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Zombie Army 4: Dead War Review – Is it worth an hour?

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Zombie Army 4: Dead War – Is it worth an hour?

Welcome to How To Kill An Hour, this is Worth An Hour, the show where we take a look at your favourite games and ask are they worth an hour of your time? In this week’s episode we’re taking a look at Rebellion ZombieArmy 4: Dead War!

Posted by How To Kill an Hour on Tuesday, 11 February 2020

In this episode of Worth An Hour we’re taking a look at Zombie Army 4: Dead War!

Hitler’s hordes are back for more in this spine-chilling shooter from the makers of Sniper Elite 4! Abominable occult enemies, epic weapons and a harrowing new campaign for 1-4 players await in 1940s Europe, as you fight to save humankind from undead Armageddon!

Graphics

First up is the graphics:

This game looks FANTASTIC, the graphics are crisp, beautiful and gritty. The levels look very realistic and really bring a sense of Zombie devastation to life. You can really imagine what it must smell like.

Which brings me on to the blood in this game. There’s lots of it. This game is not for the faint hearted, your innocent grandma or kids. Bodies explode, heads disintegrate and limbs get torn to smithereens.

It’s gorey, sticky and absolutely amazing. Just what you want from a Zombie game.

Sounds Design

The sound design is brilliantly done, each of the guns sound brutal, especially the chain gun, a lot of fun to use mowing down hordes of zombies with that!

Plus the special moves sound even better, such as the slowing down of time to get juuuust the right shot on, really makes you feel as if time is slowing down.

Zombies sound just how you’d expect them too, with an added umph, just to make you feel a little bit uneasy. This is especially true in level 2 with the sacrifice it just sounds scary, makes you feel very uneasy!

The X-Ray sounds are just as gruesome, you hear every flesh wound, every organ squish and every skull crack. You seriously see yourself sitting there going – cooooor in that type of amazement where you don’t wanna watch but you can’t take your eyes off of it.

The character quips in the game are also there, as with many Rebellion games, the voice acting is incredible and there funny one liners are there too! Stand still for too long and the characters will give you a funny quip to get a move on!

Gameplay

Last up is gameplay

Zombie Army 4: Dead War is split up into 3 different modes, campaign, weekly events and horde.

Horde

Horde is very very fun, you take on a horde of zombies in waves, and as with many Rebellion games, the level gets bigger as you progress further into the waves, and as you do so, so do the difficulty and the amount of zombies increases.

But what I especially liked is the fact that you have to conserve ammo! There’s ammo crates that you always have to run back to when you run out of ammo, this makes it a little bit more realistic and that much more challenging!

I got to try it in single player mode and multiplayer mode, unfortunately i didn’t get to play it with a full squad as I was playing a review copy of the game but I image how much fun this game will be with 4 people as I really enjoyed it with just 2!

Upgrades

You can upgrade your guns to make taking down the enemies that much easier and there’s special moves which will help you out of a hole if you need it. Such as the brain buster for the pistol. Slow down time, pick your targets and then take them out. These can be upgraded as you progress through the game to kill more enemies.

Or slow down time with a rifle and pick your perfect spot!

Epic Melee’s are LOTS of fun too! These can also be changed, I got to have a go of the machete and electric fist.

Or get Get 10 melee kills and you get something called an epic take down. These are short cut scenes which show BRUTAL takedowns which change depending on what you have in your hand. Stomp on some heads, execute some zombie ass and that’s just two choices!

Comedy

The game is also very quirky throughout the different levels there’s different little things you can interact with that can make you laugh. Such as using a typewriter, washing your hands, use a vending machine or even play draughts!

X-Ray kills are also back! These kills are epic, if you time things just right, the game will go into a cut scene and follow the bullet into the enemy…..showing you everything! However I managed to shoot someone in the d**k. Twice.

However, on the third attempt I got a head shot!

The Zombies

The zombie’s themselves aren’t no pushover….in a crowd of them anyway….you’ll soon find yourself getting surrounded and eventually dying, so make your shots in a tactical manner! You can run away from them but they’ll always find a way to find you!

The bosses even more so, they just won’t leave you alone! There’s always a specific way to kill a zombie boss, the two I’ve tried, I had to shoot something on their back, and they have heavy guns too. Defeat them. You get the gun. Just got to defeat them first.

Throughout the levels there’s various different tasks you got to complete too, it’s not as simple as going from A to B. Which I love! I had to get fuel for a boat, cogs for a bridge mechanism all the while avoiding getting eaten by Zombies. Did I mention you only get to use your handgun whilst carrying things? – Yeah, that makes it 10 times as harder. Good luck.

