Note: Spoilers about tunnels, more tunnels, and bad Russian accents.

I wish all first person shooters could be as innovative and immersive as Bioshock: Infinite or, the king of all FPS games, Half Life 2.  But alas, we aren’t quite graced with FPS games that can do that.  Call of Duty may be the biggest offender when it comes to sacrificing quality for mass appeal, but the entire FPS industry has suffered from a slump of sorts.  Aside from the Bioshock and Crysis games, there hasn’t been a whole lot out there that’s worked to innovate and enlighten.  So, when I heard that there was going to be a sequel to Metro 2033, I was…skeptical at best.  I wasn’t sure if it was going to transcend the issues that that plagued that first game, but it was getting considerable hype, so I was rather hopeful.  Well…Metro: Last Light isn’t as great as I had hoped it would be, with its lackluster story and characters, its somewhat monotonous environment, and its unnecessary sexual exploitation.

The story revolves around the protagonist Artyom, who is trying to recover the Dark One because some believe it to be the key to humanity’s survival.  While the premise is certainly interesting, the story moves along as a crawl, with the majority of the game dedicated to just trying to get to Polis.  For as much world-building as they try to do, it certainly doesn’t help to have a story that barely interacts with that world.  And, as is true with many protagonists in FPS games, Artyom isn’t much of a character.  He functions as a narrator of sorts, but his narration doesn’t reveal a whole lot about the world around him or expand his personality very much.  I will say that post-apocalyptic Russia is realized fairly well, but the monotony of that environment is just so pervasive that I wasn’t really engrossed by it.

The combat is halfway decent, but wasn’t as great as I would have hoped.  There’s a fair amount of guns to choose from, as well as a fair amount of attachments to utilize to customize the guns.  All of those offer enough variation to meet the needs of different style of play, from stealthy assassination to viciously obliterating any and every enemy.  There’s also a couple secondary weapons to utilize, from regular grenades to incendiary grenades, that offer additional ways to crowd control (although they’re not entirely satisfying to use).  The most innovative way that Metro enhances its gameplay is through the utilization of gas masks with limited air supplies, as Artyom occasionally has to traverse sections of Russia’s surface, a place littered with mutated enemies and saturated with radiation.  That makes the movement along the surface far more urgent than the rest of the combat, not to mention that the tension is already heightened by the abundance of bizarre mutated enemies.  Those sections are among the more impressive of the game, while the underground segments can become rather monotonous after a time.  The underground segments that held my interest the most were those where I was being swarmed by mutated enemies, whereas fighting soldiers was pretty standard FPS fare.  There’s also a currency system, where a certain kind of bullet can be collected and used to purchase weapons and weapon parts (or lap dances…).  There’s not much more than can be done beyond standard weapon customization, but it’s enough to keep the combat somewhat varied.  Overall, the gameplay is pretty standard, although there are certainly segments of the game that rise above the rest in terms of intensity and quality.

The other major complaint that I have about this game was the unnecessary sexual exploitation.  There’s a right way and a wrong way to use female nudity in storytelling, and the way that Metro: Last Light used it was undoubtedly the wrong one.  Little to no commentary is made on the gender power structures that formed after the apocalypse, which would be the only thing to explain the titillating nature of the female nudity in the game.  What really floored me was the notion that Arytom can get a lap dance during the game, and since it’s in the first person, it’s like the player is receiving a virtual lap dance.  It’s so tasteless and exploitative that it really irritated me to see a game contain such ridiculous content.  In a medium that already exhibits a great deal of sexism, containing such content simply makes it look bad.

Ultimately, Metro: Last Light is just a letdown.  It’s boring, monotonous, and sometimes outright exploitative.  Sure, the combat can be fun.  There’s enough variation in the combat to keep those action bits worthwhile.  But the combat simply isn’t good enough to outweigh the negative aspects of the game, especially the lackluster narrative and the exploitative nudity.  It’s just another game that tries to innovate and simply doesn’t do enough to work past the confines of the genre.  I’m hoping that FPS games can do a bit of evolution as we move into the next generation of video game consoles, but so far, I’m not very hopeful.

Also: Holy shit.  Those Russian accents were absolutely terrible.  I can’t believe they actually let that voice acting slide.

Final Thoughts: A lackluster sequel, Metro: Last Light is certainly a playable, fun game, but suffers from a boring story, boring characters, and a general monotony.

Grade: C+

I’m going to be reviewing The Great Gatsby later today, so that’ll be fun.  I’m still processing the movie, which certainly was a visual assault.  Aside from that, you’ll be getting House of Cards tomorrow as well as NOS4A2 in a day or two.  It’s a long book, but man, is it easy to fly through.  I’m still playing through Ni No Kuni, so don’t expect a review on that for a couple weeks.  In the meantime, I may play Resident Evil: Revelations, but I don’t know.  It’s certainly a “maybe”.  As for upcoming movies, I plan on watching and reviewing Star Trek and Star Trek: Into Darkness, but I’m not entirely sure when I can do that.  Maybe this weekend?  Maybe next week?  I wish I had a more definitive schedule, but it just doesn’t work like that.  And I’ll be continuing with Game of Thrones and Mad Men coverage, though I’m not sure what to review after that.  Maybe more books.  We’ll see.  Until tomorrow (or later today), loyal followers.

Previous Review- Game of Thrones 3x08: “Second Sons”

Next Review- The Great Gatsby

Remember to check out the websites that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

http://www.watchitrae.com/

Note: Spoilers through Episode 3.08.

I like that this season of Game of Thrones splits A Storm of Swords in two.  There’s no way in hell that ten episodes of television could successfully adapt 1200 pages of source material.  It’s just not going to happen.  However, with the way that a season of television needs to pace its narrative, that makes for a somewhat awkwardly paced season.  This episode, even more than the last couple, is making that awkward pacing increasingly evident.  Sure, this episode is packed to the brim with things happening, they’re all things happening in stories that are stretched unbelievably thin.  Ultimately, “Second Sons” does a great job preparing us for the finale, as well as offering us some great scenes, but feels disjointed and stretched immensely thin.

We all know that crazy shit is going to go down in the next episode.  The ninth episode of every Game of Thrones season thus far has one major setpiece that the rest of the season has been building towards.  This episode, strangely enough, mirrors the eighth episode of the previous season, “The Prince of Winterfell”, in that it prepares us for what is to come next, whatever that may be.  It’s also damaged by that preparatory work, as it keeps the episode from doing anything THAT compelling.  There were a couple specific scenes that I loved more than the rest, such as Tyrion’s wedding scenes and Sam/Gilly vs. the White Walker, but other than that, everything else just pushed the narrative along.  I can’t imagine being somebody that hasn’t read the books but watches the show, as the directionless nature that these last few episodes have adopted must be frustrating as hell.

So, let’s start off with those great scenes.  Tyrion’s wedding and the subsequent festivities was undoubtedly the highlight of the night, as it accentuated just how trapped everybody is within their respective situations, as well as how Tywin and Olenna are just pulling strings to make it all happen.  Weddings are obviously supposed to be these grand, fun, exciting occasions, but everybody is just fucking miserable.  I love how the environment is kept nice and dark, as to keep any sense of positivity far away from the wedding.  Tyrion’s performance is the best it has been all season, along with Sansa, who gets more to do in this episode than she’s really had all season.  Not a single character in the King’s Landing scenes was downplayed or written in an awkward fashion.  Sure, Cersei’s threat to Margaery was a little obtrusive.  Sure, Joffrey always gets hilariously obvious musical cues.  But it’s the best character work of the episode, as it exemplifies that, despite the wedding being a power play to keep the Lannisters in power, there’s not a single person there who’s happy about it.  And what’s the point of power if nobody ends up even remotely satisfied?  The “game of thrones” seems to be so ingrained in the lifestyle of those in King’s Landing that it becomes its own entity, engulfing everybody in its wake and leaving only shattered, broken people that know nothing else.

