Preview: ARK Survival Evolved Xbox One

Gaming
News

Sean McCarthy

-

Dec 30, 2015

*This is not a review but a preview of the current version available on Xbox One. The preview build is still seven months from final release*

ARK Survival Evolved launch in the Xbox One Preview programme just before Christmas. It’s a game I have been aware of on PC for a while and have watched a few people streaming their adventures via Twitch and have to be honest, as a gamer who has never been caught up in the whole Minecraft genre of gaming, ARK had my attention. How it would port to a console however, is a different challenge…

Starting off you have to create a survivor to use in the game. Whilst it is rather basic in that you can really only change body part sizes and gender before naming your creation. Once complete you choose a server to join and the adventure begins. I have to admit, the very first moments of finally getting onto the ARK gameworld will forever stay with me as your survivor slowly wakes up, and as your eyes adjust see a huge great Dinosaur walking passed you. Was all very Jurassic Park!

In the world you literally begin with nothing but an empty inventory and the most basic of gathering skills to start, because you are fighting for your survival from the off. You will need food to eat, materials to forge tools and weapons, clothes and a place to live. You can gather berries from plants, materials to build with from trees so a good amount of time is spent doing this and exploring the world as you do so. As you work you will earn XP and for every level you reach you will earn Engrams Points to spend on new items that you will learn to craft such as better tools, weapons, structures and clothing and all will require certain materials which you will already have started collecting through your gathering.

I was surprised by just how big this game feels even when doing nothing more than just scavaging for food and materials. The scope and potential for ARK is staggering. The more I learned to build as my Survivor levelled up allowed me to cloth my survivor, build a hut with a campfire to shelter from the weather and to cook food. I really enjoyed this aspect to ARK, the patience to learn whilst working means ARK requires real dedication before unlocking all the fun bits it offers.

Those fun bits come in the form of learning how to tame the dinosaurs so they become companions who will Hunt, gather and fight for you. You can even learn to ride dinosaurs. Tribes can be formed where survivors can work together to survive the dangers of the ARK and potential threats from rival Tribes. These are tremendously enticing elements which have proven to became big part of the game’s success on PC. My own attempt to tame a Triceratops took four attempts and about three hours before I was successful. Taming involves knocking a dinosaur out and whilst keeping it unconscious you must also keep it fed whilst the taming meter grows. Believe me, not as simple as it sounds which leads me to my niggles with this preview currently.

Bearing in mind that ARK is very much in preview with a full seven months before release, my time with it has not been smooth sailing. The game runs on servers which you can join but Iv found it increasingly difficult to join at times and when I have found one, it has been on a tougher difficulty that meant my survivor became dino dinner in no time at all. Thankfully you can host your own server, which is where I spent most of my preview time, which can be password protected to make it private. Joining Public Servers proved frustrating, made more so by the encounters with other players where some would be nice to entice you to join their tribe whilst others would just straight up attack you to take all your inventory meaning you had to restart again.

This current version of the game suffers from framerate drops to actual stuttering even when nothing is happening that would cause it. Exploring a location can show the draw distance of the game engine loading the environment around you is very slow at times and the overall visual look is less than wow really. But when you come close to a dinosaur, the level of detail is staggering from the skin detail to the animation of the eyes, which only hurt all the more when the Triceratops I managed to take after three hours and multiple attempts simply vanished from my game world without a reason. He simply disappeared right in front of me. Poor Digglesaur!

ARK Survival Evolved is a game that has huge potential for Gamers who like an intricate survival based game experience. In the months leading to full release it has a lot to tidy up to get it ready and the niggles I have can all be addressed. I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this preview and will certainly continue to follow it until its release in 2016. I feel it would benefit players to have a better starting tutorial perhaps, to lead a new player into the basics before leaving them to a pure hands off experience.

I am very much looking forward to watching how ARK evolves before full release!

Lake Bell – from a funny supporter to a leader with the last laugh

Andrew Edney

-

Dec 29, 2015

0

Lake Bell – from a funny supporter to a leader with the last laugh

NO ESCAPE is the intense, action-packed thriller where an American business man and his family suddenly find themselves in the middle of a violent political uprising, frantically looking for a safe escape.

