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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Deep Blue in Tabletop Games
Mar 17, 2022
A couple of months ago, Travis was in town, so he and I went over to Josh’s place to get a day of gaming in. It was an awesome time to play together, and to get to experience some new games for each of us. While we were there, we got to talking about some of the games in Josh’s collection, and he pulled out Deep Blue. He’d had it for a while, but had since gotten another game that he felt did the same things but better. So he asked if either of us wanted to take it off his hands. I said sure, as I’d never played the game before. Now that it’s a part of my collection, is it going to stay there? Or will my feelings mirror Josh’s with regards to the gameplay?
Deep Blue is a nautical game for 2-5 players of deck building, hand management, and a bit of push your luck. In it, players take on the roles ship Captains who are racing to collect treasures from undersea wrecks. Players will be hiring Crew members, sailing across the sea, and sending divers down to wrecks to salvage any valuables. The race is on, though, because you are not the only Captain on this treasure hunt… Throughout the game, players will stumble across 4 Wrecks that make up a Sunken City. Once all 4 areas of the Sunken City have been discovered and searched, the game ends. The player who earns the most VP from their collected treasures by the end of the game is declared the winner!
To setup for a game, follow the instructions in the rulebook – there are simply too many to detail here. The basic gist of setup is to create a market of Crew cards, shuffle and randomly distribute Wreck tiles across the board, and create a Gem pool. Each player will receive a player mat and starting cards in their chosen color, as well as 2 ships to be placed on the starting space of the board. Players will also get a treasure chest, in which they will keep their VP throughout the game. Set the Dive Site board, Gem bag, and VP tokens off to the side. Select a starting player, deal out starting tokens accordingly, and the game is ready to begin! Pictured below is the setup for a 3-player game.
On your turn, you will take one of four possible actions: Recruit a Crew Member, Sail, Rest, or Dive. Throughout the game you will be building your personal deck by Recruiting Crew Members. These new Crew offer unique abilities and scoring powers to be used during Dives. In order to recruit a Crew Member, you must pay the corresponding cost listed by its location in the market. To do so, you will play cards from your hand with $ symbols that equal the required cost. Once you play a card from your hand, it goes facedown onto the Rest area of your player mat. Take the Crew Member you just hired directly into your hand, and move the Market cards down to fill in the empty space, drawing a new card for the final slot. If you choose to Sail, you will play a number of cards from your hand with the Propeller icon. The number of icons dictates how many spaces you may sail. You can use all of your movement on one of your ships, or you can break movement across both ships. If you end a move on a face-up Wreck tile, you will ‘anchor’ your boat to one of the open scouting spots. These scouting spots offer special scoring benefits during the Dive on this tile. If you end movement on a face-down Wreck tile, first you will flip it face-up, and then anchor your boat. When landing on a buoy or an empty dive site, nothing happens.
On any turn, you may instead choose to Rest. To perform this action, you will shuffle all cards that reside on the Rest area of your player mat, and then draw only the 3 topmost cards into your hand. This is the action that allows you to refresh your hand, as you play more cards and your hand starts to dwindle. The final action choice is to Dive. This action is the crux of the game. When you have a boat on a Wreck tile, you may choose to start a Dive. The first step is to declare your Dive – decide which Wreck to Dive if your boats are on different Wreck tiles. Before the Dive begins, any opponents who have boats on adjacent Wreck tiles may move their boats to your Wreck in hopes of also profiting from the Dive. When all eligible boats have been moved to the Wreck, you will then officially begin the Dive. Take the Gem bag and Dive Site board. You will then draw Gems out of the bag, one-by-one, resolving them as necessary. Red, Gold, Silver, Green, and Purple gems are treasures, and can earn you VP. Blue and Black gems are Hazards that must be defended against in order to continue the Dive.
After a Gem is drawn and placed on the Dive Site board, players may choose to play a Crew Member to increase their VP earned. For example, one card allows you to earn 8 VP for a Green gem, instead of 0. To defend against hazards, players may play Crew from their hands who have the ability to negate the hazard, or may use the special ability of their scouting spot on the Wreck tile. If you are unable to defend against a hazard, you are forced to resurface and leave the Dive. The Dive continues in this fashion, until either the active player decides to end the Dive, or when they no longer have the ability to defend against hazards. Any players who still have boats at the Dive Site will collect VP from Crew cards they played, as well as a base amount of VP for the different Gems that were drawn. Once a Dive has been performed at a Wreck, that tile is removed from the game, leaving an empty dive site behind. If players have performed a Dive at one of the 4 Sunken City tiles, it is removed from the board, but placed on its corresponding space in the corner of the board. After all 4 Sunken City tiles have been moved to the corner of the board, the game immediately ends. Players will count up all the VP collected throughout the game, and the player with the highest score is declared the winner!
So how do I feel about Deep Blue overall? I would have to say that it’s fine. Just fine. There are some elements that I really enjoy, but others that kind of frustrate me. What I enjoy – the bits of strategy involved, and the awesome components. What I don’t enjoy – the pacing of the game and the imbalance of actions. To touch on the pros first, this game does require some strategy. You have to decide where to Sail, which Crew to recruit, which Crew to play and when to play them, etc. VP are earned by participating in Dives, so you want to make sure you can be at as many Dives as possible. That means keeping ships close to opponents to profit from any dives they may choose to initiate. Another interesting strategic element is the Rest action. You shuffle your discard pile, but then only draw the 3 topmost cards into your hand. You might not always draw what you were wanting, but you are always allowed to take a Rest action, regardless of how many cards are in your discard. There is no hand limit in this game, so do you rest every other turn to ensure you have almost all cards in your hand? Or do you dwindle your hand down in order to perform other actions instead? It’s all about your strategy, and you never quite know what your opponents are trying to do.
