After the hell-fun rollercoaster that was Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a true reboot of the series, comes a watered down Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Single mum, Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) has more than teamed up with her kids teacher, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd).

It’s a family affair with themselves and the two kids, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (McKenna Grace) along with Trevor’s sort of girlfriend, Lucky Domingo (Celeste O’Connor) all in to chase spiritual entities around New York City.

Things have gotten high tech as well.

Original Ghostbuster, now philanthropist Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) has poured money in to advanced ghost trapping, catching and identifying technology.

But it is a strange sphere that comes in to Ray Stanz’s occult bookstore that sets off a motion of freezing carnage.

Selling a family heirloom to make a quick buck, Razmaadi (Kumal Nanjiani) had no idea what he had.

Neither do the Ghostbusters until it’s too late and a trapped spectral vengeful God is released.

What plays out is a light hearted comedy supernatural based chapter in the series, with too many one-liners, the humour tries too hard and while there are a lot of throwbacks to the original Ghostbusters, mostly welcomed, I felt that the writing on Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire went a bit flat and when the big action finally happens it was all over before I knew it.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an enjoyable watch, but it is for me a watch once only (I have seen Frozen Empire many times over).

Good, but not memorable like the other Ghostbusters films.

The post Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Sony Pictures) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The Chant, a single-player third person cosmic horror action adventure has just released a brand new preview accolades video calling players to travel to a remote island on the Pacific Coast and join a spiritual retreat, which is far from a regular holiday destination.

Developed by Brass Token and published by Prime Matter, the game is said to be “a big surprise; making its way to the most anticipated upcoming titles” by Press Start from Australia and “a full blast of cosmic cultist horror” by the German outlet in-game.

Diverse international media had the chance to put their “hands on” The Chant for the first time during Gamescom, held in Cologne (Germany) at the end of August.

The game is set on Glory Island, at a remote spiritual retreat. After a group ritual goes wrong and awakens The Gloom (a colourful psychedelic dimension of terror that feeds off negative energy), the main character, Jess, must face her own fears to reverse the ritual.

To survive, players must craft, fight, and escape the sinister legacy of an older 1970s cult, and the spiritual and physical beings they unleashed. The game is, IGN France says, “the new gem from Prime Matter”.

Mike Skupa, Creative Director says, “It’s been inspiring to hear people’s impressions after playing The Chant. Seeing fans of the genre reference inspirations from classic survival horror games to weird fiction and beyond reminds us why we created this game in the first place”.

The Chant is a thrilling blend of twisted and colourful characters and a 70s inspired atmospheric soundtrack designed by the renowned composer Paul Ruskay.

 The Chant´s digital pre-order bonuses include a 1970s themed in-game VFX filter mode and an exclusive 1970s inspired spiritual retreat outfit.

Additionally, physical Limited Edition pre-orders will include the psychedelic soundtrack, created by the renowned composer Paul Ruskay, and The Glory Island Art Book.

The Chant is a cosmic horror action adventure game developed by Brass Token and published by Prime Matter, launching on Xbox Series X / S, PS5 and PC on November 3rd, 2022.

The post The Chant Hits PC & Consoles This November appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The streets of Tokyo are deserted, clothes lay where people once stood, vehicles stopped at traffic lights which had commuters driving them.

In an instant a mysterious fog has rolled over Tokyo making the citizens of the overcrowded city instantly vanish.

But you Akito Izuki, on the cusp of death somehow survived. In part thankfully to ‘KK’, a spirit that has taken over your body, partially, or rather sought refuge in you.

No one else had this luck though, their souls left in limbo, only to be hunted by the ‘Visitors’.

There are over 20 Visitor variants, (the most common one looks suspiciously like Slenderman), that you will need to take down, roaming the streets, atop of buildings with varying degrees of strength and ability.

They are are on a mission to box trap souls in order to fuel Hannya’s, a demon masked foe, goal to permanently repurpose souls for… well, I wont give too much away in this review.

Visitors can be seen roaming and if they see you, it’s all on.

Playing in first person your initial primary weapon is using Ethereal Weaving. Using Wind fuelled by green ethereal crystals which are gained in two ways, smashing etherial objects that litter the city and defeating Visitors. But your tally of Wind is limited, so always make sure you’re well stocked.