Lake Bell is best known for her roles in films such as What Happens in Vegas and No Strings Attached that show her as a comedic supporting character. In No Escape, however, Bell proves herself as a powerful leading lady as Annie Dwyer. We take a look at Lake Bell’s meteoric rise alongside other women in Hollywood who have shared a similar career path and have gone from the funny supporter to the leader with the last laugh.
NO ESCAPE is available to download on Digital HD on the 28^th December 2015 and on Blu-ray and DVD from 11^th January 2016, courtesy of Entertainment One.

Lake Bell

Lake Bell began her career with a role in the film, Speakeasy, in 2002. After her step into Hollywood she began making appearances in several TV dramas and sitcoms where she predominately made appearances as supporting characters in comedy including; No Strings Attached, What Happens in Vegas and hit TV series, New Girl. More recently, Bell has taken a turn from her funny girl status in supporting roles into being cast as the lead female star in the action packed film, No Escape. Bell plays Annie Dwyer, a mother trapped with her family in Southeast Asia during an uprising and will go to any length to keep her family safe.

Amy Poehler

Saturday Night Live superstar, Amy Poehler first pursued her comedy career by moving to Chicago in 1993 to learn improvisation at The Second City and The ImprovOlympic. In 1996 she moved to New York City to further pursue her improvisational goals, which turned out to be the turning point in her career after she joined New York based Saturday Night Live in 2001. She stayed on until 2008, during which she became a co-anchor for SNL’s Weekend Update alongside Tina Fey in 2004. When Fey co-wrote the smash hit chick flick, Mean Girls, she propelled Poehler to stardom by casting her as the lead character’s crazy mother in 2004. From 2009-2015 Poehler starred as Leslie Knope in the sitcom, Parks and Recreation, which lead to her receiving a Golden Globe Award© for Best Actress in a Television Musical or Comedy in 2014. In her latest comedy flick, Sister, we finally see Poehler in a well deserved lead role.

Kristen Wiig

Kristen Wiig first made a name for herself and quickly gained recognition as a comedian and actress through her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2005-2012. She has subsequently received supporting roles in films such as, Knocked Up, Adventureland, Whip it, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Paul. In 2011, Wiig made a breakthrough by gaining the lead in the hugely popular film, Bridesmaids; she received seven Emmy Award© nominations and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award© for Best Actress in a Comedy or Music for this role too.

Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy started her career as Sookie St. James on the television series Gilmore Girls and has since starred in other American TV sitcoms, including Samantha Who? and Mike & Molly, the latter earning her a Primetime Emmy Award© for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. McCarthy hit the big screen in 2011 in the comedy film Bridesmaids alongside Kristen Wiig. This catapulted McCarthy to leading woman status, with subsequent leads in; The Heat, Identity Thief, Tammy, St. Vincent and Life As We Know It. In 2015, she created and starred in her own film, Spy, and also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston’s first claim to fame was in 1994 as Rachel Green in the mega-successful sitcom, Friends. This catapulted her success internationally, and she has since played a number of leading roles in romantic comedy films, including: The Break Up, Along Came Polly, We’re The Millers, Bruce Almighty and Horrible Bosses. In 2012, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood. Her most recent leading role shocked her fans as she took a step back from the romantic comedies and played a mourning woman suffering with chronic pain following a car accident in Cake.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis found her big break in That ‘70s Show starring alongside Ashton Kutcher from 1998 to 2006. She became very popular within the romantic comedy genre and landed supporting roles in flicks including Get Over It and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. In 2010, Kunis played the supporting female role in the smash hit, Black Swan and was nominated for a Golden Globe© for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. She’s since been propelled into stardom and further lead roles such as in Friends With Benefits in 2011 and the hugely popular Ted in 2012.

NO ESCAPE is out on Digital DOWNLOAD on the 28^TH DECEMBER 2015 and ON Blu-ray and DVD from 11^TH JANUARY 2016, courtesy of Entertainment One

MMO Free Strategy games by Plarium

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

-

Dec 28, 2015

5

Recently Plarium has launched a new MMO strategy game which can be played for free online, with this addition their browser games catalogue has grown both in deapth and variety, the new game is Nords: Heroes of the North.

In the game different species from the fantasy world such as Orcs, Elves and Dragons unite to fight against the Ice Queen and her army. This strategy game is full of fun and requires some thinking and ability as well.

Other games in the Plarium catalogue that stand out from the lot are of course the biggest and most successull free MMO games online: Stormfall: Age of war and Sparta: War of Empires, both are well known and gamers around the world play it with enthusiasm and interest.

