At Darren's World of Entertainment

Friday, 11 November 2016

First trailer: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Here's the very first look at the first trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

Starring Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevigne and from Luc Besson, the sci fi drama is due next year.

Rooted in the classic graphic novel series, Valerian and Laureline, visionary writer/director Luc Besson advances this iconic source material into a contemporary, unique and epic science fiction saga.

Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories, charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Valerian has more in mind than a professional relationship with his partner – blatantly chasing after her with propositions of romance.

But his extensive history with women, and her traditional values, drive Laureline to continuously rebuff him.

Under a directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all over the universe. Alpha’s seventeen million inhabitants have converged over time, uniting their talents, technology and resources for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, not everyone on Alpha shares in these objectives; in fact, unseen forces are at work, placing our race in great danger.

Swiss Army Man: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent

"People don't like other people's farts".

It's this line which will sum up the polarising but utterly beautiful Swiss Army Man, the story of Paul Dano's Hank, a man who's stranded on an island with no hope. Setting up a noose to relieve him of his own life, Hank's life changes when he spots another person washed up on the beach.

This is Manny (Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe) - but the problem is Manny is a corpse.

Well, a farting corpse - that Hank saddles up and rides off the island like a jetski. But the pair end up lost in the woods and Hank struggles to freedom, while reflecting on his life.

Mixing the profound and the puerile, Swiss Army Man is like nothing else at the movies at the moment. (And is potentially why people walked out at screenings at Sundance).

A meditation on life and love that's occasionally punctuated by flatulence at the start, Swiss Army Man is actually an incredibly moving piece that may or may not be told by an unreliable narrator. Whether it is a descent into madness and sanity or a realistic story remains deeply in question once the film's ended, but what's clear is that the directors have crafted a flick that's as visually engaging and crammed with original visual ideas as anything from Michel Gondry.

Surreal in parts, and laugh out loud humorous, with an ethereal soundtrack that builds on loops and riffs on meditations of love, as well as human connections, both Dano and Radcliffe are incredible in a kind of Pinteresque Godot type survival story that crosses Castaway and Wilson.

It could do to lose some of the more bottom obsessed moments, but equally some of the earlier scenes with the farting bizarrely add to a level of humour that transcends the childish. And there's a profundity throughout that's ultimately quite moving.

Mixing spirituality, existentialism and life, the fresh and utterly original Swiss Army Man is a hallucinatory and melancholy trip that's worth taking. It's an affecting and tragic film that speaks to loneliness and reeks of the sincerity of co-dependancy of the human condition.

Thursday, 10 November 2016

Watch Dogs 2 - Launch Trailer

The brand new trailer for the launch of the highly anticipated Watch Dogs 2 has dropped.

It arrives ahead of its November 15th release date

After being wrongly profiled as a criminal risk by a citywide operating system, Marcus Holloway investigates to find rampant corporate corruption and manipulation of the public. Marcus and his group of hackers, DedSec, wage a war to take down the system and return power to the people.

Dishonored 2 | Launch Trailer Released | Early Access Launches Today

To celebrate today’s Early Access* launch for Dishonored 2 in Australia and New Zealand, we’ve just released the official launch trailer

Reprise your role as a supernatural assassin in Dishonored 2, the next chapter in the award-winning Dishonored saga by Arkane Studios. 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.

Dishonored 2 officially launches worldwide on Friday, November 11 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. For more information about the game please visit dishonored.bethesda.net.

*Anyone who pre-orders Dishonored 2 Limited Edition will be able to play the game a day early before the official worldwide release in addition to receiving a free digital copy of Dishonored: Definitive Edition -the original critically-acclaimed game in the series, which won more than 100 ‘Game of the Year’ Awards, plus all of its add-on content.

Mafia III – New Outfits Now Available

2K and Hangar 13 just released a Mafia III patch that adds the ability for players to pick from 11 outfits for Lincoln Clay to wear while taking on Sal Marcano and the Italian mob in New Bordeaux. The patch also includes a series of performance updates and hotfixes for PS4, Xbox One and PC. For complete details on the new free outfits and patch, visit the Mafia III blog: https://mafiagame.com/en/news/view/update-mafia-3-free-outfit-dlc-and-new-patch-available-today

The Hangar 13 team is working on free updates for races and vehicle customization as well as three paid story expansions. Learn more about the additional upcoming Mafia III content here: https://mafiagame.com/en/news/view/en-a-look-at-the-post-release-content-coming-to-mafia-3.

