Note – The following contains some implied knowledge of Skyrim and its game mechanics. If you haven’t played Skyrim – what are you doing?

Video game stories always used to work one way. There would be one narrative that you would follow, level by level, world by world. It’s dangerous to go alone. Your Princess is in another castle. This story was not your own, it was simply the story of the game, and was the same each time. Recently, this dynamic has begun to change, and drastically. What I’m referring to is Emergent Gameplay – a story crafted and experienced by the player’s perception of random events. And it can be quite brilliant.

Our tale takes place amongst the snowy mountains of Skyrim. I was travelling with two loyal  companions: Jordis – housecarl of Solitude – and Meeko, my dog. Whilst on our way to some quest or another, we happened upon an Ancient Nord tomb. Of course, I decided to take a look. Inside, we were met with one huge chamber, with no entryways or exits other than two small doors in the right and left walls. The room was empty except for an ornate chest at the opposite end, and behind it an even more precious reward. The curved-wall of a Dragon Shout – the ultimate treasure to be pillaged from any tomb. Hastily, I stepped towards it. But this was not my first adventure, and caution thankfully made me pause. I told both my followers to wait for me here, about halfway into the chamber, and I saved my game, allowing me to resume from this point if I somehow died. I made the rest of the journey across the room alone, and was glad I did. Just as I reached the chest, the ground gave way, revealing a trap door that I had fallen straight in to. I landed about 20 feet down, in a cage, surrounded by bodies. I was clearly not the first adventurer to fall for this. In front of me my captor, an elderly wizard, began to monologue about what a terrible fate had befallen me. I ignored him. After all, I was a hardened warrior, Dragonborn, unstoppable.

It’s worth noting at this point that I’d brought what was about to happen upon myself. If you haven’t played Skyrim, just know that things level up as you use them. So if I wanted to, say, level up my One-handed (read: sword-using) skill by setting the difficulty to ‘Master’ level and slashing away at my immortal horse for a while, that would be an easy way to do it. And that’s exactly what I’d done a few days previously, completely forgetting to change the difficulty level back afterwards. This meant that whilst I didn’t know it, I was extremely vulnerable to magic. We’re talking one-hit-kill vulnerable.

Anyway, I ignored the wizard, and began to pick the lock to the cage, which was conveniently right in front of me. My first pick broke, meaning the old man noticed my intended escape, and turned hostile. Well, more hostile than your typical raving old man who kidnaps people. He shouted something about killing me now instead of running experiments and fired an ice missile towards me. No big deal. I began to brandish a fireball of my own but then boom – dead. I didn’t understand what had happened. I was strong, far too strong for a single attack to kill me. Clearly I had made a mistake, but it wouldn’t happen again. Fine. That wizard would pay.

My game resumed as it should, at the point I’d saved, just after telling my companions to wait for me. This time I went around the trap to loot the chest and Dragon Shout, but I still wanted that old man dead. And I was prepared. Fireball in hand, I jumped into the trap door, and fell again into the cage. As before, the mage began to speak of my misfortune, but this time I cut him off with a blast of flame to his face. This did almost nothing, other than anger him. Ice missile – dead.

What was I doing wrong? I reloaded once more, jumped into the hole, and this time, I waited. Maybe if I let him talk, he would open the cage himself. It was at this point I got a good look around the room outside my cell, and I noticed something glistening on a table behind my captor – a Stone of Barenziah, essentially a collectible item, one of twenty-four hidden throughout the game. Now I had a real reason to keep diving into this trap. I needed that stone, as well as my vengeance. He talked through his monologue, and I discovered that at the end of it, he would kill me regardless. Another lethal shard of ice – another death. Great.

Several attempts later, I’d given up revenge, but there was no way I was letting that Stone stay where it was. And I’d developed a plan. Load game. Fall into hole. Use a rather useful Shout that would freeze in place all nearby enemies for a few seconds. Pick lock. DO NOT attack wizard man. I had learned from experience that when attacked (removing the freezing effect of the Shout) he would simply kill me long before I killed him. Steal the Stone of Barenziah, and whatever else I could quickly lay my hands on. Run.