My next favorite scene of the episode was Sam/Gilly vs. the White Walker, even if it was certainly problematic in more than one way.  Not only was that fight exciting, it contained things that we’ve simply never seen before.  A White Walker shattering a blade with his bare hands?  Sam murdering a White Walker with his dragonglass dagger?  It adds new life to the mythology, keeping everything fresh and tense.  However, it ended up serving as the climax to an episode that had nothing to do with Sam, Gilly, or White Walkers.  It’s a great scene, but it came out of nowhere, featuring characters we’ve barely seen for more than thirty minutes throughout the entire season.  While it’s certainly an adrenaline-fueled way to end an episode, it doesn’t round out anything.  It doesn’t feel like an ending.  It feels like they just shot a bunch of scenes, put them together, and made this one the last one simply because it was the coolest.  And it just doesn’t work.

The rest of the scenes in the episode were also fairly impressive.  Daenerys’s scenes root themselves in using sexuality as a power source.  When Mero, the leader of the Second Sons, meets Daenerys, he uses his masculinity as a way to assert that he’s somehow stronger than her.  Of course, he comes off looking more like a brute than anything else.  Daenerys uses her sexuality in an empowering manner when Daario Naharis decides to usurp control of the Second Sons in order to join Daenerys.  Instead of being ashamed to be naked in front of him, she stands up strong and looks him straight in the eye.  The difference between her utilization of sexuality and Mero’s is that she’s not simply looking to use brute force to conquer.  She’s showing actual strength, not the feigned strength that Mero was exhibiting.  Her scenes, while not outstanding, were rooted in some great stuff.  I’ve been fairly impressed with her storyline this season, even if she hasn’t done a whole lot.  Even though her storyline has always been almost kept completely separate to everything else, it’s still consistently compelling.

The remaining storyline deals with Stannis, Davos, Melisandre, and nudity.  It’s great that they’re using some creepy foreshadowing to create tension around Robb and Joffrey’s potential fates, but the rest of it is just forgettable.  These are characters that we’ve barely spent any time with, moving through a storyline that hasn’t really exhibited that much intensity or excitement.  One of the biggest problems of the series, one that his season has been exhibiting more than any other, is that the show can sometimes portray the show’s plot without any real cohesion.  This show may be adapting a book, but it simply IS NOT a book.  It needs to have a seasonal structure.  It needs to have strong individual episodes.  It can’t just have these scenes and storylines because the book says so.

By itself, the individual scenes in the episode were pretty damn good.  They boast some great character work, they look beautiful, and they do a great job staying tense and immersing.  But, put together, there’s not a lot going on.  It’s a tangled ball of yarn with no real way to unravel any of it.  The problem with the series, which is also a problem with the books, is that there’s no central plot.  Things happen.  People die.  People fuck.  People gain power.  People lose power.  But what does it all mean?  George R. R. Martin just shrugs at that question, and as of right now, it seems that Benioff and Weiss are doing the same.  Well, they’d better stop shrugging and start figuring out what the fuck it all means, and quickly.

But until they do figure it out, at least we have an insane last two episodes to look forward to.  Despite my frustration, I’m pretty excited.

Also: I didn’t mention Arya, but she’s still just kind of moving along with Sandor Clegane.  Not much going on there.

Final Thoughts: A decent episode, “Second Sons” has great individual scenes, but nothing to really put them together.

Grade: B

I’m going to try to review Metro: Last Light today, but we’ll see what happens.  I never know how much time I’ll have during the day.  Tomorrow, I’ll be reviewing The Great Gatsby and House of Cards, since I’m FINALLY going to see that movie tonight.  As for the rest of the week, I want to watch and review both of the new Star Trek movies, so hopefully that will happen.  I’m also playing through Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, but that’s going to take a LONG, LONG time, so don’t expect a review on that for a while.  As for TV reviews, I’ll be doing a Mad Men review next week, but Game of Thrones isn’t for another two weeks, so you’ll have to wait until June to get the next one.  Get pumped, guys.  The end of this season of Game of Thrones is fast approaching, and it’s going to be a big one.

Previous Review- Mad Men 6x08: “The Crash”

Next Review- Metro: Last Light

Remember to check out the websites that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

http://www.watchitrae.com/

Note: Spoilers through Episode 6.08.

Mad Men has a fairly consistent seasonal structure, where at least one episode deviates from the normal narrative structure used through most of the show’s episodes.  “Seven Thirty Three” moved between past and present to tell three specific stories.  “The Suitcase”, for the most part, followed two specific characters through a life-changing night.  “Far Away Places” wove together three different stories, but told them one after the other instead of cutting them up and piecing them together.  But this episode…it’s not simply bizarre.  It’s completely off the fucking wall.  I mean, Ken fucking tap dances in the middle of the episode (which was the point that I remember my mouth just dropping in sheer confusion).  However!  There is a message and method behind all of the complete madness.  “The Crash” takes most of the characters for a drug-induced ride, juxtaposing them with quite a few points of comparison to create the most fascinating episode of the season.

There were a couple key phrases in the episode that encapsulated what the episode is about, and before I even try to explain any of it, I’m going to start with those phrases:

“Am I from somewhere other than from this moment? –Don Draper

“Gotta get used to it (death) or stop thinking about it.” –Roger Sterling

“I’ve had loss in my life.  You have to let yourself feel it.  You can’t dampen it with drugs and sex.  It won’t get you through.” –Peggy Olson

That last one is the biggest (and most obvious) indication that this episode is about people using defense mechanisms like sex and drugs in order to keep themselves from feeling the pain of life.  The situation in which the phrase is uttered is also indicative of a pretty dismal truth: We can’t do much to escape using those defense mechanisms.  Right after Peggy tells Stan that key phrase (after he tells her that he lost a family member in Vietnam), he just tells her that she has a “nice ass”.  She can spell things out for him, but it doesn’t matter.  Nobody, while using those defense mechanisms, gives a fuck about reality.  Of all of the characters on this show right now, Peggy is the one trying to keep everybody together.  She’s successful with Ted, as he actually allows himself to grieve over Frank Gleason’s death and abstains from the drugs, but Stan was simply a lost cause.  She sees him having sex with Gleason’s hippie daughter in his office, completely oblivious to the advice that she gave him.  Peggy can try to help those around her, but there’s only so much she can do.  The inexorable pull of the delusional proves stronger than her own.

Don is really the focal point of this episode, as most of the periphery characters are connected to his delusion in one way or another.  After he, along with most of the rest of the office, is injected with an unidentified drug by some sort of doctor, he spends the episode focused on the latest pitch to Chevy, neglecting just about everything else.  He’s fixated on the present moment, as he says to Chaough’s secretary, refusing to believe that anything else exists.  The only other thing that he’s fixated on is Sylvia, his other defense mechanism, his sexual release from reality.  His interaction with her is immensely creepy, as he stalks near her apartment and tries to regain control over her, only to be rejected every time.  Sex has always been a release for Don, as we see reiterated in his flashbacks.  His flashbacks pertain to a time when he was living at a whorehouse, physically ill with a vicious cough (whereas now Don is emotionally ill).  He’s nursed back to health by a prostitute, who then takes his virginity (in an act that could possibly be constituted as rape, though it’s left unclear).  For Don, healing has always been associated with sex, though the ramifications of that sex have always been negative as well.  After that prostitute is fired, confessing that she stole Don’s virginity, he’s beaten by his stepmother with a wooden spoon.  Don’s passivity towards his sexual encounter/possible rape comments on something that Mad Men has pushed time and time again: the notion that things happen that we don’t entirely control.  Events have consequences; Don is healed by a prostitute, Don is fucked/raped by said prostitute, Don is beaten for having sex.  Our futures are crafted without our consent, without us having a say in what happens or the effects that those events have on us.

But Don’s fixation on the present, on his delusion, is just damaging all around him.  He’s working furiously on a pitch for Chevy, but doesn’t actually come up with anything worthwhile.  He’s frilly words and supposedly deep messages without any real substance, and Peggy absolutely sees that.  He even ditches the project at the end of the episode because it doesn’t fit the ideal that he’s crafted around his job.  In addition, he’s “working” so hard that Sally, Bobby, and Gene are left at home without anybody to watch them, which results in a near-disaster when an older black woman claiming to be their “grandmother” breaks into the house and robs them blind.  It’s a tense and awful set of scenes, where it’s not entirely apparent what is going on (which is how Sally and Bobby feel), but it’s a situation that forces Don to consider reality.  His delusion could’ve really harmed his children, if not killed them outright, and he realizes that.  It’s why he passes out on the carpet, why he “crashes”.  Reality, after swimming in delusion for so long, hits harder than ever.

