Tag Archives: review

Review of Atomfall: All Eyes on the Reactor | Games

Posted on by
Reply

‘wHats if a Cornoville disaster occurs in the UK? “Atomfall is pretty beautiful, according to the developer rebellion.

Using the 1957 front-scale fire as a launch pad, Atomfall thrusts you into post-war Britain, causing the accident to deteriorate dramatically, urge the government to send troops before it runs through much of the Lake District, sealing off everyone inside. Your character, the typical video game Amnesiac, will wake up in the exclusion zone a few years later. To escape, they must unravel what caused the disaster, who is responsible for it, and the mystery behind how to fix it.

This mystery and how it unfolds is the most interesting part of Atomfall. The story reconstructs traditional quests as “leads.” Here, collecting documents such as text and military reports and talking to surviving locals within the zone reveals points of interest. At the heart of Enigma is a vast underground research facility. It unlocks the entrance, places atomic batteries to power different sectors, and eventually unleashes the heart of the front scale, keeping it in a dark secret.

Icker’s manly style…Atom Fall. Photo: Rebellion

It’s a story that offers a lot of plot. Characters who support you on your journey, including soldiers, scientists and civil servants, have their own motivations to do so. These are often related to the transformations you see along the way. For example, infiltrate a castle occupied by a man-style druid of Wicker to retrieve special medicine and resolve the typical British murders in the church.

Solving these threads is fun, and the story benefits from harsher focus and pacing than most open-world adventures. Unfortunately, the accompanying game mechanics feel like they do more out of obligation than enthusiasm. With combat you can choose between serviceable but inconspicuous guns and brawl fights that will thank you for all the rusty firearms you have gathered. There is a basic craft system that is mainly used to make bandages and occasionally Molotov cocktails. Stealth systems exist in theory, but perhaps appropriately I have never seen it work in a meaningful way. The enemy can find you from half of the map and appears to be connected to telepathy with nearby allies.

Perhaps it’s rare in any part of the UK that it’s always bright and sunny in the Atom Fall exclusion zone, let alone the Lake District. Overall, there is a possibility that the Cambrian setting could be better utilized. The four maps of Atomfall are gorgeous and fun, including lumpy valleys filled with dry stone shells and the English villages that have been the most detailed reproduction since everyone went to the Rapture, but the world is not particularly atmospheric.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RL57lHE-xvI?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Atomfall – Pre-Launch Trailer | Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, PS5 & PS4" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

What’s more, enemy factions, druids, and crazy looters feel like crazy looters dressed in cricket gear as vague attempts to chase after strange gangs that have been swept away. Where is the Wild Rambler, a literati roving band over whether Wordsworth and Coleridge were better poets? Why are Pasties so abundant when Kendal Mint Cake and Grasmere Gingerbread absent? This may seem like a flicker, but given that you have recently seen such a great lambhoon in northern life where you are grateful to be here, I feel that the Northern depiction of Atom Fall, and in fact the UK is a superficial, coincidence collection, a confused collection of cultural touch.

To use another example, one of the key inspirations for Atomfall is Stalker. This is a series that specifically has the strengths of Ukrainians. Stalker and its sequels are totally unafraid of being strange, bold, challenging and desolate to completely envelop players in the country’s radioactive trauma. The “what if” scenario of the rebellion can only be in the shadow of Chornovir, as Britain does not share its trauma in the same way.

Atomfall is currently £45

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review: Assassin’s Creed Shadows – A Stunning Return to Feudal Japan

Posted on by
Reply

I I’ve played various Assassin’s Creed games over time, but I never truly adored them. Ubisoft’s historical fiction is almost exceptional. Many players argue that the series reached its peak in the late 2000s, particularly with the Italian Renaissance trilogy starting with Assassin’s Creed 2, featuring the charismatic hero Ezio Auditore. Since then, the franchise has become bloated, offering endless hours of repetitive open-world exploration and assassination across ancient Greece, Egypt, and even Viking Britain. The last game I delved into seriously was Odyssey, set in Ancient Greece. The settings were stunning, the gameplay somewhat engaging, and the sheer scale was utterly overwhelming.

Assassin’s Creed games serve as an incredible dive into historical fiction, effectively recreating lost periods of history for players to roam through, almost like a form of time travel. Personally, I enjoy them for the virtual tourism they offer, yet I’ve often found that a significant portion of the gameplay, roughly 80%, consists of loosely tying together moments of exploration with stealthy assassination missions.

Recently, the latest installment in the series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, was released after multiple delays. Surprisingly, I found it to be more engaging and entertaining than many of its predecessors in years. This time, the game is set in 16th century Japan amidst the samurai and ninja conflict involving Warlord Oda Nobunaga, presenting a visually captivating and historically intriguing narrative. The two main characters in Shadows find themselves at the heart of this transformative period in Japan’s history, with each offering unique playstyles and stories that add depth to the overall experience.

The setting in Shadows is truly remarkable. Playing on the PS5 Pro, I can confidently say that this is the most visually stunning game I’ve ever encountered. The attention to detail in depicting the Japanese landscape, architecture, and natural beauty of the mountains is exceptional. The changing seasons add a dynamic element to the world, constantly offering new perspectives on the surroundings. It’s evident that a tremendous amount of effort went into creating this immersive environment, with every minute detail meticulously crafted.

The shadow of the Assassin’s Creed. Photo: Ubisoft

One notable aspect is the inclusion of multilingual scripts, allowing players to experience the game with English voiceovers or Japanese and Portuguese subtitles, adding to the authenticity of the historical setting. Despite my limited knowledge of Japanese history and language, playing in this mode proved to be surprisingly immersive and engaging, with each conversation feeling like a delicate interplay of words and intentions. The level of nuance in character interactions was impressive, offering players the chance to influence the outcomes through their choices.

The approach in Shadows to historical accuracy is more grounded and serious compared to previous entries in the series. The characters and events draw from actual historical references, steering clear of exaggerated side quests or comedic elements in dialogues. The game strikes a balance between authenticity and entertainment, capturing the essence of the samurai and shinobi in a way that feels believable and engaging.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft: New Color Screen Upgrades for E-Reader

Posted on by
Reply

aMazon’s first Kindle with a color screen faced significant challenges, including a rough landing, yellow screen issues, and shipping delays last year. However, with these issues resolved, could the introduction of color screens revolutionize the e-reader market?


While Amazon was not the first to utilize Color E-Ink screens in its e-readers, the company believes that the technology has significantly improved over the past four years. Competitors like Boox and Kobo offer greater contrast and speed, enhancing the overall reading experience.

Priced at £270 (€300/$280), the Kindle Colorsoft exceeds the £125 black and white Paperwhite model it is based on. It is also more expensive than its top-tier color E-Ink rivals. Positioned below the larger 10.2-inch Scribe tablet, Colorsoft is Amazon’s top 7-inch model.




Regular textbooks resemble a monochrome Kindle, lacking added colors. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Despite the new screen technology, Colorsoft retains the traditional Kindle design. It features a smooth black plastic back and a matte touchscreen on the front, with only a power button next to the USB-C port for physical controls. Page turns and other functions are all touchscreen-based.

Compared to black and white books, the grayscale on Colorsoft appears slightly grayish. However, page turns are swift and text remains clear and legible. The adjustable front light with 24 brightness levels and automatic adjustment based on time of day works effectively.

The color screen enhances browsing in libraries and Kindle stores by displaying book covers in color. Diagrams, maps, and photos within books are now rendered in color, aiding comprehension. Users can highlight passages in various colors and easily navigate through content. When a color image covers one-third of the screen, the entire display shifts to color.




While comic pages are visible on the 7-inch screen, some text may require zooming for comfortable reading. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The matte screen on Colorsoft may not be as vibrant as that of a phone or tablet, resembling newspaper printing rather than glossy magazines. However, with increased brightness and vibrant color mode, Colorsoft effectively presents graphic novel artwork.

Reading texts within speech bubbles may pose a challenge due to the 7-inch screen’s size when viewing a full comic page. The Panel view mode on Kindle displays multiple panels simultaneously, though zooming and panning on the Colorsoft touchscreen provide a faster and smoother reading experience.

One of Kindle’s key advantages is Amazon’s extensive e-book store, catering to a wide range of genres including comics and graphic novels. Amazon’s acquisition of Comixology in 2014 expanded the library offerings, seamlessly integrating with the Kindle store.




Zoom in to see the artwork details and read the text easily. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Users can load Epub or PDF files onto their Kindle and purchase books from sources other than Amazon, though only documents sent via Amazon’s Send to Kindle Service will display color on Colorsoft.

Colorsoft would benefit from improved library management capabilities, especially for users with extensive collections of comics and books. While Kindle offers book and manga filters, graphic novels may not be identified as manga. However, the filter functionality works with the Kindle app on tablets.

specifications

  • screen: 7-inch color e-paper (B&W 300ppi; 150ppi)

  • size: 127.6 x 176.7 x 7.8mm

  • Weight: 219g

  • water resistance: IPX8 (2m up to 60 minutes)

  • Connectivity: Wifi 5, Bluetooth

  • Storage: 32GB

  • Battery life: 28 hours of reading




A full charge of ColorSoft with a 9W USB-C power adapter (not included) takes about 2.5 hours. It also supports wireless charging. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The battery life of Colorsoft varies slightly due to the color screen, but in testing, it outlasted Amazon’s estimates. Reading a standard black and white book at 40% brightness yielded about 45 hours, dropping to approximately 32 hours when reading a color graphic novel at 70% brightness. Standby battery life was also impressive, with less than 1% drain per day with the Power Save option enabled.

Sustainability




The smooth plastic back feels good in your hand, but it’s no different from the much cheaper Kindle. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Colorsoft will receive software and security updates from Amazon for a minimum of four years. The battery’s expected lifespan is not specified, but it should endure over 500 full charge cycles at 80% capacity. Repair options availability varies by region. The device contains 28% recycled materials, including cobalt, magnesium, and plastic.

Amazon offers trade-in and recycling programs, detailed in the environmental impact report of Kindle Colorsoft here.

price

The price of the Kindle Colorsoft is £269.99 (€299.99/$279.99).

Comparatively, the standard Kindle is priced at £79.99, Kindle Paperwhite at £124.99, Kindle Scribe at £379.99, Kobo Libra Color at £199.99, and Boox Go Color 7 at €279.99. The iPad costs £329.

verdict

Despite its rocky start, Colorsoft demonstrates the potential of Color E-Ink technology. It is poised to become the standard for e-book readers, enhancing not only manga and graphic novels but also regular books with color illustrations.

Viewing book covers and images in color elevates the reading experience without significant drawbacks compared to black and white models. Manga also appears engaging, making outdoor reading on Kindle more enjoyable than on a tablet. However, the 7-inch screen may be insufficient for a detailed graphic novel experience, requiring a larger display like that of an iPad.

Despite its price point, Colorsoft lacks the luxurious feel of higher-end Kindle models such as Oasis. It embodies a utilitarian approach akin to the Paperwhite model.

While the color screen on Colorsoft is impressive, the cost may be hard to justify for a screen of this size primarily suited for standard text. Purchasing during a promotional offer may mitigate any reservations. For users experiencing issues like a yellow tint on the screen, contacting Amazon support for a replacement is recommended.

Strong Points: The vivid color and black-and-white book images, water resistance, fast pinch-and-zoom, extended battery life, automatic front light adjustment, USB-C connectivity.

Cons: Black-and-white page screen flashes, absence of physical page turn buttons, high cost, limited 7-inch screen for detailed graphics, less vibrant than tablets, ecosystem lock-in with Amazon.


www.theguardian.com

Review: Nothing Phone 3A Pro – A Stylish Midrange Smartphone with Impressive Zoom Camera

Posted on by
Reply

Nothing, based in London, has introduced a top-tier phone that stands out from cheaper mid-range models with its more affordable price and high-quality camera zoom.

The battle for mobile phone cameras has always been competitive, with each brand striving for better quality, longer reach, and multiple lenses. While many advancements have trickled down to cheaper models, optical zoom cameras have remained above the £600 mark.

Priced at £449 (459 Euro/$459/$849), Nothing’s offering is quite compelling.

The phone is based on the excellent 2A model, featuring striking “Glyph” LED strips that light up in intricate patterns for various notifications and functions.

The three “Glyph” light strips around the camera bumps are a visually appealing feature, especially when the phone is face-down. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The design of the phone is accentuated by the large camera cluster at the back, which protrudes significantly. The 3A Pro boasts glass on the front and back, with high-quality plastic sides.

Featuring a large and vibrant OLED screen, the phone also includes a fast optical fingerprint scanner located at the bottom of the screen.

specification

  • screen: 6.77in 120Hz FHD+ OLED (387PPI)

  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7S Gen 3

  • Ram: 12GB

  • Storage: 256GB

  • operating system: Nothing OS3.1 (Android 15)

  • camera: 50MP Main, 50MP 3X Tele, 8MP Ultra Addie, 50MP Selfie

  • Connectivity: 5G, ESIM, WiFi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, and GNSS

  • water resistance: IP64 (spray resistant)

  • size: 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4mm

  • Weight: 211g

The battery can fully charge in 80 minutes and reach 50% in 25 minutes using a 50W USB-C power adapter (sold separately). Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The 3A Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s mid-range Snapdragon 7S Gen 3 chip, offering a balance of performance without feeling sluggish. The battery life is impressive, lasting around 3 days with general use.

Running on Nothing OS version 3.1, the 3A Pro provides a unique user experience with customization options and AI tools like Gemini. The AI-powered screen capture and note-taking features show promise but may need further refinement.

The 3A Pro’s camera setup includes a 50MP main camera, 50MP 3X telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultrawide lens, delivering solid performance and real optical zoom capabilities.

Sustainability

The dedicated button on the side of the phone provides quick access to screen capture and note-taking features. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Nothing promises the 3A Pro’s battery will maintain at least 90% capacity after 1,200 full charge cycles, showcasing its sustainability focus. The materials used in the phone’s construction include recycled aluminum, copper, plastic, steel, tin, and other elements.

price

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro is priced at £449 (459 Euro/$459/$849).

Compared to competitors like the Google Pixel 8A and Samsung Galaxy A56, Nothing’s offering stands out with its unique design, camera capabilities, and long-term software support.

verdict

The Nothing Phone 3A Pro is a solid contender in the mid-range smartphone market, offering a combination of impressive features, sleek design, and long-term support.

Strong Points: A great camera with 3x optical zoom, interesting design, 6 years of support, excellent screen, solid performance, long battery life, excellent fingerprint scanner, and excellent software with splash resistance.

Cons: AI requires work and cannot customize additional buttons. Only three years of Android version updates have a huge camera cluster protruding from the back.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Wonderstop – A Fantastic Escape from the Stress of Competition | Gaming

Posted on by
Reply

tHis “comfortable game” is what appeals to one of our two responses, the ones who typically engage in regular video game play. It beckons you with its promise of soothing, resource management-focused gameplay that offers a leisurely pace, providing a gentle escape from the intense action and high-stress adventures. Alternatively, it may repel you – certainly, it repelled me. “Cozy” often serves as a code for a twee aesthetic, avoiding drama in favor of repetitive tasks aimed at creating comfort, reminiscent of resource management sims like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing.

