Everything I have seen about Legion makes me more interested... and these trailers is no exception.
The features trailer comes before the cinematic in the timeline, and I absolutely love how it mirrors the cinematic of Warcraft III with Medivh attempting to warn King Terenas III that the Legion has retuend. We see Khadgar flying in much the same manner as his mentor did, though we also see Varian and Anduin speaking before the wizard makes his appearance. With his shapeshifting abilities, this makes me thing that Khadgar has taken on Medivh's mantle of Guardian, something interesting that could come up later in Legion. Khadgar even strikes his staff against the stones of the court in the same manner as Medivh did when he was trying to get the King's attention. But this time, it works.
There isn't very much to it that we didn't really already know shown in the cinematic, so I will just be focusing on Varian and Sylvanas for the cinematic trailer. They fight an infernal together on the airship, which is really cool to see.
It opens up with Varian Wrynn writing a letter to his son Anduin, admitting that he might not return from this fight with the Legion. He speaks of how he has always fought, alludes to his past in seeing kingdoms burn, and brave men fall. I have to say that I love his look in this cinematic. He looks weathered, beaten, but still with plenty of fight to give. And it is clear he will do anything to defeat whatever foes face Azeroth and its people. He is riding on one of the Alliance airships, headed for the Broken Shore with a huge army of what I am guessing to be both Horde and Alliance ships. After the airship gets blown out of the sky, it appears Varian is drowning, though I know that they wouldn't kill him so easily. An interesting note is that once he gets to his feet, he fights with two swords that come from his greatsword.
Sylvanas is also featured heavily in this trailer, suggesting she will play a large part in this expansion. Which only makes sense, given that her undead state would not exist without the Legion. If I was her, I'd want to kick as much demon ass as possible. Her look is interesting, something about it seems odd to me. But when she's in motion, you see her high elven agility kicking high gear. I love that it shows her helping Varian, it shows that she is still willing to fight for the world itself, and not her selfish purposes. I'm sure those selfish purposes are around somewhere, but I think that Sylvanas know this is not the time to work on her agenda.
The huge column of demonic energy spewing into the air makes me think shit is truly about to get real. And I cannot wait to see just what is in store.
All in all, I am rather eager to see what all is in store once the beta starts. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the next expansion. I just hope that Blizzard has learned lessons from Warlords of Draenor...
Monday, November 16, 2015
Friday, November 6, 2015
Coming Soon!
I have two reviews planned once I have some breathing room. I will be taking a good, close look at the World of Warcraft: Legion trailer which was released at BlizzCon. And I will also be taking a look at the Japanese trailer for Star Wars. Keep an eye out!
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Trailer Review
Oh.
My.
GODS.
I just sat staring at this trailer when it finally came out. I know I had this huge, stupid grin on my face, and I am GIDDY to see the film looking so good. It looks real, and it sounds right. I am going to take a few minutes (and another dozen viewings) to break this thing down, scene by scene. It's at 21 million views in about a day's time, and websites were crashing when people tried to buy advanced tickets. This is going to be amazing.
The first scene has Rey scavenging around in what looks to possibly be the crashed Star Destroyer that we saw in a previous trailer. What's really curious here is it looks like she's wearing goggles very similar to the Snowtroopers in Episode V. A voice comes out, asking her "Who are you?" and changes to Rey walking across the desert with BB8 and her staff. to which Rey replies "I'm no one". Which I do not believe for one second. The next cut is a ship of some kind launching, but what really interesting is it looks like there's a foot from some kind of Imperial Walker in the foreground. Rey is watching the ship, and tinkering around with something. This made me curious, since it reminded me a bit of Anakin in Episode I. Very interesting.
The next scene is one of the First Order, with a high ranking officer giving orders to a number of Stormtroopers. And here, we are introduced to Finn, who pulls off his helmet and looks like he's trying to catch his breath. Possibly having a moment of crisis as well. "I was raised to do one thing. I've got nothing to fight for" is spoken by Finn as it shows a TIE fighter spiralling down towards the planet's surface. Looks very deserty, very familiar... Then we see Finn standing on a ridge looking over... what looks like Mos Eisley, and he's carrying a leather jacket of some kind. Definitely doesn't look like Imperial issue, which makes me wonder where it came from.
