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Even if you’re not into anime, if you’re a film buff then there’s no doubt you’ve heard of Your Name. The film was an absolute smash, becoming the 5th highest grossing non-English film of all time worldwide. The beauty of the animation, music, themes and writing in this film have been applauded time and time again, so for the sake of a digestible review, I’ll keep my fawning about this film light and breezy. It’s a bloody masterpiece and I could watch it a hundred times.
The story of Your Name centres around two teenagers. Mitsuha, a girl from a highly traditional family who lives in a quiet but beautiful village in the countryside, and Taki, a boy who studies and works in the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo. Their worlds couldn’t be more different, and secretly Mitsuha yearns for the excitement of city living.
For unknown reasons at first, the two begin switching bodies at random - leaving each other messages, positively affecting each other’s lives and becoming emotionally close despite being so physically far apart. As the story develops, the two make use of their shared connection to try and prevent a devastating natural disaster, caused by a beautiful and ever-present shooting star that is flying across the sky over Japan.
The film is beautifully drawn, and the team behind it should be enormously proud of themselves. The connection between Mitsuha and Taki gives us great juxtapositions between modern Tokyo and the more traditional Japanese countryside. The film is full of these comparisons of their two worlds, and rather than elevating one over the other, it shows us the beauty in both.
I’ll be the first to admit that the humour and character of some Japanese media can get a little lost in translation - especially in anime. But every character in this film is likeable, and many are genuinely funny in ways that we can all relate to. The genuineness of Mitsuha and Taki make them incredibly likeable even if they make choices that we might disagree with, and their differences become their strengths. Their relationship is fascinating to the viewer, likely because they are genuinely fascinated with one another.
Although technically you could reduce it to the label of body-swap rom com, this film is no Freaky Friday. The story is a little complicated and at times hard to follow. Not all of the logic in the connection between major plot points is sound, but it overcomes this by never lingering too long on anything to over-explain it. The connection between Mitsuha and Taki that is causing them to switch bodies is never completely explained, and the film works all the better for it. It’s happening, and we’re just there for the ride.
Follow the storyline, and your investment in the characters pays off. The film has a very satisfying emotional climax, with a very open-ended conclusion. Most of your questions will have an answer by the final scenes, but those scenes will raise just as many new questions too. It’s equal parts frustrating and satisfying - reminding you that what matters is the journey, not the destination.
Your Name is a wonderfully told story. It’s full of character, likeability and beautiful artwork. Set aside any reservations you have about animated movies, or anime itself, and watch this film.
Far-right terrorism is still a threat in Europe and some may say it’s growing, making now a good time to release a film on the subject. ‘In The Fade’, directed by Fatih Akin and winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film 2018 explores this threat, but on a personal level.
Katja Sekerci (Diane Kruger) lives in Hamburg, Germany, with her Kurdish husband Nuri (Numan Acar), and their six year old son Rocco. Nuri spent time in prison for drug dealing before, but since coming out their lives have improved. Katja drops Rocco off at Nuri’s workplace one morning to spend time with her pregnant friend Birgit (Samia Muriel Chancrin), but sadly this is the last time she’ll ever see the two of them - when she comes back, the street has been cordoned off and she finds out that an explosion took place, killing both of them. Insistent that Neo-Nazis are to blame, the rest of the film explores Katja’s various stages of grief and anger and the events that follow as she attends court and desperately tries to seek justice for her family.
‘In The Fade’ is split into three distinct acts - the initial events surrounding the explosion, the court case, and the aftermath. Although I didn’t feel it needed each act to be physically labelled the structure worked well, with the just the right amount of content in each one. Despite being the least active I found the court case scenes to be the most intriguing, and it was hard not to become invested as we got deeper into it. The characters were really interesting and looking at them through such a setting was a great way of exploring their emotions, both positive and negative.
From the very beginning, the film is excellent at bringing emotion out of the viewer, despite initially not presenting us with a large amount of character exploration. I would have liked more, but I still found it incredibly sad at points. Obviously, the story was bound to be sad, but the way it was filmed was also a big part of this, with moving and poignant shots really standing out. One such shot, the reflection of raindrops hitting the window on Katja’s face as she lies alone in the dark, sums up the emotion and thought behind the cinematography. Add to that the haunting soundtrack that accompanies each scene, and you’ve got a really emotive combination.
