Red Dead Redemption sequel in the making?

Take-Two president Strauss Zelnick has referred to the Red Dead series as a permanent franchise, suggesting  a sequel to the 2010 masterpiece Red Dead Redemption.

If you are unfamiliar with Red Dead Redemption check out my feature Games of The Generation: Red Dead Redemption.

Xbox One, PS4 launch dates leaked?

Retailer Toys R Us may have outed the launch dates of the next generation consoles.

The Xbox One will apparently launch before Sony's console at a date of November 29th, whilst the PS4 will launch a few weeks later at December 13th. Although both dates seem realistic they are yet to be confirmed by Sony or Microsoft.

Batman Arkham Origins multiplayer unveiled

Warner Bros. detailed and released a trailer showing off the first online component to grace the Batman Arkham series. The multiplayer is being developed by the team behind squad shooter Brink.

 The press release states

The Batman: Arkham Origins Online mode offers players the chance to hunt as Batman or Robin against the most challenging opponents yet, friends and other gamers online. Players can also take on the role of a Super-Villain Elite and get a peek behind the curtain of what it's like to side with The Joker or Bane as they establish their legacy by taking down Batman and Robin, and anyone else who gets in their way. Fans will even be able call in the ultimate reinforcement to help turn the tide in any match by playing as The Joker or Bane themselves.

Rockstar files new 'Bully' trademark

Take-Two have filed a new trademark for Rockstar's Bully its open world action adventure set in a boarding school. The trademark was filed on July 25th.

This follows quotes from Rockstar Vice President Dan Houser that after the release of Max Payne 3 the next thing they would work on would be a sequel to Bully. Max Payne 3 was released in May 2012

Top 7 Most Unexpected T.V Deaths

SPOILER ALERT

7.  Omar Little (The Wire)

In five years of The Wire Omar was the only who seemed unkillable, he was the god of war on the mean streets of Baltimore. But when Omar did finally meet his maker his nature of death was much more surprising. Killed by teenage Kenard the man who was previously invincible was killed by a child.

6. Lori Grimes ( The Walking Dead)

Although she may have not been the most liked character on AMC's zombie apocalypse drama however little can argue that they didn't feel bad for Lori at her time of death. She selflessly sacrificed herself for her baby and felt bad for her son Carl when he was forced to stop her from turning. She was also one of the casts main members and had been in the show from the start, which made her sudden death all the more shocking.

5. Kenny ( South Park )

I know this addition seems a little unexpected as it is running joke on the hilarious animated comedy South Park that the character Kenny gets killed off in some way but always comes back the next episode. However in the episode 'Kenny Dies' creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker surprised fans by killing off Kenny permanently. Kenny remained dead for much of season six and it looked like it was going to stay that way. But in Season Six finale 'Red Sleigh Down' Kenny returned and has been a starring character ever since.

4. Merle Dixon ( The Walking Dead )

What made the death so shocking is that Daryl had only just be re-introduced to his brother therefore it felt that it would be a while before either one of them was killed so the viewers would see more of what their relationship was like. However in the episode 'This Sorrowful Life' Merle was brutally shot by The Governor and Daryl was forced to kill his brother to end his misery.

3. Eddard Stark ( Game of Thrones )

This death may not be as shocking to those who had read George R.R Martins books however to those who hadn't Ned's death was quite a shocker. He was the guy who had been in all of the advertising and was the shows central character, but this did not stop Ned from his demise.

2. Mike Ermantraught ( Breaking Bad )

Although I should have seen this coming Mike's death in Breaking Bad still shocked me completely. But his death proves that Walter White is an unpredictable maniac, he killed Mike because he didn't say thank you. And who can blame him, Walt killed his boss and ruined his life and still wants a thank you. Also the fact that he went silently makes it all the more sadder

1. Robb Stark/Talisa Stark/Catelyn Stark ( Game of Thrones )

No explanation needed.

Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask in X-Men Days of Future Past

The first image has emerged of Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage as the villain of upcoming film X-Men Days of Future Past Bolivar Trask

Trask is a military scientist who developed the senitels, robots which aim to destroy mutants.

