Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Platform: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), Xbox One
Genre: Hack n’ Slash, Action
Playtime Length: Middle (~10 hour campaign)
MSRP: $39.99

Disclaimer: A digital PS4 copy of the game was provided by the publisher for the DmC Definitive Edition review.

Ninja Theory’s DmC: Definitive Edition might be the most purely fun PlayStation 4 game I’ve played so far simply because it doesn’t try to be anything other than a good Devil May Cry game.

It’s not pretentious, it doesn’t try to bore you with a winding story arc, nor does it push new mechanics onto the player: it sticks to its original guns by harking back to the authentic and stylish dark mayhem that built the franchise.

The hack-and-slash action is made all the more riotous thanks to the new 60 frames-per-second update, which assures every combo is supercharged with lightning-fast responsiveness.

Every second matters in games like these, and with this upgraded port, players are able to make use of every extra millisecond to wreak total chaos with Dante’s devilish powers.

Although the game is a straightforward remaster in terms of content, it does toss in a nice handful of extras to make the meal all the more enticing.

Vergil’s Downfall, an extra DLC-style extension that chronicles the story of Dante’s brother, bolsters the original campaign mode and lets you tap Vergil’s katana-wielding style of combat.

Other additions include being able to customize how Dante looks during the campaign–particularly useful if you really hate Dante’s new appearance–along with an incredibly fun Turbo Mode that doubles the game’s speed.

If you’re a hardcore combo-stringer that’s looking for a serious challenge, the Definitive Edition has you covered with no less than five new difficulty modes like Gods Must Die or the uber relentless Hell and Hell mode, which makes Dante die from a single hit.

One of the more significant additions is the ultra-survival Bloody Palace mode that’s unlocked when you beat the game. In this timed high-score mode you’re swarmed by endless waves of enemies who are hellbent on annihilating you from existence. The Bloody Palace can be played as either Vergil or Dante, and serves as an excellent way to refine your stylish combo-building skills.

Ninja Theory’s prequel has a pretty strong story that seamlessly delves into the origins of Dante and Vergil, tying in a nice webwork of myth and demonology into the mix as well.

It turns out that Dante is a nephalim–that is part demon and angel–and is the fruits of the union between his father, a demon named Sparda, and his mother, the angelic Eve. Their union broke immortal mandates and both Eve and Sparda were sentenced harshly, but Dante and his brother Vergil were freed.

Being a nephalim has all kinds of advantages, and they manifest quite creatively within the game. As a devil-hunter Dante can cross-over to Limbo, a kind of vibrant and colorful bizarro-universe where nasty demons and corrupt chaos reigns supreme, as well as wield weapons infused with demonic and angelic power.

Combat is elegant, fluid and incredibly stylish. Every combo is enthralling and empowers you to really feel your role as a devil-hunter and develop your ass-kicking prowess along the way.

The real beauty of combat is how dynamism of the attacks ensure you can make your own customized combos, pretty much letting you string together a near-infinite flurry of explosive chaos the way you see fit. Being able to define your own style has always been a hallmark of the series and its in full force in the DmC: Definitive Collection.

Dante has quite a varied arsenal this time around that makes every single battle much more layered and tactically strategic.

Since Dante is a nephalim, he has angelic and demonic weapons that can be switched on the fly by holding LT and RT respectively. Each set has its own unique set of abilities and moves, plus you’ll have to mix and match to take out certain enemies like the harpy, whose shields are weak against angelic attacks.

Angelic weapons include the sweeping scythe Osiris and the dual-wielding Aquila, which can be thrown at a distance or used to slice and dice weaker baddies. The trick is you can only have one angelic item equipped at a time, but you can switch between these on the fly

The other half consists of demon-powered tools like the fiery fists of Eryx (super useful for uppercutting and launching enemies in the air) and the powerful slow Arbiter axe that takes whole chunks out of demons’ life bars.

Dante’s immortally iconic Rebellion sword and Ebony and Ivory handguns are in the mix too, making for an expansive arsenal that can be tapped to deal with a wide variety of situations and bosses.

To me, the best part about combat is how Dante can use his devil or angel chains to yank enemies forward for some punishing destruction, or to sling across levels like an inter-dimensional Spider-Man.

With the chains you can dish out severe havoc on a baddie, fling them away with a crushing blow, and then just pull them right back for more pain. This is essential for chaining together those stylish combos and serves as a major advantage against certain enemies like the hulking Tyrant.

Having so many weapons and abilities might sound like too much to handle, but Ninja Theory remedies this with their amazingly balanced control scheme, making sure you never get overwhelmed.

Gameplay is masterfully paced in such a way you’re not too strong or too weak at any given time. Also the better you perform in-game–high combo strings, finding collectibles, etc–determines your overall grade, netting you extra skill points and the like.

The real beauty behind the game’s pacing formula is that it creates a distinct sense of accomplishment after ever level, dishing out tangible rewards and practical bonuses along the way.

Dante still racks up red orbs to spend at angel statues for helpful items to restore health, boost his Devil Trigger super, or even revive him once he’s been slain–but the progression ins’t just about orbs and items, it also perfectly punctuates boss fights and level completion by granting a brand new weapon.

DmC‘s bosses are exceptionally creative and deserve a nod, too.

From the grotesque foul-mouthed succubus that taints the world’s favorite Coca-Cola-like soft-drink with nasty chemicals to Raptor News’ Bob Bargas that attacks players as a giant digital head, the bosses are amazingly fun and provide a nice throwback to those methodical battles of old.

Something has to be said about the game’s amazingly bizarre world of Limbo, which manifests as a literal playground for demon overlords. There’s a distinct sense of otherworldly chaos pulsing within the heart of this dimensional rift, and it’s not the dark, blood-red universe we’ve seen before.

Instead Limbo is represented as a quite colorful and eerily beautiful sort of acid-trip with a true sense of artistic flair, providing a feast for the eyes at every turn. Vergil’s Downfall taps the mystical eldritch style of the between-world quite well, showcasing a universe that tethers the very fabric of reality within its scintillating colors.

Conclusion: The Devil You Know

With the DmC: Definitive Edition, Ninja Theory has refined the game’s rough edges and creating a shining example of what all remasters should be. Tossing in a bunch of extra DLC and modes is a must, but the real substance lies with the new frame rate enhancements that make every millisecond count even further.

This is the type of game you can extensively replay over and over again even after you beat it simply because of it’s proven fun-inducing formula.

Every moment spent in Dante’s stylish boots is enjoyable, and it’s a game that goes exceedingly well when complimented by other styles in a game library, providing an excellent foray when you’re in the mood for something stylish and chaotic.

Capcom’s DmC re-release is a perfect fit for long-time Devil May Cry fans and new players alike, melding everything that made the franchise so damned addictive with a fresh new storyline and a huge armament of stylish weapons.

The post DmC Definitive Edition Review: Dante’s Inferno appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Turtle Rock Studios
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: Feb. 10, 2015
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Online Mulitplayer Shooter
MSRP: $59.99

Note: Our Evolve review was conducted on the Xbox One via a copy purchased independently by the reviewer.

Evolve is a curious game that’s built upon a fantastic idea: a sci-fi take on a Godzilla-esuqe hunter vs. hunted scenario complete with high-stakes strategic gameplay.

But as we’ve seen in the past, fantastic ideas have a way of losing sight of their core goals, becoming something quite different when made a reality. Evolve is a prime example of a great idea that lost a lot of its magic during execution.

The main problem with Evolve is that it makes players gamble with their time. There’s no guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself while playing, and that’s quite true with just about any game, but it’s moreso true here.

This is mainly because the game’s steep learning curve, its emphasis on teamwork, and the wildly varying pace.

As a monster, you’re lone-wolfing it and are pretty much responsible for your own survival. Basically you want to hunt down as many creatures as you can and trigger evolution as quick as possible while avoiding hunters along the way.

Every premature encounter lowers your odds in winning, and while there is some pretty good tutorials, it’s up to you to figure out which skill combos work in which situations.

Panicking almost always leads in death–especially with the Goliath–but gameplay can get pretty entertaining if you’re lashing lightning blasts with the Kraken or slicing and dicing with the Wraith.

Every match is a clean slate for the monsters. You get to pick which skills you want to use and allocate three points before the match. You’ll want to pay attention to the hunters that you’re facing and match your skills accordingly–like if Bucket is an enemy, pick up the Goliath’s stone throw so you can easily take out his pesky sentry guns.

Ultimately as the monster you have to find successful ways to outwit, outmaneuver, and out-hunt your opponents, all while paying close attention to the tracks you leave and chomping on wildlife to fuel your evolution.

As interesting as this sounds, playing as the monster can often be pretty menial and rote, and sometimes you’ll find yourself asking why you’re playing to begin with. Victory just means you get more points to spend in a light RPG like progression system, unlocking perks and more monsters along the way.

Seeing as your main goal is to literally avoid hunters until you hit Stage 3 for the final chaotic showdown. In a sense, Evolve is kind of like the Dragonball Z saga: there’s a ton of talking and commercials that culminate in a short fight, where the powers clash.

When you’re playing as the monster, there can be a sense of urgency and danger. But this feeling fades away as you explore the rather drag environments–despite the “interactive wildlife”, everything seems so tacked on–and start to feed.

Maneuvering and controls vary from monster to monster; the Kraken, for example, can float and wisp along in the air, whereas the Goliath is primarily ground-based. The Goliath can leap and climb quite adeptly, but he’s not so fast when you need to get out of an area in a pinch.

The Wraith is my personal favorite; it’s snake-like and oily, using a variety of deadly skills like the dreaded Supernova and basic melee slices to dish out chaos. Plus the Wraith also has a decoy ability that’s amazing fun, even if it’s a bit broken.

How much you get out of being a monster just depends on how crafty you are and how well you adapt to your surroundings and pick up on new strategies. But the novelty, like the thrill of the hunt, seems to wear off fast, letting the mediocre shooter elements shine through.

When you’re playing as a hunter, there’s a distinct heavy emphasis on teamwork and knowing your role and sticking to it. Now FPS mechanics are in play here, but they take a backseat to team-oriented strategy with defined roles like Trappers, Medics, Assault and Support classes.

Trappers are responsible for dropping domes and laying out hook traps then dealing some DPS when possible; Assault classes are simply wreaking total chaos as the main DPS/tank; Support pays close attention on mitigating damage whenever possible with the shield projector and using cloak to hide and revive teammates; the Medic heals with a medgun, burst heal, or even heal grenades.

The beauty of the classes is that there are three different sub-classes, or characters, that each have their own unique weapons and abilities. The principle role still stands, but there’s a number of different ways going about it thanks to the sub-classes.

The post Evolve Review: Monster Of The Week appeared first on VR World.

The Gionee Elife E7 series is not exactly a new device, as the mid-sized flagship E7 mini was announced by the Chinese manufacturer in late 2013 and launched in Asia in mid 2014. However, the E7 mini is still on the company’s current lineup, along with the Elife S5.1 — the “world’s thinnest smartphone” — which perhaps signifies the firm’s approach to its product cycles. Even the aging Elife E7 is undergoing some sort of renaissance with a significant price drop, retailing at around $180, which is around 37% of its original price.

The E7 mini is supposedly a smaller version of the Elife E7, which had been Gionee’s flagship smartphone until it was supplanted by the waif-thin S5.5 and S5.1 handsets. However, a unique — or at least uncommon — characteristic is its swivelling camera, which gives some flexibility in terms of photo capturing angles and selfie-photography.

Gionee’s PR sent us a unit to review late 2014, and while this writer had been mostly exposed to, and preoccupied with, reviewing Windows Phones, I started appreciating some of Android’s benefits and nuances with this review.

