Comic Book Review: Civil War II

Hello Enthusiasts,

Marvel's comic book event Civil War was a wonderful, accessible story for readers. It brought up a point that, at the time, hadn't been explored too heavily in any major Marvel or DC events, where the government decides to force all super-powered beings to work as agents. It was creative but so obvious, because of course the government would do something like that. The event went over so well that it became the plot behind the third Captain America movie in the MCU (kind of) and Marvel decided to put together a sequel. Today, I will review Civil War II and there will be some Spoilers Below, though I will try to keep them at a minimum.

This event follows two teams of heroes, with their figureheads being Iron Man and Captain Marvel. The point of contention between these groups is a new Inhuman that has the power to see events that have yet to occur. This Inhuman, Ulysses, was actually just a regular student that ended up being exposed to Terrigen Mist, which changed him. Ulysses sees a horrific future in his first vision, an apocalyptic type of future, and eventually approaches the heroes about it. Some of his smaller, more short term visions end up coming true, and Captain Marvel's team is able to prevent some tragedies because of that. However, not everyone is on board with following this new early-warning system that the heroes have. Iron Man in particular is opposed to this idea, because the future isn't set and the predictions could end up causing more harm than good. The two sides fight it out, there are losses on each side, and there's a pretty clean wrap-up of the whole event right within the pages of this story.

There are some things that do work very well in this story. For starters, the art is clean and enjoyable. I really enjoy the work of David Marquez, and he has a history of working with Brian Michael Bendis and conveying these stories well through his illustration. I also love when these events include a lot of different heroes and series that I enjoy, since some of the other Marvel events end up having a smaller scope of heroes (Original Sin, Siege, Secret War). This event also made an effort to lay some groundwork for major changes in the Marvel universe moving forward, even though not all of them stuck. I also enjoyed a bit of the character building in this story, especially Captain Marvel. It can seem like she's being hard-headed about this whole thing and not willing to listen to any opposition on the topic, but she's taking a similar stance to Iron Man's in the first Civil War. She knows that there's some moral ambiguity with what she's doing, and she doesn't enjoy arresting the heroes that have done so much good in the past, but she feels that she is doing what's best for the world. She sees these visions coming true and takes a risk based on their previous accuracy. There are other characters who have deeper plots like this one, but I can't really go into them without spoiling major plots of the story.

While there are some positives for this limited series, there are some drawbacks that I need to rant about a bit. First of all, this was not nearly as fresh of an idea as the first Civil War. Acting on predictions from the future, arresting people that haven't committed any crimes yet, having a group that is adamantly opposed to the actions, these are ideas and plots that have been explored numerous times in the past. All Marvel adds to the worn plot is superheroes, and it's still not as strong of a story a the film Minority Report. Don't get me wrong, the writing is strong, as all of Bendis' work is, but Marvel just didn't have enough to add to this kind of story to make it feel worthwhile. It's also frustrating that some many of the threads from this book end up going nowhere in the larger universe. Sure, some of them play out for a bit, like Iron Man being put out of commission near the end of the book, which set up for Iron Heart's short series, but he's back in the game before long.

I also have a significant gripe about Iron Man's side in this. I know that a character can grow and change over time, and there are events early in this book that are impactful to Iron Man and his perception of using Ulysses power. However, Tony Stark was arresting heroes who were out risking their lives for people because they wouldn't sign up to work for the government in the first Civil War series. He locked up friends, allies that he had for years, and said that it was all worth it. Even after Captain America was killed while in custody after the events of that series, Tony still moved forward with the Avengers Initiative and spearheaded the team of government heroes. To say that he would be opposed to something preventing major tragedies because there's some grey area around whether or not the visions can be trusted feels like a bit of a stretch. He mentions that he has an understanding of time, that it is always changing and that there's an ebb and flow to it, which helps swallow the pill of his opposition a bit, but it really feels like his stance is just so we can have a powerful figurehead to oppose Captain Marvel.

Overall, this comic isn't bad, but I wouldn't call it a priority read. Yes the art is excellent and the writing is solid, but the story that Bendis was told to write for isn't as strong as it could have been. It feels less like this was an event that we were building to and more as a set up for future lines of comics. Feel free to pick it up, it's certainly not the worst book in my collection, but I can certainly recommend others before this one.

