STACK #168 Oct 2018

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA, DVDs, GAMES & MUSIC

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ISSUE 168 Oct ’18

GAMES

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JOHN BUTLER TRIO HOME

FORZA HORIZON 4 • ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY

TOMMORELLO • PAULKELLY • CAT POWER

YOURMONTHLYMUSIC GUIDE TOWHAT’S IN-STORE AT hot

THEWALKINGDEAD • FIRSTMAN • HALLOWEENHORRORS

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

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Music Editor Zoë Radas Staff Writer Alesha Kolbe

Issue 168 OCTOBER 2018

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, Billy Pinnell, Jonathan Alley, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Adam Colby, Tim Lambert, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira, Rebecca Fawcett-Smith, Jake Cleland, Samantha Baldry, Gage Pendergast Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Production Manager Craig Patterson

WELCOME This October, two of the biggest entertainment releases of the year fall in the same month. Red Dead Redemption II finally arrives, serving as a prequel to the critically lauded Red Dead Redemption released eight years ago. We went hands-on with it late last month and you can read our impressions on page 10. And one of the biggest gaming properties on the planet, Call of Duty, is back with the fourth installment in the phenomenally popular Black Ops series. Eschewing the traditional single- player campaign for an all-new Battle Royale mode called Blackout, we get the rundown on COD straight from the developer’s mouth. We’ll also be flying Solo on the DVD cover. Solo: A Star Wars Story is the second spin-off film and stars a well-cast Alden Ehrenreich as the loveable rogue, Han Solo. Production designer on the film, Neil Lamont, spoke to STACK about redesigning the Millennium Falcon, set design and the influence of the original trilogy’s concept artist, Ralph McQuarrie. And of course it’s October, so Halloween is a focus for all the horror nuts in the office. Film editor Scott Hocking writes a passionate opinion piece on the current state of the horror genre, while fans of the genre will undoubtedly be stalking the aisles of JB hunting a killer bargain in the Buy 2 Get 1 Free horror promotion. In music we have new releases from the John Butler Trio, our cover artist, and the remarkably talented Paul Kelly, while Cold Chisel fans will enjoy All For You: The Best of Cold Chisel, freshly reissued on vinyl. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121

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Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2018 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.

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Issue 168 OCTOBER 2018

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA,DVDs, GAMES&MUSIC

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GAMES

ISSUE 168 Oct ’18

48 THIS MONTH AT JB Our Roving Reporter roams far from home, and the new monthly vinyl chart contains a few surprises. 50-55 ALBUM REVIEWS Our Album of the Month goes to a deserving icon, but we also have feelings about John Butler Trio, Connan Mockasin, Cher, Adrianne Lenker, Hellions, Basement, Eves Karydas, David Guetta, Gregor, Loretta Lynn, Oh Pep!, Paul Kelly, Revocation, Bob Evans and heaps more. compilation All For You: The Best of Cold Chisel – released on vinyl for the very first time this month – sound as vital as when they were first released, says Jeff Jenkins. 56 VINYL REVIVAL: THE BEST OF COLD CHISEL The songs on the

18-19 assassin’s creed: odyssey Assassin’s Creed is headed to Ancient Greece in 2018. We found out everything you need to know. 22 forza horizon 4 Alright? The Horizon series is headed to beautiful, historic Britain.

JOHN BUTLER TRIO HOME

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JOHN BUTLER TRIO HOME

TOMMORELLO • PAULKELLY • CAT POWER

FORZAHORIZON4 • ASSASSIN’S CREEDODYSSEY

YOURMONTHLYMUSIC GUIDE TOWHAT’S IN-STORE AT hot

hot THEWALKINGDEAD • FIRSTMAN • HALLOWEENHORRORS

TOMMORELLO • PAULKELLY • CAT POWER

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Music Pages 31 – 57

Games Pages 1– 28

08-09 regulars We speak to Dan from JB Hi-Fi Brighton and chat to DarkViperAU for our monthly streamer profile. 10-11 red dead redemption 2 Yee-haw! The Red Dead sequel is finally here, and we had a bit of hands-on ahead of the game’s release. 14-15 call of duty We speak to the devs about bringing battle royale to Black Ops IIII .

32-42 INTERVIEWS + BULLETINS We shot the breeze with

Cloves, Paul Kelly, Cat Power, Thundamentals, The Living End, Kav Temperley, Tom Morello, and Mr Jebediah Esquire himself, Bob Evans. 44-45 JOHN BUTLER TRIO John Butler gives us a peek behind the Marshall stack and discusses some of the themes and tales behind the brand new album from his Trio, Home .

28 out this month Red Dead Redemption 2 , Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII , Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey , Forza Horizon 4 , Starlink: Battle for Atlas and loads more.

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA,DVDs, GAMES&MUSIC

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ISSUE 168 Oct ’18

Extras Pages 4–5 / 14 / 16–17

DVD & BD Pages 18 – 38

GAMES

series ahead of the release of season seven. 26 SPINNING MAN It’s Pearce (Guy) vs. Pierce (Brosnan) in this noirish thriller. We spoke with director Simon Kaijser. 28 THE RIDER This affecting docu-drama follows an injured rodeo rider who’s determined to get back in the saddle again. 30-34 REVIEWS Solo: A Star Wars Story, Skyscraper, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, The First Purge, My Friend Dahmer, Wentworth: S6, Ash vs. Evil Dead: S3 and more.