Now for the cons. The pacing of the gameplay feels really slow to me. You are only allowed to perform 1 action per turn, so it seems like the game takes a while to really get going. At first, everyone is going to be wanting to Sail, as all players start in the same starting area of the board. You want to get your ships out there ASAP. But then you run out of cards, so you have to take a turn to Rest and get those cards back. You’re taking a bunch of little turns to accomplish any one bigger thing, and that bogs down the gameplay for me. If you were able to perform 2 actions per turn, that would probably alleviate some of this frustration, as it would allow you to progress more quickly than by taking only a single action. Another aspect I mentioned is the imbalance of actions. The Recruit, Sail, and Rest actions all feel to me like they are on the same level, but the Dive action is different. Which in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But the process of the Dive action is vastly different than any of the other actions, to the point that it kind of feels like a different game to me. For half of the game, you’re playing this game of strategy, deck building, and optimizing placement across the board. But for the other half, it turns into a push-your-luck frenzy that seems disjointed from the rest of the game to me. No matter how strategic and careful you are with your actions, it ultimately comes down to the luck of the draw.
To touch on components for a minute – the production quality of this game is awesome. The board, Dive Site board, and VP tokens are nice chunky cardboard. The cards are colorful, have cool artwork, and are sturdy. And the treasure chests are awesome little plastic chests that definitely are holding up well. The Wreck tiles are big and thick, the Gems are cute, and the ships are fun to play with. So overall, this game is made very well.
You can probably tell by now that I have mixed feelings about Deep Blue. There are aspects that I like, but other aspects that negate some of those positive attributes. I was psyched for a cool nautical deck builder where I could really flex my strategy, but got more push-your-luck than I was anticipating. Deep Blue will probably stick around in my collection for the time being. But, like Josh, I will probably find something that gives me the same vibes but done better. It’s a game that I’ll pull out from time to time, but definitely not one that’s going to break into my Top 10. With that said, Purple Phoenix Games gives it a sunken 4 / 6.
Deep Blue is a nautical game for 2-5 players of deck building, hand management, and a bit of push your luck. In it, players take on the roles ship Captains who are racing to collect treasures from undersea wrecks. Players will be hiring Crew members, sailing across the sea, and sending divers down to wrecks to salvage any valuables. The race is on, though, because you are not the only Captain on this treasure hunt… Throughout the game, players will stumble across 4 Wrecks that make up a Sunken City. Once all 4 areas of the Sunken City have been discovered and searched, the game ends. The player who earns the most VP from their collected treasures by the end of the game is declared the winner!
To setup for a game, follow the instructions in the rulebook – there are simply too many to detail here. The basic gist of setup is to create a market of Crew cards, shuffle and randomly distribute Wreck tiles across the board, and create a Gem pool. Each player will receive a player mat and starting cards in their chosen color, as well as 2 ships to be placed on the starting space of the board. Players will also get a treasure chest, in which they will keep their VP throughout the game. Set the Dive Site board, Gem bag, and VP tokens off to the side. Select a starting player, deal out starting tokens accordingly, and the game is ready to begin! Pictured below is the setup for a 3-player game.
On your turn, you will take one of four possible actions: Recruit a Crew Member, Sail, Rest, or Dive. Throughout the game you will be building your personal deck by Recruiting Crew Members. These new Crew offer unique abilities and scoring powers to be used during Dives. In order to recruit a Crew Member, you must pay the corresponding cost listed by its location in the market. To do so, you will play cards from your hand with $ symbols that equal the required cost. Once you play a card from your hand, it goes facedown onto the Rest area of your player mat. Take the Crew Member you just hired directly into your hand, and move the Market cards down to fill in the empty space, drawing a new card for the final slot. If you choose to Sail, you will play a number of cards from your hand with the Propeller icon. The number of icons dictates how many spaces you may sail. You can use all of your movement on one of your ships, or you can break movement across both ships. If you end a move on a face-up Wreck tile, you will ‘anchor’ your boat to one of the open scouting spots. These scouting spots offer special scoring benefits during the Dive on this tile. If you end movement on a face-down Wreck tile, first you will flip it face-up, and then anchor your boat. When landing on a buoy or an empty dive site, nothing happens.
On any turn, you may instead choose to Rest. To perform this action, you will shuffle all cards that reside on the Rest area of your player mat, and then draw only the 3 topmost cards into your hand. This is the action that allows you to refresh your hand, as you play more cards and your hand starts to dwindle. The final action choice is to Dive. This action is the crux of the game. When you have a boat on a Wreck tile, you may choose to start a Dive. The first step is to declare your Dive – decide which Wreck to Dive if your boats are on different Wreck tiles. Before the Dive begins, any opponents who have boats on adjacent Wreck tiles may move their boats to your Wreck in hopes of also profiting from the Dive. When all eligible boats have been moved to the Wreck, you will then officially begin the Dive. Take the Gem bag and Dive Site board. You will then draw Gems out of the bag, one-by-one, resolving them as necessary. Red, Gold, Silver, Green, and Purple gems are treasures, and can earn you VP. Blue and Black gems are Hazards that must be defended against in order to continue the Dive.
After a Gem is drawn and placed on the Dive Site board, players may choose to play a Crew Member to increase their VP earned. For example, one card allows you to earn 8 VP for a Green gem, instead of 0. To defend against hazards, players may play Crew from their hands who have the ability to negate the hazard, or may use the special ability of their scouting spot on the Wreck tile. If you are unable to defend against a hazard, you are forced to resurface and leave the Dive. The Dive continues in this fashion, until either the active player decides to end the Dive, or when they no longer have the ability to defend against hazards. Any players who still have boats at the Dive Site will collect VP from Crew cards they played, as well as a base amount of VP for the different Gems that were drawn. Once a Dive has been performed at a Wreck, that tile is removed from the game, leaving an empty dive site behind. If players have performed a Dive at one of the 4 Sunken City tiles, it is removed from the board, but placed on its corresponding space in the corner of the board. After all 4 Sunken City tiles have been moved to the corner of the board, the game immediately ends. Players will count up all the VP collected throughout the game, and the player with the highest score is declared the winner!