Finally, it worked. I managed to bolt down the corridor leaving him behind me, still frozen, with his belongings safely in my inventory. I ran upstairs, through a maze of winding corridors, up and up until I finally came out at one of the two doors I had seen when I first entered this accursed tomb. I was free. I saved my game, overwriting my previous one to save space. There was just one problem.

My companions weren’t where I left them. They should have been in the centre of the room.

When I froze the wizard, their AI must have assumed I was in danger and come to rescue me. Of course, they had never managed to reach the cage on my prior attempts as I was always dead long before they arrived. But this time I’d escaped… and they’d deliberately wandered down towards the evil I was running from. They must’ve taken the opposite door, the one in the left-side of the wall, else I’d have seen them when I was making my way to the surface. If I tried to follow them, I would surely die. Again. But there was another option. If I left the tomb, they should automatically spawn out alongside me. Or they would, if I hadn’t told them to wait inside. When I stepped onto the snowy steps outside and saw no-one was with me, I had a decision to make; leave, and keep my treasures, or return and desperately attempt to save my comrades from enemies much more powerful than myself. What was once just a simple exploration of an area between quests had now become an epic adventure of its own. I had to rescue my friends. After all, they had seemingly tried to do the same for me.

I stepped back inside. The same empty chamber. No Jordis. No Meeko. They must still be in the maze of corridors leading down below. To the wizard. Slowly, I walked towards the door in the left wall, making sure my weapons were ready, despite knowing they would do me little good. Inch by inch, I worked my way down, cautiously sneaking round every turn. Let’s be straight here; I was terrified. After a few minutes of not seeing – or hearing – anything, I feared my allies were surely dead. I turned a corner, and in front of me was Jordis. Just standing there, in the middle of a corridor. Alone – but alive. I ran and spoke to her, but unfortunately ‘WHERE THE HELL IS MY DOG?’ wasn’t a dialogue option. The best I could do was tell her to follow me. At least now I had one companion. We descended the nearest staircase and entered the room at the bottom. I recognised it too late – the room with the cage. As I darted backwards through the doorway I expected to see ice hailing past me, but nothing happened. Slowly, I walked back in to the room. The table I had stolen the Stone of Barenziah from was on my left, just as I had left it, but to the right, things were different. Meeko was sat looking at me cheerfully, just in front of the open cage door. And at his feet, was the wizard.

Dead.

Somehow, my (extremely weak) dog had managed to do what I, the leader of every guild in Skyrim, could not. Bloody good job, Meeko. Finally, the three of us left the tomb, and even though nothing had changed, I felt much more attached to my fellow adventurers. Yes, Meeko was brutally murdered not long afterwards by a giant, and I killed Jordis myself when she stepped in front of an arrow, but for a while, we were bonded.

This series of random events gave me not only my best experience in Skyrim, but one of my favourite in gaming, ever. Hardly any of it was intended, and none of it was part of a given quest or storyline. It was incredible, because it was my own true adventure. There was no set way that it would begin, or a certain way it would end. It’s experiences like this that set gaming apart as a medium, and why it encourages such love amongst those that embrace it.
images from Skyrim, copyright Bethesda Studios

A new and free initiative has been launched in Meadowhall to prevent the age old phenomenon of having a very low phone battery just when you need it most.

Chargebox® provides a free and secure service to Meadowhall shoppers. The charging stations are conveniently located on the Upper Oasis Mezzanine part of the food court. The device even provides an array of chargers for, “most smartphones currently on the market,” making the service even more convenient.

Meadowhall Centre Director Darren Pearce said, “Customer feedback has told us that nine out of ten of our customers would feel stressed if their phone was out of action whilst out shopping and with modern day smart phones having a notoriously poor battery life, ChargeBox is our solution combating this annoying problem.”

Thirty minutes of charging time provides enough power to increase your phone’s battery life by 40%, without losing any valuable shopping time. Consequently, Meadowhall believe that the Chargebox® will be a valuable asset in the run up to Christmas.

