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Dizzy - Prince of the Yolkfolk for iPad
Games and Entertainment
App
8/10! "A loving update of what is still a genuinely fun and innovative genre mash-up, as well as a...
Earl and His Butler in Constantinople: The Secret Diary of an English Servant Among the Ottomans
Nigel R. Webb and Caroline Webb
Book
George Hay, 8th Earl of Kinnoull, was an unconventional ambassador. A Scottish aristocrat who had...
Monkey Math - Jetpack Adventure Pro
Education and Games
App
Your mission: beat the evil rogue, Mean Monkey, to Banana Cradle and return the stolen ancient...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated As Above So Below (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
The film “As above so below” is part horror, part treasure adventure, and
all shaky cam. This found-footage film could also be more aptly titled as
“Lara Croft goes to hell.” The story centers around an excitable young
adventurer with a British accent named Scarlett on a search for the
mythological Philosopher’s Stone. A self-professed scholar of alchemy, she
hopes proving that the stone exists will fulfill her father’s legacy and
prove to the world that he wasn’t crazy. This search leads her and her
partners through the secret areas of the haunted catacombs of Pairs, France
into what could be hell itself. The movie starts with her traveling to Iran
for clues on the location of the Philosopher’s Stone.
The action opens without introductions which I enjoyed, as it gets right
into the action and sets the a good pace for the rest of the film. After
retrieving clues to the location of the stone and narrowly avoiding
security and a cave-in in Iran, our heroine sets off to Paris, France to
gather the rest of the crew for her adventure (the rest of our films
characters). These characters include her old friend Benji, a translator, a
group of French miscreants: Papillion (the leader), Zed and Souxie (the
Banshee, no kidding) all of whom are experts on the secret underground
catacombs. Her loyal documentarian George rounds out the crew who has
followed her around since the film’s opening shot.
Up until this point, the horror element of this film is non-existent. Once
the crew journey into the secret catacombs is when things begin to get
eerie. Plot and circumstance is good and all, but it’s a horror movie, is
it scary? Well, I wasn’t scared at all, neither was my wife whom I saw the
movie with. I’d call it more of a psychological thriller, a slight one at
that. Lots of supernatural happenings occur in the caverns akin to what
you’d find in a haunted house movie. Things like phone’s ringing
inexplicably in an area devoid of electricity and hundreds of feet below
the ground, spooky ghost like figures chanting occult hymns, and dead
drowned children. There isn’t much gore in this film, the little found is
reserved for the last 3rd of the movie. Some fear and wince inducing
moments are supplied via claustrophobia as the group squeezes themselves
through tight corridors and underwater channels. They did a pretty good job
of getting your heart racing. These scenes were reminiscent of a greater
horror entry “The Descent.” If you’ve seen that film, then you know what to
expect when it comes to the 1st person moments of claustrophobia.
Once in the catacombs what follows is a maze of twists and turns and
strange occurrences as the crew tries to solve the mystery of the hidden
Philosopher’s Stone as one by one the crew members get killed off in their
attempt to escape the demonic maze of underground tunnels. As for the
ending? Well prepare to be underwhelmed. The definitive worst part of the
film is its ending. It is so mundane and handled extremely poorly as to
come to an abrupt and seemingly rushed finish without any sense of
accomplishment or endearment to any of the characters or what they have
been through. Although they don’t all make it out alive (naturally this is
a horror film) those that do give off the impression of a group that has
just passed out of the end of a haunted house maze similar to those at the
upcoming Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios.
all shaky cam. This found-footage film could also be more aptly titled as
“Lara Croft goes to hell.” The story centers around an excitable young
adventurer with a British accent named Scarlett on a search for the
mythological Philosopher’s Stone. A self-professed scholar of alchemy, she
hopes proving that the stone exists will fulfill her father’s legacy and
prove to the world that he wasn’t crazy. This search leads her and her
partners through the secret areas of the haunted catacombs of Pairs, France
into what could be hell itself. The movie starts with her traveling to Iran
for clues on the location of the Philosopher’s Stone.
The action opens without introductions which I enjoyed, as it gets right
into the action and sets the a good pace for the rest of the film. After
retrieving clues to the location of the stone and narrowly avoiding
security and a cave-in in Iran, our heroine sets off to Paris, France to
gather the rest of the crew for her adventure (the rest of our films
characters). These characters include her old friend Benji, a translator, a
group of French miscreants: Papillion (the leader), Zed and Souxie (the
Banshee, no kidding) all of whom are experts on the secret underground
catacombs. Her loyal documentarian George rounds out the crew who has
followed her around since the film’s opening shot.
