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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) created a post

May 18, 2018 (Updated Jun 12, 2018)  
E3 2018 Predictions


Don’t know how many fellow hardcore gaming fans are on here, but I normally have a podcast to do my predictions for my favourite event of the year, (yes even better than Christmas,) but since my podcast has been on an extended hiatus, it means that you guys are getting my predictions for 2018’s Electronic Entertainment Expo on here.

I have chosen to go with seven predictions for each conference, as I feel that 10 is too many and five just isn’t enough. There are obviously going to be more than seven announcements from each conference, but I’ve tried to keep it to things that people actually care about and that will get gamers excited, rather than playing it safe by ‘predicting,’ obvious shit, like Sony bringing up the Medievil remake or a trailer being shown for the next COD game. The predictions are in no particular order either, just as I thought of them. I am not cocky enough to start predicting when each prediction will happen in their respective conferences.

I have also included a total shot in the dark prediction for each conference. This is something that has a small sliver of hope of coming true, but realistically it is more something that I want to happen rather than something I actually think is going to happen.

Also, I am in no way a professional video game writer. This is a list of predictions written by a video game fan based on information I’ve heard on gaming podcasts and various gaming subreddits. This is just a bit of fun for me, don’t take anything that I’ve written below as gospel.

Enough rambling, my predictions for E3 2018 are as follows…


EA:
1. Fifa and other sports games will be announced with release dates.
2. Trailer shown for Battlefield V, WWII setting
3. SSX reboot, sequel or remake will be announced
4. Bioware will announce updates for Anthem and maybe announce some sort of Mass Effect DLC
5. Dice will promote Solo update & DLC for Battlefront 2
6. Some sort of new Star Wars game will be announced to replace the cancelled Amy Henning Star Wars game
7. Respawn will announce the title of their Star Wars game and announce Titanfall 3

Total shot in the dark prediction – New Burnout or Dead Space game announced


Microsoft:
1. Crackdown 3 gameplay demo will be shown and 2018 release date will be announced
2. New Halo game announced
3. New Gears Of War game announced
4. Borderlands 3 officially announced with gameplay trailer and release date for late 2018/early 2019
5. Cuphead DLC announced
6. Cyberpunk 2077 trailer shown
7. Some mention of PUBG, Sea Of Thieves and Forza

Total shot in the dark prediction – A new Fable game announced


Bethesda:
1. New IP announced, probably Starfield with fall 2018 release date
2. Doom sequel announced with trailer and 2019 release window
3. Standalone DLC announced for Wolfenstein 2, possibly Prey as well?
4. Rage 2 shown and release window given
5. Some sort of Dishonored follow up teased
6. Updates about ESO and Quake
7. We are teased with the other game that Bethesda game studios has been working on

Total shot in the dark prediction – a new Fallout or Elder Scrolls spinoff announced, something similar to New Vegas


Square Enix:
1. Just Cause 4 announced with trailer and release window
2. New Shadow Of The Tomb Raider gameplay trailer
3. Hitman Season 2 announced with trailer and release window
4. Final Fantasy 7 gameplay trailer shown and announced for multiple consoles with release date given
5. Kingdom Hearts 3 shown with new trailer and release date
6. New IP announced from People Can Fly
7. Trailer shown for Avengers game

Total shot in the dark prediction – New Deus Ex game announced


Ubisoft:
1. New Assassin’s Creed revealed, hopefully with a 2019 release date
2. The Division 2 announced with cinematic and gameplay trailers
3. Skull and Bones trailer shown and release date given
4. New Splinter Cell announced with Michael Ironside returning
5. Sequel to Rainbow 6: Siege announced
6. New trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2
7. Maybe Watch Dogs 3 announced?

Total shot in the dark prediction – A new Prince of Persia, Driver, Brothers In Arms or Call of Juarez game announced. I doubt we’ll see any of them, but I would be buzzing if any of the above were even teased.


Sony:
1. Gameplay trailer given for Death Stranding
2. The Last Of Us 2 gameplay shown
3. New Spiderman gameplay trailer
4. New Ghost of Tsuhima, Dreams and Days gone trailers
5. Rocksteady announce new Superman game and show trailer
6. Shadows Die Twice revealed to be Tenchu game and new trailer is shown
7. Devil May Cry 5 officially announced and trailer shown

Total shot in the dark prediction – Bluepoint announce MGS trilogy remastered


Nintendo:
1. New Pokemon game for the Switch
2. New Smash gameplay trailer
3. New trailer shown for Bayonetta 3
4. New trailer shown for Fire Emblem
5. New trailer shown for Yoshi
6. New trailer shown for Metroid
7. New Mario Maker game announced

Total shot in the dark prediction – Fallout 4 announced for Switch


Comment below and let me know if you agree with my predictions or if you think I am talking a load of nonsense. One of the reasons I love e3 so much is because of the discussion and speculation around it, so let’s get a discussion going.

