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#And Survive was doing its Adventure Nostalgia thing so sure that's fair too
analyzingadventure · 8 months
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If you gave a me dollar everytime Piemon was introduced as one of the first Ultimate level Digimon in the franchise to display the difference between Perfect and Ultimate, I'd have four dollars, which isn't a lot but it's funny to me that it's happened four times
Like you introduce An Extremely Powerful Threat in your story that your protagonist has to overcome, and in this god forsaken series, four different times it's been the exact same clown
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tessatechaitea · 5 years
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Scarab #6
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I don't know what's happening on this cover but I definitely have a new sexual fetish.
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This comic book stars a raccoon. Rating: A+.
Most of the weird dialogue in this comic book probably comes from John Smith's high school notepads full of terrible poetry. I mean, this part about winter isn't too bad! I kind of like it. It's almost as if William Carlos Williams and H.P. Lovecraft were caught in a Star Trek transporter malfunction where their minds were melded but they had to overcome the horror of their new two-dicked physical existence to continue writing poetry. I knew John Smith was English from his previous work on 2000 A.D. and other British comic book periodicals but then he uses the phrase "Chinese whispers" in this issue and I think, "If I hadn't already known he was English from his previous work on 2000 A.D. and other British comic book periodicals, I'd now know he was English by his use of the phrase 'Chinese whispers.'" Here are some of the ideas John Smith throws into a two-page account of Scarab's recent adventures that he couldn't bother writing into full scripts but wanted everybody to know he thought up anyway: a television at the Waldorf haunted by the 20th Century, a pervert breaking the spirits of kids with his Zoo of Shame, The Phantom Barber stealing scalps from runway models, the world's sexiest man raped by Tarot cards, and the Electric Fetus Machine which manifests as a large organ whose music foments rebellion in fetuses. Is this how the British writers took over DC's adult comic books? By occluding our minds with so much random and weird pseudo-philosophical garbage that we couldn't think straight? Sure, I guess an Electric Fetus Machine sounds like a way better story than Batman beating The Riddler near to death. But is there really any substance there? I suppose there could be if the idea were fleshed out and some kind of theme built around the idea of fetuses rebelling. Maybe all of these ideas John Smith throws out are just a game of Chinese whispers where he takes, say, a story by John Barth from Lost in the Funhouse about the thoughts of a sperm considering how the race toward life is pointless and, maybe, they should all just give up, and he turns it into the Electric Fetus Machine so that when I read it, I don't instantly think, "Isn't this a John Barth story?" Instead, I think, "That's a better sounding story than the one where the guy is raped by the Three of Wands!"
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Meanwhile, Scarab spends his downtime watching Eleanor turn into a Dr. Seuss tree. Or a mushroom cloud (because remember the theme established by the beginning quote and title?!).
Try to ignore Scarab's ass in the previous scan. It's phenomenal. If you're training to be a comic book artist, you need to spend a lot of time getting the ass right. And once you do, you'll never get an ass in pants right again because all you have ever learned to draw is a naked ass which readers will know is actually under skin tight Lycra unless the colorist completely shits the bed. The guy in the jar on the cover is a Russian experiment in psychotropic warfare called a Gloryboy. There are three of them and they're some kind of pacifist dream come true. They constantly mutter Vertigo phrases in a tonal frequency that makes normal people vomit and shit themselves. It's the Brown Note theory of winning battles but taken to the Vertigo extreme. Instead of a whomping bass sound system, the noise comes form a naked albino in a jar composed of dream matter. Maybe they're not composed of dream matter. And maybe they're not about pacifism at all. It seems they've been altered and experimented in such a way that they can give voice to "the Scream over Hiroshima!" That sounds pretty bad. It's probably some form of psychic bombardment, comparable to a nuclear blast, which drives everybody in the vicinity completely insane. Or maybe it really will just be a thing that pacifies everybody because have you ever tried to do anything while shitting yourself? I mean other than read the ingredients in your shampoo. And even then, I bet you take your eyes off the bottle for a moment to really be in the moment. As an aside, do women find shitting as enjoyable as men or is it just the fecal matter pressing up against our prostate as it passes that makes a big shit feel so good? The Russians test the Scream Over Hiroshima on London. What it does is project into the minds of everybody who hears it the entire reality of what happened in Hiroshima. It's the truth of war. It's pure horror and death and consequence. It probably also makes everybody shit themselves. But when it's done, they'll all understand, on a physically primal level what war is. And the assumption is that everybody will finally be against it, I guess? I've been on Twitter for many years and the one thing I know is that even physically experiencing the horrors of the bombing of Hiroshima isn't going to change the minds of most idiots. I mean, if you didn't become a vegan pacifist hug machine after hearing Sting's song, "Russians," why would you become one after living the horror of fifty thousand lives snuffed out in an instant?! Some people, you just can't reach. London turns into a burning chaotic mess as everybody flips the fuck out from suddenly experiencing the most painful thing they've ever experienced. Scarab arrives after it's all over and everybody is afraid of him. Surprise! There's nothing he can do. He just observes the mess and meets a psychic who tells him that Eleanor is coming back. And isn't that the most important part of this eight issue story? That Louis the Scarab's love returns to him while the rest of the world falls into death and chaos? Scarab #6 Rating: C. Smith seeded this issue with more story ideas than story. The main story is an idea that really goes nowhere as well. It's a thought experiment. It's a minor philosophical musing. And Scarab doesn't do anything but distract himself from his wife's condition. But it also wasn't uninteresting. So I think that means it's a C? What am I, a high school teacher? I don't know how to grade shit!
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eddycurrents · 7 years
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For the week of 16 October 2017
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This was a really busy week with some really great comics, endings, beginnings, middles, that resulted in four comics vying for a favourite spot. Doctor Strange #26 by John Barber and Niko Henrichon, Kid Lobotomy #1 by Peter Milligan and Tess Fowler, Maestros #1 by Steve Skroce, and Sherlock Frankenstein & The Legion of Evil #1 by Jeff Lemire and David Rubín. Published by Marvel, IDW/Black Crown, Image, and Dark Horse respectively.
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Doctor Strange #26 is technically the second of two self-contained fill-in issues written by John Barber before the new regular team comes aboard, but both last issue with art by Kevin Nowlan and this issue, the last illustrated by Niko Henrichon, have been wonderful. This issue in particular makes me wonder what Barber and Henrichon could have done together for a longer period of time.
John Barber gives us a story that is essentially a dungeon delve, Strange and his assistant, Zelma, travel through abandoned NYC subway tunnels in search of lost relics. As they do so, they stumble upon a team of adventurers who were trapped eons ago driven somewhat mad, and possessed, by the evil that lurked in the temple. Dungeon crawlers are one of my favourite types of RPGs and invariably I love when they show up in fiction as well. Barber does a great job presenting the genre and, since magic is still a scarcity, relevant to the current Strange status quo. There are also some wonderful character moments, building upon the almost humility that Strange has had since Jason Aaron’s run and the humorous interaction between master and student.
It also helps that Niko Henrichon’s artwork is perfectly suited for this kind of mix of horror and fantasy. His designs for the adventurers, especially after they’ve essentially become revenants, is wonderful.
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Kid Lobotomy #1 is the launch issue for IDW’s Black Crown imprint curated by former Vertigo editor, Shelly Bond, written by Peter Milligan and illustrated by Tess Fowler, and it is pure, unadulterated glorious madness. To me, this feels like those early heady days of the Vertigo imprint back in the early to mid-’90s, when it seemed like everything was brilliant and beautifully strange, with weird and wonderful ideas flowing. This first issue captures that spirit, the essence, and creates something new.
