Search
Search results
Andrew Rich (36 KP) rated Nintendo Wii in Tech
Jun 20, 2019
Homebrew options including emulation (4 more)
Back compatibility
Good 3rd party hardware support
Intuitive user interface
Huge enthusiast base for support
No true HD output (1 more)
Fully deprecated by Nintendo as of January 2019
Better with age
Almost 13 years ago, Nintendo gave us the Wii, and if the enthusiast community is any measure, the Wii is still going strong. Even at its release, it wasn't the most powerful console - it wouldn't even do HD - and never had the game selection of the PS3 or XBox360, but it managed to chug along.
The motion controls are either fantastic - as in Wii Sports, Mario Kart and Skyward Sword, or just felt gimmicky, and even terrible - as in Mario Party 9, Ninjabread Man, and Chicken Shoot, and some didn't even use them, like my personal favorite @Muramasa: The Demon Blade. But the fact remains that it was, and is, still a good system.
These days, the original release games either look incredibly dated, or were designed around the system's limitations, and still manage to look good, but we're not seeing anymore new releases (except, of course, for Just Dance 2020. Thanks UbiSoft! ) so why is the Wii still good?
Well, between being back compatible to the GameCube, the Wii is also an absolute beast when it comes to emulating classic systems, from the Atari 2600 up to the original PlayStation. Add the Wii Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro, and you've got a one-stop shop for every Nintendo Console - including handhelds - from the NES up to the Wii, as well as systems from Atari, Coleco, NEC, Sega, and Sony. It turns out the Wii is a great option for those of us who want to play the old classics, but aren't collectors; and might want games not on the NES, SNES, or PS classic mini consoles.
All this time later, that little box of tricks is still proving its use!
The motion controls are either fantastic - as in Wii Sports, Mario Kart and Skyward Sword, or just felt gimmicky, and even terrible - as in Mario Party 9, Ninjabread Man, and Chicken Shoot, and some didn't even use them, like my personal favorite @Muramasa: The Demon Blade. But the fact remains that it was, and is, still a good system.
These days, the original release games either look incredibly dated, or were designed around the system's limitations, and still manage to look good, but we're not seeing anymore new releases (except, of course, for Just Dance 2020. Thanks UbiSoft! ) so why is the Wii still good?
Well, between being back compatible to the GameCube, the Wii is also an absolute beast when it comes to emulating classic systems, from the Atari 2600 up to the original PlayStation. Add the Wii Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro, and you've got a one-stop shop for every Nintendo Console - including handhelds - from the NES up to the Wii, as well as systems from Atari, Coleco, NEC, Sega, and Sony. It turns out the Wii is a great option for those of us who want to play the old classics, but aren't collectors; and might want games not on the NES, SNES, or PS classic mini consoles.
All this time later, that little box of tricks is still proving its use!
Watchman (19 KP) rated Bumblebee (2018) in Movies
Jan 5, 2019 (Updated Jan 9, 2019)
Great soundtrack (2 more)
Central performance
Exciting action
Worthy of a positive buzz!
With Michael Bay handing over the directing reins after 5 movies, this franchise looked to be heading to the scrap yard. Convoluted and overlong, the franchise had become bloated and boring.
Step in everyones favourite Autobot, Travis Knight behind the camera (re: the brill Kubo and the two strings), a timeshift to the 80s, and some genuine heart, and there's suddenly 'more than meets the eye' to Transformers again.
With Spielberg on producing duties, there's an ET, ShortCircuit, feel about a young girl (the ever excellent Hailee Steinfeld) trying to cope with the aftermath of the death of her dad, and finding a way with our Bombus from out of space.
