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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Cybermancy: Virtual Arena in Tabletop Games
Mar 31, 2020 (Updated Mar 31, 2020)
I know there are several games out there that pit literary characters against each other, or figures from actual history. But have you ever wanted to assemble a team with the likes of Joan of Arc, Mulan, Pancho Villa, and Vlad the Impaler vs undead opponents like Sid Viscous, Max Lemmon, DJ Jazzy Deth, and football star Tom Brainy? Well now you can. This is Cybermancy: Virtual Arena.
A game of Cybermancy: Virtual Arena (which I will refer to as simply Cybermancy from here on out) is a player-to-player dueling card game where one Cybermancer is attempting to lower the other Cybermancer’s health points (HP) to zero using summoned creatures from their hand. Will you be able to defeat your opponent before they can setup any defenses or enough firepower to punish your HP? Get out there, Cybermancer!
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 beginning April 1, 2020, purchase it from your FLGS, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
There is quite a bit of setup to Cybermancy if you care to assemble your team yourself. The rulebook has a number of starter deck suggestions. Players will need to assemble a team of 30 creatures for their deck. From this, draw seven cards to begin. Each player will need to draw five cards each of CPU and RAM cards – these are the currency of the game and what is needed to summon creatures from hand. Each player will need a health tracker and a CPU/RAM tracker. The game is now setup and ready to play!
Cybermancy is a dueling game played over rounds, and each round will follow the same general structure, but may not exactly mimic each other during play. The phases are: Main, Discard, Draw, Refresh, and Advance Power Marker. Generally, the main action of the game takes place during the aptly-named Main phase. This is where players will spend the CPU/RAM cards they have drawn to summon and attack with their creatures. Not all creatures can be summoned and attack in the same round, and creatures can only be summoned if the player spends enough in cards while also respecting the maximum CPU/RAM limitations set in the CPU/RAM tracker. Example: during the first round, only creatures with a 1 CPU / 1 RAM strength can be summoned from hand because the CPU/RAM tracker begins the game at 1 / 1. The last phase of the round is Advance Power Marker (only one), so this is the way CPU/RAM maximum limits are increased.
After the Main phase, the power cards (CPU/RAM) used, and the destroyed creatures will be discarded. The next phase is Drawing one card from each deck (Creature Draw, CPU, RAM) to be added to the players’ pools. To Refresh during the next phase, all Buffered (kneeling) creatures will be stood up to be used next round. Advance the Power token of your choice and you are ready to play the next round.
Rounds continue in this fashion until one Cybermancer has reduced their opponent’s HP to zero and immediately proclaims victory!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so the components may not be 100% similar to what would be shipped as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, the first thing I want to do is shout out to the art in this game. The card art is absolutely stellar and engaging. I find myself paying more attention to the art than I should while playing, and to me, that’s not a bad thing. The cards are good quality, the cardboard chits to track buffs and debuffs are okay, and the card layout is mostly good. I say mostly because as I read the summon costs for the creatures, I read them left to right on the top of the creature card, which is CPU then RAM. However, the CPU/RAM tracking card has RAM on top and CPU on bottom. I am already trying my best to strategize for victory, I wish I didn’t have to think about which power is which on that card. The health tracking cards are good, and similar to what you find in Star/Hero Realms and various others. So components are great, aside from my one qualm.
The game is good. You can strategize all you want, but ultimately your turns are limited by the power costs of the creatures and which creatures you have drawn. At the beginning of the game if you do not like what you have drawn for a starting hand a re-draw is possible for all decks. That ability is one and done though, and sometimes it would be helpful to have a flush of the hand and a redraw, or a way to otherwise rid yourself of cards you cannot use yet or just don’t like.
That said, I like Cybermancy quite a bit. I feel like I am playing a video game when I play this game. The art is amazing, the concept and theme are attractive. Being able to invoke the powers of d’Artagnan to combat zombified Kurt Cobain is just so satisfying. If you enjoy dueling card games, or games where you can employ beings of literary and actual history, then this game is certainly for you. Do check out the Kickstarter campaign that is starting April 1, 2020. I am really looking forward to seeing how far this one goes!
A game of Cybermancy: Virtual Arena (which I will refer to as simply Cybermancy from here on out) is a player-to-player dueling card game where one Cybermancer is attempting to lower the other Cybermancer’s health points (HP) to zero using summoned creatures from their hand. Will you be able to defeat your opponent before they can setup any defenses or enough firepower to punish your HP? Get out there, Cybermancer!
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 beginning April 1, 2020, purchase it from your FLGS, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
There is quite a bit of setup to Cybermancy if you care to assemble your team yourself. The rulebook has a number of starter deck suggestions. Players will need to assemble a team of 30 creatures for their deck. From this, draw seven cards to begin. Each player will need to draw five cards each of CPU and RAM cards – these are the currency of the game and what is needed to summon creatures from hand. Each player will need a health tracker and a CPU/RAM tracker. The game is now setup and ready to play!
Cybermancy is a dueling game played over rounds, and each round will follow the same general structure, but may not exactly mimic each other during play. The phases are: Main, Discard, Draw, Refresh, and Advance Power Marker. Generally, the main action of the game takes place during the aptly-named Main phase. This is where players will spend the CPU/RAM cards they have drawn to summon and attack with their creatures. Not all creatures can be summoned and attack in the same round, and creatures can only be summoned if the player spends enough in cards while also respecting the maximum CPU/RAM limitations set in the CPU/RAM tracker. Example: during the first round, only creatures with a 1 CPU / 1 RAM strength can be summoned from hand because the CPU/RAM tracker begins the game at 1 / 1. The last phase of the round is Advance Power Marker (only one), so this is the way CPU/RAM maximum limits are increased.
After the Main phase, the power cards (CPU/RAM) used, and the destroyed creatures will be discarded. The next phase is Drawing one card from each deck (Creature Draw, CPU, RAM) to be added to the players’ pools. To Refresh during the next phase, all Buffered (kneeling) creatures will be stood up to be used next round. Advance the Power token of your choice and you are ready to play the next round.
Rounds continue in this fashion until one Cybermancer has reduced their opponent’s HP to zero and immediately proclaims victory!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so the components may not be 100% similar to what would be shipped as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, the first thing I want to do is shout out to the art in this game. The card art is absolutely stellar and engaging. I find myself paying more attention to the art than I should while playing, and to me, that’s not a bad thing. The cards are good quality, the cardboard chits to track buffs and debuffs are okay, and the card layout is mostly good. I say mostly because as I read the summon costs for the creatures, I read them left to right on the top of the creature card, which is CPU then RAM. However, the CPU/RAM tracking card has RAM on top and CPU on bottom. I am already trying my best to strategize for victory, I wish I didn’t have to think about which power is which on that card. The health tracking cards are good, and similar to what you find in Star/Hero Realms and various others. So components are great, aside from my one qualm.
The game is good. You can strategize all you want, but ultimately your turns are limited by the power costs of the creatures and which creatures you have drawn. At the beginning of the game if you do not like what you have drawn for a starting hand a re-draw is possible for all decks. That ability is one and done though, and sometimes it would be helpful to have a flush of the hand and a redraw, or a way to otherwise rid yourself of cards you cannot use yet or just don’t like.
