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James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Dod E by Fiddlehead in Music
Feb 21, 2020
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Won by As Friends Rust in Music
Nov 8, 2019
Exceptional album
As Friends Rust were already good, then this came out and they became legends. They seemingly took fast old school hardcore punk with pop sensabilities in a Day Nasty style but only sounding like As Friends Rust.
Damien's gravel voice goes from growl to crooned while the music rages on. This is hardcore meeting indie without ever being post hardcore. It's just perfect
Damien's gravel voice goes from growl to crooned while the music rages on. This is hardcore meeting indie without ever being post hardcore. It's just perfect
Ross (3284 KP) rated Double Nickels on the Dime by Minutemen in Music
May 8, 2020
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Right Now You're In the Best of Hands/Terrorhawk (remastered) by Bear Vs. Shsrk in Music
Nov 7, 2019
Under-rated band gets new lease of life
Bear Vs Shark are one of those bands, too heavy for the indie kids, too indie for the hardcore kids.
This is discordant indie rock with powerchords, or post hardcore to some. Indie gone punk. And it's done brilliantly. Here their first two albums get remastered and put on one disc. The gruff gravel vocals are raw and blistering and Buses No Buses is just an anthem. Brilliant band and so underrated
This is discordant indie rock with powerchords, or post hardcore to some. Indie gone punk. And it's done brilliantly. Here their first two albums get remastered and put on one disc. The gruff gravel vocals are raw and blistering and Buses No Buses is just an anthem. Brilliant band and so underrated
Frank Turner recommended It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! by mewithoutYou in Music (curated)
Yannis Philippakis recommended Surfer Rosa by Pixies in Music (curated)
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Construct by Archivist in Music
Nov 26, 2019
Post metal concept album sounds terrible but actually it's not
Ads you may have noticed despite being a Hip Hop artist and mainly listening to Hip Hop I do love all music, if it good, I'll bang it through my speakers. However I must admit, although i love hardcore, metal is not my favourite genre.
This was recommended to me and the description sounded horrific, it is a sci fi concept album mixing shoe gazer with blast beats and songs getting to the ten minute mark. Yeah, terrible right? Well actually its really damn good. Parts of the album remind me of Belligerent Declaration where dark atmospheric slow meandering showcase, builds up the atmosphere before going full sonic heavy on your ears without ever destroying the feeling its creates. Its rare to listen to a song clocking over 8 minutes and then rewind it to listen again but I did.
Now I need to get their new one and watch out for them live.
This was recommended to me and the description sounded horrific, it is a sci fi concept album mixing shoe gazer with blast beats and songs getting to the ten minute mark. Yeah, terrible right? Well actually its really damn good. Parts of the album remind me of Belligerent Declaration where dark atmospheric slow meandering showcase, builds up the atmosphere before going full sonic heavy on your ears without ever destroying the feeling its creates. Its rare to listen to a song clocking over 8 minutes and then rewind it to listen again but I did.
Now I need to get their new one and watch out for them live.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden in Video Games
Feb 8, 2019
Hard Game But Core Fans May Like it.
Fans of turn based combat will likely enjoy the latest game in the genre Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. The game has a Post-Apocalypse setting where players take control of two mutants, a Duck and a Boar, as they explore, battle, and salvage in a hostile environment.
There is a base of operations which is fairly safe for players to enjoy as they can not only gain new missions; but they can upgrade their loadout to better survive the tasks ahead.
The early missions were fairly routine as using my allotted number of moves per turn I was able to move, take cover, heal, reload, fire, and even throw a grenade.
The problem comes when the enemy has numbers as an early mission involved taking on 5 enemies of the same or higher skill level.
The enemies were able to flank players and call in help which only increased their superior advantage.
Hiding and waiting for them to pass, hit and run, and direct assaults did no good and added to the frustrations.
Considering players would have to take a turn to reload and enemies did not, plus the sheer numbers made it a frustrating undertaking.
In many ways it is a microcosm of the game itself as there are challenges and then there are challenges which are a bit too much for gamers who are not hardcore and are looking for a simple escape.
Casual players are likely to enjoy the premise and some of the gameplay but will become frustrated with the excessive challenge and combat mechanics required on some of the missions.
The game has decent graphics and sound and the characters are engaging and likeable but in the end the game becomes a tedious series of turn based battles that can grow old and frustrating after a while.
3.5 stars out of 5
There is a base of operations which is fairly safe for players to enjoy as they can not only gain new missions; but they can upgrade their loadout to better survive the tasks ahead.
The early missions were fairly routine as using my allotted number of moves per turn I was able to move, take cover, heal, reload, fire, and even throw a grenade.
The problem comes when the enemy has numbers as an early mission involved taking on 5 enemies of the same or higher skill level.
The enemies were able to flank players and call in help which only increased their superior advantage.
Hiding and waiting for them to pass, hit and run, and direct assaults did no good and added to the frustrations.
Considering players would have to take a turn to reload and enemies did not, plus the sheer numbers made it a frustrating undertaking.
In many ways it is a microcosm of the game itself as there are challenges and then there are challenges which are a bit too much for gamers who are not hardcore and are looking for a simple escape.
