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Good evening! I played a few games recently and this would be the perfect opportunity to talk about them. Today's post will be similar to my film reviews with brief plot details, strengths, and weaknesses for each game. I'm covering a dystopian role-playing game called The Surge, a steampunk stealth adventure titled Dishonored 2, and an exciting fighting game with superheroes called Injustice 2. If you're a gamer, this post should be right up your alley.  This game takes place in a dystopian future that's suffering from disease, famine, overpopulation, and global warming. The CREO Company is trying to prevent worldwide collapse by shooting rockets in the stratosphere that will hopefully repair our broken environment. CREO is also giving mankind a chance to evolve through mechanical enhancements. The game's protagonist, Warren, wakes up in the aftermath of a huge disaster. CREO is in shambles and defective cyborgs are running amok in the facility. Apparently, CREO's plans to save the world went horribly wrong and Warren is the only sane cyborg left. I'm not fan of The Surge, but it has some good qualities. The plot is interesting, although unoriginal. It's a familiar story about the Earth's last hope going awry. It unfolds one chapter at a time and the gameplay puts a lot of context to the story. The dystopian elements are super cool with some influences from Mad Max, The Book of Eli, and other wastelands. Actually, the overall story could motivate the player enough the continue, even though the gameplay isn't great. The map is quite small, but the world building is still interesting. It's a really good setting for people who enjoy the post-apocalyptic genre. The world building is a futuristic wasteland and the protagonist doesn't know what happened. In a way, it's a little bit like a dystopian mystery. I had a lot of fun maneuvering through the dilapidated structures and encountering hostile cyborgs. The environment looks fascinating and it has quite a bit of detail. Unfortunately, the game came with a lot of cons. The gameplay is frustratingly awkward and clunky. Handling the protagonist is difficult and the controls have a lot of hesitation. It's really hard to hit enemies accurately and running away isn't particularly simple either. The game has a feature that will allow players to target specific body parts on their enemies. It should be a helpful feature, but the targeting system rarely works. The Surge is also mimicking the Souls games, both in terms of combat style and difficulty. That means the game is incredibly hard and frustrating. It's less difficult than Dark Souls III, but still exceptionally challenging. It's not particularly accessible for medium tier players like me. However, I'm n0t sure if expert players will find this game appealing either. The story is interesting, but the characters are very bland and generic. Warren is the main character, but there isn't anything special about him. I played for a really long time and the plot didn't seem to explain much about his identity or personality. The Surge also has a handful of enemies and supporting characters, but they're ineffective. You'll encounter the same enemies throughout the entire game and the supporting cast isn't memorable. I wasn't impressed with the map either. It looks cool, but the environment is very small and contained. The entire game takes place in one facility and it's not very big. This is a completely different situation than Doom. The latest Doom game also takes place in a facility, but it doesn't feel claustrophobic, tiny, or repetitive. The Surge uses a map that sends the player around in circles, fighting the same enemies and revisiting locations many times. Eventually, the map expands a little bit when the player moves forward, but it's still pretty small compared to other modern games. Enemies actually respawn in the same locations and it becomes incredibly redundant. I grew bored after a while. Unlike the Souls games, The Surge has a small selection of enemies. Most of them are drones or cyborgs. Once in a while, you'll encounter a major boss fight. Most likely, it will take the form of a bigger and more impressive cyborg. That doesn't mean the fights are easy. Enemies are very fast and they dish out huge damage. You can upgrade Warren throughout the game with faster speed, more health, stronger armor, better weapons, etc. However, it doesn't make the game more fun. In the end, I was very disappointed with this game. Poor gameplay and repetition made the experience lackluster in a competitive market. Unless you really love post-apocalypse, I would recommend playing other games instead. Potentially, fans of the Dark Souls series might enjoy it up to a point. With that said, I'm willing to play The Surge 2 when it comes out this fall. It might be a lot better than the original Surge game. Franchises tend to have variation from one game to the next.  Dishonored 2 is the next game in this post. The story takes place fifteen years after the original Dishonored game. Emily Kaldwin is the Empress of Dunwall and her adoptive father, Corvo Attano, is the kingdom's protector. Delilah Copperspoon is Emily's corrupt aunt and she successfully takes control of the empire. The playable character will be either Corvo or Emily while the other one is encased in stone. The main character will travel to Karnaca on a rescue mission, where an otherworldly being called the Outsider will imbue him or her with mystical powers. Overall, this game uses a combination of stealth combat, strategy, melee fighting, and impressive powers. I enjoy the second Dishonored game a lot more than the first one. Each character has an awesome set of powers and skills. Corvo and Emily don't have the same abilities, so it's a different experience, depending on who you're using. Their mystical powers are essential for the game's progression. You can teleport, slow down time, possess living creatures, cause a chain reaction of explosions, and more. It's a very impressive collection of deadly abilities that gives the player various options to maneuver through the game. The plot is pretty interesting as well. It's not complex or original, but the story is appropriate for this type of game. There's a big emphasis on fantasy, vengeance, supernatural elements, and action scenes. I don't want to give away too many elements, but it's a satisfactory plot that revives traditional components from