Castlevania - Netflix Series Impressions

Adapting any video game to film or media has never been a high point. Something goes awry, be it sticking too close to the source material or straying far, far away from it. When a Castlevania anime series popped up on Netflix, I expected to be underwhelmed. Maybe it was going in with such expectations that let me leave the small series arc with a sense of optimism.

The Netflix series opens by doing away with the expectation of a young warrior off to fight an ancient evil. A young woman seeks Dracula's library to learn sciences that would help in healing her village and Dracula, intrigued by her purpose, entertains her and even falls for her. Many in the town see it as witchcraft and she is burned at the stake. Dracula goes from unsympathetic to justifiable as he unleashes his revenge on a town. The one love he had in the world, taken by those who did not understand.

Where do we find our hero, Trevor Belmont? Drinking in the pub far away from the mischief, looked down upon by the locals, his family name disgraced, getting into a drunken brawl before stumbling away to his own devices.

It was a refreshing change of pace, where Dracula would be established as the villain being a villain for villain's sake and our hero having his life together and nothing but praise and adoration from those around him. The story may not make any huge plot twists or devices, but the simplicity of picking the story up at this point was intriguing.

Most surprising is the sheer gore showcased. The games always had such a simplicity to it, that to see guts and body parts splitting apart took me aback, especially when it involved children. The show does not hold back at all. But when you unleash an army of hell on an entire village, ignoring such casualties as a possibility would be unrealistic.

The voice acting is standout. Nothing feels forced or unnatural, even side characters deliver dialogue to the tee.

For four episodes at twenty three minutes a piece, you can easily burn through the series in a day. It also reveals an odd bit of pacing and little payoff. Simon just begins to gain his resolve and assemble his entourage when the series ends. A lackluster but humorous ending battle, an expectant alliance; it all felt a bit rushed.

Animation is alright. Some of it looks great, like the animation of fire. But characters feel a bit stiff, looking more like a 90's cartoon than modern day animation. Growing up with animation like this, it was not a huge distraction, but for the anime junkie I can understand it being bothersome.

Despite having Castlevania in its name and familiar faces like Alucard or Trevor Belmont, this just did not feel...Castlevania. Maybe the atmosphere is all different, or the lack of any real sequences fans could relate to experiencing in-game, but for now it just feels like a new show that I am watching with Castlevania plastered on its surface.

A second season is inbound and I am interested to see where the supposed trilogy arc will ultimately culminate. Familiar names and creatures are fun to see in a Netflix series but hopefully the second season will provide better overall pacing, animation, and incorporation of Dracula's castle with more elements from the game. Given the short runtime, it is worth the watch for the witty retorts from Trevor alone.

Frontier Defense 2.0 - Titanfall 2 Impressions

The AI typically acts as score fodder in Titanfall 2; running around in small clusters begging to be used to boost your team or cooldown for a new Titan. Frontier Defense looks to turn that on its head much like the original Titanfall mode, providing a co-operative experience against the AI alone.

A team of four is dropped off onto a random map and must hold back five waves of grunts, titans, and flying drones from destroying The Harvester. It acts as a "defend the objective game" that evolves into working together to cover every angle the objective can be hit from, including across the map.

The first waves start simple with grunts and a single Titan to overcome. As the waves increase they intensify, with such enemies as Nuclear Titans that slowly lumber toward the objective to hit with massive damage or Arc Titans that drain the shield and emit and pulse of damage that makes close quarters difficult. Soon you find your team dividing lanes to stem the tide as drop after drop of enemies pile up to be managed. Even mortar Titans drive you out from your shelter as they pepper the shield of your objective from across the map.

You are not completely to your own devices, as a setup phase before each round will allow you to purchase equipment with money earned from the previous round by surviving the wave without dying, being MvP of your team, or preventing the Harvester from taking damage. Such items available for purchase include permanent arc traps that can temporarily disable enemies at a choke point, Sentry turrets, and even a nuke that can allow you to take a Titan with you upon your Titan's demise. Managing these costs and dispersing currency to your team to make sure everyone has a boost will help in controlling the waves of enemies.

The more you play the mode, the higher your Aegis rank advances. Your Aegis rank is tied to the Titan you chose to use, and makes them grow in power the more you play. Northstar, my personal favorite Titan to use, gained a slew of bonuses as I completed each match; the tether traps I usually send out would explode, my railgun would recharge faster, and even the cluster rockets I fired would be better. Every titan gains improvement in this way, some strengthening abilities to others strengthening armor and shields.

All this powering up is to help in tackling the more difficult modes; ranging from Hard to Insane.

