#haukeye

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Cold, Cold Heart [Batman: Arkham Origins DLC] Review (7/10)

 With the release of Arkham Origins, after many months of waiting we finally get a chance to play the first and probably the only story DLC of Arkham Origins. Cold, Cold Heart is the origin story of one of Batman’s greatest foes: Mr.Freeze. While it remains an solid addition to the original Arkham Origins game, is it worth the asking price or is it the same stuff we’ve seen back in the original game?

 Cold, Cold Heart takes place several days after the events of Arkham Origins. On New Year’s Eve during the Wayne Humanitarian Award Ceremony, the event has been ambushed by Mr. Freeze. There he takes Ferris Boyle hostage and it is up to Bruce Wayne / Batman to get Ferris Boyle back and understand the reasoning of Mr.Freeze’s plans. 

"Bring me Ferris Boyle!"

The DLC takes obvious inspiration from the episode “Heart of Ice” inBatman: The Animated Series which should be a good thing for fans of the animated series and Mr. Freeze (even some of the lines are taken from the source material). The story itself is good (think of it as a good side story from the main campaign), although there are some things that I would’ve suggested that would have made Mr. Freeze a more sympathetic villain. 

In terms of gameplay, nothing is really innovated much from its main campaign. The side missions are the same and the collectibles are not that interesting. You can only explore a portion of the Gotham map so you don’t get too sidetracked. There is however a new suit that you equip which is the Thermal Suit that you use to survive the sub-zero temperatures created by Freeze. The final fight with Mr. Freeze really replicates of the one in Arkham City where you have to think smart with your attacks otherwise he will adapt to it, which is something that I appreciate. The DLC should last you around 1-2 hours and side missions should increase the play time. 

Designs for both Batman’s EX Suit and Mr. Freeze are well done.

In the end, Cold Cold Heart is a great addition to Arkham Origins adding a nice story to compliment an okay game. Even though Cold Cold Heart is great, it isn’t the “thing” that will make you buy Arkham Origins. There isn’t anything that this DLC can fix in terms of the problems that the main campaign has encountered. For $9.99 it is a pretty solid deal (not a steal though) for additional gameplay.

7/10 [Great content with some flaws]

Leave me a note on what you guys think, (remember all feedback is greatly appreciated) Reblog this with your friends, add it to your favorites and if you like what you see here make sure to hit that follow button. 

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This is Haukeye here to break the ice, sigining off.

(PS: Batman & Robin is shit)

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Batman: Arkham Origins Review (6/10)

     Batman: Arkham Origins was a game that I wasn't really expecting from last year. Naturally, I got excited for this game when it was first announced but I realized that this isn't developed my Rocksteady Studios but instead by WB Montreal & Splash Damage. Instead of continuing the Arkham franchise, this game decides to explore the beginnings of Bruce Wayne as Batman. While the game itself isn't a bad game (if you haven't played any of the Arkham games), however it feels that it is a rehashed version of the past Arkham games and nothing new isn't brought to the table with this entry into the Arkham games. I can say it's the most cinematic of all the Arkham games, the gameplay lacks innovation from Arkham City and feels like a re-skinned version of city than it's own thing. While Arkahm Origins is still a solid experience on its own, it lacks to build whatever is from the previous entries of the Arkham games.

"Eight assassins after your head. What ARE you going to do?"

Arkham Origins is the prequel to 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum taking place around two years of Bruce Wayne being the Batman. On the night of Christmas Eve, Black Mask has put a bounty on Batman's head and now eight assassins are trying to claim the bounty of the caped crusader. Now it is up to Bruce Wayne to stop the eight assassins and Black Mask before things get out of hand in Gotham on the Eve of Christmas.