After a thrilling action set up involving B-127 (our robot hero) being sent to Earth to form a base for the Autobots, and with 2 Decepticons in hot pursuit, a particually nasty fight ensues (resulting in bumblebees lost voicebox) leaving him battered and bruised, and we settle into what is essentially a heartfelt story of a mourning girl on her birthday and her newly discovered robot. Whilst this could have become cloying, it's handled with a real love of the material, and placing it in the 80s, gives it a great throwback feel (we even have the mean girls at school, a 'Higher Love' song montage, and some fantastic coastal vistas)
The support cast is ok, whilst John Cena flexes his comedic muscle as a soldier on the hunt of our hero.
The action is realised with real excitement, there are plenty of 'I remember those' moments, and the soundtrack wins through. But the real winner is the bond between Charlie and Bumblebee, which is more emotive than a rebel teen and a junkyard VW has any right to be.
Enjoyable and highly recommended. Roll on Bumblebee. You deserve the buzz.
Step in everyones favourite Autobot, Travis Knight behind the camera (re: the brill Kubo and the two strings), a timeshift to the 80s, and some genuine heart, and there's suddenly 'more than meets the eye' to Transformers again.
With Spielberg on producing duties, there's an ET, ShortCircuit, feel about a young girl (the ever excellent Hailee Steinfeld) trying to cope with the aftermath of the death of her dad, and finding a way with our Bombus from out of space.
After a thrilling action set up involving B-127 (our robot hero) being sent to Earth to form a base for the Autobots, and with 2 Decepticons in hot pursuit, a particually nasty fight ensues (resulting in bumblebees lost voicebox) leaving him battered and bruised, and we settle into what is essentially a heartfelt story of a mourning girl on her birthday and her newly discovered robot. Whilst this could have become cloying, it's handled with a real love of the material, and placing it in the 80s, gives it a great throwback feel (we even have the mean girls at school, a 'Higher Love' song montage, and some fantastic coastal vistas)
The support cast is ok, whilst John Cena flexes his comedic muscle as a soldier on the hunt of our hero.
The action is realised with real excitement, there are plenty of 'I remember those' moments, and the soundtrack wins through. But the real winner is the bond between Charlie and Bumblebee, which is more emotive than a rebel teen and a junkyard VW has any right to be.
Enjoyable and highly recommended. Roll on Bumblebee. You deserve the buzz.
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Illumined Shadows (Treble and the Lost Boys #3) in Books
Jan 7, 2019
Illumined Shadows (Treble and the Lost Boys #3) by G.R. Lyons
Illumined Shadows is the third and final book in the Treble and the Lost Boys series, and we finally get Vic's story. You know something big is behind him, due to how he was with Ryley, however, in this book you get the full tragedy of just what exactly happened.
Everything is brought back to Vic when he rescues Colby from the 'Bad Man'. This was a perfect example of how monsters can hide in the light, when Colby only felt safe in the dark. These two have one helluva road to travel, and the rest of the Treble gang are there to help whenever needed.
This book has a trigger warning for a reason! This is a dark story, that doesn't hold its punches, so be warned. However, it is also excellently written, being descriptive enough to get the full horror, without being gratuitous.
I have loved this series, and have no hesitation in recommending it. I will say the only reason this is a 4-star book is simply because I couldn't quite get my head around Colby's age. Due to his lack of growth, he was small for his age (Vic is able to carry him around on his hip!). Due to his lack of education, and the atrocities that happened to him, his mindset is slightly child-like. Couple this with Vic calling him 'My sweet boy', and it became slightly uncomfortable for me to read. I had to keep reminding myself he was actually 22-years-old.
On the whole, this is a fantastic book that finishes off this series with aplomb. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Everything is brought back to Vic when he rescues Colby from the 'Bad Man'. This was a perfect example of how monsters can hide in the light, when Colby only felt safe in the dark. These two have one helluva road to travel, and the rest of the Treble gang are there to help whenever needed.
This book has a trigger warning for a reason! This is a dark story, that doesn't hold its punches, so be warned. However, it is also excellently written, being descriptive enough to get the full horror, without being gratuitous.
