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Thanos Rising: Avengers Infinity War
Thanos Rising: Avengers Infinity War
2018 | Action, Card Game, Dice Game
Thanos is on the warpath. He can’t wait to assemble the Infinity Gauntlet in preparation for The Snap. He has enemy minions to help fight off heroes in three different sectors. But we have The Avengers. And their friends. We can do this, heroes! We can defeat 10 minions before the Gauntlet is assembled and really hurt Thanos. It’s on!

This is a dice-rolling, card drafting game that is light on rules, heavy on teamwork, and a little longer playtime than what’s on the box if you’re doing well (from my experience). Without going too much into the rulebook, on your turn you are going to choose a sector in which you will work. Roll the two Thanos dice. They determine what he does, if he or his minions hit you and your team, and whether he gets closer to obtaining the six Infinity Stones. Then you roll your team dice to activate powers on your team’s cards, recruit more heroes to your team, or wound the minions in your sector. Thanos has three ways he can beat you and you only have one way to beat him – defeat 10 minions/bad guys. The odds are definitely stacked against you, but with the right team combos and with the willingness of your fellow players to play cooperatively, you can squeak out a win.

What I mean by this is using the bonus tokens effectively. On these bonus tokens are extra icons, extra dice to be used, healing capabilities, etc. You can hoard them all for yourself if you like, but the best way to truly beat the game is to be completely open with the bonus tokens. In fact, in the spirit of complete cooperation, I suggest everyone agree to keep bonus tokens in a shared pool so that anyone can access them. But maybe that’s just me.

I have played this game several times now and have not *technically* won a game yet. We would have won the last time we played it, but we had to cut the game short because our playmates’ kids came home with the babysitters. The other times we were completely decimated. The game is actually really hard to win. I like that. The dice are good quality, but I have my issues with the Thanos dice icon choices. It’s not enough to turn me off, but it could be way better. The cards are OK quality – nothing to write home about. I don’t feel the need to sleeve them because they aren’t really handled that much and they mostly stay on the table the whole game. The translucent cubes are fine, the Infinity Stones are really nice, and that completely unnecessary Thanos “mini” is very very cool. I have zero painting skills, or I would improve the paint job on mine for that extra level of coolness.

So I like the game a lot, but don’t LOVE the game. Maybe with even more playthroughs it will grow on me more. I have assembled all the promo cards and just need to play with them more. In all, Purple Phoenix Games finds this one really enjoyable, and we award it a superhuman score of 19 / 24.

https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/23/thanos-rising-review/
  
Earthfall
Earthfall
Action
Left 4 Dead and its sequel Left 4 Dead 2 became must play games for fans who loved the four player co-op gameplay as players worked with one another to accomplish tasks and survive legions of undead and supernatural enemies.

The sequel came soon after the original and despite rumors and the best hopes of the gaming community; a new chapter in the series has yet to appear.

Thankfully Holospark have stepped up to offer gamers an enjoyable and intense gaming experience for fans who have grown weary of waiting for a new installment of Left 4 Dead. Set in the Pacific Northwest, Earthfall deals with the aftermath of an Alien invasion where four characters must work with one another to accomplish tasks, defeat wave after wave of enemies and survive.

Players can play with one another or play with A.I. controlled Bots whose ability level can be adjusted by players at the start of the level.

Weapons ranging from shotguns, pistols, bladed weapons, machine guns, and heavy weapons can be found along the way or printed at 3D Printers to help the odds of survival. There are also health kits, stations, ammo boxes, and Stimulant shots which will all have their place as the gameplay unfolds.

Teamwork is the key as the enemies are abundant and fast. While they may not have the best A.I. out there and rush straight at you; the fact that they are so abundant and attack from multiple directions at once really increases the challenge.

There are several types of enemies as well as boss Aliens who show up at various points of a level to throw a wrench into your strategy. Once a player is down, they can be revived by other players which often puts players in the difficult task of trying to stay alive or rushing into danger to try to save other players.

