Getting the chance to work on a sequel to a cult classic, One of Us contributed digital versions of a miniature plane, simulated stop-motion oceans, stretched faces, and sequences featuring sandworms across 317 shots inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. The directive from filmmaker Tim Burton and Production VFX Supervisor Angus Bickerton was to preserve the spirit of the original Beetlejuice (1988). The first film had a different vibe than what was coming out at the time, observes James Brennan-Craddock, VFX Supervisor at One of Us. We wanted to pay homage to that original aesthetic in the new film. We started off doing some early CG tests of the sandworm in an old-school style. The asset we created wasnt so much skin and muscle but latex and foam. The end result in the film was done fully stop-motion. We were still heavily involved with Mackinnon & Saunders in the early stages because we did all the postvis for the sandworm sequences.Tim arrived with a small, green toy snake and was going, The snake goes here and then there, recalls Brennan-Craddock. But how do you translate that to a snake which couldnt even fit into this church? But due credit because what they shot was workable and the first thing that we did was postvis how the snake would move and fit into the scene. We did the same thing with the sequence on Titan, the desert planet. We did all sorts of things like cheating the scale of sandworm shot per shot; the scale is reasonably consistent, but weve done it in a way that you dont notice. The sandworm is not an organic creature. According to Brennan-Craddock, A lot of that came for free from the stop-motion version of the sandworm. We had to be wary about that when doing postvis because you can take a CG rig and move it however you want. We had to keep the physicality of the sandworm in mind and not create too sharp a bend or turn. When you see the side-by-side comparisons of our postvis and stop-motion version, theyre damn similar in terms of their overall movement. Until we did the postvis, it wasnt clear how the sandworm was going to react. Any shot that had complicated cameras we would stabilize those postvis plates. We gave stabilized plates to Mackinnon & Saunders so that they had something they could animate to.Lighting the sandworm in the church was particularly intriguing. Theres this motif in the film that whenever youre in the afterlife there is a constantly changing blue to green light bathing the sets, Brennan-Craddock says. Even though the church is in the real world, because Beetlejuice took over, that blue green motif came back. Onset it was these big LED lights that you could control to swing between blue and green. It was being done randomly and if you actually watch that sequence from shot to shot, youll see that one shot ends in green and the next shot starts blue. That happens all the time, which might bug people from a continuity perspective, but it totally works because of the kinetic energy of the scene. Essentially, there was a blue and green light that were on and off. Mackinnon & Saunders provided each frame that they shot the blue and green light version of the sandworm, because if you shine a blue and green light on an object its not only a grade difference, but there are also subtle differences in how the surfaces react. We would take the blue and green light versions of the sandworm and treat them as CG lighting passes. We would animate the intensity of one up and the other down based on the shots that they were in, eyeballing it with what we could see in the environment itself. That was an unusual challenge. The Titan sequence relied on CG to create an otherworldly yet tactile aesthetic. There was a patch of sand that the actors were running on while everything else is CG, Brennan-Craddock explains. The aesthetic look was a blend of something that felt purposely miniature while also having the scale of something that could be more realistic. At no point were we going to make our own version of Arrakis in Dune. We created these red noodle rocks to feel like polystyrene. Then we had these bigger mountains in the background called the Cheese Mountains because they have holes in them. But the actual environment itself, the undulating sand dunes, is something reasonably realistic to tie it to. There is an expectation these days that things feel grand. We wanted to balance the grand with the Beetlejuice cartoon aesthetic. Reference consisted of Titan in Beetlejuice and real-world deserts. Angus had found a NASA rendering of the real Titan early on, which had some interesting rocks. And we looked at the blue sky, sandstorm and noodle rocks in the original film, he adds.Most challenging was the church scene where the Influencers get sucked into their cellphones as it was a last-minute decision by Burton. There was quite a short turnaround on this film, remarks Brennan-Craddock. From wrap it was around eight months in total. It was two sides of the same coin. On one hand it was quite a logistical creative challenge to build everything and knock the shots out. On the other hand, it was an exciting creative challenge because the brief for the Influencers was open to discover. We wanted to get rid of the Influencers, theyre the friends of Rory who is one of the villains, in a cartoony way. Thats the case with Beetlejuice too. Hes like a live-action cartoon character in a lot of ways and his magic has that aesthetic too.Like everything done one the film, the visual effects were meant to evoke a practical aesthetic. Stop-motion animation was an influence. We did a lot of complicated and simple things