X-Men Days of Future Past releases on the 18th of July 2014

Bioshock Infinite DLC revealed

Ken Levine has announced two pieces of DLC today for critically acclaimed Bioshock Infinite.

Irrational revealed 'Burial at Sea' which sees Booker and Elizabeth return in a two-part campaign set in Bioshock 1 and 2 setting the underwater city of Rapture that will be available for £9.99 at an unknown date. As well as this 'The Clash in the Clouds' DLC offers challenge maps and is available now at £3.69

Top 8 Movies they should be making

8.  Spring Heeled Jack

Spring Heeled Jack would make the perfect horror movie. If you are unfamiliar with the character let me give you a brief description of the urban legend. Spring Heeled Jack is a creation of English folklore in the Victorian era he was noted for his startling jumps, which would make great jumpscares. Jack was described to have devilish features and look terrifying and frightful. He is also described to have large claws and fire ball like eyes. During his period of creation there were many books based on Jack and was very much in public interest. This may be reciprocated today if brought to the silver screen.




7. Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid is the highly popular and critically acclaimed stealth series from Hideo Kojima. I know that previous film videogame adaptations have not gone very well but that may be because gameplay is the main part of a videogame and this is not translated on to the silver screen. However with Metal Gear Solid the game is highly cinematic and has very long cutscenes and with the story being the main focus I believe this would do well on the big screen.

6. The Incredibles 2

Disney Pixars The Incredibles is one of the best movies made by the talented people at Pixar.  The film was funny, action packed and perfectly set up a sequel. It is also quite surprising that with Pixar insisting on doing a sequel to everyone of their films (Cars 2, Monsters University, Finding Dorey) they haven't made an Incredibles sequel. It would make big cash for Disney and may be as good if not better than the first one which would mean Pixar can get back on track after releases such as Brave and Cars 2.


5. Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs Crossover

You may not be aware that these two Quentin Tarantino directed classics are linked however there is one subtle link that could evolve into a full fledged film. You may have noticed that Mr Blonde played by Michael Madsen is called Vic Vega and John Travolta's character in Pulp Fiction is called Vincent Vega. Tarantino later confirmed that these two are in fact brothers. This is basically screaming for a film which would act as a prequel to these films exploring the adventures of these two brothers before they went there separate ways. However both the actors are too old now to make a believable prequel therefore some new actors must be found to play the roles, which may be problematic.

4. The Incredible Hulk standalone film

Some argue that in the recent Avengers film Mark Rufallo's Hulk was the best thing about it. Rufallo portrayed Hulk in a highly believable way adding subtle things like twitches that made the character seem alive. Although previous Hulk films have been underwhelming I believe that with the help of Rufallo I believe they can get it right this time. All you have to do is repeat scenes like this:

3. X-Men Origins: Deadpool

I'm not a fan of the X-Men films whatsoever and do not have that much of a knowledge of the comics either, however it there's anyone who deserves a movie in that universe it's this guy. I've been hearing countless reports on this film over the years and nothing has developed and I believe its time that they start making this film. With current public interest in the character at this moment in time I believe this is the perfect moment for the film to release. I think that the film should just erase the version seen in the underwhelming X-Men Origins: Wolverine and start afresh I'm sure people wouldn't mind.





2. Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

 Seeming it is the end of both the Twilight and Harry Potter film series Warner Bros. need another successful book series to make big bucks at the box office, just as the Hunger Games is doing. This I believe should be their next project. The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness is the highly popular book series by Michelle Paver. It tells the story of Torak a boy who can communicate with a wolf cub who has to stop the evil mages the Soul Eaters from destroying the whole of prehistoric Europe. This series has all the elements to make a box office hit.




1. Spider-Man/ X-Men/ Fantastic Four/ Avengers crossover

Despite The Avengers being a very good film you could not help but think how much better it would be with all the character of the Marvel universe such as the X-Men, The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. With the guaranteed money flowing in for Disney due to the overwhelming success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Monsters University and Star Wars Episode 7 surely bringing lots of cash they could use some of the billions to buy back these characters.

