Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in Video Games
Dec 2, 2019
The campaign is ripped from the headlines as it has a more plausible storyline with the discovery of Poison Gas that is threatening instability in the Middle East and abroad and forces the players to make very tough decisions along the way.
Playing the missions as one of several characters helps give the game a wide-ranging perspective as it is not all run and gun action as there is also stealth and tactical stages of the game.
What I really enjoyed was the updated graphical engine that not only produced some amazing visuals but really gave a new level of intensity to the game which is a non-stop thrill ride that rivals anything Hollywood can offer.
While the game has some issues at launch; they were patched up and future updates such as maps are not only free this time around but frequent.
The Multiplayer aspect of the game is always a big draw and this time around Modern Warfare really shines by featuring Cross-Play which allows Xbox One, Playstation 4, and a PC player to play in the same game and also allows players greater options in finding games to take part in.
Multiplayer Modes will be very familiar to anyone who has played any of the games in the series as the Team Death Match, Kill Confirmed, Hardpoint, and other modes are back which combine with the other modes to offer ten different options for players.
As before players will gain points as they play which will allow them to unlock new weapons, equipment, Kill Streaks, Perks, cosmetics and other options to enhance the experience and allow players to pick loadouts that best suit their style of play.
Moving away from the Battle Royale mode that was introduced last year; Modern Warfare offers a mode called Ground War which allows large groups of players to battle one another in a large map complete with vehicles such as tanks and helicopters. I can tell you that there is no greater joy than hopping in a tank to obliterate a person who has been camping and sniping your entire squad for most of the mission.
Perhaps the most interesting new feature of the game is a series of Co-Op modes. This option allows players to join with other players to complete missions; some of which extend the storyline to the game as they must work with one another to complete various missions.
The sales for the game have been very strong as it brought in over $600 million in revenue in just three days. Once the technical issues I faced were eliminated and my gameplay stabilized; I have found this to be easily one of the most enjoyable recent games in the series and one of the best overall.
I cannot wait to see what they do next as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a great new addition to the series that blends old and new with a gripping story and relentless action.
4.5 stars out of 5
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) in Movies
Feb 5, 2020
Acting: 10
Jeff Goldblum has a way of captivating any screen he’s on. He has charm, wit, and an erratic nature that’s absolutely hilarious. He has a strong cast backing him up with guys like Vince Vaughn and Julianne Moore helping to run the show.
Beginning: 10
Strong start as we see there are still idiots out there that don’t know how to stay away from these islands. The movie is immediately entertaining while also letting you know it’s going to be a different kind of movie than the first. Definitely piqued my interest.
Characters: 6
One of my biggest issues with the entire movie. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t score it lower. For the most part, I hated these characters outside of Ian Malcolm. I almost wish he had left the rest of them to stew on the island by themselves. Julianne Moore’s character Sarah Harding was obnoxious and pretty annoying. Then again, I can say that for a lot of the characters including Malcolm’s daughter Kelly Curtis (Vanessa Lee Chester). At times, it really made it hard for me to enjoy the movie.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
The dino special effects were taken to new heights in this one. I particularly love the extra work they put into the velociraptors showing off their incredible jumping ability and rogue-like stealth. I also appreciated the multitude of dinos you get in this one as well from the stegosaurus down to the tiny compies. I can’t remember their names, but my particular favorite dino was the one with the bone head. His hard skull could crash through just about anything. I enjoyed watching it wreak havoc on a number of doors and people.
What bothered me just a bit was the choice of a darker color tone throughout the movie. It was almost as if they were trying to purposefully differentiate from the first by doing this. It takes some getting used to, but ultimately didn’t kill the movie for me.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 4
Pace: 8
Plot: 4
What a stupid story. Who in their right mind after hearing all the craziness that went down at the original park would ever go back to face off against these dinos? Rescue mission my ass, not this guy! Had they followed the book, I feel it would have been a lot more believable.
Resolution: 9
Overall: 77
Let’s be honest, no way this movie was going to match the first in any way. Jurassic Park set an amazing standard that is just hard to follow. However, I will say that, while not perfect, The Lost World: Jurassic Park does have its moments that make it a decent enough watch.