Specifications

The Gionee Elife E7 mini is not exactly a specs monster, especially given its age, although it’s still a formidable smartphone that can handle Android capably.

• Chipset: Mediatek MT6592 Octa-core 1.7GHz Cortex A7
• GPU: Mali 450MP4
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 16GB, no microSD support
• Display: 4.7-inch 720×1080 px at ~312 ppi, IGZO capacitive touchscreen
• Camera: 13-megapixel rotating lens with LED flash
• Battery: Non-removable 2,200 mAh
• Network technology: GSM, HSPA

The Elife E7 mini’s main handicap is its use of an older Android version. The device ships with 4.2.2 Jelly Bean — customized with its own Amigo UI 2.0 — which means users will miss out on the performance and UI advantages latter versions offer.

The E7 mini, by the way, comes in a dual-SIM setup, meaning you can simultaneously run on two different networks or mobile accounts. I find this very useful when roaming abroad — I can simply purchase a cheap prepaid SIM for cheaper local data, calls and SMS.

Hardware Design and Build Quality

Build quality is one of the Elife E7 mini’s strong suits. The device has a unibody design, with the entire casing molded out of a single piece of polycarbonate. This comes with advantages and disadvantages: the battery is not user replaceable, and the only way to open up the device is to pry out the screen. However, it also means the phone is sturdier, and will not tend to creak under pressure or break apart when dropped. Even the micro-SIM slot, which holds both SIM1 and SIM2, is only accessible through a tray, which requires a pin to eject.

The only point of wear and tear is the swivelling camera. Now, there are advantages and disadvantages to this. First, a moving camera means you can take both regular shots and selfies using the same resolution lens. This is a big plus, compared to most other devices that have smaller-resolution fixed-focus front cameras. It also enables taking photos more discreetly (if the lens were swivelled into a position that does not make it obvious you’re taking pictures).

As for buttons and port placement, I appreciate how both the power/suspend and volume rockers are all on the right side. I know it can confuse most users coming from Samsung or Apple devices, but from someone used to Windows Phones, it seems more natural. Given the space the swivelling camera requires at the top, both micro-USB and 3.5mm audio ports are located at the bottom of the device.

What I don’t like here is how Gionee uses a sticker for the device’s certification labels. Yes, the unibody design precludes opening up the case, but these labels could have been incorporated more discreetly (the Lumia 930 has its labels engraved at the bottom of the metal frame, for example).

The post Gionee Elife E7 Mini: Well-Built Midrange Smartphone appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Techland
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Release Date: Jan. 27, 2015
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: First-person Survival, Action, Horror
MSRP: $59.99

Disclaimer: A digital copy of the game was received for Dying Light review on PlayStation 4.

Dying Light might look like any other zombie game, but I assure you, it’s not.

Yes it is made by Techland, and no it isn’t just another Dead Island clone. It’s something special and unique that represents the culmination of everything the developers learned from their mistakes with the previous games.

While Dying Light does borrow heavily from the core mechanics of Dead Island, the game has a deft and fluid grace that its predecessors lacked thanks to its new parkour-based locomotion.

And it also takes some of the best elements of the former series like crafting–adding makeshift blowtorch modules onto garden sickles or electrifying a police baton–as well as a RPG progression system.

Drop-in/drop-out co-op is also included, and is responsible for a good portion of the game’s replayability and fun factor.

Complimented with a bigger open-world sandbox filled with quests and activities and unique day-to-night transition that seamlessly changes a players role from hunter to hunted, Dying Light is one of the most entertaining and truly fun zombie games I’ve played in any generation of consoles.

Now let’s take a closer look at the bloody streets of Harran. Are you afraid of the dark? You should be.

A hero’s (zombie) journey

The overseas city of Harran is in flames. Misshapen monstrosities roam the streets, and the dead walk the earth, tearing swaths in the remaining population. The tropical resort has become a hellish nightmare that only gets worse when sun sets: that’s when the real terrors come out.

Society has splintered off into survivor factions, all fighting for precious supplies like weapons, food, and antizin, a drug that delays the symptoms of the zombie virus. But antizin is used as a commodity by Rais, a brutal despot who extorts survivors with his band of machine-gun toting ruffians.

Players take the role of GRE operative Kyle Crane, who acts as the central agent of change for the city of Harran.

Crane is a nondescript hero who must juggle a number of alliances to uphold his undercover status, ultimately leading to a true test of his morals and willpower as things become more and more dire for the citizens of the Tower.

The story has a distinct dramatic flair, with a few twists and turns, but overall is a decent backdrop to a ruined world. The stage is set by a soldier who soon realizes that his mission will ultimately compromise his humanity–standard fare in the weight of secrets upon a truly good-hearted hero.

But it becomes more and more dynamic and winding the more you progress, taxing our hero more and more. At one point Rais captures him and forces him to fight in an arena against undead, which ends up going quite amazingly well.

B-movie style

To me Dying Light feels distinctly like a B-movie, and that’s one of the many reasons I love this game.

Having seen a ton of horror movies and monster flicks, it has a decidedly cultish flair that seems to marry classic Romero sentiments with outlandish Troma-style gore. And the music feels very Carpenter-esque (something of a mix between Halloween III and Manhunter‘s creepy synth-tones).

And like a lot of campy B-movies and cult flicks, Dying Light makes use of no-brainer concepts like keeping safe zones completely devoid of ladders or stairs. Some zones are even built on floating piers, away from prowling undead.

Small things like these speak wonders and make traditional pop-culture zombie franchises look rather foolish by comparison.

It has style, it has its own allure that is suffused with a number of visceral horror elements that make it stand out quite clearly when compared to other zombie games. It’s a delightful mish-mash of both subtle fear and obscene blood and guts that shines an intimate look at the genre as a whole.

This is mostly fleshed out by the game’s day and night transitions.

During the day, players are pretty much free to do what they like: scout for items, molotov an entire horde of undead, tackle sidequests or just soak up the rays on a tropical beach. In the daytime, you’re the hunter.

But during the night? You’re the hunted. You’re prey.

Terror rules the night. The symbolism of night being dangerous and full of evils (as GRRM would say, the night is dark and full of terrors) has always interested me. So it’s with no small enjoyment that I found myself utterly captivated by the disorientation of being hunted in the dead of night.

Night is when the Volatiles, those super-powerful agile zombies, come out and play. And not all the parkour in the world can save you once you have a horde of those horrors on your back.

To even the odds Crane has a UV light to ward them off, and there are also UV light traps strewn through the city, but overall stealth is your best bet at night.

Strategic undead warfare

Combat is the most enjoyable part of Dying Light, and it’s a delicious meal that has all sorts of dishes and tastes.

There are so many different ways you can take on zombies in the game. If you’re the type that likes to bathe in zombie blood, jump right in and start swinging with a meat cleaver for some slicing-and-dicing.

You can use the multitudes of spike traps or explosive pools of gasoline to annihilate groups, or pick them off with well-placed shots from a rifle. Be aware that Walking Dead rules apply here, and loud bangs will attract tougher menaces to deal with.

Crane is a very nimble fighter, and in many ways he kind of reminds me of the Waterdancer Syrio Forel. His dodge move allows him to easily hop out of the way of an incoming Demolisher’s strike, or a skull-crushing swing of a two-handed rebar maul.

The kicks are another amazing feature. When I played Dead Island: Riptide as John Morgan, I kicked and kicked and kicked some more. I loved it. And this game adds the kick as a simple secondary feature, letting you disarm and sometimes even stun enemies.

Strategy and preference make up one half of combat, and really it’s all up to you how you dispatch the undead.

I myself love using firecrackers to get zombies massed together, and then tossing a molotov to slowly burn them out. When you level up your Survivor tree things can get much more interesting.

For example you can use freezing throwing stars to immobilize troublesome baddies in place, or toss a toxic grenade in their midst for some slow poison damage. You can even use some flammable liquid and combo off of your fire-enhanced weapons for explosive damage.

Loot, sweet loot

Items are the other hemisphere of combat, and Dying Light one-ups Dead Island in a few key ways. You can still pick up swords and axes and hammers–the basic advantages of melee weapons over guns still stands–but Techland has raised the ante a bit in terms of customization.

Every item can be upgraded and fit with a custom mod for double the carnage. Upgrades only raise stats like damage, durability and handling, whereas mods will imbue the item with interesting elemental affinities.

Also a lot of these affinities can combo off of specific materials and items–we’ve already explored how flammable liquid combos off of fire weapons, but the same is true for conducting liquid and electrically-charged crowbars, swords, etc.

There are a ton of unique items peppered through Harran, some of which are secrets. There’s the Excalibur sword hidden in a zombie corpse, the devastating sick bomb that’s awarded to you after a tedious game of checkers, the ultra-powerful Korek machete (named after a Techland employee) and a number of other goodies.

Sometimes, though, the best items are the ones you make yourself. Other times you’ll want to go ahead and just upgrade a Korek machete with a King’s Mod and just go to town.

Bloody chaos and parkour

Combat is a visceral, bloody and brutal experience.

You get up close and personal with the zombies–the game makes you feel when you hit that perfect critical and smash in their heads, bringing the total panicky terror when you’re overrun by dozens of undead.

Sometimes it can be satisfying, other times it can get out of control. I myself keep things interesting by complimenting my melee strikes by using throwing weapons, traps, and other mechanisms of destruction.

In terms of movement, the game flows exceedingly well thanks to its new parkour system. This pretty much gives you the freedom to explore and move across any area of the game, sprinting across rooftops or wall-jumping and leaping across high distances.

The parkour is smooth, and to me it’s smoother than Mirror’s Edge simply because you don’t have to keep that momentum going at all times. Plus later on you get a wall-jump that pretty much makes it so you can grasp any ledge, no matter how high it is.

That being said the parkour can be finicky at times. Early on you’ll learn what ledges you can grasp (anything without barbed wire) versus those you just can’t. And sometimes you’ll miss anyway. It happens.

And there’s a grappling hook. Yes, it’s amazingly fun, but you won’t get it until you’re level 12 in Survivor rank.

Skill progression

Speaking of ranks, there are three major RPG skill progression trees: Agility (running, jumping, sliding, parkouring, etc), Survivor (saving NPC’s, doing missions, side quests, grabbing air drops) and Power (killing zombies in any fashion, whether with weapons or traps).

Each tree has three tiers, and my favorite is the Survivor tree.

You can use it to create some pretty badass items, from elemental throwing stars, shields that can actually soak up damage and inflict status ailments, boosters and tonics too buff your armor and stamina, and even makeshift grenades.

Add to that a massive open-world sandbox filled with tons of easter eggs, hidden items, blueprints and volatile zombies and you’ve got the city of Harran. The in-game world is pretty huge and there’s a ton of side quests and NPC’s to interact with, along with a sprawling metropolis replete with different sections and areas.

In short there’s always something to do in the game, and all of it is pretty entertaining.

Co-Op

The co-operative play is amazingly well done.

Even when I’m playing with a full team of four I have hardly had any lag, and we pretty much decimated everything that was in our path. It’s a great way to blow off steam for some mindless chaotic fun, and to earn a lot of cash looting the dead zombies.

The only gripe I have with co-op is that all the players have to be in the same spot to initiate a mission or quest. A lot of the time random players will scatter to the four winds, but if someone’s trying to kick off a quest, you can actually teleport to their location in a jiffy.

I’ve had a blast with the co-op so far, and I’ve actually met a few new friends who I join for some high-stakes questing–and they even showed me a thing or two about Easter eggs, especially the incredibly amusing Super Mario Bros. parkour level.

