Cafe Society: Film Review

Cafe Society: Film Review

Cast: Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, Ken Stott, Carey Stoll
Director: Woody Allen

Woody Allen returns to Tinseltown in a film that's very much a case of two halves and which suffers because of it.

Eisenberg plays Bronx native Bobby, who heads to 1930s Los Angeles to see if he can make a go of life by checking in with his agent uncle Phil Stern (Carell). Falling in love with Phil's secretary Veronica (Stewart), Bobby pursues her even though she admits she's seeing a married man.

However, life doesn't go as planned for Bobby and he ends up heading back to New York to run a nightclub with his gangster brother (Stoll, who gets most of the Mafioso throwaway shots and gags). Swept up in the high society and notoriety of the times, Bobby's life carries on - until he's paid a visit from the past.

Allen's lightweight touches and Eisenberg's pure channeling of Allen and his words make the first half of Cafe Society a sumptuous zingy thrill.

Swathed in some truly evocative and brilliant costume detail, the film looks exquisite and is as rich as any of Allen's best work. With fresh one-liners, back and forth dialogue early on that's engaging and quirky (an exchange between Bobby and a lady of the night is as close to pure neurosis Allen heaven as you'll get), it's sad to see that the move back to New York mires the story.

Thankfully, the repartie between Stott and Jeannie Berlin as husband and wife gives the film the zing it needs, but the lift isn't enough to propel you through a saggy second half, riddled with half-baked side plots that are too disinteresting to care about.

It doesn't help that a new pivotal character's introduced briefly in the back half with barely enough time to care about her inclusion into the emotive equation and certainly, the conclusion of the film would have had greater heft were the dynamic introduced earlier on.

Ultimately, Cafe Society is as frothy an Allen piece as they come, with some side trappings of dreamers / what if life thrown in for good measure. It's not a bad Allen piece by far (and certainly, it's not as dire as Irrational Man was), but its lightweight and inconsequential nature means its ultimate pay-off lacks the heft and leaves you feeling unsatisfied.

Under The Shadow: Film Review

Under The Shadow: Film Review

Tapping into both childhood fears and mining a rich social setting proves to be fertile ground inBabak Anvari's psychological terror Under the Shadow.

Set in the Iran /Iraq war and using the genre conventions of a haunted house /superstitious myth, it's the story of Shideh (Narges Rashidi) and daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi). Shideh has been fighting against the patriarchal society to get back to her studies as a doctor, but losing the fight, she's forced to take control of the household when her doctor husband is posted at a facility near the front line on military service.

But as the shadow of the war creeps closer to Shideh's Tehran apartment and the bombings come closer, she refuses to move out. And things get worse when her young daughter starts to believe they're being haunted by a Djinn....

As a first foray into the horror genre, writer / director Babak Anvari's Under The Shadow both simultaneously embraces the tropes of the genre and gives them a new spin, creating something that feels fresh and exciting. The slow burn of the set up allows you to really engage with Shideh's struggle, and then when Dorsa starts to feel threatened, the atmospherics are simply ramped up another notch. (Granted the idea of a kid under threat is perhaps where the film's creepiness really begins to kick in).

Anvari's embracing of autobiographical elements has clearly enhanced the look and feel of the film, but it's Rashidi as the feminist hero and first time child actor Manshadi who really propel proceedings into the stratosphere. Their interaction and the sneaking feeling that Shideh is losing it are nicely set up and in the initial part of the film the seesawing between who is right and who is wrong veers so clearly back and forth that you're never quite sure if the Djinn concept is anything other than in both of their heads.

Mining the rich vein of paranoia and foreboding with the war in the background and the shredding of nerves works wonders for the audience participation and engagement with Under The Shadow. 

This is not a CGI driven shock fest, but an introduction of a new take on the genre that feels fresh, exciting and could potentially have legs for others to take over; it feels like even by saying so little, the mythology is deeply set up in this film - and the ending offers up the potential for more. The fact its societal setting says much gives a disquiet and insight that adds much to proceedings.

