Action RPG DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT launches worldwide on 17th January 2020 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC

Action RPG DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT launches worldwide on 17^th January 2020 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC

Developed as the most expansive and accurate retelling of the life of Goku (the Saiyan also known as Kakarot), DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT will take players through their favourite DRAGON BALL Z story arcs, meet beloved friends, battle powerful enemies, and bring light to some long-running DRAGON BALL Z mysteries as well. No other game before has told this story in such detail and with such vivid presentation.

We’re also pleased to officially announce that the Buu arc will be included in the game. Players will be able to experience the entire DRAGON BALL Z story from launch, taking control of characters from across each saga, including Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo and more – in addition to many other supporting characters.

Embark On An Epic Quest Using Real-Life Exercise In Ring Fit Adventure For Nintendo Switch

Embark On An Epic Quest Using Real-Life Exercise In Ring Fit Adventure For Nintendo Switch

EMBARK ON AN EPIC QUEST USING REAL-LIFE EXERCISE IN RING FIT ADVENTURE FOR NINTENDO SWITCH

Unique new Ring-Con and Leg Strap accessories enable players to explore and battle in the game world using the power of real-world exercise

12^th September, 2019 – A new type of adventure game is headed to Nintendo Switch on 18^th October. Ring Fit Adventure utilises fun new accessories that transform physical exercises into powerful in-game moves.

In Ring Fit Adventure, players explore an expansive world, battling enemies along the way using real-life fitness exercises. The new Ring-Con and Leg Strap accessories that are included with the game detect and measure the player’s real-world movements and turn them into in-game actions, like jogging in place to move your character through the world using the attached Leg Strap, or squeezing the Ring-Con and turning that strength exercise into a powerful attack. By playing the game daily, players regularly work out various parts of their bodies. With additional mini-games and workout routines, Ring Fit Adventure is a fun experience for players of various skill levels and lifestyles.

“Nintendo is always thinking of new ways to entertain players and create fresh experiences,” said Kamon Yoshimura, Managing Director of Nintendo Australia. “Ring Fit Adventure for Nintendo Switch brings together fitness and gaming in a way that motivates players to have fun exercising, immersing themselves in a journey that sees them play and exercise alongside the story.”

Ring Fit Adventure turns a typical adventure game on its head as players squat, press and flex their way through challenges designed for a wide range of body types and levels of fitness experience. To play the game, players attach the Joy-Con controllers from their Nintendo Switch system to the included accessories – one to the Ring-Con and one to the Leg Strap. The Leg Strap is attached to the player’s upper left leg, while the Ring-Con is held in both hands. The Ring-Con is a flexible electronic device that provides resistance, and features a sensor that detects exertion and reacts to changes. Ring Fit Adventure can be tailored to the player’s level of skill, so even if players don’t have experience with fitness, they can adjust the exercise intensity to suit their ability. This will let them continue every day at an activity level that’s comfortable for them.

The Adventure mode featured in Ring Fit Adventure takes place in a colourful world where adventure meets fitness. To travel through more than 20 different worlds in the game, players jog in place to move forward, using the Ring-Con accessory to perform different in-game actions, like jumping, hovering in mid-air, or steering a raft on a river. Along the way, enemies will appear, ready for battle. Players can attack and defend using more than 40 Fit Skills, which are exercise moves divided into arms, abs, legs and yoga categories. The game provides direction to players about how to perform the exercise correctly, with proper form and posture dealing more damage to enemies. Every action that the player performs in-game will earn experience for their in-game character, with level-ups boosting stats and unlocking new Fit Skills that can be used in battle. Adventure mode is designed as a natural way to motivate players to keep playing and exercising regularly, progressing through the game world while also levelling up their real-world fitness.

Outside of the main adventure, Quick Play mode is a great way to enjoy Ring Fit Adventure in shorter bursts, allowing players to jump in and out of play. This lets everyone enjoy a quick workout in different ways, like taking turns with friends and family in mini-games to compete for high scores. Mini-games cover a wide range of activities, from breaking boxes with gusts of air triggered by the Ring-Con to shaping pottery by performing squats.

Other modes like Simple and Sets offer additional ways to work out. “Simple” lets players choose exercises they want to work on, and perform them individually. High scores are recorded so everyone can challenge their personal bests. “Sets” provide linked sequences of different exercises designed around a theme or a particular body part. This mode is a great way to target a muscle group the player wants to improve, like legs, shoulders, lower body or core. The game even includes a “Silent” mode for people who live in an upstairs apartment or don’t want to make a lot of noise. By activating this mode, jogging-style exercises are swapped out for ones that are a little quieter, allowing players to keep their legs active without a heavy impact on the floor.

