What’s On
THE ART OF THE BRICK: DC COMICS
Lego and superheroes are often like bread and butter to the video game world, so you should be very excited at the prospect of the two combining for a seriously unique proposition. Setting up shop inside the Powerhouse Museum, The Art Of The Brick: DC Comics sees legendary Lego artist Nathan Sawaya use literally hundreds of thousands of bricks to create large-scale sculptures of the most popular DC heroes and villains. That includes the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Joker and Harley Quinn. The blockbuster runs from Saturday November 21 – Sunday May 1 and tickets can be purchased via Ticketek.
DOCTOR WHO FESTIVAL 2015
If you’re a hardcore Whovian than you surely know the Doctor has made a surprisingly large amount of video game appearances in his lifetime. Sure, most of them are pretty terrible, but that shouldn’t stop you from showing some love for the world-saving Time Lord at the official Doctor Who Festival. Taking over the Royal Hall Of Industries and Hordern Pavilion on Saturday November 21 and Sunday November 22, this is the first time the event has made it to our shores and will feature the show’s latest star, Peter Capaldi. You can pick up last-minute tickets now from Ticketek.
Review: Halo 5: Guardians (XBO) [pictured above]
As Microsoft’s flagship Xbox franchise, there’s a hell of a lot of pressure behind every Halo title, and Halo 5: Guardians (the first on the new console) is no exception. Thankfully, fans needn’t worry too much, because this is the same Halo you’ve come to know and love – even if isn’t able to reach the grand heights of its predecessors.
Much like Halo 4 before it, Guardians’ main drawback is its narrative. Overly focused on established backstory, developer 343 Industries isn’t able to suck you in as much as the team surely hoped – relying heavily on your affection for the series and the tomes of lore that accompany it. It may also come as a shock that the main portion of the game is actually through the space soldier shoes of Jameson Locke – the man leading Fireteam Osiris in the search for Master Chief. You’ll still control the iconic figure, but he lacks the screentime he so sorely deserves, and that fans surely expect.
Thankfully, things get onto more stable ground with Guardian’s great multiplayer suite. The franchise has always excelled at its matchmaking and online experience, and Halo 5 is no exception, thanks in large part to the addition of Warzone. A brand new mode, Warzone brings the fight to its competitors by throwing up to 24 players on expansive maps while causing absolute chaos.
A considered evolution of the old Big Team Battle set up, each varying map presents the opportunity for multiple routes and ways to rack up points. Standard Spartan kills, base captures and AI ‘boss’ threats are all up for grabs, each of which offers a different sized reward. Deciding whether to go after cheap and easy kills or attempt to put it all on the line by dedicating more manpower to a dangerous, time-consuming adventure is a thrill and allows for a great deal of strategy to be tossed around the battlefield.
At the end of the day, though its story won’t win any awards, Halo 5 is still one of the prettiest and most polished shooters on the market. Xbox One owners, take notice.
★★★★☆
Adam Guetti
Review Round-Up
With games continuing to fly onto store shelves in time for the holiday season, here are some of the biggest titles you should be keeping an eye on…
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
PS4, XBO, PC
After copping a fairly brutal beating with Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Ubisoft’s follow-up, the London-based Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, is a much-improved beast. Movement is smoother, the twin dynamic between protagonists Evie and Jacob Frye presents a healthy amount of variation and game-breaking bugs won’t spoil your mood. Sure, the combat can get a touch repetitive, but it’s great to see the series pick itself up again.
★★★★☆
Guitar Hero Live
PS4, XBO, Wii U, PS3, 360
We already have a new Rock Band, so it was inevitable we would be graced with another Guitar Hero as well. Unlike Rock Band 4, however, Guitar Hero Live does well to mix things up via its brand new guitar peripheral. The rejigged button layout (adding two rows of three buttons towards the top of the neck) offers up a fun new way to play and a fresh challenge, even for series veterans. GH TV (a 24/7 broadcast of playable music videos), on the other hand, should be the perfect aid for parties, but gets slightly bogged down in its microtransaction-heavy nature.
★★★½
Just Dance 2016
PS4, XBO, Wii U, PS3, 360, Wii
Seven games in, you pretty much know exactly what you’re in for with a new Just Dance game, and Just Dance 2016 doesn’t disprove the rule. Whip out some moves to the latest chart-toppers (like ‘Uptown Funk’), earn points and have a good time with your friends. This year’s big calling card is the ability to play with your smartphone through the new Just Dance Controller. It’s a brilliant idea that should entice even more people towards the action, but it’s certainly not for everyone and series fence-sitters are likely to remain unconvinced.
★★½