Some might feel that the film didn’t explore the grit of Neo-Nazism enough, particularly the impact that it has not only to individuals but society as a whole. However, what it does explore it gets spot on - the torment and grief that can be caused to an individual, and the anger and resentment that arises from a lack of justice, and also a lack of understanding. Every scene is shot intimately and focused around Katja’s life, so maybe it’s not trying to look too much into the bigger picture, but instead focus on those tiny details that we so often forget about as we become hardened to the specifics of these events as the rate that they happen increases.
‘In The Fade’ is a film where not an awful lot really happens once the triggering event has occurred, but from then on every small instance is important. It's slow-moving but beautifully created, and well worth a watch for anyone either interested in the subject or who wants a film that will provide more than just entertainment.
Churchill (2017) portrays a small slice of Winston Churchill’s life 96 hours before the D-day landings - ‘the 1,736th day of World War 2’, as the film frames it. Winston Churchill, riddled with guilt from the 100,000 lives lost during the failed Gallipoli Campaign 30 years before, opposes the coming D-Day invasion of France and gets very vocal about it.
Like me, you might have understandably heard the name ‘Churchill’ and instantly thought of Gary Oldman, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the British icon. But before you get too excited, please be aware that Churchill (2017) and The Darkest Hour (2017) are two completely different films. That’s right, two major features were released featuring Winston Churchill in the same year.
In Churchill, he’s portrayed by Brian Cox - and although he does a bang up job, you’ll find that this film is definitely the weaker sibling. This film runs for around 100 minutes, and you feel every single one of them. It might be the film’s attempted buildup of tension, or even its best efforts to present a complex emotional narrative. It just doesn’t pay off with either, and what you’re left with is a difficult watch.
I might not sound like it, but I’m glad I watched it. I found this flawed, worried and fearful representation of Winston Churchill a very interesting difference to what our history lessons tell us, and Brian Cox has a fantastic presence. If you love your history films and your biopics, there’s a good chance that you’ll also enjoy watching this film.
However, if you are a lover of true history and a WWII buff, in particular, you might find some of this film’s interpretations frustrating. Andrew Roberts, a noted WWII historian himself, gave the writer of this film, Alex von Tunzelmann, a lot of criticism for ‘historical inaccuracies’ and ‘mischaracterization’ of Churchill.
Roberts describes the film as ‘Ms. von Tunzelmann’s perverse fantasy’, dragging her over the coals for her portrayal of Churchill’s marriage, his disagreement with major decisions regarding the war and dozens of minor costuming mistakes that’d be an easy spot for experts in the field. His article linked above for The Churchill Project reads like the work of someone who took this film very seriously, and very personally.
But that’s not just Roberts’ problem. I have a hard time telling if this film takes itself too seriously, or not seriously enough. The portrayal of Churchill’s famous speeches and the delivery of several of the film’s more dramatic dialogue comes across as pretty cliched, and maybe too patriotic for British sensibility to take seriously. Although they might be historically accurate, it’s hard to believe that’s what he truly said.
By contrast, film critic Robbie Collin at the Telegraph describes it as a ‘razor-sharp political taxonomy’, praising everything from Brian Cox’s portrayal to the cinematography and the dialogue. As Collin puts it, ‘all the best scenes are head-to-heads’. The critic's reviews of this film are often more glowing than that of those who are dedicated to their WWII history, perhaps indicating a film which has prioritised masterful filmmaking over the accuracy of their material.
My final word is a little paradoxical. Will you love this film? Probably not. Is it hard watching? Yes. Will you enjoy the experience of watching it? I did, and I think you will too. This is one that you really have to watch for yourself in order to decide which side of the tracks you’re on. Just don’t suggest it for a movie night with your mates.
“From the Producers of Harry Potter” the trailer proudly states, before a young girl wielding a hammer much too large swings at colossal being. A giant, if you will.