'Shelock' casts new nemesis

BBC 1's amazing drama Sherlock has cast a new nemesis for the detective. Lars Mikkelsen as new villain in the third series. He will play Charles Augustus Magnussen a dangerous new foe for Holmes and Watson. Although not confirmed he is probably based on Charles Augustus Milverton, who appeared in the short story 'The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The story sees Holmes and Watson confronting Milverton who is a murderous blackmailer. Sherlock returns late 2013.

'Homeland' Season 3 teaser

The first teaser trailer for award winning show Homeland's third season has been released.

A 30 second clip, titled 'Signals' offers some insight into the third season before it returns September 29th in the U.S

'Kingdom Hearts 3' to conclude story

Upcoming sequel Kingdom Hearts 3 has been confirmed by creator Tetsuya Nomura to conclude the trilogy 

However he did say the popular Disney/Final Fantasy crossover franchise will live on after the highly anticipated sequel. Nomura stated "In Kingdom Hearts 3, the battles the characters have been fighting for the past ten years will come to a conclusion. That is the plan."

"But the series will continue. Only the particular enemy they have been fighting will come to an end."

Kingdom Hearts 3 was officially unveiled to be under development for the next generation of consoles at E3 2013.

The 10 Upcoming Videogames you should be looking forward to

This year so far has been exceptional for the videogame industry with masterpieces such as Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us releasing. However there are a number of exceptional releases in the coming year, especially with the release of the next generation of consoles. Therefore I will be counting down the Top 10 games that you should be looking forward to.

10. Titanfall (Xbox One, PC) Release Date: 2014

Titanfall is the upcoming First Person Shooter developed by Respawn Entertainment (the guys behind Modern Warfare). In the demo shown at E3 the visuals looked amazing and had stellar gameplay too, showing the two different ways to play: the agile foot soldier or the hulking mech. The game is an always online experience and is not coming to Sony's next generation console, much to the dismay of Playstation fans.

9. Battlefield 4 (X360,XONE,PS3,PS4,PC) Release Date: November 1st 2013

Battlefield 4 is the next instalment in the highly popular FPS series. The game promises to fix the problems of its predecessors with high destruction levels, a return of the popular Commander mode and an improved single player. The single player will include more open levels to please fans of the series and looks much more emotional than Battlefield 3's. The games visuals look amazing as always and will look even better with the next gen consoles and PC's.

8. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4,PS3,XONE,X360) Release Date: TBA

Metal Gear Solid V is the next game in the highly popular and critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid series from Hideo Kojima. The game follows Big Boss as its lead character voiced by '24' star Kiefer Sutherland. The game is set to revolutionize the series with open world levels and incredible graphics. The game is also set to set a bar for the stealth genre with new features and mechanics that will improve on previous MGS games.

7. The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One) Release Date: Spring 2014
Although previous Elder Scrolls instalment Skyrim was a fantastic game there was something severely missing... multiplayer. But now with The Elder Scrolls Online you now have the chance to play an Elder Scrolls game with friends. With the next generation of consoles Bethesda will be able to create a vast world with most of the continent of Tamriel being playable. The game is set 1000 years before Skyrim with the evil Daedric Prince Molag Bal trying to control Tamriel

6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PC,PS4,Xbox One) Release Date: 2014

The Witcher 3 is the highly anticipated conclusion to the critically acclaimed The Witcher trilogy. The game is open world and 35-40 times bigger than that of Witcher 2. The game also features living towns with choices you make in them having consequences on what the town will be like in the future. The game also allows you to ride horseback and captain boats to navigate The Witcher 3's highly expansive world.

5. Batman Arkham Origins (PC,PS3,Wii U,Xbox 360) Release Date: October 25th 2013

Batman Arkham Origins is the prequel game to widely acclaimed Batman Arkham Asylum and City. The game is set at Christmas Eve with Black Mask setting a $50 million bounty on the Dark Knight, which means he has to deal with assassins such as Deathstroke, Copperhead and Bane. The game is bigger than Arkham City with it being split in two parts Old Gotham (future Arkham City) and New Gotham which is the modern metropolis with skyscrapers. The Arkham gameplay has not changed significantly however Batman does have some new gadgets on offer

4. Tom Clancy's The Division (XONE,PS4) Release Date: Winter 2014

The Division is the newest IP from Ubisoft. The game is an MMO which puts players in the shoes of a soldier of an American Special Forces program The Division. The Division are trying to restore America after a disease struck on Black Friday and left the country in pieces. The game specifically takes place in New York and is fully open world with jobs to do. The game plays like a third person cover shooter, and will come into firefights with both AI enemies and other players.