Plarium – created in 2009 has taken the lead in the gaming world with their diversity and immagination which they put into their MMO games, the company is still growing all the time with new ideas but also with updates and events that allow them to maintain relevance in all their games. In fact Plarium updates constantly all their games this is the reason why there are no forgotten older title, items remain relevant all the time. This is one of the reasons behind Plarium success, there is never any real stagnation in a game, and you can get your game into an old title or a brand new one and it will be the same.

Plarium browser games are strategy player vs player enabled games full of action, which allows gamers to create games where they can combine the building and army development options which are always very appreciated with a compelling story and PvP so that the gaming experience is richer and more challenging.

Games such as Total Domination and Soldiers Inc. embed these characteristics such as fully voiced characters, high quality graphics and intricate gameplay. The new styling together with MMO strategy and PvP have worked well thus giving to millions of players all over the world some amazing games to play either directly on the browser or in Facebook.

Plarium online gaming has produced this formula and improved in their next games, with more complex cities to develop, more military units to control and better graphics which all together are a big attraction to many players. These games look good thanks to their hd graphics, they also provide gaming fun experience.

The PvP aspect allows to each player to form into a guild, create trading or political alliances or just go for an all out war. Every move requires preparation and strategy, between attacking in order to conquer more assets and protecting those already acquired, this requires skills, ability and a lot of thinking.

The browser-catalogue is formed by a wide range of creative games, each day millions of players all over the world log to participate in virtual battles occuring in different worlds some belong to the past others in the future or in a virtual fantasy land like Pirates: Tides of Fortune.

Taking the latest technology together with simple but very creative ideas, these ingredients have created some of the worlds biggest MMO Strategy Games which include animation of 3D battles, and new features that combine GDR with tactical MMORPG and MMORTS.

Click here to play Plarium browser games

Review: StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void

phillvine

-

Dec 25, 2015

1

I think by this point it’s fair to say that StarCraft has a devout following. It was definitely there in a time when online multiplayer was finding its feet. In particular as far as strategy gaming goes StarCraft really made a difference and stood out from the competition. Personally I’m more of a MOBA person when it comes to competitive multiplayer but there’s no denying StarCraft’s place among the greats that helped shape a genre.

For those in the know the events of the latest, and final, expansion for StarCraft II take on some of the most important plot elements in the StarCraft universe. It’s a grand plot that wastes no time telling the largest scale, highest stakes story so far. A vast majority of the story is creatively told through gameplay rather than a few cut scenes injected between every second mission or so. That being said there are moments that fall beneath the standards fans will expect. It’s not in the gameplay or presentation but at times the writing is quite nasty.

It wouldn’t be fair to say the entirety of the writing is bad but there are definitely some low points that stand out. The voice acting is well delivered at least and the soundtrack delivers what the rest misses out. In game graphics are surprisingly good considering their age too although it’s about time there was an overhaul in my opinion as the audio far outperforms the visuals by todays standards. StarCraft doesn’t look bad but it’s definitely showing its age. The involved plot and complex lore-heavy dialogue can become a bit of a drag at times.

Far more important than the presentation of the campaign is the gameplay. And as you might expect Legacy of the Void delivers. Single player is an amazing balance of fixed unit missions and base-creation skirmish style objectives. I genuinely loved every mission and found a nice balance of challenge, strategy and fun. I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t played StarCraft as much as some other strategy games but I am a huge RTS fan. Often campaigns are dull or not as interesting as skirmish gameplay but Legacy of the Void managed to impress me and keep me entertained. Those looking forward to the next story to be told should be well served by the campaign of Legacy of the Void.

Alongside the expanded single player experience cooperative play made a striking impression with me. I admit that I’m much more of a co-op person anyway but in an RTS as good as StarCraft it was one of my favourite shared gaming moments ever. Just like the campaign there are a set of incredibly well designed missions that will have you and a friend not only working together but far more crucially feeling like you need to in order to succeed. Co-operative play is not strictly a cornerstone of strategy titles but I was always fond of a comp-stomp back in the day and it was nice to get some of that magic back.

PvP multiplayer is the same as it ever has been for the franchise. It can be soul destroying, punishing, satisfying and rewarding all in the same round. It’s fast and not for the weak or timid. It’s definitely been left the same in all the right places. Those coming back for more competitive online play shouldn’t be disappointed. StarCraft II has already made it’s point when it comes to PvP and Blizzard have carefully left the experience largely untouched from previous titles. It’s still not the game mode for me and Legacy of the Void does far more to entertain me away from PvP than it does to make PvP an appealing and accessible experience. Legacy of the Void finds the best balance realistically and tries to evolve gameplay if possible but there is definite respect shown to the hardcore PvP players.

