VERGE

V O L U M E I I I S S U E 8

The Awards Issue

Plus: All the best of 2014

V E R G EEXPRESS UCC

So the holidays have sadly come to a close with the usual anti-climax and we’re all heading back to old routines, while probably remaining a little bit over-stuffed from Christmas. As we enter this New Year we’re surrounded by that familiar, supposedly exciting time, in the January entertainment world; Awards Season. The Globes and Oscars will soon be upon us, but I’ve started to think that this time of year is getting a bit repetitive and losing a much-wanted suspense. We’ll soon be overwhelmed by images of celebs’ “best and worst outfits” in magazines and online. Not to mention the in-depth coverage of “who made the best speech” - most of which is actually completely irrelevant to what the awards are about. The majority of the awards will go to those predicted unanimously by critics, several times over, and debate is nearing minimal. It seems like Ground Hog Day every January. Ground Hog Day is a terribly frustrating film. Similarly, this is also a potentially exciting but mostly disappointing time of year for us ordinary folk too. Our hopes are high and we make New Year’s promises galore. Most of these generally go unfulfilled, or forgotten about as we get caught up in the usual grindstone of a work or college rat race. But is there really any reason why we should fall back into old routines or have mediocre expectations of ourselves in 2014? Instead of making the usual boring resolutions of things we really don’t want to do (lose weight; work harder; bring cupcakes to the elderly) why don’t we make a resolution to start doing things we actually would like to do? On Christmas day I finally watched The Bucket List, it’s far from a Christmas classic but I found it really inspirational. The much loved, somewhat soppy message, of “you can make anything happen” is more present than ever in this film. We all have plans of things we want to do before we die but personally, I always plan them as pipe dreams, or as things that will happen in the future; as if in the future I’ll suddenly happen upon all these amazing opportunities really easily, have an amazing amount of free time and money, and in said future I will no doubt live forever with a completely different attitude to the one I have now. It wasn’t until I saw those two (extremely fictional) cancer patients skydiving out of that plane that I decided this year I’d make my own Bucket List of really far-fetched pipe dreams, to check off before 2014 ends and for once I think I may actually succeed. That movie has got me really determined and I haven’t bothered to write down “study more” on a scrap of paper that I’ll no doubt lose or any of the other mundane things that I failed at last year… and the year before that… because there is really just no point at all. It’s not like I’m not going to have enough reminders that I need to study more. I also recently watched Up for about the millionth time which confirmed for me that this must be the year I do things differently. The line “Adventure is Out There” has become my personal motto for 2014, what’s the point in doing the same old thing in the same old place over and over again? It just leads to more of the same, it’s a vicious circle. So don’t beat yourself up about not going to the gym today, get busy tying a couple of hundred balloons to your roof in search of adventure…that’s my excuse for working out anyway.

2 VERGE EDIT

@ellen_desmond

Cape Fear was a film I had heard about for ages, but had never gotten around to. The fantastic score; DeNiro hamming it up like it was his god-given right to do so. When watching it, there was a creeping sense of déjà vu. Then it hit me: The Simpsons had done a nearly shot-for-shot remake many years ago. Driving that out of my mind, I was able to enjoy this film in all of its majesty. A truly fantastic film: great music, great writing, great cinematography and great acting. A must watch (yes, I realise I say that a lot).

J a n u a r y 0 7 2 0 1 3

C a p e F e a r

With the tribulations of a degree breathing down my neck, I have neglected to catch up on my art critiques. Thanks to the Christmas Holidays, I was finally given the chance to rediscover Jackson Pollock, Le Corbusier and Andy Warhol. For this segment, I shall focus on the crème de la crème of the latter`s career: the can of Campbell`s soup. Scholars and philologists have debated for years about the symbolism of such a soup. Does the tomato symbolise the fertilisation of a new century? Is it an emblem of the insatiable hunger of the common art lover? Or is the thirty two can canvas an ode to the long fulfilling life of the Messiah? Maybe it is all of these theories; maybe it is none of these theories. All I can say is that this painting has a personal resonance. Over three years, I have had countless essays to submit, articles to write and hangovers to endure. But throughout each of these, I always had a can of Campbell`s Soup in my cupboard to keep me happy! So thank you, Mr.Warhol.

A n d y W a r h o l

To any of the people who actually read this bit every issue, you will now have realised that I’m very into my mushy pop ballads. Having recently bought Ellie Golding’s album I was extremely pleased that there were 22 tracks and I’d only paid a tenner for it. But what caught me every time listening to it was the final two minute song at the end, with it’s simple 4 chord piano and not the usual over produced sound. This simplicity I had not heard since her cover of Elton John’s ‘Your Song.’ ‘How Long Will I Love You’ is a beautiful song with lyrics that could apply to so many situations in life and I have mentally stored it away for a first dance at a wedding.

Ellie Golding – How Long Will I Love You

The Playstation Network had an impressive sale which is still ongoing into January. I picked up Dead Space 3 for pretty cheap and have been working through it while more fondly remembering its predecessors. Looking into how the game manages to work micro-transactions into the core game play in an interesting effort into seeing the ways the triple A industry is beginning to fall apart in certain aspects. As well as this the Steam sales have been pretty good to me, finally picking up Faster Than Light was a huge mistake as sinking as much time into a game I am that bad at is probably just wasteful. Pretty shortly I’m headed off to placement in NY for a few months so I’ll finally be breaking out my Vita for extended periods of play. In all likelihood I’m probably only going to play Persona 4 Golden for far too long and burn out on RPGs once again.

B a t m a n – A r k h a m O r i g i n s

@theCircleGuy- R o b e r t

Words: Ellen Desmond, Entertainment Editor

Entertainment Editor: Ellen Desmond

Arts & Literature Editor: Eoghan Lyng

Gaming Editor: Brian Conmy

@EoghanLyng- E o g h an

@meadhbh_crowley-M e adh b h

@aerach71- B r i an

Music Editor: Méadhbh Crowley

Film & TV Editor: Robert O’ Sullivan

Design: Cathal O’ Gara

EDITORIAL TEAM CONTRIBUTOR LIST

FORTNIGHTLY FAVOURITE 4

Cathal Dennehy

William Phillips

Daniel Sheehan

Martha Ewance

Robert Byrne

Beth Ryan

John McCarthy

Luke Luby

Adventure Is Out There!