3. Destiny (PS4,PS3,X360,XONE) Release Date: 2014

Destiny is the upcoming MMO first person shooter from Bungie the team behind the successful Halo franchise. Destiny is set far in the future in a post apocalyptic world. You will play as a Guardians the protectors of the Earth as you hunt down potential dangers on Earth and other planets to protect the last of humanity. Destiny is an always online experience and there will be occasional public events where you fight enemies with a large group of people from all over the world.

2. Watch_Dogs (PC,PS3,PS4,XONE,X360,Wii U) Release Date: November 22nd 2013

Watch Dogs is the upcoming open world shooter from Ubisoft. Although this game may sound similar to a certain Rockstar game, Watch Dogs completely changes things up placing you in the shoes of Aiden Pearce a man who can literally hack anything. Little is known about the story so far, however it does seem that Aiden may be some sort of assassin. The game will take place in the city of Chicago which is wonderfully brought to life through amazing visuals.

1. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3,X360) Release Date: September 17th 2013

There was no other. Grand Theft Auto V looks to fix everything wrong with GTA IV. As shown in the latest gameplay trailer shooting looks fluid and much better than GTA IV's clunky mechanics. This time the game will follow three protagonists Franklin, Michael and Trevor. Each look like very good characters with Michael being my personal favourite. The game is also massive with a map that can fit Red Dead Redmption, GTA San Andreas and GTA IV in with a fully detailed underwater world.

Sony Reveals New Features of the Playstation 4

In a recent Playstation 4 Q&A Sony confirmed some new features about the much anticipated next generation console.

The friend limit of Sony's new console will be limited at 2,000, and will also support party chat. They also confirmed the PS4 will support 3D content and promised additional details would be announced soon.

The PS4 will also have a fully customisable dynamic menu, as well as benefits from the Playstation eye camera.

They also confirmed that existing PSN users IDs and Avatars will be carried over and the console will launch in jet black

Sony is expected to announce more details on the PS4 during Gamescom in Colonge next month.

'24' Return Date Confirmed

'24' showrunner Howard Gordon has revealed some new details about the return of Jack Bauer.

 It was announced that the 12 episode run 'Live Another Day' will air in April 2014. Kiefer Sutherland is the only confirmed cast member at this moment in time, however Gordon expressed hope that Mary Lynn Rajskub would return as fan favourite Chloe O'Brien

My Favourite Characters: Tyrion Lannister

Every week I will be posting a feature detailing some of my favourite fictional characters from films, T.V and videogames this week I will be talking about the popular Game of Thrones character Tyrion Lannister who is portrayed by Peter Dinklage.

I doubt very much that the popular T.V series Game of Thrones would have got the ratings it did without the help of this character. After the death of a certain character Tyrion takes centre stage in the show and becomes the lead in a show that is told from many different perspectives.

Tyrion has a very tragic background, the son of the richest man in Westeros Tywin Lannister and Joanna Lannister and brother to Cersei Lannister (the future Queen) and Jamie Lannister. His mother Joanna died giving birth to him, something that his father and sister have never quite forgiven him for. He was born as a dwarf which cause him many problems during later life.He is caused many names such as 'imp' or 'halfman'. However although his physical stature may cause him problems he is extremely well educated and very cunning. Therefore this makes up for his dwarfism. Although he is not completely useless on the battlefield as evident in the season 1 episode 'The Wolf and the Lion' where he kills a man with a shield and in The Battle of Blackwater he shows off his battle skills and master tactics to almost completely wipe out Stannis' fleet of ships.