Original, slow burning and psychologically deft, the unsettling Under the Shadow is a clever take on its genre and it's one not to be missed.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Blu Ray Review

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

That Tina Fey is the major revelation as an actor is perhaps the best takeaway of the slightly ramshackle Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Based on The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan, the war memoirs of Kim Baker, and from the directors of Crazy, Stupid Love, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is all about subverting the norms and expectations of the conventional war pic.

And it works to varying degrees.

Fey stars as Baker, a dissatisfied reporter stuck in a dead-end job and determined to turn things around. On a whim, she signs up to cover the conflict in Afghanistan in 2002, full of journalistic bluster and self-doubt.

However, when she gets to Afghanistan, she finds the Kabul atmosphere somewhat hedonistic as the embedded journalists there live life to the large, stuck in the mundanity of war time gallows humour and of a conflict that's already on the wane in the news cycle.

Initially awkward, Baker strikes up a friendship with fellow female reporter Tanya Vanderpoel (Robbie) and the pair work their way through the daily routine. But, as ever in wartime, there are casualties - both of the heart and of the human kind.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is an odd affair, a kind of dramedy that relies more on wry writing and a powerhouse delivery from Fey to see it through, rather than a stereotypical war movie with a comedy actress inserted in.

If your perception of Fey is solely as a comedic performer, the more restrained edges she brings to Kim Baker will be a welcome shock to your system, proving she has more than the dramatic chops needed to pull off the nuances necessary.

If Fey is impressive though, Girls' star Christopher Abbott eclipses what she does as Fahim, the native helper and guide to Baker. His is a turn of rare complexity, of understatement and one of the stand-outs of the film. And in an ensemble cast that numbers Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina and Margot Robbie, that is quite the feat.

By necessity, as the story has to cover several years worth of material, it jumps around a lot. Consequently though and unfortunately, it means some of the emotional heft of life within the self-coined "Kabubble" doesn't quite hit as perhaps it should or indeed could.

Some scenes hang together and then disappear, which is a shame because the rough and ready nature of how it's shot gives this unconventional wartime tale the sheen and grit it needs. This is no typical war story and it doesn't play out like you'd expect from the likes of Good Morning, Vietnam. You know a dramatic event is coming at some point, and unfortunately, in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, when it does show, the rushed conflict and sudden tonal whiplash of the final act jars a little (a rivalry, a kidnapping), leaving a feeling of contrivance rather than a deeper emotional immersing in events.

A bit more focus in some places and some slightly more fleshed out dramatic seeding would have greatly improved the at times satirical Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

All that said though, this is a film where both Fey and Abbott rise high above the material; they deliver human performances and elevate the slightly rougher edges of the jumpy story to leave you feeling that this is a tale whose complexities would have been better served with a more singular focus, but whose journey has delivered up two of the strongest acting surprises of the year. 

X-Men Apocalypse: Blu Ray Review

X-Men Apocalypse: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by 20th Century Fox Home Ent


It's back into X-territory for the latest outing in the mutant franchise.

This time around, ten years after the events of Days of Future Past the mutants of Charles Xavier (MacAvoy) are forced into action when the First Mutant Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) is re-awakened. Intent on destroying the world and unleashing chaos, Xavier's problems are further compounded when Magneto (Fassbender) joins Apocalypse's team...

That the latest X Men film feels a misfire is more a script issue rather than any kind of fault in its execution.

Granted, there's plenty of at times impressive CGI destruction to behold as Apocalypse and Magneto join forces to raze civilisation, but the script's lack of singular focus or clear vision means parts feel muddled and overly saggy without any real reason.

It may be that part of the story's rehash of how a mutant comes to be (in this case, Scott Summers, played by Mud's Tye Sheridan) feels so familiar having been explored before. Other characters in the film such as Angel, Storm and Psylocke have good opening sequences and introductions before falling away into narrative obscurity.

It's symptomatic of so much being juggled but yet nothing being fully fleshed out in X Men Apocalypse, that it leaves the whole thing feeling relatively soulless and without any real sense of jeopardy.

It's a shame because the opening in Egypt feels like a mutant version of the start of The Mummybut gives the film a sense of scale and threat that's lacking elsewhere. 

The problem comes that Apocalypse is a bit of a weaker villain for the piece, preferring to be an enabler of those recruited to his Four Horsemen gang, rather than an actual menace worthy of the series and of the tease that was proffered up at the end of Days of Future Past. Isaac does as much as he can under the blue prosthetics but he's saddled with scenes that simply find him in the action scowling and grumbling, rather than bringing a level of fear that the so-called First Mutant should evoke.

For the sixth film in this revamped series, the latest X-Men curiously defers all the personal interplay that helped lift the previous films in favour of over-egging the pudding. 

Curiously, the best moments of Apocalypse involve Fassbender's sense of tragedy as Erik is forced to abandon his living under cover and working in a steel-works - but even this emotional resonance is ultimately undercut by the ongoing tedium of the ideological battle between Xavier and Erik over their philosophical outlook on life. It's a thread that's repeatedly been explored before and one which finds nothing new added this time around.

Of the younger generation, Evan Peters once again excels as Quicksilver, with his central action piece of rescuing everyone from an exploding building being a visual highlight (even if it is a riff on his previous cinematic appearance) and Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner presents an intriguingly subdued take on Jean Grey, with more pent-up yet somehow repressed psychological damage being the order of the day.

Unfortunately though, with the over-stuffing of the cast, the film's younger generation don't exactly excel - despite all their efforts (Kodi Smit-McPhee's Nightcrawler is a nice take on the Alan Cummings'  much loved mutant) the script confines them to the sidelines or to a pointless excursion to Stryker's hideout and Weapon X, purely for fan service.

Equally, the Apocalypse group (who look like a bad 80s rock band) fall away in the wash. The Newsroom's Olivia Munn makes an initial impression as Psylocke before narratively she is eclipsed. 

It's symptomatic of the wider issues of X-Men Apocalypse, a film which is more concerned with rote CGI destruction (which is visually impressive to start off with, before repeatedly used) than character. If this series needs anything urgently with a 90s set outing planned, it's an injection of heart, soul and humanity, rather than a reliance on FX. 

If it doesn't go back to basics, concentrates on the core elements of the series and delivers a genuinely threatening villain or situation that doesn't feel contrived very soon, the X-Men franchise runs a risk of becoming cinematically and thematically alienated.

NewsTalk ZB Review - Inferno, My Scientology Movie and The Conjuring 2

NewsTalk ZB Review - Inferno, My Scientology Movie and The Conjuring 2

This week on NewsTalk ZB with Jack Tame, I caught up with Jack Tame to discuss Tom Hanks in Inferno, Louis Theroux's My Scientology Movie and The Conjuring 2.

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-inferno-my-scientology-movie/

The Conjuring 2: DVD Review

The Conjuring 2: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

Mining the source material of the Warrens' many investigations and combining it with the masterful direction of Insidious horror meister James Wan prove to be an intoxicating mix in The Conjuring 2.

Swathed in drab British 70s decor makes the recollection of the Enfield Haunting an unsettling and tautly directed horror that plays on primal fears and sees Wan dictating to his audience when and how to react.

Loosely the film starts off with Ed and Lorraine Warren (Wilson and Farmiga respectively reprising their roles from 3 years ago) concluding their investigation into a haunting in Amityville.
With Lorraine seriously spooked by a demon and Ed irritated at the scepticism and mockery they face, the duo decide to step back from the limelight.

However, on the other side of the world, in a council house on a London road, something deeply unsettling is manifesting with a single mom (Frances O'Connor) and her brood being haunted by something malevolent.

The Conjuring 2 is a terrifically taut and spookily executed horror piece, which uses some jump scares and long drawn-out scenes to great effect to make this a sequel that improves on the 2013 version.

If the Warrens are largely confined to the sidelines for great parts and only used in the second act in some cheesier moments (including drawing a relatively long bow connection to the two cases), Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga don't let it show with performances which render the main duo's earnestness and beacon of Christian hope both empathetic and likeable, even if the script doesn't quite serve them as well as it could. 

