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Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated DC Universe: Rebirth #1 in Books
Nov 30, 2020
When I still had my physical comic colletion, this had been one of the last ones purchased before making the change over to digital only, selling off the physical copies. That was then, this is now. Long story short, this review is based off of a re-read as part of my "Marvel's Making Some Dumb AF Decisions of Late, Let's Go With DC Instead" Tour!
Let me just say I remember much of it, but it still hit me hard at the end of it! Just lots and lots of SUPER-feels (is that even a word/thing? Oh well, if not, it is now! lol)! Having the story told from Wally West's POV really helped to drive the overall feeling home.
Unfortunately (and this did not necessarily wreck my enjoyment), this re-reading helped to fuel my desire for DOOMSDAY CLOCK to just finish up already! Still not sure on how you can solicit something without it even being close to completely finished! Or better still how Windows 10 can be ready for release, yet every other week there's a new patch or update for it! :S
There was a lot of set-up for what was to come in the DCU, as well as some nods to things past (including WATCHMAN and CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS) and the New 52 (which, for the longest time, I hated with a passion)! You don't have to be a pro at "Where's Waldo?" or even Sherlock Holmes, you just need to be alert and taking in everything with a careful eye.
Speaking of attention to detail... Let me give a shout to all the artists involved in this undertaking: Gary Frank (I love the man's art, but his slowness as far as DOOMSDAY CLOCK is frustrating. Clearly, as this book indicates, he is better at illustrating shorter vignettes, rather than epic 12-issue maxi-series!), Ethan Van Sciver (love or hate, you gotta appreciate his art! Bee-yoo-ti-ful!), Phil Jimenez (always love me some Jimenez pencilling!), and Ivan Reis (never a disappointment). And as important as the artists were, it would be unfair of me not to also acknowledge the inkers and colorists on this: Brad Anderson, Jason Wright, and Joe Prado. So, a big ol' panda-rific round of applause and adulation for the art teams for all their hard work! You guys are all aces!
Over the years, DC has published a more than fair amount of solid events and single issues. Is this the best book they've ever published? I wouldn't go that far, but it a damned good one! And at the end of the day, that's what it really comes down to: whether it's a good or a bad one, hence the name of this pretty cool less-FB-ish social media site! :)
Let me just say I remember much of it, but it still hit me hard at the end of it! Just lots and lots of SUPER-feels (is that even a word/thing? Oh well, if not, it is now! lol)! Having the story told from Wally West's POV really helped to drive the overall feeling home.
Unfortunately (and this did not necessarily wreck my enjoyment), this re-reading helped to fuel my desire for DOOMSDAY CLOCK to just finish up already! Still not sure on how you can solicit something without it even being close to completely finished! Or better still how Windows 10 can be ready for release, yet every other week there's a new patch or update for it! :S
There was a lot of set-up for what was to come in the DCU, as well as some nods to things past (including WATCHMAN and CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS) and the New 52 (which, for the longest time, I hated with a passion)! You don't have to be a pro at "Where's Waldo?" or even Sherlock Holmes, you just need to be alert and taking in everything with a careful eye.
Speaking of attention to detail... Let me give a shout to all the artists involved in this undertaking: Gary Frank (I love the man's art, but his slowness as far as DOOMSDAY CLOCK is frustrating. Clearly, as this book indicates, he is better at illustrating shorter vignettes, rather than epic 12-issue maxi-series!), Ethan Van Sciver (love or hate, you gotta appreciate his art! Bee-yoo-ti-ful!), Phil Jimenez (always love me some Jimenez pencilling!), and Ivan Reis (never a disappointment). And as important as the artists were, it would be unfair of me not to also acknowledge the inkers and colorists on this: Brad Anderson, Jason Wright, and Joe Prado. So, a big ol' panda-rific round of applause and adulation for the art teams for all their hard work! You guys are all aces!
Over the years, DC has published a more than fair amount of solid events and single issues. Is this the best book they've ever published? I wouldn't go that far, but it a damned good one! And at the end of the day, that's what it really comes down to: whether it's a good or a bad one, hence the name of this pretty cool less-FB-ish social media site! :)
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Note to Self in Books
Sep 10, 2019
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ
Goodreads rating: 3.73 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Anna never considered herself bisexual or a lesbian. She’s totally in love with her husband and happy with her life as a wife, mother, and cop. But that all changes when she meets Susan, a pretty, feminine doctor, who turns Anna’s world upside down. Confused and full of guilt from thinking erotic thoughts about Susan while married to Nick, Anna turns to her journal to sort it all out.
Okay, once this story gets going, it’s great. But in the beginning it is so damn boring. Journal or not, Anna does not get to the frigging point for like four or five pages! I was tempted to go wash the dishes at least twice in the beginning of the book. When the dishes are pulling me away from a book, and not the other way around, something is very wrong.
However, it does read like a real diary, so kudos on that.
