# Ret-H@CKer

is itself a stranger in a strange land. As the newest massively multiplayer roleplaying game in an already crowded genre, it has an uphill battle in winning a piece of that market – and further still, keeping it engaging enough to warrant the monthly subscription fee. To compensate, developer Carbine Studios has cast the widest possible net by striving to cater to both casual players and the hardcore MMORPG player, a sizeable feat rather deftly accomplished by sticking to the formula that’s found success, while fleshing out new ideas therein. In that regard, WildStar is of course not the next evolution of the modern MMORPG. Instead, it’s much more the culmination of a decade’s worth of experimentation and design, cherry-picked and enhanced, and infused with Carbine’s twists and light-hearted flourish. While some may find the lack of bold new directions disappointing, that’s less a criticism of WildStar and more of the genre as a whole – WildStar isn’t rewriting the book, as much as it is penning the sequel. Be Like Water WildStar’s eight playable races are divvied up comfortably between two factions both vying for control of Nexus – the forgotten homeworld of the Eldan, a hyper-advanced race – which neatly sets the tone for a familiar two-sided confrontation. But even with the Dominion-Exile conflict now raging across the planet’s surface, your adventurer is the least interesting parts of this saga. The greater story lies in Nexus’ secrets, and while occasional bursts of dialog and quest text remind you of your heroic stature, WildStar ultimately falls prey to narrative issues common in MMORPGs -- painting you as the lone savior while you watch your same feats completed by a rotating door of adventurers. Much of WildStar’s real story is locked away in voiced data recordings, welcome yet sporadic cinematics, and an in-game encyclopedia. There’s no shortage of lore should you go looking for it, but the finer points are easy to miss while leveling and eventually culminate into an anticlimactic finale (at least until endgame content and a future patch furthers the storyline.) Still, WildStar’s scattered story arc is less of a draw than the colorful, carefree personality on display in every fiber of the planet and the particularly excellent voice work and character animations. Nexus isn't necessarily geographically larger than most MMOs, but it gives a sense of mammoth scale: it's comprised of over a dozen independent zones across three continents and an orbiting celestial body. But Nexus instills a pervasive feeling of insignificance when facing the antiquated relics and natural wonders towering overhead, and it’s often stunning to behold from the tops of those vantages, overlooking its motley biomes and colossal setpieces. It’s bright and boisterous and ready to be explored – which is recommended thanks to the many hidden secrets and achievements stashed off the beaten path. Yet the planet is more than just a pretty face: every sloping hill is a potential hoverboard ramp; spontaneous tornadoes ready to whip you through the air and lingering pockets of radiation are environmental hazards to be avoided; and entire environments add new tweaks to the established physics, as is the case in Farside, an entire zone on Nexus’ moon where gravity’s grip is noticeably weakened. It’s clear that mobility is a core tenet of WildStar, with so much emphasis on fast, fluid motions. Double-jumping and sprinting add interactive elements to movement, the benefits of which are exponentially noticeable atop a mount or hoverboard. Combat is similarly transformed into an action-oriented dance of precision target painting and chaotic dodges. While many MMORPGs rely on a passive skills to hit or miss based on the roll of the dice, WildStar’s attacks all occupy actual space and are visualized by colored telegraphs upon the ground. It can be challenging to juggle precise movements while lining up the shots of a hearty skill rotation, and dodging enemy attacks, but it’s entirely rewarding and prohibits combat from ever growing truly stale. It’s refreshing that such a seemingly basic ingredient as movement can be this engaging, since the bulk of the WildStar experience is a constant state of travel and combat within the now-customary questing system. Yes, you will fetch and harvest hundreds of items, and eventually lose count of the creatures you’ve slain at the behest of a golden question mark, but this too has been touched by Carbine’s penchant for accessibility. Some quests can be auto-completed out in the field, mitigating the drudgery of returning to the giver for the next link in the chain, and small interactive flourishes like quick-time events and color-sequence puzzles introduce a welcome action element to otherwise-mundane tasks. Standout quests that find you literally filling out paperwork for ProtoStar Corporation and running down space zombies on a supercharged motorcycle are but a few of the highlights that flesh out the traditional MMO fare with a tinge of WildStar’s clever personality. Questing difficulty sharply spikes in the mid-30 levels, and it’s here that WildStar’s open tagging, easy-to-navigate quest tracking, and generally welcoming community are most important. Anecdotally, the community in WildStar is one of the best I’ve experienced, both out in the field and in the chat channels of the capital cities: mostly helpful, usually playful, and rarely cruel. Weapon of Choice The choice in class is the first and largest decision you make on Nexus, and to Carbine’s credit, it’s impossible to go too far wrong. Each of the six classes feel mechanically unique and handle differently, though all are capable of holding their own when it comes to dishing out damage, as well as supporting a party in a healer or tank role. The secret is WildStar’s devious Limited Action Set system, which restricts your action bar to eight skills at any one time, forcing tough decisions tailored to each new fight revolving around how you’ll allocate points that increase those abilities potency and add new effects. I love the system for its easy-to-understand complexity, but its potential downside is its branching talent tree: The AMP system. Each AMP acts like a talent that modifies your character, and can be unlocked and purchased with AMP Points acquired with each level. The catch is the more powerful AMPs require a physical component to be found or purchased in the world before the AMP becomes available. As a Spellslinger, the sought-after physical component of the Trigger Fingers AMP commands an extortionate price in the auction house due to its low world drop rate, preventing me from getting the most of my class for now. Fortunately there are plenty of other ways to spend WildStar’s many in-game currencies, and crafting is chief among them. While the traditional tradeskills are all represented, crafting infuses puzzle and strategy elements to put some excitement and activity into its traditionally passive nature. For example, a Technologist crafts potions, boosts, and gadgets by purchasing ingredients that shift crosshairs on an X-Y plane, the goal being to “discover” or hit the craftable you’re aiming for, which is easier said than done. Initially complicated, especially once crafting talents and tech trees come into play, the system is actually rewarding for its depth and interactive elements, though it’s extremely expensive due to the trial and error inherent in the process. Separate from the six playable classes, WildStar’s noteworthy Path system is comprised of four secondary occupations, each with their own tasks that pepper every zone with opportunities for a satisfying change of pace and near-constant distraction. As a Settler, my path maintains infrastructure and civic works through building repair and the construction of buff dispensers. Progression therein continues to reward me with deployable objects – restorative campfires, vending machines for impromptu repairs, and a portable crafting table when trade items are needed in a pinch. Yet each path feels distinctly different, and I’ll admit jealousy when I see a Soldier, Scientist, or Explorer engaged in their own unique path activities. WildStar’s depth of customization is arguably its greatest asset. Player housing in particular brilliantly combines open construction and aesthetic freedom with tangible benefits. Every player’s house grants them an array of daily buffs, seemingly endless variations of décor items to decorate the interior and grounds, and six open allotments on which pre-assembled structures can be placed. I find myself constantly tinkering with each aspect for not only the real benefits they provide in the form of harvestable resources, challenges, achievements, and portals to the distant zones on Nexus, but as a welcome creative escape. In the same vein, WildStar’s gratifying costume system allows you to cosmetically apply and dye the appearance of any piece of equipment in your inventory without having to remove your statistically superior gear. This Is Not the End Carbine Studios has always been adamant that WildStar would cater to hardcore players with its post-cap group content, most notably with the decision to include raiding in both the 20 and 40-man varieties – a trend MMOs have largely recoiled from due to their exclusive nature. And though I’ve yet to unlock these large scale group challenges even after all this time playing, the effort required just getting to that point is indicative of Carbine’s delivery on that promise. I’ve touched before on the satisfying difficulty in WildStar’s group dungeons and Adventures (similar to dungeons but with multiple choice-based branches), and I can confidently say that post level cap, those instances become some of the most consistently challenging engagements you’ll find anywhere. Rewards therein function a little differently from your traditional gear structure as loot quality is tied to group performance: gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. On veteran difficulties, meeting the criteria for gold (and often even silver) can seem impossible at times due to strict requirements that demand near flawlessness. This perfection frequently results in party members immediately dropping from group at first stumble when a gold medal is no longer obtainable – which is uninviting and oppressive for new players trying to learn engagements for the first time. The attunement process for raiding actually requires most of this challenging content to be completed with medal, in addition to slaying world bosses, grinding reputation, and collecting endgame currency through daily quests. Attunement is a daunting list that simply can’t be completed alone, and so finding a dedicated guild becomes a priority. Guilds play a large part in the endgame thanks to both the challenge of the instanced content and Warplots, which function as purchasable guild-versus-guild PvP death arenas that can be equipped with all manner of weapons, monsters, and boosts. Less than a month out from launch, few guilds have the resources to really invest in the Warplot system, and I’ve personally yet to find a guild that would allow me to tag along, but I’m incredibly intrigued by the possibilities knowing firsthand the level of customization Carbine Studios is capable of. That said, I’m less invested in the current state of PvP in WildStar, primarily the two battlegrounds, which both struck me as chaotic, imprecise experiences. I chalk this up mostly to the telegraph system, which I love in PvE, but feel doesn’t translate well into the mass-scale clashes between 20 players fighting over a single objective. As a mobile ranged damage dealer I’m less affected than, say, a warrior would be, but when a constant rotation of a dozen attacks congeal into a spastic red sea that players must wade through to touch each other, there’s little strategy at play. Hopefully the knowledgebase evolves and engagements become more calculated with time, which is more the case in WildStar’s arenas. Like every MMORPG, the success or failure of WildStar will ultimately land on the shoulders of its endgame. WildStar’s wealth of existing post-cap content is both rewardingly, brutally hard, and varied enough that there’s something for everyone. With the next patch already introducing further endgame content, I believe WildStar has the legs to go the distance, and is absolutely worth the monthly subscription fee. To that regard, the much-touted C.R.E.D.D. system that allows players to buy/sell month-long chunks of playtime for in-game resources. Though the economy is still young and the price of C.R.E.D.D. will undoubtedly inflate, at the time of this writing, players can grind enough in-game currency to purchase a C.R.E.D.D. inside of a week: It’s wholly possible to play to pay. Verdict WildStar is very much a child of the modern MMORPG in foundation and mechanics. Yet it builds upon its many clear influences, improving on the original formula in all but a few areas, and is at its best when guided by its fantastic personality and creative freedom. While launch bugs and a few lackluster mechanics mildly restrain WildStar, they’re isolated pockets in a colorful sea of creativity and personality. WildStar is loud, bright, and raucous, and if that style doesn’t click with you than WildStar probably won’t either, but it’s also a deep and open experience that will undoubtedly return as much as you care to put into it.

