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GOLF, KEYS AND DODGE BALL! NEW GAMES ARRIVE FOR NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM – NINTENDO SWITCH ONLINE

GOLF, KEYS AND DODGE BALL! NEW GAMES ARRIVE FOR NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM – NINTENDO SWITCH ONLINE

New titles now available for paid Nintendo Switch Online members

11th October, 2018 – Fans all across Australia and New Zealand have signed up for Nintendo Switch Online to enjoy what the paid service has to offer, including online play in popular multiplayer games, Save Data Cloud backup, a smartphone app for voice chat and other features for supported games, exclusive special offers and the ability to experience classic NES games with added online play. As promised when the first set of 20 NES games was announced, more retro games are coming to Nintendo Switch, available now.

NES Open Tournament Golf, Solomon’s Key and Super Dodge Ball are now available to play anytime and anywhere on Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online.

  • NES Open Tournament Golf – Challenge another player in Stroke, Match and Tournament modes on three fantasy courses in the USA, the UK and Japan. Make sure you keep an eye on the wind and distance to the hole before selecting your club, or else you’ll be racking up some high scores… which is exactly what you don’t want to do in this game.
  • Solomon’s Key – As Dana, a skilled and talented hero, you must strategically manoeuvre through over 40 stages using mysterious block-creation skills and other magical powers. Free the captive Fairy in each stage by finding the Bell, and escape by grabbing the Magic Key. Use quick thinking and magical firepower to discover hidden items and evade numerous enemies as you race against the clock.
  • Super Dodge Ball – In Super Dodge Ball, you take control of the USA Dodge Ball team and travel the world in an effort to become the best dodge ballers around. Step onto playing fields in countries all over the globe and use a combination of normal and super shots to help take down your opponents. But be careful, as some destinations have surfaces that can affect your footing.

In addition to these NES games, Nintendo Switch Online users will also notice the arrival of special save data for The Legend of Zelda. Now, players can choose to start their adventure with a stack of rupees and items, including the White Sword, Magical Shield, Blue Ring and Power Bracelet. Special save data for other NES titles will become available in the future, offering fun new entry points into fan-favourite games.

As previously announced, new additions to the NES – Nintendo Switch Online library in November will include Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack and TwinBee, while December will see the release of ADVENTURES OF LOLO, Ninja Gaiden and Wario’s Woods.

For more information about Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online, visit https://www.nintendo.com.au/switch-online.

 
Additional Links:
Nintendo Switch website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo-switch/
Nintendo Australia website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/
Nintendo Australia Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo Australia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo AU on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau

Get Your First Look at Pet Sematary with the New Trailer

Paramount Pictures (Instant Family) released the first trailer for the upcoming horror movie Pet Sematary. This is the second time the legendary horror book by Stephen King is getting adapted to film. The new film stars Jason Clarke as Dr. Louis Creed, Amy Seimetz as Louis’ wife Rachel, and John Lithgow as their neighbour Jud Crandall.

The film is set in rural Maine, where Louis and Rachel have decided to move their two children after living in Boston. Their almost perfect home has a mysterious pet cemetery in the forest behind the house. Jud warns the family about the cemetery, but the tales seem too outlandish to be true. After the death of the family cat, the Creeds bury their cat in the cemetery and unleash an evil upon the world.

Pet Sematary is scheduled to premiere at Australian cinemas on April 4, 2019.

UBISOFT’S ASSASSIN’S CREED® ODYSSEY’S POSITIVE RECEPTION DRIVES STRONG FIRST WEEK SALES

UBISOFT’S ASSASSIN’S CREED® ODYSSEY’S POSITIVE RECEPTION DRIVES STRONG FIRST WEEK SALES

Critically Acclaimed as “The Best the Series Has Ever Been1,” Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Tops Franchise’s Sales Records for Current Console Generation

Sydney, Australia — October 11, 2018 — Today, Ubisoft® announced strong early sales for Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey, one of the highest rated games this season2. Building on favourable review scores and early player response, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is having the franchise’s best launch-week performance of this console generation3.

