Spoiler warning for the events of The Walking Dead Episode 4 ‘Take Us Back’.
It’s not too often you can label a video game as the ‘end of an era’, but for the last episode of what is indeed the final season of The Walking Dead, I can’t think of anything more fitting. As if the pressure wasn’t enough already for Skybound Games to create a satisfying ending – something which CEO Ian Howe discussed with us here – Take Us Back also represents the first definitive ending for any of the ongoing series within The Walking Dead universe.
Following on from the explosive cliffhanger in Broken Toys, Take Us Back could have followed any number of narrative paths but in sticking with the Final Season’s grounded storyline, the episode focuses almost entirely on Clementine and AJ’s journey home. In the context of the tone laid out by previous episodes, it makes sense, but anyone expecting a huge infiltration mission of the Delta’s hideout will be disappointed.
In fact, compared to any of the finales that have come before it, Take Us Back feels incredibly low-key. Since the series began, it’s been a staple of previous finales to have a high body count mixed with intense action and some incredibly high-stakes, but Take Us Back throws that blueprint into the trash and brings the season’s central relationship to the forefront.
The episode actually shares some similarity to the Season Two finale, No Going Back, with our main characters getting very little time for respite as they try and make their way to refuge, although this time around our group is much smaller. For some time now, fans (and I include myself in there) have felt as though their choices have counted for very little when a season’s conclusion comes about – simply offering you one of two binary paths, but I didn’t feel that here.
Since my playthrough of Take Us Back, I’ve taken a quick glimpse at the experiences of other players and I’m pleased to say they differed greatly from my own. Throughout this season, I’ve been trying my best to steer AJ away from violence in favour of compassion and feel my decisions have been justly rewarded. Many other variables also come to a head in this finale, making my experience feel extremely personal.
There are also moments in the finale that reference decisions you made in previous episodes. These moments may not heavily impact the narrative, but they’re satisfying acknowledgements nevertheless. I won’t mention the specifics, but let’s just say that it all adds up nicely.
The Walking Dead has always presented itself as unrelenting in the dangers that it presents, but Clem’s safety (with the exception of the odd missing finger) has always seemed like a given. Skybound Games immediately throws this into doubt though, adding tension and uncertainty that’s rarely been seen before in the series.
While Take Us Back pays homage to the first season’s finale, there’s enough amazing twists and turns here to prevent this episode from becoming a mere tribute to Lee’s final stand. That said, I can’t shake the feeling my emotions were being toyed with for the sake of a mid-episode cliffhanger. It’s also at this point that Take Us Back encounters a few pacing issues that throw the narrative out of sync.
A flashback sequence of Clem’s rescue mission – set between the events of A New Frontier and The Final Season – feels disruptive to the finale’s narrative. I feel this scene would have had more of an impact had it featured earlier in the episode.
And yet, for any shortcomings it may have, it’s incredible to finally see a satisfying conclusion within The Walking Dead canon. Sure, Take Us Back leaves a lot of unanswered questions, specifically about the ongoing war between Richmond and the Delta, but this season has always been about the relationship between Clem and AJ. In that respect, this finale delivers with aplomb.
A big thanks is owed here to the team at Skybound Games, without whom we might never have seen a conclusion to this long-running series that Telltale Games started so many years ago. It’s fantastic to see Clemintine get the ending that her character duly deserved.
Verdict
After a turbulent production, Clementine and The Walking Dead series have both been given the ending they deserve. Not all of Take Us Back lands smoothly, but the finale remains true to the tone of this season and delivers a satisfying conclusion that fans will be talking about for years to come.
Over the past few years, streaming has become a massive industry. Watching your favourite internet personalities dabbing away in Fortnite or opening lootboxes in Overwatch is nearly as common as gaming itself, so it’s no surprise that peripherals have arrived on the scene to support such pastimes.
The Razer Ifrit is an in-ear headset designed for just that purpose. It sports a light and comfortable design, which allows you to play well whilst entertaining viewers. Sadly, it fails on many other fronts.
While Razer should be commended for attempting something new, unusual design choices only serve to hold the Ifrit back in numerous important areas.
It’s clear that Razer is trying to go for a minimalist aesthetic with the Ifrit, mimicking a headset you’re more likely to see in an Air Traffic Control Tower than in a gaming setup.
The frame of the headset is made of a moulded rubber, which sits on your head and against your ears. Being so slight, you’d expect the Ifrit to be comfortable – but this isn’t the case. It’s difficult to take on and off, and proves annoying when worn for prolonged periods.
So while the Ifrit is lightweight and surprisingly durable, it isn’t comfortable or as intuitive as Razer’s larger headphones. It will at least ensure your well-styled barnet remains in place.