  First thing to get out, the original cast of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as The Joker are not here to reprise their role (Oh yeah, I forgot the Joker makes an appearance in this game). Instead they are replaced with both Roger Craig Smith as Batman and Troy Baker as the Joker. Both actors do their jobs well as they both sound a lot younger compared to their older counterparts in the previous Arkham games. For myself, I believe that Mark Hamill should pass the ever blazing torch of who gets to voice the Joker over to Troy Baker. You can hardly tell that it is Troy himself which is pretty unbelievable. Everyone in the cast was great and my personal favorite Steve Blum plays a couple characters in this game (Steve Blum is in everything animated just like Nolan North is in everything video game related).

Can you believe that this man voiced the Joker...shocking I say.

  Within Arkham Origins' presentation, it does surprisingly well as it is what I call the most cinematic Arkham game so far in the series. Even with the presentation and story itself, in terms of gameplay is where the game starts to fall off making it the weakest of the Arkham games. Gameplay hasn't been changed for the most part: combat remains fluid as ever, predator mode is still fun, and exploration is relatively the same. While it's nice to have things remain the same, you might as well wish for something different in the end. The one feature that is new to the Arkham games is the experience system. Basically every combat, predator or auxiliary challenge, you are rewarded with experience and the more efficient you are, the larger the multiplier of the experience points. There are TWO enemy types added which are the martial artist (requires carefully timed multi-counters) and the venom user (mini brutes) which do add more challenge to the experience. The assassins' battles are also entertaining to partake in and for the most part makes the experience more intense (even though two of them ended up being side missions instead). 

I have to admit WB Montreal does less with the game and that's disappointing for me. The standard argument with that is that it's a prequel, so Batman isn't going to have those gadgets in this game. I just call that lazy because the developers didn't push the game that extra mile which would've made the game great on its own. Even a lot of the gadgets are the same from Arkham City. For example, remember that ice grenade you got in Arkham City, well here you get a glue grenade which has the exact same properties that the ice grenade does.Also a lot of the mission structure from City is replicated a lot in Origins, which makes it kind of lazy in that sense. Another thing that disappointed me were how easy the extras are in this game. In the game you collect these Enigma packs (basically pre-Riddler trophies) for one of the side missions and to my dismay, they are extremely easy to trace and obtain. Okay, I admit there were a couple where I had to figure out how to get but for the most part all you need is a specific gadget to get them (or in some cases they lay right in the open....). Compared to Arkham City, that game made you work for the extras and obtaining them makes you feel accomplished at the end. Here in Arkham Origins, there isn't much joy in collecting them, almost makes it feel like a grind. 

Oh, I wonder who this is going to be...

 Some parts of the gameplay experience are messed up within the game. Like if you're trying to achieve the Dark Knight skin through the Dark Knight Challenges, DO NOT get the proximity detector for your explosive gel. If you are on challenge 6 for the worst nightmare ladder and you have that upgrade, it will mess up your progress because the proximity detector is so sensitive that getting a takedown is almost impossible (I was forced to restart the entire game in order to get that skin, and see what I mean by poor game design). Before a patch was made, the game was glitchy at launch and ran very poorly on the first playthrough. Even a glitch that would temporarily wipe all my progress (this kind of shit need to be priority number one in the programming department because I don't want to start over by a fucking glitch). So in conclusion, singleplayer story is good but the gameplay is a mess at times (its still a solid game; there are just major things that holds the game back from being something amazing).

 There is replay value if you're up for it: new game plus is a game mode that puts you in a new game with all your gadgets and upgrades with more challenging enemies. If you beat that mode there is a even challenging "I Am The Night" mode where it's one death you start from the very beginning. Challenge Mode is back and strangely enough for me, a lot of the maps feel very bland. I guess its the color scheme that they were aiming for but for me it's not as entertaining as Arkham City challenge maps (hell, I feel like going back to Arkham City after playing Origins). An odd additon to the Arkham games is a multiplayer mode for the first time. The multiplayer is pretty standard of what you expect from multiplayer content in single player content based game. It's basically a form of 3v3v2 with Joker's and Bane's men fighting for control while Batman and Robin try to take down the rest of the gang members. The multiplayer in all honesty isn't much to keep you invested like Uncharted or Grand Theft Auto Online.

