Transistor Review

-Justin Moore

Transistor is the next game to come out of Supergiant games, and it has big shoes to fill coming off of Bastion. Transistor is a much different game from Bastion though it does share some elements with Bastion. It is an isometric action game set in a brilliantly realized world just like Bastion. The combat and setting make Transistor stand out though. Transistor’s combat is deep and complex and it’s what made love this game.

In Transistor I played as Red a popular musician living in the futuristic cyberpunk city of Cloudbank. The game begins as I pulled a sword ( the transistor) from a man on a rooftop. As soon as I pulled the sword out I realized that this sword isn’t your everyday stab a guy sword. This sword was talking to me and it was to become my ally and friend throughout the game.

The games story telling is strange, it never overtly told me anything straight up. I was always picking up little bits of stuff from either the transistor telling me something or I was finding terminals that had news reports about what is happening to Cloudbank. Cloudbank even tells its own story from the posters of Red hung up on the walls, to things I could find just by searching around the amazing city. I found Cloudbank a mystery that I couldn’t wait to solve. This cyberpunk jazz infused wonderland was a world I wanted to explore and live in. I was sad that I didn’t get to experience the city while it was full of people, but then again maybe that is the point.

The combat in Transistor is what made me absolutely fall in love with this game. I could attack enemies in real time or in turn mode, which was essentially a turn based mode. This let me  move Red around in real time and then when my turn bar is full I would activate it to go into turn mode. In turn mode time essentially froze allowing me to  maneuver the battle field and cue up many attacks. After I had used turn, it would go on cooldown not allowing me to use any of my abilities for a short duration. So I could essentially stop time, run over hit the guy shielding one of the bigger ones. I would kill him move over to the bigger guy, knock him into the air and then run away and then unpause. Everything I had input would happen while the enemies moved very slowly. Turn would then go on cooldown and I would have to wait until it was up again.  

It created such cool and unique encounters that I had never really seen in any other game that I wanted to always be switching my abilities around to see which combinations worked best. I  started the game with only two of the abilities but I gained more rather quickly. I had a total of four slots for my abilities to go in and then those slots have sub slots that I could add modifiers to, this gave me an endless number of combinations. I ended up using one ability that knocked enemies into the air, one ability that was a straight line long range shot, an area of effect ball and invisibility which allowed me to escape when my turn bar was on cooldown.

The game has so many abilities and encouraged me to use them in very cool ways. From incentivising me to learn about the characters that had entered the transistor to taking away powers when I was low on life the game was always switching things up on me. I felt that Transistor built a very interesting and cool universe, but the combat and the atmosphere itself overshadowed the story. I was always unsure if I truly understood what was happening but then another battle would happen and I would lose myself in the action. Then another story moment would happen and then I would lose myself staring at the beautiful scenery or listening to the amazing soundtrack that this game had.

Transistor to me is a beautiful game that gets lost in its own head sometimes, but the combat and Red herself make up for the fact that I felt the story to be a bit confusing at times. This game stands out to me as a game everyone should experience or at least buy the soundtrack because god damn that shit is beautiful.

A

Mario Golf Trailer !

I for one am extremely excited for the new Mario golf game, here is the trailer let me know what you think ! I can't wait to have something new to play on my 3DS. Plus Mario Golf was probably one of my favorite games for the N64. 

Oculus thoughts!

So people have been asking me what I thought about Oculus, so I thought I would just give a short summary of my opinions. Not a formal review just a musing.

So first off I thought that Karen Gillan's american accent was actually really good. I never felt like it took away from her performance at all, unlike Emma Watson in the perks of being a wallflower. Gillan was charmingly creepy at times and felt like she was the highlight along with Kate Sackhoff.

The story of a mirror that drives people mad, was to me, very interesting. The way that director Mike Fla
nagan wove this story of past and present was enthralling. It presented a horror movie story line that didn't suck. It was something new and fresh. I fucking loved it. I was never terribly scared during the movie but damn did ever bring the tension. The acting was superb and I really enjoyed the film for what it was: an intelligent horror movie that left you wondering instead of grossed out.