That said, I like Cybermancy quite a bit. I feel like I am playing a video game when I play this game. The art is amazing, the concept and theme are attractive. Being able to invoke the powers of d’Artagnan to combat zombified Kurt Cobain is just so satisfying. If you enjoy dueling card games, or games where you can employ beings of literary and actual history, then this game is certainly for you. Do check out the Kickstarter campaign that is starting April 1, 2020. I am really looking forward to seeing how far this one goes!
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated the PC version of Shadow Of The Tomb Raider in Video Games
Aug 14, 2019
It’s hard to believe that Lara Croft made her first appearance in a video game all the way back in 1996. Featuring cutting edge 3D polygon graphics and gameplay that would often be duplicated but never replicated, the game would go on to sell a whopping 7 million copies. Since that time there have been numerous sequels, culminating in a complete re-envisioning of the franchise in 2013. The new era of Lara Croft explores her origin story and how she ultimately became one of the toughest female characters to grace a PC or console screen.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the third installment in the reboot of the franchise. Lara is no longer a naïve, explorer in training, who struggles with the idea, much less the actual action, of killing a human being. The years have made her a more seasoned (and possibly more ruthless) tomb raider, and she has now blossomed into the badass character that she is known for. Her adventures will take her deep into Mexico and South America, where she is trying to stop the apocalypse that she had accidently set in motion when she acquired an ancient dagger. What follows is roughly a 12+ hour main story and several hours’ worth of side missions that help flesh out the story and the world around her. The best part is that the story has all the excitement and thrills you would get if you took an Indiana Jones movie and added some of the Mel Gibson drama Apocalypto, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider adds the social interaction that was largely missing in the previous installments. While there are still plenty of times when Lara will be out on her own, searching through ruins or trekking through the jungle, there are now several civilizations that Lara will be interacting with. Her adventures will take her to the ancient city of Paititi, where most of her interactions will be with the locals and the main antagonists to the trilogy, Trinity. It’s in the interactions where we really get to see Lara question not only her beliefs but also her actions when acquiring ancient artifacts. Many of the discussions revolve around what will happen if outsiders come and try to change their standard of living or force their own wills on the natives. These discussions cause Lara to reevaluate what she does for a living, and how her own actions have an impact far greater than she even realizes. The inclusion of so much interaction with other people brings a whole new dimension to the Tomb Raider world and it entrenches you in the story in a way that battling even the most dangerous tombs never could.
One of the most interesting levels in the game takes you back in time to when Lara was just a young girl. You get the opportunity to experience the world through the innocence of a child, and her own imagination as she explores her father’s mansion. It provides an interesting look into the events that would unfold during her impressionable years, and also helps to offer some additional insight into what drives her as an adult. It’s in this level, where you finally understand what fuels her desire and continues to push her forward.
Gameplay is largely the same as the previous titles, but they did add a few new interesting ways to traverse some of the more difficult terrain, such as the ability to rappel down cliffs or using a pick axe to traverse cave ceilings. Climbing, jumping and swinging are all handled very intuitively using the controller. Yes, there were times where I felt I was doing the right thing and fell to my death anyway, but at no time did I feel overly frustrated or blame the tight controls for my own missteps.
Swimming and diving play a far bigger role in Shadow than in the previous games. Long, deep caverns will require you to swim and find pockets of air to keep from drowning. There are even a few sequences where you will need to swim through plants to avoid the various eels and piranha that will kill you, and swimming through the plants is just as easy as it sounds. Thankfully I never felt these sequences played on for too long and they certainly added diversity to the levels. While generally swimming and diving in video games tend to be an exercise in frustration, I never felt that was the case here.
Stealth also plays a bigger role in this game and adds another key to your survival. The original 1996 game focused on your dual pistol wielding abilities to get you out of jams and in this game, you are rewarded with a subtler approach. Taking a nod from games such as Horizon Zero Dawn, you will now have plenty of opportunities for Lara to crouch in large grassy fields or cover herself in mud and hide amongst the vines and cliff walls to surprise and take down her enemies. You can now overcome many adversities utilizing only stealth, but don’t worry, if you prefer more upfront action, there are still the obligatory pistols, shotguns and machine guns you can use to dispatch foes. Stealth is just an added way to ensure that Lara saves her bullets for far bigger threats down the road.
Now for everyone’s favorite part…the tombs! What would Tomb Raider be without tombs and the challenges that come along with them? As you may have already guessed, all sorts of puzzles and booby traps await you on your journey. I found they kept a nice balance between challenging and entertaining and thankfully none of them were so obscure that you need to break out Google to overcome them. Another great addition to the game is that the player can now individually adjust the difficulty on puzzles and on combat. That means if you love combat but not the puzzles you can adjust them independently, which is something I wish far more games would take advantage of. Either way, there are plenty of challenging tombs where you can flex your tomb raiding muscles.
As your adventure progresses you will earn skill points that allow you to upgrade Lara with new abilities. There are three skill trees, each containing many different skills, where Lara can spend her points. The three trees are broken down into Seeker, Warrior and Scavenger and Lara can be upgraded when she arrives at a basecamp. A few of these upgraded skills are longer swim times, multiple stealth takedowns, and the ability to shoot two enemies simultaneously. It’s always exciting to upgrade your character and see how the gameplay changes with new your abilities. This game is no exception and the upgrades you choose can really enhance your experience.
Graphically, Lara has never looked better. I played the game on my Xbox One X in 4K and the environments were awe inspiring. The lush jungle almost jumps off the screen and the character models are some of the best I’ve seen in recent memory. Of course, all this beauty wouldn’t mean much if there were stutters and lags and thankfully I never noticed a single frame drop while playing the game in all its 4K glory. Shadow of the Tomb Raider feels like you are part of a high budget, summer blockbuster and at times it was difficult to determine the difference between a cutscene or live game play (in a “wow, this is incredible!” way). The acting was also top notch and Camilla Luddington once again does an outstanding job delivering her lines, even making some of the corniest statements endearing. Every aspect of this game is the best of the best and you will be hard pressed to find an area of the game that was lacking.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider in an amazing accomplishment and easily my favorite game of the series. I’d even go as far as saying that I enjoyed it more than Uncharted 2, which is a true testament to how much I loved this game. Not only does the story have a heart and completely engages the player but it’s thrilling and there is non-stop adventure until the very end. While this certainly could be the last game in the rebooted series, I truly hope it’s not as I already want to play another. I highly recommend picking this game up. As soon as you knock over your first pot, you will be happy that you did!
What I liked: Stunning graphics, Incredible voice acting, Blockbuster feel
What I liked less: Occasional areas where it was unclear where to go next
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the third installment in the reboot of the franchise. Lara is no longer a naïve, explorer in training, who struggles with the idea, much less the actual action, of killing a human being. The years have made her a more seasoned (and possibly more ruthless) tomb raider, and she has now blossomed into the badass character that she is known for. Her adventures will take her deep into Mexico and South America, where she is trying to stop the apocalypse that she had accidently set in motion when she acquired an ancient dagger. What follows is roughly a 12+ hour main story and several hours’ worth of side missions that help flesh out the story and the world around her. The best part is that the story has all the excitement and thrills you would get if you took an Indiana Jones movie and added some of the Mel Gibson drama Apocalypto, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider adds the social interaction that was largely missing in the previous installments. While there are still plenty of times when Lara will be out on her own, searching through ruins or trekking through the jungle, there are now several civilizations that Lara will be interacting with. Her adventures will take her to the ancient city of Paititi, where most of her interactions will be with the locals and the main antagonists to the trilogy, Trinity. It’s in the interactions where we really get to see Lara question not only her beliefs but also her actions when acquiring ancient artifacts. Many of the discussions revolve around what will happen if outsiders come and try to change their standard of living or force their own wills on the natives. These discussions cause Lara to reevaluate what she does for a living, and how her own actions have an impact far greater than she even realizes. The inclusion of so much interaction with other people brings a whole new dimension to the Tomb Raider world and it entrenches you in the story in a way that battling even the most dangerous tombs never could.
