Monthly Archives: February 2017

Shell Aims To Sell Stake In Danish Offshore Oil, Gas Venture – OilPrice.com

Posted: February 7, 2017 at 8:39 am

Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) is looking to sell its share of the offshore oil and gas joint venture Danish Underground Consortium, in which the Anglo-Dutch oil majors stake is estimated to be worth up to US$1 billion, Reuters reported on Monday, citing banking sources.

If the sale were to take place, it would mark Shells exit from Denmark and further align with the supermajors plans to continue divesting assets.

According to Reuters sources, Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) is working on the sale.

Shell holds 36.8 percent in the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC) alongside operator A.P. Moller-Maersk, which owns 31.2 percent, U.S. major Chevron, which has 12 percent, and Denmarks state-run Nordsfonden which holds a 20-percent stake.

In September last year, Shell reached an agreement with Dansk Olieselskab ApS for the sale of A/S Dansk Shell in Denmark, which consists of the 70,000-bpd Fredericia refinery and local trading and supply activities, for around US$80 million, including working capital. The sale which was part of Shells strategy to focus its downstream operations on areas where it can be most competitive - completed the oil majors exit from downstream activities in Denmark.

Shells chief financial officer Simon Henry said last week that the group was making significant progress on selling another US$5 billion worth of assets.

Related: Are We Likely To See A Clash Over Resources In The South China Sea?

Last week Shell also announced it had agreed to sell a package of UK North Sea assets to Chrysaor for a total of up to US$3.8 billion and a stake in a field offshore Thailand for US$900 million.

In Shells earnings release last Thursday, chief executive Ben van Beurden said:

We are gaining momentum on divestments, with some $15 billion completed in 2016, announced, or in progress, and we are on track to complete our overall $30 billion divestment program as planned.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Offshore Drillers See Gains, But Recovery Afar – E&P

Posted: at 8:39 am


E&P
Offshore Drillers See Gains, But Recovery Afar
E&P
The tide is slowly changing for offshore drillers, but the sector still awaits smoother sailing based on analysts' and company earnings reports. Houston-based Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc.'s (NYSE: DO) reported Feb. 6 a profit of $73 million for ...
Diamond Offshore sees recovery when oil "well over $60"Reuters
Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO) Q4 2016 Results - Earnings Call TranscriptSeeking Alpha
Diamond Offshore Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 ResultsPR Newswire (press release)
Yahoo Finance
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Offshore Drillers See Gains, But Recovery Afar - E&P

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Further decline in North Sea offshore supply work – BBC News

Posted: at 8:39 am


BBC News
Further decline in North Sea offshore supply work
BBC News
A new study has confirmed the UK's oil and gas supply chain saw its turnover decline in 2015. The report by business advisers EY indicates the fall in the price of oil led to a fall in business activity for firms serving North Sea producers. They ...
Day two of our probe into the offshore crisis that is threatening to destroy Scotland's oil industryThe Scottish Sun

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‘A community remembers’ coming to Hesston – Leavenworth Times

Posted: at 8:35 am

By Chad FreyNewton Kansan@ChadFrey

HESSTON It has been nearly a year since tragedy struck at Excel Industries. Nearly a full year since an angry man went home, got a gun and started shooting at random cars in Newton before entering Excel and killing three people. He was shot and killed by police in one of the deadliest days in Harvey County history.

It is a day few will ever forget, even if they want to. It is a day, according to Brad Burkholder, that the community is still trying to recover from.

For the past year, people are dealing with it in different ways and are in different stages, Burkholder said. ... We are impacted in different ways, and we all recover at different speeds as well.

Burkholder is pastor of Hesston Mennonite Brethren church of Hesston and a member of the Hesston Ministerial Alliance. He and the alliance are organizing a night to remember that fateful day. The ceremony, called A Community Remembers: 'The Light Shines in the Darkness will begin at 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at Hesston High School.

The ministerial alliance purposely avoided the actual date of the shootings Feb. 25.

We decided not to do the day of, or the Sunday after. We thought it was important to gather before the actual anniversary, Burkholder said.

The Ministerial Alliance, Excel Industries and the Hesston Community Foundation teamed up to create the observance.

The observance is coming as the result of community requests people asking all three organizations when something would be done.

We got to the later part of (2016) and we knew we did not want Feb 25 to pass without something intentional, said Susan Lamb with the community foundation.

The service will include remembering the dead from that day Renee Benjamin, 30; Joshua Higbee, 31; Brian Sadowsky, 44, and Cedric Ford, 38. Also remembered will be those injured during the events.

There will also be a moment of hope offered.

We will have a commissioning. We want to remind people that as they go out in their communities that week we have an opportunity to meet people where they are at, Burkholder said. We need to acknowledge that there is pain and hurt. We all carry with us our past experiences. We know that not everyone who comes will have the same belief system spiritually, but we need each other.

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'A community remembers' coming to Hesston - Leavenworth Times

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Coalition Calls Itself The ‘Eyes, Ears & Voice’ Of Pittsburgh’s Black Community – 90.5 WESA

Posted: at 8:35 am

Politicians from the local and state level are partnering in a new way to find out what issues are most important to Pittsburghs black residents and how to address them.

The Pittsburgh Black Elected Officials Coalition, which includes Allegheny County Councilman DeWitt Walton, Pittsburgh City Councilmembers Daniel Lavelle and Ricky Burgess and state representatives Jake Wheatley and Ed Gainey, just completed its first project.

The group released its Peace and Justice Initiative report last Thursday, which outlines six key areas of concern within the citys African American community, including public safety, housing, family, business and education.

Walton said the issues are interwoven.

How can we better collaborate and coordinate better opportunities from community based and workforce opportunities? Walton said. And as a result, increase the per capita wage income of individuals, and as a result, youll increase home ownership. And a third result, youll increase public safety.

Waltonis one of five black elected officials who represent Pittsburgh at the city, county and state levels. The current terms of three of those five -- Wheatley, Gainey and Lavelle -- will expire in the next two years.

Wheatley, who represents the 19th district, which is majority black, said the group had a clear catalyst.

I think we started to see the explosion of young black men and women being killed by police officers, Wheatley said. And when we started to question, why is that happening? Its not just the criminal justice system, its a culture of neglect that weve allowed to continue. We have to address it in a holistic approach. We have to attack all of these areas, and figure out how we can fundamentally transform how we see view and transform these vulnerable communities.

Wheatley said this is the first time the five men have really worked together. In the past, there had been some tension and political rivalry. But he said to make an impact, you need to have functional relations at every level of government.

I understand the importance of having someone whos a friend or at least a confidant at the city level, he said. Because what we do at the state level impacts the city and what theyre doing at the city level helps inform what I need to do at the state level.

Lavelle agreed.

Currently in the Hill District, were dealing with new housing developments, but many of the dollars have come from the federal government and we also received state grants, he said. And that only happens when you have a close relationship with those representing you on those levels, that understand the vision and your goals.

Since there are so few black elected officials in the area, Wheatley said he feels a particularly heavy weight on his shoulders to serve his constituents.

Leadership has no colors, no gender, no income, he said. But there is a different pressure being in Pittsburgh, being an African American, and being in one of these elected offices, because all around you, you see men and women and children who look like you and are dependent on you to be their eyes and ears and voice. You see them suffering on most of the social and economic indicators. You see them suffering the worst.

From institutional racism to implicit bias,Lavellesaid the members of this coalition intimately understand the challenges facing the black community.

We know it. Weve lived it. Weve experienced it, he said. Even as policy makers, weve experienced it when weve tried to bring issues to the table that affect communities of color but dont necessarily have the ear of all our white colleagues to understand why this is so critical. I think the difference now is when we collectively stand up and being able to have a unified voice, I think will really be able to move the needle in a way that we havent in the past.

Wheatley said moving that needle will require bringing a lot of other people on board with their vision a significant task for he andGainey.