So when I encountered WonderStop, a vibrant game where a fallen warrior transitions to running a tea shop, I felt hesitant. However, this is Davey Wreden’s third project, following the success of Stanley Parable and Beginner’s Guide. If it’s anything like its predecessors, it’s bound to be full of surprises and crafted with meticulous attention to detail and artistic vision. Wreden is an auteur, known for exploring challenging postmodern themes in his work. His creations push the boundaries of what video game mediums can achieve, and luckily, this latest offering is no exception.

Your life… Wonderstop. Photo: Annapurna Interactive

WonderStop excels at blending gameplay with a narrative about the perils of burnout. The game embodies what it preaches – it isn’t merely paying lip service to a serene lifestyle. Instead, it constructs one around the player, whether they embrace it willingly or not.

The protagonist, Alta, the fallen warrior, clearly resists this change. Constantly losing battles, she ends up in the woods, seeking solace under the tutelage of her hero. Boro, a kind gentleman running Wonderstop Tea Shop, takes Alta in and encourages her to brew tea and engage in light chores to aid her recuperation. As players brew tea and tend to the colorful, perilous Ghibli-style garden, characters come and go. Apart from brewing tea, players can care for whimsical creatures, collect items, read books, cultivate plants, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

The joy of growing up… Wonderstop. Photo: Annapurna Interactive

This scenario may not be entirely new. Games like Wytchwood, Spiritfarer, Spirittea, and Moonstone Island also involve combining ingredients to fulfill the whims of fantastical creatures. What sets Wonderstop apart is its refusal to focus on progress or resolution. There is no optimization, no ticking clock, no pressure. You won’t “win.” This game resists the gratification of grinding, clicking, and ticking boxes. The manner in which the story unfolds may unravel the game’s enchanting sleight of hand, but suffice it to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the narrative’s poignant harmony. Addressing burnout in both its dialogue and storyline is a noteworthy aspect of the game. While it’s easy to extol the virtues of rest, actively showcasing surrender and healing is a whole other level.

From a technical standpoint, WonderStop offers a seamless experience. The controls are user-friendly, the music is soothing, and voice acting, though minimal, is impactful. The game mechanics are finely tuned, with dialogues and incidental texts proving engaging, surprising, and poignant when necessary. There are no arbitrary obstacles hindering the immersive experience.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zHru2hovsp4?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Wanderstop – Launch Trailer | PS5 Games" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Completing WonderStop typically takes around 12 hours, but for me, the game beckoned for an immediate replay. I yearned to return to the tea shop’s gardens and uncover as many secrets as possible. It lingers, prompting reflection on the relentless pace that consumes us all. Arguably, the frustration experienced by seasoned resource management enthusiasts due to the game’s slippery and enigmatic nature is precisely the point – play with surrender.

Wanderstop’s cozy and charming facade conceals something far more profound and clever than I’ve encountered in a long while. It’s a disguised masterpiece that offers players a sanctuary worth visiting, lingering in, and engaging with.

Wonderstop is now priced at £20

Source: www.theguardian.com

Exiled: A Review of Class Hierarchy in Private Schools | Games That Turn the Tables

Posted on by
Reply

asThe UK has everything at first glance, everything comes back to the class system. Verity Amersham, a scholar at Miss Mulligatawney’s School for Promising Girls, has been accused of kicking the hockey captain out the window, and the school’s horrifying principal is determined to banish her despite the most frivolous evidence. When Verity protests her innocence, Miss Mulligatawney remains unacceptable, speaking explicitly of her reasoning.

All injustice in it is a powerful driver and I guarantee that Matilda will set my goal of preventing Verity’s expulsion with fixed enthusiasm, as opposed to the hateful Miss Tranchibald. Like developer Inkle’s 2021 game overboard, they are given time limits for work inside and a handful of areas that travel between the library and the hospital room (aka the “SAN” where the school’s gross matrons lurk. Each area has characters to discuss and objects to find, and each action moves the clock forward. The game continues on a strict school timetable. For example, at 2pm, all students will be in the military to the library for Latin.

The idea is to solve who is where and plan your exploration accordingly. For example, you might want to sneak into Sun while Matron teaches the gym on the premises. The secret you reveal unlocks the new conversation line. This unlocks even more secret paths, and everything is locked with the ultimate goal of preventing Verity from being unjustified expulsion.




All the fraud in it is a powerful driver… exiled! Photo: Inkle

However, you cannot achieve that on your first attempt. The game is designed to be played multiple times, and each 30-minute run improves your character’s motivations and understanding of what’s going on in this strange school. I don’t ruin it here, but the plot goes to some fun and unexpected places, and the 1922 setting provides excuses to riff on the effects of the Empire, World War I, and of course the class system. And that system is really equipped for verity. He quickly discovers that the only way to fight back is to get nasty.

Cheeky and poisonous retorts unlock further dialogue. If you want to help verity not only to avoid boredom, but also to succeed in becoming a head girl, you will see her lying, stealing, and threatening. It also gives the feeling that Verity may be a somewhat unreliable narrator. She associates it with her father, so the story changes subtly with each story.

This helps to shake things up a bit, but inevitably the structure of the game will bring about some repetition as you perform many of the same actions each day. It takes a little patience to keep all the paths of investigation in your head. But it’s worth persevering to uncover all the intimate secrets of the school and enjoy more of the excellent writings of story director John Ingold.

It only took a few nights to reach the game’s ending Coker, and Verity’s arc is extremely pleased. Here, the public school system mainly serves as a way of creating inequality, normalizing bullying, and encouraging ruthlessness. The only way to succeed is to beat the asshole in your own game. What options do you have when your system is so rotten?

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of iPhone 16E: Apple’s Most Affordable New Phone

Posted on by
Reply

Apple’s most affordable new smartphone is the iPhone 16E, which provides a basic, up-to-date iPhone experience with the latest chips and AI features, albeit slightly fewer than the other models.


Priced at £599 (699 Euros/$599/$999), the iPhone 16E is the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE line. While the iPhone SE retains the old-school thick design with a home button, the 16E features an iPhone 14 body with an iPhone 16 chip at a cost of £799.

In essence, the 16E boasts a full-screen design and an aluminum body. It was impressive for the iPhone 14, but it still holds up well today. The phone is lightweight and relatively compact. The 6.1-inch OLED screen is sizable and suitable for most tasks, although it falls short of the standard iPhone 16’s brightness.


The 16E retains the old-style face ID notch at the top of the screen instead of the new “Dynamic Island” used in the recent iPhone lineup. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Available only in black or white, the 16E features a convenient action button to replace the mute switch on older iPhones, but lacks a camera control button found in the rest of the iPhone 16 line.

The entire 16E comprises slight compromises compared to the standard iPhone 16 experience. It includes the iPhone’s first new, power-efficient Apple 5G modem, but only supports WiFi 6, not the latest WiFi 7. It lacks Thread Ultra Wideband Radio, the latter being used for Apple’s Discovering the Accuracy of Lost Items and other systems.


Action buttons can be used to replace the mute switch on your old iPhone, activate the torch, or access the camera and other features. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK Regulator Abandons Review of Microsoft’s Partnership with OpenAI

Posted on by
Reply

The UK Competition Watchdog has decided not to conduct a formal investigation into the partnership with the startups behind Microsoft’s AI chatbot, ChatGPT. The tech company, valued at 2.9TN (£2.3TN), claims it has a “material impact” on OpenAI but does not exercise control over it.

While the Competitive Markets Agency (CMA) acknowledged Microsoft’s significant financial support of OpenAI with a $13 billion investment, it concluded that Microsoft’s influence did not reach the threshold for an official investigation due to lack of control.

The CMA’s decision comes amidst concerns over the appointment of former Amazon UK boss Duggar as interim chairman. The CMA’s chief executive, Sarah Cardell, emphasized the need to maintain business trust without creating undue regulatory pressure from the UK government.


Joel Bamford, executive director of CMA’s merger, stated that as there was no change in control, the current partnership structure did not warrant review under UK’s merger regulations.

However, Bamford clarified that this decision does not imply that the partnership has been cleared of competitive concerns.

Following Sam Altman’s appointment as OpenAI’s CEO, the CMA initiated an investigation into OpenAI’s relations, noting a decrease in its reliance on Microsoft for computing power as a factor influencing their decision.

A Microsoft representative emphasized that the partnership with OpenAI supports competition, innovation, and responsible AI development. The decision to end the investigation was made after careful consideration of commercial realities.

Last year, the CMA chose not to investigate Amazon’s investment in AI companies, and similarly did not delve deeper into Microsoft’s partnerships with Mistral and Decleft.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Microsoft recently invested $6.6 billion in OpenAI, contributing to a funding round that valued the company at $15.7 billion. OpenAI, run by a non-profit committee, has subsidiaries of for-profit entities, with Microsoft being the major supporter of these subsidiaries.

Despite concerns over Gurr’s appointment and the avoidance of negative economic impact, the CMA has focused on scrutinizing Big Tech, particularly during Gurr’s tenure. Alongside investigations into Google’s internet search dominance, the CMA is also exploring the effects of Apple and Google’s mobile platforms on consumers and businesses.

In January, Microsoft criticized the CMA’s cloud market survey, claiming it impedes tech companies from effectively competing with Google and Amazon in cloud computing services.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Monster Hunter Wild: Get Ready for the Ultimate Battles of Your Life!

Posted on by
Reply

aFeathered horses, dust and rain, whisk around you, arrive on a mountain path where purple crystals cover the walls with frost. The weather is still outside, but calm inside the cave at the end of the road. The environment allows you to see what kind of creatures live here. Reidau is a horned wyvern that commands the elements.

You’ve seen it before, but when you unexpectedly appear while you were on another expedition, you descended from the lightning striped sky and sunk its claws into an unfortunate pack of hairy lion-like creatures. You weren’t strong enough to face it, but you’re now. Hopefully.

The next battle is to bite the nail. To try to jump out of the corners and teeth paths of powerful electric bolts and Wyvern, you have to pull out all the tricks you know to wear it out. Fire a grappling hook at a rocky outcrop hanging from the ceiling and bring it over the creature. You blow your mouth while for your mount, leaps back to the dragon’s head, clinging and stabbing with a dagger trying to smash against the wall. You will be flung by, fried, stomped, but you will cling to fight and chew on repair potions at every opportunity.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/a_wNFT4j6qI?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Monster Hunter Wilds – Launch Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Check out the trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds.

Then an even bigger predator appears from anywhere, taking the monster you fought desperately for 25 minutes with just that jaw and throw it like a rag doll. Take a closer look at it: it’s what you fight next.

The 15-hour story of Monster Hunter Wilds is a series of escalating and escalating epic battles with bigger, more ferocious creatures. I didn’t do it for a moment. Within hours, you’d fought against awful giant spiders, supple sand dragons, and a disgusting, overgrown oil chick child. After that, you will face a nasty and dangerous version of the beasts of monster hunter games, especially the last 20 years, in addition to the fierce fire drawings and dragons shooting lightning from their faces. It’s literally all the killers, no fillers, a long way from the old game of slow and heavy. There, they had to collect mushrooms and fight raptors before they could go near the Wyvern.

The fight is relentlessly wonderful. When the monster fell I let out a breath that I didn’t notice that I was holding. With the exception of Dark Souls and their siblings, no game made me feel like Monster Hunter. The adrenaline of these battles, the peerless, perfectly balanced feel of oversized weapons, and the pure malice and dignity of the creatures make this game feel unparalleled thrilling despite having played it in some way since I was a teenager. And it’s far better than it was back then. Not only monsters, but their huge natural habitats also ripple overflowing into life.

“The monster’s huge natural habitat is full of life.” Photo: Capcom

Towards the end of the Wild story, I have to admit that I felt some disappointment creep up. I enjoyed almost all of these creatures’ clashes. But I wasn’t trying much. Certainly, I have had a lot of experience with these games, but I’m used to being eaten or torn apart to bite by a new monster several times before conquering it. During the entire Wilds campaign, I was knocked out only twice.

But Wilds’ story turned out to be a 15-hour interactive tutorial on what makes Monster Hunter great. This is a roller coaster of combat thrills designed to sell newcomers on the concept and acquire the taste of scale and visual splendor that Capcom’s modern game engine brings to his favorite series. The real fun begins afterwards.

After taking on the worst creature I’ve ever seen, in the final quest of the story, I was dumped into a base camp in the jungle and sent to capture a small, sparked bird of prey. I was humbled quickly. Embarrassingly, I became lazy and it knocked me out.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Monster Hunter isn’t just about swinging giant spears. It is also about studying quarries, learning their weaknesses and delving into the environment for useful plants and materials used to make coatings of potions, tools and arrows that give you the advantage in battle. Experienced players will help the rookie, so it’s about working with other hunters to complement each other’s playstyle. Being a friend’s Monster Hunter mentor is one of the most rewarding multiplayer gaming experiences out there.

This game cannot be reduced to a series of battles. It’s a community of the world, the ecosystem, and the players. You are some hunters, some nature researchers. Wild goes too far towards frictionless fun in the story, but once I was free to explore, I began to feel more connected to my habitat. From battle to battle, instead of being led by a nose or by my Dascho horse, I climbed up the canopy, scouted for the creatures, took out binoculars, discovered an underwater cave full of hidden corners and useful materials from the campsite. I found myself having to switch weapons more frequently, upgrade armor, and re-recognize myself with a nasty array of gems and doodads that gave hunters useful additional skills.

You can spend a lot of time picking up Wild as a rookie and playing through the story. You can stop there, but it will still be worth the price of admission. But I’ll play it length It’s still time.

Monster Hunter Wilds will be released on February 28th. £59.99

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Samsung Galaxy S25: The Last Remaining Top Tier Android in a Compact Size from Samsung

Posted on by
Reply

tHe could be the smallest and cheapest line of Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 line to buy, offering it to lessen top performance and latest AI features, and mini Android is still great It’s proof.

Unlike the previous generation of Samsung’s smaller models sold in the UK and Europe, the regular S25 has the same top-flight chip as the huge and expensive ultra models.

The rest of the S25 has not changed significantly since last year. It still has a great 6.2-inch screen, three cameras on the back, flat aluminum sides, and front and rear glass. This makes it the most compact of high-end Android phones that compete with Apple’s iPhones at a size that others, including Google’s Pixel 9, are steadily growing.




The regular S25 is significantly smaller and lighter than the S25 Ultra’s Superphone siblings. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Samsung is good for squeezing solids for 37 hours from the S25, but the smaller battery is most modern Android. It was generally used with a mixture of 5G and WiFi, and actively using the screen for more than six hours to charge the phone every other day. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip makes the S25 one of the fastest mobile phones, perfect for gaming, but also densely packs battery life.

AI Upgrade

All major changes to the S25 are software and AI-based. Runs one UI 7 (Android 15) with the same latest version as the S25 Ultra. This includes a variety of new AI tools that extend the writing, summarization, and drawing tools introduced last year.

Most of the new tools are designed to find the information you need in advance and predict what you want to do to perform multiple complex tasks on your phone via text or voice commands.




Gemini replaces Bixby and Google Assistant on the S25, and is far more capable. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Google’s Next Generation Gemini Assistant It’s the biggest upgrade, allowing you to interact with information from the mobile phone’s web and apps without having to manually tap on a button. Ask you to date your calendar from the party invitation flyer that you have been texted and it can do so. Find restaurant recommendations and send them to friends as dinner suggestions with simple voice commands. You can also understand what’s on the screen from text, photos, and videos to answer questions, find more information, and take actions.

