The Last of Us: Concept art

The Last of Us: Concept art

Here's a whole heap of the stunning looking concept art for The Last Of Us, the latest from Naughty Dog due at mid June on PlayStation 3...

Brand new Pacific Rim trailer is here

Brand new Pacific Rim trailer is here

The final Pacific Rim trailer has just dropped.

Get your eyes on some robot smashing moments here...




When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. 

To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. 

On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes -- a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) -- who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Dead Island Riptide: PS3 Review

Dead Island Riptide: PS3 Review

Released by Deep Silver
Platform: PS3

Zombies - they're all over the place in the sequel to Dead Island. In Dead Island Riptide, developer Techland's meshed the horror and the survivor genres back together again to produce a bloody mess of a game. Picking up where 2011's Dead Island left off, you find yourself back on the island of Palanai which has been overrun by the undead.

But fortunately along with your other survivors (or solo mode) you're able to negotiate your way through the land, merrily killing everything in your way and trying to do your best to survive.

The game begins with the survivors from the first Dead Island getting on board on a ship and thinking they're clear of Banoi as they can be. But thanks to a zombie overrun turning the boat into a shipwreck and being stranded on a new island, Palanai, it's back to how it used to be - and a bloody hacking fight for survival once again....

Dead Island Riptide is one of those games that's actually a little more fun when it's in co-op mode. While you begin with the chance to choose a character, and a chance to decide if you want to skew your skillset one way or the other, then you're on a safe course to ensuring some kind of survival as the hordes mass. But as you get a feel for life on the island, you begin to realise there's a whole world around you.

In story mode, it's the usual case of doing missions, gathering items, trading up weapons and slaughtering as much as you can. Thankfully, the developers Techland have decided the best way to ensure that your interest is continually kept in this game is to fill the beaches up with loot and other survivors who give you the chance to interact and take on further missions. It's a good way to keep yourself amused, though occasionally odd frustrations over what the landscape will allow you to do emerge; for example, you can wade through water but if you hit some parts, you can't go any further, despite there being views beyond. 

Here is world where there are plenty of quests scattered about - from providing pain killers needed for someone ill within the compound or finding and saving other characters, there's certainly a whole heap to do in this open world game rather than just kill. But it's the killing which will keep you amused; from hacking at limbs to bloody effect to precisely decapitating zombies (Decapital punishment as the trophy calls it) there are plenty of bemusing and bloody ways to kill them off. It's not just all about the killing though - you have to repair and upgrade your weapons, which degrade over time (as they're wont to do with so much hacking going on) as well as upgrading your own personal skills from lock picking to crafting weapons. Given that you can pick-pocket the dead after they've been thrashed and can trade with co-players, there's certainly a hint that some kind of strategy will need to be in place to survive Palanai rather than just opting for fight or flight. There are also quests, secret files to collect, dead zones to clear and radio tapes which give you info about the outbreak, indicating there's more than enough to offer you different types of games - whether you want to just pick up Dead Island Riptide and go postal for an hour or tap into the survival instinct and longer term game.

As for the zombies - from thugs, walkers to ogres to rabidly fast runners who head towards you, there are varying levels of skill on hand from the undead. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of weapons to help you out - from a meat cleaver which is totally gory in its killing, Freddie Kreuger style finger slashers to a club with nails, there are certainly enough ways on hand to despatch them in bloody fashion - but you should be aware that while you skill up, so do your enemies so you're going to have to get wise to how to survive.

The gameplay of the story mode is certainly entertaining - if a little repetitive - but it's in the co-op that this game soars. As you pretty much settle into the mentality of killing as much as you can, wherever you can and with whatever you have to hand, it's good to have some mates or some online players along for the ride. Usually, it's a combo of kicking and punching the undead into one final oblivion but with a stamina bar on screen determining just how much strength you've got to unleash your anger, you have to be a bit calculating with your moves. For example, if you keep kicking rather than let your stamina recover, you will take a lot longer to do any damage whatsoever; whereas if you give yourself time to power up, a couple of kicks and punches will see off the undead. That said, if you're part of a pack of survivors, taking it in turns to dish out the beating will give you all a chance to recover and will easily see off the zombies.

From what I can tell, Dead Island Riptide's not messed with the formula of the first; it's simply taken the game to a new location, added in a few more zombies and weapons and simply decided to let you loose on it. It's fun in a short blast kind of way; but long term Dead Island Riptide will find you needing a bit of stamina of your own to see it through its clunkier moments and slightly repetitive way of doing things.

Rating:

Batman: Arkham Origins trailer

Batman: Arkham Origins trailer

The Batman Arkham series has been stunning.

So to say that I'm excited by the release of Batman Arkham Origins is a massive understatement.

A trailer's been released ahead of the full trailer on May 21st.

Batman: Arkham Origins is the next installment in the blockbuster Batman: Arkham videogame franchise.  

Developed by WB Games Montréal, the game features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two critically acclaimed games of the franchise.  

Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. 

As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships

Riddick Debut Trailer lands

Riddick Debut Trailer lands

Vin Diesel is back. And so is Riddick...


Prepare for the latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga that began with 2000's hit sci-fi film Pitch Black and 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick. 

The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. 

The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. 

Dan Nightingale: Comedy Festival Review

Dan Nightingale: Comedy Festival Review

There was an embarrassment of comedy riches on the streets of Auckland last night in the final week of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.

From TapeFace, to Eli Matthewson, Raybon Khan to The Big Show, there was plenty of choice. Some would even say you were spoiled for choice.

One of those at Q Theatre (well, Vault at Q to be more precise) was UK comic Dan Nightingale. He was last here back in 2009, and by all accounts had a good time.

Self announcing himself on stage (Austin Powers, much?) Dan set the tone for his time on stage by urging the audience to "Pretend like you know who I am" before ambling onto the stage. The lighting at the Vault meant the entire room was on show to Dan - and I can't imagine anything worse for a performer.

But for Dan himself, it was like a moth to a flame.

However, I will say that's not bad news for the crowd or the front row, who to be fair, provide a lot of the impetus for Dan's show. Titled "On Life, On Love and On the North Island", it's a loose connection of themes from housemates, growing old, getting the horn from watching Nigella on TV and kids.

Yet, it's Dan's interplay with the audience which proved the real gem of the night, giving him a chance to ingratiate himself into our lives and hearts with a clever turn of phrase and some killer one liners (some of which appeared to simply be throwaway comments, which shone in brilliance - and occasionally went over the heads of some of the audience) Quick as a flash, some of the self deprecation yielded much mirth - "I'm not a smackhead - you can tell by the weight" was one of my favourite throwaway moments.

Dan's not a confrontational comic by any means - in fact, his mocking of an audience member's old style non-Smartphone showed he had material to use for whatever situation arose. He grooms the audience for mirth and merriment and simply becomes a mate of yours just having a chat with a beer in hand.

With an ease of style and a sense of humour that's wicked, fast and funny, Dan shook off a slightly shaky start and delivered a set that was smart, clever and showed off superior intelligence. He's endearing, engaging and amusing - and a good choice for an hour of your time as the New Zealand Comedy Festival draws to a close.

Eli Matthewson: Comedy Festival Review

Eli Matthewson: Comedy Festival Review

Nominated for the Billy T award for 2013, Eli's certainly got the pressure of expectation on his shoulders.

But, my goodness, doesn't he carry it well?

This self-assured, extremely confident and utterly impressive young comedian (he's hit 25) brought his autobiographical show to the Basement Theatre.

Proposition: Great! takes a look at Eli's life growing up in Christchurch, coming out and getting to grips with a quarter life crisis. But the themes are universal - self awareness, self acceptance and ultimately self happiness.

Eli manages to bring to the table a wisdom beyond his years, a cheeky and rapid fire quick wit (in among some smut) and an intelligence which is borderline genius. He's also got the timing of some of his lines down to perfection, knowing when to read the crowd and when to deliver the killer blow. Not all of his young ilk have mastered that yet to be honest, but Eli shows comedy chops beyond his years.

While the show predominantly concentrates on his own identity and the journey to that, you can be sure that stories of awkwardness with the opposite sex and obsessions with films are ones everyone will recognise. Throwing in some theatrical flair and a lot of performance punch, Eli's show is one which never stops surprising, entertaining and amusing. A few side lines and quick throwaway comments show he's constantly thinking on his feet and he emerges with a strong sense of comic identity and the ability to keep a crowd interested and engaged throughout.

A wonderful wrong-footing of the audience pervades the finale and with some Jurassic Park style mimicry to rival even Rhys Darby's own dino impressions, there's a real sense that this comic is an extremely rising star.

Nominated for this year's Billy T Award, I'd suggest Eli is a very, very strong contender - with his clever play on stereotypes and the usual anecdotes and an honesty which makes him extremely approachable and watchable, you'd be wise to place some money on this guy crossing the finish line first come the Last Laughs closing night on May 19th.