I KILL GIANTS
Block text. Dramatic cut. Music fades. Marketing can do more damage than good, can’t it? Hot take, I know. In this instance, I found it easy to spot, but I couldn’t help but think of all the kids prepared for an exciting adventure, as a girl as young as they, overcome insurmountable odds by slaying these behemoths… because I Kill Giants is nothing of the sort. A deliberately vague family trauma is the ‘monsters as symbolism’ de jour, which protagonist Barbara (Madison Wolfe) must confront.
I hadn’t seen Madison Wolfe in anything prior to I Kill Giants. Rather, I thought I hadn’t, but after researching her previous rolls, it turns out I’ve encountered her a few times. The difference here is that she’s given the opportunity to perform to her fullest. And what a performance it is, despite the dialogue often working against it.
“There is a time when you should ask yourself, do you want to go through life as a coward or a knight?” It wasn’t until I read that line back to myself that I realized how much I hated it. Yet, spoken with confidence - dare I even say gravitas - by Madison, it just worked, because it carried an emotional weight to it not directly present in the writing.
Which was the main point of contention for myself? The dialogue suffers from being so direct; blunt and overt. This gave me pause for thought because I was struck with the realisation that I’m in my mid-twenties (oh, so wise beyond my years) and I Kill Giants is intended for an audience as young as Barbara. Maybe I was expecting too much, I thought, as elements of characterisation frustrated, even agitated me to a point of fatigue. Yet, the ernest, inherently empathetic situation of a family trauma is so universal, lived and endured by everyone, that I Kill Giants won me over in spite of its missteps. Though not simply because the subject matter would indeed affect anybody; Barbara’s denial of the situation - evasive, angry, brash, afraid - giving way to towering monsters that she, and only she, can kill to protect the people around her is tragic. Appropriately so.
I have (deliberately) neglected talking about the giants. They are featured about as much as I’ve mentioned them here. The giants aren’t a direct antagonist. They are a setting, a tone, a mood, a perceived and persistent threat, and a not altogether tangible one. They work well as the walking metaphors they are, not least of all because of how they’re portrayed; filmed from low angles, heavy bass to their footsteps, bringing storms, literal and emotional.
The individual elements of I Kill Giants work better than the whole they are contained in, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t recommend it. Despite my frustrations, it’s a touching, if clunky narrative which is supported by Madison’s performance. Trauma, grief, and the denial therein isn’t an easy task to portray, and any misstep risks undermining it. I Kill Giants isn’t consistent, but I would be lying if I said that the final act didn’t break me.
This movie is absolutely a poster child for the problem sequel - just more of the same, without the originality of the first instalment. I loved it and highly recommend it.
Just in case you haven’t heard it, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) which introduced a secret organisation of British super-spy gentleman calling itself Kingsman. At the start of the film, an agent in training sacrifices his life to save an agent called Harry Hart, who has to break the news to the agent’s family. The agent in training had a son, ‘Eggsy’, who Harry leaves a medal with, telling him to call the number on the back if their family ever needs help.
Long story short, Eggsy grows into a plucky young chav who calls Harry to get him out of prison for a pretty stupid revenge carjacking. Harry sees potential in him, inviting him to join Kingsman. Eggsy’s training helps he, Harry and the friends they made along the way to defeat the big bad, and everyone lives happily ever after with Eggsy being a fully qualified Kingsman agent. This film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, picks up pretty soon afterwards, with agent Eggsy as the film’s main protagonist once again.
Being such a huge fan of the first film, I knew that it was going to be self-aware, and would need to be watched with a pinch of salt. The fight scenes are just as fantastically choreographed and shot as they are in K: TSS, and there are more of them. If you loved Colin Firth’s church scene in the first film, then you’ll know nothing can match it. But this film has some incredible extended fight scenes that follow the same kind of performance and left me not wanting them to end. In fact, it opens with one, knocking it into fifth gear before the movie has even begun.
It’s also genuinely funny, and the dialogue is witty and charming. Meeting the US equivalent to Kingsman, named Statesman, is some great world-building and brings in some big names, such as Channing Tatum, Halle Berry and Jeff Bridges. All of their characters are great in their own ways, but the crowning glory of the film has to be Julianne Moore. Poppy Adams, the 50s-obsessed sociopathic homemaker supervillainess she plays, is so fun to watch. I might even like her more than Richmond Valentine, (Samuel L Jackson) the big bad from the first film.
