make a good God of War game on handheld consoles as both their God of War games were stunning on the PSP. However, with the power of the Vita at their disposal, it would be interesting to see what kind of insane stuff they could come up with.
Burnout
So far, Im not overly impressed with the racing games on the Vita. Theyre nice, sure, but none of them have particularly grabbed my attention. All that could change in a heartbeat if Criterion made a Burnout game for the Vita. Hell, even if they dont make a new one, Ill be real happy with a Burnout Revenge or Takedown port.
def JaM
I might be in the minority here, but to me, Def Jam: Fight for New York was one of the most entertaining fighting games ever made. Now, if EA can move past the disaster that was Def Jam Icon, they could hopefully commission someone capable to work on a new Def Jam game for the Vita.
Grand theft auto
If we can have a full-fledged Grand Theft Auto game on smartphones (GTA III), I dont see why we cant get one for the Vita. In fact, one of my biggest gripes with Grand Theft Auto III on the iPhone - the inconvenient control scheme - would be addressed with the move to Vita.
Hemali Limbachiya
Feature 23
Batman
Rocksteadys take on the Batman franchise took the world by storm, appealing to Batman fans as well as fans of actionadventure games. It perfectly blended one of the most intuitive had-to-hand combat systems with tense stealth gameplay to create the perfect action game. And now that Rocksteady has been commissioned to work on this franchise, Im sure they could churn out something really special for Vita owners.
tom ClanCys RaInBow sIx: vegas
Unit 13 has taught us that the Vita can handle tactical shooters pretty well and the Rainbow Six series is by far the best in that genre. It requires a certain amount of planning to get the job done, but at the same time never feels overtly real enough to frustrate.
PaIn
PAIN is one of those games that dont require a lot of time commitment. Fire up the game for even ten minutes and youll thoroughly enjoy throwing your character all over the place, watching in glee as his limp corpse ragdolls across various obstacles. Its the perfect handheld fix if you dont have a ton of time on your hands.
PRInCe of PeRsIa
Ubisofts reboot to the Price of Persia franchise was spot-on, blending action and puzzle-solving with the perfect amount of platforming. The series may have lost its spark over the past few years, but were pretty sure this franchise would feel right at home on Sonys latest handheld.
Heavy RaIn
Heavy Rain was one of the few games that concentrated more on storytelling than actual gameplay, weaving players into an intricate and absorbing drama. The games rather unconventional adventure game-esque control scheme would sit real well on the Vita with its motion control and touchscreen functionalities.
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ExclusivE covEragE
XboX Spring ShowcaSe 2012

by sameer desai
We went all the way to San Francisco for Microsofts annual showcase for all things Xbox. Read on for our exclusive coverage.
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or two days in cold, windy February, journalists from all around the world descended upon San Francisco for a glimpse of the very best that the Xbox 360 has to offer for gamers in 2012. The annual Xbox Spring Showcase is an early taste of what Microsoft and its third party partners have up their sleeves across multiple platforms Xbox 360, Kinect, Xbox Live Arcade, Games for Windows, and Xbox Live on Windows Phone. Early in the morning on the first day, a shuttle bus from our hotel dropped us off at the Bently Reserve, the venue for the showcase. After a brief stop at the registration counter, we made our way to the main event space - a large lounge with Xbox 360 consoles spread all over, and connecting rooms with even more consoles. In the middle of it all, journalists gathered in anticipation and made acquaintances. Soon we were broken up into groups and ushered upstairs, where we would be taken from room to room, each containing one of the many games we would preview and its developers, who would walk us through demos and answer our questions. The event wasnt widely publicized, but the little buzz that did do the rounds suggested that Halo 4 would be there in some capacity. Microsoft had remained tight-lipped in the lead up to the event, so going in, we had absolutely no idea what to expect. Halo 4 was there, and while it wasnt quite a surprise, it was great to be amongst the first batch of journalists to see the game in action. Also on hand at the event were the team from Turn 10, responsible for the Forza Motorsport franchise. Peter Molyneoux, creator of the Fable series, was there too, and incidentally, he resigned from his positions at Lionhead Studios and Microsoft only a day after this event. Several Kinect and Arcade games made their debuts too, and third-party titles like Darksiders 2 and Mass Effect 3 were also on show. Turn over to read more about a selection of games from the event that caught our eye.
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ExclusivE covEragE
The PC phenomenon Minecraft is making its way to Xbox Live Arcade, and the game was available for all to play at the event.
A series of consoles were set up to let attendees try out the latest Gears of War 3 map pack.
The multiplayer mode of Resident Evil spin-off Operation Raccoon City was also playable.
The limited edition Star Wars Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle features a white console and Kinect sensor along with a shiny golden controller.
The eagerly anticipated Counter-Strike Global Offensive, which is set for release on Xbox Live Arcade, was also playable.
We hoped the Forza Motorsport 4 cockpits would be equipped with Fanatec racing wheels rather than this strange contraption.
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DarksiDers ii
We featured Darksiders II as the cover story of our January issue, but atthe Xbox Spring Showcase, we discovered what makes its protagonist - Death so different than War, his predecessor. Death is a lot more agile and nimble than the tank-like War. This is reflected in new traversal moves, such as wall running, and running across ropes and beams, which War would gingerly traverse by hand. Death can also run up pillars and walls and jump off them, a move that can be used both in combat and traversal. One of Deaths more interesting moves is the Death Grip, which allows him to deploy a hook onto various objects and pull himself towards them. He can also chain the Death Grip together with other moves or perform a Death Grip throw. The increased agility also has a telling impact on combat. While War could block attacks, Death cant. Instead, he can evade attacks using the new dodge mechanic. As expected, Deaths signature weapon is the dual scythes, which change shape as he pulls off combos. The Death Grip also comes in handy, allowing Death to pull weaker enemies towards him for easy kills. Then theres the Reaper Form, which can be activated when the Reaper Meter is full to perform devastating attacks that cause massive damage. Lastly, unlike War, Death will be able to attack enemies while on horseback. A lot has been said about the vastness of Darksiders IIs game world and the new RPG elements, but clearly, a lot of attention has also been paid to the new protagonist, ensuring that Darksiders II also feels fresh in the gameplay department.
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Forza Motorsport
The Turn 10 team was also at the Showcase, but with Forza 4 having released last year, we werent sure what for. As it turned out, the devs had more than one announcement to make. Simulation racing game developers have always had a tumultuous time getting Porsche on-board to feature their cars within their games, primarily since the German company has licensed its cars out to EA. While Forza 2 and 3 did feature Porsche, it was missing in Forza 4. That is set to change come May, as Porsche will be making its way into Forza 4 via a 40-car expansion. We asked Greenwalt if there would be a complete disc edition released in the future containing the original game, DLC, and Porsche expansion. While he didnt rule it out, there was no confirmation forthcoming either. The big announcement though was Forza Horizon, a new game set for release later this year. No details were revealed about the game, neither was any in-game footage shown, but a full-motion video montage hinted at a more arcade styled game, as opposed to Forza Motorsports hardcore simulation gameplay. It was also announced that Horizon would be developed by new UK-based developer Playground Games, comprised of former Codemasters, Bizarre, Blackrock and Criterion staff. With Horizon releasing this year, its clear that Forza is now turning into an annual franchise.
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Halo 4
Halo 4 was quite a surprise announcement at last years E3 conference. Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach were more like spinoffs, so when it was revealed that Halo 4 would be the beginning of a new trilogy featuring Master Chief, fans had plenty to be excited about. Halo 4 is also the first game in the series (aside from Halo Wars, which was an RTS title) to be developed by 343 Inudstries, a studio within Microsoft dedicated to the Halo franchise ever since Bungie decided to move on. Halo 4 was one of the most anticipated games at the Xbox Spring Showcase, but no one really knew what to expect. As it turned out, 343 used the event to only elaborate on the multiplayer side of things. Two maps were revealed Wraparound and Warhouse, both featuring the signature Halo map design, with plenty of corridors, multiple levels, lots of man canons, and a central open space for close quarters combat. There was also talk of both visual and performance customization, something new to the Halo franchise, seemingly taking a leaf out of popular military shooters like Call of Duty. The developers promised a more fast-paced multiplayer experience, with maps set in locations never before explored in Halo games. While there wasnt any concrete information divulged about Halo 4s campaign, the developers promised that the new game will revolve more around Master Chief than the previous games, which focused more on the conflicts within the Halo universe.
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ExclusivE covEragE
Wreckateer
Wreckateer can be best described as a cross between Angry Birds and Idol Minds PSN title Pain. Youre given a huge ballista and tasked with tossing a cannon ball towards a castle, aiming to take it down in as few hits as possible. While that may sound simple, theres a lot more to it. The game is entirely Kinectdriven, so from loading up the canon ball, to aiming the ballista, to steering the cannon ball mid-air towards the castle, its all achieved using gestures. There are various kinds of cannon balls that you must use to take down these castles, which, as in Angry Birds, are held up using a sound physics engine. There are some that split into multiple smaller cannon balls, some that explode, some that rocket towards the target, and others that can glide over obstacles, all on your command. You rack up points the more damage you inflict, and along the way you can also pick up combos and bonuses by steering through various mid-air pickups. In addition, there are bonuses that can only be discovered by earning them, such as nearly missing a pillar or steering the cannon ball into an open gate. Gameplay via Kinect is instinctive and effortless. There are 60 castles and while the early ones are simple enough, the game does get quite challenging in the later stages. Theres also turn-based multiplayer for two players. Wreckateer is a charming little game that seems perfect for the entire family, while still posing serious gamers are formidable challenge.
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Trials EvoluTion
As strange as it may sound, Trials is a physics-based motocross puzzle platformer. The first few games on the PC were punishing, but Trials HD on Xbox 360 toned down the difficulty and made the franchise more accessible. With Trials Evolution, developer Redlynx has thrown in everything and the kitchen sink, delivering a game brimming with content. The game encourages user generated content via a bouquet of creation, customisation and community features. Youre given a massive sandbox and an extensive set of tools to help create your own courses. Remarkably, all the tools the devs used to make the games courses are available to players. You can also share your creations with the world and play courses made by others for free. The courses are diverse, catering to hardcore fans and newcomers alike. Some are fastpaced, some are slow and require precision, while others are downright bizarre. What makes this a must-buy though, is its multiplayer. Theres four-player offline and online multiplayer. In offline mode, the game doesnt use split-screen. Instead, it employs a checkpoint system, so any player that crashes or falls behind respawns at the next checkpoint with a point deduction. This ensures that every finish is a close one, leading to a multiplayer experience that is accessible, competitive, and insanely fun.
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Its the end of the world...and I feel fine

