Sea of Thieves New Update ‘Crews of Rage’ Out Now!

Sean McCarthy
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0
Sea of Thieves New Update ‘Crews of Rage’ Out Now!

With recent events on the Sea of Thieves really heating things up, it seems the fiery temper of a certain Skeleton Lord glimpsed in the most recent Tall Tale is having an impact in unexpected ways. In the free Crews of Rage update, now live for all Sea of Thieves players across Xbox One, Windows 10 PC and with Xbox Game Pass, players can begin fighting back against their skeleton foes with a new and explosive type of treasure.

Treasure with a Temper

Cursed Chests are tricky things for pirates to encounter at the best of times: they contain great loot but behave in unpredictable ways. The new Chest of Rage is no exception, bound by the furious souls of lost crews and liable to explode with incandescent rage! Keeping one of these chests from blowing its lid will require some skill and teamwork – but canny pirates might also consider stoking the fires and using the chest’s wave of flame as a weapon or trap.

Chests of Rage will earn you a red-hot payday and reputation boost from the Gold Hoarders, but can also be traded at The Reaper’s Hideout for double the gold at the expense of rep. This offer is only available during the Crews of Rage update, making it a great time for players to boost their coffers and pick up new cosmetics.

Burned to Ash

As part of the free Crews of Rage update, Duke has several special Bounty Voyages for pirates to tackle. Each one involves obtaining a new Chest of Rage and using it (or the recently introduced firebombs) to take the fight to the skeleton hordes!

These Voyages will lead crews to the deadly Devil’s Roar region and back out to a target island, so prepare for a heated encounter. Players are sure to notice that many skeletons in this region have taken on a new look, either becoming accustomed to the hostile environment or just dressing to impress their Skeleton Lord. Either way, these new Ashen Skeletons cannot be destroyed by fire and will make life trickier for pyromaniacal pirates.

Fortress of Fahrenheit

Meanwhile, all the Fort activity this month focuses on Molten Sands Fortress, also located in The Devil’s Roar. Prepare to experience a real hotspot of activity with plenty of chances to earn new fire-flinging Commendations.

You’ll find a Chest of Rage among the tempting treasures inside the Fort’s vault, along with a high likelihood of lost volumes from the latest and last set of Ashen Tomes. Each Tome (itself locked in an Ashen Chest) unlocks a special Ashen cosmetic, so try to find them in the Fort, in the aftermath of Skeleton Ship battles, through Duke’s Black Market Voyages and of course emergently in the world.

The Sea’s Most Generous Thieves

Finally, it’s with great pride that we can announce that sales of the Noble Pathfinder Sails in our in-game store raised an astonishing $76,205.90 for SpecialEffect! Rare and the Sea of Thieves team wish to extend our heartiest thanks to all the players who purchased a set of these sails and, in doing so, contributed to this staggering haul. The Noble Pathfinder Sails were designed by Rare’s own Art team and sold in the Pirate Emporium, with the proceeds from each sale donated to SpecialEffect.

This charity, which uses innovative technology and software to help people with disabilities, makes gaming accessible to those who might otherwise never be able to enjoy these experiences or connect with gaming communities. A big thank you to SpecialEffect for working with us and ensuring that even more pirates can sail together in 2020. Find out more about this charity’s amazing work at https://www.specialeffect.org.uk.

For more information on the Crews of Rage update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Xbox One or on Windows 10 PC, or players who have access to it with Xbox Game Pass. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.

New to Sea of Thieves? Join the fun with our all-new Maiden Voyage, a narrative-driven tutorial experience separate from Adventure and Arena modes. New Sea of Thieves players will begin their travels within this scenario, which provides guidance and information to fledgling sailors.

To see everything that’s been added to Sea of Thieves since launch, head to the official What’s New page: https://www.seaofthieves.com/whats-new

Links
Sea of Thieves website: https://www.seaofthieves.com
Sea of Thieves Forums: https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum
Sea of Thieves on Discord: https://discord.gg/seaofthieves
Sea of Thieves on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeaOfThieves
Sea of Thieves on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeaOfThievesGame
Sea of Thieves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SeaofThieves
Sea of Thieves on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/SeaofThieves
Sea of Thieves on Mixer: https://mixer.com/SeaofThieves

Review: AO Tennis 2

Sean McCarthy
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0
Review: AO Tennis 2

Sports games in general have to walk a very fine line when trying to recreate the thrill of the sport but also in making it fun for the player. Go too far in either direction and the balance can be thrown off enough that the intended experience is lost. It can happen in any sports game and when the mix is right it can be amazing to play from football to basketball to racing games. With Tennis there is surprisingly very little titles to really call on other than Top Sin and more arcade style games. The first AO Tennis game failed to get the balance right and was quite a disappointing mess. But now 2020 kicks off with the second attempt to get things right but the question is, did they finally get the balance right?

