The Equalizer Teaser Trailer Released

Source: Ferns Magazine

Denzel Washington. Chloe Grace-Moretz. In the same film. What else do you need to know?
Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures have this week released the teaser trailer for their upcoming thriller movie The Equalizer. Starring Flight's Denzel Washington and Let Me In's Chloe Grace-Moretz at the head of an otherwise up-and-coming ensemble of rising stars, this potent adaptation of CBS' beloved classic 1980s US TV series of the same name depicts the quest of an ex-secret agent (Washington) to save a scorned prostitute (Grace-Moretz) from the leagues of Russian Mafia gangsters who are in pursuit of her.

As was the case with Kick-Ass and Hugo, it's the immeasurably talented Grace-Moretz who's undoubtedly the main attraction here. Though her presence in the teaser (below) is minimal, she doesn't fail to steal the limelight in either of the sequences in which she appears, although Denzel Washington seems to be managing just fine in those set-pieces where he's on his lonesome (well, if you don't count the legions of foes surrounding him, of course) as well. Even if the infamously gruesome "sick-stick" sequence in Kick-Ass 2 wasn't her finest hour, Chloe seems to be on top form here, and at any rate, it can't possibly be any worse than Movie 43. *

The Equalizer takes audiences hostage in cinemas worldwide this September 26th.

* A note to future film producers and directors: the Movie 43 claim was just that and not a challenge. Please, please, do not attempt to create a motion picture which sinks to even more treacherous lows, lest you aim to completely de-construct any remaining faith which we have in this industry. Cheers.

Star Wars Spin-Off Film Director & Release Date Announced

Source: Empire

Every hero has an origins story, and it transpires that every bounty hunter does too!
Walt Disney Pictures have this week announced the director and the global release date of the second cinematic instalment in their revived Star Wars multi-medium franchise. Intended to act as a spin-off from the central saga of science-fiction blockbusters (which will be expanded with Episode VII in 2015, Episode VIII in 2017 and Episode IX in 2019), the film will reportedly feature classic bounty hunter anti-hero Boba Fett as its redemption-seeking protagonist.

That's the stuff of rumour at present, though: what we now know for certain is that Gareth Edwards will serve as the first spin-off production's director and Gary Whitta (who fans of Telltale's The Walking Dead video games will know as one of their chief narrative developers) as its screenplay writer. Best known for his work at the helm of this year's surprisingly critically lauded reboot Godzilla, Edwards has also taken centre-stage (from an aesthetic standpoint, anyway) on acclaimed projects such as 2010's Monsters and this year's much-anticipated follow-up Monsters: Dark Continent. Word has it that he'll return to bring Godzilla to life in two further motion pictures (at least one of which, Godzilla 2, is already confirmed to be in development at this very moment), but from this point onwards, our guess is that Edwards (who strikes us as a truly inspired successor to Episode VII's J.J. Abrams, quite honestly) will focus all of his attention on a galaxy far, far away and the "most wretched hive[s] of scum and villainy" he can imagine...

The first Star Wars spin-off movie will leap out from the Sarlacc's jaws and into cinemas worldwide on December 16th, 2016.

Interstellar Theatrical Trailer Released

Source: Very Aware

The reign of Nolan and McConaughey continues this Winter on the big screen.
Warner Brothers Pictures have released the theatrical trailer for their upcoming science-fiction thriller blockbuster Interstellar. Directed by Christopher Nolan (the man who gave us Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, in case you'd forgotten), the flick won't exactly have it easy when it comes to its release window, since The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and Into The Woods are all set to launch within a few weeks of its Stateside début.

In its defence, though, Interstellar's release date has been set in stone for a far longer period of time than any of those other motion pictures, and with Dallas Buyers Club's Matthew McConaughey, Les Miserables' Anne Hathaway, The Italian Job's Michael Caine, Spider-Man 3's Topher Grace and Green Zone's Matt Damon representing just a few of its headlining performers, there's every chance that it'll hold its own against the competition. Our second full glimpse at the film (below) does little to elaborate on the identity of the (presumably extraterrestrial) threat which McConaughey's seemingly powerless protagonist Cooper will face off against, yet it does at least showcase the grand combination of CGI-fuelled spectacle and live-action drama which we've come to expect from Nolan's near-auteristic productions of late. If you'll excuse the pun, we'd wager that this one may leave its enemies stranded in the stratosphere...

Interstellar touches down in cinemas worldwide on November 7th.

Disney on Ice: Frozen Arena Tour & New Box Office Landmark Announced

Source: Tumblr

The only real question is this - why on Earth didn't Disney announce an icy production of this ilk sooner?
The Walt Disney Company and Feld Entertainment have this week announced the development of a new Disney on Ice show set to tour the United States in the near future. Titled Disney on Ice: Frozen, this ambitious musical production's narrative will take the form (we suspect, at least) of a loose adaptation of Walt Disney Pictures' hit 2013 animated film of the same name.

Having had the pleasure of witnessing a Disney on Ice show in all of its glory (a Toy Story-themed performance, no less), we can safely say that anyone who elects to give this latest production a try will come out of their nearest US arena more than satisfied with the results. More enticingly still, whilst shows based on Toy Story, Monsters, Inc and the like had to rely on newly-envisioned musical numbers in order to sustain their viewership's interest, Frozen already contains so many beloved melodies - "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and "Love Is An Open Door" remain our favourites - that its success in a theatrical state is pretty much assured.

Evidently not content to halt the good news with this announcement, Disney have moreover confirmed that Frozen is now the fifth highest-grossing film of all-time. The critically acclaimed blockbuster knocked Iron Man 3 into sixth place earlier this week as it surpassed the latter's mighty worldwide gross of $1,215,439,994 and entered the much coveted ranks of the Top 5. There's a way to go yet until Walt Disney Animation Studios can hope to match Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Marvel's Avengers Assemble, Titanic or the box office behemoth that was Avatar, but regardless of their latest project's future commercial prospects, this marks a truly remarkable achievement from a studio who stood in the shadow of Pixar for decades, at least until their window of opportunity emerged as 2011's Cars 2 proved to be their competitor's weakest contribution to the animated genre in some time. We'd like to send our wholehearted congratulations to everyone involved with the production of Frozen- have a chilled drink on us, lads and lasses!

