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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Dying Light in Video Games
Jul 19, 2017
Awkward parkour (2 more)
Terrible story
Disappointing loot
Mutton dressed as lamb
This game came out in January last year, so it’s now more than a year old, but honestly it feels much older than that. I can remember when this came out to glowing reviews and I was pleased, because I was a big fan of Techland’s first open world, first person zombie game, Dead Island. Plus this looked really cool as it added free running and a transformation of zombies. I bought the game in about September last year, but I have only recently gotten around to actually playing it, so I figured I’d give my thoughts on the game so far. To be honest I am very disappointed, after the glowing reviews and audience praise I was expecting a game that was a lot better than this. I honestly think I may prefer the original Dead Island to Dying Light and although I may be looking at Dead Island through rose tinted glasses, it was only a couple of years ago that I played it, so I’m not so sure.
The big gimmick in this game is the free running. I went into the game expecting Dead Island meets Mirror’s Edge, but instead I got something more akin to Shadow Fall or Far Cry’s janky free running. The player character honestly feels so heavy and clunky and there is no coherent flow to the free running at all. The other gimmick is the idea of ‘drops,’ which are basically supply drops that are dropped in various locations throughout the map. The controller will vibrate, the blue icon will appear on the map and you haul ass across the environment towards it, in the awkward parkour motion that you are forced to endure throughout the game. The first couple of drops are difficult when you don’t yet really know what you are doing, but after a while you know what to expect and as soon as you feel the controller rumble and the icon appear on the mini map you know to just run as fast as possible towards the icon and everything will be straightforward. Also, while I am aware that players don’t tend to love this game for it’s immersive story, what story they attempt is garbage delivered by poor voice acting, in addition it makes absolutely no sense that you are just some random guy that the people from The Tower find out on the street and within spending a day or two with them they declare you to be the best free runner in the whole tower, it is all just far too convenient. The game also attempts to force you to change your play style at night, some of the zombies transform into hulking, hard to kill beasts with super speed, but their field of vision also appears on the map, so as long as you can avoid that, everything will be hunky dory and even if you do get seen you can just run away for a bit and climb onto a ledge and they will soon forget about you. I actually think that the virals that attack you during the day are more dangerous as they don’t have a specific field of view and are faster than the night time virals. Now while all these minor gripes do add up to my dislike of the game, the biggest let down in this game is it’s loot system. The loot in Dead Island was so good and when you had a great weapon, you knew it was great because it was so effective and felt so good to use in combat, there was just a charm to the weapons you could find in that game. The loot in Dying Light is much more generic and the effectiveness of the weapons has been neutered. The game starts you off with flimsy blunt weapons, which is expected, then you either find or save up your money and buy a sweet new axe or machete, you think that this is going to help you take out everything so much easier, but there isn’t much more of an effect, like maybe instead of dying after 18 hits a guy will die after 15, but that still doesn’t exactly feel effective to me. Also, the weapons degrade quickly, but that doesn’t matter because there is a good amount of weapons to buy and find, but since they have all been nerfed anyway it renders the whole process totally pointless, the loot system is really redundant and has no impact at all on the game. Also the guns are overpowered as all hell. The big guys with the heavy weapons will take you around fifty smacks with a hammer to bring down, but if you have a pistol and jump over a three foot wall, they can’t follow you and so they just stand still, so you just pop two or three caps into their skull and they go down in a couple of seconds. I also dislike how the damage you inflict on an enemy is the same no matter where on the body that you hit them. You can whack a guy repeatedly in the head or the legs and he will fall down in the same amount of time either way.
Overall, this game tries to be the next gen version of Dead Island, but what it delivers is a game that looks and feels like it came out at the same time as its predecessor and in a lot of ways it is even less intuitive than the first game. I know that I keep comparing this game to Dead Island, but I honestly believe that if you are looking for a first person zombie survival game, you should save yourself the cash and go pick up Dead Island as it plays better than this one and is graphically on par. However even though I have torn this game apart for the duration of this review, it is still a good game and I can see why people like it, I just don’t understand the massive amounts of praise it gets when Dead Island was a better game.
