Another new independent magazine arrives after a successful Kickstarter campaign last year, one that focuses on the genre of first person shooters, this time narrowing in on the indie developer scene. This 100 page (including covers) full cover magazine certainly looks the business and, given the pedigree of the writing team - some names will be familiar to readers of E1M1 magazine, Reload magazine promises much. Does it deliver?
As far as physical quality goes, yes. Yes, it does. The stock isn't glossy so there isn't the sheen that some people might like (although it made the pictures for this post so much easier to take!) but shiny isn't everything and the paper quality is more than good enough. It feels nice and doesn't smudge either.
Of course, content is key and this is where the selection of writers shines through. The magazine is split into several sections: Previews, Reviews, Mods, Features, Retrospectives, Game Jams, How to Guides, Developer Zone and Early Access. Whether it be a first look at a forthcoming release, checking up the latest indie efforts or features on a particular studio, the love for the topic is evident, and it's clear that the people writing about these games are passionate about the genre.
Indeed, it is this focus that makes Reload Magazine such a fantastic read and, after spending a couple of weeks working my way through it (I'll explain in a bit), the sheer number of titles in the indie first person shooter dev space is extraordinary. I know I shall be checking out more than a few of the 100 plus games mentioned in issue one as and when I have time, and I wouldn't have known about them without the benefit of reading this mag.
This brings me to screenshots - there are tons of them! The screens show off the diversity of the genre and whilst some of the games look a little "rustic" (been watching too many old-school Bake Off episodes in my youth), they're just icing on the top of a huge FPS cake. And besides, every aesthetic has its charm and the likes of Operation Pinkeye nails it's particular look perfectly. Between the text and the imagery, there is little wasted space (always good to see) and the few adverts that are present don't affect the content balance at all.
Reload Magazine is not perfect, though, but this is purely a personal thing and no reflection on the magazine or its team. However, if you are (unfortunately) like me, you need to know this. I said it took me a couple of weeks to get through this issue, a combination of savouring the writing but also dealing with a design choice which ended up being quite painful. White writing on a black background. This is purely a personal thing - my good lady had no problems at all - and although she liked the magazine, playing FPSs makes her go vom-vom. Nor did the couple of others who I showed my copy to. I found that reading three or four pages at a time was about the right pace. Would I still buy issue 2? Hell yes!
Regular blog readers will know that I am a massive fan of small scale independent publications, titles that cater to an audience that would never warrant a newsagent mag. Reload Magazine is a new entry and one that, if you are a fan of first person shooters, you need to check out, not only for the in-depth articles and reviews, but also for the insight you'll get into the very healthy and active indie developer scene. I know I'll be back to support issue 2! As always with print magazines, if it's one you like, support it however you can. With the recent demise of the print versions of Wireframe and Custom PC, the emphasis falls further on the small scale publisher industry and their esoteric wares.
You can also follow the magazine on Twitter here to keep up with all of their latest news and developments, and they have a website here as well. There should be news shortly about how non-Kickstarter backers can get hold of a copy as well as info on the next issue. I am sure they'll not be quiet about that!
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