It would appear that Walking Dead is just Toy Story but for grown-ups, they have some pretty convincing similarities – “Someones poisoned the water hole”
Source [Room Of Fun]
Nintendo announce new 2DS budget handheld console
Nintendo have officially unveiled their latest handheld system today and chances are that it isn’t what anybody would have expected. Due to launch in the UK at £109.99 on Saturday 12th October, the 2DS is a dual-screen tablet device aimed at a younger market. The console is also scheduled for a simultaneous 12th October release in North America at the price of $129 but is still unconfirmed for Asia or Japan. The console will be bundled with a 4GB memory card and will be available in either red or blue.
The 2DS will play all existing DS and 3DS titles but will not support 3D graphics. As Nintendo have only ever advised the 3D functionality of the 3DS as being useful for kids over 7 years, removing the 3D screens at a reduced price point makes sense as does the tablet form factor.
Nintendo have also never enforced the use of 3D in 3DS games and every 3DS model to date has included the 3D slider however it is also unclear how marketing a entirely non-3D model may shape future 3DS game development.
With kids now becoming more familiar with iPads and laptops at an early age, this could be an opportunity for Nintendo to appeal to a younger fan base and capitalise on the growing popularity of devices such as the Leapfrog LeapPad, although a disparity in game pricing will probably still remain.
Early reports suggest that the console feels slightly cheap yet sturdy and the screens look to be of the same size and general quality of the original 3DS.We will get to know more in the coming weeks but chances are that this is just another side line by a company well versed in re-releasing their hardware than a clear indication of Nintendo giving up on 3D.
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Review – 5 GPPs
Tales of alien invasions are a well explored territory in video games. From as early as 1978 with Taito‘s Space Invaders with it’s trademark sprites and claustrophobic soundtrack, we have all long become used to fighting for the survival of our planet and species.
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified follows last year’s well received Enemy Unknown as the second spin-off in the 90’s PC strategy franchise since 2012 and whilst that game mostly stuck with the 90’s formula of isometric squad control, The Bureau tries to bring the series to a new audience as a 3rd person strategic shooter. The Bureau attempts to follow the likes of Spec Ops and Mass Effect by weaving interactive dialogue and an emotional story into the XCOM universe. Sadly, it fails on almost every count.
The Bureau takes place in 1962 John F Kennedy’s America. Consumed with the cold war threat of Soviet infiltration and invasion, the US government is taken by surprise when an attempt at conquest actually arrives from much further afield. Players assume the role of CIA Special Agent William Carter – a disgraced war vet with a drinking problem, who was once a rising star before a tragedy struck his family.
Home after defending Uncle Sam’s interests overseas , he becomes embroiled in a courier mission gone wrong, Carter is sent to work in a US Secret Service underground base and given the duty of eliminating the alien threat whilst keeping things as low key possible so as not to panic the general population.
Unfortunately the cracks begin to emerge early on and only seem to grow in number as the game’s lacklustre story progresses. Whilst Carter and his companions are given detailed back stories, these are never truly explored outside of occasional chit-chat back at the base and Carter is as wooden and stereotypical as any modern game protagonist you are going to find. Some occasionally dire voice acting really doesn’t help matters and what could have been a really interesting insight into the post-WWII to Cold War psyche, and it just becomes lost in predictable plot twists and bland conversation.
The interactive conversation system is another problem and is so close to Mass Effect in functionality and design that it borders on plagiarism. Discussions with other characters only ever seem to open up occasional side quests or offer further details of the plot, and they just do not have anywhere near the repercussions or weight on the story as they have in Bioware‘s space opera.
The opposing alien force are similarly uninteresting and almost every mission in the game just involves getting from point A to point B and taking down hordes of varying alien races as you go. Some of the bosses and larger enemies will have weak points which need to be exploited and will require strategic decisions but most can be taken down using the standard weapons selection and some laissez faire cover-based combat. In order to survive, Carter needs to recruit fully customisable companions from the base and train them in the field. The levelling system is important here as Carter will need to spend skill points wisely on new abilities and special moves for himself and his companions but it is the appalling companion AI which will truly spoil this game for the vast majority of players.
