Our first song on this edition of Sound Selection is by the lovely trio known as Cubicolor from the record label Anjunadeep. The trio has once again delivered the magical, this time with their song ‘No Dancers’ which follows their style which is built on interesting synths, pure vocals and a vibe that will have you listening from the get-go.
SiFi ‘Calling Out Your Name’
Our second and last song of this short selection is by SiFi, who deliver a catchy hit named ‘Calling Out Your Name.’ The single drives on its great groove, ear-pleasing vocals and dazzling energy that will have you dancing for weeks to come. With this song released, we are eager to see what is next for SiFi.
As one of the biggest games available on any system, it’s only natural that there some components of Red Dead Redemption 2 which we forget about, or which are not adequately explained. With around a dozen or so hours in already, we’re still very much on board for what the rest of the game might bring, but there are some things which we wish we knew or paid more attention to going in.
With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips which you might not know or could have forgotten which end up being consistently useful. These will be updated the further we get into the game, but so far these all appear to be true.
Please let us know down below if we have anything wrong.
Hunting
One of the earliest introduced component of the game, and one which you will no doubt have engaged in once the world opens up to you. In order to get the most out of this, though, and collect those ever-elusive perfect skins, you need to plan your attacks and be careful with your shots.
When first you come across a new type of animal you will have the option of studying it. While this can be performed once you get close, a better idea is to study from a distance with the binoculars. Not only will this help reduce prey animals fleeing, but it will also lessen the odds of predators going to town on your face while you jot down a few notes.
Once you have studied the animal you can use the same method and button shortcut to examine any of those types of living animals in the wild. This will let you know which level of quality pelt you can collect from them, and the type of weapon and ammunition which could be required in order to attain a clean kill. Remember to shoot for the head for the best pelts, as body shots can ruin an otherwise perfect skin.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there is a limit on the number of animal carcasses which can be carried by your horse at one time. Generally speaking, you can stack a few smaller skins over the rear of your horse, though larger skins like those from a buffalo will need to be rolled up and placed behind the saddle. This is the spot normally reserved for medium-sized animal carcasses, of which you can only carry one on your horse at a time.
Smaller animal carcasses, like birds or rabbits, can usually be tied to the side of your horse, with spots for one on each side. Just beware that if you crash your horse into a tree or rock, or otherwise tip it over, you will need to put everything back on, so be careful when heading back to your base or a butcher.
Selling
Many regular items like consumables can be sold within a general store, whereas meat and hides are to be sold at a butcher. Just as with your base, you don’t actually need to deliver each pelt or carcass by hand, simply keep your horse nearby and the sold items will be available to be sold directly when you enter the shop menu.
For more precious items, these can either be gifted towards your camp or sold at a fence (as in a black market dealer). These can be located at a few of the larger towns and should be visited fairly often. Valuable items can only be stacked so high, after all, and once you reach the limit all other potential earnings from pick-ups will go to waste.
Look After Your Horse
The better your relationship with your horse the more reliable it will be and, more importantly, the further away it will be able to respond to your calls. In order to look after your horse you need to feed it, which can be done by targeting it with the left shoulder button while close, brushing it, which will unlock from an early camp mission, and pat it, which can also be done from horseback by clicking down the left stick.
You might also need to calm it down if it is pursued by predators or startled by a gunfight, which can be done by patting, or by hopping off, targeting it, and clicking the calm option.
They will also run into trees if you aren’t careful, so be careful about that.
Guns
You will come across other named guns from characters you shoot, stab, run over, burn, drown, explode, or whatever murder opportunity you prefer on your adventures. As you might have noticed, you can only carry a limited selection of firearms at once, so picking up a pistol while you already have one will replace the one you currently hold.
This does not, however, mean that your original pistol will disappear. Instead, it will go back to your horse loadout, meaning that all it takes to get it back is going back to old faithful and changing back to your original. This also appears to be the best way to easily compare the stats on different guns, to let you choose which ones you want to be equipped when going out on an expedition.
Also remember to keep a stock of gun oil, available from gunsmiths, as poor conditioning can make your best weapons near useless.
Base Ledger
Wondering about how you get the leatherworking tools for you camp upgrades? These become purchasable through the camp ledger which unlocks once you have gifted the camp donation box a minimum of $200. Unfortunately, most of these upgrades require a set base donation of various types of perfect skins, but this kept us wondering at the early stages, so it’s good to know.
Easy Long-Distance Travel
There appear to be a range of travel options for those who don’t wish to do everything the long way. Among these are trains, which unlock once you have visited a certain amount of stations, carriages, which operate in much the same way, and a general fast travel, which is locked behind one of Morgan’s ledger base upgrades.