So how do I feel about Deep Blue overall? I would have to say that it’s fine. Just fine. There are some elements that I really enjoy, but others that kind of frustrate me. What I enjoy – the bits of strategy involved, and the awesome components. What I don’t enjoy – the pacing of the game and the imbalance of actions. To touch on the pros first, this game does require some strategy. You have to decide where to Sail, which Crew to recruit, which Crew to play and when to play them, etc. VP are earned by participating in Dives, so you want to make sure you can be at as many Dives as possible. That means keeping ships close to opponents to profit from any dives they may choose to initiate. Another interesting strategic element is the Rest action. You shuffle your discard pile, but then only draw the 3 topmost cards into your hand. You might not always draw what you were wanting, but you are always allowed to take a Rest action, regardless of how many cards are in your discard. There is no hand limit in this game, so do you rest every other turn to ensure you have almost all cards in your hand? Or do you dwindle your hand down in order to perform other actions instead? It’s all about your strategy, and you never quite know what your opponents are trying to do.
Now for the cons. The pacing of the gameplay feels really slow to me. You are only allowed to perform 1 action per turn, so it seems like the game takes a while to really get going. At first, everyone is going to be wanting to Sail, as all players start in the same starting area of the board. You want to get your ships out there ASAP. But then you run out of cards, so you have to take a turn to Rest and get those cards back. You’re taking a bunch of little turns to accomplish any one bigger thing, and that bogs down the gameplay for me. If you were able to perform 2 actions per turn, that would probably alleviate some of this frustration, as it would allow you to progress more quickly than by taking only a single action. Another aspect I mentioned is the imbalance of actions. The Recruit, Sail, and Rest actions all feel to me like they are on the same level, but the Dive action is different. Which in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But the process of the Dive action is vastly different than any of the other actions, to the point that it kind of feels like a different game to me. For half of the game, you’re playing this game of strategy, deck building, and optimizing placement across the board. But for the other half, it turns into a push-your-luck frenzy that seems disjointed from the rest of the game to me. No matter how strategic and careful you are with your actions, it ultimately comes down to the luck of the draw.
To touch on components for a minute – the production quality of this game is awesome. The board, Dive Site board, and VP tokens are nice chunky cardboard. The cards are colorful, have cool artwork, and are sturdy. And the treasure chests are awesome little plastic chests that definitely are holding up well. The Wreck tiles are big and thick, the Gems are cute, and the ships are fun to play with. So overall, this game is made very well.
You can probably tell by now that I have mixed feelings about Deep Blue. There are aspects that I like, but other aspects that negate some of those positive attributes. I was psyched for a cool nautical deck builder where I could really flex my strategy, but got more push-your-luck than I was anticipating. Deep Blue will probably stick around in my collection for the time being. But, like Josh, I will probably find something that gives me the same vibes but done better. It’s a game that I’ll pull out from time to time, but definitely not one that’s going to break into my Top 10. With that said, Purple Phoenix Games gives it a sunken 4 / 6.
Mothergamer (1511 KP) rated the PC version of Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I have to say Ubisoft truly redeemed themselves in my eyes with Black Flag. It seems they truly listened to the feedback from fans and Assassin's Creed IV was their heartfelt apology and I gladly accept it. I just finished the game and I loved every minute of it.
A Pirate's Life For Me!
The protagonist Edward Kenway is a great character because he starts off brash and a bit arrogant, but as his adventure continues he evolves into a smarter and more subtle man with a good heart. There are many other fantastic characters including some well known pirates; and lots of adventures on the high seas and around the vast world of this game. The main story is excellent and Edward is complex and interesting; he actually shows emotions and you feel the passion and bravado coming from him. The people he befriends are also memorable along with some pretty diabolical villains which makes for a great story all around.
There are also some great naval battles and here is where I sing the praises of the controls for the ship. They are 100% better than Assassin's Creed III. The controls are easier to use and respond faster too. You can upgrade the Jackdaw (Edward Kenway's ship) with some pretty spiffy hull armor, sails, rigging, weapons and be one hell of a badass with your glorious ship. You can even do some pretty epic battles taking down forts and taking them over. These battles are actually FUN. I know I cackled gleefully in delight as I took down a pirate hunter man o'war battleship and followed it up with an epic battle taking over a fort. It was refreshing to be genuinely enjoying a game and just having a good time with it.
Epic battles at sea are the best!
The world of Assassin's Creed IV is massive; there's lots to see and do and plenty of areas to explore. Sail everywhere in the game because there are so many great things to find such as hidden Mayan temples, ship wrecks full of treasure, and much much more. There are plenty of side quests and side missions to do too and some of them add a bit more to the story of Edward and company. You can even upgrade the various towns and even find new sea shanties for your crew to sing while you're on your adventures. And of course there's the downloadable content and multiplayer to add even more things for you to enjoy in the game.
Discovering new locations like this one is grand!
You do have your time in the real world too with our old friends Abstergo of course, and this aspect while brief is also quite fascinating because you can learn some pivotal plot points about characters from the previous game and run into a few familiar faces as well. I was a little thrown off that it was in first person mode, but the camera was very steady and it's only for a short time; so my vertigo didn't kick in thankfully. There are some brilliant plot reveals too in the real world scenes and there are some mini games here where you can unlock some item trophies and more information for your Animus database.