Way back in jolly old 2014, Kingsman: The Secret Service was a brilliant surprise. I don’t know what I expected when I finally sat down to watch it, but I was blown away, and recommend it to anyone that brings it up. Kingsman: The Golden Circle was the complete opposite of that experience - I knew exactly what I was heading into the cinema to watch, and it met every expectation.
Did it surpass them? Not really. Watching this film, you get the feeling that they tried very hard to increase upon everything people loved about the first - the black comedy, the shock factor, the gadgets and such - but pushing all these features so much further pushes K:TGC into fantasy territory, in contrast to the limited believability that grounded K:TSS.
Where K: TSS was taser rings and poison-laced shoe blades, K: TGC is robotic guard dogs and villains with robot arms. Where K: TSS was ‘seduce the girl at this party’, K: TGC is ‘seduce this girl at Glastonbury’. There’s more black comedy, even more, shocking shock factor, and even snappier suits. There’s an amazingly ham-fisted and prolonged celebrity cameo that I won’t spoil for you here, but it offers only a few great moments at best and leaves you wondering if they really got their money’s worth for how much that particular celebrity must have cost. Also, this film is too long.
Speaking of ham-fisted, you’ll also be treated to some incredibly self-indulgent shots of Kingsman-branded deodorant and aftershave. In the context of the movie, they’re apparently gadgets. But I was watching in the cinema, and in the opening trailers was an advert for those very products. I’m sure it’s not just me that finds obvious product placement such an annoying mistake - it breaks the illusion of the movie world completely.
My final take away? You will enjoy this film if you let yourself. There is a lot to love about it, and although it has some faults, how could you not (spoilers) crack a smile at Elton John fighting robotic guard dogs? Enjoy it for what it is - a big, fun, exciting mess.
Contentious, I know, but then this is a review of Dark Souls, so anything I say is no doubt contentious. I stand by it, though. Through all the smug nonsense that surrounds this series, I don’t believe that Dark Souls is hard. Anymore.
I first played it on release in 2011 with the difficulty as the draw. “Prepare to Die” was the tagline, after all. Six hours in, if that, and I gave up. I gave up because I found it too difficult, because it was too difficult, surely? It’s interesting to look back on that experience whilst replaying Dark Souls now. It’s not difficult anymore because I understand it now, and I think that that is where the experience will make or break you.
The reason I’m explaining this is because the point of a remaster is to introduce a game to those who missed it upon its initial release. It’s safe to assume, then, that this will be the first time for many, and it is to them that I must explain (shout, scream, justify?):
No, Dark Souls isn’t hard, not in the way that you’ve been led to believe. Rather, the initial few hours are obtuse.
That might not be the exact word I’m looking for, but I can think of no other description more suited. To give an example: Estus flasks. They are your (primary) source of healing, recharging to the default five every time you die, or sit at a bonfire. More are available to you, of course (of course!), but how..?
Oh, it’s very simple. Go into your inventory, and consume a Humanity. Now, sit at the bonfire and reverse your hollowing. You’re now human. Now consume another Humanity (yes, another, obviously). Sit back down at the bonfire. Now kindle the bonfire, and you’re done.
That whole process is far, far from intuitive, and it’s mechanics like this that makes Dark Souls initially difficult. Doubling your method of healing alleviates a good portion of the challenge, but the process of discovering that you can, followed by how is the hard part.
I realise that this review of a game hasn’t touched on the gameplay; Dark Souls as a series has become so ubiquitous in online discussions that it would feel somewhat (very) redundant. I wanted, instead, to take the time to explain to first-time players exactly why this game can be difficult when you start. It’s a short hurdle, though, because once you understand its strange quirks, Dark Souls feels and plays like no other. And I include the later Souls games in that.
What of the ‘Remastered’ part of the title then? Mixed feelings, if you’re trying to find a general consensus. Me? I’m on the positive side. PC is my platform of choice meaning I’ve become a sucker for framerate. Dark Souls: Remastered I played on PlayStation 4 (the audacity) and was happy to see a stable 60fps. This is on the original PS4, I might add. That alone didn’t justify the purchase, but for a game with such focused, methodical gameplay, the framerate made a remarkable difference. Then there is the increase to 1080p (4K, if your console supports it), new lighting effects, and ambient occlusion. Don’t be fooled, it looks and plays like a game from 2011 that has been polished up. That is enough for me, but I can still understand anyone who might be underwhelmed. If this is your first time, however, don’t hesitate. Praise the framerate!
