According to the university, the Lyth building has been shut for investigations into possible defects and associated infrastructure work.According to local news provider Nottinghamshire Live, the building closed last spring after wet rot was discovered in its structural timber.The 11.5 million building at Brackenhurst the university's rural Southwell-based campus was completed in 2020 and was named RIBA East Midlands Building of the Year in 2022.AdvertisementIt officially opened in January 2023, serving as the new home of the universitys School of Animal, Rural and Environment Sciences, with research labs, teaching rooms, and a 200-capacity lecture theatre.Regarding the alleged defects, the buildings main contractor Clegg Construction confirmed to the AJ: There is an ongoing investigation that is being dealt with by PI Insurers.In September, NTU submitted a planning application for a temporary portacabin on the Brackenhurst Campus, which it said would provide alternative teaching and dining facilities while the Lyth building remains closed for essential improvement works.A cover letter submitted by planning consultant P&DG on behalf of NTU said the proposal would support the ongoing operation of the university, temporarily replacing the refectory in the Lyth Building, while it undergoes essential improvement works.The letter added: The Lyth Building is required to be vacant during the duration of the works, the timescales of which are not fully known at this time.AdvertisementThe planning application, which has yet to be ruled on by Newark & Sherwood Council, requires a temporary consent of up to five years for the portacabin.The temporary building would sit in the footprint of a now-demolished building on the campus, the Medlar building.An NTU spokesperson confirmed that the Lyth building has been temporarily closed for investigations into possible defects and associated infrastructure work.They added: Alternative, high-quality teaching and ancillary space has already been put in place to support our students.When the project won East Midlands Building of the Year in 2022, the RIBA jury said: The Lyth sits elegantly into its context of listed buildings and designed landscapes, while giving a centre and focus to the burgeoning campus of NTU. It has raised the bar for future development.Evans Vettori has been contacted for comment.

The heritage preservation charity dropped a competition-winning Allies and Morrison proposal to rebuild and restore Clandon Park following a major U-turn in 2022, opting instead for a pared-back approach which would preserve its fire-damaged shell.At the time, a spokesperson said the trust had moved away from the original designs through a process of detailed feasibility with our design team. Allies and Morrison continues to lead on the design with conservation design support from Purcell.But submission of a planning application for the new design in November has incensed traditionalists, with architect Francis Terry accusing the National Trust of an act of barbarism against the Grade I-listed building, which is near Guildford in Surrey.AdvertisementTerry said the scheme would leave Clandons interior as a fire-damaged ruin with walkways, a lift shaft and a myriad of unsympathetic Modernist additions.In a statement, Terry added: This is an act of barbarism. This house should be restored to what it was, including the famous plasterwork, on which Clandons reputation as a great Georgian house rests. Source:NH53 (creative commons)The burnt-out shell of Clandon Park House, Surrey, after an accidental fire in 2015Following a devastating fire at Clandon in 2015, then-National Trust director Helen Ghosh said the 18th-century stately home had been reduced to essentially a shell.The Clandon redesign saga has wormed its way to the forefront of a major dispute within the National Trust in recent months, after activists within the organisation accused it of a tragic dereliction of duty by refusing to restore the mansion.The protestors known as the Restore Trust argue that the National Trust is failing to preserve its historic buildings in favour of modish, divisive ideologies.AdvertisementIn a design and access (D&A) statement, Allies and Morrison says its latest proposal, which include events space and walkways allowing views of Clandons scorched interiors, celebrates the beauty of the building that survived. Source:Allies and Morrison (taken from planning documents)Allies and Morrisons latest plans (Nov 2024) for Clandon Park House in Surrey walkways for displays and viewingThe National Trust insists the sensitive contemporary design of the light-touch proposals will bring Clandon Park back to life as a welcoming, engaging and fully functional house' and create an exciting new chapter in [the buildings] history.A spokesperson said the designs reflect in-depth conversations with heritage bodies, architectural specialists, community organisations and more than 75,000 visitors t0 Clandon since the fire. It added that public feedback had been overwhelmingly positive.The trust added: Our vision is for a house that showcases the importance and beauty of what survived the fire and celebrates the stories of the many people who made and crafted it over centuries.But Terry insists the faithful rebuilding of the mansion would give employment to traditional tradespeople and save the building from being lost, perhaps forever.The Classical architect dismissed as 'exaggerated fears that a full restoration of Clandon would lack the original build quality. Source:Jim Linwood creative commonsClandon Park House, Surrey, before the 2015 fire which badly damaged itIn its D&A, Allies and Morrison has said its pared-back proposal celebrates the beauty of the building that survived, displaying the visually dramatic and historically intriguing fire-damaged interiors while allowing visitors to learn the story of how it was designed, built and crafted over the centuries.The proposed scheme would renew the house as a fully functioning building, it said, with a new roof, windows, heating and structural repairs to conserve the surviving house, including its Speakers Parlour. Furniture and artworks would be returned to the house to form new displays.Interior walkways and a new public roof terrace will enable new ways of seeing and encountering the house that actively reveal its historic and architectural significance and enhance its visual drama, the practice added.Allies and Morrison was appointed in 2017 to lead the rebuild, following a star-studded contest run by Malcolm Reading Consultants. The top five AJ100 practice selected specialist Purcell to offer conservation design support.The first phase of construction works, repairing exterior walls and stonework, is expected to cost up to 20 million.Clandon Park was built in the 1720s by Venetian architect Giacomo Leoni and left to the National Trust in 1956.

If you lucked out and got a new phone, handheld console or tablet over the holidays, then you might suddenly be worried keeping your new gadget powered when out and about. Thankfully, you don't have to spend a lot to get a beefy power bank to take on the go. Thanks to a deal on Amazon, you can currently get this powerful Ugreen 20,000-mAh power bank for just $56 if you use the coupon on the page for 30% off. See at AmazonThis immense power bank has a huge capacity -- enough to charge most phones multiple times over -- along with a total of 100-watt delivery as well. It has two USB-C ports and a USB-A port, so you can charge three devices at once, and one of those USB-C ports is rated for 65-watt fast charging meaning it can power larger devices like laptops. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.A convenient display on the side lets you quickly see how much power this battery has left meaning you're less likely to be left in the lurch when it runs out. Your $56 spend also gets you a USB-C cable which can be used to plug in one of your devices to recharge or top up the power bank itself. Top deals available today, according to CNET's shopping experts Curated discounts worth shopping while they last Apple AirTag, 4-pack: $70 (save $29)Costco 1-year Gold Star membership + $20 gift card: $65 (save $20)Anker 20-watt USB-C charger, 2-pack: $12 (save $7)Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum: $160 (save $40)Peloton Bike: $1,145 (save $300) Why this deal mattersA good power bank is a genuine life-changer. It's such a small thing to be able to boost your battery charge while on the go, and whether you're travelling for work, hiking or just like being outside, keeping your devices topped up just makes sense. So, a chance to save 30% on one of this capacity is worth taking.

As a with a medium-sized yard, I've been in the market for a robot mower. I've also been waiting for advances in the category hit to pile up as they often do in the early stages of a new (ish) home tech category before I splurge. That's to ensure I'm getting the best possible value for the many dollars I'll have to spend.A new robot launched at CES 2025, looks to be as proficient at cutting and navigating as the best, but has two special features that sets it apart from any other. The Lymow One is the first robot mower that can mulch. It also has tracked treads -- think tank wheels -- to navigate uneven terrain and even roll straight over certain obstacles such as small steps.Read more: Wildest CES 2025 robots that made us go 'huh'!I deplore long and arduous outdoor tasks such as raking and fertilizing, and this new mower will mitigate or possibly eliminate both in one fell swoop. Eye-Popping Home Tech Gadgets We're Loving From CES 2025 So Far See all photos The Lymow One ($2,999), which was revealed at the huge tech trade show in Las Vegas, has dual mulching blades -- the first ever for a robomower -- and is able macerate fallen leaves, branches and tree fruit and transform them into instant lawn fuel. That, coupled with the most comprehensive satellite navigation system racked treads that are able to traverse large and complex yards is enough to have me ordering one in time for summer.A Lymow rep told CNET that the mulching blades, a shift from the previous lateral scissor blades, are strong enough to cut grass and mulch debris like leaves, fruit, pine cones and small branches in wet or dry conditions. The same high-speed spinning mulching blades coupled with a centrifugal fan ensure fine clipping distribution without any clumping, a frequent nuisance for robomowers and push mowers alike. Beyond its mulching blades, the Lymow One relies on superior traction, dubbed the Savage Traverse System, along with tank-like wheels to glide over rough, uneven terrain. According to the brand rep, the One can clear obstacles up to 2 inches in height, traverse slopes of up to 45 degrees and even climb low stairs. It also works fast, covering up to 1.73 acres in a single day. Lymow One's tank-like wheels allow it to handle even the rockiest terrain. LymowThe One features boundary-wire-free navigation, meaning it'll find its way around your yard without a need for manual boundaries, and LySee Navigation combines with RTK satellite positioning and VSLAM for precise area mapping.According to the company, the latest Lymow robot mower has the most advanced obstacle recognition and avoidance in class for hours of unobstructed mowing: "Lymow is faster, cuts finer and is smarter than any current robotic mowers with the ability to distinguish and adapt its behavior when encountering various options."The Lymow One is available now for preorder for $2,999. Orders are set to be delivered in April, just in time for grass-cutting season.For more coverage of CES 2025, check out some of the new CES products you can actually purchase right now, or scroll through the most ridiculous and bizarre CES gadgets of this century. Watch this: I Made a Robot Vacuum Pick Up My Socks 02:50

Overwhelmed by the endless price hikes on your favorite streaming platforms? Don't forget that free TV serviceslike Fawesome and Tubi have new movies and classic films premiering every month. This January, there are hundreds of new titles arriving across all of these streaming sites at no cost to you, including Oscar winners, cult classics and brand-new originals.On Tubi, you can catch loads of classics like Taxi Driver and Carrie, comedies like Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar and Something's Gotta Give plus several new original productions, including the action-packed (and excellently titled) Don't Mess With Grandma, the Peter Dinklage-led Western The Thicket and A Kill For A Kill, a Strangers On A Train-style psychological thriller. Over on Fawesome, they're loading up on indie dramas this month; be sure to catch A Single Man starring Colin Firth who was nominated for an Oscar for his role, as well as Carol, the 1950s period drama starring Cate Blanchett. All these, plus tons of other great new arrivals on Pluto TV, Roku and more are all headed your way this month; here's a look at some of the best free movies streaming this January.Read more: Best Free TV Streaming Services: Tubi, Pluto TV, Freevee and MoreTubiSee at Tubi Thicket Alberta Productions Inc./The Thicket US Inc. The Thicket (Jan. 10) The Tubi original Western The Thicket stars Peter Dinklage as a bounty hunter hired to find the sister of a man named Jack (Levon Hawke) after she was abducted by bank robbers. Despite's Jack's efforts to pull together a gang of allies to help locate the young woman, the kidnappers prove to be much more dangerous and deadly than expected. The cast also includes Juliette Lewis, Metallica frontman James Hetfield, Leslie Grace and Esm Creed-Miles. Tubi Don't Mess With Grandma (Jan. 24) Tubi's new original action comedy Don't Mess With Grandma is a classic take on the inept hero story. When a drunk Army Ranger named JT (Michael Jai White) visits his sweet and completely oblivious grandmother at her remote cabin, he's forced to take action when a group of armed robbers try to break in. As JT fends off the criminals, his Grandma remains wrapped up in her romance novel, blissfully unaware of all the vigilante justice being served around her. The film (which was previously known as Sunset Superman on the festival circuit) premieres on Jan. 24. Tubi A Kill For A Kill (Jan. 17) Tubi's catalog of original thrillers now includes A Kill For A Kill, a movie about a deceptive motivational speaker who gets caught up in a dangerous and deadly game when a fan suggests they kill each other's spouses. The film premieres on Jan. 17. Also on Tubi in January:Rye LaneThe Unbearable Weight of Massive TalentBarb And Star Go To Vista Del MarFargoControl Room (Jan. 22)Deepwater Horizon (Jan. 2)Taxi DiverCarrie (1976)Something's Gotta Give (2003)The Twilight SagaPrey (2022)2001: A Space OdysseyHotel MumbaiFawesomeSee at FawesomeBlue ValentineThe Bank JobDestroyerThe LimeyA Single ManPhilomenaCarol (Jan. 18)Letters to JulietRokuSee at RokuPlaying For KeepsViceroy's HouseA StrikeDragon BladeAll I See Is YouThe MisfitsThe Space Between UsTracersSpinning ManPluto TVSee at Pluto TVFatal AttractionBoundTrading PlacesLimitlessEscape From AlcatrazThe Golden ChildFace/OffFootlooseSaturday Night FeverMommie Dearest

