It’s time for our review of the Oral-B iO Series 9 Electric Toothbrush.
Oral-B, the #1 Dentist Recommended Brand Worldwide, pioneered both the electric toothbrush and connectedbrushing, and now has unveiled its most revolutionary technology to date, the Oral-B iOTM. After 6 years of research and over 250 patents, Oral-B iOTM represents a new era of brushing technology, design andexperience that delivers a professional clean feeling every single day.
Highlights
Oral-B’s best clean ever with revolutionary magnetic iO technology for a professional clean feeling and gentle brushing experience.
Combines the unique round brush head from Oral-B with gentle micro-vibrations for a fresh, clean-mouth feel and 100% healthier gums in one week.
3D Teeth Tracking with A.I to monitor your brushing across the front, top and back surfaces of your teeth; guiding you to your most thorough possible clean.
Interactive Colour Display signals important information: including brushing modes and head replacement reminder, greets you as you power up and gives you a smile for a job well done.
7 Smart Modes to personalise your brushing: Daily Clean, Sensitive, Gum Care, Intense Clean, Whitening, Super Sensitive, Tongue Cleaner.
Enhanced Smart Pressure Sensor signals red, white or green to alert you whether you’re brushing too hard, too softly or with just the right amount of pressure.
Magnetic charger has lock-in-place stability and provides a ~3-hour quick charge & it comes with a charging travel case to charge your brush for convenience when traveling.
What’s in the box?
The box contains:
iO 9 HANDLE
MAGNETIC CHARGER WITH 2 PIN UK PLUG
Ultimate Clean brush head
PREMIUM TRAVEL CASE
TRAVEL REFILL HOLDER
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
To get the most out of the iO Series 9 toothbrush you should download the Oral-B app. Once you have done that pairing the app and the toothbrush together is a quick and easy process.
You can then use the app to set goals known as dental care journeys, for example healthier gums, and have the app tell you what to do and when. You can follow your progress, gain medals and so much more.
Obviously you don’t have to use the app if you don’t want to – you can just use the toothbrush on it’s own but you will lose out on some great additional benefits.
Charging the toothbrush was simply a case of placing it on the magnetic charging stand and waiting. The battery life on the toothbrush between charges was excellent.
Using the toothbrush is easy – just switch it on and start the cleaning routine. If you are pressing too hard (and we have all done that) then the toothbrush will advise you by displaying an easy to see colour ring so you can adjust the pressure. The feeling of the brush on your tooth is actually quite comfortable. I have used toothbrushes before where it can feel quite hard or harsh, but the iO Series 9 doesn’t feel that way at all.
There is a full colour display on the toothbrush that greets you when you switch it on, shows you which mode you are using, how long you have used it for and more. If you don’t use it for the right amount of time then you get a sad face!
There is a travel case included in the box so that you can easily carry your toothbrush around with you if you going away from home.
This is by far the best electric toothbrush I have ever used – it handles very well, it feels great on your teeth and gums and helps you on your dental journey. The A.I. even recognises how your brush your teeth and guides you to doing it better!
The iO Series 9 comes in three different colours, and backed by a 2 year guarantee and a 30 day risk-free trial you can’t really go wrong, and your teeth and gums will thank you!
The iO Series 9 is available now priced around £250 (the actual retail price is £500 but there are some really great deals going on).
Publisher Chorus Worldwide Games and developer Devespresso Games are pleased to announce that the award winning Korean chilling survival horror-adventure continues the dark story introduced in The Coma, with its sequel The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters an even more terrifying experience.Released on Microsoft’s Xbox One on September 4th 2020, it has won the prestigious Grand Prix and the Best Narrative Awards at the Taipei Game Show Indie Game Award 2020. The title’s atmospheric, story-driven gameplay features hand-illustrated manhwa (Korean manga) pits players against an unstoppable killer.
Now available from the Microsoft Store – $18.99 / €18.99 / £15.74
The Story unfolds…
Mina Park, a student of Sehwa High, awakens at night in her school. It isn’t long before she realizes that something is amiss. The once-familiar school where she spends her evenings studying looks twisted by something dark and sinister. She finds herself pursued by someone or something that looks eerily like her teacher. To survive, Mina must go beyond the boundaries of her school and into the surrounding district. There, she will encounter strange creatures, mysterious strangers, and uneasy allies.
Explore far and uncover the shadow realm’s dark secrets. Use everything at your disposal to avoid a demoness hellbent on killing you! Immerse yourself in the warped Sehwa district as you encounter an engaging cast of characters, solve puzzles, discover revealing clues, and fight for survival against a relentless psycho.
Features:
· Fear Dark Song’s relentless pursuit to kill you, now with an all-new AI.
· Craft items to prepare for critical life-or-death situations or risk permanent injury.
· Explore the nightmarish district of Sehwa and discover its dark secrets.
· Scavenge resources to survive deadly encounters and afflictions.
· Unlock tools and upgrades to reach previously inaccessible areas.
· Hide to avoid detection and certain death. Pass challenges to conceal your location.
· Featuring vibrant, hand-illustrated in-game visuals and comic strips.
Wander the deserted school to survive the horrors of the night.
About Chorus Worldwide
Chorus Worldwide is a game publisher that brings distinctive and unique games to players around the world. Established in 2014, based in Tokyo and Vancouver, Chorus Worldwide publishes games on the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and mobile games on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
For more information, visit chorusworldwide.com, and follow us on Facebook/ChorusWorld and on Twitter (@ChorusWorld).
