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Dying Light 2 Releases in Spring 2020 – Here is Our First Impression!

by Raheel
written by Raheel

The trailer is impressive and fans are dying to know more about the upcoming Dying Light 2 from Techland. We still have to wait till spring 2020, at least we finally got a confirmation about the expected release date from the developers.

Dying Light 2 release date
Techland

So, Dying Light 2 is about to take charge after the original version. We are pretty sure that Dying Light 2 will carry the legacy of its predecessor. The exact date hasn’t still been revealed but the latest official Dying Light 2 trailer confirms that it will be out in ‘Spring 2020’. Since the beginning of 2019, there had been speculations about Dying Light 2 releasing in 2019 but Techland, for some reason, pushed it further into 2020. It could be anytime from March to June 2020.

Dying Light 2 – First Impression

To give fans something to cheer about and at the same time to make them long for the release, the team has released the Dying Light 2 Demo Gameplay. So, Aiden Caldwell occupies the center stage. The City is on the brink of water shortage. The game is based on the narrative/storytelling pattern. The Dying Light 2 Demo Gameplay is highly impressive. It definitely optimizes our longing to grab the game as soon as it releases.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy6ne-fEsAw&t=683s

Good news for Xbox and PS5 users is that Dying Light 2 will be launched on both of these platforms. The Techland reps call upcoming sequel the ‘New Dark Ages’. The society has been pushed back to the Hobbesian state and Zombies continue to play havoc all around.   The visuals are highly impressive and the quality is suggestive of the fact that the developers have focused more on making it highly compatible with Xbox One X. The combat and parkour mechanics seem to be much improved in comparison to what you experience with the original Dying Light.

Dying Light 2 review

Infection is what you have to fight against. The developers have based Dying Light 2 on the infected-lifecycle. This is what Tymon Smektala (Leading Game Designer) claims. Once a character is infected, others around it become vulnerable to the deadly virus. It only takes a bite to transmit the infection. Yes, the demo gameplay shows that humanity is still there but zombies are making their moves quickly. The infected are slow but the Virals (Biters) are quite agile. Once exposed to the sunlight or UV rays, the biters start getting weaker and even pieces of their flesh start falling apart and this is what converts Biters into Degenerates.

It actually isn’t as simple as it appears. Dying Light 2 follows a systematic pattern and plenty is happening around. Some infected are highly dangerous and some are relatively weaker and it all follows an evolutionary pattern. Those highly dangerous infected are basically the creatures of the extreme dark and the only way you could avoid them is to run away. There is no way you could attempt a combat fight with them; physical strength is just not enough to overcome them.

Dying Light 2 plot story setting
Techland

As a player, you have to make various decisions because you are responsible to shape the city (open world) of Dying Light 2. At times, some instructions or circumstances force you to come up with an instant decision that could lead to drastic consequences.

The original Dying Light followed a linear storyline written by Kyle Crane. But things are going to be different with Dying Light 2 because this time Chris Avellone has been contributing to the storyline of Dying Light 2. The famous game writer has already impressed millions for assisting the most famous RPGs including Fallout: New Vegas and Divinity: Original Sin 2.

Dying Light 2 release date
Techland

Dying Light 2 features an organic plot. The settings allow you to make choices from multiple options and follow the direction you prefer. The freedom of decision making has been expanded for the players. It is going to test your decision-making skills under high-pressure situations. The resultant will be the direct impact of the decisions you make. Overall, Dying Light 2 promises a lot and we are eagerly waiting for some more insights into the storyline, gameplay, compatible platforms, and system requirements.

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Supernatural

Sex & Violence (Supernatural)

by hutchm
written by hutchm

Sex and Violence – Supernatural s4e14

In the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of Supernatural, a kind of sub-par episode turns into a massive Nope-fest. Intrigued? Adam Benson comes home late from work, to be met by his wife Vicki, making his dinner and teasing him about being late. Adam responds angrily. Vicki then tells him she has accepted an invitation to a friend’s birthday on Saturday. Adam is again angry, and this time he picks up a meat tenderizer and kills her.

Disguised as FBI agents, Sam and Dean visit Adam, who is deeply remorseful and eventually confesses he was deeply in love with a stripper called Jasmine. Adam knows nothing about Jasmine other than that she worked at a club called the Honey Wagon.

