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Monument Valley
Games and Entertainment
8.0
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** Apple Game of the Year 2014 ** ** Winner of Apple Design Award 2014 ** In Monument Valley you...
Agrippa My Heart: MM Daddy Romance (Destination Daddies Season Two) by J.P. Sayle
10.0
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Can two men, who have never truly been honest about what they want, find love on the beaches of...
Contemporary MM Daddy/Little Romance
Mothergamer (1546 KP) rated Yakuza Kiwami SteelBook Edition in Video Games
Jun 21, 2019
I had never played any of the Yakuza games, but I had always been curious about them so when Yakuza Kiwami was one of the free games offered up with my Playstation Plus I picked it up. The introduction at the beginning of the story is interesting and I really liked Kazuma Kiryu because of his sense of honor and doing his best to protect his friends. I was glad to see that there are a range of difficulty settings in the game options and went with easy so I could get a feel for the game and just enjoy the story.
The story begins with Kiryu taking the fall for a friend and emerging from prison ten years later. This opens up a small tutorial for how the game controls work. Exploration and level grinding are a big part of Yakuza Kiwami as you progress in the main story and there are side quests as well. The night life of Tokyo is vibrant and colorful in the game adding to the atmosphere. I found myself stopping often just to look around at all the different things.
This wouldn't be Yakuza without the brawls of course and there are many. Often gangs roaming the streets will pick fights with Kiryu and this is where the game really shines. The fights are fun and being able to switch between Kiryu's four fighting styles; brawler, rush, and beast give you a feel for the fighting mechanics while feeling that raw criminal underworld vibe. However, there are times where the game fails to give you an idea about which fighting style works best and how they differ from each other. I did a lot of trial and error with many fights because of this. That didn't make the game any less fun for me though and successfully winning a fight felt great.
There is one thing that really bugged me about the game and that is all the fights with the character Majima. While I understood that Kiryu being forced to fight Majima was a way to get him back to his original top tier fighting shape after his long stint in prison, I felt incredibly annoyed at how often Majima turned up demanding a brawl especially when I was trying to get somewhere in the story. I did not want to have a constant detour of fighting him and yet he kept popping up everywhere. Majimi is an interesting character don't get me wrong, but I found these fights tedious. Of course the reward for all these fights is it unlocks Kiryu's dragon fighting form which is great, but the irritation of Majima fights sucked a bit of fun out of the game for me.
I enjoyed the story for Yakuza Kiwami a lot because I liked Kiryu and was invested in his journey. There are a lot of flashbacks explaining what happened to certain characters and shines a light on how they came to be where they are in the present. Sometimes the story feels a little slow in places, but it is well thought out and well done. Where it really stands out is with the intrigue and drama with plot reveals that give amazing cinematic cutscenes that feel like you're watching a movie. Overall the game is great and while it's not necessarily a long game, there is plenty to do with the side quests, mini games, and exploration of the city. Once you finish the game, you can also try new game plus which carries over all your learned abilities, mini games, and side quest stories. Yakuza Kiwami was a lot of fun for me to play and I'm glad I checked it out. Thanks for reading, see you at the next adventure!
The story begins with Kiryu taking the fall for a friend and emerging from prison ten years later. This opens up a small tutorial for how the game controls work. Exploration and level grinding are a big part of Yakuza Kiwami as you progress in the main story and there are side quests as well. The night life of Tokyo is vibrant and colorful in the game adding to the atmosphere. I found myself stopping often just to look around at all the different things.
This wouldn't be Yakuza without the brawls of course and there are many. Often gangs roaming the streets will pick fights with Kiryu and this is where the game really shines. The fights are fun and being able to switch between Kiryu's four fighting styles; brawler, rush, and beast give you a feel for the fighting mechanics while feeling that raw criminal underworld vibe. However, there are times where the game fails to give you an idea about which fighting style works best and how they differ from each other. I did a lot of trial and error with many fights because of this. That didn't make the game any less fun for me though and successfully winning a fight felt great.
There is one thing that really bugged me about the game and that is all the fights with the character Majima. While I understood that Kiryu being forced to fight Majima was a way to get him back to his original top tier fighting shape after his long stint in prison, I felt incredibly annoyed at how often Majima turned up demanding a brawl especially when I was trying to get somewhere in the story. I did not want to have a constant detour of fighting him and yet he kept popping up everywhere. Majimi is an interesting character don't get me wrong, but I found these fights tedious. Of course the reward for all these fights is it unlocks Kiryu's dragon fighting form which is great, but the irritation of Majima fights sucked a bit of fun out of the game for me.