I give Marvel's Civil War II a 5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Game Review: The Walking Dead (Seasons 3 and 4)

Hello Enthusiasts,

A while back I reviewed seasons 1 and 2 of the Telltale Games series The Walking Dead, which you can find here. Telltale Games has closed down since then, but the series was finished with two final seasons. Today I will be reviewing the final two seasons of the series, and know that you are in for Some Spoilers, though I will keep them at a minimum.

The third game, titled A New Frontier, switches away from being a completely Clementine focused story. The main character in this game is Javi, a former baseball player that is traveling around with a few select members of his family. He meets up with Clementine pretty early on, they find a large settlement of survivors to join, and drama ensues. It's not too long before everything goes south, and Javi must work with Clementine to survive and save those that they care about. The plot does feel pretty similar to other Walking Dead stories that can be found in the TV shows, comics, and other games, but the it's the characters that make this game enjoyable. Clementine is aggressive and understandably damaged by the world that she has grown up in. She's protecting an infant, AJ, and she could not care less about anyone else at the start of the game. She's not necessarily mean, but she is very wary of others. Javi has a deep history with his family as well, though he didn't live a perfect life before the rise of the walkers. Together they work through a difficult situation and really make the player want the best for the both of them.

The forth season, simply titled The Final Season, ran into some issues while in production. The first two episodes were released like normal, and then Telltale Games shut down with little-to-no warning for those working on the game. It looked as though it would end there, but several members of the team that had worked at Telltale Games decided to push forward with the last two episodes. These folks, who had moved on to Skybound Games, worked with their new employer to finish the final season and get it out to the fans. With all of this drama, it would make sense that the last season would be sub-par to the rest, but the final season of this series is potentially the best one in the series. It's deep, emotional, and compelling all the way through. The season follows Clementine as she raises a young AJ with the intention to help him grow into the best possible version of himself. This is wildly difficult in this kind of world that has seen so much death and destruction. It puts Clementine into a role similar to that which Lee had in the first season. They do find another compound, which is run entirely by children, and it seems like a better place for them than anything else they've found so far. Again, drama ensues, but I won't spoil anything else for the story as this is the end of the entire run.

It is difficult to convey how well these stories are told. It's gotten to the point where it feels like I have a direct connection with Clementine through these games, and that cannot happen without the wonderfully gripping storytelling that happens in this series, these two games especially. I know that I've already gone over it a bit, but these games are nothing without an interesting story, so much of their success is built on getting the player invested in the situations and having them care about the characters, and this game gets it so right. I also don't want to discount how good of a character Javi is, because it can get easy to just focus on Clementine, but Javi was great. His story was deep, a past riddled with a bit of betrayal and blame for the deaths of loved ones. I only had one game with this character, but I would have pushed for him to live above others even if I was playing as someone else. Outside of the stories and characters though, the game still has a lot of positive stuff to stand on. I didn't run into any technical issues with these two entries, though I would still die from time to time as some of the quick time events require...well...very quick timing. The final game also introduced an additional combat element where you can stun a walker by kicking out its leg. This is faster than going for the kill right away, which is needed when facing down an entire horde. I also enjoyed the added element in the final season of collectables, which made exploring the areas seem worthwhile, even if the objective in the area was obvious.

My only complaint with these two entries into the series is the same as I had previously; some of the  events and outcomes are completely locked in regardless of your choices. This isn't apparent unless you play through the game more than once or watch videos online, but it can take away some of the tension in a situation when you know that. Now some choices do greatly impact the game, so still treat all of them in such a way, but I would have appreciated some radically different outcomes based on choices.

At the end of the day, these games aren't for everyone. I know there are a lot of people who prefer the high-octane thrill of a first-person shooter like Call of Duty or the frustrating grind of a game like Dark Souls, and that's completely fine. For anyone looking to play a great story that doesn't offer as much in regards to fast-paced action, this is an absolute recommend. This whole series has been fantastic, and these final two games bring it to the next level. They're emotional, engaging, and entertaining for anyone that enjoys these types of games.