Some of this valiant determination to stick with what the game has already achieved spills over into some areas that could do with some updating by now. New units are a perfect example with most offering very little function and none strong or significant enough to noticeably alter your army creation. I could be speaking from ignorance on this one but I’m certainly experienced when it comes to strategy and a lot of units seem largely unnecessary. There’s some cool new stuff that’s artistically well designed but it doesn’t seem significant enough, especially considering the other new features of Legacy of the Void.

For players looking for primarily AI and co-op RTS gameplay Legacy of the Void is superb. It’s easily the best fun I’ve had with StarCraft. The campaign dialogue is heavy going but well acted and the overall presentation is excellent, especially considering SCII’s age. The new units are more cool than functionally and are thus much better to enjoy in a skirmish with or without friends. Taking the new units to PvP is a pretty bad plan and doesn’t often work as well as using old army builds.

Generally speaking PvP is left untouched and there are some nice new toys and features for the rest of us to play with. Legacy of the Void definitely opens up the potential audience for SCII and appeals to me far more than it has before. It’s good to see that Blizzard haven’t just ignored everything they’ve built up in exchange for a new expansion pack but something added on top of the existing PvP to drag me in would have been nice. Luckily a host of PvE and AI features and missions, new units and some top notch presentation are more than enough to keep me happy.

Merry Christmas from Deadpool

Andrew Edney

-

Dec 25, 2015

0

Marvel have released the trailer for Deadpool.

Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, T.J. Miller and Ed Skrein

Deadpool hits cinemas February 10th.

Review: Mad Catz L.Y.N.X. 9 Controller

Andrew Edney

-

Dec 23, 2015

0

Back in January at CES, Mad Catz announced the L.Y.N.X. 9 Mobile Hybrid Controller, a radically different gamepad designed to offer uncompromised control and portability – and here is our review.

The L.Y.N.X. 9 design uniquely enables the controller to be assembled in a variety of different configurations to fit the gamers’ chosen device. Consisting of three primary components (Left Wing, Right Wing and Controller ‘Brain’), the L.Y.N.X. 9 can break apart and attach to the included tablet stand, transforming a tablet of up to seven inches into a portable games console! Configure as a standard controller and enjoy living room gaming on a compatible set-top box or PC or attach the mobile clip and dock your smart phone for console quality gaming on the go.

What’s in the box?

As usual, Mad Catz have boxed their device very well. The box contains the LYNX 9, inner handles, a phone clip, a tablet frame, a keyboard and a travel pouch.

Mad Catz have produced an unboxing video:

A Closer Look

The keyboard fits perfectly and is very easy and comfortable to use.

Using with a Phone

To use with your Android phone, you just screw on the phone clip to the drop of the LYNX.

Then you just slide your phone into the clip which holds it nice and snug.

Don’t forget to download the LYNX 9 app from the Google store.

Using with a Tablet

If you want to use your Android tablet with the LYNX you have to take it apart first. You press the button on the centre of the LYNX and pull away the left and right sections.

This will leave you with the LYNX in three separate parts.

You then take the tablet frame and you slot each of the parts into the frame as below.

This basically makes the LYNX significantly bigger and ready for use with your tablet.

Final Thoughts

The first thing you notice when you open the box is that there are a few different pieces that go along with the controller. These are used for different things, such as when you want to use the LYNX with a phone or a tablet, or if you want to use the keyboard or even add some inner handles for a better grip. You even get a carry bag to keep the LYNX clean and all the pieces together when you are not using it (with the exception of the tablet frame as its a little too big to fit in the bag).

Setting up the LYNX for either phone or tablet use is very easy and only takes a few moments.

You don’t have to use either the phone clip or the tablet frame if you don’t want to – the choice is entirely yours. Personally I found it easier to use with them rather than without them.

One of the biggest advantages to using the LYNX is that you no longer have to use on-screen controls, so you can see more of the game on the screen, and it is easier to control.

You also get a keyboard in the box and using this for various tasks, including updating Facebook is simple, it’s not just for games!

There is a free Android app that you can use to make custom adjustments to the LYNX, for example adjusting the sensitivity of the sticks. It also provides hints and tips and various videos to help you with whatever you are trying to do.

The LYNX is powered by a rechargable battery that is charged via USB with a single charge lasting around 20 hours, so that’s a lot of gameplay!

