|
Good afternoon! I’ve been a gamer for many years and entire franchises went through mass popularity and eventually disappeared into obscurity. Ironically, some game series were discontinued when they were very popular. A game series can disappear for many reasons, such as declining sales, studio closure, creative differences among the crew, etc. But I want to see a handful of franchises return. It’s been happening a lot within the last few years. Doom, God of War, and Devil May Cry made a very successful comeback. A new Crash Bandicoot game is dropping next month. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is finally coming to the upcoming Xbox Series X. We’re even getting a new Prince of Persia game in January of 2021. What’s next? Take a look at my wish list.
Alan Wake You might not realize it, but Alan Wake is loosely connected to a recent game titled Control. Alan Wake was a survival horror game that totally broke the mold. The player had to stun enemies with a flashlight and finish them off with bullets. Anything could become possessed with darkness in this game, including people, animals, and inanimate objects. Imagine being chased down by a living steamroller. Despite its popularity, a sequel never happened. It also ended on a cliffhanger, which is frustrating. Hopefully, the creators of Control will revive Alan Wake and tie both franchises together. Alone in the Dark This survival horror series failed because it ventured way too far away from its roots. A couple of bad film adaptations didn’t help either. Originally, Alone in the Dark was a mystery game with Lovecraftian monsters. The player had to find clues, solve puzzles, and run away from monsters at the same time. It was a tricky setup. Also, the original games had limited combat. Usually, you had to flee or hide. Considering the popularity of Outlast and similar titles, Alone in the Dark should have another chance. The gaming community would probably appreciate a return to form with more mystery elements and less fighting. Altered Beast I doubt many gamers will remember this one. It was a 2D side scrolling game on the Sega Genesis. Altered Beast takes place during an unspecified ancient time period through the perspective of a soldier who was resurrected from the grave. An ancient deity gives him magical powers to shape shift into bipedal creatures and fight zombies, demons, and other monsters. Basically, it’s like being a werewolf. The player is a different animal in each level, including a wolf, dragon, bear, tiger, and more. Altered Beast had a couple of disappointing sequels and it never made an appearance on modern consoles. I would like another 2D arcade game. Bring on the creatures! Don’t you want to play as a humanoid shark, rhino, lion, and other animals? 2D games still have an audience. After all, Streets of Rage made a comeback without issues. It might work for Altered Beast too. BioShock I don’t understand why this series is on hiatus because it’s in huge demand. The BioShock trilogy is iconic with its storytelling, sociopolitical themes, and world building. Gamers will always remember the beauty, darkness, and tragedy of a fallen underwater metropolis called Rapture. It also sparked a trend of popular steampunk games. We ventured to cities underwater and up in the sky, but I believe this series can easily continue in the future. Why not travel underground or to a large metropolis in the style of Las Vegas or New York City? I always thought the BioShock games served as good morality stories. Treat people with respect, dignity, and humanity, or suffer the fate of Rapture. Honestly, it might be a topical series for a post COVID world. Castlevania This franchise was popular for many years, but we haven’t seen a new release for a long time. Castlevania deserves a modern upgrade with 3D graphics and a solid hack and slash gameplay system. I think gamers would enjoy hacking away at vampires, ghouls, grim reapers, and other supernatural enemies. Modern boss fights could be seriously epic. It might be a decent competitor for the Devil May Cry series. I’m not sure if this franchise is in high demand, but it’s always nice to see a successful revival. Apparently, Castlevania is good enough to have an anime series on Netflix. That means a new game revival should be profitable as well. Clock Tower It’s a survival horror series that shares a handful of similarities to Alone in the Dark, except the enemies are more in line with ghosts, possession, and the supernatural instead of Lovecraftian horrors. The player must traverse creepy indoor environments (like a clock tower of course) and solve puzzles, hide from enemies, and walk through the right corridors. Otherwise, it’s game over. In my opinion, Clock Tower