“We are incredibly proud of what the team accomplished with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and humbled by the amazing reception from critics and players. Based on the quality of the game and the very encouraging reactions from players, we expect Odyssey to be one of the top performing Assassin’s Creed games of all-time,” said Geoffroy Sardin, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Launch is just the start of this epic journey. We have robust content plans for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey that will keep players engaged and exploring the game’s beautiful and compelling world for a long time to come.”

Developed by Ubisoft Quebec in association with eight other Ubisoft studios, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey takes players on a heroic voyage through Ancient Greece amidst one of the deadliest conflicts in history, the Peloponnesian War. In a first for the franchise, players choose their hero, either Alexios or Kassandra, outcast Spartan mercenaries who will explore a beautiful living, systemic open world, where they will uncover the truth about their mysterious pasts and become legendary Greek heroes. The launch of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is just the beginning; the live roadmap plan is the biggest and most ambitious in the franchise, deepening storytelling through its episodic structure. Season Pass owners will access two major storylines, Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis, with three episodes each and all players will receive the free story missions, The Lost Tales of Greece, along with recurring in-game events and access to Discovery Tour.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is available on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices and Windows PC. In addition, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has been enhanced with additional features for both PS4 Pro and Xbox One X platforms.

For more information on Assassin’s Creed, please visit: https://assassinscreed.ubisoft.com. For the latest on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and all of Ubisoft’s games, visit Ubisoft News: https://news.ubisoft.com.

ABOUT UBISOFT

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, For Honor, Just Dance, Watch_Dogs & Tom Clancy’s video game series, including Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six and The Division. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2017-18 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com

© 2018 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries.

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND EPIC GAMES PARTNER TO DISTRIBUTE FORTNITE: DEEP FREEZE BUNDLE

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND EPIC GAMES PARTNER TO DISTRIBUTE FORTNITE: DEEP FREEZE BUNDLE

The Worldwide Phenomenon Fortnite Will Be Available this November 2018

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Epic Games announced Fortnite: Deep Freeze Bundle, a special retail version for the wildly popular action building game, Fortnite Battle Royale. Through the worldwide retail distribution partnership, Fortnite: Deep Freeze Bundle will be available for Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®4 Pro, and the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X beginning Nov. 14, 2018 with a RRP $44.95. Players can also purchase and download the Fortnite: Deep Freeze Bundle digitally through the in-game store and first-party digital marketplaces.

The Fortnite: Deep Freeze Bundle will include the Fortnite Battle Royale game, and premium content, including the Frostbite Outfit, Cold Front Glider, Chill-Axe Pickaxe, Freezing Point Back Bling, and 1,000 V-Bucks, which can be used to purchase in-game items, such as outfits and the Premium Battle Pass. In Fortnite Battle Royale, players squad up and compete to be the last one standing in 100-player PvP, where they’ll build cover, battle opponents, and survive the longest to earn their victory.

To learn more about Fortnite Battle Royale, please visit https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite.

# # #

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.,  is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

About Epic Games
Founded in 1991, Epic Games is the creator of Fortnite, Unreal, Gears of War, Shadow Complex, and the Infinity Blade series of games. Epic’s Unreal Engine technology brings high-fidelity, interactive experiences to PC, console, mobile, AR, VR and the Web. Unreal Engine is freely available at unrealengine.com. For more information on the studio, visit epicgames.com and check out @EpicGames.

MEDIA ALERT: XCOM® 2: War of the Chosen – Tactical Legacy Pack Now Available

2K and Firaxis Games  have announced that XCOM® 2: War of the Chosen – Tactical Legacy Pack, is available now on PC. As a gift to the fans, the XCOM 2: War of the Chosen – Tactical Legacy Pack is available for free to all PC owners of XCOM 2: War of the Chosen until December 3.