Our next seen looks like it's on the bridge of an Imperial ship of some kind, and we see Kylo Ren. "Nothing will stand in our way. I will finish what you started" he says and it cuts to VADER'S burned and twisted helmet. Now this raises a couple questions. Where the hell did he get the helmet in the first place? And just what is he talking about finishing... Then Kylo Ren is holding his hand in front of someone's forehead, and that man starts screaming, I'm guessing in pain. It then cuts to a forest exploding, in a very similar red light to what we saw on the bridge of the ship that Kylo was just on. Related? Quite possible.
And then the moment that made me grin like a big idiot. The motherfucking Millenium Falcon flying around some crashed Star Destroyers being chased by TIE fighters. Rey speaks "There are stories about what happened", and Han Solo himself replies "It's true. All of it." as we see Rey, Finn and Solo all on the Falcon. The ship is then seen traveling through hyperspace, which looks awesome!
Then the classic Star Wars theme starts playing, and we see Kylo Ren once more, though this time he's surrounded by a number of troops. He's the only one with a lightsaber out, which is a bit interesting. Makes it seem like Force uses are still rather rare in this time. Then we get this huge scene with X-wings, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers and Rebel forces all going at each other. And Han Solo is narrating over it. "The Dark Side. The Jedi. They're real". Very amusing turnabout for someone who once said "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid". But that being said, Han has been through some shit. Big time. we also see Finn and a X-wing pilot have an interesting moment, where the pilot hits him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and Finn just turns and stares at the guy. Kinda wondering if that pilot was the original owner of that jacket? Then we have Rey and Finn running across the desert, having to stop for a huge explosion. Then they're at some kind of big building with a droid walking behind them. Interesting point here, if you look carefully at the building among all the banners, there's a Mandalorian symbol on the building. when Han says "they're real", we see the shot of R2D2 and what was implied to be Luke Skywalker with his mechanical hand on the droid.
Then it cuts to an Imperial shuttle landing, with Stormtroopers running all around. Captain Phasma in all her glory is also shown for a few moments, then we see Kylo Ren once more slashing down on someone. Then we see Rey crying over someone we can't see, then a cut to Finn, Han and Chewbacca surrendering. Interesting note here, Chewie has a band-aid on his arm. Then the female voice from earlier speaks again. "The Force. It's calling to you". We briefly see BB8 being used as a droid in an X-wing over a snowy planet as well. And there is some kind of MASSIVE trench in the ground, definitely manmade since it is far too straight to be made by nature. More TIE fighters and X-wings fighting over that planet as well, then a shot of Rey shooting at someone with a blaster, interspersed with more Stormtroopers. Though the planet for the last bit is more forested and less snowy than the dogfighting of moments ago.
Then a lot more fast shots, the Falcon again, Han seems to be comforting Leia, Kylo Ren Force-pushing someone/something away. Then we see Finn holding a blue lightsaber with Kylo Ren coming straight for him. This raises a couple of interesting questions. One, where's he from, that he would be Force sensitive, but not trained in that way? It could be implied that his abilities with the Force are what made him a TIE pilot, but also what caused his crisis in trusting the New Order. Second, where did he get the lightsaber? Was it scavenged, was it a gift, is he trained with it? If he has been trained, it hasn't been for long, because Finn almost looks terrified when Ren starts swinging. Then that female voice speaks again and says "Just let it in" and we see the title.
First question on my mind. where the hell is Luke Skywalker in all this? We've got one possible shot of him, and it's very brief. we don't even get to see his face. Second, that female voice without a body, who is she, and what does she have to do with Rey? It seems like they are speaking throughout the trailer, which leads one to believe that Rey is Force sensitive as well. Second thing on my mind, it's clear while the Rebel Alliance won the battle at the end of Episode VI, they didn't win the war. Or even if they did, the Galactic Empire made a comeback in a huge way. I'm not familiar with the Extended Universe, so I can't draw anything from there.
All in all, I'm still very excited for this movie. I cannot wait for December. If I get the chance, my ass is going to be at a midnight showing. In costume. Everything that I've seen from Abrams I've enjoyed, and I truly hope that he continues this trend. It's a very good sign to me when I show the trailer to my mother (who saw the originals when they came out I believe) and she's even excited.
Abrams, you had best not screw this up. We're all counting on you.
My.
GODS.
