‘Assassin’s Creed’ Movie Will Spend More Time In The Present Day

Assassin’s Creed marks Ubisoft’s first foray into the cinematic landscape, taking their unique IP and transporting it onto the big screen – with help of Michael Fassbender’s Hollywood heft of course.

Although the debut trailer for the game adaptation hit-the-net last week. Fans have been left with questions regarding how much of the big-budget action will take place in the modern day vs the films 15th century past.

In a conversation with IGN, Executive Producer Pat Crowley revealed that 65% of the movie will exist in the present day as Fassbender’s convict Callum Lynch fights the nefarious forces of The Knights Templar. The other 35% will  take place in 15th Century Spain as Lynch projects his conscience into his ancestor Aguilar, via the Animus machine familiar to fans of the long-running game franchise.

“There are certain things that we absolutely want to respect in the game,” Crowley explained, “but we also want to bring new elements to the game […] This isn’t a video game that we’re making. We’re trying to make a cinematic experience, so there are new things that we have to introduce.”

In a post Marvel Cinematic World, it is understandable that Ubisoft would need to establish the present day in the this movie given the prospect of further sequels and possible spin-off’s featuring different heroes down the line. A situation that fans are more than accustomed too nine games in.

It will however be interesting to see how the filmmakers will get the balance right when Assassin’s Creed hit theatres December 21, 2016.

For all your Film News & Reviews, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

Assassins Creed Trailer Review

So woke up this morning to be greeted by the official Assassins Creed movie trailer so thought it was a good chance to pop a review up as I have always loved the games and hold out high hopes for the movie. So lets take a leap of faith into what we have learnt from the trailer.

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The trailer begins with Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) waking up in a room and we zoom into his eye and we see the first look at him dressed as the Assassin Aguilar and some clips of him jumping across a building gap, stood atop a high building and the scene of what appears to be one huge battle before being taken back in a laboratory with a Doctor looking over him. He ask where he is and the Doctor advises him that at 6pm yesterday evening he was executed and pronounced dead and that he no longer exists.

We then see him walking through a garden and he ask what kind of prison is he in to which the Doctor replies your not in prison we also she the Abstergo logo for the first time while the Doctor explains that he is about to enter Animus. He then learns that what he will see hear and feel will be the memories of his ancestor who has been dead for 500 yeras as he is being told this we see a weapons case with the hidden blades in them.

He asks what the Doctor “What do you want from me” and she answers with “Your past” as we go through the eye once again we see an a great visiual view of a city and an eagle soaring above it and the Doctor saying “Welcome to the Spanish inquisition” we are then treated to some great visuals of fight scenes between the Assassins and soldiers and we also see some great free running sequences that are part of the joy of playing the games.

We then cut back to Abstergo and here Callum quote “We work in the darkness to serve the light, we are Assassins”we also see from the clip that the Animus used in the film is not just a lay down couch but a machine that give Callum free reign to move carrying out what is happening in the memory. At the 1 minute 53 second mark we finally get to see Aguilar take a leap of faith off a Cathedral tower and the trailer comes to an end, words cannot describe how happy I am to see this included in the film and I cannot wait to go and see it on the big screen.

For all your Assassin Creed needs stick with @Deadpool_1984 only at skatronixxx.com

Gamer’s Memories

I know how even today some people think that videogames are a waste of time and money. That they make people lazy, anti-social or even violent, even though it has been many times proven  to not be true. Well I want to add to that proof by sharing some of my best memories! I know you don’t know me but I am a nice, trustworthy person who studies at a university and loves her family, so I am not anti-social or lazy or whatever  certain people think of us gamers.

My earliest and dearest memories are of gaming with my father. We only saw  each other on weekends and holidays so it was that much more important to make memories and enjoy our time together. Of course we did other things too, but playing videogames with him was something special. I didn’t have any sort of gaming device at my mother’s so it was our thing. Me and my dad’s. We had Sega Mega Drive and lots of fun games to go with it. One of the most fun ones was ‘World of Illusion’ which is a Disney game starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, where you get to explore many interesting and amazing worlds of Disney. I loved that game! Especially because we played it together.

Then when I was a bit older I got a little brother and  i eventually started playing with him just like my dad did with me. It was not only fun but we also bonded over playing videogames. I was a nice big sister and would mostly let him have the controller until the game got too hard for him. We played Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Klonoa, Cool Boarders and many more games on playstation. We still played with the Sega too of course. What’s best was that  we  would never fight when we were gaming!

And now that I’m 27 and married, I make new lovely memories with the love of my life. And many of them have something to do with gaming. I actually lured my husband on a secret date with me at my place(he was totally clueless of my plan, mwahhaha!) over 8 years ago, inviting him to play Soul Calibur and eat pizza. Then he kind of stuck around and we would share countless brilliant games together and we will continue to do so till the end. Right now we are playing one of my favourite horror games(project zero/fatal frame 2) together and we are having the best of times. So there. Gaming can be a wonderful part of ones life, and add to it rather than take something away.
Play with passion!

auburn.geek

New Console Coming From Nintendo!