3VERGE ENTERTAINMENT

or those of you that have lived under a rock over the last two months, the five surviving members of Monty Python have announced that they are reforming to perform a series of shows in London city. This accounts for the first time the five members have shared a stage since Terry Gilliam`s

“accidental” usurp of Graham Chapman`s ashes in 1998, the first time the Python brand has officially been sanctioned since 1983 and their first hardlined gig since their Hollywood Bowl appearance in 1982. Tickets have sold out in their bucket loads, accounting for one of the more profitable reunions in recent times. But will it be worth it? Simple answer: bloody unlikely. The odds are against the five men. For every fantastic Led Zeppelin or Mott the Hoople reunions, there have been hundreds of reunions that have been far less successful. Ricky Gervais`s current portrayal of his 2001 creation David Brent has been universally panned. The cast of Blackadder similarly returned to their prestigious characters for their millennium film Blackadder: Back and Forth to the outrage and backlash of their fans. It`s been tried and tested. The Pythons won`t win.It`s odd that the five members have chosen to reunite. Hell, they have been publicly raking each other for forty years! Eric Idle`s popular musical Spamalot upset the majority of the Pythons: Terry Jones even went as far as to call it an airless cash in. The only Python to fully support the project was John Cleese and even he fell sour of Idle`s efforts when Idle deleted Cleese`s vocals from the production.

The men cannot agree with each other on a personal level: so why the hell are they sharing a stage together? It`s not like they have anything else to prove. With the possible exception of the deceased Graham Chapman, each of the members found great success outside of the anarchic troupe, whether these ventures were in

musical theatre, film making, academic writing, travel documentaries, script writing or other forms of stand up. Many of their wonderful stage performances can be found on the umpteen “Secret Policeman Ball” DVD`s or on their Youtube channels. These performances show the Python`s at their physical

peak. How can the performance of five bus pass holders match these wonderful clips? Cleese no longer has the hips to perform Silly Walks nor Idiot of The Year. These men have done more than enough for stand- up comedy- why must they excavate their old sketches? I use “old sketches” in a very literal sense. Their verbose style of humour was brilliant back in the seventies; now it`s a little passé. Times change, so does humour. The beloved Parrot Sketch had dated by the early nineteen eighties (in a revised sketch, Cleese sarcastically exclaimed “Thatcher has changed some things!”). Much of their ambassadorial humour dealt with issues of a social class nature. In a country where the Labour and Conservative Party have become interchangeable, these issues are a tad Victorian. There is no doubt that the Python`s surreal style of humour was a huge leap forward, at a time when sketches were still very much joke based, but in a world where Tony Law, Noel Fielding and Richard Ayoade are the cutting edge embodiments, the Pythons just seem a little behind the times. Don`t get me wrong. Monty Python delivered a television show of excellent proportions, a stage routine for the masses and what is arguably the finest comedy film of all time with The Life of Brian. The six Pythons ought to be recognised as legends; but it`s for that reason that they should quit while they are ahead. David Bowie blew it with The Next Day and Faces have become a laughing stock even with Rod Stewart. The Python`s had a great period of creativity. Why must they flog a dead parrot?

Any opinions on the Pythons reforming? Please send any comments to arts@uccexpress.ie

And Now For Something…Pretty Bloody Similar!Eoghan Lyng gives us his about the Monty Python reunion

The men cannot agree with each other on a personal level: so why the hell are they sharing a stage together?

The 14th of January 2014 is important for Bruce Springsteen aka The Boss, and sees the release of his new album High Hopes. I’ve never been a huge fan of the newer Springsteen records with my favourite album being The Rising and that was released over 10 years ago, but something about this new album has buzz about it which hasn’t been seen since Magic in 2007. Blogs, Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook have been alive with chatters of fans’ excitement over the impending release. As I listen to the preview of the album, accompanied by the inspiration behind each song written by the man himself, I get the feeling that this is an album that was very personal to Mr Springsteen as he dedicates many songs to friends loved and lost. His main inspiration for the sound of the album comes from Tom Morello as Bruce says “Tom and his guitar became my muse, pushing the rest of this project to another level”. Although this is set to be a new album,

those who have gone to his live shows will know many of the songs such as American Skin and Ghost of Tom Joad. Similarly, Bruce has kept some previous recording with E Street Band legends Clarence Clements (who passed away in 2011) and Danny Federici (passed away in 2008) both of whom appear on several  songs of what Springsteen calls “some of our best unreleased material from the past decade. Bruce has said that “This is music I always felt needed to be released.   From the gangsters of Harry’s Place, the ill-prepared roomies on Frankie Fell in Love (shades of Steve and I bumming together in our Asbury Park  apartment) the travellers in the wasteland of Hunter Of Invisible Game, to the soldier and his visiting friend in The Wall, I felt they all deserved a home and a hearing.”

High Hopes is released on the 14th of January and is available to preorder at BruceSprinsteen.net

Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes

Music Editor Méadhbh Crowley gets an exclusive

first listen to Bruce Springsteen’s new album

High Hopes.

4 VERGE FILM & TV

Award Season Begins

s 2013 comes to a close, we enter into the annual awards season. In many ways it’s a great time in any movie-goer’s calendar. After the summer season’s wave of explosive, mindless popcorn churners, this time of the year always seems like Hollywood is giving something back to the audiences. Say goodbye to eye-numbing 3-D, 48 frame-per-second blockbusters (thank you, Peter Jackson) and say hello to slower dramas which are shamelessly ‘for your consideration’. It’s no coincidence that so many quality films are released at this time of the year. Some may call it cynicism but others would classify this decision as a necessity. Ask yourself; how many films can you recall from January or February 2013? When studios knowingly make ‘Oscar contenders’ they might as well make sure their investments pay off, and that’s a major reason so many quality films are released around this time every year. Just look at a few of the upcoming films this January: The Robert Redford-starring All is Lost, American Hustle, The Coen Brother’s Inside Llewyn Davis, Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street -the list goes on! This isn’t to say that these films aren't manipulative or the studios selling out; it’s more a case of the studios playing the game. With all this in mind, we now turn our attention to the first major ceremony of the awards season schedule: the Golden Globes.

The Globes began in 1944 under the direction of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of journalists from the entertainment industry. Many see them as a reaction to the Oscars, in that they not only honour both dramas and comedies; but also television programs and mini-series as well, as films. This is definitely a good thing, as the Oscars tend to turn a blind eye to comedies. In fact, the darker and more depressing your film, the better your chances are at awards time. Kate Winslet put it best in her Extras cameo: “If you do a film about the Holocaust, you’re guaranteed an Oscar!” It’s very easy to gloss over films with lighter tones when it comes to the awards season, as our attention is drawn to the showier, heavy-hitting dramas.

Thankfully the inclusion of comedies in the Golden Globes basically doubles the number of films up for nomination each year. With that said, just because the Globes have a comedy category doesn’t necessarily mean they always know what to do with it. Quite a number of people (myself included) feel that the nominees are not reflective of the best films of the year, be it comedy or drama. I personally get an inkling that the

nominations are slightly cynical in that they tend to be more lenient to the more successful or well-respected players in Hollywood. Now I’m fully aware that the Oscars are hardly a fountain of honesty and integrity, but on more than a few occasions I’ve been dissatisfied with the HFP's decisions. Think back to 2010 when the nominees for best comedy/musical film included Burlesque, RED and Alice in Wonderland. Ask yourself: what kind of year must it have been to say that Alice in Wonderland was one of the 10 best films released in the previous 12 months? This becomes even more ridiculous when you realize that 2010 saw the release of great comedies like The Other Guys, Easy A and Toy Story 3!