There are also devices such as auto and manned gun emplacements which can shred enemies, but overheat if continuous fire is used.

The game does offer various levels of difficulty so players can find one that best meets their gameplay style. Some may find the gameplay a bit dated but when you factor in the game was made by an Indie developer and has a list price for $30.00; it has some great things going for it. I have played the game well-over a year in early access phase and I have really enjoyed seeing the improvements to the game as it made its way to full release. The new maps are really good and there are more coming for gamers to enjoy as well. What is also really enjoyable to see is that Holospark seems very open to suggestions of the community and will continue to tweak the game going forward.

While some will likely say the graphics are a bit out of date and the dialogue is a bit standard, it is important to note that this is a game designed for fans of Left 4 Dead and is done by an smaller developer and not one of the mega-publishers, as such, I found the quality of the graphics and gameplay more than good enough for modern systems and at no time did I ever find it as a distraction to the gameplay as I was immersed from the get go.

If you are a fan of Left 4 Dead and want an affordably priced game that incorporates several of the best elements of the prior game, then you will not want to miss Earthfall.

http://sknr.net/2018/07/16/earthfall/
  
Cars (2006)
Cars (2006)
2006 | Action, Animation, Comedy
The technical wizards at Pixar are back with a new feature film which continues their domination of the animated film genre.

With the huge success of their films The Incredibles as well as Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. and the Toy Story films, it would be easy to think that the studio might be at a creative crossroads. When recent news around the industry involved the end of their deal with Disney and subsequent new deal with the company after a period of free agency as well as delays on their new project, some began to wonder what audiences would see if their next outing.

Thankfully Cars continues the amazing run of success for the studio and sets the bar even higher for animated films to follow.

The film follows the exploits of rookie racing car Lightning MC Queen (Owen Wilson), who is the hotshot rookie attempting to be the first rookie in history to win the Piston Cup title.

As Lightening dreams of winning the prize and in doing so, a hefty sponsorship with the big oil company, he decides to ignore the advice of his crew which causes him to end up in a three way tie for the title.

In order to resolve the tie a special race is to be held a week later in California between the three winners. En route, Lightning ignores the advice of his driver Mack (John Ratzenberger), and in a series of mishaps ends up alone in the desolate
town of Radiator Springs. As if this was not enough trouble for Lightning, he is forced by the local judge Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), to perform community service to complete the damage he caused to the road upon his arrival.

Faced with the prospect of losing time needed to get to and prepare for the race, the selfish Lightning does his best to alienate the local townsfolk including the local tow truck Tom Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), who like all the locals do their best to befriend him.

Along the way, Lightning learns the values of friendship, teamwork and community as he attempts to find the true meaning of the term “Winner”.

Graphically the film is amazing as the amount of CGI rendering that went into the film is said to be so extensive, it literally taxed the computers at Pixar to their limits. That is clear as the detail level and complexity of the film is staggering. You fully believe that this world populated entirely by machines exists.

There is a lot of humor in the film as well and more than enough nods that will appeal to older viewers yet may be over the heads of younger viewers.

If I had to find fault in the film, it would be that with a running time of slightly over two hours, it does tend to drag in a few places. My nephew and his friend became restless about 50 minutes into the film which made me think that the running time may be to long for some younger children to sit through and that the film might have been better served by trimming about 30 minutes as there were segments that while visually appealing, did not really need to be there.

That being said, Cars is a true delight and proof that once again, Pixar is the undisputed champion of animated films.
  
HG
Hullmetal Girls
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> was both painful and fun to read, with machinery and body modification in space. Skrutskie's latest novel is quite different for those who have read her <em><a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/mini-reviews-part-1-emily-skrutskie-marie-lu-and-others/">The Abyss Surrounds Us</a></em> duology, but just as good.

