Welcome back! I promised to review some streaming shows this year. The live action version of Avatar: The Last Bender received mixed reviews from critics, audiences, and even the original creators of the animated show. I was throughly intrigued by this level of inconsistency. So, I watched the entire first season and you can read my thoughts below. Enjoy!
Aang- Episode 1 The first episode introduces our main trio. Aang is the last living air bender and the fabled Avatar who will save the land from destruction. Katara is a young water bender who is helping Aang on his journey. Sokka is also a water bender and Katara’s brother. Together, they will embark on a perilous and very important mission to stop the Fire Nation from taking over the other tribes. Honestly, this introduction didn’t impress very much. It seems like the characters are fine and the VFX are solid. In fact, the opening episodes adds some new material and story beats. However, something just doesn’t feel right. Perhaps, the show will get better along the way. Warriors- Episode 2 Aang and his friends stumble upon a small village who may be able to help them. Meanwhile, the Fire Nation becomes aware of the Avatar’s presence. The second episode didn’t make me feel any better. At this point, the show feels slow and the plot meanders. The characters have plenty of camaraderie and banter, but their interaction lacks the charm and heart of the animated show. I know this show will only have 8 episodes and it seems like the story has a really slow start. Omashu- Episode 3 A young fire bender named Prince Zuko must find the Avatar and bring him to the king. The prince pursues the trio relentlessly, but he feels at odds with his father. Aang and his friends begin to squabble with each other while their situation becomes more complex. This episode places a bigger emphasis on the Fire Nation. Prince Zuko feels like a sympathetic character, although unlikeable overall. It goes to show, a kingdom’s motivations probably exceed black and white morality. I appreciate multiple points of view in the show, but the writing still lacks a desirable level of quality. Into the Dark- Episode 4 An eccentric king challenges Aang to a strange game. During the escapade, Katara and Sokka traverse a mysterious tunnel that leads to a dangerous encounter. In some ways, this show feels weak in terms of storytelling. On other levels, it’s quite stunning regarding visual effects. This episode also introduces more characters. I can’t say it paints the Earth Nation in the best light. They have impressive technology with a vast civilization, but their king is deranged and young Bumi is untrustworthy. At least the action is better and the show is finally moving along. Spirited Away- Episode 5 The trio ventures to the spirit world on a rescue mission, but their journey has many enemies and dangers. All three members of the group must face their personal demons and overcome them. This episode marks a major change in the show on a couple of levels. The second half of the season is much better in terms of direction, action, and character development. Also, this particular episode turns in a horror direction or a darker fantasy at the very least. It still feels like the plot is meandering, but the overall story is showing more promise and entertainment value. Masks- Episode 6 Aang winds up in the Fire Nation’s custody. However, a masked warrior breaks him out of prison. They escape and Aang finds out the mercenary’s identity. At first glance, it seems like this episode is a big tangent. However, it shows Prince Zuko’s motivations and paints him in more of an antihero image instead of a one dimensional villain. Naturally, Aang needs a plot device to help him escape from the Fire Nation, considering the show only has a couple more episodes. It might not be the most interesting episode, but the general direction serves a purpose. The North- Episode 7 Our young heroes travel to the North where another Water tribe resides. They become allies and quickly learn the Fire Nation will invade the North shortly. It becomes imperative to devise a plan with everyone’s help. The final two episodes help the season end strongly. Aang and his friends build an alliance with a community of waterbenders and prepare for the impending invasion. This episode doesn’t have a lot of action, but it accumulates the main story to the finale.At this point, I did feel invested in most the characters and the episode showed promise for a second season. Legends- Episode 8 The show reach’s a climatic battle between the North and the Fire Nation. When all hope seems lost, Aang makes a drastic choice that will change his future. Ultimately, this episode is the grand finale. This episode was quite spectacular in terms of action and visual effects. It was an impressive and entertaining way to the end the season with a great battle that pulls on the viewer’s heartstrings. I’m sure some audiences struggled to get through the earlier episodes, but the journey is worth it to reach this grand finale. It might not redeem the show’s weaknesses completely, although I’m glad each episode is better than the one before. How does it all add up? The live action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender is considerably weaker than the animated show. It makes some changes, but the basic plot and characters remain the side. I’m not completely sure why live action adaptations don’t work so well. Maybe this high fantasy setting with elemental bending only works in