I enjoyed the story for Yakuza Kiwami a lot because I liked Kiryu and was invested in his journey. There are a lot of flashbacks explaining what happened to certain characters and shines a light on how they came to be where they are in the present. Sometimes the story feels a little slow in places, but it is well thought out and well done. Where it really stands out is with the intrigue and drama with plot reveals that give amazing cinematic cutscenes that feel like you're watching a movie. Overall the game is great and while it's not necessarily a long game, there is plenty to do with the side quests, mini games, and exploration of the city. Once you finish the game, you can also try new game plus which carries over all your learned abilities, mini games, and side quest stories. Yakuza Kiwami was a lot of fun for me to play and I'm glad I checked it out. Thanks for reading, see you at the next adventure!
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated First Man (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Hotter than the sun
#firstman is tense, awe inspiring, #breathtaking & a visually splendor continuing #damienchazelle streak of mind blowing films. I won't pretend I know a lot about the #moonlanding & the #spacerace because I don't so I will be giving my opinion here on the film itself not its historical accuracy. Where First Man really succeeds it its visuals & sound design, there are times when you would actually believe some scenes were archive footage it looks that authentic. Grain covers the screen giving the film an #oldfashioned feel but at the same time the film feels light years ahead & current too. Sound is crisp & punchy with the desolate & intimidating silence of #space to the screeches, roars & rattles heard from inside the space capsule, its scary stuff really putting you in the boots of the astronauts. There's some damn right insane cinematography here too with stand outs being a pov crash & the moon landing its self which is such a #beautiful & impact full scene my entire screening held their breath & cheered just like watching the real thing. #ryangosling is so good here as #neilarmstrong he's a troubled man dealing with loss, #family commitment, dedication to his mission & his own personal #demons. Ryan doesnt say much but his face shows all the pain, tiredness, loneliness, how smart he is & his #passion constantly. The effects the mission has on his & his family's #mental state is explored greatly & #clairefoy is also mesmerising as his worried wife showing the effects from here side too. We all know the basic story of the #moon landing yet Damien makes it a fresh, tense, deep & exciting in a film so full of wonder & exploration into the unknown that as we watch the camera dance around space its dazzling & almost dreamy especially with its #gorgeous almost #lalaland esque score. There's also so much #nostalgia here with scenes reminiscent of #alien, 2001 a space odyssey, #retro #scifi films & even old #musicals. Everyone needs to see this film & see it big. Its award worthy thats for sure. #stevenspielberg #fridaythe13th #fridayfeeling #odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Pisces in Books
Aug 3, 2018
I've been wanting to read this one for a while; you know how much I like my mermaids! This one is male, and not as predatory as other books I've read, but still good. This is one of the books from my summer TBR list, and the second book I've read from that list so far.
I feel like this book is better classified as Contemporary Fiction than fantasy; the existence of the merman is the only magical thing about it. Everything else is an exploration on love, obsession, and the lengths people will go to to meet their needs. Broder manages to wax philosophical but with a frankness that keeps everything relatable; from missing ex-boyfriends to worrying about Tinder dates, to thinking about the empty abyss of the ocean at night, Lucy's inner dialogue speaks to the anxiety within all of us.
I went back and forth as to whether I actually liked Lucy or not. I did like her for most of the book, but then she had to go and be stupid and I'm not sure I can forgive her for that. It does illustrate how far some people will go when they're obsessed with something, so it's realistic, I suppose. But I'd rather the cost had fallen on Lucy instead of the innocent bystander.
The ending of the book wasn't entirely satisfactory. It wrapped up the story, sure, but the next to the last paragraph introduced a question that hadn't otherwise been considered, and leaves it unanswered. Which is a pet peeve of mine. It's not philosophy, it's a question of is she or isn't she, and that's not something the reader can really theorize about.
Overall, I really liked the book. There were a couple of events that annoyed me, but for the most part, this was a good summer read. It largely takes place on the beach, it's at turns funny, sexy, sad, and weird. I think it's mostly deserving of the hype it received.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
I feel like this book is better classified as Contemporary Fiction than fantasy; the existence of the merman is the only magical thing about it. Everything else is an exploration on love, obsession, and the lengths people will go to to meet their needs. Broder manages to wax philosophical but with a frankness that keeps everything relatable; from missing ex-boyfriends to worrying about Tinder dates, to thinking about the empty abyss of the ocean at night, Lucy's inner dialogue speaks to the anxiety within all of us.
