Free Mega Man 11 Downloadable Demo Out Now Challenges All to Bust Block Man

Free Mega Man 11 Downloadable Demo Out Now Challenges All to Bust Block Man

Everyone looking forward to the highly anticipated Mega Man 11 can test their mettle ahead of the game’s 2^nd October release. Take on the formidable, and rather smug, Block Man in the new free downloadable demo, available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

In the demo, players can choose from multiple difficulty levels before stepping into the boots of Mega Man himself with robot dog Rush by their side. In a stunningly hand-drawn, technically advanced pyramid environment, players are encouraged to use various tools including the new Double Gear system and various boss weapons to bust Block Man and absorb his powers.

Fans who take on Block Man in the free Mega Man 11 demo will contribute to the “Bust Block Man” community challenge for a chance to receive a set of single-use items that can be redeemed in the retail version of the game. Fans who defeat Block Man can display their victory using the #BustBlockMan hashtag on social media and then stay tuned to official Mega Man social channels to check out the progress as the community works together to chip away at Block Man!

To celebrate the announcement of the downloadable demo, Capcom has released a new trailer which reveals a new Robot Master named Bounce Man and his stage, the vibrant Boing-Boing Park

In Mega Man 11, players must jump, slide, shoot, and more through challenging stages and the powerful bosses Dr. Wily controls, otherwise known as Robot Masters. Defeating the bosses and absorbing their powers is the heart of the game. Dr. Light installs the new prototype Double Gear system in the heroic blue ‘bot, imbuing Mega Man with brand new skills that allow him to slow the flow of time or power up his trusty Mega Buster and other weapons on the fly. Mega Man however isn’t the only one with access to the new gear system; Dr. Wily has also installed the Double Gear system in the powerful Robot Masters! Players will need to use everything at their disposal to take down Dr. Wily in the fight for everlasting peace.

Mega Man 11 will launch across Europe on 2^nd October as a physical and digital release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a digital-only release for Nintendo Switch and Windows PC.

Midnight Oil 1984: DVD Review

Midnight Oil 1984: DVD Review

Director: Ray Argall

A mix of social commentary and searing concert footage, Midnight Oil 1984 captures a moment in the history of the band, and a moment in the history of the world of our Trans-Tasman cuzzies.

Lain dormant for some 30 years, the unearthed footage that makes up Argall's documentary is fascinating for those with a passing late interest in the band, and a vital one to those who were inspired by them.
It helps greatly that 1984 was a political touch paper moment for Australia, with global concerns we'd all die in a nuclear furnace enveloping all of us. Thank goodness, that will never concern us again, eh?

But Midnight Oil 1984 is an odd mix, and in some ways, it very much feels like the Peter Garrett show, as the enigmatic frontman's tilt at a Senate position and his involvement with the Nuclear Disarmament Party consumes much of the film.

Once the revelation of how that bid went is revealed, the film races towards a conclusion, feeling a tad rushed and almost dismissive of what the band did next. (Their mega-hit Beds Are Burning only appears on the credits of the film.)

It's interesting that Argall's assembled the band in separate talking heads formats, primarily appearing to be shot in either bedrooms or back yards as they reflect on how the swell of political awakening both galvanised their music but also led to fears of how the band would cope with their frontman's potential change of career, how it would affect their music etc.

It's a shame this isn't investigated further as the potential split is only hinted at, and briefly explored by conversations with guitarist Jim Moginie and drummer Rob Hirst. A deeper probing may have helped, but it's probably not what the documentary wanted to be, preferring isntead for viewers to take their own opinions on what's happened and why.

Midnight Oil 1984 firmly showcases Peter Garrett, putting him front and centre of its spotlight, whether it's footage of him meeting school kids and talking to them or dealing with press in a park at a photocall; it's clear he's got the charisma the band needed and collectively the drive they all shared.
It makes for interesting viewing - and particularly when the band discuss Garrett's infamous dancing, there's a genuine warmth and humour that envelops them all. (In truth, the film could do with a few more looser moments.)

Elsewhere the film concentrates on using footage from the band's searing performances - and it's here the cinema soundsystem will work best, channeling their electricity and crackling live gigs into something exceptional.

It's stirring, searing stuff, but it's also at odds with what Midnight Oil 1984 is trying to do.

At times, the documentary feels like it's torn between social document, political history and musical catalogue - it's not always successful, but what it does do is lay out the reasons why Midnight Oil was such a flashpoint in 1984 and makes a case for why they've endured in the years after.

