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Rhubarbio (27 KP) rated A Game of Thrones the Board Game (2nd Edition) in Tabletop Games
May 26, 2019
Like Risk, but without die rolls (2 more)
Deeply strategic game
Opportunity, like the books/TV show to make alliances with other house and then...honour them or betray them, often with game changing consequences.
Very long game! Circa 4-5 hours (5 more)
Games explanation takes a long time
Learning curve is high and will dissuade most players, given the time commitment and rules unfamiliarity, which can be exceptionally frustrating.
Need 6 players for game to be properly balanced
Will lead to a lot of analysis paralysis, requiring a bullish player to force players to make a decision
May lose you friends...
A Marmite Experience!
I love this game, but despite owning it for over 3 years, I have only played it 3 times. Each time, rules explanation took an hour and are not completely intuitive. Once explained, I almost guarantee that most players will not be able to remember the number of nuances involved in this game, leading to making a lot of random decisions at the beginning. However, as I explored the game more, I realised it addressed all the deficiencies I see in Risk - there is no chance from the roll of a die here, nor does being the most powerful player mean that things cannot turn, by virtue of the fact that players have a finite number of armies and units they can hold on the board...the more you expand, the thinner your forces and therefore easier for someone to start taking some of your territories. Additionally, the player interaction and forging alliances is interesting, but given the length and cutthroat nature of the game, people may genuinely get upset and not want to play. For GoT fans who are willing to put in the hard slog of learning and then playing the game, this is great. If you're on the fence, I suggest playing it first...it is not an easy game and is a test of one's endurance.
Nick Beaty (70 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies
Nov 25, 2019 (Updated Nov 26, 2019)
And the Oscar goes to...
First things first, you can not start a review of Joker without mentioning the lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck. I would say he is probably an evens favourite to take home the best actor Oscar at next years ceremony.
As for the movie itself, Tod Phillips take on Joker almost feels like a tribute to early Martin Scorsese movies, with the most obvious being Taxi Driver & The King of Comedy, both starring Robert De Niro who also appears here. This is certainly not a bad thing as they are brilliant pieces of cinema, that will stand the test of time. As will Joker in my opinion for it's excellent cinematography & gritty authenticity, I think people will still be talking about this movie for many years to come.
There are a few very slight flaws that I could point out. The first being that because it is so Scorsese like, for me it loses the feeling of being set in Gotham city and just feels very much like we are in New York city. Secondly the Wayne's and Alfred are very much portrayed as the bad guys in this movie, in my opinion I felt myself siding with Arthur/Joker a little too much maybe, which makes you lose all sympathy for the reason Batman became the Dark Knight in the first place. Last but not least the very controversial choice of adding a Gary Glitter song at a pivotal point of the movie, is a strange choice to say the least.
Overall Joker is an exceptional character study of a very disturbed individual with many mental health issues, add to that a superb performance by Joaquin Phoenix and I think you have a movie that will only get better with time and become a genre classic. With the huge box office success, I just hope DC keep this grim, very true to life approach for their future Batman projects.
As for the movie itself, Tod Phillips take on Joker almost feels like a tribute to early Martin Scorsese movies, with the most obvious being Taxi Driver & The King of Comedy, both starring Robert De Niro who also appears here. This is certainly not a bad thing as they are brilliant pieces of cinema, that will stand the test of time. As will Joker in my opinion for it's excellent cinematography & gritty authenticity, I think people will still be talking about this movie for many years to come.
There are a few very slight flaws that I could point out. The first being that because it is so Scorsese like, for me it loses the feeling of being set in Gotham city and just feels very much like we are in New York city. Secondly the Wayne's and Alfred are very much portrayed as the bad guys in this movie, in my opinion I felt myself siding with Arthur/Joker a little too much maybe, which makes you lose all sympathy for the reason Batman became the Dark Knight in the first place. Last but not least the very controversial choice of adding a Gary Glitter song at a pivotal point of the movie, is a strange choice to say the least.