The setting, characters, and narrative set out from Peter Milligan is suitably bizarre. On its top level, this is a bit of sibling rivalry over property as Kid and Rosebud fight over the hotel, the Suites, that their father, Big Daddy, has left to Kid to run. Of course, Kid and Rosebud have an odd incestuous relationship, or at least seem to have had when they were children, whereas now it’s unclear when something is still going on or if everything now is just Kid’s hallucinations and nightmares. There’s also the hotel itself, populated with strange guests and stranger staff-- ghost children cleaning service and a shape-changing maid who doubles as the bartender and might be Franz Kafka’s youngest sister (who died in 1943 if you’re wondering)--and a “turn down service” of giving New Lobotomy procedures to help excise particularly nasty memories.
That’s the other bit, Kid, has been suffering rock star malaise for some time, tried to kill himself, so Big Daddy invested into curing him, coming eventually to the “cut up” technique of New Lobotomy and Kid has become the resident practitioner of the hotel. It makes me wonder if Milligan’s also playing with our conception of what’s truly happening here, whether some of Kid’s memories are real or not, or if maybe he thinks he was a member of a band because he ate the excised portions of the brain of a man obsessed with the band’s lyrics. There’s nothing to necessarily hint at that, but there are enough presentations of things not being as they seem that it’s a possibility.
And then there’s Tess Fowler’s art. It too has hints of some of the memory of Vertigo stalwarts, a bit of Richard Case, some Luca Rossi, a little Philip Bond, and a taste of Mark Buckingham, resulting in some wonderful artwork that perfectly suits the story. The character designs are great, and as per the reveal of the main lobby at the hotel (as above), they make me wonder about the story of these guests just based on look alone. I want to know more about the girl with wings and a tail, the woman who looks like The Crypt Keeper in an ornate gown, what exactly is attached to the tentacles, and, of course, the normal looking guy with the briefcase.
This is a great first issue and a great launch for Black Crown. I’ve very excited to see what’s to come both from this series and from the future publications.
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Maestros #1 is the latest return to comics by Steve Skroce, this time both as writer and artist on this new series. Maestros taps in to some of the same irreverent fantasy as Curse Words, but does so in a familial way. 
The first issue introduces us to Will, the last surviving son of the Kahzar bloodline, the magicians or “maestros” that shape and control the known multiverse. His entire family has been decimated by a mad wizard, Mardok, and his army of weird slug and venus fly trappy-type things and now Mardok’s attention has turned to Will in order to finish the job. In comes Will’s mother, Margaret, armed with a trusty talking sword to save him. Cue flashback to Will’s adolescence and awkward moments with family as he learns that he’s got magical blood.
Skroce’s story is indeed the traditional sad boy finds out that he’s special a la Harry Potter, it’s even reference in text, but it’s turned a bit on its ear partially because of the dark humour that’s peppered throughout the story, as well as the fact that the magicians really are pompous dicks that you don’t really feel bad about all of them being slaughtered. You are made to care about Will and his mother, but it’s interesting to see our mundane Earth made special and more pure, as well as its residents, through our lack of magic that runs through the rest of the multiverse.
As usual, Skroce’s art is gorgeous. After the relative normalcy of We Stand on Guard, it’s nice that he’s cutting loose again with some weird fantasy. Like many, I first saw his art on Ectokid for Clive Barker’s Razorline from Marvel and it’s pleasant to see him go back to something raw, strange, and magical.
It’s also fun to see that on Earth this occurring in the lower mainland of British Columbia. Skroce throws in some references like Mugs n Jugs and Abraham’s Books that are sure to amuse BC buds.
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Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil #1 spins out of Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s Black Hammer series, following on particularly from #12, with Black Hammer’s daughter, Lucy, investigating his disappearance following the confrontation with Anti-God. The series is written by Lemire, with art by David  Rubín who had also illustrated the two issues of Black Hammer that focused more completely on this story arc (#9&12). You needn’t necessarily have read any of Black Hammer before, though, as this arc takes place before the mothership and can largely be read on its own.
First, I need to reiterate that David Rubín’s art is absolutely amazing. His character designs are whimsical, intricate, and immensely interesting, perfectly fitting the oddity of the Black Hammer world. His depiction of Sherlock Frankenstein galumphing around in a giant mechanical robostrocity looks like the kind of madness I’m used to seeing leap off the page from Guy Davis’ tenure on BPRD. His page layouts and panel transitions, as well, are incredibly inventive. Just above there’s a spread in a spiral, leading to the central chamber, complete with snapshots of the various villains housed in this facility. Not only is it visually interesting, it manages to convey a fair amount of information about the inhabitants in one go. Great synergy between art and writing.
Second, Lemire is firing on all cylinders here. Perfectly mixing the sense of oddity, family, and nostalgia for old school superheroes that permeates the main Black Hammer series, but also bringing the mystery back to the forefront here. This first issue sees Lucy decide that trying to find the heroes has yielded nothing substantial, so she’s going to investigate their villains, particularly the guy at the top, Sherlock Frankenstein. She visits Spiral Asylum to find clues, especially from one of Frankenstein top henchmen, Mectoplasm. Lemire does a great job of making us feel for the guy, who turns out to be a child dragged from the afterlife and forced into a life of crime in a giant containment suit . It’s weird, but it fits.
Overall, I’m interested to see how this fills in some more of the backstory. I also wonder if it’s going to lead more to the relationship between Frankenstein and Golden Gail, although there’s no hint of it here.
Quick Bits:
All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #12 acts a kind of prelude to the Guardians’ upcoming Infinity Stones quest, as they swing by Earth to see if any of Marvel’s cognoscenti might have come across any of them. They also pick up a new member. This is also a fairly decent jumping on point, before the series adopts its Legacy numbering and starts a new arc. The art from Rod Reis is also phenomenal.
| Published by Marvel
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Animosity #10 continues the investigation of the missing bees, with Jesse stumbling upon a somewhat strange farming community, and a familiar face in Mittens. Marguerite Bennett also gives us some more backstory on Jesse’s parents before The Wake. I’m interested in where this is going.
| Published by AfterShock
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Animosity: Evolution #1 continues on from The Rise limited series, but still manages to stand on its own fairly well introducing, or re-introducing, us to the characters and the situation of the growing animal society in San Francisco. It’s nice to see this expansion into another side of the Animosity world. The politics and intrigue of the story certainly give off more of an Animal Farm vibe than the mothership, but it’s a welcome difference.
| Published by AfterShock
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Critical Role: Vox Machina - Origins #2 ropes in Scanlan and Grog into the story through the raid and looting of a temple, wherein they find a vial tying back into the curse introduced in the first issue. It’s not quite as funny as the real thing, but Matthew Colville again does a great job of capturing the characters’ voices and provides an amusing addition to the story.
| Published by Dark Horse
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Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan #1 is a great first issue, especially considering that Mike Henderson’s is truly wonderful. Declan Shalvey’s story is as humorous and over the top as you would expect from a battle between Deadpool and Logan and overall this is just outright fun.
| Published by Marvel
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Faith & The Future Force #4 is probably not the ending that you’re suspecting. After throwing wave after repeating wave of heroes at the time-travelling genocidal robot, the finale tries a different tack in recruiting Faith’s arch-nemesis, Chris Chriswell, to combat the evil. It’s fairly inventive and a rather satisfying conclusion.
| Published by Valiant
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Generation Gone #4 is pretty fucked up. The artwork by André Lima Araújo is gorgeous, but this is still one seriously messed up story.