For an easier time, there is another way which can take the pain out of long horse-back trips. Firstly, go into the controls menu and locate the option which allows turning of the run from a constant pressing into a toggle performed by a couple of presses. Following this, mark a point on the map with a custom waypoint, and get onto a road which the path indicates to follow.
From here move into a gallop in the guided direction, then enter the cinematic view (holding down the touchpad on the DS4). In while in this view mode, Morgan will automatically navigate to as close to the checkpoint as the road allows, while avoiding running over pedestrians and crashing into objects. This can also be performed by following a yellow marked road to a mission marker.
Just keep in mind that random events such as people requiring help and opposing gangs starting trouble can also pop up during these trips, so don’t tune out completely or you could end up with negative karma, or being shot to death.
Stay tuned for more, and be sure to tell them dogs what good boys they are.
Our first addition to this Sound Selection is by Little Dragon who present us with their electro-pop hit ‘Lover Chanting. This song is also accompanied by a brilliant music video which will have you hooked for weeks to come. The song comes from their upcoming EP ‘Lover Chanting’, which is due to be released on the 9th of November.
Leonie Kingdom ‘So Much More’
Our second and this final song of this Sound Selection is by Leonie Kingdom named ‘So Much More.’ In this magical piece, the highly-gifted, Leonie Kingdom showcases her ear-pleasing and enchanting vocals that will take you on a journey and beyond. With this song released, we are excited to see what is next for Leonie Kingdom.
Craig McDonald-Kelly, a highly-gifted actor and co-founder of Deadline Films, joined me for an interview to talk about acting, film and culture.
Hi, how are you?
Hello! I’m fan-dabby-dozy! And you?
I’m very well, thank you! So, how did you get into acting and how did your love for film come about?
I originally wanted to join the army. I started the training but decided to go to college when I turned 18. I was always a big funny idiot. The kind of kid who would do anything for a laugh. Mostly things that involved being stupid and often injuring myself in some way. I love entertaining people and making them laugh. I then went to film school in New York and started making money from acting. Only then did I think “Holy shit, I can do this for a living!”
You’ve moved from Scotland to New York and then to London, how did that all happen?
Luck and timing. After college, I started auditioning for drama schools. I auditioned for NYCDA in New York not thinking I had a chance. A few months later I got a call saying I’m in! With a $4,000 scholarship too! After four years in New York, my visa was up so I decided to move to London.
What inspires you to create and act?
Many things. The feeling a good TV show gives you. Or an amazing moment in a film that’ll make you cry or burst out laughing. The connections you make with characters that sometimes last your entire life. I want to bring joy, and the challenging questions to people through my acting like others have done for me. I’m so much of who I am because of this art. I love it, and I want to give something back.
Do you have any projects you are working on at the moment?
I’m just back from Luxembourg where I was shooting feature film ‘Marionette’. I’m working on my own first feature film with Deadline Films at the moment called Sacrifices. Based on the Harvey Weinstein scandal. I’ve also got a few short films doing the rounds at film festivals. Mainly Deadline Film’s debut ‘Hangover Food’ and my most recent short ‘Man-tis!’ a brilliant modern comedy/horror film by Chris Stewardson.
“I’m so much of who I am because of this art. I love it, and I want to give something back.”
That’s a lot of exciting projects! If you could give any advice to any aspiring actors or filmmakers what would it be?
Do everything you can. Even the shit stuff. Especially the shit stuff starting out. You learn so much from good directors and good actors as well as the bad ones. That and don’t expect it to come easy. Get strapped in for the long haul.
How did Deadline Films come about?
It started in September 2017 when myself and my David Hepburn hit a lull in our auditions. So, we decided to make some calls and make something. A director I worked with a few years back, Ross McGowan, had just moved back to London. We met up for some drinks, and he had this great idea about a guy who’s had a hangover that wasn’t a hangover at all, but a transformation into a vampire. We took that idea and wrote a script for it and shot it over a weekend at our flat. It only worked because we set deadlines for ourselves on script/cast/shoot dates etc. We had the fire burning under our ass’, and that really makes you move.
What are the challenges of running a collective like Deadline Films?
It’s funny because the challenges are the same as what made it work so well in the first place. It’s the deadlines. Once we’ve got one film up and running we have to put more work and effort into it, but at the same time we want to continue making films, but the more we make, the less time we have to make more. We are getting a handle on it now, figuring out where best to put our energy. It’s all a big sexy process.
Our final question, what is your definition of culture?
I think it’s like style and fashion; it changes depending on where you are what your lifestyle is. Culture is a more permanent thing though. Styles will come and go, but culture will evolve and not lose any of its roots. It’s important to remember what cultures we’ve come from and what we hope to bring to culture for the future.
Less than a week out from the global release of Red Dead Redemption 2 at this point and hype is reaching levels that only Rockstar can generate. While we expect a lot, and hope for a few hilarious but ultimately harmless glitches like we saw in RDR 1, not all is well in the land of Rockstar Games.