There’s a ton of other moments that add up as well, creating a bigger picture than it seems.  Ken’s accident (or “crash”) at the beginning of the episode, is a big one, where he’s dragged down by the intoxicated (or drugged/delusional) men around him.  It’s a great opener to the episode, not only because it’s intense, but also because it’s basically a summary of what the episode is about: the delusional pulling down the somewhat-sturdy.  Note that Ken is one of the people to use drugs during the episode.  There’s also a lot more to Sally’s dilemma than meets the eye, that her perception of herself is being twisted by her father’s absence.  She tries to take responsibility as an adult, and she actually does a pretty good job at it, but she simply isn’t an adult.  And she beats herself up about it, even when Don tells her that it isn’t her fault.  Why should she listen to Don, a father who isn’t really even a father to her?  She says herself that she knows nothing about him.  He’s just a figure without substance.  This episode is unbelievably rich with content, even though most of it is unbelievably bizarre and abstract.  It takes the thematic backbone and branches off of it, prioritizing its thematic messages and conveying each of them with unbelievable depth and intricacy.

“The Crash” is where these people are inevitably moving towards.  Don may have experienced a little crash at the end of this episode, but that’s nothing compared to where he’s going.  He can try to dilute his pain with sex and drugs, but that pain is there, and it’s not leaving.  All that dilution does it keep him from preparing for the inevitable crash.  It keeps him from moving forward, instead allowing him to drift out to sea.  Mad Men has consistently discussed utilizing defense mechanisms to shut out pain, and consistently asserted that such short-term fixes only damage a person even further in the long run.  Because the further somebody like Don strays from reality, the harder reality is going to beat him when it comes screaming back.

And make no mistake.  It will come screaming back.  It’s just a matter of when.

Also: HOLY FUCK TAP DANCING.  Absolutely one of the weirdest, most awesome things I’ve ever seen in this show.

Final Thoughts: A wonderful yet bizarre and abstract episode, “The Crash” reminds us that these characters aren’t equipped to deal with the harsh realities that are going to inevitably crash into them.

Grade: A

Wow.  That was an interesting episode to write about.  Anyway.  I’ll be reviewing Game of Thrones tomorrow, before waiting two more weeks for THE episode of the season.  I’m nervous already.  I’ll also be reviewing The Great Gatsby on…Wednesday?  Probably?  I don’t have a lot of money, but I’m pretty sure I can go see it with my girlfriend on Tuesday.  We’ll see.  I also want to see the new Star Trek movie, but…I haven’t seen the first one.  So I’m going to get on that.  I’m playing through Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, a game that has COMPLETELY sucked me in.  Man, is it fun.  And, of course, House of Cards…I suppose.  Until tomorrow, loyal followers.

Previous Review- R. A. Salvatore- Streams of Silver

Next Review- Game of Thrones 3x08: “Second Sons”

Remember to check out the websites that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

http://www.watchitrae.com

Note: Spoilers about Mithral Hall, Shimmergloom, and Bok.

The first novel that R. A. Salvatore produced, The Crystal Shard, was a fun read.  It had elves, wizards, evil villains, altruistic heroes, adventure, violence, and barbarians.  It was a fantasy book that reveled in hanging out in Tolkien’s shadow, using many Tolkien tropes to create something new and interesting.  But it was a bit problematic.  It sometimes became boring.  It sometimes felt like the shell of a story instead of an exposure of what’s within that shell.  It sometimes became so one-dimensional, so easy for the heroes to win, that everything started to become predictable.  Well, Streams of Silver, the second book in the Icewind Dale Trilogy, answers some, but not all, of my complaints.  It’s a much stronger book than its predecessor, with more interesting villains, a more cohesive plot, and far less fluff than before.

This book has the first real “quest” that Drizzt and his companions have undertaken.  Bruenor decides to lead Drizzt, Wulfgar, and Regis in a quest to find Mithral Hall, his childhood home that was taken from his people many years ago.  This quest gives the plot a great deal of clarity, certainly more that The Crystal Shard.  Instead of a first 100 pages that deals with introducing a character, but doesn’t really build the main plot, Streams of Silver immediately starts off by quickly introducing necessary characters and sending the questing heroes on their way.  There’s very little reintroduction, paving the way for more adventure and less running in circles.  Throughout the entire book, there’s no wait for the plot to become clear.  The driving force behind it is omnipresent, as the characters are constantly searching for Mithral Hall and constantly being trailed by Entreri and his entourage.  And the addition of Entreri (as well as the lesser villains like Sydney and Bok) make for a FAR more satisfying balance between heroes and villains.  Where Akar Kassell in The Crystal Shard was just a bumbling idiot with a magic crystal, Entreri, Sydney, and Bok are all fairly powerful, matching the heroes in terms of power.  This way, when you ask the question “How are the heroes going to win?”, the answer isn’t entirely clear from the beginning.

There are a few slow spots, where the adventurers start to fall into a repetitive cycle of running into trouble and overcoming it, but the story really kicks into full swing when they enter Mithral Hall.  The climactic battles between the heroes and the villains are immensely satisfying (with the exception of Shimmergloom, who is defeated awfully fast), as they’re built up for the first 300 pages and executed pretty damn well.  Even though the heroes inevitably win, it’s not nearly as easy as it was before and the end result feels satisfying and earned.

The characters also pop from the pages with far more vibrancy than The Crystal Shard.  Instead of spending an abbreviated amount of time with main character because they’re spread out so much, the book (for the most part) keeps Drizzt, Bruenor, Wulfgar, and Regis in the same place.  In doing so, we see a lot more of each of them, getting to know their motivations and character traits a lot better.  For a time, I was unsure why exactly this quest was happening in the first place, but Bruenor’s motivations eventually became much clearer as the book progressed.  We also see Drizzt’s racial dilemmas rise up from time to time, something that was explored in the last book, but his conflict outside Silverymoon is far more vibrant that anything we’ve seen thus far.  I liked the concise nature in which the characters are presented, how there’s a smaller array of characters to keep track of instead of the vast space and number of characters that permeated the last novel.

That’s not to say that there were no problems with the characters.  R. A. Salvatore is a repeat offender of “telling instead of showing”, where we are told how to feel or told how characters feel instead of being shown it through the writing.  Things like Drizzt’s racial dilemma are ultimately damaged by us simply being told that he’s unhappy or heartbroken.  We didn’t even know that Drizzt was thinking about Silverymoon being a safe haven until we’re practically there.  Instead of trying to really create compelling material, sometimes R. A. Salvatore tries to tell us that it’s compelling, and that simply doesn’t work.  So, while Drizzt’s dilemma is still one of the better expressions of his oppressed nature, it’s still certainly imperfect.  There’s also still a strong fixation on Tolkien tropes, something that R. A. Salvatore is going to have to innovate in later books in order to keep them strong.  It’s not overwhelming for most of the novel, but there are some moments that are almost copied from The Lord of the Rings.  One that stood out to me was when Lady Alustriel gave Drizzt a couple gifts before they departed Silverymoon.  I instantly thought of Lady Galadriel giving the Fellowship gifts upon their departure from Lothlorien.  Even though Streams of Silver was better then its predecessor, it still suffered from some one-dimensionality and some lack of innovation.

Streams of Silver was a great adventure, a quicker read than The Crystal Shard, and an entertaining second novel in R. A. Salvatore’s first trilogy.  Sure, it’s imperfect.  But it’s definitely more fun and more interesting.  Not to mention that it leaves the reader with a fairly strong cliffhanger, one that doesn’t feel too manufactured and dull.  So, even though R. A. Salvatore has a lot of work to do in order to improve his writing to a level where it doesn’t detract from the work, so far he’s made a fair amount of progress.  I’m excited to see how The Halfling’s Gem pans out.

Final Thoughts: An improvement over his previous work, R. A. Salvatore’s Streams of Silver has a stronger plot and stronger characters, yet sometimes still suffers from one-dimensionality and telling more than showing.