I give seasons 3 and 4 of The Walking Dead a 9.5 out of 10.

Overall, I give the entire series a 9 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Game Review: Jurassic World Evolution

Hello Enthusiasts,

My favorite computer game when I was younger was Sim Theme Park. I would spend hours building a park, managing the budget, making sure the guests were satisfied, reading their comments on what could be better, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I've been trying to find an up-to-date version of that game that is just as satisfying, but nothing seems to live up to that. The Roller Coaster Tycoon games are fun, but they seemed to be missing something, some missing ingredient that brought Sim Theme Park to the next level . So when I heard that there was a new theme park builder available with a Jurassic Park theme to it (but not the mobile game), I decided to give it a go. Today, I will be reviewing Jurassic World Evolution. 

The game has you traveling to the same grouping of islands that we've seen in the movies, which are called the Muertes Archipelago in game. You go from one island to another to either build a park from scratch or expand the few existing facilities to create a successful Jurassic Park. You're in charge of security, you'll pay for teams to dig up fossils that can be used to rebuild the genomes of more dinosaurs, you have to ensure the welfare of the dinos, as well as a ton of other tasks. To guide you through these tasks, you have a team of advisors that will chime in and offer you objectives that will help lead you in the right direction to build your park. Some of these people are new faces, while others are recurring characters from the films, including Dr. Ian Malcom who is voiced in-game by Jeff Goldblum. As you build one park up and increase its overall rating, the other islands will slowly open up to you, all of which come with their own obstacles to overcome. When you do unlock the original island, Isla Nublar, you will be treated to a sandbox experience where you can use any research from your other islands, and you have unlimited funds to build with. It's only with getting parks to a full five star rating and completing tasks for the various teams that you unlock all of the content in this game, so it does incentives the player to keep going after all five islands have been opened up.

I found that a lot worked with the game. It does allow you to do a lot on your own without directly following the missions, but the missions are mostly helpful in advancing the park. I loved keeping track of everything and building my own paddocks for the dinosaurs, as well as ensuring that I was keeping certain dinosaurs separate unless I was looking for them to fight. The management system for the stores and restaurants in the park is more than I expected, allowing me to control what food is served and what price to charge, keeping in mind that guests won't pay ridiculous prices. The game also has you place viewing areas for the dinosaurs, and a paddock with a poorly planning viewing area won't bring in as many guests as one where they can see most of the area where the creatures roam. The game also incorporates a decent bit of detail in regard to caring for the dinosaurs. They all have specific needs in regard to what food they eat, having access to water, and how much space and foliage they require to be comfortable. If the dinosaurs aren't kept comfortable, they will become aggressive and break through their fences. If this happens, your guests will being in danger and you'll need to have a team tranquilize the creature. The dinosaurs can also get sick and need to have a ranger team medicate them in order for them to survive. It's all of this extra detail that keeps the game interesting as you build your parks and increase your revenue, because there are always possible issues that can arise.

While I don't have a lot to complain about here, there are some things that bug me with this game. One of my biggest problems is not being able to transfer funds from one park to another. At one point I had a park that was making over $800,000 a minute, but I couldn't send any of that over to my park that kept getting hit with storms and needed the cash to make repairs. I also feel like the terrain adjustment tool could use a bit more detail. An easy fix would be something that lets me know the actual elevation of an area so I can try to match it with other nearby areas for building purposes instead of having me try to eyeball it. That has been a bit of a recurring frustration as I've been playing through these islands. Also, a small complaint, but there's no way to change the color of the buildings in the game. There's an entire system of researching different DNA sequences so you can have different colored dinosaurs of the same species, yet I don't have the option to paint any of my buildings a different color. I know it's petty, but it feels like a simple mechanic that could have been included and would have added another layer of enjoyment for me.

With all of that being said, this is a great theme park builder. It incorporates some of my favorite elements from other builders, plus it has the added fun of maintaining dinosaurs. It does have some issues, but it is overall a solid recommend from me if you enjoy these types of games at all.