Once Anna gets her shit together and actually starts telling what happened, the story gets a lot better. Her inner turmoil is relatable and realistic and makes me like her alot. Susan’s character is also great. Being very girly, Susan has a nice contrast with Anna, and that makes their time together that much sweeter. I always love it when characters are developed, even for short erotica pieces like this one.
I do have a problem with Anna being married, though. Her husband is a great guy who is very supportive of her and their son. He showed up to their son’s kindergarten barbecue, doesn’t mind his wife being “one of the guys”, and doesn’t even get jealous from other men’s stares at her.
It’s really clear that they are still very much in love and unless it becomes clear in the sequel that he’s a serial cheater or hiding huge secrets, (like, “I killed my boss and embezzled five million dollars” type of secret. Not “that purple dress really did make you look like Barney and I didn’t tell you even though I knew pictures were going on Facebook” type of secret) then I’m never going to like Anna’s and Susan’s relationship as much as I could.
Lesbian relationship? No problem. More power to ya. Cheating on a very sweet person? Huge problem. Shouldn’t happen. Burn in hell.
You can read Note to Self on Smashwords for free. I recommend you check it out if it sounds like your cup of tea. Speaking of tea, take some time to read with a cup of it. The holidays are coming up, and you need some relaxation before your life dissolves into chaos. Take care!
Goodreads rating: 3.73 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Anna never considered herself bisexual or a lesbian. She’s totally in love with her husband and happy with her life as a wife, mother, and cop. But that all changes when she meets Susan, a pretty, feminine doctor, who turns Anna’s world upside down. Confused and full of guilt from thinking erotic thoughts about Susan while married to Nick, Anna turns to her journal to sort it all out.
Okay, once this story gets going, it’s great. But in the beginning it is so damn boring. Journal or not, Anna does not get to the frigging point for like four or five pages! I was tempted to go wash the dishes at least twice in the beginning of the book. When the dishes are pulling me away from a book, and not the other way around, something is very wrong.
However, it does read like a real diary, so kudos on that.
Once Anna gets her shit together and actually starts telling what happened, the story gets a lot better. Her inner turmoil is relatable and realistic and makes me like her alot. Susan’s character is also great. Being very girly, Susan has a nice contrast with Anna, and that makes their time together that much sweeter. I always love it when characters are developed, even for short erotica pieces like this one.
I do have a problem with Anna being married, though. Her husband is a great guy who is very supportive of her and their son. He showed up to their son’s kindergarten barbecue, doesn’t mind his wife being “one of the guys”, and doesn’t even get jealous from other men’s stares at her.
It’s really clear that they are still very much in love and unless it becomes clear in the sequel that he’s a serial cheater or hiding huge secrets, (like, “I killed my boss and embezzled five million dollars” type of secret. Not “that purple dress really did make you look like Barney and I didn’t tell you even though I knew pictures were going on Facebook” type of secret) then I’m never going to like Anna’s and Susan’s relationship as much as I could.
Lesbian relationship? No problem. More power to ya. Cheating on a very sweet person? Huge problem. Shouldn’t happen. Burn in hell.
You can read Note to Self on Smashwords for free. I recommend you check it out if it sounds like your cup of tea. Speaking of tea, take some time to read with a cup of it. The holidays are coming up, and you need some relaxation before your life dissolves into chaos. Take care!
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In this trick-taking game based on the short story by Robert Louis Stevenson of the same name, the...
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365Flicks (235 KP) rated Admins (2017) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
Glengarry Glen Ross, Clerks, A Few Good Men, The Big Short, Office Space and Waiting, What do these flicks have in common? No matter the genre they fall in they all have great writing, great dialogue and superb execution of both these factors from there core cast. While Admins may be a Low Budget independent movie it has all these key ingredients and deserves your attention.
Since Movies like Clerks and Office Space hit our screens and gave us a real good look into work life culture, well many movies have came and went since that tried to capture that magic but more often than not they fail because they lack the witty dialogue or lead cast delivery. Aaron Goodmiller and Eric Espejo have achieved a rare feat and brought us a movie that holds many similarity’s to the movies they (and we) love but also expertly elaborates becoming not only a love letter to the genre but an excellent reminder that there is still life in this genre yet.
Admins is a day in the life story of Dan and Randy. Dan and Randy are a couple of systems admins at a “government company” and much like your normal average Joe, spend most of there days figuring out how exactly to fill there work time. So yeah that’s pretty much all I can say plot wise other than what follows is a string of interesting, candid, funny as hell conversations (most notably the “Rape Card” conversation) as Dan is trying his damned hardest to better his position in the company and Randy just calls it like he sees it.
