Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Review (PS4)

By Derek Strickland on November 28, 2013 11:18 am@Mr_Deeke

The Assassin’s Creed franchise takes to the high seas. Come aboard and read our review.

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: Nov. 15, 2013
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Action Adventure
MSRP: $59.99

Avast ye scalliwags, set sail and raise the Black Flag!

Assassin’s Creed IV is one of the Playstation 4′s launch titles that adequately reflect the console’s raw power and refined finesse, and remains one of the premiere must-have games for the next-gen era. Every single moment–whether its cannon-fights across the high seas or cut-scenes–is captured in crystal clear fidelity, showcasing a new age of console gaming.

The game itself is so filled with content that gamers can lose themselves in the 18th Century Caribbean for quite some, only to find they’re not even half-way done with the main quest. There is a huge variety of side missions and alternate objectives that compliment the main quest, and the modern day sequences balance out the plundering glory of Kenway’s crew quite well.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag propels the definitive franchise into the next generation of console gaming while also sending a fresh new wave of vitality through the series. The title’s historical back-drop is a compelling and unique period, providing a seamless blend of open-world exploration with the political-driven war between the Assassins and the Templars that has spanned centuries.

Black Flag introduces iconic faces and pirates of the era including Blackbeard (on Kenway’s right) who ally with our privateer to make a steadfast and deadly alliance.

Welcome to the golden age of piracy

Black Flag‘s story arc marries compelling tale-spinning with the series’ distinct blend of historical influence. The game chronicles Edward Kenway’s rise to fame within the heyday of the Golden Age of Piracy, and captures distinct landmark areas across the West Indies during this period in stunning detail–from Havana to Nassau and everywhere in between.

The plot is quite dynamic and layered; within we find Kenway impersonating a high-ranking Templar assassin, and learns of a mysterious artifact known as the Observatory. The shadowy overtones fit right in with Ubisoft’s cryptic underlying storylines involving the Precursors, and there are plenty of sociopolitical themes thrown into the mix as well.

This image perfectly captures the spread of piracy across the West Indies, featuring a lively firefight between the renegade pirates and the Spanish armada.

Ubisoft captures an era of history in stunning detail, maintaining the realism of the warring nations while fully encapsulating the anarchical spread of piracy across the West Indies. The studio fleshes out the Eighteenth Century with actual pirates like James Kidd and Blackbeard, who join up with Kenway to make an alliance of sorts.

Armed with a crew and his ship, the Jackdaw, the ambitious, silver-tongued privateer-turned-pirate-captain sets out to find the truth behind the mysterious Observatory and to do what he does best: spread chaos.

The UI is streamlined and simplified, providing a clear and concise HUD without any clutter.

The basics: UI, crafting and quests

Black Flag‘s game mechanics aren’t too varied from the traditional open-world elements we’ve come to expect from the franchise. The basics are still the same with a blend between open-world exploration, action-packed combat and stealthy strategy. You’ll also find that Edward is just as spry and agile as Ezio and Connor in climbing structures and performing sneaky assassinations.

The general UI has been more streamlined and refined to make things less complicated, with simplified interfaces for weapon selections, menus, and the in-game map.

Everything is explained in a clear and concise manner, and hitting Options brings up the main menu. Here you can craft things like pistol holsters, armor upgrades, and other miscellaneous helpful additions. You can also view upgrades for your ship and even check your progress tracker.

The main menu serves as the central hub, featuring crafting, upgrades, resources and the expansive Animus datatbase. The map, however, is accessed through the DualShock 4′s interactive touchpad.

Crafting is pretty straightforward in AC4. There are different tiers for any given set of upgrades, all of which require pelts from various wildlife across the West Indies. The stronger upgrades require exotic and rare pelts, adding an extra freeform objective to the mix.

There’s a huge offering of side quests and missions to complete whilst juggling the main quest objectives, which means there won’t really ever be a dull moment. That’s the best part about Black Flag; there’s so much to do and everything is engaging–even jumping across tree limbs to snag shanties or hunting fauna for crafting recipes can be fun.

