At Darren's World of Entertainment - a movie, DVD and game review blog.
The latest movie and DVD reviews - plus game reviews as well. And cool stuff thrown in when I see it.
Vocal cast: Patton Oswalt, Tiffany Hadish, Kevin Hart, Eric Stonestreet, Harrison Ford, Jenny Slate
Director: Bryan Lynch
Pleasantly enjoyable whilst it's on, but forgettable the moment it's ended, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is an animation which does its zany job well and will entertain - as is to be expected of the Illumination stable.
The sequel to the peek-behind-the-curtain-to-see-what-our-pets-do-all-day takes its cue from a treatise more about parenting.
Faithful terrier Max (Oswalt, in laconic form) finds his life changed when his owner Katie meets and falls for someone before having a child. When the youngster shows, Max is initially reticent and hostile, but soon bonds with him before worrying about the day-to-day life he's now part of.
Meanwhile, Snowball the rabbit (Hart, in usual frenetic form) is now convinced he's a superhero, and is recruited by Haddish's pooch Daisy to help rescue a tiger, imprisoned in a circus.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 feels like a series of moments and mini-sequences strung together throughout, rather than a fully cohesive whole. It gels at the last minute, but it's a long journey to get to some semblance of a narrative.
That said, the journey to get there is pleasantly amusing, with sight gags and silliness the order of the day.
There's an emotional core for Max, and some learnings for youngsters in the audience about trusting yourself (Ford's gruff farm dog Rooster is nicely positioned, a mix of tough exterior and necessary emotional coldness) and for parents to trust their judgements as well.
Disparate threads resolve in a way that feels light, rather than subtle and nuanced, but frankly, kids in the audience won't care as there's enough to amuse, and adults won't mind as the film zips along at a pace that's both episodic and frantic.
Animation purists will find nothing new here, both in terms of visuals or also in terms of deeper meanings, but there's a passing joy to be had with The Secret Life of Pets 2 that renders this trip to the cinema something worthwhile while it passes, but fleeting the moment it's over.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGOÒ Group, and Lucasfilm have announced LEGO® Star Wars™: The Skywalker Saga,a brand-new console gamewhere players will experience memorable moments and nonstop action as told through the unique lens of LEGOÒ. LEGOÒStar Wars™: The Skywalker Saga is the biggest LEGOÒStar Wars™ game, featuring all nine Skywalker saga films, including the highly anticipated conclusion to the series, Star Wars™: The Rise of Skywalker. Launching in 2020, the game will immerse players into the expansive saga with the freedom to control hundreds of characters and vehicles to create their own unique journey through the galaxy.
Developed by TT Games in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Games team and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment,LEGOÒ Star Wars™: The Skywalker Sagawill be available for the Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and PC.
Friends and family can dive right into their favorite saga film and play through memorable Star Wars™ moments, reimagined with LEGOÒ fun and humour. Players can start at the beginning with Star Wars™: The Phantom Menace, begin the original trilogy with Star Wars™: A New Hope, or launch right into Star Wars™: The Last Jedi or Star Wars™: The Rise of Skywalker, both of which are making their LEGOÒStar Wars™ game debut. From the desert of Geonosis, to the swamps of Dagobah, to the snowfields of Starkiller Base – players will have the power to revisit any planet, at any time, in any order they wish. The entire galaxy is available to discover and play in.
“LEGO Star Wars:The Skywalker Saga marks our return to the franchise that kicked off the LEGO video game series. The game will give fans an all-new LEGO Star Wars experience with complete freedom to explore the LEGO Star Wars galaxy,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “It was an absolute pleasure to be part of the launch of the original LEGOStar Wars game and it’s equally exciting to now move the series forward and help create a new era of LEGO Star Wars games.”
LEGOÒStar Wars™:The Skywalker Saga features the biggest roster of playable characters in the LEGOÒStar Wars™ series including the greatest legends from every era of the Skywalker saga. Players can fight against the forces of evil as favorite characters such as Luke Skywalker, Rey, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Finn, BB-8 and a legion of other heroes, or turn to the dark side as Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Kylo Ren, and more. The greatest vehicles from across the galaxy are also available to command. Players can jump to lightspeed in the Millennium Falcon to outrun Imperial starships, battle First Order TIE fighters in Resistance X-Wings, or podrace on Tatooine.
“With the Skywalker saga coming to an end, we wanted to give fans the ultimate Star Wars video game experience with all the humor and charm that is uniquely LEGO,” said Douglas Reilly, Vice President, Lucasfilm Games. “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagawill bring to life all those Star Wars adventures remembered and undiscovered in an epic culmination of all nine saga films as fans celebrate the closing of this chapter in Star Wars.”
