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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands Ghost Edition in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The latest DLC for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands has released and Fallen Ghosts gives a challenging and satisfying conclusion to the saga. The manufacturers have promised more content in the form of game modes and enhancements, so if this is it, then it ends on a high note.
Unlike the previous Narco Road DLC, Fallen Ghosts is a sequel to the main story of the game and does require players to create a new character in which to play. It is a shame that you cannot port over the character you used for the game but it is a minor annoyance as I was soon able to have my character ready to go.
The story follows the Ghosts as they are shot down in the jungle and surrounded by a new squad of elite exterminators called” Los Extranjeros” (The Foreigners). Their mission is to take down any American agents in the country and backed by Unidad, they have state of the art vehicles, weapons, and equipment which include cloaking and heavily armored suits.
Gameplay is the same as before as teams of up to four must complete missions, side quests, and other objectives as they gain intel, attack, extract, interrogate, and survive a relentless assault as they are the hunted this time around and have very few safe areas.
The game does feature new map areas and players will again have cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, planes, and helicopters to travel the detailed landscape complete with day and night cycles and weather patterns.
The challenge is greater than ever as seasoned gamers who joined me in the missions commented how much harder some missions were compared to the last game, especially the final assault. Completion of the game gave me a real sense of accomplishment and closure to the story as if this is indeed the end, and then this chapter ends on a high note indeed.
The graphics and sound of the game are solid and match the prior releases so players who played and enjoyed the previous segments will enjoy this.
Fallen Ghosts is available as part of the Season Pass or stand alone and does require the full version of the game to play.
http://sknr.net/2017/06/12/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-wildlands-fallen-ghosts/
Unlike the previous Narco Road DLC, Fallen Ghosts is a sequel to the main story of the game and does require players to create a new character in which to play. It is a shame that you cannot port over the character you used for the game but it is a minor annoyance as I was soon able to have my character ready to go.
The story follows the Ghosts as they are shot down in the jungle and surrounded by a new squad of elite exterminators called” Los Extranjeros” (The Foreigners). Their mission is to take down any American agents in the country and backed by Unidad, they have state of the art vehicles, weapons, and equipment which include cloaking and heavily armored suits.
Gameplay is the same as before as teams of up to four must complete missions, side quests, and other objectives as they gain intel, attack, extract, interrogate, and survive a relentless assault as they are the hunted this time around and have very few safe areas.
The game does feature new map areas and players will again have cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, planes, and helicopters to travel the detailed landscape complete with day and night cycles and weather patterns.
The challenge is greater than ever as seasoned gamers who joined me in the missions commented how much harder some missions were compared to the last game, especially the final assault. Completion of the game gave me a real sense of accomplishment and closure to the story as if this is indeed the end, and then this chapter ends on a high note indeed.
The graphics and sound of the game are solid and match the prior releases so players who played and enjoyed the previous segments will enjoy this.
Fallen Ghosts is available as part of the Season Pass or stand alone and does require the full version of the game to play.
http://sknr.net/2017/06/12/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-wildlands-fallen-ghosts/
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Six bestselling authors have taken on the task of writing modern retellings of the complete works of Jane Austen. Alexander McCall Smith has successfully taken on the challenge of bringing <i>Emma</i> into the 21st century. Although the settings and characters remain the same the contemporary clothing, vehicles and ideas are something that the reader can relate to.
As fans of Jane Austen will already know, <i>Emma</i> is about rich, single Emma Woodhouse who, despite the disapproval of her good friend George Knightley, enjoys interfering in the lives of others, particularly where romance is concerned. Her meddling backfires when her plan to match her friend Harriet Smith with the boring Philip Elton has disastrous consequences.
Alexander McCall Smith’s version of <i>Emma</i> has more focus on the life of Mr. Woodhouse, Emma’s father, than the original did. He gives an account of Henry Woodhouse’s history and over emphasizes his anxieties about health and safety. Mr. Woodhouse’s concerns are constantly cropping up throughout the novel adding a little humour to the story.
One concern about this modern adaptation is that the writing style was overly formal. If it were not for the references to the current clothing fashions, motorcars and women attending university, the book could have been set during Jane Austen’s lifetime. Take, for example, the character Anne Taylor. Mr. Woodhouse hires Miss Taylor as a governess for his motherless daughters. Miss Taylor’s approach to the girls and her prim and proper use of language made her seem antiquated. She would not have looked out of place amongst other well-known governesses or nannies such as <i>Mary Poppins</i> or <i>Nurse Matilda</i>.