The Mass Effect trilogy's eagerly anticipated conclusion.
by avinash bali
hether you like it or hate it, franchise milking has overrun the gaming industry. Fewer developers take risks with new IPs, concentrating instead on the games that rake in the bucks. Its sound business strategy, but after a while, customers begin seeing through all the smoke and mirrors and come to the conclusion that this is the same game they played last year or the year before. Mass Effect 3 firmly belongs in this category. Does that mean its a bad game? Not at all. It just means it's commercialized, simplified and way too predictable, but still manages to deliver a solid intergalactic action adventure. The reason Im calling it an action adventure as opposed to an action RPG is because the role-playing elements are virtually non-existent in Mass Effect 3. Choosing different classes means youll have access to different abilities, but every class can proficiently wield any weapon, making the whole system a tad redundant. The whole leveling up aspect is straightforward and barebones, which can be a good thing if youre more of an action junkie. The Mass Effect series has always been more of a linear experience as opposed to a Skyrim, and this game is no different. I know every game world cannot be as vast and alive as Bethesdas playground, but ME3s game world just felt very cardboard-like and fake. The Citadel, one of the games central
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RATING 4/5
"The role-playing elements are virtually nonexistent in Mass Effect 3."
hubs, where players can undertake side quests or shop around for better weapons and armor, felt terribly dull as it was populated with static NPCs or characters whose animations and dialogue looped every time you passed them by. This made me feel like I was playing a game as opposed to inhabiting a living, breathing world where my choices would make a difference. Things do fare a bit better where gunplay is concerned since this series has now evolved into more of a third-person shooter, so anyone whos played Gears of War will feel right at home here. You take cover, shoot, occasionally pop out of cover, shoot some more, and move on. Its been done before, but gunplay feels solid and polished, so thats always a plus point. Things become far more intense and interesting when you add your biotic powers to the mix or combine your powers with your squads abilities. Squad AI is relatively self-sufficient and they can take care of themselves during combat. However, if you arent too confident of their abilities, you can actually chose the powers they use in battle or even send them to a corner of the map to flank enemies. Enemies in Mass Effect 3 come in different shapes and sizes, but their behavioral patterns are more or less the same. Every hostile race you encounter has foot soldiers, who are your fodder for most of the game. Accompanying them are enemies with better firepower, like soldiers equipped with rocket launchers or
Hemali Limbachiya
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mini bosses who can absorb a serious amount of damage. While I was satisfied with the games combat, gameplay itself felt a bit repetitive a few missions in. Nearly every mission boiled down to the same thing where enemies would start spawning as soon as I saw objects I could take cover behind. Its like the game was giving me hints a mile away, saying, Check it out, heres the cover, so now here are the enemies. Not helping matters was the fact that every second objective boiled down to the exact same thing - kill a certain amount of enemies, reach a point where you assign a task to one squad member, protect him/her during that time with the other squad member, fend off hordes of enemies, end level. Had this been a five-to-seven hour game, I wouldnt have been too bothered with this structure. However, when you have a 20+ hour game and most of your missions end up being that predictable, you have a bit of a problem. This lazy level design translates to the games multiplayer component the Horde mode, as well. In fact, most, if not all, of the multiplayer levels are recycled variants of your side quests right down to the places where enemies spawn to the location of ammo boxes in that level. Sure, its fun using your biotic capacities in tandem with your squad mates to bring down scores of enemies, but I just could not move past the repetitive level design. Bioware should have instead taken a page from Gears of War 3s Horde mode that offered players tactical options like the ability to purchase fortifications such as turrets, shields, spikes etc. Not only can you not purchase anything in between rounds, youre barely given a few seconds to compose yourselves before the next wave begins. I also found it a bit weird that Horde mode was quite tough even on the easiest difficulty. Enemies you blast apart with one blow of your shotgun in the campaign take nearly half an assault
rifle clip to put down. Your health and the health of your squad, on the other hand, feels like its nerfed down a lot since a few bullets can take you down. Its like Biowares trying real hard to artificially create a challenge since they could not do it creatively. Youve noticed I havent touched upon the games plot yet, but thats because I honestly found it a bit disappointing. The whole act of gathering support to save Earth from complete annihilation was fine, but its execution was just so predictable and clichd that I literally cringed every time someone valiantly sacrificed their lives while a gentle piano or an orchestral score started playing in the background. If thats not bad enough, every character, Shepard included, starts mouthing off cheesy lines about human courage, strong will and so on from time to time, making it all feel very contrived. You probably think I hated the game, but thats not true. I was disappointed by the lack of any real innovation and got a bit bored with the games repetitive, predictable nature, but once you look past that (and you will), Mass Effect 3 is a rather enjoyable game with lofty production values that will no doubt appeal to todays action gamer. Its the video game equivalent of Michael Bays Transformers franchise.
action rpg
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rs 2,799 (pS3, Xbox 360), rs 1,299 (pc) Ea bioware Milestone interactive sales@milestoneinteractive.com
Mass Effect 3
pricE publiShEr DEvElopEr DiStributor E-Mail
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refined gunplay, good set pieces, lots of content
againSt
Stupidly tough horde mode, clichd plot, lazy level design
34 REVIEW
Tao of the Machine