| Published by Image
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The Infinite Loop: Nothing but the Truth #2 is going to mess with you. Nothing I write can really prepare you without spoiling a lot of stuff. Just read it, it’s good. Plus, there’s a nifty Blade Runner reference.
| Published by IDW
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Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Star Wars: Captain Phasma #4 concludes this limited series bridging The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi and, wow, it really shows off how single-minded, cold-hearted, and ruthless Phasma can be in her devotion to herself. Kelly Thompson has done a great job of making us care about the Pilot and the people of Luprora and...wow. I also have to reiterate that Marco Checchetto and Andres Mossa have made this the best looking Star Wars book from Marvel to date. I highly recommend this series.
| Published by Marvel 
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Kill or Be Killed #13 further explores the demon that has been central to the series from the beginning, but as per the rest of this arc, in a very different way. Ed Brubaker took a sharp left turn in the context of the story and it’s fascinating to see how it has changed dramatically, adding more depth and pathos, and giving a different understanding to what’s going on with Dylan. As usual, Sean Phillips’ art is stunning. Seriously, I think Brubaker and Phillips can do no wrong.
| Published by Image
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Kong: Gods of Skull Island #1 is a decent one off story from Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Chad Lewis. The plot is the oft-repeated one of invading white explorers stumbling upon an existing culture to deleterious effect, but it’s largely immaterial since it’s well told.
| Published by BOOM! Studios
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Made Men #2 is every bit as good as the first issue, possibly even better, as it gets into more detail about Jutte’s team and their purpose. Paul Tobin does a great job here particularly with the dialogue, really hitting up some of the police tropes in a believable and entertaining fashion. And, again, Arjuna Susini’s art just really puts it over the top. This is a great book.
| Published by Oni Press
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Magnus #5 concludes what was another great entry into the current Sovereigns reinterpretation of the Gold Key characters. The artwork by Jorge Fornés has been particularly impressive. He’s got a style that reminds me of Klaus Janson and the layouts and design of the pages have been amazing.
| Published by Dynamite  
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The Realm #2 lives up to the promise of the first issue fairly well. The setting, somewhere between Shadowrun and Shannara, is still compelling in itself, but Seth Peck and Jeremy Haun do a great job of making us interested in finding out more about our fairly enigmatic cast of characters as well. It also helps that Haun’s art is gorgeous.
| Published by Image
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ROM vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #4 makes me think that this is more of what Revolution probably should have been. Sure, it’s still filled with all out action in the battle between the two factions, Dire Wraiths/Decepticons vs. Space Knights/Autobots, but there’s a lot more cohesion here, better focus on the characters, and a fairly compelling plot. It’s not particularly complicated, but it doesn’t need to be, it’s entertaining, very well-illustrated, and the characters are engaging. John Barber, Christos Gage, and Alex Milne are doing a great job here.
| Published by IDW
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Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #4 again has some of the best art in comics today. Dan Mora is just incredible with his layouts, action, and storytelling that even if the writing from Ryan Parrott wasn’t good (and it is), this would still be a highly entertaining series.
| Published by BOOM! Studios
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Secret Warriors #7 is fairly inventive as it works its way to providing a reason for why the team should still exist. Matthew Rosenberg again utilizes humour to great effect to show some of the oddity of the heroes and their situation.
| Published by Marvel
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Spy Seal #3 gets to some of the meat of the mystery as this penultimate issue ups the stakes and action. This has been very fun, at the height of many of the Tintin adventures and standing out among the best of Rich Tommaso’s works.
| Published by Image
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Star Wars: Poe Dameron #20 kicks off a new arc, taking a brief break back at headquarters to deal with some personal stuff, before diving headlong back into the action and intrigue. It also puts voice to one of the funnier questions we all likely had during The Force Awakens.
| Published by Marvel
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Transformers: Lost Light #10 takes us back to the Lost Light and, well, as expected it isn’t pretty. I’m quite interested to see where James Roberts is going to take us as Getaway’s mutiny is certainly one of the darker political angles the series has seen recently and likely the most horrific. You’re certainly left wondering why some of the more upstanding members of the crew still aboard know about what Getaway is doing and how complicit they are in some of the more heinous actions.
| Published by IDW
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They’re Not Like Us #16 continues to tear apart the status quo set previously and throw our cast into new and deadly situations. As usual, the artwork from Simon Gane is incredible.
| Published by Image
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Vampirella #7, despite being Paul Cornell’s last on the series, feels a lot like the series’ take on Moore’s “Anatomy Lesson”, redefining the character and her universe. New writer Jeremy Whitley co-writes this one, so there’s definitely some bit of the new direction he’s going to take, but, overall, it’s an interesting presentation of how this new series fits into Vampirella’s overall publishing history and how this new version of the character will be going forward. Also, the art by Andy Belanger is fabulous.
| Published by Dynamite
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War Mother #3 ramps up the stakes for Ana’s tribe, while at the same time giving us a further revelation of the nature of the tribe’s personal affairs, thus advancing Max’s own machinations. Devious little kid. Fred Van Lente also gives us some welcome humour in FLACO’s little tantrum.
| Published by Valiant
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Other Highlights: Cable #150, Champions #13, Curse Words #9, Dept. H #19, Descender #25, Genius: Cartel #3, Ghost Station Zero #3, Half-Past Danger 2 #2, Heartthrob Season 2 #4, Horizon #15, Incredible Hulk #709, Invincible Iron Man #593, Kill the Minotaur #5, Luke Cage #166, Lumberjanes #43, Mage: The Hero Denied #3, The Mighty Thor #700, Misfit City #6, Mister Higgins Comes Home, Monsters Unleashed #7, Optimus Prime: First Strike #1, Rashomon, Riverdale #7, ROM: First Strike #1, Shirtless Bear-Fighter #5, Spider-Gwen #25, Star Wars Adventures #3, TMNT Universe #15, Venom #156, X-Men Gold #14
Recommended Collections: Black Panther & The Crew: We Are the Streets, Cutter, Darkness Visible - Volume One, Deviations Beta, Giant Days - Volume Four, I Hate Fairyland - Volume Three: Good Girl, Jean Grey - Volume One: Nightmare Fuel, Low - Deluxe Hardcover Volume One, Plastic, Spider-Gwen - Volume Four: Predators, Star Wars Adventures - Volume One
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d. emerson eddy does not seem to have an invisible touch. He can’t reach in and grab right hold of your heart. His hand just kind of hits your chest and it’s all kinds of awkward and he apologizes.