Overall Joker is an exceptional character study of a very disturbed individual with many mental health issues, add to that a superb performance by Joaquin Phoenix and I think you have a movie that will only get better with time and become a genre classic. With the huge box office success, I just hope DC keep this grim, very true to life approach for their future Batman projects.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Samsung Galaxy S10 in Tech
Mar 11, 2019 (Updated Mar 18, 2019)
Impressive
I'll begin by saying that I upgraded from an S8 to an S10. So my opinion of the S10 is based on my experience of the S8.
Looks wise, this phone is stunning. The virtually bezel-less display looks amazing and the cut out hole for the front camera works surprisingly well. I love that they've kept the edge screen too. The back of the phone with the new cameras layout looks very sleek and the prism white version that I opted for looks beautiful. The gorilla glass casing too feels so smooth and makes for a very nice phone to hold. My only criticism, which in all fairness goes for all phones not just the S10, is that this is a stunning phone but because it's not indestructible, it has to have a chunky ugly case and/or screen protector to protect it. Which for me spoils the enjoyment of having a phone that's both nice to look at and hold, and I just wish they'd find a way of making the phone more durable. Size wise it's ever so slightly bigger than the S8 but yet feels just as thin and light.
The display is visually flawless and vivid, and the processor is impressively fast. I'd thought my old S8 was fine and quick to use, but I can really see the difference in the processing speed in this. Storage capacity now comes at 128GB as standard - how we used to cope with phones with 16GB I'll never know. The cameras are definitely better than the S8 and more than good enough for what I use them for, with some manual features that would put some digital cameras to shame. The battery seems much improved although it's still early days to see whether it depletes over time. The new interface itself looks noticeably different but without making any major changes, and I really like it. And I'm glad they haven't done anything drastic. The only change I don't like is to Bixby, but I've never been a fan so its hardly worth caring.
I'm intrigued with features like the wireless power share, although I'm not sure when I'd get the chance to test this out. For me though the biggest feature change is the fingerprint sensor in the screen. And at the moment, I'm going to need a little convincing. Having the fingerprint sensor built into the sensor is a smart move and is definitely a much better location than the back like the S8. However it seems a little too specific and temperamental sometimes. If you don't put your finger in exactly the right place/position, it doesn't work. It doesn't even seem to like it when you are doing the right thing. I may reserve judgement on this for a while and hope that this is down to me getting used to a different type of sensor.
The only other glitch that I've spotted is with the use of headphones and Spotify. The headphone controls & screen lock don't seem to register with Spotify immediately and cutout or dont work. Annoying, but I have figured out a quick fix by using the lock screen controls first before using the headphones. With this being a new phone, I'm hoping this will get resolved in an update soon.
In short, this is a stunning looking phone that works well and is very slick. It may not have a massive amount of new features, but phone technology advances do appear to be slowing down and this is a much better upgrade than the S9 claimed to be.
Edit: I completely forgot another slightly irritating feature (or lack of) on the S10 - they've removed the LED indicator! I always loved this about the earlier Samsungs and while I know you have the AED to check notifications, it's not quite the same as a multicoloured flashing LED...
Looks wise, this phone is stunning. The virtually bezel-less display looks amazing and the cut out hole for the front camera works surprisingly well. I love that they've kept the edge screen too. The back of the phone with the new cameras layout looks very sleek and the prism white version that I opted for looks beautiful. The gorilla glass casing too feels so smooth and makes for a very nice phone to hold. My only criticism, which in all fairness goes for all phones not just the S10, is that this is a stunning phone but because it's not indestructible, it has to have a chunky ugly case and/or screen protector to protect it. Which for me spoils the enjoyment of having a phone that's both nice to look at and hold, and I just wish they'd find a way of making the phone more durable. Size wise it's ever so slightly bigger than the S8 but yet feels just as thin and light.