Now let’s turn our attention to this year’s nominees. Compared to previous years, it’s a satisfying list, which seems to accurately represent the number of great films released in 2013. Steve McQueen’s slavery epic 12 Years a Slave and David O. Russell’s crime caper American Hustle lead the pack with seven nods each. Aside from these heavy-hitters it’s a fairly even spread, and it seems to be a fairly level playing field. It’s difficult

to make accurate predictions at this moment here in Ireland, as quite a few films have yet to be released (including the two mentioned above). The critics’ choice currently is 12 Years a Slave, but personally I’d imagine leading man Chiwetel Ejiofor would have to put in a particularly strong performance to beat my pick for best actor, Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips. This year reminds me of the similar debate that occurred in 2010 when Avatar went head to head with The Hurt Locker. Like Avatar, Gravity was a huge (and a greater one, in my opinion) leap forward for filmmaking technology and was a technical and visual masterpiece. I was less enamoured, however, with the more fundamental aspects of the film, such as the story and the dialogue, than others seemed to be. I can’t deny that the performances were excellent but I felt that the script lacked the edge and intellectual depth that I was expecting. In retrospect, I put this down to me over-hyping it for myself as opposed to any flaw in the film itself! Some would like see Gravity awarded best picture for its technical achievements, while others would prefer that something more ‘traditional’ like Captain Phillips, arguably a superior film, win. However, I won’t argue the point too much. Based on those nominees I’ve seen this year it’s a strong list. So place your bets, and roll-on Sunday January 12th.

Cathal Dennehy counts down to Film & TV’s two biggest ceremonies

It’s no coincidence that so many quality films are released at this time of the year. Some may call it cynicism but others

would classify this decision as a necessity.

For Your Consideration:

5VERGE FILM & TV

Wor

ds: R

ob O

’ Sul

livan

, Willi

am Phillips & Daniel Sheehan

UCC’s Golden Globes

Forecast

It would be difficult to find another movie released this year that has left as sizeable an impression on audiences worldwide as Gravity has. From its breath-taking visuals to the nail biting suspense sustained throughout the movie, director Alfonso Cuarón’s masterpiece shows us that the future of cinema is limitless, using his inspired vision to create a film that is tense and thrilling, but also heartfelt and beautiful - a difficult balance to strike. Gravity is in essence a survival story as we follow Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) who, after a catastrophic accident on her first space mission, is pushed to her limits as she works alongside an experienced astronaut (George Clooney) in an effort to get back to Earth. While it would be easy to get caught up in praising the majestic views the movie provides, the acting must also receive credit. Bullock, who is alone for the vast majority of the film, is both relatable and courageous as the audience wills her to make it over the finishing line. I highly recommend you see this film in cinema if you get the chance as, unfortunately, some of the true magic and wonder of it will be lost on the television. Gravity is a film-going experience that you won’t forget easily; this ground-breaking thriller is a classic for the modern age.

What more can be said about Breaking Bad? The award-winning show aired for the last time this year, winning probably the rarest award of all: having a finale that everybody didn’t hate. 10.3 million viewers tuned in to see drug-lord Walter White bow out in style. Streaming of the song Baby Blue by Badfinger, which played over the credits of the final episode, went up over 9000%. With the show, which has steadily grown from the novelty of “it’s the dad from Malcolm in the Middle as meth cook extraordinaire, cool” to leaving a massive impact on television and entertainment as a whole. With Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul also getting nods for their portrayals of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman respectively, one feels that the show will get a nod somewhere, as the HFP don’t tend to be as frightened and appalled at following the crowd/representing popular opinion as the Academy are. Whatever it wins, Breaking Bad deserves something for the impact it has left. Look for a spin-off starring Bob Odenkirk as slimy lawyer Saul Goodman coming in the next year.

Say what you want about it but you can’t say Netflix doesn’t at least try. With nominations for House of Cards and this one for Orange Is the New Black, the online streaming service is going from strength-to-strength, with original programs and films of pretty much any genre either already out or in the works. Orange Is The New Black is a show based on a true story of a very middle class woman who has to go to prison for a crime she committed many years previous. At the beginning of the series we feel sorry for Piper (the roll Taylor Schilling is nominated for) being thrust into the harsh world of the women’s prison, filled with terrible, quite frankly evil, prisoners and guards alike. As the series goes on, we learn more and more about the people’s back-stories and tragic lives, and you become incredibly invested in them. Only in this show could a character called “Crazy Eyes” be the most endearing. Taylor Schilling is fantastic as Piper. As we learn more about the other characters and our opinion of Piper changes, as we find out she’s not as innocent as we first thought. Fantastic work from Schilling, Jason Biggs (Piper’s husband-to-be) and pretty much the entire cast.

James Spader deserves every award, ever. Seriously, give him the award for Best Foreign Short Film. Spader was an 80s star, who had a resurgence in 2004 with the absolutely fantastic series Boston Legal. Spader starred alongside William Shatner, Candice Bergen and many other fantastic actors in the show, and rightfully won several awards. You really owe it to yourself to go back and watch all five seasons of that fantastic show. Boston Legal ended in 2008, and Spader’s career hit another slump until he played the role of the new manager Robert California in the US version of the Office. This began a series of high-profile gigs for Spader, including the role of main-baddy Ultron in the second Avengers movie, and the starring role in The Blacklist. Spader basically plays Hannibal Lector (they even have a glass cage) but without the cannibalism, who helps a young CIA operative to catch a list of high-profile criminals: the eponymous “Blacklist.” A fantastic show and a fantastic actor, Spader is my number one pick to pick up the globe.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has finally gotten over the Seinfeld curse. Years and years of trying to move on and find success have finally caught up to her. Also nominated for her role in Enough Said, the final film of James Gandolfini’s, 2013 really was the year of Louis-Dreyfus. Veep, a reimagining of the wonderful British political satire The Thick of It, which was famous for swearing spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker. Just because it

Best Motion Picture - Drama Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series - Drama

“Best Television Series - Drama“ Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series - Drama

Gravity Breaking Bad Taylor Schilling James Spader

was a remake of a successful British show did not mean that it would succeed stateside. Much the opposite, in fact: one really has to think hard to think of a remake that worked that wasn’t a reality show (the only one that occurred at the time of writing was 70s sitcom Sanford & Son). Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the Vice-President of the United States of America. The show follows her through the corruption and bollocks of politics,

accompanied by her personal staff that tend to be a bit incompetent. Unlike other categories, where one or two main contenders shine above the rest, this one is a very close contest. In addition to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Lena Dunham (Girls), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) and Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation) are also nominated. I haven’t gotten around to Girls or Nurse Jackie, though I’ve heard nothing but

good things about both shows. Zooey Deschanel is very good in New Girl, and Amy Poehler is great in Parks & Rec, a show which should win many awards for one simple reason (outside of Poehler): Ron Swanson. Ignoring the hard graft put in over the years to overcome the shadow of Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus gets the award for me based solely on her fantastic performance in a wonderful show.

