XBox One S Sea Of Thieves bundle unveiled

XBox One S Sea Of Thieves bundle unveiled

Last month, gamers worldwide got to experience fantastical pirate adventures firsthand, as Rare welcomed the community into the Sea of Thieves Closed Beta. As we approach the global launch of one of the most anticipated Xbox One exclusives for 2018, we’re thrilled to announce the Xbox One S Sea of Thieves Bundle, offering prospective pirates the best value in games and entertainment alongside Rare’s highly anticipated shared-world adventure. Games play best on Xbox One, making it the perfect place to jump into Rare’s unique multiplayer adventure.

The Xbox One S Sea of Thieves Bundle will be available starting March 20, 2018 for $299.99 USD at a Microsoft Store near you and online, as well as participating retailers worldwide and is available now for pre-order. The bundle includes:

• An Xbox One S with a 1TB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, a built-in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, support for 4K video streaming, High Dynamic Range and premium audio with Dolby Atmos. With over 1,300 great games including over 200 console exclusives – from the biggest blockbusters and most popular franchises to 400 titles across three generations of Xbox classics – there’s never been a better time to game on Xbox One.
• A full-game download of Sea of Thieves, allowing you to dive into the game’s shared-world on release day exclusively on Xbox One. Form a crew and take to the open ocean on voyages to discover buried treasure, solve puzzling riddles, secure precious cargo and combat a wide array of challenges. In a world where every sail signals a ship crewed by real players with unique goals and motivations, you never know what lies over the horizon.
• A 1-month Xbox Live Gold subscription, so you can experience the thrill of the high seas with the greatest community of gamers on Xbox Live, the fastest, most reliable gaming network.
• A 1-month Xbox Game Pass trial so you can discover over 100 Xbox One games with unlimited across three generations of consoles. Xbox Game Pass members will also receive access to new games from Microsoft Studios like State of Decay 2 and Crackdown 3 on the same date as their global launch.

Looking for additional pirate plunder? The Xbox Wireless Controller – Sea of Thieves Limited Edition will let you fight, sail and loot in style. Available now for $74.99 USD, the controller features a deep purple translucent design, adorned with laser etched barnacles, one treasured golden trigger and haunted by a mysterious glow-in-the-dark skull. The controller comes with the exclusive Ferryman Clothing Set for your Sea of Thieves character, a 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and a 14-day Xbox Game Pass trial at no additional cost. In addition the Seagate Special Edition Sea of Thieves 2TB Game Drive for Xbox will boost your console’s storage capacity, while the Controller Gear Limited Edition Sea of Thieves Xbox Pro Charging Stand and Controller Gear Limited Edition Sea of Thieves Xbox One Controller Stand V2.0 will help display your treasure in style. These accessories are available for pre-order now for $89.99, $49.99 and $14.99, respectively.

Already have an Xbox One? Jump into the immersive multiplayer world of “Sea of Thieves” on March 20 with Xbox Game Pass for $9.99 a month, or preorder for $59.99.  With Xbox Game Pass, you can enjoy unlimited access to over one hundred great Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles, including fan-favorites like Halo 5: Guardians, Gears of War 4, and Bioshock. Starting with Sea of Thieves, all future Microsoft Studios games will launch day and date on Xbox Game Pass, providing an additional option to set sail on day one.

Read more at https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2018/02/27/xbox-one-s-seaofthieves-bundle/#2TYDvTmWfLZYeaiq.99

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool: Film Review

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool: Film Review

Cast: Jamie Bell, Annette Bening, Julie Walters, Vanessa Redgrave
Director: Paul McGuigan

Lauded for Annette Bening's performance as the fading Hollywood star Gloria Grahame, the play-like Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool benefits more from a career-best performance by Billy Elliott's Jamie Bell as her former lover Peter Turner.

Adapted from Turner's memoir about the relationship, the film follows Turner's reflections on their relationship as he looks after her in her dying days.

When Grahame collapses backstage at a performance of The Glass Menagerie, Turner is called - and despite his initial reticence, he brings Grahame back to his Liverpool home - wonderfully populated by Julie Walter's spot-on mother.

As the end grows nearer for Grahame, Turner is conflicted by the bittersweet recollections - and the audience is regaled with them, taken to dizzying highs before the ebb of the crushing lows swallows all.

Opening with old style film credits, as the celluloid ripples through shutters, the film's very much got the feel of a two-hander play and shifts between scenes are beautifully handled as they blend into each other.

It's a biopic at heart, and while there is an argument to be made that little happens and the characters are kept at their most basic, there's also enough to be said about the arc that Bening imbues Grahame with in her twilight years and the range of emotions that Bell conveys as Turner.

As the film shifts into conventional weepie territory at the end, the tour de forces are slightly dulled by the narrative necessities and conflicts that play out.

But what transpires prior to this, is bested by a quiet intensity of Bell's portrayal as his part in a doomed relationship. It's a turn that gives Bell one of his chances to provide an extremely strong turn - and he doesn't remotely disappoint.

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is never better than when it follows the giddy highs of their relationship, from the backstage betrayals to the jealousies of Hollywood's scene - there's more than enough here to give you a feeling of the time (particularly thanks to the use of actual Grahame footage).

There are whipsmart tart moments in the dialogue which greatly help the melancholy feel of the film and give Bening's 50s screen siren a hint of sadness.

But in the final stretch, the film forsakes actions in favour of words, leading to the feeling of exposition in among the love story that drags the fresher approach of an older relationship down a notch.

Ultimately, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is powered by Bell's performance; it may be his co-star's twilight luvvie turn which is getting the adulation, but Bell's commitment and depth to the role guarantees the film its emotional core throughout.

Jigsaw: DVD Review

Jigsaw: DVD Review

Seven years after the last outing for the slightly insane and warped logic of John Kramer, the Saw series returns with an attempt to dust off the legacy and restart the whole thing as we get asked to play a game again.

This time around, and once again treading familiar ground, Daybreakers and Predestination directors The Spierig Brothers bring their take to the grubby grimy series.

A group of apparently unconnected people, five in number, wake up inside a barn, with Ned Kelly-esque buckets on their head and chained to a wall. As the chains fire up, they're headed towards buzzsaws whirring violently away. Suddenly, the voice of John Kramer offers them a chance to redeem themselves....

Elsewhere with the discovery of the bodies, a group of detectives begin a quest to try and save them before it's too late.

With its truth will set you free ethos and its emphasis a little more on redemption, Jigsaw goes back to the series' roots in some ways, as the twisted games play out.

It's good to see that rather than simply concentrating on the torture porn, Jigsaw presents a course of logic that at least makes some sense to the reason why Jigsaw came to be - rather than simply imperil people for no real reason.

The problem is that due to lack of any reason to care about the five placed in danger and a distinct lack of tension makes Jigsaw difficult to invest in; the traps this time feel rote and lack a degree of deviousness that previous installments had going for them.

A lot of time is spent in a medical lab as well, giving this a feel of CSI: Saw rather than anything else. And despite a twist at the end (unsurprisingly), Jigsaw feels slightly redundant if it's trying to reboot the franchise and kick it all off again.

Ultimately, like most Jigsaws over time, this one is missing a few pieces, meaning that the final product feels unfinished and only hints at what could have been. 

Monster Hunter World: PS4 Review

Monster Hunter World: PS4 Review

Developed by Capcom
Platform: PS4

Kill or trap monsters - that's the very simple MO at the core of this eminently playable game that's likely to suck up as much of your time as it is offer you frustrations.

For those unfamiliar with the Monster Hunter series and the collective explosion that this latest version caused online with its announcement, the raison d'etre is simple - hunt monsters, loot them, retool up and craft weapons and armour to ensure the next hunt doesn't see you picked off.

Basically dropping you into the New World, you're a hunter, a part of the Fifth Fleet, summoned by a Research Commission to take your place in the New World and help capture and re-settle.

On your way to this, the ship you and your Palico ( a customisable cat character who comes and helps you on your fights) are thrown overboard during a meeting with a major sea creature.

As you make your way to land and are gradually reuinted with the other elements of the Fifth Fleet, the New World comes into focus - and the quests begin.

Monster Hunter: World is a bit of a grind, in the way that Destiny and others of its ilk are.

From basic early quests to preparing to go out, via a canteen visit, there's a degree of necessity over what must be done to survive.

But once you get into the greenery, the world comes alive - and the challenges begin.

An ever-evolving beast, the world proffers up as much interest as you're willing to put patience into.

The wonderful looking and weird creatures aren't easy to take down - like any wildlife they adapt and take you on as much as you face off with them. Weapons have 14 different classes to evolve through and there's a definite feeling of reward inherent in the game.

However, it's the details of customisation to the levels of realisation of the New World that make
Monster Hunter: World a game to delve into - it's not like these detract from the game, but the desire to make it so personal to you pays off dividends for Capcom with there being an ongoing feeling of investment.

Ultimately, Monster Hunter: World is something to sink your teeth into - and while the patience may not be for the quick fix looking for thrills in an open world environment, there are more reasons than not to evolve with it.