It is hard to complain regarding free content, but the mode grew predictable after hitting your 3rd Aegis rank. You knew which maps had the mortar titans, which map had the flyers, and what wave they occurred. I found myself...bored. Bored during the initial waves, waiting for the real challenge in waves 3-5. By the time I had unlocked the harder difficulties and felt like I had the rank to make it happen, I became bored with the mode. Sure the tougher difficulties require coordination and communication to overcome, but the aesthetic reward you get must be paid for with purchased content, lessening my resolve to dive into the effort.

While the Aegis is able to power you up, it also limits team composition. If I am grouped with a bunch of people that lack an Ogre Titan to soak up damage, then we are automatically at a disadvantage and I must level another Titan up all over again. It is an insane grind just to allow you to even use a Titan that is needed on higher difficulties, and by the time that rank is reached you find yourself itching to play the shorter, more enjoyable competitive multiplayer modes.

Despite the shortcomings I found myself coming back to up my Aegis rank and see the potential power my Titan could have with each upgrade. It is an entertaining mode, but you find yourself gravitating back to the multiplayer to remind yourself what makes Titanfall so great in the first place.

Destiny Beta Impressions

The Destiny Beta is coming to a close and I will be honest...I played it sparingly. Not for lack of excitement or lack of interest in what was to come, but more so for two very concrete reasons:

Everything the Beta offered, I had seen before. The single player introductory mission, the PvP modes, the weapons, the supers, etc. Aside from a few additional weapons and armor, most of what I experienced through the Destiny 2 livestream was given here. Your character was decked out in purple gear, you were the capped at a level, there was nothing to do but grind for new weapons to try out and new armor to alter stats on...only for all of it to be deleted tomorrow.

The other reason...I was playing an outdated version of the game. The concerns that I and others had after initially getting into the beta with low super recharge time and grenade cooldown issues were addressed by stating that what we were playing was an old build [1]. Going from vanilla Destiny to what it is now was tweaks, both minor and major, and it made a drastic difference in overall accessibility and feel of the game. Knowing what I was playing was likely not going to be the end product made me less inclined to delve into it further.

The only real gain from the Beta was the sense of feel for how Destiny 2 was in comparison to Destiny 1...slower. This is both a good thing for PvP (kinda) and bad thing for PvE.

The whole appeal of the base combat in Destiny was charging a super and the satisfaction of mowing down an entire wave of enemies. You felt powerful, taking on swarms of Hive and Fallen a dozen at a time. Now enemies take much longer to bring down. I found myself fighting a shielded lieutenant in the campaign mission and got so bored chipping his health as he sat hovering in place that I just...left....I just walked right by him. He didn't mind at all, planting his fat self in place, firing in vain as I continued to the objective marker.

It was not all bad. The mission structure is much more involved this time around, with the opening mission featuring all the commanders you reported to previously fighting at your side and the obvious antagonist doing his due diligence in establishing himself as the end-game baddie you want to bring down. The highlight for me was not so much the pre-scripted scenes or environment but the moment in the mission where the game shifted from single to open multiplayer space in defending waves of enemies from the tower. The potential to open the game up for players who typically go it alone in these missions is huge. It gives the intended feeling of being part of something bigger and made the fighting that much better.

The slower pace on the flip side is good for PvP...kinda. Reducing the party size from 6v6 to 4v4 and increasing the TTK has the game switching from rushing shotguns to strategic play and communication. Outnumbered? You will likely lose. Random grenade kills? Not as prevalent in this one. The downside of this is the huge recovery time. Engaging in a 1v1 and winning will send you running and basically put you behind cover as you wait painfully for that shield bar to regenerate. The lowered super recharge rate and more concern for staying alive has shifted the game from beautiful chaos of big teams clashing to quick skirmishes where every cool down can save your life. Some like the toned down nature, others find it miserably slow.

The foundations for a great game are all there, Bungie just has to capitalize on it. We have been here before, as I remember joining Destiny 1 during the Crota DLC, and since that day the game has drastically undergone a ton of changes. Concerns of fans and outcry over issues are usually addressed, and given that Bungie had the same thought process that we did in terms of beta issues, if the concern is great enough they can make the changes necessary to make Destiny great again (cue Trump face). There is still a TON of content yet to be experienced, and this simple taste of what the game can bring gives potential. Let's just hope that potential is not wasted.