Stomping on Zombie corpses allows you to get various different pick ups such as ammo or health, which is vital in this game! Always carry a medi pack!

Upgrades

You get various different perks in the game such as the offensive which allow you to (review footage here) and the defensive which one of them allows you a second chance at life. Get ‘killed’ and then you stay on the ground for a while, shoot and kill a zombie and you get a second chance at life. You got lucky….only once though. Die again and that’s it you’re done. Sorry.

Finally you get ranked throughout the game, that’s throughout horde, campaign and weekly events. Increase your rank, increase your upgrade points to upgrade your guns, unlock various perks and then upgrade the perks as you rank up too!

Campaign

The two campaign levels I played were very very good. The first level was ok, I see that more of a introductory level to how the game is and the game mechanics, as boy oh boy did things go up a notch in level 2. I was dying so much. My health was depleted and I had no midi-kits rookie mistake. So ended up just running away from them for the most part and then turning back to shoot the horde of Zombies chasing me.

The 2nd level had this crazy zombie shark too which was something to behold, although I didn’t want to wait around too long to see if it would come back and bite my ass.

The story is great and the characters keep you entertained and interested in where things are going throughout, definitely worth having a play through, especially with some friends!

Weekly Events

These are a beautiful twist on the Zombie Army 4: Dead War campaign. The weekly event that I played had various different tasks to complete. One of them was complete the first campaign level only using a rifle and a pistol. This made things very difficult! But I loved the twist on it and it brought an extra layer of replay-ability to it.

Just another way to keep things fresh and I loved it!

I’m really looking forward to the different weekly events that Rebellion are going to put on, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on them as it keeps things fresh and alive – unlike most things in Zombie Army 4: Dead War.

Overall thoughts

In conclusion this game is TONS of fun, I mean I only played it briefly with 4 people and that was very enjoyable. Get 3 other friends involved and you got a party on your hands.

Zombie Army 4:Dead War is without doubt one of THE BEST zombie games I have played in YEARS! Hats off to rebellion for creating a stellar multiplayer game that doesn’t get stale or boring or repetitive. There’s a reason why Rebellion are renowned for creating great shooting games and great zombie games at that.

I really really enjoyed it and cannot wait to see how much I can upgrade my character and their weapons.

Gonna have to pick up a squad now and go kick some zombie ass!

Pick it up and play it for many many hour, you won’t regret it!

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Netflix Price Changes

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Netflix are reportedly testing a really low new price plan. Furthermore it’s cheaper than the current basic package! However, as always with news too good to be true, there’s a small catch.

The new price plan would only be available on a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet. The price? £2.99 per month which is a £5.99 per month saving on the current basic package. While it’s an £8.99 saving per month on the standard package.

So this new mobile price plan is rather appealing to commuters and those always on the go, who want to catch the latest The Witcher episode or Ozark or even a bit of Stranger Things.

As Netflix trialed the mobile price plan in Malaysia, India and Indonesia at the end of 2019, it may soon make its mark in other territories.

In an ever changing world where many young people have a smartphone but not a TV, the option to have a cheap unlimited video streaming service may be an attractive one.

So, if Netflix’s continued trials are a success, they may look to launch it elsewhere!

‘In Q4, we launched a mobile-only plan in Malaysia and Indonesia (which we introduced to India in Q3 last year),’ the streaming giant said in a letter sent to shareholders.

‘We’ve seen similar results with this plan driving incremental subscriber growth and improving retention.

We expect the mobile-only plan to be revenue-positive which will allow us to further invest in content to be enjoyed by our members and continue to feed the virtuous cycle. We plan to continue to test adding this plan, as well as additional ideas in other countries around the world.’

For £2.99 you’re only getting standard definition however. Though is high def, that much of a difference on such a small screen. For basically £3 a month, you can’t complain!

(Metro)

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APPLE FINED £25M!

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Apple have been slapped with a £25M fine for slowing down older iPhones deliberately! The fine was given to them by France’s competition and fraud watchdog DGCCRF as they said that consumers were not warned.

In 2017 Apple did confirm that they slowed down older iPhones to prolong the lives of the devices. Apple said in a statement that it had resolved the issue with the watchdog.

Why did Apple slow down old iPhones?

While many consumers had long suspected that Apple were slowing down their older iPhones in an attempt to encourage upgrades, it was never confirmed unti 2017. Though Apple said that they did it to help consumers devices run better and prolong the lives of them.

The tech giant said that the lithium-ion batteries in the devices became less capable of supplying the growing demands of the phones newer software as they aged.