2018 may be a year remembered for plenty of ups and downs, but it’ll also be the year that saurus enjoy arguably the best dinosaur film since the first Jurassic Park in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and to sweeten the Mesozoic pie, with Jurassic World Evolution we also got the first park building sim from the franchise since cult classic Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis.
With Frontier Developments (of Rollercoaster Tycoon and Planet Coaster fame) helming the project, all signs point to a game that fans of the genre and dinosaur aficionados alike could sink their teeth into. But would Jurassic World Evolution live up to the hype or suffer from a-reptile dysfunction?
Grab one big pile of s**t and let’s find out.
The Good
Firstly, I’m happy to report that this game plays marvellously, managing to strike a near perfect balance between the almost meditative appeal of park building sims and all the gleeful carnage that the Jurassic Park/World franchise is known for. As with most games of the genre, you’ll spend a good portion of your time gathering resources to level up, unlock more dinos and keep everything within ticking over nicely, a cycle that’s satisfying enough to sink hours of time into. However, the real fun begins when things start to go haywire; I’m talking power outages, freak tropical storms and the occasional dino deciding it’d rather be chomping on unwitting guests than staying in its enclosure. Dealing with these tribulations can be chest-tightenly tense and really helps to break up the pace of the gameplay.
The pitch perfect gameplay is augmented by the fact Jurassic World Evolution is also stunningly beautiful. Each of the 42 dinosaur models look almost as good as they do on the silver screen, and the use of movie-authentic roars, growls and chirrups adds a layer of realism (not to mention a healthy dose of nostalgia). We’d strongly recommend hopping in one of you park’s trucks or Gyrospheres to truly take in the grandeur of your creations from ground level.
What’s more, it would be remiss of me not to mention that your narrator and guide throughout your prehistoric adventures is none other than Dr Ian Malcolm, voiced by cult hero and all in all ‘top lad’, Jeff Goldblum. Hearing his dulcet tones as he offers you sage wisdom is a nice touch for longtime fans of the franchise and offers a welcomed dash of his trademark irreverence.
The Bad
With all that being said and my overwhelming bias towards anything even remotely paleontological, this isn’t quite the perfect game. As is the case with most park building sims, you can expect a bit of a grind. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, but if you’re a member of the Monster swilling, Dorito munching Fortnite persuasion, it might be a bit of a culture shock.
Finally, where’s the marine reptiles or Pterosaurs (that’s water and flying dinos, for the uncultured few)? Without Mosasaurs or Dimorphodon available, you can’t reenact either Jurassic World film, which although only a slight grievance is still a shame. Hopefully, they’ll arrive as DLC before too long.
The Verdict
Jurassic World Evolution is one of the best park building sims in years, definitely of this console generation, and that’s before you throw in the cool factor that dinosaurs effortlessly bring. From the gameplay to the graphics, it’s very hard to fault anything about the game other than I wish there was just a little more of it! Life found a way… to make one heck of a game.
Huawei is trying to one-up Samsung & Apple by launching the P20 Pro with a triple camera setup instead of the regular 2018 dual cameras. Ignoring the fact that you can’t download the VLC player on new phones (there are tons of other options), let's check how the P20 Pro fairs…
It’s one of the most stunning looking phones ever, thanks to the beautiful twilight back (other colours are black, blue & rose gold) & the front has an edge to edge display, much like Apple’s iPhone X, except this time with a home button.
The 6.1” screen at the front is a slick OLED with 18.7:9 ration. With space for the 24MP front camera & the earpiece a the top of the screen. The display still could’ve been brighter, especially when you use it outdoors during daylight hours, it could be a struggle. The P20 is water & dust resistant thanks to IP67 certification but it’s not foolproof, don’t take it for a swim! There’s no headphone jack since Type C is the way forward for most manufacturers.