January 9, 20253 min readHeres Why Bad Sleep and Toxic Thoughts Go Hand-in-HandFindings reveal the memory-related brain processes that generate unwanted thoughts when people are sleep deprivedBy Rachel Nuwer edited by Gary Stix Rob Dobi/Getty ImagesImagine you are attending a friends housewarming party, andin front of everyoneyou spill a glass of red wine on their brand-new white couch. You are so mortified that every time you see this friend afterward, you immediately think of the couch mishap.Research has shown that how you react to that unwelcome recollection will depend on how much sleep you get. If youre well rested, your brain will be able to quickly suppress the negative memory. But if you are someone who is plagued by insomnia, then intrusive thoughts about what happenedand the unpleasant emotions attachedwill probably continue to bother you for some time.Now a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA provides insight into what, exactly, goes wrong in the sleep-deprived brain when such unwanted thoughts intrude. This could be an important piece of the puzzle in understanding why it is that people who are chronically sleep-deprived become at high risk of developing mental health problems, says Scott Cairney, an associate professor of psychology at the University of York in England and senior author of the findings.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Cairney and his colleagues showed in an earlier study that sleep deprivation impairs peoples ability to suppress unwanted thoughts. But the team wanted to take those behavioral observations one step further, he says. Whats actually going on under the hood, in the brain, when people are not getting enough sleep?Previous research has demonstrated that the retrieval of memories of past events involves the hippocampus and that of a different part of the brain, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC), is responsible for suppressing that retrieval process. Cairney and his colleagues hypothesized that sleep deprivation impairs the rDLPFCs ability to slam the breaks on the retrieval processes, he says.To test this, the researchers recruited 85 students. First, the team trained them to associate images of neutral faces with specific scenes, some of which were negative, such as a car crash or a fight. They form a rich connection between the face and the scene, so when you present them with the face in isolation, their brains will automatically engage in a retrieval process, Cairney says.Next, the researchers divided the participants into two groups. One group was made to stay up all night while the other was allowed to sleep in beds in the lab. Participants in the latter group were monitored for how much time they spent in rapid-eye-movement (REM) and non-REM sleep.In the morning all of the participants were shown images of the faces they had been previously trained with, but this time, the participants had to either think about the memory they had been trained to associate with the face or to suppress it. Throughout this task, their brain activity was measured using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner.The results confirmed Cairney and his colleagues hunch. Compared with the participants who had slept, those who had stayed up all night had significantly diminished rDLPFC activity when they were supposed to be suppressing intrusive thoughts. Conversely, activity in their hippocampus was elevated, likely because the rDLPFC was not shutting down the retrieval process it was engaging in. This finding showed that sleep deprivation does not cause a general decline in brain activity, Cairney says, but rather seems to specifically affect certain parts of the brain that are involved in executive function.Out of the participants who had slept the night before, the researchers also found a significant positive correlation between the amount of time they spent in REM sleep and rDLPFC activity, specifically when they were engaging in the memory suppression task. Thats interesting because many disorders associated with debilitating intrusive thoughts, such as depression and PTSD, are also associated with disturbances in REM, Cairney says.The intriguing new study suggests a key role that REM sleep seems to play in maintaining adequate memory control, says Zara Bergstrm, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Kent in England, who was not involved in the work. She adds, however, that it will be necessary for future research to manipulate REM sleep directly to confirm whether it does have a causal role in controlling memories and thoughts.Maria Wimber, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Glasgow, who also was not involved in the research, adds that the new studys findings have real potential to inform therapeutic approaches.Interventions that enhance REM sleep could become part of the therapy for disorders that are characterized by intrusive memories, like post-traumatic stress disorder, she says. This type of response might also be attempted for acute traumaa possible preventive measure to ensure that toxic memories and flashbacks never emerge at all.

BioShock creator expected Irrational Games to continue after his departure, he says, blaming Take-Two for closure"The decision was made at a corporate level."Image credit: Irrational News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Jan. 9, 2025 BioShock creator Ken Levine wanted developer Irrational Games to continue, and didn't expect publisher Take-Two to shut it down.In 2014 Levine announced he was "winding down" the studio to focus on a "different kind of game", meaning all but 15 Irrational employees were laid off.Now, in an interview with Edge Magazine (thanks GamesRadar), Levine has stated his intention was for Irrational to continue but the decision to close was "made at a corporate level".Judas - Story Trailer PS5 GamesWatch on YouTubeLevine discussed his time at Irrational following the release of BioShock Infinite and how this led to him parting ways with the studio."The closure of Irrational was complicated," he said. "I felt out of my depth in the role. You're this creative person, and all of a sudden, as your vision increases of what you want to do, you have to become a manager, in a way that you don't necessarily have any training or skill in. My mental health was a mess during Infinite. I was stressed out, a lot of personal things were going on in my life at the time, and then my parents both died. I just couldn't do it any more, and I didn't think I had the team's confidence."That's when he left, leaving the studio in the hands of Take-Two."So my intention was to go and say, 'Look, I just need to go start a new thing, and Irrational should continue'," he said. "That's why I didn't maintain the name Irrational. I thought they were going to continue. But it wasn't my company - I sold the company, so I worked for Take-Two, and the studio was theirs."The decision was made at a corporate level that they didn't think they should continue with the studio as a going concern. My feeling was that it probably would have made sense. Take-Two did a BioShock remaster - that would have been a good title for Irrational to get their head around, build a new creative director structure, and then build off of that once they had the confidence to do the next BioShock game. I don't think I was in any state to be a good leader for the team."Levine described trying to make the studio closure "the least painful layoff we could possibly do", but he didn't feel comfortable leading the team when his next project would have a long period of research and development. "The problem is - and you see this problem with big studios - what do you do with 300 people when you're going to have a multiple-year R&D project?" he said.Still, a "good chunk" of laid off developers returned to work on the yet-to-be-revealed next BioShock game.Levine, meanwhile, will this year release Judas with his new studio Ghost Story Games, which he previously described as being built from "narrative Lego".Levine also discussed with Edge the development of BioShock Infinite, which he pushed to make more action-oriented. That led to the Sky-Lines - something he would have developed further in a potential sequel."The problem was that the Sky-Lines were so expensive to build that we couldn't build enough space to support the feature," he said. "The team did a great job of bringing that feature to life - there was just not enough of it in the game for it to really land."If we had done a sequel to Infinite, I think I would have spent more time on that. That thing was built on Unreal Engine 3, which is not an outdoor engine. Sky-Lines were a lot of spit and chewing gum and prayers. Players would be surprised how much of games are put together with spit and chewing gum - even the best ones that have worked really well."Judas was last seen at Sony's PlayStation State of Play this time last year and is yet to receive a firm release date beyond 2025.

Devastating Los Angeles fires shut down Fallout season 2Production suspended as natural disaster spreads.Image credit: Amazon News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 9, 2025 Disastrous fires burning across multiple districts of Los Angeles have shut down production across Hollywood, impacting the filming of Fallout season 2 and a raft of other projects.Five people have so far been confirmed to have died and more than 130,000 have been evacuated as the city's worst ever wildfires continue to spread.BBC News reported today that the famous Sunset Boulevard now lies "in ruins", as flames approach the city's iconic Hollywood sign.Last night, Variety reported on the impact of the fires on LA's production industry, with all major studios suspending work. Amazon's Fallout season 2 had been due to film within the Santa Clarita area this week.NBCUniversal, CBS, Disney and Warner Bros. have also shut down their studios, impacting the filming of other shows such as Hacks, Ted, Suits: LA, NCIS, Grey's Anatomy and the Jimmy Kimmel Live show.While in most cases there is no immediate threat to the studios themselves, the LA Fire Department has revoked all filming permits due to air quality being deemed dangerous to health, and the need to keep roads open for emergency vehicles. This week's disaster has prompted criticism of LA's mayor Karen Bass, who recent cut the city's fire department budget, and renewed calls for a greater focus on the impacts of climate change.Production on Fallout's second season began in November, and was due to resume this week after a filming break over Christmas. Fallout's first season was a huge hit when it aired last year, with more than 65 million viewers in its first 16 days - Amazon's second-biggest launch ever, behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. A week after its debut, Amazon quickly announced the series would return for more episodes.