Rainbow Six Quarantine was only revealed at E3 2019 as a horror spin-off from Rainbow Six Siege, but we know much more about the Rainbow Six Quarantine release date now thanks to a Ubisoft financial call. We've seen a similar concept to Rainbow Six Quarantine with the Rainbow Six Siege Outbreak event last year, but this three player co-op FPS adds a new element of gameplay to the series. Here's everything we know about the game, from the Rainbow Six Quarantine release date to trailers and more. Rainbow Six Quarantine release date An official Rainbow Six Quarantine release date hasn't been confirmed yet but in the latest Ubisoft financial call, CEO Yves Guillemot revealed that the game will be released before the end of the fiscal year (thanks Game Informer). That essentially means we'll be getting Rainbow Six Quarantine in March or earlier. (Un?)fortunately, that also means the March-April period is absolutely stacked with game releases, with the Final Fantasy 7 remake, Watch Dogs Legion, Cyberpunk 2077 and more all coming out around the same time. Rainbow Six Quarantine beta If you just can't wait to play the game because it's already won game of the year in your heart, you can head to the official Rainbow Six Quarantine site to "register for updates and the chance to play early". Don't get us wrong; that's not official confirmation of a Rainbow Six Quarantine beta, but if there is one announced, you're going to want to be signed up. We're likely still some ways off from seeing gameplay for Rainbow Six Quarantine, but we do have the reveal trailer to work with. It's a minute and a half of a bloke cowering in a laundry room holding a pistol, while an alien searches for him outside and some creepy black goo spreads down his arm. He's eventually found by his team though, and it cuts to the Rainbow Six Quarantine logo. Cinematic trailers aren't an indication whatsoever of how a game will play, but it definitely sets the atmosphere. As soon as we see more (Gamescom?) we'll update this guide.

What is it? I think this handsome thing is the world’s best electric car. I suppose it should be, because the new Porsche Taycan, in toppermost Turbo S form, costs £138,826 before options – and you’ll need to specify some of those, as we’ll come to. First, though: this electric car/Turbo combo. There’s something not quite right there, wouldn’t you say? Although Supercharger and Autopilot don’t seem to mean what I thought, either. Look, we all know Turbo is a sub-brand, not a literal thing, says Porsche. It means souped up, which is why there are Turbo versions of vacuum cleaners or already turbocharged 911s. Figuratively, Turbo means chuffing powerful. The Taycan Turbo S figuratively and literally is that. It has 751bhp, albeit on overboost, for a few seconds, during launches, when it can hit 60mph from rest in 2.6sec. Even the regular Taycan Turbo (merely £115,828) has 670bhp in the same mode. Both, strangely, make 617bhp when you’re not launching. Cheaper, less powerful, non-Turbo Taycans will follow, but when early adopters with heavy wallets are waiting, why offer those now? This expensive market entry, then, is Porsche’s first pure EV, but the company has form with electricity via its hybrids, plugged in or otherwise, in road cars and motorsport. The Le Mans-winning 919 has been running an 800V electrical system since 2011 and the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is the kind of car we use on a drag race video when we want to give a Tesla Model S’s Ludicrous Mode a hard time. Find an Autocar car review Driven this week 24 SEPTEMBER 2019 FIRST DRIVE Porsche Taycan Turbo S 2020 review Range-topping version of Porsche’s first all-electric car shows the rest of... Audi RS7 Sportback 24 SEPTEMBER 2019 FIRST DRIVE Audi RS7 Sportback 2019 review Audi’s first new-generation V8-powered RS model is rapid yet reserved and... Aiways U5 2019 prototype drive review - hero front 24 SEPTEMBER 2019 FIRST DRIVE Aiways U5 2019 review First taster from Chinese firm Aiways provides an interesting insight into... The Taycan will be able to fill that brief without the Panamera’s internally combusted element. It’s a five-door hatchback, marginally smaller than a Panamera, built on a new platform, with a raft of lithium ion batteries beneath the floor. They total 93.4kWh, good enough for a WLTP range of up to 280 miles in the Turbo (which has an exceptional drag coefficient of 0.22) or 256 miles in the Turbo S (Cd 0.25). There are two motors – one front, one aft – powering all four wheels. The rear motor has a two-speed transmission, although it drives around mostly in second gear, with the low ratio reserved for the sportier of its drive modes at lower speeds. The Turbo S gets active rear steer, carbon-ceramic brakes, a different inverter to allow the overboost and bigger wheels as standard, but generally the differences over the Turbo are limited. All Taycans will come with a close-to 800V electrical system, twice the norm for EVs. Porsche says that by doubling the voltage, it can halve the current running through its cables (Ohm’s law, I think), allowing them to be thinner and their turning radii therefore smaller, so Porsche can thread them where it wants and save 40kg over a 400V system. They can all charge from an 800V charger, if you can find one, at up to 270kW – taking it from 5% to 80% juice in a little over 20 minutes. There was talk, originally, of 350kW charge capacity, but Porsche says 350kW referred to partner Ionity’s charger outputs, not the car’s ability to take it: that was always meant to be 250kW-plus. Looking through Porsche’s newsroom back issues, this rings true, but there’s enough 350kW talk for it to have been inferred. On more common 400V chargers, the Taycan will charge at just 50kW as standard, with 150kW capacity only as a £294 option. Porsche isn’t the only car maker to start offering better charge capacities as options and it’s not a great look. Optional ‘up to’ rates could become the auto industry’s equivalent of overstated broadband speeds. It’ll confuse and justifiably annoy people who haven’t yet forgotten the diesel scandal. Just fit what conscience says you really should, and be consistent about it. Anyway, we charged mid-journey in the Taycan and, while the range is less than Tesla’s Model S, in mixed and sometimes quick driving, the car does deliver what it says. What's it like? The Taycan, then, feels like a true Porsche, they say. And even at first introduction, it does. The driving position is familiar and right; low slung and straight, with a small round furry wheel. There are four- or five-seat options, with great leg room and mediocre head room in the rear, and moderately sized boots front and rear. Build and materials feel terrific, and the infotainment system, instruments and drive options clear and driver focused. Pedals are medium weighted, the steering likewise, and as in everything from a base Cayenne to a 911 GT2 RS, you get back the expected amount when you put in. Turn the wheel and it responds crisply, accurately. Push the throttle or the brakes and it goes and stops as much as it ought to. This is the kind of thing that marks out the best driver’s cars – and something you find in all Porsches but too few EVs. Taycans, for now, roll on air springs (base models, later, might be on coils and even run just rear-wheel drive) and there’s a broad array of Porsche chassis and stability systems: they’ve chucked just as much at this as any other Porsche. It shows. The Taycan rides, even on a Turbo S’s 21in wheels. There’s occasional ‘sproing’ around town but, to me, it feels the best-damped EV to date. At 2305kg, it’s heavy and, at times, there’s no disguising it, but because it’s not an SUV, the centre of gravity is very low, and if the Panamera has taught us anything, it’s that Porsche can do exceptional things with heavy cars on big wheels. Same here. Body control is terrifically tight, steering response is good, grip limits are all but unreachable on the road and it’s finely poised and balanced. It’s better to drive than a Panamera or Cayenne, or Model S or Jaguar I-Pace or Audi E-tron. I think the only times I’ve enjoyed an EV more are driving a Renault Twizy, the original Tesla Roadster, or a Nissan Leaf with plastic back tyres and that was all kinda different. This is serious, proper – quiet when cruising, engaging when not – everyday transport. Should I buy one? The Taycan might just be more enjoyable to drive than any other current four-door Porsche. I didn’t expect to write that. I mean: there’s no engine. No, but throttle response is beautifully judged and smooth, the point where physical brake pads take over from 270kW electric regeneration is imperceptible, and it’s consistent to and from standstill. Dual-clutch gearboxes and hybrid and stop/start systems are too clunky to do that. And while the Taycan sounds more like the Muppets’ Swedish chef than a V8, for a proper V8 woofle you have to look to a Mercedes-AMG anyway, which is one reason why the AMG 4-Door Coupé is preferable to a Panamera and why the AMG feels, to me, like the closest competitor to a Taycan: they’re both hugely desirable and engaging four-door coupés, are driver focused, handle deftly and just happen to have different ways of going about things. The best electric car in the world, then? Sure. But let’s not think that’s all there is to it. Porsche Taycan Turbo S specification Where Oslo, Norway Price £138,826 On sale January 2020 Engine Two electric motors Power 617bhp (751bhp on overboost) Torque 793lb ft (overboost) Gearbox Single-stage transmission (front), dual-speed (rear) Kerb weight 2305kg Top speed 161mph (governed) 0-62mph 2.6sec Range 265 miles CO2 0g/km Rivals Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé, Tesla Model S