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Ninja: Silent But Deadly in Tabletop Games
Aug 20, 2020
Ninja: Silent But Deadly (referred to simply as Ninja from here on out) is a party game of player elimination in which the goal is to be the last player standing. The setup is simple – each player receives 1 Ninja card. Yeah, that’s it. The gameplay is the fun part. Each player has until the end of the game night to hide/place their card in a spot where another player will be forced to see/find it. For example, maybe you drop some dice on the floor and ask your neighbor to pick it up for you. When they lean down, they see you also dropped your Ninja card as well! Upon their discovery, they are eliminated from the game and must forfeit their own Ninja card. The game continues with players being eliminated, until there is only one player left. That player is the winner! Be careful, though, because if another player sees you trying to sneak your Ninja card somewhere, they can call out “Ninja!” and you are eliminated from the game. It’s a game of stealth, cunning, and mistrust, and it makes for an entertaining experience.
Based on the above description, I’m sure you are thinking that Ninja is just a silly game. And you would be correct. It is no brain burner or king of strategy, but rather a fun way to keep the party engaged throughout the entire game night. Everyone has to be on their toes, and everyone is trying to come up with the most clever way to trick someone into finding their card. You have to be innovative and sly when hiding your card, as well as being wary of anything someone might ask you to do all night. Although games of player elimination can sometimes be cutthroat, Ninja feels light-hearted enough to be enjoyed by all gamers.
That being said, the problem with player elimination games is that only the players who have yet to be eliminated get to participate in the game to the fullest. If you are the first player out, the magic is kind of over and you just get to spend the rest of the game night as normal, watching others continue playing a game while you sit on the sidelines. That’s probably my biggest qualm with this game.
So overall, how is Ninja? I think it’s a cute little game. It is silly, light-hearted, and easily accessible to all ages and types of players. Having played Button Shy’s other meta-game, Pretense, however, I would say that Ninja falls a little flat. In Pretense, players are eliminated only if they have fulfilled the requirement on your individual role card. In Ninja, you are just automatically eliminated if you find a Ninja card. Pretense takes a little bit more strategy, and that makes the game more engaging for me. But all in all, Ninja: Silent But Deadly is a cute game that I will definitely bring out at larger game nights for some light-hearted fun! Purple Phoenix Games gives it a stealthy 5 / 12.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Battlefield V in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The solo portion of the game has players battle in some diverse locales and focuses on situations form history where the participants were not well known and did not receive much glory or attention for their deeds.
After the introduction, players have the following options as described by E.A.
The stories were very enjoyable and thought provoking though I did get a few bugs while playing like a cut-scene lock up and some clipping issues where enemy characters were lodged in walls. Thankfully issues like this were few and I was able to complete the missions as they were engrossing and kept me riveted throughout.
I especially liked the Nordlys mission where I was able to don Skis and made my way around the frozen landscapes to complete my mission.
The missions were a mix of stealth, surviving waves of enemies, and capturing objectives which is what you would expect for a game of this type. The game does allow players to have a more diverse approach to completing missions as you can use vehicles and other objects found in the game to be creative. I was able to “borrow” a plane in Under No Flag to strafe the enemy locales. When my piloting skills were not up to snuff and I crashed in a lake; I redid the mission from a direct assault approach and things went much better for me.
The game uses a regenerative health system so should you take too much damage, simply take cover until you heal up and battle on. There is also an option to heal from time to time when battling online. Players will be able to pick up new weapons and ammunition off fallen enemies as well as at various points throughout the game.
Visually the game is very appealing from the open desert to the raging blizzard in the campaigns; there is plenty of eye candy to enjoy along with the action.
The online modes were very enjoyable as there were a variety of modes for players to enjoy.
The multiplay was good and what impressed me was how fair the hit detection was. You did not have to empty an entire clip into an enemy to take them down nor did glancing shots also produce a fatal result. The maps were large and highly detailed which allowed players to try a mixture of gameplay styles to best suit their needs.
It should be noted that additional content for the game will be coming as the menus made mention of solo missions and other features that were listed as “coming soon” and we know that the Battle Royale mode for the game is not due until 2019 as an example.
It should also be noted that I did not see the Female fighter with the prosthetic arm that was featured in the announcement trailers for the game and caused division amongst fans upon the reveal for the game. If she was edited out, planned for a later date, or simply included for demonstration purposes remains to be seen. What is clear is that although fans may expect more content and be disappointed in having to wait for parts of the game to release at a later date, the game is enjoyable for fans of the series and after my experiences with the Beta; even better than expected. I look forward to seeing what the game will look like in the future once the coming updates and patches are applied, but for now; Battlefield V is a solid WW2 game with solid visuals and sound and is a worthy entry into the series.
http://sknr.net/2018/11/12/battlefield-v/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The game is set in the near future where Exo Skeletons, drones, and target seeking grenades have become commonplace on the battlefield.
