Something like this was long overdue, but nonetheless, WWE has finally put together an all-women wrestling event with WWE Evolution. While the build for the PPV (and the overall card, for that matter) left a lot to be desired, I was still excited for this unprecedented event in WWE history. As usual, I'll write down my thoughts for each match, so obvious spoilers within.
0 Comments
In a world full of either shitty or mediocre video game adaptations, one franchise shone above all the rest, and its second season just came out today. For my latest post-binge blog entry, I tackle Castlevania S2. Worry not; I won't spoil anything in this one. This season picks up where S1 left off, when we were introduced to Dracula and the other main characters. S2's story revolves around Dracula continuing to exact his vengeance on humanity via genocide, while Alucard, Trevor Belmont, and Sypha embark on a quest to kill his ass. And as opposed to S1's measly (but still amazingly enjoyable) 4 episode count, we get a whole 8 episodes to see the plot unfold. The characters are as great as ever, with Dracula still being the most compelling, tragic character of them all. With that said, the other members of the cast are equally fleshed out and intriguing to watch, especially the dynamic between the intrepid trio blossoming into a genuine friendship (complete with snarky banter). We also get new characters in Carmilla (the scheming vampire lady), Hector and Isaac (Dracula's right hand men, each with their own tragic backstory), and Godbrand (he's weird), each interesting in their own right. Exploring stuff like what Dracula's lust for revenge has turned him into, or the reasons behind Hector and Isaac's respective cynicism for humanity kept me hooked on the screen, and provided deeper meaning and nuance to an otherwise basic plot. The pace is more of a slow burn with a bigger focus on characters rather than action, but with only eight episodes, each about 25 minutes in length, it's not a big deal. Besides, the character stuff is easily the strongest point of the show, and is worth watching on its own. Once the action picks up, however, it's as gory and awesome as the last season, so much so that I really wish Konami would stop fucking around and just make a new Castlevania game already. All in all, I thought Castlevania S2 was fantastic. It expands upon the amazing first season by adding more character depth and bits of interesting lore taken from the games, while still featuring a decent amount of brutal, bloody action. There's also some story threads that are sure to be explored in S3, so I can't wait for that.
While the show's story is essentially a take on Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, you can absolutely get into watching this without having played the game at all. Plus, there's only 12 short episodes, so a binge wouldn't be too troublesome. Go give it a chance. Then maybe play the games. - end - I managed to stop myself for playing this game for five minutes, so before I waste another hour and a half of my evening, I'd like to talk about RWBY: Amity Arena.
BACKGROUND: I love RWBY. I think it's an enjoyable web series and one of the best things Rooster Teeth has ever put out. If you're looking for a show with an anime vibe, cool action, or just something female-driven, go watch RWBY over at Rooster Teeth's YouTube channel. In fact, here's the playlist for the entire series. When I heard this mobile game was going to be a thing, I was hyped. Seeing RWBY's characters in anything other than the show is an exciting prospect to me, and a game that features them is certainly something I want to try out. PLOT: If you were expecting this game to tie into the events of the show, I'm sorry, but it doesn't. When you go into the tutorial, it's established that the very game you're playing is also a mobile game in the RWBY universe, and the characters seem to be aware that they're in the game. I don't really expect the goddamn Iliad when it comes to mobile games, so I don't care about the premise (or lack thereof). PRESENTATION: The game looks nice, and while it's not quite a departure from the show's original art style, it's pretty neat to see RWBY's characters in a different aesthetic. The music's pretty solid, too, and the game even uses tracks from the show. In addition, the voice actors/actresses of the show reprise their roles here, which is awesome. GAMEPLAY: If you've ever played Clash Royale, RWBY: Amity Arena features essentially the same gameplay. You fight other players in real time, deploy characters from your deck of cards (each with corresponding summoning costs), and try to destroy the enemy's towers within 3 minutes. It's one of those "easy to learn, hard to master" types of games, but if you have any sort of experience building decks or teams, you should be OK. Each card has different attributes (HP, damage, etc.), and abilities (ranging from skills that activate upon deployment, passives, or skills that you manually activate), so it's best to give each card you own a fair look (even if it's not your favorite character). You can also level your cards up by acquiring duplicates of the card and spending Lien (the basic currency you earn in this game). The cards all feature characters or creatures from the show, so if you're a RWBY fan, you'll likely recognize most of them. For some of the cards (like the main characters), you can even swap out their models to have different costumes! It's neat fan service that I'm sure will get out of hand at some point with increasingly ridiculous outfits. The easiest way to earn Lien and acquire cards is by winning matches. Whenever you win a match, you receive a crate that must be opened with a key. Keys are basically the "stamina" of this game; if you run out, you can't open crates anymore, and you have to wait a bunch for the keys to replenish. Thankfully, you can go into matches without keys; you just lose out on a chance for crates if you do. There are different types of crates, with the type determining the amount or the rarity of your drops. As you ascend in Arena tier (which you do by winning "ranked" matches and earning trophies), more cards are available to be unlocked. Alternatively, you can purchase crates from the shop using Premium Dust (the microtransaction currency of the game). In addition, you have access to missions that, when completed, can reward you with useful items like Lien, Premium Dust, or even crates. The missions are more grindy than challenging, so if you play regularly, you'll clear them just fine. There's also a guild system of sorts where you can join an "Academy" of players, but I don't know what that's about yet. It's probably a place to trade cards or hold private battles with fellow players, if I had to take a guess. VERDICT: RWBY: Amity Arena isn't a unique game by any means, but that doesn't mean that it's not fun or engaging to play. It's definitely more catered to fans of RWBY, so if you're not familiar with the show, this may not be for you. With that said, please watch the show. If you have a smartphone, you can probably play this game. Pick your poison (note: this game could be region locked; make sure to switch your respective store region to US just to be safe): - end - I thought I'd be playing this longer, but nope, my penchant for beating games too quickly strikes again. In any case, I mean to talk about my experience playing Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon.
