Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House: Season 1 Review

September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

One of my favorite series on Netflix over the last few months has definitely been The Haunting of Hill House. If you are a huge fan of the novel from Shirley Jackson written back in 1959 then you need to see this adaptation of the popular horror novel. One of the best parts about this show is the drama it brings to the screen, but also a level of terrifying moments that truly dig deep into the roots of the horror genre.

Following the Crain family and the ghosts of their past in 10 emotional packed episodes left me with needing to see more of this show now. The show starts with the Crain children, who, after growing apart, are tragically brought back together after one of the siblings dies. The Haunting of Hill House is loaded with a timeline you have to keep up with pretty close as each timeline is impacted throughout the season.

When the kids are young and still living in Hill House, they continually get visions of ghosts, zombies, and a tall slender man, but these visions follow them into adulthood, but most of these ghosts they face seem to be of their own making. There’s a complex theme throughout the story concerning the house’s complicity in all of the kids’ failings as adults. This is where the show begins to take a really scary turn as things begin to manifest in the adult’s lives, and the plot really begins to thicken with a rich story.

When the story begins to expand on the children’s lives, Hill House and their father the scares kick off big time. In the flashbacks with the children, the directory used an amazing slow camera pan technique that really added a dark feeling to the overall story. While the children are the main focus of the narrative for Hill House, a family tale of ghosts and curses wouldn’t be complete without Mom & Dad. Hugh and Olivia Crane are introduced early on in the show but with a twist that unfolds throughout the entire season. Carla Gugino plays Olivia Crain, and Hugh Crain is played by Timothy Hutton which the two made a great pair and delivered some amazing performances.

Olivia like here children are affected by the house, but you also see a woman who is losing grip on reality which could be due to a troubled marriage, and stress of raising her five children. The director did something brilliant through the telling of the story and how things unfold to create a doubt in your mind as the viewer. You truly aren’t sure if what you are watching unfold on screen is because of a crazy family with mental issues, or if this family truly is seeing ghosts and have been living in a haunted house. Personally, the Haunting of Hill House has been one of the best Netflix original horror series released to date. Season 2 can’t get here fast enough to continue the unfolding of America’s most haunted family and haunted house.

Beyond: Two Souls – Review

September 27, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

Beyond: Two Souls has been a roller coaster ride of a game – This interactive drama has been hard to focus on the story and also understand what on earth is going on at times. Beyond felt muddy with its plot and the level of story packed into this one game was insane. Honesty this game should have probably been broken up into a series, with a better plot layout and understanding of what the ultimate goal is. This game overall lacked consistency in its story and character development for the most part. Really the only thing that had somewhat of a consistent story flow was the main character Jodie Holmes.

Jodie’s story is told in chapters out of chronological order across a span of 15 years of her life. Jodie is a little girl when the game starts, but you move into her being a teenager and a young woman, and then back to a little girl. Jodie has a spirit in-game called Aiden that you can control depending on the circumstance presented in the game and portion of the story.

With the story hitting multiple areas of Jodie’s life and timelines across multiple ages the story get’s confusing fast. I always felt that I was never really caught up with the story or narration that was happening on screen which was disappointing. Personally, I feel the plot was not well written as even if the story was told in order I feel it would still be confusing. I so wanted this game to be engaging with a deep story and character development that would draw you into the plot, but this was far from what actually happened.

Every once in a while the story did have some amazing moments that sparked a little hope for me in what was coming at the end. One thing that the voice actor Ellen Page who played Jodie did was bring an emotional connection for the audience to care for Jodie and connect with her. The rest of the cast seemed to struggle in bringing the level of emotion, and connection it took to really play the lines well enough for you to care for any of the other characters that were unfolding in this story.

Overall the game just had too much missing for me to really enjoy the gameplay and story. The systems put in place in the game were simple to use, and the interaction you had with items and people in the world seemed very streamlined. Using your ghost, Aiden, seemed to be pretty streamlined as well. You can switch to your ghostly companion which gives you a first-person view and allows you to move through walls, ceilings and even possess certain enemies. You can’t always switch to Aiden so you had to wait until specific moments in the game before you could use him.