This is definitely uncomfortable to watch, too, though I don’t know if that was intentional. From the cold open, we’re presented with images that are not at all recognizable as supernatural. Men beat and kill their wives all the time, and until we find out about the siren and the “drug” that compels them, there’s nothing here to suggest that what we’re seeing is anything other than violence born of misogyny. It’s a case of unfortunate implications, which is one reason why it took me so long for this episode to truly grab me. I know I’m a dude, but even I could see the male gaze all over this thing in terms of how it was filmed, where it was set, and how the use of the strippers went meant largely to act as this vague antagonistic force without ever getting any characterization at all. So yeah. Up until the big reveal about Nick Munroe (and what he compels the Winchesters to do), I was kind of bored by this episode?

Sam visits Dr. Cara Roberts, a doctor who conducted the autopsy on the victims, and took blood samples from the accused. She tells Sam that the men had high levels of oxytocin in their blood, a hormone associated with being in love. Dean and Sam visit the Honey Wagon, where each of the men had fallen for a different stripper. Information from Bobby indicates that they may be dealing with a siren, a creature known from Greek mythology, who disguises itself as the perfect mate to lure men. At the club Lenny Bristol is enamored with a stripper called Belle. They return to his home, where Lenny cares for his invalid mother. After making love, Belle tells Lenny they can be together forever if he kills his mother, which he does.

Dean and Nick watch Cara arrive at a club. Dean describes, as Sam did with Cara, a version of the poisoning theory, that maybe it is something in the Siren’s saliva, as he and Nick share a hip flask. Nick reveals it is indeed in the saliva, and that he has just poisoned Dean as they shared a drink. Nick is the Siren – and he tells Dean that he can’t trust Sam and needs to get him out of the way so he can be the perfect brother that Dean wants.

So, when Nick reveals himself as the siren (HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS OH MY GOD NICK FIT THE PROFILE SO PERFECTLY), he pits Dean and Sam against one another in a fight over himself. Now, there’s a sneaky little queer subtext to a man making other men fight one another to the death for him that’s kind of a neat re-telling of the Siren myth. But it’s an unaddressed subtext. Actually, it was also kind of confusing why the Siren acted as he did? I got the sense that he fed on devotion and euphoria, but it wasn’t outright stated, or I just missed it. ANYWAY. I suppose it’s not important because FIGHTING. SO. MUCH. FIGHTING. Dean gets the better of Sam and is about to swing at him with a fire axe, when Bobby appears and stabs him with a dagger. He then uses the dagger with Dean’s infected blood on it to stab the Siren. It dies, and we see its true hideous form revealed. The spell is broken. The next day Bobby bids farewell to the boys, and they both uneasily apologize for their harsh words, claiming they had no lasting effect.

While the physical fight was certainly a trip to watch, I was COMPLETELY MESSED UP by what these two said to each other. THEY CAN’T TAKE IT BACK. And I can already see that they’re both going to repeat the same thing to one another in the future: that they didn’t mean it, that the siren made them say that, but… is that really the truth? Because I’m pretty certain that what both these guys say to each other isn’t far from how they really feel. We know Dean’s suspicious of Sam and Ruby! BUT I DID NOT KNOW THAT SAM FEELS LIKE DEAN ISN’T A GOOD ENOUGH HUNTER TO TRACK DOWN LILITH, OR THAT HE BELIEVES DEAN IS HOLDING HIM BACK. I don’t want that to be true, but???? It probably is????

In hindsight, though, there is a lot here that’s completely re-contextualized by the ending. The biggest thing, obviously, is Dr. Roberts’ flirting with Sam. So, this is actually the first time in a while that Sam doesn’t have sex with a supernatural creature??? Also, Dr. Roberts is ALIVE AT THE END OF THE EPISODE. I DID NOT EXPECT THIS. Maybe the show is deliberately toying with our expectations on this one, but still, it was a shocker. That meant that her pursuit of Sam was genuine and not under dubious consent! HEY, THAT’S WONDERFUL.

What was most intriguing about this episode to me was how Nick Munroe used his power to bring out the unspoken tension between Sam and Dean, which comes to a head here in the WORST POSSIBLE WAY. So much of Dean’s characterization involves his reluctance to ever speak honestly about his emotional well-being. Despite that he has made strides towards being more honest with Sam, they both have unresolved issues surrounding their trust with one another. Though, let’s be real, most of that comes from Dean, who continues to mistrust Sam because SAM IS TERRIBLE AT HIDING SECRETS. He’s so clearly doing something else.

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Supernatural

Supernatural (S5E2) – Good God, Y’all

by hutchm
written by hutchm

It’s been a while since we’ve visited the Winchester brothers so hopefully you’ve not forgotten them and their tribulations! 🙂

Continuing on from Sympathy for the Devil, we pick up Season 5 with Bobby still wheelchair-bound and in the hospital.  Unfortunately after Castiel sided with the brothers, he’s been “cut off” from Heaven and its powers and as such is unable to help repair Bobby.  Hoping to rectify this, he tells the brothers that he’s going to search for God and he needs Dean’s amulet to help him.  Supposedly it will “burn hot” in God’s presence.

