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Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Leveller (The Leveller, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b>I really enjoyed <i>The Leveller</i> on two things: the concept and the writing.</b> But of course, the concept is why I actually read many books. Whether it's good or bad, I have no clue until I actually crack open the book and actually read it.
In a virtual reality gaming world called MEEP, Nixy Bauer helps parents get their wayward kids back from spending too much time in the MEEP quickly and efficiently. Soon enough, she gets a job from the developer and founder of MEEP himself, whose only son has disappeared in the gaming world for several days, leaving behind a suicide note and world filled with horrifying challenges.
I will fully admit <b>I'm a huge fan of technology and cool gadgets</b>, and I honestly loved the technology <i>The Leveller</i> uses. It's <b>quite similar to <i><a title="Grid Seekers by Logan Byrne" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/07/dnf-review-grid-seekers-by-logan-byrne/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grid Seekers</a></i> but in a gaming direction rather than an everyday-use direction.</b> Durango explains MEEP simply and straightforward: it's a virtual reality where players can create their own worlds with their minds. Like any game, there are little cheats and codes. <b>Durango's explanation of how MEEP works isn't <a title="A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/audiobook-review-a-thousand-pieces-of-you-by-claudia-gray"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">written in a complicated and really scientific way</a></b> helpful for all of us who haven't actually taken physics (or ever will/did).
I am, however, still confused. <b>What is the Black, and what is levelling? I have an idea, but I think I want an official definition of what the Black is, and what levelling is.</b> Especially on levelling, because <b>if I formulate my own definition, I'm pretty sure I'll butcher it</b> and Durango will facepalm.
<b>Her writing is also quite entertaining</b> it's fun, but it has puns in there that are sometimes so bad (read: common), it's good. There's <b>not really a dull moment</b> in <i>The Leveller</i>. It's not completely action, action, action, but I just like Durango's writing (then again, <a title="Released by Megan Duncan" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-review-released-by-megan-duncan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">nonstop action can totally backfire</a> unless you have breathers. You'll have to be like <a title="Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-killer-of-enemies-by-joseph-bruchac/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joseph Bruchac</a>.).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/07/giphy28129.gif"; border="0" /></div>
<b>But the names. I'm quite horrified.</b> It might be as bad as making <a title="Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-princess-of-thorns-by-stacey-jay/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">a sad effort of being creative by drawing out letters</a> (except that one you could literally tell it was a sad effort).
<b>What kind of name is MEEP?</b> MeaParadisus isn't exactly complicated (though it's a mouthful), but <b>while MEEP sounds all adorable, it just... doesn't sound like something you would name a virtual reality gaming world unless there's a really cute world. I'm expecting chibi people now.</b>
<b>Nixy. Why Nixy?</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1251670967?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1"; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Contrary to what Ella thinks (she thinks it's lizard-like)</a>, <b>Nixy sounds like Trixie.</b> What does Trixie sound like? A cute dog name that does cute tricks. Oh, and that dog had better be oozing in cuteness.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/07/giphy.gif"; width="320" height="179" border="0" /></div>
There are <b>so many nicknames used here by Durango I swear I need a notebook to keep track of who's who at this rate.</b> I mean, there's Nixy, Moose, Chang, Mama Beti, etc. Since <i>The Leveller</i> is the first in a series, <b>there are bound to be more nicknames in the future</b> as Durango introduces us to more characters. I'll have to <b>keep track what's not a nickname, what's a nickname and who it belongs to, blah blah blah.</b>
<b>The ending was a bit of a downfall.</b> It wouldn't be a downfall if I didn't read this in one day, but <b>Durango throws in hints early on in the book that she uses in the end.</b> Everything was going pretty well, but how the story plays out in the very end is <b>predictable if you pay an ounce of attention.</b> How the second book will play out, on the other hand, isn't too predictable yet. <i>The Leveller</i> ends on a solid note, so I'm looking forward to what Durango actually comes up with in the sequel.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-leveller-by-julia-durango/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
In a virtual reality gaming world called MEEP, Nixy Bauer helps parents get their wayward kids back from spending too much time in the MEEP quickly and efficiently. Soon enough, she gets a job from the developer and founder of MEEP himself, whose only son has disappeared in the gaming world for several days, leaving behind a suicide note and world filled with horrifying challenges.
I will fully admit <b>I'm a huge fan of technology and cool gadgets</b>, and I honestly loved the technology <i>The Leveller</i> uses. It's <b>quite similar to <i><a title="Grid Seekers by Logan Byrne" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/07/dnf-review-grid-seekers-by-logan-byrne/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grid Seekers</a></i> but in a gaming direction rather than an everyday-use direction.</b> Durango explains MEEP simply and straightforward: it's a virtual reality where players can create their own worlds with their minds. Like any game, there are little cheats and codes. <b>Durango's explanation of how MEEP works isn't <a title="A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/audiobook-review-a-thousand-pieces-of-you-by-claudia-gray"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">written in a complicated and really scientific way</a></b> helpful for all of us who haven't actually taken physics (or ever will/did).
I am, however, still confused. <b>What is the Black, and what is levelling? I have an idea, but I think I want an official definition of what the Black is, and what levelling is.</b> Especially on levelling, because <b>if I formulate my own definition, I'm pretty sure I'll butcher it</b> and Durango will facepalm.
<b>Her writing is also quite entertaining</b> it's fun, but it has puns in there that are sometimes so bad (read: common), it's good. There's <b>not really a dull moment</b> in <i>The Leveller</i>. It's not completely action, action, action, but I just like Durango's writing (then again, <a title="Released by Megan Duncan" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-review-released-by-megan-duncan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">nonstop action can totally backfire</a> unless you have breathers. You'll have to be like <a title="Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-killer-of-enemies-by-joseph-bruchac/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joseph Bruchac</a>.).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/07/giphy28129.gif"; border="0" /></div>
<b>But the names. I'm quite horrified.</b> It might be as bad as making <a title="Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-princess-of-thorns-by-stacey-jay/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">a sad effort of being creative by drawing out letters</a> (except that one you could literally tell it was a sad effort).
<b>What kind of name is MEEP?</b> MeaParadisus isn't exactly complicated (though it's a mouthful), but <b>while MEEP sounds all adorable, it just... doesn't sound like something you would name a virtual reality gaming world unless there's a really cute world. I'm expecting chibi people now.</b>
<b>Nixy. Why Nixy?</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1251670967?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1"; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Contrary to what Ella thinks (she thinks it's lizard-like)</a>, <b>Nixy sounds like Trixie.</b> What does Trixie sound like? A cute dog name that does cute tricks. Oh, and that dog had better be oozing in cuteness.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/07/giphy.gif"; width="320" height="179" border="0" /></div>
There are <b>so many nicknames used here by Durango I swear I need a notebook to keep track of who's who at this rate.</b> I mean, there's Nixy, Moose, Chang, Mama Beti, etc. Since <i>The Leveller</i> is the first in a series, <b>there are bound to be more nicknames in the future</b> as Durango introduces us to more characters. I'll have to <b>keep track what's not a nickname, what's a nickname and who it belongs to, blah blah blah.</b>
<b>The ending was a bit of a downfall.</b> It wouldn't be a downfall if I didn't read this in one day, but <b>Durango throws in hints early on in the book that she uses in the end.</b> Everything was going pretty well, but how the story plays out in the very end is <b>predictable if you pay an ounce of attention.</b> How the second book will play out, on the other hand, isn't too predictable yet. <i>The Leveller</i> ends on a solid note, so I'm looking forward to what Durango actually comes up with in the sequel.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-leveller-by-julia-durango/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of STAR WARS Battlefront II in Video Games
Jun 10, 2020
Star Wars Immersion At Its Finest. (2 more)
Multiplayer Is Feels Fluid, Bouncy And Satisfying.
