![]() I don't normally talk a ton about anime much anymore. Which is sad, because anime was such an immensely defining thing for me in my early teens and really shaped a lot of who I am and the things I enjoy media-wise - back in the day anime was about rich-storytelling, beautiful scenery and animation, and characters you could fall in love with. I love anime, I adore it, I'm stoked for Outlaw Star to come back and I about died when I finally got my hands on a Cowboy Bebop box set with original Japanese audio. But that's the thing, I'm more of an old-school anime girl - the long gone days of Toonami - Yu Yu Hakusho, Kenshin, Ronin Warriors, Gundam Wing, and Outlaw Star is where my heart will always lie. I feel like most anime made after 2007 started feeling like copy + paste money machines and straight up fan-service, lacking heart and character development, the things that made OG anime iconic (I can't stand all this Attack on Titan, Dragon-maid, Boruto stuff, it's so boring and typical - the only newer anime I've enjoyed is Assassination Classroom). But even still, all that to say, my love for OG anime is so strong and so interwoven into the make-up of who I am I can't help but get a tad bit excited when I see stuff like *shudders* Netflix releasing the Death Note movie. Anime is why I began to draw and paint, why I took four years of Japanese in high-school and it's what started my love affair with Asian culture. So, naturally, the thought of a live-action Death Note movie was an appealing thing, even if it were going to be a massive, inevitable flop. So, against my better judgement and strong distaste for Netflix as a company and, against what the haters and easily offended fandom was saying I sat down to watch it, if only for Willem Dafoe as Ryuk cause that's awesome. I wanted to give it a fair chance, from the perspective of someone with a ton of respect and admiration for anime, just to see what happened when a big name company, a powerhouse cast, and an American mentality took hold of a legend.
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![]() TellTale sure does know how to drop a release in timely ways that make even the most composed of geeks giggle like a fan-girl. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The TellTale Series (that's a mouthful) had its first episode release within just a few days of the second Guardians film hitting theaters back in May. Now, riding on the coattails of not only the release of the second season of their Batman series, but the release day of GotG Vol.2 on DVD/Blu-Ray/4K/Digital (all the releases), the hype was all-too real and all too intense for the third episode. It's a hype that built up a lot of anticipation and excitement for me, Guardians is one of my favorite franchises of all time, and after binging both movies in the span of about a day I was needing a fix for some more Star-Lord and his band of misfits. So, naturally, it auto-downloaded on Tuesday and I blew threw it in a matter of about an hour or so - it's not the finest installment in TellTale history, it has some flaws, but it definitely got a couple of really good laughs out of me and showcased unique spins on back-stories that really made the wait worthwhile. So, if you're interested in getting the low-down or just want to hear my perspective on the installment, please read on. ![]() Anyone who knows me even the slightest bit knows I am very passionate about all things nerdy, geeky, and content with a compelling story. But there are three things in particular that I value above almost anything in those categories; anything and everything Batman, a powerhouse story from TellTale Games, and enticing, well-rounded character development. So, naturally I was over the moon with the announcement of TTG's reveal of the second seasons of their Batman series and, even more so, The Wolf Among Us (so stoked). Batman: A TellTale Games Series made a very deep impression on me and I couldn't give it enough praise if I tried. Every episode left me wanting more and feeling strong emotional ties to characters that defined my childhood in new, profound ways. It took a franchise that is so near and dear to my heart and gave it a refreshing breath of modern life with a dark, stoic look at one of the lesser focused on sides of the Dark Knight - Bruce Wayne. This is a Bruce existing long after the Bat has become an icon, what it does to his psyche and just how much exhaustion and mania takes its toll on him. We were introduced to a suave, smooth Penguin that actually posed a threat. A unique origin story for Two-Face and the deep, political bounds of his friendship with Bruce. The evil side of the Waynes and the underbelly of Gotham that is so rarely touched except in some more overshadowed lore. Not to mention a lot of screaming and groaning at every poorly made decision. It brought a realistic and macabre tone to a beloved pop-culture icon that also touched on the human side of Bruce and his peers. All this to say that, naturally, myself and every other gamer who got their hands on it welcomed the game with open arms and critical acclaim. So it was no surprise that its second season would hit the ground running and provide a powerhouse opening that could not disappoint. And MAN it did blow my mind, and I am still ticked about that cliffhanger. To say I've waited (impatiently) a lengthy amount of time for The Long Dark to be fully released would be an understatement. I purchased the game preview in late 2014 on Steam and on XBOX in early 2017 (just for good measure) and was eagerly waiting to see the narrative behind the haunting and troubling world that Hinterland Games had created . I've played countless hours of survival mode since it was the only option available to players, and frequently checked for updates almost weekly over the years. So many hours of my life had been blissfully spent surviving long nights in lighthouses and caves, searching for that coveted rifle, and memorizing maps as they slowly kept getting released. After a while I had totally given up hope that it would ever be fully released and the story mode was just a fabled tale...then my XBOX game icon changed and I knew the time had come. Hinterland Games had finally blessed us with the story-mode for The Long Dark and it is a beauty. For those of you who aren't aware, The Long Dark is a survival-based game that throws players into the wintery wastelands of Northern Canada after a geomagnetic storm brings your plane crashing into the mountain side. It's a stark look at just how far someone would go to survive when pitted against Mother Nature. Your goal is to survive, by any means necessary, and search for a way out of the wilderness. It's an engaging game with an even more powerful, beautiful, and compelling story mode that was just released a mere twenty four hours ago. In the typical fashion, my first question was this - was it worth the wait?
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AuthorJust your average geek chic gamer chick into all things ghostly and geeky (and vice versa) Archives
April 2022
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