No cute sea monsters though. &#x1f61e;

<h2><strong>What can you expect from <em>Hullmetal Girls</em> then?</strong></h2>
Because that's what you're really here for. (That, and well, prime book shoving from one of your favorite book dragons.)

<h3>Space and machinery</h3>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> is kind of cyborgs in space but not exactly cyborgs as Scela are people who are enhanced with machinery to be stronger and better. There's a huge price to pay, but also rewarding for those who make it to the top. I found it interesting to see how the Scela worked both during the process of becoming one and training.

<h3>Very painful beginning</h3>
Skrutskie introduces us to Aisha, a girl who decides to undergo surgery to become Scela, an enhanced soldier who is stripped of humanity to protect the Fleet ruled by the General Body. We're in the process of the surgery with her, and it'll be a painful read as she is being taken apart and put back together.

<h3>Strong sense of family</h3>
Family is a huge theme from the beginning of the book until the end. Aisha risks her life to become Scela to provide a better life for her remaining family and to give her younger brother the best care for his sickness. Throughout the book, we see this as her motivation to get through basic training and to be a part of the best Scela, even though she probably doesn't care or want to be there. She's not the only one though, as one of her teammates undergoes the procedure to help her sister become the best researcher she can possibly be. If anything happens to the people they love, they're in a void of nothing, trying to figure out what their meaning of life is.

<h3>Friendship and teamwork</h3>
After Scela survive their procedure, they are placed into squads who they will be with from training and into their careers as the Fleet's protective body. From early on, Aisha and her squadmates: Key, Wooj and Praava are all thrown together and have to figure how they can work together as a team. They learn that if they all want to accomplish their goals, they'll have to meet somewhere in the middle. It's not something they get ahold of easily and without some challenges, though, but they get there eventually.

<h3>Open-ended ending</h3>
<em>Hullmetal Girls</em> has an open ending but brings everything together to a satisfying closure that leaves some imagination to the readers of what could happen to the characters after the book ends.

<h2><strong><em>Hullmetal Girls</em> is different from Skrutskie's debut novels, but just as amazing with the technology in space, the friendship that develops and the sibling relationship that drives some of the characters.</strong></h2>

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/hullmetal-girls-by-emily-skrutskie/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
    Fatal Raid - No.1 FPS

    Fatal Raid - No.1 FPS

    Games

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    ◆ Sign-up now to Fatal Raid and receive your rewards~! ◆ Get 2600 Gems, 300 Energy, Character...

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Michael Mitcheson (16 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Apex Legends in Video Games

Feb 27, 2019  
Apex Legends
Apex Legends
2019 | Shooter
Legends, pacing, dev support, squad / team work, ping system. (0 more)
Weapon balance, minor bugs/glitches, apex packs, squad / teamwork. (0 more)
Solid game but will it survive the long run.
Apex legends is another battle royal game that has taken the world by storm. Some would say its a watered down genre however apex legends redefines the format adding its own spin on the mode.

Graphically it is stunning. A good amount of fauna, desert, buildings and caverns to showcase different textures whilst not quite being as cartoon like as fortnite.

The player handling is fantastic with vaulting, sliding and using zip lines. It does not feel clunky but rather smooth and fluid.

Sound is fantastic. Weapons sound so good and you can distinguish weapons prior to a fight just from hearing them. Footsteps alter from the terrain that is being ran on and dulled by crouching.


Currently the game is 3 person squads and has a max player count at 60 lower than the 4 person squad and 100 player count. This works well for the pace of the game and map size. You are never too far away from getting in the action should you wish after surviving the initial 5 minute onslaught for areas and that sweet precious loot.

You'll notice I put squad / team work in both positive and negative. The positive is it semi forces you to land as a squad. This can be cancelled by those who aren't the jump master and want to go rogue. I have noticed this but not is often as other games of the genre. 3 players allows for a good amount of mutual support, mixing and matching legend abilities to secure a win and having a diverse amount of weapons to cover all ranges. I have also negatived it due to the rogues, item/weapon/ammo stealing, lack of pinging (more on this after) and absolute lack of microphone communication. That last one is not a fault of the game or dev but merely an observation for the ps4 platform.

