Best City-Building Games

 

Hello Enthusiasts, 

I don't know how anyone could actually dislike city building games. Granted, they may not be as action-packed as a FPS and you don't really connect with individual characters like you do in other games, but there's so much to them. Taking charge of a whole population, managing resources, planning out and building; these games have always felt so engaging to me. 

So, naturally, I decided to hunt around for some of the best ones. Not only that, I wanted to find a variety, some with RTS elements, some that take place in outer space, and even some that could be played on a phone. After all of my research, I came up with this list of the best 15 city building games that are available to play right now. 

So go ahead and take charge. Build what you want, and tear down what you don't want. It's your city, country, or world to shape as you see fit. 

Sincerely, 

The Bored Enthusiast 

Best Comics for 10-Year-Olds

 

Hello Enthusiasts, 

Do you remember being ten years old? Maybe not ten exactly, but at that age where you were done with "kid stuff" and wanted to do and watch and play things that were meant for grownups? 

God, weren't we dumb. 

But nonetheless, it's something that pretty much everyone goes through. You want to grow up, you don't want people to think you're a kid anymore. At the same time, though, you didn't know all the gross and graphic stuff like you do as an adult, and it's probably better that nobody gave you anything too adult when you were that age, right?

Find things that are appropriate, but not too childish, can be a difficult line to walk, and I have done what I can to do so. I have put together the best comics I could find for 10-year-olds, which you can find here. Read it, I hope you enjoy it, and remember to be in bed by 9:00 sharp!

Sincerely, 

The Bored Enthusiast

Best DC Comics for Beginners

 

Hello Enthusiasts, 

I've been reading comics since I was just a small child (maybe I was looking at the pictures more than reading, but you get the idea), and because of this, I tend to take certain bits of knowledge for granted. I know Superman gets his powers from the sun, I know that the green lantern corps are the space police, I know that the Flash somehow gets his powers from the Speed Force and somehow created that same Speed Force with his powers, etc. 

However, as superhero moves and media continue to dominate markets, it's dawned on me that this knowledge isn't exactly common. I spoke with a friend about how there should be a Nightwing movie, and they weren't sure who Nightwing was (blew their mind that he's an adult Robin, by the way). So, for people that want to get into this world post-childhood, where could you even start. 

It's a difficult question with a lot of answers, but in an attempt to try and help, I've put together a short list of the best DC comics for beginners. You can find it here. 

Good reading, and don't worry if that picture at the top seems overwhelming, some things in DC will never really make sense. 

Sincerely, 

The Bored Enthusiast

Best Comics for Improving English

 

Hello Enthusiasts, 

As I earned my master's degree in writing, there was one lesson that stood above all of the rest, one thing that stuck out so far that I had no choice but to learn it; English is hard. 

Yeah, I know, not exactly a revelation, but it's true. I'm not just talking about grammar, either. I'm talking about spelling, storytelling, pronunciation, everything. There are a lot of hard and fast rules, as well as suggestions. Sometimes breaking those rules makes you an idiot, while other times it makes you a genius. 

Well, for anyone else out there who may need some assistance with the English language, comics have you covered. I did some research and found the ten best comics to improve your english skills, which I've posted here. 

Read, enjoy, and write good. 

Sincerely, 

The Bored Enthusiast

The Best Comics for Kids

 

Hello Enthusiasts,

It's probably obvious, but I have an affinity for comic books. I enjoy them immensely, but I recognize that they aren't always the most appropriate things for kids. With comic books out there like Sex Criminals, East of West, and Crossed, it can be difficult to find something that I, or probably most people, would find okay for kids. 

However,  with that being said, there are a ton of great comic books and graphic novels for kids. In an effort to help facilitate the search, I've put together a short list of the best titles for kids here. 

Enjoy. 

Sincerely, 

The Bored Enthusiast

Book Review: The Ables

Hello Enthusiasts,

Between comics, movies, television, and books, pop culture is full of super-hero stories right now. I'm not complaining, I love super-hero stories, but we do have a saturated market. The potential issue with these various narratives is that a good number of them are pretty similar, especially in origin stories. Person discovers they have a power, they figure out how to use it, they save the day, tease for the next one. Because of this, I welcome anything that can really shake up the formula, which was one of the reasons that I fell in love with Peter Clines' Ex-Heroes series. Today though, I'll be looking at another book that adds some variety to the tried and true formula, a book by author Jeremy Scott, The Ables. Be advised that, as always, there will be some Mild Spoilers Below. 

