Latest news with #Exo
CBC
05-07-2025
- CBC
Montreal's light-rail network shuts down until mid-August for new line testing
Commuters on Montreal's South Shore who rely on the new light-rail network to get to and from the island are going to have to find a different option for much of the summer. The regional transit authority, Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM), says the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) will be completely closed from Saturday through Aug. 17 in preparation for the network's upcoming service launch. REM service on the South Shore branch will resume on Aug. 18, with detailed resumption schedules available later this summer. This work is part of the ongoing effort to complete the REM lines that link Montreal's West Island and the North Shore to downtown. Completion of the Deux-Montagnes and Anse-à-l'Orme branches was pushed back to the fall, but the REM warned late last year that the testing phase would disrupt service over the summer. Users are encouraged to consider travelling outside of peak hours or to favour teleworking whenever possible, the ARTM said in a news release this week. While shuttle buses will be running over the Champlain Bridge connecting Brossard, Que., to downtown, the agency says several public transit options remain available for travel between the South Shore and Montreal, including the Metro and commuter train. During this closure period, some regular Exo routes will see increased service. Exo routes serving the Longueuil and Angrignon terminals will have their frequency increased. The Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) will maintain regular frequency (instead of summer schedule) on several bus routes connecting REM stations to the Longueuil terminal. The ARTM has also implemented preferential measures for buses to increase service reliability and fluidity, including reserved lanes on certain routes, police presence at specific intersections in Montreal and a parking area that will allow for better bus regulation, it says. For the months of July and August, shuttles 568, 176, 721 and 722, as well as the collective taxi T72, will be available for free access to users to mitigate the impacts of this closure. REM service will also be available for free access from August 18 to 31. However, access to local lines 47 and 38 of the RTL, as well as all other public transportation services, requires a valid fare.
Otago Daily Times
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Time loop not enough of a catalyst
TRON: CATALYST For: PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC TRON: Catalyst is a top down action adventure game where you play as Exo, a program in the TRON setting's computer world, whose last delivery for the night explodes. She's taken prisoner by Core, a sort of authoritarian government of the Grid, as the obvious suspect in a potential bombing. To Exo, the explosive is the least of her concerns as the incident has given her time-looping powers, allowing her to jump backwards by choice ... or on death. Meanwhile, Conn, a Core operative looking to climb the ranks, follows in hot pursuit. The time loop is a really cool idea. Unfortunately, it is underutilised in the gameplay. The loop mechanic is only used to get the player to continue the story. That's it. You go down one linear path, are told you can't continue, then you reset the loop and follow another linear path. Rinse and repeat. It's a completely linear use of a non-linear ability. I never used it outside of those sections. This disconnect between the story and the gameplay drags the whole experience down. Just before the first chapter ends, for example, Exo says she's been "here for far too long", and the excellent voice acting brings out her desperation and despair — when in fact you've been in that particular loop for an hour, maybe less. You also unlock a lot of shortcuts somewhat pointlessly, as a lot of them will never be used again, due to how linear everything is. There are times when you as a player know there is a way to the location you have to go to, but the game forces you off on a different path. As a consequence of the time-looping not being deep, I struggled to connect emotionally to the overall story and was confused by certain sections. Both Exo's and Conn's development needed more time, as they both feel flat as characters. This especially hurts for Exo as the playable character. We learn nothing about her before the whole bombing incident and her arc feels rushed. The voice acting is really nice. A bit inconsistent, but really good when it counts. By far the standout is Conn, voiced by David Menkin — whom I wish was given more lines and time — but each of the important characters do have their moments to shine. Another aspect done well is the world building. The concepts behind each of the factions and characters are interesting, though there are a lot of concepts thrown about and if you have no idea who Flynn is or what a user might be, your head will be spinning in the first few hours. Thankfully, there is a glossary where you can read about all the little details of the franchise. The visual style of harsh darkness and vibrant neon in various colours has always been a TRON staple and has been lovingly recreated here. Combat is pretty easy to pick up and was initially really fun. You have a quick attack combo and a special attack, as well as being able to throw your identity disc at enemies or bounce it off walls to hit them in the back. You can also parry basically