The XCOM 2: War of the Chosen – Tactical Legacy Pack tells the story of what happened between the events of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2, and includes new game modes, maps, weapons, armour, and Photobooth options that honour the legacy of the XCOM series.

  • NEW GAMEPLAY MODES:
    • Legacy OpsCommand a squad of soldiers through a series of linked consecutive tactical missions:
  • Central’s Archives Central Officer Bradford, and other key members of XCOM, recount the pivotal operations that led to the rise of the resistance between the events of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2:
  • Blast from the Past – After the fall of XCOM HQ, Central Officer Bradford begins his journey to build the resistance by returning to where it all began.
  • It Came from the Sea – The broadcast of a fledgling radio DJ is reaching an audience he didn’t intend. It’s up to Central to save the DJ from an endless horde of hungry listeners.
  • Avenger Assemble – Join Lily Shen as she works to retrofit the Avenger into a new home for the growing forces of a reinvigorated XCOM.
  • The Lazarus Project – ADVENT is kidnapping key members of the resistance, and it’s up to Central to rescue some of XCOM’s most renowned operatives.
  • Resistance ArchivesEngage enemy forces in series of tactical missions increasing in difficulty.
    • Skirmish Mode Create and play your own custom XCOM tactical missions using the included editor that allows you to modify various settings (map, squad loadouts, objective, enemies, and more.)
  • NEW MAPS: Engage in battle across 28 new maps including remastered maps and scenes from XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM: Enemy Within. These new maps will be featured in Central’s Archives.
  • NEW WEAPONS AND ARMOR: Equip your soldiers with reimagined versions of the conventional, laser, and plasma weapons, as well as Kevlar, Carapace, and Titan armour from XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Complete Central’s Archives to unlock these new additions for use in the main single player campaign.
  • NEW CUSTOMIZATION AND PHOTOBOOTH OPTIONS: Customize your soldiers with new attitudes and helmets. Create new images in the Photobooth with additional backgrounds, colours, and character poses.
  • NEW SOUNDTRACK OPTIONS: With the new Soundtrack Selector you can choose to play the XCOM 2: War of the Chosen campaign with the existing score, the score from XCOM: Enemy Unknown, or an all-new soundtrack inspired by the music from the original X-COM: UFO Defense.
  • OFFLINE CHALLENGE MODE: Play through all 100+ War of the Chosen challenges as often as you want.

The XCOM 2: War of the Chosen – Tactical Legacy Pack will be available for free to all current owners of XCOM 2: War of the Chosen and those who purchase XCOM 2: War of the Chosen until December 3.

The XCOM 2: War of the Chosen – Tactical Legacy Pack is now available now for Windows PC, and coming soon to macOS, and Linux.

Be sure to follow XCOM on Twitter and Like XCOM on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest information on XCOM 2.

GET A WORKOUT AT HOME OR ON THE GO WHEN FITNESS BOXING COMES TO NINTENDO SWITCH ON 4th JANUARY 2019

GET A WORKOUT AT HOME OR ON THE GO WHEN FITNESS BOXING COMES TO NINTENDO SWITCH ON 4th JANUARY 2019

You can learn boxing moves as you participate in boxing-based workouts while bopping along to instrumental versions of some popular music hits.

10th October, 2018 – It’s time to get off the couch and get moving! In the Fitness Boxing game, a Nintendo Switch exclusive launching at retail and Nintendo eShop on 4th January 2019, you can learn boxing moves as you participate in boxing-based workouts while bopping along to instrumental versions of some popular music hits.

While gripping the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers, you will be punching, weaving and squatting using the built-in motion controls to get your whole body moving – no need for additional gym equipment!