However, Meadowhall are not the first major shopping centre to introduce this service. Europe’s largest urban shopping centre, Westfield in Stratford successfully installed several charging stations in the summer of 2012 in anticipation of an increased footfall.

How does it work?

Simply, find the corresponding charger for your phone and plug it in to one of the lockers. Once connected, there is a thirty second time frame to shut the locker and a key will be generated automatically. You will be able to return to the locker to retrieve your charged device after, or if you can’t wait, before the half an hour is up!

Shoppers have reacted very positively. For example, Amy, a L’Oreal consultant, seemed particularly excited about the new technology and tweeted @LoveMeadowhall, “OMG this is genius.” Moreover, Daniel, a second year Sheffield Hallam University student acknowledged the versatility of the device and said, “We should have a similar thing in clubs…they’re a great idea!”

“@LoveMeadowhall: Phone running out of juice? Just pop upstairs to our @Chargebox! http://t.co/pV2aO1xacH” omg this is genius

— Amy (@amy_jadee) October 6, 2014

Have you been to the Chargebox? Where would you like to see it next? Tweet us @SHUlifeNews

Images credited to Meadowhall Shopping Centre

Developer: Red Barrels

Publisher: Red Barrels/Steam

Genre: Survival-Horror/First-Person

Platforms: PC/PS4 (Q1 2014)

It’s that time of the year again – Halloween, and instead of partying with friends or socialising, I’ve been stuck in playing Outlast, possibly one of scariest games within the last five or so years. Keep in mind, to get the full experience, the lights were switched off and the headset was on, it was just me and this horror of a game.

You are put in the shoes of Miles Upshur, a journalist who’s willing to cover any story what so ever – i.e. the sort of stories regular journalist won’t go near in the slightest.

It is Upshur’s mission to seek out the secrets of Mount Massive Asylum – an abandoned asylum for the mentally ill, which has recently been re-opened by the Murkoff Corporation, who are extremely secret when it comes to their activities within the building. Some of the earlier documents found in the game suggest experimental dream procedures have been taking place.

The game literally starts you outside the asylum, equipped with only your camera – the whole experience is in first-person, further putting you into the world itself. As soon as you step inside, there’s this extremely creepy atmosphere, which reminds you you’re not in for a walk in the park, rather a slow painful stroll through Hell.

Using the camera allows you to record important events, which ultimately reveal more of the narrative bit by bit, also aiding the story are documents found throughout the game, they all play a part in the mystery of Mount Massive Asylum, and are generally satisfying to read or listen to.

An unsettling view of Mount Massive Asylum, holding more secrets that meets the eye.

Night vision mode comes with the camera which makes the game one thousand times scarier – it adds this dark grainy effect, which instantly creates an unsettling atmosphere. Atmosphere keeps coming up and it’s because this game is amazing at immersing you in this intense and scary environment.

Navigating the world feels a lot like Mirror’s Edge, with the climbing of ledges, vaulting over obstacles, crawling through tight spaces – which is very useful when being chased by Goliath, an enemy that chases you throughout the game.

Speaking of being chased, when you are – it’s completely heart-stopping, most enemies are really fast, so its your job to hide in any way possible, whether it be in a locker, behind desks, or simply waiting in the dark. You can look behind you whilst running which is absolutely terrifying when you see an enemy quickly running after you.

After being chased, you could be stuck against the wall with nowhere to go – at this point, you might as well reload your saved game.

There is absolutely no point in fighting back – you will die, I guarantee it. The amount of times Upshur got ripped apart can’t be counted at this point, so hiding in a safe place is definitely the better option.

Almost everything you do in the game is scary in some way, you actually have the option to open doors slowly which adds a huge amount of intensity, you’ll find yourself questioning – what’s around the corner? what’s through that door? and so on, and this really adds the kind of horror that makes you not want to go through a certain door, but at the same time you want to because its the only way forward.

Even the initial parts of the game demonstrate this highly illustrative world of horror, including disfigured patients who don’t look human any more, dismembered limbs dumped in the toilets, blood stained walls and floors, swarms of flies buzzing around rotting corpses, unnerving words written in blood on the walls, the list really goes on.

