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Name Game: Assetto Corsa Price: 19,99€-4,99€ The Discount Rate: -75% Link Store: Steam Offer Ends Up After : The offer ends on January 6

The SEGA 32X was a failure, but certainly not a boring failure. The mushroom-shaped power booster for the Genesis was a fascinating experiment and IGN Retro is going through its catalog one game at a time, reviewing each and every one in a continuing series: 32X Review-a-Day. There are few games as pixel perfect as David Crane's classic Pitfall!, a one of the very first platformers -- in fact, it's cited as one of the games that helped define the genre. The lone hero, Pitfall Harry, runs left to right while braving jungle hazards like croc-filled swamps and hissing snakes. The goal is to gather up as much treasure as possible before the clock runs out. It is a game with laser-like focus, a benefit from its original host console: Atari 2600. With limited tech, Crane drilled down on precision controls and a compelling task, and then dazzled gamers with some of the best visuals the 2600 had yet produced. Despite being topped in some respects by the epic Pitfall II: The Lost Caverns, Pitfall! remains one of the most beloved videogames ever. So it was natural for Activision to want to revisit this well of good will when the retro-redux craze overtook the industry in the nineties. Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is rooted to its originator by only a few core elements such as Pitfall Harry's son as the new hero, the reappearance of some traps, and the collection of treasure that an appreciated nod to the original sparklies that caught our eyes. However, including a handful of cosmetic links to the past is worthless if the heart of the game is suspiciously absent. The fantastic control of the original Pitfall! has been replaced by loose jumping that will send gamers to their dentists with a bad case of gnashed teeth. Crane was efficient and deadly in his placement of hazards and creatures in his original adventure. Here, it seems as if a bag of jungle-themed obstacles and monsters have been shaken and dumped into the game with little care. Because leaving well enough alone with the jumping just wasn't possible, you now have access to a slew of new moves that include projectile attacks. You can throw stones with a sling and toss a boomerang across the screen. There are new jump moves, such as bouncing off webs or a slingshot leap from a bungee-like vine. Mine carts race through ruins. Zip lines let you cross the scenery at a clip just a hair outside your control. Now, adding new gameplay elements isn't always a bad thing. Many sequels do so with excellent results. But the Mayan Adventure feels so slap-dash at times that you think these new moves and sequences are the result of a checklist than organic design. Take the bungee rope, for example. Bungee was cool in 1994, so bungee will make this new Pitfall cool, right? Not if controlling Harry's landing is a pain. Whereas the original Pitfall was about the struggle between time versus skill, this Pitfall is a paint-by-number platformer with stages that have a start and an end, designated chiefly by the appearance of a boss monster or obstacle. At first, you simply need to jump over an angry jaguar and pelt it with rocks. But as you push deeper into the jungle ruins, you must avoid mine carts and stones, as well as face down a jaguar-man and a wrathful spirit. Absolutely nothing about this adventure feels fresh or innovative. Activision knew the established platformer formula and did little to step outside its boundaries. Pitfall on the 32X does very little with the extra power. The colors are just a grim as they are on the Genesis or SNES. However, the animation is quite good. Harry's moves are full of expression, such as when he takes one of his bungee jumps. Verdict Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is one of those retro revivals that really serves no purpose but remind you of the original game's genius. Whereas the first Pitfall was a trailblazer, this sequel takes care not to tread outside the footprints of 16-bit platformers before it. The addition of a zillion enemies with no thought toward pacing is especially frustrating. This 32X edition adds nothing more than an extra zip line stage. Otherwise the production values are on par with the other versions of the game. Build your 32X collection with other games.

Just Dance 2020 is the ultimate party game! Just Dance 2020 beats the beat of life wherever it takes you. From recent hits to favorite family songs, dance to the beat of 40 new songs, including: God Is a Woman - Ariana Grande Scybids - Little Big Whirlpool - XS Project Bangarang - Skrillex Ft. Sirah Daddy Yankee Ft. Snow Bad Boy - Riton & Kah-Lo High Hopes - Panic! At The Disco Kill This Love - BLACKPINK Sushi - Merk & Cremont I Like It - Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin Policeman - Eva Simons Ft. Konshens Pitbull Ft. Marc Anthony Kids Mode The award-winning children's mode, especially designed for the youngest players, is also back in the new edition of Just Dance. The eight music combinations in this play mode have been created with the help of child development experts to encourage useful movements. Kids will be able to enjoy the game completely independently and safely thanks to the special interface and point system that will encourage them in a friendly way. World Dance Floor You are invited to the biggest online coupon where you will be able to compete against other people and win prizes. Just Dance Unlimited Over 500 songs and other content via * Just Dance Unlimited subscription. Contains a one-month trial period. Certainly the game is a lot of fun, as long as users are still happy to make a bit of space to swing their aims around in the living room. However, Just Dance 2020 does raise questions about the sustainability of the current Just Dance business model, and whether its current setup represents value for money year-on-year for avid fans. That's not to say that Just Dance 2020 doesn't offer up anything new to return players from previous games. The standout addition is the All Stars mode, which takes players back through the ten years of Just Dance with tracks such as Major Lazer's Lean On and Katy Perry's California Gurls. It's a neat diversion from the core play, albeit one that won't keep players engaged in the medium to long term. From a gameplay perspective the dancing is still enjoyable. The Just Dance controller app for mobile phones is back for all platforms except the Wii this time around, having been only used for PS4 and Xbox One in last year's release, and it works well for those who don't have the once-mandatory peripherals. In general terms Just Dance 2020 works the same as before. Play through the individual songs, match the daring moves that the game requires you to make, and enjoy having a workout to some big name songs. It's undoubtedly better with other people around, but avid music fans will still get a kick out of popping it on for a quick jive. The songs available in Just Dance 2020 cover off all the expected big names of recent times, across a fair few po[CENSORED]r genres. It's primarily electronic and pop music, and those looking for deep cuts won't find them here, but if those after the big hitters will find exactly what they expect. There's also a smattering of older songs, too, for those who want to feel very old when they realise how long it's been since Backstreet's Back was released. Some of these work perfectly with the overall play and feel of Just Dance. Ariana Grande's God Is A Woman is a certified banger and its bombastic overtones match well with the pop art stylings of the title. Less so Old Town Road, since that maudlin Nine Inch Nails sample doesn't really correlate with a multicolored cowboy acting the fool in the Wild West. Then again, for those after some pure fun it won't really matter. As a physical party game it's still hard to look past Just Dance and its longevity as a franchise is testament to how po[CENSORED]r the series has been. When compared to other titles that have faded in the party game space, there's something commendable about Just Dance sticking around and still being enjoyable. Because of this Just Dance 2020 is still going to be a good choice for families, and the continued availability of Kids Mode will provide plenty of hours of fun. It's worth giving a warning to parents, though: if you are looking to Just Dance as a way to escape Baby Shark, you're not going to find it here. As a video game, then, Just Dance 2020 is more than competent. Unfortunately there are some issues with the way that Just Dance is moving forward as a product, and the way in which Ubisoft is aiming to position the series when in comes to ongoing value. Just Dance 2020 comes packaged with 40 new songs, but it's not exactly a revolution and some may wonder whether it justifies its price tag at launch. Those who haven't picked up Just Dance in a while may find it worth the cost, but it falls into the same issue as some other annual franchises where those who aren't die-hard fans might skip a release or two or wait until the game comes on sale. This is intensified by the fact that the Just Dance Unlimited subscription service works fine with last year's version of the game, so aside from those entirely new tracks Just Dance 2020 doesn't offer anything essential. Where does this leave Just Dance 2020? It's not necessarily a must-have purchase for those that have recent entries, particularly those who have a subscription to Just Dance Unlimited already. Those who have missed a year or two, or who need to have each new title at launch, will find plenty to love however, and as a product in its own right it's a solid game. Premiere Date: November 5, 2019 Genre: Music video game Series: Just Dance Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Wii, Xbox One, Google Stadia Modes: Single player game, Multiplayer game Developers: Ubisoft, Ubisoft Paris