PlayStation®4 Pro launches in NZ

Sony Interactive Entertainment New Zealand (SIENZ) today launched PlayStation®4 Pro (PS4™ Pro), a high-end system that supports cutting-edge imaging technology to make games look richer and more detailed than ever before. PS4 Pro, which supports dynamic 4K gaming and 4K entertainment^*is now available in New Zealand at a suggested retail price of NZD $639.95 inclusive of GST. Blockbuster PS4 games, including Call Of Duty®: Infinite Warfare (Activision), Ratchet & Clank™, The Last of Us™ Remastered, and Uncharted™ 4: A Thief’s End (SIE Worldwide Studios), have been updated to take advantage of PS4 Pro’s increased power, taking the graphics and visual experience to all new heights.

“The launch of PS4 Pro is an immensely exciting moment for PlayStation. Never before have we introduced a new console in the middle of a platform’s lifecycle,” said Jim Ryan, President of SIEE and President of Global Sales & Marketing, SIE “By providing developers with a new way to showcase their creativity, PS4 Pro enables us to prove our commitment to innovation, as well as deliver captivating gameplay experiences for the players.”

PS4 Pro leverages the latest imaging technology by supporting dynamic 4K quality^*resolution and High Dynamic Range (HDR). The powerful CPU and GPU of PS4 Pro allows developers to create higher-quality games that output dynamic 4K quality^* graphics with unprecedented visual precision, or smoother and more stable frame rates. Like all PS4 consoles, the system is also compatible with HDR imaging technology that produces more realistic, strikingly vivid visuals that are truer to the way the human eye naturally sees.

The introduction of PS4 Pro, which sits alongside the standard PS4, will provide consumers with more choice. Users can play every PS4 game on both PS4 Pro and the standard PS4, which was recently released in a slimmer and lighter model at a suggested retail price of NZD $489.95 inclusive of GST. PlayStation®VR is compatible with both systems. PS4 Pro and the standard PS4 will also share the same user interface and have access to the same vibrant online community. Users are able to select their console of choice, based on their needs and preferences.

In addition, Netflix on PS4 Pro will receive an update at the system’s launch, enabling users to stream 4K content such as “Narcos Season 2” and “Luke Cage.” Around 600 hours of 4K content are expected to be released on Netflix by the end of the year. YouTube, already one of the largest sources of 4K content, is also receiving an update to support 4K content on PS4 Pro.

For gamers who own an HDTV that does not support either 4K or HDR, PS4 Pro provides a number of benefits, such as higher or more stable framerates, and enhanced graphics and environments.

Win a double pass to see ALLIED

“ALLIED” is the story of intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines.

Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war.

Starring Brad Pitt & Marion Cotillard

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

In Cinemas November 24

- Rating TBA

To celebrate the release of Allied, you can win a double pass to see the film

To enter simply email to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Ghostbusters: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Ent

"I ain't afraid of no ghost" goes the rallying cry from Ray Parker Jr's iconic theme.

But based on the online furore resultant from Paul Feig's first look Ghostbusters trailer, it appears many were fearful of an all female cast taking on the mantle of Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson's characters.

So in its newest iteration, it's all about the nostalgia and the ladies when Manhattan is under siege from a phantom menace. Enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates (Wiig and McCarthy respectively) discover an increase in activity in New York - and coupled with nuclear engineer and loose cannon Jillian Holtzmann (Saturday Night Live's Kate McKinnon) and subway worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), they set out to save the day.

Thirty years on from their first appearance, the Ghostbusters are back for a new generation.

While large swathes of this film are bathed in the same kind of nostalgia that JJ Abrams executed with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (and indeed the film struggles to etch out its own identity), there's no escaping the fact this 2016 Ghostbusters is essentially the same film as 1984 Ghostbusters, but with the original group appearing in various cameos (as well as others from the series).

It's hard not to read into the furore that's surrounded the film's inception when the script throws in such meta- lines like "Ain't no bitches gonna hunt no ghosts" (from an online commenter on one of the group's uploaded videos) and a Melissa McCarthy put down about reading comments late at night, but for the most part, director Paul Feig wallows in what made the original Ghosbusters so much fun - silly goofiness in between some paranormal moments.