 Overall, the game is solid if this is your first Arkham game, but for the rest of us this is an okay addition to the Arkham series. With strong inspiration from various works of Batman to create the Arkham Origins story, the gameplay suffers with lack of innovation, repeated elements, and the simplified extras that makes this game lack challenge. Arkham Origins is a good game with very noticeable flaws, so I would recommend buying this game at sale price.

6/10  [Above Average Game with very Noticeable Flaws]

What do you guys think of Arkham Origins?

Leave me a note on what you guys think, (remember all feedback is greatly appreciated) Reblog this with your friends, add it to your favorites and if you like what you see here make sure to hit that follow button. 

Also follow the other accounts I have posted in the description.

This is Haukeye and I'm the GODDAMN BATMAN, sigining off.

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Haukeye's Update #3: New Blog Series May 11, 2014

  Right now I'm wrapping up my Spiderman reviews (finally got to see the movie, which was appealing for me), and announcing that I am going to a separate series from the review that I do. What it is is a first impressions blog that revolves around episodic type media which I will be discussing about the various things that happened in it. Things I liked, things I hated that kind of stuff. 

Take notice that these aren't reviews but instead just what I think of the show in general (I usually watch a movie twice in order to review the movie properly). So right now I am prepping for what is to come and this is the first series that I am going to be analyzing 

                       "...and just like that, everything changed.

Also, as a disclaimer for this series, I am viewing this as a person who has never finished Attack on Titan without seeing the entire thing. (Although I have watched a couple of the intro episodes in Japanese, and I think I stopped at the end of the Battle of Trost Saga). I wanted to wait for the dubbed English version to come because for two reasons:

1. I am used to watching anime in dub, just because it makes it easier for myself. I have nothing against the original Japanese voices, I swear, and neither am I a sub elitist/hater nor a dub elitist/hater. I usually watch the dub versions of anime if they have English names, which in Attack on Titan's case it does. (Unless there is a special case where the dub sounds absolutely terrible forcing me to watch the original Jap. version).

2. I am interested to hear the differences between the Japanese and English versions of this anime. I am also interested in your guys' opinions in the matter. Do you mind the English voice actors or you guys can not stand them at all? I'm curious to find out.

                                       "YOU!....it's been awhile"

Anyways I hope you guys find this series interesting and I might even try a video series version of this on my upcoming Youtube channel. 

Before I sign off: Have you seen Attack On Titan yet and if you did what did you think of it?

Personally, from what I have seen so far it looks great with its killer animation, great characters and atmospheric setting. 

Leave me a note on what you guys think, (remember all feedback is greatly appreciated) Reblog this with your friends, add it to your favorites and if you like what you see here make sure to hit that follow button. 

Also follow the other accounts I have posted in the description.

This is Haukeye here along with the human race, sigining off.

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review (8/10)

      "The movie that has the highest stakes out of any Marvel movie"

   There was a moment where I though I would quit my continuation with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that was later acquired by Disney. I always felt that after phase one the series for me had more of a direct audience appeal towards kids with films like The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World and even Iron Man 3 (I really don't understand how this movie is the darkest of the three Iron Man movies). However, Marvel's most recent release, Captain America: The Winter Soldier directed by Anthony & Joe Russo is one of those movies I never really expected out of universe from what I've seen so far within the MCU. Focusing on more conspiracy and espionage related themes within, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is something fresh from what Marvel has to offer and in this humble reviewer's opinion: the best out of phase two so far.