Rufus (who we initially met in Season 3 when the brothers were looking for colt and Bela Talbot) is at the core of this episode as is a somewhat interesting villain – namely the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, War, himself!  Rufus heads to a town he thinks is under attack from demons, based on omens of a polluted river and a falling star. He calls Ellen and Jo and Bobby for help. Bobby not being able to go himself, sends the brothers out to the town, but when they arrive, they discover that  Rufus and Jo have been separated from Ellen.  Ellen has managed to coral some of the remaining townsfolk, but it looks the majority of the inhabitants of the town are now infected by demons.

Dean and Sam go for supplies, and while Sam is getting salt from a store, two teenagers with black eyes enter. Sam kills them with Ruby’s knife, but appears drawn to the blood & when Dean sees him, he fears that Sam is once again going over to the “dark side” in his struggle to obtain the power he needs.  Sam persuades him that nothing untoward happened, and manages to convince Dean that he needs to remain behind to help guard the remaining townspeople while he and Ellen search for Jo and Rufus.

When Sam and Ellen go to find Jo and Rufus, they are attacked. Ellen escapes but Sam is captured by Jo and Rufus – who seem to think Sam is possessed. While he is held captive, one of the townspeople reveals that he is War – one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and has tricked the people into thinking everyone is possessed, leading them to attack each other.  In reality there is no demon infestation at all!  The people that Sam killed were simply human.  It’s all been a trick.

Returning, Ellen tells Dean that Jo thought she was possessed because she called her a “black-eyed bitch”, and Dean starts to suspect all is not what it seems. Checking the Bible he works out that these signs and the conflict herald the arrival of War. Shortly after, War, in the guise of a townsman, arrives and insists that they all need to attack the demons. As Dean and Ellen try to calm the panic, War turns the ring on his finger and the townspeople start seeing them as demons and attack. Dean and Ellen flee.

The townspeople form a force. They equip themselves with real bullets because they believe Dean had been a demon all along and lied about the effectiveness of salt. Dean and Ellen reach Jo and Rufus shortly before the townspeople arrive and manage to convince the two there are no demons and it’s all the work of War. Dean frees Sam and they rush to catch up with War and cut off the ring that was helping him deceive the townspeople.

Once the battle is concluded, the brothers have it out as Sam tells Dean that he can’t trust himself, and that he needs to take a break from hunting – and Dean. Dean agrees – he can’t focus on the job because he is worrying about Sam. They need to separate so that they can resolve these issues.

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Supernatural

After School Special – Supernatural S4E13

by hutchm
written by hutchm

A very interesting episode as we get significant insight into the way in which the boy’s grew up when they were shuttled around the country in their Dad’s battles against evil.  Enrolled at Truman High in Fairfax, Indiana for one month in 1997, the boys learn of a killing at the school and realize that they need to investigate the story.   In a series of flashbacks, the brothers definitely show their personalities as they try to fit into the school.  Sam is a bit nerdy and a bookworm, while his big brother Dean is all about cars and babes – specifically the hot blonde, Amanda Heckerling.   On his first day of English class, Sam defends Barry Cook from the bullying of Dirk McGregor, while the teacher, Mr. Wyatt, assigns the class an essay on “their most memorable family experience.”  Mr. Wyatt questions the “horror story” at the center of Sam’s essay about family, but praises his writing abilities and asks him if he really wants to go into “the family business.” It’s the first time anyone’s asked him that question — and the answer is “more than anything,” no.

Investigating the murder, Sam poses as a janitor, while Dean, in an outfit of gym shorts, tall socks and red headband, lords over a gym class that has never been allowed to play dodge ball before. Initially the brothers can’t find any of the common factors that they look for in their cases – sulfur, black smoke or hex bags – and they start to wonder if there is actually anything nefarious at play after all?  Perhaps it was just a girl that snapped after being made fun of, one time too many?  However when a student in home economics jams the hand of a homework-copying jock into a running food processor – they realize that must be something going on!

Sam realizes they’re dealing with ghost possession, which is rare but not unheard of. The only violent death on the school grounds was a 1998 suicide – that of Barry Cook – the boy that Sam defended so many years ago.  Dean guesses that his ghost is now attacking the bullies that tormented him and while Sam regrets the necessity they search out his bones and salt and burn them.  When Sam returns to the school to say good-bye to Mr. Wyatt now and thank him for the advice that he gave a lost boy so long ago he’s confronted by a student in the hallway that attacks him and calls him by his name! When he fills the student’s mouth with salt, the ghost is forced from her body. Dean realizes that all the possessed students ride the same school bus, which is driven by Dirk McGregor’s father. As it turns out, by his freshman year Dirk had just watched his mother die of cancer; he later turned to drugs and alcohol and was dead himself before he graduated. Dirk’s father laments that he had a rough time from other

While Sam remembered the story of defending Barry from Dirk, his inadvertent use of the nickname – Dirk the Jerk – ends up being something that remains and follows Dirk himself.  Dirk later turns to drugs and alcohol and while he does not commit suicide like Barry, he too is dead before graduation.  Dirk’s father however doesn’t remember his son as a bully but rather laments the fact his son had a rough time from other kids and while Dirk’s body was cremated, he’d kept a lock of his hair in his bible that he stores in his bus.

That night, Sam and Dean chase down the bus, which is transporting a sports team to an away game. Dirk possesses two different people and attacks the Winchesters; fortunately the brothers are able to find the lock of hair and destroy it before Dirk’s ghost can do any serious damage.

After, the boys return to the high school so Sam can finally have his goodbye with Mr. Wyatt. Their first farewell was a mixed experience: the whole school is congratulating Sam for taking down Dirk and his bullying, while Amanda Heckerling tells Dean how sorry she feels for him, that he thinks he has to posture so much and pretend to be so tough. Dean is humiliated, and delighted when the Impala pulls up in front of the school. In the present, Mr. Wyatt remembers Sam fondly, and asks about what he’s done with himself. His last question is whether Sam is happy. Sam is unable to answer.

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Supernatural

Sympathy for the Devil – Supernatural (S5E1)

by hutchm
written by hutchm

Sorry about this – my writing hasn’t kept up with my watching, (!) but I’ll get all of Season 4 up on the site eventually including an end of season recap.  Season 5, however, needs to be told too and I wouldn’t want you to be kept waiting so without further ado, let’s get into it!

At the end of the previous season (BTW do not continue reading if you’ve not seen all of Season 4 as the content below will spoil it for you – you’ve been warned!) Sam had killed Lilith.  Lilith, however, WAS the final seal, and by killing her, Sam had inadvertently released the Devil.

As Lucifer breaks free of his confinement, following Sam killing Lilith and breaking the last of the 66 Seals a blinding light and sound force the brothers to their knees and when they open their eyes they are on a plane flying over Ilchester, Maryland, where Lucifer was confined.

Hoping for some answers, they travel to Chuck’s house which has been decimated and looks like a warzone.  Chuck, fortunately, is safe and he explains, that the archangel had blown Castiel apart. Zachariah arrives, and tells Dean that he is needed to kill the Devil, but Dean pulls out a sliding door to reveal the sigil that Castiel previously created.  After Dean slaps his bloody palm onto it Zachariah and his angels disappear. Chuck’s part in the story is not done though as he manages to get in touch with one of his uber fans (quite funnily writing some naughty fanfiction about Dean and Sam) and gets her to pass on a message to the brothers.

the “angels have lost Michael’s Sword” and that it is to be found “in a castle, on a hill made of 42 dogs,” 

Dean and Sam meet up in a motel room and Sam states that somehow he’s been purified of his need for demon blood also. He tries to talk to Dean about what has happened, about freeing Lucifer, but Dean refuses to engage with him. Dean suggests they treat it as any hunt, and that they should set about finding Lucifer.

Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester (left) and Ja...

Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester (left) and Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester (right) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nick meanwhile is hallucinating about his family – his dead wife and child, but when his wife whispers to him that he’s special he starts to wonder about what’s going on and if he’s losing his mind.

Bobby arrives in the Impala, with research about the archangel Michael. Sam confesses to Bobby that it was his actions that freed Lucifer, and Bobby coldly tells him that once the hunt is over, he wants nothing to do with Sam. . Dean gets an idea, and going through some of John’s old things. He finds the address for John’s storage facility: Castle Storage, 42 Rover Hill.

Not all is as it seems however as Bobby has been possessed and along with Meg (remember her from Season 2?) they attack and restrain Dean.  However before Bobby kills Dean with Ruby’s knife, he manages to battle the demon and stabs himself instead. Sam returns and helps dispatch the other two demons, but Meg escapes by leaving her vessel.

Sam and Dean drop off a gravely injured Bobby at the hospital and race to John’s lock-up. Once there, they find some dead demons and Zachariah with some angel muscle.

Zachariah reveals they misled Chuck; Michael’s sword is at the storage lock-up because it’s Dean. Zachariah explains that Dean is the sword and they need him to be the vessel for the archangel Michael, so he can defeat Lucifer. Dean refuses but Zachariah starts to torture him and Sam to get his compliance. Just then, Castiel appears. He attacks the angels with his angel blade and orders Zachariah to make Sam and Dean whole again, and then to leave.

Castiel is elusive about how he has been brought back from death, but before he leaves, he touches Sam and Dean, burning an Enochian sigil into their ribs, that will hide them from the angels, demons, and Lucifer.

Nick wanders through his house, distraught. His wife and child have been murdered during a home invasion. As he grieves, he starts hallucinating again. Lucifer appears as his wife Sarah and tells him that he is a vessel, and that Lucifer wants his consent to possess him. Lucifer says he is misunderstood, that he was punished for “loving God too much.” He says that, to let Nick’s family be murdered, God must either be uncaring, or a sadist. He tells Nick possession will be painful, but that Lucifer will help him get justice for his family. Nick consents to possession.

At the hospital, Bobby yells at a doctor who tells him he won’t walk again. He says they need to keep fighting, but is pessimistic about their chances. Dean makes a stirring speech, saying they should take them all on – angels and demons – and try to win.

Overall Thoughts

Overall a really good episode with lots of action and a good continuation to the story.  Zach is definitely not acting “angel like” and you really need to wonder about what’s going on in Heaven to allow him to act in this way.  While the overall story is that the Angels are trying to basically purge everything to start again – shouldn’t he just kill Sam as that will defeat the Devil wouldn’t it?  They could literally cleanse the world themselves without a requirement for the apocalypse and the Devil at all!

Sam and Dean … Sam’s descent into darkness was for the best of intentions and it’s actually quite disappointing that these intentions were rewarded in such a negative manner.  While Sam and Dean are currently somewhat at odds hopefully they’ll be able to get over this and realize that they’ve both made mistakes in their fight against evil.

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Supernatural

Criss Angel is a Douchebag – Supernatural S4E12

by hutchm
written by hutchm

Another episode that doesn’t really have anything to do with the underlying demon storyline and Sam’s descent into darkness this one almost seems to harken back to an earlier era in Supernatural and in some ways reminds me very much of the very funny movie with Steve Carell – The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.  While there are gags-a-plenty in this episode (the Chief is perfect and you just knew that it was coming), the underlying story is more of a buddy comedy gone wrong than anything more nefarious.

It’s Magic Week and Jay a once great magician sits nursing a drink.  Patrick – an up and coming newcomer heckles him, calling him washed up and becomes increasingly more depressed.  Determined to go out in a bang, he chooses to do the Table of Death trick expecting to die but he unexpectedly and miraculously survives!  However while he might survive, Patrick is not as lucky and the death that should have befallen Jay instead visits Patrick leaving him bleeding on the ground from dozens of puncture wounds.

Sam and Dean arrive to investigate and while their initial suspicions fall upon Jay, they quickly realize that he is as dumbfounded as they are.  Dean meanwhile suspects it might Jay’s friends or at the least they might have some knowledge and when questions them, they advise him that the Chief once crossed Patrick and maybe he knows something about what has happened.  Only arriving at the address he’s been given does Dean realize that he’s been had – the Chief is a gay leather dom.

Sam and Dean confer, postulating that Jay is using black magic to regain his old glory. Sam asks Dean if he thinks they will grow old, but Dean says that their life ‘ends bloody or sad’. Sam asks if Dean wouldn’t want to do something if they could end the demon war. Dean is suspicious that Sam isn’t telling him everything but Sam denies it.

Jay admits to his friend that he doesn’t have a clue how he’s doing the tricks, and that he’s getting frightened of all the deaths, but Charlie (his friend) says he has to continue as it’s giving him life again.  When Jay performs his Table of Death trick again, though, the victim this time is Charlie.  Jay realizing that he needs to do something goes to the boys for help & after investigating the boys realize that Jay’s other friend Vernon might somehow be involved.

When Jay confronts Vernon, a young man arrives – it’s Charlie and he is young again. Charlie reveals he once worked with P.T. Barnum, who gave him a powerful grimoire that contained a spell for immortality – the enchanted pack of Tarot cards. He offers eternal life to Vernon and Jay – although it means Sam and Dean will have to die. However Jay pickpockets Charlie’s deck of cards, leaving one with Charlie, and then stabs himself, killing Charlie.  Afterward, Sam and Dean meet Jay at the bar. He is depressed – his best friend is dead and Vernon has left. Dean tells him he did the right thing but Jay finds no comfort in that and leaves.

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