When it works, it can almost become magical. But you can’t rely on getting things right every time. It can lead to trivial things like spelling different names. It also allows you to confidently hallucinate information that is clearly visible at first glance, but is actually completely wrong. Neither Google nor Samsung have solved these basic issues that plague all AI bots at this time.

Samsung’s New “now” bar at the bottom of the lock screen It’s more successful as a useful place to see timely information widgets, timers, media play controls, and other useful bits. You can swipe through those stacks to see what’s going on and quickly change tracks.

Samsung supports S25 with software and security updates Seven years since releasematches the best from Google and Apple.

specification

  • Main screen: 6.2in ​​FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz

  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Galaxy Elite

  • Ram: 12GB

  • Storage: 128, 256, or 512GB

  • operating system: 1 UI 7 (Android 15)

  • camera: 50mp + 12mp 0.6x + 10mp 3x; 12MP front

  • Connectivity: 5G, USB-C, WiFi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, UWB, GNSS

  • water resistance: IP68 (1.5m in 30 minutes)

  • size: 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2mm

  • Weight: 162g

Sustainability




The S25 has wireless and USB-C charging, reaching 50% full power in 25 minutes for over an hour (power adapter not included). Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Samsung doesn’t provide the battery with the expected lifespan, but it should last more than 500 full charge cycles at least 80% of its original capacity.

The phone is Generally repairable. Screen repair Costs £149 by an authorized service center Includes battery replacement. Samsung also offers a Self-healing program.

Mobile phones contain multiple recycled materials such as aluminum, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, plastic, rare earth elements, and steel. Samsung offers trade-in Recycling scheme For old devices. The company is open to Annual Sustainability Report and affects impact assessments Some individual products.

Skip past newsletter promotions

camera




Three cameras on the back, including a 3x telephoto camera, will boost Apple and Google’s dual camera rivals to the S25. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The S25 has a triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel main, 12MP Ultra Wade, and 10MP 3X telephoto. This hasn’t really changed since the 2022 S22 and is the exact same combination as last year’s model.

That is, you generally take very good photos with three cameras. The main is the best and can produce some great shots, but it tends to over-brighten some scenes, and highlights are blown away, such as bright direct light washing people’s shots. Masu. The S24 has improved the zoom by 2x and is slightly more detailed, but the 3x zoom is solid, but out of reach compared to the average 5x camera, a slightly more expensive rival there is. The Ultrawide is equally solid, closing off a great but less groundbreaking package.

The S25 also shoots excellent videos, excellent portraits, and features many modes with one exception. There is no macro photography mode. This is a shame. Overall, the S25 has a great camera system. It’s not a problem with the Pixel 9 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro, but it’s perfect for size and money.

price

Samsung Galaxy S25 Cost £799 (€919/$799.99/$1,399).
Source: www.theguardian.com

Review: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Tape One) Takes Us Back to the Summer of Riot Grrl in a Clever Teen Thriller

Posted on by
Reply

tYears ago, Parisian studios did not effectively create a new subgenre of narrative adventures, with teenage mystery life is strange. Part thriller, some relationship drama, it created an emotional Paean with unwavering friendship, using music, art and friendly characters. After a series of sequels, Nod's Montreal Studios created a new story about teenage relationships, split into two episodes or tapes.

In 1995, the introverted teen Swan faces his last quiet summer in a rural Velvet, Michigan town before his family moved to Vancouver. However, in the parking lot of a local video store, she meets fellow 16-year-old Nora, Autumn, and Kat, and the four girls bond about boredom and frustration with small town life. Soon they are inseparable, hiking in the nearby forest, setting camp fire, and confessing their secrets. Here they form the Bloom & Rage of the riot grrrl band, leading their dreams, desires and fear into fantasies of fame and revenge against silly boys and oppressive parents. However, when their swirling emotions seem to awaken a supernatural being in the forest, something terrible happens and the girls swear each other to the secrets of their lives.




A quiet summer, and… Lost record: Bloom & Rage. Photo: Don't nod

Twenty-seven years later, the group meets again in a rough bar on the outskirts of the town, which holds a special connection to their stories. Fall received an ominous package addressed to their band. Anything in the box could be the horrifying result of that tumultuous summer.

In the typical style of Not Nod, the game captivates interactive scenes and cinematic sequences, controlling the conversation that subtly shapes your relationships and story direction. The story interacts between two timelines that remind you of 2022 and two pivotal summers together in 1995. Sometimes the decision you make at the bar as 43-year-old Swann is renovated into her youthful experience, creating a fascinating ambiguity of causality and memory.




As with how we edit memories, just as it actually happens… Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Photo: Don't nod

Certainly, this game is about how we create and edit memories, just as we do what actually happens to girls. Swann is an avid filmmaker, and 1990s video cameras are with you throughout the game. You can always press the appropriate trigger and see the world through the camcorder lens. In the main story, we use it to shoot a band's music video, but you can record it at any time. This feature is incentivized by a bunch of theme checklists. Record 10 different birds, or 5 ruined playground rides, or graffiti snatches. But you can also capture your own scenes from and around town, record friends casually, and build sequences of themes that can be stored and edited. The interface recalls games like No Man's Sky and Marvel's Spider-Man, where shooting objects are practical gameplay components, but here the camcorder is also a factor of recollection and nostalgia. At the same time, we ask an interesting question about how the role of a player, both as a gamer and a cinematographer, relates to the protagonist, which we embodies in the game.

It's not the only clever trick the game plays in formats and conventions. For example, the dialogue system is specially designed to capture the dynamic energy and chaos of excitatory groups. Options and responses vary depending on who you are watching while you are speaking, characters screaming at each other and comments are lost in the noise. Sometimes you can time out the options in the dialog and choose not to say anything. In some great moments, this mechanic captures the desperate improvisational nature of a teen relationship, moments of wobbling or fleeting eye contact with one comment all day long.

You may find the dialogue to be robust and overly listened, and the sense of authenticity is increased. Those who have played Life Is Strange also see many similarities with the game, especially between Swann and Max Caulfield.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/BKWX3WvOAf0?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Lost Records: Bloom & Rage | First Look Gameplay Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

But like its predecessor, Lost Records stunningly captures the way in which seemingly insignificant moments are billed in meaning in younger adults. There's a picnic by the lake, then there's a game of truth or a crackle with absolute strength. The 90s setting is well supported with support with spot-on-contemporary references, from grunge band mixtapes to video players and trawldolls.

In the background, there is subtly a hint of the mystery at the heart of the game, and there is much to expect from the second part. Mainly, it's the character and its vulnerable relationship that sticks to you. Three days after finishing the game, I'm still thinking about them. Unless you simply refuse to indulge in emotional young adult drama, you will be there too.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Tape 1), now out. £59.99

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Dominance achieved by Samsung

Posted on by
Reply

Ultra is Samsung’s biggest and largest mobile phone, packed gills with the latest technology. This means more artificial intelligence than ever before.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra leads the new wave of Android phones that promise to do it all. Combining Google’s advanced AI support with various Samsung tools for writing, drawing, photography, and chat.

However, at £1,249 (€1,449/$1,299.99/$2,149), the reality is slightly less futuristic than expected. While some AI tools can be impressive, others may falter.

The S25 Ultra is a modern glass slab enclosed in a titanium band. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The Ultra boasts a slimmer design, 14g lighter than its predecessor, with sharp flat sides and minimal bezels on a large, breathtaking screen. It is nearly a glass slab with a vibrant display.

It features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Chip, outpacing even the recent OnePlus 13 in performance tests. The chip’s performance is remarkable, enabling users to accomplish tasks smoothly on the phone. With a battery life lasting two full days of moderate use and 7.5 hours of active usage on tasks like photography and media, the Ultra stands out as one of the longest-lasting devices on the market.

specification

  • Main screen: 6.9 inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (500PPI) 120Hz

  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Galaxy Elite

  • Ram: 12GB

  • Storage: 256, 512GB or 1TB

  • operating system: 1 UI 7 (Android 15)

  • camera: 200mp + 50mp 0.6x + 10mp 3x + 50mp 5x; 12MP front

  • Connectivity: 5G, USB-C, WiFi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, UWB, GNSS

  • water resistance: IP68 (1.5m in 30 minutes)

  • size: 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm

  • Weight: 218g

Sustainability

Samsung claims that the S25 Ultra is The most durable ever, although a case is still recommended for drops. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Samsung does not specify the expected battery lifespan, but it is designed to retain at least 80% of its original capacity after 500 full charge cycles.

Phone repairs are possible, with screen replacements costing £204 at authorized service centers, including battery replacement. Samsung also offers a self-healing program. The phone scored 5 out of 10 for repairability by experts at iFixit.

The device contains recycled materials such as aluminum, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, plastic, rare earth elements, and steel. Samsung provides a trade-in recycling scheme for old devices. The company also releases annual sustainability reports and impact assessments for some specific products.

More AI in more places

Some new AI tools are useful, while others are a bit gimmicky or unreliable. The Drawing Assist tool turns rough sketches into art (left). Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Samsung has integrated numerous “Galaxy AI” tools, including new drawing features and AI selection tools introduced last year. These tools allow users to interact with images, text, icons, and more on the screen, offering options like drawing, editing, searching, and more.

The “Now” bar on the lock screen displays various widgets like Google’s Live Sports Score, current music, timers, flight reminders, and more. It resembles Google’s At a Glance feature and Apple’s dynamic widgets, providing convenient access to timely information. Live notifications, such as sports scores, can also be shown in the status bar.

The AI-curated snapshots feature local weather, calendar events, photos, reminders, health information, Spotify playlists, and more. It even warns users about using the phone while walking. However, some may find these features less useful.

The S-pen stylus remains for drawing on the screen, but one of the important selling points since the Galaxy Note series era – the magic wand and the remote feature have been removed. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Introducing the Next Generation of Google’s Gemini Assistant, promising to perform multiple tasks efficiently. While the capabilities are impressive when they work, they can sometimes falter, leading to frustration with inaccuracies. Trusting the AI tools completely can be a challenge.

The overall software experience with One UI 7 is smooth, resembling Apple’s iOS in some aspects but offering enough customization options to personalize the phone’s look and functionality. Samsung’s commitment to providing software and security updates for the S25 Ultra for seven years after release rivals the best support from Google and Apple.

camera

The camera app is fairly easy to operate despite its functionality. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The S25 Ultra features a revamped camera system similar to its predecessor, offering a range of options from the main 200mp camera to various telephoto lenses. The new and improved 50MP Ultra Wide Camera provides better low-light performance compared to previous models, producing sharper images in dimly lit environments.

Equipped with numerous modes and tools, including portrait modes and manual controls, the camera app allows users to capture unique and high-quality photos. The standout feature remains the adaptability to use multiple lenses for different scenarios, offering versatility in photography.

price

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at £1,249 (€1,449/$1,299.99/A$2,149) with 256GB of storage.

Comparatively, the Galaxy S25 is priced at £799, the S25+ at £999, the Z-fold 6 at £1,519, and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL at £1,099. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is priced at £1,199.

verdict

The Galaxy S25 Ultra sets a high standard for Android phones with its powerful features and versatility.

Boasting multiple lens options in the camera system, top-of-the-line Android chip, long battery life, expansive storage, a large screen, and a stylus, the Ultra offers a complete package for users.

However, while it excels in many areas, the design and lack of significant innovation may leave some users wanting more. The AI features, while impressive at times, can also be hit or miss, affecting the overall user experience.

The Ultra stands out as a top-tier mobile phone, but buyers should temper their expectations regarding exaggerated AI capabilities.

Strong Points: A massive 120Hz screen, a highly capable camera with 3x optical zoom, excellent software with 7 years of support, top android chip, long battery life, access to the latest AI features.

Cons: The huge and extremely expensive S-Pen doesn’t have the small magic of the previous version, and does not significantly improve the formula of its predecessor.

< Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Avowed: Where Annihilation Collides with the Intricacy of a Rich and Diverse Fantasy World

Posted on by
Reply

eYou need to switch between fantasy realms. Who am I again? What do I do here? Who are all these people? It’s been a golden age for fantasy recently, and inhaling Dragon’s Dogma 2, Metaphor: Rifantagiothe seasons of Dragon House and all seasons of Rebecca Jaros are beginning to blur the details of one kingdom with another, less than a year later.

Avowed’s Fantasy Universe is ready-made from other Eternity Games pillars of developer Obsidian. The lore is dense, the in-game text is rich and the characters are redundant, but thankfully the land between them is fascinating to see the territory of Eora, full of political tensions and cool monsters. I remember valuable names and historical details, but I remember some of my experiences with this game – big enough for a crazy priest to build as a huge automaton inside The view from the rattle road hugging the walls of an underground cave and the secrets of the skin crawling I discovered in the basement of my fellow family homes. The appearance is annihilation and obliv with fungal and floral details that embroidery the structures and people you encounter, embroidering the ever-present tension between organic and rot.

The land in between is destroyed by a disturbing plague that angers people before it is consumed by mushroom-like growth. You, an envoy from the distant centre of the Empire, have been sent to investigate. You are like God, touched immortal, through this strange place, by the sacred voice in your head and the various native companions I felt truly enlightened. You will be guided. Avowed has many choices and self-direction, and it is a game that always respects your intelligence. The characters are interestingly written (densely) and there are many ways to respond to them. That’s far less than the Whedon-esque man/bad guy/joker reaction, as the cries echoes other games force you out of you.

I was hoping for a lively adventure of Obsidian sci-fi comedy The Outer Worlds for 20 hours, but readers, this is it’s not. This game is immeasurable. We spent some time in the opening area of Dawnshore and spent some old time familiarizing ourselves with spider-equipped caves (there are a lot of these, but this is not an Arachnophovictic game). Booty. (This is because I’m stagnant in the main quest, and I forgot about the important information that was displayed once in the text tutorial for about 5 seconds.) Only after 15 hours on this comfortable coastal land, I’d say I met one of my central antagonists. A memorable and terrifying warrior dressed in intricate armor and a mask with smoldering eyes. Then I found myself in a densely rotten jungle swamp filled with amazingly cheerful necromancers, and it big From Dawn Shore. When I arrived at my third new location about 30 hours later, I realized that there was no measure of this world at all.

Unfortunately, AVOWED is better It was 20 hours long. I’ve always been lost on strike from town and have come across something interesting like Skyrim and Fallout. However, there are two stickiness issues that suck fun over time. The first is common to many open world games. Once you arrive at a new location, all the quests and battles are a little difficult. After hours of quests, exploring weapons and armor, and upgrading, it hits a short sweet spot that all feels challenging but conquering. Then you start to feel like everything is too easy and empowering yourself, and it’s like a box-chic movement. This pattern repeatedly eroded my patience in the game.

The second problem is that the combat in Avowed is not as fun as it thinks. A lot of it. There are an impressive number of weapons and techniques, including Grimoire and Staff for spells, giant two-handed axes, bows and pistols, maces, shields, and more. But no matter what you choose, it feels inaccurate and boring, and the likelihood of success is determined by invisible numbers rather than skills. Make sure to take on enemies above your level, and how well you dodge the Great Sword path, or how cleverly you combine your magical effects to freeze undead skeletons. It hardly matters whether to grind it. The key is the quality of the gear. This should be continuously and painstakingly upgraded with random materials from warehouses that are found in every chest or lockbox. I was extremely tired of destroying R2 and firing magic projectiles, hacking tree monsters with my sword, and being so determined that I was missing from hit points. My companions either didn’t feel particularly useful in the fight.