[1] -  Bungie.Net - This Week at Bungie 7/20/2017 - https://www.bungie.net/en/News/Article/46077/

E3 2017 - The Games to Watch

BEST IN SHOW
Super Mario Odyssey
Switch
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: October 27th, 2017

Nintendo somehow manages to steal the show with a single trailer. We were prepared for the world of New Donk City, and knew this game would be a complete step in a new direction for the franchise in terms of setting. We were not prepared for the zany trailer that made such an impact yesterday. A Mario game where you possess practically everything around you by throwing your hat onto the object. Such noticeable takeovers were taxi cabs, rocket ships, Goombas, and even a T-Rex. All the while, the game looks outstanding with a "Link Between Worlds" esque platforming sequence along a pillar, hat flinging combat, and a huge potential with possessing multiple entities. Tack on the fact that this title will be out at the end of this year and the gameplay trailer accomplished its goal of peaking interest across the board.

Dragonball Fighter Z
PS4 - Xbox One - PC
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Release Date: Early 2018

There have been a number of Dragonball Z fighting games, but none like what was showcased at Microsoft's press conference. Coming from the developer of Guilty Gear, this could be a potential competitive 3v3 fighter you will see more of at big league tourneys. Players will choose from the roster of fan favorites in 2D action, tagging in their partner when they choose and unleashing devastating meter combos to gain the upper hand. The game is visually incredible and the fighting looks fast and most of all precise. There is a polish not only to the look but overall fluidity of the combat.

The Last Night
PC - Xbox One
Developer: Odd Tales
Publisher: Raw Fury
Release Date: 2018

A standout for the Microsoft conference this year, The Last Night looks like the indie title to watch. This 2D sidescroller stood out with stunning visual aesthetic akin to Blade Runner meets Castlevania. Not much was revealed as of yet except that the game will feature elements of stealth, gunfights, and exploration.

Fortnite
PC - Xbox One - PS4
Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Epic Games
Release Date: July 25th, 2017

First unveiled in 2011 Epic Games unveiled Fortnite during the Spike VGA. At the time, it was simply announcement of a concept, which led to six years of development effort before releasing the game in a playable state. What they have produced looks like splendid chaos of crafting buildings and holding off waves of enemies. Giving the player the ability to craft all the structures to intercept the swarming hordes of undead and giving each role a pivotal purpose in making it come to fruition looks like a co-op experience that can produce some truly fun moments.

Skull & Bones
PC - Xbox One - PS4
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: Q3/Q4 2018

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag featured some entertaining ship battle mechanics, and Skull & Bones looks to expand upon that formula. Showcasing a 5v5 PvP environment where different ships have different capabilities, we saw potential for a seafaring strategy Battleship like game as teams competed to get the most loot and make it out alive. The game looked detailed and vibrant and gameplay looked similar to Black Flag as ships fired mortars, cannons, and rammed each in attempt to sink or board the opposing ship. Still a ways away in release date but the initial showing was fantastic.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Switch
Developer: Nintendo/Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: August 29th, 2017

It sounds insane putting Rabbids with Mario and using an Xcom approach to battle, but it looks oddly entertaining.  The gameplay utilizes cover mechanics and turn based strategy as Mario and friends use their abilities to move and attack in sync with each other for combos. The terrain changes as the game goes on allowing you to flank or alter the setup of cover. It looks like a blast, and has the potential to be a huge release this year for the Switch.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Wolfenstein II (Multi Platform)- Never played Wolfenstein, but the humorous take and approach looks like a love letter to fans.
Lawbreakers (PC/PS4) - Twitch shooting at its finest and a release date of August! Looks fast as hell.
SW:Battlefront II (Multi Platform) - Vast improvement over the original, looks like much more content this time around and a lot of potential with space combat.
Yoshi/Kirby (Switch) - Looks like classic side scrolling action, both look like fun 4 player LAN experiences
Spiderman (PS4) - Insomniac can be trusted after that showcase, fast, gorgeous, and swinging looks real smooth.
Anthem (Multi Platform) - Exploration looks insanely satisfying, Bioware has big potential with this one, but will wait to see if the look will hold up across platforms.

Breath of the Wild Has a Boss Problem

Breath of the Wild did a lot of new things right, but I could not shake the lackluster feeling the bosses left after conquering each divine beast. Even the final encounter with Calamity Ganon felt abrupt and overly simple. Something was missing and I could not put my finger on it. I went back to previous Zelda titles to try and find why these newer encounters seemed to lack the intensity the older bosses held and why I still have nostalgic memories of so many older bosses to this day.

-The Boss Build Up-

The boss room was your final test; An arena only unveiled once you stepped through an intimidating door sometimes requiring a special key used only for that room alone. Link would cautiously enter the room, door closing abruptly behind him, as he glanced at his surroundings he moved forward slowly to the center of the room. This left the player guessing as to what could possibly come out and surveying the environment where they would do battle.

Bosses keep their keys in the most obvious of chests...

