It’s official, the Arbiter is taking some time out from his fight alongside Master Chief to step into the Killer Instinct arena for Season 3.
Arbiter can be seen delivering a number of his devastating hand-to-hand maneuvers, while also wielding his Energy Sword. He also cloaks himself throughout battle, allowing him to get the drop on opponents or jump across the stage to mix up his combos.
KI will also be undergoing some major changes for Season 3, next month on Xbox One, which is when Iron Galaxy’s fighter will also make its debut on PC.
I have always enjoyed the Far Cry series with its large sandbox playground and freedom to explore that world and tackle story missions in any way the player wants. The series has recently taken players to a wondrous tropical island and the peaks of the Himalayas but now the series is going old school, very old old school as players will be taken back to 10,000 BCE to a time of cave paintings, fierce wildlife and fighting to survive a harsh land. It is time to take Far Cry…Primal!
Far Cry Primal puts the player in the role of Takkar, a member of the Wenja people and hunter. It opens with Takkar being taken on his first Hunt for Mammoths when the hunting party is attacked by a vicious sabre tooth tiger. The leader of the hunting party, Dalso, is gravely wounded and gives Takkar a final command with his dying words. That command is for Takkar to go to the land of Oros and find his Wenja cousins.
This really forms the main drive of the game, to find and gather the scattered Wenja people in Oros and to bring them together. Takkar will meet characters who will team him the skills needed to survive Oros. Each of them will their own quest line of missions to follow which teach Takkar how to craft new weapons, how to Hunt and how to craft tools and weapons using the resources of the land. In true Far Cry fashion, how and when you undertake these missions will be free for the player to decide.
After setting up a cave as your home in Oros the player will have the opportunity to grow it into a homestead for the Wenja people as you gather them during the game. Each Wenja you save will be joined to the population and will increase the amount of resources the tribe will gather for you. The main characters you meet will want their own hut to call home, building them will open new skill tree upgrades and new missions to go on. By upgrading the huts the homestead increases and more Wenja will come to call it home.
The greatest skill Takkar will learn will be the ‘Beast Master’ skill from Tensay the Shaman. This skill will allow the player to actually tame the wild beasts of Oros who will then become your companion. It is an ability that can be upgraded to learn to tame more ferocious animals. Each beast companion has an ability to aid Takkar from helping to hunt or more powerful attacks in a fight. Going into battle with a companion can be exhilarating as you send your breast into attack or having them defend you out in the wild. As you tame more animals they will become available to summon at any time and because they can aid in different ways, which one the player chooses becomes an extra strategy to use. I came to rely on mine quite often which made it heart breaking if one fell during battle and if you fail to reach them to revive them, they can die and you will need to tame another to call on.
The first of the beast master skills you learn is that of the Owl, a giant bird who pretty much serves as your own personal spy drone. Summoned by pressing up the D pad, the player will take control of it and gain a bird’s eye view of the immediate area, helping to track wildlife and enemies and scout outposts to help form a plan of attack. The Owl skin can be upgraded to increase its ability to tag enemies and even attack. Due to the setting of the world removing the modern vehicles and weapon arsenal Far Cry titles usually have, Beast Master helps to even the odds and for me the most fun element of Primal, especially when you learn to ride the larger beasts.
This element will come in handy often as not only will you encounter dangerous wildlife as you explore Oros but other less friendly tribal groups too. The most dangerous of these by far is the Udam tribe and their leader, ULL, becomes the main big bad of the story. The task will be to learn more skills and upgrade weapons and abilities to take on the Udam and ULL who will be no push over.
All the aspects of Far Cry that I enjoy the most have been highlighted and heightened in Primal. The freedom to explore the huge land of Oros and the same freedom to take missions when you choose are great gameplay mechanics. I found that by taking away the modern setting strips back the often ‘too easy’ approach to tackling situations. I am a big fan of using the bow and when you go on the Hunt, using your hunter instinct to track animals can be immensely satisfying. The different regions of Oros have differing environments and the variation in materials available in each one will encourage more exploration to find much-needed resources for upgrading and crafting.