Combat is a big part of Black Flag, and is more dynamic than ever. Players have a range of weapons to use in battle, all of which are upgradable and provide strategic advantages.

Conflict abroad: combat, weapons and AI

Combat is much more fluid as well, and now gamers can confidently jump into a whole group of Spanish soldiers without death being certain. This is mainly due to the extremely response counter system. When an enemy is about to strike, a prompt pops up, and if you press Circle in time Edward will block the attack and counter it.

Each face button has different counter moves — for example X will disarm an enemy and Square, the most useful, incapacitates them. Edward can counter multiple times, and this mechanic is very useful for any combat scenario and affords for some nice tactical strategy as well.

Edward makes use of his deadly muskets while making a stylized entrance on the battlefield.

Two main types of utilities help Edward out in those tight combat situations; weapons are scrolled with up and down on the D-Pad, making up swords, hidden blades and unarmed. The tools menu is scrolled with left and right, and includes ranged-based weapons like your muskets, blowgun and smoke bombs.

For a price, Edward can purchase different weapons from merchants. Sword sets vary with three different stats — Speed, Combo and Damage — all of which are balanced on a sword-to-sword basis. Pistols are similarly balanced, with Damage, Stun and Range as their modifiers.

Use the many stalking zones like bushes, walls, and even elevation on tree branches to stay hidden from your foes…and strike when the time is right.

Stealth is emphasized throughout many missions, and as always you’ll need to be patient — and skilled — with some parts. Thanks to the refined mechanics, though, gamers aren’t stressed so much. There are plenty of new areas to hide in, too; Edward can use everything from bushes, haystack piles, corners and trees to stay stealthy.

If you do happen to be spotted, the best thing about Black Flag is that the alert timers and radii have been altered to make things much more lenient for players. When one enemy sees you, he’ll come and attack–but the good news is that you won’t get spammed with baddies for one mess up.

This affords for a lot of flexibility and allows players to refine their skills without the cost of frustration.

Named after a native bird from Kenway’s homeland, the Jackdaw serves as the crew’s vessel and can be used for battle and exploration across the West Indies.

The Jackdaw: Ship-to-ship combat and exploration

The most notable addition to Assassin’s Creed IV is enhanced ship-to-ship combat and the exploration opportunities the Jackdaw offers. Gameplay is split between two different terrains: on the sea and on-land. Players can sail from across the seas to different landmasses, and dock at a nearby port–or just jump right into the water and swim to land.

A pirate’s life is all about plunder. With the Jackdaw’s arsenal of cannon, chain shots, and swivel guns you can wreak as much havoc as you see fit across the open waters by attacking enemy ships. Open-water conflict is interesting, fun, dynamic and challenging all at once, and affords for a unique experience that goes lengths in defining the game’s identity.

Taking on Spanish brigs with an assault of cannon fire is thrilling, and remains one of the best parts of Black Flag’s combat scenarios. The Jackdaw can be upgraded with a host of modifiers including new cannon, chain shots, or even swivel enhancements.

Using a spyglass with L1 or R1, you can scout the seas and search for your next bounty. Ships are designated into different levels, with schooners and merchant ships being easy prey and brigs, hunters and man-o-war ships putting up a good fight.

The targeting systems for each ship cannon and weapon vary, and using all of them in conjunction not only makes for an effective fight but can be the difference between life and death. To switch from the Jackdaw’s weapons, you’ll simply use the left analog stick to look at whichever type you want to use; to use the cannon, you’ll need to look to the right so that they are highlighted. Chain-shots are located at the front, and are great for those first-strike shots.

Enemy ships each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but in tandem with one another they can pack a wallop. It’s best to pick off the small fries before you take on a dreaded Man-o-War or a Hunter class vessel.

If you’re feeling brave, throw caution to the wind and engage a dreaded Man-o-War. In ship combat, the higher level the ship the more resources can be plundered, but it’s important you don’t bite off more that you can chew. Above is a ship-to-ship guide that details each of the vessel types featured in Black Flag.

