Latest news with #GodOfWar
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: What is the best generation of video game console?
The Monday letters page has some interesting ideas for the next God Of War game, as one reader looks forward to a Donkey Kong Bananza sequel. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Anytime but now As we head towards another, unwanted, new generation I'm still using my PlayStation 4 and wondering whether it's worth upgrading to a PlayStation 6, let alone a 5. Maybe it feels different if you own one, but I can't imagine anyone saying this generation of consoles has been the best but that started me think on what was the best? I think there's three obvious contenders: the SNES/Mega Drive, the Xbox 360/Wii, and the PlayStation 4. It's difficult because I feel nostalgia gets in the way and it's hard to look at things definitively. You also tend to only remember the good stuff. No matter how many classics it had, there was a ton lot of identikit platformers in the Mega Drive era. Likewise, I think we forget how many brown coloured shooters there were on the Xbox 360. You then start worrying about recency bias, but I really do think the PlayStation 4 was the best, especially if you include the Nintendo Switch. Two great consoles, tons of all-time exclusives, and Sony and Nintendo at arguably their best. Curious to know what others think but that's what I'd choose if they were giving out awards. Kogan Dragging it out RE: Unicorn Overlord. It was mentioned in the Inbox the other day and I have to say how great it is. I'm about 50 hours in and I'm nearing the end, but I'll make sure I drag it out, doing all of the side and liberation missions. It's such a great game, especially on the big story missions where you have to send different units off to fight different targets (although my Alain unit is so buffed and varied that if I'm struggling I just send them in to beat almost anyone). Simon PS: I wrote in the other week mentioning Resistance 3 and how good it was. I have finished it, and it is an absolute classic – I'm surprised this game doesn't ever seem to get mentioned. I've got out my old PlayStation 3 and will go through the original God Of War games. The Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 generation was one the best in gaming history, in my opinion. 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. Recurring issue I feel like no matter how much hype there is for Battlefield 6, the real problem with the series is that it always falls flat on its face at launch. That's why Battlefield 4 didn't beat Call Of Duty and almost all of the games have had the same problem, to some degree or another. The cause always seems to be the same too: EA unwilling to wait until the game is finished and being so full of themselves they're convinced the game is too big to fail. The fact that has happened so many times makes me believe that EA is never going to learn their lesson. Maybe the open betas have been enough to iron out any problems, but they seem more like marketing schemes than something that's being done as a genuine test. Zeiss Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Reaction time So there's going to be five weeks between Battlefield 6 and Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7? I'm not sure why Activision is leaving EA an open goal like that, but if that's proof of them thinking that it's no threat to them I'll laugh if they end up wishing they'd taken things a bit more seriously. I don't think there's any chance that Battlefield 6 will 'beat' Black Ops 7, but if it proves itself to be a real contender than that means there's huge pressure on next year's Call Of Duty, which we've already had leaks on. They seem to plan them all at least three years in advance, so there's no way Activision will be able to react until there's a Battlefield 7, at which time EA can try and outfox them again. I don't really have a horse in this race – I'd much rather see a new game take over dominance – but anything that shakes up the status quo for me is good. The more complacent a publisher is, the worse the games are. Focus Final purchase On the subject of buying a new gaming PC. I spoke to PC Specialist for an hour on Friday and they recommended a few changes to Magnum's pre-build PC, not many, mainly the graphics card and tower. Could GameCentral readers and the Underbox give me advice on this build that PC Specialist recommended, please? Is it good, in your opinion? They did say if I spent another £340 I would get a really good 4K graphics card but I couldn't afford that, so went with the next one they recommended after the more expensive one. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give. Andrew J. Going bananas I've just finished Donkey Kong Bananza and I'm kind of in two minds. It was 80% great, but it was surprisingly janky for a Nintendo game and the camera can be a nightmare. You could argue there's no way round that problem but that doesn't stop it from seeming annoying while you're playing. I'd also say it was fairly inconsistent in terms of level design, with some amazing ones and some that dragged on (that Zebra level). I'm willing to bet the desert island level was made after they knew that this was going to be a Switch 2 game, because it's awesome and seems to be pushing the console the most. The ending is also great, and I think that does a lot to leave you with a good overall impression of the game, once you've finished. It's a shame it and the other boss fighters weren't tougher though. Some of them I beat so quickly I never really understood exactly what was going on, which is a shame as a lot of them seemed quite clever. I think it's the sort of game that needs a sequel to really perfect what it's trying to do, and I would be interested in playing that if they made it. In terms of positives, I think it makes Donkey Kong a much more interesting character with more defined abilities (was he ever meant to be super strong before? I don't really remember that). In terms of negatives, I think the lack of challenge and the amount of jank is going to upset some people and stop it from winning any game of the year awards, even though it is definitely one of the best games I've played in a while. Coolsbane No parity I really don't think we should be treating the fact that the Switch 2 can't run a game at exactly the same level as the PlayStation 5 as some sort of surprise. That was never going to happen, especially with Borderlands 4 being open world. I'm not advocating getting the Switch 2 version over the other others, but anyone expecting to buy any multiformat game and having it run the same as the PlayStation 5, or the Xbox Series X/S, hasn't been paying attention. Personally, I think getting anywhere close is pretty impressive. The more important test will be if it can run things like Elden Ring as good or better than the PlayStation 4 version. Tolly Modern gods A few months ago there were rumours of a new 'half-sequel' God Of War game, but I see that never got announced and the rumours have gone away. Does that mean it's been cancelled? Or maybe that it's been upgraded into a full game, as sometimes seems to happen. I don't envy Sony working out what to do next, as even as a fan I'm not sure what would be best. I know I don't want to play as Atreus but has Kratos got any story left to tell? His character arc seems to be over and while it would be funny to have him running around as a pure good guy, I don't think that leaves much room for anything interesting to happen to him. There's also what seems like the inevitability of setting it in Egypt, but so inevitable that it risks feeling like it's just going through the motions. We all know how the formula works by now and pop culture means most people have a fairly good idea of the basics of Ancient Egyptian mythology. I think what I would do is set the game in the modern day. Maybe after Kratos has destroyed all gods everywhere and what that kind of world would look like. Maybe the gods are trying to get back in and have people worship them again or something like that. I feel something new and daring has to happen or otherwise we're just going to be going round all the ancient world religions, then rebooting at the end to start again in Greece. And who wouldn't want to see Kratos in jeans and a T-shirt? Paulie GC: The last rumour, from June, was of a 2D Metroidvania. But as with all the other rumours, there's no evidence and things have gone quiet since then. Inbox also-ransIf there's really going to be a Capcom Vs. SNK 3 I hope it includes more than just fighting game characters. The other ones were just a bit too hardcore for me. Either that or do a different team-up and have wackier fighting. I mean… the DCU is just sitting there now, if Capcom's ben jilted by Marvel. Limpton Will you be playing Hollow Knight: Silksong at Gamescom? I don't see how that game is ever going to live up to the hype, but I'm curious. Milo GC: We should be. It's supposed to be at both the Xbox and Nintendo stands. But we won't believe anything until we see it. More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Has Nintendo lost their touch with Switch 2? MORE: Games Inbox: Should Leon die in Resident Evil Requiem? MORE: Games Inbox: Is an Xbox Game Pass subscription worth it?
