ALL FORMATS

116 PAGES MONTHLY

LIFTING THE LID ON VIDEO GAMES

The chaotic story behind The 11 best crime sandboxes

Grand Theft Auto (that aren’t GTA)

Top-down, futuristic mayhem in Glitchpunk

Issue 51 £6 | wfmag.cc
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 The retro bubble
continues to grow

I
n the world of old games, there’s always the past year, and not just for 8- and 16-bit platforms.
been conversation surrounding the retro Not a whole lot has changed about platforms like the
game “bubble” – the continued hiking Sega Saturn – it’s long been the case now that you
up of prices for games on the second- might want to consider remortgaging your house if
hand market to levels not far from, or you wish to embark on a full Saturn collection – but
even beyond what they originally cost in the shops. KIM JUSTICE even highly popular, incredibly common, and relatively
If you’re not a seller, a lot of this talk speculates on recent platforms like the PlayStation 2 are starting
Kim Justice is a
when this bubble’s going to burst, and a hope that YouTuber, Streamer, to drift into the bubble. This is a platform where the
it’s going to be soon – people are always looking for and writer who majority of games, not to mention the platform itself,
signs. This, oddly enough, is a form of nostalgia in a specialises in are incredibly common and thus dirt-cheap – but now
hobby that’s already driven by nostalgia – we want to the world of the price of entry is getting more expensive. Will we
retrogaming. If she
go back to the good old days, when you could buy old isn’t making lengthy eventually reach a point where, say, a Grand Theft
Mega Drive or NES games or whatever for scarcely documentary Auto game is subject to the same price hiking as a
more than a few pounds on eBay, or at the boot sale. videos about Mario game? Even though there’s no end of ways to
But those of us waiting for that day – and many old games and legitimately play said game?
companies, she’s
have been waiting for years – are not advised to hold There is a certain sadness to this state of affairs.
probably chatting
their breath. Buying old games is only becoming and mouthing off In one sense, the world of retrogaming is more open
more of a seller’s market, and it’s not as if people about them live to a than ever – there are so many ways to play just about
who are flogging unwanted items are suddenly going dedicated handful any old game you want to, and so many platforms
of people.
to stop being at the very least savvy enough to look to do it on, machines like Raspberry Pi, MiSTer, or
on auction sites and see what the lots are going for Analogue’s more bespoke consoles that cater to just
these days, even if that price is not a reflection of a about every part of the market. But retrogaming is
game’s actual value. And so you end up with copies often about more than just the game – in a world

#51
of, for example, Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt on the that’s more and more digital, it’s becoming one of the
NES being listed for well over £10 despite it being the most visible reminders of the physical experience, not
most common NES game on the entire planet, and just the one that games used to be, but that used to
not worth a whole lot at all. Either people are indeed be the primary way we consumed media. While rarer
buying the game for this price, or the market is being titles will always have a high price point, the thought
artificially massaged so that items appear more of even the most common games becoming
valuable than they actually are. prohibitively expensive for most people represents
The recent state of the world has only exacerbated a general loss of a big part of the retrogaming
the problem – Covid-19 means that people are experience. But in a world that’s ever-changing, it may
staying indoors, and in a lot of cases those people like be time to stop thinking of this seller’s market as a
to surround themselves with things they’re familiar temporary bubble – sadly, it may well just be the way
with. The price of retrogaming has only increased in things are.

wfmag.cc \ 03
 Contents

Contents

6
Attract mode Interface

06. Glitchpunk 28. GTA origins

Blade Runner meets the top-down We chart the original crime sim’s
crime of GTA 2 origins and chaotic making

12. New World 34. Lottie Bevan

We go hands-on with Amazon’s What a grumpy Russian model can
colonialist MMO tell us about game design

14.  Gamedec 38. Crime pays

More cyberpunk, this time in an Our pick of great sandbox games
‘adaptive’ detective RPG that aren’t GTA

16.  GetsuFumaDen 70. I depict a riot

Konami revives an old property for The many ways games present
this gorgeous rogue-lite demonstrations and unrest

18. MetaHuman Creator 80. Letters

We made Brian Clough in Epic’s Your latest thoughts, feedback, and
game-changing tool general ranting

20. News 84. AMOS to AOZ

Another wry glance at the month’s Catching up with Amiga Basic
video game happenings creator François Lionet

24. Incoming 88. Steve McNeil

28 Dutch survival, forgotten cities, and
teenage mutant turtles
More thoughts from Britain’s
foremost gaming personality

04 / wfmag.cc
 Contents

WELCOME
What was the first crime-type
game you ever played? The one
that’s really lodged in my head
is Syndicate on the Amiga. At

WIN
the time, its isometric cities
and withering violence felt
revolutionary: although the
stages were small by modern
standards, the sense of freedom
An iiyama
38 gaming monitor
worth
£400
was immense. You could
steal cars, hypnotise civilians,
blow stuff up, and generally
cause mayhem wherever you
See page 35
went. Like a modern sandbox,
Syndicate was one of those
games where messing around
was as much fun as knuckling
down and completing the
missions. I bring up Syndicate
because there’s a decidedly
amoral tone to this month’s
edition of Wireframe: there’s an
inside look at the creation of the
early Grand Theft Auto games
on page 28, and we provide a
run-down of our favourite ever
crime sandboxes on page 38.
Then there’s our cover game,

70 95 Glitchpunk, which marries the

top-down perspective and
mechanics of GTA 2 to the
cyberpunk theme of Syndicate.
When I asked Glitchpunk

Toolbox Rated developer Maciej Karbownik

whether Syndicate was an
influence, though, he revealed
he was just six years old when
he sampled it over a decade
48. Point-and-click cities 92. Balan Wonderworld ago. It then dawned on me that
How adventure games create A defiantly old-school 3D platformer Syndicate’s rapidly approaching
memorable locations from Sonic’s dads its 30th birthday, and probably
much older than Karbownik

50. Snakes in a maze 95. I Saw Black Clouds

is. Time is indeed a cruel and
unusual phenomenon. Enjoy the
Learn the basics of video game AI – An FMV mystery that doesn’t quite new issue!
with serpents deliver the thrills
Ryan Lambie
58. Infinite Bunner 98.  It Takes Two Editor
Code a full-featured homage to A couch co-op adventure designed
Konami’s Frogger to test relationships

64. Source Code 104. Backwards

 compatible
Remake the eye-popping 3D Duke Nukem, old consoles, and
landscape from Exerion lizard-based action

wfmag.cc \ 05
 Attract Mode
Interview

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 Attract Mode
Interview

Polish developer Dark Lord takes us on a tour

of its bleak, sci-fi homage to GTA 2: Glitchpunk

P
olish game designer Maciej while at the same time staying one step
Karbownik positively buzzes ahead of the law. It’s a crime sandbox
with ideas. As we chat over with all the mayhem and car theft you’d
Skype, the enthusiasm he has expect, but in Karbownik’s telling, there’s
for his grim, cyberpunk world a deeper story here if you’re looking for it.
is infectious: he talks at breakneck speed One NPC is seeking revenge for something
about the dark motivations that drive dreadful that happened to him when
his cast of characters; the unexpected he was a youth; there’s a mission where
real-world influences behind some of his you’re asked to kill one of your allies and
mission ideas, and how he has enough somehow make it look like an accident.
snippets of story and notes to fill a sequel, Meanwhile, humanity’s sliding towards
or perhaps a novel. The influence of Grand oblivion: AI is taking over, and as you
Theft Auto 2 looms large in Glitchpunk, the progress from city to city, you’ll see the
debut game from Karbownik’s fledgling balance of power slowly shift from human
studio Dark Lord, but it’s clear he has more to machine.
ambitious plans than a straight retread of It’s intriguing-sounding stuff, and the
that top-down crime classic. scale of what Dark Lord is attempting is
Glitchpunk takes place in a familiar future all the more impressive given the size
of heartless corporations, cybernetic body of the studio: this sprawling cyberpunk
modifications, and benighted city streets. sandbox is essentially the work of just
As an android navigating your way through three developers. Here, then, is Karbownik
this gloomy landscape, you’re tasked with himself to tell us the secret of making a
completing increasingly violent missions cross between GTA 2 and Blade Runner on
in exchange for cash and upgrades, an indie budget…

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 Attract Mode
Interview

 Glitchpunk makes ingenious use

of pre-made, kit-bashed 3D
assets, allowing the team to make
an entire city with relative ease.

my childhood, so let’s go with it. So it was something we’re able to achieve – and
a cross between a passion project I was hopefully add something more to it.
interested in doing, and at the same time It makes sense to go this route instead of,
seeing what’s feasible and makes sense say, the next game in the series, GTA III,
from a business point of view. because it’s a completely different, much
more complicated project.
Glitchpunk is quite specifically influenced
by GTA 2. Do you think it’s a bit of an What are the advantages of having a
underrated game, in a way? It didn’t have game viewed from top-down rather than
So, if we just start at the beginning, and the controversy of the first or the leap to say, full 3D or even isometric?
just sort of talk about how the game got trendy 3D of GTA III. Technically speaking, the game is still fully
started – this is Dark Lord’s first game, Yeah, it’s interesting, because I was looking 3D. Some elements, like cars and characters
isn’t it? at it through nostalgia glasses, to be honest. and other objects, are sprites. But we still
Maciej Karbownik: Yeah. The company But then I played it again recently and I have a traditional 3D workflow for building
started off as a freelance studio with actually still like it. But my friends have said cities… The top-down perspective makes
just me – a one-man company, basically.
But then at some point, I was like, I’m so “My friends have said that GTA 2 is basically the
tired of B2B corporate bullshit. I wanted to
make games from the start, but I ended up
stinky kid of the series – everybody likes the first,
making B2B stuff, mostly. So I decided to then the later ones, but not the second”
take a shot, arrange a team of my friends,
get some new people. And around the end that GTA 2 is basically the stinky kid of the stuff a bit easier, for sure. Having the camera
of 2019, we started making a prototype. series – everybody likes the first game, and far up, away from everything, allows us to
That’s how I started. then the later ones, but not the second one. not focus so much on details that would be
I never felt like that – I always felt like this is absolutely crucial in a modern game. Unless
Right. So did you want to make a top- the proper top-down GTA. The first one was we did some unusual stylisation, which is
down crime game primarily, or did the kind of a rough prototype and looks terribly also a challenge in itself. Because we’re a
cyberpunk theme come first? ugly to me. But GTA 2 is like the first game, small team – at the core of the production,
When I decided I wanted to go back to but made the proper way. I enjoyed the it’s three people. There’s me, another
making games, I took a look at the indie simplicity of it, and at the same time, the programmer, and our artist.
market – what type of games are in that level of polish – the audio-visual fidelity that
space – and then overlapped those with was feasible for the development at that So that top-down viewpoint aside, what
the things I would love to make myself. moment in time. other techniques do you use to create the
At that point, there weren’t many games So, looking at GTA 2 through my lens of illusion of a much larger city?
inspired by the classic, top-down GTA and a developer with six years of professional We don’t actually have a 3D artist, which
GTA 2. I thought, well, that’s a game from experience at this point, I felt, like, that’s might sound a bit surprising. I try to get

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Interview

According to Karbownik,


development on Glitchpunk is
around 50 percent complete.
“Unreal Engine 4’s our weapon
of choice,” Karbownik explains,
“because I have the most
as many resources as I can – 3D models, You just mentioned most of them! But I’d experience with it, and the
sounds, other assets – from different add Ghost in the Shell. So yeah, I had to team is experienced with
marketplaces, and then I try to mix it all do my homework, which wasn’t so hard, it, especially the second
together. I try to use them to speed up because I was interested from the start. programmer. So it was kind of a
the workflow as much as possible, so we When I find something, I’m totally obsessed no-brainer for us. We used Unity
don’t create our 3D assets. I get a bunch with it for months on end. I like reading to make a super-rough first
of those asset packs, and I change them books on it. I’m watching interviews. prototype, but then we thought,
we’re much more comfortable
around by modifying them a bit in Blender. I’m watching the movie ten times in the
with Unreal Engine. And then
Then I add other materials, which makes background when I work, to kind of get the
for the other tools, we use
them look completely different. All those mood and just keep motivated. some typical industry-standard
assets are probably used in other games, As for games, I think there’s also two stuff. I sometimes use Blender,
but the top-down perspective makes them major titles beyond GTA 2. There’s Ruiner, for 3D modelling; the artist likes
look so different. When you look at them from the Polish studio Reikon Games, to use Adobe software.”
from the top-down – which almost no other which is absolutely fantastic. The game’s a
games do right now – it makes them even bit more linear, with a fighting focus. That
more difficult to recognise. So we use this wasn’t really our thing, so we hope we
approach of kitbashing pre-built assets won’t be called copycats, but the audio-
wherever we can, because we can then put visual style in Ruiner is absolutely fantastic.
them in this cyberpunk universe of stories If in doubt, toast it.


and characters, which is obviously 100

percent done by us.

It’s interesting, because sci-fi movies have

used kitbashing in one way or another for
decades. Star Wars took pre-existing model
kits and reworked them into spaceships.
It’s absolutely similar. Like Blade Runner’s
scenery. I absolutely love it.

Yeah. Blade Runner took existing sets and

then dressed them to look futuristic.
I like the quote from Pablo Picasso, which
I’ll paraphrase – steal from one artist, and
you’re a thief; steal from 50 of them, mix it,
and then you’re an artist again. That’s how I
approach it.

Did you look at much sci-fi, cyberpunk

cinema when making the game? Blade
Runner, Akira, that kind of thing?

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 Attract Mode
Interview

Each city in Glitchpunk will


be markedly different;
“Everything changes, and
everything gets progressively
harder,” Karbownik says.

For Karbownik, one of the

biggest challenges was editing: It’s a big influence on us. And then at the It seems to me there are three things
there were so many character
same time, there’s Hotline Miami. to balance – narrative, world design,
and story ideas on the table
To be honest, we used it because when and missions. So how do you make all of
to begin with, they had to be
whittled down if they were
I [mention] GTA 2 as a reference, some those mesh together nicely?
ever going to get the game people get it – people who like playing When I designed the story outline, I tried
finished. “I have a super- more old-school games – but kids don’t to use scripting techniques that have
extensive database of quotes, really get it. been around for a long time. There’s Blake
ideas, tropes to use and tonnes So I was like, ‘OK, let’s say it’s like Hotline Snyder, who wrote a book called Save the
of stuff, basically, that won’t Miami, with cars and with the open city’, Cat. In it, he basically made a formula for
go into the game, probably which means basically GTA 2, in a way… how 90 percent of successful Hollywood
because we won’t have time And this kind of clicked and people went, movies go. So I looked into that and I was
for it,” he tells us. “The joke is
‘Oh yeah, this game looks like Hotline like, ‘Wow, I wish I knew that years ago when
we’ll make a sequel or write a
Miami’. But a lot of the stuff is actually in I started making games’.
book or whatever. So that was
also one of the things – I had to
the game from 1999, GTA 2. But it was And then when I set the mood for how
curb my writer ambitions, and refreshing to them, because they only the story should go, then I also have a list
give up so many of those ideas. knew Hotline Miami – they didn’t know of crazy, interesting missions that should
So those are the challenges we GTA 2. happen. So, say for example there’s a
went through.” scandal in Polish politics that makes me
Still, some of those ideas could I don’t know if you’ve played Syndicate, but go, ‘OK, it might be interesting to make a
reappear in future content the android modifications in Glitchpunk reference to that. And actually, making this
updates, Karbownik says. immediately made me go, ‘Ooh, this looks into a GTA mission would be a perfect fit.’
“There’s so much potential – we like Syndicate’. So there are very different, unusual sources
could make one more new city, Yeah. Living in Poland, we didn’t have so from everyday life. There are times where
or a bunch of new characters
much modern tech until, like 2005, 2010. I just play around, doing some bug fixes,
and stories, or new cars. You
So I remember being a small kid with really, and I notice an interesting dynamic. For
could expand everything in
really, slow, bad computers, so I played old example, we have a mission where we have
such a cool way. So yeah, we’ll
see about that.” games, and one of those was Syndicate. this ally, and he follows you. But at the same
I didn’t spend so much time with it, but I time, the mission’s about assassination. So
really enjoyed it – it was kind of a bit too I thought, ‘Let’s make a mission where the
hardcore for a six-year-old gamer! guy follows you, and you want to get him
But I think this kind of thing – killed, but not directly’. So you have to run
corporations, body modifications, violent through highways and hope he gets run
deaths, shady business – always influenced over, or jump onto the railroads and hope
me… so Syndicate is a very distant to not get electrocuted, while he follows you
inspiration. You can most certainly see and gets electrocuted. Or maybe punching
some similarities in it. a guy on the street – then this guy pulls out

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 Attract Mode
Interview

There’s a compelling story in



Glitchpunk, but if you just

want to steal cars and wreak
havoc, that’s all here, too.

a gun. You then quickly hide behind this ally When it comes to storytelling and writing,
of yours, so that he gets shot into the face… why do you think cyberpunk resonates so
well in the 21st century?
On the subject of AI, can you talk a bit I think the view of cyberpunk [has]
about that aspect of the game? How changed over time. I’m looking to some
aggressive are the cops in Glitchpunk? philosophers, like Mark Fisher, who sadly
We went with a more classic approach: passed away some years ago. He was a
we took the basic mechanics of GTA 2, and writer and philosopher who looked at the
built on it. I’d say the biggest advancement future and saw that it would not be a bright went with the cyberpunk aesthetic, mostly,
is that we plan to add a few more Wanted one. So that’s the approach we’re taking in because it’s easier, I’ll be honest, because
levels, where more hardcore, unusual stuff our version of cyberpunk: it’s dystopian, but you know, there’s already some kind of
happens, which will depend on the city not just for the sake of interesting visuals following after CD Projekt Red’s [Cyberpunk
you’re in. So for example – and it’s not 100 like neon and that kind of stuff. We use it 2077], so it can get some more attention.
percent certain this will go in the game – in to send a message that, well, things are So that was a good call!
some cities, there’ll be areas where an AI going bad. Yes, there’s a chance we’ll get The idea is that AI takes over the world,
comes for androids. So with the Wanted past every difficulty we face in the future. and makes it a completely new place based
on new rules where there’s no space for
“Even Elon Musk’s going ‘Guys, stop. humans. It’s a catastrophe we brought on
ourselves. That’s the overall message. And
Please don’t do fully autonomous AI.’ I didn’t care – and I don’t care – how well it
It says a lot if Elon Musk says that” goes with a cyberpunk concept, because
it’s something that grew by itself. And I
level, it’s not just police chasing, it’s like, But there’s also a chance we might screw wasn’t interested in following tropes. So it’s
everybody wants to kill you. Because there up completely. There are so many things a mix of political fiction at some points… the
are androids all around you and they can going wrong in the world – corporations issues of the progression of AI. Even Elon
be controlled, they can be turned into are actually taking over. It’s not like in the Musk’s going, ‘Guys, stop. Don’t do it. Please
killers. It could be an old grandma, or a eighties, where you [thought], ‘Oh yeah, don’t make fully autonomous AI’. I think it
beggar hanging out on the street – they just that’s how the future could look’. Right now, says a lot if Elon Musk says that.
become your worst enemies. making a game in 2021, I’m like, ‘Yeah, this So we took those concepts, along with
So we have these ideas. We’ll play around is how it’s going to go’. It’s serious. the third world war – which is, you know,
with them and see how it goes. I think these When we looked at what settings we sometimes around the corner, sometimes
could add interesting new twists to the could have, we were able to go with either not so much – and we just crammed them
usual chases, for example. When it comes cyberpunk or a post-apocalyptic setting. all together.
to AI, we have some interesting solutions, So we could have ‘Crap’s about to hit the It’s the absolute, total destruction of
some cool dynamics, but I think we’ll need fan’ or ‘Crap’s already hit the fan’. We’re everything – which I think you can see
some more time to play around with it. somewhere in between, I would say. We perfectly on the cover of this magazine!

wfmag.cc \ 11
 Attract Mode
Early Access

Old school
Expecting the expected in an expedition through New World

T
he New World feels quite a lot like New World also feels utterly banal, at least
Info

GENRE
MMO the old world, all things considered. from my brief time playing one of the game’s
FORMAT The MMO, which has ended up being expeditions – instanced missions akin to many
PC Amazon Games’ first and so far only other multiplayer games. Think Strikes from
DEVELOPER great hope in gaming (at least the Destiny mixed with a hefty Dark Souls dose. After
Amazon Games
first one that should reach a proper, full release), waddling about the local area looking for trees
PUBLISHER currently ticks a solid number of boxes on the to chop down and turkeys to bother, we began
Amazon Games
MMO checklist. Open world stuffed with random our mission to hunt down a missing settler –
RELEASE
undead enemies and turkeys to slaughter? Check. entering a dank cave, skimming through a page of
31 August
Customisable characters with a varied selection a dropped diary, and getting sidetracked mining
SOCIAL
@playnewworld of 1600s-era-appropriate hats that you’ll spend some ore when one of the first fights broke out.
way too long comparing slightly different stats Solid team play from Wireframe, there.
on? Check. Spamming attack and your specials What the expedition ended up being was a
keys to tank your way through encounters against four-player jaunt through the aforementioned
damage-sponge enemies? Check. If you’re playing cave – a dungeon delve complete with hordes
 his big burly boy has a
T


hint of minotaur about him as a tank. of zombified enemies to hit a lot, chests to root
and, would you believe it,
charges at you head-first.
through for newer/shinier loot, and additional
hordes of zombies to hit a bit more. ‘Basic’
about covers it. ‘Competent’, too. It’s fair to say
our team was levelled to the point that strategy
wasn’t necessary for the encounter – as long
as one person healed the others periodically,
we would all survive most encounters pretty
much unscathed. The potential for strategy to
come into encounters, then, cannot be written
off – perhaps when things get a bit trickier it’s an
absolute necessity, and that’s where New World
might come into its own.
But I played what I played, and it didn’t
particularly show off the game in a very exciting
light. My right index finger cramped from all the
clicking to attack, and I learned very little about
the techniques required to tackle enemies, or

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 Attract Mode
Early Access

 ee, the bat-like enemy has arms,

S


thus making it a bold statement

about… wings… being arms?
Something like that.

why they were there to begin with, or what/who tale of settlers going to claim new lands – even
the giant stompy bad guy boss was at the end tales of settlers being ‘corrupted’ by new lands
of the run. He was called Simon, or something – is as traditional as it comes in the everlasting,
similar, which didn’t quite give this five-metre tall uncritical portrayal of the history of colonialism.
ogre-like creature the gravitas you might expect The dev team at Amazon Games isn’t doing this
of such a girthy enemy. We actually failed against on purpose, I’m sure, but that lack of awareness –
him first time, but second time around – making naivety – is galling at the very least, and will likely
sure someone was healing the other three – we leave a nagging thought twirling around in the
took him out without much trouble. It was… back of at least a few players’ heads.
fine. It’s genuinely difficult to get excited here, But from a pure game-focused perspective…  ombat is hopefully
C


more tactical than what

unfortunately, because you’d hope with the clout well, that’s not exactly great either, at least not was shown off, rather
of Amazon behind it and from the hands-on than just spamming
clicks/attack shortcuts.
this being the studio’s “I played what I played, session with New World.
first game to (potentially) It’s fine. It looks to be a
be released as a finished,
and it didn’t show off the competent MMO – again,
full game, there’d game in an exciting light” one that ticks all the right
be something more boxes, but in a way that
noteworthy to shout about. There is not. feels mechanical and as though it was done to…
Plus, there’s still the whiff of yikes about well, tick boxes. Gathering materials and crafting.
New World in its setting and general uncritical A (very) light Dark Souls feel to expeditions.
presentation of, well, colonialism. The island of Team-based adventures. Fine. Yep. Check. But,
Aeternum is as fictional as they get, riddled with again, it’s a particularly old-world feel for a game
some kind of magical curse and littered with calling itself New World and right now it’s hard to
glowing zombies that feast on empowering bile, be particularly excited by what’s been shown off.
as vomited up by bigger enemies. True story. There’s still time in development, and it being
But it doesn’t step very far from its true historical an MMO means there’ll be plenty of time post-
influences – the look is realistic, the clothing launch to bring everything up to spec, of course,
authentic, the settlements what you would so this is very much one that’ll depend on how
expect for that time in human history. And the the chips fall.

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Early Access

Gamedec
Heading to a gritty, neon future in this ambitious ‘adaptive’ RPG

I
t’s a huge undertaking to make a game it seems this was a game being made with
Info

GENRE
RPG that reacts to the player’s actions – patience and thoroughness in mind, rewarding
FORMAT that is, as Gamedec’s developer calls it, players who take their time to pore over things
PC / Switch ‘adaptive’. More so when the main thrust – almost in a pixel-hunting, point-and-click
DEVELOPER of the title is its story. But that hasn’t adventure game style, but far less irritating.
Anshar Studios stopped Anshar Studios, the Polish team behind Simultaneously, the aim of the developer has
PUBLISHER the upcoming cyberpunk-themed detective RPG been to make a game that keeps you on your
Anshar Studios
– this aims to be a game where the player’s input toes – with its adaptive nature, Anshar wants
RELEASE can be right, it can be wrong, but it’s always players to question their choices. “Was the
16 September
one thing: accepted. How far this translates decision I made good? Did I support the right part
SOCIAL
to getting things entirely wrong in a murder of the conflict? What will be the consequences
@GamedecTheGame
investigation, for example, isn’t completely clear [of my actions] on this case, and how will it affect
from Gamedec’s early my playthrough?” Greloch
demo released this year. “Branching is so extensive says. “These are the
But there was enough questions we’re hoping
going on in this stylish
that testing all options you ask while playing
world of tomorrow takes hundreds of hours” Gamedec. We don’t
to pursue further recommend rushing the
investigation and find out just what is going into game to see the end credits, but we allow players
the magic recipe of role-playing mechanics, story to choose how much of the story they want to
focus, and a lack of combat. unravel before going forward.”
The initial idea for Gamedec came from the While the desire to make a game that
author of the book series, Marcin Sergiusz encouraged patience and adapted to
Przybyłek, who put the call out for developers your approach was there from the start of
who’d be willing to help bring the project to development of the RPG, the actual genre of
virtual life. “The goals were simple,” explains Gamedec wasn’t the same from day one – an
Mateusz Greloch, community manager at Anshar adventure game was discussed, or even a
Studios. “We wanted to ditch the combat and collectable card game, though “that didn’t feel
Gamedec uses Unreal


Engine 4, which has focus on a branching story, detective work, right”, according to Greloch. But once the move
helped the dev team work extracting as much data from the environment to a classic computer RPG style was adopted,
smarter, not harder.
and interrogations as possible, and then isometric view and all, development remained
 The more you put into a
case, the more you – in
proceeding with a deduction that allows focused on that style, and the goals of making a
theory – get out of it. progression in the case.” From the beginning, responsive title focused on the player’s input.

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that adapts accordingly and shows players

– regardless of their experience, age, moral
compass, or whatever else – the consequences
of their decisions. “Is Gamedec challenging?”
Greloch asks. “Only if you want it to be. You
can rush the case, make a lousy deduction,
and still finish the case. If you spend more time
looking for clues, and focus on interrogating, the
game will reward you with a more complicated
Avoiding combat, Gamedec instead relies on
plot and more complex deduction dilemmas.


dialogue and investigation for the player’s kicks. Suddenly, people turn out to be someone
different from what you expected, and you must
become a real detective to figure out who’s
POST-PUNK
Of course, being open to a player’s individual lying and which of the parties is better to be
whims is an approach that makes for… complex partnered with.”
REVOLUTION
Gamedec isn’t strictly
situations, let’s say. And it’s something the With such ambition on show, it’s going to be
cyberpunk – in fact, Greloch
team has been working hard on, with the direct interesting to see if Anshar can pull it all off. is quick to point out it’s
input of Gamedec’s original author, for a while Gamedec certainly looks the part, oozing the more post-cyberpunk, with
now. “[Marcin] has fantastic ideas on what and sort of cyberpunk-ish atmosphere that can people in the game’s world
how to introduce to his Gamedec-verse,” says be so alluring. Starting out as just a couple of having lived through the era
of rampant augmentations
Greloch. “Our designers sit down with him people working on an indie passion project,
and coming out the other
and think about the subplot, NPCs, twists, and development is now being handled by around side. It’s also, in a darkly
interactions. We try to play every case as a pen- 25 people – designers, artists, writers, and audio fitting way, a world coming
and-paper scenario, with different players to designers, with more still being hired even as through the other side of a
global pandemic that forced
emulate the ideas for interactions and dialogue, the announced 16 September release date
people to start living in closer
and then try to implement them into the actual approaches. “Managing a team of that size is proximity “in big cities with
gameplay. This way, our characters feel more not an easy task,” Greloch says. “We have an nothing to do and nowhere to
human and present various behaviours to cover experienced team of producers and a clear road go,” says Greloch. “Gamedec
most communication approaches. map planned, so we are ready for whatever is different to any other
cyberpunk game in many
“What is the most challenging is the branching the future brings. We have learned a lot along
ways,” he continues. “But
system,” he continues. “It is so extensive that the way, and let me say, that was an incredible we do use a similar genre
testing all possible options takes tens, if not journey with tons of knowledge picked up.” through which we tell a story.”
hundreds, of hours. Branching is complicated,
and it is a challenge to maintain such a system
throughout the game because the decisions
are supposed to influence the whole game, not
just another case – that’s why there’s quite a big
emphasis on these branches, their refinement,
and overall perception.”
The big aim, then, is to make a game that
progresses regardless of what you do – of what
you choose. A game that reacts and responds,

 eoffrey Haggis is a
G


wonderful name and more

people should be called it.

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Under a killing moon

A 1980s Konami title makes a surprise return in GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon

I
’m dying. A lot. As I spawn back at the with gorgeous artwork inspired by traditional
Info

GENRE
Rogue-lite start of the game for the umpteenth Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The results are akin
FORMAT time and a shrine maiden innocently to the similarly pretty Muramasa: The Demon
PC / Switch (2022) asks, “How does your body fare?”, I’m Blade (one of the best third-party hack-and-
DEVELOPER tempted to respond with a surly “Don’t slashers on the Wii) and the more recent
Konami / GuruGuru bloody ask.” Make no mistake, GetsuFumaDen: Eastern Exorcist (see Wireframe issue 44).
PUBLISHER Undying Moon is a tough game – it’s a 2D rogue- Although western readers may not recognise
Konami
lite that showers you with loot and a generous the name, GestuFumaDen sees Konami delving
RELEASE
armoury of weapons, but at the same time pits way back into the dustier parts of its back
Out now
(Early Access) you against an army of ghoulish creatures who’ll catalogue. Released on the Nintendo Famicom
mercilessly club, stab, and explode you to death in the 1980s, the original GetsuFumaDen
SOCIAL
@GetsuFumaDen_EN if your reactions aren’t razor-sharp. What makes (or more accurately, Getsu Fūma Den) was
the challenge so palatable, though, is the sheer a success in Japan, and while it didn’t get a
look of the thing: GetsuFumaDen provides an release elsewhere, it’s still regarded as a cult
Unreal-powered tour through Japanese folklore, item in its home territory. According to Shin
Murato, Undying Moon’s producer, the thought
of reviving GetsuFumaDen came about thanks
Undying Moon is a joint venture


between Konami and developer to the burgeoning sub-genre of other games

GuruGuru. Murato wouldn’t be steeped in eastern folklore. “We noticed major
drawn on how work on the game’s
divided up between the two. titles using Japanese themes,” Murato tells us.
“So we wanted to create a low-middle-range
game with great art, systems, and Japanese
themes. GetsuFumaDen fit this perfectly, [and
had] no sequel.”
Undying Moon is set roughly a millennia after
the first game, and sees Fuma, a descendent
of the original story’s Getsu clan, embark on
a quest to close a portal to hell – and attempt
to murder all the assorted demons that have

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 lthough it looks 2D, the

A


game largely uses 3D

assets. The cel-shading,
which gives it the look of
hand-drawn art, is some
of the best we’ve seen.

already escaped via that portal. Like the original get user feedback to improve the content of
game, Undying Moon is a 2D hack-and-slash this title,” says Murato. “By listening to users
with RPG elements. The sequel eschews the and creating discussion, we believe that we can IN ORDER OF
top-down bits of old, though, and instead goes further increase the quality of the game before APPEARANCE
for a more modern approach with randomly opening it up for a wider audience. Any opinions Getsu Fūma Den may be an
generated levels and a deeper array of weapons on our Steam community, Discord, or Twitter obscurity for all but the most
to collect and upgrade. There’s a pleasing heft pages will be read by the development team dedicated Famicom importers
among us, but its cult status
to the weapons, too: these are also randomly and we’ll consider the updates in the future by
in Japan led Konami to sneak
dished out before you begin a stage, and keeping user feedback in mind. Similar games references to the game into all
range from short-range yet powerful katana to to GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon have also kinds of unexpected places.
spears, which deal less shown us that the genre Its lead character, Fuma,
appeared (in playable form)
damage but are ideal “The umbrella is the only works well for Early
in the Japan-only Famicom
for prodding enemies Access release.” platformer, Konami Wai Wai
from a distance. There
weapon that can use both Back in the game itself, World – a superhero team-up,
are also ranged weapons guard and parry” and I’m gradually getting of sorts, featuring familiar
(bows, matchlock the hang of its combat faces from all kinds of other
Konami games. Fuma also
guns), as well as crude explosives which are system. Even common enemies like a club-
showed up in the download-
ideal for lobbing at tougher enemies loitering wielding ogre deal huge amounts of damage, so only Castlevania entry,
on platforms. Our favourite of the lot, though, precise dodges are as important as well-timed Harmony of Despair, in 2011,
is the umbrella – a bit of weaponry we didn’t attacks. I’m still dying a lot, since Undying Moon’s and the music from that game
made a cameo appearance in
expect to encounter in a scowling game full of roguelike nature means you can sometimes get
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
demons and burning infernos, but actually turns a bit unlucky with the placement of enemies Outside the realm of video
out to be one of the most useful items we’ve – getting two of those ogres in one spot can games, Fuma even got his
encountered so far. “We decided to use this make for a serious challenge, especially if you’re Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card a few
from the beginning of development,” Murato low on health. Get to the end of the first stage, years back. It’s taken ages
for Getsu Fūma Den to get a
tells us. “The Japanese umbrella is the only meanwhile, and more punishment awaits:
sequel, but all these cameos
weapon that can use both guard and parry… a colossal, angry skeleton with an equally helped keep the name alive
Also, players can descend slowly by opening the imposing health bar. It’s quite a battle, but once in the minds of Japanese
umbrella. The attack ability is less than other again, its difficulty is leavened by the beauty of gamers, according to Murato.
“We’re surprised that there are
weapons in that point, but if the player can its design.
lot of fans who are excited for
master it, it will become a strong weapon.” GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is a surprise this sudden announcement
Undying Moon marks something of a change from Konami, then, but certainly a welcome of GetsuFumaDen: Undying
of direction for Konami. Not only is it unusual one. And who knows? If this release is a success, Moon,” he says. “The original
to see the firm revive one of its more obscure maybe Konami will revive some of its other game wasn’t released in the
west, but the characters or
properties, but it’s also the first time the Metal neglected properties. A new 2D Castlevania, but
music of the game were used
Gear developer/publisher has dabbled in Steam given this level of style and polish? Now that in other Konami games, so
Early Access. “We want to use Early Access to really would be a treat. the IP’s recognised.”