Grade: B

So, tomorrow I’m going to review Metro: Last Light before going back to TV shows.  I’ll be reviewing Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and House of Cards (maybe, I’m getting sick of that show).  I’ll also be seeing The Great Gatsby soon, as well as the new Star Trek movie.  Only problem is that seeing movies cost money.  Quite the dilemma.  Anyway, I’ll also be reviewing the first three Devil May Cry games and Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.  So, that’ll be fun.  The Ni No Kuni review won’t be for a while though, since I hear that it’s quite the long game.  Lots of reviews coming up.  Until tomorrow, loyal followers.

Previous Review- Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Next Review- Mad Men 6x08: “The Crash”

Remember to check out the website that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

Note: Spoilers about orcs, boring storylines, and lots of eagles.

A game has to be more than just its mechanics.  An FPS has to be more than just a faceless man with a gun shooting people.  A sandbox game has to be more than just a character doing quests in a free-roaming world.  And an action RPG has to be more than just crawling through enemy-infested areas, doing quests and killing bosses.  Lord of the Rings: War in the North is an action RPG without anything more than just the mechanics, and even those are half-assed.  It’s a game with forgettable characters, a one dimensional plot, tedious and stupid side quests, and a halfway decent combat system.  It feels like a game that’s unfinished, like it could have been something if they spent another six months developing it further.

The basis of the game aren’t entirely flawed, just incomplete.  Take the plot and the characters for example.  The plot is fairly one-dimensional, as it simply has our three heroes trudging forward through the northern areas of Middle-Earth, trying to eradicate an orc threat before it descends upon Frodo and the Fellowship.  The plot never deviates from this main idea, sticking to it without providing any real character development or plot-expanding additions.  The characters, Eradan, Farin, and Andriel, are lifeless and without a shred of personality, simply orc-killing machines tasked by Aragorn to go from point A to point B until they finally hunt down their main target.  Both the plot and the characters are enough to make the game work, but they’re still the bare minimum necessary to really do much of anything.  Nothing about either of them stands out at all.

The combat also exemplifies this lack of completion, as each character simply has only three special attacks in addition to their regular attack.  Those three special attacks can be enhanced by spending talent points to boost them, though the talent trees that enhance them aren’t labeled or really set apart from each other at all.  That, along with the fact that many of the talent upgrades are barely noticeable, nearly breaks the talent tree system, rendering it pointless.  The other players’ AI wasn’t exactly great either, as they don’t do a whole lot of dodging and often end up surrounded by enemies.  It would be easier if the player could control the remaining characters, but they are completely computer-controlled.  The brainless AI makes the beginning of the game BRUTALLY difficult, as the first boss was more difficult than anything I’ve played in a while.  When fellow AI players go down because they can’t dodge or utilize any sort of tactical approach, then you’re swarmed by enemies and murdered almost instantly.  I played through the game with my girlfriend and it was a much more entertaining experience, but single-player is not a lot of fun.  It’s simply frustrating, and not in an enjoyable Dark Souls way.

I will say that the fighting itself was fairly entertaining (when it got to a point where the enemies weren’t brutally difficult), as it combined a Dragon Age RPG style with the mobility of Dark Souls combat.  Players are expected to dodge attacks from more difficult enemies instead of standing there and taking it like Dragon Age or the stationary RPGs of old.  The entertainment value of the fighting was polished by the loot system, where players save up money and buy new armor and weapons or find those items out in the battlefield.  Each bit of armor made a noticeable change in the fighting, as the player would deal out substantially more damage with better weapons and take substantially less damage with better armor.  Being able to improve your character with those items (as well as by increasing basic state via leveling up) made the game’s faults easier to stomach because it was so fun to improve the playable character bit by bit.

The variation in environment isn’t half that bad, as there are a great deal of different areas to traverse.  Sure, there are only nine or so levels in total, but the deviation between levels made it far more enjoyable.  Some levels had the player moving through a snowy mountain filled with trolls while others had the player moving through a thick forest rife with spiders.  Sure, the enemies themselves didn’t have a ton of variation, but the different areas helped make the game a little less repetitive, even if there was still a great deal of repetition in the other elements of the game.  The only huge issue with the game’s levels was that they didn’t vary a whole lot within themselves.  These are HUGE levels, some spanning more than two hours total, and the environment within a level can get pretty boring.

In addition to all of those lackluster facets (and the few good ones), the most frustrating of all are the glitches and bugs that sometimes made the game virtually unplayable.  Little bugs pop up here and there, and while they’re certainly irritating, they don’t break the game.  For example, sometimes, the music will get stuck in a loop and make the game a pain to listen to.  However, some glitches are absolutely infuriating because they make the game unplayable.  I remember a specific moment in one of the later levels where a boss wouldn’t spawn for my girlfriend and I.  After fifteen hours of playing, we couldn’t finish the game because of that one bug.  That’s absolutely outrageous, a disservice to the game-playing community to have out an unfinished product that sometimes can’t even be played.  It disgusted me to see that a company can get away with putting out a sometimes-unplayable game.

All of these elements put together don’t really amount to much, especially when the game is additionally plagued by frustrating bugs.  Sure, it’s fun, but it’s just the barebones of what an action RPG actually is.  It has a plot, characters, combat, and big environments, but that doesn’t make a game good.  It just makes a game, period.  That’s all it needs to exist.  And, in a day and age where video games are evolving into a halfway-respected art form, a game like this is just bullshit.  It’s maybe worth a rent, but nothing more.

Final Thoughts: The skeleton of an action RPG, Lord of the Rings: War in the North is halfway entertaining but repetitive and boring, containing more than a few glitches and bugs.

Grade: C-

So, I finally finished Streams of Silver and will be starting NOS4A2 later today.  I want to be able to participate in a book club reading that one, so I’m going to try to have it read by Monday.  Then again, it’s long as fuck, so who knows?  Aside from that, I have some games in rotation, such as Metro: Last Light, the first three Devil May Cry games, and Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.  I’m not sure how long those are all going to take, but right now I’m almost halfway through Metro: Last Light.  In addition to that, I’ll be doing the same TV shows as always, like Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and House of Cards.  And I’m going to go see The Great Gatsby very soon, as well as Star Trek: Into Darkness.  So, that’s all coming up.  Gonna be fun.  Until tomorrow, loyal followers.

Previous Review- Mad Men 6x07: “Man With a Plan”

Next Review- R. A. Salvatore- Streams of Silver

Remember to check out the website that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

Note: Spoilers through Episode 6.07.

Power and control.  Everybody wants to have it, but even if they have some of it, they want more of it.  People always strive to move up, not down, but not everybody can move up.  We live in a capitalist society where there will always be inequality, where there’s an upper, a middle, and a lower class; thus, people are needed to fill all of those roles.  But who wants to be powerless?  Who wants to be lesser than somebody else?  We’re terrified of being powerless, terrified of being looked down upon, so we fixate on that terror.  We always look at the gaping hole within ourselves where we desire more power.  Sometimes it’s easy to handle.  Sometimes it’s downright impossible.

Don Draper, throughout the entire series, has always looked for more power and control, and the more he searches, the more he loses.  He makes the same mistakes over and over again, and those mistakes consistently drown him.  He’s able to push his head above water every time it seems like he’s going under, but how many times will he be able to do that?  People may say that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, but it doesn’t work like that.  That’s only true if people consistently learn from their mistakes, and we all know that it’s a fucking struggle to legitimately assess what’s wrong with us and subsequently move forward.  Mad Men has repeatedly touched on this, and at this point in the series, it’s only natural that we get an episode that fixates on it.  This brilliant episode, “Man With a Plan”, shows us how people are their own worst enemies, how their desire for power and control often becomes self-defeating, and where that desire comes from.

The merger between SCDP and CGC sets up the groundwork for the episode, as it has the higher-ups at both firms fighting to establish a new power hierarchy.  We already see what happens to those lower on the power hierarchy, as the ones lowest on the chain are being eliminated.  It goes to show how strong the incentive is to stay “in power”, as those without it quickly become useless and are left in the dust to wither and die.  It’s a normal (yet disturbing) standard in America’s capitalist economy; those unable to provide and contribute aren’t taken care of anymore.