Also check back here on Wednesday the 13th of June once e3 has finished where I’ll go through my predictions in a comment below to see how many (if any) I actually got right.


Cheers,
- Dan
     
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) Jun 12, 2018 (Updated Jun 12, 2018)

Ubisoft's conference was next up and it was pretty disappointing in my opinion. Let's see how well I did with my predictions for the show:

1. New Assassin’s Creed revealed, hopefully with a 2019 release date. - Assassin's Creed Odyssey was announced just prior tp the conference, (following a leak beforehand,) but unfortunately it got a 2018 release date. This means that the franchise is reverting back to yearly releases, which will undoubtedly lead to a decline in quality for the series. 0.5 point.

2. The Division 2 announced with cinematic and gameplay trailers. - The Division 2 was announced and we got both cinematic and gameplay trailers for the game. 1 point.

3. Skull and Bones trailer shown and release date given. - We saw a trailer for Skull and Bones and were told that we'd see the game release in 2019. 1 point.

4. New Splinter Cell announced with Michael Ironside returning. - The rumours turned out to be false and we saw no mention of a new Splinter Cell game. 0 points.

5. Sequel to Rainbow 6: Siege announced. - A Siege developer did take to the stage to give some updates, but no new game was announced. 0.5 point.

6. New trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2. - We saw a new cinematic trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2. 1 point.

7. Maybe Watch Dogs 3 announced? - There was no new Watch Dogs announced at the conference. 0 points.


Sadly there was no mention of a new Prince of Persia, Driver, Brothers In Arms or Call of Juarez game as I suggested in my fantasy prediction.


4/7 points for Ubisoft's conference, I did slightly better here than I did for Square's presentation.

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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) Jun 12, 2018 (Updated Jun 12, 2018)

Sony's was the penultimate keynote of the expo and they showed exactly what everyone expected them to and nothing more. As a Playstation-centric gamer, this should have been my favourite conference, but honestly I feel like Microsoft had me excited more often this year. Below is a list of my predictions and whether I got them right or wrong.

1. Gameplay trailer given for Death Stranding. - Yes, we finally saw gameplay for Kojima's intriguing new story. 1 point.

2. The Last Of Us 2 gameplay shown. - We also saw gameplay for TLoU2. 1 point.

3. New Spiderman gameplay trailer. - We saw more of Spidey's new game and more gameplay during the conference too. 1 point.

4. New Ghost of Tsuhima, Dreams and Days gone trailers. - While we did get an extensive look at Ghost of Tsuhima and Dreams was featured in a couple of sizzle reels, I don't recall seeing anything for Days Gone during the showcase. 0.5 point.

5. Rocksteady announce new Superman game and show trailer. - We saw absolutely nothing from Rocksteady at any of the E3 press conferences. 0 points.

6. Shadows Die Twice revealed to be Tenchu game and new trailer is shown. - A trailer was shown for this game and while I was right that it wasn't Bloodborne 2, it sadly isn't a new Tenchu game either. 0.5 points.

7. Devil May Cry 5 officially announced and trailer shown. We did get DMC5 announced with a trailer, but it was at Microsft's conference rather than Sony's. 0.5 point.

And unfortunately it doesn't look like Bluepoint well be announcing a remastered MGS trilogy any time soon as per my bonus prediction.


4.5/7 points for the Sony conference. Quite happy with that result, but I really wish that the conference was better.

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Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated the PlayStation 3 version of Star Trek in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019  
Star Trek
Star Trek
Action/Adventure
Director JJ Abrams him breathes life into a stagnating Star Trek franchise with his daring reimagining of the franchise as currently gearing up to release the much anticipated “Star Trek: Into Darkness”, later this summer. With franchise awareness and popularity at a level not seen in over a decade, Digital Extremes has released Star Trek: The Video Game to the delight of Trek fans everywhere. Not only is the game the first one said JJ Abrams universe, but it is also the first game to allow players to play as either Kirk or Spock in both solo or co-op play. The game features Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as Kirk and Spock and also features other voices from the film. During our preview for the game at the 2012 E3 convention in Los Angeles, it was revealed to me that the filmmakers were consulted during the development of the game as it was designed to be a bridge between the first and the second of the JJ Abrams films.