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Early Access

MetaHuman Creator
Ryan takes an Early Access peek at Epic’s potentially
revolutionary digital human maker

I
t was a cold day in April when I realised and animate a character like Nathan Drake or
Info

GENRE
Person maker I’d accidentally made my own Brian The Last of Us’ Ellie, after all.
FORMAT Clough. I’d been tinkering around in MetaHuman Creator aims to change all this.
PC MetaHuman Creator for a few hours, It provides a streamlined, approachable set of
DEVELOPER selecting and tweaking hairstyles here, tools that allows just about anyone to create a
Epic Games
adjusting eyes and nose shapes there, when unique human character model; anyone who’s
PUBLISHER I started to think that the face in front of me spent time customising their avatar in Mass
Epic Games
looked oddly familiar – uncannily like a young Effect or Fallout 4 will likely be comfortable with
PRICE
version of the late footballing legend, in fact. the interface here. You start by choosing a base
Free
There’s more to MetaHuman Creator than character model from the handful of presets
RELEASE
Out now just recreating the visages of bygone sports the application provides, and then you’re free
(Early Access) personalities, though. Built by Epic, the cloud- to customise and tweak it via a suite of menus
SOCIAL based application could be as revolutionary and sliders. One of the more ingenious options
@UnrealEngine for indie developers as its stable-mate, Unreal allows you to blend different facial types,
Engine. Previously, realistic human character meaning you can create a subtle amalgam of,
models were largely the preserve of triple-A say, Caucasian and South East Asian features.
developers – it takes a considerable amount of The level of granular control you have over
 e didn’t set out to make a
W


digital Brian Clough, but expertise, time, and money to build, texture, rig, every element of your character’s face is huge:
here he is anyway. We’ll try
Jack Charlton next.

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Early Access

you can even adjust tiny things like its eyes’

iris pattern.
MetaHuman Creator is still in Early Access
phase, but even at this stage, the results are
almost spookily realistic. Your character will fidget
and change facial expressions as you’re editing  he level of detail in
T


MetaHuman’s models is
them, and they’re able to convey an almost pretty incredible. Hair is
worryingly broad array of emotions – there was to work. This detail wasn’t made clear to us until especially realistic-looking.

definitely something eerie about watching our we read MetaHuman’s documentation, so it’s
Brian Clough doppelganger suddenly crack a something to be aware of if you’re thinking of
cheesy grin. trying the software out for yourself.
The selection of body options and clothes, on Those niggles aside, characters made in
the other hand, is less impressive – at the time of MetaHuman slide into Unreal as cleanly as
writing, there were only six body types to choose you’d expect, though the process can take
from (though these are admittedly available in some time, depending on your PC’s CPU power.
three separate heights), while your wardrobe You can choose the level of detail for your
is restricted to all of character, from 1K to
three sets of sweaters “I realised I’d 8K – we tried the latter
and trousers, and four and our computer nearly
kinds of footwear. We’re
accidentally made my collapsed, so the images
guessing this is something own Brian Clough” dotted around these
Epic will add to as pages were exported at
MetaHuman’s development continues. 4K. Once in Unreal, your MetaHuman model is
Once your character’s designed, it’s ready to fully rigged and ready to animate using either
be exported to Autodesk Maya or Unreal Engine. keyframes or motion capture data. Even the face
The exporting process is ever so slightly fiddly at is rigged, meaning you have full control over
present – you’ll first need to install Quixel Bridge, everything from your character’s jaw movement
a free bit of software that acts as an intermediary to the position of their eyebrows.
between MetaHuman and your package of choice Again, it goes without saying that MetaHuman
– and if you’re exporting to Unreal, then you’ll could have a major impact on indie game
need the latter application open for the process development. While fully rigged and textured VERY META
models have been available for purchase on MetaHuman Creator is
asset stores for years, you’d then have to spend currently in Early Access,
but you can request
hours customising the things in, say, Blender.
access to the program at
With MetaHuman, you could potentially have wfmag.cc/meta-apply. The
an entire cast of (almost) photo-real characters user interface is easy to get
ready for your game in an hour or two. Better yet, to grips with, but there’s also
plenty of documentation
Epic’s making MetaHuman available to Unreal
to look through to help get
Engine users for free. As noted earlier, the lack you started – the guide to
of clothing options is a definite drawback – if you using MetaHuman in Unreal
used these characters in your game right now, Engine is particularly useful,
Anyone who’s tried they’d all be wearing more-or-less identical tops since it explains how to move


rigging a character from and animate your character

scratch will know how and trousers – but if Epic can keep adding to the
using its built-in control rig.
time-consuming it is.
MetaHuman should save
more sparse aspects of its editor, then it could You’ll find all those guides at
us from all that. soon prove to be a literal game-changer. wfmag.cc/metadocs.

wfmag.cc \ 19
 Attract Mode
News

That
was the
month
that was
01. E
 pic apples
As the Epic-Apple court battle over be keen to throw their own titles out UNIQUE APPROACH
Fortnite, App Store royalties, and general there without seeing any of that fresh, Epic’s approach to setting up a new
big tech company dominance is in delicious moolah for their work, meaning store has been aggressive, both in
full swing, there have been a fair few the free games offer has cost Epic a fair how it’s brought developers and their
genuinely interesting facts and peeks few quid over the past couple of years. games exclusively to the platform, and
behind the curtain popping up from Thanks to the ongoing court case, in how it’s luring in consumers with
the case. There’s honestly too much to we’ve been able to find out just how those free games. But – in respect of
fit on these pages, but we’ve picked out much things have cost the company, those consumers – is being a platform
a few interesting snippets to share. with documents totting up some known for its handouts working in
£8.24 million ($11.6m) in costs for the the company’s favour? Up to the
FREE… ISN’T weekly free games’ first nine months timeframe the court documents ran –
Epic has been running a very public, of operation, through to September so, September 2019 – that’ll be a ‘No,
very driven campaign of offering free 2019. The Batman: Arkham collection not really’. But it’s swinging around
games to any and all so long as you proved the most popular freebie in the and it wouldn’t be outlandish to think
sign up to the Epic Games Store. No timeframe, being redeemed almost 5.5 things are markedly more positive for
membership fees, no hidden costs – it’s million times – while the least popular the company by now, with lots of lines
free, and all they need are some of your title, Axiom Verge, still managed a on graphs going up, slowly, even back
delicious details. But there’s no way massive 1.3 million purchases. in 2019.
game developers and publishers will As for actual costs on a per-game See, by the timeframe the documents
basis, Epic offered buyout fees ranging cover, the Epic Games Store had around
from absolutely nothing for Metro 2033 20.7 million unique users. Of those,
Redux through to £1 million ($1.5m) for just 2.2 million had joined the platform
the Batman: Arkham games. by purchasing a game. Meanwhile, the
Super Meat Boy bagged Team Meat remaining 18.5 million joined to acquire
£36k ($50k), Overcooked brought in a freebie – and of those, only seven
£160k ($225k) for Team17, while – percent (1.3 million users) had gone
somewhat surprisingly – Funcom’s on to make a cash purchase. But then
Mutant Year Zero required a buyout of that’s where economies of scale come
£710k ($1 million). Freedom is, indeed, into play – while those users signing up
not something you get for free. to buy a game had brought in £76m

PS5 sells almost eight million units since Rambo joins Call of Duty:
2020 launch, even with supply issues Warzone; subtlety officially dead

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($107m), that seven percent of freebie massive £82m ($115m) to put together game isn’t the most. 95% of people play
sign-ups had spent £37.6m ($53m) – – £104m ($146m) if you include the on PS4, but only 60% spend money
that’s 67% of the total income from supplemental 2K deal that included there? That’s a royalties payout. It’s all
the former, and 33% from the latter. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection nice and complicated.
So while the ‘first one’s free’ system and Civilization VI.
only works if you have money to burn, In just two weeks, Epic had recouped XBOX AND THE SKIM
it looks like it is indeed a system that 100% of the minimum guarantee it had Microsoft did announce a change
works – especially when tens of millions paid to 2K for the exclusivity deal, 1.56 recently to its revenue share scheme,
of people sign up for your service. million people had picked up the game, with the Windows Store taking a cut of
Worth noting that Epic released – not and 53% of those people were new to 12% from sales on the platform as of
via court, just via publicity – a year in the Epic Store. While after two weeks August 2021, down from the industry-
review report for 2020 stating the Epic the costs hadn’t been entirely recouped, standard 30% previously charged. This
Games Store was up to 160 million it’s not outside the realms of possibility revenue split matches Epic’s highly
users, and that over £496m ($700m) for such a big, popular title to have publicised 88/12 ratio taken via the Epic
had been spent. Growth! indeed made all the £104 million back, Games Store. According to those pesky
with a few quid on top to make it worth court documents, Microsoft had been
EXC(L)USES their while. So yes, the exclusives model considering the move to the 88/12 split
Epic has been getting it in the neck from – which Epic will be winding down in some time ago, but it had been delayed
Gamers, to give them their official title, future years – does work. until recently. Worth noting that for
thanks to the firm trying to muscle in on now, there’s no reduction in how much
the digital storefront monopoly Valve CROSS-PAY Xbox skims from the console store.
enjoys with its Steam service. After all, Sony’s reticence towards allowing cross-
what we really want is one company to play was another area touched on in IS IT WORKING?
run everything, right? Hmm. Anyway, the court case, with details emerging Not right now – Epic’s Tim Sweeney
one way in which Epic has earned about Epic’s push encouraging Sony pointed out there were hundreds of
the ire of many a keyboard warrior is to adopt the now-standard feature, millions of dollars in costs ahead of
through its aggressive – there’s that Sony’s reticence to jump on board, and setting up the Epic Games Store, and
word again – acquisition of exclusive the eventual outcome with how things right now, it’s all about earning those
titles, keeping them off Valve’s shop stand today. Basically, Sony operates a costs back. But he is confident the
either permanently or for a set amount system whereby it receives royalties (or marketplace will be profitable, with the
of time. It’s divisive, sure – but it’s also compensation) if cross-play is used on next three or four years marked as
expensive at times. its platform and the game in question the likely timeframe for that. It really is
The documents reveal Epic’s biggest is played most on PlayStation, but the helpful to have a lot of money to start
exclusive, Borderlands 3, cost the firm a amount of money players spend in the with, isn’t it?

Xbox hardware revenue rocketed up 232%, Cyberpunk 2077 refunds

though MS released no sales figures reportedly cost CDPR £36.5m

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02

03

02. It’s-a-me, Ray!

04. GTA free
The PC port of Super Mario 64 – that 03. Me VS you
being the unofficial one Nintendo really Grand Theft Auto 3 and GTA: Vice City
doesn’t like – has been modded to Blaze’s Evercade is getting a home were reverse-engineered. The code was
include the favourite feature of all retro console makeover, with the Evercade available online. GTA publisher Take-Two
gamers: ray tracing. Argentine modder VS arriving on 3 November this year took umbrage at this and launched a
Darío Samo created SM64rt, which adds for £89.99. A consoleified version of DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act)
full path ray tracing to the 25-year- the original Evercade handheld, the VS takedown. Story over? Not quite: one
old game, as long as you have a GPU does have a fair bit more under the developer working on a forked version of
capable of supporting it. It’s not just a hood – a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, the reverse-engineered code ended up
daft little project, either – seeing the 512MB RAM, and four gigs of internal launching a counter-DMCA, which actually
game in action with ray tracing enabled storage. It’s backwards compatible with prevailed. At the time of writing, the code
is… really good. It’s handled with enough all previous Evercade cartridge releases for each game is available on GitHub, as
subtlety to make it something you’d (except the Namco Museum Collections, while they replicate the outcome of each
actually bother to switch on for more which were only licensed for the game’s original code, neither repository
than ten minutes, and it looks so nice in handheld version), and outputs at 1080p; contains any of the original games’ actual
action that… going back to the original a step up from the handheld’s 720p. code. That’s reverse-engineering for you,
Mario 64 might actually look a bit bland We’ll hopefully have a play with one in bubba. It won’t surprise anyone if Take-
by comparison. Check it out: the future, but for now, if you want more Two does move to legal action, but for
wfmag.cc/Maray. info, go here: wfmag.cc/VS. now: a win for the tinkerers.

Gabe Newell hints consoles might Naughty Dog has ‘story outline’ for The
see a version of Steam this year Last of Us III, because… well, of course

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05

04

06

07

07. G
 ame Boy online
06. P
 SVRumours In classic ‘and finally’ style, here’s a
waterskiing squirrel! Wait, no – here’s
Sony’s next-generation PSVR headset someone using the raw power of the
05. W
 e-bisoft has had some specs enjoy the rumour world’s greatest microcontroller*,
treatment, and it’s sounding far more Raspberry Pi Pico, to add online
Ubisoft is introducing new branding to all exciting than the iterational update we multiplayer functionality to Tetris as being
its future releases, developed by its many worried it might be. Front and centre played on an original Game Boy. Using
studios around the world – you’ll start is a panel rendering at a resolution of the hardware’s system link cable, the
seeing ‘Ubisoft Originals’ adorning many- 4000×2040 – so 2000×2040 pixels per tinkerer – YouTuber stacksmashing – ran
a-game in coming months and years. eyeball, if you have use of two of those. the link cable’s protocol through the
While not particularly interesting by itself, Also said to be included is eye-tracking microcontroller to a central computer
the smart money is on this meaning that linked to foveated rendering, meaning server, which could then be shared
Ubi is moving to a model similar to that the headset checks where you’re looking with Game Boys the world over. That’s
of EA – publishing titles made by external and concentrates on rendering what a whoppingly simplified version of what
studios, usually of the indie variety. you currently see – meaning reduced was actually done, so we’d recommend
The EA Originals program has resulted overheads on the system and so, you watch the video and find more
in the likes of It Takes Two and Sea of effectively, better-looking experiences. details – including how to get one
Solitude. If we do get something similar Oh, and the rumours – coming from yourself – here: wfmag.cc/GBonline.
from Ubisoft – and at the time of writing UploadVR – also claim there’ll be haptic
it’s nothing more than an ‘if’ – it could be a feedback in the headset. So… watch out (*as stated by Wireframe, published by Raspberry Pi
very cool thing indeed. for those headshots, yeah? Press, but that’s probably a coincidence)

Xbox launches Console Purchase Cancelled Dreamcast title Castlevania:

Pilot in US; helps avoid scalping Resurrection made available online. GOOGLE IT.

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Abandoned
Dutch team BLUE BOX Game Studios is hard
at work on this PS5 exclusive – a first-person
survival horror shooter with, as the dev says, “a
realistic approach to survival”. Kidnapped and Age of Empires IV
left abandoned (that’s the name of the game!)
in a forest, players are tasked with staying alive Relic Entertainment showed off some details of
– no mean feat in a hostile environment, with its upcoming sequel not too long ago – the first
firearms that behave more like the real things info we’ve had in about four years, fact fans. Age
than we game-players might be used to. One to of Empires IV: Wololo Edition, as it’s not officially
keep an eye on, for sure. titled, brings the classic AoE fare into the modern
spotlight with visual tweaks and so on, as you’d
expect. It also brings better AI pathfinding
for larger armies, new civilisations to control,
stealth/ambush mechanics, and a drive to make
Gord sure civilisations are asymmetrical, rather than
the same team with slightly different walking
A traditionally focused dark fantasy single-player speeds. It’s looking: good.
adventure strategy game, Gord sees players
leading a tribe of people into forbidden lands,
building up their settlement and attempting to
ensure they thrive in this new life. Mysteries,
quests both side and main, and magic all join
the fray, helping Gord stand out from the crowd
for sure.

NARAKA:
BLADEPOINT
A melee battle royale title, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT
mixes stylised sword and axe (and bow) combat
with the ability to navigate almost anywhere
in a map. Early footage of a grappling-hook in
action brings back fond memories of the original
Tenchu, so that’s the vibe we’re going to stick
with here. It’s in beta at the time of writing, so
still a while ‘til we get a finished game to really
pore over.

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Early Access

OlliOlli World
Roll7 returns to the world of OlliOlli with… OlliOlli World, fittingly. Expanding
massively from the side-on Tony Hawk’s-alike of the series’ beginnings (and
sequel), OlliOlli World expands things to a broader, and much brighter, way
of doing things. A few courses is expanded to – by Roll7’s count – ‘millions’ in
the game’s sandbox mode, and there are over 100 tricks to be busting out
along the way. It’s a vast increase in scope and one thoroughly unexpected
for those of us who played and enjoyed OlliOlli’s last two outings.
What really hits on first seeing the game in motion, though, is just how
full of joy it all is. It’s bright and colourful, full of life and creative characters
– not just your protagonist, who you’re able to customise, but the people
(and creatures) you meet along the way, from happy-face bees to what can
only be described as a bit of a smug-looking frog. Maybe they’re not smug.
Whatever the case, this one has popped up and made us very happy
indeed – we can’t wait to get our hands on OlliOlli World, and to establish if
it is indeed a smug frog or not.

Starship Troopers:
Terran Command
It’s been a while since anybody tried to get the most
from a Starship Troopers tie-in, but Terran Command is
coming from The Aristocrats, a studio known in serious
wargaming circles for its work on Order of Battle: World
War II. That title and its many expansions have been very
well received over the past few years, so there’s certainly
the strategy chops in the team for this human-versus-bug
RTS. What isn’t entirely clear right now is whether the
game will opt for an approach closer to Paul Verhoeven’s
1997 schlocky satire masterclass, or Robert A. Heinlein’s
1959 crypto-fascist novel. We would like to know more.

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Early Access

OXENFREE II: Lost Signals

Night School Studio is bringing the sequel to its beloved indie darling, with
OXENFREE II: Lost Signals coming later in 2021. The game follows the story
of a researcher returning to her hometown to investigate mysterious radio
signals, and one can assume it significantly escalates from there. A return
to the delightfully natural dialogue system of the original game is genuinely
something to look forward to, and we’re keen to see what the team does
with a sequel that sees a lot more expectations laid on its shoulders than
the original had.
“Words cannot begin to express how happy I am to finally talk about
OXENFREE II: Lost Signals,” Sean Krankel, co-founder and studio director at
Night School Studio, said in a statement. “OXENFREE is such a special game
to us, and it has been an incredible experience to revisit this world. We’re
eager to welcome our players back while inviting newcomers to embark on
an adventure with an entirely new cast of characters that retains the weird,
heartfelt, and personalised experience of the original.” Our eyes will be
focused closely on this one.

Aeterna Noctis
Are we allowed to start getting bored with indie
Metroidvanias yet? No? Well, that’s actually fine because
Aeterna Noctis is a stone-cold looker and we wish to stare
at it a lot of the time. The hand-drawn art sits in a world
inspired by Castlevania – mainly Symphony of the Night –
the Ori series, and even a bit of the Studio Ghibli world of
animated films. In motion, it looks superb and – helpfully
– appears to offer the level of precise control you need
in a challenging game of platforming and punching (also:
stabbing). If we’re still not bored of Metroidvanias by
December, that’ll be grand because it’s when Aeterna
Noctis releases.

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Early Access

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy Shredder’s Revenge
As part of the lead-up to its game NeuroSlicers, developer Blammo, there’s a massive smash of nostalgia all up in your face: the
Dream Harvest is bringing the small-but-intriguing Turtles are back for more side-scrolling, up-to-four-player beat-‘em-up
NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy to mobile, PC, and consoles. action, but it’s 2021 and not the early 1990s. Tribute Games is behind
In it, players control an AI system tasked with keeping this part-homage, part-entirely new game, with the classic coin-munching
citizens of a cyberpunk city happy. What this amounts to arcade action galvanised by more modern combo mechanics and similar.
is following a narrative and making choices along the way Hopefully it’s a sympathetic update and not just cynical nostalgia
– simple and streamlined, sure, but when it’s described profiteering – though there’s nothing pointing to the latter so far.
as ‘a bit like Tinder’, it does get your attention. Which is nice.

The Forgotten City

Another one previously covered on these pages, we’re oddly proud to
see The Forgotten City is finally getting its full, standalone release later this
year. Originally starting life as a Skyrim mod, the project has grown to
become an entirely separate project over the years, and hopes are high for
this rework of the original mod’s award-winning story. Controlling a time
traveller suddenly transported to the titular city, players have to figure out
the mystery of a time loop trapping its denizens. Our breath is bated.

NEO: The World

Ends with You
We’ve covered NEO: The World Ends with You previously
on these pages, but it’s worth an update to inform you
that a release date has been confirmed: 27 July. On that
day we’ll all be able to jump into the stylish RPG sequel
coming both to console and PC. Hopes are high, but
whatever the final quality of the game, it’ll be great to dive
deep into a sequel hardly anybody expected to actually
happen, owing to the cult classic nature of the original.

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The chaotic origins of Grand Theft Auto

“it was
a mess”
The chaotic
origins of Grand
Theft Auto

The turbulent journey of GTA

T
he Grand Theft Auto series is now
synonymous with the billion-dollar

from its origins at DMA Design juggernaut it’s become under

the guidance of Rockstar Games.

to international success with Before all that, though, it began life

at Dundee’s DMA Design, which made Grand

Rockstar North Theft Auto (1997) and Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999).
The games introduced many of the traits that
became series hallmarks: the exhilarating
police chases and shootouts; the irreverent
WRITTEN BY
NPCs; the ridiculous radio stations.
JACK YARWOOD
Before the release of Grand Theft Auto III,
however, publisher Take-Two shut DMA down,
moving a number of its staff from Dundee to
the newly formed Rockstar North in Edinburgh.
It was a controversial decision, but helped to

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The chaotic origins of Grand Theft Auto

One of the surviving mock-up images of Race ‘n’



Chase – the game that became Grand Theft Auto.

further establish the Rockstar brand – a name

that still dominates the industry today. To hear
more about the series and its turbulent rise, we In Grand Theft Auto , you


tracked down a bunch of ex-DMA and Rockstar could only sell cars if they
were in peak condition or
personnel to discuss the original game’s was to earn enough money to beat each stage, you’d get an earful.
controversy, how the series evolved, and why it but how you did this was entirely up to you.
almost never happened in the first place. You could pick up jobs from a payphone that
had you assassinating rival gangs or transporting
RACE ‘N’ CHASE passengers, complete special objectives
The GTA story began in March 1995, when a scattered around the map, or steal cars and sell
team at DMA Design met up to discuss ideas them on. You only had a limited number of lives,
for a new PC project. Back then, DMA was though, so you had to keep an eye out for the
mostly known for its hugely successful action police who would try and hunt you down.
puzzler Lemmings (1991), and to a lesser extent, Progress on GTA was anything but easy, with
shooters such as Menace, Blood Money, and the studio lacking structure: multiple other
Hired Guns. In need game ideas were also
of a new project, the in the works at DMA
studio started kicking
an idea around for a
“Body Harvest was the at the time, including
a Metal Gear Solid-like
DMA
racing game.
Race ‘n’ Chase –
one everyone cared about;
that was going to be big”
game called Covert,
later cancelled, and
Begins
as the project was Body Harvest, a title
David Jones founded DMA
eventually called – used programmer Mike later published by Nintendo. “Grand Theft Auto Design Ltd in 1987. Some of the
Dailly’s Legovision graphics engine, giving was one of maybe eight or twelve projects,” first employees at the studio
players the choice between three top-down says Colin Anderson, the audio manager at were Jones’ friends from the
cities to explore. Playable modes included DMA. “We were also keeping all these other Kingsway Amateur Computer
cannonball run, demolition derby, and bank plates spinning as well. It’s odd from my Club (KACC) in Dundee. This
robberies where you could choose to be either perspective, because the only one out there included Russell Kay, Steve
a cop or a robber. As development progressed, that anybody ever cares about now is Grand Hammond, and Mike Dailly. The
name DMA was taken from an
however, the team chose to focus on the Theft Auto, but at the time we didn’t know that.”
Amiga programming manual
robbers instead, with the latter proving the “It wasn’t the golden child in the company,”
where it had stood for Direct
more exciting. Along with this new direction says Steve Hammond, a writer and designer
Memory Access. But DMA as
came a new name: Grand Theft Auto. at DMA. “That was Body Harvest… that was the the company name had no
GTA was an open-world game split between one everyone cared about; that was going to meaning, with developers often
three cities based on real locations in the US: make it big. Grand Theft Auto was just this other joking to the press that it stood
Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City. The goal thing trundling along in the background.” for “Doesn’t Mean Anything”.

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Writing GTA’s mission dialogue was tricky, as many of


the objectives had already been laid out. Most of the
dialogue also had to fit on an in-game pager.

There wasn’t a single eureka moment that

fixed GTA’s issues. Rather, those at DMA point
to a number of changes that helped get the
game on track. Among these was an overhaul
 o prepare themselves to
T of the vehicle handling, the introduction of


make the game, Rockstar

Toronto watched car chase
the in-car radio, and the change from a linear
movies like The Italian Job, Speaking to those at DMA who played mission structure to an arcade-style points
Bullitt, and Robbery.
it during development, GTA wasn’t exactly system. Inside BMG, the game started earning a
stellar: it wasn’t fun to play, and technical number of fans. Among them was BMG head of
problems were rampant. “It was a mess,” says development Sam Houser, who’d later become
creative manager Gary Penn, who moved from a major creative force behind the series.
publisher BMG Interactive to the GTA project.
“There was a point where I was at BMG and THE FALLOUT
seemed to be about the only person trying to Grand Theft Auto released on PC in October
keep it alive. I’m not entirely sure why; it was 1997, but before it came out there was a
going nowhere.” change of ownership behind the scenes,
Recalls Brian Lawson, GTA’s project with the British software house Gremlin
manager: “There were no proper car chases Interactive acquiring DMA Design. As part of
with cops, only a single pistol weapon, no this acquisition, Gremlin honoured BMG’s
health bar (just one-shot-and-you’re-dead), original publishing agreement, allowing the
and the progression system was more mired publisher to release GTA on PC and PlayStation
in mission completion than in the score-based in Europe. When the game came out, audiences
system we ended up with.” reacted favourably to its anarchic mix of
driving, shooting, and open-world hijinks. But
along with the praise, there was also a backlash
aimed at the game’s adult-oriented content.