For example, me and Ed are two in a body that has 253 members, he said. So how do you build other members along to what were trying to accomplish to make the transformations on a state level?

Lavellesaid on their own, the five coalition members wont be able to make a tremendous difference on the realities of whats impacting people. He said support needs to come from the top down, but also from the bottom up within his own district.

Its an interesting conversation when I have residents Downtown complaining about broken sidewalks or needing street repair, Lavelle said. Ill often say to them, I understand the need for this, but if you help me increase the economic situation for those who are your neighbors in the Hill District, thatll grow the tax base, bring in additional revenues, to do some of these other things being done.

The coalition held community meetings across the city last year to ask residents what they want changed.Members agreed they each need to be more intentional about who theyre engaging across the community, with special emphasis on those most affectedby social and economic inequities.

The nonprofit Homewood Childrens Village gathered additional data and formed the report. It contained no specific policy recommendations, but members said plans in the pipeline could include legislation; approval from city, county and state leaders; and corporate sponsorship.

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Coalition Calls Itself The 'Eyes, Ears & Voice' Of Pittsburgh's Black Community - 90.5 WESA

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Quantum Entanglement May Be Key To Long Distance Space Travel Ex Lockheed Exec Said It’s Already Happening – Collective Evolution

Posted: at 8:34 am

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Its called quantum entanglement, its extremely fascinating and counter to what we believe to bethe known scientific laws of the universe, so much so that Einstein himself could not wrap his head around it. Although its calledquantum entanglement, thoughEinstein referred to it as spooky action at a distance.

Recent research has taken quantum entanglement out of the theoretical realm of physics, and placed into the one of verified phenomena.An experiment devised by the Griffith Universitys Centre for Quantum Dynamics, led by Professor Howard Wiseman and his team of researchers at the university of Tokyo, recently published a paper in thejournalNature Communicationsconfirming what Einstein did not believe to be real: the non-local collapse of a particles wave function. (source)(source), and this is just one example of many.

They did this by splitting a single photon between two laboratories, and testing whether measurement of it in one laboratory would actually cause a change in the local quantum state in the other laboratory. In doing so, researchers were able to verify the entanglement of the split single photon.

Researchers have since replicated this experiment over and over again, with results of entanglement seen at kilometres of distance. Below is a great visual depiction of what quantum entanglement from the film, What The Bleep Do We Know.

Space is just the construct that gives the illusion that there areseparateobjects Dr. Quantum

Sure, there are a lot of philosophies regarding what all of this stuff actually means, but, as Dr. Elizabeth Rauscher puts it, its a pre-curser to realizing that everything is connected, and that everything in the universe is one. What happens in what we call reality, is effecting something else in that same reality, its all touching. (source)

Whats happening here is that, either we are witnessing the transfer of information at a speed far greater than the speed of light, or even better, something completely instantaneous.

If all points in space are connected, that means vast distances between places are simply an illusion. Furthermore, quantum entanglement challenges Einsteins theory of relativity, but theories are developed to be tweaked and changed. Unfortunately, our world is plagued with secrecy, and you can learn more about that in an article about the black budget linked at the bottom of this article.

Rich was the second director of Lockheed Skunkworks from 1975-1991. Hes been called the Father of Stealth, having overseen the development of the stealth fighter, the F-117Anighthawk.Before his death, Rich made several shocking open statements about the reality of UFOs and extraterrestrials.

We already have the means to travel among the stars, but these technologies are locked up in black projects, and it would take an act of God to ever get them out to benefit humanity. Anything you can imagine, we already know how to do it. (1)

We now have technology to take ET home. No it wont take someones lifetime to do it. There is an error in the equations. We know what it is. We now have the capability to travel to the stars. (1)

There are two types of UFOs the ones we build and the ones they build. (1)

Where Quantum Entaglement Comes In

When Rich was asked how UFO propulsion worked, he said,Let me ask you. How does ESP work?The questioner responded with, All points in time and space are connected?Rich then said, Thats how it works!

Interesting to think about, isnt it? Perhaps the vast distances that exist between planets, solar systems and more isnt really as much of a barrier as we thought it was.

One of the sources is aerospace journalist, James Goodall, who wrote for publications such asJanes Defense Weekly, Aviation Week and Space Technology, and Interavia. He is an accomplished speaker specializing in the history, development, and operations of the worlds only Mach 3 capable, manned air breathing aircraft, the SR-71 family of aircraft. (1) (source)(source)(source)

He is also an author, as well as the Associate Curator at the Pacific Aviation Meseum, HI. He was also the restoration manager at the Museum of Flight in Paine Field, Everett, WA.

Goodall interviewed many from the classified black budget world (read more about that world here.) He claimed that some of his contacts told him thatwe have things out there that are literally out of this world, better than Star Trek or what you see in the movies. (1)

From his work alone, James Goodall knew Ben Rich well. In a video interview, Goodall stated that he spoke to Rich approximately 10 days before he died:

About ten days before he died, I was speaking to Ben on the telephone at the USC Medical Center in LA. And he said, Jim, we have things out in the desert that are fifty years beyond what you can comprehend. They have about forty five hundred people at the Lockheed Skunk works. What have they been doing for the last eighteen or twenty years? Theyre building something. (1)

Another source comes from John Andrews, who was a legendary Lockheed engineer. He had written to Rich, stating his own belief inUFOs, both manmade and extraterrestrial. Andrews has asked Rich if his own beliefs covered extraterrestrial as well as manmade UFOs. Richs reply was as follows:

Yes, Im a believer in both categories. I feel everything is possible. Many of our man-made UFOs are Un-Funded Opportunities. There are two types of UFOs, the ones we build, and the ones they build. (1)

In Richs reply, he underlined the U, F, and O in unfunded opportunities.

Thirdly, Jan Harzan, a senior executive with IBM, along with Tom Keller, an aerospace engineer who has worked as a computer systems analyst for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, discusses a talk Ben gave some time ago. OnMarch 23rd, 1993 at a UCLA School of Engineering talk where he was presenting a general history of Sunk Works, he said this:

We now know how to travel to the stars. There is an error in the equations, and we have figured it out, and now know how to travel to the stars and it wont take a lifetime to do it. It is time to end all the secrecy on this, as it no longer poses a national security threat, and make the technology available for use in the private sector. There are many in the intelligence community who would like to see this stay in the black and not see the light of day. We now have the technology to take ET home. (1)

Here is a video of Jan telling the story:

Its quite remarkable how many verified statements we have regarding UFOs (unidentified flying objects) andextraterrestrials from people who have held the highest positions possible within the government, military, academia, politics and more. To be honest, its overwhelming, and when you put all of those statements together with all of the previously classified documentation that has been released over the past few years, it paints a startling picture. Anybody who has done even a fair amount of research, and adheres to the philosophy of condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance, would not be able to deny this, and I have yet to come across someone who has done the research that still subjectsthis topic to the conspiracy theory realm.

If youd like to learn more about UFOs, a great place to start is by checking out what happens when they are tracked on military radar.

To view a fraction of some verified quotes, and documents, and more, you can sift through the exopolitics section of our website and browse through our heavily sourced articles there.

Below is an example, and a video Ive used many times before, as it is an extremely powerful statement. I apologize if youve seen it before, but it really hits home. There really is an abundant amount of evidence.

Below is a great lecture given by researcher Richard Dolan. A great place to start. I apologize if youve seen this content before, but we always have new readers visiting our site, so its important to constantly put this information out there for those new eyes.

A century from now, it will be well known that: the vacuum of space which fills the universe is itself the real substratum of the universe; vacuum in a circulating state becomes matter; the electron is the fundamental particle of matter and is a vortex of vacuum with a vacuum-less void at the center and it is dynamically stable; the speed of light relative to vacuum is the maximum speed that nature has provided and is an inherent property of the vacuum; vacuum is a subtle fluid unknown in material media; vacuum is mass-less, continuous, non viscous, and incompressible and is responsible for all the properties of matter; and that vacuum has always existed and will exist forever.Then scientists, engineers and philosophers will bend their heads in shame knowing that modern science ignored the vacuum in our chase to discover reality for more than a century.

The quote above comes from Paramahamsa Tewari, Inventor of whats called the Reactionless AC Synchronous Generator (RLG).

What he says above has been the subject of discussion within the realms of physics and astronomy for decades. At the turn of the nineteenth century, physicists started to explore the relationship between energy and the structure of matter. In doing so, the belief that a physical, Newtonian material universe that was at the very heart of scientific knowing was dropped, and the realization that matter is nothing but an illusion replaced it. Scientists began to recognize that everything in the Universe is made out of energy.

Quantum physicists discovered that physical atoms are made up of vortices of energy that are constantly spinning and vibrating, each one radiating its own unique energy signature. This is also known as the Vacuum or The Zero-Point Field.

Whats even more fascinating is that the stuff within this space can be accessed and used. This was experimentally confirmed when The Casimir Effect illustrated zero point or vacuum state energy, which predicts that two metal plates close together attract each other due to an imbalance in the quantum fluctuations(source)(source). You can see a visual demonstration of this concepthere.Before Casimir, these pockets of nothing were thought to be voids.

Unfortunately, when contemplating the nature of our reality and what we perceive to be our physical world, the existence of the vacuum and and what lies within what we call space is very much over-looked. I find it amusing how were still searching for the God particle when a large amount of evidence points to the idea that most of what we refer to as reality is actually something we cant perceive with our physical senses!

No point is more central than this, that space is not empty, it is the seat of the most violent physics John Wheeler

Its quite confusing, which is why I am posting the video below of someone (out of many people) who spends their life researching and experimenting with these cool concepts.

Below is a video of Nassim Haramein giving a TEDx talk at USCD. Nassim currently leads teams of physicists, electrical engineers, mathematicians and other scientists to explore the frontier of unification principles and their implications. Harameins lifelong vision of applied unified physics to create positive change in the world today is reflected in the mission of The Resonance Project Foundation. He shares the developments of his research through scientific publications and educational offerings through the Resonance Academy.

Currently Nassim is focused on his most recent developments in quantum gravity and their applications to technology, new energy research, applied resonance, life sciences, permaculture, and consciousness studies. Nassim currently resides in Kauai compassionately raising his two young sons, and surfing the sunlit swells on the shores of the magnificent Hawaiian islands.

HERE is an example of some of his published research, with co authors, one of whom is Elizabeth A. Rauscher, an American physicist. She is a former researcher with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Stanford Research Institute, and NASA.

Space is actually not empty and its full of energyThe energy in space is not trivial theres a lot of it and we can actually calculate how much energy there is in that space and that reality might actually come out of it. Everything we see is actually emerging from that space.

Related CE Articles:

Distinguished Scientists Gather To Emphasize That Matter Is Not The Only Reality

Sources:

(1)Dolan, Richard. UFOs For the 21st Century Mind: New York: Richard Dolan Press, 2014(Historian, author, one of the worlds leading researchers on the topic of UFOs)

Related CE Article: Learn More About The Black Budget.

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Quantum Entanglement May Be Key To Long Distance Space Travel Ex Lockheed Exec Said It's Already Happening - Collective Evolution

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First results on Scott Kelly after year in space reveal space travel changes DNA – USA TODAY

Posted: at 8:34 am

The first results of the aptly-named Twins Study are in: Scott Kelly's year in space changed his DNA. It also made him taller! USA TODAY NETWORK

Astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly speak during the 2017 Breakthrough Prize at NASA Ames Research Center on December 4, 2016 in Mountain View, California.(Photo: Kelly Sullivan, Getty Images for Breakthrough Pr)

Space travel, it turns out, does more than make us weightless, it can even makethe endsof your chromosomes bigger.

