There's another Switch Online Game Trials offering, which means I have a week to try out something new. BACKGROUND:
My reaction to the announcement that this would be October's NSO Game Trial was something to the effect of "I have no earthly idea what this is." Take away from that what you will. PLOT: Two siblings are kidnapped by some sort of ghostly monster and are forced to participate in what appears to be a cruel game of cops and robbers. That's as far as the story goes, unfortunately. PRESENTATION: The game is a cute juxtaposition of the chibi anime aesthetic with the overall spooky vibe of the setting. It's vaguely Tim Burton-esque in that it mixes a bit of the ghoulish with the cartoony but is otherwise distinct in terms of actual aesthetic. The various monsters look much cuter than they are menacing, and the human characters express their emotions with trademark anime iconography. The music also has a whimsical feel to it, which fits well with the more light-hearted hijinks that occur. GAMEPLAY: As I've hinted at, OBAKEIDORO! is basically a cartoon horror-themed cops and robbers as a video game. If you didn't play cops and robbers as a kid, it's basically a variant of tag where players are split into teams. When a cop tags a robber, the robber has to stay in a designated jail, at which point the other robbers can try and break them out. Cops win by tagging all the robbers, and the robbers win if at least one of them can stay out of jail after the timer expires. Much like games such as Dead by Daylight, OBAKEIDORO! is an asymmetrical multiplayer experience. One player plays as the monster (the cop in this analogy), while three others play as humans. Each game lasts three minutes, which I felt is a decent enough length for the game.... sometimes. From my experience, it's a lot of fun to play as a human. It's satisfying to hide for an extended period of time, chases are thrilling since you can bait the monster for the good of the team, and setting up jailbreaks feels exhilarating. On the flip side, playing as the monster can be hit or miss, since after all, it's 1v3, and skilled human players can deftly distract you long enough that you can't gain any momentum. That said, attentive monster players can oppress unsuspecting humans easily by keeping a good eye on people attempting a jailbreak. Humans have few options: run or hide. However, they aren't completely defenseless, as they come equipped with a lantern. Using a lantern lets out a burst of light that can stun a nearby monster, giving you precious seconds to make your escape. You can't spam this option, however, as once you use it, it's gone. There is a way to recharge the lantern, but we'll get into that later. Monsters are able to pass through walls, see footsteps, and are assisted by AI ghosts who point at any humans they spot. If a monster captures a human, they're thrown into the jail that is usually in the middle of the stage. The humans can attempt to set their jailed teammate free by running to the cage and activating the multiple switches on it. Doing so not only frees their teammate, but also recharges their lantern for one more use. After a successful jailbreak, humans can't bail anyone out until a timer expires, which the monster can capitalize on if they can capture humans quickly enough. You're naturally able to play this game online, but there are also local multiplayer modes if you've got people over. There's also a single player mode, but it's basically just the same game, but with bots. I thought there'd be a campaign or something, but alas... Playing the various modes ranks you up (monster rank and human rank are separate, by the way), and the points you get are determined by the actions you perform in each game. It didn't seem like you can rank down, at least in the early ranks, and apparently even single player can contribute to ranking up. Additionally, you can earn stamps, which are the game's equivalent to achievements. These will reward you with titles for your player profile, but that's it. You'll also earn coins after every match, which can be spent at the shop. Here's where things get interesting, as you can purchase new lanterns for your human to equip (each with different stats and abilities) and new monsters to play as (who have their own unique skills). It's a shame that it takes a great while to get enough gold to buy these new things, because the descriptions of these new monsters and lanterns sound like they change the game in a really fun way. There's also a fair bit of variety in the stages as well. Not only is there a variety of locales (from spooky libraries, creepy swamps, an abandoned warehouse, and more), each one also has their own sort of gimmick to them (like more vertical layouts, stuff that slows humans down, among other things). From what I can tell, however, online multiplayer maps are on a rotation, so the best way to try all the maps is through the local modes. I also noticed that you can even change the playable humans like you would monsters, but they do not show up in the in-game shop. It seems like they're DLC, and that's a great shame because it seems like these other humans also have abilities and such. VERDICT: I had fun with my brief time with OBAKEIDORO! and its cute take on cops and robbers. However, I would put an emphasis on the word "brief," as apart from playing the core game over and over, there's not much else to do. Grinding for the more interesting lanterns/monsters that change the mechanics takes a tad too long as well, and I found it odd that alternate human characters are seemingly locked behind a paywall. I think it's enjoyable in short bursts (albeit I'd say it's more fun as a human), but I don't see myself dedicating a lot of time to it. I think I would recommend this more as a party game to be played with friends on a couch than I would as a game to enjoy online with players around the world. Its vibe is perfect for the family-friendly audience, and the game is simple enough that even the most casual of players can enjoy themselves. If you're looking for a robust single player experience or a substantial story, I'm afraid this game doesn't really offer either. The game is available on Steam here: Bail or Jail (OBAKEIDORO!) on Steam (steampowered.com) - end -
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For this final stretch of my weekly Black Panther reads, I'm tackling the Christopher Priest run. Let's begin. BACKGROUND:
As far as this series goes, the most I've read of it is the first five issues (I discuss my thoughts on that here). My discussion here will focus on the issues I specified in the title, but I did reread that first arc as a refresher. SUMMARY: In issues #1-5 (which, to reiterate, I already read a long time ago but reread beforehand), T'Challa went to America to deal with a personal issue, and that led him into conflict with a rather powerful villain. During that stretch, another villain named Achebe (under the thumb of T'Challa's current adversary) surfaces and takes over Wakanda while T'Challa is preoccupied. Through issues #6-12, T'Challa investigates all involved in Achebe's ascension (which goes as deep as bad actors in the US intelligence community), and while Achebe attempts to stop him multiple times, T'Challa eventually returns to Wakanda to personally deal with the problem. The rest of the issues I cover follow a new story arc, one that sees the return of one of T'Challa's greatest enemies: Killmonger! He's seemingly back from the dead, and it's clear he's gearing up for another showdown with T'Challa. During this stretch, T'Challa returns stateside to deal with some villains, but it becomes evident to him that he's being targeted (again). The conflict's only being set up at the point where I decided to stop reading, so I'll likely have more thoughts on this when I get to its conclusion. T'Challa showcases his brilliance once again as he quickly figures out the conspiracy against him and does badass shit (like demanding the surrender of his enemies despite being the one captured), all while maintaining his well-spoken and honorable demeanor. Barring a few exceptions, it feels like this T'Challa is on top of every situation, and that's fun to see. This series is notable for introducing new characters such as the White Wolf (along with the concept of the Hatut Zeraze), Everett Ross (the narrator for most of these issues and T'Challa's new traveling companion), as well as Okoye and Nakia (expanding upon the idea of the Dora Milaje). They've all now become staples of the Black Panther books ever since, and they're for the most part interesting characters. The Dora Milaje are mostly in the background for majority of the story, but they do get their moments to kick ass. Nakia's blind infatuation towards T'Challa in particular (exacerbated by a major incident from the first arc) sets her up nicely for the villain arc I know she ends up going through, while Okoye is more no-nonsense and focused on the task at hand. They're also setting up a new character named Queen Divine Justice to become a Dora Milaje, and while they seem to still be setting up her backstory, her personality shines immediately as a passionate activist. Hunter (White Wolf's given name) is a fascinating character given his backstory. Despite being white, T'Chaka took it upon himself to adopt him and raising as his own, eventually appointing him as the leader of Wakanda's secret police. Even though the rest of Wakanda treated him like a total outsider, he's still fiercely loyal to his adopted home, though his ruthless methods put him at odds with T'Challa. His relationship with Ramonda is also quite different from T'Challa, as much like him, the Queen Mother isn't Wakandan and deals with a similar kind of xenophobia from Wakandans (likely exacerbated by the fact that she is T'Chaka's second wife). Everett Ross naturally gets a lot of time to shine given his role as both the narrator of the comic and T'Challa's handler in the states. He is quite amusing as he humorously narrates his exploits alongside the Black Panther and gets into a lot of weird or dangerous situations. That said, his habit of recounting stories out of order (established as a trait of his early on) is legitimately annoying as it becomes a needless challenge to piece together the series of events. It's also interesting to see how T'Challa has taken a shine to Ross, and he's even entrusted with a big job in Wakanda while T'Challa goes on his excursions. It's also shown that Ross's boss Nikki (to whom Ross is narrating to for most of the issues) and T'Challa know each other, and that adds a bit of drama between the three by the end of my reading. There are a good number of special guests across the issues I've read, from various Avengers members (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Firestar, Hulk, and even Vance Astro), other heroes (Falcon, Iron Fist, Luke Cage), and villains that vary in notoriety (Kraven the Hunter, Hydro Man, Nightshade, Cottonmouth, among others). Some of them kind of just show up, but I did like how the Avengers got involved in one of the earlier incidents, and how the fact that T'Challa joined the Avengers to spy on them was addressed. As far as individual characters whose appearances I enjoyed, I thought Hulk's one appearance was hilarious, and Hydro Man felt like a massive threat in his fight with T'Challa. Monica Lynne, T'Challa's longtime flame through these old series, is back as well. The fact that her engagement with T'Challa was called off is tackled head-on as Lynne becomes increasingly sick of getting caught in the crossfire of the Black Panther's battles. It's a little sad to see that relationship fall apart the way it does. Achebe is a pretty standard villain with predictable aspirations, but his sanity goes into a complete tailspin by the end as he starts adopting a particularly bizarre mannerism. In the case of Killmonger, it's too early to say what he's after (though one could hazard a guess), but it seems that his approach this time around involves recruiting other villains and generally more subterfuge than brute force. The comic gets a little political in these early issues, as the impact of an African monarch (of a nation that wasn't conquered, no less) amongst the African American community. It's touched on in other comics (like in Luke Cage), but T'Challa is revered as a symbol of the freedom Black people still fight for to this day. Of course, there's the more obvious political implications of the US government being involved in the conspiracy to oust T'Challa, and he tackles that head-on with a pivotal address to the UN that ruffles some feathers. Many artists were involved in the issues I read here, so the styles naturally vary greatly. There's the almost photorealistic style of the early issues, callbacks to simpler, old-school art, some issues where everyone is super fucking jacked, others with intricate linework, and a few that feel closer to the "modern" style that I'm familiar with (typically simple, but not completely devoid of detail). Overall, I liked the variety, but it's definitely the early issues (#1-8) that are absolute standouts to me given how the level of detail and coloring feels so realistic. I did also find amusement in the later issues because T'Challa and Killmonger look absurdly jacked. Like, "tiny heads on disproportionately massive, insanely muscular torsos" jacked. Black Panther's costume varies slightly in design depending on the artist, but as a whole, this series has the design that's always in my head when I think of the character (even back when I was a kid). He's got the cape with the huge collar, he has a sort of necklace or adornment on his collarbone, and all the accents are golden. Outside of his suit in the Civil War movie, this is still my favorite Black Panther look, and it's awesome to see various artist takes on it. Also, I believe this series is the first time he uses his energy dagger, and that's an equally cool weapon. VERDICT: So far, I've been enjoying this Black Panther series. It features T'Challa kicking a lot of ass, it introduced some now-classic elements of the Marvel Universe, it feels quite connected to the rest of the universe (though perhaps at the cost of less time spent in Wakanda itself), and I've been digging all the different art styles. I look forward to reading the rest of this series to see how the Killmonger rematch plays out, as well as see who else may debut or guest star. If the extent of your familiarity with Black Panther is the movies, this series may interest you if you want to see what Everett Ross (who is pretty minor in the grand scheme when you watch the movie) is actually like in the comics, you want to see an early incarnation of the Dora Milaje, or are curious as to what the name "White Wolf" actually refers to. And as I've likely reiterated in most of these posts, if you want to see a different take on T'Challa in general (in this particular case, more of his superheroics outside Wakanda), this is a series worth exploring. - end - This used to just be a special episode of NXT TV, but this year, it's actually a Takeover-equivalent event. That means I gotta watch.
For the remainder of the month, I'll be in the Halloween mood when it comes to the comics I read. THE THEME: My selection of five this time involves comics set within the Hellboy universe. What better world to explore during the Halloween season than one of the most celebrated horror franchises in comics? THE COMICS: ![]() HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D.: SATURN RETURNS #1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writers: Mike Mignola, Scott Allie Artist: Christopher Mitten Hellboy (accompanied by a different BPRD crew) investigates several dead bodies in the Massachusetts area, but as of the first issue, there aren't any leads yet as to who (or what) is responsible. Meanwhile, back in the BPRD HQ, Liz Sherman is dealing with her own shit. ![]() LOBSTER JOHNSON: GARDEN OF BONES Publisher: Dark Horse Writers: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi Artists: Stephen Green, Geoff Shaw Lobster Johnson is the first spinoff character of the Hellboy universe (that I know of), and he's an old-school vigilante from the '30s in the same vein as The Phantom or The Shadow. In this one, he investigates the case of a dead enforcer who has seemingly been brought back as a zombie. Lobster's partner Harry suspects voodoo was involved, but some things don't quite add up... ![]() FRANKENSTEIN UNDERGROUND #1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writer: Mike Mignola Artist: Ben Stenbeck The Hellboy universe has its own version of Frankenstein's monster, and just like the original, this version's dealt with a lot of suffering over the decades. His journey causes him to cross paths with a mysterious old woman who understands his plight, but he's also being hunted down by an equally mysterious, powerful man who wants the monster in his "collection." ![]() KOSHCHEI THE DEATHLESS #1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writer: Mike Mignola Artist: Ben Stenbeck Koshchei the Deathless is a character based on a figure from Russian folklore, and as his title suggests, there exist enchantments that prevent him from being killed. The Hellboy version was enslaved by Baba Yaga (another figure based on folklore), and before this comic, he was tasked with fighting Hellboy. Now free, Koshchei shares some of his backstory in this issue with Hellboy, including his history of violence, the first instances of him being granted immortality, and his first encounter with Baba Yaga. ![]() WITCHFINDER: THE REIGN OF DARKNESS #1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writers: Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson Artist: Christopher Mitten Sir Edward Grey is the titular Witchfinder, who serves Queen Victoria as the premier paranormal investigator in London. His case here is a pretty high profile one, as he looks into the killings of the notorious Jack the Ripper. He suspects that there's something occult afoot, but unfortunately, it seems that his investigations have hit some sort of dead end. What's worse, the police don't believe him. Hellboy's been going strong for over 20 years now, and the world has since delivered with cool takes on the supernatural, occult, Lovecraftian, and even adapted takes of folklore and literature. I enjoy exploring this universe a lot, and this lovely selection of spinoffs has me even more interested in reading more. PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
This took me a lot longer than it should have, but here we are nonetheless. BACKGROUND:
I remember hearing about this game a few years back and being intrigued at the prospect of a game that's a cross between Dragon Quest and Minecraft. Having not played Dragon Quest at that point, I wasn't really interested in the game. In any case, this game ended up being one of the Switch games my friend lent me earlier this year, so I was quite excited to get into it. PLOT: Dragon Quest Builders 2 is apparently set after the events of Dragon Quest 2 (which I haven't played yet). Here, the villain Hargon has been vanquished by the protagonists of DQII, but a cult of monsters called the Children of Hargon continue to worship him, and they are hellbent on continuing the villain's mission by oppressing humanity and not allowing them to create or build anything. These guys worship Malroth, the lord of destruction, and anything that is the opposite of destruction is a big no-no to them. Because of this, the world has fallen into disarray, and the humans who are still around have been indoctrinated into believing that creation of any sort is a sin. The player character wakes up as a prisoner on a ship controlled by the Children of Hargon. They've been captured because they are a Builder, who is the very antithesis of destruction. Somehow, the protagonist escapes, and they wash up on the Isle of Awakening, where they meet a guy named... Malroth?! This Malroth has no memory of who he is, and despite his penchant for wrecking shit, he and the hero becomes fast friends. Together with a girl named Lulu who also washes up on the island, they explore the place until they run into the Hairy Hermit, a mysterious figure who recruits the hero on a mission to bring back building and creation to the world. In order to do just that, the hero must travel across the land to acquire materials with which to rebuild the world. Along the way, they'll have to help citizens in various islands, whose lives have been made miserable courtesy of the Children of Hargon. Through your character's natural talent for building, they'll be able to give these people their lives back, and change their minds regarding the "evils" of building in the process. There are three major islands where you must do this, and each island has their own major problem that needs fixing. In between your trips to these islands, you'll return to the Isle of Awakening to take what you've learned on your adventures and apply them in order to restore it to its former glory. Some of the people you helped on these adventures will happily join and assist you after you fix their problems back home as an act of gratitude. As you build more, the world returns to how it should be, but doing so will also draw the attention of the Children of Hargon. All throughout the game, servants of the Children of Hargon will oppose you, whether by terrorizing the citizens of the islands you visit, or by directly attacking the Isle of Awakening. Things will escalate eventually, and after a few twists and turns, it will all culminate with a showdown with the game's big bad. The amount of story in this game was astounding to me. I assumed that this game was just a fun little sandbox game that used the story of the main series RPGs as a backdrop, but it actually has its own whole plot. Although the plot itself has a lot of standard fare for RPG stories, I liked how slightly different it was. Instead of simply beating the shit out of villains or simply collecting magic bullshit to save the day, the chosen one saves the world mainly by building things and helping people, and I thought that was a nice change of pace. The helping people part feels good in particular, since you come to different islands where the people have distinct struggles, and you use your gifts not only to bring their lives back, but to change their minds about the terrible propaganda the Children of Hargon have spread. Through your building, these people stop being afraid of and condemning creation, and over time, they see the benefit and even fun of making things. I didn't find the characters particularly complex and three-dimensional, but most of them have enough depth in terms of their motivations and enough personality quirks/humor to make them memorable in some little way. I'd say Malroth is the most engaging character to me in this regard From the start, it's very clear that he's... well, you know, and while I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop (with a lot of not at all subtle hints at his internal struggle), most of the game is actually just him and your character becoming the best of friends. And despite the hero being a mostly silent protagonist, the little emotes they do are somehow enough to convey that bond they have with Malroth and show some personality around other characters. The bond between the hero and Malroth really comes into play near the end, and while how things play out is predictable overall, I felt like it got the job done. What's pleasantly surprising to me are the Children of Hargon themselves. Though mostly generic villains (especially the main antagonist), what would otherwise be nobody enemies you see in regular Dragon Quest games as random encounters get a ton of personality with their weird speech quirks and all. There's even a story arc at the tail end of the campaign where some of these monsters get to be much more interesting characters than simply people you have to fight. Perhaps the only thing I found iffy about the whole story is the nature of the world itself. Some key things about it are revealed at the end that makes things feel a bit contrived, including the very question of where your character even came from. It's not a big deal and didn't ruin my enjoyment of the game in any way, but these details did cause me to raise my eyebrow a couple of times. PRESENTATION: This game, much like Dragon Quest 11, is Akira Toriyama's signature art style realized in 3D. It's not as mind-blowing graphically, but it still looks great, and Builders 2 is distinct in that the character models take on a cutesy chibi aesthetic instead of people having normal proportions. The world itself, while not as blocky as Minecraft, is still mostly constructed with cubes, which gives everything a uniquely weird vibe since everything else is a smooth 3D model. A bit of the retro style lives on in the in-game map, which looks like the old-school 8-bit Dragon Quest. I'd say the game runs fine for the most part, though when there's a lot of stuff onscreen, the framerate definitely takes a noticeable dive. Not enough to make playing miserable, but certainly enough that it's immediately obvious. The music sounds like classic Dragon Quest through and through, and if you've heard Dragon Quest music before, you'll know that there's a sort of trademark sound that's nigh unmistakable. There's a good mix of chill tracks to build to, upbeat music (like the battle theme), and epic scores for big moments. A lot of old-school sound effects make a return, too, and of course, the main Dragon Quest theme is present. As you may expect from a game all about creating, this game has plenty of options when it comes to the building blocks and decorations you can use for your structures, with additional ways to customize elements such as color. Your player character has a decent amount of customization options, though the outfits are something you must also build in-game. GAMEPLAY: One could describe Dragon Quest Builders 2 as a lot like Minecraft: a sandbox game where you can build and craft to your heart's content with a smattering of combat thrown in. That's mostly true, but there are plenty of key differences (apart from the fact that this game has a whole story that takes center stage) that make this its own unique thing. Whereas Minecraft throws you into the world and leaves you to your devices, this game has you follow along the story and learn the ropes by giving you a series of quests that you must complete. Most of these quests simply have you build things (crafting and putting down items, as well as fully constructing rooms whose layouts are up to you to figure out), though there will also be a fair share of gathering materials, converting terrain, exploring, and fighting monsters. Each island has a "main" quest that involves restoring a core aspect of it (e.g. you must restore the fertility of the farming island), but these are always split up into simpler, more manageable quests (start with turning ruined soil into usable farming land, restore meadows and forests, etc.). All throughout the game, these quests teach you all sorts of mechanics that you can then use for your own creations. The bulk of the game is spent taking on these quests in each of the main islands, but after you complete one of these big quests, you return to the Isle of Awakening to take all that you've learned to restore a section of the isle. Some of the friends you made on your journey will come in to assist you, and while there are a few required objectives that you have to complete in order for the game to say that a section of the isle is