Answering a distress signal, the Enterprise crew finds himself set the center of a crisis with galactic repercussions. An evil reptilian race known as the Gorn have stolen the device of immense power and also have unleashed attacks on a Federation station as well as the new Vulcan colony. Not only is the attacking race deadly but they also are employing a technology that allows them to infect and control Federation citizens and officers which doubles the threat posed to the Federation. When the Gorn escape with an extremely powerful device and Vulcan scientists in tow, Kirk and Spock are tasked with saving the day.

The gameplay is similar to that of the Mass Effect series in that it is done from a third person perspective. Players have the ability to use a Tricorder to scan enemies and objects, pathways, and electronic devices such as doors and security systems which often have to be hacked or manipulated to allow gameplay to progress. Players are allowed to primary weapons into grenade types and have to recharge at various centers throughout the game or swap a spent weapon for weapons they find laying about. This is at a nice new wrinkle to the game is not only are Federation and Gorn weapons available players, but having things ranging from sniper rifles to arc guns makes a nice mix from the standard Phaser weapons. There are also various grenades it can be used by the players.

One of the more frustrating aspects of a game for me for the numerous puzzle sequences where systems had to be hacked or otherwise manipulated. While some could be done by ordering Spock or Kirk depending on which player you were controlling to handle it themselves, some had to be done in conjunction with another player. While this was a nice touch to the game, during the final parts they were too frequent and for me undercut the drama and the urgency of the story.

There were also numerous jumping puzzles where players had to hang from ledges and you carefully timed jumps from one obstacle to another. This became frustrating on the PC version as the control system often was very temperamental and allowed access only at certain points of the map. During one co-op session, both live-action players were unable to complete a puzzle, and it required one of us dropping out of the game so that they could rejoin once the remaining player completed the obstacle course.

I appreciate the deviation from standard run and gun and how the developers were attempting to incorporate a true sense of co-op play by requiring the other player to be little more than backup firepower. However, it does get a bit frustrating when somebody is unable to complete a jump and you are forced to repeat a segment over and over until it is done correctly thanks to the games checkpoint save system.

I really enjoyed the detail levels of the game especially being able to explore the Enterprise and other environments in great detail. One segment required us to use limited range portable transporters to tag and transport one another to various spots on a damage space station. This this was lots of fun and in my opinion really captured the essence of Star Trek as did the brash and bold gameplay style of Kirk compared to the methodical and efficient gameplay style of Spock.

While there were some frustrating moments the game was very enjoyable and with over 10 hours of gameplay did offer a very rewarding experience for Star Trek fans. I do think that gamers who are more casual fans of the series may not be as forgiving with some of the issues I noted in the game but as franchise games go this was a very enjoyable effort.

Graphically the facial animation and lip-synch of the characters was a bit off and dated but elements of the ship and locales were extremely detailed and very enjoyable to look at and interact with. There are some fantastic lines in the game especially some of the clips by Scotty and Dr. McCoy which really showed the effort the game designers talk to capture the essence of the game and its characters and to do their best to put players inside a true Star Trek adventure.

While it is not a perfect game and does have some flaws from the technical and gameplay side of things, it is one of the better Star Trek games ever released and does offer a very enjoyable experience for Star Trek fans as long as they are willing to temper their expectations going in.

http://sknr.net/2013/04/29/star-trek-the-video-game/
  
Halloween (2018)
Halloween (2018)
2018 | Horror
A True successor to the original
Halloween 1978 and little-known director John Carpenter terrifies thousands of impressionable horror fans with the introduction of ‘The Shape’. Jamie Lee Curtis becomes the new ‘scream queen’ and all is well in the world of the slasher genre.

Fast-forward to 2009 and Rob Zombie directs the sequel to his reasonably successful remake of Halloween, but it was poorly received by critics and audiences alike. Why? Well Zombie’s grungy, rock-anthem vibe didn’t really sit too well with Michael Myers and the result was a distasteful and messy outing that set the franchise back nearly 10 years.

Of course, in between 1978 and 2009, the series was ripped apart, put back together again until it was a shadow of its former self. Anyone remember Busta Rhymes doing a vague impression of a karate master in Halloween: Resurrection? Best forget about that.