Disney on Ice: Frozen will première at the Amway Centre in Orlando, Florida this September 5th. The DVD and Blu-Ray retail edition of Frozen is available now in the UK.

The Walking Dead Next-Generation Port Announced

Source: PC Gamer

"It's ALIVE!" The undead storm the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this Summer...
Telltale Games have this week announced the development of a next-generation port of their episodic series of The Walking Dead third-person point-and-click video games. Currently split into two seasons, the franchise comprises of eight three-hour instalments which each feature morally challenging decisions that the player must make in order to shape their own narrative arc (think Mass Effect but with less Krogans and countless more zombies).

Given that this thriving ongoing project has been met with a wave of critical acclaim ever since its début outing, the idea of a visually-enhanced version of the series so far is completely logical. Indeed, Telltale have even gone so far as to reveal that their other episodic saga, The Wolf Among Us, will receive a port of its own at the same time as their adaptation of Robert Kirkman's cult classic comic-books. 360 and PS3 gamers won't be left in the dark, though, as there are still three further 'episodes' of 'Season Two' still to be released on current-generation hardware, and better yet, the development team are currently hard at work on an equally morally subversive adaptation of HBO's Game of Thrones as we speak!

The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series - Season One is available now (as a retail disc and a series of XBLA/PSN downloads) on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and will launch alongside The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series - Season Two and The Wolf Among Us: A Telltale Games Series (both of which will additionally come to PS3/360 for the first time too) on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One later this year

New Doctor Who Season Eight Musical Guest Star & Finale Director Announced

Source: Daily Mail

What does the Fox say? Or in this case, what do the Foxes say to the Doctor?
The BBC have this week announced a new guest star set to feature in the upcoming thirty-fourth season of their hit science-fiction drama Doctor Who. Set to broadcast later this year, the first episode of the new run will star Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald, Neve McIntosh as Madame Vastra, Catrin Stewart as Jenny Flint and Dan Starkey as Commander Strax.

British music artist and songwriter Foxes, however, will not star in Season Eight's début instalment. Instead, she will appear in (aptly enough) the as-of-yet-untitled eighth episode (out of twelve, with the thirteenth episode of the run set to be shifted so as to form the 2014 Christmas Special). Written by Jamie Mathieson, the story (according to Steven Moffat) sees "the Doctor [...] finally catching up on his phone calls", and as well as featuring a guest performance from Foxes (who will even sing a musical number- here's hoping that it's of the same quality as Katherine Jenkins' tune in "A Christmas Carol"!), it will star acclaimed Brit comedian Frank Skinner in a still to be confirmed role.

As if that news weren't enough to keep Whovians satisfied for now, we've moreover learned that Tank Girl helmer Rachel Talalay will direct Season Eight's finale. Comprising Episodes 11 and 12, the two-part story will reportedly feature the return of the Master (who may be played by Game of Thrones' Charles Dance, but take that rumour with the usual pinch of Gallifreyan salt), and although Talalay didn't reveal much in the way of concrete details on the two instalments in a recent interview, she did have this to say on her contribution: "Every episode of Doctor Who is like a mini-feature and they're all completely different. [...] It fits into my kind of out-there, pushing-the-envelope, trying to give the audience something to grab onto [...] It's so big and so hard and so ambitious. When you're working with a wonderful script, you just think, "How do I tell this story beautifully and blow away the audience?""

Doctor Who will return for a new series of time-travelling voyages this August on BBC One.

LEGO Ninjago Release Date Confirmed

Source: LEGO

You just can't keep a good Cinematic Universe down nowadays!
The Hollywood Reporter have this week confirmed the global release date of Warner Brothers Pictures' upcoming children's animated film LEGO Ninjago. Reportedly set to act as a spin-off from this year's critically praised blockbuster The LEGO Movie, the movie will focus loosely on the toy sub-brand of the same name and its titular world of magical weapons, mystical foes and courageous ninja warrior protagonists.

Cinematic Universes have become all the rage as of late, and what with the unprecedented levels of success which Marvel Studios have amassed thanks to their Avengers series, it's hardly difficult to see why. Between DC's impending Justice League of America saga (which begins with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016), Fox's inter-linked X-Men and The Fantastic Four storylines (which will continue next year with the danger-ridden reboot The Fantastic Four) and the aforementioned decade-spanning adventures of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, these multi-tier projects are currently dominating the film industry from a commercial standpoint, and if the reports of Ninjago's connections to the superb LEGO Movie are indeed true, then we're ecstatic to see how Warner Brothers' latest ever-expanding narrative continuity will evolve in two years' time.

LEGO Ninjago sticks on "Eye of the Tiger" and kicks off its training montage in cinemas worldwide on September 23rd, 2016.

First Star Wars Episode VII Production Video Released

Source: IGN

"I've got a good feeling about this..."
Walt Disney Pictures and director J.J. Abrams have this week released the first production video for their upcoming science-fiction film Star Wars Episode VII. Taking place thirty years after the events of 1983's Return of the Jedi, the seventh instalment in the blockbuster franchise of space-faring motion pictures (which first saw the light of day under George Lucas in 1977) will pack an all-star cast including beloved thespians such as Oscar Isaac, Domnhall Gleeson, Andy Serkis and returning players such as Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill.

What's truly reassuring (and refreshing) about the first behind-the-scenes clip (below) from Abrams is that it focuses primarily on promoting a charity-aiding competition which Disney and Lucasfilm have concocted in order to fuel further hype for the film itself. Titled Star Wars: Force for Change, the director's new charity fund will work towards helping those nations which are suffering from severe financial and medical issues through the passion of the series' long-established fan-base. Combine this valiant effort with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a walk-on role in Episode VII (by donating $10 or more to the campaign, with higher donations offering higher chances of success) and a brilliant glimpse at one of the non-CGI extraterrestrial creatures we can expect to meet new year, and the video as a whole is a guaranteed hit.

Star Wars Episode VII ignites its lightsaber in cinemas worldwide on December 18th, 2015.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Announced

Source: SpartanTown

It's the battle that we've all been waiting for. Can Zack Snyder possibly live up to the hype?
Warner Brothers Pictures have announced the official title of their upcoming sequel to the hit 2013 superhero film Man of Steel. Starring Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as the Dark Knight himself, the much-anticipated follow-up will also play host to A-list stars such as Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jessie Eisenberg (Lex Luthor) and Amy Adams (Lois Lane) to name but a select few.

