South Park: The Fractured But Whole: PS4 Review

South Park: The Fractured But Whole: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Ubisoft

I've not ventured back to South Park for years.

While I'm aware that the show continues under the watchful satirical eye of Parker and Stone, the last time I touched South Park was the Stick of Truth game a few years back.

This latest, the wonderfully mature titled South Park: The Fractured But Whole seems to build on exactly what they did with the first one, but makes it a little naughtier and a little bit more welcoming for both casual and long term fans of the show.

Whereas the Stick of Truth roundly mocked fantasy, this Fractured But Whole takes a swipe at superhero films and the team-up mentality.

You get to play the New Kid (on the South Park block) as Cartman as the Coon time travels back into the past to prevent a kitty from going missing. But the Coon's arrival causes a civil war between the kids with each taking sides in the conflict.... it's up to you to tip the balance of power.

There are moments of satire in South Park: The Fractured But Whole which amuse and as ever with Parker and Stone's world some of it sticks, some of it misses. There are classes to negotiate and unlock as the game goes on, and things to do with crafting.

In amongst that is all the puerile scatological edges you've come to expect from the show. From using toilets at every house to simply letting one rip whenever you want, the game's got the South Park mentality to a tee.

Combat this time is still turn based and takes place on a grid - it's a little less complicated than previously, and still provides as much bemusement as it does amusement.

It's also got the look and feel of the show down to perfection as well - it almost feels like you've crafted your own South Park adventure at home and animated it yourself.

That's perhaps part of the problem for South Park: The Fractured But Whole in some ways. It all feels very familiar and like The Stick of Truth to make it feel like an evolution of the series and leaves it feeling like another episode of the series.

Playable in puerile doses, but ultimately sadly disposable, South Park: The Fractured But Whole is worth it after a few beers and with some mates - but the casual gamer may feel a little alienated by it.

Baby Driver: Blu Ray Review

Baby Driver: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez, Jamie Foxx, CJ Jones
Director: Edgar Wright

Seeded from an idea Spaced and Cornetto Trilogy director Edgar Wright had two decades ago, and given life after studio executives caught Wright on the hop after being bounced off Ant-Man, Baby Driver is a jukebox blast of a movie.

Baby Driver

Centring around the story of hotshot driver, Baby (Elgort, in relatively mute, but extremely physical form) who's blackmailed into one last job by Doc (Kevin Spacey, in monosyllabic but charismatic form), Wright's latest marks a more mature directing outlook.

When the assembled crew of volatile Bats (Foxx), Buddy (Hamm) and his wife Darling (Gonzalez) are teamed up with Baby, Baby decides to try and get away from the job, after falling for local diner waitress Debora (James).

But with the clock ticking, and the screws tightening, is Baby ever going to be able to just drive off into the sunset with his love in the passenger seat?

Riffing on many a familiar heist premise, and with the stonking soundtrack providing the cues for much of the action and editing, large parts of Baby Driver are high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled fun. The synchronisation of sound with the onscreen action proves to be a great boon for Baby Driver, as it mixes the music that Baby's permanently listening to with life around him (including a breath-taking one take street walking sequence that exceeds La La Land's highway opening number).

While it's fair to say that perhaps the romance doesn't quite gel as much as it could thanks to Debora feeling more like a passenger than a driver of the story, the women feeling slightly underwritten, and the back third of the film feels raced and jumbled, what Wright's brought to the screen for the rest is a relative delight.

From a laundromat scene where different coloured sheets flow in wash in the background via a sublime choreography to the use of sign language in Baby's relationship with his father, Wright's eye for details and their execution is second-to-none.

A physical Ansel has to use his gangly gait and the music to propel most of his action along, and Elgort willingly surrenders easily to the beat, imbuing Baby with a heart, and a naive innocence that's grimly catchy.

There's much of Baby Driver which feels fresh on the screen, even if the trademark Wright quick cuts show up at the end. With a script that's more like an album transposed on screen, music's a major part of Baby Driver and gives the film its beating heart. But it's Wright whose eye for cinematic flair and directing maturity hold the film together when the wheels threaten to fall off.

In a cinematic landscape which is overwhelmed by sequels and superheroes, Baby Driver (along with Colossus earlier this year) demonstrate there's still thankfully a place for originality at the movies. 