I just sat staring at this trailer when it finally came out. I know I had this huge, stupid grin on my face, and I am GIDDY to see the film looking so good. It looks real, and it sounds right. I am going to take a few minutes (and another dozen viewings) to break this thing down, scene by scene. It's at 21 million views in about a day's time, and websites were crashing when people tried to buy advanced tickets. This is going to be amazing.
The first scene has Rey scavenging around in what looks to possibly be the crashed Star Destroyer that we saw in a previous trailer. What's really curious here is it looks like she's wearing goggles very similar to the Snowtroopers in Episode V. A voice comes out, asking her "Who are you?" and changes to Rey walking across the desert with BB8 and her staff. to which Rey replies "I'm no one". Which I do not believe for one second. The next cut is a ship of some kind launching, but what really interesting is it looks like there's a foot from some kind of Imperial Walker in the foreground. Rey is watching the ship, and tinkering around with something. This made me curious, since it reminded me a bit of Anakin in Episode I. Very interesting.
The next scene is one of the First Order, with a high ranking officer giving orders to a number of Stormtroopers. And here, we are introduced to Finn, who pulls off his helmet and looks like he's trying to catch his breath. Possibly having a moment of crisis as well. "I was raised to do one thing. I've got nothing to fight for" is spoken by Finn as it shows a TIE fighter spiralling down towards the planet's surface. Looks very deserty, very familiar... Then we see Finn standing on a ridge looking over... what looks like Mos Eisley, and he's carrying a leather jacket of some kind. Definitely doesn't look like Imperial issue, which makes me wonder where it came from.
Our next seen looks like it's on the bridge of an Imperial ship of some kind, and we see Kylo Ren. "Nothing will stand in our way. I will finish what you started" he says and it cuts to VADER'S burned and twisted helmet. Now this raises a couple questions. Where the hell did he get the helmet in the first place? And just what is he talking about finishing... Then Kylo Ren is holding his hand in front of someone's forehead, and that man starts screaming, I'm guessing in pain. It then cuts to a forest exploding, in a very similar red light to what we saw on the bridge of the ship that Kylo was just on. Related? Quite possible.
And then the moment that made me grin like a big idiot. The motherfucking Millenium Falcon flying around some crashed Star Destroyers being chased by TIE fighters. Rey speaks "There are stories about what happened", and Han Solo himself replies "It's true. All of it." as we see Rey, Finn and Solo all on the Falcon. The ship is then seen traveling through hyperspace, which looks awesome!
Then the classic Star Wars theme starts playing, and we see Kylo Ren once more, though this time he's surrounded by a number of troops. He's the only one with a lightsaber out, which is a bit interesting. Makes it seem like Force uses are still rather rare in this time. Then we get this huge scene with X-wings, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers and Rebel forces all going at each other. And Han Solo is narrating over it. "The Dark Side. The Jedi. They're real". Very amusing turnabout for someone who once said "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid". But that being said, Han has been through some shit. Big time. we also see Finn and a X-wing pilot have an interesting moment, where the pilot hits him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and Finn just turns and stares at the guy. Kinda wondering if that pilot was the original owner of that jacket? Then we have Rey and Finn running across the desert, having to stop for a huge explosion. Then they're at some kind of big building with a droid walking behind them. Interesting point here, if you look carefully at the building among all the banners, there's a Mandalorian symbol on the building. when Han says "they're real", we see the shot of R2D2 and what was implied to be Luke Skywalker with his mechanical hand on the droid.
Then it cuts to an Imperial shuttle landing, with Stormtroopers running all around. Captain Phasma in all her glory is also shown for a few moments, then we see Kylo Ren once more slashing down on someone. Then we see Rey crying over someone we can't see, then a cut to Finn, Han and Chewbacca surrendering. Interesting note here, Chewie has a band-aid on his arm. Then the female voice from earlier speaks again. "The Force. It's calling to you". We briefly see BB8 being used as a droid in an X-wing over a snowy planet as well. And there is some kind of MASSIVE trench in the ground, definitely manmade since it is far too straight to be made by nature. More TIE fighters and X-wings fighting over that planet as well, then a shot of Rey shooting at someone with a blaster, interspersed with more Stormtroopers. Though the planet for the last bit is more forested and less snowy than the dogfighting of moments ago.
