PUBG MOBILE ADDS ACTION PACKED MIRAMAR MAP AS PART OF EXTENSIVE MAY UPDATE
Latest update for mobile’s original Battle Royale experience introduces new map, weapons, vehicles and more
LOS ANGELES – May 16, 2018 – The PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) universe continues to expand on mobile devices as fan-favorite map, Miramar comes to Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBG MOBILE) as part of a brand-new update, available today.
With today’s update, PUBG MOBILE delivers the harrowing, varied terrain of the Miramar battleground to players. Set in a rugged desert with expansive cities perfect for epic battles, Miramar offers players fast-paced combat in the palm of their hands.
In addition to the inclusion of Miramar, PUBG MOBILE’s latest update adds new in-game and social features that enhance the player’s ability to work with teammates cooperatively, including:
New Weapons and Vehicles – Miramar’s addition comes with several new weapons and vehicles
New Social Features – Added local quick team feature: enter a 6-digit code to team up with nearby friends
Increased Optimization – Improvements have been made to in-game sounds, climbing, parachuting and special effects
PUBG MOBILE is based on PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the original battle royale PC and Xbox One phenomenon that took the world of interactive entertainment by storm in 2017. Up to 100 players parachute onto a remote 8×8 km island to do battle in a winner-takes-all showdown. Players must locate and scavenge their own weapons, vehicles and supplies, and defeat every player in a visually and tactically rich battleground that forces players into a shrinking play zone.
For more information, please visit the official PUBG MOBILE accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Month-long PlayStation® Plus Promotion Begins as Premiere Action MMORPG Passes Major Milestone
En Masse Entertainment announced today that its action-MMO TERA has now hit two million console players since its launch on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One last month. Alongside this milestone, En Masse Entertainment has announced that PlayStation® Plus members will have access to a unique TERA PS Plus Pack, via an exclusive promotion that runs from May 15 through June 12.
Roam TERA’s massive world in style on the spectral mount Shadowmare
TERA PS Plus Pack features:
Shadowmare: A spectral horse mount that will help you traverse the world of TERA.
Blue Baseball Cap: This unique head accessory says, “you’re here to celebrate the summer in style!”
15 Days of TERA Elite Status: Over two weeks of double XP, double gold from quests and monsters, fast travel, daily gift boxes, and more!
TERA has hit the console MMO space with the heat of a summer scorcher and players have already seen two major content updates, Ruinous Manor and Corsairs’ Stronghold. More hot content is slated to come for free this summer!
ABOUT EN MASSE ENTERTAINMENT
Based in Seattle, Washington, En Masse Entertainment embodies the evolution of modern game publishing. The company’s mission is to publish great games and provide great service. Beginning with its inaugural title, TERA, and continuing with Alliance of Valiant Arms, Kritika Online and Closers, En Masse Entertainment has built a track record of excellence and innovation. The team at En Masse includes experts in online technology, live service, branding, community, and player support, allowing them to thrive as a publisher in the digital era. For more information, visit enmasse.com.
USC GAME INNOVATION LAB’S WALDEN, A GAME LAUNCHES TODAY ON PLAYSTATION®4
Experience A Bold Vision Of Life Surviving On Your Own In The Woods Of Walden Pond
LOS ANGELES – May 15, 2018 – USC Game Innovation Lab at the USC School of Cinematic Arts has released Walden, a game on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. This award-winning, open-world, narrative exploration adventure, based on philosopher Henry David Thoreau’s classic book, Walden, is available today via the PlayStation®Store for $18.99.
Winner of the “Game of the Year” and “Most Significant Impact” awards at the 2017 Games for Change Festival, Walden, a game follows the footsteps of Thoreau’s bold experiment living on the fruits of his labor in the tranquil woods of New England’s Walden Pond. Build a shelter, grow your own food, fish on the water’s edge, and discover the wildlife, terrain and townspeople surrounding your idyllic home in the forest as it changes with the seasons.
