Search
Search results
Star Wars, volume 4: Crimson Reign
5.0
Rate It
Book
Luke Skywalker’s quest for answers takes a dangerous turn! As the Rebellion tries to pull itself...
David McK (3663 KP) rated The Italian Job (2003) in Movies
May 2, 2021 (Updated Aug 4, 2024)
All i can really remember about the 1969 original is that it is a crime caper, starring Michael Caine, and that it involves Mini Coopers.
As such, I'm not sure whether to class this as a remake, a reimagining or something else entirely!
This version stars Mark Wahoberg, Cherlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Staham and Oz-from-Buffy (Seth Green) and starts with a heist in Venice: a successful heist, with the perpetrators then betrayed by Ed Norton's 'Steve', who leaves them all for dead.
The rest of the film - mainly set in the States - then follows the remainder of the crew and their quest to get even against Steve, in a plot that yes, once again, involves the use of Mini Coopers!
It would hardly be The Italian Job without said cars, after all ....
As such, I'm not sure whether to class this as a remake, a reimagining or something else entirely!
This version stars Mark Wahoberg, Cherlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Staham and Oz-from-Buffy (Seth Green) and starts with a heist in Venice: a successful heist, with the perpetrators then betrayed by Ed Norton's 'Steve', who leaves them all for dead.
The rest of the film - mainly set in the States - then follows the remainder of the crew and their quest to get even against Steve, in a plot that yes, once again, involves the use of Mini Coopers!
It would hardly be The Italian Job without said cars, after all ....
The Story Spinner
9.0
Rate It
Book
The land of the Silures, 382 AD Elen is a princess promised to a general of Rome. Macsen came to...
Historical fiction Magic Time Slip
The App Trap
8.0
Rate It
Book
When Danny’s mother is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, he finds himself in a race...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Questeros in Tabletop Games
Jan 21, 2021
You know that messed up deal when you are just chillin’ in the forest doing goblin-y things when you are caught and forced into a life of servitude by the king of the realm, and then when he needs someone to go on a dangerous quest he calls upon you, the now court jester, to fulfill said quest? Doesn’t that just chap your hide? Such is exactly the setting in which our hero(?) finds themselves in Questeros, or more fitting, Ero’s Quest (the solo adventure variant).
Ero is the goblin court jester from the open who has been “chosen” to quest about the land to rid it of the ne’er-do-wells of the realm. In this solo adventure mode of Questeros the player will be donning the visage and character of Ero as they travel about developing their skills and having encounters with powerful beings. It is up to the player to guide Ero through the kingdom and rid it of the foul that is plaguing it.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup the solo game, fondly and ingeniously-named “Ero’s Quest,” follow the rulebook to divide the tarot cards into their specific stacks and splays so that it roughly imitates the photo below. Draw a hand of five cards from the deck and the game may begin.
On a turn the player has a choice of seven actions that may be performed in any order. Each action may only be performed once per turn and when the turn is over the final action is Rest. To use the Develop action the player will place a card from their hand onto the Blades, Staves, or Orbs stacks in next-numerical order. This increases Ero’s attack and spending power. To Puchase cards Ero will spend Orb cards to look at the spent Orb value worth of cards from the draw deck, add one to their hand, and place the others at the bottom of the draw deck. At times Ero will need to Forget cards from hand in order to make room for more cards to enter it via the Learn action. Forgetting simply discards cards from hand while learning draws cards into hand from the draw deck. Recover is used to stand any kneeling/turned/rotated cards into an unused state by destroying cards of higher value from hand. As stated previously, to Rest is to end the turn by discarding the top card of the draw deck to setup the next turn.
I purposely left out the final action choice, Encounter, for a specific reason. Ero’s Quest is won when the entire deck of 21 Encounter cards is defeated. Each of these cards depicts a person or persons that Ero meets in his travels. Some require Ero to give them cards in order to pass. Some require Ero to succeed in battle against them in order to progress. In either case, Ero will need to get through the entire deck before his draw deck runs out in order to win the game.
Battle in Ero’s Quest is turn-based, where the Encounter persona attacks first, thus handing Ero wounds immediately. Wounds are suffered by spending Cups cards in value of the wound taken. For example, the Assassin is a value of 12, so they immediately wound Ero for 12 damage at the start of the encounter. Ero will spend a value of 12 Cups cards to simulate damage taken. Ero may then attack with a combination of available Blades, Staves, and any Ally cards obtained – one of each per attack turn. If the Encounter is defeated, Ero lives on. If the Encounter is not yet defeated, the battle continues with the Encounter card dealing damage and Ero responding with damage until one is defeated.