McQueen: Film Review

McQueen: Film Review

Director: Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui

Fashion films get a thrilling makeover with McQueen, detailing the rise and inevitable fall of Lee Alexander McQueen, the British designer who set the world alight and then burnt too brightly.

Using access to those close to McQueen, and eschewing the usual talking heads, Bonhote and Ettedgui open up the world of fashion to those who are usually turned off by such matters, and do more than enough to satiate those who adore the genre.

Utilising footage from McQueen's early thrilling shows, cataloguing the chaos caused by the catwalk's upturning and reinvention, the biopic builds an intriguing look at what sent such ripples through the world. But it's also smart enough to spend a bit of time building up to this, using home video footage of McQueen's childhood days as well.

It helps that Bonhote and Ettedgui give the film a pace that's compelling, but never too breathless that it strangles the flow of what's unfolding. It also benefits greatly from access that pieces together an intimate portrait of an artist, what fuels them and how that fuel is manifested in their own work.

Admittedly, there are the usual hyperbolic bon mots such as "You can't teach talent", but in among the usual trappings of a character destined for tragedy, there's also a lot to enjoy in McQueen, principally the catwalk shows, given new credence and insight by McQueen's reasoning for them - and from those who worked on them.

But the directors know just talking about fashion is akin to cinematically showing paint dry, so lavish McQueen with electrifying catwalk performances. Interestingly, the film, much like McQueen reaches a nadir and descent after he's taken in by the major fashion houses and in the final 40 minutes, the doco takes a turn to more dirge-like tendencies as the drugs and depression sets in and it builds toward the final act of tragedy.

It may be a little overlong towards the end, and the sense of melancholy a little stifling in among the eulogising for the tortured tragic talent, but McQueen is, for the large part, a soaring film that makes its subject and subject matter accessible to all, imbuing any who watch it with great insights into the hero of yob couture as much as it plays into the psyche of the talent.

Ocean's 8: Blu Ray Review

Ocean's 8: Blu Ray Review

"A him gets noticed, a her gets ignored."

Uttered by Sandra Bullock's Debbie Ocean midway through this female-fronted heist, it's hard not to ignore a single line of dialogue which points to the dilemma new blockbuster Ocean's 8 faces.

On the one hand, it's faced with being released in a post Me Too world, and coming nearly two decades after the Steven Soderbergh led remake of the 1960s film. And on the other, the fact it's an all female cast will depressingly be viewed by some as a cynical film that's hardly warranted - a rebuttal to a societal issue of under-representation that's dogged Hollywood for the past 18 months or so.

Leaving all that aside, Gary Ross' Ocean's 8 is roughly on a similar trajectory to 2001's Ocean's Eleven.

This time, Bullock is Debbie Ocean, sister to George Clooney's Danny (who's apparently dead, a point repeatedly and unnecessarily replayed throughout the film, a statement perhaps on those hating the idea of this new spinoff). After being paroled from a 5 year stretch (the details of which become more apparent later on), Debbie meets up with former colleague Lou (the ultra cool Cate Blanchett) to propose a heist.

This proposition is to swoop on the Met Gala and steal a $150 million Cartier necklace from host Daphne Kluger (Hathway, in an occasionally preening and mickey-taking role) - so the duo begin to assemble a crew and hatch a plan to pull it off and get away with it.

So far, so similar to the original Ocean's series.

And yet, in its own way, Ocean's 8 becomes its own thing, and bizarrely, never quite does enough to make it its own thing as well.

Bullock's muted and introspective throughout, a counter to Blanchett's spikier and effortlessly energetic turn as Lou. It's an odd choice as a lead and while there's nothing missing from Bullock's turn, the film certainly misses a je ne sais quoi and enigma from its lead that's noticeable throughout.
Bonham-Carter's fashion designer, first glimpsed slumped behind a counter supping from a jar of Nutella after a failed show, has a spark of edginess that's underplayed; and the rest of the cast are barely given enough time to shine throughout - a criminal touch given how strong they potentially all could be.

Repeated mentions of Danny Ocean, and even a framed shot of Clooney's smiling mug on a table, give the feeling Ocean's 8 is struggling to escape the former's shadow.

But as with the usual Ocean's films, there's a slickness to the execution.

Jazzy soundtracks, split screens and stylish touches give it the spit and polish which is needed but also render it more as a sheen and once over than a strong DNA that seeps through the screen. It's all perfectly well-executed, yet it's an extended build-up to the laying of the plans and then a brief heist at the gala that surprises in a bait and switch.

The Gala itself seems to be a weak excuse to allow some of the fashion world's Glitterati to shine, with footage clearly shot at this year's event, and with some celebs given more time than is strictly necessary.