All the diversity and textures in the fiction here are lacking in combat and loot. The end of the most interesting quests is home to unique swords and trinkets, but the fun of exploration is rarely found outside the scenery or characters. If you come across a powerful enemy, you may be losing your strength for the fight. If you find an appetizing, glowing breast in a cave, it can be filled with pennies, chunks of iron, and some fur.

Avowed began as Obsidian’s answer to Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, reminding me of many oblivion and Skyrim in an exciting moment when I tripped over something unexpected in the wild. But it also shares a tendency to repeat those games and a sense of weightlessness in their fight. My first 15 or so hours on the land felt potentially rich, but I was tired of it long before the end.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Beats PowerBeats Pro 2: Apple’s Top Headphones for Fitness and Performance

Posted on by
Reply

Five years later, Apple is back with a complete revamp of its earphones, which rebranded the Beats Headphones brand for athletes and sports enthusiasts as the Powerbeats Pro 2.

Designed to be attached to the ear and placed without wires, the original PowerBeats Pro is the perfect earphone for workouts and was worn by sports superstars such as Lebron James and Anthony Joshua.

In 2025, Apple refined the fit, slimmed the bulk, added noise cancellation and heart rate monitoring to the original Powerbeats Pro, priced at $250, aiming to reclaim the top spot in the industry.

The overall design of the earphones remains the same, with a flexible silicone wire that hooks behind the user’s ears and connects to earphones with arms sitting in the ears. It is lighter and more secure than its predecessor, making it comfortable for extended listening sessions during commute and active exercise without any discomfort.

Each earphone includes a multi-functional “B” button for playback and noise cancellation control, as well as a volume locker for easy adjustments during workouts. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The earphones provide approximately 8 hours of playback with noise cancellation (10 hours without it) and come with a flip-top case that can charge the earphones three times. The case, which is 30% smaller than before, is still quite spacious and fits easily in a bag, but may be a bit bulky for pockets.

The PowerBeats Pro 2 features the same H2 chip and connectivity as Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, offering seamless connections with various Apple devices, spatial audio for movies and music, audio sharing, SIRI support, lossless audio, and more when used with the Apple Vision Pro.

Additionally, the earphones support advanced Android features, making the Beats app more versatile than other Apple earphones, allowing for one-touch pairing, customization, updates, and other functionalities.

Great Sound Quality and Effective Noise Cancellation

Adjust noise cancellation and other settings using iPhone Bluetooth settings or the Android Beats app. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The H2 chip equips the Powerbeats with many top features of AirPods, including active noise cancellation that is nearly as effective as Apple’s top buds, providing significant reduction of external sounds. The earphones handle wind noise well and boast the best-in-class transparency mode.

The new Powerbeats offer excellent sound quality, with great separation of tones, well-controlled bass, and detailed high notes. They perform well across various music genres, from pop and hip hop to classical and jazz. They may not match the AirPods Pro in sound adjustment capabilities, but they excel in most workout scenarios.

Additionally, they support Apple’s personalized spatial audio system for immersive sound experiences and offer exceptional call quality.

Specifications

  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, H2 chip, HR sensor

  • Battery life: 8 hours ANC playback (36 hours with case)

  • Water resistance: IPX4 earphones (sweat resistant)

  • Earphone dimensions: 45 x 41 x 24mm

  • Earphone weight: 8.7g each

  • Charging case dimensions: 75 x 66 x 34mm

  • Charging case weight: 69g

  • Case charging: USB-C, QI wireless

Ear Heart Rate Monitoring

The optical heart rate sensor is located just inside the ear next to the silicon tip. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The Powerbeats Pro 2 feature an optical heart rate sensor that enables pulse monitoring through the ears, similar to Sennheiser’s Momentum Sport Earbuds. The sensor, located on the earphones’ inner side touching the tragus, achieves accurate pulse readings when both earphones are worn.

Data from the heart rate sensor is stored in the health app on iPhones or connected training apps for Android users, providing accurate and useful fitness tracking.

Sustainability

The PowerBeats Pro 2 case is sturdy and charges via USB-C and QI, but lacks water resistance and may be bulky for some users. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Apple has not disclosed the expected battery lifespan, but it is estimated to endure over 500 full charge cycles at 80% capacity. Additionally, the earphones incorporate recycled plastic in some internal components and offer individual replacements for lost or damaged parts.

While the earphones are not repairable, Apple supports trade-in and recycling programs for its products, including non-Apple devices, promoting responsible disposal and reducing environmental impact.

Price

The PowerBeats Pro 2 are priced at £249.95 ($249.99).

When compared to other models, the Beats Fit Pro is priced at £219.99, Beats Studio Buds+ at £179.99, Beats Solo Buds at £79.99, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 at £229, and Sennheiser Momentum Sport at £199.

Verdict

The PowerBeats Pro 2 represents a significant upgrade from its predecessor, offering top-notch features and performance for premium training earphones.

With secure and lightweight fit, effective noise cancellation, and heart rate monitoring, these earphones cater to a wide range of workout needs. They excel in sound quality, call quality, and offer platform compatibility with iPhone and Android devices.

While the price point may be high, the PowerBeats Pro 2 stand out as versatile and high-performance earbuds suitable for various activities, especially for iPhone users seeking a secure and reliable fit.

The main drawback is the non-replaceable batteries, which may impact the long-term sustainability and lifespan of the earphones.

Strong Points: Excellent sound quality, effective noise cancellation and transparency mode, long battery life, secure and comfortable fit, user-friendly controls, spatial sound experience, excellent call quality, cross-platform compatibility with iPhone and Android.

Cons: High price point, bulky case, limited iPhone app support for heart rate monitoring features, lack of multipoint connection, non-replaceable batteries.

The music pauses when you remove the PowerBeats Pro 2, thanks to the sensor located on the earphones’ bottom. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – A Gritty Depiction of Medieval Bohemia’s Hardships

Posted on by
Reply

lIfe was tough in the 16th century Bohemia. That way, you’ll be at your virtual counterpart. The first 10 hours of this game were totally miserable. Stepping into the mud-stained boots of Henry, a humble blacksmith-turned-knight, I am sent to convey my message in war-torn regions. But before Henry could fulfill his duties, he became a victim of a fatal ambush, leaving himself and his Lord Hans Capon, without a penny or sword in their names I’ve been stuck.

No one believes you are a nobleman as strangers arrive in tattered rags, bloody and desperate. Towns Fork will comment on your smell and refuse to let you enter various facilities. It is a truly humble gaming experience, creating a calm recreation of what it is like to be in the oppressed things of medieval society.

The main story is ultimately driving you away with an increasingly impressive exploit, but in the early games, simply survive the day, an adventure in itself. In this harsh feudal fantasy, you can save just two ways: sleep in your bed or drink a bottle of Savior Schnapps. When you can’t afford to spend the night at the inn – and Henry has no horses – the journey across each new map is dangerous. Some of these early deaths cost me hours of progress.




A painstaking … The Kingdom Comes: Rescue 2. Photo: Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver

Once you can follow some paths to Groschen and steal them, your fate will begin to change. At Kingdom, maintaining its appearance is essential. Townspeople notice your scars and blood sporadic clothing. Innkeepers are less likely to take you to a burglar if you take a bath. The wealthier you become, the easier life will be. Even getting dressed well will help convince the guards of your innocence when you are caught with a redhead.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is filled with friction that most modern games actively avoid. I was totally immersed in this cruel, believable simulation – even when it was kicking my ass. This is a role-playing game in which even the simple act of making potions can cause food to spoil and poison you, and even fast travel is not even safe. Words to the Sage – Don’t accidentally appear in the wrong bed. It ends on a night spent confused by inventory.

Like Bethesda’s Skyrim, you learn by doing it. Do you want to improve your running? Sprint while wearing the heaviest armor you can find. A flashy command conversation? Concentrate half a day in the game to read books. First-person duels in the original game are welcome, allowing players to lock into deadly games, mess up, block, and read the opponent’s stance. It’s a deadly dance that doesn’t feel like anything else in the game, but if swordsmanship isn’t for you, you can hone your marksmanship, double stealth, or use your tongue as a sharp weapon. Masu.

In conversation, you can role-play Henry. No matter how much you play, the writing is consistently and convincing, and the characters are as intentionally consistent as your gameplay. Despite its crazy misery, the kingdom has a comedic spirit. From molestation mirrors collecting sediments from corpses to solving differences with soldiers through loud drinking games, there is also humor in the most inactive interactions. Developer Warhorse Studios is wise to keep players smiling, even if they are breathing and cursing the game.




The Spirit of Comedy… The Kingdom Comes: Rescue 2. Photo: Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver

It’s extremely rewarding to see Henry slowly transform from an incompetent person into a horrifying being. Once you lift yourself up with a bootstrap, Jant across this country will see you infiltrate a noble wedding, plan a prison break, and even protect the besieged castle. Kingdom Come 2 World inevitably features the kind of bugs you’d expect from a vast RPG, but it helps to be a very handsome game. The grass sways in the wind and in the villages and towns.

Skip past newsletter promotions

If there’s a game that takes a “tough love” approach, that’s it. Early times feel like the playable equivalent of being sent to a military school and demands sacred patience, but that’s a rewarding investment. Just like before Red Dead Redemption 2, I’m willing to lose time wandering through this vast simulation and want to see the wonders and practics that I might trip. Despite spending over 115 hours in Bohemia, I’m saying that I haven’t rolled at my credits yet to the main quest line. If you are not inspired by the prospect of roaming yet another frictionless open world where everything comes easily, the Kingdom comes: Rescue 2 is a breath of fresh air.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of the OnePlus 13: Lightning-speed Android with stunning fabric design

Posted on by
Reply

OnePlus is aiming to show that in 2025, the top premium Android phone doesn’t necessarily have to be from Samsung or Google.

The latest model in the Sharp Sub-Brand series, OnePlus 13, is priced at 899 pounds (1,049 euros/$899), slightly lower than Google and Samsung’s offerings.

Oneplus offers a range of colors, including a blue microfiber back option, as seen in the photo.

The large screen features a thin bezel and curved edges. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

The 6.8-inch screen on the OnePlus 13 is vibrant, sharp, and colorful, comparable to the best in the market. The metal frame gives it a retro look, similar to the OnePlus X from 2015, but the phone is still manageable. It is IP68 water-resistant, capable of withstanding immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters.

Fast Performance with the Latest Chip

The OnePlus 13 is one of the first phones to feature the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip from Qualcomm, offering a 40% speed boost over its predecessor. The phone feels fast in daily use, with quick responses to all interactions.

The phone includes a unique alert slider for easy mode switching. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

The battery life is impressive, offering up to 50 hours on a full charge with mixed usage of 5G and WiFi. It supports fast charging and wireless charging for added convenience.

Specifications

  • Screen: 6.82in, 120Hz QHD+ OLED (510ppi)

  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite

  • Ram: 12 or 16GB

  • Storage: 256 or 512GB

  • Operating System: Okishigenos 15 (Android 15)

  • Camera: 50m + 50MP Ultra Wide + 50MP 3X; 32MP Selfie

  • Connection: 5G, ESIM, Wifi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, and GNSS

  • Water resistance: IP68/69 (30 minutes/80C Water Jet 1.5 meters for 30 seconds)

  • Size: 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5mm

  • Weight: 210g

Sustainability

Oneplus 13 is well built but lacks recycled materials. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

The battery is designed to retain at least 80% of its original capacity after 1,600 full charging cycles, with the option to replace it for £80.

While the phone does not contain recycled materials, it is repairable. Screen replacement costs £280. Oneplus’ environmental impact is covered in their parent company OPPO’s annual sustainability report.

Oxygen OS 15 with AI Features

AI elements in Oxygen OS 15 offer new features and functionalities. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

Oxygen OS 15 on the OnePlus 13 is a tweaked version of Android 15, with added AI tools for improved functionality. The phone runs smoothly with some customization options available.

The phone comes with AI tools from Google and OnePlus, enhancing user experience. While software updates may be slightly delayed compared to competitors, OnePlus offers four-year Android updates with security patches until 2031.

Camera

The camera app on the OnePlus 13 offers a host of features for photography enthusiasts. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

The OnePlus 13 boasts a triple rear camera setup and a 32MP front camera, delivering detailed images in various conditions. The camera app includes various modes for enhanced photography experiences.

Overall, the OnePlus 13 offers a compelling package with top-notch performance, innovative features, and a competitive price point compared to its rivals. It sets a new standard for Android phones in 2025.

Pros: Sleek design, excellent screen, long battery life, fast performance, top-tier chip, great camera, water resistance, AI tools.

Cons: Some rough edges in Oxygen OS, limited AI features, shorter software support compared to competitors.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Civilization VII – Your civilization will rise to new heights in this detailed and captivating game

Posted on by
Reply

m
Many years ago, during the progress of Civilization II, I began my career as a writer for the video game magazine Edge. As an enthusiast of the original Civilization game, I was eager to review its sequel and impressed the editor enough with my comprehensive analysis of the complex turn-based strategy game that I nearly lost my job due to my addiction to playing it non-stop for two weeks instead of writing my assigned articles. This led to a stern warning about my performance and ultimately ended my tenure as a game writer. Consequently, I did not review the next four installments of the series. Now, Civilization VII is making a comeback, and I find myself facing this captivating nemesis once again.

This game has always been a favorite among me and many other fans, offering a compelling simulation of building an empire from ancient tribes to modern superpowers. As a player, you have the opportunity to establish cities, gather resources, research new technologies, send out settlers, merchants, and armies, and expand your influence through peaceful relations or conquest. Victory can be achieved through military prowess, cultural dominance, or economic power, depending on your chosen playstyle. Each campaign offers a unique experience, making it a game that has withstood the test of time.




Extra nuances … civilization VII. Photo: 2K game

In this latest installment, Firaxis has made some significant changes, deviating from guiding a single civilization through the entire campaign. Instead, players now choose different leaders with unique attributes and guide them through three distinct historical ages, each time selecting a new country to control. Each country brings its own units and buildings, adding depth to the gameplay. The game structure encourages continuity and strategic decision-making, enhancing the overall experience.

Civilization VII will be released on PC (version tested), PS4/5, switch, Xbox One, Xbox series S/X on February 11th.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review: “Source Code” by Bill Gay Tsu – Exploring the World of Computer Nerds and Their Struggles

Posted on by
Reply

tHe mystery surrounding William Henry Gates III is well-preserved. This book delves into the early years of Gates, from his birth in 1955 to the founding of Microsoft in 1975. The sequel will reveal the next chapter of his story.

The title of the book aptly captures its essence. In the era when only humans wrote computer programs, “source code” referred to the code that powered the programs. Understanding a programming language enabled one to decipher the workings of a computer program.

What can we learn from studying Gates’ journey? Essentially, it narrates the tale of a fortunate young man. He had supportive parents who provided him with the right environment to grow emotionally and intellectually. However, he faced internal battles due to his high IQ, rebellious nature, and anxiety.