Gouranga Bonus BMG was responsible for provoking much

of this backlash, having hired the controversial
PR firm Max Clifford Associates to generate
One of the most baffling and controversial features of the original Grand Theft Auto was interest. Believing that all publicity was good
the Gouranga bonus, whereby if you ran over a line of Hare Krishnas, you would receive a publicity, the firm exaggerated GTA’s violent
special points bonus. Brian Lawson recalls its origins: “I think originally the orange colour was content. But BMG underestimated the reaction
supposed to represent a chain-gang of convicts rather than Hare Krishnas, but someone made
from the British tabloid press, who criticised
the observation that that was what they looked like, and it was one of those things that once
the game’s violence and joined UK politicians
you’d seen it, you couldn’t unsee it.
in calls for it to be banned.
“Not long after we put the Gouranga bonus in the game, I was driving through Aberdeen
and got stopped by lights at a pedestrian crossing near Holburn. Parked on the other side of “We weren’t setting out to be controversial,”
the road was a large coach, and as I sat there waiting for the lights, a stream of about 20 Hare says Brian Baglow, a writer on GTA and head of
Krishnas, in full orange regalia, got out of the coach and streamed across the road in front of the PR department at DMA Design. “We didn’t
me, heading for a Chinese restaurant on the other side of the crossing. Strange but true.” include things because it shocked people. It

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was all about fun. So when the campaign hit (after a failed attempt to strike a deal with pro-
and the controversy started – I believe Lord skater Tony Hawk), and more GTA games. But
Campbell of Croy was the first person to ask there was just one small problem: Take-Two
for this sick filth to be banned – pretty much didn’t have all the rights to GTA.
everyone on the team thought it was quite “We were on a mission to get all the rights
funny, because when you look at the game, it back,” says King. “Sam knew what he had
wasn’t graphic. Everything was implied.” with GTA, even if the rest of the world didn’t
“It was a lot,” adds Jamie King, who worked appreciate it. He had the vision and he could
at BMG and was later a co-founder at Rockstar. see where it could go. But it took a while for
“The messaging obviously had to be controlled, Take-Two to buy back the rights. It was all a bit
especially with the UK messy… temporarily
tabloids. There was between GTA and
a bit of a reputation “There was a point where GTA 2, we didn’t  ere it is: perhaps the most
H


that this is an have the publishing 1990s graphic ever made.
unhealthy game. This
I was about the only person rights globally.”
is a bad game. But we trying to keep it alive” It may have been
were on a mission to a messy process, but
be, like, ‘We have 18-certificate films, why can’t Take-Two eventually managed to track down
we have 18-certificate games?’” the GTA rights, purchasing the IP from Gremlin
Amid the controversy, British tabloid News of entirely in 1998. The first GTA game Take-Two
the World tried to paint Baglow, DMA’s resident published was a simple reissue of the original
PR expert, as a law-breaking speedster. “They – but the company had other, much more
wanted to speak to Dave Jones,” says Baglow. exciting plans for the future.
“But I had to leave bear traps outside that
man’s office to get him to talk to the press. SPIN-OFFS AND SEQUELS
None of the team would take responsibility In December 1998, former BMG employees
for it, so I ended up going, ‘Fine, it’ll be me’. So at Take-Two rebranded the US publishing
there was a full page one Sunday in the News branch to Rockstar Games. The new name was
of the World of me scowling and wearing a designed to signal the publisher’s disruptive
GTA 2 was less vibrant than
BMG Interactive sweatshirt. [The News of the aims, and to counter the idea that games


its predecessor, boasting a

World had taken] a car crash I had when I more stylised retro-futuristic
look to match its setting.
was 19, when my car hit a patch of black ice
on Knockhill… and turned it into a high-speed
chase with the police in my XR3 or XR2i.”
Fortunately, the game wasn’t banned in the
UK, and the controversy merely drew more
attention to it: GTA became a cult hit, something
to play secretly with a bunch of your mates,
out of sight of your parents. Behind the scenes,
work was already underway on a sequel. BMG
wouldn’t, however, be the publishers for the
next entry in the series.
In March 1998, BMG sold its interactive
division to publisher Take-Two for $9 million.
As a result, a group of ex-BMG employees
including Sam and Dan Houser, Jamie King,
Arista Records’ Terry Donovan, and Gary J.
Foreman all moved to New York to start a US
publishing label for Take-Two that would later
become Rockstar. Some of the first projects
the group discussed were for an adaptation
of Walter Hill’s The Warriors, a licensed game
based on skateboarding magazine Thrasher

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The chaotic origins of Grand Theft Auto

 layers could activate hidden

P


side missions to make money

in GTA III, including picking up
a job as a taxi driver. Robert De
Niro, eat your heart out. were only for kids. GTA was set to be a big part Though the response to the expansions
of this strategy, but GTA 2 was still almost a was mostly positive, it took a few developers
year from release. As a result, Rockstar tasked at DMA by surprise. Some were annoyed at
the newly acquired studio Rockstar Toronto the liberties taken with the IP, which seemed
with creating a couple of expansions to the counter to what the studio had intended the

GTA in 3D
original game to keep people interested. games to be. Many at DMA thought GTA took
GTA London: 1961 and 1969, released in 1999, place in a parallel timeline to our own, so
played similarly to the original, but swapped having the game go to London and feature
Both DMA and Rockstar fictional locations for London landmarks. real-world artists undermined that vision.
Toronto tried to get GTA into Another key feature was its soundtrack, which Nevertheless, the decision proved successful
3D several times prior to featured licensed music for the first time in the with fans and became a common feature of
GTA III. DMA, for instance, series. Previously, DMA’s audio team had been the series, continuing with GTA 2.
created a prototype of the first
solely responsible for creating the music for Originally codenamed GBH (Grievous
GTA in 3D, but it never went
GTA’s radio stations. But the London expansions Bodily Harm), GTA 2 ditched Liberty City for a
further than a quick concept.
used Terry Donovan’s connections to get music retro-futuristic landscape called Anywhere,
Then, later on, Rockstar tasked
Rockstar Toronto with recreating from performers like The Upsetters and Harry USA. As in the original, players roamed cities
the first GTA game’s aesthetic J. All Stars. The idea was to add authenticity to completing missions, but this time there was a
in 3D for the Dreamcast. the open world and bring the experience closer greater emphasis on gangs, and gang affinity.
The experiment was again to a film. “[The GTA: London expansions] really “When I got hired, I was told, ‘This is going
unsuccessful. Says Jamie King: didn’t add anything new in terms of mechanics to be X-rated, Sony is crazy,’” recalls Michael
“We had Kevin Hoare, who ran or gameplay, but they were really sweet,” says Keillor, a writer at DMA on GTA 2. “Then Sony
Rockstar Toronto, really trying to Baglow. “Terry Donovan, the marketing director was very quickly like, ‘We want a big hit game.
use a Dreamcast devkit to get
who had come from Arista Records, played an It’s not really X-rated at all’… But [DMA] had
GTA into 3D and he said, ‘The
absolute blinder on the soundtrack. It was all some outline gang members and I had to
best we can do is kind of like
Trojan records. Then you had all the different flesh out the world. I didn’t know much about
isometric’. And that’s why they
ended up doing The Warriors. voices in Cockney too… and then if you skidded gaming. So I started giving a backstory to these
But the PlayStation 2 came out over some dog [poo], you got a big brown gangs, and then the world around them…”
and then DMA were like, ‘OK, trail, which I think was the high point of the DMA had more resources for the sequel,
now we can get this into 3D.’ whole franchise.” allowing them to put more effort into the

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game’s sound. Adverts were a notable addition, to understand what games they could make
which would feature prominently on radio that would fit with Rockstar’s catalogue.
stations in later games. This came with some Keillor, who left during this period, recalls:
risks. “We were under a lot of pressure to “When I went there, it was this incredible place
deliver GTA 2 to a tight schedule,” Anderson with all of these different games. It was almost
says. “We needed to make sure everything a throwback to eighties gaming, where it was
was planned well in advance. All the lines we lots of creative people making different games,
needed to complete the ads and the DJs were and then there was one stellar hit and Rockstar
pre-written before the recording sessions, and came in and said, ‘We only want the hit.’”
all the actors had been pre-selected based on “There was a huge amount of antagonism,”
their demo reels.” says Baglow, who was at Rockstar at the time.
Despite these improvements, it failed to “And there was a huge amount of arrogant
eclipse its predecessor’s success. Reviews behaviour, and being honest, a lot of the
were mixed, with publications praising the activities at Take-Two were questionable.”
soundtrack while Despite DMA’s
criticising the lack of closure, work on
innovation. That’s not GTA III continued,
“There was a huge amount
to say it was a failure, with the Body Harvest
but it was clear to of antagonism and team taking the
everyone involved arrogant behaviour” lead. The mission
that the game statement was clear:
needed to move into 3D to bring the series to get GTA into 3D. After Keillor left, Dan Houser
new audiences. and radio personality Lazlow Jones became
lead writers, producing a vast amount of
MAKING A ‘HIT’ dialogue. GTA III was a major improvement on
In the same month GTA 2 released, Take- its predecessor, and was a critical and financial
Two announced it was buying DMA Design hit. It was also the first release to have a single
from Infogrames, a French company that’d protagonist, allowing for a more cinematic
recently acquired Gremlin. The idea behind story about betrayal and revenge.
the purchase was for Rockstar to have some The series has only grown in popularity
continuity between the teams working on the since GTA III, but Rockstar hasn’t forgotten its
GTA franchise. Scottish roots. Not only is Rockstar North still
But as soon as Take-Two completed the going strong, but the firm recently acquired
acquisition of DMA, the decision was made to Dundee-based Ruffian Games, marking a
split the studio in half. One half of the studio return to the area.
comprised the Body Harvest and Space Station “Ruffian fits in perfectly with that Rockstar
Silicon Valley teams, and moved to Edinburgh work ethic about getting stuff done,” says Penn,
to form Rockstar North, while the other half now an internal development manager at Denki
remained in Dundee at DMA Design. Games. “Ruffian helped enormously with the
For a while, it seemed that Rockstar intended first Crackdown, and it ended up salvaging some
to keep both studios open. But in March of Crackdown 3, so the studio has really good
2000, shortly after a round of redundancies form not only in terms of getting stuff done
at the Dundee studio, the announcement was but in terms of that type of game. I think that
made that DMA Design would close, with the combination is ideal for Rockstar. I’m surprised
remaining staff relocated to Edinburgh. it hadn’t happened earlier.”
According to the former employees we spoke “It’s a testament to the work Ruffian has
to, the relationship between Take-Two and done, and that Scotland has such a great talent
DMA was tense, with DMA staff often feeling pool,” says Baglow, now a board member for
at odds with the publisher and distrustful of its Creative Edinburgh. “They’re going to be doing
intentions. To add to the studio’s woes, DMA some fascinating projects; whether we hear
was going through a bit of an identity crisis at anything about them or not remains to be
the time. Not only had DMA co-founder Dave seen. [As for Rockstar] – we knew they’d come
Jones left in 1999, but the studio was struggling crawling back.”

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Column

Slouching Tiger,
Missing Dragon
A
grumpy Russian model found
himself ‘trapped in a 21st-century
Kafkaesque nightmare’ as he
reluctantly sang, danced, and
pouted his way to viral popularity
on Chinese social media. Vladislav Ivanov, aka
‘Lelush’, was trying his damnedest to get voted
off CHUANG 2021, a Chinese reality TV show
LOTTIE BEVAN following 90 contestants as they go through ‘boy
Lottie’s a producer and band boot camp’. It’s Pop Idol meets Groundhog
co-founder of award- Day. Or a millennial update of Terry Gilliam’s
winning narrative
Brazil, where Michael Palin has pink hair and it’s
microstudio Weather
Factory, best known for confusingly set in Hainan.
Cultist Simulator. She’s  e gamers could learn a lot
W
Lelush was a last-minute addition after being


one of the youngest from Lelush, the unwitting

female founders scouted by the producers. He quickly realised face of Gen-Z slacker cool.
in the industry, a he, erm, hated singing and dancing, and didn’t
BAFTA Breakthrough want to be in a boy band – but leaving the show latest tycoon game on the train, to eleven-year-
Brit, and founder of
Coven Club, a women on his own recognizance would have triggered olds making ‘obbies’ (obstacle courses, for the
in games support a significant fine from his contract, which he uninitiated) for their friends in Roblox, to activist
network. She produces,
couldn’t afford. So he tried his best to be really, devs using their games to change the world, to
markets, bizzes, and
arts, and previously really bad at everything, hoping he’d be voted the attractive influencer selling her bath-water to
produced Fallen off. Instead, he accidentally connected with adoring fans. It’s a fun game deciding what the
London, Zubmariner,
and Sunless Skies at a bubbling Chinese subculture and rapidly ‘face’ would be for each of these communities,
Failbetter Games. became the face of ‘sang wenhua’. Composed and these are just a handful of major ones
primarily of teenagers, ‘sang wenhua’ rejects which leap to mind. Art is always reacting against
traditional expectations of overachievement, what came before, so subcultures are constantly
perfectionism, and self-sacrifice in favour evolving, every generation peering slightly
of fatalist Gen-Z ennui. A beautiful, sullen suspiciously at the one which came before. The
20-something refusing to engage with a reality one thing we all seem to have in common is that
TV show is their perfect mascot. gaming isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle – and
Lelush – who I’m relieved to say was finally that’s why we see such a vast array of identities
voted off after three gruelling, but really within it. The full spectrum of humanity is
very funny, months – got me thinking about reflected here, not just consumer spending.
subculture in games. For most people on the So where does this leave us, and poor Lelush?
planet, games are still an odd, nerdy pastime Now he’s escaped CHUANG, Lelush is embracing
for boys who like computers, board games, and his new identity as the Slacker King by becoming
wizards. Marketers are always telling me to use an influencer, promoting mobile games to his
“Marketers a ‘female’ angle for pieces, because I’m still a 500,000 Weibo followers. And perhaps we
‘woman in a man’s world’. And so far, nothing gamers should embrace our position in the
are always the industry has produced has reached the great cosmic hierarchy, too. Maybe we do like
telling me water-cooler, mass-market popularity of Marvel wizards. Maybe we aren’t mainstream. And
to use a films or Game of Thrones. Pokémon GO nearly maybe that’s OK. I’d just encourage you to look
managed it, but not quite. outside of games sometimes: the best art and
‘female’
This is all at the macro-level. Look a little culture draws from a wide variety of sources, not
angle for closer and you have hundreds of gaming just others like it. The world is wide and full of
pieces” subcultures, from relative normies who play the beauty. And, apparently, boy bands.

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 Attract Mode
Competition

WIN A 34” IIYAMA G-MASTER

GAMING MONITOR
Here’s a chance to get your hands on a 34-inch gaming monitor, courtesy of
the lovely folks at iiyama. One lucky Wireframe reader will get a curved iiyama
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Here are some more

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You can enter at wfmag.cc/iiyama

Competition closes on Monday 5 July 2021. Prize is offered to participants worldwide aged 13 or over, except employees of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, the prize supplier,
their families or friends. Winners will be notified by email no more than 30 days after the competition closes. By entering the competition, the winner consents to any publicity
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wfmag.cc \ 35
 Interface
Gallery

GAME
Beautiful Desolation
DEVELOPER
The Brotherhood
RELEASE
Out now
WEBSITE
wfmag.cc/Desolate

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Gallery

Beautiful Desolation
The heavy influence of the original Fallout games is all over
Beautiful Desolation, but there’s a twist that really helps this
later game stand out: it’s a looker. There’s a game behind
it too, of course, but we just want to ogle the pretties here
for now. “We believe that isometric art is uniquely able to
emphasise elements in video games,” explains Chris Bischoff,
creative director at The Brotherhood. “The higher vantage
point illustrates the area surrounding the character, ensuring
the player can visually experience the world and absorb the
architecture, history, and design in its entirety from a bird’s-
eye view. Two-dimensional art retains a handcrafted aesthetic
that has been lost in parametrically generated modern games,
and we hope to have captured some of that nostalgic magic.”

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Sandboxed in

Sandboxed in
Being like Grand Theft Auto
doesn’t mean you have to
be a free-roaming sandbox
where you commit crimes
– there’s plenty more to
do, as evidenced by this
selection of fantastic GTA-
alikes… minus Rockstar’s
input, so no Red Dead
Redemption here today

WRITTEN BY
IAN DRANSFIELD

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Sandboxed in

Saints Row IV
Volition / 2013 / PC, PS4, XBO, Switch, PS3, X360, Mac, Linux

Mafia II
There are fans of the second game – it’s aged, but still harbours a chaotic spirit
that helps it stand out to this day – and Saints Row: The Third, which is where
Volition really found its footing. But Saints Row IV is where all pretence was left
2K Czech / 2010 / PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360, Mac at the door: this was no longer a game trying to be Grand Theft Auto; it was a
game trying to be anything it wanted, and laughing the entire time about it.
Mafia II opens in the Second World War, offering a level It suffered at the hands of being a glorified expansion pack – reusing the same
of context to our main character seldom seen in other city and mostly the same assets as the previous game, SRIV was something of
open-world titles. Vito Scaletta witnesses the power
a ‘budget’ entry to the franchise. But what a reused setting it was. Slapping the
and – genuinely – positive influence the Sicilian mob can
city of Steelport into the virtual realm allowed developer Volition to a) jazz things
have, and from there, it’s a straight line to the Mafia. The
up visually, with a nice amount of neon flair, and b) introduce superpowers,
story is decent – sub-Godfather, sure, but entertaining
– but it’s in the atmosphere that Mafia II shines. Arriving because this was no longer even pretending to be the real world.
home after the war, Vito returns to a subdued-yet-chaotic There are arguments to be made for and against Saints Row ’s ever-veering
Sicilian/Italian-American neighbourhood, Christmas path with its sense of humour and zaniness, but there can be no denying that
is thick in the air; it’s just one of those moments you leaping huge distances, flying, punching aliens in the crotch with enough force
feel in a game. The sense of place dulls somewhat, but to send them careening into oncoming traffic, then zipping away at a running
never really goes away, and Mafia II leaves an indelible speed much faster than any actual vehicle in the game is incredible fun.
mark on all of those who play it – Empire Bay might be
expansive, but experiencing it feels taut, concise in a way.
That is the key aspect in Mafia II, the experience you have
with the game – because nothing about it from a base
mechanical layer screams any particular complexities.
Sleeping Dogs
Drive here, shoot them, grab that, hit the next cutscene.
It’s not an easy sell from a strictly critical perspective. United Front Games / 2012
But from an experiential one, it’s an easy game to PC, PS4, XBO, PS3, X360, Mac
recommend, bringing with it, as it does, a real slice of
One of the most sadly overlooked
movie-mob-style magic and all the stereotypical Italian-
GTA-alikes in memory, Sleeping
American accents to imitate as it does.
Dogs certainly appeared to be yet
The remaster, which arrived in 2020, gave the game a
another drive-and-crime-‘em-up on
second chance to grab the attention its original release
the surface. So it’s understandable
richly deserved. While not without its flaws, Mafia II is still
folks might not have been drawn in. It’s a big shame, because United Front’s mix of undercover
a GTA -alike that has to be played – if even just for that
cops, brutal melee combat, and genuinely appetising street food was a gem of a game.
(post-Second World War) introduction.
Riffing heavily on Infernal Affairs /The Departed, the game’s story told a tense, often
captivating tale. Players controlled one Wei Shen, a Hong Kong-born cop based in San
Francisco who heads to his home city to bust a dangerous Triad. Shen is undercover to
the point only one person knows, and Sleeping Dogs manages a delicate balance between
playing the cop and the criminal at the same time. You’re punished for crimes, but you’re
never actively stopped from committing them. You will get into fights with people, because
that’s what these gangsters do, but you’ll do what you can to not seriously hurt – or kill –
people, because you are still a cop. Sleeping Dogs is also blessed with atmosphere to spare
– this virtual Hong Kong is dense, lived-in, the sort of place you can almost smell coming
through your screen.
Special mention to the True Crime series from which Sleeping Dogs emerged – never a
classic, it nonetheless offered a genuine alternative to GTA in the PS2/Xbox/GameCube era.

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Sandboxed in

Influencers
While the original Grand Theft Auto popularised the open city/do-what-
you-like approach and the third game codified what the style of game
would be, the entire genre owes its existence to forebears such as these:

MERCENARY
Novagen / 1985 / Atari 8-bit, multi
You weren’t running over lines of Hare Krishnas or
stealing cars to sell on the docks, but GTA’s lineage
can be traced in a direct line back to Mercenary.
This early 3D title mixed open-world exploration
with then-unprecedented freedom in a manner that’s
very recognisable in the context of these pages.

TURBO ESPRIT
Mike Richardson / 1986
Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, C64
A free-roaming, 3D driving game in which you could
pursue bad buggers or completely ignore the job Watch Dogs 2
at hand in favour of going where you wanted and
mowing down pedestrians. Sound familiar? Of Ubisoft Montreal / 2016 / PC, PS4, XBO, Stadia
course it does. Turbo Esprit was GTA before GTA,
and its influence shouldn’t be overlooked. Where the original game opted to be largely dull and
grey, the second game pivoted hard to fun and colourful.
A good switch, safe to say. Ubisoft’s open world has
APB leaned heavily on the tech and rebellion side of things
Atari Games / 1987 / Arcade, home ports from day one rather than crime and cars, so there’s
A definite stylistic influence on those early always been a genuinely different feel in both Watch
GTA titles. APB followed the player’s cop car Dogs and GTA – and it hasn’t been more apparent, or
as it chased down suspects from a top-down more skilfully handled, than in the second entry to the
view, obviously similar to DMA’s first couple of Orwell-riffing series.
sandboxes, and the mix of cops-and-crime is One factor in which Watch Dogs 2 stands apart from
another bit of shared DNA. the rest is in its action – ‘total freedom’ is a misnomer,
but there’s a definite range of styles players can adopt
to take on the situations they’re met with. Guns blazing
HUNTER (AMIGA/ST) (with your 3D-printed arsenal, because tech), stealthy,
hacking systems and setting traps – all blending
Activision / 1991 / Amiga, Atari ST
fantastically with traversal that’s an Assassin’s Creed-lite
Entering a 3D polygonal world, the player controlled version of the free-running everybody loves to sit back
a soldier able to traverse as they saw fit, or use any and watch. Because heaven knows you don’t ‘play’
number of vehicles – cars, boats, bikes, and more those bits. It was a refreshing mix of approaches at the
– to pootle around. Missions were open as to how time, and while it has been done elsewhere (including
they could be completed, and the sense of freedom in this very series), it’s Watch Dogs 2 where everything
in this one was palpable. coalesced so very well.
Another way Watch Dogs 2 stands out as something
THE TERMINATOR genuinely worth your time is through its story and –
more specifically – characterisation. You run with a
Bethesda Softworks / 1991 / PC motley crew as you’d expect, but these are people with
A surprisingly complex open-world Los Angeles real lives, histories, motivations – actual character. And,
for you to either protect or hunt Sarah Connor in, helpfully, the game didn’t take itself anywhere near as
playing as Kyle Reese or the T-800. Ambitious for seriously as its predecessor did, meaning if you were so
its time, the free-roaming approach still holds up to inclined, you could very well like the people in the game.
this day, and while clunky around the edges, there’s This, as we all know, was impossible in the unceasingly
still that Bethesda open-world feel to things. dour original game.

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Sandboxed in

Crackdown LEGO CITY

Undercover
Realtime Worlds / 2007 / X360
TT Fusion / 2013 / Wii U, PC, PS4, XBO, Switch
There’s always a wait before the first ‘proper’ next-gen game releases on a new
format. With the Xbox 360, that game was Crackdown, three months after the Whether you see it as a beloved children’s toy or a tool
console’s launch. Created by Realtime Worlds – helmed by GTA’s creator, David of unlimited creative potential, the fact is LEGO seems
like the perfect thing with which to create a city of
Jones – Crackdown put players in the shoes of a superpowered super-agent for
your own. You might not, though, then go on to add in
a superagency. It involved hunting criminals and throwing them off buildings,
a GTA-like mix of driving, on-foot action, and delightful
driving an obscene special agency car in order to get to criminals and throw
missions to the mix – though that’d mainly be because
them off buildings, and getting into gun-fights you would force yourself to you were building a model in your house and not coding
prevail in, if only to get to baddies and throw them off buildings. a game. Still, TT Fusion picked up the slack for us all
Oh, and the orbs. It’s hard to overstate the collective mania that overtook with LEGO CITY Undercover; the blend of LEGO and GTA
the games-playing public with regards to the orbs: hundreds of glowing objects nobody knew they wanted until they played it.
hidden around the game’s map, noticeable only if you could see them, or if Naturally, this being LEGO, you were never in any
you heard their telltale hum. Many a player stopped their superpowered leaps danger of helping crack dealers hunt down rival gangs
and bounds across the city to turn on a dime and hunt down an errant orb – instead, Undercover had you playing as cop Chase
McCain who… well, he actually did commit some crimes
they thought they possibly, might have just heard. Discussion was rife. Those
after going undercover, but it wasn’t ultra-violence and
who grabbed every orb were revered. The main aim of the game was largely
spreading the horror of urban decay via addiction. More
forgotten. Crackdown became The Orb Game. And it was all the better for it.
stealing moon buggies, stuff like that. Regardless, both
the game proper and the story were top notch: TT Fusion
was clearly hitting the project twofold, having a hell

The Simpsons: Hit & Run of a lot of fun with the writing of the thing, while also
bringing considerable technical chops to the project. It all
combined to make for one of the most surprising – and
Radical Entertainment / 2003 surprisingly good – GTA-alikes ever released.
PS2, Xbox, GC, PC Fortunately, the game received an updated re-release
in 2017 across multiple formats, meaning it was opened
Of all the licensed games based on up to an audience wider than the 13 people who bought
family-friendly TV shows, you really a Wii U.
wouldn’t expect one to partner The
Simpsons with a distinctly GTA-like
game experience. Yet that’s exactly
what The Simpsons: Hit & Run did. And
probably most surprising of all, it did a half-decent job of things. This was the most in-depth
representation of Springfield we’d ever played by the time of its release, and mixed with the
involvement of not just the voice cast, but the actual writers from the show, it really helped to
elevate the whole thing beyond just being like The Simpsons.
Of course, it lives and dies by the quality of the actual game behind it and, while not
without issues, Hit & Run played a solid GTA-alike game. In and out of the car it was fun to
play, to run or drive around, to explore and get into scrapes, even if it never felt quite right
kicking people randomly as Lisa. But hey. So while beating up pedestrians and exploding cars
outside Springfield Elementary might not really fit the ethos of the show, it’s hard to actually
take anything away from Hit & Run. It was fun, it worked, and it offered something no other
mainstream game was doing at the time: a parody of the most influential series in the world.

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Sandboxed in

Just Cause 3
Avalanche Studios / 2015 / PC, PS4, XBO

Square Enix’s tale of revolutions and grappling hooks took some time to really
hit its stride, but by the third game, most elements had been honed to a
wonderful sheen. Where in other GTA-alikes you might be tempted to get in a
car normally, like a boring person, Just Cause 3 revelled in the chaos of darting
about with your retractable grappling hook, parachuting massive distances,
latching on to the top of a beaten-down old banger, then surfing it through an
enemy checkpoint guns-a-blazin’.
Zooming out a bit, Just Cause 3 was never going to win any awards for its
narrative, and at launch, the game was riddled with a fair few irritating bugs
that sullied the experience for some players. But the sense of freedom – the,
fittingly, liberation you felt as a player soaring through the sky on another
endless paragliding trek; latching onto a passing jetliner and surfing it
into the stratosphere – has always been up there with the best examples.
A heavier lean into the wilful silliness of what you were doing as a player was
appreciated, but Just Cause 3 never would risk itself going as far as, say, the

Mercenaries: Saints Row series did when it came to silliness. Perhaps that’s what held back
the fourth game from really improving on much of anything, we can’t say for
Playground of sure. But Just Cause 3 was, and is, fantastic fun with a world you do just want to

Destruction
go hog-wild both in and over.

Pandemic Studios / 2005 / PS2, Xbox

Some GTA-alikes focused on the organised crime, the

expansive storytelling, the grand open cities to explore.
Retro City Rampage
Some on the act of driving or otherwise navigating. Vblank Entertainment / 2012
Others still set their sights on gunplay and combat – the PC, PS3, PS Vita, X360, PS4, Switch, multi
acts of cleansing violence bringing peace to an otherwise
unruly world. Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction Starting out life as a homebrew project
said what it was going for right there in the title. attempting to bring GTA to the original
Pandemic’s game was never the most technically Nintendo Entertainment System, Retro
competent, especially not on the by-then creaking PS2, City Rampage developed over the years
but its over-ambitious nature didn’t harm things when into something made for the modern
it came to mucking about with the game’s destruction. machines that riffed on the consoles of old,
Calling in an air strike on an enemy compound has never rather than directly supported them. That is, apart from the Game Boy Advance version that’s
felt quite as impressive as it did in Mercenaries, and apparently being worked on at the time of writing.
the array of different destructive toys you had at your Still, Retro City Rampage is a fine mix of old-school visual style, fantastic chiptune music,
disposal, ready to be selected from a menu… well, it and a decidedly recognisable take on the original GTA formula. Viewed – mainly – from a
lent credence to the whole ‘playground’ thing. A nigh-on top-down perspective, players set about exploring the city of Theftropolis… and exploring time…
broken sequel followed, and a third game was cancelled, as a gangster-then-time traveller. Naturally. It’s a fun game and one that really does evoke the
so sadly this is the best Mercenaries will ever be – but it’s spirit of the first couple of GTA titles, while bringing in its own twist on the formula and more
always been a hoot, so that’s to be celebrated. than enough winks, nods, and references to keep players in the know happy.

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Sandboxed in

As well as...
There were some GTA-alikes we couldn’t bring ourselves to write about in
detail, but they’re worth a mention for one reason or another. Let’s go:

SCARFACE: THE WORLD IS

YOURS / THE GODFATHER:
THE GAME
Two ridiculous film tie-ins coming many years
after the movies they were based on, and both
riffing heavily on the GTA formula. Terrible?
Surprisingly, no. Not great, but genuinely
neither game was awful.

Red Faction:
Guerrilla THE GETAWAY
Bar this and GTA’s 60s-themed London
Volition / 2009 / PC, PS3, X360, PS4. XBO, Switch expansion packs, there hadn’t been a UK-
based sandbox game in this style until 2020’s
Pivoting away from crimes against individuals to Watch Dogs: Legion. And, to be fair, The
(perceived) crimes against the ruling party, Red Getaway is the game that still nails the British
Faction: Guerrilla pits players against the tyrannical gangster atmosphere the best.
Earth Defence Force in a tale of revenge, uprising, and
– ultimately – revolution. On Mars. But as is often the
case, it’s not the narrative that actually matters here – APB: ALL POINTS BULLETIN
and in fact, the more you ignore the story, the more fun Created by GTA’s father David Jones, APB
you’ll have with Guerrilla. saw a troubled development process and was
Volition’s game is home to an upgraded version of its ultimately a failure – but there’s the argument
Geo-Mod engine, see, and this allows players to destroy to be made that it helped pave the way for
practically any human-made structure throughout the GTA Online, certainly.
game. The planet itself is off-limits for blowing up, but
that minor disappointment soon melts away as you
realise you’re able to drop massive chimney stacks into L.A. NOIRE
one another, with realistic physics models backing up
A game that would have been far better
the destructive domino effect. Red Faction: Guerrilla is
served had it been less like GTA, Team Bondi’s
one of the purest experiences of joy a person can have
L.A. Noire (published by Rockstar) found the
in their life, and that’s not an overstatement. Sometimes
impact of its detectiving and investigating
you don’t need a compelling narrative – sometimes, you
diluted by the need to drive from one side of
just need to be able to knock down a gigantic bridge
late-40s Los Angeles to the other.
using just a sledgehammer.

DRIV3R
Has to be mentioned, doesn’t it? Where the
previous games in the series had hints of GTA
to them, it was the third game that went all-
out into ’inspired by’ territory. Shame it was a
rushed, buggy mess, really.

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 Toolbox
Contents

Toolbox
The art, theory, and production of video games
46. Design Principles
Why self-delusion’s a useful tool for a game developer

48. CityCraft
Exploring the cities in classic point-and-click adventures

50. Snakes in a Maze

A beginner’s guide to recursive backtracking – with snakes

56. Narrative Design

Dissecting the superior writing in Return of the Obra Dinn

58. Infinite Bunner

Code a fully featured action game in the mould of Frogger

64. Source Code

Recreate the striking 3D effect from the arcade hit, Exerion
 his month’s Source Code
T
66. Making Anew #16
64 
shows you how to recreate the
pseudo-3D effect from arcade
Tips on making your game challenging yet also rewarding classic, Exerion. See page 64.

48

How do adventures like Thimbleweed



Park create such compelling

environments? Find out on page 48.

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 Toolbox
Contents

56

 ntony de Fault explores the writing of

A


Return of the Obra Dinn on page 56.

50
 ake a snake roam a maze – and learn
M


a bit about game AI in the process. See

page 50.

 Straight from the Code the Classics book:



how to make your own modern Frogger

homage, Infinite Bunner. See page 58.