the first game while creating a brand new chapter at the same time. It also keeps certain plot points open for a third game. You have all kinds of options during the gameplay. I thrived better with a more violent approach, including melees, firearms, and explosives. Other people might prefer a stealth approach most of the time. Thirdly, the player can also spend time collecting runes and upgrading their powers. Using magic frequently might work better for many gamers. Basically, you can try different types of styles and see what works best individually. You might even use combinations of techniques. Dishonored 2 seems to give the player more options than a lot of games. Also, you can save the game at any time. That's a life saver! It's really easy to make fatal mistakes in this game, but you can always go back and try again. Just save your progress frequently and everything should be fine. You won't have to backtrack very often. Dishonored 2 has a few significant drawbacks. It reminds me of The Evil Within in some ways. Dishonored 2 isn't the most difficult game, but it requires a lot of patience, strategy, and reloads. It's best to avoid rushing through the game because you'll probably die all the time. That makes the gameplay much slower and it's a real grind. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on this game. Sadly, the animation isn't very good and that's a shame because the world building is really cool. As usual, Bethesda has lackluster graphics that are behind the more sophisticated game companies. This game should have a lush steampunk environment with elaborate fantasy elements. Instead, everything is blocky, outdated, and unimpressive. The graphics haven't improved much from the original Dishonored game. I have an issue with the game's first person view. Sometimes it's really hard to find enemies. They'll start attacking and it's not always easy to spot them. I died multiple time without seeing anyone. In fact, your side vision is really bad. An enemy can dish out a lot of damage, even if they're next to you. I learned to look back and forth all the time. It helps quite a bit. In general, Dishonored 2 is a major improvement to the series, but it's not perfect by any means. At times, the game is fun, innovative, and pleasantly challenging. Unfortunately, it can also be tedious and underwhelming. It's a middle of the road game that should appeal to gamers who enjoy stealth combat. I don't think everyone needs to play this game, although it might also appeal to people who enjoy fantasy settings. You might want to rent it first. Trying it out for a few days might be the best way to see if it's your type of game.  I'm concluding this post with Injustice 2. This game takes place quite some time after Lois Lane was tragically killed. Superman blamed the Joker for her death and brutally murdered him. In the aftermath, Superman joined a totalitarian regime and created a reign of terror over mankind. Eventually, Batman and members of the Justice League imprisoned their former friend. Another enemy named Brainiac is leading an alien invasion on Earth and now the Justice League needs help from Superman again. Will the Man of Steel help his former teammates or will he destroy the world?
This is a very enjoyable game if you like traditional fighting systems from Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom, Mortal Combat, and such. The gameplay is very fluid and easy to master. Injustice 2 has a quick pace, allowing the player to create a lot of combination attacks. This game seems to have a bigger emphasis on combo sets rather than singular attacks with huge power. You'll have a chance to play with different characters and it's a lot of fun. Even though it's just a fighting game, Injustice 2 has quite a bit of variety. I felt really impressed with the cinematics. This game is almost like a small movie. It has tons of lengthy cutscenes with great voice work, animation, and storytelling. Even non-gamers might enjoy the experience. If you don't play games, just watch the cutscenes on YouTube. It should be pretty interesting. Usually, games have weak plots and voice acting, but this one has surprisingly good quality. Injustice 2 gives players different options for gameplay. It has a story mode, multiplayer setting, and arcade options. You can also collect items to upgrade your characters. If the gameplay is too challenging, you can also spend time training. Just pick a specific character and use the training mode. A decent amount of variety will keep the player from becoming bored after a while. I just have a couple of complaints. This is clearly an Elseworlds story with a really dark tone. I'm not crazy about that part. Superman is supposed to be a beacon of hope, but now he's just a symbol of terror. Other characters have taken a dark turn as well. Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and other optimistic characters have taken darker and more violent paths. However, villains like Cat Woman, Harley Quinn, and Black Adam are fighting for the good guys now. It's really weird. Some fights are randomly harder than others. I think it depends on the characters. Harley Quinn, Green Lantern, Cat Woman, and Firestorm were more difficult for me to use. Whereas I had quite a bit of success with the Green Arrow, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman. Wonder Woman, Batman, Black Canary were in the middle for me. So, battles could be mismatched depending on your strengths and weaknesses. My verdict is very positive. Injustice 2 is probably one of the best fighting games on the market. The gameplay and cutscenes are amazing. The game is highly entertaining, even though it can be a little frustrating sometimes. I definitely recommend this game unless you're not interested in the fighting genre. Some gamers prefer first or third person shooters instead. That's all for now. I hope this post gave you some ideas for future gameplay. Have you played any of these games yet? Do you disagree with my opinions? Leave a comment. Keep watching for more awesome content. Thanks for reading my blog and I'll see you guys next time.
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 Greetings! I was really looking forward to this Fast & Furious spinoff for some reason. The trailers looked like a lot of fun and summer is all about having a good time anyway. Did I enjoy Hobbs & Shaw or did I walk away from the theater feeling disappointed? Keep reading to find out.