Reflecting on his upbringing, Gates acknowledges the challenges he faced in social settings and how his parents supported him. He attended a progressive private school that nurtured his talents.

Notably, Gates and his friends had access to a computer in the 1960s, which was rare at the time. This early exposure to computing led them to develop software and write programs for companies in their region.

Gates’ journey took him to Harvard, where his programming skills stood out. He dabbled with a December PDP-10 but shifted focus when Allen discovered a new microcomputer based on Intel’s 8080 processor.

Together, Gates and Allen ventured into the world of software development, leading to the establishment of Microsoft. Their early success paved the way for future accomplishments.

The book hints at Gates’ institutional expansion and legal battles, setting the stage for what’s to come in the next volume.

Skip past newsletter promotions
Gates in 1983. Photo: DOUG WILSON/CORBIS/Getty Images

The book provides valuable insights into Gates’ formative years, shedding light on his complex personality. His early struggles and triumphs set the stage for his future endeavors.

One of the defining moments in Gates’ life was the tragic loss of his best friend and programming partner, Kent Evans. This loss deeply impacted Gates and influenced his career trajectory.

In a poignant moment, Gates reflects on his conversations with Evans’ father and imagines what could have been if Evans had lived. Their shared vision laid the foundation for what would become Microsoft.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Starward Vector in Citizen Sleeper 2: Summary of Crews and Gameplay

Posted on by
Reply

IIt is great to immerse oneself in this futuristic world once again. Citizen Sleeper 2 is filled with captivating portrayals of everyday life in outer space, much like its predecessor. From farmers tending to zero-gravity crops in asteroid greenhouses to the cartels that govern them, everyone is struggling to survive. I am captivated by it.

Once again, you assume the role of a sleeper, a robot implanted with a digitized human heart carrying the memories of its former self. In the first game, you broke free from the corporation that created you and attempted to wean the robot off its dependency on stabilizing drugs. In the sequel, you play as another sleeper with a stabilizer implanted, but this time you risk falling under the control of a gang leader named Rain.

While the action was confined to a single space station in the previous game, the sequel ventures into a much broader space known as “The Belt.” A timer constantly reminds you of how close Rain’s gang is pursuing you after your explosive escape. This initial segment is a race against time to gather enough fuel and supplies for the next leg of your journey, uncovering the mysterious connection Rain has with your body along the way.

Each destination presents a unique visual backdrop, whether it’s an abandoned asteroid colony or a bustling population hub. You can explore the surroundings, read text explanations, and engage in conversations. Similar to the first game, there are five dice rolls at the beginning of each day that influence your success in various activities. The higher the number rolled, the greater your chances of success.

The second game is a lot more widely rolled in various places … Citizen Sleeper 2. Photo: I will jump across age

However, dice can now break under high-stakes missions. Failures can accumulate stress, potentially damaging your dice. If a die’s energy depletes to zero, it becomes unusable until restored. Breaking all 5 dice at normal difficulty will permanently glitch your character. Each die provides an 80% chance of success.

Contracts in the game can include up to two crew members, similar to Mass Effect 2. The crew members each come with two specialized dice for different tasks. You can also use a special ability called “push” once per cycle to boost low dice rolls at the risk of causing stress. The game’s premise is intense and involving, offering a challenging experience. Failure in Citizen Sleeper 2 is a real possibility, making each day a brave struggle at least initially. Missing deadlines may result in failed missions, encouraging players to replay and explore different outcomes.

CITIZEN SLEEPER 2 is double the size of its predecessor, allowing players to visit more locations. However, this expansion comes at a cost of depth compared to the previous title. Instead of focusing closely on one location, players traverse several spacecraft stations with various activities. It feels like the crew members are underutilized, and the lack of ability upgrades limits gameplay integration.

Despite these shortcomings, the characters are the game’s greatest strength, with vivid portraits by manga artist GUILLAUME SINGELIN and compelling backstories. The world of Citizen Sleeper 2 is rich and immersive, inviting players to revisit the universe crafted by Gareth Damian Martin.

CITIZEN SLEEPER 2: Starward Vector will be released on January 31st

Source: www.theguardian.com

FDA Urges Pet Food Companies to Review Safety Plans in Light of Bird Flu Outbreak

Posted on by
Reply

The number of cats increasing that have died or become ill after consuming raw pet food and raw milk contaminated with the H5n1 virus has prompted health authorities to take special precautionary measures to protect pet food companies from bird flu. They are advising pet food makers to follow food safety plans such as sourcing ingredients from healthy flocks and applying heat treatments to inactivate viruses, as suggested in recent guidance from the Food and Drug Administration.

Since the H5n1 virus started spreading in 2022, there have been bird outbreaks under all conditions. Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to the H5N1 virus, with many household cats and wild cats becoming infected since its emergence in 2022. Some farm cats have fallen ill after consuming raw milk, while others have died after consuming contaminated raw pet food.

Despite the FDA guidance, some experts like Dr. Jane Cycks from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have raised concerns about the lack of detailed instructions on guaranteeing the absence of H5N1 in food. The FDA has advised pet owners to cook raw pet food to eliminate risks and follow USDA guidelines for safe food handling.

In response to the situation, some raw pet food companies have implemented safety measures such as sourcing quality ingredients and using processes like high-pressure pasteurization. However, experts emphasize that cooking is the only certain way to eliminate the risk of H5N1 in pet food.

Overall, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Veterinary Medical Association recommend against feeding companion animals raw or undercooked meat due to the potential risks associated with pathogens like H5N1.

While high-pressure pasteurization is advertised as a method to kill pathogens, experts caution that cooking to internal temperature is the most reliable way to ensure food safety. Consumers are advised to cook raw pet food thoroughly before feeding it to their pets to reduce the risk of transmission of bird flu.

For those who prefer raw pet food brands, experts suggest cooking the food before feeding it to ensure the safety of pets.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Review: Lonely Mountains: Snow Rider Offers an Exciting Skiing Challenge with Some Thrilling Twists

Posted on by
Reply

I was captivated by Lonely Mountains: Downhill, a simplistic mountain biking game that was released in 2019. obsessed I played those tracks repeatedly until I mastered the art of braking, skidding a tire on a rock, getting stuck in a tire and being flung off, speeding down a straight path, and carefully navigating over ledges. Like a Lycra-clad mountain goat. The serene soundtrack of chirping birds and rustling leaves (occasionally interrupted by the harsh thud of riders colliding with rocks) made the experience very soothing for me. However, what truly drew me in was the Zen-like focus required to descend the mountain, speeding down without crashing 300 times. I honed my skills to perfection, finely tuning my trajectory to make the difference between cutting a second off my run and veering off track, leading to a crumpled heap.

For years, I had eagerly anticipated the release of a snow sports-themed sequel. Instead of sun, rocks, and dirt, there was now glistening snow, and bicycles were replaced with skis. It seemed unbelievable at first, but after a few initial runs on the snowy mountains, I humbly realized I had a lot to learn. I struggled with turns while applying the brakes, found myself sliding backward on hills, constantly bumped into trees, missed jumps, and tumbled across frozen lakes in confusion. The challenges in each course seemed daunting, and my first multiplayer race was a humiliating experience.




Just you and nature…single player mode. Photo: Megagon Industries

However, after a few hours of practice, I found myself gracefully carving through more challenging courses while immersing myself in the soothing sounds of snow. Achieving a seamless run down the mountain, with the wind in my ears, felt exhilarating. But when I missed a turn and ended up in a ditch, the enchantment was quickly shattered, prompting me to return to the checkpoint and start over.

This rhythm of triumph and failure still resonates with me in Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders. The minimalist soundscape, visually stunning representation of natural landscapes, and the sense of achievement from conquering a course remain as captivating as ever. While there are areas that could be improved, such as adding more customization options for the skier, the high difficulty from the start and precise controls pose challenges for new players in progressing through the mountain. Additionally, the introduction of multiplayer racing and team skiing comes with its own set of drawbacks.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/bsoXrGCdO8E?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Lonely Mountains Snow Riders – 21st of January – Release Date Announcement" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="




Lonely Mountains: Snow Rider – Trailer

Currently, the multiplayer aspect is plagued by technical issues shortly after release. When multiple players appear on screen at once, such as at the start of a race, the game experiences shaking or freezing temporarily. In a game where every millisecond counts, losing control, even momentarily, can make it unbearable to play. I encountered crashes while loading courses, got kicked out of multiplayer games, and saw other players mysteriously lose connection. While these issues may be addressed by developers in the future, for now, they remain a hindrance to the overall experience. The core problem lies in the wide variability of player skill levels.

In an 8-player race, 3 participants may swiftly descend the mountain within 3-4 minutes, while others take considerably longer. Once you cross the finish line, you can either skate aimlessly or watch lower-ranked players struggle in the same section repeatedly. This can be disheartening, especially if you happen to be the unlucky last player.




Massive Freeze…Multiplayer options need fixing. Photo: Megagon Industries

The team mode requires cooperation to navigate mountains, set checkpoints, and revive fallen players, but the concept seemed lost on the players I encountered. I found myself descending the mountain like a medic while others raced past me, eventually regrouping at base camp with players who seemed content to linger. Thank you all for your company and assistance!

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is now available for £20.99

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Ballionaire – An addicting, pinball-inspired strategy game | Games

Posted on by
Reply

FFrom pinball to pachinko, humanity has spent billions of hours fascinated by the whimsical effects of physics on metal balls. it's entertainment, barionaireperhaps reached its zenith. The premise is childishly simple. You drop the ball onto the pyramid-shaped course and watch helplessly as it clatters towards the gutter at the bottom. Along the way, the ball bounces off pins and bumpers it encounters along the way, causing special effects and gradually accumulating dollar-based points along the way.

Some bumpers, colorfully rendered as anthropomorphic characters, are straightforward in nature. They might add a little cash to the pot or produce a second ball. Others are more complex, such as reversing gravity or teleporting a ball to another location. Initially the board is mostly empty, but each time you roll you have the opportunity to strategically add one of three new bumpers to your layout, thereby increasing the amount of points you can earn on your next run.

Here lies the challenge. It takes 5 attempts to build a cash pot that meets or exceeds a level's financial goals. If this goal is not achieved, the game is over. Once you address a challenge, your next goal will increase exponentially. You'll soon need to make virtually tens of thousands of dollars per ball just by strategic bumper placement and the luck of the bounce. At first it's a pedestrian-only Bagatelle-esque board game, but it soon becomes a carnival of firework-like effects, with fountains of coins and balls cascading down, setting off dizzying chain reactions.

It's a simple joy to watch your score accumulate through outlandish multipliers, and while the physical aspects of the game are completely passive, you'll be able to find the most beneficial bumper placements in the game's 55 spaces. There is a world of strategies to find out. board. The year begins with a seemingly simple yet obsessive challenge.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review: Grunn – A Unique Blend of Gardening Sim and Survival Horror Thriller Game

Posted on by
Reply

ILooks like it’s going to be a fun vacation. A week spent tending to the absentee landlord’s garden in a remote village in the Netherlands. Birds chirping in the trees, a picturesque church just across the path. But there’s something wrong with designer Tom van den Boogaart’s surreal and quietly creepy puzzle game. All the tools are missing and the villagers are strange and have been warned not to go out at night. Additionally, the sky is a hallucinogenic red and orange haze, and you can sometimes see someone watching you from behind a door or through a window. What the heck is going on?

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/QDxm5HEYbt8?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Grunn – Official Launch Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Grunn is somehow part gardening sim, part point-and-click adventure, and part survival horror thriller. Once you’ve found your scissors and trowel, you can spend your time sorting hedges and digging up molehills, but you can also explore small hamlets and their lonely haunted places. You can often find discarded Polaroid photos that provide photo clues as to where the next tool is. You may find tools and puzzle items. There is a day/night cycle in the background, and as you venture out into the darkness, strange glitches and ghostly beings can be glimpsed at the edge of your vision. As you explore, you will have to fight against dangers that can cost you your life. Then I start all over again, relying only on my memories and photos.

As a result, you feel like you’re trapped inside an Alejandro Jodorowsky movie. Ominous and strange, yet beautiful and compelling. Everywhere you look, there are eerie images, from skeletons lying on riverbanks to strange children sitting alone in bus stops and ferry cafeterias. The puzzles are clever and challenging, and the blocky, discordant visuals make the entire environment feel like the uncanny valley of the mind. If you’re looking for a completely different kind of challenge in a decidedly unnatural open world, Grunn offers more than the gentle rural idyll it was initially promised.

Grunn is available now on PC (priced at £12)

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Jim Carrey’s Energizing Performance Brings Laughter to the Third Installment

Posted on by
Reply

a The third Sonic movie came out with a strong sense of inevitability, creating excitement among its core pre-teen fanbase. The Marvel Cinematic Universe could learn from how it keeps audiences entertained. The buzz around Sonic’s unconventional teeth is now a thing of the past, but Jim Carrey truly shines in his double role, showing his dedication even if it’s just for the money. The movie is doing a good job overall, appealing even to those who may have forgotten the intricacies of early ’00s games. It’s an engaging experience.

The Sonic reboot introduces a “dark” version of Sonic in the form of Shadow, a hedgehog with black and red coloring. As the story unfolds, Shadow escapes from his containment unit, prompting Sonic and his sidekicks to intervene. They end up working alongside Ivo Robotnik to uncover secrets at an abandoned military base, leading to a complex narrative.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/w0Eya8mcpuU?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Sonic The Hedgehog 3 | Official Trailer | Paramount Pictures UK" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Drawing from over 30 years of gaming, the film offers rich plotlines, character development, and dramatic incidents. While the human element may vary, the voices of Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba, along with James Marsden and Tika Sumpter, add depth to the story. Carrey’s performance stands out, injecting humor and energy into the movie. His presence prevents the film from falling flat and enhances the overall experience.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be released in the US on December 20th, Australia on December 26th, and the UK on December 27th.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Mouthwash: The Unexpected Challenge of 2024 | Game

Posted on by
Reply

IIt's perhaps poetic that throughout this year, the PlayStation's 30th anniversary, developers have discovered such a rich vein of horror in the early 3D visuals. Crow Country, Fear the Spotlight, and Mousewashing all make frightening use of low-poly characters, grungy textures, and muted color palettes to create fear and abomination. And in this sci-fi odyssey from Wrong Organ, they're brilliantly used to symbolize perfection.

The settings for Mouthwash are simple and familiar. When a giant spaceship crashes in a remote part of the galaxy, its small crew slowly loses its sanity as they wait for rescue that never comes. Not helping matters is their cargo of millions of gallons of high-alcohol mouthwash, which is quickly abused by the desperate and deeply flawed castaways.

With the captain critically injured, you primarily take over the survival efforts as second-in-command Jimmy. But they soon discover that everyone, from paranoid doctor Anya to bullish mechanic Swansea, is hiding something. Everything on board is given a sinister edge, from creepy food processing equipment to giant LED displays that continually display images of romantic sunsets and fluffy clouds.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zUXapDkoLss?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Mouthwashing – Official Trailer | The Indie Horror Showcase 2023" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

But what sounds like a tense thriller is actually a surreal exploration of social and spiritual decline. The characters hallucinate violently, and the story cuts from pre-crash to post-crash, switching between them in a dizzying chronological dance. The ship itself appears to be mutating in response to the paranoid delusions of its inhabitants. A bizarre vaporwave soundtrack roars and explodes in a cacophonous rush. The interplay between humans and technology collapse has elements of Event Horizon, Solaris, and High Life. The ship's U-boat-like corridors expand and contract like intestinal passages. The crew's mental illness is reflected in cracked screens and destroyed control panels. It's both scary and fascinating.

