Tom Hardy: Lonely Bartender Who Rescues Dogs From the Mob

The Dark Knight Rises' Tom Hardy may star in the crime drama Animal Rescue, based on a short story by Shutter Island and Mystic River author Dennis Lehane.

Variety reports that Michael Roskam (Bullhead) will direct the Fox Searchlight and Chernin Entertainment project.

The film reportedly "follows a lonely Boston bartender who rescues a puppy from a garbage can and becomes the target of the dog's abusive and mentally unstable former owner, while simultaneously getting caught in the middle of a criminal conspiracy playing out in his mob-controlled bar."

Source : ign[dot]com

The Two Sides of Far Cry 3

Painted in bright, tropical blues and greens and starring a cast of insane people, pirates, island-dwelling substance abusers and far-fetched wildlife, it’s safe to say that Far Cry 3 is not anything like as serious as Far Cry 2, and evidently has none of its grand geopolitical messaging. For some this will be a disappointment, but then, Far Cry 2 has already been made, and anything that stuck too closely to its model would struggle not to pale in comparison. Far Cry 3 is not an imitator, though it does show its influences proudly.

It begins as a tropical holiday, with snapshots of a young group of friends dancing on the beach, drinking under flickering club lights, having a good time on a beautiful island. But it all goes wrong, predictably, when they fall foul of a group of psychopathic pirates led by crazy-eyed Vaas, the convincing and unnervingly well-acted antagonist at the centre of Far Cry 3’s pre-release posturing so far. You awaken as protagonist Jason Brody. Handcuffed to a cage opposite another bound and gagged prisoner, you’re subjected to the first of many Vaas monologues in which he switches at a second’s notice from seemingly affable to completely unhinged. After scaring the wits out of you, he strides off into the night, leaving you to stew.

The prisoner opposite you turns out to be Brody’s ex-military brother, and leads a tense escape effort after setting you both free of your bonds. Sneaking through the pirate camp, crouching out of sight, you watch him grab and kill guards with a found knife as Jason whimpers and swears under his breath in fear. It’s a powerful opening, putting you in the shoes of a terrified captive, establishing a desperate, survivalist tone that persists throughout the game’s course. Without wanting to spoil anything, your escape from the camp is a fraught, perfectly-paced introduction that packs an emotional punch as Jason is forced into his first kill.

“

It stars a cast of insane people, pirates, island-dwelling substance abusers and far-fetched wildlife

From that moment onwards, though, Jason has no problem at all with murder, merrily sticking a knife into the necks of hundreds more pirates over the next few hours. This near-instant transformation from terrified abductee to silent killer isn’t exactly convincing, but Ubisoft Montreal attempts to legitimise it with a minor supernatural twist: after being rescued from the jungle, Brody wakes up with a series of tattoos on his arm that give him, essentially, magical powers, like the ability to run silently or sneak-takedown two pirates at once. These abilities are tuned towards stealth or combat, but most of them are useful whatever approach you decide to take to Far Cry 3’s open world.

On-side with the aggrieved local population and with an understandable grudge against Vaas and his pirates, Brody is set free on the island to find the rest of his friends and liberate the place – but not before you’re given an enforced briefing on hunting the local wildlife. Far Cry 3’s ample crafting system is predicated on hunting animals and rummaging through thickets of foliage to find plants and skins that can then be magically transmogrified into a bigger backpack or a healing syringe. Jason’s prey is far from docile - even the most harmless-looking beast will fight back, and if you’re after a predator you’ve not got much chance at success with just a hunting knife.

Far Cry 3’s huge island map is a forest of icons when you first start out, but most of it boils down to pirate outposts that have to be conquered to liberate an area, signal towers that can be scaled to open up another section of the map, hunting grounds, and optional challenges, like deliveries or contract kills. When you’re feeling directionless or, god forbid, tired of provoking wildlife or assaulting pirates in camps, the story missions are there to draw you back into the game’s narrative. Early on at least, these missions are fiercely scripted, in stark contrast with the very emergent feel of the rest of the game – thankfully the quality of Far Cry 3’s character animation and acting is very high indeed.