Casual players are likely to enjoy the premise and some of the gameplay but will become frustrated with the excessive challenge and combat mechanics required on some of the missions.
The game has decent graphics and sound and the characters are engaging and likeable but in the end the game becomes a tedious series of turn based battles that can grow old and frustrating after a while.
3.5 stars out of 5
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Fans of turn based combat will likely enjoy the latest game in the genre Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. The game has a Post-Apocalypse setting where players take control of two mutants, a Duck and a Boar, as they explore, battle, and salvage in a hostile environment.
There is a base of operations which is fairly safe for players to enjoy as they can not only gain new missions; but they can upgrade their loadout to better survive the tasks ahead.
The early missions were fairly routine as using my allotted number of moves per turn I was able to move, take cover, heal, reload, fire, and even throw a grenade.
The problem comes when the enemy has numbers as an early mission involved taking on 5 enemies of the same or higher skill level.
The enemies were able to flank players and call in help which only increased their superior advantage.
Hiding and waiting for them to pass, hit and run, and direct assaults did no good and added to the frustrations.
Considering players would have to take a turn to reload and enemies did not, plus the sheer numbers made it a frustrating undertaking.
In many ways it is a microcosm of the game itself as there are challenges and then there are challenges which are a bit too much for gamers who are not hardcore and are looking for a simple escape.
Casual players are likely to enjoy the premise and some of the gameplay but will become frustrated with the excessive challenge and combat mechanics required on some of the missions.
The game has decent graphics and sound and the characters are engaging and likeable but in the end the game becomes a tedious series of turn based battles that can grow old and frustrating after a while.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/27/mutant-year-zero-road-to-eden/
There is a base of operations which is fairly safe for players to enjoy as they can not only gain new missions; but they can upgrade their loadout to better survive the tasks ahead.
The early missions were fairly routine as using my allotted number of moves per turn I was able to move, take cover, heal, reload, fire, and even throw a grenade.
The problem comes when the enemy has numbers as an early mission involved taking on 5 enemies of the same or higher skill level.
The enemies were able to flank players and call in help which only increased their superior advantage.
Hiding and waiting for them to pass, hit and run, and direct assaults did no good and added to the frustrations.
Considering players would have to take a turn to reload and enemies did not, plus the sheer numbers made it a frustrating undertaking.
In many ways it is a microcosm of the game itself as there are challenges and then there are challenges which are a bit too much for gamers who are not hardcore and are looking for a simple escape.
Casual players are likely to enjoy the premise and some of the gameplay but will become frustrated with the excessive challenge and combat mechanics required on some of the missions.
The game has decent graphics and sound and the characters are engaging and likeable but in the end the game becomes a tedious series of turn based battles that can grow old and frustrating after a while.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/27/mutant-year-zero-road-to-eden/
Amberley Yvonne Mackenzie (9 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Fallout 76 in Video Games
Nov 27, 2018
Co-operative focus (3 more)
Exceptionally large game map
forced interaction with other realtime players
immersion in side quests and exploration
difficult in one player mode past level 12 (2 more)
occasionally repetitive
filled with glitches and bugs
Dystopian loneliness
"War... war never changes."
This instalment of the Fallout series sees us catapulted to West Virginia, an area never previously visited in the post nuclear armageddon indicative of the franchise. You begin as a lowly vault dweller and learn that Vault 76 is a control vault designed to open 25 years after the bombs have dropped and obliterated civilisation as we know it. the character creation is straight forward and the same in design as Fallout 4, infact, the whole game is the exact same as Fallout 4 with a few tweaks here and there so stepping out into Appalacia is easy with the same control system and feel to the game. The vault doesn't hold any surprises, fixed in place as a linear tutorial so the real game begins wandering out the big ol' vault door. Once free the sheer scale is apparent as you take in the horizon, a lush green forest stretches around and for a minute you feel almost like you've wandered into an Elder Scrolls game and not a Fallout instalment then you stumble upon your first Ghoul and you remember how unforgiving Fallout is as you're pummeled into oblivion since the 10mm pistol effectively equates to a peashooter at such low levels. So you dust yourself off and explore, levelling up as you go with a quirky new perk system based loosely on trading cards, now I've encountered other players grumbling about the perk system and I'll repeat the same here as I did there; they are interchangeable at any point, not only in the level up screen. So in other words don't be dissuaded. S.P.E.C.I.A.L attributes now have a cap of 15 however you stop earning points at level 50 so choose wisely. Online tools are avaliable to help choose your build that best suits your style of play. Another changed and quirky feature is the C.A.M.P, a play on Fallout 4's settlement building feature in which you can build your own personal campsite anywhere that's not too close to a settlement with plans for hundreds of pieces but a very low budget for items. I found out early on that your camp will literally only really be used for the essentials, workbenches, Cooking equipment, stash box and a bed with a few turrets to keep you safe whilst you sleep. Another unique feature is the stash box, with only 400lbs storage don't think about going anywhere with all those wonderglues! you find yourself in a constant loop of scrapping and bulking junk just to repair weapons and armour and EVERYTHING has weight, even ammo. Think Hardcore mode New Vegas on steroids, you need to eat, drink, you contract diseases and mutations. it's an eerily accurate depiction of post apocalyptia and a good lesson in self care, if you're starving or dehydrated you lose action points and the ability to run. Power armour in the game is essential but not avaliable till level 20, I wouldn't advise going to the South or east of the map until you have some as these areas have the highest level enemy's.