The display is visually flawless and vivid, and the processor is impressively fast. I'd thought my old S8 was fine and quick to use, but I can really see the difference in the processing speed in this. Storage capacity now comes at 128GB as standard - how we used to cope with phones with 16GB I'll never know. The cameras are definitely better than the S8 and more than good enough for what I use them for, with some manual features that would put some digital cameras to shame. The battery seems much improved although it's still early days to see whether it depletes over time. The new interface itself looks noticeably different but without making any major changes, and I really like it. And I'm glad they haven't done anything drastic. The only change I don't like is to Bixby, but I've never been a fan so its hardly worth caring.
I'm intrigued with features like the wireless power share, although I'm not sure when I'd get the chance to test this out. For me though the biggest feature change is the fingerprint sensor in the screen. And at the moment, I'm going to need a little convincing. Having the fingerprint sensor built into the sensor is a smart move and is definitely a much better location than the back like the S8. However it seems a little too specific and temperamental sometimes. If you don't put your finger in exactly the right place/position, it doesn't work. It doesn't even seem to like it when you are doing the right thing. I may reserve judgement on this for a while and hope that this is down to me getting used to a different type of sensor.
The only other glitch that I've spotted is with the use of headphones and Spotify. The headphone controls & screen lock don't seem to register with Spotify immediately and cutout or dont work. Annoying, but I have figured out a quick fix by using the lock screen controls first before using the headphones. With this being a new phone, I'm hoping this will get resolved in an update soon.
In short, this is a stunning looking phone that works well and is very slick. It may not have a massive amount of new features, but phone technology advances do appear to be slowing down and this is a much better upgrade than the S9 claimed to be.
Edit: I completely forgot another slightly irritating feature (or lack of) on the S10 - they've removed the LED indicator! I always loved this about the earlier Samsungs and while I know you have the AED to check notifications, it's not quite the same as a multicoloured flashing LED...
Andy K (10821 KP) rated L.A. Confidential (1997) in Movies
Mar 3, 2019
Modern film noir at its finest!
Los Angeles in the 1950s is the setting for this amazing film which probably should've won Best Picture in 1997 (although I love Titanic also).
When new cop Ed Exley comes comes to the force, he is immediately greeted with corruption and some hard choices which test his loyalty and willingness to stand to his principles. A murder investigation quickly ensues which potentially pit cop against cop and uncovers the seedy underbelly of Hollywood during that time and everyone looking out for themselves.
Another brazen cop, sticks up for battered women while another enjoys being the technical adviser for everyone's favorite television program at the time.
The 3 men have various run in with each other as their investigation seems to conclude with a resolution, but one or more of them are not convinced the solution is correct and that the real perpetrators are still at large.
The depth of this film as well as the smart, complex characters are really what makes this film work. The acting is all exceptional as is the screenplay.
Any aspiring screenwriter should watch this film as a class as to what to do and how to write.
Very highly recommended.
When new cop Ed Exley comes comes to the force, he is immediately greeted with corruption and some hard choices which test his loyalty and willingness to stand to his principles. A murder investigation quickly ensues which potentially pit cop against cop and uncovers the seedy underbelly of Hollywood during that time and everyone looking out for themselves.
Another brazen cop, sticks up for battered women while another enjoys being the technical adviser for everyone's favorite television program at the time.
The 3 men have various run in with each other as their investigation seems to conclude with a resolution, but one or more of them are not convinced the solution is correct and that the real perpetrators are still at large.
The depth of this film as well as the smart, complex characters are really what makes this film work. The acting is all exceptional as is the screenplay.
Any aspiring screenwriter should watch this film as a class as to what to do and how to write.
Very highly recommended.
Sara Cox (1845 KP) rated Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men in Books
Feb 23, 2020
I’ve read a book similar to this before so was interested when I saw it on the library shelf. This is about the gender data gap. I know what some of you are thinking “oh look a book that’s going to slam men”. But this isn’t about that. This is about missing data, not because it’s been done on purpose but because some of the tests have never thought about. Some of these absolutely shocked me though. For example, did you know the female crash test dummy hasn’t been put in the driver’s seat? How mad is that?!?!
