Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn was a game-changer for the horror genre which had lost its way a little during the mid-2010s. Before Resident Evil 7 scared the genre back to life, Until Dawn did most of the heavy lifting. It was exciting, then, that Supermassive Games would announce an annual horror anthology series in The Dark Pictures, releasing new games in a franchise that has spanned three years so far. While previous entries Man of Medan and Little Hope failed to recapture that same lightning in a bottle of Until Dawn, the latest entry House of Ashes does this effortlessly and brilliantly. Taking place in the early 2000s during the height of the Iraqi War, House of Ashes follows a group of US marines who become trapped in a strange underground temple when a sudden earthquake forces them into the dark. However, something malevolent lurks in the ruins that quickly hunts them one by one. Like previous games in the series, players assume the roles of five playable characters, each well-defined and fleshed out in nuanced ways. The star of the show may be Ashley Tisdale’s excellent performance as Rachel, but the true heart and soul of House of Ashes rests in its varied, damaged cast collectively. House of Ashes could’ve easily spun an on-the-nose allegory about the horrors of war and its politically charged subject matter, but it wisely sidesteps these trappings in favour of creating a delectably old-fashioned monster story. The Dark Pictures has always excelled in its cinematic storytelling, and House of Ashes is no exception. In fact, it’s the most “cinematic” that the series has ever been, often feeling like I was actually playing a well-crafted movie or TV series. This is a testament to Supermassive Games’ keen eye for cinema, drawing inspiration from every corner of the horror genre. Due to its setting, the most immediate comparison I can make is the classic horror movie The Descent crossed with The Exorcist, though I won’t go into any further detail for fear of spoilers. Let’s just say that like the fiendish twist of Until Dawn, the one in House of Ashes will catch you completely off-guard. Supermassive Games once again flexes their muscles at creating a truly palpable and terrifying atmosphere. One significant improvement to House of Ashes is the ability to now freely control the camera with the right analogue stick. This made traversing environments and looking for collectables easier, as you’re often pinned in pitch-black darkness with the only available light source being your dwindling flashlight. Needless to say, Supermassive Games once again flexes their muscles at creating a truly palpable and terrifying atmosphere. The tight confines of the underground zones become a nightmare to explore in the best possible way. The free-moving camera was definitely needed in these instances because fixed camera angles would not have had the same impact. Supermassive Games seemed to have addressed the biggest criticisms levelled at Man of Medan and Little Hope. The facial animations have seen a big improvement, though they can be prone to wonkiness now and then. For the most part, the characters are all well-animated and very believable, also thanks to the stellar voice acting across the board that helped humanize these soldiers. I found myself getting drawn into the story so much because of how well-acted and immersive it was, that I completely missed some sudden quick-time events. That said, QTEs are back but less intrusive and better utilized in House of Ashes to elevate many moments of sheer terror. It’s easily the best story that the developers have conjured up since Until Dawn... The real star of the show is House of Ashes‘ story. I’ve given the basic synopsis, but there’s a lot more happening beneath the surface that keeps you engaged and locked in throughout the experience. It’s easily the best story that the developers have conjured up since Until Dawn, with plenty of surprises and devilish twists that take the characters in interesting directions. While it doesn’t scale the heights of the horror genres best storytellers (like Silent Hill), there’s something disturbingly enthralling about how the events and revelations play out in House of Ashes that surpasses the narrative highs of its predecessors. If you’re familiar with the gameplay in the previous Dark Pictures games, you’ll feel right at home with House of Ashes. You’re given five playable characters (though up to five players can take control of each character, making for an excellent party game), and switch between them at certain points in the story. There are plenty of collectables to find scattered around the dimly lit environments, but your main objective is, traditionally, keeping your whole squad alive through carefully orchestrated choices and actions. In a strange twist to the formula, failing QTEs in some scenarios might result in the correct choice, as completing them may result in a fatal error. This added a whole new level of tension to the game and kept me constantly guessing (and stressing) until the very end. Dialogue choices now have more weight to them, and each decision can mean life or death for many characters. Man of Medan stumbled because it didn’t offer players varied choices and outcomes, but that has been improved tenfold in House of Ashes. Even as I completed my first playthrough with two characters alive, I still wanted to go back and find every missing note and retry every failed objective in the hopes of achieving different end results. The amount of branching outcomes is quite staggering for a Dark Pictures games, especially since previous entries often felt like they were holding your hand. You get no such assistance in House of Ashes, which is brilliant and probably not for the faint of