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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Tessa Ever After (Reluctant Hearts, #2) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
This one starts with Tessa late to pick up her daughter from day care as she struggles to adjust to life since her older brother, Cade, moved away and left her alone with everything. Cade used to be babysitter, chef, chauffeur, DIY-er and many other things that made Tessa's life much easier and she's struggling to get herself in gear. She's also online dating, trying to find the older guy who'll be there and treat her right...when maybe the guy she really wants is a little closer to home.
In walks her brothers best friend, Jason, who Cade has tasked with keeping an eye on her. Jason's view of Tessa has slowly been changing from "best friends little sister" to gorgeous woman and mum and after some warnings from Cade and encouragement from their joint friend Adam, he decides to pursue Tessa.
First things first, I feel like I need to let you know that I have a big weakness for super cute children in my romances and Haley is certainly that. There were some really cute scenes with her and Tessa and Jason. She was super cuteness personified.
I did like their relationship. It was cute how it progressed and I'm glad they stuck with each other despite the obstacles that popped up here and there. And of course there was a misunderstanding that caused a slight rift but luckily they got around it and became a very cute little family unit.
Some of the secondary characters like Adam and Paige grew on me in this. We got to know Paige more than Adam but she seems to need to find that special someone and I think sparks may be flying between her and Adam in the next one. I'm not sure if I'll read it though.
I think I missed some of the angst that can happen in the romances I like with this. It was a little too nice. I like the bad boy type to be full of tattoos and dirty mouthed so they can rile their love interest up enough for her to answer back and sparks to fly.
In walks her brothers best friend, Jason, who Cade has tasked with keeping an eye on her. Jason's view of Tessa has slowly been changing from "best friends little sister" to gorgeous woman and mum and after some warnings from Cade and encouragement from their joint friend Adam, he decides to pursue Tessa.
First things first, I feel like I need to let you know that I have a big weakness for super cute children in my romances and Haley is certainly that. There were some really cute scenes with her and Tessa and Jason. She was super cuteness personified.
I did like their relationship. It was cute how it progressed and I'm glad they stuck with each other despite the obstacles that popped up here and there. And of course there was a misunderstanding that caused a slight rift but luckily they got around it and became a very cute little family unit.
Some of the secondary characters like Adam and Paige grew on me in this. We got to know Paige more than Adam but she seems to need to find that special someone and I think sparks may be flying between her and Adam in the next one. I'm not sure if I'll read it though.
I think I missed some of the angst that can happen in the romances I like with this. It was a little too nice. I like the bad boy type to be full of tattoos and dirty mouthed so they can rile their love interest up enough for her to answer back and sparks to fly.
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Feels Like Summer - Single by Samuel Jack in Music
Jun 17, 2019
Samuel Jack is a singer-songwriter based in London, England. Not too long ago, he released a charming contemporary soul tune, entitled, “Feels Like Summer”.
“There’s definitely a sense of nostalgia about the whole song. I wrote it at a time when I needed those good times to see me through some stuff. Music can totally transcend time and space and take you to all sorts of places when you’re not exactly where you want to be. That’s what this song is for me. It takes me back, it takes me forward, it takes me through.” – Samuel Jack
‘Feels Like Summer’ tells an interesting tale of a young guy who celebrates the good times shared with someone from his past.
Apparently, reminiscing about those magical moments when he was a teenager somehow makes him feel alive. Therefore, he wishes he could live in that moment forever.
‘Feels Like Summer’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and feel-good instrumentation seasoned with stomping percussion, bright brass, and shimmering soundscapes.
Samuel Jack spent his formative years in Johannesburg with his father, a film director.
He was raised on Motown, blues, soul, and roots music. His favorite musical themes include love, pain, and occasionally politics.
Everything he sings is from the heart, about moments in his life and the journey he is currently on.
Not too long ago, he confessed that writing for him is a form of therapy and that honesty plays a key role throughout his songwriting.
“I listen to all sorts of music, but there is something about Rhythm ‘n’ Blues, about Soul, about Gospel that just gets into my veins. The history of it all, the hurt, the pain, the joy, the sex. And when those emotions are delivered by a voice that really means it, I just feel like there can’t be a better way to express yourself.” – Samuel Jack
Samuel Jack’s upcoming album, which is due later this year, narrates the struggles with inner demons and the turbulence of family and relationships.
