kmcloone96

I don't think a game has ever managed to reduce me to an anxiety- stricken wreck quite so successfully as Outlast. Within an opening text, you are told that you play as Miles Upshur; a journalist who decides to investigate Mount Massive Asylum after receiving an anonymous tip. Almost immediately things begin seeming a little strange, with stereotypical scares such as silhouettes in windows and flickering lights, but soon it appears that whatever happened at the asylum should have been left alone permanently.

As you play as a simple journalist, you traverse the entire game armed with nothing but a camcorder with a night-vision function, causing the majority of sequences to be shown through a spooky green glow. As most of the game takes place in complete darkness, you'll be using the camcorder a lot, which is difficult because the batteries drain phenomenally quickly, leaving you in terrifying nothingness. More can be collected throughout the game, but you always need to consider conserving your power so that you're not suddenly caught being chased by murderous patients with no idea as to where you should go.

And it's this sense of constant helplessness which separates Outlast from other survival-horror games. From start to finish, there is literally no way of fighting enemies, so you have to constantly be mindful of their positions and be prepared to run and hide if the need arises. But whether you hide under a bed, in a locker or even simply in a fireplace; nowhere is safe. On more than one occasion I was brutally dragged out from my hiding-place and killed on the spot. Yet I loved every minute of it.

I'm a huge fan of horror already, but Outlast dragged me in and didn't let go until the very final credits rolled. The atmosphere created within the first mere moments of game-play sticks with you until the end, and causes the scares to be even more insidious and real than they ever could have been without this incredible sense of immersion. This is also due to the amazingly creepy sound-design and the game's refusal to pull anything back, particularly when it comes to gore. It's rather rare whilst playing Outlast to not see a dismembered torso or deformed, skulking, deranged killer, but it's all necessary to create a game which is this scarily engrossing.

I have very few problems with Outlast, but the consistent need to wait for enemies to pass by certainly becomes slightly tiresome towards the end. That's not to say it's not always terrifying when you begin being chased, but after the third or fourth time of being killed, things get a little repetitive. This is particularly apparent in the cat-and-mouse sequences featuring a huge prison-guard, but it never becomes so common that it ruins the experience. Without giving anything away, the plot also wraps up completely differently to how you would expect, which I wasn't a huge fan of, but it was still entertaining nonetheless.

Outlast is a terrifying game which hooked me almost instantly. Like with most 'scary' forms of media, it has to be enjoyed properly by sitting in complete darkness with the sound up high, but if you can endure the constant barrage of horror, then it's a hugely enjoyable experience which I would definitely recommend.

I've put off watching Movie 43 for a very long time, considering all of the dreadful feedback it received when it was initially released in January of last year. The plot of the film vaguely revolves around three teenagers trying to find the "most banned film on the internet", which is appropriately titled Movie 43, although the American version of the film has a completely alternate plot revolving around movie producers pitching this film to a company. Regardless of this, both versions contain this plot solely to string together 12 un-funny, crude, horrific sketch comedies containing an unbelievably star-studded cast of actors. From Hugh Jackman to Stephen Merchant; nobody is left out.

I have literally no idea why so many well-known celebrities would agree to be a part of this truly appalling movie. One of the opening sketches features Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet attending a blind-date, but the 'hilarious' twist is that Hugh Jackman's character has a pair of prosthetic testicles on his neck which only Kate Winslet appears to notice. This successfully sets the tone for the rest of the movie, with scene after scene revolving around a tiresome concept dragged out far beyond being funny. A theory I have heard is that the actors were made to feel guilty after signing their contracts so they became obliged to continue the production, but when you reach a sketch revolving around a woman wanting her fiancée to defecate on her, it becomes very hard to believe any such ideas.

Speaking of defecation, Movie 43 really leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the juvenile areas of comedy. Incest, periods & blatant racism all make an appearance, and none are handled in a remotely funny manner. In fact, the only slightly entertaining sequences of the movie such as a scene between Stephen Merchant and Halle Berry didn't rely heavily on these kind of topics at all, and were much better for it. The majority of the film seems as if a young, pre-pubescent boy was behind everything, which isn't ideal when there's such critically acclaimed actors present.

Although it may seem like I'm being pretentious about Movie 43, that's only because there is genuinely nothing redeemable about this film. I'm all for 'low-brow' comedy when it's done correctly, and I even enjoy the earlier Scary Movie films which feature huge amounts of this, but Movie 43 simply isn't good. I really wish I could say otherwise, because I'm a fan of many actors featured, but it just is downright awful from start to finish.

In case it isn't obvious, I'd highly recommend giving Movie 43 a miss. It only runs for around 90 minutes, but felt as if it dragged on for far, far longer. Unless the American version is drastically different, I have no idea why this film was ever made, and feel bad for everybody involved. Do yourself a favour and watch a comedy such as Airplane which shows just how successful a rapid flurry of jokes can be.