Game Review: Battlefield 1

                          The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me 

Hello Enthusiasts,

A lot of folks are familiar with the Second World War, thanks to a number of great books, shows, movies, and games. WWI though? Not nearly as much has been dedicated to that war, and likely because it was not nearly as cut-and-dry as WWII. Luckily, today's game has provided us with a bit of a history lesson on the first Great War. That's right, today I will be reviewing the 2016 game Battlefield 1, and while you may not care as much for a game like this, I still want to mention that there may be some Spoilers Below.

As mentioned, this game takes place during the war to end all wars. Once you beat what I think is an awesome tutorial mission, you are given the option of five different campaigns, each one focusing on a different aspect of the game to learn. You have one focused on planes, one on tanks, one on using heavy troops, etc. As you work through each mission, you get to learn about the protagonist for that story line, and each one will give you a bit of a lesson on that aspect of the war. And it wouldn't be a Battlefield game without a multiplayer mode, which I will touch on more soon.

This game has earned several positives from me here. The game looks great, especially the character models. The controls feel natural (playing on a PS4), and it didn't take long at all for me to not only learn them, but feel very comfortable with them. I also really appreciated the attention that the single-player game was given, seeing as most people will buy this just for the multiplayer. The campaigns are difficult as you go through them, and I became very invested in several of the characters (though my favorite one dies at the end of theirs). In terms of the history, this game does take some liberties, but does try to stay within the confines of history whenever it can. I think one of my favorite moments in the game is the tutorial, which I mentioned loving before. The reason I think it's so great is because you will be put into a soldier, fight against the enemy, and when you die (and you will), that soldier is dead, you move on to a different one. It shows the horrors on WWI, and that it wasn't am easy fight by any stretch of the imagination.

And yes, of course, the multiplayer is a lot of fun, very reminiscent of Battlefield 1942 with its fairly large maps and wide variety of vehicles to choose from. Even though you will likely play against people that are far better than you due to the time they've had to practice and get better, it generally doesn't feel like you can't accomplish anything, as long as you don't have squad members backing out. The multiplayer quickmatches aren't over as soon as they begin either, as they seem to usually last (in my experience) about 25 minutes each. There are also other modes to search for specific servers or go on a very long multiplayer campaign that will moving from one match to the next to take over a theater of the war. It is all a lot of fun, and I'm happy to see some variety.

A couple of negatives to speak on for this game (though not many). I think the game could have benefited a little with more customization options for online, as you can't set your soldier up with any variation of clothing or armor for others to see online. I have also been caught more than once in multiplayer where several members of my squad will drop out if we start to fall behind, making it near impossible for me to pull out a victory. With that, I think the game could do with penalties for dropping out, similar to what Overwatch does. These are somewhat minor things, but still, these are things that could easily be fixed in the game.

Overall, this is a lot of fun. If you're a fan of FPS games at all, you will likely enjoy this one. If you like games with well-built multiplayer modes, this one's for you. Sire, there are some things that don't 100% work for me, but this is a game that overcomes any criticism I throw at it.

I give Battlefield 1 a 9 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Movie Review: Justice League Dark

                            The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me

Hello Enthusiasts,

Today I will be reviewing the DC animated film, Justice League Dark. Now DC does have a good number of animated movies, and a lot of them are very good, so you may see some comparisons to other films in here as well. Also, as always, there will be some Spoilers Below.

So the story starts off by showing several people who are convinced that everyone around them is a demon who is out to kill them. This leads to a number of casualties until the civilians are brought to their senses by members of the Justice League. A few members suggest that there is likely magic in play, and Batman is prompted (not by the league) to seek out John Constantine for assistance. On his way to finding Constantine he adds Zatana and Deadman to his group, and the four of them move on to investigate what has happened. There are others who help the group out, but most of the film revolves around those four.

So first we can look at some positives with this film. The story itself is intriguing, and it's nice to see some less-prominent characters like Deadman and Swamp Thing get time on screen. The film doesn't hold the viewer's hand the entire time, instead allowing explanations of certain things happen organically. For example, there's a part of the movie where Zatana says that she doesn't practice dark magic because of how she could lose control, but goes no further. Later we see her lose control, and it is surprising/exciting to see that level of power, since we hadn't been told exactly what she meant earlier. Batman being on the team works better than I would have originally thought for a few reasons. He proves useful in a world he isn't too familiar with, but not to the point where it seems like he's the key component to the team. Even more importantly, he serves as a natural way to explain various objects of magic and spells, since everyone else would have a handle on that information.

There are certainly some areas that could use improvement here though. The animation, while not bad, doesn't live up to the standard set by some of the other animated DC films, such as Batman:Under the Red Hood or the second act of The Killing Joke. A lot of the animation feels delayed, and there are a few moments of uncomfortable pauses throughout. I also found it strange the Batman is so quick to dismiss magic when he has worked with several magic users before (Captain Marvel, Doctor Fate, etc). With that previous experience, it's strange that he starts the movie so skeptical. We also get a "surprise" villain near the end, though it was a pretty predictable turn of events.