At some points I did find this book a little one sided. I mean it’s hard when you’re trying to delve into a data gap bit one example that stood out to me was “unpaid work”. There was a big continuing theme about the unpaid work women do that isn’t thought of to include in data (child care, housework, elderly care) and yes men do these too (that was pointed out), but what about the unpaid work men do that I bet isn’t thought of to be included in data? Like DIY? I did enjoy listening to this (borrowed on #borrowbox ) but I found it did become tedious in places. Would recommend for some who enjoys data…..like myself.
At some points I did find this book a little one sided. I mean it’s hard when you’re trying to delve into a data gap bit one example that stood out to me was “unpaid work”. There was a big continuing theme about the unpaid work women do that isn’t thought of to include in data (child care, housework, elderly care) and yes men do these too (that was pointed out), but what about the unpaid work men do that I bet isn’t thought of to be included in data? Like DIY? I did enjoy listening to this (borrowed on #borrowbox ) but I found it did become tedious in places. Would recommend for some who enjoys data…..like myself.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Fitbit Flex 2 Fitness Wristband in Tech
Oct 2, 2018
No direct interface (1 more)
Struggled to see the LEDs in direct sunlight
A decent fitness tracker to get you up and about more
First things first, this is not a smart watch - there is no interactive screen, it won't tell you the time and you cannot get an accurate measure of your steps at any point in time.
With that out of the way, and the context set, lets have a look at how well it does what it means to do.
Straight out of the box, it was very easy to set up the flex 2 - syncing to my phone and assembling it was easy - the fitbit itself is a tiny little nugget that clicks into a charging cradle and slots back into the strap quite snugly. Bluetooth pairing and setting up an account was easy.
The item is very light and not clunky at all. While the clasp on the strap is quite hard to close and open again, I am sure this would ease over time, and is actually quite reassuring - it is not going to fall off your wrist in the supermarket!
A simple double-tap on the front of the fitbit is enough to get a measure of your progress - there are 5 LED's on the unit and you get one full light for each 25% of your step target plus the next light flashes more the further through the next 25% you get. For some people this would be enough, and I dare say you would get in the habit of how far through you should be each day. However, I have a vitality account where points (and therefore prizes!) are rewards for more activity. While I could change the target to my needed 12,500 steps I would need to know how close I am to guarantee I get there (and don't have to do the 10pm jogging on the spot routine before bed). Having had smart watches in the past, this would be a deal-breaker for me.
The device gives alerts for alarms, messages and calls with a different coloured light assigned to each. For me this was largely pointless as with no idea who the message/call was from, and with my phone always in my pocket or hand I didn't need this alert.
The fitbit app delivers quite a bit more functionality than the device itself - taking your activity and turning it into calories and exercise minutes based on your stats. Together with the app, the device delivers quite a good all-round fitness tracking capability. The only question is whether you need more of a display on the strap itself, or are happy to use the app for this.
My only other gripe is that in direct sunlight (even Scottish sunlight!) it was quite hard to see the LED's light up to track progress.
I won't really go into the accuracy of the device - all trackers use different technology and give credit for different movements so it seems silly to test the "accuracy" of one against the other. I will say it wasn't far off from another device I used so was not totally "wrong".
If you are looking for a light fitness tracker that you can largely just ignore and are happy to check the app for more detailed progress, then this is a great little device. If you are expecting something to rival a Garmin/Apple Watch or more complex fitbits then this is not really for you.
With that out of the way, and the context set, lets have a look at how well it does what it means to do.
Straight out of the box, it was very easy to set up the flex 2 - syncing to my phone and assembling it was easy - the fitbit itself is a tiny little nugget that clicks into a charging cradle and slots back into the strap quite snugly. Bluetooth pairing and setting up an account was easy.