The book follows a young man named Phillip who is told by his father that their family has powers. They moved to a new town because it's secretly a town for superheroes to live in, and for the powered youth to gain a hold on their new abilities. Phillip learns that he has the same power as his father, telekinesis, but there's a wrinkle. This ability requires the user to have some idea of the size and weight of what they're moving, and Phillip is blind. When he goes to the new hero school, he's thrown into a class for the powered youth with disabilities, and they're not held in high regard by the rest of the students at the school. That would be tough enough for any kid, but the stakes get raised, of course, by a villain who plans to find a hero with all of the powers to help him take over the world.

Essentially, it's a coming-of-age superhero story with the twist of having the main characters work through their disabilities.

The story is great; it's a familiar feeling plot with more than enough original content to keep a reader engaged. The characters and villains all feel well developed, and the rules of the world are consistent and logical. The powers for the main characters are fairly traditional, but are used in new and interesting ways. For example, one of the main characters, Henry, is psychic. Using his abilities, he's able to give Phillip something akin to "sight" by mentally sending him images from Henry's perspective. It's ideas like this that showcase the amount of thought and care that must have gone into the creation of this story. There are also a few very emotional moments in the book that are done very well, though I won't give those away here.

While the story is fun and interesting, there are a few things that hold it back. The book could have done with a stronger editor, as there are a few mistakes in the book (Phillip "looking" back at an audience before Henry helps him with visuals, one of the chapters still including a note to start the new chapter, etc). I don't really blame Scott for this, as every author is going to leave stuff like this in, but it's the job of a good editor to find these mistakes. There is also a noteworthy lack of female characters in the main group. There were a few moments where it looked like one of the female students would be involved with everything that the main group was doing, but they were put aside before too long. On one hand, I get this, as high schools students can sometimes form their groups that are all within one gender without any malice involved. However, on the other hand, there seemed to be a few missed opportunities to include a female character in the group to add a different perspective to what they were doing.

Overall though, I really liked this book. It was fun, compelling, and moved fast enough to keep me engaged. I do have some small issues with it,  but I am also excited to see a potential sequel to this story and know where the characters will go from here. It was honestly one of the best books I've read in several months, and I love being able to say that I've read something as good as this. Jeremy Scott's work here goes a long way to show that he has so much more to offer an audience than just being "The voice of Cinemasins". If you like superhero stories and don't mind them being set in a more young-adult setting, I think this is a solid read.

I give The Ables an 8.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

TV Review: Bojack Horseman

Hello Enthusiasts,

Back in 2014, I was scrolling through Netflix and saw this weird looking cartoon where an anthropomorphized horse was the main character. I watched a few episodes and thought it was funny and witty enough, but it seemed like there was another layer underneath the humor. As I watched, I discovered that this show was just as much about a character who has both everything and nothing as much as it was about the jokes. It was a cartoon that had some dark turns, and one that didn't seem to be afraid to tackle...well, everything. On January 31st, 2020, this series had its last episodes uploaded, and I can now say that I have the ability to do a series review of the Netflix cartoon, Bojack Horseman. Please note that there will be Spoilers Below, and you should probably avoid those.

The titular character, Bojack, is an over the hill 90's sitcom actor. He's angry, he abuses any kind of substances that you can think of, and he is terribly depressed. Stay with it though, this is a comedy...I think. Bojack has more money than he can seem to spend due to the royalties from his show, and he ends up spending a fair amount of that money on drugs and alcohol. As the show progresses, Bojack's emotional and psychological issues grow deeper and impact his life in more dramatic ways. Fortunately, the show's tone is kept somewhat lighthearted by its supporting characters, such as Todd, Mr. Peanutbutter, and Princess Carolyn.

I have nothing bad to say about this show. It's funny when it needs to be funny, it's serious when it needs to be serious, and it sticks the landing with every emotional beat that it makes an attempt on. The show is a deep dive into human nature (despite most of the main characters being animals) that doesn't pull any punches as it addresses mental health and the issues that people face. For all of the jokes and wittiness, it shows an incredible reverence to certain topics, like addiction. It's a show that will tell you that redemption is possible, but will also hold characters to their previous actions, which ties into its incredibly accurate continuity. For example, early on in the show, Bojack steals the big "D" from the Hollywood sign, and from that point forward everyone refers to the city as "Hollywoo".

The show's greatest strength though is the character growth that the audience gets to see with all of the characters involved. The characters that we see in the last episode are so radically different than the ones we see at the beginning, and none of that change happens quickly, or painlessly. It's a rough road for everyone involved, and they all feel like real, fleshed-out characters by the end.