The first results of a study delving into the impact space travel has on a person's body were released Monday. Appropriately named the Twins Study, the research looks deep into the effect galaxy travel had on astronaut Scott Kelly compared to his identical twin brother and former astronaut Mark.The brothers shared biological samples before during and after Scott's nearlyyear-long foray into space last year. The entire time, Mark was earth-bound.

Scott, when he returned to Earth, was a full two inches taller. But the preliminary results went far deeper. Here's what was found:

- Scott's telomeres on the ends of his chromosomesin his white blood cells lengthened while in space. Researchers said it could be attributed to increased exercise and his reduced calorie intake during flight. The telomeres shortened when he returned. Talomerestypically decrease in lengthas a person ages.

- The study found the level of chemical DNA modification slowed while in space but then returned to normal when returning to Earth.

- Scott's cognitive abilities in speed and accuracy slowed just slightly afterthe mission.

- Scott's bone formation slowed duringthe second half of his trip. Also, there was a spike in inflammation right after landing, which could be because of the stresses of re-entry.

- The study determined a stress hormone was "low normal" throughout the trip but increased over the course of the expedition. The study said the hormone, linked to bone and muscle health, was, "likely impacted by heavy exercise countermeasures during flight."

- Two dominant bacterial groups were more prevalent in Scott when he was in space versuswhen he was on Earth.

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10th Letter looks at nature in the time of the Singularity – Creative Loafing Atlanta

Posted: at 8:34 am

On Feb. 6, Jeremi Johnson, aka 10thLetter, dropped an unannounced new album, titled Nature In Singularity. The recording shifts 10th Letters gears a bit by delving into a more abstract wash of ambient samples and electronic soundscapes than anything Johnson has previously released. As the title suggests, the album is a conceptual offering that examines nature in the time of the Singularity a flash point in human evolution when behavior and civilizations rules become governed by advanced technology in ways that are not yet comprehensible.

The audio and video halves of Nature In Singularity give a glimpse into a day in the life of an artificially intelligent being taking a meditative stroll through various terrestrial terrains, happy that humans are no longer around to destroy the environment.

Nature In Singularity debuted live in a performance at Tech Square Labs on Jan. 28, during an evening of music and arts dedicated to exploring themes around the context of Singularity. Johnson was tasked with tackling nature. The material was initially intended for a one-off performance, but the theme and the imagery weighed heavy on his mind. Technology is in a place where some really crazy and really scary things are happening, Johnson says. We're living in a time when human intelligence is under assault. Journalism is under assault. Facts are under assault. Technology has progressed so much that I dont think we can turn back. Were at the event horizon for the Singularity, and this is how it all begins.

Nature In Singularity will be released as a cassette, and possibly as a DVD later this year. In the meantime, Johnson is wrapping up work on an album with Saira Raza, titled Bhadda Saya, which should arrive in late Feb.or early March.

10th Letter plays Mammal Gallery on Thurs., Feb. 9. With CJ Boyd, Danny Bailey and Rasheeda Ali, and Dux. $5. 9 p.m.91 Broad St. S.W. http://www.mammalgallery.com.

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10th Letter looks at nature in the time of the Singularity - Creative Loafing Atlanta

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Ascension to move forward on street widening and intersection projects – WBRZ

Posted: at 8:31 am

ASCENSION The Ascension Parish Department of Public Works will begin prioritizing Parish President Kenny Matassa's recommendations for street widening and intersection improvements on several parish roads.

The following roadways are recommended priorities:

- Beco Road - C. Braud Road - Cannon Road - Duplessis Road - Germany Road - Henry Road - Leo Lambert Road - Roddy Road - Swamp Road - Tiggy Duplessis Road

Additional roads may be added as the parish council and administration work to finalize the projects. According to the Matassa's office, the projects with be funded through bonds.

"Transportation projects are vital for our continued success. This is the first step to funding and improving our parish roads in the near future, while continuing to cultivate long term solutions through the transportation master plan," Matassa said.

The Transportation Committee meeting will begin advancing the project recommendations forward at Monday night's meeting.

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Ascension to move forward on street widening and intersection projects - WBRZ

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TowerFall Ascension Review – TrueAchievements

Posted: at 8:31 am

If you're feeling nostalgic for local multiplayer and couch co-op, you may want to turn your attention to the indie development scene. Besides the critical and commercial success of madcap kitchen simulator Overcooked, a lot of recent ID@Xbox titles have been combining their retro inspired visuals and gameplay with that good old fashioned ability for your friends to pick up a second controller and hop straight into the action. TowerFall Ascension is one of the latest games to play into this nostalgia. Conceptually, this could have been made in 1994. Its successes and frustrations will be familiar to anyone who has dusted off their old consoles with friends and tried to relive a time when games were simple, chaotic fun. Even from the main menu, there is no doubt that TowerFall has a multiplayer focus. Although it's possible to play the limited campaign mode solo, even the button you press is called 'Co-Op', making you feel like a bit of a loser for playing it on your own. The campaign consists of eight initial levels, plus four bonus levels that are unlocked by meeting obscure requirements. Each level is a static map of various platforms. The maps wrap around, so if you drop through a gap in the floor then you'll appear in the ceiling, and exiting left brings you out on the right; it's a very basic setup. In the campaign, you'll face up to eight waves of various sprite-based monsters. Some fly and some walk, while some shoot arrows or lasers. All are classic platforming archetypes and while it's not very inspiring to look at, you'll at least feel like you're on familiar ground. The real challenge is keeping out of the way. One touch from an enemy or projectile and you lose one of your five precious lives.

With enemies continually spawning and falling through the wrap-around edges, you'll want to take them out quickly so that you aren't swarmed. Your primary weapon is a bow and three arrows, which you'll have to retrieve from the map or a dead enemy after shooting. Such a scarcity of ammo seems unfairly balanced in the enemy's favour, given that there are so many of them, but that balance quickly swings too far the other way when you realise two key tactics. Firstly, you can stomp on enemies like a traditional platformer, negating any danger from enemies without projectiles. The other option is to use the dash. Not only are you protected from damage while dashing, you will also catch any enemy projectile in the path of your dash. It completely changes the game. In the campaign you'll also notice that the spawn locations and types are static, meaning that you can memorise the wave, take out the more significant enemies before they become a problem and simply stomp on everything else.

The other single player mode is Trials, hidden away in the corner of the main menu, and its the least entertaining mode in the game. Instead of spawning enemies, you just have a series of target dummies to try and hit as quickly as possible, turning the game into a typical trajectory based puzzle you've played a million times over on your smartphone. The diamond medal times aren't impossible but they are punishing. There's simply not enough entertainment value in the Trials mode to put yourself through the frustration.

Power-up chests will continually spawn, turning the action into a race to claim the prize. This might be a shield, a pair of wings, additional arrows or special arrows such as a Bomb or Laser. There's a decent amount of customisation available here too. Beyond setting the score target, you can limit which maps you play, what kind of power-ups will appear and how arrows will react in the environment. It's all cleverly balanced to favour lightning-fast rounds where one mistake can cost you the match, reminding me of Wand Wars or even Super Smash Bros. in its frenetic turning of the tables with every action. It's just unfortunate that TowerFall lacks the same level of charm and character.

The audiovisual design is quite charming if you like retro pixel art, with dynamic lighting giving a little flavour to the level design. Each arena has its own art style and theme tune and it's quite immersive. The soundtrack will get stuck in your head if you spend a good amount of time in the game, but it's a great homage to some classic 8-bit scores so you won't mind too much. There's certainly nothing here that offends the eyes or ears, but given the huge proportion of ID@Xbox titles already pumping out pixel art and 8-bit tunes, TowerFall fails to stand out from the crowd.

Positives

Negatives

Ethics Statement

The reviewer spent five hours shooting blobs with arrows, earning nine of the game's 17 achievements. An Xbox One digital copy of the game was provided by the ID@Xbox team for the purposes of this review.

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TowerFall Ascension Review - TrueAchievements

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