Frequent Updates Have Saved The Game.
Sometimes Buggy. (1 more)
Campaign Is Short, Bare and Repetitive.
Can EA Redeem Themselves? (2020 Update Review)
I will begin this by telling you a story. Back in 2016, I bought EA and DICE's STAR WARS Battlefront for £25, feeling like a got a pretty good bargain. Little did I know at the time that this was an EA project, I had very high hopes after spending hundreds of hours of my childhood playing the original, Battlefront and Battlefront II, on my original XBOX. To me, along with KOTOR and Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, were the pinnacle of how good a STAR WARS game could be. I played four hours of this remake, and realised how much of a mistake I had made. I subsequently put the game on eBay, with the description, “Please take this abomination from me before I throw it at the wall!”. It sold for £9. Worth it.
Once I discovered EA and DICE were doing a sequel, I knew this was to be avoided at all costs. Upon launch, Battlefront II was slammed by critics and fans for various reasons, including a loot based system that gave a player a clear advantage over another, and a story which was so short and bare boned it barely even passed four hours. A complete disaster all round. Yet, a new hope arose. Frequent updates have come since then, and all updates have been free for players as a sorry for all the mistakes both companies have made with the property. So, with all this information in the past, I received Battlefront II as a free game with PlayStation Plus for June. A what a treat it is.
STAR WARS Battlefront II is a well improved shooter over its 2015 release, and an all round excellent game, and this is down to its updates being made free to all its players. Battlefront II must be broken up into parts in order to properly get a fair review, so let’s start with the campaign.
Narrative:
The story follows Iden Versio, an Empire Commander who’s morals are tested and sides are divided once she discovers the truth behind her allegiances as the story goes on. The campaign is the weakest part of the package, roughly taking around four to five hours to complete, and the missions feel the same; go to objective, kill enemies, find other objectives etc. The formula gets mixed a few times to introduce iconic heroes and villains through this timeline of STAR WARS history. Average would be the perfect word to describe this aspect, it doesn’t try anything new or experiment, and thats a shame because they introduce some new ideas that could of shaken up the story a little. They did add an expansion called Resurrection, following on some years after the campaign. Again, its too short for any real substance or replay value. Arcade mode is fun enough too, pitting you against different tasks for the Light and Dark side. Each one puts you with different Heroes, Villains or Soldiers, as you fight against a numbered amount of enemies. It all is enough to satisfy for a couple of hours, but if you're buying Battlefront for single-player purposes, don't bother.
Multiplayer:
The Multiplayer is fantastic, immersion filled experience fans of STAR WARS will love. I’ve recently lost a lot of love for the franchise, but this game has made me remember why I loved it as a child. The combination of John William’s score, the fluid gunplay that bounces with every successful hit, mixed with the amazing environments of each world and excellent sound effects. This makes it absolutely flawless. It features various different game modes to choose from, my personal favourite being Co-op missions, all your standard multiplayer shooter modes. Unlike before, where you had to buy the STAR WARS characters you want to play as, you now have to earn points during battle to play as them. The system works as you feel you’ve earned the way to play as, for example, Luke or Han. Sometimes it feels a little buggy in places, especially in modes with forty players, but it never ruins the overall game.
The issues, which they’re are many, occur in multiplayer frequently. The Galactic Assault is messy, and frustrating most of the time due to wonky controls. It feels like the controller doesn’t work for the ships, but works perfectly for the on-ground assaults. I did try this mode a number of times, and the same things happened again and again.
The package is finely finished with some great customisation options for your troopers and also the main characters of the franchise. The sheer number of characters in the roster is staggering. Some choices, like BB-8, feel a little shoehorned, but weirdly they all feel different, with their own unique perks. As a whole, it feels like for once EA has decided to put the consumer first with their product, rather than thinking of the money. They’ve taken the time to issue an apology for the awful services they’ve been providing, by putting a product they know the fans will love. I never thought I would say it, but props to DICE and EA. You’ve redeemed yourselves, for now.
Once I discovered EA and DICE were doing a sequel, I knew this was to be avoided at all costs. Upon launch, Battlefront II was slammed by critics and fans for various reasons, including a loot based system that gave a player a clear advantage over another, and a story which was so short and bare boned it barely even passed four hours. A complete disaster all round. Yet, a new hope arose. Frequent updates have come since then, and all updates have been free for players as a sorry for all the mistakes both companies have made with the property. So, with all this information in the past, I received Battlefront II as a free game with PlayStation Plus for June. A what a treat it is.
STAR WARS Battlefront II is a well improved shooter over its 2015 release, and an all round excellent game, and this is down to its updates being made free to all its players. Battlefront II must be broken up into parts in order to properly get a fair review, so let’s start with the campaign.
Narrative:
The story follows Iden Versio, an Empire Commander who’s morals are tested and sides are divided once she discovers the truth behind her allegiances as the story goes on. The campaign is the weakest part of the package, roughly taking around four to five hours to complete, and the missions feel the same; go to objective, kill enemies, find other objectives etc. The formula gets mixed a few times to introduce iconic heroes and villains through this timeline of STAR WARS history. Average would be the perfect word to describe this aspect, it doesn’t try anything new or experiment, and thats a shame because they introduce some new ideas that could of shaken up the story a little. They did add an expansion called Resurrection, following on some years after the campaign. Again, its too short for any real substance or replay value. Arcade mode is fun enough too, pitting you against different tasks for the Light and Dark side. Each one puts you with different Heroes, Villains or Soldiers, as you fight against a numbered amount of enemies. It all is enough to satisfy for a couple of hours, but if you're buying Battlefront for single-player purposes, don't bother.
Multiplayer:
The Multiplayer is fantastic, immersion filled experience fans of STAR WARS will love. I’ve recently lost a lot of love for the franchise, but this game has made me remember why I loved it as a child. The combination of John William’s score, the fluid gunplay that bounces with every successful hit, mixed with the amazing environments of each world and excellent sound effects. This makes it absolutely flawless. It features various different game modes to choose from, my personal favourite being Co-op missions, all your standard multiplayer shooter modes. Unlike before, where you had to buy the STAR WARS characters you want to play as, you now have to earn points during battle to play as them. The system works as you feel you’ve earned the way to play as, for example, Luke or Han. Sometimes it feels a little buggy in places, especially in modes with forty players, but it never ruins the overall game.
The issues, which they’re are many, occur in multiplayer frequently. The Galactic Assault is messy, and frustrating most of the time due to wonky controls. It feels like the controller doesn’t work for the ships, but works perfectly for the on-ground assaults. I did try this mode a number of times, and the same things happened again and again.
