Posts Tagged ‘Review’
15
Nov
Posted by vagrantesque in Games, Wii U. Tagged: 8, content, dlc, downloadable, impressions, kart, link, Mario, Opinion, Review, tracks, Zelda. 1 comment
Yesterday, Nintendo entered a brave new world – one in which for the first time in their history, they have a Mario Kart game with additional tracks as paid DLC. Thanks to the largely unprecedented Nintendo move of adding substantial downloadable content to Mario Kart 8, fans now have an extremely enticing incentive to jump back into the game almost six months after it launched. For $10 AU (technically $8 if you buy the pack with the upcoming May DLC as well), three new characters, four new karts and eight new tracks are available for you to download at your leisure. Last night I brought some friends over to try out the new content, and here’s what I think:
Nintendo, this is the reason I love you.
It’s certainly weird to think of the Big N as a company peddling DLC, especially given how long they’ve gone without it in a general gaming environment that is positively rife with the stuff. But surely, this is downloadable content done right. This first pack is alarmingly cheap for what you get, and it’s extremely evident that a lot of design work has gone into it. Though I’m not really all that fussed about the new characters (Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach and Link from The Legend of Zelda series) or the new Karts (The classic B-Dasher, the Blue Falcon from F-Zero, the bulky new off-road Tanooki Kart and Link’s matching Master Cycle) , the detail that has gone into their design is fitting of Nintendo’s reputation. Link makes his trademark angry yell noises during hectic races and waves his sword around during tricks, for example, while Tanooki Mario’s horn sound will be familiar to anyone who grew up with Super Mario Bros 3. The real value for money, of course, is in the eight fresh tracks, and boy do they deliver.
Continue reading →
14
Nov
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: dog, Film, hitman, john, keanu, Man, Movie, reeves, Review, wick. Leave a comment
Any Keanu fans in the house?
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Willem Defoe
Director: Chad Stahelski (New)
Rating: MA15+
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
.
Say what you will about Keanu Reeves, but there is one kind of role he does really, even spectacularly, well. When he’s on a screen, not saying anything, dropping villains and acting like a general badass, there are few who can match his magnetism. That’s what helps make his latest film, John Wick, one of the most surprising movie outings of the year, but it isn’t what makes it an instant recommendation from yours truly if you enjoy action. No, what makes it so good is its astonishingly effective commitment to world building within a short time frame. If you enjoyed Liam Neeson‘s Taken but wished every one-man-army action movie since its release hadn’t felt exactly the same, you need to go see John Wick.
Continue reading →
26
Oct
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: affleck, ben, david, fincher, girl, gone, missing, Movie, pike, Review, reznor, rosamund, thriller, trent. Leave a comment
The marathon action blockbuster season may have taken a lengthy break (for now) but my goodness, the incredible movies just keep coming in 2014.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Director: David Fincher (Fight Club, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo)
Rating: MA15+
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
When you go to a David Fincher movie, there are a number of things you can usually expect to find. Plenty of stylish shots, for one. A tightly wound script, for another. Perhaps also a grim tone with occasional moments of comic relief to balance things out. Then there are the plotlines, twisting and turning and keeping you guessing long into the film’s run time. Well, suffice to say that the man’s latest, Gone Girl, is no aberration. It delivers everything audiences have come to expect from the director of Fight Club and Seven, ESPECIALLY that last thing. The plot of Gone Girl is so twisty that talking about anything outside the film’s official synopsis is probably going to be a spoiler. If you haven’t read its source material, the bestselling Gillian Flynn novel of the same name, you’d best go into the cinema knowing as little as possible. I won’t be talking about anything particularly plot-sensitive in this review, but you have been warned nonetheless.
Continue reading →
9
Sep
Posted by vagrantesque in Games, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One. Tagged: activision, bungie, COD, day, destiny, fps, guardian, halo, hunter, impressions, mmo, one, Reaction, Review, titan, warlock. Leave a comment
Yes, the Nintendo stuff is coming. I’m trying to space out seven countdown posts over a few weeks.