About Devespresso Games
Devespresso Games is an independent, four-man team based out of Seoul, South Korea and San Francisco, USA. The team focuses on crafting interactive stories, immersive worlds,and memorable characters through the medium of games. The guys followed up on the success of their console debut and cult hit, The Coma: Recut, with the fantasy, roguelike adventure game, Vambrace: Cold Soul. Soon, their newest game, The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, will be released on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
I am really enjoying the new WB Animated DC stories of late and since the New 52 DC Animated Universe came to an end with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, there has been a nice fresh take on the stand-alone stories that have been told. Wonder Woman: Bloodlines was a nice retelling of the character’s origin story and more recently Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons took a planned web series and turned into a feature length story that gave him an origin story that pushed him into the more anti-hero than villain. But now I feel there is an attempt to launch a new connected DC Animated Universe and naturally the next hero to have their origin story retold to help lay the foundation for this Universe is Superman: Man of Tomorrow.
Right from the first scene in Man of Tomorrow, you instantly feel that this is a very different and more personal telling of the Superman origin as the film opens with two young boys watching a classic 50s style Sci-Fi film about aliens invading earth. One of the boys is greatly upset by this and starts to cry and when his mother is called to collect him, we learn that this is a very young Clark Kent who has been told how his parents, Johnathon and Martha found him. This is really a side to the Superman origin we rarely get to see become an element of the story, how Clark himself feels being the alien and the fear of how the rest of the world would react if they were to find out. It is a theme that is cleverly threaded throughout the film which I will come back to later but it is one that lays the foundation of the type of Superman, this Clark will become.
For that really is the essence of this story, the journey for Clark to become Superman and it is filled with little subtle factors that immediately gave me the sense that this was far more than just another origin story for the Last Son of Krypton but indeed the DC universe around him. We have a Clark Kent longing to fit in with everyone else but who also wants to use his great powers to help the world around him, going as far as to dress up in a disguise to hide his identity when he goes out to try and save people. This story is more about the man who will become the legend than the legend itself. Darren Criss voices both Clark and Superman with a delicate balance, brilliantly bringing both to life as we experience what it must feel like for Clark, who in the early half of the film still has no idea where he came from and has a genuine fear for others finding out who and what he really is.
Alongside Clark’s origin we have a superb update to Lois Lane, voiced by Alexandra Daddario who helps to give her new origin tale, as a graduate of a Lex Luthor Journalism scholarship, manages to take down the corrupt Luthor, excellently voiced by Zachary Quinto as well. Immediately this shows Lois as a capable and independent young woman who uses the situation to not only get the story, but to bring down the most powerful man in Metropolis as he entry to the story. Not hard to see why this young Clark is quickly enamoured and impressed by her. But the writing is clever enough to really keep some of the traditional aspects the same such as the Daily Planet led by Perry White and Lex Luthor being the criminal mastermind manage to keep the sense that though some aspects are new some are still very much familiar for fans and in so doing, allows more room to refresh elements to perhaps the most famous origin story in Comic Books.
Visually I love this new animation style which to me felt classic yet new at the same time. Clark is drawn as a much slimmer but athletically toned man rather than the bulk size of the original TAS series and in the New 52 era of animated films. I love that Martha still makes his first Superman suit for him from the baby blanket he came to earth wrapped in as well as the adding of a cape because “it will look cool”. It completely stands apart from previous animated universes and gives a real crispness to all the fight scenes which have a nice grounded but large scale feel to them as seen when the films guest stars finally appear.
The biggest surprise to this origin story to Superman is in the two guest characters who help establish him as the hero he will be become. Martian Manhunter is a clever choice to help Clark discover his Kryptonian heritage but it is the other guest that really brings this story to life, DC Fan favourite Lobo. Now Lobo is a very interesting character to choose in order to bring Superman to a new DC animated universe, he did not feature at all in the New 52 animated Universe so having him front and centre in this new origin tale is fantastic for me and immediately options up more non-Earth stories. His battling of Clark is really what leads him to becoming Superman but is it the theme I mentioned earlier, of Clark’s fear of being discovered as an alien that is helped by Lobo and the Martian Manhunter. When the city is threatened by Parasite, the big bad of the story, it is the reaction of the humans to Lobo and Martian Manhunter that gives Clark as Superman, the platform to speak about fearing what they do not understand and a very well delivered monologue really helps position Superman as a visitor and immigrant to this world and a hero to show how acceptance is a good thing.
My only criticism comes with the Blu-ray itself, which once again has the most basic menu possible and it would be nice to see something presented better with animated menus or at least music instead of just the box art used as the background. I was disappointed not to have a making of special feature for this film, instead we get two character specials looking at Lobo and Martian Manhunter as well as both episodes of the Super Man TAS when he first met Lobo giving me more hope that a Lobo spin off film is in the works in the future.
I really enjoyed Superman: Man of Tomorrow which manages to juggle a good number of origin stories alongside the Man of Steel and does so without losing the pace of the story telling. If this does become the foundation for a new DC universe, I mean Batman was name dropped in the story as already being active in this world, then I think it could be a really fun and exciting trip for fans to see fresh takes on known characters and stories. I like this Superman and style of storytelling and am excited to see where they go next with this universe and to see who and how, new characters are added to it and I do hope that they take their time and introduce them with standalone stories before bringing them together.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow is available NOW for digital download, and available Blu-ray.
Spotify and Google have announced another exciting partnership – all eligible new and existing Spotify Premium individual, Family, Duo and Student master account holders in the UK can claim a Nest Mini as part of their subscription. For no extra cost. The partnership expands upon the popularity of previous offers and is yet another way Spotify are making it easier for users to access music anytime, anywhere.
This means millions of Spotify subscribers will get the opportunity to stream their favourite songs and playlists on Spotify by simply speaking to Google Assistant via their Nest Mini.
And with two times stronger bass than the original Google Home Mini, Google’s second-generation Nest Mini has a richer and more natural sound that allows listeners to get the most out of their songs and playlists on Spotify. Spotify is also looking forward to rolling out new features with Google that make it even easier to discover and listen to Spotify on Nest Mini.
Spotify wants to make it easy to access more than 50 million tracks available and listen on-demand and ad-free with Premium — all from the comfort of your home. Simply visit the Premium home page to sign up for a Nest Mini today. Spotify even designed a more seamless setup experience as part of the bundled offer, which will help make listening to music at home even easier with more Google commands coming out soon.