Starbreeze helps EA reboot the classic strategy title with an FPS spin.
by avinash bali
RATING 3.5/5
t first glance, Syndicate looks a lot like Deus Ex: Human Revolution. As you play through the game, however, it becomes evident that the similarity exists only in the representation of an oppressive, bleak future for humanity and, of course, cheap boss fights. Syndicate is an all out firstperson shooter thats as straightforward as can be. It makes you think that its a bit different, but falls prey to the many gameplay mechanics that have plagued shooters in the past. This results in an enjoyable game thats bogged down by quite a few frustrating issues. The game takes place in the distant future and players step into the bio-engineered boots of an Agent called Miles Kilo. Now, by Agent, the game does mean a glorified errand boy for Eurocorp head honcho Jack Denham. For the first half of
the game, everyones happy as Kilo spends his time shuttling between locations and killing off the competition literally. Things get a bit complicated when Kilo learns the truth about his maker and the price he had to pay to earn his abilities. Its a plot youve seen in hundreds of games (and movies) so youll be forgiven if you dont fall out of your chair out of shock when the credits roll. What makes Kilo such a good errand b... I mean, Agent is the fact that hes been tweaked with the DART 6 bio-chip, a prototype chip that, simply put, grants him superhuman abilities. He can slow time down and hack turrets, doors elevators and pretty much every electronic item out there. Like Kilo, other humans in the future have been chipped as well and the DART 6 chip now allows him to hack into their brains and control their actions. Thats always a plus in Kilos line of work, where every day ends with a few hundred dudes being shot down. Syndicate is a linear affair, which means youll be led from one level to another all the way till the end. That being said, gameplay offers a significant amount of variety thanks to all the juice coursing through your brain. For starters, Kilo has
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ALIENWARE X51
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the ability to slow time down and see through walls, which is always nice. Since he can hack a bunch of stuff, he can breach turrets and use them against the enemy or even hack into and defuse a grenade before it blows his arms off. Other significant abilities include suicide, persuasion and backfire. Persuasion forces the breached individual to turn on his foes, backfire temporarily malfunctions weapons and stuns enemies, while suicide causes the breached individuals head to explode, damaging/killing nearby soldiers in the process. Choosing which powers to use at different intervals gives Syndicate a tactical feel not seen in many first-person shooters. Every power has a certain cool down period as well, so you cant just continuously spam them. Once exhausted, you need to replenish them by pulling off headshots or executing enemies. Combining these abilities with some stealth missions would have been ace, but unfortunately, there arent any to be found. While the breaching abilities give the game a distinct flavor, the festivities are brought to a grinding halt thanks to the boss fights and relentless need to spam buttons. Ive learnt to live with QTEs, but if youre going to force them down my throat every few minutes to open doors, were going to have a problem. Oh, and none of the breaching abilities I spoke about ear-
First-person shooter
gamE InfO
rs 2,799 (ps3), rs 2,599 (360), rs 999 (pc) eA starbreeze Milestone interactive 022 42764000 sales@milestoneinteractive.com
syndicate
price publisher Developer Distributor phone e-MAil
For
breaching stuff is cool, gunplay can get intense, offers tactical combat options not seen in many Fpss
AGAinst
boring boss fights, cheap difficulty spikes, imbalanced co-op
lier can be used on bosses. Instead, youll be forced to indulge in mundane and terribly boring fights where you have to dodge his attacks, spam him with yours, take cover, rinse and repeat. Theres zero tact involved in every boss fight. making matters worse is that the bosses are always faster than you, are packing better hardware, and in some cases, can even fly (kind of). Once you do take down a boss, you can approach him and rip off his chip, that allows you to upgrade Kilos abilities like increase his health, decrease cool down on powers, faster reloads, and so on. Once youre done with the campaign, you can head online for some co-operative play for up to four players. Like the single player campaign, co-op can be ruined by cheap tactics, where youre ambushed most of the time by what may seem to be respawning enemies. also the game doesnt seem to understand the meaning of scaling it back, which means gameplay is as tough for two people as it is for four people. and since normal is the only available difficulty setting, youll find the co-op sections highly frustrating unless you can hook up a team of four skilled players. Like all games based in the future, Syndicates world is full of neon hoardings, pristine clean buildings, swanky looking weapons, and of course, flying cars. The art style is not too bad, and is a bit reminiscent of mirrors Edge. It does blind you at times with the excessive bloom effect that cannot be turned down. Weapons look and feel solid, and thanks to some bloody headshots, are enjoyable to use. While I enjoyed gunplay, I did not enjoy the control scheme itself that felt very floaty. Even with the mouse and keyboard, I never felt in complete control of my weapons. Syndicate could have been a solid shooter because, when it works, its intense. Unfortunately, the game can never maintain its pace and is bogged down by mundane boss fights and erratic difficulty spikes that feel more cheap than challenging. Even online, the game suffers from the same flaws as the single player campaign. That said, Syndicate is not a bad game; just dont go in expecting something revolutionary.
"Youll be forced to indulge in mundane and terribly boring boss fights."
Hemali Limbachiya
36 REVIEW
Freefalling
EA finally brings back its beloved snowboarding series.
by murali venukumar
eunions can be bittersweet, especially when theyve been a long time coming. You find out that things arent exactly as you remembered them, and that there have definitely been some changes in the time youve been apart. Aside from hardcore fans and those prone to bouts of irrational nostalgia, there wasnt a lot of clamouring for a new SSX title. Extreme sports arent the hot property they once were, and its been a while since we saw a successful snowboarding game. The good news is that the new SSX is still about snowboarding. You dont get off your board and walk around, or get into any of those other emergent gameplay diversions that a lot of the games now love to throw at you. Its snowboarding pure and simple; with RPG-esque customization for your boarder. The game takes a cue from SSX3, which came with a solitary (although massive) mountain with various drops, or events, on it. This template has been expanded to include nine different real world ranges from across the planet with each of them home to a handful of well (and not so well) known peaks, and which in turn host a range of drops, each of a different event type. These events are usually either trick events or race events, or variations on the two, but youll also find survival events in the form on deadly descents and avalanche runs. There are three modes to choose from on the deceptively sparse main menu. The World Tour is the obligatory single player mode that acts as little more than a tutorial for what comes after it. Explore mode, on the other hand, goes over the same ranges and mountains but jam-packs 150-odd drops into it. Thats a lot of content to go through, and theyre also free from the awful attempt at story and cutscenes that will have you rolling your eyes as you play through the World Tour. Global Events, the last option, is SSXs requisite multiplayer suite. Note that SSX has no real-time multiplayer, but instead has you competing against your friends times or against
ghosts, or against challenges that are generated from the playthroughs of the otherwise random user base. This works as brilliantly as it did in Criterions Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and allows players who are usually intimidated by traditional competitive multiplayer to enjoy the game at their own pace. Races and trick events are self-explanatory, with tricks building up boost that you can use to elevate off ramps if youre tricking or zip past opponents if youre racing. And boy does the racing feel great! Theres a magnificent sense of speed to careening down mountains. The trick system is also well balanced in its difficulty. Enterprising players should be able to put together chains of intricate tricks, with the game letting you perform single or double handed grabs on all four corners of your board, spins using the right stick, as well as tweak your basic tricks using the shoulder buttons. Performing these tricks procedurally builds your Tricky meter, which then allows you to perform a set of even more outlandish moves. The difficulty curve is well balanced in that almost everyone can pull off a flashy run, and the risk of wiping out is mitigated by the ability to pull off a safe landing by just stopping your button mashing. Youll have to try quite hard to wipe out as well, which is fine considering how challenging the games courses can be. Avalanches have you racing downhill at the wrong end of a physics driven wall of snow. This works from a reverse camera angle, which isnt as unwieldy as you might think. Deadly
RATING 4/5
"Enterprising players should be able to put together chains of tricks."
Hemali Limbachiya
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descents are quasi-boss battles that involve you tackling a treacherous mountain on your own. Each descent has a characteristic hazard that you must plan for, ranging from rocks, trees, blizzards, and more. These descents also make the most use of the games randomly generated items that youre allowed to equip your boarder with. There are oxygen masks for thin air, pulse goggles for blizzards, armor to protect against bumps, and wingsuits to glide over crevices. The better your equipments rating, the greater is your survival probability for that course. Aside from these items, you also have snowboards, suits and mods than you can use to enhance your chosen snowboarder with. While extremely detailed and beautifully themed, the speed at which the game moves might make it a tad difficult for lesser skilled players to perform at the same level as the hardcore, but it isnt anything that a bit of dedicated practice wont fix. It also doesnt help that the controls can SportS feel twitchy when the breakneck SSX speed and complex price rs 2,799 (pS3), rs 2,599 (Xbox 360) courses require publiSher eA Sports you to make quick, Developer eA precise control DiStributor Milestone interactive inputs. And the phone 022 42764000 courses really e-MAil sales@milestoneinteractive.com are grand, strewn For with plenty of tons to do, great presentation, loads of fun detail, obstacles and bottomless AGAinSt pits that you need Awful story, some trial and error gameplay to circumnavigate
gAME INfo
to reach the finish line. It can be frustrating when the game devolves into an exercise in rote learning on some of the more complex courses. Perhaps sensing this, youre also given the ability to rewind the action indefinitely, with the only consequence being that your opponents dont stop racing as you fix your mistakes. Whether this is enough of a handhold for a casual audience thats so used to easier difficulties these days is hard to say. As hairy as the action gets, theres no time when the game doesnt look spectacular. Youll notice rare minor instances of slowdown, but the experience is otherwise near flawless. There is agood density to the particle effects on show when the weather acts up, and the trails that your board leaves are also quite detailed. Whats quite noticeable, however, are the low-res textures used for the insides of the helicopters you drop out of. Its unfortunate because what follows once youve dropped is very well done. The audio also stands out, not for the environmental effects (which are brilliant, mind you), but for the soundtrack. Culled from various genres and mixed in real time to your performance on the course, the tracks are as much the stars as the mountains themselves. Hearing Run DMCs Its Tricky fade in as you go into Tricky mode is an experience only videogames can give you. No one asked for another SSX game. That said, the game that they did put out seems to be a nice balancing act between the old and the new. Theres a lot of replay value here as well, providing you can live with the trial and error approach that some of the later stages require. Coming at a time when theres a distinct lack of activity in the alternative sports arena, SSX is an easy recommendation. And the biggest compliment you can give it is that genre aside, its a damn good game in its own right.
38 REVIEW
Not the Deftest of First Touches

