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KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in Video Games

Jan 4, 2020  
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
2019 | Action/Adventure
Fluid and fantastic combat system. (2 more)
Another FromSoftware Classic.
Best game of 2019.
DEMON. OF. HATRED. (0 more)
My first experience with a FromSoftware game was Bloodborne. I played fifteen minutes, and gave up due to its difficulty. Time and time again, I just couldn't get past its first area, but with perseverance, I conquered the mountain, and Bloodborne became one of my favourite games. Fast forward just over three years, I destroyed Dark Souls III, and obliterated Nioh. Challenging games had become an addiction I couldn't quit. Enter Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware's latest, very much story orientated entry in their catalogue of fine games.

First things first, Sekiro is most definitely a mountain to climb. If you don't grasp the rhythm of parrying and deflecting your opponents attacks, you are finished. Unlike previous FromSoftware entries, attacking is not the aim of this game. It takes time, but once you begin to understand the combat, the reward is so gratifying, especially with the boss battles, which will often want to make you throw the controller through a concrete wall.
Each boss is strategically different with how they plan to beat you, some opting to go all out attack on you, others playing the waiting game by throwing objects or firing arrows. Variety is key, and progressing and gaining new skills will help you beat each enemy as they come.

Sekiro also just happens to be one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. Its culture is rich, and its vibrancy through colour is breathtaking. While no modifications can be done with your Shinobi, it doesn't matter as you'll be too busy taking in each detail the world has to offer.

But nothing is without fault. Sekiro sometimes feels like certain boss fights are rigged in their favour, and that pure luck gets you to beat them, and that felt all too often with the infamous, Demon of Hatred. This certain boss felt so out of place, and I felt it didn't need to be included whatsoever. However, this never bogged the games standard down, as by this point the fluidity and grace of Sekiro had already confirmed what I was thinking two thirds of the way through;

Sekiro is 2019's best game.
  
Love, Death & Robots
Love, Death & Robots
2019 | Action, Animation, Comedy
Amazing visuals and a little something for everyone
I really just watched rhis on a whom when I noticed how short the episodes ,less then 20 mintues each, were since I had no idea what I wanted to watch and I really got to say I was not disappointed. Love Death + Robots is a really awesome anthology series that has a little something for everyone and depending on who you ask most people are going to have a different favorite episode. Mine personally was episode 4 Suits.

The visuals on this show are gorgeous almost all are animated but some like episode 3 The Witness are so realistic looking you almost can't tell it's not actual people on screen. Then you also have other episodes like episode 5 Sucker of Souls which is very simple and rough animation but which I was still a fan of.

My only real complaint was how a lot of the episodes handled the female characters. Just your typical over sexualized taken on woman which in 2019 really is outdated and I expect better by now.
  
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ClareR (5784 KP) rated Spring in Books

Apr 28, 2019  
Spring
Spring
Ali Smith | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is Britain now.
This book describes what it is to live in Britain in 2019. The previous two books in the seasonal quartet looked at the Brexit vote, Trump’s election, and this one seems to have a central theme of borders and immigration (although you could argue that immigration seems to have been an overarching theme so far).
There is so much going on beneath the surface in these books if you want to research and find out, but it is just a fascinating and exciting book to read just for the joy of reading it.
I loved the “What we want”, “Any time at all. Here take it. Take my face”, and “Now for 140 seconds of cutting edge realism” chapters. They reflect society today so well: how people hide behind social media and the internet to say whatever they want to without fear of any repercussions, and the violence behind what they say (both obvious and insidious).
Ali Smith is just so clever, and I love her books. I can’t wait to see what Summer will hold for us.
  
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Kaz (232 KP) May 26, 2019

I've been thinking about reading some of Ali Smith's work for a while now. I might give this book a go. Great review!

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ClareR (5784 KP) May 26, 2019

Thanks @Kaz ! She’s one of my favourite authors - and I haven’t been disappointed with any of her books yet!?

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BTPBookclub (18 KP) rated Inborn in Books

May 11, 2019  
Inborn
Inborn
Thomas Enger | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is bloody brilliant! A real sleep stealer, page turner of a read. I read this in one sitting and stayed up very late just to finish it, was well and truelly hooked. I seriously did not want to put this down.

Such a clever story, I was constantly trying to guess who the murderer was and was wrong each and every time. The outcome… I would have never expected that in a million years. Truelly shocking and jaw dropping.

Brilliantly written, clever how the story was told through the past and the present all linking into one straight storyline. Would appeal to young adult readers and crime readers. This has to be his best book yet! Very impressed.

I did feel sorry for Even though, poor lad. A must read. A must buy. I absolutely loved this and devoured it. A well deserved five stars from me and a place in my top twenty of 2019! Highly recommend. You won’t regret reading this one, plenty of twists and turns during the case bound to keep you reading until the end.
  
The Evidence Against You
The Evidence Against You
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's the day Izzy's father will be released from jail.
She has every reason to feel conflicted - he's the man who gave her a childhood filled with happy memories.
But he has also just served seventeen years for the murder of her mother.
Now, Izzy's father sends her a letter. He wants to talk, to defend himself against each piece of evidence from his trial.
But should she give him the benefit of the doubt?
Or is her father guilty as charged, and luring her into a trap?

This is an utterly amazing thriller,
The story is told in a very good way in that the past and present are told in alternating way and we get to find out facts about the case in drips.
Lots of twists and turns and keeps you wanting to know what’s going to happen next and leaves the best to the very end.
A must read for 2019!
Highly Recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.
  
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Lee (2222 KP) created a post

Nov 20, 2019 (Updated Nov 20, 2019)  
There have been a few posts on here about favourite/greatest Christmas movies and it's one of those topics that is always hotly debated. So... I decided to create 'The Smashbomb Greatest Movie of 2019' competition! 50 movies (apologies if your favourite didn't make the cut), split into 2 groups. In the coming weeks leading up to Christmas I will run a poll for each block of 5 so that you can vote for your favourite, with the top 2 from each block moving onto the next round. At that point, each group will have 10 movies in the next round and there will then be a poll to cover each block of 5. The top 3 from each group will then move onto the final deciding poll! The attached image will (hopefully) explain the process a bit better and if this isn't easily readable then I will put a hi-res version online, updated regularly as the competition progresses. The first poll will be up on here shortly - I look forward to seeing what the definitive best Christmas movie is!
     
Show all 16 comments.
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) Nov 27, 2019

Hee @Lee i was going to send you a message about the horror bracket next year, but it wont let me click on your name.

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Lee (2222 KP) Nov 27, 2019

Hi, have just messaged you

Aquaman (2018)
Aquaman (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Can Talk To The Fish
Im not a huge fan of the DCU, i didnt like Man of Steel, Hated Batman vs. Superman, hated Sucide Squad, didnt like Wonder Woman. I havent seen Justice League. So expections for Aquaman was really low. Thats why i didnt see it when it came out and i didnt see it in 2019. So finally in 2020, i finally saw Aquaman and what did i think, it was okay. I really liked Patrick Wilson as the villian, you dont see him in to many villian roles. I actually think he was the best part of this whole film. Yes you heard that right, the best part of this whole film.

Too much GCI, the action was off at many points, the acting for the other cast was terrible/bad. I mean some of the CGI was good, the rest was terrible and Black Mantis was bad. James Wan should just really stick to horror. Cause he is excellent in that.

You can just skip this film overall.
  
Onward (2020)
Onward (2020)
2020 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Late 2019, early 2020.

I rsaw a lot of ads in the cinema for this film. Then (in the UK) Covid-19 hit.

As a result, I'm not honestly sure whether this got a big screen release or not: I actually watched it via Disney+, not really knowing what to expect.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Set in a mystical realm where magic had all but died out (Unicorns as garbage rats? Genius!) due to the advent of technology, this follows two elf brothers who are able to partially bring their deceased dad briefly back to life, after the younger of the 2 opens his birthday present from said dad of a wizards staff. Only enough magic to 'bring back' his legs, so off they go on a quest for a power source to enable them to bring back the rest of his body.

What really follows is a story about familial bonding, that pulls in the heartstrings as well as made me laugh out loud on a few occasions!