All in all, the game made me full-on jump 3 times during the first half an hour, so you can imagine what the rest of the game has in store. It’s definitely worth checking out, and at only £15 on Steam, it’d be silly to not get involved, especially around this time of the year.

Rating: 89/100

At their event on Tuesday 22 October, Apple announced new iPads and MacBooks. The new full-size iPad (now called the iPad Air) is thinner and has a new design similar to the iPad mini along with the new faster 64-bit processor found in the iPhone 5s that Apple released a few months ago. It will be released on 1st November and prices start at £399.

The new iPad mini also has these updated internals, in addition to a new high-resolution ‘Retina’ display which is designed to give a much crisper and sharper picture than the earlier model. This will be released in late November and prices start at £319.

Apple also took the opportunity to launch the latest version of their Mac OS X desktop operating system, Mavericks. This includes new features such as a revamped Finder file browser with tabs and easy to access file tagging, iCloud Keychain which syncs your passwords with your iPhone, and improved multi-monitor support. Mavericks is free in the Mac App Store.

Speaking of Macs, Apple unveiled some new MacBook Pros. These include the super-high resolution ‘Retina’ displays seen on earlier models but also have new Intel Haswell processors which are already found in the MacBook Airs. While the new processors give a welcome performance boost, they also up the battery life to 9 hours on the 13 inch model and 8 hours on the 15 inch. The 13 inch model is thinner at 1.8cm and lighter at 1.5kg. They are out now and prices start at £1099 for the 13 inch models and £1699 for the 15 inch models.

The frequently neglected professional Mac Pro desktop also got a major refresh. Along with a bold new design the new Mac Pros feature Intel Xeon processors, AMD FirePro D300 graphics and an intimidating price point to match; the Mac Pro pricing starts at £2499 and increases quickly. They are available from December.

Apple also revamped their iLife (iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand) and iWork (Pages, Keynote and Numbers) software packages. The user interfaces have been revamped, particularly in the iOS versions of the apps to better match up with the new iOS 7 look. They are free to anyone buying a new iOS device or Mac. There is also a free web version of iWork for anyone with an iCloud account.

Sony recently announced their new console, the PlayStation 4 (PS4), which will be released around Christmas this year.

Oddly enough, Sony didn’t show what the console itself looks like, instead focusing on the console’s internals, services and games.

The Console

Unlike earlier consoles, the PS4 is designed like a normal computer. Rather than creating a whole new processor design, they’re using an off-the-shelf processor and graphics processor (albeit heavily tweaked). The reason for this change, Sony says, is to make it easier for developers.

The console also comes with 8GB of RAM. This is significant as the PS3 only has 256MB, meaning more stuff can happen in the background.

A secondary chip downloads updates while the console is off. As one of the more painful aspects of the PS3 is the arduous update system, this is a welcome addition.

However, it cannot play PS3 games, but Sony is working on a way to stream them to the console.

The new console also comes with a new controller; the DualShock 4. It has a touchpad on the front in the middle and a light on the top which acts as a player indicator and as a point of reference for the new Move camera.

The Services

To make the console more immediate than the current crop, Sony is employing the help of their recently-acquired cloud gaming company Gaikai. Game demos can be played without having to be downloaded and full games can be played while they’re still being downloaded.

For those of you who own a PS Vita, using Remote Play you can play PS4 games on it wherever you are (providing you have access to a decent enough internet connection and your PS4 is on).

You can also use your phone or tablet to act as a second screen, showing game information like maps and inventory much like the Wii U’s controller does.

The Games

Not many actual games were announced at this event, with one developer (Square Enix) openly saying to wait until E3 for a game demonstration (Final Fantasy, if you’re interested). Here’s a selection of what was shown off:

DriveClub – This is a driving game from Evolution Studios, the people behind the MotorStorm series. With a huge focus on social, it has you set challenges and complete ones other people have thrown down.

InFamous: Second Son – Not much about this was revealed, but it does seem to riff off the worries we have about total surveillance and is a continuation of the InFamous franchise.

