In Blues and Bullets, Eliot Ness is drawn out of retirement to track down his former foe Al Capone's granddaughter. Courtesy of A Crowd of Monsters
In Blues and Bullets, Eliot Ness is drawn out of retirement to track down his former foe Al Capone's granddaughter. Courtesy of A Crowd of Monsters

Game review: Blues and Bullets – Episode 1: The End of Peace



Blues and Bullets – Episode 1: The End of Peace

A Crowd of Monsters

PC, Xbox One

Dh18 for Episode 1 or Dh73 for the five-episode season

Four stars

It’s 1955. Eliot Ness, the former leader of the legendary Untouchables, is persuaded to come out of retirement to investigate the disappearance of the granddaughter of his old nemesis, Al Capone.

Meanwhile, a satanic cult is abducting children in the fictional city of San Esperanza.

The visual styling for Blues and Bullets, a new, episodic game from developer A Crowd of Monsters, is somewhere between Max Payne and – with its distinctive visual style, about which more later – Sin City. In terms of story, it is pure noir – recalling the worlds of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Chinatown – as an alcoholic detective follows a trail of evidential breadcrumbs. Then it throws in a dose of alternative-history weirdness for good measure.

Not many videogames are brave enough to forego full-colour visuals in favour of stark black and white, but Blues and Bullets does just that, literally and thematically noir in style.

However, the monochromatic visuals of the game engine are dotted, mottled and streaked with red. This approach highlights, and makes you appreciate, some details in the graphics you might otherwise miss – lens flare, the streak of light that surrounds a neon lamp and a femme fatale’s lipstick.

The art-deco look also evokes BioShock, which gets a sly nod. A surrealist interlude sees the protagonist battle brilliant-white enemies amid massive slabs of sans-serif text – this is a visually ambitious game.

The game mechanics borrow from Rockstar's police procedural L A Noire, and Telltale Games's episodic adventures (The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The Wolf Among Us et al).

First, there is detective mode, in which you piece together the clues to a murder. There’s no way to get this wrong – which lessens the challenge, and hence the fun, but that may change in later episodes.

Then there is a third-person rails-shooter mechanic, which is also more of a point-and-click affair than a complex gameplay challenge to complete.

There’s also the type of decision-­making through dialogue you will be familiar with if you have played any of the Telltale Games titles (your words and actions may have consequences).

A few quick-time events are also thrown in for good measure to test your button-pushing skills. The ambitious L A Noire proved disappointing because it threw together a series of disparate game mechanics, none of which were individually fun – even though the storyline gave the player the feeling of watching a sequel to L A Confidential.

It's too early, after a single episode (there are four more to come), to say whether this will also prove to be the case with Blood and Bullets. The voice-­acting is entertaining. Fans of The Witcher series will recognise Doug "Geralt of Rivia" Hunt as Ness.

And there are some very attractive-looking environments (I played the Xbox One version), including an imagining of what the Hindenburg zeppelin might look like if it had been taken over by the Jumeirah Group circa 1940 and converted into a seven-­star art-deco hotel.

It’s also hard to tell at this stage whether the story is any good or not – the first episode is a bit too short and in a rush to show off all of its different mechanics.

We get verbal jousting, a detective novel, a period piece, surreal and stylised flights of fancy, hammer horror and action sequences, all wrapped up in a three-hour package.

Many of the details were enjoyable, and I've long loved narrative and choice-driven game​s such as 2005's Fahrenheit (also known as Indigo Prophecy) and this year's Life Is Strange (the fifth and final episode of which is due out in the next few weeks) – but I'm undecided whether Blood and Bullets is good because it is similar in style to them, or good in its own right.

One caveat for more sensitive gamers – this game is gruesome. Weirdly gruesome. The final scene is horrific, since it involves violence against children.

A common trick in this genre of game is to make you complicit in the violence by forcing you to choose what happens to whom – who do you save, who do you sacrifice? In this case, it’s somewhat off-putting – and I have a pretty strong stomach.

Critics probably shouldn’t complain about gruesome imagery in videogames, since each generation seems to get more inured to grossness than the one that came before it. But you have been warned.

artslife@thenational.ae

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Poacher
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Fixtures (all times UAE)

Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)

Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)

Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Step by step

2070km to run

38 days

273,600 calories consumed

28kg of fruit

40kg of vegetables

45 pairs of running shoes

1 yoga matt

1 oxygen chamber

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

On sale: now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 

Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
​​​​​​​Penguin 

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

A Prayer Before Dawn

Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai

Three stars

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar

The Beach Bum

Director: Harmony Korine

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg

Two stars

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
match info

Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')

Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km

Price: from Dh547,600

On sale: now 

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours 
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

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