The problem with EA Sports serving up the only version of video game hockey is that if the new NHL game doesn't deliver much of anything new, there's no alternative. This is one of those unexciting years. Compared to last year's NHL 17, in which EA was able to provide some new modes and meaningful upgrades such as expanded creation options in EASHL, a Draft Champions mode, and a reasonably deep franchise experience, NHL 18 SEE DEAL feels like a holding pattern. New or casual players will enjoy the raucous new NHL Threes mode and extra training features, but longtime fans will find only a few twisted knobs and some minor gameplay tweaks. The only real bright spot to this year's game is the NHL Threes mode, which is a zany take on the now-po[CENSORED]r 3v3 overtime format in the actual NHL. Much like 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, which EA released a few years back, this mode allows for big hits, big shots, and all sorts of chaos. If you're falling behind, the "money puck" can provide a quick way to catch up. These special pucks will allow you to gain a couple of goals at once, or gain a goal while taking another one away from the opposition. And with the next few pucks always visible below the scoreboard, there is an added strategic element to what goals matter the most. It's obvious that EA put a lot of effort into Threes. “ It's obvious that EA put a lot of effort into Threes, as it benefits from unique presentation aspects as well. There are unlockable arenas, including custom Threes arenas, and there's even a Monday Night Combat–esque announcer who makes irreverent remarks during gameplay. It's particularly funny seeing mascots enter the fray, and they'll join the game between periods (with lots of fanfare). Threes is fully playable online against others, and you can also co-op with your friends against the computer. There's even a nifty circuit mode which allows you to make your way across North America, upgrading your fledgling Fridge Raiders team as you take out opponents. The mode provides some novelty and lighthearted fun, as the pure chaos on display makes for some hilarious goals, net-front pile-ups and near-miss moments. The Threes mode is perfect for new players, which makes sense given that the other area in which NHL 18 expands significantly is training options. This year EA has paired with Hockey Canada, and the returning on-ice trainer now extends to a dedicated training mode that explains how — and more importantly, why — you should do certain moves. It's very helpful for newer players to have context for some of these complicated inputs, especially for faceoffs or dekes. By slowing down the action with real video, in-game tutorials, and practice sessions, a novice player can reasonably understand what a toe drag is or why they should use a backhand grip on a certain faceoff situation. These tips and videos are even stitched into the coaching advice during intermissions in every mode. This is subtle and smart stuff here, and I feel more sports game training features should start to go this route. Once on the ice, however, gameplay feels very similar to the last couple of years. That's both good, because by and large I still enjoy a lot of what’s here, and bad because it hasn't rewarded me for coming back. Some changes are subtle but noticeable improvements: there's good control in the passing game, and the slightly modified deking system now allows you to explore more one-handed maneuvers, kick-ups, and inside-out moves. These dekes are much more understandable once you try a few times in the aforementioned training mode, but mastery against human competition will remain elusive for all but the best. It is nice to finally see the computer-controlled players actually using some of these dekes, and they'll even bank passes off the boards. It's a small change, but better to have them using more of the toolbox than not. The new defensive skill stick is long overdue. “ Predictably, goals still come mainly off breakaways, slot one-timers, and rebounds, and the goalie animations are largely unchanged. The overall game flow provides familiar end-to-end action, with some grinding play behind the net and along the boards. The new defensive skill stick is long overdue, and now allows for stick sweeping when backing up, and you can angle the stick to block certain passing lanes or use that directional control to aim poke checks or kneel blocks. I've found this tool to be helpful in online games or against stubborn AI, as it really anchors you on defense. These changes are more for advanced users, though, and most casual players are likely to leave them unexplored. Even when you know what you're doing, the overall game flow doesn't really change much because of them – not nearly as much as it would have if EA had, say, fixed the poke-check move to not be as overpowered as it has been in the past few years. Online or offline, this single defensive tactic remains too powerful. This one move has been the chief defensive tactic for years. EA Sports Hockey League games are plagued by it right now, and even the Threes mode has far too much of it – even from the CPU. There just isn't enough limitation on or reprimand for spamming that action, and the way the puck will often stop dead after someone does a poke-check remains puzzling. The NBC-branded presentation of the past couple of years has become even more stale than the gameplay, and it returns in NHL 18 basically untouched. The video intros and commentary team gave the NHL series new life when they debuted in NHL 15, but now very little is being done to refresh it. Sure, there a couple of new camera angles here and there, and the menu music isn't entirely hockey rock anymore, but this holding pattern starts to stand out after a few seasons of the same thing. Nothing here is bad, but it's becoming entirely too familiar. The fact that nearly all of the interstitials, post-game celebrations, and milestone moments look exactly the same as they have for years can only be explained away for so long. And here’s one that always gets asked: why are there still no more than two players in a standard goal celebration? It's comical to even say at this point. You can now design a mascot for your squad, complete with various animal heads. “ Franchise mode hasn't gone anywhere, and this year aspiring owners/GMs can participate in an expansion draft. With the Vegas Golden Knights entering the NHL, you can either play as them (or a different team) in the 31st slot, or you can play in a league that already has Vegas and expand as the 32nd team. I found it amusing to propose relocation right away as an expansion team (because that's still an option, so why not?), and you can now design a mascot for your squad, complete with various animal heads, body types, and colors. Previous systems, such as player morale, meetings, ticket/merchandise pricing, offer sheets, and the trading block are all seen here, with subtle tweaks like allowing you to extend contracts midseason. The menus for franchise mode could still use some speeding up, as could the simulation of games, and the trade deadline still doesn't feel like the event it is in the real NHL due to a lack of presentational focus around the actual day and no real scuttlebutt or rumour-mongering within the franchise interface. Other modes, such as Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT), Be-A-Pro, and Draft Champions remain about the same, with a couple of useful additions. HUT now allows you to go after challenges like beating specific teams, competing in in-game stat goals, or even co-op tasks, which grant mode-specific rewards and currency. A simple idea, but it adds an extra layer of motivation. The synergy system introduced last year is also back, with certain player combinations leading to bonuses for your team, and this continues to be a simple and effective way to organize your team around specific playstyles. Be-A-Pro adds the ability to ask for a trade during the season, which is pretty insignificant and about all EA Sports has done for it this year. Draft Champions remains largely untouched, with the existing themes (young guns, veterans, east coast, west coast) giving the same flavour to each 12-round fantasy draft. There's nothing really new here, which is disappointing for longtime fans. Be-A-Pro, in particular, is begging for something — anything — to shake it up. The EA Sports Hockey league maintains its status as the crown jewel of the online NHL experience, in part because it's unopposed by new modes this year (except for NHL Threes). The action online has been smooth in every game I've played, as is usually the case with this series. As far as enhancements, they're limited to the ability to add and customize mascots for your team, which makes good use of the creation features added in NHL 17 — but you’ll have to play many games to even do this for your team. You can also participate 3v3 matches in the EASHL now, but the team I play with found these matches too breakaway-heavy to really enjoy. The existing unlock structure for player cosmetics remains in effect, and would-be EASHL stars can now add mouthguards to their appearance, as well as the usual sticks, helmets, hairstyles and player celebrations. The lack of any new character classes does sting, though, as it really seemed like EA had something cooking there but has since lost the plot. This limited gradation between classes leads to the aforementioned poke-check issues, as weaker defensive classes can spam this move without enough of a drawback. In other words, there are far too many power forward characters out there. I have a good time with the EASHL, but it’s hard to say that anything meaningful has been done to the mode this year, and it’s really coasting on goodwill at this point. Verdict I'm glad that, in NHL 18, EA continues to seek out new players for the NHL series with smart upgrades to the training system and the exciting and accessible NHL Threes mode. Those are positive strides, but the rest of the modes and features are starting to feel too familiar. If you're someone who's been following the NHL series for years, you aren't getting anything drastically new here to alter the balance or restore excitement. The EASHL is still enjoyable with a great group of buddies, and the other offline modes are decent, but this series is in need of some new approaches to gameplay and refreshes of older modes. Engin: Ignite Developer: EA Canada Series: NHL Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One Modes: Single player game, Multiplayer game

