Page 3256 – Capsule Computers

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate ‘The Victorian Commuter’ Video Released

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October 21, 2015

Ubisoft has been creating some rather unique promotional material for their upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, not only have they strapped a camera to an eagle so it could record footage of the city from the sky and give fans a literal bird’s eye view, they have now opted to bring a bit of Victorian life back to the capital in the form of a new video called “The Victorian Commuter” where a man travels around modern day London on none other than nothing more than one of those large classic bikes that is apparently called a “Penny Farthing.” The more you know.

You can check out the video below and be sure to keep an eye out for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate when it is released later this week on October 23rd on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with a PC release set for November 19th.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review

Mateja Simovic

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October 21, 2015

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Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review

Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Studio: EMI Films
Publisher: Columbia Pictures
Format: Cinema
Release Date: Out Now

Overview

Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind is an interesting film that had a profound impact on the modern cultural landscape. One of its more groundbreaking concepts was the aliens not being warmongering beings from another galaxy but rather more curious and enigmatic (and also led me to Earth’s doom in Watch the Skies last year). It’s a film which I was in awe of when I first saw it many years ago, and I was curious to see whether the film would have the same effect on me.

The In the House screening was hosted by David ‘Quinny’ Quinn and Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis with their customary introduction to the film. Their discussion of the film’s trivia was as interesting as always, but a highlight for me was when they had a volunteer from the audience come up and teach us all the Curwen hand signs from the movie. I thought that was quite cool, and not something I’d have gotten from just a regular screening of the film. There was also a game of ‘heads’ or ‘tails’ with the whole audience with prizes being given out to the winners before the screening went underway.

Story

The narrative splits its focus across three points upon two individuals and a group of scientists. The first group we’re introduced to are Claude Lacombe and David Laughlin who are both UN experts investigating the strange, alien-related occurrences around the globe. Roy Neary is a quintessential working everyman who encounters and then becomes obsessed with UFOs. Our last protagonist is Jillian Guiler whose son becomes the focus of alien attention. These individuals all get drawn together in their mutual desire to meet with and find out more about the aliens.

With each of these protagonists, we see a story arc evolve and climax with varying degrees of depth. Roy gets the most onscreen time dedicated to his development from a normal person to a man on the brink of madness with his obsession. Jillian’s arc is much more constrained and we don’t really see her develop much as a character beyond being a mother. Claude and David receive even less development and their purpose throughout the story is largely to frame and explain the action in a very direct way. I feel that these latter storylines are quite weak in terms of their writing and that work could have been done to make them a bit more engaging.

One aspect I did find particularly interesting within the film’s narrative was the alien implantation of images into a brain. Roy and Jillian exhibit this implantation after their encounters and continuously replicate the image and shape of an unusual shape. This is particularly memorable in one scene where Roy, while eating dinner with his family, sculpts the shape in mashed potatoes while his sons and wife look on in horror. It’s an interesting science fiction concept and I commend Spielberg for presenting this concept to us completely without dialogue.

The action and themes of Close Encounters is difficult to pin down. There are moments, in typical Spielberg fashion, which has the tone of the film presenting the encounters with the aliens as something wonderous and exciting. At others the film gets a much darker tone with the visitors taking on a more sinister tone as they go about their business on Earth. This ultimately climaxes in one scene where they effectively terrorise Jillian and kidnap her child. It’s eclectic and creates a nuance to the presence of these aliens which isn’t purely ‘good’ or ‘evil’ but more in line with enigmatic and inscrutable… which can be frightening in and of itself. Although the aliens are barely ever on the screen, their presence is felt throughout.

I feel that these failings might have been the result of the tumultuous writing process behind the film itself. Although the original script was based on something which Spielberg had written in his teenage years, it went through a number of drafts at the hands of many different writers. This might certainly explain the dramatic shifts in tone between some scenes. Although I do prefer the eclectic tone that this creates in the film, some of might find that it lacks focus.

Visuals

Spielberg’s direction is suitably creative with his composition of scenes and shots. The scenes with the aliens in particular are suitably otherworldly and claustrophobic. By comparison, the rest of scenes are somewhat slow but they serve the purpose of building. This ultimately climaxes spectacularly at the end of the film in a scene which is both unsettling and uplifting.