There is no right or wrong way to play – as an homage to one of literature’s most celebrated journeys of freedom and exploration, Walden, a game is designed to inspire players to reflect on fundamental ideas like personal happiness and the natural world. It features the voice talent of actor Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) as Thoreau, as well as English, French and Spanish language support.
Walden, a game is also available on Windows PC and Mac at www.WaldenGame.com and GameInnovationLab.itch.io/Walden. USC Game Innovation Lab recently released a companion curriculum guide for the game with lessons to further help educators teach students about Thoreau’s life and the legacy of environmentalism he helped inspire. The guide can be downloaded for free through https://www.waldengame.com/educators, where educators can also request a free copy of the game with a complimentary evaluation license on Windows PC and Mac.
Walden, a game is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB. Walden, a game was developed by game designer Tracy Fullerton and her team, with funding provided by the NEH, NEA and Sundance Institute.
About Tracy Fullerton and the USC Game Innovation Lab
Tracy Fullerton is an experimental game designer, professor and director of the USC Game Innovation Lab at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Her research center, the Game Innovation Lab, has produced several influential independent games, including Cloud, flOw, Darfur is Dying, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, and The Night Journey, with artist Bill Viola.
Tracy is the author of Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, a design textbook used at game programs worldwide, and holder of the Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in Interactive Entertainment. Prior to USC, she designed games for companies including Microsoft, Sony and MTV, among many others. Tracy’s work has received numerous honors, including an Emmy nomination for interactive television, IndieCade’s “Sublime Experience,” “Impact,” and “Trailblazer” awards, the Games for Change “Game Changer” award, the Game Developer’s Choice Ambassador Award and Time Magazine’s Best of the Web. Follow www.gameinnovationlab.com and @USCGameLab on Twitter.
Greater Career Depth, More Classic Cars and Release Date Confirmed
Larkspur, Calif. – May 15, 2018 – Codemasters® and Deep Silver today announced that F1™ 2018, the official videogame of the 2018 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, will immerse players into the world of Formula 1® more than ever before. F1 2018 will release onto PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC (DVD and via Steam) worldwide on August 24, 2018, the weekend of the FORMULA 1 2018 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps Circuit.
“We were delighted by the reception that the highly-acclaimed F1 2017 game received, and are extremely excited to be able to further build on such a strong starting point with F1 2018,” said Paul Jeal, F1 Franchise Director at Codemasters. “Over the past few years we have engaged heavily with our fan-base to understand what is important to them, and we cannot wait to unveil more details on features we know our fans will love. Career mode has been further expanded to immerse players even deeper into the world of F1 than before, with the return of a highly requested feature back into the franchise. We are also adding more classic cars, again listening to our fans as to which of the historical F1 cars they would most like to virtually drive next. Outside of those headline additions there are many other great enhancements to be revealed before the game launches.”
The 2018 season has started in exhilarating style with victories for Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel at both the Australian and Bahrain Grand Prix™, and then for Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo in China. Lewis Hamilton then won a thrilling and dramatic race at the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan, and most recently Hamilton was again victorious in last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The 2018 season also sees the return of the French Grand Prix for the first time since 2008, at the Circuit Paul Ricard, which last hosted the French Grand Prix in 1990. The German Grand Prix also returns to the Championship after not featuring last year, with the Hockenheimring hosting the race in July. F1 2018 will feature all of the official teams, the drivers and circuits of the 2018 season.
Follow Codemasters F1 games blog and social channels on Twitter and Facebook for future news. Further details about all the new features and specifics will be revealed in the build up to release.
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About Codemasters
Codemasters, the award winning video game developer and publisher, has a 30 year heritage. With titles distributed globally, Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of driving and racing entertainment games including DiRT, GRID, ONRUSH and the official BAFTA award-winning FORMULA 1™ series of videogames. The company is fully controlled by Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL). For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com. Join in the conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/codemasters.
About Deep Silver
Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds. Deep Silver works with its partners to achieve a maximum of success while maintaining the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.
Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the grim post-apocalyptic future of the Metro series. Upcoming highlights from Deep Silver include Dead Island 2 and Agents of MAYHEM. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com
LITTLE WITCH ACADEMIA: CHAMBER OF TIME NOW AVAILABLE FROM BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. FOR PLAYSTATION 4 AND STEAM
Cast Powerful Spells and Battle Hoards of Monsters in This Exciting Side Scrolling Beat ‘em Up Based on the Little Witch Academia Anime Series
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (May 15, 2018) – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., the premier publisher of anime video games launches Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time digitally for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PC via STEAM®. Run through the halls of Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy and tackle beasts with magical powers in this 3D action-RPG beat ‘em up featuring an original storyline from the popular anime series by Studio Trigger, now streaming on Netflix.
Having been inspired by a famous witch named Shiny Chariot, an ordinary girl named Atsuko Kagari enrolls at Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy, a prestigious school for young girls trained to become witches. Before starting summer vacation, Akko and her new classmates find out about an inexplicable phenomenon at Luna Nova caused by the Seven Wonders. Now it’s up to Akko and her friends as they take on an adventure of a lifetime to unravel the mystery surrounding the Seven Wonders.
Players will be able to roam the halls of Luna Nova as Akko and partake in the student life of a witch-in-training and fight through dungeons as one of seven students from the anime series, each with their own special attacks and attributes. Two multiplayer modes are also available to play*. The first has three players cooperatively fighting through an increasingly difficult dungeon consisting of 999 levels. Delve deeper and deeper into the dungeon to battle an onslaught of enemies and uncover valuable treasure. The second mode is a two-player battle mode that will pit two teams of three characters against each other and claim victory against a variety of win conditions.
*Players must download a day-one patch to access multiplayer modes. Internet access is required to download the patch.
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About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS.
Universal Classics™ Pinball Brings Iconic Film Franchises to Pinball FX2 VR
Zen Studios’ Three-Pack of Tables Offers New Virtual Reality Experiences for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial™, Jaws™ and Back to the Future™
San Francisco, CA – May 15, 2018 – In collaboration with Universal, Zen Studios announced that one of its most critically acclaimed video pinball packs enters virtual reality today on Oculus Rift, Oculus Go and Gear VR. Now available for Pinball FX2 VR, Universal Classics Pinball includes immersive new features for fan-favorite tables inspired by E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws and Back to the Future.
As with previous Pinball FX2 VR releases, Universal Classics Pinball places pinball machines in the middle of iconic locations, including the forest behind Elliot’s house, a beach villa looking out to an Amity Island sunset, and Hill Valley’s historic town square—complete with a familiar clock tower. Players can expect to see E.T. elongate his head to see what’s happening during his pinball adventure, just as a shark fin circles the Jaws table and Doc Brown drives—or flies!—his time machine as players engage with Back to the Future.
Universal Classics Pinball earned a 90 on Metacritic (Xbox One) for its non-VR Pinball FX3 release last September. The Pinball FX2 VR version features every bit of film-adapting gameplay that resonated so well with critics and fans alike, from E.T. collecting candy in a cornfield to Marty McFly showcasing his skills at arcade shooting and players braving the open waters in a shark cage for an exciting multi-ball mode.
“For Zen Studios’ first-ever VR tables inspired by popular films, we’re offering up three of the most popular ones we’ve created in recent memory,” says Mel Kirk, Zen’s Vice President of Publishing. “We know that VR players are as hungry as a great white on the Fourth of July for quality new content, and Zen is happy to deliver with Universal Classics Pinball.”
About Zen Studios
Zen Studios is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for all major digital game platforms. Recognized as one of the premier independent gaming studios in the world, Zen’s offices span from its headquarters in Budapest, Hungary, to offices in the United States. Zen Studios has worked with some of the most iconic entertainment studios, including NBC Universal, FOX Digital Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment, South Park Studios and Lucasfilm, as well as revered gaming properties like Valve’s Portal and Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead. Zen Studios’ CastleStorm franchise has also won the developer critical acclaim and commercial success, including the coveted Editor’s Choice awards from both the Apple App Store and Google Play, and its Pinball FX franchise has defined video game pinball excellence since 2007.
