Latest news with #Annihilation
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Hell Is Us hands-on preview: ‘AAA games are so bloody bland'
GameCentral goes hands-on with an original sci-fi action adventure where the emphasis is on unguided exploration, with some throwback Zelda inspirations. You might already have heard the name Hell Is Us, as the game was first announced way back in April 2022. We previewed the sci-fi tinged adventure title, developed by Rogue Factor, for the first time last year but now it's now on the home-straight, with a launch slated for September 4, and it's shaping up to be a peculiar but intriguing mix of influences and ideas. Our original preview covered the opening portion of the game, so we'll avoid recycling the same beats here. But for the general gist, you play as a United Nations peacekeeper named Rémi who absconds to the war-torn country of Hadea to track down his parents. A stroll through the tutorial woods later, however, and you realise this isn't your average civil war. If you're a fan of Alex Garland's Annihilation, the strange, faceless alien from the film's conclusion seems to have been a major influence here. The Hollow Walkers, as they're called, are very creepy, as they lurch towards you unpredictably, with morphing limbs which give way to vivid, crystallised attacks or, in some cases, attached entities you have to kill first. Their glossy white exteriors act as a stark contrast to the muted eastern European landscapes and dungeons you explore. As a game, Hell Is Us is somewhere between Bloodborne and The Elder Scrolls. Combat wise, it's pulling from the former, as you manage a stamina bar, study enemy patterns for the best moment to strike, and rely on aggressive play to replenish a magic gauge for special skills. You also have access to a drone which has various uses tied to cooldown meters, between distracting enemies for crowd control andmaking a charging lunge to dash across the field. Rogue Factor has stressed Hell Is Us isn't a Soulslike though. You're not scrambling for bonfires or any equivalent, but exploring and chatting with characters to piece together where you need to go next, discovering new places of interest, and encountering side objectives which bleed into the overall experience of navigating each semi-open world area. The ethos behind Hell Is Us is discovery and the organic feeling of finding your feet through clues in the world, rather than using obvious quest markers. This might bring to mind acclaimed games like Elden Ring and The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, in their attempt to declutter open world exploration, but the game's director, Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, believes the roots of what Hell Is Us is aiming for goes much further back. 'Honestly, something like Zelda: A Link To The Past is much closer to what we're doing now than a Breath Of The Wild,' said Jacques-Belletête. 'Sometimes people are like: 'I really can't put my finger on what kind of game it is, what is it?' It's just a bloody adventure game man. Look, you've got a combat system, you've got enemies, you've got a world to explore, there's a mystery, you're not exactly sure of this and that, there's some secrets, there's some dungeons, we did a game like that. It's called an adventure game,' he laughs. 'There were even side-quests in A Link To The Past that didn't tell you they were side-quests.' Hell Is Us might have roots in classic adventure games but Jacques-Belletête, is keen to highlight the fatigue around Ubisoft style open world bloat, where checklists and quest markers are traditionally used in abundance. With the success of Elden Ring, there's a sense many players are craving a return to the hands-off approach, where you discover and navigate without guidance – something which Hell Is Us is hoping to capitalise on after being in development for five years. 'It's so much of the same thing,' he says, when talking about Ubisoft style open worlds. 'It loses all meaning. Things within these open worlds lose a lot of their taste because too much is like not enough. Do you know what I mean? You have to fill up these spaces with stuff and they just become a bit bland. Like once you've seen one, you've seen all of them. 'It's not Assassin's Creed, it's not that, it's all these things. We've all played them. I've got hundreds of hours in Elder Scrolls, all the Elder Scrolls, and that's not the point. It's not that I don't like them. It's just trends do their time and then you have other ideas. It's a pendulum as well. Games used to be a lot more hardcore that way, we're trying to go back to that.' The crux of my time in Hell Is Us is spent in the Acasa Marshes, the second semi-open area where the game lets you off the leash. The swampy lands are crawling with Hollow Walkers in various forms, from hulking monstrosities to mage-like foes that hurl projectiles from clifftops. A swirling black vortex is a key focal point but it's surrounded by enemies, while a settlement of villagers sits on a hill in the distance. According to the developer, this area is one of the largest areas in the game, 'if not the biggest one', and it seems pretty expansive. We found ourselves heading towards the village, whose militaristic leader points you towards your main objective with only a vague mention of going 'north east'. You have to dig out your compass to get a grasp on your position, as you try and navigate towards, and identify, the next location based on this information. The lack of quest markers makes the experience more involving, as you have to pay more attention to your surroundings and what characters say, but I wasn't entirely sold on the story or writing. It's something which will hopefully become more engrossing as you get a better grasp of what's going on, but I wish I was drawn to interact with the characters based on something beyond the need to progress. When you are exploring aimlessly though, Hell Is Us offers some captivating chaos – even if some areas did appear to be gated off. We fought our way to the aforementioned swirling black vortex, encountering enemies beyond our skill level, only to find it was inaccessible due to