Writer and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge has signed a major contract to make TV shows for Amazon. The Fleabag and Killing Eve creator, who won three Emmy Awards on Sunday, said she was "insanely delighted" with the exclusive deal. It will see the 34-year-old create and produce new programmes for streaming service Amazon Prime. According to Variety, it's believed to be worth $20m (£16m) a year. Amazon co-produced Fleabag with the BBC. Fleabag at the Emmys: How America fell in love with a 'dirty' British comedy. Waller-Bridge said: "I'm insanely excited to be continuing my relationship with Amazon. Working with the team on Fleabag was the creative partnership dreams are made of. "It really feels like home. I can't wait to get going!" The Londoner is in high demand, having been drafted on to the James Bond writing team in an attempt to make the Bond girls feel "real". On Sunday, she won the Emmys for best lead actress in a comedy series and best writing for a comedy series, both for Fleabag, which was also named best comedy series. Killing Eve was also triumphant, with actress Jodie Comer winning best lead actress in a drama series. Waller-Bridge was an executive producer on that show's second season. Waller-Bridge will still executive produce HBO's romantic comic thriller Run.

The developer of Grand Theft Auto delivers its darkest, most violent game yet in Manhunt, a third-person perspective stealth action game that puts you in the role of a death row inmate forced to run a deadly gauntlet at the whim of a sadistic cinematographer. Released a few months ago for the PlayStation 2, Manhunt is now available for the Xbox and PC, and while these new versions feature exactly the same content as the PS2 original, they deliver relatively superior graphical quality--and in the case of the PC version, improved controls. The game itself unflinchingly depicts intense graphic violence, the likes of which you might expect from a slasher movie but not so much from games. However, these grisly scenes are done up in style, as Manhunt has a real cinematic flair to it--not to mention a suffocating atmosphere that perfectly fits the theme. It also does a better job of incorporating stealth mechanics than most other such games, though the latter portion of Manhunt devolves into a nearly continuous, mind-numbing series of shoot-outs. Nonetheless, those wondering whether Scotland-based Rockstar North is capable of putting together something remarkable that doesn't have "Grand Theft Auto" in the title, need wonder no more. Manhunt is seriously intense, and anyone with a stomach for the game's concept ought to find it fiendishly entertaining. There's no reason to like the main character of Manhunt. Debates over the ethics of the death penalty aside, at the beginning of the game, James Earl Cash is presumably about to be put to death--and with good reason. Something happens, however. The "lethal" injection he's administered merely knocks him out. He later comes to and finds himself alone in a cell with an earpiece nearby. He puts it on, and this is how Cash meets Lionel Starkweather. Starkweather presents himself as Cash's savior and promises the man his freedom...after he performs a few key tasks. From this point on, Cash is thrust into a series of levels, called "scenes" in the game, during which he is hunted by ruthless thugs and must make use of any weapon he can find to dispatch of them--or else die trying. All this happens to Starkweather's great delight. You see, Starkweather makes "snuff films" and captures on video the bloody executions conducted by people like Cash. Cash, it seems, is Starkweather's latest leading man. The rather original storyline is very intriguing at first but doesn't really take off. As a result, it proceeds in predictable directions and essentially just acts as a setup for Cash so that he can be thrust from one hopeless situation into another. The premise of Manhunt is actually highly reminiscent of the original Hitman: Codename 47, and, indeed, the game's combination of stealthy surprise attacks and full-bore shooting action is also similar to that game (and its superior sequel, as well as the new Hitman: Contracts). Manhunt is also directly comparable to the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games, which, too, combine stealth and shooting, though not with such gory results as the kind you'll find here. By now, most gamers have experienced stealth gameplay before. Some enjoy the tension and suspense that this style of gaming is uniquely capable of providing. Others don't have the patience for the sort of trial-and-error approach that most stealth-based games boil down to. Ultimately, Manhunt won't change most people's minds about whether they like stealth games or not. Yes, it can be highly suspenseful, and, yes, it can get quite frustrating at times--especially in the later scenes. But, for what it's worth, the game does handle certain aspects of the stealth action formula remarkably well. Some aspects of the controls can take some getting used to, but the core mechanics are great. Though there aren't many legitimate comparisons to be drawn between Manhunt and the latest Grand Theft Auto games, it does have certain mechanical similarities to Rockstar North's previous work that should give you a good frame of reference. Those experienced with GTA III or Vice City won't have any problems getting started with Manhunt, especially since Starkweather will conveniently walk you through the basics when you first begin play. As far as specific points of comparison, Manhunt's hand-to-hand combat system is basically a crude, button-mashing affair, just like in GTA. There are a couple of additional moves; however, you'll rarely need or want to get into a head-on brawl in this game. Guns (including pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, and even a nailgun) come into play later on in the game. In the Xbox version, you can fire the weapons using an auto-aim feature, much like in the GTA series. You can aim manually as well, and on the PC, you'll have to, though there's a useful ability allowing you to snap your aim onto the closest foe. As if to encourage brutal, close-quarters shoot-outs, Cash will automatically target his foes' heads if you lock onto them from a short distance away. From medium range, a downward tap of the Xbox controller's left analog stick or a slight shift of the mouse, while locked-on, will likewise cause Cash to raise his sights to the opponent's most vital region. Of course, he has perfect aim. Cash, himself, can take a number of hits before dying and will never show any real signs of fatigue or injury (except for the cuts and bruises you'll see on his body when he's particularly hurt). In a nod to Max Payne, you recover health in Manhunt by finding painkillers, which instantly restore large portions of your health on the spot. Like any stealthy video game character, James Earl Cash can become virtually invisible by standing in shadows. A context-sensitive onscreen icon, shaped like a silhouette of Cash, turns blue when he's in shadows, though you'll also quickly learn to identify the dark, shadowy areas you can hide in just at a glance. This contextual icon is quite useful in general. It points out when you can, for instance, pick up a dead body and move it someplace. Additionally, it points out when you can use a crowbar to pry open a lock; kick a garbage can to cause a diversion; press your back flat against a wall; or instantly kill an unsuspecting foe. Cash may carry several different weapons at once, but only one of each category. His bare fists are always available, though Cash is capable of carrying a large weapon (like a shotgun or a baseball bat), a smaller weapon (like a hammer or a revolver), a single-use weapon (like a plastic bag or a glass shard), and an object for throwing (like an empty bottle or the dismembered head of one of Cash's victims). You can quickly cycle through your weapons, and many missions revolve around trying to find better weapons than the little ones you start with. You are also able to sprint, which is noisy and alerts nearby foes, though Cash's default walking speed leaves him completely inaudible to his foes, unless he steps on some loose gravel or something to that effect. Cash cannot crouch or lie prone. He cannot climb onto ledges or anything like that, either. The levels tend to be structured in a clear, linear fashion. Clearing one area gives you access to the next area. Occasionally, the level design may confuse you, like when there's an inconspicuous switch or other item you must use in the environment to proceed. Paying attention to the brief cutscenes prior to each sequence should keep you from straying off course, though. Besides all the stabbing and shooting, Manhunt's levels occasionally throw in a few twists, which give you other options besides just killing your enemies. Without spoiling these things, it's enough to say that the game's twists generally serve their purposes well by breaking up the basic action with a few interesting surprises. The great variety of close-range weapons include knives, machetes, axes, police clubs, sickles, and more; all of these can be used to instantly kill a foe in three distinctly different ways, and