Oros has a day and night cycle which sees the wildlife become even more aggressive at night with packs of wolves on the prowl. Such detail has been put into the wildlife that if you stop to observe them you will appreciate the animation of their behaviour. Whether it be predators or normal wildlife, they all help to make the world feel alive and vibrant and it is a beautiful one to be in. The missions are varied enough to always be interesting with some particular nice surprises which will certainly raise a laugh and a smile at times. Primal filled to the brim that on my review playthrough of just shy of twenty hours I had completed all the main story missions but still had a tonne of things left to complete.
Far Cry Primal takes the story back to basics in many ways but it keeps almost everything that makes a Far Cry game so much fun to play. With no Co-op or competitive multiplayer, Primal focuses on delivering a full and solid single player experience that not only celebrates the best of the Far Cry series but the freedom to be in a World setting so far away from the modern-day is just so refreshing amongst other titles right now. Primal provides a fantastic gaming experience which cleverly takes the player to a simpler time yet offered great gameplay.
To celebrate the release of All Roads Lead to Rome on, we’re giving away three copies.
Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City, I Don’t Know How She Does It) makes a much-anticipated return to romantic comedy after a five year break as Maggie, a stressed, uptight single mother and college writing teacher from New York City. In a last-ditch effort to reconnect with her troubled teen daughter Summer (Rosie Day – TV’s Outlander, Misfits), she books them a holiday to a Tuscan village which holds fond memories of her youth. However, the chance for some much-needed mother-daughter bonding hits a road bump almost immediately, as they run into Maggie’s handsome former lover Luca (Raoul Bova– Sorry, If I Love You, The Tourist) – still a bachelor and living with his eighty-year old mother (Claudia Cardinale – Once Upon a Time in the West, The Leopard).
With Luca and Maggie attempting to navigate the ghosts of relationships past, Summer, who is missing her wayward boyfriend in NYC, and Carmen, secretly planning a wedding against her son’s wishes, find a common ground. Impulsively stealing Luca’s car to race to Rome, the pair are quickly pursued by Maggie and Luca – forcing the mismatched pair to spend some ‘quality time’ together, confront exactly what drove them apart the first time, and come to a new understanding…
How to enter to win
We have three copies of All Roads Lead to Rome to give away on DVD.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is enter below:
The contest ends at 12.00AM on Tuesday 8th March 2016.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME – arriving on digital platforms from the 8th February, 2016 and on DVD from the 29th February, 2016 courtesy of Signature Entertainment.
To celebrate the release of Dark Places on DVD and Blu-ray, we’re giving away three copies on Blu-ray.
Libby Day (Theron) was only eight years old when her family was brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse. Almost thirty years later, she agrees to revisit the crime and uncovers the wrenching truths that led up to that tragic night, but what happens when you try to find light in dark places?
DARK PLACES features an all-star leading Hollywood cast including; Charlize Theron (Prometheus, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Mad Max: Fury Road) as Libby Day, the protagonist; Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies, X-Men: Dys of Future Past,Kill Your Friends) is Lyle Wirth, the leader of the Kill Club, a club fascinated with true crime; Christina Hendricks (Drive, I Don’t Know How She Does It, Mad Men) is Patty Day, Libby’s mother; Corey Stoll (House of Cards, The Good Lie,Homeland, Ant-Man) as Libby’s brother, Ben Day, and Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, Hugo, Dark Shadows, Carrie) plays a young Diondra Wertzner, Ben Day’s secret girlfriend.
How to enter to win
We have three copies of Dark Places to give away on Blu-ray.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is enter below:
To celebrate the release of the terrifying Paranormal Activity The Ghost Dimension, available to own on Blu-ray and DVD on 29th February 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, we’re giving 2 lucky winners the chance to bring home a Blu-ray!
From Blumhouse Productions (Ouija, The Purge and Insidious) and directed by Gregory Plotkin(The Fracture and He’s Just Not That Into You) Paranormal Activity The Ghost Dimension follows a new family, The Fleeges, who discover a video camera and a box of old VHS tapes in their garage which they have not seen before. When the family start to use this mysterious camera paranormal activity begins to take over their home, in particular targeting their young daughter, Leila.
Paranormal Activity The Ghost Dimension explores the family’s realisation that an evil spirit with a sinister plan is controlling their home and their desperation to protect their daughter.