Remember these jerks? Oh yeah, they're still around.
After finishing it, you can continue the game finishing up any side quests you missed or unlocking achievements with the various mission goals. Overall, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag is not just an amazing game; it's a great time for anyone who loves the series and enjoys an honest to goodness game about pirates, assassins, and tons of incredible adventures. I know I will be playing through it again because it was that much fun for me. If you haven't picked it up yet, what are you waiting for? There's adventure and glory to be had!
A Pirate's Life For Me!
The protagonist Edward Kenway is a great character because he starts off brash and a bit arrogant, but as his adventure continues he evolves into a smarter and more subtle man with a good heart. There are many other fantastic characters including some well known pirates; and lots of adventures on the high seas and around the vast world of this game. The main story is excellent and Edward is complex and interesting; he actually shows emotions and you feel the passion and bravado coming from him. The people he befriends are also memorable along with some pretty diabolical villains which makes for a great story all around.
There are also some great naval battles and here is where I sing the praises of the controls for the ship. They are 100% better than Assassin's Creed III. The controls are easier to use and respond faster too. You can upgrade the Jackdaw (Edward Kenway's ship) with some pretty spiffy hull armor, sails, rigging, weapons and be one hell of a badass with your glorious ship. You can even do some pretty epic battles taking down forts and taking them over. These battles are actually FUN. I know I cackled gleefully in delight as I took down a pirate hunter man o'war battleship and followed it up with an epic battle taking over a fort. It was refreshing to be genuinely enjoying a game and just having a good time with it.
Epic battles at sea are the best!
The world of Assassin's Creed IV is massive; there's lots to see and do and plenty of areas to explore. Sail everywhere in the game because there are so many great things to find such as hidden Mayan temples, ship wrecks full of treasure, and much much more. There are plenty of side quests and side missions to do too and some of them add a bit more to the story of Edward and company. You can even upgrade the various towns and even find new sea shanties for your crew to sing while you're on your adventures. And of course there's the downloadable content and multiplayer to add even more things for you to enjoy in the game.
Discovering new locations like this one is grand!
You do have your time in the real world too with our old friends Abstergo of course, and this aspect while brief is also quite fascinating because you can learn some pivotal plot points about characters from the previous game and run into a few familiar faces as well. I was a little thrown off that it was in first person mode, but the camera was very steady and it's only for a short time; so my vertigo didn't kick in thankfully. There are some brilliant plot reveals too in the real world scenes and there are some mini games here where you can unlock some item trophies and more information for your Animus database.
Remember these jerks? Oh yeah, they're still around.
After finishing it, you can continue the game finishing up any side quests you missed or unlocking achievements with the various mission goals. Overall, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag is not just an amazing game; it's a great time for anyone who loves the series and enjoys an honest to goodness game about pirates, assassins, and tons of incredible adventures. I know I will be playing through it again because it was that much fun for me. If you haven't picked it up yet, what are you waiting for? There's adventure and glory to be had!
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Eric B for President: Term 2 by Eric Bellinger in Music
Jun 7, 2019
Eric Bellinger is an R&B singer outta Los Angeles. Not too long ago, he released “Eric B for President: Term 2“, his new EP featuring Wale, ELHAE, Tayla Parx, and Victoria Monet. This project is a follow up to Bellinger’s “Eric B for President: Term 1” album.
“Naked in the White House”
The first song off “Term 2” was “Naked in the White House“, which is filled with visionary thoughts of Bellinger and his main squeeze, walking around naked in their home. Due to its potency, we had to replay this song several times before moving on to Make You Mine, a pure tropical fantasy tune.
“Make You Mine”
The Arrad-directed video stars Christina Milian. And it shows Bellinger on an exotic landscape, with an ocean nearby.
“Know/Vibes”
The third track, Know/Vibes featuring ELHAE, is intimate. And Bellinger reminds us that nothing last forever because time is of the essence. So, you gotta get it right, and get right to it. Don’t fake the funk, and make it happen with the one you love.
“Too Cool/Boujee”
Next, we listened to Too Cool/Boujee, a two-part song, which gives off a swaggering braggadocio effect that illuminates inner confident. It’s cool, it’s boujee, and it made us feel good about being who we are.
“Treat Yourself”
Then, Treat Yourself featuring Wale reminded us hard-working people that we gotta treat ourselves by buying the cars that we want to drive, and pulling up to that big house in a neighborhood we wanna live in. And, it won’t hurt to buy that bust-downed Rolex with a gold chain either. We replayed this track several times before moving on to the next one.
“Island”
On Island featuring Tayla Parx, Bellinger returns to the running around naked in the white house theme. But this time, it’s on an exotic island with his main squeeze, with a nearby table for two, probably filled with wine and sh*t like that. But, while the female is cooking, Bellinger is thinking about having her on the menu because she reminds him of wet dishes. Wet dishes? We can say, Bellinger’s imagination is at the peak of the songwriting industry, which is a good thing.
“Coastin”
Coastin pulls the curtains in, and Bellinger dimmers the light. Enough with all the sweet talkin’, wining and dining, now, it’s time for some action. So far, this is the most intimate time on “Eric B for President: Term 2”, and we know it’s going down when Bellinger sings, “Baby, you should come and ride my wave / You so lit, damn, you spark my interest / Let’s go surfing for a couple days / Hop on my board.”