I have loved this series, and have no hesitation in recommending it. I will say the only reason this is a 4-star book is simply because I couldn't quite get my head around Colby's age. Due to his lack of growth, he was small for his age (Vic is able to carry him around on his hip!). Due to his lack of education, and the atrocities that happened to him, his mindset is slightly child-like. Couple this with Vic calling him 'My sweet boy', and it became slightly uncomfortable for me to read. I had to keep reminding myself he was actually 22-years-old.
On the whole, this is a fantastic book that finishes off this series with aplomb. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sarah (7798 KP) rated American Gods - Season 1 in TV
Jan 27, 2019
An intriguing & decent adaptation
I really enjoyed the book and had heard good things about the show, and I’m please to say that for the most part this is a very good adaptation.
I completely agree with everyone else that has compared this to Hannibal. From the effective visual imagery and the dream sequences, to the impressive amount of blood and gore, it’s difficult not to recognise parts of Hannibal in this. Unsurprising though considering they’re both made by Bryan Fuller. Ian McShane is truly fantastic as Mr Wednesday, they couldn’t have picked anyone better and even Ricky Whittle is brilliant as Shadow. He really has come a long way from his Hollyoaks days! There are also some great cameo/supporting performances from Gillian Anderson, Crispin Glover, Peter Stormare and Orlando Jones.
The story does at least start off following the book but does veer off slightly as the episodes move on. In some cases, this isn’t a bad thing. I like what they’ve done with Shadow’s character, making him more outgoing and vocal than his too quiet persona in the books. This works. What doesn’t work is what they’ve done with Laura. I can see why they’ve wanted to make her a more central character, but for me this just doesn’t work. She’s so annoying and brash and the episodes that concentrate mostly around her were the dullest of the entire series. I just hate her whole angry persona and if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s usually on screen alongside Mad Sweeney (who’s a great character), I’m not sure I could tolerate her. The show also puts you in the same position as Shadow, completely confused about what’s going on. It’s not too bad when you’ve read the book, but I can imagine it being a little too much if you haven’t.
In all a visually stunning show with a few flaws, but still some great potential.
I completely agree with everyone else that has compared this to Hannibal. From the effective visual imagery and the dream sequences, to the impressive amount of blood and gore, it’s difficult not to recognise parts of Hannibal in this. Unsurprising though considering they’re both made by Bryan Fuller. Ian McShane is truly fantastic as Mr Wednesday, they couldn’t have picked anyone better and even Ricky Whittle is brilliant as Shadow. He really has come a long way from his Hollyoaks days! There are also some great cameo/supporting performances from Gillian Anderson, Crispin Glover, Peter Stormare and Orlando Jones.
The story does at least start off following the book but does veer off slightly as the episodes move on. In some cases, this isn’t a bad thing. I like what they’ve done with Shadow’s character, making him more outgoing and vocal than his too quiet persona in the books. This works. What doesn’t work is what they’ve done with Laura. I can see why they’ve wanted to make her a more central character, but for me this just doesn’t work. She’s so annoying and brash and the episodes that concentrate mostly around her were the dullest of the entire series. I just hate her whole angry persona and if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s usually on screen alongside Mad Sweeney (who’s a great character), I’m not sure I could tolerate her. The show also puts you in the same position as Shadow, completely confused about what’s going on. It’s not too bad when you’ve read the book, but I can imagine it being a little too much if you haven’t.
In all a visually stunning show with a few flaws, but still some great potential.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Mouth of the Dark in Books
Jan 31, 2019
The Mouth of the Dark is the second book by Tim Waggoner that I’ve read and, after completing it, I’m pretty convinced I’ll like just about any of his work. Waggoner is imaginative and original, and The Mouth of the Dark takes readers to an entirely new world of monstrosities. It’s easily one of the most fantastic books I’ve read this year.