How to enter to win
We have two copies of Paranormal Activity The Ghost Dimension to give away on Blu-ray.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is enter below:
There is something about the horror game genre that makes it standout more than any other medium horror features in. Whilst a book may encourage the readers imagination to create imagery or a film telling a gruesome tale on the big or small screen, it is the interactivity of a video game that perhaps really brings the genre to life. But the classic jump scare tactic is growing tiresome as a gameplay style so new titles must push every limit to deliver the best and most frightening experience possible. The latest title from developer Blooper team has gone full tilt with their latest title Layers of fear, first available as early access on STEAM but now released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Can it offer something different and memorable to the genre?
The player takes the role of a painter, returning to his mansion on a stormy night with one task, to complete a painting that is incomplete. A short audio message to the artist plays ending with just two words ‘Finish it’. What happens next is perhaps one of the most mind twisting games in the genre Iv yet to play. It is not a genre I find appealing usually as I find the over use of jump scares to be a very tired gaming vehicle but Layers of Fear uses far more intelligent ways to take the player on a very mind tripping story.
From the moment you enter the house you can already see how the world of Layers of Fear is going to be. The Victorian mansion is beautifully drawn and built and you move around it in first person view. You can open doors and drawers using the right trigger and analogue stick to pull them open. Just this little detail pulls the player more into its world as you are opening the doors instead of it simply being an automatic reaction to pressing a button. As you explore the house you will discover notes and clues about who this painter is and how he came to be in this situation. These clues help to paint a picture (sorry) of a formerly successful and highly respected artist who has lost his way and began a fall into alcoholism. There are more but I will spare any further spoilers, but it is worth having a good look around drawers, desks and tables for such clues.
Discovering the unfinished painting is the moment the game kicks it up a gear. Layers of Fear main focus is to try and disorientate, confuse and ultimately make the player feel uneasy about venturing into every room in the house. In this regard not felt very similar to the now infamous P.T. demo on PlayStation 4. I will admit that I entered Layers of Fear expecting a similar experience but how the developers have taken it to a new level is very clever indeed. The house will literally change around you and in front of your eyes. You can enter a room, turn around and find the door has vanished. You can walk down a corridor to a room, find that the door is locked and turn around only to find a different looking corridor. This leads to the player never really knowing where they are at times and generates a real sense of uneasiness about opening a door.
It also means that rooms can also change depending on how the player moves the camera, messages can appear on walls where previously it was merely a blank space. Due to the character being a painter, the walls of the corridors and rooms can be adorned with many beautiful paintings, which even at a distance can look intricately recreated for the game. Get too close and the paintings may start to melt right in front of you or overtime become distorted from their original look and now looking twisted and sinister. All of this depicts the idea that the painter is beginning to lose his mind and as the madness takes over the way in which the game intensifies the mind games steps up a gear.
The music and sound effects are also key in Layers of Fear and used really well. The music is very atmospheric and the sound effects all blend together with the visuals to help mess with the player. This is extremely impactful when wearing a headset and later stages in the game can be freaky enough on their own to make the player feel uncomfortable.
With a short gameplay time of under five hours, it felt as though it was really meant to be one of those game experiences that you talk about with friends rather than a game you keep returning to. It is by no means an on the rails title but it will guide you in the right direction when needed to keep the flow of the gameplay going. After a while you do end up waiting for the audio cues to point out what direction or door to go through and what chest you need to look inside. The game does have puzzles but these are never really there to stomp the player but merely to provide something to do as there are no combat elements to count on. Once the player begins to know what to wait forming terms of direction cues it dampens the effectiveness of the techniques used till now but the sense of the mental state of the painter getting worse never leaves and entering a room still held enough intimidation to use caution.
Sadly though the experience is tainted by terrible framerates right from the very moment you take control in the game, making moving feel very sluggish and slow. I was forced to turn off the head bobbing option to try and improve it. I also found some of the tactics used to scare felt very cliché at times which took away from the shape shifting environments. Using creepy dolls is a tired gimmick in horror games, and yes they can be effective, their placing at times just felt over used.