Yesterday, SQUARE ENIX released the third Marvel’s Avengers WAR TABLE digital stream, providing a new in-depth look at the game ahead of its launch on September 4th on PlayStation 4, Xbox, PC, and Stadia.
Kicking things off, viewers who watched the Marvel’s Avengers WAR TABLE live via the PlayAvengers.com channel were the first to get details about the game’s daily and weekly missions, as well as four new high-level mission types they’ll encounter as they progress through the Avengers Initiative: Villain Sectors, SHIELD Vaults, AIM’s Secret Lab, and Mega Hives. Villain Sectors are special missions that provide epic showdowns with powerful bosses that players will want to return to as their Heroes get closer to the game’s power-level cap of 150, while SHIELD Vaults are treasure troves of resources, gear, and secrets that must be discovered and unlocked.
Players looking to test their mettle will look forward to teaming up with three friends to tackle AIM’s Secret Lab, a mission only accessible after reaching the game’s highest power levels. Available once a week, the AIM Secret Lab raid will culminate in a massive boss fight influenced by how well players’ teams performed throughout the mission.
Mega Hives will put players’ full Super Hero roster to the test as they fight their way through a gauntlet of descending floors packed with enemies. The farther they go down, the higher the difficulty goes up, and once all their Heroes are defeated, players will have to start over from the very beginning.
The Marvel’s Avengers WAR TABLE also revealed a new post-launch Hero coming as part of the game’s Avengers Initiative, Kate Bishop. Kate’s Operation, “Taking AIM,” kicks off in late October featuring a new villain and new mystery. Bishop, who is mentored by Clint Barton, comes with distinct Heroic Skills and takedowns that only an Olympic-caliber gymnast and master archer like Kate can pull off.
Kate Bishop will be the first new Hero introduced to Marvel’s Avengers after its launch on September 4. Taking AIM’s story begins shortly after the conclusion of the game’s Reassemble campaign and is just the first half of the two Hawkeyes’ Story Arc. Clint Barton’s Hawkeye takes the stage in November to complete the double-feature and lay the groundwork for what’s next.
These new post-launch Heroes will be made available to all Marvel’s Avengers owners at no additional cost and will continue to move the entire narrative world forward. More information about the Hawkeye Story Arc, as well as additional post-launch content will be available soon.
Previous Marvel’s Avengers WAR TABLES have included other major reveals, like details on the game’s central villain, MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) and the unveiling of Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, one of the first post-launch heroes who will be added to the game.
Marvel’s Avengers will be available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC on September 4, 2020. Marvel’s Avengers will be available on PlayStation5 and Xbox Series X when the consoles launch in Holiday 2020. Players who own the current-gen version of the game will be able to upgrade to the next-gen version at no additional cost, regardless if players are moving from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 or Xbox One to Xbox Series X. Those moving their saves to next-gen will transfer their player profiles and progression so they can pick up right where they left off. In addition, cross-gen play will be supported so PS5 players will be able to play with their friends on PS4 and Xbox Series X players will be connected with their friends on Xbox One.
Ubisoft Forward will be back with a brand new showcase on September 10th, when you can watch the official stream at ubisoft.com/Forward and catch the latest big announcements, new games, and surprises as they’re revealed!
The main show kicks-off at 20:00PM UK when you can see what’s in store for games like Watch Dogs: Legion, Hyper Scape, and Rainbow Six Siege, as well as a much-anticipated update on our new IP, Immortals Fenyx Rising, formerly known as Gods & Monsters, and more yet-to-be revealed surprises. If you still can’t get enough, stick around after the main show to see deep dives into two unreleased titles, exclusive to this edition of Ubisoft Forward.
It all begins on September 10 on ubisoft.com/Forward, YouTube, and Twitch, as well as on social media. Don’t forget to join the conversation using #UbiForward!
We have a Gioteck HC2 Decal Edition Stereo Gaming Headset to give away.
The HC-2 is designed for comfort in mind. Uniquely shaped ear cups delivers a perfect over-ear fit, enabling uninterrupted audio whilst maintaining superb comfort. A removable mic, perfectly positioned for ideal voice pick-up guarantees crystal clear chat.
Here is our two minute spoiler free review of the Flash Gordon 4K Ultra High Definition Restoration.
FLASH GORDON is the 1980 space opera film adaptation directed by Mike Hodges (Get Carter, Black Rainbow) based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond and adapted for the screen by Michael Allin (Enter The Dragon) and Lorenzo Semple Jr (King Kong). Produced by Dino De Laurentiis (Serpico, King Kong), with cinematography by Gilbert Taylor (Star Wars IV: A New Hope, Dr. Strangelove), the film is also notable for the soundtrack, which was composed, performed and produced by Queen with orchestral sections by Howard Blake.
The Flash Gordon comic strip ran as a daily from 1934 to 1992, followed by a Sunday strip which ran until 2003. The comic was an influence on early superhero comic characters, from the costume and inverted narrative of a heroic alien on earth in Superman to Batman’s first appearance in the Detective Comics, with its DNA still evident in characters today. Raymond’s comic was also an influence on the wider sci fi genre, from James Tiberius Kirk to Star Wars. George Lucas loved Flash Gordon so much, he tried to get the rights from King Features to make the film. However, King Features had Federico Fellini and then Nicolas Roeg in mind before turning to Hodges, but Lucas still cites the comic as an inspiration for his famed space saga.
For the new 40th Anniversary 4k restoration, Flash Gordon was scanned from the original 35mm negative to produce 4K files. Over 500 hours of manual restoration repaired serious damage that included image instability, scratches and intermittent flicker. The sound was scanned from the original track negative and underwent restoration to improve issues ranging from audio drop-outs throughout the feature and during reel changes, digital clicks and optical distortion. The film was colour graded for theatrical, home entertainment and 4K HDR release, using previous digital releases and 35mm prints as a reference. In line with the Director’s vision and the original 35mm cinema release, VFX work was applied to remove the strings in all scenes where visible. This restoration was approved by Director Mike Hodges in May 2020, and will include the first 4K HDR Dolby Vision master of Flash Gordon.