FINAL FANTASY XV - Episode Ignis Release Date & Videos

FINAL FANTASY XV - Episode Ignis Release Date & Videos

FINAL FANTASY XV EPISODE IGNIS RELEASE DATE

AND LEGENDARY GUEST COMPOSER REVEALED

New Trailer For Episode Ignis Contains Surprises For Fans

SYDNEY, 31^st October 2017 – Square Enix Ltd., today announced the release date of FINAL FANTASY® XV: EPISODE IGNIS, the new DLC episode where players can experience a brand-new storyline from the perspective of the ever-dependable team member and chef. FINAL FANTASY XV players will be able to enjoy this latest DLC episode from 13^th December.

A new story trailer released today contains a first detailed look at the action and story surprises that EPISODE IGNIS will offer, but also reveals the next guest composer to work within theFINAL FANTASY XV Universe. The legendary Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears), has composed and recorded three new songs with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra for EPISODE IGNIS.

FINAL FANTASY XV: EPISODE IGNIS features:

• A brand-new storyline, unbeknownst to Noctis as he remains unconscious after the Trial of Leviathan. Ignis faces his own fight on the streets of Altissia, driven by his unwavering dedication to protect Noctis at all costs.
• Fast-paced action and battles – Ignis’ spelldaggers can be imbued with elemental properties, and his unique ability “Total Clarity” allows him to target and attack multiple enemies at once.
• A new Comrade – following the guest appearances of Cor in EPISODE GLADIOLUS and Aranea in EPISODE PROMPTO, Ravus will join forces with Ignis, putting allegiances aside in order to save the ones they care about.
• Master Your Fate – EPISODE IGNIS features multiple endings, allowing players to see a different outcome of events.

FINAL FANTASY XV: EPISODE IGNIS Story Trailer is available to view on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qWerLwE_uDw

A short video interview with composer Yasunori Mitsuda talking about his work on EPISODE IGNIS, is available to view here: https://youtu.be/X5TRZEW5_sc

FINAL FANTASY XV is available now worldwide for the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system and will be available next year on Windows PC. For more information on FINAL FANTASY XV, visit: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com/

FAR CRY 5 – FRIENDS FOR HIRE CO-OP TRAILER

FAR CRY 5 – FRIENDS FOR HIRE CO-OP TRAILER

FAR CRY 5 – FRIENDS FOR HIRE CO-OP TRAILER

Ubisoft^® reveals more details on Far Cry^® 5 online co-op mode: “Friends For Hire”. Available from launch, players will be able to team up with one of their friends to free Hope County from the Project at Eden’s Gate cult. Far Cry 5 will be entirely playable via online co-op and all earned experience and inventory items, excluding quest-based items, will carry over following each co-op session. While exploring Montana, each player will see and collect their own loot. However, the host player is the only player who will keep their story progress.

To watch trailer click image below

Far Cry 5 will be available February 27^th, 2018 on PlayStation^® 4 Pro, PlayStation^®4, the Xbox One, Xbox One X, Xbox One S, and Windows PC. Set in Montana, USA, Far Cry 5 offers players total freedom to navigate a serene-looking yet deeply twisted world as the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana. Players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden's Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form the Resistance.

MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD™ PLAYSTATION®4 BETA AND EXCLUSIVE, HORIZON ZERO DAWN™ DLC CONTENT DETAILED

 MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD™ PLAYSTATION®4 BETA AND EXCLUSIVE, HORIZON ZERO DAWN™ DLC CONTENT DETAILED

MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD™ PLAYSTATION®4 BETA AND EXCLUSIVE, HORIZON ZERO DAWN™ DLC CONTENT DETAILED

Take on Three Epic Monsters and Quests in the Exclusive Beta this December

and Equip Special Gear from Lethal Hunter Aloy

Sydney, 31 October 2017 - Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today confirmed during the Sony PlayStation Showcase at Paris Games Week that a beta for Monster Hunter: World™ will be available exclusively for PlayStation Plus users starting 9th - 12th December, 2017. In addition, special Horizon Zero Dawn content featuring Aloy's bow and full armor set plus a Palico armor will be available for Monster Hunter: World exclusively on PlayStation®4. To see what the content looks like in-game and to see a brand new area of the game, the Rotten Vale, a new trailer is available to download now from the Capcom press site www.capcomeuro-press.com or can be watched on the official Monster Hunter™ YouTube channel.

Available starting 9th December, players from around the world can experience three fearsome quests as they join up with other hunters online or take on the beasts alone in the exclusive beta for PlayStation Plus users. Running for three days, hunters participating in the beta can tackle the hungry Great Jagras, a scavenger capable of swallowing other monsters whole, or the fiery and territorial Anjanath, both of which roam the dense and complex eco-system within the Ancient Forest. For those feeling brave enough they can adventure to the desert land of the Wildspire Waste where the armored Barroth can be found lurking in the muddy waters, waiting to unleash its devastating charge attack.