Up until this point, the horror element of this film is non-existent. Once
the crew journey into the secret catacombs is when things begin to get
eerie. Plot and circumstance is good and all, but it’s a horror movie, is
it scary? Well, I wasn’t scared at all, neither was my wife whom I saw the
movie with. I’d call it more of a psychological thriller, a slight one at
that. Lots of supernatural happenings occur in the caverns akin to what
you’d find in a haunted house movie. Things like phone’s ringing
inexplicably in an area devoid of electricity and hundreds of feet below
the ground, spooky ghost like figures chanting occult hymns, and dead
drowned children. There isn’t much gore in this film, the little found is
reserved for the last 3rd of the movie. Some fear and wince inducing
moments are supplied via claustrophobia as the group squeezes themselves
through tight corridors and underwater channels. They did a pretty good job
of getting your heart racing. These scenes were reminiscent of a greater
horror entry “The Descent.” If you’ve seen that film, then you know what to
expect when it comes to the 1st person moments of claustrophobia.
Once in the catacombs what follows is a maze of twists and turns and
strange occurrences as the crew tries to solve the mystery of the hidden
Philosopher’s Stone as one by one the crew members get killed off in their
attempt to escape the demonic maze of underground tunnels. As for the
ending? Well prepare to be underwhelmed. The definitive worst part of the
film is its ending. It is so mundane and handled extremely poorly as to
come to an abrupt and seemingly rushed finish without any sense of
accomplishment or endearment to any of the characters or what they have
been through. Although they don’t all make it out alive (naturally this is
a horror film) those that do give off the impression of a group that has
just passed out of the end of a haunted house maze similar to those at the
upcoming Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios.
9 Clues: The Ward HD (Full)
Games and Entertainment
App
70 % OFF - LIMITED TIME OFFER! Don’t miss out! Plunge into the creepiest edition yet in the...
The Sum Of Us
Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - One of today's most insightful and influential thinkers offers a...
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
See the latest and more detailed review over on Ramble Media here http://www.ramblemedia.com/?p=20020
The final instalment of TolkienÕs thrilling epic doesnÕt disappoint. In a gripping, at times, but IÕll get to that later, ending with twists and turns, drama and intrigue, and simply a fitting conclusion to a well written tale. Again, as always, I will intend to keep this short, and IÕll start with the bad and end with the good, because overall, this book is very good!
So for the bad, I have to admit, I find Frodo and Sam utterly boring. I appreciate that they have the most important task of the Company, and they need to be alone whist they are completing it, but they need something to complete their part of the story. Now I can understand others may have differing views, and I can appreciate this, but I find them such a tiresome partnership. Sam redeemed himself greatly in his persistence and growth of ÔspiritÕ as he continued with his task, but thatÕs the final word IÕll say on it as, it is a very good book for the most part.
And onto the good! I read a lot of books with battles in them, and rarely have I ever experienced the emotion, fear, sadness and excitement that a battle brings in such balance and proportion. The first book of this book, and apologies if that sounds a bit Irish as my mum would say, is totally enthralling and, to coin a common phrase, unputdownable. It is almost as though you can actually feel the charisma of Aragorn and the other captains pouring through the pages and giving you as the reader the desire to continue reading through what you know is going to be some pretty difficult parts emotionally.
Another positive of this is that the camaraderie seen at the end of the battles is truly heart-warming to see. It is sad that more is not seen of Gimli and Legolas, however I can understand that the emphasis needed to be on the captains and those of higher rank. This was especially true as the slow unveiling of Aragorn progressed, and the ceremony was extremely well written and really did help the reader to see what it would have been like to have been amongst the people welcoming their long lost King to their city of stone.
I have to admit my brain was rather slow on the uptake of where this story was going, but I couldn't have imagined half of the goings on that did occur. These were however, intricately weaved into each other and give the book a sense of completeness as you discover the ending for all the characters, not just the odd one or two. Usually, as a fanfiction writer, I like the reader to leave me thinking at the end so I can fill some gaps myself, but on this occasion, having journeyed so far and put so much into the effort of reading the book, I have to say I enjoyed having the majority of things being tidied up for me. Tolkien really did tidy stuff up, the Hobbits, the Elves, the Men, and this gave a strange sense of fulfilment which I rarely get when I finish a book, and that was lovely to experience. Anyway, IÕm waffling, but you get the gist as I canÕt, for a change, express myself in words.
