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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Fallout 76 in Video Games

Feb 8, 2019  
Fallout 76
Fallout 76
2018 | Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Gameplay and Setting (0 more)
Bugs, Level Grinding, Missions can be dull. (0 more)
Fallout 76: Getting Better With Each Update
The Fallout series has made the leap online with Fallout 76 and it is an ambitious attempt to take the franchise in a new direction. Set as a resident of Vault 76; players will craft a character and be amongst the first to venture into the Post-Apocalyptic world set in the Virginia wilderness as they attempt to help rebuild a new society.

Along the way players will encounter all manner of mutated creatures and threats that have zero qualms about tearing a player to pieces or bringing an arsenal of weapons to take down players.

Anyone who has played any of the series will know that gathering, trading, and crafting is essential to survival as being able to buy, repair, and exchange weapons and armor is essential as they will break and need to be upgraded frequently.
This is always a trick for some players such as myself as I never know what to fully prioritize when I encounter scrap and can quickly become overburdened. This makes for some very tough choices as player movement will be very restricted and players will be unable to Fast Travel to previously explored areas of the map.

There is also the matter of needing to ensure that an adequate supply of food, beverages, and medicines are available to restore health as in a radiated area; even stopping for lunch can cause potential damage and mutations to happen.

There are numerous weapons available to players from crude Pipe Guns to more advanced energy weapons and machine guns and knives. I have found that Melee weapons such as an Axe or a Sledgehammer can do wonders as they do pack a solid punch but are slow and unyielding.

The map is extremely vast and filled with many areas to explore from old towns to hotels, shops, a mall, an airport, train stations, and pretty much anything else you would expect in a typical community.

One of the biggest issues in the game is the numerous bugs which hampered the game at launch. Bethesda has worked to fix them through several patches but issues still remain as I write this so players will have to understand that this is part of the game and being addressed but they will likely encounter issues along the way.

The game has taken a considerable amount of abuse for the state of the game at launch and while I freely admit there are issues; I have had a lot of fun playing the game and have logged a considerable amount of time in it. Despite the frustrations; I have been drawn back to the game time and again to play more. Players I have encountered have been generally helpful and friendly and the game has not become an open Free For All as the Bounty systems in place make it less appealing for players to pick off inexperienced players who are out minding their own business. Some higher-level players have been very generous in passing and have initiated trades to give me High-Level weapons even though I was not able to use them until I reached a higher level.

There are various Pop-Up events that happen where players can get some nice rewards and slipping into your Power Armor to take down a pack of Scorchers is always a fun experience.

In many ways this is one of the hardest reviews I have had to write as I can see how some people can be disappointed with the game and will take serious issues with the bugs and general direction. I also see the fun in the game and the progress being made with the updates and enjoy the game despite the issues. If you are patient and temper your expectations with the understanding that the game players have now is not the game they will have several months down the road, then Fallout 76 may be the escapist game you are looking for.
3.5 stars out of 5.
  
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Fallout 76 in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019  
Fallout 76
Fallout 76
2018 | Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
The Fallout series has made the leap online with Fallout 76 and it is an ambitious attempt to take the franchise in a new direction. Set as a resident of Vault 76; players will craft a character and be amongst the first to venture into the Post-Apocalyptic world set in the Virginia wilderness as they attempt to help rebuild a new society.

Along the way players will encounter all manner of mutated creatures and threats that have zero qualms about tearing a player to pieces or bringing an arsenal of weapons to take down players.

Anyone who has played any of the series will know that gathering, trading, and crafting is essential to survival as being able to buy, repair, and exchange weapons and armor is essential as they will break and need to be upgraded frequently.

This is always a trick for some players such as myself as I never know what to fully prioritize when I encounter scrap and can quickly become overburdened. This makes for some very tough choices as player movement will be very restricted and players will be unable to Fast Travel to previously explored areas of the map.

There is also the matter of needing to ensure that an adequate supply of food, beverages, and medicines are available to restore health as in a radiated area; even stopping for lunch can cause potential damage and mutations to happen.