“We are thrilled to continue LEGO Star Wars’ 20 years legacy with this impressive new game where kids and families can join forces to explore the galaxy together,” said Sean McEvoy, Vice President, Digital Games, The LEGO Group. “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagacontains a massive amount of content and is an accessible entry point to the Star Wars galaxy, featuring all of the fun and unforgettable gameplay that makes LEGO games appealing to audiences of all ages.”
LEGOÒStar Wars™ video games are enjoyed by multiple generations of gamers around the world with more than 50 million copies sold.
Ubisoft Announces New Action-Adventure Game GODS & MONSTERS
UBISOFT ANNOUNCES NEW ACTION-ADVENTURE GAME GODS & MONSTERSTM
Become a Hero to Save the Greek Gods
Today, Ubisoft announced Gods & MonstersTM, an all-new action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the team behind Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey, willlaunch worldwide on February 25, 2020. This open world fantasy adventure features a beautiful painterly art style, engaging players in a fantastical world as they use godlike abilities to defeat famed mythological beasts and save the Greek gods in a heroic journey for the ages.
In Gods & Monsters players embody Fenyx, a forgotten hero on a quest to restore power to the Greek gods after it was stolen by Typhon, the deadliest creature in Greek mythology. Players will explore the Isle of the Blessed and prove their heroism as they face dangerous mythological creatures, including fearsome Gorgons and Harpies and mighty Cyclopes. Gifted with special powers from the gods of Olympus, players must overcome treacherous dungeons, challenging trials and perform heroic feats on their journey to save the gods.
A storybook adventure at heart, Gods & Monsters features a lively and colorful open world to discover. Players will roam freely on the ground and glide in the air, taking advantage of their extraordinary abilities to explore this vibrant world full of surprises, epic battles, quests and fantastical creatures. The journey will be as challenging and rewarding as the destination, and players will emerge as the heroes they were meant to become.
“Over the last10 years,I have had the chance to be part of an incredible teamthat haspushed the limits of Assassin’s Creedto explore historical periods from a unique angle.But our imagination has always been boundtothe reality of the history books. Through our work on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey these past four years, our minds havelingered onanother aspect of our history – mythology. Today, with Gods & Monsters, the tales we all love and know so well become a reality to be explored like never before,” said Marc-AlexisCôté, senior producer at Ubisoft Quebec.
Gods & Monsters will be available from February 25, 2020 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Windows PC, the Nintendo Switch™ system and new generation gaming platform, Stadia.
Gods & Monsters will also be available on Uplay+, Ubisoft’s subscription service for Windows PC.
For more information about Gods & Monsters, please visit godsandmonstersgame.com and join the conversation by using #GodsandMonsters.
For the latest about Gods & Monsters and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.
Ubisoft® Unveils RAINBOW SIX® QUARANTINE The Next Installment Of Tom Clancy’S Best-Selling Franchise
UBISOFT® UNVEILS RAINBOW SIX® QUARANTINE
THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF TOM CLANCY’S BEST-SELLING FRANCHISE
A brand new 3-player, tactical co-op shooterbuilt from Rainbow Six DNA
Today, during the E3 press conference, Ubisoft® revealed Tom Clancy Rainbow Six®Quarantine, the latest installment in the best-selling Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise. This brand-new three-player, tactical co-op shooter will be available early 2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. The game will also be available on Uplay+, Ubisoft’s subscription service for Windows PC. More details on Uplay+ can be found at Uplay.com
Developed by a new dedicated team at Ubisoft Montreal, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Quarantine is set several years in the future of the Rainbow Six Universe. The Rainbow Operators will face off against a highly lethal new breed of mutated alien parasite infecting human hosts and their surroundings.
“We set out to create a radically re-designed co-op experience built on the foundations of one of the best shooters of this generation. What Siege is to the PVP shooter genre, we want Quarantine to be to co-op.” said Bio Jade Adam-Granger, Lead Game Designer.
Players can prepare to launch into tense, chaotic and totally unpredictable missions as they will risk everything with their squad, every time they step into Quarantine.
For the latest about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Quarantine and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.
About Ubisoft: Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2018-19 fiscal year Ubisoft generated Net Bookings of €2,029 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.
Watch Dogs®: Legion Introduces Gameplay Innovation Enabling Players to ‘Play as Anyone’ in Near-Future London
Today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Ubisoft® announced that Watch Dogs®: Legion, the newest installment of the blockbuster Watch Dogs® franchise will be available worldwide on March 6, 2020 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC. Watch Dogs: Legion will also launch on the new generation gaming platform, Stadia
In the near future, London is facing its downfall: people are being oppressed by an all-seeing surveillance state, a corrupt private military corporation controls the streets, and a powerful crime syndicate is preying on the most vulnerable. In Watch Dogs: Legion, the player’s mission is to build a resistance to fight back against the emergence of an authoritarian regime.
Thanks to a never-before-seen gameplay innovation created by Ubisoft Toronto*, the studio behind Watch Dogs: Legion, players will have complete freedom to‘Play as Anyone.’ Every Londoner in the open world is fully simulated, with a persistent life and backstory, and players can recruit anyone from the entire population into their team.From an MI5 agent to a tough bareknuckle fighter, from a brilliant hacker to an illegal street racer, or from a rising football star to a geriatric grandma, anyone can join the resistance and become the hero of the story.
Every character also has unique gameplay traits, based on their profile. Once they join the team, players choose their class, level them up, and unlock new abilities and upgrades. They can easily swap between them and approach the challenges of the game the way they want using hacking and drones, stealth, melee or combat, lethal or non-lethal.
In Watch Dogs: Legion, the players' choices have real consequences. If non-lethal force is used, the enemy will attempt to subdue and arrest the player. But if the player shoots to kill, their characters could be wounded or even permanently killed.
In Watch Dogs: Legion, players can even bring their unique team online and team up with their friends in four-player co-op, while sharing their progression between single-player and online.
In addition, Ubisoft announced the Gold, Ultimate and Collector’s Editions** for Watch Dogs: Legion:
·Gold Edition includes the base game and the Season Pass.
·Ultimate Edition includes Gold Edition and Ultimate digital content, including four weeks VIP Status to earn experience and currency faster.
·Collector’s Edition includes the Ultimate Edition plus the LED Ded Coronet Mask Replica, an exclusive Steelbook®, a set of three stickers and a recto-verso propaganda poster, all inspired by the game's universe, and instant access to the mask in-game. Collector’s Edition is exclusive to the Ubisoft Store.
Fans who purchase the Gold, Ultimate or Collector’s editions will be able to get the game up to three days early from the standard release date. Fans who pre-order Watch Dogs Legion will receive access to the Golden King Pack with the “Uneasy Lies” Mask Skin, the “Serpent Sisters” Pistol Skin and the “Lux” Car Skin.
Moreover, Ubicollectibles revealed Watch Dogs: Legion: Resistant of London, its new figurine inspired directly from the world of Watch Dogs. This 26 cm figurine shows a DedSec operative in an iconic pose, wearing either the Winston mask or the King of Hearts mask (as two switchable masks will be included) and stepping defiantly on an Albion mercenary’s helmet as a proud member of London's resistance. This piece holds a burnt Black Jack flag, the symbol of the city’s decay. On top that, a unique ULC code that unlocks the in-game mask “King of Hearts” will be included for free.
Watch Dogs: Legion will also be available on Uplay+, Ubisoft’s subscription service for Windows PC. More details on Uplay+ can be found on Uplay.com.***
For more information about Watch Dogs: Legion, please visit watchdogs.com, and join the conversation by using #watchdogslegion. For further information about the Watch Dogs Legion Collector’s Editions and Ubicollectibles, please visit our website, store.ubi.com
*Associate studios are Ubisoft Montreal, Paris, Bucharest, Kiev and Newcastle.
**Final content and release dates subject to change. Some features may not be available at launch. Content may be available for purchase and/or as giveaway(s) separately at Ubisoft’s sole discretion at any time.
LONG-AWAITED FINAL FANTASY VIII REMASTERED ARRIVES LATER THIS YEAR
Square Enix Ltd.,today revealed that the hugely anticipated FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered is coming to the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One family of devices and PC (Steam) later this year.
Debuted during the SQUARE ENIX E3 Live event earlier today, FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered brings the game’s classic story to modern platforms now with newly rendered visuals that bring the world to life like never before.
In FINAL FANTASY VIII, the military nation of Galbadia has allied with Sorceress Edea for world domination. Squall, a member of Balamb Garden's mercenary force SeeD, together with his friends and Rinoa, a member of a resistance group, are shipped off to war, unaware of their fated task to save the world.
FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered will be available for the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One family of devices and PC (Steam) in 2019.