Also, the project highlights the desire and want for something or someone, and how music helps to build bridges and establish new relationships.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/samuel-jack-feels-like-summer/
“There’s definitely a sense of nostalgia about the whole song. I wrote it at a time when I needed those good times to see me through some stuff. Music can totally transcend time and space and take you to all sorts of places when you’re not exactly where you want to be. That’s what this song is for me. It takes me back, it takes me forward, it takes me through.” – Samuel Jack
‘Feels Like Summer’ tells an interesting tale of a young guy who celebrates the good times shared with someone from his past.
Apparently, reminiscing about those magical moments when he was a teenager somehow makes him feel alive. Therefore, he wishes he could live in that moment forever.
‘Feels Like Summer’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and feel-good instrumentation seasoned with stomping percussion, bright brass, and shimmering soundscapes.
Samuel Jack spent his formative years in Johannesburg with his father, a film director.
He was raised on Motown, blues, soul, and roots music. His favorite musical themes include love, pain, and occasionally politics.
Everything he sings is from the heart, about moments in his life and the journey he is currently on.
Not too long ago, he confessed that writing for him is a form of therapy and that honesty plays a key role throughout his songwriting.
“I listen to all sorts of music, but there is something about Rhythm ‘n’ Blues, about Soul, about Gospel that just gets into my veins. The history of it all, the hurt, the pain, the joy, the sex. And when those emotions are delivered by a voice that really means it, I just feel like there can’t be a better way to express yourself.” – Samuel Jack
Samuel Jack’s upcoming album, which is due later this year, narrates the struggles with inner demons and the turbulence of family and relationships.
Also, the project highlights the desire and want for something or someone, and how music helps to build bridges and establish new relationships.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/samuel-jack-feels-like-summer/
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I refrained from doing my review until I'd seen both of the preview screenings on at Cineworld. I had some serious issues with the visuals, and it turns out I wasn't the only one.
I want to talk about the positives first because there really are a lot of things to appreciate. The fact that they've linked the action so directly to the comic book format is wonderful. Having both the storyboard transitions, the lettering and the actual comic books involved brought everything together. Even the "little" things like Spidey-sense and the dot work overlay.
All of that took a back seat to the bizarre background elements at times. In the 2D showing in particular it looked like they were showing a 3D version of the film. The most distracting moments contained areas blurring into double vision, when it wasn't the blurring it just looked like some of it was unfinished.
Spider-Verse had some very good promos in the run up to the film. You see some amazing bits during all of that but luckily they held plenty back for the rest of it. We've already seen the "I love you dad" scene in the trailer, but the extended version is so much better.
Miles' story makes for a great centre piece. Every step of him trying to learn about his new found abilities is done in a humorous and well thought out way and give him a great opportunity to mingle with his spider-friends.
... And those spider-friends... you can't help but love them just a little bit. Noir is probably my favourite, he's taken a leaf out of Pocahontas' book in Ralph Breaks The Internet and has his own personal wind machine, and a confusing relationship with colours that make him a perfectly eccentric character.
Aunt May kicks ass. I can't deny that I'm loving this incarnation of her just a little bit. She definitely could have saved a few Spidey movies for me.
I actually can't believe that Spider-Ham has been in the Marvel Universe since 1983. He featured in a One Shot Marvel Tails originally that featured other Marvel hero parodies including Captain AmeriCat, Hulk-Bunny and Goose Rider. The series definitely requires some further investigation... particularly Ant-Ant, Croctor Strange and Nick Furry: Agent Of S.H.E.E.P.. Honestly there's no end to punny names. Sadly, this amusing back story doesn't save Spider-Ham for me, apart from the issue I had with the graphics he's my low point. He really is just too hammy for the storyline.
What you should do
You should definitely watch this one, there's enough amusement and action for everyone. For the older nerds, wait until the end of the credits for a scene that most of the kids won't understand but you'll appreciate.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the ability to stick my hands to things wouldn't be bad. Climbing walls would be good, I'd never need a ladder to paint those hard to reach spots in the house... and I'd never drop my phone. Lots of possibilities there.
I want to talk about the positives first because there really are a lot of things to appreciate. The fact that they've linked the action so directly to the comic book format is wonderful. Having both the storyboard transitions, the lettering and the actual comic books involved brought everything together. Even the "little" things like Spidey-sense and the dot work overlay.
All of that took a back seat to the bizarre background elements at times. In the 2D showing in particular it looked like they were showing a 3D version of the film. The most distracting moments contained areas blurring into double vision, when it wasn't the blurring it just looked like some of it was unfinished.
Spider-Verse had some very good promos in the run up to the film. You see some amazing bits during all of that but luckily they held plenty back for the rest of it. We've already seen the "I love you dad" scene in the trailer, but the extended version is so much better.
