In this week's episode of How It's Played, we are discussing the epidemic of open-world games. This includes the many issues that plague these games and some of the major benefits of the genre.
While 'The Predator' suffers from unexplored ideas it is still a enjoyably fun and entertaining movie. Packed with 80s action movie tropes, black comedy, and catchy dialogue, it’s one hell of a ride from beginning to end. All in all, it provides a lot of entertainment value.
'Cry Pretty' shows what Carrie Underwood is all about. Talking about sensitive topics, drinking and heartbreak coping, this album will surely capture the interest of country fans. Country music seems to be overlapping with pop recently, but this album is a symbol of what has stood against the test of time. Her depictions of faith never go out of style. The stories behind the music are touching and will leave listeners replaying for pleasure.
With ‘Live at the Royal Albert Hall,' Alter Bridge has crafted a live album that will please both hard-core and casual fans. The Parallax Orchestra gives the songs a new life and sound that I will never get tired of. The production gives all members a part of the spotlight and is a huge improvement from the band’s last live album.
The 70th Annual Emmys have come and gone, and here we are left with some... disappointing, but not unexpected results.
'Dragon Quest XI' is a simple yet effective piece of entertainment. It gives the veteran 'Dragon Quest' player exactly what they have expected from the franchise over the past 30 years: a fun, simple adventure. However, it also gives the newcomer something incredibly digestible. For those who have played 'Pokémon' or something of the like, it should be an easy transition to pick up and play 'Dragon Quest XI.' Though the music is not varied, and voice-acting is somewhat intrusive, 'Dragon Quest XI' is a worthwhile, enjoyable experience. However, as noted before, this likely will not change the mind of anyone who is JRPG averse.
'Kin' is a movie that is aided by its strong performances, fantastic score, and interesting visual aesthetic. However, its shortcomings of tone and pacing issues, as well as wasted potential that comes with its ending, drag it down. All in all, it’s a movie that’s best saved to watch on Netflix on a lazy Saturday.
‘The Messenger’ is an absolutely incredible platformer. It utilizes both styles of retro platformers, with linear ‘Ninja Gaiden’-esque stages at first, and then ‘Super Metroid’-esque exploration later in the game. This, along with tons of different movement tools, creates a fast-paced and satisfying platforming system. Combine that with an interesting narrative that justifies the existence of both styles of game in one, and the game really is a new peak for the genre. ‘The Messenger’ might even be better than ‘Shovel Knight,’ taking the crown as the modern-retro platforming king.
A few months ago, when researching gender norms in clothing, I discovered we tend to value feminine qualities less than masculine ones. We are much more accepting of girls, for instance, who wear “boy shorts” or blazers than we are of boys who wear leggings or crop tops. Since social progress is important to me, I think we need to value both our feminine and masculine sides equally. Oddly enough, a video game from Nintendo provides inspiration.
This has been her most solid piece of work so far and every new release gets better. She is a solid artist with the energy and talent to make amazing music time after time. Everything she makes is good and every song on this EP is executed perfectly.
The term 'CalArts' style has been thrown around the industry a lot in the past few years. Find out what it is, where it comes from, and why it matters.
If you missed out on this year’s Gamescom, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. There were a lot of exciting reveals with loads of games and hardware being shown off. Here’s a list of the what was presented at Gamescom:
The movie is boring, unoriginal, and manages to make a once creepy monster feel completely unintimidating. The acting is laughable at best and a drag at worst. Nothing about the writing is coherent or offers any sort of satisfying conclusion.
'The Meg' is one of the more flat out fun movies of this summer, even if it’s also incredibly scary at times. It manages to strike an excellent balance and plays into its clichés very well. While this film may lack depth, it’s stellar cast and generally good acting makes up for the lack of originality that pierces the film.
'Teen Titans Go! To the Movies' is a caped comedy that tries its’ hardest to stand alongside the rest of this summer’s tentpole features, and to an extent, it succeeds. While it’s still weighed down by the trappings of its’ source material and tonal issues, it’s great for kids who are still new to the superhero genre and their parents who long for a bit more in the entertainment they share with their kids. There’s still a lot of better choices out there, but you’ll have a good laugh or two with this one.
‘Christopher Robin’ is a hard film to judge. It plays on nostalgia so well and perfectly brings The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to life in a more modern setting. There are plenty of funny lines, great moments, and great characters to make the film a treat for those who grew up with Winnie the Pooh. But that doesn’t excuse the heavy-handed, sloppy delivery of a message that’s overdone in family films. It also doesn’t excuse the actual war flashbacks that happen in a movie with talking stuffed animals. Plus, if a child was brought to see the film, they’d be asleep before the movie even got good. It’s a solid watch, but maybe not the best film for the whole family.
"The Driver is Red" tells the tale of one of history's most impressive secret agents. It has the emotional stakes and the gravity of the best of the best spy stories. Fantastic animation and vocal performances help make this film one to remember.
This 20-minute narrative film is filled with stunning writing, amazing cinematography and editing, and great interplay between light and color. It is a gripping thriller that is a must-see for anyone interested in an exciting yet moving cinematic experience.
