Gamescom 2014 Pressers: My thoughts

Gamescom 2014 was, much like E3 rather sub-par, filled with games we all knew were coming and little surprises throughout. Although the games that were present at the show did do quite a bit to impress throughout the week. Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest news from the conferences and my opinion on some of the games that were shown off.

Microsoft’s Conference

5. More exclusive deals

As has become so common in Microsoft’s gaming strategy, more exclusive deals were announced at their press conference; these include exclusive betas for the upcoming coop shooter Evolve as well as the Ultimate Team Legends mode for FIFA 15. It’s typical of the corporation; they have the money to buy these kinds as they have done in the past, but as you’ll see reading on, they went one step further this year.

4. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare demo

Sledgehammer Games have had a lot to prove with Advanced Warfare; after last year’s embarrassing failure from Infinity Ward with Ghosts, pressure has been mounting higher than ever to bring innovation to a long and tired franchise. Even consumers finally seem to be catching on with pre-orders lowering since last year’s game. From the look of the multiplayer reveal and the single-player demo at Microsoft’s conference a day later, it seems that Sledgehammer are trying their best to meet expectations.

While the changes aren’t really a revolution in terms of FPS gameplay, they do add new dimensions to the overall gameplay; in combat you have more options thanks to grenade types that can track enemies and you can rip off car doors and use them as shields, movement has become more vertical with the addition of the exo-suit and to top it all off, the game looks like a real step forward visually, an improvement bolstered by the lack of a heads-up-display; instead all information is projected into the game world, whether it be ammunition count or current objectives. These changes have also been applied to multiplayer along with more dynamic maps and what looks to be the deepest customisation feature yet seen in the series Consumers will judge the game for themselves come November but at the very least AW can and should be better than last year’s disappointment. 

3. Halo Channel

Halo 5 will be making its big debut next year and to ease the wait, 343 Industries announced that the Halo 5 multiplayer beta will be accessible to anyone who purchases the Master Chief Collection (Halo 1 through 4). From the looks of it, the beta appears to be focusing on arena style combat, though we’ll know the full story this Christmas. In addition, the Halo channel was announced as a spiritual successor to Halo Waypoint. It will contain the same basic features such as stat tracking and leader boards as well as live streaming for multiplayer matches and unlockable rewards. After Call of Duty Elite (which ran from 2011 to 2013) Halo is doing a similar thing with its online multiplayer and as long as the content is mostly free then players should embrace it upon release later this year.

2. Quantum Break gameplay reveal

Remedy Entertainment’s Quantum Break has been teased since last year and at this year’s Gamescom, we finally saw the first gameplay and how was it? I thought it was OK; in the demo protagonist Jack Joyce fought his way across the docks and eventually made his way onto a bridge to take on two enemies kitted out in high-tech exoskeletons.

The gameplay was fairly typical for a third person cover shooter, with a bit of time manipulation on the side. Jack could freeze time around enemies to stop their attacks or even slow time completely to get behind them or avoid grenade explosions. The game certainly looks the part too with some dazzling effects that go off whenever time is manipulated. Although my biggest concern right now is that there isn’t a real hook to the third person combat just yet; there needs to be a whole variety of powers to use in order to keep it from going stale. Because the game is set to be linked in with a TV show upon release, the game may have no choice but to be shallow so that the two mediums can co-exist effectively (There’s still no word on how player actions in the game will impact the TV show). With that said, Quantum Break won’t be ready till the second quarter of next year so that should be plenty of time for Remedy to add to the title before release.

