Stormzy and Aiden Pearce join the resistance in Watch Dogs®: Legion

• British Award-Winning Artist Stormzy Will Ask Players For Their Help In A Dedicated In-game Mission
• Aiden Pearce Will Make His Comeback in Watch Dogs: Legion As Part Of The Season Pass Post Launch Content
  

 

[SYDNEY,AUSTRALIA] – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 – Today at Ubisoft’s digital press conference, Ubisoft Forward, the company unveiled exciting new content for Watch Dogs^®: Legion: an exclusive collaboration with award-winning British musician Stormzy, the return of an old friend, Aiden Pearce, who is  playable as part of post-launch plans, and a new gameplay trailer diving into the Play-As-Anyone  experience. Led by Ubisoft Toronto*, Watch Dogs: Legion will release on October 29, 2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation^®4, Stadia and for Windows PC on Epic Games and Uplay. The game will also be available on UPLAY+**, Ubisoft’s subscription service. Watch Dogs^®: Legion will also release on Xbox Series X | S on November 10, and on PlayStation^®5 upon the launch of the console.

 

Players will get to play a unique mission to help inspiring British musician, Stormzy. In the mission Fall on My Enemies, Stormzy will task players to help him secure the broadcast for his ‘Heavy Is The Head’ album track, ‘Rainfall’ (feat. Tiana Major9) in Central London. Premiered today on Ubisoft Forward and set to release on October 1st, the official music video for Rainfall has been fully created using the Watch Dogs: Legion engine.

 

"We are thrilled for Stormzy to be a part of Watch Dogs: Legion. His music and what he speaks to as an artist is extremely relevant for our London setting, and for the larger themes of our game," commented Clint Hocking, Creative Director at Ubisoft Toronto. He added, "It's been almost a year since we had Stormzy in the studio to film his performance. He lit up the room, and captivated us all. He's a great collaborator, and it was a career highlight for us to get to work with him."

 

Click image below to view Stormzy reveal

 

As part of the Watch Dogs: Legion post-launch content, Aiden Pearce will be back as a fully playable character, along with a dedicated story arc. The Season Pass of Watch Dogs: Legion is available for purchase as part of the Gold, Ultimate and Collector editions, and will offer one new story expansion delivered in two narrative arcs, extra DedSec missions, four unique heroes including Aiden Pearce, the Complete Edition of the original Watch Dogs game from 2014, and more. The full lineup of the Watch Dogs: Legion post-launch content will be detailed in the coming weeks. It will include some exciting free content and will bring playable characters, online content, new modes, missions and updates.

 

Click image below to view Aiden Pearce teaser

 

In Watch Dogs: Legion, London is facing its downfall. Amidst the growing unrest of a restless London, an unknown entity named Zero-Day has framed secret underground resistance DedSec for coordinated bombings across London. In the aftermath, criminal opportunists from every corner of London took hold and filled the void left by a defeated government. As a member of DedSec, players will be going up against those criminal opportunists in Watch Dogs: Legion; sadists, mercenaries, cybercriminals, and more; they’ll have to be prepared for a variety of situations. Players must recruit members into their DedSec Resistance to take on these criminal opportunists, liberate London and uncover the identity of Zero-Day.

 

Click image below to view ‘Recruitment Explained’ video

 

For the latest news on Watch Dogs: Legion and all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.

 

For more information about Watch Dogs: Legion, please visit watchdogs.com, and join the conversation by using #watchdogslegion.

 

*Associate studios are Ubisoft Montreal, Paris, Bucharest, Kiev, Newcastle and Massive Entertainment, a Ubisoft Studio.

AU$19.95 per month. Cancel anytime. The Ultimate Edition (Excluding VIP status) will be available as part of a UPLAY+ subscription at game launch. More information at uplayplus.com.

 

ABOUT WATCH DOGS

Watch Dogs launched in 2014 as the video game industry’s best-selling new IP at launch. To-date, the award-winning franchise has sold more than 40 million games worldwide. The hacker series extends to other entertainment media, including books and comics. The next opus in the franchise, Watch Dogs: Legion, will release on October 29, 2020.