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series - Comedy or Musical“

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Le G

ala

xie

Where to begin! The gig Villagers played in the Savoy Cork on the 16th of December had a special atmosphere which was present from the minute I walked in and saw the band in the first throws of My Lighthouse, a song that has become a personal anthem in times of trouble. I heard my own plaintive cry for help in the lyrics, my own confusion, and the music is a test for me. In interviews, Conor O’ Brien the creator of all things ‘Villagers’ has said that the difficult things that he wishes not to talk about, he puts in his songs. This has often meant that little is gleaned from interviews and a certain air of mystery surrounding the craftsman is ever present. However, never have I seen a gig where he performed more intuitively or poured more emotion into what can only be described as a mastery of song writing. You don’t need to know that Villagers have been nominated for the Mercury Prize twice to appreciate this. There was a candid bravery and a new confidence in the band and the way in which they communicated their message. The set list, a mish-mash of songs from both their albums brought the audience on a lyrical journey, the roller-coaster of human life. We were captivated as he traversed the course from the scathing cynicism, to the heart-break, to the clarity and fulfilment. The last song in the encore, Hot Scary Summer, details a relationship where someone is stifled into the role of “other half” leaving them with an overwhelming sense of wanting to break out. Not only was the song melodically beautiful but also it spoke to me as a young person trying to make her way in the world and truly be herself. This is a universal theme and it shows how the so far underrated Villagers, guided by the wearied wisdom of Conor O’ Brien, are a band destined for legendary status.

Can You Hear Me Now Villagers?

Martha Ewence reviews the Villagers’ recent gig in Cork

Call me scrooge, (or a hipster…) but I hate it when a musician gets famous on the first attempt. For me, the most fascinating are the ones who have slogged it outbefore hitting the big time; these are the musicians who have been through the hardest times, musicians who have weathered every crisis from playing in an empty godforsaken pub to being stone-broke. Dublin’s very own LeGalaxie is one of these bands; a group which toured Ireland for the past five years in front of an enthusiastic, but slow growing fan base, patiently waiting for a change of fortune. This turnaround began at their Sunday night slot at Electric Picnic this August. On the final night of a long weekend wherefestival headliners Franz Ferdinand and The Artic Monkeys did little to energize Stradbally’s lethargic crowd Le Galaxie emerged from the dry ice at the Body & Soul arena and played to thousands what is now regarded as a near legendary set. Few knew the songs but the consensus was universal; something landmark had erupted in Irish music.

It is impossible to think of anyone who has ever sounded like LeGalaxie, it is music that demands to be played late at night and loud, a combination of the danceable synth wonderment of Daft-Punk, the melodical integrity of M83and a fair slice of eighties futurism, but it is how this electronic sci-fi recipe is prepared and most importantly their front man, Le Brendan Galaxie, who guides the group to a higher realm. Sure, he doesn’t possess the best voice in the world, but for on-stage presence no Irish front man of the past twenty years comes close in terms of on-stage charisma and most importantly; those now famous dance moves. It seems the momentum is finally swinging in Le Galaxie’s favour, apart from Love System receiving heavy radio rotation, the video for their latest single, ‘Lucy Is Here,’ won bronze for Best Irish Video of 2013, while that famous Electric Picnic slot was voted the fourth best on Irish soil in 2013 by a Nialler9 readers’ poll, beating everyone from Robert Plant to Alt-J. Gig-wise the

group are fresh from ceiling-melting sellout 3-D shows at Dublin’s Fringe Festival and the Olympia theatre, which sparked universal notoriety from music journalists from both sides of the Irish Sea.So what is to come in 2014 from Ireland’s finest dance band? In short, a great deal. For their sophomore album slated to drop early this year, the band have recruited LCD Soundsystem percussionist, mixer and New York dance scene go to man Eric Broucek on production duties in a bid to translate that raw live energy onto record. From hearing a handful of their new tracks debut at Kilkenny’s Set Theatre before Christmas it seems intergalactic denomination is on the cards. Instantly hooky, danceable and feel good, Le Galaxie’s future hits make strong promise to bring roof down in the American, Australian and Japanese festivals raves that they plan to tour throughout the year. With aspirations like this it impossible to deny that Le Galaxie are the Irish band to watch in 2014.

Robert Byrne lets us know why Le Galaxie are one to look out for

The Aussies are on a bit of a roll lately. From the sixties psychedelic soundscapes of Tame Impala to Empire of the Sun’s brand of shimmering glam-pop the Irish music listening populous have begun to associate the land down under less with Home and Away and more with quality music. Sydney-siders, Jagwar Ma intend on continuing this trend with what they call a unique brand of ‘Madchester-dance-triptronica’. Hmmm. If there has been ever an excuse to take copious amounts of illicit drugs to create a new genre, Jagwar Ma’s debut long play has got to be it. Oasis’ very own Noel Gallagher stated earlier this year that ‘The future of the galaxy depends on the Temples and Jagwar Ma records,’ so naturally at this point I should point out the album’s faults and claim how it clearly isn’t the savior of today’s ebbing music culture. This time however, I am bound by the elders

of music to refrain from such an unlawful action. In brief, what Jagwar Ma has created is an astoundingly brilliant piece of modern dance music. The opening track, What Love serves as a perfect preface to the trippy sounds that follow, a short lyrical refrain rolls through the tracks four minutes where a simple buzzing analog synthesizer and syncopated handclaps meld into wafting vocal harmonies. This brilliance is expanded on the sophomore track, Uncertaintywhere warm production and a genius cyclical chorus combine to create an intoxicatingly futuristic Stone Roses like sound. Unwilling to settle on one particular genre, Howlin’ is diverse as it is concise. Four sees the band experiment with late-nineties house, while the following track Let Her Go is an addictive earworm that wallows in an acoustic sixties vibe. Despite the gloominess of

some track titles (That Loneliness, Come Save Me), Howlin’ is the embodiment of unconscious bliss, encouraging the listener to invert the mundaneness of life into the carefree.A joy. Regardless of the plaudits that other critics and I have heaped on Jagwar Ma’s achievement, today’s popular music culture is a parallel universe that will pay little attention to Howlin’s magnificence. Yes, Man I Need with its acid-house synths and euphoric vocals is easily one of the finest songs released this year. Yes, every track is a danceable hooky gem with lyrical integrity and yes, the entire album was recorded with just a Fender Jaguar, a laptop and a pair of analogue consoles, but frankly, few will care. So rejoice in the fact that you have found the greatest album of 2013 and shake those Maraca’s like it’s the nineties all over again.