animation. It’s hard to tell. However, this Netflix show has some notable strengths and it gets much better along the way. I would say it’s worth watching over the course of a few days. Are fans of the animated series going to enjoy this adaptation? That situation could go either way. I’m sure some fans will appreciate the show while others will think it’s blasphemous. You’ll only know by watching it. That’s the end of my review. Avatar wasn’t the best show of the year, but it was okay. Have you watched the Netflix version of Avatar: The Last Bender? Did you enjoy it? Leave a comment. Eventually, I will review The Acolyte; the most recent Star Wars show on Disney+. Until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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Greetings! You’ve seen plenty of announcements from Summer Game Fest and other showcases. I think it’s time to add new game reviews for the beginning of the summer season. June wasn’t the most eventful month for recent games, but I found plenty of material to discuss. It’s always a good idea to highlight indie games and smaller releases. Let’s check out my latest round of reviews. One of these days, Hellboy fans are going to experience something awesome. Most likely, this game won’t be that achievement. Hellboy: Web of Wyrd is a roguelike game and brawler. That means you’ll play through randomized levels with temporary power ups. Each time you die, it’s time to replay the level again until you defeat the main boss in that location. I appreciate the humor and voice acting, but the gameplay is utterly forgettable. The combat, enemies, level design, and roguelike structure is simply bland. Is Web of Wyrd a bad game? I certainly wouldn’t call it bad, but it’s not exactly good either. Basically, I’m still waiting for Hellboy to hit mainstream media with success. I can only recommend this game for the most hardcore Hellboy fans. Granted, you’re going to feel disappointed. I never thought a Hellboy game would be boring. That’s just how it turned out. Don’t buy the physical version. It’s a whopping $50. The price is much cheaper on Steam and the Xbox store at $25. I’m a really big fan of hidden object games. They’re a laid back, interesting, and fun experience, particularly on iPad. Adam Wolfe is a collection of hidden object games with influences from modern adventure titles. It’s an entertaining, supernatural mystery with an interconnected story between each episode. Like most hidden object games, the voice casting isn’t the best and the graphics are quite basic. However, that’s part of the collection’s charm. You’ll solve puzzles, gather items, and progress through the story at a decent pace. The mystery is clever enough to keep players guessing and the runtime is neither too short nor too long. Some of the puzzles are quite challenging, although the game has a hint system if you get stuck. Adam Wolfe feels like a nice evolution of the hidden object genre. Believe it or not, this game is probably worth your time and money. It’s surprisingly fun. Keep in mind, it’s not an FPS. It’s just a collection of point and click adventures. If you enjoy those types of games, give it a shot. The entire season is available on Steam for $15. If you prefer to collect physical releases, the price is $30. One would think consoles could have a better selection of hidden object games. I suppose the genre is more popular on tablets and PC instead of consoles. I tried the latest Hidden Objects Collection for the Nintendo Switch and it had 10 games. Unfortunately, nearly all of them were really awful. I thought this one might spark my fancy because it was a collection of detective stories. Overall, good hidden object games should be laid back with thought provoking puzzles and an interesting story. None of those elements were present in this collection. Most of the games were short, dull, and unsatisfying. The puzzles ranged from very easy to incomprehensible. It just felt like a cheap cash grab. I’m definitely not recommending this collection for anyone. Usually, I avoid this specific franchise from GS2 Games because their first couple of collections were unimpressive. The Detective Stories isn’t any better. With that said, GS2 Games released the Adam Wolfe collection and it’s actually quite good. You should check out Adam Wolfe instead of this one. Normally, I dislike turn based games. However, I make an exception for the Pokémon series. The Monster Hunter Stories Collection appears similar to Pokémon at first glance with cute beasts, cartoon style animation, and a much lighter tone than Capcom’s mainline franchise. Unfortunately, both games are very long and pretty slow with lackluster dialogue. The combat system includes something like rock, paper, scissors, which feels weird for these types of games. At first, it’s easy to read enemy move sets, but that task becomes less predictable along the way. You also kill many monsters, even though you’re a rider instead of a hunter. More importantly, this collection genuinely feels turn based. Granted, the turn based combat is probably a positive element for many players. This collection doesn’t feel outdated, but it’s somewhat confusing with an unusual turn based system. I suppose these games are fine for people who really enjoy JRPGs and the Monster Hunter franchise. If you’re not a fan of turn based combat, I recommend avoiding this collection. It’s less like Pokémon than you might assume. Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery is a hidden gem. At first glance, this collection appears to be a cheap adventure for children. However, you should give this mystery a chance because it’s completely suitable for gamers of all ages. You’ll play as the titular Frog Detective and solve three cases that have loose connections to each other. The gameplay is very simple, mostly including interviews, collecting items, and searching for clues in the environment. Keep in mind, simple games don’t have to be bad. The Frog Detective mysteries are cute, entertaining, and incredibly funny. I just wish the collection had real puzzles. It doesn’t pose any notable challenges. In the end, Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery is short, sweet, and a nice surprise. You can play this collection on any platform. It’s available on Xbox Game Pass and a physical edition for the Switch is coming out this year. Digital versions are currently $20. You should definitely check it out, especially if you engage in the cozy genre. So, I didn’t bother to review Alan Wake II last year. I played it around Christmas time and the overall experience was a pain in the butt. Now Remedy and Epic Games are finally releasing a physical disc, although it’s an expensive deluxe edition. I never finished the game because the experience felt unenjoyable and overrated. It’s fine if other people believe Alan Wake II is a masterpiece, but it wasn’t a good fit for me. On the positive side, the story is fantastic, the VFX are exceptional, and the game is really scary. Unfortunately, the gameplay is awful. Yes, I really mean it. Alan Wake II has a map, but it’s completely useless. Everything is awkward, cumbersome, annoying, and confusing. You have to put notes and photos on a crime scene board, but it’s difficult to snap the items in place. The combat never feels great and I don’t mean it in a nostalgic way. Minor enemies are bullet sponges, which is an issue because ammo is scarce. Many critics and players believe this game should have been Game of the Year in 2023. I’m not saying they’re wrong, but the experience was totally different and less enjoyable for me. Basically, Alan Wake II is incredibly frustrating. Maybe you’ll like this game, although you should keep my criticism in mind. If really want to play it, go for the digital version. The physical edition is seriously overpriced. Why would I bother to review something like Police Simulator? It’s on PlayStation+ and simulators have a distinct audience. So, it was worth a sneak peak. Apparently, this game was released last year on PC and people review bombed it to the extreme. It appears to work much better today on modern consoles. Police Simulator is supposed to be a more realistic way to play as a patrol officer. Most of the time, you’ll hand out tickets, look for speeding cars, and arrest people for being intoxicated in public. Occasionally, you’ll interview people at accident scenes. In short, this game isn’t very interesting or fun. You have a gun, but I doubt you’ll use it very often. I think it’s fine to have a police game without violence, although the experience becomes stale right away. It also has a lot of bug and glitches. Some of the your actions don’t turn out correctly. For example, I gave a ticket to a vehicle that was parked in front of a fire hydrant. Strangely, I was penalized for this action. Most people can skip this game. If you really enjoy simulators and cozy titles, PS+ is probably the best option. I’ve seen worse, but it’s still not a very good game. Let’s end this post on a high note. Still Wakes the Deep is a horror game that takes influences from titles like Outlast and Amnesia. The story takes place on an oil rig that’s being ripped apart by a cosmic underwater entity. This game is also similar to Lovecraftian films with amorphous mutations, such as The Thing, Color Out of Space, Leviathan, and Annihilation. The game has the right amount of horror and tension with cramped spaces, frightening chase scenes, revolting monsters, and a genuinely touching story. It really feels like you’re on an oil rig that’s falling apart, which adds to the scare factor. Still Wakes the Deep also seems quite accessible with ample hints and a linear direction. Believe me; it’s better to have a straight forward layout, otherwise you’re going to die all the time.
This game should totally be on your play list. You have many ways to play it at a reasonable price, including Xbox Game Pass. Collector’s can purchase the physical release for $35. Still Wakes the Deep isn’t very long and I’ve played scarier titles, but it’s still worth your time and money. It’s a unique experience. All right! I got caught up with multiple games. It goes to show, the market is thriving with indie games. Some of them are really good while others lack polish and quality. Reviews and trailers are one method to eliminate lousy shovelware, but it’s hard to tell for sure. Trailers can be deceptive and reviews aren’t necessarily tailored for mainstream audiences. When you’re thinking about buying video games, check out the promotional material and make your own judgement calls. Have you played any of these games yet? What games are on your wish list this year? Leave a comment. If everything goes to plan, I will provide a review of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender next week. Wish me luck. Take care of yourselves and enjoy the rest of your weekend. |
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May 2019
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