As a turn-based strategy game XCOM is not known for being a particularly forgiving series, yet when it comes to difficulty Bureau Declassified is a different beast. Companions are ridiculously stupid at lower skill levels and will quickly run into hails of enemy gunfire if not constantly directed by the player.
Many modern action RPG’s use maneuvering systems that allow for enhanced team techniques like flanking but in most cases playing through an early level of The Bureau feels less like commanding an elite military squad and more like babysitting two sharply dressed lemmings with a death wish.
As in Enemy Unknown, companion deaths are permanent so any skill points and upgrades earned up to the point of a team member’s mortal passing are lost, leaving the player to start all over again with a new recruit. Initially, this brings back memories of classics like Cannon Fodder and acts as a stark reminder of the harrows of war but after multiple cheap deaths due to the dumb companion AI, it just becomes irritating.
Visually, the game isn’t anything particularly special. Some of the outdoor areas depicting 1960’s war ravaged American ghost towns look nice but sadly most of the level design is repetitive and later sections set in the alien terraformed habitats could have been pasted straight from any Mass Effect or Halo clone. The game does have some interesting audio design but again this is only usually heard when walking around the dilapidated streets or cafes and catching an old 60’s classic on a radio (which oddly still seems to be running even though nothing else is and the rest of the place is plunged in darkness). There is also an inexcusable lack of polish to parts of this game with some low textures and out of date mechanics and these only make the game feel even more like a chore.
It’s truly unfortunate that ‘chore’ is the best word I can use to describe this game. There is nothing particularly original or inspiring about The Bureau, and playing it feels more like hard work than fun. No elements explored here haven’t been done much better by countless other titles over the last few years and despite the occasional soundbite or 60’s quip, no real sense of heart or imagination seems to have gone into the finished product.
2K have made no secret of The Bureau’s long and troubled development cycle, but the fact that this is a game which nobody ever really wanted seems to shine through at every corner. I can’t recommend The Bureau to most action fans because of the combat, direction and design problems and I can’t recommend The Bureau to XCOM fans as the game plays very little homage to the original series anyway. A missed opportunity and an extremely average title that is probably best avoided.
Trailer:
Kickstart This! Sci-Fi Graphic Novel “Forgotten Planet”
A new Science Fiction graphic novel is getting the Kickstarter treatment, coming from the writers of Chris Smith and the Nazi Zombies from Hell, involving a conspiracy-led narrative about Pluto’s declassification and a secret war that raged on the former planet.
Now from writer Peter Rogers and artist Giancarlo Caracuzzo comes Forgotten Planet, or it will, with your help. Check out the press release below;
Remember in 2006 when scientists announced that Pluto was to be de-classified as a Planet? We all felt a slight pang of disappointment as our Solar System lost its little Ice baby.
Well, the sinister history of the downgraded Planetoid is now revealed in the New Sci-fi Graphic Novel from Award-winning publishers Scar Comics, entitled Forgotten Planet.
Unknown to the population of Earth a secret war raged on Pluto over 30 years ago and the small number of former mercenaries who are aware of this is about to get even smaller, as one by one they are picked off by government assassins.
The new book by hot indy writer Peter Rogers and acclaimed Italian artist Giancarlo Caracuzzo reveals a dark alternative history and takes the reader on a retro science fiction adventure from the 1970s to the point when Pluto ‘s status as a planet is revoked.
Only one of the mercenaries, Cale Beckett, has survived the assassinations, and after a visit to Area 51 he is forced to return to Pluto to uncover what has unfolded in the 30 years since he left.
With stunning artwork and a hard hitting character driven story, Forgotten Planet delivers a pulpy Science Fiction flavour, combined with sharp modern edge.
For the first time since they began publishing in 2004, Scar Comics are launching this full colour 100 page epic via crowd-funding website Kickstarter.
