Quantum Break: XBox One Review

Quantum Break: XBox One Review

Developed by Remedy Entertainment
Platform: XBox One

To say that the XBox One has been awaiting a major exclusive this year is perhaps an understatement.

And to say that Quantum Break, from the studio who brought us Alan Wake, is a title that fulfills the expectation is also an understatement.

Meshing TV and gaming together has been on the cards for a while now, but Remedy Entertainment are the first out of the box with this time-travel tale that stars some big Hollywood names.

In this third person shooter, X-Men and The Following star Shawn Ashmore is Jack Joyce. Called back to a fictional university to come and help long-time friend Paul Serene (Game of Thrones and The Wire star Aiden Gillen), Jack finds himself in a time-travel experiment gone wrong.

As with these kinds of experiments-gone-wrong stories, Jack finds himself endowed with special timey-wimey powers. Which is perhaps just as well because suddenly Joyce is being hunted, his brother who was involved in the original experiment is in a spot of bother and a whole amount of hell has been unleashed.

There's no doubting Quantum Break's ambition.

It's not just a straight shooter game, it's a total experience package, with a TV show thrown in as well. But it's also a game that demands that you work with it. In terms of the powers, it takes a little time to adjust to what's expected and how best to use the scope of the possibilities around you.

Add in the fact that you need to explore to pick up extra portions of the game and get more of the story and it's a fairly damn near totally immersive experience. This is where you pick up the story and get more of an idea what's been going on rather than just simply relying on cut scenes to give you a wider picture.

That said, there are moments when the cover doesn't quite work as well as you'd hope and Jack can spring out from where he's hiding into a hail of bullets, ending your game there and then. It takes practice and certainly with the number of abilities that Jack acquires, you're going to need more than just a few fingers and a bit of time to get it all together to gel into something coherent.

But when it does, it's a symphony of action and a superb piece of gaming. Given the deeper immersion too, there's plenty to latch onto in Quantum Break. Occasionally, it could do with pausing and catching its breath, but as an original title, the experience of playing Quantum Break, along with its superb cast of actors and top notch rendering, is like nothing we've seen this year. And given the continuing number of remasters and next chapters in games, this is creativity that the industry so desperately needs to strive for to survive and evolve.

Interview with Quantum Break star Shawn Ashmore.



Don't forget, I also had a chat to Remedy Entertainment's Thomas Puha about the game - listen to that interview below too.

Quantum Break is out now on XBox One.

NBA2K16: PS4 Review

NBA2K16: PS4 Review

Released by 2K Games
Platform: PS4

It's back to the court of gaming opinion we go for the latest iteration of the NBA series.

The 2016 version of the game sees Spike Lee stepping onto the court for the game and giving it more of a narrative feel for the gamer as they begin their journey in high school, through college and then into the drafts before the next stage.

The sports sim is very much a game of two halves with sports fans likely to lap it up without question. But as ever, with these games, while there's a rabid fan base for the title, it's always got to hit mass appeal to get a longer life.

With over 10000 animations added into the engine, this is not a game that holds back by any stretch of the imagination. With additional rim and ball physics, an emphasis more on collisions and a slightly better AI, NBA2K 16 is clearly upping its considerable ante.

The addition of the Spike Lee storyline Living Da Dream may not be a newer edge (these story elements have been incorporated before) but it's certainly a little darker than perhaps you'd expect.

But at the end of the day, NBA2K16 is still all about the balling action.

The 5 on 5 player action impresses, even if you do need to ensure the computer added people on your team are in the right place at the right time. It's also a game that requires a level of strategy as well - you can't simply pass and hope, and so in that way, it's got the fundamentals right.

Elsewhere, the graphics impress with players looking mightily like their human counterparts and it's almost off-putting. What is slightly off-putting and a little daunting is how much the controls have changed and you will have to spend a bit of time getting used to these, but when it all plays and pays off, it's worth it.

Not entirely a slam dunk, NBA2K16 remains a good strong sports sim proposition. It's a shame that even with the addition of custom built leagues and online gaming it still feels like it doesn't quite have mass appeal, but if you're willing to put the time and effort in, it's a game that rewards.

The Walking Dead Season 3 details arrive - as does the finale of Michonne

The Walking Dead Season 3 details arrive - as does the finale of Michonne

Gripping Finale of The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries Arrives Today with Episode Three - 'What We Deserve'      Series Creator Robert Kirkman Also Discusses First Details on Season Three

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Apr. 26, 2016 -- Leading publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games and Robert Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment, announced today that 'What We Deserve,' the final of three episodes in The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries, is now available for download. Episode 3 - 'What We Deserve' is available now on PC/Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, and the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The episode is also available today for compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and for Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon App Store.  The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries stars the iconic, blade-wielding character from Robert Kirkman's best-selling comic books, portrayed in-game by award-winning actress Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black).  Haunted by her past and coping with unimaginable loss and regret, the story explores Michonne across a three episode miniseries event. Players will dive into the mind of Michonne to discover what took her away from Rick, Carl, and the rest of her trusted group... and what brought her back. The Walking Dead: Michonne & Season Three - Robert Kirkman Interview In an all-new interview, series creator Robert Kirkman spoke on the depth and complexity of Michonne and what makes her a long-lasting fan favorite in such an immensely celebrated series, as well as reveals the first details of the third seasonof The Walking Dead series from Telltale. "Season Three of the Telltale series is really exciting to me. The way that the timeline works, Season Three will actually be getting pretty close to where we are in the comics concurrently," said Kirkman. "We'll be checking in on Clementine again, so we'll be seeing her, seeing where she's at and what's going on with her which is going to be great. But also similar to the Michonne series there will probably be some more comic book elements that we'll be working into it in some interesting ways. I don't want to spoil too much..." In 'What We Deserve,' feeling the weight of choices both recent and long ago, Michonne tries to protect an innocent family... but Norma and the vengeful Monroe crew are closing in. As reality shatters and the ghosts of the daughters she abandoned demand to be heard, your choices will determine who lives, who dies, and what redemption really means in a world gone to hell.   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.   The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries Episode 3 - 'What We Deserve' is rated 'M' (Mature) for Intense Violence, Blood & Gore, and Strong Language by the ESRB.    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.