For me this flick lives in its performances and I don’t just mean from our two leads. Lets for a second talk about them though Jay Saunders as Dan the put upon employee who has the intelligence and the aspirations of making it, well I thought Saunders nailed this. Playing off him was Doug Henderson as Randy, please please please please someone pick this guy up and take him all the way. Henderson is an absolute scene stealing son of a bitch, his effortless delivery of some fairly complex dialogue makes him a joy to watch. I see a bright future for this guy. Just check out this delivery…
Both the leads are utterly brilliant but I cant take anything away from the supporting cast, Rebecca Wahls and Devon Brookshire in particular shine in there scenes as Vera and Kathy respectively, both playing very strongly off the cocky confident leads.
This recommend couldn’t be any stronger, I want you all to go check this flick out. Aaron Goodmiller has done a fantastic job on directing duties considering he was thrown into it at short notice after writer Eric Espejo had to bow out. Yes it is low budget, but this is a movie that knows where it lives and what its strengths are, complex witty dialogue and a brilliant cast that can deliver. Admins uses those strengths to there fullest and truly is a gem of a movie not to be missed.
So with that in mind here is where you can get a hold of it, and I suggest you do…
Since Movies like Clerks and Office Space hit our screens and gave us a real good look into work life culture, well many movies have came and went since that tried to capture that magic but more often than not they fail because they lack the witty dialogue or lead cast delivery. Aaron Goodmiller and Eric Espejo have achieved a rare feat and brought us a movie that holds many similarity’s to the movies they (and we) love but also expertly elaborates becoming not only a love letter to the genre but an excellent reminder that there is still life in this genre yet.
Admins is a day in the life story of Dan and Randy. Dan and Randy are a couple of systems admins at a “government company” and much like your normal average Joe, spend most of there days figuring out how exactly to fill there work time. So yeah that’s pretty much all I can say plot wise other than what follows is a string of interesting, candid, funny as hell conversations (most notably the “Rape Card” conversation) as Dan is trying his damned hardest to better his position in the company and Randy just calls it like he sees it.
For me this flick lives in its performances and I don’t just mean from our two leads. Lets for a second talk about them though Jay Saunders as Dan the put upon employee who has the intelligence and the aspirations of making it, well I thought Saunders nailed this. Playing off him was Doug Henderson as Randy, please please please please someone pick this guy up and take him all the way. Henderson is an absolute scene stealing son of a bitch, his effortless delivery of some fairly complex dialogue makes him a joy to watch. I see a bright future for this guy. Just check out this delivery…
Both the leads are utterly brilliant but I cant take anything away from the supporting cast, Rebecca Wahls and Devon Brookshire in particular shine in there scenes as Vera and Kathy respectively, both playing very strongly off the cocky confident leads.
This recommend couldn’t be any stronger, I want you all to go check this flick out. Aaron Goodmiller has done a fantastic job on directing duties considering he was thrown into it at short notice after writer Eric Espejo had to bow out. Yes it is low budget, but this is a movie that knows where it lives and what its strengths are, complex witty dialogue and a brilliant cast that can deliver. Admins uses those strengths to there fullest and truly is a gem of a movie not to be missed.
So with that in mind here is where you can get a hold of it, and I suggest you do…
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Paper Snow in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Paper Snow by Azarius Boreaus was not what I expected at all. In fact, it was one of the few books that completely surprised me. The description on the back of the book is vague yet considering the book is fairly short it is understandable. It was hard to write a summary without giving too much away. That being said there is a lot packed into a short book but amazingly it did not feel rushed as the author was able to effectively get the point across.
23 year old Noah wakes up with no idea as to exactly where he is or what happened to him. Everything is all white except for the garden that his bedroom opens up to. In the center of this garden is a giant baobab tree. At first, the only other person Noah sees is Coal, his doctor, but in the garden, he meets the people living in the other rooms surrounding the garden. It is by taking with the other people that Noah comes to know that all is not as it seems and why Coal is so interested in his dreams.
Noah learns that he possesses a special form of empathy, as does the others living in this facility, and that it allows him to communicate with plants. The others also teach him about the sleepers and how they are all prisoners in the facility. The people running the facility believes that Noah and the other prisoners have the ability to save humanity. Noah receives memories from the baobab trees broken branches and tells the tree he is listening by creating origami symbols to represent each memory. With the help of the tree, Noah is able to find strength in himself and help others to escape.
What I liked best is that the author highlights the deep connection the humans once had with nature wonderfully. The connection that the characters had with plants, animal, and each other were well explained. The first fifty pages were slow yet they promised interesting developments later on. It was difficult to stick with the book early on and I almost gave up on it. The jumping from Noahs present to his memories, and then to the Arctic was rough at first but I was able to get used to it.
The target readers for this book would probably be around high school and older. The content is fine for younger audiences I just dont think that it would be able to be understood very well. This book requires a reader to have an open mind as it deals with empaths, communicating with nature, reincarnation, and the ability that our beliefs can shape our physical world if strong enough. I rate this book 4 out of 4. Originally I was going to give it a lower rating but the further I got the more I saw the book for what it really is. I am not even sure if the author knows what they created of if this was just meant as a story. It was an amazing experience to read and something I was able to connect with.