Quirky NPC’s

I have to give a shout out to some of the most odd and comical NPC’s I’ve encountered in my time as a gamer.

Dying Light is full of unique characters who actually have character. It’s very refreshing to come in contact with a guy who’s willing to give me an impression before he just sends me on a fetch quest.

Some memorable NPC’s include those idiosyncratic twins Tolga and Fatin, who, after sending me on a fetch quest, initiated in a very entertaining bit of banter where they argued about who’s smarter Cornelius or Dr. Saius.

“Orangutans are smarter”, Tolga tells his half-wit brother in an obvious tone, “Cornelius didn’t even have a PhD.”

Then there’s Edwin Snowberg, a horror movie director who actually flew into Harran just so he could get cheap footage for his next zombie movie, Zombie Annihilation IV: Dying Lunch. Snowberg sends you on a mini-game where you blast zombies with a shotgun, and rewards you with cash. I love it.

Conclusion

Dying Light is zombie survival sim done right.

It keeps the tried and true Dead Island formula but patches up so many things that the original series missed out on, including free-flowing parkour, a more dynamic open-world, and more satisfying combat.

There’s a massive level of depth to the game that can be explored in so many ways, whether it’s with a friend (or group of friends or strangers) in co-op, or simply alone. The storyline is pretty decent and has some memorable characters like Jade and Rais to fill things in, but all in all the mechanics make the game what it is..

With a range of amazingly satisfying strategic-based combat mechanics, massive level of replayability, dazzling graphical fidelity, quirky NPC’s and a huge artillery of quests and side quests, Dying Light is pretty much my new favorite zombie game and we’re confident that after you try it, it’ll be yours as well.

The post Dying Light Review: Dead of Night appeared first on VR World.

City traffic has become so bad these days that it has become impractical to drive a big SUV with boat-like handling characteristics. It’s much easier to zip around town in a subcompact or small hatchback, after all. The fact that fuel prices falling to record lows due to the drop in oil prices is just icing on the cake, especially if your daily commute to work involves inching through parking lot-like traffic jams.

For Hyundai, its small cars are the top sellers in Asian markets like India and the Philippines, where the Korean company’s Eon and i10 lines are common sights on the street. Even as the more formidable Starex, Sta. Fe, Tucson, Elantra and Accent are also popular, nothing beats a low price tag, especially in emerging markets.

But even then, small does not necessarily mean cheap. Our review model for this automotive feature is the 2015 Hyundai Grand i10, a subcompact hatchback directly competing with the Suzuki/Maruti Swift, and recent market entrants, the new Mitsubishi Mirage and Toyota Wigo. Price-wise, however, the Grand i10 is a bit on the steep side, which means the choice might come between this subcompact hatch or a bigger — although lower trim — subcompact sedan. Even Hyundai’s own Accent has a lower starting price than the top-spec Grand i10.

Hyundai often attaches the “Grand” moniker to significantly-upgraded models, and for the i10, this marks the car’s second generation, first launched in late 2013. The Grand i10 is 100 mm longer than its predecessor, and the top-spec variant also offers features and amenities that one might find more at home on more expensive and larger vehicles, such as safety and electronics packages.

Specifications

Our review model is the top-of-the-line L variant, powered by a 1.2 liter Kappa motor delivering a maximum power of 87 ps @ 6,000 RPM and torque of 12.2 nm @ 4,000 RPM, with 0-100 Kph acceleration rated at 15 seconds. Motor-driven power steering makes turning light, with a tight turning radius. LxWxH is 3,765 mm x 1,660 mm x 1,505 mm, with a wheelbase of 2,425 mm. Cargo space is measured at 1,202 liters.

The Grand i10’s Kappa motor comes in a mostly aluminum construction to minimize weight, resulting in the car’s having a curb weight of 941 to 998 Kg. In the Philippine market, the Grand i10’s starting price is PhP 538,000 (US$ 12,155) for the base model, climbing up to PhP 688,000 (US$ 15,544) for the top-spec model. The difference comes mainly in the following:

• 1.2 L vs. 1.0 L displacement
• Alloy wheels vs. Steel with full wheelcap
• Electrically-actuated folding side mirrors
• Rear parking assist (Camera- and radar-assistance)

Note that Hyundai actually had to reprice the Grand i10, perhaps to better compete against the 3-cylinder Toyota Wigo and Mitsubishi Mirage, which have taken over Manila streets of late.

Design, comfort and amenities

The Hyundai Grand i10 has more than the usual small-car amenities that you would wonder why these don’t already come standard even on bigger cars. The touchscreen LCD makes navigating the entertainment system a breeze. Shift to Reverse and you get a rear-view camera. You even get push-to-start ignition.

Inside the cabin, space is what you would expect from a subcompact hatch — it will surely feel a bit claustrophobic if you’re more used to bigger sedans or SUVs. However, the ride is comfortable enough, with adequate NVH insulation and a supple suspension. Comparing the Grand i10 with the Honda Jazz, which we reviewed a few months back, I can say that the Grand i10 is surprisingly more comfortable.

I’m not too fond of the resistive nature of the 7-inch touchscreen, however, as it is sometimes inaccurate and would require repeated presses to register a touch. With the popularity of capacitive displays even on cheap tablets today, I wonder why Hyundai has to settle with a resistive screen. The lack of audio controls on the steering wheel can also be concerning, especially since Hyundai has already put in this level of kit on the Grand i10.

Unlike the Honda Jazz, the Grand i10’s seating design is more conventional, with the fuel tank situated right below the rear passenger bench. The rear backrest folds in full (no split), but it doesn’t fold flat. This can be quite limiting in terms of carrying big cargo like boxes or furniture. Legroom is comparable to most subcompact sedans — it’s evident that Hyundai put in the extra length into extending the rear passenger space.

Audio quality is acceptable, and you can plug in your phone or USB thumbdrive for MP3 playback. The car’s head unit also supports Bluetooth audio, enabling music playback from your smartphone and handsfree communication while driving.

The Grand i10 also comes standard with a navigation system. While apps like Waze and Google Maps are already formidable alternatives to a car-bound GPS navigation system, it’s good to know that Hyundai has incorporated a feature once reserved for more premium models (even the Nissan Altima that VR World reviewed in November did not have this feature).

The post Hyundai Grand i10: The Little Car That Could appeared first on VR World.

When Microsoft launched the Lumia 535, its first branded smartphone after absorbing Nokia’s mobile and services division, the strategy had become clear: that the company will start focusing on the low-end in its quest to gain market share in the smartphone industry. This has been further cemented with the announcement of the Lumia 435 and 532, budget Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones clearly targeted at the masses — the devices are even priced lower. After all, a core focus for the company is “connecting the next billion people to the Internet.”

Outside of smartphones, Microsoft also has the Nokia 215 up its sleeve — a sub-$30 feature phone that will enable access to apps like Facebook Messenger and Opera Mini. This is clearly aimed at emerging markets, where the priority is to connect people through mobile Internet, even if it’s through a small screen and slow transfer speeds.

Priced at about $120 unlocked, the Microsoft Lumia 535 seems to strike a balance between the low-end and mid-range. Microsoft markets it as having a “555” strategy, offering a 5-inch touchscreen display, 5-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel wide-angle front camera for selfies.

As with most entry-level devices, it’s not exactly stellar in terms of specs and design. But being a Windows Phone, performance is decent even this low in the price and spec range. A clear advantage over the Lumia 530 and 520 it replaces in this segment are the bigger screen and better camera. While the user experience is decent, I do have some gripes with the screen being washed out — something common in this price range for Lumia devices. With this pricing, there has to be some compromise in component quality.

Specs

The Microsoft Lumia 535 is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Cortex A7 clocked at 1.2 GHz. Display is powered by an Adreno 302 GPU, outputting 540×960 pixels onto a 5-inch screen. This results in a PPI of approximately 222. The devices comes with 8GB of flash storage, with the system eating up about half. Good news for photo and music junkies: the device supports miroSD cards up to 128GB. Storage is augmented by 15GB of OneDrive storage — Microsoft account holders who have activated auto backup in September 2014 will have up to 30GB free.

The 535 thankfully has 1GB of RAM, which should improve app performance over previous entry-level devices. Even the “affordable flagship” Lumia 830 ships with 1GB, so raw performance can be comparable, memory-wise.

The Lumia 535 comes with a 1,905 mAh removable battery, which is rated at 552 hours standby and 11 or 13 hours talk time (2G and 3G, respectively). In real-world scenarios, however, I would usually get about 55 hours standby time on this device, with a few calls, news reading and and Skype chats.

Our review device is the Dual SIM variant, which means you can use two SIM cards simultaneously — a great way to reduce device clutter in your purse or pocket, or at least get more than one active line on the phone, whether from the same or different networks. It’s a handy feature whilst roaming — you can keep your current number and also use a local prepaid SIM to save on data, SMS and call costs.

Comparing it with the Lumia 530 it replaces, the 535 is certainly an improvement, although the devices sport basically the same procssor. You can see VR World‘s review of the Lumia 530 from a few months back.

Design and User Experience

The 535 sports the familiar Lumia design — polycarbonate removable back cover that comes in bright colors. The phone comes in orange, green, black and white, with the latter two coming in matte, while the more colorful ones in shiny finish. Our review unit was orange, and while the shiny plastic can be a fingerprint magnet, it’s also provides better grip, which should help reduce accidental drops.

Button layout should also be familiar to longtime Lumia users, with all keys at the right side of the phone: volume rocker at the top and sleep/power button at the middle. Sorry, no dedicated camera button here. Microsoft has done away with the dedicated capacitive softkeys, with on-screen soft keys that can be hidden and shown with a swiping-up motion. This can take some getting used to, especially for those more familiar with fixed capacitive touch keys.

Screen is a bit washed out in direct sunlight

The 3.5 mm audio jack is at the center top, while the USB port is at the center bottom. Pretty standard stuff, unlike the Lumia 830 we earlier reviewed, which had the USB port at the top.

The box comes with Microsoft-branded earphones, Microsoft-branded wall charger and a USB cable. Everything looked suspiciously the same as Nokia’s bundled accessories, only they now carry Microsoft branding.

The post Microsoft Lumia 535: Budget Smartphone Done Right appeared first on VR World.

When it comes to smartphones, one often relates the term “flagship” to mean bleeding edge specifications, crisp and adequately-sized screen, and of course the price tag to match. Thus, a company offering an “affordable” flagship device might be met with skepticism at first. Nokia — and now Microsoft — has such a device in the Lumia 830, which is marketed as an affordable flagship smartphone for people who want the capabilities of a top performer, but who are price sensitive enough to be discouraged by the Lumia 930’s price tag.

Earlier, VR World reviewed the Lumia 930, which is among the last of the Nokia-branded flagships. It seems that after Microsoft dropped the Nokia brand, the company is focusing on the lower-end with the upcoming Lumia 535. The Lumia 830 is somewhat of a holdout in between. It still carries the Nokia branding. The specs are decidedly midrange, but the device is being marketed as a flagship of sorts.

Being that the Lumia 830 is meant to be a toned-down version of the Lumia 930, we will focus on doing a comparison rather than a full review, especially in terms of how the user experience and performance differ between the devices. Windows Phone users would already be familiar with the user interface and how the platform generally works, and so we will leave such details to the Lumia 930 review.

In a way, the Lumia 830 may, indeed, be considered the poor man’s 930, but don’t be too dismissive of the 830 just yet. It does have certain advantages over its more expensive sibling, and what it lacks in pure performance it makes up for in other ways.