There are puzzles to solve and items to collect and combine, but nothing works and the game keeps playing and questioning your assumptions. Some players may be reminded of the cult hit Clickolding in that it asks questions about player responsibility and collusion. What to do with the only weapon on board, how to keep the captain's mouth open so you can give him painkillers, and more. When he groans and cries, the visuals are nostalgic, but the connection to what's happening on that ship is very real, very vivid. There are also serious messages about guilt, grief, and alcoholism, which can resonate deeply with those affected by these.

Mouthwash is a difficult but immersive experience, a surreal horror piece reminiscent of the films of David Lynch and Dario Argento, but it's also a very functional game, or at least what a game is. , and it also works very well as a study in what games want us to do. The fact that titles like this are still being produced and distributed globally is one of the few bright spots in a slow year for the gaming industry. Book your flight tickets as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

Mouthwash available now (£10.99)

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Marvel Rivals: A Hero Shooter That Raises Concerns About the Future of Gaming

Posted on by
Reply

TThe history of video games is, in some ways, a history of subtle iterations of other people’s ideas. The interstellar success of Taito’s Space Invaders spawned an entire shooter genre, with titles like Galaxian, Phoenix, and Golf taking the basic idea and adding new features. Then in 1984, Karate Champ started the fighting game craze, and Tetris gave us the falling object puzzle game. This is how things have always worked. Adapt, expand, and pass the baton. However, there is a subtle but deep gulf between imitation and inspiration, and not every title can cross it.

Chinese mega-publisher NetEase’s latest live service game, Marvel Rivals, is an Overwatch featuring Marvel characters. It’s more than just an elevator pitch. that’s right What is it? Colorful cartoon characters with varying skills gather in a series of sci-fi arenas for team-based combat in a handful of play modes. The Punisher, a vanilla guy with a machine gun, is Soldier 76 from Overwatch with a Bastion flavor. God-like healer Adam Warlock is a male Mercy. And the Hulk, as a fist-thumping tank, is just rampaging through Winston, the hairless gorilla. Also provides gaming site GamesRadar handy guide Show players which Marvel cast members most resemble their Overwatch favorites.

Marvel’s rival. Photo: Game Press

Many of the genre’s well-worn tropes and abilities have at least been remixed to suit the Marvel universe, and playing as these familiar legends adds an undeniable charm. From bludgeoning enemies with Thor’s hammer to sending exploding acorns flying as Squirrel Girl to slamming Captain America’s shield into Black Panther’s body armor, Rivals captures the comic dynamics of this famous cast perfectly. so much so that the large-scale skirmish seems like the most exciting scene in the movie. X-Men ’97 cartoon. It’s also great that all 33 heroes are available for free from the beginning. Of course, there’s also the Store and Battle Pass, but for now these only give you alternative costumes, emotes, and other accessories. And completing daily missions and seasonal story objectives will give you currency to buy this kind of stuff without paying a penny.

Additionally, the game has a big new feature, Team-Ups, which unlock additional hero abilities when at least two players on the same side select complementary characters. There’s a symbiote bond between Venom, Spider-Man, and Peni Parker that allows the latter two to channel the former’s alien powers, and allows Hela to heal and resurrect Thor and Loki in Ragnarok: Rebirth. I can do that. Kinship can greatly facilitate tactical play.

Marvel’s rival. Photo: NetEase Games

But Rivals in many ways reflects key tenets of the bible of hero shooter design. In other words, for every positive there is always a negative. The sheer number of Marvel’s super freaks and their team-up powers make the game feel very unbalanced at times. Characters like Storm and Iron Man are difficult to counter when they can stay in the air for the entire match, picking off enemies from a distance and avoiding most of the incoming gunfire. Big guys like Venom and Moon Knight tend to completely dominate the area they’re fighting, often at the expense of melee-based combatants who need to get close to deal significant damage. I never expected Wolverine to become one of the most nuanced and sophisticated characters in Marvel’s cast, but here we are.

This game is definitely luxurious in both look and feel. The user interface design regarding the menu system and information screens is excellent. Destructible locations shine in detail. And the characters are also beautifully reproduced. However, here too there are drawbacks. Amidst the chaos of a superhero riot, with explosions, magical attacks, and “hilarious” banter all at the same time, figure out what you’re hurting and what you’re hurting instead. It’s difficult. you Until it’s too late.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/6QtF-z25nIA?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Marvel Rivals | Rivals 'Til the End | Official Launch Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

These characters will definitely receive buffs and nerfs in time to even out the balance, and players will begin to learn how to combine team members more strategically. But even if the balance issue were resolved, what we’re left with is the equivalent of a changeling in video game folklore, designed to trap those who loved the original. A supernaturally accurate replacement. The question is, can you really blame Rivals for getting too close to Overwatch and potentially getting a restraining order? As the failed hero shooters Hyena, Concord, and xDefiant recently demonstrated, the brutal economics of the live service market demand absolute loyalty to established norms. It’s also fine to tag large global licenses.

Rivals, like many other highly polished and highly focused franchise expansions, is entertaining, gorgeous, and well-made. However, its presence bodes ill for the mainstream gaming industry and the people who work in it. To be successful, especially in the live services sector (where there is a lot of investment), he says, there is no need to expand or challenge other genres. All you have to do is flip a few low denomination coins based on your innovation concept, replicate it and refranchise it. On the other hand, studios that launch new ideas and original characters are doomed to failure. Millions of dollars are lost, jobs are lost, and the game is over.

Rivals is packed with Stan Lee superheroes, but its message about the game’s all-out Funko Pop-ification is as dark as a Charles Burns graphic novel.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: A Smart, Fascist-Fighting Open World Adventure Game

Posted on by
Reply

MToday, creating an Indiana Jones game may appear straightforward. Just take Uncharted’s Nathan Drake, transport him back in time about 80 years, give him a fedora and a whip, and witness the emergence of the golden idol. Dog mastered the formula for indie-inspired, globe-trotting action games over a decade ago. It would be understandable if Swedish studio MachineGames followed this same template.

However, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle chooses a different path. They intentionally avoid inviting such comparisons. This unconventional blockbuster shares more similarities with games like Dishonored and Hitman rather than Uncharted. While there are action and spectacle moments, along with some platforming, the focus lies more on puzzles, free-form stealth, and battling fascist enemies while disguised as a priest.

Set in 1937 between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, The Great Circle follows Indy as he investigates a cult infiltrating Marshall College and stealing valuable artifacts. Pursued by giants from this cult after stealing a cat, Indy embarks on a journey to various historical sites globally.

The environment is filled with items ideal for testing Nazi intelligence. Photo: Bethesda

His first destination is Vatican City, setting the tone for the subsequent adventures. Vatican City serves as a vast, maze-like sandbox where players can freely explore at their own pace, carefully navigating around fascist threats. With various puzzle-solving elements and exciting discoveries, players get to immerse themselves in the thrill of uncovering ancient secrets while outsmarting enemy patrols.

Vatican City offers a diverse range of challenges and hidden areas to explore, setting a high standard that makes subsequent locations like the Pyramids of Giza seem more traditional in comparison. The transition to open-world exploration in later parts of the game allows for more experimentation with Indy’s abilities.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/sq97d1RkdRM?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Official Launch Trailer: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

With encounters against various foes like Blackshirts and the Wehrmacht, The Great Circle captures the spontaneous action reminiscent of a Spielberg film. While combat is an option, stealth remains a preferred method, with a variety of tools at your disposal for defeating enemies. The game’s combat and stealth mechanics offer a dynamic and engaging experience amidst tomb raids and cinematic storytelling.

Despite its strong points, The Great Circle occasionally lacks the urgency expected in an Indiana Jones adventure, with pacing inconsistencies in certain acts. Nevertheless, the game picks up momentum later on, leading to a satisfying conclusion that encapsulates the essence of Spielberg’s filmography.

Grave robbing is a recurring theme. Photo: Bethesda

Overall, Indiana Jones: The Great Circle is a rich and affectionate tribute to Spielberg’s work, with a deep respect for the historical context that underlies the quest for the circular MacGuffin. It blends entertainment with poignant explorations of anti-fascist themes, shedding light on the dangers of far-right ideologies and manipulation.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Grand Theft Hamlet: Shakespeare’s Performance in the Game is Riveting and Exciting

Posted on by
Reply

a Great idea, brilliantly executed. Hilarious, surreal, and, yes, really exciting in a weird way. This could be the Marat/Sade of the 21st century. During lockdown, two out-of-work actors, Sam Crane and Marc Oosterveen, played Grand Theft Auto (GTA) online (remotely to each other), and the entire movie It is shown as an in-game action feature in GTA. Their avatars navigate the vast, intricately detailed cityscape of Los Santos, similar to Los Angeles, where the action takes place, while avoiding being shot, mutilated, and mauled in the usual GTA fashion. While running through the area, they happened to come across a deserted group of people. Vinewood Bowl Amphitheater. So they staged an in-game production of Hamlet there, recruiting other gamers to play the roles, donning various bizarre costumes, handles, and personas, and using virtual reality in a zero-gravity, near-realistic way. I thought it might be possible to move around the space., the avatar’s lips move almost in sync as they speak their lines into a microphone.

They audition for all comers. In this noisy business, strange people appear who tend to use flamethrowers and rocket launchers to destroy others for no reason during the explanation of their works. But they also meet people who have fascinating or inspiring stories to tell. Finally, the finished performance is shown, with an atmospheric musical soundtrack that was probably added later for the film.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/MLpGIHjwhNE?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="GRAND THEFT HAMLET | UK theatrical trailer | IN CINEMAS FRIDAY 6TH DECEMBER from TULL STORIES" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Coincidentally, they don’t stick to the Vinewood Bowl stage, instead boldly expanding their reach throughout the city. As one of the leads says, this is Shakespeare on a billion dollar budget, or the Shakespeare Elon Musk can afford to make. Crane and Oosterveen, along with Pinny Grylls (who co-directed with Crane), explore the game’s never-ending, dark violence, how close it is to the violence of Shakespeare’s world, and how depressed they are by the stagnation of lockdown. I look back in fascination. It provides a new dreamlike insight into Hamlet’s melancholy.

The result is something like Baz Luhrmann’s gangbanger Romeo + Juliet or Tom Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, in which actors roam the land performing a show. It’s so wild that you wonder if anyone is watching it. It’s really funny and sweet when Crane, Oosterveen, and Grylls start arguing among themselves in the quirky GTA setting. (Maybe they were just making a little fuss about these “real” crises, but that doesn’t matter.)

To me, Oosterveen’s bemused voice sounds a lot like Simon Jones as Arthur Dent in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and it’s no surprise that Douglas Adams would have loved this movie. I say this as a compliment. It certainly was.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Grand Theft Hamlet will be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from December 6th.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Spectrum Review – Reliving the 1980s with Tactile Gaming Experiences

Posted on by
Reply

TThe first time I played with a ZX Spectrum was at the Stockport branch of Debenhams. Back in 1983, it had a great home computer section, which quickly turned into a kind of free daycare center for bored 13-year-old boys. You can be there for hours typing rude Basic programs into the machine’s array while hasty staff members scramble around trying to stop it from running. However, some computers were running games for customers to try. There I encountered Manic Miner, a legendary platformer with bizarre flashing visuals and surreal enemies. The Speccy game looked completely unique thanks to the machine’s unusual way of limiting its 8×8 sprite map to two colors. This meant that objects moving on the screen were typically patchwork collections of colored pixels, creating an effect called attribute collision. Somehow it was ugly and beautiful – and it still is.

Unboxing Spectrum, Retro Games Ltd’s latest offering of modern vintage hardware, is a surprisingly nostalgic experience. It looks exactly like the original machine I remember. It’s a black board with rubber keys, each of which displays basic programming commands as well as numbers and letters. “Rem,” “Rand,” and “Gosub” are mystical words from the era of home programming. There’s a USB cable to connect (but you’ll need your own USB plug) and an HDMI lead, but no joystick. This machine is compatible with most USB gamepads. You just need to configure the button yourself. It’s a little time consuming, but worth it if you can’t stand using rubber buttons to control games.




Classic… Head Over Heels by Spectrum. Photo: Retro Games Ltd

Once you load it, you’ll be presented with a modern home screen displaying a carousel of built-in games. There are 48 to choose from, from classic titles like The Lords of Midnight, Head Over Heels, Manic Miner, and The Hobbit to the latest titles created by modern programmers in the Speccy fan scene. These are fascinating projects, including the top-down sci-fi blaster Alien Girl: Skirmish Edition and the tomb raiding romp Shovel Adventure. If you run out of internal power, you can also download Spectrum Game Roms from your PC to a USB stick, plug it in, and run it here. However, if you’re not a modern open source fan and are looking for a classic Speccy title – a game made with – then you’re in questionable legal territory.

As before, there are a number of screen settings so you can add CRT effects to give you a more authentic 1980s TV experience, but honestly, you can’t watch “Horace Goes Skiing” on a 55-inch LED display. There’s nothing to reduce the intense confusion when playing. What surprised me is that these games still have a lot of visual appeal. The students and teachers wandering the halls of School Days are full of personality, from a hulking bully to an aging history teacher. Sandy White’s Ant Attack maintains its rugged beauty, with geometric walls and giant, scurrying ants giving it an old-fashioned sense of alienation and fear. Ocean’s relatively sophisticated isometric adventures The Great Escape and Where Time Stood Still pack an incredible amount of detail into their largely black-and-white worlds. It’s nice to see them again.




The legendary… Spectrum Manic Minor. Photo: Retro Games Ltd

As with most other retro game consoles, modern game features like save points (which are a bit difficult to navigate but work) and the ability to rewind to the seconds before you got hit by a car in Trashman has been added. . But I also like the fact that every time I select a game, the original illustrated loading screen appears for a few seconds. These pictorial delights were an important part of the initial experience, as the tape would be watched for up to five minutes before it was finally loaded. What matters is whether they are preserved or not.

The original computing power of the ZX Spectrum is also retained. Selecting classic mode switches the console to the old boot screen and allows you to actually program. This is a feature that I fully utilize.




Classic Spectrum Basic program. Photo: Retro Games Ltd

Who is this for? Obviously the target audience is people like me who were there in the beginning and remember playing a lot of these games 40 years ago. Indeed, there are free Spectrum emulators available online if you know where to look. You don’t mind risking malware infection every time you search a ROM site. But part of the nostalgic gaming experience is sitting in front of the TV and watching recreations of machines you remember. And in “The Spectrum,” you also get the legendary rubber button, which presses under your finger when you hammer the leg sweep button in “The Way of the Exploding Fist.” I feel it.

Spectrum is available now for £89.99

Source: www.theguardian.com

Exploring Age and Gangsterism in ‘Mafia: Definitive Edition’ | Game Review

Posted on by
Reply

I I'm at a stage in my life where my options are limited when it comes to the job I dreamed of as a child. I'm too old to play football for Scotland, and I have no intention of owning a brewery or becoming an astronaut. (In hindsight, it was a bit ambitious to aspire to a job that combined all three.) Also, in this economy, many people are willing to take a job without knowing if the new job will work out. It is dangerous to abandon it. Luckily, video games allow you to try it out before you take the plunge. Besides, you're never too old to be a gangster, right? That's why I started playing Mafia: Definitive Edition.