Further in to play you’ll start playing with fire, wielding it like a supernatural and deadly magician and a bow and arrow (again arrows are limited), talismans, water and more.

If you need to stock up there are general stores you can enter and purchase either food (your health / energy level), weaponry and extra Katashiro.

This brings me to soul absorbing – or better, rescuing.

Before the Visitors can imprison the souls of the helpless inhabitants of the city you’re tasked with saving as many of them as you can (there’s over 200K in souls to find throughout). They can be grouped inside buildings, loose on the streets and on top of high rise buildings.

Some souls will save themselves, but only after you complete a task for them.

You’ll use an origami called Katashiro to pull the souls in. Katashiro ‘s fill up real fast, quicker than you’d think. Many times I was caught short, finding souls but not having the Katashiro space to save them.

To empty your souls you need to find a phone-booth.

A techie called Ed has reworked the phones so that you can send the souls over via the communication lines to eventually be reunited with their bodies.

Having a spectral entity inside you comes with many benefits.

You’ll be able to fast travel, glide, grapple immense heights, pull cores from the Visitors (this is like a super cool finishing move), use spectral vision and have some way trippy environmental experiences.

Being that Ghostwire Tokyo is an RPG you have an inventory of course, some items in there are immediately accessible on the fly in-game via a hotkey. You’ll also level up and upgrade your skills and abilities via skill trees.

Asides from the main story, there’s so much to do and find in the city.

Corrupted Shrines, hidden goodies including special items and of course the already mentioned soul saving, which is almost a game within itself.

The city of Tokyo is meticulously detailed – a vibrantly lit city that has remnants of the crowded chaos that once took place in the streets.

A rewarding, full on and gutsy play, Ghostwire Tokyo is superbly unique with an immersive story and one game for 2022 that you need to get into.

I suspect that in the near future we may see Ghostwire incident affecting another city. I sure hope so.

The post Ghostwire Tokyo (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Today, Tango Gameworks and Bethesda released details and the release date for their upcoming action-adventure game Ghostwire: Tokyo.

Players also got an in-depth first look at the game’s action-packed gameplay, breathtaking atmosphere, and one-of-a-kind vision. Ghostwire: Tokyo is a captivating and wondrous journey through a brilliant reimagining of one of the world’s most remarkable cities, Tokyo.

STG was honored to be included in an exclusive gameplay preview session with Bethesda a couple of weeks back and from what we saw Ghostwire: Tokyo is shaping up to be one of the top AAA games of 2022.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is an action-adventure game that challenges players to master the mystical arts of Ethereal Weaving while working to defeat the menacing Hannya and his followers, the Visitors, who have invaded Tokyo.

These supernatural entities roam the stunning world of Ghostwire, creating a scintillating atmosphere that is a love letter to Tokyo, its curiosities, and secrets.

Ghostwire: Tokyo will transport players to an intriguing world filled with characters from Japanese legends, folklore, and tales. These stories have inspired many of the unusual creatures you will encounter, giving Ghostwire a true-to-Tokyo flavour. Crafted by the inventive minds at Tango Gameworks, players will traverse Tokyo’s ultra-modern cityscape, discover iconic landmarks, and uncover secrets hidden throughout it.

Explore the vibrantly lit city while being prepared for the unexpected. Environments can change in a blink. Sometimes up might be down, other times, you may no longer be in the same area you entered in to.

Players who venture off the beaten path will also find charming characters in need of assistance, countless spirits in need of rescuing, and unexpected purry friends who can exchange rare finds for generous rewards.

Optional stories in Ghostwire are not the usual side content fare, but rather lovable tales that further flesh out the game’s world and vision.

PS5 players who pre-order the Deluxe Edition of Ghostwire: Tokyo will gain early access to the game on March 22, 2022. They will also receive access to the Streetwear Outfit Pack, Shinobi Outfit, and Kunai Weapon.

Ghostwire: Tokyo will be available worldwide for PS5 and PC on March 25, 2022.

The post GHOSTWIRE: TOKYO RELEASE DATE + DETAILS appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Over 30 years has passed since The Ghostbusters, Egon, Ray, Peter and Winston saved New York City.

Since those glory days the group has largely been forgotten, aged and moved on. Except for Egon, who suspected that things hadn’t been stopped, only temporarily silenced.

