What’s On: June 2016

Supanova Pop Culture Expo

Calling all lovers of movies, television, games, comics and… pretty much anything pop-culture-related, for Supanova Pop Culture Expo is back in town. Running since 2000, Supanova borrows a little something from everywhere and places it in Sydney Showground for your enjoyment. There are upcoming video games to play, merchandise to buy and a cavalcade of superstars to see. In fact, this year’s lineup is filled to the brim, including Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s James Marsters, The Lord Of The Rings’ Sean Astin, Deadpool’s Brianna Hildebrand, Game Of Thrones’ Eugene Simon, voice actor extraordinaire Troy Baker (The Last Of Us, BioShock Infinite), and the star of the upcoming Warcraft film, Travis Fimmel. The show runs from Friday June 17 – Sunday June 19, with tickets starting from $28 at supanova.com.au/tickets.

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016

Before you get too excited, no, you won’t actually be able to attend this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), namely because it’s all the way in sunny Los Angeles from Tuesday June 14 –­ Thursday June­ 16. As a video game fan, however, that shouldn’t matter one iota. That’s because E3 is arguably the biggest event in the video game calendar, at which most of the major publishers take to the stage to announce their upcoming slate of blockbusters. Most demos and press conferences from the show can be streamed online live, so grab a warm blanket, brew yourself a coffee and settle in for what is one of the most exciting times of the year.

Review: Battleborn (PS4, XBO, PC)

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If you were to ask Gearbox, the studio would claim that – despite sharing many similarities – its new title Battleborn is not a MOBA. So much so, in fact, that Gearbox overlord Randy Pitchford instead described the game as an “FPS; hobby-grade co-op campaign; genre-blended, multi-mode competitive e-sports; meta-growth, choice [plus] epic Battleborn Heroes.” Irrespective of your confusion level after processing that, the final product is an often entertaining, yet flawed romp.

The basic set-up is simple: a mysterious evil race has been taking out all the stars in the universe, leading all remaining civilisations to take refuge around the last star, Solus. Eventually, however, the evil focuses all its efforts on said star, leading a whopping 25-hero roster to band together to defend it – by combining first-person shooting and hand-to-hand combat in, what is in all honesty, a very MOBA-inspired playground.

The characters certainly have a distinct Gearbox feel to them (everything from a longbow-wielding wood elf to a robotic butler), the combat is gratifying, and there’s a heavy dose of welcome humour, but the whole game just lacks that core spark.

Interestingly enough, one of Battleborn’s bigger downfalls is actually its viewpoint. By placing the action in first person, it makes keeping track of everything around you a difficult process, especially if all ten players are creating a commotion simultaneously.

Give it some time and there’s a lot to like about Battleborn, but maybe a sequel can help refine its overwhelmingly chaotic nature.

★★★☆☆

Review: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)

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Naughty Dog has always been viewed as best in class when it comes to narrative-driven, immersive storytelling. This is the team that challenges Hollywood, and in some cases, betters it. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is no different. From start to finish, not only is it deeply absorbing and effective, but it’s a visual powerhouse filled with landscapes that will make you gasp and character models likely to send your jaw to the floor. Without question, this is the most beautiful game on PS4 and one of the most gorgeous in the medium, period.

Without spoiling too much, A Thief’s End thrusts Nate into life post-Uncharted 3 as the charming explorer settles into life with Elena, although perhaps not as successfully as one would hope. Regardless, retirement is quickly interrupted when his brother Sam, whom he previously thought had been killed on a job, returns with claims that his life is in danger. The only solution, of course, is for the pair to pick up where that job left off.

Cue some of the greatest third person action to grace a video game console, despite the fact that scenes actually aren’t as consistently bombastic as A Thief’s End’s predecessors, valuing pace over explosions. Shooting is also less floaty than Drake’s Deception and the addition of a grappling hook adds another dimension atop the series’ already stellar climbing mechanics.

Then there is Naughty Dog’s decision to open up levels more than ever before. With greater flexibility on how to reach destinations, exploring the game’s environments feels like a freer experience, even if you’re still fundamentally following a relatively linear path.

Once you’ve watched the final credits roll on the campaign, there’s always multiplayer to dive into, and as luck would have it, it’s pretty darn enjoyable. Gallivanting about luscious stages as you track down foes can be a blast, especially in light of the grappling hook and brand new supernatural Mysticals. The mode definitely lacks the depth of a competitive-focused title like Call Of Duty, but if you’re not ready to bid farewell to Naughty Dog’s series just yet, there’s a tonne to keep you going.

Eventually, it will all come to an end, but if this indeed Naughty Dog’s final expedition, then it acts as one hell of a swansong. A refinement on what’s come before and an instant classic worthy of a place in everybody’s collection.

★★★★★

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