I played a little bit of the original version from 70 billion years ago. But it didn't last long. Because there were driving sections that were as unintuitive and poorly controlled as the buggy on Mars.

For me, the dream of becoming a gangster was less about murder and extortion, and more about the social aspect of just hanging out with guys and yelling abuse. This is more than fully expressed in this game. Guys tell me “always soft when it comes to broads” as soon as I start taking an interest in the bar owner's daughter. Hey, does that Jabroni really have my number!

The story of the main character Tommy is how I imagine his path into the mafia. I was born on the east coast of Scotland of Polish descent, so I couldn't trace my family back to Sicily and had no blood ties to any of my five families. Like Tommy, I started out as a taxi driver, and one night I picked up some injured people from a rival gang and did a job of such high quality that I was invited to do more work for them. I imagined it would be. This is the mob equivalent of a 5-star review on Uber.

It's not Goodfellas or The Godfather, but it's solid… Mafia: Definitive Edition. Photo: Hangar 13

With the updated version, you don't actually have to do much driving. You can skip between destinations with the press of a button, but this means you'll miss out on the chat throughout the journey that helps explain the story in more detail. And that's a good story. It's not Goodfellas or The Godfather, but I thought it was solid and the voice actors did a pretty good job.

The script is full of clichés, but they remind me of the mafia movies I grew up loving, so they put me at ease. Politicians are always “taking action.” Gangs always want to “legalize” eventually. It's not about saving lives, it's about saving “donkeys.” you don&#39t thing“Do what needs to be done.'' You are not brave, you have a “real set of balls”. That's not all Any It's a set of balls, but it's a set that frequently requires commentary and praise. My boss, Don Salieri, kept saying to his co-workers, “Look at this kid's set of balls.” Isn't it strange that the mafia doesn't have a human resources department? After one meeting, everyone leaves the room, leaving not one but two cigars burning in the ashtray. Therefore, I don&#39t think much about safety and health in this workplace either.

Some things are a little silly. My character is still called “The Kid” even though he's 30 years old. Maybe they're bootlegging an elixir of life with bourbon. To get the weapon, you have to go see a man named Vincenzo. I am often told that he has just what I need. Most often it will be a baseball bat. I could have bought it at Toys R Us.

However, I find this game very comfortable to play in a predictable and undemanding way. Most of the time it's like settling down with a cozy crime thriller or potato-based soup, but there are some very difficult levels. Completely unforgiving races, bike chases with no room for error, and a level where you have to shoot down a plane, not only did you have to dial down the difficulty to make it easier, but you turned down the controller sensitivity so much that the sights It moved like an ocean tanker. (Thanks to Reddit for the last tip. Also, thanks for the comments from other people who suffered at that level. It was like a video game PTSD group.)

But as I feel comfortable in this nice mafia job with prohibitions and big money, one character gets bored and tired of this life. “I get rusty because we sit there and crush balls for six months. Then I&#39m fighting to stay awake while Don tells me stories.” he says.

I think mafia, like any other job, gets boring after a while.

Source: www.theguardian.com

New review highlights the numerous health benefits of staying well-hydrated

Posted on by
Reply

Drinking enough water can help with weight loss and prevent kidney stones as well as migraines, urinary tract infections, and low blood pressure, according to a new systematic review of 18 randomized clinical trials.

A systematic review of 18 randomized clinical trials found that interventions that increased water intake (or decreased intake in some studies) were associated with statistically significant increases in weight loss and reductions in kidney stone events. A single study suggested benefits related to migraine prevention, urinary tract infections, diabetes management, and lower blood pressure, but did not reach statistical significance. Image credit: Günther.

Water is a major component of the human body and is considered an essential nutrient that cannot be produced in sufficient quantities through metabolism.

The National Academy of Medicine recommends a daily fluid intake of approximately 13 8-ounce cups for men and 9 cups for women.

A common public health recommendation is to drink 8 cups of water per day, but the evidence supporting this is not clear.

Determining a single optimal daily water intake is a difficult concept, given the wide variation in body weight, activity levels, and health status at the population level, and the numerous mechanisms that regulate water balance.

Because of the known negative effects of dehydration, behavioral factors and hydration status have been widely studied in relation to health conditions.

Professor Benjamin Breyer of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues aimed to summarize the evidence from randomized clinical trials on the effects of increasing daily water intake on health-related outcomes.

“We wanted to take a closer look at such a ubiquitous and simple intervention, as the evidence is not clear and the benefits are not well established,” Professor Breyer said.

“Although the amount of rigorous research turned out to be limited, there were statistically significant benefits in some specific areas.”

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to broadly evaluate the benefits of water intake on clinical outcomes.”

Researchers have found the most evidence supporting drinking water to prevent kidney stones and lose weight.

Drinking 8 cups of water a day significantly reduced the chance of kidney stones recurring.

Some studies have found that drinking about 6 glasses of water a day can help adults lose weight.

However, a study of adolescents found that drinking just over 8 cups of water a day had no effect.

Still, encouraging people to drink water before meals is a simple and inexpensive intervention that could have significant benefits, given the rise in obesity.

Other studies have shown that water can help prevent migraines, manage diabetes and low blood pressure, and prevent urinary tract infections.

Adults with recurring headaches felt better after drinking more water for three months.

Drinking about 4 more cups of water a day helped diabetics with elevated blood sugar levels.

Drinking an additional 6 cups of water per day also helped women with recurrent urinary tract infections. The number of infected people has decreased and the time between infections has increased.

And drinking more water helped young people with low blood pressure.

“Dehydration has been shown to be particularly harmful for people with a history of kidney stones or urinary tract infections,” says Professor Breyer.

“On the other hand, people who sometimes suffer from frequent urination may benefit from drinking less alcohol. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to water consumption.”

of the team paper Published in a magazine JAMA network open.

_____

Nizar Hakam others. 2024. Results of randomized clinical trials testing changes in daily fluid intake: a systematic review. JAMA Net Open 7 (11): e2447621;doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.47621

Source: www.sci.news

Review: Meta Quest 3S: The Ultimate VR Experience at an Affordable Price

Posted on by
Reply

Meta’s latest virtual reality headset, the Quest 3S, offers almost all the features of the Top Model but at a more affordable price point of £290 (€330/$300/AU$500). This makes it around 40% cheaper than the Quest 3 and even cheaper than the 2020 Quest 2.

Positioned between the Quest 2 and Quest 3, the Quest 3S utilizes the same high-performance Qualcomm VR chip found in the Quest 3 while maintaining a similar design and feel to the Quest 2 to keep costs down.

Well-designed straps, rotating arms, and a well-cushioned faceplate make it easy to get a comfortable fit. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The Quest 3S has adjustable straps, rotatable arms, and a foam faceplate that make it one of the most comfortable headsets for extended wear. Additional straps and faceplates are available for users seeking a customized fit.

Featuring speakers in the arm, the Quest 3S provides decent spatial audio, but users can also opt to connect Bluetooth headphones or use a USB-C headphone adapter for wired audio.

The Quest 3S boasts the same screen and lens as the Quest 2, delivering sharp images at up to 120 frames per second. However, the use of fresnel lenses with limited distance settings may lead to blurriness at the edges when looking around.

The headset comes with industry-leading hand controllers for precise and intuitive interactions. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Two hand controllers, light and comfortable, feature capacitive buttons that respond to finger movements without accidental presses. Each controller uses a standard AA battery, with rechargeable options recommended for cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

The Quest 3S also includes spacers for glasses and offers prescription lenses for an additional cost.

Specifications

  • Screen: 120Hz LCD (1832×1920 per eye)

  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2

  • RAM: 8GB

  • Storage: 128GB or 256GB

  • Operating System: Horizon OS (Android)

  • Connectivity: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth, USB-C with Oculus Link, stereo speakers, microphone

  • Headset Dimensions: 191.5×102×142.5mm

  • Headset Weight: 514g

  • Controller Weight: 103g (excluding batteries)

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Rise of the Golden Idol: A 1970s detective game with a dark, twisted, and captivating storyline

Posted on by
Reply

a Brutal Scene: A shadowy figure forces someone into a high-voltage circuit box. The victim becomes unable to move at the moment of death, his body convulsing and sparks flying. Downstairs, everyone froze in shock the moment the lights went out. You must scrutinize this scene to determine who everyone is, where they are, why they are there, and, of course, who committed this murder. Examine faces and objects, search everyone’s pockets to see what’s inside, and read notes, signs, and letters for clues. Eventually you’ll piece it together and fill in the report with the missing words that describe exactly who, what, when, where, and why.

Rise of the Golden Idol is a 1970s alternate reality detective game where, when solved, individual scenes tell us something about a larger mystery. This is a sequel to The Case of the Golden Idol, set 300 years after the game’s Age of Exploration mystery, but following the trail of the same cursed object. Some of these scenes are relatively harmless and even funny, such as a drive-in cinema where an unexpected fire breaks out and cosplayed patrons rush for the exit. There are other scary things too. In the opening incident, the strangulation unfolds in an endless loop, like an Instagram boomerang story.

Intentionally grotesque art style…the rise of the Golden Idol. Photo: Color Gray Games

Solving these cases is very satisfying, but you better hope your memory for names and faces is good. Scenes could include 10 or more people and required a notebook to record them. There are more and more obvious hints offered when you get stuck, but as the game warns, using them takes away the fun of using deductive reasoning. Nevertheless, when I understood the gist of the case but couldn’t get someone’s last name correctly, I was glad that there was a button to show me which blanks in the report were incorrectly filled in. I thought.

The strangeness of Rise of the Golden Idol is what makes it so memorable. The art style is intentionally grotesque, with the characters’ asymmetrical faces and eyes moving like crazy, and the backgrounds filled with paint pens. The murders, robberies, and other crimes here are strange, and the picture becomes unsteady in its eternal two-second loop of movement. Until I solved the problem, the scene stuck in my head and I ended up staring at my phone screen for half an hour at a time, thinking, cross-referencing, and taking notes. Where is the character’s gaze leading me? Why is that rug in disarray? Where did that dirt come from?


The big story that comes from these details is worth all the effort. As the chapters change, the fill-in-the-blank incident report turns into a fill-in-the-blank summary of everything you’ve learned from several past cases, helping you draw connections that make the story full of intrigue. This is not a game you can play while thinking about something else. You have to pay close attention, focus your thoughts, and see what your brain can do. I was pleasantly surprised by my own reasoning skills.

The crime scenes are so bizarre that you never know where this game will take you, but there’s always something you need to solve.

“Rise of the Golden Idol” is currently in theaters. £16.75 or included with your Netflix subscription

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of the new Apple MacBook Pro M4: Improved speed, performance, and affordability.

Posted on by
Reply

Apple’s 2024 upgraded MacBook Pro ended the year on a high, with a significant power boost from the M4 chip, twice the memory than standard, longer battery life, and a lower price.

The Guardian’s journalism is independent. If you buy something through an affiliate link, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

Prices for the long-running laptop range start from £1,599 (€1,899/$1,599/AU$2,499), which is around £100 cheaper than last year’s M3 model. While it’s still an expensive, premium laptop, it does come with at least 16GB of RAM instead of the 8GB on previous models, which is worth paying extra for an upgrade.

The appearance has not changed from its predecessor. The body is still a solid, premium-looking aluminum shell that looks great in either gray or black. Although it’s not ultra-thin, its 14.2-inch size means it won’t feel cramped in your bag, making it perfect for working on the go.

This laptop has a premium look, feel, and feel for the price, and is available in black or gray aluminum. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The screen is still the star of the show. Super bright and crisp mini LED display with 120Hz refresh rate to keep things running smoothly. It’s noticeably brighter than many rivals for general tasks, and truly shines with HDR content. Apple is currently selling a special nano-textured display option for an additional £150, which significantly reduces glare when working in bright light or outdoors, if needed.

The on-screen webcam saw a very welcome upgrade to a 12MP Stage Center camera, similar to the one used on most iPads from 2021 onwards. It automatically pans and scans to stay in the frame. This is a killer feature for anyone who lives their life online. Work video calls. There’s a novel.”desk view” option uses an ultra-wide lens to view the space in front of your laptop and allows you to demonstrate it remotely. Although the built-in camera doesn’t provide a very clear view, it’s easier to use your iPhone as a secondary camera with various accessories.

The camera doesn’t yet support Apple’s Face ID system for iPhones and iPads. That’s a shame, even though the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the power button works well.

Specifications

  • Screen: 14.2 inch Mini LED (3024×1964; 254 ppi) ProMotion (120Hz)
  • Processor: Apple M4, Pro, or Max
  • Ram: 16, 24, 32, or up to 128GB
  • Storage: 512GB, 1, 2, 4, or 8TB SSD
  • Operating System: macOS 15.1 Sequoia
  • Camera: 12MP center stage
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 3x Thunderbolt 4/USB 4, HDMI 2.1, SD card, headphones
  • Size: 221.2×312.6×15.5mm
  • Weight: 1.55kg

All 14-inch MacBook Pro models have three USB-C ports that allow you to connect to two external monitors at the same time. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The big upgrade under the hood is the addition of Apple’s latest M4 series chip, first seen in the iPad Pro M4 earlier this year. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro comes with a 10-core version of the M4 chip and 16 GB of RAM (double the previous model), which is a welcome upgrade.

The M4 chip is up to 25% faster across the board than the traditional M3 chip, and up to 1.8x faster than the original M1 chip, making it extremely fast indeed. It feels very fast in everyday use, launching apps and processing data noticeably faster than a MacBook Pro with a 2021 or newer M1 Pro chip.

This laptop has best-in-class battery life, lasting around 21 hours of light browsing and regular usage with many tabs open in Chrome, a word processor, and various small utilities, note-taking and messaging apps can manage approximately 18 hours of work. light photo editing affinity photo. It also has a long battery life on standby, draining only about 1% overnight when closed.

For many use cases, the M4 chip is sufficient. However, if you’re looking to render 3D objects, crunch numbers, or write code, the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips are available, which add more high-performance processing and graphics cores. thunderbolt 5 Connectivity.

The base model M4 laptop has an additional Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 port compared to the previous model, allowing you to drive two external monitors and a laptop display simultaneously.

Sustainability

The Space Black color looks just as great as the high-end version of its predecessor and is now available on all MacBook Pro M4 models. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

MacBook Pro is made with 35% recycled materials, including aluminum, copper, gold, plastic, rare earth elements, steel, and tin. In its report, Apple provides a detailed analysis of the impact computers have on the environment.

The laptop is generally repairable, and Apple makes its repair manual available. The battery life is as follows: Over 1,000 full charge cycles and can Apple will replace it for £245. The company offers trade-in and free recycling programs, including for non-Apple products.

macOS Sequoia and the First Apple Intelligence

MacOS 15.1 now enables iPhone Mirroring, Siri input, AI Cleanup for Photos, and several other Apple Intelligence features. Composition: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

MacBook Pro runs the latest version of macOS Sequoia 15.1, which comes with a variety of new Messages and other features that are compatible with iOS 18.1. It features a very useful new window tiling system that snaps windows to the side or full screen when you drag them to the edge of your display, similar to the feature in Windows 11.