The venerable FIFA franchise debuts on Sony's new handheld, touch controls et al.
by sameer desai
RATIng 3.5/5
"Dummy text The boss just so happened to be a gigantic evil elephant."
A Sports FIFA games have gone from strength to strength with each home console iteration, building upon its rock solid brand of simulation football a little each year. However, the PC and handheld versions havent always been as impressive, receiving step-motherly treatment as the developers focused primarily on the PS3 and Xbox 360. But with the announcement of FIFA Football for the Playstation Vita, it seemed like the tide was turning, and it gave handheld owners hope of a FIFA game that is at par with its home console counterparts. For most part, EA has lived up to those expectations. FIFA Football is a solid handheld port of FIFA 12, minus a few bells and whistles. From the start screen, to the now-familiar Arena, to the menus, your first impressions lead you to believe that this is exactly the game youve been playing on your HD console. But start up your first match, and the differences start to show themselves. The visuals are an obvious step down, but still remarkable for a handheld console and miles ahead of what weve seen on the PSP and mobile devices. The animations are fluid as you would expect and the sound effects and
comments from Martin Tyler and Alan Smith are just as they are in FIFA 12. The biggest disappointment, however, reveals itself once a match gets underway. Intermittent frame rate SporTS drops often ruin the experience, FIFA Football causing you to prIce rs 2,499 (pS Vita) lose concentration. publISher eA Sports The issue is comDeVeloper eA canada pounded if youre DISTrIbuTor Milestone Interactive playing using the phone 022 42764000 e-MAIl sales@milestoneinteractive.com touch controls. Other big For changes in the home console experience on the go, good presentation, lots of content Vita version are the absence of AGAInST features such as Framerate issues, impractical touch controls, some FIFA 12 features missing the player impact engine, tactical
gAME InFO
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defending and EA Sports Football Club, which debuted in FIFA 12. While the omission of Football Club is disappointing, the removal of the other features is actually for the better. The overly technical physics and defending systems of FIFA 12 would have been a little too daunting on a handheld device. Having said that, even without them, FIFA Football is challenging and fun as you would expect. The most interesting aspect of FIFA Football is how it implements the Vitas touch controls. The game uses the touchscreen for passing, where you can simply tap a player or an area of the pitch and the player in possession will pass the ball there. You can also string passes together. However, there are two problems with touch controls. Firstly, the Vitas screen is too big to allow you to use it effectively for passing, while at the same time using the analog sticks to move. Secondly, you cant use the touchscreen controls while defending, so youll constantly have to switch between the screen and the buttons. For shooting on goal, you can use the Vitas rear trackpad. Here, the four corners of the trackpad represent the four corners of the goal post. So tapping on a particular area of the pad will aim the shot in the corresponding spot in the goal. Shot power can be regulated by how long you hold your tap. This system too has its flaws. Firstly, you will very often end up shooting when you dont intend to simply because your fingers rest and move around on the trackpad. Moreover, while shooting, only one finger must be in contact with the pad, without which the gesture wont be registered as a shot on goal. All in all, the implementation of touch is a good effort, and its even fun from time to time, but youll soon find that the game is best played with the more reliable and comfortable traditional controls. FIFA Football has most of the game modes youd find in FIFA 12, including the career mode, where you can take up the role
of a player, manager, or player-manager, and play as either the entire team or just one player in the Be A Pro format. Its just as deep and theres no compromise in quality. If anything, player interactions and transfer processes have been improved over FIFA 12, so this definitely isnt a straight port. That aside, you can also play through various tournaments or create your own custom tournament. Like all FIFA games, you can create a Virtua Pro (your custom player) and use across all game modes. Online matchmaking is quick and gameplay is mostly lag-free, and while EA Sports Football Club is missed, other features, such as 11 vs 11 matches, are present. If your expectations from FIFA Football are of a game that mimics FIFA 12 on the Vita, then this is just what you asked for, but if youre looking for something more, and hoped that the touch controls will deliver a new and more enjoyable experience, you may be disappointed. This is a great first effort on the Vita, but some impractical touch controls and wobbly framerates stop it from being a must-buy.
40 REVIEW
It's a batsman's game