For those unaware about how the creation of video games works, there is a common issue which comes about when a big game is approaching release. With a set release date, the changing of which could cost millions of dollars, those developers underprepared or poorly budgeted for time enter what is known as the crunch. During this period, staff will be required to work enormous and inhumane hours, putting a huge amount of stress on their health and personal lives.
With a recent report from Vulture, VP at Rockstar Games Dan Houser dropped a casual bomb that some staff were working 100 hour weeks in the lead-up to the release of what we do not doubt will be an amazing game. The problem is that for many of us, the ends don’t justify the means. With other reports over the years of poor working conditions from Rockstar over similar crunch periods, there has been backlash at the company for touting something which is actively harmful to their artists.
At least we can hope that this finally pushes the unionization of workers in the gaming industry into action. Happier and healthier workers perform better, after all, and nobody deserves to have their lives suffer from terrible working conditions.
Rocket League Crossplay Coming
With Sony finally coming to their senses with the opportunity of the PS4 to crossplay, we have a bunch of new developers getting around to opening their games up to these new opportunities. Recently announced here was that the worldwide phenomenon of Rocket League will become PS4 crossplay compatible sometime early in 2019. Already available over PC, Xbox, and Switch, a game this popular is certainly not wanting for a player-base, but we’re glad to see it making the jump all the same.
“Gamers In Beta Podcast 112: Ball Cam Tog” (CC BY 2.0) by BagoGames
Marvel vs Capcom 4?
Marvel vs Capcom is one of the most celebrated series in gaming and is top of the list for many hardcore players when it comes to competitive fighting games. Unfortunately, the most recent release of Marvel vs Capcom Infinite was a little less than well-received. While the actual gameplay itself is often well-regarded, the ugly graphics and poor roster set it as a definite disappointment among a highly competitive market.
Maximillian Dood, well-regarded content creator for the fighting game community has a more in-depth look here, for any interested.
With this failure, many feared that the series as a whole might never see another release, especially given Capcom’s less than stellar performance over the last few years. Rumors have begun to circulate, however, that there could very well be an expansion or direct sequel in the works.
Probably the biggest aid here, if the rumors are indeed true, is that Marvel has again acquired the right to use X-Men in film and gaming media. As these were some of the staples and the strongest characters in previous versions of the game, which were much missed from MvCI, the return of the likes of Magneto, Storm, and Wolverine could alone prove to be a huge selling point for a fan base still eager for more.
Microtransactions Continue their Unstoppable March
Like them or hate them (we’re firmly in the latter group) microtransactions are here to stay. In fact, two of the biggest names in the gaming industry, EA and Activision, have seen such an enormous growth through their (vomit) ‘games as a service’ model that future heavy reliance on these not-at-all micro systems is not a possibility, it’s an inevitability.
Since 2012, EA’s use of these systems has seen their market value rise from $4 billion to $33 billion, with Activision Blizzard seeing their worth increase from around $10 billion to $60 billion during the same period. Despite their overreaching, despite the fans overwhelmingly speaking out against what are often manipulative practices designed to take advantage of people with gambling addiction, these systems will continue, and their negative effect on their included games as a whole will continue.
Full-priced games with free-to-play economies are here to stay, so be sure to vote with your wallet whenever possible, and don’t go to bat for those who seek to exploit you. Another Battlefront 2 fiasco is just a matter of time, of that you can be certain.
Now then, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll keep waiting until Friday.
The first song to enter this edition of Sound Slection is by previously featured Alexander Vincent named ‘Free Myself.’ In this latest piece, Vincent showcases his signature vocals that have become known for their pure and ear-pleasing tone. With ‘Free Myself’ released, as always, we are excited to see what is next for Vincent.
Klahr ‘Falling In Love’
By shifting our frequencies, we have a vivid track by Klahr named ‘Falling In Love,’ which drives on its disco-type vibe and flourishing production that will have you on your feet from the get-go. Talking about the song Klahr said “I came across the vocal sample in the Salsoul catalogue, the message was simple and resonated with me. This song is really personal to me and I hope people get something from it.”
La Fine Equipe & Fakear ‘5th Season’
Our final song on this Sound Selection is by La Fine Equipe & Fakear named ‘5th Season.’ In this electronica filled bliss of a song, La Fine Equipe & Fakear display a wave of striking synths, endlessly-playable samples and a vibe that will transcendent you beyond the ordinary music experience.
Remember when we wrote about Sony being one of the last major hurdles in cross-platform gaming? Well, now they appear to have finally given in, opening up their system to exactly what fans have been asking for. Apparently pushed by the popularity of Fortnite, and the poor PR which resulted from their stubborn attitude, Sony is currently in the process of beta-testing their systems in preparation for a later full-launch.