It could result in an iPhone unexpectedly shutting down to protect itself. So they released an update for the iPhone 6, 6s and SE which smoothed out performance.

The practice was confirmed again after a customer shared performance tests on reddit. Showing their older iPhone 6S had slowed down considerably as it aged. Yet once the battery had been replaced it sped up.

Regulators

DGCCRF said that iPhone owners  “were not informed that installing iOS updates (10.2.1 and 11.2) could slow down their devices”.

So, as part of the agreement, Apple must display a notice on its French-language website for a month.

They said that Apple had “committed the crime of deceptive commercial practice by omission” and the tech giant agreed to pay the fine.

Does it still happen?

Yes. Since the 2017 fix the software battery smoothing out process has been implemented it on several more iPhones including:

  • iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, 7 and 7 Plus
  • 8 and 8 Plus running iOS 12.1 or higher
  • X running iOS 12.1 or higher
  • XS, XS Max and XR running iOS 13.1 or higher

The setting for these phones is only enabled once the battery begins to degrade. The iOS software now shows clear information to consumers when performance management has been enabled.

“The effects of performance management on these newer models may be less noticeable due to their more advanced hardware and software design,” Apple said.

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Fifa Ultimate Team Gambling?

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Fifa Ultimate Team can be argued that it’s a form of gambling. To be honest, they would probably be right. You buy packs and you don’t know what’s in them, you get a bad pack, so you buy more packs. The cycle repeats itself.

It’s unregulated gambling and the Belgian Game Commission called it illegal. Now two French lawyers are looking to file two separate lawsuits against EA in France. They claim that FIFA features gambling mechanics.

A quote from 2 lawyers shows how loot boxes are perceived in Europe| Source: Kotaku

EA have allegedly referred to them as “surprise mechanics” which isn’t that what gambling is? The lawsuits are due to players who have spent over $650 on Ultimate Team. According to the clients of the lawsuits, they claim that it’s possible to spend excessive amounts of cash on the game. While not getting any decent players in return for what they’ve spent.

It can be argued that you can become addicted to opening backs and the randomness of what you get in them, combined with the fact you buy them with real money, makes it gambling.

So, is it a form of gambling? Should loot boxes style mechanics be banned?

(CNN)

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Important Safety Features Your Car Should Have

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A car is one of the greatest assets you can ever own. It helps you move from one place to another efficiently. However, you should ensure that the car you purchase has advanced safety features. While all vehicles have some factory-fitted safety features, it is always advisable that you check all of them and buy a car that can protect you and your loved ones when the inevitable happens. Buckling a safety belt is not enough; the ideal car should be equipped with effective safety features. Some car owners overlook these features. Read on for significant safety features you should have.

Image via Shutterstock by Kittithat Senlai

6 Safety Features Your Car Should Have 

 

  • Airbags

 

Airbags are a common feature in most cars. These are crash sensors cleverly connected and sense any frontal collision. For years, they have saved lives but must be used with safety belts. They can cause death, especially if the driver and passengers have no safety belts on. It stays inflated and prevents the person involved in the crash from being ejected from the car in case it rolls

 

  • Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)

 

Antilock brakes prevent sliding in case of hard braking. The driver can still control the vehicle and prevent deadly crashes, which used to happen before the introduction of this advanced braking system. To activate the ABS, you have to step on the brake pedal hard, and it will be activated automatically.

 

  • Ability to detect blind spots

 

While you can check behind and on the sides using a mirror as you drive, there is no way you can tell what is ahead of you in a blind spot. However, some cars are fitted with blind-spot detectors that can pick what you cannot see. It warns you on time about an oncoming vehicle. It also senses cars that are close to the front side.

 

  • The rear view camera

 

The rearview camera enables you to see even the smallest things, including kids and animals that the mirrors may not see. This camera is essential and makes reversing or turning easy and safe.

 

  • Facial recognition

 

The facial recognition software is not common. It is found in the modern top of the range vehicles. This software keeps checking on the driver, and it raises the alarm when the driver stops paying attention. The warnings come like a buzzer, and it keeps you on your toes when on the road.

 

  • Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)

 

Every vehicle should have lower anchors and tethers for children. They allow easy installation of children’s seats. This system was invented and used in almost every car to enhance the security of children. All used cars on finance from ChooseMyCar have this safety feature, which secures your little one safely. When buying a car, this is an essential safety feature that the car you choose should have.

Bottom Line

Without a car, life would be difficult. You wouldn’t be able to reach your destination on time. However, when buying a car, you need to check all the above safety features. A car with more safety features and fun tech is not only safe to drive but also makes life easier for you.