Another fact I loved about this book was the sudden twist in the fate of the Shire. This hit me like a bolt of the blue and really opened my eyes to situations such as this which had been a part of Ômodern day lifeÕ. I never thought the Shire could ever be taken by evil, despite all the warnings of Gandalf and the Rangers, I was still, hobbitlike I suppose, in my defiance that it could happen. Well, blow me over with a feather! When I read their homecoming I was crushed, truly crushed. This affected me more than any other part of the story, however the sadness was short lived as I had never expected the journey to change the little hobbits so much! Merry and Pippin really did live up to the new livery of their respective Lords, and showed a new side to the wonderful tenacity and resourcefulness of the hobbits.
The addition of the appendices is a wonderful touch, as I feel as fully versed in the lore of this world as my own. It is clear from this alone that to Tolkien, this was not just a story, it was a living world just out of our reach and he created a doorway to it, letting us experience their trials and tribulations, joys and victories and many other occurrences alongside our own. I find myself looking for evidence of this world now when I travel and it has truly grasped my imagination in a way few books ever do. The impact of this will be lasting, and I know I will always be looking for an ideal hobbit hole in the Shire to retire to!
In conclusion, I adored parts of this book, abhorred others, but the contrast makes me love it all the more as it is so relatable to modern events, despite being written many years ago before such events could ever have been contrived in the minds of men. It is a truly fitting conclusion to the build up in the other books, and provides thought, excitement, happiness, sadness and many other emotions to help bring the reader home to the Shire along a twisting road. Fantastically written, an excellent testament to the greatness of Tolkien and a book I would not only highly recommend, but nag people until they had at least given it a try. A truly wonderful and epic tale that will be read again and again.
The final instalment of TolkienÕs thrilling epic doesnÕt disappoint. In a gripping, at times, but IÕll get to that later, ending with twists and turns, drama and intrigue, and simply a fitting conclusion to a well written tale. Again, as always, I will intend to keep this short, and IÕll start with the bad and end with the good, because overall, this book is very good!
So for the bad, I have to admit, I find Frodo and Sam utterly boring. I appreciate that they have the most important task of the Company, and they need to be alone whist they are completing it, but they need something to complete their part of the story. Now I can understand others may have differing views, and I can appreciate this, but I find them such a tiresome partnership. Sam redeemed himself greatly in his persistence and growth of ÔspiritÕ as he continued with his task, but thatÕs the final word IÕll say on it as, it is a very good book for the most part.
And onto the good! I read a lot of books with battles in them, and rarely have I ever experienced the emotion, fear, sadness and excitement that a battle brings in such balance and proportion. The first book of this book, and apologies if that sounds a bit Irish as my mum would say, is totally enthralling and, to coin a common phrase, unputdownable. It is almost as though you can actually feel the charisma of Aragorn and the other captains pouring through the pages and giving you as the reader the desire to continue reading through what you know is going to be some pretty difficult parts emotionally.
Another positive of this is that the camaraderie seen at the end of the battles is truly heart-warming to see. It is sad that more is not seen of Gimli and Legolas, however I can understand that the emphasis needed to be on the captains and those of higher rank. This was especially true as the slow unveiling of Aragorn progressed, and the ceremony was extremely well written and really did help the reader to see what it would have been like to have been amongst the people welcoming their long lost King to their city of stone.
I have to admit my brain was rather slow on the uptake of where this story was going, but I couldn't have imagined half of the goings on that did occur. These were however, intricately weaved into each other and give the book a sense of completeness as you discover the ending for all the characters, not just the odd one or two. Usually, as a fanfiction writer, I like the reader to leave me thinking at the end so I can fill some gaps myself, but on this occasion, having journeyed so far and put so much into the effort of reading the book, I have to say I enjoyed having the majority of things being tidied up for me. Tolkien really did tidy stuff up, the Hobbits, the Elves, the Men, and this gave a strange sense of fulfilment which I rarely get when I finish a book, and that was lovely to experience. Anyway, IÕm waffling, but you get the gist as I canÕt, for a change, express myself in words.
Another fact I loved about this book was the sudden twist in the fate of the Shire. This hit me like a bolt of the blue and really opened my eyes to situations such as this which had been a part of Ômodern day lifeÕ. I never thought the Shire could ever be taken by evil, despite all the warnings of Gandalf and the Rangers, I was still, hobbitlike I suppose, in my defiance that it could happen. Well, blow me over with a feather! When I read their homecoming I was crushed, truly crushed. This affected me more than any other part of the story, however the sadness was short lived as I had never expected the journey to change the little hobbits so much! Merry and Pippin really did live up to the new livery of their respective Lords, and showed a new side to the wonderful tenacity and resourcefulness of the hobbits.