Since this isn't a formal review I wont score it, but I would recommend it to anyone looking for a horror movie with some wit.

South Park: The Stick of Truth Review

By Justin Moore

I laughed out loud. Not just a few guffaws, nor giggles, nor snorts, but full on laughter. This game made laugh out loud like a little man child. This is a great South Park game, and I mean that in the sense that it is actually funny. This game -unlike any other South Park game I’ve ever played before- actually brings you into the show.

You are the new kid, kicked out of the house by your parents to “go make friends!” and not a moment later you are recruited to take part in a town wide fantasy role playing adventure. You meet with Cartman, a wizard and the leader of the humans, and he promptly informs you of his battle with the Elves over The Stick of Truth. Cartman quickly recognizes your power and ask you to join his army, but first you must pick a class, warrior, mage, thief or jew.

The game, like an episode of South Park, plays off of the kids childhood innocence. Its very much grounded in the fantasy game that the kids are playing. You take a look at the weapons they are using: a basketball, a football helmet as their weapons and armor. The game leans on this and lets you know that the kids will take any and all real world things and incorporate them into the game.

The mechanics of the game play out like a costume quest turn based battle system. You and one other companion battle your enemies by choosing melee, ranged or magic attacks. The attacks ask that you time button presses with flashes of light on your weapon to do more damage. The same strategy goes for blocking. When they attack, time your button presses to take less damage. This system seems very simple and it is, but thats what makes it fun. It takes the mechanics of timing button presses and carefully choosing targets, and they make it fun. You collect loot from around the town to beef up your character like most RPG’s, but the items in this game are a lot of the fun. I liked that the basketball was a legitimate weapon for me to use. You will find all sorts of mundane and fantastical objects around South Park to make your character shine.

The game is also not without its faults; I felt that some of the battle animations were a little too long to not be able to skip. Every battle, when I used Butters’ summon spell, it irritated the shit out of me. Yes it’s cute and funny the first time but good god could I please skip it at the hundredth. The magic (farting) in the game was a little infuriating to control at points and I never felt like there was anything telling me it was wrong. By the way, I’m not afraid to say that I will laugh at a fart joke, but having to use your magic over and over the farting became a little stale.

The Stick of Truth is a crude crude game and I love it for that. It takes lovely RPG style game play and weaves it into a comfortable and playable twelve hour episode of the show. If it were any longer I would have feared some of the jokes becoming old and overwrought. But I loved this game for what it was an extremely funny and light RPG. The Stick of Truth nails it for me.

B+

Highlights From The 2014 Oscars

Written By Hamza Zain

So the Oscars are officially over, and we can stop stressing about who wore what and who won what and who fucked what. Spoiler alert, Clooney fucked everyone. Now, if you follow me on the Twitters, you know that I went on a live-Tweeting rampage. I apologize for that, but I am so very alone. But now that we're a day removed from Hollywood's biggest circle jerk, I thought I'd look at what was good, what was bad, and what needs to go. Unfortunately, since the Oscars won't be uploading the acceptance speeches to Youtube, we're out of luck when it comes to actually watching them. So just use your imagination and believe, because isn't that what the Oscars is all about?

THE GOOD

Ellen was a Great Fucking Host

The most famous people in the world taking a selfie

Coming off how incredibly mediocre last years Oscars were, Ellen seemed like a very safe choice to host. She was great her first time around, seven years ago, and this time was no exception. I think the key to her being such a great host is the fact that she's universally liked by fans and all the celebrities in the room. Just look at awesome this selfie that Ellen took is. Any time you can crash Twitter, you can consider yourself having done a great job.

Her monologue was typical Ellen fare, not going too off the reserve with her jokes, and not singing about actresses boobs, unlike a previous host who will not be named. She was incredibly funny and engaging, riffing on Jennifer Lawrence falling at the Oscars last year, and then again this year when she got out of her car. Also, a fantastic dig at Liza Minnelli and and jokes like "Here's Michael B. Jordan and Kristen B. Ell" are things that will always win my heart. Ordering pizza for people is also a big plus in my books. The only negative to this was that Michael Fassbender was nominated and, unlike when people thought he was going to be nominated for Shame, no one mentioned the giant F. Assbender he has in his pants. 