 

Tastecard: Self-Love Restaurant

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Single on Valentines Day? Why not eat alone in front of a mirror? Tastecard have launched the UK’s first ‘self-love restaurant’ which features a mirror at each table so diners can enjoy a romantic meal by themselves. Well, in front of themselves.

The pop-up is based in London restaurant Two4One. It was created following a survey by Mintel. It was based on 2,000 UK Consumers that found 1 in 3 people are ‘regularly eating every meal alone’. While in London this figure will raise to almost half.

The diners club press states that “Dining solo on Valentine’s Day is still a taboo”. They suggeted reading material too! The happy defence of eating out alone. The press release states that Valentines Day infamously excludes singletons and that they want to ‘promote self love over anything else’

While the double entendres may suggest something else. Diners are promised mood boosting playlists, feel good soul food and mirrors which reflect motivational quotes to you.

However, you will be sitting with someone, in time for the last course the waiters will release the mirrors to reveal you’ve been eating alongside someone the whole time. You get the option to split the bill and claim a 2 for one deal.

“People need to remember the importance of loving yourself and despite numerous restaurants that are great for solo dining, no restaurant experience has been designed with [this] function,” Matt Turner, founder of Tastecard.

Others weren’t on board with Tastecard’s initiative

However Nicola Slawson, who runs the The Single Supplement newsletter,wasn’t impressed:

“My initial reaction was that it’s patronising and irritating and that people really need to stop assuming that single people don’t love themselves.

I’m sick of that narrative. What would make it easier to dine alone is if the restaurant staff could hide their shock and not make it so awkward.”

All money raised will be going to the charity, Mary’s Meals, which provides hungry children with a meal every school day.

“But I still don’t think I would love myself more if I was forced to sit in front of a mirror and see exactly what my face looks like when I eat…..In fact, It might have quite the opposite effect.”

 

Two4One Restaurant is at 46 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3EP – tickets are available on Eventbrite.

(HuffPost)

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Emojis 2020 – What we’re getting

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Emojis 2020, what are we getting? Well There’s a brand new list of inclusive emojis that will be soon it’s way to smartphones near you.

Such as a gender-neutral Santa called Mx Claus, however, in total there’s 117 new icons which we be released. Furthermore a transgender flag and a man in a wedding dress will be released. Other ones include bubble tea, bottle feeding parents and a smiling face with a tear. This would express a happy/sad emotion.

The update will bring a ‘pinched fingers’ emoji, which has already been dubbed the ‘Italian hand getsure’. The Mx Claus and the man in a wedding dress is part of an update. Which lets use change the gender of an emoji.

The Unicode Foundation introduced the new icons as part of an update called Emoji 13.o. While it’s up to individual manufacturers to introduce the emoji’s. We’re likely to see the roll out in the 2nd half of 2020.

Emojis 2020: Emojipedia

Explaining the new ‘gender-inclusive’ options, Emojipedia editor-in-chief Jeremy Burge wrote:

‘This has been achieved by reclassifying the previous emojis for “man in tuxedo” and ‘bride with veil’ as gender-neutral. ‘Future software updates will show these with an ambiguous gender, and rename them to ‘person in tuxedo’ and ‘person with veil’ respectively.

New sequences in Emoji 13.0 permit a choice of a woman or man for either the tuxedo or veil-wearing emojis.

During this transition, current platforms will continue to show the older, gendered appearance for these emojis, until the new gendered sequences are implemented on iOS, Android, and other apps later in 2020.

First pushed by Google in early 2019, having three choices for human emojis (person – with no gender specified, or options for a woman or man) avoids issues where some emojis have a woman, man, or an ambiguous gender.

Many of these decisions are a relic of much earlier emoji releases, such as the gender pair of a bride being a man in tuxedo, which previously prevented there from being the option of a woman wearing the same clothing.’

(Metro)

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The Fun-Killing Toilet?!

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There’s a British start up that’s taking aim at all workers wanting a little bit extra on their toilet breaks. StandardToilet have designed a toilet that comes with a slanted seat. Therefore making it less comfortable to sit on for extended periods. What an awful idea, ruining our fun!

It has a 13 degree slope on it, making it painful to sit on for more than 5 minutes!

This new fun destoroying idea will set back bosses a whopping $200 to $650! It is designed to improve efficiency at companies. As the uncomfortable seat will discourage employees from messing on their phone whilst on the toilet. That’s quite an amount of money when a regular toilet costs FAR less. Especially ones bought en-masse. Why would bosses fork out this much money on a toilet? Because their the devil, that’s why!

StandardToilet, the devil’s partner, stated in a press release

“In modern times, the workplace toilet has become private texting and social media usage space…with the advent of flexible zero hour contracts it is easy to see why our StandardToilet can be an asset to a business.”