could be adapted in the graphic adventure genre. Survival horror is quite popular in choose-your-own-adventure games, such as The Dark Pictures Anthology and Until Dawn. Making the right decisions could alter the ending and the main character’s survival. It sounds like a good idea, but I doubt we’ll get a new Clock Tower game any time soon. Dark Cloud Here’s the best way to describe the Dark Cloud games. It’s like Kingdom Hearts without the Disney brand. The Dark Cloud series is a kid friendly adventure with cartoonish characters, elaborate world building, and a hack slash style of gameplay. I think Kingdom Hearts could use some competition. Dark Cloud is a really fun series that would be appropriate for gamers of any age. It also has a really good role-playing system and I know people love the RPG craze. I doubt it would be as popular as Kingdom Hearts, but still successful. Darkstalkers The era of 2D fighting games brought us this great series with vampires, werewolves, zombies, and all kinds of creatures. It’s basically Street Fighter except the characters are monsters. Unfortunately, Darkstalkers was simply less popular than other fighting games, so Capcom discontinued the franchise. It even had a short lived anime show at one point. Many fighting series like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Marvel vs Capcom are waning in popularity. Maybe Darkstalkers could bring new life to a diminishing genre. I would keep the original 2D design. Gamers are showing a renewed interest in 2D games, so it might be a solid move. Dino Crisis Here’s a survival horror series for people who love Jurassic Park. This Capcom franchise took many elements from Resident Evil and replaced zombies with dinosaurs. Resources are limited, danger lurks around every corner, and the atmosphere is very tense. Dino Crisis would be a great revival during a time like now when survival horror is thriving. Like many Capcom IPs, this one is quite popular among gamers. I really like Resident Evil, but Capcom should release other games sometimes. Golden Axe Once upon a time, there was a 2D side scrolling game set in a Medieval fantasy land with influences from Norse mythology. It was a fun series with barbarians, dragons, the undead, dark knights, and other enemies. Golden Axe is probably more obscure than several franchises, but a modern revival could be profitable. Given the success of the new God of War, The Witcher, and the hype for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, something like Golden Axe might sell fabulously. The series could use a modern upgrade with 3D graphics, RPG elements, and possibly an open world environment. Gamers will always enjoy Medieval fantasies, so developers should take advantage of this opportunity. Half-Life The Half-Life series is another popular IP that’s getting a lot of requests. No, the VR game called Half-Life: Alyx doesn’t count. Seriously, the majority of gamers don’t play VR. Most gamers are looking for a good single player or multiplayer experience and a new Half-Life game could accommodate both directions. It’s a post-apocalyptic series where aliens conquered the human race. A modern take on this franchise could have a terrific combination of sci-fi elements and body horror. I don’t know why a new Half-Life game hasn’t been released on the current gen consoles, but it would be a pleasant surprise to many players. House of the Dead This one might seem like a joke to the gaming community, but I like the House of the Dead franchise. It was a simple arcade series and the player shot zombies in the head. The series also had a number of menacing boss fights. That’s all. House of the Dead might feel outdated for modern gaming, but the zombie subgenre is thriving with Resident Evil, Dying Light, The Walking Dead, State of Decay, and other popular franchises. House of the Dead could easily have modern upgrades with better graphics, weapons, enemies, and more. I’m not usually a huge zombie fan, but this one will probably be entertaining if game developers want to take a chance. Monster Rancher It’s kind of like Pokémon. You breed a variety of monsters and have them fight in a stadium with other monsters. Sounds familiar, right? It even has anime style graphics like Pokémon. I’m sure many gamers aren’t looking for a clone of Pokémon, but it’s fun to try new franchises sometimes. Besides, Pokémon needs more competition too. We got a horrible game like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX because the series doesn’t have any competition. Monster Rancher was fun, cute, whimsical, and a little weird. Occasionally, it’s nice to see monsters who aren’t scary and fighting ends with fainting instead of dying. The animated tv series was pretty cute as well. I know the original studio went out of business some time ago, but another developer could pick up Monster Rancher if they believe it will be profitable. Onimusha Capcom needs to revive their most popular franchises. Onimusha was an excellent hack and slash game that took place in Feudal Japan. Despite having influences from Resident Evil, it was more of an action game. I can tell it also paved the way for Devil May Cry with a big emphasis on demons and undead enemies. What happened to Onimusha? I don’t know because the series was popular and profitable. Japanese settings are making a big comeback with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Ghosts of Tsushima, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. However, I feel like the current titles are just clones of something else. Sekiro is basically Dark Souls in Medieval Japan, Ghosts of Tsushima looks like The Witcher, and Yakuza is pretty much a Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto. Onimusha stood on its own legs pretty well and I believe it would be a commercial success under the right conditions. The studio could improve the series with RPG elements, such as a skill tree that improves combat, health, weapons, and magic. It’s a thought. Parasite Eve I’m not sure if many gamers remember the Parasite Eve trilogy. It was a bizarre and terrifying survival horror game series with a splash of action. Parasite Eve had a much bigger emphasis on body horror compared to most horror games. Most of the enemies were animals and humans who were grotesquely mutated. I’m sure a modern version of this series could be incredibly scary with more impressive monsters. The original developer became defunct years ago, but I hope another studio will pick up this IP. Silent Hill This survival horror series might be the most requested revival from the collective gaming community. Silent Hill brought a psychological element to the horror genre with strange monsters and locations that reflect the protagonist’s inner demons. It’s like your worst nightmares, personality flaws, and unresolved sins manifest as real demons. This franchise was too disturbing for some players, but it was also viewed as highly creative and innovative. Silent Hill could easily have more stories with impressive animation, but the company’s internal conflicts halted the entire franchise. Hopefully, Konami will realize Silent Hill is a gold mine and revive the series at some point. Splinter Cell I’m not usually a fan of military style games, but Splinter Cell intrigues me. It has a big emphasis on stealth gameplay and creative ways to eliminate large numbers of enemies. The Splinter Cell franchise was largely linear and straight forward, but quite challenging. Given the popularity of Metal Gear, Call of Duty, Gears of War, and other games with military elements, it seems like Splinter Cell would be an obvious revival. Ubisoft seems to be more preoccupied with Assassin’s Creed, but I think fans would appreciate a new entry in the Splinter Cell series. Sly Cooper Many platforming games are making a comeback, including Ratchet & Clank and Crash Bandicoot. What happened to Sly Cooper? That mischievous fox brought a fun stealth element to the platforming genre and it seems like the series vanished during notable popularity. Sony still owns this IP, so it might be a good idea to reboot Sly Cooper for the PlayStation 5. After all, they need a lot of games and this one is already part of their IP library. Let’s cross our fingers. Spyro the Dragon This little guy is everyone’s favorite purple dragon. Many of you are probably questioning this entry because the Spyro Reignited Trilogy was released a few years ago. I appreciate the Reignited Trilogy, but it’s simply a remake of the original Spyro games. We haven’t seen a brand new game for many years. Luckily, Activision is releasing a new Crash Bandicoot game soon. That might be a good sign for Spyro because the two franchises often went along side of each other. Perhaps, we’ll see a new Spyro game on the next gen consoles. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Why do I want to see a revival of a really old Star Wars series? Firstly, it’s one of the most successful and popular Star Wars games of all time. Gamers definitely love this IP more than the Battlefront series. Some gamers still play Knights of the Old Republic on their old game systems. It’s also available on iOS. There was a time when Star Wars fans even wanted this series to be adapted as the next film trilogy. Knights of the Old Republic had great combat and it filled in some information about the early Jedi order. It felt like an authentic Star Wars game. Come on, EA! Just make it happen! The public will love you for it.