each method is generally more brutal than the last. Pulling off these instant-kill moves is relatively easy--at least more so than in most stealth action games. Since the same exact technique is used for all weapons, they are all functionally identical, which is somewhat disappointing. Cash needs only to walk up behind an enemy who's unaware of his presence to finish him. When he's within a few feet of his next victim, you'll see Cash automatically raise his hand in preparation to strike with whichever close-combat weapon he has equipped. Pressing an attack button at this point will cause Cash to slay his enemy. Alternatively, pressing and holding an attack button allows you to delay your strike by a few seconds, thus charging up for something even nastier than usual. Starkweather prefers that you do it this way, though circumstances won't necessarily permit it. All the executions in Manhunt use a great-looking video filter effect--as though they're being played back in one of Starkweather's appalling movies--and are chock-full of blood (which tends to gush right onto the camera), gurgling noises, and pure shock value. The stylish, gory presentation of these sequences, combined with Manhunt's surprising assortment of weapons and three executions per weapon, means that you probably won't grow tired of seeing these despicable acts performed frequently throughout the game (that is, if you can stomach them in the first place). Cash will face a variety of foes in Manhunt. Despite the fact that you'll find yourself being hunted by everything from thuggish gangsters to lunatics to SWAT teams to private armies, you'll notice that all these foes exhibit exactly the same sort of behavior. As mentioned, Manhunt is part stealth game and part shooter. During the stealthier levels, which comprise the majority of the game, the enemy AI delivers a rather convincing performance. At the standard difficulty setting (a harder setting is also available), a convenient onscreen radar-style display shows you if any enemies are lurking about, which way they're facing, and whether they're aware of your presence or not. Making noise in their vicinities or moving into their lines of sight will cause them to give chase or open fire if they're armed. Fortunately, Cash is a very fast runner, so you can usually lose your opponents around a couple of corners if you're spotted. As long as you stick to the shadows, your enemies should be unable to find you and will soon give up their searches in frustration. In so doing, though, they'll expose their backs to your weapons. All the enemies in Manhunt are quite chatty, and there's a surprising amount of dialogue in the game. Suffice it to say that the rather lazy enemy behavior seems justified within the game, as most of the hired goons you'll face seem unable to understand the danger they're in. One noticeable issue with the AI is that your enemies won't care much if they see their dead comrades lying in heaps. Some will comment on their slain allies, but no one will raise any alarms or act any differently as a result--even if you throw one of their friend's heads into the fray. The AI is much worse in the more action-oriented levels. Manhunt provides some highly intense shoot-outs, since the weapons in the game seem to pack such an incredible punch, but these levels are also rather difficult and can only be finished by exploiting some obvious weaknesses in the enemy behavior. Again, irrespective of whether you're fighting insane murderers or highly trained combat squads, you'll notice that all your enemies will either just hang back, taking potshots from behind cover, or they'll rush your position. Cash can flatten his back against a wall and spring out from around a corner to fire upon any nearby foes, and you'll need to use this technique to stack the bodies high. You'd think the fourth member of the SWAT team would be reluctant to rush your position when his three friends all got their heads blown apart trying to do the same thing. The smartest thing the enemies will do is occasionally try to flank you if you've hunkered down into a defensive position. One serious problem with the shooting action in Manhunt is that there are no explosives whatsoever (apart from a handful of exploding canisters for you to shoot). A real SWAT team, faced with an entrenched opponent, would surely flush him out by using grenades. Likewise, you'll find yourself in situations where you're required to advance on a group of enemies who are hiding behind cover. These situations can be maddeningly difficult when all you've got is a revolver to work with. As you'd expect, once you've got your guns in hand, there's little need for stealthy killing. You get a ranking based on your performance in each mission, which loosely encourages you to take a stealthy approach as often as possible, but the bonuses for sneaking your way through the levels consist mostly of concept art. Manhunt's story consists of a linear sequence of 20 scenes that, provided you don't get too frustrated, you should be able to get through in an average length of time--say around 15 hours. Beyond that, there's the higher difficulty setting and a vague incentive to replay some of the missions, but you'll be so accustomed to the enemy AI by the time you finally finish Manhunt that it's unlikely you'll want to go back to the game, except to show it off to other people. With all that said, though, Manhunt isn't a short game--it probably could have been shorter, since, as mentioned, the game seems to run out of steam toward the end by putting you through one seemingly impossible shoot-out after another. Even as the difficulty ramps up, the painkillers become harder to find, and the midlevel checkpoints (from which you restart if you're killed) seem much farther apart. Consequently, some of the challenge feels rather artificial, though this is, by all means, a tough game. It's a great-looking game as well, though you wouldn't know it from looking at the screenshots. In fact, the grainy, washed-out look of the game is carefully contrived and is perfectly suited to the dark subject matter. Manhunt uses the most up-to-date version of the same technology that gives the latest Grand Theft Auto games their distinctive looks, and, while there are no wide-open city streets or drivable vehicles to be found here, what you do get are some starkly realistic environments and some good-looking character models. The enemies you'll face are bizarre and pretty creepy. The dilapidated buildings you'll fight your way through are even creepier. And, as mentioned, the cinematic executions are the star of the show. Not all aspects of Manhunt's presentation are so over-the-top. The game makes impressive use of realistic physics here and there. Most notably, you'll see some hanged bodies in some of the game's more disturbing levels, which will dangle lifelessly if pushed. You can also slam open doors with satisfying results, either by running straight into them, kicking them open, or shooting them. Not everything about Manhunt looks outstanding, though. For instance, in many of the levels, rats can be seen scurrying about, and they look pretty phony. Overall, the game does look very impressive, especially on a high-end PC. The Xbox version looks better than the PS2 original, though it suffers a few slight frame rate drops here and there. As an added measure, Manhunt provides support for widescreen, high-resolution displays for those who seek superior picture quality. Audio is a vital aspect of any stealth action game, and Manhunt really delivers in this respect. The executions sound as sickening as they look. Gunshots ring terribly loud and clear. An ambient soundtrack, seemingly styled after the suspenseful, synthesized music of John Carpenter's movies, builds in layers, adding tension to the situation as you move closer and closer to danger. You'll hear Cash's heart beating in his chest all the while. The voice work in Manhunt is of universally high quality as well. It happens to be laced with profanity, which doesn't seem in any way out of place in the context of the game. The characters' lines are delivered with real conviction, thus giving all the foes you'll face some real depth. You'll rarely hear Cash speak, but Brian Cox, as Starkweather, provides a truly outstanding performance that makes this evil character also seem strangely charismatic. At times, you'll almost feel convinced that he's on your side. Manhunt is an audacious game that backs up its extremely violent subject matter with solid stealth action gameplay. Subsequent games in this vein could stand to learn a thing or two from how Manhunt successfully provides all the tension and grim satisfaction that this style of gaming can offer but does so without so much of the sluggish pacing and trial-and-error tedium that hurts other games of this type. On the other hand, the shooting sequences do feel a little stripped-down and are rather overbearing, but the incredibly visceral action, coupled with the game's impressive graphics and sound, makes even these sequences relatively good. Obviously, Manhunt isn't for the faint of heart. Like it or not, the game pushes the envelope of video game violence and shows you countless scenes of wholly uncensored, heavily stylized carnage.

