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Gears of War: Judgment
7.9
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Gears of War: Judgment" delivers the most intense and challenging "Gears" game yet, with a campaign...
The Fourth Talisman
9.0
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Book
Nocturne, a wilderness of eternal night. Solis, a wasteland of endless day. It’s been a...
Injustice: Gods Among Us
Games and Entertainment
9.0
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Build an epic roster of DC super heroes and villains and get ready for battle! INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG...
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Walking Dead (Walker Papers, #4) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Normally I don't care for zombies in my fantasy literature - the ick factor is just too high for me. (I don't do horror movies, either.) This book is probably the first exception as Joanne disliked them as much as I do. I love that she now as a better sense of what she is doing with her shamanic abilities, and she has even studied a few things related to this so that she is better prepared for future needs. It seems to me that as Joanne better understands the mechanics of what she is doing, the better I, as the reader, can understand them, too.
At the beginning of the book Joanne is dating the mechanic she has nicknamed Thor. I really like the guy and how genuine and honest he is with her, but I feel sorry for him because I know that it is not him that Joanne really wants. She takes him for granted and does not give the relationship any real chance at surviving.
The mess with the cauldron is an interesting bit of folklore that ironically ties back to Ireland, where Joanne's mother comes from. I like also that it introduces some new characters, such as the medium Sonata, and brings back Suzanne Quinley from the first book. Suzanne has got some serious magic of her own, and the courage to use it wisely. This makes me wonder if the author couldn't give her a series of her own in the YA genre. My favorite part of the book is when Suzanne uses her future-seeing abilities and Joanne tunes in. Joanne gets to see all of her possible past, present, and future selves based on alternate choices she could have made throughout her life. This was absolutely fascinating for me because I am always wondering about the "what ifs" with the main characters of the books I read. How I wish more of the books I read would find a way to employ this tactic, heck I would not mind it in real life!
As for loose ends, there are two that really bug me. The first is the outcome of the annoying insurance adjuster, since he just seemed to fall of the radar at the end. The second is Captain Morrison and his ever-evolving relationship with Joanne. He plays a major part at the climax, but the reader does not get to see any sort of personal reaction on Morrison's behalf or his reaction to Joanne's new relationship status. I will just have to wait to see what happens in the next book, Demon Hunts (Walker Papers, Book 5).
At the beginning of the book Joanne is dating the mechanic she has nicknamed Thor. I really like the guy and how genuine and honest he is with her, but I feel sorry for him because I know that it is not him that Joanne really wants. She takes him for granted and does not give the relationship any real chance at surviving.
The mess with the cauldron is an interesting bit of folklore that ironically ties back to Ireland, where Joanne's mother comes from. I like also that it introduces some new characters, such as the medium Sonata, and brings back Suzanne Quinley from the first book. Suzanne has got some serious magic of her own, and the courage to use it wisely. This makes me wonder if the author couldn't give her a series of her own in the YA genre. My favorite part of the book is when Suzanne uses her future-seeing abilities and Joanne tunes in. Joanne gets to see all of her possible past, present, and future selves based on alternate choices she could have made throughout her life. This was absolutely fascinating for me because I am always wondering about the "what ifs" with the main characters of the books I read. How I wish more of the books I read would find a way to employ this tactic, heck I would not mind it in real life!
As for loose ends, there are two that really bug me. The first is the outcome of the annoying insurance adjuster, since he just seemed to fall of the radar at the end. The second is Captain Morrison and his ever-evolving relationship with Joanne. He plays a major part at the climax, but the reader does not get to see any sort of personal reaction on Morrison's behalf or his reaction to Joanne's new relationship status. I will just have to wait to see what happens in the next book, Demon Hunts (Walker Papers, Book 5).
