Well, I've just watched OBAA, and it IS the best USAmerican film this year, no notes. Not PTA's best one, for sure. But still, nothing else comes even close. It's a great film whose every element is masterfully executed: the score, the editing, the performances.
The film is insanely funny in its absurdity. All PTA's films are (he's probably one of very few big American directors with a good sense of humour), but this one is by far the funniest. Comrade Josh was comedy gold. Sean Penn's manly walk of high-heel shame was comedy genius. I'd say three tactical units landing next to a high school and the Christmas Adventurer Club were absurdist comedy genius too, but we call it reality nowadays.
It's funny how the edgelord angle changed. GoT went out of its way to highlight that it's a grown-up show for real adults because PEOPLE FUCK AT PORN ANGLES EVERY EPISODE.
In AKOTSK, people PISS and SHIT and BURP and PUKE EVERY EPISODE. It's a real show about real life for those adults who can handle it, so that you know.
Idk I just find it really, really funny each time they do this.
Also, Dunk's actor is very noticeably not very good. It's clear they wanted a really big lad and found one, and then the directors tried to do everything they could, but it's still so glaringly obvious it takes away from the scenes. A lot of actors aren't very good, actually. I think HBO has finally run out of affordable good British actors and now have to hire the affordable mediocre ones.
Maybe that's the real reason why everyone shits, pisses and burps in critical moments - so that you can have something else to look at other than the main lead, like a magician waving his hands around to distract from how the actual trick is done.
And I also didn't like whatever the fuck was going on with the soundtrack: it lacked coherence. Faux mediaeval music is followed by the GOT main theme followed by some Tchaikovsky-inspired piece. It took away from the immersion more than it contributed to the aura/vibes. (which was the intention I guess)
The second trilogy is basically the French Revolution with a little bit of magic, which, in turn, is a subgenre of the Napoleonic Wars with dragons, which is the best genre of fantasy ever.
I'd also like to digitally shake Joe Abercrombie's hand for his amazing restraint when it comes to rape as a plot device.
Whereas other male authors more often than not equate female character development with sexual assault, Joe miraculously finds other ways to introduce drama and suffering into his stories. Each time. Outstanding achievement.
Shenkt mentioned in "The Trouble with Peace." I repeat Shenkt mentioned. This is not a drill. He seems to be on his way to make an appearance on page 100.
This whole segment was absolutely heart-breaking, They even sang a song to make it look like a coming-of-age ritual to join their close-knit community (and shut up the second she started turning). And then packed up the lie they'd kept telling to manipulate the girl into converting and went off to turn humans into juice in big industrial centres.
Ok, this one takes the prize for the Best Book So Far. Yep, BSC has been defeated in the circle of my preferences. Monza, I'm sorry, but you'll also have to move aside for Rikke, my new favourite character.
Loved the shift from mediaeval fantasy to industrial-revolution fantasy. The POVs are very strong. At no point in the book was I thinking "Oh man, not this guy again." They are sort of familiar faces from the previous books, (Hi Jezal 2.0, Hi Finree 2.0, Hi Logen 2.0) but not too familiar, each has something unique going on. All of them contribute equally, without being a bore or hogging the spotlight. Plus, Abercrombie strikes the ideal balance between magic and realism. The pacing is perfection.
This is why I love indie games: when done right, they can be some of the most fun and unique experiences you'll ever have. And this one is done right. It's highly polished, respects your time without being condescending, and offers an engaging mystery to solve along with a roster of cool characters to save from gruesome deaths.
You play as Ward, a private detective who receives an anonymous note hiring him to investigate the mysterious disappearance of one Miss Deane. Time is running out, it says. You are a good detective it says. But most importantly for this case - you are a godly man.
When you arrive at the hotel, you discover two things:
a) doing anything costs time, so you need to think carefully about what you interact with: do you really need to waste a minute looking at a random empty bottle on the counter?
b) if you get thrown out of the hotel for doing something questionable, every guest and staff member in the building dies. So the stakes are pretty high.
You have two days (and the first evening) to figure out what’s going on and save everyone.
And this is where the game's high quality really elevates it. First, there's a "Mystery Tracker" that tells you all you need to know about your ongoing investigations into the guests, you have your "Records" with all the evidence, you have your "Timetable" that lets you track the guest's whereabouts once you find out their schedules. It’s neat, user-friendly, and stylish.
Once you've collected all the evidence, you can form a hypothesis - the process was evidently inspired by The Golden Idol gap fill - a very fun and unique mechanic. I'm glad to see it featured in another game.
Then you confront the character and solve their mystery, after which they either get some kind of supernatural protection or decide against going to the Seance, which saves their life.
There are 27 characters in total, each with their own timetable (which you need to uncover) and their own room (which you need to infiltrate when they aren't there).
There's also an overarching set of mysteries connected to the disappearance of Miss Deane.
The plot is great. I loved the main mystery: I think it was very well put together. You're dealing with 27 characters, yet the pacing makes it feel natural as you gradually eliminate suspects through newly uncovered evidence. By the time the game asks you to identify the main villain, it feels absolutely earned.
I also loved how heavily the game leans into Irish folklore and mythology. It wasn't a subject I was familiar with, and it turned out to be both enchanting and educational.
The game also explores a lot of themes like inequality, class, prejudice, loss without being childish or condescending.
The art style is fantastic: the cutscenes, character art, and overall art direction are superbly done.
The time limit is very generous, allowing you to carefully explore everything, participate in the social life, and still have plenty of time left. Everything runs smoothly, and if you're ever unsure what to do next, you can always consult your Mysteries window. If you run out of stuff to do, you can use the hourglass on the ground floor to wind the time forward when the character you need goes where you want them to go.