Watch Dogs has had kind of a rough time over the years. The first game was a bit of a disappointment, and the second didn't sell very well, no matter how much we loved it. However, with Watch Dogs: Legion, Ubisoft seems to be learning from some past lessons, along with some interesting new mechanics that should see this game stand out in a crowded marketplace. Watch Dogs (XBox One) at Amazon for US$9.99 In Watch Dogs: Legion, you'll be able to recruit your own personal army of hackers by profiling potential members and helping them with their problems. It sounds a little creepy in theory, but in practice its an engaging mechanic. We were able to go hands-on with Watch Dogs: Legion at Gamescom 2019, and while our play time was limited to about 20 minutes, we did get a pretty good feel for the open world tittle. Hacking in the free world Right off of the bat, if you're at all familiar with how Watch Dogs 2 played, you should be able to pick this game up and hit the ground running. It controls pretty much exactly the same way, but the UI is a lot more attractive this time around. Rather than putting us right in the middle of some story mission we didn't have the context for, we were dumped right in the middle of the open world. The first thing we did was hack into a car to send it flying backwards as the Ubisoft rep was trying to explain the controls. Mission accomplished. Then, we went to hack a civilian, and saw two options up at the top of the little window that popped up: hold RB to 'track', or tap it to 'save'. We did the former, and a new objective popped up both in the journal and mini-map. Someone was blackmailing this person, and it was up to us to clear their name. Then, of course, we hijacked a car and drove recklessly to the objective marker, as you do, but something has changed. As we were getting out of the car, we hit a pedestrian and noticed that they were flagged as 'injured' on the hacker-screen-thing. The Ubisoft rep told us that if we injure or, heavens forbid, kill a civilian, their family and friends will be harder to recruit into DedSec. This might actually prevent people from driving around like maniacs – we were certainly much more careful moving forward. By the time we got to the objective marker, we were starting to run out of time, so we rushed a bit. We ran into an enemy stronghold and died pretty much instantly. And, that's even with a character that had a cloaking ability that was definitely ignored. Luckily, because this game is ostensibly based around having a ton of swappable player characters, we were able to jump back into the action immediately, trying to ignore the fact that the character we were previously controlling is gone forever. Luckily, with this new character's more powerful weapons and combat abilities, we were able to actually finish the mission this time – though with no semblance of stealth. RTX On We probably wouldn't have had to rush to finish the objective in this demo if we didn't keep stopping to look at the beautiful reflections. Not only has Ubisoft managed to craft an incredibly life-like version of London, but with the ray-traced reflections, those infamous rain puddles were constantly drawing our attention. If you're lucky enough to be rocking an Nvidia Turing graphics card in your system, you might want to give this game a try, just to see how reflections are done right. Every window you walk past, every puddle, even especially shiny cars – you'll see realistic reflections. We are a bit obsessive over these ray tracing features, but, trust us: you're going to want to turn this effect on – assuming you have the hardware to power them. Early Verdict Watch Dogs: Legion, at least based on our first impressions, promises to build on everything that made the previous entries in the franchise as good as they were. You've got hacking, a beautiful open world and addictive gameplay. Add on top of that the new recruiting mechanics and special abilities, and this makes for a much more dynamic gameplay experience than ever before. We can't wait to get our hands on the full game on March 6, 2020 on PS4, Xbox One and PC – just keep in mind you'll have to go with the latter to see the gorgeous RTX reflections.

APACER isn’t new to the RGB scene when it comes to memory but their previous offering has been a bit on the flamboyant side of stylings. Featuring wild cats and odd cuts on the diffusers they may have kept quite a few folks from being too interested, but their NOX lineup seems to be remedying that image. APACER NOX RGB DDR4 uses unique ultra-wide angle RGB lighting effects featuring exquisitely carved lighting bar with natural, flowing RGB colors displayed in full view. NOX RGB DDR4 is certified by the software of major motherboard manufacturers such as ASUS AURA Sync, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync. The RGB can be controlled to match your other RGB parts in your PC. First Look – Unbox and Closer Look The APACER NOX RGB Kit comes in a simple package, not as ornate as some come shipped in, but all the pertinent information is available on the packaging and there are dual-window openings on the back revealing the memory specification stickers on the heatsink of each stick. The memory has heat spreaders applied to both sides via a thermal adhesive, which is a bit of a downer since most kits in this range are fully surrounded and attached with some more secure methods, like screws. But the overall design is rather understated with the exception of the large diffuser on top that adorns the NOX log That top diffuser does a spectacular job diffusing the RGB LEDs and results in a very soft, yet bright, display of colors. The fact that the color pattern can be seen from all angles explains what they meant by ‘Ultra-wide Angle’. Software control functioned normally as one would expect when using the software on various motherboards, I tested them with MSI, Gigabyte, and Asus and none of the vendor’s software had issues controlling the lighting. APACER NOX Lineup NOX RGB DDR4 has passed compatibility certifications of most mainstream motherboard manufacturers, ensuring that the product can operate stably on the motherboards listed on QVL. In order to cater to the different needs of all gamers, single-channel and dual-channel packages are provided from 4GB to 32GB, as well as four different speed range options from the 2400 MHz 1.2 V of 16-16-16-36 to the 3200 MHz 1.35 V of 16-18-18-38. While the ICs are stamped with APACER’s logo and information, Thaiphoon Burner returns these as Samsung B-Die ICs which explains their excellent compatibility on even my 1st Gen Ryzen parts when testing. Much like the first time I published a review for storage I have access to limited hardware and had to develop a test suite for myself to use. Because of that the testing is still growing and open to suggestions by the readers. Right now we have a mix of Synthetic and Gaming benchmarks as I focus primarily on the PC Gaming angle with almost all hardware. Something I wanted to explore as we go through the results is more than just the memory’s XMP Profile performance as sometimes people run into issues running memory at it’s maximum capacity, therefore I conducted a set of tests using the XMP Profile for rated speeds and timings, but then adjusted the frequency to see how the memory kits all performed at lower frequencies (and higher than XMP in the case of the Corsair Vengeance LPX kit). Hopefully, that’ll give readers a better idea of where the APACER NOX memory sits overall in terms of performance