Universal Games and Digital Platforms
Universal’s Games and Digital Platforms group leverages the vast portfolio of IP and characters from NBCUniversal. The Games and Digital Platforms group is a business unit of Universal Brand Development (www.universalbranddevelopment.com), which is chartered with globally expanding the company’s intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. The company’s extensive portfolio includes properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal cable and television. Universal Brand Development (www.universalbranddevelopment.com) is a business segment of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
After reviewing The Thin Silence recently, it seems like another game with a similar topic found its way to my PC. On top of dealing with depression, STAY goes an extra mile by adding loneliness and anxiety to the mix. Jolly. That and an interesting gameplay mechanic (more on that later) already got me curious, so let’s dive in deeper. Hopefully, the game won’t overSTAY its welcome (first and last pun of the article, I promise).
Story
We find our protagonist, Quinn, waking up in a locked room with nothing but a computer (pretty sweet deal, if you ask me). He has to find answers to why is he there, who trapped him in the room and how can he get out. His most valuable asset is you. Specifically, the person chatting with him from the other end of the screen. You’ll be there to guide him, help solve some puzzles and gain Quinn’s trust by choosing correct conversation options. Your decisions will guide you to one of the seven different endings and death scenarios. Fun!
Gameplay
You won’t find much to do at first as Quinn, so chatting with the player will be a sure way to kill some boredom. Maybe even get out alive as a bonus. Much like real life, the computer screen is where you’ll spend most of the time. You will have access to Quinn’s webcam so you can observe him constantly. This will be useful later on to better observe his behavior and mental state. Below the tiny webcam screen on the left, you can look at four different graphs representing Quinn’s mood. The way you interact with him, whether it is being understanding or giving harsh replies, will have an impact on his actions. Sometimes he might not listen to your advice which can even lead to his certain death. Yep, it happened to me more than once. Moral of the story is: always be nice! Another interesting thing is that gameplay mechanic I mentioned at the start. In STAY, time passes regardless if you play the game or not and leaving Quinn for far too long will have an effect on the story and his behavior. I guess that’s one way to keep you glued to the screen. One of you, at least.
Visuals
Despite the minimalistic presentation and having the story in the confined environment, there is some impressive attention to details in STAY. The game features wonderful pixel art and a well-animated character. While the color palette can be rather grim at first, once you progress more in the story and gain to some new areas, that only changes for the better.
Audio
Never judge a book by its cover, as they say. It’s something I remembered an hour into the game. The soundtrack is something I didn’t expect to be on this level in STAY, at least when compared to the rest of the visuals. If anything, I’d say it raises the overall atmosphere to a whole new level. The music here is barely noticeable at the start but pretty soon is opens up with a good selection of intense piano notes. Things will usually pick up the pace during intense story moments and dialogue, adding more fuel to the fire.
Overall
The main thing that I find remarkable in STAY is the way the story is presented. Quinn is in danger, yes. There are many answers to be found by solving puzzles and making Quinn open up a bit. Most of the story is served to you through these drops of info from items you find and while exploring your surroundings. However, the more you play, the more you move away from the main plot and get up close and personal with Quinn. Eventually, I felt like the main story was a well-made bait hiding another story behind it. One that seemed special to me. In the end, I completely forgot about saving Quinn and helping him get out of that place. I was more focused on establishing a real connection and being there for him. It’s been a while since I got my hands on a game that managed to elicit such an emotional response from me but going with an overall theme of the game, it made sense. Sometimes we just need someone to be there for us, it can make a whole lot of difference in the long run.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
After the success of Pillars of Eternity, Obsidian Entertainment returned to crowdfunding to raise money for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Opting to try Fig over returning to Kickstarter, Obsidian Entertainment raised over four million dollars to expand and polish the sequel. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is finally upon us, bringing the next chapter in the Watcher of Caed Nua’s story. Behind the scenes, Obsidian has shortened the load times, created a brand-new region of Deadfire, tweaked the gameplay, and improved the graphics in the sequel.
