Monday 8 June 2009

GAME FORCE - a quick review

Over the last couple of months I have been thinking of subscribing to this new Spanish based miniature magazine, GAME FORCE. On Sunday this week I picked up issue 01 (the English translation version) at Games Expo, Birmingham. For more details see; http://www.gameforces.net/

The Magazine cost £6.00 from Artimis Black who had other editions of the magazine for sale. See; http://www.artemisblacks.com/

The first thing that strikes you about the magazine it the sheer quality of the materials and the fantastic illustrations, they really are beautiful. The magazine is unusual in that it is 'landscape' format rather than 'portrait', which I found worked well. All 44 pages are crammed full of colour photos, showing finished miniatures and work-in-progress shots with text. It is the text that really lets this publication down - or more specifically the English translation, which is just terrible, mistakes from the very first line of the first article, which repeats throughout the magazine. This will either infuriate reader's or you will just ignore it. I found it annoying and it affected my enjoyment of an otherwise superb magazine.

I believe that future issues (English translation) will be done by Artimis Black and I have been assured that the translations will be better.

Given the above, I can still recommend this new publication to anyone interested in painting or collecting miniatures. The bulk of the painting is done by Spanish artists, who have their own 'muted' or realistic style of colour choice and blending, which is quite different from the stark tricolour or bright 'Dallimore/Foundry' style found in British publications.

This is a sculpting and painting focused magazine, rather than dealing with game mechanics, rules and terrain.

Each of the painting tutorials were very well laid out and the step-by-step photos were real 'eye candy'. Well done to all who contributed.

I would expect to pick up future issues of this publication, but am not sure I would subscribe. I look forward to seeing the first newly translated edition which is due soon. Overall an 8 out of 10 (mainly let down by the translation).

Tony

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