0 Comments
Greetings! Film studios are finally starting to release new movies and the live action remake of Mulan is definitely memorable. How does it stack up to the animated version? Is it worth a premium price of $29.99 on Disney+? I’ll break it down for you with the positive and negative elements.  Let’s start with a plot synopsis. The story takes place in Imperial China during a war with the Mongolians. Each household must contribute one man in the Imperial army. Mulan’s elderly and injured father is the last remaining man in their family, so he joins even though it will guarantee his death. During the night, Mulan disguises herself as a man and takes her father’s place. She goes through a rigorous boot camp and ultimately becomes a mighty warrior. Mulan won’t be able to keep her secret forever and the consequences might be very grave. Hopefully, the army will save China and everyone will achieve a happy ending.
In general, I really enjoy this movie. It has a big emphasis on storytelling with very sincere and thought provoking themes. Some of the messages could appear preachy to certain individuals, but we live in a divided world and these cultural themes are important. This version of Mulan follows the animated film’s basic outline, but it adds many new elements and significant changes to the plot. I can definitely see many influences from Chinese cinema and it brings a refreshing element to the Disney formula. This film is surprisingly mature and I think adult viewers will really enjoy the experience. Mulan is the first entry in the Disney remake series to achieve a PG-13 rating. As a result, the action scenes are incredibly cool. The battle scenes have a grand scale kind of like the 300, Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, and other wartime epics. Fear not. The best action scenes from the animated movie are in this one too. Mulan also has really interesting wire work that’s similar to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and other films. It’s a really good combination of Western and Asian elements. Plenty of action wasn’t spoiled in the trailers. This movie is also quite sunning on a visual level. The film was shot in multiple beautiful locations, the costume design is lovely, the production design has a lot of detail, and the CGI is pretty good. It’s a very beautiful movie. I’m a little sad because this film deserved a debut on the big screen, but these digital releases are necessary due to the pandemic. Honestly, I want to see more blockbuster releases on PVOD and streaming services this year. I’m looking at you, Black Widow and Wonder Woman 1984! Here are my biggest complaints. The remake definitely needed the musical numbers. It might seem weird to have musical numbers in a war film, but it worked for Les Miserables and South Pacific. This movie can be slow at times and musical numbers would have been beneficial for the pacing. The film would have been longer and felt shorter. It didn’t ruin the movie for me, but I noticed a big difference. Finally, this film is surprisingly inaccessible for kids. I’ll bet a lot of parents were expecting to entertain their kids on the Labor Day weekend with the new Mulan film. They’re going to be disappointed. The remake is considerably slower, darker, grittier, longer, serious, and violent compared to the animated one. Basically, kids are just going to think it’s long and boring. Mulan is a fairy tale for adults and I appreciate that idea, but it’s an unusual choice by Disney. In the end, this movie will be very divisive among viewers for multiple reasons. I recommend this film for most people, especially because new content is so rare at the moment. However, it’s not appropriate for younger viewers. Just keep that in mind. $29.99 was a worthy price for someone like me who really enjoys the action genre and the animated version of Mulan. Both movies are a nice contrast. I also believe it’s a good choice for people who enjoy Chinese films. They have a distinct style of cinema. But I wouldn’t recommend an early unlock for families and people who don’t care about the IP. Mulan is going to be available on Disney+ in December for no additional charge outside of your subscription. So, you can look forward to it during the holiday season. This movie changes a ton of material from the animated film and it will rub some people the wrong way. Let’s face it. You don’t like it when Disney remakes are too similar. Also, you don’t like it when they’re different either. So picky! That’s all for now. I’m planning to review both Antebellum and Enola Holmes later this month. Eventually, I’ll review The New Mutants when it’s available on Blu-Ray. What else is going to change during 2020? I don’t know, but anything could happen. Remember the motto from Mulan. Be loyal, brave, and true because it will help us get through this pandemic a lot easier. Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your weekend! |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2019
Categories |
RSS Feed