heart. There’s an otherworldly and demonic presence constantly oozing out of the screen... Supermassive excel at creating superb atmospheres in their games, and dare I say, House of Ashes might be their best to date (yes, even better than Until Dawn). The backdrop of Iraq and its desert locations paints an ominous picture in stark contrast to the claustrophobic underground cave networks you’ll be exploring. There’s an otherworldly and demonic presence constantly oozing out of the screen, achieved through terrific use of lighting, eerie sound effects and some truly terrifying cutscenes. I’ve played my fair share of horror games enough that not much phases me anymore, but in House of Ashes, I found myself genuinely on edge at points. I cannot praise this aspect of the game enough. My only real complaint (though minor) has to do with certain technical aspects of the game. On PS5, it runs flawlessly without any framerate dips or visual hiccups, but I did encounter the odd texture pop-in here and there. In a game that’s so polished in its visual presentation, these pop-ins stand out, though they weren’t frequent enough to break the immersion. Overall, House of Ashes is graphically stunning and easily the best-looking game in the series yet. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is easily the best game in the series to date. Thanks to a likeable cast of fleshed-out characters, an immersive atmosphere drenched in evil and a gripping story with a sinister setting, it exceeds expectations and trumps the highs of Man of Medan, Little Hope and in some cases, even Until Dawn. It’s not a perfect horror experience and it should go without saying: if you didn’t like the last two Dark Pictures games, you probably won’t like House of Ashes either. However, fans are in for one hell of a treat.

Rockstar Games has finally announced the worst-kept secret in gaming. The GTA remastered trilogy dubbed “Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition” is real and releasing on 11 November. The game features remasters of GTA III, GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas. Each game features graphical improvements and quality-of-life changes. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will also get a physical release on 7 December. The game is set to launch on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC through the Rockstar Games launcher (time to dust that thing off again). READ MORE: What is Dune and Everything You Need to Know About The Series Rockstar Games plans on launching the trilogy on iOS and Android devices sometime in early 2022. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will get access to GTA: San Andreas at launch. PlayStation Now subscribers, in turn, will get access to Grand Theft Auto III on 7 December. So each platform will have its own unique subscriber-based free game. However, if you want to play the other games you need to purchase them. The Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition has been developed by Grove Street Games and each title looks impressive. The remaster boasts new visuals and have been rebuilt on Unreal Engine 4. They all feature a whole new lighting system and the studio has touched on every single aspect of the game in some way or another. Rockstar says the games feature: “Improved shadows, weather, and reflections, and upgraded character and vehicle models. Increased draw distances, smoother surfaces, and higher resolution textures across buildings, weapons, roads, interiors, and more.” On the Nintendo Switch, players can aim using the gyroscope However, each game has a new improved aiming system beyond that. Rockstar Games confirmed that each title has been reworked with “GTA V inspired controls”. This means targeting and aiming feels better and each game features an updated weapon wheel. There’s also a range of new radio stations and mini-maps where players can finally set waypoints. The PC version of The Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition supports DLSS with additional graphics settings users can look forward to. The whole collection will set you back $59.99 (local pricing TBC). Check out the trailer down below. Original article from GLITCHED

This post is for those of you who might be familiar with the name Dune but not necessarily anything more. I’ll take you through the basic gist of the story, some of the terms you’ll hear in the movie, and what order to read the books and short stories in if you watch the movie and need more (it will happen, trust me). First things first, Dune is the name given to a genuinely monstrous series of science-fiction books, first published in 1965 by Frank Herbert and later continued by authors Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. READ MORE: CPU and Graphics Card Shortages Set to End in 2023 According to Intel A very watered down and simplistic explanation of Dune would be as follows: Dune is set roughly 20,000 years in the future, and all in all, the story spans 7500 years, give or take. The story revolves around all the political and religious strife between three Nobel houses: House Corrino, House Atreides and House Harkonnen. Each house is battling to have rulership over the planet Dune, otherwise known as Arrakis. Arrakis is the only known source of Melange, or “The Spice”, a drug found in the sands of Dune. Melange is required for any and all space travel, something each house relies on and is also used to enhance mental abilities and extend life. Thus Dune is seen as a commodity that everyone seeks to have as their own. Frank Herbert’s Dune. It is easier to break things down into separate series when it comes to the books, starting with the original series and book written by Frank Herbert, Dune. Without going into spoiler territory: The