Miles' story makes for a great centre piece. Every step of him trying to learn about his new found abilities is done in a humorous and well thought out way and give him a great opportunity to mingle with his spider-friends.
... And those spider-friends... you can't help but love them just a little bit. Noir is probably my favourite, he's taken a leaf out of Pocahontas' book in Ralph Breaks The Internet and has his own personal wind machine, and a confusing relationship with colours that make him a perfectly eccentric character.
Aunt May kicks ass. I can't deny that I'm loving this incarnation of her just a little bit. She definitely could have saved a few Spidey movies for me.
I actually can't believe that Spider-Ham has been in the Marvel Universe since 1983. He featured in a One Shot Marvel Tails originally that featured other Marvel hero parodies including Captain AmeriCat, Hulk-Bunny and Goose Rider. The series definitely requires some further investigation... particularly Ant-Ant, Croctor Strange and Nick Furry: Agent Of S.H.E.E.P.. Honestly there's no end to punny names. Sadly, this amusing back story doesn't save Spider-Ham for me, apart from the issue I had with the graphics he's my low point. He really is just too hammy for the storyline.
What you should do
You should definitely watch this one, there's enough amusement and action for everyone. For the older nerds, wait until the end of the credits for a scene that most of the kids won't understand but you'll appreciate.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the ability to stick my hands to things wouldn't be bad. Climbing walls would be good, I'd never need a ladder to paint those hard to reach spots in the house... and I'd never drop my phone. Lots of possibilities there.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Mortal Engines (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I refrained from doing my review until I'd seen both of the preview screenings on at Cineworld. I had some serious issues with the visuals, and it turns out I wasn't the only one.
I want to talk about the positives first because there really are a lot of things to appreciate. The fact that they've linked the action so directly to the comic book format is wonderful. Having both the storyboard transitions, the lettering and the actual comic books involved brought everything together. Even the "little" things like Spidey-sense and the dot work overlay.
All of that took a back seat to the bizarre background elements at times. In the 2D showing in particular it looked like they were showing a 3D version of the film. The most distracting moments contained areas blurring into double vision, when it wasn't the blurring it just looked like some of it was unfinished.
Spider-Verse had some very good promos in the run up to the film. You see some amazing bits during all of that but luckily they held plenty back for the rest of it. We've already seen the "I love you dad" scene in the trailer, but the extended version is so much better.
Miles' story makes for a great centre piece. Every step of him trying to learn about his new found abilities is done in a humorous and well thought out way and give him a great opportunity to mingle with his spider-friends.
... And those spider-friends... you can't help but love them just a little bit. Noir is probably my favourite, he's taken a leaf out of Pocahontas' book in Ralph Breaks The Internet and has his own personal wind machine, and a confusing relationship with colours that make him a perfectly eccentric character.
Aunt May kicks ass. I can't deny that I'm loving this incarnation of her just a little bit. She definitely could have saved a few Spidey movies for me.
I actually can't believe that Spider-Ham has been in the Marvel Universe since 1983. He featured in a One Shot Marvel Tails originally that featured other Marvel hero parodies including Captain AmeriCat, Hulk-Bunny and Goose Rider. The series definitely requires some further investigation... particularly Ant-Ant, Croctor Strange and Nick Furry: Agent Of S.H.E.E.P.. Honestly there's no end to punny names. Sadly, this amusing back story doesn't save Spider-Ham for me, apart from the issue I had with the graphics he's my low point. He really is just too hammy for the storyline.
What you should do
You should definitely watch this one, there's enough amusement and action for everyone. For the older nerds, wait until the end of the credits for a scene that most of the kids won't understand but you'll appreciate.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the ability to stick my hands to things wouldn't be bad. Climbing walls would be good, I'd never need a ladder to paint those hard to reach spots in the house... and I'd never drop my phone. Lots of possibilities there.
I want to talk about the positives first because there really are a lot of things to appreciate. The fact that they've linked the action so directly to the comic book format is wonderful. Having both the storyboard transitions, the lettering and the actual comic books involved brought everything together. Even the "little" things like Spidey-sense and the dot work overlay.
All of that took a back seat to the bizarre background elements at times. In the 2D showing in particular it looked like they were showing a 3D version of the film. The most distracting moments contained areas blurring into double vision, when it wasn't the blurring it just looked like some of it was unfinished.
Spider-Verse had some very good promos in the run up to the film. You see some amazing bits during all of that but luckily they held plenty back for the rest of it. We've already seen the "I love you dad" scene in the trailer, but the extended version is so much better.