I give Jurassic World: Evolution an 8.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Game Review: The Witness

Hello Enthusiasts,

Today, I will be reviewing a game that I would not have played at all if it wasn't free on PS Plus this month. Today, I will be reviewing the puzzle game The Witness. I'm not sure if anything I will say will qualify for this, but note that there may be some very mild Spoilers Below.

The game follows your unnamed character as they walk around and solve a plethora of puzzles. You'll travel from location to location, with each one offering slightly different types of puzzle and/or puzzles of varying difficulty. Once you solve all of the puzzles in a location, a laser will rise from the area and fire a beam at a fixed location on top of the mountain. Once all of the locations have been completed, the final area at the top of the mountain opens up to be solved. It's a short synopsis, but the game really doesn't offer much in terms of a story.

I will say that some of the puzzles in this game do offer a challenge. There were times where I would roam around for 10 or 15 minutes trying to figure out how to solve a single one. Some of them are pretty straightforward, while other require a bit more creativity to solve, such as the puzzles that require that the player view them from behind a tree to see the solution. I also have to compliment the art in the game, which is wonderful. Everything is bright, colorful, and somewhat stylized. There's a lot of attention to detail, from the trees to the dilapidated buildings and even the weird states that you'll find around the island. I also appreciated the soundtrack, which was fitting for each environment and seemed to change seamlessly.

My biggest issue with the game is the assumption that everything can be intuitive. There are absolutely no instructions in the game, nothing to let you know what your doing. It doesn't even prompt you that this is a puzzle game when you start, you're just standing there and walk over to a puzzle. The game tries to introduce you to new types of puzzles by having easier areas, but without a map being available and not being given much in terms of a sense of direction, it's very easy to breeze right past those areas. I am all for treating your players with some respect and not hand-holding them through everything, but this game takes it a bit too far. In that same vein, I also think the game could have benefitted from a hint system for the more difficult areas. Nothing that gives too much away, I still enjoyed figured the puzzles out on my own, but something that can at least point the player in the right direction.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this game. It does have its flaws, primarily its stance that it doesn't need to offer the player any information, but it was satisfying to complete the puzzles in here. If you're not one . who enjoys difficult puzzles that may take a while to finish, this isn't the game for you. However, if you do like that kind of thing, this game offers a challenge that may just scratch that itch.

I give The Witness a 6.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Retro Game Review: Star Wars - The Force Unleashed

Hello Enthusiasts,

Star Wars games don't have the best history. Most of these games are either debatably good or downright terrible. There are a few exceptions to this, and today I look at one that is often put into this category, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. As always, there may be some Spoilers Below. 

The game starts off strong, as the prologue has the player learn basic controls by playing as Darth Vader. After slaughtering endless waves of Wookiees, Vader finds the Jedi he was looking for (to murder), as well as a force-sensitive child. Vader takes on this child as his apprentice, and he becomes our protagonist for the duration of the game. Known only as Starkiller, Vader's apprentice trains to the point of being able to hunt down the few Jedi left in the galaxy since the Clone Wars. We find out that Vader's ultimate goal is to use Starkiller to kill Emperor Palpatine. Is that all there is to it though? The game throws some low-levels twists into the story that, while apparent from a mile away, do add enough variety to justify the story's end.

More than any other Star Wars game I've played, this game uses force powers very well. As the story progresses Starkiller gains access to more and more powers. He can use a force push, a force grip, force lighting, create a lighting shield, a shockwave called force repulse, and throw his lightsaber using the force. All of these attacks would drain Starkiller's force energy, though it refills relatively quickly. Having multiple ways to defeat enemies without ever engaging them in combat grants a feeling of real force mastery. The block button also allows Starkiller to deflect most laser fire, and after upgrading the ability he can block one or two blasts at a time without even having to press block. The levels take place on a variety of different worlds, which are all pretty well built out, and the game is rich with Star Wars lore. I also enjoyed some of the different collectable pieces in the game. There are a variety of different colors for the lightsaber, as well as compressed and unstable versions of each color. On top of that, there are different power crystals for the lightsaber as well, which allow the saber some different abilities (added damage, electrical damage, force powers costing less force energy, etc). Having such variety for the lightsaber and having to only pick one made for some difficult decisions on what to sacrifice, though the game allows the player to change them freely. Each level also has Starkiller in a different costume, which can be changed to any of the ones that he had worn previously (though changing the costume causes the player to start the entire level over, so it's better to make that decision earlier on on).