Despite bizarrely concentrating on the romance and relationship of the duo, Lorraine's very threatened existence and portentous visions give the film a tangible edge of danger and contribute to one of the very best scenes of the film, set inside a study.

But it's more than Dick van Dyke demons which haunt Enfield that provide the inevitable scares and relative dread of the chilly oppressive atmosphere.  (Even if the kids in jeopardy are blessed with some luv-a-duck accents). Granted, there are elements of The Exorcist and a lot of visuals from the Insidious series within, but there's a very palpable sense of dread that Wan draws from the suburban surroundings of a well executed house (complete with 70s trappings of David Soul posters on the bedrooms) and the way the cameras follow elements around, causing you to second guess when the shocks are coming.
Wan's clever drawing out of tension and ultimate measured and paced execution leads to some terrific edge of your seat stuff and a sequence with a painting that's on it's way to becoming a classic. Suspense and dread are the name of the game - even if in the finale everything is thrown at it when perhaps more would have been less. (And a post 2 hour run time seems a little excessive in the final mix).

This time, the Warrens feel less central to the proceedings bizarrely, given Wan concerns a lot of his time with the goings on in the Enfield house. It's a prescient move though, given the greatest elements of horror come from the age old trope of kids in jeopardy and this film knows how to milk that for maximum claustrophobic effect.

Unfortunately, those outside of proceedings seem surplus to dramatic requirements. The rest of the kids show up only to allow for further jeopardy, the mum seems to exist to dispatch only back-story given her husband's non-appearance on the scene, and other members of the Warrens' investigation team offer tantalising hints of what fractures could have been offered with differing points of view.

Ultimately though, The Conjuring 2 is a rare beast; a horror sequel that doesn't rely on cheap thrills and wanton audience manipulation to achieve its final aim. 

It's a tense and creepy old school film that benefits greatly from a restrained approach and which leaves you feeling deeply unsettled throughout, even if some of the dramatic measures to get there take a large leap of faith.

Dishonored 2 | New Gameplay Video – Emily and Corvo’s Daring Escapes

Dishonored 2 | New Gameplay Video – Emily and Corvo’s Daring Escapes

We’ve just released a new gameplay video for Dishonored 2 titled, ‘Daring Escapes’. Watch as both Emily Kaldwin and Corvo Attano showcase a few of the seemingly limitless creative combinations of their supernatural abilities, weapons and gadgets to escape from the Royal Conservatory.  

Reprise your role as a supernatural assassin in Dishonored 2, the next chapter in the award-winning Dishonored saga by Arkane Studios, set to launch worldwide on November 11, 2016 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Delilah, a mad witch armed with powerful black magic, has seized the throne from Empress Emily Kaldwin, leaving the fate of the Isles hanging in the balance. As either Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano, travel beyond the legendary streets of Dunwall to Karnaca – a once-dazzling coastal city that holds the key to restoring Emily to power. Armed with the mark of the Outsider and powerful new supernatural abilities, hunt down your enemies and forever alter the fate of the Empire.

Will you choose to play as Empress Emily Kaldwin or her father, the royal protector Corvo Attano? Will you make your way through the game unseen, make full use of its brutal combat system, or use a blend of both? How will you combine your character’s unique set of abilities, weapons and gadgets to eliminate your enemies?

Anyone who pre-orders Dishonored 2 will be able to play the game a day early before the official worldwide release, and will receive a copy of Dishonored: Definitive Edition.

Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Out Now

Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Out Now

Video Game and Entertainment Icon Celebrates Two Decades of Adventures in Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration

The Ultimate Rise of the Tomb Raider Experience Features New Story Chapter, New Co-Op Endurance Gameplay, Limited Edition Art Book, and In-Game Content Honoring

Classic Lara Croft Games

SYDNEY, 12^TH October 2016 – Square Enix®, Crystal Dynamics®, and Nixxes Software announce that Rise of the Tomb Raider®: 20 Year Celebration™ is now available for the PlayStation®4. In addition, the new content will be available for Xbox One and PC Season Pass owners. In Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara becomes more than a survivor, and embarks on her first Tomb Raiding expedition in search of the secret of immortality. She’ll explore a vast and hostile world, engage in guerilla combat, and discover deadly tombs.