Up at the top of the hierarchy, there’s Don and Ted competing for the spot at the top.  It’s a frivolous and useless battle, but it’s the one that they’re fixated on.  They are both the most powerful partners at their respective firms, and now that there’s a new power hierarchy being set up, they both want to establish themselves as more powerful than the other.  Of course, this is done so through pathetic, petty little games, such as Don out-drinking Ted and watching him make an ass out of himself in the office (something that Peggy immediately takes notice of and chides Don for).  Whether it be that or who gets a chair or not at the meeting, Don and Ted fight each other throughout the entire episode, with Don having the upper hand for most of the time.  But he can’t keep it forever, as Ted flies them to their meeting with Mohawk Airlines, being the more powerful and confident man as Don nervously holds on for dear life in the plane.  Power isn’t something that’s simply awarded and then kept that way.  It’s just as easy to lose it as it is to gain it, and Don loses whatever semblance of power he had as soon as he obtained it.  No matter how hard he tries to stay on top, he can’t do it forever.

Don also fails in his romantic endeavors, as he fails when he tries to use Sylvia as a way to assert power and control.  After a bad fight with her husband, she calls Don and meets him at a hotel, where he takes control of her, telling her to be completely subservient to him.  He tells her to crawl around to find his shoes, to wear what he tells her to wear, to undress when he tells her to undress.  He even takes her book when he sees that she’s using it to keep her occupied between his visits.  It’s pretty disgusting stuff, as he works to exploit this damaged woman to feed his personal power-hungry desires.  This episode completely treats Don as a villain, as a power-hungry man.  But when that power is taken away from him, he’s heartbroken.  He begs Sylvia to stay with him after she finally decides to end their arrangement, but it’s no use.  He’s desperate, sprawling, hoping to grasp onto some sense of power, even though his attempts to gain power just result in losing more.  He feels himself growing weaker as the world passes him by.  This is further exemplified by Bobby Kennedy’s death at the end of the episode, how no matter what Don does to stay in power, the world will continue passing him by.  He’s eventually going to get old, and he’s eventually going to die.  He’s eventually going to stop being useful.  And that’s one of the most terrifying realities of all: growing up and watching everything get stripped away from you.

Pete also tries to assert his power and control, but finds himself falling behind.  The new merger is already treating him as if he’s not very important; he doesn’t get a chair at the partners’ meeting until he practically begs for it.  But it’s because he can’t entirely focus on his work.  He’s dealing with his mother (who seems to be suffering from Alzheimer’s), forced to neglect part of his work life in order to keep his personal life from collapsing in on him.  His mother is also a great example of an older person becoming useless in her old age, simply a burden on the still-useful members of society.  It’s a pretty miserable storyline, as it shows how much of a burden she is while still showing that she’s a person with a rich past that nobody cares about anymore.  In all of the chaos, Pete can’t make the meeting with Mohawk, which makes him feel like he’s becoming increasingly useless in a power system where the useless are dropped off into oblivion.  Nobody cares whether Pete’s personal life is shitty or not; all anybody sees is weakness that can be exploited.

The other important addition to this thematic direction is Bob Benson and his kindness towards Joan.  When Joan is suffering from some serious abdominal pain (which turns out to be an ovarian cyst), Bob quietly helps her out of the office and into the doctor’s office, where he gets her into the exam room without having to wait.  He also stops by her apartment and gets her little boy a football, checking up on her to see if she’s okay.  While it seems at first that Bob is genuinely being kind to her, that authenticity is called into question when Bob is placed on the cutting board during a partners’ meeting and Joan saves him from being fired.  The episode never entirely answers the question, but it certainly seems as if Bob could potentially have been “playing nice” in order to save himself.  Joan’s mother may have said that not every man “has a plan”, but how true is that?  We’re all putting together some sort of plan to keep ourselves from sinking, whether it be about a career or about a prospective romantic relationship.  Especially in an environment where the power hierarchies are so vicious and the stakes are so high, how much genuine kindness can there really be?

This was a turning point for the season, as Don sees the power he had slip away from him once more.  The world seems as if it’s moving downward, spiraling out of control, and he seems to be spiraling with it.  People can try to hold onto the power that they have, but they’ll never have it forever.  They’ll get older, or their personal life will implode, or somebody more powerful will come around, and they’ll fall from their pedestal. 

The question from here on out is: How long until Don falls and isn’t able to get up again?

Also: Another great example of an older person becoming useless: Bert Cooper.  He can’t even finish his speech.  Not to mention that he was poorly reading the speech, one that was handwritten in the first place.

Also also: It was nice to see some genuine kindness during the episode.  Joan and Peggy, while not entirely being awesome friends or anything, were genuinely glad to see each other once more.  It’s a great way to remind us that, while people are generally terrible, they’re not all bad.

Also also also: Roger firing Burt Peterson was absolutely hilarious, as it was done with the usual Roger wit.  Even though it was another example of the powerful damaging the weak, Roger is just so damn charming.  Hopefully, we’ll get more of him in the back half of the season.

Final Thoughts: Another brilliant episode, “Man With a Plan” dissects power hierarchies and the individuals who are impacted by power and control.

Grade: A

Well, Gamefly was being shitty, so I’m not going to be reviewing the Devil May Cry games like I expected.  Instead, I will be reviewing Ni No Kuni as soon as I get it (which had better fucking be soon).  I also rented Metro: Last Light, so expect a review on that sometime in the next few days.  As for books, I’ve devised a book list for the summer, so that’ll be fun to move through.  I’m approximately ¾ of the way through Streams of Silver by R. A. Salvatore, so that’ll be coming probably…Thursdayish.  After that, I’m definitely reading NOS4A2, so that’ll be fun.  As for television shows, expect the same.  Game of Thrones and Mad Men on Monday/Tuesday, House of Cards on Wednesday.  I’m working on full seasons, but those take an eternity to watch.  And, of course, soon enough I’ll go see The Great Gatsby.  I hope it’s good.  Until tomorrow, loyal followers.

Previous Review- Game of Thrones 3x07: “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”

Next Review- Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Remember to check out the website that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

Note: Spoilers through Episode 3.07.

Love is in the air in this episode of Game of Thrones, as this episode dives into what human connection does to people.  However, that thematic emphasis isn’t always as clear as it should be.  This season has been the most notorious of the bunch for being scattered to the point of losing some of its effectiveness, and while sometimes the unbelievably intense plotting can counteract that scattered dynamic, it doesn’t always do the trick.  In an episode like this one, where there’s not a great deal of plot progression, that scattered dynamic absolutely starts to show its ugly face.  That’s not to say that a lack of plot progression is always a deciding factor as to whether or not an episode succeeds.  Mad Men often offers episodes that don’t progress towards any real “end goal”, but they’re so rich with character development and thematic depth that they rarely do anything resembling running in circles.  A lack of plot progression can just be detrimental if there’s not much of anything else to take its place.  But that’s not the only thing plaguing this episode.  Despite having the usual intrigue and great character work, “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” suffers from some storylines’ lack of direction and some shoddy writing.

There was quite a bit about this episode that bothered me, as it began to beg the question: Why are we watching this?  It’s a question that House of Cards has me asking myself (for much harsher reasons), but it’s one that’s bred from a lack of direction.  Where is all of this inevitably going?  Why are we focusing on Bran or Theon or Sam or whoever if they’re not adding much to the whole?  Theon and Bran are the worst offenders of being void of direction.  Theon’s character development from this stage of his story has been said and done by now.  It’s been over since Ramsay took him back to the torture chamber to be flayed episodes ago.  Now, his story is just running in circles, graphic scene after graphic scene.  While these scenes, by themselves, are great, they feel exploitative and purposeless within the larger context of the story.  Bran’s storyline doesn’t seem to be doing much either, as they’ve moved closer to the Wall but haven’t had much by way of plot or character development.  The only thing that’s really happened is Jojen educating Bran on visions.  Aside from that, Bran’s storyline is taking up space when it could either be condensed or expanded upon.