The special effects in this film have not aged well unfortunately. I can imagine that when it was first released, this film broke ground but at this point a modern audience used to CGI effects will probably not be too impressed. That being said, the design of the ships themselves are creative and vibrant with their movement being suitably otherwordly. Even though the effects aren’t cutting edge anymore, I don’t think it would be too hard for anyone in particular to suspend disbelief for the duration of the film. That being said, if there’s anyone reading this who has seen a real UFO and would like to point out what the film got wrong; be my guest.

Audio

One cannot talk about Close Encounters without mentioning the film’s sound design. Produced by John Williams (Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark), the score matches the visuals beat for beat whether following a UFO chase or heightening the horror of an abduction. It provides a reinforcer of tension within the film with its focus on strings in the orchestra (much like Jaws). The film’s central five tones (which are a message from the aliens to us) is also sufficiently simple but pleasant enough to become a bit of an ear worm. It’s not all that surprising to hear that the film’s soundtrack album charted briefly in the US. Kudos.

Overall

Overall, I found this film to be enjoyable and worthy of the praise and accolades it has garnered. Its story is somewhat eclectic but captivating as we slowly the mystery of the aliens. The visuals effects are dated, but still create beautiful shots worthy of an artist like Spielberg. The sound design is amazing and gives us a soundtrack which will survive through the decades. It’s interesting for its nuanced portrayal of alien visitors as both frightening and wondrous. This a movie which will dazzle most audiences, although it might be a bit too frightening for kids. It’s a movie which will stay with us for a long time… at least until we do finally encounter aliens and realise that Independence Day got it right.

For other films which In The House is screening, feel free to check out their schedule here.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires’ Western Release Set for Mid-March

Travis Bruno

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October 21, 2015

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Koei Tecmo has announced that they will be bringing over the recently announced Samurai Warriors 4 Empires, the first one for this series in nine years, to the West where the title will be released for the PlayStation 4 at retail and as a digital download while the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions will be available as digital downloads only.

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires will be released in North America on March 25th and on March 11th in Europe. To go along with the announcement of Samurai Warriors 4 Empires‘ localization the company has released a handful of new screenshots and a trailer that you can check out below.

The List of Madman’s Anime Releases of October 21, 2015

K. Roberts

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October 21, 2015

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Madman Entertainment has released several anime titles today. The following list details each of those releases.

Blast of Tempest Complete Series Collection (Subtitled Edition) DVD – on-disc extras will include the textless opening and ending animations and the trailer for the series.
Fairy Tail Collection 16 (Episodes 176-187) DVD and Blu-ray – on-disc extras will include: “Guild Pride: Sabertooth”, commentaries for episodes 177 and 184, the textless opening and ending animation, the U.S. trailer and trailers.
Haikyu!! Part 2 (Subtitled Edition) DVD – on-disc extras will include the textless opening and ending animation.
Hozuki’s Coolheadedness Complete Series (Subtitled Edition) DVD – on-disc extras will include the textless opening and ending animation.
The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat Complete Series (Subtitled Edition) DVD – on-disc extras will include “Henneko BBS” and the textless opening and ending animation.
When Marnie Was There DVD and Blu-ray – suggested retail price $34.95 (DVD) and $39.95 (Blu-ray). On-disc extras will include storyboards (picture in picture), “Behing the Scenes with the English Voice Cast”, “Making of When Marnie Was There”, “Yohei Taneda Creates the Art of When Marnie Was There” and the original Japanese trailers and TV spots.

Except for the When Marnie Was There DVD and Blu-ray releases, all of the releases have a suggested retail price of $59.95. All of the prices listed are in Australian dollars.

THE SOLUS PROJECT Heads To Steam, Early Access, Game Preview on Xbox One and GOG

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 21, 2015

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THE SOLUS PROJECT Heads To Steam, Early Access, Game Preview on Xbox One and GOG

GRIP and Teotl’s ambitious single-player survival game to launch on Xbox One and PC at the beginning of 2016

Prague/Uppsala, 21st October 2015. GRIP Digital s.r.o. and Teotl Studios are jointly readying their unique adventure The Solus Project for an early 2016 release across PC and Xbox One via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program. Launching simultaneously on each platform – Steam via Early Access, GOG and with Game Preview on Xbox One – The Solus Project is an engrossing first-person survival game, and the brainchild of industry legend Sjoerd ‘Hourences’ De Jong.