After months and months and months of ardent speculation, we can now confirm without hesitation that Man of Steel 2 is actually called Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Short of the removal of the previously-assumed 's' from Vs and the addition of the Dawn sub-title (which anyone who knew about the recently-announced Justice League of America film could have instantly predicted), this rather matter-of-fact name fits virtually perfectly in line with what everyone was hoping to see. Regardless of whether World's Finest might have served as a more fitting sub-title, we sincerely doubt that any fan will pass up the opportunity to see DC's finest heroes (whether they're truly the World's Finest is now up to immense debate thanks to Marvel) duke it out on the big-screen as a result of minor linguistic quibbles...

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice collides with UK cinemas nationwide on April 29th, 2016.

Quantum Break Delayed

Source: Remedy Entertainment

Time is not on this audacious project's side. Oh, the irony...
Microsoft Game Studios and Remedy Entertainment have this week announced a delay in the release schedule of their upcoming science-fiction third-person-shooter video game Quantum Break. Intended to bridge the Xbox One's video game and TV streaming technologies, the title will merge interactive game-play sequences with animated TV episodes, with the narrative arcs of both the former and the latter altering depending on the player's choices.

Sounds rather compelling, yes? Well, it turns out that creating a seamless time-travelling and medium-defying video game experience isn't quite as simple as you might think. No official reasoning has been provided for Quantum Break's impending absence from Microsoft's 2014 release schedule for their Xbox One console, but we'd suspect that much like Ready At Dawn's The Order: 1886, Remedy have remained noticeably quiet regarding the product of late due to unexpected difficulties encountered over the course of their development cycle. On the plus side, though it'll skip E3 2014, the game will appear as part of the publisher's Gamescom line-up come August, and you can be sure that its marketing campaign will comprise of more than one inspired viral trailer closer to release day- until then, check out the latest video preview below.

Quantum Break warps exclusively onto Xbox One in 2015.

First Hitman Next-Gen Sequel Promotional Image Released

Source: CVG

Agent 47 has found Absolution- where will his next adventure lead?
IO Interactive have this week released the first promotional image of their next Hitman video game. Though we've yet to discover the title of the sixth instalment in the studio's hit third-person-shooter stealth franchise (well, barring the recently-released iOS strategy app Hitman GO, that is), the signs are pointing pretty clearly to it being an exclusively next-generation product, not least since the screenshot in question (above) depicts a building which (IO claim) is bigger than any level seen in 2012's Hitman: Absolution.

The only other concrete piece of information we have right now (aside from that the narrative will pick up where Absolution left off) involves the game's marketing campaign, an aspect of the product's development which apparently won't kick into gear for some time yet. IO have confirmed that they will not make an appearance at E3 this year due to being too pre-occupied with pushing forward on the game-play experience itself. In fairness, they're apparently announcing this to avoid disappointment from fans when the various press conferences roll around and Hitman 6 is absent ("we know the worst thing is to hope for something which doesn't turn up," the developers said in their official press release), which is a noble gesture if nothing else, we suppose.

Stay tuned to On-Screen in the months ahead for all of the latest details on the latest Hitman title's console roster (the current plan is for it to retail on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC), gameplay mechanics and release schedule.

Battlefield: Hardline Announced

Source: Gematsu

The team behind Dead Space set out to take EA's annual franchise to new heights!
Electronic Arts have this week announced the development of Battlefield: Hardline for release later this year on both next-generation and current-generation hardware. The first instalment in a new spin-off series of first-person-shooters, Hardline will effectively act as a stop-gap entry to bridge the necessary two-year gap between DICE's Battlefield 4 and their (presumably in-development) 2015 follow-up, focusing on the injustice-laden US state of Omaha and its police force's militant attempts to stamp down on crime.

Whereas this revelation might be cause for concern if EA had brought together a development team to make their début with Hardline (indeed, the sour taste which Warner Brothers Montreal's Batman: Arkham Origins left in our mouths still lingers seven months on from its release), but in this instance, their beloved FPS series seemingly couldn't be in more capable hands. Visceral Games (the guys who brought us both Dead Space and The Simpsons Game) were originally developing this cops-and-robbers-themed project as an isolated FPS entity which wasn't attached to any major brand, yet what with the need for EA to fill in the blank in their Autumn 2014 release schedule (thanks in no small part to the failure of the Medal of Honor titles to hold their own), it makes complete sense that they would integrate what would otherwise likely have been a AA product into a AAA franchise in order to guarantee commercial success for both parties.

Battlefield: Hardline will retail for an as-of-yet unannounced set of consoles this Autumn. More details on the project will be revealed at Electronic Arts' E3 2014 press conference on June 9th.

The Order: 1886 Delayed

Source: IGN

Prepare to enter a medieval realm like no other on the PlayStation 4- just a little later than we had hoped.
Sony Computer Entertainment have this week announced a delay in the release schedule of their third-person action-adventure video game The Order: 1886. A collaboratively developed project from the minds of both Ready At Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio, The Order's narrative depicts a semi-dystopian alternative version of human history in which our race has been diminished by relentless onslaughts from fantastical monsters and an ancient league of knights must battle to end their foes' tyranny.

As we slowly but surely begin to learn which next-generation (and current-generation, though their ranks are gradually fading these days) titles are set to launch on which release dates later this year, it's only natural that we simultaneously discover which projects won't quite make their projected late 2014 release window. Despite having been in development for nearly half a decade now, news on Ready At Dawn's latest product has been scarce to say the least in recent months, and thus its latest development setback doesn't come as a shock so much as a welcome update on how proceedings are progressing at Santa Monica, even if said proceedings aren't going completely according to plan. Look for more news on The Order towards the end of the year, but don't fret, as Sony are sure to reveal a host of substitute PS4-exclusive titles at E3 2014 next month so as to compensate for our temporary loss.

The Order: 1886 will take up arms exclusively on PlayStation 4 in 2015.

Guardians of the Galaxy Theatrical Trailer Released

Source: Screenrant

Guardians, ASSEMBLE! July 31st can't come soon enough...
Marvel Studios have released the second full trailer for their upcoming science-fiction superhero blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. Set in the aftermath of the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the fourth chapter in Phase Two of the Avengers franchise stars Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon and (how could we possibly forget?) Vin Diesel as the silent-yet-charming tree warrior Groot.