The 3 cameras are smart, powerful & awesome at the same time. The Leica camera system has a 40MP RGB lens, a 20MP monochrome lens & an 8MP telephoto lens that some might say is overkill, but it does the job perfectly. I wouldn’t say they are better than the S9+ or Pixel 2 or even the iPhone X, but it can get really tough to decide amongst them. There’s a Master AI feature that automatically detects what’s being shot, be it a human, object or scenery and accordingly changes presets it thinks is best suited for the occasion to give you that perfect picture. Special mention to the spectacular Night mode that is currently the best there is. With 3X optical & 5X digital zoom, there’s nothing the P20 Pro can’t capture.
Finally, the front 24MP is maybe too much since even 8MP camera selfies are good enough for Instagramming, the P20 Pro still fails against the Pixel 2 on that front. With 6GB RAM & 128GB storage (no Micro SD slot) powered by the Kirin 970, it’s still not as Snappy as the phones with the Snapdragon 845. In short, PubG & Asphalt 9 might drop frames but you may not notice them unless you’ve played it on other powerful phones.
Running on Android 8.1 with EMUI (which is now better than ever before and does not look childish anymore) it’s a good combo but misses major customisation options, unlike the OnePlus 6. The best thing on the phone after the cameras is the 4000 mAh battery that keeps you going up to 2 days with ‘normal’ use. That is unheard of in a phone with this screen size & display quality. Quick Charge 3.0 for a full charge in 2 hrs is a good move. Even then some shortcomings P20 Pro is a bold move by Huawei & is in a league of its own. If you love Android & photography is what you dig, look no further!
‘Ready Player One’ is, believe it or not, Steven Spielberg’s 31st feature film that he has directed and, despite being a full 44 years after his first feature film directing role, hasn’t lost any of the magic that he’s so well known for. The film itself is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Ernest Cline.
Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) lives in the year 2045, in a very different Oklahoma to the one the world currently knows. Reality is no longer a positive one, but the invention of a virtual reality experience known as the OASIS by the eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance) has allowed people to escape their everyday lives and instead play out the lives they want. When Halliday dies, he leaves behind a video that is played to the entire population, promising the ownership of the OASIS to whoever can find his hidden Easter egg within the simulation before everyone else. Wade, like everyone else, decides to take the challenge on alongside his best friends and Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), a well-known player who is determined to stop the evil corporation IOI from winning the rights to the OASIS and changing the world for the worse.
For any gamers, film watchers, or popular culture enthusiasts out there, ‘Ready Player One’ is a dream come true, namely because of the ridiculous amount of Easter eggs and references that it’s filled with. This is an issue in some ways, as if you don’t have that prior knowledge then a lot of these will go over your head. Despite its excellent CGI, storytelling, and general plot, a lot of people might find they don’t enjoy it purely because of the content. Of course, the gaming and film community is massive, so it’s not particularly niche and explains why it still made $582m.
Your view on virtual reality will also affect your concept of the film – some may see it as exciting and fun, whereas others might get a more dystopian feel. It focuses on quite a few issues surrounding gaming and VR at the moment such as addiction, micro-transactions, and gender inequality, but also reminds the viewer that these can be fixed and that the gaming world is full of loads of positive things, from tight-knit communities to creative expression (and the obvious element of fun). It’s also interesting how it highlights the role of VR within reality and shows real-life consequences to actions taken in the OASIS.
There was just so much that I loved about the film, from the clever storytelling, focusing on a David & Goliath style underdog story, to the fast-paced and energetic action scenes that it definitely wasn’t short of. The pacing was good as well, although at 2hr 19min it’s quite a long one. The characters are mostly likeable and relatable (in particular Wade’s group of online friends), but I did feel the romance subplot was a tad forced and predictable – had it been removed it wouldn’t have taken away from the overall message. The writers also could have been more inventive than using protagonist narration, which gets the point across but wasn’t really necessary.
Despite a couple of flaws, ‘Ready Player One’ is an engaging and all-encompassing watch that cleverly replicates its own subject matter and makes you feel more like a player than a spectator. Gamers and cinephiles – this ones for you.
OnePlus has made it a standard procedure of launching a flagship phone every 6 months and this time the “6” is challenging for the top spot. A new processor, completely new design, overall better hardware, bigger screen and a few other tweaks make the OnePlus 6 a completely unique device when compared to its predecessors, with a marginal price increase.