What do you think about the slanted toilet? Great Idea or fun killer? Let us know via our socials we’re @howtokillanhour across all socials.

(BusinessInsider)

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How To Kill An Hour

Axle Back vs Catback Exhaust Systems

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So you’re looking to get yourself an aftermarket exhaust system on your car? It’s an exciting decision for any car lover, but where should you begin? Two of the most popular aftermarket exhaust systems are the catback and the axle. To help you make a decision, let’s break down the ins and outs of each one.

 

Catback Exhaust

 

A catback exhaust system is one that replaces everything that sits behind the catalytic converter to where the exhaust pipes finish, hence the term ‘cat-back’. These are a real popular aftermarket exhaust as they offer a strong performance and sound plus you don’t need to invest in a new catalytic converter. It’s essentially a powder mod which produces a stronger engine note plus frees up the gas flow of your system. Generally, these are made of a muffler, resonator and a rear-pipe. The benefits of investing are: 

 

1 . Improved Power 

 

When you get yourself a cat back exhaust, you’ll certainly be achieving more power. Aftermarket exhausts are usually designed with larger piping and higher quality mandrel tubing; improving the overall flow. There’s less pressure within the engine, so it has the opportunity to give more horsepower. 

 

  1. Improved Sound

 

Most people who want an aftermarket exhaust system are looking for enhanced sound performance on their vehicle. With a cat back exhaust, you’ll certainly achieve this; giving your vehicle that sweet racing-car growl! 

 

Axle Back

 

An axle back system replaces the components that sit behind the axle, all the way to the end of the pipes. Essentially, the axle back includes the pipe and the muffler only. The benefits of choosing an axle back include:

 

1 . Price

 

The axle back is less expensive than cat-back systems, yet can still provide an enhanced performance for your vehicle. If you’re looking for an aftermarket exhaust system, but you aren’t keen to overspend, one of these is a great bet.

 

  1. Easy Installation

 

Axle backs are easier to install than cat back exhausts. It’s generally because fewer components are replaced, and so you may be able to install the exhaust system yourself. With an axle back you’ll still get improved power and sound performance on your car, though it may not be as impressive when compared with the cat back.

 

Making the choice 

 

To make a decision, you’ll need to include your budget and needs. For instance, if you’re a racing enthusiast regularly engaging in competitions, you may want to go for the strongest power and opt for a cat back. Megan Racing offer both types and more should you require more info. However, if you simply want a little more horsepower and sound performance at a nicer price, an axle is likely the one for you.

 

As with any motor decision, ensure to do your research thoroughly before investing. There are also other types of exhaust systems to take a look into. The decision is just as important as choosing the right car; whether you love the The Lexus RX 450h F Sport or your waiting out for the Aston Martin DBX!

Tinder Prince Charming

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A woman used Tinder to help rescue her after her camper van that she was test driving alongside two friends, became stuck on an icy cliff edge. Lonia Haeger was traveling through Norway when she got trapped at the precipice of a cliff edge.

Unfortunately they got stuck in Nordkapp of Northern Norway in an ice storm!

While travelling in the remote Nordkapp of northern Norway the trio got caught in an ice storm.

Lonia, posted on Instagram

“Just after 30 minutes driving down of the North Cape, it started raining…the street iced up that we even couldn’t stay on one point! 

The worst, we stopped in front of a mountain going down, next to the street just ocean and big rocks and we stopped exactly behind a curve.”

The moment you realize your are helpless against Mother Nature.”

Tinder To The Rescue!

They were terrified that anything could have pushed them off the cliff such as a car or the rapidly building ice. Furthermore remote location emergency services were too far away to reach them in time.

So Lonia used Tinder to help her:

“While sitting in our camper with the fear that every second the car could slide down the mountain or a car could crash into our camper due to the slippery road, Phil had the weird but actually genius idea to create a tinder account with me and this fluffy cutie.”

She created a Tinder account with a snap of her and her dog. Then Lonia was able to quickly track down someone near her and her friends to come and rescue them.

Not 5 mins later, they were rescued by a local man called Stian.

She continued on Instagram:

 “Another 5 minutes later he came up with his Bulldozer and shaped lines in the ice. We followed him to the next parking slot and the day after our hero organized tires with spikes! (There wasn’t a mechanic closer than 200km).

“Now we can continue our road trip to the Lofoten. Tusen takk for your help @stianlauluten.”

Steven Stade who organised the trop said that everyone was really worried for them but was glad that Stian the kind construction worker was there to help.

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(The Sun)

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