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Hot Takes


‘My Hero Academia’ Season 3, Episode 7: “What a Twist!”

 This episode wrapped up an arc and began the next one. It dealt a lot  with the aftermath of the attack, and highlighted what UA is going to do  next. The animation is beautiful and shows some interesting scenes. It  deals with the loss of a friend and how people feel about that. Overall,  the episode helps excite the viewer for what is coming up next. 



‘Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux’ is an underwhelming port of a classic game

 'Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux' is a tough game to really  judge. All the parts I love about the game are present in the original,  and the things added by the port ranged from neutral additions to  actively ruining the experience. However, the original isn’t exactly  easy to find for a low cost, despite its age. For those who are just now  getting into actual 'Shin Megami Tensei' titles, 'Strange Journey  Redux' will offer a great introduction with just enough anime to keep  'Persona' fans enticed. For longtime 'Shin Megami Tensei' fans who still  own a copy of the original, wait for a sale before buying the port.  There wasn’t enough effort put into the port to make it worth the full  cost. 


‘Deadpool 2’ puts forth maximum effort

The humor in 'Deadpool 2' makes the movie worth watching and makes it an  enjoyable experience. It’s fun to try and catch all of the references.  The characters were enjoyable and grew throughout the movie. The action  looked awesome, and the humor even showed up in serious moments. 



The Coven S4E11: Bullyhunters

 So it's no  secret that gaming online can be a really toxic, and playing online as a  woman or a person of color comes with the hazard of ten year olds  targeting you for that. There's plenty of evidence of this kind of  griefing online, but what can be done? Systemic overhaul of the  problematic culture around gaming? Turning off voicechat? No... clearly  the only effective solution is hunting the bullies down. 


School shooting simulation 'Active Shooter' set to release June 6 on Steam

A game that appeared on the Steam storefront today that will allow players to play as a school shooter is causing controversy, especially in light of the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18th. According to testimony from Russian developer Revived Games, the game will allow players to play either as an active shooter armed with an assault rifle, a member of a responding SWAT team, or a civilian, in what the developer calls a “survival mode.” 



‘My Hero Academia’ Season 3, Episode 6: “Roaring Upheaval”

 This episode was a different take on the attack on the training camp  with some of Class 1-A being attacked by a classmate who cannot control  their quirk. All of the villains of the Vanguard Action Squad are shown,  and the viewer is able to see each creepy persona of the team. The  fighting once again looks beautiful, and the stakes appear to be at the  highest yet.  



‘Infectonator 3: Apocalypse’ re-animates Flash gaming, but lacks humanity

'Infectonator 3: Apocalypse' is certainly a Flash game brought to Steam.  It keeps the simple fun gameplay of the original, but doesn’t have the  meat expected of a Steam release. The game costs $13, and adds nothing  to the experience to make it worth that price tag. The only thing that  might be considered an “addition” from the Flash originals is added  length, which serves to highlight how repetitive and shallow the  gameplay actually is. Add on barely passable presentation and  embarrassing jokes, and the game lacks the life of the original games.  If you want to experience the Flash originals again, just go and play  the originals. 


Charlie Puth’s ‘Voicenotes’ ends on a high note

Charlie Puth has really upped his game this go around. His music feels  slightly different, although not entirely. Love and relationship issues  plague this album and hurt his originality. He never falters from his  familiar content and this is what makes his music unique and his own.  The album is a good listen and is worth the money overall.  


“Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze” for Nintendo Switch is funky but not in a good way

Tropical Freeze for the Nintendo Switch is a hard game to recommend. As  far as platformers go, it’s very challenging and often frustrating.  Tropical Freeze was released at a full $60, and that’s enough to not  recommend this game, considering it’s a port with only one new mode.  Tropical Freeze has its moments, but in the end those moments aren’t  enough to justify the countless lives you’ll lose while playing through  this game. If you’re a hardcore platformer or Donkey Kong fan, you’ll  love this game. Otherwise, you can pass on Tropical Freeze for the  Nintendo Switch.