Knack – This is about a disassembling robot called Knack, and the man behind it also worked on Crash Bandicoot and Ratchet and Clank. The next-gen graphics makes it look a lot like a CGI film.

Killzone: Shadow Fall – Its official; Killzone is now a franchise running over three console generations. While the visuals shown off are very impressive, this game doesn’t really scream “next-gen.”

Watch Dogs – This game, on the other hand, does. Previously shown off at E3 by Ubisoft last year, people assumed it was running on next-gen hardware. You have complete control over the electronics of Chicago and know everything about everyone instantly. Little is known of the plot, but its a safe bet it’ll be an open world game.

Words: John Cartwright

The Wii U is the latest console from Nintendo, their follow up to the massively successful Wii. What makes this different from the original Wii is the new GamePad controller, which features a 6 inch touchscreen.Acting as a second screen, it shows additional game information but can also mirror what is being sent to the television, so you can keep playing your game on the GamePad while someone else watches TV. Original Wii remotes are used as secondary controllers.However, its battery life is a bit lackluster; clocking in at 2 hours and requiring a mains charger to charge it seems somewhat problematic for everyday use.

There will be a number of games available at launch. Here are three of the most interesting launch titles:

1. New Super Mario Bros. U (Nintendo)

It wouldn’t be a Nintendo console launch without a new Mario game,now would it? At this   point Nintendo are being fairly liberal with“New,” so don’t expect the formula we all know  and love to change drastically.

2. Nintendo Land (Nintendo)

This is almost a filler game, and is included with the premium edition of the Wii U (more on that later). It’s a party game with different game modes, with one person using the GamePad and everyone else on Wii remotes. It’s a throwaway game and seems to just be a little bit of fun, albeit forgettable.

3. ZombiU (Ubisoft)

While the other two games have a much more casual audience in mind, ZombiU is aimed towards the hardcore gamers Nintendo somewhat  alienated with the Wii. It is a zombie survival game set in London, using the GamePad screen to display everything from sniper scopes to inventories (taking your eyes off the screen to change weapon gives a scary sense of vulnerability).

What is 4G?

Most of you will have probably heard “4G” or “LTE” somewhere, and wondered what it is. “4G” is the fourth generation in mobile internet, a step up from 3G, which we all currently use this for internet access while we are out and about. “LTE” is the technology behind 4G and stands for Long Term Evolution – that’s all you really need to know about that.

How much better is it than 3G?

While you’d be lucky if you got higher than a 5 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed on a 3G network, you’d be unlucky if you got less than double that on 4G. Most of the tests done on 4G in the UK put download speeds between 25-40
Mbps; expect them to slow somewhat as the airwaves get congested.

When can I get it?

At the moment, the only network with 4G is EE, a rebrand of Everything Everywhere (T-Mobile and Orange). When Ofcom (the network regulator) auctions frequencies used by analogue TV to networks next year, we’ll quickly see other networks launch their own 4G services.

Where can I get it?

Unfortunately, for the time being 4G is going to be fairly scarce. EE’s 4G launches in 16 cities: Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Southampton, and, thankfully, Sheffield. Remember outside of these cities you’ll be on 3G, and EE plans further expansion by 2013.

What can I get it on?

You’ll need a new phone due to the new aerials needed. While EE’s selection seems quite limited right now, the major players seem to be present. You have the high-end:

• Apple iPhone 5
• HTC One XL
• Samsung Galaxy Note II
• Samsung Galaxy S III
• Nokia Lumia 920
And the mid-range, for the more budget-conscious:
• Huawei Ascend P1
• Nokia Lumia 820

You can also get it on the cellular versions of the recently updated iPad and the newly announced iPad mini.

Expect there to be more devices announced later. Pricing varies based on the phone and the data allowances you want, however they are considerably more than the equivalent 3G rates, and will most likely continue to be until other networks start competing. At the moment, then, it’s probably a good idea to wait unless you can afford the price increases or are a compulsive early adopter.