So is this a bad movie? No, but it certainly isn't the best we've seen from DC animation. There are areas that needed some work before release, but it is overall a pretty good animated film, especially if you want to see some lesser-know characters.

I give Justice League Dark a 6.5 out of 10

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Book Review: The Rules of Supervillainy

                           The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me

Hello Enthusiasts,

Today I am going to be reviewing a book by C.T. Phipps titles The Rules of Supervillainy, the first book in the "Supervillian Saga". As always, there will be some Spoilers Below.

The story follows our main character, Gary Karkofsky, as he works to become the world's newest supervillain, Merciless: The Villain Without Mercy. He takes on this task as he was strangely mailed the power-imbued cloak that a recently deceased hero wore. This cloak is possessed, and can therefore provide Gary with direction. It also grants him the power to levitate, turn intangible, create ice and fire, and provides increased durability. All of these powers will last a short period of time before the cloak has to recharge for a bit. Gary is joined by his former ex-girlfriend/henchwoman, Cindy (much to the distaste of Gary's wife, Mindy), as well as a former supervillain turned advisor to Gary, Diabloman. Together, they will try to become a very strange set of supervillains that follow a very specific set of moral and ethical guidelines, but who still want to rule the city.

There are some positives to this book. It has a lot of good ideas regarding powers, heroes, villains, and the generally unspoken code that villains have. There is a heavy look at anti-heroes and the problems they can cause with their often unrestricted violence, and the book does a great job of showing how other heroes often work to distance themselves from the anti-heroes in this universe. This book is, at it's core, a comedy, with jokes thrown in throughout the story, the action, and the building of our characters. It does poke fun at a lot of tropes with heroes, and takes things to the next steps from where comics generally go regarding things like Superhero Law and the like.

This is not a perfect book though, and it does have several downsides. The writing sometimes feels underdeveloped, as there are points when things are being explained to the reader in a manner that feels like hand-holding. The code that Gary follows also seems like the author didn't want to go too far with him, as Gary (a supervillain) won't kill a civilian that mouths off to him or anything. Granted, he's supposed to be a normal guy that gets this cloak, just deciding to rob places instead of be a hero, but I think criminal may have been a better first step than supervillain if he isn't going all in here. Also, while we get some depth on Gary and Mindy, we really don't get much on anyone else. A lot of the other characters feel shallow and mostly unexplored. Instead of getting at least a bit more info on Cindy or Diabloman, we get things like an entire chapter devoted to a nightmare Gary has that explains his tragic history with anti-heroes, something that could have been explained in two or three lines of dialogue.

Overall, this isn't a bad book. As I mentioned, it does have some good ideas, even some well executed ones, and I am interested to see where the story goes next. However, this book can definitely be described as "underdeveloped", as so much of it feels like it could be written in a better way. If you're looking for a fun story with new heroes and villains, this is not the worst choice, but I wouldn't call it the best either.

I give The Rules Of Supervillainy a 6 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Comic Book Review: Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 1 - Squirrel Power

                           The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me

Hello Enthusiasts,

There are some characters in comics that are made for laughs. You have Deadpool, Harley Quinn, etc. Of course these characters are more than just a punchline, each having their own history and goals. But when you look at a lot of their source material, it's made with humor in mind. Today's comic book review focuses in on another character like that, Marvel's Squirrel Girl. Today I will be looking into the first volume in the "Marvel Now!" series, titled The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Power. As always, there will be some Spoilers Below.

So for anyone who is unfamiliar with this character, I'll give you a quick breakdown. Squirrel Girl has the proportionate strength, speed, and agility of a squirrel. She can also communicate with squirrels, who are happy to attack foes for her. Somehow, through her powers, intellect, charm, and luck, she has earns the title of "unbeatable", as she has not been beaten before. Squirrel Girl is a member of the Great Lake Avengers and, as we see in this comic, has been living in the attic of the Avenger's Mansion.

This comic shows us Squirrel Girl as she moves out of the attic to attend college, pursuing a degree in Computer Sciences. She gets to school, starts to make some friends, and is feeling good about the change. She is signing up for clubs and is getting settled into her dorm when her old life comes back to haunt her. Well, not really to haunt HER, it all just so happens that Kraven the Hunter is searching the NYU campus for Spider-man. Squirrel Girl handles the situation, to soon find that Galactus is headed to Earth. She also has a bank robbery to stop and she needs to fight off Whiplash (who is actually after her because she is wearing an Iron Man suit, which I won't explain here). She, of course, handles these threats without too much of an issue, and decides to continue pursuing her education while being Squirrel Girl.