Motion controls and cricket - a match made in heaven. Potentially.
by sameer desai
rine Games has been a busy little studio of late, releasing three console titles in less than two years. While Street Cricket Champions was fun in parts, last years Ra.One: The Game was quite a disaster. Now, however, Trine has released what gamers from our cricket-crazy nation have been clamour for ever since Nintendo announced the Wii. Move Street Cricket, as the name suggests, is a cricket game for the PS3 based entirely on motion controls via the Playstation Move. Motion controls and cricket are the perfect fit, and in theory, Trine and Sony should have a winner on their hands. But its never quite that easy. Cricket might seem like the perfect game to build around motion controls, but that only really extends to the batting part of it. The real challenge lies in implementing the other aspects of the game bowling and fielding. But naturally, the first thing you want to do in a motioncontrolled cricket game is batting, so thats what I did. Off the bat (heh!), there were some controller calibration issues. For a game that requires such intricate use of the Move controller, the calibration process is rather basic, and this adversely affects gameplay. Even if you hold the Move controller with your wrists turned outwards to present the full face of the bat, the stance on screen shows the bat facing inwards. This presents a problem when playing shots on the offside, because youll have to turn your wrists out to an uncomfortable degree to open the face of the bat. Further calibration issues result in the bat often being half buried in the ground, despite the fact that Im over six feet tall and my Playstation Eye camera is placed on top of my TV. A more detailed calibration process would have taken
RATING 2/5
"The delivery selection process is asinine, requiring looping rainbowlike gestures."
care of both these issues. That aside, strokeplay in Move Street Cricket is quite fun, and the game does a surprisingly good job of allowing you to play an array of strokes, including late cuts, paddle sweeps and the Dilshan scoop. It takes a while to get the timing right and even after you do get used to the game, playing back-foot shots square of the wicket is quite difficult. Making batting considerably harder is the camera, which is placed at a slight height behind the stumps on the batsmans side. The problem with this angle is that the ball tends to get lost in the background after it leaves the bowlers hand, making it hard for you to judge its speed and flight. All these gripes aside, however, Move Street Cricket delivers a batting experience that is quite close to what cricket fans would have expected from a motioncontrolled game. Unfortunately, the other aspects pale in comparison, especially the bowling. The delivery selection process is asinine, requiring you to perform looping rainbow-like gestures rather than simply pointing the controller in the direction of the delivery youd like to select. Even more ludicrous is the method of
Hemali Limbachiya
REVIEW
41
placing the marker where youd like the delivery to pitch. These cumbersome controls often lead to no-balls, wides, wrong delivery selection, and short balls. Batting was always going SportS to be the preferred activity in a Move Move Street Cricket cricket game, but priCe rs 740 (pS3/pSN) thanks to the poor publiSher Sony bowling controls, Developer trine Games youll often want to DiStributor Milestone interactive just quit matches phoNe 022 42764000 e-Mail sales@milestoneinteractive.com once youre done batting. FieldFor ing is mostly AIbatting can be fun as long as you don't intend to run singles. controlled, but the catching mechanic aGaiNSt is again unnecesterrible bowling controls, calibration issues, bland presentation sarily complicated. Rounding off the
gAME InFo
bouquet of poor gameplay mechanics is the running between the wickets, where the batsmen seem to want a drinks break before setting off on a second run. Long story short the only time youll be having fun in Move Street Cricket is when youre swinging for the fences. As the name suggests, the game is a take on gully cricket and features venues such as back alleys and amusement parks, although unlike Street Cricket champions, where venues were of different sizes and had different scoring rules, here, grounds are the same size and the differences are only cosmetic. The visuals arent anywhere near what you would expect from a PS3 game. Player animations are stiff, and the venues look bland and often too colourful. The sound effects arent up to the mark either; youll end up hearing players yell out the same phrases again and again, which can get quite annoying. If your idea of a good cricket game is one where you get your kicks from batting and quit when it's time to bowl and field, Move Street Cricket is right up your alley. If you're looking for something even remotely well-rounded, however, you'll have to fall back on Codies' games and the standard controller.
42 REVIEW
Smash 'em up
by sameer desai
RATING 2.5/5
ince 2008, weve had quite a few console games being developed in India. These have been developed by various studios and are spread across different platforms, but they all had one thing in common they were bad. While some were worse than others, they were all a far cry from what weve come to expect from international games. Another thing theyve had in common is that they were all distinctly Indian in theme, whether it was the Indian mythology of Hanuman: Boy Warrior, the Tinkle license-bearing Cart Kings, or most recently, the Bollywood tie-in Ra.One. So its a welcome change to see an Indian game that isnt going after solely the desi audience.
Smash n Survive (SnS) is a vehicle combat game, much like Twisted Metal, and is developed by Hyderabad-based Version2Games. Having played some the other Indian console games released over the past few years, I went into SnS with a lot of caution and expectations and rock bottom. But from the outset, you can tell that this is a far superior game than others weve seen from Indian studios. The attention to detail and the production values are at a level, even if still many notches below international standards. But the first impression is a promising one. The presentation is very industrial, using greys and blacks with metal and stone textures. The sparse heavy metal soundtrack urthers the gritty feel the game is so obviously going for, but I wish there was more variety to the music. You can only listen to the same loop so many times before it starts driving you up the wall. Thats a minor annoyance though. The main menu is simple and functional, but well done. Visuals are far better than the other Indian PS3 games out there, but still far behind international standards. Textures seem low res and the environments dont pack as much details as you would expect.
"Its great to see an Indian game that isnt going solely after the desi audience."
Hemali Limbachiya
REVIEW
43
Moreover, frame rates tend to be very inconsistent during splitscreen multiplayer. The meat of the SnS experience is its single player campaign, which is essentially just a series of events linked together via a ham-fisted storyline that is conveyed to you via lines of text between events. There are a total of 19 missions, which comprise checkpoint races, destruction derbies, deathmatches, plant/diffuse bombs, and find your mate. The game boasts of close to 30 vehicles, each segregated on the basis of strength, speed and acceleration. However, these attributes arent always accurate and dont always behave as expected during events. Most vehicles also come loaded with weapons that you can use to take out opponenets. These include a sonic boom that pushes nearby vehicles out of the way, flame throwers, chainsaws, and fork lifts. However, thanks to the iffy hit detection, these weapons arent very effective, and most of the time, youll just find yourself relying on your driving skills to get the job done. action Theres vehicle customization too, Smash n Survive but this is only for Price rs 740 cosmetic effect. PubliSher Version2Games Vehcile handling DeVeloPer Version2Games Platform PS3 is quite inconsistent too, and even for within the same a fair amount of content for a downloadable title, good presentation, variety in game modes event, youll find your vehicle sudaGainSt denly losing grip iffy physics, framerate issues, drab visuals or sliding around
in certain parts of the map. Cars with exceptionally high acceleration ratings will sometimes be slow out of the blocks. These arent persistent issues, but the fact that they creep up every now and then is quite disconcerting. Environments are quite varied, with a mix of large sand-box like spaces and smaller arenas. Opponent AI too is quite competent, but again the hit-detection issues hamper the experience in events like the destruction derbies, where youre never sure how much damage a collision really has on you and your opponent. Overall, the campaign is quite barebones, but theres a decent amount of content in there, with lots of variety in event types and frequent rewards in the form of new vehicles. Its enough to make you see the campaign all the way through. The game also includes a two-player split-screen multiplayer mode that features only a few of the event types found in the campaign. The checkpoint races are quite annoying as the GPS pointer seems to go haywire, and the plant/diffuse the bomb is pretty much useless. Destruction derbies can be fun, but the experience is sullied by frame rate isses, and a couple of times, the game froze on me during multiplayer, forcing a hard reset. Smash n Survive is a commendable first effort by Version2Games. It offers a surprisingly large amount of content for a downloadable game, and theres enough variety here to keep you interested through the campaign. It falls short in the presentation department and some technical inadequacies hold it back, but at the core is a fairly competent vehicle brawler. It may not give Twisted Metal a run for its money, but its certainly proof that Indian developers can definitely create games for a global audience rather than restricting themselves to desi themes.
GAME InfO
44 REVIEW
The Gods Must Be Angry