Combat in the game was ultimately disappointing, with a system that felt very clunky and hard to use due to the lack of time you had to make decisions. Whether dodging, blocking, punching, kicking, I found myself doing the opposite of what I wanted to do most of the times including moving in the wrong direction even though I was moving the thumbstick in the correct direction. Honestly, the combat was almost pointless as Jodie could get completely mangled, and die in multiple different forms and it wouldn’t ever feel like the story was really affected…..as Aiden would always be there to heal her and get her right back to where you left off.

Beyond’s choices you end up getting to make just never felt large enough to me as though you are just a passenger on a story you can’t actually be a part of. You can choose how Jodie responds in conversation throughout the game, but those choices just felt small and that the story is going to go on no matter how you play. To me, a dramatic story-based game like Beyond should have large and small moments that suck you into the story and make you feel as though your a part of the outcome.

Beyond is an absolutely beautiful game with its scenery, well crafted landscapes, and the story was good enough thanks to Ellen Page and her voice acting. Overall though this game seemed like more of a well-crafted game cinematic that you get to be a viewer of but not actually have any impact of what happens in-game. Playing beyond was overall an interesting experience for the story, but it was not a good game at all due to the sporadic plot, lack of engagement that made it feel like you were part of the world, and lack of character development.

Stephen King’s IT – Chapter 2 Review

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

We’re back with more of the creepy clown Pennywise and the Losers Club kids who are now all grown up. IT chapter 2 feels a bit disconnected to me with issues bringing the story to a solid close at certain points, but still has that creepy make you jump factor. Overall it has solid performances from the actors, but by no means out does it’s 2017 hit of chapter one.

With the constant flashbacks throughout the film, it gives a very broken feeling to the overall story and doesn’t have a smooth transition like chapter one. The first half of IT chapter two rushes a bit as it introduces all the adults of the Losers Club. Yes, all the kids are now adults, and they have come back to kill Pennywise once and for all!

After you get introduced to all the adults of the Losers Club, the speed of the overall story slow down a ton and you get a flashback of the young Losers Club in a clubhouse scene that wasn’t part of the first film. The young actors may only play smaller supporting roles in chapter two, but just like the first film, they did an absolutely amazing job! Even though chapter two focuses on the adult Losers Club, the characters to me just didn’t have the same impact that the kids did in the previous film.

All of the adult Losers Club, however, did have a natural chemistry on screen together that didn’t feel manufactured from a script. They all had a genuine affection for one another, just like they had all been friends for most of their lives. Each of the adults has their own unique fears they are still facing having survived the onslaught of horror from the first film. I just wish the story would have been pulled together in a more seamless way instead of so sporadic as it jumps around way too much between the flashbacks, and I think drops a lot of the meat of the story.

A lot of the film does focus on the adults splitting up on a mission to go find items from their childhood that they need to take on Pennywise. This is where we begin to see a lot of flashbacks from their childhood, which bring new scenes from that summer they met Pennywise in the first film. IT chapter two has a long runtime of almost three hours and it can feel like a three-hour film at times as well.

IT chapter two had a ton more CGI than the first film did which was disappointing as it didn’t feel as nostalgic as the first film did. The CGI wasn’t the best either and really pulled away from the enjoyment of such an epic horror classic. On the plus side, the film had some truly amazing scary moments that made up for some of the sporadic plots.

Overall I really enjoyed the film but was also disappointed as I was wanting more of that feeling we got with IT chapter one. Even with the great performances from all the adult and teen actors, the overall story and use of flashbacks, and the fact they just never seemed to really find a good footing to land the plane took too much away to give this story it’s epic finale it deserved.

Stephen King’s IT – Chapter 1 Review

September 24, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

One of the most iconic horror characters in history has got to be Stephen King’s IT and the first time I ever saw it I was 10 when the TV mini-series aired. I remember having nightmares and hating clowns pretty much from that point on…..I don’t really have nightmares anymore, but I sure do hate clowns still! Stephen King has always been a favorite of mine and the screen adaptation captures a disturbing quality in this latest version of IT

If you watched the 1990’s version of IT, then you probably loved Tim Curry as his performance of the demonic clown was absolutely amazing, but honestly doesn’t hold a candle to this new adaptation, which brings a new level of visual screen horror to the popular demonic clown. They’ve done a fantastic job of playing the nostalgic card for those who had seen the older IT, and playing into the new generation with those childhood memories and the perspective they bring to the film.