The big gimmick in this game is the free running. I went into the game expecting Dead Island meets Mirror’s Edge, but instead I got something more akin to Shadow Fall or Far Cry’s janky free running. The player character honestly feels so heavy and clunky and there is no coherent flow to the free running at all. The other gimmick is the idea of ‘drops,’ which are basically supply drops that are dropped in various locations throughout the map. The controller will vibrate, the blue icon will appear on the map and you haul ass across the environment towards it, in the awkward parkour motion that you are forced to endure throughout the game. The first couple of drops are difficult when you don’t yet really know what you are doing, but after a while you know what to expect and as soon as you feel the controller rumble and the icon appear on the mini map you know to just run as fast as possible towards the icon and everything will be straightforward. Also, while I am aware that players don’t tend to love this game for it’s immersive story, what story they attempt is garbage delivered by poor voice acting, in addition it makes absolutely no sense that you are just some random guy that the people from The Tower find out on the street and within spending a day or two with them they declare you to be the best free runner in the whole tower, it is all just far too convenient. The game also attempts to force you to change your play style at night, some of the zombies transform into hulking, hard to kill beasts with super speed, but their field of vision also appears on the map, so as long as you can avoid that, everything will be hunky dory and even if you do get seen you can just run away for a bit and climb onto a ledge and they will soon forget about you. I actually think that the virals that attack you during the day are more dangerous as they don’t have a specific field of view and are faster than the night time virals. Now while all these minor gripes do add up to my dislike of the game, the biggest let down in this game is it’s loot system. The loot in Dead Island was so good and when you had a great weapon, you knew it was great because it was so effective and felt so good to use in combat, there was just a charm to the weapons you could find in that game. The loot in Dying Light is much more generic and the effectiveness of the weapons has been neutered. The game starts you off with flimsy blunt weapons, which is expected, then you either find or save up your money and buy a sweet new axe or machete, you think that this is going to help you take out everything so much easier, but there isn’t much more of an effect, like maybe instead of dying after 18 hits a guy will die after 15, but that still doesn’t exactly feel effective to me. Also, the weapons degrade quickly, but that doesn’t matter because there is a good amount of weapons to buy and find, but since they have all been nerfed anyway it renders the whole process totally pointless, the loot system is really redundant and has no impact at all on the game. Also the guns are overpowered as all hell. The big guys with the heavy weapons will take you around fifty smacks with a hammer to bring down, but if you have a pistol and jump over a three foot wall, they can’t follow you and so they just stand still, so you just pop two or three caps into their skull and they go down in a couple of seconds. I also dislike how the damage you inflict on an enemy is the same no matter where on the body that you hit them. You can whack a guy repeatedly in the head or the legs and he will fall down in the same amount of time either way.
Overall, this game tries to be the next gen version of Dead Island, but what it delivers is a game that looks and feels like it came out at the same time as its predecessor and in a lot of ways it is even less intuitive than the first game. I know that I keep comparing this game to Dead Island, but I honestly believe that if you are looking for a first person zombie survival game, you should save yourself the cash and go pick up Dead Island as it plays better than this one and is graphically on par. However even though I have torn this game apart for the duration of this review, it is still a good game and I can see why people like it, I just don’t understand the massive amounts of praise it gets when Dead Island was a better game.
I came away from Us with a number of very different feelings. It kept me seriously on edge for the majority of it, making me feel uncomfortable, and at times confused. It's taken me a while to try and digest it all though and to decide whether or not I actually enjoyed it. It managed to get under my skin and the tension it evoked, the nightmare scenario that plays on your mind afterwards, well I just love all of that! So, did I enjoy it and would I watch it again? Absolutely!
It's difficult to discuss the plot of Us very much without heading into spoiler territory, so I'll briefly recap what you'll already have seen in the trailer, along with a few details which hopefully don't give too much away. We kick things off in Santa Cruz, 1986. A young girl, Adelaide, is at the fair with her parents one evening when she meanders off on her own, heading down the boardwalk and onto the beach. She experiences a terrifying and life changing experience which clearly has had a lasting impact on her when we rejoin her as an adult in present day (now played by Lupita Nyong'O). She has a family of own - husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and two children Zora and Jason. The movie spends a lot of time introducing us to the family and their dynamic as they head out on a family vacation in Santa Cruz, a place which obviously stirs up some strong feelings within Adelaide.
One evening, as the family are preparing to go to bed, they spot four silhouettes out on the driveway. And when those silhouettes force their way into their home, the family realise that the four red-dungaree wearing, scissor-wielding people are actually their doppelgängers - "Us". At this point, the movie seriously switches up a gear, turns into a home invasion horror movie, with each family member trying to deal with their alternate self. And as if things weren't weird enough already, they soon get a hell of a lot weirder! It's a long time before we get any kind of explanation as to what's going on, which only adds to the tension/confusion in the meantime.
The cast are all fantastic, and if you've seen any other reviews of 'Us', you'll probably have seen them focusing their praise on Lupita Nyong'O. I wholeheartedly agree with that - the other version of her, Red, is seriously creepy. Zombie-like and with a chillingly hoarse, rasping voice. Add to that a great musical score, and a last minute twist that I really enjoyed, and overall I'd say I really liked this movie. There are clearly many themes open to interpretation - lots of layers and metaphors that I may pick up on with repeat viewings, or that may continue to go straight over my head! It's a bold film though, although not quite as enjoyable for me as Get Out, the first movie from writer/director/producer Jordan Peele (and also my favourite movie of 2017). The feelings and the way that it lingered in my head made it a very impressive movie and an interesting experience all the same.
