Latest ZB Movie Review

Latest ZB Movie Review

This week, Jack was dished up humble pie and I talked about Snitch and KonTiki as the latest Newstalk ZB Movie review took place.

Take a listen below

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/player/ondemand/1299625008-darren-bevan-at-the-movies--may-18

The Walking Dead: PS3 Review

The Walking Dead: PS3 Review

Released by TellTale Games
Platform: PS3

There's no stopping The Walking Dead. In more ways than one.

The zombie show is a massive success, with more and more people tuning in weekly to the AMC / TV2 airings - and the Robert Kirkman comics continue to grow in tandem.

So, it was inevitable a game would make it to the consoles and despite a minor delay getting here, it's now arrived.

Bundled together in five episodes, The Walking Dead is going to appeal to anyone who likes a full on immersive gaming experience. (Though for the purposes of this review, only episode one of the five has been played.)

In this point, click and play adventure, you are convicted murderer Lee Everett. As the story begins, Everett is in the back of a police car, heading to who knows where  (well, prison) with an older cop chatting to you as you go. You choose what path the conversation takes with a series of choices from the button and as you make your way on your journey, it's clear the apocalypse is hitting Georgia.

Cue one crash later, and suddenly, you're on your own in a wood, with an infected cop looking to feed on your brains. It's here the point and click starts to take effect, as you scrabble to escape, scan your surroundings and use a gun to ensure you live to see another day. The game adapts to your choices and actions and if you're slow on the uptake, it means you find yourself on the wrong end of a chomping. A timer on the screen counts down and ends up hurrying some of your decisions, all of which have consequences.

Once you've escaped, it's into the suburban world, and the life of a little girl called Clementine, who's waiting for her parents to return. But, as you discover, things are not quite as simple as that and soon Clementine and Lee are on the run, teaming up with others to try and survive.

Aesthetically, The Walking Dead is to all intents and purposes, a stop motion comic, resembling very closely the world Robert Kirkman envisaged. It's quite strikingly different on the looks front and it means the game stands out from the start. Despite the somewhat baffingly long loading times, the game plays out in a way which grabs you as it unfolds without you realising that's the case. It doesn't take long to adapt the point and click element and then you're off and away. Plus, with a story that immerses you and involves you, you're nothing but engaged all the way.

I'm intrigued to see if by making different decisions, the game plays out differently so in that way, I guess there's a longevity to the storylines and how they conclude. I'd want to play the rest of the game before making a fuller judgement, but based on episode one, The Walking Dead is a rich gaming experience which has two emotionally impressive leads in Lee and Clementine. You care about these characters more than you realise and rather than making rash decisions, you end up really taking the time to ensure the best for them.

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Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall: PS3 DLC Review

Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall: PS3 DLC Review

Released by Bethesda
Platform: PS3

Dishonored was one of the best games of last year.

As you took control of Corvo, who lives in the district of Dunwall, and is a disgraced former royal bodyguard, who's accused of the murder of the Empress and banged up in jail, there was plenty to explore in the world around you - and plenty of missions with a supernatural twist.

In this DLC pack, you play Daud, the person responsible for the murder of the Empress and who is now seeking redemption. But given a mission by the mysterious Outsider, Daud sets out to work out what's going on.

Mixing stealth and moving around the walls of Dunwall, Daud has three missions to carry out in this DLC, and given he has some of the same supernatural powers as Corvo, you can pretty much guess what to expect as the game plays out. Skulking about a slaughterhouse sees you needing to effect some kind of strategy to ensure survival and make sure that you don't fall foul of the groups of baddies around.

It's a DLC that impresses on the visual front, as well as some of the game touches. Daud has the ability to summon an assassin to fight alongside him, and additional powers for said assassin to do his thing. It's a cool touch which makes some of the fighting a bit easier to handle.

While it'll never reach the highs of Dishonored, The Knife Of Dunwall is a welcome distraction and one which serves to reinforce why the game was so well done in the first place.