Speaking of those childhood memories, let’s talk about the story of the Losers Club, those seven kids who got locked into a summer nightmare back in 1989. Filled with disappearance after disappearance of young people throughout the small town of Derry, Maine these seven kids have a whole host of fears they have to tackle and face, along with that clown named Pennywise, now played by Bill Skarsgard who brings a whole new personification of scary to this story!

One of the best things the director did for part one of the remake of IT was building the foundation of the story with the Losers Club. Each one of the kids has a unique family life, traumatic experiences they’ve had to deal with, friendships and the young cast did an amazing job of building their characters! There was a fine line of exploring the problems each of the kids faced and how they had to overcome those situations and fears. Each one of the kid actors brought a memorable moment to each of their characters, and honestly built a well-rounded movie that didn’t have a monster clown in it.

IT spends a significant amount of its lengthy running time on each of The Losers’ Club’s personal experiences with Pennywise in sequences that are both gruesome and horror inducing. One downfall to the film is the repetition of how each kid begins to face their specific “Phobia” and how they resolve it. The typical horror movie, oh look something scary down that hallway moment, where someone wonders off alone to go check it out. Pennywise being a monster clown, of course, takes advantage of each of those perfectly timed moments where someone wonders off alone to invoke fear and torment each of the kids. But even if you notice the pattern, each set piece is different enough to be scary and brings each character a well deserved moment of terror in the film.

What makes IT, or at least this first half of IT (since the film adapts only the first half of Stephen King’s novel, which we will be writing the review on IT chapter two in just a few days as well. The director does a beautiful job of telling Stephen King’s story and bringing the words from his book to life on screen.

Personally, for me, IT captured the look of simpler times from when I was a kid with those constant visual references to 1980s nostalgia, like theater marquees showing double-features Batman and Lethal Weapon 2, or arcade machines of the Street Fighter 1. It’s no coincidence that this new version plays ‘80s nostalgia with the same feel that Stephen King had for the ‘50s in his original telling of IT. Emotions are more powerful when you’re a child because you’re experiencing them for the first time and IT pulls that scare tactic of beautifully and forces the audience to re-experience that childhood fear.

IT may not be the best Stephen King movie but it sure is one of my favorites! This movie was all about re-experiencing that childhood horror, with an in your face psychological hit to stir up emotions and connect us to the story. Nightmares are exactly what films like this envoke and we haven’t seen all of IT yet as we still have part two to review. Things like IT are an intense roller coaster filled with emotions, jump scares, and a connection to the characters, including the creepy killer clown Pennywise.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Review

September 20, 2019September 20, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

I’ve waited a long time to write this review on a game series that has become one of my all-time favorite stories…ever!

The Walking Dead: The Final Season makes a farewell to Clementine in a very spectacular way honestly. For the last seven years, Clementine has been protecting her little companion A.J. just like Lee had done for her in the first season of the game. What Lee did for her in the first season created a survival instinct within Clementine that is unrivaled by almost no one. This survival instinct is what has kept her and A.J. alive all these years.

The Final Season is one of the most focused arc’s if not the most in the series since its debut back in 2012. The adopted mother/son dynamic between Clementine and A.J. create one of the best story dynamics the series has seen to date. This story also offers us something new with a different perspective about the walkers, which is weird to think about but after so many years of this game, the story attempts to show us that the walkers were once human before the outbreak. To me, the game is really trying to point at something new that we haven’t seen yet and that is one of breaking a cycle, one of possibly breaking old habits and living in this world differently.

On an episode by episode basis, I think the Final Season brings a good close to a great series and the studio that started it all. We get to see a mix of moments between dull and dragging, to cringe-worthy and exciting but the final destination of this game is well worth the time put in to get there. Each episode has at least two or three pivotal moments that made me feel like reloading my save and making the other choice, only to realize that either way would leave me with mixed emotions. When a story-based game can create hard decisions personally for you as the player then the developers have done an amazing job in my opinion! After knowing these characters in-game for so long it’s hard to make different choices aka break those cycles like we talked about earlier, but change is necessary for this game and the characters have a chance to change their ways and so do you as the player.