I went back and forth as to whether I actually liked Lucy or not. I did like her for most of the book, but then she had to go and be stupid and I'm not sure I can forgive her for that. It does illustrate how far some people will go when they're obsessed with something, so it's realistic, I suppose. But I'd rather the cost had fallen on Lucy instead of the innocent bystander.
The ending of the book wasn't entirely satisfactory. It wrapped up the story, sure, but the next to the last paragraph introduced a question that hadn't otherwise been considered, and leaves it unanswered. Which is a pet peeve of mine. It's not philosophy, it's a question of is she or isn't she, and that's not something the reader can really theorize about.
Overall, I really liked the book. There were a couple of events that annoyed me, but for the most part, this was a good summer read. It largely takes place on the beach, it's at turns funny, sexy, sad, and weird. I think it's mostly deserving of the hype it received.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Rest of The Story in Books
Aug 12, 2019
I’ll start by saying that this book is very much not my usual area of reading choice, no mention of murder at all - shock horror!! I tend to only read YA occasionally and run for the hills at the mere hint of the word romance or self-discovery but in the name of the book club and expanding my reading outlook I dived in.
I found the writing in this very well done, despite pretty much nothing happening of note (in my opinion) for most of the book I was still quite happy to keep reading. For a 17-year-old protagonist Emma Saylor is pretty likeable and as we follow her on a summer trip to her mother’s family we get to explore a world she didn’t know she was part of. Following her mother’s drug related death Emma’s father hasn't really spoken much about North Lake and her mother’s family, so we get a character driven exploration of family, friendship and self.
The discovery of her new family, the Calavanders, and learning about the ways of “Lake people” is well; a nice read. Many of the characters felt real and many developed nicely as we got to know them better. It’s not an in your face romance book and in particular the first three quarters are pleasantly light on teenage love drama.
The book for me did fall apart for the last part, where it felt like all of a sudden stuff needed to happen and it felt forced and out of kilter with the rest of the book. I think I had got comfortable with it not being much of a book about things happening and just a pleasant read of people and relationships. Emma’s dad seemed the only character to fall totally flat for me and again this only really hit in the last part of the book. Overall pleasantly surprised, it’s not going to be a go to genre for me but wouldn’t avoid picking up another book by Dessen for a change of pace in the future.
I found the writing in this very well done, despite pretty much nothing happening of note (in my opinion) for most of the book I was still quite happy to keep reading. For a 17-year-old protagonist Emma Saylor is pretty likeable and as we follow her on a summer trip to her mother’s family we get to explore a world she didn’t know she was part of. Following her mother’s drug related death Emma’s father hasn't really spoken much about North Lake and her mother’s family, so we get a character driven exploration of family, friendship and self.
The discovery of her new family, the Calavanders, and learning about the ways of “Lake people” is well; a nice read. Many of the characters felt real and many developed nicely as we got to know them better. It’s not an in your face romance book and in particular the first three quarters are pleasantly light on teenage love drama.
The book for me did fall apart for the last part, where it felt like all of a sudden stuff needed to happen and it felt forced and out of kilter with the rest of the book. I think I had got comfortable with it not being much of a book about things happening and just a pleasant read of people and relationships. Emma’s dad seemed the only character to fall totally flat for me and again this only really hit in the last part of the book. Overall pleasantly surprised, it’s not going to be a go to genre for me but wouldn’t avoid picking up another book by Dessen for a change of pace in the future.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of Batman: Arkham Asylum in Video Games
Nov 4, 2019 (Updated Nov 4, 2019)
Welcome to the Madness
Arkham Asylum- is one, if not the best batman video game or all time. It is a excellent game, that gamers shouls play. If you want to feel the experience of being batman, this game does that.
Lets talk about it:
In the game's main storyline, Batman battles his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten the fictional Gotham City with hidden bombs.
Most of the game's leading characters are voiced by actors who have appeared in other media based on the DC Animated Universe; Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprised their roles as Batman, the Joker, and his sidekick Harley Quinn respectively.
The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in combat and exploration.
Rocksteady began developing ideas for a sequel months before Arkham Asylum's completion, hiding hints to the sequel within the game.
The player can use "Detective Vision"—a visual mode which provides contextual information, tinting the game world blue and highlighting interactive objects like destructible walls and removable grates, the number of enemies in an area and their status—such as their awareness of Batman's presence—and shows civilians and corpses.