restored, there are also a ton of optional objectives you can go for. While you can build freely in the other main islands, the Isle of Awakening is your main playground, and it's here where I did a lot of my leisurely building. At a certain point, you'll be able to freely sail between islands, which is a good way to make sure you're stocked up on resources (most sets of resources are only available on a few specific islands). You'll eventually unlock what's called the Explorer Shores, which are small islands with randomly-generated layouts, but have fixed biomes. These islands will have resources that you can't find anywhere else, but in addition to that, you can participate in a sort of scavenger hunt here where you go around the island and find all the materials on the list. Completing these scavenger hunts is absolutely worth doing, as the reward is unlimited quantities of basic materials for crafting when using crafting stations (which means less time spent gathering and more time spent building). Speaking of gathering and crafting, there are a staggering amount of materials that you can acquire in the world (plant/animal material, various block types and ores, monster drops, and more), and a smorgasbord of crafting recipes for all sorts of items and structures (from different types of blocks, furniture, fixtures like doors and roofing, decorative items, and even things like weapons and clothing). There are even specific crafting stations for certain types of objects (like magic-infused objects, anvils specifically for making weapons, forges for refining ores, etc.), and many items can be interacted with once placed (you can sit on chairs, store items in chests, and even bathe in tubs, among other things). Whether you're looking for variety in terms of function/utility or variety in terms of aesthetic, this game seems to have it all when it comes to the stuff you can make. Most of the crafting recipes are learned simply by progressing through the story, as your character simply figures out how to make things as if by magic whenever the situation calls for something to be made. Some are acquired through other means, like spending a specific kind of currency (more on that later), defeating specific enemies, or acquiring special materials for the first time. Exploration in this game is worthwhile, and not just to hunt for resources. Both the main islands and the Explorer's Shores actually hold secrets if you look hard enough, such as special puzzle areas and powerful bosses that drop special items and recipes if you manage to kill them. It takes some effort to explore every nook and cranny, but things get easier once you unlock gliding and open up fast travel points. You can also sprint, though this is tied to a stamina meter. Combat is a far cry from the original RPGs, as it's just simple hack-and-slash combat. The most depth you're gonna get is the fact that Malroth (and sometimes other NPCs) fight alongside you, you get a Zelda-style spin attack, and you can occasionally use a super move. There are also a few rudimentary RPG elements such as experience points, levelling up (which mostly increases HP and unlocks new crafting recipes), and the ability to change equipment like your sword, shield, and armor (which you have to craft). In the case of equipment, there are a few items with interesting properties (like a sword that can launch fireballs, or armor that reduces elemental damage), but for the most part, equipping the items with the big numbers is the way to go. Sadly, there's no magic like the main series games. The most magic you're going to get is a handful of special weapons and armor, and craftable traps that can be used as tower defense-style fortifications. Magic here is just crafting with a specific set of items and crafting station, unfortunately. There's also a transmutation mechanic where you can turn certain items to more useful resources, but it's only prominent in one section of the game. In addition to your sword, you have an assortment of tools at your disposal. You have a hammer, which is your main way of harvesting resources, and a glove that allows you to pick up and move individual objects. There's also a pot that can drain and hold liquids, an ocarina that helps locate rare ore deposits, as well as a few optional tools like a chisel and a trowel that changes blocks from one type to another. Those optional tools are more for building convenience in the endgame and aren't required for story progress. There's also farming, and there are a solid assortment of crops you can grow (and if you level up enough, you can even end up with premium crops). With these crops (as well as other resources like meat, fish, oil, milk, and more), you can cook a surprising amount of food, and these aren't just for show. See, along with your health, you have a hunger meter, and if that goes down to zero, your combat prowess and you can't sprint. Food not only deals with that, it also heals you if you've taken damage, and certain dishes even give you buffs like stronger attack, faster swim speed, and more efficient mining. You can also tame animals, though the diversity isn't as deep as the crops you can raise. Still, you can raise them for resources and even breed them. I didn't mess around with this mechanic as much, but I did tame my fair share of animals. At a certain point, monsters can also be tamed (not all types, but a good amount of them), though you must defeat them in combat first and hope they get a prompt where they ask to join you. Doing this is worthwhile, since many of these befriended monsters have special abilities. Some of the monsters can be mounted, while others can do cool things like produce additional resources and even transform terrain. They also fight alongside you if they happen to be nearby. Mini Medals, a staple of the RPGs, are present in this game as well. You earn them either by completing the puzzles areas I was talking about, or by completing optional objectives in the Isle of Awakening. Collecting these will net you a lot of worthwhile rewards, from new recipes, special items, and even the optional tools I mentioned. Building is more than just placing some blocks down to create walls, putting a door, and placing some furniture in it. Here, the game actually detects that you've built a room (and even tells you the size of the room), and based on what you put inside the room, the label of the room changes. For example, placing a bed and a light source in a room labels the room as a bedroom. There are an astounding number of room types, and I was thoroughly impressed not just by the quantity of rooms you can make, but the very fact that the game even tracks all that. The game even tracks stuff like fanciness and ambiance, which is based on the sum of the interior decorations and even the walls that the building is made of. While you can freehand your buildings and rooms just fine, there are also blueprints you can lay down so you have a guide as to what items you have to put down. Many of the major quests in the main story have your character place down massive blueprints and you have to work towards putting it together to move the story forward. The residents on each island (including those in the Isle of Awakening) aren't just NPCs you get quests from: keeping them happy rewards you handsomely. By fulfilling their requests, building new rooms, or simply them interacting with stuff you've built, you'll earn Gratitude Points, which are used to upgrade each island base (which will reward you with new recipes), and serve as currency that you can spend to unlock optional recipes and even open up Explorer's Shore islands. It's a bit of a grind to get everything, however, since you'll have to constantly build new things and hope residents interact with as much stuff as possible to get as many points as you can. Residents can also help you, as their interactions can speed up processes like forging ores, and they even take over duties like tending and harvesting crops or cooking. Just build the specific rooms (and provide the materials they need in chests, if that's required for the task), and thanks to how the game distinguishes these structures, residents know exactly what to do with them. Many of the rooms don't do anything (the bathhouse is an example), but residents using them gives you some Gratitude Points. Additionally, residents can help you build blueprints; just leave the materials they need in the chest and they'll build it for you. Taking advantage of this is not only required for the bigger story blueprints, but it is absolutely satisfying to watch these characters who were previously afraid of building quickly assemble such impressive structures. Overall, it's cool to have NPCs actually interact with the stuff you make like they would in something like The Sims. Minecraft's take on it with the villagers isn't as visible, and other survival crafting games rely on you playing with actual people for that feeling. If the Isle of Awakening isn't enough to satisfy your building fever, you can go to a special island called Buildertopia where you can customize some island elements (including the name and biome) and build to your heart's content. There's a lot of stuff I didn't mess around with too much, but there's definitely a lot to do in the game. One of these things is multiplayer, and from what I understand, you can visit the worlds of other players (and vice versa), and even partake in co-op building sessions. You can see other people's creations in the loading screen (which is a gallery of what I assume are images submitted by fans during events), and looking at those, it's easy to tell that this game has a ton of creative potential with how much stuff you can make and put together. If somehow, all this isn't enough, there's DLC for this game. I didn't take a good look, but it seems like there's extra item sets and new quests should you want more building action. Most of my playthrough was smooth, though I ran into some occasional issues like the aforementioned frame rate, the AI being stupid and unable to move around (in story moments, they insist on running from wherever they were to your location regardless of what barriers are in their way), the camera zooming in too close on its own, or cutscene text lingering way too long (extra annoying since there's no voice acting and there's no reason to have the text up that long). VERDICT: Dragon Quest Builders 2 was a really fun experience for me. Not only was I super impressed with all the stuff you can make and do, I liked that there was an interesting story that revolved around creating things. I loved all the quests on the main islands where you used your building talents to restore the lives of other people, and I thought it was awesome that those main quests are comprehensive introductions to what you can potentially make in your own space. While I enjoy my open-ended sandbox games with self-defined end goals just fine, I quite enjoyed how this game was that plus a whole story. If you're in the mood for making stuff Minecraft-style, but also enjoy having a story to follow, this is a game worth trying. You don't need any prerequisite Dragon Quest knowledge, the game eases you into the metric ton of shit you can do into the game through the campaign, and that metric ton of shit presents a ton of creative possibilities if you've got an imaginative spark. If you just want to get to the building, you'll unfortunately have to play through the story to unlock most of the essential stuff, but if you're the sort who's easily overwhelmed when presented with this level of freedom, the story will likely provide ample inspiration. I must note that this game has a Jumbo Demo that you can try for free, which lets you play through most of the first main chapter. That's a substantial part of the game, so if you're on the fence about the game and want to get a taste before purchasing, you ought to play through the demo to see if it's your speed. You can even carry your progress over if you buy the game! Here's the game on Steam, and you can access the Jumbo Demo through here: DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS™ 2 on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - Derryck Reads - Black Panther (2018-2021): The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda Part Three10/21/2022 Here's more of this story arc as we inch closer to the movie's release. BACKGROUND:
At this point in the arc, I'm most intrigued to see how everything ends, given how Part Two has set up some major chess pieces for the unfolding story. SUMMARY: With T'Challa's memories restored, he's now dedicated his time to establishing contact with Wakanda Prime. This is to the chagrin of the Maroons, who are still caught in a major space conflict with Emperor N'Jadaka after a significant turn of events in the last arc. That conflict is resolved rather abruptly (but not without sacrifice), and in the aftermath, T'Challa finally figures out a way back home. We find that Wakanda Prime has bounced back from its many troubles over the previous arcs in T'Challa's absence. Plus, it seems that most of the Orisha (Wakanda's pantheon of gods) have returned, after their very absence since Vol. 2 of the 2016 Black Panther series was explained in the second part of this series. Seemingly, T'Challa has little to worry about now that he's back, but his guilt over his hand in the very creation of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda (whose existence is definitively explained in this arc) will necessitate him disturbing the peace of his home to help the oppressed of the empire. T'Challa is unsurprisingly dealing with some tough emotions considering the whiplash of remembering that he had a whole other life before being enslaved by the empire. There's some weirdness regarding romantic tension with the Nakia of the empire after he remembers his time with Storm, but his greatest internal struggle still lies with the birth of the empire itself. After all, it's his mission (rooted in his desire to continue his birth mother's legacy) that led to its creation, and the fact that an empire built on conquest and slavery (the very concepts Wakanda opposes and overcomes) is named Wakanda disturbs him deeply. Plus, it's revealed that he spent some time getting to know the empire before he was enslaved, and he feels complicit in the sense that he didn't recognize what was going on and did nothing about it. Nevertheless, T'Challa's guilt pushes him to do the right thing, and he focuses efforts on helping liberate the empire despite the risk of disturbing the peace of his own home. And it seems like that very peace will indeed be disturbed in a major way, as the biggest threat of the empire actually finds itself on Earth, and it looks like a few villains from past Black Panther arcs are getting involved. It's exciting to see the setup, especially since it makes references to old Black Panther comics. In fact, one of the references is a pretty deep cut from the past that I never thought would be referenced in a modern comic ever again. Major characters in Wakanda Prime make their first appearances in the series in this arc, with the most prominent being Storm (who, as always, provides loving support to T'Challa with her words). Shuri (who's been busy in her own solo series) seems like she'll have a big role in the impending final battle, as the Djalia (a concept that's been heavily featured in these recent Black Panther comics) looks to be once again quite important to the whole story. The art here is most similar to that of Part One, which tracks given it's largely the same artist. That pastel/crayon texture I noted then is very much prominent here as well, and I still think it's a standout approach. VERDICT: Although this arc is mostly setup for the final showdown between T'Challa and the empire on Earth, Part Three still has interesting elements to it. T'Challa holding himself accountable for his hand in the empire's creation is compelling after realizing how his well-meaning mission got warped by circumstance, and while the imminent battle was predictable (especially with how abrupt they concluded the events of the last arc), I loved that it's pulling elements from past Black Panther series to set things up. I definitely want to see how this story ends, but that is something I'll have to do in the future. For this final stretch of my weekly Black Panther comic reading marathon in anticipation of the movie, I have different plans. - end - Well, The Rock won't shut up about how this movie is gonna make every DC fan shit their pants or whatever, so of course I had to go see this. If you've seen the Shazam movie, the gist of Black Adam was he was essentially the wizard's champion before Billy Batson. He became the champion of the fictional African nation of Kahndaq, but is corrupted on his journey to liberate it from oppression millennia ago. The wizard punishes him, but Black Adam manages to come back in the modern day, and he's here to fuck shit up.
Now, this movie goes over that origin (with some key changes), but it does so in a rushed manner (made worse because they tend to be exposition dumps) and the flashbacks are scattered throughout different parts of the movie. The movie tries to beat it into you that Black Adam "is not a hero" over and over, and sure, he brutally kills people in ways that push the PG-13 rating, but I feel like there could have been more than just that. To be fair, the exact moment where he shifts from champion to villain is sensible (and tragic), but pretty much no time is spent exploring what he does or where his head's at after that turn. Yeah, I could believe that he's a murderous son of a bitch through his actions, but very little about the internal struggle is explored in a way I find substantial. This leads into the modern day, as Black Adam's awakening due to a sort of archaeological incident catches the attention of the Justice Society. Hawkman leads Doctor Fate, Atom-Smasher, and Cyclone in order to apprehend or subdue Black Adam, and Hawkman in particular serves as an ideological foil to the titular character by chastising Adam's violence. They keep farting on about "you can be a hero" or "no killing", and the most we get from Black Adam is some variation of "no." Evidently, they're going from this villain to reluctant antihero arc, but the movie doesn't really have a lot to go on be it the start or the end of said arc. It even gets weird near the end because there's a bizarre choice that effectively takes the literal title character out of the movie because of some moral quandary, and then they quickly rescind that choice not long after. It wasn't even much a swerve, either; you could smell what they were going for plot-wise from a country mile away. They also throw out this one line to the effect of "these powers are a curse." Yeah, no it isn't. Apart from the circumstances that gave Adam his powers, that is not really a struggle that is depicted at any point before or after this is said. To me, this is probably the most egregious thing they try to pull with respect to Black Adam's arc because there is little to no indication that being imbued with the power of Shazam has led to a tortured existence for Adam. They also try to insinuate that Black Adam can lose control of his powers (and that's part of why he's so dangerous), but that happens, what, like twice? He seems pretty in control to me for most of the movie, and I think that the fact that he's quite deliberate in how he uses his powers is what makes him feel like a proper threat. Given my well-documented comic book fandom, I was naturally excited for a live action version of the Justice Society (apart from the one in the Stargirl TV show). I thought Hawkman was really cool and charming but was kind of restricted to being the straight-and-narrow hero forced to serve as the guy to tell off Black Adam's behavior, and both Atom-Smasher and Cyclone are literally just there to pad out the roster (a real shame, but Smasher at least gets a handful of funny moments). Doctor Fate is by far the standout to me (thank goodness, too, because he's easily one of my all-time favorite DC characters), and Pierce Brosnan really captured this weary, wise, and all-seeing sorcerer I was hoping he'd be. I kind of wish we had just gotten a proper Justice Society movie so we could actually spend time getting to know these characters, since you only really see bits and pieces of their personalities as they conduct this big mission. You can tell from Brosnan's performance that this version of Doctor Fate has seen some shit, and I would gladly pay money to see a movie that explores how his character grew to be the one we see here. And Hawkman could have gotten so much more than the dude who sees things in absolutes, both in terms of his crazy backstory and a more substantial personality. Atom-Smasher and Cyclone definitely get the shortest ends of the stick, since they get practically nothing apart from a few moments. Going into this, I thought the whole conflict would be the JSA versus Black Adam, with Black Adam growing as a character by the end (maybe even joining the Justice Society like he does in the comics). Nope, there's a whole subplot involving a magic macguffin found by a bunch of regular people, and some generic villain asshole wants it for himself. As is tradition, the played-out "let's set aside our differences to fight this even bigger douchebag" trope unfolds, and it didn't really do anything for me. It's a bit of a shame, since they do introduce an awesome aspect of the Shazam lore into the mix. The regular people in said subplot hang around for a significant portion of the movie, which I found a bit jarring since they keep getting roped into the JSA vs. Black Adam feud due to the magic macguffin. They do try to go for this thing where these regular folk are who ground Black Adam and try to get him to be the champion of Kahndaq again, but I feel like it falls flat because they try to sell it like the choice to be part of Adam's "not a hero" internal struggle that already barely exists as it is. They also try to add some social/political commentary to the whole thing, as modern-day Kahndaq is currently being occupied by an outside force (and they see Black Adam as a liberator). I was so disappointed that it's only touched upon briefly. I really think there's a juicy story with an entire nation rallying behind an angry murdered with godly powers who freed them from imperialists. The question that is on a lot of people's minds is whether or not Black Adam is literally just The Rock, but as a superhero. I'll give credit where it's due here and say that, for me, Dwayne Johnson felt like he was actually trying to play a character here instead of being just, you know, The Rock. I mean, I feel like it isn't anything even remotely close to a transformative role where he really embodies this whole other character that isn't him, but I'll say that an attempt was made, and I acknowledge that. Although the story goes for a more serious tone, it's not really intensely brooding (when it does try to go for that, it didn't really do anything for me). There are some humorous moments, but they can be hit or miss. For what it's worth, the action is mostly spectacular, and there are lots of pretty special effects and explosions. In this sense, Black Adam feels like a properly unstoppable force, and the depictions of his strength, speed, and lightning are sold like death in all the carnage he causes. He gets some pretty creative kills to boot. The Justice Society all look pretty cool; Atom-Smasher gets to use his size in impactful moments (albeit sparingly), Cyclone's wind powers look dazzling (giving me faith that Red Tornado can be done some justice), Hawkman's armor looks absolutely fantastic, and Doctor Fate's magic is a sight to behold. I want more Doctor Fate, goddamn it! I know DC isn't trying to go all in on the shared universe thing anymore, but there is a key connection to a previous movie here. It's not really a big deal overall, but I liked that it was there. It does raise a weird question about the Justice Society, but that's beside the point. Of course, there's also the connection to the wizards that gave Shazam his powers, but for some absolutely bizarre reason, whoever's steering the ship for these movies refuses to even set up an encounter between Shazam and his literal archnemesis. The hell are we even doing? This movie has one bombshell of a post-credits scene, and if you've somehow been spared from The Rock himself spoiling his own goddamn movie, I envy you. That said, is this one scene worth the price of admission? Hard to say, but I was nonetheless intrigued by DC's potential future in the movies. Overall, I wasn't blown away by Black Adam, especially not after all the hype that this was going to be some game-changer for the DC Universe. To its credit, there's stuff I did enjoy (mostly the joy of seeing Doctor Fate finally realized on the big screen), and there are hints of some cool ideas and themes within, but as it is, the movie wasn't particularly remarkable (and kind of a letdown in some respects). Now can we please have a proper Justice Society movie with more Doctor Fate? - end - It's been quite a while since I've added a new trade paperback to my illustrious comic shelf. BACKGROUND:
It's been nearly a decade since I started truly exploring the medium of comic books, but I am the first to admit that I have barely scratched the surface. This may sound absurd given the volume and diversity of stuff I've read and talked about here, but I assure you, I'm still making my way down the tip of the iceberg. One of the realms of comics that I've only explored a little bit is the very komiks scene in my own home country. Outside of my familiarity with various comic strips (courtesy of years of my grandfather always having a newspaper on him when he comes over) and my awareness of the most renowned comic creator in the Philippines (Mars Ravelo, whose characters have endured as cultural icons and have been the subject of local TV shows), I didn't grow up knowing much about the komiks here. It wasn't until I was older when I learned about it, and even then, it felt like it was super niche. Now, that could be a generational thing, but then again, my dad definitely didn't tell me anything about it, either. Anyway, the point of this preamble is that my personal mission to explore as many offerings of my favorite media (comics and video games) as I can absolutely extends to stuff made locally. My feelings on the society and politics of my home may be... complicated, but when it comes to what cool and creative stuff Filipinos can make, I make it a point to treat them as equals to the more popular stuff overseas. And that brings me to my latest purchase. Trese was a comic I only really knew vaguely about, but it getting a Netflix adaptation (which I never got around to talking about) really put it on my radar. I loved the concept of it from the start (even if it wasn't anything I haven't seen before), and the fact that it incorporated Philippine folklore (a subject I grew up fascinated by) was extra appealing. I knew I had to read it, but I was adamant about having a proper physical copy as part of my collection. It took me a while to find this first volume, but here we are! I'm definitely looking to expand the local section of my shelf as well, but I'm still doing my reading on what to check out next. SUMMARY: Alexandra Trese is a paranormal investigator who works closely with Manila's police department, and she is called upon when the case gets freaky. And since we're in the Philippines, the manner of freaky she encounters falls into the likes of aswang, tikbalang, and more. These supernatural creatures blend in with the normal folk, and some of them take advantage of this by using fronts like businesses to do all kinds of terrible shit (like soul-sucking, because of course). Each chapter is its own self-contained story, much like a police procedural. The closest thing I can compare it to (in terms of media I have consumed) is the Hellblazer comic. For those who don't know, Hellblazer is the name of the comic that stars John Constantine (whom you may either recognize from that one movie with Keanu Reeves or from the Arrowverse shows), and in that comic, Constantine also investigates supernatural cases with each case being different from issue to issue. I have read a fair bit of Hellblazer and enjoyed both the premise and the format, so I was more than OK with Trese borrowing from that. Trese herself is a such a cool character. Her knowledge of the supernatural is unparalleled (she always knows what to look for, who to ask, and what magic to use to help find answers), she shows zero fear in the face of monsters, can fight and be as ruthless as the monsters she faces, and has a sense of humor despite being mostly no-nonsense. Although aspects of her backstory are hinted at (like how she's taken her father's place in helping the police), you don't really get any more than that, and I would love to learn more about her past. Helping Trese on her cases are the twins, who wear comedy/tragedy masks, wield guns, and seem to have supernatural powers of their own. I think they're pretty badass (they dish out a significant portion of the ass-kicking in the comic), and they have their own sense of humor. Again, wish I knew a bit more of their backstories, but as they are, they're cool. I particularly found their habit of calling Trese "bossing" amusing. Though more of a minor character, I appreciate Capt. Guerrero's presence as the sort of Jim Gordon to Trese's Batman. He's been around long enough to know when to call Trese, and while he's privy to the sort of weird shit that can happen, he prefers not to ask too many questions and keeps the true nature of the cases quiet. I just thought having him around made for a fun dynamic with Trese. The cases themselves are awesome, mixing folklore with modern Manila in interesting ways. You have demons running businesses, a tikbalang who serves a wealthy family (or is it the other way around?), and nuno hanging around under manholes. The stories also take place in locations familiar to those who live in Metro Manila, like the C-5 highway (the scene of one of the crimes), Quiapo Church (one of Trese's stops in her investigations), and Balete Drive (which already has the white lady urban legend going for it in real life). There's something so cool about having these paranormal stories set in places I've been to multiple times; city life may not really be glamorous here, but I loved seeing these locations in a new light through this comic. Trese also uses all manner of cool shit to unravel the mysteries, from magic daggers, various rituals, and even consulting other supernatural beings for information. I loved the variety of solutions she had in her pocket; it's like she has a utility belt of magic bullshit for every situation (that's the last Batman comparison, I promise). I do find it odd that she doesn't really use any magic in combat, but I suppose the fact that she and the twins don't seem to need anything more than mostly regular weapons to fight literal demons makes them even cooler. The art is entirely in black-and-white, but the actual style can vary from chapter to chapter (and in some cases, even from panel to panel). Some panels are pure contrast with zero shades of gray, while others have those shades of gray to add depth to characters and objects. There are panels where only the most essential of details are present, as well as panels that go all in on hatching (with varying patterns and line thicknesses to boot) to give things a distinctly rough texture. I loved all these variations in the style, and I thought they were used effectively to highlight certain things like the grotesque appearances of certain creatures, or the mood of the characters and/or the scenery. The action also feels dynamic (there are lots of speed lines and onomatopoeias), and I found the manner in which the comic communicated the violence and gore of certain scenes to be impressive since it leaned towards minimalistic more than it did gruesome detail. Design-wise, I thought Trese's signature coat looked really cool, and I loved the twins' sharply dressed look accentuated with the strikingly simple masks. The various creatures featured throughout the book all feel distinct in terms of look (as they should); the tikbalang boasts an impressive, statuesque physique, the many aswang look proper ghoulish and monstrous, and the nuno looks scrawny with strange proportions. They all look like they're not of this world, which, again, they should. VERDICT: I absolutely adored Trese's take on the supernatural detective procedural with its creative mixture of Philippine folklore and modern Metro Manila, its striking and varied art style, and its badass lead character (and her pair of equally badass sidekicks). I found myself wanting to read more to see where in Manila Trese may go next, and what other classic Filipino supernatural creatures would pop up. I still find myself wishing for a bit of world-building to flesh out Trese's backstory, but other than that, I think this setting and the case-of-the-week format is a winning formula. I implore fellow Filipinos to read this book, even if they don't like comics. Our local writers and artist deserve recognition for their work, and I feel that those in the comics industry in particular are unsung (I don't know whether that's because comics are niche or if there's still a stigma about being fans of comics). I think if you're going to read one Filipino komik, you can't go wrong with this one. Trese is a story that mixes both the myths of our past and our present-day setting, and I think the fact that a story that embraces our culture and heritage exists is worth appreciating. Plus, I want folks to see comics as a storytelling medium equal to full-length novels or TV/film in that compelling stories can be told through them. Now, if you're not a Filipino, I also recommend this book, as it's a bit of a window into the rabbit hole of our folklore and a glimpse into the corners of Manila that tourists may not really know about. However, it's not a full-blown history lesson, so you may not get the full picture on what the deal is with certain supernatural creatures. Confusion may also arise as certain Filipino words and terms persist in the English print as well. All that said, don't stress about the details too much; if you're game for a supernatural mystery comic, I think you'll enjoy this one. - end - I wasn't expecting an informative experience today. I'm pleasantly surprised. BACKGROUND:
Once again, I just added this game to my EGS library on a whim, not really knowing anything about it. PLOT: Never Alone is a game developed in collaboration with members of Alaskan indigenous communities, and is more or less a showcase of the culture and lives of the Iñupiat people (one of many indigenous groups who make their home in Alaska). The game goes as far as to have two dozen video clips featuring Iñupiaq community members sharing aspects of their culture and traditions. The people featured in these clips cover a bunch of topics, from their folklore, their affinity with nature, the sense of community, and even little things like personal anecdotes or how great caribou fur clothing is. I enjoyed learning all this immensely, and it made me quite interested in visiting Alaska. The game itself has a story based on an Iñupiat tale called Kunuuksaayuka. The story is about a boy who journeys in search of the cause of an unending blizzard, which is preventing him from hunting and providing for his parent. The game tweaks this slightly, having the main character be a girl named Nuna, who happens to also befriend an Arctic fox who helps her on her journey. As she ventures towards the source of the blizzard, she runs into dangers like polar bears, and encounters beings and creatures from Iñupiat folklore such as the personification of the aurora borealis, and animals in their human forms. She even comes into conflict with an asshole who wreaked havoc on her village. The story itself isn't that groundbreaking to me (it's just another flavor of "young hero goes off on perilous journey for the good of her people"), but I liked the heavy use of Iñupiat folklore all throughout. The fantastical elements plus the narration (meant to be reminiscent of old-school oral tradition) made everything feel like an interactive fairy tale. I suppose the only thing I find odd is a big moment in the latter half of the game a) being a bit out of left field, and b) losing its emotional impact in less than five minutes. PRESENTATION: I'd describe the art style to be cartoony while also somewhat painterly in terms of aesthetic. Though you're not going to get too much in the way of color or variety in locales (on the account that you're in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness), I still thought the scenery looked pretty. Some of the story cutscenes have a scrimshaw aesthetic, which is a form of art where one makes carvings on ivory or whale baleen. This is another tradition common amongst people who hunt whales and/or walruses, and it's cool to see that represented as well in a creative fashion. You're not going to get much in the way of music, but the ambient sounds do a decent job of getting across how unforgiving and eerily silent the cold Alaskan wilderness can be. The narration is completely in the Iñupiat native language (by an actual member of the community, no less), which I felt made the game really special. There's a sense of immersion to listening to the story as told by someone who represents the culture the story it's from, and I liked that a lot. GAMEPLAY: Never Alone is a puzzle platformer, which means running, jumping, and solving puzzles. The main gimmick here is that you have to control both Nuna and the fox and have them coordinate to unlock the path forward. Nuna and the fox have different abilities that you must take advantage of in order to solve puzzles. Nuna, while slow, can move crates, swing across ropes, and climb ladders. The fox, on the other hand, moves much faster, and can scurry up walls to reach higher places. In addition to all that, each character also has a signature ability that is more or less their main gimmick. For Nuna, her main gimmick is her ability to throw a bola (a throwing weapon with multiple cords that have weights at the end, meant to ensnare targets). This is used mostly to hit specific targets, like breakable ice barriers, but is not used for much else. I'm a big fan of the bola (I like the weapon so much I made a DIY version at home), so it's cool to see it be a main mechanic in a game. Unfortunately, the way the game controls aiming and shooting it (at least on controller) is horrible: you have to hold the right stick backward (relative to where Nuna is facing) and then flick it in the direction you want to shoot. This made aiming (which is already hard since there's no reticle) extra frustrating. The fox, on the other hand, can guide spirits (which are just glorified platforms) that appear throughout the game. Moving them around is awkward (especially near the end, when the game alters how you go about controlling the fox), and if the fox moves too far away from the spirit, they disappear, which is bad news for Nuna if she happens to be standing on them over a pit. It's a cool idea on paper to have the fox manipulate platforms and then have Nuna jump on them, but the execution isn't as smooth as it could be. Controls overall are rife with awkwardness (movement fluctuates between sluggish and slippery), and there are lots of jank interactions that can straight up ruin your time. It's mostly some form of clipping through terrain (which can send your ass flying) or movement not registering, but the worst example of jank was me dying at a certain point in the level, and the respawn putting me in a death loop that was impossible to escape since the platforms straight up disappear (so I just kept falling to my death). Had to restart the level on that one, which I found quite irksome. The game's puzzles are mostly a matter of alternating control between the two characters, using their respective abilities to go ahead of the other, carve a path, then switch out. I didn't find many of the puzzles difficult, and only very few instances stand out to me as remarkable. There's a fair bit of platforming, and thankfully, most of these can be done at your own pace (which offsets any mishaps caused by the controls). These sections are mostly you jumping across platforms that you yourself manipulate, but there are a few cycle-based areas with hazards that move at regular intervals. The most intense platforming come in the form of a few chase sequences where you have to think fast to avoid danger, and they can get pretty challenging since a couple of them have you swap between Nuna and the fox to use their respective skills (i.e. have Nuna break ice barriers, have the fox move platforms for Nuna). There's a wind mechanic that a few platforming sections utilize, allowing you to make incredibly far jumps, though you have to go through the rigamarole of waiting for the wind to blow. Most other times, though, the wind is just there to be a nuisance, pushing you back and slowing you down. There is a button that allows you to brace yourself so you don't get swept away, but I found it pointless since you are rarely, if ever launched to your death by the wind. Speaking of swapping between the characters, I started to notice how it wasn't 100% snappy, which meant I'd run into a brief delay before I could act with the other character. This is particularly rough in the more fast-paced sequences. Plus, the AI controlling the other character can't seem to decide what it wants to do, since it either stops in its tracks for no reason or mindlessly jumps into oblivion after you despite the path not being clear. I have a feeling this is better played in local co-op, which this game does have. The collectibles are interesting, as they are the very video clips featuring members of the Iñupiat talking about their traditions and lives. Called Cultural Insights, all you'll have to do is find the owl somewhere in the level and the video will be unlocked for your viewing pleasure. None of them are hard to find since most of them are in the forward path (and the game has close to no nooks and crannies anyhow), but I at least got the satisfaction of learning something once I found them. Of course, I might be in the minority when it comes to the whole "learning is its own reward" mindset, so I can imagine these may not be worthwhile to some players. VERDICT: Honestly, Never Alone's gameplay didn't really do anything for me (it even frustrated me at times), but I at least got a whole lot from its massive effort to showcase Iñupiat culture in game form. I thought taking the time to unlock and watch all the Cultural Insights was worthwhile (I learned a great deal from it), and I liked how they flesh out stuff that you see in the game (like the whimsical creatures and spirits that Nuna runs into). Even cooler to me was how the game's whole story is an adaptation of an actual Iñupiat tale. I do wish the game was a tad more polished; for as uneven as the execution may be, I felt like the core mechanics have potential to come together and make an engaging puzzle platformer experience. As a game, I don't think I can recommend this on account of how rough around the edges the gameplay is. Also, it's pretty short, with my playthrough clocking in at about 3 hours. However, I think the educational aspect of it is valuable, especially if you're an American. Indigenous peoples tend to be an afterthought in formal education, and this game is an easy-to-consume way to learn about a likely underrepresented ethnic group in the United States. I understand that players generally don't play games to get a Social Studies lecture, but I think it's important to note that media like this do a lot to raise awareness towards major issues. In this case, learning about the Iñupiat really puts into perspective how impactful climate change is in the polar regions, as the melting ice is starting to threaten their way of life. More people being aware of that can lead to more action that leads to change, whether that's by personal lifestyle changes that can add up the more people adopt them, or by making conscious choices about the corporations or politicians one supports in order to bring about systemic change. I seriously implore anyone who is dismissive of things that "force 'politics' down your throat" not to look down on any piece of media willing to raise awareness about something; they may not change the world overnight, but they have a bigger impact than you give them credit for. Anyway, if you are getting this game and don't mind what may end up being a clunky gameplay experience, I'd recommend waiting for a sale and also playing the game in co-op. If you don't want to do all that, at the very least find the game's Cultural Insights videos on YouTube or something. They're all short clips and you may learn something interesting. Here are store links for Never Alone, if you so desire:
- end - The MCU Disney+ shows have started this little trend of hiding QR codes in each episode leading to some free comics people can read, and that continues with the She-Hulk show. You know where this is going. THE THEME: Obviously, I'll be reading five She-Hulk comics for today's entry. What's interesting here is that since there were nine episodes, I had a surplus of comics to build this theme with. I made it a point to only select the ones explicitly titled She-Hulk here, but don't worry, I'll read the remaining comics, too. They'll turn up in some future Five Comics posts. The only exception here is issue #1 of the 2004 She-Hulk series, which I've already read. I even featured it in one Five Comics post. No sense talking about it twice, but I will note how they borrowed a good amount of what happens in that comic and adapted it for the show. Like before, all the QR codes hidden in each episode just redirect to one site. If you want to read the below selection for yourself (and more), visit this link. THE COMICS: ![]() SAVAGE SHE-HULK (1980-1982) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Stan Lee Artists: John Buscema, Chic Stone This is She-Hulk's debut issue, and it details her full origin as well as establishes her relationship with Bruce Banner. It's a classic Stan Lee origin story, though I apparently misremembered the bit about the car accident (I just knew there was a car involved in the mob hit that caused Jen to bleed out). ![]() SAVAGE SHE-HULK (1908-1982) #2 Publisher: Marvel Writer: David Anthony Kraft Artists: Mike Vosburg, Chic Stone This second issue continues the story of the mob hit gone wrong from the first, as Jen tries to use the law to get justice. Unfortunately, the mobster trying to kill her orders another hit, and it ends in tragedy. ![]() SHE-HULK (2004-2005) #10 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Dan Slott Artists: Paul Pelletier, Rick Magyar This comic actually isn't about She-Hulk; it focuses on her nemesis Titania. We get her full origin here, from her rough childhood, the incident in the original Secret Wars that gave her powers, how her hatred for She-Hulk began, and how her insecurities persisted despite her getting some form of what she's always wanted as a kid. It's actually kind of sad. ![]() SHE-HULK (2014-2015) #9 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Charles Soule Artists: Javier Pulido This is a super interesting one, as it sees She-Hulk defend the one and only Steve Rogers (currently depowered and old) in a civil case that looks to hold him accountable for his supposed role in someone's death all the way back in the '40s. Cap's demeanor about the whole thing is intriguing in itself, and if that's not enough, the lawyer representing the plaintiff... is none other than Matt Murdock! I really want to see how this case ends. ![]() SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK (1984-1992) #50 Publisher: Marvel Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Dave Gibbons, Frank Miller, Wendy Pini, Walt Simonson, Howard Chaykin, Terry Austin, Adam Hughes, Howard Mackie This particular series was where She-Hulk's penchant for fourth wall breaking really began, and this landmark 50th issue takes it to insane heights. John Byrne has died (note: he's still very much alive in real life), and She-Hulk goes to the offices of Marvel to help decide who gets to take over her comic. It is hilarious trip and features an incredible roster of guest artists (a lot of the brilliant jokes poke fun at their respective styles, and that really tickles my hardcore comic reader brain). She-Hulk has had quite the legacy, from being one of the last Marvel characters Stan Lee ever co-created, to becoming an enduring member of both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, pushing the envelope with fourth wall breaks, and pretty much escaping the shadow of her cousin in short order. It's cool to finally see her in live action, online bickering be damned. Personally, I'm pretty happy that the show pulled more from the Sensational She-Hulk series in terms of light-heartedness and meta nonsense, and that her lawyering was still a big focus. PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
We got one more MCU Disney+ show before the year ends, and it's a real interesting one. Now that I've seen She-Hulk's finale, let's talk about it. As I usually do with these posts, I got a spoiler section below, and there will be warnings before you scroll down to it. The show follows Jennifer Walters, cousin to the one and only Bruce Banner, who is exposed to the Hulk's gamma-irradiated blood after a car accident. Now, she can transform into the eponymous She-Hulk, and throughout the season, she learns to juggle her new status quo along with her regular life as an accomplished lawyer.
With how the show was marketed, I expected this to be a legal comedy with some superheroics in it, and it's like that for some episodes. It was cool to explore the weird side of MCU law as Jen becomes the face of an entire superhuman law division and she takes on typically absurd cases, though I do wish the actual courtroom scenes were either longer or were in greater quantity. A lot of the show is also slice of life stuff with a superhero flavor. Throughout the season, we see Jen try to figure out how to live with powers she didn't want, deal with unwanted public attention and scrutiny, and later on, even learn to find something to enjoy about being She-Hulk. It's a slightly different take on the whole "juggling the double life" formula that's common in superhero stories, since Jen wants nothing to do with any of this shit for a good chunk of the series, and her identity is completely public. The show also doesn't shy away from the fact that Jen deals with a lot of bullshit just because she's a woman, and some of the situations she deals with are painfully relevant in today's culture. What I liked about this aspect was how prescient this show was about its own reception, because it speaks to how pathetically predictable certain "discourse" online can be. While there is a bit of action and a fair amount of Jen in She-Hulk form, this isn't really as action-packed as other superhero shows, and while I'd love to have seen more ass-whooping, I was mostly fine with what we got here. There is some attempt at an overarching plot, but I don't feel like it was built up that well (or sticks the landing, for that matter). That said, I think the commentary surrounding it does have significant meaning. Other than that, I didn't really care for it. [spoiler section after the fourth paragraph below] Something I'm so glad the show does is being unapologetically meta. Jen straight up looks at the audience and makes a lot of hilarious references, and I enjoyed that a lot. The finale in particular ramps it up into overdrive and I loved how bananas it was. It's really awesome that they gave this She-Hulk the fourth wall breaks that was super prevalent in her old comics (yes, her meta-ness preceded Deadpool by about a decade). Tatiana Maslany is probably my favorite actress (largely because of her master class performances, plural, in Orphan Black), and I think she absolutely killed it as Jennifer Walters. She's charming as hell in the role, and the way she delivers the fourth wall breaks does a lot to make them funny. Her supporting cast is no slouch, though, as I enjoyed her wholesome dad, Nikki (her equally hilarious best friend), and Pug (who doesn't get as much screen time, but he's his own brand of funny). There are some wild introductions and guest stars in many of the episodes, and the sum total of all that comes with interesting implications for the future of the MCU. However, I felt like there were a number of missed opportunities in terms of world-building. I'll discuss these more in the spoiler section. People have been... vocal about this show throughout its time on the air, and because I don't want to think about that anymore, I'm ending the non-spoiler section with an unsubstantiated summary of my thoughts on the show as a whole. There's definitely some stuff that I felt like could have been done better or I was indifferent to, but I still had a fun time watching She-Hulk despite all that. I'm not gonna go out and say it's the pinnacle of television (it's not), but I enjoyed myself, and really, isn't that what it's all about? [here's the spoiler section] Don't mind me, just clearing more games from my backlog. BACKGROUND:
Per usual, I didn't know anything about this game prior to adding it to my library on the week it was free. I just thought the vibe looked interesting and read that it had puzzles in it. PLOT: A pilot crash-lands on a mysterious planet and is rendered unconscious. His suit's AI (called the ARID) takes over in his stead, and its protocols to preserve its human's life kicks in. Commandeering the suit, ARID must explore the planet to find a way to get the pilot medical attention and hopefully get him out of this mess. Pretty much everything in the story is a mystery. ARID has no intel regarding its pilot's mission, and it has no logs on anything about the planet they crash-landed on. Upon further exploration, ARID finds that the planet houses a derelict industrial facility involved in the manufacturing of domestic robots and testing their AI. To make things extra difficult, a rogue robot/android tasked with the caretaking of the facility seems hellbent on shutting ARID down (which will endanger the human inside the suit). You'll have to observe the environment and read some stuff to figure out what happened to the facility (again, I'm fine with this, but I get that others aren't), but I found the implied story of how it fell into such disarray to be quite sinister. The game doesn't answer everything, however, and big questions like how exactly shit hit the fan are left mostly unanswered. Plus, your very presence here is not addressed at all, with the most you get is an extremely vague insinuation that the pilot had some intention of going to this place. I kind of wish more time was spent fleshing things out lore-wise. I was so intrigued by the gruesome things that happened within the facility, but I felt like the game was content using it as a backdrop as opposed to giving you definitive answers about most of anything. I suppose that makes sense since ARID is exclusively concerned with following its prime directive (save its pilot) and not really figuring out what's happening, but I personally would have loved to learn more about the place, and maybe also learn about why the pilot even ended up here of all places. You're not completely bereft of company in this abandoned world, as ARID will occasionally run into other AI on its journey. Two of these AI make for great foils to ARID, as they kind of represent the extremes of how sci-fi AI usually go. The aforementioned Caretaker, for example, is fully committed to its directive (but in a twisted way a la Ultron), while another AI called the Administrator is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, having achieved a level of sentience close to that of a human. ARID is fascinating since it kind of falls in the middle; it's certainly committed to accomplishing its mission by any means necessary, but as you play through the game, you'll see that ARID is willing to bend the rules and find loopholes in order to serve the main goal. This take on AI is easily the most engaging aspect of the story to me. I loved seeing the juxtaposition of ARID's commitment to following its prime directives and its willingness to find ways to circumvent its own programming for the bigger picture. The prime example of this is when ARID deliberately puts the pilot in danger in order to force an override that allows it to use a necessary function that will allow the AI to protect the pilot. The game ends with a massive plot twist that blew my mind. The reveal is genuinely shocking in the moment (less so in retrospect), but what makes it sting is how the game ends on that. It's not a cliffhanger per se (not when evaluated on its own), but upon learning that the game has a sequel, I can't help but be a little miffed that the game doesn't explore the implications of the big reveal. That said, it's a hell of a way to market your next game. PRESENTATION: Immediately, I am reminded of Limbo when I look at this game. The Fall takes heavy inspiration from it for its visuals, and while it isn't fully grayscale, the heavy shadows give the game something quite close to the silhouette aesthetic. Both this and the utter disrepair of the surroundings do well to give the game a foreboding atmosphere. The only issue I'd level at the game in this sense is how it's sometimes too dark for its own good; even with the flashlight, it's not always easy to discern important elements in the environment. The menus (and occasional in-game visuals) are reminiscent of command prompt/terminal screens, which gives the game a sort of old-school sci-fi vibe. I thought it was neat, though there should definitely be some sort of photosensitivity warning for the more glitchy effects. There's hardly any music, with the only sounds keeping you company are eerie ambient noises that complement the almost oppressive visuals. There will be occasional voice acting, but since every character in the game is AI, you'll be treated to appropriately robotic voices with oddly formal English. I wouldn't call any of the voices unsettling, but the fact that you mostly hear robot-sounding AI throughout the game gave me that feeling that I was very much a stranger on this world. GAMEPLAY: As a whole, I'd describe The Fall as a puzzle platformer, but some of its key elements deviate from what I typically expect from the genre. For one, the puzzle-solving in this game is much closer to a classic point-and-click adventure, and I'd say the only thing remotely "platformer" about it is the side-scrolling perspective. For another, this game actually features a bit of combat, which isn't common in puzzle platformers outside of gimmicked fights. Just like point-and-clicks, most puzzles in the game will require you to inspect the environment, pick up items, then use items in the correct spots to unlock the path forward. The game overall is around 50/50 on puzzles being clever or obtuse, which is honestly par for the course for point-and-click games. I thought a few of the solutions to puzzles were neat (like how you get around dangerous critters in the late game), while others seemed contrived to me (using a chemical to make a fungus volatile to cause an explosion....?). Your main tool will be a gun, but for most of the game, you'll be using it for its flashlight. You need to shine the light on interactables to interact with them (doing so will bring up an old-school point-and-click menu that shows you what actions you have available), and I found it to be quite awkward both as a concept and in terms of how it actually controls. I'd have preferred if you could simply just walk up to things and press a button to interact with them, or, you know, just go full point-and-click and let me use the mouse. Because that's what this game is. Don't worry, the gun is used for shooting, too, as you can break faraway stuff to solve certain puzzles (albeit sparingly). There will also be occasional sections where you fight rogue robots, and you can take advantage of nearby cover to avoid their attacks. There's barely any variety in terms of enemies, you can take a few good hits (and have slowly regenerating shields), and combat is incredibly simple (take cover, shoot, repeat), so I didn't find the presence of combat particularly remarkable. There's even a stealth takedown option, but it's hardly worth going for most of the time. Perhaps the coolest thing the game presented to me was the ability to unlock the suit's abilities by forcing overrides. Key moments in the story will imperil the pilot in the suit, allowing ARID to override suit functions that normally require a human to authorize use for. These will unlock abilities such as remotely networking with electronic devices, active camouflage, and even faster fire rate for the gun. I really thought the game would go full Metroidvania on me and introduce a good assortment of neat suit abilities (and present you with various challenges that make use of them), but you only get the three I listed (despite the menu teasing that the suit has more functions), and you can count on one hand how many times you'll use them to solve puzzles. I couldn't help but be a little disappointed with this aspect of the game, because I loved the concept behind unlocking the abilities, and I feel like it's such a missed opportunity to not design more puzzles and challenges around them. I suppose active camo and the faster shot at least see use in combat, but that's it. VERDICT: Though elements of the gameplay leave something to be desired for me, I will still give The Fall major kudos for its Metroid-style "isolated on an alien planet" vibe, mystifying (albeit not fleshed out) story and lore, a distinct take on AI with ARID (that leads into a great plot twist), and some inspired gameplay concepts and puzzles. I'm definitely interested in playing the sequel down the line to see how the story goes, though I'm concerned that the gameplay would just be more of the same with no improvements or additions to it. Given how short this game is, it would probably behoove you to wait for a sale. Nonetheless, if you think a dark sci-fi point-and-click puzzler is your cup of tea, you might enjoy The Fall (if you can get past the weird controls). You should probably have a walkthrough handy for some of the more obtuse puzzles, though. Links to the store platforms below: - end - We are officially one month away from Wakanda Forever releasing in theaters. I still have a month's worth of Black Panther comics that will help with the wait. BACKGROUND:
Like I said in my blog entry for Part One of this arc, I barely know anything about this story, and am quite interested to read more about it. SUMMARY: T'Challa and the Maroons are back in action, and their mission is clear: restore the memories of the Nameless. In the last arc, it was established that all those enslaved by the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda are called Nameless and are stripped of their memories. The whole concept of this is expanded in this arc, as the empire actually takes these memories and uses whatever knowledge they can acquire to expand their reach and solidify their control. I found this idea really fascinating, not just because it's such a wild dystopian sci-fi way to conquer people, but it's rather meaningful commentary on how empires go about their conquest. In the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, the colonized are stripped of their identity (via memory erasure), and their resources and knowledge are exploited for the benefit of the imperialists (in a very literal sense). If you think about real life examples, you can see that many places that fell victim to imperialism experienced very similar things. I don't even have to look further than my own country to illustrate the parallel: the Spaniards made the Filipinos renounce their faiths, had them switch to a religion that made them easier to subjugate, changed their names, took their resources, and exploited their labor. Although Nakia and M'Baku are grateful to have a formidable warrior in T'Challa on their side, they do take issue with his penchant for acting on his own. This is most evident during a moment where T'Challa (ever the hero) is compelled to help refugees, but he is ordered to focus on the mission instead. It's an interesting moral dilemma that weighs doing whatever good you can immediately versus making necessary sacrifices for a long-term goal that will benefit everybody. We get to explore a few new locations within the empire, as well as learn about some of the alien races the empire ended up enslaving (some of whom are established races in the Marvel Universe, like the Kronans or the Shadow People). These do a lot to really flesh out the world, as we learn of the atrocities the empire committed in their conquests and what knowledge they stole from the enslaved races. We also learn that even before T'Challa found himself here, there have always been people fighting for freedom. Things get quite interesting in Emperor N'Jadaka's corner of the story, as we are introduced to his daughter (named Zenzi, just like the villain in the 2016 Black Panther arc), who becomes a big part of the latter part of this chapter. Her exact involvement in the main plot is a bit of a spoiler that I won't elaborate on. In the last arc, the emperor went face-to-face with the Orisha (Wakanda's pantheon of gods) and triumphed over Bast herself. Bast isn't taking such a loss sitting down and takes some extremely drastic measures to fight the emperor. Knowing she'll need her champion in the battle, Bast finds a way to reach T'Challa, and with her help, our hero's memories are finally restored. The Djalia (the dimension where all of Wakanda's history lives on) plays a major role in this, and I really liked that it continues to be an important fixture to the Wakandan mythos after how it was established in the 2016 series (as well as how it became closely tied to the latest incarnation of Shuri). T'Challa's trip down memory lane did more than just remind him of who he is. We're also shown a clearer picture of what exactly led to him ending up in the empire: he went to space with Eden Fesi (the hero known as Manifold) in hopes of rescuing a team of Wakandan scientists he sent to space to find the source of the very vibranium meteor that crashed onto their great nation millennia ago. The specifics of how everything went sideways are still vague, however, but a lot of things are now a bit clearer. With that said, if you've read other Black Panther series from the same time frame before this one like I have, you would probably already know this before this book gets around to revealing it, so for me personally, this reveal doesn't really blow me away. What I did like a lot about T'Challa's memories being restored is how they take time to address why T'Challa set up all these space missions in the first place. It turns out this is him trying to carry on the dream of his birth mother N'Yami (whom he never really got to know because she died), who longed of exploring the stars. This is something briefly touched on in the Rise of the Black Panther series (which I read before I started this weekly Black Panther thing; here's the blog entry), and I think it's amazing to see an entire story built from that one moment. I was quite impressed with the art in this volume, as the shading and colors add a lot of fine detail to otherwise simple drawings or enhance more intricately drawn faces. I also noticed a lot more of that crayon/oil pastel texture I saw in the last volume's art, and there's something about that style that I really like looking at. There's also a lot of variances in the linework, with outlines going from noticeably thick to almost imperceptibly thin. VERDICT: Part Two of The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda adds more to this new take of Wakanda I already really enjoyed in the first part, especially with its power being quite literally tied to taking away and exploiting the memories of its slaves. The inevitable showdown between T'Challa and N'Jadaka is also starting to get exciting with Bast actively interfering now, and I enjoyed how the book explores what happened to T'Challa leading up to him being captured in the empire, and how the whole story circles back to a cool aspect to T'Challa's own character and desires. If I wasn't hooked on this series before, I'm definitely hooked now. - end - I gotta say, it feels really weird to be watching main roster WWE PPVs regularly again. I think that should speak to the gradual shift in the product that I enjoy it enough to watch full shows again.
Anyway, you know how this goes: here are my ramblings on each match on the card. We interrupt this program with a Marvel Studios Special Presentation. When the MCU started their journey into TV with the Disney+ series, I wasn't expecting them to do one-off specials like this one, so this existing is a pleasant surprise. I thought the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special would just be a fun one-time thing, but the fact that they're willing to introduce completely new characters in standalone specials like this has me excited for any potential projects in the future.
As for the character itself, I have read a little bit of Werewolf by Night and am decently familiar with the supernatural side of Marvel in general. Jack Russell's introduction has me super excited for the future of the MCU, as it becomes evident that they're willing to introduce supernatural/occult characters and concepts to the universe other than Blade. The story of Werewolf by Night begins during one gloomy night, when a group of monster hunters gather together for the funeral of Ulysses Bloodstone, who is himself a legendary hunter. The hunters will participate in a competition to fight for the very Bloodstone that Ulysses is named for, a powerful relic that can fend off monsters (among other things). The competition will have them do what they do best; try and kill a fearsome monster to earn the right to possess the stone. Among the participants is Elsa Bloodstone, Ulysses' estranged daughter, and Jack Russell, who is not who he says he is. Both characters have their own agenda, and while the competition (which is to the death, by the way) pits everyone else against each other, Elsa and Jack find common ground and work together to accomplish their respective goals. Everything about this movie feels like an homage to classic horror. The black-and-white (which sticks for the near entirety of the special) is more than a simple filter, as they go out of their way to add little flourishes like old-school film circle effects on the screen. There are also a lot of classic tropes like certain shots, those musical stings that often accompany jump scares, narration at the beginning, and even the campy moments that remind me of some of the old stuff I've seen. There are also a few neat creative choices, like unapologetic blood splatters and violence (I wager the black-and-white gave some leeway as to what they could get away with) and very subtle tinges of color for certain elements. I also liked the look of the werewolf, who actually looks like the classic version. Despite the movie being as short as it is, I quickly grew to enjoy both Elsa and Jack. Admittedly, Elsa's motivations don't get a lot of time to breathe, but I loved her personality and her skill in combat was super impressive to watch. There's also no time to really look into how Jack's condition came to be (and his struggle with it is only briefly touched on), but his mission this entire movie was surprisingly wholesome given the setting, and I liked that a lot. Everyone else is a minor character, but I did like the big, bearded hunter, as well as Ulysses Bloodstone's widow; both of them had strong personalities that fit well with the old-school setting. This special is completely standalone with zero connections to the MCU, but it does introduce the main characters (who are both established characters in the comics), makes the Bloodstone canon (though no origin for it is given), and brings in something I am very excited to see become MCU canon (it's pretty obscure, but I'm not going to spoil it regardless). I really hope all these elements return to other MCU properties in some capacity, because I'd love to see the supernatural cross over with the many other aspects the MCU has grown to include (the street-level, the sci-fi, the mystical, and the cosmic). I also hope to see the main characters be fleshed out more since the movie isn't long enough for viewers to really get to know them. All in all, I really enjoyed Werewolf by Night's take on classic horror and its incorporation of some lesser known but nonetheless neat aspects of the comics. If Disney+ special presentations give us more stylistically distinct projects like this, I say make more of 'em. I just hope everything introduced here comes back in the MCU, because Elsa Bloodstone is way too cool to be a one-off. - end - |
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