FTS: A Plague Tale - Requiem Unveils New Story Trailer

A Plague Tale: Requiem Unveils New Story Trailer

PARIS -- Sept. 27, 2022 -- A Plague Tale: Requiemthe sequel to the critically acclaimed A Plague Tale: Innocence by Asobo Studio and Focus Entertainment coming to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®5, PC, and in Cloud Version on Nintendo Switch on October 18, just unveiled new narrative elements in its latest story trailer.


As Amicia and Hugo set out to find a mysterious island in the hope of ending the curse which runs through Hugo’s blood, they find themselves having to rely on the help of the people they meet. Walking into foreign territory, the young de Runes are unlikely to make it alone… but how much trust can they place in strangers? The answer seems as uncertain as the island is beautiful and terrifying.

Thanks to NVIDIA RTX, the most advanced platform for ray tracing and AI technologies, a stunning visual journey awaits PC players. A Plague Tale: Requiem will launch with NVIDIA’s cutting-edge DLSS 3 technology, which massively boosts performance (DLSS 2 is also supported). Watch a first-look of A Plague Tale: Requiem using RTX ON, subliming the sunrays of the new Mediterranean setting, as well as the characteristic contrast between light and dark of the game. Stay tuned for more RTX ON game footage.

A Plague Tale: Requiem releases October 18 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®5, PC, and in Cloud Version on Nintendo Switch. The game will also be available Day One with Xbox Game Pass for Console, PC, and Cloud. Pre-order now and sign up as a Focus member to get the latest info and upcoming exclusive offers for A Plague Tale: Requiem and the whole Focus catalog.



1More SonoFlow Wireless ANC Headphones... Reviewed!

It's time for another review, but before we jump in... I have to give a shout-out to the 1More Team (especially Jim & Cameron) + I have to get the ball rolling with an unboxing. My opinions are my own.


As you see, these are the new 1More SonoFlow headphones. I noticed the comfort as soon as I took them out of the package, but... let's jump in to see how good these headphones actually are.


Quality + Comfort: The 1More SonoFlow Wireless ANC Headphones have a sturdy frame, a metal adjuster, and super soft padding for the head padding + earcups. The headphones don't feel flimsy like they'd just fall apart. They're certainly sturdy enough to take a fall off a desk, but... I wouldn't want to drop them from a certain height either (based on the plastic body). I'm not really tripping about the headphones falling off of anything though, because 1More includes a super durable case for the headphones... so they go in there when they aren't in use. 

Tip: Use your headphones case to maintain their condition long-term.

That said, the material results in how light these headphones... feel, so let's jump into comfort. These headphones come in at 8.8 ounces and they feel great... because they don't feel like some of the options that add noticeable weight to your head. I've hopped, punched, thrown snap kicks, and didn't feel the weight.

Outside of that, these headphones don't clamp down on my head and the earcups fit over my ears so they aren't pressing directly on them (my ears are sensitive... so applied pressure doesn't make me a happy... camper). As mentioned, the padding is soft, so that certainly helped increase my tolerance time.

Did I wear the headphones to bed? Heck yeah! Was I able to keep them on while calling the cows home? My tolerance for wearing the headphones would probably last almost as long as the battery life if I didn't have to do anything else. I'll get back to the battery life down below (it's no joke).


Sound: When it comes to the sound, the 1More SonoFlow Wireless ANC Headphones rock a 40mm driver under the hood with what 1More calls a... "diamond-like" carbon composite diaphragm + a 40kHz frequency response & 990kbps transfer rate at 32 bit/96 kHz (via the LDAC codec). LDAC delivers 3 times the sound quality of SBC. You will also be able to appreciate the Frequency Bands 2.400 GHz - 2.4835 GHz range, and the 32 Speaker Impedance.

The 40mm driver works well for these headphones in terms of delivering stronger sound, they bring the oomph in terms of bass... but it's not just loud... you get quality. The highs + mids are just as solid as the lows, but to be honest... I didn't doubt how the sound would be with the multi-Grammy Award-winning Luca Bignardi on deck as the sound engineer. They were able to get a certification for the headphones in terms of being audiophile quality wireless and you can hear thanks to that transfer rate.