Occasionally it felt that Alexander McCall Smith was mocking the modern world, for example the activities of the younger generation or the way people speak. Whilst this may appeal to older readers who may disapprove of the recent developments and changes in the Western world; it alienates the teenagers and young adults who have grown up with modern technology.
There is no doubt that Alexander McCall Smith has done an excellent job at retelling such a famous novel, however to be a complete modern retelling I think everything needs to be brought into the 21st century. This would include all the characters and the style of language it is written in.
Six bestselling authors have taken on the task of writing modern retellings of the complete works of Jane Austen. Alexander McCall Smith has successfully taken on the challenge of bringing <i>Emma</i> into the 21st century. Although the settings and characters remain the same the contemporary clothing, vehicles and ideas are something that the reader can relate to.
As fans of Jane Austen will already know, <i>Emma</i> is about rich, single Emma Woodhouse who, despite the disapproval of her good friend George Knightley, enjoys interfering in the lives of others, particularly where romance is concerned. Her meddling backfires when her plan to match her friend Harriet Smith with the boring Philip Elton has disastrous consequences.
Alexander McCall Smith’s version of <i>Emma</i> has more focus on the life of Mr. Woodhouse, Emma’s father, than the original did. He gives an account of Henry Woodhouse’s history and over emphasizes his anxieties about health and safety. Mr. Woodhouse’s concerns are constantly cropping up throughout the novel adding a little humour to the story.
One concern about this modern adaptation is that the writing style was overly formal. If it were not for the references to the current clothing fashions, motorcars and women attending university, the book could have been set during Jane Austen’s lifetime. Take, for example, the character Anne Taylor. Mr. Woodhouse hires Miss Taylor as a governess for his motherless daughters. Miss Taylor’s approach to the girls and her prim and proper use of language made her seem antiquated. She would not have looked out of place amongst other well-known governesses or nannies such as <i>Mary Poppins</i> or <i>Nurse Matilda</i>.
Occasionally it felt that Alexander McCall Smith was mocking the modern world, for example the activities of the younger generation or the way people speak. Whilst this may appeal to older readers who may disapprove of the recent developments and changes in the Western world; it alienates the teenagers and young adults who have grown up with modern technology.
There is no doubt that Alexander McCall Smith has done an excellent job at retelling such a famous novel, however to be a complete modern retelling I think everything needs to be brought into the 21st century. This would include all the characters and the style of language it is written in.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Rover (2014) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
Don't mess with a man's car!
If you have seen the current Netflix film, The King (hopefully watching this weekend), you will have seen a subsequent effort by writer/director David Michôd.
This film takes place 10 years after "the collapse", not really specified other than not many people around and the ones who are survive a desolate, isolated existence. The setting is the barren Australian outback wasteland where human beings are scarce and gratuity and benevolence are things of the past.
A lonely man (never spoke his name in the film) sees three men steal his vehicle after theirs is sidelined from an apparent crash. Incensed, the grizzled man takes off after the threesome rapidly wanted to reacquire it. The men are far in the lead down the infinity highway, but the man manages to catch them since they are unaware of the pursuit. After some cat and mouse along the highway, the man is unable to retrieve his vehicle at that time.
The makes his way through the harsh landscape eventually running across the wounded brother of one of his car thieves who he decides to bring along for the ride. The brother is willing to explain the possible destination of the thieves as well as he may want some sort of vengeance since his brother and companions left him to die on the side of the road.
Any post-apocalyptic film set in Australia immediately will remind you of the Mad Max films. Similar in setting only, this film is much less action and is an unlikely road film at its core. There are some well designed action scenes when the men encounter various scumbags and individuals along their route. You are never really sure why the man is so interested in getting his car back until the very end.
Guy Pearce shows he is up to the challenge of playing a very unlikable, hardened miscreant, while Robert Pattinson plays the simpleton sidekick role extremely well. His accent his so hard to understand at times (reminded me of Brad Pitt in Snatch) I actually had to rewind a few times because I missed the catchy dialogue.
The film does have a few dry spots, but I was very surprised how much I liked this.