In addition to that, Martin is not the greatest television writer.  It may be his material, and he may have written television before, but some of the facets of his writing don’t translate well to the television realm.  He may have a way with witty dialogue on the pages, but phrases like “If we die, we’ll die, but first we’ll live” feel like they’re striving too hard for dramatic effect.  I like what the line is trying to say, but I’m not a fan of the line itself.  In addition, I’ve always found the “You know nothing, Jon Snow” repetition to be frustrating because it detracts from the gritty realism that the show (and the books) are known for.  It’s not even so much a “fantasy” thing as it is just lazy writing to make a point.  That’s not to say that Martin completely failed or anything.  He does have a strong command over the characters that he writes, along with a great grasp on how to drive home a thematic point.  Out of the last few episodes, this one really has far more lively character interaction and dynamics than the rest.  Scenes like Tywin and Joffrey in the throne room exemplify just how strong Martin’s grasp is, as they exploit both of the characters’ personalities and world viewpoints in order to craft a rich and rewarding scene.  Ultimately, Martin’s writing style is both a burden and a strength, adding more detail but losing some of the realistic dialogue in order to force a point.

Anyway, the thematic work here is fairly strong, as it manages to weave similar thematic ideas into the most of the storylines.  Human connection takes center-stage in this episode, how the lure of human connection can either damage us or build us up into new people.  The vast majority of the scenes here discuss sex or some aspect of sex, using it as a specific metaphor for the larger realm of human connection.  It’s a great metaphor for human connection as a whole, as sex is one of the most intimate expressions of human connection.  It makes the pervasive sexual dialogue and sex scenes a lot easier to watch, knowing that they’re adding to a bigger picture.

Many of the examples displayed in this episode show how love or our basic human desires betray us because they’re incompatible with the world around us.  Robb and Talisa may be hopelessly in life, but we’re reminded that their love is an insult in another part of the world.  The value of that love differs from space to space.  In their tent, it’s the most valuable thing in the world.  But at The Twins, where Walder Frey resides, it’s still an insult.  The same goes for Theon and the somewhat-exploitative scene involving getting a pretty graphic lap dance from two nude women.  In any other place, that would be a blessing for him.  But in the torture chambers of Ramsay, it’s a sick illusion.  His connection to those two women ultimately means nothing, as it turns from something enjoyable to the most horrific moment in his life (and one I’m very glad we didn’t have to see).  Tyrion is to be wed to Sansa, but his heart lies with Shae, a woman that he can never truly have.  That delusion, while sweet whenever it’s just the two of them in Tyrion’s chamber, doesn’t amount to much when the reality of Tyrion’s wedding begins to set in.  When Shae and Tyrion talk about him keeping Sansa as a wife and Shae as a mistress, they eventually begin to figure out that it’s just not going to work.  Even Jon and Ygritte are having trouble, plagued by the reality that they’re at war, a war that’s going to result in massive casualties on the Wildlings’ side.  After exposing that reality, all they can really do is kiss, because their love is all they have in a world that frowns on it.  That’s one thing that Game of Thrones consistently pushes, the idea that there’s no space in Westeros for love.  There’s just war and death and violence and betrayal.  It’s a dark theme for a dark episode, and as faulty as the episode is, that theme is expressed pretty damn well.

However, while most of these stories chronicle the damage that love can do, it’s the Jaime/Brienne storyline that shows how the human connection between Brienne and Jaime transform them into more open-minded and decent people.  Brienne made Jaime realize that, deep down, he really is a good man; Jaime made Brienne realize that you can’t just judge someone using preconceived notions and old stories.  On a more literal level, their personal connection saved their lives.  When Jaime rescued Brienne from the “bear pit” at the last minute (in the absolute best and most exciting scene from the episode…but one not written by Martin…), not only did that show how the two were each others’ literal saviors, but how they had both changed to accept each other.  It was a great storyline to juxtapose with the rest, and possibly the best storyline of the season.

I’m hoping that the last three episodes really kick this season into shape, as it’s had a few weak points up to now.  “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” doesn’t do a whole lot to address those concerns, just feeding them with an hour of television that, while good, can be frustrating because of some of its directionless stories.  However, the episode did say quite a few interesting things about the nature of human connection.  What we want isn’t always what is best for us.  Sometimes, love is sweet until it ultimately destroys us.  But that’s not always the case.  Sometimes, love keeps us alive, taking who we are and forcing it to evolve.

Love really is one of the greatest powers in the world.  But that power can push us one of two ways: to either a better place or a far more dismal one.

Also: Sometimes I get the feeling that George R. R. Martin is, while a great writer, also a really dirty old man.  Don’t get me wrong; I think it’s hilarious.  But damn…the vast, vast majority of the scenes in this episode were about sex or featured sex.  Sometimes it was exploitative, sometimes it was full of depth and intrigue, and sometimes it was just plain funny.

Also also: Oh yeah.  Daenerys and Arya were also in this episode.  They’re the loners of the series, but their scenes are still pretty damn good.  Arya’s story this season isn’t the most exciting, but man, I’m pretty impressed with Daenerys’s story thus far.  Yunkai seems to be her final trial this season, and only time will tell whether or not she’s grown up enough to pass it. 

Also also also: I’m almost willing to give Theon’s storyline this season the award for “Worst Subplot the Show Has Ever Done”, unless the last three episodes really move forward with it.  Do you agree?

Final Thoughts: Even though it boasts some of the same great thematic direction and character interaction Game of Thrones is known for, “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” is definitely the slowest and weakest episode of the season so far.

Grade: B

I’m going to try to crank out one more review today, but it’s probably not going to happen.  Anyway, the next review that I’m putting out with undoubtedly be Mad Men, followed by a House of Cards review.  Later this week, I’ll be reviewing Lord of the Rings: War in the North, along with The Great Gatsby (since I finally have money to see it) and maybe Metro: Last Light if I have the money to rent it (we’ll see).  Of course, next week will bring the obligatory TV Reviews, as Game of Thrones is quickly coming to a close and Mad Men has hit its halfway point.  I’m thinking of starting another show, but I’m not sure what interesting shows are really on during the summer, so I may start full season reviews (like that season of LOST that I’m about…3/4 of the way through).  Anyway, we’ll see what’s going to happen.  I haven’t been as active with my reviews because I’ve been so damn busy, but hopefully I can keep up with my schedule.  Until tomorrow, loyal followers.

Previous Review- Injustice: Gods Among Us

Next Review- Mad Men 6x07: “Man With a Plan”

Remember to check out the website that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

Note: Spoilers about DC, comic book characters, and being run over by the Batmobile.

The fighting genre hasn’t evolved all that much. The basic tenets of the genre have been picked at and examined from time to time, but there hasn’t been a nearly-wholesale evolution, such as RPGs evolving into a more action-based genre.  Sometimes this lack of evolution hurts the genre, as there’s not a great deal of variation that can be done within the confines of the fighting game.  There are certainly facets of Injustice: Gods Among Us that stretch beyond the basics of the fighting genre, but there are still the two-dimensional clunky controls, the basic combos, and a line-up of characters that can’t really be changed or enhanced.  Despite this lack of creativity, there’s still a lot going for a game like Injustice: Gods Among Us.  It’s immensely entertaining, utilizing a plethora of well-known characters from the DC universe, and has some intricate combat mechanics.  While it treats some familiar ground, it’s a hell of a fighting game.

Story mode is treated like most other fighting games treat it, where it’s an entertaining connection of cutscenes interlaced with fighting matches.  The story manages to piece together the various heroes and villains in a narrative that both makes sense and pays tribute to its loyal fans.  It revolves around Superman losing his mind after The Joker murders his wife and child, after which he murders the Joker and establishes a new world order.  There’s a lot that goes into this plot, such as alternate realities and the like, but it’s well-executed and does tell a fun and exciting tale.  While the lack of interaction in story mode is kind of frustrating, the difficulty of the fights is scaffolded (sorry for the teacher lingo) well, slowly becoming more and more difficult until the last four fights, where each one feels like a monumental victory.  However, I really disliked the mini-games, as they felt somewhat useless.  While the attempt to innovate was welcome, the innovation needs to affect the combat and occur on a larger scale.  Little mini-games that sometimes sum up to button mashing or QTEs just aren’t enough.