It's difficult to discuss the plot of Us very much without heading into spoiler territory, so I'll briefly recap what you'll already have seen in the trailer, along with a few details which hopefully don't give too much away. We kick things off in Santa Cruz, 1986. A young girl, Adelaide, is at the fair with her parents one evening when she meanders off on her own, heading down the boardwalk and onto the beach. She experiences a terrifying and life changing experience which clearly has had a lasting impact on her when we rejoin her as an adult in present day (now played by Lupita Nyong'O). She has a family of own - husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and two children Zora and Jason. The movie spends a lot of time introducing us to the family and their dynamic as they head out on a family vacation in Santa Cruz, a place which obviously stirs up some strong feelings within Adelaide.
One evening, as the family are preparing to go to bed, they spot four silhouettes out on the driveway. And when those silhouettes force their way into their home, the family realise that the four red-dungaree wearing, scissor-wielding people are actually their doppelgängers - "Us". At this point, the movie seriously switches up a gear, turns into a home invasion horror movie, with each family member trying to deal with their alternate self. And as if things weren't weird enough already, they soon get a hell of a lot weirder! It's a long time before we get any kind of explanation as to what's going on, which only adds to the tension/confusion in the meantime.
The cast are all fantastic, and if you've seen any other reviews of 'Us', you'll probably have seen them focusing their praise on Lupita Nyong'O. I wholeheartedly agree with that - the other version of her, Red, is seriously creepy. Zombie-like and with a chillingly hoarse, rasping voice. Add to that a great musical score, and a last minute twist that I really enjoyed, and overall I'd say I really liked this movie. There are clearly many themes open to interpretation - lots of layers and metaphors that I may pick up on with repeat viewings, or that may continue to go straight over my head! It's a bold film though, although not quite as enjoyable for me as Get Out, the first movie from writer/director/producer Jordan Peele (and also my favourite movie of 2017). The feelings and the way that it lingered in my head made it a very impressive movie and an interesting experience all the same.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Santa Clarita Diet - Season 3 in TV
Apr 7, 2019
I remember watching season 1 of Santa Clarita Diet and wondering after just a few episodes if it would ever make it to another season. Don't get me wrong, I loved the humour and the craziness of the show, but wasn’t sure how they would ever manage to stretch the idea out any further than that. Well, we're now onto season 3 of what has proven to be one of the funniest and most consistently well written shows around right now, with no signs of it slowing down anytime soon.
Season 2 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger with Sheila (Drew Barrymore) and Joel (Timothy Olyphant) getting caught with a re-animated corpse head out in the desert by their cop neighbour Anne (Natalie Morales). At the same time, daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) and their other neighbour’s son Eric (Skyler Gisondo) blowing up a fracking site. It’s the kind of wild predicament which, despite sounding crazy on paper, has become perfectly normal for this show.
Season 3 picks things up with Anne convinced that Sheila has been sent by god to help rid the world of evildoers, and as a church goer herself, she believes she must dedicate herself to helping Sheila. Meanwhile, the kids find themselves having to dodge an FBI agent who has been assigned to the fracking site case. And as for the re-animated head of Gary? Well, after positioning him back in their basement, the Hammonds decide to equip him with a headset and an Alexa so that he can work as an employee for their brand new realty company. Once again, something which sounds crazy on paper, but totally works on the show. And is also very funny as he turns out to be the perfect employee.
Season 3 also begins heavily expanding the world of the show, and the zombie mythology briefly introduced in previous seasons. A group called the Knights of Serbia are out to rid the world of the undead, and there is a mysterious stranger accompanied by a couple of thugs who also seem to have sinister motives for capturing zombies. As if all of that wasn’t enough, Sheila begins putting pressure on Joel to join her in becoming undead!
The pace of the show is what I love about the show. There’s always a family drama, or bigger issue to try and resolve meaning you never get time to be bored. The way that Sheila and Joel tackle everything like it’s something as mundane as changing a blown light bulb is one of the best things about the show and I particularly love Joel and his calmly frustrated comebacks and subtle one liners. Little things - like Joel discovering that there are separate kitchen drawers, with separate utensils for normal cooking and for more gross purposes - are just perfect.
Although this season isn’t quite as funny as last, there are some very funny new characters this time, most notably, Ron, who appeared last season but is newly undead in season 3. The whole season just breezes by, and once again ends on an exciting cliffhanger. Bring on season 4!