The team gels solidly but never spectacularly together throughout, and while McKinnon manages some zany moments, her antics have a tendency to stick out within the group.

Certainly, Wiig and McCarthy channel earnest into the ineptness of the group and their estranged friendship and Jones' street-smart Patty fits in as she brings something of value to the group. There's certainly no tokenism here and there's never any sign that all of this has been retro-fitted to an all female lead cast - and the very fact that even has to be mentioned decries the state of Hollywood in 2016. It's not a film that makes smart commentary about women in the 21st Century - nor should it. It's a film that has a simple brief and sticks to it.

Essentially, Ghostbusters 2016 is a kids' movie, a family outing for all, that may have benefited from a burst of extra humour (a lot of the laughs come from Chris Hemsworth playing dumb as receptionist man-candy Kevin) over its 2 hour run time.

There are certainly moments towards the end that feel flat and dialogue that chugs rather than flies, but it's more a script issue than an ensemble problem. It culminates in a Godzilla CGI Spooktacular/ Avengers portal mash-up that may lack some stakes and a series of cameos that start to stand out, but it certainly never lacks any reverence for its source material or a reason for being.

Much maligned it may be, and while it's a case of setting expectations to a lower end of the spectrum, there's nothing offensive about this reboot. Many may be afraid of this, but to be frank, the 2016 version of Ghostbusters is silly, disposable fun in a world that just takes itself too seriously sometimes. Maybe if they get the sequel that's hinted at in a post-credits scene, there's work to be done, but for now, this reboot is fine.

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

Battlezone: PSVR Review

Platform: PS VR
Developed by Rebellion Games

Imagine a game that was a mix of Tanks and Tron - that in a nutshell is the rather brilliant Battlezone, from Rebellion the people who bring you 2000AD.

A modern reboot of the classic game from 1980, this game is one of the best of the current crop of PSVR releases.

Taking a first person perspective and throwing you into the cockpit of a tank that you then move about taking on enemies and shooting down saucers, and trying to progress to seize strategic targets. But you need to exercise a degree of caution as you blast your way around as weapons take time to reload and vital seconds could cost you your life.

Strategically the game sends you across a grid that you have to clear each section of before you can progress; like a sort of Adventure Game but for tanks. As you progress other areas unlock and you go hurtling into a new conflict with a desire to ensure that you win.

Destroying tanks and saucers, flying drones et al unlocks data for you to retrieve, weaponry to buy and also ammo. Different colour cubes scatter the landscape as you shatter their illusions and blow them all away.

As it's a tank, motion sickness is kept to a very minimum with little to no impact on this game as you move around the different arenas. The first person viewpoint adds a lot too with the very real feeling that you're inside a beast; sure there's a minimalist approach to what's inside, but quite frankly when you're taking on the bad guys, you only need a radar and an indication of what weaponry you have available to use.

Battlezone is a great game; it's fun and simple; it may be based on a game from the 80s with an 80s vibe to the gameplay and presentation, but it makes the very best of the VR's new wave. Simply put, this is one of the must-have titles of the first wave of releases.

New DEADLINE Mode and Shotaro Bike - Plus Special Bonuses in GTA Online

New DEADLINE Mode and Shotaro Bike - Plus Special Bonuses in GTA Online

Turn the streets of Los Santos into a stylish electronic videogame battle to the death with the latest update to GTA Online. Achieve hyper speed on the futuristic Nagasaki Shotaro and demolish foes with the power of your light trail in the new Adversary Mode, Deadline. Check out the new trailer above and read on for more details, including special GTA Online bonuses happening now through Monday, November 21st.

NEW VEHICLE: NAGASAKI SHOTARO

Light up the night with the blazingly fast Nagasaki Shotaro. Packed with enough energy to power the Los Santos grid and sporting the looks of an auto show concept vehicle, the Shotaro delivers a driving experience that is out of this world. Experience the delights of the Shotaro first in the new Deadline Adversary Mode, which will unlock the bike for purchase at Legendary Motorsport, and the Deadline Outfit is also unlocked for purchase at any clothing store. And for a limited time, proud new Shotaro owners will get a free Nagasaki Logo Tee added to their wardrobe.