“Malibu Nights”
Malibu Nights featuring Victoria Money is the actual lovemaking scene that we’ve been waiting for. Bellinger sings, “There’s something ’bout those Malibu nights, got me wondering if I could swim in your ocean, girl / Silhouette of your hips got me thinking ’bout stroking, girl.” And then, “Crash into me, I need you tonight / So, bring that lil body over here / Come let daddy whisper in your ear / I’ma tell you what you wanna hear / Rub my fingers through your hair / Put your legs up in the air like / Put them legs up in the air like /Taking off your underwear like…
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, slow it down playboy. No doubt, Bellinger gets it in; and we declare “Eric B for President: Term 2” as an R&B treasure because it’s dope, replay-able, and we could visualize and relate to everything that Bellinger is singing about.
FUN FACT
Bellinger has been successfully leaking ink from his pen. He co-wrote two songs on Chris Brown’s Grammy-winning F.A.M.E., Brandy’s Without You, and Justin Bieber’s Right Here. But, his biggest hits came with Usher’s ‘Lemme See’ and Brown’s ‘Fine China’.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/eric-bellinger-term-2-album/
“Naked in the White House”
The first song off “Term 2” was “Naked in the White House“, which is filled with visionary thoughts of Bellinger and his main squeeze, walking around naked in their home. Due to its potency, we had to replay this song several times before moving on to Make You Mine, a pure tropical fantasy tune.
“Make You Mine”
The Arrad-directed video stars Christina Milian. And it shows Bellinger on an exotic landscape, with an ocean nearby.
“Know/Vibes”
The third track, Know/Vibes featuring ELHAE, is intimate. And Bellinger reminds us that nothing last forever because time is of the essence. So, you gotta get it right, and get right to it. Don’t fake the funk, and make it happen with the one you love.
“Too Cool/Boujee”
Next, we listened to Too Cool/Boujee, a two-part song, which gives off a swaggering braggadocio effect that illuminates inner confident. It’s cool, it’s boujee, and it made us feel good about being who we are.
“Treat Yourself”
Then, Treat Yourself featuring Wale reminded us hard-working people that we gotta treat ourselves by buying the cars that we want to drive, and pulling up to that big house in a neighborhood we wanna live in. And, it won’t hurt to buy that bust-downed Rolex with a gold chain either. We replayed this track several times before moving on to the next one.
“Island”
On Island featuring Tayla Parx, Bellinger returns to the running around naked in the white house theme. But this time, it’s on an exotic island with his main squeeze, with a nearby table for two, probably filled with wine and sh*t like that. But, while the female is cooking, Bellinger is thinking about having her on the menu because she reminds him of wet dishes. Wet dishes? We can say, Bellinger’s imagination is at the peak of the songwriting industry, which is a good thing.
“Coastin”
Coastin pulls the curtains in, and Bellinger dimmers the light. Enough with all the sweet talkin’, wining and dining, now, it’s time for some action. So far, this is the most intimate time on “Eric B for President: Term 2”, and we know it’s going down when Bellinger sings, “Baby, you should come and ride my wave / You so lit, damn, you spark my interest / Let’s go surfing for a couple days / Hop on my board.”
“Malibu Nights”
Malibu Nights featuring Victoria Money is the actual lovemaking scene that we’ve been waiting for. Bellinger sings, “There’s something ’bout those Malibu nights, got me wondering if I could swim in your ocean, girl / Silhouette of your hips got me thinking ’bout stroking, girl.” And then, “Crash into me, I need you tonight / So, bring that lil body over here / Come let daddy whisper in your ear / I’ma tell you what you wanna hear / Rub my fingers through your hair / Put your legs up in the air like / Put them legs up in the air like /Taking off your underwear like…
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, slow it down playboy. No doubt, Bellinger gets it in; and we declare “Eric B for President: Term 2” as an R&B treasure because it’s dope, replay-able, and we could visualize and relate to everything that Bellinger is singing about.
FUN FACT
Bellinger has been successfully leaking ink from his pen. He co-wrote two songs on Chris Brown’s Grammy-winning F.A.M.E., Brandy’s Without You, and Justin Bieber’s Right Here. But, his biggest hits came with Usher’s ‘Lemme See’ and Brown’s ‘Fine China’.
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/eric-bellinger-term-2-album/
Kyera (8 KP) rated League of American Traitors in Books
Feb 1, 2018
The premise of this book is much more intriguing than its actual execution. Jasper is the descendant of Benedict Arnold, the most notorious traitor in American history. After the death of both of his parents, Jasper learns that there is more to his world than he ever knew. He learns that for hundreds of years, the descendants of both the heroes and villains from American history have been on opposing sides. The heroes' descendants, who call themselves the Sons of Liberty, challenge the descendants of the villains to a duel when they come of age. Unbeknownst to Jasper, his father was searching for a way out of the duel for his son. His untimely death leads Jasper down a path that forces him to question everything he's ever known.
I would like to mention that I was provided with an uncorrected e-galley to review this book. The fact that I was provided with the galley didn't affect my review, but the quality of the galley certainly influenced my enjoyment of the book. There were a number of grammatical or spelling errors throughout and that's something that pulls me out of the story. That is just a personal problem with the book and one I hope will not be present in the book when it is released on August 8th.
As a huge fan of history, I was incredibly intrigued by the premise of this book. It was sold as a mash-up of Hamilton and National Treasure - and who doesn't love those two things? It wasn't quite as fast-paced and thrilling as the premise would lead you to believe, but it is enjoyable.
I wish there was more character development in the novels because at times it was difficult to understand each character's motivations. They might have a complete change in perspective or opinion and it wasn't adequately explained leaving the reader questioning what was happening. There were so many characters in the book, many of which were quite prevalent that I understand that it probably wasn't possible to develop them all. That's just not feasible when writing a book, but I do think that the story would have benefitted greatly had there been just a bit more development.
The world that the author built was intriguing as he was able to blend authentic U.S. history in with his more dramatic narrative. Of course, settling one's qualms via a duel is a bit dramatic but he managed to raise the stakes. His characters' lives are on the line if they are not successful and yet the entire organization's framework could be altered if they are.
