Friday, November 25, 2016

Dishonored 2 Early Thoughts

steam.com
     The first Dishonored game was a real surprise for me, and not in the way you’re probably thinking. Sure, it’s very unique in how it approaches level design and stealth gameplay, with  huge open levels that often have several paths to get to an objective, as well as the great incorporation of supernatural powers and steampunk technology into the cool Victorian-ish world it had set up. But honestly it was surprising for me to find a first person game that isn’t a shooter that I really liked! All kidding aside, developer Arkane is back with Dishonored 2, a game with twice the protagonists, creative levels, and all-around mayhem. Or at least that’s what they say. Does it live up to that? I’m sure that a guy who’s only played half of it can tell you!

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Arrival Review

denofgeek.com
     Sci-fi has had a bit of a renaissance in the past few years. Whether it’s clever sci-fi action movies like Edge of Tomorrow and Inception or intense and thought-provoking dramas like Ex Machina and the Planet of the Apes remakes, it’s easy to find good quality films in the genre. Now up-and-coming director Denis Villeneuve, the man responsible for SicarioPrisoners, and the maddeningly obtuse Enemy, is stepping in to provide his own take on the genre. Backed with an all-star cast and based on a very popular short story, does Arrival hit the mark? Let’s find out. 

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Hacksaw Ridge Review

christianpost.com
     It’s been a long time since Mel Gibson directed a movie, with the 2006 movie Apocalypto marking his last effort behind the camera. He soon fell into his well-publicized troubles and became persona non grata in Hollywood, only able to take roles in tiny movies like The Beaver or villain roles that allowed the public to hate him. Now he’s behind the director's chair once more with the war film Hacksaw Ridge about a conscientious objector in World War II. Is the director of Braveheart back, or has he lost his touch while in the box? Let’s find out.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Doctor Strange, Or How I Learned to Stop Settling and Loathe the Formula

comicbookmovie.com
     With the smashing success of Doctor Strange, Marvel Studios has had its fourteenth consecutive film to win its opening weekend and has once again proven that they can put anything on the screen and people will watch it. Despite some criticisms from reviewers (such as myself) about the formulaic plot and some other shortcomings, people went to the theater and said with a resounding voice that they didn’t care. Marvel definitely has a winning formula, but is that really a good thing? How long can they possibly keep this up before it all goes to crap? Well, let’s explore that, shall we?

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Doctor Strange Review

wikipedia.com
     There are few heroes in the Marvel catalog that are weird as the Master of the Mystic Arts, the Sorcerer Supreme himself, Doctor Stephen Strange. As a character that favors magic over brute force and more mind-bending stories over traditional action-adventure, I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever get a proper adaptation of his story. Now, just as I’m starting to get sick of superhero movies, Marvel Studios is releasing his story at last, helmed by Sinister director Scott Derrickson. Is this film Marvel magic, or is it another boring retread? Let’s find out.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

A Quick Update

nyulocal.com
     Hey guys, sorry to not have anything up this week. It’s been a busy week with school and work, and a little competition going on that you may or may not know about called the National Novel Writing Month challenge. It’s basically where you sit down and write a novel in a month, and it’s something I’ve been looking forward to all year. Last year I wrote the novel I was deep into editing for release, but now I’m writing the sequel to my first book, Red Steel. Have you heard of it? Some guy on Amazon called it “An American V For Vendetta,” which is an insane compliment that would give me hives were I able to get hives. I hope you guys can pick it up, either in Kindle version or in the paperback one. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my podcast Discoverography on iTunes, if you would be so kind.
     Basically, I’m letting you guys know this because there may be periods of time where I might be a bit sparse on here. I’d been planning on writing a bit about the Titanfall 2 issue, but given that I’ve been so busy hitting the ground running with this book I’ll just link you to this video that talks about it (conversation starts around the 30 minute mark). Friday I will definitely be back with a review for either Dr. Strange or Hacksaw Ridge, and Sunday I will absolutely have a commentary article for one of those. Just please be patient with me during the week, especially since bankruptcy homework is still a thing that will be with me until December. Anyways, I hope you all will bear with me as I get accustomed to this new workload and that you’ll stay tuned!