There were some big mechanical changes from previous seasons mainly around camera control which was an interesting feature. Basically, the camera now allows you some third-person views and giving you full control of the camera during combat. This feature definitely brings a new level of dynamic fighting and hectic moments. Even though this system does allow full camera control, and brings some new action to the game when encountering the Walkers, it is not without its flaws! For one the playable area for each scene is confined which makes running into those invisible walls a very frustrating common thing in the game, and another is the noticeable framerate drops when encountering big herds of Walkers. Overall, the third-person action sequences work well, but more often than not the free-roaming camera sequence has a negative effect on the game experience.

With all this said I think The Walking Dead: The Final Season does a fantastic job bringing you on a journey and discovering more about the relationship between Clementine and A.J. – Which honestly produced some of the craziest situations, and hardest decisions/choices ever in the game series to date. At times, the story gets clogged up with this new free-roaming gameplay feature, and the onslaught of new characters introduced that never get fully developed. Each episode though did have a very satisfying conclusion and wrap up that set up an amazing end to the final game. We ended the game on a bittersweet note especially since this was the last game TellTale worked on before shutting down, which really hit home in how they did the ending for Clem and this amazing story that’s unfolded over the last seven years.

Gears 5 – A Pleasantly Surprised Review

September 19, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

Let’s talk Gears 5 shall we as it’s managed to pleasantly surprise me, both in terms of its gameplay and its story. Honestly, I wasn’t overly excited when Gears 5 was announced but knew that I would end up playing it eventually to see what the story was about.

If you look at the overall series and the longevity this game has held it’s dang impressive. We are now six games in on the Gears franchise and the story just keeps getting better in my opinion. The developers really took their time it seems to give Gears 5 a well rounded and established character base. I personally wasn’t a huge fan of Gears 4 but with the newest story picking up right where Gears 4 ended, it puts 4 in the almost worth playing category for me…..or you can just ***Spoiler*** watch the recap of the ending of 4 before you kick off the new journey in 5.

Gears 5 makes absolutely no attempt in trying to fix what isn’t broken and I love the fact that what has worked they are staying with! We have a rock-solid story-based 3rd person shooting game loaded with mayhem that just looks good, plays good, and keeps you engaged. Combine all of that with an open world feel and a set of multiplayer modes that range from the old and classic to fresh and new on both the co-op and competitive gameplay, is to me what makes this one of the best action games of the year so far.

Gears 5 Campaign Review

Gears’ third-person action has evolved slightly over the years from game to game, but in Gears 5 they have added a new companion named Jack! This little robot can now be controlled to help you pick up weapons, unlock doors, safes, and a host of other handy options throughout the game. You will also be able to earn new abilities for this little guy that can be quite useful in combat, such as reviving you and your allies, stunning enemies, cloaking you and much more. To get these abilities you will find upgrade components throughout the world which can help you customize what this little companion can do.

Overall the Gears’ combat still feels dang good and keeps you engaged along the way. The weapons in this Gears’ felt good as well and the default weapon you start with….you know that good old Lancer was a constant goto for me. We had a the Overkill shotgun return from Gears 4, and good old classics that have been refined just a bit it seems. The overall weapon balance feels great between the old and new toys we get to play with.

Also new in the open world feel of Gears 5 comes a new toy you will get to roam around with. The wind-powered skiff, pictured here lets you tackle a huge open-world map and get to areas fairly quickly as well as going after those optional quests littered through the area. I found that these optional missions are worth the extra time as the rewards were usually upgrades for Jack. Along with some fresh new weapons, the open world feel, a wind-powered land cruiser and some very interesting boss fights, Gears 5 has become one of my favorites to date of the franchise!

Gears 5 has done an amazing job balancing story, and a heavy 3rd person gameplay mechanic that is still exciting to play! This series has never really had a bad launch on the games, even when changing from the original developer Epic to The Coalition. Gears 5 brings some very welcome additions to both its gameplay and flow of the story which is why it’s become a quick hit with fans.

The Dragonlance Chronicles – A Nostalgic Review

September 19, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic lately, and for whatever reason, the Dragonlance novels have been standing out over the last few weeks. So, what better way to scratch that itch then dig out your old book collection from when you were a kid and re-read said novels. Yes, I still have books from when I was a kid tucked away in boxes in the attic…..mainly because we’ve run out of space in all our bookshelves in the house.

If you haven’t read the Dragonlance novels and want a great high fantasy novel to get lost in then I personally would recommend these.