The game world has 240 collectable items, such as Riddler trophies, chattering Joker teeth, interview tapes with some of Arkham's inmates, and cryptic messages left in the asylum by its founder Amadeus Arkham that discuss the facility's bleak history.
The player can use predatory tactics through stealth—including silent takedowns, dropping from overhead perches and snatching enemies away, or using the explosive gel to knock foes off their feet—to tilt the odds in their favor.
I love this game, i can go on and on about how i love this game.
If you havent played it yet, i would reccordmend playing it.
Lets talk about it:
In the game's main storyline, Batman battles his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten the fictional Gotham City with hidden bombs.
Most of the game's leading characters are voiced by actors who have appeared in other media based on the DC Animated Universe; Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprised their roles as Batman, the Joker, and his sidekick Harley Quinn respectively.
The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in combat and exploration.
Rocksteady began developing ideas for a sequel months before Arkham Asylum's completion, hiding hints to the sequel within the game.
The player can use "Detective Vision"—a visual mode which provides contextual information, tinting the game world blue and highlighting interactive objects like destructible walls and removable grates, the number of enemies in an area and their status—such as their awareness of Batman's presence—and shows civilians and corpses.
The game world has 240 collectable items, such as Riddler trophies, chattering Joker teeth, interview tapes with some of Arkham's inmates, and cryptic messages left in the asylum by its founder Amadeus Arkham that discuss the facility's bleak history.
The player can use predatory tactics through stealth—including silent takedowns, dropping from overhead perches and snatching enemies away, or using the explosive gel to knock foes off their feet—to tilt the odds in their favor.
I love this game, i can go on and on about how i love this game.
If you havent played it yet, i would reccordmend playing it.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Explorations: First Contact (Explorations #2) in Books
Nov 13, 2019
Science Fiction has always been at home with the short story. The science fiction magazines from the mid 20th Century onwards was frequently the only way of writers to get their work published. As a bonus the concept of science fiction - taking an idea and seeing where it goes - is a really nice fit for short stories.
This collection is more than just a selection of tales from up and coming science fiction writers; all the stories are set in the same universe and are in some way on the theme of first contact. The introduction sets this up, with a damaged alien ship discovered on the moon. It is able to transmit details of nearby inhabited star systems - and a terrible warning about a dangerous foe - before it shuts down. Mankind learns all it can from the message and the wreckage before setting out for the stars.
Each story then follows the fate of the mission to one of the star systems. This is the point where any similarity in stories ends as each writer brings their own style and ideas for their contribution (although there are some neat nods to the other stories now and again). The result is a satisfying mix of different ideas but all within a consistant whole.
That's not to say that every story hit the spot for me, but that's inevitable given the range of authors here, but every story was interesting to read. There are also the occasional one that felt a little rushed, the idea either too big for a short story, or too many ideas vying for the limited word count. But these are minor niggles and the standard of all the stories is very high.
Overall a really good collection showcasing the talents of current science fiction writers. If you like interesting ideas and gripping stories about aliens and space exploration you won't be disappointed.
This collection is more than just a selection of tales from up and coming science fiction writers; all the stories are set in the same universe and are in some way on the theme of first contact. The introduction sets this up, with a damaged alien ship discovered on the moon. It is able to transmit details of nearby inhabited star systems - and a terrible warning about a dangerous foe - before it shuts down. Mankind learns all it can from the message and the wreckage before setting out for the stars.
Each story then follows the fate of the mission to one of the star systems. This is the point where any similarity in stories ends as each writer brings their own style and ideas for their contribution (although there are some neat nods to the other stories now and again). The result is a satisfying mix of different ideas but all within a consistant whole.
That's not to say that every story hit the spot for me, but that's inevitable given the range of authors here, but every story was interesting to read. There are also the occasional one that felt a little rushed, the idea either too big for a short story, or too many ideas vying for the limited word count. But these are minor niggles and the standard of all the stories is very high.
Overall a really good collection showcasing the talents of current science fiction writers. If you like interesting ideas and gripping stories about aliens and space exploration you won't be disappointed.
Monkey Preschool:When I GrowUp
Education and Games
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Celebrate with Milo, Zuzu and Jasper in Monkey Preschool: When I Grow Up! When I Grow Up is an...
The Fairyland
Games and Stickers
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Did you ever dream like this? In the dream you are an alone traveler who lost in the space and time....