Jayce Lewis’s daughter has gone missing. No one’s seen her and in pursuit of her whereabouts, Jayce stumbles upon a world known as Shadow. Shadow is a dangerous place where nightmares are reality and with the help of a woman named Nicola, Jayce quickly discovers finding out what happened to his daughter isn’t going to be easy. The pair encounter several awesome creatures on their journey, some harmless and others not so much.
Nicola is a fairly likable character and I don’t have a whole lot to say about her. Jayce, on the other hand, has serious mommy issues–which you’ll see if you read the book. Though I didn’t really enjoy the flashbacks, Waggoner does a great job of filling Jayce out. By the end of the book, you know him pretty well.
The plot is a bit slow, and this is perhaps because of the time Waggoner spends detailing Shadow. I’m okay with this, as it’s an amazing ecosystem of horror. For the most part it is pretty straightforward, though the tenses do switch during the flashbacks. I found this to be mildly distracting, but overall it did not detract from the book.
The Mouth of the Dark is a great read and I highly recommend it to those who are into true horror. It is riddled with terror and depravity and there are some parts of the book that may make the squeamish uncomfortable. It’s definitely a title I’m glad to have on my shelf.
I’d like to thank Flame Tree Press for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of unbiased review.
Jayce Lewis’s daughter has gone missing. No one’s seen her and in pursuit of her whereabouts, Jayce stumbles upon a world known as Shadow. Shadow is a dangerous place where nightmares are reality and with the help of a woman named Nicola, Jayce quickly discovers finding out what happened to his daughter isn’t going to be easy. The pair encounter several awesome creatures on their journey, some harmless and others not so much.
Nicola is a fairly likable character and I don’t have a whole lot to say about her. Jayce, on the other hand, has serious mommy issues–which you’ll see if you read the book. Though I didn’t really enjoy the flashbacks, Waggoner does a great job of filling Jayce out. By the end of the book, you know him pretty well.
The plot is a bit slow, and this is perhaps because of the time Waggoner spends detailing Shadow. I’m okay with this, as it’s an amazing ecosystem of horror. For the most part it is pretty straightforward, though the tenses do switch during the flashbacks. I found this to be mildly distracting, but overall it did not detract from the book.
The Mouth of the Dark is a great read and I highly recommend it to those who are into true horror. It is riddled with terror and depravity and there are some parts of the book that may make the squeamish uncomfortable. It’s definitely a title I’m glad to have on my shelf.
I’d like to thank Flame Tree Press for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of unbiased review.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Cloverfield (2008) in Movies
Aug 13, 2019 (Updated Aug 19, 2019)
Cloverfield is a rare beast - it's a genuinely quality movie experience, but another aspect that truly sets it apart is it's infamous marketing, which I'll talk about first.
I remember the trailer for Cloverfield debuting. A first person 'found footage' style camera angle, watching a group of people at a party, when suddenly, a distant explosion rocks the building. As they all head to the roof to see whats going on, flaming debris is hurled towards them. They run to the street just in time the see the Statue of Liberty's fricking torn off head slam to the street as screaming echoes all around and then the trailer ends with a release date. Not title or any further info. It was fantastic.
The internet lit up with rumours, from Godzilla to Pokemon (!?) as fake websites we're set up left and right, providing small clues to what was coming.
I went to see Cloverfield on release day, completely unsure of what I was about to see, and it was pretty awesome.
The film itself lived up to the hype for me, as New York is attacked by an unknown monster. It's tense and all of the then-unknown leads sell the panic and terror very well, in a post 9/11 world.
We are drip fed glimpses of the monster (there's one particular shot where they see it from a collapsing skyscraper that is really quite chilling) in a smart move that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The concept of 'found footage' isn't anything new in this day and age, but Cloverfield does something with it that feels fresh and thrilling.
The film ends rather abruptly, leaving you feeling like you've just been caught in stampede or something,
And ultimately leaves the audience with more questions than answers to the excellent marketing campaign.
It's different and deserves your attention.