Starting off it has to be said that this title really likes the financial punch that you can see in titles likes FIFA, PES or NBA2K games so the presentation is rather basic and to the point from the moment you fire the games up. It is also very noticeable and it is still very jarring to see the engine struggle both in the actual matches with animation and player models, something that the first game suffered from and sadly have not been ironed out for this sequel. Whilst I will always be more focused on the actual gameplay and the modes a game has over the quality of the visuals but here the visuals are almost last generation level and even playing on my Xbox One X, it was very noticeable.

The next noticeable aspect is the roster of real-world talent and sadly, it is missing some of the biggest names in the sport in its limited line up of 25 real world stars. Though you have Rafael Nadal as your cover star, the absence of iconic players such as Roger Federer, Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova does make an impact on the game though this is no doubt down to licensing issues, it prevents some of the dream matches that fans of Tennis would realistically expect to be able to have in a video game. Where the game does try to counter this is by having a robust creator mode which allows players to create their own tennis stars and even stadiums to hold matches and tournaments in which also allows the ability to download the creations made by the community, with some very hit and miss versions of the missing star players, into their own game.

The create a player system really tries to offer a truly deep system where not only can you adjust the physical look of a player but you can micromanage every detail of the clothing, bags used and tennis rackets. Depending on how much you enjoy digging around in such systems, you can quickly make your own tennis star to take into career mode or the online mode of the game. For me, this system felt like a stripped-down version of the creator system used in WWE2K games, but it does offer something to make up for the lack of real-world players. I never ended up with a created player I was really happy with and making adjustments to physical attributes using the sliders often felt as if they were doing very little, in the hands of someone experienced it could be used to fine tune a creation. Being able to share your own creation with the community and to download someone else’s is a welcome aspect and adds a little extra to this system.

The game mode that you will find yourself in the most will be the Career mode which allows you to pick either a real-world tennis star or to create your own to take on the road. You can really see the amount of effort that has gone into the design of this mode as it takes into account what a tennis pro would actually do during the professional year. This means that in-between major tournaments you will need to do training in order to prepare but it also requires knowing when to rest your player as well which is a nice little bit of attention to detail and actually has an impact on your performance in matches if you were to over train or even suffer jetlag from travelling to each tournament. It might seem a little over the top to have that level of detail but in a career mode especially in Tennis it is something that adds an element of reality to the mode which I appreciate in sports titles.

Gameplay has been improved  a little since the first game with a system that using the controller face buttons to decide the type of shot you want to make but where it still struggles however is walking that fine line between trying to recreate an authentic tennis pro experience and still making it accessible and fun for the player. It still feels far too much on the simulation side which makes the punishment for failing to grasp the control system very frustrating. It also suffers from moments where it fails to respond to button presses, the number of times my player refused to even swing his racket just left me staring at the screen in disbelief. One aspect to the more simulation focus of the gameplay is the ability to emotionally react to a point, win or lose you can show happiness by waving to the fans or you can be angry and show your frustration by throwing your racket down in true tennis pro fashion. This will impact on your reputation and can have an effect on sponsorship deals for your career.

Sadly, there are too many niggles that jump out of the game stopping this from being the smooth tennis game experience it should be. As well as issues with animation and control system being unresponsive at times, the sound in the game constantly feels like something is actually wrong with the game, when the crowd sounds are triggered, they just feel like it was recorded via a box around the microphone. Not to mention a crazy save icon that pops up on screen after every single point, I mean I get it in as far as replays need to be saved but just make it less obvious rather than an eye catching and distracting.

Overall AO Tennis 2 is able to enjoy being the only tennis game available right now that could be seen as ‘up to date’ but that really is because the competition in Tennis video games just isn’t there. Though it is a better experience than the first attempt, it still suffers a lot from having a low production budget which can be seen in the less than stellar visuals and underwhelming roster of real-world tennis stars. The depth in career mode and the custom creator systems offer something that a fan of tennis can sink their teeth into but this still fails to walk the fine line needed to create a really good sports game.

It does enough but it also fails to do enough to really stand out as anything but an average tennis game experience.

Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle Out now for PS4 and Xbox One

Sean McCarthy
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0
Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle Out now for PS4 and Xbox One

There’s no better way to honor the decade milestone of two pulse-pounding, action-packed titles than with the Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle, available starting today for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One!

Running at 4K resolution at 60 FPS on PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X, you’d think you were dreaming when you see both Sam Gideon and Bayonetta in action! 

Armature Studio has partnered with PlatinumGames and Sega of America to port Bayonetta and Vanquish to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, keeping the stylized, intense action and unique visuals of each game intact while increasing the framerate to 60 FPS, and supporting 4K resolutions on the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro.

As part of porting the game, Armature has updated both games to a modern 64-bit architecture, including the middleware used by the games. Armature worked closely with the original creators to realize their vision for the games on modern hardware, as well as updating each title with visual improvements and polish.

Collectors, take note! Those who opt for the physical release of our first-run Launch Edition will get both games packed inside an embossed SteelBook case featuring brand-new cover art produced by Weapons Van and supervised by Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya and SEGA.

Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle: Launch Edition for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is now available through all major retailers.

A One-Two Punch of PlayStation 4 Themes

For PlayStation 4 players who prefer to build their digital library, two themes are available for purchasing the Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle on the PlayStation Store:

Bayonetta & Vanquish Theme: Show some love for the original Bayonetta and Vanquish cover art with this theme – available for all digital pre-orders.

Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle Theme: Celebrate the 10th anniversary with a theme featuring the brand-new cover art shown above. Available for a limited time for all digital pre-orders and purchases up to March 3, 2020, two weeks after launch.

Get ready to tear through countless hordes of enemies in two of gaming’s most celebrated (and stylish!) action games starting today. Both Bayonetta and Vanquish are remastered in 4K resolution at 60 FPS on PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X for the first time. 

About Bayonetta:

Experience the genesis of the Bayonetta series with the cult classic, original action-adventure game. The tantalizing Umbra Witch rises from the depths after half a millennium in slumber with no recollection of her mysterious past. Immediately thrust into battle, she must vanquish her countless enemies to piece together the truth.

Take advantage of Bayonetta’s arsenal of skills including shapeshifting into various animal forms, summoning demons with her hair, and exercising her mastery of the bullet arts. Hack, slash, and open fire upon hordes of celestial foes in this wickedly charming action-packed adventure.

About Vanquish:

The hit sci-fi shooter returns. An overpopulated Earth suffocating under limited resources looks to Providence, the solar-powered space colony for support. When Providence is suddenly taken over by terrorists and its technology used to devastate cities, it’s up to a specially trained unit of space marines to reclaim the colony.

Equipped with BLADE, the experimental weapon system that can scan, copy, and save up to three existing weapons, DARPA agent Sam Gideon must infiltrate Providence, defeat legions of future-tech foes, and disable the weapons of mass destruction threatening life on Earth.

About PlatinumGames Inc.

PlatinumGames Inc. is an independent video game developer based in Osaka, Japan, dedicated to making high-quality, next-generation games for a variety of platforms.PlatinumGames’ website is located at www.platinumgames.com

Review: Gioteck WX4 Premium Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch

Andrew Edney
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0
Review: Gioteck WX4 Premium Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch

Here is our review of the Gioteck WX4 Premium Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch, PS3 and PC.

Go Pro and swap the Joy-Con Controllers for a handheld Switch controller, providing you with even more gaming control than ever before. The ergonomic traditional pro-controller design lets you game for hours in comfort. The WX4 offers the ultimate in Pro Switch gaming control.

Features

  • BLUETOOTH (WIRELESS VERSION ONLY)
  • ERGONOMIC DESIGN
  • TRADITIONAL BUTTON LAYOUT
  • LED’s FOR POWER & PLAYER NUMBER

What’s in the box?

The box contains the controller, a user manual and a cable.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

The WX4 is aimed squarely at Nintendo Switch users who would prefer the use of a controller instead of the joy cons. And as a controller it’s very good. It looks and feels like a normal controller and connecting it to your Switch is very simple.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced, good quality controller for use on a Nintendo Switch (or PS3 or even PC), then take a look at this one – it might just be your next one! I can’t go back to the joy cons now!

The Gioteck WX4 Premium Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch, PS3 and PC is available now priced around £19.99 .

You can learn more from the Gioteck website.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Prologue Out Now For Xbox One

Sean McCarthy
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0
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Prologue Out Now For Xbox One

SQUARE ENIX and Disney today released the popular KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX and KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue compilations for the Xbox One family of devices. Introducing nine unforgettable adventures to Xbox players for the first time, the expansive compilations collectively include over 100 hours of KINGDOM HEARTS adventures, paving the way for new players to experience the journey leading up to the release of the critically acclaimed KINGDOM HEARTS III. 

 
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX includes the following games:

  • KINGDOM HEARTS FINAL MIX
  • KINGDOM HEARTS Re:Chain of Memories
  • KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days (HD remastered cinematics)
  • KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX
  • KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX
  • KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded (HD remastered cinematics)

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue includes the following games:

  • KINGDOM HEARTS Dream Drop Distance HD
  • KINGDOM HEARTS 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A fragmentary passage –
  • KINGDOM HEARTS χ Back Cover (movie)

Additionally, Keyblade wielders that have completed KINGDOM HEARTS III on Xbox One can look forward to the KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind DLC* that will release for the Xbox One family of devices on February 25 for $29.99. The KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind + Concert Video package, which includes all KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind content as well as footage from the KINGDOM HEARTS – World of Tres – Orchestra concert recorded in Osaka, Japan on Nov. 30, 2019 will also be available for $39.99.
 
Finally, Xbox Game Pass members that have yet to experience the adventures in the award-winning RPG may download KINGDOM HEARTS III as part of their monthly subscription starting February 25. Xbox Game Pass members must purchase the KINGDOM HEARTS III Re Mind DLC separately in order to access the new content.

