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Uncharted (2022)
Uncharted (2022)
2022 | Action, Adventure
After numerous attempts which saw talent attached only to depart before filming began, “Uncharted” has finally arrived on the big screen.

The movie is based on the hit Playstation series of games by Naughty Dog and stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, a young man who is as adept at history as he is with pickpocketing which he uses to offset his income from Bartending.

Nathan’s brother fled the law years earlier and aside from Postcards has had no contact with him over the years. Things change when Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) arrives and recruits Nathan by showing him that he used to work with his brother. Despite misgivings and unresolved feelings; Nathan joins with Victor and finds himself in a daring caper to steal a valuable object that could unlock the key to a gold supply that has been lost for over five hundred years.

Naturally, there are others who want the money, and Nathan, Victory, and their dubious partner Chloe (Sophia Ali); as they rush around the world in one adventure after another to solve the ancient puzzles and stay one step ahead of some very deadly individuals.

The movie has elements of “National Treasure” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in terms of the quests to find ancient treasures mixed with action but keeps things in a simpler context. The focus is not on plot development, character development, or plausibility but considering the film is based on a video game, it does a good job with the source material.

There has been some controversy about the casting of Holland as Nathan is older in the game series, but he goes all-in with his performance even when the acrobatic action sequences does offer many reminders of his Spider-man role.

The action in the game is fun and over-the-top and more than once I thought I should be pushing my X and Square button to help him make the moves necessary to complete the task and survive.

The post-credit scenes offer some great possibilities for future adventures and those would be more than welcome for those looking for some no-brainer escapist entertainment.

3.5 stars out of 5.
  
The Calling (Endgame #1)
The Calling (Endgame #1)
James Frey | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
4
7.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

The result of collaboration between James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton is this first book in a dystopian series, <i>Endgame: The Calling</i>. Twelve teenage descendants of ancient cultures from across the world have been trained to represent humanity in a game that will determine the future of the world. The only way to win is to discover three keys and be the last player left alive. These young people are not just playing for their own lives for if they die their entire family line will be wiped out.

<i>Endgame: The Calling</i> focuses on discovering the first key, Earth Key. After meeting each other in China, each of the twelve is given a clue to solve that will help lead them in the right direction. Although there can only be one winner, a couple of the player decide to help each other out, but is there really anyone who can be trusted?

<i>Endgame</i> reminds me of <i>The Hunger Games</i> by Suzanne Collins but on a much larger scale, and also a more adult version. The entire planet is the games’ arena, which does not bode well for a lot of the world’s inhabitants. That is one of the things I disliked about this book, the unnecessary deaths of innocents. There was a lot of gruesome murder, which admittedly is the point of <i>Endgame</i>, but some of it was uncalled-for.

I did not particularly care for the writing style and formatting of the text. It was often confusing to work out who was saying or doing what. Another thing I did not like was that there was not an obvious protagonist. It is hard to know whether there is a particular character we should be rooting for or whether they should all be regarded as equal.

For a science fiction, dystopian novel <i>Endgame</i> is an interesting idea, fast paced and full of action. Unfortunately the events, names and puzzles leave the reader feeling bewildered, and the gruesome scenes rather disgusted.

Overall I think this book would appeal to an audience who loves a lot of brutal action and solving things. It requires the reader to be able to think rather than sit back and enjoy. Personally, I am not bothered about reading the next in the series.
  
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
2017 | Action/Adventure
The latest game in the Dishonored series: Death of the Outsider is a stand-alone adventure that casts player in the role of Billie Lurk who fans of the series will know as the Captain of the Dreadful Whale.

A series of dark dreams leads her to her former mentor and on the path of a deadly cult that has taken control of several regions of the kingdom.

Using her considerable abilities, Billie uses stealth and brutal combat as well as special powers gained along the way to investigate, infiltrate, and destroy key members of the cult as well as gaining new abilities and weapons along the way.

The game has a” play your way” mode which is great for players like myself who are not as big on stealth and prefer a more combat oriented approach. While this works some of the time, the enemies are clever and numerous and will come at you in waves, so players must set traps, plan strategies and find honor in running away when the game calls for it.

The game also has a few puzzles players will need to solve and there is plenty to explore and loot along the way as well as numerous side quests players can take in the thriving and highly detailed cities.

While the weaponry will be familiar to fans of the series, the clever way that the pistol was incorporated as part of a wrist gauntlet was a nice touch as were the various ammunitions offered such as incendiary and shock bolts.

While not as long as Dishonored 2, there was still plenty of gameplay as I was shocked to see that I had invested over 17 hours of gameplay when I had completed the game as I was so engrossed in the characters and story that time seemed to fly by when I played.

The game offers adjustable difficulty settings which are great as some segments offer a real challenge depending on which type of gameplay approach you use.

The graphics and sounds of the game are in keeping with what you would expect from the prior games in the series and if this is the finale to the series, then it goes out in grand style as Death of the Outsider is an enjoyable adventure for action fans everywhere.

http://sknr.net/2017/09/20/dishonored-death-outsider/
  
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JT (287 KP) rated Escape Room (2019) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
Escape Room (2019)
Escape Room (2019)
2019 | Action, Horror, Thriller
Escape rooms are all the rage at the moment. The premise is simple, a group of people are trapped inside a confined space full of clues and puzzles in order to find a way out – so it was only a matter of time before the horror genre got hold of it.

There have been a few incantations of this new age idea already; Escape Room (2017) & No Escape Room, but this one is probably the best of a bad bunch.

Six strangers each receive a cryptic puzzle box, which once opened invites them to compete for a $10,000 prize – if they can get through a series of deviously constructed rooms. The group comes from all walks of life, a gifted maths student, an Iraq War vet a blue collar trucker to name a few, each with a seemingly interconnected past.

After a frantic flash-forward where we see someone coming unstuck in one of the rooms, we are introduced to each of the characters one by one. There isn’t enough time to go into massive details, so it feels like we only scratch the surface as to what makes them tick.

Meeting in a plush reception area the game begins – although none of them realise it at first. The room starts to get hot and they soon discover that they are about to get burnt alive – unless they can work out the clues to escape.

The group quickly realise that they will have to work together in order to survive.

Aside from getting burnt alive they also face a winter themed room where the ice cracks beneath them, an upside down bar where the floor drops away and a hallucinogenic trip fest which is extremely freaky to watch.

During proceedings, in which there is a lot of infighting and panic, you half expect Billy the Puppet to come peddling out on his tricycle and explain the next part of the game. There are definite similarities to Saw, people are in a race against time before they ultimately meet a grizzly end, but because many people have experienced this style of entertainment before the reality is unnerving.

While the gore doesn’t reach Saw levels it provides enough tension, but it then starts to tail off a little towards the end. The conclusion is far too predictable although there is just enough intrigue to see what they will conjure up next.
  
    Ice Age: Arctic Blast

    Ice Age: Arctic Blast

    Games

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    Education and Games

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    ~~~ A unique, educational and fun Memory Match adventure ~~~ ~~~ 130+ items in 7 preschool...