And there’s also a built-in mic that you can use to control Google voice search or to answer phone calls.

You can also use the LYNX with Windows by pairing it using Bluetooth to a Windows tablet or other device (as long as it’s a Windows 7 and above device). It’s all very quick and easy to do and you will be up and running in no time. This is also the same for connecting to Android. And all the instructions you need for pairing to a device are printed in the box.

The LYNX looks like a Transformer, and I guess that’s exactly what it is! It can transform to fit different devices and is very easy to use.

I found the LYNX to be very comfortable to use, even for extended periods of time, an in the different configurations. I didn’t need to adjust the sensitivity on the sticks, they were fine for me, but I was also happy that I had the ability to do so if I wanted, and I can bet there will be people out there who will adjust them.

So, you are probably wondering just how much this little beauty is going to set you back? Well, if you are sitting down, the cost is £249. Yes, you read that correctly, £249! It’s entirely possible that the LYNX 9 will cost you more than the tablet you are using it with. That said, this is a lovely controller, and if you are into gaming on a mobile device then the LYNX 9 is THE controller for you.

You can learn more about the LYNX 9 from the Mad Catz website.

Review: WWE2K16 ‘Legends Pack’ DLC

Sean McCarthy

-

Dec 23, 2015

1

Just in time for Christmas, WWE2K16 has released its first superstar content pack for the game. The ‘Legends Pack’ features six of the most iconic wrestlers in WWE history. Free as part of the WWE2K16 season pass or £7.39 for the pack itself, as a life long WWE fan who remembers each of the featured Superstars fondly, I was eager to see how well they have been recreated for the game:

WWE2K16 already has a tremendous amount of legendary WWE Superstars in its roster, and the ‘Legends Pack’ adds even more quality and serves as a tribute to Superstars who are sadly no longer with us such as the sad passing of both Dusty ‘The American Dream’ Rhodes and Rowdy Roddy Piper just this year.

The selection of the Superstars for this pack really makes it rather special for me as it features not only my favourite wrestler growing up in Mr Perfect, but the opportunity to pay homage to Roddy Piper and Dusty Rhodes. The pack containing two iconic women of the WWE before the division was called Divas, with the addition of Trish Stratus and arguably the greatest female champion in Lita.

Each superstar has been faithfully recreated in the ring with player models never looking as good as they do now in WWE2K16. From their famous signatures moves and finishers right down to their grapples and running attacks. The attention to detail really shows the hard work the team has put into this content. From Lita’s moonsault to Mr Perfect’s standing drop kick, as a fan it is very noticeable to see the extra touches as well. Not many may notice but just seeing Mr Perfect step forward before the Perfect Plex was a great little detail.

As well as their moves in the ring, the majority of the pack have had their entrances recreated and are a real joy to relive. Sadly and no doubt to licensing issues, not all have had their theme music used such as the Big Boss Man not having his original theme song despite using his prison officer attire and Roddy Piper has a different track of bag pipes instead of the famous ‘Green Hills of Tyrol’ he always used. It is really the only let-down to this content.

I really enjoyed having these Superstars added to my WWE2K16 universe and roster and look forward to putting against their other legendary rivals in the roster as well as the modern generation of WWE Superstars. To really appreciate the content you do really need to know who these Superstars are and their impact on the WWE in their day, but as part of the Season Pass, this content is a great addition to the game’s already impressive roster.

WWE 2K16 Legends Pack & Terminator DLC Now Available

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

-

Dec 23, 2015

0

WWE 2K16 Legends Pack & Terminator DLC Now Available

2K today announced WWE 2K16’s next downloadable content offering, the Legends Pack, is available now for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, as well as Xbox One, and Xbox 360 for a suggested price of £7.39. The Legends Pack features a diverse roster of playable talent, including WWE Hall of Famers Dusty Rhodes, Lita, Mr. Perfect, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Trish Stratus, as well as WWE Legend Big Boss Man.

Also available for standalone purchase today is blockbuster action film star and WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger, playable as two characters – T-800 from The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day films – for a suggested price of £3.99.