Dragonlance Novels:

History Behind The Books

The Dragonlance novels were based on a series of Dungeons & Dragons game modules. The books came about because the designers wanted novels to tell the story of the worlds they were creating. After Tracy Hickman came to TSR it was announced that development was to happen on his series of dragons based role-playing adventures. Hickman’s storyline was chosen for the Dragonlance books due to the twelve-part storyline. Margaret Weis came into the picture as she was assigned to edit Hickmans “Project Overlord,” as it was initially called, a novel intended to be coordinated with a trilogy of Dungeon & Dragons modules. The newly formed team plotted the novel and hired an author who didn’t work out. By this time, Weis and Hickman were so into the project they felt they had to write it and the rest is history.

Breakdown of the Novels

The Dragonlance Chronicles were one of the first novel series I read that introduced my love for the world of fantasy. The first novel series that I fell in love with of course was JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings. The Dragonlance Chronicles holds a high place on my list though mainly because I was one of those role-playing geeks of the 80’s.

Let’s take a look at the first book, Dragons of Autumn Twilight which has a strong character base but the first book does feel over the top at times. What really stood out to me about the first book were the “Major” characters in the story, and there are a few that were very distinct. Unfortunately, the story has some downsides and one major part is the characters seem lost, as does the navigation of the overall plot. But, as an introductory novel, it sets events in motion without giving anything away which is impressive to do no matter the genre. The second and third novels develop completely different, which felt more organic and that the writers were given much more freedom with the plot.

Here’s what I like about the original Dragonlance Chronicles and what brought me back to read them once again:

The novels continue to throw extremely creative scenarios and locations at you. Which keep the interest up while reading, as you gotta know what is coming up next.
The authors did a fantastic job of balancing the character development, action, drama, and overall plot.
The world of Krynn itself as the authors did an amazing job adding a level of mystery to the world which kept you wondering what’s next.
The overall pace of the book is done quite well in story development, especially as you get into books 2 & 3.
Ultimately the book is called Dragonlance…..so what better than the Dragon War and the evil queen that returns.

To me, these books are such a good mix of the Sword & Sorcery and the High Fantasy genres of the ’80s which I fell in love with at a young age so it’s hard not to like them. How about you all, what are your thoughts on the Dragonlance Chronicles? Have you read them? Let me know in the comments below.

All Things Geekery Podcast: S3E15 – A Refined Playlist

September 17, 2019September 17, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

In this episode we are going to discuss the newly released titles of Gears 5 and Borderlands 3 and how they have stuck by the “if it is not broke don’t fix it” mentality. We will also talk about two games that have been out for a while but we have just recently been playing. Finally, we will wrap up the episode talking about the fantastic news of the Super Nintendo addition that was added to the Nintendo Switch Online Catalog!

Click to Listen: S315 – A Refined Playlist

Show Notes

Gears 5

Picks up right where Gears 4 left off
Make senses but it is the best looking Gears game to date
Every part of the game has been finessed
Hits your right in the feels – right from the get-go
The new addition to have someone play the support class is nice and provides a brand new way for co-op to be played
The story keeps you engaged throughout when some things happened that will leave you shaken story impact wise
They definitely are “gearing” up for a 6

Borderland 3

Mayhem has begun!
Can say right off the bat that anyone looking for something “new” “game-defining” will be disappointed BUT anyone looking for more Borderlands games played that has been even more refined will be in for the best Borderlands game to date.
The loot is never-ending, a lot of QOL added…..though some could still be needed but are minor
Probably the most I have been engaged to the story of any of the main Borderlands games
The dynamic level scaling for co-op is amazing and allows the co-op to be even better as you don’t have to worry about out leveling a friend
On the co-op note the unique loot mode “Cooperative” is what Borderlands has needed for a while