1. Rise of the Tomb Raider Xbox Exclusivity

Not content with having exclusive downloadable content, probably the biggest moment of the Gamescom this year was Microsoft’s extremely controversial decision to place the upcoming Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One and Xbox 360 only when it releases in Christmas 2015. The move is most definitely a bid by Microsoft to snap up a franchise in order to compete with Sony’s upcoming Uncharted 4, which is also coming out next year. Though some thought this was a good business decision on Microsoft’s part for a system lagging far behind the PS4, the vast majority of the gaming community were absolutely furious and took to the forums and comment sections to insult Crystal Dynamics and Microsoft as much as they could. Then one day later, information spread across the web stating no, the game would only be a timed exclusive and would eventually arrive on PS4 and PC at a later date. My guess is that one of two things may have happened here; either…

One: Crystal Dynamics buckled under the weight of all the angry fans and quickly decided to be more lenient on their deal with Microsoft.

Two: The announcement was just poorly worded and was sugar coated by Microsoft to make the Xbox versions look as attractive as possible.

Either way, this is a dreadful decision from Microsoft, plain and simple yet ironically, this decision may severely backfire on them next year; because they angered a lot of people, more consumers may dislike them and refuse to buy an Xbox One just for the game and even if Rise truly is Xbox exclusive then Sqaure Enix and Crystal Dynamics may end up complaining about the sales all over again (which is quite silly, considering how they are limiting themselves to just one major platform) and will release the game on PS4 and PC anyway. This deal also says a lot about how Microsoft just doesn’t care about making new franchises; instead they have the money to deprive other systems of what was once a multi-platform series, enraging the fan base in the process. Personally I was more disappointed than angry at this deal as I never really got into the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot. It’s difficult to tell where this deal will go or what it will entail in the future at the moment.

Overall Microsoft’s conference was quite good with a fair few games to the Xbox One’s name; although enraging the gaming community again really isn’t the best way to go after last year’s debacle. People want to see more than just three upcoming IPs (Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive and Ori and the Blind Forest) that can stand up to those offered by Sony, not endless rehashes and paid exclusivity deals.

Sony’s Conference

5. DriveClub Demo

For the soon-to-be-released DriveClub, Sony and Evolution Studios showed off the social aspects of its newest racer to emphasise the importance of clubs; players can earn points, ranks and new cars even if they’re not playing the game; in clubs, experience is shared across all players in a club in order to form a more connected experience all around. Evolution Studios have said that racing games have been mostly solo experiences; a trend they hope to break when the game comes out in October. Whether it can match up to the likes of Forza Horizon 2 and The Crew is another matter entirely.

The game is looking quite good graphically with a variety of environments and weather effects which will also affect each race. The only concern I have personally is the damage effects. If cars simply bounce off walls rather than breaking realistically, that might really put the game behind its competitors and would really contradict the realism Driveclub is trying to put across.

4. More PS4 ports on the way

Given the success of The Last of Us Remastered which came out over the summer with over 1.5 Million units sold, Sony announced they were bringing artistic wonders Journey and The Unfinished Swan to the PS4. It’s most likely a move to keep fans occupied until the big exclusives roll out next year though it may not be as successful, given how both titles are downloadable games which were quite successful, but nowhere near as popular as The Last of Us. Sony has said that the remasters will eventually slow down over time but they’re definitely going to have to deliver massively to make up for the wait times next year.

3. Wild announcement

One of the few new games announced at Sony’s conference was from Rayman creator Michel Ancel. Ever since Minecraft launched there seems to have been an explosion of titles where you must collect resources to survive against monsters and other threats. Wild (which is still in the early stages of development) will feature a more caveman-esque aesthetic where players can play as any creature in the environment, be it man or beast. If all goes well with development, this could be a brilliant exclusive for the PlayStation 4.

2. BloodBorne demo

The fourth in the now-wildly popular Souls series, BloodBorne marks the franchise’s debut on the next-generation platforms, this time exclusively on the PlayStation store. From the demo that was shown off at Sony’s conference, the game seemed to look and play very similar to the games that came before, but with some notable differences. The environments in the game now veer more towards a more gothic, almost Victorian like background; this is turn results in a more gloomy and dark atmosphere which is enhanced further by the more violent nature of the combat. In keeping with the title of the game, there’s much more blood and gore effects this time which goes hand in hand with the more offensive combat seen in the demo. Though you’ll still dodge and wait for the right moment to attack, Bloodborne’s new dual weapons and ranged muskets (Which allow for stunning, not direct attacks) allow for more intimate combat scenarios.