He moves out to a rural town, isolates himself and is known as the ‘Dirt Farmer’ and as being eccentric by the locals.

It’s his passing that initiates his only estranged daughter, Callie (Carrie Coon), who herself is down on her luck in the city, in to supernatural.

With her two kids, teenage Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and a young Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) they learn that their distant Grandfather has left them a house and land, in the middle of nowhere.

With nowhere else to go, Callie packs up with her kids and moves out of State.

After series’ of unexplained earthquakes that has rocked the town for decades, young Phoebe who is smart beyond her years and a middle school teacher, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) begin investigating the source.

It’s not long in to the film that it’s realised there’s more to this direct old house and empty land – and that the events of 1984 aren’t over, only subdued.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a modern take for a new generation on the original film, grabbing some of the best bits of the original narrative and bringing them in to a whole new film that is definitely the third in the franchise.

Old faces, new characters, familiar enemies, Ghostbusters: Afterlife will make those of us that were around for the 80’s blockbuster feel like kids again.

With Jason Reitman in the Director chair, son of Ivan Reitman who made the two original films, this is as true Ghostbuster flavour as can be.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is one for the fans yet being a standalone for a new audience.

The post Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony Pictures – 2021) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The next-generation consoles are out, and so are a new range of games that would not have been possible on the now-last generation of consoles.

A powerful demonstration is the new, Xbox Series exclusive (on consoles, anyway) horror-thriller, The Medium. Taking heavy inspiration from earlier titles from the studio, and from late 90s horror, The Medium pushes technical boundaries while staying on relatively safe grounds with its gameplay and story.

The Medium begins with protagonist Marianne finalising arrangements for her adoptive father Jack at their funeral parlour. After preparing him for burial, she enters what she calls the spirit world to send him off from a form of restless purgatory.

She is a medium, able to move between the physical and spirit world at will, helping souls finish up their time on earth. Marianne soon receives a mysterious call however, beckoning her to the abandoned state resort in the Polish countryside, Niwa. It is here that the game mostly takes place, and discovering the story of what happened and how it connects to Marianne is the mystery that you’re trying to solve.

This takes place mostly through linear exploration of the resort, picking up letters, items leftover, and by settling the anxious souls inhabiting the spirit world. The Medium isn’t a difficult game, with limited gates to your progression, and no real combat to speak of. Everything it does do, however, is in service of the story and developing an atmosphere of slow, creeping dread.

It is an upgrade, I feel, compared to previous titles from the developer such as Layers of Fear, which in comparison feels much more like “press forward to feel afraid.” Nevertheless, if you are looking for a Resident Evil style experience, The Medium isn’t going to satisfy that particular niche.

The Medium is a gorgeous game, and the Xbox Series consoles where I mainly played manage to hold up even under the intense load of rendering two highly-detailed scenes at the same time. While the apparent resolution isn’t the highest, each location is highly detailed, with careful attention paid to every environment, even those you run through quickly.

And this is where The Medium’s key trick comes into play. Given the power in the new consoles, The Medium is able to show two different scenes side by side. At times during the story, the game will split, with one side showing the “real” world and the other the “spirit”. Protagonist Marianne will run through both, and this setup will occasionally be used to make some interesting puzzles.

You may need to reach an item in the physical world that is only accessible in the spirit world, for example. I feel like there is potential for some more innovative uses of this mechanic though, and the game ended before I felt like it had been explored fully. Perhaps an opportunity for The Medium 2, perhaps.

One obvious bug though is the presence of unfortunately intrusive frame-pacing on both PC and Xbox Series consoles. Yes, it is running at 30FPS on consoles, and up to and above 60FPS on PC, but the frame-pacing issues are felt as judders and skips as you explore the world.

It didn’t seem to matter if the area was complex or not, the bad frame pacing seemed prevalent throughout my time with the game. I understand that the developers are aware of this issue however, and hopefully it can be fixed in a patch before too many people have to deal with it.

As one of Microsoft’s first big exclusives on the new consoles, it is fantastic to see this be a game that could only realistically be achieved with the additional grunt of the new machines. As a demonstration of what new gameplay opportunities increased technical specifications can open up, The Medium is a welcome addition to Xbox’s gaming library.