Specifications

While the Lumia 930’s processor is already an unimpressive (by today’s standards) quad-core 2.2 GHz Snapdragon 800, the Lumia 830 scales back even further with its use of Snapdragon 400 — a quad-core SoC clocked at 1.2 GHz. This means the device will take a bit longer in performing processor-intensive tasks, compared with the Lumia 930. Given that the Windows Phone platform is usually optimized for performance even on low-end specs, you can expect that Lumia 830 to perform decently in everyday tasks, however.

Notable in comparison with the 930 is the use of a lower-resolution screen, at 720p. With the same 5 inch display, this means a lower pixel density. The 830 also uses an IPS LCD screen instead of the 930’s OLED. The advantage, of course, is that the LCD screen can support the Windows Phone “Glance” feature, which is a handy way of checking notifications like messages or missed calls without actually waking up the device.

Here are some key specs differences with the 930:

Hardware Design and Build Quality

This device being a Nokia, you can expect good industrial design and durable build quality. The Lumia 830 follows the same design principles as that of the 930, with aluminum plus polycarbonate construction. A marked difference is that the 830’s back plate is designed to be user-removable, with the nano SIM slot accessible by removing the battery. The microSD slot is also accessible by removing the back plate, which comes in various bright colors like orange, green and white. In contrast, the 930’s back plate is removable, but only for purposes of replacing the cover. The 930’s battery is not user-replaceable, and the nano SIM is housed on a slide-in tray at the top of the device.

The backplate design is also one big giveaway when it comes to distinguishing between Lumias. The 830 has the camera and LED flash combo encased in black reflective plastic, while the 930’s camera and flash sit flush with the backplate. The 830’s aluminum frame is a bit thinner than the 930’s, with the back plate taking a more sloped approach than the  rounded rear design on the 930. The 830 is actually a bit taller, but thinner and shallower than the 930. The aluminum frame is also thicker at the sides and the corners are less rounded than that of the 930.

Placement of the hardware buttons is similar — all at the right side — but with slightly different positioning. One main difference is that the 830’s microUSB charging/data port is located at the top part of the device instead of the bottom part, which might entail some adjustment when using the phone whilst plugged.

Our review unit seems to have come with some design or production defect, however, with the upper right corner of the screen having detached a bit from the frame. Perhaps it’s a production issue, or maybe the phone had been dropped from some height by a previous reviewer. It’s probably a design limitation when working with glass plus aluminum constructions, compared to the usual full polycarbonate shells.

Software and User Interface

The Lumia 830 ships with Windows Phone 8.1 Denim, which means users need not install an update to get the latest features and functionalities from Microsoft. In contrast, the 930 ships with Windows Phone 8.1, but requires an OTA update to get the Cyan update. Denim is right around the corner, however, for the 930. Having basically the same screen size as the 930, you can expect a similar user experience, save for some feature differences. As earlier mentioned, the 830’s screen enables the device to have the famed “Glance” feature that enables users to have a quick look at notifications on-screen through a low-power monochromatic display (with the backlighting at zero). This is simply unavailable on the 930 due to the limitations of its screen.

Likewise, with storage expansion through microSD, users have a choice to store apps and data on the external card through Storage Sense. Beyond local storage, you have options to automatically synchronize photos with OneDrive. And as with other Windows Phone 8.1 devices, your email accounts, preferences, applications and even SMS messages can be automatically backed up on a regular basis, so you can switch to a new Window Phone device without having to redo everything.

One big software difference between the 830 and 930 is 4K support. Once the Lumia 930 gets the Denim update, it will come with support for 4K photo and video recording, which means future-proofing once the ultra high-definition standard becomes more popular as a means of recording and consuming content.

The post Lumia 830: The Affordable Flagship Windows Phone appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Platform: PS4 (Reviewed), Xbox One, PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Shooter, Action
MSRP: $59.99

Below we’ve prepared a synopsis of our official Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare review that delivers some of the main points in our assessment. Essentially the game feels like a rushed cash-grab in terms of its campaign, with Sledgehammer Games missing out on a myriad of key FPS aspects along the way.

The game’s multiplayer is a completely different story and pushes the bar forward in terms of mechanics and content, and keeps that authentic Call of Duty action gamers have come to know and love.

Campaign: Devolving the FPS formula

In an attempt to reinvent the campaign FPS formula, Sledgehammer actually pulls out key pieces of the FPS dynamic. This makes for an awkward and ungraceful shooter, breaking down hallmarks of any truly memorable experience.

Advanced Warfare has the air of a brief blockbuster action flick with all of the explosions and he-man bravado of a Michael Bay film.

Much like an action film, the game considerably lacks substance. The plot is a thin veil for blind shoot-em-up madness wherein players are walking Terminators that annihilate all on-screen baddies.

As empowering as this sounds, the experience is actually jading and provides a rather serious case of disillusionment for players, who are led to believe they are nigh-invincible future soldiers.

Apart from the annoying factors, Advanced Warfare does have some innovative features.

The exosuit’s pneumatic jumps are quite handy in campaign and multiplayer, even if they are a bit clunky and awkward. You can juke and dash in all directions by pressing L3–a poor button map for this function if there ever was one–which is immensely useful after double jumps.

Multiplayer: Exhilarating FPS Combat

A good shooter empowers its players with the tools they need to shine. Advanced Warfare‘s multiplayer does this much more completely than the campaign–if anything the campaign feels like something tacked on, like an afterthought to the competitive online experience.

Players can customize their loadouts to a tee, allowing up to three different perks to be assigned along with two exo abilities and full scorestreak assignments. Essentially you can become the warrior you want to be, while unlocking a huge assortment of goodies as you progress.

With the new Pick 13 system (built off of the previous Pick 10) players have 13 points to spend across the board on weapon attachments, perks, exo abilities, killstreaks and more, making it sort of like an RPG system.

The best thing about the game’s multiplayer is that it expands upon the already mighty FPS formula. Everything is fast-paced and as it should be. The HUD is perfectly designed, and the minimap is as dynamic as ever.

If you die you can jump right back in the action with instant respawns–something that keeps everything fresh and invigorating for all players.

And the exo abilities make you feel something close to a FPS juggernaut.

Conclusion: An Unbalanced Package

At its core, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare feels like a lazy game that cashes in on its revamped multiplayer. The campaign could have been so much more, and it had so much potential, but ultimately failed to live up to its weight.

Sledgehammer had a chance to break the linear mold with something creative and distinct, and instead they’ve delivered a watered down product that’s just more of the same.

The graphics are quite pristine and the in-game cutscenes are amazing examples of high-fidelity gaming, but often these polished environments will get in your way while fighting as well as serve as labyrinths to get lost in.

Multiplayer is the only reason to pick this game up, and its a superlative example of what FPS matchmaking should be.

The multiplayer is expansive and is the strongest point of the overall experience, providing a huge assortment of loadouts, killstreak specials, exo upgrades and more–all designed to buff the mode’s already frenetic in-your-face action.

If you’re looking for an engaging story that takes you on a journey into the future, you’re better off passing on this one.

Read our full Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Review over at VR World.

The post Call of Duty Advanced Warfare TL;DR Review appeared first on VR World.

The choice of whether to buy an SUV, family sedan or ultra-compact may not be entirely a simple choice, as it is one that is dictated by your context. Different markets have different approaches to automobiles, and factors like fuel prices, road conditions and family income come into play. In the US, for instance, where petrol is cheap, big-displacement engines are still popular. In Europe, with exorbitant petrol costs, car owners prefer diesel-powered cars or small-displacement subompacts.

The same trends can also be observed in Asia. Take for example the very high cost of owning and maintaining cars in Singapore, where the Certificate of Entitlement costs much more than the car’s sticker price. Or how about the big disparity in petrol and diesel prices in the Philippines? There are also varying road conditions across the globe, which necessitates different suspension and engine tuning needs.

In this review, we focus on the 2014 Nissan Altima — or the L33 — which has just been brought to Philippine shores as an update or replacement to the Teana line. In this country, even midsize sedans like the Altima, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda6 and the like, are already considered “big” cars. And thus, they are oft patronized by the more discerning crowd and as executive-movers, even if such midsize cars are standard fare for middle-income motorists in more developed economies. Let’s keep this in mind for purposes of this review.

I had the chance to review two variants of the J32 Nissan Teana (the 250XL and 350XV) a few years back. Aimed at the luxury midsize market, the Teana did not fail to impress, in terms of performance and comfort. Nissan has converged the Altima and Teana into one platform for this generation. Nissan’s replacing its local upscale sedan with the Altima comes with some pros and cons, however, which we shall discuss later.

The post 2014 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL: Standard Midsize Fare appeared first on VR World.

The fight for smartphone dominance is essentially a two-way race, with Android and iOS leading the pack. Thus, you’ve got to hand it to platforms like Windows Phone and BlackBerry for holding the fort even as they are fallling behind in market share. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8.1 do have a niche audience in the enterprise market, however, with Microsoft targeting businesses that wish to have a convenient device that combines tablet and laptop with the Surface Pro and touch-enabled Windows devices from other manufacturers.

For the consumer market, Windows Phone is not exactly the most popular choice, although devices are decent performers across the price range. In this review, we take a look at the Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM, perhaps the last of the Nokia-branded entry-level smartphones before Microsoft takes over the Lumia brand with their own name-badged handsets.

Released in July this year, the Lumia 530 Dual SIM is targeted squarely at emerging markets with one feature popular among this demographic: the ability to run two SIM cards simultaneously. As with the flagship Lumia 930 we reviewed earlier, VR World is able to review the device courtesy of Microsoft’s media relations folks in Manila.

Note that as of writing, Microsoft has dropped the Nokia branding from all new Lumia devices, starting with the Lumia 535, which is the entry-level device meant to both succeed and coincide with the 530. The Redmond company seems to be focusing on the low-end at this time, in order to build market share and attract emerging markets.

The Nokia Lumia 530

The post Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM: Affordable Starter Windows Phone appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Platform: PS4 (Reviewed), Xbox One, PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Shooter, Action
MSRP: $59.99

With Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, the mantle of gaming’s FPS juggernaut was passed on to Sledgehammer Games. For three years the developers crafted their shooter, filling it with exosuits, futuristic high-tech weaponry, and a tailor-made campaign centered around an engaging techno-industrial war plot.

To prepare their multi-platform hit, the team built a new in-house graphics engine from the ground up, secured Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey for a lead role, and positioned Advanced Warfare as one of the year’s most attractive shooters with its high-octane action-packed content.

But like most dev teams who take on massive high-profile projects, Sledgehammer’s efforts fell short.

Instead of a revolution for the series, Advanced Warfare feels like a pretty big step back in terms of its campaign. This could be attributed to the studio’s inexperience–the team hasn’t worked on a game outside of a co-developer role alongside Infinity Ward for Modern Warfare 3–and the pressure to create a fresh new mega-hit with innovative features.

Whatever the reason, this new entry feels hollow and ultimately fails to live up to its potential. This is a trend we’ve seen all too often in the industry as of late, and it’s even more obvious with Activision’s newest annual shooter.

Campaign: Devolving the FPS formula

In an attempt to reinvent the formula, Sledgehammer actually pulls out key pieces of the FPS dynamic. This makes an awkward and ungraceful shooter experience, breaking down hallmarks of any truly memorable experience.

Advanced Warfare has the air of a brief blockbuster action flick with all of the explosions and he-man bravado of a Michael Bay film.

Much like an action film, the game considerably lacks substance. The plot is a thin veil for blind shoot-em-up madness wherein players are walking Terminators that annihilate all on-screen baddies. As empowering as this sounds, the experience is actually jading and provides a rather serious case of disillusionment for players, who are led to believe they are nigh-invincible future soldiers.

Gameplay takes players on a different war; a war that pits you against the game’s badly designed mechanics.

This war is tedious and needlessly frustrating to gamers. It’s composed of many smaller-scaled battles, and every single mission or multiplayer map presents its own unique challenges that take skill to navigate. But you’re not just fighting teeming hordes of gun-toting baddies, you’re fighting the game’s maddening controls, lack of on-screen indicators, abysmal HUD and truly terrible vehicle controls.

One of the most prominent annoyances that Advanced Warfare presents is the lack of an on-screen HUD. Instead players are met with an extremely minimal holographic display that shows your tactical grenades, offensive grenades, and one of the most asinine indicators of your exosuit class I’ve ever seen.

And there’s no radar. Yes, Sledgehammer has somehow gotten away with breaking one of the most holy rules of any shooter, making for large-scale firefights things of confusion, annoyance and tedium.

What happened to good old-fashioned futuristic HUD’s? Halo‘s classic heads-up-display comes to mind as the quintessential future soldier setup. But instead players are met with anything that feels futuristic. The game takes place halfway through the 21st Century, and you’d think by now there’d be some creative mix of Killzone‘s enemy scans and the classic mo-tracker.

Instead of a radar, Sledgehammer arms players with threat grenades. These effectively do what Killzone: Shadow Fall’s scanner does, but there’s one problem: they only last a brief amount of time, and you have a limited supply of them.

AND enemies don’t stay marked once you scan them.

But it gets even worse: threat grenades are only one of the three subtypes of tactical grenade, and all of them are limited. Other types include EMP and Flashbang. Switching through grenade types is also something that is needlessly tedious–instead of just being able to easily cycle through with a button press, you have to hold L1 and press Square to select what type you want.

This is an incredibly bad design, and only adds to the awkward setup.

Despite grenades and the lack of a HUD, players can’t always make out what exosuit they have equipped. There’s two main variants in the campaign–Specialist and Assault, both of which have specific goodies like a grapple hook (think Link’s hookshot), mag-gloves for scaling up skyscrapers, stim packs to temporarily boost life, double boost jumps, and a handy riot shield.

Before any mission the game tells you what exo class you have equipped. Lest you should forget, you’d think the game would remind you so that you can adequately facilitate what actions you can take in a firefight, right? Wrong.

Pausing the game doesn’t show you anything, and of course there’s no HUD, so there’s no way of telling what suit you have on without just knowing beforehand.

How hard would it have been to have an on-screen indicator reminding you what class you are? This is quite important as it basically determines what you can and can’t do.

It’s also worth mentioning that the game takes out and throws in random exo class abilities on a whim, as certain missions call for certain gear, and at no time lets players choose what kind of role they’d like to take in battle.

This is a big mistake.

I can’t be alone in wanting to be able to choose my own customized exo-suit loadout, making it a sort of role-playing adventure within the campaign. Sledgehammer failed in this regard, and in so many others, and I have to wonder why it took three years to build this game when it feels so minimalistic in terms of mechanics.

The lack of a HUD doesn’t just hamper combat, but it serves as a massive roadblock to progression itself. What little on-screen indicators the game has are not obvious at all, and the objectives are vague and unclear. Often you’ll find yourself lost in a sea of enemies amid a beautifully rendered city, wandering around and blasting Atlas foes at whim.

This is disorienting and isn’t something that any shooter should ever have to contend with. You should always know where to go and be on-point, and the game should always keep you in the know and arm you with the information to make informed decisions.

Sledgehammer takes all the strategy out of any given segment simply because you have no idea where to go, and often don’t know how many baddies are out there–or where they are–until you get shot to hell and back.

Apart from the annoying factors, Advanced Warfare does have some innovative features.

The exosuit’s pneumatic jumps are quite handy in campaign and multiplayer, even if they are a bit clunky and awkward. You can juke and dash in all directions by pressing L3–a poor button map for this function if there ever was one–which is immensely useful after double jumps.

But even this has its downfalls. The novelty can wear off fast, and it lacks the fluid grace that Destiny‘s boost-jumps bring. All in all it’s hard to compare Advanced Warfare to a refined breed of shooter like Destiny or Halo simply because it neglects so many of the important aspects.

A good shooter doesn’t start players off at a disadvantage due to its awkward control scheme, nor does it rob them of important mechanics right out of the gates.

The post Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Review: Flawed Future appeared first on VR World.

Bluetooth headsets aimed at casual users and music aficionados come in varying degrees of quality. For those with money to spend, there are a wide variety of options. But for those on a budget, and not looking for a gaming-focused headset, the options out there are widely hit and miss.

Arctic, better known for its line of CPU and GPU coolers, likely sensed the need for a high-feature low-price Bluetooth headset, with its new Arctic P614 BT bluetooth headset. The headset includes a built-in microphone, and is aimed as an accessory for mobile devices but it works just as well as a wireless headset with any computer that supports bluetooth connectivity.

All in all, the company has done something remarkable with the Arctic P614 BT: it has made a headset with crisp, responsive sound that’s comfortable to wear (even for those with oversized heads). Granted, using Bluetooth presents its own sets of limitations when it comes to sound quality but neverless there’s not much left to be desired with Arctic’s headset. It doesn’t disappoint.

Overview

Arctic has taken a minimalistic approach with the P614 BT’s box. Inside are the headphones and a small blue box in the middle. The box contains the headphone’s manual, USB connector, and carrying case.

The headphones themselves have a USB connector for charging, as well as a playback controls, volume, and a NFC receiver for one-touch pairing. For connectivity, the headphones support Bluetooth version 4.0. The headphones have an expandable headband allowing users will all head sizes to comfortably enjoy the headset. A built-in microphone is also included.

According to Arctic the headphones have a 40mm enhanced neodymium driver and have a frequency response of 20Hz to 20 KHz.

The post Arctic P614 BT Bluetooth Headphones Delivers Responsive Sound For $42.99 appeared first on VR World.

An easy way to give your workspace a chic and cool look is removing your monitor’s generic included stand and using a monitor arm. There are plenty of monitor arms on the market, and today we are taking a look at Arctic’s Z1 Pro monitor arm.

Overview and functionality

In the modern office workplace the vast majority of job-related injuries come from strain involving prolonged sitting at one’s workspace. Sitting with a slight slouch, the default position when looking slightly down at a monitor, can take its toll on your shoulders and back. Many doctors and physiotherapists suggest that desk workers put their monitor at eye level to avoid this strain.

Which leads us to the Arctic Z1 Pro. The Z1 Pro is one of Arctic’s entry-level monitor stands which supports screens between 13 and 27 inches with its standard 75/100 mm VESA port on the back. Arctic says the stand can support up to 22 lbs, which should be more than enough even for the biggest of screens. For our testing we used a 22-inch BenQ GW2250HM monitor.

On the bottom of the stand is a powered USB 3.0 hub with four ports. This is a nice addition for the sake of cable management, as users that have this stand on their desk would want to make things look as clean as possible.

The post Arctic’s Z1 Pro is Elegant, But a Pain to Build appeared first on VR World.

Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Creative Assembly
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2014
Platform: PS4 (Reviewed), PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Genre: Horror, Survival, Stealth
MSRP: $59.99

There are precious few games that can perfectly recreate the feel of a movie, but Alien Isolation achieves this with an almost eerie precision. It’s the kind of game you play alone in the dark, knowing the absence of light could both save you and spoil you from the fright.

The game is a captivating and harrowing experience that fully envisions the scope of Ridley Scott’s immortal film Alien. Rather than simply portraying the film, though, it expands upon it and brings to life a refreshing new extension while keeping the original concepts in place.

Creative Assembly has crafted a thriller that completely absorbs its audience, using many of the same mechanics of the 1979 classic.

Perhaps the most unique concept about the game is that it takes away all power from the gamer. And as odd as this will sound, that’s actually the beauty of it all. Instead of gunning down xenomorphs with reckless abandon, players are forced instead to treat their foe for what it is: an interstellar killing machine.

Sticking to the shadows and relying on their senses, players are stripped of their machismo bravado in favor of Amanda Ripley’s cunning and wit. It’s a welcome change to the genre and pays glorious tribute to Ellen Ripley’s performance in the original film.

One of the things that Isolation does best is revitalize the image of the alien simply by making players respect its power, and for that I’m extremely grateful. It’s one of the most amazing depictions of the alien’s true nature that I’ve ever seen, and throughout the game, I was almost in awe of the slithering terror.

The developers have captured the creature’s liquid grace perfectly: the fluid movements, the way its tail slithers around corners, and the way it crawls its way through the station like some kind of interstellar viper. The way it leaves chaos and death in its wake, and the way it’s inner mouth snatches out to dispatch its prey.

The terrifying primal state of H.R. Giger’s nightmare has been permanently restored, and it’ll always be remembered and regarded the way it should be–with blind panic and fear.

The post Alien Isolation Review: Hunted By A Freak appeared first on VR World.

Windows Phone is not exactly the heavyweight in the mobile industry as Windows is on desktops. Microsoft has played a catch-up game to iOS and Android, with activation figures stumbling in the recent quarter, shrinking from 4.6% to 4.3% in the US. Windows Phone is not without its fans, however, particularly in the enterprise markets where IT departments need remote management, BitLocker encryption and app approval. Surface and Surface Pro, are of course, gaining ground in the enterprise market as viable laptop replacements, too.

For those coming from the Android and iOS camp, Windows Phone would be either a refreshing reimagining of the smartphone or an alien concept altogether. There is, of course, the use of Live Tiles, which puts content front-and-center of one’s home screen experience. The Lumia 930 also features the PureView camera, which promises excellent image quality, offering crisp focus and excellent image reproduction in most lighting conditions. The unavailability of many apps on the Windows Phone marketplace could be a big concern, however.

Today we take a look at the Nokia Lumia 930 — called the Icon in some markets — which is possibly the last flagship in the Lumia line that will bear Nokia’s branding. Recall that Microsoft recently acquired Nokia’s mobile devices and services division and will integrate the Lumia line under the Microsoft branding. This means succeeding flagships will be branded “Microsoft Lumia.”

Released in April and available in most markets as of July 2014, we got our hands on the Lumia 930 care of Nokia’s media representatives in Manila. The result was a generally positive flagship experience, coming from one more used to a mid-range Android device as a daily driver and for development purposes.

Specifications

The Lumia 930’s specs are nothing to write (or phone) home about, with its last-generation Snapdragon 800 chipset running a quad-core Krait 400 CPU clocked at 2.2 GHz. Video is taken care of by an Adreno 330 GPU, outputting a full HD 1,080×1,920 pixels onto a 5-inch AMOLED display featuring a crisp 441 ppi display density.

The Lumia 930 comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. In terms of raw specs, you could probably compare this to last year’s Nexus 5, although given the difference in OS, you will feel some real-world performance differences.

Battery is a non-removable 2,420 Li-Polymer pack, which is decent enough to give a full day’s moderate use. Qi wireless charging enables powering up even while unplugged, provided you have a compatible power mat (or dashboard accessory, as with some vehicles).

The Lumia 930 is bundled with a USB-type charging wall plug with detachable cable, as well as manuals. If you’re using a mini SIM or microSIM, you will need to replace it with a nano SIM or cut it down to size to fit the phone’s SIM tray. This should not be a problem for those already using the iPhone 5 and newer.

Some specs:

• Dimensions: 137 x 71 x 9.8 mm, 94.7 cc
• Weight: 167 g
• Screen type: AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Screen size: 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.0 inches (~441 ppi pixel density)
• Touchscreen: Corning Gorilla Glass 3, ClearBlack display
• Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800
• CPU/GPU: Quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400 / Adreno 330
• Memory: 2G RAM
• Storage: 32GB internal
• Connectivity: HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 50 Mbps UL, 150 Mbps DL, Bluetooth 4.0 A2DP, NFC
• Port: microUSB v2.0
• Main Camera: 20 MP, 4992 х 3744 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, autofocus, dual-LED flash, 1/2.5” sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size, PureView technology, dual capture, geo-tagging, face detection, panorama
• Front Camera: 1.2 megapixel, 720p

Hardware Design and Build Quality

Industrial design is where Nokia shines, and the Lumia 930 subscribes to this design philosophy, as well. The 930 deviates from most recent Lumia smartphones save for the 925, with its brushed aluminum frame. Coupled with a curved Gorilla Glass 3 touchscreen and matte-finished polycarbonate back plate, the 930 is decidedly a Lumia, but with a bit of inspiration from other brands like HTC and Apple. The aluminum frame certainly helps improve durability and adds some heft to the device. It’s likely to be susceptible to dings and bumps, compared with plastic, though.

The hardware buttons are all aligned at the right side of the 930, starting with the volume buttons, sleep/wake button and camera shutter. The pull-out SIM tray is located at the top. A 3.5 mm audio jack sits right in the middle of the phone’s upper frame, while the microUSB charging and sync port is at the bottom. The bezel includes back-lit capacitive keys for Back, Start and Search.

The 930’s rear plate is actually removable, although this is only meant for replacing the cover with another color. There are no user-removable parts. The phone lacks microSD card expansion, forcing users to make do with the 32GB storage and cloud offerings like Microsoft’s own OneDrive.

Being a 5-incher, the phone might pose some difficulty with one-handed use. Even the placement of the Back capacitive button can sometimes be a hindrance, especially for someone used to it being more accessible to the thumb, like with some Android devices. The touchscreen does offer high-sensitivity, however — it can register multiple touches from fingernails or gloved fingertips.

Software and User Interface

The Lumia 930 is the first ever Windows Phone device to ship with 8.1, the latest consumer release of Microsoft’s mobile OS. Being so, it comes with Cortana, Microsoft’s personal assistant derived from the popular Halo series of games. WP8.1 also comes with the ability to create folders on the Start screen, and limit app usage to the Apps Center — something that IT departments might appreciate.

Live Tiles are a refreshing deviation from the usual Android and iOS interface heavy with icons and widgets. Again, content is front-and-center with Windows Phone, and you can see updates at a glance right from the Start screen. A notable feature on Windows Phone is the heavy integration with Microsoft services like Xbox for games and music, OneDrive for automatic backups and storage, as well as Skype for instant messaging. A useful built-in feature is social network integration right within the People app, which shows the latest updates from amongst your contacts without having to launch the dedicated Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn apps.

Windows Phone 8.1 also features Groups, which are user-set lists of contacts for sending messages and sharing updates. Rooms offer more functionality, and are meant for use among Windows Phone users, which can be useful for families or colleagues. Microsoft has certainly thought of collaboration and social connectivity in this update.

Performance

Even with previous-generation specs — at least relative to phones from other platforms — the Lumia 930 offers buttery smooth performance and one would rarely experience lags in real-world usage, even when playing resource-intensive games like Asphaplt 8: Airborne, Halo: Spartan Assault and Call of Duty 2015.

In terms of benchmark, AnTuTu total score is 26,105, which is comparable with previous-gen Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One. This might not necessarily be a bad thing in real-world performance, however. As with any Windows Phone user would know, the platform is usually optimized for smooth performance regardless of hardware spec, which means even entry level devices still hold up well, with the OS tweaked for reduced performance.

Smarthone photographers would appreciate the image quality from the Nokia PureView camera. The Nokia Camera app offers interesting features, like picture re-framing and Live Images — which capture photos as one-second transitioning images a la magical photo frames from the Harry Potter movies.

User Experience and Power

Using the Nokia Lumia 930 is a joy, thanks to the fast access to information right from the Start screen, down to the People app, where you can keep track of friends and their social media updates. Windows Phone’s app ecosystem leaves something to be desired, however. While many of the major and popular apps on other platforms have made their way to the Windows Phone Store, some have yet to make an appearance. Some examples are local mobile banking services, which can be a big inconvenience when you need to do some transactions while on-the-move. Even popular apps like Pocket are not available as native WP8.1 offerings. Google has likewise steered clear of actively building its apps for this platform.

You can take this two ways. First, with the lack of too many apps that are considered junk and repetitive, the apps that are available on the Windows Phone platform will likely be the ones that will aid in productivity rather than kill it. On the other hand, if you rely heavily on apps like mobile banking services, then you might want to look elsewhere.

The crisp high-resolution screen is pleasing to the eye, however, especially with its deep blacks (due to Nokia’s ClearBlack technology). The phone automatically adjusts to a high-contrast mode in bright sunlight, so legibility remains even whilst outdoors.

Sample Photos

Value and Conclusion

Windows Phone is known for its snappy performance across a wide array of devices, and WP8.1 on the flagship Nokia Lumia 930 provides a smooth, lag-free smartphone experience even on slightly dated hardware. However, the relative lack of applications might be a deal-breaker for those who rely on apps for content, productivity and entertainment.

The Lumia retails from $600 to $650 SIM-free, depending on market. At this price, the device is within the same range as premium smartphones like the Google Nexus 6, Samsung Galaxy S5 and the entry-level iPhone 6, which could make it a hard sell for non Windows Phone purists. Perhaps the recently-launched Lumia 830 (review coming up), a top-line mid-range device that sells for about two thirds of the 930’s price would be the device to hit the sweet spot. For those who want the best that Windows Phone has to offer, the Nokia Lumia 930 is the phone to have.

The post Lumia 930: The Last Flagship Windows Phone from Nokia appeared first on VR World.

Zotac is well known for its mini-PCs, and its Zbox brand is considered the best-of-the-best in the market for small-PCs called “Next Unit Computing” by Intel.

Zotac’s latest, and smallest, entry into the market is the Zbox Pico Pl320 which comes in  just under the Nano in size. While the Zbox Pico is classified as a “desktop” PC, at 4.6×2.6 inches  and just 0.8 inch thick, desktop PC it is not. The Pico is just bigger than a first-generation iPhone or portable hard drive. But despite  the small size of the device, Zotac has managed to provide all the basic connectivity and processing power one might need for their day-to-day computing.

Specifications

The post Zotac Zbox Pl320 Review appeared first on VR World.

Looking for an ideal computer case on a budget has long been a challenge, and even more so if that is a small case for a Mini-ITX build.

Thermaltake has come out with its Core series, a line of cases that aims to pack in a lot of features for the price.  The Core V1 Mini Cube case is made to accommodate Mini-ITX boards only and has two expansion slots.   The size of the case would make it a good choice for a build that you can tuck away or put on a desk with a minimal footprint.  A unique design choice that this case has is the lack of any 5.25″ bays,  something that is getting more common among cases these days.  A 200mm fan takes up the front portion of the case, providing a quiet way to move air through without needing any other fans.

Specifications:

The post Thermaltake Core V1: A Mini Case With a Big Value appeared first on VR World.

Even amid the rising concern for eco-friendliness and reduction of carbon footprints, cars seem to be outgrowing their respective classes in the recent years. Take for instance sub-compact sedans, which have started to overtake autos a class above in terms of space, trim and even price. The same goes for the sixth generation Honda City, which we have had the chance to review upon its launch in the Philippines domestic market. The City has certainly grown bigger in size and space, and the equipment easily outclasses even bigger sedans in the market.

Launched in November 2013, the sixth-generation Honda City had its ASEAN debut in January of this year, reaching markets like the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and the like starting second half of the year. Based on the third-generation Honda Jazz (Honda Fit in Japan) platform, the City now sports the company’s new “Exciting H” design language, which is evident in almost everything, from the front grille, front profile, dashboard and more. Whereas the previous arrow-like design evoked maturity, this particular generation’s styling evokes excitement.

The Philippines market variant of the City comes in the base E, mid-range VX and top-spec VX+ trims. Philippine-spec models come with L15Z1 1.5 liter SOHC i-VTEC engines outputting 117 horsepower, although some international variants ship with a more advanced 99 hp 1.5L Earth Dreams engine. Manual transmission cars have been the norm in this country for so many years, although Honda has decided to go with the current trend of releasing most of its City variants with automatic transmission. Only one model in the E spec comes with stick-shift. The automatic variant E spec comes with 5-speed traditional (torque converter) AT, while VX and VX+ variants come with 7-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT), ensuring optimal power output and fuel economy throughout the rev range.

Even with the rising obsession for lower-displacement engines, Honda chucked the 1.3-liter engine in the City retaining 1.5L configurations throughout all models, perhaps opting for the bigger engine configuration to ensure the car is not underpowered.

I got to take the VX variant for a spin through city, suburbs and mountain routes for a week, courtesy of Honda. I can say that, compared with the fifth-generation City which I reviewed a couple years back, this particular model has matured enough, in terms of features, driveability and comfort.

Design and First Looks

The previous generation City was a world apart over its predecessor in terms of design language, but the same may not necessarily be said for this current iteration, as the sixth-gen Honda City does retain the wedged form of the model it replaces. However, it does get the benefit of character creases that extend from the front doors toward the rear fender and which continue through the brake lamps, perhaps geared toward improving aerodynamics. Also, instead of the usual mesh- or honeycomb-type front grille, the City’s front has more chrome wrapped around the “H” Honda logo, extending toward the headlamps.

The interior is where one would be surprised at a car in this class. Whereas the fifth-generation City came with plasticky interiors that evoke “cheap”, this generation City has more refinement in its interiors. Silver-trimmed soft-touch plastics wrap around the dashboard. The steering wheel has also been upgraded to a design similar to that found on the City’s bigger brethren, the Accord and CR-V.

“Touch Tomorrow” is the focus of this generation City, and the dashboard does certainly conform to this standard. Replacing the usual 2-DIN stereo system is an integrated touch-screen that controls the car’s audio and accessories via a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen. The screen also converts to the rear-view camera when reversing. The same capacitive touch interface is also employed by the climate control below the main touchscreen, which reduces the visual and tactile clutter that traditional rotary dials or levers will usually result in. The touch-heavy interface comes standard in the VX and VX+ trims, which gives the City a more premium feel than even cars bigger than B segment.

The VX and VX+ also offer push-to-start, paddle shifters and bigger, 16-inch alloy wheels, compared with the base E class. Honda also offers Modulo utility and Mugen sports packages and body kits, for those inclined towards the after-market look without having to settle for non-Honda parts.

Comfort and Amenities

Size-wise, the City has, indeed grown in terms of length and height. At 4,440 mm length and 1,497 mm in height, it is 25 mm longer and 7 mm higher, respectively. The wheelbase has also grown by 50 mm to 2,600 mm, which should improve ride quality in bumpy roads. Width remains the same at 1,695 mm. The City comes with class-leading trunk storage space at 510 liters — bigger than most cars in the B- and even some in the C-segment. At this size, the City is the biggest subcompact by far, relative to its class competitors like the Toyota Vios, Nissan Almera, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2, among others.

Ride is comfortable with adequate NVH reduction. Cabin is comfortable enough for four adults, and is spacious enough for five. You get two cupholders, four bottle holders and a bevy of outlets for gadgets, including three (three!) 12V power sockets, a USB outlet and even an HDMI outlet. Still, if you’re coming from a bigger car (like an SUV, midsize sedan or minivan), you will still feel it’s a subcompact sedan, though.

The touchscreen interface also comes with smartphone connectivity. You can interface your iPhone or Android device via Bluetooth. The car’s steering wheel has mobile phone controls for voice dial, “call” and “end”, as well as audio controls for the car stereo.

Performance and Driveability

When it was originally launched in ASEAN, the City was meant as a city car, and the sixth-generation City certainly feels at home in the stop-and-go traffic of the city. The car has spacious interiors, but is still compact and maneuverable enough to  go about in city traffic and fit tight parking spots. The 1.5-liter engine is driveable in stop-and-go traffic, and you won’t find yourself lagging behind at the green light.

On a weekend, my family and I took the City for a spin via the South Luzon Expressway-Sta-Rosa-Tagaytay route, and found the city to handle well in the highway. On winding mountain passes, the suspension handles well — Honda tunes its suspension with adequate stiffness, after all, at least compared with other popular local subcompacts from Toyota and Nissan.

The only trouble is that with its smooth CVT acceleration and comfortable seats (for a compact sedan) is you might find yourself fighting sleep while cruising. Not that there is no excitement that comes with this zippy car, of course. You can do some spirited driving via the steering column-mounted paddle shifters. Pull the left lever to downshift, and the right to upshift. You can manually select “gears” in drive, but you can also switch to the “S” sport mode in the tranny selector to go manu-matic full-time.

Fuel consumption is 9-10 Km per liter in the city, 19-20 Kpl highway and about 14 Kpl mixed. And yes, it comes with the usual “ECON” mode found on the Civic, Accord and CR-V. Activate it and you will feel a little drag in accelerating, but it might be worth the fuel savings whilst in stop-and-go traffic.

Verdict

The all-new 2014 City is more high-tech than the latest-generation Toyota Vios, which it competes squarely against. The City’s VX and VX+ variants come standard with a touch-screen interface, reverse camera, push-to-start, touch-sensitive door handles, CVT and paddle shifters — features that are commonly found in higher-spec and higher-priced cars. Those used to Honda’s sportier/firmer ride will not be disappointed, as the City can tackle curves and corners with ease. The 1.5 liter engine is adequate in city and highway driving, although CVT sometimes struggles in uphill drives — you might find yourself down-“shifting” using the paddle shifters during these instances.

At least in the Philippines, the City comes with a premium in terms of price and financing. Toyota, for example, has come up with ultra-low down payment schemes for its Vios (starting at PhP 19,000), likewise with attractive lease-to-own packages. To address the popularity of the ultra-compact sedan, even Honda has launched its A-segment Brio and Brio Amaze, which is smaller and cheaper than the City.

Even with this price and financing premium, the Honda City is great for a daily driver for commuting to work. Its size is adequate for city driving and will be a good first car for singles, young couples or starting families.

Prices and Specs (Philippine / ASEAN market)

• City 1.5 E PhP 756,000 (MT) / PhP 796,000 (5 speed AT)
• City 1.5 E Modulo Utility PhP 821,000 (5 speed AT)
• City 1.5 VX PhP 880,000 (CVT)
• City 1.5 VX Aero Sports PhP 935,000 (CVT)
• City 1.5 VX+ PhP 970,000 (CVT)

The post Auto Review: Touch Tomorrow with the 2014 Honda City VX appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Larian Studios
Publisher: Larian Studios
Release Date: June 30, 2014
Platform: PC
Genre: Action RPG, Turn-based strategy
MSRP: $39.99

Of Swords and Sourcery

Divinity: Original Sin is one of the most ingenious and original games in recent years. It was crafted by Larian Studios, a Belgian dev team made up of just 40 souls that worked tirelessly to create their own dream game.

The passion that went into Divinity: Original Sin remains a shining example of the craftiness that can be achieved when shredding the bonds of big-name publishers.

To make this ambitious game, Larian turned to the fans instead of relying on publisher investments. The game’s Kickstarter was wildly successful, raking in almost $1 million in crowdfunding support. Everyone wanted to play Larian’s dream game–in many ways it was our dream game, too–and after a few delays, the Belgian studio finally delivered the finished product to our awaiting hands.

The release of Divinity: Original Sin proved that Larian has held true to their original vision, and in many ways they’ve even one-upped it. The game remains a true testament to the team’s devotion and stands as one of the most inspiring RPG’s in modern gaming.

This is the fruits of their resolute dedication.

Zapping water with lightning blasts is just one of the examples of original mechanics found nestled in DoS.

The Stuff Dreams are Made Of

Divinity: Original Sin harkens back to the old-school days of RPG’s, where players’ mettle was truly tested every time they played. At it’s core, the game is smart and witty, but you’ll have to look below the surface to see its true charm.

There’s no hand-holding here; to figure out the quests, for example, you’ll need to do some sleuthing. Things aren’t straightforward–there’s no clear-cut indicators on where to go–so players are prompted to actually explore and interact with their surroundings.

Remember when games had that?

Investigating certain locales and–more importantly–talking to NPC’s can give you helpful clues to lead you in the right direction. Sometimes you’ll feel like an amateur gumshoe trying to put the pieces together, and honestly I haven’t had more fun figuring out the quests than my lengthy adventures in Vvardenfell.

The quests are sort of linear in nature but the real beauty is the different ways you can tackle them. Many objectives are optional–for example, one man wants you to assassinate an innocent orc named Viktorhya to make her pay for the dastardly deeds of her tribe.

Zixxzaxx may look like a small fellow, but his ambitions are actually quite large; infinite, even.

But this brings up a dichotomy that jeopardizes your valor as a hero; should you mete death out to the pure soul, or would your powers best lay elsewhere? To settle these differences, players can argue both sides in one of the most interesting character development mechanics I’ve seen in any game.

Now to understand how the characters interact, we have to first be introduced to them. Divinity: Original Sin tells the unlikely tale of two famed Source Hunters (yes, that’s Sourcery, not sorcery) who get tied up in a journey to save space, time and reality from certain doom.

The town of Cyseal is quite vast, and is filled with a whole manner of quirky denizens and hidden quests.

Gamers control not one, but two protagonists throughout their endeavors, forging a unique duo that’s the heart of

The Source Hunters are male and female, and are fully customizable from head-to-toe in terms of battle proficiency, skills and appearance–but more on that later. Their personalities are also mold-able through dialog interactions, many of which can have actual bonus effects on the characters.

Choosing to relent on the orcess, for example, will tack on Forgiving points that translate to in-game buffs. But when views clash, the hunters settle it the old-fashioned way: in a game of Rock Paper Scissors. The victor gets their way, with the loser still getting their bonuses tacked onto their building personas.

The dynamism of the dual-character approach is readily apparent, and serves as a reminder of truly innovative–if not often humorous–originality.

Elemental synergies can often turn the tide of any battle. It’s important to be able to uses these combos in tandem with the skills of your party members.

A Blend of Everything Wonderful: Combat, Skills and More

At its heart, Divinity Original Sin is a hybrid of epic proportions. The best way to quantify the game’s approach is a superlative blend of Final Fantasy Tactics‘ strategic excellence with Diablo‘s point-and-click action role-playing sentiments, with a helping of the turn-based J-RPG combat to boot.

The result is an incredibly dynamic battlefield that brims over with potential. Players are free to choose their own tactical approaches to any skirmish with literally thousands of different outcomes, making it take on a sandbox-style element where anything can happen.

The game also marries the liberties of MMO-style freedom with character creation and progression. Gamers can shape and form their two heroes down to the tee with a huge level of swappable skills, proficiencies, traits and talents.

Combat is an intuitive mixture of turn-based and tactical, utilizing a structure akin to FInal Fantasy Tactics, Diablo, and a standard JRPG.

Mixing and matching classes is a fundamental aspect of the game as some classes will naturally compliment one another–such as the classic Mage-and-Warrior team–but Larian has brought this age-old adage to the next level.

Every class has its own specialized skillsets and tiered spells, but like any great RPG, players can cherry pick their favorite abilities to make their own uber-hero. Pretty much all of the stats–from innate traits to persuasion skills and strength for melee attacks–are useful in their own way, providing for an almost stifling number of possibilities.

Combat is fluid and rather entertaining largely due to the chaos that ensues when certain elements are mixed. These elemental affinities are naturally logical and really outline the original soul of the game. For example, tossing a bolt of crackling lightning at an enemy who’s been doused with water renders the unfortunate soul into a living conduit of electricity.

Similar bonuses incur with oil and fire. Oil is an area of effect spell that slows enemies, but it’s also highly flammable. Igniting it with the Flare spell leads to well-cooked baddies. But you’ll need to be careful with your aim, as friendly fire is a big danger throughout combat.

Taking advantage of these synergies is an immensely enjoyable and helpful way to conquer foes. Players are encouraged to actively experiment and rely on both strategy, intuition and chance to find out new recipes for disaster.

The combat proper is held in turns, and everything from moving to activating skills spends a resource known as AP. This is akin to the “move” counter in a lot of tactical-type RPG’s, and players can augment their AP with items and spells.

The game will take players to the heart of fantasy, taking on a whole manner of beasts and baddies–each of which pose a deadly challenge.

The heart of any conflict lies in a party, and players will get plenty of opportunities to recruit members to their team. Having a well-balanced group of casters, healers and fighters is essential to victory–but you’ll also need to know how to operate them in their designated roles.

Formations are a key mechanic that ensure the beefy tanks stay up front, while the weaker “glass cannon” mages–or the archers that fastidiously pluck their bowstrings–stay in the back out of harm’s way. You can even assign party members to their own partners, making a “split” party, reaping certain benefits along the way.

Combat in itself is challenging, and often you will die and fail–but the key is to learn why you failed and build from those mistakes. Divinity: Original Sin doesn’t hold your hand, but it doesn’t fully restrict you, either. It’s up to players to find their own niche, but the game gives you the tools you need to do so.

The two main Source Hunters can be heavily customized in terms of stat-focus and skillsets to form the perfect dynamic duo.

Loot and Crafting

Since Divinity: Original Sin mirrors an ARPG structure, loot is an essential commodity–although it seems less pronounced than strategic cunning. Players will come across a wild assortment of treasures, miscellaneous items, potions and immensely helpful skill books throughout their journeys.

Crafting is entertaining and further embraces that experimental attitude. Many times you’ll feel like a mad scientist, trying to mix raw materials like mushrooms and water-filled flasks to make mysterious concoctions. It’s possible to mix some pretty advantageous brews that boost stats like Strength and Intelligence, as well as resistance potions that shield against elemental attacks.

Every party member has an inventory, stats, and can be equipped with your average gear slots found in most ARPG’s.

Recipes are incredibly varied, but crafting leads to some pretty hefty practical advantages.

Drag and drop a branch on a knife, for example, and you’ll get some arrow shafts. You can even take empty buckets and cups to wells and streams and fill them up, and drink them while in battle to refill AP. Combining nine-inch nails with a hammer yields lockpicks, and dropping an iron sword into a furnace will smelt some iron bars.

These recipes often seem quite random, but you’d be surprised how much they make sense at times. The game actively encourages players to continually interact and discover new things, whether it’s making a quill pen or a powerful two-handed axe to smite down foes.

Conclusion

Divinity: Original Sin is a true love letter to enthusiasts of the RPG genre, and bridges so many different beloved mechanics while preserving a life of its own. While it does adapt a smattering of sentiments both classic and new, it retains its originality and stylish flair throughout.

The game is tailored to experienced players who don’t mind having to investigate and experiment with their characters. The heart of the game is freedom, but the mind of it is ingenuity and intuition–and players have the liberty to discover their own playstyles and explore the vast webwork of skill combinations.

Larian has preserved the hallmark staples of any great fantasy-based RPG while also seamlessly reinvigorating the entire genre, creating a brand new vision that won’t soon be forgotten.