Watch the launch trailer for Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration at https://youtu.be/4B9alWaq95Y. An Infographic for the Year of Tomb Raider is also now available to view at: TombRaider.com

“Tomb Raider is one of Square Enix’s crowning achievements, and I am proud of the many adventures we’ve taken with Lara Croft over the years, particularly with Rise of the Tomb Raider,” said Yosuke Matsuda, president and representative director of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. “We plan to continue Lara’s enduring legacy by exploring new and innovative ways for players to experience her character and story.”

Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration is the most comprehensive version of the award-winning experience, and includes Rise of the Tomb Raider, along with a host of completely new content such as the new story chapter “Blood Ties,” “Lara’s Nightmare” zombie combat mode, PlayStation® VR support for “Blood Ties,” co-op Endurance gameplay, an “Extreme Survivor” difficulty, five classic Lara skins, and an outfit and weapon inspired by TR III. It also includes all of the previously released downloadable content such as the critically acclaimed “Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch,” “Cold Darkness Awakened,” 12 outfits, seven weapons, multiple Expedition Card packs, and more.

“Our development team has crafted the ultimate package in Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration,” said Scot Amos, Co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “The game and all of the new additions delivers something for every gamer with an epic single-player story, survival co-op action, and a fully immersive virtual reality story chapter.”

After uncovering an ancient mystery, Lara must explore the most treacherous and remote regions of Siberia to find the secret of immortality before a ruthless organization known as Trinity beats her to it. Faced with the mysterious Remnant leader Jacob, the constant threats of Trinity's leader Konstantin, and driven by her Father’s unfinished legacy, Lara must become the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.

“Being a part of Tomb Raider history has been such an honor for the team,” said Ron Rosenberg, Co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “We’re excited to share this journey with our fans, in what has become the Year of Tomb Raider.”

Since her first appearance in 1996 in the original Tomb Raider from Core® Design, Lara Croft® has trekked more than 25 countries and revolutionized the way the gaming community perceives lead characters in video games. Lara is an intrepid, empowered adventurer who must rely on her skills and intelligence not only to unravel ancient mysteries but also to survive in the most treacherous environments.

Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration is now available in all major retail stores across Australia & New Zealand. As a special launch week bonus, Square Enix is awarding everyone who logs in and plays Rise of the Tomb Raider on any available platform with a bonus 100,000 in-game credits, with which players can purchase Expedition Cards to be used in a variety of replay modes.

To date, the critically acclaimed Rise of the Tomb Raider has received more than 85 “Best of” nominations, winning more than 30 awards.

GTA Online: Bikers Update - Two New Vehicles and Sixth Purchasable Property Now Available

GTA Online: Bikers Update - Two New Vehicles and Sixth Purchasable Property Now Available

Hi all,

Last week's launch of Bikers featured loads of new gameplay including Clubhouse Contracts, new Business opportunities and more - alongside 13 new vehicles and a host of other additions - in one of the biggest GTA Online updates to date. Today, two new vehicles have been added to the roster of available rides: the gangland-style Daemon Custom and the three-wheeler, the Raptor. Plus, players are now able to purchase a much-requested sixth property:

GTA Online: Bikers Update - Two New Vehicles and Sixth Purchasable Property Now Available

Last week's launch of Bikers featured loads of new gameplay including Clubhouse Contracts, new Business opportunities and more - alongside 13 new vehicles and a host of other additions - in one of the biggest GTA Online updates to date. Today, two new vehicles have been added to the roster of available rides. Plus, Dynasty 8 has answered the prayers of many players with the ability to purchase a sixth property.

TWO NEW VEHICLES: WESTERN DAEMON CUSTOM AND BF RAPTORHitting the streets of Los Santos this week are the Daemon Custom and the Raptor. The new Daemon is the perfect way to let every passerby know you belong to a long and distinguished tradition of gangland chic. But if you crave that mixture of awe, confusion and arousal that only a turbo-charged three-wheeler can inspire, the Raptor is the ride for you.