58
wfmag.cc \ 45
 Toolbox
Advice

The principles of
game design
What do you need to survive in an often brutal games
industry? A touch of delusion, Howard writes

AUTHOR
HOWARD SCOTT WARSHAW
Howard is a video game pioneer who authored several of Atari’s most famous
and infamous titles. His new book, Once Upon Atari: How I Made History by
Killing an Industry, is out now. onceuponatari.com

Y
ou may recall Sir Isaac Newton’s third Disillusionment requires a dream. All you need
law of motion: for every action, there for illusionment is a delusion. We had plenty of
is an equal and opposite reaction. those at 3DO. Let’s face it, by the time I arrived
Last month, I touched on the fact there, our entire company culture was pretty
that many developers at The 3DO delusional. It didn’t take long to realise this, either.
Company had to deal with disillusionment – in Here’s a typical conversation with a newbie:
other words, they’d grown up with video games
and idealised their production, but then saw “Welcome to 3DO. The ‘D’ is for denial.”
the harsh reality when they got into the industry “What’s the ‘O’ for?”
themselves. Applying Newton’s third law, it follows “What ‘O’?”
that for every disillusionment there must be an
equal and opposite illusionment – so let’s talk Denial is an essential component of delusional
 he 3DO Company also made
T about illusionment at 3DO. culture. The delusions came in a variety of flavours.


some fairly OK games in its

lifetime, including the 1998 The first was our corporate strategy. At 3DO, our
RTS, Army Men.
internal working model was making B-games on
a C-budget. Just give people fewer resources in
time and money and expect them to turn out
decent games. And Get It Out On Time! “A week of
missed sales will never be made up!” – this was
the battle cry. Unfortunately, this came at a time
when A-games were selling tons and nothing else
was moving. 3DO was poised to bring tremendous
development talent to bear on a great game, but
the company instead chose to make a gaggle of
lesser games. The thinking was: if you make them
cheaply enough, lower sales can still make money.
They never anticipated near-zero sales.
Another delusion was that competing groups
produce better product. 3DO management
actually pitted groups against each other, thinking
this would stimulate competitive juices and
encourage greater productivity. Instead, it bred
some petty or hostile group interactions which
diminished our output (and our spirits). In creative

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Advice

production, spirit is crucial fuel. Atari was a smaller

community with a larger community spirit.
One thing that was no delusion at all was
that game development is the entertainment
business. Even in the late 1990s, it was already
clear video games were the biggest grossing
sector of the entertainment industry by far.
And let’s face it, before video game tech even
existed, the entertainment industry stood as  -grade games on a
B


C-grade budget? Well,

a bastion of delusional thinking – a torch of The 3DO company didn’t
exactly produce the
illusionment that drew aspiring entertainers like most memorable games
moths to a flame. The cliché of starving actors, of the PSone era.
musicians, and artists became a cliché because
it’s true. Of those who try, the vast majority die.
Few possess the skill level needed to succeed, This is it, then: the big delusion that keeps
and of those who do, many are just unlucky or people from turning away from games. The idea
lack the pluck to stay the course. that making games is their ultimate destiny.
Nonetheless, for a bunch of nerds who Video game developers are highly skilled
can’t sing, dance, or act, video games create technologists. They have lucrative alternatives in
an opportunity where none existed before. the working world. If you’re really committed to
Now there’s a chance to have our internal needs being a video game maker, however, then leaving
fulfilled by making it in entertainment. That’s games means sacrificing your identity. My friend
the deal with entertainment: it’s a chance to get and mentor Edwin Reich is a great example. He’d
some intense ego needs met through applause tell me about great opportunities outside the
and/or recognition, and games industry, and this
that’s a powerful draw. “3DO management odd look would come
The downside is these over his face. Like he
ego needs can supersede
actually pitted groups wanted to take the job,
everything. Large portions against each other” but it contradicted some
of your life can get ignored deeply-held belief. He’d
or disappear entirely. This is bad news for the non- say: “It sounds really good, but… I make games.”
co-worker people in your life, or any semblance of It sounded more like a question than an answer
a balanced life for that matter. when he’d say it.
Play a game and you can waste an afternoon. Most delusional enterprises lose their
Learn to make games and you can waste an balance and fall. 3DO was no different. In late
entire career. spring of 2003, it suddenly closed its doors, Apple Newton
Young people were at 3DO, throwing their lives leaving resolution of outstanding pay to a court
Is it revisionist history to
away trying to realise this opportunity to make it proceeding. This is the way of modern video game consider how the world would
in video games. And how can you blame them? development in many cases – you give it your change not by altering the past,
They’d grown up with video games and were all, and then you get discarded until the next big but rather by moving elements
beguiled by the magical aura of game creation. project forms. Each time game development spits of the past into the present? In
particular, when I think about
At Atari, we had no adolescent fantasy of what you out, those other alternatives become easier to Sir Isaac Newton, I think about
development would be, it was simply a newly swallow. To paraphrase Julius Caesar, “Veni, Vidi, his interaction with apples.
discovered opportunity. We voluntarily abused Crunchi.” I came, I saw, I burned out. What if he were alive today?
ourselves, free of obligation. The main downside of leaving video games is I wonder what he would make
of a falling iPhone hitting him
By the time I reached 3DO, people felt “This is you’re no longer making games. If you’ve ever
on the head. And what might
where I need to be” and accepted the abuse of done this kind of work, you really notice the Newton do with an iPhone if he
others. After all, you get to do games! There’s the letdown. Making video games is more brutal, had one? Some rather rousing
allure, excitement, and romance of entertaining abusive, and risky than it ever was at Atari. But if browsing I suspect. Imagining
millions of people without ever having to get you hit the motherlode, it’s still every bit as sweet. the consequences of bringing
the past forward in time isn’t
on stage or on camera. And perhaps most That’s what keeps people seeking it. That and one revisionist at all. It’s envisionist.
compelling of all, “I’m following my dreams, other delusion: something I call The Game Maker
aren’t I?” Identity. More on that next month.

wfmag.cc \ 47
 Toolbox
Advice

Unpicking the secrets

of point-and-click cities
Konstantinos explores the thought and design detail that
goes into the urban settings of Grim Fandango and more

AUTHOR
KONSTANTINOS DIMOPOULOS
Konstantinos Dimopoulos is a game urbanist and designer combining a PhD in
urban planning with video games. He is the author of the Virtual Cities atlas, designs
game cities, and consults on their creation. game-cities.com

G
ame cities are routinely shaped in the setting organically by choosing when
by the demands of the genre they and what to examine, and quickly learn to pay
TRIZBORT appear in, and thus really get to attention both to their surroundings and to the
A simple tool created to help shine in games led by world-building narrative threads running through them, which
designers and players map and narrative. Adventure games, in in turn allows designers to structure complex
interactive fiction (or text particular, have been lovingly showcasing detailed puzzles, confident that their audience is paying
adventure) spaces, Trizbort is settings and interactive environments since the attention. (On the downside, such intense scrutiny
an elegant mapping solution
late 1970s, and have provided us with some of the means that a game world’s slightest discrepancy
I’ve also found useful for
medium’s earliest and most intricate cities. will quickly stand out.)
designing point-and-click
Part of the richness of adventure game The focus on depth also comes at the cost of
adventures and RPGs. It lets
you name, create, and join urbanism can be attributed to the genre’s width, as many adventure game cities consist of
rooms in all the ways that requirements for solid world-building, and to the relatively few locations. If a city is to be convincing,
matter, is completely free, slow, methodical pace of their gameplay, which though, that level of detail needs to be matched
and can be found over at allows players to take in all the details. Similarly, by a sense of scale, and it’s here that maps
wfmag.cc/Trizbort. cities are perfect locations for adventure games: can come in useful. They can show the relation
they can serve as pithy encapsulations of larger between one place and another, tie locations
settings, and the best of them are packed with together, and fill in missing spaces, implying a
character, history, overlapping systems, and wider geography. Panoramic views are useful
countless people to talk to. too, as are cutscenes, in-dialogue references to a
The adventure genre’s ‘look at’ and ‘examine’ wider reality, and brief travelling animations.
verbs offer ways to subtly provide depth and Space constraints also mean the look of each
granularity, while also allowing for the inclusion of city has to be distilled to its essentials. Locations
a multitude of non-essential details. Players take need to be curated, and become symbolic or
characteristic of their wider region and themes.
The pirate town of Woodtick in Monkey Island 2
– which consists of half-sunken and stranded
ships – is tiny, but remains one of gaming’s most
iconic locations. It certainly feels much bigger
than its constituent parts: a scrolling background
connecting a handful of interiors. Similarly, local
history doesn’t have to be conveyed via tedious
 Modern open worlds seen exposition – indie masterpiece Unavowed simply
from the traditional 2D
adventure game perspective tells us the story behind Wall Street’s name (it was
are both rare, and, as
Thimbleweed Park proved,
where the old Dutch city’s walls stood) to remind
incredibly enjoyable. us of New York’s long history.

48 / wfmag.cc
 Toolbox
Advice

 n evocative background
A


blocked off in a logical

way can imply a much
larger space, as we can
see in Grim Fandango.

 he brilliantly nautical
T


Woodtick from Monkey
Island 2: LeChuck’s
Revenge – surely one of
the great adventure
game locations.

INSPIRING EXAMPLES
Adventure game urbanism overflows with ideas,
successes, and smart designs. Infocom’s text-only
A Mind Forever Voyaging was one of the medium’s
first truly evolving cities, and the original Leisure
Suit Larry was a masterpiece in cleverly restricting
its explorable world via gameplay boundaries:
try to cross a road, and a car will run you
over; enter a dark alley, and you’ll be mugged.
But when speaking of the greats, we can’t forget
the stunning metropolis of the afterlife: Grim
Fandango’s Rubacava (1998). space. On the subject of complex places, the
Rubacava feels grounded, and allows players world of Propast from Dreamfall Chapters is also
to connect to it via its protagonist, Manny worth closer study. Propast draws inspiration
Calavera. He gets to actually live in the city, as from cities such as Berlin and Prague, and
a full year takes place off-screen, and he goes movies like Blade Runner and Judge Dredd. It feels
from a nobody to a club owner. As Manny like a logical evolution of European urbanism,
establishes a connection to Rubacava, so do preserving traditions and monuments while also
players. Clever writing like this provides much serving corporate behemoths.
of the city’s vibrancy, all supported by a superb Despite its modest size, Propast isn’t easy to VIRTUAL SCUMM
musical score, and Peter Chan’s stunning art. navigate, though the game makes up for this by Researching the civic spaces,
Well-chosen references beyond the confines densely packing its locations with life. Streets and maps, systems, and immersion
of pop culture create a alleys are overflowing with techniques of a gaming genre
blend of noir literature activity, and people lead that goes back decades and
“Many adventure game spans dozens of platforms
and cinematography, varied and convincing lives
Mexican folklore, and
cities consist of relatively in spaces designed not
would have been an almost

Mesoamerican history. The few locations” as backdrops, but for a

impossible task were it not for
the brilliance of ScummVM.
city’s striking architecture society to actually function It’s an open-source program
combines Aztec and Art Deco elements, providing in. Locals merely suspect the dystopian nature that lets you run countless
spatial immersion on a grand scale. It feels bigger of their setting, and refuse to give up hope. classic adventure games by
and older than any individual, even if its size is They still care and try to find ways to challenge such studios as Sierra On-Line,
mainly implied by the scale of its buildings and oppression, and discuss their thoughts with Lucasfilm, Westwood Studios,
via cutscenes. friends and co-workers on the streets and bars Infocom, Cyan, and Revolution
The more traditional-looking Thimbleweed Park, of their city. It’s an example of how much life Software on a variety of modern
released in 2017, makes certain its 2D world is can be generated in a location, and well worth platforms. It’s available at
wfmag.cc/ScummVM.
slowly introduced and much easier to mentally exploring when thinking of making your own
map than Grim Fandango’s heavily abstracted entry in the genre.

wfmag.cc \ 49
 Toolbox
An introduction to recursive backtracking

Snakes, and an
Download
the code
from GitHub:
wfmag.cc/

introduction to
wfmag51

recursive backtracking
Make a snake navigate around a maze using recursive
backtracking. Andrew shows you how

AUTHOR
ANDREW GILLETT
Andrew Gillett is a tutor and programmer who has
worked on ten published games including RollerCoaster
Tycoon 3, LostWinds 2, and Kinectimals.

E
arlier this year I launched Partition Bomberman game it might have been doable,
Sector, my first release as a solo but the need for the AI to understand a wide
developer. It’s a Bomberman-style range of power-ups and game modes made
multiplayer game with several team- it unfeasible.
based game modes, including My plans changed into a game which is nothing
Capture the Flag, Battle Royale and King of the like Bomberman, but rather more like the word
Hill. During development, I thought a number game Boggle, where players must find words
of times about whether I should add computer- within a grid of randomised letters. It’s fairly
controlled bots to the game. However, writing straightforward to write code that finds every
decent bot artificial intelligence (AI) for this kind possible word within a Boggle board.
of game would have been a considerable In the grid shown in Figure 1, various words
challenge. Computer players would have to take can be made by choosing a starting letter and
many factors into account, combining the need then making a series of moves from there. Unlike
to place bombs in suitable positions with in a crossword or traditional word search puzzle,
the desire not to get blown up. For a simple you can change direction as many times as you
like in the course of making a word – the only
restriction is that you can’t use the same tile more
than once.
To find all possible words on a Boggle board,
you can use a technique known as recursive
backtracking. Imagine starting with the letter D on
the top left-hand side of the board. Before we do
anything else, we’re going to check a dictionary
to see if ‘D’ on its own is a word. It’s not. The next
step is to check a dictionary to see if there are
any words that start with D. There are, of course,
so we’re then going to explore a series of possible
 Figure 1: A Boggle grid
– just starting from the words. Let’s start by going to the right, so that we
first letter, we can make now have ‘DO’. Obviously, that’s a word, so we’re
the words do, door, dope,
don, done, and doner. off to a good start – we’ll print it out.

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 Toolbox
An introduction to recursive backtracking

 our snakes in Partition

F


Sector. The snakes use
player head sprites for their
We then check to see if there are any words longer by eating brick walls, but turns back head and body parts.

that start with ‘DO’. There are, so we’ll go further into a (temporarily stunned) normal player if it
down this path, again by moving to the right, so gets trapped. Each time it reaches the centre
we now have ‘DOQ’. That’s not a word, and there of a grid square, it can choose to go in a new
aren’t any words that start with that, so there’s direction, although it can’t do a 180° turn as it
no point in going any deeper down this rabbit would collide with its own body. I realised that
hole. At this point, we backtrack, and go back to I could implement snake AI using a recursive
the situation where we were looking for words backtracking algorithm, similar to the one that
starting with ‘DO’. We’ve solves Boggle boards.
already checked the “My plans changed into a I created a new game
letter Q to the right, so mode named Snake
now we’ll go clockwise
game which is more like the Hunter, where players
and check the letter O to word game, Boggle” cooperate to destroy
the bottom right. ‘DOO’ AI-controlled snakes.
isn’t a word, but there are words that start with The snakes aim to grow longer by eating brick
that, so we’ll repeat the process again – which will walls, and try to avoid getting trapped – defined
lead to finding the word ‘DOOR’. What we have as reaching a tile where there’s nowhere to go.
here is an algorithm that tries each possible path Players can bomb a snake to halve its length – a
through the board, but skips paths that clearly snake dies when its body is only four tiles long.
aren’t going to be successful. The code below shows a simplified version
of the snake AI from Partition Sector, recreated
POWER-UP using Python and Pygame Zero.
What does this have to do with a Bomberman
game? One of the power-ups in Partition Sector import pgzrun
turns the player into a snake, in the style of the from random import randint
old Nokia phone game. The snake can grow

wfmag.cc \ 51
 Toolbox
An introduction to recursive backtracking

WIDTH,HEIGHT = 1200,448 new_head_pos = (head_pos[0] + dir[0],

FUNCTION FUN MAX_DEPTH = 20 head_pos[1] + dir[1])
GRID_SQ_SIZE = 64 new_snake = [new_head_pos] + snake
A recursive function is a
TILE_SPRITES = {‘X’: ‘gridblock’, ‘.’: ‘wall’} result = snake_step_score(0, MAX_DEPTH,
function that calls itself.
Each time the function calls DIRECTIONS = ((1, 0), (-1, 0), (0, 1), (0, -1)) new_snake)
itself, another instance of that if result > best_score:
function is added to an area GRID = [‘XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX’, best_score = result
of memory known as the call ‘X.. . .. X’, best_snake = new_snake
stack. Each instance of the ‘X.X X.X X X X X X X’, new_pos_eats_wall = GRID[new_head_
function has its own separate ‘X .. .. . .. X’, pos[1]][new_head_pos[0]] == ‘.’
copy of its local variables. ‘X X X X X X X X X X’,
A recursive function always
‘X . . .. . X’, if best_snake != None:
needs what’s known as a base
‘XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX’] snake = best_snake
case, where it stops calling
if not new_pos_eats_wall:
itself and instead returns a
value – the lack of a base def snake_step_score(score, depth, snake): snake = snake[:-1]
case leads to the recursive head_pos = snake[0] else:
equivalent of an infinite loop, square = GRID[head_pos[1]][head_pos[0]] new_head_pos = snake[0]
which will ultimately result in a if square == ‘ ‘: change_grid_pos(new_head_pos[1],
stack overflow error. snake = snake[:-1] new_head_pos[0], ‘ ‘)
if square == ‘X’ or head_pos in snake[1:]:
return score/2 def update():
elif square == ‘.’: update_snake()
score += 2
else: def draw():
score += 1 screen.clear()
for row in range(len(GRID)):
if depth <= 0: for col in range(len(GRID[row])):
return score square = GRID[row][col]
if square in TILE_SPRITES:
best_score = 0 x = col * GRID_SQ_SIZE
for dir in DIRECTIONS: y = row * GRID_SQ_SIZE
new_head_pos = (head_pos[0]+dir[0], screen.blit(TILE_SPRITES[square], (x,
head_pos[1]+dir[1]) y))
result = snake_step_score(score, depth-1, pos = (col, row)
[new_head_pos]+snake) if pos in snake:
best_score = max(result, best_score) if pos == snake[0]:
image = ‘snakehead’
return best_score else:
image = ‘snakebody2’
snake = [(1,1)] screen.blit(image, (col * GRID_SQ_SIZE,
row * GRID_SQ_SIZE))
def change_grid_pos(row,col,char):
grid_row = GRID[row] pgzrun.go()
new_row = grid_row[:col] + char + grid_
row[col+1:] SNAKE PASS
GRID[row] = new_row In this code, a snake is defined as a list of
pairs of grid coordinates. So for example,
def update_snake(): [(1,1),(2,1),(3,1)] represents a snake with its head
global snake at (1,1), and two tail parts in the squares to the
head_pos = snake[0] right. On each update, the snake looks at the
best_score, best_snake = 0, None available exits from its current head position,
new_pos_eats_wall = False and essentially imagines a series of paths it
for dir in DIRECTIONS: could take from each exit. Each possible path

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 Toolbox
An introduction to recursive backtracking

A screenshot from Partition


Sector’s development – the
numbers shown in certain
has an associated score – a high-scoring path is snake_step_score starts by checking to see if squares are path scores
calculated in the snake
one where the snake can travel for a long time the grid square under the snake’s head is an AI code.
without reaching a dead end. Bonus points are empty space – i.e. no edible wall or solid wall. If
given for paths that include edible brick walls. it is an empty space, that means the snake isn’t
The snake will choose the exit which includes going to grow in length, so we need to remove
the highest-scoring path. the last tail piece to account for the fact that a
The key function in assessing the paths is new head piece was added at the front. The next
snake_step_score. This recursive function receives check is to see whether the square is blocked.
three values. score is the current score for the That could be due to a solid wall, or it could be
path currently being assessed. depth indicates because part of the snake’s tail is in that square.
how many more steps ahead we will look before In that case, it’s not a path we can go down
returning. Without this, the program would try
to look an infinite number of steps ahead! snake
is the state of the snake on the current path.
When update_snake is called, we loop through
the four possible directions in which we could
go. For each direction, we determine what the
new head position would be, and create the list
new_snake, which consists of the existing snake
but with the new head position at the front.
At this stage new_snake assumes that a wall will
be eaten, so will be one unit longer than before
– whether or not a wall is eaten, and what to
do about it, is dealt with later.
We then call snake_step_score. This will
eventually return the best possible score
from going in the current direction. We give it
an initial score of zero, the constant MAX_DEPTH 
 igure 2: A small level with
F
and new_snake. a snake at position (1,1).

wfmag.cc \ 53
 Toolbox
An introduction to recursive backtracking

be eaten. The empty squares are stored

as spaces.
In update_snake, we call snake_step_score
for each direction, starting with right and left.
Because there are impassable walls in each of
those directions, snake_step_score returns zero.
That’s also the case for up, which is checked last.
When we check down, however, things get more
interesting. Grid position (1,2) contains an edible
wall, so score goes up by two. We then get to the
recursive stage. We first check the path to the
right of (1,2), using a recursive call to snake_step_
score. (2,2) is an empty square – as the snake
 Figure 3: The coloured won’t be eating anything here, we score one
arrows show the point and remove the last entry from the snake
possible paths through
our simple maze. list, to balance out the effect of having added
the new head position to the front of the list. It’s
important to note here that the snake variable
any further, so we return the current score in snake_step_score is not the same as the snake
divided by 100. As for why, I’ll explain that later. global variable. The latter is the current, ‘official’
If there isn’t a blockage, we add either 1 or 2 to snake, which is updated once per frame based
the current score depending on whether we’re on the chosen direction, and displayed on the
looking at an empty space or an edible wall. screen – whereas each recursive instance of
Each step along the path is good, but an edible snake_step_score has its own snake, which is the
wall is considered to be better. snake being assessed at the current point along
The next step is to check to see if depth has a possible future path.
reached one. If so, we have searched as far From (2,2), up and down are impassable walls
as we’re allowed to down this path, and we and going left would mean colliding with the
haven’t hit a dead end, so we’ll just return the body of the snake on the current path. So the
current score. next square along this path is (3,2). Again, we
The next part is very similar to the direction- score one point and remove the last tail piece.
checking code in update_snake. For each of the From here, going left or right result in immediate
four possible directions, we make a recursive collisions, so the only valid moves are up or down.
call to snake_step_score. We pass in the current Each of these squares is a dead end containing
score, depth-1 and a new snake list which an edible wall, so both will score two points.
consists of the existing snake with the new By this point in these two paths, illustrated in
head position added at the front. The process red and green in Figure 3, the total score will be
described above repeats for each step of each six. But the game doesn’t yet know that these
possible path. At the end of snake_step_score are dead ends – that happens when we do the
we return the best score returned from the next recursive calls to snake_step_score, which
recursive calls. will find that there are no valid moves from
Before we look at a concrete example, I’ll these squares. That means the final returned
address why hitting an obstacle causes the value from both paths ends up as 0.06, as we
code to return the current score divided by 100, divide the score by 100. That’s still a better score
rather than zero. Hitting an obstacle is bad, so than the blue path, which will be assessed next,
we want to return a very low score, but we still as the algorithm backtracks to (1,2). The blue
want to favour a long path which ends in a dead path will return 0.03 – two points for a brick wall,
end, over a short path which ends in a dead end. one point for an empty square, then divide by
Let’s run through an example scenario. 100 because it’s a dead end. The end result of
Figure 2 (overleaf) shows a very small level, all this, back in update_snake, is that the snake
with a snake at position (1,1). The grey blocks, head will move down by one square, from (1,1)
represented in GRID by ‘X’, are impassable. The to (1,2), because down returned a score of 0.06
brick walls, represented by a dot character, can whereas up, left, and right, being impassable

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 Toolbox
An introduction to recursive backtracking

walls, returned zero. Because the new square also dynamically varies MAX_DEPTH based on how
contains a wall, we won’t remove the tail piece, long the previous snake update took, so it can
so the snake now has a length of two. We adapt to a variety of level sizes and CPU speeds.
replace the wall with an empty square using This kind of algorithm can result in emergent
change_grid_pos. On the next frame, the whole behaviour, where the complexity involved makes
process is repeated, except this time the starting it very difficult for a programmer to predict how
point is a snake with its head at (1,2) and its tailit will behave in practice. During development of
at (1,1). This time the decision will be to go to the Python version, I occasionally came across
the right, because that’s a better prospect than a situation where the snake would fail to go for
going down. certain edible walls, even though the scoring
system incentivises it to do so, and it wasn’t in
THE DOWNSIDE any danger of getting trapped. When the snake
The main downside of this algorithm is that it reached a particular point on the grid near
can get massively CPU-intensive. In the example these walls, it had a choice of going either down, FURTHER
above, all paths quickly ended in a dead end. which would lead it to eat the walls, or left, which
READING
On a larger level, or one which contained places would take it past them. The snake always went
For more on the subject
where the snake could left. I eventually realised
of AI and pathfinding,
go round in a loop “Hitting an obstacle is bad, why – when it went
check out Paul Roberts’
indefinitely, we need to left, the snake could
put a limit on how many
so we want to return a very see that one of the
feature on the subject,
An introduction to
steps ahead we look. low score” possible paths along this pathfinding in games, in
This is the purpose of direction would lead it issue 48’s Toolbox. You
the MAX_DEPTH constant. On anything other than to eat the walls later on. Therefore, both the left can purchase a copy or
a very small level, making changes to this will and down directions scored the same. Because download a PDF from
have a big effect on performance. If it’s too high, the code in update_snake assesses the horizontal wfmag.cc/48
situations where the snake has many possible directions before the vertical ones, it ends up
paths in front of it could cause the game to favouring left over down when those directions
freeze up for seconds at a time, as the code may give the same score. It just so happened that in
have to evaluate tens or hundreds of thousands this situation, the end result was that it would
of possible paths. On the other hand, if MAX_ never eat those walls. One way of fixing this
DEPTH is too low, the snake won’t be looking very would be to give a higher score to paths which
far ahead and may end up going down a path lead to eating walls sooner rather than later.
which ends in a dead end. You can download the full code and image
For the snake code in Partition Sector, I files at GitHub (wfmag.cc/wfmag51), which
had to make some sacrifices for the sake of includes additional comments, plus some extra
performance. Although the game is written in code in update which randomly adds edible walls
C++, which performs a lot better than Python, to the level over time.
the snake AI code needs to run quickly enough
to allow the game to maintain 60 frames per Partition Sector is out now on Steam.
second. One sacrifice I had to make is that
unlike the Python version of the code, the
original snake AI doesn’t take into account the
movement of the snake’s tail as it checks each
possible path. Taking this into account means
having to make copy of the entire snake list for
each recursive call to snake_step_score. This had
too much of a performance penalty to make it
feasible. Unlike the Python code, the C++ version
 he call tree for the
T

allows more than one CPU core to be used – for example paths in Figure 2,
example, one core can be checking the paths showing how snake_score_
step calls itself recursively
down from the current head square, while for each square along a
another can be simultaneously checking the path. Squares which
cannot be moved into are
paths above the current square. The C++ version not shown.

wfmag.cc \ 55
 Toolbox
Advice

Obra Dinn:
The Rule of Three
Return of the Obra Dinn is a puzzling and
storytelling masterpiece. Antony investigates
what makes its narrative design tick

AUTHOR
ANTONY DE FAULT
Antony is Wireframe’s game writing and narrative design
columnist. He’s also creative director of Far Few Giants, and you can
find his work on default.games or @antony_de_fault on Twitter.

R
eturn of the Obra Dinn is a deduction For example, I approach a disembodied arm,
game. It describes itself as an and I ‘use’ the watch on it. I hear a scuffle, some
insurance adventure, which is a clashes of steel, a meaty slicing sound, then
very literal description; you are an gurgling cries dying down to a whimper. I then
insurance assessor, and journey see a diorama of a passenger lying on the ground
one stormy evening to the good ship Obra Dinn, armless, in their moment of death, and perhaps
which has mysteriously reappeared after five also see a scimitar-wielding sailor stood over
years lost at sea. There are no evident survivors. them, wide-eyed. From this, I deduce that the
It’s your job to complete a report chronicling the sailor killed the passenger. I open my journal, into
fate of everybody on board. To do so, you use a which I must enter a) the victim’s identity, b) their
magic pocket watch called the Memento Mortem. mode of death, and c) their killer via a set of three
When ‘activated’ near a corpse, the watch multiple-choice fields. Some modes of death
 ou never know
Y
will replay the last few things they heard, and preclude a killer, such as suicide or accident, but


where the watch

will take you, as show you a still-life diorama of the location and most ‘fates’, as the game calls them, require these
many aboard died
somewhere other moment of their death. three components. The only problem is, I don’t
than their final know the names of either character. But I have a
resting place.
few unlabelled drawings of the crew, and also the
ship’s crew manifest, which gives me the names,
nationalities, and titles (such as second mate,
midshipman, or passenger) of everyone who was
aboard. So, since the mode of death is usually
obvious (in this case, I select ‘was killed with a
sword’), the real puzzle lies in identifying the souls
who embarked on this cursed voyage.

IDENTIFICATION
So, it’s thinking time. Let’s say that, as another
individual expires of flu, I hear “Roll the dice,
Eddie!” yelled in the background. When I look
around in his moment of death, I notice a man
with dice in his hand and a scimitar on his hip. I’ve
not seen anyone else with a scimitar, and there’s
only one ‘Edward’ on the crew manifest! Maybe I

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 Toolbox
Advice

 n example of a
A


death diorama.
Accessing the corpse
of the hanging man
allows us to view this
exact moment,
frozen in time.

also see the passenger, sketching in a notebook. One such example which seems to be very
Is he, in fact, not a passenger, but the ship’s artist, common in people’s playthroughs is regarding
Giorgio? I select this combination in my book: a) the identities of the Chinese sailors. Let’s say we OBSERVER
Giorgio b) was killed with a sword by c) Edward. see a sailor clearly being crushed by falling rigging. EFFECT
Ding ding! That’s correct. But, when my He spoke a Chinese language in the moments As I’ve previously written,
deductions are true, the game doesn’t always before his death, so you can quickly guess that one of the hardest things
verify its accuracy straight away. If it did, I could he’s one of the four Chinese aboard. But they I’ve encountered in narrative
design is finding a way to
simply sit and try every combination of names, never refer to each other by name. So you take
recognise a player’s deduction,
or at least if I knew one of these characters’ a stab, perhaps selecting ‘Huang Li’, first in the without the very mechanic
names but not the other, I could click through list. A little later, three other fates are verified, but you use to verify their input
the others until the not this one, so you know revealing too much information
itself. In a classic RPG, for
game verified the correct “Obra Dinn makes the crushed man isn’t Li
example, I might only be given
answer. Instead, Obra and you instead change
Dinn verifies fates in sets
you feel smarter than the name to ‘Jie Zhang’.
three dialogue options: 1)
Edward dismembered him, 2)
of three at a time. It’s the you really are” More are verified, and still Giorgio fell on a sword, or 3) a
rule of three: as soon as no luck. So you change it beast ripped his arm off. The
very presentation of options
three deaths have been accurately logged, the to ‘Ban Lim’. Fifteen minutes later, another three
severely limits the range of
game pulls me out of the action and lets me are verified and this time – bingo! – Lim was the possibilities, here so much so
know that they were correct, stamping them one who got smushed after all. You’ve solved the that a dumb guess has a good
permanently into the insurance ledger. puzzle using your brain, yes, but that wasn’t an chance of being correct.
actual deduction, you simply figured out how to
EVALUATION manipulate the game design.
This is an elegant way of dealing with the issue
of player solution input in deductive games, PLAY VS PURITY
and Obra Dinn’s is nearly there. The multiple- Overall, Obra Dinn is an admirable attempt to
choice lists are extensive enough to not be too solve the problem of input verification in narrative  he multiple choice
T


restrictive, although the list items give away some design. It tackles it head-on, and is highly list for fates is
sizeable, but
broader thematic clues. And waiting until you get playable: using the game’s systems, it’s difficult to suggestive. It
three sets of three-part entries precisely correct get stuck. Process of elimination and reviewing immediately
suggests that clawed
prevents most brute-force verification. But the earlier deaths with fresh eyes will usually give creatures will
rule of three mechanic does still lead, in my you everything required to solve harder fates, feature, for example.

own and every playthrough I’ve seen online, to a so you’re never left feeling dumb. Obra Dinn
reasonable amount of blindly fishing for answers. provides a whirlwind sort of deduction, which
Since any three fates can be verified together, makes you feel smarter than you really are. There
every time a verification occurs, you know for are imperfections – multiple-choice answers are
sure that any fate you’ve entered but which didn’t still revealing and are easily exploitable. But I, for
get verified is incorrect. Once you learn this, you one, can’t wait for the next breed of deduction
can use it to cycle between possible answers to games, which inherit what works from this design,
the incorrect fates. and attempt to transcend beyond.

wfmag.cc \ 57
 Toolbox
Make a Frogger-style arcade game

Make a Frogger-style
arcade game
Straight from Code the Classics, here’s how to
make your own road-crossing action game
Download
akin to Konami’s Frogger the code
from GitHub:
wfmag.cc/
AUTHORS ctc1
EBEN UPTON, DAVID CROOKES, AND ANDREW GILLET

R
eleased in 1981, Frogger was one complicating their journey. To keep players
of the most popular and enduring coming back for more, the developers made it
games from the golden age of difficult enough to ensure that failure would,
arcades – a top-down platformer at some point, be inevitable. The frustration
with rules that could be understood resulting from not being able to get all five frogs
at a glance. Players guided five frogs from the to their various homes on the riverbank was all
bottom of the screen to the safety of their that was needed to ensure the flow of cash into
home at the top, with such obstacles as a busy the arcade cabinet.
road and a treacherous river full of predators Frogger was a big hit for Japanese studio
Konami, but what really helped spread its
popularity was its array of ports to home
computers and consoles. Programmer John D.
Harris was responsible for two of those ports –
the Atari 400 and 800 computer versions, which
were among the games used at the first video
game world championships, held in January 1983.

 agazine advert for

M


Sega’s home computer

conversions.

 A Frogger coin-op was

featured in ‘The
Frogger’ episode of the
sitcom Seinfeld.

 ome versions, including John’s Atari 800 game, had

H


to convert this to a horizontal TV screen.

58 / wfmag.cc
 Toolbox
Make a Frogger-style arcade game

The Frogger coin‑op featured a



vertical screen arrangement.