Capcom's new action IP features one of gaming's angriest protagonists.
by murali venukumar
hen is a game not really... a game? Who defines the level of interactivity thats necessary for a disc full of code to fit into that quite snug video gaming straitjacket? With indie titles continually pushing limits and the likes of Dear Esther finding new and ever appreciative audiences, its not just a timely question, but one thats especially pertinent in the case of Asuras Wrath, Capcom and CyberConnect2s homage to everything that makes Eastern culture so interesting. Simply put, this is a game where youll be watching the action more than playing it, but is that necessarily a bad thing? No one would argue that Asuras Wrath isnt a ballsy endeavor; exactly the kind youd expect to see from the nation that gave us Killer7, Bayonetta and Catherine. And that may just have been the right approach to take, as CyberConnect2 doesnt really come with the gameplay pedigree that some of the other more storied developers out of Japan do.
RATING 3/5
So hows the overcompensating working out for them? Pretty damn fine, youd think, given the spiffy promo trailers and the public demo that weve seen. Capcom in particular deserves a nice pat on the back for backing such an outrageous (read: difficult to market) project, and for shoveling enough money into it that the production values are above average. Asuras Wrath takes place in that storied cross-cultural tradition of pagan Gods duking it out for some random reason or the other. Asura plays a general, one of eight demi-Gods at war with an evil force known as the Gohma. These magma-veined quasi-fauna seem at first to not have much of a story to them, and that doesnt really change much as you move through the wholly single-player story. The single player mode is pretty much all there is. A few challenge modes or arenas wouldnt have gone amiss, especially considering how competent (and visceral) the combat is.
Hemali Limbachiya
REVIEW
45
The Gohma play a peripheral role in the story, ending up sulking in the backseat of a minivan while the passengers up front are busy having a colossal (pun intended) argument. Its a tale full of melodrama and outrageous bombast. The game begins in style, with a spectacular confrontation with the Gohma just off Earths orbit involving a massive space fleet and what can only be described as a school of spacefish; and all this before a ginormous Gohma whale thing thats apparently been fast asleep in the Earths core decides to join in on the fun. Asura takes guff from no one though, and the Gohma are soon on the receiving end of a monumental beat down. Asura returns victorious to terra firma and all seems well, right up until hes betrayed by his fellow generals, accused of murdering the emperor, loses his wife, has his daughter kidnapped, and is banished to the netherworld. Whoops. Cue 12,000 years in the far future. Asura suddenly awakes in Naraka (thats hell) and claws his way out hell bent on bloody revenge against the Gods that wronged him. Its a decently told vengeance yarn thats mostly free from a lot of the ham-fisted dialogue plaguing lesser anime. But while perfectly acceptable, neither does it reach the lofty heights of the best of genre. The mythology thats at the core of the Asuras Wrath world is an intriguing mix of Hinduism, Buddhism and science fiction, although you shouldnt be surprised to see nods to other disparate cultures and religions popping up from time to time. It also looks quite brilliant, with a distinctly anime art style and character design. Theres a lot of variation in the environments as well, though the engine does seem prone AcTion to the occasional Asuras Wrath hiccup when the action gets too Price rs 3,299 wild. Audio is a PuBlisHer capcom DeveloPer cyberconnect2 mixed bag. While DisTriBuTor Milestone interactive you have a choice PHone 022 42764000 of language tracks, e-MAil sales@milestoneinteractive.com the Japanese PlATforM Xbox 360, Ps3 voiceovers seem unusually muted for Glorious action, decent production values and out of place. The English actors, AGAinsT on the other hand, not enough combat, needed more game modes do a much better
GAmE INFo
job, bringing some respectability to an audio package whose only other highlight is a better than average score. The game has also been split into episodes (Alan Wake style) with beginning and end credits, previously and next on highlight reels, and with most episodes ending in a minicliffhanger of some sort. The 18 chapters should last you 6-8 hours, which might seem standard for a single player game these days. Unfortunately, the lack of other gameplay modes might make its short duration a distinct turn-off. The breaks between chapters seem less than well timed as well, even if the artwork that bookends them is very well done. The game has also been receiving a lot of flak for its precarious balancing of cutscenes, gameplay and QTEs. Theres whole lot of spectating to be done in Asuras Wrath, and lot of the interactivity is in the form of QTE controller cues. While theres a functional arena combat mechanic with enemy targeting, combos, special moves, and something called a Burst Gauge that needs to be filled up to finish enemies off, and in some cases, to activate the next story sequence, you dont seem to be in combat situations often enough for the balance to feel right. You want to forgive the game at first and just enjoy the spectacle, but the more you keep playing the more you start noticing the acute imbalance. QTEs are fine. They can even be (begrudgingly) lived with in most games. But their excessive use here does seem to be counterproductive to the experience. It may have been preferable to leave out a lot of the random stick movements and twirling from the story sequences in favor of letting players watch them instead; or perhaps, God forbid, actually take the trouble to make those sequences playable. Saying the developers should have just made an anime instead shouldnt really hold much water. This is a videogame, only not the kind that were used to. It may not have enough value to justify a full price purchase, but fans might want to pick it up once its down to a more reasonable level. And while it could certainly have been a lot better, the world does need more developers taking chances. For that, and for their above average premise and combat, CyberConnect2 must be wished well.
"The mythology is an intriguing mix of Hinduism, Buddhism and science fiction."
46 REVIEW
The festival moves to the backyard