Not being a big fan of the genre, I was pleasantly surprised by what Layers of Fears delivered here. Though I felt it was purely a play through once for the experience game, I could see how effective the techniques used to mess with the player’s mind would be to fans of horror games. It has a dark and at times uncomfortable themes to the story but it at least dares to do something fresh with game mechanics used so often by so many.
If the framerate issue can be resolved it will be a much smoother experience but for me, it has certainly put me off going on any painting courses for some time!
The three Android smartphones Xperia X, Xperia XA and Xperia X Performance have 5-inch displays and see how the predecessor of the Z5 series from.A “predictive autofocus” to focus on faster moving objects.
Sony has presented in Barcelona three new smartphones from high-end to mid-range: The Xperia X, the Xperia XA and the Xperia X Performance differ mainly in equipment but not in size: all have 5-inch displays and almost identical case dimensions.
While the Xperia X Z series inherits the Xperia XA is a weakly-equipped middle class smartphone.The most expensive and most powerful of the three, which X Performance, comes the time being not to Germany.All three run on Android 6.0 marshmallow.
Sony Xperia X
The Xperia X should follow the presented year only six months ago Xperia Z5, but stands of visually and technically barely starting.The case looks almost identical, the display is 5 inches minimally smaller (Xperia Z5: 5.2 inches).It has the same resolution (1920 × 1080) and the same colour space, which is well above the usual sRGB, and there should be very bright (700 cd / m²).As the Z5 series has the Xperia X a narrow fingerprint sensor, which is integrated in the on / off switch at the edge.
The camera takes still photos with a maximum of 23 megapixels, but to have been technically improved.Especially Sony emphasizes the autofocus, the calculated movement of objects, where he focuses.Sony calls the “predictive focus”, it should automatically adjust even in continuous shooting and better sharpen.The front-side camera, Sony has also improved: now takes pictures with 13 megapixels and has a 22-mm wide-angle focus.
The built-in flash memory of 32 GB can be expanded via MicroSD, incorporated are 3 GB RAM and a non-replaceable 2620 mAh battery, which in my Quick Charge according to Sony takes only 10 minutes to load for 5.5 hours of run time.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 is more attributable to the middle class and not as efficient as the Snapdragon 820 in LG G5.The 156-gram Xperia X will be available for 600 euros in Germany since the end of May, in the colours black, white, rosé gold and an unusual “Lime Gold”.
Also, the Xperia XA is coming into these four colours to Germany in May, but it costs only 300 euros.It has a very narrow frame on the left and right of the display.At the edges of the glass pane is slightly rounded front display, the display itself is not bent.
The equipment is worse than the Xperia X: It has a 13 megapixel camera on the back and a wide-angle camera with 8 megapixels front.The forecasts focus of Xperia X is absent.Of the 16 GB internal memory are only 10 available, they can be expanded via microSD.The battery has 2300mAh.
The Mediatek processor Helio P10 also positioned rather in the middle class, peak performance is therefore out of the XA rather not tease.Also at 5-inch display Sony has saved: It shows only a maximum of 1080 × 720 instead of Full-HD and only the sRGB colour space.
It is just under 9 mm thicker than the other two smartphones, has the new Qualcomm Snapdragon built 820 and has the same Full HD display as the Xperia X – the 4K display of Z5 premium Sony has thus renounced again after all the criticism ,Even otherwise, many specifications are identical to the Xperia X: It also has the 23-megapixel camera with the new autofocus and is offered with 32 GB of memory.The battery is 2700 mAh, although larger than the the X (2620 mAh) and XA (2300 mAh), but smaller than the the Xperia Z5.
Xperia X, Xperia X Performance and Xperia XA each have a range of matching Style Covers and will roll out in four elegant finishes; White, Graphite Black, Lime Gold and Rose Gold, from Summer 2016.
Today Samsung has announced its flagship Galaxy S7 smartphone at its Galaxy Unpacked 2016 event in Barcelona.
With a 5.1-inch Quad HD (2560×1440 pixels) 577 PPI Super AMOLED display, similar to the S6, but this has always-on feature. It is powered by a Quad-Core Snapdragon 820 or Exynos 8 Octa 8890 processor depending on the market, runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), has a 12-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, OIS and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
The Dual pixel rear camera promises brighter and sharper images, even in low light.