Nevertheless, director David Gordon Green, a lifetime fan of Carpenter’s iconic original is in the chair to helm a direct sequel to the 1978 classic. That’s right, it forgoes every single film apart from the first. But is it a worthy sequel to one of the greatest horror films of all time?

It’s been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers manages to escape when his bus transfer goes horribly wrong. Laurie now faces a terrifying showdown when the masked madman returns to Haddonfield. But this time, she’s ready for him.

Having Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter back for this instalment is already a coup for Gordon Green. Clearly, they thought enough of the material that he and co-writer Danny McBride had produced to give one more shot at crafting a properly deserved sequel. And it works very well, so well in fact that we have, barring the original, the best Halloween movie to date.

Jamie Lee Curtis is absolutely fabulous as a world-weary Laurie Strode. Traumatised by the events of 40 years ago, she holds herself up in a cabin on the outskirts of Haddonfield, flanked by floodlights and CCTV cameras. The script does a very good job at showing how massive events can destroy an individual’s life and Curtis’ understated performance is a highlight here.

Judy Greer gets a nicely fleshed out role as Karen, Laurie’s daughter. She’s an incredibly talented actress and it’s a world away from the one-dimensional characters she’s been given to play in blockbusters like Jurassic World. The great thing about this film is that each of the main characters feels real. There’s no cheap sex scenes, the kills are well-placed and the dialogue is superbly written – you actually believe these are real people, rather than characters in a movie.

While the body count is high, Halloween doesn’t rely on the murders to progress the story forward. This is very much Laurie’s film as opposed to Michael’s and it works very well. There’s some nice juxtaposition as shots that would have involved Michael in the original, choose to put Laurie front and centre here. Halloween features some tasteful references to the original as well as its less-well received sequels. They’re not immediately obvious for those not too familiar with the series, but die-hards will enjoy seeing those homages pop up every now and then.

Halloween is a resounding success. It takes what audiences loved about the original and updates them in a sequel that, while not being wholly original, respects what came before it
The film starts relatively slowly with a not quite successful side-plot involving two investigative journalists, but once Michael Myers gets his mask back, the film rarely lets up until the end. Populated by enough kills and scares to keep the audience happy, this is a Halloween movie that doesn’t rely too much on jump scares. There’s a few, but they’re nicely filmed which helps lift them above the mundane.

To look at, this is a film that is head and shoulders above anything else in the genre. Gordon Green uses incredibly fluid camera techniques that almost mimic those of the original. In one extended sequence, Myers moves in and out of shot as the camera follows him from house to house, selecting his next victim. With no cuts in between, it’s a stunning scene to watch and very effective.

Thankfully, the writing duo has decided to pass on giving Michael anything resembling a back story. The embodiment of ‘pure evil’ as Samuel Loomis once put it, Myers needn’t have any motives – and that’s what makes him so terrifying. In fact, his first kill here reaffirms his evil characteristics and it’s clear that David Gordon Green and Danny McBride were aiming for this take on the character.

Then there’s the score. John Carpenter has returned to craft new music for this instalment and it is by far the best score in the series, possibly even better than the original. That haunting Halloween theme tune is back, but upgraded with guitar riffs and electronic percussion. It’s a fabulous update that works perfectly with the modern characters and an older Michael.

While it’s true that the film isn’t out-and-out scary, the finale is exquisite as Laurie and Michael come face-to-face once again. Only the abrupt ending and forgetting of some key characters lets it down. After all, what’s the point in caring about a character and never learning of their fate?

Overall, Halloween is a resounding success. It takes what audiences loved about the original and updates them in a sequel that, while not being wholly original, respects what came before it. While this is sure to make bucket loads at the box-office, it feels like it was crafted with care by a writing team and director that absolutely adores the series. It’s a must watch.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/10/20/halloween-2018-review-a-true-successor-to-the-original/
  
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Hadley (567 KP) rated Feed in Books

Sep 29, 2020  
Feed
Feed
Mira Grant | 2010 | History & Politics, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
2
6.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bloggers rule the world (0 more)
Writing (3 more)
Characters
Inconsistencies
Not a horror book, as marketed
What if a powerful virus was released in the air? What if you had to be tested for it every time you tried to walk into a building? Does this sound a little familiar? What if I told you this scenario was written about back in 2010?

In her novel Feed, writer Mira Grant gives readers this very scenario of an airborne, blood transferred virus; something that seems very familiar in today's environment and day-to-day living- - - just minus the zombies.

