Within the first five minutes of gameplay, in the tutorial, Breach Wizards did something I highly appreciate that I wish more games would do: using its gameplay mechanic as a mean to reason out character's train of thought and progress the plot. I was extremely happy to see that this wasn't a one-time occurrence. The characters' abilities continued being the plans and solutions to the problems, both in the story and gameplay goals.
There are plenty of things to compliment this game about: the wonderfully written dialogues, the remarkable effort for worldbuilding, the attempt to explore and develop characters' inner psyche. Regardless of medium, these are all the points you'd like to achieve in a story, and I'm happy to see a videogame tackling on this thoroughly.
Even more things to like about this game: reminding for the player that optional confidence goals are actually "optinal", highly customisable difficulty settings, extremely tight level design that borderline turns some of the objectives the game into a puzzle game (for better or worse).
I'm not exactly a turn-based enthusiast, but this is the most fun I've had in a turn-based game since Clair Obscur.
Verdict: for anyone who enjoys great writing; casual folks who would like to dip their toes into turn-based games.
So, it’s currently Summer break. Usually I would be spending my time at the beach or camping in the mountains or dancing with my friends, however, with the pandemic this year, I’ve just been watching other people do stuff in dramas and films. So here’s a flash review:
Finished:
- While You Were Sleeping (2017): Excellent pilot episode but it became predictable around the halfway point. I persisted to the end just because I hate not finishing what I started, and I cared enough for the three main characters. Loved the cinematography but the plot was nothing exceptional...
- Crash Landing on You (2020): This drama was packed with so much heart! To me, all the characters live on in a small corner of the world. Albeit, the drama is not perfect with its silly premise and overused tropes. However, none of that matters when a drama can make you cry until your chest hurts and laugh until your limbs grow weak. My partner and I must have gone through a few boxes of tissues while marathoning this. Watch this with your loved one/s and hold them dear.
Watching:
- Winter Begonia (2020): An enticing drama that displays the beauty of Chinese Opera. While I appreciate the poignant relationship between the two main leads, I hope to see more character development shortly. Also, the set and costume designs are a dream! The drama provides insights into the social and cultural structures of China in the 1930s. I am unsure how the plot will pan out for 49 episodes though...
- Nobody Knows (2020): While its early days, this may top ‘Signal’ as my favourite crime drama of all time. The cinematography and soundtrack emulates that of a film. Kim Seo-hyung can do no wrong and in this series, she carries such gravitas in her role as a detective that it leaves me in awe.
As with all my reviews, there are spoilers aplenty, so feel free to skip this if you haven’t seen the season and don’t want to be spoiled.
I find season 4 to have some of the best and worst moments of the Flash. What I like in this season, I truly and fully love in full fan-girl mode, but the bad is SO bad. Just so SO so bad.
So, let’s start with the bad so we can end on an up note: DeVoe. I…
So I watched Marriage Story like... an hour or so ago. And perhaps it’s because I’m a daughter of divorced parents but holy fucking hell, did that shit hit home.
I mean, I wish my father was ever interested just a tiny bit in me the way Driver’s character was in his, wish his mistake had been to neglet his relationship and not the piece of shit my father is, but all that process of Nicole of overcoming that moment of her life and deciding it was time for herself, I really think a lot of that and what I saw in my mom growing up-- and what I learned after once I grew up to fully understand all that process.
I was Henry’s age when my parents divorced, and of course the situation was completely different, but I totally understood why he felt like-- he wanted to be were his mom was, even if he missed his dad. It’s a complicated thing to go through and when your parents start fighting over you, it’s just... fucking stupid.
But this is such an amazing film, it moved me and kept me entertained, I wanted to finish it in spite of how much it slowly made me cry with various scenes. Ultimately, it’s a great movie that is well written, well acted, well freakin’ edited, it’s really good.
This is Noah Baumbach at his best, I feel like this project was truly as personal as it looks and feels, and this is how his writing and directing made the audience get behind both main characters and see their points. Like a reflection after what happened, like when you sit down and think about both parts and realize both had fault in what happened, and it all translated into the movie.