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My partners and I are doing our own DnD campaign. Two of us will be playing two characters each while the other DMs. We’ve already played one session and got to know our characters a little better. Meet Snaggletooth, the Half-orc barbarian pirate who takes things way too literally, Pleiades the sarcastic brooding high elf, Saxon the human soldier WHO CAN SMELL WITCHES, and Legretta, the sexy gnome cleric who loves a good innuendo. Here are the backstories. (Long)
(by Belinda, DM) Welcome to Evermore. Our adventure begins in the country of Opas, possibly one of the largest landmasses on Evermore as well as the most diverse.  It is ruled by a King and Queen who make their home in the capital, Everrock, in the northeastern corner of the continent.  It is a bustling metropolis, well established as the trading capital of the world as ships come and go regularly from the city ports.  The kingdom has known peace for many decades following the Great Revolt where the underground-dwelling grey dwarves and dark elves both fought for the domination of the surface world and its many races.  After a sound defeat, both races fled into seclusion as their numbers were greatly reduced, and the surface was once again at peace.  Evermore breathed a collective sigh of relief after so many years of turmoil.  Militaries relaxed, dropping their numbers in favor of expanding trade and commerce. It is from this city that a great call to arms has been issued.  The monarchy seeks only the bravest fighters and adventurers to step within their castle walls and answer the call they have set forth.  Strange happenings have been reported from within the kingdom, and a great reward is offered to those who would join beneath the banner of Opas and fight to vanquish any darkness which threatens their peaceful existence. by Connie (Pleiades and Legretta)(I’M NOT A WRITER PLEASE DON’T JUDGE ME) The elf's copper blood filled her cheeks as she watched the gnome modeling her crummy, handmade accessory in the reflection of the water. Luckily, as often and easily as it happens, her embarrassment is masked beneath the faint burn permanently imprinted over her otherwise saturated azure skin. Despite spending so much time as a child outdoors in a typically bright, yet cool climate, her skin suffered no other naturally occurring blemishes other than the soft gradient of light to dark along the regularly exposed portions of her body. It still maintained the same pristine quality you would find from the icy terrain of her hometown, Geminight. Until relatively recently, she tended to dabble in a variety of activities her society had to offer. This was in a futile attempt to live up to all the possibile legacies of her seven preceeding sisters could have achieved had they survived a full gestation period in their mother's womb. No one but herself had expected this of her, but encouraged her to partake in something nonetheless. It seemed to give her some pupose and fulfillment. Although she was not particularly good at anything she picked up, she gained a fondness for it all and it helped her feel a closeness to the sisters she had never met. At the very least, she embodied the spirit of their assemblage and when she came of age, chose to engrain this into her identity with her choice in name: Pleiades. Traditionally, her society embraces the permanence of self-idenity with something a little more literal: a self-inked tattoo. Unfortunately, like with many of her interests, Pleiades lacked the finesse to create something other than a few dots around her left eye that had semblace of what was now her most symbolic constellation.Pleiades watched the gnome put the necklace she had given her around over her little head."There's a little bit of craftsman in everyone....manI love homemade things! They have so much character and love and there's always, like, some kind of special meaning behind it. Even if it's subconscious! I feel so special you let me have it even though you've only known me for literally, like two seconds!" The gnome gleefully giggled while stroking the pieces of the pendant now hanging from her neck.Pleiades appreciated the compliment, but uncharacterstically, she hadn't put too much thought into this particular task. Boredom had overtaken her and she swiped a long spiral shell off the beach and in its opening, stuck a thick rounded piece of weathered glass she found lying near the tavern that opened, in her opinion, way too early in the morning. The gnome had curiously approached her just as she was finishing wrapping the pieces together with some abandoned strip of twine. She was so enthralled by the little trinket that Peiades told her that it was hers if she liked it. Perhaps the gnome wasn't too far off; the blue tint of the glass did remind her of home..A pang of sadness stung her heart as it passed with the fleeting thought. She missed home, or what was left of it. Geminight had experienced a major ecological shift. It was no longer an icy haven, glistening in the sun that hung in theclear blue sky. The temperatures began creeping upward, weather fronts came more frequently and more varied. Vines, weeds, and other foliage broke free from the snow, the gems, and the ice; slowly domineering the region. While the changes weren't detrimental to the survival of the city or its people, the new environment felt entirely unsettling. On top of being unexpected and undesired, it felt dark and sentient. Pleiades did not want to stand by and watch her chilhood be tainted with this feeling. She decided to hold on to the nostalgia and venture out to new things. She had exhausted the petty hobbies her society had offered her and wanted toexperience something grander; a single legacy worthy of her and her sisters. When some vague propaganda from the Everrock government started to appear on bulletins near her, she decided it was time to leave. Her parents willingly stayed behind.The gnome watched Pleiades' expressions as they passed over her face one by one. She noticed a lot negativity and she supposes that's what attracted her to Pleiades in the first place. Gnomes were known tricksters, but she herself liked to focus on the lighthearted nature of her heritage and tends to get tunnel vision when she sees someone in distress. When she noticed the elf sitting alone listlessly on a crate of bait, she recited her motto of "When things look grim, find your grin!" and pranced up to her with a mission for fishin! For compliments. To give the elf." Y'know, I'm glad I saw you making this. It's so unique and I really appreciate that about things. I originally come over to you thinking of a mililon compliments to give you based on just your looks but I had no idea what to say since I'm sure you get complimented all the time...Just look at you! but yeah, you're pretty unique looking too now that I've had a good look..But I dunno, I just appreciate me a good trinket, y'know how us gnomes are."Pleides would probably not be considered epitome of the elvish ethereality that made them so intimidating. In fact, for an elf, she appeared quite neutral and approachable. Double takes were not uncommon when passersby took note her androgynous physique. The sun bleached blonde streaks in her dark blue hair gave it a green appearance if looked at in the right light and angle. And men and women alike also thought that her soft almond eyes suggested more than just the politeness of eye contact. And although her hands struggled with its intricacies, her hair always fell into place perfectly after she finished braiding it."I just appreciate you taking the time to go out of your way to say something nice to me. What's your name?The gnome grinned somewhat amused. She extended her furry hand and said proudly proclaimed "Ranandal Legretta Aaa Thawa Teffata Wata Gah! "There was a pause. "But you can call me Leggy! That's what the humans do anyway, but I grudgingly embrace it. The name “Leggy” works when I..." Legretta stopped for a moment and looked over Pleiades shoulder distractedly. Without a beat, she purposefully walked toward a tall, well built half-orc that just exited the tavern across the sidewalk. "EEeeeeeeyyyy! DAMN boooooooi. You're lookin FOOOOINE. I bet that grog gotchu all loosened up. You know what Leggy could do with a body that limber?" She asked as she flung one of her furry copper legs from her patchwork cloak and around his shin."Auuuughgh" The half-orc responded burping through his words, " nah, goway lil one, Yer so lil y'can't even reach. nainterested" He stumbled away until he reached the corner of the alleyway."Well, fine. I’m having more fun over here anyway" she scoffed over the muffled sounds of distant vomiting. Pleiades didn't even acknowledge the bizarre exchange she just witnessed and carried on "Well, I think the name Leggy might be reserved for someone a little more, um, promiscuous than I. So I'll just practice your nicknames and in the meantime, just stick with Legretta. My name is Pleiades Luaer. I couldn't help but notice, Legretta. You have a unique trait as well..." She said as she eyed Legretta's limbs. "They're really well....tamed" She struggled with the compliment. Legretta's eyes lit up as she stuck out a limb at a time, admiring her own handiwork. "Yeah! Y'know! boy gnomes have big thick beards that they can do whatever with! I even saw an old-ass gnome with a beard so long, he was able to shape it into a flying snake dragon! It's not fair! It' was so cool and I can't! Gnomes don't tend to keep their hair well kept and I wanna stick to the traditions of my heritage! I can't grow a beard..only some wispy tendrils... So I found a loophole.."Legretta had bright platinum blonde body hair contrasting her warm copper skin. It was quite thick and she had trimmed hairs on the legs into little hearts and the hairs on the arms into little diamond shapes. Pleiades grinned bittersweetly, "You remind me of my father. Elves can't grow beards either and he's always resented that fact. So he spent much of his life growing out his hair so long that he could be able to tie it under his chin into a ponytail. He was also quite a open about his sexuality with my mom and they’re always going out of their way to put me in the spotlight, so you also remind me of that. They really were quite embarrassing at times, but I suppose it's different coming from you." She lightly blushed and glanced at the poster that had beckoned her here. Legretta cocked her head to view the poster a bit more easily. "Ahh! Yeah! There's been some spooooky things have been happening here lately." she said as she tucked her face behind her wiggling fingers. "I've been kinda grumpy about the call to arms 'cause I think the strangities have kept this places more fun an interesting, but if you're going, I wanna go! I think it'd be fun. Maybe if we find out what it is, we can be part of it...It'll be fun to prank the traveling merchants, right?...I mean, I guess we can stop it, too. But now that I'm really thinking about it, the mystery is killing me. Can I come?!" Pleiades nodded. "YASSS. Be right back. I live under those sand dunes over there. Lemme go tell my mom." Legretta ran off for only a few minutes and returned with a small basket of sandwiches and her cloak's pockets overflowing with trinkets. She offered Pleiades some food, which she promptly accepted. The gnome walked a couple of feet ahead, looked back and up at Pleiades and said. "Castle's that way. Let's party." by Marty (Saxon and Snaggletooth) Saxon Bloodwulf- Human Fighter From the city of Nightmoor, in the kingdom of Ravenholde comes Saxon Bloodwulf. Once a member of the 13th Legion -the battalion that served as the King of Ravenholde's personal guard, this Captain had it all in his life, until the 13th Legion once arrested a witch who plotted to kill the King. The witch was sentenced to life imprisonment in the dungeons of Nightmoor, where she cried to the city that she swore revenge on Captain Bloodwulf as she was locked away. A fortnight later, Saxon Bloodwulf was seen creeping into the King's castle, and attempted to take the King's life. The King managed to avoid the attempted deathblow that came in the form of a knife and raised the alarm. Saxon was seen by the King's guard on duty that night fleeing the castle and retreating into Nightmoor forest.