The only weak spot I saw in the demo was that the graphical quality didn’t look like much of a step forward from the recent Dark Souls 2 which may end up hurting both the game upon release and the PS4 in terms of comparison with PC. Despite this gripe, BloodBorne remains arguably the most important exclusive on Sony’s platform and if FromSoftware’s reputation amongst the hardcore crowd is any indication, the game should be a smash hit next year.

1. PT and Silent Hills

Though it wasn’t shown off at Sony’s presser, PT and Silent Hills proved to have the biggest impact for the Japanese company this year both as a demo and eventual announcement. Released on the PlayStation store, scores of gamers were treated to a rather unique experiment with the playable teaser. After several playthroughs, it was revealed that Hideo Kojima was collaborating with film director Guillermo Del Toro and The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus for a brand new incarnation of the Silent Hill series, which hasn’t been heard from since 2012.

What looked like a trudge through the same corridor over and over again became more twisted and freakish as things went on, with atmosphere being built through the noises of wailing and scrambled radio chatter gradually changing and growing stranger throughout the playthrough. Judging from the demo, this is looking more than just a much needed come-back for Silent Hill but it could also bring about a new wave of horror games that actually build up tension rather than devolving into action-fests. If there’s anyone who can treat the franchise right and bring it back from the brink, its Kojima and after the release of Metal Gear Solid 5, it shouldn’t be too long before gamers dread turning corners once again.

Sony’s conference had a few solid moments but nothing to really set the world on fire; the continuing absence of The Last Guardian is still a disappointment to many fans and although Sony still has a fair few new IPs and big projects in the pipeline, their offerings for the rest of this year seem quite muted with DriveClub being the only major exclusive to be released in the latter half of 2014. Sony is probably saving most of their exclusives for 2015, leaving a couple of HD remasters to pick up the slack.

So that's it for the Gamescom 2014 pressers this year; is there a chance I might go to the show myself again? Watch this space.

The Expendables 3 Movie Review

Debuting in 2010, the Expendables series has built its name on one thing; employing as many former action stars as possible in a bid to relive the classic action films of the eighties and nineties. The series hasn’t made much of an impression over the years and Expendables 3 is more than content with continuing this trend, resulting in yet another lacklustre action flick for the autumn season.

The Expendables 3 follows on from the second with Barney Ross (Sylvestor Stallone) and company being sent off by CIA agent Max Drummer (Harrison Ford) on a hunt for Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), forming a thin backbone for numerous battles, rescues and an infiltration mission, typical action movie fare. It’s overly-familiar, samey and you’ll see pretty much everything coming from a mile away; the film even outright repeats sequences from the previous film such as the prison break-out (this time with Wesley Snipes on a train) and of course a final fist fight between Barney and the antagonist. The biggest problem with Ex 3’s plot isn’t that it fails to break new ground; the problem is that it’s just so mind-numbing and boring that many will no doubt lose interest while watching. For the first act you’ll barely know what is going on, nor will you learn anything about the players involved. The final scene however, is a slight exception to the boredom; with quick cuts between each member of the team as they take on an entire army. If anything though, The Expendables 3 is quite the testament to how modern action flicks simply don’t try anymore, adopting the attitude of “it’s competent enough” rather than “we’ll try to go beyond what’s been done a hundred times before”.