Daily training in Fitness Boxing ranges from 10-40 minutes and offers both low- and high-intensity options. After selecting from a diverse group of trainers, you can customize their looks with unlockable trainer outfits. The game can estimate your calories burnt based on the approximate body mass index (BMI). As you continue on your fitness journey, you can earn more songs and will also have the opportunity to engage with more challenging training circuits.

Plus, with two-player mode, you can team up with a friend or family member to play in tandem or face off in a virtual boxing ring using one Joy-Con each.

Because of the portable power of the Nintendo Switch system, Fitness Boxing can be played at home in TV Mode or on the go using Tabletop mode.

It’s time to get off the couch and get moving in the Fitness Boxing game, a Nintendo Switch exclusive launching at retail and Nintendo eShop on 4th January 2019.

Additional Links:
Nintendo Switch website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo-switch/
Nintendo Australia website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/
Nintendo Australia Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo Australia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo AU on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau

Special Effects and The Thing Interview with Aron Dosiak


Photo Credit: Zelkjko Nedic and Amelia Arsenic; Shivr Wax Wings Will Burn

Aron Dosiak has studied at the Adelaide Central School of Art and the National Institute of Dramatic Art for sculpture and design. He’s worked freelance in the arts and entertainment industry building mechanical puppets, sets, props, prosthetics and make-up both for local and international productions. In the lead up to the In the House double screening of The Thing and The Blob next week, we caught up with Aron to talk about why Carpenter’s 1982 cult cinema classic The Thing is considered such a landmark in special effects history.


So in regards to special effects, what’s your opinion on Carpenter’s The Thing?

So here’s a guy, you know, the make‑up artist himself came out of nowhere. He had worked with the director previously on other films but he was only 22 when he made this film. His name was Rob Bottin and he had, sort of, built up a bit of a rapport with the director and the director said “look, I trust you that you can do this.” And he even pitched the idea that the creature would take on aspects of previous encounters with other creatures. So there’d be a lot of insects, there’d be rats; there were – perhaps even they were aliens… and it almost killed guy.

On the last day of shooting or close to the last day of shooting, the director came in looking for Rob and found him laying under a table and he’d actually been sleeping and he didn’t take a day off in the while they were shooting. He was actually pale and gaunt and the director said to him: “what are you doing? Take this guy to hospital; this guy’s dying”. And Rob Bottin laughs about it now and he says “I didn’t do that again; I’ve learnt the line.” But his efforts really show on the screen; really do. For the large part, they’re practical; for the large part they’re there. I mean it’s pretty amazing, you know?

It wasn’t that long before that that there was even an award for what’s now known as special effects make‑up because before that it was either make-up or special effects. There were certain pioneers like Dick Smith and Stan Winston and, of course, American Werewolf in London won that award for the first time. And the idea of taking visual effects – practical effects that you would use in front of the camera and applying it to make-up – so it wasn’t that long ago that it was sort of really crafted and really came into its element. And this film is some of the best of that; it holds up beautifully.

So that leads to the next question actually: so there was the 2011 remake which famously was panned by critics specifically also in regards to its special effects. So what is it about the effects in this film, which is now decades old, that many people consider to be seminal and still hold up compared to more contemporary work which has the benefit of things like CGI?

Well, the make-up effects – the special effects in the latest effects were actually practical initially. Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis, Amalgamated Dynamics, from their angle, they built everything practical and they shot it practically. There was always the intent of putting a bit of CGI in there; a leg here, subtracting some structural work; some puppeteering rods but it was all done in camera. And then it’s hard to say how much it was the director and how much it was the producers but basically they decided that the film looked too 80s. Which is ironic because it’s meant to be, you know, in the 80s. So some of the best in-camera creature effects done to date were then covered CGI to the point where it all looks fake in my mind. Even the real stuff has a sort of CGI sheen or extra fire or extra tentacles and it completely masks the beauty of what was in-camera.