Elder Scrolls Online

The Positives
- ESO is a typical MMORPG and tries to give you that experience as best it can
- This, however, is not a free-roaming exploration zone-based progression game like Skyrim was and struggles a bit in piecing its story together
- LORE – the game is deeply rooted in the world of storytelling and finding out about the world of Tamriel is fun! The game systems, unfortunately, don’t compliment the story enough for me to stay engaged. The buggy, broken systems take away from the experience.
- The game has a guided epic story with over 100 hours of main story content to play through. That’s a lot of story to get through but if you are willing to hang on and grind through the content, I think the story delivers a very nice experience!
- I think the world quests as a whole do a decent job of capturing the Elder Scrolls experience, as well as the MMO experience. This is all paired and made more bearable because of the epic soundtrack!
- CRAFTING
  - One of my favorite aspects of the MMO genre and ESO does a brilliant job on it’s crafting system!
  - It does have its downsides as the resources needed for crafting, does require a large “Bag, Vault, and Storage Space” but is manageable
  - Even though they do a good job overall, this system still has a lot of features that needed to be better to enjoy it!
- Let’s talk big adventure and big story for a moment
The Negatives
- A search bar for ingredients or materials when inside a vault or storage area
- There is absolutely no way to sell your resources except through “Hocking” items in world chat, or at a “Guild” store
- Syncing with other players and timing of events such as helping other players out in quests seems to be a challenge most of the time.
- The multi-player gameplay is “Lazy” feeling as once you do get synced up it doesn’t seem to be much of a challenge to defeat enemies.
- Overall the game was too disconnected for me to really enjoy overall, even though I love MMO’s and I love the grind this one wasn’t for me
- The game overall has some of the most annoying buggy systems I’ve ever seen
- Finding a guild isn’t the easiest process by any means
- GOLD SPAMMERS, they exist in every MMO and it will always be a negative impact on someone’s experience
- The game, in general, looks pretty terrible!
- Between the drab world landscapes, and details it makes for a pretty lackluster experience.
- The combat mechanics are very clumsy and clunky feeling
- Crafting overall lacks some of the most basic UI features such as
- The multiplayer functions of the game don’t always work as they should either.

TellTale Games Walking Dead Definitive Edition

Looking back at the “Final Season” which was released back in Fall of 2018, Telltale did not rule out future The Walking Dead games; Creative Director Kent Mudle said that The Final Season title represented the end of Clementine’s journey from Telltale’s view, but could revisit the franchise through other characters.
However, due to the sudden near-closure of Telltale Games on September 21, 2018, only two of the four episodes were released and production on the latter two were canceled, effectively leaving the season half-finished. With fans, longing for another company to turn to, Skybound Entertainment who were creative directors for the first and second seasons stepped in with a ‘Still Not Bitten’ team and saw out the remaining entries to the series, as Kirkman had felt it necessary to properly complete Clementine’s story. Skybound also acquired the rights to all previous Telltale The Walking Dead games, becoming the supporting publisher for these on various storefronts.
The Definitive Edition
- Skybound published The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series that includes all episodes from all four seasons, as well as 400 Days and The Walking Dead: Michonne, for release on Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 10, 2019. Each of the previous episodes in the series was remastered to use the new rendering system that was introduced in The Final Season and adds over ten hours of developers and voice actor commentary. Additional improvements have been made in character models movement and lip-synching.

Nintendo Switch Online – SNES

It is about time!
The small selection right now
- Brawl Brothers
- Demon’s Crest
- Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
- Kirby’s Dream Land 3
- Star Fox
- Super Earth Defense Force
- Super Mario Kart
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
- Super Puyo Puyo 2
- Super Tennis
- Breath of Fire
- F-ZERO
- Kirby’s Dream Course
- Pilotwings
- Stunt Race FX
- Super Ghouls’n Ghosts
- Super Mario World
- Super Metroid
- Super Soccer
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
It does require Nintendo Switch Online but once you download the SNES Online app you have immediate access to play all the Super Nintendo Games in the Catalog without having to download them
The same save state, and……the rewind function. That’s right! You lose the power-up? – Rewind You died on the final boss? – Rewind This single function is completely changing how these SNES games are played.
On to future state – Since they have shown they want to completely negate their physical classic hardware of both the NES and SNES, What does this mean for N64? Gamecube? Someday please Nintendo? PLEASE?!?!?!?

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast with any of your favorite podcast apps. Stop by and drop us a review so we know how we’re doing.

Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

All Things Geekery Podcast – S3E14 – A Cyberpunked Classical

September 6, 2019September 6, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

In this episode, we are first going to talk about the very recent re-release of Wow Classic and how it has reunited the Warcraft community. We will then discuss the resurgence of players that have returned back to a blocky game we’ve all loved and played. Next, we will talk about the released information that hit about Destiny 2’s new “battle pass” type system which will be coming with Shadowkeep. Finally, we are going to talk about the most recent trailer for Star Wars episode 9 and also the deep dive video for Cyberpunk 2077.

