Creative Technology recently launched the Creative SB Inferno gaming headset for PC, Mac, mobile gaming and PS4 – and here is our review.
Specifications
Headphone
· Drivers: 40mm Neodymium Magnet
· Frequency Response: 20Hz ~ 20kHz
· Impedance: 32 ohms
· Sensitivity: 115dB/mW
Microphone
· Type: Noise Cancelling Condenser
· Frequency Response: 100Hz~15kHz
· Impedance: <2.2kohms
· Sensitivity: -40dBV/Pa
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
The use of both black and red colours really makes the SB Inferno striking.
The headset’s 40mm full spectrum Neodymium drivers deliver good quality audio, and with its plush earpads and the lightweight headband the Inferno is comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
Attaching, and detaching the microphone is very easy, and the quality is good. The microphone is bendable so that it doesn’t get in your way but is there when you need it! You can also control whether the mic is on or off from the control on the cord which also includes a volume control.
Using the SB Inferno with something like a PS4 is as simple as plugging it into the controller.
The SB Inferno’s audio quality can be further enhanced when it is coupled with a dedicated Sound Blaster internal sound card featuring CrystalVoice technologies designed specifically to eliminate unwanted background noise, as well as enhance voice quality. For this review we didn’t have access to one so we can’t comment on how they sound together, but you would like to think Creative would know what they are doing.
If you are in the market for a low cost good quality wired headset then you should definitely take a look at the Creative SB Inferno.
To celebrate the release The Adventurer:The Curse Of The Midas Box . we have an exciting competition for you. We are offering three lucky winners the chance to win the film on DVD.
An all-star cast features in the family fantasy epic, THE ADVENTURER: THE CURSE OF THE MIDAS BOX, coming to DVD and digital platforms on October 27th, 2014, courtesy of Signature Entertainment
As the steam age takes hold in Victorian London, Mariah Mundi’s life is turned upside down when his parents vanish and his younger brother is kidnapped. After an encounter with a charismatic stranger, Mundi follows a trail of clues to the majestic Prince Regent Hotel where he discovers a hidden realm of child-stealing monsters, deadly secrets and a long lost artefact with the potential to grant limitless power at a devastating supernatural cost. With the fate of his world and his family at stake, Mundi will risk everything to unravel the Curse of the Midas Box!
Starring Aneurin Barnard (TV’s Moonfleet, The White Queen) as Mariah Mundi, THE ADVENTURER: THE CURSE OF THE MIDAS BOX also features a wealth of household names, including Michael Sheen (The Twilight Saga, Frost/Nixon), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Escape Plan), Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four, The Secret Of Moonacre), Lena Headey (TV’s Game Of Thrones, 300: Rise Of An Empire) and Keeley Hawes (TV’s Spooks, Ashes To Ashes).
The perfect adventure as the nights draw in this autumn, THE ADVENTURER: THE CURSE OF THE MIDAS BOX is an instant classic the whole family will enjoy.
To celebrate the release ofThe Snow Queen coming to selected cinemas from October 25, with a Blu-ray, DVD and digital release following on November 3, 2014, we had an exciting competition for you. We were offering three lucky winners the chance to win the film on DVD – and these are the winners.
Based on the enduring, magical fairy-tale by Hans Christian Andersen, THE SNOW QUEENfollows the story of little orphan girl Gerda, who must defeat the evil Snow Queen who has taken over the kingdom and kidnapped Gerda’s brother, Kai.
Accompanied by her pet ferret, Luta, and Orm the troll, Gerda embarks on a perilous journey across the icy wonderland, facing swashbuckling pirates and treacherous trolls, in a race against time to defeat the wicked Snow Queen, save Kai and bring warmth back to the hearts of people across the land.
Fans of Frozen will delight in this heart-warming take on a beloved fairytale – full of fantastic, lovable characters, and timed perfectly for the festive season, this fun-filled, frosty adventure will melt even the iciest of hearts!
The Winners
We have actually managed to get 3 Blu-ray copies instead of DVDs, and the winners are:
Pete Cleasby
Amanda Smith
Michael F.
The Snow Queen will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms from November 3rd, 2014 courtesy of Signature Entertainment.
To celebrate the release ofDebug which is available November 3rd onDVD, Blu-ray and VOD, we had an exciting competition for you. We offered three lucky winners the chance to win the film on DVD – and here are the winners.
Sent in to deep space as punishment for computer-based crimes, six young hackers are attempting to debug the computer systems of a massive derelict space freighter. While they struggle to clear out the viruses, the team fall prey to the ship’s vengeful artificial intelligence, a programme that would literally kill to be human. As the fractious team is forced to match wits with this rogue programme, they discover that the ship holds a deadly secret – and a fate far worse than death.
Written and directed by the multi-talented David Hewlitt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Cube) and starring Game Of Thrones’ Jason Momoa, DEBUG is a nerve-shredding sci-fi horror that proves that, in space, it doesn’t matter if they can hear you scream...
The Winners
We have actually managed to get 3 Blu-ray copies instead of DVDs, and the winners are:
Michael Scoates
Chris Fletcher
Lorraine Tinsley
Debug will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms from November 3rd, 2014 courtesy of Signature Entertainment.
The first trailer for Fast and Furious 7 has just been released.
Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Fast & Furious 7. James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. They are joined by international action stars new to the franchise including Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Russell. Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell return to produce the film written by Chris Morgan.
It’s impossible really to imagine the world of video games without him. He’s yellow, he’s always hungry and he makes a noise that few wouldn’t recognise. There is no dispute at all that Pac-Man is a much loved and recognized icon of the gaming world. But that doesn’t necessarily give him unlimited potential to keep starring in games.
Ghostly Adventures 2 forgets almost everything you might remember about Pac-Man and instead places him in an aging platformer. The tutorial quickly sets about telling you all the controls and abilities that Pac-Man possesses in the most irritating way possible. You play through a very simple level and get constantly interrupted by game pausing pop-ups. On occasions you might get to play for 10 seconds before another break, sometimes it is literally about 1 or 2 seconds. By the end of the tutorial I was ready to throw my pad at the TV. It’s like someone took the worst parts of video tutorials and rammed them into the worst parts of playable tutorials.
With that out of the way you’re free to explore the world of Pac-Man which is notably 3 dimensional. Running, jumping and button mashing are all pillars of this archaic throwback to games that have been dead and buried for years. The camera is awkward and can cause you to die whenever it pleases – is largely because it is totally fixed. Rest assured you will sit there ineffectively forcing the right thumbstick through the side of your pad in an attempt to see where you’re going to no avail.
I was constantly reminded of the frustrations and irritations I used to experience back in the PS One days and I can think of more than a few PS2 games that can do things better than Ghostly Adventures 2. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard myself screaming at my TV informing it of which buttons I pressed and when I pressed them. While the buttons are reasonably responsive for the most part it often makes little difference due to the fixed camera. On the few occasions you can see where you’re going it is entirely possible that the controls will just bail on you and yet again allow you to fall to your death.
There is no attempt to be clever or creative in any respect. You collect stuff, you press a button to chomp things to death and you awkwardly jump around on inexplicable platforms. There are ultimately only three different styles of areas and you’ll soon get bored of playing each one. Considering the gameplay is so frustrating and the areas so boring it becomes very difficult to remain interested after a couple of hours.
It certainly won’t be coming from plot or characterisation, big shocker there I know. The Ghostly Adventures 2 is based around a TV series of the same name which I’d never seen until writing this review. There is a reasonable tie-in going on but for those who don’t know the TV show The Ghostly Adventures 2 is going to contain mostly unknown characters. Although notably the main bad guy is called Lord Betrayus. Really? His parents obviously didn’t have high hopes for him from the start. But this is from the TV show so the game can’t really take all the blame.
There are token bosses wedged into each level that may mean something to fans of the show but to anyone other than fans Ghostly Adventures 2 has little to offer. There aren’t enough references to the original Pac-Man to make it anything but a game aimed at kids that watch the show.
