Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (790)

Content

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Titanfall - Expedition in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019

Fans of Titanfall can celebrate the release of three new maps in the brand-new Titanfall Expedition DLC. The collection retails for $9.99 but is available for $24.99 for those who wish to save some money and purchase all three of the planned content packs ahead of time at a reduced price.
While the collection does not offer anything new in terms of gameplay modes, weaponry, or significant upgrades, what it does offer is three new highly enjoyable and highly detailed maps which can be played in both attrition and variety pack modes.
Attrition is the classic Team Death Match where essentially if it moves, shoot it, while the variety pack is like having the game on iTunes shuffle as you could be playing Capture the Flag one moment and attrition the next.

Swamplands is the first pack that I played and this is an interesting mix of combat in the Temple as well as within a swamp as the name would suggest. With plenty of roots, trees, and various to hide it could be a sniper’s delight but for those stealthy enough to take advantage the cloaking abilities you can point your opponents and rack up some impressive streaks. I found that alternating between my Wingman side arm and machine gun work very well and I was not against using some up-close melee combat to finish enemies off.
For me setting my Titan in auto mode was the best option due to some tricky terrain that time could create bottlenecks and leave your Titan a sitting duck.

Wagames takes the best of Titanfall’s industrial maps and combines them into a combat simulator complete with holographic displays and environments. There were some Tron-esque elements to the landscaping and I love the elevated platforms it allowed me to take out enemies arriving via dropship below and pouncing down upon them and enemy Titans that passed by. With a nice mix of street combat as well as rooftop and building interiors this is ideal for run and gun gameplay enthusiasts such as myself.

Runoff is the final map and the least unique of the new offerings. That being said it is extremely well designed in that the feature of the map is that it is best suited for gamers who were on the move. Set in a water filtration plant, everything from Walks and towers, to ditches and drains make up this environment and the ability to leap from one environment into the water is very enjoyable.
There is a nice mix between close quarter and ranged combat and having a nice variety in your combat areas does allow for a welcome change of pace.

While none of the new maps are certain to be items that push you over the top if you’re already on the fence about purchasing the game, remember you are essentially paying $3.33 per map, less if you purchase a season pass. So in summary, while it is not necessary to have it certainly adds to the enjoyment level of the game in that you get three new diverse and enjoyable environments in which to test your skills at a very affordable price which makes it very easy for me to recommend.

The collection is available for the PC, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

http://sknr.net/2014/06/02/titanfal-expedition/

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Oblivion (2013) in Movies

Jun 19, 2019

Oblivion (2013)

2013 | Action, Sci-Fi

7.2

(22 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

60 years removed from a devastating alien attack, upon the earth a technician named Jack (Tom Cruise), tools away protecting machinery that is essential to the survival of the human race. With only his companion Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), for company the duo form an effective team according to the company.
In the new film “Oblivion”, it is learned that while humanity won the war, the aftermath was left the earth largely uninhabitable. As a result, the survivors have fled to the moon of Titan or are awaiting transit aboard gigantic space station Earth orbit.
Jack and Victoria watch over gigantic extractors that process seawater for much-needed resources for the fusion reactors of humanity. Their only link to the outside world is through communication with the orbiting space station and they efficiently set about their task of repairing guard drones and monitoring water processors from any threats.
With only two weeks to go before they can join the others on Titan Jack is troubled by images of a woman and another life. He dismisses this at first due to the fact that both he and Victoria had memory wipes in order to provide security for their assignment.
After following Jack through his various patrols he discovers the remaining pocket of alien resistance has managed to bring down and orbiting spacecraft filled with passengers in cryogenic suspension. Despite company orders Jack decides to intervene and manages to save one of the passengers from destruction by security drone. He is shocked to discover that the woman is the same one that he’s been dreaming about and is even further confused by the fact that she seems to know him.
This discovery does not sit well with Victoria and is not going to sit well with the company but despite this, Jack agrees to go with the survivor in order to retrieve a flight recorder from her downed ship.
This is where things really get twisted as Jack becomes a captive of the alien menace and learns that they are not what he had been led to believe. Their mysterious leader (Morgan Freeman), proceeds to tell Jack that the life he has known it is a lie and proceeds to tell Jack of his plan to bring down the orbiting space station.
What follows is a very twisting and at times action-packed story that is awash in visual splendor. Not only is “Oblivion” filled with incredible imagery but it is also a intriguing and at times thought-provoking story that proves you can do action driven science fiction and still have interesting characters with complexity and a branching story.
Cruise is very good in the role of Jack and he deftly combines the humanity and sense of wonder of this character very well with the action scenes. Jack is not just a man of action he is a deeper and more complicated individual that appreciates the way the world used to be and things such as music and nature as well as possessing a fierce sense of duty.
While the ending may have been a bit too Hollywood for my liking and I was able to figure out the plot twists ahead of time, the journey was still a very enjoyable one at one that I would suggest taking for yourself.

http://sknr.net/2013/04/19/oblivion/