Ship combat is an excellent opportunity to gain cargo and resources that are needed to upgrade your ship, like wood and metal. After you take down a ship, you have two options: board it or just blast it to smithereens. Boarding the ship is the best option and gleans the most resources, but you’ll have to kill off a certain number of the crew.

Kenway and his crew of sea dogs board an enemy ship, ready to pillage and plunder their resources.

Maintaining your ship with frequent upgrades and keeping your crew maxed is the best way to ensure a good haul. Every time you take down a vessel you’ll be able to repair the Jackdaw, and you’ll also get other resources and cargo that can be sold to local Harbourmasters for Reales (the in-game currency).

Sailing a ship isn’t all about treasure and glory, though. The seas can be very dangerous, especially in storm season. Players will face fierce cross-winds and water spouts that only want to capsize your vessel, and these dangers can be amplified by angry Spanish armada ships waiting to intercept.

Storms can be deadly for any ship, and hazards like water spouts, cross-winds and unpredictable swells can capsize even the toughest of vessels. It’s best to avoid taking on ships during these tough environmental effects.

It’s best to learn the ropes of the Jackdaw quicker than later, as you’ll spend a lot of time on its deck. Practice different maneuvers and learn your strengths and weaknesses early on, along with effective measures against multiple enemy ships–sometimes you’ll get bombarded.

The Jackdaw is a flexible ship and it’s capable of impressive things in the right hands, and a few upgrades wouldn’t hurt either. The ship controls well and overall is a joy to command, but sometimes you’ll get stuck in compromising situations–say between two irksome-placed islands–and hit a few reefs due to the wind-changes. The environmental effects across the sea are nothing short of amazing, and emulate realism to an astounding degree to provide an immersive experience.

Take to the high seas to search for plunder or explore uncharted islands for treasure–in Black Flag you get to make the calls.

Black Flag offers a lot of flexibility and gives players the opportunity to do what they want when they want. Apart from the amazing environment effects like the raging sea storms and day-to-night transitions, the sheer amount of freedom is staggering. Sail from city to city or just explore remote islands in search of plunder, harpoon sharks, or even dive deep within the ocean for treasure–it’s all up to you.

Exploration can sometimes get you into some compromising situations though, as crossing enemy territory–those tell-tale “restricted” zones–can bring high-leveled Man-o-Wars right on top of you.

In these zones you’ll come across enemy-controlled forts, which can be taken over by your crew after its been successfully barraged with cannon fire. Once the fortress is damaged enough, you can jump on land and take out the officer to gain sovereignty of the area, and subsequently unlock that portion of the main global map in the process.

Multiplayer has been overhauled, featuring the same basic set-up with additional content and a host of new characters.

Multiplayer

Ubisoft has overhauled multiplayer for Black Flag in a big new way. Players can take part in a number of different matches, and spend their U-Play points earned through the game’s campaign on outfits or upgrades. There are thirteen different classes to choose from, all of which have their own distinct fighting styles and proficiencies.

The interface has been re-designed as an Animus-style MMO game, with an intro and training session straight from Abstergo. Combat is hectic but also keeps in line with the basic controls and game mechanics featured in the campaign mode like climbing buildings and hiding in bushes.

The multiplayer levels are pretty impressive, and the mechanics are seamless so that anyone can pick up a controller and play.

A compass shows nearby enemies, and you’ll be able to exercise your stealthy assassination skills or go all-out with some musket shots in team-based deathmatches or objective-based gametypes.

Multiplayer also has its own Game Lab that allows players to create their very own customized game mode, and there are also global events that gamers can take part in with others. As an example, this week’s event involves the mysterious ghost ship The Flying Dutchman, and begins in the next four days or so.

Edward Kenway’s adventures detail his rise to a legendary pirate, shedding light on his mysterious motivations revolving around the Observatory.

Yo-ho-ho it’s a pirate’s life for me!

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is undoubtedly one of the most impressive installments of the series and remains one of the must-have titles for next-gen consoles. Ubisoft’s newest chapter offers a huge offering of content that’s replayable and vast, offering hours upon hours of play time.