True to form, this exemplary theatrical preview integrates another classic 1980s tune into its soundtrack, this time taking the form of Norman Greenbaum's immortal "Spirit in the Sky", showcasing the motion picture's bombastic and refreshingly eccentric character ensemble and action set-pieces all the while. Ant-Man may have lost its director just a month or so before it entered production, but Guardians' James Gunn evidently isn't going anywhere, and thank goodness, since this oh-so-promising production is shaping up to be one of our most anticipated film releases of the Summer. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to stick Bjorn Skifs' "Hooked on a Feeling" on a loop again for the next few hours...

Guardians of the Galaxy materializes in UK cinemas nationwide this July 31st.

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Announced

The Dark Knight heads to the dark depths of outer space on current- and next-generation consoles!
Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment have this week announced the development of LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham for release on a range of video games consoles later this year. Brought to life once again by TT Games, the third instalment in the action-adventure platforming (sub-)franchise will re-acquaint fans with the Justice League as the iconic DC team battle the nefarious Brainiac not only in Gotham City but additionally in outer space (thanks to some seriously stylish astronaut-esque attire).

Of course, as the game's title suggests, this is by no means our first block-tastic trip into the world of the Caped Crusader and his superheroic allies, and if there's one thing that LEGO The Hobbit taught us last month, it's that return trips in this series rarely tend to be as memorable as the initial excursion. That we awarded LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes an 8/10 score back in 2012 (see our review at Non Specific Action here) does admittedly bode well in comparison to the original entry's less-than-stellar 6/10 rating here, and it's with that in mind that we're prepared to withhold judgement until more gameplay footage has been released. Expect to encounter new heroes, villains, customisable armoured suits and locales galore, as well as a decent few LEGO Movie-themed gags if the teaser trail (below) is any indication, as you team up with the Lantern Corps in an intergalactic adventure for the ages (or at least for 2014, anyway!).

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will retail for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo WiiU and Nintendo 3DS this Autumn.

Big Hero 6 Teaser Trailer Released

Source: Wired

One of Marvel's lesser-known comic-strips comes to the big screen this Winter.
Walt Disney Pictures have this week released the teaser trailer (below) for their upcoming superhero movie Big Hero 6. Inspired oh-so-loosely by the Marvel comic-book series of the same name (and we do mean very loosely- Marvel Studios aren't even receiving credit for this one, as Disney are virtually acting as if this is their own creation), this potential-laden flick will take place in Japan and follow six unlikely heroes who unite to battle a technological enemy using their unique array of super-powers.

After the widespread success of both Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen, it shouldn't come as a great shock to see that Walt Disney Animation Studios' latest production looks to boast the same level of ambition as those critically beloved films. Indeed, coming hot on the heels of those two surprisingly commercially empowered projects, not to mention this year's lauded superhero blockbusters including Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, Big Hero 6 certainly needs to bring something new to the party if it hopes to create the same amount of ripples as its predecessors. This writer found himself laughing-out-loud (have no fear, you'll find no slang-inspired acronyms here!) on numerous occasions in the trail, though, and if that in itself doesn't show plenty of promise for the piece's potential, then we honestly don't know what will suffice in that respect!

Big Hero 6 will activate in US cinemas this November 7th and in UK theatres on January 30th, 2015.

Star Wars: Attack Squadrons Cancelled

Source: Wookiepedia

May the Force be with all future Star Wars video games...except this one.
Disney Interactive Studios have this week announced the cancellation of their massively multiplayer online role-playing video game Star Wars: Attack Squadrons. Originally set for release later this year, the game took the form of a space combat experience where players could take control of classic vehicles from the acclaimed sci-fi saga such as X-Wings and Tie Fighters in aerial PvP dogfights above fan-favourite planets from the franchise's part.

For those who weren't following the project as it entered the latter stages of its development period, what has proved to be the most significant contributory factor to its cancellation is the fact that Attack Squadrons was in its beta phase until this point. Whereas Star Wars: Battlefront is in development over at DICE and is all but guaranteed to hit our consoles next year (as part of a licensing deal between Disney and EA), Disney Interactive are apparently testing out a few different ideas in the lead-up to Episode VII's December 2015 release, and sadly, Area 52 Games' title just hasn't made the cut. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to any members of the project's development team who may be left in search of a new job sooner or later as a result of this reasonable (provided that the gameplay hitches were detrimental enough to warrant the axe, that is) financial move.

Star Wars: Battlefront will wage war on an unannounced set of consoles in 2015.

Evolve Release Date Announced

Will the latest project from the creators of Left 4 Dead hit the same heights as the zombie FPS?
Turtle Rock Studios have this week announced the global release date of their upcoming science-fiction first-person-shooter video game Evolve. Powered by CryTek's CryEngine 3, this next-gen-exclusive project is seemingly set to combine the beloved gameplay mechanics of its developer's Left 4 Dead franchise with an alien-infested world akin to the also-impending Alien: Isolation.

Since we now know a good deal of release dates for several major upcoming video games set to launch between May 25th and the end of 2014, here's a guide to all of the days you should be marking in your calendar at this very moment:

• MAY- Tuesday 27th: Watch Dogs; Friday 30th: Mario Kart 8
• JUNE- Tuesday 24th: Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark; Friday 27th: Sniper Elite III
• JULY- Move along...this is Summer, remember?
• AUGUST- Friday 8th: Ultra Street Fighter IV
• SEPTEMBER- Tuesday 9th: Destiny
• OCTOBER- Tuesday 7th: Alien: Isolation; Dragon Age: Inquisition; Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor; Tuesday 14th- Batman: Arkham Knight; Tuesday 21st: Evolve
• NOVEMBER- Tuesday 4th: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare; TBC: Assassin's Creed: Unity; Assassin's Creed: Comet

Evolve will rally its army of human defenders on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC this October 21st.

Metro: Redux Announced

Source: Gen Game

2033 and Last Light join together to form a blazing next-generation FPS experience.
Deep Silver have this week announced the development of Metro: Redux for release later this year on next-generation consoles. Developed by 4A Games, the compilation package will pair up the 2010 first-person-shooter Metro 2033 with its 2013 successor Metro: Last Light.

