Stripping Down The FIFA 14 Demo - What's In Store?

There are the FIFA fiends, like myself, that will buy this game each year no matter what. This is because the balance between good game-play and the official license with all the up to date players and kits is usually acceptable enough to warrant this annual upgrade. One main problem I have found over the years is that the career mode has never been tweaked to perfection, it all just seems a bit unrealistic (I know its just a game dammit!) when it comes to the financial side of things, and the growth and development of young players.

Notice they have brushed out Gareth Bale from the original artwork...

Another annoying part of career mode – with the fictional youth players that you and other teams scout in the game are all randomly generated which is fair enough. They are given a random body and face, so why the fuck can't their face appear on the player ratings screen like the IRL players do huh? Very irritating. So what about the latest instalment? Slick. Slick is the first thing that comes to mind, a new menu layout with large pictures as the buttons making up each main menu screen, nice stats and visuals when navigating the pause screen. The font they have used for this game is perfect for a sporty interface.

The players are affected by bodyweight, balance and momentum more in this game. The physics involved with ball control and trying to protect the ball or dispossess another player are a lot more realistic. Headers in this game also seem to be more responsive to the direction you push on this stick, rather than FIFA 13 making it incredibly frustrating to score a headed goal when you are certain you have nailed it. I remember when the cross or corner was a beauty and you pointed to the part of the net you wanted to annihilate and it just goes begging, usually over the bar. It is more realistic this time, I mean you cant just head in any old pass or cross your player has to time it right and be balanced and facing the right direction. When its all in place though it feels smooth and natural to whack it in with your bonce.

The commentary is a bit more inspired this time around. Talking about famous events and football history, players back stories is all well and good but is it going to make you want to punch a hole in the screen if you hear the Mancini and Man City fans letters story for the millionth time? The fun and rewarding training mini-games from FIFA 13 are back too, but all slightly different this time. The same categories are all back (shooting, dribbling, free kicks, penalties, crosses etc.) but each one is a new challenge which gives the game another addictive element. Whoever thought of putting these games randomly generating while your game is loading is a freaking genius! The opportunity to fine tune your skills while you wait is such a good idea.

Its a shame the release of this game will be overshadowed by the gargantuan almighty release of Grand Theft Auto V, because they have put in a real effort this year. Only time will tell how the career mode and other game play modes will turn out. It would be a bastard kick in the nuts if they made it look so shiny and play so smoothly to go and spaff it all up the wall when it comes to replay value. So an addict getting their fix, an occasional football game participator, or a complete newbie may all get something out of FIFA 14 if the demo is anything to go by.

Vreid - Welcome Farewell Review

A thoughtful and engaging romp brought to you by the visions of former Windir members, Hváll, Steingrim, Sture Dingsøyr and Strom. A band who definitely deserve more attention than they currently enjoy, Norwegian black metal veterans Vreid are slowly but surely adding to their catalogue of great albums, and the latest Welcome Farewell is no different.

As well as sharing the Indie Recordings label connection, Vreid have a lot in common with Enslaved. They use black metal as the basis of the tone and sound of the music, but as a whole it is so much more. One of the first thoughts that popped into my head as I gave the CD its first spin was “This is how you would want a modern Satyricon to sound”, strangely enough their Norwegian brethren are currently releasing (as of September 2013) a new album via Indie Recordings.

Second track 'The Way Of The Serpent' has an attention grabbing “chorus” in the loosest sense of the word as it contains the title of the track but is not reprised at any time throughout the duration. The serpentine 'Sights of Old' uncoils with a menacing riff and fast paced attack, and then gradually and majestically evens out to a haunting drone of chords at the end.

Let's just hope the guy who posted “Heh, WHERE'D THE METAL GO?? This sucks.” on the YouTube page for 'The Reap' has his comeuppance. He is probably one of the twitching retards that cannot accept metal unless its at 100mph or contains 10-megaton breakdowns. Shame he can't realise the art of metal can flow with this intense speed and sometimes it's most shining moments as a genre are the ones of restraint.

One problem throughout is that the rhythm section, it does rattle and grate and some times sounds a bit like a demented Didgeridoo. It may not be as spellbinding as the majority of Windir's previous works, a but Welcome Farewell is a cracking album. It covers more ground in terms of different ideas and progressions that an average Windir album would, take the title track for instance, still maintaining its punch it manages to go from saccharine licks, quiet and quirky acoustic parts back to rumbling mid-paced groove again with an ease and confidence that must flow through these guys veins. It strikes a balance between big bold production and a raw, gravelly sound to make a very ambitious yet honest and realised record.

Pelican's First Album Available For Name Your Price On Bandcamp

The amazing, epic and beautiful debut full-length Australasia is available for free. Pelican are celebrating a milestone by offering this baby for Name Your Price, but we don't know for how long so quit loitering my blog and go geddit!!!