Grant started out as an urban fantasy writer known as Seanan McGuire, with her first full-length novel being Rosemary and Rue. She received the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, as well as many other awards for her work in fiction. There are four books in the Newsflash series (Feed being the first of these).

We meet our main characters, Georgia and Shaun, while they're out in the 'field' filming some zombies for their blog. Shaun is the more careless one, as we witness him poking at zombies with his hockey stick. The two suddenly have to leave when the zombies become a pack. This is where it gets a little strange- - -Georgia explains to the readers that when zombies are in a pack, they become stronger and somehow smarter, but throughout the rest of the book, it's never really explained how this happens.

In this world, blogging and your view count determines your quality of life. Georgia and Shaun have spent years making their blog- - - After the End Times- - - into a popular blog. Every blogger's dream is to be picked to follow the campaign trail of any upcoming politician, and that is exactly what happens to our main characters. Unfortunately, this is when the book turns into a political thriller- - - this happens within the first fifty pages. Zombies end up taking a backseat from here-on-out.

We still get to learn about the virus (Kellis-Amberlee) throughout the book. We're told that any animal that weighs more than 40 pounds is capable of having the virus, and that some people are even born with a dormant-type of the virus inside of them, but this is also never explained in the entire story, at least in book one. Georgia makes it quite clear throughout the novel that she is completely against anyone owning pets that weigh over 40 pounds, but this is due-to her family having lost their younger son to a pet that went viral. This becomes extremely repetitive. Every time that an animal is brought up or seen, Georgia has to retell her stance on owning pets, when once or twice was enough to let the readers know where she stands on the subject.

There are moments of zombie attacks- - - such as after a political rally in a small town where Georgia and her crew are following Senator Ryman on his race to become President, when bodyguards are attacked by a small group of the undead, and Georgia and Shaun become cornered by a few of them- - - these scenes read as if to just keep the zombie trope going, not to actually make the story better. Grant continually repeats herself throughout the book, and because of this, the story didn't have to be as long as it is. Such as with these few zombie attacks, the reader never feels much danger for the characters. And I found that the characters turn out to just not be that likable.

One such character that had potential is Buffy; the backbone of the After the End Times blog. Scenes that were meant to make the reader care for her fell short. Unlike scenes with Georgia and Shaun, including the bond between them, is not felt with Buffy's scenes; she merely seems like a filler character to make certain parts of the story make sense by constantly disappearing and reappearing wherever need be.

Georgia does have an interesting quirk in the book. She harbors the dormant Kellis-Amberlee virus, which has effected her eyes. She can't be in bright lights because they give her blinding headaches, so she wears sunglasses nearly everywhere: " I collapsed onto our bed at the local four-star hotel a little after dawn, my aching eyes already squeezed shut. Shaun was a bit steadier on his feet and he stayed upright long enough to make sure the room's blackout curtains were drawn. "

The technical side of the story - - - the computer world and the electronic usage- - - in Feed is done pretty well. It's like the movie Nightcrawler meets 28 Days Later, but with a lot less zombies. We get to see the seedy underbelly of journalism- - - where bloggers are willing to do anything to get their view count high. Readers also get to witness how life is like living in a world held hostage by a virus - - -something that is very relatable today.

Georgia constantly reminds readers that she doesn't care about other people, and that Shaun is the only person she cares for- - - and, of course, the view count. She continually blames her lack of empathy on their adoptive parents, stating that they only took them in for the their own blog view counts. Oddly after such information, Shaun doesn't seem to be the immature one in the duo.

I haven't read the other three books, one which is a republishing of Feed, but from a different point-of-view. This story was disguised as a horror novel, but just ended up being a political thriller with some zombies thrown in for a much wider reading audience. The book skims over what life would be like after a devastating virus takes over, but focuses on what politics would be like. I can't recommend Feed as a horror novel; the tagline is also misleading: " 'The good news: we survived. The bad news: so did they. " Unless Grant was talking about politicians....

I didn't give the story a low rating because it wasn't exactly a horror book, but instead for these reasons: throughout the story, Grant repeats a lot of information that was explained earlier in the book (and only needed to be explained once); she also had inconsistencies throughout, sometimes even in the very next sentence. Adding things that needed to be explained which weren't, and the afterthoughts that broke up the flow of the story, I just couldn't enjoy it. But, if you like political thrillers, then you might like this one. I won't be continuing this series.