The item is very light and not clunky at all. While the clasp on the strap is quite hard to close and open again, I am sure this would ease over time, and is actually quite reassuring - it is not going to fall off your wrist in the supermarket!
A simple double-tap on the front of the fitbit is enough to get a measure of your progress - there are 5 LED's on the unit and you get one full light for each 25% of your step target plus the next light flashes more the further through the next 25% you get. For some people this would be enough, and I dare say you would get in the habit of how far through you should be each day. However, I have a vitality account where points (and therefore prizes!) are rewards for more activity. While I could change the target to my needed 12,500 steps I would need to know how close I am to guarantee I get there (and don't have to do the 10pm jogging on the spot routine before bed). Having had smart watches in the past, this would be a deal-breaker for me.
The device gives alerts for alarms, messages and calls with a different coloured light assigned to each. For me this was largely pointless as with no idea who the message/call was from, and with my phone always in my pocket or hand I didn't need this alert.
The fitbit app delivers quite a bit more functionality than the device itself - taking your activity and turning it into calories and exercise minutes based on your stats. Together with the app, the device delivers quite a good all-round fitness tracking capability. The only question is whether you need more of a display on the strap itself, or are happy to use the app for this.
My only other gripe is that in direct sunlight (even Scottish sunlight!) it was quite hard to see the LED's light up to track progress.
I won't really go into the accuracy of the device - all trackers use different technology and give credit for different movements so it seems silly to test the "accuracy" of one against the other. I will say it wasn't far off from another device I used so was not totally "wrong".
If you are looking for a light fitness tracker that you can largely just ignore and are happy to check the app for more detailed progress, then this is a great little device. If you are expecting something to rival a Garmin/Apple Watch or more complex fitbits then this is not really for you.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Here Be Sexist Vampires (Deep In Your Veins book #1) in Books
Sep 13, 2019
Just brilliant
Sam Parker is a vampire with a gift so strong and substantial that she is invited to partake in a test for a place in the Grand High Master Vampire’s private army. She finds that not only has the army never included a woman, but it has never included a Sventé vampire; a breed that is regarded by the super strong Pagori breed and the hypnotically beautiful Keja breed to be too tame and human-like. Most refuse to take her seriously, especially a Pagori commander named Jared who she craves in spite of herself.
The Grand High Master, however, sees her potential and offers her the position of Jared’s co-commander to help train the newest squad in time for the impending attack on his home. Sam has to demonstrate to Jared and the squad of chauvinists why it is incredibly foolish to underestimate a willful, temperamental, borderline-homicidal Sventé female.
Warning: This novel contains an iron-willed female vampire with an energy whip, a sexist male vampire who is determined to have her, explicit vampy sex, and a romance story with real bite.So when I looked at the title I thought this isn't going to be good but I am so glad I was wrong!! I loved it! From start to finish it was brilliant. I love that she's British I love that she kicks arse! Jared's not to bad either. It did remind me of the same style as some of Keri Arthur's books which I also love. So looking forward to reading more from Suzanne.
The Grand High Master, however, sees her potential and offers her the position of Jared’s co-commander to help train the newest squad in time for the impending attack on his home. Sam has to demonstrate to Jared and the squad of chauvinists why it is incredibly foolish to underestimate a willful, temperamental, borderline-homicidal Sventé female.
Warning: This novel contains an iron-willed female vampire with an energy whip, a sexist male vampire who is determined to have her, explicit vampy sex, and a romance story with real bite.So when I looked at the title I thought this isn't going to be good but I am so glad I was wrong!! I loved it! From start to finish it was brilliant. I love that she's British I love that she kicks arse! Jared's not to bad either. It did remind me of the same style as some of Keri Arthur's books which I also love. So looking forward to reading more from Suzanne.
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated The Thing (2011) in Movies
May 30, 2018
This is a prequel to probably one of the best horror films ever made
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is a prequel to probably one of the best horror films ever made, a true classic and a very good addition to the story. It tells what happened in the events leading up to the original film. The last shot of this film links to the first shot of the original.