Discover the epic conclusion of the Mishima clan and unravel the reasons behind each step of their ceaseless fight. Powered by Unreal Engine 4, TEKKEN 7 features stunning story-driven cinematic battles and intense duels that can be enjoyed with friends and rivals alike through innovative fight mechanics. Love, Revenge, Pride. Everyone has a reason to fight. Values are what define us and make us human, regardless of our strengths and weaknesses. There are no wrong motivations, just the path we choose to take. Expand your fighter's journey by purchasing the Tekken 7 Season Pass separately and gain access to stunning additional content The Tekken series has a long-standing reputation in arcades, but for many players it was the console ports that left a lasting impression. These versions often introduced offbeat, dramatic story campaigns, as well as more extensive additions such as delightfully odd beat-’em-up and sport modes. And in recent years, the goal of unlocking and customizing outfits for the game's large cast rounded out the most rewarding objective of all: getting good. Tekken 7 keeps most of these traditions alive and once again delivers the tight, hard-hitting action for which the series is known. The game has some server-stability issues at launch, but it's otherwise a great sequel that confidently claims its position among the best fighting games today. Similar to other 3D Fighters like Dead or Alive and Virtua Fighter, Tekken 7 focuses on utilizing space and lateral movement during combat. By and large this is a game of inches; most fighters punch, kick, and grapple up close to one another and there's little margin for error. A moment of indecision or a sloppy move against a more skilled player can lead to a string of pummeling strikes and a hasty defeat, courtesy of the game's long combo strings. Though Tekken 7 can be punishing, its fighting system isn't as difficult to get into as it lets on. With an intuitive control scheme that assigns one button to each limb, you can learn how to attack and retaliate, step by step. The long-term trick is putting in the time to dissect and memorize your favorite character's moveset to hone your reflexes and diversify your tactics. The biggest complaint you can lob at Tekken 7 is that it doesn't do a good job of explaining the intricacies of its mechanics, let alone how you should approach learning your character of choice. The move lists for each character often hover around 100 entries, serving as a mix of one-off special attacks and combos. Save for a few icons--which represent attack properties that the game also fails to thoroughly explain--lists are disorganized, with no categories or hierarchy to speak of. The best you can do is hop into training mode and shift from one move to the next. Thankfully, you can scroll through attack hints live, during practice, and without repeatedly entering menus. None of this is to say that Tekken 7 is too deep, which would be a ridiculous complaint--the depth of its roster and fighting styles is to your benefit. The point is that new players will have very little help learning anything beyond the basics once they jump into battle. This is disappointing, given that other fighting games have demonstrated that the best way to retain new players is by giving them a fighting chance, and the lack of instruction is odd for Tekken, which only one game prior (Tekken Tag Tournament 2) gave players Fight Lab mode--a place to study how mechanics and different types of attacks can dictate the flow of a match. But if this isn't your first King of Iron Fist tournament and you've kept up with Tekken over its more than 20-year tenure, you’ll find that Tekken 7 delivers the same great combat you know and love with a hefty batch of new characters--and a few new mechanics. The game includes notable new supermoves that can be triggered when a character's health is dangerously low, which is also the right time to unleash a rage drive--a powered-up standard combo attack. The most important new addition is the power crush attack attribute: Relevant attacks can absorb incoming hits mid-animation, allowing you to risk a little health to increase your chances of landing a critical blow, which injects Tekken's otherwise familiar fights with a renewed element of surprise. With more than 30 playable characters, Tekken 7 offers plenty of fighters and opponents to study. Impressively, nearly a quarter of the roster is brand new. The most conspicuous Tekken freshman must be Akuma, the red-haired bad guy of Street Fighter fame. The introduction of fireballs and hurricane kicks might seem like an odd fit for Tekken, but they don't feel overpowered in light of the fact that every character comes with their own advantages. And when it comes to facing down Akuma's projectiles specifically, they can be easily sidestepped given the game's 3D movement. Street Fighter fans will appreciate how easy it is to fight as Akuma, since many of his traditional moves and inputs are present and accounted for. Even Street Fighter's meter-based mechanics have been carried over for his Tekken debut. Interestingly, Akuma also plays a pivotal role in the main story mode. Hailed as the final chapter in the series' long-running story of martial-arts papa Heihachi Mishima and his quarrelling family, Tekken 7's narrative will delight Tekken veterans, especially when the oft-referenced-but-never-before-seen Kazumi Mishima breaks onto the stage. The only major downfall here is the robotic and stale narrator, a reporter covering the Mishima family. His delivery is too shallow to take seriously and not witty enough to make his deadpan cadance funny. You may also notice that some fights seem arbitrarily difficult along the way, but thanks to the gift of shortcut commands for powerful attacks--a system referred to as Story Assist--they’re more of a temporary annoyance than a barrier. Beyond the two to three hours spent on the main story, every character not present therein gets their own brief chapter, limited to a short text intro, a single fight, and a unique ending cutscene. Not all are created equal, but there are gems to find that are purposefully awkward and light-hearted--the perfect complement to Tekken's pervasive melodrama. Fans of the alien samurai Yoshimitsu will, for example, appreciate how he's initially humanized and made vulnerable, only to be subsequently kneed in the groin by the object of his affection. Tekken 7 lives up to the series' penchant for tongue-in-cheek shenanigans and generously gives you access to the series' entire back catalog of cutscenes, from the very first Tekken's low-res clips all the way to background movies made specifically for Japanese pachinko machines. There’s a lot of Tekken history to unlock, and the collection is a wonderful trip down memory lane. Using Fight Money earned by playing the game's various modes you can purchase both cutscenes and cosmetic items for characters. Tekken 7 offers a lot of basic variations of hairstyles or glasses to buy, and an equal amount of stranger outfits and accessories--including neon butterfly wings, a floating clownfish companion, and automatic rifles, to name a few. While you certainly don't need to dress fighters up in ridiculous outfits, doing so will give you a new appreciation for how comfortable Tekken 7 is in its own skin. It's a hardcore, demanding fighting game, but it's also happy to be the butt of its own jokes. Items--so-called "treasure"--can also be unlocked rather than purchased within the Treasure Battle mode, which puts you in a series of fights with increasing rewards and challenges. There's also training mode and an arcade mode where you can practice your moves, but Treasure Battle is easily the most attractive way to spend your off-time in Tekken 7. If you're going to practice before hopping online to fight, you might as well have something to show for it. A few days after launch, Tekken 7's online modes are experiencing a few issues across all platforms, and while these are mostly isolated to ranked matches, it's not uncommon to lose connections in casual matches, either. It's an issue that publisher Bandai Namco is aware of and plans to patch, but at the moment, it's not always easy to get into a match unless you're willing to hammer attempts for minutes on end. When you're eventually able to get into a match, pray that it's over a better-than-average connection; Tekken 7 becomes a slide show online under lesser conditions. Notwithstanding that ranked matches are currently a crapshoot, Tekken 7 remains an easy game to recommend. Its diverse roster is packed with a wide range of personalities and fighting styles, bolstered by a raucous attitude that begs to be taken seriously while simultaneously mocking its more peculiar whims in the process. Tekken fans will find their next favorite game--one that's the product of decade's worth of refinement. And while some of this depth will be lost or out of reach for newcomers, there's enough fun to be had outside of hardcore competition to keep players from all walks of gaming thoroughly entertained. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS MINIMUM: Requires 64 bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required) Processor: Intel Core i3-4160 @ 3.60GHz or equivalent Memory: 6 GB memory Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB, GTX 750Ti 2GB, or equivalent DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage space: 60 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX compatible soundcard or onboard chipset RECOMMENDED: Requires 64 bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required) Processor: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5 GHz or equivalent Memory: 8 GB memory Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 equivalent or higher DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage space: 60 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX compatible soundcard or onboard chipset

Diving back into Japan’s criminal underworld with Yakuza mainstay Kazuma Kiryu as its narrative anchor is like jumping into another season of a well-received cable TV drama. It usually doesn’t take eight years for a show to reach its fifth season but Yakuza 5 was worth the wait. It even manages to be more feature-rich than its predecessors thanks to a robust set of stories and minigames spread across multiple urban districts across Japan. Savoring Yakuza 5 is about being pulled in by not only its woven plotlines and energetic combat, but also the numerous activities that bring its world to life. Just like the games of Brendan McNamara (The Getaway, L.A. Noire), the Yakuza series has always belonged at that end of the urban open world game spectrum where gameplay takes a backseat to story. We’re talking about Metal Gear Solid levels of exposition through lengthy cutscenes. Yakuza 5’s heavy themes of honor among criminals and workplace loyalty are aptly presented through the lens and production values of a big budget TV show, and you’d be hard pressed to come up with any game outside this series that features this much melodramatic piano music. Kazuma Kiryu hasn’t aged much since the original Yakuza, and he's never looked better. Kazuma Kiryu hasn’t aged much since the original Yakuza, and he's never looked better. If there’s one key feature from Yakuza 4 that this sequel capitalizes on, it is the value of having multiple stories. As much as Kazuma Kiryu could be effective as a solo protagonist, having four other playable characters, each with their own lengthy and fleshed-out storylines, adds immense value to Yakuza 5. These journeys are personal, and plot threads intertwine like those of a Tarantino film, and converge at the end like a narrative Voltron. Kazuma kicks off Yakuza 5 on an intriguing note: disguised as a taxi driver making a modest living in Fukuoka. Between highway racing challenges and standard driving missions, there’s a lot of entertaining taxi gameplay to distract you from the story for hours. Unlike other games of its ilk, Yakuza 5 treats driving around city streets as a challenge, with strict traffic laws to follow--until you get on the highways, where anything goes. Another chapter puts you in the shoes of ex-con Taiga Saejima, deep in a snowy forest and far away from the game's concrete jungles This leads to a surprisingly engrossing hunting minigame where stalking prey without startling them is harder than it looks--especially when the intensity of snowfall fluctuates frequently--causing you to take a breath and compose yourself before every shot. Although Yakuza 5 never attempts to be a real simulation of life in Japan, the areas of selective realism within are one of its biggest draws. Taxi racing and hunting are just two of myriad diversions that support Yakuza 5's tale, and with over two dozen types of minigames, there's a lot to discover when you're out and about. It’s brilliant that arcades in the game feature an arcade-perfect version of Virtua Fighter 2 and that Namco Bandai’s Taiko Drum Master exists, even if it only has a three-song playlist. Casino games like poker and baccarat are well-represented, as are traditional sports practice areas like batting centers and driving ranges. When enduring the failure of my fifth attempt at grabbing a plush toy from a UFO Catcher, I couldn’t help by recall my struggles at the similar games of chance in Shenmue, and in real life. Yakuza 5 is the closest thing we'll get to a proper Taxi Driver video game. Yakuza 5 is the closest thing we'll get to a proper Taxi Driver video game. Nothing in Yakuza 5 underscores the series’ passage of time more than Haruka Sawamura’s story arc. Originally the young girl who was the plot’s focal point in the first game, she is now sixteen years old. Her continued and consistent relevance in the series serves as one of the many rewards to fans who have followed Yakuza since the first game. In Haruka's world, there is only one sensible career path for a Japanese teenage girl: idol singer. I afforded myself one eyeroll at this unoriginal premise before I wholeheartedly jumped into the early stages of her burgeoning career. Given the series’ history with rhythm-based action, mostly through karaoke, this chapter will be familiar to Yakuza fans. It’s not just about matching button inputs to on-screen prompts during a practice session in the dance studio. There are meet-and-greets with fans, appearances on various TV shows, and even dance-offs in the streets. Haruka’s songs are more infectious and tolerable than anything by Sega's Hatsune Miku. Haruka’s songs are more infectious and tolerable than anything by Sega's Hatsune Miku. Haruka’s variety show appearances are impressively authentic, not just with the banter between her and the host, but also with the lighting and camerawork. It’s not for everybody, but it's a welcome interlude from the heavy doses of suspense and intrigue in the other plotlines. Still, Yakuza 5 never veers too far from the beaten path, with Rival idols and conflicts with competing management companies providing a dash of drama to Haruka's tale. Although Yakuza 5 never attempts to be a real simulation of life in Japan, the areas of selective realism within are one of its biggest draws. I still remember walking into a convenience store in the first game and admiring the level of detail, from the magazines to the bright and unflattering overhead lighting. This and many other types of business look all the more detailed in Yakuza 5, right down to the pastel color schemes in the pharmacies. And as much as one can survive the game’s more hostile sections with a boost from energy drinks, sometimes you just want a bowl of health-replenishing ramen or curry. Given all of Yakuza 5’s urban attractions and the vibrancy of most of its various large locales, you’d think that Sega received a subsidy from the Japan National Tourism Organization. The core combat in Yakuza 5 is mostly unchanged since the first game and it’s a credit to the series that this hasn’t become totally stale after all these years. Fans will immediately recognize Kazuma’s fighting animations, especially when he’s smashing opponents’ faces with a unusual weapons, including the likes of a bicycle. The tried-and-tested combat serves Yakuza 5 well, but without any type of counter system for self-defense, it shows its age. Make no mistake, though, there is depth to Yakuza 5's combat. Throws, dodges, and opportunities to learn new moves ensure that fights aren't a one-dimensional affair. The series was one of the first street brawlers to include context-sensitive environmental finishing moves, a feature that was improved upon by United Front Games’ Sleeping Dogs, and it's put to great use here. Smashing a thug’s face on the side of a building never gets old; it always looks brutal, but more importantly, it offers a gratifying sense of finality to a fight. As much as you can mash your way to victory with quick attacks, these deadlier moves are doubly effective in scaring off the other gangsters, turning a sixty-second brawl into a fifteen-second display of intimidating might. Of course, moments of slapstick complement the harsh side of combat, including the use of an injured foe as a weapon against his unfortunate buddies, adding insult to injury. Yakuza 5 makes up for its modest shortcomings with enthralling diversions and eye-popping settings that compel one to look at travel deals to Japan. While playing the prior games isn’t a prerequisite, loyal fans who have followed the Yakuza series up to this point will feel rewarded with every throwback, whether it’s the return of a supporting character or a revisit to a ramen shop that has remained in business for multiple games. Even if melee combat lacks the sophistication of modern action games, Yakuza 5 makes up for its modest shortcomings with enthralling diversions and eye-popping settings that compel one to look at travel deals to Japan. Come for the stories, but stick around for Yakuza 5's world; it's unconventional in the best way possible Writer: Masayoshi Yokoyama Series: Yakuza Designer: Toshihiro Nagoshi Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 Developers: Sega, Amusement Vision, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