The Legends Pack is also included in the WWE 2K16 Season Pass. For a suggested price of £19.99, a savings of more than 20 percent versus individual content purchases, players will receive the following items as they become available:

Accelerator

Players will gain instant access to all unlockable content available in the game (excluding downloadable content);

New Moves Pack

Featuring more than 30 new moves, including the Corner Enzuigiri (made popular by WWE Diva Nikki Bella), Avalanche Ram (made popular by WWE Diva Paige), Sidewinder Suplex (made popular by WWE Superstar Kevin Owens), Standing Crossface Chickenwing (made popular by WWE Superstar Stardust) and Dragon Sleeper (made popular by NXT Superstar Finn Bálor);

2015 Hall of Fame Showcase

Playable matches include:

“Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts;
Rikishi vs. The Rock;
Alundra Blayze vs. Paige;
Larry Zbyszko and Arn Anderson vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Dustin Rhodes
Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Ric Flair;
The Bushwhackers (Butch Miller and Luke Williams) vs. The Natural Disasters (Typhoon and Earthquake);
The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) vs. Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray);

Future Stars Pack

Playable NXT Superstars: Samoa Joe, Diego, Fernando, Blake and Murphy

Additional downloadable content available now for WWE 2K16 includes the following:

MyPlayer KickStart (PS4™ system and Xbox One Exclusive)

Players will gain instant access to boost created Superstar ratings and attributes in the game’s MyCareer mode

Developed collaboratively by Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, a 2K studio, WWE 2K16 is rated PEGI 16 and is available now for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Review : Three Fourths Home – Extended Edition

Bungle Sparkey

-

Dec 23, 2015

0

Review : Three Fourths Home – Extended Edition

Being Kelly Meyers seems trivial at first, as you’re tasked with holding down the right trigger to accelerate. The grey on white graphics do little at first, but sit uneasy on the eye as the simplistic elements on display repeat. As a vision of Nebraska, it’s a lonely, jarring vision, and it’s reinforced by a similar gameplay experience, that is until the story kicks in.

Three Fourths Home isn’t a game, per se, but more an interactive story, with gameplay mechanics that are inherently simple. You’re not given any instructions bar button prompts, but the game fares all the better for it.

Kelly is returning home after a day out at the old barn, a place that’s been in your family for a while. Your character is part of an average American family struggling to make ends meet. It’s a familiar picture, where Kelly’s mother is struggling to work and look after the family. Your father had a car accident, lost a leg (although he still feels it), and your brother (Ben) appears to have some issues of his own. He used to play guitar, but these days, writes short stories. They’re brilliant, but let’s come on to that later.

The game, without giving any spoilers is in two parts. Firstly, you’re driving home, and you need to keep driving home. Secondly, you’re having a phone conversation with your mother, and the rest of your family whilst driving home. In a storm. There’s nothing more to it than this, but that’s the beauty of this gem of a game. It’s simple, because the best things often are.

While you’re having this well thought out story, you’re driving, by holding down the accelerator, occasionally considering if it’s ok to stop. But while that’s going on, you’re having this conversation, learning more about your family, and becoming invested in the outcome. It’s effective, and affecting, and something all too rare in traditional videogames.

With the extended edition, there’s additional content, including another chapter, in Minnesota, where Kelly is at collage studying Photography. Her work is ok, but as her teacher says in her report (one of the exceptional extras), it seems a bit half arsed. Rushed, even. Again, Kelly has the option to have a conversation with her mother, which takes place a few months prior to the main story. You can actually choose not to have this conversation, which is interesting, but not nearly as rewarding.

The care and attention to detail in the writing is evidenced across the game and its extras, including Ben’s stories, which are compelling reading. There’s even an achievement for reading all of them, but it’s an achievement well earned, because they’re original and interesting, regardless of whether you read or not.

There isn’t too much to do, though, and the game and its additional content are oven in a couple of hours at most. But, those couple of hours are greatly enjoyable because of the emotional connection you have with the characters, and the simple construct in which they’re portrayed. Three Fourths Home is a game that feeds your imagination, compels your engagement and rewards you for doing something slowly being lost as technology takes over our lives; the enjoyment of reading, and the craft of writing.

Three Fourths Home is inexpensive, and enjoyable, but there won’t be too much in the way of replay value. However, the world created [Bracket} Games is one you’ll want to be involved in, and is offers originality enough for you to head over to the developer’s website to check out their other games – http://www.bracket-games.com/.

I really, really like Three Fourths Home, and I’d be amazed if you didn’t feel the same.