One of the most interesting levels in the game takes you back in time to when Lara was just a young girl. You get the opportunity to experience the world through the innocence of a child, and her own imagination as she explores her father’s mansion. It provides an interesting look into the events that would unfold during her impressionable years, and also helps to offer some additional insight into what drives her as an adult. It’s in this level, where you finally understand what fuels her desire and continues to push her forward.
Gameplay is largely the same as the previous titles, but they did add a few new interesting ways to traverse some of the more difficult terrain, such as the ability to rappel down cliffs or using a pick axe to traverse cave ceilings. Climbing, jumping and swinging are all handled very intuitively using the controller. Yes, there were times where I felt I was doing the right thing and fell to my death anyway, but at no time did I feel overly frustrated or blame the tight controls for my own missteps.
Swimming and diving play a far bigger role in Shadow than in the previous games. Long, deep caverns will require you to swim and find pockets of air to keep from drowning. There are even a few sequences where you will need to swim through plants to avoid the various eels and piranha that will kill you, and swimming through the plants is just as easy as it sounds. Thankfully I never felt these sequences played on for too long and they certainly added diversity to the levels. While generally swimming and diving in video games tend to be an exercise in frustration, I never felt that was the case here.
Stealth also plays a bigger role in this game and adds another key to your survival. The original 1996 game focused on your dual pistol wielding abilities to get you out of jams and in this game, you are rewarded with a subtler approach. Taking a nod from games such as Horizon Zero Dawn, you will now have plenty of opportunities for Lara to crouch in large grassy fields or cover herself in mud and hide amongst the vines and cliff walls to surprise and take down her enemies. You can now overcome many adversities utilizing only stealth, but don’t worry, if you prefer more upfront action, there are still the obligatory pistols, shotguns and machine guns you can use to dispatch foes. Stealth is just an added way to ensure that Lara saves her bullets for far bigger threats down the road.
Now for everyone’s favorite part…the tombs! What would Tomb Raider be without tombs and the challenges that come along with them? As you may have already guessed, all sorts of puzzles and booby traps await you on your journey. I found they kept a nice balance between challenging and entertaining and thankfully none of them were so obscure that you need to break out Google to overcome them. Another great addition to the game is that the player can now individually adjust the difficulty on puzzles and on combat. That means if you love combat but not the puzzles you can adjust them independently, which is something I wish far more games would take advantage of. Either way, there are plenty of challenging tombs where you can flex your tomb raiding muscles.
As your adventure progresses you will earn skill points that allow you to upgrade Lara with new abilities. There are three skill trees, each containing many different skills, where Lara can spend her points. The three trees are broken down into Seeker, Warrior and Scavenger and Lara can be upgraded when she arrives at a basecamp. A few of these upgraded skills are longer swim times, multiple stealth takedowns, and the ability to shoot two enemies simultaneously. It’s always exciting to upgrade your character and see how the gameplay changes with new your abilities. This game is no exception and the upgrades you choose can really enhance your experience.
Graphically, Lara has never looked better. I played the game on my Xbox One X in 4K and the environments were awe inspiring. The lush jungle almost jumps off the screen and the character models are some of the best I’ve seen in recent memory. Of course, all this beauty wouldn’t mean much if there were stutters and lags and thankfully I never noticed a single frame drop while playing the game in all its 4K glory. Shadow of the Tomb Raider feels like you are part of a high budget, summer blockbuster and at times it was difficult to determine the difference between a cutscene or live game play (in a “wow, this is incredible!” way). The acting was also top notch and Camilla Luddington once again does an outstanding job delivering her lines, even making some of the corniest statements endearing. Every aspect of this game is the best of the best and you will be hard pressed to find an area of the game that was lacking.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider in an amazing accomplishment and easily my favorite game of the series. I’d even go as far as saying that I enjoyed it more than Uncharted 2, which is a true testament to how much I loved this game. Not only does the story have a heart and completely engages the player but it’s thrilling and there is non-stop adventure until the very end. While this certainly could be the last game in the rebooted series, I truly hope it’s not as I already want to play another. I highly recommend picking this game up. As soon as you knock over your first pot, you will be happy that you did!
What I liked: Stunning graphics, Incredible voice acting, Blockbuster feel
What I liked less: Occasional areas where it was unclear where to go next
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) in Movies
Aug 1, 2019 (Updated Aug 3, 2019)
WBs second entry into the DCEU is a messy misstep.
Contains spoilers, click to show
It's the big one that comic fans have been waiting decades to see come to life on the big screen, the one that was infamously teased in I Am Legend, the one that was going to match The Dark Knight Returns, and it's just oh so dissapointing.
After Warner Bros. kicked off the DCEU franchise with Man of Steel, a film that I thought was actually pretty good, I was full of Hope, and couldn't wait to see what they did with all of these beloved characters from years of DC stories.
When it was announced that the sequel would feature Batman in a loose adaption of TDKR, I was even more excited. When it was announced that this film would introduce the core members of the Justice League, I started to become concerned. It just screamed that Warner were trying to catch up with the already established MCU with a single film. It turns out that my concerns were justified.
The absolute biggest problem with Batman V Superman is that it just tried to do too much. And in doing so, creates a messy and often silly narrative.
The set up is pretty good, the opening scene of Metropolis being levelled whilst Bruce Wayne desperately tries to save his colleagues is pretty thrilling. It gives Batman a good, solid reason to want to fight Superman and neutralise this alien threat.
The plot is needlessly complicated when Lex Luthor gets involved (not quite sure what Jessie Eisenberg was going for in his weird portrayal), forcing Superman into a confrontation with Batman by means of kidnapping his mother.
When the big beat down finally arrived, it lasts just a few minutes before they become great friends very suddenly (due to their mothers infamously having the same name).
Not long after this, Wonder Woman is thrown into the mix (because reasons) and then they all fight Doomsday (because why the hell not) effectively cramming six movies worth of material into one very underwhelming and silly movie.
The mind boggles.
The Justice League are introduced though a series of short videos such as CCTV footage etc, and you have to wonder why they even bothered.
It's not all bad though. Ben Affleck as Batman is pretty inspired casting and is actually great. He's older, jaded, and pretty stocky, and his action scenes are ripped straight from the beloved Arkham video games. It's almost like Zack Snyder actually wanted to make a Batman film or something....
Wonder Womans presence is wholly unessecary, but for what it's worth, she's pretty badass, looks the part, and Gal Gadot does a good job of bringing her to life.
I also enjoyed the Knightmare scene hinting at Darkseid further down the line.
Unfortunately, the good parts are wrapped up in shambles. The MCU has been so finely crafted over the years, and it really confuses me why WB didn't take a similar route with the DC universe - a universe that has arguably better characters.