While this is predicted to cover a great many more games than just the singular Fortnite, the exact range and date of the inclusion of other games are so far unknown.
Of course, their statement regarding the reasons why this has come about directly contradicts their earlier claims and professed reasoning, but this should come as no surprise. They gambled, they lost, and now they try to save face while carrying an air of magnanimousness.
It’s a positive development, for sure, but it doesn’t excuse their behavior. If Sony could have gotten away with this particular brand of anti-consumer practices then they would have. No, I don’t expect to ever receive review copies of games from Sony for free, why do you ask?
Assassins Greed
Cliché, believe me, I know, but no less accurate. Ubisoft’s latest entry in the Assassins Creed franchise has been generally well received. Unfortunately, and as usual, the best efforts of their immensely talented developers have been undercut significantly by the desires of the more profit-driven arm.
Make no mistake, the game is good, at least for those who didn’t mind the change of combat system which came about with Origins. For those frustrated at the increasing tendency of major publishers to push microtransactions, however, the game is yet another step deeper into the mud.
Another full-priced game with free-to-play monetization systems. Another step towards normalization, and another amazing series rotting away to uncontained avarice.
Telltale games have made a name for themselves over the last decade with a handful of much-loved story-driven adventure games. Most popular among these include The Walking Dead and Tales from the Borderlands.
Having laid off around 90% of their staff in late September, Telltale sees itself circling the drain while the last few of its properties struggle to escape development limbo. This includes Minecraft: Story Mode, and the long-running and most popular The Walking Dead, now on its final season.
What we do know is that at least TWD has changed hands, with Skybound Entertainment tasked with finishing up the final two chapters. We’d hate to see such promise and legacy go to waste, so here’s hoping Skybound has what it takes to finish one of the best adventure series to come out of gaming in the last decade.
Fortnite Supporting Creators
The relationship of games and their fans has never been as strong as it is today. This can take many shapes, from the rise and now established field of Twitch streamers, to content creators, and third-party game fixers. Now fans contribute a great deal to helping popularize the games they love, and developers and publishers appear to finally be coming around to understanding and supporting this.
As an example, developers over at Fortnite have revealed their intentions for a new “Support-A-Creator” event. Starting October 8, and until year end, fans can add a tag indicating their favorite community icons. During this period anything bought within the shop will contribute towards earning money for these community members. This means that some players and content creators will be able to profit off their contributions to the ongoing dominance of Fortnite.
While we would like to see this taking shape into paying PC users who fix various game problems which the developers ignored (as we touched on with Dark Souls), we do appreciate this progress and the forward momentum which we hope it represents.
System Shock Returns, Again
The System Shock series, despite only having two main entries to its name, is one of the biggest in gaming. Both in terms of long-term fan interest and ongoing gaming legacy, these games have accomplished what few could ever hope. While there have been a few attempts to carry this heritage, most popularly with the Bioshock series, and most recently with the excellent Prey and its DLC, nothing ever quite inspired us like the originals.
When fans learned that Nightdive Studios was developing a System Shock 1 remake, the hype was predictably high. Like many fan-lead remakes, however, inexperience and a ballooning budget led the game continuously further off-course. Fans wanted something closer to a direct remake. What they would end up getting promised was a reimagining. This caused a schism within both the developers and the community until Nightdive halted the project to reexamine their path.
Now back to their original and more faithful vision, Nightdive has released some new footage of their latest alpha. Weird, angular, and far more accurate than their earlier efforts, this is one we will definitely keep an eye on.
Brett Kern a USA based artist creates custom balloon dinosaurs.
Kerns particular combination of dinosaurs and balloons make for funky toylike objects. His balloons are infused with a very decorative and clean aesthetic due to its high-quality finish and nature of his work making it that much more exceptional.
Lam makes a statement with his track ‘The Finest.’
Lamarr Spencer, also known under his music alias as Lam, has presented us with one of his latest projects ‘The Finest,’ which features production from Secret Stash. The track comes after the release of his five-track debut EP ‘Pay Attention,’ which features songs such as ‘The Boy.’, ‘New Aesthetic’ and ‘Honesty.’
While Lam is a reasonably new rapper on the scene, he brings a wave of individuality and distinctiveness with his music which is lacking in the broader sphere of music. With ‘The Finest’ shared, we are excited to see what is next for Lam.
Robin F. Williamsan artist based in New York creates striking, saturated paintings with funky poses and nudity.
Williams paintings appear striking at first glance with their rich saturated colours and seemingly intended, edgy themes. Whether it’s hiding a face in a portrait with hair, themes of nudity, bizarre modelling positions or even severe sunburn effects in her subjects, it seems Robin F. Williams is not afraid of trying to break the conventional. Probably the most notable signature details throughout her paintings are the girls wearing sunglasses which gives a cool aura of not giving a f*ck.