The problems with the casting that plagued previous entries are still troublesome in Ex 3; once again there aren’t any characteristics to set the members of the team apart, they’re all the same tough and rugged action heroes we’ve seen in countless other flicks over the years. For a series which claims to have the biggest ensemble cast, Expendables has always struggled to balance the actors out in a cohesive manner and the higher the casting count climbs, the bigger the problem becomes. Terry Crews is shoved to the side after only half an hour, Li appears out of nowhere to help out, Banderas is reduced to a painfully annoying stereotype and Grammar really doesn’t contribute much to the plot or the characters at all. Aside from a few mildly comedic plays on one-liners the dialogue is just as stilted as ever, gearing towards mocking the fact that all the action stars are still “in the game” as it were. Even the new recruits (Played by Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell and Victor Ortiz respectively) are rushed through without any kind of development whatsoever. To sum it all up, Ex 3 simply doesn’t care about its characters and neither do we, making the already dull action even less enjoyable.

The action sequences of Expendables 3 are quite boring as I mentioned earlier, but at least the editing has been slightly improved over the previous instalment. Gone are the often nauseating and shaky sections that dragged down Ex 2 and in come shots which give a better view of the proceedings, particularly in the final battle. This sequence also plays host to some well-done stunt-work; whether it’s jumping to the top floor of a building on a motorbike or leaping from room to room to avoid gunfire, you will undoubtedly appreciate the effort made in the film’s final moments.   

Inevitably and regretfully The Expendables 3 once again proves that this action series is as tired as the cast that populates it; they can shoehorn in as many stars as they can but the action just isn’t getting any better. The final battle is mildly entertaining but ultimately this is just another movie that blends into a sea of uninspired modern action flicks.

Rating: 2/5 Stars

The Inbetweeners 2 Movie Review

As one of the most successful TV series in British television, The Inbetweeners was placed into the realm of films in 2011 after three successful seasons. Three years on and the four lads are retiring for good with “The Inbetweeners 2”.

Inbetweeners 2 sends Will, Simon, Jay and Neil off on holiday again, this time to sunny Australia; not content with their lives at university (and of course influenced by the obligatory overzealous exaggeration from Jay) the lads go to stay in a youth hostel and once again get up to all kinds of wacky shenanigans from a wild water park to the vast desert outback. Will gets separated from the others in a bid to pull a girl from his childhood, Simon finds himself struggling to keep his girlfriend Lucy satisfied and Neil is just as clueless as ever. The film’s plot proceeds just as the previous films and TV episodes did, with Will often taking a moment to sarcastically narrate the proceedings in transition to the next set of jokes. Many of the gags (the best of which I won’t spoil here!) hit brilliantly, whether it’s Jay’s lower lip going all wobbly or Will ending up a laughing stock to everyone around him. All is not perfect though; the final act slows to a crawl and tries to be more serious which doesn’t really fit a film of this genre and there are a few instances where situations are repeated from the original, namely one of the lads being unable to give up a girl. Despite these gripes, the jokes in the first two acts are thrown out with such reckless abandon for the vast majority of the run time.

Characters are always important in any comedy and as ever Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas are all hilarious, with each character bringing their own comedic talents to the proceedings and playing off each other the way they always have. The other characters aren’t as developed though they do bring a fair bit of laughs to compliment the four protagonists, namely Emily Berrington’s gullible and laid-back performance as Katie. Unfortunately there are also some characters which have been recycled from the original film; Ben (Freddie Stroma) is pretty much the same arrogant pseudo-antagonist who we saw parading around with Carlie in the first film. This does end up having a negative impact on the film’s plot; given that we’ve seen this thread play out before, it’s impact is diminished a fair bit.

If you don’t mind a few too many things being reused from the first film, Inbetweeners 2 will give you just what you’re looking for; it’s just as funny, raunchy and entertaining as the original and if the “biggest opening of 2014” is any evidence to go on, it’s sure to be an immensely popular flick too.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Robin Williams: A Reflection

On the 11^th of August 2014, renowned comedian and actor Robin Williams tragically took his own life, proving that even the funniest individuals can suffer from depression, despite seeming happy on the outside. He gave so much laughter to the world through his work and charisma. What you’re about to read is a short reflection on the best moments of his career in film as well as a bit of personal input from me.