The following week, Saxon was found in a village some 50 miles away and was arrested by the very 13th Legion that he was in command of. He claimed his innocence, swearing he had simply taken a holiday the day before he was seen attempting to murder the king, but mysteriously, no record was kept of his absence. Saxon was brought back to Nightmoor, where he was sentenced to death. He spent a single night in the dungeons, the night before his execution, where the witch hinted that she had something to do with Saxon's situation. Shacked and imprisoned in another cell, Saxon was unable to do anything other than vow revenge on the witch and others like her.
The following day, Saxon was to be hung in the city square. By chance, a few moments before he was to be hung, a gang of bandits stormed the city square. In the confusion, Saxon managed to free himself from his rope bonds and he fled Nightmoor, making all speed for the coast. It was at a harbour town that he met a group of pirates who were spending the night in the town, and agreed to take Saxon aboard their ship for a fee of 50 gold coins that Saxon had managed to retrieve from his old house before fleeing Nightmoor. This is how he met...
Snaggletooth- Half Orc Barbarian. Snaggletooth, a 32 year old Half Orc had been part of a crew of pirates known as the Jolly Robbers. This gang of pirates made the ship known as the Fearsome Scabbard their home. They sailed from port to port, taking what they could and giving nothing in return. The Jolly Robbers were actually number one on the navy's most wanted list, but the Jolly Robbers were able to escape the navy's clutches each time it seemed that they were able to be arrested for their crimes. One night, they met a member of the royal army, Saxon Bloodwulf. While suspicious of Saxon, they agreed to take him to the neighbouring continent in return for 50 gold pieces.
They set sail the next day, with Saxon aboard. It was during their voyage on this day that they encountered a freak storm. The storm, which hadn't been foreseen, due to the clear skies that day, tore the Fearsome Scabbard to pieces. Most of the crew died during the storm, but only Saxon Bloodwulf and Snaggletooth survived, thanks in no small part to Saxon's actions. The pair survived on a piece of the Fearsome Scabbard, and they drifted for days, until finding themselves washing up on the shore of the land they find themselves on now.
Snaggletooth, while a pirate, is grateful to Saxon for saving his life during that terrible day of the storm, and for now has decided to accompany Saxon, who has tasked himself with the burden of somehow clearing his name and has become a self appointed Witchfinder General as he is determined to ensure no person be victim to a witch or witchcraft ever again.
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xb-squaredx · 5 years
Text
Gaming in 2018: The Good and Bad
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2017 is largely considered an awesome year for video games as a whole. Plenty of fantastic titles and the impressive debut of the Nintendo Switch certainly meant that 2018 had a LOT to live up to. This past year has certainly been interesting in a great many ways; some of it’s good, some of it’s bad and a lot of it is just…business as usual. As the year is winding down, let’s take a look at some of the notable releases and happenings in the video game scene. Take it away!
The year starts off fairly strong, the first few months having a fair amount of quality titles, some even potential “Game of the Year” candidates. Both Monster Hunter: World and Dragon Ball FighterZ released not only to high acclaim and sales, but on the same day no less! A wide variety of games from several different franchises and genres dot the calendar. Co-op adventure games like A Way Out in March, the return of God of War in April competing with Nintendo’s odd Labo line of potentially over-priced cardboard and the controversial Detroit: Become Human in May. The summer saw a slew of releases, from a new entry in the Mario Tennis series with Aces, Octopath Traveler in July, and Spider-Man on the PS4 in September. The last three months see a sudden explosion of hotly-anticipated titles from some mega-franchises. Everything from Assassin’s Creed to Call of Duty to Pokemon and Super Smash Bros. sees a release, not to mention Red Dead Redemption 2 right at the end of October. Just looking at things generally, there’s a good spread, but let’s look at things more in-depth.
Fighting games had quite a few releases this year, though sadly I’d say most of them were considered underwhelming for one reason or another. Another entry in the Dissidia series was absolutely crushed by FighterZ and Monster Hunter to kick the year off, while niche fighting games like Blade Strangers, Fighting EX Layer, SNK Heroines and BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle were met with mixed reception overall. The anime crowd also got a 3D Brawler based on the My Hero Academia license…that launched the same day in the West as Red Dead Redemption 2 so…ouch. The year does see a bit of a rebound with titles like SoulCalibur VI and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being fairly well-received. It’s nice to see the fighting game genre continue onward, and at the very least I’m glad to see attempts at innovating or just new ideas being thrown out, but they can’t all be winners.
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Unfortunately, I’d say there were also a fair few stinkers released this year, or games that just failed to capture much of an audience. February saw a double-whammy of Dynasty Warriors 9 and Metal Gear Survive, two games that are largely viewed as massive step backs from their previous entries. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Sushi Striker and Just Cause 4 released and were quickly forgotten by the general public. You have some games that received at least SOME coverage and potential success, like Ubisoft’s toys-to-life Starlink game likely being the closest thing we’ll get to a new Star Fox game for quite a while (on the Switch version at least), and a fair number of indies came out this year too, or in some cases, came to consoles and boosted visibility. Hollow Knight came out last year on Steam, but is now out on everything and that thing sold like crazy on Switch at the very least. Then you have things like Dead Cells or The Messenger, Celeste and Guacamelee 2 that also received rave reviews. While last year we had Crash Bandicoot’s remakes and Sonic Mania appealing to nostalgia, this year we saw Spyro get his turn at a remake trilogy, as well as Mega Man 11 and an 8-bit, classic-Castlevania styled throwback in the form of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. All that said, let’s talk the big dogs.
