STACK #157 Nov 2017

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA, DVDs, GAMES & MUSIC

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ISSUE 157 Nov ’17

CALL OF DUTY: WWII • XBOX ONE X • SAM SMITH

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N O V E M B E R 3

*DLC Map Packs,when available,will launch on PS4™ 30 days prior to launch on other platforms.Map Packs sold separately.

**Season Pass purchasers receive 2018 Call of Duty®:WWII Season Pass content. Season Pass content is not final, is subject to change,and may not include all downloadable content available for the game. Season Pass content may not be available in all countries,and pricing and release dates may vary by platform.Season Pass content should be downloaded from the in-game store only;do not purchase separately,or you will be charged again.Season Pass content may be sold separately.Game required,sold separately.

© 2017 Activision Publishing, Inc.ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, and CALL OF DUTYWWII are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.All rights reserved.

4 DLC PACKS 1 GREAT PRICE

AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE SEPERATELY

The world’s most powerful console.

Available 7th November at

Games play better on Xbox One X. With 40% more power than any other console, experience immersive true 4K gaming.

Games play better on Xbox One X. Experience 40% more power than any other console.

6 teraflops of graphical processing power provides a more immersive gaming experience.

Play with the greatest community of gamers on the most advanced multiplayer network.

Includes a 4K Blu-ray player and 4K video streaming.

Broadband internet required (ISP fees apply). Online multiplayer requires Xbox Live Gold (sold separately). 4K streaming with select apps, see Xbox.com. Some apps require app provider-specific subscriptions and/or other requirements.

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Contributors

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & DVD Editor Scott Hocking

Music Editor Zoë Radas StaffWriter Alesha Kolbe

Issue 157 NOVEMBER 2017

Creative Director Michelle Black DVD Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Andre Eivik Music Consultant Mike Glynn Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Gill Pringle Contributors Amy Flower, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Chris Murray, Billy Pinnell, Jennifer Dou, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Adam Colby, Tim Lambert, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Production Manager Craig Patterson Production Assistant Alan Netherclift

WELCOME November has always been a time of rich harvest for gamers, and this year is no exception, particularly if big budget shooters are your poison. In a behind- closed-doors session at E3 this year, I managed to get a first look and hands-on with the single-player campaign mode in Star Wars: Battlefront II . Such was my eagerness to play it, after completing the level I restarted and jumped in again, only to be awkwardly tapped on the shoulder by the developer present and politely asked to leave. No other Star Wars game had quite captured the sound, vibe and aesthetic of that universe like Battlefront did when it released in 2015, but it lacked one essential element – a narrative-driven campaign. After spending time with the Battlefront II single-player back in June, an itch I’d been trying to reach for two years had been scratched. Also this month, Activision will be looking for Call of Duty: WWII to put the franchise back on track after losing its way with last year’s Infinite Warfare; a game that proved to be one giant leap too far into the future for fans. For several years, Call of Duty disciples have been requesting a return to the Second World War – the initial proving ground for the series – and the calls have finally been answered. With Battlefield 1 and the Wolfenstein reboot proving that vintage warfare is indeed back in vogue, there’s probably no better time for WWII to launch. And finally, Microsoft releases its latest console this month – the powerhouse Xbox One X. If you’ve ever needed an excuse to switch off your phone and bunker down in front of the telly, then this is it. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

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Correspondence STACK P.O. Box 2051, Richmond, VIC 3121

RATINGS GUIDE

Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2017 All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material or advertisement. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. Whilst care has been taken in the research and preparation of this publication, the publishers, writers or anyone else associated cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or hardship arising from the content contained herein or reliance therefrom, howsoever caused, and it remains your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any such content. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or the editor. By the very nature of this publication, things change daily and we cannot take responsibility for any changes or inaccuracies that occur subsequent to going to press.

The large print giveth, the small print taketh away. “Was he slow?”

AVAILABLE 17/11/17

STARWARS ©& TM 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd.All rights reserved.Game code and certain audio and/or visual material© 2017 ElectronicArts Inc. EA, the EA logo, and theDICE logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. “ 2 ”, “PlayStation”, “DUALSHOCK”, “ KHJL ”, “ Ø ” and “ ” are registered trademarks ofSony Interactive Entertainment Inc.All titles, content, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks and/or copyrightmaterial of their respective owners.All rights reserved.

AVAILABLE NOV 16 th

Copyright © 2017 Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd. All rights of reproduction are reserved. Published by Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd. Big Ant Studios and its logo are property of Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd. All rights of reproduction are reserved. Cricket Australia logos on this product are trade marks of Cricket Australia used under licence. All rights of reproduction are reserved. ECB logos on this product are trade marks of ECB used under licence. All rights of reproduction are reserved. All copyright and trademarks are protected by national and international intellectual property legislation and convention. “ ”, “PlayStation” and “ ” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners. Features and technical capabilities, including 4K and HDR, vary by console.

