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CollectionsThis game is almost perfection-- everything from the ultra-realistic renderings of Japan to the combat to the acting is incredible. I also love the story and Jin's conflicted nature about the rogue element of his combat style.
The main villains' barbarity was portrayed well. In one of my favorite games, Medieval Total War 2, and during the Medieval era the Mongols were the most ruthless enemies you could battle. Historically, they were such an existential threat that warring provinces in Eastern Europe called a truce with each other and banded together to drive them back to Asia.
People have complained about this game's repetitiveness. Yes, sometimes the combat is somewhat repetitive, but to me it's the GOOD kind of repetitive. I'm not annoyed by it.
Whenever I want to complete every task in a game you know that it has attained legendary status. I posted a "top twenty video games" list on my blog last year with games that ranged from the '80s to today. Now I want to revise it to include Ghost on it.
Best Game of 2020
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 6 July 2022 05:04
(A review of Ghost of Tsushima)
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Gaslighting
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 09:23
(A review of Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018))Batman: Gotham by Gaslight: It is Victorian times and Gotham is looking a little Londonish. There is a killer afoot named Jack the Ripper stalking the streets. Also stalking the night is a masked vigilante known only as The Bat. Can Commissioner Gordon solve the cases with the help of his prosecutor Harvey Dent and Dent's millionaire childhood chum Bruce Wayne?
The Good: The greatest thing about Gotham by Gaslight is what it doesn't do. There are no Tesla or Lovecraft cameos. Nobody invents an airplane powered by a diamond. It is a realistic (relatively) style environment with people that act like people actually did back then (Guy in Bat costume excepted).
Gotham by Gaslight also finds proper roles for Batman's Rogue gallery and his allies. Commissioner Gordon, Alfred the Butler, and Harvey Dent keep their old roles. While other's get to put on a new hat. Hugo Strange is a progressive doctor running a psychiatric hospital and Poison Ivy is a vaudeville stripper. The movie has Batman in the role of Sherlock Holmes with focus on detective work rather than Bat punching. Selina Kyle (Catwoman) takes the role similar to Sherlock's love interest Irene Adler and three Robins (Dick, Jason, and Tim) take a role similar to the Baker Street Irregulars. It is a lot of fun seeing well-known characters in their new roles. The movie handles this quite well.
The Bad: Why is this an "R" rated film? There are some adult themes but neither Poison Ivy nor Selina Kyle shows any nudity despite some obvious story beats where it would have been expected. The violence is muted and the camera turns away from anything possible offensive. I have to think this us more of a marketing ploy (An Adult Batman Cartoon) rather than a reflection of the material. If you are going for an "R" rating and your story is about a serial killer that murders prostitutes it is not as if there is no material to work with.
In Conclusion: A Sherlock Holmes mystery with a Batman dressing. It is a good mystery that will keep one guessing. Characters are well written and voiced with Selina Kyle and Harvey Dent being standouts. Overplayed Victorian elements (see above) and overplayed Batman elements (Joker) are nowhere to be found. A good family film despite the "R" rating and an excellent treat for fans of the bat.
The Good: The greatest thing about Gotham by Gaslight is what it doesn't do. There are no Tesla or Lovecraft cameos. Nobody invents an airplane powered by a diamond. It is a realistic (relatively) style environment with people that act like people actually did back then (Guy in Bat costume excepted).
Gotham by Gaslight also finds proper roles for Batman's Rogue gallery and his allies. Commissioner Gordon, Alfred the Butler, and Harvey Dent keep their old roles. While other's get to put on a new hat. Hugo Strange is a progressive doctor running a psychiatric hospital and Poison Ivy is a vaudeville stripper. The movie has Batman in the role of Sherlock Holmes with focus on detective work rather than Bat punching. Selina Kyle (Catwoman) takes the role similar to Sherlock's love interest Irene Adler and three Robins (Dick, Jason, and Tim) take a role similar to the Baker Street Irregulars. It is a lot of fun seeing well-known characters in their new roles. The movie handles this quite well.