Not everything for this game is fantastic though. The graphics are certainly dated, especially in the cutscenes. The melee combat is also frustrating, as a number of the enemies won't have any slowdown when hit with the lightsaber and can just hit you as you're slashing them. This is especially frustrating when you're trying to fight three or four of these enemies simultaneously.  Some of the platforming in the game is also irritating, as the movement controls aren't perfectly designed and some of the sections require precision. There are some other small issues, such as a few bugs with the enemies and some lag, but my biggest complaint lies with the loading times. Levels will take a while to load, and levels are broken up into two or three sections. I had to wait for over a minute for some of levels to load just their second section, and it gets annoying after a while. This could be overlooked, but even the pause screen and the upgrade screen have extended wait times. It could take fifteen or twenty seconds just to get to the upgrade screen, which is only two button clicks away from playing the game. It's bad enough that I was completely aware of the wait times throughout the duration of the game, I never got used to it. Little things like that, just a few added seconds for everything, can take away a great deal of the immersion that the game often does so well.

Despite any of my complaints, this is a good Star Wars game at the end of the day. There was certainly room for improvement, but it's not hard to see why this game is remembered so fondly. If you're a fan of the series and have a compatible system to play on, this game is certainly a good buy. You may get frustrated with some things, but you'll likely enjoy the experience overall.

I give Star Wars: The Force Unleashed a 7.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Game Review - Stardew Valley

Hello Enthusiasts,

Sometimes we all feel like we need to get away from the hustle of the 9 - 5 job. Some of us play games, others watch TV, some will jump into a book, and others will quit their job and move to their old family farm to grow crops and have an adventure. Today's game is all about that last one, as I will be reviewing Stardew Valley. Keep in mind, as always, that there may be some Spoilers Below. 

The game begins with your character receiving a letter from their grandfather, who says not to open it until the time is right to make a change. Cut to years later, your character is a desk jockey that seems miserable, like they've just had enough. It's at this point that they reach into the drawer and pull out the letter, which allows them to move to the old plot of land that their family owns in Stardew Valley. From here, you control the character as they start a farm/fish/get to know the towns people/explore dungeons and kill monsters. The goal of the game is to get rich, run the farm, maybe get married and have children, whatever you want really.

This game is surprisingly fun. Everything is fairly intuitive and I ended up enjoying a lot of it. From the farming to the fighting, everything so far has felt perfectly put together. The graphics are simple but enjoyable, and the different music is wonderfully suited to the different scenarios that trigger it. Every accomplishment feels like it carries a real sense of achievement, making it one of those "just five more minutes" types of games. The more I would learn and discover within the game, the more I wanted to play. I was also impressed with the depth of the stories in the game. Everything feels pretty shallow near the start, with one-dimensional characters that speak to you one sentence at a time. However, the more you get to know the townspeople, the more complex they seem. Shane, who works at the gigantic supermarket that recently moved into town, is an alcoholic that is fighting depression. Kent, a character that comes back from the military in the second in-game year, struggles with PTSD and just returning to civilian life in general. You get closer to these characters by speaking with them often and giving them gifts. You can even romance any of the single characters in the game, which can blossom into marriage with children. There's so much to this game that I have to work to keep myself from rambling about everything that I love.

With all of those great things to say, surely there must be some rough parts to the game, right? Well, outside of some frustration that comes with missing opportunities within the game and some slight monotony with crops near the beginning. Also, while most of the aspects of the game are pretty intuitive, there are a few hard lessons to learn, like all of your spring crops dying right on the first day of summer. These are small complaints compared to the overall positives though, and I don't think it takes away much from my ability to recommend this game. If you haven't seen or played it before, you should jump in, even if it isn't normally your type of game.

I give Stardew Valley a 9 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

First Impressions Game Review: The Surge

Hello Enthusiasts,

Some people enjoy easy games that they can stroll through mostly for the story and some breezy gameplay. Others enjoy games that pose a challenge, but eventually see the player become an insane force to be reckoned with. There's also a group that laves a game that will beat them down and make them scream at their screen. Today I will be reviewing one such game, a game that is in the same vein as Dark Souls and Bloodborne in that regard. Today, I give my first impressions review The Surge. I'm not going to wait to beat the game and give a full review of the game just yet, as it is likely going  to be some time before I'll be finishing this one up. Of course, be ready for some Spoilers Below. 

The game takes place in the not-to-distant future and follows our main character, Warren. He's a wheelchair bound man on his way to CREO, a gigantic tech conglomerate that augments their employees so they can keep up with their mechanical co-workers. From the start, the player is able to choose a smaller, weaker, and faster build or a larger, stronger, slower build. From here, Warren is put into an automated surgery, which neglects to give him any anesthetic for the procedure, leading to a scene of him being in extreme agony. He wakes up to find that nearly all of the other augmented workers have become insane killers and most of the technology in the facility is out to kill him. He is guided by one executive, Sally, as he fights through the enemies and tries to uncover what exactly happened.

While not the greatest tale ever told, it's a decent enough story that has enough mystery to keep your attention.

As I mentioned up top, this is not a game for those looking for an easy time. None of the enemies in the game are very easy to read, and even one slip-up against a random enemy could mean losing a chunk of health. It's a game that keeps you on your toes and demands your focus. For every enemy that is defeated, you collect some scrap metal and random parts that can be used to upgrade your rig and craft new parts. I enjoyed this element, because it caused me some debate when I would head out on whether I should risk damage by fighting every enemy to get some scrap, or if I should try to surpass some of them and save my health. I enjoyed the combat, which allows you target specific parts of enemies to increase your chances of getting a certain part. The different weapons all have slightly different feels, with some being slow and powerful, while others are very quick and land weaker hits. I personally found that I did best with one of the more middle-of-the-road weapons that I spent my time and resources upgrading. Which, by the way, I really appreciated the upgrade system. Upgrading the weapons and armor that you craft is a great way to get an edge, but upgrading your rig improves your overall stats, and when you reach milestones in the upgrade process you can add additional abilities.

I also wanted to point out two specific features that I consider improvements over other games like this one. First of all, there is a pause screen in this game, which is a life-saver. As much I understand that other games really wanted to push the difficulty of the game by not having a pause screen available, it was something I always hated, because it meant that I couldn't grab a drink, use the restroom, or do anything else when playing the game. The added pause screen is a huge plus. The other solid addition come in the form of more paths back to a safe point. In other games, it could be a very long time before you found another way back to the point where you could save and store what had been collected. This game only has one safe point per map, but they offer a new way to get there and to skip ahead in the level far more frequently. With this one, I can be more understanding of people saying that it takes away from the difficulty, because it does mean that the player can heal up more frequently. However, the stress of the game is still there, and for someone like me this system puts the game just within the realm of not being too discouraging.

So I've ranted a bit about what works in this game, but where does it fall short? Well, some of the things I mentioned earlier do get annoying. While the game does add difficulty by making enemies harder to read, it does go too far sometimes with having little-to-no signs to let you know an attack is coming. Add on top that the dodging can be a little slow and uses the same energy as attacking does, and it can lead to some frustrating damage being received. The heavy weapons are also pretty useless. The smaller/faster weapons and the more balanced weapons are really the only viable options, because most of your enemies will not take their time in attacking you, so a slow swing is wildly inefficient. Even though other games have including a similar weapon range of fast and weak vs. slow and powerful, there were ways to effectively use each weapon against the enemies based on your play style. Also, while I am still playing through the game, it seems like more could have been done with having a mech suit. The scope of possibilities seems limited to just a few things, which I hope would be improved in a potential sequel.

Overall, I really enjoy this game. It's stressful, it has heard some choice words from me, but it is also satisfying. It certainly isn't everyone's thing, and it isn't a must-have game, but I found it enjoyable. If you feel like you want a bit of a challenge in your next game, I recommend adding this one to your queue of games to play.

While I have not yet finished the game, I currently give The Surge a 6 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast