Official Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Cybercore: Chaos

Official Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Cybercore: Chaos

In the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 campaign, your soldier can access cybernetic modifications on the battlefield. The Chaos Cybercore abilities focus on throwing the enemy into a state of confusion.

 You can watch the Official Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Cybercore: Chaos Video below

The Walk: Film Review

The Walk: Film Review

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley
Director: Robert Zemeckis

Essentially a paean to the Twin Towers, Robert Zemeckis' The Walk rarely builds on the story of Philippe Petit so tightly unwound in thrilling doco Man On Wire.

For those uninitiated in Petit's story, the Frenchman made world headlines when back on August 7, 1974, he walked between the newly constructed North and South towers of the World Trade Centre. Without any kind of safety net or without any other reason other than the ones cited by those who are asked why they climb mountains.

But given that the planned high-wire act was illegal, Petit (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) had to plan his coup - and recruit accomplices to the escapade.

So, all the elements are in place for a high stakes heist and a thrilling film.

However, what Zemeckis delivers is more of a zany caper film that revels in the showmanship of its subject and plays a smoke and mirrors game with its protagonist. Distracting us with unoriginal 3D at the start as various juggling batons and balls are thrown through the screen and employing a narrative device where Petit narrates his own story from atop the Statue of Liberty, The Walk is more concerned with making a big top sideshow of the whole affair rather than letting the action and the story speak for itself.

And it's horrendously distracting to be continually taken out of the moment as this balancing act progresses and the reliance on this narrative tic grows.

Swathed in his black outfits, Gordon-Levitt's Petit borders on irritating as he prances around, an arrogant protagonist determined to get his way and achieve his dream whatever the cost. Softening his arrogance a touch is Annie, played with a degree of charm by Charlotte Le Bon, but even she can't cut through the hyperbole and the dramatic verbal flourishes the script has bestowed on Petit.

Complete with swing music and big beat sounds, The Walk has caper coursing through its very veins - and the stakes are reminiscent of an Ocean's 11 with key moments precipitating the drama and throwing obstacles in the way - an accomplice who's scared of heights, a nail on a construction site, they're all on hand to punctuate the drama and provide the suspense. But they sit ill at ease with the comedic tone that's gone prior.

And yet, the quieter moments when Zemeckis eases off the silliness actually soar.

The recreation of Petit's first steps out on to the wire and we see everything melt away around him so that all there is is the wire and the clouds speaks volumes to his reasoning for doing what he does. Finally, Zemeckis gets that a picture paints a thousand words and it's here the film captures the essence of Petit's derring-do and the core of his character, with some jaw-dropping moments that will cause issues to those of a vertiginous nature.

It's a high-wire balancing act, sometimes, this version of The Walk.

At times, it seems interested in following Petit's folly - but throughout, the film, from its very beginning shot on the Statue of liberty with the Twin Towers in the background to the golden fade out shot of those two monuments, it actually ends up being more of a love letter to the towers and everything else - including Petit's high-wire show - is purely and sadly incidental.

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Far Cry: Primal Announced

Far Cry: Primal Announced

UBISOFT’S ACCLAIMED FAR CRY^® FRANCHISE TAKES GAMERS BACK TO THE SAVAGE STONE AGE WITH FAR CRY^® PRIMAL

Sydney, Australia — October 7, 2015 — Today, Ubisoft announced the development of Far Cry^® Primal, the next exciting chapter in the critically acclaimed Far Cry franchise, set during the savage Stone Age. Far Cry Primal hits shelves worldwide on February 23, 2016 for PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One. The game also will ship for Windows PC in March 2016.

Developed by Ubisoft Montréal, in collaboration with Ubisoft Toronto, Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Kiev, Far Cry Primal is a full-fledged single player experience that will take gamers to 10,000 BC in history to a time when massive beasts like the woolly mammoth and sabretooth tiger ruled the Earth.

The award-winning franchise that stormed the tropics and climbed the Himalayas now brings its innovative open world sandbox gameplay to a time when humans were not at the top of the food chain but were fighting to climb it, bringing together massive beasts, breathtaking environments and unpredictable savage encounters.

To watch trailer click image below

Gamers play as TAKKAR, a seasoned hunter and the last surviving member of his hunting group. Arriving in the majestic and savage land of Oros, players will pursue one single goal; survive in a world where humans are the prey. They will meet a cast of memorable characters who will help them push back and tame the dangers of the wild. Players will journey as the first human to tame the wilderness and rise above extinction.  Along the way, they will have to hunt for food, master fire, fend off fierce predators, craft weapons and tools partly from the bones of slain beasts and face off against other tribes to conquer Oros.

“The interesting thing about Far Cry is that it’s flexible. So when a team proposed to explore the idea of a Far Cry taking place during the Stone Age, we just said ‘let’s hear it!’  And the more we heard about it, the more we realised how much of a damn good idea it actually was,” said Dan Hay, Executive Producer, Ubisoft.

“Stone Age is the perfect setting for a Far Cry game,” said Jean-Christophe Guyot, Creative Director, Ubisoft.  “Far Cry usually puts you at the edge of the known world, in a beautiful, lawless and savage frontier.  The Stone Age is, in a way, the very first frontier for humankind; it’s the time when humans put a stick in the ground and claimed land for their own, the time when we started climbing the food chain.  That came with conflict, against other humans of course, but also against nature itself.”

Deus Ex - 15th Anniversary details

Deus Ex - 15th Anniversary details

To celebrate 15 years of Deus Ex, a new trailer's been released, as well as a 4 part documentary.

It comes ahead of the release of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Gaming’s perpetual window to the future, the Deus Ex franchise, has long been regarded as one of the most innovative series ever created. From JC Denton to Adam Jensen, we’re looking back at 15 years of Deus Ex with a unique animated trailer, recreating some of the most iconic scenes from the series.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be released on February 23^rd, 2016 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. #CantKillProgress

The Witcher Wild Hunt Hearts of Stone Launch Trailer

The Witcher Wild Hunt Hearts of Stone Launch Trailer

Step again into the shoes of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer, this time hired to defeat a ruthless bandit captain, Olgierd von Everec, a man who possesses the power of immortality. The expansion lets you choose your own way through an adventure that includes recruiting a crew of break-in artists, spending a night partying with a ghost and outsmarting the most bizarre creatures Geralt has ever faced.

Launching October 13th, 2015, Hearts of Stone packs over 10 hours of new adventures and introduces new characters, powerful monsters, unique romance, and a brand new storyline shaped by gamer choices. The expansion also introduces a brand new system of Runewords that significantly affects gameplay. Each Runeword will impact a different aspect of in-game mechanics and will allow the players to experiment with various strategies and tactics.

Black Mass: Film Review

Black Mass: Film Review

Cast: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Johnson
Director: Scott Cooper

From the acting ashes, rises Johnny Depp.

Ever the buffoon on screen, Depp rediscovers his acting roots in a return to form that'll make you forgive and forego his outings as Mortdecai, Jack Sparrow and that vampire from Dark Shadows.

In this grimy gangster flick, Depp is Jimmy Whitey Bulger, the notorious Boston criminal who made his way into the headlines in the way the likes of Henry Hill and Tony Soprano rose through the ranks. But it turns out that Bulger was playing the FBI in the shape of former street buddy, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton, all highly coiffed hair and braggadacio) and getting the FBI to do his work for him, taking out other crime-lords and leaving the streets open to his taking.

Out Of the Furnace director Cooper is well versed in the likes of the grime, having shepherded Christian Bale through a role of misery in a drab setting - and here, he once again drains the palette of all colour and the story of all forms of life. Horrendous 70s beige, browns and moustaches bedeck the  admittedly all-star (but under-utilised) cast and surroundings as the story unfolds.

And in the centre of all the dour and drab story is Depp's Bulger, a gangster villain that's gone the way via an undead creature, Blow, Donnie Brasco, liver spots, One Hour Photo and a pastiche of every criminal with a seething edge we've seen before.

A scene early on sees him issuing parenting advice under the umbrella of "It's not what you do, it's when and how you do it" that serve as a tone for his conduct within the turf wars and tantalisingly hints at what could have been given the film's joyful insistence on refusing to glorify the way of the gangs and those caught in their thrall.

Equally, a one-on-one sequence with Connolly's wife, who's become so appalled by the circles her husband's running in, crackles with unease and monstrous uncertainty. Depp's almost inhuman Bulger is perhaps the best part of Black Mass and solely the reason to watch. It's a film that ironically never really reaches critical mass due to an ineptly paced script that misses all the emotional beats. Key moments and characters in Bulger's life (such as his wife and son) simply disappear at wildly inappropriate moments, as they fall by the narrative wayside.

It's not a film that builds an ascent and plots a rapid descent for any of its protagonists, a route which many like Goodfellas and Casino have gone before - and unfortunately while to be commended for doing something different, it never quite negotiates its own route as it jumps between Connolly, Bulger and those around them. Some of the problem is that the script dictates time jumps and leap frogs emotional moments in the script that would go more to creating a portrait of Bulger and a reason for his rallying paranoia - the same goes for Connolly whose seduction into Bulger's world is all too easy. Equally, falling back on using interviews as exposition becomes lazy and a get-out clause for Cooper's story - and replaces anything transpiring on screen and serving to build character and elicit empathy or sympathy for anyone involved.

Ultimately, when the comeuppance for all arises, the consequences of this mass of errors and dour maudlin preceding is that there's a palpable lack of any kind of catharsis or joy; and a post film coda lacks any kind of resonance and frustratingly hints at where a better film would lie; Black Mass skirts around the character of Bulger and as a result, doesn't serve either him, the supporting players or the audience in the way that perhaps a great gangster film should have done.

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Destiny: the Taken King: Legendary Edition: PS4 Review

Destiny: The Taken King: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Activision / Developer - Bungie

When Destiny erupted last year onto the scene, the feeling was very much that it had started something special.

With the alpha and the beta, we got glimpses into the worlds of the Guardians and the Ghosts and the peril facing the world that only you the player could stave off. But, it all worked and the game was embraced by millions, swept up in its western feel and space operatics, all mixed in with a severe case of the first person shoot-em-ups.

Taking place after events of the Dark Below, The Taken King focuses on a more story driven edge to proceedings (something the initial game and its expansions were criticised for) and a good old fashioned revenge plot.

When you took down the Crota baddie of the The Dark Below, you were actually unleashing the Taken King aka Oryx, a rather hefty beast determined to get vengeance for the slaying of his son. and he's not best pleased at what the Guardians have done, heading to this universe to take them down.

The Taken King works well, a side story that simmers with excitement and gloriously executed cut scenes. But it's the gameplay that feels fresher straight out of the box, with more loot, more baddies and more reason to spend your hours grinding away through the game. XP helps you level up quicker now and it's a blessing rather than a curse.

And as Destiny's Year 2 begins, Nolan North's replaced Peter Dinklage as the voice of the ghost - I'm hoping this was more because of scheduling than criticism because I've loved having Tyrion along for the ride (even after the infamous criticisms of the vocals of the first). North brings a kind of humour to the role which makes the dynamic more of a Buck Rogers / Twiki sort of deal and it's amusing - to a point.

The Taken themselves are an interesting bunch of bad guys and may be familiar to anyone who's already played the main campaign, given they're a mix of baddies from the original who've been corrupted by Oryx. And they're a bit more formidable than you'd expect and can't be dealt to simply by unloading clips of ammo in their direction. That's one of the ways this Destiny expansion excels by - it's a sign of the game that has listened to its community and its detractors to pull something together that makes you want to play, rather than feeling an obligation to grind through the levels and repeat.

And it feels smoother too. Destiny Year One was a solid affair, but was prone to moments of outages within the game - this latest patch and version makes the play a more exciting and consistent affair. Sure, there are the crucible matches, the PvP games and the side quests that come up during the fight against Oryx, but they're all solidly executed, given a platform to play out on that works well and clearly.

Drop rates are a big bonus for the Taken King. I've had to start missions with barely anything in my loot haul to simply ensure that I can collect everything I need to during the game - it's deeply rewarding that material flows as seamlessly as it does and it gives you the impetus to collect rather than the obligation to do so. An open world on the Dreadnought owned by Oryx adds much depth too - but you're best being spoiler free with that.

That's a big thing with Destiny: The Taken King - its reasons for playing for pleasure and for fun outweigh the obligations to do so - and as such this is a review in progress. There's so much to explore and so much to do with this expansion pack that it's impossible to list it all here currently.

Bundled with the Dark Below and the House of Wolves, The Taken King's Legendary Collection is an essential purchase and a sign that Year 2 of Destiny is well worth getting on board with. Simply put, this is a game now that's exceeding its ambitions. It's lofty, excellent and certainly a sign that Bungie intends to push this series as far as it can.

(Stay tuned, as there'll be more of this review to come over the coming weeks)

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