I know, it's been an unforgivably long time since I last posted, but with my last semester of college and work, it was hard for me to get inspired to write on this blog. Hopefully, this will change in the coming summer, as my main worries so far involve trying to get an actual job.
VIDEO GAMES:
Resident Evil Village
Holy fuck, this game is good. If Resident Evil 7 was a homage to the first game's survival horror approach, then Village is a homage to the action-oriented fourth installment. The game throws so many ideas all at once, making you feel like an unstoppable badass as you progress while also making you feel intimidated by the sheer number of enemies you face throughout the game. It's not quite as scary as the previous installment (save for one section that has blown up the Internet), but what it lacks in scares it makes up for in pure spectacle.
Nier Automata
After putting off this game for who knows how long, I finally decided to go ahead and give this a play. I'm still relatively early on in the game, but what I've seen so far has been stellar. The game has a unique science-fiction plot with post-modern themes as well as the stellar combat you can expect from Platinum Games. I can definitely see why people consider this a great game.
Ratchet and Clank
After starting the 2016 reboot and abandoning it once I finally got my PS5, I decided to give the game another spin with the 60 FPS update and boy, am I glad I did. This game is so much fun to play whether it's the humorous story, the insane gameplay or the breathtaking graphics. The game gives you several options in the form of different gadgets you collect throughout, allowing you to create different strategies as to how to take out enemies.
Baldur's Gate
After dying so many times in this game, I finally decided to go ahead and put the difficulty on Story Mode (noticing a pattern here?). After all, my main reason for playing Baldur's Gate was for it's storytelling and characters (back when Bioware actually cared about that sort of thing), and the game is known for being notoriously difficult in its early stages, so why not skip the combat altogether? As for Baldur's Gate 2, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it...
TELEVISION:
Demon Slayer
I'm more than halfway through the first season and so far, my experience with it is decidedly average. It's far from a bad show, with top of the line animation and voice acting, but only a few episodes have wowed me so far.
Mythic Quest
Season 2 is much tighter and more focused this season, compounding on the relationship between Poppy and Ian, as well as Rachel and Dana to create an emotionally touching yet extremely funny workplace comedy.
MOVIES
The Matrix Reloaded/The Matrix Revolutions directed by the Wachowski Sisters
Love or hate these movies, it's hard not to admire the audacity of the Wachowski twins, whether it's an extended sequence of worldbuilding with Zion interspersed with Keanu Reeves having sex or the twenty minute battle sequence that permeates the third film. The sequels to the 1999 classic go for broke in terms of fight sequences and visual effects, even when the story falters.
Hot Fuzz directed by Edgar Wright
As I said on Twitter, this is a perfect film. The directing is as fast-paced and zany as you'd expect from an Edgar Wright flick, while the script penned by both Wright and Simon Pegg is littered with jokes and foreshadowing. I'm so glad I saw this film before it left HBO Max.
BOOKS
One Piece by Eiichiro Oda
I'm currently halfway through the second volume (I know, I'm a slow reader), but what I've seen so far is pretty good. Oda has a clear grasp of the art style and world he's creating and the characters are endearing and funny. Now all I have to do is work up the nerve to buy a subscription to Shonen Jump...