BACKGROUND: A few years back, I heard about a Kickstarter campaign for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, produced by former Konami veteran Koji Igarashi. Still reeling from the crowdfunding fiasco surrounding Keiji Inafune (father of the Mega Man series, producer of Mighty No. 9), I mostly avoided press regarding this game. As a result, the announcement of Curse of the Moon caught me by surprise. Apparently, the development of Curse of the Moon was a Kickstarter stretch goal. It's meant to be a companion game that ties into Ritual of the Night's universe. Not only was I intrigued by Curse of the Moon's gameplay, this effectively reignited my interest in Ritual of the Night. PLOT: You play as Zangetsu, a pissed off demon slayer who is out to, well, slay some demons. He senses the presence of a powerful demon within a castle, and sets out to beat the ever-living shit out of it. Along the way, he meets other intrepid adventurers who share his goal, because fuck demons, apparently. The story's not much, but considering Curse of the Moon isn't the main game in the Bloodstained series, I'm sure the lore will be more fleshed out once Ritual of the Night comes along. PRESENTATION: Yep, it's another one of those games that looks like it's from the NES era. While I understand that many gamers are sick of the so-called nostalgia cash grab that they claim these titles are, I don't really give a shit. The 8-bit and 16-bit era were well past their prime when I was young, and games that pay homage to that time period help me develop a sense of appreciation for what games were back then. Everything from the visuals to the music harkens back to the classic Castlevania games that Bloodstained is inspired by. The levels look spooky despite being brightly colored (much like how Castlevania had bright blue backdrops), and the character sprites contrast heavily against them (in the same vein as Simon Belmont being orange in the first Castlevania). Even the chiptune music is vaguely reminiscent of some classic Castlevania tunes. GAMEPLAY: You may have noticed how I've said "Castlevania" several times in this blog entry. That's because Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is pretty much Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse if it were made in 2018. In fact, if one only took a look at bits of gameplay, I wouldn't blame someone for calling Curse of the Moon a ripoff of Dracula's Curse. Any Castlevania fan worth their salt would immediately recognize what many of Curse of the Moon's characters or enemies are based off of. Curse of the Moon follows the same formula as many early Castlevania games. You control a guy, brave your way through perilous levels with sinister enemy placement, and fight a boss at the end. You have your basic weapon, plus some sub-weapons that require weapon energy to use. If you've played the first Castlevania, you'll feel right at home. And yes, the jumping in this game is just as wonky as it was in the classic Castlevania games, so be warned. The big hook of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse back when it was released was the ability for the player to switch between four characters, each with different weapons, abilities, and sub-weapons. Curse of the Moon has this same mechanic, allowing players to take down enemies or access hard-to-reach areas with the character best suited for the job. Each character has their own health bar, and if they die, you won't be able to use them until all your other party members die, or you complete the level. Another thing Dracula's Curse was known for at the time was the branching paths in each level. Curse of the Moon also has this, and while these paths converge eventually, going off the beaten path may net you permanent rewards like health upgrades and the like. If you missed a collectible in a previous level, worry not: the game has a unique mechanic called Curse of the Moon (yes, really) that allows you to replay levels. The catch? All the progress you achieved in succeeding levels is completely erased. I got by without using this at all, but if you're a perfectionist, this option is for you. Despite the many homages (or blatant facsimiles, depending on who you ask) to many iconic Castlevania elements, Curse of the Moon does have elements that it can truly call its own. For one, the bosses have unique designs and are interesting to fight. Secondly, Curse of the Moon has a good variety difficulty options and bonus modes, ranging from a casual setting that gets rid of lives/continues/game overs, to alternate campaigns that have their own brand of challenge. On the subject of alternate campaigns, depending on how you clear your first playthrough, you either unlock Nightmare Mode or Ultimate Mode. You'll need to clear three different playthroughs to unlock everything, but that's not as bad as it sounds, considering one playthrough isn't that long at all. VERDICT: Though it may feel more like a Castlevania fan game than its own thing, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is still a sufficiently challenging experience that truly captures the feel of the games that inspired it. While a single playthrough is dreadfully short (I was done in about two hours), the game offers a good amount of alternate paths and bonus modes to check out if you intend to replay the game. Here's the link to the game's Steam store page for the PC gaming folk: https://store.steampowered.com/app/838310/Bloodstained_Curse_of_the_Moon/ - end - The week starts anew, and with it comes another tick mark on my comic backlog. Next on the list is a TPB of the FF comic from the Marvel NOW! relaunch of 2012. I won't make any promises, but I'll do my best to put out one of these blog entries at the beginning of the week for the foreseeable future. WHY I BOUGHT IT:
I chanced upon this title at a bargain bin I frequent, and given that it's a) a Fantastic Four comic, and b) it's significantly cheaper than it usually would be in a normal bookstore, I went ahead and bought it. Everyone knows the classic Fantastic Four lineup, but most non-readers don't know that the team roster changes from time to time. I've never seen this particular lineup before, and that was a huge factor behind my purchase. THE WRITING: The Fantastic Four we know and love is elsewhere, and in their place, the team of Scott Lang (as Ant-Man), She-Hulk, Medusa, and Darla Deering (as Ms. Thing) is tasked with watching over the students of the Future Foundation. In a strange turn of events, only Johnny Storm (aged significantly) has returned, warning of a catastrophe that can only be averted by killing Dr. Doom. However, the Johnny Storm angle isn't the main focus of the issues collected within this TPB, and is relegated to a subplot that's expanded upon in succeeding issues. Instead, Fantastic Faux focuses on a mystery villain pulling some strings from the shadows, kidnapping one of the Future Foundation kids, and trying to destroy the Fantastic Four. There are also some minor events interspersed among the main story threads, like She-Hulk on a date, and they're all welcome sources of character development, comic relief, and/or an exploration of the relationships between team members. It should be said that FF is a spinoff series to the Fantastic Four (2012 – 2014) comic run by the same writer-artist team, so the Johnny Storm stuff (and the fact that there's a different Fantastic Four team in the first place) may throw off people jumping into the series at this point. In fact, I'm rather baffled this TPB weirdly omits the first three issues despite being Vol. 1. THE ART: Having read iZombie, I'm no stranger to Michael Allred's art. His art is quickly recognizable if you look at the faces of the characters; there's just something about the way he draws them that makes them memorable to me. I'd say his style is very much reminiscent of '60s comic art: not too intricate, but bright and colorful. While I don't have any strong feelings about Allred's art in FF, I've seen people not really gravitate towards his style. I recall his art in the Silver Surfer comics in 2014 having... mixed reception. However, I will say that I greatly prefer his work in iZombie. VERDICT: FF Vol. 1: Fantastic Faux is a fun read, but it's probably not the ideal starting point if you want to read about the adventures of Marvel's first family during the early-to-mid 2010s. With that said, I didn't find it too difficult to get myself up to speed. Plus, it's nice to see these characters in comics other than their respective solo series. Here's a comiXology link for the interested: https://www.comixology.com/FF-Vol-1-Fantastic-Faux/digital-comic/49787?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9pdGVtU2xpZGVy - end - Once again, the sun is up, I've just finished binging a show, and I elected to write about it instead of lying down. In the latest of these unhealthy escapades, I went through Daredevil's third season.
Daredevil is one of my all-time favorite comic book characters, and S1 of the show is easily one of the best things I've seen in my entire life, so I cannot overstate how excited I was for this season. Without further ado, I want to share my thoughts on S3. Warning: spoilers abound. This comes a little late for International Day of the Girl, but nonetheless, here are my thoughts on this week's read. Let's see what A-Force Vol. 1: Hypertime has to offer. WHY I BOUGHT IT:
During the big Secret Wars comic event in 2015, a bunch of new alternate universes were introduced into Marvel's already-massive multiverse. A-Force was one of the comics set in these new universes, and it got a lot of press because of its all-female team. I remember seeing the preview of the issue #1 cover and going, holy shit, this looks awesome. The biggest hook for me, however, was seeing Nico Minoru (one of my all-time favorite comic book characters) on that cover. A year later, they bring back the A-Force roster, but this time, it's set in the main Marvel continuity. Since my life can always use more Nico Minoru, I bought the TPB (trade paperback) collecting the first four issues of this run. THE WRITING: Singularity, a new character introduced in the original A-Force run, has somehow survived the aftermath of Secret Wars and has surfaced in the main Marvel universe. She's being hunted down by a mysterious entity dubbed Antimatter, and has decided to seek the members of A-Force for aid. The thing is, A-Force happened in a different universe, and their counterparts in the main universe have no recollection of the events that happened in said universe. Overall, the story starts out pretty basic, but seeing A-Force slowly become a unit was pretty enjoyable. The team's interactions with one another make for fun reading, especially when Nico Minoru's involved. She's never been affiliated with the Avengers in any official capacity, so having her work with A-list members like Captain Marvel is a real treat. If you haven't read the original A-Force run that was set during Secret Wars, it might be difficult to get into this comic, as Singularity is a completely new character that may catch readers off guard. Thankfully, this TPB also has the first issue of the original A-Force. While it won't fill all the gaps, it will certainly provide a bit of context to the universe Singularity came from. Also included in this TPB is an old Avengers comic from 1963, which features the Lady Liberators, which may be the first instance of an all-female team in Marvel Comics. It's a weird little tale of Valkyrie pitting the female members of the Avengers against the male members, in a quest to rid the world of sexism.... or so she says. THE ART: Jorge Molina does a solid job here, with the facial expressions striking me as the most impressive part of his work. I'm a big fan of his take on Nico Minoru (especially with how she looks in the cover art for each issue). Speaking of cover art, Molina's cover art is amazing. While Singularity looks great within the pages, it's in the covers where her design shines through the most. She's a cool-looking character who is very reminiscent of Eternity (also a Marvel character), and I'm sure her "cosmic" design will stick in the minds of many a reader. VERDICT: Though it might seem that reading the original A-Force comics from 2015 is a prerequisite, I think A-Force Vol. 1: Hypertime is still an enjoyable read on its own. While the story's nothing revolutionary, it's got a solid roster of characters with great interactions. If you're looking for female-driven comics. this title should be on your radar. Go read it on digital over at comiXology: https://www.comixology.com/A-Force-Vol-1-Hypertime/digital-comic/394185?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9pdGVtU2xpZGVy - end - It took five years and a 40% markdown on the eShop, but I finally have my hands on the latest Worms game. For today's blog entry, I'd like to talk about Worms W.M.D, the latest in the storied Worms franchise.