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The Last of Us: PS3 Demo Review

The Last of Us: PS3 Demo Review

Platform: PS3
Released by Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment

It's fair to say Naughty Dog has one of the most anticipated titles of the year with post apocalyptic title, The Last of Us.

I've already had a bit of hands on time with the first Last of Us demo back in March, and it's completely honest to say that the demo more than got me excited for the actual release in June. So, when a code dropped offering me a beta preview of two of the factions of the finalised game, it would have been stupid to turn them down.

Based on initial perceptions and demonstration of the demo, it's clear that Naughty Dog have got a real hit on their hands. As you may already know, the game is an action-adventure-survival-horror story centring on two characters, Joel and young charge Ellie, who are on an Earth where a fungal infection has swept the world, turning some survivors into really nasty creatures, desperate to chew your face off and rip out your throat.

In this beta demo, you take on the third person role of Joel (there's no indication yet that you can take control of Ellie as well, though it'd be a safe bet that this is not a real possibility given how the AI works for her) and you get to choose between two stages of the game - Lincoln or Pittsburgh.

Starting with Lincoln, first, the game transports you to woods as the duo cut through the land into the outskirts of a compound. Swiping supplies on the way (this is a survival game after all) you have to build up an inventory of health and weaponry as you go. But weapons are not as easy to find to be honest - and what you do have in firearms, comes at a cost.

There are no infinite bullets here, merely a scattered handful here and there, meaning you have to plan your attacks more effectively than simply shooting without any sense of precision or aim.

It does mean that bottles and bricks become a weapon or a chance to distract the infected as they wander around you. Clickers, as I've already described them, are humans with a cross between a piece of popcorn, a mushroom and a horror mask for heads - and they're completely deadly if they find you. Though, they can be bashed with a melee weapon. In one particular moment, I wasted six bullets trying to kill a clicker, before deciding on an old fashioned bow and arrow - when one arrow killed the thing dead immediately, I'd become frustrated that I'd lost six bullets that I could potentially use later.

Moving around the compound, a combination of climbing and using planks to traverse the rooftops, brings you into conflict with a clicker very early on - and the first of your decisions as to whether fight or flight are the best methods of approach. Unfortunately as a locked gate prevents you from getting out of the compound, flight is not an option and it's up to the melee weapon (a giant pipe) to help save the day as you bash the clickers dead. A search of the building the clickers were guarding / hanging out by, shows that there is plenty within; from supplies to a note which helps build some of the back story to the infection, it pays to actually take the time to search within the building rather than simply scurrying off.

A little help from Ellie gives you the chance to escape the compound and the search carries on - this time for a character called Bill, who appears to share some kind of past with Joel. Deserted streets are littered with smashed up cars and barricades, and in this particular section of the game, booby traps are all around, proving to be more deadly than you would have expected.

But it's the quieter moments in the Lincoln section, which really make this game and mark it out for something interesting. There's a real sense of a father / daughter relationship and bond growing between Ellie and Joel. A detour into a disused cafe/ bar finds Ellie lingering by an old arcade machine - pressing the triangle button gives her the chance to wax lyrical about the game and brings a sense of life beyond the catastrophe and a hint of a deepening friendship. 

The Lincoln section concludes with Ellie and Joel finding Bill, only to be ambushed by clickers and running infected. Joel's hoist by a rope trap and has to fend off the would be killers from upside down, while Ellie works to free him. It's here that accuracy plays a major part in the game - and with Ellie being slowly picked off by the infected, you'd better hope that your aiming is up to scratch or Ellie's a goner. A final part sees an all out attack in a laundromat, where only a degree of stealth and choosing the right moments to attack will see you survive. Even using your melee weapon on the clickers isn't a limitless thing - they need repair or will fall into disuse. Repairs are possible thanks to gears collection and tools which can be found scattered around - but even then, choosing to repair could result in the loss of other some weaponry being upgraded further down the line. 

