STACK #167 Sept 2018

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA, DVDs, GAMES & MUSIC

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ISSUE 167 Sep ’18

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Contributors

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

Music Editor Zoë Radas Staff Writer Alesha Kolbe

Issue 167 September 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 Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Production Manager Craig Patterson

WELCOME Like most superheroes, Spider-Man has had his fair share of hits and misses in the realm of video games. One of the best so far is Spider-Man 2 , released in 2004. Introducing a realistic 3D web-slinging mechanic allowing players to propel Spidey through the streets of Manhattan to solve crimes, it is also a rare example of a film-to-game adaptation that’s actually good. The most popular superhero in the Marvel canon (well, in my eyes at least), we witnessed the adulation for the latest Spider-Man game (out this month) first-hand, when it was announced at E3 in 2016 during Sony’s press conference – the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles exploded with excitement. The developer, Insomniac Games, has a solid track record of quality games including the Ratchet & Clank and Resistance series, and the excellent Sunset Overdrive . Since Rocksteady Studios redefined the superhero game with its excellent Batman Arkham series, Spider-Man has been calling out for similar treatment. From what we’ve seen and played so far, Insomniac is on course to deliver just that. Elsewhere in September, the latest entry in the enduring Jurassic franchise, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom , lands in stores. In this month’s opinion piece, our film editor takes a look at the history of dinosaurs on film, from pioneer Willis O’Brien’s stop- motion animated T-Rex in Merian C. Cooper’s 1933 classic King Kong , to special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen’s The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) and The Valley of Gwangi (1969), through to Spielberg’s revolutionary Jurassic Park (1993) . What a month! Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

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Issue 167 SEPTEMBER 2018

34-37 INTERVIEWS + BULLETINS

today, Jimmy Barnes tells us how he hopes sharing his story will promote a wider conversation. 50-55 MUSIC REVIEWS Anna Calvi, Paces, The Kooks, Skegss, Emma Louise, DREAMS, The Goon Sax, Plain White T’s, Spiritualized, Good Charlotte, Darren Middleton, The Paper Kites, Deicide, Candi Staton, and more. 56 VINYL REVIVAL: LED ZEPPELIN Paul Jones uncovers the story of Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains The Same , remastered and reissued by Rhino/Warner this month.

Music Pages 31 – 57

Games Pages 1– 30

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA,DVDs, GAMES&MUSIC

We chinwag with The Amity Affliction’s Joel Birch, IDLES’ Joe Talbot, Tkay Maidza, Sarah McLeod, and Anna Calvi. 38 bETWEEN TWO FINNS We led father/son duo Neil and Liam Finn into JB’s vinyl section to shop LPs, and gave them one rule: they couldn’t buy for themselves, only each other. 40-41 BIGSOUND The ‘Aussie SXSW’ is upon us this month! Check out our interviews with the top names we’ll be looking out for in Fortitude Valley during September 4-7. 44-45 JIMMY BARNES From terrified child to the ferocious family man he is

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ISSUE 167 Sep ’18

16-17 spider-man The time has finally come. Insomniac’s take on Marvel’s Spider-Man is officially out in the wild, and fans are gonna love it. 18 fifa 19 Another year, another FIFA. Paul Jones has his yearly chat with the devs to see what’s new with this instalment of the football franchise. 20-22 tomb raider The rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy comes to a gritty end with Shadow

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of the Tomb Raider . 30 OUT THIS MONTH

Spider-Man, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, FIFA 19, NBA 2K19, Destiny 2: Forsaken , and more.

22 GRINGO Australia’s own Nash Edgerton directs this

Extras Pages 4–5 / 14 / 16–17 / 28 4-5 EXTRAS Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom fun facts; whatever happened to Meg Ryan; must-see film and TV for September; Aussie director Chris Sun goes hog wild with Boar . 14 FEMALE FILMMAKERS Jane Campion has been a trailblazer for women in film throughout her career. 16-17 BOB J Our resident film historian looks back at one of Hollywood’s greatest musicals, Singin’ in the Rain (1952). 28 GATEWAYS The world of maverick auteur Steven Soderbergh.