The combat isn’t immensely innovative, but still holds a great deal of ways to engage with the enemy or the environment.  The basic controls can be combined to create fighting combos or specific button sequences can be exploited for the player’s special combos.  These special combos are, for the most part, awesome, as they correspond to some of the superhero or supervillain’s most iconic powers (such as Superman’s heat vision or Batman’s batarangs).  Each character also has a unique special attack that they can utilize after their “super meter” fills up all the way.  These are quite the spectacle (as can be expected from NetherRealm), basically mini-cutscenes, but they can get somewhat old after seeing them once every fight.   Interaction with the environment is another one of the combat’s strong suits, as the various objects in the background can be utilized in different ways and the enemy can be punched through the wall in a fun mini-cutscene called a stage transition.  It’s a fun addition to an already fun combat system.  However, the worst facet of the combat is definitely the “clash” system, where an opponent can be interrupted in the middle of a combo so both players can bet their meter, the winner doing damage or healing.  While it can be fun, it’s often a tedious interjection into an otherwise fluid combat system (special attacks aside).  The combat may be imperfect, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun, and one of the game’s strongest assets.

There’s other great content outside of the story mode, such as the S.T.A.R. Labs, which hold tons of challenges that impose restrictions or additional goals and offer “stars” based on how many are held to or completed.  This is in the same vein as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Spec Ops mode (which I thought was the best part of the game), where more challenges are unlocked upon collecting enough stars.  I loved having to adapt to the different challenges, trying to focus on playing in a new style once things like “jumping” or “combos” were restricted.  The only downside to the S.T.A.R. Labs is the inclusion of those mini-games again.  Some of the mini-games worked well enough, as they transcended QTEs, making the player perform combos in order to win.  However, some of them are still basic and boring compared to the more advanced ones.  However, the S.T.A.R. Labs hold the best addition to the game, as they not only have a narrative interwoven across the challenges, but also are so expansive (there’s over 200 of them!) that they hold hours and hours of new content.

Maybe I have high expectations for innovation in a video game generation that needs more of it, but Injustice: Gods Among Us just didn’t push as hard as it could have.  However, that’s not to say that it isn’t a great game.  It’s fun, frenetic, and boasts some amazing and powerful combat, using the graphics and cinematics to their full potential.  The S.T.A.R. Labs hold a ton of great challenges, putting a fun spin on the fighting that feels more innovative than anything else the game has done.  Overall, Injustice: Gods Among Us has a great deal of fun content, just nothing that stands out among the rest of the games of the genre.

Also: I will say that the game does a fantastic job of adhering to the parameters of each character.  Character strengths and weaknesses are taken into account when it comes to things like interacting with the environment.

Final Thoughts: A fun and entertaining fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us doesn’t have quite enough innovation to stand out from the rest.

Grade: B

I’ll be writing another review at some point tomorrow (or later today, if I’m lucky), probably on another video game.  I’m reading through Streams of Silver by R. A. Salvatore right now, so that’s a fun ride, but I’m thinking of switching gears after that to read NOS4A2 by Joe Hill.  I’m not a huge Stephen King fan, but from what I hear, his son REALLY knows how to write a good thriller.  I guess we’ll see if that’s true.  After this weekend, you’ll get the obligatory Game of Thrones and Mad Men, with another House of Cards review on Wednesday.  I’m also watching through Hemlock Grove, but damn is it hard because the show is BAD.  Ugh.  Anyway, more to come.  Until tomorrow, loyal followers.

Previous Review- Mira Grant- Feed

Next Review- Game of Thrones 3x07: “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”

Remember to check out the website that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

Note: Spoilers about zombies, journalism, and conspiracies.

Zombies are kind of overdone these days.  With the explosion of The Walking Dead, the zombie genre of horror fiction has skyrocketed to gargantuan proportions.  It all seems to treat the same ground, where it either tries (and fails) to discuss the end of the world with as much beauty and nuance as The Road or ends up pulpy and as brainless as the zombies it portrays.  That’s why I welcome with open arms new takes on the zombie genre, books like Feed by Mira Grant.  Instead of mindlessly running in circles like a certain record-breaking television show everybody has heard of, Feed takes the subtle nuances of journalism and politics and combines them with a fully-realized, realistic world that feels immersive instead of bland.  It’s not without its faults, as some of the characters are rather one-dimensional, but Feed is one of the better zombie stories I’ve read in a long time.

The slow burn of the plot is one of the book’s greatest strengths, as it makes the story one that feels incredibly self-assured.  It has a pretty complex set-up: Georgia, Shaun, and Buffy are journalists in the post-apocalyptic world, selected to cover Senator Ryman’s run for president when they uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens to engulf them.  Every one of the novel’s five parts builds up to an intense and riveting climactic point, each one more powerful than the last.  By the fourth and fifth parts, after witnessing the climactic moments to each of the first three, I was almost shaking with nervous anticipation.  The slow nature of the plot made those climactic points all the more satisfying, as everything is satisfyingly built up instead of acting as a punch after bland material. 

A great bulk of the text is allocated for world-building, and Feed is better for it.  Where shows like The Walking Dead simply have zombies killing everything, Feed focuses on a society rebuilt from the ashes, saved from the apocalypse.  Blood test checkpoints are everywhere.  People aren’t allowed to have animals above a certain size.  Houses don’t have normal-sized windows anymore to deter zombies.  People don’t really go out anymore.  Fear has washed over a nation, killing it just as effectively as the zombies have.  All of this is told through Georgia’s journalistic perspective, focusing intently on the social changes inherent in the apocalypse, as well as the journalistic revolution that came after.  The level of intricacy in which these social movements are discussed is unbelievably rich and detailed, considering how it’s both explored and then connected to Georgia’s own set of beliefs about her profession.  None of this exploration feels too extraneous, even after being discussed for an extended period of time.

That’s not to say that Feed isn’t without its issues.  Almost every one of the characters is underdeveloped, from Senator Ryman who is generalized as a “good man” to Buffy who is just a tech geek with a vibrant sex life.  The most incriminating of all of these one-dimensional characters is Tate, who was the obvious villain.  His initial characterization as a religious fanatic never really changes; later in the novel, he’s revealed to be part of a religious conspiracy to take back the country from those who have taken it from God.  It was the reveal that I was dreading, the most obvious off all possible reveals, one that hurts the complexity and intelligence of the rest of the novel.  With the amount of deep exploration of social themes, I was simply expecting a more complex, more satisfactory reveal.

However, not all of the characters suffer from this one-dimensional characterization.  Georgia and Shaun (of the dead) were undeniably the two strongest characters in the novel, as their drive for the truth was the most prominent and the most powerful facet of the narrative.  There was always tension between their unflinching drive to uncover the truth and the damage that came from pursuing it, and that tension rose and rose as the novel progressed and the two of them kept losing more.  Of course, their reaction to that loss manifested in a fiercer drive for the truth until Georgia was murdered, at which point all thirst for the truth was gone.  Loss drives us when it’s not entirely tangible, but when it becomes tangible, it has a far easier time breaking us.  In addition to that, their relationship was very complex, exhibiting a dependency that bordered on bizarre/romantic.  More than that, I appreciated the author’s restraint in spelling out for us exactly what she wanted us to glean from that relationship, instead relying on our analytical skills to decipher exactly how the two felt about each other.  And they certainly held some romantic feelings for each other, even if they weren’t entirely sexual.  Georgia and Shaun’s relationship was definitely one of the shining facets of the novel.

My final gripe concerns the somewhat disturbing sexist undertone running through this novel, from Senator Wagman who was only described as an inept, stupid politician with giant breasts to Buffy who was the subject of minor condescension as a result of her sex life.  And even though Georgia was a “strong female lead”, I can’t help but notice that she was covered up in a male gloss, robbed of her female sexuality.  It wasn’t that troublesome for the first half of the novel, but as the trend continued, it was certainly more noticeable and more troublesome.  I’m hoping that the next book, Deadline, eliminates the sexism that this book exemplifies.

Despite the few gripes I have (however large they might be), I immensely enjoyed this novel.  It’s fresh, exciting, immersive, and keeps you in a constant state of tension for a vast portion of its length.  It’s a great new perspective in a genre that was simply visceral and becoming increasingly brainless.  While its sexist undertones and simplistic characters were sometimes a drag on the building tension and narrative flow, the impeccable plotting and powerful climactic scenes were some of the best I’ve seen in a long time.  Considering its cheap price (being somewhere around $9), it’s certainly worth purchasing.

Also: One of the things I really liked about the novel was the dialogue.  While sometimes simplistic, juvenile, and obtrusive, it mostly felt purposeful because it exemplified the mundane presence of zombies in a post-apocalyptic world.