After Warner Bros. kicked off the DCEU franchise with Man of Steel, a film that I thought was actually pretty good, I was full of Hope, and couldn't wait to see what they did with all of these beloved characters from years of DC stories.
When it was announced that the sequel would feature Batman in a loose adaption of TDKR, I was even more excited. When it was announced that this film would introduce the core members of the Justice League, I started to become concerned. It just screamed that Warner were trying to catch up with the already established MCU with a single film. It turns out that my concerns were justified.
The absolute biggest problem with Batman V Superman is that it just tried to do too much. And in doing so, creates a messy and often silly narrative.
The set up is pretty good, the opening scene of Metropolis being levelled whilst Bruce Wayne desperately tries to save his colleagues is pretty thrilling. It gives Batman a good, solid reason to want to fight Superman and neutralise this alien threat.
The plot is needlessly complicated when Lex Luthor gets involved (not quite sure what Jessie Eisenberg was going for in his weird portrayal), forcing Superman into a confrontation with Batman by means of kidnapping his mother.
When the big beat down finally arrived, it lasts just a few minutes before they become great friends very suddenly (due to their mothers infamously having the same name).
Not long after this, Wonder Woman is thrown into the mix (because reasons) and then they all fight Doomsday (because why the hell not) effectively cramming six movies worth of material into one very underwhelming and silly movie.
The mind boggles.
The Justice League are introduced though a series of short videos such as CCTV footage etc, and you have to wonder why they even bothered.
It's not all bad though. Ben Affleck as Batman is pretty inspired casting and is actually great. He's older, jaded, and pretty stocky, and his action scenes are ripped straight from the beloved Arkham video games. It's almost like Zack Snyder actually wanted to make a Batman film or something....
Wonder Womans presence is wholly unessecary, but for what it's worth, she's pretty badass, looks the part, and Gal Gadot does a good job of bringing her to life.
I also enjoyed the Knightmare scene hinting at Darkseid further down the line.
Unfortunately, the good parts are wrapped up in shambles. The MCU has been so finely crafted over the years, and it really confuses me why WB didn't take a similar route with the DC universe - a universe that has arguably better characters.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Little Monsters (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020 (Updated Oct 26, 2020)
A New Zombie Movie That Proves Zombie Films "Still Have Fresh Brains To Savor"
Contains spoilers, click to show
This movie was pretty good. I enjoyed it quite a bit and even though it had somethings that were predictable and cliché, it really was unique in its own way. It really had me invested in the main character Dave from the beginning because of his situation. After his break up his living on the couch at his sisters and getting in trouble for cussing and being a bad role model for his nephew. He gets in trouble for letting his nephew play violent video games and for taking him out late at night to use him as a prop when his plans to propose to his ex-g/f that goes horribly wrong. That scene was hilarious as his surprise proposal leads to him and his nephew catching his ex having sex with another man and the naked man beating him up. It's kind of slow moving plot wise with all this setup but you get invested in the characters and they mean more to you and you better understand their motivations. Dave winds up taking his nephew to school and when he sees his attractive teacher Miss Coraline played by Lupita Nyong'o he's more than happy to volunteer to chaperone on a field trip when another parent drops out. At the field trip on the farm is when your officially introduced to Josh Gad's character Teddy McGiggle who is filming his children's show there. Teddy winds up being nothing like he pretends to be and shows his true colors when the trouble starts up. The zombies from a U.S. testing facility break free and head straight to the farm attacking anyone and everyone they see. I thought they did a good job on the zombies and make-up/special effects since most scenes happen during the day. There wasn't as much action or blood as I wanted but there were always scenes that built the tension and made sure danger was always present. The character development from Dave was really good and made him one of my favorite characters but Miss Caroline was a real badass. She demonstrated that she would do anything to protect those kids and let Teddy McGiggle know that she would take care of him too if he didn't cooperate. As i mentioned some of it was predictable like there being a facility where there were zombies, and the zombies breaking out, the military not being able to do anything to contain it at first, and it spreading so quickly. But it was unique in bringing the kids into the situation and how Miss Coraline made it into a game so the kids wouldn't be scared, how she got them to focus on her so they didn't look at the zombies alot, and how the zombies started singing along towards the end. Like I said above pretty good movie, I give it 7/10 and my "Must See Seal Of Approval". If you haven't seen this movie you need to check it out.
Hadley (567 KP) rated Cigarette Teeth in Books
Dec 4, 2020
Great writing (1 more)
Amazing descriptions
In this day-and-age, everyone is willing to do anything to get what they want. People leave their morals and values behind at the drop of a hat. Partly, because of this, mental illness is at an all-time high and happiness is at an all-time low.
What if I told you there was a phone number you could call that would give you whatever you wanted...for a simple favor in return? Enter : Cigarette Teeth. The horror novel concerns two different places that exist in our world: the Pleasure Palace, where the Magician resides in an overcast of red light where he helps make peoples' 'dreams' come true, and our reality - - - the world as we've grown to know it.
Our main character, Mike Hadley, can't remember his past or how he ended up working for the Magician, but he's more than happy to do what he's told in Cigarette Teeth. Some things seem familiar to him, like his working partner, Tommy; but if you asked him what he did last night for the Magician, he wouldn't be able to tell you or remember it himself. Harper, a man Hadley meets early on in the story, who is the stereo-typical hardened detective, tells Hadley that he knows that the Pleasure Palace has been the cause of hundreds of disappearances - - - including Harper's own brother and sister- - - and demands that Hadley help him get into the Palace to find them.
Hadley is kidnapped by Harper while people working for the Pleasure Palace begin to come after them, trying to kill them. Unlike Hadley, Harper has done a lot of detective work on the Pleasure Palace and knows much more than he does. For Hadley, a lot of things begin to make sense and no sense at the same time, like people who work for the Pleasure Palace can't die, instead they regenerate in a very gruesome way- - - something he had never seen happen before. Now, being away from the Palace, whenever Hadley falls asleep, memories start to come back to him in the form of dreams; most of them take place in metaphorical places that slowly unwrap his tragic past to the reader.
I often found myself fascinated by the characters Hewish came up with that live in the Pleasure Palace. One being the Zipper Sisters: "Kela and and Lua Von Zipper. Conjoined twins; connected at the hip and zipped into the one gigantic pinched- leather corset. Two heads, two arms, and four legs, all sealed in an ornate, Victorian-style leather dress hemmed with black lace.
Their makeup was corpse-white, their lipstick blood red. Their eyes were shadowed with a weeping pastel green, like something from a carnival sideshow. Their 18th-century dress continued with ruffles and lacy stockings, all the colour of snow. The two pairs of shoes they wore- - - shiny little school shoes, the ones with the clasps over the top- - - completed the look. It gave these sinister twins a suggested air of innocence- - - the filthiest of lies. "
When the pair meet with the Architect of the Pleasure Palace (Horitoshi Li), the story really begins to take off. The information given to them by Li about the Magician is the real start to their journey to stop the Palace and find Harper's missing siblings, as long as they include Li in the plan.