Horizon Zero Dawn's young machine hunter Aloy comes to life in Monster Hunter: World for PS4. With Aloy's bow and full armor set as well as Palico armor that can make the player's Palico look like a machine from Horizon Zero Dawn. The full armor set will make any player character look like Aloy from head to toe, including facial likeness. After completing the Horizon Zero Dawn collaboration event quest, which is planned to be distributed to online players post launch, special materials can be obtained to forge collaboration equipment. By bringing the necessary materials to the in-game facility (Smithy), players will be able to forge the Horizon Zero Dawn collaboration equipment. Details on the exact timing and availability of the Horizon Zero Dawn collaboration quest will be revealed soon.

The latest Monster Hunter: World trailer released at Paris Games Week highlights for the first time the terrifying Rotten Vale area of the New World. Littered with the skeletons of deceased monsters, a land of unique and gigantic creatures awaits amongst this bed of bones. The deeper players journey into the inner layers of the Rotten Vale, the tougher the environment gets with a dangerous and toxic mist blanketing the land obscuring the perils that lurk nearby until the very last minute. The Radobaan, a hulking beast that wears the carcasses scattered around the Vale for armor will need hunters to be quick and fast as they take off chunks of its bone armor and avoid its rolling attacks. Hunters can brave the beast alone or with their team of four hunters. With drop in multiplayer, each hunter has their own story to tell - but will they live to tell it?

Monster Hunter: World launches on January 26th, 2018 with a PC release coming at a later date. 

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is out on November 3

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is out on November 3

YOMAWARI: MIDNIGHT SHADOWS OUT ON NOVEMBER 3 IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

NIS America is happy to announce that Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is out on November 3^rd in Australia and New Zealand for the PlayStation®4, PlayStation®Vita, and Steam® (all regions).

About the game:

The follow-up to 2016’s cult horror hit Yomawari: Night Alone, Yomawari: Midnight Shadows introduces two girls, Yui and Haru, to the night and the spirits who haunt it. Separated by a mysterious attacker, each girl will explore haunting and bizarre locations, face the terrors of the night, and test their courage and wits to survive and reconnect with one another.

Key Features:

A Complete Town to Explore - Enter abandoned homes, climb through junk yards and up mountains, or venture into dark sewers in your search.

Two Views of the Dark - Search the night and explore a town as either of Yomawari: Midnight Shadow’s two characters. What you find with one may serve as a clue, or even save the other.

Horrors, Oddities, and Mysteries - When Japanese spirits come to life, you’ll encounter horrors birthed in nightmares, oddities that will make you question what is real, and mysteries that may just keep you up at night.

Gorgeous Style - Enter the dark with haunting art to view the city and from above, and get close to the heart-pounding moments in beautifully imagined side-scrolling set pieces.

FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS II Out Now & Launch Trailer

FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS II Out Now & Launch Trailer

   

TRAVEL THROUGH TIME AND CHANNEL THE POWER OF SUMMONS

IN FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS II

Epic New JRPG Adventure Now Available for Mobile Devices

SYDNEY, 2^nd November 2017 – Square Enix Ltd., have today announced that players can discover and enjoy a whole new adventure on mobile devices as FINAL FANTASY® DIMENSIONS II™ is now available on Android and iOS.

Players join heroes Morrow and Aemo as they embark on an exciting journey across multiple worlds in the past, present, and future. Classic turn-based battles will lead players through a nostalgic RPG experience filled with a wide cast of characters who will help shape a deep and engaging story spanning multiple worlds.

To watch the FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS II Launch Trailer, go to: https://youtu.be/7oDP6y9E90Q

Developed by veteran SQUARE ENIX® game director Takashi Tokita (FINAL FANTASY IV, CHRONO TRIGGER), FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS II puts a fresh twist on character advancement with the Signet Stone system.

These powerful items can summon well-known Eidolons featured throughout the history of the FINAL FANTASY series as well as teach characters new abilities. Players can obtain and evolve over 300 Signet Stones, customizing each hero with powerful magic and skills to help best monstrous foes in battles.

Additionally, a unique ‘Archive’ Mode will unlock after finishing the main game, giving players access to game design illustrations and art, as well as the ability to sample the soundtrack created by famed composer Naoshi Mizuta (FINAL FANTASY XI).

FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS II is available to download now on the App Store and Google Play.

Related Links:

Official Facebook® Page: www.facebook.com/FinalFantasy 

Official Twitter®: www.twitter.com/FinalFantasy