Peter Russell (61 KP) rated Legacy of Dragonholt in Tabletop Games
May 3, 2019
Its an rpg without a dm (1 more)
The biggest book based choose your adventure youve probably ever played
As with any choose your adventure choices can seem limiting (2 more)
The game is the only one of its kind and feels like it should be a series, but unfortunately discontinued
Its a one time playthrough
Largest choose your adventure ever
This game takes on roleplaying games for a single player rpg experience using "choose your adventure" style mechanics. At the beginning of the game a player makes a character, chooses a class and chooses skills. These character design choices do very much affect gameplay, providing different adventure paths/ options for characters of different races or having given skills in a situation. The box includes multiple adventures, each with a rough playtime of 30-60 minutes, though it can become longer with more players. Each booklet is designed to be played as a single gaming session, providing a convenient place to stop for the night or for a breather. The game also has a story tracking mechanic where bubbles are filled in based on choices made. These can affect interaction with npcs or track overarching campaign events that have shaped the world.
I played through this game once and it took me about 6 hours and feel tgere are not enough alternate choices to merit another playthrough. Even though the game says it can be played with 1 to 6 players I recommend one player because only a single choice can be made with each entry and multiple players may not agree on a single course of action. For this game you fo need some tablespace as there are lots of tracking sheets and books and possibly a map you will have out.
*Minor Spoiler Ahead
My overall view of this game is that I wish it was different in one of two ways.
1. It would be nice if there were expansions to this where a character could carry over to another campaign or an expansion that weaves in more npc drama. At the end there are only 4 possible endings and then the game just ends, I wanted more, but knew it would never be.
2. This game with all of its tracking was more akin to muds and I feel it would have been better suited (at least for single player) as an interactive book for a computer where the tracking is done behind the scenes. This would of provided more mystery and made the game feel more in the moment rather than breaking out of the story to reference tracking sheets to see if a choice was allowed.
I played through this game once and it took me about 6 hours and feel tgere are not enough alternate choices to merit another playthrough. Even though the game says it can be played with 1 to 6 players I recommend one player because only a single choice can be made with each entry and multiple players may not agree on a single course of action. For this game you fo need some tablespace as there are lots of tracking sheets and books and possibly a map you will have out.
*Minor Spoiler Ahead
My overall view of this game is that I wish it was different in one of two ways.
1. It would be nice if there were expansions to this where a character could carry over to another campaign or an expansion that weaves in more npc drama. At the end there are only 4 possible endings and then the game just ends, I wanted more, but knew it would never be.
2. This game with all of its tracking was more akin to muds and I feel it would have been better suited (at least for single player) as an interactive book for a computer where the tracking is done behind the scenes. This would of provided more mystery and made the game feel more in the moment rather than breaking out of the story to reference tracking sheets to see if a choice was allowed.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated the PC version of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Bj Blazkowicz is back to fight Nazis in the latest chapter in the long-running Wolfenstein series. With Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus marks the third entry in the series by Bethesda and continues their focus on gritty and gripping storytelling where all the focus is on the campaign versus having a multiplayer component.
Set in an alternate 1960s, BJ and his band of rebels look to strike back at the evil Nazi forces that have enslaved the entire world and much of the solar system as well. Using a captured submarine, the missions task players with exploring and interacting with members of the crew as well as multiple locales throughout the United States and strategic locations.
As any fan of the series knows, BJ is all about death and destruction, and he has a very impressive arsenal of weaponry available to him. From pistols and shotguns, to machine guns, grenades, and more advanced energy and Napalm based weapons; he can give back as much as the overwhelming enemy forces can dish out.
This is a very good thing as there are all manner of enhanced troops, robots, and truly devastating enemy units awaiting him.
Along the way players can gain health, ammunition, and armor from dispatched enemies, and there are charging stations located throughout the missions to charge up the big guns.
The game also has optional side quests for players to take and does have some new mission options following the credits for the game.
What makes the game stand out aside from the action is the great attention to detail of the locales and maps but also acting that is well above what one would expect in a game of this type. Players are given a deeper look at the title character as well as his past, his motivations, and in a refreshing twist, his fragility in dealing with his own mortality in the face of pending changes in his life.