Cinema Pages 8 – 13

DVD & BD Pages 18 – 37

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA,DVDs, GAMES&MUSIC

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energetic action-comedy. 24 SUPER TROOPERS 2 The Broken Lizard comedy troupe give us the lowdown on the sequel to their 2001 cult comedy. 26 S.W.A.T. Shemar Moore talks about playing the lead in the TV reboot. 30-36 REVIEWS Jurassic World: Fallen Hereditary, Unsane, Super Troopers 2, The Walking Dead: S8, The Expanse: S2, Supernatural: S13, and more . Kingdom, Ocean’s 8, Upgrade, Cargo, Tag,

DVD & BD

ISSUE 167

18-19 JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM The dino-sized franchise continues to evolve with the most unconventional Jurassic film of them all. 20 UPGRADE Horror specialist Leigh Whannell switches genres with this gritty sci-fi action- thriller.

8 KIN Australian twins Jonathan and Josh Baker bring a tale of brotherhood – and an alien weapon – to the screen in their genre-bending debut feature. 10 CRAZY RICH ASIANS We caught up with director Jon M. Chu, author Kevin Kwan, and the cast of this groundbreaking Hollywood rom-com. 12 CHRISTOPHER ROBIN Ewan McGregor hangs out with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and pals in Disney’s live-action feature. 13 REVIEWS BlacKkKlansman, Kin, plus a peek at what’s also screening in September.

Sep ’18

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QUIZ, & COMPETITIONS on page 42 from back of mag

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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GAMES NEWS

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Since we opened, [ God of War ] has been our number one seller

I

STACK ROVING REPORTER

Smiley tells us

news, then, when you consider

best sellers at

that his 'smiley senses' are tingling for September, and that can only mean one thing – Spider-Man is on the way. " Spider-Man has been getting a lot of attention, especially with the new console they're bringing out, too. I'm super excited for that. Also, Red Dead Redemption 2 's been getting a lot of buzz, especially with the new gameplay trailer that came out that shows off how realistic everything looks." For Nathan personally, he's most looking forward to all the new Pokémon games on the horizon. "I've been a Pokémon fan all my life – going all the way back. I played Red and Blue and my brother got me Yellow for my 16th birthday – I was so stoked. I've always been really excited about Pokémon, and I still am. I'm looking forward to Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee on the Switch, as well as the new RPGs that are coming out next year. Anything with more Pokémon is definitely on my radar."

that the store's best-seller is the PlayStation 4-exclusive God of War .

"Since we've opened it's been our number one seller – we're almost pushing one or two copies a day." Nathan's played the new title, and by the sound of it loved it just as much as the rest of the world. "It was done so well. Seeing Kratos evolve and change from his very vengeful younger self to being much wiser and teaching his son his ways."

Date ending: 29/08/18

SHOP TALK

1 f1 2018 (XBO/PS4) 2 madden nfl 19 (XBO/PS4) 3 the last of us (PS4) 4 shenmue i & ii (XBO/PS4) 5 world of warcraft: battle for azeroth (PC) 6 god of war (PS4) 7 the legend of zelda: breath of the wild (SWITCH) 8 super mario odyssey (SWITCH) 9 we happy few (XBO/PS4) 10 far cry 5 (XBO/PS4/PC)

I f you've ever set foot in the relatively-new JB Hi-Fi Green Hills store, chances are you'll have spotted a review from Nathan 'Smiley' Wethered, who's been at the company for eight years now. "I started at Westield Kotara in DVD, and then got a spot as Games Coordinator in Port Macquarie. I was there for three years, then went back to Newcastle at the homemaker centre, and have since moved to this store in Green Hills when it opened up earlier this year." As far as the console demographic goes, Smiley says they sell more Xboxes than anything else in Green Hills – but only just. "We just recently had a look and Xbox just gets over the line, it just makes it." Which makes for interesting

NathanWethered at JB Hi-Fi Green Hills, NSW

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1.8m views on Loserfruit's Fortnite dance compilation from E3

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GAMES

NEWS

Lofu's Top 2 content creators: David Dobrik Shane Dawson

channel? (Especially the Fortnite emote compilations, which we LOVE by the way!) Thank you! Dancing is my favourite thing second to games. I think it has helped, because not too many people did dancing throughout their childhood like I did. So it's a nice little thing to be able to show off from time to time. My highest view videos are my dancing ones – from Overwatch to Fortnite, now. So it has definitely given me something unique. What’s the best thing to have come out of your career as a content creator? I am definitely thankful for having a career and making more than I would if I had a regular job out of university. I also love when I go to events the number of people I get to meet and have 1 on 1 conversations with. Gamescom was one of my favourite events for this – there were a few people who pulled me to the side and let me know how not only I, but the rest of Fruitopia helped them out with what they were going through at the time. If you weren’t doing this as a career, what do you think you would be doing? I finished my university degree in journalism before I pursued content full time. So something along those lines. A journalist – maybe even video game journalism. Maybe even for STACK ... who knows?