23 year old Noah wakes up with no idea as to exactly where he is or what happened to him. Everything is all white except for the garden that his bedroom opens up to. In the center of this garden is a giant baobab tree. At first, the only other person Noah sees is Coal, his doctor, but in the garden, he meets the people living in the other rooms surrounding the garden. It is by taking with the other people that Noah comes to know that all is not as it seems and why Coal is so interested in his dreams.
Noah learns that he possesses a special form of empathy, as does the others living in this facility, and that it allows him to communicate with plants. The others also teach him about the sleepers and how they are all prisoners in the facility. The people running the facility believes that Noah and the other prisoners have the ability to save humanity. Noah receives memories from the baobab trees broken branches and tells the tree he is listening by creating origami symbols to represent each memory. With the help of the tree, Noah is able to find strength in himself and help others to escape.
What I liked best is that the author highlights the deep connection the humans once had with nature wonderfully. The connection that the characters had with plants, animal, and each other were well explained. The first fifty pages were slow yet they promised interesting developments later on. It was difficult to stick with the book early on and I almost gave up on it. The jumping from Noahs present to his memories, and then to the Arctic was rough at first but I was able to get used to it.
The target readers for this book would probably be around high school and older. The content is fine for younger audiences I just dont think that it would be able to be understood very well. This book requires a reader to have an open mind as it deals with empaths, communicating with nature, reincarnation, and the ability that our beliefs can shape our physical world if strong enough. I rate this book 4 out of 4. Originally I was going to give it a lower rating but the further I got the more I saw the book for what it really is. I am not even sure if the author knows what they created of if this was just meant as a story. It was an amazing experience to read and something I was able to connect with.
156Reviews (7 KP) rated True History of the Kelly Gang (2019) in Movies
May 1, 2020
One of the main things that divides opinion on Ned Kelly is was he on the side of good or bad? Some see him as a kind of freedom fighter, standing up to the British, who at the time that looked to suppress and demean the Australian people. Some see him as a criminal, who murdered innocent people for reasons known only to him. Both of these opinions may be true, neither of them might be, but it's one hell of a gamble to base a film on someone that divides opinion that much.
It's a gamble that doesn't pay off, the team behind the film try to sell it as a punk-esque, spit in the face of authority tale of a guy standing up against the establishment. The soundtrack is on-point, but that's about it. George Mackay (as Ned Kelly) does his best to sell it, but the film-makers never truly drive home the idea that this was a man of the people, someone speaking up for the downtrodden, instead Ned spends most of the films run-time with his family in their home, seemingly away from civilisation entirely, taking away from the Robin Hood-like mythology of the man. Without any other characters, Robin Hood is just a man who steals from people. A story about a thief, who becomes a murderer, who becomes a gang leader who incites others to kill, doesn't exactly evoke much sympathy, especially as these are based on real life events. Even if the film denies this by stating “Nothing you are about to see is true” at the start, despite “True History” being in the title of the film.
Some of the cast do their best to with what they are given, but some fall short, and some are just wilfully underused, Thomasin McKenzie, who has been great in recent films such as JoJo Rabbit and Leave No Trace is barely given anything to do other than play “The Woman” despite many important events revolving around her, opposite to this is Charlie Hunnam, who is given ample things to do, but seems to still be playing the same character from his recent The Gentleman performance. George Mackay is a force to be reckoned with, but its a performance that would be better placed in a sex pistols biopic than in 1800's Australia. The shining performance in this is Nicolas Hoult, shaking off his nice guy image to play the corrupt Constable Fitzpatrick, who seems to delight in the power he has and when events stop going Fitzpatrick's way, Hoult commits to playing a man on the edge of completely losing control with surprising conviction and menace, his interrogation scenes being and uncomfortable highlight in an otherwise unconvincing film.
With no mention of the two years Kelly spent on the run, being hidden from the police by a network of sympathisers, and by showing his plight as a very personal experience instead of showing it as an example of the culture at the time, the film misses an opportunity to make a legend of the man, and instead falls short of greatness.
It's a gamble that doesn't pay off, the team behind the film try to sell it as a punk-esque, spit in the face of authority tale of a guy standing up against the establishment. The soundtrack is on-point, but that's about it. George Mackay (as Ned Kelly) does his best to sell it, but the film-makers never truly drive home the idea that this was a man of the people, someone speaking up for the downtrodden, instead Ned spends most of the films run-time with his family in their home, seemingly away from civilisation entirely, taking away from the Robin Hood-like mythology of the man. Without any other characters, Robin Hood is just a man who steals from people. A story about a thief, who becomes a murderer, who becomes a gang leader who incites others to kill, doesn't exactly evoke much sympathy, especially as these are based on real life events. Even if the film denies this by stating “Nothing you are about to see is true” at the start, despite “True History” being in the title of the film.