While I was able to complete the game in less than half the time that it took me to complete Wolfenstein: The New Order, there was still over 10 hours of gameplay for me and there are bonus missions and pending DLC for me to look forward to.
With great graphics, sound, action, and a compelling story, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is another great entry for the series and one that you will not want to miss.
http://sknr.net/2017/10/30/wolfenstein-2-new-colossus/
Set in an alternate 1960s, BJ and his band of rebels look to strike back at the evil Nazi forces that have enslaved the entire world and much of the solar system as well. Using a captured submarine, the missions task players with exploring and interacting with members of the crew as well as multiple locales throughout the United States and strategic locations.
As any fan of the series knows, BJ is all about death and destruction, and he has a very impressive arsenal of weaponry available to him. From pistols and shotguns, to machine guns, grenades, and more advanced energy and Napalm based weapons; he can give back as much as the overwhelming enemy forces can dish out.
This is a very good thing as there are all manner of enhanced troops, robots, and truly devastating enemy units awaiting him.
Along the way players can gain health, ammunition, and armor from dispatched enemies, and there are charging stations located throughout the missions to charge up the big guns.
The game also has optional side quests for players to take and does have some new mission options following the credits for the game.
What makes the game stand out aside from the action is the great attention to detail of the locales and maps but also acting that is well above what one would expect in a game of this type. Players are given a deeper look at the title character as well as his past, his motivations, and in a refreshing twist, his fragility in dealing with his own mortality in the face of pending changes in his life.
While I was able to complete the game in less than half the time that it took me to complete Wolfenstein: The New Order, there was still over 10 hours of gameplay for me and there are bonus missions and pending DLC for me to look forward to.
With great graphics, sound, action, and a compelling story, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is another great entry for the series and one that you will not want to miss.
http://sknr.net/2017/10/30/wolfenstein-2-new-colossus/
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Descent in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The third DLC pack for Call of Duty Black Ops 3: Descent has arrived for PC and Xbox One users and brings four news maps and a new zombie episode for fans.
Previously available earlier for the Playstation 4, the new map is the third of four planned DLC packs which will pave the way for the release of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in November which itself will spawn four packs of DLC content itself.
The four new maps are as follows….
Cryogen
Set in a remote cryogenic lab this tech laden map is a great place for gamers who love to run and gun and have close quarter battles. I had a really good round of Kill Confirmed in this locale but beware, there are numerous areas for enemy players to hide and strike when you least expect them to.
Berserk
A frozen Viking village is the setting for this map and it is an ideal setting for Domination and Hardpoint. The map is even filled with arrows in the woodwork and a nice jump that requires your attention to traverse. The action is intense but it does have more than a few camping spots which ruined it for me at times as Spawn Campers took advantage of this to shoot me before I could even move.
Rumble
A futuristic arena setting which has quickly become a favorite as players must battle behind the scenes and on the main floor to survive. I had a few nice escort and Team Deathmatch rounds on this impressive setting.
Empire
This is a reimagined version of Raid from Black Ops II where a classic Roman themed villa is the setting for intense action. There are long courtyards and elevated windows which also makes this ideal for camping snipers who can really take the fun out of a game. However when played with a nice balance of player styles this is an action lovers dream.
Fans of the Zombie mode will love Gorod Krovi which sets the four players in an alternate Stalingrad. As if the Zombies were not bad enough, there are also robotic enemies and a Dragon for players to contend with.
While the set is not offering any new weapons or any drastic changes, it does offer new maps for players to enjoy and a top-notch Zombie mode which will help tide players over until the fourth pack and Infinite Warfare arrives.
http://sknr.net/2016/08/13/call-duty-black-ops-3-descent-dlc/
Previously available earlier for the Playstation 4, the new map is the third of four planned DLC packs which will pave the way for the release of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in November which itself will spawn four packs of DLC content itself.
The four new maps are as follows….
Cryogen
Set in a remote cryogenic lab this tech laden map is a great place for gamers who love to run and gun and have close quarter battles. I had a really good round of Kill Confirmed in this locale but beware, there are numerous areas for enemy players to hide and strike when you least expect them to.