DEADLINE

Deadline pits up to four players against another, each mounted on a different colored Shotaro, which emits a temporary light trail as you ride through the arena. Any competitor unfortunate enough to come in contact with said trail meets an instant explosion. Make calculated movements to force opponents to cross your trail’s path and take advantage of strategic power-ups for a competitive edge; use Boost to speed ahead and cut off your opponents, slow down time with Zoned for precision movement, or leap your opponent’s light trail with Hop. Step in the arena now and earn Double GTA$ and RP through November 21st.

UNLOCKABLE IN-GAME T-SHIRT & BONUSES

Feeling a sense of pride after picking up your latest mode of transport? Show your colors and shine bright in the Nagasaki Logo Tee, free with any Nagasaki Shotaro purchase.

In addition to the Double GTA$ and RP in Deadline, get a boost to your Biker Business with 25% off Business supplies and resupplies plus an extra 50% GTA$ and 2X RP from Biker Business Sales. Plus, take advantage of discounted weapons and tactical vehicles listed below from now through the 21st.

Properties

Biker Businesses – 25%

Vehicles

Karin Technical – 25% (Heist completion requirement waived)
Savage – 25% (Heist completion requirement waived)
MTL Brickade – 50%

Weaponry

Bullet Ammo – 25%
Throwables and Explosives – 25%
Body Armor – 25%
Drum & Box Magazines – 25%

PREMIUM RACE: OVER THE BRIDGE (NOVEMBER 8TH - 21ST)

Suit up and put that crotch rocket to work across the La Puerta Freeway and Los Santos’ docklands in the Over the Bridge Stunt Race, locked to Bikes. As always, it’s Triple RP to all whom participate with generous GTA$ prizes for the top three finishers.

Tom Clancy's The Division - Expansion II Survival public test now available

TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION^® EXPANSION II: SURVIVAL PUBLIC TEST NOW AVAILABLE

Sydney, Australia — November 9, 2016 — Ubisoft^® has announced that a new Public Test Server (PTS) is now available for Windows PC players to join until November 13. The PTS will be used to test Update 1.5 as well as Survival, the second major expansion for Tom Clancy’s The Division^®.

In this new expansion, players will face extreme conditions after their chopper is taken down by a snowstorm. As Division agents, they have information about a potential cure for the pandemic and they will need to be extracted from the Dark Zone. Finding warm clothes, supplies, food, water and medicine will be vital to their success. However, the environment is not the only danger out there; players must also be aware of 23 other agents and face off against the Hunters, a new mysterious and deadly enemy who is always one step ahead of them.

To view the trailer click the image below

In Survival, players will be able to choose to enable either PvP or PvE. In PvP, while the Rogue mechanic does not apply, agents can fight against or cooperate with other players in every corner of New York, even outside of the Dark Zone. In PvE, players will be able to play in cooperation with other players, PvP is disabled, even in the Dark Zone.

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Nocturnal Animals: Film Review

Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer
Director: Tom Ford

There's an icy coolness that infects many frames of Tom Ford's sophomore cinematic outing, adapted from the 1993 novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright - and it may leave you quivering in its wake.

A terrific on-edge Adams plays gallery owner Susan Morrow; unable to sleep, with cracks emerging from under the veneer of her calm composure and falling out of love with her salesman husband (a smarmy Hammer), she's intrigued when a manuscript from her former husband Edward shows up unexpectedly.

Entitled Nocturnal Animals and dedicated to her, Susan starts to read the tale of Tony and his quest for revenge after his family is kidnapped and brutally killed off a highway in West Texas....

Juxtaposing a gritty Texas crime tale that plumbs the depths of depravity and desperation with the cool pristine glamour of the art scene works incredibly well for Ford's visual aesthetic and feel.

This is a film that oozes style and fortunately, has the substance and the power of its actors to back it up as the inter-woven threads of the narrative spool ever tighter together.

Parts of the film burn with a deplorable and detestable intensity that's distinctly uncomfortable and sickeningly gripping; the sheer ugliness of the novel unfolding in front of Adams' Susan is vividly brought to life by a stunning turn from Gyllenhaal. As Tony, the man stuck in a truly horrific dilemma as his family are snatched in front of him, Gyllenhaal recaptures some of the intensive fire that burned so brightly in Nightcrawler.