The Galaxy S7 3D glass and metal design and IP68 ratings water and dust resistance. It also has internal cooling system that keeps the device from overheating. It has hybrid dual SIM support that lets you use the second slot as a micro SD expansion slot when required.
Samsung Galaxy S7 specifications
5.1-inch Quad HD (2560×1440 pixels) 577 PPI Super AMOLED always-on, pressure sensitive display
The Samsung Galaxy S7 comes in Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, White Pearl and Silver Titanium colours and will be available starting 11th March, 2016. Samsung is offering a free Gear VR headset with the pre-orders in select countries.
Also at the event Samsung announced the Galaxy S7 edge smartphone. It has a 5.5-inch Quad HD (2560×1440 pixels) 535 PPI Super AMOLED always-on display, is powered by a Quad-Core Snapdragon 820 or Exynos 8 Octa 8890 processor depending on the market, runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), has a 12-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, OIS and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The Dual pixel rear camera promises brighter and sharper images, even in low light.
has 3D glass and metal design and IP68 ratings water and dust resistance. It also has internal cooling system that keeps the device from overheating. It has hybrid dual SIM support that lets you use the second slot as a expansion slot when required.
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge specifications
5.5-inch Quad HD (2560×1440 pixels) 534 PPI Super AMOLED always-on curved edge display
Huawei just announced MateBook, it’s latest 2-in-1 running Windows 10. It has a 12-inch (2160×1440 pixels) IPS display with screen-to-body ratio of 84%, is powered by 6th Gen Intel Core M processor, has 4GB or 8GB of RAM, 128/256/512GB SSD, 5-megapixel front-facing camera and also has a fingerprint sensor that supports 360-degree sensitive identification. It offers the fastest fingerprint recognition in the industry.
It also comes with MatePen stylus pen that offers 2,048 levels of sensitivity for capturing users’ subtle and diverse pen-tip actions with zero delay. It also supports graphics and mathematic functions, and can be used as a laser pointer for delivering presentations.
It has a separate keyboard case that is environmentally friendly, soft PU leather, features a 1.5mm keystroke and a chiclet keycap design. It has built-in touchpad with multi-touch technology. It weighs 640 grams, comes with dual microphones and dual speakers. The 4430mAh battery promises up to 9 hours of work, 9 consecutive hours of Internet use and 29 hours of music playback. It can charge up to 60% battery strength in just one hour and charge fully in two-and-a-half hours.
Huawei MateBook specifications
•12-inch (2160×1440 pixels) IPS display
•up to 3.1GHz Dual Core 6th Gen. Intel Core M processor
•4GB / 8GB RAM, 128GB / 256 / 512GB SSD
•Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro
•5MP Front-facing camera
•Dimensions: 278.8×194.1×6.9mm; Weight: 640g
•Sensors: Ambient light sensor, fingerprint, accelerometer, gyroscope, Hall effect sensor
•Dual microphones, dual speakers
•Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 3.0 Type-C
•4430mAh battery
The LG G5 has a 5.3-inch display, a little smaller than the LG G4 which was a 5.5 inches, but at the same 2560×1440 resolution, and uses the same IPS Quantum technology. For its latest smartphone, LG has adapted the dual display technology of the V10 into an “Always-On” display, allowing a portion of the screen to be lit-up to show the time and notification icons even when the device is asleep the LG G5’s always on display only drains 0.8% per hour.
LG Cam Plus (camera grip with 1100 mAh)
LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play
Dimensions
149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm
Weight
159 grams
Networks
LTE/3G/2G
Connectivity
Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
USB Type C, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2
Colours
Silver/Titan/Gold/Pink
LG G5 includes Quick Charge 3.0 support, this will allow you to charge from 0% to 80% in just 35 minutes. LG has also made the move over to USB Type-C now and touts a rear-mounted speaker.
LG has included a few special hardware features this time around. First, there’s a circular fingerprint scanner on the rear, similar to the sensor found on the LG V10.
LG Cam Plus – The LG CAM Plus is a versatile camera module that can be attached through the battery slot to deliver a comfortable grip and convenient control of a standalone camera. The LG CAM Plus provides physical buttons for power, shutter, record, zoom, LED indicator and comfortable grip.