Black Flag not only reveals an interesting portion of the canon mythos, touching upon an iconic aspect of the mysterious Precursors, but also delivers a deep inter-personal storyline that delves into the Templar-Assassin war. The modern day sequences further illuminate Abstergo’s shadowy history, revealing tidbits and hints from the series that haven’t been seen before.

The game’s visuals are exemplified with the immersive and incredible open-world environments, from weather effects and sprawling eighteenth century Havana to the wildlife and even the swells of the ocean. Every scene and moment in the game encapsulates the historic Golden Age of Piracy, and Ubisoft has perfectly captured the era and brought it to life in a dazzling spectacle that pushes the boundaries for the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

Pros

+ Amazing graphics
+ Open-world exploration
+ Fluid combat
+ Ship-to-ship conflict
+ Weather & environment effects
+ Staggering amount of content
+ Huge map full of opportunity
+ Upgrades & customizations
+ Refined control scheme
+ Sea shanties
+ Immersive realism

Cons

- Open-sea combat can be finicky
- Second-screen app restrictions
- Minor quest problems

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‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ comes to iOS, Android and WP in December

By Kenny Doan on November 27, 2013 6:19 am@vrzone

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is coming to Android and iOS this December.

It’s easy to get caught up in Rockstar’s recent release of Grand Theft Auto V, but before this recent blockbuster there were several other hack-em and car-jacking hits.  Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was among one of the best-selling titles for the PS2, and ten years after its initial release fans will be able to enjoy the same game (again?) on their mobile devices.

Rockstar states that the game has been ‘upgraded’ for its mobile release.  Remastered graphics and other game engine details aside, the best part about the release is that the release fully supports physical gamepads.  That, alone, should be sufficient to convince people to fork out a few bucks for the mobile version.

Sorry BlackBerry users, there were no announcements from Rockstar on whether or not San Andreas will make it on to this particular mobile platform.

Dining Table and Seating Pull Out Of Kitchen by Alno

This innovative kitchen solution is designed by German kitchen manufacturer ALNO. What a clever idea, a pullout dining area when you need it, built right into the kitchen cabinetry and pulling out like drawers. I don’t know how they get such a big table into the counter, perhaps there is a fold in it.

Build An Igloo

Build An Igloo

If you’re looking for somebackyard winter fun, why not build your very own rainbow colored igloo! This is easier than it sounds and is sure to provide hours of entertainment as well as a neat place to hang out during the colder months. You can create the blocks of ice using empty cartons and use household food coloring to add the colors. -



Once you have made your blocks of ice you can start putting your igloo together 



Use snow as your mortar to lay your ice bricks into place. -





The colored ice bricks create an amazing effect from both inside and out! -

New leak hints at 5.3-inch display, metallic frame for Samsung Galaxy S5

23 Nov, 2013 | by Anujeet Majumdar | 

There has been a lot of speculation and rumours about Samsung’s next flagship device, the Galaxy S5. Adding to those, a new leak has surfaced, this time with images of alleged device parts, which in this case a metallic frame for the new handset. An unverified translation by SamMobile reveals that the pictures were obtained by Nowhereelse.fr from a source close to a sub-contractor that the South Korean company has allegedly chosen to produce said part. The leak does not reveal any design aspects, though. It does however indicate that the handset will be bigger than Samsung’s current Galaxy S4. The frame, according to the image, measures 5.66-inches in height and 2.8-inches in width. When you compare the measurements with the earlier flagship, it seems possible that Samsung is looking at a 5.3-inch display for the new device. Plastic no more. There are some discrepancies with the image, though. The camera slot is on the side, contrary to Samsung’s tradition of placing the slot in the middle. The USB port opening also doesn’t seem big enough to support USB 3.0, earlier seen in the Galaxy Note 3 and which is expected to be seen in the S5. While the leak indicates that Samsung may be moving away from plastic frames and opting for a metal one, there are no guarantees that the leaked image even belongs to a Samsung device. Earlier reports had claimed that the Galaxy S5 could come with an AMOLED display sporting a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels and a density of 560ppi. There is also speculation that Samsung plans to strap a 64-bit mobile processor, possibly an octa-core one. Other features expected include a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation and 4GB of RAM, topping the Note 3 which comes with 3GB of RAM. While there is no official word from Samsung, reports claim that the new handset could be unveiled early next year, possibly as soon as January. Sales for the same are expected to kick off in February. Source:- Tech2