Hobbs & Shaw isn't a direct sequel to any of the Fast & Furious films, but it's part of the same cinematic universe. Hattie Shaw is an agent from MI6 who's trying to take down a terrorist organization called Eteon. One of her missions ends in catastrophe when Brixton Lore, an Eteon super soldier, kills her crew and tries to steal a deadly virus. Hattie injects the virus into her own body and flees, keeping the bioweapon out of Brixton's grasp. The CIA forces Hattie's brother, Deckard Shaw, to form an uneasy partnership with Luke Hobbs. Together, they have to rescue Hattie, defeat Brixton, and prevent the virus from spreading across the world. Unfortunately, personal turmoil between Hobbs and Shaw could ruin everything. Hopefully, they'll learn to work as a team and save billions of lives. Let's start with the film's strongest elements. Honestly, it's plain and simple fun. I'm talking about dumb fun that's unapologetically campy and over the top. Yes, I consider that a good thing. It has tons of action that should make the majority of blockbuster fans feel perfectly happy. Also, the fight and stunt choreography is amazing. I wouldn't put it on the level as John Wick 3, but it's still very impressive. Hobbs & Shaw steps into different territories. First of all, it takes some natural influences from the Fast & Furious movies, such as car chases with high octane. But it also steps into the espionage genre, kind of like Missions Impossible. That means we have great fight scenes too! In a way, we get the best of both worlds. Surprisingly, the cinematography is pretty good as well. The action scenes were well shot and easy on the eyes, even though a lot of mayhem is happening all over the screen. It's not dizzying, nauseating, or headache inducing. That type of problem can be an issue for people like me who have trouble with motion sickness, but I didn't experience any difficulties with this movie. Everything is very clear and easy to follow. I have to give the filmmakers credit for using strong film editing too. It's not easy to put these wacky action sequences together. The entire movie revolves around the action and it works just fine. I didn't mind the primary characters. They don't have incredible development, but that's not unusual for this type of film. Dwayne Johnson is quite entertaining as Luke Hobbs. He's a decent leading man who has charisma and pounds of muscle. Johnson is almost like a classic action star from the 1990s. He's witty and very intimidating. The stunt choreography probably benefits from his experience as a professional wrestler. This film is perfectly suited f0r him. I thought Jason Statham was also pretty good as Deckard Shaw. Like Johnson, Statham is a great action star who brings an energetic dynamic to the action sequences. He brings a posh, calculated element to the Fast & Furious series as well. I find him delightfully grumpy, which works great for this particular movie. Idris Elba plays Brixton Lore, the film's primary antagonist. I find Elba highly underrated in the film industry. He's a really strong villain who sells the super soldier image incredibly well. In general, Hobbs & Shaw has a silly tone, but that doesn't mean Brixton isn't a good villain. He's tough, mean, relentless, and I certainly wouldn't mess with him. Vanessa Kirby has a decent start to the franchise as Hattie Shaw, but the movie doesn't give her a lot of screen time. Regardless, she did well with the fight scenes and I think she fits into the Shaw family quite nicely. This film is refreshing because it brings something new to the Fast & Furious series. Honestly, I'm not a fan of the overall franchise. It's just testosterone and fast cars. More importantly, the last few installments were clearly running out of ideas. Hobbs & Shaw takes the over the top elements and does something interesting with it. If you're tired of the overall series, check out this film. It's a breath of fresh air. You might notice a few celebrity cameos and Easter eggs too. Naturally, this type of movie has some drawbacks. It has very little substance. The plot isn't great, the characters don't have a lot of development or range, and the film primarily features mindless violence. Some viewers might even grow bored because it's just one action sequence after another one. Granted, I don't think people should expect fabulous storytelling and vivid artistry from anything in the Fast & Furious series. This is a stacked year for the action genre and other films have more substance, such as Captain Marvel, John Wick: Chapter 3, Shazam!, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Even Detective Pikachu turned out pretty strong. The humor didn't work for me either. Sometimes the film was funny, but I didn't laugh very often. In fact, hardly anyone laughed at my screening. This is supposed to be a comedy to a certain extent, but the dialogue isn't very original or witty. I wouldn't call the humor stupid, but it definitely tries too hard. This movie has plenty of entertainment value, but the humor simply falls flat. Hobbs & Shaw has both mid and post-credits scenes, but don't get excited. I don't think any of them brought meaning or teasers for upcoming sequels. They were just little throw away scenes. Some people might find them amusing or fun, but I thought it was a waste. Should you watch this film in theaters? I would say it depends on your personal taste. This movie would probably be satisfying for many action fans. If you love the Fast & Furious series, give it a shot. Just remember, it will be somewhat different than the main franchise. I'm not sure if casual moviegoers need to see Hobbs & Shaw in theaters. It would be a good viewing experience on Blu-Ray or streaming. Movie tickets cost money and many people will want to spend their cash elsewhere. I'm also a little disappointed because most theaters aren't showing this film on IMAX screens. It would improve the experience quite a bit. That's the end of my review. I hope you enjoyed it. Are you planning to see Hobbs & Shaw in the near future? Do you think Universal Studios is making too many Fast & Furious films? Let me know in the comment section. That's all for now and I'll see you guys next week. |
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May 2019
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