conversation. It really depends on the streamer and what they want to happen. Some days things don't work out well, the games could be bad, you might not be performing, but it can always be turned around. And it's really satisfying on those bad days to persist with it and turn it into something good. Do you think Australia is behind in comparison with the rest of the world when it comes to recognising streaming/content creation as a viable career? It's definitely more strange in Australia for internet is great. There is a lot of talent in Australia; it is a shame we are held back by our net. Many careers outside of the gaming industry are being held back by our government's attitude towards the net throughout the years. It sucks! What is some advice you’d give to anyone who would want to take up a career as a streamer or a content creator? It doesn't work if you are in it for the wrong reasons. I mean, you can get popular, you can earn money. But long term it's not worth it if you don't love streaming. It's not for everyone. this to be a career... for an Australian. We just assume people who have this career are in the US or somewhere

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

Loserfruit

When did you first start out making online content? I started making content in 2013. Started with streaming on Twitch. What got you into content creation in the first place? After playing League of Legends since 2010, some of my US friends told me that I should stream. With the Australian accent and not too many females streaming at the time, I could be successful. I didn't really understand what they meant at the time, but I am definitely glad I did it. How has the scene changed since you first started with content creation? The scene has definitely changed through the five years of streaming. Definite focus on numbers has increased. It has gotten easier to make money on Twitch with Amazon Prime and the increase of the site's popularity. Having sponsors is a lot more acceptable and a lot more people do it. So it's definitely a more

acceptable career for someone to have now after years of people proving that. But yeah, there is definitely a focus on numbers, growing, popularity, which can attract the wrong kind of people. ALSO! Less booby streamers. Definitely a few of the early years had a lot of girls pushing up... well, you know, in order to gain attention on the platform. What do you think is the best part about being a content creator? The BEST part about being a content creator is that every day can be different. Variety of games, different goal on my main games (like a higher rank or to win a solo game, or to have a stream sniper event or to play with subs), and there can always be a different

How has your dancing background helped with your

1 The first game you played? This is going to give my age away, and also give me an excuse for not remembering! It would have most likely been something on the ZX Spectrum; I remember playing Skool Daze , Transformers and Action Biker . 2 The last game you finished? I game quite a lot, so I’m not 100% on the order, but I’ve recently finished COD WW2 , Assassins Creed Origins , Far Cry 5 and Hellblade . I think the last one I finished was God of War . 3 Your favourite game of all time? I’ve always considered The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as my favourite game of all time, and still see no reason for that to change. 4 The most underrated game of all time? Our Brand Manager, Alan Perrie, would definitely say Kane and Lynch . For me, I’m not sure. Not the most underrated, but I always felt that Pure on Xbox 360 deserved more recognition. 5 The game you wished you had worked on? Corny, but working on F1 couldn’t really be any better, as I’m a massive motorsport fan and a huge gamer, so it brings together two of my passions. I’d love to experience working on something story- and character-driven, such as an Uncharted game, GTA, Assassins Creed, etc. I’ve also been really impressed with the Forza Horizon series for a different, more laid back and casual experience, which reminds me of all the crazy road trips I’ve done.

Game director, F1 2018 LEE MATHER

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We spent just shy of three hours with Insomniac’s Spider-Man , and can’t wait for the full game. Words Alesha Kolbe Webbing Slinger

P layStation recently invited us to an through the first two and a half hours or so of the game, and experience the earliest parts of the story. If you’re just here for good news, then you’re in luck. From the two hours and 40 minutes or so that we played on a PS4 Pro, Spider- Man is on course to be an exceptional game. Insomniac’s DNA fuses brilliantly with Marvel’s friendly neighbourhood do-gooder – this is certainly not a production line licensed superhero game; the quality is apparent from the off. Insomniac’s  Spider-Man eschews the narrative from the comics and films for an original story. Peter Parker is a 23-year-old university graduate and is spending his time working in a science lab. It’s been six months since he split up with Mary Jane Watson. He’s been Spider-Man for eight years when you boot up the game, so thankfully there’s no arduous repeat of the origin story we already know. He's had the powers for a long time, and is proficient in the use of them. The new game is set in New York – but it is, after all, Marvel’s New York, so expect to see Avengers Tower on the skyline and be able to swing by the Wakandan Embassy and the New York Sanctum. The story follows two ‘themes’ – mentorship and partnership – and it’s through both Peter/Spider-Man and the people he interacts with that these are explored. Although it is an original story from Insomniac, you can expect some familiarity with the comics, but also some significant differences. MJ isn’t an actress but an extensive hands-on with Marvel’s  Spider- Man on PS4. We were able to play

