Revisiting Rapture: Irrational Games takes no risks with Burial at Sea

Ah, Rapture. It’s like slipping on an old jumper. A nice, warm, terrifying jumper. In Bioshock Infinite’s newest DLC, Burial at Sea, we find ourselves once again wading our way through the clanging steampunk halls of Rapture, the greatest city you never knew existed. However, instead of deformed humans, half-mad tyrants and overly protective deep sea divers, we are confronted by an eerily normal city landscape. Well, as normal as any underwater city can be.

American Werewolves in Sydney: WIDOW interview

Source: Widow Official Facebook

North Carolina's traditional metal trio are fast becoming a household name amongst the faithful metal hordes. Four albums and a few line-up changes since they formed, WIDOW find themselves taking the stage on day two of Metal Evilution's Steel Assassins Festival in Sydney. Absolute Power caught up with Chris and John to chat about touring, songwriting, and the road to becoming a power trio.

TABERAH Interview

Tasmanian rock n' rollers TABERAH have just released their second album, Necromancer, and Absolute Power caught up with the boys before The Metal Evilution 10th Anniversary to discuss the journey so far, what's ahead, and to celebrate Balfour's work.

Metal Evilution 10th Anniversery: DARKER HALF, TABERAH, METAL,METREYA @ The Bald Faced Stag

 

The music industry is a pretty harsh beast. Whether you are on stage or behind it, selling arenas or playing keggers, you are going to be making a lot of sacrifices and putting in a lot of work.

Every music scene and movement has a number of forces working to keep it going, and a history of Sydney's - and perhaps broadly Australia's - metal scene over the last decade would not be complete without recognising the hard work Dave Balfour of Metal Evilution has put in.

When should a band change their name?

Is it okay for a band to continue with few original members? What about none? When is it okay to keep going under the name, and when should a band start to re-think their moniker?

MGSV: People are upset about costumes, but not child soldiers?

Let me start this off by saying I'm not at all oblivious to the over-sexualisation of female characters in a lot of video games, films and comics. There is a lot of valid criticism surrounding the outfits of Soul Calibur's Ivy and DC Comics' Power Girl.

I don't really feel in that great a position to comment on when it wanders into ridiculous territory, but I'm fairly certain something like Dead or Alive Beach Vollyball qualifies. I'm not here to enter the debate about the recently released full render of Metal Gear Solid V's character, Quiet, but I'm a bit perplexed by the discourse surrounding it.

That's not a dildo bat, this is a dildo bat: The Australian Cut of Saints Row IV

After announcing its introduction of an R18+ rating to gaming, many Australian gamers thought that this would herald a new age in the vice-like censorship that had a healthy grip on our countries’ marble pouch. Finally there was a light at the end of the tunnel. 

However, as most of you know, Saints Row IV came under the crosshairs of the Australian Classification Board due to its touching on topics such as sexual assault, drugs and general butt-stuff. It was refused classification, and Australian gamers sighed and sagged back into their seats. We weren’t even angry, we were just disappointed.