Harris used the 48kB Atari 800 as his the original source code was stolen, and work
development platform, albeit with some extra had to start over almost from the beginning.
CHALLENGES
hardware to help out: he had an Axlon RAMDisk In the meantime, though, here’s how to make
ActiveRow.update ensures a
that lent an extra 128kB of memory, a high- your own modern take on Frogger – with code
minimum distance of 240
speed floppy disk interface made by LE Systems, by Raspberry Pi’s Eben Upton and graphics
pixels between the start of
and an Austin-Franklin 80-Column Board which designed by the legendary Dan Malone, may we one child object and the start
presented an 80-column by 25-character screen present Infinite Bunner… of the next – or half that for
display on a monitor. With those in hand, he rows where child objects
began to deconstruct the original game and make RUN RABBIT RUN have a speed of 2. A random
notes about the various aspects of its gameplay. Infinite Bunner is our take on the classic Frogger factor varies the distance
“In the years to come, the Atari would forever gameplay. The original game takes place on a between each child object.
establish itself in my mind as one of the greatest single screen, with a busy road at the bottom These rules apply to both
Road and Water rows – but
computers ever made,” Harris says. “People and a river at the top. In our game, the level is
how would you make it so
were still discovering procedurally generated
that each of those row types
new graphic tricks and “What helped Frogger and scrolls continuously.
could have its own custom
techniques ten years The player must
spread its popularity values or rules for the
after the machine progress fast enough spacing of child objects?
was introduced. If you was its array of ports to avoid falling off the Try adding a new type of row
compare the latest to home computers” bottom of the screen – to the game – perhaps lava,
programs written for if this happens, an Eagle ice, or space? The graphics
the Atari with the earliest programs, the huge flies down the screen and catches the player, could initially be a copy and
difference between them is a testament to the resulting in Game Over. recolouring of an existing
row type. More importantly,
magic they accomplished with its design.” The level is divided into a series of sections,
you’ll need to think about
You’ll find the full story of Frogger ’s Atari each of a particular type – Grass, Dirt, Road,
whether the new row will be a
400/800 development in Code the Classics, Pavement, Rail, or Water. Each section is made up
variation on an existing one,
Raspberry Pi’s book about classic games, how of a series of rows, where each row corresponds or have a completely new
they were made, and how you can recreate to one sprite from the images folder. Rows are gameplay mechanic.
them in Python. The Frogger chapter goes into 40 pixels high, although you may notice that
far more detail about Harris’ experiences – some of the sprites are 60 pixels high; this is just
including the heart-stopping moment where a visual effect – the sprite overhangs the row

wfmag.cc \ 59
 Toolbox
Make a Frogger-style arcade game

Trains hurtle along the rail tracks, while various coloured cars move right and left along the roads.


above, but the row is still considered 40 pixels a class called MyActor, which in turn inherits from
high for gameplay purposes. Pygame Zero’s built-in Actor class. MyActor works
Road, Water, and Rail sections all feature just like Actor except that it overrides the update
moving objects: Cars, Logs, and trains (the latter and draw methods in order to update and draw
has no class of its own). Grass sections may the list of child objects. It also ensures objects
contain Hedges, which the are drawn at the correct
player must walk around. “All rows inherit from the position on screen,
Because these objects taking the scrolling of the
 hese paved areas
T Row class. This performs


provide a welcome always stay within their level into account.

breather between
furious bouts of rows, we classify them several important tasks, All rows inherit
hopping.
as child objects of the such as collision detection” from the Row class.
rows. Child objects are This performs several
drawn relative to their parent rows – e.g. if a important tasks, such as collision detection.
road row has a Y coordinate of 200, and a car on Some of the methods provide default results,
the road has a Y coordinate of 10, the car would which can be overridden in inherited classes.
be drawn at Y coordinate 210. To provide this For example, the push method – called by the
functionality, all objects in the game inherit from player to determine movement on the X axis –

RANDOM ROWS
The __init__ (constructor) method of the Game class creates a list to contain the rows.
To begin with, this just contains a single Grass row. This will be the first row, and will appear
at the bottom of the screen – but how does the game decide which types of rows to create
after that? Each row class – Grass, Road, Dirt, Rail, Pavement, and Water – has a next method,
which decides what the next row will be. Each method makes a decision based on the current
row’s index – in other words, the number of the row’s sprite.
There are 16 grass and dirt sprites, four rail sprites, six road sprites, three pavement
sprites, and eight water sprites. These sprites only tile together correctly in certain
combinations – for example, Grass 6 must be followed by Grass 7. So some of the rules in
the next methods ensure that such rows occur in the correct sequence. Other rules make
random choices as to which row comes next. For example, a sequence of Grass or Dirt rows
is followed by either Road or Water.
Random probabilities of rows can also be used to determine how many rows of certain
types occur in sequence. In the case of Water rows, there are always at least two in sequence,
but after the second one, there’s always a 50-50 chance of another, up to a maximum of
seven. The use of randomness ensures that the level is different each time you play.

60 / wfmag.cc
 Toolbox
Make a Frogger-style arcade game

HEDGE MASKS
Grass rows sometimes contain Hedges. These block certain parts of the row, requiring the
player to make a detour around them. The function generate_hedge_mask decides the layout of
hedge segments in a row. A mask is a series of Boolean values which allow or prevent parts
of an underlying image from showing through. This function creates a mask representing the
presence or absence of hedges in a Grass row. False means
a hedge is present; True represents a gap.
Initially we create a list of twelve elements. For each
element there is a small chance of a gap, but often all
elements will be False, representing a hedge with no gaps.
We then randomly set one element to True, to ensure
that there is always at least one gap that the player can
get through. Single‑tile gaps aren’t wide enough for the
player to fit through, so the next step is to widen any gaps
to a minimum of three tiles. Once the mask has been
generated, the function classify_hedge_segment is used to
determine which sprite to use for each hedge segment.

these child objects. The two subclasses override

a number of methods – one key example being  he scrolling backdrop is
T


contructed from
check_collision. The Bunner.update method
horizontal rows such as
calls this to find out if the player has collided dirt, grass, and rail tracks.
 ogs provide a shift in challenge,
L with something, and if so, what to do about


since they have to be landed on

rather than avoided. it. In the case of Road, colliding with a car kills
the player and replaces the player sprite with
the ‘splat’ image (see the sprites below left).
returns zero, resulting in no movement. In the For Water, however, colliding with a log is a good
Water class, however, this method is overridden, thing, whereas not colliding with a log ends the
and causes the player to move on the X axis if game and replaces the player sprite with the
they’re currently sitting on a log. ‘splash’ animation.
The ActiveRow class inherits from Row, and is The Game class maintains a reference to
the base class for Water and Road. What those the player object, and is also responsible for
two classes have in common is that they both creating, updating, and deleting rows.
feature moving objects (logs and cars) which The final part of the code uses a simple
start just off-screen and move horizontally. state machine system to update and draw the
ActiveRow deals with creating and destroying game objects.

This feature is taken from

Code the Classics : a lavish,
244-page book that relates
the stories of seminal 1970s
and 1980s video games,
and also shows you how
to create modern games
inspired by them in Python
and Pygame Zero. You can
order your copy right now at
wfmag.cc/ctc.

Movement and splat frames for our bunny.



wfmag.cc \ 61
 Toolbox
Make a Frogger-style arcade game

Infinite Bunner Download

the code
The code here is just a small sample – the full program and assets can be downloaded directly from our GitHub: from GitHub:
wfmag.cc/CTC1-bunner. Open the bunner.py file in a Python editor, such as IDLE, and select Run > Run Module. wfmag.cc/
ctc1
from pygame import mixer
from random import * class PlayerState(Enum):
from enum import Enum ALIVE = 0,
import pygame, pgzrun, pzgero, sys SPLAT = 1,
SPLASH = 2,
if sys.version_info < (3,6): EAGLE = 3
print(“This game requires at least version 3.6 of Python. Please
download it \ from www.python.org”) DIRECTION_UP = 0
sys.exit() DIRECTION_RIGHT = 1
DIRECTION_DOWN = 2
if pgzero.__version__ != “1.2”: DIRECTION_LEFT = 3
print(“This game requires at least version 1.2 of Pygame Zero.
You are using \ version {pgzero.version}. If this is older than direction_keys = [keys.UP, keys.RIGHT, keys.DOWN, keys.LEFT]
1.2, please upgrade using the \ command ‘pip install --upgrade
pgzero’”) DX = [0,4,0,-4]
DY = [-4,0,4,0]
WIDTH = 480
HEIGHT = 800 class Bunner(MyActor):
TITLE = “Infinite Bunner” MOVE_DISTANCE = 10

ROW_HEIGHT = 40 def __init__(self, pos):

DEBUG_SHOW_ROW_BOUNDARIES = False super().__init__(“blank”, pos)

class MyActor(Actor): self.state = PlayerState.ALIVE

def __init__(self, image, pos, anchor=(“center”, “bottom”)): self.direction = 2
super().__init__(image, pos, anchor) self.timer = 0
self.input_queue = []
self.children = [] self.min_y = self.y

def draw(self, offset_x, offset_y): def handle_input(self, dir):

self.x += offset_x for row in game.rows:
self.y += offset_y if row.y == self.y + Bunner.MOVE_DISTANCE * DY[dir]:
new_row = row
super().draw() break
for child_obj in self.children:
child_obj.draw(self.x, self.y) if new_row.allow_movement(self.x + Bunner.MOVE_DISTANCE *
DX[dir]):
self.x -= offset_x self.direction = dir
self.y -= offset_y self.timer = Bunner.MOVE_DISTANCE
game.play_sound(“jump”, 1)
def update(self):
for child_obj in self.children: def update(self):
child_obj.update() for direction in range(4):
if key_just_pressed(direction_keys[direction]):
class Eagle(MyActor): self.input_queue.append(direction)
def __init__(self, pos):
super().__init__(“eagles”, pos) if self.state == PlayerState.ALIVE:
if self.timer == 0 and len(self.input_queue) > 0:
self.children.append(MyActor(“eagle”, (0, -32))) self.handle_input(self.input_queue.pop(0))

def update(self): land = False

self.y += 12

62 / wfmag.cc
 Toolbox
Make a Frogger-style arcade game

if self.timer > 0:
self.x += DX[self.direction] def update(self):
self.y += DY[self.direction] self.x += self.dx
self.timer -= 1
land = self.timer == 0 class Car(Mover):
SOUND_ZOOM = 0
current_row = None SOUND_HONK = 1
for row in game.rows:
if row.y == self.y: def __init__(self, dx, pos):
current_row = row image = “car” + str(randint(0, 3)) + (“0” if dx < 0 else “1”)
break super().__init__(dx, image, pos)

if current_row: self.played = [False, False]

self.state, dead_obj_y_offset = current_row.check_ self.sounds = [(“zoom”, 6), (“honk”, 4)]
collision(self.x)
def play_sound(self, num):
if self.state == PlayerState.ALIVE: if not self.played[num]:
self.x += current_row.push() game.play_sound(*self.sounds[num])
self.played[num] = True
if self.y > game.scroll_pos + HEIGHT + 80:
game.eagle = Eagle((self.x, game.scroll_pos)) class Log(Mover):
self.state = PlayerState.EAGLE def __init__(self, dx, pos):
self.timer = 150 image = “log” + str(randint(0, 1))
game.play_sound(“eagle”) super().__init__(dx, image, pos)

if land: class Train(Mover):

current_row.play_sound() def __init__(self, dx, pos):
else: image = “train” +str(randint(0, 2)) + (“0” if dx < 0 else
if self.state == PlayerState.SPLAT: “1”)
current_row.children.insert(0, MyActor(“splat” + \ super().__init__(dx, image, pos)
str(self.direction), (self.x, dead_obj_y_
offset))) class Row(MyActor):
self.timer = 100 def __init__(self, base_image, index, y):
super().__init__(base_image + str(index), (0, y), (“left”,
self.x = max(16, min(WIDTH - 16, self.x)) “bottom”))
else:
self.timer -= 1 self.index = index
self.dx = 0
self.min_y = min(self.min_y, self.y)
self.image = “blank” def next(self):
return
if self.state == PlayerState.ALIVE:
if self.timer > 0: def collide(self, x, margin=0):
self.image = “jump” + str(self.direction) for child_obj in self.children:
else: if x >= child_obj.x - (child_obj.width / 2) - margin \
self.image = “sit” + str(self.direction) and x < child_obj.x + (child_obj.width / 2) +
elif self.state == PlayerState.SPLASH and self.timer > 84: margin:
self.image = “splash” + str(int((100 - self.timer) / 2)) return child_obj

class Mover(MyActor): return None

def __init__(self, dx, image, pos):
super().__init__(image, pos) def push(self):
return 0
self.dx = dx ...

wfmag.cc \ 63
 Toolbox
Source Code

Exerion’s arcade flyer was careful to


push the game’s visual splendour.

Our homage to Exerion. You can’t



tell from a static image, but the

illusion of depth is amazing. Honest.
Source Code

Recreate Exerion’s
AUTHOR
pseudo-3D landscape
MARK VANSTONE Swoop over mountains in our homage to Jaleco’s shooter

T
aking the shooting action of with a list that contains the heights of each then while we’re drawing the stripes, we
Galaxian from a few years earlier, stripe, increasing as we go through the list. also draw the items which have the same
Japanese developer Jaleco Then in our draw() function, we run through index as the stripes, so they appear in
released Exerion in 1983. What the list, drawing the stripes downwards front. Once we have these two parts, we’ll
helped Exerion stand out from from the horizon using the heights in our have a continuous carousel of stripes and
other shoot-’em-ups of the period, though, list. Then we increase the height of each landscape items.
was its pseudo-3D background, which used stripe. When the first stripe reaches a certain Now we need the player aircraft. We can
both a scrolling landscape and moving height, we take the last one off the end of move it around using the arrow keys, but
background elements to create the illusion the list and add it to the beginning, resetting we want to have the background graphics
of depth. This was quite an achievement its height to the smallest. moving to give the impression of a 3D
considering the hardware of the day, and it’s The next items to code are the landscape landscape: if the player moves upwards,
still an eye-catching effect even now. details. These are buildings and hills that we move the horizon down, and do the
To recreate Exerion’s scrolling in Pygame we want to move with the stripes so that it opposite if the player moves downwards.
Zero, we need to break the effect down into looks as though the player’s flying over them We then apply a parallax effect to the
three main elements. The first is the scrolling as they scroll by. We need to do this in two landscape items. The way we do this is by
stripes that form the landscape’s base layer. sections as some will be drawn behind the moving the items at the back a small amount
These are followed by the elements that stripes as they’re over the horizon, while in the opposite direction from the player’s
roll over the landscape as it scrolls down others will be in front of the stripes. We’ll give movement, and as we work down through
the screen. Then thirdly, there’s the player’s each landscape item an index which ties it to the items, they move more and more.
movement, which affects both the other a stripe, but we’ll give items that are beyond This enhances the impression of depth.
two elements. Let’s start with the scrolling the horizon negative indexes, and those in Once we’ve added a tilt to the aircraft as
landscape, which is made of alternating front, positive. All the landscape items will it turns, we have the makings of an Exerion
coloured stripes. To give the sense of start with a negative index to indicate that clone. All that needs to be added are the
perspective, they start very thin on the they all start beyond the horizon. So in the aliens to shoot at – if you want to add
horizon and, as they move down the screen, draw() function, we have an initial loop to these, then you could take the Galaxian
they grow in thickness. We can create this draw all the items behind the horizon, and routine from last month’s Source Code.

64 / wfmag.cc
 Toolbox
Source Code

Download
the code
An Exerion landscape in Python from GitHub:
wfmag.cc/
Here’s Mark’s code, which will create a neat pseudo-3D effect in Python. To get it running on your wfmag51
system, you’ll need ot install Pygame Zero – full instructions are available at wfmag.cc/pgzero.

WIDTH = 600 col = startcol

HEIGHT = 800 for l in range(0, 10):
ship = Actor(‘ship’, center=(300, 700)) if landscape[l].index < 0:
count = 0 landscape[l].x = parallax(y)
startcol = 0 landscape[l].y = y - landscape[l].yoff
stripes = [] -(landscape[l].index*23)-30
for s in range(0, 20): landscape[l].yoff += 0.5
stripes.append((s+1)*4) landscape[l].draw()
landscape = [] for s in range(0, 20):
landitems = [1,2,3,3,2,1,2,3,2,3,1] col = col + 40
landindexes = [-5,-8,-10,-13,-14,-20,-22,-26,-28,-30,-31] if col > 40: col = 0
for l in range(0, 10): screen.draw.filled_rect(Rect((0, y), (600,
landscape.append(Actor(‘landscape’+str(landitems[l]), stripes[s])),(200,col,0))
center=(300,1000))) for l in range(0, 10):
landscape[l].index = landindexes[l] if landscape[l].index == s:
landscape[l].yoff = 0 landscape[l].y = y-stripes[s]-30
landscape[l].x = parallax(y)
def draw(): landscape[l].draw()
drawLand() y += stripes[s]-1
screen.draw.text(“EXERION ZERO”, center = (300, 60),
owidth=0.5, ocolor=(255,255,0), color=(255,0,0) , fontsize=80) def updateLandscape():
ship.draw() for l in range(0, 10):
landscape[l].index += 1
def update(): landscape[l].yoff = 0
global count,startcol if landscape[l].index > 20:
count += 1 landscape[l].index = -10
if keyboard.left and ship.x > 100:
if ship.angle < 30: ship.angle +=2 def parallax(y):
ship.x -= ship.angle/6 sh = (800-ship.y)/2
if keyboard.right and ship.x < 500: return ((300-ship.x) * ((y-sh)/500))+300
if ship.angle > -30: ship.angle -=2
ship.x -= ship.angle/6
if keyboard.up and ship.y > 400 : ship.y -= 4 Exerion’s pseudo-3D


effect helped the

if keyboard.down and ship.y < 750 : ship.y += 4 game stand out from
if not keyboard.left and not keyboard.right: the crowd of other
shooters packed into
if ship.angle > 0: ship.angle -= 2 arcades at the time.
if ship.angle < 0: ship.angle += 2
for s in range(0, 20):
stripes[s] += 0.2
if stripes[0] > 10:
stripes.insert(0, stripes.pop())
stripes[0] = 1
if startcol == 0:
startcol = 40
else:
startcol = 0
updateLandscape()

def drawLand():
sh = (800-ship.y)/2
screen.blit(“background”, (0, sh/2))
y = 300 + sh

wfmag.cc \ 65
 Toolbox
Advice

Indie reflections:
AUTHOR
JEFF SPOONHOWER
Making Anew Part 16
Jeff Spoonhower is a game
developer, artist, and
How do you make your game truly rewarding?
university professor who has
been working on triple-A and
Jeff has a few words of advice
indie games for over 18 years.

F
anewthegame.com
rom the start of production on our To add gameplay depth and interest in Anew, we
open-world action-adventure game, designed an expanded set of player movement
we set three high-level design goals: options, including sliding, wall-climbing, jet-packing,
create a large, beautiful world that and swimming. We also created several pilotable
encourages exploration and discovery; vehicles such as a dune buggy, flying saucer, rocket
design rewarding gameplay experiences that ship, and combat mech. These new forms of travel
encourage creative, experimental play through add variety and fun to the exploration and combat.
combinations of individual play mechanics; In Anew, acquiring new movement types acts
develop elements of gameplay that interact as a reward mechanism and allows players to
in ways which create interesting, unexpected experience the game in new and unexpected
results for the player. ways. For example, early
In this article, I’ll share “Acquiring new in the gameplay flow, the
some design philosophies player explores a cave, and
and techniques that we
movement types acts as discovers an alien rocket
implemented to achieve a reward mechanism” ship on a launch pad. The
these goals. player can climb in the
cockpit, but is unable to pilot the rocket. The
UP TO THE CHALLENGE player understands that this vehicle is important
We began by researching other games in our in some way, and their curiosity is piqued. Later in
 hat Metroidvania game
W genre (Metroidvania) in order to get a ‘lay of the the game, the player acquires an ‘actuator device’,


is complete without a host land’ for common design elements. We noticed which functions as a key to ignite the rocket ship.
of awesome weapons and
abilities to discover? that the player character almost always traversed The player can return to the cave with the device
 ur player upgrade system,
O
the world on foot, by running and jumping, but in hand and then pilot the rocket. The player is


based on chips and this can become boring after many hours of play. rewarded for their curiosity and for remembering
sockets, adds additional
depth to gameplay. how to navigate back to that specific location in the
game world. The rocket ship blasts off, giving the
player access to a secret area above the clouds,
effectively expanding the boundaries of the world.
The player collects a variety of weapons used
not only to dispatch enemies, but to strategically
navigate environments. Certain combinations
of bombs, reflecting laser beams, and bouncing
projectiles can be used to trigger puzzle switches,
open doors, and blast through rock barriers,
allowing progression through the world. Some
weapons have hidden functionality, such as the
shotgun, which can be used to boost the player
higher into the air when fired at the ground or
during jumps. Each weapon can be enhanced
using an upgrade system, another enticement and
reward mechanism for skilful play.

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 Toolbox
Advice

The player’s spacesuit features a fixed number

of available upgrade slots, which are fictionalised
as electrical sockets on the suit. While exploring  any gameplay
M


systems were
the world, the player finds computer chips in necessary to
hidden or difficult-to-access areas. On returning exposition through environmental storytelling. encourage the player
to experience our
to their ship, the player can plug the collected • Dangerous environmental hazards and traps, large open world.
chips into any available sockets on his suit. Each such as lava, poisonous fumes, electrified water,
chip has a specific gameplay effect on the player, rolling boulders, flaming geysers, quicksand,
such as increased movement speed or resistance and moving walls create additional challenges.
to extreme heat. This system allows the player to • The density, placement, health levels, and attack
creatively modify the rules of the game, leading to strengths of creatures and enemy characters
STEP BY STEP
unique and unexpected results. present in any given combat encounter affect
Complex, multifaceted
In much the same way that films are paced how the player plans their moves. gameplay systems don’t come
through the ebb and flow of dramatic conflict, • Locked doors restrict access to new abilities together quickly or easily. Attack
rhythm of dialogue, length of shots, and tempo or areas, and require the player to use a key, each of your planned ‘elements
of editing, gameplay pacing must be intentionally specific weapon, or combination of found items of fun’ one at a time, giving
each system or mechanic a due
planned and implemented. Well-paced gameplay in order to be unlocked.
amount of attention. Prototype,
has a profound impact on the player’s immersion • Puzzles require high levels of skill to solve and implement, test, and iterate
into the game world, and creates diversity and can involve trick shots using specific weapons, until it’s functional and relatively
variety in the moment-to-moment play experience. flipping switches, or pulling levers in a pattern bug-free. Thoroughly playtest it
Poorly paced games can cause problems such while on a timer. (internally and externally with
friends/family), then move
as gameplay fatigue (too much of one type of • Hidden rooms are usually discovered onto the next one. Scrap ideas
mechanic) or boredom (not enough variety accidentally and encourage exploration that don’t work as early as
in mechanics). We used the following design of environments and reward curious play. possible. If all goes well, each
techniques to create well-paced gameplay: Finding a hidden room and collecting rewards of these gameplay elements will
combine in new and unexpected
motivates the player to explore the world to
ways, which will result in more
•  ontrasting sizes of adjacent play spaces, such
C discover more of them. fun for your player.
as cramped tunnels connecting to cavernous • Easter eggs are prizes hidden in the game
rooms, and vice-versa; and shifts between world. They often break the fiction of the game
horizontal and vertical room layouts, which and are humorous. Easter eggs can provide
require the player to use a variety of movement meaningful rewards to the player, or they can
skills, weapons, and gear, create visual contrast simply act as inside jokes.
and alleviate gameplay fatigue.
• Frequent shifts among the core mechanics We’ve been able to create a fun and rewarding
of combat, platforming, and exploration gameplay experience for players by spending time
provide variety in pacing. Combat creates on designing, implementing, testing, combining,
hectic, fast-paced play, requiring quick reflexes and refining each of these techniques. Regardless
and reaction times; platforming challenges of its genre, be sure to give yourself time to
test the player’s movement and combat thoroughly explore all the available options to
skills; exploration is slower-paced, allowing create a game you’ll enjoy making, and that your
for moments of observation, reflection, and players will enjoy playing.

wfmag.cc \ 67
 Interface
Gallery

Stonefly
“For all of our games, stylistic inspiration comes from different
mediums like painting, illustration, and graphic design,” explains Adam
Volker, creative director at Flight School Studio. “We believe there is
a rich history across all sorts of visual mediums that could inspire the
look of games.
“This particular art style was heavily inspired by the work of Charley
Harper. Specifically, it was his design sense. He was able to iconize and
simplify the natural world. His eye and mind are so clearly on display
in his work. It’s how he sees shape and colour. We wanted to try and
make something as equally iconic for our fantastic forest world.”
Adapting this inspiration from a 2D to 3D space was a challenge,
though it’s one the team is confident it met. “As we translated what
he does into a full 3D environment, we had to depart from some of
the ways he treated designs,” Volker says. “Knowing where to stick to
the inspiration and where to depart from it was probably the biggest
visual challenge to overcome.”

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Gallery

GAME
Stonefly
ARTIST
Flight School Studio
RELEASE
1 June
WEBSITE
wfmag.cc/stony

wfmag.cc \ 69
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Riot and resistance: how video games depict acts of defiance

how video games depict acts of defiance

Demonstrations and riots often turn up in video

games – but there’s a huge gulf between the
digital fiction and the hard reality

WRITTEN BY HAYDN TAYLOR

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Riot and resistance: how video games depict acts of defiance

Tonight We Riot satirises the


militarisation of police,
juxtaposing their excessive

M
indless mobs, extreme what it actually involves. While resistance is a force against rioters armed
with bricks and bottles
violence: the depiction of riot common issue across all forms of media, the
and resistance in video games way it manifests in video games is a strange In Watch Dogs: Legion,


players enter a rather banal
provides an illuminating glimpse distortion that speaks to our individual sense dystopia, where many don’t
even bother to protest.
into how we understand them of powerlessness; whether it’s through offering
on a cultural level. Triple-A developers tend overly simplistic solutions to complex problems
to centre their stories on lone heroes versus or excusing us of personal responsibility.
cartoonish bogeymen, and where meaningful
change is only brought about through violence.
The reality of these movements is, however, what we see
far less straightforward, and these stories of Dr Alfie Bown is a lecturer in digital media,
demonstrations and defiance deserve to be culture and technology at Royal Holloway,
portrayed in their full complexity. University of London. As he notes, there is
Few moments in recent history have an interesting parallel here between how
challenged our collective assumptions around the media views both video games and riots.
riot and resistance “Video games are
quite like the uprisings “The way resistance specifically important
in America, which when it comes to the
erupted in the summer
manifests in video games depiction of riots,
of 2020. The protests is a strange distortion” precisely because of
began after George how our media – and
Floyd, an African American from Minnesota, particularly a kind of mainstream centrist media
was murdered by a policeman. Floyd was – always wants to depict riots as mindless and
another in a long list of Black victims of police violent,” he says. “For those of us who care
violence, and his death sparked one of the about them and think about them carefully,
largest waves of protests in US history. The we do not think of video games as mindless or
demonstrations continued into the winter, associated with violence.
bringing the issue of police brutality into “But by having this kind of connection
sharp focus, and also the disparity between between video games and riots, there’s
how resistance is commonly portrayed and nevertheless a sense in which these things are

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Riot and resistance: how video games depict acts of defiance

In Detroit: Become Human,



Markus embodies the myth

of a hero and a martyr.
cast as play, or as an outlet for frustrations; as has its own ways of dealing with them,” he
 eonard Menchiari used
L


second-hand accounts and mindless button-bashing. In many ways, the says. “The one thing in common to all events is
personal experience to government and the media want to see actual that you do start to understand the difference
accurately recreate riot
scenes in Riot: Civil Unrest. rioters as bad, mindless button-mashers. And between being an individual and being part of a
actually, they’re not; they’re very organised, much bigger collective organism: the crowd.”
coherent symptoms of the frustrations with What sets Riot: Civil Unrest apart, however,
capitalism and neo-liberalism.” are the moments before the riots, which
Portraying riots as a mindless mob also show the protesters as people. In the opening
ignores the ideological underpinnings of such cutscene of the No TAV campaign, we can see
movements, and downplays the context of wider protesters scouting police movements and
resistance, solidarity, and police violence from using fireworks to signal warnings to their
which riots emerge. Indie developer Leonard comrades whose camp is about to encounter
Menchiari looked to address some of these riot police. In later scenes, protesters are shown
elements in his game Riot: Civil Unrest. The game gathered around a bonfire late at night before
revisits famous riots from recent history – such waking up on the cold tarmac of a blockaded
as the Arab Spring, the No TAV riots in Italy, and highway, steeling themselves for another
the Indignados movement in Spain – from the long day on the front line. The scenes are
perspective of both protesters and police. quietly powerful, displaying the dedication and
In researching the game, Menchiari attended ingenuity of resistance movements.
multiple protests around the world. “Each “The cutscenes are based on things that
nation has its own problems, and each culture actually happened,” says Menchiari. “Each
event represents situations I have seen
personally, or that I selected through videos
and research from people who experienced
[them] first hand.”

the hero myth

Notions of exceptionalism are rife in history.
Be it the unfaltering leadership of Winston
Churchill or the divine wisdom of the
founding fathers, the popular view of these
figures reveals how we latch onto stories of
supposedly exceptional individuals. But these
classic hero myths undermine the bravery and

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Riot and resistance: how video games depict acts of defiance

merit and carnage

Watch Dogs: Legion presents usurping an
authoritarian regime as a fun romp; tear down
propaganda, expose a few war crimes, and MASS
hack a government database or two – usually
leaving a pile of bodies behind. As Bown
EFFECT
notes, games favour the idea of resistance- By examining the recent
Leonard Menchiari being arrested by riot police
as-destruction, rather than resistance-as- uprisings in America, we can


during the No TAV protests. organising, and Legion replicates this idea; a see how games oversimplify
tendency born from what’s believed will create street-level action, and fail
a fun player experience. to capture what is powerful
sacrifice of everyday people. The comforting “I think it’s assumed that blowing up a about these real-life stories.
lie that we’re not personally equipped to save building is inherently fun and that organisation Watching the riots unfold,
the hero myth of a strong,
the day helps these stories soothe our sense would be less so, but in fact, I doubt that this
indispensable leader falls
of powerlessness. is true,” says Bown. “There are only so many
away. Instead, we can see
Games tend to feed this myth. Quantic buildings I can be bothered to explode; I’m sure
a diverse and complex
Dream’s Detroit: Become Human is a particularly other players feel the same. Perhaps games organism that operates
egregious example. Falsely accused of murder, need to start showing resistance-as-organising.” without a vertical hierarchy;
android Markus finds himself among a group of On the surface, Legion attempts to capture each element is part of a
outcast non-humans existing on society’s fringe. these ideas of organisation and solidarity, symbiotic whole, with people
But following his arrival, the androids form a placing emphasis on recruiting ‘everyday from across social divides
resistance under his leadership, and Markus people’. But the decision to forgo a traditional employing a range of tactics to
becomes a messianic figure on whom the protagonist in favour of its titular legion is achieve a shared goal.
resistance is entirely dependent. “You’re the only ultimately a gimmick that falls well short. Each
one who can lead us!” says a fellow android, “If operative exists in their own bubble, working
you die, our cause dies with you.” at the behest of an exceptional AI, and never
The parallels between the American civil rights collaboratively with other members.
movement and the plight of androids in Detroit Additionally, Legion punishes the player for
are less than subtle. Quantic Dream employs recruiting any characters other than the most
police violence, segregation, and oppression skilled and best-equipped, and downplays the
of an underclass as sort of intersectional
themes in common, “Events represent situations solidarity that is
but paints it as a story common in effective
of a heroic martyr and
I have seen, or others uprisings. The end
his band of followers, experienced first hand” result is one in which
rather than a collective the fight for London’s
movement. Ultimately, the android fight for freedom from corporate tyranny is played
freedom boils down to a few violent clashes with out through isolated vignettes, and relies
police, and posits that the androids would be on a handful of exceptional people. Bown,
powerless without their leader. who appears in Legion on the in-game radio
Peter Ó Máille is an activist and organiser station discussing the machinations of fascism, Tonight We Riot is


unapologetic in its politics:

with the Anarchist Federation. He argues highlights how defaulting to the exceptional is a pro-worker, pro-people,
anti-billionaire. It’s also a fair
that this reflects media portrayals of such “typical feature of games”, and that even when bit of fun, helpfully.
movements, which “reduce the narratives of they’re ostensibly critical of oppressive systems,
millions to a handful of paragons”. they tend to reinforce toxic notions around self-
“Activism and organising are almost always worth and individual merit.
universally broad spectrum movements with “Superficially, [Legion] looks like a diverse and
any of dozens of focal points for organising intersectional thing,” he says. “But essentially…
and informal leadership,” he says. “It is the it’s not dreaming of a different kind of social
combination of ordinary folk, working together organisation at all.” Throughout Legion, acts
and creating extraordinary results, usually of resistance are typically about high-level
through the idea of political unity and a espionage or brute force. There are glimpses of
diversity of tactics as appropriate.” wider resistance and organising, seen in food

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Riot and resistance: how video games depict acts of defiance

banks and poorly attended protests across make a movement that can sustain itself
London; you’re usually foiling devious plots that under withering abuse and assault,” says Ted

MIXED threaten to turn your nan into a computer or

put surveillance drones in your cornflakes.
Anderson, a member of the worker-owned
cooperative studio.