As expected, a friend of Harper's, named Sophie, gets caught up in their journey- - - saving their lives more than once, thanks to her nursing background. Sophie felt like a filler character at first, but in the end, I think she was needed to make the story well-rounded, like her insight of psychology: "...But...it's just interesting. Did you know the second most common dream people have is about their teeth? After the 'being chased' phenomenon that usually coincides with a hallway and a door. Most notable psychologists don't really offer insight on dreams- - - the most popular consensus is that they're nothing more than cerebral static, just garbled images and words that occasionally form to make something that seems to have weight..."
Though I want to say so much more about the novel, it would give away a lot of the surprises that are hidden inside. Hewish's writing is gold; the way he describes scenes is beautifully done, but he did waste some of this talent on places where the characters weren't even there for more than a scene (and nothing really came of it). Also, Harper states one time early in the book that he has killed Hadley before... this is never explained or spoken of again. I think that was a very important part to this story, especially with how things turn out between Harper and Hadley.
There were only a few inconsistencies that are completely able to be looked over and don't ruin the novel. This is master storytelling, and I am looking very forward to more work by Hewish! I would recommend this book to fans of the show "Twin Peaks," and the video game (because I love horror video games) "Evil Within." Highly recommend!
What if I told you there was a phone number you could call that would give you whatever you wanted...for a simple favor in return? Enter : Cigarette Teeth. The horror novel concerns two different places that exist in our world: the Pleasure Palace, where the Magician resides in an overcast of red light where he helps make peoples' 'dreams' come true, and our reality - - - the world as we've grown to know it.
Our main character, Mike Hadley, can't remember his past or how he ended up working for the Magician, but he's more than happy to do what he's told in Cigarette Teeth. Some things seem familiar to him, like his working partner, Tommy; but if you asked him what he did last night for the Magician, he wouldn't be able to tell you or remember it himself. Harper, a man Hadley meets early on in the story, who is the stereo-typical hardened detective, tells Hadley that he knows that the Pleasure Palace has been the cause of hundreds of disappearances - - - including Harper's own brother and sister- - - and demands that Hadley help him get into the Palace to find them.
Hadley is kidnapped by Harper while people working for the Pleasure Palace begin to come after them, trying to kill them. Unlike Hadley, Harper has done a lot of detective work on the Pleasure Palace and knows much more than he does. For Hadley, a lot of things begin to make sense and no sense at the same time, like people who work for the Pleasure Palace can't die, instead they regenerate in a very gruesome way- - - something he had never seen happen before. Now, being away from the Palace, whenever Hadley falls asleep, memories start to come back to him in the form of dreams; most of them take place in metaphorical places that slowly unwrap his tragic past to the reader.
I often found myself fascinated by the characters Hewish came up with that live in the Pleasure Palace. One being the Zipper Sisters: "Kela and and Lua Von Zipper. Conjoined twins; connected at the hip and zipped into the one gigantic pinched- leather corset. Two heads, two arms, and four legs, all sealed in an ornate, Victorian-style leather dress hemmed with black lace.
Their makeup was corpse-white, their lipstick blood red. Their eyes were shadowed with a weeping pastel green, like something from a carnival sideshow. Their 18th-century dress continued with ruffles and lacy stockings, all the colour of snow. The two pairs of shoes they wore- - - shiny little school shoes, the ones with the clasps over the top- - - completed the look. It gave these sinister twins a suggested air of innocence- - - the filthiest of lies. "
When the pair meet with the Architect of the Pleasure Palace (Horitoshi Li), the story really begins to take off. The information given to them by Li about the Magician is the real start to their journey to stop the Palace and find Harper's missing siblings, as long as they include Li in the plan.
As expected, a friend of Harper's, named Sophie, gets caught up in their journey- - - saving their lives more than once, thanks to her nursing background. Sophie felt like a filler character at first, but in the end, I think she was needed to make the story well-rounded, like her insight of psychology: "...But...it's just interesting. Did you know the second most common dream people have is about their teeth? After the 'being chased' phenomenon that usually coincides with a hallway and a door. Most notable psychologists don't really offer insight on dreams- - - the most popular consensus is that they're nothing more than cerebral static, just garbled images and words that occasionally form to make something that seems to have weight..."
Though I want to say so much more about the novel, it would give away a lot of the surprises that are hidden inside. Hewish's writing is gold; the way he describes scenes is beautifully done, but he did waste some of this talent on places where the characters weren't even there for more than a scene (and nothing really came of it). Also, Harper states one time early in the book that he has killed Hadley before... this is never explained or spoken of again. I think that was a very important part to this story, especially with how things turn out between Harper and Hadley.
There were only a few inconsistencies that are completely able to be looked over and don't ruin the novel. This is master storytelling, and I am looking very forward to more work by Hewish! I would recommend this book to fans of the show "Twin Peaks," and the video game (because I love horror video games) "Evil Within." Highly recommend!
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Tomb Raider (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The third film in the “Tomb Raider” film series has arrived and much like
the recent entries in the video game series that inspire it; the film
serves as a reboot of the franchise.
This time out Alicia Vikander takes over the title role from Angelina
Jolie and brings us a younger and far less experienced Lara Croft who
toils as a bike messenger struggling to get by in London. She has a feisty
and competitive nature but is haunted by the absence of her father
(Dominic West), who has been missing for seven years and is presumed dead.
As such, Lara is his sole heir and is being pressured to sign documents
that will legally declare him dead and turn over a vast corporation and
fortune to Lara. True to her nature, Lara resists this as she is
unwilling to move on from her father and cannot bring herself to declare
him dead and take her inheritance.
In time Lara learns that her father was also a dabbler in the supernatural
and artifacts and may have vanished trying to find a secluded tomb on a
remote Japanese island.
Undaunted, Lara sets off to get answers and finds herself in the company
of a boat Captain named Lu Ren (Daniel Wu), who reluctantly takes her to
the dangerous island. Danger arrives first in a storm then in the form of
a Mercenary named Matthias Vogel (Walton Goggins), who wants to find the
mysterious tomb as well for nefarious reasons and will stop at nothing
including murder to get it.
Lara is soon faced with the fight of her life as she must battle Vogel and
his men as well as the island and other forces in order to survive and
protect the world.
The film moves at a pace slower than you might expect as the first half of
the film is mostly setup but there are a few moments of action included to
keep things interesting. While many of the action sequences may seem like
they are either restrained or influenced from other films, they do still
work and entertain. While some may call this a female “Indiana Jones”
film, Lara is very much her own character as she has a spunk and grit that
makes her equal adapt in a cultured setting as she is solving a dangerous
trap or mixing it up with deadly threats.
Vikander also portrays Lara with a sense of vulnerability as she does get
injured, bruised and tormented. This is not an unstoppable action machine,
but rather a real person who knows there is a time use your brain and then
a time to take action, but is also remorseful about the consequences of
her actions at times.
The film does move to a satisfying finale and sets up a further chapter
very well. There are some great nods to prior games in the film which was
refreshing as I joked to my wife during some of the more intense scenes
that I feel like I need to be pushing the X and O button on our Dualshock
4 controllers to help Lara run faster and jump higher.
In the end “Tomb Raider” is a satisfying if safe reboot for the franchise
that I expect should keep fans of the series happy. I do think that
audiences in North America may want a bit more action but the film should
play well in the Asian and European markets.
http://sknr.net/2018/03/16/tomb-raider/
the recent entries in the video game series that inspire it; the film
serves as a reboot of the franchise.