Season 2 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger with Sheila (Drew Barrymore) and Joel (Timothy Olyphant) getting caught with a re-animated corpse head out in the desert by their cop neighbour Anne (Natalie Morales). At the same time, daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) and their other neighbour’s son Eric (Skyler Gisondo) blowing up a fracking site. It’s the kind of wild predicament which, despite sounding crazy on paper, has become perfectly normal for this show.
Season 3 picks things up with Anne convinced that Sheila has been sent by god to help rid the world of evildoers, and as a church goer herself, she believes she must dedicate herself to helping Sheila. Meanwhile, the kids find themselves having to dodge an FBI agent who has been assigned to the fracking site case. And as for the re-animated head of Gary? Well, after positioning him back in their basement, the Hammonds decide to equip him with a headset and an Alexa so that he can work as an employee for their brand new realty company. Once again, something which sounds crazy on paper, but totally works on the show. And is also very funny as he turns out to be the perfect employee.
Season 3 also begins heavily expanding the world of the show, and the zombie mythology briefly introduced in previous seasons. A group called the Knights of Serbia are out to rid the world of the undead, and there is a mysterious stranger accompanied by a couple of thugs who also seem to have sinister motives for capturing zombies. As if all of that wasn’t enough, Sheila begins putting pressure on Joel to join her in becoming undead!
The pace of the show is what I love about the show. There’s always a family drama, or bigger issue to try and resolve meaning you never get time to be bored. The way that Sheila and Joel tackle everything like it’s something as mundane as changing a blown light bulb is one of the best things about the show and I particularly love Joel and his calmly frustrated comebacks and subtle one liners. Little things - like Joel discovering that there are separate kitchen drawers, with separate utensils for normal cooking and for more gross purposes - are just perfect.
Although this season isn’t quite as funny as last, there are some very funny new characters this time, most notably, Ron, who appeared last season but is newly undead in season 3. The whole season just breezes by, and once again ends on an exciting cliffhanger. Bring on season 4!
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Enclave in Books
Aug 14, 2018
Book Review by Cari Mayhew. Rating 6/10.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this book is a cross between Lord of the Flies, and City of Embers. You know you’re reading a YA novel when it starts with a coming-of-age ritual, and all the characters are under 25 years old.
The central character, Deuce, is a 15 year old young lady who grew up in an underground enclave, who has trained all her life to catch food to eat and protect the rest of the enclave from sharp-toothed zombie-like creatures (AKA Freaks) who also live underground.
The power within the enclave is held by a minority few and they operate by hard and fast rules. Everyone is designated their own purpose when they come of age. Deuce’s role is “Huntress” and other roles include “Builder” for those who make the items needed by the enclave, and “Breeder” for those who lack the skills to be put to any other use.
The enclave motto is “The Strong Survive” and the unspoken implication is that the weak are not valued. Any random object found by the members has to be declared to the elders and kept by the Wordkeeper. Hoarding is punishable by death. The enclave’s beliefs and way of life are all that Deuce has ever known.
Shortly after her naming ceremony and teaming up with Fade to carry out patrols, Deuce starts to see the set-up for the cold way of life that it is. One thing leads to another and the 2 of them are exiled. And so, the second half of the book continues above ground, where they face a different set of challenges.
In the beginning of the book, the descriptions of the fights with the Freaks are detailed, but this soon changes (which I was glad of, as that would have put me off the rest of the book).
The story is fast-paced and I didn’t get bored, but, as you may expect in a post-apocalyptic world, much of the story revolves around fighting zombies, finding food to eat, and water with which to drink and wash. So it felt repetitive in places.
There is a barely-there slow burn romance between Deuce and her “partner” Fade. They have each other’s back when fighting the mutants, and when Deuce got exiled from the enclave, but there’s little in the way of desire for each other.
At one point, the book seemed to form the beginning of a mystery novel, as Deuce and Fade tried to piece together how the world had got this way, but when a yellowing newspaper revealed an old story, there seemed nothing mysterious about the state of affairs.
This book is the first in the 3-book series, Razorland. Strangely the first book doesn’t really end in a cliff-hanger, so I didn’t feel compelled to read the next one. Although I’d imagine some of the earlier characters will re-appear. To be honest, I felt the story so far is unimaginative, but that’s not to say the rest of the series is the same.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this book is a cross between Lord of the Flies, and City of Embers. You know you’re reading a YA novel when it starts with a coming-of-age ritual, and all the characters are under 25 years old.
The central character, Deuce, is a 15 year old young lady who grew up in an underground enclave, who has trained all her life to catch food to eat and protect the rest of the enclave from sharp-toothed zombie-like creatures (AKA Freaks) who also live underground.
The power within the enclave is held by a minority few and they operate by hard and fast rules. Everyone is designated their own purpose when they come of age. Deuce’s role is “Huntress” and other roles include “Builder” for those who make the items needed by the enclave, and “Breeder” for those who lack the skills to be put to any other use.