The character is highly eccentric which makes him so easy to watch he is also brilliantly portrayed by Peter Dinklage, who although was stepping into a brilliantly wrote role makes it his own with highly accurate portrayal bringing Tyrion to life brilliantly

'Beverly Hills Cop 4' movie going ahead

Paramount Pictures has announced that they are going ahead with a sequel to their hit comedy franchise 'Beverly Hills Cop'.

The studio has secured  a return for Eddie Murphy's role as Axel Foley after a T.V remake of the franchise fell through.

It has been reported that Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemac will write the script, previously working on films such as Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol and the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remake.

It is unknown when this film will release.

Games of the Generation: Red Dead Redemption

As we get closer to the release of the next generation consoles the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One I will be looking back on the games that stood out for me during the current generation of gaming consoles

Red Dead Redemption I believe is a game that is almost flawless. From the gripping tale of a former outlaw trying to gain redemption by taking out his past gang members, to the memorable characters, fun gunplay that made you feel like an actual cowboy, or the sheer scope of the game world there, was nothing about this game that was bad.

The story of Red Dead Redemption revolves around the tale of John Marston an old outlaw who ran with a notorious gang consisting of Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella and Dutch van der Linde. After his family is taken away from him by The Bureau of Investigation, Marston if forced to hunt down his old gang members and bring them to justice.

The world of RDR is highly expansive and one of the biggest worlds Rockstar (the masters of open world) have ever created. There is also a wealth of fun minigames such as Five Finger Fillet, poker and arm wrestling to take part in, and unlike Niko's bowling adventures in Grand Theft Auto, these feel fresh and not repetitive.

The gunplay is also spectacular evolving greatly from Grand theft auto, a very good cover system meant that the gun battles felt fluid and the Deadeye (bullet time) introduced in the game meant extra precision and satisfaction with every bullet shot

However the story is what really puts the game into legendary status with it's interesting and memorable roster of characters you meet along the way making it so great. Characters like Irish, Landon Rickett and Uncle is what makes the game special. However it does help that the lead character is extremely likeable and through the games events you feel emotions for John Marston and want him to live happily after the credits roll, and that's when it delivers its gut-wrenching finale.
Buy Red Dead Redemption GOTY PS3 (U.K)
Buy Red Dead Redemption GOTY Xbox 360 (U.K)

Pacific Rim review

Director: Guillermo Del Toro (Pans Labyrinth, Hellboy); Screenwriters: Travis Beacham, Guillermo Del Toro; Starring: Charlie Hunman, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, Robert Kazinsky, Ron Perlman; Running Time: 131 minutes (2 hours and 11 minutes); Age Rating: 12A

Pacific Rim is a highly uncomplicated film. Giant aliens (known as the Kaiju) emerge from the sea and attack Earth. To protect the people of Earth the military created massive robots called Jaegers who's size is enough to match even the colossal Kaijus. These Jaegers are controlled by two pilots communicating with each other through a neural bridge. These Jaegers are humanity's last chance at survival. In other words its giant robots fighting against giant aliens. However do not be mistaken, this summer blockbuster blows the likes of Transformers, Battleship and After Earth out of the water with incredibly well executed action sequences that are exciting and intense.

Although the plot of the film is not nearly as laughable as those I have previously mentioned it does become slightly tedious and cheesy at points, however the main cast is mostly likeable and there are some interesting characters, most notably Ron Perlman's Hannibal Chau who is criminally underused in the film. However the dialogue is boring and dull and after the excellent first scene lets the film down as we wait for the next action set-piece, and although these set pieces are good they do not get better as the film goes along and even when the biggest Kaiju appears you are left underwhelmed.

Although the characters may be slightly underwhelming the casting is superb, Elba brings emotional depth to his role and Hunman is the classic summer blockbuster lead. Day and Gurnman's scientists characters are also well cast and provide a decent amount of comic relief for the film.

Clearly Pacific Rim has some issues, however the likeable cast and incredible action sequences save the film from it's boring dialogue and predictable plot, the film is also jaw dropping in 3D and really utilises the format unlike recent releases such as Iron Man 3. Therefore I believe the film has done enough to merit your attention and will certainly provide a good source of entertainment

I give Pacific Rim a 7.5/10