And the studio are very – chose their words very carefully at the time and I think they have to – you know being in the professional scene – but they weren’t happy. They went on to do another film where they used completely practical effects; unfortunately it didn’t have nearly the budget and it’s not quite as good. But as soon as you overlay something with CGI, I feel like an audience picks it. And I feel like where it’s easier to excuse something that’s practical, that’s physically; even if it’s not done amazingly. It’s easy to excuse that and take it for a degree of nostalgia than it is to try and excuse CGI that’s never there. And I’m not sure how much of that is me and an older audience being nostalgic in the way that maybe another audience are nostalgic for stop-motion but for all the people that I seem to talk to about it; they all tend to agree. But it doesn’t seem to stop directors; it doesn’t seem to stop producers wanting to throw in CGI at the last minute.

Well, it’s apparently the movie world’s saving grace; so something wasn’t done properly or they want something a bit extra: we’ll just slap on some CGI. Get some animators to fix it in post.

Right. And I don’t want to be a luddite about it; I do believe CGI has its place and I feel like it will keep advancing and it’ll get to an interesting area but I feel like there’s a degree in which film is now becoming more nostalgic. I feel like CGI is better placed in the gaming world;in the augmented reality world; in the virtual reality world and I feel like it feels a bit out of place in live action cinema; I feel like it might always feel a bit out of place. So because I feel like because it is so nostalgic; I feel like it needs to keep within its own language a little bit but that’s just my personal take.

So here’s the last question: there’s a hypothetical new remake of The Thing that’s starting tomorrow, you’ve slated to work on it as head special effects, what would your contribution be to the production? Do you think that there is anything new that you can bring?

It’s really hard, isn’t it? Because it’s that old thing of as soon as you make a sequel, again directors; producers; even writers often make the mistake of “more is more”. They value quantity over quality so I feel like there’s a danger that you might want to expand on the creature in some way or reposition the creature; put it in the middle of a city. And I feel like it would destroy all the essence of what the story actually is and the story really is about claustrophobia. Both the original original, the Carpenter original, and also the remake – prequel – they’re about isolation and distrust.

So I feel like as much as I want to go crazy, I feel like making the reveals as intense as possible but also surprising. I would try to be restrained; I’d tried to be as clever as I could with the special effects and as visceral and as interesting and as dynamic and I would try to obviously, really enforce the in-camera; because I feel like that story really needs it, particularly. I’d really want to push that aspect but I feel like pulling your punches is really what that story needs.


To get to the tickets to the In the House sci-fi horror double screening , click here. We hope to see you there!

Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle Review

Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms:PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), Switch, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Price: $19.99 USD – Available Here

Overview

With all of the commotion of ports and retro revivals, Capcom have yet again taken notice, producing yet another classic collection of titles for hungry fans to sink their teeth into. Capcom have released the appropriately titled Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle for consoles, attempting to bring past arcade favorites back into the hands of those craving some nostalgia. So how does the addition of online and general fluidity to these old favorites fare today? Let’s find out.

Story

Most gamers know a good portion of the tales here, as they feature long-time mainstays for Capcom such as Cody, Guy, and Haggar – who have all appeared several times in titles such as Street Fighter and Marvel vs Capcom. Outside of Final Fight, there honestly is not a whole lot of lore that is known about something like Armored Warriors or Battle Circuit, but honestly – each have about the same objective. Big bad A is kidnapping random B and a set of characters must set out through a selection of stages to save the day. I hate to just group all seven titles in this collection together like that, but its true. Capcom beat-em-ups all feature very similar plots, so players will mainly be focused on surviving with credits in tow, rather than seeing any kind of epic cutscene in-between stages. Its serviceable storytelling at its finest, simply acting as a minor way to keep the game progressing, acting as a way to make sense of changing environments.