Miles' story makes for a great centre piece. Every step of him trying to learn about his new found abilities is done in a humorous and well thought out way and give him a great opportunity to mingle with his spider-friends.
... And those spider-friends... you can't help but love them just a little bit. Noir is probably my favourite, he's taken a leaf out of Pocahontas' book in Ralph Breaks The Internet and has his own personal wind machine, and a confusing relationship with colours that make him a perfectly eccentric character.
Aunt May kicks ass. I can't deny that I'm loving this incarnation of her just a little bit. She definitely could have saved a few Spidey movies for me.
I actually can't believe that Spider-Ham has been in the Marvel Universe since 1983. He featured in a One Shot Marvel Tails originally that featured other Marvel hero parodies including Captain AmeriCat, Hulk-Bunny and Goose Rider. The series definitely requires some further investigation... particularly Ant-Ant, Croctor Strange and Nick Furry: Agent Of S.H.E.E.P.. Honestly there's no end to punny names. Sadly, this amusing back story doesn't save Spider-Ham for me, apart from the issue I had with the graphics he's my low point. He really is just too hammy for the storyline.
What you should do
You should definitely watch this one, there's enough amusement and action for everyone. For the older nerds, wait until the end of the credits for a scene that most of the kids won't understand but you'll appreciate.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the ability to stick my hands to things wouldn't be bad. Climbing walls would be good, I'd never need a ladder to paint those hard to reach spots in the house... and I'd never drop my phone. Lots of possibilities there.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Rear Window (1954) in Movies
Dec 24, 2018
Great Mystery
A photojournalist is wheelchair-ridden, watching people in his apartment complex from his window for hours. He’s thrown for a loop when he witnesses what he thinks is a murder. He wants to get to the bottom of it or die trying.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
I’ll start with Stella (Thelma Ritter) who is easily my favorite character in the entire movie. She is an in-home nurse who is taking care of main character L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Out of all the characters in the story, she has the brightest sense of humor. I also loved that she takes zero guff from L.B., sometimes even making it seem like he works for her. She was stern and went beyond the parameters of her job doing everything from offering love advice to helping L.B. dive into the murder.
Of course I appreciated a number of the other characters as well, including the creepy Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr). He is the object of L.B.’s accusation. Lars does a great job of making you think L.B. could be right. At other times, Lars seems like just a normal guy going about his daily routine. He takes strange to new heights. Each of the characters, the important ones anyway, help to frame the story and keep you intrigued.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Genre: 5
Memorability: 10
Pace: 9
Plot: 10
Rear Window succeeds with a script that’s extremely crisp and engaging. Mystery and tension abound as you try and figure out what’s going to happen next. The story is simple, yet is peeled back in layers. Very well done.
Resolution: 10
I won’t dive in too much here but I will say that the ending is perfect to the point that it answers all the right questions. It doesn’t overdo things and try and unnecessarily put a bow on things. We find out what we need to know and that’s that.
Overall: 92
Alfred Hitchcock puts together stories like a boxer puts together a fight. He hits you with little jabs that wake you up. Eventually he goes in for the kill with harder punches that you’re not ready for. He is definitely one of the greats and Rear Window is yet another one of his classics to show for it.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
I’ll start with Stella (Thelma Ritter) who is easily my favorite character in the entire movie. She is an in-home nurse who is taking care of main character L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Out of all the characters in the story, she has the brightest sense of humor. I also loved that she takes zero guff from L.B., sometimes even making it seem like he works for her. She was stern and went beyond the parameters of her job doing everything from offering love advice to helping L.B. dive into the murder.
Of course I appreciated a number of the other characters as well, including the creepy Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr). He is the object of L.B.’s accusation. Lars does a great job of making you think L.B. could be right. At other times, Lars seems like just a normal guy going about his daily routine. He takes strange to new heights. Each of the characters, the important ones anyway, help to frame the story and keep you intrigued.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Genre: 5
Memorability: 10
Pace: 9
Plot: 10
Rear Window succeeds with a script that’s extremely crisp and engaging. Mystery and tension abound as you try and figure out what’s going to happen next. The story is simple, yet is peeled back in layers. Very well done.
Resolution: 10
I won’t dive in too much here but I will say that the ending is perfect to the point that it answers all the right questions. It doesn’t overdo things and try and unnecessarily put a bow on things. We find out what we need to know and that’s that.