Stranded on a deserted alien planet and with your home planet of Earth on the brink of destruction, The Solus Project challenges you to survive the harsh, volatile environment and find a way to send a signal back home. Confronted with merciless weather, and danger lurking around every corner, the player must save the human race while unraveling the deep secrets of the seemingly deserted alien civilization. Are you alone on the planet…?

“We are really excited that The Solus Project has been accepted as a Game Preview title on Xbox One and that it will be able to launch alongside the Steam Early Access release. ” said Jan Cabuk, CEO of GRIP Digital. “Following its release via Early Access and Game Preview on Xbox One, The Solus Project will evolve right in front of players’ eyes. We will be taking an episodic approach during our Early Access/Preview time by adding level per level of the large alien world. During our relatively short and focused test phase players will on a regular basis see new features and quests, and we will incorporate their feedback to create a truly unique survival and narrative experience,” added Sjoerd De Jong, CEO of Teotl Studios.

Developed using Unreal Engine 4, The Solus Project will be regularly updated across all platforms, and the final version of the completed game will be available by Q2 2016. The official Steam page and the Steam community page are now live:

About GRIP Digital

GRIP Digital s.r.o. is a privately owned developer and publisher of games for consoles and high-end portable devices, based in Prague, Czech Republic. The company was started by industry veterans who worked on games across all major platforms. GRIP is working with the top independent developers to bring their games to console platforms. For more information, please visit www.grip-games.com.

About Teotl Studios

Based in Uppsala, Sweden, Teotl Studios is a small independent studio focused on creating high quality and immersive single player experiences. The studio released the award-winning games ‘The Ball’ (2010) and ‘Unmechanical’ (2012/13), and are veterans with the Unreal Engine. With ‘The Solus Project’ the studio has been able to continue their love for unique and atmosphere rich indie experiences – www.teotlstudios.com

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Great Scott, the Future is Now! Celebrate “Back to the Future Day” with LEGO Dimensions

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 21, 2015

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Great Scott, the Future is Now! Celebrate “Back to the Future Day” with LEGO Dimensions

New Game Features Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd Reprising their Famous Roles

Today, Wednesday, October 21, 2015 sees the day that Marty McFly and Doc Brown blasted their DeLorean Time Machine into the future at the end of Back the Future, the 1985 hit film, and land in the future Hill Valley in the 1989 sequel. To celebrate this milestone of “the future” now being the present, fans can continue the time-travelling fun of Back to the Future in LEGO Dimensions, the all-new entertainment experience that merges physical LEGO brick building with interactive console gameplay.

Michael J. Fox who played Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd who played Doc Brown in the films rerecorded and reprised their roles in LEGO Dimensions.

The LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack features an entire level based on Back to the Future which the game’s heroes, Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle, must journey through in their quest to defeat the evil Lord Vortech.

Fans of Back the Future who want more, can purchase the Back to the Future Level Pack which includes an additional mission based Back to the Future level, along with a Marty McFly LEGO minifigure, Delorean Time Machine and Hoverboard, all playable in the game. Players can activate Marty’s special Sonar Smash ability to help him solve in-game puzzles and overpower enemies, and when he needs a time-travelling boost. The DeLorean Time Machine and Hoverboard can each be physically built and rebuilt twice to do entirely different things in the digital game for massive variety. The Back to the Future Level Pack also unlocks the Back to the Future Adventure World, an open-world environment, separate from the game’s main story, for players to explore.

A Back to the Future Fun Pack with Doc Brown LEGO minifigure and Travelling Time Train will be available January 20, 2016.

LEGO Dimensions is now available for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation4 and PlayStation3 computer entertainment systems and the Wii U system from Nintendo.

View the LEGO Dimensions Back to the Future trailer here.