Approached by legendary producer Dino De Laurentis to provide the score for his 1980 screen adaptation of iconic comic strip character Flash Gordon, Queen set aside all the norms of film music soundtracks. Their vision of the commission was to incorporate on screen dialogue and effects with their own musical compositions. Written, performed and arranged by the band with orchestral arrangements by Howard Blake, audio from the film is featured prominently including the now unmistakable voice of Brian Blessed and other cast members including Max Von Sydow, Melody Anderson, Timothy Dalton and Topol. Seamlessly incorporating these alongside Queen rock guitars and progressive electronica the final Flash Gordon soundtrack consisted of 18 tracks written by all the band members. Brian May’s ‘Flash’s Theme’ released under the title ‘Flash’ as the only single from the soundtrack and unusually featuring Freddie Mercury and Brian May sharing vocals has become one of the most instantly recognised tracks of all time. Queen’s boldly-executed score reaped rewards such as gold discs, BAFTA recognition and Ivor Novello nominations on release in December 1980. But perhaps its crowning glory is that it still sounds futuristic 40 years later.
Our planet is under attack! An unexplained energy wave has pulled the Moon out of orbit, sending it careening towards Earth. Strange natural disasters bombard our world. Baffled scientists are at a loss as to the cause of the chaos. A lone voice – brilliant, but disgraced, scientist Hans Zarkov (TOPOL) – is convinced that these catastrophes are of extraterrestrial origin and predicts that we only have 10 days before the Moon crashes into Earth, destroying all life. Humanity is doomed!
Realising that he alone cannot stop these sinister attacks he forces football hero Flash Gordon (SAM J. JONES) and New York travel-agent Dale Arden (MELODY ANDERSON) aboard his makeshift rocket ship at gunpoint. Their destination – the mysterious Planet Mongo. On this strange new world all life cowers under the cruel reign of Ming The Merciless (MAX VON SYDOW), an intergalactic tyrant who demands absolute loyalty under pain of death. Aided by his menacing, golden-masked henchthing Klytus (PETER WYNGARDE) he holds the fates of whole peoples in his icy grip, and Earth is but his latest plaything.
After crash-landing on Mongo Flash, Dale and Zarkov are immediately captured, and taken to the spectacular Mingo City city to face the wrath of Emperor Ming. Flash is sentenced to death, Zarkov to have his mind erased and reprogrammed, while Dale faces a fate unimaginably worse: to become Ming’s bride!
Enlisting the help of Ming’s daughter Aura (ORNELLA MUTI), Flash escapes his execution and flees, but his adventures have just begun. Seeking sanctuary in the forest world of Arboria he meets Prince Barin (TIMOTHY DALTON) and undergoes the terrifying trial of the tree insect. Flash prevails but he and Barin are captured by the mighty Hawkmen, with whom Arboria is at war, and taken to Sky City where Prince Vultan (BRIAN BLESSED) forces them into a fight to the death. But with Dale still imprisoned Flash must make friends of these warring princelings and enlist their help to overthrow Ming, rescue Dale and prevent the annihilation of Earth.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The UHD, DVD and Blu-Ray Disc 1 includes:
The main feature (1 hr 47)
New Lost in Space: Nic Roeg’s Flash Gordon (also iTunes extra)
Audio commentary with Mike Hodges
Audio commentary with Brian Blessed
Behind the scenes of Flash Gordon
Stills gallery (also iTunes extra)
Storyboards gallery (also iTunes extra)
Original theatrical trailer
Blu-Ray Disc 2 includes:
Interview with Mike Hodges
Episode 24 of Flash Gordon (1979-1982): The Survival Game / Gremlin’s Finest Hour
Sam Jones’s acting start
Entertainment Earth on Flash Gordon merchandise
Bob Lindenmayer discusses deleted scenes and original endings
35th Anniversary Greenroom
35th Anniversary reunion featurette
Renato Casaro extended interview
Brian Blessed anecdotes
Melody’s musings
On the soundtrack (Brian May & Howard Blake)
Easter Eggs
The 5 disc Collector’s Edition includes:
The UHD and 2 Blu-ray discs
Bonus Blu-Ray Disc of LIFE AFTER FLASH, the 2017 feature documentary celebrating the film and it’s star, directed by Lisa Downs
Original soundtrack by Queen & Howard Blake
32 page booklet
16 page Titan mini book (The Story of Flash Gordon)
Reproduced booklet of the first strip of original comic books
Poster of original artwork
4 artcards of various incarnations of Flash film posters across the years
1 sew on ‘Flash patch’
So I first saw Flash Gordon back in the early 80’s (yes I am that old) and I loved it. Even today it’s a lot of fun to watch. Sure it looks a bit dated and its all a bit tongue in cheek but that’s half the fun of the movie, and with an awesome soundtrack this is one movie you really do want to own again as they have done a fantastic job on the remaster.
Flash Gordon is available now on DVD £17.99 / Blu-Ray £22.99 / Steelbook £39.99 / Collector’s Edition £69.99.
It’s time to review the HONOR CHOICE True Wireless Earbuds.
The HONOR CHOICE True Wireless Earbuds is part of the HONOR CHOICE product portfolio, co-developed with a select group of industry-leading manufacturers, that forms the core of HONOR’s smart life ecosystem, representing the “N” in our “1 + 8 + N” IoT strategy. The HONOR CHOICE True Wireless Earbuds delivers a true wireless seamless listening experience with premium sound quality and unparalleled long-lasting battery life, all packed into an intuitive and smart design.
The box contains the earbuds, a charging case, ear tips, a charging cable and instructions.
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
When you open the box the first thing you notice is how much the earbuds with their charging case looks like a pair of Apple AirPods, and you would be right.