Related Links:
Official Website: www.kingdomhearts.com
Twitter: @KingdomHearts
Facebook: @KingdomHearts
YouTube: www.youtube.com/KingdomHearts
Instagram: @KingdomHearts

Review: Jack’s Beach Buggy LEGO Hidden Side Set

Andrew Edney
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0
Review: Jack’s Beach Buggy LEGO Hidden Side Set

Back in September 2019, the LEGO Group launched its first-ever mixed reality range called LEGO Hidden Side, here is our review of the new Jack’s Beach Buggy set that just launched.

Youngsters love the amazing Hidden Side universe, where physical and digital worlds merge! This LEGO® Hidden Side Jack’s Beach Buggy (70428) toy combines a buildable LEGO model with an app to provide a single or multiplayer mixed-reality play experience, where interaction with the toy triggers events in the digital world. Awesome interactive LEGO building toy Jack’s beach buggy reveals a haunted digital world when viewed through a smartphone or tablet equipped with the LEGO Hidden Side AR app. Kids then get to explore, solve mysteries, hunt ghosts and battle boss ghost Trucker Dale, either alone or online with friends. And with 3 minifigures, there’s also room for imaginative role-play fun! About the ever-changing Hidden Side LEGO Hidden Side toys bring interactive augmented reality (AR) play to LEGO models. This play experience is constantly enhanced through new content, ghosts and special events. Simply install the free Hidden Side AR app for smart devices and scan this model to bring it to life!

What’s in the Box?

The box contains all the pieces of LEGO and an instruction booklet.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

For this review we were sent the Jack’s Beach Buggy which contains the beach buggy plus Jack, Parker and possessed mechanic Scott Francis minifigures.

When built, this LEGO Hidden Side Jack’s Beach Buggy (70428) model measures over 3″ (10cm) high, 4″ (11cm) long and 3″ (8cm) wide.

These new sets from LEGO are great. Not only do you have the fun of building and playing with the LEGO (which by itself is always great fun), but you also get the fun that comes with the mixed reality app for iOS and Android. Simply download it, build the LEGO set and hold up your phone or tablet and play!

Using the app is very simple and really adds to playtime with the set, I look forward to seeing what LEGO do next!

There are various Hidden Sides sets to choose from, why not take a look?

The LEGO Hidden Sides sets are available now priced from £17.99 and are aimed at ages 7 and above. The Jack’s Beach Buggy playset (70428) is priced at £17.99.

You can learn more from the LEGO website.

Hunt Showdown Console Edition Out Now

Sean McCarthy
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0
Hunt Showdown Console Edition Out Now

Crytek and Koch Media happily announce that the highly acclaimed online multi-player bounty hunting game Hunt: Showdown is now available physically and digitally for PlayStation 4 and physically for Xbox family of consoles.

Hunt: Showdown is a competitive first-person bounty hunting game that packs the thrill of survival games into a match-based format. Set in Louisiana in 1895, the game boasts a mixture of PvP and PvE elements that creates a uniquely tense experience. It’s not just the creatures who are a threat—it’s every Hunter on the map. In the classic game mode, a match of Hunt pits ten players—playing solo or in teams of two—against each other as they race to take out gruesome beasts for a bounty they must collect and get off of the map, while Hunt’s quickplay mode offers a shorter match for solo players to scavenge for weapons as they compete for a diminishing pool of bounty.

The higher the risk, the higher the reward–but a single mistake could cost everything.

For more information check out: www.huntshowdown.com

Review: Newbury Subway LEGO Hidden Side Set

Andrew Edney
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0
Review: Newbury Subway LEGO Hidden Side Set

Back in September 2019, the LEGO Group launched its first-ever mixed reality range called LEGO Hidden Side, here is our review of the new Newbury Subway set that just launched.

Youngsters love the amazing LEGO® Hidden Side universe, where physical and digital worlds merge in an incredible, single or multiplayer, mixed-reality play experience. This Newbury subway (70430) set combines the open creative play of LEGO building toys with an augmented reality (AR) app – so interaction with the model triggers events in the digital world. Fully interactive building toy Install the free Hidden Side AR app for smart devices and scan the Newbury subway model to reveal a digital world, where kids can hunt ghosts, explore and solve mysteries and battle boss ghost Rat Shaun – alone or online with friends. And, with Jack, Parker and possessed Pete Peterson minifigures, the scene is set for endless hands-on LEGO play! An ever-evolving augmented reality (AR) experience The LEGO Hidden Side universe is set in the fictional town of Newbury, where ghosts haunt people and buildings. The AR play experience is constantly enhanced through new content, ghosts and special events.

What’s in the Box?

The box contains all the pieces of LEGO and an instruction booklet.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

For this review we were sent the Newbury Subway which contains 3 minifigures: Jack, Parker and Pete Peterson minifigures.