Nintendo didn’t have nearly as many heavy-hitters in comparison to last year, though honestly I think it’d be hard to top that line-up anyway. The Switch’s library has ballooned since last year, a lot of that coming from ports, with that trend likely continuing into next year as well. The third party support is certainly welcome and fills out the Switch’s catalogue, though there’s an awful lot of first-party Wii U ports too. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, the Captain Toad game, as well as the first two Bayonetta games and Hyrule Warriors graced the system. Even the 3DS seems like it’s getting the shaft in terms of huge titles. Outside of a “greatest hits” of microgames with WarioWare Gold, there was a Luigi’s Mansion remake/port and…I guess Yo-Kai Watch still exists, so there’s that? The 3DS is clearly slowly being phased out, so as long as it still prints money, we’ll be seeing these strange remakes and ports…like…Kirby’s Epic Yarn coming next year…for some reason. As far as NEW titles, entries like Kirby: Star Allies and Mario Tennis Aces can be considered somewhat lacking, but it’s balanced out by a return to form for the Mario Party series, a great third-party exclusive in Octopath Traveler, a well-received DLC expansion/pseudo-sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and, of course, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Actually, I’d say that tips them back over into pretty darn good overall.
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Sony did pretty well this year, though honestly they only saw TWO major exclusive releases. However, both God of War and Spider-Man, despite having uncreative names, are clear “Game of the Year” contenders, and it surely reaps the benefits of the various third-party hits on the platform…and Detroit: Become Human, I guess. Shame about Xbox though; as far as exclusives went there was Rare’s Sea of Thieves, seen by many as too devoid of actual content to play for very long. Its E3 show was good at least! Good at showing off a bunch of games that will also be on other consoles!
Industry-wide, the year was a bit of a downer though, with some notable layoffs and studio closures, some very close to one another. Cliff Blesinski of Gears of War fame, closed down his studio, Boss Key Productions, following two back-to-back flops with Lawbreakers in 2017 and Radical Heights in 2018. As the year winded down, Capcom Vancouver closed its doors in September, with Telltale Games following soon after, generating a fair amount of media buzz over the volatile nature of employment in game development and the concept of “crunch” time in games as well. Right as Red Dead Redemption 2 came out, Rockstar also received flak for their workplace conditions when news of employees working “100 hour” work weeks was brought up as if it was some sort of positive thing.
The game industry isn’t all sunshine and rainbows; for every success story, you have a studio closing, for every hit, you have a game that crashes and burns on release. It can be hard to tell what to expect in a given year with video games, what big franchises will do and what new tent poles might pop up in the meantime. Fortnite is suddenly among the most popular games right now, and after Nintendo’s last console flopped, the Switch is on the warpath to reclaim that status Nintendo has always been known for. In this year alone, we saw several sequels to iconic, major franchises. It can be easy to forget them all, but it’s important to soak all that variety in. New Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed games, Mario Party and God of War, for starters. There are toys-to-life games and cardboard creativity, alongside your annual Madden and Call of Duty and Battlefield games, and TONS of fighting games. Capcom in general seems to be on a hot streak of hits, which considering the reception of Street Fighter V and Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite last year, is saying something. I haven’t lost my love for gaming, though I do somewhat worry how certain modern monetization trends will affect things going forward. But there are also tons of things to be on the lookout for. PS4 and Xbone are going to be on their way out someday soon (relatively speaking anyway), Nintendo always seems to have surprises under their sleeves (like announcing and releasing a SMASH BROS. game all in the same year, for one) and there exist plenty of talented developers both large and small that continue to innovate, making fun, new ideas. Here’s to 2019 hopefully continuing the trend of being mostly good!
Happy Gaming, and until next time.
-B
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pcgamingnews · 6 years
Text
The Best of May 2018 in Videogames
Variety, quantity and above all quality! We closed the month of May with a handful of great video games that we have enjoyed greatly in recent weeks. Pillars of Eternity 2, DKC: Tropical Freeze, State of Decay 2 or Detroit are just some of the novelties we reviewed in Best of the Month.
You look back, analyze in detail the number of video games that have been released in the month of May, and it is impossible not to be amazed! There has been variety, quantity and above all, a lot of quality thanks to the launch of such outstanding titles as Detroit of PS4, State of Decay 2 of PC and Xbox One, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze of Nintendo Switch, or the role adventure Pillars of Eternity 2 on PC. And these are just a few of the many titles that have appeared during the month of May, in which we have also enjoyed the remastering of Dark Souls, or proposals as interesting as Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux for Nintendo 3DS, orMoonlighter from the Spanish studio Digital Sun. As if all this was not enough, a few days before the beginning of E3 2018, there have been major announcements such as the presentation, at last, of the new episodes of Battlefield and Call of Duty, as well as Rage 2 or Fallout 76 by part of Bethesda Softworks, or the promising Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! / Eevee! , which undoubtedly have warmed up the environment in the face of the imminent start of the most important video game fair in the world. Do you know a little? For having, there has even been a leak that has revealed Assassin's Creed: Odyssey.  TOP MAY NEW RELEASES Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Platforms: Switch By: Retro Studios Rating (9.0) No matter which console appears, DKC: Tropical Freeze remains one of the brightest platforms of recent years. On the occasion of his arrival at Nintendo Switch, we have no great news. A new mode, indicated for less skilled users, as well as slight improvements in visual and performance issues. However, it is a real must for those who have not yet played, due to its incredible playable balance, challenge, and variety of situations. A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia Platforms: PC By Creative Assembly Rating (7.5) The spin-offs of the Total War series seem like a good idea to build on, but if they want to live up to what the saga has achieved they also have plenty of space to improve. I have no problem with a game that condense the enormous dimensions and ambitions of the series, Shogun 2 did it fantastically well in 2011, but here I miss some of the things that added depth and fun to the franchise. I perceive A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia as a Creative Assembly attempt to bring its strategy in real time to other audiences and, although that is always good news, I expected a much better result from it. Dragon's Crown Pro Platform: PS4 By Vanillaware Rating (8.5) Unlike Odin Sphere with his Leifthrasir and Muramasa with his Rebirth, we did not find so many differences in Dragon's Crown Pro with respect to the original work, beyond an increase in resolution to 4K, his orchestrated soundtrack and the new translation of your texts into our language. For those who did not enjoy it, its essence of beat'em up with touches of RPG continues to stay fresh like the first day, promising a good experience for a game and a very deep one for those wanting to pass and review the game with all their characters and difficulty levels. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Platforms: PC By Obsidian Rating (9.5) Obsidian has done it again. With the support of fans, the creators of Fallout: New Vegas come back to surprise with an extraordinary RPG that recovers the best essence of role classics like Baldur's Gate 2. Exciting in its action, with a spectacular combat system and wonderful setting in the scene, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire immerses you in an epic pirate adventure that will take time to forget thanks to its powerful narrative. Once again, and there are a few! Obsidian signs a memorable work that is destined to become one of the great video games of 2018. Laser League Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne By roll7 Rating (8.0) Laser League is a great quick and fun proposal that, although it is not relegated exclusively to the multiplayer, it is much more enjoyed in company. Frenzied games, with a clear sports halo and focused on skill, reflexes and the mantra of "easy to play, difficult to master". Forgotten Anne Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne By Throughline Games Rating (8.5) It is likely that Forgotten Anne does not receive the commercial response she deserves. Not in vain is a game that is cooked slowly and whose challenge is rather scarce. However, if we go into their world we discover a fascinating story full of memorable characters and decisions that matter. An exciting start to a studio like Throughline Games and, probably, the best game to date of the Square Enix Collective label. Conan Exiles Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne By Funcom Rating (8.0) Funcom has managed to create a great adventure of survival that takes advantage of the fantastic and bloody literary universe of Conan the Bárbaro. Alone, but better accompanied by friends, the video game surprised by the epic of his action and the scale of some of his pitched battles. Whether or not you are fond of the genre, you will surely find a lot of fun in a Conan Exiles that guarantees a game for a while. Horizon Chase Turbo Platforms: PC, PS4 By Aquiris Rating (8.0) Horizon Chase Turbo is just what it wants to be: a tribute to the driving arcades of the 90's recreational saloons. It is achieved based on simple but perfect controls, a well-studied difficulty curve, and a very powerful duration if we consider the type of game we are talking about. There is a lot of repetition in the medium term, and he could have dared to raise more things, but as the heir of a golden age in the arcade genre, he will make you spend a few afternoons of sweet nostalgia by pressing the accelerator ... and your teeth. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Platforms: Switch By Omega Force Rating (7.5) Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a port with hardly any news, and therefore should only consider those who did not play on Wii and 3DS. Even in that case, they must consider that it is a musou, and as such, it is a repetitive game. But if you can ignore it, you are facing an interesting machacabotones, faithful to the Zelda license and very durable, which can be even more if you play in a local cooperative for two players, a very interesting option for the owners of Nintendo Switch. State of Decay 2 Platforms: XOne, PC By Undead Labs Rating (8.0) Although it is a very continuous sequel, maybe even too much, there is a lot of fun to get out of State of Decay 2. If we manage to overlook its asperities, which are not few, we have a game of very genuine survival and ability to offer many hours of entertainment and maximum tension and immersion. To get an award in a future State of Decay 3? To polish more the set, to give something of more depth to the combat and to obtain a cooperative that begins to materialize the potential that here limits itself to aim. Along the way, we will enjoy, and much, your proposal. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Platforms: 3DS By Atlus Rating (8.0) Strange Journey Redux is a very good dungeon crawler, challenging and with fun, direct and abundant combats, perfect for your portable factor. Add an interesting story and multiple ways that dazzled much of their community, and now new additions are added perfect to increase the number of hours of play and give an excuse to those who played it at the time. A perfect JRPG for the most hardcore players at Atlus and the Shin Megami Tensei brand. Detroit: Become Human Platforms: PS4 By Quantic Dream Rating (9.0) Detroit: Become Human is still a 100% Quantic Dream game, so it has all the mannerisms and tics of a David Cage work and will not dissuade those who accuse their releases of lack of interaction. However, it is difficult to find something as powerful in its genre as what it has achieved this time. The PS4 video game is formally fascinating and has a staging worthy of a movie, but I do not think that neglects at all an argument full of hard decisions to make, and that approaches difficult issues with seriousness and good work. In my opinion, the best game so far by the creators of Heavy Rain. Ancestors Legacy Platforms: PC By Destructive Creations Rating (8.0) The authors of the controversial Hatred stand victorious with their commitment to the strategy in real time, giving life to a fun video game, exciting in its action, which raises interesting tactical options. In front of Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Germans or Slavs, in Ancestors: Legacy we will enjoy spectacular strategic battles in which, the most important thing is to get the most out of your troops. Do you accept the challenge? Whether alone or with its multiplayer mode, you will find here a game frankly recommended. Dark Souls: Remastered Platforms: PS4, XOne By: From Software Rating (8.0) Dark Souls Remastered is a version that updates one of the most important games of recent years. Its improvements in terms of resolution, frame rate, multiplayer and some playable details are especially appreciated for the console game, but not exempt from other failures by the too automatic implementation. Moonlighter Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne By Digital Sun Rating (8.5) Moonlighter is one of the best news for the indie scene, and the role gender of this year. An RPG of action with tints of the roguelike that contains ingredients of several video games, but that knows how to conjugate them to give us something with its own essence. It is difficult but rewarding, complex but at the same time easy to understand ... It is action and role of the old school with a sensation of brilliant progression and enormous addiction capacity that we are sure will satisfy the most adventurous players. Yoku's Island Express Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne, Switch By Digital Sun Rating (8.0) Villa Gorilla has signed a remarkable work developing a 2D development adventure where exploration and platforms combine sensationally with multiple elements linked to the world of pinball. A very original gameplay that, fortunately, has also been well captured. An entertaining and very showy title in general terms. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne, Switch, Vita By Inti-Creates Rating (8.5) Igarashi and Inti Create borrow the concept of Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse and mix it with Castlevania's Julius mode: Dawn of Sorrow with a dash of Rondo of Blood and 8-bit graphics. Excellent platform video game with four protagonists, impressive final bosses and good taste when it comes to honoring one of the most beloved franchises of players around the world. An excellent advance for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night of unbeatable price-quality. Other featured releases City of Brass Rating (7.0) - PC, PS4, XOne AO International Tennis Rating (5.5) - PC PS4 and XOne Juicy Realm Rating (6.5) - PC Little Witch Academy: Chamber of Time Rating (6.5) - PS4, PC Destiny 2 - The Strategist Rating (7.5) - PC, XOne, PS4 Omensight Rating (7.5) - PC, XOne, PS4 Little Nightmares Rating (8.5) - Originally on PC, XOne and PS4, now on Switch Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers Rating (7.5) - 3DS Dark Souls: Remastered Rating (7.0) - PC Sega Mega Drive Classics Rating (7.5) - PC, PS4, XOne Agony Rating (5.0) - PC, PS4, XOne Tennis World Tour Rating (6.5) - PC, PS4, XOne Smoke and Sacrifice Rating (7.0) - PC, Switch
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gamingnewskotaku · 6 years
Text
The Best of May 2018 in Videogames
Variety, quantity and above all quality! We closed the month of May with a handful of great video games that we have enjoyed greatly in recent weeks. Pillars of Eternity 2, DKC: Tropical Freeze, State of Decay 2 or Detroit are just some of the novelties we reviewed in Best of the Month.