but there’s a lot more to it than that. You have a gadget equipped to R1 (which can be changed on a wheel – hello, Ratchet & Clank ) that, during our few hours, let you throw variations of webs at the enemy, tying them up or pinning them to surfaces. You can also pull people towards you with webs and interact with objects in the environment – and other enemies – to damage your opponents. Grenades can be thrown back in the same

investigative reporter at the Daily Bugle – and you’ll even get to play as her. She has separate mechanics from Peter (obviously) and you’ll usually be using her to sneak around and dig up clues on the city’s criminal underbelly. If you’ve been following the progress of Spider-Man , you’ll have seen comparisons made – ours included – to the combat of the Batman Arkham series. While the systems are similar (there’s a lot of dodging and countering

involved), Spidey is far more agile than the scowling Bruce Wayne, and as such isn’t able to take as many hits as perhaps Batman can. Combat in  Spider-Man is more reliant on singling out enemies and taking them on one at a time, than it is sitting in amongst them all and taking damage. As

way. As you fight, you’ll build up a focus meter, which can then be turned into health by pressing the D-pad, or used as a finishing move on an enemy. There are also stealthier options, should you wish. You can aim and shoot your web to distract enemies, and when close enough, you can web ‘em up like a spider would its food. We’d like to wager that there are more creative ways to do this as you unlock more skills and gadgets down the track. Unlocking new stuff in  Spider-Man is a relative breeze; however, there is a lot to unlock. First up are the suits, and going by the

Spider-Man is intrinsically a masterful, acrobatic improviser, it’s often easier to pick the enemy off one by one – hanging them from beams in the roof – than it is to take on a large group. Combat, as we mentioned, is mostly throwing punches, dodging and countering,

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GAMES

FEATURE

Was there anything you approached Marvel about including in the game, and they said no? Community Director James Stevenson: "One of the members on our team was always trying to get Spider- Man to say the word ‘balls’. It would just be a reaction to things that happen; he always said it, so he kept trying to get us to get Peter to say it. Honestly though, it’s not like we have these big things we want to do, and Marvel’s like ‘you can’t do that’. They certainly have their guidelines for Spider-Man, but for us, it was all about creating an authentic Spider-Man experience, so we didn’t want to go and do something crazy and outlandish, and they’re just there to help guide us where they can and collaborate."

familiar faces too; we’ve been promised Norman Osborne and Miles Morales to name a few, and then of course there’s the nefarious Kingpin and the Sinister Six from the trailers. Spider-fans will have their hands full. It’s worth mentioning, too, that you aren’t just swinging around NYC fighting crime and taking photos of landmarks – which you could totally spend the entire game doing, if you so desired. Peter’s job as a scientist adds additional puzzle-solving mechanics – almost minigames – that keeps things fresh and ensures you aren’t just going from gang to gang, sticking people to walls and seeing who’s hanging out. You get a good helping of combat, puzzle-solving, and other mechanics littered both throughout the story and optional missions that helps keep things interesting. MJ’s gameplay is different again, with a lot of sneaking around and solving puzzles a la Lara Croft or Nathan Drake – another departure from direct crime fighting (although we did only spend about half an hour as MJ). Insomniac’s take on Spider-Man is excellent. What we experienced is a fun, light-hearted, but still serious take on the character, with rewarding combat and dedication to Marvel lore. Keep your eyes peeled for plenty of Easter eggs, take in all of a beautifully-crafted New York City, and prepare yourself for hours of truly feeling like Spider-Man. It’s Batman Arkham meets Prototype, and the ultimate reason to own a PS4.