every attack and can get upgrades to kick your own thrown disc back at enemies. Later in the game you get the ability to instantly kill dazed enemies and steal their code, giving you a new combat move-set for a short period of time. Unfortunately, combat is extremely unbalanced, even on the hardest difficulty, leading to probably the worst aspect of the entire game. This stems from the parry and its upgrades. One increases the damage and another makes the timing easier. Combine these two and you have a one-shot ability that kills most enemies in the game in one hit, or does tremendous damage, even against the final boss. I like parrying as much as the next guy, but it just made the combat boring. Why bother with throwing the disc or stealing code when you can just instakill whoever fronts up? The enemy variety could have saved things here but alas that's not the case. Be it the sword guys, throwing disc guys, hammer guys or others, they are all killed the same way. Parry, one-shot, move on. The most unique are the superiors, who actively parry your attacks, but that's a simple matter of attacking and then parrying the counterattack, and they go down like the rest. The most unique enemies are those that can summon others — they're basically the only enemy in the game you can't directly kill via parry — and they're just annoying time-sinks rather than an actual engaging fight. On a lighter note, the game ran well, was crash free and almost bug-free. I somehow got stuck in a wall; thankfully movement abilities got me out of that one. There was one rather annoying time when I was unable to interact with an elevator in damage-over-time zone, leading to my unfair death. I was still technically in combat and you can't interact during combat. That's fine, though the enemy I was supposed to kill was over 25,000m away and counting. I suspect they fell through the world. TRON: Catalys t isn't a bad game by any means, but it's not great either. It performs well and without issue. It controls fine. It's short and doesn't overstay its welcome. It's a game that exists ... and in a crowded market, that's about all it is. The voice acting can't save the so-so story and the cool design of the environments can't escape the linear gameplay and boring combat. Unless you're a die hard TRON fan, this is one you can skip. By Michael Robertson
Metro
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Tron: Catalyst review - I'm sorry I haven't a CLU
As a new movie prepares for launch, the latest attempt to adapt Tron into video game form comes with a very interesting and purposeful glitch. Tron has always seemed like a franchise on the edge of greatness. The original 1982 movie was a hugely important milestone in the evolution of computer-generated imagery, but it wasn't really that great a film. Likewise, Tron: Legacy is most fondly remembered for its amazing soundtrack, rather than anything that actually happened in it. Naturally, there's been many video game adaptations over the year, with two separate waves around the time of the two movies and an unconnected 2003 first person shooter from the now sadly deceased Monolith Productions. The most recent tie-in was low-key visual novel Tron: Identity in 2023, from Thomas Was Alone developer Bithell Games. Despite being a small indie studio, the team was also responsible for the only John Wick game so far – which we loved but nobody else seemed to. Tron: Catalyst takes an equally daring approach to its subject matter, but this time the gamble hasn't paid off. The unavoidable problem for all the modern Tron games is that Legacy was a much less visually interesting movie than the original, with an almost monochrome colour scheme and less fantastical costumes and designs. New film Ares, to which this is only nominally connected, is set in the real world and yet still everything looks bleak and dark, which really doesn't seem appropriate for a concept as inherently silly as Tron. Nevertheless, designer Mike Bithell, who we had a good chat to about the game last year, does what he can, with an original story based on a different grid (aka server) than the one seen in the films. The idea is that the grid has been left alone for so long that most programs no longer really believe in humans and those that do have turned the concept into a kind of religion. You play as a courier named Exo, who becomes involved in a plot to reset the server, caught between a dystopian police force and a growing band of resistance fighters. It's a perfectly reasonable set-up and does involve some interesting sci-fi ideas – like the super-evolved programs that have lost all connection with humanity – but the wider plot could be transposed to any other fantasy setting with very few changes needed. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. The game is played from a very distant top-down view, which doesn't help with the sense of immersion or your connection to the character, and only makes the drab art design look even more uninteresting. What makes Exo unique is that she has a bug, literally called a glitch, that lets her reset the server whenever she wants. This means starting the current chapter of the story again, while retaining any abilities you unlocked or information you didn't previously have. So, for example, if your need a code for a locked door you can go off and find it, even if that ends up altering all the guards, and then come back later and use it. It's a very neat idea and there's always a shortcut, literally or figuratively, involved that means you don't have to repeat everything a second time. However, it never really feels like the game is making full use of the ability, as there's generally no reason to use it except when the game tells you too and nothing that surprises you with its cleverness. The combat involves melee fighting and using the (relatively) iconic identity disc, which is basically a Frisbee. This works fine in theory but there's very little sense of feedback for your attacks and as you face down armies of respawning enemies it gets old worryingly quickly; especially as the skill tree and the ability to steal enemies' moves make little practical difference. The top-down view really doesn't help either, given how much it distances you from the action. Combat soon becomes a chore, with too many bullet sponge opponents, while minor enemies are easily confused by level furniture. Ironically, the AI is quite glitchy and often you end up taking advantage of its brokenness to get the action over with more quickly. More Trending The other main action element is driving a light cycle, which is fun because of how fast they are, even if there's often little room to manoeuvre. Given the original Tron included a version of what would today be recognised as the game Snake (but actually started out as a coin-op called Blockade in 1976) none of the modern Tron games have done the concept justice and while Catalyst is perhaps the best of the bunch it still feels fiddly and random. Catalyst is quite cheap but it's also very short, at around five hours, and with no real reason to ever play it again. Annoyingly, the ending is filled with hints at a third game (since this is technically a sequel to Identity) and yet there's been no announcement so far that one is happening. The end result is a disappointingly joyless gaming experience, whose story and characters are surprisingly uninteresting, given Bithell's talents. The gameplay doesn't take any particular advantage of the Tron setting and the whole thing is just so ugly and bland to look at. John Wick Hex was much the same, but we easily forgave that because of the fun and original gameplay, but unfortunately Tron: Catalyst doesn't have that same advantage. In Short: A disappointingly drab Tron tie-in that wastes some interesting ideas on dull and repetitive combat and an unequally unengaging story. Pros: The glitch concept has lots of potential, even if it's not fully realised here. For better or worse, it looks like Tron: Legacy. Cons: The storytelling is mostly uninteresting and there's barely any resolution. Combat is dull and repetitive. Glitch gimmick is never used in any particularly clever ways. Bleak and unengaging visuals. Score: 5/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: £19.99Publisher: Big FanDeveloper: Bithell GamesRelease Date: 17th June 2025 Age Rating: 7 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. 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: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is 15% off if you pre-order now MORE: PS Plus games for July includes one of the best dungeon crawlers ever MORE: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 climbs chart after 'unusual' sales boost
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TRON: Catalyst (PC) Review
When I first tried TRON: Catalyst, I was pretty happy with what I had experienced. Although my initial preview was only a vertical slice within the city of Vertical Slice, the game introduced enough good ideas that I was eager to get my hands on a much more extensive play session. My time with TRON: Catalyst has been somewhat of a mixed experience. On the one hand, I really admire what both Bithell and the game itself are trying to do here. However, the game really needed to iron out some kinks to create a really amazing game, and it doesn't really look like they have. I talked about it a bit during my preview, but I'll reiterate it here. Players take on the role of Exo—a simple Courier program who is caught in a massive explosion during a routine delivery. Little did she know, the explosion was caused by a Glitch Catalyst, which distorts her code and gives her the ability to rewind time back to key loop points, allowing her to use abilities and knowledge gained to outsmart and outmaneuver her opponents. This sets off a chain of events that will lead to who decides the fate of Vertical Slice city as Exo fights against Core—the city's malevolent rulers—and a ruthless program named Conn, who pursues her throughout the Arq Grid. While I mentioned how much I liked how the game weaved its gameplay concepts into its narrative, one thing I didn't mention was how much I appreciate the game's protagonist. Since TRON: Catalyst is set somewhere before the events of TRON: Legacy, Exo isn't just a regular program, but an Iso—Isomoprhic Algorithms that were created from nothing in Flynn's Grid. This allows not just the story to maintain the themes of race politics that were present in the film, but it also gives our protagonist a lot more agency and identity. She has the freedom to be whatever she wants to be, and allowing her to manipulate not just her own code, but the systems around her gives the game a lot of depth and nuance that isn't made immediately present in the writing. Not only that, I really liked how TRON: Catalyst is somewhat of a sequel to TRON: Identity, as characters and factions that were established in that game find their way into this one. Gameplay is where TRON: Catalyst leaves something to be desired. Initially, I