All Hail PS4’s Sleep Mode

PS4

And praise be to the Suspend/Resume function.

Childbirth is a miracle. I’ve seen a tiny human being come out of another human being twice – the first emerging like a stone skimming over water, the second grumpily being pulled out after refusing to budge, both heralded by the battlecry of a woman adding a +1 to the world with thunderous determination  – and it’s really something. And by really something I mean completely changing your view of yourself and the Universe, but it’s a more relatable summary.

Having kids reframes your world in the best, most exhausting ways possible, but one of the biggest hits comes to gaming time. The nightly hours playing TimeSplitters are a memory so ancient they might as well be from another dimension. Even finishing a game becomes a novelty, and up until recently there was no solution to the frequent sudden instances where the game has to go off now. Thankfully, Sony has solved this with a firmware addition that should be renamed Every Dad’s Best Friend – the glory and brilliance of PS4’s Sleep and Suspend mode.

Continue reading “All Hail PS4’s Sleep Mode”

Review: American Ultra

Improbable as it may seem,  it’s not Jessie Eisenbergs’ transformation from anxiety-stricken stoner to peerless fighting machine that causes American Ultra to stumble. In fact, the choreography of the fight scenes make his activation as covert CIA agent all the more brutal and believable. Where the film falls down is that it succeeds where so many other have failed: it creates a stoner couple who are not only bearable, but actually extremely likeable. Unfortunately, past the midway mark the movie squanders that gift and limps to a total damp squib of a finale.

Continue reading “Review: American Ultra”

Review: Galak-Z (PS4)

*Spelunky* has a lot to answer for. Ever since it single-handedly championed procedurally-generated levels back in its enhanced 2012 version, many other games have been lining up to try and emulate its perfect blend of slow progression and brutal punishments. 17-Bit’s *Galak-Z* is the latest to follow this trend, openly shifting from its initial open-world design in favour of a chaotic and frustration-filled set of tough challenges. And it so nearly gets it right.

Continue reading “Review: Galak-Z (PS4)”

The Problem With Bored Ghostbusters

There’s a new *Ghostbusters* movie incoming, one that fills the boots of the titular paranormal exterminators with female ankles and has *Bridesmaids* and *Spy* director Paul Feig using his comedy experience to bring it all together. None of this is a problem, of course – anyone who declares that a female-led *Ghostbusters* won’t work is an idiot – but there could be a tonal issue with the reboot’s approach. The first cast picture from set shows Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones in uniform, lined up, looking *bored*.

And that could be a problem.

Continue reading “The Problem With Bored Ghostbusters”

Fly Through Every WipEout Track In Your Browser

 

WipEout

The first WipEout was solely responsible for elevating Sony’s first PlayStation from potentially being just another kiddy toy to a genuinely cool piece of kit. The pulsing soundtrack and revolutionary 3D courses marked the start of many lifelong gaming obsessions, curves and accelerator twitches quickly etching into happy minds.

If any of this is giving you an excited glow, then Dominic Szablewski is your new best friend. Diving into the source files (which he’s documented [here](http://phoboslab.org/log/2015/04/reverse-engineering-wipeout-psx)), he’s put each of the original’s tracks into a format that allows you to experience them in your browser. To sweeten the deal, you can even view the ships and logos designed by The Designers Republic, *and* play the soundtrack underneath.

This might actually qualify as The Best Thing Ever. Relive those glory days [here](http://phoboslab.org/wipeout/).