Gameplay

I think a lot you also know the general gist of a beat-em-up. Players move right on a side-scrolling screen and mash buttons to perform attacks, with enemies dropping health and power-ups that keep the adventure progressing. In general, not one title in this collection deviates from that formula, but all definitely offer their own take on the experience. Final Fight is absolutely the most traditional, and in my opinion is closer to something such as Streets of Rage than a lot of other titles within the same collection. Though much more unique, The King Of Dragons and Knights of the Round capture the same feel, but offer an RPG progression system where players can level up and upgrade stats as they push through.

Armored Warriors‘ main features revolve around the mechs within, allowing players a ton of options when it comes to customizing their arsenal. Captain Commando is basically Final Fight with more refinement, and then there is Battle Circuit. I saved Battle Circuit for last as it is the only title in this collection that was actually one I had never tried, so playing something so over-the-top and colorful was definitely exciting. For this romp, techniques are expanded upon and leveled as progression occurs, as this title basically borrows a bit of gimmickry from all of the other fare involved and adds its own insane flare to create an unforgettable experience. The controls are tight, the gameplay is fun, and the story is lovely.

The big feature for this collection is the ability to go online and have up to four players drop in and out of combat and complete a game together. Thankfully, the servers seem to be decent enough to pull this off on the Playstation 4. I played each game for a bit online, and I didn’t have a lot of issues aside from players quitting constantly, but thankfully- that does little to harm you unless you don’t like waiting for others to join up. Players can also tailor their experience through the options within, with the ability to fast-forward and rewind the game with a press of a button, with added save states also provided to modernize that classic feel with mechanics that have become the norm with these types of ports. Do I think there could have been some goofy special features or perhaps even a little more love overall for this collection? Sure, but with seven games, anyone should be able to find a preference and run with it as this genre specific pack has a slice of something for everyone.

Visuals and Audio

Visually, these games look great in HD. Their bright colors and animations come off as fluid, and despite some loss of frames online (mainly when someone is joining), this collection may be the best way to see these old favorites if you have the itch to go back. Of course some titles come off as a bit muddy and dark due to their setting, but with those titles usually come a lot of brightly colored magic and flashy animations to compensate, breaking up from the boring models and environments that one may tire of easily. Most will find the visuals a preference issue, as each of these titles came out in a different year and some are nearly thirty years old, so do not expect perfection – but do expect for art styles that lack polish but still have the charms of yesterday. Play Final Fight again in its raw form, and you will see what I mean.

The sound is awesome. Each title has a highly varied soundtrack that Capcom fans will love and fall right into. Sure, some are less memorable than others, but there is no doubt experiencing this title with the volume up is the way to get the most of that arcade atmosphere. From the sound effects to the rips that expel out as magic is executed, the sound absolutely sounds great, and not one title misses a beat in that area.

Overvall

Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle is a lovely collection that offers seven favorites for a discounted price-tag. Could there be more? Of course. I would love to see a bit more fan service and love go into this collection, with more special features and stories from developers. However, what we get here is a nice walk through an arcade with some awesome games that will introduce players to why no kid in the 90’s had lunch money. Genre collections can be hit or miss at times, but this bundle’s variety and quality within will give everyone looking for a nostalgic punch to the heart that they are sure to go back to again and again. No quarters required.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Suffer the Children Review

The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Suffer the Children

Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date: Currently Delisted
Price: $19.99

Overview

No one could have predicted the situation that Telltale Games has now found itself in, especially since it seemed like when The Walking Dead: The Final Season kicked off in August everything had already been laid out. Now with nearly every Telltale Games employee fired and with the future of the series in question, we have what may be the last episode to be released by this developer. With the final season of the game now no longer available for purchase and future episodes to be potentially developed by another, the story still continues in Suffer the Children, even if it may be some time, if at all, we see it move past this point.

Story

Regardless of the future fate of The Walking Dead: The Final Season, it is worth noting that continuing to read past this point will include spoilers for the previous episode. This means if you have not played the first episode you should either do so, if possible, or risk spoiling some of the bigger events.