We all remember the long climb up the stairs as the organ music got louder when approaching Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, the feeling of the heavy chain and lock falling from the gargantuan door as you proceed through, and the uneasy suspense when you are given control to walk around an arena with no boss yet revealed.

In BoW, the boss room is part of the already accessible map from the start, and after a few of the divine beasts were completed, you got the pattern; Unlock all five terminals, return to the big terminal usually in the middle of the beast and activate it to start the fight, then fight some iteration of Ganon. There was no looming door, no sense of surprise in opening to a big intimidating domain, and no real sense of buildup to what you could face. Which brings me to the biggest gripe...

-Keep it Fresh-

Blights of Ganon are all you really tackle in BoW, save Calamity Ganon himself and one additional boss not featured in a dungeon. They each harness a different element, but you knew what to expect after two dungeons. I am in a lightning based dungeon, I will face a ThunderBlight Ganon, fire dungeon means FireBlight Ganon, etc.

Today you face a giant flaming Mike Wazowski chasing you down a corridor

Zelda bosses, unless unveiled in a trailer, were always a bit of a surprise in both look and approach. I never knew what waited beyond that initial build up besides something associated with the theme of the temple. Sure, if I was in a temple featuring ghosts I would expect a ghost, but nothing along the lines of Jalhalla from Wind Waker, an obese ghost that you must throw into a spike layered pillar who then breaks into tiny ghosts that run around like chickens.

You also had expectant appearance from franchise staples like Ghoma, but these usually had a hitch to them. Ghoma varied greatly in style; from his first terrifying appearance in Ocarina of Time, to his molten counterpart in Wind Waker, to Twilight Princess in which he was fully armored spider only damaged by massive statues around you. On some occasions the bosses morphed into something else entirely with Twinrova fusing together to battle you as a single entity, or Stallord turning into a chase up a tower using the Spinner. Bosses were interesting and always different than the last in both appearance and tactical approach.

-Now You Must Face the Puzzle Itself-

After working through a dungeon reflecting light and changing water levels, the boss always acted like one final puzzle. Rarely straight forward, you had to wait until a boss exposed a weak point and utilize your newly acquired gear to gain the advantage before wailing on them.

Kansas City Shuffle

The Gemesaur King in Link Between Worlds that required you to break his armor and relight the room torches when he frenzied around attacking in the dark, reflecting orbs back at Phantom Ganon in an intense game of energy ball tennis, or Trinexx's dueling heads in LttP in which the opposite element can damage the corresponding head. Needless to say running up and slashing usually got you nowhere, whereas observing openings or actions that coincide with the dungeon item you gained become moments of clarity in how you were to topple the imposing figure before you.

For the Blight Ganons, it usually boiled down to simply attacking. Everything usually did damage to the boss in some minimal way. You could still stun them by hitting them with an arrow in the right spot but the majority of the encounters went like this; Windblight Ganon? Shoot him with arrows. Waterblight Ganon? More arrows. Fireblight Ganon? Literally run up close and slash him. Thunderblight Ganon was the only of the four requiring timing and parries to overcome. Halfway through their healthbar each would frenzy and introduce some new mechanic to dodge but ultimately became far too simple to overcome. 

-It's a Great Big World Out There-

That is not to say Breath of the Wild did not have some enjoyable boss encounters, just not the ones within the actual divine beasts. It is something to say in a game when I have more fun fighting the overworld enemies than the actual bosses.

Time to battle the Gorignak

Climbing onto a Stone Talus and slicing away at its heart, battling Molduga while surfing on a shield being towed by a sand seal, and even rolling under a Hinox to get a few slashes in on its legs is a blast. Even the Lynels require a lot of preparation and timing to overcome with feelings of satisfaction that overshadowed anything I fought in the divine beasts.

There were a plethora of creatures from looming robotic Guardians to massive dragons that offered such potential for a memorable boss encounter. You could argue they were staying true to the story or it would not have made sense for Dodongo to overtake a giant robot, but surely the blights could have possessed entities that made for far more interesting battles than what was offered. 

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It is hard to fault Breath of the Wild for trying something new. I love how they opened the main world up to exploration, I enjoy the divine beast mechanics of moving one aspect of the temple to turn a dungeon on its head, and I even do not mind the new inventory system of throwaway weaponry; but the bosses are the main thing I look forward to when playing Legend of Zelda. When I think back to the first time I started attacking Koloktos with his own arm in Skyward Sword, the first time I was able to hookshot onto Argorok's back to slam him to the ground in Twilight, or growing ten times my size to battle Twinmold in Majora; those are memorable moments of satisfaction in both gameplay and visual appeal; a feeling I did not match in Breath of the Wild's boss encounters.