Instead of the cups of a traditional gaming headset, the Razer Ifrit has two in-ear earphones that connect to the frame itself. The sound quality is fantastic, but note that there’s no way to use them detached from the frame.
Those who aren’t into streaming could have had a superb set of insular earphones here, made even better by the included audio enhancer that’s both quick and easy to plug in and use.
Sadly, that isn’t the case. You’re shackled to the unattractive frame, which feels like a detriment. A peripheral that could have been cleverly customisable is instead confined to one purpose.
Razer Ifrit – Audio
In terms of audio, sound produced by this earphones is bright and bombastic. The Ifrit present a surprising amount of dynamism, with noticeable bass that does a great job of blocking out background noise that might distract from the action.
No matter the content – whether game, film or TV show – all sounds, whether encroaching footsteps or a thunderous explosion, are depicted by the Razer Ifrit with startling clarity. Even for those gamers who aren’t into streaming, there’s plenty to like.
The microphone, too, is fantastic. My friends were able to hear me loud and clear, with background noise being kept to a minimum.
If you’re playing with a friend in the same room then the Ifrit offers the ability to plug in a second headset via the Audio Enhancer without losing audio quality on either side. Say, for example, you’re playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 split-screen and you both want to speak with friends. Then you can do just that, leaving the sound of the action untouched. It’s a great idea, but not something I see myself using on a regular basis.
Why buy the Razer Ifrit?
There’s no denying the sound quality on offer from Razer with regards to its superb earphones and equally impressive microphone. It’s a Razer product through and through, presenting just what you’d expect of the brand.
But the overall design if the Razer Ifrit is disappointing, proving uncomfortable to wear. It regularly slipped off my head – and the inability to detach the earphones and mic only heightened the frustration.
Verdict
It’s an unusual device that would be worth the £99.99 price if not for a few major problems – especially when you consider that there are so many other products, including Razer’s own, that are worthy of a recommendation.
Now that’s finally on sale in the UK with a mouthwatering price of £499 (6GB RAM + 64GB) the Xiaomi Mi 9 confirms itself as the biggest smartphone bargain of 2019.
Xiaomi’s tagline might as well be “more bang for your buck”, because its new top-dog brings a killer triple camera arrangement and Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 855 processor to the party, making for a compelling combination – and all for around half the price of your typical flagship phone.
Understandably, the Mi 9 is by no means faultless when compared against the equally fresh-faced Samsung Galaxy S10, and its rather atypical MIUI 10 Android skin won’t be to everyone’s taste. Nevertheless, this doesn’t detract from the fact that you get a serious amount of tech for your money.
Xiaomi Mi 9 – Design
The Xiaomi Mi 9 may not be as interesting to look at as the slideable Mi Mix 3 or the Galaxy S10 line, but it’s still unquestionably a tastefully styled device.
Xiaomi has subtly tweaked the form factor of last year’s Mi 8, granting the Mi 9 what it calls an “all curve” back. The rear of the Mi 8 sported rounded edges but a flat back. The curve of the Mi 9’s Gorilla Glass 5 rear is continuous on all four sides, meaning it sits more comfortably in the palm – a trick Sony similarly pulled with its updated design of the Xperia XZ2.
Xiaomi a hero – the Mi 9 offers much of what you’ll find on flagship phones for less
With a thickness ranging from 7.6mm down to 3.5mm at its thinnest point, the Mi 9 feels deceptively slender for a device that’s around the same size and dimensions as the hefty iPhone XS Max.
If you have the option, and you’re not enamoured by the glossy Piano Black finish of the Mi 9 review device, Xiaomi also makes the device available in the two more eye-catching colours of Ocean Blue or Lavender Violet (my personal favourite).
These two options are also accented by a layer of holographic pattern work, which adds dynamism and plays nicely with the phone’s curved back when tilted against the light. It’s a finish that Xiaomi’s Donovan Sung described as a “rainbow spectrum effect” during the phone’s European launch at MWC in Spain.
The glass front and back are banded by a polished colour-matched metal frame, which keeps things simple with a volume rocker plus a function button on the left side, and a power key on the right.
Several layers of paint make for a subtle effect that sees the colours shift depending on your surroundings
The phone features USB-C at its base, but there’s no headphone jack, which leaves wired headphone fans to rely on the in-box 3.5mm adapter. This is a disappointing but expected move considering both current smartphone trends and its predecessor, which have taken the same path.
One element that I wasn’t expecting to see was an IR blaster. Paired with the pre-loaded Mi Remote app you can control all sorts of devices, from TVs to air-conditioning units. That said, I’d have gladly forgone its inclusion to be able to slot my headphones directly into the phone.
The top-right corner of the Mi 9’s back plays host to the phone’s impressive new triple camera arrangement. It juts out from the phone’s otherwise featureless glossy back, surrounded by a frame and covered by sapphire glass for protection.
Is the halo ring green…
To add a little visual flair to this otherwise utilitarian element of the Mi 9’s bodywork, Xiaomi has installed a “halo ring accent” – a holographic ring that shifts colour as you tilt the phone, much like the rear on the devices of the two more exciting colour options.
…orange…
It’s a nice evolution of the red ring that some phones’ cameras have previously sported (including the Mi 8 Pro) – which, to my knowledge is unique to the Mi 9, lending an otherwise inoffensive phone a distinct beauty mark all its own.
…or blue?
For the superb fit and finish at play here, it’s worth noting that the Mi 9 doesn’t yet embrace the IP-certified water-resistance that many of its contemporaries bring to the table – no doubt a cost-saving measure.
While the peace of mind afforded to you with phones that are protected in this way is appreciated, its absence here doesn’t really undermine the otherwise top-notch build quality that Xiaomi offers with the Mi 9.
Xiaomi Mi 9 – Screen
It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that the display on the Mi 9 doesn’t offer quite the same visual punch of its pricer competitors. However, the gap in quality is small considering the price difference that sits between such devices.
The flat 6.39-inch 19.5:9 AMOLED display is vibrant without veering towards over-saturation, plus it comes with a very respectable 1080 x 2340 resolution and pleasingly svelte bezels all the way around.
Aside from maximum brightness, the quality of the Mi 9’s viewing experience isn’t all that far off the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S10
There’s a wealth of colour profile customisation available from within the phone’s Settings menu, meaning you can readily throw the overall viewing experience into warmer or cooler hues, add or reduce contrast and more as your tastes permit.
While it doesn’t reach the heady climbs of the Galaxy S10’s purported maximum brightness, the Mi 9’s display remains wholly usable and enjoyable when viewed in bright surroundings. This is helped by the fact that it also supports HDR viewing from compatible sources such as YouTube.
The ball is very much in the court of content providers such as Netflix when it comes to adding the Mi 9 to their list of compatible HDR handsets, but the phone is equipped with the hardware and permissions if they do decide to include it.
More extreme viewing angles do result in a drop-off in brightness, but the effect isn’t any more pronounced than on comparable rivals
Set beneath the Gorilla Glass 6 protecting the phone’s AMOLED display is a supposedly improved in-display fingerprint sensor, which Xiaomi says unlocks up to 25% faster than the optical sensor first introduced on the Mi 8 Pro.
While I wasn’t able to compare the two side by side, I can say that it still lags behind the more traditional capacitive sensors found on the likes of the Pixel 3 and Galaxy S10e – but felt about as fast as rival in-display offerings.
Damp or cold fingers have proven problematic for this technology in the past, and the same is true here. Although note that the dewdrop notch set into the display’s bezel houses the phone’s front-facing 20-megapixel camera, which also doubles as an RGB face unlock solution if you’re comfortable using it.
Xiaomi has included some extra features that ensure the Mi 9’s screen feels current – technologies such as Reading mode, which shifts the colour temperature to warmer hues and reduces blue light output in evenings or in dark environments for more comfortable viewing.
AMOLED panels are perfect for always-on displays
Ambient Display (Xiaomi’s name for an always-on display) is a feature I find invaluable. It lets you glance at the screen to check the time or to see whether there are any pending notifications. There’s a tiny white notification LED set into the phone’s thin bezel to help with this too.
The Mi 9’s display settings also let you choose from a myriad of clock styles and imagery for the Ambient Display, which is a nice touch. As I don’t have to unlock the phone to check for email notifs or the time, the battery takes less of a hit.
Xiaomi Mi 9 – Software
Xiaomi’s MIUI interface is a heavy-handed skin set atop Android, but the global version of MIUI 10 as it appears on the Android 9.0 Pie experience running on the Mi 9 feels decidedly approachable – even for newcomers to the operating system.
You can choose between classic three-button navigation or a gesture-driven experience for interaction. I prefer the former, as I like to leverage the available one-handed mode from time to time, and there’s an easy gesture shortcut to activate the feature if you stick with buttons.
One-handed mode is invaluable when working with the phone’s large display
You can swipe down anywhere on a homescreen to access notifications and quick settings, or up to summon the Google Assistant. Xiaomi has taken the Assistant’s accessibility a step further, with a dedicated hardware key on the left side that grants access to some of its extensive functionality from the lock-screen.
Any actions that need deeper access will request that you unlock the device to fully complete the task. It’s a trait that phones such as the LG G8 ThinQ and Nokia 4.2 also feature, but that doesn’t undermine the value of its inclusion here.
Although there’s no option to reinstate the apps drawer, the overall layout and logic behind moving around MIUI 10 as on the Mi 9 seems solid. While there’s a touch of third-party bloatware on the phone from the off, you can uninstall and disable pretty much anything that isn’t part of the Mi 9’s core software experience.
There’s a touch of bloat, but overall it’s more useful than the usual guff some manufacturers chuck on their devices
The phone also allows for more experienced users to dig around and toy with features such as power on/off schedules, homescreen transition effects, a system-wide dark mode, and Second Space.
Second Space is a password-protected subdivision of the user experience, where you can squirrel away apps, images and other content that you don’t want prying eyes to access without your knowledge, should someone get ahold of your unlocked phone.
Essentially, MIUI 10 is better than it’s ever been. While it won’t be to everyone’s tastes, it offers enough flexibility, control and customisation in order to tailor the experience so that the Mi 9 is enjoyable to navigate around.
Xiaomi Mi 9 – Performance
There have been no corners cut with the Xiaomi Mi 9’s engine – it’s one of the first phones to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 SoC (system on chip).
What does that mean in reality? Well, it’s powerful enough to support advanced camera setups (such as the Mi 9’s triple camera array) and it’s super-efficient, too, which should mean you see gains in areas such as battery life (more on that in a bit).
Although I didn’t experience any performance issues in general use, there’s a dedicated performance booster that kicks in when the phone detects that you’re playing a game. It frees up memory and processing resources, and ensures that notifications and other distractions don’t get in the way of your gaming session.
As such, I enjoyed smooth gameplay, even during extended periods of play (over 15 minutes). The Game Turbo suite actually goes deeper than raw optimisation, letting you record gameplay footage and more, all accessible from a handy overlay that pops in while you’re gaming.
As the benchmark scores show, that Snapdragon 855 and the phone’s 6GB of RAM also render the Mi 9 one of the most powerful devices on the market. This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise – most of the current rivals are still relying on last year’s hardware – but even newcomers such as the Galaxy S10 series have to put up a fight to fend off this affordable alternative.
As for storage, there’s no expandability but the option of 64GB or 128GB of internal space should prove ample for most users, while dual-SIM functionality occupies the SIM slot instead.
Call quality is a cut above most of the phones I’ve tested that sport a thin bezel and a dewdrop notch. The arrangement usually pushes the earpiece speaker to the absolute top edge of the phone, with the sound usually leaking up and out of the top of the device.
While that’s still true here to a degree, Xiaomi has done a better job of aiming the output into your ear during a call, something the likes of the Huawei Mate 20 and Oppo RX17 Pro aren’t quite able to match.
Xiaomi Mi 9 – Camera
The Xiaomi Mi 9’s most interesting (and, on paper, impressive) feature has to be its camera – or, cameras. This is the company’s first triple-lens setup and it doesn’t mess around.
The headliner is its 48-megapixel primary sensor, which features a pleasingly wide f/1.75 aperture. It’s the same sizeable Sony IMX586 1/2-inch sensor found on the Honor View 20.
Xiaomi’s first phone with a triple camera array isn’t taking any prisoners (just pictures)
Here, however, it’s supported by a 12-megapixel (Samsung S5K3M5) telephoto sensor that grants the phone 2x lossless optical zoom (this is also the lens surrounded by that holographic ‘halo ring’) and a 16-megapixel (Sony IMX481) ultra wide-angle sensor. The latter boasts a 117-degree field of view that not only lets you take impressive wide-angle shots but also lends its talents to macro photography, thanks in part to a 17mm equivalent focal length.
Paired with a laser autofocus array and the closed-loop motors built into each of the three lenses, the Mi 9 promises to deliver impressively fast and accurate focusing, significantly reducing the risk of blur in shots.
A standard 12-megapixel shot taken on the Mi 9 in natural lightHDR processing makes for pleasing visuals, provided you like this particular aestheticAI boosts colours and contrast for a specific finish that will only suit some
In practice, this collective hardware setup seems to be doing its job perfectly. The phone’s viewfinder always showed the subject I was pointing at in perfect focus, even when I whipped the Mi 9 around to try to confuse matters.
The telephoto sensor retains plenty of detailThe wide-angle sensor takes pleasing shots, too
There’s also a heap of other tech wrapped into this phone’s robust camera experience that could warrant a standalone piece, but what it really boils down to is whether or not it’s all worth it when it comes to actual photo quality.
For the most part, the Mi 9’s camera experience is excellent. It works in a myriad of shooting scenarios and offers versatility only really found on the likes of the Galaxy S10 and Mate 20 Pro lines.
There’s a noticeable difference in the light processing and dynamic range of the Mi 9’s various sensors (main camera = top, telephoto = bottom)
Flipping on the “AI” button in the viewfinder enables automated scene-detection and settings adjustments that grant images greater visual “pop” – which has its place, depending on the kind of shot you’re hoping to capture. Meanwhile, the HDR button boosts the already pleasing dynamic range of images further still, for a more processed but arresting look.
Image quality feels pretty consistent across all three sensors, even in low-light, all of which isn’t the case with a lot of multi-lensed smartphone cameras. Pixel binning means the main 48-megapixel sensor takes 12-megapixel stills by default, using the extra image data to help remove noise and blur. This is the smartest way to use such a high-resolution sensor, in my opinion – but if you want, you can always jump to a full resolution 48-megapixel still.
Low-light shooting does prove more trying for the Mi 9 than, say, the Mate 20 Pro; there’s more visible image processing at play. It pays to switch the phone into its dedicated Night mode in such scenarios. It still makes for a capable enough snapper nonetheless.
As an experiment, I also tested Google’s own Camera app – which only works as the phone possesses that Snapdragon 855 chipset. It yielded greater detail in low light than the default shooting mode (i.e. not Night mode), which might prove useful for some Mi 9 owners.
Low light comparison: (left) Mi 9 camera app in Auto, (centre) Mi 9 camera app in Night Mode, (right) Google camera .APK in Auto
At the phone’s launch, Xiaomi also touted the Mi 9’s impressive DxO mark scores – not only for stills, but for video too. Naturally, I had to see how it compared to the current gold standard in this area, the iPhone XS. In its own right, the Mi 9 demonstrated impressive automated focus and contrast adjustment – and, overall, capable image stability too.
Being able to shoot at up to 4K resolution at 60fps is also an impressive feat but one that’s echoed by the iPhone. Side by side, I’d still opt for Apple’s flagship over Xiaomi’s if this is the sole reason you’re buying a phone. However, when you factor in that the Mi 9 costs less than half, the gap in polish becomes so much smaller.
Xiaomi Mi 9 – Battery life
The Mi 9’s 3300mAh battery is slightly smaller than its predecessor’s, but the improved efficiency of the Snapdragon 855 processor more than compensates for the difference.
Xiaomi says the Mi 9 delivers all-day battery life – the base standard for most smartphones nowadays. In practice, though, I actually think that’s a conservative estimate.
Smart optimisations, like this clean up tool, mean you can easily squeeze a day’s worth of power out of the Mi 9
I consistently finished most days with around 40% charge remaining. As such, I’d say only prolific smartphone users should expect a day’s use from full to empty, while standard use should more closely mirror what I achieved.
The efficiency of the Snapdragon 855 became apparent in more in-depth testing, with a 6% drop after 15 minutes of intensive 3D gaming and a 3% drop when streaming Full HD HDR content at half brightness.
A 30 minute charge from the in-box 18W wired charger refilled the battery from flat to 55%. A full charge took 1hr 10mins – a tad longer than Xiaomi’s promise.
One of the big omissions from the Mi 8 – and even the Mi 8 Pro – was wireless charging. Thankfully, Xiaomi has rectified that with this year’s Mi flagship. You can power the Mi 9 back up wirelessly using any Qi-compatible charging pad, which in testing gave me 20% charge following a 30-minute charge.
To up the ante, the Mi 9 actually supports impressively fast 20W wireless charging, made possible by a new fan-cooled charging pad that Xiaomi is selling separately. I expect it will charge the phone equally as fast as the lower-wattage – but more efficient – in-box wired method, which is a pleasing way to throw the feature into the (Mi) mix.
Why buy the Xiaomi Mi 9?
Xiaomi has continued down the path of offering impressively capable smartphones at prices that subvert the status quo. In a market where most flagships are now dancing around the £1000 mark, the Mi 9 operates at a similarly high level of quality and performance although costs around half as much as the likes of the iPhone XS, Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.
In markets such as the UK, where high-priced contracts are commonplace, such a low handset-only pricing should prove enticing to those after a high-end experience without the income to match. The only question mark falls to the phone’s long-term support, with an unconfirmed path for OS and security updates going forward.
Elsewhere, the hardware and software experience feels as tight as any top-tier phone you’d find on store shelves right now – which get you thinking about what the higher price tag of phones such as the iPhone XS actually affords you.
Verdict
The Xiaomi Mi 9 has the makings of one of the most worthwhile flagship smartphone purchases of the year.
FromSoftware created a genre with Demon’s Souls, a formula that was catapulted to superstar status with Dark Souls and continues to grow, evolve and innovate with bold new changes. This path reaches a new crescendo with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a fiendishly difficult adventure that doesn’t hold your hand. In fact, it cuts it off in the first few minutes.
Set during Japan’s tumultuous Sengoku era, civil war has crippled the country into submission as warring factions fight for supremacy. Amidst this chaos is The Lone Wolf, a warrior who vows to protect a young prince endangered by the ensuing battle. He fails, disgraced and sworn to achieve revenge following Sekiro’s opening moments.
This brief setup initiates a journey that will last dozens of hours, pushing me to breaking points several times, and forcing me to reconsider everything I’ve learned about FromSoftware. Replacements for the Bonfire, Estus Flask and cryptic character development are all present, but everything that surrounds them is different.
The faster, more punishing pace is utterly demoralising, pounding you into the ground with mini-bosses that can slay you in two hits, paving the way for a gauntlet of vicious encounters that feel almost euphoric once conquered. You can’t summon friends to help you anymore. It’s all about skill, learning attack patterns and emerging victorious through the endless toil.
The Lone Wolf is a seasoned ninja, wielding his sword with the lightness of a feather. Yet, it can sure take a beating since blocking lies at the core of Sekiro. Every character has a stagger metre, a coloured gauge that’s filled by either pulling off attacks or successfully deflecting enemy strikes. The latter’s timing is in the milliseconds, making each fight a display of rhythmic beauty as I danced around whatever troubles came my way.
Fill up the stagger metre and you can perform a Deathblow, a devastating move that will kill most in a single motion, or wipe an entire health bar from stronger adversaries. Sekiro’s learning curve is steep, and it expected me to retrace my steps through bloody and beaten areas perfecting new techniques. It feels wonderful, eventually turning insurmountable obstacles into sprints tackled with unparalleled grace.
If it tickles your fancy, you can sneak through the majority of areas without being spotted. The mountains of Feudal Japan are drenched in snow and ripe with bushy grasslands, which are convenient ways to murder from the shadows. And my goodness does it feel good, each kill punctuated by a marvellous sound cue before blade meets throat.
Given that stealth in Dark Souls was limited to backstabbing foes before eventually alerting everyone, Sekiro feels worlds apart in the avenues it provides for each situation. The majority of combat arenas are large, open spaces with occupants patrolling in strict patterns. Disturb them and things will change, so taking out folks one by one before chaos eventually erupts is highly recommended.
If you waltz in confidently, hoping to take on everybody at once, you’ll be dead within seconds. Letting your guard down, even around the most basic threats, is a recipe for disaster. Even a minor lapse in concentration can turn the tide of battle, and often there’s no turning back. Sekiro is unforgiving, yet seldom feels unfair in its execution.
As I mentioned earlier, the opening moments in Sekiro have our hero losing his arm. While tragic at the time, it leads to one of the game’s defining mechanics. Now wielding a prosthetic with a grappling hook, you can zip across rooftops and cliffs with the touch of a button. I’m a disgraced, ashen-haired phantom with honour to reclaim, and nothing was going to stop me.
The verticality this gives environments is liberating, changing how I’ve come to expect exploration to work in such games. Leaping off a cliff to my death, only to launch towards a nearby tree branch to discover a cavalcade of secrets, made me feel like a true ninja, becoming acquainted with a realm I was slowly beginning to master.
Prosthetics can also be customised with different skills that transform the flow of battle. A flamethrower can scare away beasts while firecrackers stun enemies, leaving them open for a valuable strike or two. Upgrading these creates more room for experimentation, further strengthening your arsenal before many harder escapades.
Sekiro’s boss battles are triumphant, immediately cementing themselves as some of the genre’s best. At first many can feel broken, unfair to the point of hilarity. None of my attacks would work as I was backed into a corner and decimated beyond recognition. However, slowly but surely, I began to analyse every move and formulate a strategy. Countless attempts followed, but I soon emerged battered, broken and victorious.
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit the time it took me to realise what ‘Shadows Die Twice’ actually means. It refers to Sekiro’s resurrection mechanic, where you’re free to revive with half of your health after defeat. This comes with a consequence – a second death will result in the loss of abundant resources. You’ll also risk infecting the world’s inhabitants with Dragonrot, a deadly disease that has begun to sweep the country.
Some of the areas between boss battles can feel too brief, offering little breathing room before yet another progression-stomping encounter. Sekiro counters this after a few hours with a similar environment to Dark Souls; it offers the player countless directions to pursue in favour of one strict path.
If I was having trouble, I could abandon my objective and feel safe in the knowledge that I could return with hardened resolve a few hours later. Or just get my butt kicked another dozen times – whichever works. The world intertwines upon itself, opening up ways of returning to previous haunts that feel particularly ingenious. That, or you could simply find an Idol and initiate fast-travel, but that’s no fun!
While they aren’t telegraphed in the most obvious manner, Sekiro has an abundance of upgrade paths for you to follow. Known as “Arts”, they’re either unique moves to be equipped or passive upgrades that increase your stamina, blocking capabilities and other things. I found taking my time to discover these upgrades was a saving grace, offering brief respite in-between battles that showed little remorse.
The secrets being harboured by this archaic vision of Japan are plentiful, whether you’re after valuable upgrades or cryptically tragic anecdotes of the characters that have the misfortune to call this place home. While I’d hate to sound elitist, a base level knowledge of the period itself can produce some incredible moments of environmental storytelling, as you pick apart dialogue to find the beating heart beneath.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is one of the best games to emerge this year, adding yet another masterpiece to FromSoftware’s formidable catalogue of grim, uncompromising experiences.
Nearly every encounter feels like a nuanced session of cat-and-mouse as you dance alongside the enemy, culminating in a final act that leaves them in a puddle of their own defeat.
This combines with a colourful world that takes an already explored narrative linearity and uses it to its advantage to tell a tragic tale that’s genuinely brilliant.
The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom boasts flagship internals, an attractive design and a killer camera setup, but does it pose enough of a threat to more established global players like Samsung, Apple and Huawei?
The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom has been a long time coming, with the company first teasing a smartphone zoom camera concept back during Mobile World Congress 2017. The company showcased a follow-up technology demo one year later which appeared to be part of a nearly complete (but at the time still-unnamed) Reno test device.
The finished article looks to bring some interesting design and hardware elements to the table beyond its titular camera feature; not to mention a new build of the company’s own software and improved Oppo staples like updated VOOC fast-charging technology.
Oppo Reno 10x Zoom – Camera
As the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom name suggests suggests, the headline feature here is the phone’s zoom-savvy camera, which is actually part of a triple module arrangement, comprised of the increasingly-popular 48-megapixel sensor that the likes of the Honor View 20 and Xiaomi Mi 9 use, a 13-megapixel telephoto sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor.
Diving deeper, the 48-megapixel IMX586 features OIS (optical image stabilisation), a half inch sensor size, an f/1.7 aperture, 26mm focal length, 0.8µm pixels and supports pixel-binning to condense four-times the amount of image data into a more refined final 12-megapixel image. All that image data also plays a part in helping resolve fine detail when zooming in on things.
Speaking of zooming, the 13-megapixel telephoto sensor sits along the phone’s body, rather than pointing straight out. A unique D-cut periscopic lens rotates its line of sight through 90-degrees. It’s this that helps grant the phone its long-distance vision without adding any significant thickness or a Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom/K Zoom-style motorised lens onto the back.
Similarly to its most like-minded rival, the Huawei P30 Pro, the sensor is capable of lossless optical zoom and works in tandem with the phone’s main sensor at higher magnification levels to retain as much detail as possible. The sensor sports an f/3.0 aperture and, like the primary camera, OIS too.
Last but not least is the 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens, which features a short 16mm focal length – one of the two boundaries Oppo uses to define the phone’s 10x zoom capabilities (as it can shoot between 16mm and 160mm at full 20x ‘hybrid’ zoom), there’s no OIS here, however.
Snapping a selfie, using face unlock or relying on the rear flash will all summon the phone’s ‘pivot rising camera’
Tech specs out of the way, in actual use the raw image quality that the Reno 10x Zoom captures is encouraging. Having done a cursory side-by-side test with the P30 Pro, the Reno appears to make better use of available light (albeit at the expense of fine detail and sharpness), which holds promise should the company’s algorithmic efforts work as well as intended too.
One of the phone’s most distinct physical features is its ‘pivot rising camera’ – a wedge-shaped segment of the phone’s top edge that rises up by way of a motor to reveal the phone’s 16-megapixel f/2.0 front-facing camera. It’s here that you’ll also find twin LED flashes – a soft front-facing flash and one meant for use when trying to illuminate shots via the main camera on the back.
Oppo Reno 10x Zoom – Performance and Software
If you opened up the Reno 10x Zoom, there’d be no doubting its flagship credentials. Head-turning camera array aside, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset and up to 8GB of RAM are a sign of good things to come, based on the experiences the team here at Trusted has already encountered from similarly-specced smartphones.
I wasn’t yet able to benchmark the phone, nor test more intensive tasks like gaming and the like but a cursory swipe around showed no noticeable issues with the way the 10x Zoom handles.
The Android 9.0-based user experience has been overlaid with a reworked version of Oppo’s own ColorOS, dubbed ColorOS 6. Aside from the aforementioned algorithmic camera talents, it packs in a number of technologies under the ‘HyperBoost 2.0’ moniker, designed to reduce app load times, system speed and latency when gaming.
Gamers should also take note of this phone’s robust cooling system too, which makes use of a copper heat pipe, cooling gel and layered graphite to dissipate heat more efficiently than your average phone.
Oppo Reno 5G
There’s also the matter of connectivity, which by default includes support for Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and up to 4G+ mobile browsing speeds (depending on your region). If that still isn’t enough to cut the mustard, those willing to pay a premium can live on the bleeding edge by picking up a 5G variant of the 10x Zoom complete with Qualcomm’s X50 5G modem onboard, a.k.a the Oppo Reno 5G.
Beyond the improved data speeds, Qualcomm and Oppo are hoping that the Reno can serve as a flagbearer for 5G in 2019, mainly through demonstrating the benefits of the technology on compatible networks by supporting experiences such as virtual or augmented reality streaming and multiplayer gaming, anywhere.
The Reno line was originally teased in partnership with Swisscom, primarily as a result of the phone’s 5G credentials and the newly-implemented 5G infrastructure in the region but the likes of EE in the UK have also confirmed support for the Reno 5G when the phone launches on British shores too.
Oppo Reno 10x Zoom – Battery
To supplement the demands of that high-end chipset (and 5G, where applicable), the Reno 10x Zoom is equipped with a huge 4065mAh integrated battery. That figure alone should instil confidence out the gate, not just because it’s paired to the phone’s Full HD+ display resolution and use of AMOLED technology.
In addition to AI-driven power management, the 10x Zoom also comes complete with Oppo’s signature VOOC fast-charging technology. While still rated at the same wattage as its predecessor, version 3.0 of Oppo’s VOOC technology addresses the trickle charging state that takes place on a device when trying to fill the last few ounces of its battery’s charge.
As a result of a more efficient algorithm, Oppo has effectively doubled the charging speed during the last stage of battery replenishment, meaning more power, quicker, without sacrificing safety (and apparently, long-term battery health).
Oppo Reno 10x Zoom – Design
It should be clear that Oppo has fit a heck of a lot into the Reno 10x Zoom but the company should also be commended for the package in which it’s wrapped all this technology too. A metal frame comes sandwiched by rounded Gorilla Glass 5.0 on the back and lightly-pillowed Gorilla Glass 6.0 across the phone’s expansive 6.6-inch display.
The finish is pleasing too, with either a Jet Black or Ocean Green (see image below) colourway on offer, both of which employ a mix of shiny and textured glass that play with the light in interesting ways.
As far as flagship handsets are concerned, the phone looks thicker than the status quo and feels heavier than most comparable devices (based on intuition rather than having such competitors to hand, it should be said). Despite this, I really enjoyed studying the fit and finish of the 10x Zoom.
The body could best be described as a ‘glass tank’, and while the mechanised pop-up camera negates any chance of water resistance, the phone looks premium and feels extremely well put-together.
The company was quick to try and ease concerns about the pop-up mechanism’s reliability by stating that it’s guaranteed to operate as intended for at least five years; based on the premise of the camera being raised on average 100 times a day.
There’s also something called ‘free-fall detection’ onboard, so that should the phone slip from your grasp while the front-facing camera is out, it’ll quickly retract before impact to mitigate any real damage to the mechanism or camera hardware inside.
Zero camera bump is another bonus, with the phone boasting a perfectly flat back… almost. While such cleanliness is refreshing, the phone does feature what Oppo calls its ‘O-dot’ – a small ceramic bead set into the rear that raises the phone when on flat surfaces that would otherwise scratch up the main camera arrangement up. Smart.
Oppo Reno 10x Zoom – Screen
The whole reason for the phone’s unusual pop-up camera mechanism becomes clear when you realise the screen is completely devoid of a notch or hole-punch camera and terminates impressively close to the edges of the phone’s body.
Testing high frame rate, high-resolution HDR content on the Reno 10x Zoom was a treat.
With bezels that measure just 1.35mm on either side and a chin of just 3.5mm, the large 19.5:9 aspect ratio Full HD+ AMOLED display dominates the phone’s front, with a 93.1 percent screen-to-body ratio. The technology at play grants great colours and perfectly deep blacks, while testing HDR content also yielded pleasing results.
Oppo has implemented a few extra features into the screen to score it extra brownie points too. For starters, there’s an optical in-display fingerprint sensor, which the company says is twice as fast as first-generation iterations of the technology.
Next, there’s an improved (and certified) blue light filter that’s supposedly doubly effective, while (although untested) Oppo claims the screen also adheres to the full DCI-P3 colour space – something we’ll test for ourselves come full review time.
Oppo Reno 10x Zoom – Price and Availability
During the phone’s launch event in Zurich, the company revealed that the Reno 10x Zoom will be launching in early June with a starting price of €799 (for the 6GB RAM/128GB storage model), while, oddly enough, the similarly-specced Oppo Reno 5G would beat it to the punch, with a May launch date and an €899 price tag (in compatible markets).
No UK pricing is confirmed but a dedicated UK launch event is expected to take place on or around May 20.