Both of these titles were crafted by 4A first time round, so fans are undoubtedly in safe hands here. That said, neither 2033 nor Last Light were received phenomenally from a critical perspective, the former having amassed a 77% average score on Metacritic in the four years since its release (on Xbox 360) and the latter having only upped the ante with an 80% rating, and whilst neither of those two scores are abysmal in the slightest (quite the opposite, really, since it's becoming increasingly challenging for developers to take reviewers- yours truly included- by surprise these days), they're not exactly at the same level as The Last of Us, Tomb Raider or Rayman Legends, each of which wholeheartedly earned their next-gen conversion. Deep Silver must surely be investing a decent amount of dinero in this project, and to be quite frank, we can't help but wonder if they'll need to prepare for a noteworthy financial loss once pre-order figures begin to arrive.

Metro: Redux will retail for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this Summer.

Batman: Arkham Knight "Evening The Odds" Gameplay Trailer Released

Source: CDN

Rocksteady conclude the journey of their incarnation of the Dark Knight!
Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment and Rocksteady Studios have this week released the first full game-play trailer for their open-world action-adventure video game Batman: Arkham Knight. Titled "Evening the Odds", this exhilarating video clip teases major new additions to the franchise's engine including the Batmobile, an open-world Gotham City (no, Origins doesn't count) and near photo-realistic visuals to boot.

Our only main concern? For all its swagger and graphical bombast, there's very little on display in the trailer that strongly distinguishes the intended finale to the Arkham series from its two (or three, if you're willing to count WB Montreal's disappointing 2012 instalment) predecessors, not least since it only emphasises the trademark free-flow combat and gadgets of days gone by. If the Penguin, Scarecrow and the other pre-established villains all play a more meaningful role within Knight's hefty character ensemble alongside the titular "Arkham Knight" who threatens to blow the Caped Crusader's brains out in the trail's closing moments, perhaps it'll match Arkham Asylum (2009) and Arkham City (2011) as a surefire Game of the Year contender, yet for now, we have our suspicions about just how fresh our latest venture into the world of the Dark Knight will feel...

Batman: Arkham Knight swoops onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC this Autumn.

New Daredevil Executive Producer Announced

Say sayonara to Drew Goddard and hola to Steven DeKnight...
Marvel Studios and Netflix have today announced the newly-appointed executive producer of their upcoming online TV superhero drama Daredevil. Based in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (i.e. allowing the character in question to interact with the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the like at some point if Kevin Feige and co. so desire), the first season of the programme will be uploaded in its entirety on Netflix rather than broadcasting in weekly instalments.

Although the original plan was to have The Cabin in the Woods helmer Drew Goddard serve as the show's executive producer and (presumably) its solitary director, but (as the Ant-Man production team will attest- more on that development later!) plans can shift in this industry with barely a second's notice, and as testament to that, we can now confirm that Steven DeKnight (the man partially behind Spartacus, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) will serve as his replacement. Although Goddard has at least written the opening pair of episodes and will still act as an exec of sorts, he is moving on to pen the screenplay for Sony Pictures' upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man spin-off film The Sinister Six and to oversee its production, leaving DeKnight to take the reins as the show-runner of one of the most ambitious Netflix projects yet- bring it on, we say!

Daredevil will première on Netflix this Autumn.

The Pete Holmes Show Cancelled

Source: Gamefob

Everyone's favourite US comedian joins the Ex-Men in employment purgatory!
TBS have this week announced the cancellation of their long-running chat and comedy sketch show The Pete Holmes Show. Hosted by (we'll give you three guesses) none other than Pete Holmes himself, the series featured a considerable number of hilarious ongoing skits which managed to attract thousands upon thousands of views once released on YouTube shortly after their initial televised broadcast.

With this in mind, we're genuinely saddened to see the show go, even if its fledging ratings over in the States served as a prominent indicator of its imminent demise. Holmes never ceased to be a charismatic and witty presenter whose weekly output ranged from simply enjoyable to downright gut-wrenchingly funny, the latter sensation most consistently evident in his inspired range of Ex-Men sketches (seriously, if you've yet to watch them, try out the "Wolverine" clip below!) and his parodies of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy (a compilation of which can also be watched below). Whereas anyone could have called the axing of Revolution and The Tomorrow People, the increasingly widespread positive reactions which surrounded this particular production throughout its three-season history made its future a little more difficult to predict, and out of respect for all of their fine work here, we wish everyone involved with the show the very best of luck in finding worthy employment elsewhere.

The final episode of The Pete Holmes Show will air this June 19th on TBS, and as per usual, the main sketches from the send-off will be posted on YouTube soon after their première.

New Broadchurch Season Two Guest Stars Announced

Source: Fanpop

Between the Tenth Doctor, the First Doctor (of sorts) and now Gwen Cooper, can the series take any more Doctor Who talent, we wonder?
iTV have this week announced a series of new actors set to join the central cast of the second season of their murder mystery drama Broadchurch. The series, which first premièred last Summer on iTV1, originally revolved around the police investigation into a young boy's death and the personal ramifications the case had for the titular town at large, but the closely-guarded premise for the show's follow-up run has yet to be unveiled.

For now, then, we'll settle with what we do know, and without further ado, shall divulge the names of the latest guest stars confirmed to feature in the character roster for Series Two:

• Best known for her portrayal of Gwen Cooper in the beloved Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, Eve Myles will apparently have "a central role" in the much-anticipated sequel narrative.
• Phoebe Waller-Bridge has also stepped aboard the Broadchurch bandwagon- for those who don't recognise the name, Phoebe has recently appeared in UK programmes such as Bad Education, Blandings and The Cafe.
• As difficult as it may be to believe, the show has even caught the attention of Hollywood this time around, acquiring James D'Arcy (best known for his roles in the critically acclaimed 2013 blockbusters Cloud Atlas and Hitchock) to play "a key part of [writer Chris Chibnall's] new story".

Broadchurch will return to iTV1 this Autumn.

Doctor Who Season Eight Teaser Trailer & Broadcast Window Revealed

Source: Twitter

Meet the new Doctor in a familiar TARDIS console room...
The BBC have this week released the teaser trailer for the upcoming eighth season of their hit science-fiction drama Doctor Who, as well as announcing details of when we can expect the Twelfth Doctor's first adventures to broadcast. Set to pick up directly after the climax of The Time of the Doctor, the new run will star Peter Capaldi as the ageless Time Lord, Jenna Coleman as his travelling assistant Clara Oswald and Samuel Anderson as aspiring TARDIS recruit Danny Pink.