So, this comic does a lot of things well. It's funny for sure, but also very creative in its approach to threats (except for taking down Galactus, that process wasn't as creative). The writing all feels as natural as possible with a humor-based comic book, it does feel like it's laying down the groundwork for a good series with enjoyable side characters. And again, the humor generally lands, and there are some very funny concepts throughout. For example, Squirrel Girl gets her knowledge about her foes from a series of collectible Deadpool information cards, which of course have jokes about each character as well. It's things like this that make the volume all the more enjoyable.

As fun as the volume is, it isn't perfect. For one thing, I was not a huge fan of the artwork. It's not bad, and it fits the more cartoon approach, but I think after seeing Squirrel Girl show up in other comics and look better, it feels like a steps down in appearance. Also, like I had hinted at earlier, the takedown of Galactus left something to be desired, as it was just her finding a different planet for Galactus to eat. It's been done before, and it felt like the least creative thing in the book (though it does fit the character).

Overall, despite a few complaints, this is not a bad volume at all. Sure, it may not be for everyone, but if you are looking for some laughs in your comics rather than the traditional action and suspense that Marvel usually delivers, this is likely going to be well worth your time and money.

I give The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Power a 7.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Game Review: Legend Of Zelda - Breath Of The Wild

                                The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me

Hello Enthusiasts,

Today I am going to be reviewing the newest game in one of Nintendo's longest running series', The Legend Of Zelda. The newest title, Breath Of The Wild, released in March of 2017 for both the Wii U and Nintendo's newest console, the Switch. I played this game on the latter of those two systems, so my review will be based on that version. As always, the will be some Spoilers Below.

The game starts out with our long time hero of the series, Link, waking up from a slumber in a pool of water. This chamber where Link had taken his water nap is apparently a chamber with regenerative properties, and has been allowing our hero to heal from a great battle 100 years ago. He wakes to find that he has no memories of the past and the kingdom of Hyrule is in a bad state. Princess Zelda has been fighting off Gannon's newest form (newest to us, it's been the same for that 100 years that Link has been asleep), known as Calamity Gannon, and she is starting to lose the battle of holding him back. It is Link's job to finish off the beast once and for all, though he is going to need to do some prep work first. And so Link sets off to explore this big open world, gaining access to better weapons and armor, as well as unlocking the "Divine Beasts" to assist him in taking out the threat to the world.

This is a completely open-world adventure for Link, and the first of its kind for the series. You can, if you want to, finish up the starting Plateau and go right for Hyrule Castle to fight Gannon, though you would be missing out on a lot of course. The Divine Beasts don't need to be unlocked in any particular order, and the number if things that can done in the world is impressive. There is dynamic weather throughout the game, though different environments will experience certain weather patterns more frequently. Certain areas also have inherit environmental conditions that need to be taken into account as well. The Volcano area will require you to prepare for extreme temperatures that can cause you to actually catch on fire, the desert is hot in the day and cold at night, and there is a snow-covered mountain range that is, of course, very cold. There are regular rain storms, which can make climbing near impossible, and thunderstorms that will strike you with lightning if you have anything metal equipped. There are a few towns and more friendly areas, but most of the map is, as is hinted in the title, the wild and open spaces of Hyrule. The map is built with a lot of detail, and you can travel to almost any area or landmark you can see.

So what are some of the positives in this game? Well, to start, you have the controls themselves. The controls, while they may take a little getting used to, are set up well and can become second nature by the time you leave the first section of the game. The fighting in the game can be difficult to get the hang of, but does use some nice mechanics of attacking, blocking, and dodging. I have heard a lot of complaints about the weapons and shields breaking too fast, and some of them do, but I feel that it adds to the fighting of the game. Having to decide what weapons are worth what battle brings another layer to the fighting. I think that the greatest merit to the game is the level of detail that goes into everything, including some small things that you can do in the game. You can slide on your shield down hills, create a fire to cause an updraft for your glider, cook a large variety of dishes, and too many other fun things to list.

It is likely easier to list out the negatives of the game and let you find more things to love om your own. Really, the only noteworthy thing to say against the game is the final battle with Gannon. Considering the difficult bosses and creatures throughout the game, one would think that the final battle would be a real challenge. However, Gannon is not difficult at all. If you go into that final battle with a guardian shield, a fully charged Master Sword, and about 5-6 cooked meals to heal hearts, you'll be fine. This was one of two boss battles I didn't die during the course of, and that is disappointing. It really didn't feel like I used everything I learned throughout the game.

Despite a weak ending though, this game has a whole lot to offer. If you have either system, you need to pick this one up. I have friends that haven't played or enjoyed a Legend of Zelda game before, and they fell in love with this one.

While playing the game, I would have said this is a solid 10/10, but after reflecting and taking into account that last battle, I'm giving Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild a 9.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Board Enthusiast