by sameer desai
volutions racing games pedigree is undeniable, but their Motorstorm franchise has divided audiences. While many love the series brash, no-holds-barred approach to off-road racing, just as many seem to despise it. However, the devs have stuck with the core gameplay and handling principles that they started out with in the first game. That there would be a Motorstorm game for the Playstation Vita wasnt announced until just months before the Vitas release, which seemed quite bizarre. But as details about this Vita
RATING 4/5
launch title started to trickle in, it became clear that this one is unlike any other Motorstorm game before. Motorstorm RC is a franchise spin-off owing to its drastically different approach to gameplay and presentation. The game involves driving radio-controlled cars across miniature tracks, but in keeping with the Motorstorm heritage, both the cars and the tracks possess that grimy off-road racing feel. The game mostly plays out from a top-down perspective, with the camera drawn way back. You can alter the camera view slightly to get a better look of the action, but you wont get the behind-the-car camera youre used to in traditional racing games. The game is also available for the PS3, and a major selling point is that purchasing it once entitles you to both the PS3 and Vita versions. In terms of content and presentation, both versions are identical, although personally I prefer the PS3 version thanks to the more comfortable trigger buttons. Of course, the larger screen helps too. If you own a
"Purchasing it once entitles you to both the PS3 and Vita versions."
Hemali Limbachiya
REVIEW
47
PS3 and a Vita, you can easily transfer your saved data from one to the other for an uninterrupted experience. Regardless of which platform you play it on, this isnt the prettiest game around. The tracks look nice, but the cars sport low quality textures and jagged edges. Thankfully, the on-track action does a good job of keeping your mind off the visuals. Gameplay is fast-paced and intense in a way that you
wouldnt expect from a game where youre so racing withdrawn from Motorstorm rc the action. Despite Price rs 340 (PS Vita, PS3) the top-down PubliSher Sony perspective, the DeVeloPer evolution Studios racing is always DiStributor n/a intense and excitPhone n/a ing. These RC cars e-Mail n/a are zippy and can For turn at high speed, insanely fun, easy to learn but hard to master, so youre always great pricing, PS3 and Vita versions in one at a feverish pace purchase, lots of content regardless of againSt whether youre no online multiplayer, average visuals on a straight or turning a bend. It can be hard to keep track of the winding and often overlapping circuits thanks to speed of the cars, but that only makes the game more fun. As in other Motorstorm games, there are various vehicle classes on offer, including sports cars, trucks, SUVs and muscle cars, and they all handle quite differently. The events are broken up based on environment, where each environment takes inspiration from a previous Motorstorm game the sand and rock from the first game, the lush tropics of Pacific Rift, the icy glaciers of Arctic Edge, and the urban ruins of Apocalypse. Events are a mix of standard lapped races, time trials and overtaking challenges, and there are plenty of events in each environment, where different objectives are set for you to claim up to three medals. Completing an event, unlocks more events and rewards you with new vehicles. The game will also throw up the timings of players from your friends list and shows you how you compare to them. If you find that a friend has done better than you in an event, you can jump right into it and reclaim your pride. Ive always been a Motorstorm fan, but initially, the thought of Motorstorm game where you control RC cars from a topdown perspective didnt sound appealing at all. However, Evolution have made a believer out of me. Motorstorm RC is a great little game to turn to, whether you have a few minutes to kill or a couple of hours to while away. Priced at just Rs 340, its a good bargain for both PS3 and Vita owners, but if you happen to own both, its an absolute steal. This is quite possibly the most entertaining Vita game out right now.
GAME Info
48 REVIEW
Shiny, Happy People