Becoming Voss: Bringing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's incredibly punchable bad guy to life with Marios Gavrilis"I have the black belt in trash talk, not in karate."Image credit: Bethesda Interview by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Jan. 9, 2025 There are bad guys and then there are Bad Guys that you just can't wait to punch in the face. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's Emmerich Voss falls easily into that second category. He's a Nazi, and an especially vile one at that. Voss is so snide and so sure of himself in that greasy, smart arse kind of way. He plays on people's weaknesses and exploits them, allowing him to use (and abuse) others to his advantage. "Nothing is quite so easy to manipulate as an insecure male," he says at one point. And don't get me started on those gestures. Yes, Voss is a very punchable bad guy, and this is a sign of a job well done by Voss' actor, Marios Gavrilis.The Greek Gavrilis was born and raised in Germany, and along with acting and a spot of film producing, he has also been a mainstay on the voice-over and dubbing scene for 20 years. If you ever play Death Stranding in German, the voice you will hear coming from Sam Porter Bridges' lips, that's Gavrilis. He also dubbed Alexios in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Venom in Spider-Man 2 and Dani Rojas in Far Cry 6. As for his live-action work, he has starred in a rather brilliant short film based on social deduction game Among Us, to name but one.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. 9 Awesome Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Easter Eggs & Movie References. Watch on YouTubeWhen Gavrilis first auditioned for the role of Voss, he had no idea where things were heading. The project was shrouded in mystery; code names were used for both the title and its characters. "I never imagined it would be Indiana Jones," he tells me. "I did know though that it was a MachineGames title, and since my character was German, I thought it could be for the new Wolfenstein game." Voss' actor, Marios Gavrilis. | Image credit: Paul ZimmerThe scene Gavrilis was given for his audition was actually Voss' very first introduction in the Great Circle. "I thought 'wow, that's some brilliantly intense written character'. The writing in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, particularly in that scene, is straight up genius."He eventually found out he'd got the part at the end of 2021, and only then was he told the game was an Indiana Jones title, and he was going to be the main adversary to Troy Baker's Indy."I was flabbergasted, I couldn't believe it. Thank God I didn't know that I was auditioning for something that big. I would've probably screwed up the audition big time," Gavrilis says, adding from a psychological point, "it can be an advantage not knowing what you're going in for". This element of the unknown can leave an actor feeling "freer", and therefore allow them to "try out unconventional things" during an audition.For Gavrilis, this sense of freedom saw him put a rather interesting spin on his audition scene. For those unfamiliar with Voss' introduction, the scene in question sees the Nazi leader threatening corrupt Vatican resident Father Ventura by insinuating that, should the priest not comply with his wishes, he'd reveal Ventura's predilection for some very un-celibate kind of behaviour. And, to fully emphasise what exactly it was that Voss was threatening the priest with, Gavrilis used some rather suggestive gestures and facial expressions as well as his speech. "In other words: how do you tell someone you'll expose his love for giving blowjobs without breaking the age ranking and context of Indiana Jones," he says. "If I knew this was Indiana Jones, I would have probably played safe and would've just delivered the line less involved."However, this use of graphic gestures did the job (no pun intended), and they ultimately made it into the game's final cut. Image credit: Bethesda Image credit: Marios GavrilisBut, landing the part was only the beginning. Gavrilis still had to get ready to portray the Great Circle's reprehensible Nazi, now knowing full well the enormity of what was resting on his shoulders."Part of the preparation is, of course, the breakdown of the script and the psychological analysis of the character. There's the ideological part: Voss is not just a follower type of Nazi, he's in the SS, which makes him an offender by conviction, indoctrinated to the bone, totally soaked by the Nazi ideology. However, he has his very own agenda and objectives, and filtering them out was the most pivotal thing in the prep process. What is it that drives him, why is he the way he is?" Gavrilis explains.He always wanted to make sure he found the right voice for Voss, stating the character has a very "distinct" way of speaking. "Voss uses language as a torture tool to intimidate and humiliate his enemies, so I really leaned into arming him up with his greatest and most menacing of weapons - his style of talking." Image credit: BethesdaGavrilis continues: "Besides all the mindset work and behavioral patterns, I also had to find the right tone in terms of the IP. After all, this is an Indiana Jones game, so tonewise and aesthetically, it has to stay true to the realm of the Indiana Jones IP. Of course I rewatched all of the movies, especially Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, as our game chronologically is set between these two, and paid special attention to antagonists like Toht and Belloq. But I did want to add a bit of Klaus Kinski flavour to him in terms of intensity."To keep refining Voss, Gavrilis worked with acting coaches Bernard Hiller and Adrian Gaeta, whom he calls two of the best in the business. "I've been working with them for many years, and they know what kind of qualities of mine I had to bring to the table for Voss," he says. And of course, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's director Tom Keegan played a big role in shaping Voss."Tom Keegan is an absolute mastermind and his vision of Voss was on par with how I envisioned him. Tom knew exactly how to trigger the right approach with the directions he gave." Image credit: MachineGamesGavrilis understood that even though heinous, at the end of the day Voss is still human, and someone who has his own insecurities and emotions weighing on him. "No matter how much Voss is trying to hide all of that in his attempt for total superiority, he can't help it, ultimately it will shine through," Gavrilis reasons. "And as an actor, you have to make him human, otherwise he's just a soulless cartoonish figure. That's the challenge of playing a villain of his kind. There is a fine line between making him a believable and profoundly disturbing antagonist and making him an over-the-top cringy clown nobody takes seriously."But what is it that actually makes Voss such an enticing and standout baddie among other baddies out there? "I think it's his radical and unapologetic nature. He is truly driven. It's the constant switch on a razor's edge between deadpan seriousness and clownery. He has joker-like qualities, almost like a God level troll, a school bully who took shithousery to a whole different level, backing it up with true knowledge and skill," Gavrilis replies."However, he never acts 'clowny' for the sake of cheap entertainment. He uses his clownery to humiliate and degrade his opponents, sticking the finger into their wounds, adding some salt and pepper on top and then stirring everything up. He is so controlling and calculating, that when he does lose control, he's so furious that walls start to shake. I think for the audience, it's always entertaining when someone as untouchable and superior-feeling like Voss loses his shit." Image credit: Marios GavrilisThankfully Gavrilis revels in playing such a deplorable character. "Out of all the great feedback I was fortunate enough to receive, hearing that so many people have violent tendencies towards Voss is probably my favourite compliment," Gavrilis tells me. "I can't cherish acting enough for giving me the opportunity to embrace these kinds of characters and commit to them. Playing the baddies is fun. Period. And they're a great vehicle to express darkness we all carry inside of us just as much as light."So even though Voss is clearly not the character we should be siding with, Gavrilis didn't necessarily approach Voss as 'The Villain' in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. "In his own world, he's the hero of the story, the real Indiana Jones," Gavrilis says of Voss. "You have to fall in love with your character, promote his point of view with reckless abandon, no matter how much you may disagree with him deep down, otherwise you're just playing villainy, you never truly tap into the complexity of who the character really is."Ultimately, that's what acting is about. Don't play that guy, find what resonates with you about him and be that guy. And Voss, after all, is a deeply hurt and unloved soul making up in disastrous ways for his pain. I - thank God - cannot relate to the latter, but I - just like anyone - can for sure relate to having been hurt in life in one way or another. That's the essential matching element you're looking for as an actor to identify with your part."But while Gavrilis immersed himself in the role, he didn't go quite so far as to become a karate expert like Voss. "And thank goodness I didn't. Otherwise we would have never finished our game. I have the black belt in trash talk, not in karate," Gavrilis jokes.On that note, there was actually a discussion among the Great Circle team about how to pronounce 'karate' correctly, and it turns out I have been saying it wrong for 30 plus years. "We had a Japanese assistant director and she was the one telling us the correct way to pronounce it was to stress the last syllable," Gavrilis tells me. "So Voss, in his style, just added some salt and pepper to that, that's all." Image credit: BethesdaGavrilis also fondly remembers the time spent with his cast mates away from the camera, remarking on the chemistry they shared both on and off screen. He tells me about one particular evening with the late Tony Todd, who plays Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's formidable giant Locus. Todd