Robert Byrne takes a listen to Jagwar Ma's latest

rEcord

6 VERGE MUSIC

7VERGE MUSIC

The latest album composed by Drake in my opinion reflects a need for him to connect with a girl in his life. His lyrics convey a need of reassurance for this girl particularly on his song Connect where he sings “Don’t hang on me I’m swanging…I’ll treat you well girl like you’re famous”. This was my first time listening to Drake on his own without collaborating with another artist and from listening to this song it made me think that Drake doesn’t want this girl that he likes to give up any hope of them to be with each other. He sings about things that two them have in common with each other which could (as the title of the song coincidentally is titled) connect the two of them together “…same city same friends if you’re looking for me I’ll be here just swaying” and not consider his famous status

as a rapper in her decision to be with him. The other song that I loved from Drake was Wu Tang Forever where, like with Connect, he speaks about a girl who he connected to in the past. He sings about how he had loved spending time with her and how she didn’t hesitate to look at him with admiration. You get the impression that their connection belonged to no one else but between this girl and Drake. Drake conveys this sense when he sings “the shit belong to nobody else… it’s yours but yours that’s for sure”

Another impressive song on the album is From Time. This song includes a female voice singing about how she loves herself enough for both her and Drake and that’s why he trusts her, while understanding that he has been through some tough times then challenging him. She speaks how he can give her love but he cannot accept it from other people. Then we hear Drake counter singing how he hates her “being submissive” and that he likes how money makes significant differences in life but not to her. We hear Drake challenging her as to what kind of personal qualities she was looking for in him and she responds that he can he can trust her but what is holding him back. Overall Nothing was the same is an emotional good beat album reflecting Drake’s talent to rap and sing about someone that is close to him.

Nothing was the SameBeth Ryan reviews Drake's new album Nothing Was The Same

Ones to Watch 2014: Music Editor’s Picks

Méadhbh Crowley picks her top artists that could be making it big in the music industry this year

2013 was a big year for The Vamps and I’m assured that 2014 will be even bigger. The band consisting of Bradley Simpson, James McVey, Connor Ball and Tristan Evans formed in 2012 where they started their career by uploading covers to YouTube which have in total accumulated over 30 million views so far. Since being signed in 2013 they have supported McFly, Selena Gomez,The Wanted, JLS, Little Mix and Lawson and in 2014 they will be supporting Taylor Swift on the London leg of her Red tour. Their second single Wild Heart will be released on 12 April 2014 and willhopefully match the success of their debut single which reached number 2 in the UK charts.

Since the release of his single Take Me To Church in September, Hozier has been making a household name for himself, with critics and well known DJs including BBC Radio 1’s Fearne Cotton praising him highly. Having interviewed him previously, his ambition and determination is overwhelming and I have no doubt that 2014 will be a huge year for him so watch out!

2013 was both a good and a bad year for Lea, she announced that she had begun work on her debut album but sadly her on/off screen partner Cory Monteiff passed away in August. Having come to public interest during her time on the hit show Glee, Michele has decided to take advantage of the fans she has gained through the 6 seasons of the show and her album Louder is set to be released on the 23rd of March 2014. Leaving the Glee franchise behind, she is making 2014 look like a very successful one and cementing her place as my one of my artists to watch in 2014.

The final artist of the line-up is 18 year old London native Elyar Fox. Like The Vamps he too began his career on YouTube with each video posted generating millions of views each. It wasn’t until E!’s Ryan Seacrest retweeted his cover of Boyfriend by Justin Bieber that the music industry started to take note, as it racked up over 4 million views in a matter of days. After troubles with labels he finally signed with RCA Records in September 2013 and quickly released his debut single Do It All Over Again which has brought in fans from all over the globe. 2014 is going to be a real start to his career and he says “I’m ready to get out there and start promoting my music,” and he says it with determination. “This is what I’ve been waiting for.”

Hozier

The Vamps

Lea Michelle

Elyar Fox

Single of the WeekPharrell Williams – Happy

Pharrell’s newest single oddly enough is the main song featured in the Minion Movie; it’s a song that does exactly what it sets out to be a happy song. With its upbeat lyrics and the constant repetition of the word happy it’s sure to brain wash you into being happy after listening to it.

Album of The WeekBeyoncé – Beyoncé

Mrs Jay Z shocked the world over the Christmas holidays with realising her latest album on iTunes without doing an ounce of publicity for it. The album is a video concept album with all 17 tracks having an accompanying video. The album is amazing both visually and aurally and if you haven’t already downloaded it you should.

Artist of The WeekJustin Bieber

Although he is the bane of many people’s existence and the world was over joyed when he announced on a radio show he was retiring, only a few hours later to reply he was joking, he went and did it again. After hearing that box office figures were low on his latest movie Believe, El Biebo decided to take to Twitter and announce yet again he was retiring, and five days later his management replied that it was yet again a joke. Although this is only a minor blip in the monstrous career, he has confirmed he will be taking a long break to spend time with his family.

CELEB PLAYLIST

Hozier: Take Me to ChurchBombay Bicycle Club: It’s Always like this.

Lana Del Ray: Video GamesJustin Timberlake: Mirrors

Rihanna: Pour It UpLCD Sound System: Someone Great

Metronomy: The LookVolcano Choir: Byegone

Alt J: MatildaFriendly Fires: Jump in the Pool

This week’s playlist comes

from Two Tube’s Blathnaid Treacy

You can listen to this playlist at:

8 VERGE ARTS & LITERATURE

aniel Day Lewis is a man renowned for his thorough examination of the subjects he portrays. Meticulously examined, recklessly infringed and selflessly played, Day Lewis has

undergone great lengths to be considered one of his generation`s finest actors. But, lest we forget, the classic tale that the man became so thoroughly immersed in the character of Hamlet that he claimed to have seen the ghost of his deceased father on stage. Causing Day Lewis to flee from the stage, he has not returned to the stage since this event in 1989; ultimately, giving this writer the perfect example of method acting gloriously cocking up! A concept created by Constantin Stanislavski in 1911, the theory was constructed to find “theatrical truth”. Known as “Stanislavski`s System”, it was later adapted by Lee Strasberg into a practice known as “the method”. Promising methods entailed to find the perfect element of truth, indeed, this theory is as subjective a conceit as hallucinogenic drug taking is to the world of writing. These acts may ascertain confidence and creative progression, but the ultimate cost can be a tragic one of Shakespearian proportions. “The method” remains a controversial topic amongst thespians, directors, writers and other members of the assembled theatre world. It still draws up an interesting question: how real must a performance be? It`s a pertinent question. Drama practitioner Uta Hagen famously wrote in her books Respect for Acting (1973) and Challenge for the Actor (1991) “Thoughts and feelings are suspended in a vacuum unless they instigate and feed the selected Actions, and it is the character’s actions which reveal the true “you”. In other words, this performance in question is more of an identifier than you can ever be in person. But such a point is contentious and ultimately damaging. As