to convey that, Brennan-Craddock notes. On the simpler side we played with motion blur a lot by turning it off or exaggerating it in different places. We completely broke our digital double rigs to get the characters into bizarre poses for the four or eight frames you see their bodies getting pulled into the phones. We played a lot with the timing of the effects. Initially, it was going to be slow, heavy footed, getting sucked into a vacuum cleaner type thing. But through Tims direction we ended up with something quite elastic. There is this slow stretch where the faces are being pulled and contorted. We also used the opportunity to pay homage to the original when Barbaras [Geena Davis] and Adam Maitland [Alec Baldwin]s faces get pulled. As their face gets stretched, each of the Influencers form a different goofy pained expression. For the most part we pulled it off. There is this elastic stretch and at one point, the pressure is released, causing the whole body to shoot in. Secondary animation and effects provided the desired elastic physicality. Its not a human anymore, explains Brennan-Craddock. Its a prosthetic human that we created. The fleshier areas of the face, like the cheeks, jowls and lips, had a lot of vibration. The Influencers are in elaborate dress, have crazy hair styles, and numerous accessories. So, we played with that as well. Necklaces would come up and start to wiggle. It was partly suctioned, gravity, and magnetic. Technically, the cellphone effect could be applied to each face. Towards the end I was mixing and matching to see what things looked like, Brennan-Craddock says. But we have a robust and smooth digital double creation process. The bodies and skin share the same topology, and the workflow is similar, so you could take a sculpt design from one face and put it on another. We had 22 hero characters with varying degrees of complexity. The closer ones were much more detailed than the ones further back. Later there was a request to put more Influencers in, so we created three different generic face structures for background characters and matched the skin tones and hair color. We had some repetition there, but not much.Stop-motion animation was used to explain the death of Charles Deetz (Jeffrey Jones), which involved a plane crash and shark attack. We worked closely with Mackinnon & Saunders, who animated the characters in the plane and ocean, remarks Brennan-Craddock. We built the plane, but the most challenging thing we did was the ocean itself. The mindset for this was how would a stop-motion artist build an ocean and replicate that. We split it into two categories of oceans. There was the foreground, and the background ocean. In the foreground we needed some kind of interaction between the character and the ocean. In the background we didnt need interaction. We just needed to fill the space. How do you get interaction with a stop-motion ocean and a puppet? You would probably embed the character in plasticine. The character would animate, and youd smoosh the plasticine around to create waves and splashes. We followed that mindset for the virtual version. We created a viscous fluid simulation and then completely messed it up. The look development shifted from plasticine to a translucent resin, creating cellophane splash elements that get stained red when the shark comes along. After initial work, it was decided the gore had to be pulled back. It was a compositional thing in the end, reveals Brennan-Craddock. You can get away with quite a lot of gore when youre pretending its plasticine! The characters were full stop-motion at different scales. We did scans of the puppets and shark, body tracked those as the basis for the simulation and lighting interaction, and then went from there, he continues. Once we got the footage, the shots had to be recomposed to get Charles and the shark to match as required and then we would scale our tracks accordingly to make that work. When that shark starts to move it creates a lot of red stained cellophane. We art directed the blood to cover Charles, splash outwards and hit the lens. Humor is a big part of this film. And a big part of humor is timing, which was something we had control over. If the effects slap comp in the dailies makes you smirk, then youre on the right track. The interior of the plane was constructed by Mackinnon & Saunders, which was extended digitally while the exterior was entirely CG. VFX placed a cellophane splash around the plane that was reasonably straightforward.Core software programs were Nuke and Houdini. The procedural pipeline that you get is so flexible and weve got a bunch of talented artists who know the ins and outs of the software, observes Brennan-Craddock. We just made sure that we were going in the right direction in matching the correct aesthetic. On Titan, when the sandworm blasts out onto the surface, it kicks up a lot of sand. But but we didnt want to create 20-metre-high sand explosions because you want it to feel like a miniature. Brennan-Craddocks love for the stop-motion Wallace & Gromit franchise came in handy. He concludes, I remember when we were looking at making stop-motion foam for the ocean in Charles Deetzs demise, all I could think about was A Close Shave, when Gromit becomes a window cleaner, and they create these stop-motion soap suds that to me looked like tiny plastic marbles. So, we used that as a reference when we tried to create our white water! Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer best known for composing in-depth filmmaker and movie profiles for VFX Voice, Animation Magazine, and British Cinematographer.

CambridgeSeven announced that Timothy Mansfield has been named president and CEO. Mansfield, who has practiced with the firm for 31 years, is an architect recognized nationally for his bold design aesthetic and leadership in the profession. With a focus on higher education institutions, aquariums, and sports heritage museums, Mansfield is known for creating powerful architecture and visitor experiences as well as leading the design and management of complex projects for a diverse set of clients. His significant work includes the dramatic Roux Instituteat Northeastern University in Portland, Maine; the Kansas Aquarium in Wichita, Kansas; the immersive San Francisco 49ers Museum in Santa Clara, California; the Broad Discovery Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and the Stevens Science and Innovation Center at Westfield State University in Westfield, Massachusetts. In addition to his dynamic project work, Mansfield enjoys mentoring young architects at CambridgeSeven, sharing with them his passion for design and lessons learned in the field. He also serves as a guest critic at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Mass College of Art, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. Mansfield holds a Master of Architecture from MIT, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and English from Wesleyan University.It is an honor to serve as CambridgeSevens new president and CEO, said Mansfield. Having joined the firm when many of the original Seven were still active, I was fortunate to experience the distinctive collaboration and forward-thinking design ethos that is still a driving force and foundation of our practice. I look forward to continuing that design legacy with my partners and at the same time leading our younger, talented design staff in forging new horizons in architecture and further expanding CambridgeSevens impact as a global design powerhouse. As Mansfield steps into his new role, his predecessor Gary Johnson will remain a key leader at the firm devoting his expertise toward project work, design, and mentoring the next generation of architects. CambridgeSeven also proudly announces the promotions of Adam Mitchell to principal in charge of sustainability, Douglas Flandro to director of sustainability, Milad Zabeti to associate, and Brian Stanton from controller to associate.About CambridgeSevenArchitecture and design firm CambridgeSeven was formed by seven visionaries focused on doing whats right not only for clients, but for public spaces. From the precedent-setting design of the New England Aquarium on Bostons waterfront in 1969, to the revitalization of New Orleanss World Trade Center into a world-class luxury hotel and visitor experience in 2022, CambridgeSevens fresh, thoughtful, design solutions transform communities through shared discovery and purposeful architecture. Celebrating its rich legacy over six decades of designing museums, aquariums, hotels, academic and civic spaces across the globe, CambridgeSeven is committed to designing culturally relevant, equitable and sustainable environments for all. https://www.cambridgeseven.com/

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How to solve today's Wordle.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesLooking for Tuesdays Wordle hints, clues and answer? You can find them here:Its Wordle Wednesday and that means that before we tackle todays Wordle, we have an extra riddle to solve. Heres todays extra challenge:You need to open a locked safe that requires a three-digit code. Heres what you know:The sum of the three digits is 15.The first digit is twice the third digit.The second digit is two less than the first digit.What is the three-digit code?Ill post the answer tomorrow. Lets solve this Wordle!How To Solve Todays WordleThe Hint: You have this if youre good at something.The Clue: This Wordle begins and ends with the same letter.Okay, spoilers below!...The Answer:Today's WordleCredit: Erik KainPlay Puzzles & Games on ForbesWordle AnalysisEvery day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here. Not bad today. SLATE wasnt great but it wasnt awful. With 60 words left and a green box, I chose Geralts horse for my second guess: ROACH slashed that down to three and then I picked yet another video gameKNACKfor my third and, as it happens, final guess. Twas the Wordle! Almost like I have a knack for this game!Competitive Wordle ScoreI get 1 point for guessing in three and 0 for tying the Bot. Ill take it!How To Play Competitive WordleGuessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your pointspositive or negative.You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!Todays Wordle EtymologyThe word "knack" originates from the Middle English word knak (14th century), meaning "a sharp sound." Its meaning evolved to refer to "a clever or adroit trick or device" by the 16th century. The term likely has Scandinavian roots, related to Old Norse knakkr, meaning "small hump or projection," suggesting something distinct or skillfully done.Let me know how you fared with your Wordle today on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog where I write about games, TV shows and movies when Im not writing puzzle guides. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