Story
The Watcher of Caed Nua happily sat in their fortress after the events of Pillars of Eternity, enjoying well deserved rest. Unfortunately, peace was just not meant to be. The god Eothas took the form of a massive adra statue and rose, absorbing all the souls in and around the fortress. The Watcher only survives out of sheer strength, managing to hang onto a small piece of their soul. Eothas now marches into Deadfire, leaving death and destruction in his wake. Calling on the Watcher to return a favour, the god Berath has now tasked the Watcher to determine Eothas’ plan and stop him if necessary.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire delivers an excellent story experience. I am struck by how familiar and foreign Deadfire is at the same time. Obsidian has taken the classic fantasy world and reimagines it as if human colonialism occurred there too. I find Obsidian handles the politically charged subject well, preferring to take a more balanced approach that portrays individuals with a large variety of world views and motivations within a system that brings both misery and benefits to the area and its people. I’m rather fond of Obsidian’s approach as it allows for the subject of colonialism to be explored in a more neutral environment of a fantasy world, then allowing gamers to draw their own links to the real world.
Obsidian’s rather nuanced touch is evident throughout the entire game. Few characters are explicitly good or evil. Even the most benevolent actions can come with a hidden cost. Instead of the traditional good and evil dichotomy, players can handle situations from a variety of approaches, ranging from aggressive behaviour to stoic responses. Factions will track not only the player’s actions that affect the faction, but also the player’s general behaviour. NPCs will throw in an odd line or two to acknowledge the player’s reputation as an honest diplomat or a terrifying psychopath.
I have not had the opportunity to play the original Pillars of Eternity, but Obsidian has done a great job getting new players up to speed. For those without a save file from the first game, players are able to choose one of six archetypes that determine the player’s actions from the previous game and their reputation. A handy Pillars of Eternity icon pops up when the conversation refers to events of the first game. Obsidian’s implementation of a lore encyclopedia is possibly one of the best I have ever seen. Important terms and culturally significant individuals are highlighted and will display a tooltip with a short description. It’s a great system for helping players navigate complex lore, and I hope Obsidian expands it to help players keep track of characters they may encounter in their travels.
Gameplay
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is modeled after old school isometric RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights. As such, players can expect large, branching quest lines with plenty of side quests, deep character progression, and a good bit of combat. While the core mechanics of Pillars of Eternity has not changed much, Obsidian has opted to tighten the gameplay experience a bit by lowering the party size down to five, introducing spell retargeting, increasing control of AI behaviour, and adding more customization options.
The quests in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire are well designed. There is a lot of content to explore and plenty of ways to approach every situation. Obsidian has paid great care to ensure that most problems can be solved without violence, putting many of the game’s social skills to good use. Between the many factions to align with and the multiple solutions to quests, Obsidian has packed in a good amount of replayability into the game.
The character system in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is solid. The system should be familiar to anyone who has played Dungeons & Dragons in one of its many variants. The classes are varied enough to feel different, with a few unique classes thrown in for good measure. Since party sizes has been dropped down to five, character choices should matter a bit more. In practice, I found it was easy enough to create a balanced party, especially with the assistance of multiclass characters, but it wasn’t a completely mindless endeavour either. Many skill checks outside of combat are party based, forcing players to distribute skills across the party so that all skills are accounted for, but still ensuring that each character specialized in a few skills for the odd individual check.
Combat is in real time in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire with the option to pause or slow the action to issue specific commands. The AI is very competent in combat, allowing players to generally leave them to their own devices. Skilled players who are willing to manage their characters positioning and skills will still get a tactical advantage, allowing them to tackle more challenging content sooner. The AI’s one weakness is pathing, as I found the AI could struggle with walls blocking areas or tight spaces.