novel that started it all and the 2021 movie is based on, Dune, focuses on Duke Leto Atreides of House Atreides and his family – namely his concubine Lady Jessica and their son, Paul. Leto gets assigned by the Emperor to step in as the ruler of Arrakis, a planet of enormous importance because it is the only source of Melange (spice) in the known universe. Leto knows that stepping in to rule will put himself and his family in grave danger, but he also understands that the Emperor’s offer was not one he could refuse. Almost as soon as House Atreides steps into power, Shaddam conspires with House Harkonnen (the house currently in charge of spice harvest) to get rid of Leto as well as the rest of House Atreides. If you’re looking to watch Dune and then read the story it’s based on but feel overwhelmed when faced with the entire series, then don’t worry. Dune by Frank Herbert can be treated as a stand-alone book and story. Although you’ll probably find yourself wanting to read the rest after Dune is done, you won’t be missing out on the core story if you choose not to. Dune Messiah; Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert If you find yourself still wanting to explore the universe further, then the next three that you’ll find yourself wanting to dive into would be Dune Messiah; Children of Dune and then God Emperor of Dune. You’ll be starting off with Dune Messiah, and while its core narrative builds directly upon the setup of Dune, it’s also able to be consumed as a stand-alone story without you knowing the previous book. It also serves as the launching point for the subsequent four novels in the series. Children of Dune is slightly less accessible than the previous novel as it focuses almost entirely on the new Emperor’s children who are coming of age in the middle of a massive social and economic revolution. While it could be enjoyed without having read the previous two titles, you won’t get the full effect of the book if you don’t. The final book in this group would be God Emperor of Dune. This is the first time that previous knowledge is essential in order not just to enjoy the book but also to understand it. In order to try to help readers who are jumping in for the first time, the book spends the first few chapters trying to get readers up to date with the previous novels, but even so, it just isn’t a novel that is able to stand alone. Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune Next up are the final two books that were written by Frank Herbert and mark the end of the original series, these are Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune. Even though Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune are two separate books, their stories tie into each other so much that it’s hard to enjoy one without the other. Neither one of the books contains a complete story rather they build into each other to create one complete story. They are actually the most complete and rich in the series when consumed as one story instead of two separate books. Chapterhouse: Dune marks the end of Frank Herberts original Dune series, and if you’re only interested in reading his works, then this is the end of the novels for you. Dune Extended Series Now we start on what’s known as the Extended Series. These novels all build on the world created by Frank Herbert, but instead, they are written by Brain Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. These are all written as either duologies or trilogies. The first of the Extended Series would be Paul of Dune, which takes place between the events of Dune and Dune Messiah. The story follows Paul Atreides, who finds himself in complete control of Arrakis, therefore one of the most influential people in the universe. Your next read should be The Winds of Dune, set directly between Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. This story focuses on Lady Jessica, who finds herself back on Arrakis following the disappearance of her son Paul, now known as Emperor. Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune Next up in our journey into the Dune universe is Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune. Hunters of Dune seeks to wrap up and finish many plot points, which were never addressed at the end of Chapterhouse: Dune. Hunters of Dune is a direct continuation and is based on notes that were left by Frank Herbert upon his death. Sandworms of Dune is also loosely based on found notes and represent the author’s own version of what Frank Herbert referred to as Dune 7 in his notes. Dune: House Atreides, House Harkonnen and House Corrino. We then move into the first three prequels to Dune: House Atreides, House Harkonnen and House Corrino. Each of the books in this prequel trilogy is told from the point of view of one of the three Nobel houses, each of which lends their name to the books, and each of these books draws from the notes that Frank Herbert left prior to his death. These books are all set roughly 30 years before the events of the first Dune novel. The Butlerian Jihan; The Machine Crusade and The Battle of Corrin The second prequel trilogy is known as: The Butlerian Jihan; The Machine Crusade and The Battle of Corrin. While the first three prequels to Dune are set in the decades before the first novel, this set of prequels starts us off thousands of years before. They tell the stories of the war between the last free humans and the thinking machines and introduce the families that would form the Great Houses. Sisterhood of Dune; Mentats of Dune and Navigators of Dune There is also a final prequel trilogy consisting of Sisterhood of Dune; Mentats of Dune and Navigators of Dune. These three books all continue on from the events depicted in the previous trilogy. Okay, so now you know the basic premise of Dune, and