passed away in November of last year, a month before the Great Circle came out.Gavrilis, who was the only member of the main cast to not have any major international credits to his name, recalls how much "love and support" Todd gave to him from the very beginning. On one of the actors' days off, Gavrilis and Todd decided to go to a club, but were turned away by the bouncers who took their tiredness as a sign of one too many drinks."Tony took it personally. He pulled out his 'Do you know who I am?'card, asking the bouncers if they had seen Candyman. Everyone started laughing," he tells me. In the end, however, the twosome decided to just go for drinks in their hotel. "We had a blast that evening. We - I - miss him deeply. I'm glad MachineGames dedicated the game to him."He was something else."I ask Gavrilis if there is a specific behind the scenes moment from the Great Circle that stands out, and he tells me about the time he was struck down with Covid, but as is often the way with these things, work had to continue. Of course, the team and Gavrilis weren't about to put others at risk of becoming ill, so he stayed put while everyone else made their way to the set. But what to do with Voss? He is, after all, a rather key player in the Great Circle's narrative. Thankfully, stunt man Nicklas Hansson saved the day and stepped in for Gavrilis."Meanwhile, I was at home in front of my laptop connected via Zoom with Stockholm and looking through a set camera onto what was going on," Gavrilis recalls. "I gave Niklas instructions on how I would like him to move and turn as Voss. I had a mic and I did the voice-over while Niklas was doing the physical part simultaneously." Everyone else on set, including the actors, continued on as normal, but with Voss' lines booming out of speakers "like some voice of God type of thing". Gavrilis laughs, "it was quite surreal".Surreal it may well have been, but it worked, and "Niklas nailed it" Gavrilis says. "That was the ending sequence of the game. When I was back in Sweden, we shot the part again only with my face being performance-captured. So what you see and hear in the last scene is my facial expressions and of course my voice, but it's Niklas body movement."As for what's next for Gavrilis now Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is out in the wild, he is looking forward to telling more stories across games and films. In the meantime, however, he is "very happy that the mother, or shall I say father of all adventure sagas, is back in gaming" once more. "It was about time," Gavrilis says.And I will tip my fedora to that.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide The Call of Duty franchise has become a staple of gaming. Its annual release sells millions of copies and often tops the charts shortly after launch. While some instalments have astronomical budgets to ensure success, others dont have the additional funding to keep the momentum rolling throughout the cycle.Whether its Modern Warfare or Black Ops, Call of Duty continues to cement its position as one of the most popular first-person shooters on the market with each edition managing to raise the high bar set by its predecessor. With 2025 in full swing, a Call of Duty many consider to be the best of all has cracked the top 15 bestselling games of all time.Black Ops 3 breaks new recordsThe game that has managed to join some elite company is Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Released in 2015 and developed by Treyarch, Black Ops 3 features everything ranging from wall-running to game-changing Specialist abilities that can turn the tide of a match in your favour.Since 2015, Black Ops 3 has gone on to sell a total of 43 million copies putting it 800,000 away from surpassing the total sales of Nintendos hugely successful Wii Fit. The third Black Ops game still has a way to overtake the likes of Mario Kart 8 and Minecraft which sits at the top of the list with 300 million copies sold since its 2011 launch.For many, Black Ops 3 is regarded as one of the most complete Call of Duty games despite stepping away from the boots-on-the-ground formula. The fluid movement mechanics combined with excellent multiplayer map design and an addicting Zombies mode kept casual and competitive fans coming back for more.Where are other CoDs?Right behind Black Ops 3 is the 2019 reboot of the Modern Warfare series developed by Infinity Ward. Selling 41 million copies since launch, the game bought about the launch of Warzone which continues to attract millions into the action.As interest in Call of Duty continues to peak and trough, fans will always head back to their favourites and for many, Black Ops 3 holds that place as the best Call of Duty ever made. Only time will tell if other entries in Activisions shooter series can join it towards the top of the charts.For more CoD intel, check out the best AMES 85 loadout along with the best controller settings to ensure your shots always hit the target. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox OneGenre(s):Action, First Person, Shooter8VideoGamerRelated TopicsCall of Duty: Black Ops 3 Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share