Sailing is the main mode of long distance travel in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. The game does a decent job of making it more than a mindless endeavour by requiring players to staff their crew and manage supplies as time progresses at sea. Ship to ship combat is handled with a simple board game-style mini-game. The system strikes a nice balance of realism without being intrusive or extremely monotonous.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire’s difficulty scaling works well. The game offers five base difficulty levels and level scaling so players can tailor their experience. I find the early game can be a bit challenging, but the difficulty level eases as the game progresses. The falling difficulty is likely due to characters have access to more skills and players having more characters to assemble a balanced party. The ability to adjust the difficulty level between combat helps mitigate the falling difficulty level.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is polished enough to be playable, but small bugs are still popping up. For example, the voice over system has a habit of playing two voice lines at once when skipping over text. The odd quest may accidentally lock out certain alternative solutions, though quests are still completable in one way or another. The bugs were never bad enough to inhibit gameplay, but still common enough to be noticed. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is struggles a bit on load times and will likely benefit from being installed on an SSD.
The controls in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire are decent. The game can almost entirely be controlled with a mouse, though keyboard shortcuts will make things easier. The default UI is serviceable, and the game offers several variants to fit player tastes. The characters and camera move a bit slow for me, but the options provide enough controls to tweak things to my liking. I found selecting and managing character movement wasn’t as intuitive as I liked, but the quirks are not too difficult to learn either.
Visuals
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire maintains visual the style of old school isometric RPGs with a healthy resolution bump. The artwork looks right at home in you favourite pen and paper RPG rule book. The lighting effects received an upgrade in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, and the artists have clearly put the new effects to work. There are plenty of dark maps lit up with eerie glows, with combat adding more flashes of colour.
Audio
The audio experience in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is solid. The music is an enjoyable accompaniment to gameplay. The sound effects are of high quality. The game’s dialogue is completely voice acted. A few of the important scene descriptions also have voice acting, but most are text only. The voice acting is good on a whole. Main characters all feature high quality voice acting. Most of the minor characters put up decent performances, but a few pale in comparison to the main characters.
Overall
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a solid old school RPG. The audio/visual experience is top notch. The game is set in a beautiful, nuanced world that explores a very relevant topic in current society. The gameplay is does not stray far from the games Pillar of Eternity II are inspired by and delivers it in a refined way that is accessible to new players. The game does need a bit of polishing, as small bugs and hiccups are still being ironed out. While we may never see another Neverwinter Nights title, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire does a great job of scratching that itch.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
I was already familiar with Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption after having seen it a number of times broadcast on TV in my youth. This would be the first time I would be able to see the film on the big screen, however, and I looked forward to finally seeing it as it was originally intended. I moseyed on down to the In the House screening at George St cinemas and settled in for the long haul to freedom.
The MCs for the evening were Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis and David ‘Quinny’ Quinn who opened up the proceedings by talking about some of the film’s trivia. A funny little tidbit from Quinny was that the film’s original title “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” led to some interesting conversations by the casting director and various talent agents who put forward their clients as perfect fits for the role of Rita Hayworth in the film… at which point it became abundantly clear that the agents had not read the script or they would not have been trying to land such a two dimensional role.
Story
The story follows the trials and tribulations of disgraced former banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) after he’s convicted of murdering his wife and the lover she was eloping with. While in incarcerated at Shawshank State Penitentiary, he must navigate the perilous waters of prison life and befriends a prison contraband smuggler, Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman). As time moves on, we see how Andy settles into life behind bars and how he attempts to improve his situation and the situation of those around him. Although he has a sharp mind and a strong spirit, will it be enough in the face of the overbearing and arbitrary authority of the corrupt warden who runs Shawshank?
A significant strength of the films narrative is that it is able to captivate it’s audience by actually having very little change in the circumstances of it’s characters.The characters spend most of their time behind bars for most of the film’s run time and with only incremental changes in the circumstances. To that end film’s story heavily relies upon the depth relationship between Andy and Red to propel itself forward we see how their friendship grows and evolves from the initial enmity of their introduction to an intimate closeness. Because of this reliance, the film required an onscreen chemistry of Robbins and Freeman which the actors were able to deliver and then some. Robbins plays his character with a quiet intensity which is both unsettling and charming. Freeman’s Red is a far warmer and jovial foil for Robbins to play against as he often plays the worldly and pragmatic cynic to the optimist idealism of Andy.