Pairing the earbuds with your device is very simple, and once the initial pairing has taken place each time you open the case the earbuds are automatically connected to your device so that you are ready to listen to instantly.
The earbuds themselves fit comfortably in your ears and in the box are different ear tips so you can find the ones that are most comfortable for you to wear. Always take the time to make sure they do fit properly, your ears will thank you!
The sound quality when listening to music or watching a movie was very good.
When using the earbuds to make phone calls, each earbud has two separate microphones to help remove the ambient background noise, and they work very well. Even using it in a noisy train station worked well and the person I was talking to said it was like I was “in the next room”, although at times it did come across a little muffled.
You can control everything from the earbuds themselves – just tap on either earbud for the relevant function you want to perform, such as pausing the music, skip to the next track or even reject an incoming phone call. It’s all really easy once you get used to what each type of tap does.
Battery wise the earbuds last around 6 hours on a full charge. The case holds another 3 full charges giving you a total of around 24 hours usage, which is really good! To charge the earbuds in the case you just pop them back in and the magnetic case snaps shut and the earbuds start charging (as long as there is charge left in the case). Just make sure you remember to charge the case regularly.
The earbuds themselves are IP53 certified which means that light water splashes or sweat won’t cause any issue to them.
If you are looking for a good quality set of wireless earbuds that have great battery life at a great price then look no further than the HONOR CHOICE True Wireless Earbuds.
The HONOR CHOICE True Wireless Earbuds are available now priced around £50.
Warner Bros. Games, TT Games, LEGO Group and Lucasfilm today revealed the gameplay trailer for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, the upcoming game where players will experience memorable moments and nonstop action from all nine Skywalker saga films told through the unique lens of LEGO bricks.
Developed by TT Games in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games and published by Warner Bros. Games, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will release in Spring 2021 for Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch system, PC and Mac.
The trailer gives a glimpse of the adventures that will immerse players into the expansive saga with the freedom to control hundreds of characters and vehicles that will allow them to discover their own unique journey through a galaxy far, far away. Players have the freedom to start at any of the nine episodes, whether jumping straight in at Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, beginning their journey at the prequels with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace or experiencing the saga in any order they prefer. Playable characters include favorite heroes like Luke Skywalker, Rey, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Finn, BB-8 and others, as well as characters from the dark side such as Darth Vader, The Emperor, Kylo Ren, Darth Maul, and more. Unforgettable moments from the films have been re-imagined in new, fun-filled, light-hearted humour. Everything from Podracing on Tatooine and space combat above the Death Star, to battling on Starkiller Base and beyond.
“LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a celebration of the heritage and future of LEGO Star Wars games,” said Michael Denny, Vice President and Studio Head, TT Games. “For the first time ever, players can explore the legendary adventures from the Skywalker saga in an immense, new game for everyone to play on current and upcoming platforms.”
The Deluxe Edition of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will feature the main game and the “Character Collection Bundle Pack” with six DLC character packs inspired by The Mandalorian, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Bad Batch and more. The physical version of the Deluxe Edition will include a collectible LEGO Star Wars minifigure, Luke Skywalker with Blue Milk.
Fans will be able to play with the same authentic LEGO Star Wars vehicles, starships, and characters in real life and in the game, including these select sets with unlockable codes that can be redeemed when LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga releases: LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest (75292), LEGO Star Wars Resistance I-TS Transport (75293) and LEGO Star Wars Death Star Final Duel (75291).
I am a big fan of survival games that require you to feed yourself, craft the items you need to live with exploration where you have to search for the materials you need to craft the items that you need to live. Chuck in a fantastic story and world to be in whilst you are battling to keep alive and you have pretty much my attention throughout the many hours it should take. From the moment I saw the announcement trailer, Windbound had my attention with its visual art style and incredible musical score. But could the full game sweep me off my feet like a leaf in the wind?
Windbound is a Survival Action game, in which you play the main character Kara, a young woman who during a storm at sea, is separated from her clan. Kara wakes up to find herself alone and on a strange set of islands with no food, no tools and no means of sailing away from the islands. Kara has a will to survive and ability to adapt to her surroundings and as the player, you will need these skills as you explore this mysterious and strange world to Kara and she not only fights to stay alive but to also return to her clan.
I pretty much need to start with the elephant in the room and glaringly obvious thing about Windbound from the start, just how much this game has clearly been inspired by Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Now this is not a terrible thing to do as Breath of the Wild is considered by many to be a contender for game of the generation and you can really see how more than just the art style has been inspired by Nintendo’s juggernaut success story. Visually, the art style of Windbound is very much taken from Breath of the Wild and it is beautiful from the opening cutscene to the moment Kara wakes up and you take control of her on the very first set of islands. The world continues this visual feast as the wildlife you encounter and new islands you explore. I did feel at times that the inspiration from Breath of the Wild did run dangerously close to copying, such as the use of a glider in the later parts of the game but there is no denying just how beautiful Windbound looks.
The core of Windbound is really in the survival element to the gameplay and here the game offers two different playing modes to choose from, Story Telling mode which as you expect is more focused on allowing the player to progress through the game without the survival element being too punishing to not hold them back. However, the other and default game mode is Survivalist which is how the game advises it to be played. This is the mode I played through first and I am glad I did as this is really how the developers wanted the player to experience this procedurally generated experience. You will need to find materials to build the many tools and weapons Kara will learn to craft throughout her journey, which can all be found on the island Kara explores. Naturally, different islands will have different materials meaning you will have to go further exploring to find the components required to make a particular tool or weapon.
To this end the game has a crafting and inventory system that enables Kara to carry around crafting materials on her in order to at any time craft what she might need such as a new spear or rope needed as component to build another item. Other than weapons, the most important and crucial thing Kara will need to build is a boat as this is the only way to travel between the set of islands you are on and ultimately, moving between the five groups of islands that make up the game. Each set of islands has three mysterious beacons that must be activated by Kara in order to open the sea tunnel which will enable the player to move to the next group of islands and so on. The mysterious beacons are connected to Kara’s clan in some way and as you progress through the game more and more clues as to what that connection is becomes known to Kara and you as the player.
