It's been an exciting few weeks for fans of first-person shooters with the release of the much-anticipated Destiny 2: Forsaken and the covers coming off of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's battle royale mode.
Did Forsaken succeed in its ambition to revitalise the Destiny experience? Does Blackout make up for the lack of a single-player campaign and can it go toe to toe with with the likes of the all-conquering Fortnite? Read on to find out.
Destiny 2: Forsaken
Cayde-6 dies. This isn't really a spoiler, as it's been pretty heavily featured in the marketing for this, the first full expansion for Destiny 2. The death of this fan favourite - voiced by Firefly and Castle's Nathan Fillion in prior instalments but by veteran voice actor Nolan North this time round - is the catalyst for a new story campaign in which you hunt down those responsible for the mouthy robot's death.
Destiny 2 released to rave reviews from most quarters, but many players, especially veterans of the first Destiny, soon started complaining that there were a few serious issues: no random rolls on weapons and armour, meaning there was no real reason to keep grinding for more gear after a certain point; the feeling that you just were not quite as powerful a gun-wielding "space wizard" as you were in the original game; and a new weapon slot system that severely limited gunplay options. Does Forsaken manage to do for Destiny 2 what The Taken King did for its predecessor, turning it into the game that it should have been at launch?
Yes. All of the above problems have been addressed, resulting in a game that has never been more fun or engaging. Random weapon perks give you a reason to keep hunting for the perfect gun and the new weapon slot system means you can finally have a sniper rifle and rocket launcher equipped at the same time. There are new super abilities, and you once again feel like a character with the sort of power at your disposal that should have all but the most foolhardy foes quaking in their space boots.
The addition of bows to your arsenal is a revelation: running around pulling off headshots like some sort of futuristic Legolas from The Lord of the Rings is my gaming highlight of the year thus far.
The new campaign is excellent, lacking the tonal inconsistency that cropped up in the past, and the new strikes, adventures and of course the massive new raid all mean that you’ll never be out of things to do. And that is, of course, what Destiny fans want: a game that you can play for hours every day, if you so choose, and that still leaves you wanting more. The fans asked, and developers Bungie listened, delivering the experience they really should have a year ago. But with Forsaken being as good as it is, it’s hard to hold that against them for too long.
Destiny 2: Forsaken is out now on Xbox One, PS4 and Windows
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s Blackout mode
If you can't beat them, join them: the success of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) inspired Epic Games to add a battle royale mode to Fortnite, and the rest, as they say, is gaming history. Now, the two FPS heavyweights, Battlefield and Call of Duty, are also keen for a slice of the battle-royale action - but is it too little too late? Not if the beta of Black Ops 4's Blackout is any indication.
The first thing you notice as the size of the map: it's a strange feeling to see such a large gameplay area in a CoD title. The second thing that grabs your attention is just how smooth and crisp everything is. In many ways, Blackout looks and feels like a much-more polished version of PUBG. Imagine the latter game being developed by one of the world's top developers and backed by one the world's biggest publishers and this would be - and is - the result.
Blackout goes for PUBG's more "realistic" approach, as opposed to the more cartoony Fortnite, but just does it all better. The excellent weapon handling CoD is known for is present here, and it's a joy to experience it in a huge, open world that also comes with kill times much longer than anything you usually associate with this series. If you're the sort of gamer who enjoys most aspects of CoD except the short kill times in multiplayer, then this could be the realisation of your most fervent FPS fantasies.
Blackout is a fun enough experience that it could probably sell Black Ops 4 on its own, especially with the sort of exposure it's bound to get through streaming - during the beta, Ittihad FC footballer Jamal Bajandouh from Saudi Arabia did a livestream with compatriot Youtuber oPillZ,who has almost 1.7 million subscribers. These days, having a game that's fun to watch has become as important as having one that's fun to play, and Blackout delivers on both fronts.
The lack of a campaign is still hard to get to grips with, but right now it looks like Activision’s gamble is going to pay off.
CoD: Black Ops 4 releases on October 12 for PS4, Windows and Xbox One.
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wes%20Ball%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Owen%20Teague%2C%20Freya%20Allen%2C%20Kevin%20Durand%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Blue%20Beetle
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