Final story chapter of Little Nightmares Secret of the Maw unleashed

Final story chapter of Little Nightmares Secret of the Maw unleashed

FINAL STORY CHAPTER OF LITTLE NIGHTMARES™ SECRETS OF THE MAW

RELEASED

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe is happy to announce the release of The Residence the third and final chapter of Secrets of The Maw. In the first two chapters The Depths and The Hideaway the Runaway Kid successfully eluded the wrath of the Granny and learned about the history of the Nomes. The Residence pits the Kid against the mysterious Lady. Included in the Expansion Pass of the critically-acclaimed game LITTLE NIGHTMARES by Tarsier Studios, The Residence is available today on PlayStation®Network, Xbox Live Store, STEAM®, GOG.com and other PC distributors.

A new video shows the gloomy lair of the Lady and new, frightening enemies that the player has to escape from. Evading the shadow monsters summoned by the Lady and solving deadly puzzles will be the only way to survive this luxurious house of dread. Armed only with his flashlight, the Kid will have to repel the nightmarish illusions and dodge the traps set in the twisted library to finally shed a light on the darkest secrets of The Maw.

LITTLE NIGHTMARES is available in digital and physical form on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, STEAM and GOG.com for PC. The expansion Pass LITTLE NIGHTMARES Secrets of The Maw with three new stories paralleling the journey of Six can be purchased on Steam, GOG, PlayStation®Network and XboxLive. The Complete Edition including the base game and the Expansion Pack is also available for purchase across the named platforms.

YOUR FATE HAS JUST BEGUN WITH SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET AVAILABLE NOW

YOUR FATE HAS JUST BEGUN WITH  SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET AVAILABLE NOW

YOUR FATE HAS JUST BEGUN WITH

SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET AVAILABLE NOW

SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET, a unique hybrid shooter and action role-playing game is now available on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC Digital Via STEAM™. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe is proud to celebrate the launch with a brand new trailer!

Become the hero of Gun Gale Online in the latest game of the SAO franchise in SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET. Step into the versatile landscapes and environments of Gun Gale Online with unique and realistic designs resembling something out of a sci-fi movie and numerous other weapons and fighting styles to choose from. Interact with characters from the Sword Art Online original novels, anime and previous games as you navigate a world that is vastly personalized and visually enhanced. Play as the protagonist, battle against opponents using new weapons and further customize gameplay by creating skills and abilities. Full dive into SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET!

·        Welcome to the World of Guns – Gun Gale Online from Sword Art Online II is visually enhanced and diverse with many landscapes to discover in an all new original story supervised by series creator, Reki Kawahara

·        Unreal Visuals – Get lost in a lifelike world developed by Dimps with realistic and robust environments and textures made possible by Unreal Engine 4

·        Friend or Foe – Challenge tough bosses that require friends in co-op or play against them in 4-on- 4 battles.

·        Realistic and Heroic Gun play – Plenty of one-of-a-kind and beautifully designed weapons to choose from and unique skills to create

·        New to XBOX ONE – Sword Art Online will come to XBOX ONE, PC Digital and PS4 simultaneously for the first time in the history of the popular gaming series.

Another good news for fans. For those who have pre-ordered SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET for PC via STEAM will be able to receive automatically on March 23rd their free copy of Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment on STEAM. Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment will also be available later for purchase on STEAM. More details regarding the paid version of this title will be available at a later date.

SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET is available simultaneously for the first time on PlayStation4, Xbox One, PC Digital via STEAM and other distributors.

STAY CONNECTED:

• Official Website: http://www.swordartonline-game.com
• Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/swordartonlinegames

THE PIXELATED NEON JOY OF PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS NOW AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE NINTENDO SWITCH

THE PIXELATED NEON JOY OF PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS NOW AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE NINTENDO SWITCH

THE PIXELATED NEON JOY OF PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS NOW AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE NINTENDO SWITCH™

Team Up in Co-Op Mode to Bring the Popular Maze Chase to New Heights for Twice the Fun

Leading anime video game developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe today announced the launch of PAC-MAN™ Championship Edition 2 PLUS, now available for Nintendo Switch™. Players will experience the critically-acclaimed retro arcade game reimagined with brilliant neon visuals and eye-popping, high-resolution 3D graphics on Nintendo’s hybrid console. The game includes PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2, which was previously released in 2016, and will also have an exclusive two player co-op mode called PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS2P for twice the fun!

The PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS 2P mode gives players an opportunity to team up and play on a single Nintendo Switch, with each player controlling their PAC-MAN character on a single Joy-Con™. When one player gets caught by a ghost, the other player can come to the rescue. Players can also work together and use special co-op maneuvers to weave through the mazes and chomp their way to exciting boss battles.

PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS would not be complete without the return of PAC-MAN’s famous ghosts; Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde who will trail ferociously behind PAC-MAN as he gorges on precious Pac Dots. The game features a variety of modes to play at home or on the go, such as Score Attack and Adventure mode! Players can compete for the top spot on the leaderboards and strive to beat their high scores. PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS elevates the classic maze chase action and gameplay with fast fleeing fruit, remixed rules, and more!