There has been a lot of talk about a new console, Nintendo NX, launching in March 2017. The specifics are still a mystery but we will get more information later this year. Oddly enough though, Nintendo won’t be introducing it’s newest creation at the E3, their focus at the event is going to be on the upcoming Legend of Zelda game, which they said will be released for both Nintendo NX and WiiU. Another game that is going to be released for NX is Dragon Quest XI, but so far these are the only known games planned for NX at the moment. There have been rumors that WiiU’s production will be stopped in 2018 so it seems Nintendo has high hopes for the next console, WiiU being their worst selling console yet.

One imaginary alternative for how the NX console would look like.

What’s more, Nintendo has stated that the Nintendo NX will not be a new version of Wii or WiiU but a whole new, unique experience. There has been talk about the NX being a sort of a hybrid of a “home” console and a mobile part that you can take with you, not a bad idea since Nintendo’s handheld consoles have been quite successfull! The operating system for the NX is still not known, although there have been guesses of Android based system or something similar to the other newer console’s systems. There has been a rumor that NX would work with Playstation 4, Android and PC, I have not heard of any confirmation yet though but this would be a really big bonus for the consumers. Also the NX is rumored to be backwards compatible with Wii/WiiU games, and there has been some mention of an online service and access to online gaming that resembles those of playstation and Xbox.

An analyst Michael Patcher has given a heavy view of the new console, thinking that Nintendo will probably use “backwards looking technology” like before, and that the console is in serious danger of not being that good. One decision that  may have affected this conclusion is that the NX will support 4K/60 fps video streaming BUT that the  gameplay will only run at 900p, which is not that bad, but it is without a doubt a bit outdated since the  other consoles have done it already. So the hardware is a few years old, this is pretty much what they did with Wii. But what does it mean? Well for one, that the visuals are going to be a lot improved from Wii and WiiU, but they won’t be anyhing that hasn’t been done before. This of course doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be very exited for the Nintendo’s newest family member. I for one can’t wait for more information about this new reportedly unique gaming system!

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

Mirror’s Edge Hype

I fell in love with the first Mirror’s Edge game in 2008 and I’ve played it through several times. Mirror’s Edge was quite a phenomenon when it was first released, and for a good reason. The game was pretty unique at the time since it’s main idea was to parkour through different levels, with it’s relatable and authentic female protagonist Faith who was a messenger (“runner”) of a sort fighting the power in a dystopian city where no one had true privacy anymore. So she ran through the corrupted city to deliver important messages and fought the law successfully. The idea of the game was simple but believable like that. The areas/levels in the game were fun to play and beautiful to look at. The simplicity in the city’s structure was well planned, even though it may not have been the most authentic way to depict the grimm future. Of course there were frustrating parts and some less than perfect level planning in the game too but all in all it was really good!

Faith became one of my favorite female characters because she is a woman but she wasn’t sexed up like so many other female characters have been. She is credible and the game focuses on her skills, mission and personality rather than her cleavage. Most importantly she is depicted as a human. This is something we don’t see enough in games, and characters like Faith give a really good picture of how to make a woman real.

So now that the sequel Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is finally coming i am pretty excited, there’s so much to look forward to! The art looks really beautiful and the levels seem to be more versatile than in the first game. There are also more content in the world, we will see  different factions like the runners, the gonglomerates(basically the corporations) and even a terrorist group called Black November. We will also learn more about Faith and the cause which she follows, and if I’m understanding correctly we’ll know more about the city as well. I don’t yet know when i will be able to tell you more since I’m not sure I can afford the game on the release day, but if i get my hands on it on time I’ll report what it’s like.

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

Dark Souls 3 The First Glance

So we just got the collector’s edition of Dark Souls 3 and it’s pretty awesome. I live in Finland so we had to wait a bit longer to get this, but finally it’s here!

As a long time fan of the game series I love it so far. I have to make it clear though that although i have indeed played the earlier games(plus Bloodborne!), i have used even more time watching my husband play them. So my knowledge of the game is more profound than my concrete gaming skills which are of course at least okay too. I can’t give you a lot of details of the game, but thus far the game seems to be a perfect combination of the best features of the older games. The fighting is made much more efficient and fun; something has been learned from bloodborne and so the fighting is less passive than in the earlier games. Don’t fear though, the good old shield&sword tactic works still as well. Also there are new techniques to use in battle which cosume fp(the blue gauge). The enemies feel more intelligent and capable in fight too. They have also finally been able to make the long desired slime/liquid like enemy!