When built, the LEGO Hidden Side Newbury subway toy measures over 5″ (15cm) high, 10″ (26cm) wide and 5″ (14cm) deep.

These new sets from LEGO are great. Not only do you have the fun of building and playing with the LEGO (which by itself is always great fun), but you also get the fun that comes with the mixed reality app for iOS and Android. Simply download it, build the LEGO set and hold up your phone or tablet and play!

Using the app is very simple and really adds to playtime with the set, I look forward to seeing what LEGO do next!

There are various Hidden Sides sets to choose from, why not take a look?

The LEGO Hidden Sides sets are available now priced from £17.99 and are aimed at ages 7 and above. The Newbury Subway playset (70430) is priced at £24.99.

You can learn more from the LEGO website.

Doctor Who: Series 12 Episode 9 ‘Ascension of the Cybermen’ Trailer

Sean McCarthy
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1
Doctor Who: Series 12 Episode 9 ‘Ascension of the Cybermen’ Trailer

Well here we go, the two part Series 12 finale will begin with Episode 9 ‘Ascension of the Cybermen’. 

https://youtu.be/3i2WQFGvHJs

“The ascension shall begin…” The Doctor and friends must protect the last of the human race against the Cybermen. The 2-part series finale of Doctor Who begins this Sunday, February 23rd!

Take a look at the inspiration for Episode 8 ‘The Haunting of Villa Diodati” and find out more about the party on Lake Geneva that inspired the original “Frankenstein”.

Review: Doctor Who News: Series 12 Episode 8 ‘The Haunting of Villa Diodati’

Sean McCarthy
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0
Review: Doctor Who News: Series 12 Episode 8 ‘The Haunting of Villa Diodati’

We have finally reached the final normal episode of Series 12 as the series will end on a two part finale and we have one finally real historical figure taking centre stage as The Doctor and her gang arrive at the Villa Diodati at Lake Geneva in 1816 on the night that inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The plan is to spend the evening soaking up the atmos in the presence of some literary greats, but the ghosts are all too real, and the Doctor is forced into a decision of earth-shattering proportions.

I have always been and always will be a fan of the episodes opening with a little prologue before the credits and tonight had one of the more fun ones as we are first introduced to the literary brilliance of Lord Byron, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and Dr John Polidori. On an evening of merriment held during a strange stormy night, a slightly scary story ends with a mysterious knock on the door. As they approach the door to the sound of thunder and lighting in a darkened Victorian house, nervous and anxious they open to door to find the Doctor and Team TARDIS, changed into period clothing

I had a strange sense that this episode would be more of a prelude to the series finale two-parter rather than a standard episode of Who which would only tease to it and I was right. Something about the setting featuring Mary Shelley who would go on to write Frankenstein creating a monster from body parts of different people just compliments the very idea of a certain old enemy of the Doctor. The episode did try to stick to the regular monster of the wee formula but it did not take long for the real purpose of this story be revealed.

The first half of the story is really more of a silly attempt at being all spooky than actually being anything resembling the eery effect of last week’s story telling in ‘Can you hear me?’. With strange things happening such as objects flying across a hallway right to a skeletal hand becoming animated after bursting through a painting. Graham was used to great effect as his need to find the bathroom is made extra hard by a house seeming ever changing, trapping the people in their rooms with no way of leaving or for anyone or anything to get into the house. The silliness did lead to some funny moments with the Doctor batting away the advances and flirtations of Lord Byron himself and Ryan almost finding himself in a duel to the death with Dr John Polidori. Graham and Ryan again playing the rolls of comedy act is becoming rather tired this season, but perhaps something I will come to a bit later on might give some hope as to what might come at the end of this series.

The main focus of the story soon jumps to where I had expected this setting to lead which was to introduce the very thing that Captain Jack Harkness had told Team TARDIS to warn the Doctor about, the Lone Cyberman. Missing from the group so far was Percy Bysshe Shelley, husband to Mary, he had seen an apparition that when seen through a window by the group, the Doctor deduced that it was something trying to enter the house but something and the very thing that was causing all the spookiness was also the thing preventing it from gaining entry. The horror theme quickly turned to sci-fi as the Doctor worked out that something was creating a perception filter which was causing the house to appear to be changing when it was simply working to keep everyone trapped where they were but soon the apparition did break through and when it did, it finally began the tease for how the series finale will start.

The Apparition was indeed a single Cyberman, but one that had not fully been converted and so it had a rather cool half Cyberman half human hybrid that was trying to locate “The Guardian”. It moved around the house hunting for it. Only the Doctor has encountered a Cyberman before and with Team TARDIS recognising this as the thing Captain Jack had told them to warn the Doctor about, it was left to the Doctor to one again handle the exposition of explaining to them and the audience just a Cyberman was and the threat and evil they represented. I have to admit I really liked how the Cyberman was introduced into the episode rather then waiting to the two part finale as that already has a lot to already deal with. There was also a very lovely moment where the time old method of defeating one by appealing or reawakening the human emotion of a Cyberman was attempted but then quickly shot down as the Cyberman revealed that the human inside was just as evil as a Cyberman would have been.

The warning from Captain Jack was simply “beware the lone Cyberman and do not give it what it wants” and this was pretty much all the final twenty minutes of the story was about. The husband of Mary Shelley had discovered something shiny in the lake before the evening’s festivities had begun. Finding what could only be described as a silver liquid metal, he had absorbed it and learned it was known as the Cyberium, an AI entity that held all the knowledge of the Cybermen and is used to create ones. It was this that had been able to hold off the Cyberman for so long but it was slowly killing Percy. The moments of the Doctor and Cyberman coming face to face and seeing this half converted Cyberman, still with his human emotions but being angry and irritated by the Doctor made this meeting of old enemies something fun to watch. 

Where the story really delivered however was in how Team TARDIS’s relationship with the Doctor once again crept up. A few times we have seen how travelling with the Doctor has impacted on the lives of Graham, Ryan and Yaz. They have been asking questions and really just doing some soul searching as the reality of what travelling with the Doctor means. Here we see them pleading with the Doctor to follow the warning from Captain Jack but this only provided us the audience a chance to look at this relationship from the view of the Doctor. When trying to save the life of Percy but knowing the only solution is to give the Cyberman what it wanted, the Doctor actually snaps at Ryan, telling him that changing history has a price, and that by changing the event of that night and allowing Percy to do could change the future so much that none of Team TARDIS were ever born, then asking Ryan if he would sacrifice their lives right then for that to happen.

This is the side of the 13th Doctor that I want to see more of, when she said that ultimately no matter who is travelling with her that in the end is down to the Doctor to make the final choice of life and death and that the decision remains on her shoulders it finally removed the “its fun being in the TARDIS with the Doctor” mystique that often comes in the first series with a companion and has definitely been the current experience of Team TARDIS all through Series 11 and now 12 but this is the only time that the reality of travelling in time and space, fighting monsters and dealing with threats so big they can risk the Earth to the very reality itself. For me, I am really tired with Team TARDIS and I truly believe the show would be far better with a single companion as half the time members become background scenery or comedy characters but this all feels as though one or more of current Team TARDIS might be having second thoughts of this life and may choose to return home or something more tragic during the series finale.

Where we are left is a Doctor with no other choice by to give the Cyberman the Cyberium and knowing the next thing must be to go find it in the future and stop its plan to raise a new Cyberman Army. Her instinct is to take Team TARDIS home to spare them the danger of what this means, no doubt as a result of losing Bill as the 12th Doctor though her name is not mentioned. So the first part of the series finale will see the Doctor and Team TARDIS going to battle with the Cybermen and I do understand why this episode was used as the prologue of sorts to that story simply because there is still so much to wrap up for this series. We have The Master and a destroyed Gallefrey bringing the Timeless Child into the series and then we have the ‘Other’ Doctor in Ruth which still has so many questions left unanswered.

But for this episode, it was average in terms of where it began before the work to prep for the finale kicked in. It for me, showcased quite a lot about what I would like to see changed before a series 13 for the 13th Doctor and the groundwork has been laid down. Now just to see if the finale can stick the landing.

Home Movie Screening Gets Cinematic Boost

Andrew Edney
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Home Movie Screening Gets Cinematic Boost

Signify the world leader in lighting, and makers of Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, has conducted research on the latest movie watching trends and the nation’s favourite blockbusters. With the latest developments in surround lighting and sound, the most epic films can now be enjoyed at home with immersive cinematic effects.

A study of 2,000 movie fans revealed the 40 films which disappointed at home, with Star Wars, Titanic and Jurassic Park topping the list of blockbuster movies which lose their magic on the ‘small screen’.

The research found that a quarter of respondents prefer watching films at home, compared to 15% who would opt to go to the cinema. Those who prefer their sofa to a cinema seat stated being able to pause the film when you want, a comfy sofa to snuggle into and always being able to have snacks to hand as key reasons they prefer staying in. And seven in 10 agreed there are plenty of great films out there to enjoy which aren’t available in the cinemas.

Andy Baxter, Philips Hue Product Manager said: “The research tells us people are watching and streaming more film than ever from the comfort of their own homes, with the trend towards bigger, smarter TVs and the ability to personalise the experience, set to continue.”

More than one in four agreed that being able to watch multiple films in one sitting is another bonus to watching movies at home, and a third said you have the luxury of more choice.

It also emerged that 57% will get irritated by other movie fans talking in a cinema screening, and 43% said the cinema experience is ruined by the adverts seeming to go on ‘forever’.

Just under 50% of the survey respondents like the amazing sound systems at the cinema, while 42% like to feel immersed in the film.

“While light has long been used to enhance our entertainment experience at the cinema, until now it’s been difficult to recreate the same effects at home, so we’ve developed surround lighting. Smart lights that sync to the content on your TV screen – which you can control from subtle to intense, creating the ultimate interactive entertainment experience increasing the overall enjoyment of what is happening on the screen.”

Andy Baxter continued: “With today’s 4K TVs and 3D sound commonplace, if you’re looking to create a true cinematic experience in your home, it’s time to upgrade your entertainment centre and that includes the lighting. First you need to get the lighting right and smart dimmable lights are a must to set the atmosphere. The new Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box tech takes this to another level for maximum impact.”

The average consumer today watches five films per month at home, as opposed to an average of just one film at the cinema. With half of respondents sharing they wish to have watched more films, creating a cosy atmosphere for a movie night in is key.

The most popular genres to watch are thrillers with 54% of respondents saying it’s their favourite, followed by comedy (51%), drama (49%), action (47%), crime (43%).

Andy Baxter, Philips Hue added: “People love to escape the pressures of everyday life. The Sync Box takes movie- and TV-watching, listening and gaming experiences to a completely new level. Enhance the suspense in your thriller, add colour to your comedy and you will see the colour capable Philips Hue lights make explosions come to life at home.”

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box is the latest development by Philips Hue, enabling you to create immersive media experiences from your living room – whether using a streaming device, satellite and cable set top box, game console, DVD player, laptop, or TV.

TOP 40 MOVIES BEST SEEN WITH CINEMATIC EFFECTS

  1. Star Wars
  2. Titanic
  3. Jurassic Park
  4. Harry Potter
  5. The Matrix
  6. Lord of the Rings
  7. Avatar
  8. Saving Private Ryan
  9. Indiana Jones
  10. Dunkirk
  11. Jaws
  12. Gladiator
  13. Pirates of the Caribbean
  14. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  15. Die Hard
  16. Alien
  17. Pearl Harbour
  18. Skyfall
  19. Gravity
  20. The Hunger Games
  21. The Dark Knight
  22. Toy Story
  23. The Avengers
  24. Guardians of the Galaxy
  25. Apollo 13
  26. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  27. The Shining
  28. Braveheart
  29. Frozen
  30. Gone with the Wind
  31. ET
  32. Fast and Furious
  33. La La Land
  34. Beauty and the Beast
  35. Casino Royale
  36. Transformers
  37. Inception
  38. Mad Max: Fury Road
  39. Joker
  40. The Exorcist

Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box: Pricing and availability

The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box is available to purchase on meethue.com. Available from £229.99.

For more information on Philips Hue products and how smart lights can help you create the ultimate cinematic experience, visit https://www2.meethue.com/en-gb/entertainment

Win Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on Blu-ray

Andrew Edney
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Win Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on Blu-ray

To celebrate the release of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on DVD and Blu-ray, we are offering you the change to win a copy on Blu-ray.

The thrilling sequel to 2014’s Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie as Maleficent and Elle Fanning as her goddaughter Aurora, arrives home with brand-new bonus features, extended scenes, outtakes and an exclusive extra for Digital consumers. 

Bonus features take viewers behind-the-scenes with the all-star cast to explore the making of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. Extended scenes reveal how Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) manipulates Aurora into questioning Maleficient and accelerating her wedding plans. Featurettes include interviews with Jolie, who discusses Maleficent’s origins and the cast who portray the Fey, and Fanning, who gushes over Aurora’s fairytale wedding. Filmmakers showcase the visual effects behind the film’s stunning landscapes and the seemingly effortless flight of the Fey. Additional extras include “You Can’t Stop The Girl,” a music video performed by Bebe Rexha, and hilarious outtakes, ranging from uncooperative cats to uncontrollable giggles on set. “MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL”. 

Fans who purchase Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on Digital will gain access to an exclusive extra in which fantasy-film veteran Warwick Davis divulges the backstory for his character, Lickspittle. 

Directed by Joachim Rønning, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil carries on the story of Disney’s most iconic villain. The years have been kind to Maleficent and Aurora. Their relationship, born of heartbreak, revenge and ultimately love, has flourished. Yet hatred between man and the fairies still exists. Aurora’s impending marriage to Prince Philip is cause for celebration as the wedding serves to unite the Kingdom of Ulstead and the neighboring Moors. But, when an unexpected encounter introduces a powerful new alliance, Maleficent and Aurora are pulled apart to opposing sides in a Great War, testing their loyalties and causing them to question whether they can truly be a family. 

How to enter to win

We have three copies on Blu-ray to give away, simply enter below:

Win Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on Blu-ray
The contest closes at midnight on 1st March 2020.

This contest is only open to those in the UK – sorry! 

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is available on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD.



Play Color Galaxy on Snapchat

Andrew Edney
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Play Color Galaxy on Snapchat

Play Color Galaxy – a highly competitive multiplayer game that allows players to travel across planets and invade unknown lands.

In the game, Snapchatters compete for the most territory by driving cool, custom cars around in a race for half the map – drawing lines to close their colour loop, expanding their sector. But beware, as whilst you can cross an opponent’s line to take their life, you need to be careful to protect your own otherwise it’ll be you reading “game over”!

About Color Galaxy

  • Color Galaxy is a highly competitive multiplayer game that lets players travel across planets and invade unknown lands.
  • Deeply customised for players: Players use their Bitmoji as their in-game avatar; a selection of fun vehicles available, custom backgrounds
  • Snapchatters can easily spot their friends driving around. Get friends together and keep moving to conquer space!
  • Developed by Gismart – a leading developer of entertainment apps and games with over 500 million installs. Its hyper casual title Cool Goal! was named among the 10 most downloaded games worldwide in September and October last year.
  • Snapchat Lens: To coincide with the game launch, Gismart has also created a Lens for Snapchat – The Chicken Head
  • Successful games will result in a reward of coins that can be redeemed for new personalisation options including new vehicles, territory colours or sound effects.

Quote from Gismart: 

“We’re thrilled to join the Snap Games platform and introduce players to the whimsical, customizable worlds of Color Galaxy. Tapping into Snap’s social features like Bitmoji avatars, Snippets, and augmented reality Lenses make it even easier for Snapchatters to connect with their friends and share fun moments from the game. A gaming experience like this can only come to life on Snapchat, and we can’t wait to see the response from Snapchatters worldwide,” said Lana Meisak, VP of Business Development and Marketing at Gismart.

Quote from Snap: 
“Snap Games is all about sharing experiences with your friends, even when you can’t be together. Color Galaxy is a brilliant example of this, letting friends conquer the galaxy, with or against each other, directly from chat.”

“We’re excited to bring this fun, fast-paced, and competitive new game to our Snapchat community,” said John Imah, Snap’s Head of Games Partnerships.

About Gismart
Gismart is a leading developer and publisher of entertainment-focused apps and games with over 500 million downloads. The company operates within three primary focus areas – hyper-casual games, third-party game publishing, and music entertainment apps. Gismart’s top titles include Cool Goal!, Domino Smash, Cleon, Oil Tycoon, Happy Hockey!, Beat Maker Go, Piano Crush, Guitar Play, WeDrum and others. Today Gismart unites over 280 professionals. The company is headquartered in London, UK. For more information on Gismart, visit https://gismart.com.

About Snap Inc.
Snap Inc. is a camera company. We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We contribute to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. For more information, visit snap.com.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Opening Movie Released

Sean McCarthy
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Final Fantasy VII Remake Opening Movie Released

SQUARE ENIX today revealed the opening cinematic movie for one of the year’s most highly anticipated games, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE. The footage showcases the gorgeous visuals of the eclectic city of Midgar, backed by newly orchestrated, breath-taking music. In FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, players will be drawn into a world where Shinra Electric Power Company, a shadowy corporation, controls the planet’s very life force. Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit now turned mercenary, lends his aid to an anti-Shinra organization calling themselves Avalanche.

Additionally, fans will get to experience the breath-taking music from FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE live during the recently announced Orchestra World Tour starting in Los Angeles this June. Vocalist Yosh, will also appear at the June 14th concert to perform the theme song for the remake, “Hollow.” Further concerts will take place in San Francisco, Fort Worth, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Chicago, Denver, Nashville and Boston with more dates and cities to be announced soon. The concerts will feature music from the game’s soundtrack performed by a majestic orchestra and full chorus, all conducted by GRAMMY®-Award winner Arnie Roth known for his work on Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY. For more concert and ticketing information, visit: http://ffvii-remakeconcerts.com/.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is a reimagining of the iconic original game that re-defined the RPG genre, diving deeper into the world and its characters than ever before. The first game in the project will be set in the city of Midgar and presents a fully standalone gaming experience that provides a great starting point to the series. Along with unforgettable characters and a powerful story, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE features a hybrid battle system that merges real-time action with strategic, command-based combat.

The Deluxe Edition, available to pre-order now, contains a hardback art book featuring stunning concept art, a soundtrack selection CD, Summon Materia DLC allowing players to summon Cactuar in game, and a Sephiroth SteelBook Case. The Digital Deluxe Edition contains a digital art book, a digital soundtrack selection, and Summon Materia DLC allowing players to summon Carbuncle and Cactuar in game.

Those who pre-order any version of the game will also receive the Chocobo™ Chick Summon Materia DLC at launch, while those who pre-order any digital edition from the PlayStation®Store will also receive the Cloud & Sephiroth Dynamic Theme for the PlayStation®4 system. Pre-orders of any version of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE from the SQUARE ENIX Store will receive an exclusive FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE lanyard and automatically be entered for a chance to win a stunning limited-edition Sephiroth or Cloud Strife Chronograph watch.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is rated T (Teen,) and will be available for the PlayStation 4 on April 10, 2020. For more information, visit: www.ffvii-remake.com

Related Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finalfantasyvii
Twitter: https://twitter.com/finalfantasyvii
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finalfantasyvii/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/finalfantasy

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