Follow LEGO Dimensions at:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LEGODimensions

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LEGODimensions (@LEGODimensions)

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/LEGODimensions (@LEGODimensions)

Tumblr: http://LEGODimensions.tumblr.com

Follow the weekly LEGO Dimensions YouTube series at: http://www.youtube.com/LEGODimensions

LINKIN PARK TO BRING DOWN THE HOUSE AT BLIZZCON® 2015

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 21, 2015

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LINKIN PARK TO BRING DOWN THE HOUSE AT BLIZZCON^® 2015

Grammy Award–winning alt-rock band to close out Blizzard Entertainment’s sold-out gaming convention November 7 (November 8 AEDT)

Watch the concert LIVE online with the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket

SYDNEY, Australia – October 21, 2015 – Whether you’re geeking out on the show floor at BlizzCon^®or tuning in from home, this is a performance you won’t want to miss. Blizzard Entertainment today announced that Linkin Park will be taking the stage on Saturday, November 7 (Sunday, November 8 AEDT), to provide an epic send-off for everyone attending this year’s BlizzCon or watching from home. While tickets to Blizzard’s two-day gaming convention are sold out, players and Linkin Park fans around the world can still watch the show live with the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket.

Over the course of Linkin Park’s genre-defying career, the Grammy Award–winning band has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and is the biggest band on Facebook with over 63 million fans and counting. They also made Internet history by becoming the first rock band to hit 1 billion views on YouTube. This week, Linkin Park is celebrating the 15^th anniversary of their smash debut album, Hybrid Theory. They’re currently in the studio working on their seventh studio album.

“We’re beyond excited to welcome SoCal natives Linkin Park to close out BlizzCon with a bang,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We can’t think of a better way to bring two full days of gaming and action-packed eSports matches to an epic conclusion than with a band that’ll carry the weekend’s electricity through to the very end.”

“Playing BlizzCon will be one hell of a first for us,” said Chester Bennington, lead vocalist of Linkin Park. “We’re looking forward to giving all the gamers out there a killer rock show.”

BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities that bring Blizzard’s games to life. Taking over the Anaheim Convention Centre November 6 and 7 (November 7 and 8 AEDT), this year’s show is brimming with discussion panels of all sorts, eSports tournaments, contests, hands-on play time with the latest Blizzard Entertainment games, and much more.

Though tickets to the convention sold out rapidly, viewers at home can still join the excitement by ordering the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket ($54.95 AUD), which offers comprehensive live online coverage of both days of the event—including the community contests hosted by Wil Wheaton and Linkin Park’s performance.

As the countdown to BlizzCon continues, further details about the show will be announced at www.blizzcon.com.

GUITAR HERO® LIVE BRINGS YOUR ROCKSTAR FANTASY TO LIFE

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 21, 2015

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GUITAR HERO® LIVE BRINGS YOUR ROCKSTAR FANTASY TO LIFE

Two Revolutionary Gameplay Modes, GH Live and GHTV, Usher in the New Era of Music Games as Guitar Hero Live Arrives on Store Shelves Today

Hundreds of Songs in the Game on Day One, with More Tracks Added Every Week

Play Solo or with Friends on Two Guitar Controllers and with a Microphone to Sing Along with the Action

Guitar Hero Live Available on Consoles and iPhone, iPad and iPod touch at launch with Apple TV Version Later This Year

Sydney, Australia October 21, 2015 – Guitar Hero is back! Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), yesterday announced the pop culture phenomenon that captured the hearts of 40 million players across the globe was officially available at retail stores nationwide with the completely reinvented Guitar Hero Live. Developed by FreeStyleGames, the critically acclaimed studio behind DJ Hero and DJ Hero 2, Guitar Hero Live introduces a radically improved guitar controller, hundreds of songs and two brand new ways to play: GH Live, a first-person point of view where you play in front of a real crowd that reacts to how you perform, and GHTV, the world’s first playable music video network.

“Guitar Hero is one of the most beloved gaming franchises of all time, and now, after years of research and development, it’s back, totally reinvented, and better than ever with Guitar Hero Live,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “The experience of being up on stage, in first person, playing in front of a live crowd that responds to your performance in real time, will put your heart in your throat. And GHTV, which lets you play along to your favourite music videos will keep the game fresh with a continuous stream of new content. We’ve poured our hearts and souls into Guitar Hero Live and we can’t wait for fans to get their hands on it. It’s going to be awesome.”

Activision and FreeStyleGames are also bringing the Guitar Hero Live experience to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch at launch and Apple TV later this year. The mobile version of the game is available as a bundle with a guitar controller that works across Apple devices, letting fans live out the rockstar experience anytime, anywhere.

Each mode of the game delivers a new take on the music game genre. An unparalleled leap in rockstar realism, GH Live is a live-action experience that delivers the full emotional roller coaster of being on stage, with players performing in a real band, in front of real crowds, who react in real time to how well or poorly you play. Shot live with musicians performing in front of real crowds, GH Live delivers the raw excitement and stage fright that comes with owning the stage in front of thousands of cheering – or jeering – fans.

GHTV is a revolutionary new way to play Guitar Hero. The 24-hour playable music video network lets fans play along to a continually-updated collection of official videos, from the newest releases to favourite hits. GHTV is a living, breathing platform that will launch with hundreds of songs and will continue to grow, with new songs added weekly, serving as an ever-expanding source for music discovery while bringing the party atmosphere back to the living room. In GHTV, fans can play along with different channels of music or choose to play one of hundreds of songs on demand. Fans can win fame playing solo or with their friends in local head-to-head multiplayer, and online against other players trying to master the same song. And simply by plugging in a USB mic, players can sing along to the music in both GH Live and GHTV with lyrics displayed on screen.

GHTV also includes Premium Shows, which highlight premium playable content such as live concert footage, debut music videos in the platform and more. Starting today, fans can experience the GHTV premiere of the Avenged Sevenfold Premium Show, including playable concert footage recorded at the band’s recent headlining performance at England’s venerable Download Festival. Players will also be awarded with a custom Avenged Sevenfold themed note highway and player card. Activision is also giving fans a chance to get in the game by submitting clips of themselves performing Ed Sheeran’s hit song “Sing” through the musical.ly app, with winners being featured in a world premiere music video that will be playable in the game. Fans can visit www.guitarhero.com/ghtvstar for more information.

Guitar Hero Live also introduces a new guitar controller that features six buttons: two rows of three buttons that better reflect the way people naturally play and deliver more fun for players of all abilities. This simple innovation makes it easier for beginners to play and harder for veterans to master. Additionally, fans can sing along in the game, complete with lyrics on screen, adding another way to play together in the same living room.

Guitar Hero Live takes a fresh take on the music styling of rhythm games. The celebrated tracklist includes hundreds of songs at launch, including the music of The Rolling Stones, The Black Keys, Queen, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fall Out Boy, Pearl Jam, Bruno Mars, Weezer, Iggy Pop, Alt-J, Jet, ZZ Top, Rage Against the Machine, Megadeth, The Strokes, Royal Blood, Ed Sheeran, Gary Clark Jr., and many more. The full list, which will be continually updated, can be found at https://www.guitarhero.com/game/artists.

Guitar Hero Live is now available as a one-guitar bundle ($149.95 RRP) or two-guitar bundle ($199.95 RRP) in Australia and on 23 October in New Zealand on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Wii U™ console as well as iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and later this year on the new Apple TV. For more information, please visit http://www.guitarhero.com, www.facebook.com/GuitarHero, www.youtube.com/guitarhero, or follow @guitarhero on Twitter and Instagram.

About Activision Publishing

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment.) Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website,www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about Guitar Hero Live, including with respect to its launch date, features, gameplay and playability, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

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ACTIVISION, FREESTYLEGAMES, GUITAR HERO and GH are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.

“PlayStation” and “PS3” are registered trademarks and “PS4” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE SETS NEW PRICE FOR PLAYSTATION®4 IN AUSTRALIA

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 21, 2015

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SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE SETS NEW PRICE FOR PLAYSTATION®4 IN AUSTRALIA

PlayStation®4 now available at an attractive new price of $479.95AUD

Sydney, Australia, 21^st October 2015: – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that PlayStation®4 (PS4™) computer entertainment system with 500GB hard disk drive (HDD), originally priced at $549.95AUD will now be available in Australia at the new recommended retail price of $479.95AUD including GST.

Jim Ryan, SCEE president and CEO commented: “We are delighted to deliver the PS4 system at its best-ever value just in time for the holiday season, making it more accessible to a broader audience in Europe.” He went on to say, “With this year’s biggest blockbusters and next year’s best exclusives such as UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End set to thrill players, there has never been a better time to join the PS4 community. Also, watch out for an amazing range of Ultimate Player Edition Bundles including the 1TB PS4 and some of the biggest games of the year, offering even greater value.”

Demonstrating strong support from 3^rd party developers and publishers, upcoming PS4 software titles this year in Australia include highly anticipated releases such as Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc.) and Star Wars™ Battlefront™ (Electronic Arts Inc.), launching alongside special PS4 hardware bundles. Blockbuster exclusives such as Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End™ (SCE Worldwide Studios) and Street Fighter™ V (Capcom) are also expected to join the PS4 software title portfolio in 2016.