The graphics(and art allover) are totally brilliant, frame rate is smooth and you can see the enemies in the distance much better than e.g. in Dark Souls 2. And right from the start the game’s style and ambiance  have been epic and the plot and the lore  interesting. I can’t wait to learn more and more as the game progresses further. I’ve got nothing bad to say yet. I will of course give an update on that opinion if there is any reason to change it.

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

Jurassic Park Is Back!

 

Look, it’s another Lego Game. Destroy everything in sight to get money! What a great lesson for young children.

It’s the same old thing, really. Funny dialogue, easy puzzles and open world free play.

So then why do I keep buying into Lego?

Simple. Because it’s awesome. Because there are dinosaurs. Because you get to PLAY as the dinosaurs.

Honestly, I think it’s my favourite Lego game to date. Not only has it reignited my love of dinosaurs and fear of birds (the modern day dinosaurs), but it’s a chance to sit down with family and friends and work together as a team to smash absolutely everything in sight.

Not only can you unlock characters like Jimmy Fallon and Mr. DNA, but you can ride in a gyrosphere, play as a raptor and journey through all four hit movies. (Yes, even the infamously terrible third installment…which hey, I didn’t think was THAT bad).

Special abilities include digging through dinosaur’s excrement, camouflage and throwing T-Rex urine on those pesky mini dinosaurs.

I highly recommend playing on the Wii U. Instead of using a split screen, one member can have the TV to themselves while the other uses the Wii U handheld.

Why the Wii U got such a bad review when it first came out, I’ll never know. I think it’s pretty rocking. But that’s coming from the girl who wrote Nintendo Love Song. Basically, Nintendo is and forever will be the greatest, especially now that you can play Lego on its newest console.

P.S. Just try to get the Jurassic Park theme song out of your head once you start playing. Just try.

 

 

 

 

Remember ‘Theme Hospital’? We do!

Remember Theme Hospital?

Probably not. It’s one of those epic 90’s Nostalgia games that were huge for a while, before quietly fading into oblivion.

19 years later and I’m still hooked, despite the pixelated graphics.

Build your hospital, make money and cure patients. It sounds simple. Simple it is not. Weird, it certainly is.

Your myriad clinics include the inflation room to deflate swollen heads, the slack tongue clinic to slice off long tongues, decontamination for radioactive patients, the jelly vat for those born without skeletons and a pharmacy for the invisible.

Choose between intelligent employees who have mental breakdowns and the frustratingly slow doctors who list “fart-surfing” on their resume.

No. I’m not exaggerating.

With stressful epidemics, staff harassing you when the boiler breaks and handymen constantly wanting raises, this is an addictive classic you do not want to miss out on!

Make sure to check it out at GOG.com !

Superb Playstation Employee Helps Gamer With Cerebral Palsy

Good people exist in this world.

It’s easy to fall into the mindset that the world constantly works against us and its myriad of inhabitants sometimes join in on making our lives more difficult. Thankfully, stories like these remind me (and hopefully anyone who reads this) that life isn’t always bad and that wonderful human beings still stand up for doing the right thing.

I recently found an article on Gamespot that absolutely floored me. Tamoor Hussain reported that a man named Peter Byrne contacted Sony after he expressed difficulty using the PlayStation 4‘s DualShock 4 controller. Byrne explained that “When I use the PlayStation 4 controller my game constantly pauses because my left hand hits the touchpad which is frustrating for me.” He decided to request aid from Sony and waited for their response. Suffering from cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that can appear in infancy or early childhood and can severely affect body movement, muscle coordination, and other physical factors (source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke), Byrne has an understandably difficult time playing his favorite video games. Unfortunately incurable, many people with cerebral palsy live very normal and productive lives.

Sony employee Alex Nawabi answered Byrne and assured him that Sony would accomplish something. While Nawabi wrote that his assurance was a bit of a “white lie,” he eventually explained that Mr. Byrne’s situation “struck a chord within” and he built the gamer a custom controller that disabled the touchpad and replaced it with a button on the back of the controller, thus enabling Alex the ability to play his video games unhindered.

Stating that this is “the first time I’ve ever done something like this,” Nawabi wants to build Peter a second controller in case the first one breaks, but not until he gets some feedback from Peter first. Both Peter and his family are incredibly touched by Mr. Nawabi’s efforts and praise continues to pour in for the PlayStation retail marketing operator. A humble man, he kindly thanked everyone for their support but pointed to Sony’s R&D department and their efforts to design consoles and controllers with the maximum amount of accessibility for all.

If you would like to read the letter Mr. Nawabi sent to Mr. Byrne, click this link. It’s stories like this and passionate people like Alex Nawabi that make me adore the gaming community. Hats off to you Mr. Nawabi and to everyone who helps make someone’s life a little easier.

Happy gaming!