SIXTH PROPERTY NOW AVAILABLEAlready filled every square inch of garage space with cars too beautiful to sell? Stuffed your Clubhouse with as many perfectly modded rides as it’ll hold? Or are you just sick of having only one luxury apartment for every day of the working week? Your pain is real, but so is the cure: you can now purchase a sixth property.

BIKERS BONUSES: OCTOBER 11TH - 24THStarting today, and running for a full two weeks through October 24th, take advantage of a new set of GTA Online discounts and unlockable rewards. You'll receive a black Western Logo Hoodie just by logging into GTA Online at any point over the next two weeks. There's also Double GTA$ & RP in the new Slipstream Adversary Mode, along with a special Double GTA$ & RP Playlist featuring a selection of Stunt Races (to join, just hit the prompt on the GTAV launch screen or select the Stunt Race Playlist from the Rockstar Playlists in the pause menu).

If you need extra back-up for your newly formed Motorcycle Club or you’re looking for a break from police attention, both Lester and Merryweather have cut their prices in half across their entire catalog of Services. Those looking to make over their vehicles can head on over to Los Santos Customs where you'll receive 25% off Resprays, Tire Smoke, Rims and Turbos. And Ammu-Nation is trimming 25% off all Bullet Ammo, Tints, Body Armor, Throwables and Drum & Box Magazines.

PREMIUM RACES: FOREST (OCT. 11TH - 17TH) & DOUBLE LOOP (OCT. 18TH - 24TH)During the bonus period there's two Premium Races on offer. Now through October 17th, zip through the trees at top speed in "Forest" (locked to Bikes). Don’t worry about opponents forcing you into the nearest tree trunk as the Race is also locked to Non-Contact. Then from October 18th through 24th, it's the gravity-defying "Double Loop", locked to the Super class. All Premium Race participants earn Triple RP and have a shot at taking down GTA$ prizes for finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

EARN BONUS CASH NOW THRU OCTOBER 17THNow through Monday, October 17th get what you want even faster with GTA$ cash-back bonuses on any Bull, Great White, Whale or Megalodon Shark Card. The bigger the card value, the heftier the GTA$ bonus you'll get:

• Bull Shark - 15% money back (GTA$75,000)
• Great White Shark – 30% money back (GTA$375,000)
• Whale Shark – 35% money back (GTA$1,225,000)
• Megalodon Shark – 50% money back (GTA$4,000,000)
•  

All the bonus GTA$ you earn during that period will be automatically deposited as one lump sum in your in-game Maze Bank Checking account by Friday, October 21st. You can purchase Shark Cards in-game or via your favorite online or local retailer. Spend wisely, cash therapy is fleeting.

BATMAN - The Telltale Series' Continues with Episode 3 on Oct 25th

BATMAN - The Telltale Series' Continues with Episode 3 on Oct 25th

'BATMAN - The Telltale Series'  Continues October 25th in Episode 3: New World Order Sneak Peek Revealed in Latest Episode of 'BATMAN: Unmasked'