Some of the cast do their best to with what they are given, but some fall short, and some are just wilfully underused, Thomasin McKenzie, who has been great in recent films such as JoJo Rabbit and Leave No Trace is barely given anything to do other than play “The Woman” despite many important events revolving around her, opposite to this is Charlie Hunnam, who is given ample things to do, but seems to still be playing the same character from his recent The Gentleman performance. George Mackay is a force to be reckoned with, but its a performance that would be better placed in a sex pistols biopic than in 1800's Australia. The shining performance in this is Nicolas Hoult, shaking off his nice guy image to play the corrupt Constable Fitzpatrick, who seems to delight in the power he has and when events stop going Fitzpatrick's way, Hoult commits to playing a man on the edge of completely losing control with surprising conviction and menace, his interrogation scenes being and uncomfortable highlight in an otherwise unconvincing film.
With no mention of the two years Kelly spent on the run, being hidden from the police by a network of sympathisers, and by showing his plight as a very personal experience instead of showing it as an example of the culture at the time, the film misses an opportunity to make a legend of the man, and instead falls short of greatness.
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Mothergamer (1565 KP) rated the PlayStation 3 version of Catherine in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
First of all, let me say that while I know a lot of you love Atlus games as much as I do, Catherine is not a typical video game. In fact, it is a sliding block puzzle game with a great story woven in. If you're not big on puzzle games, Catherine may not be the video game for you. However, if you genuinely enjoy challenging puzzles and are a puzzle game addict like myself, Catherine definitely gives you your money's worth.
Catherine is much more than a puzzle game however. The story is definitely what brings everything together. It addresses adult situations, things that people go through or suffer such as, fear of commitment, infidelity, and about how some people are childish and won't take responsibility for their actions. It's a unique title and simply an adult video game because it involves adult situations and the issues we have as we get older.
The story centers around Vincent Brooks who has a girlfriend by the name of Katherine. They're both in their early thirties and Katherine's biological clock is ticking which she hints at to him by telling him her mother has asked where the relationship is going. Vincent isn't sure he's ready for that level of commitment yet and says as much to his buddies he hangs out with at the local bar.
One night while hanging out at the bar mulling over a sliding block nightmare he had the night before, he runs into a beautiful blonde bombshell by the name of Catherine. Apparently after blacking out, he wakes up after another nightmare to find that she has spent the night. Of course, Vincent freaks out completely. Now, Vincent has to make a choice between lust and love, have good times with Catherine or finally make a commitment to Katherine.
Vincent's nightmares continue and even worse, people actually seem to be dying in them.Healthy men in their twenties and thirties are found dead in their beds and there seems to be no reason for it. A rumor goes around that it is a woman cursing all these men for being unfaithful. Is the rumor true? Vincent has to find out, climbing for his life one nightmare at a time.
Vincent Brooks In His Nightmare
Vincent's nightmares are the heart and soul of the puzzle sections. Every night, he wakes up surrounded by sheep, with horns growing out of his head and a voice taunting him to come up. There are items along the way that help you with the puzzles, but many obstacles as well involving sheep that are trying to climb also as the world crumbles behind them. You have a reason to climb, survival and the inner demons Vincent is struggling with. If you don't climb, you die. One example of this is, there's a giant monster version of Vincent's girlfriend Katherine, trying to grab him and smash the heck out of him. If Vincent's not quick enough to climb all those blocks to the top, he will surely die.
Every night, there's a different puzzle with each nightmare and depending on how quickly you get to the top and how many points you get, you can win gold, silver, or bronze trophies. The complexity of the puzzles is very interesting and the story is well written and captures your attention perfectly. It sounds silly, but you actually feel a sense of accomplishment when you have figured out a rather difficult puzzle.
Solve The Puzzle Or Die Trying
This brings up the next point. Some of the puzzles in Catherine will make you want to punch every living thing in your path. The difficulty level is excruciatingly high on a variety of them. There's no shame in playing a game on the Easy level. I know I will try a game on Easy first, to get a feel for the controls, to see how well the game plays, and to have a chance to genuinely enjoy the story that is being told. Then I will play again working on all the achievements and trophies, and improving my game scores. This is what I did with Catherine and some of those puzzles made me want to punch whoever designed it right in the face. A challenge is all well and good and definitely in a puzzle game, but when the game is on the Easy setting and it's still making you weep bitter tears of defeat, that is a big problem. Don't believe me? Apparently the difficulty level was such a destroyer of worlds, that the Japanese gamers complained about it. Frankly, that said quite a lot to me about how high Atlus raised the bar on these puzzles. The complaints were so many, that Atlus promised to put a patch in that would make the game much less difficult on Easy. I do understand their reasoning that they wanted the game to be challenging, so that players could reap huge rewards when they solved a puzzle, but the Easy setting in a game should be just that, easy and not throw people into the deep end with a sink or swim attitude. That's what the Hard and Nightmare settings are for.