At first I was worried about this film for two reasons. First, as the film was set on a Norwegian camp how much reading would I have to do whilst trying to follow the story? Second, the original film is amazing a true classic of the horror genre. Would this film do justice to the story and would the use of modern effects change the feel of the story? My fears were soon put to rest. Fortunately it appears that the universal language for scientists working in the Antarctic is English! There are a few subtitles throughout the film but not that many. Now a big thank you to the producers of this film. It is clear that they are true fans of the original and this is evident in the title. They couldn't come up with a title better than "The Thing". They could have gone with The Thing: Begins but nothing sounded as good. This film was made by fans of the original and they have ensured that it links into every reference made in the original to the Norwegian base, even down to an axe in the wall seen in the first film, showing how it got there in this one. The cast is made up of very good actors, none of them are particularly well known to everyone. I recognised a few faces, but this is good as you have no idea who will survive as there no major stars.
Story wise, if you have seen the original you know what to expect but the film makers know this and throw a few curve-balls in. The famous "blood test" of the original almost happens here but cleverly it gets change for something else also unexpected. The creatures origins are left alone and rightly so as there is no way of knowing them. It is just a creature trying to survive by killing everyone in its way. Do we really need to know more than that? The effects are also very good, but this is what you would expect from modern effects. Where the original films effects were ground breaking, the ones here are what you can see in most Hollywood creature films. The difference here is the attention to making the creature effects look like the original. Again the makers of the film have done a great job in making the two films fit together both story wise and visually. I wish all sequels/prequels would have enough respect for the audience like this one has.
My nemesis(a film critic on UK radio) struck again with this film. They rated this film a "good strong 3 stars" asked why not 4 stars they stated that Happy Feet Two was released at the same time and this was a 4 star film and they enjoyed it more. What???! How can you compare a horror with a cartoon? Shouldn't you rate them as individual films in different genres?
At first I was worried about this film for two reasons. First, as the film was set on a Norwegian camp how much reading would I have to do whilst trying to follow the story? Second, the original film is amazing a true classic of the horror genre. Would this film do justice to the story and would the use of modern effects change the feel of the story? My fears were soon put to rest. Fortunately it appears that the universal language for scientists working in the Antarctic is English! There are a few subtitles throughout the film but not that many. Now a big thank you to the producers of this film. It is clear that they are true fans of the original and this is evident in the title. They couldn't come up with a title better than "The Thing". They could have gone with The Thing: Begins but nothing sounded as good. This film was made by fans of the original and they have ensured that it links into every reference made in the original to the Norwegian base, even down to an axe in the wall seen in the first film, showing how it got there in this one. The cast is made up of very good actors, none of them are particularly well known to everyone. I recognised a few faces, but this is good as you have no idea who will survive as there no major stars.
Story wise, if you have seen the original you know what to expect but the film makers know this and throw a few curve-balls in. The famous "blood test" of the original almost happens here but cleverly it gets change for something else also unexpected. The creatures origins are left alone and rightly so as there is no way of knowing them. It is just a creature trying to survive by killing everyone in its way. Do we really need to know more than that? The effects are also very good, but this is what you would expect from modern effects. Where the original films effects were ground breaking, the ones here are what you can see in most Hollywood creature films. The difference here is the attention to making the creature effects look like the original. Again the makers of the film have done a great job in making the two films fit together both story wise and visually. I wish all sequels/prequels would have enough respect for the audience like this one has.
My nemesis(a film critic on UK radio) struck again with this film. They rated this film a "good strong 3 stars" asked why not 4 stars they stated that Happy Feet Two was released at the same time and this was a 4 star film and they enjoyed it more. What???! How can you compare a horror with a cartoon? Shouldn't you rate them as individual films in different genres?