The package is finely finished with some great customisation options for your troopers and also the main characters of the franchise. The sheer number of characters in the roster is staggering. Some choices, like BB-8, feel a little shoehorned, but weirdly they all feel different, with their own unique perks. As a whole, it feels like for once EA has decided to put the consumer first with their product, rather than thinking of the money. They’ve taken the time to issue an apology for the awful services they’ve been providing, by putting a product they know the fans will love. I never thought I would say it, but props to DICE and EA. You’ve redeemed yourselves, for now.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated the PC version of Mortal Shell in Video Games
Oct 8, 2020
Beautiful Scenery (1 more)
Hardening Skill can save you when you screw up
Back in 2009 Demon’s Soul, a PlayStation 3 exclusive, made its way into the hands of players around the world. The game was punishingly difficult, and was revered for its no handholding, brutally steep learning curve. A game that harkened back to the days of old, when video games were more about a player spending hour upon hour of mastering its nuances then relying on a never-ending supply of save games. This game, and the even more popular successor Dark Souls, gave way to its own genre defining style, the “souls-like” game. Since those genre defining years, several companies have tried to take inspiration from the originals and craft them into their own unique experiences. Whether that be futuristic takes such as Surge 2, or sticking to a familiar fantasy setting, with mixed results. Enter the latest in this genre, a game developed by the fine folks at Cold Symetry, released on Windows, Xbox and PlayStation.
Mortal Shell is an “souls-like” action role playing game, where you are a creature whose unique ability is to inhabit the bodies of fallen warriors scattered across the realm of Fallgrim. Much like its inspiration, Fallgrim is a land that is bleak and unforgiving. Whether you are traipsing across murky swamps, filled with bear tramps and poisonous frogs, snowy fields or fiery plains, there are always an unending supply of enemies that you must contend with. Each “shell” you inhabit offers up a distinct playstyle and upgrade tree that should appeal to every unique player.
The first shell you inhabit, is what I refer to as the Jack-of-All trades shell, Harros. Harros is a traditional knight like character that has a balance of health, stamina, and resolve (the statistic that allows you to use your special upgrades applied to your weapon of choice). As you progress through the story, you will come across three other shells for you to inhabit, that you can switch between as you wish. This allows you to vary your play style between Eredrim, a tank-architype with lots of health but low stamina, Tiel, the acolyte with less health but is more agile and able to dodge and roll out of the way, or Solomon, who has the most resolve. Each character upgrade requires Tar (the gold of Fallgrim) and Glimpses. These are acquired by defeating enemies, and through gathering various plants throughout your journey.
In addition to the four shells, there are also four upgradable weapons that can be found along your journey. You begin with the Hollow Sword but will come across others to aid you on your quest. There is the Hammer and Chisel, a dual wield, fast attack, but lower damage weapon. The Martyr’s Blade, a heavy two-handed sword that does massive damage but is slow to attack. Lastly, The Smoldering Mace. All of these can be upgrades with special attacks that are initiated by your characters resolve, that can do an incredible amount of damage when initiated.
Combat occurs by locking onto your opponent and then utilizing fast and heavy attacks to defeat them. Experimenting with executing fast and heavy in specific sequences will result in numerous combos that do additional damage and stagger your foes. Mortal Shells unique blocking ability is what the game refers to as Hardening. Hardening, does exactly as the name suggests, turning yourself into stone and blocking most incoming attacks. It can be initiated at practically any time, even during the middle of your attack, allowing you to brush off an incoming attack and finish up with an epic strike. Learning the best time and place to use your hardening skill, is the key to overcoming your most difficult opponents, and ultimately slaying them in the process. There is also a parry aspect, which you obtain at the beginning of your quest, that allows you to parry incoming blows, and respond with devastating effect. Be aware that not all attacks can be parried, and your Tarnished Seal Emblem (which enables your skill) will glow red to warn you of this.
During combat, if your health reaches zero, you will be pushed out of your shell (which reminded me of playing a mech game where your mech is destroyed and you are automatically ejected). You are given the chance to climb back into your shell, but if you are hit while outside of your shell you will almost always die quickly. If your health reaches zero again, you die and you return back to Sester Genessa, a shadowy figure who acts like a bonfire from the souls’ games. As with the games before it, dying forces you to drop your tar and re-spawns all enemies that you have killed previously. Returning to your body allows you to retrieve your tar and restores all your health.
One of the more interesting aspects of the game is in the use of items you discover during your adventure. Most items effects will be unknown until you use the item, which forces you to experiment with everything you find. As you use the item more frequently you become more familiar with the item, and as that familiarity grows, the effects grow as well. Some will damage you in the beginning, only to benefit you as you grow more familiar with them, others you will utilize at the wrong time, and not benefit from the effect, but you will still learn from the experience. In this way Mortal Shell rewards you for experimentation, and forces those who like to hoard their findings for “when the right time arrives to use it” to utilize it and learn from it.
Much like the Souls-like games that inspired it, Mortal Shell could almost be mistaken for one of the games it garnered inspiration from. The setting, the characters, even the fonts used, could easily have been taken directly from a Dark Souls game. You’d be forgiven if someone came up to you and asked you which of the Dark Souls games you are playing. That’s not to say that Mortal Shell doesn’t distinguish itself in other ways, but on the surface, it would be easy to mistake it for another clone. The sound design, the graphic design, is all very well done, so at least the inspiration is put to good use in Mortal Shell
While Mortal Shell generally plays fast and well, there are a couple of instances where death seemed to come due to little I had control over. There are various cut scenes where you are crawling through tunnels, and you come out on the other side. Occasionally your character will be attacked immediately follow the cut scene, which gives you little time to react. There are ways to time your crawl, as to not emerge immediately into a group of baddies, but nothing frustrated me more, when I came across these areas. The difficulty and learning curve are about as difficult as one would expect from such a game.
If you are a fan of Dark Souls or Souls-like games, there is a lot to like in Mortal Shell. Most of the gameplay and style will feel immediately familiar, and there is just enough uniqueness in the game to satisfy veterans of the soul’s type games. If you have been put off by the difficulty of souls-like games in the past, Mortal Shell doesn’t differ enough from the formula to likely change your mind. While it’s not as long as the games that inspire it, it’s hard to beat the price ($29.99 on the Epic Store), and it’s refreshing enough to act as a place holder until the Demon’s Soul remake becomes available
What I liked: Beautiful Scenery, Hardening Skill can save you when you screw up
What I liked less: No real direction on where to start
Mortal Shell is an “souls-like” action role playing game, where you are a creature whose unique ability is to inhabit the bodies of fallen warriors scattered across the realm of Fallgrim. Much like its inspiration, Fallgrim is a land that is bleak and unforgiving. Whether you are traipsing across murky swamps, filled with bear tramps and poisonous frogs, snowy fields or fiery plains, there are always an unending supply of enemies that you must contend with. Each “shell” you inhabit offers up a distinct playstyle and upgrade tree that should appeal to every unique player.
The first shell you inhabit, is what I refer to as the Jack-of-All trades shell, Harros. Harros is a traditional knight like character that has a balance of health, stamina, and resolve (the statistic that allows you to use your special upgrades applied to your weapon of choice). As you progress through the story, you will come across three other shells for you to inhabit, that you can switch between as you wish. This allows you to vary your play style between Eredrim, a tank-architype with lots of health but low stamina, Tiel, the acolyte with less health but is more agile and able to dodge and roll out of the way, or Solomon, who has the most resolve. Each character upgrade requires Tar (the gold of Fallgrim) and Glimpses. These are acquired by defeating enemies, and through gathering various plants throughout your journey.