Berserk
A frozen Viking village is the setting for this map and it is an ideal setting for Domination and Hardpoint. The map is even filled with arrows in the woodwork and a nice jump that requires your attention to traverse. The action is intense but it does have more than a few camping spots which ruined it for me at times as Spawn Campers took advantage of this to shoot me before I could even move.
Rumble
A futuristic arena setting which has quickly become a favorite as players must battle behind the scenes and on the main floor to survive. I had a few nice escort and Team Deathmatch rounds on this impressive setting.
Empire
This is a reimagined version of Raid from Black Ops II where a classic Roman themed villa is the setting for intense action. There are long courtyards and elevated windows which also makes this ideal for camping snipers who can really take the fun out of a game. However when played with a nice balance of player styles this is an action lovers dream.
Fans of the Zombie mode will love Gorod Krovi which sets the four players in an alternate Stalingrad. As if the Zombies were not bad enough, there are also robotic enemies and a Dragon for players to contend with.
While the set is not offering any new weapons or any drastic changes, it does offer new maps for players to enjoy and a top-notch Zombie mode which will help tide players over until the fourth pack and Infinite Warfare arrives.
http://sknr.net/2016/08/13/call-duty-black-ops-3-descent-dlc/
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Star Trek (2009) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
Just about everybody knows the stories revolving around the U.S.S. Enterprise and it's crew lead by Captain James Tiberius Kirk. This reboot is an alternate reality to what happened in those familiar stories chronicling the early days of how the crew came together, went through the ranks of star fleet, and basically became the characters every Trekkie knows and loves today. The only issues this movie may have had was if it would appeal to people who weren't fans of the original Star Trek and if it would be enjoyable to those people. Considering it was the number one movie in the country in its opening weekend, brought in another $43 million its second weekend in theaters (bringing its grand total to over $147 million), and has glowing reviews on both IMDb (8.5/10, over 50,000 votes, #71 in the top 250 movies) and Rotten Tomatoes (95% fresh, 245 fresh reviews, rated 8.1/10), the answer seems obvious.
Star Trek exceeded all of my expectations. I'm not a Trekkie, but this is the movie that should have kicked off the summer season. The film is somehow capable of keeping the same essence of the original series yet inject a breath of fresh air into the franchise with new faces representing familiar characters. The film really appears to a wide range of moviegoers since it has just about everything anyone is looking for when they go to the movies and affectively blends action, comedy, sci-fi, and romance into one sensational adventure. The cast is truly superb. Karl Urban practically channeled DeForest Kelley in his portrayal of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy and Simon Pegg as Scotty stole every scene he was in. Zachary Quinto fit the young Spock character like a glove. I could go on and on. There really wasn't a poor performance from anyone.
The only minor complaint I have about the film was the lens flare effect they seemed to use throughout the film. It was hardly noticeable at times, but I remember it being a bit irritating towards the last half of the film. Other than that, I'd like to see more of Scotty in the sequel. But that's more of a suggestion than anything.
Star Trek is a fun and exciting film that's really for everyone. The film is a little over two hours long, but it feels much shorter. Go ahead and group this with Batman Begins as one of the successful reboots that's also incredibly enjoyable.
Star Trek exceeded all of my expectations. I'm not a Trekkie, but this is the movie that should have kicked off the summer season. The film is somehow capable of keeping the same essence of the original series yet inject a breath of fresh air into the franchise with new faces representing familiar characters. The film really appears to a wide range of moviegoers since it has just about everything anyone is looking for when they go to the movies and affectively blends action, comedy, sci-fi, and romance into one sensational adventure. The cast is truly superb. Karl Urban practically channeled DeForest Kelley in his portrayal of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy and Simon Pegg as Scotty stole every scene he was in. Zachary Quinto fit the young Spock character like a glove. I could go on and on. There really wasn't a poor performance from anyone.