The ping system is the single point that makes this game fantastic. If you have a child or a broken mic you can opt to ping. Let's travel here, I'm watching here, enemy sighted and so forth. If you're not talking use the feature it's fantastic and also ends the classic e emy over there, where? There group conversation.

Legends have unique abilities but in a nutshell play what you like. Pick a character that has perks that fit your style. You can pick up that elusive 'dub' in any combination of legends. I still haven't settled. On one but enjoy 3-4 that I switch around. Its also good to have that incase someone rudely steals your character.

Minor bugs so far that I've encountered are falling through the floor (now patched allegedly and in fairness it hasn't happened to me in a while), items fallingb, through building/ dropship floor, death boxes dissapearing and falling through floors. The devs are however extremely good currently at updating and listening to the community.

Weapon balance is pretty damn bad (personal opinion). Peacekeeper is a beast shotgun at close range and mid range. The range for me needs dropping and that's prior to finding the attachment hop ups to strengthen it. The Mozambique is just a dreadful shotgun that you will find left on the floor to rust by just about everyone.

Very quickly on microtransactions. They are cosmetic only. You can warn everything including new legends in time but prepare to grind. Real money does not need to be used.

Time will tell if this game will survive the test of time as the devs release the battle pass and future content. Currently I'd give it 7/10. Solid game and worth a try by anyone. It is free after all.
  
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Battlefield 1 in Video Games

Jun 19, 2019  
Battlefield 1
Battlefield 1
Shooter
Electronic Arts and Dice have crafted a thrilling entry into the Battlefield series with the World War I themed Battlefield 1. The visually stunning game is dripping with authenticity which is seen in every frame of the game. The weapons, uniforms, vehicles, tactics, and technology as a historians dream brought to life.

Players to take part in the solo campaigns find themselves reliving various battles from the point of those who participated in them. There is a tank mission behind enemy lines in Europe, a battle in the Italian mountainside, a thrilling aerial scenario, a very intense and emotional story set against the battle of Gallipoli, and a thrilling desert adventure featuring Lawrence of Arabia himself.

One of the great things about the game is that it takes modern gameplay tactics such as trying to secure an objective or defeat enemy units and infuses it with a sense of the past. Weapons are slow to load, are not always the most accurate at a distance, and have a crudeness about them that is refreshing in this era of games featuring advanced weaponry and technology. This does require a bit of a learning curve as there have been times where I would unload a full magazine on an enemy player and multiplayer mode only to see them survive and dispatch me with one or two shots from pistol. Once you start to get the way the weapons work and develop strategies to work within their strengths and limitations, you’ll soon find yourself able to make solid progress in the game.

The solo play campaigns allow players to set a difficulty that is best suited for their style of play and have very interesting and gripping narratives.

Many players will keep their focus on the multiplayer portion which has campaign objectives as well as quick matches. This does take a bit of learning as the landscapes are large and there are plenty of places for players with higher grade weapons to pick up new players before they even know an enemy is near. Naturally your weaponry choices to get better as your on-field accomplishments merit them it is also important to note that due to the vast landscapes littered with foxholes, trenches, villages, and other locales, wide open areas where players are very exposed and vulnerable are numerous.

Getting a tank often seems like a big accomplishment but when you realize that the vehicle is slow to turn it is a sitting duck for enemy artillery, explosives, and other tanks. Strategy and teamwork are vital to the success of any mission especially when players can move up and bring in one of the massive zeppelins into the battle. I really enjoyed flying the planes of the era but had to remember that there reduced speed made it very difficult turn especially for somebody who was used to strafing a target, flying into the distance, making a wide turn, and then attacking again. I found myself that many times with the leaving the battlefield warning and was not able to turn fast enough to get myself back where I needed to be.