The plot of the book follows the course of American history with traitors and spies, secrets and betrayals, love and heartbreak. There are pacing issues with the book as it has moments that drag and others that seem to jump forward without enough context. There are some scenes that seem unnecessary to the plot and could be shorted to give more opportunities for character development. Overall, I feel that it is a good debut novel that could have been improved by culling extraneous scenes and delving more deeply into the world and characters.
Although it suffers from pacing issues and underdeveloped characters - it is still an entertaining read. I would recommend it to fans of history and action/adventure books, as it melds elements of both into a novel about the heroes and traitors of American history (and their descendants). There is a lot of violence in the book, but as it is not graphic I would not hesitate to allow a YA/teen reader to pick up this book. If you're a fan of historical fiction or action/adventures then you should definitely check out this book!
I would like to mention that I was provided with an uncorrected e-galley to review this book. The fact that I was provided with the galley didn't affect my review, but the quality of the galley certainly influenced my enjoyment of the book. There were a number of grammatical or spelling errors throughout and that's something that pulls me out of the story. That is just a personal problem with the book and one I hope will not be present in the book when it is released on August 8th.
As a huge fan of history, I was incredibly intrigued by the premise of this book. It was sold as a mash-up of Hamilton and National Treasure - and who doesn't love those two things? It wasn't quite as fast-paced and thrilling as the premise would lead you to believe, but it is enjoyable.
I wish there was more character development in the novels because at times it was difficult to understand each character's motivations. They might have a complete change in perspective or opinion and it wasn't adequately explained leaving the reader questioning what was happening. There were so many characters in the book, many of which were quite prevalent that I understand that it probably wasn't possible to develop them all. That's just not feasible when writing a book, but I do think that the story would have benefitted greatly had there been just a bit more development.
The world that the author built was intriguing as he was able to blend authentic U.S. history in with his more dramatic narrative. Of course, settling one's qualms via a duel is a bit dramatic but he managed to raise the stakes. His characters' lives are on the line if they are not successful and yet the entire organization's framework could be altered if they are.
The plot of the book follows the course of American history with traitors and spies, secrets and betrayals, love and heartbreak. There are pacing issues with the book as it has moments that drag and others that seem to jump forward without enough context. There are some scenes that seem unnecessary to the plot and could be shorted to give more opportunities for character development. Overall, I feel that it is a good debut novel that could have been improved by culling extraneous scenes and delving more deeply into the world and characters.
Although it suffers from pacing issues and underdeveloped characters - it is still an entertaining read. I would recommend it to fans of history and action/adventure books, as it melds elements of both into a novel about the heroes and traitors of American history (and their descendants). There is a lot of violence in the book, but as it is not graphic I would not hesitate to allow a YA/teen reader to pick up this book. If you're a fan of historical fiction or action/adventures then you should definitely check out this book!
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated the PC version of Far Cry: New Dawn in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 19, 2019)
Ubisoft certainly surprised the gaming community when they announced Far Cry: New Dawn and released it only a few weeks later. The fact that another Far Cry game was coming was certainly not a huge shock as the series has been phenomenally popular. However since the prior game had just completed its third and final DLC; many were caught aback by the announcement that this would be a direct follow-up to Far Cry 5.
The previous core series have been unrelated to each other in terms of storyline so the fact that this one takes place after the events of the prior game is a bit of a departure. Combined with the fact that the new release is $39.99 compared to the usual $59.99 price for new game; many had expected essentially glorified DLC versus an entire new game.
While the gameplay mechanics, combat, crafting, travel, resource gathering, and other aspects of the game are similar to how they were in the prior game; the storyline features a very engaging mix of new and old characters in a unique setting that easily captures your attention and expands on the story of the previous game although it is not necessary for you to have played it in order to appreciate this release.
I found that I had logged in over 16 hours of gameplay to complete New Dawn and this was sticking mainly to the core stories and only doing a few treasure hunts when needed as well as excursions.
The ability to hunt and fish remains in game and there is an abundance of ways to upgrade your vehicles, weapons, perks, and attire so players can find a look and style that best meets their needs.
Missions were actually quite engaging and had quite a bit of variety in them; and I especially liked the ones where I had to take part in races or a Demo Derby. I also loved flying my crafted helicopter over the vast map area to see the vast scope of the gameplay area.
Graphically the game looks very much like the previous game in that it has solid graphics and the detail level of the countryside of Hope County is abundant. My biggest issue is with the audio which dropped out frequently during the game at cut scenes but thankfully the captions allowed me to follow what was going on without having to retrace any of my steps.
The abundance of weapons and wildlife definitely creates plenty of opportunities for players to find their own comfort level and the enemies are plentiful which allows for some incredibly graphic but ultimately satisfying takedowns. I loved the saw blade launchers which literally cut an enemy down to size and had a Boomerang effect which was ideal for multiple targets.
The main enemies of the game are an interesting foe in that you have a pair of twins who are every bit as psychotic and dangerous is the best villains from the series. While they will not surpass Vaas in Far Cry 3; they are worthy adversaries.
While I would not say the game will bring new fans to the series; it does present a very satisfying extension to the Far Cry 5 storyline and as such; definitely kept my interest throughout.
Players do have the option to play the game in a Co-Op mode or to select various characters they encounter along the way to provide assistance when needed.
Far Cry: New Dawn is a satisfying entry in the series which should tide fans over until the next release and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
http://sknr.net/2019/03/10/far-cry-new-dawn/
The previous core series have been unrelated to each other in terms of storyline so the fact that this one takes place after the events of the prior game is a bit of a departure. Combined with the fact that the new release is $39.99 compared to the usual $59.99 price for new game; many had expected essentially glorified DLC versus an entire new game.