Ubisoft announces Riders Republic

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES RIDERS REPUBLIC^™
Go All Out on the Craziest Outdoor Sports in This Brand-New Social Experience

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 – Today at Ubisoft’s digital press conference, Ubisoft Forward, the company announced Riders Republic^™, a new IP and massive multiplayer outdoor sports playground. Riders Republic will release worldwide on February 25, 2021 on PlayStation^®5, PlayStation^®4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Stadia and Windows PC, exclusively on both the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. The game will also be available on UPLAY+, Ubisoft’s subscription service.* Players who purchase Riders Republic on Xbox One or PlayStation^®4 can upgrade their game to the next-gen version at no additional cost.**

 

Developed by Ubisoft Annecy, Riders Republic invites players to an exhilarating social playground, where they can experience the thrill of extreme sports in an open and densely populated world. Players will connect, compete and slay tricks through an exciting range of sports such as biking, skiing, snowboarding, wing suiting and rocket wing suiting. Whenever players explore or gather in the vibrant social hub, they will always find themselves surrounded by fellow riders.

 

From arid canyons to snowy mountains, Riders Republic allows players to ride through some of the most magnificent destinations on earth. The American National Parks, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite Valley, Sequoia Park, Zion, Canyonlands, Mammoth Mountain and Grand Teton have been faithfully recreated and imaginatively mashed together to create the liveliest sports park.

 

Click image below to view  cinematic trailer.

Players can squad up with or against friends in these insane multiplayer modes:

• Competitive Races and Trick Challenges: Playable in PvP and solo, players will feel the rush during these races and challenges.
• Mass Starts: Nothing is off-limits in these frantic races with more than 50 players***. Players will need to watch their blind spots and protect their position as they collide, grind and fight their way to the finish line.
• Multiplayer Arenas: Dominate maps in 6v6 PvP matchups.
• Online Cups: Made for the very best riders to show off and show out, ultimately making it to the top of the leaderboard.

 

“We wanted to combine our love for extreme sports with an adrenaline-filled multiplayer experience, letting players share those unique riding moments with more than 50 other players at all times,” said Igor Manceau, Creative Director of Riders Republic at Ubisoft Annecy.**** “Riders Republic offers fun and light-hearted competition and allows us to push the boundaries with this genre. We can’t wait for riders to dive into this dynamic world and share their own epic stories.”

 

With career mode, riders can make a name for themselves in a variety of sports, rise to the top of the leaderboard and sign with legendary sponsors from a wide range of outdoor action sports.  Players can customize their rider through evolutive, progression-based gear and define every aspect of the avatar. Whether a rider wants to master snowboarding or be the fastest thing on two wheels, everything is possible.

 

Riders Republic will make the most of next-gen gameplay, running at 60 FPS and displaying more than 50 players simultaneously live onscreen on next-gen consoles. With the game’s very intuitive character and camera control combined with an innovative trick system, all players, casual and hardcore, will have the chance to experience untapped joy from the very beginning.

 

Click image below to view game preview trailer

 

In addition, the Gold Edition and Ultimate Edition are available for pre-order.

• Gold Edition includes the base game and the Year 1 Pass*****, including exotic kits that allow players to modify gameplay in the form of gear upgrades throughout the year, the BMX Sport add-on, plus, exclusive content added after launch.
• Ultimate Edition Ultimate Edition includes the Year 1 Pass and four exclusive cosmetic packs: Cosmic, Rainbow, Neon and Skull’n Style. Players will also enjoy 20 Helicopter tickets to reach their favorite summits faster than ever.

 

Players who pre-order Riders Republic will receive the Bunny Pack*****, including a custom cute bunny outfit, an additional blue bunny head, and rainbow snowboard paint.

 

For more information on Riders Republic, please visit ridersrepublic.com.

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE Coming To Xbox Series X | S And Playstation®5, Operation Shadow Legacy Now Available

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX^® SIEGE COMING TO XBOX SERIES X | S AND PLAYSTATION^®5, OPERATION SHADOW LEGACY NOW AVAILABLE

 

120 FPS and 4K on New Platforms, Current Game Owners Will Get the Next-gen Version of the Game on the Same Family of Devices at no Additional Cost

 

 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — September 11, 2020 — Today, during Ubisoft Forward, Ubisoft announced that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six^® Siege is coming to PlayStation^®5 and Xbox Series X | S in 4K and 120 FPS with render scaling. It will be available later this year at the same price as the current-gen version. All current game owners will get the next-gen version of the game on the same family of devices at no additional cost*, and players will keep their progression and in-game content. The game will be a cross-generation game, meaning next-gen players will be able to play with current-gen players on the same family of devices.

 

To watch the trailer click the image below

 

In addition, Operation Shadow Legacy, the third season of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Year 5, is now available on PlayStation^®4, the Xbox One family of consoles and Windows PC, including UPLAY+, the Ubisoft subscription service.** This new season brings innovation with the addition of Sam Fisher from the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell saga as a new operator, a rework of the Chalet map, an improvement of the ping system and many other key updates.