said the game was 'Surprisingly simple,' and honestly, I feel that works both for and against the game. On the one hand, it makes it so it's not hard to get into, and gives players a lot of freedom to get good at it. On the other hand, it's never particularly challenging or as cool as something with the TRON license could be. The biggest place this exists is in the combat. While it works well enough, giving players a pretty straightforward way to engage enemies both with their Discs and in Lightcycle chases, it always feels a little basic and by the numbers. It doesn't have the sense of fluidity or cool that was present in TRON: Evolution. When it works, it can be pretty enjoyable, but I think longtime TRON fans like myself might be left wanting for a bit more. Not only that, but since TRON: Catalyst doesn't reward players with traditional experience—like I mentioned in my preview—it feels like some pretty basic moves like reflecting enemy Discs are locked behind a fairly restrictive wall. And while you do get a lot of cool new abilities as the story progresses, it could've made accessing the more basic ones a bit easier. Also, and this might just be a me thing, the game really could've done with a better trajectory line, particularly for bouncing your Disc off walls to hit enemies. This is why TRON: Catalyst probably exists best as a smaller experience better suited to something like the Nintendo Switch. It creates the sense of a world that is technically small but feels big, and it's so rich with TRON lore and its world feels so genuinely realized that it's definitely worth experiencing, but in a more relaxed, second-screen kind of way. Where TRON: Catalyst really stands out is in its visuals. The sleek, techno-cool aesthetic of TRON: Legacy is captured in an incredibly detailed and authentic way, and you can see the love and care put into the environment in every area you walk into. The music is appropriately matched. Dan Le Sac did an excellent job capturing the vibe of Daft Punk's soundtrack for TRON: Legacy, but putting his own unique touch on it for something that sounds genuinely his but uniquely TRON. Honestly, I know this review probably sounded more negative than I wanted it to, but I think there is a lot to like about TRON: Catalyst. Like I said in my preview, Bithell stepped a bit outside their comfort zone and took a big chance, and for the most part, I think it paid off. While I wished it had a little bit more, I really loved what was there, and I think a lot of TRON fans will too.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Exo Launches a New Era in Disease Diagnosis with the First FDA-cleared Ultrasound AI for Detection of Pleural Effusion and Consolidation/Atelectasis
Exo Iris® now automatically detects and localizes key pulmonary findings for emergency care, showing superiority to clinicians alone SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Exo (pronounced "echo"), the leader in AI-powered, accessible medical imaging, is transforming lung disease diagnosis with another first. Now included on Exo Iris® is the first ever FDA 510(k) cleared AI for detecting pleural effusion and consolidation/atelectasis. These on-device real-time indicators empower clinicians with objective data to help detect lung diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis at the bedside in seconds. Arun Nagdev, MD, Vice President of Clinical Affairs at Exo and a leading POCUS expert, said, "This groundbreaking real-time AI provides a remarkable assist for all clinicians at the bedside, instantly and accurately detecting fluid around the lungs or areas of collapsed lung, key markers for significant infections like pneumonia or tuberculosis. This is a great support for clinicians looking to diagnose commonly presenting patient symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing, pain, and fatigue." Said Dornoosh Zonoobi, VP of AI at Exo, "Validated in rigorous clinical studies, these AIs enabled clinicians to detect key lung findings, with sensitivity and specificity in the 'excellent' range. We're thrilled to bring these FDA-cleared firsts to all clinicians and to meaningfully impact patient diagnosis and outcomes when it matters most." These clearances mark not only a technical and regulatory milestone, but a meaningful expansion in how Exo is supporting frontline providers and patients when every second counts. Exo remains focused on delivering technology that enables critical decisions instantly, intelligently, and saves lives at scale. These clearances bring to a remarkable 14, the FDA-cleared AI indicators embedded in Iris. This sweeping portfolio is unmatched in handheld ultrasound today. All commercialized Exo AI runs directly on Exo Iris®, operates without internet, eliminates lag, and enables expert-level diagnostics in any setting. Exo is establishing a new standard in fast, accurate, and scalable point-of-care imaging. Visit Exo's website to explore these capabilities. About Exo Exo is redefining medical imaging with its advanced ultrasound platform, combining novel silicon-based hardware, tightly coupled AI, and easy-to-use collaboration software. Its handheld and soon-to-be OEM-integrated systems deliver high-performance imaging and real-time clinical intelligence, driving better, more accessible diagnostics and outcomes across diverse care settings. Follow us at @exoeffect on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. View source version on Contacts media@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