Then a lot more fast shots, the Falcon again, Han seems to be comforting Leia, Kylo Ren Force-pushing someone/something away. Then we see Finn holding a blue lightsaber with Kylo Ren coming straight for him. This raises a couple of interesting questions. One, where's he from, that he would be Force sensitive, but not trained in that way? It could be implied that his abilities with the Force are what made him a TIE pilot, but also what caused his crisis in trusting the New Order. Second, where did he get the lightsaber? Was it scavenged, was it a gift, is he trained with it? If he has been trained, it hasn't been for long, because Finn almost looks terrified when Ren starts swinging. Then that female voice speaks again and says "Just let it in" and we see the title.
First question on my mind. where the hell is Luke Skywalker in all this? We've got one possible shot of him, and it's very brief. we don't even get to see his face. Second, that female voice without a body, who is she, and what does she have to do with Rey? It seems like they are speaking throughout the trailer, which leads one to believe that Rey is Force sensitive as well. Second thing on my mind, it's clear while the Rebel Alliance won the battle at the end of Episode VI, they didn't win the war. Or even if they did, the Galactic Empire made a comeback in a huge way. I'm not familiar with the Extended Universe, so I can't draw anything from there.
All in all, I'm still very excited for this movie. I cannot wait for December. If I get the chance, my ass is going to be at a midnight showing. In costume. Everything that I've seen from Abrams I've enjoyed, and I truly hope that he continues this trend. It's a very good sign to me when I show the trailer to my mother (who saw the originals when they came out I believe) and she's even excited.
Abrams, you had best not screw this up. We're all counting on you.
Change of Format
I cannot keep up with my self set schedule, so I am just going to post as things come to mind. I wish I could do better, but stress from work and such is the quickest thing to kill my writing muse. that being said, I will have something up soon, so stay tuned!
Monday, September 21, 2015
World of Warcraft: Legion
Okay, so it's taking me a bit longer to get through the second installation of the Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. So I'm going to go through all the information that's out so far for the next WoW expansion. I'm pulling my information from MMO-Champion, WoWhead, and WoWWiki. I will also be referencing Warcraft III quite a bit, as it is the game that introduced me to the Warcraft universe. They are still claiming that Warlords is not a filler expansion... which I have my doubts on. But this isn't about Warlords.
Random Stuff
The Broken Shore will be released as a pre-expansion event, and I am looking forward to this. The developers said that we will be shocked as to what happens there, and that we will wake up to its aftermath to a world on fire. We should also be getting a new character slot. Flying will be obtained in a similar manner as to Warlords, which I'm good with. I had fun earning flight in this expansion, so be quite honest. The team for professions has been expanded, and there will be a quest line for each one.
Setting/Zones - we will be fighting once again on Azeroth in the Broken Isles. It is an area that people who played Warcraft III will be familiar with, it is the home to the Tomb of Sargeras, and that is where quite a few interesting things in the history of Warcraft happened. It is where Guldan found his death seeking power, it is where Illidan left Maiev Shadowsong to die on his own quest to destroy the Lich King, among other events not seen in Warcraft III. It appears we will have six zones, Suramar, Azsuna, Stormheim, Highmountain, Val'sharah, and Thal'Danath. It has been mentioned there is a Titan artifact called a Pillar of Creation in each zone that we will be hunting for in order to keep it out of the Legion's hands.
Suramar - This was the ancient capital city of the Night Elf civilization, and where the Well of Eternity was located. It is where Queen Azshara invited Sargeras himself in the world, and where the Sundering took place. It would appear that another branch of the elven race lives here, one that has thrown in their lot with the Legion. It was also mentioned that this is where we will finally confront Gul'dan.
Azsuna - This zone is mentioned as the dying remnants of the Night Elf society, home to a group of exiled nobles from Suramar, as well as Blue dragons. The Naga will figure prominently into this zone from the looks of things.
Stormheim - This is one I'm REALLY looking forward to, since it will give us a closer look at the Vrykul that we first encountered in Northrend, then again in Cataclysm. From what's been shown so far, this will have a very Nordic feel, with Titan keepers battling each other, and riding around on ghost ships.
Highmountain - This is another zone I'm quite interested in, as it has a branch of the Tauren race, my favorite of the Horde races. It is also the home to Neltharion's lair, before he went mad and became Deathwing.
Val'sharah - This is where the first Night Elf druids were taught, and where Malfurion Stormrage learned under Cenarius. Xavius will be here, trying to unleash the Emerald Nightmare into Azeroth. Bad thing, very bad thing!