There are numerous weapons available to players from crude Pipe Guns to more advanced energy weapons and machine guns and knives. I have found that Melee weapons such as an Axe or a Sledgehammer can do wonders as they do pack a solid punch but are slow and unyielding.

The map is extremely vast and filled with many areas to explore from old towns to hotels, shops, a mall, an airport, train stations, and pretty much anything else you would expect in a typical community.

One of the biggest issues in the game is the numerous bugs which hampered the game at launch. Bethesda has worked to fix them through several patches but issues still remain as I write this so players will have to understand that this is part of the game and being addressed but they will likely encounter issues along the way.

The game has taken a considerable amount of abuse for the state of the game at launch and while I freely admit there are issues; I have had a lot of fun playing the game and have logged a considerable amount of time in it. Despite the frustrations; I have been drawn back to the game time and again to play more. Players I have encountered have been generally helpful and friendly and the game has not become an open Free For All as the Bounty systems in place make it less appealing for players to pick off inexperienced players who are out minding their own business. Some higher-level players have been very generous in passing and have initiated trades to give me High-Level weapons even though I was not able to use them until I reached a higher level.

There are various Pop-Up events that happen where players can get some nice rewards and slipping into your Power Armor to take down a pack of Scorchers is always a fun experience.

In many ways this is one of the hardest reviews I have had to write as I can see how some people can be disappointed with the game and will take serious issues with the bugs and general direction. I also see the fun in the game and the progress being made with the updates and enjoy the game despite the issues. If you are patient and temper your expectations with the understanding that the game players have now is not the game they will have several months down the road, then Fallout 76 may be the escapist game you are looking for.

http://sknr.net/2018/12/31/fallout-76/
  
The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel
The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel
Brandon Sanderson | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.2 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
A fun romp
The Alloy of Law is a fun romp in the world of Sanderson's earlier Mistborn trilogy. The world has advanced three hundred years, from medieval technology levels to about Victorian levels. Electricity is just starting to be found in homes, though people are suspicious of it, and trains and guns are fairly widespread. Think Victorian England meets the Wild West and you'll be in the ballpark. The main characters of the Mistborn trilogy have faded into legend by the time The Alloy of Law takes place, and it's really interesting to see how they are revered (or not) by the characters in this book.

The Mistborn series has a well-developed system of magic that I found unique, creative, and complex but easy to follow. Allomancy is the art of burning ingested metals to do particular effects; different metals (and the ability to burn them) allow you to do different things. Tin, for example, lets you enhance your senses, leading to the nickname "Tin-eyes." Burning steel lets a Coinshot "push" on metals, telekinetically moving the metal away from themselves. (Or themselves away from the metal, if the metal too secure to be moved!) On the flipside of the coin (Ha!) is Feruchemy - a feruchemist uses metal accessories, often in the form of armbands or other jewelry, to "store up" his resources - he can become deaf and blind for a time, in order to use that resource later and have super-hearing and eagle-eyes, for example. Nothing is ultimately gained or lost, just stored until it's needed.

The writing in Alloy was certainly not as deep as the Mistborn trilogy, but Sanderson has said in interviews that this was supposed to be a fun break between books. If you're looking for a quick, fun adventure story, this is definitely a good book to pick up. From the witty banter between characters to the surprising choice of romance, this book kept my attention from start to finish. Sanderson is a very skilled author and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, as the book ends on a cliffhanger!

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
Overwatch
Overwatch
Shooter
So many different and interesting characters (4 more)
Different ways to play
Incredible lore
All new maps and characters are free
Amazing graphic style
It won't be for everyone (0 more)
My favourite game of the generation
This is by far my favourite game of the generation and that's saying a lot because there are some amazing games I've played.

It may not be for everyone. There is no single player story campaign. The story and lore are things you kinda have to work out for yourself through voice lines, online comics, animated shorts etc

There will always be a character for someone whether your a medic or a tank protecting everyone or someone who goes running in guns blazing. You have a character who uses a jump jet and shoots rockets but then you have a robot who can turn itself into a turret.