Overall: 92
Alfred Hitchcock puts together stories like a boxer puts together a fight. He hits you with little jabs that wake you up. Eventually he goes in for the kill with harder punches that you’re not ready for. He is definitely one of the greats and Rear Window is yet another one of his classics to show for it.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated V for Vendetta in Books
Jul 10, 2018
I picked up V for Vendetta because my book club wanted to read it. I will admit, graphic novels are not my usual flavor, but every now and then it is nice to have something new. I tend to like reading books without having to analyze the photos. I like having more detail in the writing itself. With graphic novels, the pictures are the details. This can be great and I love the additional media but I found it a little lacking.
<blockquote> ÛÏEverybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain. Everybody.Û </blockquote>
Ultimately, I want to read the details and not have to scour a picture for them. The artwork was beautiful in a grungy way. David LloydÛªs talent really did captivate me. But, I also found the artwork frustrating at times. When reading/viewing this graphic novel I found that the facial expressions were sometimes too similar to pick out. Someone could be crying in despair or screaming in rage, and it looked nearly identical. Also, there were some characters that just seemed to blend together. I discussed this book with the rest of the book club and we all tended to agree that the characters were too similar in their appearance. One member blended two characters together. Looking back at the novel, I definitely understand where he was coming from. I even had some problems interpreting one of the characters. I actually thought that one of the wives was the mother. I was quite surprised (I almost spit out my coffee) when there was a sexual scene between the mother and the sonÛ_ luckily, I went back in the novel and realized that she was the wife.
<blockquote> ÛÏThey made you into a victim, Evey. They made you into a statistic. But thatÛªs not the real you. ThatÛªs not who you are inside.Û </blockquote>
What I really liked about V for Vendetta was the fact that it was different from my typical books. The book was very political. I found it fascinating to see MilgramÛªs study discussed along with the concept of happiness. There were many times that I took a picture of the page so that I wouldnÛªt forget a certain passage. I also really loved the concepts of the book. I found myself enthralled by the thoughts and ideas in regards to social standing, political ideas, and the dystopian ideals that were present. I do wish that they would have continued with some of them. One amazing member of the Denver Coffeehouse Book Club summed up my frustrations about this beautifully: ÛÏThatÛªs a great conceptÛ_ *Shrug*Û. It seemed like every time Alan Moore and David Lloyd came up with a great idea they just shrugged and left it hanging in the air, leaving the reader with the hope that they might revisit it laterÛ_ *Spoiler* later never came.
<blockquote> ÛÏHappiness is the most insidious prison of all.Û </blockquote>
All in all, I enjoyed V for Vendetta and I will most likely read it again. ItÛªs like a cup of gas station coffee that you add a cinnamon stick to in hopes that the flavor may change. I liked the plot, the ideas, the concepts, but I do wish that the concepts were more flushed out. It seemed that they had great ideas that they just didnÛªt follow through with. Perhaps that was part of their ultimate concept. They could have wanted the reader to explore their own thoughts and draw their own conclusions. Ultimately, I found the graphic novel form fascinating, beautiful, and at times quite frustrating. It was great, just not my usual flavor.
<blockquote> ÛÏEverybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain. Everybody.Û </blockquote>
Ultimately, I want to read the details and not have to scour a picture for them. The artwork was beautiful in a grungy way. David LloydÛªs talent really did captivate me. But, I also found the artwork frustrating at times. When reading/viewing this graphic novel I found that the facial expressions were sometimes too similar to pick out. Someone could be crying in despair or screaming in rage, and it looked nearly identical. Also, there were some characters that just seemed to blend together. I discussed this book with the rest of the book club and we all tended to agree that the characters were too similar in their appearance. One member blended two characters together. Looking back at the novel, I definitely understand where he was coming from. I even had some problems interpreting one of the characters. I actually thought that one of the wives was the mother. I was quite surprised (I almost spit out my coffee) when there was a sexual scene between the mother and the sonÛ_ luckily, I went back in the novel and realized that she was the wife.
<blockquote> ÛÏThey made you into a victim, Evey. They made you into a statistic. But thatÛªs not the real you. ThatÛªs not who you are inside.Û </blockquote>
What I really liked about V for Vendetta was the fact that it was different from my typical books. The book was very political. I found it fascinating to see MilgramÛªs study discussed along with the concept of happiness. There were many times that I took a picture of the page so that I wouldnÛªt forget a certain passage. I also really loved the concepts of the book. I found myself enthralled by the thoughts and ideas in regards to social standing, political ideas, and the dystopian ideals that were present. I do wish that they would have continued with some of them. One amazing member of the Denver Coffeehouse Book Club summed up my frustrations about this beautifully: ÛÏThatÛªs a great conceptÛ_ *Shrug*Û. It seemed like every time Alan Moore and David Lloyd came up with a great idea they just shrugged and left it hanging in the air, leaving the reader with the hope that they might revisit it laterÛ_ *Spoiler* later never came.