Today we can unveil the release date for BATMAN - The Telltale Series Episode 3: 'New World Order'. The third of five episodes in the season, Episode 3: 'New World Order' will be available digitally worldwide starting Tuesday October 25th on PC from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4, and on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One®. Release dates for additional platforms will be announced in the near future.  Players can get a special sneak peek at the upcoming episode in the latest installment of BATMAN: Unmasked, featuring special guest Travis Willingham(voice of Harvey Dent).  In Episode 3, Penguin's brutal attack broadcast on live TV has left Gotham City reeling. As Bruce and Batman, you'll dig deeper into the web of intrigue surrounding the newly revealed Children of Arkham. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, the mysterious Selina Kyle reveals more of herself to Bruce. And in the aftermath of the attack, Bruce's friend and Gotham's new mayor, Harvey Dent, is a deeply changed man. Who can be trusted when the future of Bruce Wayne - and the Batman - could be determined by the flip of a coin? The series is also available to purchase at retailers in North America and Europe as a special Season Pass Disc, which includes the first of five episodes in the season, and grants access to the subsequent four episodes as they become available for download via online updates.  Rendered to look like a living, breathing comic book, Telltale's vision of Batman features an award-winning cast of talent, including Troy Baker in the role of Bruce Wayne,Travis Willingham as Harvey Dent, Erin Yvette as Vicki Vale, Enn Reitel as Alfred Pennyworth, Murphy Guyer as Lieutenant James Gordon, Richard McGonagle as Carmine Falcone, Jason Spisak as Oswald Cobblepot, and Laura Bailey as Selina Kyle. Additional cast and characters will be revealed as the season progresses. BATMAN - The Telltale Series Episode 3: New World Order is rated M (Mature) for Violence, Blood, Sexual Themes, Language, and Use of Drugs by the ESRB. Future content in the season is yet to be rated by the ESRB. The series is published by Telltale Games in partnership with Warner Bros.  For more information on Telltale Games, and more news surrounding the series, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow Telltale Games on Twitter@TelltaleGames.

Dark Souls III Ashes of Ariandel - PS4/PC/XB1 - Choose your allegiance (PvP Trailer)

Dark Souls III Ashes of Ariandel - PS4/PC/XB1 - Choose your allegiance (PvP Trailer)

Choose your allegiance with the New Dark Souls Ashes of Ariandel PVP Trailer!

Watch the trailer now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg5ZCqsh66E

Mound-Makers, Farron Watchdogs, Blade of the Darkmoon, Sunbros… Have you chosen your allegiance in Dark Souls III? Will you help souls in distress, or betray your closest allies? Ashes of Ariandel will improve on the acclaimed multiplayer mode of Dark Souls III, with a new PvP arena. Infuse your weapons, refill your Estus and prepare to roll. It’s time to fight, Ashen Ones.

DARK SOULS III: Ashes of Ariandel will be available for download on the PlayStation 4 system, Xbox One, and PC via STEAM October 25, 2016. A season pass for DARK SOULS III which includes the DARK SOULS III: Ashes of Ariandel and a second expansion, expected to be released in early 2017, is available for purchase for $37.95 for all versions of the game.

PES 2017: PS4 Review

PES 2017: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Developed by Konami

Pro Evolution Soccer faces the same discussion every year when it pokes its head above the AAA parapet.

With FIFA 17 on the horizon too, it's easy to fall into the baiting of the two; but to do so is to dismiss either. So, that won't be happening here.

There's a great deal of fondness for Pro Evo throughout its iterations - personally, it's represented bonding with a great mate on many levels, sat in front of a screen talking rubbish and kicking a ball about. So, the latest iteration of the game has a lot to live up to - and simply put, it does that.

Rather than overtly complicate things with newer mechanics and overhaul the gameplay, Pro Evolution Soccer's success has always been about the fact that it's all about simply kicking a ball about. It sounds stupidly simple when put like that, but frankly, that's what most of us who play footy sims want to see, so it's great to see the 2017 version does that and does it well.

Smooth, graphically impressive and easy to simply pick up and play, the game's fluidity is its bonus. Small tweaks like increasing passing and improving keepers have added to the feel of the game and the time on the field. Close up, the players look like actual people (this sounds stupid, but the number of times sports sims have essentially simply thrust a potato on to the field in a close up are too many) and the celebrations are genuine.

You need a bit more skill to beat the AI this time around, so actually scoring genuinely feels like a victory and the rewards are many. Sure, it may lack the names of other franchises due to licensing, but who cares when you're playing such a great simulator?

From Master League (where you climb the ranks) to a Quick Game, Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 is an unmissable footballing game - even for non fans of the beautiful game. Blessed with realism and degrees of sheen and polish, this is one sports soccer sim that needs to be on your shelf, long after the season has ended.

FIFA 17: PS4 Review

FIFA 17: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by EA Sports

The Beautiful Game's back - and this time around, it's all about The Journey.