 

Owners of the Year 5 Pass can play with Zero aka Sam Fisher immediately, while other players can unlock him with Renown or R6 Credits starting September 17. New seasonal content, including the Chalet map rework, are available for free to all players. Year 5 Season 3 also welcomes the Battle Pass, available now through October 19.

 

Sam Fisher is equipped with a new gadget called the Argus Launcher, a two-way drill camera. The cameras are launched to pierce soft or reinforced walls, windows and hatches, and can stick to any surface. The attacker can rotate the camera to see the other side of the wall and each camera is equipped with one laser charge, used to deal damage to defenders or destroy gadgets. Sam Fisher also comes with his unique weapons, the SC3000K and Karambit.

 

In addition to this new operator, players can explore a reimagined Chalet map, which is newly reworked. The first and the second floors are improved, and the roof is now traversable, among other features. Objectives have been the focus of this rework, with a hallway added to improve rotation in the Basement, and the Trophy site has been switched for a new one in Dining.

 

Additional game updates include:

• Ping 2.0
• Map Ban
• New Secondary Gadget: The Hard Breach Charge
• New Optics and Sights Colours
• New Reinforcement Pool

 

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-au/game/rainbow-six/siege

 

*Upgrade to the digital PS5 version of the game at no additional cost when and where available. To upgrade eligible PS4 disc copies, players need a PS5 console with a disc drive. https://www.playstation.com/en-au/get-help/

Rainbow Six Siege leverages the Smart Delivery technology - buy the game once and play it on either Xbox One or Xbox Series X | S when both the console and that version of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege are available.

 

Project Cars 3: PS4 Review

Developed by Slightly Mad Studios
Released by Bandai Namco

Platform: PS4

In a weird way, the third version of Project Cars feels very much like a take on the Forza Horizon series.

Ditching the simulation elements for a more arcade racer feel, the game's MO is more about fun than massively serious career progression, and engaging the mechanics among us to ensure the driving works.

That's not to say it's a bad thing for Project Cars 3 in any shape or form.

In fact, the reliance more on a laissez-faire approach works great wonders for the casual racer, who knows to brake into the corners and accelerate out of them, and who's willing to sacrifice immediate wins for a more continual feel of a grinding game.

There are needs to win various events and a desire to score pole position to unlock further events - it's not exactly the simulator that previous Project Cars games have been - and to be honest, given how that degree of simulator was going, that's no bad thing by a country mile.

It does however mean that Project Cars 3 lends itself more to a shallow pick up and play racer than a deep growing experience, but if you're willing to accept that, that's a bonus.

Because when it works, Project Cars 3 really does soar.

Beautifully transposed to the screen, with weather giving the driving game the feel it needs, Project Cars 3 more than looks the part. Tracks are simply laid out, and other competitors' cars glisten on the racing track, even if they're leaving you for dust and you're pinballing off the walls.

The extreme details of the past may be gone, and Slightly Mad Studios' desire to make this seem like any other kind of racer could in theory be criticised. But given how accessible this simulator is and how it's geared more to the player than the petrolhead, that's no bad thing.

Project Cars 3 is more than worth a spin, thanks to some precision points in the driving and handling and also the fact that it's almost as entertaining as going out for a Sunday afternoon drive on an empty road.

The Quarry: Film Review

Cast: Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Bobby Soto
Director: Scott Teems

Based on Damon Galgut's story, The Quarry is in no hurry to go anywhere fast.

A grizzled Shea Whigham stars as an unnamed man whose desperate actions set off a chain of events in a small town with devastating consequences.

Picked up by alcoholic priest David Martin in an act of kindness, it seems the man has been saved. 

But in a moment of desperation at a quarry, the priest is killed, and seeing a chance to start a new life, the man takes it and drives to his new parish town of Bevel in west Texas. 

Hot on the heels of his arrival, everything "David Martin" owns is stolen, and the faux priest is forced to seek help from the local police, headed up by Michael Shannon's gravel-voiced Chief Moore. As the net tightens around the thieves, so too does it tighten around "David Martin"'s neck...

There's a muted feel to The Quarry, a film that's so sparse, it almost feels like it goes nowhere at all. Its glacial pace may be a little too much of nothing for some, and while there are elements of New Zealand International Film Festival's Corpus Christi in terms of storyline, The Quarry is a more pensive affair.

Central to proceedings is Whigham and Shannon's relationship, which burns with an intensity that's hard to shake and a feeling of more going on under the surface than is immediately obvious.