And that’s solidly were Ghostly Adventures 2 is aimed, at fans of the TV show. And for younger audiences this may be a decent distraction for a time. But the input lag may cause problems and the fixed camera can be hugely frustrating at times. But unless you’re a fan of the TV show there’s nothing here for you.
It’s a platformer that draws way too much of it’s inspiration from games several decades old. Ironically Pac-Man would be better off looking back at the 2D games from that era but ignores them for unnatural feeling 3D titles. It’s like if Mario was the star of The Last Of Us. It just doesn’t feel right. Unless you’re a fan of the show, or have kids that are, this is one to avoid. Pac-Man certainly can’t be proud of starring in Ghostly Adventures 2.
Today Codemasters has released a new video for Toybox Turbos. The game releases on 12th November priced at £11.99 via Steam and will be coming soon to Xbox 360 via Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Store for PS3.
Take a tour of the 18 fantastically frantic tracks that feature in Toybox Turbos. The circuits, inspired by childhood locations including the breakfast table, science lab and pool table, are filled with obstacles and short-cuts and designed for quick-fire arcade racing fun. Each track is also filled with power-ups to collect and use, ranging from machine guns and mines to bonnet mounted hammers and more.
The initial premise for Beyond Earth is simple albeit serious. Humanity has screwed itself. There’s very little explanation but I imagine we all nuked each other or melted the ice caps or something. If my previous Civ games are anything to go by Giant Death Robots and Xcom soldiers probably did it. But never fear! There is an equally complicated solution. Journey to a different planet and recreate civilization from scratch.
At its core Beyond Earth is Civilization V with new features added or altered. Although that may seem like a bad thing to some, Civ V makes a very good platform on which to base another title. After playing Civ V extensively it’s easy to think you know it all due to Beyond Earth’s similarities. It quickly becomes apparent this isn’t the case.
Creating a game is much more like a wizard than ever before, and despite the fact you can still opt to use the advanced options menu for once I actually enjoyed the user friendly version. Although using my previous knowledge of Civ made it difficult to choose the right factions and their abilities. I had a go but realistically it’s only on your second game that you can make an educated decision.
Rather than picking a faction and getting a special ability and a special unit that becomes obsolete by mid game you now have 4 decisions; Sponsor, Colonists, Spacecraft and Cargo. There are some tricky decisions to be made and the amount of potential combinations is massive. The result is far more unique factions that behave much more like different nations than just nations with different names. One such ability allows you to see strategic resources on the map before you unlock the technology for it. Opting for this one allows you to secure huge amounts of resources early and mid game and bag plenty of favours and bargaining power for later on.
Favours are new to Beyond Earth and essential act as a tradable commodity. They can be quite valuable and can create some interesting diplomatic situations. At one point I had around 7 or 8 favours with a nation who I started to have ‘disagreements’ with. I found myself trying to be cautious and at least maintain neutrality until I’d had time to cash in my favours.
The main reason for disagreements between nations are related to your chosen victory condition. The cultural and diplomatic victories are not present but conquest still makes an appearance. A new condition that can be achieved by anyone is the contact victory. After acquiring certain technologies your nation can track a signal and attempt to make contact with an alien race. The other three victory conditions can be seen as factions as each requires specialisation to a particular kind of tech.
The Promised land victory requires you to build a transport gate and bring the survivors from earth to their new home relying mainly on war machines and earth tech. Emancipation pursues high technology and eventual sees your civilization rely on cybernetics and robotic implants. Finally transcendence sees you researching the alien wildlife on the planet and integrating it with your own technology. Each of the three requires a focus in the tech tree that by late game further emphasises the differences between nations to the point were you feel each has fundamental disagreements.
Pursuing the transcendence victory allowed me powerful alien/human hybrid units and eventually a giant bug like monster called the Xeno Titan. Fighting different units rather than just the same unit with a different colour is really refreshing and creates a very welcome change from Civ V.
Another feature that has been totally redesigned is the tech tree. No longer will you have to research everything. No longer is it just a case of choosing which order you research in – now there are actual decisions to make. Rather than a linear tree research is now carried out using the tech web. As the name suggests it sprawls in every direction. It’s very difficult to see what upgrades are important initially and my first game was basically an extended trial and error session.
Your chosen victory condition(s) make a huge bearing on which directions you go in but it’s a little difficult to identify which upgrades you need. On my first game I acquired all the transcendence tech I needed to construct the victory condition building only to find I couldn’t build it. In fact I’d missed a couple of researches out and it turned out I hadn’t paid enough attention to the quest menu which directed me on what to do next. A simple mistake but the researches can be hugely overwhelming at first with no dictated direction. Luckily by my second game I had enough knowledge to use the web properly and research efficiently.
Virtues have essentially replaced the policy system from Civ V but have a few added twists. You are now presented with 4 distinct virtue paths and rewards are granted for having a certain amount of virtues by type and by level. For example you could have a certain amount of virtues at level 3 across any type and gain a free virtue. Or you could have a reward from having 4 virtues in a single type. Or both. There’s some serious though to be put into virtues and the rewards are good enough that you may consider a slightly inferior virtue if it grants access to the reward.
There’s a much lower focus on buildings for your cities than before which becomes an absolute godsend late game. You’re now actually able to catch settlements up with your capital so they can produce things within a reasonable timeframe. There isn’t a need to construct countless buildings just because they’re there. Instead there are far less buildings but each one actually does something significant. As an added bonus building something new will bring up a quest choice which allows you to decide an additional benefit that all buildings of that type will have. For instance you might decide if that building gains +1 production or +1 food. Some of these benefits can be game changers and is another nice way to ensure nations, and repeat games, feel unique.
It’s impossible not to see Civ V shining through but Beyond Earth is absolutely brimming with style. Units, buildings and tile improvements all look beautifully colourful and sci-fi-ey. With a totally revamped technology tree, virtue system and genuinely unique factions Beyond Earth feels like much more than DLC.
Admittedly there is a lot of Civ V still present but the new features are significant enough to keep veterans interested. They also keep repeat games fresh and combined with new victory conditions I can see Beyond Earth lasting me many, many hours to come. It’s not quite Civ V, it’s not quite Civ VI and it’s not quite DLC but Beyond Earth is certainly worthy of the Civilization name.
With the Dark Souls series firmly planted in the last gen; and a while left to wait yet for Bloodborne, Deck 13 Interactive, CI Games and Square Enix have released Lords of the Fallen. A game very much in the vein of the Souls succession, offering careful yet strategic combat, enormous bosses and learning by your own mistakes. Will Lords of the Fallen become a simple stopgap, or will it rise to the occasion and prove to be an independent game in its own right?
I guess it’s my turn now then?
Every good adventure needs a suitably, strong protagonist, expectedly more so in an RPG; initially that’s seemingly not the case here. You play as Harkyn, a felon bearing mysterious tattoo like daubing’s upon his face. Each one is directly related to a past sin he’s committed, but unfortunately that’s about as much detail as the game cares to enlighten you with. All that’s really presented to the player is that you used to vanquish foes left, right and centre, before eventually being put in prison. Now that the worlds gone to pot again however, you’ve been released, met up with your mentor Kaslo, and are now on a warpath to ridding the realm of both the Lords and Rhogar.
Don’t expect a Bethesda style offering of customisation off the bat, as the convicted criminal Harkyn is going to sport the bearded yet bald look throughout. Instead, aesthetic customisation is left to the different variants of equippable armour found in the game. Character interaction isn’t one of the games strongest points either, despite being presented with a conversation tree each time you talk to an NPC. Recurring characters might have something different to say depending upon the outcome of their previous conversations, but if it did change, it wasn’t too noticeable. Having established that the storytelling and narrative aspects won’t be the games strongest suits, it’s time to swing an axe or two and see how the gameplay holds up.
Within the first five minutes you are offered a choice of starting class; radically changing not only how you approach the game, but also the inherent difficulty throughout. The rouge class, for example, will see you play much more conservatively than the warrior and his (eventually) enormously damaging ‘quake’ attack; whereas the cleric focuses on endurance and deception to survive.
Leave it out mate
Whereas picking your class gave you a vague indication of what sort of playstyle you’d adopt, it’s eventually up to your equipped armour and weapons that will decide your combat effectiveness. Donning a light set of armour that may have half the defence rating of your currently equipped set may sound like a ridiculous idea, until you get into combat and realise you can literally run rings around enemies that is. As you might expect, the heavier the armour, the more limited you are in manoeuvrability; changing weight classes provides new challenges on its own. Instead of relying upon those select few invincibility frames you get whilst rolling from side to side, you’ll have to learn the intricate timings of blocking as a replacement.
Whilst certainly more forgiving than Dark Souls, in that a couple of standard enemies are unlikely to ruin your day, the combat system is relatively similar. It all comes down to management of your dwindling stamina bar; and what actions you perform to deplete it. Attacking, blocking, rolling and sprinting will all drain it, and once it’s gone, you’ll likely suffer a grisly fate if not you’re not mindful. Deft timing and learning enemy attack patterns play a crucial role in engaging foes; deciding when to attack or capitalise on an opening will often decide the fate of a battle. The slow, deliberate swing of a greatsword might deal tremendous damage, but at the expense of a more patient battle. Dual wielding daggers, conversely, won’t dish it out as much as you’d like, but constantly attacking and potentially cancelling their efforts certainly sounds appealing too. Best of all, you can completely switch up your equipped loadout at any time, (it even pauses the game for you) meaning experimentation is encouraged.
It wouldn’t be an RPG without levelling up and Lords of the Fallen is no exception here either; encouraging ‘braveness’ is partly how the XP system functions. You can bank and spend your accumulated experience points at any, frequent enough, save point; putting XP into either levelling your spells or just plain attribute buffing is up to you. The kicker being that the longer you hold onto those precious points, the more XP you’ll earn, due to the score multiplier increasing after each successive kill. Obviously the downside being that if you die before spending them, you’ll have to hotfoot it towards your corpse before it disappears; taking all those potential levels along with it. Several factors come into play here; firstly, all the enemies respawn, meaning you’ll likely have to deal with some of those on your journey back; secondly, despite the game not taking your weapons off you when you die, there is a time limit instead. Whilst not particularly harsh, it does increase the tension knowing that if you die before retrieving it, it’s gone forever.
I think we’re both going to suffer here…
Navigation toes the boundary between borderline fun and frustrating. Mainly in part due to the maze-like catacombs that re-tread previously explored areas alongside doors which look surprisingly pre-rendered, making them easy to overlook. There are no objective markers, maps or even vague hints of where to progress towards; and mostly this a refreshing case. For those that like to explore every nook and cranny, you’ll often be greatly rewarded with map knowledge and the prospect of hidden treasures. It’s rumoured that seeing everything Lords of the Fallen has to offer in a single playthrough can take over twice as long as just simply progressing, meaning you could easily squeeze 40-50 hours out of it should you wish.
In terms of difficulty, Lords of the Fallen is certainly no push over, however, depending on the player, it’s also certainly no Dark Souls either. The bosses can be often tricky with forethought and planning being good ideas, but after a while, the standard enemies lose their intimidation factors’, meaning a good portion of the game’s appeal may also dwindle for some.
Graphically, Lords of the Fallen can often look distinctly polished; with some of the backdrops looking fantastic. The Darksiders-style armour works well within the look of the game too, despite sometimes looking a little ‘cartoony’ on the equipment page. A huge mention needs to go to the music department, as some of the scores are truly rousing and suitably epic.
Due to Lords of the Fallen taking more than a few cues out of the Dark Souls franchise, you can safely expect the game to be fairly difficult. For veterans of the genre, it may not pose as much of a challenge as they could wish for, but it’s a great jumping in point for those who, for whatever reason, can’t get into the Souls series. A weak narrative and limited character customisation options drag it down a little, but it’s a solid start to what could be a great new run of games.
First up is Volgarr the Viking, from the Crazy Viking Studios, which will make its Xbox One debut for November as the platform’s free game for Xbox One.
Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 will kick off the month with Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise (£11.99/$14.99). Rare’s pinata-fest will run for free from 1st to the 15th November, then Volition’s Red Faction Guerrilla (£14.99/$19.99) will take over as the free offering for the remainder of the month.
Suit up Solider and unleash the raw power of the advanced soldier in the live action trailer for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The trailer was directed by Peter Berg and starring Taylor Kitsch and Emily Ratajkowski, fight your way through a series of enemy forces and discover new movements, capabilities and weaponry along the way in this heart-racing journey through 2059 Lagos.
For the first time ever, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare fans can enjoy the latest instalment of the franchise on Monday 3rd November, a day ahead of the game’s Standard Edition release. To celebrate, Call of Duty is inviting fans to participate in a livestream on Twitch.tv to mark the arrival of the latest entertainment blockbuster on Day Zero.
Starting at 12.00 GMT on Monday 3rd November and running throughout the day on Monday 3rd, Call of Duty fans will be able to play alongside livestream hosts such as Ali A and MRDalekJD, amongst many other well-known names, who will be showcasing the latest Call of Duty content on Twitch.tv
A special two hour livestream event on Monday evening will give Day Zero players the opportunity to go head to head with a cast of celebrity fans, from the comfort of their own homes.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare takes players to a future devastated by a global attack. Academy Award® winning actor Kevin Spacey stars as Jonathan Irons – one of the most powerful men in the world and leader of Atlas, the world’s largest Private Military Corporation. The most powerful military force in the world, Atlas has effectively become a superpower for hire. Playing as Jack Mitchell, players become the advanced soldier as they suit up in a revolutionary exoskeleton and join a highly-trained unit committed to restoring order.
The exoskeleton carries over into Multiplayer, where an all-new movement system changes the way players traverse the terrain enabling more tactical freedom than ever before. Boost jump introduces verticality to the Call of Duty experience, allowing players to reach high points quickly and navigate maps in new ways. Chain new boost actions like slide, dodge, and dash together to create a fast and fluid style of play. Equip all new abilities and armaments in the revamped Pick 13 load out system. Earn additional weapons and gear through in-game Supply Drops, outfitting your operator in the deepest customisation experience in franchise history.
In “Battles of Kyrat”, the Far Cry 4 world is shown in a completely different way. The player’s battles take on the form of a re-telling of a long-past war that Pagan Min’s elite guard, the Rakshasa, fought against the Golden Path rebellion. Each faction has their own unique set of weapons and skills and players will have to adapt to their strengths and weaknesses while making their own progress within this multiplayer mode.
The Rakshasa are the mythical warriors of Kyrat with strong ties to their natural surroundings. They can call upon animals to help in both defending and attacking positions. The Rakshasa only use traditional weapons, specifically the bow, but are capable of crafting multiple alterations to their weapons. On the other hand, the Golden Path is all about its arsenal: guns, vehicles and tech-enhanced capabilities. They have access to a variety of weapon types, including assault rifles, shotguns, and multiple explosives. Finally, the Golden Path has access to bell towers, allowing them to spot the hidden enemy from far away.
The PvP mode consists of:
5v5 round-based matches.
Asymmetrical gameplay where the players take on each faction. The team with the best overall performance on both wins the match.
20 minutes average match length.
10 maps at launch
3 modes:
Outpost – the Golden Path works to establish an outpost in the region while the Rakshasa has to get rid of them and secure the outpost for Pagan Min.
Propaganda – the Golden Path has to destroy three Pagan Min installations while the Rakshasa protects them.
Demon Mask – both sides have to find the mask and return it to their home base.
In Far Cry 4 players will experience the most expansive and immersive Far Cry ever, in an entirely new, massive open-world. Players will find themselves in Kyrat, a breath-taking, perilous and wild region of the Himalayas struggling under the regime of a despotic self-appointed king. Using a vast array of weapons, vehicles and animals, players will write their own story across an exotic open-world landscape. Developed by Ubisoft Montréal in collaboration with other Ubisoft studios, Far Cry 4 will be available worldwide on November 18 for PlayStation®4 and PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.