Using the same kind of ethos that's worked for the NBA2K titles, and throwing in a degree of the Telltale Games' strategy of reacting with choices, The Journey focuses on Alex Hunter and his career ascent (or descent if you don't play well enough).

With some cliched sporting dialogue and some fairly stockstandard characters, you could easily dismiss The Journey as being a bit of a waste, but it's actually proving to be a welcome new element to the franchise.

In the first case, it's actually a smart way to get people across the basics and show some training, by setting it in the context of try-outs. Keep Alex in the top 10 and he scores a contract; it's a clever touch that keeps you invested right off rather than getting trophies for hitting a certain number of points in a certain skill-set.

And it's devastating when you don't make the grade in training, and fail to make a starting line up. Not only does it cost you career money, but it also costs you your place in the club. I am particularly gutted that Alex has been put out on loan to get more time on the pitch with other clubs - that's how immersed into this story I am.

It's not worth spoiling the rest of The Journey as the fun is in the playing, but suffice to say it, this FIFA Story Mode may be something to consider a return to next year.

Elsewhere the game is much the same as ever - but with Frostbite providing the graphics' engine, the game actually looks like a beautiful game in many ways. With rendered edges and great lighting the replays sparkle and give you the thrills and chills you need.

But as for the gameplay itself, there are few changes, because the previous iterations have been already so playable and easy to get on with. AI has stepped up a notch and it's noticeably harder to harness a victory on the field in FIFA; Player and Manager Career Modes are back - and to be honest, they're fine; the single player is the reason to take on FIFA and it's welcome.

For many the footballing sim world is already chock-a-block, but this latest makes the time and investment worth it as you follow Alex Hunter - you'll be surprised how much you want to keep playing on.

Gears of War 4: XBox One Review

Gears of War 4: XBox One Review

Platform: XBox One
Developed by The Coalition

Gears of War 4 is perhaps one of the best looking shooters of the next generation.

Taking place 25 years after the events of Gears of Wars 3, the game picks up and thrusts you into the role of James Fenix, the son of Marcus Fenix - and into a world of trouble.

With a prologue that essentially gives you some recap of the previous games and also sends you directly into the action before ensuring you have to face a new threat in the form of critters known as The Swarm, it's clear that Gears of War 4 under The Coalition's watch is going to be about action.

And quite frankly, it is all about the action and the shooting.

With characters that wouldn't feel out of place in an action film, and with dialogue that fits too, Gears of War 4 is cinematic in ways you wouldn't expect.

Graphically, the game's excellent with its post -space world and rendering feeling bright, futuristic and day after tomorrow as well as vibrant and engaging.

Creature design for the Swarm is pretty spot on and feels both enticing and occasionally repulsive. But the cut scenes which introduce the new threat are filled with as much adrenaline as they are threat, and give the game a sheen that reeks of quality.

Early sequences see you taking on guard robots and their rolling buddies (which feel like they wouldn't be out of place in Terrahawks) before the game switches things up. The sense of peril explodes and the game matches the scope of what transpires with ease. It looks so pretty on the XBox One and the worlds rendered around JD and his gangs are worthy of exploring on their own.
Add in some good solid character edges and you begin to understand why Gears of War 4 feels like the full package.

There are a couple of niggles with the cover elements of the fighting though.

Far too often I'd press the button to go to cover and it wouldn't be as fluid or intuitive as I'd expect - or trying to vault over pieces of cover, it didn't work as well as expected. It's a minor complaint, though in tougher boss battles and in waves of attacks, it becomes an ongoing concern.

There's plenty of Multiplayer for Gears of War 4 too, but these will be explored a little further once the servers are a little more populated; my initial quest to get a game on Horde was met with a lot of waiting for the server to give enough people, so I'll review that at a later date.

Ultimately Gears of War 4 does what you'd expect on the box.

But the fact that it does it looking so utterly incredible is a real testament to all involved. It may be one of the best looking shooters on the XBox One, but it certainly never takes that for granted, and doesn't rest on its laurels.