However, there is hope! There is a secret trick to get to a Very Easy mode. It's a secret that Atlus put in to make the game a cake walk for players. When you access the main menu of the game, highlight Golden Playhouse and hold the back or select button for a few seconds. The screen will flash with a prompt telling you Very Easy mode has been activated. From there, the puzzles are much easier, and you can actually enjoy the story without those resentful feelings and frustration. It is a nice touch, and I give kudos to Atlus for caring enough about fans of their games to put it in there, because they do want people to enjoy the game.
Overalll, the game is great. The story is well thought out and acted out well with a great voice cast. There are also interesting characters that Vincent meets in the bar and can talk to, even help them with their issues. There is also a fun mini game in Catherine, called Rapunzel that is a sliding block puzzle game also that gives you pretty good rewards when you beat all the levels, along with opportunities to unlock music from various Atlus games and the Catherine game to play on the jukebox in the bar.
I have always loved the artwork in Atlus video games and Catherine is no exception. Right down to the animated short cut scenes, everything is colorful, seamless, and you really appreciate how everything ties together. The music, the voice cast, and the game play all mesh into a fantastic video game. Catherine is definitely a game worth having in any gaming enthusiast's collection and absolutely worth playing more than once.
Catherine is much more than a puzzle game however. The story is definitely what brings everything together. It addresses adult situations, things that people go through or suffer such as, fear of commitment, infidelity, and about how some people are childish and won't take responsibility for their actions. It's a unique title and simply an adult video game because it involves adult situations and the issues we have as we get older.
The story centers around Vincent Brooks who has a girlfriend by the name of Katherine. They're both in their early thirties and Katherine's biological clock is ticking which she hints at to him by telling him her mother has asked where the relationship is going. Vincent isn't sure he's ready for that level of commitment yet and says as much to his buddies he hangs out with at the local bar.
One night while hanging out at the bar mulling over a sliding block nightmare he had the night before, he runs into a beautiful blonde bombshell by the name of Catherine. Apparently after blacking out, he wakes up after another nightmare to find that she has spent the night. Of course, Vincent freaks out completely. Now, Vincent has to make a choice between lust and love, have good times with Catherine or finally make a commitment to Katherine.
Vincent's nightmares continue and even worse, people actually seem to be dying in them.Healthy men in their twenties and thirties are found dead in their beds and there seems to be no reason for it. A rumor goes around that it is a woman cursing all these men for being unfaithful. Is the rumor true? Vincent has to find out, climbing for his life one nightmare at a time.
Vincent Brooks In His Nightmare
Vincent's nightmares are the heart and soul of the puzzle sections. Every night, he wakes up surrounded by sheep, with horns growing out of his head and a voice taunting him to come up. There are items along the way that help you with the puzzles, but many obstacles as well involving sheep that are trying to climb also as the world crumbles behind them. You have a reason to climb, survival and the inner demons Vincent is struggling with. If you don't climb, you die. One example of this is, there's a giant monster version of Vincent's girlfriend Katherine, trying to grab him and smash the heck out of him. If Vincent's not quick enough to climb all those blocks to the top, he will surely die.
Every night, there's a different puzzle with each nightmare and depending on how quickly you get to the top and how many points you get, you can win gold, silver, or bronze trophies. The complexity of the puzzles is very interesting and the story is well written and captures your attention perfectly. It sounds silly, but you actually feel a sense of accomplishment when you have figured out a rather difficult puzzle.
Solve The Puzzle Or Die Trying
This brings up the next point. Some of the puzzles in Catherine will make you want to punch every living thing in your path. The difficulty level is excruciatingly high on a variety of them. There's no shame in playing a game on the Easy level. I know I will try a game on Easy first, to get a feel for the controls, to see how well the game plays, and to have a chance to genuinely enjoy the story that is being told. Then I will play again working on all the achievements and trophies, and improving my game scores. This is what I did with Catherine and some of those puzzles made me want to punch whoever designed it right in the face. A challenge is all well and good and definitely in a puzzle game, but when the game is on the Easy setting and it's still making you weep bitter tears of defeat, that is a big problem. Don't believe me? Apparently the difficulty level was such a destroyer of worlds, that the Japanese gamers complained about it. Frankly, that said quite a lot to me about how high Atlus raised the bar on these puzzles. The complaints were so many, that Atlus promised to put a patch in that would make the game much less difficult on Easy. I do understand their reasoning that they wanted the game to be challenging, so that players could reap huge rewards when they solved a puzzle, but the Easy setting in a game should be just that, easy and not throw people into the deep end with a sink or swim attitude. That's what the Hard and Nightmare settings are for.
However, there is hope! There is a secret trick to get to a Very Easy mode. It's a secret that Atlus put in to make the game a cake walk for players. When you access the main menu of the game, highlight Golden Playhouse and hold the back or select button for a few seconds. The screen will flash with a prompt telling you Very Easy mode has been activated. From there, the puzzles are much easier, and you can actually enjoy the story without those resentful feelings and frustration. It is a nice touch, and I give kudos to Atlus for caring enough about fans of their games to put it in there, because they do want people to enjoy the game.