menu there are over 20 of them. Peter earns a new one pretty quickly in the main campaign, and each suit has a unique ability; they aren’t just for looks. Suits can then be upgraded by adding to their slots, affecting how much damage you take from melee versus guns and the like. You’ll also gain skill points from levelling up, which can be spent in one of three specialisations – innovator, defender, and webslinger; essentially your gadgets, combat, and maneuverability prowess, respectively. Gadgets we mentioned earlier are also upgradable, and this is done through finding Peter’s old backpacks out in the world. Once you have ‘repaired’ certain satellites in each of New York’s distinct areas, you’ll be able to see on the map where various locations and activities are – including said backpacks. The open world is massive and there’s plenty to do when you’re not interested in the main story, or somehow get bored of just swinging around; after 2.5 hours we weren’t, so that’s not likely to happen. Which brings us to perhaps the most important part of a Spider-Man game – the web swinging. Thankfully, Insomniac have nailed it! It’s one of those ‘easy to learn, hard to master’ concepts, in that you can simply pick up the controller and press R2 to swing between buildings. But there’s more to it than that.

Pressing X will give you a little speed boost, or a big one, depending on how much you’ve upgraded it. We also discovered in the skill trees that you can unlock ‘tricks’ that Peter can do while swinging by holding down circle and triangle together, for a little bonus XP and some mad style points. The game’s story – no major spoilers here – is an impeccable balance between fighting crime as the superhero Spider-Man and embracing everyday, 23-year-old life as Peter Parker. Insomniac says that the best Spider-Man stories are the ones where Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s worlds collide, and if our early playthrough is any indication, that’s exactly what’s happening here. Early on we find out that Peter’s Aunt May is currently working at a homeless shelter owned and operated by Martin Li, who then becomes one of Spider-Man’s adversaries. As we

mentioned earlier, MJ also comes back into Peter’s life in a completely unexpected way. You’ll see other

• Spider-Man is out Sept 7

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KickOff

It’s FIFA time again. Let the games begin. Words Paul Jones

“I t looks the same as last year.” This is a new FIFA each year. From an outside observer it’s probably a fair comment, but for a FIFAologist, it’s bordering on blasphemy. Mention the acronym FIFA to anyone in 2018 and most people will immediately connect it to EA’s blockbuster sports title and not the international governing body of football. FIFA completely ruled the last generation of consoles and has made no concessions halfway through this cycle. In June we got our first glimpse at FIFA 19 at EA Play in Los Angeles. The power of Frostbite is pushing the borders of authenticity to a whole new level, without sacrificing the exciting gameplay that FIFA is known for. “The big news is the UEFA Champions League is back,” reveals creative director Matt Prior during our annual catch-up in Los Angeles, when prompted on what to expect this year. “It is one of the most requested features from our community. We’ve brought it back throughout the game to facilitate all the many different types of users that play FIFA. You’ve got the FUT guys – the guys that like to play through the Journey single-player – and then we have the users who play all the modes. We’ll have it linked to live updates in the real standard response from my wife after I ask her what she thinks when I bring home the

Prior talks about is the Active Touch System. “Active Touch System is a whole new system of the way the player approaches and touches the ball, fundamentally changing the way they strike it as well as react to it”, explains Prior. “It will have big implications on the overall gameplay, and from a user perspective, what that means is you’ll see a lot more variety. And while we’re on the subject of volleys, another new mechanic introduced this year is Timed Shot, which adds an extra level of control to shots. “Shooting remains unchanged in FIFA if you want it to, but there is now a kind of a risk-reward mechanic we’ve introduced,” Prior explains. “If you have a shot and you press the button a second time using a visual cue as the player’s foot kicks the ball and get it right, you’ll get more power, accuracy and curve on it." Finally, Prior talks about how the tactical system has been totally revamped for the new game, revealing that many of the new features implemented by the team come directly from community requests. Dynamic Tactics is one such example. “We’ve completely rewritten the tactics in the game, and this what we’re calling Dynamic Tactics; this is literally a rework of the entire tactics system,” he explains. “What that offers now is a much more unique level of customisation, so you can really tune the tactics to your style of play, and also the team you’re using. That’s a big change!”

world Champions League, too.” With the power of the Frostbite

• FIFA 19 is out Sept 25

Engine, now in its third year, FIFA 19 will introduce many new features and the first

Kick-Off Mode Something new to FIFA 19 is the new Kick-Off Mode. This is essentially five newmatch types for FIFA players, all with a twist.

UEFA Champions League – Users can customise their own Champions League game from the group stages, or even just the final, with their own rules and even visuals. House Rules – Here you can set up a game with custom rules including using the following: In Survival

Mode , each time a user scores, a player is deducted from their squad to a maximum of four to create a challenge. No Rules means just that, and Long Range awards two goals for any goals scored outside the box. FirstTo lets players set perimeters such as the first to one goal, or three goals, etc. And finally, Headers &

Volleys means you can only score goals with a header or a volley. Best of Series – Here you can play classic matches in a three or five match series to decide who’s top dog. Home & Away – A two- legged match played home and away. The aggregate

score decides the winner. If the teams are level on home and away score lines, the dreaded penalty shootout comes into play. Featured Cup Finals – Here you get to choose your final. Champions League? Europa League Final? FA Cup? It’s all there for you to chase the silverware.

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Shadow of theTomb Raider is the conclusion to Lara Croft’s rebooted trilogy. We threw a few questions at Heath Smith, Lead Game Designer at Eidos Montreal, to find out what to expect from the journey’s end. Words Paul Jones Last Crusade The

the perfect match and it inspired us to create new gameplay abilities and challenges for Lara. It also spoke to the narrative themes of duality – life and death – that Lara must come to terms with in this final chapter. Finally, we knew this was the game where Lara would become the Tomb Raider she was destined to be. So we looked back

How do you balance the workload/ communication with two different devs working on the same game? HEATH SMITH: Open communication is essential during the development of any game, and this is true of Shadow of the Tomb Raider . Eidos-Montréal and Crystal Dynamics have

on the floor below. Everything is trying to kill you in the Amazon – from the plants, to the animals to the scarcity of resources. But we also wanted to show that – with knowledge – this place of death can be a source of aid and healing. In essence, what can kill you can also cure you – if you know where to look, and who to talk to. You’ve already mentioned the stealth aspect of the game, but have other elements of Lara’s combat abilities been overhauled? Absolutely. In this game, we can see that Lara is becoming more proactive and less reactive. An example of this is what we call ‘Herbal Remedies’. In previous games, Lara

fine-tuned communication, so that it is as if they work on the floor above and below each other.

at the classic Tomb Raider games and asked ourselves the question – what abilities does she not yet have in

Everything is trying to kill you in the Amazon

this series that we could not only bring back, but enhance and re-interpret

Where did you draw inspiration for the final part of the trilogy? For Shadow of the Tomb

through the survival lens? With the new setting of the jungle, rappelling and underwater exploration were the perfect fit to ensure a unique gameplay experience for the final entry.

Raider , we drew inspiration from Lara’s journey, the new setting of the jungle, and the legacy of the franchise itself. We had the narrative momentum of Lara’s journey from the end of Rise of the Tomb Raider . Since Lara is so powerful at the end of Rise , we knew we needed a location that would not only be visually different but challenge Lara like never before – pushing her to survive and thrive in a new environment. The jungle was

The walkthrough we saw at E3 looked spectacular.The Amazonian environment is a perfect canvas for your artists to embellish.Why did you choose to set SotTR in the Amazon? First off, we wanted to

differentiate ourselves from Rise of the Tomb Raider – each game has its unique mood and palate and Shadow is no

exception. The environment should also reflect the hero – in this case, Lara is struggling with her own duality – trying not to let the shadow overtake her and become the thing she is fighting against. The Amazon is a place of great duality – of life in the canopy and death

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© 2005-2018 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and its subsidiaries. 2K, the 2K logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The NBA and NBA member team identifications are the intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams. © 2018 NBA Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Officially licensed product of the National Basketball Players Association. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. “ 2 ”, “PlayStation” and “ Ø ” are registered trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. ©2017 Nintendo.

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B y and large, booby traps in ancient tombs are mainly the preserve of a scriptwriter’s imagination. Ancient Egyptian tombs had false corridors, curses inscribed on tomb doors, passages blocked with enormous stones, and six-metre-deep pits that would prove rather difficult to climb out of if you were

continued

tomb-burgling alone. But the elaborate traps encountered by Indiana Jones, Lara Croft and Nathan Drake are the work of fiction. However, there is one burial

chamber that does display some of those mythical traits, and that is

the tomb of ancient Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who died in 210 BC. You probably know this guy from the vast army of terracotta soldiers found in his tomb. While the main tomb containing the Emperor has never been opened, contemporary accounts describe rivers filled with poisonous mercury and crossbows rigged to fire on entry. Archaeologists have drilled into the tomb and found unusually high concentrations of mercury in the soil samples. The secrets to the location of these alleged traps were known only to the labourers who worked on the tomb, and most of them were killed once construction was completed.