Battleborn Prequel Motion Comic launches

Battleborn Prequel Motion Comic launches

2K and Gearbox Software proudly present the Battleborn Prequel Motion Comic.

This three part series takes place before the events of the soon-to-be-released game and leads up to the start of Battleborn’s episodic campaign, telling the story of the destruction of the second to last star in the universe – Penarch.

Witness Trevor Ghalt’s heroic rise as leader of The Battleborn, as an unlikely alliance between the universe’s greatest heroes becomes the last line of defense for a universe on the brink of extinction. All three Battleborn Prequel Motion Comic episodes – Running the Numbers, The Rescue, and No More Heroes – are available below With a roster of 25 playable heroes, Battleborn is rated ‘M’ in Australia and New Zealand and launches on May 3, 2016 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

HITMAN – The Sarajevo Six – The Enforcer Trailer

HITMAN – The Sarajevo Six – The Enforcer Trailer

HITMAN – The Sarajevo Six – The Enforcer Trailer

6 BONUS CONTRACTS – The Sarajevo Six – only on PlayStation®4

The second target from The Sarajevo Six is available with the launch of Episode Two.

Gary Lunn, also known as “The Enforcer”, has been located in Sapienza where he is currently working at the Ether corporate bio lab, supervising high level security efforts. Lunn is a highly trained professional and can most likely be found moving around Villa Caruso or the bio lab.

PS4 players get exclusive access to The Sarajevo Six. These are six bonus contracts that tell a self-contained side-story revolving around former members of a paramilitary unit called CICADA. Agent 47 will travel the world in pursuit of his targets, with one bonus contract available in each location from the game.

Visit hitman.com for more information on HITMAN and the Sarajevo Six.

25 April: Film Review

25 April: Film Review 

Director: Leanne Pooley

Released in the 101st year of the ANZAC Commemorations and to all intents and purposes feeling like a learning tool rather than a cinematic experience, 25 April is a World War One curio.

Using the style of animation reserved for the pages of graphic novels or Telltale Games' style of console gaming, 25 April is a documentary aimed at bringing the story of the NZ experiences at Gallipoli vividly to life.

There's no disputing these six people's real-life tales are vividly realised and transposed to the big screen. From a soldier to a nurse, these are stories we've heard time and time before but which lose none of the power as the true horror of war is unveiled.

The problem with 25 April though is that it sticks so rigidly to the point of view of the ANZACs that it makes the rest of the campaign look like no-one else was involved. With a once over lightly approach to proceedings, and the ANZAC experience, it was very much a day in the life of and gives the ultimate result that the over-arching campaign itself was rather extraneous to proceedings. 

There is an argument that because it was being done from the diaries of those involved, the over-arching aim wouldn't have been there for them to see, but the narrow focus actually causes the scope to feel very much from a tunnel vision.

Thankfully the animation is nothing short of astounding.

Vivid reds swamp the screen as the theatre of war is expunged.

And one sequence where the reds turn into poppies is heart-breakingly well done and stirring. Equally, a scene where a soldier is shot and the wound appears on him, turning into a poppy as it bleeds out is tremendously haunting and equally inventive.

With some excellent voice-work and some richly tragic and evocative source material to work from, 25 April certainly has its moments where it hits home. 

As a piece of a wider puzzle and a deeper conflict, these stories are neither new and are extremely commonplace, leaving the nagging feel the reason for 25 April may be a little too late - it would have been well served in the 100th commemorations and would have reached a level that would have transcended need.

One can't help but shake the feeling this is not a film that actually needs to exist in a cinema; it's a tale to be told, granted, but it's more suited to a centre piece of a wider discussion, best housed in a museum  and ANZAC context.

New Italian film festival on way

New Italian film festival on way

News reaches me this morning of a new Italian Film Festival starting May 4th.

Being run by Orphans and Kingdoms director Paolo Rotondo, Madman, Rialto and Palace Films, the Cinema Italiano festival is taking some tentative steps into the market recently vacated by another Italian Film Festival.

Running in the following dates - the festival will play Auckland 4 May – 15 May Tauranga 19 May – 26 May Wellington 2 June – 12 June Christchurch 15 June – 25 June

Paolo, along with his wife, have curated a selection of films from 2014 and 2015 - the full list of films on show are:

Latin Lover / Those Happy Years / The Wonders / Quiet Bliss / Mia Madre / The Conformist / Zoran My Newphew, The Idiot / The Mafia Only Kills in the Summer / Greenery Will Bloom Again / Incompresa / Black Souls / Wonderous Boccaccio / Blame It On Freud / Crossing Rachmaninoff / Bella Vita / The Dinner / Orphans & Kingdoms / Those Happy Years / The Fifth Wheel / The Devil's Soup / Sacro Gra

You can get more details of the festival at cinemaitalianonz.com and you can get the festival programme directly here.