4-5 EXTRAS Solo: A Star Wars Story fun facts; Tessa Thompson is red hot right now; must-see film and TV in October; Aussie director John V. Soto opens The Gateway . 14 FEMALE FILMMAKERS In a special Halloween edition, we profile four notable women that have successfully dabbled in the mad and macabre. 16-17 BOB J Our resident film historian looks back at Hitchcock’s classic thriller North by Northwest (1959).

18-19 SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Production designer Neil Lamont on creating the world of this Star Wars spin-off. 20-21 THE WALKING DEAD We caught up with veteran special make-up artist and TWD producer/director, Greg Nicotero. 22 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 Andy Samberg returns for the third installment in the animated monster franchise. 24 AMERICAN HORROR STORY We look back at this wonderfully twisted anthology

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JOHN BUTLER TRIO HOME

SOLO:ASTARWARS STORY • FIRSTMAN

TOMMORELLO • PAULKELLY • CAT POWER

YOURMONTHLYMUSIC GUIDE TOWHAT’S IN-STORE AT hot

hot THEWALKINGDEAD • FIRSTMAN • HALLOWEENHORRORS

THEWALKINGDEAD • FIRSTMAN • HALLOWEENHORRORS

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Cinema Pages 8 – 12

8-9 FIRST MAN La La Land ’s Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling reuinite for this Neil Armstrong biopic. 10-11 A STAR IS BORN STACK caught up with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga ahead of the premiere at TIFF 2018.   12 REVIEWS The Predator, Smallfoot , plus a sneak peek at what’s in cinemas this October.

QUIZ, & COMPETITIONS on page 42 from back of mag

OCTOBER 2018

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GAMES NEWS

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While the world has been playing a Spider-Man game, I've been playing a Batman game

I

STACK ROVING REPORTER

Man . But, while the world has been playing Spider-Man , I've been playing a Batman game. The Evil

those ones are inevitably broken in fits of rage."

best sellers at

According to Dan, their store sells probably more Xboxes than others do, but PlayStation still outsells them overall. "Xbox still isn't beating PlayStation, but it's about a 40/60 split, so it's not too far off." As you're probably well aware, quite possibly everyone that owns a PlayStation 4 console owns a copy of Marvel's Spider-Man , as it is now the fastest-selling first party PlayStation title. Dan agrees. " Spider-Man is everywhere. Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Spider-

Within . It was brutal! There are some decisions in there that are not fun, but it was great." With one of the biggest gaming Q4s in recent history about to hit, plus the lead up to Christmas, pre-orders are, understandably, going nuts. Brighton is no exception. "We've been taking lots of pre- orders, especially for Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII since they reopened the Blackout beta. Pre-orders here tend to be either people who have been stung in the past because something sold out, or people that want to get their hands on pre-order bonuses, beta access or special editions, and want to make sure they don't miss out." Finally, with such a packed release slate on the way, Dan is looking further towards the horizon.

SHOP TALK

H ave you ever held a job for 16 years? Dan Sedik at JB Hi-Fi Brighton has – and she's in retail, for crying out loud. That's an impressive effort if we do say so ourselves. "I started in Frankston, and then I moved up to Sydney to Miranda, Bankstown, Leichhardt, Warrawong, back to Miranda, Bondi, back to Leichhardt, and then I moved to Forest Hill, and then I moved to Ringwood, and now I'm at Brighton." Gamers down Brighton way are fans of shooters, apparently – and, of course, Fortnite . "We get a lot of more 'typical' gamers – shooters and that kind of thing are very common here. We get a lot of parents coming in buying consoles for their kids to play Fortnite on. Of course, that includes headsets, and then replacement headsets when

Date ending: 27/09/18

1 MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN (PS4) 2 NBA 2K19 (XBO/PS4/SWITCH) 3 SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER (PS4/XBO) 4 DESTINY 2: FORSAKEN (XBO/PS4) 5

world of warcraft: battle for azeroth (PC) 6 MARIO KART 8 DELUXE (SWITCH) 7 the LAST OF US (PS4) 8 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD (SWITCH) 9 MADDEN NFL 19 (XBO/PS4) 10

"The game that im looking forward to most is Beyond Good and Evil 2 , but there's no date for that yet. I'm also really looking forward to Kingdom Hearts 3 ."

Dan Sedik at JB Hi-Fi Brighton,VIC

FALLOUT 76 Pre-order your copy of Fallout 76 for BETA access and a guaranteed Power Pack edition that includes

As you're probably well aware, early last month was the very first Melbourne Esports Open. Opening its doors in the first weekend of September, and taking place at the lovely Melbourne Park, punters were treated to a glorious weekend of esports, including the finals of both Overwatch Contenders and League of Legends OPL. Elsewhere, you could also get hands-on with yet-to-be-released games at the JB Hi-Fi Game On Zone, an all-round success. Until next year!

an exclusive power armour POP vinyl!

OVERCOOKED 2 (XBO/PS4/SWITCH)

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GAMES

NEWS

DarkViperAU's Top 3 content creators: Letofski Distortion2 Destiny

before. The average stream quality has also increased due to there being better streaming software, Twitch’s increased bandwidth, better internet, more affordable streaming capable PCs, and streamers having more time to hone their skills. How many hours a day do you devote to producing videos/streaming content? That is a hard question to answer. On average I probably stream at least seven hours a day, seven days a week. After a stream, there is usually two-to-three hours of work that I put in revolving around editing (Speedrun Tutorials, Casual Playthroughs, Stream Highlights, etc) and answering messages from social media platforms (email, Twitter, Discord, Twitch messages, etc). Some of my time is also spent learning about the most recent online ‘news’ that viewers will likely ask me about or would want to hear about. It is always good to have something to talk about, or to have something to say on any topic that comes up, when you are streaming. When you think about it, streaming is not like most jobs. There is no time you couldn’t hypothetically be working and improving your standing on Twitch – this makes it hard completely to relax. What is some advice you’d give to anyone who would want to take up a career as a streamer or a content creator? I wish I could write an essay to answer this question. Someone

trying to make a career online right now would have a very hard battle ahead of them. There are a handful of people making a lot of money, a bigger handful making enough to get by, and the vast majority struggling to get noticed, with the competition getting fiercer every day. Discoverability (the odds of a new viewer finding your content) is the lowest it has ever been for new creators. This doesn’t mean it is impossible, however. For example, the YouTube channel ‘Knowing Better’ made great videos for two years but only amassed 10k subscribers in that time. Two months ago the channel exploded to 200k subscribers. The channel didn’t change, the YouTube recommendation algorithm just started to share the channel’s videos to everyone. The moral of this story is that you need talent, persistence and luck if you want to succeed. My advice is that you should not only focus on making your content good but also seeking to create ways for people to find your content, many of those at the top got lucky, but sitting around hoping for luck is never a good move. If you weren’t doing this as a career, what do you think you would be doing? I would have hopefully used my ‘Bachelors of Social Science – Psychology’ in some meaningful way. I would likely be in the public sector somewhere, perhaps I would have gotten into a graduate program. I would likely have been less happy.

We’re profiling some of Australia’s biggest content creators to see what really makes them tick. This month we spoke to DarkViperAU!

DarkViperAU

When did you first start out making online content? I got my start in 2012 on YouTube making content about my views on social, political, and religious topics. Since 2015, I have been largely focused on speedrunning GTA V on Twitch.tv/darkviperau, although I do still occasionally get into discussions with viewers on the topics I used to make YouTube videos about. In late 2014/early 2015, I became enamoured with Twitch after finding the website through advertisements for Hearthstone Tournaments. I soon began streaming myself, largely on Warcraft III custom maps. There were quite a few popular speedrunning streamers back then and I thought it looked like something I would enjoy. I didn’t really have any suitable games to speedrun but I happened to stumble upon the streamer ‘WitWix’ who was doing one of the very few GTA V speedruns he would ever do. He didn’t take it too seriously, but I still found it interesting and decided to What got you into content creating in the first place?

try my hand at it. I had perhaps 100 followers before speedrunning and I now sit with 95k after three years. I also have most of the speedrun world records for GTA V (I may have them all again by the time you read this), which isn’t bad considering I had never played a GTA game prior streaming. How has the scene changed since you first started? The biggest difference is probably how many streamers there are. In 2015 there were 15-20k streamers online at any given time; today there are 45-50k. While Twitch’s viewership has also increased, discoverability has not really improved over time. A streamer starting out today would have a much harder time being found and growing their channel than ever

1 The first game you ever played? Super Mario Bros . on the NES. 2 The last game you finished? I think it was probably Horizon Zero Dawn – the other 'horizon'. 3 Your favourite game of all time? Good question – that's really hard to answer. It'd have to be between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Ico . 4 Most underrated game of all time? Hmm... oh! Body Harvest on the N64. 5 A game you wish you'd worked on? Body Harvest on the N64! Haha, do you know what, I'll actually say Breath of the Wild, it was absolutely amazing. I like to think that when people play our games, you can tell that we've had fun making them. I think that's part of what makes something special, you can feel when there's been a good environment around a creative piece of work. I totally get that from playing Breath of the Wild , you can tell the level of love the development team had for that game.