It also offers intuitive auto focus and exposure lock, features usually found on standalone digital cameras. When attached to the LG G5, it provides an additional battery capacity of 1,200mAh to allow for longer shooting times for more fun and enjoyment.
LG 360 CAM – is a compact 360-degree angle camera equipped with two 13MP 200-degree wide angle cameras, 1,200mAh battery and 4GB internal memory, which can be supplemented by a microSD card. The LG 360 CAM can be easily connected to the LG G5 allowing users to create 360-degree content. The LG 360 CAM provides 2K video and 5.1 surround channel recording on three microphones to help users effortlessly create high-quality 360-degree contents. Thanks to the partnership with Google, images taken with the 360 CAM can be uploaded to Google Street View and YouTube360, adding the fun of sharing creative contents with others. The images will also be available to view on the LG 360 VR or other smartphones or devices that are capable of 360-degree content.
The LG Hi-Fi Plus – with B&O PLAY is an innovative portable Hi-Fi DAC audio player developed in collaboration with B&O PLAY to meet the needs of those who seek to enjoy top-notch sounds that have traditionally only been available through high-end audio devices. LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY stands out for its simple yet elegant Scandinavian design as well as premium sound technology.
In addition to the 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC upsampling technology first introduced on the LG V10, LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY also supports 32-bit 384KHz high-definition audio playback. LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY can be used either as a module with the LG G5 or as a separate Hi-Fi DAC by connecting to any smartphone or PC.
The LG G5 comes in Silver, Titan (Grey), Gold and Pink.
LG says it will announce pricing information in the last week of March, with a release sometime in early April, no pricing just yet from LG.
With the latest release of Capcom’s biggest fighting game of all time imminent, Numskull fights back with two brand new lines of gaming gear. Whether you’re an old school arcade gamer with Street Fighter II, or at the forefront with Street Fighter V, now Numskull brings the perfect combo of Street Fighter merchandise.
The Street Fighter range includes everything from t-shirts to key rings, hoodies to jackets, and everything in between.
Today Alcatel has announced two new phones, the Idol 4 (€279), and the bigger and more powerful Idol 4S (€449) that offers solid specs for a decent price and an unexpected feature or two to spice up the package.
The Idol 4 is a 5.2-inch smartphone with a full HD screen, an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, with a 13-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel selfie cam, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of memory and a 2,610mAh battery.
The Idol 4S has a 5.5-inch screen with 2K resolution, with an octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor, a 16-megapixel rear camera (coupled with an 8-megapixel selfie cam on the front), 3GB of RAM, 32GB of memory and a 3,000mAh battery.
Both phones have a metal frame and just like their predecessor, the Idol 3 work when turned upside down thanks to dual speakers and microphones, one on each side.
Also Alcatel has added a special “boom” button to the side of both phones. With this button does different things depending on the context, When the phone is asleep, press it to take photos instantly, and hold it to take burst photos.
If you’re watching a photo gallery, the button will let you share a photo collage or a slideshow, and if you’re listening to music, the button “optimizes” the sound by changing the bass and loudness settings.
Both phones will be available in four colours gold, rose gold, dark grey and metal silver ships this April.
Ubisoft released a short documentary video exploring the recreation of the Stone Age that players will experience in Far Cry Primal.
What does it take to create a game set 10 000 years ago?
The creation of a brand new language, Wenja, based on the Proto-Indo-European language, was an essential part of the process to achieve the level of realism and authenticity the team wanted for the game.
Making a Far Cry game set during the Stone Age was a bold task for Ubisoft Montreal, and it was through the combined effort of the directors, animators, programmers, but also experts such as historians, anthropologists and linguistics, and even movement coaches, that allowed Ubisoft Montreal to give life to the Stone Age.
Far Cry Primal is available to own on 23rd February on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and will be available on Windows PC on 1st March.
Spiritual successors aside, it’s been a long wait for a named sequel to 1988’s Wasteland; yet thanks to a fruitful, crowd funded, endeavour on Kickstarter, Wasteland 2 became a reality in 2014. The ‘Director’s Cut’, released around a year later, has been let loose on consoles in what might be quite the culture shock for modern gamers.