In addition to the new attractive price point, SCE will accelerate the expansion of the PS4 system to new audiences by further enhancing the PS4 ecosystem, which includes strengthening the PS4 software line-up, bolstering the network services available on PlayStation™Network and introducing PlayStation®VR, the virtual reality system that expands the world of PS4. The recent PS4 system software update 3.00 includes a range of new features, from entirely new functions such as a new Events App and YouTube Live streaming direct from the PS4 system, as well as visual enhancements to the user interface.

There is no better time to join PlayStation as SCE continues to expand the world of PS4 through attractive software titles and network services to deliver entertainment experiences that are only possible on PlayStation®.

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®4 (PS4®) computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system and PSN software and hardware in 109 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE has revolutionized home entertainment since they launched PlayStation® in 1994. PlayStation®4 redefines rich and immersive gameplay with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalisation and deeply integrated social capabilities. PS Vita is a portable entertainment system that offers a combination of rich gaming and social connectivity. PS3® is an advanced computer entertainment system, incorporating the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. SCEE also develops, publishes markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories.

More information about PlayStation® products can be found at www.playstation.com.

PlayStation, PS4, PS3, and DUALSHOCK are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Life is Strange Episode 5: Polarized Review

Nathan Farrugia

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October 21, 2015

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Life is Strange Episode 5: Polarized Review

Life is Strange Episode 5: Polarized
Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: October 20th, 2015
Price: $7.99 AU/$4.99 US– Available On Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Live

Overview

Well here we are, the ending to what has been one of the surprise success stories of the year. Life is Strange Episode 5: Polarized wraps up this five part tale about time traveling Max Caulfied, her companion Chloe and the small sleepy town of Arcadia Bay. The previous episode, Dark Room, delivered plenty of intense moments and served as a great setup to the finale, so does this final chapter manage to capitalise on that and give this series the send off it deserves? I’m glad to say it does.

Quick note, this review will be completely free of specific story spoilers for this episode and the past ones, so feel free to read on if you haven’t played this chapter or Life is Strange at all yet.

Story

Picking up right where episode 4 left off, the chapter starts off with Max in a sticky situation. Immediately the game has a much more sinister and edgy tone about it, in stark contrast to the pleasant beginnings of episode 2. From there the story takes numerous twist and turns as Max tries her best to use her powers for good and fix everything once and for all, jumping through all sorts of alternate timelines and realities to do so. The butterfly effect is in full motion here and it’s really interesting to have it played out in front as you witness all the cause and effect that even a small action can have on the rest of the world.

Each episode of Life is Strange has become progressively darker and episode 5 is no exception. The story takes an unexpected turn here, going deep into the psyche of main character Max Caulfield which leads to some truly shocking set pieces that deal with many facets of Max’s insecurities. I honestly feel a bit out of my depth trying to review the story as I’m sure a media analyser could probably break this chapter down to reveal all kinds of themes and symbolism that are at work here. That in itself is a testament to the games incredibly thought out story structure, characters and mise-en-scene as there is nearly always a meaning to each item placed in this games world.

The good thing is you don’t have to be a media expert to enjoy the journey being played out. It’s a fun and genuinely intriguing ride that comes with more than it’s fair share of “what the …” moments. Life is Strange is an emotional roller coaster ride that can have you smiling at something as simple as a dog being alive to crying because of some ironic tragedy. Luckily throughout all the seriousness the games mild humour still breaks through in pieces, with some funny (yet creepy) text messages, a classic Alyssa situation or Max’s witty observations still managing to pull a much needed laugh from this dark chapter.

Even before the ending which I’ll touch on later, we get some fantastic heartfelt moments with some characters that really brings their personal development and relationship with Max full circle. It’s a satisfying payoff after spending time with these characters throughout the previous episodes and makes all those past exchanges and decisions feel meaningful and rewarding. Unfortunately there are a couple of minor characters that seem to have been forgotten about, which is a shame as past interactions had me feeling like those characters were building up to something more.