That's the thing with The Last Of Us - it looks like every decision has very real consequences for the pair. And it'll give you the feeling that there's no absolute right way to complete the game; stealth and plans will change each time you are confronted by choice. The post apocalyptic world is well presented too - I wasn't distracted by the surroundings (always a surefire sign that the designers have got it right) but I did feel I was immersed in the environment right from the very beginning. As you trawl around this urban wasteland, you get to pick up weapons, ammo, bits and bobs which could help you survive. Shivs can be crafted from getting scissors and tape; there's promise that batteries can be collected for a flashlight - but they only have a limited life span....

The Lincoln section concludes with a cut scene where Bill promises he'll help Joel one last time, hinting at tensions and unease in this alliance. As the trio set off to find parts for a car in an uncertain part of town, the demo in Lincoln draws to a close..... It's a deeply atmospheric start to the game and one which shows off the AI of Ellie, the AI of attackers, which appear to adapt to you very quickly and the fact strategy is needed if you're to survive the day.

By contrast, the Pittsburgh section of the demo is all action and conflict, which proves that there's a real mix of all kinds of gameplay after the relative peace and quiet of Lincoln.

It begins with Ellie and Joel driving from an unknown destination before a man staggers onto the blocked freeway begging for help. Ellie says they should help the wounded man, but Joel knows better and within seconds, they're under attack, the soon-to-be victims of a scavenger attack. With the truck they're in smashed into a dead end garage, and with Ellie snatched from within, you've got no choice but to fight back here, using a series of Quick Time Events, and pure stealth and fisticuffs.

But it's here that the first hint of Naughty Dog's Balance of Power system comes into play. With an adaptive AI, an onslaught from a group of scavengers can become fraught with death. For example, firing off a series of shots and taking out a couple of them can only result in the empty clicking of your gun chamber, which the enemies realise is your potential downfall. It's here, once again, that stealth comes into play.

Using the R2 button, Joel can activate his listening to work out exactly where the enemy are - and then you can work around them before attacking. Using brawl, brain and brute strength are the only ways to build on success in this game - though it's great to note that the AI for Ellie means that she hurls bottles and bricks scattered about at the baddies attacking you, meaning that while they're stunned, Joel can rush in and deal the death blow. It's a great touch, which means that Ellie's a part of the action rather than an albatross around your neck as you play.

Once you've taken out the group, with a chance to regain some of your health from what's scattered about, and some crafting of objects, it's back into the search mode and scouring of the buildings nearby. A chance to pick up smoke bombs, upgrade your weapons and get a training manual (which proffers up more help and advice) makes taking the time looking in every room worthwhile.

The Pittsburgh demo, while shorter, ends with Joel seeing a bridge in the distance and telling Ellie that that is their way out; his last words being "Let me go first" to Ellie, before it fades (frustratingly) to black....

There's a lot to love in this demo for The Last of Us - from the brilliantly realised waste lands and atmospheric cityscapes, to the pure jump out of your chair in utter horror as an unexpected clicker awaits you around the corner and rips your throat out, it's really a chillingly effective package of spooky tension with clever adventure. But it's not just the gaming that's likely to appeal - there's a real sense that you'll care about the outcome of these characters thanks to the time taken to develop the inherent  father/ daughter type relationship between the pair of them, thanks to an AI which works with you when it needs to, the character moments are engrossing and bring a real human side to the game.


With mixes of the Walking Dead, I Am Legend and hints of a natural Earth doco mixed in with a Day of the Triffids style horror, The Last of Us promises a really evocative ride when it releases. It looks to be a real thinker of a game, where strategy is as important as kill skills - it's playable, intelligent gaming and based on the few hours of play offered by the BETA Demo, The Last of Us looks certainly like Naughty Dog will have more accolades piling up at their door.

The Last Of Us hits PlayStation3 on June 14th

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.

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