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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Chivalry 2 in Video Games

Jun 13, 2021

Chivalry 2

2020 | Action/Adventure

8.0

(2 Ratings)

Video Game Rating

Gamers looking for some blood-soaked fun in a Hack and Slash game will be thrilled with the release of Chivalry 2. The game allows up to 64 players to battle in a series of battles to create as much carnage as possible.

After an optional tutorial that goes over everything from lunging, blocking, throwing, and special moves and abilities; players will select from various classes and wade into battle. There are the Archers who attack from the distance and have a blade for up close and personal attacks. While they do not have the armor or impact of a Knight; they can do damage with a well-placed shot and when they upgrade their Bow or earn a Crossbow; can be deadly.

There are also the Knight, Vanguard, and Footman classes who can use weapons ranging from swords, axes, and pikes to take down the enemy. Weapons can be thrown in some instances and players can gain times power-ups to use things such as flaming pots or enhancements that can turn the tide of a battle.

Missions are in stages as players usually have to push a cart, storm a fortress, steal an item, destroy an item, etc. in order to advance to the next stage. Victory or failure is determined by completing or stopping a task within the given timeframe.

Should a player fall in battle which is a frequent hazard; they will have the option to change classes or continue with their current one and return to the battle after an amount of time has passed.

Maps offer players weapons at times from Catapults, Ballistas, Fire, and other weapons ranging from tools to even fish to help turn the tide of battle.

The game has some Gallows humor in it as the blood liberally flows all over characters and the ground as it is not uncommon to see multiple players on a team hacking away on a player.

While the graphics may be a bit dated for gamers; being able to improve your characters and their weapons as you advance in rank and skill is key as aside from an overall rank, each class has its own skill levels so players will have to work their way up in a class to advance rather than succeed in a class they are stronger in to build up one that they are weaker in.

There is a nice mix of maps, missions, and weapons and while some may wish for a bit more variety; I am sure that additional content and features will be coming down the line.

While the game can be frustrating at times as getting killed is a frequent event; as your skills grow and you find new ways to eliminate enemies and creative ways to hone your skills; the game becomes an ideal diversion.

The sound in the game is great as the clash of metal combined with screams and other ambient noises gives the game fun and immersive quality.

While it is not going to be for everyone; Chivalry 2 won me over with its fun and immersive gameplay and irreverent humor.

4 stars out of 5

Kudos

Lee (2222 KP) rated Pieces of a Woman (2020) in Movies

Dec 29, 2020

Vanessa Kirby (1 more)

The birth scene

The script (0 more)

Pieces of a Woman stars Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf as Martha and Sean, a married couple preparing for the imminent arrival of their first child. But a heartbreaking home birth leaves Martha struggling with grief and becoming increasingly isolated from Sean and her family.

If you've heard anything about Pieces of a Woman recently, it will no doubt be in relation to the home birth scene. Coming right at the start of the movie, and following a brief introduction to our two parents to be, the birth is shot in a single 22 minute take, from the point of Martha's waters breaking in the kitchen, to the arrival of the midwife and the eventual birth of the baby. As with any childbirth, there's a lot going on, a lot of emotions as the drama moves between the various rooms of the house. And everyone involved is outstanding, particularly Vanessa Kirby who is completely convincing. With the impressive, extended intro over, we cut to black and the title of the movie appears on screen. We then move onto the aftermath.

At first, we don't know exactly what went wrong with the birth and Martha and Sean do not have all of the answers either, which is essentially where a lot of the grief and tension arise from. Martha returns to work, to the shock of her co-workers, and it's clear that both her and Sean are very quickly beginning to drift apart, dealing with their grief in very different ways. Sean resorts to drinking, sleeping with Martha's cousin and having emotional outbursts, while Martha remains quietly detached from everyone and everything, and even meets with a local university to discuss donating their baby's body to medical science. Dirty plates stack up in the kitchen, house plants become limp from lack of water and attention.

We also discover that, in among all of the grief, everyone seems determined that the midwife who delivered their baby be blamed, prosecuted and sent to jail for five years, due to negligence and manslaughter. This is something which makes absolutely no sense when you first learn of it and even less sense when we finally arrive in the courtroom towards the end.

As we limp from month to month, the writing becomes worse and the film becomes increasingly frustrating and baffling. There's an impressive supporting cast of friends and family, all delivering their melodramatic monologues with flair, but the writing holds them back and prevents the movie from delivering any of the much needed emotional impact. At times, conversations appear to be badly improvised and just as it feels like we're about to get something of significance out of a scene or character, we cut to a different setting or later period in time, and all momentum is lost.

A bold, impressive 30 minute opening and a performance from Vanessa Kirby which continues to highlight just how talented she is. But apart from that, Pieces of a Woman just feels flat.