I really hope Adam Driver gets recognition for his acting in this piece, as well as Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern. The three of them gave this movie a lot to look at, a lot to quote and take in. Driver’s character gives you such a feeling of tenderness in spite of being confronted with the truth of his flaws and what made his marriage something that wasn’t working anymore.
I’ve seen plenty of people taking his side in this whole ordeal, which is no surprise since we all tend to take the guy’s side when it comes to all kinds of stories... and real life, as Laura Dern put into words on scene. We expect Nicole to be perfect instead of hey this dude actually did cheat on her, and not only that, he was selfish and failed in realizing he was, well, selfish.
When he signs, it’s beautiful.
He has a rich voice, yes, and the song is in itself beautiful, but the context of his character and world gives force to his performance, truly the best scene of the movie alongside that fight with Nicole. Adam deserves all the damn awards, and I know-- he is one of my favorite actors, yes he is, but he really delivered an amazing performance and deserves all this buzz and recognition he is getting.
It will be interesting to see the Awards Season, and I hope I see him shine in there. He deserves the Oscar, he really does.
Anyway, this is the only movie in all year that has inspired me to write an actual review. So yeah, stream Marriage Story on Netflix now!
I finished One Day At A Time in one go for the first time.
I watched all three seaons and sat down wishing there was more because I fell in love with this show, its characters and dynamics so much, I’m praying there will be a fourth and more seasons to come. I’m in the process of making my family to watch it, too.
Honestly, I’m surprised with how clean and well done (even with that strange thing with the time line in the past, lol) the writing of this show is and that it took me so long to listen to Cait and Z to watch it since both had been telling me to for a year by now. You guys were right, my apologies-- and thank you. Thank you SO much for my new love.
This show has come to kinda save me. Days have been gray lately but my man, did I laughed and cried the good cry while watching this. I will def watch it again and follow it till the end.
An excellent way to start over, for me.
Oh, and-- I kinda am real life Elena Alvarez? I’m a latina queer woman that came out at age 15, black and long hair, glasses, intense interest in studying, feminism, gender studies, social justice, the enviroment and videogames.
I’m good at repairing stuff, I’m the older sister to a super popular little brother that she adores and who is overprotective to her in exchange. Also a cat lover, suffers from anxiety, had unusual quinces, was abandoned by her father at her quinces and has issues with the man.
More? People constantly believe my stepfather is my father because I’m white passing like him, kinda like Schneider and Elena in season 2 lmao-- and my mom? She kiiinda looks like Justina. Like. I’m not joking. I’ll provide photo evidence later next week, I just need to get a pic of when she had more or less the same hairstyle (she has black hair now).
Like. Are these writers watching me or something? It’s amazing.
Where to find it: issue 119 of Clarkesworld. Read this review in italian here.
Rook is a spaceship AI, a warrior built for a dynasty long gone, destined to fight enemies long disappeared. Still, he finds new masters, and new enemies. He has fought for many years, seen a lot of bloodshed, and he has seen his sister die, a moment of genuine grief. Now they’re coming for him.
Nowadays it’s hard to read a story about a spaceship AI without thinking about Ann Leckie’s Ancillary series. Rook’s destiny is far different from Ann Leckie’s main character, Breq. There is sadness and melancholy in an AI who did what was ordered him to do, what he was literally built to do only to see his sister die and the universe change around him, a universe that has become so close to him and yet doesn’t see him as capable of holding any feelings (or just doesn’t care).
Perhaps not a super original work (it’s not the newest theme ever, after all), but the “empathy factor” is very well cared for: it’s hard not to feel sorry for Rook, which is a good achievement considering the length of the story itself.
Flash review: Mixtape (2026, Beethoven and Dinosaur)
I really liked The Artful Escape. I had a hunch that their next work would go pretty hard, but I didn't expect this.
Mixtape is peak cinema. It understands cinematography and the language of cinema. It would be excellent animated feature film, but it understands videogames, too, and use the bits of interactivity to elevate it.
Hideo Kojima could probably learn one thing or two from this.
Verdict: unmissable for appreciators of artsy videogames and/or film buffs (especially if your name is Patrick H. Williem, this is only three hours long).