Shannon delivers another of his variations of a hard-ass man shaken by life but getting on with it, and it's clear he and Whigham have a chemistry outside of the screen that shakes some of the dust out of the dour and at times, bleak proceedings.

But it's Whigham to whom the film belongs.

There's a subtlety to his performance that benefits the slow-burning plot, even if there's a distinct feeling that some elements of the film aren't quite there.

Moreno is wasted as Celia, the "priest"'s lodger, and there's a nagging impression that more could have been made of her character and her impact on proceedings, rather than being as sidelined as she is.

Ultimately, The Quarry may refer to a physical place or those caught in the cat and mouse game; however, there's a little too much left unsaid throughout the film to fully draw people in. But surrender to the rhythms of The Quarry and its claustrophobic sparseness may yield unexpected rewards.

Street Power Football: PS4 Review

Developed by SFL Interactive

Platform: PS4

Released by 

A weird hybrid of soccer and  B Boy dancing, Street Power Football is the strangest, shallowest take on football you'll ever find on a console.

Short matches, bizarre quick time events that help you look "street" and a jumping soundtrack may make Street Power Football the kind of disposable game that seems perfect for a group night in and a growing chance of banter and bravado.

The game's not really traditional football, even if it has elements of it - in truth, the five minute bursts are more interested in how you perform on the field, rather than how or if you win.

If you remember the kind of trick shot videos that are popular with the YouTube generation, then maybe there is something to consider here and to get your teeth into. Largely though, the trick shots take a lot of time to do properly, and mashing buttons during a game won't really cut it remotely.

There are moments when Street Power Football works. 

There's genuine joy to achieving an unexpected trick shot during the game, but that's few and far in between, as a lot of Street Power Football is repetitive, short-lived and a bit lost for its own identity.

Each time you score, there's a weird dancing that takes place that you have little control of, and parts of the characters' anatomies don't quite look right (one female character looks like a the legs of a horse in the calves area).

If you want disposable football that feels like a NBA 2K Playgrounds style game, then maybe Street Power Football is for you.

But to be honest, the lack of replayability and depth is enough to give this one a yellow card.

Savage: Film Review

Cast: Jake Ryan, John Tui, Chelsea Preston Crayford, James Matamua
Director: Sam Kelly

Sam Kelly's confrontational gangs-led story packs a powerful punch in places.

Opening with an unflinching act of brutality, Savage wears its gang patch on its sleeve.

Porirua-based director Sam Kelly's made no secret of the fact that Savage is supposed to be an honest and open look at the grim reality of life within a gang.

Zig-zagging across 30 years of Ryan's Danny, the film chooses three key timelines to dwell on, formative periods of Danny's life that ultimately lead him to a crossroads and a crisis.

But without wishing to sound trite, and perhaps it's more a reflection on society itself, the three key periods all cover very familiar ground to anyone who has an inkling of what violence begets further violence in life. That's not to doubt the film's authenticity though, more that its journey is not perhaps its strongest one.

It begins in 1965, where the child Danny is being brought up in a violent household. It moves to 1972 where the older Danny finds himself part of a new gang, The Savages, and on a collision course with family who are part of rival gangs. And it ends with Danny as the head enforcer of the Savages and who's questioning his role in the cycle of violence.

Central to Savage is the brooding presence of former Home and Away star Jake Ryan. With tattoos covering his face and with a brooding, glowering approach to life, Ryan imbues Danny with some of the inner turmoil he needs to try and sell the idea that enough is enough.

Key to that narrative arc is John Tui's Moses, and his loyalty to the one person who's stood with him all throughout his life - despite the fact that person may be the bad apple Danny needs to step away from.

With a grim dour palette and a sense of foreboding in the atmosphere, Savage is successfull in capturing the mood and tone of calustrophobia in gang life, and the feeling that Danny's close to heading too far down a path that will claim him forever.

But where Kelly falters with parts of Savage is in the zipping between timelines. Even though some of the storyline is handled with restraint and subtlety, the lack of time in each period and the briefest of characterisations means the story fails to reach the emotional resonance and power that it's pushing for.

Equally, while Kelly hints at the fascinating power dynamics between men and women in the gang world (especially with two parallel relationships stretched out across ages), he never quite follows it up, preferring to leave it dangling and frustrating the audience immensely.

All in all, Savage has brooding intensity and shocking violence when it's needed, but it lacks the emotional heft it needs to fully sell its denouement. Kelly's to be commended for trying something different with a story, but the all-too-familiar edges of the narrative journey and jumping around timelines are what hinders Savage from being the powerful film it aspires to.