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Deadly Friend (1986) in Movies
Sep 14, 2020
Death By Basktetball
Deadly Friend- is a good movie. The best sence is the basketball kill. It was gory, horrorfying and terrorfying. Other than that this film is basically Frankenstien but instead of a monster its a robot. Which does turn into a monster.
The plot: Its plot follows a teenage computer prodigy who implants a robot's hardrive into the brain of his teenage neighbor after she is pronounced brain dead; the experiment proves successful, but she swiftly begins a killing spree in their neighborhood.
Originally, the film was a sci-fi thriller without any graphic scenes, with a bigger focus on plot and character development and a dark love story centering around the two main characters, which were not typical aspects of Craven's previous films. After Craven's original cut was shown to a test audience by Warner Bros., the audience criticized the lack of graphic, bloody violence and gore that Craven's other films included. Warner Bros. executive vice president Mark Canton and the film's producers then demanded script re-writes and re-shoots, which included filming gorier death scenes and nightmare sequences, similar to the ones from Craven's previous film, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Due to studio imposed re-shoots and re-editing, the film was drastically altered in post-production, losing much of the original plot and more scenes between characters, while other scenes, including more grisly deaths and a new ending, were added. This version was criticized by test audiences for containing too much graphic, bloody violence and gore.
In April 2014, an online petition for the release of the original cut was made.
Its a intresting movie see it for yourself and see if you like it.
The plot: Its plot follows a teenage computer prodigy who implants a robot's hardrive into the brain of his teenage neighbor after she is pronounced brain dead; the experiment proves successful, but she swiftly begins a killing spree in their neighborhood.
Originally, the film was a sci-fi thriller without any graphic scenes, with a bigger focus on plot and character development and a dark love story centering around the two main characters, which were not typical aspects of Craven's previous films. After Craven's original cut was shown to a test audience by Warner Bros., the audience criticized the lack of graphic, bloody violence and gore that Craven's other films included. Warner Bros. executive vice president Mark Canton and the film's producers then demanded script re-writes and re-shoots, which included filming gorier death scenes and nightmare sequences, similar to the ones from Craven's previous film, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Due to studio imposed re-shoots and re-editing, the film was drastically altered in post-production, losing much of the original plot and more scenes between characters, while other scenes, including more grisly deaths and a new ending, were added. This version was criticized by test audiences for containing too much graphic, bloody violence and gore.
In April 2014, an online petition for the release of the original cut was made.
Its a intresting movie see it for yourself and see if you like it.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated NieR: Automata in Video Games
Oct 2, 2017 (Updated Oct 25, 2017)
Well developed characters, with a good amount of depth. (3 more)
Character motivations are clear and logical.
A visual feast.
A stunningly effective score.
A Genre Bending Masterclass In Game Design
There have been a good number of excellent games this year and before I played Nier it was difficult to choose my favourite game of the year so far. It is now extremely obvious.
This is one of the best games I have ever had the pleasure of playing through and it has pushed the boundaries of what I thought action RPG's could do. I had heard a lot of amazing things about this game before picking it up and I was sceptical that it was going to meet my expectations. I am happy to report that not only did it meet my expectations, but it greatly exceeded them.
The characters in this game are so well crafted. You will form an immediate opinion on each of the characters when you are first introduced to them, but be prepared to have your opinion changed multiple times. Initially likeable characters will commit despicable acts and the character you thought was a cold machine, will do something genuinely heart-warming. Even though these characters are prone to committing acts that don't necessarily match their character type, character motivations are always understandable, which is a mark of great writing.
The visuals in this game are incredible, not only in the graphical sense. The way that certain shots are framed, the way that lighting is implemented in certain environments, the fluid animations, the vast, lush natural environment; all of it is utterly stunning. Combat looks incredible, cutscenes are well timed and effective, character design is fantastic, all of this adds to the impressive visual flair of the game overall.
The audio is also significant during your playthrough, the soundtrack is so effective and well implemented. The tone is complimented by a different piece of music in each area of the game to the point that the music alone could tell you what area of the game that you are in without having to look at the screen.