Overalll, the game is great. The story is well thought out and acted out well with a great voice cast. There are also interesting characters that Vincent meets in the bar and can talk to, even help them with their issues. There is also a fun mini game in Catherine, called Rapunzel that is a sliding block puzzle game also that gives you pretty good rewards when you beat all the levels, along with opportunities to unlock music from various Atlus games and the Catherine game to play on the jukebox in the bar.
I have always loved the artwork in Atlus video games and Catherine is no exception. Right down to the animated short cut scenes, everything is colorful, seamless, and you really appreciate how everything ties together. The music, the voice cast, and the game play all mesh into a fantastic video game. Catherine is definitely a game worth having in any gaming enthusiast's collection and absolutely worth playing more than once.
Mothergamer (1565 KP) rated the PC version of Assassin's Creed: Origins in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I have been excited about Assassin's Creed Origins since I first heard about it so when I got my copy I began playing right away. The opening for the game is intense and introduces you to Bayek of Siwa, a Medjay (essentially a protector for the people of Egypt sanctioned by the Pharoh) and a bit later his wife Aya. The story starts with a sad event, but it clearly explains in that moment why and how the Brotherhood of Assassins were created. Playing as Bayek, there is an initial tutorial for what the game controls are and they're pretty great. The controls seem more streamlined to the point where my biggest complaint of getting stuck on things during parkour runs and jumps did not happen at all. It was a very welcome change.
Bayek of Siwa.
I did get the season pass and this is truly worth it because you get access to some great weapons, gear, and mounts. Having the season pass will also give you access to the two DLC chapters, The Hidden Ones and The Curse Of The Pharohs on their release dates. If you're part of the Ubisoft Club, you also get some cool rewards ranging from crafting materials to legendary weapons. This also includes the Altair and Ezio outfits. You can also earn a lot of the weapons and gear from doing side quests and daily quests.
Some of the rewards you get with Ubisoft Club.
Ancient Egypt is huge. This is truly an open world game and it is definitely in your interests to explore everything because there are a lot of interesting things to see and do. I took a long time getting to the main story because I was having fun just exploring and doing all the side quests. There are a ton of side quests which give you the needed experience points and give rewards ranging from weapons to mounts. It is a grind to a soft level cap of 40, but because the game is fun to play I never really noticed and I got to level 40 fairly quickly.
One of many great views in the game.
One of my favorite things in the game was the symbiotic relationship Bayek had with his eagle, Senu. When doing missions where you needed to locate a target you could call Senu and with the ability of eagle vision have Senu search the area and seeing the world from her perspective until you find the target. This was a very useful thing to have especially when scouting enemy forts so I could see how many people there actually were.
Senu scouting an area.
The skill tree for Bayek is easy to navigate and there are three sections to unlock skills; Hunter, Warrior, and Seer. Even after you hit the level cap you can still build up these skills as the experience points then go into the meter and when maxed each time, it rewards you with ability points which can be used to unlock skills. Bow Bearer is incredibly useful for the Hunter because it allows you to carry a bow for stealth and one for melee battles. Chain assassination is also useful because it can get you out of a sticky situation.
The skill map is easy to navigate.
You do get to play as Aya for some missions and it is fun to play as her because there are some ship battles with her as well. The ship battles controls are well done and I wish there had been a few more of them because they were exciting and I enjoyed them. I also wish there were more missions with Aya because she was a smart and brave woman and she was just as interesting a character as Bayek. There is normal sailing also and this helps with getting to other areas or finding a spot where treasure is hidden. You can dive into the water and find those treasures as well as other secrets like tunnels leading into hidden temples.
Sailing in the game is great fun.
The main story is excellent. I really liked Bayek and Aya because they were such interesting characters. I felt sad for their pain and a sense of vindication for them when they accomplished their goal. There are of course real historical people in the game like Cleopatra and they are involved in the story. I did feel the main story was a bit short, but I still enjoyed it a great deal. It answered a lot of the big questions such as how the Brotherhood was started and also gave hints about some of the assassins that followed after Bayek and Aya.
Once you're done with the main game, there are still things you can do. There are mini game events like chariot races at the Hippodrome or gladiator fights at the Cyrene Arena. Both are fun to do and give you a break from the main story and side quests in the game. The chariot controls do have a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of them it's a breeze. The gladiator fights have three rounds and then you unlock an elite mode which is just one challenging boss fight with the champion of each of those rounds. You can also compete with your friends for the best score.
Racing at the Hippodrome.
There are daily quests as well which you get from an NPC named Reda. The quests range from rescuing people to recovering stolen merchandise. When these are done, you get a reward from Reda usually a rare or legendary weapon. Sometimes you get a rare mount which comes in handy. You can take photos and share them with the photo share feature. This is a cool thing where you can use the controls to take a photo and share it with other players in the game. You can also avenge other players. If you find a fellow assassin that has been killed, it gives you a quest to find the perpetrators and you can exact revenge on them.