You look back, analyze in detail the number of video games that have been released in the month of May, and it is impossible not to be amazed! There has been variety, quantity and above all, a lot of quality thanks to the launch of such outstanding titles as Detroit of PS4, State of Decay 2 of PC and Xbox One, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze of Nintendo Switch, or the role adventure Pillars of Eternity 2 on PC. And these are just a few of the many titles that have appeared during the month of May, in which we have also enjoyed the remastering of Dark Souls, or proposals as interesting as Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux for Nintendo 3DS, orMoonlighter from the Spanish studio Digital Sun. As if all this was not enough, a few days before the beginning of E3 2018, there have been major announcements such as the presentation, at last, of the new episodes of Battlefield and Call of Duty, as well as Rage 2 or Fallout 76 by part of Bethesda Softworks, or the promising Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! / Eevee! , which undoubtedly have warmed up the environment in the face of the imminent start of the most important video game fair in the world. Do you know a little? For having, there has even been a leak that has revealed Assassin's Creed: Odyssey.  TOP MAY NEW RELEASES Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Platforms: Switch By: Retro Studios Rating (9.0) No matter which console appears, DKC: Tropical Freeze remains one of the brightest platforms of recent years. On the occasion of his arrival at Nintendo Switch, we have no great news. A new mode, indicated for less skilled users, as well as slight improvements in visual and performance issues. However, it is a real must for those who have not yet played, due to its incredible playable balance, challenge, and variety of situations. A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia Platforms: PC By Creative Assembly Rating (7.5) The spin-offs of the Total War series seem like a good idea to build on, but if they want to live up to what the saga has achieved they also have plenty of space to improve. I have no problem with a game that condense the enormous dimensions and ambitions of the series, Shogun 2 did it fantastically well in 2011, but here I miss some of the things that added depth and fun to the franchise. I perceive A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia as a Creative Assembly attempt to bring its strategy in real time to other audiences and, although that is always good news, I expected a much better result from it. Dragon's Crown Pro Platform: PS4 By Vanillaware Rating (8.5) Unlike Odin Sphere with his Leifthrasir and Muramasa with his Rebirth, we did not find so many differences in Dragon's Crown Pro with respect to the original work, beyond an increase in resolution to 4K, his orchestrated soundtrack and the new translation of your texts into our language. For those who did not enjoy it, its essence of beat'em up with touches of RPG continues to stay fresh like the first day, promising a good experience for a game and a very deep one for those wanting to pass and review the game with all their characters and difficulty levels. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Platforms: PC By Obsidian Rating (9.5) Obsidian has done it again. With the support of fans, the creators of Fallout: New Vegas come back to surprise with an extraordinary RPG that recovers the best essence of role classics like Baldur's Gate 2. Exciting in its action, with a spectacular combat system and wonderful setting in the scene, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire immerses you in an epic pirate adventure that will take time to forget thanks to its powerful narrative. Once again, and there are a few! Obsidian signs a memorable work that is destined to become one of the great video games of 2018. Laser League Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne By roll7 Rating (8.0) Laser League is a great quick and fun proposal that, although it is not relegated exclusively to the multiplayer, it is much more enjoyed in company. Frenzied games, with a clear sports halo and focused on skill, reflexes and the mantra of "easy to play, difficult to master". Forgotten Anne Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne By Throughline Games Rating (8.5) It is likely that Forgotten Anne does not receive the commercial response she deserves. Not in vain is a game that is cooked slowly and whose challenge is rather scarce. However, if we go into their world we discover a fascinating story full of memorable characters and decisions that matter. An exciting start to a studio like Throughline Games and, probably, the best game to date of the Square Enix Collective label. Conan Exiles Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne By Funcom Rating (8.0) Funcom has managed to create a great adventure of survival that takes advantage of the fantastic and bloody literary universe of Conan the Bárbaro. Alone, but better accompanied by friends, the video game surprised by the epic of his action and the scale of some of his pitched battles. Whether or not you are fond of the genre, you will surely find a lot of fun in a Conan Exiles that guarantees a game for a while. Horizon Chase Turbo Platforms: PC, PS4 By Aquiris Rating (8.0) Horizon Chase Turbo is just what it wants to be: a tribute to the driving arcades of the 90's recreational saloons. It is achieved based on simple but perfect controls, a well-studied difficulty curve, and a very powerful duration if we consider the type of game we are talking about. There is a lot of repetition in the medium term, and he could have dared to raise more things, but as the heir of a golden age in the arcade genre, he will make you spend a few afternoons of sweet nostalgia by pressing the accelerator ... and your teeth. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Platforms: Switch By Omega Force Rating (7.5) Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a port with hardly any news, and therefore should only consider those who did not play on Wii and 3DS. Even in that case, they must consider that it is a musou, and as such, it is a repetitive game. But if you can ignore it, you are facing an interesting machacabotones, faithful to the Zelda license and very durable, which can be even more if you play in a local cooperative for two players, a very interesting option for the owners of Nintendo Switch. State of Decay 2 Platforms: XOne, PC By Undead Labs Rating (8.0) Although it is a very continuous sequel, maybe even too much, there is a lot of fun to get out of State of Decay 2. If we manage to overlook its asperities, which are not few, we have a game of very genuine survival and ability to offer many hours of entertainment and maximum tension and immersion. To get an award in a future State of Decay 3? To polish more the set, to give something of more depth to the combat and to obtain a cooperative that begins to materialize the potential that here limits itself to aim. Along the way, we will enjoy, and much, your proposal. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Platforms: 3DS By Atlus Rating (8.0) Strange Journey Redux is a very good dungeon crawler, challenging and with fun, direct and abundant combats, perfect for your portable factor. Add an interesting story and multiple ways that dazzled much of their community, and now new additions are added perfect to increase the number of hours of play and give an excuse to those who played it at the time. A perfect JRPG for the most hardcore players at Atlus and the Shin Megami Tensei brand. Detroit: Become Human Platforms: PS4 By Quantic Dream Rating (9.0) Detroit: Become Human is still a 100% Quantic Dream game, so it has all the mannerisms and tics of a David Cage work and will not dissuade those who accuse their releases of lack of interaction. However, it is difficult to find something as powerful in its genre as what it has achieved this time. The PS4 video game is formally fascinating and has a staging worthy of a movie, but I do not think that neglects at all an argument full of hard decisions to make, and that approaches difficult issues with seriousness and good work. In my opinion, the best game so far by the creators of Heavy Rain. Ancestors Legacy Platforms: PC By Destructive Creations Rating (8.0) The authors of the controversial Hatred stand victorious with their commitment to the strategy in real time, giving life to a fun video game, exciting in its action, which raises interesting tactical options. In front of Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Germans or Slavs, in Ancestors: Legacy we will enjoy spectacular strategic battles in which, the most important thing is to get the most out of your troops. Do you accept the challenge? Whether alone or with its multiplayer mode, you will find here a game frankly recommended. Dark Souls: Remastered Platforms: PS4, XOne By: From Software Rating (8.0) Dark Souls Remastered is a version that updates one of the most important games of recent years. Its improvements in terms of resolution, frame rate, multiplayer and some playable details are especially appreciated for the console game, but not exempt from other failures by the too automatic implementation. Moonlighter Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne By Digital Sun Rating (8.5) Moonlighter is one of the best news for the indie scene, and the role gender of this year. An RPG of action with tints of the roguelike that contains ingredients of several video games, but that knows how to conjugate them to give us something with its own essence. It is difficult but rewarding, complex but at the same time easy to understand ... It is action and role of the old school with a sensation of brilliant progression and enormous addiction capacity that we are sure will satisfy the most adventurous players. Yoku's Island Express Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne, Switch By Digital Sun Rating (8.0) Villa Gorilla has signed a remarkable work developing a 2D development adventure where exploration and platforms combine sensationally with multiple elements linked to the world of pinball. A very original gameplay that, fortunately, has also been well captured. An entertaining and very showy title in general terms. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne, Switch, Vita By Inti-Creates Rating (8.5) Igarashi and Inti Create borrow the concept of Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse and mix it with Castlevania's Julius mode: Dawn of Sorrow with a dash of Rondo of Blood and 8-bit graphics. Excellent platform video game with four protagonists, impressive final bosses and good taste when it comes to honoring one of the most beloved franchises of players around the world. An excellent advance for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night of unbeatable price-quality. Other featured releases City of Brass Rating (7.0) - PC, PS4, XOne AO International Tennis Rating (5.5) - PC PS4 and XOne Juicy Realm Rating (6.5) - PC Little Witch Academy: Chamber of Time Rating (6.5) - PS4, PC Destiny 2 - The Strategist Rating (7.5) - PC, XOne, PS4 Omensight Rating (7.5) - PC, XOne, PS4 Little Nightmares Rating (8.5) - Originally on PC, XOne and PS4, now on Switch Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers Rating (7.5) - 3DS Dark Souls: Remastered Rating (7.0) - PC Sega Mega Drive Classics Rating (7.5) - PC, PS4, XOne Agony Rating (5.0) - PC, PS4, XOne Tennis World Tour Rating (6.5) - PC, PS4, XOne Smoke and Sacrifice Rating (7.0) - PC, Switch
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