The only negative feeling I have towards the game after finally completing it, was the exhaustion I felt towards the game's ending. Without spoiling anything, this game ends multiple times, each of them emotionally draining and leading to another even more complex layer of the game's overall story, to the point that finishing the entire thing feels like an endurance test and I'm not even anywhere near earning the platinum trophy! I didn't know exactly what I was getting into when I started the game and that is how I would recommend most players go into this game because you will truly be blown away, but you should know how much of your life this game is going to demand from you. If you don't have between 60-100 hours to spend, (depending on what completion rate you are aiming for,) then this will probably be too vast of an experience for you. And after finally completing the game in it's entirety, I feel exhausted and I'm not in any hurry right now to go back to the game to tackle the remaining sidequests. I feel that I have earned some time away from the game, at least for a few weeks. Normally I relish an epically long adventure, but even this pushed my limits of what a lengthy saga should be. This is the only thing that keeps me from scoring the game a perfect 10.
There is no denying that this game is very close to being a masterpiece and for those that do regard the game to be a perfect 10, I can see your point. There aren't any flaws within the game itself, mine is more of a personal problem and is proof to me at least, that you can have too much of a good thing. However, this doesn't disregard what I said previously in any way, this game does so many unique things and it does all of them impressively well. This is definitely Platinum's best game and I am glad that this fantastic experience is receiving the high level of praise that it deserves.
This is one of the best games I have ever had the pleasure of playing through and it has pushed the boundaries of what I thought action RPG's could do. I had heard a lot of amazing things about this game before picking it up and I was sceptical that it was going to meet my expectations. I am happy to report that not only did it meet my expectations, but it greatly exceeded them.
The characters in this game are so well crafted. You will form an immediate opinion on each of the characters when you are first introduced to them, but be prepared to have your opinion changed multiple times. Initially likeable characters will commit despicable acts and the character you thought was a cold machine, will do something genuinely heart-warming. Even though these characters are prone to committing acts that don't necessarily match their character type, character motivations are always understandable, which is a mark of great writing.
The visuals in this game are incredible, not only in the graphical sense. The way that certain shots are framed, the way that lighting is implemented in certain environments, the fluid animations, the vast, lush natural environment; all of it is utterly stunning. Combat looks incredible, cutscenes are well timed and effective, character design is fantastic, all of this adds to the impressive visual flair of the game overall.
The audio is also significant during your playthrough, the soundtrack is so effective and well implemented. The tone is complimented by a different piece of music in each area of the game to the point that the music alone could tell you what area of the game that you are in without having to look at the screen.
The only negative feeling I have towards the game after finally completing it, was the exhaustion I felt towards the game's ending. Without spoiling anything, this game ends multiple times, each of them emotionally draining and leading to another even more complex layer of the game's overall story, to the point that finishing the entire thing feels like an endurance test and I'm not even anywhere near earning the platinum trophy! I didn't know exactly what I was getting into when I started the game and that is how I would recommend most players go into this game because you will truly be blown away, but you should know how much of your life this game is going to demand from you. If you don't have between 60-100 hours to spend, (depending on what completion rate you are aiming for,) then this will probably be too vast of an experience for you. And after finally completing the game in it's entirety, I feel exhausted and I'm not in any hurry right now to go back to the game to tackle the remaining sidequests. I feel that I have earned some time away from the game, at least for a few weeks. Normally I relish an epically long adventure, but even this pushed my limits of what a lengthy saga should be. This is the only thing that keeps me from scoring the game a perfect 10.
There is no denying that this game is very close to being a masterpiece and for those that do regard the game to be a perfect 10, I can see your point. There aren't any flaws within the game itself, mine is more of a personal problem and is proof to me at least, that you can have too much of a good thing. However, this doesn't disregard what I said previously in any way, this game does so many unique things and it does all of them impressively well. This is definitely Platinum's best game and I am glad that this fantastic experience is receiving the high level of praise that it deserves.