While the gameplay mechanics, combat, crafting, travel, resource gathering, and other aspects of the game are similar to how they were in the prior game; the storyline features a very engaging mix of new and old characters in a unique setting that easily captures your attention and expands on the story of the previous game although it is not necessary for you to have played it in order to appreciate this release.
I found that I had logged in over 16 hours of gameplay to complete New Dawn and this was sticking mainly to the core stories and only doing a few treasure hunts when needed as well as excursions.
The ability to hunt and fish remains in game and there is an abundance of ways to upgrade your vehicles, weapons, perks, and attire so players can find a look and style that best meets their needs.
Missions were actually quite engaging and had quite a bit of variety in them; and I especially liked the ones where I had to take part in races or a Demo Derby. I also loved flying my crafted helicopter over the vast map area to see the vast scope of the gameplay area.
Graphically the game looks very much like the previous game in that it has solid graphics and the detail level of the countryside of Hope County is abundant. My biggest issue is with the audio which dropped out frequently during the game at cut scenes but thankfully the captions allowed me to follow what was going on without having to retrace any of my steps.
The abundance of weapons and wildlife definitely creates plenty of opportunities for players to find their own comfort level and the enemies are plentiful which allows for some incredibly graphic but ultimately satisfying takedowns. I loved the saw blade launchers which literally cut an enemy down to size and had a Boomerang effect which was ideal for multiple targets.
The main enemies of the game are an interesting foe in that you have a pair of twins who are every bit as psychotic and dangerous is the best villains from the series. While they will not surpass Vaas in Far Cry 3; they are worthy adversaries.
While I would not say the game will bring new fans to the series; it does present a very satisfying extension to the Far Cry 5 storyline and as such; definitely kept my interest throughout.
Players do have the option to play the game in a Co-Op mode or to select various characters they encounter along the way to provide assistance when needed.
Far Cry: New Dawn is a satisfying entry in the series which should tide fans over until the next release and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
http://sknr.net/2019/03/10/far-cry-new-dawn/
Darren (1599 KP) rated 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starts when scientist professor Pierre Aronnax (Lukas) gets assigned to investigate a large number of sinkings in the open ocean, joined by his trusted sidekick Conseil (Lorre). When the ship they are travelling on gets sunk by the creature, Peirre, Conseil and sailor Ned Land (Douglas) go in search of rescue finding the Nautilus seemingly abandoned on the ocean.
The Nautilus captained by Nemo (Mason) tests the men before letting them stay aboard learning the wonders from beneath the ocean and taking on the creatures that have been lurking in the deep.
Thoughts on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Characters – Captain Nemo is the mysterious captain of the Nautilus, he doesn’t follow any over the rules of the ocean as he plans his own way to clean it up with his loyal men, he reluctantly lets the three survivors onboard knowing Professor Aronnax could help his work. He does get frustratingly tired of Ned’s behaviour which puts his crew in danger at times. Ned Land is a sailor that is one of the few survivors from the shipwreck, he doesn’t like Nemo and wants to focus on collecting treasure over learning from the ocean. Professor Pierre Aronnax is one of the most famous scientist in the world, he is welcomed on board the ship because of his reputation which impress Nemo, he jumps at the chance to make huge waves in science onboard the ship. Conseil is the assistant to the professor who quickly starts to side with ned when it comes to the methods being shown onboard the vessel.
Performances – This is a strange way to bill the cast, because James Mason is the main character and he is great to watch when it comes to his speeches and ideas for what his character wants. Kirk Douglas is mostly the comic relief which is fun to see for the most part. Paul Lukas fits the posh scientist role in the film which is the one that can simplify things for the audience. Peter Lorre makes for a good sidekick figure for whoever his character helps.
Story – The story here follows the character of Captain Nemo that must educate three new crew members of the wonders of the ocean, showing them the answers are here instead of in how the world is acting. This is one that shows us science need exploring rather than questioning which takes out characters across the world to see things never imagined for the 1800s. While the story does give us entertainment, it would have been nice to see them ship take on a real creature for more than five minutes instead of going into the science versus sailing talk we most explore.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of this film takes our crew around the world to places they would have never seen to see places only few would have, make new discoveries. The fantasy mixes into the sci-fi because of the films setting in the 1800s where the technology isn’t like anything imaginable.
Settings – The film keep sus out at sea for most of the film, it is the interior of the Nautilus which is fantastic creation here show us just what was in the minds of the people.
Special Effects – The effects for the time were great, they show us what could have been achieved with practical effects and clever camera work.
Scene of the Movie – Squid battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not much creature action.
Final Thoughts – This is a must watch classic of cinema, it reaches levels you might not have expected for the time only to become something you need to admire.
Overall: Must watch classic
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/03/20/20000-leagues-under-the-sea-1954/
The Nautilus captained by Nemo (Mason) tests the men before letting them stay aboard learning the wonders from beneath the ocean and taking on the creatures that have been lurking in the deep.
Thoughts on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Characters – Captain Nemo is the mysterious captain of the Nautilus, he doesn’t follow any over the rules of the ocean as he plans his own way to clean it up with his loyal men, he reluctantly lets the three survivors onboard knowing Professor Aronnax could help his work. He does get frustratingly tired of Ned’s behaviour which puts his crew in danger at times. Ned Land is a sailor that is one of the few survivors from the shipwreck, he doesn’t like Nemo and wants to focus on collecting treasure over learning from the ocean. Professor Pierre Aronnax is one of the most famous scientist in the world, he is welcomed on board the ship because of his reputation which impress Nemo, he jumps at the chance to make huge waves in science onboard the ship. Conseil is the assistant to the professor who quickly starts to side with ned when it comes to the methods being shown onboard the vessel.