MESSAGES Video games are far too attached to these

ideas of resistance, says Bown. While he
By presenting relatable problems like “a
crappy job, low pay, struggling to make ends
“I think the real issue is that points out that some missions in Legion, like meet [and] being tired constantly”, Tonight We
even as liberal as some game tearing down propaganda, recognise the city Riot translates these issues into a narrative
developers can be – and in my as a “symbolic space that fights against
experience they do [generally] to be fought over”, “Resistance is empowering, real-world injustices
skew this way – they tend to run it also embodies of worker exploitation
into argumentative limits to their establishment
collaborative, and something and wealth disparity.
ideology,” says Ted Anderson. perceptions of anyone can participate in” From there, it offers a
“They can’t have a resistance
resistance as violent solution: fight back in
movement or uprising occur
and mindless through its focus on action and solidarity with those in similar circumstances.
without trying to shoehorn in a
lack of ideology beyond restoring the status While it still leans on a power fantasy, it
message about violence being
bad – oftentimes, even while quo; something which politicians and anarchists does so through the perspective of power as
the entire game has been about alike are apparently united on in this universe. collective action.
blasting bad guys whose sole “It’s perhaps a marker of the frustration we “We wanted to show that no singular person
goal is your death.” have with this form of neo-liberal capitalism causes a revolution, and that everyone has a
that we want to see it explode but struggle to part to play – often small, almost never solely
articulate alternatives,” says Bown. on the streets, but also valuable in their own
ways,” says Anderson.

a riotous alternative
Tonight We Riot, from Texas-based Pixel resistance-as-organising
Pushers Union 512, meanwhile, depicts a By casting our net wider than the triple-A
worker-led revolution against the oppressive gaming space and mainstream media, we
capitalist system. The pixel-art game sees you can see a more complete picture of what
play as a riotous collective, brawling through resistance looks like. It’s about organising and
the capitalist machine like Pikmin in revolt. building intersectional solidarity rather than
“We wanted to make sure every player unleashing destruction. In reality, the notion
knew they were a part of a group – that that resistance is destructive is perpetrated by
Direct action in Watch Dogs:


Legion is, ultimately, to they, their friends, neighbours, and fellow those who would be swept away by it.
re-establish the status quo
rather than to effect change.
workers were all heroes in their own right, This year in Poland, following a court ruling
and doing whatever they could in order to which rolled back women’s reproductive
rights, women across the country went on
strike. The government claimed the decision
could not be reversed, and protests were
framed as an attempt to “destroy” Poland.
After just two weeks, the government delayed
implementation of the ruling and Poland
still exists.
After the UK government announced
it would not be extending support to
feed underprivileged children during the
coronavirus pandemic, people immediately
took action. Local businesses began offering
free meals to children, and protesters carried
out stunts like leaving plenty of empty plates
outside the offices of those who had voted
in favour of the cuts. Combined with support
from celebrity activists like Marcus Rashford,

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Riot and resistance: how video games depict acts of defiance

I t’s not quite a precise,


realistic portrayal of rioting,
but Tonight We Riot does
the government reversed its decision and we see in most games is less a shortcut – oddly – get things right,
like the group working as
extended meal support. and more repaving of the roads. As French one for a collective goal.
Neither of these examples are glamorous, philosopher Guy Debord wrote in The Society
and don’t have much place in a video game of the Spectacle: “The media interprets (and
about shooting and hacking your way across reduces) the world for us with the use of
London, but the point is to demonstrate that simple narratives.”
effective resistance is never the result of an But how can game developers look to
individual, and acts of defiance are born from employ themes of resistance in an effective
people united in spontaneous solidarity. While and representative way? Through city-building
Rashford will be labelled a hero, it was local games that don’t “lean heavily on capitalism
communities jumping in to provide immediate and settler/colonial ideology”, Anderson
aid. Resistance is empowering, collaborative, suggests. Menchiari, meanwhile, encourages
diverse in tactics, and something anyone can developers interested in riots to “go and see
participate in. things with their own eyes”, because it’s more

TALK IT
Ó Máille, meanwhile, argues hero narratives than just a “violent punk with a bandana
send a message that “you at home aren’t this throwing Molotovs… In riots, there is no
exceptional… It does little but reduce social
change to a distant fantasy about as viable as
specific stereotype, as the crowd is made of
every kind of person, of every age, every race OUT
riding into battle with your elven pal on the and gender, with one thing in common: anger
Dr Hannah Wood, narrative
back of a warg. towards lies and injustice.” designer and founder of micro-
“The Black Panthers were so successful If the purpose of art is to reflect some truth studio Story Juice, says: “I
because they fed the kids and gave about humanity, modern games show us think resistance to dominant
educational programs,” he continues. “In the very little when it comes to oppression and ideologies can come from the
UK, some 400 mutual aid networks sprang up resistance. In the context of oppression, the representation of complex
at the start of Covid, and workplace solidarity typical hero/power fantasy narrative builds an characters and stories, so we
expanded. Real social change and pretty unscalable wall around ideas of resistance, and get windows into other realities
and ways of being and thinking.
much every revolution has been the work of a strips the stories of their real power. Games
Sometimes this can be better
plethora of individuals and ‘forgotten voices’.” teach us that only mythic individuals can
achieved by dialling down the
Unless a game is focused solely on telling a achieve change, and we internalise that myth.
hero narrative and the fight
story of uprising, developers are bound to take Fighting oppression becomes the responsibility or flight mechanics, where
shortcuts in how these themes are depicted. of someone else, because we lack the you have to shoot people
Revolutions are years in the making: that’s exceptional heroism and leadership required. in the face rather than have
hard to convey in a 20-hour game. But what That’s a lesson we need to unlearn. a conversation.”

wfmag.cc \ 75
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 Interface
Interactive

Interactive / Alpha Particle

South African developer Bruce Nicou takes us behind the
scenes on his mysterious action-puzzler, Alpha Particle

I
n an era of detailed tutorials, screen in other areas, trying to understand the functions
Are you a solo prompts, and lengthy cutscenes, it’s of a trap-infested chamber can lead to irksome
developer working unusual to encounter a game that leaves bouts of trial and error. Such frustrations aside,
on a game you the player to figure out pretty much the game’s mix of puzzles, action, and mystery
want to share with
Wireframe? If you’d everything for themselves. Alpha Particle – making it a kind of existentialist pinball –
like to have your casts you as a mysterious life form – essentially, certainly help distinguish it in a crowded indie
project featured in a sentient blob of light – that finds itself aboard marketplace. “I’m an old gamer, and I remember
these pages, get an alien space vessel. Exactly what the particle how hard but rewarding some classic games
in touch with us at
wfmag.cc/hello is doing there, or even the various functions were,” says Alpha Particle’s designer, Bruce Nicou.
of the ship itself, are completely obscure. In “I wanted to carry some of that old feel, but also
essence, Alpha Particle is a top-down action- not as potent as it was then. So you won’t have
puzzler, but it’s primarily also about exploring much hand-holding in this game, but at the same
and experimenting with the ship’s inscrutable time, all the information you need is within reach
switches and defence systems. This means the at most times. I would say the start of the game
game can be frustratingly obtuse one minute, but may be a little challenging, but only until you
also rewarding the next: solving a problem and start understanding this strange world and how
progressing to a new area can be exhilarating; it works. As you progress, more information will
be made available to you and along with some
abilities, you will start feeling more confident and
more powerful.”
Work on Alpha Particle began about four years
ago when Nicou – based in Port Elizabeth, South
Africa – started to teach himself programming.
Without a set concept, the initial prototype
 Environmental changed considerably as development
puzzles can be progressed. “The original idea for the game look
complex and
sometimes opaque, wasn’t even sci-fi,” Nicou tells us. “I was going to
but then that’s all part
of the game – figuring
have each section have its own theme. But as the
out what stuff does. game grew, a story implementation was decided,

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Interactive

Alpha Particle isn’t all about



puzzles and exploration –

there’s also plenty of action,
including some formidable
area bosses.

 evelopment began four

D


years ago, but Nicou started
working on the game
full-time just before the
pandemic unfurled. “Timing
is everything,” he notes.

so a single theme was required. The way most of

the mechanics worked strongly suggested a sci-fi
theme, so that’s what I went with.”
Nicou has always had a creative streak – he
also makes and sells fantasy art figurines, called
Arcana, with his wife and business partner – and
so turning his interests in 3D modelling, digital
art, and music to game development seemed
like a natural progression. “I’d just started my
programming journey, not even three months
into it, when I made a prototype of my game second, in figuring out how to get his game
idea,” Nicou says. “As the game mutated over the noticed online. “As time went along, I learned
years, different mechanics came and went as well. that hands down, marketing is the beast hardest LESS IS MORE
There’s a perk to indie development that allows to slay. Your game is like a little paper boat in an Alpha Particle has a 2D,
burnished look that recalls the
you to not know exactly where you’re going. ocean alongside millions of others; you have to
shiny surfaces of the Bitmap
You can change your mind as often as needed – sail across all the chaos if you want anyone to Brothers’ games of the 1990s
kind of. Yes, it creates more iterations, but it also notice your game. If I had to give one tip, it would – Xenon, Speedball, and so
makes for a more rounded end product.” be to start marketing when your game starts. forth – along with a cunning
Alpha Particle uses That way it will slowly use of light and shade. It’s
a look that gives the game
GameMaker Studio 2 “I remember how hard but build up momentum.”
an air of shadowy mystery
as its platform, while its Alpha Particle without stretching the budget
futuristic soundtrack
rewarding some classic launched on 28 April, on detailed 3D assets. “The
was written in FL games were” and Nicou already look has a lot to do with the
feel that I am trying to create,”
Studio 20. Nicou soon has plans in place for
Nicou concurs. “A lot of the
discovered that the sci-fi particle effects he was his indie studio, Function Unknown – though game plays in the dark to
after couldn’t be generated in GameMaker, inevitably, those plans hinge on how his debut make things glow and look
however, so he used an external plug-in called is received. “I have various ideas related to suitably sci-fi, and various
Geon FX to create the game’s glowing points of Alpha Particle, including a sequel, “ he says. “And strangely-placed windows give
you a view of each station’s
light. And while Nicou was new to programming also some ideas that play in the same universe
unique star system. Stations
when he started the project, he soon found that but are completely different. At the same time, are clearly not designed for
far greater challenges lay elsewhere: first, in I’m excited about a few other ideas that have humans, and not much around
balancing the game’s mysterious quality with the nothing to do with Alpha Particle. The public’s looks familiar. It’s all [intended]
to fit this strange story of a
need to give players some sort of explanation as response to Alpha Particle will be a strong factor
particle made of energy and its
to how it all works (“I’ve completely redone the in helping me decide what the future holds.” first moments of life.”
tutorial the game had before… while also leaving You can download Alpha Particle’s demo now
some things open for discovery,” he says), and at wfmag.cc/AlphaParticle.

wfmag.cc \ 79
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Letters

Post Apocalypse
Noir games, intellectual properties, and bragging
about expos – it’s this month’s letters…

Noir Automata
Hi guys. Love your magazine. I’ll classic film noir fan, so I try Ryan writes:
try and get a physical copy of the and bring up comparisons and Thanks very much for the
current issue as well as my free influences of the classic noir era kind words, Lee! If anyone
PDF! I have a small page called in video games of past, present, else is as keen on noir
Games Noir where I publish and future from 8-bit to PS5. games and movies as Lee
brief or sometimes long features I especially loved the Martha is, then you can check his
on games that fall either visually, Is Dead and film noir article [in Facebook page devoted to
thematically, or both into the issue 49]. this very subject at
noir category. I’m also a huge Lee Morrall wfmag.cc/GamesNoir.

Expo-nential
Reading the conversations and
debates over the upcoming E3
show, I find myself not for the
Issue #50 first time thinking that some
people live in a very different
world to the rest of us. Most of
us have been stuck at home for
the last year, worrying. Most of
us can never afford to go off
Want to write
to America to attend a games
to Wireframe?
show, no matter how much we
Message us at
might want to. Most of us are in
wfmag.cc/hello this for the games. would be possible. And we can that humanity has firmly
or tweet us I fully understand the desire stop having to read people established that virtual
@wireframemag for people to mix and have moaning because they can’t go events can work remarkably
drinks and socialise again. to a games show. Look at what well. In future, then, I think
However, there’s always been Minecraft has been doing: a we’ll get the best of both
this odd divide in games media, virtual event that everybody can worlds – the in-person events
between the writers on a free enjoy. Perfect. for those who have the
trip away who think it’s the Alex George money and time to fly to the
best thing ever, and those of US, and online versions for
us who just want the games. Ryan writes: those of us who prefer to
Hopefully, whatever the new If there’s one good thing enjoy these things from the
normal turns out to be, some that’s come out of this comfort of our sofas/gaming
sort of recalibration of this wretched pandemic, it’s chairs/hammocks.

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Letters

Shortcuts
There’s a decidedly nefarious feel to
this month’s Wireframe, so we asked
the good people of Twitter: what’s
your favourite crime game ever, and
why? The reactions we received are
eclectic, to say the least…
The Swindle is the best crime-themed indie game
ever. Robbing procedurally generated houses and
nabbing every penny is so satisfying. Equipment
upgrades keep the game fresh for weeks.
@RehdGator

Contact Sam Cruise for the ZX Spectrum! It was quite

bleak, actually; he was a weary character. He’s fighting
the corrupt police as much as the gangsters, and when
you get arrested, you’d have to pay bail, which greatly
Retro tech-tastic impacted what you could then do. It had a sense of
hopelessness, but the puzzles were devious!
@computermuseum
I’ve been enjoying your pieces should check out Wireframe
about Sega Game Gear #49 (wfmag.cc/49) – My Life
restorations and other such In Gaming did an in-depth Detroit: Become Human. It’s the most lovely game
projects. One thing I’d really breakdown of all the solutions because of its graphics, storytelling, and number of
love to read though, for those available, from budget-price ways the story could proceed.
of us who still enjoy tinkering HDMI adapters to pricier @AshishK83337064
with old consoles, is a feature options like the RetroTINK-5X.
about getting the sodding As for a group test of old-
The Colonel’s Bequest was a fun game – I always did
things working on a modern fashioned TVs – it’s a nice idea,
like the Sierra titles.
television. That, or can we have but we’d have to get hold of @femtosonic
a group test of old-fashioned the things in the first place,
CRT televisions? Much obliged. which is getting increasingly
John Winder hard now so many have The original GTA because I loved people screaming
wound up in landfills. Then as a reaction to my farts.
Ryan writes: there’s the process of moving @Daley_Kong
If you’re after a guide to them around into one place
connecting old consoles to to test them – my back hurts
modern tellies, then you just thinking about it.
The burning question
Our criminal theme continues in this
month’s poll: we asked which of the
Last of the Summer Whine following games do you think should be
given a Grand Theft Auto-style reboot?
As you can see, Animal Crossing was
the runaway choice. Raiding Tom Nook’s
I just want to be that person Ryan writes: store at gunpoint, then flying off with our
who writes into a magazine and I’m so old, I remember when purloined Bells in Wilbur’s seaplane? Yeah,
says I remember when games platformers were called we’d definitely play that.
were called games and not climbing games, and first-
Intellectual Properties. Thank person shooters were called Kirby - 32% Animal Crossing - 43%
you. I feel better now. ‘DOOM clones’. Now, where
Jim Jones did I put my slippers? Five Nights at Freddy’s - 4% Football Manager - 21%

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Interactive
Online Diary

Online Diary

GITTIN ’ GUD
Now we play the waiting game (aka Borderlands 3)
WRITTEN BY IAN “S’NOT FUNNY” DRANSFIELD

O
ne and a half hours. One-point-five just how much fun the barely controlled chaos
big ones. Rounded up: the double. of Borderlands can be with folks by your side.
That’s how much of my ever- More people equals more enemies to face, which
more precious time was wasted in turn equals a lot more stuff going on around
in Borderlands 3 waiting for the you and that panicked sense of exhilaration that
built-in matchmaking to find me a team to jump being overwhelmed in a game can produce.
in with. And after all that waiting, I just gave up It’s not particularly smart or in any way deep –
and did something else, because it’s absolutely Borderlands as a series is wallpaper: it’s just there
ridiculous that you can’t just choose a game from – but it does trigger certain lizard brain aspects
a list in a lobby like in most other games of the inside my noggin. And that’s a good thing.
past couple of decades. Oh, the third time playing with another person
So it was that I spent most of the time I had was when one of the previous people who joined
dedicated to playing Borderlands 3 online, offline. my game rejoined, then left after ten minutes – I
On three occasions I did manage to get a lone think because I was mucking about picking up
partner for this best-with-four team-based looter dollar bills rather than shooting the baddies.
 ore players means
M


more chaos, which shooter, and two of those times, I was reminded Who can tell? Anyway, that one can’t count as a
tends to mean more
fun. Usually. Sometimes.
good time, sadly, so it’s a mere 66% of the time as
a good time.
Playing through the core Borderlands 3 campaign
with another person – and I’d assume with up to
three others, so long as they’re all strangers – won’t
be the best way to do things. I acknowledge this.
Not only is this a game made to be played with
others, but it’s also made to be played with those
you can at least scream at in a way that’s knowing
and considered, rather than toxic and destructive.
It’s fun though, I found, to just have someone there
alongside you tackling the ever-embiggening waves
of monsters and wastelanders and unfunny one-
liner-spouting cannon fodder.
It’s even better now there’s the option to
run things as pure co-operative, rather than
the previous games’ competitive loot-grabbing
escapades. You can run it like that, where all

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Online
Interactive
Diary

Beating
boredom(lands)
 onestly, ‘gassy jabber’
H


is about as funny as
Borderlands 3 manages.

the loot is shared between games and it’s a But yes, the matchmaking in Borderlands 3 is
free-for-all when a boss bursts into a cascade so… touchy. This is a series made to be played Get friends
of guns raining down from the sky. But you with others, so you’d think the barriers to entry Just get actual friends to play
can also keep things instanced – what you see would be as low – or at least as transparent – as Borderlands 3 with, seriously.
The matchmaking is borderline
in your game is yours, nobody else can even possible. Instead, it’s an automated matchmaking
broken, to the point it’s actually
see it, never mind nick it, and it’s the same for system that, apparently, doesn’t go through laughable. Friends = fun, as we
everyone on their own the motions of trying to all know.
device. It removes the “It’s a free-for-all when find players at the same
unnecessary – as I see it – level, then players of a
competitive nature of
a boss bursts into a similar mission progress,
a game that should be cascade of guns” then players slightly lower
100% co-operative. of level, and so on and
Aside from the campaign, I got stuck into so forth. Instead, it seemingly just pretends to
Borderlands 3’s horde mode, which did exactly search for a couple of hours while you play along Greed
what you’d expect: sent hordes at us. With a in single-player like the friendless chump you’ve Check loot before you bother
stranger, this was easily the most fun, as you always been. See that, Borderlands 3? You’ve picking it up – you’ve limited
capacity, and having to
don’t have to move far, or think much (even less made me be needlessly mean to myself. This is
navigate archaic menus to
than in the main game), and the rewards are thick your fault. It’s just another way in which you’re
drop stuff is more hassle than
and plentiful should you make progress to the not funny. just paying attention before
end. I’ll definitely be going back to this mode in picking up.
future, should the matchmaking aspect manage
to ever work well in future. I will, however, be
muting the game while playing it.
Turns out Borderlands 3’s horde mode is where
some of the absolute worst examples of the
game’s genuinely awful writing comes out to play.
Humour is subjective and so on, but I struggle to
see how anyone with an opinion worth listening Break rules
Play it alone. You should
to can find the “I SHOUT THINGS, THAT IS THE
play this game primarily
PUNCHLINE” sense of humour throughout
designed to be played
Borderlands 3 to be anything other than… let’s online, offline, by yourself.
keep it simple: not funny. It’s just not. It’s grating. Why? Because a) you’ll be a
And off-putting. And makes you very grateful for The wider Borderlands 3 world, meanwhile, is probably renegade, and b) it’s actually


volume controls on TVs. best tackled with friends rather than randoms. fine brain-off fun.

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Coding back the years

C O DI NG
WRITTEN BY
DAVID CROOKES

BACK T H E
Y E ARS _
AMOS creator François Lionet is back with AOZ, and aims
to turn a new generation of gamers into developers

T
wo years ago, François Lionet I was desperate. I was in a really bad situation.
was in hospital, alone, and broke. But I’d already seen a ray of hope, and it
He was far from his birthplace proved to be the start of something.”
in France, having moved first to About three years prior to this low point,
Norway and then to Poland for Lionet had begun receiving a steady trickle of
work, and he freely admits he was struggling. letters about a programming language called
“I’d been living in an Airbnb with only €2000 to AMOS, which he created for the Amiga in
my name, in winter in November in Warsaw,” 1990. He’s not entirely sure why they started
he recalls. “After one month in the hospital, arriving, but the overriding message was
 MOS and AOZ creator
A abundantly clear: “The writers were thanking


François Lionet.
me for developing the language, saying they
 Once AMOS was loaded, owed me their careers, and I’d look at these
you could immediately
begin typing, clicking Run people and they were all very high in IT,”
to check your code. Lionet says. “Yet when I worked on AMOS, I
wasn’t aware of how widely used it was. I knew
that demo makers saw it as the lamest tool
around – some would call it ‘Lame-os’ – but
when these letters arrived, well, I thought that
maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.”
As if to confirm this, Lionet found himself
working alongside an AMOS fan for 18 months

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Coding back the years

A SLICE
OF PI
Although a Linux version of
 oint-and-click adventure Flight of
P AOZ has been developed,


the Amazon Queen was written in François Lionet tells us he’s

AMOS for the Amiga. The PC
version was translated line by line planning a version that can be
from AMOS code into C. installed on a Raspberry Pi.
“The problem is that the editor
we use, Atom, is too big for the
at Friend Software Corporation in Norway. point and help as many children as possible little guy, so we’re writing our
“He was a genius, and he learned to code using learn coding. It’s the kind of thing I want to do.” own, and that is going to take
some time,” he says. “We’re
the language,” Lionet says. Around the same For now, however, Lionet’s aim is to simply
actually using AOZ to write
time, he attended Pixel Heaven 2018, a huge get his new programming language out there
the editor and that’s our aim:
event held in Warsaw where, again, much love and, like AMOS (as well as its predecessor, to use our own tool to make
was expressed for AMOS. “My depression had STOS, released for the Atari ST in 1988), the other tools.”
meant I wasn’t focusing hope is that focusing on
on the positives of the “When I worked on AMOS, simplicity will do the trick.
projects I’d worked on in To that end, the new
the past,” he says. “It was
I wasn’t aware of how language, as with those
only when I was getting widely used it was” two previous releases, is
great feedback that I again a dialect of BASIC.
realised the language still had a life.” It harks back to the days of 8-bit computers,
And so it was that he got down to which routinely had a flashing Ready prompt,
work, taking tentative steps towards beckoning users to get stuck into coding.
the development of a new yet similar At first, Lionet called his latest creation
programming language. AMOS 2. But after he set up a new company

NAILING THE BASICS

Lionet is chirpy and jovial when we chat over
video to discuss his new venture. A small bird is
flying around the room, periodically landing on  cid Software’s Blitz
A


BASIC became the

his shoulder. The room also has various bits of main rival to AMOS on
the Amiga, and while it
technology strewn about, including a Raspberry wasn’t as easy to learn,
Pi 400, which he picks up and waves in front it was more powerful.
of the camera, unaware of Wireframe’s loose 
 lthough many of the
A
connection to the Raspberry Pi Foundation. games built into AOZ
Studio are simple, it will
“This costs around €75, and you only need to be possible to create
connect it to a monitor; a refurbished monitor elaborate titles once
you get the practice in.
maybe, which means for not much more than
€100 you can have a complete machine with
an internet connection,” he gushes. “You could
get a classroom full of them for about €2000.
I’m going to run my new language on it at some

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Coding back the years

called AOZ Studio with Laurant Weill, who Flight of the Amazon Queen, the Valhalla series,
co-founded the once-huge French video Jetstrike, Base Jumpers, and Spatial Hyperdrive
game publisher Loriciel, it became known as were all notable releases, while the public
AOZ. It allows users to develop games and domain scene was also flooded with AMOS-
AOZ FOR applications for smartphones, PCs, and Macs. created titles.

FREE? Lionet – whose official title at AOZ Studio is

‘Magicien Fondateur’ (‘founding magician’) PLAY IT AGAIN
Visit wfmag.cc/aoz and you – wants it to inspire a new generation of With AOZ, the emphasis is again on games.
can install the free Beta version computer users to pursue a career in coding. Anyone who created a game in AMOS or STOS
of AOZ Studio. This will allow “BASIC is the perfect language,” he says. “The will be able to dust down their code (assuming
you to create a program, names of the instructions reflect the actions they still have it) and bring it up to date in AOZ,
but you won’t receive any they have, and it’s as simple as that – it’s why since it allows the importing of AMOS files. It
support, and you’ll have to it’s called BASIC, because it’s almost spoken, will extract and export sprites, sounds, and
include adverts in your game.
making it the obvious option to me.” images as PNG and WAV files. Source code is
To remove advertising and
Simplicity is what drove AMOS and STOS, saved as ASCII.
distribute your games without
having to pay royalties, you’ll
both of which Lionet developed in partnership “For the moment, it’s kind of so-so
be able to buy a two-year with Constantin Sotiropoulos. Created in emulation, but we’re offering support for the
license for €89 or pay €9 each various guises from Easy AMOS to AMOS original instructions for both of those 16-bit
month. “People are used to Professional in 1993, the packages provided languages, as well as support for the original
the subscription model, and user-friendly environments as well as a host Amiga fonts and support of tracker music from
we’ve ensured that you’ll get of new commands and ready-made routines. the Amiga and Atari ST,” Lionet says.
the full-blown experience for There was no need to worry about writing Lionet doesn’t merely want to attract former
free for the first month as a high-level assembly code, or understanding a (maybe even current) users of AMOS or
kind of trial,” says François
computer’s custom chips. Importantly, AMOS STOS, however. He wants AOZ to be the go-to
Lionet. “We think our prices
and STOS led to the creation of many games starting point for new programmers, which is
are reasonable.”
by users who may have never tried their hand why the feature set is modern, allowing users
at coding for fear it was too complicated. to work in full colour up to 4K resolutions,
and make use of interrupt-driven colour
animations with cycling, fading, and other such
functions. There’s also simple support for 3D,
an enhanced sound mode with 32 channels,
and support for many video and image file
formats. “After creating a program in AOZ,
you’ll be able to convert it to HTML5 and
JavaScript and run it on any platform,” Lionet
says, adding that the engine uses Three.js for
rendering and supports shaders, Google Fonts,
and JavaScript technologies. Conversions
are carried out via a transpiler, which means
games and other applications can be packaged
as apps or run in a web browser.
That recipe, he argues, has different
ingredients from many other approaches to
programming, and it’s unique in that it offers
the ability to gradually transition to another
language, such as JavaScript. Lionet certainly
 ome example games are
S


included for users to examine believes AOZ to be a better introduction to

and play around with. They can
then be viewed in a browser or
coding than other beginner-aimed languages,
within AOZ Studio’s IDE. such as the block-based Scratch. “Scratch

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Coding back the years

 ulcan Software’s Valhalla and

V


the Lord of Infinity – another

game written in AMOS.

doesn’t teach you coding; it teaches you logic,

and there’s this thought that you want kids to
 essons are available within
L
be logical and then code, but I don’t agree,” he


AOZ Studio, with lots of

says. “Logic isn’t coding because you’re only examples and explanations.
seeing the surface. Although I feel a bit guilty,
because I created a script-free programming
tool called Klik & Play in 1994. The vision [a parent], but I bought a computer and tried
of AOZ is to bring back the joy of actual, to install Python on it. I went on the Python
intricate coding.” website, followed all the steps and still hit a
Lionet recalls his own childhood experience, problem. It’s fake simplicity, and you have all
using a Superboard II computer in 1981. The of these objects and indentations. It’s linking
machine had a 6502 processor and 4kB of the display to the structure.”
memory but, crucially, it also had Microsoft AOZ, meanwhile, is designed to make
BASIC. “All of the documentation was in game development easy, Lionet says; he also
English, and there were few others using this wants to see hundreds, if not thousands,
machine in France, but I loved it,” he says. “I of extensions eventually become available
turned it on having never touched a computer (AOZ is open source, with the exception of
before, typed PRINT “Hello World” and done! the transpiler). There are plans to support
I had a program. It was one instruction, conversion to C#, Python, and Swift, while 3D
but within five minutes I’d written my first support is in the works. Lionet also hopes the
successful program.” company will be able to skill-up teachers to  MOS reached a whole
A


It’s that sense of immediacy that he wants to give lessons in AOZ. “I’d love to see AOZ Studio new audience when
Amiga Format gave it
achieve with AOZ. “I want a user – a child – to become an educational company that teaches away on the cover in
January 1993.
feel instant gratification,” he says. the teachers first so that they can teach
others,” he says. Above all, though, he wants
THE NEXT LEVEL to make creators out of us all, and provide a
By ensuring users have easy access to the stepping stone for a professional career.
tools needed to program, Lionet wants “I will confess,” he whispers, “[that] I’m not
coding’s barriers to fall. “Let’s take colours: really a gamer. I don’t have the time to play,
kids understand that blue – b l u e – means and I don’t know anything about games. I don’t
blue. OK, that’s easy to understand. So why even know very many Amiga games. I played
is it also #0000FF? That’s a step further in Arkanoid but not much else. For me, the fun is
comprehension,” he says. in creation and not play. When you create, you
This emphasis on ease of use extends to the offer yourself to others, and I’ve learned that
language’s installation. “Look at Python – that’s it doesn’t matter if what you do is terrible at
the representation of simplicity… from the first. You keep going, you get inside your own
view of a Linux programmer,” he laughs. “It universe where it’s safe, and beauty eventually
can be simple for the kid when it’s installed by finds its way out.”

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Column

Game Pass?
More like Game Yes!

STEVE MCNEIL
Steve knows the title
doesn’t really work. He
was looking for some
wordplay on ‘passing’
on something, and the The delightful Pikuniku,


opposite of that, but doing its best to rival Dizzy in

he didn’t find it, and the gaming mascot stakes.
now this explanation
is too long and so this

I
bit’s ruined too. What
a mess. t’s not exactly a hot take at this point the role of a very angry primate, as you smash
to sing the virtues of ‘Xbox Game Pass seven shades of sugar out of a seemingly infinite
Ultimate’, but it’s fair to say a lot of supply of gun-toting humans/water balloons
attention still focuses on the bigger titles filled with blood.
– Day One Access to Xbox Game Studios As I’ve got more au fait with Game Pass, I’ve
titles, or the integration of Bethesda’s library and even invested in one of those plastic gizmos
EA Play. Yes, it is rad* that titles like Halo, DOOM, that lets you clip your Xbox controller to your
and FIFA are all right there, but the real prize to smartphone for cloud gaming – and that’s
be had is in digging a little deeper. also well worth dipping into as it seems largely
As regular readers will know, I’m doing bug-free at this point. The adaptor I grabbed
everything I can to get my kid fully into video was only £12 and it does the job perfectly, and
games so that I don’t have to be a proper means I can now scratch my deck-building
parent, and there are some obvious titles itch wherever I am, with titles like Monster
on there that tick the box such as Disneyland Train, Nowhere Prophet, and Slay the Spire, even
Adventures and Rush: A Disney•Pixar Adventure. maintaining my progress across platforms
But the indie games are where it really shines. thanks to cloud saves.
Pikuniku is a cracking little puzzle/exploration So, yes, it is cool you can play things like Forza,
game with more than a hint of Dizzy the Egg (the Minecraft, and GTA on Game Pass. But the cool
best gaming mascot ever) about it; The Little Acre kids are far more likely to be found on Spiritfarer,
is a really quirky point-and-click narrative title set The Touryst, and Octopath Traveler. At this point,
in 1950s Ireland, and Rain on Your Parade has I should probably add my regular – I have not
the same sort of vibe as Untitled Goose Game, been sponsored to say all this stuff – disclaimer
albeit with a more accessible (and consistently to the article, so:
“I’m doing funny) be-a-cloud-that-ruins-weddings-by- I have not been sponsored to say all this stuff.
everything I raining-on-them flavour. But I’m very open to bribes, so do feel free to
All three of those indie games are fun for big slide into my DMs.
can to get my
kids (you) as well but, if you want something
kid fully into a bit more adult, you can’t go wrong with the *
I’m an eighties child and there’s nothing any of us
video games” BAFTA-winning Ape Out, which sees you take on can do about it.

88 / wfmag.cc
 Rated
Contents

Backend Contents
Reviews, retro games, and lots more besides
90. Bravely Default 2 Switch
92. Balan Wonderworld PC, PS5, XB S/X, PS4, XBO, Switch OUR SCORES
94. Evil Genius 2 PC 1–9
Trash. Unplayable; a broken mess.

95. I Saw Black Clouds PC, PS4, Switch, XBO, PS5 10–19
A truly bad game, though not
96. The Darkside Detective PC, PS4, Switch, PS5, XB S/X, XBO, Stadia necessarily utterly broken.

20–29
97. Outriders PC, PS5, XB S/X, PS4, XBO, Stadia Still awful, but at a push could be
fun for two minutes.
98. It Takes Two PC, PS5, XB S/X, PS4, XBO 30–39
Might have a redeeming feature,
100. Ashwalkers PC but otherwise very poor.

40–49
Adds in more redeeming features,
Page 92: Is Balan Wonderworld
but still not worth your time.


quite as bad as the internet might

have you believe? Not really, no. 50–59
Average. Decent at best. ‘Just
about OK’.

60–69
Held back by glitches, bugs, or a lack
of originality, but can be good fun.

70–79
A very good game, but one lacking
spit and polish or uniqueness.

80–89
Brilliant. Fabulous fun. Everyone
should at least try it.

90–99
Cutting edge, original, unique, and/
or pushes the medium forward.

100
Never say never, eh?

PLUS
101. Stream of Consciousness
Musician and streamer Katt Strike lets us
in on her favourite gaming gems.

102. The HOTLIST

Our faves on PC, handily listed according
to the mood you’re in.

104. Backwards compatible

Sometimes you buy a clunker that turns
out to purr like it’s factory fresh.

108. Now playing

 age 102: Looking for our
P
The games that have been gobbling up


recommendations on PC? Look

our spare time, discussed. no further than the HOTLIST.

wfmag.cc \ 89
 Rated
Review

Review

Bravely Default II
GENRE
Never play it safe. Be brave and be bold
Info

JRPG

F
FORMAT
Nintendo Switch or the purpose of this review, I started And that’s because Bravely Default II, much like
DEVELOPER my playthrough of Bravely Default II its predecessor, uses a unique brand of turn-
Claytechworks / with English voice acting turned on, based combat. While you’re presented with the
Team Asano
since I wanted to gauge how the usual options – ‘attack’, ‘magic’, etc – you have the
PUBLISHER dialogue was localised. ‘Badly’ is the choice of whether to be Brave or Default into a
Nintendo
verdict I came up with before switching over to shielded stance. Choosing the latter allows the
PRICE
the Japanese voice cast. The English acting is a character in defence to store an action, up to the
£49.99
hodge-podge of accents – the Scottish brogue of count of four separate actions. Then, later in that
RELEASE
Out now
Elvis being the only one that doesn’t grate – and battle, you can choose to be Brave and spend
none of them add anything to the world-building your action points to attack, heal, support, or cast
of Excillant. This hodge-podge is an apt descriptor spells in any order you choose.
of the central cast who, led by Seth, are out to This playstyle greatly shakes up the usual JRPG
hunt down elemental crystals which are causing combat, though personally, I only ever fell back
REVIEWED BY chaos across the land. It is very JRPG. on Default stance against particularly tricky boss
Daniel Lipscombe The cast comprises various amnesiacs, fights. Minions and smaller monsters never posed
princesses, mystical mages, and mercenaries enough of a threat, even on the harder difficulty.
who feel put in place only for the purposes But it’s worth keeping this tactic at the front of
of combat rather than to enhance the story. your mind, as the enemies in Bravely Default II can
also choose to Default or be Brave, adding a layer
of depth to battles, which are already impressive.
Examining monsters will show their HP, which
weapon type they’re weak to, and which elements
will cause the most magic damage. While this
level of complexity’s welcome, it also means your
team will occasionally lack some of the harder-
hitting abilities.
For example, early on, some monsters are
weak to earth magic, and yet Elvis, our primary
black mage, has no earth magic in his arsenal
at this point. Other monsters may be weak to
 An asterisk, the game’s
spear-based weapons, and perhaps you kitted
other McGuffin, which
bestows various jobs. out your squad with daggers, staves, swords, and

90 / wfmag.cc
 Rated
Review

 ach painterly
E


landscape is a delight,
even if the game as a
a bow. This delicate balance is the game’s core. A whole could use a touch
more imagination.
traditional risk versus reward system. Throughout
the job system too, you’ll find abilities which strike
up a ‘do I, don’t I’ question. The monk job allows
for big impact physical abilities, but instead of
spending MP, you must trade HP. Some vanguard
abilities also deliver larger, impactful moves, but
the trade becomes an action point. And if you This involves some story, so no spoilers HIGHLIGHT


haven’t stocked up on action points through here, but isn’t it just lovely?
Rather than the Default/
Default, you’ll end up in deficit, and that character
Brave concept, it’s the job
misses a turn. system that really stands out.
The developers have gone to great lengths and fields of grass. It’s all achingly beautiful, There are so many options,
to make the fighting as customisable and even in handheld mode, but many of the areas and these can be used in
combination with each other.
enjoyable as possible. Many jobs can be applied are forgettable.
Many are obvious, like the
to characters, changing up not only their abilities The monsters, and in fact all the character white mage. The monumental
but also their proficiencies with weapon types. You designs, are memorable, however. The character damage of the Hellblade job
can assign sub-jobs too, use items to heal, or dish models are lovely to look at, even when a is a particular standout.
out damage, and at points in the monster’s supposed to be
story, a character accompanying “Elvis has no grotesque. The details of the
your party will jump in to give aid. combat are reflected here, and
If this all sounds like a lot, it is.
earth magic in every new monster is met with
If only this level of detail his arsenal” a sense of awe, especially if
were applied to not only the they tower over your party with
story but also the environments. That’s not to hulking strength. As I begin to reach my word
say the world of Excillant isn’t lovely to look at or count limit, I realise there’s still a lot left unsaid – VERDICT
explore, especially with humorous or saccharine brief touching moments between characters, the An enjoyable and detailed
side quests and varied NPCs wandering about lengthy dungeons where the fighting happens, JRPG, which doesn’t feel
the place. But none of it feels original. We already the especially great and passionate Japanese as fresh as the original.
have a cookie-cutter team or tropes to control. voices, and the seemingly never-ending endgame.
The worlds never feel ‘new’ – they always feel
recycled in the faux-medieval styling, which runs
like a river through lands of sand, snow,
Bravely Default II is a good JRPG, but it isn’t a
genuinely great JRPG – perhaps because the
developers just weren’t Brave enough.
77%
wfmag.cc \ 91
 Rated
Review

Review

Balan Wonderworld
GENRE
Info

3D platformer
FORMAT
PS5 (tested) / PC /
XB X/S / XBO /
Switch / PS4 Does Square Enix have the Naka for platformers?

I
DEVELOPER
Balan Company /
Arzest
f there’s one thing that’s synonymous the first time since Sonic Adventure more than
with platformers, it would surely be two decades ago, with a game that wouldn’t
PUBLISHER
Square Enix jumping. So when you discover that you feel out of place from that same era. That said,
PRICE can’t always jump in Balan Wonderworld, anyone going in expecting the exhilarating speed
£49.99 it’s an early sign that something is amiss. of Sega’s hedgehog or even NiGHTS into Dreams
RELEASE In a game about acquiring power-ups – a total – which the titular hat-wearing maestro certainly
Out now of 80 costumes, each with their own ability – has some resemblance in figure – are advised
sometimes a variation of jumping is your power- to slow their roll. Indeed, with its pedestrian
up as the main buttons are all tied to a single pace, unapologetically old-school design, and
action. It’s bizarre design, the kind of deliberate twee storytelling about its tween protagonists
limitation that will no doubt frustrate players restoring the balance in their hearts and others,
REVIEWED BY
who take the freewheeling traversal of Mario it’s about as unhip (which I guess makes it…
Alan Wen
and co for granted. Though it’s not entirely square) as games can get.
surprising when the original Sonic games also Based on the central hook of amassing a ton
saw the same action for every button. of costumes as power-ups, it’s easy to paint
 he music from Ryo
T The latter is an especially apt comparison, Balan Wonderworld as a bargain basement


Yamazaki is a frequent
delight, especially in the since Balan Wonderworld reunites the Blue Blur’s Super Mario Odyssey. There’s nonetheless an
surreal song and dance co-creators Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima for endearing wonder to these outfits, such as
numbers at the end of
each chapter. a sheep that floats in the air, soaring higher
with undercurrents, or a bat with a Sonic-style
homing jump attack. Yet with so many costumes,

92 / wfmag.cc
 Rated
Review

 ome NPCs have a quirk

S


of disappearing when
you approach them,
though they also appear
in a line cheering you as
you cross a checkpoint.

it’s inevitable that some abilities are little more right costume, some of which actually need to
than rehashes or single-use gimmicks (which be unlocked from a different chapter, thereby
you could argue is the case with a few of the encouraging revisits. If Balan Wonderworld rarely HIGHLIGHT
captures in Odyssey, where eliciting delight tests your platforming prowess, it fulfils the other Harking back to a time when
takes priority over function). On the other ingredient of a compelling 3D platformer by games didn’t need to grip
players with a three-act plot,
hand, having rehashes gives you options so making you curious.
the dozen-odd stories in Balan
that you’re not just relying on one costume to This also applies to the boss fights, which Wonderworld are told with
do the job. You can also only hold a maximum deviate slightly from the three-hit formula, next to no dialogue when a
of three costumes – the third one in the row because if you want to be awarded with all few frames can express the
automatically banked in your wardrobe, and three statues, you also need to figure out how necessary emotions. These
are conveyed with beautiful
accessible at checkpoints to defeat the boss in CGI sequences from Visual
when you need to switch “I can’t hate the game; three different styles. Works, whose output includes
them. Costumes also act This little touch makes Square Enix blockbusters
as lives, meaning you
it’s made with such the otherwise predictable such as Kingdom Hearts III
lose one if you get hit by wide-eyed earnestness” affairs more thoughtful,
and Final Fantasy VII Remake.

an enemy or fall down a as you may have to take

bottomless pit, so it makes sense to have some advantage of a new attack pattern, or you may
in reserve to save you the hassle of backtracking. need to bring an appropriate costume.
Understanding the deliberate limitations of each Bundled with this are also awfully questionable
costume becomes key for navigating each level design decisions, such as why you need a key
and finding the gold Balan statues. to unlock these costumes to begin with, while a
Because while it can be very easy to get to few seem to exist purely to troll you, such as the
the end of a level, reaching and finding these fox that turns into a box at random. Its greatest
statues is required to unlock further chapters, offence, however, is when you get to play as Balan
and is ultimately where the challenge and himself in extremely tedious QTE sequences,
replayability lies. Indeed, there are some levels which still demand nothing less than a flawless
where I couldn’t even find a single statue on the performance to earn a statue as reward – being
first go, while others had me carefully observing told you’re ‘Great’ can be infuriating.
my surroundings for secret paths or parsing Yet despite how unfashionably counter to
an object that’s surely interactable with the conventional wisdom it can be, I could never
bring myself to hate Balan Wonderworld; it’s
made with such wide-eyed earnestness and
A few costumes unlock


minigames, although old-school stubbornness. Obviously, it doesn’t

their rewards of extra
gems doesn’t make them
stand a chance against the likes of Super Mario VERDICT
particularly worthwhile. – the dire technical performance on Switch also It won’t be destined for
means it’s wasted on that audience. But in being classic or even cult status,
so consciously unconscious of modern game but you’ll still find unbridled
design, it’s neither a safe by-the-numbers flagship charm in this flawed,
platformer nor trying to pretend it’s a playable restrictive platformer.
Pixar production. It dances to its own nonsensical Better than Knack, at least.
beat, and at a time when publishers are ever
more risk-averse and prefer to stick to what they
know, it’s a miracle that weird and flawed games
like this even get a chance in the spotlight.
60%
wfmag.cc \ 93
 Rated
Review

HIGHLIGHT
Training, weirdly. And the music,
which is brilliant. The training
mechanic initially seems a bit
fiddly and micromanage-y, until
it dawns on you that it’s a set-
and-forget. You say how many
of a certain profession you
want, and the game will keep
to that number so long as you
have the bodies to spare. It’s
smart, and effort-saving.

Review

 afe to say, it was going

S
Evil Genius 2


well at this point.

A light-hearted romp featuring global domination

I
t was about the time I executed my first Objectives keep on coming, and outside of
minion that I remembered Evil Genius the aimless sandbox mode, you’re unlikely to
GENRE
Info

2 concerns itself with… yeah. Being evil. run out of things to do for a long time. And
Baddie-’em-up
Its sprightly and bright presentation, with plenty of floors to build through, dozens of
FORMAT
effectively mimicking the stylistic flourishes upgrades to research, and the forces of good
PC
of many a Bond parody (with superb music to back trying to infiltrate your lair, it’s the sort of game
DEVELOPER
Rebellion up the visuals) might lure you into thinking this is that keeps you sat at the desk for hours. You’re
happy-go-lucky and, a lot of the time, it really is. also unlikely to turn it off out of frustration: Evil
PUBLISHER
Rebellion Yes, you’re making plans to take over the world, Genius 2 isn’t a challenging game per se, more
PRICE but it’s all done in such a Planet Coaster-style way one that can present the odd temporary setback
£34.99 it’s easy to forget those aims are actually nefarious. for you to overcome either by figuring out what
RELEASE And then you torture someone to death. you need to do and implementing it quickly, or
Out now Strategy games like the by muddling through in a
original Evil Genius and stable- “Honestly, my power slightly longer amount of time.
mates like Dungeon Keeper Honestly, my power plant was
fell out of fashion a long time
plant was on fire on fire for a long time before I
REVIEWED BY ago. Potentially even before for a long time” remembered to put some fire
Ian Dransfield Evil Genius’ release in 2004. extinguishers in the hallway,
So there’s a definite pang of nostalgia in being and it barely slowed down my conquest of Earth.
welcomed to your underground lair before A sequel some 15-plus years in the making
ordering your dozens of minions to dig out rooms is never going to live up to the expectations of
and populate them with all manner of beds, those who loved the first game, and it’s fair to
lockers, canteens, training equipment, and other say that’s the case here. But that’s reductive
items you need to keep an evil empire in good and, frankly, wrong-headed of me – because
VERDICT working order. And while in Dungeon Keeper you I enjoyed almost every second playing Evil
Taking over the world might slap an imp to get them to dig faster, here Genius 2, and that’s something no amount of
might be easy, but it’s still in Evil Genius 2 you instead use the motivating, hand-wringing about removing some perceived
good fun.
inspirational powers of your titular genius to ‘better’ complexities from the original game can
make the workforce push that bit harder. And take away. This is a stylish and fun game that,

79% then you execute one of them in eyeshot of the

others to re-establish dominance. It’s just that
kind of game.
while on a low rung of the challenge ladder,
comes very much recommended as a lighter
strategy title.

94 / wfmag.cc
 Rated
Review

HIGHLIGHT
Nicole O’Neill does a decent
job as Kristina, even if a lot of
it involves mooching around
empty buildings and looking
concerned as she awaits your
decisions. Her presence at
least brings a level of reliability
to proceedings when many
other elements are having
trouble staying afloat.

Review

I Saw Black Clouds

Alone in the dark

I
n brief glimpses, I Saw Black Clouds hints The way it handles player input only increases
at potential in the interactive movie, the feeling. Your involvement is inconsistent – in

Info
especially for horror. When things go some scenes you direct Kristina’s every move, in GENRE
Interactive movie
bump in the night and you’re alone, others you’re a spectator, and decision-making is
FORMAT
vulnerable, and shoved into hurried littered with fake choices and some options that
PS4 (tested) / PC /
dilemmas, you suddenly sympathise with the fail to register at all. This muddiness is capped Switch / XBO
idiot victim in a slasher flick who does everything by a wonky character attribute system that DEVELOPER
wrong. Should you sit in bed or poke your supposedly reacts to your choices. Two separate Ghost Dog Films
head into the corridor? Switch on the light? All bars marked ‘denial’ and ‘acceptance’ can both PUBLISHER
those times you’ve shouted at the TV come reach high values, and there are relationship Wales Interactive
flooding back. Not so easy now, is it, panicked, ratings for just two characters, Charlotte and PRICE
guessing in the dark? Jack, one of which you might never meet. £9.99
Yet if ignorance gives these sequences a It’s eventually clear that these symptoms stem RELEASE
certain impact, everything else about I Saw Black from an identity crisis at the core of the plot. Out now
Clouds is confusing in the wrong way. You are, Based on decisions in the opening act, the story
after all, also a viewer following the story, and can progress in two diverse directions – one that
Ghost Dog Films’ choppy dives into the supernatural,
execution all too often “Whoever you’re another that morphs into a REVIEWED BY
drags you out of it. conspiracy thriller. Not so Jon Bailes
The initial premise is
chatting to, it feels much branching as split
sound enough. Kristina disconnected” at the base of the trunk.
(Nicole O’Neill) returns to Yet both still share scenes,
her Shropshire hometown after the suicide of multi-purposing dialogue, and action in a way
old friend Emily, and senses a ghostly presence that inevitably makes more sense in one context
– maybe Emily is trying to say something from than the other. Until, inexplicably, they can
beyond the grave, maybe it’s a more sinister handbrake-turn to converge on the same finale,
force. With that, Kristina starts sleuthing around, ditching everything for a twist that does justice VERDICT
questioning people in their homes, or slowly to neither. A live-action interactive
exploring sites of interest, stalked by a tang of I Saw Black Clouds’ problems aren’t intrinsic to movie that struggles
suspense. In fact, there’s not much else, with its genre, or its low production values. Yes, it’s both mechanically and
little connecting tissue to clarify what she’s up cheap and performances are uneven, but it’s narratively.
to, or introduce the supporting cast. Whether the shoddy structure that kills it. There is some
you’re chatting to a sinister psychiatrist, a rude
headmaster, or a friendly vicar who smiles his way
through a talk about suicide, it feels disconnected.
potential in the interactive movie, then, but aside
from some fleeting tension, you won’t find it
realised here.
34%
wfmag.cc \ 95
 Rated
Review

HIGHLIGHT
Class of the Titans is the
sequel’s best episode,
thanks to its clever handling
of reunion tropes, nostalgia,
and somewhat touching
time-travelling subplot.
The moment Dooley takes
to the stage to sing an
eighties power ballad to his
rampaging stalker ranks
among the series’ best.
 ameos from the first
C


season abound, especially

in the first episode, to
compensate for the
absence of your partner.

Review

The Darkside Detective:

A Fumble in the Dark
Pixels, puns, and poltergeists

O
GENRE
Info

Point-and-click fficer Dooley has got himself a dozen per scenario to more than 20, and the
adventure in trouble again. Your faithful length of each episode has roughly doubled.
FORMAT partner and the Darkside Division’s The added duration isn’t a problem, but Spooky
PC (tested) / PS4 idiot savant (or just plain idiot) Doorway seems unsure how to handle it. It’s
/ XBO/Switch / got sucked into a mysterious happy to ramp up the weirdness and fill the
PS5 / XB X/S /
dimension during a routine investigation, gaps with inventory fiddling and a stream of
Stadia
prompting an inconsolable Detective McQueen callbacks to the original. But in-jokes and pop
DEVELOPER
Spooky Doorway
to neglect all other duties and obsessively focus culture references are poor substitutes for
on tracking down his missing friend. If this narrative cohesion, and so A Fumble in the Dark
PUBLISHER
Akupara Games were Disco Elysium, there would doubtless be disappoints, even as it bombards you with sci-fi
PRICE heavy alcohol consumption and self-destructive tropes: the fourth case sees you jump from a
£9.99 behaviour involved. But it’s not, so our haunted circus to a reality governed by psychotic
RELEASE protagonist opts for a heartfelt, locally broadcast clowns, to the depths of a gooey ocean, to the
Out now plea on Dick Brickman’s daytime talk show and innards of a mechanical beast within moments.
allying with a talking squirrel in the first of six A Fumble in the Dark bounces back for
bizarre cases that comprise the sequel to 2017’s the final acts: a demonic tag-team wrestling
REVIEWED BY enjoyable collection of spooky mini-adventures, match with implications for the future of
Alexander Chatziioannou The Darkside Detective. humankind, and a high school reunion crashed
Both the wonderfully expressive pixel art and by Dooley’s interdimensional abductor. It is not
the mercifully time-flexible episodic structure a coincidence that these are both the more
that felt so refreshing in the original are present spatially coherent episodes, and the ones that
VERDICT in A Fumble in the Dark. But something is missing delve deeper into the duo’s personalities and
Less focused and charming from these new scenarios, which take you from motivations. In the four years since The Darkside
than its predecessor, but an Irish castle hosting a bitter feud between Detective’s release, the work of – among others –
still a fun collection of Druidic factions to a vampire-infested retirement Octavi Navarro and Powerhoof has hammered a
mini-adventures that ends home whose residents display a penchant for new focus onto the bite-sized adventure genre.
on a high note. vandalism, and it’s not just Dooley’s buffoonery. While never less than an agreeable diversion, A
While still manageable in length, there’s a Fumble in the Dark’s aspirations of scope feel like

61% new-found expansiveness in A Fumble in the Dark

that serves to dilute the concise appeal of the
first game. The room count has gone from about
a step backwards for most of its length, before it
finds its footing in a finale that rekindles hope for
McQueen’s and Dooley’s future shenanigans.

96 / wfmag.cc
 Rated
Review

HIGHLIGHT
Outriders treads some
familiar locales, but I enjoy the
20th-century frontline looks
of Trenchtown. Here, great
concrete edifices loom over a
warren of supersized trenches
that make you feel like a
toddler in an Imperial War
Museum diorama.

Review

Outriders
Another lousy millennium

F
ighting through Outriders’ chambered  elentless brawling results in a
R


pacing issue, albeit one solved

open world in the first act feels much by playing something else.

Info
GENRE
the same as it does in the last. Is
Shooter/RPG
that a problem? Not if shooting and
FORMAT
looting sufficiently incentivise you to PC / PS4 /
get through its overlong campaign. And it’s a PS5 / XB X/S /
good thing the combat loop makes for such a XBO (tested)
strong hook. DEVELOPER
Informed by DOOM, Gears, and Destiny, People Can Fly
encounters are animated by an addictive pattern PUBLISHER
of risk and reward – “Think aggressive, kill to heal” Square Enix

being Outriders’ maxim. A slow drip of upgrades PRICE

£59.99
improves the power fantasy at Outriders’ core, the aforementioned Devastator can fling across
RELEASE
while I enjoy the brawn behind its Gnasher-like levels like Spidey and soak punches like the Hulk.
Out now
shotguns. I never unequip the Devastator class’s Do you mind that just yesterday you were in
Gravity Leap ability, which metamorphoses me paradise? Not a whole lot, no.
into a terrifying Katamari. The settings get mildly It’s not just the story that feels like a victim of
more interesting, too, as you push further into compromise. Some people worried that Outriders REVIEWED BY
this alien world and approach the source of the – belonged to a previous generation. I wish it Kyle Hoekstra
um, or the reason for the – er… did. Combat is compelling but wearying, and
You see, in the absence of much innovation anchored by the prevailing shortcut to player
beyond its combat, Outriders lacks an emotive gratification in its many random item-spewing
through line to see the player to its conclusion. loot boxes. This relentless pattern of opening
You start newly put ashore on planet Enoch, doors, beating enemies, and rinsing their pockets
settling survivors from a ravaged Earth. An hour feels transparent and often hollow.
later, you do a Fry from Futurama: end up in a That’s the big disappointment here. People VERDICT
freezer and wake up in the distant future. Things Can Fly’s Bulletstorm was also a science fiction Outriders is a compelling
have not gone well. The verdant valleys are now romp, but one that effectively blended tone, brawler, but what’s good
ruins, and perpetual war rages within a region novelty, and style while taking aim at its dour is slim and the rest
bounded by a mysterious geophysical ‘Anomaly’. contemporaries. The studio chose not to fiddle lacks spark.
The same thing transforms you into an ‘Altered’, with the same levers this time. The result is rather
and rewires your central nervous system into an
ability unlock tree for one of four classes. The
Trickster can deploy slow-time bubbles, while
more routine and conservative, and attached to
a tiresome creed that humanity is fated to run
headlong into its own ruin.
57%
wfmag.cc \ 97
 Rated
Review

Review

It Takes Two
GENRE Honey, I shrunk the genre
Info

Co-op

“
T
FORMAT
PC (tested) / PS5 rue or false, my birthday is on 17 Fares’ laser focus on a forgotten genre
/ XB S/X / PS4 April,” my co-op partner asks me, ensures that the studio’s games exist in their
/ XBO
holding back a sinister laugh. He own unique, charming lane, reminding us of
DEVELOPER
knows it’s been a few years and a the days before online multiplayer really took
Hazelight Studios
series of lockdowns since we’ve had hold. Ultimately, they’re built to strengthen the
PUBLISHER
a proper chat, and I’m a little clay man trapped relationships of the duos that play them, and It
Electronic Arts
in a brass pneumatic chamber. Shame washes Takes Two feels like the product of a studio that
PRICE
£34.99 over me, and I squirm and make silly noises has fully figured out its niche.
before letting out a meek “True?” The premise revolves around a little girl called
RELEASE
Out now Without words, he slaps a button to Rose who is caught in the middle of a looming
incinerate me, and we both burst into laughter. divorce. Rose makes dolls of her parents Cody
We’re playing It Takes Two, the latest offering and May to pretend that they’re going to stay
from Josef Fares’ Hazelight Studios. Hazelight together forever, but when her tears grace the
REVIEWED BY is one of the very few development teams patchwork guardians they are brought to life in
Jordan Oloman dedicated to reanimating the joys of couch co- fun-sized form. Players control Cody and May
op. You may be familiar with its previous work: as they’re forced to reconcile their differences
the heart-rending stick-twiddler Brothers: A Tale in a different dimension, solving puzzles with
of Two Sons and the half-baked-but-charming A communication. It’s gamified couples therapy, an
Way Out. interactive romantic comedy with a much longer
runtime, clocking in at about twelve hours tops.
Across those hours you’ll visit fantasised
worlds based on parts of the family home.
I n this fun section, one The innards of an old oak tree becomes


player rides a long-necked

dinosaur, moving and
the setting for an armed conflict between
placing blocks to allow squirrels and wasps that you must mediate,
their partner through a
platforming gauntlet. and a sentimental snow globe becomes a ski
resort. The intimate scale of the game leads to
 Most of the levels feature
an overlord, such as the countless striking details in the environment,
space mission’s Moon from plastic beach-ball stretch marks to the
Baboon, one of Rose’s toys
brought to life. bulging braided cords of microphone snakes

98 / wfmag.cc
 Rated
Review

I n the attic, you’ll cross



circuit boards and dodge

capacitor hazards as May
uses her voice to tame
microphone snakes.

The material details in It


Takes Two are eye-wateringly
beautiful up close, even
when you’re flying around on
a fidget spinner.

you have to dodge in the attic. It’s the kind of The mechanical variety is staggering, and It
texture work that really demands screenshots. Takes Two is well worth its price for this aspect
I couldn’t help but zoom in on stray capacitors alone. But where it fell apart for me was in the HIGHLIGHT
or perforations in plastic that ripple carefully in pacing and narrative department. For about While the game’s score
the air, allowing players to float on their plumes. five hours it’s in a stride, heading from one set isn’t much to write home
Beyond the tools mapped to the triggers, piece to the next, with each level meaningful about, the sound design in It
Takes Two is full of superb
the control scheme is simple: you can double narratively, with smart side characters and
intricacies. Pounding plugs
jump, dash, butt slam, and smack, but the a clear moral around repairing the failing into place, slapping buttons,
satisfying momentum of these inputs has been relationship. Soon after though, it quietens and cracking glass bottles
fine-tuned to allow for mistakes that feel like down and forgets what it wants to say. Levels are tactile experiences that
the player’s fault, with little room for frustration lose their meaning beyond being dragged-out serve to ground players in its
magnificent miniature world.
at the game itself. To me, puzzle parlours.
this is the mark of any “It’s gamified couples Here’s an example –
good platformer, where about halfway through
failure goads you to get
therapy; an interactive the game, the parents
better. Consistent boss romantic comedy” violently chase down their
battles will push you to daughter’s favourite toy to
your limits, such as a toolbox demon that is further their ambitions to get back to normality,
raining nails and constantly slicing through a and It Takes Two starts teasing out this great
precarious platform. You’re forced to put your moral about how warring parents can lose sight
heads together, combining hammer and nail to of their children’s needs in the cold pragmatism
catapult into the air and pop an explosive can of divorce. It was on the cusp of some very
of WD-40 in its anthropomorphic brain. powerful emotions, I could feel the tears coming,
Hazelight is always manipulating what you but the story wasn’t smart enough to bring this
can do based on the introduced mechanics, so idea home, cutting in with daft quips instead.
you’re never far away from being flabbergasted. This tracks for the remainder of the game,
It can be frantic in the moment – one scene as at its climax, It Takes Two stage-dives into an
you’re in a classroom trying to pass an exam abrupt happy ending and smacks headfirst into
on a time limit, solving mental maths with butt the concrete. Maybe I’m jaded from personal VERDICT
slams and carefully connecting a dot-to-dot experience, but the last few levels weren’t It Takes Two is a singular
drawing. Other puzzles are slow and careful believable, and in spite of consistently funny voice co-op experience valuable
head-scratchers where you’re unravelling a code acting, the closing dialogue felt particularly sickly. to any duo with an
based on a solution only one shrunken player The way it resolved almost ruined the game for unfortunately shoddy story.
can see. You can also find optional competitive me and my co-op partner – the impression it left
minigames that are peppered through each
map – well worth dodging the story for to see
who’s the best at chess or Scalextric.
was that its main characters didn’t learn anything
despite all of the meaningful lessons it had taught
us as players.
81%
wfmag.cc \ 99
 Rated
Review

HIGHLIGHT
As per the title, there’s a
whole lot of walking here,
and sometimes nothing
else besides. Yet that stark,
monochrome image of your
squad – a quartet of minuscule
figures silently braving the
elements – does have a quiet,
desolate beauty to it. It’s Death
Stranding, but with other people.

Review

Ashwalkers:
A Survival Journey
Baby, it’s cold outside. No, seriously, it’s incredibly cold

I
GENRE
Info

Narrative n a post-apocalypse where the planet’s with any genuinely tough decisions. It just made
survival sim
atmosphere has become filled with sense to take the diplomatic route, like not killing
FORMAT
ash, remnants of humanity survive with the first person you come across. Rescue a boy
PC
few resources and some grim choices from a wild beast and he’ll pay it forward by
DEVELOPER
Nameless XIII
to make. As a four-member squad, you’re helping you pass safely through his village, whose
tasked with setting off for a fabled location called nomadic inhabitants are described as ‘savages’
PUBLISHER
Dear Villagers the Dome of Domes as a potential new refuge for – an outdated term made moreso in a post-
PRICE your community of survivors. apocalypse, when everyone’s having it rough.
£9.29 While the staples of managing gauges like The survival elements never really bring up
RELEASE hunger, heat, and fatigue are present and correct, dilemmas like the ones you might find in, say,
Out now Ashwalkers has more of a narrative slant, since it This War of Mine or The Oregon Trail. Indeed, my
focuses on those aforementioned tough decisions. squad was almost always stuffed with resources
It immediately promises depth and plenty of (although overloading beyond what they can
branching paths, boasting 34 carry does mean they’ll get
REVIEWED BY possible endings, but with this “I wasn’t faced fatigued more quickly), so
Alan Wen quantity also comes some why would I be compelled to
awkwardly blunt execution.
with any genuinely dip into a moral quagmire to
Your four squad members tough decisions” hoard more?
are more one-note functions That there are alternative
than characters – there’s Petra the leader, Sinh destinations besides the Dome of Domes will
the warrior, Kali the diplomat, and Nadir the scout at least justify a couple more runs, even if you
– each able to take over and lead on the many don’t plan to change how you approach your
VERDICT choices that play out in text-based scenarios. situation. But having more or less got my ideal
A decent premise and Choices you have are also specifically tied to a outcome the first time, the remaining alternatives
striking atmosphere, but character, so Sinh is direct and violent whereas suddenly feel like a trivial flowchart, and perhaps
this survival journey really Kali will try to find a peaceful solution. It also the game is conscious of this, since it allows you
lacks teeth. means if you’re unfortunate enough to have one of to customise your next run and essentially skip
your characters die partway through the journey, certain sections. Ashwalkers’ world may be a harsh

56% the choices available to you become limited.

As someone who wanted to find the most
hopeful outcome, I didn’t really find myself faced
one, but it mostly stems from an endgame that
asks you to be cold and calculating in order to
see all the lesser outcomes.