Thal'Danath - We know next to nothing about this area, other than its location on the map. But a twitter post confirmed it will be in the expansion.
Dalaran will also make a return, and once more be a neutral city in the skies. The pictures that have come out are just amazing. I forgot where it is, but there's one picture of a face carved into a tree. That is just so cool to me.
Dungeons - As of right now, it looks like Legion will release with 9 dungeons. Some are familiar, some are entirely new.
Halls of Valor - Located in Stormheim, with a heavy influence from Valhalla. It is also where we find out the Vrykul are working with the Legion.
Black Rook Hold - There isn't a lot of info yet, other than it is located in Val'Sharah, and where Lord Ravencrest once lived (the first leader of the Kaldorei resistance in the first Legion invasion). It was designed an a fortress against the Legion, and some kind of shadow has fallen over it. Players will start in the catacombs and work their way towards the top.
Vault of the Wardens - This is where Maiev Shadowsong locked away the remains of Illidan, and where the demonhunters will begin. Since this is where we see Gul'dan awakening Illidan, this is where we start our hunt for both of them.
Eye of Azshara - Not much mentioned, other than we will be fighting Azshara's minions here.
Darkheart Thicket - This is the home of Shaladrassil, a corrupted World Tree, and where the Nightmare is spreading from. It is mentioned that we will be rescuing Malfurion from this dungeon.
Neltharion's Lair - Located in Highmountain, and where another Pillar of Creation is located.
Helheim - This is an opposite to the Halls of Valor, where Vrykal go to die and become the cursed Kvaldir. The dungeon takes place on a ghost ship.
Suramar City - This is where the Nightbourne elves rule, and where we will discover their ties to the Legion. More catacombs are mentioned as well.
Violet Hold - This was a dungeon from Wrath, and pretty neat in my opinion. It is mentioned that the proximity to the Tomb of Sargeras will allow us to see more secrets about mages and the beginnings of the world itself.
Raids - We start off with two raids, and both look pretty bad ass.
The Emerald Nightmare - This has been one of those places rumored and hinted at since the launch of WoW, and it looks like we will finally be seeing it! This will be a seven boss raid, and it's mentioned that Cenarius will be aiding us along the way.
Suramar Palace - This will be a ten boss raid tier, and based on the Night Elf society. It was mentioned this will be akin to the Black Temple, where you don't go in the front gates, but from the side, and work your way. This is also where Gul'dan will meet his fate (finally!).
New Class - Demon Hunter!
This is another one of those things that feels like it's a long time in coming. Ever since the Burning Crusade expansion, I think just about everyone has wanted to play one of these. In Warcraft III, Illidan was one of my favorite characters. They will be the only class to use Glaives, as well as Daggers, Fist Weapons, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Maces, and One-Handed Swords. There will be two specs, a DPS and a tank spec. I'm fine with this, since it keeps things from getting too watered down. I also love that they can only be blood or night elves. It's something that fits with the lore, and what we have seen of them in game so far. It looks like there will be many different cosmetic options too, which is awesome. Their abilities are also familiar with what I've seen in the lore, such as double jumping, an eye beam, a fel charge, and a retreat that lets you jump out of range. They start at level 98 and ten years in the past, with Illidan sending his demonhunters on a mission. I cannot wait to give one of these guys a go.
Class Order Halls
This is rather interesting, and it feels like this is meant to replace the garrisons of Warlords. It is based on classes, and the Horde and Alliance both meet within the Halls. Each class has its own unique location, with Paladins under Light's Hope Chapel, Warlocks offworld on what is described as a Legion Portal world, Shamans in a cave overlooking the Maelstrom, and Rogues in the sewers of Dalaran. We will also be recruiting Champions instead of followers, and it's sounding like these will be more interactive. It's mentioned that some will be established characters, and they will help you finish missions, rather than going off and completing them. I'm very curious to see what other locations will be revealed for the Order Halls, but this seems like a good evolution from garrisons.