You can play this game for hours and hours and it's an easy game to get into for all newcomers. You used to call of duty? There's a character there with an assault rifle, you got snipers and shotgun users. There are 27 heroes to choose from right now.

And the beauty of this is, no paid dlc. All maps and characters in the future are 100% free. There is no leveling up characters so everyone is on an even playing field. Only reason you level up is to win loot boxes. I know theres a huge controversy surrounding them but you only get comsrtics and they are fun to collect.

The game itself is 6v6 with different modes. Control, escort payload, capture. The usual stuff, then some extra stuff in arcade like mystery heroes where you become a random hero everytime you die, 3v3 elimination, death match. You have the usually quick play games but once you become level 25 you can start playing competitive if that's your thing.

It's a game you are constantly getting better at. Blizzard are constantly tweaking it with patches to keep it fresh. Plus there's a new character coming soon which is a hamster in a mech!!! What's not to love about that????

I do recommend playing it. Its fun to play on your own AND in a group.
  
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
2011 | Sci-Fi, Romance
9
7.1 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story David Norris (Matt Damon) is running for congress when a story gets released cause his ratings to slide. It is now upon Harry (Anthony Mackie) to fix this to make sure David wins and follows his destine path. David goes on to win and thanks to a chance meeting with Elise (Emily Blunt) gives one of the best speeches people have heard boosting his chances of running for senate.

The next morning Harry misses the chance he has to stop David getting on a bus to work, on this bus he meet Elise again cause his destiny to be changed. After getting her phone number he arrives at work only to discover that Charlie (Michael Kelly) his campaign manager and his office had been frozen by Richardson (John Slattery) and his team for adjustments. After seeing behind the curtain Richardson burns the number putting David back on his path, warning David not to find Elise and not tell anyone about the people making peoples lives happen.

David is left trying to keep his destine line while always trying to find Elise can he beat the adjustment team watch and you will see.

Verdict The headline review was ‘Bourne meets Inception’ and in a way it is having a way of controlling someones life by make chances things happen. the action chases are well constructed without even having to use guns. David love for Elise is strong with all the obstacles and sacrifices he makes for the idea of a better futures. This is a strong action thriller that everyone should enjoy but you would have to watch from start to finish and will struggle if picked up half way through.

Best quote Elise ‘ I’m not some hopeless romantic, I would never allow myself to be that way, but once I’ve fell, even for a moment, what I felt with you’

Favourite character Harry David personal watcher who explains the rules and breaks some too

Stand out performance Matt Damon he gives his normal strong performance as an important figure who takes risks

Best moment The door chase

Worst Moment Maybe being picky but maybe more explanation of the year gaps

https://moviesreview101.com/2011/07/09/the-adjustment-bureau-2011/
  
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox One version of The Evil Within in Video Games

Oct 30, 2019  
The Evil Within
The Evil Within
Action/Adventure
Psychological Within
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Evil Within- is a fantasic horrorfying, thrilling, psychological terrorfying, scary game. That was published by Bethesa. Yes that Bethesa who did Skyrim and Fallout. So lets talk about it...

The game centers on protagonist Sebastian Castellanos as he is pulled through a distorted world full of nightmarish locations and horrid creatures. Played in a third-person perspective, players battle disfigured nightmare-like enemies, including bosses, using guns and melee weapons, and progress through the levels, avoiding traps, using stealth, and finding collectables.

Sebastian Castellanos, the protagonist, needs to make use of the environment and things he may find in order to survive. The game world can transform during scripted events and as a result of player actions, altering locations and creating new paths or teleporting the player to new areas.

Players have a safe house called 'Safe Haven' that can be accessed during scripted events and by finding mirrors. The safe house is a mental hospital and has several accessible areas such as a save point, an upgrade room (where the player may upgrade Sebastian's skills), and the safe room where keys are used to open storage safes which contain useful items such as green gel and ammunition. These keys are collected by finding and breaking 'Madonna' statues hidden throughout the game's levels. There is a nurse called Tatiana who greets Sebastian when he teleports to the safe house.