This film takes place 10 years after "the collapse", not really specified other than not many people around and the ones who are survive a desolate, isolated existence. The setting is the barren Australian outback wasteland where human beings are scarce and gratuity and benevolence are things of the past.
A lonely man (never spoke his name in the film) sees three men steal his vehicle after theirs is sidelined from an apparent crash. Incensed, the grizzled man takes off after the threesome rapidly wanted to reacquire it. The men are far in the lead down the infinity highway, but the man manages to catch them since they are unaware of the pursuit. After some cat and mouse along the highway, the man is unable to retrieve his vehicle at that time.
The makes his way through the harsh landscape eventually running across the wounded brother of one of his car thieves who he decides to bring along for the ride. The brother is willing to explain the possible destination of the thieves as well as he may want some sort of vengeance since his brother and companions left him to die on the side of the road.
Any post-apocalyptic film set in Australia immediately will remind you of the Mad Max films. Similar in setting only, this film is much less action and is an unlikely road film at its core. There are some well designed action scenes when the men encounter various scumbags and individuals along their route. You are never really sure why the man is so interested in getting his car back until the very end.
Guy Pearce shows he is up to the challenge of playing a very unlikable, hardened miscreant, while Robert Pattinson plays the simpleton sidekick role extremely well. His accent his so hard to understand at times (reminded me of Brad Pitt in Snatch) I actually had to rewind a few times because I missed the catchy dialogue.
The film does have a few dry spots, but I was very surprised how much I liked this.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Terminator: Resistance in Video Games
Dec 15, 2019
Reef Entertainment and Teyon are to be congratulated for bringing one of the best Terminator games ever to fans.
The game casts players as a member of the Resistance in the post-apocalypse L.A. area who must content with a nightmare world of cybernetic killers.
Playing from a First Person Perspective; players must explore, salvage, construct, and survive a series of missions ranging from recon, salvage, exploration and others.
Players will find themselves in the company of civilians looking to simply survive and thanks to a branching dialogue option; players will also have some control over whom they interact with and the direction of the story as well as how those characters will view and interact with you in the future.
Naturally players expect some action in a Terminator game and the game delivers plenty of it. Starting with pistols and rifles; players can take down Drones and Silverfish; but the larger Terminator units require something more advanced. When you finally get a Phased Plasma Rifle in the 40 Watt Range; it is a true delight to mow down the T-800 and other units but you will quickly learn that they can and do take a great deal of punishment before they go down and that your ammunition supply is not infinite.
As such; players often have to resort to stealth options and I can think of missions through a hospital and decimated town where the enemies were abundant and required some real tactics to evade.
The story also offers plenty of side missions for players looking for an optional challenge as well. I especially liked the references to people and events that were hinted at or mentioned in the film series as it really added an extra thrill to the gameplay.
The graphics are solid but not groundbreaking but capture the world and characters well which helps add to the immersion in the game.
I would have liked to have seen a multiplayer option as it would be great fun to do a Co-Op mission with other players where some would have to distract and engage enemies while others used a Stealth option.
Regardless; Terminator: Resistance is a solid and enjoyable game which provides gamers with a solid and enjoyable Terminator experience.
4 stars out of 5.
The game casts players as a member of the Resistance in the post-apocalypse L.A. area who must content with a nightmare world of cybernetic killers.
Playing from a First Person Perspective; players must explore, salvage, construct, and survive a series of missions ranging from recon, salvage, exploration and others.
Players will find themselves in the company of civilians looking to simply survive and thanks to a branching dialogue option; players will also have some control over whom they interact with and the direction of the story as well as how those characters will view and interact with you in the future.
Naturally players expect some action in a Terminator game and the game delivers plenty of it. Starting with pistols and rifles; players can take down Drones and Silverfish; but the larger Terminator units require something more advanced. When you finally get a Phased Plasma Rifle in the 40 Watt Range; it is a true delight to mow down the T-800 and other units but you will quickly learn that they can and do take a great deal of punishment before they go down and that your ammunition supply is not infinite.
As such; players often have to resort to stealth options and I can think of missions through a hospital and decimated town where the enemies were abundant and required some real tactics to evade.
The story also offers plenty of side missions for players looking for an optional challenge as well. I especially liked the references to people and events that were hinted at or mentioned in the film series as it really added an extra thrill to the gameplay.