Even better, it is on Microsoft Game Pass, so there is a low-cost option to try it out, including on PC. As a game in it’s own right, The Medium is a creepy story that doesn’t overstay its welcome. In an era of bloated open-world AAA releases, the focus on telling one story is refreshing.

Even for players who usually shy away from horror titles, The Medium has much to offer.

The post The Medium (Xbox Series S | X, PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Truth Seekers is a supernatural comedy show that takes Shaun of the Dead stars Nick Frost and Simon Pegg into a world of ghosts. It’s not long before a team of resident ghost hunters is established and it’s up to them to save the world.

It’s become a given that you don’t have Nick Frost without Simon Pegg, they just work too well together as a comedic duo. Despite this and listing both Nick Frost and Simon Pegg as the leading men, Truth Seekers decided against this, making Simon Pegg a mere supporting character with barely any screen time in general let alone with Nick Frost. To say I was somewhat disappointed is an understatement. Perhaps it was scheduling conflicts or other projects that got in the way, but I would have loved Simon Pegg to have lived up to the television shows marketing promotions who penned him as one of the leading men, having his name listed in prime position on the posters.

The Amazon Prime original set itself up as a fun take on an often untouched genre combo but overall failed to take the open opportunity and run with it. The writing had potential but felt C grade rather than B or A grade and didn’t live up to the kind of script A grade British comedy duo Nick Frost and Simon Pegg should have been working with. I guess when actors become well known and well-credited for their work, certain expectations are established and the disappointment falls the furthest when our expectations are exceeded.

The overall arc for Season 1 was very loose and tried to give the impression it focused on individual storyline’s in each episode but typically rehashed the same storyline over and over again every episode. A very thin main storyline intertwined itself every so often in the season but you ultimately forgot or struggled to understand what the show’s endgame was. This would heavily be due to the fact that writing and narrative just wasn’t top notch at all so there wasn’t enough content to hold onto.

Having the episodes varying in length but on average being in the shorter time frame of 25-30 minutes, made it easy to keep the television show going in the background and keep watching until the end despite the faults it had. With little shocks or risks taken, I finished the series more confused than I was when I started but was nonetheless entertained due to Nick Frost and Simon Pegg taking the helm.

The post Truth Seekers (Amazon Prime) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

GRAVEN, the dark-fantasy action-adventure FPS co-published by 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment with development by Slipgate Ironworks, launches on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2021.

Revealed at Realms Deep 2020, GRAVEN delves into a gruesome medieval world of deities and monstrosities as a disgraced Priest of the Orthogonal Order. When a heretical member of the Order sacrifices the Priest’s adoptive daughter, the Priest lethally retaliates in a bout of righteous fury. Tried and found guilty by his brothers and now exiled to the burning sands, he closes his eyes for one last prayer, for peace. The Creator speaks to him directly: “You will have to earn your peace.”

Heed the Creator by hunting down the foul heretical sects responsible for conjuring plagues and twisting the natural order of the seasons. Blending action, exploration, and puzzle-solving, GRAVEN takes cues from classic shooters, immersive sims, and action RPGs alike. Journey across three expansive, open-ended regions, and scour the lands to purge evil.

Carefully observe a reactive world to find the way: with a journal, the player drives the exploration instead of following waypoints. Listen to townsfolks’ woes and slay the monsters responsible for their torment. Banish over thirty distinct enemies from plagued madmen to swamp beasts with powerful sorceries such as wild blasts of lightning and scorching rays of flame. Solve environmental puzzles with those same powers, altering the world with spells.

Wield destructive conventional weaponry, including magic staves and wrist-mounted crossbows. Find hidden gold to upgrade weapons and spells at blacksmiths and alchemists. Return to previously-plundered areas with new abilities to uncover secrets and entirely new areas. With more than 30 weapons and spells, GRAVEN encourages experimentation. Play solo, with one friend in split-screen co-op, or even in a party of four online for complete arcane chaos.

“GRAVEN began as a game we had often dreamed of,” said Frederik Schreiber, vice president of 3D Realms and Game Director on Graven. “‘What would a spiritual successor to a Dark Fantasy series such as Hexen, have looked like if it was made in 1998 in the original Unreal engine?’ We think the answer is GRAVEN. We hope you do too.