As mentioned earlier, the Encounter deck contains 21 cards with six of these being combat encounters. Ero has a ton of work to do and when each turn requires a card to be discarded before a new round may begin, they also have an in-game clock ticking and ticking each turn. However, if Ero is able to Develop their skills and overcome all the Encounters, the game is won and Ero becomes a Hero.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, and many items are not fully completed in this version. That said, what we were provided is a large stack of tarot-sized cards, a first player Ero token (for multiplayer games), and a large pad of scoring sheets (also for multiplayer use). The cards are great quality and feature some really excellent artwork (on the cards that have the completed artwork on them). I do like the art style employed here, as I am a fan of fantasy themes, and I know that the game will probably ship with similar iconography, but may also be color-coded for ease of reference. All in all I believe Questeros is headed in the right direction for components, and a successful Kickstarter campaign may improve that even further.
The gameplay for the solo adventure of Ero’s Quest is really decent and engaging. So often I have found myself crunching numbers in my head and attempting to utilize my horrible card-counting “skills” to determine my next actions to take. Turns can be very intense and fruitful, or very frustrating and minimal, especially when you are waiting to draw that 3 of Blades so you can place it on the 2 of Blades sitting there, but it just won’t come up. And here you are sitting with the 4, 5, and 6 of Blades in hand and a Necromancer staring right at you awaiting combat. That is the definition of frustrating, but games usually take less than an hour, so even if an entire game is chock full of these turns, you can always setup a new game quickly and hope for better luck.
I like this one. I really do. It is interesting, has a great theme, so many delicious choices, and multiple ways to use the cards for game modes or tarot decks or even RPG FATE decks! On versatility alone I would rate this one high. If you are looking for a little card game to satisfy your mid-weight solo thirst, then check out Questeros. If you need a tarot game in your collection (as I look at mine and see no others), consider this one. It takes up very little shelf space, but looks great on the table and offers a great little solo experience. I have yet to beat the solo adventure, but Ero is calling my name for another go, and I might just have to give in. Again. And again.
Ero is the goblin court jester from the open who has been “chosen” to quest about the land to rid it of the ne’er-do-wells of the realm. In this solo adventure mode of Questeros the player will be donning the visage and character of Ero as they travel about developing their skills and having encounters with powerful beings. It is up to the player to guide Ero through the kingdom and rid it of the foul that is plaguing it.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup the solo game, fondly and ingeniously-named “Ero’s Quest,” follow the rulebook to divide the tarot cards into their specific stacks and splays so that it roughly imitates the photo below. Draw a hand of five cards from the deck and the game may begin.
On a turn the player has a choice of seven actions that may be performed in any order. Each action may only be performed once per turn and when the turn is over the final action is Rest. To use the Develop action the player will place a card from their hand onto the Blades, Staves, or Orbs stacks in next-numerical order. This increases Ero’s attack and spending power. To Puchase cards Ero will spend Orb cards to look at the spent Orb value worth of cards from the draw deck, add one to their hand, and place the others at the bottom of the draw deck. At times Ero will need to Forget cards from hand in order to make room for more cards to enter it via the Learn action. Forgetting simply discards cards from hand while learning draws cards into hand from the draw deck. Recover is used to stand any kneeling/turned/rotated cards into an unused state by destroying cards of higher value from hand. As stated previously, to Rest is to end the turn by discarding the top card of the draw deck to setup the next turn.
I purposely left out the final action choice, Encounter, for a specific reason. Ero’s Quest is won when the entire deck of 21 Encounter cards is defeated. Each of these cards depicts a person or persons that Ero meets in his travels. Some require Ero to give them cards in order to pass. Some require Ero to succeed in battle against them in order to progress. In either case, Ero will need to get through the entire deck before his draw deck runs out in order to win the game.
Battle in Ero’s Quest is turn-based, where the Encounter persona attacks first, thus handing Ero wounds immediately. Wounds are suffered by spending Cups cards in value of the wound taken. For example, the Assassin is a value of 12, so they immediately wound Ero for 12 damage at the start of the encounter. Ero will spend a value of 12 Cups cards to simulate damage taken. Ero may then attack with a combination of available Blades, Staves, and any Ally cards obtained – one of each per attack turn. If the Encounter is defeated, Ero lives on. If the Encounter is not yet defeated, the battle continues with the Encounter card dealing damage and Ero responding with damage until one is defeated.
As mentioned earlier, the Encounter deck contains 21 cards with six of these being combat encounters. Ero has a ton of work to do and when each turn requires a card to be discarded before a new round may begin, they also have an in-game clock ticking and ticking each turn. However, if Ero is able to Develop their skills and overcome all the Encounters, the game is won and Ero becomes a Hero.
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, and many items are not fully completed in this version. That said, what we were provided is a large stack of tarot-sized cards, a first player Ero token (for multiplayer games), and a large pad of scoring sheets (also for multiplayer use). The cards are great quality and feature some really excellent artwork (on the cards that have the completed artwork on them). I do like the art style employed here, as I am a fan of fantasy themes, and I know that the game will probably ship with similar iconography, but may also be color-coded for ease of reference. All in all I believe Questeros is headed in the right direction for components, and a successful Kickstarter campaign may improve that even further.