It has been suggested that the upcoming event will be aimed at the educational market, an area that has become more important to Apple. The ‘Mini’ will be scaled down in size and also in terms of hardware, this should allow for a lower retail cost, which is more likely to interest students. You will be looking at around 8” screen diameter, and I will put my neck on the line here and say it will be without retina display. I have a feeling that the memory will be significantly reduced to 8GB un-configurable, maybe less. The reason being that the main goal for this device is a reader, not a multimedia hub. As for 3G/4G data plans, I doubt they will be an option. Designers have been quick to create mock-ups of the new device and most of these look impressive. However, I for one have been slightly disappointed in the new iPhone design and expect very little exterior change to the mini device.

Apple has done well over the last year by attracting publishers to join ‘iBooks’. They have also created the ‘iTunes U’ app that neatly keeps all your courses in one place. Additionally, you have ‘Newsstand’, an app that places newspapers and magazines all in one tidy rack. You cannot escape the growing e-reader market, and lets face it, who wants to carry book upon book?

Students, who have their hands on an iPad already, will undoubtedly appreciate its incredible usability. As a Literature student, my head is constantly in iBooks. More so now I can highlight paragraphs in many colours, make sticky notes and bookmark important pages. Everything about iBooks is well designed. But the most important thing is the amount of free books! There are tons of novels and short stories for free, fully illustrated, a bonus for students on a limited budget. I expect the new ‘mini’ iPad will push the development of iBooks further, making it one of the best ways for students to read. Other useful apps for study are  ‘Notes’, which comes already installed on your device and is perfect for lectures or seminars. Meanwhile ‘Pages’ is Apple’s useful word processing application, perfect for applying the finishing touches before a deadline and offers printing via WIFI. However, if you’re a Windows fan, there is talk of a dedicated ‘Office’ app from Microsoft that is said to be in development.

To round up, fellow tech fans, make a note of the 23rd of October. The rumors and speculations will be confirmed/denied on this date as Apple hit the stage one more time; thankfully we do not have to wait long. A mini iPad looks to be another great (but obvious) addition to Apple’s line-up. It is likely to appeal to students for a number of reasons, not least it’s reduced size, making it very easy to carry around at all times. So, if the rumours are to be believed and the ‘iPad mini’ is real, lets hope for once, Apple give a ‘mini’ price tag.

It seems that Apple just can’t keep a lid on the rumour mill when it comes to their latest product announcements. For months there has been speculation as to what the new IPhone will offer users, and for the most part, these rumblings were proved accurate as Tim Cook (Apple CEO) took to the stage at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco on Tuesday night.

So are the gossipmongers to blame for an underwhelming reveal of the IPhone 5, probably not. Since the launch of the original model, back in 2007, Apple has tried to keep ahead of it’s competition, predominantly in the form of Microsoft, Android and Samsung by developing innovative concepts for every launch, in an attempt to keep things fresh.

Following the launch event, critics are claiming that this latest reincarnation is evolutionary opposed to the revolutionary step that many considered necessary for Apple to maintain their authority in the smartphone market. Amongst the upgrades to the new phone is the new 4inch screen, allowing for a fifth row of icons on the home screen. Other main changes include its thinner and lighter body, 4G connectivity for some, a new processor, better battery life and a controversial ‘Lightning’ dock connector. Predicted updates that are absent however, include fingerprint recognition, NFC capability for wireless payments and wireless recharging.

A new IPhone wasn’t the only product to receive attention either. The IPod Touch and Nano were granted a facelift too. Boasting the same generous 4inch screen and isight camera as well as an array of different colours and ‘EarPods’ to boot. The Nano also benefits from an increased screen size and improved FM radio as well as better Bluetooth capabilities. Prices for these are available on Apple’s website, whereas pricing for the new IPhone model should be available shortly.

Pre-orders started this morning (14^th) for Iphone 5 with a release date of the 21^st, however consumers are likely to seriously consider upgrading with IOS6’s arrival in-between on the 19^th. Undoubtedly Apple fanboys will flock in droves to get their hands on the shiny new device, savvy shoppers, however, may choose to hold out until next time, stick with their current handsets or even weigh up other options.