Class Changes
It's been mentioned that all classes are getting an overhaul of some kind. The greatest amount of detail we have is for Hunters, and I LOVE what I've seen so far. Survival hunters are becoming melee with a pet, Marksman is becoming ranged only, and Beast Mastery is ranged with a pet. Survival hunters also get an ability called Harpoon to drag targets into range. The Hunter specs have felt alike for far too long, and I can't wait to see this. My night elf hunter was my first WoW character, and I look forward to giving all the specs a shot (see what I did there?) Warlocks are also getting a big overhaul to demonology, which is overdue. It's supposed to become more about demon summoning, and not becoming one, which fits better in my mind. Discipline priests are going to be more about offensive healing, but still with a DPS aspect. Rogues are changing as well, Assassination themed around poisons, Subtlety around ninjas, and Combat has more of a pirate/swashbuckler feel.
Artifact Weapons
Instead of getting weapon drops throughout the expansion, we will be getting an Artifact weapon appropriate to our specs. This is going to be something that has to be done very well, or it will fall on its face. I do like the idea though. You get a weapon of legend, and over the course of the expansion, you can customize what it does for your abilities. You can also upgrade your weapon, and change its appearance. I also remember seeing that it will be transmogable. We have a few of these out already. The Doomhammer is going to Enhance shaman, and the Ashbringer to Retribution paladins, and are the two most well known weapons we have right now. Fangs of the First Nightsaber are for Feral and Guardian druids, Fire mages get Kaelthas' sword, Frost deathknights get a pair of swords forged from Frostmourne, Survival Hunters get the Eagle Spear, Mistweaver monks are getting the staff of Emperor Shaohao. There will also be Relic slots to fill, and Relics are obtained by doing the expansion's content.
This will be an interesting aspect to the expansion, and it was mentioned that the people who previously weilded these weapons either died or lost hope. Which means Tirion Fordring and Thrall both are potentially on the chopping block. That will be very curious to see how that goes.
Transmog Changes
There isn't much information out YET, but the whispers I've seen make it sound like we're going to have a system like the Dressing Room in Diablo III, which is a good system. I currently have both pages of Void storage full on one of my characters, so yeah. I need more room, hehe.
Thoughts for Now
I have to admit that I am REALLY looking forward to this expansion, though I am wary with what happened in Warlords. I'm also wondering how many more expansions we will have after this, given that the Legion has always been the big evil baddie of the Warcraft universe. Hopefully we will get more information at BlizzCon in November, and the beta should follow soon after. I will be keep a close eye on things, since I want to see where the story goes with this expansion.
Random Stuff
The Broken Shore will be released as a pre-expansion event, and I am looking forward to this. The developers said that we will be shocked as to what happens there, and that we will wake up to its aftermath to a world on fire. We should also be getting a new character slot. Flying will be obtained in a similar manner as to Warlords, which I'm good with. I had fun earning flight in this expansion, so be quite honest. The team for professions has been expanded, and there will be a quest line for each one.
Setting/Zones - we will be fighting once again on Azeroth in the Broken Isles. It is an area that people who played Warcraft III will be familiar with, it is the home to the Tomb of Sargeras, and that is where quite a few interesting things in the history of Warcraft happened. It is where Guldan found his death seeking power, it is where Illidan left Maiev Shadowsong to die on his own quest to destroy the Lich King, among other events not seen in Warcraft III. It appears we will have six zones, Suramar, Azsuna, Stormheim, Highmountain, Val'sharah, and Thal'Danath. It has been mentioned there is a Titan artifact called a Pillar of Creation in each zone that we will be hunting for in order to keep it out of the Legion's hands.
Suramar - This was the ancient capital city of the Night Elf civilization, and where the Well of Eternity was located. It is where Queen Azshara invited Sargeras himself in the world, and where the Sundering took place. It would appear that another branch of the elven race lives here, one that has thrown in their lot with the Legion. It was also mentioned that this is where we will finally confront Gul'dan.
Azsuna - This zone is mentioned as the dying remnants of the Night Elf society, home to a group of exiled nobles from Suramar, as well as Blue dragons. The Naga will figure prominently into this zone from the looks of things.
Stormheim - This is one I'm REALLY looking forward to, since it will give us a closer look at the Vrykul that we first encountered in Northrend, then again in Cataclysm. From what's been shown so far, this will have a very Nordic feel, with Titan keepers battling each other, and riding around on ghost ships.
Highmountain - This is another zone I'm quite interested in, as it has a branch of the Tauren race, my favorite of the Horde races. It is also the home to Neltharion's lair, before he went mad and became Deathwing.