“

The directed narrative brings out another side of the game

One early sequence sees you make your way to the top of an isolated hill to meet the island’s resident narcotics obsessive, a spaced-out doctor who has found one of Jason’s friends wandering the island. He then sends you on your own trip to fetch some mushrooms for him, a mission that seems deathly dull but soon melts into a hallucinogenic adventure far more interesting than the typical open-world fetch-quest. The directed narrative brings out a side of the game that you don’t get to see when you’re stalking the jungle, making your own fun.

We’ve talked a lot about the kind of open-world insanity you can get up to before – like setting a tiger loose on an encampment, or trying and failing to run over a buffalo – but until now it’s been difficult to see how all of this gels with the fiercely scripted story direction. It feels like Far Cry 3 has two distinct sides to it, but so far it feels like they complement each other rather than creating an uncomfortable tension. So far.

“

Far Cry 3 is inherently fun to play

It helps that Far Cry 3 is inherently fun to play, whatever you’re doing, whether you like blowing things up or hunting animals or picking out targets patrolling a pirate camp with binoculars from the top of a hill before sneaking down there and silently taking them all out in sequence. As a stealth-orientated player I’m a big fan of the bow and the silent attack, but it’s enjoyably unrestrictive; when someone sees you, a carefully-planned infiltration can quickly turn into a chaotic seat-of-your-pants assault, and the game doesn’t punish you for failure so much as expect you to adapt to what happens.

It’s an interesting time for open-world games right now. Some are struggling to bring all their disparate elements together into a convincing, cohesive whole, and some have trouble with the seeming contradiction in terms between scripted storytelling and emergent play, like the great but uneven Assassin’s Creed 3. Far Cry 3 is looking to find an intersection where those two things aren’t in conflict.

Keza MacDonald is in charge of IGN's games team in the UK and has spent far too much time in Far Cry 3 running away from komodo dragons. You can follow her on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Two Sides of Far Cry 3

Painted in bright, tropical blues and greens and starring a cast of insane people, pirates, island-dwelling substance abusers and far-fetched wildlife, it’s safe to say that Far Cry 3 is not anything like as serious as Far Cry 2, and evidently has none of its grand geopolitical messaging. For some this will be a disappointment, but then, Far Cry 2 has already been made, and anything that stuck too closely to its model would struggle not to pale in comparison. Far Cry 3 is not an imitator, though it does show its influences proudly.

It begins as a tropical holiday, with snapshots of a young group of friends dancing on the beach, drinking under flickering club lights, having a good time on a beautiful island. But it all goes wrong, predictably, when they fall foul of a group of psychopathic pirates led by crazy-eyed Vaas, the convincing and unnervingly well-acted antagonist at the centre of Far Cry 3’s pre-release posturing so far. You awaken as protagonist Jason Brody. Handcuffed to a cage opposite another bound and gagged prisoner, you’re subjected to the first of many Vaas monologues in which he switches at a second’s notice from seemingly affable to completely unhinged. After scaring the wits out of you, he strides off into the night, leaving you to stew.

The prisoner opposite you turns out to be Brody’s ex-military brother, and leads a tense escape effort after setting you both free of your bonds. Sneaking through the pirate camp, crouching out of sight, you watch him grab and kill guards with a found knife as Jason whimpers and swears under his breath in fear. It’s a powerful opening, putting you in the shoes of a terrified captive, establishing a desperate, survivalist tone that persists throughout the game’s course. Without wanting to spoil anything, your escape from the camp is a fraught, perfectly-paced introduction that packs an emotional punch as Jason is forced into his first kill.