not having a specific item. We later found an underground tunnel filled with enemies, where an individual connected to a side0quest was trapped at the other end. Along with these open areas, Hell Is Us also offers dungeons built around puzzles and combat encounters. Aside from the opening introduction, we were shown a later example in the Lymbic Forge, which offered a nice dose of visual variety, with flowery gardens surrounding the boggy marshes. We didn't get a whole lot of time to explore, but it did highlight the breadth of the combat upgrades and customisation with late-game weapons. Hell Is Us is a melting pot of influences, and while we're not sold on everything it's trying to accomplish, it's certainly another AA game with big, exciting ambitions – a trend amplified this year by the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. For the game's director, who has a long history in the AAA space working at Eidos Montreal, the jump to AA, with a smaller team and less financial pressure, means you have a better chance of striking gold. More Trending 'Look at what's happened to the industry over the past few years,' Jacques-Belletête said. 'Everything is crumbling. The big ones are crumbling. It's unsustainable. And the games are so bloody bland, man. Everything is starting to taste the same. 'I find there's nothing worse than starting a game and right away, in the first two minutes, you know how everything's going to work. You know how every single mechanic is going to work. They might have a little [extra] in how it's going to feel, or this and that, the user interface will change a bit, but you've gone through the ropes a dozen times. 'A game has to occupy a space in your brain that your brain can't really compute just yet. When you turn your console off and it stays there, that's because something is going on. Your brain is processing. And I think that's a lot easier to do in the AA space than the AAA.' Formats: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PCPrice: £49.99Publisher: NaconDeveloper: Rogue FactorRelease Date: 4th September 2025 Age Rating: 16 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Cyberpunk 2 release date narrowed down as production ramps up MORE: Xbox handheld delayed claims report as Microsoft refocuses on Windows MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 fans expecting secret Christmas game at Summer Game Fest 2025
Geek Tyrant
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Alex Garland Set to Direct Live-Action ELDEN RING Movie for A24 and Bandai Namco — GeekTyrant
Alex Garland is stepping into The Lands Between. A24 and Bandai Namco have confirmed that Garland, known for Ex Machina , Annihilation , and most recently Warfare , will direct and write the upcoming live-action adaptation of Elden Ring . Elden Ring is the awesome beutifully-made genre-defining 2022 action-RPG that combined the creativity of Hidetaka Miyazaki with the fantasy myth-weaving talents of George R.R. Martin. The result was a dark fantasy world crawling with grotesque monsters, twisted lore, and enough player deaths to form a religion. Garland had been rumored for the project for some time, but now it's officially locked in. The film will be produced by Peter Rice, alongside DNA's Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich, Martin himself, and Vince Gerardis. This movie is going to need a serously talented and creative team because this is going to be an massive and ambitious fantasy epic. The game was developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco, was a massive success from day one, shipping over 30 million units globally. It dominated the 2022 Game Awards, taking home Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, and Best Role-Playing Game. The Elden Ring universe is expanding in every direction. On May 30, Elden Ring: Nightreign drops, which is an intense, cooperative experience built around navigating punishing scenarios. Then, later this year, the Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition arrives for the Nintendo Switch 2. This all-in-one version bundles the acclaimed Shadow of the Erdtree DLC with new armor sets and appearance customization. No release date yet for the film has been announced yet, but one thing's clear: with Garland steering the ship, we're not getting a typical fantasy blockbuster. I'm expecting him to deliver something epic, bold, cerebral, and haunting. Source: Variety
Engadget
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
An Elden Ring movie, directed by Alex Garland, is in the works
Bandai Namco has confirmed the rumors going around that Elden Ring will be adapted into a live-action movie. The project will be produced by Bandai Namco and American film company A24, and it will be helmed by filmmaker Alex Garland, who directed Ex Machina, Annihilation, Civil War and Warfare . He was also the novelist behind The Beach and had written the movies 28 Days Later, Dredd and 28 Years Later . The film will be produced by Peter Rice, along with Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich from DNA, as well as with George R. R. Martin and Vince Gerardis. Elden Ring is a dark fantasy action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware, which was also the studio behind Dark Souls . Like other "Souls games," it has a reputation for being notoriously difficult, and a movie would allow people too intimidated to even touch it to experience its story and its universe. Martin, who's of course most known for the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, provided the game's backstory and world building. FromSoftware's president Hidetaka Miyazaki directed the game. Miyazaki was also the director behind the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne and Sekiro . Not much is known about the movie adaptation at the moment other than what Bandai Namco has announced. There are no stars attached to it yet, or a target release date. Fans do have Elden Ring Nightreign to look forward to, however: The co-op survival spinoff will be available on the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S starting on May 30. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.