The graphics are solid but not groundbreaking but capture the world and characters well which helps add to the immersion in the game.
I would have liked to have seen a multiplayer option as it would be great fun to do a Co-Op mission with other players where some would have to distract and engage enemies while others used a Stealth option.
Regardless; Terminator: Resistance is a solid and enjoyable game which provides gamers with a solid and enjoyable Terminator experience.
4 stars out of 5.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated My All American (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
The new film My All American is directed by Angelo Pizzo and released by
Clarius Entertainment. It stars Finn Wittrock as Freddie Steinmark,
Sarah Bolger as Linda Wheeler, Aaron Eckhart as Darrell Royal, Robin
Tunney as Gloria Steinmark, Michael Reilly Burke as Fred Steinmark, Rett
Terrell as Bobby Mitchell, and Juston Street as James Street.
Based on true events, and coinciding with the release of the recently
published biography, Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football, this
film is a heartwarming tale of the grit and determination that one boy
has from the time he is small all the way through college.
The determination to push through any obstacle, and any challenge thrown
his way was the hallmark of Freddie Steinmark and forever etched him
into the hearts of his fellow players, his coach Darrell K Royal, and
his family.
At only five feet nine inches tall, and 150 pounds, Freddie had to work
harder, practice longer, run faster and be altogether tougher than any
of his other team mates just to be noticed.
The movie follows Freddie through his career starting with pee-wee
football practice, to being drilled by his dad for extra practice after
his school day was done in high school, to tryouts for University of
Texas Longhorns. His high school sweetheart Linda Wheeler applies to and
is accepted at University of Texas and follows him to college.
I don’t generally like football. It annoys me that it takes so long for
the game to be played (hello…. its supposed to be four QUARTERS…. a
quarter is 25 minutes. So a game should be just over an hour and a
half…. right? Nope, it never ever is only an hour and a half long….)
HOWEVER, I really enjoyed watching this movie!
It was funny, it was inspiring, it was sad. It tugged on my heartstrings
and made me wonder how, exactly, a parent goes about raising a kid with
that much drive and “want to”.
It is completely family friendly and I will be making another trip to
the theatre to watch it with my 7 year old son, and my friends son who
is 8 and her daughter that is 6, as well.
The movie shares a great message and good lessons that all children
should learn.
The ending is sad, and might upset some younger children, but since it
is a true-to-life movie, it had to follow actual events.
Clarius Entertainment. It stars Finn Wittrock as Freddie Steinmark,
Sarah Bolger as Linda Wheeler, Aaron Eckhart as Darrell Royal, Robin
Tunney as Gloria Steinmark, Michael Reilly Burke as Fred Steinmark, Rett
Terrell as Bobby Mitchell, and Juston Street as James Street.
Based on true events, and coinciding with the release of the recently
published biography, Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football, this
film is a heartwarming tale of the grit and determination that one boy
has from the time he is small all the way through college.
The determination to push through any obstacle, and any challenge thrown
his way was the hallmark of Freddie Steinmark and forever etched him
into the hearts of his fellow players, his coach Darrell K Royal, and
his family.
At only five feet nine inches tall, and 150 pounds, Freddie had to work
harder, practice longer, run faster and be altogether tougher than any
of his other team mates just to be noticed.
The movie follows Freddie through his career starting with pee-wee
football practice, to being drilled by his dad for extra practice after
his school day was done in high school, to tryouts for University of
Texas Longhorns. His high school sweetheart Linda Wheeler applies to and
is accepted at University of Texas and follows him to college.
I don’t generally like football. It annoys me that it takes so long for
the game to be played (hello…. its supposed to be four QUARTERS…. a
quarter is 25 minutes. So a game should be just over an hour and a
half…. right? Nope, it never ever is only an hour and a half long….)
HOWEVER, I really enjoyed watching this movie!
It was funny, it was inspiring, it was sad. It tugged on my heartstrings
and made me wonder how, exactly, a parent goes about raising a kid with
that much drive and “want to”.
It is completely family friendly and I will be making another trip to
the theatre to watch it with my 7 year old son, and my friends son who
is 8 and her daughter that is 6, as well.
The movie shares a great message and good lessons that all children
should learn.
The ending is sad, and might upset some younger children, but since it
is a true-to-life movie, it had to follow actual events.
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