The Bad: Why is this an "R" rated film? There are some adult themes but neither Poison Ivy nor Selina Kyle shows any nudity despite some obvious story beats where it would have been expected. The violence is muted and the camera turns away from anything possible offensive. I have to think this us more of a marketing ploy (An Adult Batman Cartoon) rather than a reflection of the material. If you are going for an "R" rating and your story is about a serial killer that murders prostitutes it is not as if there is no material to work with.
In Conclusion: A Sherlock Holmes mystery with a Batman dressing. It is a good mystery that will keep one guessing. Characters are well written and voiced with Selina Kyle and Harvey Dent being standouts. Overplayed Victorian elements (see above) and overplayed Batman elements (Joker) are nowhere to be found. A good family film despite the "R" rating and an excellent treat for fans of the bat.
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Dark Superman, and very good at that
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 08:40
(A review of Superman: Doomsday)Okay this is not faithful to the comics, which "purists" may object to. However as somebody who firmly believes in judging a movie or such on its own merits, I did like this movie. It is too short, and consequently despite the intelligent and well-balanced tone it generally had the script did feel rushed through. However, I liked the dark and even unflinching tone of the story, and the action scenes while violent are compellingly choreographed. The animation is great, very detailed and atmospheric indeed. The characters are well drawn also, though the high cheekbones may take some getting used to. The music is rousing and unpredictably moody and the characters are still interesting, the relationship between Superman/Clark and Lois while different to what one would expect was still convincing. The voice acting was terrific, especially from Adam Baldwin and John DiMaggio, though Anne Heche is lovely and James Marsters is the very meaning of suave as Luther. All in all, very good but not for everybody maybe. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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A truly excellent Batman
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 08:34
(A review of Batman: Year One)I consider myself a Batman fan. Having loved a vast majority of the previous Batman adaptations, I loved this movie. The animation is wonderful, the backgrounds and colours are dark and the character designs are sophisticated.
The music has a real haunting quality to it, and does so well in enhancing the atmosphere. And what an atmosphere it is too, for me the best Batman adaptations(Batman: The Animated Series, Mask of the Phantasm, 1989 Batman and Under the Red Hood) have a suitably gritty tone, which is what the movie does have.
Batman: Year One's dialogue is sharp, intelligent and edgy, and generally apart from the rushed subplot of Selina Kyle(a longer length in general might've helped) the story is clever and compelling. Mostly the characters are very well written, with special mention going to Gordon, a character that could be bland but here he is very interesting.
Voice acting is strong. Bryan Cranston is especially outstanding. Ben McKenzie is generally good and emotive, if in need of more charisma in places. All in all, excellent Batman movie. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox
The music has a real haunting quality to it, and does so well in enhancing the atmosphere. And what an atmosphere it is too, for me the best Batman adaptations(Batman: The Animated Series, Mask of the Phantasm, 1989 Batman and Under the Red Hood) have a suitably gritty tone, which is what the movie does have.
Batman: Year One's dialogue is sharp, intelligent and edgy, and generally apart from the rushed subplot of Selina Kyle(a longer length in general might've helped) the story is clever and compelling. Mostly the characters are very well written, with special mention going to Gordon, a character that could be bland but here he is very interesting.
Voice acting is strong. Bryan Cranston is especially outstanding. Ben McKenzie is generally good and emotive, if in need of more charisma in places. All in all, excellent Batman movie. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox
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Wonderful, one of the best DC movies
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 08:27
(A review of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse)I love animation and greatly enjoy superhero movies. I found Superman/Batman: Apocalypse to be one of the best DC movies. There is very little that I found particularly wrong with it actually, though Andre Braugher for my tastes wasn't menacing enough as DarkSeid. Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Susan Eisenberg however are the embodiment of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman though, while Summer Glau is a nice surprise and Edward Asner is great fun as Granny Goodness. The characters are likable and are developed well, while the animation is full of lavish and atmospheric detail in background, character design and colour and the music is hauntingly rousing. The writing is razor sharp and intelligent and the story has exciting action, affecting drama and compelling storytelling in general, even if a tad rushed towards the end. All in all, has much to love about it. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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"Clark, what the hell are good villains?"