The only minor complaint I have about the film was the lens flare effect they seemed to use throughout the film. It was hardly noticeable at times, but I remember it being a bit irritating towards the last half of the film. Other than that, I'd like to see more of Scotty in the sequel. But that's more of a suggestion than anything.
Star Trek is a fun and exciting film that's really for everyone. The film is a little over two hours long, but it feels much shorter. Go ahead and group this with Batman Begins as one of the successful reboots that's also incredibly enjoyable.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Cats (2019) in Movies
Jan 15, 2020
Stuff of nightmares
From the moment I saw the trailer, I knew I wasn't going to like this film. Having never seen the stage show, I went into this completely blind and to be honest, after 100 minutes of this nonsense I wish I was blind.
Usually I'll try to find something good to say about a film, but I'm really struggling with this. I feel like giving it a 2 is rather generous. Other than appreciating the amount of effort on the CGI and the song Memory, I really cannot identify any other good points whatsoever.
Now where do I start on the bad? The cats themselves are beyond disturbing. People dressed as cats in the stage show I can understand. Human features on cat bodies is just crazy and looks ridiculous. The fact that they alternate between 2 and 4 legged with human features, it beggars belief. I hoped I might get used to it, but i really didnt especially when they start hissing, preening and acting like real cats - it's terrifying and laughable all at once. The scaling of the cats against the scenery also looks a little misjudged, especially when they stand up.
The story and rest of the film doesn't fare much better. The songs (except for Memory) are surprisingly poor for an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and no others are particularly memorable. The plot itself is also very thin and has barely any substance, the fact that they've managed to drag this out to 100 minutes is impressive. I also couldn't stand the words "Jellicle" and "Heaviside" - they sound like something from a kids cartoon and they began to grate on me very quickly. And the cast: James Corden, Rebel Wilson and Ray Winstone - just no. They are all so cringingly bad I could barely watch. And even acting royalty like Ian McKellen and Judi Dench don't survive this car crash intact. The final song and scenes with the direct address to camera is possibly the most embarrassingly cringeworthy thing I've seen in a long time.
It may only be January, but I doubt anything else I see in 2020 will be worse than this. I would have happily walked out of this 15 minutes in and never thought twice. The fact that I've sat through the entire thing made me want to claw my eyes out. I cannot unsee this.
If you want to watch a film musical about cats, watch The Aristocats. Do not waste your time on this!
Usually I'll try to find something good to say about a film, but I'm really struggling with this. I feel like giving it a 2 is rather generous. Other than appreciating the amount of effort on the CGI and the song Memory, I really cannot identify any other good points whatsoever.
Now where do I start on the bad? The cats themselves are beyond disturbing. People dressed as cats in the stage show I can understand. Human features on cat bodies is just crazy and looks ridiculous. The fact that they alternate between 2 and 4 legged with human features, it beggars belief. I hoped I might get used to it, but i really didnt especially when they start hissing, preening and acting like real cats - it's terrifying and laughable all at once. The scaling of the cats against the scenery also looks a little misjudged, especially when they stand up.
The story and rest of the film doesn't fare much better. The songs (except for Memory) are surprisingly poor for an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and no others are particularly memorable. The plot itself is also very thin and has barely any substance, the fact that they've managed to drag this out to 100 minutes is impressive. I also couldn't stand the words "Jellicle" and "Heaviside" - they sound like something from a kids cartoon and they began to grate on me very quickly. And the cast: James Corden, Rebel Wilson and Ray Winstone - just no. They are all so cringingly bad I could barely watch. And even acting royalty like Ian McKellen and Judi Dench don't survive this car crash intact. The final song and scenes with the direct address to camera is possibly the most embarrassingly cringeworthy thing I've seen in a long time.
It may only be January, but I doubt anything else I see in 2020 will be worse than this. I would have happily walked out of this 15 minutes in and never thought twice. The fact that I've sat through the entire thing made me want to claw my eyes out. I cannot unsee this.
If you want to watch a film musical about cats, watch The Aristocats. Do not waste your time on this!
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