But helping Kara to survive long enough to complete this journey really is the main focus and it will require the player to do some work to make this happen. The survival aspect really comes down to the health and stamina bars in the top left corner of the screen with the stamina bar being an interesting way to focus the player on the elements of hunger and tiredness that are the backbone to any survival game. Running, jumping and fighting all use up the stamina bar and as Kara becomes tired or hungry, this bar is reduced limiting just how much running and fighting Kara can do. So, learning to gather basic food like berries is essential right from the start. But food can spoil, and with limited inventory space, cooking food such as animal meat. Of course, to get that animal meat you will need to go hunting so observing and hunting the various animal life in Windbound is not only keep to keeping Kara fed and ready to go at any time but the by-product of using the remains of the animal as more advanced crafting tools and boat upgrades.
Now the crafting side is a double-edged sword in Windbound as not only will you need to learn new crafting designs to make new weapons and tools but also how to upgrade them including the boat you make. The boat will soon become a modular base of operations of sort as it is your main means of island transport but also your home as you continue to upgrade it you will soon use it to help manage the inventory by storing materials and food on it for your journey as there is a limit to how much you can carry on Kara at any one time. Working to upgrade the boat and to keep it in good condition is vital to Windbound as is keeping your tools and weapons in good condition as well. I found that often the choice between getting enough materials to craft something new and useful would often be hampered if I needed to repair Kara’s boat or to replace a tool or weapon.
Combat is fairly basic really depending on the weapons you have, starting with your trusty survival knife which is used to gather materials and as your initial defensive weapon. But soon you can craft spears, slings and a bow to help you fight the animals you encounter but large and small. Now the animals tend to follow the same basic behaviour when it comes to fighting you and often it is a case of just waiting for an opening and attacking them then repeating this until defeated. Most of the time engaging them is down to what component or material you need to craft or repair something though the meat you can get from them is also great at keeping Kara healthy and stamina bar full. The price for failing to do so or messing up combat is true to form for any survival game and should Kara die….well, it is literally back to the start of the game for you and Kara.
That is right, if Kara dies in Windbound you will find yourself right back at the starting island with only the items you have in Kara’s inventory, anything that is on the boat including the boat itself will be lost to you. Now this may sound harsh and in the early going in the game this can happen a lot but like all survival games, this is how you the player are expected to learn from your mistakes depending on how you failed be it losing in combat, not having enough food or crashing the boat perhaps. By the time you do reach the later groups of islands and their different environments, you will have learned enough hopefully so the chances of facing a restart grow more and more slim.
I particularly like the sailing in the game which has just enough elements to stop it becoming too much of a simulation of sailing but also not so simple that you just get in the boat and hold a button to make it go. Controlling the sail to get the most from the wind direction made the sailing rather satisfying as someone who regularly enjoys Sea of Thieves. You need to watch out for coral reefs as well as you approach an island or your boat can be damaged by them making you as I said above, change your upgrading plans to one of repairing.
But I do have some issues with Windbound which for me runs foul of just being too ambitious in what it wants to achieve than it actually delivers. The inventory system is at best, annoying and you will find yourself having to micro manage it especially when gathering items to craft new gear. The blend of a survival game and an action game means the two sides blend together ok but not perfectly and both lose something as a result. The animation when it comes to Kara climbing is very cumbersome and noticeable and even the glider you can craft in the later stages performs more like a parachute than a means of traversing long distances as its inspiration in Breath of the Wild allows players to do. The combat is clumsy and once you know the pattern of a creature, it just becomes a mini game of rinse and repeat of the same tactic which becomes repetitious after a while. Even the threat of failing and starting over again becomes less and less of an issue.
Windbound for the asking price of less than half of what a regular game would cost is a very brave attempt at making a survival action game that is rewarding in parts but frustratingly annoying in others. Which is a shame because whilst it is still highly playable, you can just sense the many layers did not quite come together as was hoped. But this is still a solid ten to fifteen-hour game experience that did not quite give me the replay over again feeling more than a one and done or play again once every few months potentially.
Beautiful in visuals and in sound with a survival system that works best when the player learns from mistakes made, Windbound is a charming budget entry in a very crowded entry genre and may have stood out more if less of it was a tribute to a game like Breath of the Wild that simply does everything far better.
September’s PS Plus titles have been announced and Street Fighter V and PUGB are the offerings to close the summer weeks:
Parachute into a treacherous battleground with only your wits for protection, as you loot gear and outsmart your enemies in a fierce battle royale. Build the ultimate soldier from scratch and test your mettle against up to 99 other players across multiple unique maps. Only one life. Only one shot at victory per match. Wreak havoc on your own or take on the challenge in a squad of up to four players to increase your chances of survival — and glory.
New competitors and iconic world warriors square off in Street Fighter V, Capcom’s blisteringly ferocious fighter and the latest entry in the legendary Street Fighter series! Sharpen your skills in a variety of single player modes, then prove you’ve got what it takes to best the globe’s finest fighters in online matches!
Both games will join PS Plus on Tuesday, September 1 and be available to download for PS Plus subscribers until October 5.
On Xbox One, protect New York City in the online tactical shooter Tom Clancy’s The Division, and take part in the engaging point-and-click adventure The Book of Unwritten Rules 2. On the Xbox 360, and Xbox One via Backward Compatibility, make the world a more colorful place in de Blob 2 and get ready for tongue-in-cheek humor and violence in the third-person shooter, Armed and Dangerous!
An active subscription to Xbox LIVE GOLD is required to download Games with Gold, it is also included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Well we here in the UK have survived heatwaves and currently heavy rain and storm level winds are battering against my windows as I begin this article which must mean….yes…..it is still British Summer! That asside it is still the season of the Summer Games Fest and with the usual “physical in person” event of Gamescom cancelled due to current world events with COVID-19, it has instead become tonight’s two hour event.