It's at this point that James Corden comes in, imbuing the film once again with an energy that's needed and while the end has more loose threads than a tapestry being picked apart, there is a general feeling that the jump-out-of-your-seat-and-punch-the-air moment is sorely missing.

The emotional investment for the heist is severely under-cooked, and while there are some twists at the end, the resolution feels piecemeal, the reward unearned and the oh-so-familiar touches to the narrative disappointing.

Ultimately, the film needs, and deserves, to be judged on its own merits, rather than as a piece of feminist sisterhood cinema, launched in a post-Weinstein world.

On that front, and sadly,  Ocean's 8 lacks the sparkle the likes of which has been given to its targetted diamond. Sure, it's polished, accomplished and blessed with some truly talented actresses, but it can't help feel muted and subdued, with the twists falling flat.

Its low-key understatement may help it in some perverse ways, but it certainly doesn't have the zing and bling which it's clearly trying to pursue. It plays a little too loose with its detachedness and relaxed approach.

And in any heist movie, that lack of sizzle is, sadly and fatally, nothing short of utterly criminal. 

Marvel's Spider-Man: PS4 Review

Marvel's Spider-Man: PS4 Review

Developed by Insomniac Games
Released by PlayStation

In case you've been hiding under a rock or avoiding the web (sorry) for a while, it can't have escaped your attention that a new Spider-Man game was on the way from Insomniac Games, the studio behind beloved series Ratchet and Clank and Spyro The Dragon.

Sizzle reel reveals at E3 have left fans salivating at the return of the web-slinger, and his alter ego Peter Parker.

And with online stores abroad already selling out of the game and limited edition Spider-Man consoles going flying off the shelves, it's fair to say the hype machine has been in full effect.

For the large part, it's actually justified.

This is a game that delivers on the promise and premise of being Spider-Man, being Peter Parker and being a comic book hero and part of that world, as well as the conflicts it presents.

Much like the arcs of the Spider-Man comic book series, this one throws you into the world of Parker as he juggles the self-appointed responsibility of being New York's keeper, his daily life and his relationships, as well as the endless pressures of dealing with bad guys.

As the game continues, various threats present themselves - and it's up to you as Spidey / Parker to combat them.

If it seems like the synopsis here is ducking the main story and robbing you of a clear picture of what transpires, that's because spoilers this time actually prevent you from having the full experience - and Insomniac Games have gone some way to hold much back to preserve the experience, something which should be respected.

Let's get the good - of which there is plenty - out of the way.

The web-slinging and hurtling through the Manhattan skyline is superlative; fluid and reflexive drawing on Sunset Overdrive's sense of fun, hurling Spidey through the air, watching him pirouette and prance while airborne never tires. Much of the early play through sees you zipping from point-to-point, and while this game's set eight years after Spidey's origin, you'll gain the skills you need the more time you spend - it's rewarding to say the least (even if in some of the more open areas, there's less to web on to.)

While the combat's very familiar to those who've played any of the Batman: Arkham games (even down to the final crunching noise indicating you've taken out a villain), the lithe way that Spidey contorts and builds on his combo promise is smartly executed. Again, like the airborne antics, you'll grow to utilise the gadgets and webs that Spidey has at his command, giving you a sense of achievement once you hit the pinnacle.

Marvel's Spider-Man's story is also rich as well.

A couple of sequences (admittedly cut scenes with the dreaded Quick Time elements) feel like they are equals with anything Marvel's films have committed to the big screen. And while some of the animations of the main characters occasionally look off (developers rarely seem to get the actual flow of hair properly committed to screen), the emotional engagements and beats of what transpires hook when they need to - and the surprises of the story and mixing up of the characters contrort and twist your expectations of what is ahead.

Playing as MJ as well is slightly limited to stealth opportunities and may feel stilted to some - but the relationship between both Peter and MJ feels grounded, realistic and enough to keep you engaged. It hints at history, feels contemporary for the characters and sets up more than enough to keep you tantalised for future engagements.

Yes, there's a lot to love in Marvel's Spider-Man.

But, there are some minor downsides, perhaps hampered by some of Insomniac Games' ambition for the beloved superhero and the gaming experience.

While the city's big, and teems with life, the NPCs are there solely for the journey, more as passengers than fully formed lives to deal with. It's a hurdle Insomniac would have struggled to overcome regardless, so some minor engagements have been thrown in.

But given so much time is spent in the city doing side missions, the repetition does become apparent.

Equally, there's a replaying of cut scenes and limited action scenes available in some of the other elements around the city - for the first few times, the repetition of a slow-mo or an action sequence is tolerable, later on it becomes an irritant.