The first goal of the Shanghai Gigazo plant is to start rolling 3,000 units a week. Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai already produces. At the moment, the plant is working on one shift, but plans are to switch two shifts a day. At that point, Tesla boasted that 280 cars were produced in 10 working hours, making 1,400 units a week (5 days a week) from Model 3. The first pieces of the model were handed over to workers at the plant this Monday, and deliveries to regular customers will begin by the end of the month. At present, about 30% of the components are manufactured in Shanghai Model 3 for domestic production, and by mid-year this percentage should reach 70. Model 3 is expected to be 100% manufactured in China by the end of the year. . Tesla's plans are to make 250,000 cars a year in Shanghai, and when the full capacity of the plant is reached, the figure should double to 500,000. Similar plans are in place for Gigafactory 4 in Germany, which will spread over an area of 741 acres. At full capacity (does not indicate which year), on three shifts and 4,000 workers, the annual capacity should reach 750,000. On this basis, we should expect that by the end of this year and the end of Berlin, Model 3 production could start. At the same time, Model 3 shipments in Europe are gaining momentum. The latest example of this comes from the Netherlands (as it became clear the name Netherlands will no longer be used). In December alone, 11,563 Model 3 units were sold in the country (deliveries also crossed the 10,000 mark in September). The second best-selling car of the month is the Audi e-tron with 2,690 units.

Greece, Israel and Cyprus sign the EastMed pipeline The 1900 km pipeline aims to provide an alternative source of gas for Europe Vatina has today signed an intergovernmental agreement to build the EasternMed Gas Pipeline (EastMed) between Greece, Israel and Cyprus. The signing ceremony was broadcast live on state-owned television, ERT. In the presence of the Prime Ministers of Greece and Israel, Kiriakos Mitsotakis and Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis, the document was signed by Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Kostis Hadzidakis, Israel's Minister of Energy and Energy, Yu. of Cyprus George Lakotripris. " The procedure for concluding the agreement will end when it is also signed by Italy, but a date has not yet been set. EastMed will be an underwater pipeline designed to carry gas from offshore fields in the southeastern Mediterranean to continental Europe. The 1900km pipeline aims to provide an alternative source of gas to Europe, which now relies mainly on supplies from Russia and the Caucasus. The pipeline is expected to last about seven years and cost about seven billion dollars. Speaking after the signing, Mitsotakis said that, in addition to improving the geostrategic status of Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean, the project "will contribute to peace and stability in the region." Highlighting Washington's support for tripartite energy cooperation in the region, the Greek prime minister said the construction of the EastMed pipeline "will enhance European energy security." Mitsotakis stressed that the EastMed project "poses no threat to anyone". These words are widely seen as hinting at Turkey, whose exploration of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean has intensified tensions with neighboring countries. "Regional co-operation is open to all on one condition: they respect international law and good neighborly relations," the Greek prime minister said.

These are the safest airlines for 2020. This ranking can help you decide on your next trip Awareness of the airline is the first thing that leads a consumer when he or she searches for airline tickets to their next destination. However, even people who have a tremendous fear of traveling by plane will not stand up to the convenience and comfort of the Australian Airlines Qantas, which topped the list of the safest airlines in the world for the seventh year in a row. The ranking is created by AirlineRatings.com, which monitors over 405 airlines worldwide. Qantas wins the top spot from 2014 to 2017. In 2018, AirlineRatings failed to determine one winner and made the list of the 20 safest airlines in alphabetical order. This year, Qantas comes out again. The ranking is ranked taking into account various factors such as the results of the technical inspections of the machines, the incident and accident records of the respective airline, the financial status, experience and qualities of the pilots and so on. AirlineRatings doesn't take into account minor incidents because "all airlines have similar ones every day," says Joffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief of the Australian website. "The way the crew handles these minor incidents separates the safe from the insecure airline," he told CNN Travel. Qantas has been the leading airline in every metric for the past 60 years, Thomas said. the best in the world New Zealand's Air New Zealand ranks second after Qantas and Taiwan's EVA Ai ranks third. Etihad Airways ranks fourth. Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Australia also add to the top ten. From 10th to 20th position we find the following airlines: Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, TAP Air Portugal, SAS, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, Finnair, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus and KLM. The list does not include British Airways, ANA, American Airlines and United Airlines, which were among the top 20 safest airlines last year. Japan Japan Airlines and American Delta are also absent. Thomas notes that the quality gap between the airlines in the top ten is not large. According to him, there are more differences in the positions from the 10th to the 20th. Low-cost security AirlineRatings makes a separate list of the safest low cost airlines. The website lists air carriers in alphabetical order: Air Arabia, Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, IndiGo, Jetblue, Volaris, Vueling, Westjet and Wizz Air. And here's the full list of the 20 safest airlines in the world: 1. Qantas 2. Air New Zealand 3. EVA Air 4. Etihad Airways 5. Qatar Airways 6. Singapore Airlines 7. Emirates 8. Alaska Airlines 9. Cathay Pacific 10. Virgin Australia 11. Hawaiian Airlines 12. Virgin Atlantic 13. TAP Air Portugal 14. SAS 15. Royal Jordanian 16. Swiss 17. Finnair 18. Lufthansa 19. Aer Lingus 20. KLM