Final Thoughts: Although Feed has its faults, it is certainly one of the most impressive zombie stories I’ve read, with an emphasis in immersion, world-building, and a slow-building story with an outstanding payoff.

Grade: B+

Well, that’s all I’ve got for the day.  Tomorrow, I’ll be writing about House of Cards and The Great Gatsby.  I’d go to the midnight premiere, but one of the shitty things about switching to an earlier schedule is that midnight premieres just don’t fucking work.  Anyway, there will be more TV reviews next week, with episode 7 of both Game of Thrones and Mad Men likely on Monday and Tuesday.  There’s also tons of video game reviews coming up, from Lord of the Rings: War in the North to Injustice: Gods Among Us to the PS2 Devil May Cry games.  My girlfriend got me a Gamefly subscription, so I’ll be putting that to good use.  And, of course, I’ll be working through these book series.  Until tomorrow, loyal followers.

Previous Review- Game of Thrones 3x06: “The Climb”

Next Review- Injustice: Gods Among Us

Remember to check out the website that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/

Note: Spoilers through Episode 3.06.

I remember saying that there are a lot of big moments coming up.  A lot.  So many that the rest of the season would contain enough so that this season being the most scattered yet wouldn’t really matter all that much.  Well…I wasn’t entirely correct in my hypothesis.  This episode, while revolving around one pretty cool series of scenes, didn’t have a whole lot going on.  It was moving forward, centering around a fairly well-connected central theme, but since it focused in on a particular area that hasn’t been very interesting since maybe the first half of Season 2, it really began to drag.  Not to mention that a lot of the characters that it did focus in on have no real direction or purpose right now.  That’s not to say that the entire episode was bad.  It was all still fairly interesting.  But the scattered nature of the season is giving it a lack of direction that isn’t entirely flattering.  Overall, “The Climb” was a decent episode, featuring the best sequence we’ve seen in Jon’s storyline in a long time, but ending up suffering because of a couple missteps.

While I wasn’t really riveted by anything going on in Jon’s storyline up to now, his romance with Ygritte really does seem to be taking off.  Now that they’re actually engaged in a romantic relationship, there’s a remarkable amount of chemistry between the actors, not to mention some scenes between the two of them that absolutely sells the romance.  Her revealing how much she knew about him and how she felt about him as a person (his loyalty, his bravery) actually forged a connection between the two that felt real.  Not to mention that they’ve written Ygritte in a way that’s immensely playful and fun, juxtaposing that to Jon’s harsh attitude in a way that brings the best out of both characters.  It’s great to see their romance taking off, simply because it’ll bring more life to the storyline past the Wall.  Also bringing life to that storyline were the amazing group of scenes depicting the climb up the Wall, with Tormund leading Orell, Ygritte, and Jon up the massive Wall.  It looked absolutely beautiful and was exciting and tense all the way through.  I even, for the most part, enjoyed Jon and Ygritte kissing on top of the wall.  It was a great way to cap off Jon and Ygritte’s story for the episode, as it showed how the two of them have only the other to rely on.  It was also a great way to show how climbing anywhere, whether it be social hierarchies or a giant ice wall, cannot be done without help.  Accomplishment can only happen when people band together and help each other move forward.

The rest of the episode has to do with rising and falling, and what that means for those involved.  The biggest example of this is definitely Theon and his torturer (who we all have to know by now is Ramsay Snow), and the power dynamics that come from their relationship.  Theon has fallen, which means that he’s completely powerless, a shell of the halfway-powerful man that he used to be.  On the other hand, Ramsay has complete power and authority.  For Ramsay, climbing simply means that you don’t have to take orders from as many people, that you can give orders and force others to obey them.  He’s able to enact the fantasies that he’s dreamed up, able to express his love for others’ suffering while Theon is a slave to be tortured at Ramsay’s whim.  This exemplifies the essence of the episode, how those who have risen to power have complete control over those who have fallen.  Segments of Season 2 have devoted themselves to discussing the notion of power dynamics and control, and it’s refreshing to see this season take part in that discussion as well.

This entire episode takes the notion of rising and falling and explores that through the power relationships at play, showing how those that have risen can basically tell the fallen what to do.  Take Robb and his particular situation with the Freys.  Robb’s fallen in power with respect to the Freys ever since he had forsaken his vow to marry Roslin Frey.  So, in an attempt to make amends with Walder Frey, he pushes Edmure Tully to marry Roslin instead.  Edmure is even more influenced by Robb’s mistake because he’s the one to suffer the consequences.  He’s further down the ladder than Robb, so he’s forced to do what has to be done while Robb sits on the sidelines.  For such an honorable man, Robb isn’t willing to suffer for his indiscretions.  Same goes for Jaime and Brienne, who are fighting power dynamics with Roose Bolton.  Jaime doesn’t have the influence that he thought he did since he’s so far from the capital, so he can’t influence Roose Bolton like he thought he could.  However, Brienne has even less influence.  While Jaime still has a father who has power (however little power it may be at the moment), Brienne has nothing but abetting treason on her plate.  She’s completely powerless and, as a result of that, is likely to be sentenced to death while Jaime is able to go free to King’s Landing.

All of the marriage talk in King’s Landing plays into this as well.  Tywin and Olenna have the lives of their younger family members in their hands, fighting for control over what happens to them.  Tywin and Olenna are both characters that have risen to power, as their lives aren’t dictated by those under them.  As for Cersei and Tyrion, two people that have fallen from the power they had in Season 2, they’re now pawns whose lives can be thrown to another at Tywin’s whim.  However, while people like Cersei and Tyrion are affected by “the climb” or “rising and falling”, they don’t take it as seriously as the clearly insane Littlefinger, who would rather climb atop a kingdom in complete ruin than not climb at all.  I’m least impressed with Littlefinger’s monologue, as it takes a theme that the episode had already done a great job expressing and spelled it out for us in an obtrusive manner.  But the greatest facet of that monologue was clearly how it built him up to be a menace far more threatening than the Lannisters, how he’s playing a game with larger stakes than the Lannisters.  In the game of thrones, climbing really is all that matters.  Slipping even a little bit can mean falling to your death, as we’ve seen with many powerful characters up to this point, characters like Eddard Stark, Renly Baratheon, and Jeor Mormont.  Littlefinger understands this, well enough that he’s become crazed in his attempt to stay ahead of the game, crazed enough to give Ros over to Joffrey to be used as a live target for his crossbow.

This has certainly been an impressive season so far, definitely the most daring in terms of structure and scope.  All things considered, I haven’t been disappointed.  Some of the episodes have been a little slow because of that structure and scope, but even the slow episodes are a great deal of fun.  What particularly saves this one is the cohesive and strong thematic focus.  The entire series has been about power and how the shifting of power can make or break people, and this episode takes the idea of shifting power and emphasizes the consequences involved.  As the season goes on, we’ll certainly see this theme play out further, but as for right now, there’s been an adequate enough thematic focus to keep things cohesive and interesting.

Also: If this episode was all about climbing, why the fuck didn’t they at least reference Bran climbing the tower in Winterfell BY HIMSELF, juxtaposing that with Jon and Ygritte climbing together?  I’d have said more about Bran in the review, but his storyline STILL hasn’t really done anything yet.

Final Thoughts: Another great episode, The Climb” has one fantastic setpiece and a fairly strong thematic focus but ultimately feels forgettable because of a couple missteps.

Grade: B+

Well, I’ll be doing one more review for the day.  Finally, I’ll be taking time to write up Feed by Mira Grant, so that’ll be a lot of fun.  Past that, I’m seeing The Great Gatsby tomorrow, so I’m hoping that it’s halfway decent.  I haven’t been on top of House of Cards this week, but I’m working on it, so stay tuned for a House of Cards review tomorrow.  And I’m sorry for taking so long with some of these reviews.  I have quite a bit to do, even though school is out.  Great, I know.  I’ve got some more TV reviews planned, more video games planned, and more books in the Icewind Dale trilogy and the Newsflesh trilogy.  I’m excited to read about what comes next in both.  Until tomorrow, loyal followes.

Previous Review- Mad Men 6x06: “For Immediate Release”

Next Review- Mira Grant- Feed

Remember to check out the website that I contribute to:

http://www.thecriticalreception.com/