His greatest moments

1. Good Will Hunting: Easily the defining moment of Robin William’s career, Good Will Hunting was a brilliant coming of age story, not to mention a funny and heart-warming film in its own right. Ironically what was arguably Robin’s most serious role ended up being the film that won him his first and only Oscar. The film drew such a following that a petition for a statue of Robin to be erected at the famous bench in Boston has received over 10,000 signatures from fans.

2. Jumanji: A cult favourite amongst some of my friends, this adaptation of a Van Allsburg novel was one of the highest grossing films of 1995. While not the biggest success critically, it nonetheless elevated Williams to a higher level of prominence in the movie business, a move which made his later films that much more successful worldwide and his comedic style very recognisable to film-goers.

3. The Aladdin trilogy: From 1992 to 1996 three popular Disney films had Williams starring as the Genie in the lamp and all three times Robin dazzled children and adults everywhere with his light-hearted, yet charming performance. Releasing before Jumanji, the original Aladdin was hailed as a classic, one which really enhanced William’s reputation on the film landscape.

4. Good Morning Vietnam: Released in 1987, GMV (which follows a radio operator during the then recent war who is enjoyed by the soldiers but irritating to his superiors) was the film that really kick-started Robin’s film career. With this film, he set himself apart with many fully improvised radio sequences and won his first set of awards, including a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy.

What I’ll remember him for

It may surprise you to learn that I never watched Aladdin when I was little. While the Genie in the lamp in Disney’s film may be William’s most celebrated role, I always think of his part as Peter Pan in the 1991 Steven Spielberg film Hook, which my little brother absolutely loved back when we first saw it. It certainly wasn’t the director’s best, but Robin nonetheless put every last drop of his comedic talent into making grown-up, business-obsessed Peter Pan one of the funniest main characters I ever saw as a child.

The Viewing Experience Episode 1: Greece

Over the summer holidays I went to visit my friend John in Athens, Greece; it filled in the slot for a holiday abroad this year as usually I go away with my family. But for the first time I went on a fully-fledged holiday with my mates and it was an awesome trip. Towards the end of the week, another friend who came with me suggested going to a Greek cinema and given how much we both enjoy watching films (which are shown in English with Greek subtitles) the four of us went to see Jason Statham’s latest action flick (At least in that country!), Parker.

Differences (and a few other quirks)

·         Reduced Prices: Before heading into the film, I was surprised at how cheap the refreshments were; what could be bought for three or four euros in Greece probably would have cost at least £5 or more in the UK, especially when filling pick and mix bags. Though don’t count on this business trend making it to the UK as the low prices in Greece are circumstantial; because job salaries out in Greece are lower than the UK (and the economy isn’t doing too great), prices are lowered across the country.

• ·       Late releases: Parker first came out a year ago in the UK, fairly close to the US release, but in Greece they do things differently. Usually if it’s a big film coming out, such as The Hobbit, Greece has to wait an extra week but for low-key releases like Parker, it often takes a whole year for the film to come out.

• ·       Less adverts: Adverts are an accepted aspect of the cinema in the UK; it’s a good and widely used way of getting information out to plenty of people and because they aren’t going anyway and have a big screen to look at, the ads are pretty much impossible to ignore. In Greece, this isn’t the case; after just one advert in Greek advertising some snack products and a couple of trailers, the film started up straight away.  It’s definitely a great move from the cinema to not bombard us with all sorts of info most of us don’t really take on board.

• ·       No age ratings: Perhaps the biggest difference in Greek cinema is the complete absence of age ratings and legislation that prevent children from watching certain films. Out in Greece, the government seems confident with letting parents decide what their children should and shouldn’t experience, resulting in a much more relaxed atmosphere all around. If any cinema in the UK tried something like this, it would probably be shut down straight away.

• ·      Village Roadshow Studios: Upon arriving at the cinema (apologies in advance for the blurry photo!) I noticed a familiar looking logo on the side of the building; that of distributor Village Roadshow Studios. Could they have some sort of stake in the cinemas out in Greece?