This time out Alicia Vikander takes over the title role from Angelina
Jolie and brings us a younger and far less experienced Lara Croft who
toils as a bike messenger struggling to get by in London. She has a feisty
and competitive nature but is haunted by the absence of her father
(Dominic West), who has been missing for seven years and is presumed dead.
As such, Lara is his sole heir and is being pressured to sign documents
that will legally declare him dead and turn over a vast corporation and
fortune to Lara. True to her nature, Lara resists this as she is
unwilling to move on from her father and cannot bring herself to declare
him dead and take her inheritance.
In time Lara learns that her father was also a dabbler in the supernatural
and artifacts and may have vanished trying to find a secluded tomb on a
remote Japanese island.
Undaunted, Lara sets off to get answers and finds herself in the company
of a boat Captain named Lu Ren (Daniel Wu), who reluctantly takes her to
the dangerous island. Danger arrives first in a storm then in the form of
a Mercenary named Matthias Vogel (Walton Goggins), who wants to find the
mysterious tomb as well for nefarious reasons and will stop at nothing
including murder to get it.
Lara is soon faced with the fight of her life as she must battle Vogel and
his men as well as the island and other forces in order to survive and
protect the world.
The film moves at a pace slower than you might expect as the first half of
the film is mostly setup but there are a few moments of action included to
keep things interesting. While many of the action sequences may seem like
they are either restrained or influenced from other films, they do still
work and entertain. While some may call this a female “Indiana Jones”
film, Lara is very much her own character as she has a spunk and grit that
makes her equal adapt in a cultured setting as she is solving a dangerous
trap or mixing it up with deadly threats.
Vikander also portrays Lara with a sense of vulnerability as she does get
injured, bruised and tormented. This is not an unstoppable action machine,
but rather a real person who knows there is a time use your brain and then
a time to take action, but is also remorseful about the consequences of
her actions at times.
The film does move to a satisfying finale and sets up a further chapter
very well. There are some great nods to prior games in the film which was
refreshing as I joked to my wife during some of the more intense scenes
that I feel like I need to be pushing the X and O button on our Dualshock
4 controllers to help Lara run faster and jump higher.
In the end “Tomb Raider” is a satisfying if safe reboot for the franchise
that I expect should keep fans of the series happy. I do think that
audiences in North America may want a bit more action but the film should
play well in the Asian and European markets.
http://sknr.net/2018/03/16/tomb-raider/
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
For fans of the “Star Wars” saga, the notion of the Clone Wars has intrigued fans ever since it was first mentioned in 1977. Unfortunately fans had to wait until the Prequel Trilogy almost two decades later to lift the lid on the events of the war that changed the mythical galaxy far, far away.
There have been video games, books, and comics that dealt with some of the events, but since the film series focused on the start and end of the war, many believed that much of what transpired would remain a mystery.
Thankfully, creator George Lucas and a talented team of digital artists has set to the task of filling in the missing pieces in the form of a animated series which is scheduled to debut in the Fall.
The new series gets a cinematic boost with the theatrical release of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, which is a welcome treat to fans of the series. The film opens with the news that the son of gangster Jabba the Hutt has been kidnapped, and Obi Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker are tasked with rescuing the captured infant.
The Separatist forces under the leadership of Count Dooku, have restricted many of the main Hyperspace routes in the galaxy, and the Hutts control key routes that the Republic will need for troop deployments. The Jedi hope by rescuing Jabba’s son, they can secure a treaty with the Jabba which will allow them greater access to Hutt space and will keep the Hutts from supporting Dooku and his minions.
Unfortunately, Anakin and Obi Wan have their hands full leading a squad of Clone Troopers against a massive droid army as they attempt to hold out until reinforcements can arrive. After an impressive battle sequence, help finally arrives as does an unexpected surprise in the form of a young Jedi Padawan named Ahsoka.
Ahsoka informs Anakin that she has been assigned by Yoda to be his Padawan learner, and despite his misgivings, Anakin takes the talented yet young and naïve learner under his care.
Unknown to the Jedi, a larger and more sinister plot is underway and Dooku and his assassin Asaj Ventress are orchestrating a very deadly plan that will leave the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.
The film is a grand adventure and contains much of the ingredients that made the live action series a true juggernaut in cinema history. The film deftly mixes action, adventure, and humor with a story that is entertaining with solid pacing.
Matt Lanter does a satisfactory job of voicing Anakin and the cast does a great job of voicing the CGI recreations of the beloved characters.
The CGI effects are top rate and unlike the last films in the series never overshadow the characters and the story. The sound effects were equally impressive from the distinctive sound of the lightsabers and blasters, to the sound of the war machines, I soon found myself forgetting it was a cartoon, and instead saw only the Star Wars that I have loved since I first saw the original as a small boy.
While some may say that the film is little more than a glorified television Pilot, I prefer to look at it as a very welcome return to the big screen of the greatest Sci Fi series ever made.
There have been video games, books, and comics that dealt with some of the events, but since the film series focused on the start and end of the war, many believed that much of what transpired would remain a mystery.
Thankfully, creator George Lucas and a talented team of digital artists has set to the task of filling in the missing pieces in the form of a animated series which is scheduled to debut in the Fall.
The new series gets a cinematic boost with the theatrical release of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, which is a welcome treat to fans of the series. The film opens with the news that the son of gangster Jabba the Hutt has been kidnapped, and Obi Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker are tasked with rescuing the captured infant.
The Separatist forces under the leadership of Count Dooku, have restricted many of the main Hyperspace routes in the galaxy, and the Hutts control key routes that the Republic will need for troop deployments. The Jedi hope by rescuing Jabba’s son, they can secure a treaty with the Jabba which will allow them greater access to Hutt space and will keep the Hutts from supporting Dooku and his minions.
Unfortunately, Anakin and Obi Wan have their hands full leading a squad of Clone Troopers against a massive droid army as they attempt to hold out until reinforcements can arrive. After an impressive battle sequence, help finally arrives as does an unexpected surprise in the form of a young Jedi Padawan named Ahsoka.
Ahsoka informs Anakin that she has been assigned by Yoda to be his Padawan learner, and despite his misgivings, Anakin takes the talented yet young and naïve learner under his care.
Unknown to the Jedi, a larger and more sinister plot is underway and Dooku and his assassin Asaj Ventress are orchestrating a very deadly plan that will leave the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.
The film is a grand adventure and contains much of the ingredients that made the live action series a true juggernaut in cinema history. The film deftly mixes action, adventure, and humor with a story that is entertaining with solid pacing.
Matt Lanter does a satisfactory job of voicing Anakin and the cast does a great job of voicing the CGI recreations of the beloved characters.
The CGI effects are top rate and unlike the last films in the series never overshadow the characters and the story. The sound effects were equally impressive from the distinctive sound of the lightsabers and blasters, to the sound of the war machines, I soon found myself forgetting it was a cartoon, and instead saw only the Star Wars that I have loved since I first saw the original as a small boy.
While some may say that the film is little more than a glorified television Pilot, I prefer to look at it as a very welcome return to the big screen of the greatest Sci Fi series ever made.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies
Jan 9, 2020
Time for more fun in Jumanji? You didn't even need to show me a trailer, I was in.