Below you will find the new and trailers from all the reveals including the pre-show. Will we get any actual big surprises from what is reported to be a full two hour show? No doubt the next generation of consoles, or at least their games will have a place tonight but could either or both PlayStation and Xbox dare to go first with a price and release date news reveal…..probably not, but….maybe?
Pre-Show:
The Pre-Show is at a nice run time of just 15 minutes before the main event so going to be interesting what will make it up, my guess….trailers!
Scarlett Nexus – Powers Trailer
The OSF members are showing off their moves in the new #SCARLETNEXUS trailer from #Gamescom2020! Tell us in the comments which power caught your attention! Enter a brain punk future & unleash the power of the mind. SCARLET NEXUS will arrive to #XboxSeriesX, XboxOne, PS4, PS5, and PC.
Quantum Error – Official Trailer
Quantum Error is a cosmic-horror FPS video game currently in development coming to the PS5 an PS4 by TeamKill Media. (also a go-fund me project)
Team Fordzilla then step up with the reveal the Project P1 car designed by fans before announcing the plan to actually build…..the concept car.
Next up a rather strange segment with popular content creators talking about what they would do “If I wasn’t a Gamer”….probably making less money playing them is my guess. It then cuts across to an interview with the smuggest man in gaming right now, Geoff Keighly talking about the impact of COVID-19 and how ONL Digital event was the best place to replace the in person Gamescom event. Interesting that he tries to put across that fans should manage their expectations to just learning more about games they know about rather than massive big reveals or surprises….an attempt at mis-direction or a lesson learned from the last two Xbox digital events?
DiRT 5 – Gamescom Trailer
Design your dream racing event and tear up incredible user-created arenas in Playgrounds, the brand new mode for DIRT 5. From custom gymkhana arenas, to bespoke time trial races, to thrilling treasure hunt events, use a huge suite of objects – from drift zones and jumps, to rings of fire and loop-de-loops – to invent unbelievable and unique Playgrounds. Browse our database of player-generated designs to constantly find new racing experiences, with Featured areas regularly updated to showcase the very best creations. Playgrounds is included in all versions of DIRT 5, and the creations of players on current-gen consoles will be carried over when you switch to next-gen consoles!
Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition- Nintendo Switch Trailer
We are delighted to announce that Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition is coming to Nintendo Switch on 3 November 2020! Enjoy the full experience, with all updates and DLCs since launch included.
— Jurassic World Evolution 3 (@JW_Evolution) August 27, 2020
Gamescom ONL – The Main Show
Geoff Keighly opens the show from his virtual stage announced an event showcasing 35 games including Fall Guys Season 2 and Gameplay Demo for Wratchet and Clank: Time Shift for PS5.
The show opens with Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, a game only officially revealed yesterday (August 26th 2020) and now here we get to see even more of the game in another new trailer:
Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War – Gamescom 2020 Trailer
A look at the opening story campaign cutscene, it is 1981 and the US President is being briefed on a new but old threat.
Unknown 9: Awakening – Game Reveal Trailer
Uncover the secrets that surround you. Here's your first look at Unknown 9: Awakening. Coming soon. Believe in the Unknown. pic.twitter.com/7MmyOajv40
DOOM Eternal: The Acient Gods Part – Release Date Trailer
Watch the full trailer for DOOM Eternal’s first campaign expansion, The Ancient Gods: Part One – available October 20, 2020. Your war is not over… slaying the Khan Maykr left an imbalance of power that threatens all of creation. With the aid of an old ally, battle your way back to Urdak and decide the fate of the cosmos. Your mission is now your own.
Dragon Age: Bioware Team Discuss the next Dragon Age Game
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground – Reveal Trailer
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground – strategy in a dark fantasy universe of dragons, death, and daemons! Developers Gasket Games and publisher Focus Home Interactive are delighted to announce Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground, a skirmish turn-based strategy game based on Games Workshop’s dark fantasy Age of Sigmar IP due to be released on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in 2021. With this first strategy adaptation of this iconic IP, Focus and Gasket are delighted to bring this extraordinary universe to life for fans around the world
Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time – Flashback Level Reveal Gamescom
Following a short ad break…its now back to the main show
Tear Down – Gamescom Trailer
Little Nightmares II – Gameplay and Release Date Trailer
In a cruel world, a lonely boy finds a mission and a friend. Ride the line between excitement and terror as you run, jump, sneak, and fight your way through the Pale City and its Residents with Six by your side. Stop the Transmission before it can stop you, and you might survive. Little Nightmares II is coming to PS4, Xbox1, PC, and Switch on February 11, 2021 and also to PS5 and XboxX later in 2021.
WW2K Battlegrounds – Gamescom Trailer
Grab the popcorn and watch on as WWE Legends and Superstars clash in an epic WWE 2K Battlegrounds brawl with commentary by Jerry “The King” Lawler and the debuting Mauro Ranallo!
Star Wars Squadrons – Story Campaign Preview
Though shattered after the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire closes in on the Bormea Sector, determined to crush the recently-formed New Republic. The Republic’s classified Project Starhawk represents a tipping point in the Galactic Civil War, and ace pilots on each side will be instrumental in its outcome. Get a first look at an early Imperial mission in the single-player story of STAR WARS™: Squadrons, where you must fly behind enemy lines to extract an allied spy with vital intelligence on the project. Buckle up and experience this action-packed and authentic STAR WARS™ story – following the events in Return of the Jedi – from both sides of the conflict in the cockpits of iconic starfighters. STAR WARS™: Squadrons is available October 2, 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC on EA.com, Steam, and Epic Games Store, and playable in Virtual Reality (VR) on PlayStation 4 and PC with cross-play support.
The Sims 4: Star Wars Expansion
Hone your lightsaber skills, befriend a droid, and get ready to unlock missions for the Resistance, First Order, or scoundrels. The more you accomplish, the closer you are to meeting iconic Star Wars characters like Rey and Kylo Ren. Available September 8, 2020, on PC/Mac, Steam, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
12 Minutes – Gamescom Trailer
TWELVE MINUTES is an interactive thriller about a man trapped in a time loop. Featuring James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe. Coming soon.
GODFALL – Vertigo Character Gamescom Trailer
The truth is revealed for those who seek it. Walk the path of enlightenment with Vertigo!
Anther short ad break of content creators talking about Video Games during COVID-19.
MAFIA Definitive Edition – Gamescom Trailer
In the world of organized crime, Tommy learns that loyalty to the Family can bring him riches and power far beyond his life as a cab driver. Despite the cost, this is a life of reward too big to ignore. Welcome to the Family.
LEMNIS GATE – Reveal Trailer
Lemnis Gate is the revolutionary turn-based combat strategy FPS taking place in a time loop. Master the unique abilities of powerful deep-space operatives and compete in mind-bending four-dimensional battles. Coming Early 2021
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Gameplay Trailer
Play through all nine Star Wars™ saga films in a brand-new LEGO video game unlike any other. Experience fun-filled adventures, whimsical humor, and the freedom to fully immerse yourself in the LEGO Star Wars universe like never before.
Struggling – Release Trailer for Nintendo Switch and PC (Out Now)
Struggling is available now for Nintendo Switch. Struggling is a physics-based co-op platformer with a twisted spin on teamwork. Control the arms of a squishy abomination and guide it through a deranged world where anything goes. Outrun ravenous rats, joyride a dirt bike, and vault over pools of unmentionable waste. One thing’s certain: you will struggle.
Age of Empires III – Gamescom Trailer
Return to adventure in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition on October 15, 2020 Celebrate one of the most beloved real-time strategy franchises with stunning 4K Ultra HD graphics, a fully remastered soundtrack, two new game modes, including all expansions and all 14 civilizations, plus two brand new civilizations – the Swedes and Inca. Pre-order now on Windows 10 or Steam, or pre-install with Xbox Game Pass for PC
Chorus – Gamescom Trailer
In Chorus, take control of ex-cultist Nara and her sentient starfighter Forsaken in an epic quest for redemption and to free the galaxy from the influence of the insidious Great Prophet. This teaser trailer features previously unseen pre-alpha gameplay capture. Feel the agility and combat prowess of Nara and Forsaken and catch a glimpse of some of the devastating weapons and mind-bending abilities players will unlock in this evolution of the space-combat shooter.”
Fall Guys: Season 2 Sneak Peak Trailer
Jump in Now on PlayStation 4 and Steam: http://fallguys.com Fall Guys Season 2 will bring the dragon fire with feudal fortresses, knockout knights and pugilistic paladins among new additions coming this October. A full season of new costumes, emotes and more will reward players as they lay siege to the Middle Ages.
Wasteland 3 is now available on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4! It is also included with Xbox Game Pass.
Medal of Honour: Above and Beyond – VR Game Reveal Trailer
Charge into history in Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond’s thrilling single-player campaign. As an agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in war-torn Europe, players will take part in historic events on land, air, and sea; sabotaging Nazi bases, subverting enemy plans, and aiding the French Resistance. Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a first person shooter VR game from Respawn Entertainment, available this holiday
Become the Ultimate Battlemage! Spellbreak launches free-to-play on September 3, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC (Epic Games store)! Spellbreak is a multiplayer action-spellcasting game where you unleash your inner battlemage. Master elemental magic to fit your playstyle and cast powerful spell combinations to dominate other players across the Hollow Lands. Access your Spellbreak player account and play with anyone on all supported platforms with cross-progression, cross-play, and cross-party features at launch.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light – Stasis Subclass Trailer
Power takes a new form and three new subclasses emerge: Shadebinders, Revenants, and Behemoths. Guardians will wield Stasis as they begin a perilous journey. A journey to a new destination in search of a dark empire and secrets frozen in time. Secrets that will reveal a power beyond understanding – beyond Light.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart – PlayStation 5 Extended Gameplay Demo
Ratchet and Clank find themselves at odds with their archnemesis, Dr. Nefarious. Only this time, he’s equipped with the dangerous Dimensionator, a device with the power to travel to other dimensions. The duo fights their way through an army of hired Goons in Megalopolis until something happens and they are ripped apart. Where are they now? From acclaimed studio Insomniac Games, enjoy a visually dazzling, interdimensional adventure, complete with familiar faces and some new allies and enemies in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – exclusively on the PlayStation 5 console.
and that is Gamescom ONL done…..
….My thoughts
Well just as Geoff Keighly explained in the Pre-Show, this was not an event of massive surprises of big reveals. But it was a solid event for me, highlight was definitely getting an update on 12 Minutes, an Xbox exclusive that is building one hell of a voice cast with Daisy Ridley, Willem Defoe and James McAvoy.
Nice to have some more release dates and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart looks incredible with that extended gameplay trailer and a very sensible launch window and not a release date, making sure to avoid the same mess as HALO Infinite’s delay created. Star Wars has a very strong showing, that Sims 4 Star Wars Expansion will definitely get a lot of attention, Star Wars Squadrons just needs to hurry up and be in my console and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga looks incredible though I had hoped for a Christmas release.
As a replacement for the actual Gamescom Event this was ok, the randomness of having IGN’s Sydney Goodman appearing to give made up Awards for Games not even out for release yet looked very cringe and try-hard for me, a rather lame way to have IGN feature in the show in their partnership deal with Geoff. But with the world as it is, we can probably expect more digital events like this going forward, especially for the main Game Awards show in December. More games to look forward to is always a good thing and the Summer Games Fest has been amazing to bridge the gap that the cancelled E3 and Gamescom left.
Sadly….the wait for next generation pricing and release dates continues, I had not expected them to be revealed here of course but focus is definitely now on Sony and Xbox do see which goes first.