The enclave motto is “The Strong Survive” and the unspoken implication is that the weak are not valued. Any random object found by the members has to be declared to the elders and kept by the Wordkeeper. Hoarding is punishable by death. The enclave’s beliefs and way of life are all that Deuce has ever known.
Shortly after her naming ceremony and teaming up with Fade to carry out patrols, Deuce starts to see the set-up for the cold way of life that it is. One thing leads to another and the 2 of them are exiled. And so, the second half of the book continues above ground, where they face a different set of challenges.
In the beginning of the book, the descriptions of the fights with the Freaks are detailed, but this soon changes (which I was glad of, as that would have put me off the rest of the book).
The story is fast-paced and I didn’t get bored, but, as you may expect in a post-apocalyptic world, much of the story revolves around fighting zombies, finding food to eat, and water with which to drink and wash. So it felt repetitive in places.
There is a barely-there slow burn romance between Deuce and her “partner” Fade. They have each other’s back when fighting the mutants, and when Deuce got exiled from the enclave, but there’s little in the way of desire for each other.
At one point, the book seemed to form the beginning of a mystery novel, as Deuce and Fade tried to piece together how the world had got this way, but when a yellowing newspaper revealed an old story, there seemed nothing mysterious about the state of affairs.
This book is the first in the 3-book series, Razorland. Strangely the first book doesn’t really end in a cliff-hanger, so I didn’t feel compelled to read the next one. Although I’d imagine some of the earlier characters will re-appear. To be honest, I felt the story so far is unimaginative, but that’s not to say the rest of the series is the same.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Lake Placid (1999) in Movies
Sep 5, 2018
The Toothless Croc Adventure that bit off more than it could chew
If you are big horror fan, like I am, then you will no doubt have seen and loved Jaws at some point.
The spectacular fear of something huge and unseen in the water, a perfectly evolved marine predator capable of tremendous power and speed, with a jaw size capable of cutting you in half.
Jaws hit on a very primal fear, that there is an unreasoning, prehistoric simplicity to the shark, that reminds us that until the last few thousand years, we were just another form of food for many creatures on this planet, and that we could be again, in the right circumstances.
It is this fear that also informs our love of Zombie movies, our disgust at cannibals and keeps us watching endless episodes of dirty, tired-looking people arguing in 'The Walking Dead'.
Where Jaws created a whole genre of horror in 'Killer Shark' movies, their reptilian counterparts have had to make do with a somewhat less successful series of outings, with Alligator, Croc etc
They just haven't quite hit our imagination in the same way, whether that be because of their comical waddle on land, or having watched an excited Australian man jumping all over them on TV (RIP Steve Irwin)...
Regardless, Lake Placid is the one that most remember from recent history, and having listened to a 'Horrow Show' Podcast on the film recently, I mentioned to my better half I wouldn't mind seeing it again, to see if it is as bad as it sounded.
Well last night, said better half suggested we watch it and boy oh boy...
So first off, Brendan Gleeson was by far the best thing about this movie, his one liners and grumpy demeanor were, for long periods, the best thing about this movie, shortly followed by the hilarious Betty White.
Stan Winstone, legendary physical creature effects maestro turns in some great stuff, and when they are dealing withe the physical creature, it is very effective but all too often they resort to CGI, which is passable but still tends to take you out of the moment..
Oliver Platt's casting as a crocodile expert playboy is amusing at first, then confusing and eventually just...well not laughable exactly as it isnt very funny, but strange certainly.
The movie languishes for long periods, focusing on the incredibly inert chemistry between leading lady Fonda, and wooden cardboard cut out Pullman, giving you poorly written rom com scripts where we signed up to see a giant Croc eat people.
Long story short, this movie is light on tension and action, heavy on clumsy exposition and strange casting choices, and it a poor relation to Jaws, which is more worthy of your time.
The spectacular fear of something huge and unseen in the water, a perfectly evolved marine predator capable of tremendous power and speed, with a jaw size capable of cutting you in half.
Jaws hit on a very primal fear, that there is an unreasoning, prehistoric simplicity to the shark, that reminds us that until the last few thousand years, we were just another form of food for many creatures on this planet, and that we could be again, in the right circumstances.
It is this fear that also informs our love of Zombie movies, our disgust at cannibals and keeps us watching endless episodes of dirty, tired-looking people arguing in 'The Walking Dead'.
Where Jaws created a whole genre of horror in 'Killer Shark' movies, their reptilian counterparts have had to make do with a somewhat less successful series of outings, with Alligator, Croc etc
They just haven't quite hit our imagination in the same way, whether that be because of their comical waddle on land, or having watched an excited Australian man jumping all over them on TV (RIP Steve Irwin)...