Ring Fit Adventure is a new type of adventure game coming to Nintendo Switch, which uses unique accessories that detect and measure the player’s real-world movements and turn them into in-game actions. It launches at retail on 18^th October with a suggested retail price of AU$124.95, and includes the game plus the Ring-Con and Leg Strap accessories.

Downton Abbey: Film Review

Downton Abbey: Film Review

Cast: Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggett, Jim Carter
Director: Michael Engler

Nigh on impenetrable for those with only a passing knowledge of the Crawley family, the Downton Abbey movie meshes social mores with a kind of Carry on Downstairs flimsy plot to relatively middling effect.

Set in 1927, the Crawley household is honoured to hear that the King and Queen will be sojourning with them as they tour the north of England.

But the downstairs staff are riled when they hear the royal butlers and staff will be taking over their premises, and rendering their desire to serve King and country redundant during the visit...

To be honest, unless you're a fan of this, there's little to pull you back into their world. It's one that's not exactly unwelcoming of strangers, but more one that's got no time to provide you with backstory and the nuances of the show which ran from 2010 to 2015.

To fans of Julian Fellowes' soapy period piece, there's more than enough service, and the thrill of seeing the characters back on the screen will suffice. Which is a good thing, because with the cast as large as it is, most are rendered redundant by a script that has little time to do anything except tick its stereotyped characters' motivation boxes - quips from Maggie Smith's Dowager, tick; haughtiness from Hugh Bonneville's Lord Grantham, tick. It's a nostalgia trip tried and true.

Yet, in the film's pacing, the script falters.

It zips along, dismissing its various attempts at "drama" in relative TV bitesize chunks. In fact, in parts it could be accused of wrapping elements up before a prescribed TV ad break would be slotted in.

But yet in among the unchallenging story, unshakeable feel of a series of vignettes alien to newcomers and period prestige sheen, there are some elements that hint at a little more below - Republicanism is thrown in, the reality of repressed homosexuality, the weight of carrying on a dynasty is ruminated on, and the class wars manifest themselves in breaches of protocol (which admittedly seem slight, but in this world, are earth-shattering).

Downton Abbey is a salute to England that was, and the film retains that nostalgia - but as a standalone aimed at enticing future episodes or growing its fan base beyond that it already has, it's a consummate but polite failure.

The Angry Birds Movie 2: Film Review

The Angry Birds Movie 2: Film Review

Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Rachel Bloom
Director: Thurop van Orman

The birds are back to slingshot and likely to catapult their way back into tiny minds, even if the older ones may be a little more resistant to the charms of the mobile phone based movie.

In this second, Sudeikis' Red returns, as the hero having saved Bird Island from the perils and pranks of Piggy Island.

Revered as a hero, Red's deepest insecurities come to the fore again when he's co-opted as part of a team to take on the insurgents of Eagle Island, which are threatening both Piggy and Bird Island.

An uneasy alliance is formed between the Pigs and Birds, as they unite to fight the common foe - but for Red, the enemy lies within.

Functional and occasionally funny, The Angry Birds Movie 2 relies on sight gags for its moments, and generally succeeds.

But it's never more than solid to anyone but its target audience to be frank.

A sub-plot with three hatchlings trying to rescue their eggs feels like an ode to Ice Age's Scrat and his nut that nobody asked for - and while cutely executed, it adds little to the overall plot and feel of the film other than to serve to show the flow isn't quite there and the main story is thin at best. This isn't a deep level movie, more a surface once over lightly to replenish a franchise. (Though a toilet sequence is genuinely side-splitting in its execution).

There are signs that the female led empowerment of Silver, the extra element into the already-recognised team is there to teach kids that girls can be part of it too, and deserves to be commended. But the female leader of Eagle Island seems like a step back in terms of women, no matter how well voiced she is by Leslie Jones. Its obvious message of teamwork and male insecurity can be seen a mile off - but again, this is for kids.

Yet, at the end of the day, the animation looks pliable, lush and squishy enough, and while you sense some of the cast has been expanded, along with the location, simply to provide a game update, The Angry Birds Movie 2 does what it says on the tin.

Nothing more, and nothing less. And sometimes, for a kid's film that wants simplicity, that's no bad thing.

Mystify: Michael Hutchence:Film Review

Mystify: Michael Hutchence:Film Review

Director Richard Lowenstein pulls together a relatively intimate portrait of the famed INXS rock icon, in a documentary that soars for the majority of its time before crashing into more sombre territory in its final 30 minutes.

Eschewing talking heads and having them provide soundbites over footage from the archives, concert moments and Hutchence himself gives the feel of a family album being narrated by mates and family around a good bottle of wine.

But Lowenstein's also smart enough to pepper the piece with moments of Hutchence himself, allowing the man's clear charisma to shine forth and illuminate the screen.

Vignettes from Kylie Minogue about their relationship and earlier lovers help build a portrait of a man lost in the world at some point - but also humanise Hutchence beyond the rock icon label that he's gained since his death at 37.

In some ways, Mystify: Michael Hutchence is a relatively formulaic doco presented in an albeit unusual way.

There's no denying the music still stands strong, and Lowenstein wisely uses only a smattering of the live footage to boost the appeal of the Aussie.

But the film hits a screeching halt and almost derails as it reveals the change in Hutchence after a head injury. It appears to echo Michael himself in that the tone shifts awkwardly from more hedonistic fare to an almost funereal pace that wonders dangerously close into mawkish territory.

And there's an odd feeling towards the end that veers dangerously into hagiography with various drugs issues mentioned, albeit fleetingly, and hinted at rather than doing anything to darken the appeal of Michael Hutchence.

There's a sense of being too close to the subject - but it's a double-edged sword, as without the closeness, there wouldn't have been the abundance of footage to present something compelling.

All in all, Mystify: Michael Hutchence is a fine tribute to the star, and one that explains the appeal to all, rather than just fans. 

High Life: Film Review

High Life: Film Review

More of a frustration than an outright success, Claire Denis' High Life is an intriguing space odyssey which doesn't quite know what exactly it wants to say.

Equal parts mesmerising and equal parts confusing to its narrative, High Life focuses on Robert Pattinson's Monte as he tries to bring up his daughter in what appears to be the confines of outer space.

But as the film progresses, the reasons for his isolation play out, leaving you with more questions than perhaps answers.

And yet some of the visuals that Denis commits to the screen convey both the isolation of the void and the beauty of it. There's a feeling science is at play here, and an idea perhaps that this is the future we get not the one we aspire to in many ways.

Slow and moody, frustratingly paced, there are many arguments why High Life is not the full package, but a mesmerising turn from Robert Pattinson gives the film the life it needs. There's a feeling of redemption from his character, given his predicament, and a broodiness in the opening sequences that doesn't quite feel right.

Yet, as the elements combine toward the end of High Life, there's a desperation and a sadness which sets in that's hard to shake off. It may be arty, it may be moody, and it may fall short of what you'd expect, but there's no doubting that High Life will provoke some form of discussion long after it's done.

Gears fans assemble: Xbox ANZ create limited-edition Gears 5 inspired jewellery

Gears fans assemble: Xbox ANZ create limited-edition Gears 5 inspired jewellery  

Gears fans assemble: Xbox ANZ create limited-edition Gears 5 inspired jewellery  

Crafted by fire, cast in ice-cold silver: renowned Aussie jeweller Jason Moss creates bespoke range inspired by the COG 

 

AUCKLAND, New Zealand: Friday 6 September 2019 – As gamers around New Zealand prepare to lift their Lancers for the launch of Gears 5, Xbox ANZ has revealed an exclusive range of bespoke unisex jewellery inspired by the iconography of the fan-favourite franchise.  

Crafted by fire and cast in ice-cold silver, Australian designer, Jason Moss, took inspiration from the mysterious Locust necklace owned by Gears 5’s lead protagonist, Kait Diaz, to create a limited edition ring and pendent design that any COG would be proud to wear. 

Most famous for his custom creations, some of the world’s most recognized celebrities wear Moss’ work, including recent Rolling Stones cover artist, Harry Styles. Designed in his trademark style, these handmade creations reflect the visual themes of the fire and ice locales from the game while leaning into the aesthetic of one of gaming’s most acclaimed sagas.  

The pendant pays homage to the iconic Gears COG tag and the trials and tribulations faced by our heroes. Featuring a split Crimson Omen interweaved on a chain necklace, the piece is weighted like the expectations placed on the Gears shoulders to save humanity.   

The ring sees an entangled Crimson Omen take centre stage. It features a complex design reflective of the unanswered questions of Kait’s bloodline, and the tensions bubbling under the surface as the squad fights off the Swarm and learns about her past. 

Encased in a chamber emblazoned with each piece’s production number, only 100 of each design have been created. Gears 5 fans around New Zealand can visit the Xbox ANZ Facebook today for more information on how to claim a piece of history for themselves.  

“We know that fans of Gears are loud and proud when it comes to their passion for the franchise, and we wanted to create something that would allow them to showcase their pride every day. With so many complex themes weaving throughout the Gears universe, Jason Moss with his experimental, raw style was the perfect artist to bring this collection to life.” says Tania Chee, Xbox Lead for ANZ. 

Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play the highly-anticipated title as part of their monthly subscription from today. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold and unlimited access to over 100 high-quality console and PC games. New members can subscribe for just $2 for the first two months, then $15.95 thereafter. Gears 5 is also available at the Microsoft Store and other retailers in Australia and New Zealand from 10^th September (RRP AU$99.95).

  

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