Tag Archives: review

Fallout 76 – Four Months On

Date
Posted by
Comments0
Fallout 76 – Four Months On

Fallout 76 is an online multiplayer game published by Bethesda Studios.

It’s safe to say that Fallout 76 launched with a rather loud thud, compared to the fanfare and confetti that Bethesda wanted it to have. And its also safe to say that since its release Fallout 76 has improved dramatically and is even adding new content. But, is it enough? Have Bethesda fixed the game in the few months since its release?

One of the key criticisms of Fallout 76 when it first launched was the carry/storage capacity and this has largely been addressed. Whilst your carry capacity is still linked to your level and what perk cards you have, the storage capacity has been upgraded from 400kg to 800kg. This is a big step due to the fact that a lot of Fallout 76 relies on storing resources and equipment to build new things as well as leveling up your weapons and gear. So, whilst this storage capacity may seem like a trivial issue, it is something that was causing a lot of players hassle, and turned a few off from the game entirely.

Fallout 76’s storage capacity was limited to 400kg for a long time after launch.

Another criticism for the game was the server issues, whether it be lag, failing to load in items or just kicking you out of one entirely and this has, largely, been fixed. I played for quite a while yesterday and didn’t experience any server issues bar a few laggy areas, but I believe that was more down to my wi-fi than to the game servers themselves. However, it should be noted that because this is a consistently online game, there will always be some minor server issues due to the amount of people that might want to be online at one time, but this is something Bethesda will be constantly working on.

Fallout 76 players would often receive this message during the early days of the game.

The third biggest issue that has since been resolved, since launch for Fallout 76, was AI responses. In the early days of the game, enemies would often not notice you, run away from you or you wouldn’t be able to hit them despite being up-close to them. Thankfully, this has been mostly fixed with enemies now running towards you when you’re noticed by them and your hits are registered on them dealing the damage that it should. But, as with the other criticisms, these issues can still crop up every now and then, especially the hit registers, during my previous gameplay I did experience a few occasions when my hits weren’t registered on the enemy which led to me being damaged more than I should.

Players would experience a variety of AI bugs.

But what about new additions? Well, since the original release, Bethesda have now released their first set of DLC. This, and all up-coming DLC, will be free to players of the game and will include a lot of content. For example, the first load of content will run between March and April and will feature new drinks and methods of creating drinks, centring on a brewing system to make alcoholic beverages that will have additional bonuses. During this DLC release window, there will also be a new ‘Survival’ game mode launched and some new Vaults being opened and ready to be explored.

Fallout 76’s current DLC roadmap for 2019

It’s safe to say that Fallout 76 has made some big strides towards the game it should have been when it was first released, but it might still have a long way to go before the game, and the publishing company, can regain the trust of a lot of fans who were considered hurt by the games launch. That being said, if you do have a copy of Fallout 76, be sure to drop big in soon and experience all that has changed, and if you don’t have a copy – but would like to get one – then a lot of game shops and Amazon are currently selling the game at an extremely reduced cost, so it might be worth picking up.

The Lego Movie 2: The Video Game – Review

Date
Posted by
Comments0
The Lego Movie 2: The Video Game – Review

 

The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC

 

Now, I didn’t intend on reviewing this game, it’s a Lego game and it’s not one of the big mainstream titles to have been released over the past 6 months, but after playing the first couple of ‘levels’ I felt I needed to say something.

The Lego Movie 2: The Video Game was developed by TT Fusion and published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and is a tie-in game to the recently released The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.

I’ve enjoyed almost every Lego game I’ve played, from Lego Star Wars to Lego Pirates of the Caribbean, but the first The Lego Movie game was the first I wasn’t too keen on. Whilst it had decent levels and a good hub world, i didn’t enjoy the movement of the characters or the fact that its cut-scenes were just clips from the movie inserted in, changing the game style completely, however, The Lego Movie 2 videogame is an all new level of bad.

The one good thing I’ll admit is the fact that it doesn’t just insert scenes from the film into the game, it does try to create its own narrative, but that is also its downfall. It seems this game can’t decide whether it wants to be a movie tie-in game of its own unique individual game and, unfortunately, it doesn’t do either.