I know I'm going on and on about the deeper meanings within this cartoon, but I honestly cannot think of a show that addresses these issues as well as this show did, and this was a cartoon where the main character was a talking horse that also happened to be an actor that's seemingly past his prime.

Also, special shout-out to my favorite side character in the show, Vincent Adultman, who was written out of the show pretty early on. I was desperately hoping for a cameo in the last episode, but no such luck.

Overall, I want to praise about this show all day, but if I tell you too much more about it, I might spoil something too big. Just watch it, I recommend it for everyone. It can be stressful and maybe too pretentious for some viewers, but I personally consider this to be one of my favorite shows of all time.

I give Bojack Horseman a 10 out of 10,  and I thank everyone involved for a truly remarkable show.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Game Review: Pokemon Shield/Sword

Hello Enthusiasts,

Pokemon is one of the most recognizable brands in gaming. While the games aren't for everyone, we all know what Pokemon is on some level. Until recently though, all of the main line games in this franchise have been limited to the GameBoy systems rather than Nintendo's primary consoles (again, main line. We all loved Pokemon Stadium, but that were outside of the main games). Now, however, we can finally say that is no longer the case, because we now have Pokemon Shield/Sword. The question I intend to explore is, do these console versions hold up to the rest of these games? Keep in mind that, while these games don't have stories that are too deep, there may still be some Spoilers Below.

So, as most of these games go, you are a young new trainer that has just gotten their first Pokemon, though this time you are in the new Galar region (which is essentially this universe's version of the UK). In this region, Pokemon in certain areas can grow incredibly large and powerful, an ability called Dynamaxing. This feature is used heavily in Pokemon gyms and tournaments. As your character goes through the region's gym challenge, you begin to uncover information about some heroes of legend that saved the region - and potentially the world - from an event called "The Darkest Day". These heroes are, of course, a set of trainers and their legendary Pokemon. You end up calling upon one of these Pokemon later in the game to help fight the monster that caused that event all of those years ago and stop it.

Again, these stories aren't too deep, as this feels 75-80% like the overarching stories from the last several Pokemon games.

The gameplay itself is fun, with several improvements on the older style of Pokemon games. As has been done in the last few games, experience is shared with every Pokemon in your party, meaning that you can level up those weak Pokemon quickly by just keeping them in the 6th spot of your party and battling in stronger areas. Story-wise, I do like what was done with the gyms. Rather than your character just happening to go through the gyms in an order of increasing difficulty, this game set up the gyms as an annual challenge, where each gym is taken on in a different order. It still doesn't make sense that the first gym leader is battling with only 3 Pokemon that are on in their teens level, but at least there's some additional level of believability. As always, the gym puzzles are cleverly designed, though they are fairly easy to beat. I also liked the addition of the camping mechanic, which allows you to set up a tent and chill with your Pokemon. You can play with them, cook for them, and have a chat with them in. They'll also get a chance to play with each other, and the whole thing gives them all experience based on what you did during the campout. There's also been an update to running into Pokemon in the wild, where random encounters are less frequent. Instead, players can see the Pokemon in the grass or environment and either select which ones to fight, or avoid them completely if you're in a rush.

Honestly though, the biggest and flashiest addition to the game is also one of the best, the Dynamax feature. In gym battles, you can only use this ability once, and it will only last for three turns, plus the gym leaders follow that same rule. So while it may be tempting to use it straight away and have your Pokemon obliterate the first few opponents, there is a level of strategy is waiting until near the end to use this ability (or use on one of the leader's Pokemon that you're finding particularly difficult).

However, I can speak all day about the added strategy needed and having the ability to train Pokemon in different ways, but at the end of the day this game's biggest weakness is how mind-numbingly easy it is to beat. With minimal grinding to level up your Pokemon, you can beat this game in just a few days if you want to. I played through the whole game without losing a single battle, and I'm pretty sure I had to use a grand total of 4 revives throughout the entire game. There's no elite four gauntlet like pervious games had (you do have to fight through a few of the gym leader's again, but you get a free rest and heal between each one), and even the team rocket (Team Yell) of this game is a joke of an enemy.