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 08:18
(A review of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies)Fun animated movie based on an enjoyable comic book story by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. The story has Lex Luthor becoming President of the United States (!) and using his new authority to go after Superman. Batman steps in to help his buddy and the two find themselves pursued by their government and their friends. A solid script with nice banter and one-liners. Not as meaty as the original story but still good. There's some subtext about patriotism and the difference between loyalty to country vs loyalty to government. But, for the most part, this is just an exciting action story with lots of superheroes and supervillians and big fight scenes. Nothing at all wrong with that.
The voicework is excellent with Kevin Conroy, Clancy Brown, Tim Daly, and CCH Pounder all handling the characters they have perfected so well. In addition there's solid work from Xander Berkeley, Allison Mack, LeVar Burton, and many others. The animation is fluid, colorful, and bright. The story is smarter than it had to be, which I appreciate. It probably plays better to fans but I think the uninitiated can still enjoy it. I'm not a big supporter of the direction DC animation has taken in recent years. I loved their stuff from the '90s and early '00s but lately they only seem concerned with appealing to the lowest common denominator. This one was made after their prime but when there was still a little bit of magic left. Very entertaining and packed with action.
The voicework is excellent with Kevin Conroy, Clancy Brown, Tim Daly, and CCH Pounder all handling the characters they have perfected so well. In addition there's solid work from Xander Berkeley, Allison Mack, LeVar Burton, and many others. The animation is fluid, colorful, and bright. The story is smarter than it had to be, which I appreciate. It probably plays better to fans but I think the uninitiated can still enjoy it. I'm not a big supporter of the direction DC animation has taken in recent years. I loved their stuff from the '90s and early '00s but lately they only seem concerned with appealing to the lowest common denominator. This one was made after their prime but when there was still a little bit of magic left. Very entertaining and packed with action.
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So much better than I was expecting
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 08:12
(A review of The Batman vs. Dracula)And this is not anything to do with not liking Batman. I happen to love Batman, right from the 60s series(camp but compulsively colourful fun) to the animated DC movies with Batman:The Animated Series being the real jewel in the crown. This said, I happen to not be a fan of the The Batman show. It is not a terrible show, it has its good moments, but I do prefer more darkness and Gothic pathos when it comes to Batman and there are elements that take some getting used to. I happen to think The Batman vs. Dracula is much better. It is not perfect, Joker's character design like the show does take a lot of getting used to, in all honesty I never really warmed to it, and Peter Stormare while voicing Dracula with just the right smooth menace has an accent that is very inconsistent. However, the animation is really great, much smoother than the show's and has much more atmosphere. There is also a haunting music score, smart intelligent writing that has a much mature tone than the show and some exciting action sequences, though there perhaps could have been more. The story is very dark and compelling, with some both intense and moving moments and perfectly paced. I would have liked to have seen the Vampyric lore element further explored but that wasn't enough to harm the story. The characters are great, Batman is much darker and more brooding, Penguin as always is great fun, he was a bright spot of the show always, and Joker is more menacing and twisted than ever before. Dracula in design may be more Ras Al'Ghul than Dracula, but is still a more than worthy adversary to Batman. The voice acting is very good too, Rino Romano sounds more comfortable and brooding, Tara Strong is a likable Vicki Vale. Tom Kenny voices Penguin with great enthusiasm without ever overdoing it while Kevin Michael Richardson's voice for Joker is in keeping with the character's more twisted personality here, it didn't work in the show for me because that psyche wasn't really explored. All in all, a very good movie and much better than The Batman show. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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Batman and Anime: Yeah!!!!
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 08:10
(A review of Batman: Gotham Knight)Just before the release of the masterpiece, The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers decided to follow the success of what they did with the AniMatrix, releasing a DVD of short Anime films. I was disappointed by AniMatrix, which was marketed essential viewing before seeing the second two Matrix films. They were a damp squib and only one of the shorts had anything to do with the main films. But luckily I quite enjoyed Batman Gotham Knight.
Batman Gotham Knight is six short film, around 12 minutes long, telling different stories about the Dark Knight. One includes a very interesting one about some skater teenagers saying they saw Batman, and came up with three very different versions of what Batman is. That short was good, and that was the weakest one as well. Other stories include Batman fighting against the Russian and Italian Mafia who are in the middle of a gang war, fighting the sewers against Scarecrow and Killer Croc, testing a new bit of equipment, a flashback story set in India and stopping Deadshot killing Lt. Gordon. My personal favourites out of the shorts are Working Through Pain and Deadshot, both telling good stories, and wonderfully action packed.
Batman Gotham Knight was marketed as a number of shorts set in-different the events of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. To me it felt more Christopher Nolan's films were more an influence then directly linked. Another influence must have been the great 90s animated series, with Kevin Conroy reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The direction and the art is so wonderful to, I love anime and I like it when American and Japanese ideas are combined together. The storytelling and action is excellent. There are detailed character designs, like in Working Through Pain you got a real scene of India and young Bruce Wayne looked and fought like Bruce Lee. There are top writers and directors working on the shorts, including David S. Goyer, the writer of Batman Begins and the Dark Knight. Like the Nolan Batmans, the shorts try to shot a dark, more unpleasant Gotham, in a realistic city. There is corruption, and crime from low level thugs to organised crime leaders. Batman here is a symbol of hope and change for the city. The storytellers also try to take a more grounded view of the villains, even trying to make Killer Croc a little more believable (i.e. not a mutated crocodile).
Unlike the AniMatrix, the stories are interlinked in some way, making the shorts as a whole stronger, more like a good TV series. They are recurring themes like the gang war.
If I had to complain, I would have like to have seen more. I would have liked the shorts to have been longer, like 20 to 30 minutes. I think this level of animation and storytelling could, and should work as a excellent TV series, with a more adult audience because of the themes and violence.
Worth watching if you can get it at a good price.
Batman Gotham Knight is six short film, around 12 minutes long, telling different stories about the Dark Knight. One includes a very interesting one about some skater teenagers saying they saw Batman, and came up with three very different versions of what Batman is. That short was good, and that was the weakest one as well. Other stories include Batman fighting against the Russian and Italian Mafia who are in the middle of a gang war, fighting the sewers against Scarecrow and Killer Croc, testing a new bit of equipment, a flashback story set in India and stopping Deadshot killing Lt. Gordon. My personal favourites out of the shorts are Working Through Pain and Deadshot, both telling good stories, and wonderfully action packed.
Batman Gotham Knight was marketed as a number of shorts set in-different the events of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. To me it felt more Christopher Nolan's films were more an influence then directly linked. Another influence must have been the great 90s animated series, with Kevin Conroy reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The direction and the art is so wonderful to, I love anime and I like it when American and Japanese ideas are combined together. The storytelling and action is excellent. There are detailed character designs, like in Working Through Pain you got a real scene of India and young Bruce Wayne looked and fought like Bruce Lee. There are top writers and directors working on the shorts, including David S. Goyer, the writer of Batman Begins and the Dark Knight. Like the Nolan Batmans, the shorts try to shot a dark, more unpleasant Gotham, in a realistic city. There is corruption, and crime from low level thugs to organised crime leaders. Batman here is a symbol of hope and change for the city. The storytellers also try to take a more grounded view of the villains, even trying to make Killer Croc a little more believable (i.e. not a mutated crocodile).
Unlike the AniMatrix, the stories are interlinked in some way, making the shorts as a whole stronger, more like a good TV series. They are recurring themes like the gang war.
If I had to complain, I would have like to have seen more. I would have liked the shorts to have been longer, like 20 to 30 minutes. I think this level of animation and storytelling could, and should work as a excellent TV series, with a more adult audience because of the themes and violence.