We wanted to open up spaces and make traversal even more of a puzzle, bringing some of the classic Tomb Raider feeling back to the series

could heal herself on the fly when injured. We’ve taken that

thrown at her. Emotionally, she’s younger and out to prove her father was wrong. She comes away shocked at how capable she was. In Rise of the Tomb Raider ,

system and expanded it into a number of different remedies from plants Lara finds in the Amazon. Now

she can proactively use them to gain an advantage in combat.

Lara struck out on her own for the first time. Now she knows her father was right, she’s looking to restore the family name, but she’s moving forward without a full awareness of the impact of her actions. At the beginning of Shadow , we find Lara the most capable, determined and proactive she’s ever been. However, this proactivity in her search for Trinity and for answers is bordering on obsession. So while we find her in a darker place, she has to learn to balance these aspects of her personality in order to become the Tomb Raider she’s destined to be. Also, she’s beginning to realise that there’s more to Tomb Raiding than taking artifacts and dead things – true Tomb Raiding is balancing archeology with an understanding of anthropology – of people. Letting others in and learning from others could be Lara’s greatest challenge yet. Can you outline what’s involved with the puzzle and tomb creations? Do you attribute specific tasks to individual teams? Tomb team and puzzle team, etc? We do have a challenge tomb team and they are amazing. Puzzles usually start as a design sketch-up or ‘grey block’ in-engine. What is interesting is we then interpret how we can make those mechanisms believable

For example, slowing down her perception of time when aiming and even sensing enemies through the jungle environment. In addition, players now have even more ways to approach combat via the skills and outfits they choose to equip; Lara can now craft flare rounds to stun enemies and equip various outfit parts that make her more silent. She can even learn how to chain takedowns to take care of two enemies silently in a row. We wanted to reflect the narrative theme of descending into darkness, and fear in the way Lara traverses the environments. Also, we wanted to open up spaces and make traversal even more of a puzzle, bringing some of the classic Tomb Raider feeling back to the series. These tools also enable Lara to fluidly move around the jungle canopy in combat – a must in order to strike, disappear and reposition – becoming ‘one with the jungle’ against her enemies. Overall, how does this Lara Croft differ from the protagonist in the first two reboot titles? The intention was always to show an arc of Lara becoming more mature throughout the trilogy. The Lara Croft of Tomb Raider (2013) was thrust into a survival situation – as she says, “adventure found me.” She is much more reactive and trying to survive the challenges What does the grappling hook and rappelling mechanic bring to the gameplay?

cultures, materials and techniques they used and not only does technical sketches, but often builds them in Lego! The tombs themselves are often built around a theme – claustrophobia, vertigo, etc – and iterated on from there, all the way from concept art to final implementation. What happens now? The trilogy is complete. Can we expect to see Lara Croft embarking on a whole new trilogy next? At Eidos-Montréal we have been totally focused on closing out this trilogy and making as satisfying a conclusion as we possibly can. As for what’s next – who knows? Lara Croft is such a resilient character – I doubt that this would be her last adventure!

and grounded regarding the cultures and materials involved. We have a technical artist on the project named Yann Régnier, who we like to call our ‘Leonardo Da Vinci.’ He researches the

• Shadow of the Tomb Raider is out Sept 15

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GAMES FEATURE

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Australia’s own Ben Simmons graces the cover of NBA 2K19 .We checked in withWouter Van Vugt, head of international communications at 2K Games, to find out just what to expect from the 20th instalment of the NBA game franchise.

What does it mean to be able to get Ben Simmons as a cover star in Australia? WOUTERVANVUGT: Being able to have Ben Simmons on the cover in Australia and New Zealand is a great example of the global approach of NBA 2K. Ben being the first Australian Rookie of the Year, having had the breakthrough season we just saw, and being a huge NBA 2K fan, we felt we almost didn’t have a choice but to ask him.

or Steph Curry even more accurate with his threes!

Have any changes been made to the graphics engine? I think our gameplay trailer speaks for itself. (That’s a YES by the way!) What special features and occasions can players expect, being the game’s 20th anniversary? I can’t get into any details on what players can expect for the 20th Anniversary, but do check out the Neighbourhood for new events on a regular basis!