The addition of the appendices is a wonderful touch, as I feel as fully versed in the lore of this world as my own. It is clear from this alone that to Tolkien, this was not just a story, it was a living world just out of our reach and he created a doorway to it, letting us experience their trials and tribulations, joys and victories and many other occurrences alongside our own. I find myself looking for evidence of this world now when I travel and it has truly grasped my imagination in a way few books ever do. The impact of this will be lasting, and I know I will always be looking for an ideal hobbit hole in the Shire to retire to!
In conclusion, I adored parts of this book, abhorred others, but the contrast makes me love it all the more as it is so relatable to modern events, despite being written many years ago before such events could ever have been contrived in the minds of men. It is a truly fitting conclusion to the build up in the other books, and provides thought, excitement, happiness, sadness and many other emotions to help bring the reader home to the Shire along a twisting road. Fantastically written, an excellent testament to the greatness of Tolkien and a book I would not only highly recommend, but nag people until they had at least given it a try. A truly wonderful and epic tale that will be read again and again.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Lagoon: Land of Druids in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
Lagoon is a land of harmony and balance. Or at least it WAS until the rise of humanity. The three spiritual energies that once existed in a perfect equilibrium are now fighting for dominance and control over the destiny of Lagoon. Each energy has amassed a following of druids who are working to ensure that their chosen energy is victorious! Which energy will you choose to serve, and will your choice be the correct one in the end? There’s only one way to find out!
Lagoon: Land of the Druids is a game of tile placement and exploration. You are the leader of a circle of druids, and they will do your bidding throughout the game. On your turn, you will take any/all of these five actions: Move, Summon (add one of your reserve druids to the play area), Explore (add a new site tile to the table), Invoke (use a Site Action), or Unravel (remove a site tile from play). You can perform as many of these actions as you want, as long as you have the appropriate resources to spend. Each tile in the game is double-sided, and each side has a unique action/ability associated with it. Strategy is everything – which tile side should you choose to bring into play, and how can you best use the available abilities to benefit your chosen energy? You also have to keep an eye on your opponents because they might be trying to undermine your plans to help their energy achieve success! The game ends when all tiles have been explored, and then players count up points dependent upon which energy was ultimately dominant. The player with the most points is the winner!
As a solo game, Lagoon plays similarly to the multi-player game. Instead of competing against other humans, you are playing against an AI opponent (fondly referred to as “AJ” in the rulebook). On its turn, alternating with yours, the AI executes three steps – Explore, Unravel, and Invoke (perform an action dependent on which druids the AI currently has in play). Each of those steps is explained in more detail in the rulebook. The game ends as in a normal group game, and the player (either you or the AI) with the highest score wins.
The first thing I should mention are the solo rules themselves – they are very wordy and contain lots of ambiguity. It took me a couple of read-throughs before I felt comfortable trying to play, and even now I still keep the solo rules easily accessible when I do play. With so many moving elements in this game, clear and concise rules are necessary for an unencumbered game.
When I say there are a lot of moving elements, I mean it. At any point, you could have up to 5 druids in play, with access to up to 5 unique site powers to invoke in addition to the basic actions you can take on your turn. And on top of that, your druids are spiritually connected, so a druid on one site can use the power of a different site as long as you have a druid there as well. There are also lots of opportunities to combo powers this way, and unless you’re 100% focused, you could lose track of what you already did or forget to pay for an action. And in a solo game, you’re not only tracking this for yourself, you also have to make sure you’re executing the AI turns correctly. There’s just a lot going on and it can be easy to accidentally skip a step.
The thing I dislike most about playing Lagoon solo is that I have to make decisions for the AI. When placing tiles on AI turns, I get to choose which side to play. When the AI unravels a site, I get to choose which site to remove. It’s hard to play this game honestly because I can just choose whatever will benefit ME the most, and not necessarily act in the AI’s best interest. Obviously, a human opponent would do whatever they want for themselves, but in a solo game I am in control of my opponent. The rulebook does offer ways to alleviate this, but I either honestly forget to refer back to the rules for certain situations, or I just choose to ignore the suggestions. I know, I know, that sounds like a personal problem. And I guess it is. I just don’t like the responsibility of having to play two competing sides because it is hard to stay honest. Since this game is so dependent on strategy and personal decisions, there is no good way for an AI opponent to be successful.