After spending time with NHL 19 SEE DEAL , exploring its different modes and customization options, I think it might be my favorite hockey game. Scratch that — I think NHL 19 is one of my favorite sports games, period. It uses the same animation engine as Madden and FIFA, has excellent presentation and atmosphere, and the players look like who they’re supposed to look like. Part of NHL 19’s appeal is its accessibility. You don’t need to keep up with every iteration of the series to immediately jump in and have a good time. One of the first things it asks you to do is choose a play style based on your personal skill level. Are you a complete EA NHL rookie? NHL 19’s got your back with the option to play with a simplified rule set and NHL ‘94 controls. A seasoned vet looking to show off your puck-handling skills? The skill stick option lets you flex your muscles on the ice. Hybrid controls meet somewhere in the middle. It’s awesome how NHL 19 can be played by anyone at any skill level. Commentary is improved over last year, too, so it doesn’t repeat as often. It feels like television commentary, responding well to the on-ice action. A great menu system allowing you to pin your favorite modes lets you drop into games quickly, and a decent soundtrack all add up to something wonderful. It’s also overflowing with choice, from a generous number of modes (both online and offline) to a dizzying number of create-a-player options. It’s disappointing that you can only choose from premade faces, but I’m impressed at how thoroughly you can personalize your custom players, especially the different options for authentic hockey-player mullets. But it gets way more granular than that, right down to the color of the laces on your skates and the tape on your stick, which can be independently set for the shaft and the blade. Many of the customization options are locked behind tasks and challenges, but they’re not prohibitively difficult so unlocking them is a satisfying treat rather than a chore. The sheer amount of options is staggering, to the point where it’s pretty much guaranteed no two players will look the same. Somewhat confusingly, there’s more than one mode requiring a custom created hockey player, but annoyingly, you can’t use the same guy for both for some reason. EA Sports Ones is far and away my favorite of the excellent online modes. “ EA Sports Ones is far and away my favorite of the excellent online modes, beating out Drop-in Threes and EASHL league mode for that title. It’s an absolute free-for-all on a frozen pond, with three players pitted against one another and all of them battling the CPU-controlled goalie. It’s a fast, arcade-style online mode where you can play as dirty as you want. I found myself waiting for my opponents to tie up so I could skate at them, top-speed, to throw the kind of body check that would get me thrown off the ice in any other mode. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had in a hockey game, and I was smiling the entire length of every match up. Ones mode seems like it would be incredibly well suited to local game matchups, so it’s a bummer that it’s limited to online play only. NHL Threes has a similar arcade style but, thankfully, can be played in single-player as well as local co-op or online. Threes retains the same ridiculousness as last year, thanks to arcade-style gameplay and the opportunity to unlock and play as mascots. But even when it looks delightfully absurd, it retains the solid, fast, and fun gameplay at the core of NHL 19. Cool Runnings Once again, NHL 19 has a thorough training mode, showing you how to pull off every move, from basic passing and shooting to advanced, ridiculous through-the-legs tricks. The training mode doesn’t cover all the possibilities, but an adaptive hint system will fill you in during gameplay, showing how and when to execute certain moves. After playing online, I know I need to spend some serious time in training if I hope to break my losing streak in Ones. The cost of new packs are out of whack with the denominations of points offered. “ Hockey Ultimate Team is here once again, and it’s par for the course. I’m not a fan of its microtransactions, nor am I a fan of how its pricing scheme is laid out. Similarly to NBA Live 19, the cost of new packs are out of whack with the denominations of points offered. Just let me spend my real money buying the packs, not points to redeem for packs. That being said, I’m glad that the damage they do is limited strictly to this mode. To EA’s credit, Ultimate Team is at least pretty generous with letting you earn card packs, especially if you’ve played an EA NHL game in the past – you get a pretty sweet collection of packs right off the bat as a reward for loyalty. It’s a nice touch, and I was even able to pull a Tim Horton from one of my free packs. Over in Franchise mode, I spent WAY too much time creating an NHL expansion rebirth for the Hartford Whalers. The management options are hugely robust, to the point where I was afraid to go any further without building a spreadsheet to keep track of anything. Setting stadium parking for the NHL expansion franchise, along with seating, salary caps, and tons more is part of the experience. I definitely appreciate the fantastic and intimidating depth here, even if I won’t spend the majority of my NHL 19 time playing it. Be a Pro career mode is my favorite “straight-hockey” way to play. Starting off as a mulleted 17-year-old from Augusta, Maine, NHL 19 gave me the choice to start in the Canadian Hockey League and work my way up or skip it entirely and go immediately to the NHL Draft. Shortcuts like that and the ability to simulate games based on team and player attributes if you don’t feel like running through the motions of a lopsided match keep things moving along nicely, and I still felt like I earned my spot in the rookie class by playing the contentious games. Verdict NHL 19 proves you can have your cake and eat it, too. It has a complex, sim-heavy Franchise mode, fun, fast, ridiculous arcade modes, and everything in between. There’s a style of play here for anyone, from the absolute rookie to someone who lives and breathes hockey. The action on the ice feels excellent and there’s just so much to do in NHL 19 that I was able to find a game mode to match any kind of mood I was in at the time. We don’t need to ask “where did all the arcade-style sports games go?” anymore, because NHL 19 folded them all into a fantastic, robust package oozing with pure fun. What’s most amazing is how the modes are so different in tone, but maintain excellence throughout. Premiere Date: July 26, 2018 Engin: Ignite Developer: EA Canada Genre: Sports Modes: Single player game, Multiplayer game Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Just Dance 2018 is a solid evolution of the series’ formula, though it lacks in freshness. The Just Dance franchise isn’t talked about a lot in our gaming industry, nor is it one that often makes waves in the news, but its success cannot be doubted. Ubisoft has been releasing annual iterations of the franchise for almost a decade, selling more copies than they might have imagined. With Just Dance 2018, people who have been following the franchise are wondering just how they can take it one step further. Rather than trying to find new ways to innovate and bring in more fans, though, Just Dance 2018 instead chooses to focus on polishing mechanics that have already existed. That’s not to say there’s no new stuff in here at all, though. There are a few major new additions in here that people who’ve enjoyed Just Dance games in the past will definitely appreciate. The biggest among these additions is Just Dance Unlimited, which is basically a subscription service that gives you access to a constantly growing selection of songs (which currently stands at over 300). What’s even better is the fact that you will have access to a free three month trial period, time which you can use very well to go through its larger offering of songs. Unfortunately, though, Just Dance 2018 seems to rely on this service a little too much, since the actual selection of songs included in the game is underwhelming. There are a few good selections here and there, with artists such as Queen and Beyoncé featured as well, but for every song you might like, there are a lot more that you will probably find annoying- to say the least. Even beyond the issue of quality, the fact remains that there’s just not enough songs in Just Dance 2018 by itself, and chances are, if you’re looking for a proper experience, you might have to end up signing up for Just Dance Unlimited for more songs. And yes, having access to Just Dance Unlimited admittedly mutes that criticism a little bit, but it should be remembered that after the first three months, it becomes a paid service, and not everyone may be willing to spend money on it. Another addition in Just Dance 2018 is the Kids mode, a mode that is specifically made with younger audiences in mind (as the name itself suggests). The inclusion of the mode itself isn’t ground-breaking, nor does it sate any kind of a long-time thirst of series fans, but it’s inclusion is appreciated. The mode can provide a different kind of dancing fun, adding variation to the entire experience, and those who belong to younger audiences and want to get into Just Dance can now do so much more easily as well. Last year’s Just Dance Machine makes a return as well, though it’s hardly recognizable. Rather than being the same utterly bizarre and over-the-top experience it was in last year’s game, in Just Dance 2018, it’s a much more streamlined and “normal” experience, under the new name of Dance Lab. Dance Lab allows you to play through unlockable episodes, and though it involves quite a lot of conventional dancing as well, every now and again the game will ask you to mix it up with ridiculous requirements, such as the “being a ninja” dance. It’s a mode that’s good for short bursts of dancing, if you’re into that, and also contributed significantly towards making sure the game doesn’t ever get too same-y or monotonous. Also making a return is the Fitness mode, which now tracks how many calories you’ve burnt in real time. Really, all that can be said about this is that it’s a neat option for those who’re into the “fitness via dancing” stuff, since the game generally accomplishes what it’s attempting in this mode rather solidly. On the competitive front, Just Dance 2018 is a rather bare bones experienc as well. On the online side of the things, all it offers is the mode called World Dance Floor, with not much else in way of options in content. World Dance Floor itself is a perfectly satisfactory mode, allowing you to square off against other players across the world in dance offs. By its very nature, you’d imagine it would be hard for the mode to do much wrong. It’s a one versus one dance competition, and for people who enjoy dancing, it’s a perfectly good means of entertainment. Beyond that, though, Just Dance 2018 doesn’t do much to inculcate the competitive spirit online. It’s understandable, in a way, since the real fun of the experience comes from playing it with your friends or at parties, but it would have been nice to have more options if you’re looking for a competitive online experience as well. Offline, the hook of trying to beat your own high scores and star ratings remains as enjoyable as ever, and though it won’t encourage vigorous attempts at beating your own scores, it’ll do enough to bring you back for better performances. Other than things that are newly introduced or features that have been changed or upgraded, there’s not much in Just Dance 2018 to talk about, especially if you’re already familiar with the series and everything that it entails. The basic gameplay remains the same as ever, though thanks to neat refinements, the game manages to polish off a few rough edges that have existed in the past. Just Dance 2018 isn’t a major step forward for the franchise, but for those who enjoy the sort of experience this series offer, it’s worth your time. Premiere Date: October 24, 2017 Mode (s): Group play Series: Just Dance Awards: Choosing a Kids Favorite Video Game Award Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Wii U Developers: Ubisoft, Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Montreal

It’s easy to say that this year’s Skylanders keeps things fresh with its focus on vehicles, but that would be selling it short. While the most obvious change is that Skylanders SuperChargers features a brand-new line of car toys and levels full of fast-paced, Mario Kart-esque racing, it also has some of the most visually appealing and mechanically diverse levels the series has to offer, with plenty of hidden areas to explore. The figures are some of the best-looking Skylanders ever released. “ Of course, SuperChargers still centers around the increasingly saturated toy-to-life gimmick, where your physical Skylander toys and the new line of accompanying vehicles pop into the game world as soon as you place them on your portal. For the first time, these toys are actually articulated, too - the wheels on the Hot Streak land vehicle, which came in my SuperChargers starter pack, actually rolls, and the figures are some of the best-looking Skylanders ever released, meaning they double as great toys. We also see air and sea vehicles, each with totally unique in-game handling, taking you to barrel-roll through the sky and bob through the sea, usually chasing side-objectives, adding hours of gameplay variety. Ready to Roll (and Fly and Boat) The 20-or-so vehicle missions offer a lot of variety over the roughly 12 hours of gameplay, too, with tense chase sequences having you frantically dart across the back of a dragon, to three-step, weapon-based boss fights in arenas full of nasty obstacles. There are some interesting attempts at car-platforming, particularly in levels where you have to use an item to raise a jump at the right time, but the vehicle sequences blatantly try to rush you towards the end, totally forgetting about all the collectables you’ll have to miss as a result. The air and sea vehicles, which don’t come with starter packs, are optional extras – but highly recommended ones. You’re locked out of any sea or sky missions without purchasing the extra vehicles, as opposed to being locked out of levels based on Skylander’s individual elements as in previous games. This is certainly more of a positive for value-conscious people (like myself) who’d much prefer to purchase two extra vehicles than 10 extra Skylanders And those two vehicles certainly do add a lot to that experience, because there are whole sections of levels designed completely underwater or completely in the air. Cleverly, the vehicles pair with specific types of Skylander drivers, too. If you put the right driver in the right vehicle, you get a special SuperCharged enhancement, giving both the Skylander and the vehicle aesthetic and statistical upgrades, are a pretty big help when it comes to successfully navigating the courses. There’s an abundance of shiny stuff to collect scattered throughout each of the levels to upgrade your ride with, but the customization system is very, very simple, and really only adds value to the surprisingly fun cooperative play. Vehicle co-op in Skylanders SuperChargers sees one player controlling the car, and another in charge of the weapons in high-speed, chaotic action. All of the single player missions can be played co-op, too, but some of the item-based puzzles can be difficult when two people jump to use those items at the same time, and cancel each other out by doing so. It also gets a little frustrating when the fixed camera makes it a little hard for both players to see exactly what they’d like to. There’s a surprising diversity of enemies, though almost all can be approached in the exact same way. “ Single-player combat outside of the vehicle missions will feel familiar to anyone who has played a previous Skylanders - or Diablo, for that matter. It’s extremely forgiving, and even on the “nightmare” difficulty it doesn’t present too much of a challenge. It seems to focus more on kid-friendly button mashing and basic skill upgrades than intensely gear-specific combat influences or combo chasing. There are enough different moves for the mashing to feel purposeful, though, if the screen exploding into glittery candies whenever something busts open or you gain a level isn’t enough excitement for you on its own. There’s also a surprising diversity of enemies and, though almost all of them can be approached in the exact same way, it should be said that they’re all beautifully animated. All Over The Place In fact, the all of SuperChargers is beautifully animated, from the genuinely funny, somewhat dorky team of characters who help you along the way through its disappointingly bland story, to the oddly adorable returning villain, Kaos. Even aesthetically sinister levels are so creatively designed that the vibe of the game doesn’t often veer far from charming. One level plays around with gravity, with different hallways flipping you on different corners of your TV screen, sometimes forcing you to navigate through its various portals completely upside-down. Another has a shrink/grow ray, allowing you to change the size of obstacles - shrinking your enemies, or making things so large they topple them over. The diversity of gameplay mechanics is near constant, but consistently easy to come to terms with, making it impressive for adults but totally understandable for kids. If that’s not enough for you, there’s also a ‘hub’ that you can loosely decorate with Legendary Items like trampolines and soccer balls, which also acts as the center for most of your missions. It houses the kart racing side-missions, a store with some admittedly pretty cute purchasable hats for your Skylander to wear around in-game, and some characters to play Skystones with. (That’s the surprisingly challenging, addictive collectable card game that has returned for the third time since its debut in Skylanders Giants.) There’s certainly no shortage of things to do in Skylanders SuperChargers, and everything you can do is highly polished, however simple it all might be. Verdict Adding three different and fun vehicles and extremely creative level designs to the series’ simple but reliably enjoyable action platforming gives Skylanders SuperChargers a healthy boost. Every level has you switching between approaches based on the vehicle you’re piloting, which is great for variety. That said, both the story and the approaches to boss fights are very predictable, and some things - like Series: Skylanders Publisher: Activision Platforms: PlayStation 4, Wii, Xbox One, Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS Genres: Toys-to-life, Platform Game, Role-playing Video Game, Action-adventure game, Racing Video Game Developers: Vicarious Visions, Beenox

When you’ve managed to create an unexpectedly great first entry for a franchise, it begs the question: What the hell do you do with the sequel? In the case of Borderlands 2 SEE DEAL developer Gearbox has decided to largely stick with what worked the first time around, while implementing a host of tweaks that make it an overall superior game. A few relatively minor complaints aside, Borderlands 2 improves not only the narrative, but almost every major game system. If you’ve been itching for a reason to jump back into the world of Pandora, Borderlands 2 provides a more than ample supply. The hook of Borderlands 2, the very reason that I found myself thinking about it when I worked or tried to fall asleep, is the loot. Guns, ammo, character skins, grenade mods, class mods -- there’s always something just a bit better, something you so desperately didn’t even know you needed until you found it in Borderlands 2. Just like Diablo or a number of other action RPGs, the hunt for loot becomes intoxicating because of the tiny rush you get each time a rare colored item spills out of a chest or is dropped by a recently slain enemy. Every firefight and intense boss battle becomes all the more rewarding, because, though you might die a few times and want to crush something near you in real life, it suddenly feels like everything is going to be OK when you’re blasting away enemies with a newly looted gun. Guns really do make up the bulk of the loot, and that’s great because you’re going to spend most of your time in Borderlands 2 staring down a gun sight. No matter the quest, at some point something or someone is getting pounded with lead. Thankfully, snappy shooting and lots of environmental hazards combine with each class’s unique ability to turn every skirmish into a playground. You simply have to decide the best -- or most entertaining -- way to kill everyone. While many guns operate similarly to one another, the stats and augmentations are just complex enough to create a seemingly endless number of combinations, without being so diverse that they’re hard to understand at a glance. You roll in, you kill anything that looks at you the wrong way, and then you walk around and look at items, utilizing the handy on-screen comparison tools to see if you’ve found something at all better than what you’re already holding. It keeps things from dragging, and drives you rapidly onward in the never-ending quest for loot. Seeing as how Borderlands 2 takes cues from numerous RPGs, I still find myself disappointed with the lack of visual customization options (Borderlands 2 features the ability to reskin your character, but only with blanket skins that change the look of their body and their head). However, when it comes to class skill customization, Borderlands 2 is heading in the right direction. Like the first game, Borderlands 2’s four classes each have a unique ability. Unlike the original, though, a lot of options have been added to the skill trees to make it possible to create much more diverse builds...at least to a point. No matter what, every Commando will be about using turrets, every Gunzerker about raging out and blasting people with two weapons at once, every Siren about using a stun ability called Phase Lock, and every Assassin about temporarily cloaking and unleashing devastating surprise attacks. But how those abilities and characters function can be tailored to your playstyle (and can be changed over and over again for a negligible fee on a whim). For instance your Assassin might be focused on sniping and avoiding damage, while mine could be tailored to get in close and melee enemies while taking it on the chin. On the surface two people’s takes on a class might seem similar, but the new, more filled out skill trees allow you to create a version of a class that better suits your style. Trying out skills and then reassigning skill points over and over is important in Borderlands 2, especially when you consider that you can play alone or with up to three other people. Grouping in Borderlands 2 makes the combat feel different; enemies get harder and you can use each class’s power to support your allies. The Commando could toss out a turret, drawing enemy fire while the Assassin closes in and pummels enemies to death, for instance. Since loot is shared you need to pick your partners carefully. Playing with strangers or super aggressive friends means you’ll likely find yourself in a race to see who can grab everything the fastest, and that’s really not all that fun. No matter how you feel about Diablo III, making it so each player only sees their own loot is brilliant design, and it’s a shame Borderlands 2 takes it in a route that means people are competing with one another. If you want to take your character’s customization even further, Borderlands 2’s new Badass Ranking system gives you plenty of ways to work for it. A host of in-game challenges track things like headshots with a specific weapon class, or looting a large number of chests. As you finish each of these tasks for the first time, you’re given a token you can spend on a number of tiny boosts that affect stats like reload speed, recoil reduction and weapon damage. The bonuses per token are really small, but as you earn more than 100 of them, the benefits really start to add up. Best of all, these bonuses benefit every character you create, giving them a bit of a head start (you can turn it off if you don’t want the bonus). It’s another way Borderlands 2 makes you feel consistently rewarded, and it provides plenty of incentive to use weapons or play differently than you otherwise would. Plot wise, Borderlands 2 is a direct sequel, with a story that picks up shortly after the first. You play one of four new Vault Hunters who’ve come to Pandora to hunt for – you guessed it – vaults. Unfortunately, since the opening of the last vault the planet’s been all but taken over by Hyperion Corporation and its insidious and somewhat charming leader, Handsome Jack. Through a number of events outside of your control, you end up getting wrapped up in a plot to stop Jack, save the world and help out some of the citizens and beloved characters from the first game. The main story hits on notes you’ve probably encountered in hundreds of other games but, despite being clichéd and more than a little predictable, it’s still far more successful than in the original. Borderlands 2’s campaign narrative actually tells a coherent story, with endearing characters who manage to feel nuanced and real. At times the story can even be touching and heavy, though this is when it starts to feel a bit at odds with Borderlands 2’s overwhelmingly silly sense of humor. Ultimately, though, it’s a yarn worth hearing, one that ropes you in and makes you feel like what you’re doing has purpose – something the original game never really achieved. The main story’s good, but the best writing in Borderlands 2 comes from the side quests. If you played and enjoyed things like the General Knoxx or Claptrap DLC from the first game, then you’ll be in for a real treat throughout Borderlands 2’s more than 30 hours of game time. Each time the main story starts to slow down, you’re almost always given a number of sidequests to jump into. Mechanically they don’t do anything all that different from typical RPG “kill this” or “collect that” fodder quests, but the writing, presentation, and acting turn them into some of the most memorable content the game has to offer. For instance one mission has you fighting off a “splinter group” of ninja-like bandits who just so happen to live in a sewer, eat pizza and talk like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Another side quest tasks you with collecting body parts for a robot who wants to become human, and his take on humanity, as well as the way he talks, turns into genuine comedy. Not many games manage to make me literally laugh out loud, but Borderlands 2’s mixture of gutter humor and sharp wit did so repeatedly. Even when I had far out-leveled the sidequest content I couldn’t help but return to it, lest I miss out on something awesome. Similarly to how the sidequests build upon the writing Gearbox became known for with the first game’s DLC, Borderlands 2 also expands upon other parts of the game in smaller, but still significant ways. From more options to how you sort missions, to easy ways to mark and sell loot, to an always present mini-map, the entire interface is simply a lot more user friendly and intuitive. Sadly, though, little has been done to improve the driving component of the series. Outside of a few quests that require you to use a car, the vehicles feel largely underutilized and not all that valuable outside of getting you to destinations a lot quicker. Borderlands 2 is a shooter first and foremost, but it’d be awesome to see smarter mission design that takes advantage of them in, say, the way Halo does with its vehicle levels. Even so, they offer a change of pace from the rest of the game’s shoot and loot cycle. If thirty hours of what I’ve described doesn’t seem like enough, Borderlands 2 provides plenty of reasons to play it again and again. All four of the classes are a lot of fun to play, and even after you finish the campaign there’s always the option to try out Vault Hunter Mode, which is essentially a second playthrough where you get to keep your loot and levels. Even after you hit the cap of 50 you can fight the game’s first four-person raid boss. With the promise of DLC on the horizon, which Gearbox did a great job with the first time around, I know I’ll be coming back to Borderlands 2 again. When it comes to what platform you should play on…well, it doesn’t really matter all that much. Get Borderlands 2 on PS3, 360 or PC and you’ll experience the exact same content. All of them have the same story, the same skill trees and the same minor issues with texture pop-in. During my playthrough bugs would also occasionally pop up. Typically this involved enemies or objects getting stuck in the world, and in one case this resulted in the need to completely restart a boss fight. Since they happen so randomly, though, it’s hard to say whether or not these will occur during your playthrough, or whether they’ll even occur on all platforms. Still, they were more than a little annoying, and really broke me out of the experience sometimes. The one thing worth pointing out between the various platforms is how cool Borderlands 2 can look if you have an awesome PC. The PC version allows plenty of tweaks to draw distance, frame rate and more. It also allows Nvidia card users to turn on Physx options, which results in a hell of a lot more particles flying around, realistic liquid physics, and a greater sense of destructible environments. Ultimately I don’t feel this is something console gamers will miss, but for those of you with great hardware it’s an additional thing to enjoy. Just be warned: it’s very, very resource intensive. Verdict Borderlands 2 preserves the best parts of the franchise while also making numerous, much needed improvements to areas like narrative and class skill design. Additional visual customization options would make it better, and the occasional technical issue takes away from the experience, but overall this is an excellent shooter no one even remotely curious should overlook. Prepare to level. Prepare to loot. Prepare to get lost in the hilarious, bizarre and wonderful world of Pandora. Premiere Date: September 13, 2019 Director: Paul Sage Composers: Jesper Kyd; Michael McCann; Finishing Move Inc. Ryson Warner Writers: Danny Homan; Sam Winkler Artist: Scott Kester Developers: Gearbox Software, Gearbox Studio Québec