Click to Listen: S314 – A Cyberpunked Classical

Show Notes

WoW Classic –

The re-release of the game that has dominated the MMO landscape for almost 15 years
Everyone has been able to Experience what happened when Wow first released.
This time the setting is different – We now have instant updates on people’s progress, superior communication(Discord), and gaming communities that didn’t exist 15 years ago(Twitch. Mixer, Facebook…etc)
Brand new ways of playing are being done just due to support from communities made possible by modern entertainment avenues(Example – Streamer loot)
It will be interesting to see how the drop of goes but even with that said we are about to get Battlegrounds added – Blizzard is having an update schedule similar to what took place or original WoW release

Minecraft –

A resurgence in Minecraft has taken ahold – why is this?
- People like us have stopped playing long ago as many updates have taken place completely changing some aspect of Minecraft
- Also, Shaders and Texture packs almost make it like a completely different game
- Some Fornite streamers have actually gained popularity because of Minecraft
- It is a game of Endless play and Endless Customization
- Bring in friends and the fun goes up exponentially

Destiny 2 Battle Pass (Season Pass)

Destiny franchise director Luke Smith, Bungie revealed how seasons will work in Destiny 2’s third year; including Shadowkeep and New Light this fall.

Each season has a free or paid version (“10 bucks” each, according to Smith), similar to battle passes in games like Fortnite or Dauntless. The first season of Year 3, Season of the Undying, comes bundled with Shadowkeep (players can purchase it separately as well).

ROTATING ACTIVITIES

The new season will focus on changing Destiny 2’s world every three months. In Season of the Undying, players will open a Vex gate, creating a new activity and rewards. Three months later, players will close the gate, end the activities, and set Season of the Dawn in motion. Including Season of the Undying and Season of Dawn, Year 3 will contain four seasons.

Bungie believes that removing activities each season is the only way to make the game feel like it’s evolving. “We believe that Destiny will grow even better when the world state can change and that the best Destiny stories are the ones where ‘you had to be their when…,’” Smith said.

But weapons and rewards for the seasons won’t be gone forever. While Smith didn’t elaborate on how players should expect weapons they’ve missed to return within about six months. However, Smith was clear that there will be periods where players have no current means of acquiring some past items.

ARTIFACTS

On top of seasons rotating activities, the new seasonal Artifact will create individual player growth each season. Artifacts are free for all players, and Guardians can level them up during the season. Each level comes with uncapped bonus power that extends across a player’s account.

Players will also unlock new and powerful mods through the Artifact. After they unlock a mod, Guardians can slot them into weapons and armor for the remainder of the season. The goal is for the mods to change the way players interact with the world and create unique effects against everyday enemies and bosses.

At the end of each season, the seasonal mods and bonus power will reset. Players will earn a new Artifact for the next season, and start the process over again.

SEASON PASS

The Season Pass is a new idea to Destiny, but similar to battle passes in other games where players can earn rewards on a free and premium track depending on whether they own the season or not. Each season comes with 100 ranks, and the experienced players earn at max level counts toward their pass.

Free players can earn some powerful items and rewards through the season pass, but the real goodies come with the $10 price tag. Bungie laid out the rewards players can expect in Season of the Undying’s season pass as an example.

Season Pass owners get access to a new seasonal activity, the Vex Offensive, which includes:

Four Legendary Weapon drops

Additional weekly and daily bounties

Additional weekly challenges with powerful rewards

A new weapon quest for an Exotic Bow, Leviathan’s Breath

Exclusive to Season Pass owners

A new Exotic Hand Cannon, Eriana’s Vow

Awarded on Rank 35 of the free track

Awarded on Rank 1 of the premium track

Three seasonal Legendary armor sets (one for each class)

Collect a complete set during the first 25 ranks of the free track

On the premium track, you get all three sets on Rank 1

These also drop within the Vex Offensive seasonal activity

If you want versions with higher stat tiers, you’ll need to play Vex Offensive to earn them

Some additional premium track rewards:

Three universal ornament armor sets (one for each class)

An Exotic weapon ornament for Eriana’s Vow

Two Legendary weapon ornaments

A new finisher

An Exotic emote

An Exotic ship

Star Wars Episode 9 – Newest Trailer

- Call back to every other previous Skywalker Movie – Showing the History of the Skywalker line
- This is it….the end of the skywalker story in more ways than one
- How will they send off Leia? How much will Luke’s force ghost appear?
- What an ending with Rey as a Dark Side user. Is it a Clone? Is that Rey? Force Vision?