Life with a Citroen Berlingo: Month 2 Which car to take on a Scottish camping trip? No need to Mull it over - 11th September 2019 Essentials for a camping trip to the Inner Hebrides at the height of summer? At least two gallons of midge repellent, on top of the three tents and bags of outdoorsy gear needed to keep four adults protected from the elements. Usually packing the car for a week-long road trip like this can be a bit of a nightmare, as your Tetris skills are put to the test. And even then, your passengers often have to share their leg room with carrier bags packed with vegan sausage rolls or flasks filled with kombucha tea – or at least they do on my trips. The Berlingo posed no such problems, thanks to a huge rear tailgate and more handy compartments dotted around the cabin than we had camping kit to put in them. I’d thought the handy lower slot for the removable parcel shelf to sit would be perfect for avoiding items at the bottom of the boot being buried under a pile of Gore-Tex, but the shelf didn’t enjoy the weight of our load – it’s better served hiding whatever you have stashed underneath it than as an extra place to stuff things. I’ve done plenty of long-haul trips like this in ‘normal’ cars. If you’re sat in the back of one of those and taller than six foot, you’ll know how incredibly uncomfortable it can be – your knees end up raised closer to your ears than your feet, so all your weight sits on your pelvis instead of being distributed to your thighs. While you can’t adjust the Berlingo’s rear bench for leg room, there’s no real need to – there’s ample space back there for three sets of adult-sized heads and legs, without any complaining after 500 miles from London to Scotland. The only issue we encountered was shutting those rear doors once you’re buckled up. While they’re incredibly practical for loading, they are quite hefty, and rather stiff to close while sat inside. It can be a bit of a stretch for smaller arms to reach the handle, too. The real hero was the Modutop optional overhead storage bin, which is perfect for storing the essentials within easy reach while freeing up space in the cabin. On our long run up north it meant not having to pull over to rescue lunch from the boot, saving precious time when we had a ferry to catch. Once we’d made it off the mainland, Citroën’s built-in navigation stopped getting around the Hebrides from becoming a chore. It lets you toggle certain points of interest – say camping grounds, tourist attractions, fuel stations and, usefully, ferry terminals. Being able to spot an opportunity to fill up wasn’t to be sniffed at, either, given how few and far between petrol stations were. The Berlingo isn’t the most serene of motorway cruisers, with an upright front end and huge, van-style mirrors that don’t exactly carve the air smoothly. But while wind noise is unavoidable, it’s not like you have to crank the stereo to drown it out, or raise your voice just to have a conversation. It rides impressively well over bumps and broken Tarmac, too, given its sheer size and weight. I’d worried an endurance drive like this would put me off long-distance journeys, but it’s done the opposite. Even after more than 1000 miles travelled and showers limited to any waterfalls we could find, everyone felt reasonably fresh by the end of the week. Believe every TV ad you see and you’d think a 4x4 is the best way to fulfil any kind of outdoor pursuit. For me, the Berlingo feels like a more practical option. I rarely need to drive off road – the car just needs to get you to the National Trust car park and then the adventure starts on foot. Until the weather turns and proves otherwise, I’ll happily take the Citroën’s extra cabin space over an extra diff or higher ground clearance. Love it: Unending storage The hardest part isn’t finding a space to store your bits – it’s remembering which of the copious oddment bins you put them in. Loathe it: Towering tailgate You need to leave a huge amount of room at the rear when parking to have any hope of being able to open the rear hatch. Mileage: 9986 Back to the top One feature shared with a supercar - 4th September 2019 The McLaren staff were amused it had them, but the Berlingo’s paddle shifters work pretty well on country roads. They’re better than leaving it in auto, which can be a little jerky when trying to second guess how much acceleration you’re after. Useful when there isn’t very much to begin with: you’d need five Berlingos to match one McLaren F1 for horsepower. Mileage: 8747 Back to the top Life with a Citroen Berlingo: Month 1 Colour pack makes a real impact - 7th August 2019 The orange splashes around the front foglights and on the Airbump side panels are part of the XTR customisation pack and help to make the Berlingo more millennial-friendly than a van-based MPV might be. Even parked next to the new Toyota Supra, it’s rather easy on the eyes - and a lot more exciting than the Vauxhall Combo Life with which it shares a platform. Mileage: 6490 Back to the top Our new arrival is big on space, and bigger still on oddball charm - 24th July 2019 Remember when SUVs weren’t the go-to choice for family transport? I do. England fans were wiping away tears after a heartbreaking Euro ’96 exit (on penalties, naturally), Dolly the Sheep proved cloning wasn’t just the domain of Jurassic Park and Citroën had just unleashed the original Berlingo on an unsuspecting public. The genesis of the van-based MPV kicked off something of a revolution, and pretty soon every manufacturer had one of its own. It’s only recently, with the surging demand for SUVs, that they have fallen out of favour – but there’s no denying they remain one of the most practical types of car on our roads. And looking at the numbers, losing a few style points hasn’t been enough to put off customers. Before this current-generation model arrived late last year, the Berlingo Multispace was Citroën’s second-best-seller worldwide behind the C3, and was the brand’s most po[CENSORED]r model in 27 countries. If anything, the style-focused overhaul could broaden its appeal even further. Stick some surfboards on the roof rails and you might even call it fun – or at least that’s what the smiling models in Citroën’s brochure seem to be suggesting. The next six months should give us time to find out if it is just as charming to drive as it is to look at – and whether it’s more than simply a van with windows. I’m hoping the fact it shares its EMP2 platform not only with the Peugeot Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life but also a selection of PSA SUVs including the Vauxhall Grandland X, Peugeot 5008 and DS 7 Crossback means it will stay closer to car-like sensibilities and less like a panel van with extra seats. It’s for that reason we opted for the most potent diesel powertrain, a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 129bhp, and eight-speed automatic gearbox when speccing our Berlingo. It will be no stranger to regular long-distance driving, the extra grunt should make sure it has the torque to cope with heavy loads and the slushbox should take some of the strain out of my commute – even with the leisurely 11 seconds it takes to reach 62mph. The all-new third-generation car can be had in extended-wheelbase XL form for the first time, but we’ve gone for the standard M model. It has five seats to the XL’s seven, and is 35cm shorter – but seeing as we’ll rarely need to park an extra two bums in the back, the M’s boot space should prove ample. It had better be, seeing as this Berlingo will be earning its keep transporting me between photography jobs. So far, the sliding rear doors have proven infallible for loading my gear in crowded car parks – but then they had to be, seeing how the massive tailgate needs such a large amount of space to open. I’m already regretting not taking the option of an independently opening rear windscreen, even if it would have meant fielding constant requests from the video team to use it as a camera car. But as much as it will be used for lugging equipment around to various shoots, this won’t be a series of reports detailing just how much room for flight cases there is in the rear. So let’s get that out of the way early, shall we? To call the Berlingo spacious inside would be doing it a disservice – this is a cavernous car before you even get to the boot or think about laying the second-row seats down, with no fewer than 28 different storage bins and cubbies to stuff various bits and pieces throughout the cabin. Citroën says that equals 186 litres but, as you can never have enough places to put things, we’ve also optioned the Modutop roof-mounted storage box that can be accessed from the boot or back seats. At £750, it’s the most luxurious extra fitted to our test car, with the added benefit of ambient lighting giving the whole roof an ‘aircraft cabin’ kind of vibe. Other luxuries include a wireless charging plate for my smartphone, the driver assist pack, which adds adaptive cruise control, and fetching Soft Sand metallic paint, bringing the total cost of our car to £26,545. For your money, you get an interior that’s more inviting and comfort-minded than other van-style MPVs, and while it does without the extra seat padding found in Citroën’s more premium models, I’ve so far found the upright driving position comfortable enough. I’m a fan of the colourful upholstery, too – the mix of orange, grey and green is a lot more fun than the basic black trim normally found in cars like this. The 8.0in infotainment system has so far proven quite comprehensive, if not the fastest to respond to pokes and prods, but it does at least play nicely with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Physical air conditioning controls get a thumbs up from me, too. Having to tap through the menus to change the temperature in the C3 Aircross we ran last year quickly got old. First impressions are that the Berlingo will be perfectly suitable as a daily driver, even for those journeys when you really don’t need all the extra space it provides. As for the ones that do? I have plenty planned over the summer, to see if it really is the ‘leisure activity vehicle’ Citroën claims it to be. Luc Lacey Second Opinion I imagine that, dimensions aside, the Berlingo will quickly feel a lot more car-like than its PSA stable-mates. Having driven a lesser-equipped and much more utilitarian Vauxhall Combo Life recently, the Citroën has a far more relaxed and airy interior, thanks to a more jaunty dashboard layout and that giant sunroof letting light stream into the cabin. There’s a lot to be said for injecting a bit of personality into a category that’s mainly focused on practicality. Tom Morgan Back to the top Citroen Berlingo M Flair BlueHDI 130 specification Specs: Price New £24,950 Price as tested £26,545 Options Metallic paint £545, Drive assist pack £200, Modutop roof £750, Smartphone charging plate £100 Test Data: Engine 4-cyls, 1499cc, turbocharged diesel Power 129bhp at 3750rpm Torque 221lb ft at 1750rpm Kerb weight 1430kg Top speed 114mph 0-62mph 11.0sec Fuel economy 65.7mpg CO2 114g/km Faults None Expenses None

Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that the remains of dictator Francisco Franco should be exhumed. It backed the Socialist government's plan to move the remains from a state mausoleum to a less controversial site - a cemetery where his wife is buried. An appeal by Franco's family against the exhumation was rejected. The issue has divided opinion in Spain, which remains haunted by the Franco era. He won the 1930s civil war and went on to rule Spain until 1975. He lies in a huge mausoleum near the capital Madrid, called the Valley of the Fallen, alongside tens of thousands of civil war dead. Many revile the complex as a monument to the triumph of fascism, and it has become a shrine for the far right. A headache for the Spanish government Battle to strip Franco family of summer palace Franco's legacy 40 years after his death The government approved the exhumation in August. It plans to re-bury Franco next to his wife in the El Pardo cemetery north of Madrid where various other politicians are interred. Many descendents of Franco's victims support the move. "The idea that people who were killed by Franco's troops are buried together with Franco, it's very absurd, and they're still glorifying him as if he was the saviour of Spain," Silvia Navarro, whose great uncle died in 1936, told the BBC. But the family, who would rather he was not moved at all, wanted him to lie in a family crypt in the Almudena Cathedral - right in the centre of the capital. The government says the former dictator should not be placed anywhere where he could be glorified. The controversy comes at a time of political crisis in Spain, as the country prepares for its fourth general election in four years, on 10 November. How has Spain dealt with the Franco era? Unlike in Mussolini's Italy and Nazi Germany, defeated in World War Two, Spain's transition to democracy in 1975 was more gradual. Though democracy is well established now, many believe the country has never faced up to its fascist past. There was an unwritten "pact of forgetting" during the transition. An Amnesty Law adopted in 1977 prevents any criminal investigation into the Franco years. Franco victim's daughter prises open past Erasing Franco's memory one street at a time UN presses Spain on Franco crimes Statues of Franco were removed and many streets were renamed, to erase obvious signs of the fascist past. A Historical Memory Law, passed in 2007 by the socialist government at the time, recognised the war victims on both sides and provided some help for surviving victims of Franco's dictatorship and their families. But the work to locate and rebury thousands of civil war dead has been slow and controversial. More than 100,000 victims of the conflict, and the ferocious repression carried out afterwards, are still missing. Who was Francisco Franco? Becomes youngest general in Spain in 1926, aged 33 After election of leftist Po[CENSORED]r Front in 1936, Franco and other generals launch revolt, sparking three-year civil war Helped by Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Italy, Franco wins civil war in 1939 and establishes a dictatorship, proclaiming himself head of state - "El Caudillo" Franco keeps tight grip on power until his death in 1975, after which Spain becomes a democracy

Microsoft said late last year it planned to swap out its own rendering engine used in Edge and swap in one based on Chromium, the open-source foundation used in Google's Chrome browser was well as in Brave, Opera and other po[CENSORED]r browsers. SEE: Clean out junk files in Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 If you've been waiting to see what Microsoft is up to with Edge, you can now download an early preview build of Edge for Windows 10. Microsoft notes that much of its work so far has been on the underpinnings of its revamped browser. More visible changes, as well as broader support for extensions and the ability to manage your sign-in profile, will come over time, the company said. The swap to Chromium, Microsoft said, will let Edge do a better job of conforming to web standards. The swap also means that one fewer major browser is making a go of it outside of Google's open-source project: Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari each uses its own home-grown browser engine.

With a performance six time better than the previous GTX 1000 series these graphics cards don’t come at a cheap price. With the price starting at 699$ for the RTX 2080 and 999$ for the RTX 2080 Ti not every gamer can afford it. If you have money and can’t decide which GPU you want to buy, or if you are just an interested enthusiast here we will be reviewing both of those GPUs. There is also the cheaper RTX 2070 with the price 599$ on the founders edition. All those GPUs are priding themselves on the 6 times the performance of its predecessors. With this GPUs Nvidia is presenting real-time ray racing in games and powerful AI enchanted graphics. Ray tracing will provide more lifelike shadows, lighting, reflections and it is the first GPU capable of using it and with the new powerful AI GPUs can run AI algorithms in real time to create better, clear and more lifelike images. Nvidia is also introducing us with GDDR6. With that there is a great improvement in the memory speed and bandwidth. Soon we can expect graphics cards with a memory speed up to 16GBps. So, let’s see the specs of the graphs: RTX 2070 Founders Edition RTX 2080 Founders Edition RTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition NVIDIA CUDA® Cores 2304 2944 4352 Base Clock (MHz) 1410 1515 13 Boost Clock (MHz) 1710 1800 1635 Standard Memory Config 8 GB GDDR6 8 GB GDDR6 11 GB GDDR6 Memory Interface Width 256-bit 256-bit 352-bit Memory Speed 14 Gbps 14 Gbps 14 Gbps Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec) 448 GB/s 448 GB/s 616 GB/s Graphics Card Power 185W 225W 260W Let’s remind ourselves of the previous generation of the GPUs. GTX 1070 GTX 1080 GTX 1080 Ti NVIDIA CUDA® Cores 1920 2560 3584 Base Clock (MHz) 1506 1607 1480 Boost Clock (MHz) 1683 1733 1582 Standard Memory Config 8 GB GDDR5 8 GB GDDR5X 11 GB GDDR5X Memory Interface Width 256-bit 256-bit 352-bit Memory Speed 8 Gbps 10 Gbps 11 Gbps Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec) 256 GB/s 320 GB/s 484 GB/s Graphics Card Power 150W 180W 250W What GPU to buy? Well, that depends what kind of games you are going to play and on what resolution. If you are not short on money and are playing on full HD or 1440p then we recommend for you the RTX 2080 but if you don’t want to give up so much money (let’s be real, it isn’t cheap) then go for the RTX 2070. But if you’re going to play on 4K resolution or on VR we would recommend you the RTX 2080 Ti.

The brand’s designers and engineers are mulling key decisions about the direction of the next-generation Porsche 911 rival, chief among which is whether to stick with the current front-mid-engined layout or reinvent it as an electrified – or even pure electric – model with a mid-mounted powertrain. Autocar understands that the latter is favoured by those close to the project. Speaking recently to Autocar, now former design director Ian Callum revealed he had laid out a blueprint for the next generation of sports car in collaboration with his successor, Julian Thomson. “We could get quite close [to the C-X75],” Callum said. “There’s still a formula within Jaguar for a front-mid-engined car. I have a preference for mid-engined cars. It’s certainly something I would like to see" The suggestion is that Jaguar has progressed at least two design approaches: one in the short-nosed electric/mid-engined format Callum prefers and another with a longer bonnet to accommodate front-mounted internal combustion engines (ICE), including a hybridised V8. “For an electric sports car,” he added, “you could make a shape like [the C-X75] with the batteries in a T or H-shape through the middle. Or you could make it as a longitudinal internal-combustion mid-engined car. It would be short enough. So the style won’t dictate the drivetrain, but the drivetrain may dictate the style.” The current F-Type is still set to be on sale for another three years with a round of updates to bring it into line with newer competitors. But Callum confirmed in April that the development cycle for its successor would have to begin “soon”. 2020 Jaguar F-Type: convertible prototypes hit the Nurburgring One of many stumbling blocks to developing the new sports car is the platform itself, which – if to be designed from scratch and bespoke to the model – would require lots of cash and resources at an uncertain time for Jaguar Land Rover. The company lost £395 million in the last financial quarter and hopes models such as the updated Jaguar XE, new Range Rover Evoque and heavily revised Land Rover Discovery Sport can offset significant recent investments and a slump in demand from China. One cost-effective solution is to again join forces with BMW. The British and German makers recently announced they would develop and assemble electric drive units for future models together, but already sources suggest BMW will supply combustion engines to JLR too. As previously revealed by Autocar, JLR may also use BMW’s FAAR front-driven platform for a range of compact models, including Land Rover SUVs. BMW bosses are said to be deciding whether to turn the next-generation i8 into a fully electric sports car. Prototypes of such a model have already undergone testing, according to a Munich-based engineering source. By sharing development of an EV sports car platform, BMW and JLR could considerably reduce costs while at the same time pooling engineering expertise and resources. Another alternative is to make use of Jaguar’s well-proven electric car platform used in the I-Pace. This would require investment to adapt it for a different purpose, but EV platforms tend to be easier to modify to suit different bodystyles and drive configurations than ICE ones. With Callum’s departure, the F-Type has immediately become his legacy in terms of Jaguar sports cars. With global sales of around 62,000 (70% in coupé form, 30% as convertibles), the model has helped rebuild Jaguar’s reputation as a maker of alluring sports cars – as it also strives to become renowned for other types of car such as SUVs. While the F-Type’s sales continue to significantly trail those of class leaders such as the Porsche 911, Callum is adamant that a successor is integral to the brand. “We will also do sports cars,” he said. “End of story.” The C-X75 was a groundbreaking supercar originally conceived to use jet turbines as generators for an electric propulsion system when Jaguar first unveiled the concept in 2010. Working prototypes were then produced that instead used a more conventional petrol-electric hybrid system. But by the end of 2012, the decision was taken to pull the plug on the whole project, meaning Callum’s highly praised exterior design never made it to production.

Italian police have charged a man with culpable homicide after he shot and killed his father during a boar hunt. The pair were moving through thick bushes near the town of Postiglione in the southern province of Salerno on Sunday, Italian media reported. The 34-year-old opened fire when he saw a shadow and rustling foliage, striking his father in the lower abdomen. He immediately raised the alarm when he realised what had happened and tried to keep his father alive. But doctors could do nothing to save 55-year-old Martino Gaudioso. They were hunting in a national park area where hunting is prohibited, local media said. Police seized their rifles. On Sunday the president of the Italian League for the Defence of Animals and the Environment said Italy had become the "Wild West". "It is a real national emergency," Michela Vittoria Brambilla said. Last October, Sergio Costa, Italy's environment minister, called for a national ban on Sunday hunting after an 18-year-old was shot and killed close to the French border. By the end of that month, two more men - a 56-year-old and a 20-year-old - had also died in similar circumstances.

A security researcher has discovered four VPN apps that serve ads while running in the background and also on the home screen of Android smartphones in the latest case of adware found on the Google Play Store. While researching suspicious Android VPN apps, Andy Michael found that Hotspot VPN, Free VPN Master, Secure VPN and Security Master by Cheetah Mobile were all showing full screen pop-up ads on his smartphone even though none of these apps were currently open. It is also worth noting that all of these apps originate from either Hong Kong or China where VPN usage tends to be higher than in other countries due to China's Great Firewall and the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. While three of the four apps provide VPN services to users, Security Master is an antivirus app. Fake VPN website delivers malware Anything to hide? Why your VPN provider should be audited China VPN use may finally be getting easier All of the apps found to be showing disruptive ads by Andy Michael are still available on the Play Store at the time of writing. Adware apps In addition to APIs from Google and Facebook used to show ads, Michael's investigation also found that Hotspot VPN also contained obfuscated code which is used to show full-screen ads regardless of whether or not the app is currently open which results in significant battery and CPU usage. This app's name also resembles the legitimate VPN, Hotspot Shield and its developer likely chose this name as a way to trick unsuspecting users into downloading their app instead. Free VPN Master was found to share the same code for serving Google ads and its APK file has the same code structure and files as Hotspot VPN. According to Michael, both apps are identical apart from slight modifications in their code. Secure VPN though was the worst offender as it served ads when users had other apps open and even overlaid them on top of user's home screens. The app also contained references to code that recorded activities such as when an ad was displayed, clicked on or dismissed by the user. Security Master on the other hand, used more sophisticated behavior to show ads when users tried to go back to the home screen or when certain buttons were clicked. Android users are constantly warned to avoid installing apps from unknown sources but when they can't even trust Google's own Play Store to find legitimate apps, there is a serious problem. Worried about downloading a fake VPN app? Check out our complete list of the best VPN services of 2019

In August AMD produced their new best CPU right now with 32 cores. With great improvements over the past year the new processors are beasts. We are seeing improvements in core count, better power management and higher clock speeds. AMD Ryzen Threadripper release date The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX and 2950X have been launched in August, but we are still waiting for two more Ryzen Threadripper CPUs 2970WX and 2920X, said by AMD to hit the markets on October 29th. AMD Ryzen Threadripper specs 2990WX 2970WX 2950X 2920X CPU Cores 32 24 16 12 Threads 64 48 32 24 Base Clock 3 GHz 4 GHz 3.5 GHz 4.5 GHz Boost Clock 4.2 GHz 4.2 GHz 4.4 GHz 4.3 GHz Power Usage 250W 250W 180W 180W So, let’s compare these specs to last gen CPUs: 1950X 1920X 1900X CPU Cores 16 12 8 Threads 32 24 16 Base Clock 3.4 GHz 3.5 GHz 3.8 GHz Boost Clock 4 GHz 4 GHz 4 GHz Power Usage 180W 180W 180W We can see that they changed the series a little bit with 1900X not getting an installment in the next gen, but we have two new installments that being 2970WX and 2990WX. Comparing the 1920X and 2920X we don’t see a difference in core and thread count but we can see a significant improvement in clock speeds with the same power usage, the same goes for the 1950X and 2950X. But, with the new even better 2990WX and 2970WX AMD has proven that they can do even better than they did last year when they surprised us with Ryzen for the first time. The great power management, higher clock speeds and huge increase in core counts is possible because AMD is using Zen+ 12nm architecture in Ryzen 2nd Generation CPUs. If you are wondering that the WX suffix stands for it is signifying workstation-grade processors meant for creators and innovators. AMD is targeting these CPUs for video editor, people in design and general media creators. So, we are not recommending 2990WX and 2970WX for gaming, that extra money is better off on buying a better GPU or a second GPU. On the other hand, with the X-series processors 2920X and 2950X AMD is targeting streaming gamers who need such a high performance for gaming in 4K livestreaming. Price Such great performance CPUs won’t come at a cheap price with the cheapest of them starting at $649. Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX: $1799 Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX: $1299 Ryzen Threadripper 2950X: $899 Ryzen Threadripper 2920X: $649