you know the reading order for the books. Still, let’s say you have little to no interest in reading the books, and instead, you just want to be able to go into the movie and enjoy it as much as you can. In that case, here are some terms that will be used frequently throughout and what they mean: Personal shields : A personal shield is an energy barrier that is customized to suit the needs of the one wearing it. Personal shields can protect the wearer from most things at range, although they can be penetrated if attacked correctly. Spice: Spice or Melange is the single most sought-after and essential resource in the entire universe. Spice is a drug that has mind-altering properties and can make the user more intelligent and live longer. Spice is also required for space travel as without it, the pilots aren’t able to navigate. Arrakis: Arrakis is the only known planet in the universe where Spice or Melange can be found, making Arrakis and whoever rules it the most essential part of the universe. Arrakis is a desert planet with very little naturally occurring water. It is also filled with massive and deadly sandworms that roam the entire planet. Stillsuit: Stillsuits are used by everyone who lives on Arrakis in order to survive its harsh climate. The Stillsuit protects the wearers from the extreme heat and sandstorms while constantly collecting all the liquid that’s expelled from your body, filters it, and makes it drinkable again. Fremen: This is the name given to the people who are native to Arrakis. These people are known for their electric blue eyes – a result of constantly being surrounded by spice. The Fremen are also often seen wielding something called a “crysknife” which is a sacred weapon that gets forged from the teeth of the sandworms. The Emperor: The entire universe of Dune is controlled and run by a single ruling family known as House Corrino. The head of House Corrino is Emperor Shaddam IV. In order to remain the Emperor of the universe, Shaddam is constantly trying to keep all the other houses happy and under control. Bene Gesserit: There is a big focus on Bene Gesserit during the Dune movie. They are a guild of women, all with supernatural powers. The Bene Gesserit can use something known as “the voice” to manipulate those around them. They are also able to create poisons by changing the chemical compositions of their bodies. The Bene Gesserit are known by many names, such as witches or holy women. They are feared and respected throughout the universe. Mentat: In the Dune movie, you’ll be introduced to Thufir Hawat of House Atreides. Thufir is one of the greatest Mentats in the universe. Many years ago, after a war with machines, the Great Houses permanently banned the future use of computers. To replace computers, the Great Houses created Mentats which are humans with the power of computers. The Mentats are capable of doing complex calculations in mere milliseconds. House Harkonnen: House Harkonnen was previously in charge of harvesting spice on Arrakis before being replaced by Houses Atreides. House Harkonnen are not known for being good people, and they will do anything in their power to regain control over Arrakis and its spice once more. House Atreides: This is the house that you will follow while watching Dune. Led by Duke Leto Atreides, House Atreides has a reputation for always doing the right thing, and this has secured them as one of the most popular of the Great Houses. When it comes to Dune there is still a lot more to dive into and learn but Dune (2021) covers roughly half of the first Dune novel during its 2 and a half hour run time so everything in this post will more than prepare you for the visual marvel that is Dune. Are you planning on braving the cinema again to watch Dune? Let us know in the comments below. Trailer source YouTube Original article from GLITCHED

Intel says that users should brace themselves for an even longer shortage of CPUs and graphics cards. While many hoped that the shortage, which has crippled the industry for over 18 months now, would end in 2022 sometime, the chipmaker says it’s not happening. READ MORE: Among Us Comes to PS4, PS5 and Xbox Game Pass This December In an interview with CNBC, CEO Pat Gelsinger says that the situation will gradually improve but it will still take several years before it is fully resolved. Gelsinger also says that we are currently in the worst of the shortage and it has never been harder for companies to manufacture hardware. While Intel says the CPU and graphics shortage is going to last until 2023, AMD’s CEO Lisa Su doesn’t think that’s the case. In fact, she recently opened up about the company’s production struggles. Su claimed that she expects the shortage to end by the middle of 2022 and supply to increase thereafter. Microsoft’s Phil Spencer also said that console supply issues will continue into 2022 but he didn’t comment on when the shortages will end. Sony has also touched on the matter saying they expect PS5 shortages to last until mid-2022. However, the company is implementing new production methods to help increase output. Both Sony and Microsoft have been heavily impacted by the semiconductor shortages. Both companies launched its next-gen consoles in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic and struggled to output the demand for new consoles. However, hundreds of companies worldwide have struggled with the same thing. It has been 18 months since the issues began and purchasing any electronic device is a challenge. Even VW had delays on its recent Golf 8 GTI due to the shortage of semiconductors. With most tech brands saying the supply issues with end in the middle of 2022, we can hopefully see the impact of this by the end of 2022. *Written by Marco Cocomello* *Original articled from GLITCHED*