Eagle-eyed fans amongst you may well notice from the official image above that we're getting a slightly revised logo for Season Eight, albeit one which doesn't differ substantially from what came before in the 2012-13 episodes. Given that Russell T Davies spent four years at the helm of Who, it wouldn't come as any major shock if current show-runner Steven Moffat elects to head elsewhere at the end of the 2014 block of instalments, in which case you needn't become attached to the latest official branding for the show, since whoever takes his place as its central executive producer will no doubt initiate a promotional overhaul in much the same vein as the Davies-Moffat handover in 2010.

Doctor Who returns for a new series of time-travelling escapades this August on BBC One.

Godzilla Sequel Revealed

A follow-up to this Summer's first monster hit (see what we did there?) is in the works.
Deadline have reported today that Warner Brothers Pictures and Legendary Pictures are developing a sequel to their Summer of Film fantasy blockbuster Godzilla. Starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, the film serves as a reboot of the long-running franchise's ongoing narrative, bringing the titular sixty-foot beast to life for a new generation of CGI-craving viewers.

Until now, however, Godzilla was thought to be a standalone piece of cinema, with the movie itself apparently offering little in the way of hints about a future instalment beyond one or two fan-pleasing easter eggs for diehard followers of the classic series. The production timeline should at least be substantially decreased in comparison to the three years required by director Gareth Edwards to forge this year's entry if a follow-up does go ahead, but we'd at least like to think that Warner Bros and the series' writing team will consider their options with regards to future narratives before plunging themselves head-first into a cash-hoarding commercial endeavour as has been the case with so many other increasingly stale annual franchises of late.

Godzilla is out now in cinemas worldwide.

Worms: Battlegrounds Announced

Source: Digital Spy

Armaments at the ready! The cult classic 2D-RTS franchise lands on next-gen consoles...
Team17 have today announced the development of Worms Battlegrounds for release later this year (later this month, in fact) on next-generation video games hardware. Set to feature over 60 weapons and 10 new items for long-term fans of the strategy series to experiment with for hours on end, Battlegrounds will also showcase the potential graphical fidelity of future animation-themed graphical efforts on the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, and given the immensely satisfying visual style which presented itself in 2013's Rayman Legends, such a showcase can't possibly be perceived as a negative event.

That said, those who come to Battlegrounds looking for it to initiate a radical overhaul of what is now a rapidly-decaying gameplay formula will probably walk away disappointed. Team17 seem just as adamant as Nintendo are with their similarly tired Pokemon saga about sticking to what they (and their fanbase) know best as opposed to keeping with the times and aspiring for Game of the Year candidacy. We'd admire their relaxed perspective more if it didn't seem to border on complacency these days, but sadly, the latter adjective serves as a far more apt description of the series' current critical status, and that its latest title will be released solely on digital marketplaces speaks wonders for its consistently mediocre output at present.

Worms: Battlegrounds will retail on the Xbox One's Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation 4's PSN store this May 30th.

Lost River Teaser Trailer Released

Source: Splash News Online

"Look at my muscles!" Boy, has the Eleventh Doctor undergone a transformation...
Warner Brothers Pictures have today released the first teaser trailer (below) for their upcoming fantasy film Lost River. Previously titled How to Catch a Monster, this potential-drenched motion picture is directed by Ryan Gosling and features Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Iain De Caestecker, The Other Guys' Eva Mendes and Doctor Who's Matt Smith amongst its slim-yet-undoubtedly accomplished central cast.

Gosling is evidently remaining elusive as to the precise details of his under-wraps narrative's structure and thematic content in this initial video preview, but we'd wager that this rare approach to cinematic storytelling will pay off provided that the writer, producer and director of the piece holds his nerve. Quite frankly, the presence of both De Caestecker and Smith will be more than enough to warrant a ticket purchase for this writer, yet time will tell whether the general viewing public is as accommodating to this bare-bones marketing campaign!

Lost River will be uncovered in cinemas worldwide this Autumn.

Minions Teaser Poster Débuts

Source: Wikipedia

Despicable Me's charismatic yellow bringers of chaos are back in their own feature film next Summer.
Illumination Entertainment have today released the first promotional poster (see left) for their upcoming animated movie Minions. Taking place decades before the events of Despicable Me, this spin-off instalment in the hit comedy franchise will (as its title suggests) focus exclusively on Gru's Minions and their quest to find their first villainous overlord before coming into contact with Steve Carrell's lovable anti-hero.

Feel free to plunder the deepest recesses of your inner psyche in order to ascertain whether there are any underlying messages to be found in the poster, but all we can gain from the image at present is that everyone's favourite enslaved band of workers (speaking of which, surely a sequel titled 12 Years A Minion must already be in the works?) will still don their trademark goggles and dungarees in their third cinematic outing. If nothing else, we should expect to see further promotional images either based on or taken directly from the main feature as the Summer progresses, and if we're lucky, a fully-fledged teaser trailer may crop up before too long.

Minions wreaks havoc in cinemas worldwide on July 10th, 2015.

Transformers: Age of Extinction "Payoff" Theatrical Trailer Released

Source: Digital Trends

Does life get much better than witnessing Optimus Prime ride a dinosaur-shaped Transformer? We think not...
Paramount Pictures have this week released the first theatrical trailer for their impending science-fiction blockbuster Transformers: Age of Extinction. Set four years after the devastating climactic confrontation of 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon (4*), the first instalment in a new trilogy of Michael Bay-directed CGI-a-thons will star Mark Wahlberg, Kelsey Grammar, Sophia Myles (Doctor Who: The Girl in the Fireplace) and Jack Reynor at the forefront of its human cast.

Naturally, though, they're once again going to play second fiddle to the 'bots, and if nothing else, Bay's talent for bringing explosion-ridden, beautifully-animated computer generated battles to the big-screen doesn't seem to have faded in the slightest during the three years that have elapsed since his last Cybertron-themed motion picture. 12 Years A Slave or Frozen this most certainly is not, but Age of Extinction may yet surprise us if the promising second trailer (below) is anything to go by. In any other month, we'd only be cautiously optimistic about its commercial prospects, but since the only other major filmic releases next month are How to Train Your Dragon 2, Edge of Tomorrow and The Fault in our Stars (all of which have every right to succeed but probably won't rake in the dollars to the same degree), the odds are (as The Hunger Games' Effie Trinket) seemingly in its favour.