In addition to the four shells, there are also four upgradable weapons that can be found along your journey. You begin with the Hollow Sword but will come across others to aid you on your quest. There is the Hammer and Chisel, a dual wield, fast attack, but lower damage weapon. The Martyr’s Blade, a heavy two-handed sword that does massive damage but is slow to attack. Lastly, The Smoldering Mace. All of these can be upgrades with special attacks that are initiated by your characters resolve, that can do an incredible amount of damage when initiated.
Combat occurs by locking onto your opponent and then utilizing fast and heavy attacks to defeat them. Experimenting with executing fast and heavy in specific sequences will result in numerous combos that do additional damage and stagger your foes. Mortal Shells unique blocking ability is what the game refers to as Hardening. Hardening, does exactly as the name suggests, turning yourself into stone and blocking most incoming attacks. It can be initiated at practically any time, even during the middle of your attack, allowing you to brush off an incoming attack and finish up with an epic strike. Learning the best time and place to use your hardening skill, is the key to overcoming your most difficult opponents, and ultimately slaying them in the process. There is also a parry aspect, which you obtain at the beginning of your quest, that allows you to parry incoming blows, and respond with devastating effect. Be aware that not all attacks can be parried, and your Tarnished Seal Emblem (which enables your skill) will glow red to warn you of this.
During combat, if your health reaches zero, you will be pushed out of your shell (which reminded me of playing a mech game where your mech is destroyed and you are automatically ejected). You are given the chance to climb back into your shell, but if you are hit while outside of your shell you will almost always die quickly. If your health reaches zero again, you die and you return back to Sester Genessa, a shadowy figure who acts like a bonfire from the souls’ games. As with the games before it, dying forces you to drop your tar and re-spawns all enemies that you have killed previously. Returning to your body allows you to retrieve your tar and restores all your health.
One of the more interesting aspects of the game is in the use of items you discover during your adventure. Most items effects will be unknown until you use the item, which forces you to experiment with everything you find. As you use the item more frequently you become more familiar with the item, and as that familiarity grows, the effects grow as well. Some will damage you in the beginning, only to benefit you as you grow more familiar with them, others you will utilize at the wrong time, and not benefit from the effect, but you will still learn from the experience. In this way Mortal Shell rewards you for experimentation, and forces those who like to hoard their findings for “when the right time arrives to use it” to utilize it and learn from it.
Much like the Souls-like games that inspired it, Mortal Shell could almost be mistaken for one of the games it garnered inspiration from. The setting, the characters, even the fonts used, could easily have been taken directly from a Dark Souls game. You’d be forgiven if someone came up to you and asked you which of the Dark Souls games you are playing. That’s not to say that Mortal Shell doesn’t distinguish itself in other ways, but on the surface, it would be easy to mistake it for another clone. The sound design, the graphic design, is all very well done, so at least the inspiration is put to good use in Mortal Shell
While Mortal Shell generally plays fast and well, there are a couple of instances where death seemed to come due to little I had control over. There are various cut scenes where you are crawling through tunnels, and you come out on the other side. Occasionally your character will be attacked immediately follow the cut scene, which gives you little time to react. There are ways to time your crawl, as to not emerge immediately into a group of baddies, but nothing frustrated me more, when I came across these areas. The difficulty and learning curve are about as difficult as one would expect from such a game.
If you are a fan of Dark Souls or Souls-like games, there is a lot to like in Mortal Shell. Most of the gameplay and style will feel immediately familiar, and there is just enough uniqueness in the game to satisfy veterans of the soul’s type games. If you have been put off by the difficulty of souls-like games in the past, Mortal Shell doesn’t differ enough from the formula to likely change your mind. While it’s not as long as the games that inspire it, it’s hard to beat the price ($29.99 on the Epic Store), and it’s refreshing enough to act as a place holder until the Demon’s Soul remake becomes available
What I liked: Beautiful Scenery, Hardening Skill can save you when you screw up
What I liked less: No real direction on where to start
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Xuan Yuan Sword 7 in Video Games
Oct 4, 2021
Beautiful looking world and nice graphics (2 more)
Pretty enjoyable story and gameplay
Interesting mix of fantasy and history
Lacks the polish that could have made it great (2 more)
Too linear and doesn’t open up enough
Combat could have been further refined
Interesting and Ambitious but Ultimately Average
So to start this review I got to say that I'm pretty mixed on how I feel about this game. For one it definitely has a lot of potential and enough going for it that it could have been a really good. But on the other hand it had a lot of things that I feel could have been done better and falls far from being a great game to just around average for me. The story itself isn't terrible but it suffers from bad writing and performance of the voice actors. The world itself seems like it could have been a lot more interesting but it just wasn't engaging enough half the time.
It seemed like it was going to be an open world game but wound up being very linear in nature although it had aspects of an open world game like side quests, fast travel, and even treasure chests scattered throughout the game world as well. There's a climbing mechanic that seemed kind of pointless because it was pretty much just a cut scene of in game graphics of you climbing a little cliff or sometimes it would turn into an interactive part where you had to move the analog stick to move the character. Still it was better than these weird times that the game gave you control of the character for a scene in which your only movement was preset like a ride on a rail that couldn't veer off a road.
I liked that it was an action-RPG meaning instead of turn based combat like most RPG's it had an active combat system where you could move at your own leisure and consisted of hack and slash combat with some martial art skills, blocking, dodging, and some riposte (parrying). There are four basic martial art skills which can be learned as you progress through the game, Bull, Wolf, Bear, and Tiger. They become stronger and increase the length or hits of their combo the more you use them. A big draw back is that you could only equip or use two at one time although they can be changed at anytime through the talent menu. Then there are three special martial art skills which are Taowu, Tundou and ?
The combat was one of the things that had me really conflicted. A cool thing I liked about the combat was that there was a meter that would go up when you would attack an enemy and if it filled all the way you could perform an execution on them. Otherwise it was very unresponsive most of the time making dodging and parrying really hard and kind of useless. I found the blocking especially useless because of how much damage you still incurred. There is a skill tree for new martial arts and you can create and upgrade structures in Elysium that can enhance various things, such as weapon, armor, accessories and more. You can also use the fusion to capture the souls of enemies in combat and fuse them together in Elysium to equip them for bonus stats and effects.
Your able to carry items in your inventory which are mainly objects like items that don't do anything except advance the story or quest and some like healing weapons. There is an equipment screen for weapons and accessories but you only stay with one weapon the whole game. It does change and become stronger and its appearance changes too. You can even change outfits. I'm not sure if you get any in the game as the version I played came with a couple of additional weapons/costumes. You do wind up getting some party members which is customary of some RPG's and they help out by attacking enemies on their own. You can control them by activating some abilities or special attacks that have cooldown times for when you can use them again. There's a minigame called Zhuolu chess and it can be pretty fun and a nice change of pace but not what you were looking for when you bought the game.