How do they sound? Let's just say I heard something in a Michael Jackson song that I never realized was there. I was listening to "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and when the portion came on when it go to the part where he begin to sing "You're a vegetable", I heard whispers and other adlibs that I never noticed. I've heard some before... and maybe I never noticed... but there were some in there that I really didn't notice before. Quality audio brings it out because it delivers what you were expected to hear (same as recorded in the studio). I love music, so I don't like missing out on any of the sounds. I listened to multiple tracks in ultra HD to make sure that I got the most out of these Hi-Res Audio headphones.

What does Hi-Res Audio Certified mean? Well, the official certification requires headphones and even standard speakers to be able to reproduce frequencies of 40 kHz or higher. In other words... expect to get the intimate details of those songs baby. I was even listening to a track by a group called The Apx and realized the ending I was hearing on other speakers... wasn't the way the song truly ended. I almost felt like it ended in a weird way (in terms of the song just ending bluntly), but these headphones revealed that the song didn't end the way I assumed. It's hard to explain, but even though I don't have a producer background, it's something that I could be because I can be particular about music and can point out how a song would sound better or how a scene could work with a particular song, etc. So to hear the way the song actually ended, which was almost like a powering-off sound that rounded the song out much better.

Fun fact: LDAC is an audio codec developed by... Sony to allow high-res audio over Bluetooth.


By the way, if you want to listen to your music with less bass, more treble, and so forth... there are 12 studio-grade EQ presets that include:


Bass reducer
Bass booster
Acoustic
Classical
Podcast
Hip-Hop
Pop
ETC.


This is a plus... because not everyone wants to listen to music the same way. I was going to drop something here, but I'll save it for the last section.

Update instructions:

Users will have to update their 1MORE Music APP (for Android or iOS) to app v4.7.3 and then update the firmware to 1.0.5 version to enjoy the Customized EQ on SonoFlow. - Team 1More


The list of music I listened to, included these amazing tracks:


I wasn't as heavy on the rap this time around, but I had to tuck some in there.

By the way, if you haven't checked out Keybeaux or Gerald Albright... you don't know what you're missing (I would love to actually see these two artists work together). Keybeaux has some fire music with tracks that are safe for my daughters' ears, but not just that... he raps, has vocals, and uses instruments that would line up well with Gerald on the sax. I've even brought up the collab to both artists, and info has been exchanged... so we shall see. They both also play the guitar and piano.

As far as Gerald Albright goes, your parents may know more about him if you're in your early 30s or younger. He's a living legend in Jazz and has played with a slew of the greats like Whitney Houston, The Temptations, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, Olivia Newton-John, Phil Collins, and... you get the idea.

Fun fact: Gerald also gave gamers a dose of his saxophone in the Castlevania: Symphony of the Night game on the PS1... via the "I Am The Wind" theme song.

I can't forget about the active noise canceling, which is powered by QuietMax and works quite well (it shut out the sound without noticeable feedback). If you really need a good nap, turn the ANC on and get some good-quality ASMR going. Like any pair of headphones, the quality of the recording is what you will get in the playback... even though all products aren't created equal.


To be honest, even though Tingting's ASMR was in SD as far as the tracks that I listened to... they sounded great. Generally, I play ASMR at a lower volume to cut out any white noise, but... seasoned ASMRtists know how to minimize the background noise to that it doesn't interfere with the experience. Oh, while on this topic... if you're a new ASMR creator, avoid jarring intros/transitions, and keep tracks for sleeping purposes... together with tracks for sleeping only.

In terms of phone calls, you can shut out the sound quite well and maintain a great conversation without having to request that the person on the line repeat themselves.

As far as games, movies, and TV goes... here is a list of my experiences with the headphones:

Although the experiences varied from gaming, to film, to show... the quality was there for the most part. You got nice bass from the explosions that didn't come off as just one big blurred sound, voices were clear, and subtle SFX was enjoyable. By the way, if you play Pinball FX with these headphones, decrease the sound of the music... the SFX is amazing (I advise turning it down anyway to enjoy the pinball sound a bit more). The No Good Gofers table was beautiful... and you hear that crisp crack when the little character takes swings to hit the golf ball. It's not the biggest thing in the world, but... just those little details enhance the listening experience and boost the overall enjoyment.