Review: The Crew ‘Wild Run’ DLC

Sean McCarthy

-

Dec 22, 2015

0

Ubisoft rounded off their 2014 with ‘The Crew’ an open world car street racing title which looked to blend story, racing and online features for the first time in their catalogue of games. I enjoyed this first attempt but my time was plagued with problems with the online aspect but ‘The Crew’ was a solid effort worthy of trying out for fans of the genre. Skip to now and once again Ubisoft is ending 2015 by revisiting the game with a brand new expansion pack ‘Wild Run’ :

I did find it strange to learn that near on twelve months after its original release, that an expansion pack was being released for a game that quite honestly many have already forgotten about. For the £14.99 price tag this expansion will need to add a great deal to the existing gameplay to attract original players back as well as hopefully for Ubisoft, attract new players to pick up the game.

Wild Run adds new vehicles, race modes and a community focused challenge hub called ‘The Summit’ which is where the majority of the new content that ‘Wild Run’ brings to the game will be used. The new new vehicle classes add monster trucks, drift cars and my personal favourite, motorbikes’ to The Crew. The vehicle specs follow the same collection and upgrade upgrade trees players will be familiar with and can be customised to suit a particular race type or just how the player wants their car to look in the world.

I did enjoy the new vehicles with driving a Monster truck and just powering through the games towns and locations was huge fun, especially when used to trigger a police chase and just crushing patrol cars under my huge wheels. But this fun quickly wore off when driving to a race location as cruising around the roads in a monster truck both looked and felt a little silly. Luckily switching to motorbikes made cruising far more enjoyable and more natural.

The newest mode which I found myself playing the most was the Drag Trials. In classic American car nostalgia, drag racing does everything its name suggests, drag racing. This particular race mode takes some time and practice to really get the hang of it, with a more simulation approach than arcade. Details such as making sure your tyres are warm enough before starting, nailing the launch to get the advantage on the green light before managing gear changes to maintain speed are all crucial to success. Depending on the car you use these will either be hindered or helped by upgrades but Drag Trial was the most satisfying of the new trial modes that come with the new vehicle specs.

The Summit serves as a community challenge area offering limited timed races for solo runs. The Summit works as a tournament where players challenge other players and a Leaderboard shows the best times. Whilst it has a strong PvP flavour, you can just use it to test your skills, but I did find that having some of the challenges made for ‘Crews’ only was a shame. The Crew makes the assumption still that players form or join crews to race in the game but this is not always the choice of most players of The Crew.

Strangely what the Wild Run brings to the main game doesn’t actually come within the expansion pack itself. A large overhaul of the game comes with a free update to ‘The Crew’ that prepares it for the new DLC. The update enhances the visual engine making the game look sharper and better than ever. The weather system has been given a fresh kick that helps bring a fresh feel to the game after a year since its release. But the issues that plagued the game still exist. Despite the online element trying to make an almost MMO experience with ‘The Crew’, the world can still feel empty as you drive the often long distances to get to the next race. PvP can still be a laborious task waiting for race lobbies to fill.

Ubisoft has clearly looked to rerelease ‘The Crew’ both in trying to attract players back with ‘Wild Run’ and in the retail edition that combines both the main game and with the retail release ‘The Crew Wild Run Edition’. The main game still sadly suffers from issues that players have criticised not with but with the fresh update to visuals and the new content and vehicles with ‘Wild Run’, you are getting a lot of driving gameplay right now with ‘The Crew’.

As an expansion though, ‘Wild Run’ lacks the real wow factor required from an expansion pack but it does add fresh elements to a game that was much in need of it. Where Ubisoft goes next with the game will be interesting, but right now the game remains just above average and for the price of this expansion DLC, I feel it really needed to add more to be worthy of the expansion title

Christmas Tech Ideas : Griffin Survivor Summit iPhone 6 Case

Andrew Edney

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Dec 21, 2015

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On the run up to Christmas, we are going to highlight a few things you might want to consider for presents. Here is the Griffin Survivor Summit iPhone 6 case to keep your phone safe and sound.

Survivor Summit is designed and tested to keep your iPhone safe from 10-foot (3-meter) drops onto concrete.

Designed to deliver IP-55-rated water resistance, Summit is splash-proof, dirtproof, sandproof and rainproof.

Summit’s Impact Dispersion System absorbs impact forces, directing them away from your phone.

Summit protects the display and home button with a Touch ID-compatible slide-on screen shield.

Shatter-resistant multi-layer construction. Plus, your phone’s controls, headphone jack, speakers and microphones are protected from debris and damage.

With its slim, rounded design and no-slip grip, Summit is easy to get into and out of your pocket.

Rotating belt clip/video stand makes carrying and viewing easy.