Protótico de Escavadeira!!! He is genius ! Amazing

He is genius ! Amazing 

A new light-canceling technique could help scientists make thin invisibility cloaks that block a large range of wavelengths:

Invisibility cloaks could slim down with active approach

Light-blocking antennas could hide objects of any shape and size

BY GABRIEL POPKIN 

5:00PM, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LIGHT BLOCKER  An invisibility cloak made of small antennas surrounds an aluminum cylinder. The thin cloak hides the cylinder from microwaves but could be adapted to block visible light.

M. SELVANAYAGAM AND G. ELEFTHERIADES/PHYSICAL REVIEW X  

A new light-canceling technique could help scientists make thin invisibility cloaks that block a large range of wavelengths.SPONSOR MESSAGE

The new technique is “a smart engineering trick” that is “quite different from the way cloaking has been approached so far,” says Andrea Alù, a physicist at the University of Texas at Austin.
Nearly all invisibility cloaks use light-manipulating compounds called metamaterials to bend light around an object, rendering the object transparent. Such technology has become increasingly sophisticated since it was introduced in 2006. But most metamaterial cloaks are still impractically bulky or limited to narrow wavelength ranges and physical configurations.
So University of Toronto electrical engineers George Eleftheriades and Michael Selvanayagam tried what they call an active approach to cloaking. They surrounded an aluminum cylinder roughly 11 centimeters in diameter and 4 centimeters tall with small loop antennas that broadcast microwave radiation. The scientists adjusted the currents running through the antennas to emit microwaves with just the right size and timing to cancel out radiation that scattered off the cylinder. The result, the researchers report November 12 in Physical Review X, was a cylinder invisible to microwave radiation. By changing the antennas’ currents, the researchers could alter the apparent size of the cylinder or make it appear to move.
Eleftheriades says the antennas could be adapted to block visible light just as they do with microwave frequencies. In addition, he hopes to add sensors that measure the scattered light and automatically set the currents in the antennas to broadcast canceling radiation.
Alù thinks the new method could disguise larger objects than has been possible with most of the previous cloaking approaches. But he notes that because tuning the antennas takes time, the technique would work best for hiding stationary objects. 

Inside The Zumwalt Destroyer

Inside The Zumwalt Destroyer

The U.S. Navy's most futuristic warship finally hits the water.

By 

Kelsey D. Atherton

 

Zumwalt In Maine 

U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy's Zumwalt destroyer, the most technologically advanced warship ever built and the first of its eponymous class, was set to be christened October 19, but then politics intervened. Late last month, the U.S. Navy finally launched the Zumwalt from a shipyard in Maine (though without a baptismal spray of champagne). Popular Science reported on the Zumwalt's incredible strength and stealth last year; check out the details, including how the warship might have changed the course of a historic Korean War battle, in our October 2012 cover story.
I went to Raytheon's Seapower Capability Center in Portsmouth, RI, to get a look inside the futuristic destroyer. The Zumwalt isn't there; it's waiting at Bath Iron Works in Maine. Instead, I'm here to see a mock-up of the bridge, the command center where sailors send and receive communications, plot courses, direct weapons, and generally see to the operations of the ship.

Mock-up Of Zumwalt Bridge 

Raytheon

Apart from the metal staircase on the left side, at first glance the bridge could be mistaken for a modern office of a graphic design firm. Rows of computer stations, each with three monitors, all face toward three large projections of the Zumwalt's location—in this demonstration, the ship is parked off the coast of South Carolina, vigilantly guarding Fort Sumter.

My guides frowned upon Star Trekcomparisons.