Transformers: Age of Extinction mobilizes in cinemas worldwide on June 27th (US)/July 10th (UK).

First Marvel's Agent Carter Production Details Revealed

Source: SciFi Pulse

Think of this period drama as the tasty filling of a sandwich with Agents of SHIELD as its outer layers- scrumptious, eh?
Lead star Hayley Atwell has this week confirmed details on the structure of the first season of ABC and Marvel Studios' period drama Marvel's Agent Carter (and good golly, is it a relief to not have to type the final word of the show's title as an elongated acronym in the same way as we do S.H.I.E.L.D.!). Picking up where 2011's World War Two-set Captain America: The First Avenger left off, the show follows the titular SSR agent as she is forced to deal with the return of her male rivals after the globe-spanning conflict and to participate in secret missions under Howard Stark as a result.

Although rumours had claimed this to be the case well in advance of the show's commissioning, it's a welcome relief to hear from the horse's mouth (though that analogy admittedly does the stunning Atwell a disservice) that Agent Carter will indeed fill the gap between the first and second half of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (see what we mean?)'s second season later this year. According to the now-beloved British actress, Season One will comprise of eight fourty-five minute episodes, a structure which should enable it to sit neatly in its ongoing predecessor's mid-season hiatus. Since the pilot episode (or any of the other seven instalments, for that matter) has yet to be filmed, that's about as far as the new info goes right now, but as and when we hear more on the project, you can bet your bottom euro that we'll have the news first at On-Screen.

Marvel's Agent Carter will première this Autumn on ABC (and presumably Channel 4 in the UK, so long as they retain the rights to S.H.I.E.L.D. for Season Two rather than handing them over to Sky).

New Doctor Who Season Eight Guest Star Announced

Source: The Mirror

Ben Miller isn't the only comedian menacing Peter Capaldi's Doctor this Autumn...
The BBC have this week announced a new guest star set to feature in the eighth season of their revived science-fiction TV series Doctor Who. Starring Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman as the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald respectively, the thirty-fourth run since the show's 1963 première will play host to a number of esteemed British performers including Keeley Hawes, Hermione Norris and Ben Miller.

Also stepping up to the plate is Frank Skinner, a relatively well-known English comic who is probably remembered most prominently for his work on the ongoing TV comedy show Room 101 and his various live tours across our fine nation. Though we have yet to learn what kind of role Skinner will play in the new series (save for the fact that he'll appear only in a supporting, one-off capacity rather than in a recurring form), but executive producer Steven Moffat has confirmed that he will appear in an instalment penned by Being Human's Jamie Mathieson (either the seventh or eighth episode in the run) and that the script has enabled the actor to "showcase all of [his] famous wit and charm". Expect more details on Season Eight, its structure and its guest stars when the next issue of Doctor Who Magazine hits stores on May 29th...

Doctor Who returns for a new series of inter-dimensional escapades this Autumn on BBC One.

Guardians of the Galaxy UK Release Date Announced

Source: Hitfix

We're hooked on a feeling, and that feeling is pride for our nation's release date superiority!
Marvel Studios have this week announced the UK release date of their impending science-fiction film Guardians of the Galaxy. Based in the studio's now-iconic Marvel Cinematic Universe, the latest instalment of 'Phase Two' will feature Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel at the head of an all-star cast of beloved internationally renowned thespians.

As if this announcement wasn't enough, we're also set to receive an extended look at Guardians (the film, not Halo 5's subtitle, although we sincerely hope that this will be the first and last time we need to make that distinction!) tomorrow on the interweb as the full theatrical trailer launches in both the United Kingdom (at 5pm GMT) and the United States (10am PT). Three teasers for the video have already been released and can be glimpsed below this text, but at this late stage in the game, we'd strongly advise that you remain diligent for the next eighteen hours or so and divert your attention so as to allow the trailer to shock you in all of its CGI-infused glory tomorrow. See you then!

Guardians of the Galaxy touches down in UK cinemas nationwide on July 31st (its US release date, meanwhile, is August 1st).

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Film Adaptation Announced

Source: imoveilive

"Go, go, Power Rangers..."- Do you have the theme tune stuck in your head once again yet?
Lionsgate have this week announced the production of a new motion picture instalment in the long-running Power Rangers franchise of children's action-adventure TV shows and films. Titled Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, the movie will serve as a much-needed reboot of the series' increasingly convoluted narrative continuity whilst also being loosely based on the TV programme of the same name which ran from 1993-1996 and the big-screen outing which premièred in 1995.

Even after having witnessed Lionsgate take up-and-coming teen literary franchises such as The Hunger Games and Divergent and transform them into global phenomenons, we truly couldn't have called this one by any stretch of the imagination. It's for this reason (not to mention that this writer was a major fan of the show in its various guises during his youth) that the prospect is genuinely intriguing and to a large extent tantalising- certainly, there's plenty of margin for error (indeed, the press release's mentioning of "a group of high school kids who are infused with unique and cool super powers but must harness and use those powers as a team if they have any hope of saving the world" could just as well stand in for any budding teen superhero film at this point, 2015's The Fantastic Four included), yet the studio have dared to be different on multiple occasions in the last few years, and those two hit franchises we mentioned above are just some examples of just how much their audacity paid dividends in the end. Stay tuned to On-Screen for more news on the film, its cast and its approach with regards to interacting with the George R.R. Martin-rivalling tangled lore which has sustained this epic science-fiction and fantasy saga until now!

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers will morph into cinemas in 2017.

Halo TV Series Broadcast Window Announced

Source: Technesstivity

You wait ages for one UNSC vehicle-carrier, then two come at once!
Xbox Entertainment Studios have this week announced the projected broadcast window for their upcoming science-fiction TV series based in the Halo universe. Set to be produced by Back to the Future's very own Steven Spielberg, the show's première will be timed to coincide with the release of 343 Industries' long-awaited follow-up to 2012's Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians.