<blockquote> ÛÏHappiness is the most insidious prison of all.Û </blockquote>
All in all, I enjoyed V for Vendetta and I will most likely read it again. ItÛªs like a cup of gas station coffee that you add a cinnamon stick to in hopes that the flavor may change. I liked the plot, the ideas, the concepts, but I do wish that the concepts were more flushed out. It seemed that they had great ideas that they just didnÛªt follow through with. Perhaps that was part of their ultimate concept. They could have wanted the reader to explore their own thoughts and draw their own conclusions. Ultimately, I found the graphic novel form fascinating, beautiful, and at times quite frustrating. It was great, just not my usual flavor.
Mothergamer (1583 KP) rated Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
Let me get this out of the way first. I do like games like Dynasty Warriors and they are fun to play when I just want to relax and do a few minutes of hack and slash, so I didn't mind that Dragon Quest Heroes seemed to be a mashup of Dynasty Warriors, Tower Defense, and Hyrule Warriors. It was different and not like Dragon Quest 8 and 9 which I loved, but I did find myself having fun with it. The graphics are beautiful and you have over 10 characters from the various Dragon Quest games to choose from to be in your party. There are a lot of references to the Dragon Quest lore which is fun as well.
First fight with a dragon!
The tutorial for the controls is easy to follow and the game play controls handle really well. The battle system for the most part is pretty decently thought out and you can play a quick mission here and there. You can switch back and forth between your party members with a quick press of a button which is handy. The story isn't as good as previous Dragon Quest games with a pretty thin plot and a rather sub-par ending. The thing that really shines is the various special battle moves characters can do and the tension gauge. As your heroes land hits on monsters, the tension meter builds up and once it's full you can unleash a chain of powerful attacks that will defeat your enemies.
Tension attacks really pack a punch.
There are side quests you can do while doing the main story; mainly fetch quests or defeat a certain number of monsters. That can get tedious after a while because you revisit some of the same dungeon areas. There's a lack of exploration as you basically just go from one dungeon crawl area to another. Sure the airship town is cool, but I would have liked an opportunity to at least get to check out areas freely rather than have a go from point A to point B situation. Level grinding is pretty easy especially with the live weekend events they have where you can get extra EXP for your heroes (20% this weekend), rare items, and bonus gold. With all the battles your heroes do you can earn more than enough gold to buy weapons and gear for your party which is pretty great. The addition of monster medals is also a plus. Monster medals drop off any monsters you defeat and you can use the medals to summon those monsters to fight alongside you.
A town with everything you need all on one ship!
While I did like Dragon Quest Heroes, I did not love it the way I have the previous games. It is good, but it's not perfect. I understand they went in a different direction and for the most part it works and is fun up to a point. In many of the missions there's usually an object that must be protected from the onslaught of monsters and strategy is crucial here as well as deciding your party setup and which monsters to summon. However, sometimes the strategy isn't enough because there can be hordes of monsters that can overwhelm your party and as you're struggling to zip to and from different areas, it can be frustrating as you try to read a very cluttered map. Sometimes you will fail a mission and have to try again from the beginning. The one good thing about that is all your EXP and items you've gained carry over. It can get repetitive and I did find myself a little bored as I progressed. I tried different tactics if I had trouble with a mission and trying different things does help to an extent. The AI can also be incredibly stupid. There were a few times where I had a party member just standing there doing nothing while they would be attacked by enemies.
Early dungeons start out okay and then it gets complicated.
The game play overall is good, but it's not great. Dragon Quest Heroes is fun to play once and not at full price especially with only 30 hours of play time. I'd suggest waiting until it goes on sale or buying it used. It pains me to say that because I love the Dragon Quest series, but this game could have been better and it just felt so much like a Dynasty Warriors/Hyrule Warriors clone in places which left me a little disappointed.
First fight with a dragon!
The tutorial for the controls is easy to follow and the game play controls handle really well. The battle system for the most part is pretty decently thought out and you can play a quick mission here and there. You can switch back and forth between your party members with a quick press of a button which is handy. The story isn't as good as previous Dragon Quest games with a pretty thin plot and a rather sub-par ending. The thing that really shines is the various special battle moves characters can do and the tension gauge. As your heroes land hits on monsters, the tension meter builds up and once it's full you can unleash a chain of powerful attacks that will defeat your enemies.
Tension attacks really pack a punch.