Val'sharah - This is where the first Night Elf druids were taught, and where Malfurion Stormrage learned under Cenarius. Xavius will be here, trying to unleash the Emerald Nightmare into Azeroth. Bad thing, very bad thing!
Thal'Danath - We know next to nothing about this area, other than its location on the map. But a twitter post confirmed it will be in the expansion.
Dalaran will also make a return, and once more be a neutral city in the skies. The pictures that have come out are just amazing. I forgot where it is, but there's one picture of a face carved into a tree. That is just so cool to me.
Dungeons - As of right now, it looks like Legion will release with 9 dungeons. Some are familiar, some are entirely new.
Halls of Valor - Located in Stormheim, with a heavy influence from Valhalla. It is also where we find out the Vrykul are working with the Legion.
Black Rook Hold - There isn't a lot of info yet, other than it is located in Val'Sharah, and where Lord Ravencrest once lived (the first leader of the Kaldorei resistance in the first Legion invasion). It was designed an a fortress against the Legion, and some kind of shadow has fallen over it. Players will start in the catacombs and work their way towards the top.
Vault of the Wardens - This is where Maiev Shadowsong locked away the remains of Illidan, and where the demonhunters will begin. Since this is where we see Gul'dan awakening Illidan, this is where we start our hunt for both of them.
Eye of Azshara - Not much mentioned, other than we will be fighting Azshara's minions here.
Darkheart Thicket - This is the home of Shaladrassil, a corrupted World Tree, and where the Nightmare is spreading from. It is mentioned that we will be rescuing Malfurion from this dungeon.
Neltharion's Lair - Located in Highmountain, and where another Pillar of Creation is located.
Helheim - This is an opposite to the Halls of Valor, where Vrykal go to die and become the cursed Kvaldir. The dungeon takes place on a ghost ship.
Suramar City - This is where the Nightbourne elves rule, and where we will discover their ties to the Legion. More catacombs are mentioned as well.
Violet Hold - This was a dungeon from Wrath, and pretty neat in my opinion. It is mentioned that the proximity to the Tomb of Sargeras will allow us to see more secrets about mages and the beginnings of the world itself.
Raids - We start off with two raids, and both look pretty bad ass.
The Emerald Nightmare - This has been one of those places rumored and hinted at since the launch of WoW, and it looks like we will finally be seeing it! This will be a seven boss raid, and it's mentioned that Cenarius will be aiding us along the way.
Suramar Palace - This will be a ten boss raid tier, and based on the Night Elf society. It was mentioned this will be akin to the Black Temple, where you don't go in the front gates, but from the side, and work your way. This is also where Gul'dan will meet his fate (finally!).
New Class - Demon Hunter!
This is another one of those things that feels like it's a long time in coming. Ever since the Burning Crusade expansion, I think just about everyone has wanted to play one of these. In Warcraft III, Illidan was one of my favorite characters. They will be the only class to use Glaives, as well as Daggers, Fist Weapons, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Maces, and One-Handed Swords. There will be two specs, a DPS and a tank spec. I'm fine with this, since it keeps things from getting too watered down. I also love that they can only be blood or night elves. It's something that fits with the lore, and what we have seen of them in game so far. It looks like there will be many different cosmetic options too, which is awesome. Their abilities are also familiar with what I've seen in the lore, such as double jumping, an eye beam, a fel charge, and a retreat that lets you jump out of range. They start at level 98 and ten years in the past, with Illidan sending his demonhunters on a mission. I cannot wait to give one of these guys a go.
Class Order Halls
This is rather interesting, and it feels like this is meant to replace the garrisons of Warlords. It is based on classes, and the Horde and Alliance both meet within the Halls. Each class has its own unique location, with Paladins under Light's Hope Chapel, Warlocks offworld on what is described as a Legion Portal world, Shamans in a cave overlooking the Maelstrom, and Rogues in the sewers of Dalaran. We will also be recruiting Champions instead of followers, and it's sounding like these will be more interactive. It's mentioned that some will be established characters, and they will help you finish missions, rather than going off and completing them. I'm very curious to see what other locations will be revealed for the Order Halls, but this seems like a good evolution from garrisons.