Now don't get me wrong, I did enjoy playing this game and I do not think it would be a bad buy for any fans of the series, but it was also a bit of a disappointment. This is the first time we've gotten a main-stream game in this franchise with the power of an actual console, and I guess I just expected that there would be more to it. Imagine how amazing it would have been if they had started to combine a new region with the old regions like they did a bit with Pokemon Gold/Silver, and those games came out on the GameBoy Color. There are cool new features in this game and I do see the effort that must have gone into it, so maybe I was just getting my hopes up too high. But with a game franchise that has been as enjoyable as Pokemon, I just imagined that the team would have pushed this game to be more than anything we've seen before.

I give Pokemon Sword/Shield a 7.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

TV Review: The Mandalorian

Hello Enthusiasts,

Disney+ launched late in 2019 with an impressive library of older Disney - and some Fox - properties, but a definite lack of new content. One of the only pieces of new content on the streaming service was also the reason most people ended up signing up for it right away: a new Star Wars series called The Mandalorian (though I originally jumped in for The Simpsons). Today, I will be looking at this series that cemented this new streaming service as a contender. I will avoid any big plot points, but be warned that there will be some Spoilers Below (Including a casting Spoiler). 

This series takes place after the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter called Mando. Mando's clever, methodical, and armed to the teeth to deal with whatever comes his way. While he isn't completely ruthless at the start of the show, he isn't too far off. That is, however, until he comes across a job that challenges his moral compass, despite how much he fights himself to just get the job done. This particular job has Mando turning over a character that he feels deserves to be free from the hands of his client, whose intentions are unclear.

You know what? You've seen the memes. It's Baby Yoda.

Spoilers I guess.

Mando elects to not hand over baby Yoda and is, therefore, on the run, as basically every other bounty hunter is hired to hunt the two of them down. This is, by the way, a very short series. There are only eight episodes, with each one coming in at under an hour. Also, despite this being a Star Wars property, it feels very much like a modern space-western.

Also, it's a great series.

The characters all feel fleshed out, even Mando, who doesn't say too much throughout the show. The show isn't afraid to pull punches despite it being on a streaming service that houses a lot of content that is meant for children. Characters die, there are mentions of slavery, and a few creepy characters show up throughout the series (mostly in just one episode). This series also has some legitimately funny moments in it as well though, especially the first five minutes of the last episode. All of these things together made me really care about what happened with the characters; I was truly invested in the outcome of the series. The effects were outstanding as well, especially for a streaming TV show, though there are moments that look worse than others. It was also great to have each episode be so short and digestible, though I was left wanting a bit more.

My only complaint with the show is an underutilization of some elements and characters. We get to see a whole squadron of Mandalorian warriors fight early on in the show, only to never see them again. The actual big antagonist for the series only shows up for one full episode (and the last 30 seconds of the episode prior), and they got Giancarlo Esposito (Gus from Breaking Bad) for that character!

Overall though, this series was enjoyable from start to finish. Yes, I was left feeling like there could have been more content, but I guess it's not a bad thing to leave your audience wanting more. Star Wars fans will likely love this series, and fans of westerns that can keep an open mind about the space aspect may enjoy it too.

I give the Disney+ series The Mandalorian a 9.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Game Review: The Outer Worlds

Hello Enthusiasts,

I remember when Fallout: New Vegas came out and got subpar reviews because it was being compared to the game it was building off of, Fallout 3. While it certainly wasn't as large of a game as the main entry into the series, I loved New Vegas and, honestly, it was the game that got me really into the series. So when its developer, Obsidian, announced that they were releasing a brand-new IP, I was excited to give it a try. Would it be another gripping experience to remember for years to come? Below is my review of Outer Worlds, though keep in mind that there will be some Spoilers Below.

The game starts with a scientist freeing your created character from a transport ship full of cryogenically frozen people from Earth, which was headed to the Halcyon colonies. There were some issues and the board in charge of these colonies decided to just leave these people frozen and drifting off into space. As you're rescued by this scientist, Phineas Wells, he tells you to find him some chemicals to wake up the rest of the ship, because the board of corporations is full of a bunch of selfish and short-sighted jerks (paraphrasing there). You're dropped onto a planet, killing your mercenary escort upon landing, whose ship you end up claiming on as your own, and thus begins your journey.

I'm leaving a lot out of my story overview because this is very much a story-driven game and I don't want to give too much away. However, I will say that my favorite story element involves the way the corporations have handled the management of these colonies, as the story writers have thought of every conceivable way that the corporations would try to get more money out of these people. These's even a point in the game where you learn that the "Spacer's Choice" company considers worker suicide as vandalism of company property, which means that they take a fee out of the rest of the worker's paychecks to cover the damages. 

Anyway, outside of the story, what are the other best parts of this game? Well, for fans of the older Fallout games, the dialogue options in this game are great and versatile. Focusing on upgrading your character's speech abilities is an easy way to avoid a whole lot of combat and uncomfortable situations in this story. However, even focusing on other elements of your character can help with dialogue, as there will sometimes be options that are based off of your characters other traits, such as knowledge in medicine, engineering, handguns, etc. The companions in this game are done well, though I found myself sticking with the same two for most of the missions. It's easy to get attached to their specific personalities (as well as enjoy the specific perks they grant your character by being in your party). Also, while it does take some getting used to, the inventory management system in this game isn't bad at all. Without raising your skills too much, you're able to break down weapons and armor for parts from your inventory rather than traveling to a workbench. Plus, there are a ton of vending machines around these colonies that allow you to sell your junk or other items for credits.

It's not all praise though, because there are some elements of this game that don't work quite as well. Unfortunately, one of my biggest knocks against the game involves one of my favorite elements, the dialogue. As varied as it is and as much as I love it, what you say often doesn't matter. There are several instances where you can tell that the NPC you're speaking to would give you the same information or response regardless. There are times when your companion will chime into the conversation as well, which is cool, but the character you're speaking with won't even acknowledge that someone else said something. I would have also appreciate some more variety in the available weapons and modifications. I ended up finding dozens upon dozens of the exact same pistol, which was great for getting additional weapon parts, but did make that part of the game a bit less exciting. Finally, last gripe here, but there should be some post-game content. The Fallout series has adjusted itself to allow players to continue their journey after they beat the main story, and it's disappointing that this game doesn't allow that. The player should be able to continue to roam the galaxy after the end of the story, but that's not the case.

Despite my grievances, this is actually a fun game. While there is room for improvement, I enjoyed my time and the worlds that the designers built into this game. If you're not into really into action RPG's, this might not be your kind of game, but I think it's worth a purchase for anyone who has a soft spot for this style.

I give The Outer Worlds a 7 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Game Review: Luigi's Mansion 3

Hello Enthusiasts,

I am a huge fan of the Nintendo character, Luigi. So I was understandably excited to get the new entry in Luigi's solo series, Luigi's Mansion. Does it hold up to the previous games? Below, you will find my review to Luigi's Mansion 3. 

While this isn't a heavily story-based game, still know that there are some mild Spoilers Below.

The game starts with the Mario gang arriving to a fancy hotel that they were exclusively invited to. Everything seems fine at first, but things quickly turn south as it's revealed that the whole hotel is a trap. Luigi learns that King Boo has escaped from the painting that he was trapped in and has started to get his revenge by trapping the rest of the Mario gang in paintings. Luigi escapes and now it's up to him to use the newest version of the Poltergust and save everyone. To do this, he'll need to go through the hotel floor-by-floor, defeat the ghosts, and retrieve the stolen elevator buttons to ascend further through the hotel.

I love the diversity of this game above everything else. Each floor of the hotel is unique to one another, with some floors being set aside as a gym or a mall, while others are more outlandish, like pirate themed floor that has an entire beach inside the hotel. It keeps the game feeling fresh throughout the duration of the play time, which was an issue with the previous titles. The game also benefits from its newest key feature, Gooigi. Gooigi is a goo copy of Luigi that can be used to solve puzzles in interesting and creative ways. I found some of these puzzles to be fairly difficult, especially before I got used to utilizing Gooigi effectively. There were also some difficult bosses, through more in regard to figuring out how to defeat them instead of actually pulling it off. The game also looks great, though in a more cartoony way than some of the other big titles on the Nintendo Switch.

Also, a big "thank you" to Nintendo for continuing to include local multiplayer in their games. The multiplayer mode of this game is a fun and welcomed addition to this game, though I haven't put nearly as many hours into it as I did the single player.

While the game does have a lot going for it, there are a few areas in need of improvement. One of the biggest areas for me is the control layout. It can be difficult to use some of the features on the Poltergust effectively because of where they are placed on the controller, since both joysticks are needed to aim when a feature is being used. I also wanted more items to spend the in-game money on, as I have over $30,000 in game right now with nothing left to buy. These are small issues, but they are apparent enough to get annoying.

Overall, I think this is an outstanding game. It not only continues the great things about this series, but does well in furthering the series overall. It's a definite recommend for anyone that has a Switch, though I wouldn't call it a system seller like Breath of the Wild or Mario Odyssey. 

I give Luigi's Mansion 3 an 8.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast