Deadpool PS4 Review

Deadpool PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Activision

2016 is going to be the year of Deadpool.

The smart-assed merc with a mouth is going to be a new film next year and Ryan Reynolds' performance is already a viral sensation.

As for the game, which has already been out on PS3, it's a schizophrenic game that gets elements of the character perfectly on point.

Embracing the meta elements of the comic where Deadpool breaks through the fourth wall of the comic book panels, this Deadpool also addresses the player through the screen.

The game is a hack and slash with some cartoon silliness - Deadpool's trying to pitch a video game of his own but ends up inadvertently threatening the employees of a game studio and finding himself thrown into an adventure involving the X-Men as well.

Mocking the gaming conventions, Deadpool (and his love for chimichangas) the game is a somewhat mixed bag.

While the self-referential talking works well and captures the vibe of Deadpool the person and the comic, the gaming ends up being somewhat repetitive. Running around shooting people with quips is relatively fun for the first 10 minutes or so, but the gameplay becomes stale as you jump around, quipping, shooting and collecting.

Chaining together combos gives you the chance to build a power meter which can be unloaded into your enemies; you've also got the ability to teleport from place to place too, if fights are getting too tricky. Collecting XP points allows you to open up the store and buy new weapons and moves etc, so there is some point to the continual collecting which takes place within the game.

There's plenty to amuse the more puerile elements of Deadpool's fanbase and it is good to see that the transition to video game has kept the character completely intact. Unfortunately, the game's longevity doesn't quite match the character's and depending on how far you are willing to let that slide to be part of Deadpool's world will see how long you want to keep the wise-cracking merc with a mouth on your console.

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Ricki and The Flash: Blu Ray Review

Ricki and The Flash: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Ent

Meryl Streep gets her ageing rock on with this fairly cliched family drama flick from the director ofThe Silence of The Lambs and from the writer of Juno, Diablo Cody.

Streep plays Ricki, the singer of a house band which plays a residence at a knock-down bar. Financially defeated and oblivious to the world around her, especially her estranged family, Ricki gets a call from her ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) to tell her that her daughter Julie (Streep's real-life daughter Gummer) is depressed following the end of her marriage.

So, against her best wishes, Ricki heads home to the family she's avoided for years and to the tensions she ran away from to become a Californian rocker.

Ricki and The Flash is exactly what you'd expect from a family kitchen sink drama of someone reuniting and reconnecting with those who used to be around them.

Looking like an older version ofFreaky Friday's Tess Colemancomplete with side plait and dark eye shadow, Streep personifies the old rocker and scatty human well in the early stages of the film before it lapses into the usual trite conventions of its genre and barely walks the tightrope between the family drama and romcom.

Against a soft-spoken and sardonic Kline as the dad, Gummer's spikiness and fragility is well-observed as the daughter on the edge, but like the rest of the supporting characters (particularly her two sons), she falls by the wayside for Streep's character.

One of the main problems is the relatively corny, yet occasionally honest, film simply becomes a thinly veiled facade for Streep to perform a series of soft rock covers with a band, rather than fuel and further the narrative, which becomes more and more sidelined. It's almost like Meryl Streep - The Concert Album.

Some insights into a woman who chooses her career over her family are thrown out during a moment of implosion on stage, but the final redemption and forgiveness are too easily gifted to those who need them in Ricki and The Flash.

While Streep remains a presence in this flick, Ricki and The Flash is more about the guilt trip, than the overall trip. Despite the presence of the usually insightful Cody, underwritten family characters detract from the earnestness and a meandering final third make it feel like more of a drag than it should be as it ambles towards its obvious conclusion.

Rating:

Phineas and Ferb: Day of Doofenschmirtz: PS Vita Review

Phineas and Ferb: Day of Doofenschmirtz: PS Vita Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Sony

Phineas and Ferb are an unique proposition on the console.

Adding them into the PS Vita seems a perfect mix for kids wanting to have some disposable silliness during the summer hols, and with this portable platform, it certainly ticks that box.

The plot, such as it is, sees evil genius Dr Doofenshmirtz turning home appliances within Danville into a robot army, thanks to a laser beam. But Phineas and Ferb are going to try and do all they can to save the day - if they can get their own car, The Carsaurus Moto-Rex under control...

Aimed squarely at the younger market, Phineas and Ferb: Day of Doofenschmirtz is a brightly coloured blast of animated antics. Using the twin sticks to instigate a lot of the chaos in the game, the VITA's reasonably well-acclimatised to the action and little fingers will find it relatively easy going.

Problematically, the game's camera angle doesn't quite work as well as it should, with this causing the majority of the niggles of the game as it fails to land where it should. It causes more of a headache when you're one of the three characters trying to shoot their way out of side-scrolling action, but it's not a major roadblock to the fun and games.

Sadly the game makes little use of the back touch screen even though puzzle solving and shooting would be a natural fit for the game. The game's more cartoony elements definitely work for the younger audience but in terms of longevity the game's not really got the legs to keep people massively entertained for prolonged amounts of time. And there are frustrations with the cameras which will potentially irritate younger minds with shorter attention spans.

All in all, Phineas and Ferb: Day of Doofenschmirtz feels like a reasonable if slight outing on the PS Vita. It's definitely got the potential there and transplants the cartoons very well with its comic book ethos but its ultimate feeling is more one of underdeveloped rather than extremely essential.

Rating:

Telltale Games announces Batman

Telltale Games announces Batman

Telltale Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment Announce Game Series based on Batman™for 2016   Episodic Game Series based on DC Comics' Iconic Character to Premiere Next Year

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Dec. 4, 2015 -- Leading developer and publisher of digital entertainment, Telltale Games, with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment, today announced an interactive episodic game series based onDC Comics' iconic Batman™ that is set to premiere in 2016. The official title for the Telltale series is yet to be revealed. The episodic game series will premiere digitally on home consoles, PC/Mac, and mobile devices. Specific platform details are yet to be announced. "At Telltale, we've been honored to bring our unique approach to interactive storytelling to some of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world, and we're excited to announce that we'll soon be exploring what it means to be Batman in an all-new series starting next year," said Kevin Bruner, Co-Founder and CEO of Telltale Games. "This iteration of Batman will give fans a first-hand opportunity to dive deeper into the complex life and mind of Bruce Wayne, the duality of his own identity, and the struggle of responsibility in saving a city overcome with corruption and villainy." "Telltale has an established track record of creating award-winning content for some of the best properties in the world," said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.  "We look forward to working with the team as they deliver a new interactive way for fans and gamers to experience the rich narrative world of Batman."

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Games Series Premiering this February

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Games Series Premiering this February

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Games Series  Premiering this February in Three Episode Event     Three Episode Series Featuring Iconic Comic Book Character Set to Premiere in February 2016

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Dec. 4, 2015 -- Leading publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games and Robert Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment, announced today that The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Games Series will premiere this February in a three episode event. Stepping into the lead role of Michonne, award-winning actress Samira Wiley(Orange is the New Black) will portray the iconic character from the comic book series haunted by her past and coping with unimaginable loss and regret. The story explores her untold journey during the time between issues #126 and #139. Through this three-episode Telltale Games series, players will discover what took Michonne away from Rick, Ezekiel, and the rest of her trusted group... and what brought her back. Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black) will portray the Comic Book/Game Series Iteration of  Michonne The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Games Series will be available as a stand-alone three-episode series on PC/Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon App Store.   "We've been hard at work on this very special exploration of The Walking Dead universe that will further bridge together our game series with the canon of Robert Kirkman's comic though one of its most complex characters struggling to maintain her own humanity," said Kevin Bruner, Co-Founder and CEO of Telltale Games. "Deeply haunted by the decisions of her past, putting players in the role of a character like Michonne to navigate the broken world around her is an experience that feels uniquely Telltale, and something we simply cannot wait for The Walking Dead fans to play." To date, The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series has sold more than 50 million episodes worldwide, earning more than 100 Game of the Year awards from outlets including Metacritic, USA Today, Wired, Spike TV VGAs, Yahoo!, The Telegraph, Mashable, Polygon, Destructoid andGamesRadar, and was also the recipient of two BAFTA Video Games Awards for Best Story and Best Mobile Game.   The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic book series and offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience where a player's actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.   For more information on the game, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow Telltale Games on Twitter. For more information on The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman, and all of his titles, visit www.Skybound.com andwww.TheWalkingDead.com.

Rise of the Tomb Raider Game Add-On Content Detailed

Rise of the Tomb Raider Game Add-On Content Detailed

Back in October, Xbox and Crystal Dynamics revealed how the single player experience will be extended in Rise of the Tomb Raider and last night at The Game Awards shared a first glimpse at Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch, one of the major content packs coming early next year via the Season Pass or as standalone DLC. In addition to Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch, fans can also look forward to two other considerable additions to Rise of the Tomb Raider with Endurance Mode (available Dec. 29) and Cold Darkness Awakened (available in 2016) along with a slew of new outfits, weapons and expedition cards to personalize and extend fans experience in the main campaign. 

More information on the main content additions available in the Season Pass or as Standalone DLC for both Xbox One and Xbox 360:

Endurance Mode – Available December 29th 

Alone and in the wild, Lara must scrounge, scavenge, craft and survive the harsh elements by day, as well as lethal threats from enemies, both man and beast, by night. This is her ultimate woman-versus-wild test to push the limits of how long she can survive on her own in sprawling, unforgiving landscapes. Fire takes fuel, cold kills the unprepared, food restores health, but everything must be caught, collected, or crafted. You start with nothing and must find everything. Challenge friends to your longest survival run and battle to the top of the leaderboards for the title of Ultimate Survivor. Includes a new outfit and weapon.

Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch – Available in early 2016

Deep in the wilds of Siberia, there is a forbidden forest that no man will enter, where a Soviet expedition vanished without a trace. Lara enters the Wicked Vale in search of a missing man, but what she finds is a nightmare that she cannot explain. Is the witch, Baba Yaga, truly haunting the forbidden forest? Or is there more to the legend? Featuring hours of new gameplay, this adventure expands the story of the main campaign with Lara facing deadly new adversaries, exploring a new puzzle-filled tomb, and solving a decades old mystery, all culminating in a showdown with an ancient and mythic evil. Includes a new outfit, and a new bow.

Cold Darkness Awakened – Available in 2016

Decommissioned during the Cold War, a dormant weapons research base has been breached, unleashing a mysterious affliction into the Siberian wilds that transforms beasts and men into blood-thirsty, mindless killers. Lara must overcome increasingly dangerous waves of these infected predators while scrounging their equipment and crafting additional gear on the fly, in kill or be killed survival-combat. Fight for your life against new enemies and complete new challenges, while discovering a way to stop or perhaps even reverse this impending catastrophe. Includes a new outfit and weapon.

Newstalk ZB Review - The Night Before, Goosebumps and Self/Less

Newstalk ZB Review - The Night Before, Goosebumps and Self/Less

This week on Jack Tame, I caught up with Jack Tame to discuss Seth Rogen's newest comedy, The Night Before, the impressive Goosebumps and DVD release Self/Less.

Take a listen below:

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-the-night-before-goosebumps/

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-the-night-before-goosebumps/