When we last saw Clementine and AJ in Done Running we had just found out a major secret that Marlon, the leader of the children’s group, had been keeping from everyone. That happened to be that he had sacrificed two of their number to raiders in return for safety. Unfortunately thanks to this revelation not only did an innocent girl die but Marlon himself ended up being shot in the back of the head by AJ leaving Clementine to be the one to bear the brunt of everyone’s anger.

Considering even before these studio issues arose this final season was only slated for four episodes, Suffer the Children doesn’t try to drag out the drama in any major way other than having players attempt to explain themselves with little actual chance to alter the outcome of what the children’s group decides to do with them. This moves things along at a brisk pace but unfortunately the actual character interactions suffer for it as we once again find Clementine barely being able to talk to more than two or three of the children in the school for more than a few sentences. Despite this being the second episode a large portion of the school’s children feel more like simple cannon fodder than actual characters, making the game’s small attempts to try and develop them feel incredibly useless and their potential deaths falling flat.

If nothing else, this brisk pace does allow things to move at a decent rate as Clementine and AJ soon learn more about who these bandits actually are and what plans they have for the school. This includes the return of a long missing face but, once again, the nature of the episode’s pacing and the now hostile nature of this character limits however much of a reunion this might have been. We see just how far Clementine and the children will go to protect their home and there are some rather nice interactions still available in regards to a handful of the characters. In fact, there is even a bit of a sample taken from the comics regarding a new character that makes a short appearance this episode which is a nice touch.

Gameplay

Similar to the first episode Suffer the Children makes use of new combat mecahnics to try and deal with the Walker situation. There are a handful of encounters that still require the use of melee weapons but a new bow and arrow allows for Clementine to take shots at zombies from afar with a smidge of physics added into it to keep things interesting.

Outside of the actual combat there are still some elements of exploration here and there but this is kept at a minimum this time around, in fact the collectibles that do return again this episode are kept to a bare minimum of three and happen to all appear within five minutes of one another. That being said, be prepared for a potential achievement glitch as a couple of non-story based ones seem to have issues unlocking sometimes.

Visuals & Audio

Suffer the Children continues to benefit from the new engine that Telltale Games managed to create before their closure as the graphical elements of the game remain rather impressive compared to previous episodes. A number of new areas are explored this time around, though most of them tend to involve being in the forest, and players get to see how things change around the school once everyone begins preparing. It is interesting to note that, similar to the first episode, there are a handful of scenes and events that can be only seen depending on certain choices, giving players more variety both during action sequences as well as interacting with other characters.

The soundtrack remains similar to the past episode and has just enough to it to keep the world feeling eerie and threatening when Walkers are near and tense during action sequences. The voice work is stellar once again with the returning character also seeing the same voice actor returning to reprise the role.

Overall

With how things have unfolded at Telltale Games and the future of the final season now unscheduled despite the announced revival by Skybound Games we find ourselves left with a rather cliffhanging temporary conclusion to Clementine’s journey. Suffer the Children’s fast pace leaves most characters by the wayside but still takes time to give Clementine to bond with a choice few while moving the plot forward by introducing new threats that have put her new friends in danger. It will be interesting to see just how things may eventually turn out should this journey happen to continue in the future.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Multiplayer FPS World War 3 Coming to Steam Early Access on October 19

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The Farm 51 announced their modern multiplayer FPS World War 3 will enter Steam Early Access on October 19th. The game has been in private technical testing in the past few weeks, and The Farm 51 believes the game is finally in position for paid early access testing. The devs expect to spend the next 12-15 in early access as they add content, balance the game, and stomp out bugs. Currently, World War 3 is feature complete with three maps.

The Farm 51 will be using a soft-price model, with World War 3 initially costing $28 USD. Once the game leaves Steam Early Access, the price will rise. Those who buy the game while it is in early access will get all future DLC releases for free.

Pre-orders for World War 3’s early access will not be offered, but the game’s Steam page is live.