Regardless, Lake Placid is the one that most remember from recent history, and having listened to a 'Horrow Show' Podcast on the film recently, I mentioned to my better half I wouldn't mind seeing it again, to see if it is as bad as it sounded.
Well last night, said better half suggested we watch it and boy oh boy...
So first off, Brendan Gleeson was by far the best thing about this movie, his one liners and grumpy demeanor were, for long periods, the best thing about this movie, shortly followed by the hilarious Betty White.
Stan Winstone, legendary physical creature effects maestro turns in some great stuff, and when they are dealing withe the physical creature, it is very effective but all too often they resort to CGI, which is passable but still tends to take you out of the moment..
Oliver Platt's casting as a crocodile expert playboy is amusing at first, then confusing and eventually just...well not laughable exactly as it isnt very funny, but strange certainly.
The movie languishes for long periods, focusing on the incredibly inert chemistry between leading lady Fonda, and wooden cardboard cut out Pullman, giving you poorly written rom com scripts where we signed up to see a giant Croc eat people.
Long story short, this movie is light on tension and action, heavy on clumsy exposition and strange casting choices, and it a poor relation to Jaws, which is more worthy of your time.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops III in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The latest in the incredibly popular Call of Duty Series has arrived and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is a nice mix of old and new that goes a long way to combating those who say that each game is basically the same thing with new maps.
Set in a future where combat technology is now imbedded into soldiers, allowing them to hack systems, control machines, and release all manner of electronic warfare, Black Ops 3 is a very ambitious entry into the series. The game also has a great feature that allows players to customize their appearance, weapons, and special features in the campaign instead of just relegating that feature to the multiplayer portion.
As if that was not enough, the game also allows up to four human players to play through the campaign as one unit, which is great for those with new players in the Call of Duty universe in tow.
The campaign is a mixed bag as at times the story is convoluted and the virtual reality based campaigns towards the end become frustrating as well as at times overly difficult.
Graphically the game shines and it is clear that the artists spent considerable love and effort on the game. Just walking around the ready room before missions alone lets one see the incredible level of detail in the game. The levels are pretty impressive as well from secret laboratories in Singapore to high rise locales in Egypt; the future is truly captivating and terrifying as envisioned by Treyarch.
The campaign despite the issues I had with it is not really the selling point of the series, as the multiplayer is where the game truly shines. With multiple formats of online play available as well as numerous maps and the ability to once again customize your weapon loadouts and killstreak rewards, comes a new class system. This allows players to play as a unique character with a special weapon or ability that becomes available to them after a certain amount of time.
While lots of fun, the old Call of Duty imbalances are there which become highly annoying. For instance, you unload a magazine into the chest of an oncoming enemy point blank. You hear the hits taking place, and while being hit, they can stop, draw a bow, and shoot you dead, all the while taking a barrage of machine gun fire. This sort of thing becomes highly frustrating as does the never ending barrage of hackers with their aim bots and other annoyances.
The Zombie mode of the game is a true classic With Jeff Goldblum and other Hollywood stars providing their voices and likenesses to a retro-locale where players can battle the undead.
In all, the game is a nice step forward as if the story of the campaign matched the customization it would really be something epic. But fans of the series know what to expect and Black Ops 3 gives them what they love about the series as well as some new features to push the series forward.
http://sknr.net/2015/11/21/call-of-duty-black-ops-3/
Set in a future where combat technology is now imbedded into soldiers, allowing them to hack systems, control machines, and release all manner of electronic warfare, Black Ops 3 is a very ambitious entry into the series. The game also has a great feature that allows players to customize their appearance, weapons, and special features in the campaign instead of just relegating that feature to the multiplayer portion.
As if that was not enough, the game also allows up to four human players to play through the campaign as one unit, which is great for those with new players in the Call of Duty universe in tow.
The campaign is a mixed bag as at times the story is convoluted and the virtual reality based campaigns towards the end become frustrating as well as at times overly difficult.
Graphically the game shines and it is clear that the artists spent considerable love and effort on the game. Just walking around the ready room before missions alone lets one see the incredible level of detail in the game. The levels are pretty impressive as well from secret laboratories in Singapore to high rise locales in Egypt; the future is truly captivating and terrifying as envisioned by Treyarch.
The campaign despite the issues I had with it is not really the selling point of the series, as the multiplayer is where the game truly shines. With multiple formats of online play available as well as numerous maps and the ability to once again customize your weapon loadouts and killstreak rewards, comes a new class system. This allows players to play as a unique character with a special weapon or ability that becomes available to them after a certain amount of time.