Was it a no-brainer to get LeBron on the cover of the 20th Anniversary Edition? Looking at the past 20 years of the NBA

One of the features I am most excited about is “Takeover”. It’s a new feature for NBA 2K19 that unlocks the full potential of every player

• NBA 2K19 is out Sept 11

(and NBA 2K), one name does shine

from NBA 2K19?

One of the features I am most excited about is “Takeover”. It’s a new feature for NBA 2K19 that unlocks the full potential of every player. It unlocks special boosts, skills, and

through: LeBron James. He’s been starring in the games since NBA 2K4, and has

been on the cover for NBA 2K14. He’s been a defining player in the last 15 years, and Basketball wouldn’t have been the same without him. Can you outline the feedback you received from last year’s iteration? As every year, we get a ton of feedback from our fans. We listen to every bit of feedback and try to improve the game in every way we can. Look for BIG improvements this year in terms of gameplay, MyTeam, and MyGM/MyLeague modes. How big an impact does LeBron moving to the Lakers have on the game? LeBron moving teams certainly impacts the strength of the teams, but not necessarily his player capabilities. I do have a feeling a lot more players will pick Lakers this year as their go-to Team.

animations unique to the player’s primary archetype when

they're hot. Imagine Anthony Davis getting even better at blocking,

What new features can players expect

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TECH FEATURE

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Rig 500 pro e-sport Plantronics are back with a new headset series aimed at aspiring pro gamers.

W e recently tested the brand new Plantronics RIG 500 Pro Esport – the top of the line of the new 500 series of gaming headsets. The 500 Pro Esport features 50mm drivers and is compatible with PC, PS4 and Xbox One – not to mention anything else that has a 3.5mm jack. The new headset offers high resolution game audio and a flip-to- mute, noise-cancelling, unidirectional microphone. Complete with sturdy, diecast aluminium cups and dual material ear cushions, the Rig 500 Pro Esport also has a self-adjusting headband that is a staple of Plantronics’ gear. They’ve even included an extra pair of foam earcups if you're not a fan of the half-half foam/ leatherette combo. The best part is they’re super easy to swap out – they just snap off and back on. Arguably the most impressive aspect of this new headset is its new controller connectivity. On a console, there are those who aren’t

necessarily fans of inline volume controls for your headset. They can he hard to find, and it’s usually inconvenient to have to move your hand so far from the controller. Plantronics have rectified this with their new game audio dial. There are two different shapes – one each that will fit a PS4 and Xbox One controller – and they simply snap into the 3.5mm jack on your controller. You can then adjust the volume simply with a spin of the wheel, without having to move your hand from the controller. The game audio dial also features a full volume lock, so you don't need to be concerned with accidently hitting it. Of course, the top of the line Pro Esport model also comes with an inline controller if you’re using it on PC. Plantronics’ new headset offers Dolby ATMOS sound and includes an activation code in the box. You’ll get brilliant highs and lows, and Plantronics are some of the lightest headsets on the market, so you don’t need to worry about fatigue after a long gaming session. The RIG 500 Pro Esport is one of the best headsets on the market at the moment – and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

We took a pair of Turtle Beach’s Stealth 300s for a spin. Turtle beach stealth 300

T urtle Beach is back with a new addition to its extensive headset range, introducing the Stealth 300s for Xbox or PlayStation. We had a play with the PlayStation version, that connects simply through a 3.5mm jack – essentially bringing true versatility to a myriad of devices. The Turtle Beach Stealth 300s are a wired stereo gaming headset that you’ll need to charge before use, and they also utilise Turtle Beach’s prospecs system, which takes the pressure off your glasses (if you wear them). It's got a groove cut into each earcup that allows the arms of your glasses to simply slide through, without the rest of the earcups needing to come away from your head. Something you don't really think about if you don't wear glasses, but if you do, it's a blessing. The headset features 50mm drivers and a flip-to-mute, high sensitivity microphone. It also has dials for both volume and chat control, as well as a button that allows you to switch between four audio presets to get the best out of whatever you’re using it for. You can also make use of the variable mic monitoring to hear your own mic feedback within the headset, to determine if you’re being too loud or too quiet. The Stealth 300 is sturdy, with a metal reinforced headband and swivelling earcups. Turtle Beach’s headset won’t hurt your hip pocket and is a reliable, simple bit of kit.

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