Cyberpunk 2077 DeadDive Video

The first thing to notice is the reduction in gaming quality – Maybe what to expect from console play?
The choice options will be immense – How you complete your mission is up to you
Although you can pick different play styles you can be classless in how you pick skills
Playable areas shaping up to be huge
Gunplay looks questionable – we shall see how it feels
We need to know more about Johnny Silverhand!
Launch date: April, 16th 2020

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Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

Blaugust 2019: What Is Blank Page Syndrome

August 8, 2019 / Detached / Leave a comment

Good morning writers, bloggers, and all those who have struggled with this freak phenomenon “The Blank Page Syndrome” you know that moment when writing you look up and realize you have absolutely no idea where to go, or what to do, or what to write about anymore. Have you ever been there? Chances are if you write in any form or fashion, then yes you’ve experienced writer’s block!

It’s easy to become immobilized with writer’s block, but one of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing again is to give yourself just a few minutes to write creatively about something completely different. Writer’s block is the brain’s way of saying “Hey I’m tired, I need a break you fool” so put the pen down, stop typing, and go get me a cup of coffee, or let me stare into space for a few minutes. When writing we need mental breaks, and sometimes as writers, we get in the zone and forget that we need to step away for a bit and take those mental breaks.

Personally, I struggle with writer’s block all the time, but over the years I’ve learned what my brain needs to get past those things that trip me up. Honestly, this is just something that takes time to discover about you personally and what trips you up when writing. We could look at every self-help writing book out there, but truth be told, when the ole brain is tired it’s hard to push forward and force writing as it becomes tiresome, and you burn out quickly on what used to be enjoyment and passion.

So if you are at that wall-banging your head, here are a few things to think about and try.

1. Take The Step, Take The Risk

To be a writer means to take risks, putting yourself and your ideas out on a limb, making yourself vulnerable to criticism, maybe even ridicule. Does that make you step back and question if this is something you should be doing? Just remember this is your little slice of the internet and you can make it what you want, but there will always be the Nay-Sayers lurking around! You as a writer have to be willing to take that jump and just do what you love. Remember that no writer can please everyone, and you will never benefit from trying to form your writing around that thought either.

2. Creating an Atmosphere

Open one of your favorite novels and pay attention to the techniques the author used to create atmosphere. What is it about the place referenced in the book that draws you? Drawing an atmosphere when writing can be one of the most creative and relaxing moments you will have when writing. Whether it be a descriptive word or a creation of scenery for the reader to get sucked into; this is definitely a way to break the writer’s block.

3. What’s In Your Descriptions

Writing is a wonderful way to see the beauties of this world, and it’s a way to describe what you as a writer want the reader to see. When you write look for new and fresh ways to describe what you want. Use old drafts or stories you’ve written in the past to practice with or look up some poems to spark a new idea. Either way getting out of your story for a bit, and looking at new ways to describe things is always a good way to improve one’s writing skills.

4. A Fantastic Fairy Tale

Fairy tales are also a good way to get the creative sparks popping! The whole point of a fairy tale was to dramatize struggles between good and evil for the most part. So why not take a look at some of those classic gems, because at the heart of fairy tales is a reminder of pure storytelling. Why not sit down with a good cup of tea, or coffee and try to do a play on one of your favorite fairy tales. Make it personal and watch what happens.

5. Let That Imagination Run Wild

You don’t have to be a creative writing major to enjoy writing or a professional journalist to write about a passion you have. You just need to be imaginative. To have a good ghost story, the ghost needs a house to haunt, or some spooky hotel, right? Well if that’s the case then what will you let your imagination create for this story to take shape?

Just remember the only one holding you back from writing is you. Find what you enjoy, write like you’ve never written before, and make it fun while you do it.

A Hobbits Journey

Author: Detached

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