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Issue 157 NOVEMBER 2017

Games Pages 12–32

Music Pages 33–60

12-13 INTRO November at a glance. 14-15 star wars battlefront ii

26 TECH We take a look at the new Nacon Revolution Pro 2 and Razer’s Basilisk. 28 ELGATO Elgato have just announced a 4K capture card. 30-32 out this month Star Wars Battlefront II, Call of Duty: WWII, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2, Need for Speed: Payback, Super Lucky’s Tale, Farming Simulator 17, Sonic Forces, Ashes Cricket, Pokemon Ultra Sun/Moon, The Inpatient, Ben 10 & more...

34-40 NEWS + INTERVIEWS We shot the breeze about new albums with George Maple, Spinifex Gum, Curtis Harding, Julien Baker, RVG, Nic Cester and Bully. 42-43 ARIA 2017 NOMINEES We’ve outlined who we’re betting our Tazos on in the seven biggest categories of the 2017 ARIA Awards. And if you vote for your picks in our online comp, you can go into the running to win an Audio-Technica turntable! 52 SAM SMITH The English vocalist releases his ridiculously anticipated second album this month;

read about the 25-year-old’s remarkable rise to success. 54-58 REVIEWS Bully’s Losing is our Album of the Month, but we also have feelings about Hanson, Custard, St. Vincent, Nic Cester, Mondo Rock, Mavis Staples, Iron Maiden, Weezer, The Cactus Channel, Crade of Filth, MEZKO and more. 60 COOKIE’S SKETCHY GIGS Our sweet Cookie took ink to paper and has delivered gorgeous sketches of two recent live gigs in Brisbane.

YOUR ESSENTIALGUIDE TO CINEMA,DVDs,GAMES&MUSIC

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ISSUE 157 Nov ’17

Battlefront returns – with a campaign! – just in time for The Last Jedi. 16-17 xbox one x The world’s most powerful console is here. 18-20 call of duty: wwii COD is going back to boots on the ground combat. 22-24 ashes cricket The Ashes is getting its very own video game!

CALLOFDUTY:WWII • XBOXONEX • SAM SMITH

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see inside formoredetails COMPETITIONS • •

QUIZ, COMPETITIONS & STACK SOCIAL Pages 62 & 63

Extras Pages 4 -10

DVD & BD Pages 12 - 44

Cinema Pages 48–53

4 NEWS The popular cast members from Game of Thrones won’t be short of work once the series concludes. Check out the blockbusters they’re going to be seen in soon. 6 EXTRAS powerhouse Pixar and their new release, Cars 3 . Discover some fun facts about War for the Planet of the Apes , as well as what Sean Young from the original Blade Runner has been up to since the ‘80s. There’s also retro TV viewing with Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, and all the JB Hi-Fi exclusives you can expect in store this month – including a very special 4K pack for Baby Driver . 46-47 BOB J The concluding chapter of our resident film historian’s look at Hollywood’s iconic hotel – the Chateau Marmont. We tally the numbers on groundbreaking animation

12-13 WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

48 SUBURBICON George Clooney directs Matt Damon and Julianne Moore in this quirky take on an original Coen brothers script from the late ’90s. 50 BORg vs mcenroe Last month it was the tale of feminist icon Billy Jean King vs Bobby Riggs – this month we take a look at Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe’s famous feud. 52-53 REVIEWS Thor: Ragnarok, The Mountain Between Us, Happy Death Day, The Snowman, Detroit.

In this thrilling finale, actor Andy Serkis and director Matt Reeves find inspiration from an unlikely source – Clint Eastwood. 14-15 BABY DRIVER Ansel Elgort required choreography and sign language skills, as well as driving prowess, for his lead role in Edgar Wright’s music-driven action-thriller. 16-17 VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS Luc Besson is back to his extravagant best, thanks to the beloved sci-fi comic book he discovered at the age of ten. 18 GIRLS TRIP Jada Pinkett-Smith on why this chick flick’s success has such personal meaning. 20-21 THE EXPANSE We spoke with showrunner Mark Fergus about this ambitious new sci-fi series. 24-26 GLITCH: SEASON 2 STACK visits the Melbourne set of Glitch to get some answers.

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ISSUE 157 Nov ’17

DVD & BD

BABYDRIVER • LUCBESSON • THE EXPANSE • SAM SMITH

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NOVEMBER 2017

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COMING 17 TH NOVEMBER 2017

Mild themes and violence, online interactivity.

Games sold separately. ©2017 Pokémon. ©1995–2017 Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. Pokémon and Nintendo 3DS are trademarks of Nintendo.

EXTRAS NEWS

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stack online T here's been a lot going on over the last few months at stack.com.au. Not only has the website undergone an extensive redesign, but our new (ish) online editor, Amy Flower, is now in the driving seat every day, uploading the latest in home entertainment news, STACK reviews and features. So, if you haven't looked in a while, swing by and see what we're up to – there's plenty on offer! sign-up today We pride ourselves on our STACK newsletters. Whether you're into games, music, film or all home entertainment, our newsletters are filled with exclusive content designed to keep you informed, but above all else, entertained. Sign up at stack.com.au to get the best in home entertainment delivered directly to your inbox. Look out for our ultimate gaming prize pack when you sign up this month.

RETRO CONSOLES

find classics like Centipede and Millipede, Missile Command , and even Asteroids , and you can even rediscover Frogger and Pitfall . The Flashback 8 doesn’t have a cartridge slot for you to play your own games, but that shouldn’t be a problem considering how many are included on the console. This one, too, comes with two wireless controllers. The only thing missing is Pac-Man !