There are side quests you can do while doing the main story; mainly fetch quests or defeat a certain number of monsters. That can get tedious after a while because you revisit some of the same dungeon areas. There's a lack of exploration as you basically just go from one dungeon crawl area to another. Sure the airship town is cool, but I would have liked an opportunity to at least get to check out areas freely rather than have a go from point A to point B situation. Level grinding is pretty easy especially with the live weekend events they have where you can get extra EXP for your heroes (20% this weekend), rare items, and bonus gold. With all the battles your heroes do you can earn more than enough gold to buy weapons and gear for your party which is pretty great. The addition of monster medals is also a plus. Monster medals drop off any monsters you defeat and you can use the medals to summon those monsters to fight alongside you.
A town with everything you need all on one ship!
While I did like Dragon Quest Heroes, I did not love it the way I have the previous games. It is good, but it's not perfect. I understand they went in a different direction and for the most part it works and is fun up to a point. In many of the missions there's usually an object that must be protected from the onslaught of monsters and strategy is crucial here as well as deciding your party setup and which monsters to summon. However, sometimes the strategy isn't enough because there can be hordes of monsters that can overwhelm your party and as you're struggling to zip to and from different areas, it can be frustrating as you try to read a very cluttered map. Sometimes you will fail a mission and have to try again from the beginning. The one good thing about that is all your EXP and items you've gained carry over. It can get repetitive and I did find myself a little bored as I progressed. I tried different tactics if I had trouble with a mission and trying different things does help to an extent. The AI can also be incredibly stupid. There were a few times where I had a party member just standing there doing nothing while they would be attacked by enemies.
Early dungeons start out okay and then it gets complicated.
The game play overall is good, but it's not great. Dragon Quest Heroes is fun to play once and not at full price especially with only 30 hours of play time. I'd suggest waiting until it goes on sale or buying it used. It pains me to say that because I love the Dragon Quest series, but this game could have been better and it just felt so much like a Dynasty Warriors/Hyrule Warriors clone in places which left me a little disappointed.
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Ticket to Ride in Tabletop Games
Jan 9, 2020
I am one of the remaining few who reviewers who haven’t put in their two cents on Ticket to Ride. Why? Is it bad? No. Am I lazy? No. It’s really because I don’t think I have anything new to say about it that hasn’t already been said a hundred times. So this review on this game will be a little different from me. Instead of going over the rules and such (however truncated they typically are from me) I will question how well this game has aged for me.
Ticket to Ride is one of those games that has really hit it big in the mass market. You can find it all over in big box stores, in FLGS, online, secondary market, just everywhere. But why? And for this long? Ticket to Ride (TTR) came out in 2004. A mere 15 years ago. While that doesn’t really sound like a long time, in contrast to today’s game industry it is an eternity. With thousands upon thousands of games being released into the market through direct publish, Kickstarter/crowd funding, and big releases at conventions it’s hard to believe that you can still find this hanging with the exciting, fresh new games.
What I truly believe is magical about this game is its simplicity. “You have two main options: take some cards or play some cards.” When you can start a teach of a game by saying that, your players are invested right away because they know you aren’t going to bog them down with rules upon rules. “If you decide to take cards you can take these colored train cards or you can take new route ticket cards.” So now players have two choices from gaining cards. “If you decide to play cards you need to play cards of a color and number matching whichever route between two connecting cities on the map you like.” Done. The game is explained. Yeah, you can fight me about the endgame scoring stuff like longest route and whatnot, but for new gamers, you have explained this classic in three sentences. It’s so beautiful when a game allows you to teach it so quickly.
But that surely means that this is an easy game, right? With so few rules and such. Well, no. It’s not really “easy” at all. While your main rules are light, the strategy and tactics during play can cause feelings of joy and delight as well as frustration and concern as you see someone claim the route you need to connect to two cities on the map. Of course, you can’t explain that to your new players right away. You want them to experience these feelings organically and fully. It’s what makes TTR a really great game: having your well-laid plans just shot to smithereens by the guy who can’t tell the difference between the white train cars and the wild rainbow train cars.
DISCLAIMER: I play with the 1910 expansion, which is a MUST. The larger cards are way easier to play with. See photo below with comparisons from base game on bottom with the larger 1910 cards above. YMMV, but I will always play using this expansion. -T
Components. Let’s compare components to some current or newer games. The game board is laid out really well, and the artwork is sparse and not over-busy on the board. This is a HUGE plus for me. I like nothing more than for the board to offer thematic elements and feeling without pelting my eyes with too much distraction. The cards were a bad choice. Not because the art or the quality on them is bad – because that’s not what I am saying. The size of the cards was a poor choice. I did purchase the 1910 expansion and simply will not play my copy without it. I recently played TTR for GenCan’t 2019 at my FLGS with OG base cards and found myself dreaming of the 1910 cards. The score tracker discs are of industry-standard quality for scoring discs. The plastic train car pieces are still just as wonderful to handle and play with as are many other more modern components. Seriously just as good. TTR components (and really, most of the time Days of Wonder components in general) are really great.