“

It stars a cast of insane people, pirates, island-dwelling substance abusers and far-fetched wildlife

From that moment onwards, though, Jason has no problem at all with murder, merrily sticking a knife into the necks of hundreds more pirates over the next few hours. This near-instant transformation from terrified abductee to silent killer isn’t exactly convincing, but Ubisoft Montreal attempts to legitimise it with a minor supernatural twist: after being rescued from the jungle, Brody wakes up with a series of tattoos on his arm that give him, essentially, magical powers, like the ability to run silently or sneak-takedown two pirates at once. These abilities are tuned towards stealth or combat, but most of them are useful whatever approach you decide to take to Far Cry 3’s open world.

On-side with the aggrieved local population and with an understandable grudge against Vaas and his pirates, Brody is set free on the island to find the rest of his friends and liberate the place – but not before you’re given an enforced briefing on hunting the local wildlife. Far Cry 3’s ample crafting system is predicated on hunting animals and rummaging through thickets of foliage to find plants and skins that can then be magically transmogrified into a bigger backpack or a healing syringe. Jason’s prey is far from docile - even the most harmless-looking beast will fight back, and if you’re after a predator you’ve not got much chance at success with just a hunting knife.

Far Cry 3’s huge island map is a forest of icons when you first start out, but most of it boils down to pirate outposts that have to be conquered to liberate an area, signal towers that can be scaled to open up another section of the map, hunting grounds, and optional challenges, like deliveries or contract kills. When you’re feeling directionless or, god forbid, tired of provoking wildlife or assaulting pirates in camps, the story missions are there to draw you back into the game’s narrative. Early on at least, these missions are fiercely scripted, in stark contrast with the very emergent feel of the rest of the game – thankfully the quality of Far Cry 3’s character animation and acting is very high indeed.

“

The directed narrative brings out another side of the game

One early sequence sees you make your way to the top of an isolated hill to meet the island’s resident narcotics obsessive, a spaced-out doctor who has found one of Jason’s friends wandering the island. He then sends you on your own trip to fetch some mushrooms for him, a mission that seems deathly dull but soon melts into a hallucinogenic adventure far more interesting than the typical open-world fetch-quest. The directed narrative brings out a side of the game that you don’t get to see when you’re stalking the jungle, making your own fun.

We’ve talked a lot about the kind of open-world insanity you can get up to before – like setting a tiger loose on an encampment, or trying and failing to run over a buffalo – but until now it’s been difficult to see how all of this gels with the fiercely scripted story direction. It feels like Far Cry 3 has two distinct sides to it, but so far it feels like they complement each other rather than creating an uncomfortable tension. So far.

“

Far Cry 3 is inherently fun to play

It helps that Far Cry 3 is inherently fun to play, whatever you’re doing, whether you like blowing things up or hunting animals or picking out targets patrolling a pirate camp with binoculars from the top of a hill before sneaking down there and silently taking them all out in sequence. As a stealth-orientated player I’m a big fan of the bow and the silent attack, but it’s enjoyably unrestrictive; when someone sees you, a carefully-planned infiltration can quickly turn into a chaotic seat-of-your-pants assault, and the game doesn’t punish you for failure so much as expect you to adapt to what happens.

It’s an interesting time for open-world games right now. Some are struggling to bring all their disparate elements together into a convincing, cohesive whole, and some have trouble with the seeming contradiction in terms between scripted storytelling and emergent play, like the great but uneven Assassin’s Creed 3. Far Cry 3 is looking to find an intersection where those two things aren’t in conflict.

Keza MacDonald is in charge of IGN's games team in the UK and has spent far too much time in Far Cry 3 running away from komodo dragons. You can follow her on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Staff Working on ArmA 3 Arrested For Spying

Update 2: Bohemia has now clarified its previous comments, providing the following statement to IGN:

"Since last Sunday, when two Bohemia Interactive, a.s. employees, were arrested on the Greek island of Lemnos, much speculation about what happened has circulated online. It's been rumoured that they entered restricted military areas or gathered photographic references of military bases in order to improve the visual fidelity of Arma 3, a PC game currently under development by our company. Far in advance of any formal charges - only hours after they were detained by the local police - many media outlets immediately suggested spying and, only one day later, specifically referenced Arma 3.