The Mirror Black (the only one with a 6GB RAM + 64GB storage option) is all black glass. Whilst the Midnight Black (corroded back/matte finish ), Silk White (glass back with rose gold frame) and limited edition Red are all available in 8GB+128GB. The Marvel Avengers (glass back with carbon fibre finish) edition is available in 8GB RAM + 256GB.
The notch is the most noticeable thing along with the 6.28” AMOLED screen and the Alert slider (to help you switch between Ring, Vibrate and Silent) has moved to the right from left in all previous OnePlus phones. The vertical dual camera set up at the back is at the centre with the LED flash below & fingerprint scanner being beneath it.
Oxygen OS on top of Android 8 Oreo is one of the most customisable UI with options like dark mode, scrolling screenshots, changing fonts, gesture based navigation & Gaming Mode. None of them are new features but they are something most companies already do. OnePlus has taken the best of all and put it in their newest phone. Face recognition for unlocking is added which is fast but does sometimes fail in low light.
Games like Battlegrounds, Asphalt 8 work on highest quality and does not drop any frames. Videos look great on the AMOLED screen but the mono speaker could be an issue for some since it’s easily blocked if you’re holding the phone in your hand. Thankfully though, we have the headphone jack along with the Type C charging port and the sound quality is great if you can afford a decent set of earphones. The 3300 mAh battery lasts well over a day and thanks to fast charging you can go from 0-100% in less than an hour, but even with a glass back there’s no wireless charging.
The primary 16MP camera now has OIS which means stable photos even if you have shaky hands, while the 20MP is for low-light and Portrait shots. Sometimes the camera took an extra few seconds to process the image and the photos turn out great in daylight but they are not as good as the S9+ or Pixel 2 XL. Night shots are surprisingly impressive without being grainy. The Pro mode has plenty of options to get that perfect photo. Video recording is 5 mins max on 4K while there is a 480 fps slow-mo video option as well, the S9+ for comparison's sake can do this at @960fps with better detailing.
OnePlus 6 is trying to compete with iPhone X, S9+, Pixel 2 XL but at almost half the price the shortfalls can be ignored if you’re looking to upgrade. Strangely there’s no official IP67 as per OnePlus standard and really the only negatives are no, Wireless charging and missing stereo speakers. If these don’t really matter then the OnePlus 6 should be your next phone. I’ll rate it a 4/5.
We live in an age where AI (Artificial Intelligence) is rapidly progressing on a daily basis. In a minor way, with the likes of Siri and Alexus, it's already invaded our homes, our cars and our personal lives. Regardless that every book, movie and game is forever warning everyone that it's a terrible idea. Us meat sacks will never learn. We welcome the ability to become lethargic and let someone else do things for us. Detroit: Become Human plays on this. In the near future, Android companions have become the must have consumer item for any lazy schmuck that can't be arsed to clean up after themselves.
Quantic Dream games fall under the category of games as "an experience", a playable series of events. A lot like Tt games Batman or The Walking Dead, an evolution of the point and click or a Pick your own adventure. Visually the game is ridiculous. It's essentially a playable version of a movie with, mostly, incredibly impressive capture animation. Mouths still seem to be a slight issue, however. Detroit: Become Human relies heavily on its visuals and the player's investment in the narrative, to distract from the lack of gameplay elements. Aside from a few quick time events, pushing the right analogue stick in the direction of an interactable object or picking the next line of dialogue, the player never has much involvement. The rest is walking tight, set path, corridors to the next objective. I guess it's an evolution of games like Dragon's Lair and Space Ace.