Heroes & Generals is a full on, all-out WAR experience. Thousands of players fighting one massive clash of nations. The first to capture 15 cities takes the glory. Fight alongside newfound brothers from all over the world in multiple battles raging persistently as Generals strategize and deploy resources to assist their men. As a soldier everything you do influences the war. Every kill you make, every tank you destroy, every town you capture matters. Even glorious defeat, because sometimes to win the war, many must die. CHOOSE HOW YOU FIGHT How you fight and the speed of progression is up to you. Experience the rush of close quarter combat, the pleasure of picking off the enemy at range, the power of unleashing hell from a tank or wreaking havoc from an aircraft. The choice is yours. Concept In this section I’ll talk about the unique loadout system, the ‘war’ system and the character classes within the game. Loadout system Heroes and Generals brings a fresh, new loadout concept to the table. Instead of the traditional loadout system where you’re forced to carry a primary weapon, pistol and one or two special items, Heroes and Generals simply uses a point system. Want to equip two primary weapons? Sure. Want to carry just a pistol and a massive amount of explosives? Can do! Want to carry 4 knives and go around shanking people? Yep. Different classes have a different number of points. Infantry has the most at 10, recon gets 7, and the other classes get 6 each. You can change the amount of ammo you get with a weapon too! You can remove all the spare ammo a weapon has (You only get what’s in the loaded magazine) to make the weapon 1 point lighter, or you can double the amount of spare ammo for one more point. There’s also a perk that gives you extra ammo. War system The other unique feature in the game is the ‘War’ system. Once you’re a high enough rank (It doesn’t take long) you can participate in war battles. War battles are entirely player controlled. Generals move units around towns/cities on a map of Europe, and players fight in battles where forces meet. The resources in the matches are not balanced (They’re completely player driven), and some interesting fights can occur. I’ve seen plenty of matches where one team might just have some scattered infantry, and the other side has many tanks and planes, only for the underdog to wipe the floor with them. Regular infantry ‘Heroes’ (The FPS side of the game) can control a maximum of 2 assault teams in the RTS side of the game (Once they reach the appropriate rank). Generals have a much higher command limit, which increases as they level up. Assault teams level up and can be upgraded into better teams as they gain XP. (Mostly from winning battles) The first nation to control 15 major cities wins the war. Classes The different classes in the game all have different strengths and weaknesses. Infantry is the most basic and common class. They can use most weapons, have a fair vehicle selection and have the largest equipment allowance. They’re dirt cheap and have a huge amount of spawns. Recon are the sniper class of the game, they have access to improved bolt action upgrades, and a unique scout vehicle. They have a low amount of spawns. Paratroopers are... Paratroopers. They can parachute from aircraft to land anywhere on the map, and are great at taking strategic points. They have an average amount of spawns. Tankers can spawn tanks. Tanks are great at breaking up and stalling enemy infantry, fighting other tanks, and defending points. They can’t fit into many capture points, so they may not do so well at capturing. They have a low number of spawns. Pilots can spawn aircraft. They can shoot down enemy aircraft and harass ground units. They have very fast movement speed in the RTS aspect of the game. They have a low amount of spawns. Generals cannot join the FPS side (‘Action Game’) of the game. Instead they focus entirely on the RTS aspect. They can control many more assault teams than the other classes. Asides from these features, Heroes and Generals is a fairly typical FPS game. You shoot enemies, capture objectives and try to drive the enemies points down. The capture side of things is a little more linear which is nice. Control points are connected in rows and must be captured in a certain order, this makes the battles a little more focused and intense in these areas. Spawn points are tied into what territory you currently control. For the concept category, I give Heroes and Generals an 8 out of 10. Gameplay Here I’ll talk about how the game plays from a pure gameplay experience. I’ll talk about how the concept plays out in reality, the combined arms aspect, gameplay mechanics and balance. Gameplay in the action side of Heroes and Generals is fairly standard, kill the bad guys and take their points. The combined arms aspect makes the game fun and dynamic in war battles, with battles often being a completely different experience even on the same map. Although often they’re exactly the same thing over and over. Combined arms The combined arms aspect of the game makes gameplay interesting and fun much of the time. It can be very enjoyable when you get a good team working together as a group. The ability to switch between available soldiers in a match is great when you get bored or frustrated with one of your characters. Have you been sniped by the same guy a few times and getting annoyed? Switch to your recon character and go snipe him right back. Gunplay The game uses a trajectory based system for bullets, rather than the more standard hitscan system present in other games. This gives fights at medium to long range a bit more flavour, however, the gunplay at short range can be a bit poor and finicky at times due to this system. You need to select the right range for your sights to be as precise as possible (Which I think is neat, and adds a bit more realism and immersion). The sights on some guns are almost unusable however, due to the low zoom/weird field of view used. The K98k pictured is a good example of this. This rifle is almost unusable without a scope. The spawn system The spawn system in the current version (1.12.1 as of writing this) is quite frustrating. You are often spawned in a small group of trees, with large fields all around you that you need to cross (Under enemy fire much of the time) to get anywhere. You’ll often spawn and immediately die as you come out of the spawn protection. You’ll regularly be running for a solid 3-4 minutes only to be one-shot by a sniper, or cut down by an enemy tank. If you’ve got a fairly heavy inventory, or are using a more specialized class, you may find yourself waiting a couple of minutes before you can respawn. Balance Balance within the game is almost non-existent. Each faction only has 2-3 weapons that are worth using, and the United States generally has the best gear overall. In the current build (Again, 1.12.1), tanks are VASTLY overpowered. It’s not uncommon to see matches where literally half or more of an enemy team is tanks (In the ‘war’ gamemode). This is very frustrating to play against, even if you have your team also has tank spam. It can be very difficult for infantry to take out any tanks stronger than a light tank, simply because of how much damage they can soak up. Even if you build a soldier specifically specced for anti-tank, you’ll more often than not run out of explosives before you actually get to kill the enemy tank. If you don’t get the kill, or kill assist, you’ve just wasted a whole lot of money because those explosives cost a lot. The payouts for damaging tanks are far too low to cover the cost of the explosives without getting the kill or assist. However, playing as tanker can also be frustrating, because you can’t hear or see infantry coming up to you and placing explosives on you anywhere except where your sights are aimed. There are no periscopes you can use, you can go third person, but in doing so you expose your character to getting shot by enemy infantry and machine guns, which will immediately lose you the tank. This forces tankers to camp as far away from infantry as possible, which results in a poorer experience for everyone (Getting killed by an HE shell from a tank at the very edge of the map isn’t fun at all). Tank-on-tank battles are also very frustrating and RNG (random number generator) dependent in the current state. It takes a very long time for two similar tanks to duke it out. A medium tank vs medium tank fight could last several minutes with both players sitting there smashing left click as fast as they can, requiring 20+ hits most of the time. Sometimes the first hit you take will destroy your gun breech, which means that you’ve already lost the battle, and unless you can get away in time (rare with most tanks, that are too slow) you’ll simply be sitting there waiting to die. The balancing issues are also present in the RTS aspect. The United States has won every single war in the 3 weeks since we started playing the game again. I speculate that this is due to the United States’ better equipment, and the fact that they seem to have more generals now. We reached out to Reto Moto on Twitter to ask about the issue, but they did not immediately respond. Network performance The networking/netcode in the game is.. Poor. There aren’t enough players to choose only matches with good ping. I can’t even really say much about it, it just doesn’t work well much of the time. Players stutter around, shots don’t register, you’ll die randomly long after you’ve run to cover.. It’s a poor experience. This has more to do with their servers and low server po[CENSORED]tion however so I can’t blame the game itself for that. Movement Now I hate to consistently rag on a game, but the character movement is also a bit of a let down. Unless you carry a pistol or rifle and nothing else, your character can only sprint for 5-10 seconds. There is a badge which increases your sprint time however. The characters feel like they’re in knee-high water all the time, the movement is heavy and sluggish. This is probably done due to realism, which is understandable, but maybe it could be toned down a little. In all, I give the Gameplay side of Heroes and Generals 5 out of 10. Sorry, there’s just a few too many issues there. Graphics Graphics... Graphics are average at best. I’m not sure what engine the game uses, but it’s quite old and dated looking, which is fine. The game is quite old after all. It can be very difficult to see enemies at mid range, or in bushes, as the game is very dark, and has very low contrast and color depth. The pop-in of the different Level of Detail for trees and bushes and grass means that it may seem like you’re hidden, but you’re really not at long range (Trees and bushes are far more transparent at range). Spotting enemies can be very difficult even when they’re firing. All you’ll see is a tiny puff of smoke (If you see anything at all), and no muzzle flash. Which is realistic, but makes it quite frustrating to figure out where the guy who’s shooting at you is. Texture tiling is fairly poor and could use some work. It’s only really noticeable in open areas or from the air but it still shows quite well. The UI is quite poor. You need 2 separate windows open just to access the loadout and generals screen (The main window, and a console called ‘H&G Sync’) , with a third window popping up for the action gameplay when you’re in a match. It would be great to see all of these windows combined into one, just to make alt-tabbing a little easier. The UI often glitches out, or becomes unresponsive. I’m not sure if this is due to the UI design, or because of the poor networking in the game. Heroes and Generals’ graphics receive a fair 5 out of 10 from me. Sound Sound effects Sound, oh man. The sound in this game is very poor. The sound effects are very low quality and repetitive. There are only like five or six different gunfire sound effects used. Four or five tank gun sound effects. Two explosion sound effects. The volume leveling is very poor. Vehicle engines are very loud, and gunfire is whisper quiet. You’ll either have to change your volume fairly regularly (Depending on what you’re doing) or just forget about hearing quieter sounds all together. Sound glitches and delays The worst part however, is that the sound effects don’t even work half the time! You’ll be wandering through a capture point when suddenly you lose health. Huh? What happened? Then you’ll hear a grunt from your character and loose more health. You’ll look around looking for a sniper in the distance only to get killed by.. A guy right behind you whose gun made no sounds. It happens often, and it’s very frustrating. It’s not just gunshots, tank cannons, grenades going off, footsteps, all sorts of things don’t make sound half the time. This makes using sounds to your advantage almost pointless, you just can’t rely on it. This is probably my number one issue with this game at this point. The sound category for Heroes and Generals receives a 2 out of 10. I mean they work, but.. Not very well. I play without the sound much of the time and listen to music instead because it’s just too unreliable. Conclusion Scoring Adding up the scores, this game receives a 5 out of 10. This is just my personal rating from personal experience so far. There are quite a few problems that need to be addressed for this game to become truly good. Recommendations for the Developers Fix the sound! This is the most irritating thing in the game at the moment in my opinion. I don’t mean just fix the minor issues, I mean fix the ‘Sounds not even playing half the time’ issue. Rework vehicles (Again). While the 1.12 patch is still very new, I’m certain there will be hotfixes and patches to come. I’m hoping that the vehicles get reworked a bit to make them easier to take out. Jeeps being stronger than light tanks were in the older version is quite over the top. Balance the game! The balance between vehicles is very poor (I’m looking at you M10 and M18). Reduce the turret rotation speed, slightly nerf the top speed and reduce the health of the M10 and M18. They currently perform like light tanks with top tier medium tank health and heavy tank firepower. Combine the three windows required into one. Add the generals tab to a menu available even in action matches. I partially understand why the loadout/launcher window is separate but combing them would be far more fluid and simple. Do a little work on the graphics. Maybe try to reduce the texture tiling seams. I don’t know if its possible with the game engine but better anti aliasing would be nice, considering the ranges involved and the low zoom weapons have. Improve the color a bit, and improve the contrast so we can actually see. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7 and up Processor: 2GHz CPU w. dual-core Memory: 4 GB memory Graphics Card: ATI HD 4810 / Nvidia 9600GT or higher DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage space: 3 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX compatible RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 10 x64 Processor: Intel i5 / AMD Ryzen 5 or higher Memory: 8 GB memory Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 / AMD HD 6870 or higher DirectX: Version 11 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage space: 3 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX compatible