We are all Kevin Spacey, the President of Space. Thank you internet.

Lupita Nyong'o and Jared Leto Gave Great Speeches

Jared Leto telling 30 Seconds to Mars to suck his dick

I just want to preface by saying that I think the first half of Jared Leto's acceptance speech is completely wonderful. Thanking his mom for raising him right on her own and making a good life for their family, and his brother for being his best friend and when it was genuine, it was fantastic. I didn't really care for the whole "This is for all the dreamers out there" mostly because it comes across as phony as anything Anne Hatheway does in public. That being said, he's really grown on me, as an actor, person and Man-Lion.

Lupita making it look easy

I think the speech that Lupita Nyong'o gave was the best of the whole night. Not only did she thank everyone associated with the movie, from the other actors, to the director, writer and even the editing guys. You could tell how genuinely happy and excited she was. I wish more speeches were like this, and not just a laundry list of management to thank for getting the role. She's quickly become someone who I really like, and I'm hoping that this boosts her career sooner rather than later. Side note: Did anyone know she is 31? I thought she was like 22 or something. Insane how young being awesome makes you look.

Some Presenters Were Too Good to Forget

I loved Jim Carrey coming on stage at the Oscars and instantly noting that he's been snubbed majorly twice, without ever directly saying it. Then he looked right at Bruce Dern and did the best Bruce Dern impression ever seen. That was hilarious and well done, and they should have had Carrey just start doing impressions of other nominees.

Jamie Foxx was also pretty funny fucking up his prompter reading, then instantly recovering before launching into a random riff, that he started soundtracking. Jessica Biel didn't know whether to join in, stay professional or yell at the Academy about how there was a Stealth reunion happening on stage.

Also, Bill Murray is awesome and instantly makes this list for being Bill Fucking Murray. It also helps that he gave a shoutout to the late great Harold Ramis. Apparently after Groundhog Day, Murray and Ramis has a pretty big falling out, and didn't speak for years, so it was a great gesture for him to do that.

THE MCCONAUSSANCE IS COMPLETE

You know what a fugazi is? It's my Oscar, Leo

Even though his speech was just alright.. alright alright, I love Matthew McConaughey so god damn much. I love the fact that he called himself 10 years in the future his hero. I think it means he constantly strives to be better, which is great to hear. I mean, hearing he had the same thought when he made Failure To Launch doesn't exactly compute, but he has an Oscar, and he should win a fucking Grammy for that scene directly above.

Special Mention: Sidney Poitier for being a bad ass, being an amazing actor, getting all cozy with Angelina Jolie, and reading the prompter with so much gravitas that they should have nominated you right there for 2015.

THE BAD

Adela Dazeem

John Travolta was supposed to introduce Idena Menzel to sing Let It Go from Frozen. Instead, he decided to forget English because Scientology and I couldn't stop laughing. And because the internet is wonderful, there was an Adela Dazeem twitter account within five minutes.

The Montages

What the hell was up with all the montages last night? Listen, I understand the theme was heroes and all that stuff, but man those montages took an eternity and there seemed to be an endless amount of them. I get having them from the Best Picture nominees, but that's pushing it. Having a montage for animated movies, then for biopics, then for action movies, then other bullshit. Why not have a montage for actors wearing silly hats, or Kevin James falling down or farting in a movie? I've been told the Kevin James montage would actually be three hours long.

The Amount of Singing

Darlene Love making the most of her 15 minutes

What was up with all the singing this year? On top of four performances of the Best Original Song nominees, we also had P!NK sing over top of, guess what, a montage of people accepting lifetime achievement Oscars. Talk about way too many in the stink. I'd much rather see Steve Martin and Angela Lansbury give acceptance speeches than listen to P!NK anymore. Or ever again. Why is she at the Oscars and I'm not?