Lets talk about the plot/story:

While investigating the scene of a gruesome mass murder at Beacon Mental Hospital, Krimson City police detective Sebastian Castellanos (Anson Mount), his partner Joseph Oda (Yuri Lowenthal), and Junior Detective Juli Kidman (Jennifer Carpenter) find themselves suddenly thrown into an unreal world, after hearing a high-pitched noise.

Their are two DLC and their are called The Assigment and The Consequence. Which I havent played yet.

The player unlocks several bonuses for completing the game. Extra weapons, character models and bios, 'AKUMU' difficulty (the game's hardest difficulty level), and New Game+ are some of the unlocks.

It is a must play game, it will twist and turn your mind until the end credits.

Lastly shout out to @LeftSideCut for getting the hints/clue to this review correct.
  
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox One version of DOOM in Video Games

Mar 20, 2020  
DOOM
DOOM
2016 | Action, Horror, Shooter
Kick Some Ass 2016 Style
Doom 2016- yes i called it this because when you talk about it to people, sometimes their like "which one". So i call this one "Doom 2016". So lets talk about it.

The Gameplay:

According to the game's executive producer Marty Stratton, the key principles of Doom's single-player mode are "badass demons, big effing guns, and moving really fast".

"Glory Kills" is a newly-introduced melee execution system; when enough damage has been dealt to an enemy, the game will highlight it and allow the player to perform a quick and violent melee takedown, rewarding the player with small health recovery.

The game features a large arsenal of weapons which can be collected and freely switched by players throughout the game and require no reloading.

Many enemies also return from the original game, such as the Revenant, Pinky, Mancubus, and Cyberdemon, with many also redesigned. Doom's campaign was made to be at least 13 hours long, and the "Ultra-Nightmare" difficulty level features permadeath, which causes the savegame to be lost once the player dies. The campaign also features 13 levels.

Many of the levels have multiple pathways and open areas, which allow players to explore and find collectibles and secrets throughout the levels. Other pickups include small Doomguy figurines that allow the player to view 3D models of different characters, and data files that expand on the characters and story. Additionally, each of the game's levels contains a hidden lever which opens an area extracted from a classic level in the original Doom or Doom II. Finding each of these areas unlocks them, making them accessible from the game's main menu in a section called Classic Maps.

The Plot:

Players take the role of an unnamed space marine as he battles demonic forces from Hell that have been unleashed by the Union Aerospace Corporation on a future-set colonized planet Mars.

The Thankz:

Thank you id software and Bethesda software for rebooting this game.

Doom 2016- is a epic game and return to the Doom format that once was and adds more new.
  
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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Sleeper in Books

Sep 24, 2020  
Sleeper
Sleeper
J.D. Fennell | 2017 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonist in this book is Will, he is a sixteen-year-old spy, and the whole book is set in 1941, during the Second World War. I loved that this book is telling an action-filled story but during WWII! I loved how the author described everything, from guns, cars to buildings and streets.

This story was told from single, Will’s, perspective but it was fully sufficient for me, as this story was trying to keep the secrets and give out all the findings slowly. I really liked how J. D. Fennell chose the characters for this novel. The character’s personalities fitted them really well, and all the characters were very interesting to read about. I really liked Will, I think he is very suitable to be a protagonist, he has these super cool qualities, but at the same time, he is very human-like, where he gets injured and suffers from tiredness.

I read this book after a slow one, so all the pace and action was very needed for me. The story keeps moving in every chapter, Will is always on the run, so the setting is constantly changing, but I absolutely loved how the author described wartime London. J.D Fennell transferred the view and the spirit of that time perfectly to me. I felt like I was next to Will during his adventures. 😀 I liked that this story carries a lot of feelings, friendships, loss, and it is very interesting to see how Will is dealing with all of this.

I found the writing style easy and pleasant to read, the chapters are pretty short and it made the whole reading experience quite fast. The ending was very well deserved and left me fully satisfied. So, to conclude, if you like stories like Bourne or Maze Runner, I think you will enjoy this one as well. The characters are very well developed, and the plot is constantly moving. I think this book would be an amazing action/adventure film, and I hope it will come to screens someday. I strongly recommend this book, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did…