Author - Ripper71

National Association of Broadcasters M.E.T. 2017

2017/05/08

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has been around for over many years. Once upon a time it was only filled by the technical professionals of the film and television industries. Over the years, things have shifted in part because of the increasing diversity of how broadcasting is done and also the level of quality that people have come to expect in their home entertainment. Another trade show called the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) used to be where the “common folk” or folks who didn’t care about professional lighting kits or the number of MEs available for a live broadcast.

Things have really changed over the years, the biggest development being the inclusion of Internet professionals. Someone can do in their bedroom a broadcast just as good a local television channel and can reach more people. Consumers have just come to expect broadcast quality in so many aspects of their electronics which is why this year it had the subtitle M.E.T., Media, Entertainment, Technology and covers everything from handy cams and drones to broadcasts to the space station and game shows. We might check out the latest in large screen monitors but we also have jet skis with a steady system built onto the front for a smooth view.

It isn’t all about products though it is also about talking to people behind the scenes of Game Of Thrones and the movie Ghost In The Shell. It’s finding out the requirements to get licensed on larger drones but also how you can reach out to our countries vets and get them help and jobs.

I wish I could afford to be a member of NAB because they not only bring us the next technology and explain the current but they try to make a difference as they do it.

Photo Gallery

Endless Space 2 Early Access Preview

2017/05/02

Ripper71

Geek News, News, Previews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Preview

When our Editor-in-Chief asked if I wanted to review Endless Space 2, I said sure. I had some vague recognition of the first game and no bad memories to speak of. Once I got Endless Space 2 downloaded, I started it up and realized why I remembered it: Endless Space was one of the most deeply detailed 4x games I had ever seen. So going in I had to ask myself if the sequel would detailed as well, or would it be watered down more for the masses instead of the hardcore?

Lift Off:

Of course, being one of the most highly-detailed and hardcore 4x games I have ever played is not a bad thing, quite the opposite in fact, there are lots of serious players out there who feel they can’t find a game up to challenger their mad strategy game skills. They aren’t out there to play a simple world building sim or a game that let’s you mess with a few predetermined planets.. They want to build governments up from scratch in the style they see fit. They want their ships to follow their design choices to match their style of gameplay, whether it be peace-keeping or exploration or…. Conquering. The player who wants all these things and more set in the great depths of dark space can find it in Endless Space 2.

If you have recently revisited the first one in anticipation of the second or are among the hardcore of the genre, you will probably be able to jump right in. Since I play a few games a week of multiple genres stretched across multiple systems, I needed a tutorial video. Thankfully, they have some tutorial videos available, although they do expect you to have a bit of knowledge about the game type already. If you watch a tutorial video and aren’t sure from that whether or not you should get the game then maybe you should pass. That being said, this game is amazing but like so many games that are amazing to their followers they are a bit difficult to get into for those who are primarily casual gamers.

First you find yourself picking a race that most suites your play style. The awesome part is once you have played a race and style to a point you might be getting a little bored with it you can start a new game with a new race and new ideals. I found myself going toward an aggressive expansionary civilization out of the eight different ones to choose from. I like to build fighting ships and this game allows you to build just about every detail of your ships. You can decide how many major civilizations you will be up against, how hard, how big the galaxies will be, just about everything you could want to control going in. You could also just hit the “random” button and head in with whatever the game selects for you. Combining this feature with the other choices you literally wind up with an infinite number of playthroughs. There are even up to 50 possible hero characters to lead your fleets to the stars and a total of 24 possible civilizations, and that’s not counting custom races.

So the game gives you massive possibilities when it comes to starting and as you progress so the game provides a tutorial. Unfortunately I found the tutorial a little confusing from time to time but there are a lot of help videos on YouTube as well because unlike so many specialized games (MOBAs and some FPSs) there doesn’t seem to be player aggro in the community but rather support and an overwhelming desire to get as many player going on it as possible so the game can be as successful as it’s build promises.

So I mentioned space fighting but really the best way to thing of this game is as an ocean of space. The ships are named after our water ships such as the schooner or the corsair, they can have armoring built on their ships or gun or they might use their spare space to use as a merchant hold to kept things to trade between the planets so that some of your ships develop trade routes. Then you have to worry about pirates and see if you can make treaties with other civilizations to help protect each other and build defensive fleets.