Performances – This is a strange way to bill the cast, because James Mason is the main character and he is great to watch when it comes to his speeches and ideas for what his character wants. Kirk Douglas is mostly the comic relief which is fun to see for the most part. Paul Lukas fits the posh scientist role in the film which is the one that can simplify things for the audience. Peter Lorre makes for a good sidekick figure for whoever his character helps.
Story – The story here follows the character of Captain Nemo that must educate three new crew members of the wonders of the ocean, showing them the answers are here instead of in how the world is acting. This is one that shows us science need exploring rather than questioning which takes out characters across the world to see things never imagined for the 1800s. While the story does give us entertainment, it would have been nice to see them ship take on a real creature for more than five minutes instead of going into the science versus sailing talk we most explore.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of this film takes our crew around the world to places they would have never seen to see places only few would have, make new discoveries. The fantasy mixes into the sci-fi because of the films setting in the 1800s where the technology isn’t like anything imaginable.
Settings – The film keep sus out at sea for most of the film, it is the interior of the Nautilus which is fantastic creation here show us just what was in the minds of the people.
Special Effects – The effects for the time were great, they show us what could have been achieved with practical effects and clever camera work.
Scene of the Movie – Squid battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not much creature action.
Final Thoughts – This is a must watch classic of cinema, it reaches levels you might not have expected for the time only to become something you need to admire.
Overall: Must watch classic
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/03/20/20000-leagues-under-the-sea-1954/
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder (Herringford and Watts, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
In a time when women never wore trousers and most definitely did not solve murders...Herringford & Watts break every rule in the book of propriety and pave their own future. The year is 1910. Toronto has seen it's share of progress and changes over the last few years. Yet, a woman's duty is still to marry, keep house and raise a family. Merinda Herringford and Jemima Watts are best friends, flatmates...and...detectives. These women do not fit the mold for a "Proper Lady". However, they are living out their dreams and following their passion. And to that I say, "Brava!" When the Herringford & Watts Detective Agency opens for business, mischief, madness and mayhem follow wherever these two go. When the mystery of the deaths of two Irish girls is brushed over by the police and press, Herringford & Watts step in to solve the case. The Morality Squad is on the prowl looking for an excuse to cart women away in the name of, "Cleaning up the town". Reasons may include, but are not limited to: a hemline too short, being out without an escort and sticking their nose in the wrong people's business. For this reason, Merinda and Jem masquerade as men with bowler hats on a fairly regular basis. This offers them the freedom of movement that would otherwise be denied them as women. Leading them to new depths and new heights. Joining forces with Constable Jasper Forth and Ray DeLuca, a reporter, will this team see that justice is served? Will their adventures take them too far? And will these bachelor girls be the voice for the women who have none?
I can honestly say that by page 10 of the novella (A Singular & Whimsical Problem), I was addicted to Herringford & Watts! From the cover design of the book to the quirky traits of these two women, I will treasure their story for many years to come. Let's talk about the book itself for a minute. There are several different aspects to the layout that intrigued me. First of all, the silhouettes on the cover (aren't they gorgeous), can be found at the beginning of each chapter as well, with artwork. Giving a deeper impression of the era. There are lovely quotes at the beginning of each chapter as well. Throughout the book you will find footnotes. Not referencing history books, but referencing our characters and addressing the reader personally. This dynamic didn't just draw me into the story, oh no, it gobbled me up and left me wandering the streets of Toronto, trying to walk without using my hips...Through these footnotes we learn a lot about all of our characters, without the need of an extra hundred pages, although I wouldn't have complained about that either.
The story is one of the most beautifully crafted books I have ever read. I am a HUGE fan of Sherlock and Murdoch Mysteries. And to have a story similar to those with women playing the lead...Brilliant! While we see the story through the perspective of different characters, it is mainly through Jem's eyes. Throughout their crime solving adventure, we can see the strength and determination of these women to do the right thing. Jem and Ray both look to the Lord for guidance and are comforted and encouraged by His voice and His peace. While God is a puzzle too big to solve for Merinda at this point. If you enjoy a good mystery with a lot of humour and some faith...THIS is the book for you! There are pins and needles that I am sitting on, waiting for the next book to come out!
I can honestly say that by page 10 of the novella (A Singular & Whimsical Problem), I was addicted to Herringford & Watts! From the cover design of the book to the quirky traits of these two women, I will treasure their story for many years to come. Let's talk about the book itself for a minute. There are several different aspects to the layout that intrigued me. First of all, the silhouettes on the cover (aren't they gorgeous), can be found at the beginning of each chapter as well, with artwork. Giving a deeper impression of the era. There are lovely quotes at the beginning of each chapter as well. Throughout the book you will find footnotes. Not referencing history books, but referencing our characters and addressing the reader personally. This dynamic didn't just draw me into the story, oh no, it gobbled me up and left me wandering the streets of Toronto, trying to walk without using my hips...Through these footnotes we learn a lot about all of our characters, without the need of an extra hundred pages, although I wouldn't have complained about that either.
The story is one of the most beautifully crafted books I have ever read. I am a HUGE fan of Sherlock and Murdoch Mysteries. And to have a story similar to those with women playing the lead...Brilliant! While we see the story through the perspective of different characters, it is mainly through Jem's eyes. Throughout their crime solving adventure, we can see the strength and determination of these women to do the right thing. Jem and Ray both look to the Lord for guidance and are comforted and encouraged by His voice and His peace. While God is a puzzle too big to solve for Merinda at this point. If you enjoy a good mystery with a lot of humour and some faith...THIS is the book for you! There are pins and needles that I am sitting on, waiting for the next book to come out!
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