Now for the two questions I feel a lot of people want answered. Did your choices really matter in the end and how was the ending? Strictly speaking about the ending, your choices have very little impact on how it plays out, but it is important to mention that all your choices definitely affect the journey, particularly in the way characters react to you and in the dialogue. For a minuscule spoiler example, back in episode 2 there was an opportunity to mess up some railway tracks. Then in this final chapter, a truck driver has to make a delivery the train couldn’t make which in turn leads to him getting in to some nasty trouble. This is only a small example and there any many others like this, some with larger consequences. I am sure that nearly everyone’s play through will be at least slightly different even if their destinations are identical.

As for the ending itself, Life is Strange features two very distinct endings which stems from one, final major decision. Some people may be dissapointed by this, but I felt this was the moment the entire story had been leading up to and it felt like a natural decision that had to be made. The ending I chose, which for lack of a better explanation feels like the games ‘intended’ ending, was nothing short of excellent. The framing, the setup, the aftermath, the score, the themes and the closure, everything just comes together beautifully and I felt it was a perfect send off for the series.

Gameplay

Most of the gameplay in episode 5 is the same as the last four episodes. You control Max and walk around looking for the next prompt to advance the story, investigating the area and taking the odd photo for an achievement whilst doing so. Episode 5 definitely features the least amount of actual gameplay from all of the games chapters, with less exploration, less puzzles and less decisions to make as this chapter focuses a lot more on story telling.

Luckily in this case it does feel like less is more, with some interesting and diverse environments to explore and some of the funnest time and spatial based puzzles the series has offered yet. The exception here is an out of place stealth section, but thanks to Max’s rewind power traversing the section is very forgiving and the atmosphere and clever in joke about bottles (that anyone that played episode 2 will understand) make it bearable.

The choices you make in this final chapter feel most important here as they will ultimately bring closure to a lot of the games plot points. Of course thanks to Max’s time powers you can (most of the time) watch the immediate consequences of one action play out and then rewind the game to view the other, allowing you to make a more informed choice before you pick permanently. This is a much appreciated feature for people who like to see all the different branches in games like this.

Visuals

The graphics in this game are reminiscent of a 3D water colour painting with lots of soft tones and visible brush strokes. It looks great and details on characters and the environment are impressive for an art style that appears simplistic on the surface. Environments are incredibly detailed and have just as much personality as the characters within them. Episode 5 gets more than a little ‘trippy’ at times and the special effects and visual trickery used here go a long way to accomplishing that atmosphere. Dontnod should be applauded for their use of symbolism and visual cues, which help in both solving problems and connecting certain story elements.

The games interface is very clean and intuitive. Hand drawn lines pop up to represent objects you can interact with and also when the game is saving or you have made a consequential decision. When you perform a rewind the visual effects used are really powerful, user friendly and aren’t slow or clumsy. The freedom of the camera movement is fun to play with and allows you to set up cool screenshots in lieu of a proper photo mode.

The bad lip syncing, which was a problem early in the series and was rectified in episode 4, is done well here and I praise the developers for also patching the earlier episodes to have the newer lip sync code. My only negative with the visuals that I didn’t really notice until now is that some NPC’s don’t look your way while talking directly to you, which can look very strange especially if they are looking at somebody else.

On a quick performance note, the PC version has plenty of visual settings to adjust and even on my only decent PC, I suffered no performance issues while playing even while running max settings.

Audio

While Life is Strange has been very good in the audio department all round, the finale manages to outdo itself. Each of the voice actors have taken all their experience from the past episodes and delivered their lines perfectly here, even through a couple of awkward and out of place lines of dialogue.

The sound design remains excellent, with all the ambient backing tracks and sound effects adding to the tone of the scenario and realness of the world. Episode 5 doesn’t feature much licensed music but the way it is used during the ending scene is nothing short of perfection, making a memorable ending even more so.

Overall

Powerful, emotional and engrossing, Life is Strange Episode 5 totally nails it to deliver a completely satisfying ending, wrapping up every major plot covered across the previous four chapters and showing meaning to a lot of our past choices. The story is beautifully delivered through the unique watercolour aesthetic and the sound design and backing tracks couldn’t work any better together with what is being presented on screen. While the final chapter of the game may have been a little short on gameplay and choices, those insignificant flaws can easily be overlooked as they allowed Dontnod to tell a beautiful tale. Life is Strange Episode 5, and the entire series itself, has been a joy to play through and I couldn’t recommend it enough to fans of story based games.

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