Life has moved on for everyone since they escaped Jumanji, but Spencer isn't having the same great life that the others are. When he doesn't turn up to their mini-reunion, Martha, Bethany and Fridge head over to his house to check on him. It doesn't seem like he's in but Grandpa Eddie invites them in, nothing seems untoward, that is until they hear the drums that lead them to the basement and the reconstructed remains of the destroyed games console.
I enjoyed the twist of these tales. We went from board game to video game and successfully gave the whole thing a modern update and as the title suggests we go to the next level of the game to freshen up the similar storyline to the last instalment. It felt like a really good way to progress the series but going forward it may cause some issues which I'll mention more later.
This is firmly in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" camp, Welcome To The Jungle was great fun and so hopes were high for this, it didn't disappoint. Our in-game character actors get to flex their muscles in new ways and it managed to keet the body-swapping element entertaining without feeling like we'd already "been there, done that".
The new characters had me a little worried, DeVito and Glover are great but I wasn't sure how they would translate into Johnson and Hart, and I find Awkwakina to be very Marmite, so when I saw her in a clip I was on the fence. All was well though. Johnson and Hart interacted just right as Eddie and Milo and Awkwafina made a great job of her switched up role. Jack Black brought me the most joy though as he got to take on Fridge's persona.
Jumanji: The Next Level has some fun little touches here and there but my favourite has to be the Bond girl exit, you'll know it when you see it but I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen the film. So much of this film was entertaining and even when I wasn't laughing I was smiling.
The only real drawback was that I worked out fairly early on what was going to happen, it didn't take away from the film though and I thought it ended up giving us an excellent storyline to play out. And damn it if I didn't cry.
Everything comes together really well, the effects were never overly obvious, the sets and costumes were great, and it all gives you a solid, fun film. It's here for entertainment and it delivers.
Where does it go from here? We're left with a solid lay up for a third (fourth depending on how you look at it) film. On the one hand I like what that set up is doing, but on the other, it could be leading us to a dead end. I don't know what the plans were for these films as a series but I don't think that the quality could persist for much longer. Hopefully we won't have to see it overplayed.
I'm hoping to get a rewatch of this in at the weekend, having not already done so, I would say I didn't like it as much as the first outing... but it was still a great adventure.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/jumanji-next-level-movie-review.html
Life has moved on for everyone since they escaped Jumanji, but Spencer isn't having the same great life that the others are. When he doesn't turn up to their mini-reunion, Martha, Bethany and Fridge head over to his house to check on him. It doesn't seem like he's in but Grandpa Eddie invites them in, nothing seems untoward, that is until they hear the drums that lead them to the basement and the reconstructed remains of the destroyed games console.
I enjoyed the twist of these tales. We went from board game to video game and successfully gave the whole thing a modern update and as the title suggests we go to the next level of the game to freshen up the similar storyline to the last instalment. It felt like a really good way to progress the series but going forward it may cause some issues which I'll mention more later.
This is firmly in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" camp, Welcome To The Jungle was great fun and so hopes were high for this, it didn't disappoint. Our in-game character actors get to flex their muscles in new ways and it managed to keet the body-swapping element entertaining without feeling like we'd already "been there, done that".
The new characters had me a little worried, DeVito and Glover are great but I wasn't sure how they would translate into Johnson and Hart, and I find Awkwakina to be very Marmite, so when I saw her in a clip I was on the fence. All was well though. Johnson and Hart interacted just right as Eddie and Milo and Awkwafina made a great job of her switched up role. Jack Black brought me the most joy though as he got to take on Fridge's persona.
Jumanji: The Next Level has some fun little touches here and there but my favourite has to be the Bond girl exit, you'll know it when you see it but I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen the film. So much of this film was entertaining and even when I wasn't laughing I was smiling.
The only real drawback was that I worked out fairly early on what was going to happen, it didn't take away from the film though and I thought it ended up giving us an excellent storyline to play out. And damn it if I didn't cry.
Everything comes together really well, the effects were never overly obvious, the sets and costumes were great, and it all gives you a solid, fun film. It's here for entertainment and it delivers.
Where does it go from here? We're left with a solid lay up for a third (fourth depending on how you look at it) film. On the one hand I like what that set up is doing, but on the other, it could be leading us to a dead end. I don't know what the plans were for these films as a series but I don't think that the quality could persist for much longer. Hopefully we won't have to see it overplayed.
I'm hoping to get a rewatch of this in at the weekend, having not already done so, I would say I didn't like it as much as the first outing... but it was still a great adventure.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/jumanji-next-level-movie-review.html
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Resident Evil 2 (Remake) in Video Games
Apr 2, 2020
Pulsating and terrifying narrative. (2 more)
Unbelievable graphics.
A modern classic horror.
Survival horror remaking at it's greatest.
I've always been aware of the impact Resident Evil has had on media, ever since I played the first, without my parents knowledge, back in 2001. I was shook to my core, terrified to the point of never wanting to return to horror video games ever again.
I did however play RE5 and RE6, both focusing more on Co-op play and venturing towards a more action oriented narrative. They were fun, if not slightly convoluted with characters and past stories which I had no knowledge about. So when a remake of RE2 was announced with a gruesome trailer, I was sold. I had no nostalgia towards the game, but this looked incredible.
RE2 Remake is astonishingly good. It's a non stop, adrenaline infusing trip through Racoon City, with pocket moments that range from terrifying, to explosive action, to the absolutely bonkers. It's a campy affair, and it benefits from often corny dialogue, to its characters dress sense during a pandemic.
RE2 shines by having the best visuals I've seen on a console game. The characters, locations and gore pop with flare, especially when you hit a zombie with a bullet to the head. Its gorgeous, and equally terrifying in measured balance. It dawned on me so heavily Capcom focused on the environments when Leon/Claire walked out into the rain. You can visibly see each rain drop hit their clothing, and the wetness begin to soak parts of them skin and hair. Its commendable to Capcom for making this remake look so perfect.
The over the shoulder perspective of the protagonists was the best choice for this remake, as it firmly puts the survival horror up another level. This game, most of the time, its bone chillingly unnerving. I constantly kept my wits about me, expecting numerous jumpscares, but the game worms into your head, laying a constant false sense of security at precise moments. That's where Mr X, AKA, the Tyrant comes in. The constant menace is the key to so much tention and heart pounding chases throughout the eight hour experience. Combine that tension with the fact he's practically indestructible, and you've got cocktail of a near perfect horror experience. My favourite aspect was of the overall experience was how the whole game mixes all elements of its gameplay so well. The combat require pinpoint accuracy, the puzzles require you to use your noggin often enough it doesn't become stale, and the looming threats don't ever become a frustrating summit, rather a learning curve I began to anticipate.
The narrative is excellent, albeit sometimes a little ridiculous. Its provides enough scares and gore to satisfy loving RE fans, and more than enough story for new fans to bite into. In my first playthrough, I knew nothing of Leon's decent into Racoon City's nightmare, and I'm all the more thankful for it. He's just a normal guy, having the worst day of his life, and that, in the strangest way I can possibly think of, make him so likeable and relatable. After just over eight hours, I completed my Leon playthrough, and wanted to see where his story goes next. It made me completely sure RE would be a franchise I will surely check out in the future. Queue my next choice in RE4.
RE2 Remake is now the standard that all remakes will have to contend with. Capcom has truly outdone themselves by creating a classic from the ground up.