Speaking of enemies, Bethesda Game Studios has once again outdone themselves with the creation of complex new creatures and enemies. Due to the lack of NPC's, Raiders have been replaced by the Scorched, disease ridden humans liked in someway to the Scorchbeast, essentially a cut and paste dragon from Skyrim. there's also the previous selection of Ghouls, deathclaws, mole rats, feral mutts and Super Mutants with the lore of West Virginia found in the recreation of the Wendigo and Mothman. there's a few other new creatures but I'll leave that to you to discover.
The locations are stunning, it doesn't matter that it's on an older game engine, what bethesda have created is simply beautiful. In the Ash Heap to the south, a towering collosus of a mining machine in perfect detail stands 100ft above you and to the north of the map, a downed space station, everything recreated in stunning detail. Some of the sights are truly amazing.
Whilst Fallout 76 has had a lot of mixed reviews I can't say it's been a dissapointmet like some others, yes it heavily relies upon your interaction with other players so if you play solo it can seem a bit lonely and repetitive especially when doing the same events everyday but I went into the game knowing it was going to be different and that gave me another way to look at it objectively. Yes it needs more content but I can safely say, this game has so much potential and is another winner for Bethesda.
This instalment of the Fallout series sees us catapulted to West Virginia, an area never previously visited in the post nuclear armageddon indicative of the franchise. You begin as a lowly vault dweller and learn that Vault 76 is a control vault designed to open 25 years after the bombs have dropped and obliterated civilisation as we know it. the character creation is straight forward and the same in design as Fallout 4, infact, the whole game is the exact same as Fallout 4 with a few tweaks here and there so stepping out into Appalacia is easy with the same control system and feel to the game. The vault doesn't hold any surprises, fixed in place as a linear tutorial so the real game begins wandering out the big ol' vault door. Once free the sheer scale is apparent as you take in the horizon, a lush green forest stretches around and for a minute you feel almost like you've wandered into an Elder Scrolls game and not a Fallout instalment then you stumble upon your first Ghoul and you remember how unforgiving Fallout is as you're pummeled into oblivion since the 10mm pistol effectively equates to a peashooter at such low levels. So you dust yourself off and explore, levelling up as you go with a quirky new perk system based loosely on trading cards, now I've encountered other players grumbling about the perk system and I'll repeat the same here as I did there; they are interchangeable at any point, not only in the level up screen. So in other words don't be dissuaded. S.P.E.C.I.A.L attributes now have a cap of 15 however you stop earning points at level 50 so choose wisely. Online tools are avaliable to help choose your build that best suits your style of play. Another changed and quirky feature is the C.A.M.P, a play on Fallout 4's settlement building feature in which you can build your own personal campsite anywhere that's not too close to a settlement with plans for hundreds of pieces but a very low budget for items. I found out early on that your camp will literally only really be used for the essentials, workbenches, Cooking equipment, stash box and a bed with a few turrets to keep you safe whilst you sleep. Another unique feature is the stash box, with only 400lbs storage don't think about going anywhere with all those wonderglues! you find yourself in a constant loop of scrapping and bulking junk just to repair weapons and armour and EVERYTHING has weight, even ammo. Think Hardcore mode New Vegas on steroids, you need to eat, drink, you contract diseases and mutations. it's an eerily accurate depiction of post apocalyptia and a good lesson in self care, if you're starving or dehydrated you lose action points and the ability to run. Power armour in the game is essential but not avaliable till level 20, I wouldn't advise going to the South or east of the map until you have some as these areas have the highest level enemy's.
Speaking of enemies, Bethesda Game Studios has once again outdone themselves with the creation of complex new creatures and enemies. Due to the lack of NPC's, Raiders have been replaced by the Scorched, disease ridden humans liked in someway to the Scorchbeast, essentially a cut and paste dragon from Skyrim. there's also the previous selection of Ghouls, deathclaws, mole rats, feral mutts and Super Mutants with the lore of West Virginia found in the recreation of the Wendigo and Mothman. there's a few other new creatures but I'll leave that to you to discover.
The locations are stunning, it doesn't matter that it's on an older game engine, what bethesda have created is simply beautiful. In the Ash Heap to the south, a towering collosus of a mining machine in perfect detail stands 100ft above you and to the north of the map, a downed space station, everything recreated in stunning detail. Some of the sights are truly amazing.
Whilst Fallout 76 has had a lot of mixed reviews I can't say it's been a dissapointmet like some others, yes it heavily relies upon your interaction with other players so if you play solo it can seem a bit lonely and repetitive especially when doing the same events everyday but I went into the game knowing it was going to be different and that gave me another way to look at it objectively. Yes it needs more content but I can safely say, this game has so much potential and is another winner for Bethesda.