The post Divinity Original Sin Review appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Activision Publishing
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Platform: PS4 (Reviewed), Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360
Genre: Action RPG, Dungeon Crawler
MSRP: $59.99

Do Fear the Reaper

Diablo III Ultimate Evil Edition is one of the best games available on the PlayStation 4. It’s jam-packed with some of the most exceptional console-based dungeon crawling you can find, and is bursting with infinitely replayable monster-slaying action. It pulls players into a world of never-ending ARPG chaos, and is a shining example that Blizzard are the masters of their craft.

The Ultimate Evil Edition comes with the original Diablo III game as well as its Reaper of Souls expansion–along with every game update that’s been released on PC so far (excluding patch 2.1).

These updates bring new weapons, the Crusader class (who’s a powerhouse of awesomeness), an Artisan that can re-roll mods on items, and a brand new act that continues the story across the previously unvisited region of Westmarch.

The franchise’s distinct action-RPG spirit has been furthered with this release, showing a dynamic evolution of the series while preserving its namesake mechanics, features and elements.  Blizzard has found a way to ingeniously craft a worthy successor to the hallmark dark fantasy series with patches and updates that bring a smorgasboard of new features to the series.

There’s a lot to explore in Blizzard’s newest entrant, so let’s start with the game mechanics.

Elite bosses in Diablo 3 can get quite tough, especially in the Torment difficulties where their mod combinations are enhanced.

Stay a While, and Listen: Adventure Mode, Paragon, Nephalem Rifts and more

The Ultimate Evil Edition keeps that same control scheme found in the previous console release. The in-game controls are fluid the point where it feels like Diablo was always meant to be a console game. Inventory and skill interfaces are comprised of radial menus that are a bit awkward to get used to, and can be navigated via the DS4’s touchpad.

From the start, the game takes on an epic scope that fully taps the co-operative demon-slaying grind of the Diablo series. The seamless matchmaking system ensures players can team up with three other players on a whim and tackle everything from story quests to the new Adventure Mode.

The Crusader is a flexible new character class added to the game who can easily perform multiple roles in battle. Their abilities are quite impressive and combined with the right gear they can be literal powerhouses on the field.

The newly added Crusader class is one of the most versatile heroes I’ve seen in quite some time. The best way to describe them is a cross between a Barbarian and a Paladin from Diablo 2.

Their skills are quite flexible; with Smite they can shoot long-ranged blasts of holy energy. With Blessed Hammer, they can be indomitable casters; and with Shield Bash and melee-based skills like Punish, they can dish out huge damage while becoming human shields.

Crusaders even have activated auras called Laws that deliver bonuses to nearby players. Every skill also has its own rune sets to customize and experiment for the optimum build that suits your tastes.

The Crusader’s passive traits are nothing short of amazing; Heavenly Strength allows them to equip a two-hander and a shield at the same time, and they have another called Indestructible that protects them from death. Crusaders are incredibly fun and serve as a breath of fresh air in all fronts.

One of the most amazing things about the Ultimate Evil Edition is that it literally never ends. It has staggering meta-game content. The limitless playability is largely due to new features like Adventure Mode, Paragon points, Nephalem Rifts,  and six new dementedly challenging Torment difficulties.

With Adventure Mode heroes can take on a series of randomized bounties that range from killing certain bosses to completing mini-events strewn throughout Sanctuary. The mode itself is completely separated from Story Mode and can be completed on all Acts, with every Act dropping its own cache of rewards.

Adventure Mode seems to be more for end-game users trying to rack up their Paragon points, and offers a significant change of pace outside of the usual run-of-the-mill story questing. The best part about the gametype is that it perfectly captures the soul of ARPG’s by providing perpetual monster-hunting, and it’s something that Diablo always kind of had, except the quests weren’t randomized.

The Torment modes are largely responsible for the never-ending content in the game, powering Adventure Mode,Nephalem Rifts and the more advanced key hunting activities.

The difficulty modes now affect gameplay even more. The Torment difficulties–which range from Torment I to the unbelivably sadistic Torment VI–are actually required to be able to find Legendaries on Level 70 characters.

Torment not only adds more EXP bonuses and makes monsters all the more beefy, it also boosts the chance to find better items you wouldn’t be able to find in, say, Normal or Hard. These difficulties can be chosen for all modes including Story and Adventure.

The advent of Torment and the accompanied modes brings a new important to co-operative play. Gamers now have to work together to tackle screenfuls of monsters in order to stay alive and continue their grind. You can even find gifts for your friends, which pretty much always translated to a leveled Legendary item.

When a legendary item drops sometimes you’ll find a random gift for your friends.

Gifts drop randomly, but often drop when you find a unique of your own, and ensures players share their identifying splendor with their friends. The gear itself is immensely varied, with a myriad of sets, legendaries and rares that fill up your chest in no time at all.

Gamers can also break the max level cap with Paragon points. Essentially Paragon is a separate leveling system beyond Level 70 that provides passive bonuses for characters rather than new skills.

There are four main attribute trees with bonuses that range from added Vitality, lowered resource cost rates, all resistances, and even movement speed. Paragon is infinite as well–I’ve personally seen some PC players hit 300 Paragon, so it doesn’t doesn’t stop until you do and has no ceiling.

Nephalem Rifts are jam-packed with powerful bosses, making it a great place to magic find and level up Paragon points.

Ontop of Adventure Mode we have Nephalem Rifts, which are portals to completely randomized areas with a single goal: annihilate every monster. These rifts contain a host of extremely powerful elites, some of which have devastating mods like Arcane Enchanted, Shielding, Extra Health and Vortex.

The Nephalem Rifts have a massive frequency of these bosses, which of course translates the chance to find amazing loot. Tackling a rift on Torment III can lead to some pretty hefty Legendary drops. Every rift is also punctuated with a final Rift Guardian who will often drop some interesting items.

All of these new modes guarantee that players will never have a dull moment in Sanctuary. There’s always something to do, always items to find and demons to slay–and you can always find a friend or ally to join up with. The Torment difficulties are perfectly designed to keep players moving forward, complimenting player progress with persistently challenging gameplay.

No matter how strong you get, no matter what amazing items you find or skill combos you use, you’ll always be humbled by hordes of seething monstrosities. It doesn’t matter if you do 400k damage, have 1500 all resistances or have 20k Armor, your character will be tested–and will often die.

This is the magic of this newly refined Diablo. Blizzard has tapped into an incredible equation that balances challenge and reward with seamless precision, and its mastery is evident the farther you venture into the heart of evil.

The Artisan allows players to re-roll a single mod on any item to form that perfect sword or gearset. There’s no limit to how times an item can be enchanted,

All That Glimmers is Gold: Rolling Perfect Items and the Gear Grind

In the Ultimate Evil Edition Players are empowered in a whole new way, but the game is very careful how it balances this power. Gear is largely responsible for any hero’s success in any ARPG, and once again Blizzard has one-upped itself by unleashing a new treasure-trove of shiny randomized goodies to the denizens of Sanctuary.

Even with the immensely powerful Legendaries with their unbelievable mods–one two-handed polearm can even summon cows to your aid (yes, cows!)–it’s hard to find that perfect piece of gear. Sometimes that shield will have strength and vitality, but that crucial all resis or block-rate is all-but missing.

With the Artisan gamers can use enchanting to re-roll stats on all items. Now it’s possible to make that already amazing piece of gear into something 1337, godly, and all-around mind-mindbogglingly good.

But there’s a catch: you can only re-roll a single stat on any given item, and there’s a chance you’ll get something you don’t want. Every stat is aligned in a series of pre-defined groups that differ from item-to-item. Some items, for example, can translate Life Per Kill into Strength or even Dexterity–raw stat boosts like these are crucial for any character–but others are limited.

The items are quite varied but players will find gear that suits their character; as a Crusader, you’ll find shields and other gear that’s tailored to Strength and Vitality.

Enchanting requires resources and gold, so you won’t be able to switch around the mods as often as you’d like. Rolling high-tier Level 70 Legendaries, for example, costs a pretty penny by requiring Forgotten Souls, which aren’t dropped to frequently. Resources like Forgotten Souls can be acquired by salvaging Legendary (and rare/magical) items at the Blacksmith.

Enchanting and crafting via the blacksmith adds in a new level of depth to the usual Diablo grind. Since there’s always a new difficulty mode to traverse and tough baddies to slay in Adventure Mode and Nephalem Rifts, gamers will always be searching for better equipment to fuel their quests.

Teaming up with other players is an essential part of any Diablo game, and is moreso important for this version as monsters can become quite bloodthirsty.

Now players are not only searching for top-tier gear, but to find resources to re-roll items and gems to slot into their helms, plates or titanic battle-axes. Gems have gotten a nice boost as well, with a host of new grades as well as the inclusion of the diamond. Diamonds give all resistances in shields and armor, which is undeniably crucial for modes like Torment.

The huge addition of content has significantly evolved Diablo‘s end-game structure. Endgame is now less about killing monsters but choosing the right kinds of items with certain stats.

This becomes the major turning point for all characters and stands as the major trial to progression. You’ll find items that are good, but they lack certain stats and must be scrapped for resources. Juggling gear is a tedious but interesting aspect of the game, as you’ll often experiment with new skills and abilities to keep things fresh.

Nephalem Rifts and Adventure Mode add in a massive amount of replay value for the game, as every single session can last for hours and only end when you call it quits.

Battle Royale: Key Running, Hellfire Rings, and the Infernal Machine

If you needed even more extra content, Blizzard has brought back the Ubers for some of the most challenging end-game content in any Diablo game. Players can open up special portals to battle royales that actually pit gamers against up to three bosses at once in an extremely tough, heart-pumping fight.

For the Realm of Fright, for example, a friend and I fought Magdha, Diablo and the Siegebreaker all at once–and Diablo even split himself into three different versions. It was intense and incredibly fun, serving as one of the more entertaining bits of semi-hidden content I’ve see in the entire game.

The Uber fights are intense and pit players up to three different bosses at the same time.

To get to these portals, you’ll need to find the plans to make an Infernal Machine, and the keys associated with each. There are four machines for four different boss battles. The keys and plans are dropped by Keywardens, which spawn randomly in specific areas.

At the end of the Uber bossfights, the player who opened the portal gets an organ–in this case the Heart of Evil–and all four organs are used to craft a Hellfire Rings and Amulets, one of the most prestigious and powerful items in the game.

This extra bit of content is extremely fun and enjoyable, and serves as a way to test your mettle. Be forewarned, though, it’s quite hard, so I’d recommend trying it out in the lesser Torment difficulties.

The game isn’t without it’s humorous charm, though: baddies like Cuddlebears and Twinkleroots can be randomly generated in the Rifts.

Conclusion: The Best Diablo Yet

The Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition is undoubtedly the definitive console port of the franchise. Blizzard has redeemed the series with an unprecedented level of action RPG mastery, proving that they’re on their game by reaffirming their commitment to the brand.

Despite some grievances like clumsy boss battle prompts and the tedium of constantly having to compare found items to equipped gear, the game outshines every other console dungeon crawler on the market.

Blizzard has created a game where there’s always something to do, always something to slay or make or find–they’ve built a never-ending adventure that only gets better with time and never gets stale. The in-game music is stupendous, and the graphics and environments really instill the unending war between good and evil in a superlative way.

The new content is so rich and expansive that it really feels like a brand new game, and Blizzard has confirmed that the console versions will be getting regular updates to match its PC counterpart. With that level of determination, Diablo III will continue to evolve and take on new shapes in the months to come, proving that it’s the ultimate choice in the ARPG realm.

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