I remember the trailer for Cloverfield debuting. A first person 'found footage' style camera angle, watching a group of people at a party, when suddenly, a distant explosion rocks the building. As they all head to the roof to see whats going on, flaming debris is hurled towards them. They run to the street just in time the see the Statue of Liberty's fricking torn off head slam to the street as screaming echoes all around and then the trailer ends with a release date. Not title or any further info. It was fantastic.
The internet lit up with rumours, from Godzilla to Pokemon (!?) as fake websites we're set up left and right, providing small clues to what was coming.
I went to see Cloverfield on release day, completely unsure of what I was about to see, and it was pretty awesome.
The film itself lived up to the hype for me, as New York is attacked by an unknown monster. It's tense and all of the then-unknown leads sell the panic and terror very well, in a post 9/11 world.
We are drip fed glimpses of the monster (there's one particular shot where they see it from a collapsing skyscraper that is really quite chilling) in a smart move that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The concept of 'found footage' isn't anything new in this day and age, but Cloverfield does something with it that feels fresh and thrilling.
The film ends rather abruptly, leaving you feeling like you've just been caught in stampede or something,
And ultimately leaves the audience with more questions than answers to the excellent marketing campaign.
It's different and deserves your attention.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Superman: Dawnbreaker (DC Icons #4) in Books
Jul 23, 2019
This is the fourth in the DC Icons series, all of which I have now reviewed. It started with Wonder Woman, then moved through Batman and Catwoman before culminating in Superman. All four books have been written by popular young adult authors, from Leigh Bardugo to Marie Lu to Sarah J. Maas. Superman went to Matt De La Peña, who I had not actually heard of before. He apparently wrote a book called Ball Don't Lie that was made into a movie in 2011, and another book titled Mexican Whiteboy. What I'm trying to say is that De La Peña's Hispanic background makes him a perfect choice for this book. Because whatever else can be said about Superman, his is the ultimate immigrant story.
And this book not only tells Superman's immigrant story, but deals heavily with immigrant issues around him as well. Smallville is deliberating a new law that is basically stop-and-frisk; Hispanic people are going missing; undocumented immigrants are getting beaten in the streets. Clark is rightly horrified, and vows to get to the bottom of the disappearances.
The book is very timely, and I love what it says about one of our country's greatest fictional heroes. It reminds me of Justice League: Gods and Monsters, in which Superman is the son of General Zod, and was raised by illegal Mexican immigrants instead of the all-American Kents. (It's a fantastic animated movie, and well worth watching.)
Lex Luthor makes an appearance, and for a while I thought Clark's best friend, Lana, was a stand-in for Lois, but Lois is mentioned ever-so-briefly late in the book.
This is the fourth and final book in the DC Icons series, and taken as a whole, they're quite good. I wish they were a little more entwined with one another, but I understand that would be difficult with four different authors. But they are a very neat re-work of the four characters' origin stories.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
And this book not only tells Superman's immigrant story, but deals heavily with immigrant issues around him as well. Smallville is deliberating a new law that is basically stop-and-frisk; Hispanic people are going missing; undocumented immigrants are getting beaten in the streets. Clark is rightly horrified, and vows to get to the bottom of the disappearances.
The book is very timely, and I love what it says about one of our country's greatest fictional heroes. It reminds me of Justice League: Gods and Monsters, in which Superman is the son of General Zod, and was raised by illegal Mexican immigrants instead of the all-American Kents. (It's a fantastic animated movie, and well worth watching.)
Lex Luthor makes an appearance, and for a while I thought Clark's best friend, Lana, was a stand-in for Lois, but Lois is mentioned ever-so-briefly late in the book.
This is the fourth and final book in the DC Icons series, and taken as a whole, they're quite good. I wish they were a little more entwined with one another, but I understand that would be difficult with four different authors. But they are a very neat re-work of the four characters' origin stories.