So do I still enjoy playing it? You betcha, don’tcha know. I still love seeing the board in front of me, agonizing over the route tickets I am dealt, and trying to decide if I should go for the New York to Los Angeles, or keep it simple with multiple routes along the Mississippi River. I still love the panic that ensues when I see people hoarding train cards, just knowing that they will soon be on the attack and their train car collection will dwindle to almost endgame levels in too few rounds for me to complete my masterpiece. I guess I still really love it.
Is Ticket to Ride my favorite game? No. But I’ll tell you what. I hadn’t played it in a couple years, and after this weekend’s play, it has moved up on my list by several spaces. It still holds a special place in my heart, and also the hearts of my team. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives Ticket to Ride a retrospective 20 / 24. It’s still great!
Ticket to Ride is one of those games that has really hit it big in the mass market. You can find it all over in big box stores, in FLGS, online, secondary market, just everywhere. But why? And for this long? Ticket to Ride (TTR) came out in 2004. A mere 15 years ago. While that doesn’t really sound like a long time, in contrast to today’s game industry it is an eternity. With thousands upon thousands of games being released into the market through direct publish, Kickstarter/crowd funding, and big releases at conventions it’s hard to believe that you can still find this hanging with the exciting, fresh new games.
What I truly believe is magical about this game is its simplicity. “You have two main options: take some cards or play some cards.” When you can start a teach of a game by saying that, your players are invested right away because they know you aren’t going to bog them down with rules upon rules. “If you decide to take cards you can take these colored train cards or you can take new route ticket cards.” So now players have two choices from gaining cards. “If you decide to play cards you need to play cards of a color and number matching whichever route between two connecting cities on the map you like.” Done. The game is explained. Yeah, you can fight me about the endgame scoring stuff like longest route and whatnot, but for new gamers, you have explained this classic in three sentences. It’s so beautiful when a game allows you to teach it so quickly.
But that surely means that this is an easy game, right? With so few rules and such. Well, no. It’s not really “easy” at all. While your main rules are light, the strategy and tactics during play can cause feelings of joy and delight as well as frustration and concern as you see someone claim the route you need to connect to two cities on the map. Of course, you can’t explain that to your new players right away. You want them to experience these feelings organically and fully. It’s what makes TTR a really great game: having your well-laid plans just shot to smithereens by the guy who can’t tell the difference between the white train cars and the wild rainbow train cars.
DISCLAIMER: I play with the 1910 expansion, which is a MUST. The larger cards are way easier to play with. See photo below with comparisons from base game on bottom with the larger 1910 cards above. YMMV, but I will always play using this expansion. -T
Components. Let’s compare components to some current or newer games. The game board is laid out really well, and the artwork is sparse and not over-busy on the board. This is a HUGE plus for me. I like nothing more than for the board to offer thematic elements and feeling without pelting my eyes with too much distraction. The cards were a bad choice. Not because the art or the quality on them is bad – because that’s not what I am saying. The size of the cards was a poor choice. I did purchase the 1910 expansion and simply will not play my copy without it. I recently played TTR for GenCan’t 2019 at my FLGS with OG base cards and found myself dreaming of the 1910 cards. The score tracker discs are of industry-standard quality for scoring discs. The plastic train car pieces are still just as wonderful to handle and play with as are many other more modern components. Seriously just as good. TTR components (and really, most of the time Days of Wonder components in general) are really great.
So do I still enjoy playing it? You betcha, don’tcha know. I still love seeing the board in front of me, agonizing over the route tickets I am dealt, and trying to decide if I should go for the New York to Los Angeles, or keep it simple with multiple routes along the Mississippi River. I still love the panic that ensues when I see people hoarding train cards, just knowing that they will soon be on the attack and their train car collection will dwindle to almost endgame levels in too few rounds for me to complete my masterpiece. I guess I still really love it.
Is Ticket to Ride my favorite game? No. But I’ll tell you what. I hadn’t played it in a couple years, and after this weekend’s play, it has moved up on my list by several spaces. It still holds a special place in my heart, and also the hearts of my team. That’s why Purple Phoenix Games gives Ticket to Ride a retrospective 20 / 24. It’s still great!