Art Director, Forza Horizon 4 BEN PENROSE

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GAMES FEATURE

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was hands-off and used to set-up the session and introduce some of the gang members, including a younger John Marston. Featuring a train robbery in the snow-swept Grizzly Mountains, it's my first close look at the game and, as a big fan of the first two Red Dead games, my fingers are getting itchy in anticipation. Finally I'm handed the PlayStation 4 controller and after a little familiarising with actions mapped to buttons, I'm off in a new part of the map. Thunk! That’s the sound my arrow makes as it hammers into a deer startled by my presence and trying to escape. I’m trialing the hunting component first up. “Whoah, you got it in the neck! Great shot,” comment my hosts. Of course I play along with the notion that it was fully intentional but I learn that where the arrow/bullet strikes your prey when hunting will affect how much you can sell it for when you find a butcher. And the longer you keep it, the lower the price will be – fresh in the West is king. It’s just one example of the incredible detail that RDR 2 has in abundance. Your horse can now do the equivalent of an equestrian hand brake stop and it can even perform dressage. Saddle, saddlebags and other equipment strapped to your nag has all been animated individually and moves independently, adding impressive realism. And you have to feed and pet your horse to keep it in good shape because if you let it die, it won’t regenerate. Different breeds have their own advantages and idiosyncrasies, so it’s all about gaining trust in your steed. Visually, the game is a knockout. From the snow-filled mountains in the hands-

Rockstar returns with the next entry in its Red Dead series, Red Dead Redemption 2 on October 26, and late last month we played it.We strongly recommend that you cancel all social engagements for the rest of year. Words Paul Jones

W hen Rockstar bought Angel Studios, renaming it Rockstar San Diego in 2002, one of the titles the studio was working on caught the eye of the Houser brothers; it was a Western-themed game called Red Dead Revolver for Capcom, who, after a troubled development, dropped it in 2003 leaving Rockstar to pick up the rights. A critical success more than a commercial one, the game, despite its cartoon-like characters, was a gritty and entertaining representation of the Wild West and a perfect foundation on which to build. Six years later, expanding on the Western theme established in Revolver , Rockstar San Diego, utilising the innovative GTA series DNA, delivered an authentic depiction of the last days of the Wild West. It came complete with an array of memorable characters, including protagonist John Marston, a well-developed story and an entire in-game ecosystem, all topped off with a solid multiplayer. In the space of seven months, Red Dead Redemption sold eight million units. While the GTA V juggernaut and its pioneering business model has kept Rockstar busy over the last five years, its next title was announced in October 2016 as Red Dead Redemption 2 . A prequel to Red Dead Redemption set in 1899, the protagonist is now Arthur Morgan, a man described by Rockstar as a “more or less unrepentant outlaw”. Morgan is part of the Van der Linde Gang headed up by Dutch van der Linde, who players may remember from the previous

title. The gang is at the forefront of Morgan’s loyalty: it’s where he lives and fights, but that doesn’t restrict his ability to explore the world solo. I grabbed some time with the very latest code. The initial part of the 4K presentation

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1 If you cut your hair or shave your beard, you’ll have to wait for it to grow back in real time. Eat too much, you’ll pack on the pounds – too little and you'll look like a costume of a man. 2 The cool cinematic camera angles seen in the later GTA titles can be used when Morgan and co. are galloping en route to a mission, putting players in the director’s seat. 3 The HUD can be removed for a more authentic experience. 4 192 pieces of music have been composed by returning musician, the game entirely in the first-person if you choose to do so, although looking at your horse’s head bouncing up and down in front of you is a little weird. 7 Expect an inordinate amount of clothing customisation options. 8 Despite Moran residing on the wrong side of the law, honour will play a significant role in the world. The choices you make and how you treat others in the world will reflect on how you’re treated. Woody Jackson. 5 The Deadeye mechanic has been upgraded to feature five levels. 6 You can now play

Rockstar has expanded all the

elements from the previous title in the series and added a stunning amount of new content...

off demo to the rolling plains and rises in the level we’re playing through, the depth of field is remarkable. Encouraged to explore a nearby town, I immediately sense the opportunity for trouble. Mud tracks

the central hub of all gang activity; here you will build relationships with members, play cards, hunt, swap stories around the campfire, and pick up missions. As I walk through the campsite, John Marston’s young son Jack calls out “Did you become a sheriff?” in reference to the hat I’m sporting. Again, it’s those little details.

churned from wagon wheels and hooves wind through the timber structures while carpenters saw lumber and hammer iron nails into new constructions; the detail in even this short passage of play is phenomenal. There’s a blacksmith, a hotel, a saloon (not adorned with Hollywood saloon doors), and a store where you can browse catalogues to replenish vital inventory items and add new ones. There are no hidden pockets in RDR 2 when

Back to the final mission that I acquire at the campsite. A member of rival gang the O’Driscolls is ‘persuaded’ to give up the location of gang boss Colm O’Driscoll and his clan, so off we gallop. Now the brief here is to stealthily dispatch wandering opposition gang

members on the perimeter of the enemy camp. By initiating a squad-

it comes to weapons – if Morgan is carrying a repeater rifle slung over his shoulder and peacemaker strapped to his waist, then that’s what you can use. You have to clean and maintain your weapons, too, to keep them operable. Talking of guns,

based mechanic you can direct your posse to attack certain targets, but old butter fingers here, keen to help out, pulls out the six-shooter instead of Morgan’s throwing knives and before I know it, lead and tree bark erupt in fury. An improved version of

I spot a bank that is currently being

• Red Dead Redemption II is out Oct 26

guarded by the sheriff. Strolling through the doors I walk up and, prompted by an

the Deadeye mechanic returns and kill animations add to the cinematic feel of

onscreen option to press the square button on the controller, I taunt him. It doesn’t take much to rile the arm of the law and before I know it the HUD turns red and I’m belting out of town on my horse with the sheriff and a couple of his men in hot pursuit. Eventually cut off by a cliff face, it’s time to fight. In a quick exchange of fire, two lay dead and finally the sheriff falls off his horse. Upon close inspection, the coup de grace is a shot right through the brow of his Stetson. My host points out that it’s possible to swap hats with the dead lawman, which I promptly do. In order to take the heat off, I slink back into town, swing past the railway station and pay a hefty $100 to the bounty paymaster – job done. The final part of the demo details how intrinsic the Van der Linde Gang’s camp is to the game. It’s

the melee. The AI is top shelf – as I push on trying to flank the enemy, they retreat, sensing my strategy. It’s a frenetic and brutal gunfight, fought whilst dashing through forest undergrowth and seeking cover behind trees from where you can shoot from. This is all Sam Peckinpah and no John Ford. It’s hard to condense the overload of information and little time spent with the game into such a short preview. Rockstar has expanded all the elements from the previous title in the series and added a stunning amount of new content, a formidable open world adventure, and refreshing experimental concepts. With an unbelievably extensive map and an undoubtedly endless suite of online play to be unrolled, like GTA V, Rockstar will have you locked into its depiction of the Wild West for a very long time. No complaints here.

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**Black Ops Pass (BOP) content is not final, is subject to change, and may not include all downloadable content available for the game. BOP content release dates may vary by platform. BOP content should be downloaded from the in-game or online store; do not purchase separately, or you will be charged again. BOP content may be sold separately.

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© 2018ActivisionPublishing, Inc.ACTIVISION,CALLOFDUTY,CALLOFDUTYBLACKOPS, and the shield logo are trademarks ofActivisionPublishing, Inc.All other trademarks and trade names are property of their respective owners. “ 2 ”, “PlayStation” and “ Ø ” are registered trademarks ofSony Interactive Entertainment Inc.Also,PS4 is a trademarkof the same company.All rights reserved.

GAMES FEATURE Royale with SMGs

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Call of Duty returns in 2018 with the fourth instalment in the Black Ops franchise.We spoke with studio design director – “the guy who makes the shoes” – DavidVonderhaar about what to expect from Blackout, the series’ new battle royale mode. Words Alesha Kolbe

What were some of your main takeaways from the beta? DavidVonderhaar, studio design director: The beta gave us a plethora of critical feedback, while also establishing how we want to talk with our community about Blackout. With a beta, the data that you can collect goes a long way to finding and fixing bugs and improving the overall gameplay experience. We were able to fix a number of bugs the community found

during the beta, and we have other bugs we are currently fixing. Ultimately, we learned that we can share our vision for this mode with our players. Doing that has created an active and healthy dialogue that will make Blackout more successful for the fans and the studio. What do you think it is that sets Blackout apart from other battle royales? Blackout is unique because it is Call of Duty in everything from pacing to signature fluid combat. We pulled from a ten-year-plus

heritage to influence game systems and mechanics. Blackout merges together a library of game devices in unpredictable ways that creates a unique and fun experience for our fans.

Did you need to add new members to the team in order to

make Blackout possible? Yes. It’s been a collaborative effort from the beginning, which includes dozens of people at Treyarch, new hires, and partners like Raven and Beenox. We have a talented mix of designers and developers with a wide variety of skillsets and experiences all working together to make Blackout possible.

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The Blackout Beta

Blackout is unique because it is Call of Duty in everything from pacing to signature fluid combat

The Blackout beta was live for a short while last month on the PS4, and we got the chance to jump in and play for ourselves. The general consensus around Blackout is that it is a mode so intrinsically well-suited to Call of Duty that it’s a surprise that it hasn’t been added sooner. Blackout is a merger of the fun and tactics of other BRs like Fortnite and PUBG with the fast-paced action multiplayer COD fans have come to love. We were pleasantly surprised by what we played of the Blackout beta, and how fun and high- stakes it really was, bringing a completely new experience to the franchise that we have little doubt will have mass appeal for gamers.

How did you decide on which maps would be placed where in the grand scheme of things? Ultimately, we are creating a fun and engaging experience for the player. With that in mind, we let gameplay and those experiences govern our decision making in placing maps. We created a series of system rules that would help ensure our gameplay vision, by asking critical questions like how far apart locations should be from one another, what types of locations should be next to other types, and where destinations should be placed in relation to the corners and

mechanism of rules. What makes Call of Duty is not a game mode, but how the combat works. How you engage and disengage – how you heal and move. The DNA of Call of Duty works with Blackout just like it would with any new game mode. The mechanics, systems, features, and content make the Call of Duty DNA, not a specific game mode you are playing. Is it as a result of the inclusion of Blackout that there is no single

player campaign included, or were other factors involved as well? Our original vision for this game was to create the best online, social, connected gaming experience that we could offer. Blackout supports that vision and delivers a unique experience to our fans that they want and that is fun. What’s your outlook for the future of the series? Speaking specifically about Black Ops and Treyarch, our future is bright. We have more ideas than we know what to with, and a lot of momentum. I think this is really the start of something. • Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII is out Oct 12

intersection of the map, amongst others. So, the Blackout gameplay rules and gameplay vision determined where maps are placed in the Blackout world. Has Blackout impacted the other multiplayer modes in any way? You can look to Heist and the mechanics of Last Stand to see evidence of Blackout’s influence. And, Blackout has definitely drawn from the other modes as well, like being able to understand how zombies need to work in Blackout. It’s been a back and forth sharing of information which has positively impacted all of the game modes. What is it about the Call of Duty DNA that you think blends so well with a battle royale? Battle Royale is a genre, a game mode with a

Finally, is there a reason it’s ‘IIII’ and not ‘IV’? It’s a fun question, but I just make the shoes.

Battle Royales a brief history

If by some miracle you are unaware of the battle royale genre, it began its life as mods for popular games like ARMA2 and Minecraft in the vein of ‘last man standing’ type gameplay; players are thrown into an arena and the last person alive wins (think The Hunger Games ). The genre has become increasingly popular in the last few years with the release of Brendan Greene’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Epic Games’ Fortnite . Battle royale has now saturated the market, with both Call of Duty and Battlefield’s annual releases this year including Battle Royale modes.

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Achilles’ Steel time of conflict on all fronts: you had mortals in conflict with the gods; the rise of rational thinking vs. mythology; democracy vs. tyranny; and of course it was smack in the middle of the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens. “During this time, much of Greece was a battlefield, providing players with incredibly fun gameplay opportunities, but it was also one of the most beautiful locations in the world, offering players a wide variety of environments to explore.”

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey takes players to the beautiful, lush landscapes of the Greek islands. We spoke with Dan Bingham, scriptwriter, to find out what to expect from the latest game from Ubisoft Quebec. Words Alesha Kolbe and Paul Jones I t's easy to lose count of how many Assassin’s Creed games have been released into the wild across all formats – this one is the 11 th main console entry in the franchise. of mythology seem a perfect fit for the game. But with

As with all Assassin’s Creed games, the fiction intertwines with historical events and figures of the period: some drawn from more academic sources to add credence to plot lines, while others are familiar as household names. Odyssey is no different and there are instantly recognisable names (if not faces) that players will come across in their journey. “What Assassin’s Creed story would be complete without the historical figures who helped shape the world in which we live today? Ancient Greece and the Golden Age of Athens was no exception, as it hosted

It was a time of conflict on all fronts

approximately 350 years of history to choose from, how did the team select the period the game is set in? “As with every Assassin’s Creed title, we wanted to send our players to a pivotal point in human history, while bringing a beautiful world to life for them to explore and get lost in,” offers Dan Bingham. “We also wanted the best possible setting to tell the story of how the First Civilization bloodline would eventually spark the conflict between order and free will. This made Ancient Greece, specifically 431 BCE, the perfect setting for Odyssey . It was a

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey lets players take on the role of either Alexios or Kassandra in Ancient Greece, siding with either the Spartans or the Athenians. Ancient Greece, alongside Rome and Egypt (explored in last year’s acclaimed Assassin’s Creed: Origins ) have long become speculated eras for the series to visit. To date the console games have explored the Third Crusade, Renaissance Italy, the American and French Revolutions, pirates and even Britain’s 19 th century Industrial Revolution. But with so much political intrigue, deceit, usurpation and powermongering in the world of the Ancient civilisations, the many poleis or states of Ancient Greece and its rich tapestries

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Five things you (probably) didn’t know about Spartan warriors 1 At the tender age of seven, Spartan boys would begin their education and military training, living communally and devoting their lives to military service. 2 When a Spartan soldier reached the age of 20, they commenced full military service and would remain warriors until the age of 60. 3 The Spartans were renowned for wearing crimson cloaks. According to Plutarch, this was to instil fear in their enemies and it would hide the blood from wounds received in battle. 4 The shield was considered a sacred piece of equipment. Made of wood and covered in bronze, it would weigh close to 14 kilos and was useful both in defence and as a blunt weapon. However, losing a shield in battle was seen as a disgrace. Fighting in a phalanx meant relying on the shield not just to protect the individual, but the army as a whole. 5 The word laconic stems from Laconia, the administrative capital of Sparta. The Spartans were known for the concise use of speech. At the famed Battle of Thermopylae, when the Persian king Xerxes offered the Spartans their lives if they laid down their weapons, King Leonidas replied with “Molon Labe”: Come and get them. When Philip of Macedon (Alexander the Great’s father) sent the following message to Sparta, “If I invade Laconia you will be destroyed never to rise again”, the reply simply read, “If”.

• Assassin's Creed Odyssey is out Oct 5

influential figures likes Pericles, the

bold general who took the first steps towards democracy. Hippocrates, who laid the foundations of modern medicine. And of course Socrates, whose rational thinking would change the world, even if he did make people want to punch him in the face.” Greek mythology is a

Myths and monsters definitely influenced the imaginations of Greeks at the time, and we wanted to bring some of these myths to life

set of stories based around the gods, rituals and mythical beasts that the Ancient Greeks told, and it continues to intrigue scholars to this day. Its influence is far reaching across film, literature and indeed video games; God of War Spartan: Total Warrior , Zeus: Master of Olympus and Altered Beast to name a few. If you caught the Odyssey gameplay from Germany’s Gamescom back in August, you’ll have noticed a certain serpent-headed mistress in the fray, and Bingham assures us she won’t be the only mythologic presence making her mark in Greece. “Myths and monsters definitely influenced the imaginations of Greeks at the time, and we wanted to bring some of these myths to life in a way that grounded them within the world of Assassin’s Creed. If you watched our Gamescom walkthrough video you’d have got a sense of how we’ve handled this by bringing Medusa to life.” Though Bingham joined the project once work had begun on the game, he tells us that early in development, teams were dispatched to Greece to capture the aesthetic and architecture with film and photography, and were also briefed on Ancient Greece by experts in order to conduct proper research for the setting of the game. “They were guided by specialists where they became acquainted with the topography and history of some of Greece’s most remarkable sites. Then they strengthened their knowledge with research carried out by various archaeological schools who conducted excavations.” When Bingham did eventually come on board he threw himself in the deep end,

absorbing as much information as he could as quickly as he could. “I got my hands on as much contemporary and ancient books as I could. My first month on the project was being a sponge for all things Ancient Greece, reading everything I could, watching documentaries, all before writing a single word of dialogue.” The game’s two playable characters, Kassandra and Alexios, are Spartans by birth, but have no allegiances to the cause. This allows players to choose for themselves, and directly impact specific questlines. “They have built a life for themselves as a mercenary, which allows the player to fight alongside Athenians or Spartans. When a military general offers drachmae (Greek money) for their sword, they are free to say yes or no.” Finally, as the scriptwriter on the game, Bingham made it his mission to ensure that he went to every length possible to get the most authentic Ancient Greek experience for the players of the game; and this even included humour. “[Our historian is] Stephanie-Anne Ruatta; she has a PHD in Classics with a specialisation in Ancient History. I consulted with her on

every single quest I wrote, making sure my stories were as authentically steeped in Greek history as possible. As a former

standup comedian, it was definitely an eye-opening experience to have my jokes fact-checked by a historian.”

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Driving It Home

Alright? Forza Horizon 4 is taking us to beautiful, historic Britain – the home of developer Playground Games.We had a bit of a chinwag with art director Ben Penrose about introducing seasons to the game, as well as the beautiful Senna – the bees’ knees of McLaren’s car catalogue.

Story Time Ben

“On my walk to work, there is this big tree that used to overhang the road. When you’re making a game that’s seasonally- based, it’s amazing how you start to study things on a level that you never had before – especially when it’s your own backyard. I’d find myself picking bits off trees and hedges on my way to work, and I’d just dump them on the art guys’ desks. Later on, one of the guys on the team, towards the end of the project, he comes over to me with this plastic bag with essentially brown liquid in the bottom – it was a collection of all the ‘references’ I’d left on his desk. He said to me ‘I think we need to get rid of this – we’re culturing tropical diseases.”

P layground Games have been working at introducing a season-based system in a Horizon game for a while, and Forza Horizon 4 has finally given them the chance. You’ll be able to drive through Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring in-game, with each season lasting a week (make sure you pack your brollies). You’ll have to ‘earn’ the seasons first, though. “When you play the game, you will experience an introduction, and you play through each season, giving you a nice taste of what to expect,” art director Ben Penrose tells us at an event in Sydney. “There are showcases within that early game experience as well. You start in Summer, and play

you’ll see some fallen leaves in Autumn, but in Winter the lake will freeze over for you to drive on, and in Summer your tires will heat up faster. Having four seasons in the game put a lot of stress on the asset team. Essentially, four seasons means you have the same assets with four different skins. Surely this would throw a spanner in the works as far as disc space is concerned? “It all comes down to making it achievable for the team,” Penrose explains. “A lot of that was within the tooling that we used back in the studio, that we give to our artists and our designers so they can implement the kind of work they need to. A lot of it is to do with the tech that generally allows for faster

Horizon 4 ’s cover cars is none other than the proper gorgeous new McLaren Senna. Lovely geezer Penrose tells us McLaren were very forthcoming, and gave the asset capture team as much time and access as they needed to do the car justice in-game. “I’m pretty sure there are a ton of videos floating around the internet of us actually strapping microphones to every part of the car imaginable – every part we could access. One of the members of our team even had the terrible job of actually having to get into the car itself. It was a really great partnership with McLaren – they’re actually quite physically close to us. I mean, everywhere in Britain is quite close to us…We got an unprecedented level of access.”