aforementioned, Day Lewis`s performance as Hamlet was so immersive that it pained the man on stage. Other brilliant actors have gone through unadvisable weight changes (e.g. Christian Bale, Edward Norton and Robert DeNiro) to further befit their parts. True, these men received many accolade for their subversive roles but at what cost? Did it affect their physical and mental health irrevocably? Certainly, Anthony Sher`s arduous use of stilts during his performance of Richard III must have caused irreversible ligament damage. No Laurence Olivier award will repair damaged legs! Again, the word “acting” must be re-emphasised. The Oxford English Dictionary describes “acting” as “the art or occupation of performing fictional roles in plays, films, or television”. A closer examination of the sentence will indicate that the sentence`s casing word is fictional. A work of fiction - not real. Yes, believability is very pertinent and important but if striving towards such believability will cause future difficulties, then that is a step too far. Realism is only good to an extent; but a line must simply be drawn between the world of theatre and reality. Acting should be performance based. If a performance comes across as too real, audiences are faced with reality, not drama. The theory of mimesis is a project that ought to be realised; reality`s beckoning is not what people pay their shackles on! Yes, Gene Hackman, Johnathan Pryce and Al Pacino have delivered outstanding performances using either the “Stanislavski System” or “The Method”. True, there are cases to argue about the psychology of a performance. But surely a line must be drawn.

To paraphrase the Danish prince, “the play`s the thing, wherein we catch the

conscience of the king”. A drama should be consciental and

visceral. It should not become a person or

their livelihood!

Method to Madness?Method to Madness?Eoghan Lyng questions whether method acting is truly worth the end result

9VERGE ARTS & LITERATURE

Folly

: Art a

fter A

rchitectu

re and Searching For the New Jerusalem:

The Art of William Burgess.

There are currently two exhibitions running in the Lewis Glucksman Gallery. Folly, curated by Gary Boyd and Fiona Kearney, features a diverse range of art works inspired by pioneering modern architects such as Le Corbusier and Eileen Gray. Meanwhile, on the third floor, is a tribute to the works of William Burgess. Curated by Richard Wood, Searching for the New Jerusalem offers a unique insight into the preparatory work of the man who envisioned Cork’s iconic St Fin Barre’s Cathedral. Buildings are literally all around us, where

we work, where we live, the backdrop to our lives, emblematic of our cultures, possibly even an essential part of humanity. It is no surprise then that architecture can spark the deepest emotions. Often, buildings can be divisive subjects. What can be an inspiring or innovative design to one, can stir up the most truculent and belligerent reaction in another. Take the Dublin City Spire for example; is it an eloquent monument for modern Ireland or an ugly mutilation of our fair capital’s skyline? Are there risks attached to architecture

as an exhibition then? Is it possible to connect with a wide-ranging audience; where emotions can range from excitement to anger or worse…boredom? Is this a bold move for the Glucksman? I don’t pretend to know anything about architecture, other than from my own everyday experiences, so needless to say I didn’t go in with an open mind! Folly brings together Irish and international contemporary artists whose work has been inspired by iconic buildings of architectural modernism. At its base the exhibition is an exploration of the range of emotions that architecture brings to individual artists, where each work is a new representation of a building in the artists mind. Models, or maquettes, are the most objective means of interpreting a building. Folly includes a collection of maquettes, excellently crafted and constructed by UCC and CIT students. A clever and interactive set piece, the models gently introduce us to this immersive subject, while giving a brief insight into the architect’s craft. The models represent a diverse range of buildings from Peter Zumthor’s Saint Benedict Chapel to Eileen Gray’s E-1027. There are photographs from Hiroshi Sugimoto in his Architecture series (2000-3).Consisting of blurred images of iconic modernist buildings; it beautifully contrasts with the clinical lines of the CIT/UCC maquettes. In fact, when viewing Sugimoto’s photographs, you’ll find it

very difficult to see any lines. Sugimoto’s photography gives the buildings another life and another meaning; they`re not buildings in space, but as moments in time. Searching for the New Jerusalem presents the original preparatory drawings designed by the Victorian architect William Burges (1827- 1881) for Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Cork. If Folly is about “Art after Architecture”, then Richard Wood’s exhibition brings you the art before. Following on from the contemporary imaginings of Folly, this is an exhibition that will most likely take you by surprise. Step through an archway (protected by neo-gothic bouncers!), and you walk into a 19th century craft master’s world. This exhibition offers a unique insight into the architect’s work process. William Burgess was meticulous in designing each stained glass window for the Cathedral. Reviving medieval stain glass techniques was at the forefront of his work. The preparatory drawings were designed in full colour, making them as striking as the windows they helped to realise. Fortunately, you don’t have to be religious to understand them, or an artist to appreciate them. The Glucksman team have done a wonderful job in creating a numinous atmosphere that allows the drawings to speak for themselves.

Folly and Searching for the New Jerusalem continues in the Glucksman Gallery, UCC, until the 23rd of March.

John McCarthy reviews the current exhibitions at UCC’s Lewis Glucksman Gallery

When defining literature we normally grasp for the same straws and the same criteria; an ongoing narrative, a character (or characters) that we can identify with, and an in-depth plot. Take any book and they should conform to what you'd expect a piece of literature should be; everything from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four to Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak tick all the boxes and nobody bats an eyelash, as they shouldn't. But mention Alan Moore's V for Vendetta or his Batman: The Killing Joke and we start to get into murky waters. For years - since the eighties, at least- the topic of graphic novels as a form of literature has been a hot topic for debate; some say that they're just picture books with words; whilst others argue that graphic novels contain the same literary merit as a classic novel - even if they just so happen to include some extra visuals; or, to put it as Scott McCloud did in Understanding Comics, “juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or produce an aesthetic response”. Many of the defining pieces of literature of the last century contain some of the greatest heroes ever created. But the same point can be made for characters that have been created over the last 50 or so years in comics and graphic novels - Batman, Superman and Spiderman, just to name the obvious. Take the classic superhero (or villain) archetype; in classic

texts we have Gilgamesh, Frankenstein's monster, Beowulf. These archetypes can still be found throughout the world of graphic novels, not just limited to the three mentioned above. Whilst most writers seem to despise the term 'graphic novel' - Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman immediately spring to mind - it does imply the intellectual and narrative heft that many of the comics are becoming known for; and perhaps that's just what the comic industry needs right now, not just a load of movies being chugged out by Hollywood execs with no new ideas. The central misconception of comics is that they're a genre, not a medium. Whilst comics may have started out in genre fiction, it has spread its wings over the last few decades; it now comprehends a rainbow of genres: history, criticism, biography, crime, sci-fi, romance, memoir, the classics, literary fiction, blogging, pornography and more. So, for those of you who think "Comics are just for kids", I'd recommend Alan Moore's seminal V For Vendetta; for those of you who say that graphic novels can never intrigue us as much as a great novel; pick up a copy of Promethea and Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, and let's put this worn out, old debate to bed and join the discussion about who'd win in a fight: The Hulk or Superman. We have made great strides after all; the West Liberty University in West Virginia has instituted a new 'Graphic Narrative' course "a unique four-year degree for students interested in the study and analysis of comics as literature" according to Professor Jeremy Larance, who has been using comics as a way of engaging his students. Now, if that isn't a step in the right direction, then I don't know what is.