Worth watching if you can get it at a good price.
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Mostly Recycled Footage, Little Interaction
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 07:48
(A review of Batman: Death in the Family)Batman is one of those comic characters who is not afraid to delve into darker, more mature storylines. A Death In The Family is one of them, and it is infamous because readers actually got to decide the ending, which involved whether or not Jason Todd, who was the holder of the Robin mantle at the time, lived or died. and has gotten its fair share of attention and backlash for the final result. This movie is an adaptation of the story as well as a follow up to 2010's Batman: Under The Red Hood (as the cast from that film reprise their roles in this one).
Keeping with the interactive aspect of the comic, the movie is done to the point where it allows you to make choices that change the story. Before the film starts, the movie gives instructions on how to make choices (but thankfully, it can be skipped for those who watch it again or don't want instructions). The movie for the most part, has new footage mixed in with what looks like scenes taken from Under The Red Hood. Immediatly, this can be seen as bad, as the UTRH scenes are sadly just copy-and-pasted into the film, without any additions to take advantage of the R rating this film got. Basically, when you get to the point where you choose Robin's fate, you get three choices (that is, if you're watching the Blu-Ray. The digital copy does not have the interactive part). If you choose the Robin Dies route, all you get is a repeat of that film (only with Bruce Wayne/Batman narrating). Also, there is not much interactivity in this movie. Two of the paths do not allow you to choose to change the story, while one has most of the interactivity, which sadly hinders this more.
Because of these problems, the movie is too short (the longest being a half-hour), making this an underwhelming film. The only good thing about this is John DiMaggio does a good job voicing The Joker, but this interactive film is a lackluster and a waste of $18 I bought it for at Wal-Mart. Avoid this and look for something better, like Batman: Under The Red Hood (which is way better in its original form).
Keeping with the interactive aspect of the comic, the movie is done to the point where it allows you to make choices that change the story. Before the film starts, the movie gives instructions on how to make choices (but thankfully, it can be skipped for those who watch it again or don't want instructions). The movie for the most part, has new footage mixed in with what looks like scenes taken from Under The Red Hood. Immediatly, this can be seen as bad, as the UTRH scenes are sadly just copy-and-pasted into the film, without any additions to take advantage of the R rating this film got. Basically, when you get to the point where you choose Robin's fate, you get three choices (that is, if you're watching the Blu-Ray. The digital copy does not have the interactive part). If you choose the Robin Dies route, all you get is a repeat of that film (only with Bruce Wayne/Batman narrating). Also, there is not much interactivity in this movie. Two of the paths do not allow you to choose to change the story, while one has most of the interactivity, which sadly hinders this more.
Because of these problems, the movie is too short (the longest being a half-hour), making this an underwhelming film. The only good thing about this is John DiMaggio does a good job voicing The Joker, but this interactive film is a lackluster and a waste of $18 I bought it for at Wal-Mart. Avoid this and look for something better, like Batman: Under The Red Hood (which is way better in its original form).
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No Cheesy Puns Here, Just Good Storytelling
Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2022 07:37
(A review of Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero)Mr. Freeze's wife needs an organ transplant and Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, is the only acceptable blood match. So Freeze kidnaps her while she's on a date with Dick Grayson, aka Robin. Batman and Robin race against time to rescue Barbara before it's too late. Very good animated movie that's miles better than Joel Schumacher's craptacular movie that also featured Mr. Freeze and Batgirl, released not long before this. What might surprise some is that Batman is largely absent from the first half of this. It still works, though, due to the great characterizations and writing. Although this is nowhere near as strong as the award-winning "Heart of Ice" episode of Batman: The Animated Series. That episode was the best Mr. Freeze story ever told in any form of media. This is still a very enjoyable movie, hampered slightly by some sloppy animation. The story does feel like it could have been a two-part episode of the TV series but since the series was excellent I fail to see how that's a negative.
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