Metro
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Elden Ring live-action movie officially announced and it sounds promising
A film adaptation of FromSoftware's Elden Ring is in the works, with George R.R. Martin on board as a producer. After rumours emerged earlier this month, FromSoftware has officially announced it is partnering with A24 to make a live-action film adaptation of Elden Ring. As announced in a press release, Alex Garland will write and direct the project. He's best known for directing films like Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Civil War, but he's also served as writer on several Danny Boyle films, specifically Sunshine, 28 Days Later, and its upcoming sequel 28 Years Later. Garland has worked on video games too, serving as a co-writer on 2010's Enslaved: Odyssey To The West and a story supervisor on 2013's DmC: Devil May Cry. George R.R. Martin, who contributed to the story of Elden Ring alongside the game's director Hidetaka Miyazaki, is a producer on the film. He's joined by Game Of Thrones producer Vince Gerardis, Peter Rice, and Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich from DNA Films. Interestingly, Miyazaki's name isn't mentioned, which suggests he's not involved. Speaking to The Guardian last year, he expressed his interest in making a film adaptation of Elden Ring but said he doesn't think he has the 'knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium'. Adapting Elden Ring's dark fantasy world to live-action will certainly be a challenge, but the biggest task might be translating the game's lore into a tight narrative, unless it opts to tell its own story within the same universe. More Trending Between Garland and Martin though, this is probably the most promising film based on a video game currently in development. Others in the works include a BioShock movie at Netflix, a new Street Fighter movie, a Death Stranding film, OutRun with Sydney Sweeney, along with countless more. There is no indication of when the Elden Ring film will be released, or when it will start shooting, so it will likely be a few years away yet. This announcement comes a week ahead of Elden Ring: Nightreign, a roguelike multiplayer spin-off which is set to launch on May 30 across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Monster Train 2 review – off the rails Slay The Spire MORE: Assassin's Creed Shadows co-op mode coming in 2026 after DLC claims report MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 UK pre-orders are back in stock – here's where to buy it
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Elden Ring live-action movie set to be directed by Alex Garland
A24 is making a daring move into the fantasy blockbuster territory with its latest announcement: a live-action film remake of the award-winning video game Elden Ring directed by visionary filmmaker Alex Garland . Garland, responsible for smart hits such as Ex Machina, Annihilation, and this year's Warfare, will write and direct the film, his most ambitious pairing to date with A24- a studio fast becoming a leader in high-concept genre. Elden Ring, created by FromSoftware and released through Bandai Namco, stormed the gaming community when it dropped in 2022. More than 30 million copies of the game have been sold globally, and it is renowned for its vast, mysterious lore—written in part by Game of Thrones scribe George R.R. Martin—and famously difficult gameplay. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Linda Kozlowski, 67, Shows Off Her Perfect Figure In A New Photo Today's NYC Undo The player must navigate the creepy, mythic Lands Between, fighting demigods and reassembling the broken Elden Ring to bring order back to it. The game's evocative world-building and enigmatic storytelling have made it a prime candidate for cinematic adaptation. Garland's hire indicates that A24 is serious about handling the adaptation both artistically and at blockbuster scale. The director's earlier work on behalf of A24, such as Civil War and Men, has received critical acclaim for balancing genre spectacle with psychological acumen. Insiders point out that Elden Ring would be A24's priciest film to date, following the studio's trend toward big-budget productions in conjunction with other game adaptations such as Death Stranding. Live Events The announcement has charged up both the worlds of film and gaming, with enthusiasts waiting to know how Garland is going to bring the game's ambient fear, grand battles, and mysterious storytelling to the big screen. Plot and casting details are yet to be announced, and the shoot is supposed to start in 2026 after Garland has wrapped up other big projects. With its elaborate lore, memorable bosses, and visionary team renowned for taking risks, the Elden Ring movie is shaping up to be a cinematic odyssey. With buzz in full swing, one thing's certain: A24 and Garland are placing big bets that the sorcery of the Lands Between will enchant audiences as deeply as it did players