While lots of fun, the old Call of Duty imbalances are there which become highly annoying. For instance, you unload a magazine into the chest of an oncoming enemy point blank. You hear the hits taking place, and while being hit, they can stop, draw a bow, and shoot you dead, all the while taking a barrage of machine gun fire. This sort of thing becomes highly frustrating as does the never ending barrage of hackers with their aim bots and other annoyances.
The Zombie mode of the game is a true classic With Jeff Goldblum and other Hollywood stars providing their voices and likenesses to a retro-locale where players can battle the undead.
In all, the game is a nice step forward as if the story of the campaign matched the customization it would really be something epic. But fans of the series know what to expect and Black Ops 3 gives them what they love about the series as well as some new features to push the series forward.
http://sknr.net/2015/11/21/call-of-duty-black-ops-3/
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Dead Don't Die (2019) in Movies
Oct 29, 2019
The Acting Wasn't My Issue
On paper, you look at the cast of The Dead Don’t Die and you think, “This has gotta be a hit!” Adam Driver. The great Bill Murray. Tilda Swinton. Count me in. Sadly, I was extremely disappointed in the finished product. The film centers around what happens when a zombie outbreak hits a sleepy town.
Acting: 10
Just because I didn’t enjoy the film doesn’t mean it didn’t harbor strong performances from the cast. The aforementioned names above were all phenomenal in their respective roles. When the setting is “quiet town”, sometimes actors have a tendency to go overboard with their bumpkin pretenses, but this crew play to their parts perfectly. They made the movie somewhat bearable.
Beginning: 1
The movie really takes awhile to build up. I kept waiting for the engine to turn over, but I was left in a cold car for at least the first twenty minutes. Here’s the thing: I don’t hate slow starts if they serve a greater purpose. I’ll use a direct example from the same genre: Shaun of the Dead takes a bit to get going, but you can feel it actually building to something. Every few minutes you’re getting hints to the things happening around Shaun and his friend and you know it’s only a matter of time before they realize shit has hit the fan. With The Dead Don’t Die, the beginning feels more like a slow lull that doesn’t exactly get you excited to watch the rest of the movie.
Characters: 10
Not only were each of the characters hilarious, but I love how they surprised me by breaking the fourth wall. They made you feel like you were somehow in on the joke. Officer Mindy Morrison (Chloe Sevigny) was one of my favorites. It was hilarious watching how she handled certain situations, particularly when we finally know it’s zombies. Her and Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver) onscreen definitely gave me a couple laughs.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 9
You can always expect some semblance of a good time when zombies are involved. After a slow start, the action picks up enough to at least keep things interesting. There were a number of cool action sequences that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wish it was enough to save the movie as a whole.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 6
One of the areas where the movie fell short for me. I don’t know quite how to explain it except to say there wasn’t enough meat in it for me. It’s been a few weeks since I last saw the film and, even now, I’m struggling to remember anything substantial. For me, it doesn’t come off as a complete film.
Pace: 5
Plot: 1
Resolution: 1
Overall: 63
Much like a lot of movies that fall into this range, I really wanted to like The Dead Don’t Die more. Had it tweaked a few areas and punched up the script with more laughs, I think we would be looking at a hit. Oh well. Can’t win ‘em all.
Acting: 10
Just because I didn’t enjoy the film doesn’t mean it didn’t harbor strong performances from the cast. The aforementioned names above were all phenomenal in their respective roles. When the setting is “quiet town”, sometimes actors have a tendency to go overboard with their bumpkin pretenses, but this crew play to their parts perfectly. They made the movie somewhat bearable.
Beginning: 1
The movie really takes awhile to build up. I kept waiting for the engine to turn over, but I was left in a cold car for at least the first twenty minutes. Here’s the thing: I don’t hate slow starts if they serve a greater purpose. I’ll use a direct example from the same genre: Shaun of the Dead takes a bit to get going, but you can feel it actually building to something. Every few minutes you’re getting hints to the things happening around Shaun and his friend and you know it’s only a matter of time before they realize shit has hit the fan. With The Dead Don’t Die, the beginning feels more like a slow lull that doesn’t exactly get you excited to watch the rest of the movie.
Characters: 10
Not only were each of the characters hilarious, but I love how they surprised me by breaking the fourth wall. They made you feel like you were somehow in on the joke. Officer Mindy Morrison (Chloe Sevigny) was one of my favorites. It was hilarious watching how she handled certain situations, particularly when we finally know it’s zombies. Her and Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver) onscreen definitely gave me a couple laughs.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 9
You can always expect some semblance of a good time when zombies are involved. After a slow start, the action picks up enough to at least keep things interesting. There were a number of cool action sequences that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wish it was enough to save the movie as a whole.
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 6
One of the areas where the movie fell short for me. I don’t know quite how to explain it except to say there wasn’t enough meat in it for me. It’s been a few weeks since I last saw the film and, even now, I’m struggling to remember anything substantial. For me, it doesn’t come off as a complete film.