The movement system in this game is the same as the system from the first Lego Movie game, which i expected, but it seems to have not been improved upon at all. It also takes the common ‘running’ mechanic from previous Lego games, where you slowly move until you’ve been moving long enough for the game to realise you want to be running. There’s no sprint button, and no way to move faster unless using a vehicle.

I also have an issue with the cast for this game and the decisions the developers made concerning voice acting. Whilst some cut-scenes use voices from the movie, others will only featuring grunts and sighs (much like the first Lego games – i.e. Star Wars) but then there will be moments when the characters talk to each other and some of the voice actors don’t even sound like the original movie actors. An example of this is Unikitty, the voice in the game sounds so different to Alison Brie in the movies, that it completely took me out of the experience.

One of the other mechanics in this game which has frustrated me is the fact that you now collect bricks from the items you break. This was first introduced in the Lego City Undercover game, and you would use these bricks to build certain objects that would help you progress through the levels. This is incredibly different to recent Lego games (Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 and Lego DC Super-villains) where you’d break an object and be able to rebuild it to the certain item the game has been built around you needing, therefore removing the issue of having to break almost everything in order to make sure you have the bricks you need. Whilst I recognise that having this mechanic in place is more suitable for the ‘master builder’ theme of the Movies, it feels a bit shoe-horned in and an unnecessary complication.

My final point is the fact that there seems to be no ‘official’ levels. At the moment, all I have played has been one continual level, moving through event to event with no aim of collecting all the studs or mini-kits, something that Lego games are known for, and for me, this takes away a lot of the fun. I don’t know when a level has finished and I have nothing to aim for during that level. Whilst this can be seen as a way to make the game more free-flowing and linear, i really think it detracts from what Lego games have been, collectathons.

I’ll try and push through with the game, and maybe it’ll pay off. But the differences between previous games and the movie itself may be too much. This game is a long-shot away from TT‘s previous Lego entries, Lego Incredibles and Lego DC Super-Villains, and I can only hope that their next project returns to the brilliantly crafted worlds they’re known for creating.

The Lego Movie 2: The Video Game – 2/5

Marvelous Captain Marvel? – Captain Marvel Review

Date
Posted by
Comments0
Marvelous Captain Marvel? – Captain Marvel Review

Left to Right: Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Cat as Goose the Cat, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Well would you look at that, another white male reviewing this film, a film that – according to some members of the Marvel fan-base – isn’t for me, it isn’t for a white 22 year-old male living in the UK. However, to the people who truly, truly believe that, well…you can go f*ck yourself.

If you stopped yourself from going to see this movie because you think that the Studio and/or the lead actress (Brie Larson) didn’t want you to see it, then you really have missed out on another home run for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Before going to see Captain Marvel, I had heard (from critics I trust) that this film was a little bit bland, not as entertaining and that the lead wasn’t very charismatic, so I had quite low expectations, but coming out of the cinema on a wet Friday night, I thought that me and those critics must have watched a completely different movie.

So, I’ll start with what a common complaint has been. The ‘un-charismatic’ lead. Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, a role that has been cast for a few years now (since 2016) and something that was actually praised for pretty decent casting from most of the fan-base. For me, she delivered a performance that was on-par with the level that Robert Downey Jr. gave in his first outing in Iron Man 1 back in 2008. Danvers quips and makes jokes just as much as any other hero, she can fight brilliantly and has some powers that can rival that of the God of Thunder himself. So to say she couldn’t hold the film or that she is un-charismatic is doing her a real injustice. After this film, I could see no one else holding the role of Captain Marvel, and I can’t wait to see where her character goes next.

Another common criticism I saw of the film was that of it’s ‘basic’ and ‘bland’ execution, and whilst i’ll admit that the film wasn’t as extravagant as Doctor Strange or Guardians of the Galaxy, for me, it didn’t need to be. There were some stunning shots in this movie, especially towards the end, and even some parallels to other popular franchises (keep an eye out for some cinematic similarities to Independence Day). I haven’t seen any of the other films the directors (Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck) had produced before this, so I can’t speak to how this one compares, but moving forward in the MCU, if these directors are kept on, I can’t wait to see if they’re allowed any more free reign on how they create their movies.

Now for onto the things that stood out to me the most. And these are two things in particular. Firstly, Goose. If you don’t know, Goose is the cat that lives on the air force base that Danvers is from. He is a ginger cat. A very cute ginger cat and, oh boy, he absolutely steals every single scene he is in, even from great actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn. This, brings me on to my second thing…

The cast. The whole cast in this movie is brilliant, not just Brie Larson. Samuel L. Jackson does a brilliant job showing a more energetic Nick Fury (featuring some very impressive de-aging technology throughout), Clark Gregg returns in a small role as Phil Coulson – a character who hasn’t been present on the big screen since The Avengers back in 2012 – and he just brings a small amount of joy to every line he has. Finally, Ben Mendelsohn is a stand-out. I first noticed him in Rogue One in 2016 and since then I’ve loved him in everything I’ve seen him in (Ready Player One and Robin Hood) but in Captain Marvel his performance is the perfect mix of menacing, emotional and humorous, honestly one of the best aspects of this movie.

So, if you didn’t already guess, I really enjoyed this movie. I loved it’s nods to the other MCU films, I loved the twists it took during its plot and this was another MCU Score that i really enjoyed listening to but most of all, I enjoyed Brie Larson’s performance more than I thought I would. If you haven’t seen this film yet because you’re not sure if it’s your type of film, I would highly recommend seeing it.

Whilst it’s not the feminist revolution most people wanted, it sure as hell is a damn fine movie.

Captain Marvel: 4/5

The Lego Movie 2 – Can The Sequel Build On The Success?

Date
Posted by
Comments0
The Lego Movie 2 – Can The Sequel Build On The Success?

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part stars Chris Pratt as Emmet (Right) and Elizabeth Banks as Wyldstyle (Left)

 

The Lego Movie should never have been a success. It was a feature length animated movie about a toy. A toy that was quite expensive and a lot of kids demand to have. Because of this, a lot of people saw The Lego Movie as just an elongated advert that would brainwash their children into wanting more Lego, and yes, why it may have done that, it was also a success in itself. Receiving praise from critics and fans alike, The Lego Movie raked in a massive $469 million worldwide and spawned a couple of spin-offs: The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie. Whilst the latter wasn’t as successful, the Lego Movie Universe was in full swing by the time it’s sequel, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, finally hit cinemas 5 years after the original.

The story picks up after the Duplo invasion that ended the first movie, whilst our characters go about their new daily lives, a scout from the SiStar System arrives and takes captive the bulk of our heroes including Wyldstyle and Batman, leaving Emmet to go out into space and try to bring them home.

Although a seemingly simple plot at the start, towards the end of the movie the film does take a few narrative turns that might confuse a few of the younger members in the audience. But that’s not to say that they won’t have a good time. The film itself spreads the simple message of sharing and equality, something which all children (and some adults) should pay close attention to, especially in a world which is quickly becoming more divided.

Unlike the first Lego Movie, which featured more nods to the adults leading to a more well-rounded family movie, the sequel seems to be aiming more towards the younger demographic and sometimes that does hurt the movie. Some jokes seem overly simple and rely a lot on jokes previously set-up in the first feature. Not only that but the increase in musical numbers turns this movie more into a musical than a standard animated feature. Where The Lego Movie only featured ‘Everything is Awesome’, The Lego Movie 2 now features multiple songs including the new number ‘catchy song’ which is exactly what it says on the tin (honestly, if that song is not stuck inside your head when you leave the cinema, then you must have fallen asleep).

On the technical side, the film is incredibly animated. Down to the little details of scratches and fingerprints on certain Lego bricks to show that they are part of a real universe. It’s these kinds of details that make the Lego Universe different to other animated movies as it adds a sense of realism, and makes you believe that your own Lego figures could be living their own unique lives in this reality.

Finally, the cast of this movie once again do a stellar job. Returning actors such as Elizabeth Banks (Wyldstyle), Alison Brie (UniKitty) and Will Arnett (Batman) bring life to their characters once again, but the main focus is on Chris Pratt who returns as Emmet but also has his role as newcomer Rex Dangervest. The fact that Pratt can deliver both of these roles to such a high standard whilst effectively having a conversation with himself for the majority of the films run time is incredible and really shows the acting range that this man has. The other newcomers to the sequel include Tiffany Haddish as Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi and Stephanie Beatriz as General Mayhem and they do a great job, but they are pushed aside by the scene-stealing Richard Ayoade who plays a small role as Ice Cream Cone (literally an ice cream come with a face).

Overall, If you’ve enjoyed the previous Lego movies you will enjoy this one. Whilst it may not reach the same heights as the first, the references to pop culture (including some nice Batman and Marvel nods), brilliant art style and wholesome plot make this a worthwhile film for any member of the family, not matter what age.

 

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – 4/5

Top 6 Movies of 2018

Date
Posted by
Comments0

As 2018 comes to an end, it’s time to look back at the best films that graced the big screen and it’s safe to say that this year has been another big one.

With blockbuster movies like Avengers: Infinity War, smaller low-budget films such as Christopher Robin and even animated movies like the universally praised Mission Impossible: Fallout, here’s a look at my top 6 movies of 2018.

(Please bear in mind this is opinion based and you may believe other films deserve to be here compared to others)

 

Number 6: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard

Whilst a few people didn’t feel Fallen Kingdom lived up to expectations, my personal opinion is that this is a slightly different direction for the Jurassic Franchise. The use of the mansion location adds a new dynamic to a franchise which has largely relied on being set on a big dinosaur island. Not only is it a new setting, but this entry also adds in the fear element that has been missing since the first Jurassic Park from 1993, making sure Dinosaurs are to be feared again. Hopefully the third Jurassic World film will build on the foundations this movie set out and we’ll be able to see a new Jurassic world.

 

Number 5: Ready Player One

Ready Player One stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke and Ben Mendelsohn

 

Before its release, Ready Player One was a book that had received a few mixed reviews, with its main criticism being the amount of 80’s and Movie references in its text, however, that text translated really well to film. Whilst the plot is pretty generic, the performances are fairly decent (especially Ben Medlesohn as the villain) and the film itself is chock-a-block with references to a variety of films, TV shows, games and even books.

 

Number 4: Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story stars Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover and Emilia Clarke

After the release of The Last Jedi, a lot of fans seemed angry with Star Wars and Disney, and the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story (a film that many fans deemed unnecessary) didn’t help matters. That being said, this film is far from terrible, in fact, it might be one of my favourite Star Wars films. Ir has action, adventure and great humour. The role of playing a younger Han Solo was always going to be a difficult one, but Alden Ehrenreich delivers a stunning performance and could really be a younger version of Harrison Ford. If you missed Solo when it came out (for whatever reason) go back and give it a watch, you won’t regret it.

 

Number 3: Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin stars Ewan McGreggor and Hayley Atwell

This has to be the most wholesome film I have ever watched in my life. Christopher Robin is an incredible tale, recreating Winnie The Pooh in the real world as well as dealing with harsh topics such as forgetting your childhood and the issues with trying to maintain a family lifestyle, whilst also remembering to show the audience the childhood wonder that can still be had in later life. Christopher Robin features some beautifully created real-life versions of the whole Hundred Acre Wood family and they feel as if they could truly exist in the outside world. If you want a heart warming tale that will instantly make you cry, watch Christopher Robin.

 

Number 2: Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt and many others.

Some people might have thought that Infinity War would be my number 1 film of the year, yet here it is sitting at number 2. Infinity War is the culmination of 19 Marvel movies spanning 10 years and it knows it. This film features incredible action sequences, stunning special effects and even an ending that will tear the heart out of any fan or even any casual movie goer. With the amount of characters that are pushed into this movie, some might think it wouldn’t work, but the fact that this film was pulled off to the degree of success that it has been, is a real credit to the Russo Brothers (the directors) and the whole team at Marvel Studios. It goes without saying that Infinity War will be remembered for a long time, if you’re yet to see it, you really are missing out.

 

Number 1: Mission Impossible: Fallout

Mission Impossible: Fallout stars Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill and Rebecca Ferguson

Here we go, my number one, and it’s as surprising to me as it might be to you. Mission Impossible: Fallout was a movie which looked pretty good from the trailers and was coming off the back of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation – both of which featured exciting action set-pieces and a fairly intelligent plot – but Fallout took everything to the next level. The stunts were more daring, the plot was even more deep and the action was jaw dropping. Tom Cruise (now approaching his 60’s) once again shows why he is the worlds best action star, and how committed he is to his craft, with Henry Cavill proving that he can also go the distance. Mission Impossible: Fallout is a fantastic action movie, and is also my top movie of 2018.

 

So what do you think? Agree or disagree? And what was your top films of 2018? Let me know in the comments!