The Review Geek
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Chief of War – Season 1 Episode 4 Recap & Review
City of Flowers Part II Episode 4 of Chief of War begins with the death of King Kalani'opu'u, bringing forth a new leader. His son, Keoua, steps up as the new King. However, there are serious issues here because despite Keoua being the leading authority figure, the real military weight has passed to Kamehameha, who is named the God of War. This decision was made prior to the King's passing, with him clearly recognizing the man's strategic mindset last episode. Keoua is pissed, pointing out that Kamehameha is stealing his birth-right. While Kamahameha wants to try and work things out, Keoua shuns his 'brother' and in-fighting inevitably ensues. Keoua believing the guy is a lowborn and not worthy of the accolade. Keoua punches himself repeatedly until he knocks a tooth loose, using this as a declaration of war on his cousin. Over in the Kingdom of O'ahu, Kahekili receives word of the King's passing and decides to call the war generals. He wants to conquer Hawai'i and strike while the iron is hot. One of the Maui chiefs though isn't sure whether this is a good idea. After slaughtering the boy King and losing Ka'iana, he doubts the validity of this claim next to the prophecy. Kahekili lusts for blood and believes he needs to wipe out all the royal lineage until there is only one. He's interpreted the Prophecy as leaving his bloodline (and his alone) as the dominating force. He won't be swayed from this path. Now married, Ka'ahumanu has missed a fair few of her English lessons with John. She's not happy about being a submissive wife, but John explains that there's freedom to be found within marriage. It takes her a while to realize how much wisdom is in this statement, but it comes when she challenges her husband. With Kamehameha preparing for war, Ka'ahumanu encourages him to use his own judgment if the Gods remain silent. When the Gods don't answer his calls, Kamehameha makes a big decision and chooses to play defence, preparing for a fight if Keoua comes to him but not striking first. Meanwhile, Ka'iana awakens to find Tony hasn't returned to his bed. Vai shrugs off his concerns about Tony, but Ka'iana can tell something is awry. He's shocked to discover people caged, including a crying baby and defenceless women. It spurs a rage deep inside of him, and it's all too much for the native. He lets his frustrations out on a soldier in the middle of the street, causing the military to come down hard on him. Ka'iana runs away and hides, but it does his voyage back home no favours. It also puts Vai in a difficult position too, as she pleads with the Captain to wait for Ka'iana that night. Vai eventually finds Ka'iana, hiding inside, and she urges him to go before it's too late. Ka'iana is desperate to find Tony but Vai believes that ship has sailed (no pun intended). The Captain has also lied to him and intends to sail that night. Ka'iana has the guns and can go home to fight his war, but he's also honour-bound and determined to find his friend. Upon learning that he maybe inside a warehouse with other slaves, Ka'iana heads off to get him back. After knocking out several guards, Ka'iana frees all the slaves and burns the place down. It's absolute chaos though as the slaves fight back, overthrowing their captors while Ka'iana eventually finds Tony, who's looking the worse for wear. With the guns loaded aboard the ship and Zamboanga consumed by chaos, Ka'iana manages to make it to the dock and onboard the ship. Vai is here too and as they cast off, the orange glow of the warehouse fire lights the night sky. The Episode Review The midway point of the season showcases a significant switch in the way this conflict is about to play out. Kahekili's blood lusting is actually causing the various chiefs to question his methods, and after losing Ka'iana due to this conflict, there are a lot of question marks over this leadership. Meanwhile, Ka'iana struggles to keep his aggression in check and gets himself into a spot of trouble. Although there aren't any guards or warning bells ringing despite the warehouse burning down so I guess the path back to the dock wasn't quite so bad as it could have been! Ka'ahumanu's storyline is arguably the weakest of the entire series though, but now that she's starting to embrace the idea of marriage and working with Kamehameha rather than against him, she's starting to realize that there is strength and power in unifying her voice with another. The cinematography is great though and the visual effects are sublime. This chapter is a little slow in places though and doesn't move the plot along all that much. Hopefully the episodes ahead pick up the pace a bit. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Ten years later, I still don't care why Kattappa killed Baahubali: Was SS Rajamouli's fantasy drama even that great?
Ten years ago, India had just one question on their mind, 'Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?' I remember everyone being obsessed with the cliffhanger in Baahubali: The Beginning in 2015. I also remember being unmoved and indifferent. While Indian cinema celebrated the film's grandeur, I couldn't stop myself from asking a different question: Was it ever really that great? Well, fans of SS Rajamouli — and there are many — would beg to differ. From walking on waterfalls to slow-mo stunts, Baahubali left me disappointed. Unpopular opinion, but here's why I could never understand the hype around this film. Baahubali aka Prabhas lifted the Shiva lingam and walked on water in one of the scenes. Might have been a symbol of power for many, but for me, it was not at all convincing. Subpar VFX put me off at that moment itself. While I went in expecting Lord Of The Rings quality, it was like playing fantasy video games such as Uncharted and God Of War. We were quick to bash Adipurush's animation and visual effects, but not this? How did this film earn global fame? Thirty minutes in and I was already regretting my decision. Prabhas, Anushka Shetty, Rana Daggubati, Sathyaraj and Ramya Krishnan left no stone unturned with their acting skills, but their overdone look was a huge turn-off. The makeup was exaggerated for several characters, especially female actors – Devasena and Sivagami Devi. ALSO READ | 10 years of Prabhas' Baahubali: How SS Rajamouli made the entire country, even PM Narendra Modi, fixate on a million-dollar question As a viewer, it made me lose interest in the entire concept and the reality of it. You can make a fantasy period drama that still looks realistic with added fantastical elements. There are several Hollywood and Bollywood examples to draw comparisons between their and Baahubali's presentation, including Jodha Akhbar, Game Of Thrones, Vikings, that did it beautifully. The film completely relied on the question: Kattappa ne Baahubali ko kyu maara? The makers then released Baahubali: The Conclusion of the duology taking the intrigue forward. However, more than a narrative strategy, it felt like a marketing masterstroke to me. The emotional connect wasn't organic, but forced. Unfortunately, visuals can't fill plot holes. The story arc wasn't intriguing, funnily enough, the background score was. Without any moral complexity, the characters in the film were one-dimensional. For example, Amarendra is the glorified noble hero, Bhallaladeva is evil, Devasena is ethical, and Sivagami is aloof. It was the cultural influence of the movie that tried to grabbed eyeballs, and not the brilliant writing that swept the audience away. You can't win hearts with larger-than-life spectacles, there's more depth that a movie demands. The only feat the film had was opening doors for Pan-India films. In my eyes, it's not the cinematic breakthrough most people look at it as. While Baahubali: The Beginning collected Rs 650 crore worldwide and its second instalment Baahubali 2: The Conclusion became the highest-grossing Indian film at the time, grossing more than Rs 1,810.60 crore worldwide. Maybe I missed the magic, but it's worth thinking a decade later, was Baahubali even that great?
Metro
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Xbox cancels Perfect Dark reboot and lays off half of Forza Motorsport developer
The Perfect Dark reboot is dead (Microsoft Game Studios) Microsoft has shut down developer The Initiative and cancelled the Perfect Dark reboot as Turn 10 sees their headcount cut by 50%. As predicted, today is not a good day for Xbox or the games industry in general. Although it'll probably be a good one overall for Microsoft, who will no doubt see their share price increase as they cut over 9,000 jobs worldwide. It's still unclear how many of those cuts will affect Xbox, and divisions like Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, but news is slowly leaking out about layoffs at King, ZeniMax, Rare, and more. The biggest causality so far is new studio The Initiative, who were formed seven years ago and were working on a reboot of Perfect Dark. That will never be completed though, as the entire company has been shut down. Perfect Dark was announced in 2020 and while there are long-standing rumours of it being a troubled production, the gameplay trailer from 2022 did look encouraging. However, the fact that The Initiative has been around for seven years, and still wasn't anywhere close to releasing a game, speaks to the poor management that Microsoft has often been accused of when it comes to its first party studios. The Initiative has always seemed particularly bad though, with reports that over half the staff had left by 2022, reducing the head count to around 50. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis 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. There was also the strange annoucement that Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics was being brought in to help with Perfect Dark – meaning there were actually two studios working on the game. That's very strange, as The Initiative was founded by a number of very experienced developers, including former Crystal Dynamics head Darrell Gallagher, Red Dead Redemption writer Christian Cantamessa, and God Of War senior producer Brian Westergaard. Microsoft hasn't confirmed any of the layoffs yet, but Windows Central has obtained a copy of the internal email sent round by Xbox Games Studio head Matt Booty: 'Following Phil's note, I want to share more about the changes to the Studios business units. 'We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio. As part of this, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative. These decisions, along with other changes across our teams, reflect a broader effort to adjust priorities and focus resources to set up our teams for greater success within a changing industry landscape. We did not make these choices lightly, as each project and team represent years of effort, imagination, and commitment. Our overall portfolio strategy is unchanged: build games that excite our players, continue to grow our biggest franchises, and create new stories, worlds, and characters. We have more than 40 projects in active development, continued momentum on titles shipping this fall, and a strong slate headed into 2026. For those directly affected, we are working closely with HR and studio leadership to provide support, including severance, career transition assistance, and where possible, opportunities to explore roles on other teams. To everyone across our studios: thank you. Your creativity and resilience continue to define who we are. I believe in the strength of our teams and the direction we're taking on the path ahead.' Booty's comments confirm previous rumours about the cancellation of Everwild, but Windows Central suggests that Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 has lost half of its 100-odd staff. It's also suggested that QA (quality assurance) positions at Activision and Blizzard have been badly affected, along with Xbox marketing and sales, and game producers and managers. State Of Decay 3 developer Undead Labs has also been hit by layoffs but apparently the game, which has rarely been shown in public, has not been cancelled. The site suggests that anything shown at the Xbox Summer Showcase, including Clockwork Revolution, is 'safe' but there's still very little that is certain, with Microsoft unlikely to publicly confirm exact layoff numbers at Xbox. Turn 10 make Forza Motorsport, not Forza Horizon (Microsoft Game Studios) 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. Arrow MORE: Soon you'll be able to pay for DLC and microtransactions in instalments Arrow MORE: The 10 best summer video games to play if you're missing the heatwave Arrow MORE: PS6 console will be all about AI but not in a bad way, reveals AMD
Geek Tyrant
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
THE WITCHER Writer Reportedly Joins Amazon's GOD OF WAR Series — GeekTyrant
It's been a while since Amazon first announced its God of War series adaptation, but now there's some new movement. According to @RedanianIntel, a usually reliable source for fantasy TV scoops, former Witcher writer and producer Tania Lotia has reportedly joined the God of War writers' room. Lotia worked on Netflix's The Witcher since 2023 and was also part of the Mighty Nein animated series from Critical Role, so she's no stranger to adapting sprawling fantasy worlds with deep lore and fan expectations. Her experience could bring a valuable edge to God of War, especially with its myth-heavy storytelling and emotionally complex lead in Kratos. Amazon hasn't officially confirmed Lotia's involvement, and this hasn't yet been picked up by other major outlets. But, with the door closed The Witcher following dwindling viewership and the controversial recasting of Geralt, it makes sense that some of the creative team would be moving on to new projects, and God of War seems like a natural fit. If Lotia really has boarded the project, she joins a production that's been in flux for a while. Last year, original showrunner Rafe Judkins ( The Wheel of Time ) and several other creatives exited the series, reportedly triggering a full-scale creative reboot. The project was later handed off to Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), who's now steering the adaptation. Moore confirmed earlier this year that things are 'going well,' though there's still little to go on beyond that. We don't have a release window, casting announcements, or even much detail about the show's direction, just that Amazon has reportedly greenlit two seasons already. Hopefully, this behind-the-scenes movement means Amazon will break the silence on the project soon and throw out some exciting information.