Pace: 5
Plot: 1
Resolution: 1
Overall: 63
Much like a lot of movies that fall into this range, I really wanted to like The Dead Don’t Die more. Had it tweaked a few areas and punched up the script with more laughs, I think we would be looking at a hit. Oh well. Can’t win ‘em all.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Zoo (2018) in Movies
Feb 27, 2021
I'm not sure how this came into the watching loop, I honestly think it was the fact it was only about an hour and a half long.
John and Karen have fallen out of love with each other, their future might have been very different if it wasn't for the mysterious and dangerous plague going on outside their flat. Can they wait out the danger with the promise of rescue on the horizon?
From the outset the music comes across as quite jarring. I would expect it to be for this sort of topic, however I didn't find it easy to listen to, or that it fit well into the overall film. It's something I noticed several times, and you know me, I only notice music if it's amazing or terrible.
John and Karen, played by Ed Speleers and Zoë Tapper, take most of the screen time in their flat. We see their relationship change over the course of the film, from their rocky beginning they use their time together to become reacquainted with each other. At the beginning I wasn't entirely sure about them as a couple, the chemistry between the two actors seemed a little off, even when taking into account the divide in their character's relationship. Once we're underway though I found the power dynamic became more apparent and that helped move things along.
Despite them being confined, you never get that claustrophobic feeling, and that seemed rather strange. That spacious flat almost felt welcoming with its size, and that's at odds with the point of the film. Their spacious flat almost felt welcoming with its size. Had it "opened up" as we progressed, that would have made some sense, but all the space was used fairly early on even as extra people get added. At no point did their environment inside the flat have any real sense of danger.
The character of Karen is never massively likeable even in vulnerable moments, and her actions often seem to contradict themselves during the proceedings. When the neighbours are added into the mix I genuinely didn't see the reality in their interactions. It became a struggle between two alphas and their clueless partners, but it lacked chemistry and was a low point in the film for me.
At the beginning as the couple montage their way to trying to survive I started to engage more, but the middle chunk didn't really click with me. But somewhere along the way it seemed to get back on track... but again, more of that contradiction came and it became a real miss match.
Because of the way Death Do Us Part decided to handle the catastrophe you actually get a lot less gore than you'd expect. There are still violent moments to be seen, but it does quite a good job of hiding most of it away.
Death Do Us Part was an intriguing take on a zombie movie, with definite highs and lows. And while it was eventually an enjoyable watch, it does leave you with few answers about the story outside their flat, which was both fine and yet frustrating.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/02/death-do-us-part-movie-review.html
John and Karen have fallen out of love with each other, their future might have been very different if it wasn't for the mysterious and dangerous plague going on outside their flat. Can they wait out the danger with the promise of rescue on the horizon?
From the outset the music comes across as quite jarring. I would expect it to be for this sort of topic, however I didn't find it easy to listen to, or that it fit well into the overall film. It's something I noticed several times, and you know me, I only notice music if it's amazing or terrible.
John and Karen, played by Ed Speleers and Zoë Tapper, take most of the screen time in their flat. We see their relationship change over the course of the film, from their rocky beginning they use their time together to become reacquainted with each other. At the beginning I wasn't entirely sure about them as a couple, the chemistry between the two actors seemed a little off, even when taking into account the divide in their character's relationship. Once we're underway though I found the power dynamic became more apparent and that helped move things along.
Despite them being confined, you never get that claustrophobic feeling, and that seemed rather strange. That spacious flat almost felt welcoming with its size, and that's at odds with the point of the film. Their spacious flat almost felt welcoming with its size. Had it "opened up" as we progressed, that would have made some sense, but all the space was used fairly early on even as extra people get added. At no point did their environment inside the flat have any real sense of danger.
The character of Karen is never massively likeable even in vulnerable moments, and her actions often seem to contradict themselves during the proceedings. When the neighbours are added into the mix I genuinely didn't see the reality in their interactions. It became a struggle between two alphas and their clueless partners, but it lacked chemistry and was a low point in the film for me.
At the beginning as the couple montage their way to trying to survive I started to engage more, but the middle chunk didn't really click with me. But somewhere along the way it seemed to get back on track... but again, more of that contradiction came and it became a real miss match.
Because of the way Death Do Us Part decided to handle the catastrophe you actually get a lot less gore than you'd expect. There are still violent moments to be seen, but it does quite a good job of hiding most of it away.
Death Do Us Part was an intriguing take on a zombie movie, with definite highs and lows. And while it was eventually an enjoyable watch, it does leave you with few answers about the story outside their flat, which was both fine and yet frustrating.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/02/death-do-us-part-movie-review.html
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