Then you choose attack patterns as well so it’s not just like Risk where it is a roll of the dice, instead if you do a pincer movement with your destroyers getting to the stern where the armor is weaker you might take less damage and survive the battle so you can go to the nearest friendly civilization and get repairs done.

You can also set it up so that you play with your Steam friends because though AI is nice there is nothing like the comfort of having your bud guarding your merchant fleet and sharing the spoils of war.

To Boldly Build:

Endless Space 2 is in Early Access on Steam until its official release date of May 19th, 2017. If you buy it now you get to play a near-complete version of the game which is already lots of fun, well supported, and infinitely replayable. In the future, they plan to get other languages than English supported and even more content such as civilization quests, improving the beginner tutorial, adding to the types of ships available and a whole bunch of other things. They will even have meta stories and community mods that they hope to add before May 19th. So do yourself a favor: If you like this sort of game, pick it up now so that while others are still going through the guides you will be mapping out the stars ahead of schedule!

Quick Review of the World of Tanks Graphic Novel

2017/04/30

Ripper71

Book Review, Comics News, Geek News, News, Reviews

World of Tanks has been one of my favorite games since it first showed up at E3 years ago. Its sister games World of Warplanes and World of Warships are really good too but nothing seems to compete with the original which has me coming back to it no matter what system it is on. Its newest platform isn’t a game but rather a graphic novel and that brings up the question if the game holds up well in static print.

Turn The Page:

First off it should be known that it is penned by Garth Ennis, which if you don’t know the name yet you probably know the work. He wrote some Punisher, Hellblazer, all of Preacher, and a great series of comics called Battlefield, more than one run that involves tank crews. When he does his war writing things get down and dirty so he was a perfect fit for World of Tanks. I can’t think of any better modern war story writer to pen this fledgling series.

Ennis was also able to cover the fact that in games you are able to adjust your armor, guns and engine to change the speed by having the adjusted tank be an accidental training prototype that allows an advantage to the crew that knows and a disadvantage to the German tankers who don’t. This leaves it wide open for changes in future installments when he is working with other countries and their tanks.

World of Tanks as a game isn’t gory, it just shows burning vehicles. Garth Ennis is known for trying to be as realistic about the gore as he can, not shying from nastiness. However he also knows the audience he is supposed to be working for and though you might see some bodies you won’t see much gore. It seemed to be a compromise of Ennis and the publisher/game owners.

One thing I do want to point out though is if you had gotten the comics when they came out they had free codes to get starter kits and a free tank on each of the systems you can play the game on. The starting kit and tank might have actually paid for your first couple issues. The codes are expired by now but next time you might want to take a chance on the comic instead of waiting for the graphic novel.

Last Shot:

World of Tanks being written by Garth Ennis is a match made in literary heaven. I am not sure who came up with the idea for this graphic novel. Perhaps they just looked up “battlefield comics” on Google or they may have already been fans of Ennis from Preacher or The Boys. However it happened I just can’t wait to see the next gift they bring us – it’s a great read!

World of Tanks Graphic Novel Review Score

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”] (5 out of 5 Stars)

Man O’ War: Corsair – Warhammer Naval Battles Review

2017/04/20

Ripper71

Geek News, News, Reviews, seal of excellence, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

I love to try pirate themed games. I don’t care how bad initial reviews may or may not be, I will always give one a chance and that is probably because of years of playing them. I also love to play games where I get to face off against orcs and goblins. The best and most notable case of this for me is a game I just celebrated a 10 year guild anniversary in. So let me fight those black sails and privateers through waters where there be monsters… on other ships as well as the deep dark depths. Man O’ War: Corsair – Warhammer Naval Battles promises pirate combat and plenty of orcs to kill. Let’s see how she sails!

Full Sails To The Wind:

Man O’ War: Corsair is out now on Steam and first I’d like to address the game’s score. It sounds like it was made by an orchestra for the History Channel and that is a great compliment. The score is epic and sounds professionally orchestrated – it pulls you in and makes you think about the game having massive scope. Massive sound=massive expectations, especially in this case!

The graphics are what you would expect from a Warhammer game, and it is truly Warhammer on the high (and low) seas. These are some large boots to fill because usually when you think of Warhammer you think of fighting outside then maybe going into the occasional vehicle or siege machine. This time, however, it is the other way around. You will get boarded by Green Skins or even board their ships, but you have to watch your back as well for the pirates or other countries who don’t like you and might want to use the opportunity to sink you.

You go into ports to get crew, weapons, ship repairs, upgrades and purchases, find contracts for everything from sneaking spies and diplomats between ports to making sure one ship or another never sees dry land again. You have to be careful how many enemies you make throughout your journeys because when your ship is shot to hell, most of your crew is dead, and your sails are ragged sheets the closest port in a hell storm just might be what saves you.

Speaking of storms, the game has a terrific weather system that brings beautiful rain, fog, and snow – and sometimes these storms can be brutal. But it isn’t just the monsters riding ships or diving from above that you have to fear, there are also great beasts beneath the waves that can tear your ship apart and leave you wishing for a bigger boat.

Man O’ War: Corsair is open world, with over 50 ports to visit (or sack) and you can play as a merchant, privateer, pirate, great sea hunter or any mix of lot to further your career through across the seas.

…Surprise, and that is just the humans! You can work your way up through the dark ranks and even lead Green Skins in fleets to sack cities and torture citizens. It is the Dark Gods you are trying to impress and their is no place in their royalty for the squeamish. So (especially while learning) I suggest you save often and kill plenty. Once again it is still open world and open season on the puny little humans and seem to fear nothing more than heads on pikes.

Shifting Sails, Headed Home:

Man O’ War: Corsair – Warhammer Naval Battles is a terrific game, with an open world and a mind-boggling amount of playtime. If you like naval combat games, you will like this game. If you like pirate games, you will like this game. And, if you like games set in the Warhammer universe, you will especially love this. Man O’ War: Corsair – Warhammer Naval Battles is a blast from the moment you get your feet wet and it is available now for about $30 dollars on Steam.

Man’O War: Corsair – Warhammer Naval Battles Review Score

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#81d742″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#81d742″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#81d742″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#81d742″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#81d742″ type=”fa”] (5 out of 5 stars)

Mass Effect: Andromeda PS4 Review

2017/04/07

Ripper71

News, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 4 Review, Reviews

Space is big, like way bigger than any game or any series of games can contain, and that is just outer space, let’s not get started on inner space or aquatic space. As a result the creators of the Mass Effect trilogy were able to craft three amazing games taking up tons of space with well developed characters and still be able to go… hmm where should we start our next trilogy of games? The Andromeda galaxy isn’t that far away in terms of space distances, let’s go there! And so it was, Mass Effect: Andromeda, a ginormous game of its own was born!

Wakey Wakey!:

Cryosleep, it’s how we are gonna get there, pretty much everyone agrees, and they also agree those first poor buggers who wake up are gonna have a hell of a time with it. They are gonna be cranky, probably not all hot and daisy fresh like Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence. Most would wake up with hard jobs and blame they want to pass off for everything that went on during the “welcome back from hibernation” weeks or months. So you are the new pathfinder, chosen not by the decided process or the per-ordained individual but because your dad realize his was about to buy the farm and he wanted to hitch you to the tractor load. Nobody seems genuinely happy about this, the best you get is indifference from a crew member who you helped move a couch. This sounds like it might be spoiler filled but you actually get this unwanted vibe pretty early in the process, and those who do want you want you to help with stuff you should not be doing when there are so many big items on your plate. If you are a completionist (I can relate often) this will keep you from some of the important tasks, even if not a completionist you might wonder if one of these quests that seem menial might pay off in the endgame.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do it all but my suggestion would be to try to do that on planets to start with, the resources and goodwill of getting all those cryo-cranks some terra firma between their toes goes a long way towards the good will up on the tin can. You still probably won’t get much credit for anything going right but you can at least sneer at the computer/television screen. When it comes to doing things both in ship and planet side it helps to have played the other Mass Effect games for a learning curve but they are by no means necessary. I actually played them all and as a result plenty of things came natural and there are still a few things that even going with the tutorials I don’t understand what the heck I am supposed to do. I know that this game has massive amounts of hours to play it, especially if you get into side missions.

This brings me to something I don’t usually remark on too much and that was how much negative press I was seeing pop up on my newsfeeds for this game. It made me think the game must be pretty short and I kept waiting for it to end soon and disappointingly. It just wasn’t the case. Actually the more I played the better I thought the game was. There is a difficulty curve, new story line angles unlocking as you go and you have the option to play naughty “Captain Kirk” with any species and sex in the whole game. You can have heavy effects on what happens in the politics involved with the game or not have any play right down the middle trying to keep things as peaceful as possible. You can make decisions that will reflect how the whole Andromeda Galaxy views the human species… are we explorers trying to find new homes or a military society that is just as comfortable interacting with others by putting a boot on their neck and a gun to their temple if that doesn’t work? I am still working at side missions in the game and figure I probably will be for a while but I can tell that there is a lot more to this game than most people have probably given attention to and that would give them the wrong feeling about it. If you don’t get far enough away from the snarky buggers on the main ship the game feels like a downer and not the fledgling battle of a new hero but rather a scapegoat that can be used to wipe whatever you stepped in off on. This is the story of one person seeing the potential in another over all the opinions of others and you as the player proving that opinion right. It’s an underdog story, the kind of thing most of us love (Rudy! Rudy!) I just don’t think most people let it get to that amazing point.

The graphics and scope of maps and scenic locations are excellent and though there were some pretty brutal glitches and some rather large areas where manual saves are blocked and auto saves are painfully separated for the most part everything goes as planned. I had one point where I fell through the ground and it chose the moment on the other side of the mapping to auto save (it wasn’t until afterwards I really thought it was funny enough I should have captured it) causing me to go back quite a ways but for the most part it wasn’t too bad that way. Loading seemed pretty nicely quick when you consider the sheer size of these open world maps and how much detail can change in a short distance so that your health melts off you faster than you can run or suddenly a whole bunch of big bad guys have ambushed you. Going planet side can be slow but again for a lot of the before mentioned reasons.

My big hope is for some releases with some more planets down the road, ugly planets, bug planets…

DON’T PANIC!:

Mass Effect: Andromeda I think is a great game and a nice power starter for a new trilogy of games in a new set of worlds. We have a hero, we have planets, we have aliens… all we need is our towels.

Mass Effect: Andromeda Review Score

Castle Torgeath: Descent Into Darkness Review

2017/03/27

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

I’ve been playing video games almost as long as there have been video games and ever so often one comes along so loaded with nostalgic feel that it feels like it traveled through a time machine. The beauty of Steam Greenlight is these beautiful old school RPGs like Castle Torgeath can still find a home in your heart after so many years of hardcore games.

At the beginning of Castle Torgeath: Descent into Darkness, you are presented with a few paragraphs of text explaining the game’s premise. You are a down on your luck adventurer who finds a listing on a job board. The listing advertises an expedition into the ancient, and supposedly-abandoned, Castle Torgeath. The ad promises fortune and glory for anyone who joins in, so you grab your sword and start after the expedition.

The game resembles those old school, first-person dungeon crawlers like early Elder Scrolls games – actually, it more than resembles them – it is one! Castle Torgeath captures that retro feeling so well that, if you played through those kind of games when they came out, it is like a time warp.

You have three meters in you lower corner, one for mana, one for health and one for hunger. Healing and mana are refreshed through potions and fountains and hunger is helped through food. You want to keep an eye on all three to survive. Occasionally you will stumble on a lost adventurer who will sell you the goods he has found or a spell he knows for the treasures you have stumbled upon. Be wary of making too many trades or you might be short of valuables when you need them most.

There are multiple levels with bosses at the end and the game progresses with starting enemies being weak like rats to bigger enemies like summoned demons and big ass bugs. All the time you also have to look for hidden clues and passages while avoiding hidden traps and enemies. The graphics are even retro, and they are done well enough to not make you sick playing but still simple enough to still hearken back to the roots it’s based on. The game features no speech, but plenty of tried and true text to read and the developers have quite a bit of lore scrawled out for your enjoyment.

At one point in gaming history, first-person dungeon crawlers relied on angular or grid-based movement systems. Torgeath allows for free-roaming movement, which should help modern gamers from giving up. The older movement systems can be rather constricting.

Last Health Point:

Castle Torgeath: Descent Into Darkness is a very fun play based off a very old school game design which works on a nostalgic level as well as introduce modern players to gaming history. Besides it less than $10 and when you consider inflation isn’t that much more than it would have cost back in the day.

Castle Torgeath: Descent Into Darkness Review Score

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star-o” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”] (4 out of 5 stars)

Advanced Evo X Wireless In-Ear Monitors Review

2017/03/27

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

About 6 months ago I was 325 pounds and on multiple medications to control my Type 2 Diabetes. Even with my canes I could not stand for more than a few minutes at a time. I was trying to get into weight loss surgery to help with both mental and physical results of my weight including worsening my degenerative bone disease complications. Basically I was a medical wreck but my insurance like so many other people’s gave me the run around and denied me. So I got out my cane, strapped my phone to my hand, and started walking the court we live on in case I collapsed too badly and couldn’t walk home I could possible call for help or crawl home. It was painful from the beginning and the only thing that helped was diving deep into my music. I now have a weight flux between 255-265 pounds, less Diabetic meds and even though I still have to walk with a cane because I still have all my medical ailments I can walk longer before having to lay back down. That means I am always testing headphones and this time I got the privilege of testing my first wireless ones with the Advanced Evo X Wireless In-Ear Monitors.

Locked In:

The Evo X Monitors have a feature I particularly needed in earphones and that is the “twist and lock” into your ears design. They twist from the front, slide into your ear canal and have tubing that wraps around your ear. Sometimes even the shortest of walks such as to the bathroom can have me overwhelmed in pain and staring at the ground or pulling off my hat to wipe away the sweat and these just stay on and stay in place when bumped. They supply different size ear foam buds to make sure you have the one that fits your ears best and a travel case to keep them safe in and to keep the spare buds in a mesh holder.

All the comfort of headphones don’t matter if the sound doesn’t come through clearly. Luckily they have wired clarity. They connect to your phone via Bluetooth and have and surprisingly nice range. I was listening to some music while preparing for one of my “death marches” and couldn’t find my phone in my pocket when I was about to go out the door. Turned out I had left it on the bedpost upstairs at the other end of the house and yet I had no problem with reception. So they have comfort and range, but what about how long does the battery last? After my walk and laying down on the bed watching programs on my phone I found the battery worked about 4-5 hours which is probably a lot more than the average person needs and it takes about two hours to recharge, less if you use a speed charging battery.

The controls only take a little while to get used to and that is because they are so nicely low profile. It wasn’t until reading the box that I found out it had a built in mic for taking calls, hence being called “monitors” instead of just “headsets”. Everything is low profile even the cable between monitors could be hidden under a hat or knit cap.

Last Words:

The Advanced Evo X Wireless In-Ear Monitors are the most comfortable in-ear headphones I have ever used as well as being the most secure. I wish I could say I will be using them but my wife who is getting weight loss surgery in a couple weeks has already laid claim to them so I only have them until surgery time. I’ll have to look forward to Advanced’s other lines of products and hopefully I will be able to get a pair for myself!

Advanced Evo X Wireless In-Ear Monitors Review Score

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”] (5 out of 5 Stars)

For Honor Review (PC)

2017/03/09

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

For Honor has easily been one of the most highly anticipated games of the year – partly due to its smoothly rendered gameplay and beautifully decorating battlegrounds/environments. Even more important, however, is that For Honor helps us settle one of the most pressing questions among armchair historians and gamers alike: Who would win in a fight between samurai, vikings, and medieval knights?

For Honor!

It should be noted early on in this review, that For Honor requires a pretty hefty footprint of hard drive space: 40 GBs! Also, it isn’t a slouch in the performance requirements either, so be sure that your rig can handle it before you get the game. Obviously, our console-playing brethren are all-set on this point because all they need is a decent internet connection – but, I digress. The PC version, however, will allow you to boost up those beautiful graphics so much that you might just stop and watch all the flame and smoke, possibly at the expense of your own execution.

When it comes to battle there are two primary methods of melee combat, the first being a more tactical style of fighting. In For Honor, this style of combat is toggled into with the left CTRL button and not unlocked from until the key is struck again or until one of you is dead. In boss fights this proves to be particularly handy because boss strike and counter times can be very small so seeing it on the screen can really help. It also helps you to time an execution mode on an enemy which adds points but more importantly looks bad ass. This mode also helps you aim in battle which can be helpful so that you don’t miss an enemy and smack your weapon into a wall leaving your whole flank open.

The other style of fighting is more of a brawler or gorilla style where you are not locked onto the enemy and instead you just move in, try to make some strikes and move back out when you have taken too many blows or the style isn’t working and you need to go into tactical mode. This kind of fighting is pretty handy when it comes to quick strikes and if one of your loaded skills is health regeneration this might give you a chance to get some distance and some healing in before another round. This is also nice for keeping an eye on the enemy in case it suddenly becomes a two or three on one match, you might want to bug out. It might be good to mention that among the different game difficulty settings, there is a “realistic” mode which means one death and that character is permanently gone.

There are the primary types of fighting styles but there are also individual upgrades that you can get depending on the group you fight for and the style of the fighter in question. A lot of players out there just care about multiplayer gaming and that is totally fine – though if they do just that and not play the single player campaign, they will miss out on an interesting story of how three of the greatest fighting groups the world has ever known came to blows.

Multiplayer in interesting because it involves three fairly common types of gameplay modes, but the battles all serve a greater purpose. First off you have a player versus player dueling mode which is pretty straightforward, or you can do player vs. AI duel which is nice since all the players can be allied. On these environment is important to keep a quick eye, because a big burning cauldron for light can also “light up” a player and pushing someone towards a broken ledge railing might leave them a splat on the ground. While it is considered more honorable to let a player face just one other person instead of multiple players teaming up against another, honor can be hard to find and loose alliances will be formed, Hunger Games style. There is a nice response to these alliances though: the revenge mode. If two or more players are hitting you, it fills up a meter which, when full, can activate the revenge mode. This mode let’s you attack back viciously and may give you the chance to even the odds again!

Then there is Dominion multiplayer mode which is basically a control point game. The captured control zones give you points much faster than slaughtering your enemy and when you capture a control point your army of pawns will move up onto it if it is the connected control point to the one they are already guarding. Taking out their pawns also helps this process but fighting the other players and maintaining captured control points are key. This was my favorite mode because if your teammate is down and not executed you can go and revive them. It really feels like a mode that fosters good teamwork and if you aren’t the best at combat your team will still appreciate the best healer. Obviously, you can’t heal a player with no head, so players that are executed cannot be healed.

One of the best things about the battles is that they aren’t just for the heck of it. You can find armor, patterns, symbols, and tattoos to customize your character. Most importantly though wins and losses go towards holding sections in a Risk type style game map. At the end of the tournament time the one with the most lands and point is declared the winning faction.

Healing My Wounds:

For Honor is a beautiful game with amazing graphics and audio on the PC with well-balanced classes and carefully developed combat styles. Players who just like to run and smash and bash may not find this to be the game for them. Players that like to mix a bit of strategy with their fighting game and are comfortable working their way slowly through levels will find For Honor a great play they keep going back to.

For Honor Review Score:

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star-o” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”] (4 out of 5 Stars)

Nyko Data Bank Plus For The PlayStation 4 – Review

2017/02/07

Ripper71

Geek News, News, Peripheral Review, Peripherals News, Reviews

I am constantly running into my console’s hard drive limitations. Doesn’t matter the system, I eventually have to go through and delete off a drive’s worth of games, some that I spent more hours with than I spent at my first job out of high school. I literally have a dozen drives around the house to backup or play off of if I think I will be coming back to that game long after review time. Mad Max and I have been together for too many years to have the latest game of him wind up in the wind. Heck just in photos from the 8 or 9 conventions days I attend a year has it’s own 3 TB HD and I will probably be expanding that. The only thing I found I couldn’t expand and caused me quite a bit of worry was my PlayStation 4. Now though thanks to Nyko that is definitely a thing of the past.

The system is called the Nyko Data Bank Plus and it allows you to go from your original 2.5 inch hard drive to a 3.5 inch hard drive of your choosing be added into the system and in an aesthetic way. Here’s how it works: you add a piggyback container with built in cable and button system that allows you to go from the 2.5 drive in you system to an installed 3.5 at the press of a button.

This took me a while to write because initially I was just going to put in a 3.5 I had sitting around that wasn’t even a full TB. For review purposes the size of the drive doesn’t matter but if I am going to try to expand the life of my PS4 in a meaningful manner, I was going to want a bigger one. The waiting was grueling because whenever something like this is placed to the back for now I fill I am under some unseen pressure to get it done, some massive due date or even worse I get a video game review that brings me to that point of decision again: what game will I keep on it.

Finally sales watching paid off and I was able to get an nice name brand 3TB hard drive that can be my new golden storage space. It was time to put the Nyko Data Bank Plus to work. First of all you need to figure out which PlayStation you have. The PlayStation Pro will have a different setup system that the original model for example. All the parts needed for a different setup are either already a part of your PlayStation or are neatly added to the Nyko kit. Before you open anything electrical up I cannot stress enough the importance of grounding yourself. In Las Vegas where I live walking across a non-carpeted regular old laminant floor is enough to send massive shocks through electrical systems. I have seen someone playing a game, get up to get a drink from the fridge, come back without grounding themselves and get The Blue Screen Of Death on their system. If you don’t have anything to ground yourself make sure to make the investment, especially in dry or stormy weather.

First you back up your game information to a sizable USB fob for anything you don’t want to lose. Then shut off your PS4 and slide the smaller section of the top off. You then unscrew one screw holding the old drive in place. At this point in your setup consult your manual because there are a couple steps that are different depending on the model of PS4 you have. Take care of the steps that match your system (either way it is only a couple) then once the new hard drive is in position close the case. Voila, you did some studly upgrading of your PS4!

It really is an extremely easy process. I felt silly I was a bit nervous about it while waiting for the drive to go on sale. I had projects go bad on me before and it just seemed too easy, and that is just because they made the Nyko Data Bank Plus that easy to work with.

Nyko Data Bank Plus For The Playstation 4 Review Score

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star-o” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”] (4 out of 5 Stars)

Star Wars Rogue One Pinball Review

2017/02/06

Ripper71

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 4 Review, Reviews

I was fortunate to see all the Star Wars movies in theaters, when they originally came out. There was a close call during Return of the Jedi when my large soda fell off the banister onto the seats below me. Thankfully, my mom was there, told them it was an accident, and I got to finish the movie with the Ewoks dancing in the trees and the audience cussing below me. When it comes to real life pinball, I have done an excellent job keeping that streak alive as well, whereas I feel shamed at how many virtual Star Wars tables I have yet to experience. There are A LOT, and they are all for Zen Studios’ Pinball Fx 2 platform, which combines exceptional bumper, flipper, and ball physics while adding 3D animated elements. I have finally got to turn this around with Star Wars Rogue One which, though it is just one table of many, is a very nice spot to start!

First Plunger:

I feel this is a good place to start for a couple reasons, this is the most recent table to be released and this table is a binding point between the original trilogy’s A New Hope and everything that has been deemed to be canon before it. Players should have a sense of the original trilogy and its worlds while appreciating what came before, but was written afterwards. It makes more sense if you make a chart but I try not to subject readers to charts. Just games.

When Star Wars Rogue One’s trailer came out, the thing that really caught and excited fans was the return of the mighty AT-AT walkers from the Hoth battle in The Empire Strikes Back. They are a slightly different model, the AT-ACT (All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport) and, instead of trudging through desolate snowy tundra, they are seen stomping flat palm trees and blasting sandy beaches. This was the landscape that Star Wars Rogue One Pinball chose with craters and sand to the sides of the table and on the video screen you see AT-AT feet coming down on targets. The table action , however, is more sky oriented with the main bumpers being TiE fighters next to a rebel U-Wing that is above the raised metal side track on one side. The other side has a well known imperial leader locking your balls for multi-ball and down by the plunger is our heroine, Jyn Erso. I’ll be honest I wish I could have seen an AT-AT standing out on the table but there is really only so much room so much of the story and characters and vehicles we wish to see are shown in mini games on the video board. I won’t expose anymore about them than I have but I will say keep playing and playing, there is way more to this table than what is on the surface. Wait… what is that in the distance…

…nevermind.

The artwork is great, the sound is amazing and the animations both in the mini video board and 3D characters that make appearances are absolutely awesome. It is just as much fun to watch being it played, especially if you have a real pinball wizard in the house that can show you things you haven’t seen yet. The table plays fast, like really fast, and has four flippers so speed shooting around the board leaving silver trails is not just likely but would be hard to avoid!

Last Match:

Well there is no match ball actually but Star Wars Rogue One Pinball is great and makes me want to play the other dozen or so really badly. The pinball machine feels as much a part of Star Wars canon as the movie it was based on and I could see it being put right up their with the cartoons, movies and books accepted for the prestigious role of canon. Now I have to go watch Star Wars Rogue One and A New Hope again, in a theater without balconies and soda mishaps.

Star Wars: Rogue One Pinball Review Score

[mks_icon icon=”fa-empire” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-empire” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-empire” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-empire” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-empire” color=”#dd3333″ type=”fa”] (5 out of 5 Imperial Logos)