For those who’ve not experienced the old school style of Wasteland in the past, calling it a turn based, virtually isometric, party orientated RPG, might seem a tad daunting. And it is. Straight from the off, you’ll quickly learn how extensive, intricate and deep every aspect of Wasteland 2 can be. Whereas in a typical RPG, you’d be able to create your character in minutes, haphazardly putting points in whatever skills you fancy, in the knowledge that it’ll probably be ‘alright’. That’s not the case here, with four characters to create and with hardly a plethora of points to work with, it’d be wise to specialise each one with a few talents.
One of the first fights (and eye-openers) you’ll have
Upon eventually working your way through the intimidating and seemingly endless process of assigning stats and skills, you’ll be thrust out into Wasteland’s inhospitable surroundings. You’ll be introduced, not necessarily gently, into the world of map navigation, grid based combat and resource management. Even within an hour or two, you might still be a little unclear as to some of the basics. Make no mistake, Wasteland 2 can be quite difficult during the early stages and the sheer overwhelming amount of things to keep track of can sometimes exasperate matters.
The transition from cautiously inspecting each and everything you come across, into combat is seamless. Upon spotting an enemy, things slow to a halt and the game enters into its most unforgiving form, an X-COM style, turn based combat affair. On top of the usual worries such as strategic soldier placements and nefarious hit chances, you’ll be dealing with ammo conservation worries and also remembering who wields what weapon. Inevitably at the start you might well forget which of your motley crew brandishes a shotgun, and who possess a sniper. Needless to say, this can be an issue. Of course, you can always have more than one of your squad member’s proficient in a number of weapons, yet problems arise when you start doling out the quickly exhaustible supply of ammo to everyone.
Navigating the world map is also far from easy too, on top of being able to explore and discover new hidden areas, it will replenish your party’s health; often becoming a necessity during the early stages. The gamble being that, the further you stray from your relative safety, the greater the risk of encountering higher level enemies. The entire game seems to focus on a risk/reward system; this is nowhere more prevalent than out here.
Locations can look intriguingly ominous
Aside from the combat, there’s a wealth of depth to the narrative side too, with so many choices to make, decisions can be difficult and are often rarely black and white. Seemingly performing the ‘right’ and ‘just’ action on the surface can often lead you astray as more information is unveiled. Whilst you might’ve thought you’d been acting in peoples best interests, occasionally you’ll be condemning them to a much more severe fate. This doesn’t just end at the major mission choices either, acting in certain ways via the dialogue selections in order to get through a difficult scenario will invariably result in locking you out of something else.
There’s no more of a throwback to a game of this style and standard than its relentless difficulty at times. On top of the several hours it takes to simply become comfortable with its basics, early unknown character creation mishaps will soon rear their heads. I found it better to abandon my initial playthrough of a few hours and start again from scratch. The importance of certain skills can literally change the way you play the game and their significance can’t be ignored. Some aspects of the character creation only start to realise their potential after a few hours and (understandably) missing out on them the first time through is all too easy.
This looks like a brave choice…
Due to the game’s inherent style, the look and feel of Wasteland 2 is to be expected. The shift to consoles, and more notably, the controller from a mouse and keyboard, can’t have been stress-free, and at times, especially during the early stages, it’s noticeable. The copious amount of menu and chart navigations unfortunately don’t feel at home; because of this, what should be a simple task can feel arduous.
Despite Wasteland possessing all the hallmarks of an old-school game, its audio and visuals been spruced up to keep in line with modern titles. Character models might not hold up too well under close scrutiny, but the environments repeatedly look appropriately foreboding and often spectacular. The artwork and designs show themselves off throughout and the contrasts between areas always keep it looking fresh. The amount of dialogue that’s present deserves a mention on its own, and the audio’s general ambiance partners well with the game’s theme.
As a whole, you’ll likely know what to expect with Wasteland 2, it’s an unforgiving, old school game that demands meticulous patience, planning and devotion throughout. There are a few niggles such as the controller feeling a little out of its depth and the myriad of menus it has to contend with, but overall it’s a fantastic time sink if you can get past the notorious learning curve. Certainly not for everyone, but for those who crave it, nothing much can come close.