E verything old is new again, and this month SEGA and Atari are getting a second life. It’s time to head up into the loft and dust off all your old game cartridges – introducing the SEGA Mega Drive Flashback.The classic Mega Drive has received a makeover for the current console generation. The console features 85 built-in games, including the likes of Sonic and Mortal Kombat, as well as an integrated cartridge point that’ll let you play all those aforementioned games in storage. Possibly the best part about the new hardware is that two controllers are included by default, so you can play with your little brother like you always used to. PS: they’re wireless. The Mega Drive also incorporates the same save/load feature as its Nintendo competitor, and you get 10 save slots per

game. Although it does feature an unconventional menu navigation system, the Mega Drive Flashback is great for anyone looking to getting a good fix of SEGA nostalgia. Joining the revamped Mega Drive is the Atari Flashback 8 Gold. Just seeing this old beauty makes you feel happy. Packed full of 120 built-in games, you’ll

cline talks ready Player one origins

T he film adaptation of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One is scheduled to hit cinemas in autumn, with Steven Spielberg in the director’s chair. Initially, Spielberg had reservations about helming the production, believing it should go to a younger director. However, the industry veteran is no stranger to video games and has always had an interest in the medium. He was behind the production of the excellent Medal of Honor (1999) and designed a handful of games for the Wii when the popular Nintendo console was at its zenith. For Cline, the movie rights to his debut novel were snapped up by Warner Bros. in an auction

before the book was even published. Talking at a press conference at San Diego Comic-Con this year, with STACK in attendance, Cline, who has a co-screenwriter credit on the film, explained the origins of the book. “ Ready Player One came out of my love for classic video games, and also Roald Dahl’s book, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory . “I wanted to have a Golden Ticket contest involving video games.” The film was originally scheduled for December, but to avoid clashing with Star Wars: The Last Jedi , a new date of March 29 has been set for the Australian release.

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NEWS EXTRAS

consoles T hinking about spicing up your console life? JB Hi-Fi have you covered. Releasing this month are two new

bits and pieces W here do you go to get head scans of the Australian cricket team for Ashes Cricket ? England of course. Talking with Big Ant CEO Ross Symons on a recent trip to the studio, he told STACK that the only way to track down the Australians and get them in one place together was in the UK. "Remarkably, we had to head overseas to get the head scans for the Australian cricket team," down over here and as many players were returning from the IPL, England was the logical place to go. We had to wait around for David Warner though. He played in the final and was the last player to turn up" Ashes Cricket releases on PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 16, just in time for the first Test. Check out our feature on page 22. We also caught up with prolific voice actress Laura Bailey ahead of her appearances at Supanova. Perhaps best known for her roles as Spartan Vale in Halo 5: Guardians and Jaina Proudmoore in Blizzard's World of Warcraft , Bailey is also the voice and mo-cap actress for Nadine Ross in the Uncharted series. On auditioning for Nadine, Bailey says: "Sometimes you'll have an actual description, or they might have a character image of what they have in mind; when I went in for Nadine, I just had a short description of who she was as a person and that she was South African. So I really got to come into the role with a lot of my own personality and my own take on the character, and that’s one of the things that [developer] Naughty Dog really encourages during the audition process." says Symons. "It was impossible to tie them

celebrate the release of the new game. Xbox fans rejoice – not only is there a new big powerful console releasing this month, the Xbox One X, but you can also grab a cool Minecraft-themed Xbox One S. It's got dirt and grass on the top and, get this, transparent redstone on the base!

PlayStation 4 consoles designed around the launch of Star Wars: Battlefront II. One is a PS4 Slim 1TB console in grey, and the other is a similar-looking black PS4 Pro. They both come with custom DUALSHOCK 4 controllers. Next up is the Call of Duty: WWII PS4 Slim 1TB in camo green, that also comes with a custom controller – although you might have trouble finding it again once you've taken it out of the box for the first time [grab your coat on the way out: ED]. For Nintendo 3DS fans, you'll be happy to know that there's a Pokeball version releasing this month. If you weren't paying attention last month, it's also racing season, which means you can pick up a pretty PS4 Slim 1TB Gran Turismo Sport console to

It comes with a creeper controller, but of course you can also pick up an additional pig controller.

I f October's VR mode on GT Sport wasn't enough to tickle your fancy, November sees the release of The Inpatient – an immersive horror game set in the same universe as the creepy Until Dawn . You'll also have the chance to check out Bravo Team, DOOM VFR , and Skyrim VR all in the same month! But wait, there's more. Closing out 2017 is Megaton Rainfall, Moss , and even No Heroes Allowed! coming before the end of the year. Planning on getting a VR headset for Christmas? There's even more to look

PS VR Played 200 hours of Job Simulator 2050 and put your

forward to in 2018. Our personal pick is The American Dream , which involves participating in everyday jobs – but with guns – and it joins a huge line-up including Golem, Torn, Drone Fighters, Dungeon Chess, Knockout League , and Blasters of the Universe.

PlayStationVR headset away? Never fear – the

tail end of 2017 has plenty in store for virtual reality users.

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GAMES INTRO

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best sellers at

Dateending: 29/10/17

1 ASSASSIN'S CREED: ORIGINS (ps4/xbo) 2 SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY (SWITCH) 3 WOLFENSTEIN II: THE NEW COLOSSUS (ps4/XBO/PC)

NEWS GAMER ROUND-UP

4 FIFA 18 (ps4/XBO/SWITCH)

PlayStation are giving fans the chance to win their very own, actual Platinum trophy with games releasing towards the end of the year. Wargaming has announced the launch of an ANZ server for World of Tanks.

EA is in the process of closing down Visceral Studios, with work on its untitled Star Wars game moving to EA Worldwide Studios. An Aussie university graduate translated a few heiroglyphs from Assassin's Creed: Origins ads – and they're legitimate.

5 SOUTH PARK: THE FRACTURED BUT WHOLE (ps4/xbo)

6 GT SPORT (ps4) 7 NBA 2K18 (PS4/XBO)

8 MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF WAR (ps4/xbo/pc)

WHAT WE'RE PLAYING

9 DESTINY 2 (ps4/xbo/PC)

GT Sport

10 FORZA MOTORSPORT 7 (XBO)

Super Mario Odyssey

2 games released under the name

80 players captured using photogrammetry for the upcoming Ashes Cricket game

213 number of hours Alesha currently has logged on the PS3 version of Skyrim

14 years since the first Call of Duty game was released

6 teraflops of

graphical computing performance included in the Xbox One X

of StarWars: Battlefront II

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INTRO GAMES

Joke of the month

NOVEMBER

5 years ago

10 years ago EA shuts the doors to its Chicago studio

20 years ago

30 years ago

Q: What kind of overalls does Mario wear?

Gaming giant Nintendo releases the Wii U into the wild

The Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association launches in the US

The second game in the Space Quest series, Vohaul's Revenge , is released

A: Denim, denim, denim.

STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II Pre-order your copy of Star Wars: Battlefront II and receive an exclusive Darth Maul POP! Vinyl figure!

Every month STACK takes a brief look at what’s happening in esports, both locally and overseas. esports Round-Up Smithymayo with A ustralian esports is at action stations, wrapping up a big year and preparing for a

have enjoyed short stays in China and South East Asia for boot camps and tournaments. In business news, Avant Gaming has entered a partnership with Bastion Collective, a large-name, traditional sports marketing firm. With esports in Australia set to become engulfed by traditional sporting teams, companies and media in the coming 12 months, there are many exciting events ahead. Looking at the upcoming month, make sure you keep an eye out for more

blockbuster 2018. Following the stellar Overwatch World Cup (Sydney Qualifier) back in May, the local scene has recently seen League of Legends squad Dire Wolves travel over to China and take a map off one of the best teams in the world (Cloud 9) at the World Championship Qualifiers; numerous Counter- Strike: Global Offensive squads

fighting games scene and have their finger on the pulse in multiple up-and-coming esports games. If you’re wanting to learn more about the business behind it all, stay informed with the Business in Games Podcast on SoundCloud. Additionally, I recommend checking out Avant Gaming’s coach @PinchGG on Twitter if you’re looking for some League of Legends coaching tips while he sits in the Oceania Pro League off-season.

and one to watch is team Dark Sided. Coming off recent stellar success with their ‘young-gun’ Counter-Strike squad, they’re making waves in the booming Keep your eye on team Dark Sided

team investment announcements,

such as Zen League’s Counter-Strike finals in Sydney. Finance and big names aside, there’s always a spot for the Aussie underdog,

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GAMES FEATURE

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On the campaign trail

You wanted it. I wanted it. Everyone wanted it. And now we’ve got it. STACK spoke with David Robillard about bringing a campaign level to StarWars: Battlefront II. Words Paul Jones

B ack in late 2015 as the Star Wars: Battlefront release shadow lengthened, a chorus of criticism, led by such industry luminaries as The Force Awakens stars John Boyega and Simon Pegg, was levelled at EA for not including a

campaign mode in the game. It was understandable: DICE had just delivered the most authentic Star Wars game to date. It had special effects audio taken directly from the original source files at Lucasfilm, and the studio even gained access to the vault at Skywalker Ranch, accurately capturing all the helmets, weapons, armour and

was the number one requested addition,” explains lead gameplay developer at Motive Studios, David Robillard, during a recent trip to Sydney. “That was an easy decision for EA to just jump in and say ‘We need to push a single-player campaign out on Battlefront II ’. That’s where Motive came in.” Motive Studios, owned by EA

and based out of Montreal, was set up by ex-Ubisoft producer Jade Raymond when she joined EA in July 2015. Raymond had been instrumental in getting the Assassin’s Creed franchise off the ground a decade before. Motive was selected to produce the single-player component of Star Wars: Battlefront II. “At the time when EA were

Single player was the number one requested addition

vehicles from the films using photogrammetry. Battlefront had everything – except an offline campaign. Fans wanted a narrative-driven adventure and Missions just didn’t cut the mustard. “When EA looked at doing Battlefront II , the first thing they did was look at the fan feedback, and single-player

Did you know? The original Star Wars: Battlefront II , released in 2005, was developed by Pandemic Studios. It was also a third-person shooter, and it too featured a more focused campaign than its predecessor. Multiplayer servers for the PC version of 2005’s SWBFII were recently brought back online. An Xbox demo of SWBFII was given away with DVD sales of The Phantom Menace for players to try for free.

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FEATURE GAMES

storyline that did it was the Shadow of the Empire comic books. It gave us a fresh outlook and a lot of room to play around. “You’ll get to see some classic locations. Like I mentioned, you’ll be a part

ready to discharge a wealth of collective knowledge. “A lot of the people that we work with are super, super hardcore fans of Star Wars,” laughs Robillard. “I mean, I like Star Wars – I grew up on the original trilogy – but I never got into the nitty gritty details that some people get into. For me, there’s an X-wing – there’s one X-wing. But no, there are five models of X-wings, each with their own differences. “There is so much more depth than I originally knew about. A lot of it comes from the team. Our game director, Mark Thompson, is actually a pretty gritty Star Wars fan. We had a lot of in-studio checks for whatever we were trying to do, and most of the time we’d go to Lucasfilm and say, ‘Hey, this is what we’re trying to do’, and they’d say ‘Hey, you guys did your homework – it’s fine’.” Finally, we broach the bane of all single-players around the globe – campaign length. For those – and there are many – who choose to dwell within the confines of an offline campaign, the quest for a prolonged single-player mode remains a constant struggle. Remembering that the Battlefront series, since its inception in 2004, has always primarily been multiplayer authentic Star Wars experience and we wanted to convey the fantasy that we see in the movies,” Robillard responds. “Depending on how you play, and your skill level, it’s probably going to be between six and eight hours. We thought that was good, and that was the right amount of time in order not to stretch things too thin.” focused, there’s still a sizeable chunk of campaign for gamers to sink their teeth into. “We set out to build an

So, who is Iden Versio? “She’s an Imperialist born and bred. Her father’s an admiral in the Empire’s fleet. She was brought up from the get-go thinking that the Empire was in the right; they’re trying to bring order the galaxy and make everyone see stability, so she’s very headstrong about what she has to do to get that done. What you’re going to experience as Iden Versio during the campaign is what kind of emotional growth she will be learning from the experiences she’s going to have. I can’t spoil it too much, but some beliefs are going to be tested. “There are two compatriots: Agent Hask, who’s a very ambitious specialist; then there’s Agent Meeko, who’s more of a laid-back kind of guy, not as direct, but has a few experiences leading other outfits. They all work as a team, they all complement each other, but of course in the end, Iden is the leader of the squad.”

of the Battle for Endor but from another perspective, and you’ll also get a look

at a new location we worked at establishing and creating with Lucasflim called Vardos – it’s an Imperial Stronghold; you might even visit other locations that we’ve seen in The Force Awakens …” Robillard says Motive worked closely with Lucasfilm, telling STACK that “everything that you’re going to be playing in the single-player campaign comes through extensive collaboration with Lucasfilm.” “They helped us keep the story authentic, keep the story true to the Star Wars feel; they actually even let a couple of our art direction guys visit their archives down on the West Coast.” And there is always the office to turn to should any Star Wars

looking at making the campaign, The Force Awakens was in theatres,” says Robillard, outlining how the narrative concept behind the campaign developed. “ The Force Awakens was kind of a bridging of the gap between the first original trilogy and the new era. We thought that was pretty cool and perhaps we could use that as an inspiration for the timeline we wanted for our campaign. “We started bouncing ideas with DICE and Lucasfilm, and

We wanted to convey the fantasy that we see in the movies

then somebody said, ‘Why don’t we take the events that left the Empire crushed after the Battle for Endor and show that side of the story?’ “We wanted to explore something that hadn’t really been covered before. The only other

lore questions arise; the studio is home to more than a few aficionados

• Star Wars: Battlefront II is out Nov 17

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GAMES FEATURE

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No Power Greater Than X

Welcome to November and the launch of the world’s most powerful gaming console, the Xbox One X – Microsoft’s latest addition to the Xbox One family of consoles. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about the new hardware.

Supersampling renders the

It’s the only console

given image at a higher resolution than needed, then shrinks it

on the market to offer full 4K, ultra high-definition gaming

Only have a 1080p TV? Thanks to supersampling, all your games will look and play better on Xbox One X, regardless of whether or not you have a 4K television

Some games will use checkerboarding to maintain a 4K

All your existing Xbox One accessories – Elite controller, headset, Kinect – are compatible with the Xbox One X console

It will even play

4K UHD Blu-ray discs – a perfect fit for your home entertainment set-up

appearance, without using up too much processing power

Intelligent Delivery Xbox One X’s intelligent data delivery will enable games to be downloaded in ‘chunks’, so you only keep on your hard drive the data you really need. For ex- ample, download only the English language packs if that’s the only language you’ll play in, or delete the campaign mode of a game if you’ve finished it and are now only playing multiplayer.

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NOVEMBER 2017

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FEATURE GAMES

Xbox One X enhanced games:

When looking for

Assassin’s Creed Origins

games, keep an eye out for ‘Xbox One X Enhanced’, ‘4K Ultra HD’, and ‘HDR’ on the packaging to know what to buy

Don’t forget: Microsoft has also announced original Xbox backward

The Xbox One family will also now support Dolby ATMOS surround sound, to offer a greater ‘height’ of sound

Forza Motorsport 7

Forza Horizon 3

compatibility – in addition to Xbox 360 titles – so expect to be able to play original Xbox games on your Xbox One X very soon

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

Titanfall 2

Six teraflops sound impressive? If you’re looking for comparisons, the PS4 Pro only has 4.2. For a PC

Halo 5: Guardians

Quantum Break

comparison, it’s more powerful than anything below an NVIDIA 10-series graphics card, and cheaper than the higher- end GTX 1080s

F1 2017

Star Wars: Battlefront II

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

The Scorpio engine is comprised of

Xbox One X will offer more consistent

two quad CPU cores that combine for six teraflops of power output

Injustice 2

frame rates in-game, and closer to those promised by developers

Even if your game isn’t running at a native

Sea of Thieves

The console features 12GB of GDDR5 RAM operating at a bandwidth of 326GB/s

DOOM

4K resolution, the Xbox One X will allow it to run at its highest possible resolution with minimal drops in frame-rate

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

– 8GB of which is available for developers

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GAMES FEATURE

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War Narrative director at Sledgehammer Games, ScottWhitney, talks Call of Duty:WorldWar II campaign with STACK . Words Paul Jones

B ack in 2008, the Call of Duty franchise left the battlefields of World War II in search of new ways to excite an audience seeking bigger and better bangs. Gamers had grown tired of vintage warfare. WWII first-person shooters had, at that point, been a regular on the release sheet for ten years with Medal of Honor and Call of Duty competing in the triple-A space. The popularity of Saving Private Ryan (1997), a film that revolutionised the way war films were shot, led to a new era of first-person shooters. Spearheaded by the Spielberg- produced Medal of Honor (1999), this new wave of games successfully merged the vibrato of a big screen Hollywood production with traditional shooter mechanics. Ironically, it was a group of Medal of Honor developers, disenfranchised with EA, who had a vision for a new series. Working with Activision, and initially on PC only, the gritty Call of Duty franchise was born.

In 2007, Infinity Ward took a gamble with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare , opening up new horizons for the series. By the time Treyarch released World at War a year later, interest in the conflict had evaporated. However time heals all wounds, and the Sniper Elite series and the Wolfenstein reboot proved that there was still life in WWII. “By the time our game comes out, it will

At E3 this year, we were blown away by the weapons audio during our demo. So what’s the deal then? “Our audio team did amazing work on weapon sound effects for this game. This all starts with high quality field recordings – tracking down and capturing the sound of dozens of authentic World War II-era weapons being fired on a shooting range. “But from there, they layer in additional elements – so for instance, you don’t just get the ‘boom’ of a grenade but also the sound of nearby rocks on the ground shattering in response to the blast. “As a result, you deliver both more of realism and impact that really help take the sound design to the next level.”

...it felt like a perfect time for a return to the roots of the franchise

have been nearly a decade since Call of Duty has focused on World War II,” says narrative director on Call of Duty: World War II Scott Whitney, speaking with STACK last month.

“Based on that and from what we were hearing from the fans, it felt like a perfect time for a return to the roots of the franchise. “At the same time, it’s fair to say there’s something very special about World War II as a setting. Even though the last shots of the war were fired more than 70 years ago, it still holds a fascination for modern audiences. This conflict reshaped our world in so many ways and it still has lessons to teach us.” Out of all the wars that took place during

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War

continued

A good campaign for me boils down to maximising player immersion and engagement David Stirling’s SAS had earned a reputation for its covert operations in the North African desert. Airfields, fuel and ammo dumps were the primary targets. The raids were so effective that the German and Italian forces increased the defences around these sites. Consequently, the SAS were no longer able to sneak onto airfields unnoticed. Undeterred, Stirling conceived a plan to simply drive onto the airfields in a convoy of jeeps. On July 26, 1942, that’s exactly what he did. After driving across the desert for days under the cover of darkness, two columns of jeeps drove onto the German airfield. Moving at no more than four miles an hour, the jeeps, armed with mounted machine guns, poured bullets into the berthed aircraft, even destroying a bomber coming in to land, before disappearing back into the desert. Eighteen aircraft were destroyed and a further dozen heavily damaged. Daring Raids of WWII Sidi Haneish airfield July 26, 1942 St Nazaire Raid March 28, 1942

the 20 th century, it’s World War II that continues to inspire filmmakers, authors and video game developers. The conflict is generally perceived to have overt moral clarity – a clear good versus bad – making it perfect material for a creative mind to meld into a video game narrative. Whitney explains that although poetic license was exercised in part to keep the action fluid in the game, the exploits of the 1 st Infantry Division, known as the Big Red One, remains consistent with the history books. The division was chosen for the game because “it boiled down to finding one unit whose journey could take us to all of the iconic battles and locations that we were most passionate about including in our game”. “While our story is fictional, it is heavily inspired by actual historical events – specifically the journey of the 1 st Infantry Division from June 6, 1944 (D-Day) through the Spring of 1945 when the war was drawing to a close,” outlines Whitney. “While we combined and condensed certain elements in order to tell a coherent story, we felt a strong sense of responsibility to be as authentic as possible in the details. “To this end, the team did an enormous amount of research – everything from poring over books, photos and documentaries, to visiting the real locations featured in our game.” While multiplayer remains the core focus for many Call of Duty players, Whitney acknowledges that many still line up eagerly for the single-player experience, and has his own opinions on what makes a good campaign level. “A good campaign for me boils down to maximising player immersion and engagement. “So much of what we do is geared towards allowing the player to simultaneously ‘lose themselves’ in the experience while also engaging with the story material on an emotional level. “Clearly, big cinematic spectacle is also a key component of our campaign – but there’s an understanding that

Eager to destroy the dry dock facilities at St. Nazaire in France and reduce the Germans’ ability to repair their shipping, a plan was conceived to attack the facility – by ramming it with a decommissioned Royal Navy destroyer! Adorned with commandos, and under intense fire, the destroyer burst through the dry dock gates at 1:30am. The commandos disembarked and a furious firefight erupted. Facing insurmountable odds, the commandos were either killed or captured, but the pièce de résistance was yet to come. At noon the following day, with German officers and soldiers swarming all over the destroyer, a delay fuse ignited hidden explosives, taking the ship – and the dry dock – with it. The dock facility remained out of operation for the rest of the war.

replaced elements like regenerating health with new mechanics such as squad abilities that incentivise the player to connect with and rely upon their squadmates for things like extra med kits, ammo, etc. “As a result of these adjustments, you really start to depend on your squad to help you make it through the campaign. This causes you to be more invested in their survival and feel their absence if they are not with your character at the time.” Coincidentally, the famous 1 st Infantry Division celebrates its centenary in 2017, having been initially raised during the First World War. It was also the subject of a film in 1980 directed by Sam Fuller and starring Lee Marvin, with Mark Hamill in a supporting role. Did Whitney turn to The Big Red One for inspiration during development? “I had watched The Big Red One many times growing up and, of course, revisited it when we started working on this project. “While we are telling our own original story, we were definitely inspired by the gritty and unsentimental take on the war that this film provided.”

significant changes to the way the team designed the campaign aspect of WWII. “We made a conscious choice to

showcase the experience of everyday soldiers in World War II,” notes Whitney. “During development, we would often talk about a ‘no superheroes rule’ in relation to the campaign. This led us to a number of design decisions that were focused

all of this action will hit so much harder for the player if they are invested with the content on a deeper level.” The implementation of these ideas resulted in some

• Call of Duty: World War II is out now

on making the characters feel more vulnerable, human, and relatable. For instance, we

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It’s nearly summer and that can only mean one thing… cricket.We visited Big Ant Studios in Melbourne for a look at Ashes Cricket, where gamers can compete in both the men’s and women’s Ashes. Words Paul Jones and Alesha Kolbe

From the Ashes

Development director Mike Merren outlines a strategy he is confident will cater for all player types. and batting are each as rich as possible, ensuring players will want to try all elements and play as the entire team. Although the Ashes officially began in 1882, 14 years earlier, an Aboriginal team toured England performing admirably. They won 14, lost 14, and had 19 draws. During the 1882 series, the captains from both Australia and England agreed to play each innings of a game on a separate pitch. Not a great idea, and one that hasn’t been applied since. Although English captain Ivo Bligh said he would “recover those Ashes” in Australia over the summer of 1882-83, the term the Ashes didn’t actually become an accepted name for the contest until 20 years later. In the 1930 tour to England, Bradman, playing in the opening Test, made a first innings score of 334. Incredibly, 309 of those were scored on the first day, with the legendary cricketer bringing up a century before lunch! The first cricket match between England and Australia female teams was in Australia during the 1934-5 summer. The English team entirely self-financed the tour. England won the first two games and drew the first to win the Ashes. “We’ve ensured that each part of the game, pace bowling, spin bowling,

T here was a point this year where the very future of the forthcoming Ashes series was in jeopardy. Cricket Australia (CA) and Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) were locked in a pay dispute and as each month passed, speculation was rife that the only competition in cricket that matters would be cancelled. However, according to the CEO of Big Ant Studios, Ross Symons (a man with a lot at stake if it didn’t happen, given his studio were working on the officially licensed Ashes game), that was never going to happen. “Who wanted to be the person who cancelled the

“The relationship started with our production of the smash hit mobile title, Big Bash 16 ; Cricket Australia and the English Cricket Board then offered us the opportunity to move onto a full Ashes title, which of course we took with both hands.” With the job in the bag, the studio looked to all the lessons learned from working on the Donald Bradman Cricket series and decided that they would place a greater emphasis on accessibility. Symons explains: “Our previous games were

simulation and very technical; we have been very mindful to ensure casual gamers can get into the game and be able to have fun from the outset. “That said, we’ve also been mindful of our heritage and

We have been very mindful to ensure casual gamers can get into the game

Ashes?” asks Symons during our recent trip to the studio located in Melbourne. He had a point.

ensured that we keep the controls and attention to detail that our fans are familiar with and love.” Some sports lend themselves well to video games: football (soccer) and basketball are

Big Ant is the studio behind Rugby League Live and Don Bradman Cricket 17 . Established back

in 2001, racing and sporting titles have been the backbone of its development projects. With an Ashes title up for grabs, the studio, with its prior experience on cricket sims, was perfectly placed to pitch for the game. “Thankfully, Cricket Australia and the English Cricket Board recognised the quality of our past cricket games and the hard work we’d put in to promote the sport,” says Symons of how Big Ant became involved with the title.

the obvious examples. Cricket has always provided developers with a conundrum of challenges. The complexity, action and mechanics of batting and bowling couldn’t be more different, and players of cricket

games generally prefer one or the other. For this gamer, bowling has always been part of the process that is skipped.

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“However, players that really do want to concentrate on one role, and hone one skill in particular, will have the opportunity to play as an individual.” Good commentary in a sports sim is expected today. It needs to flow with the passage of play; sound unscripted, humorous and relevant. No mean feat. So what was involved in capturing the commentary for Ashes Cricket ? “An initial script was worked on for several months, quite often with scratch recordings, made by our staff, to test out lines within the game before we get the commentators to record a word,” explains Merren. “Once everyone is happy with the script, we then get our commentators [Michael Slater, Mel Jones, James Taylor] into a recording studio – in some cases for up to a week – to record all the lines required for the game. “Imagine saying the word ‘Duck’ or ‘bowled’ in as many as 20 different levels of excitement or despair – it takes a lot of work from our talented commentators, and they don’t have much of a voice left at the end of the recording.” The Ashes, a competition that dates back 135 years now, is one the fiercest contests in sport. The rivalry in palpable, and you can feel that when the two teams clash out in the middle. It’s an unmissable drama that appeals not just to the two nations fighting for the prized Urn (well, a replica anyway), but to an audience of global cricket fans who are equally fixated on the

• Ashes Cricket is out Nov 16

theatre of play. But how do you capture that in a video game? Merren says that before work on the game began, the studio’s mission statement was simple: “[To] stay true to the spirit of the Ashes. It’s a gladiatorial experience, an international rivalry, and we have worked hard to make sure players feel that from the first ball to the last. Players will be representing their country.” Ross Symons was just simply delighted to get the opportunity to work on an Ashes game, recognising the rich tradition behind the competition. “There has been a strong desire to increase the amount of licensing and realism in our cricket games ever since we began working on our first title. “When it comes to international sporting contests, the Ashes is the pinnacle and we could only dream that we might get the opportunity to develop a game with its name and attached heritage.”

What’s involved in the photogrammetry process for the head scans? Mark Merren “We set the system up with anywhere between 17 and 34 cameras placed around the player. We are then able to, in one hit, take a 360 shot, with all those cameras firing simultaneously. These photos are then processed, ‘Matrix’ style, to give us a great, lifelike starting point for the 3D version of the player. A character artist will spend a further day or more putting in the finishing touches, making sure to get hair and other features 100 per cent correct.”

Hands-onwith AshesCricket

players however you want, and even create your own team logo. These logos are also available cross-platform to share with your mates, so it’s worth checking out what other people have come up with. Once you’ve decided on your game mode, the gameplay itself is pretty straightforward – it just takes a bit of getting used to. You’ll need to take a few minutes to sort out which camera angle suits you best, because that’s the first hurdle. If you’re batting, your left stick is your footwork – forward, backward, left, right – and your right stick is where you’ll hit it. Like in the real world, you need to time everything perfectly in order to connect with the ball. Batting is easier than bowling. When bowling, whether you’ve

chosen a pace or spin bowler, your controls will be different. Left stick on spin, for example, will dictate your spin trajectory, but your right stick is always your run up. If all that sounds complicated, it honestly is, but we had it down pat in 20 minutes or so. It’s not that the control scheme doesn’t make sense, it just takes a bit of getting used to. It Big Ant have allowed for customisation, they’ve also put a lot down to realism. The team captured 80 players – male and female – using photogrammetry, and also did extensive motion capture work with Aussie Glen Maxwell. Ashes Cricket will be your perfect accompaniment for the long, hot summer ahead. Howzat?

B ig Ant have been working hard on their licensed Ashes game and it’s finally launching on current-gen consoles and PC this month. Here’s how the game is shaping up... Ashes Cricket is a fully-fledged cricket simulator. It’s got a tournament mode where you can carry Australia to victory over England, playing as either the lads or the lasses, or you can make up your own game entirely. Big Ant’s release has a genuine focus on customisation, and that’s not exclusive to the uniforms, stadium or equipment. You can actually craft a fully custom match, dictating

everything from the colour of the ball, how many balls per over, to whether or not bowlers have limited overs per session. What’s interesting is if your builds conform to a certain method of cricket, then the match type will be labelled as such; twenty overs will likely be a T20 (without too many alterations), and so forth. The system inherently challenges you to make the most stupid form of the game you can come up with. Customisation doesn’t end there, with full kit creators – and logo creators – available to players. You can dress up your

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