I did however play RE5 and RE6, both focusing more on Co-op play and venturing towards a more action oriented narrative. They were fun, if not slightly convoluted with characters and past stories which I had no knowledge about. So when a remake of RE2 was announced with a gruesome trailer, I was sold. I had no nostalgia towards the game, but this looked incredible.
RE2 Remake is astonishingly good. It's a non stop, adrenaline infusing trip through Racoon City, with pocket moments that range from terrifying, to explosive action, to the absolutely bonkers. It's a campy affair, and it benefits from often corny dialogue, to its characters dress sense during a pandemic.
RE2 shines by having the best visuals I've seen on a console game. The characters, locations and gore pop with flare, especially when you hit a zombie with a bullet to the head. Its gorgeous, and equally terrifying in measured balance. It dawned on me so heavily Capcom focused on the environments when Leon/Claire walked out into the rain. You can visibly see each rain drop hit their clothing, and the wetness begin to soak parts of them skin and hair. Its commendable to Capcom for making this remake look so perfect.
The over the shoulder perspective of the protagonists was the best choice for this remake, as it firmly puts the survival horror up another level. This game, most of the time, its bone chillingly unnerving. I constantly kept my wits about me, expecting numerous jumpscares, but the game worms into your head, laying a constant false sense of security at precise moments. That's where Mr X, AKA, the Tyrant comes in. The constant menace is the key to so much tention and heart pounding chases throughout the eight hour experience. Combine that tension with the fact he's practically indestructible, and you've got cocktail of a near perfect horror experience. My favourite aspect was of the overall experience was how the whole game mixes all elements of its gameplay so well. The combat require pinpoint accuracy, the puzzles require you to use your noggin often enough it doesn't become stale, and the looming threats don't ever become a frustrating summit, rather a learning curve I began to anticipate.
The narrative is excellent, albeit sometimes a little ridiculous. Its provides enough scares and gore to satisfy loving RE fans, and more than enough story for new fans to bite into. In my first playthrough, I knew nothing of Leon's decent into Racoon City's nightmare, and I'm all the more thankful for it. He's just a normal guy, having the worst day of his life, and that, in the strangest way I can possibly think of, make him so likeable and relatable. After just over eight hours, I completed my Leon playthrough, and wanted to see where his story goes next. It made me completely sure RE would be a franchise I will surely check out in the future. Queue my next choice in RE4.
RE2 Remake is now the standard that all remakes will have to contend with. Capcom has truly outdone themselves by creating a classic from the ground up.
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Doom Eternal in Video Games
May 6, 2020
Fast, free flowing combat is adrenaline pumping. (2 more)
One of the best FPS' of all time.
The sheer variety of Demons, Guns and Arenas is staggering.
Multiplayer is a bit...meh. (1 more)
Frequent crashes.
First person shooters have lost their touch. For a long time, the market has been utterly saturated with same annual game, like Call of Duty and Battlefield, and they play the same every time. Go back to the rise in the FPS genre, you'll see the likes of Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM revolutionise the genre forever. At the time, they were fast, weighty and satisfying to control. Fast forward to 2016, DOOM returns and ignites a brutal and bloody comeback for the FPS genre. A combination of fast paced gunplay, a killer soundtrack and over the top gore made this the best FPS to date.
Until now.
DOOM Eternal is the best FPS ever made. There, I said it. Eternal is blistering, adrenaline fuelled slingshot into your bloodstream, cranking the notches consistently to eleven, and it never let's up.
The core of Eternal is in its gameplay. The best way to describe the gunplay is a juggling of instruments that make up an orchestra, whilst you're conductor...and you're running mercilessly for your life and ammo. Its massively overwhelming to begin with, and you'll die often, but once you gather the rhythm of the dance of the Doom Slayer, it's a sight of awe, followed by psychotic grin on your face. Following in the footsteps and benchmarks that DOOM 2016 cemented, Eternal improves upon everything. The gunplay is meaty and brass, the platforming is fluid and easy to pick up, the demons and monsters all provide a challenge from the explosive beginning, to the equally as explosive finale, and when all of this is accompanied by the killer soundtrack cheering you on, Eternal is bulletproof.
Whilst DOOM 2016 feels dark in colour and tone, Eternal embraces the ridiculous and runs with it. Levels burst with bright and bonkers imagination, the effect of that first chainsaw kill where ammo flies out like confetti, and the endless ways to glory kill never gets tiresome. Add in the arsenal the Doom Slayer carries with him, it becomes a game of what gun is best for each demon. Although, the Double Barrel Shotgun is just magnificent to shoot with.
When it comes to DOOM, the narrative takes the backseat over its core idea of free movement to kill, and that's the only criticism I can give this franchise. Eternal does provide a planet hopping path of destruction through the Slayer's history, but you never feel invested in the narrative as much as you want to kill everything you see. I didn't need to know anything at all from the Slayers past, the mystery serves the narrative more not knowing. Also, I must note the amount of times my Playstation 4 has crashed due to DOOM Eternal. It really brings you out of the experience when you're almost finished on level, only to start again level all over again. I think this is however a minor fault in an otherwise superb game, and problems like this will hopefully be fixed in further patches.
I can't recommend DOOM Eternal enough. If video games were made singularly for fun, you have found the answer. I can't wait to see what id Software and Bethesda do next with this franchise.
Until now.
DOOM Eternal is the best FPS ever made. There, I said it. Eternal is blistering, adrenaline fuelled slingshot into your bloodstream, cranking the notches consistently to eleven, and it never let's up.
The core of Eternal is in its gameplay. The best way to describe the gunplay is a juggling of instruments that make up an orchestra, whilst you're conductor...and you're running mercilessly for your life and ammo. Its massively overwhelming to begin with, and you'll die often, but once you gather the rhythm of the dance of the Doom Slayer, it's a sight of awe, followed by psychotic grin on your face. Following in the footsteps and benchmarks that DOOM 2016 cemented, Eternal improves upon everything. The gunplay is meaty and brass, the platforming is fluid and easy to pick up, the demons and monsters all provide a challenge from the explosive beginning, to the equally as explosive finale, and when all of this is accompanied by the killer soundtrack cheering you on, Eternal is bulletproof.
Whilst DOOM 2016 feels dark in colour and tone, Eternal embraces the ridiculous and runs with it. Levels burst with bright and bonkers imagination, the effect of that first chainsaw kill where ammo flies out like confetti, and the endless ways to glory kill never gets tiresome. Add in the arsenal the Doom Slayer carries with him, it becomes a game of what gun is best for each demon. Although, the Double Barrel Shotgun is just magnificent to shoot with.
When it comes to DOOM, the narrative takes the backseat over its core idea of free movement to kill, and that's the only criticism I can give this franchise. Eternal does provide a planet hopping path of destruction through the Slayer's history, but you never feel invested in the narrative as much as you want to kill everything you see. I didn't need to know anything at all from the Slayers past, the mystery serves the narrative more not knowing. Also, I must note the amount of times my Playstation 4 has crashed due to DOOM Eternal. It really brings you out of the experience when you're almost finished on level, only to start again level all over again. I think this is however a minor fault in an otherwise superb game, and problems like this will hopefully be fixed in further patches.
I can't recommend DOOM Eternal enough. If video games were made singularly for fun, you have found the answer. I can't wait to see what id Software and Bethesda do next with this franchise.