You can save your game and recover health at random campfires throughout the game world as well as listen to some party dialogue when you choose to rest. The dialogue tends to repeat often and doesn't really advance the story much or fit where you are at in the story that often. These game mechanics are similar to Dark Souls as resting respawns enemies when you save at a bonfire and get healed too. As I mentioned earlier the game employs a fast travel system consisting of waypoints called guard stones that you can activate when found. There is an element of puzzle solving in the game but they don't seem to be that hard to figure out and some can even be skipped if you don't want to bother with it.
The graphics were pretty solid and the game surely looks good for the most part. The textures are sometimes rough in the environment and sometimes there's very noticeable instances of "pop-ins" but overall aesthetic and style is beautiful. You really never get to play games where you get to see ancient Chinese castles, cities, or kingdoms so that was nice. The leaves in the trees are even ruffled by the wind, which is a nice touch. The main characters like Zhao and his sister Xiang look great and so do most of the secondary characters like Chu-Hong and Mo Huang. It just makes it that more disappointing when you see sub-par detail in the NPC's and stiff cutscenes because you know they could have done better on those too. Maybe they didn't have enough time, man power or budget.
The music was probably one of the best additions to the game as a whole. Containing traditional Chinese sounds and instruments befitting the setting the music was great. There are some instances where there is no music and the void is filled with nothing but awkward silence or the sound of footsteps. Only the subpar voice acting fills the dead air and background music would have added more depth to certain parts and scenes of the game. There's no English dubbing for the voice acting in the game it's only in Mandarin/Chinese which isn't bad in itself except the performances are kind of hit and miss and not very balanced.
Verdict: [5/10]
The game seemed very rough around the edges, it lacked that "polished" feel that it would have gotten if it had been a "AAA" game instead of a "AA" game. It's linear aspects left little to no deviation for exploring the world other than the main quest making it feel like going through a tunnel from location to the next. The distances between the towns and villages also made the world feel really small which it probably was. The story and gameplay were enjoyable enough but writing and especially acting/voice acting in key cutscenes needed work. The combat was was so uninspired I felt like I was doing the same sword attacks the whole game and they never really changed. And last thing, even if it doesn't help or is in any way useful, I like to be able to make my character jump and this game didn't let you do that either. So in conclusion I have to give Xuan Yuan Sword 7 a 5/10. It's an average or ok game, which has it's moments but nothing to write home about. However if they make a Xuan Yuan Sword 8, I'd be looking forward to see what kind of improvements they would make in the next installment.
It seemed like it was going to be an open world game but wound up being very linear in nature although it had aspects of an open world game like side quests, fast travel, and even treasure chests scattered throughout the game world as well. There's a climbing mechanic that seemed kind of pointless because it was pretty much just a cut scene of in game graphics of you climbing a little cliff or sometimes it would turn into an interactive part where you had to move the analog stick to move the character. Still it was better than these weird times that the game gave you control of the character for a scene in which your only movement was preset like a ride on a rail that couldn't veer off a road.
I liked that it was an action-RPG meaning instead of turn based combat like most RPG's it had an active combat system where you could move at your own leisure and consisted of hack and slash combat with some martial art skills, blocking, dodging, and some riposte (parrying). There are four basic martial art skills which can be learned as you progress through the game, Bull, Wolf, Bear, and Tiger. They become stronger and increase the length or hits of their combo the more you use them. A big draw back is that you could only equip or use two at one time although they can be changed at anytime through the talent menu. Then there are three special martial art skills which are Taowu, Tundou and ?
The combat was one of the things that had me really conflicted. A cool thing I liked about the combat was that there was a meter that would go up when you would attack an enemy and if it filled all the way you could perform an execution on them. Otherwise it was very unresponsive most of the time making dodging and parrying really hard and kind of useless. I found the blocking especially useless because of how much damage you still incurred. There is a skill tree for new martial arts and you can create and upgrade structures in Elysium that can enhance various things, such as weapon, armor, accessories and more. You can also use the fusion to capture the souls of enemies in combat and fuse them together in Elysium to equip them for bonus stats and effects.
Your able to carry items in your inventory which are mainly objects like items that don't do anything except advance the story or quest and some like healing weapons. There is an equipment screen for weapons and accessories but you only stay with one weapon the whole game. It does change and become stronger and its appearance changes too. You can even change outfits. I'm not sure if you get any in the game as the version I played came with a couple of additional weapons/costumes. You do wind up getting some party members which is customary of some RPG's and they help out by attacking enemies on their own. You can control them by activating some abilities or special attacks that have cooldown times for when you can use them again. There's a minigame called Zhuolu chess and it can be pretty fun and a nice change of pace but not what you were looking for when you bought the game.
You can save your game and recover health at random campfires throughout the game world as well as listen to some party dialogue when you choose to rest. The dialogue tends to repeat often and doesn't really advance the story much or fit where you are at in the story that often. These game mechanics are similar to Dark Souls as resting respawns enemies when you save at a bonfire and get healed too. As I mentioned earlier the game employs a fast travel system consisting of waypoints called guard stones that you can activate when found. There is an element of puzzle solving in the game but they don't seem to be that hard to figure out and some can even be skipped if you don't want to bother with it.
The graphics were pretty solid and the game surely looks good for the most part. The textures are sometimes rough in the environment and sometimes there's very noticeable instances of "pop-ins" but overall aesthetic and style is beautiful. You really never get to play games where you get to see ancient Chinese castles, cities, or kingdoms so that was nice. The leaves in the trees are even ruffled by the wind, which is a nice touch. The main characters like Zhao and his sister Xiang look great and so do most of the secondary characters like Chu-Hong and Mo Huang. It just makes it that more disappointing when you see sub-par detail in the NPC's and stiff cutscenes because you know they could have done better on those too. Maybe they didn't have enough time, man power or budget.
The music was probably one of the best additions to the game as a whole. Containing traditional Chinese sounds and instruments befitting the setting the music was great. There are some instances where there is no music and the void is filled with nothing but awkward silence or the sound of footsteps. Only the subpar voice acting fills the dead air and background music would have added more depth to certain parts and scenes of the game. There's no English dubbing for the voice acting in the game it's only in Mandarin/Chinese which isn't bad in itself except the performances are kind of hit and miss and not very balanced.
Verdict: [5/10]
The game seemed very rough around the edges, it lacked that "polished" feel that it would have gotten if it had been a "AAA" game instead of a "AA" game. It's linear aspects left little to no deviation for exploring the world other than the main quest making it feel like going through a tunnel from location to the next. The distances between the towns and villages also made the world feel really small which it probably was. The story and gameplay were enjoyable enough but writing and especially acting/voice acting in key cutscenes needed work. The combat was was so uninspired I felt like I was doing the same sword attacks the whole game and they never really changed. And last thing, even if it doesn't help or is in any way useful, I like to be able to make my character jump and this game didn't let you do that either. So in conclusion I have to give Xuan Yuan Sword 7 a 5/10. It's an average or ok game, which has it's moments but nothing to write home about. However if they make a Xuan Yuan Sword 8, I'd be looking forward to see what kind of improvements they would make in the next installment.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Shimmering in Books
May 28, 2017
Sci-Fi Romance
The shimmering By Susan Kearney was a sci-fi romance that was very reminiscent of the stories I have read in my younger days and I was such a sucker for these, So this book had me feeling rather nostalgic, wanting to experience this all over again.