Size: 5.95” X 3.19” X .51” (151.1 mm X 81.0 mm X 12.9 mm)
Weight: 1.73 oz. (49.09 g)
Materials: High-durometer thermoplastic elastomer, shatter-resistant polycarbonate, silicone

The Survivor Summit retails for around £27.99.

Learn more from the Griffin website.

Christmas Tech Ideas : Griffin Survivor Journey iPhone 6 Case

Andrew Edney

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Dec 21, 2015

0

On the run up to Christmas, we are going to highlight a few things you might want to consider for presents. Here is the Griffin Survivor Journey iPhone 6 case to keep your phone safe and sound.

Super slim, snap-on shell that’s built to prevent damage from 6.6-foot (2-meter) drops onto concrete.

Journey’s shatter-resistant multi-layer shell deflects and absorbs impacts to keep your phone safe.

Journey’s molded-in Impact Dispersion System cushions your phone inside the case.

Size: 5.69” X 2.91” .42” (144.5 mm X 73.9 mm X 10.66 mm)
Weight: 1.37 oz. (38.83 g)
Materials: High-durometer thermoplastic elastomer, shatter-resistant polycarbonate

The Survivor Journey retails for around £25.00

Learn more from the Griffin website.

Win Rise of the Footsoldier 2 on Blu-ray

Andrew Edney

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Dec 21, 2015

107

To celebrate the release of Rise of the Footsoldier 2 on DVD and Blu-ray, we’re giving away three copies on Blu-ray!

One of the most feared men in home entertainment history is making his long awaited return to the streets of Essex when RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER 2 is released in cinemas in late December and on demand and Blu-ray and DVD from December 26th courtesy of Signature Entertainment.

Reintroducing loyal fans to the tortured Carlton Leech (Ricci Harnett – The Rise And Fall Of A White Collar Hooligan, 28 Days Later), we pick up with our hero a shadow of his former self following the murder of three Essex gang members who were also his close friends. Self-medicating on drugs and booze to dull the pain – and amidst ongoing fears of further retribution – Carlton must nevertheless fight to regain his place in the criminal underworld until circumstances conspire to place him at the heart of what might just become his final job.

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER 2 also features legendary actor Steven Berkoff (Rambo, A Clockwork Orange) Luke Mably (28 Days Later, The Prince and Me), Daniel Adegboyega (Skyfall, The Gunman), Joshua Osei (Ill Manors, Vendetta), and Jonathan Harden (Five Minutes of Heaven, 50 Dead Men Walking) to round off a fearsome cast.

How to enter to win

We have a three copies of Rise of the Footsoldier 2 on Blu-ray to give away.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The contest ends at 12.00AM on Tuesday 5th January 2016.

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER 2 is released in cinemas in late December and on demand and Blu-ray and DVD from December 26th courtesy of Signature Entertainment.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set for Disney Infinity 3.0 out now

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Dec 18, 2015

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set for Disney Infinity 3.0 out now

Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm today launched Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set, the third Star Wars Play Set for Disney Infinity 3.0: Play Without Limits. The Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set gives fans the opportunity to play with Finn, Rey, Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron in the latest chapter of the Star Wars saga.

Available today, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set includes playable characters Finn, a soldier on a path to adventure and danger, and Rey, a true survivor who is resourceful and capable.

Individual character figures Poe Dameron, the trusted pilot of the Resistance who uses his expert flying skills to travel the galaxy, and Kylo Ren, an enforcer for the First Order who terrorises the galaxy with devious acts, are also available, as well as the Star Wars: The Force Awakens-themed Power Disc Pack.

“Millions of fans will be introduced today to the next generation of Star Wars storytelling, and Disney Infinity 3.0 is the only game where they can step into iconic moments from Star Wars: The Force Awakens film,” said John Blackburn, SVP and General Manager, Disney Infinity. “The Force Awakens Play Set completes the Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars experience, allowing fans to play as characters and explore stories from across the entire Star Wars saga.”

In addition to the characters native to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set, fans will be able to unlock and play with all Star Wars characters from Star Wars Twilight of the Republic and Star Wars Rise Against The Empire, as well as the Star Wars Rebels™ characters.

Also available now are the limited edition Star Wars Light FX character figures which are sold exclusively at the following UK retail stores:

Luke Skywalker: Argos
Darth Vader: GAME
Anakin Skywalker: Smyths
Yoda: Tesco
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Sainsbury’s