There is also the event Trial Of The Gods. Currently you can fight Anubis, the god of the dead. You should be level 40 for this fight because it's difficult otherwise. This is a great battle and once you defeat Anubis you get rewarded with a spiffy item. If you missed it, don't worry. There will be another chance to fight him and you will be able to fight other gods later on.
Battling the god Anubis.
Assassin's Creed Origins is an amazing adventure. The story is excellent, the side quests are fun, and there are so many beautiful things to see in this game. There is so much wonderful variety in the people, the voice acting, and the music. It is a joy to play and even after you're finished, there's still a lot of things you can do. I loved the game and and I can't wait to play more.
Bayek of Siwa.
I did get the season pass and this is truly worth it because you get access to some great weapons, gear, and mounts. Having the season pass will also give you access to the two DLC chapters, The Hidden Ones and The Curse Of The Pharohs on their release dates. If you're part of the Ubisoft Club, you also get some cool rewards ranging from crafting materials to legendary weapons. This also includes the Altair and Ezio outfits. You can also earn a lot of the weapons and gear from doing side quests and daily quests.
Some of the rewards you get with Ubisoft Club.
Ancient Egypt is huge. This is truly an open world game and it is definitely in your interests to explore everything because there are a lot of interesting things to see and do. I took a long time getting to the main story because I was having fun just exploring and doing all the side quests. There are a ton of side quests which give you the needed experience points and give rewards ranging from weapons to mounts. It is a grind to a soft level cap of 40, but because the game is fun to play I never really noticed and I got to level 40 fairly quickly.
One of many great views in the game.
One of my favorite things in the game was the symbiotic relationship Bayek had with his eagle, Senu. When doing missions where you needed to locate a target you could call Senu and with the ability of eagle vision have Senu search the area and seeing the world from her perspective until you find the target. This was a very useful thing to have especially when scouting enemy forts so I could see how many people there actually were.
Senu scouting an area.
The skill tree for Bayek is easy to navigate and there are three sections to unlock skills; Hunter, Warrior, and Seer. Even after you hit the level cap you can still build up these skills as the experience points then go into the meter and when maxed each time, it rewards you with ability points which can be used to unlock skills. Bow Bearer is incredibly useful for the Hunter because it allows you to carry a bow for stealth and one for melee battles. Chain assassination is also useful because it can get you out of a sticky situation.
The skill map is easy to navigate.
You do get to play as Aya for some missions and it is fun to play as her because there are some ship battles with her as well. The ship battles controls are well done and I wish there had been a few more of them because they were exciting and I enjoyed them. I also wish there were more missions with Aya because she was a smart and brave woman and she was just as interesting a character as Bayek. There is normal sailing also and this helps with getting to other areas or finding a spot where treasure is hidden. You can dive into the water and find those treasures as well as other secrets like tunnels leading into hidden temples.
Sailing in the game is great fun.
The main story is excellent. I really liked Bayek and Aya because they were such interesting characters. I felt sad for their pain and a sense of vindication for them when they accomplished their goal. There are of course real historical people in the game like Cleopatra and they are involved in the story. I did feel the main story was a bit short, but I still enjoyed it a great deal. It answered a lot of the big questions such as how the Brotherhood was started and also gave hints about some of the assassins that followed after Bayek and Aya.
Once you're done with the main game, there are still things you can do. There are mini game events like chariot races at the Hippodrome or gladiator fights at the Cyrene Arena. Both are fun to do and give you a break from the main story and side quests in the game. The chariot controls do have a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of them it's a breeze. The gladiator fights have three rounds and then you unlock an elite mode which is just one challenging boss fight with the champion of each of those rounds. You can also compete with your friends for the best score.
Racing at the Hippodrome.
There are daily quests as well which you get from an NPC named Reda. The quests range from rescuing people to recovering stolen merchandise. When these are done, you get a reward from Reda usually a rare or legendary weapon. Sometimes you get a rare mount which comes in handy. You can take photos and share them with the photo share feature. This is a cool thing where you can use the controls to take a photo and share it with other players in the game. You can also avenge other players. If you find a fellow assassin that has been killed, it gives you a quest to find the perpetrators and you can exact revenge on them.
There is also the event Trial Of The Gods. Currently you can fight Anubis, the god of the dead. You should be level 40 for this fight because it's difficult otherwise. This is a great battle and once you defeat Anubis you get rewarded with a spiffy item. If you missed it, don't worry. There will be another chance to fight him and you will be able to fight other gods later on.
Battling the god Anubis.
Assassin's Creed Origins is an amazing adventure. The story is excellent, the side quests are fun, and there are so many beautiful things to see in this game. There is so much wonderful variety in the people, the voice acting, and the music. It is a joy to play and even after you're finished, there's still a lot of things you can do. I loved the game and and I can't wait to play more.