 After the Battle of New York in The Avengers, Captain America has decided to work for S.H.I.E.L.D alongside Black Widow and Nick Fury. During a mission infiltrating a ship, Captain America finds out that SHIELD has been secretly building Helicarriers as an initiative made possible by Nick Fury and colleague Alexander Pierce. The reason for this in Pierce's words is in order to create a better world, you're going to have to tear the old one down. Now with this new initiative SHIELD is now able to neutralize a lot more threats before they even happen. But, Steve Rogers disagrees saying punishment should come after the crime stating that the initiative will not create freedom, instead inducing fear. With the tensions between ideals of both old and new going on, Nick Fury is attacked by a group of soldiers and is critically injured by a man named the Winter Soldier. Now it's up to Captain America and his fellow colleagues to figure out who is behind the attack and discover a much more sinister plan within.

 Although a risky endeavor, Anthony & Joe Russo manage to showcase the movie with great direction despite their lack of experience with action flicks (mostly known for sitcoms like Arrested Development & Community).

 For starters, Marvel had to know that this was going to be their riskiest film to date because a lot of these films are mostly catered towards a younger audience. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is probably the most mature, dark and sinister film to date in the MCU. Themes such as trust and conspiracy are thrown around really giving that feeling that any of the characters can turn against you. Instead of a straight up action film like a lot of these Marvel movies are, the film has a more espionage feel to it, basically think of it as Captain America meeting "The Bourne Ultimatum".

 The film as a whole, mostly focuses on Steve Rogers' adjustment to the new world that he was brought upon and he's trying to come to grips with it. He shows that he isn't used to the customs within the modern era like his disagreement with SHIELD's idea of freedom and security  saying that it is instead fear and oppression. I would say that Chris Evans does an excellent job at making Captain America a better character in this film than the previous Marvel films. He has a more logical and involving role than in The Avengers with him just jumping over cars, doing gymnast moves and does something cool with his shield every now and then (if others can be critical of Man of Steel, I can be critical of The Avengers). I feel that with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Cap's role is given reason and helps establish his presence throughout.  

"Captain, to build a better world sometimes means tearing the old one down... And that makes enemies."

 Another character that has been developed surprisingly well is Nick Fury. I could say that this was also Nick Fury's story as much as I can say this is Captain America's story. Black Widow's back and she's great as ever in this film with the arc of conspiracy and her being a spy there is some conflict that goes on between Steve Rogers (also the visual appeal of Scarlett Johansson is always a good thing, let's all be honest here). They also introduce Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka. The Falcon. He's an amiable character and all around dependable guy within the story and the action. A surprising favorite character that I didn't really expect to like in this film is Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce. he gives a captivating performance as the head of the World Security Council and his presence gives that espionage feel when you first see him on screen. (I'm sure this is just me, but still he's my favorite). He creates a lot of the uncertainty with Captain America with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D because they haven't really been that trustworthy when first experiencing the film. The Winter Soldier in my opinion is probably one of the most intimidating individuals in the MCU. Every fight when the Winter Soldier is involved you feel that the action going as you're watching it, also the design of the Winter Soldier is just awesome.

 In terms of the action in this movie, there's far less CGI type action in this film than I expected. Judging from the trailers prior to the release of the of the film there were a genuine amount of scenes that were computer generated (especially the helicarrier parts). To my surprise there isn't much, most of this movie takes place on the streets with more practical effects and the fights scenes are really fast paced and well-choreographed overall.  A lot of the large scale action is near the end of the film. 

Well-used practical effects for the almost 80% of the action.

 Even with all great things about Captain America: The Winter Soldier, there are still some gripes that bothered me in this movie, and them involving the Winter Soldier himself. While he is a cool looking character, they try to make you care for the character with certain flashbacks which should create some emotion with the audience. The problem with this is that the flashbacks aren't that effective as it should be and would require a viewing of Captain America: The First Avenger in order to do so, however going into more detail here would be entering spoiler territory. The final thing I want to note is that to understand The Winter Soldier, watching Captain America: The First Avenger would help you understand the flow of what is in the Winter Soldier. Even with all this, I still recommend Captain America: The Winter Soldier as its own stand alone film for the MCU just like the first Iron Man in phase one. 

While a very cool design of a character, the emotional connection isn't strongly presented than what I have expected it to have (Also more of the Winter Soldier would've been a nice touch too).

 Overall Captain America: The Winter Soldier is strong entry in the MCU as it holds together as an alright standalone film, it is also the highest stake and riskiest film that Marvel has attempted so far. Great performances by the main cast, great action and also a great story all tying in to make Captain America: The Winter Soldier an awesome film.

               8/10: [An Awesome Film worth checking out]

What did you guys think of The Winter Soldier?

Leave me a note on what you guys think, (remember all feedback is greatly appreciated) Share this with your friends, add it to your favorites and if you like what you see here make sure to hit that follow button. 

Also follow the other accounts I have posted in the description.

This is Haukeye here with the Captain, sigining off.

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Haukeye's Update #2: May 8, 2014 (We are experiencing some technical difficulties)

 As of now you are all now wondering where the hell my reviews have gone and "no" I'm not dead nor have I given up on this thing. I am currently experiencing some technical difficulties at the moment. I was finishing up the reviews and they were ready to be published for all of you guys to see. However, my computer decides to crash and erase all the work that I have done for Captain America, Arkham Origins, and both Amazing Spidermen. Right now at the moment I am frantically trying to re-type all the reviews and hopefully the relieve and understand the situation a bit. 

 As of now I am delaying the reviews for the weekend and next week. Expect to see the Captain America review sometime earliest Friday and the others on the weekend. 

 Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for following.

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The Return Of The Critic: The Promise

How long has it been since I last done a review?

 HOLY SHIT, six fucking months of nothing!

Well, I guess that's one way to pretend that you're dead. I haven't really gotten the time to do the reviews I promised due to things that have been going on in my life and I apologize about the long absence. However, I promise to get back to it as the reviews will keep on coming. If I recall correctly, I remember making a schedule for my reviews to be coming six months ago. I have decided to instead make the review when I believe it is ready; I believe that this is the best course of action.

 I have categorized these reviews into different groups so you guys can find the reviews a bit easier:

-"[No Sub]" *(basically new releases being shows, movies, and games)

    * Saving up for Playstation 4, the PS4 reviews are coming soon

-The Vault* (review of old school movies and shows)

  *must be at least a year old, unless it involves special event cases

-Anime Studio (yes, I do anime reviews old or new, shows or movies)

-Last-Gen Library [LGL] (PS3 and Wii game reviews)

   *I don't do Xbox 360 or One reviews, sorry there folks.

-Top [number] List (Yes, I will be doing lists hopefully in the near future, and to be honest these are my favorites to write up).

         What am I doing right now?

  I am currently writing up two reviews at the moment: Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Batman: Arkham Origins with the Cold, Cold Heart DLC (so technically that makes three reviews).    

                               "They call him the winter soldier..."

                                      "One night to kill the bat!"

I am preparing to make "The Amazing Spiderman" Review soon right before "The Amazing Spiderman 2" comes out in theatres on May 2nd. 

         "You know what I love about being Spiderman?...Everything!"

  So basically I have a lot of stuff to in my hands with the time I am given, I wish to use that time well for you guys. I am open to suggestions so if you guys want me to review something that you want, I will review the one that gets the most requests. I am very excited for the future ahead as there will be a lot more to come hopefully I can get my name out there. 

           The dream didn't end, just merely a delay in the beginning.

   Thank you for the remaining followers out there (if there are any left *cries in disappointment) who have stuck with me even with the delay. Tell your friends about me and more content will be on the way and to conclude I have one question: What movie, game or TV show are you looking forward to this year?

Leave me a note on what you guys think, share this with your friends, add it to your favourites if you like, and if you like what you see here make sure to hit that follow button. 

Also follow the other accounts I have posted in the description.

This is now "Haukeye" (yes, I have changed my name) here with a promise... signing off.