Author: David Smith

David Smith is the former games and technology editor at The AU Review. He has previously written for PC World Australia. You can find him on Twitter at @RhunWords.

Video Games Interview: Shawn Ashmore talks Quantum Break, Supanova and the future of video game narrative

During a whirlwind trip to Australia to promote Remedy Entertainment’s latest game Quantum Break, and an appearance at Gold Coast Supanova over the weekend, we got a chance to chat briefly with the extremely talented Shawn Ashmore.

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Video Games Review: Dark Souls III (PS4, 2016)

In many ways, reviewing a Dark Souls game is an exercise in futility. Not because they’re brutally difficult or because they’re deliberately clunky, but because Souls fans are going to pick it up one way or another. They crave the keen sting of being shut down in absolute terms and the radiant high that comes with attaining victory.

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Titanfall 2 gets first teaser, worldwide reveal in June

For fans of Respawn Entertainment’s clever-but-flawed multiplayer shooter Titanfall, the wait for news on the in-development sequel has been a long one. This morning, we have our first, extremely brief look at Titanfall 2.

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Video Games Review: Pokkén Tournament (Wii U, 2016)

Pokkén Tournament has got to be one of the strangest fighting games I’ve ever played. It stitches together many of the genre’s more traditional elements with a number of more modern design philosophies. It’s trying to please a lot of people at once, Pokémon  and Tekken fans chief among them. It pulls from Bandai Namco’s ongoing Naruto and Dragonball Z…

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Tech Review: Parrot Bebop 2 Quadcopter Drone

About a fortnight ago, I read a review over at Gizmodo on the Phantom 4 drone titled “The DJI Phantom 4 is the nicest drone I’ve ever crashed.” I looked at the damage to the expensive piece of flying hardware and thought “God, that would be heartbreaking as a reviewer. I wonder how he dealt…

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Video Games Review: Quantum Break (Xbox One, 2016)

Quantum Break is the newest title from Remedy Entertainment, creators of the Max Payne series and last-gen gem Alan Wake. It is a game that doesn’t seem terribly interested in being a game as much as it would really like to be a TV series with an interactive component.

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Tech Review: Wacom Bamboo Spark

With more and more tablet devices trying to pin down a level of versatility between an artist’s tablet and a professional ultra book, the Wacom Bamboo Spark is something of a curve ball. Understanding that plenty of artists still prefer the feel of a pencil on paper when drawing or sketching, Wacom’s latest gadget may…

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Tech Review: Razer Kraken Mobile Headphones

If I’m being completely honest, Razer aren’t the first brand that leaps to mind when I think about headphones I’d like to use with my mobile device. Known for producing similar peripherals for use with consoles and gaming PCs, the leap to mobile — particularly with a pair of over-ear cans — represents a bit…

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Blizzard releases second, amazing Overwatch short, Widowmaker fans rejoice

Blizzard have released a second animated short for their upcoming team shooter Overwatch. Built around sniper character Widowmaker, the short provides an insight into her backstory and motivations with a knock-down, drag-out fight with Tracer. Hit the jump to see it for yourself.

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Video Games Review: Tom Clancy’s The Division (PS4, 2016)

Tom Clancy’s The Division is one of those games that has been in pipeline for so long, it actually feels a bit weird to be able to play it at all. Announced at E3 2013, Ubisoft have spent the intervening years making a lot of promises about the game. We were told to expect a…

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Wargaming.net donated a rare Australian tank to a military museum in Cairns and we were there

I am not a military or war history buff. I know a number of guys who can wax rhapsodic about certain World War II weapons and vehicles in the same way many of us can enthuse about our favourite pop-culture artifacts, but I’ve never really understood what it was about these machines that captured their…

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New report suggests Nintendo is halting Wii U production

Nintendo will bring production on its struggling Wii U console to a stop sometime this year. That’s according to new report in Japan’s Nikkei overnight.

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Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Season 3 officially coming later this year

Telltale Games’ popular series of episodic adventure games based on The Walking Dead will get a third season later this year. The news comes a new interview with Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner over at Mashable.