Graphic StuffLuke Luby gives a rundown on why Graphic Novels should be regarded as literary classics

After reading Terry Pratchett’s latest book I wish I could say I wasn’t disappointed. Unfortunately Raising Steam was pretty much what I expected - a shambolic zombie of a book, with lifeless dialogue, stumbling plot and a lot of reanimated ideas. This is the fortieth in the long line of Pratchett’s books set on the Discworld, a planet from which you can literally fall off the edge, that’s perched on the backs of four elephants, themselves standing on the back of an immense space turtle. As settings for even fantasy books go it’s pretty unconventional and in the past it’s proven to be fertile ground for Pratchett’s imaginative take on everything from science-fiction to political satire. Sadly, Raising Steam doesn’t add anything new to the mix. In fact, if you haven’t read any, or only a few, Discworld books, then it’s quite likely that you’ll feel more than bit lost here. If so, I’d advise you to stop reading this review and catch up on his earlier books, which are uniformly highly intelligent and absolutely hilarious.In this book though, you’ll find the humour is stilted and the ideas are dated. Raising Steam is the third book to star Moist von Lipwig, the conman turned Postmaster-General turned Head of the Royal Bank and Master of the Mint, and now pressed into service to oversee the establishment of a railway network for the city of Ankh-Morpork. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting Moist to have a second, let alone a third outing and, as with much in the book, the character feels like he’s been recycled. He’s certainly an interesting figure, but as far as character development goes he was pretty much as deeply explored as he was ever going to be in his first, and far superior, book Going Postal. About the only real revelation here is finding out that he has an unexpectedly violent side. In fact, Raising Steam is fairly violent throughout, which is unusual for a Terry Pratchett novel. That’s not to say his books are generally particularly rosy tinted, replete as they are with various nasty murders and violent (or downright strange) deaths, but they rarely feel gratuitous. In this case some of the fight scenes or murders felt at best out of place and at worst completely unnecessary. Several of Pratchett’s past books have dealt with Dwarves and their rather turbulent and fractious relationships with both humans and trolls, not to mention each other. This has led to some very interesting storylines, exploring ideas of gender (all dwarves are iron-helmeted and bearded – even the women), race, and cultural identity. Unfortunately, most of the ideas here are second-hand leavings from previous books and Pratchett chooses to focus on the fundamentalist grags and their fairly broad vendetta against everything not four feet high and below-ground. The main antagonist, Ardent (once more recycled from another book), appears infrequently and is largely unmemorable. The rest of the fundamentalists are either nameless, cannon fodder, or otherwise token additions to the story. Oh, and you’re probably wondering why I haven’t mentioned the famous Pratchett humour yet. I haven’t, because to all intents and purposes it isn’t there. There are grimace-worthy lines alright, but in all the excitement of race-wars and railways it’s pretty much left behind.If you’re not a prior Pratchett fan, then this book is definitely not the place to start, and if you are, well, to be honest you’ve read it all before!

Raising Steam Aaron Elbel gives his thoughts on Terry Pratchett’s

most recent novel

10 VERGE GAMING

013 was an interesting year for gaming. With new consoles hitting the market, Steam announcing a tepid foray into Steamboxes and announcing an OS that may rival Microsoft for gamer’s attention we also had a number of hits and misses in games. From the ever surprising indie market to the AAA publishers, a number of games left critics and gamers surprised for a variety of reason. Now with 2014 upon us it’s time to look ahead to what may be surprising us this year.

IndiesWith Sony promising the moon and stars to indie devs to lure them to the Sony side, we’re sure to see a number of smaller games this year that woo audiences and gain attention in a way only these surprise hits can. While games like Rust and Starbound premiered this year on Steam early access, we’re also due to see a number of games with already established names come out of alpha or beta to be released as a more fully rounded gaming experience; the question being can these early popularity spikes carry over into 2014 or are they to be quickly replaced with as of yet unheard of contenders? As always this should be a great year for indie gaming fans.

Adaptations and new seasons

For those of you who haven’t already played Season 1 of The Walking Dead by Telltale games, for shame! What was undoubtedly one of 2012’s best game experiences is back with season 2, the first episode of which is already released to great promise. From the success of the first season Telltale exploded as a developer and grew largely in size to include a second dev team who’re currently working on The Wolf Among Us, the first episode of which is already out for purchase. This series is an adaptation of the comic book series Fables and if it’s anything like its predecessor,its story is sure to pack a punch. The unknown quantity here though is Tellltale’s other project announcements; a Borderlands adaptation working in connection with Gearbox, Tales from the Borderlands and an adaptation of the George R.R Martin books and TV series Game of Thrones. Without release dates or much further knowledge of these games, we can’t be sure that the developer isn’t attempting to do too much. Hopefully we know soon.

The next Assassin’s

CreedMaybe not surprising to everyone this year, but certainly to me, was the resurgence in popularity of Assassin’s Creed with Black Flag. After the disappointment that was Assassin’s Creed 3, a game that was ultimately a slog, people seemed jaded with the series. Black Flag though has grabbed people and made its way into a number of top 10 lists for 2013. Although the next game hasn’t been announced yet, with Ubisoft annualising this franchise we’re sure to see another instalment in the series relatively soon. The question is though how does Ubisoft deal with the number of platforms they now have to develop for and whether to finally respond to fan criticisms of some of the game’s mission structures (those eavesdrop missions..) by looking at what has made Black Flag so popular and take these leads going forward.

The next Call of Duty

Slightly less surprising this year was the further decline of the Call of Duty series with its latest instalment Ghosts. While not a failure in sales terms, the games reception was a little frostier than in years past and with the series finally seeming to stagnate just too much to maintain interest. It will be interesting to see what the series next move will be. Since Ghosts was an Infinity Ward game the next instalment is set to come from Treyarch with the same problems facing Ubisoft now facing this studio; how to deal with the large number of platforms they must release for and how to respond to fan criticism in a constructive and timely way. Will 2014 be the year we see real decline in the stranglehold COD has on mainstream gaming?