The game also has a habit of the action moving into a cut scene when you're nearing a story point, but maybe not wanting to engage with it. That single moment is jarring and takes you out of the experience in a way that seems - to these eyes at least - preventable.

Most of  what transpires outside of the confines of the story is a melange of other gameplays. From Assassin's Creed style tower-unlocking to Arkham-style stealth, it's very familiar, even if it's well-executed. And one showdown borrows liberally from Insomniac's own back catalogue, channelling a Ratchet confrontation with Dr Nefarious.

Granted, imitation's the sincerest form of flattery and all superheroes share a similar DNA in all forms of their execution, but this Spider-Man never quite achieves a defining moment of its own, a declaration of its own independence and intent, preferring instead to shape and twist what's gone before for its own ends.

These are minor niggles, to be honest, and Marvel's Spider-Man does exactly what a Marvel's Spider-Man should - it's fun, richly engaging in its main storyline and captures the thrill and humanity of what the web-slinger should be about.

With three planned DLC drops on the way, the first of which drops towards the end of October, it feels like Marvel's Spider-Man has plenty of life in it. And thanks to some great eyes toward character and story, this game really does feel like an at-times thrilling blockbuster on your console - which is nothing to be sneezed at or no bad web to be caught up in.

- Marvel's Spider-Man releases Friday September 7; the writer received a pre-release review copy of the game from PlayStation NZ.

Win a copy of Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4

Win a copy of Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4

Starring the world’s most iconic Super Hero, Spider-Man PS4 (working title) features the acrobatic abilities, improvisation and web-slinging that the wall-crawler is famous for, while also introducing elements never-before-seen in a Spider-Man game. 

From traversing with parkour and utilizing the environment, to new combat and blockbuster set pieces, it’s Spider-Man unlike any you’ve played before.

Marvel and Insomniac Games have teamed up to create a brand-new and authentic Spider-Man story. 
This isn’t the Spider-Man you’ve met before, or seen in a movie. 

This is an experienced Peter Parker who’s more masterful at fighting big crime in New York City. At the same time he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of nine million New Yorkers rests upon his shoulders.

Marvel's Spider-Man is out now exclusively on PlayStation 4

To win all you have to do is email your details and the word SPIDER-MAN to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Competition closes September 16th

The Nun: Film Review

The Nun: Film Review

Cast: Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, The Nun
Director: Corin Hardy

The Conjuring universe gets its own Cloisters Encounters of the Interred Kind with this latest spin-off from the series, following on from the success of spooky doll Annabelle.

A priest with a haunted past (Bichir) and a novice (American Horror Story's Farmiga) on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate the apparent suicide of a young nun in Romania.

When they arrive, they hear tales from local delivery boy Frenchie (Bloquet) of what's happened, but are forced to confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun. (Which will be familiar to those of James Wan's Conjuring films.)

You know what you're in for with The Nun.

Though in fairness, most of what transpires feels derivative and all-too familiar to really stand out on its own.

Essentially building a religious Mulder and Scully in the leads, and throwing in elements of The Exorcist, Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Hellmouth and spooky goings on in smoky cemeteries, The Nun does well to build an atmosphere of unease, and tensions with some sequences feeling like they've been dragged to the absolute edge of what suspense can do.

However, it becomes clear that what's being touted as "the darkest chapter of The Conjuring universe" doesn't quite believe in its own hype, with a series of corny dialogue moments mixed in with some truly awful comedy, which combine to puncture any kind of horror you may be feeling in your stomach.

It's a shame because the weighty issue of the sin of suicide at the start really sets a darker tone for the Transylvanian shot film - and it's a welcome one, but one sadly dispatched with for some jump scares and some horror punchlines which fall flat.

As the film progresses the wildly veering tone does more to unnerve than any horrors could do, and no amount of fleeting-out-of-the-corner-of-your-eye moments can rebuild what's being torn down.

Every horror works when the fear is primal, the boogeyman is lurking in the shadows to grab you - and it's here that Hardy works some cinematic magic, using corridors to great effect and pushing you as far as you can go.

But ultimately, The Nun doesn't quite capture its premise; its habit of providing some solid sequences (which look ripped from storyboards and writ large) don't quite gel together because of the sabotaging of its own narrative, and the film dissolves into a catacomb-set finale that's less climactic than it ought to be.

All in all, The Nun's penchant for unevenness is its undoing; it may offer a few moments of terror, but its proclivity for puncturing its own smarter edges make this one spinoff that doesn't quite prove to be as haunting or as much an atmospheric carny ride of terror as it ought to be.