Meet DJI Flip - The All-in-One Vlog Camera DroneFour months after DJI launched its diminutive Neo drone, the company has just unveiled another one the slightly more advanced Flip.Recommended VideosCombining safety, portability, and highly capable imaging capabilities, the Flip is aimed primarily at vloggers and content creators, though newbies looking for an easy-to-use device that doesnt break the bank will also find it a compelling option.Please enable Javascript to view this contentDJIs new Flip quadcopter, released on Tuesday, is equipped with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor that captures 48MP photos and records 4K HDR video at 60 frames per second (fps), while vertical shots can be captured at 2.7K. It also supports 4K slow-motion recording at 100 fps and features Dual Native ISO Fusion for better performance in low-light conditions.A notable safety innovation is the Flips foldable, full-coverage propeller guards, which are made from lightweight carbon fiber string. For increased safety, it also comes with DJIs forward-facing 3D Infrared Sensing System, together with downward-facing sensors, to help it avoid nearby obstacles.For transportation between shooting locations, the drone folds up into a neat, compact package (below).The Flip drone folded. DJIAs youd expect with a DJI drone, the new Flip flying machine also comes with six one-tap-enabled intelligent shooting modes Dronie, Circle, Rocket, Spotlight, Helix, and Boomerang allowing users to create dynamic shots without having to learn any tricky piloting skills. It also offers more advanced features like Hyperlapse and FocusTrack, which help to capture engaging footage with relatively little effort.DJIs newest drone, which sits above the Neo but below the Mini 4 Pro in terms of features and capabilities, offers a maximum flight time of up to 31 minutes on a single charge, a control range of up to 8.1 miles (13 kilometers), and can operate at altitudes of up to 9,840 feet (3,000 meters). It can stay steady in breezy conditions, too, as its able to handle wind speeds of up to 10.7 meters per second (for comparison, the Neo can handle speeds of up to 8 meters per second).The Flip tips the scales at less than 249 grams (0.55 pounds), too, so owners in some locations wont be required to go through the hassle of rigmarole of registering it.Building on the success of our consumer camera drones, we are introducing DJI Flip to combine the simplicity of the DJI Neo with the stunning photo capabilities of the DJI Mini to make both aerial photography and close-up portraits accessible for everyone, DJIs Ferdinand Wolf said in a release. DJI Flip combines creative tools like AI subject tracking and intelligent shooting modes with safety features like our latest foldable propeller guards and automatic braking, making it easier than ever for people to capture stunning aerial footage no matter their level of photography or drone expertise.Available now, the base model of DJIs new Flip drone costs $439 (including the RC-N3 joystick controller that lets you use your smartphone as a screen), or $639 with DJIs RC 2 controller. The Fly More Combo (with the DJI RC 2) is priced at $779.Editors Recommendations

Rachel Masons forceful, unsettling documentary about family vlogging focuses on a couple who gave up their adopted autistic son in 2020.

Delete yourself FBI forces Chinese malware to delete itself from thousands of US computers Self-delete commands sent from commandeered server to malware on infected PCs. Jon Brodkin Jan 14, 2025 5:51 pm | 14 Credit: Getty Images | Yuichiro Chino Credit: Getty Images | Yuichiro Chino Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe FBI said today that it removed Chinese malware from 4,258 US-based computers and networks by sending commands that forced the malware to use its "self-delete" function.The People's Republic of China (PRC) government paid the Mustang Panda group to develop a version of PlugX malware used to infect, control, and steal information from victim computers, the FBI said. "Since at least 2014, Mustang Panda hackers then infiltrated thousands of computer systems in campaigns targeting US victims, as well as European and Asian governments and businesses, and Chinese dissident groups," the FBI said.The malware has been known for years but many Windows computers were still infected while their owners were unaware. The FBI learned of a method to remotely remove the malware from a French law enforcement agency, which had gained access to a command-and-control server that could send commands to infected computers."When a computer infected with this variant of PlugX malware is connected to the Internet, the PlugX malware can send a request to communicate with a command-and-control ('C2') server, whose IP address is hard-coded in the malware. In reply, the C2 server can send several possible commands to the PlugX malware on the victim computer," stated an FBI affidavit that was made on December 20 and unsealed today.As it turns out, the "PlugX malware variant's native functionality includes a command from a C2 server to 'self-delete.'" This deletes the application, files created by the malware, and registry keys used to automatically run the PlugX application when the victim computer is started."When computers infected with PlugX malware communicate with the C2 server... the FBI (working with the French law enforcement agency) can identify the US-based target devices by sending a command from the C2 server using the PlugX malware's native functionality, requesting each infected computer's IP address," the affidavit said. "Then, the FBI (working with the French law enforcement agency) will send a command from the C2 server through the PlugX malware to self-delete the software from each US-based target device."Sekoia.io, a French security company, "identified and reported on the capability to send commands to delete the PlugX version from infected devices," the FBI said.The affidavit filed in US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said the FBI tested the self-delete command and confirmed that it doesn't affect any legitimate functions or files and doesn't transmit any data from the target devices. The FBI said it obtained nine warrants between August and December 2024 authorizing the deletion of PlugX from US-based computers.The FBI said it provided notices to Internet service providers that host the IP addresses used by the victims, and that the notices ask each ISP to inform customers of the malware deletion. The operation was similar to one conducted a year ago on hundreds of infected routers.Jon BrodkinSenior IT ReporterJon BrodkinSenior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 14 Comments

Measuring body fat more carefully could help treat obesityHalfpoint/Getty ImagesRethinking the way we define obesity could help millions of people worldwide, argue a team of researchers who want to introduce a new category of preclinical obesity.The current definition of obesity, as set by the World Health Organization (WHO), is having excess body fat that poses a risk to health. The WHO recommends that healthcare workers assess whether people have obesity by calculating their body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy, while below or above indicates someone is under or overweight. A BMI above 30 indicates that someone is obese. AdvertisementIt is true that high levels of body fat can cause it to infiltrate organs such as the liver and pancreas, impairing their function. It can also ramp up inflammation, raising the risk of conditions such as cancer, liver disease and heart problems.But BMI poorly reflects a persons body fat levels. With BMI, we dont know if that excess weight is due to excess body fat or stronger muscle mass or bone mass, says Francesco Rubino at Kings College London, who led the review on obesity.Even when assessed correctly, through measurement of the waist or, more rarely, X-ray scans, body fat levels dont fully dictate someones health. No two people respond the same way to excess body fat. This is impacted by a persons race and ethnicity, their age, what foods they eat, and genetics plays a tremendous role, says Steven Heymsfield at Louisiana State University. Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday.Sign up to newsletterThat is why Rubino and his colleagues want to introduce more nuance into the definition of obesity, splitting cases into preclinical and clinical. Both forms would be characterised as having excess body fat, but only the clinical form would involve symptoms caused by excess fat, such as breathing difficulties, heart problems or difficulty carrying out everyday activities. Meanwhile, preclinical obesity raises the risk of eventually developing such obesity-related symptoms, says Rubino.This would be akin to how people can have prediabetes, where their blood sugar levels are higher than usual, but not high enough to be diagnosed with full-blown type 2 diabetes, says Rubino.Under the proposed changes, healthcare staff would directly measure peoples body fat levels using waist width or X-rays in addition to calculating BMI, although someone with a BMI above 40 would always be assumed to have excess fat. They would then use blood tests to assess organ health and ask people whether they are experiencing symptoms. The blood tests are routinely done by many clinicians anyway, but the direct body fat measurements would somewhat increase their workload, says Heymsfield.If widely adopted by clinicians, the new definitions could mean people are offered advice and treatment that is better tailored to their bodies, says Rubino. Generally, those with preclinical obesity might only need to monitor their health and adopt lifestyle changes, while those with the clinical form are more likely to require treatment with drugs or surgery, says Rubino.It would allow us to more appropriately triage people to the right care, says Adrian Brown at University College London.Laura Gray at the University of Sheffield, UK, also welcomes the proposed changes. Its much needed. These guidelines set out for clinical practice what current research is saying, she says. Not everyone with obesity according to BMI is unwell, and not everyone with a lower BMI is healthy.The updated definitions, which have already been endorsed by 76 health organisations worldwide, could even help to reduce the stigma surrounding the condition. The hope is that defining obesity in a more nuanced way shows it is a disease in its own right. It isnt just a consequence of behavioural things, theres lots of risk factors, environmental, psychological and genetic, says Gray.Journal reference:The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00316-4 Topics:obesity

Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's impeached president, was arrested on Wednesday.This was the South Korean authorities' second attempt to arrest Yoon. Yoon was impeached on December 14 after he attempted to impose martial law, triggering protests.South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested by investigators early on Wednesday morning, local time.Yoon's arrest comes after weeks of attempts by South Korean anti-corruption investigators to bring him in for questioning. Yoon has repeatedly defied attempts to arrest him.During a particularly tense standoff on January 3, investigators had to stand down after six hours when Yoon's security team barred them from taking the president.Yoon was impeached on December 14. South Korean lawmakers voted to remove him from duties after a stunning declaration of martial law, which triggered large-scale protests and calls for his resignation.This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 sees Warhorse Studios hit their stride right out of the gate, promising a fascinating adventure right from the jump in a charming but grumpy worldTech16:25, 14 Jan 2025The game is frequently stunning(Image: Warhorse Studios)Open-world RPGs are all the rage these days, but they can feel a little sterile for my tastes. Sure, your Dragonborn can throw fire from their hands in Skyrim and The Witcher's Geralt is endlessly charming and grumpy at the same time, but neither of them have to worry about how badly they smell when approaching NPCs in town.That honor is reserved for Henry of Skalitz, the relatively reluctant protagonist of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and its prequel. A man in need of a regular bath, food, and sleep, hes a not-so-special star of what could end up being a very, very special RPG that stands out thanks to having dirt under its proverbial fingernails.Our dynamic duo have plenty of chemistry(Image: Warhorse Studios)Kingdom Come: Deliverance came out in 2018 (time is a flat circle and all that), and marked Warhorse Studios' first game. As far as ambition goes, a historically accurate open world RPG is certainly a bold decision for a fledgeling studio, but the game was well-received and seemingly successful enough for the team to expand.And, expand they did the studios head count has grown, and so has its ambition. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has two huge maps to explore, and packs in a level of flexibility that makes the whole thing feel just as much like an immersive sim as it does anything else.The early hours, which Im allowed to discuss as part of a preview, absolutely flew by. Henry is serving as a bodyguard-come-bestie to a nobleman, Sir Hans Capon.The two joust verbally and physically in the games beginning, and with some fantastic writing, performances, and facial capture, its easy to believe their friendship despite its awkward standing between levels of social standing.Throw in an adorable canine companion and youve got a trio Im looking forward to spending hours with although that feels like a tough ask in these tough times in 15th century Bohemia.Getting around without a horse can be pretty slow going(Image: Warhorse Studios)As with the first game, much of the selling point of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is in its historical accuracy and array of systems that, for some, will feel a little too restrictive.Hunger and sleep systems are in play, and the setting lends itself to some nifty quirks like crossbows that take an age to reload, or needing to put on a hood under your helmet. These are all felt in gameplay, as is the aforementioned hygiene that can draw unwanted attention if youre not careful enough to wash your hands or go for a bath every now and then.Being based in the UK, theres also a pleasing sense of familiarity to proceedings. Yes, were not in Bohemia, but Kingdom Come Deliverance 2s rolling fields and dusty trails are far more recognisable than the checklist of snow, desert, and other biomes more fantastical RPGs offer. Theres a sort of understated beauty to its mundanity thats rooted in my own familiarity.Its also a very pretty game. The way light bounces off the lake at a campsite you stay at early on, or on the faces of your merry band of bodyguards is a huge step up from the first game.Its not without its foibles, with some frame hitching on cutscenes on PS5 Pro, some texture pop-in and a weird bug that had one of my cohorts shield constantly flickering in and out during one scene, but given the scale of its world its easy to forgive.Combat feels a tad janky, but that could just be me getting used to it(Image: Warhorse Studios)In some ways, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 feels akin to a classic Bethesda RPG like Skyrim in how it hands you a bunch of systems and lets you make your own fun with them.Upset the townsfolk? Theyll drive you out. Get caught sneaking? Prepare for a fight. Its all stuff weve seen before, but it feels so much grander in scope thanks to the impressive visuals and more grounded setting. Theres no putting a bucket on an NPCs head so you can rob them blind here, and like the best in the genre, the best stories are the ones you make yourself.An early-game choice lets you opt in for a combat, stealth, or conversation-focused early stats package, and I picked the latter, using my charisma and smarts to talk my way out of trouble.Ill touch more on combat in my full review, but suffice it to say it has a genuine learning curve. Thats no bad thing, and Im enjoying it, but as with any first-person melee system theres an element of feeling like a drunk boxer circling an equally p****d opponent.Its not often an RPG like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 comes around, and if it continues as it has done from this heartwarming, wholesome opening, I think it could be one of the years most special titles.Article continues belowPreviewed on PS5 Pro. Preview access provided by the publisher. _RECOMMENDED