BACKGROUND: I love the Worms series. To this day, it remains one of the most enjoyable turn-based strategy games I've ever played. The first one I played was Worms: Open Warfare 2 on the PSP, which provided me and my friends hours upon hours of local multiplayer fun. I've since played a few of the older titles, but the last game in the series I remember playing was Worms: Revolution on the PS3. I did own Worms 3 on iOS, but it ran like shit on my iPad, so I can't really say that I played that game in any capacity. Fast forward to 2016, and I hear this game came out. I watched a bunch of Let's Plays on it from Achievement Hunter (my go-to for Worms videos), and found myself a little envious of the fun they were having. None of the systems I owned at the time had this game (other than my Mac, which is, well, a Mac), so I never really got a chance to play it. That is, until it came out on the Switch a while back. W.M.D was $30, though, so I waited for a sale to buy it. PLOT: It's a Worms game. It didn't have a plot 20+ years ago, and it doesn't have a plot now. PRESENTATION: The art style is wildly different from previous games. I see Team17 opted for the more hand-drawn style this time around, and, aside from looking nice, it really gives this particular title a sense of visual identity over previous entries in the Worms series. The backgrounds look as fantastic as ever, which is to be expected, since every succeeding Worms game consistently improves in this department. As I usually have the volume down when playing a Worms game, I can't say much about the music, but I can say that the voice acting (the most important aspect of the audio in any Worms game) is back in full force. There's a whole new selection of silly voices to give your worms this time around, and they've got funny dialogue to boot. There's even an Achievement Hunter voice pack, which is a nice treat for longtime fans of their content like myself. GAMEPLAY: If you've played any Worms game before, W.M.D will, at its core, still feel familiar. You still control a team of worms (which can now be expanded to 8 instead of the usual 4) and take turns trying to wipe out enemy teams with a wide arsenal of weapons, all the while moving around and destroying the terrain. W.M.D opts to go for the classic 2D this time around, so don't worry about the additional z-axis. You still got your classics like the bazooka, dynamite, and airstrike, but like any new entry in the Worms series, there's a bunch of new weapons to play around with. You can even craft weapons when it's not your turn. By either picking up crates in the battlefield or dismantling weapons you already have, you can get a hold of base components that allow you to craft more weapons, or even create new variants of traditional weapons (e.g. the gas grenade is a variant of the grenade). If that's not enough for you, Worms W.M.D introduces a whole new way to kill your enemies: vehicles. Ranging from mechs, tanks, and helicopters, you can hop onto one of these vehicles and turn the tide of the battle. Be wary, however; if these vehicles take enough damage, they explode. They sound broken in theory, but they don't really spell the difference between victory in defeat in most games. Terrain usually goes unchanged across Worms games, but this time around, the addition of buildings adds a new layer of depth to worm positioning. When you enter a building, it reveals internal terrain within, and if you remain inside by the end of your turn, your position will be obfuscated from the enemy (unless they themselves enter that same building). There can be mounted guns strewn about the landscape as well, giving players additional locations to want strategic control of. Of course, no Worms game is complete without the breadth of customization options. There are more options than ever for creating worm teams, from new hats, voice packs, grave markers, and even victory fanfare. As usual, you can also create custom game schemes, which ensures you don't get the same kind of game twice. While you can play online with random people (ranked or unranked), or opt for the more traditional pass-the-controller-to-your-friend local multiplayer, there's a good amount of single player missions that will test your strategic mettle and resourceful use of weaponry. There are also some challenges that are essentially puzzles that require the unorthodox use of certain items (e.g. killing an enemy with only a jetpack and terrain hazards). VERDICT: Worms: W.M.D has the time-tested Worms gameplay longtime fans will love, plus a host of new mechanics to spice up the old formula. Whether or not you decide to play this with other people, you're sure to have a blast blasting enemy worms off the landscape into a watery grave. That said, this game is at its most fun when you and your friends are in a room together, and you all laugh at the one guy who accidentally pressed fire instead of jump. This game is on every current-gen console and goes on sale rather often, so I highly encourage buying it. If you're of the PC master race crowd, here's the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/327030/Worms_WMD/ - end - Nintendo has just added four new games to the NES Online catalog for all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to enjoy. From what I understand, they'll be expanding the library bit by bit every month, so that gives me one more thing to look forward to (and write about) in the future. In the unlikely event you give a shit about what I have to say about the NES Online's starting library, hop on over here to read my blog entry on the matter. THE NEW GAMES: ![]() NES OPEN TOURNAMENT GOLF - Before Mario Golf, there was NES Open. It's a serviceable golf game, but it uses the "three clicks" method of determining the power and trajectory of your swing, which is a surefire way to deter me from playing any golf game. ![]() SOLOMON'S KEY - A rather obscure platformer that has you control a wizard named Dana, where you navigate room after room with increasingly challenging layouts, hazards, and enemies, equipped only with the ability to create or destroy blocks in order to progress or assist in platforming. Lots of fun, but the time limit can be stressful. ![]() SUPER DODGE BALL - One of the better sports games in the NES Online library. The emulation flickers a lot, making things hard to see, but it's otherwise a good example of a simple, but fun NES title. ![]() THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SP - Perhaps the most unexpected addition, this is essentially a Nintendo-sanctioned romhack of the original game where you start the game with a significant amount of items, and all the overworld secrets are revealed. Perfect for people who have a hard time getting through the original game. While only four (OK, three and a half) games were added this month, I'd say what we got are pretty solid additions to the NES Online library. Plus, the prospect of more Special remixes of classic NES games excites me. Can't wait to see what they add to the library next month. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna try and get past Level 3 of Solomon's Key...
- end - Progress is slow, but I'm slowly working through my comics backlog. For today's blog entry, I'd like to talk about Batman: The Killing Joke. WHY I BOUGHT IT:
Batman: The Killing Joke is iconic. Even casual fans of Batman have heard of this comic. It is revered by many comic fans as one of the defining titles of the late '80s, and is undoubtedly one of Alan Moore's greatest contributions to the industry. Even when I was too young to be reading a title like The Killing Joke, I knew a little about of what happens in it, mostly due to my curiosity over why Barbara Gordon was Oracle in some of the cartoons I watched. When I got older (and more into comics), I started looking at "essential graphic novels you should read" lists online. One of the titles I ended up buying early on for my comics library was Watchmen, one of Alan Moore's most recognizable titles. I loved it so much, I started looking for his other works in bookstores, eventually buying V for Vendetta and The Killing Joke. THE WRITING: The story starts out with Batman paying The Joker a visit in Arkham Asylum, only to find out he's escaped. Joker's scheme this time involved driving Jim Gordon, a man he calls "the sanest man alive", into complete madness, in an attempt to prove to Batman that "one bad day" is all that separates the average man from becoming an utter lunatic like him. In addition, the comic explores the Joker's origins (or, at least, one of his possible origins) as a failed stand-up comedian dragged into crime in order to support his family. It's an adaptation of the original Red Hood story from the '50s, and has since been retold and adapted over the decades. Alan Moore goes to some pretty dark places in a lot of his works, and The Killing Joke is no exception. The most notable instance in this case (and what most people remember about this comic) is the downright horrific fate that befalls Barbara Gordon at the beginning. Even as someone who has known the events of the comic for many years, actually seeing the panels with my own eyes brought me a great deal of uneasiness. The Killing Joke also delves into the whole "two sides of the same coin" dynamic Batman and Joker have since become known for, with Joker noting that both he and Batman suffered a great tragedy that turned them both into what they are, going as far as to say that Batman is as crazy as he is, but refuses to admit it. It's interesting to see the parallels and how their paths diverge, with Joker simply embracing that the world is just one cruel joke, whereas Batman has spent his entire life trying to make sense of his "one bad day". Since I bought the Deluxe Edition released in 2008 (celebrating 20 years since the comic's release), the book also has Brian Bolland's "An Innocent Guy", which is a short comic about a guy who, despite talking about how much of a good person he is, intends to kill Batman, simply because he decided that he's going to do one bad thing in his entire life. It's a short, but interesting read that got me pondering. THE ART: I've read a good amount of Judge Dredd, so I'm pretty familiar with Brian Bolland's art. Since the early Judge Dredd comics were in black and white, his detailed line art is hard to miss there, but it's still very much present in The Killing Joke. The Deluxe Edition features some early sketches, too, which is wonderful. I appreciate when comics come with bonus art for readers to look at. From what I understand, the original Killing Joke wasn't colored in by Bolland himself, but the Deluxe Version was, so the reprint I'm holding right now looks quite different from the original, which uses a warmer palette. According to the afterword in this book (written by Bolland himself), the coloring in the original wasn't what Bolland had in mind, so it's nice to see what he had intended for the comic to look like. VERDICT: If you're a fan of Batman in any capacity, and/or are interested in Joker as a villain, The Killing Joke is an essential read. It's not for the faint of heart, however, as it's probably one of the darkest Batman stories out there. And while you're at it, go read more of Alan Moore's work like Watchmen or V for Vendetta. There's a reason he's hailed as one of the all-time greats (and a reason a lot of his comics end up as movies). Check it out on digital at comiXology: https://www.comixology.com/Batman-The-Killing-Joke/digital-comic/48363?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9pdGVtU2xpZGVy - end - Every once in a while, a game comes along that immediately hooks me to the point that I end up spending my entire night playing it. Today, The Messenger fits that description. I started playing it yesterday afternoon, and now (about 16 hours later) I've just cleared it 100%. It's that enjoyable. BACKGROUND: I can't remember if it was a Nindies Showcase or a Nintendo Direct, but regardless, I first heard of The Messenger on some sort of Nintendo presentation. Other than looking heavily inspired by the original Ninja Gaiden games on the NES, it didn't really pique my interest. My interest in The Messenger took a complete 180 during Gamescom, when I watched an IGN video covering the game. When they showed off the core mechanic of the game, I was immediately sold. I'll get to the specifics in a moment. PLOT: The game starts out with an opening cutscene showing the last of the human race as they're terrorized by demons in an agonizing cycle of destruction. Legends speak of a hero coming from the west to save mankind, and when he does, he will appoint humanity's greatest warrior as The Messenger (AKA you). The Messenger's mission is to deliver a divine scroll to the highest summit in the land, in an effort to put an end to the demons' reign of terror for good. Right off the bat, the story's your typical chosen one/apocalypse setting double whammy. I didn't care for it much at first, but shit starts to become infinitely more interesting once you get halfway through the game and time travel is introduced. To say any more would be to ruin the surprise, but let's just say I had a huge smile on my face when the pieces started falling together. What I found to be most enjoyable, however, was the characters and their dialogue. There are a host of quirky characters (the player character included), and everything they say is worth reading. The abundance of meta jokes and silly interactions made potentially bland characters otherwise memorable. The Shopkeeper is the MVP of the bunch, with the game's best humor coming from them. I found myself spending way too much time in the shop just interacting with him. PRESENTATION: The core mechanic I mentioned earlier on is tightly woven into the game's visual presentation, so I have to give it away in this section. In the first half of the game, you get the Ninja Gaiden-inspired 8-bit aesthetic that evokes that retro feel but still has that modern polish. When you get to the second half, however, time travel sends you to the far future. Not only does the story move forward in time, but so does the whole look of the game, because once you get to that part, everything is in 16-bit. Everything you see at the beginning of the game suddenly feels brand new, from more detailed sprites, to improved particle effects, and smoother animation. When I found out about the whole aesthetic shift and how it was tied into the game's narrative, I was blown away. The idea of representing the past in '80s 8-bit and the future in the more advanced SNES/Sega Genesis 16-bit look was such a genius concept to me that it was enough to convince me to buy the game. And the devs didn't do this just for the sake of doing it, either; the shift in graphics also denotes a shift in gameplay. It's not just visuals that are affected by the time travel gimmick; even the sounds change. In the past, the soundtrack is chiptune-heavy, and the sound effects sound primitive (for lack of a better term). When you go into the future, you get a slightly more modern-sounding remix of that same chiptune track, and you get more polished sound effects. The fact that the devs went the extra mile with the 8-bit to 16-bit concept is incredible to me, and I can't commend them enough for the effort they put in. On the subject of the soundtrack, it's incredible, both in 8-bit and in 16-bit. I haven't heard of Rainbowdragoneyes before playing this game, but I'd be shocked if their work in The Messenger's soundtrack didn't put them on the map. GAMEPLAY: Whether you're in the past or in the future, the fundamentals of The Messenger remain the same: it's an action platformer very much in the vein of Ninja Gaiden. You run, jump, wall climb, and slash at enemies to get through the game, but that's where the similarities with Ninja Gaiden end. Much like how Shovel Knight has his pogo move, The Messenger comes with a unique platforming mechanic: the Cloudstep. Cloudstep restores your jump if you slash an enemy, a projectile, or objects like lanterns in mid-air. It works kinda like the parry in Cuphead, except you have slash at something before you can jump. A lot of the platforming challenges in the game are built around this mechanic, so it's paramount to get the hang of it early on. You also get other tools as you progress, like a shuriken projectile, a wingsuit that allows you to slowly glide down, a rope dart that allows you to zip from wall to wall (or into enemies) similar to Link's Hookshot, and more. You don't get a massive arsenal of tools like how you have a bunch of relics in Shovel Knight, but most of the stuff they give you here is more than enough to make going through levels fun. In addition, there's also a skill tree that grants you shit like additional HP, defense up, and more. The skill tree is what you'll be using most of your Time Shards (the game's currency on), so it's best to buy them as soon as you can. I do wish you could spend the currency on stuff like consumable HP potions or something, because once you unlock the entire skill tree, all that money you're amassing is useless. While the enemy placement in stages can reach Castlevania levels of devious, the enemies themselves don't come in many varieties, and a lot of them go down in one hit. They're mostly there as hazards as opposed to something that demands a proper fight. The bosses aren't too difficult (apart from a few with some quick or annoying patterns), but a lot of them incorporate a lot of the platforming gimmicks you see in the levels, and are fun to fight for the most part. What The Messenger lacks in combat, though, it more than makes up for with the levels themselves. There are all sorts of hazards and interactables that must be navigated around with precision, and it's all made tougher with the aforementioned enemy placement, and the fact that, most times, you need to keep moving and not stop. You'll die a bunch, but thankfully, there is no lives/continues system, and there are a good number of autosave checkpoints to go around. Instead, the penalty for death comes in the form of Quarble, a winged creature who appears when you die. He'll follow you around when you respawn, eating all the Time Shards you collect, essentially acting as payment for saving your ass. This works kinda like Shovel Knight or Mario Odyssey, where you lose money if you suck at platforming. To add insult to injury, the death screen is Quarble talking serious shit and making fun of you. Remember when I said that the shift in the game's visuals also changes the gameplay? Well, in the first half, The Messenger plays like a typical platformer, where you go from level to level, and each level is more or less straightforward with little to no branching paths. Once you get to the second half and unlock the secrets of time travel, all those levels you've been running through eventually become part of a large, interconnected map, and the game becomes a Metroidvania. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for Metroidvanias, and when I learned that The Messenger transitions from a linear progression of levels to an essentially open world you can explore at your leisure, I was hooked even further. It's like if all the levels in the original Super Mario. Bros were combined into one huge map, and you can backtrack to World 1-1 from World 8-4. Re-exploring and finding secrets in the earlier levels was utterly satisfying, and the fact that I got to see them reimagined in 16-bit and hear a remix of the soundtrack was the cherry on top. Once you hit the Metroidvania phase, all the tropes follow suit. You'll need to backtrack to and from the levels that you beat in the first half of the game to find macguffins to unlock the endgame. There'll be a lot of going from coast to coast to get a thing that unlocks a thing somewhere else, and a lot of returning to previously inaccesible areas with whatever new abilities you just obtained. Of course, it's not a Metroidvania without some sort of collectible to chase after. In The Messenger's case, that collectible would be the Power Seal. These green coin things are strewn about the majority of the areas, and while finding them is one thing, actually obtaining them is another. Power Seals are often in a challenge room that requires some serious platforming skill to traverse, and if you want all 45 of these things, you'll need to git gud. Collecting all of them nets you a nifty reward. If you're not big on the whole exploration aspect of Metroidvanias, fret not. You can use your Time Shards to buy hints from The Shopkeeper to help you out. I can't tell you what it exactly does, however, because I found all the shit on my own, and thus never had to use the hints. VERDICT:
The Messenger is easily in the running for my personal 2018 Game of the Year, with its challenging platforming and masterful execution of the past/future concept. I'll say it once, I'll say it again: never sleep on indie platformers. It's not on other consoles yet, but The Messenger is available for the lovely folks on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/764790/The_Messenger/ Listen to the amazing soundtrack over at Rainbowdragoneyes's Bandcamp. Pick your poison: Rainbowdragoneyes is also on Spotify, so you can listen to the OST there, too: - end - After a rollercoaster of confusion, cautious optimism, mild disappointment, and slight concern, Sony's Venom movie is finally here, and whatever inner turmoil the existence of this movie has caused me can finally be put to rest. There won't be any spoilers here, so don't worry.
Before I talk about what I really like about this movie, here's a list of what I didn't like/had no real strong feelings towards:
Now that I've flushed the cynicism out of my hate-filled body, let's discuss the best thing about this movie: Venom himself. I really liked the "intrepid reporter" take on Eddie Brock, and Tom Hardy (per usual) gives us a rather enjoyable performance. When he gets the symbiote, that's when the real fun starts. The banter between Brock and the symbiote is funny, and I really wish the movie had more time to flesh out their relationship. Venom looks awesome, fitting the towering physique that Spider-Man 3 didn't quite get right, and I like how they got a little creative with his powers, where he essentially shifts his form to attack or defend. While there are a few Easter eggs, and there are parallels to the Lethal Protector storyline in the comics, there's not much for comic fans to really freak out about. That is, until the mid-credits scene, where they tease something pretty big for a potential sequel. Too bad whatever that is won't be connected to the MCU, either. Overall, I feel like Venom was pretty average, maybe a notch below, but thanks to the titular character, it was still fun to watch for majority of its rather short runtime. If you're really interested or are a fan of the character, I'd still recommend seeing it, but I understand any feelings of apprehension if you've seen some reviews online. A few more things before I go:
- end - It's finally here! After about 700 centuries of waiting, the prayers of Mega Man fans like myself have been answered with Mega Man 11, the latest entry in the storied franchise. I spent my entire evening playing this game (and beating it), and I'm just as excited to talk about it now as I was excited to play it earlier today! BACKGROUND: It's no secret that Mega Man is one of my favorite video game franchises of all time. Mega Man 8 was the first game I ever played, and in the many years since, I've gone on to play a good number of the Mega Man games, ranging from the classics, to a few in the X series, and even stuff like Battle Network or Star Force. With all this said, when Mega Man 11 was revealed on the Mega Man 30th Anniversary stream last year, my excitement couldn't be overstated. Last month, a demo for the game was released (which I talked about here). Playing the demo further bolstered my excitement for the game, and I pre-purchased it the second preorders went live on the eShop. PLOT: If you've played one Mega Man game in your life, you already know the story: Dr. Wily's a shithead, he assembles a crew of Robot Masters, you kick their asses, you go to his castle, wreck his shit, and Wily runs away or whatever. Rinse and repeat. It's been like this for ten goddamn games; if you were expecting the next Macbeth, you're in the wrong neighborhood. With that said, there's a bit more meat to the typical Mega Man formula this time around, integrating story elements from Dr. Wily and Dr. Light's past as university students. While it's not on the level of Mega Man 8, we get some good cutscenes that move the plot along. PRESENTATION: You know how, as a kid, you imagined shitty-looking 8-bit or 16-bit games as these amazing-looking cinematic masterpieces back when you first played them? Well, this is how I always imagined the older Mega Man games looked like when I was young. Sure, there's nothing distinct about the art style itself, but it's exactly what "Mega Man in the modern era" looks like in my mind. The level aesthetics, while nothing revolutionary, look colorful and tie in well with its corresponding Robot Master. They even go for motifs that are unique but still somehow fit into the video game level tropes (e.g. the ice level, the underwater level, etc.). Mega Man's design isn't much different from Mega Man 8 and the like, but the awesome thing they did with him this time is how drastically his design changes when equipped with a Special Weapon. Instead of just the typical palette swap, his helmet and arm cannon actually change in appearance, reminiscent of the Robot Master the weapon is from. The sound effects are solid (though a bunch of iconic Mega Man sounds are noticeably absent), and the music is enjoyable, but doesn't quite reach the heights of the best songs to come out of the franchise. Mega Man is very well-known for amazing soundtracks, so it's kind of a shame Mega Man 11 isn't on that echelon, at least in my opinion. GAMEPLAY: Run, jump, shoot. It's been that way since 1987, and the formula still works today. Mega Man 11 delivers on the fundamentals fans have come to expect from the series, with some new twists to spice things up. First, the big, new mechanic: the Double Gear system. Introduced as a pivotal plot point, the system give Mega Man two functions that completely change how you play the game. The Speed Gear slows down time, allowing you to dodge quick enemies, or navigate through tricky platforming segments. The Power Gear increases your Buster damage, as well as powers up your Special Weapons (like how charging Special Weapons in Mega Man X unleashes an enhanced attack/adds additional effects). If you're a seasoned veteran like I am, you might forget this mechanic is even in the game when you're playing. But once you condition yourself to use the Double Gears, it adds an entirely new layer of depth to a time-tested game. Surviving boss fights and conquering platforming segments was utterly satisfying with the Speed Gear, and wrecking absolute shit with the Power Gear is fun. It's not all fun and games, however; the Double Gears have a sort of overheat meter that increases the longer a Gear is in use. If the meter fills up, you won't be able to use either gear for a short while. This ensures that one uses the gears judiciously instead of having Mega Man be OP the entire level. In addition, if you're low on health, you get access to an overdrive mechanic, which allows you to use both gears simultaneously. This is a last-ditch effort kind of deal that you should only really activate when you're confident you'll survive, as overheating here will leave you incredibly vulnerable. With that said, defeating a boss with its help is rather cathartic. The Robot Masters aren't anything groundbreaking design-wise (I suppose that's hard when you're 11 games deep), but fighting them is great, because, like Mega Man, they have the Double Gear system equipped, too! As opposed to your typical Mega Man boss fight, they get a sort of second phase when you've damaged them enough. Besting them with your own use of gears as they try their damnedest to kick your ass makes for exciting boss fights. Of course, we can't talk about Mega Man without covering its bread and butter: the Special Weapons. As usual, defeating a Robot Master grants you the use of their respective Special Weapon, which you can then use to beat the shit out of some other Robot Master that's weak to it. While there have been a good number of Mega Man games where a lot of the Special Weapons are hardly useful/not fun, Mega Man 11 is thankfully an exception to this. Most of the weapons have some sort of utility, allowing you to deal with enemies that your Mega Buster can't quite reach or kill. The Block Dropper in particular was the MVP of my run with its incredible range and respectable damage. Part of the fun of a Mega Man game is figuring out which Robot Master is weak to which weapon, and Mega Man 11 makes it easier for the player by adding a purple spark effect when the weapon is (to borrow a term) super effective against a boss. The sparks even appear in regular enemies and minibosses, allowing one to optimize how they take down everything in a level. As someone who usually defaults to the Mega Buster, I really appreciated this, as it further incetivized me to use the Special Weapons. In true Mega Man fashion, each Robot Master level has a bunch of gimmicks that are in theme with the level design and the Robot Master that resides in it. Although they're nothing revolutionary, all the gimmicks they throw at you were fun to figure out, and dealing with a combination of them after they've been introduced in a controlled environment is classic Mega Man. The only gimmick I don't like is in Bounce Man's stage. Fuck those bouncy balls. If all of this sounds daunting, fret not, as Mega Man 11 has a Newcomer and Casual mode for the less platformer-inclined. If you're worried that this is gonna be another easy Mega Man game, don't worry; not only is Normal mode sufficiently challenging, there's also a harder Superhero mode. It's not for the faint of heart. After beating the main story, there's some extra challenge modes for you to play around with. Ranging from the typical time attack to the more unique Balloon Rush mode, you're bound to find something you like in there. It's perfect for those who want a little extra after kicking the shit out of Dr. Wily. And yes, a lot of tried-and-true Mega Man tropes make a return. Disappearing blocks, Wily's Castle, a boss rush, the Auto shop from Mega Man 7/8 (which allows you to buy items and upgrades), Eddie, Beat... with a few exceptions, you'll find it all here. VERDICT:
Mega Man is back in full force with a solid 11th installment, offering a new mechanic that adds a whole new flavor to the very familiar gameplay of the series. It's not a terribly long game (most Mega Man games aren't), and it's not exactly an evolution in the franchise the way Mario 64 was to Super Mario World, but it's still an enjoyable experience, especially for longtime Mega Man fans. Hopefully this game becomes a springboard to more bold, exciting Mega Man sequels! This game is out today on every current-gen console. For the folks of the PC persuasion, here it is on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/742300/Mega_Man_11__11/ - end - |
Categories
All
Archives
June 2024
Derryck
|