As somebody who studied history extensively in college, it was amazing to get a sense of the war the on the pages of history books and learn how in this era of new technology such as planes, tanks, gas, machine guns, Zeppelins, and more, the capacity to do devastating damage upon an enemy was massive as truly technology greatly overshadowed the tactics and medical abilities of the era.

Battlefield 1 is a glorious achievement and gaming as it takes an error that has been largely ignored and brings it forward incredible detail combined with thrilling battles that are loaded with customization options that will keep players playing well into the future. With the planned DLC content to come, I’m very interested to see what direction the developers will take it as there are countless possibilities ahead.

http://sknr.net/2016/10/30/battlefield-1/
  
    Brutal Street 2

    Brutal Street 2

    Games, Entertainment and Stickers

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    Brutal Street's sequel has finally come to fruition! Five years is a long wait, but now that wait is...

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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Ghost Stories in Tabletop Games

Jul 28, 2020 (Updated Jul 30, 2020)  
Ghost Stories
Ghost Stories
2008 | Fantasy, Fighting, Horror, Mythology
The Gameplay (4 more)
The Strategy
Replay Value
Thinking Ten Steps Ahead
The Concept
Hard (2 more)
Luck of the dice
The cruse dice
Spooky Scary Ghosts
I learned about this game through Dice Tower reviews, Rahdo runthrough and BoardGameGeek. And it looked really good. A cooperative game in which the players protect the village from incarnations of the lord of hell – Wu-Feng – and his legions of ghosts before they haunt a town and recover the ashes that will allow him to return to life. That sounded really intresting and unquite. So i bought it and its a excellent game. Let me talk more about it..

Gameplay:

Each Player represents a Taoist monk working together with the others to fight off waves of ghosts.

The players, using teamwork, will have to exorcise the ghosts that appear during the course of the game. At the beginning of his turn, a player brings a ghost into play and places it on a free spot, and more than one can come in at the same time. The ghosts all have abilities of their own – some affecting the Taoists and their powers, some causing the active player to roll the curse die for a random effect, and others haunting the villager tiles and blocking that tile's special action. On his turn, a Taoist can move on a tile in order to exorcise adjacent ghosts or to benefit from the villager living on the tile, providing it is not haunted. Each tile of the village allows the players to benefit from a different bonus. With the cemetery, for example, Taoists can bring a dead Taoist back to life, while the herbalist allows to recover spent Tao tokens, etc. It will also be possible to get traps or move ghosts or unhaunt other village tiles.

To exorcise a ghost, the Taoist rolls three Tao dice with different colors: red, blue, green, yellow, black, and white. If the result of the roll matches the color(s) of the ghost or incarnation of Wu-Feng, the exorcism succeeds. The white result is a wild color that can be used as any color. For example, to exorcise a green ghost with 3 resistance, you need to roll three green, three white, or a combination of both. If your die rolls fall short, you can also use Tao tokens that match the color in addition to your roll. You may choose to use these after your roll. Taoists gain these tokens by using certain village tiles or by exorcising certain ghosts. One of the Taoists has a power that allows him to receive such a token once per turn.

To win, the players must defeat the incarnation of Wu-Feng, a boss who arrives at the end of the game. There are also harder difficulty levels that add more incarnations of Wu-Feng, in which to win, you must defeat all of them.

There are many more ways to lose, however. The players lose if three of the village's tiles are haunted, if the draw pile is emptied while the incarnation of Wu-Feng is still in play, or if all the priests are dead.

It is hard game but the strategy to this game is excellent cause you have to think about your moves and what to do next. That and the clock is ticking down to one of the ten Wu-Feng Minions. Also if 3 village spaces get crushed than you lose. Also the luck of the dice and the cards. The strategy is ten fold. Its hard but a excellent game and a must play game. Buy it if you havent already cause its a must. If you want to learn more or see a runthrough of the game go to BoardGameGeek, Rahdo Runthroughs or Dice Tower Reviews.