Why buy a Ducati when you could have an Aprilia RSV1000 Mille? OK, the name may not be as famous but the Mille is a superb superbike with a surprisingly reasonable price tag. Looks are distinctive, reliability is pretty good it’s just unfortunate that dealer back up can be patchy. Ride Quality & Brakes When you sit on the Aprilia RSV1000 Mille the suspension barely compresses and you realize it’s 100% sports motorcycle. It’s a delight on fast, smooth roads, tipping easily into corners and firing out with a pleasant balance of stability and maneuverability. A bit awkward in town, on bumpy surfaces or wet B-roads. Excellent brakes. Engine The Aprilia RSV1000 Mille has a compact 60 degree V-twin with a dry sump for extra rigidity and constant lubrication, even when wheelying. At low revs the power’s beefy if slightly lumpy and awkward in town. Dip into the midrange and it’s muscular and really gets the motorcycle shifting fast. Top end power’s immense but not insane like the latest 1000cc Japanese fours. The Aprilia RSV1000 Mille's reliability’s better than Ducatis of the same age – but not as good as the Japanese. The engine can clock up high miles without any problems but electrical niggles aren’t unheard of. Aprilia dealers are few and far between – and some are better than others. Parts supply can be excruciatingly slow. Insurance, running costs & value Very competitive new prices and now on the used market the Aprilia RSV1000 Mille can be a bargain. Combine that with the fact they’re surprisingly durable for an Italian sports motorcycle, insurance is a group lower than many competitors and servicing’s not too extortionate and a clean, used Aprilia RSV1000 Mille looks like great value. Find an Aprilia RSV1000 Mille for sale. Equipment The Aprilia RSV1000 Mille's extremely comprehensive clocks and an effective headlight are nice touches on a motorcycle that could be pared to the bone. Comfort clearly wasn’t a primary concern for the designers but it’s ok for one person over moderate distances.

We celebrate Vasilyovden On January 1, the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Vasilyovden or Survaki. On this day, Eastern Christians honor the memory of St. Basil the Great. One of the great philosophers and writers of the early Christian church. The folk tradition connects the feast of St. Basil the Great with the custom of Survakane. In spite of this small difference from the Christmas groups, Vasilyovden gathers young men who roam the houses at night and soak up their owners. Groups of children are also celebrating the holiday, which also overwhelms the owners of the houses. Survanking itself is a kind of extension of the Christmas blessings. Like the carols and the Suvarakar groups, they have a leader and a person who acts as a donkey and collects money and other gifts. Again, just as the carols bring crooks with them, so too do the Vasuvayden survivors carry driftwood, decorated with popcorn, dried fruits and wool. In some places, the pear is used instead of dripwood, ie. pear tree branches. On Vasilyev's day they have Vasil, Vasilka, Vasilij, Vasilen, Veselin, Veselina, Vesela, Vasili, Vasilina, Vasiyana, Vaso, Vlad, Vladin, Vladin, Vlastomir, Vlayko, Vata, Val, Val, Vata, Tsarena, Tsaril, Tsarila . / BGNES On January 1, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and celebrates St. Basil the Great On January 1 (Tuesday), New Year's Day, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and glorifies one of the pillars of the Orthodox faith, St. Basil the Great. On this occasion, the Holy Basil Liturgy and New Year's Prayer are celebrated in all dioceses of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

What Putin said in his New Year's message "These values have passed on to our ancestors - a heroic, unwavering generation of winners." The unity of Russian citizens is the basis for achieving the highest goals of the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a New Year's message broadcast in the Russian regions of the Far East, TASS reported. "Our personal plans, our dreams are inseparable from Russia. The efforts and contributions of each of us depend on our present and future, the future of our children. Only together will we solve the tasks facing society and the country today. Our unity is the basis for achieving all the highest goals, "Putin said, adding:" These values have been handed down to us by our ancestors - a heroic, unwavering generation of winners. " The Russian president noted that 2020 will soon come and the world is already on the brink of the third decade of the 21st century. "We live in a turbulent, dynamic, contradictory time, but we can and must do everything for the successful development of Russia, so that everything in our lives can only change for the better," Putin emphasized in his message. Every child should know that it is loved, the Russian president said. "Let parents be healthy and always feel your attention, and every child knows that he is their favorite," added Putin, who also noted that on New Year's Eve all people are united by the warmth of human relations and friendly communication . Putin praised the exploits of the Russian people - the "heroic, unwavering generation of victors", at the front and in the rear during the Great Patriotic War. He sent a special greeting to "the people of the older generation, to all who have been through the most difficult trials for us, for the sake of the future" of Russia. On May 9, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany will be celebrated, according to the France Press and TASS. The Kremlin invited celebrations in Moscow from many countries. TASS also reports that Putin has ordered additional measures to support veterans. It has been 20 years since Vladimir Putin became the head of the Russian Federation. During his New Year's message on television in 1999, then-losing Boris Yeltsin, the then-state president, declared it astonishing that he was resigning and leaving the helm of Prime Minister Putin until the election, appointed months ago and not yet very famous, reminds AFP.

Happy new year!

Happy new yea bro!