Review

With this current generation of consoles coming to a close, you would be hard-pressed to find a platform with as many consistent, quality exclusive titles. But the Playstation 4 proves unready to buck this trend, with developer Pixelopus releasing one of the most visually gorgeous and prolific experiences of its kind. Concrete Genie does a bunch…

While I don’t necessarily understand Codemasters decision to reboot GRID, their pedigree as a developer of skifully designed, fun as hell racing games means I’m willing to take their word for it. From the stellar Formula 1 series to the gritty tracks of Dirt Rally, I had to bite down on the creeping notion that…

Right out the gate, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint frustrated me. For every step the franchise took forward it in this iteration, it seemed to be taking two steps back. There are things to love in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, such as the vast open world, cinematic story and tight gunplay, but thanks to a largely similar…

There’s no better herald of the end-of-year video game rush than the arrival of a new FIFA game, and arrive it does with FIFA 20. There is a specific audience for these games — bring up FIFA around a group of gamers and third of them will immediately lose interest, another third remain neutral, and the remaining third…

In today’s gaming landscape, you might be forgiven for never having heard of Dark Souls, but you would definitely be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t played a game either directly inspired or affected by it. Enter The Surge 2, a tactical hack- and-slash experience that follows hot off the heels of its predecessor,…

The NBA 2K series has become for many, including myself, the definitive basketball gaming experience. While each iteration tries to evolve in interesting ways, NBA 2K20 remains an evolutionary experience rather than a revolutionary one. In many ways, NBA 2K20 is superior to any of its predecessors, presenting stellar basketball gameplay paired with authentic presentation…

Rad marks another genre turn for developer Double Fine, the studio behind classics like Psychonauts, Grim Fandango and Broken Age. Inkeeping with Double Fine studio lead Tim Schafer‘s abstract sense of humour, Rad is an imaginitive, colourful and wonderfully wacky rogue-like dungeon crawler. Bursting with colour and character, Rad might not be the best game…

F1 2019 is in many ways, still the best Formula 1 racing game on the planet. But in doing so, it slows down its revolutionary formula for an evolutionary approach. While it makes enough changes year-to-year for this to remain a stellar instalment, I can’t help but feel it already had perfected things a year…

I’m a huge fan of the fighting game genre. Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Street Fighter, Soul Calibur. You name it, I love it. But Samurai Shodown, a venerable SNK franchise I had heard of but never played, had eluded me. Part reboot, part sequel, the latest entry in the long-running series (which reduces the title back…

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the Crash Team Racing released on the original PlayStation, a game determined to set itself apart from genre titan Mario Kart. Thankfully, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled recaptures the experience of playing CTR again for the first time, bursting with flavour, variety and fun, and packed with…

With the hype Avengers: Endgame; the culmination of Marvel’s 10 year cinematic universe sweeping the globe, it’s only natural that movie tie-in merchandise would follow in its path. Enter Ubtech’s Iron Man MK50. Based on the Iron Man costume seen in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the MK50 presents itself as an elaborate action figure,…

First things first: World War Z wasn’t that bad of a movie. Released in a time when the undead genre had reached peak saturation, resurrecting the license with a worthy yet flawed video game adaptation a full six years later seems a strange move to say the least. That this IP resurrection is hitting shelves…

Ok, first things first? Do you like going fast? I mean really, really, really fast? Well then F1 2018 may just be suited to you. The latest iteration of developer Codemasters’ premiere Formula 1 franchise may just be the best we’ve seen so far, thanks to some handy improvements presentation and controls, all while holding…

The Crew 2 immediately presents itself as a different kind of racer, drawing on its arcade-like mechanics of the past, while infusing they with new mechanics encouraging transformation and an even bigger variety of vehicles to choose from, across the land, sea and sky. Seems like an improvement right? Well, not exactly. While The Crew…

Let’s get one thing straight. Paladins does little to hide its Overwatch inspirations. Team-based multiplayer action tied together with an expansive and varied roster of heroes, it may come down to poor timing that Paladins lacks the originality it arguably deserves. But it doesn’t end there, as the Switch version gives users an experience so far…

Boasting “DSLR Performance in a compact body”, Canon’s Powershot G1X Mark III claims to be a “compact without compromise” – and it does a pretty good job of living up to those claims.

Spoilers for the Ash vs Evil Dead finale to follow It was only a week ago when the news dropped that the beloved The Evil Dead (1981) followup series Ash vs Evil Dead would not be returning for a season 4 and this season 3 finale all of a sudden became the series finale. As heartbreaking as…

Extinction offers up an interesting premise that I was personally drawn to. Being a fan of The Shadow of the Colossus, which this game seems to borrow elements from, it seemed like a no-brainer. What we get however, is an underdeveloped pot of mediocrity that pulls off a few neat tricks, while ultimately crumbling under…

After Jane spectacularly quits her awful job, she and housemate Kel decide it’s time to rent out the sunroom. Roy seems to be the perfect candidate. He’s quiet and he cooks and he’s not looking to impose on the girls’ karaoke nights any time soon. But Kel isn’t so sure and she’s ready to put…

It’s had an extensive history in only 100 years; from office building to WWII VA hospital to a nightclub, but now the Fulton Building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is home to a hotel that not only allows guests to recharge in contemporary luxury but also detox and unplug from the digital world. Renaissance Hotel is located…

Hand To God has become one of Broadway’s classic comedies with two Tony Awards under its belt. Now Australian audiences have the opportunity to broaden their theatrical minds with a play that has no boundaries. I don’t think you’ll fully understand what the show is about until you immerse yourself into the crass and messed up…

In what is another standout dramatic piece of writing from playwright Tommy Murphy, Strangers in Between is a heartwarming tale of friendship and self-discovery. As part of this year’s Midsumma Festival theatregoers were treated to an extraordinary piece of work led by three of Australia’s greatest male actors; Simon Burke, Guy Simon and Wil King. Directed by Daniel Lammin, is…

I spent three weeks away in Singapore and Malaysia recently, and the folks at Panasonic very kindly sent their feature-packed compact DMC-TZ110 camera along with me – winner of Camera Magazine Australia’s “Digital Fixed Lens Camera of the Year” at their 2017 Imaging Awards. I still took my D-SLR and two prime lenses along, because…

“The future is now yours.” The Sony Alpha 9’s slogan sounds so esoteric and science fictional, but with 20fps continuous blackout free shooting, 693-point AF coverage and full frame mirrorless sensor, the Sony a9 definitely sounds like the future to me. With so many professionals in my industry – weddings – jumping ship to Sony…

Have you ever wanted to be able to put a 20.3MP camera with full manual controls and 4K video functionality in your pocket? If you said yes, the Lumix DMC-TZ90 might just be your new favourite thing – as long as you don’t plan to shoot after dark. This camera was not designed for me;…

As part of the National Theatre Live broadcasts, we have been privy to some of the West End’s most prestigious plays from playwrights that span far and wide. However, Tony Kushner’s multi-award winning two-part play Angels in America is something else. You will never see anything like this in your life. Ever. Directed by Olivier and Tony award winner…

I’ve been to many a circus show over the years where death defying acts are the norm however, this brand new concept show from Circus Oz has me feeling mighty proud of the creativity and ingenuity of our Australian creatives. Set under the Big Top along Birrarung Marr, the show begins with host Mitch Jones…

Elvis Presley is the OG hunk of burning love, and last night’s Melbourne performance of Elvis – The Wonder of You was the closest thing anyone would ever get to seeing the man himself live. Last week I interviewed Elvis’s best friend Jerry Schilling who emcees the show, and something he said really stood out to me. He said that this show would…

YouTube star Todrick Hall finally made it to our shores as part of his Straight Outta Oz tour; a show that will defy any preconceived idea you had about a musical or a concert. The evening began with a series of Hall’s videos projected onto a large screen showing his most famous videos dating right…

The show must go on, and that is exactly what happened after director Gale Edwards stopped the show right before Sally Bowles‘ iconic number, “Cabaret”. Of all night’s for there to be serious mic/audio issues of course it had to be opening night, right?! That’s the beauty of live theatre. In what was a marvellous show of team…