Besides the usual keyboard, trackball, and touchscreen, each computer station has a joystick. A Raytheon employee told me the joysticks aren't yet mapped to any function, but they could be configured to pilot drones. Poking around the central screen at one of the stations configured for weapons, I found a display map, flight paths, and a series of concentric circles representing incoming vehicles: gray for initiating contact, yellow for warning, and red for opening fire. More information about specific systems (the weapons used, sensors, engines) appears on the side monitors.
And that's the bridge. Nineteen sailors per shift will control the ship from here, and computers will do the rest. The Zumwalt is expected to have a crew of only 154, about half that of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers currently in service. What makes this possible is a tremendous degree of automation. Everything, from the valves leading to the showers to the turrets for the guns, is hooked into what's called the Total Ship Computing Environment. (My guides frowned upon Star Trek comparisons.) Rather than feeding the raw data from a pressure sensor in a pipe back to an engineer, the relevant computer responds accordingly, and then informs the crew member watching the pipes that the change happened.
Crew members will live relatively well. At the lowest rank, there will be four sailors per stateroom (and bathroom). The ship design calls for libraries and lounges, and there's additional sleeping space and room for other military personnel the Zumwalt might want to take aboard for special purposes. More on that later.

The Brains Of The Zumwalt 

Raytheon

All this computing power comes large boxes (see image above) called  Electronic Modular Enclosures. Each of the 16 on board the Zumwalt contains 235 electronics cabinets, consolidating a lot of computer systems into a larger module that's protected from the rigors of life at sea. Inside the enclosures are many parts available to commercial businesses, like IBM Blade servers, which are much cheaper and easier to replace than rugged equipment specially made for naval use. Navy vessels are expected to serve for decades, but computer technology moves much much faster than that. To upgrade the electronics on the Zumwalt, individual modular enclosures can be pulled out, replaced by more modern parts, and reinstalled with much less fuss than renovation usually entails.
The ship's electricity comes from gas powered turbines, which together generate up to 78 megawatts of power. Under normal conditions, the operating systems of the ship and the engines use only 20 of those megawatts, so the ship has 58 left over for weapons. Especially future weapons: Railguns and lasers, both long in development for the Navy, could find a home on board the Zumwalt, which has more than enough electricity to meet these weapons' intense energy demands.

Zumwalt Missile Ports 

Raytheon

Of course, future weapons alone do not a warship make. The Zumwalt will enter service armed with two long-range guns that fire guided artillery shells up to 72 miles away, two smaller guns to protect the Zumwalt from ships that get too close, and 80 different missile launch points, grouped in 20 sets of four. You can read more about the Zumwalt's weapon systems in our October 2012 feature.

It shows up on radar as nothing larger than a small fishing vessel.

Having the weapons to hit something is, at most, half the battle. Stealth is just as important. The Zumwalt's weird construction—sharp edges and sloping surfaces—mean that, according to Raytheon, it shows up on radar as nothing larger than a "small fishing vessel," despite being 610 feet long and displacing 15,000 tons of water. It has both the medium-frequency sonar typical of surface ships and the high-frequency sonar common in submarines. The onboard radar can simultaneously perform broad sweeps and narrow scanning. There's also a system of electronic eyes that catch both visual and infrared light and then analyze the images to determine if anything seen is a threat and warrants notifying a sailor on watch.
Besides the tools for naval battle, the Zumwalt has a helipad big enough for either two helicopters or a helicopter and a vertical-takeoff drone. There's enough room on the Zumwalt to house two helicopter or drone crews, as well as room for two helicopters' worth of special forces, if need be. The V-22 Osprey, while a staple of vertical takeoff and tricky deployments, is too large and heavy for the Zumwalt's landing pad, but for most purposes, helicopters will be fine. Thanks to the ship's sensors, defenses, and stealth, it might very well get special forces into otherwise difficult-to-reach places.

Zumwalt Undergoing Construction 

At Bath Iron Works, Maine 

Raytheon

Star Trek Into Darkness, released this summer, features a warship called the Dreadnought that's heavily automated and designed to run on a very minimal crew. When, toward the end of my visit, I asked my hosts at Raytheon what they thought of this comparison, I was met with a hearty chorus of "no comment."

The U.S. Navy, on the other hand, seems ready for the science fiction comparisons. It looks like the first commander of the Zumwalt will be Captain James Kirk.