TitanfallEven when people were complaining, and rightfully so, when the Xbox One was announced, nothing had people talking more than Titanfall. A multiplayer shooter, set apart by its inclusion of giant mechs and the promise of a new way of moving around and utilising a map, Titanfall may make or break the Xbox One. Although also coming to PC and Xbox 360 this is the one game that everyone, across platform divides,is clamouring for and the fact that it’s not available for Sony platforms at launch is a coup for Microsoft, if it succeeds. This is an interesting one for, as hotly anticipated as the game is, there are a number of factors that will make or break the game. Will the people investing in Call of Duty and Battlefield forsake those games for Titanfall, will platform divisions between 360 and Xbox One lead to technical issues in the game and can this new multiplayer system even work? This could be the beginning of something huge, we’ll know this March.

2014 Gaming Preview 2014 Gaming Preview 2014 Gaming Preview 2014 Gaming Preview 2014 Gaming Preview 201420

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11VERGE GAMING

DestinyAlthough coming later in the year, expected in September, there are chances that Destiny may be targeting the same market as Titanfall. Although fundamentally different games, Titanfall being an online shooter with Destiny being a more co-op focused affair, these are both at their core games designed to be played online with friends. While Bungie, for the first time going cross platform to hit the Sony consoles, is trying something that seems different here, there are worries hanging around about this game. The main concern seems to be that it may ultimately just be a Bungie style Borderlands game instead of something as revolutionary as they have promised thus far. While certainly pretty and with a lore being discussed that is interesting and seemingly well-developed, the proof in this game won’t come out for many months yet and if I were Bungie I’d be anxiously looking at how Titanfall fares.

Bayonetta 2Bayonetta 2 is such an oddity. Not just because it exists following underwhelming sales of its predecessor but that it lives on on the Wii U, a platform left to die by 3rd party publishers. While I’m glad the game exists at all, it’s a shame that it’s coming to a console with such a low install base comparatively and one not known for “hardcore” titles. Whether or not this game will actually be good is almost irrelevant as a number of Wii U owners will be likely to pick up the Wii U to prove the console has games. Still what’s already been shown of Bayonetta 2 looks as crazy as its predecessor and if it does somehow succeed a future for this franchise, it would be appreciated by its fanbase. If it ever made its way to 360 and PS3 the legacy of the title and its craziness may sell more copies than the original managed.

WatchDogsA game delayed from 2013, to the seeming surprise of many but which seemed inevitable to some, Watch Dogs was a game sold on promise. An open world seemingly full of things to do, tech to hack and general mischief to be done, this is the kind of game people have shot for for quite a while, not always to great success. What Ubisoft needs here is a runaway success to justify its desire to franchise the game and continue to exist as a company. While it succeeded admirably in building hype up to its first launch date, how quickly the hype fell off once the date was shifted was astounding. So now we’re left wondering whether this hype can ever be achieved again in the volume it once had and if the game can live up to expectations. Even if it doesn’t what’s been promised thus far is admirable and with the new console hardware we may finally be seeing the age where this level of ambition can be met technically.

Super Smash Bros.

With the regular stream of information coming out about the next instalment of the Nintendo brawler, we’re getting closer and closer to knowing the full roster of characters. While there have been a few surprises thus far, Mega Man for the win, the truly surprising characters are yet to come; if they come at all. With the full roster announcement we’ll know whether this game is set to be a bigger and better Brawl or a stripped back game needed to sell the Wii U. Another unknown in this story though is how the cross platform release of the game on Wii U and the much more successful 3DS will affect sales. While Nintendo likely hopes to sell two copies of the game to many people, is it now much more likely that a hardcore community will build up on the Wii U and the bulk of copies will sell on the 3DS and thus not save the ailing home console. Again this will be an interesting year for Nintendo.

Metal Gear Solid

The reveal of any information about Metal Gear Solid has been muddled at best and severely annoying at worst. With Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain set to be released this year there’s also its prequel Ground Zeroes which acts as a lead in to the Phantom Pain. There’s also much confusion surrounding the voice acting of Snake in the game, with Kiefer Sutherland apparently taking over the reigns as lead voice actor. While Kojima is known for his odd game design choices and crazy storytelling, some people have theorised as to why the voice actor has been changed and what this can mean for the game and if the lead actually is the Snake from previous games. Also being the first new release Metal Gear game to be on Microsoft consoles, it’ll be interesting to see sales across platforms and if the odd release structure of the game affects people’s enjoyment of the new instalment and tell if this series is still relevant when other stealth type games are on the market.

The Elder Scrolls Online

The next foray into the world of Tamriel may not be for everyone. The first MMO in the Elder Scrolls universe is set to release in April and had this been released a few years ago, it would surely have succeeded in monetary terms on a pay by month model. Now though we live in an era of free to play and micro-transaction laden games and the quality of the game, of which I’m still unsure, will not be as relevant as if it can get players in early and keep them long enough to not be a financial debacle. I’m sure at this moment game industry workers are taking bets on how long this game takes to go free to play as so many others have. The situation this game launches into is made more interesting again by the continued fate of World of Warcraft, a game which is finally losing subscribers but is actively trying to keep the ones it does have. How much content the game launches with will also be an important decider in the continued success of the game; if people burn through it in the opening month they may never return.

Infamous Second Son

Undoubtedly my most anticipated game of 2014, Infamous Second Son is the next game in the Infamous series but the first to have a new lead. In a new city with completely new powers and on a new console, this is a game clearly made to lure new people to the franchise; those who swapped from Xbox 360 to PS4 can start afresh here. As interesting as the fate of the game itself and how it will tie into the previous entries in the series, what’s even more interesting is how telling this game may be about the future of the PS4 versus the Xbox One. While both consoles have exclusives so far, Xbox One’s, namely Titanfall, may have more mass market appeal to gamers and draw in those who are currently on the fence. Can Infamous and other Playstation exclusives draw in the necessary number of people to continue the supposed success of the PS4 over the Xbox one in the console wars thus far? While 2014 will be an important year for both consoles it’s likely to only really act as a building block to the important times for the consoles, 2015 and 16.

So those are some of the games you have to look forward to this year. Whether you’re a console, PC or mobile gamer there will undoubtedly be plenty for you to play on your preferred platform. As good a year as it should be for games, it’ll be an interesting one for an industry in flux. Will we see the continuation of microtransactions or a final push against them, will the divide between the triple A game developers and indies widen further? Will the Wii U see a quick removal from the console market? So many questions, answers hopefully to come in 2014.

2014 Gaming Preview 2014 Gaming Preview 2014 Gaming Preview 2014 Gaming Preview 2014 Gaming Preview 2014

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