So I just finished up an 8 hour long session with Destiny, Activision and Bungie’s gigantic videogame project that launched today pretty much worldwide. I very rarely play any game for that long in a single day, especially not a brand new one, so I feel like if I don’t write something about it I will be rather uncomfortable with myself. I played the whole time in a fire team with two friends, which if I understand correctly is the way the developers intended, and I’ve just hit Level 10 (half of the level cap) as a Warlock class. I hadn’t played the beta beforehand. I’m unlikely to ever write a review for such a gigantic, expandable title, so here are my scattershot, knee jerk thoughts on the game so far:
.
WHAT I LIKE
.
Dedicated Australian servers that haven’t yet crashed on me. That’s a fantastic start to any online-heavy game, let alone an online-only one. Installation and start-up were relatively painless. Bravo Bungie.
Gunplay. Most of Destiny‘s weapons feel really, really good to use, even if some aren’t all that effective. I’m particularly partial to fusion rifles and their concentrated laser barrage of destruction.
Visuals. Game’s damn purdy on PS4.
Mmm, moon rocks.
The game’s User Interface. Have you seen how clean Destiny‘s menus look? All big numbers and minimalist icons and right angles. Delicious. There isn’t a lot of unnecessary fat to be found anywhere.
Continue reading →
6
Sep
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: boy, clement, comedy, conchords, eagle, Film, flight, jemaine, kiwi, Movie, new zealand, Review, shadows, shark, swearwolves, taika, vampire, vs, waititi, war, werewolf, what. Leave a comment
Well this one snuck up on me.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh
Director: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi (Boy, Eagle vs Shark)
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
If you enjoyed the two seasons of TV show Flight of the Conchords for more than just its songs, then you’re well on your way to enjoying new vampire mockumentary comedy What We Do in the Shadows. If you enjoyed the awkward, slightly sad humour of Eagle vs Shark, you owe it to yourself to drop what you’re doing and go see this new film, as it features much of the same talent and a similar spirit. However, What We Do in the Shadows goes further than appeal to regular fans of New Zealand-made comedies, as its supernatural subject matter and unrelenting approach to throwing out punchlines makes it worthy of a much wider recommendation. It may be based on a well-worn theme, but the latest from gifted director Taiki Waititi is fresh and funny.
Continue reading →
3
Sep
Posted by vagrantesque in Games, PS4. Tagged: bailey, delsin, fetch, first, infamous, laura, light, PlayStation, ps4, punch, Review, second, son, sucker. Leave a comment
Oh my word it’s September already.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Platform: PS4
Developer: Sucker Punch
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
A physical copy of the game is coming September 10th, but it’s download-only for now.
.
Not light entertainment.
.
Sony-owned developer Sucker Punch’s choice to make, and then heavily promote, a DLC pack-turned-full-game based on this March’s PS4 exclusive Infamous: Second Son is on one hand a clear, unorthodox attempt to fill a perceived gap in both the current general game release schedule and in Sony’s presently bare catalogue of compelling exclusive game offerings. However, it’s hard to argue that its mere $25 presence is a good thing. Sucker Punch is a talented bunch of people and First Light represents a chance for them to take a really good game and apply a (neon) laser focus to one of its best characters. The result is a game that, while understandably shorter than its predecessor, boasts a much better story as well as genuine value for money. PS4 owners shouldn’t pass it up.
Continue reading →
19
Aug
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: 2pm, action, cold, crime, eye, eyes, festival, Film, junho, Korean, Review, sky, spy, thriller, track. Leave a comment
Some friends and I checked out the Korean Film Festival in Sydney on the weekend and saw this. I have no idea how or when it will resurface for viewing here, but keep an eye out for it.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Han Hyo-Ju, Jung Woo-San, Seol Kyung-Gu
Directors: Kim Byung-Seo, Jo Ui-Seok (The World of Silence, Make it Big)
Rating: MA15+
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
My experience with South Korean cinema is extremely limited – In fact before this film I had only seen the original Oldboy and managed to get through only one K-Drama (2009’s Iris) – but I’ve been told multiple times that a lot of cool things are happening nowadays in the world of celluloid south of the DMZ and I should supposedly be paying more attention to what comes out of it. Indeed I eagerly await news of a blu-ray release of the Chris Evans-led sci-fi hit Snowpiercer, which has been causing quite a stir overseas, and after my curiosity led me to check out Cold Eyes at this year’s Korean Film Festival in Sydney, best believe I’m going to track down a fair few more. Cold Eyes is a slick. intense and very entertaining crime thriller that I wish was easier to access.
Continue reading →
11
Aug
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: accuser, bautista, chris, dave, Film, galaxy, groot, guardians, marvel, of, pratt, raccoon, Review, rocket, ronan, saldana, the, wrestler, zoe. Leave a comment
Even though this movie just came out in Australian cinemas officially, I feel so behind the times right now. So many of my friends got advanced screening tickets…
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista
Director: James Gunn (Slither, Super)
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
I often talk about how important expectation is to how you perceive a movie (or anything, really), but I didn’t really know what to expect quality-wise from Guardians of the Galaxy. I mean sure, the trailers and interviews sold it as a wild west-style sci-fi action comedy, and that is thus far a different and exciting direction for Marvel Studios, but it was also billed as another team-up movie “from the studio that brought you The Avengers“, which arguably made it a more ambitious project because none of the five members of the titular Guardians had enjoyed any prior screen time, while each of the four main Avengers got his own movie. And yet the Hollywood studio with the longest hot streak at the moment has once again married a promising small-time director (Super‘s James Gunn this time) with a big budget and a clear sense of fun to create a real winner. Obscure subject matter it may be, but Guardians of the Galaxy is great.
Continue reading →
28
Jul
Posted by vagrantesque in Games, PC, PS4. Tagged: Ascension, bowetry, Bros, competitive, local, multiplayer, ouya, psn, Review, smash, Steam, towerfall. Leave a comment
This review was an unfinished draft destined for obscurity a month or two ago, but now Sony has announced that the game is free on Playstation Plus this month, so hello relevance! Only a couple of days left to add this one to your cart for no cost, though.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Platform: PS4, PC
Developer: Matt Makes Games
Rating: PG
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
I’ve never reviewed a download-only game before on this blog, so this presentation style is a trial.
.
It’s Bow-etry in Motion.
.
Spawning, taking a split second to line up a perfect cross-stage shot, loosing an arrow that pins one opponent to the wall, double-jumping over to his corpse to retrieve both your arrow and his, leaping down to meet a fresh airborne assault, timing a button press just right to catch an incoming projectile, retaliating instantly with a pair of arrows to nab a second kill, feinting a ranged attack on the sole remaining player before accelerating your fall and ending her with a swift head-stomp. All your opponents are in the same room as you, and all you need to do is glance around with a grin on your face to confirm their priceless rage.
The spirit of cut-throat local competitive multiplayer is not dead, nor is it exclusive to Nintendo consoles. Towerfall Ascension is proof enough of that. It’s charming, manic and highly customisable, and over four months after its launch it remains unquestionably my favourite game currently available on the PS4.
Continue reading →
27
Jul
Posted by vagrantesque in Movies. Tagged: 2014, brett, dwayne, Film, heracles, hercules, johnson, Movie, mythical, ratner, Review, rock. Leave a comment
Here’s something I certainly didn’t think I’d be watching in cinemas this year.
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt
Director: Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand, Tower Heist)
Rating: M
-◊-◊-◊-◊-
.
Brett Ratner. The name just fills me with such icky feelings. The man who dragged the X-Men movie franchise down in my adolescence hasn’t made very many good films since Rush Hour 2 some 13 years ago, so I wasn’t exactly brimming with confidence going to see his latest film, Hercules. Yet a very cleverly cut second trailer (the first one was awful), which revealed the importance of the film’s quite impressive supporting cast and the lighthearted tone of their involvement without spoiling the actual movie, turned me around. Hercules is actually a decent slice of dumb fun, despite its narrative unevenness.
Continue reading →
Vagrant Rant 