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Hoyts to hold more League of Legends cinema viewing parties for the Oceania Pro League finals

Theatre chain Hoyts have become the exclusive cinema sponsor and partner of the League of Legends Oceanic Pro League. They have also become the official viewing party partner for many other LoL events in Australia and New Zealand. What does this mean? Wanna watch the LoL OPL finals on the big screen with a room full of…

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Video Games Review: EA Sports UFC 2 (PS4, 2016)

I am probably the last person on earth who should be reviewing a UFC video game. I’ve never seen a UFC fight and I only know names like Ronda Rousey because my social media feeds never stop talking about her. I’ve never even been in a fist fight in my entire life. It would seem,…

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Video Games Interview: EA Canada’s Brian Hayes talks UFC 2‘s post-launch plans, Bruce Lee and more

With EA Sports UFC 2 now unleashed upon the masses of fans eager to live out their fantasies of personally stepping into the octagon, we got the opportunity to chat to the game’s creative director Brian Hayes via email.

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Bid on this 20th Anniversary Edition PS4 signed by the Naughty Dog team and help sick kids

Sony Computer Entertainment Australia will today begin an auction on a rare, 20th Anniversary PlayStation 4 console. The console is signed by the top ‘dogs’ at Naughty Dog and the proceeds will go to Sony’s You Can youth cancer charity. Better yet, if you’re feeling flush with cash today — anyone can bid on it.

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Video Games Review: Hitman (Episode One) (PS4, 2016)

With its sixth and latest entry, Hitman will be making one particular part of the series’ fanbase very happy indeed. Hitman: Blood Money, released back in 2006, has become a perrenial fan favourite, its sandbox of inventive and improvisational gameplay proving an unbeatable formula. Developer Io Interactive returned to a more cinematic style in 2012’s…

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*UPDATED* GDC 2016: PlayStation VR is US$399, coming in October

Sony have used their PlayStation VR press event at GDC 2016 this morning to finally announce a launch window and pricing for their PlayStation VR headset. Update: We now have Australian pricing. Hit the jump to see it.

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Video Games Review: Far Cry Primal (Xbox One, 2016)

By the time I was Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, I felt as though Ubisoft had finally created the best possible version of their long-running series. It felt tightly wound, honed over years of tinkering and design evolution. However, in order for the series to endure, it also felt like it needed to take some time off…

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Opinion: Who needs TV when you have Critical Role?

I am so far behind on my TV shows. As I write this, I have easily twenty episodes of different programs to catch up on and that number is only going to increase. The reason? I have discovered something I enjoy watching more than my usual shows. It’s called Critical Role, a live game of…

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Overwatch open beta starts May 6, launch date set for May 24

For everyone who still hasn’t gotten a key for the closed beta of Blizzard’s upcoming team shooter Overwatch, you can relax. Blizzard have announced this morning that the game will enter a very short open beta period in early May before launching on May 24.

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SXSW 2016: Telltale Games to detail upcoming Batman series at SXSW Gaming

In an announcement overnight, Telltale Games have stated that they will unveil the first concrete details of their upcoming Batman game series at SXSW Gaming this year.

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No Man’s Sky finally gets a release date

Start saying goodbye to your friends and family now. The long-awaited space adventure title No Man’s Sky will finally be delivered into your anxious paws on June 22, 2016.

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Miss yesterday’s Nintendo Direct? Watch it here!

Nintendo unleashed the latest in their Direct series of news/company update broadcasts yesterday, filled with new information on Monster Hunter, Pokken Tournament, Hyrule Warriors Legends, Star Fox Zero and more. If you missed it, fear not, you can watch the whole 40 minute broadcast after the jump.

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Look upon this gorgeous Super Nintendo-inspired 3DS design and weep because it’s Japan-only

Nintendo of Japan had an extra announcement to make during their version of yesterday’s Nintendo Direct broadcast that wasn’t included in the US/European version we saw – a limited edition New Nintendo 3DS console with a Super Nintendo theme.

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Flight Review: Travelling to the new Tigerair terminal in Melbourne from the Gold Coast (TT553, TT562)

Tigerair have long been known in Australia for being the cheaper alternative to other major domestic carriers. While some choose to see that is evidence of their being cut-rate in all aspects of their business, Tigerair is more determined than ever to turn the naysayers around. With a fresh new look, a shiny new terminal…

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Mass Effect Andromeda now launching early 2017

Electronic Arts’ chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen has said that the next entry in Bioware’s sci fi RPG series, Mass Effect Andromeda, will launch early 2017 during a technology conference earlier this week.

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Uncharted 4 has been delayed again

Bad news, treasure hunters. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has been delayed once again, pushing its worldwide release date back to May 10. Join us for a good cry after the jump.

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Throw out your Friday morning: there’s gonna be a new Nintendo Direct tomorrow

Hot on the heels of last weeks Pokemon Direct broadcast, Nintendo have announced that the next full Nintendo Direct broadcast will commence at 9am AEDT tomorrow (that’s 8am for QLD, and 7am for WA).

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