This was my main reason for wanting to read this novel and I have to admit I was also looking for something light, fluffy and just easy to read, a bit of romantic instalove to warm the old heart, sigh.
And The Shimmering does all that, you get exactly what it says on the tin.
This was an ok read, not amazing, but it passed a few hours and was enjoyable in an easy non-brain taxing way.
Basically, you have our intrepid heroine journalist Sandra Lowell testing out an astral projecting machine for a story.
This device manages to, with a little help from an ancient Totem the Zorash, to send Sandra across the universe and into the body of a woman about to be married to Daveck. Daveck is intent on marrying his enemies daughter to force her to reveal the location of the same object that has helped propel Sandra here to his planet from across the stars.
So what worked for me and what didn't.
well, I felt that the storyline here is so imaginative that much more could have been done to expand on this, I would have liked to see this more of this new world, to explore and meet its alien people properly.
Sandra also seemed a lot more fleshed out than Daveck, who I really struggled to get a fully dimensional picture of and to connect with, also I'm all for instalove but I felt that Sandra after lamenting all through earlier chapters why she didn't have a man and how important her career was gave up that job unbelievably fast.
Now that is out of the way, why should you read The Shimmering?
Well, This is a charming uncomplicated tale of instalove across the stars, it's very imaginative and though it's a simple angst-free story it does kind of give you a warm nostalgic glow, This wasn't quite a three for me but a two seemed too low so I've rated this 2 1/2 on the Goodreads rating I would have rated it slightly higher if I was able to connect more with the book's characters, for me this was an ok read that pleasantly passed the time.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free readers copy of the Shimmering. This is my own unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
This was my main reason for wanting to read this novel and I have to admit I was also looking for something light, fluffy and just easy to read, a bit of romantic instalove to warm the old heart, sigh.
And The Shimmering does all that, you get exactly what it says on the tin.
This was an ok read, not amazing, but it passed a few hours and was enjoyable in an easy non-brain taxing way.
Basically, you have our intrepid heroine journalist Sandra Lowell testing out an astral projecting machine for a story.
This device manages to, with a little help from an ancient Totem the Zorash, to send Sandra across the universe and into the body of a woman about to be married to Daveck. Daveck is intent on marrying his enemies daughter to force her to reveal the location of the same object that has helped propel Sandra here to his planet from across the stars.
So what worked for me and what didn't.
well, I felt that the storyline here is so imaginative that much more could have been done to expand on this, I would have liked to see this more of this new world, to explore and meet its alien people properly.
Sandra also seemed a lot more fleshed out than Daveck, who I really struggled to get a fully dimensional picture of and to connect with, also I'm all for instalove but I felt that Sandra after lamenting all through earlier chapters why she didn't have a man and how important her career was gave up that job unbelievably fast.
Now that is out of the way, why should you read The Shimmering?
Well, This is a charming uncomplicated tale of instalove across the stars, it's very imaginative and though it's a simple angst-free story it does kind of give you a warm nostalgic glow, This wasn't quite a three for me but a two seemed too low so I've rated this 2 1/2 on the Goodreads rating I would have rated it slightly higher if I was able to connect more with the book's characters, for me this was an ok read that pleasantly passed the time.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free readers copy of the Shimmering. This is my own unbiased opinion.
Arc Reviewed By BeckieBookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Secrets (Beauties from Ashes, #1) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Every girl has a secret she hopes the light will never find–but the demons already have.
Four girls. Four sets of secrets. Four searching for answers.
Mackenzie is the shy, awkward new girl at school, depressed and desperate for a real friend. When she stumbles upon the deepest secret of a sarcastic, angry-at-the-world track star, Krystal, they become instant enemies-especially about the flirtatious baseball player, Bryce.
Tammi, a gloomy singer/musician who couldn’t care less about what others think of her, meets Sadie, a dancer and a people-pleaser with a cotton candy disposition. They have nothing in common until their lives begin to collide in more ways than one.
As the girls’ worlds begin to converge, their secrets rather than their similarities draw them together. Meanwhile, all that’s kept hidden has left them vulnerable to a battle in an invisible realm where demonic creatures fight to keep the girls chained to their pasts while angels of light work to free them.
Can good ever come from evil? Can beauty ever arise from ashes?
My Thoughts: This is an amazing story of how 4 teenage girls deal not only with every day teenage issues, but with a war with demons. There is a war waging around us that we can not see and this book illustrates this extremely well. Do we think of where our bad moods and thoughts come from? This is an intense and creative novel that truly illustrates what goes on in a realm that we cannot see. This novel teaches us that with God, we can be set free from our past and win the battle against evil.
In this story-line, not only did the girls had to deal with some issues from their past, from abuse, arents dealing with depression and alcoholism; they had their usual teenage issues to deal with as well. We as readers learn how they all came together to face these demons controlling them and winning the war.
While reading this book, it made me think what is happening around me when I have a bad thought or a bad mood; those demons in this book will come to my mind to remind me that all I need to do is turn to God in prayer.
The unbelievers are given the gospel and learn how to trust in God and learn how prayer works in their lives.
This was an amazing book, those who enjoy reading about the spiritual realm around us will certainly enjoy this book as much as I did. I am looking forward to her next book in the Beauty from the Ashes series "The Uninvited".
Four girls. Four sets of secrets. Four searching for answers.
Mackenzie is the shy, awkward new girl at school, depressed and desperate for a real friend. When she stumbles upon the deepest secret of a sarcastic, angry-at-the-world track star, Krystal, they become instant enemies-especially about the flirtatious baseball player, Bryce.
Tammi, a gloomy singer/musician who couldn’t care less about what others think of her, meets Sadie, a dancer and a people-pleaser with a cotton candy disposition. They have nothing in common until their lives begin to collide in more ways than one.
As the girls’ worlds begin to converge, their secrets rather than their similarities draw them together. Meanwhile, all that’s kept hidden has left them vulnerable to a battle in an invisible realm where demonic creatures fight to keep the girls chained to their pasts while angels of light work to free them.
Can good ever come from evil? Can beauty ever arise from ashes?
My Thoughts: This is an amazing story of how 4 teenage girls deal not only with every day teenage issues, but with a war with demons. There is a war waging around us that we can not see and this book illustrates this extremely well. Do we think of where our bad moods and thoughts come from? This is an intense and creative novel that truly illustrates what goes on in a realm that we cannot see. This novel teaches us that with God, we can be set free from our past and win the battle against evil.
In this story-line, not only did the girls had to deal with some issues from their past, from abuse, arents dealing with depression and alcoholism; they had their usual teenage issues to deal with as well. We as readers learn how they all came together to face these demons controlling them and winning the war.
While reading this book, it made me think what is happening around me when I have a bad thought or a bad mood; those demons in this book will come to my mind to remind me that all I need to do is turn to God in prayer.
The unbelievers are given the gospel and learn how to trust in God and learn how prayer works in their lives.
This was an amazing book, those who enjoy reading about the spiritual realm around us will certainly enjoy this book as much as I did. I am looking forward to her next book in the Beauty from the Ashes series "The Uninvited".
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Yoshi's Crafted World in Video Games
Apr 17, 2019
Simple mechanics (3 more)
Beautiful Art style
Yoshi (all of them)
Some level of difficulty in some areas
Tons of adorable fun for all ages!