Speaking of singing for no reason, I love Bette Midler, but god damn, why have her sing after the In Memoriam segment? Why not during, so it wasn't just a silent slideshow of dead people? And also the most cliche song choices ever. Seriously, I get the theme is heroes, but "Wind Beneath My Wings" was cringe worthy. 

If you look at it without sound, it just looks like she's sneezing theatrically

Wanna know what else was cringe worthy? Darlene Love singing her gratitude during the acceptance speech for 20 Feet From Stardom. Yeah, it's a fantastic, crowd pleasing documentary, but please don't sing your songs at the Oscars. I'm as big a drama, musical geek as the next person, but it was so awkward and weird. Why can she belt out a ballad at the Oscars and be applauded, but when I do it on the bus, they tell me to get off?

Finally, I thought the musical numbers for the Best Original Song were pretty garbage. I'm not saying the songs themselves, because Let It Go is amazing, and The Moon Song is so beautiful and works perfectly in the movie, and Happy is a total crowd please. The U2 song was pretty mediocre, and the fact that nothing from Inside Llewyn Davis was nominated still makes me mad. That U2 song is to music, what my singing in the shower is to music. Honestly, aside from Happy, which was super fun to watch and see everyone get into it including Meryl Streep, Lupita Nyong'o and Amy Adams, all the rest were super bland. But seriously though, how freaking gorgeous is Amy Adams? Her sexy dance certainly doesn't help things.

In love with her

Make It Shorter

Listen, there's no reason why this show should be four hours long. You could easily take an hour off the show by not showing me Best Animated Short Film. They should have replaced that category with Best Adapted Hairstyle. Brad Pitt had Macklemore's hair, Jared Leto has Jesus hair and John Travolta was apparently trying to get cast in American Hustle 2.

So that's all I got. Thank goodness I won't be talking about the Oscars anymore, because honestly, I'm tired of it. Hopefully I'll be nominated for one next year, and if that's the case, then you'll never hear from me again, because I'm vain and will want to rub elbows with millionaires. If it isn't the case, which it most likely won't be, then I'll watch the Oscars next year with chocolate ice cream and sadness again. Till next time, kids.

Just keep livin'

Philomena (2013) Movie Review

Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in Philomena

How far would you go to find a child you had to give up? Would you just bottle up the pain, or try to do something about it? If you did ever become reunited, how would you treat those who separated you in the first place? These are the questions that Philomena, a film by Stephen Frears, asks you as it takes you on a journey of hope, forgiveness, and love. The film puts you into the real world of these people, and reminds you that, despite being in even Bond movie since I've been alive, Judi Dench is a truly remarkable actress, and Steve Coogan is equally as good.

"It allows both characters moments of levity, and also moments of brutal honesty and warmth"

The film centers around Martin Sixsmith (Coogan), a former BBC political reporter who is fired and disgraced despite being misquoted and, ultimately, apparently wrongfully terminated. He's down in the dumps about himself, and figures he'll write about Russian History, because he enjoys it. And everyone tells him that is a shit idea. He then comes across Philomena Lee (Dench) a woman who was a part of the Catholic Church, but became pregnant very young from a fling at the local carnival, breaking her oath of celibacy, and forced to work off the debt of birth for the church, while rarely seeing her child. Much to her, and our, horror, the church allows for the child to be adopted by rich Americans, and taken back with them. After hearing this, Martin decides to help Philomena reunite with her son, who she has not seen in 50 years.

The film does wonders traversing the line between drama and comedy, and this is in large part because of the script written by Coogan. It allows both characters moments of levity, and also moments of brutal honesty and warmth. These characters are actually real people, and the script does a good job of transferring their heart into this story, giving us characters to care about and root for. Along with a stellar job on the script, Coogan puts in the best dramatic performance of his career, and is given moments to really stretch his acting range, which he gamely knocks out of the park. It's the type of performance that reminds you how fucking talented everyone in Britain is. Strong work is also done by Sophie Kennedy Clark, who plays a young Philomena in flashbacks, and Michelle Fairley as Martin's cold blooded editor.

"She will make you laugh, smile, sigh and cry in equal measure, all while you keep hoping for her."

But of course, the star of the show is Dench, who is truly wonderful as Philomena. She is the anchor and heart of the film, and Dench (with a lovely old lady Irish accent), gives her best performance in years. Philomena is a woman of God, and despite all the hardship and pain and sadness life throws at her, she does not let her faith waiver, and believes that everything happens for a reason. She conveys so much torment and anguish over the fact that she was torn away from her son, and whether or not he ever thought about her again. She will make you laugh, smile, sigh and cry in equal measure, all while you keep hoping for her.

Overall, the film is really one of my favourite films of the year, and I wish I had seen it before I made my top ten. It is a movie I was hesitant to see, but one I instantly fell in love with. 

Grade: A-

Nebraska (2013) Movie Review

Bruce Dern and Will Forte in Nebraska

Alexander Payne is a filmmaker of great prestige. He's made some of the best dramatic comedies or comedic dramas of the last 15 years. Whether it was the high energy Election, the ascension of aging in About Schmidt, a journey of self discovery and wine tasting in Sideways, or the melancholy heartache of loss in The Descendants, he's been able to traverse the human condition masterfully at every turn. This is what makes Nebraska a fine addition to this stable of films, and also, somewhat, of a disappointment.

Now let me preface this by saying that Nebraska is a wonderful film. It is superbly made, brilliantly acted, and hits all the right notes. But because of his past films, Nebraska comes across, to me, like a retread of past work. It centers on David (Will Forte) who works in an electronics department, and is just living his life one day at a time. His brother Ross (Bob Odenkirk) is a head anchor on the local news, and his mother Kate (June Squibb) is growing tired of the antics of her husband Woody (Bruce Dern), and wants to put him in a home. You see, Woody thinks he's won one million dollars, because he got a letter from a magazine in Nebraska that he might have. So now he wants to go to Nebraska to get that money, with or without his families help. You could have also called this movie "Man, Old People Are Frustrating".

"Dern has some truly wonderful moments with the character, showing why he's a beloved elder statesman in film"

The film centers on David and Woody going to Nebraska, and the details of their relationship that come about because of it. This is where the movie works wonders, because the relationships between all the characters feel authentic and real, never attempting to give you that big Hollywood moment, because those don't actually happen in real life. Forte gives a strong performance as David, a regular guy who loves his father, but clearly harbors some resentment deep down. It's a massive departure from anything he's done previously, and really shows he could have a good acting career. There are misbeats along the way, and part of me wonders if those would have been rectified by Bryan Cranston, who actively sought the part. Dern puts in a brilliant performance as Woody, a man who doesn't realize how much of a pain he is at times, but not why you would think. Woody is a kind, giving soul hidden behind the mask of a weary alcoholic, and Dern has some truly wonderful moments with the character, showing why he's a beloved elder statesman in film.

"The only real problem I have with most of the movie is that it feels like a greatest hits of Payne movies, as opposed to something new and fresh"

The supporting cast is excellent too, particularly Squibb who reminded me so much of the women in my family and gives a lot of heart to the movie, as well as Bob Odenkirk, who is fresh off Breaking Bad, giving a subdued performance, and showing that Saul Goodman isn't a flash in the pan dramatic role. Stacy Keach also does strong work as Ed Pegram, an old friend of Woody's, who knows a little too much about him, and is all too willing to take advantage. Turns out everyone in Woody's life feels they deserve a piece of the pie, and Woody is just oblivious enough to not turn them down. This is where the film lost me at times, as it felt shoehorned in to create conflict among the family. The only real problem I have with most of the movie is that it feels like a greatest hits of Payne movies, as opposed to something new and fresh.

Ultimately, the film is strong, and among the years best. Shot in black and white, it looks gorgeous, and helps the film establish a look of dreariness at the same time. I would like Payne to perhaps step a little outside his comfort zone though, like David O. Russell or Ang Lee. All in all, Nebraska is still a movie you should take the time to see and enjoy.

Grade: B+