GRAVEN will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2021.

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The post 3D Realms Announces GRAVEN appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Some of the best movies achieve a cult status by balancing a satisfying ending with a lot left unsaid. When done right it can leave you wondering and thinking about the ideas indefinitely, like with The Matrix until they over explained it with the trilogy. Other times it can leave you feeling like the underlying plot wasn’t able to be explained. Above the Shadows certainly left me in the later camp.

Holly is a teenager who loses her Mum to cancer. When she dies Holly discovers that she is now invisible to everyone including the rest of her family, and even stranger they have forgotten she ever existed. Jump forward to when she is an adult and she has found a job as a photographer who takes photos of celebrities cheating on their partners.

Her life gets thrown out of whack when a bouncer stops her stalking a celebrity and she discovers that he is the first person that can see her since her mother’s death. A little digging unearths that she had previously ruined this bouncer’s life with one of her snaps and she tries to redeem him and her own demons. The story itself is relatively creative but the premise is a touch thin and unexplained, and the movie ultimately ends with more confusion about how and why this could have happened.

I hate being hung up on this criticism because with the exception of the last few minutes, I thoroughly enjoyed Above the Shadows. Strong acting from Olivia Thirlby carries a solid emotional drama with her relationship with the MMA fighter Shayne and her own emotional journey. She deals with feelings she hasn’t been able to explore with people, having last experienced touching someone when she was a teenager.

For the most part Above the Shadows is a demonstration of how you can make a supernatural film on a budget as it doesn’t need special effects. It does a great job of providing a feeling of eeriness boosted by the regular use of dark and seedy environments. There is so much this movie does so well, and despite some flat performances, Olivia Thirlby makes it well worth experiencing.

I wish the movie could have finished with a little better payoff, or by removing its last 20 seconds entirely, as it leaves you asking more questions that don’t feel intriguing, instead unexplainable. The rest of the movie is a great exploration of a theme that feels straight out of a Twilight Zone episode, but with more character development.

The post Above the Shadows (Vendetta Films – 2019) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Valiant Entertainment has partnered with Nightdive Studios to develop a remastered edition of the classic action-adventure video game Shadow Man.

The remastered edition will be coming to Windows PC via the Steam and GOG platforms, as well as to the PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch consoles. This partnership continues Valiant’s expansion into other mediums in addition to publishing.

Valiant Entertainment is home to the third-largest connected universe in comics, behind Marvel and DC, with over 2,000 characters. Since DMG Entertainment’s acquisition of Valiant in late 2018, the global media and entertainment company has proven its ambitious plans to grow its presence in Hollywood, making its first foray into theaters with “Bloodshot”, starring Vin Diesel, opening #1 worldwide this past weekend.

“As part of our continued growth into the video game industry, we’re happy to bring Valiant fans this immensely popular Shadow Man character as the next title we release,” said Dan Mintz, Chairman and CEO of Valiant Entertainment. “Using this platform allows the Valiant fans to experience and explore the universe creatively.”

Shadow Man is the brave and powerful supernatural hero who protects humanity from the sinister demons that lurk in the Deadside and spill into our world. The Shadow Man video game was originally developed by Acclaim Studios and published for the PC, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast console in 1999. Considered a “lost classic” for years, the PC version of the game was published again in its original form by Nightdive Studios in 2014.

Now the title is being updated using Nightdive’s proprietary KEX engine which has been used to restore classic video games across all digital platforms including System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Turok, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Blood: Fresh Supply, and Forsaken Remastered.

Stephen Kick, CEO at Nightdive Studios explained: “Our goal with the remaster is to give today’s generation of gamers all the features that they expect from a modern title while preserving the qualities that made Valiant’s iconic character and the original Shadow Man game such memorable classics to begin with.”

Shadow Man will also have a brand-new comic book series this year! From master of horror Cullen Bunn (Venom) and bone-chilling artist Jon Davis-Hunt (The Wildstorm), Shadow Man #1 will release on May 20th, 2020.

Shadow Man is slated for a fully remastered 2021 release on Windows PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.

The post VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS W. NIGHTDIVE STUDIOS FOR REMASTERED SHADOW MAN appeared first on Shane the Gamer.