In the box + Features:

SonoFlow Wireless ANC Headphones (DJ-style headphones)
3.5mm Audio Cable for the headphone port
USB-C Cable
Instruction Manual
Storage Case
Bluetooth 5.0
Battery Capacity 720 mAh
Charging Time 80 Mins (though a 5 min charge can get you 5 or so hours of playtime w/ ANC off according to 1More. Regardless, aim to charge them for at least 30 mins if you have the time. This is based on 1More's Q&A).

I don't hate on the charge time of these headphones, because with a fully charged battery... you're looking at 70 hours of playback time. Fact: I sleep with these headphones on and listen to them for hours the day before and after the sleep test. The battery is still... high (as presented by the status of the headphones + the status is shown on my phone and the connected PC). That type of battery power is sure to put a smile on the faces of the audiophiles + the frequent flyers out there.

* If you run out of juice, you can still enjoy audio by connecting the audio cable. Just make sure your phone has a headphone jack or has a USB-C audio jack convertor (which every audio lover should have... in my opinion).

Speaking of connected devices, you can connect these to multiple devices. This is similar to the 1More Evo headphones, which is great because at times you're transitioning from one device to the next and don't have time to do that manual shift.

Last but not least for this section, let's talk about the controls. I love the placement of the buttons on these headphones. The Power button is on the other side away from the volume and NC (aka ANC) buttons. This may not seem like a big deal to the average person, and it's not really jaw-dropping or something like that, but... it takes away the guessing game about what button does what. 

Once you get familiar with the buttons, you know that the power button isn't the others. On the other side... the NC button is on top, and volume + & - are below it. Simple. For the other functions of the headphones, please use the buttons as presented below.



Price: Pricewise, the 1More SonoFlow Wireless ANC Headphones come in at a strong competitive price of $99.99... which you can technically get for $79.99 here by using the coupon. Just click the box under the price and save. 

Overall, the build of the headphones is clean, and the branding is subtle with "1More" listed on the side of the headband and the logo up top + that lovely pop of red. They sound good, the controls are simple... and they're a steal at the price point, especially when you compare them to other headphones at nearly double the price + top-notch battery life.



Quality + Comfort 5

Sound 5

In the box + Features 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points



Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Baffler Meal Complete Collection... Reviewed!

Many thanks to the Warner Bros team for supplying this collection. My opinions are my own.



The Aqua Teen Hunger Force collection is pretty cool as far as the cover art, disc art, and things of that nature. Looking at the case and the discs won't help me learn about the show and what the episodes have to offer though... so let's jump in.


Story: If you aren't familiar with the Aqua Teen Hunger Force, they're basically a team of fast-food "detectives" who initially took on Dr. Weird's creations whenever they escaped his lab. In addition, they also take on other unusual cases that may cause you to scratch your head wondering if their detective work is all in their head. I say that because there isn't an actual approach to cases, they're more so episodes with situations that they either come out victorious on... or not so much. 

This doesn't mean that there aren't entertaining episodes, it's just a... weird show. If you're into left-field entertainment with dark humor, this is you all day, and with an 11-season run... there's plenty to enjoy. Regardless of the show being... weird, you might find yourself watching 3 or 4 episodes back to back. It's not the show for me, but... I'd watch it if it's on.


Visuals: Visually the show is... okay, but it's nothing that turned my head. Animations were also a bit stiff, although there are episodes (like Last Dance for Napkin Lad) and even the included... Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters that grabbed my attention. 




Audio: Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Baffler Meal Complete Collection... comes powered with Dolby Audio. I won't hate on the sound effect, but for the most part, they're basic. The music isn't bad, but the audio was just alright for me.


Price + Extras: Pricewise, the Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Baffler Meal Complete Collection is $112.99 (SRP). You might look at me crazy when I say this, but... it's not a bad price. I would've added some Aqua Teen Hunger Force keychains or something, but it's still not bad. A sweeter price would be $100, but... you can actually grab it here for $98.68!

You get 138 episodes in this collection

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters

+ 30 hours of bonus content (thirty... hours)
  • Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1
  • Aqua Something You KNow Whatever
  • Aqua TV Show Show
  • Aqua Teen Hunger Force Forever
  • Etc.

Story 3

Visuals 3

Audio 3

Price + Extras 5


3.5 out of 5 Cool Points