The gameplay for the solo adventure of Ero’s Quest is really decent and engaging. So often I have found myself crunching numbers in my head and attempting to utilize my horrible card-counting “skills” to determine my next actions to take. Turns can be very intense and fruitful, or very frustrating and minimal, especially when you are waiting to draw that 3 of Blades so you can place it on the 2 of Blades sitting there, but it just won’t come up. And here you are sitting with the 4, 5, and 6 of Blades in hand and a Necromancer staring right at you awaiting combat. That is the definition of frustrating, but games usually take less than an hour, so even if an entire game is chock full of these turns, you can always setup a new game quickly and hope for better luck.
I like this one. I really do. It is interesting, has a great theme, so many delicious choices, and multiple ways to use the cards for game modes or tarot decks or even RPG FATE decks! On versatility alone I would rate this one high. If you are looking for a little card game to satisfy your mid-weight solo thirst, then check out Questeros. If you need a tarot game in your collection (as I look at mine and see no others), consider this one. It takes up very little shelf space, but looks great on the table and offers a great little solo experience. I have yet to beat the solo adventure, but Ero is calling my name for another go, and I might just have to give in. Again. And again.
LifeShift
8.0
Rate It
Book
Was Zeus a Greek God or merely a space explorer? Following his mission to bring civilization to...
young-adult
Southern Today (21 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Nov 7, 2017
Ernest Cline has written something, alright.
If you are not into geeky things, just turn back now. I enjoyed this book for all the references, but the storyline itself was meh.
The writing was excellent as well, but, set in a dystopian not-so-distant future where everyone turns to OASIS, a simulation, to escape the reality of the world… Not a fan. Why don’t they try to fix it?
The main character, Wade, is on a quest (along with everyone else) to find the Easter egg that the creator of OASIS left in game after he died. The winner? Gets his fortune and the company that made the game.
Yeah, there is a prize for you! If you enjoyed Monty Python, read this book. If you are into all the geeky things, read this book. It is an interesting journey and one that I did enjoy.
If you are not into geeky things, just turn back now. I enjoyed this book for all the references, but the storyline itself was meh.
The writing was excellent as well, but, set in a dystopian not-so-distant future where everyone turns to OASIS, a simulation, to escape the reality of the world… Not a fan. Why don’t they try to fix it?
The main character, Wade, is on a quest (along with everyone else) to find the Easter egg that the creator of OASIS left in game after he died. The winner? Gets his fortune and the company that made the game.
Yeah, there is a prize for you! If you enjoyed Monty Python, read this book. If you are into all the geeky things, read this book. It is an interesting journey and one that I did enjoy.
Fench Fletcher (5 KP) rated DRAGON QUEST III in Apps
Apr 29, 2019
This is probably my favorite game of all time, I played it first on the Gameboy Color when I was a kid. It has great story telling, interesting monsters, and a diverse set of character types you can have in your team. Its very challenging unless you overlevel your characters before moving to a new area. That being said, leveling up can get tedeous, and even a little boring (you can only beat up slimes so many times before it becomes mind numbingly repetitive). When you are in an area that is your level, or even slightly higher, it can be very rewarding to beat a tough enemy. Its also a fairly long game, especially for a game that started on the NES. I highly recommend this game, if you only play one Dragon Quest game, this is the one you should pick up.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Finding Fraser in Books
Feb 21, 2018
This was a fun read, even for someone who has never read any of the Outlander series.
The book alternates between chapters telling us the story, and blog posts that Emma writes as she goes along. The blog posts are short and sweet, and sometimes provide a little insight into things that have not yet been fully disclosed in the story.
I did feel that the heroine was a bit naive for 29. I often wanted to yell into the book at her, and to point out how blind she was being, or how ridiculous some of her choices were. Even so, Emma is a likable character, and I couldnt help but root for her and wish her success in her quest to find love.
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The book alternates between chapters telling us the story, and blog posts that Emma writes as she goes along. The blog posts are short and sweet, and sometimes provide a little insight into things that have not yet been fully disclosed in the story.
I did feel that the heroine was a bit naive for 29. I often wanted to yell into the book at her, and to point out how blind she was being, or how ridiculous some of her choices were. Even so, Emma is a likable character, and I couldnt help but root for her and wish her success in her quest to find love.
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Chelledrews (2 KP) rated Looney Tunes World of Mayhem in Apps
Dec 29, 2018
This game is still relatively new, possibly in its beta testing still but it's really enjoyable and there is very little I can think of that's bad. The graphics and animations are great, there are many little quests to complete, including daily objectives, and you can find yourself lost in it for a long time. The rewards for completing each battle, each quest, are worth the time spent, which with then get plowed back in to the characters you are trying to build up.
However, the load screen does seem to take more than a minute or so to load, and the mini transactions within the game are a little steep. Other than that it's really enjoyable. I live watching all the different animations as each character attacks one another. So far, farmer Hector dropping a pumpkin on the enemy's head is my favourite!
However, the load screen does seem to take more than a minute or so to load, and the mini transactions within the game are a little steep. Other than that it's really enjoyable. I live watching all the different animations as each character attacks one another. So far, farmer Hector dropping a pumpkin on the enemy's head is my favourite!