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Get Him to the Greek (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Russell Brand created one of the more memorable characters of 2008 in Forgetting Sarah Marshall with his role as Aldous Snow. Get Him to the Greek is by and large an extension of his role in that movie, but ramped up in the “crazy rock star” department. Jonah Hill, playing the ambitious record company intern Aaron Green tries to bring Aldous Snow from London to Los Angeles to play a show at the Greek Theater. The problem with this simplistic plot is that it doesn’t lead to any character development, and only leads to more jokes. While surprisingly funny in some parts, the characters don’t really make a splash unless they’re doing something ridiculous, which happens quite often.
The main characters, drunk on absinthe in one scene, deliver truly cringe-worthy performances, and I’m not talking about funny cringes. Later on in the film, another scene with another drug is sure to be remembered as one of the funniest bits in the entire film. Unfortunately, this is representative of the entire film. There are hits and misses on nearly every metric you can think of. Rose Byrne and Sean Combs are fantastic in their respective supporting roles, Russell Brand is charmingly hilarious with his rock star attitude, and while Jonah Hill does a good job of showing the anxiety of a responsible guy just trying to handle an irresponsible rock star, he’s still miles away from his scene-stealing performance in Superbad.
In the end, however, Get Him to the Greek just had no closure. The ending was forced, like the director ran out of time, and the lack of character growth really forced the film to rely on a “moral of the story” type of ending, which ended up muddling the film’s ending further. Still, the ending doesn’t detract wholly from the movie. Much like watching a lesser version of Spinal Tap, this movie is still amusing to watch.
The main characters, drunk on absinthe in one scene, deliver truly cringe-worthy performances, and I’m not talking about funny cringes. Later on in the film, another scene with another drug is sure to be remembered as one of the funniest bits in the entire film. Unfortunately, this is representative of the entire film. There are hits and misses on nearly every metric you can think of. Rose Byrne and Sean Combs are fantastic in their respective supporting roles, Russell Brand is charmingly hilarious with his rock star attitude, and while Jonah Hill does a good job of showing the anxiety of a responsible guy just trying to handle an irresponsible rock star, he’s still miles away from his scene-stealing performance in Superbad.
In the end, however, Get Him to the Greek just had no closure. The ending was forced, like the director ran out of time, and the lack of character growth really forced the film to rely on a “moral of the story” type of ending, which ended up muddling the film’s ending further. Still, the ending doesn’t detract wholly from the movie. Much like watching a lesser version of Spinal Tap, this movie is still amusing to watch.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Valentine's Day (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Ashton Kutcher has put down his pranks and camera to return to the big screen leading in this star packed Los Angeles romantic comedy. This feature ties together stories of love, truth, and romance, all taking place within the span of a single Valentine’s Day. The film considers relationships from multiple angles and does a fantastic job intertwining individual stories into a single plotline. Yet before preparing for another “Love Actually” let it be know that the tone of “Valentine’s Day” is entirely its own.
As previously mentioned the cast is comprised of film and television stars including but not limited to Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Queen Latifah and not one but two Jessicas (Biel and Alba). As if that were not enough to drawn in big numbers at the box office, “Valentine’s Day” also stars Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, as well as the Mc-actors from Grey’s Anatomy (Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane). Still not convinced? Then add in Shirley MacLaine, George Lopez and both Taylors (Swift and Lautner) and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed hit, but does the film actually utilize this outstandingly one of a kind cast? Actually it does.
The film is unexpectedly scattered with all the ups and downs of Valentine’s Day from pink and red color schemes to an anti-Valentine’s piñata beat down. All of the scenes are either engaging and honest or delightful and light covering romantic scenarios that truly run the gauntlet. Seriously where else are you going to see Julia Roberts in fatigues and Anne Hathaway as an adult phone entertainer?
I honestly wish there was more to gripe about considering that this film is just a fun romantic comedy, but “Valentine’s Day” is fresh and enjoyable for every minute of the film. Much funnier than I ‘d expected and not insultingly mushy, Valentine’s Day is a perfect date movie which will be a surprise hit even for those romance cynics.