In an early chapter, you play as an android named Markus. He's on an errand to pick up some paint for his elderly owner. You start off walking through a very detailed but unexplorable Park, blocked off by invisible (orange) no entry barriers, you also can't interact with any of a couple of dozen pedestrians occupying the area. After buying the paint, an angry mob of protesters begin to harass and kick Markus around. With no other option than to get up, back off the floor a couple of times, a policeman walks over and breaks it up and the mob go back to their picketing and Markus is told to go get the bus. Which is the only option you get as there is now an invisible (orange) barrier blocking your way back to the mob. I wanted to kick their ass. I wanted to be a crazy android, but that's never an option. This happens a lot. Orange barriers are explained away as keeping an android performing its task. The game never allows you to do anything outside of what it wants you to do. You end up feeling like an android, yourself because you end up conforming to the way the game wants you to play. I'm pretty sure that wasn't intentional but if it was, then I guess it's genius. Choosing the "wrong" outcome, at any point could lead to a Perma-death situation, Killing off a main character. In the back of your mind, you feel like you'd be missing out on some part of the game's story. Like you've failed, as a human, but are encouraged to proceed through the game this way. The only brave character in the whole game, with any "real" consequence, is the little girl. She's put into constant mortal danger, by her android guardian, and used as a bargaining, guilt trip, piece of leverage to get what she wants. The girl is going to need some major therapy.
I believe games have the potential to portray some extremely touchy subject matters, in a way no other forms of media could capture. Detroit, in its own heavy handed way, attempts to cover a plethora of meaningful social issues. From domestic violence, discrimination to segregation... only I don't think these came across quite the way David Cage possibly intended. The actors of the game deserve extra credit for being able to deliver their lines without cringing at some of the misplaced dialogue.
David Cage games (Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls, Fahrenheit) are those TV shows everyone keeps talking about that we always intend to get around to checking out. Sometimes when we finally do, and we realise what we'd missed. With all of its issues, Detroit: Become Human is still mostly enjoyable in the moment. - What is a Video Game -
With the original Mega Man, (Rockman, ロックマン, ~Rokkuman) not meeting sales expectations, there was no plan for a follow up. It's mostly down to a single employee,Keiji Inafune, making Mega Man 2, largely on his own and in secret, during his spare time and staying late at the office that we now have so many titles in this infamous series. Known for their unforgiving but fair difficulty, which mostly consists of learning the level well enough to get through it with enough life left to kill the boss. Utilising well timed jumps, during platform sections, and learning enemy and boss patterns otherwise it's back to the start to try again. One of my favourite mechanic of the Mega Man Series is obtaining each of the stage bosses abilities, once they've been defeated. This will usually help out with another boss fight, in a rock, paper, scissors sort of way, each boss has a weakness to another bosses ability. The gameplay is kept simple and that's why these games still hold up today. You can jump or shoot.... Or jump and shoot. For those that praise Dark Souls for being hard and challenging and then cry like pussies when they can't make a jump. The Mega Man Collections have implemented a Rewind feature, allowing the player to go back and retake the jump they fumbled. To me, this defeats the point of playing Mega Man.
Legacy collection comprises of two parts.
Part One, holds the classic NES set of games:
Mega Man 1 - The one that started it all. Including the awful boxart.
Mega Man 2 - The one man passion project, that saved the series from laying dormant.
Mega Man 3 - The one fans argue is better than the second game.
Mega Man 4 - This is where it all starts going downhill.
Mega Man 5 - You can probably skip this one.
Mega Man 6 - No-one on the team, clearly, cared anymore.
Part Two comes in at a far larger storage size, accommodating for the more detailed sprite art, of the Snes and PSX era, and also the anime style FMV sequences.
Part Two contains the remaining:
Mega Man 7 - The first jump in the quality of sprite art. Shame about the game.
Mega Man 8 - A much improved attempt using the newer generation, with an anime style intro.
Mega Man 9 - Released in 2010, as a throwback to nostalgia, with a sudo 8-bit style, various homages and was surprisingly good.
Mega Man 10 - Was basically Capcom cashing in on the success of 9. 10 was rushed out just over a year later.
While it's nice to have these classics on a portable device, the Joy Cons lack of a real D-pad can make some of the more precise movement far more aggravating than it needs to be. Although, This is easily solved if you own a pricey Pro Controller. The Switch version also offers some additional content, hidden behind Nintendo's own notoriously evil version of microtransactions, known as Amiibo. Using the Mega Man Amiibo Legacy Collection One gives you all the Amiibo challenges from the 3DS version and Legacy collection Two you get a Stage Remix 3, for each 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Having been out on PS4 for a while now, it's usually in the PS Store sale and available for a much lower price... but the Mega Man Collections are still better use of your time and money than buying Mighty No. 9! Mega Man 11 is due October 2nd.