Freeman’s narration, especially, is performed with nigh perfection and it is easy to see why it’s become such a landmark of cinema. Although much of this narration is simply a method of providing context and observation of Andy, Freeman is able to utilise the material to give us a similar sense of his own character. The gravitas, humour, contempt, and warmth he’s able to inject into his words are (what I would argue) what made him a household name and the touchstone when one thinks about effective use of film narration.
One area of consternation for me lies with the film’s arbitrary view of justice and its application. Throughout the film, we are very clearly shown how the prison system brutalises, degrades and exploits its inmates with prisoners being left at the mercy of each other and as well as the measured sadism of the guard Hadley and warden Norton. The film, of course, offers remediation for the characters by then exacting that same brutality upon the instigator of this violence. One can certainly describe it as poetic justice, but I would suggest that it perhaps does undercut the film’s criticism of contradictions of a punitive prison system if it then suggests that the solution is… well, more punitive measures exacted against offenders. It’s small quibble but honestly, there’s so little else that I can critique with this film that pointing out an intellectual contradiction is pretty much my only critique as this film carries itself so well otherwise.
Visuals
Darabont’s visual direction aims to achieve a more realistic and subtle mise en scene to facilitate audience empathy. Colours are light is muted with characters often in drab and bare surroundings and dimly lit rooms. It creates a sense of atmospheric realism and a lived-in feel for what prison life is like on a day to day level but also creates a powerful contrast for outdoor scenes which occur intermittently. It as much a visual break from the overbearing prison walls for the prisoners as it is for the audience and facilitates a degree of empathy in a very subtle way.
Audio
The film’s soundtrack follows a similar toned down and subtle style in punctuating the film’s narrative beats and avoiding upstaging the action with too grandiose a composition. To that end, the film’s mostly orchestral score features a lot of movements featuring only one or two instruments playing at a time which creates a much more muted and solitary soundscape in comparison to other films. There is, of course, an exception to this rule in the film’s climax where the soundtrack finally crescendos and gives us a much needed auditory catharsis to the carefully built up tension of the story. I don’t know whether I could really say whether I’d be able to recognise the tracks outside of the film’s runtime but gorram was it effective while I was watching.
Overall
Overall, this is a damn near perfect film as far as it is possible to make one. The performances from the leads are par excellence with both Robbins and Freeman putting in a stellar effort. The film plays around with muted and subtle visual directions to give you a visual sense of the monotony of prison life. Similarly, the film’s soundtrack restrains for most of the film until we reach it’s climax where it hits the high mark needed to finally give a satisfying cathartic ending. It was an absolute pleasure to watch this old favourite up on the big screen and I heartily recommend that everyone indulge in the opportunity if it ever becomes available to them.
Kudos to the good folks at In the House for putting on such a great classic!
For other films which In The House is screening, feel free to check out their schedule for the next season here.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Digital board game publisher Acram Digital was dished a massive setback after Valvecuts ties with Acram Digital. As a result, all games and DLC published by Acram Digital has been removed from the Steam store. Those who currently own the removed PC games or DLC on Steam will not lose access to their games; however, any item related to those games that could previously be sold for Steam Wallet funds on Steam Marketplace can no longer be listed. Examples include trading cards and profile backgrounds.
Acram Digital developer Grzegorz Kubas was caught posting fake reviews for Steam: Rails to Riches and Eight-Minute Empire to boost their review scores. Kubas took to reddit to take responsibility for the fake reviews, stating that the reviews in question were six reviews created by him alone in a moment of frustration and bad judgement. The post noted Acram Digital did not purchase positive reviews on Steam at any time. He also announced Acram Digital has reached out to Steam in hopes of an appeal.
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