Adams is stand-out as well, imbuing an emotionally detached Susan with that desire to know more but a repulsion to do so; early on, there's subtlety in her less-is-more delivery approach (Though there is an argument for saying she does little else in the back half of the film other than supply reaction - but, to be honest, she brings so much with simple facials and reactions to the unfolding fiction).

Equally, in flashbacks, Gyllenhaal brings a softness to the role of former husband Edward as we unpack the story of his and Susan's romance as another thread unwinds.

However, it's also the ensemble that excel as well - from Shannon's determined Southern lawman to Taylor-Johnson's hillbilly sleaze, there's much to luxuriate in this darkly delicious psychological puzzle as it plays out in its sophisticated manner.

While there's much debate to be garnered from the ending (and to a degree, whether there's style over substance in the present day storylines), there's a haunting melancholia that proves hard to shake from the revenge elements of Nocturnal Animals. There's no denying Ford's style and preciseness which shines from the screen (thanks largely to the work from cinematographer Seamus McGarvey) - the callous and ugly nature of Edward's story makes a great contrast to the pristine world that Susan inhabits.

Don't be surprised if Nocturnal Animals proves difficult to loosen its grip on you; one suspects come awards time, there'll be recognition for this piece of obtusely seductive noir and more acclaim for Ford's singular vision and execution.

Rating:

MASS EFFECT™: ANDROMEDA – Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer

A brand new trailer for Mass Effect Andromeda has been released

Navigate the uncharted reaches of the Andromeda Galaxy to unravel its mysteries, discover vivid alien worlds, and lead the charge to find a new home among the stars. How far will you go to become humanity’s hero?.

Mass Effect: Andromeda will be released in Australia and New Zealand in Autumn 2017 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and Xbox One. Join the Andromeda Initiative: http://x.ea.com/25657

Rise of The Tomb Raider 20th Year Celebration: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Publisher - Square Enix

There's no disputing the brilliance that is Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Previously an exclusive on the XBox One, the PS4 version is finally here and well worth it.

Much like the first rebooted Tomb Raider received the same treatment, this 20th anniversary collection pulls together all of the previously released DLCs (including the Baba Yaga: The Temple of The Witch) as well as adding in some new expansions worthy of the platform and also the newly-launched VR experience.

In the previous review of the adventure , the feeling was With added tombs and challenges, this latest is simply one of the best of the year - and with its hidden treasures, it continues to grow the next gen legacy in more ways than one.

This time, it's about Lara trying to survive the machinations of a secretive group known as Trinity as their quest intersects in Lara's past with her father and the present with her rise to Tomb Raider.
Throwing a human element into the story makes all the difference and once again, the Square Enix guys really added more depth to the franchise and boosted what the series had with engagement, involvement and some truly stunning set pieces. It's no surprise the PS4 version benefits with a spit and polish that makes the best of the next gen graphics and grunt of the gameplay.

But one year on, there are no real surprises in the game's make-up and the gameplay remains as fresh and enticing as it ever did - this is an adventure that both embellishes and embraces Lara's mythology, creating an experience that's crying out for a cinematic makeover and a big screen outing.

It's the extra content in Rise of the Tomb Raider 20th Year Celebration that makes this set so worth buying.

From a new chapter called Blood Ties, which lets you look around Croft Manor trying to uncover secrets from the past and help you save the manor, to the Lara's Nightmare section which pits Croft against feverish and fiendish hordes, there's more to explore in the set than you'd first realise.
And the addition of the VR mode gives you the chance to look around the Manor too, exploring and embracing the immersiveness of the environment. Adding in Endurance Online is just the icing on the cake and shows that Tomb Raider has a long life still left within it.

It's these tweaks which make this adventure worth the time and give it a feeling of depth and scale that's befitting of the series.

Ultimately, it may have been 20 years since a rather gravity defiant pneumatic Lara hit the gaming screen - but the steps to evolve her and the depth of story-telling that's now in play make this one of the most impressive rebirths and emotional experiences on the console front. It may have been that a new title has been leaked (Shadow of the Tomb Raider indeed) but based on this complete collection, Lara's got plenty of life left within her - and that's a great thing.

Tumble: PS VR Review

Developed by Supermassive Games
Platform: PS VR

It was pretty obvious that once VR was announced, interactive puzzle games would be dropped into the release schedule.

Tumble VR is one such game.

Set in a virtual dome, it's your job to stack blocks, destroy blocks and redirect lights through blocks to gain glory in the forms of medals. Over 30 levels, your patience will be tested as you move the PS Move tool around, building and hoping gravity doesn't do its thing.

With an instructional floating ball robot at your side (looking like one of the robots out of the VR Playroom) the tutorial section of the game is easy to get through - though the lack of an option to scroll through instructions you've already heard if you're forced to repeat is a serious frustration.

Once in to the game, it becomes a case of using what you've learned to get through.

As the TETRIS Style stacking starts to take effect, some of the limitations of the VR become noticeable. Things by nature need to be a bit fiddly to ensure completion and the PS Move isn't quite up to the job; equally turning blocks over and around can be difficult to achieve because there's no way to literally grab and rotate the block as you would with a hand.

Overall, Tumble VR is quite a pleasant experience that shows puzzles may have a future in the VR world, but its minor niggles cause a slightly frustrating gameplay feeling as the game goes on.

Monday, 7 November 2016

Mafia III: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by 2K Games

Already one of 2K Games' biggest titles, Mafia 3's 1960s set America is a veritable powder-keg of a game.

The third person shooter sees you taking control of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam war veteran who's after revenge for his murdered mates. Put in the context of New Bordeaux in 1968 where racism is rife and violence is never far from the arsenal, this semi-sort of Goodfellas tale gives you the chance to explore 10 different regions and work across several differing sandbox storylines.

Pitting you against fellow Haitian mobs and other would-be hoodlums, Clay has to work his way to the top, and using stealth and occasional brute force, it's a long road to get there.

What Hangar 13 and 2K Games have done with Mafia III is relatively astounding, even if there are elements which feel repetitive in the story missions.

The game oozes with atmosphere, and the era of the time. From the use of Jimi Hendrix's All Along The WatchTower at the start through to the less savoury elements, the game's embracing of the period makes this Grand Theft Auto South style game feel authentic and occasionally uncomfortable.

Coupled with a great script, some documentary style edges and some good solid voice acting, Mafia III's higher elements work better than the moments that feel familiar and retread old mission ground. Robbing, murdering - they're all part of the various missions scattered around the sandbox world and pushed around the different regions for you to perform. And they all form a purpose too, as you gain control of regions and take charge of lieutenants to carry out your desires and keep you stocked up with weapons.

While the game has glitches here and there (I spent some time riding around New Bordeaux's areas half melded into another car after trying unsuccessfully to drive over it), there's a lot to be said for the scope of Mafia III and the ugly reality it embraces.

There's a strength to the reality of Mafia III and it makes a gameplay experience feel more grounded than the likes of GTA - its commitment to recreation deserves great praise, and its solid core mechanics demonstrate it's understandable why it's been so popular.

For a sandbox game to sink your time into, Mafia III makes an offer you'd be foolish to refuse.

Until Dawn: Rush Of Blood: PSVR Review

Developed by Supermassive Games
Platform: PS VR

There's nothing worse than a haunted house ride.

A rollercoaster takes you through a series of static locations where some goon presses a lever and out pops a ghost that looks like it wouldn't scare a 2 year old - it's a pitiful sight most times.

So it is that the Until Dawn developers have taken this concept on board and created a light gun shooter that panders to the scope of the VR World.

Taking you into the seat of a rollercoaster (even so much that unlike Batman VR you have legs and arms) you're sent spiralling around a series of levels via haunted house / rollercoaster and out into the environs that you may recognise from parts of the original Until Dawn game.

The premise is simple - you have 2 guns and you have to shoot things. It's not rocket science, but it's also not your usual shoot at the rubber duckies carny fare either. As you move slowly but with certainty around the tracks and into one location after the next, it's all about using the dual PS Move controllers to load up, fire and reload when the guns glow orange.

Ducking and diving to avoid low hanging obstacles is present too - and it's occasionally hit and miss as to whether you actually hit and miss.

Taking out some static targets boosts the multiplier and others are collectables, but at the end of the day, this is about shooting what comes at you from within the dark - be it mannequins that require an inordinate amount of bullets to stop them dead or scary clowns that menace you.

The scope of the VR means you're constantly scanning around as you play through seven levels and with bits going on on the side of it all, it means that there's always something to look at. If you're a horror buff, you'll know the tropes and maybe won't jump as much as others will, but there's something to be said for the pace of the game and the way it knows what it wants to do.

Less effective is monitoring your life as you take on hits from others. Because there's always something happening on screen, it's uncertain how much health you have left in the face of attacks and during the marauding moments, there's no indication of how close to death you are which is frustrating to say the least.

Ultimately, Until Dawn A Rush of Blood gives you the kind of adrenaline boost you'd get from a haunted house ride - it's kind of fun, occasionally tough and occasionally corny and cliched, but it shows there's great promise in VR in creating entire worlds that feel organic.

Sunday, 6 November 2016

Trolls: Film Review

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, James Corden, Russell Brand, Christine Baranski
Director: Mike Mitchell

Finally, a film that will make you re-consider your opinion of Trolls.

Rather than the pain in the ass online lurkers, these Trolls are the Dreamworks film version of the Thomas Dam toys and quite frankly, this is going to be one of the summer family films.

The preternatural preppy Kendrick is Princess Poppy, the upbeat pink haired Troll whose life is all perpetual happiness. 20 years ago, she and her fellow Troll-kind escaped the clutches of the monsters of the Bergen town for good.

Believing the only way to happiness is to consume a Troll, the villagers of Bergen are furious but one day, their chef (Christine Baranski) stumbles across the Trolls' hideaway and snatches a couple of them. Setting out on a rescue mission due to their "No troll left behind" ethos, Poppy and pals - along with the grey stained and anti-Trolls happiness Branch (Timberlake) - try to save the day...

Make no mistake, the brightly coloured, utterly fluffy and energetic blast that is Trolls is a family film that will delight the youngsters and will keep the parents amused enough to paper over the fact there are shallow characters on screen and scant little story.

The film keeps on the right side of darkness (BFG style snatching, eating Trolls for happiness - it's all got a Grimm fairy tale element bubbling under) but even the three-year-old I was with was entranced from the get-go declaring that the Scary Lady (Baranski's marauding chef) was the best part of the film.

Mixing up CGI and some stop motion, Dreamworks' visual inventiveness for this one, keeps on the right side of upbeat as it trots out one retro tune after another. It's a visual candy coloured assault on the senses and while initially there may be elements of you sympathising with Doomsday Prepper Branch, the fun and frivolous nature of it all ultimately wears you down and wins you over.

While there's no real sense of an original film being rolled out here, and elements of The Odd Couple, Cinderella and Grimm Fairy Tales are all dusted into one overtly saccharine flick, the young kids will enjoy it and its message of happiness coming from within rather than being consumed.

Sometimes, subtlety is over-rated and Trolls is distinct proof of that - it's here for nothing other than a good time and running through its 90 minutes with exuberant energy and at a fair pace, it achieves that with ease.

Saturday, 5 November 2016

Headmaster PSVR Review

Platform: PSVR
Developed by Frame Interactive

Ever wanted to be part of a stalag training camp aimed at ensuring you nod complicity while heading balls into a goal?

Well, then Headmaster is the game for you.

Cheekily dropping you into a training camp and pushing the idea that you can improve with practice, the game Headmaster is about little more than simply nodding the correct way and sending balls into the goal as you try to win your own freedom.

Using different angles, the ball heads different ways and it takes a little while to work out exactly what's the right way to send the ball flying into the goal mouth. The more you progress the harder it gets to knock the ball into the expected direction and the more obstructions are placed in the way.

It's a simplistic premise, and with the tongue in cheek humour (you train at night under the starry skies and with the silhouette of a watch tower in the background) the game's actually quite enjoyable when you consider how simplistic the actual premise of it all is.

Occasionally the tracking of the set makes it a little difficult to achieve the overall aim of what's required and goal attempts to the side are a little harder than you'd expect, but all in all Headmaster is actually a novel experience as you play through the Football Improvement Centre.

Newstalk ZB Review - The Accountant, Hacksaw Ridge and The Light Between Oceans

This week, while Jack Tame was in the USA getting ready for Trump-ageddon, there was time to look at movie releases and potential relief.

Up for discussion is Ben Affleck in The Accountant, Mel Gibson's war epic Hacksaw Ridge and NZ shot The Light Between Oceans.

Take a listen below:

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-the-accountant-hacksaw-ridge/