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 Rated
Stream of consciousness

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Musician, producer, and Twitch streamer Katt Strike spares

some time to chat to us about video games

What’s your favourite game? people, and I’ve learned a lot about the games
Oh, that’s a very hard question! I’d have to I play whilst streaming them (such as secrets,
narrow it down between Fallout: New Vegas and techniques, and facts). As someone with a
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. chronic illness, I’ve struggled to make new
friends because I was unable to work/go out for
And why is that? What is it about those a long time – Twitch allowed me to connect with
particular games that resonates so much people very similar to me. There’s something
with you? electric about a good stream, when you have
For me, it’s all about immersion, fun, and a brilliant back and forth with the chat and the
humour. I can get lost in both of those games game you’re playing is good; it’s exciting.
for hours on end; they still entertain me greatly Originally, I just wanted to play games and
(plus, they’re both amazing games, to boot). make friends, but now it fuels my ambition and
Fallout: New Vegas is quite leftfield at times. creativity. I have a very supportive community,
There are many moments you’d never expect, and they keep me coming back and wanting
plus the dialogue is hilarious throughout. to improve.

Which game was it that got you into gaming You can watch Katt Strike streaming through
to begin with? What are your enduring the week over on Twitch: wfmag.cc/Striker
memories of it?
My parents were both gamers, so I started out
around the age of four with Street Fighter 2 (on
the Sega Saturn). It wasn’t until Crash Bandicoot
that I really started to enjoy games; we would
spend hours playing it with my mum as she
angrily tried to get every gem on every level,
frequently calling Crash a “wee b*****d”.

Has there ever been a point you’ve been put

off gaming? If so, why?
To be honest, not really. For years, gaming was
a very solitary thing to me, an escape. It’s such
a huge part of my life that I couldn’t imagine not
playing them. If I ever encounter toxicity online,
I block and move on. I play games every day, and
I could never imagine not having that in my life.

What’s the appeal of playing games for an

audience – whether that’s pre-recorded
or livestreaming?
I think there’s a lot of reasons streaming appeals
to me. Personally, I enjoy sharing games with

wfmag.cc \ 101
 Rated
The Wireframe Hotlist

The best PC games, according to Wireframe,

catering for whatever your mood might be

The games for… BIG ADVENTURES The games for… SOLID STORY TIMES
Disco Elysium / ZA/UM / 94% (Issue 28)

Mutazione / Die Gute Fabrik / 86% (Issue 26)

Whispers of a Machine
/ Clifftop Games/Faravid Interactive / 85% (Issue 14)

Mythic Ocean / Paralune / 84% (Issue 36)

Sunless Skies / Failbetter Games / 83% (Issue 7)

Arise: A Simple Story / Piccolo Studio / 82% (Issue 31)

Assemble with Care / ustwo Games / 81% (Issue 27)

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

/ Telltale Games/Skybound Games / 81% (Issue 11)
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey / Ubisoft / 93% (Issue 1)
The Procession to Calvary / Joe Richardson / 80% (Issue 40)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon / Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / 90% (Issue 45)
Outer Wilds / Mobius Digital / 80% (Issue 17)
Amnesia: Rebirth / Frictional Games / 87% (Issue 46)

The Last Campfire / Hello Games / 86% (Issue 47)

The games for… FIRING UP BRAIN CELLS
Resident Evil 2 / Capcom / 86% (Issue 7)

Far Cry New Dawn / Ubisoft / 85% (Issue 9)

Journey to the Savage Planet / Typhoon Studios / 84% (Issue 33)

The Outer Worlds / Obsidian Entertainment / 84% (Issue 28)

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

/ Game Atelier / 84% (Issue 6)

Nioh 2 / Koei Tecmo Games / 80% (Issue 38)

The games for… REPEATED PLAY

Telling Lies / Sam Barlow / 92% (Issue 24)
Hades / Supergiant Games / 94% (Issue 44)
Kentucky Route Zero / Cardboard Computer / 90% (Issue 33)
They Are Billions / Numantian Games / 88% (Issue 20)
Heaven’s Vault / inkle / 89% (Issue 12)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice / FromSoftware / 87% (Issue 11)
The Pedestrian / Skookum Arts / 84% (Issue 35)
Streets of Rage 4 / DotEmu/Lizardcube/Guard Crush / 86% (Issue 40)
The Legend of Bum-Bo / Edmund McMillen / 83% (Issue 31)
Trials of Fire / Whatboy Games / 84% (Issue 50)
A Monster’s Expedition / Draknek & Friends / 82% (Issue 47)
Katamari Damacy REROLL / Monkeycraft / 84% (Issue 4)
Total War: Three Kingdoms
Spelunky 2 / Mossmouth / 83% (Issue 44) / Creative Assembly/Feral Interactive / 82% (Issue 16)

Hitman 2 / IO Interactive / 82% (Issue 3) Wanna Survive / PINIX / 80% (Issue 42)

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure / ustwo Games / 82% (Issue 46) Superliminal / Pillow Castle / 80% (Issue 34)

Slay the Spire / Mega Crit Games / 81% (Issue 45) Automachef / Hermes Interactive / 80% (Issue 19)

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The Wireframe Hotlist

The games for… HIGH-INTENSITY PLAY

PC Top 10

Tetris Effect / Monstars Inc./Resonair / 90% (Issue 4)

Sayonara Wild Hearts / Simogo / 89% (Issue 25)

1 Disco Elysium / 94% (Issue 28)

Smarter and deeper than anything else; truly

Star Wars: Squadrons / EA / 86% (Issue 45)
an RPG in a class completely of its own.
Devil May Cry 5 / Capcom / 84% (Issue 10)
2 Hades / 94% (Issue 44)
Black Bird / Onion Games / 84% (Issue 3)
Proving ‘roguelike’ isn’t a dirty word, learning-
BPM: Bullets Per Minute / Awe Interactive / 83% (Issue 45) and-dying is a joy from start to finish.
Catastronauts / Inertia Game Studios / 82% (Issue 1)
3 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Olija / Skeleton Crew Studio/Thomas Olsson / 81% (Issue 48) / 93% (Issue 1)
DUSK / David Szymanski / 81% (Issue 7) The point where Ubisoft realised over-the-top
adventures were the right direction.
DOOM Eternal / id Software / 80% (Issue 36)

4 Telling Lies / 92% (Issue 24)

The games for… CURING THE INDIE ITCH This FMV mystery asks more of the player
than most, with rewards to match.

5 If Found / 92% (Issue 44)

A compelling and beautifully illustrated

narrative, as moving as it is memorable.

6 Yakuza: Like a Dragon / 90% (Issue 45)

A bold, brash, and joyous rebirth for the

long-running gangster series.

7 Tetris Effect / 90% (Issue 4)

If Found… / DREAMFEEL / 92% (Issue 44)
The question is ‘how do you better Tetris?’
Can Androids Pray The answer is: like this. This is how.
/ Natalie Clayton/Priscilla Snow/Xalavier Nelson Jr. / 90% (Issue 21)
8 Kentucky Route Zero / 90% (Issue 33)
Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 / Cosmo D / 89% (Issue 39)
Abstract style meets concrete commitments
Baba Is You / Hempuli Oy / 88% (Issue 10) in this fantastic magical realist adventure.
Afterparty / Night School Studio / 86% (Issue 33)
9 Can Androids Pray / 90% (Issue 21)
Witcheye / Moon Kid / 86% (Issue 30)
A healthy dose of existential anxiety in a
Hypnospace Outlaw minimalist, bite-sized package.
/ Tendershoot/Michael Lasch/ThatWhichIs Media / 86% (Issue 11)

Haunted PS1 Demo Disc / The Haunted / 85% (Issue 39) 10 Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1
/ 89% (Issue 39)
Xeno Crisis / Bitmap Bureau / 81% (Issue 33)
A walking sim/adventure; a work of
Art of Rally / Funselektor Labs / 80% (Issue 45) remarkable imagination and humanity.

wfmag.cc \ 103
 Retro
Backwards compatible

WRITTEN BY IAN “WITTY REFERENCE” DRANSFIELD

Fornever
Well yes, it’s now ten years since Duke has ever had a similar impact to Duke very same PS3 I first played it on, to find
Nukem Forever finally, actually came out. Nukem Forever. In that it absolutely killed a out how much a person can soften with
The game was around 15 years in the franchise stone-dead. age, and how much nostalgia can make
making, so it’s not been out as long as it I played the game in a professional something easier to get along with.
was being made – not yet – but it is still a capacity, reviewing it in a past life. I was Nope. Not in the slightest. From the
milestone. An anniversary worth talking keen – a Duke Nukem 3D fan since that very first second of playing Duke Nukem
about? Hmm. ‘Worth’ isn’t a word thrown game’s release, I was both qualified to Forever, it’s clear that not only was past
around a lot with Duke Nukem Forever. take on the much-anticipated game Ian right, he might not have been harsh
An anniversary that I feel for some reason and keen to see what 3D Realms (and enough in his assessment of this trash fire
compelled to talk about. That’s better. Gearbox, and Triptych, and Piranha) had of a game.
In the ten years since Duke’s last outing been able to put together over such The hilarity opens with the player
– barring re-releases of Duke Nukem 3D, an extended period of work. I don’t controlling Duke as he… does a wee.
the game that was (and is) actually good remember the score I gave Duke Nukem Then you can fish a poo out of a toilet
– we’ve heard the odd peep here and Forever, but I know it was low. And I know and throw it at the wall. Interactivity takes
there that the flat-topped bewildering ball I was actively annoyed. So with that centre stage as you use markers to draw
of misplaced machismo will be making memory – faded but legible – still rattling on a whiteboard, before you recreate
a return, but either it was Gearbox chief around in my brain, I loaded the game the last boss battle from Duke 3D in a
Randy Pitchford with a hopeful glint up for the first time in a decade, on the straightforward, dull intro fight. It’s an
in his eye, or what has become of 3D
Realms trying to make a game based
on a property it simply doesn’t own
anymore (which ended up as the awful
Bombshell). There’s been nothing official.
I cannot think of a game – not one that
I was paying so much attention to, that
I was looking forward to so much – that

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 Retro
Backwards compatible

Make it again VIII

There’s a host
of Psygnosis/
Sony properties
that have lain
dormant for a
long time now,
and I think it’s
about time
someone got
to work fixing
that. If Shadow of the
inauspicious start that continues into an Beast can get a do-over, so can Colony
inauspicious rest-of-game. Wars. Yes, Shadow was technically a
It’s not just that it’s crude. In 2011, Reflections game, and yes, its remake
Duke’s ‘babes’ were embarrassing, in was bad, but the point stands.
2021 their presentation feels genuinely as a sort of penance. It was 15 years in Epic space opera action with a
shameful. It’s not just that there’s not the making and had been surpassed 15 story you had a genuine impact
a single scintilla of self-awareness on years before it released. It’s ten years old on – fail a mission and the game
display in how Duke is portrayed (hunting as of June 2021, and my brain has done continues, the outcome just becomes
lions for trophy kills – what a man). No – such a thorough scrubbing job trying to increasingly less optimistic the worse
Duke Nukem Forever’s biggest crime is that get rid of it from my memory that it feels you do – Colony Wars was laser-
the game is extremely boring. like it never really existed to begin with. shooty-whizzbang action done right
It’s glorified, wave-based combat – go Duke Nukem Forever was – and remains – for consoles. Star Wars: Squadrons
to a place, deal with a few waves of idiotic absolutely horrible. has shown us there’s an appetite for
AI drones, interact with whatever thing All that being said, I do still see there modern space shooters that veer
is glowing orange in the area, go to the being potential for a new Duke game. The out of the simulation realm, so why
next place, rinse and repeat. There’s the re-releases and remasters of Duke Nukem not give it a shot? All it would need is
odd fixed gun emplacement thrown in to 3D were well received by the gaming many millions of pounds in order to
really test your patience. And all the while public. Gearbox isn’t a daft company, maintain the high production values
you’re having to deal with Disaster Movie- I’m sure it knows it’d be leaving money of the first two games, it’s not too
levels of parody. Which is to say Duke, or on the table to ignore the property. much to ask.
someone else, says a line lifted exactly So I fully expect in the next few years
from another game/movie/TV show/pop these words won’t ring as true because
culture reference, exactly as it was said, a sequel or follow-up in some form will
devoid of context, while (metaphorically) be announced. But for the right now, in
staring right at you and winking as if it’s this very moment, it’s fun to enjoy the
How Comedy Works. milestone of ten years since Duke Nukem
I’m ashamed of myself for spending Forever. Ten years since we watched an
a couple of hours playing Duke Nukem entire series crash and burn, with cries
Forever in 2021, to the point that I gave of “The horror!” aimed squarely at the
myself the task of writing about it here game’s content, not its fate.

wfmag.cc \ 105
 Retro
Backwards compatible

WRITTEN BY RYAN LAMBIE

Dynamic Duo
Buying anything second-hand is always
a risk, and this is doubly true for ageing
consoles. That’s why, when I recently
bought a somewhat tired-looking PC
Engine Duo-R from an auction site this
month, it was on the assumption that
I’d quickly find problems with it – I even
planned to write about my attempts
to get the system working on this very
page. To my surprise, though, the Duo-R was designed as an
turned up in much better condition than add-on for the original PC
expected: its case is a bit yellowed in Engine. As the years went on,
places, but what looked like deep, dark the console’s manufacturer, NEC,
scratches in the photos turned out to released two additional CD formats,
be streaks of dirt which could easily be each requiring its own expansion card in
cleaned off with some detergent. Better order to run. The original CD-ROM2 played
yet, it all works perfectly: the Duo-R is host to such games as Golden Axe, Side
designed to run both HuCards (the credit Arms Special, and Zero Wing. Next came the
card-sized proprietary cartridges earlier Super CD-ROM2 format, which debuted in
iterations of the system used) and CD- 1991 and required its own expansion card expansion you’ll need is the Arcade CD-
based games – and both function just to play; and then there was the Arcade ROM2 card – and that’s assuming you’re
fine at the time of writing. CD-ROM2, released in 1994, which had desperate to play the nine-or-so titles it
Given just how confusing the PC a smaller but sought-after selection of supports. With the Duo-R, then, you’re
Engine’s hardware lineage can be, I’d releases, such as the infamously rare Ginga able to play the vast majority of the PC
argue that the Duo-R is a good place to Fukei Densetsu Sapphire. Engine’s CD library right away, without
start if you’re interested in playing the If you can get your hands on a PC Engine worrying about CD-ROM add-ons or
system’s library of CD games. The original Duo-R, it already has CD-ROM2 and Super cards, which can often be expensive and
CD-ROM2 unit was released in 1988, and CD-ROM2 compatibility built in. The only difficult to track down by themselves.
(It’s also worth noting that the Duo-R is
a really svelte, modern-looking system
– it really is a lovely piece of 1990s
industrial design.)
The usual caveats apply, obviously: if
you aren’t fussed about original hardware
and collecting physical games, you can
play all these titles quite easily via an
emulator. If the fragility of old consoles
doesn’t appeal to you, then Analogue’s
upcoming Duo will allow you to play
original HuCards and CDs on your
modern HD telly. For me, though, there’s
a real thrill to having this hefty, cream-
coloured chunk of console history join my
gaming setup. Now I just have to see how
long it lasts before it inevitably breaks…

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Backwards compatible

Rare Beasts
If you want an illustration of how volatile
the retro game collecting market can be,
look no further than Circus Lido. Between
the late 1990s and early 2000s, this was
one of the rarest and most expensive
titles on the PC Engine. It was so rare,
in fact, that rumours abounded that it
was never properly released, and that
only a handful of copies existed. Circus
Lido’s sheer oddness certainly seemed
to back this up: it was the product of a
little-known studio called Uni Post, and
appeared to be its one and only release.
You controlled a diminutive chameleon
named Leon, and the game unfolded
like a cross between Bubble Bobble and something surprising happened: dozens, As you can imagine, sales were slow, and
a fixed-screen puzzler like Sokoban: perhaps hundreds, of brand-new, pallets of Circus Lido hung around for a
enemies had to be sucked up with Leon’s unopened copies showed up for sale few years in a warehouse somewhere
sticky tongue, and then spat into the on Amazon Japan for their original retail before they were finally sold off on
gaping maws of Venus flytraps dotted price of around £40. It subsequently Amazon. Prices quickly plummeted, and
around the screen. Only once all the emerged that Circus Lido did get a even 20 years later, you can still pick
enemies were collected up and eaten commercial release after all – just at up a tidy copy of the game for around
by the carnivorous plants would the exit an unusual venue. For reasons we its original retail price – though sealed
open for the next level. haven’t been able to uncover, Uni Post copies sell for a bit more. Circus Lido is no
Copies of Circus Lido regularly changed sold Circus Lido exclusively in Japanese longer the rarest game in the PC Engine’s
hands for thousands of pounds, until, libraries – yes, those quiet places where archives, then – but the story behind it is
after the turn of the millennium, people typically go to borrow books. arguably the weirdest.

Loose Cannons
If you’re looking for a modern beat-
‘em-up to play on your Amiga, you
should keep an eye on Metro Siege – an
upcoming brawler in the works over at
indie developer BitBeamCannon. It’s an
action title firmly in the mould of Final
Fight and Streets of Rage, and if it plays
as nicely as it looks, we should be in for
a treat. The team also have a couple
of other retro projects in the works,
including a fantasy-themed side-scroller,
DaemonClaw: Origins of Nnar (also for
the Amiga), and an 8-bit, NES-style
platformer called Cyber-Jack. They’re all
slated for release on modern platforms,
too. You can find out more about all
three at bitbeamcannon.com.

wfmag.cc \ 107
 Now playing
Me? Nah, no golf

Me? Nah, no golf

Getting back into the swing, Ian heads to perennial
favourite Everybody’s Golf

C
lap Hanz Golf. I didn’t know it was products in the house, and so I’m entirely cut
coming, then suddenly there it was off from the next step in the best golfing series
on Apple Arcade. The developer known to humankind.
– Clap Hanz, that is – had made a Ah well, I think calmly – I can have a go at
game for a non-Sony machine for Everybody’s Golf on PS5 (PS4) instead; it didn’t
the first time in a quarter of a century. The first come out too long ago (four years), and I’ve been
time in the studio’s history. It might not have itching to get back into it (I haven’t). Everybody’s
been an exciting departure for a dev that had Golf (known in Japan as Minna no Gorufu) is the
made ten golf games prior to this point, but long-running series that has been stewarded by
that’s why it’s exciting: it’s a new Clap Hanz golf Clap Hanz since the second instalment back in
’Gimme’ mode


helped me quickly game! The only problem is I have zero Apple 1999. It’s a bright and airy take on the best way
get back into the
flow of things.
to spoil a nice walk, and the removal of all those
things like ‘real people’ and ‘EA Sports logos’ has
gone a long way over the decades in endearing
it to me. It is genuinely one of my most-played
franchises – especially the handheld versions for
both PSP and PS Vita – and has a guaranteed
place in my own personal gaming pantheon.
I engage with all this setup to frame the
picture; to set the scene. So it is when I say…
I don’t really like what they did to Everybody’s
Golf on PS4… you know where this comes from.
There’s a reason I immediately picked it up in
2017 when it released – because it was a new EG
game. And there’s a reason I gave up while still
just a lowly level two player on it – it crammed
a lot of extraneous nonsense in that diluted,
and ultimately ruined, the experience for me.
As a series, Everybody’s Golf was always narrow

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 Now playing
Me? Nah, no golf

in scope, but with depth you’d still be trying to

ascertain years later. Everybody’s Golf 2017 was
a game in which you could travel around your
personal golf hub in a gyrocopter, going to the
Look at that idiot, trying to get


beach and talking to NPCs for literally no reason in the way of my chip-in glory. Wireframe
at all. It was padded, it’s fair to say.
Recommends
But this return, after a few years of ignoring
the game, brought with it a refreshed focus. funny, the hub can be sidestepped via menus,
If that lot with Apple Arcade subscriptions could and… well, no, the AI players in tournaments are
get to enjoy what was, in all but name, a new genuinely annoying. That part stands.
Everybody’s Golf game, then I would at the very Given a bit more patience on my part, it soon
least get my money’s worth from the last (non- became apparent I’d been needlessly keeping
VR) game in the series. So, with trepidation in my myself away from another fantastic game of stick-
Everybody’s Golf 2
nine iron, I loaded the game up… and promptly ball-thwack, as nobody calls it. The characters
PSONE/PS3
played it for hours on end, don’t feel as unique and Clap Hanz took over from
because it’s fantastic. This return, after a few vibrant as they did previously Camelot (which went off to
Oh, the 2017 game – especially as you don’t make the Mario Golf games),
years of ignoring the
is absolutely stuffed to specifically play as them, and came out running. A
the gills with bloat, and I game, brought with it instead just able to wear masterclass in how to make
totally understand why the a refreshed focus their clothes after defeating a golf game just different
Dransfield of that year wasn’t them in a bizarre show of enough from the PGA Tours of
as keen to get involved – the Dransfield of 2021 dominant cosplay. I’m not fond of being limited the era.

isn’t, either – but there’s enough shortcuttery and to one shot meter type, that being the traditional
hammering buttons to get through interminable three-tap bar. And, more generally, it doesn’t feel
dialogue to be done that can carry you through as focused as previous entries to the series.
and get you to the core of the experience: golf for But Everybody’s Golf is still magnificent fun, and
everybody. Because Clap Hanz had, at the point a wonderful game to pop on for ten minutes
this game came out, been making golf games for when you have time to fill with something, but
18 years, and the golf is still so very, very good. not enough to get into anything particularly deep. Everybody’s Golf
Yes, you have an endless array of nonsense Like, say, The Last of Us Part II, which I still haven’t Portable 2
customisation options, there is that golf hub to finished. One day. But for now I’m focusing on my PSP
trundle about for some reason, and the game bogeys and albatrosses. The first Portable game was
insists on having other AI players on your course, fantastic; the second edges it,
playing the game, while you’re trying to have though. Being able to take your
tees on tour was a magnificent
a relaxing tournament experience. All of that
addition to the PSP’s library
still irks. But also: dressing yourself stupidly is
and an essential golf-’em-up on
the sorely overlooked system.

Everybody’s Golf
(2012)
PS VITA/PS3
We can ignore the inevitable
PS3 re-release, because the
2012 game (2011 in Japan)
was a Vita title through and
through. It’s still arguably the
 he gyrocopter: no golf
T


game can be without franchise’s zenith, unless Clap

it, apparently? Hanz Golf is somehow better.

wfmag.cc \ 109
 Now playing
Climb every mountain

Climb every mountain

This month, Ryan attempts to improve his platforming
and shooting prowess in Celeste and Gradius

F
or one reason or another, I’ve had one actually improve my skills – and get further in the
of those months where I just haven’t game – than I did when I spent an hour or more
had as much time to devote to ‘proper’ trying and failing to bulldoze my way through its
gaming as I’d like. The multi-hour more difficult moments.
sessions that most modern games For the uninitiated, Celeste is a fixed-screen
require simply haven’t been available to me, and platformer that has a similar obsession with
so I’ve wound up gravitating towards titles that spikes, traps, and repeated, sudden deaths as
I can just dip into for a few minutes. Extremely Super Meat Boy. Celeste doesn’t move at quite
OK Games’ chilly platformer Celeste has been my the same caffeinated tempo as that earlier indie
go-to over the past few weeks, then, since it’s darling, though, and there’s a deviously intricate
Celeste’s tough, sure,


but it has some of one of those experiences where I can simply turn quality to its design that turns each discrete area
the most elegant
and precise controls
it on, chip away at a screen or two, and then turn into a miniature puzzle. Celeste’s retro stylings also
I’ve ever experienced it off again when I’m suddenly called elsewhere. belie some properly nuanced controls, and the
in a platformer.
In the process, I’ve stumbled on a small yet game’s stage designs demand absolute mastery
fascinating phenomenon: by playing Celeste for of protagonist Madeline’s abilities – as well as a
a few minutes or two each day, I’ve managed to mid-air dash, she has the ability to cling to and
clamber up sheer faces, while gem-like items
allow her to chain dashes in order to clear vast
chasms. Celeste also adds an optional challenge
in the shape of strawberries – as Don Everhart
wrote in his piece on side paths in issue 49, these
are bonus items that test your skills even further,
since they’re generally in locations that can’t be
reached without pulling off a series of pixel-
perfect leaps and dashes over deadly obstacles.
Getting good at Celeste can be a slow and
frustrating process, partly because even its early
areas are filled with traps that require careful
memorisation. In the past, I used to think that the
most efficient way to master a challenge was to

110 / wfmag.cc
 Now playing
Climb every mountain

Wireframe
Recommends

Manic Miner
ZX SPECTRUM/VARIOUS
Celeste’s distant ancestor
from the 8-bit era, Manic Miner
 Seriously, these tentacle demands the same level of
things in Gradius are evil. precision jumping and mastery
Evil, I tell you.
of each single-screen stage.
The controls are less nuanced
than Celeste, but the difficulty
practice for hours on each tricky section. The last
level is similarly steep. Also,
few weeks have made me realise that short but the Grieg chiptune warbling
regular play sessions are far more effective – will stick in your head for days.
each day, I’ve seen my skills slowly but visibly
improve, and noticed that obstacle courses that I As the days rolled by, I found I could get to
struggled with only a couple of days before could stage five without losing a life. Here, the screen
now be completed with ease. fills with what look like throbbing chunks of
Intrigued by this discovery, I applied the same gristle covered in tentacles; in the past, this stage
process to Gradius – a 1985 shoot-’em-up I’ve proved to be my undoing, as the critters sprayed
played and enjoyed for decades, but never bullets in all directions. Thanks to my new play
Image Fight
managed to complete. In the past, I’d take a method, though, I realised that equipping myself ARCADE/PC ENGINE/
brute-force approach to its more bullet-infested with lasers and positioning my ship near the VARIOUS
moments: after inevitably dying and losing all my bottom right of the screen would destroy the I’ve stuck this here because it’s
power-ups, I’d keep trying to beat the problem aliens’ tentacles as soon as they began to appear. an example of a shooter where
area again and again until I ran out of lives. In fact, if I were to provide one tip for getting rote memorisation is the only
This month, however, further in Gradius, it’s that hope of survival: enemies and
I gave myself a new rule: preventing enemies from bullets move far too quickly
“Short but regular play for most ordinary mortals to
I could only play with one life. getting near the middle
Once I lost that life, I’d turn
sessions are far more of the screen is key – the
survive on pure reflexes alone.

the game off and wouldn’t effective” game’s designed to push you
play it again until the next back so that more enemies
day. Again, it worked: areas that once left me can crowd into view and hurl bullets at you.
gnawing my controller in frustration seemed By pressing ahead, memorising attack patterns,
to evaporate as the days rolled by. Only one and destroying enemies the second they enter
life to play with focused my mind, and helped the screen, once impossible-seeming stages
me remember exactly what I did wrong when I start to feel manageable. At the time of writing, Super Meat Boy
made a mistake. My old technique of attacking I’ve gotten to Gradius’ seventh and final level for XBOX 360/PC/VARIOUS
The absolute epitome of a
the same problem area again and again simply the first time. There’s one final obstacle for me
tough platformer designed
wasted time, since the repetition meant I’d forget to overcome – a kind of gigantic cage that you
to test your skill, memory,
why I’d landed in that tricky spot in the first place: need to either manoeuvre through or navigate
and patience. In other words,
often, it was simply because I’d chosen the wrong around as it emerges from the screen’s left. This prepare to die – a lot. SMB is
weapon for the stage, or I’d lost all my power-ups isn’t quite a success story yet, then, but given it’s a frustrating, infuriating, but
and didn’t have a hope of progressing further taken me two decades to even make it this far, I’m hugely rewarding classic of
with my basic pea-shooter. chalking it up as a win. its kind.

wfmag.cc \ 111
 Killer Feature
Gradius II

Gradius II
Ryan revisits one of the most evil, despicable creations
in video game history: the dreaded Option Hunter

KONAMI / 1988 / ARCADE, PC ENGINE, NES

I
n every issue up to this point, these Killer Feature which resulted in the kind of firepower capable of eviscerating
articles have highlighted a particular mechanic that an end-of-level boss in seconds.
changed gaming, or, on occasions, were so clever that By 1988, Konami had already made one Gradius spin-off -
we can’t believe more developers haven’t borrowed Salamander, which also appeared in a slightly reworked guise
them for their own works. The Option Hunter, on the as Life Force – and it evidently wanted to up the ante with
other hand, is the total opposite: it’s a mechanic so cruel, so Gradius II. The sequel was harsher and more aggressive, with
irritating, so downright evil, we’re relieved that a version of it level designs and attack patterns that punished the unwary at
hasn’t reared its head in other games outside the Gradius series every turn. You had lives and continues, sure, but later levels
and its spin-offs. It’s a mechanic that, although we can see why were so fearsome that should you make a mistake and lose
developer Konami came up with the idea, still feels like an act of all the precious armaments you’d earned up to that point, you
trolling on the programmers’ part. were almost better off simply starting the
Before we delve into what the “It’s a mechanic so cruel, game again from the beginning.
Option Hunter is, here’s a bit of context: The player’s one comfort through all
so downright evil, we’re
Gradius II was a sequel to Konami’s seminal this bullet-infested brutality was those
1985 shoot-‘em-up, which differentiated relieved a version of it hasn’t Options, orbiting your ship like loyal
itself from other arcade games of its kind appeared elsewhere” sheep-dogs. Konami got wise to this,
thanks to a unique power-up system. By though, and introduced the accursed
collecting the Power Capsules left behind by certain destroyed Option Hunter – a small, indestructible enemy that attacked
enemies, you could switch between a suite of power-ups lined the player from behind. As its name suggests, the creature
up in a bar at the bottom of the screen. To upgrade your laser, would make an immediate beeline for your Options. If you
for example, you had to collect four capsules; to equip your ship didn’t move out of the way in time, the critter would gulp
with a shield, you needed to collect six capsules. One of the down one or even all of your faithful satellites, before exiting
most novel (and useful) weapons in Gradius was the Option – an stage right. Even if you could move out of the way in time (no
indestructible satellite that hovered beside the player’s ship easy feat, given the speed at which the enemy glided through
and essentially doubled its firepower. You could equip multiple space), the Option Hunter would occasionally appear yet
Options, too, up to a maximum of four (or fewer if you were again for another attack – sometimes, even in the middle of a
playing some of the home computer and console versions), boss battle…

112 / wfmag.cc
 Killer Feature
Gradius II

Admittedly, the Option Hunter wasn’t Konami’s first attempt

at using cruel tactics to thwart the player’s chances. The MSX
version of Salamander introduced the Option Eater, which
appeared in greater numbers and also gulped down the player’s
precious satellites, but these could at least be downed with a
carefully aimed shot. The Option Hunter’s indestructibility left
the player with no such satisfaction; all they could do was hold
their breath and pray that they could evade the wretched thing.
Konami at least gave the player some warning – the Option
Hunter’s appearance would be preceded by an annoying siren,
so it didn’t exactly spring out of nowhere. Still, it’s arguably
The Nuclear Option
one of the meanest design ideas to emerge from the arcade
Gradius Gaiden, released exclusively for the PSone in 1997, concluded
era – other developers had toyed with things that hurried the with a rush of belligerent area bosses akin to Gradius II ’s penultimate
player along, like Bubble Bobble’s hectoring Baron von Blubba, stage. At some point in Gradius Gaiden’s development, though, its
but none were as plainly grim as the Option Hunter. It turned designers thought, “You know what? This is way too easy”. And so, not
Gradius II into a game that actively punished you for being long after you’d beaten one hulking
boss, one of those wretched Option
too powerful – one way of preventing the critter’s appearance
Hunters came wiggling its way up
(at least in some versions of the game) was to simply avoid behind you. Fail to evade it in time,
activating more than three Options. and you could find yourself stripped
Worryingly, Konami seemed to like its hellish creation, since it of your precious friends – mere
appeared in every Gradius game after 1988, and even showed seconds before you’re scheduled to
face three further bosses in mortal
up (albeit in cuter form) in some entries in the Parodius series of combat. The age of the money-
spin-offs. It was a mechanic capable of turning a once-flawless guzzling arcade game was on the
playthrough on its head; with your arsenal stripped down to wane by the late nineties, but the
one measly Option, you were left hopelessly vulnerable to same cruel streak, it seemed, was
still alive and well at Konami.
attack. And, as anyone who’s encountered the Gradius series’
harsh universe will tell you, it’s always good to have options.

wfmag.cc \ 113
Next Issue
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Ryan Lambie
Email ryan.lambie@raspberrypi.com

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Jordan Oloman, Jeff Spoonhower, Haydn
Taylor, Eben Upton, Mark Vanstone, Howard
Scott Warshaw, Alan Wen, Jack Yarwood

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Russell Barnes
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