So Yoshi's crafted world was one of the two games I recieved as part of a bundle deal when I bought my Nintendo Switch Console. I was looking forward to playing the game as I hadn't played a Yoshi based game for some time and Yoshi is one of my all time fave characters. I didn't get chance to play wooly world as I haven't owned a new Nintendo console since DS Lite and the Wii. (I know it sucks, I just never had the money for them and by the time I did the next gen console was out and I was torn)
Anyways, as I began playing Yoshi's Crafted world and working my through the many incredibly awesome looking levels which not only have collectibles but has a flip side to each level in which you go through the level from the back which adds to the awesome game design as a whole, I realised that whilst it all looked new and had a new interesting yet simple plot to play through, the gameplay was the same mechanics that we've been playing for years in almost all the Mario Themed 2D platformers/side scrollers. You run across, bounce on enemies heads, throw eggs to smash things, collect coins and move on to the next level, then repeat. It works as a mechanic but at the same time I felt like there wasn't much of a change. However, they did add some more directions to this game, as you no longer just side scroll (although that is the majority of the game) but on the levels there will be certain areas where you can turn and head either towards the screen or away from it, in order to reach secrets or to simply continue through the level. So they mixed it up a little bit, but not much in my opinion.
One aspect I enjoyed was the outfits you could buy which worked as armour in a way. The designs are all made to look as though they are crafted out of cardboard boxes and other household items (hence the name 'crafted world') and this gives the game and adorable and very clever asthetic.
However if you're a fan of sidescrollers, the Mario world or just Yoshi in general then I would recommend giving it a go because it is fun, especially if you get a friend to join you and you can choose which outfits you want to wear and more importantly which colour Yoshi you want to be.
Anyways, as I began playing Yoshi's Crafted world and working my through the many incredibly awesome looking levels which not only have collectibles but has a flip side to each level in which you go through the level from the back which adds to the awesome game design as a whole, I realised that whilst it all looked new and had a new interesting yet simple plot to play through, the gameplay was the same mechanics that we've been playing for years in almost all the Mario Themed 2D platformers/side scrollers. You run across, bounce on enemies heads, throw eggs to smash things, collect coins and move on to the next level, then repeat. It works as a mechanic but at the same time I felt like there wasn't much of a change. However, they did add some more directions to this game, as you no longer just side scroll (although that is the majority of the game) but on the levels there will be certain areas where you can turn and head either towards the screen or away from it, in order to reach secrets or to simply continue through the level. So they mixed it up a little bit, but not much in my opinion.
One aspect I enjoyed was the outfits you could buy which worked as armour in a way. The designs are all made to look as though they are crafted out of cardboard boxes and other household items (hence the name 'crafted world') and this gives the game and adorable and very clever asthetic.
However if you're a fan of sidescrollers, the Mario world or just Yoshi in general then I would recommend giving it a go because it is fun, especially if you get a friend to join you and you can choose which outfits you want to wear and more importantly which colour Yoshi you want to be.
Paul Kellett (118 KP) rated Legends Untold: The Weeping Caves Novice Set in Tabletop Games
May 1, 2019
Small box, big on content (3 more)
Short playtime
Well written, easy to follow rules
Good replayability
A Deep, Strategic Exploration Adventure
Played my first game of Legends Untold, a superb RPG card game with a focus on skill checks and exploration rather than combat.
There are two different games in this series - The Weeping Caves and The Great Sewers. Both play the same but come with different characters, events and locations.
The promise is simple - choose a single scenario (8 available in each set) or play the story campaign (one 8 episode campaign in each set) and set off exploring. You control 1-4 characters who are normal villagers that have taken up arms and gone adventuring (the campaign has you leading the rest of your village to a new place of safety).
As you make your way through the caves (or sewers), you have to decide which path to take and whether you will be stealthy. Different paths have different levels of light which can affect whether you spot traps or gain surprise on enemies or they see you first. When you enter a new location you roll 3d6 and check your awareness against the light level on the new location. If you pass, you are aware and gain bonuses but if you fail you will get negative modifiers to some tests and could trigger traps.
The location cards have great artwork and can be laid out in any position (lining up exits) which makes the map look great and very different from the regimented layout of other games.
Once you've dealt with any goes, you can explore your surroundings and hopefully gain some loot to help you deal with things.
Everything is resolved with skill tests, rolling 3d6 and adding your characters attribute in a relevant skill plus any modifiers (pluses for being aware, minuses for being careless, etc) from equipment or talents.
There are 4 characters to choose from and an array of weapons, items and talents. The rules give you recommended setups for each character or you can create your own. As you play through, you will level up, gaining upgraded weapons and more talents to help you along. This makes for a great deal of replayability.
The mechanisms while seem daunting at first are intuitive and mesh together really well. The rule book is fantastic and written in such a way that you can start setting up the game and start aging while reading along. Everything is clearly laid out with an index and glossary as well as some handy refer me cards so checking a rule is quick and easy.
If you want a great, quick adventure game, Legends Untold is well worth a look.
There are two different games in this series - The Weeping Caves and The Great Sewers. Both play the same but come with different characters, events and locations.
The promise is simple - choose a single scenario (8 available in each set) or play the story campaign (one 8 episode campaign in each set) and set off exploring. You control 1-4 characters who are normal villagers that have taken up arms and gone adventuring (the campaign has you leading the rest of your village to a new place of safety).
As you make your way through the caves (or sewers), you have to decide which path to take and whether you will be stealthy. Different paths have different levels of light which can affect whether you spot traps or gain surprise on enemies or they see you first. When you enter a new location you roll 3d6 and check your awareness against the light level on the new location. If you pass, you are aware and gain bonuses but if you fail you will get negative modifiers to some tests and could trigger traps.
The location cards have great artwork and can be laid out in any position (lining up exits) which makes the map look great and very different from the regimented layout of other games.
Once you've dealt with any goes, you can explore your surroundings and hopefully gain some loot to help you deal with things.
Everything is resolved with skill tests, rolling 3d6 and adding your characters attribute in a relevant skill plus any modifiers (pluses for being aware, minuses for being careless, etc) from equipment or talents.
There are 4 characters to choose from and an array of weapons, items and talents. The rules give you recommended setups for each character or you can create your own. As you play through, you will level up, gaining upgraded weapons and more talents to help you along. This makes for a great deal of replayability.
The mechanisms while seem daunting at first are intuitive and mesh together really well. The rule book is fantastic and written in such a way that you can start setting up the game and start aging while reading along. Everything is clearly laid out with an index and glossary as well as some handy refer me cards so checking a rule is quick and easy.
If you want a great, quick adventure game, Legends Untold is well worth a look.
Ryan Hill (152 KP) rated Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) in Movies
May 11, 2019
'Hold on, you gave her wings?!'
A much welcome breather after the heavyweight that was Avengers: Infinity War, the 20th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is another lighthearted ride unfolding on the same minuscule scale as Ant-Man, and though not as impressive as Marvel's best works, it still delivers a fine dose of fun, amusing & action-packed entertainment.
Set in the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, the story of Ant-Man and the Wasp finds Scott Lang under house arrest and Dr. Hank Pym & Hope van Dyne in hiding until an urgent mission brings them together once again as the trio attempt to unlock the secrets of quantum realm before it's too late, while being pursued by both cops & new enemies.