through a bunch of events, and then you’ll eventually qualify for Autumn, Winter, and Spring. Hopefully that gives everyone a really good introduction to what each of the seasons is going to bring in terms of varied experiences and that kind of stuff.” In Forza Horizon 4 ,

function, but it’s definitely true to say, from an art perspective, that

It was a really great partnership with McLaren

we were creating things four times. Essentially, we created the world four different times. It was a huge amount of work; we had a much bigger art team on this game than we’ve ever had before, and that was all because it was such a massive undertaking.” Finally, as you

seasons change everything, and that’s not only limited to how the game looks. Sure,

are probably well aware of by now, one of Forza

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HyperX Cloud for PS4 JB Hi-Fi have an exclusive new headset on their shelves – the HyperX Cloud for PS4. D ecked out in the pretty PS4 blue, with PlayStation decals, the new HyperX Cloud for PS4 will look right at home on your TV stand next to your console. If you ask us, it’s HyperX’s most comfy headset yet, and with a 3.5mm connection you can theoretically use it with anything that has a headphone jack. The HyperX Cloud for PS4 features leatherette earcups that rotate, and a detachable, poseable mic. Not only are the new PS4 headsets stupidly comfortable, but their aluminium frame helps to make them super durable – though we still wouldn’t recommend throwing them across the room if you lose a game. The sound is as good as we have come to expect from HyperX, and you’ll get both brilliant highs and lows no matter what you’re using them for. You won’t find any volume dials on the headset itself, as the mute and volume are both controlled via an inline remote on the cable. HyperX headsets are known for both their build and sound quality, and the Cloud for PS4 is no exception. The PS4 blue is an easy on the eye departure from the regulation HyperX red, and between the padded headband and memory foam ear cushions you’ll be hard pressed to find a better fit at the price.

Logitech have just released their first mechanical gaming keyboard – and it’s a doozy. Logitech G512

Uncommon things to note are that the actual functions for the Fn keys are listed on the side of the keys instead of the top, and the actual Fn key itself sits to the right of the spacebar instead of the left out of the box. It’s a really nit-picky thing to mention, but it’s worth bringing up if you’re used to having it on the other side like us. Overall, the G512 is gorgeous to look at, with a nice finish and a responsive set of keys with a low activation point. The omission of a wrist rest is disappointing, but nonetheless this is a great first attempt at a mechanical keyboard from Logitech, and we can’t wait to see what changes they make to the next series.

F irst things first – the G512 is on the smaller side as far as keyboards are concerned. There’s no wrist rest – which is unfortunate considering how much we love them – but it does have the number keys on the side, so it’s by no means the smallest we’ve seen. This is Logitech’s first effort at a mechanical gaming keyboard, and it’s easily one of the quietest we’ve used – a bonus if you like the response of mechanical keys but not so much the sound. The G512 is fully RGB enabled – including the indicator lights for gaming mode and caps lock – so you can play around with pretty lights to your heart’s content, and you can even change said lighting modes from the keyboard itself;

handy considering Logitech’s new G-Hub software isn’t available at time of writing. Speaking of which, the new G-Hub is fantastic. Though it’s not released publicly yet, we got the chance to have a play around at the Logitech booth at E3, and it’s extremely user-friendly and a vast improvement over the old software.

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Steelseries arctis pro and gameDAC Steelseries are back at it again, releasing a brand new, top quality headset that’s worth every penny.

T he Steelseries Arctis Pro is a wired you’re willing to fork out the extra cash (and it’s well worth it) you can also get yourself a GameDAC – a digital analogue converter. Tech specs aside, this is essentially a handy little controller that can help you adjust the levels and overall experience you have with your headset. It’s essentially an LED control hub that lets you adjust the volume, play with the lighting effects, and adjust the balance between game and chat volume on the fly. It’s extremely user-friendly, and when you first boot it up, it gives you an adorable little introductory walkthrough to teach you how its systems work. Now, for the headset itself. The Arctis Pro is the first certified high-res gaming headset system in the world, and gaming headset, compatible with PC and PS4 through an optical or USB cable. If

it shows. It sounds superb, and has quickly cemented itself as our PC gaming headset of choice. It’s built out of steel and aluminium, and the earcups are made of airweave fabric, meaning it sits comfortably on your noggin without compromising sound quality; in fact, it’s supremely noise-cancelling. It’s got a clearcast bidirectional noise cancelling mic, and a mobile adapter so you can use it wherever you go – good thing it looks normal enough to do so, because some gaming headsets leave you looking like you’ve just come off Air Force One.

The Steelseries Arctis Pro’s ease of setup and wonderful quality of sound make it a great investment for anyone looking to get the best they possibly can out of a gaming headset.

Turtle Beach have just launched their latest headset line – the Recon 200s. Turtle Beach Recon 200

T he headset features a 3.5mm jack, so you can use it with your Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC, or even with your mobile or tablet. Talk about versatile! The system does include amplified audio, which means you will have to charge it before use. It charges through a micro USB cable, and should be up and running in a few hours. Then you’ll simply be able to plug in the jack, turn on the headset, and away you go. The headset’s 40mm drivers aren’t too big, and the earcups fit snugly. It’s got a flip to mute mic, and is available in a stark white that will stand out beautifully against most of the black in your setup (of course you can also grab it in black). Its metal reinforced headband also makes it quite the durable headset. You can also make use of variable mic monitoring built into the kit itself, meaning you don’t need any external software to see how you sound to your mates. They also feature a switch on the back that lets you change between Xbox and PlayStation inputs, as the two have different base sound settings. The newTurtle Beach Recon 200 headsets are a versatile, comfortable piece of kit that will get the job done.

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