-Valiant

Escapist’s favourite RPGs

I’m a hard core escapist and that is one big reason I love a good story with relatable multifaceted characters. When I was younger I read a lot of books and invented my own worlds, characters and events. The videogames I had at hand that time were a lot of fun, but they did not satisfy the need for fantasy and adventure, until they did. I found a roleplaying group for adolescents and fell in love with roleplaying games. Soon I found my way to rpg videogames and here we are! I LOVE rpg, be it old school Dungeons&Dragons pen&paper style, or videogames I can play alone at home burried in my sofa. So here’s a messy list of my personal videogame rpg favourites.

1.The Elder Scrolls. I’m sure that everyone knows this open world rpg game series, or at least the most recent volumes, Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls online. My personal favourites are the earlier ones, namely Morrowind and Oblivion. I prefer these games over the newer ones because they are way more rpg in genre than the other ones that are leaning more to fantasy adventure genre. Morrowind is the land of the dark elves(Dunmer) and it’s a beautiful and versatile world where you can spend hours and hours just exploring the world. The main plot is interesting and all the side quests are lots of fun too. Don’t even get me started on the add ons! They are brilliant. You need to play them. Of course the graphics are outdated but it IS an old game. Same goes with Oblivion which is based in Cyrodiil, the land of the Imperials. Oblivion has such beauty in it, that it’s hard to explain. And I’m not talking only about the scenery, something in the game’s world just sucks my soul into it everytime I play it. So these two games are a MUST for any rpg enthusiasts. Be warned though, these are games for “real” rpg lovers(well Morrowind is) and might not suit you if you are waiting for something like Skyrim and Fallout4’s mechanics.

2. The fallout series(from 1 to new Vegas). Now this is a classic game series that’s actually pretty old. I started my Fallout journey with Fallout 3 which is one of the most awesome open world rpgs I have played. It’s based on post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. that’s infested with all kinds of mutant creatures. The main plot is somewhat interesting, but the heart of this game(in my opinion) is in the DLCs that are simply brilliant. Except “mothership Zeta” that sucks(it’s basically a straightforward shooter, bleh). I have tried the earlier games and they are a lot of fun, I just have a problem playing on PC because of things, so I haven’t finished the first two games(+tactics!) BUT can totally recommend playing them! Fallout New Vegas follows Fallout 3 in the path of awesomeness but it’s events are based(mostly) in Nevada desert. This game is in a way trying to relight the experience of fallout 2 which is also going for post-apocalyptic western theme. New Vegas also has a vaguely interesting main plot, but very good DLCs that give so much to the spirit of the game that I can’t recommend playing the game without them. BTW check out Wasteland 2 if you want a new game that has the same feel as the early Fallouts!

3.Arcanum. Now this game right here is a seriously super duper extra awesome rpg classic. It’s oldschool, only for PC and it’s one of a kind. It’s actually a fantasy-steampunk game. There is magic and technology, there are dwarves,elves,gnomes and orcs and lots of ground to cover and stories to hear. The character creation and character sheet are almost like in real rpgs. It actually really matters if your character is dumb or smart, beautiful or ugly etc. The world reacts to your character in a very deep way and the conversations are made so interesting there aren’t many games that have been able to do that again(no wonder with these “conversation wheels” etc…). Anyway, Arcanum is a true oldie but goldie game and if you love rpg like I do, you need this experience in your life. Stat.

4.Dragon age: Origins. This truly beautiful fantasy game is an old school game made for modern gamers. The storyline, character creation, fighting, conversations and scenery are so good I actually played it 2 times straight, nonstop. And then I played it again a few times. And I still want to play it. The replayability is so great I was overwhelmed at first. Not only can you make very diverse characters, but whatever race& background you vhoose, you actually have a different intro to play every time! And not just a short 5 minute intro, depending on your gaming style the intro section should be at least 1 hour long. And of course your backgroung affects the game in many other ways too. Now this is one big reason why Dragon Age2(yuck) and Inquisition(meh) are NOT on my fav rpg list, the developers ripped off so many important pieces of rpg and replaced it with more “romance” content and more straightforward(and booooring) fighting and stories I refuse to recognize them as rpg, even in a vague way. Once again money wins, old fans lose. BUT let’s not linger on that, but revel in the fact that we DID get an awesome fantasy rpg which sadly, did not get worthy sequels. We can always replay the first one.

There would be a lot of other games I love, but I ‘ve already wrote so much they’ll have to wait for another time. I’ll give you a list of other rpgs that are worth playing, so you can check them out yourself if you care to!

Shadowrun(original&returns&Hong Kong), Jade Empire, Icewind Dale(1&2), Forgotten realms, Mass Effect 1, Baldurs Gate(1&2), Wasteland (1&2).

Play with passion!

auburn.geek