Directed by Peyton Reed, the sequel offers him more freedom & bigger canvas to showcase his vision & creativity yet he fails to makes the most of the opportunity and delivers a story that's pretty much on same level as its predecessor. Its action scenes do get an upgrade but the plot is quite simple and is missing the character complexity that drives most sequels.
On the plus side, the film retains the humour of the original while the continuous banter & brisk pacing make sure that its 118 mins runtime never becomes a chore. The swift, kinetic operation of camera infuses an energy to its moments of action on both macro & micro levels while the bright colour tones add a rich texture that makes the images pop out. And Christophe Beck's splendid score adds energy of its own into the mix.
Coming to the performances, Ant-Man and the Wasp benefits from Paul Rudd's natural charisma but it's Evangeline Lilly who steals the show this time in the role of Hope/Wasp. The chemistry between the two still carries a spark but purely on individual inputs, Lilly outshines Rudd by a significant margin. Both Michael Peña & Michael Douglas are more fun in their respective roles this time around but the new characters are no good.
On an overall scale, Ant-Man and the Wasp makes for a sufficiently entertaining action-adventure and is at its best when it isn't trying too hard. A standalone entry for the most part that eventually connects with the heavy conclusion of Infinity War in a shocking mid-credits sequence, Ant-Man and the Wasp does enough to allow the viewers to settle down before things got hot & heavy once again in Avengers Endgame
Set in the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, the story of Ant-Man and the Wasp finds Scott Lang under house arrest and Dr. Hank Pym & Hope van Dyne in hiding until an urgent mission brings them together once again as the trio attempt to unlock the secrets of quantum realm before it's too late, while being pursued by both cops & new enemies.
Directed by Peyton Reed, the sequel offers him more freedom & bigger canvas to showcase his vision & creativity yet he fails to makes the most of the opportunity and delivers a story that's pretty much on same level as its predecessor. Its action scenes do get an upgrade but the plot is quite simple and is missing the character complexity that drives most sequels.
On the plus side, the film retains the humour of the original while the continuous banter & brisk pacing make sure that its 118 mins runtime never becomes a chore. The swift, kinetic operation of camera infuses an energy to its moments of action on both macro & micro levels while the bright colour tones add a rich texture that makes the images pop out. And Christophe Beck's splendid score adds energy of its own into the mix.
Coming to the performances, Ant-Man and the Wasp benefits from Paul Rudd's natural charisma but it's Evangeline Lilly who steals the show this time in the role of Hope/Wasp. The chemistry between the two still carries a spark but purely on individual inputs, Lilly outshines Rudd by a significant margin. Both Michael Peña & Michael Douglas are more fun in their respective roles this time around but the new characters are no good.
On an overall scale, Ant-Man and the Wasp makes for a sufficiently entertaining action-adventure and is at its best when it isn't trying too hard. A standalone entry for the most part that eventually connects with the heavy conclusion of Infinity War in a shocking mid-credits sequence, Ant-Man and the Wasp does enough to allow the viewers to settle down before things got hot & heavy once again in Avengers Endgame
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Gods Of Egypt (2016) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
God Awful
Those of you who keep up to date with the goings on in the film world may be thinking Gods of Egypt was released way back in February; and you’d be right for thinking that.
The film, directed by Alex Proyas (I, Robot, Knowing) performed so poorly in America at the start of the year that its UK release was scrapped, until now. But is the resulting film as bad as its figures would suggest? Or are we looking at a future cult classic?
Good god no. From shocking dialogue to laughable special effects; Gods of Egypt is a dreadful dirge of a movie with practically no saving graces. It’s just that bad.
The survival of mankind hangs in the balance when Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, usurps Egypt’s throne and plunges the empire into chaos. Hoping to save the world and rescue his true love, a defiant mortal named Bek (Brenton Thwaites) forms an alliance with the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to stop Set before he destroys everything.
Thankfully, the plot itself isn’t too bad and has a vaguely interesting premise. The problem is how it is executed. Alex Proyas takes our protagonists on a rollercoaster ride of bland set pieces, populated by cardboard enemies and special effects that manage to look expensive and awful at the same time.
Gold, blood red, sparkling granite and deep, rich blacks all combine for a nauseating colour palate, only worsened by the cinematography. No shot is lingered on for any great amount of time – it’s like Alex Proyas was too terrified of allowing his audience to see the mess up close, shifting from frame to frame every few seconds.
Elsewhere, the acting is fairly inconsistent. Gerard Butler yet again channels his character from 300, while newcomer Brenton Thwaites looks po-faced as he spouts complete and utter drivel, a departure from his promising turn in 2013’s The Giver. The painful attempts at comedy fall flat on every single occasion and ensure no cast member leaves with their dignity intact.
2016 has thrown up some pretty bad films. London Has Fallen, Through the Looking Glass and Zoolander 2 spring immediately to mind, but this manages to outdo them by a country mile.
Overall, Gods of Egypt leaves you with more questions than it answers. Why is the Egyptian god of darkness Scottish? Why is it over two hours long? What on earth was Summit Entertainment thinking pouring $140million into this thing?
There is some good news at the end of this rather murky rainbow however. Your question as to whether you should go and see it may well be the only question that can be answered.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/06/18/god-awful-gods-of-egypt-review/
The film, directed by Alex Proyas (I, Robot, Knowing) performed so poorly in America at the start of the year that its UK release was scrapped, until now. But is the resulting film as bad as its figures would suggest? Or are we looking at a future cult classic?
Good god no. From shocking dialogue to laughable special effects; Gods of Egypt is a dreadful dirge of a movie with practically no saving graces. It’s just that bad.
The survival of mankind hangs in the balance when Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, usurps Egypt’s throne and plunges the empire into chaos. Hoping to save the world and rescue his true love, a defiant mortal named Bek (Brenton Thwaites) forms an alliance with the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to stop Set before he destroys everything.
Thankfully, the plot itself isn’t too bad and has a vaguely interesting premise. The problem is how it is executed. Alex Proyas takes our protagonists on a rollercoaster ride of bland set pieces, populated by cardboard enemies and special effects that manage to look expensive and awful at the same time.
Gold, blood red, sparkling granite and deep, rich blacks all combine for a nauseating colour palate, only worsened by the cinematography. No shot is lingered on for any great amount of time – it’s like Alex Proyas was too terrified of allowing his audience to see the mess up close, shifting from frame to frame every few seconds.
Elsewhere, the acting is fairly inconsistent. Gerard Butler yet again channels his character from 300, while newcomer Brenton Thwaites looks po-faced as he spouts complete and utter drivel, a departure from his promising turn in 2013’s The Giver. The painful attempts at comedy fall flat on every single occasion and ensure no cast member leaves with their dignity intact.
2016 has thrown up some pretty bad films. London Has Fallen, Through the Looking Glass and Zoolander 2 spring immediately to mind, but this manages to outdo them by a country mile.
Overall, Gods of Egypt leaves you with more questions than it answers. Why is the Egyptian god of darkness Scottish? Why is it over two hours long? What on earth was Summit Entertainment thinking pouring $140million into this thing?
There is some good news at the end of this rather murky rainbow however. Your question as to whether you should go and see it may well be the only question that can be answered.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/06/18/god-awful-gods-of-egypt-review/