Epson Expression Premium XP-605 review

White makes a refreshing change from the unrelenting black style of most printers and the Epson Expression Premiun XP-605 is a compact multifunction colour printer that majors on good quality colour photos.

Score: 3.5/5

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http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/printing/3437661/epson-expression-premium-xp-605-review/

BioShock Infinite review

 

We all know about BioShock - it's that quirky retro shooter set in a decaying Art Deco city under the sea, populated by biologically enhanced crazies, drill-waving Big Daddies and little girls harvesting Adam.

So the news that 2K was preparing a new sequel - BioShock Infinite - brought squeals of delight to the legions of fans who were already mentally donning their scuba gear. Yet no-one could have predicted the startling new direction this saga was going to steer.

At first, you think you're on familiar territory. You're in a boat being rowed across the sea towards a lighthouse. You disembark, follow the path and climb your way to the top of the building. There you find yourself strapped into a seat and within seconds the lighthouse is lifting off into the clouds. Now it hits you - you're never going back to Rapture.

Instead you're transported to a fictional 1912 sky city called Columbia made of mechanically powered islands. These are connected by metal bridges and an elaborate sky-rail system and your first vision of this heavenly Eutopia is an explosion of white and vivid colours that takes the breath away.

Your (anti-)hero Booker DeWitt is a private eye who is hoping to pay off a massive debt by finding a young woman called Elizabeth who is currently being imprisoned in a secure house in Columbia. Like us, DeWitt is initially dazzled and bewildered by the city's beauty, its epic grandeur, towering monuments to past American heroes and the atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

At the core of Columbia's society is the virtually religious adoration of the principal benefactor, the Prophet, and yet DeWitt rapidly discovers that all is not well in Paradise. As the story progresses, he will uncover madness, violence, torture and rebellion which will literally and psychologically tear this world apart.

Playing BioShock Infinite is like falling down the rabbit hole in Wonderland and watching all the inhabitants turning dangerously psychotic. While you gradually acquire a range of conventional weapons (pistol, shotgun, machinegun, RPG, carbine, etc.), you can supplement these with extra powers known as Vigors (Columbia's version of Rapture's Plasmids). Powered by collectible salt, these include projecting fire, electricity, water and even crows at your enemies as well as lifting them into the air, power charging them and pulling them to you from a distance.

Vigors can be enhanced and combined so long as you collect enough money from bodies and containers. Weaponry likewise can be modified using vendors scattered liberally around the map. Dying is not really an option as you simply regenerate at a safe location (as in BioShock 2) with less cash but some basic ammo and salt. Some may feel this lowers the challenge level but the reward is a fast flowing and exhilarating adventure.

Once Elizabeth is discovered, she also enters into the action by supplying vital boosts of ammo, health, salt and money. She can also make tears in the fabric of this world and drag items in from parallel realities, including turrets, health kits and grapples which will help turn the course of a battle. She is also the only one who can open locked doors and your job is to keep her supplied with picks.

The deeper into the narrative you delve, the darker and more surreal the scenes become. At one point you'll be fighting your way through what appears to be an abandoned orphanage against shimmering figures that fade in and out of solidity. Elizabeth is relentlessly pursued by a giant mechanical bird she both loves and loathes and the extent of her powers grows greater but more sinister as time advances.

At the heart of this drama is the mystery of the relationship between DeWitt and Elizabeth and the twists and turns in the considerable revelations will make your head spin. You will undoubtedly find, as I did, that the ending produces a million more questions that need answering. Yet just as when you read the final chapter in an epic novel you've lost yourself in for weeks, finishing BioShock Infinite will leave you with a sad yearning for what has passed.

BioShocking to your depths. Infinite addiction guaranteed. Indisputably the game of the year so far.

 

Score: 5/5