The latest in a long list of Rayman titles is an absolute stunner on the Vita
by avinash bali
m not too proud to admit this, but Rayman Origins is the first Rayman game Ive played - ever. The only thing I knew about this franchise was that it was a child-friendly universe that gave birth to a whacky spin-off in the form of Raving Rabbids. I did not, however, anticipate the sheer amount of joy that can be derived from this title on the Playstation Vita. For my brethren whove never dabbled with this franchise in the past, Rayman Origins is an old-school 2D platformer that perfectly blends combat with platforming in a very vibrant world. Story, of course, is not an integral part of this game, but its there all right. You see, Rayman and his band of friends have, through their obnoxious snoring, awakened the dead, who now inhabit their turf - the Glade of Dreams. And its up to Rayman to evict the new tenants. The game starts off in a jungle-based level, but soon expands to include multiple game worlds, each of which can only be accessed once you clear the previous one. Each world is thematically different, so in one you could be floating around the desert on a mosquito shooting birds, while in the other,
T MUS Y PLA
APRIL 2012
RATING 4.5/5
you could be sliding down frozen slopes avoiding tricky glaciers and what I presume are piranhas. The game packs in so much environmental variety that youll never get bored even though youre almost doing the same thing in every level. Also, I recommend playing each level multiple times because it looks really cool when you know the map by heart and (near) flawlessly breeze through it. Plus, you get to upload your score online, so thats always nice for the male ego. Every few levels, youll have to rescue a nymph in distress after which shell bestow a special ability upon you, like the ability to glide mid-air, dropkick stuff or even shrink in size to access certain areas. The levels that follow very cleverly put your new found abilities to the test. For example, once I earned
"The game packs in so much environmental variety that youll never get bored."
Hemali Limbachiya
REVIEW
49
the hovering ability, I was thrust into a game world full of air vents that made sure I mastered this ability to progress. While this game looks very innocent, its also fiendishly tough at times, requiring near perfect timing, razor quick reflexes and tons of patience. It is quite ironic that such a kid-friendly game made me spew out quite a few expletives at my poor Vita multiple times during my playthrough. However, none of these moments felt cheap and can be passed after a few tries. If, for some reason, you just cant pass a roadblock, the game allows you to skip that level altogether. However, if you do that, (and no one will judge you if you do), you may Platform lack the required amount of Elecrayman origins toons to progress Price rs 1,999 (PS Vita) to the next level. PubliSher ubisoft In that case, youll DeVeloPer ubisoft montpellier have to man up DiStributor e-Xpress interactive and complete the Phone 022 29661017 e-mail info@expressgames.in level or replay older levels to earn for more Electoons. brilliant art style, addictive and innovative gameplay, fluid platforming, tremendous Raymans environmental diversity transition from consoles to the aGainSt Very tough at times, no co-op option like its Vita is flawless home console version and, besides
gamE InfO
Uncharted, this has to be the most visually appealing game Ive played on the Vita. Its art style is a unique blend of handdrawn levels fused with fluid animation and gorgeous 3D design. It is a game largely meant for kids so naturally levels are very vibrant and cheerful and, truth be told, it was a nice change of pace from all the gritty/authentic games Ive played recently. The only thing I had to tone down was the in-game audio since the constant gibberish and annoying music got to me after a few levels. Rayman Origins is the perfect addition to your Vita library. Its fun, addictive and is capable of challenging the most hardened gamers. It also offers a surprising amount of replayability and is the perfect fix for gamers who dont have a lot of time on their hands since it can enjoyed for five minutes or five hours. We most definitely recommend it.
is annualization killing creativity?

lot has been said and written about how the gaming industry is so reliant on the success of established franchises. Were being served sequel after sequel by the big publishers as the number of new IPs dwindles, reduced to the domain of indie developers plying their trade via digital distribution platforms. However, my recent trip to the annual Xbox Spring Showcase made me realize that theres a more serious problem within this sequel culture thats starting to become a trend in the industry. Microsofts flagship racing series - Forza Motorsport, which seemed to have settled into a pattern of releasing a game every two years, will now seemingly do so every year. Taking a page out of the Call of Duty book, the Forza franchise is now set to be developed by two different studios i.e. Turn 10, the original developers of the Forza Motorsport sim racers, who released Forza Motorsport 4 last year; and Playground Games, who will release Forza Horizon a more arcade-like approach to the series, this year. A near identical scenario is playing out at Codemasters, who released the rallyfocussed Dirt 3 last year, and is set to release the more action-oriented Dirt Showdown this year. Now, you may argue that annualization isnt exactly new to the gaming industry; the likes of Need for Speed and several sports franchises have been doing it for well over a decade now and with much success. Well, yes and no. Sports franchises like FIFA and NBA 2K are sort of the exception to the rule. Such is the following for these sports that simply new rosters and incremental gameplay changes are enough to prompt annual interest. Things havent worked out quite so well for Need for Speed though. Only once in two or three years does EA manage to put out a solid NFS game, with garbage like Pro Street, Undercover, and The Run shoved in between. That said, you could still make a case for racing franchises being annualized, since theyre fairly technology driven and dont really follow a set premise, allowing developers to put out something different each year. You could even make a case for the annualization of Call of Duty, since the games made by the two studios have no connection to one another. But what happens when a franchise with a rich backstory and a reputation for delivering great characters and memorable locations goes down the annual route? This is where Assassins Creed finds itself. Ever since the phenomenal success of Assassins Creed II, Ubisoft has been trying to hold on tight and replicate that success every year. And granted, theyve succeeded to an extent because the games that followed it werent bad by any means, but they didnt really move the franchise forward either. There are reports of over 1,000 people working on Assassins Creed alone, and it almost seems like these games are now being manufactured on a factory production line rather than being the result of a creative process. I hope Assassins Creed III proves me wrong and that it reinvigorates the series the way Assassins Creed II did, because you can only be satisfied with the same formula year after year for so long before it starts to get old and franchise fatigue starts to set in. Just ask Activision; they made that mistake with Guitar Hero.
It almost seems like these games are being manufactured on a production line.
SAMEER DESAI
sameer.desai@chip.in
RNI Registration No. MAHENG/2003/12687

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your guide to gaming

Supplement to CHIP April 2012

The conclusion of the trilogy in Bioware's integalactic RPG saga.

Mass effect 3 review

Starbreeze reboots EA's old strategy title with an FPS spin.

never Miss a Key

Most wanteD on the vita

fifa football review

Move street cricKet review

We finally have a motion-controlled cricket game. But is it any good?

exclusive: xbox spring showcase 2012

sMash n survive review

cover story: Dial it to 11

xbox spring showcase 2012

Capcom's new action-adventure ip blends hack-n-slash gaming with anime story-telling.

asura's wrath review

Jamshed Avari Sameer Desai

ChaNNEl EdiTOr (gaMiNg), TECh2

Roydon Cerejo, Murali Venukumar

rayMan origins review

Move street cricket review

Send in your letters to insider@chip.in

No Love for SimCity?

put your rig to the test

11 games guaranteed to push your newly assembled gaming PC to its limits.

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