Having travelled there, and after meeting personally with them both, as well as their lawyer who is fully acquainted with the Greek authority's investigation file in detail, we can assure you that these insinuations are completely false and without substance. These employees - our friends, Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar - visited the island as tourists. Their holiday was a product of their interest in the island, triggered by their work on Arma 3 over the past two years of development.

They took photographs and videos in public areas, as countless tourists arriving to enjoy the beauty and hospitality of Greece may well do. These included a short video as they drove through the main road passing around the international airport, where in one short part of the video off in the distance some hangars and other buildings of the complex can be seen. It's very likely that many tourists may have pictures similar to those taken by Ivan and Martin in their own family albums, without being aware that they put themselves or their families at risk.

We sincerely hope that the whole situation is no more than an unfortunate and deep misunderstanding. The in-game Limnos is close to completion, and it's far from an identical replication of the real place. It was heavily modified to fit the game's backstory, a purely fictional 2035 setting. It was rescaled to only 75% of the real island, and it does not attempt to display any real world military installations situated on the island of Lemnos.

To summarize the situation:

• They visited Lemnos on their holiday as tourists.
• They did not enter any military area.
• They did not take any pictures of any military objects to be used in Arma 3.

Martin and Ivan, currently being detained in Mytilene, relayed this message to their friends and family:

"The conditions are tough, but the people we meet treat us fairly and correctly. It is all a completely absurd misunderstanding that will certainly be quickly explained. We mainly think of you, our families; you have to stay calm and not to worry about us. We hope we will meet soon."

We apologize for any possible delay or lack of communication regarding this important matter. At present, all and every possible effort goes towards supporting Ivan and Martin, their families, and to getting the guys safely back home. Any form of support for our imprisoned colleagues and friends will be more than welcome."

Original story follows:

Update: Bohemia has provided IGN with the following statement from CEO Marek Spanel:

"We can confirm that two Bohemia Interactive employees, our colleagues and friends, were arrested during their holiday trip to Lemnos. They visited the island with the sole purpose of experiencing the island's beautiful surroundings.

Since its establishment in 1999, Bohemia Interactive has created games based only upon publicly available information. We always respect the law and we've never instructed anybody to violate the laws of any country. The same is true for Arma 3.

Currently, all our effort goes towards supporting the guys over there, as well as their friends and families affected by this difficult situation. We sincerely hope that this is an unfortunate misunderstanding of their passion as artists and creators of virtual worlds."

Original story follows:

The Greek government has accused two employees of ArmA developer Bohemia Interactive of espionage for taking photographs of a Greek air base during their research for ArmA 3.

Studio head Mark Spanel confirmed the news on the game's official forums, asking users not to discuss the matter for legal reasons and closing the relevant thread.

The first reports came from Greek outlet News237, which stated that the two Czech men had been found with photos and video of military facilities in Lemnos and Agios Efstratios, and were arrested in the act of photographing a base on Lemnos. They could be facing a lengthy prison sentence if charged and found guilty.

Eurogamer has since unearthed that the developer was warned against such actions by one of its Greek fans back at the beginning of August in a forum thread.

"On the island of Limnos is a military air base. It is illegal to take photographs of this base, yet the ArmA development team are creating a 3D model of the base, most likely based on photos which they took illegally (as well as the satellite photos which aren't illegal)," wrote Cyplon.

"Had this been an American base, or any other country with a large population of whom may purchase ARMa 3, it is likely that such an act would not have been performed due to the risk of the country banning the game from being sold there. [...] Of all locations in the World, Limnos - one of the only islands in the Aegean with a military air base, is being replicated, regardless of the tensions between Greece and Turkey which are ongoing (you don't hear it on the news unless you are from Greece or Turkey). Great choice for a first location! This is equivalent to creating an ArmA game replicating the Gaza strip, which would very likely anger Israel..."

We'll have more on this story as it comes in, but don't expect Bohemia Interactive to comment on an ongoing legal matter.

Source : ign[dot]com