After newsletter promotion

It has iPhone mirroring allows you to wirelessly view a virtual representation of your iPhone on your Mac and control it with your mouse and keyboard, including using apps. A selection of notifications from your phone will appear in your Mac’s Notification Center. This is useful for certain services that only have a phone app.

But the new features that are getting the most attention are the first few features of Apple Intelligence. These include the same AI writing tools you’d find on your iPhone or iPad that can proofread, rewrite, and summarize text. Since they are built directly into the operating system, they are easier and faster to use than third-party options, but I have only found them useful a few times.

You can now type and talk with the new Siri. This works very well on Mac. Double-tapping the command button brings up a text box, which is more socially acceptable in an office or coffee shop than asking a question aloud. However, Siri’s capabilities are still far behind rivals such as Google’s Gemini.

Other small AI tools are scattered around various apps. The Photos app now has natural language search and a new AI cleanup tool to remove unwanted objects. Mail and Messages apps have AI smart replies and conversation summaries that stack and summarize notifications from all your apps for quick analysis.

I don’t think any of these tools are killer features for your Mac, but some of them can be useful in a pinch, and when they’re not, they usually don’t get in the way.

Price

Prices for the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 start at £1,599 (€1,899/$1,599/AU$2,499). The M4 Pro model is priced from £1,999 (€2,399/$1,999/AU$3,299), while the M4 Max starts at £3,199 (€3,799/$3,199/AU$4,999).

For comparison, the MacBook Air M3 starts at £1,099, the iPad Pro M4 costs £999, the comparable Dell XPS 14 costs around £1,400, the Razer Blade 14 costs £2,150, and Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio 2 is priced at £1,090. £2,069.

Verdict

The MacBook Pro M4 shows that small improvements across the board can slowly add up to bigger results. It may not look all that different from last year’s M3 model, but it has significant speed and battery life upgrades that make a big difference in day-to-day operation when compared to a machine that’s just three years old.

14-inch laptops are still the best in terms of screen size and portability, thanks to Apple’s best-in-class keyboard, trackpad, and great display.

Finally having a good Center Stage camera on the MacBook Pro is a very welcome upgrade, even without Face ID. An additional USB-C port, double the boot memory, and the faster M4 chip also make this boot model even more appealing.

It’s still an expensive laptop, but it’s on par as a premium workstation that can be used at full speed away from a power socket and has a very long battery life, unless you specifically need Windows 11. There is no.

Strong Points: The M4 chip is faster, has more power options, a minimum of 16 GB RAM, very long battery life, a great miniLED ProMotion screen, a great center stage camera, plenty of ports and SD card slots, great speakers, It has Touch ID, a great keyboard and trackpad.

Cons: No Face ID, no USB-A, RAM or SSD cannot be upgraded after purchase, is expensive, and not a big upgrade on the M3 model.

Touch ID on the power button is a great feature, but it’s Apple’s best-in-class keyboard and trackpad that make working with your MacBook Pro a joy. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Wilmot Works It Out: A Relaxing Puzzle Game Transforming Jigsaw Puzzles into Artistic Masterpieces

Posted on by
Reply

WAnthropomorphic squares have a strange but not undesirable presence. He lives in a spacious empty house, where Sam, the friendly local postman, regularly delivers tiled puzzles. A subscription that never expires. Wilmot unpacks each new shipment and scatters the pieces on the bare floor. Then shunt, grab, and rotate each piece to form a coherent picture. Each picture is drawn by British illustrator Richard Hogg. Once the matching pieces snap together and your artwork is complete, you can hang it on Wilmot’s big empty wall. As soon as one puzzle is completed, Sam arrives with another, and soon Wilmot’s walls are as cluttered and colorful as a search gallery.

Usually, when you finish a painting, some debris will remain, so identify these rogue debris, put them aside (you are free to organize the floor space according to your organization’s requirements) and move them back to their original location. Part of the challenge will be to bring it back to . Once you have all the necessary components. Eventually, you’ll be able to do several puzzles at once, each with varying degrees of completion. It’s this arrhythmia that gives the game its unique feel and makes it more than just a digital jigsaw simulator.

Postwoman Sam’s breezy dialogue tells a tender story through lively exchanges, adding a touch of human warmth to the relentless inscrutability. But as well as Witch Beam’s zen 2021 Bafta winner Unpacking, Willmott works fine. It’s almost a therapeutic approach. The puzzles are not difficult or complicated. Rather, it’s a slow, satisfying game that feels like untangling a complicated knot. This effect is calming, like a jigsaw, but there is a little more room for creative flair when it comes to placing artwork.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review: Fear the Spotlight – A Gripping, Eerie, and Surprisingly Contemplative Horror Experience

Posted on by
Reply

F
Or, for those who remember the early days of the survival horror genre, its aesthetic renaissance in the independent gaming scene was a macabre delight. “Crow County,” “The Closing Shift,” and “Murder House” are all modern paranormal adventures with low-poly 3D visuals and blocky textures. It’s used not only as a visual hook, but as a way to reconnect with the things that scared the likes of Silent Hill and Clock Tower. Get involved first. Fear the Spotlight, the debut title from Cozy Game Pals and new horror-focused publisher Blumhouse Games, is another wonderful, warmly chilling example.

Two girls break into a high school library late at night, looking for specific items. It’s a spirit board that was locked in a display case as part of an exhibit on the occult. Vivian is a bit of a nerd and the library’s star volunteer, while Amy is a charming outsider with an interest in the paranormal. When the two decide to hold a seance in a vacant building, they come into contact not only with the dead, but also with tragic events from the school’s recent past. Then Amy mysteriously disappears.




Creepy atmosphere…fear the spotlight. Photo: Blumhouse Games

As Vivian, you must roam the nightmarishly transformed hallways, searching for your friends and learning more about what happened here 30 years ago. Developer Cozy Game Pals understands that night school is the perfect horror setting. The game features dark, locker-lined hallways, shabby bathrooms, and areas such as a gymnasium and pool that take on an eerie atmosphere when it gets quiet. Empty. As you explore, the game gives you small telltale signs of horror conventions. A creaking door, a flickering light, a glimpse of a face down the hallway, so you know something is watching outside. There’s also a nice use of 1990s technology, such as an overhead projector, a television with a video player, and an ancient PC, which not only provides the setting for the puzzles, but also lets you know that we’re no longer in the 21st century.

Particularly fun are the formal nods to Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Important items in the environment will glow, catching your eye and drawing Vivian’s head to interesting artifacts as you pass by. Puzzles also use familiar conventions and often involve mechanical objects, such as a generator that requires a fuse or a piano that requires a particular song to be played. The use of jerky, low-poly visuals is truly retro, but it has a self-conscious, artistic quality that elevates the look of the game beyond mere nostalgia.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/QIuHNbncqmk?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Fear the Spotlight – Reveal Trailer Summer Game Fest 2024 | PS5 & PS4 Games" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

This also applies to the story, which rises above the sometimes shoddy plotting and wooden voice acting common to old-school horror titles. At its core, Fear the Spotlight is a sensitive and emotionally resonant queer love story through which it explores themes of performance and observation. This is a game about the role we play in life and the role that imagination (for better or worse) plays in love and desire. The title Spotlight is both literal and figurative, offering a metaphor for the human gaze: love and bullying, desire and obsession.

This is a short game that can be completed in a few hours and has a slightly lower difficulty level, making it a great entry point into the horror genre for young adults. There’s a nice message at the end thanking players for their time and attention and acknowledging that the game isn’t perfect. Not really, but nothing really. The time I spent with the company was absorbing, eerie, and unexpectedly thought-provoking. Horror offers a distorted, shadowy lens through which to view our lives and learn new things about ourselves and the world, and it’s expertly utilized here. With its focus on love, Fear the Spotlight does more than just scare you.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Fear the Spotlight is available on PC, PS4/5, Switch and Xbox from £18

Source: www.theguardian.com

A recent review suggests that using weighted blankets can be beneficial for enhancing sleep quality

Posted on by
Reply

Weighted blankets can help improve sleep in adults with insomnia and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, but results are mixed in children, one researcher says. new review paper Published in American Occupational Therapy Journal.

dawson others. We suggest that occupational therapists should consider offering or recommending weighted blankets as a sleep intervention option for all age groups, taking into account individual preferences. Image credit: Martin de Arriba.

“Sleep is a basic human need, and not getting enough sleep can increase or worsen the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and mental health problems, as well as It can cause health problems.” Dr Suzanne Dawson, researcher at Flinders University.

“In occupational therapy, weighted blankets are becoming common among many age groups as an assistive technology, but there are no current clinical guidelines for their use.”

In a review study, Dr. Dawson and fellow authors considered 18 existing studies that investigated the overnight use of weighted blankets.

They found significant evidence supporting the use of weighted blankets to improve sleep in adults.

“Weighted blankets appear to offer a specific, non-drug intervention to improve sleep quality,” says Dr. Dawson.

“Adults who used the blanket reported improved sleep, reduced use of sleeping pills, and even improved mood and pain management.”

Despite strong evidence for use in adults, research on the use of weighted blankets in children is mixed, and there are limits to their ability to improve sleep in children with conditions such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorders.

“However, some parents report positive results with the use of weighted blankets, and some studies have shown that children’s daily functioning improves after using weighted blankets.”

“Parents often reported that when using blankets, their children seemed more relaxed, less anxious, and more focused in their daily lives. This has been shown to improve children’s overall health can have long-term effects,” Dr. Dawson said.

The authors note that for children and adults with cognitive impairments, the blankets used should be easy to remove on their own.

Although the findings indicate that overnight use of weighted blankets is recommended for adults and can be continued for children, the next step is to develop clear clinical guidelines for blanket use.

“This scoping study was conducted to inform change in practice and its findings were used to change state-wide protocols for the use of weighted blankets across South Australia’s public mental health services. I’m very happy about that,” Dr. Dawson said.

“Blankets come in many different types, including those with beads and chains, and those of varying weights, but there are still no standardized recommendations including type, weight, frequency of use, and duration. .”

“More rigorous research is needed to find out how best to use them, but the practical use of weighted blankets requires further research.”

_____

Suzanne Dawson others. 2024. Weighted Blankets as a Sleep Intervention: A Scope Review. American Occupational Therapy Journal 78 (5): 7805205​​160;doi: 10.5014/ajot.2024.050676

Source: www.sci.news

Review of Neva: A Beautiful Depiction of a Warrior and His Wolf in a Bleak World | Video Games

Posted on by
Reply

a The warrior and his wolf traverse a stunning landscape in a video game like no other. Cranes soar from a sparkling pond, while wild boars and stags wander in the background. The camera pans out to reveal a vast plain with yellow flowers spreading in all directions and cracked mountains in the distance. However, corruption lurks in this beautiful world. Birds fall from the sky, and black flowers emerge as a masked demon preys on them. These are the enemies that the warrior, armed with a thin blade, must defeat. But the task is daunting, as there are many foes to face, and the warrior is accompanied only by his faithful wolf companion.

Neva does not rely on words to embellish its setting. The game immerses players in a visually stunning world brought to life by developer Nomada Studio’s animation and accompanied by evocative music from Barcelona-based Berlinist. While many games prioritize style over substance, Neva excels on all fronts. The emotional impact of watching the world deteriorate and creatures succumb to darkness is profound, leaving players moved by the experience.

The journey begins with a small wolf pup that grows alongside the player, relying on their protection in the face of darkness. Players must utilize various abilities such as dashes, double jumps, and a rapier to combat the encroaching evil and safeguard their companion. The bond between the warrior and the wolf forms the heart of the game, evolving as the seasons change and the characters face new challenges.


“The bond between you and this wolf is the emotional center of this game.” Photo provided by: Nomada Studio

As the wolf matures, it gains new abilities and forms a crucial partnership with the player, aiding in combat and offering protection. The growth and development of the wolf symbolize the evolving relationship between player and companion, adding depth to the gameplay experience.

Neva seamlessly blends nature with changing architecture, creating diverse challenges that test players’ skills. The puzzles and combat scenarios are well-crafted, providing a balance of difficulty and consequence. The game’s visual design and atmospheric storytelling draw players into a captivating world where choices matter and dangers lurk at every turn.

Reminiscent of critically acclaimed games like Journey, Neva offers a compelling and emotionally resonant experience that lingers long after the credits roll. The journey towards the distant mountain, fraught with challenges and revelations, culminates in a poignant conclusion that leaves players reflecting on the profound impact of their adventure.

Neva is available now. £16.99

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of UFO 50: A Retro 80’s Game Returns to the Gaming Universe

Posted on by
Reply

WOne of the first indie game superstars of the 2000s, Derek Yu started designing games on graph paper with his friend John Perry while still a student. When Yu’s first major success, “cave exploration,” became a hit, he and Perry decided to collaborate once again, this time as men in their 40s. This heartwarming backstory is reflected in UFO50, an ambitious collection of 50 games. The narrative structure was crafted by a fictional game company during the years of 1982 to 1989. Each game in UFO50 features the nostalgic Atari 2600 and NES aesthetics with chunky sprites and a retro chiptune soundtrack, but incorporates modern design elements to bring a fresh twist to the retro style.

Why 50 games? No one knows for sure. But Yu and Perry, along with their supportive developer friends, showcased their design talents across a variety of genres, both familiar and completely innovative. One standout is “party house,” where players must balance a mix of guests to throw the ultimate house party, scoring points based on the success of the event. Other games in the collection include “night manners,” a point-and-click horror story, “bushido ball,” an Edo period themed game similar to Pong, and “rail robbery,” a stealth action game where players take on the role of an outlaw robbing trains.

Creating 50 games was a daunting task for Yu and Perry, requiring immense dedication and effort. The end result of UFO50 is a testament to their creativity and highlights the vast possibilities within the realm of game design, even in the simplest looking games.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Review of Starfield: Shattered Space – Addressing Areas for Improvement | Game

Posted on by
Reply

TThe first expansion story for Bethesda’s space RPG comes after a year of updates that have fixed the game’s flaws. Quest-breaking bugs are gone, there are vehicles for easier planetside travel, city maps are improved, and a 60fps mode is added for Xbox Series X players. However, NPCs still feel stiff and there are many loading screens. Despite this, the Shattered Space expansion aims to build upon the game’s progress.

Bethesda realized that traveling through space via cutscenes was lackluster, so Shattered Space mostly takes place on a single map. The story revolves around the Varoon family, a cult of space serpent worshippers. Players embark on a mission to save a civilization hit by a catastrophe, encountering various tasks and challenges along the way.

Tasks range from interstellar travel to defeating phantoms and mundane chores. While reminiscent of classic Bethesda RPGs, many tasks lack excitement and are hindered by clunky movement mechanics.

Exploring the planet’s landscape can be frustrating due to impassable rocks and lack of interesting discoveries. The gameplay lacks the depth and immersion found in Bethesda’s previous titles.

The attempt to introduce cosmic horror elements falls short, reverting to typical gunfights and loot collection. Unreliable quest markers make the game frustrating, overshadowing the engaging main story and visual appeal of the game.

Shattered Space offers more of the same experience as Starfield, lacking the variety of spaceflight. Despite its flaws, there is potential for improvement in future updates, but a full sequel may be needed to address fundamental issues. The core brilliance of Starfield remains unfulfilled, leaving room for growth.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.