Lagoon: Land of the Druids is a complex game that requires more strategy than you think. That being said, I don’t like to play it solo. Each turn offers lots of opportunities, but so many options can be overwhelming. Having to make decisions for the AI is not enjoyable for me because I am aware that I do not always make the best decision for the AI – it’s just hard for me to consciously make decisions detrimental to my game. The idea of this game is neat, but the execution of the solo rules (from their editing to their actual gameplay) just doesn’t work well for me. Give it a try solo if you want, but you’re not really missing a lot if you don’t.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/03/11/solo-chronicles-lagoon-land-of-the-druids/
Lagoon is a land of harmony and balance. Or at least it WAS until the rise of humanity. The three spiritual energies that once existed in a perfect equilibrium are now fighting for dominance and control over the destiny of Lagoon. Each energy has amassed a following of druids who are working to ensure that their chosen energy is victorious! Which energy will you choose to serve, and will your choice be the correct one in the end? There’s only one way to find out!
Lagoon: Land of the Druids is a game of tile placement and exploration. You are the leader of a circle of druids, and they will do your bidding throughout the game. On your turn, you will take any/all of these five actions: Move, Summon (add one of your reserve druids to the play area), Explore (add a new site tile to the table), Invoke (use a Site Action), or Unravel (remove a site tile from play). You can perform as many of these actions as you want, as long as you have the appropriate resources to spend. Each tile in the game is double-sided, and each side has a unique action/ability associated with it. Strategy is everything – which tile side should you choose to bring into play, and how can you best use the available abilities to benefit your chosen energy? You also have to keep an eye on your opponents because they might be trying to undermine your plans to help their energy achieve success! The game ends when all tiles have been explored, and then players count up points dependent upon which energy was ultimately dominant. The player with the most points is the winner!
As a solo game, Lagoon plays similarly to the multi-player game. Instead of competing against other humans, you are playing against an AI opponent (fondly referred to as “AJ” in the rulebook). On its turn, alternating with yours, the AI executes three steps – Explore, Unravel, and Invoke (perform an action dependent on which druids the AI currently has in play). Each of those steps is explained in more detail in the rulebook. The game ends as in a normal group game, and the player (either you or the AI) with the highest score wins.
The first thing I should mention are the solo rules themselves – they are very wordy and contain lots of ambiguity. It took me a couple of read-throughs before I felt comfortable trying to play, and even now I still keep the solo rules easily accessible when I do play. With so many moving elements in this game, clear and concise rules are necessary for an unencumbered game.
When I say there are a lot of moving elements, I mean it. At any point, you could have up to 5 druids in play, with access to up to 5 unique site powers to invoke in addition to the basic actions you can take on your turn. And on top of that, your druids are spiritually connected, so a druid on one site can use the power of a different site as long as you have a druid there as well. There are also lots of opportunities to combo powers this way, and unless you’re 100% focused, you could lose track of what you already did or forget to pay for an action. And in a solo game, you’re not only tracking this for yourself, you also have to make sure you’re executing the AI turns correctly. There’s just a lot going on and it can be easy to accidentally skip a step.
The thing I dislike most about playing Lagoon solo is that I have to make decisions for the AI. When placing tiles on AI turns, I get to choose which side to play. When the AI unravels a site, I get to choose which site to remove. It’s hard to play this game honestly because I can just choose whatever will benefit ME the most, and not necessarily act in the AI’s best interest. Obviously, a human opponent would do whatever they want for themselves, but in a solo game I am in control of my opponent. The rulebook does offer ways to alleviate this, but I either honestly forget to refer back to the rules for certain situations, or I just choose to ignore the suggestions. I know, I know, that sounds like a personal problem. And I guess it is. I just don’t like the responsibility of having to play two competing sides because it is hard to stay honest. Since this game is so dependent on strategy and personal decisions, there is no good way for an AI opponent to be successful.
Lagoon: Land of the Druids is a complex game that requires more strategy than you think. That being said, I don’t like to play it solo. Each turn offers lots of opportunities, but so many options can be overwhelming. Having to make decisions for the AI is not enjoyable for me because I am aware that I do not always make the best decision for the AI – it’s just hard for me to consciously make decisions detrimental to my game. The idea of this game is neat, but the execution of the solo rules (from their editing to their actual gameplay) just doesn’t work well for me. Give it a try solo if you want, but you’re not really missing a lot if you don’t.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/03/11/solo-chronicles-lagoon-land-of-the-druids/