As previously mentioned the cast is comprised of film and television stars including but not limited to Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Queen Latifah and not one but two Jessicas (Biel and Alba). As if that were not enough to drawn in big numbers at the box office, “Valentine’s Day” also stars Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, as well as the Mc-actors from Grey’s Anatomy (Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane). Still not convinced? Then add in Shirley MacLaine, George Lopez and both Taylors (Swift and Lautner) and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed hit, but does the film actually utilize this outstandingly one of a kind cast? Actually it does.
The film is unexpectedly scattered with all the ups and downs of Valentine’s Day from pink and red color schemes to an anti-Valentine’s piñata beat down. All of the scenes are either engaging and honest or delightful and light covering romantic scenarios that truly run the gauntlet. Seriously where else are you going to see Julia Roberts in fatigues and Anne Hathaway as an adult phone entertainer?
I honestly wish there was more to gripe about considering that this film is just a fun romantic comedy, but “Valentine’s Day” is fresh and enjoyable for every minute of the film. Much funnier than I ‘d expected and not insultingly mushy, Valentine’s Day is a perfect date movie which will be a surprise hit even for those romance cynics.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Awaken Online: Precipice in Books
Jan 14, 2019
Fantastic follow-up LitRPG
Jason continues his playing of Awaken Online, the massive multiplayer online RPG. Now the ruler of a city of zombies, he has more concerns than simply levelling up his skills and getting new loot.
I was worried this change in fortunes might lead to a more boring, admin-focused book (much like what happened with Phil Tucker's Euphoria Online). Thankfully this is not the case, as Jason hits on a way to keep his undead population count up, but also have some fun, by venturing into some unexplored dungeons.
He does this with his real-world friends Frank and Riley, which adds a different element to the action, as he can use and rely on other people and their skills added into the mix make for a much more interesting sequence of conflicts.
We are treated to a number of large-scale battles on the way to the dungeon, and within it. The way Jason's strategy is worked out and implemented make it a truly immersive, thrilling read.
As with the first book, the start of each chapter contains an excerpt of someone else's view, either the game developers, or other players. This adds context to Jason's story and allows you to see consequences and foresee some issues.
As well as this, we see Jason in the real world, though less than in the first book. There are moments where decisions made in-game have real world consequences, either impacting friendships or leading to nastiness and bullying.
The fact that Jason decides to become "the villain" is a little hard to take, as apart from the very early stages, all of his decisions have been made out of him trying to do the right thing for himself/others and this is even more the case in this book.
Aside from a few grammer crimes, continuity errors and head-scratching game mechanics, this was a very enjoyable exciting read.
I was worried this change in fortunes might lead to a more boring, admin-focused book (much like what happened with Phil Tucker's Euphoria Online). Thankfully this is not the case, as Jason hits on a way to keep his undead population count up, but also have some fun, by venturing into some unexplored dungeons.
He does this with his real-world friends Frank and Riley, which adds a different element to the action, as he can use and rely on other people and their skills added into the mix make for a much more interesting sequence of conflicts.
We are treated to a number of large-scale battles on the way to the dungeon, and within it. The way Jason's strategy is worked out and implemented make it a truly immersive, thrilling read.
As with the first book, the start of each chapter contains an excerpt of someone else's view, either the game developers, or other players. This adds context to Jason's story and allows you to see consequences and foresee some issues.
As well as this, we see Jason in the real world, though less than in the first book. There are moments where decisions made in-game have real world consequences, either impacting friendships or leading to nastiness and bullying.
The fact that Jason decides to become "the villain" is a little hard to take, as apart from the very early stages, all of his decisions have been made out of him trying to do the right thing for himself/others and this is even more the case in this book.
Aside from a few grammer crimes, continuity errors and head-scratching game mechanics, this was a very enjoyable exciting read.