As ever, though, Microsoft are remaining cagey regarding just about everything else when it comes to spilling the 'deets' on the programme's narrative and/or cast. If the studio had been a little more forthcoming about the project at their Xbox One reveal event in May 2013, we'd be less impatient to hear specifics on its premise, but one year later, only having learned the year in which Season One will début (and trust us, it's still a way off) isn't particularly satisfying for hardened, loyal fans of the saga.

With any luck, there'll be more details to come at E3 2014; if not, Microsoft shouldn't be especially surprised if they find the reception and hype for the project as a whole to be less than overwhelming come its launch. Regardless of whether the rumours about a compilation of four HD-powered classic Halo remakes landing later this year are true (and it's fairly likely, since Microsoft have confirmed that "your Halo journey" will somehow begin in 2014 despite Guardians' absence), for more reasons than one, Cortana mightn't be able to save the Chief this time...

The as-of-yet untitled Halo TV series will première via the Xbox Entertainment service in Autumn 2015.

Halo 5: Guardians Announced

Source: CNET

Your Halo journey (and 343 Industries', for that matter) continues on Xbox One next year!
Microsoft Game Studios and 343 Industries have this week announced the development of Halo 5: Guardians for release in the not too distant future. Set shortly after the events of 2012's fun-but-not-spectacular Halo 4 (developed by 343, who are also at the helm this time around), the latest chapter in the acclaimed franchise of first-person-shooter video games will see the Master Chief investigating the source of a mysterious data chip and discovering dark secrets about the galaxy that he thought he knew along the way.

What's more, the first major promotional image for Guardians (shown above) seems to hint at a radical shake-up for the Halo series in 2015. Not only will the Chief have to tackle a deadly new threat which will surely put the entire universe at risk (again), it appears that he won't be the central protagonist of the single-player campaign either. The promo image itself looks as close to the potential box-art as we're likely to get until closer to the game's launch, and if we're to take anything from it, we'd wager that the fact that a new male character stands atop the title's logo will be telling of his prominence in its narrative. Let's just hope that any inevitable co-operative modes which spawn as a result of the dual heroes adorning the cover will match the insanely high quality benchmark established by Combat Evolved, Halo 3 and (to some extent) ODST rather than replicating the failures of Halo 2 and Reach.

Halo 5: Guardians will finish the fight (just kidding, but seriously, will it ever end?) exclusively on Xbox One in Autumn 2015.

Further Assassin's Creed PS3/360 Games Confirmed

The song of last-gen may be over, but the story never ends...or something like that.
Ubisoft Montreal have this week revealed that future instalments in their best-selling Assassin's Creed franchise of action-adventure video games will come to last-generation consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Earlier this year, the French studio announced the development of Assassin's Creed: Unity exclusively for the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4 and PC, but company CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed in an investors' call on Thursday that everyone's favourite hooded hunters will return to the hardware where it all began before too long.

In fact, the aforementioned reunion may occur a lot sooner than you might have expected. "[Assassin's Creed: Unity] will be released this Fall on Xbox One, PS4 and PC," Guillemot reiterated, "We have not disclosed our plan yet for the Xbox 360 and PS3 SKUs [Stock Keeping Units], however we have made it clear as a company that we will expect to continue supporting both consoles for the foreseeable future." Now, whilst it's important that we recall that Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD came to the aforementioned noughties hardware in January, and that projects such as this could be what Ubi are referring to here, what's more likely is that distinct AC titles are being developed for the 360 and the PS3 in a similar manner to how Liberation, Bloodlines and other products were crafted for PSVita and Nintendo DS alongside Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood and the like. We've heard a substantial number of sources claim that a title called Assassin's Creed: Comet is on its way to Microsoft and Sony's still-booming outdated consoles alongside Unity, and their overall credibility is sure to be determined one way or the other at the publisher's E3 conference in just a few short weeks' time.

Assassin's Creed: Unity synchronises for a new adventure on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC this Winter.

FarCry 4 Announced

Can this already unhinged FPS franchise get any crazier? Apparently so!
Ubisoft have this week announced the development of a new instalment in their FarCry series of first-person-shooter video games. Titled FarCry 4, the sequel to 2012's critically acclaimed third chapter will take place in a region of the Himalayan mountains where civilians are "struggling under the regime of a despotic self-appointed king" (in the words of the studio's official announcement press release).

Rumours surrounding this much-anticipated project have been circulating for some time now, so to hear that those reports were genuine (and better yet, that we'll be receiving the product in its entirety before the year's out) comes more as a relief than anything else. Seasoned followers of On-Screen may recall that we had a decent few bones of contention to pick with FarCry 3 in 2012, particularly regarding the underwhelming climax of its narrative, but the game earned an 8/10 score for a reason, and that reason was (in essence) the unparalleled sense of freedom that came with its lush open-world environment. Sure, it was no Skyrim when it came to scale, but the island came off all the richer thanks to its boundaries, with Ubisoft Montreal turning the limits to their advantage by producing a free-roamable realm which was as densely packed with content as Batman: Arkham Asylum, Grand Theft Auto IV and LEGO The Lord of the Rings all put together. Provided that the writing team can overcome the hurdles which restrained their last script, chances are that we could be looking at another potent Game of the Year contender here...

FarCry 4 will set up camp on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC this November 21st.

Tom Clancy's The Division Delayed

One of the first major next-gen MMORPGs suffers a substantial development setback.
Ubisoft have this week announced a delay in the release schedule for their upcoming massively-multiplayer-online-roleplaying video game Tom Clancy's The Division. First announced at the critically acclaimed publisher's E3 2013 press conference, the much-anticipated title's near-future narrative was conceived through collaboration with the late and great thriller novelist Tom Clancy (RIP) and takes loose inspiration from the events of the military operation Dark Winter and a piece of legislation called Directive 51 which was published by the US government back in 2007.

Whereas we've received updates on a number of Ubisoft's currently-in-development projects this week, The Division was sadly a title which seemed doomed to a setback or two for a good number of weeks, what with its creators having remained so quiet about the progress of its development of late. Perhaps we'll get a new glimpse of the game at E3 2014, perhaps not, but either way, it's neither a great shame nor a great joy to hear that it will miss its projected 2014 release date, particularly since the industry has yet to bear witness to any official footage beyond last year's ambiguous gameplay demo. For now, we may as well revel in the glory of Assassin's Creed: Unity, FarCry 4 (more on that in a moment) and Watch Dogs instead!

Tom Clancy's The Division will retail for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in Summer 2015.