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“Doing a book with Kickstarter means we can offer our creators some payment for their hard work and dedication. As an Indy publisher (and I’m sure most other small publishers will agree) it can be a real struggle to finance the production of a book while also doing right by our creators. However we hope a successful Kickstarter campaign will not only allow us to reward our creators’ dedication and talent, but also allow us to offer our readers a really high end collectible version of the book.” said Editor and Co Publisher Shane Chebsey.
The campaign has already seen support from high profile creators such as Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Ivan Brandon, Si Spurrier and Rob Williams. To make a pledge to get your limited edition of the new book, as well as lots of other exclusive collectible goodies on offer, check out the Kickstarter campaign now at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339233852/forgotten-planet-by-peter-rogers-and-giancarlo-car
To find out more about Scar Comics and its creators visit their main website at: www.scarcomics.com
Chainsword Prop build part 2: Painting and detailing
Firstly I would like to apologise for the delay. I hit a few glitches over the past couple of week of both physical and mental kind. I am fairly new to this whole cosplay malarkey so I am learning as I go along. I am learning that you should get plenty of all the materials and in plenty of time. I have learnt not to take criticism so seriously because for every single person who says something negative there’s another ten out there that focus on the positives and are loving what you are doing.
So let’s get to it.
Part two of the chainsword build!
So previously to this you should have prepped your sword using the tutorial I linked to in the previous article, this can apply to all forms of props, you can make your armour or other weapons using this method!
For part two of this tutorial you will need;
Spray paint/ acrylic paint
Paintbrushes
Cardboard
Leather strips
Hot glue gun
Any other bits that make your sword look more realistic (Eg I added some eva foam to make a two headed eagle!)
So here we go!
What I like to do before I start painting props properly is put down an undercoat of black. I find that paint is easier to put down on top and requires less coats!
Base coat of paint
So to start off with if you are using spray paint, what we need to is go outside! So I took some cardboard outside and layered my patio with it so that I wouldn’t get red paint absolutely 
everywhere!! (My hurdle at this point was that the weather was in an exceptionally mardy mood for a few days! So I couldn’t get out to do it!) Make sure that you have covered plenty of space, especially if you are renting your house! And then follow the instructions on the can. So this was the first time I have used spray paint and I kind of run out about three quarters of the way into spraying everything red… So One side looked a tad bit blotchy but once it dried completely it looked a little better. I also spray my chainsword teeth, switch and engine a dark silver colour, as well as the teeth of the chainsword. Using paper to cover the areas I didn’t want painting.
Detailing
Once this has done and everything had a few layers of paint on I brought everything back inside. After allowing the paint to dry I neatened the black paint around the top and bottom of the sword and painted the end of the handle black as well as the wires running through to the engine.
I then moved on to add some detailing to the engine because I didn’t feel like it had enough depth so I took my black paint and filled in some of the indents and added a few details I also did this to the chainsword including the sliver bolts.
I wanted to see what the leather around the handle would look. I wrapped around two lengths of leather so it looked a little bit more 3D I used my hot glue gun to stick this down. And as my hot glue gun was out I stuck down the teeth on the sword.
I accidently left some marks on the red paint (which I had ran out of) so I made a two headed eagle out of EVA foam. This could be made out of cardboard. Once I had painted it gold I stuck this to the sword too.
BLOOOOOOOOOD
So at this point it should have been finished. But I was kinda disappointed with how the teeth looked and was disheartened when I was told they looked like cardboard covered in foil. So I decided to mix some paint to look like blood and basically just went OTT flicking paint all over the thing. I then thought that if the sword was soo gummed up with dry blood, the handle would be too, so I dipped my hands in the paint and put my handprints on the handle.
I also bloodied up our sparkly two headed eagle.
So again this is the finished product.
I don’t think it’s bad for a first attempt! And hopefully I will improve over the next few years as I progress in cosplay.
Note:
I took this to my parents to see how sturdy it was during travel and well… Half of the teeth fell off, so I reinforced them with extra glue and made a cardboard casing to go over the teeth. This I just made out of cardboard and some leather straps. Its not much as I plan to make a bag to carry the whole thing within. So the cardboard encasement wont be seen!
Photos of Matt Smith trying out a variety of Doctor’s costumes
When a new Doctor is announced, first comes the anticipation of who it will be and then comes the costume debate. Each Doctor will be recognised for the garments they adorn during their stint; for years to come fans and cosplayers will reproduce the iconic outfit of their favourite incarnation.
BBC America have posted a series of photos depicting Matt Smith trying out a range of costumes for his 11th Doctor. Many of these make him look like a youngest and we know the Doctor is an old man, so they don’t quite sit with me. I super glad they went with the bowtie combo, it reflects his age whilst retaining the quirkiness the 11th Doctor is so well known for. Also, bowties are cool!
DC’s New 52 Reveal: LOBO
There has been a lot of changes within DC Comics, especially since the launch of DC’s New 52 reboot. We’ve seen a lot of radical changes to characters within the DC universe, mostly within their female characters; where they have been altered drastically *cough*Harley Quinn*cough* specifically for the launch of this reboot. Now I won’t bore you with regards to the changes within the female characters as it’s been done before; but it seems it has finally happened to one of their male characters.
So I introduce to you, their new version of Lobo…. *tumbleweed*
Now don’t get me wrong it’s a wonderful illustration by Kenneth Rocafort, but that’s certainly no Lobo we are looking at. They did explore many other looks before settling on this one, and you can view the visual gallery of Lobo’s they were deciding from by looking at DC Comic’s Blog.
The new Lobo picture above will be making his debut in Justice League#23.2 Lobo, and apparently despite his new appearance he is still going to be the same Lobo we know and love… Personally to me, this just looks like a revised character under the same name; so what’s your view on this new look for Lobo?
Slaine Book of Scars brings together classic artists for 30th Anniversary.
A new Slaine story celebrating the character’s 30th anniversary titled ‘The Book of Scars’ starting in 2000AD Prog 1844 has writer and creator Pat Mills teaming up with some of the characters classic artists including Simon Bisley and Glen Fabry.
Slaine, a fantasy based on Celtic and Irish myth and legend with other influences (Robert E Howard’s Conan being a major one) first appeared in 2000AD in the early 80’s. Recently the character has been synonymous with the eye popping digital art of Clint Langley however it was ‘The Horned God’ story originally published in the late 80’s with stunning fully painted art from Bisley that first ensured the character would join the ranks of 2000AD’s best loved classic characters.
You can get the digital edition at 2000AD’s site here
Free Film Friday – Nosferatu
Delving back into the past this week I thought we should take a look at something a little less obscure. Something well known, iconic, and above all feature length. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is not only an all time classic work of cinema, it is in fact one of the great staples of geekdom.
We’re all familiar with the iconic scenes of this movie. The shadow creeping up the stairs, the demonic vampire rising stiff as a board out of a coffin. Above all else, we know this as perhaps the first real horror film.
What I find interesting about this picture are the similarities that can be found between it and the 1940 landmark Dracula. I still find the latter quite scary to watch, and that is all down to the presentation of Bela Lugosi in the title role. A grim facial expression, pinpoint lighting of the eyes, and a lack of music all combine to elicit a genuine chill whenever the vampire is shown in close-up. This is also the case in Nosferatu, particularly in scenes where the vampire is stalking his victims, creeping closer and closer to the viewer with each cut.
Also, quite frankly the hideous grotesqueness of Max Schreck’s Count Orlok actually help to make a case for this version of the preeminent vampire being the scariest. He looks like a rat, and thus shocks on a more visceral level than his suave counterpart.
To be considered a part of the genuine horror canon a film has to have certain traits. It needs to be iconic, influential, perhaps genre-defining or re-inventive. This movie has all of those characteristics, and most importantly of all I would argue that in the truest sense of terror: all alone late at night and watching the film with the lights off, knowing that you can scream if you want to and nobody will hear, this film can still scare you nearly one hundred years after it was made.
So much has been said about this film already that I cannot truly do it justice. All I can ask is that tonight, after dark, you watch it for yourself and see if it’s worth all that praise.
http://youtu.be/oohUl8WYOZA
In Defense of the Batfleck
The only reason I didn’t do this last night is two-fold: 1) I was exhausted; 2) “Gangster Squad” was on, and my mother doesn’t like me being online when there’s a movie going.
I’ve been covering the Batcasting since it was announced (as you can see in my defense of Karl Urban as the bat), so suffice it to say that I didn’t exactly see the announcement coming. To be fair though, when Peter Cabaldi was announced as the next Doctor, my immediate reaction was “Who?!”
The internet’s responded, more or less, with this expression.
Affleck’s an old actor, working in the industry for almost 15 years, with a lot of time spent in the Director’s Chair, as we’ve seen with his recent forays in front of and behind the camera, with “The Town” and “Argo”. The prior being an adaptation of Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves (of which I own the movie tie-in edition, with the movie’s title, don’t judge me), the latter being a filming of a true story that’s been declassified for 15 years. Luckily, we know that Snyder’s in the chair, so we don’t have to worry as much.
I’m going to cite fellow writer Erin Manzo with the internet’s complaints about the Batcasting, and return with a point-by-point Batrebuttal. Before you ask, yes, I can and will attach the word Bat to any noun I feel like when in this context. Shark-repellant Batspray, people.
1) “He’s very much a known actor, and with that comes the risk that we’ll not see Batman, but rather Ben Affleck in a Batman suit.” He’s not the first big-name actor to don the role, as we’ll recall with the following image and why we hate him.
If you have no idea who I’m talking about, Joel Schumacher was the man behind “Batman Forever” (starring big-name actor Val Kilmer), and “Batman and Robin” (starring big-name actor George Clooney), while Burton was the man behind “Batman” and “Batman Returns” (starring big-name actor Michael Keaton, as Erin addresses), and Nolan is the man behind the Dark Knight trilogy (starring big-name actor Christian Bale). You should be seeing a pattern here, so I’ll move forward to the next one.
2) “Daredevil. I’m not sure I have to elaborate on that.” While many agree that Daredevil sucked, I think this is another example of the actor getting blamed for shitty writing. We’ve seen this before, with Timothy Dalton taking the heat for the darkness in “James Bond 007: License to Kill”, but that’s beside the point. Ben’s performance was actually pretty good, and I personally still love that movie.
3) “The interaction between Batman and Superman is less than overly friendly. In comics, we see a lot of sarcastic Bat-remarks and banter. There’s a struggle for dominance, and more often than not, Batman implies Superman is the less qualified superhero. I don’t think I can believe this coming from Affleck; nothing about him screams ‘dominant’ to me.” “Mallrats”, “Chasing Amy”, “Good Will Hunting”, “Daredevil”, I could keep going. ALL of these show him bantering someone else into submission (Jason Lee for the first two, Matt Damon, then Jon Favreau). I can’t WAIT to see him do this with Henry Cavill.
4) “There were better options.” There are ALWAYS better options. I was skeptical when Cavill was announced for “Man of Steel”, given that his two titles had been “Hellraiser: Hellworld” and “Immortals” (neither of which were very good), but I shut up when he blew me away. I was skeptical about Heath Ledger as the Joker, and I was skeptical about Tom Hardy as Bane. In both cases, I shut the fuck up because they blew me away. In all of these cases, good acting was coupled with good writing. Daredevil missed the latter, so everyone ignored the prior.
5) “He has to do this to Henry Cavill.”
I’m in total agreement on this one. Snyder even said that they’re using this as a source of inspiration, and had one of the actors from “Man of Steel” read this monologue at SDCC.
6)
I have no response to this, really.
End of the day, I’m remaining optimistic. With Snyder and Goyer at the typewriter, I have faith, so let’s just hold it until we see it. Goyer’s blown us away before with unsuspecting actors.