Things that could have been better

·         A better choice of refreshment: Whilst the food and drink on offer is fairly well made, the pick and mix section of the sweets seemed quite slim when compared to those offered in the UK. They could make it more enticing by striking up more deals with confectionary companies to get a better variety of refreshment in.

My favourite aspect

The best bit of Greek cinema links to what I found about the people in general. Their laid-back and “cool as a cucumber” attitude means that seeing a film is simple and smooth. There’s no one saying “let’s see your ID”, no excessive ads before the film and to top it all off, the costs are all reduced. Dare I say it; cinemas in Greece actually do a better job at satisfying their audiences than those here in the UK.

Guardians of the Galaxy Movie Review

Since its beginnings in 2008 the Marvel Cinematic Universe has prided itself on offering the best modern superhero movies to audiences worldwide. Having covered the primary heroes created by Stan Lee, the studio now turns its attention to a more obscure comic series, with mostly solid results.

Guardians of the Galaxy begins in the 1980s where a young Peter Quill is abducted from Earth; flashing forward twenty six years, Quill (operating under the name Star-Lord) discovers a strange artefact which attracts the attention of several races and factions. Following capture at the hands of Nova Corps, he is introduced to a band of rogues and mercenaries who eventually team up to unravel the mystery of the artefact and ultimately save the galaxy from impending destruction. Like every Marvel movie before it, action and emotion in equal measure are expected in Guardians of the Galaxy but with each of the characters being mostly for themselves at first, a few fresh situations are brought in, from an intense prison break-out to full-on space combat to keep the viewer guessing. Despite not following the structure of giving each character their own film before bringing them all together, Guardians does a great job of juggling all the characters and building up a strong sense of camaraderie across its two hour run time. Although the film does fit the bill for a typical ensemble superhero flick in this regard, the obscurity of the source material means that some plot threads and sudden twists may seem a bit confusing for some. The film could have provided a better introduction for audiences if there was more time to develop the history and lore of the galactic setting and the aliens who inhabit it (though they’re probably saving this for the 2017 sequel).

While the cast doesn’t make as big an impression as their Earth counterparts, each member of the team has their own unique characteristics which make them all enjoyable to watch. Chris Pratt brings a calm, cool and laid-back approach to Star-Lord, making him instantly likeable whilst Zoe Saldana plays off him well with a more subdued and emotive performance as Gamora. Former wrestler Dave Bautista brings a surprising amount of sympathy for the vengeful Drax and as for Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel; they fit the archetypes for Rocket the Racoon and Groot the humanoid plant sparingly, becoming the main source of comic relief. The likeable characters are combined with some witty and often comedic dialogue which compliments the character’s roguish nature very well. The main cast is quite good, though the villains could have used some tuning up; Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) certainly looks the part with his draping cloak and heavy war hammer but we don’t really learn much about him, his comrades or his blue-skinned species throughout the film, again linking to the need to develop and expand on the universe and all the quirks contained therein.

Guardians of the Galaxy utilises a mixture of practical effects and computer generated imagery to paint its expansive setting and the recipe has paid off; stunning views of space and celestial backgrounds give way to a carefully crafted variety of worlds and planets over the course of the film. The same goes for the creature effects with the green painted onto Saldana contrasting against the detailed CGI on Rocket and Groot fluidly. Despite the often wild carnage taking place, the film is predominately well shot and edited whether it’s ship-to-ship battles or close quarters combat. Interestingly the film makes a wide use of classic tracks from the seventies and eighties for most of the soundtrack; these emphasise the light-hearted tone present in the story and characters while also tying the film quite smoothly into Peter Quill’s constant reminiscence about Earth. All told, Guardians is another great looking film that is sure to dazzle and amaze.

Aside from some missing details regarding the history and lore of the universe and some slightly flat villains, Guardians of the Galaxy is an effective science fiction/superhero movie.

Rating: 4/5 Stars