Players are cast as a young Marine who after a successful but costly battle finds himself at a crossroads. He is given a new chance when the head of a large and powerful private defense contractor offers to make him part of the team.
At this point players will take on a deadly terror threat all over the globe and will have an arsenal of weapons at their disposal including hover bikes for a thrilling chase through Detroit.
Of course there is a darker side to the story and a bigger plot is discovered where the player must stand up for what he knows is right even if it means turning his back on others.
The graphics of the game are first rate and the facial animations have to be seen to be believed. I enjoyed the new weapons and storylines, but much of the gameplay while exciting does follow the series staples of run and gun, stealth missions, and vehicle chases.
The addition of the Exo Suit is a huge plus as it allows for jet powered jumps and moves as well as the ability to cling to metallic surfaces.
This feature enhances the storylines greatly as I enjoyed jumping to and from moving vehicles, climbing up vast buildings, and making tall jumps in combat.
What really makes this game shine is the amazing multiplay which not only combines multiple modes such as Kill Confirmed, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and countless other modes, it also has co-op missions as well.
The ease of customization in the multiplay modes is great as everything from energy weapons to machine guns is available to players as is the ability to customize your perks, kill streak rewards, and accessories.
The game offers bonus items that can be accessed in menu and in game which really enhances the appeal of the game. I remember turning a solar lense on some enemies and frying them down as well as getting a giant combat suit and cutting players down to size.
I had issues with the multiplayer in Ghosts and had to force myself to play to make max level, but thankfully Advanced has not had those issues as I happily play the online modes as often as I can. I have enjoyed the maps and the variety of weapons and combat styles immensely.
The inclusion of Kevin Spacey was a nice addition as far as I was concerned as it brought a new level of menace and complexity to what could have otherwise been a stock video bad guy. You can almost understand his motivations.
I was able to complete the single player campaign in a bit over 6 hours but I enjoyed the thrill ride it contained and being able to use the abilities of the suit as well as the grapple were well featured throughout the highly detailed levels of the game.
In the end if you like Call of Duty then you will likely love this game and if you are not a fan, then no matter what the publisher and designers do will likely not appease you. For me, this was a nice mix of the old and familiar with some new directions that shows there is still plenty of life in the franchise.
http://sknr.net/2015/01/08/call-dutyadvanced-warfare/
Darren (1599 KP) rated Rambo: Last Blood (2019) in Movies
Sep 26, 2019
Performances – Sylvester Stallone is back in one of his favourite franchises, he does keep John looking a lot more like a true veteran that is still haunted by his nightmares of war, even if he is mumbling his way through the film. Yvette Monreal fills her role with ease, naïve young girl, while both Oscar Jaenada and Sergio Peris-Mencheta don’t put a foot wrong in the villainous roles.
Story – The story here follows a retired calm John Rambo that is called into action when his adoptive daughter gets taken by a gang in Mexico and he will go to any lengths to get his revenge at save her. When it comes to this style of action film, the story doesn’t need to be very deep at all, in fact the basic plot is broken down as war veteran takes on gang who took family member, lots of bodies left lying. We do get glimpses at the idea that John is still dealing with the traumas of his experiences in war, though they are very small, if we didn’t have these, we could have easily have had just another older military person doing the same thing, it didn’t need to be Rambo for the most part. Saying this, it was nice to see Rambo returning to what made his actions popular in the First Blood, with his stealth ability over the countless bullets flying around. This is everything you want and need from a Rambo movie when it comes to the story.
Action/Western – The action in the film does take it time to get going, but when Rambo starts, my word this is one of the most graphic action movies you will see, certain sequences will make John Wick’s kills look like a Disney movie.
Settings – The film does use the Mexico setting for the fish out of water when it comes to John wanting to take the fight to them, so he makes them bring to the fight to him, showing us how deadly he is when he knows the land. The settings are key to the final act of the movie.
Special Effects – The effects are brutal, when it comes to the injuries people were wincing in the cinema at certain moments, they don’t hold back in anyway.
Scene of the Movie – Whole final act.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Certain stories don’t seem to get an ending.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the most violent action films that you will ever see, it uses the brutal action to highlight Rambo’s military skills and doesn’t hold back in anyway.
Overall: Graphic, Violent, Rambo’s Back.
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