Class Changes
It's been mentioned that all classes are getting an overhaul of some kind. The greatest amount of detail we have is for Hunters, and I LOVE what I've seen so far. Survival hunters are becoming melee with a pet, Marksman is becoming ranged only, and Beast Mastery is ranged with a pet. Survival hunters also get an ability called Harpoon to drag targets into range. The Hunter specs have felt alike for far too long, and I can't wait to see this. My night elf hunter was my first WoW character, and I look forward to giving all the specs a shot (see what I did there?) Warlocks are also getting a big overhaul to demonology, which is overdue. It's supposed to become more about demon summoning, and not becoming one, which fits better in my mind. Discipline priests are going to be more about offensive healing, but still with a DPS aspect. Rogues are changing as well, Assassination themed around poisons, Subtlety around ninjas, and Combat has more of a pirate/swashbuckler feel.
Artifact Weapons
Instead of getting weapon drops throughout the expansion, we will be getting an Artifact weapon appropriate to our specs. This is going to be something that has to be done very well, or it will fall on its face. I do like the idea though. You get a weapon of legend, and over the course of the expansion, you can customize what it does for your abilities. You can also upgrade your weapon, and change its appearance. I also remember seeing that it will be transmogable. We have a few of these out already. The Doomhammer is going to Enhance shaman, and the Ashbringer to Retribution paladins, and are the two most well known weapons we have right now. Fangs of the First Nightsaber are for Feral and Guardian druids, Fire mages get Kaelthas' sword, Frost deathknights get a pair of swords forged from Frostmourne, Survival Hunters get the Eagle Spear, Mistweaver monks are getting the staff of Emperor Shaohao. There will also be Relic slots to fill, and Relics are obtained by doing the expansion's content.
This will be an interesting aspect to the expansion, and it was mentioned that the people who previously weilded these weapons either died or lost hope. Which means Tirion Fordring and Thrall both are potentially on the chopping block. That will be very curious to see how that goes.
Transmog Changes
There isn't much information out YET, but the whispers I've seen make it sound like we're going to have a system like the Dressing Room in Diablo III, which is a good system. I currently have both pages of Void storage full on one of my characters, so yeah. I need more room, hehe.
Thoughts for Now
I have to admit that I am REALLY looking forward to this expansion, though I am wary with what happened in Warlords. I'm also wondering how many more expansions we will have after this, given that the Legion has always been the big evil baddie of the Warcraft universe. Hopefully we will get more information at BlizzCon in November, and the beta should follow soon after. I will be keep a close eye on things, since I want to see where the story goes with this expansion.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Movie Review - The Rescuers (1977)
I ran across this on Netflix searching for Rescuers Down Under after playing the music for an orchestra concert, and decided to watch them both again. I remembered loving both movies growing up, and I think they are highly underrated Disney classics. The opening of The Rescuers is interesting, after the initial introduction to Penny it becomes a series of still images. They're very nicely done, and something unique is that the sound design still sounds as if it's an animated sequence.
Most of the characters are very enjoyable to watch. I very much enjoyed Miss Bianca growing up, for a reason I didn't realize then. Eva Gabor lends her voice to the character, and her manner of speaking reminded me a lot of my German-Hungarian grandmother and great-aunt. Miss Bianca's character is a very kind and determined character, never giving up on accomplishing the mission that she insisted on taking. Bernard is enjoyable as well, voiced by Bob Newhart. One thing I found curious was his superstitious nature, and watching the movie again makes me wonder just what triggered it. There's never any explanation of why he is so afraid of the number thirteen. But he's very determined, and that helps save the day more than once. Penny... I found to be a bit annoying. I think it was partly from how she spoke, though now it's not as bad. It's never explained how she can speak with the mice and the orphanage cat, though it might be in the books.
There are a few villains, Madame Medusa, Mr. Snoops, and the two alligators that Medusa keeps as pets. Geraldine Page voices Medusa, and does a very entertaining job of it. It's funny to listen how she can switch very quickly from calm and charming to utterly psychotic. Mr. Snoops is the incompetant henchman to Medusa, who also has an obsession with fireworks. That both helps and hinders he and Medusa at times, and always to comedic effect. Brutus and Nero are the alligators, and their animators must have had a lot of fun with their work.
There are several minor characters, and many are very memorable. The first that come to mind are the swamp dwellers. Luke, a muskrat I think, is voiced by Pat Buttram, who also voiced the Sheriff of Nottingham in Disney's Robin Hood. Something I didn't think about when I was little was that his jug was full of moonshine. Minor, but something that makes me chuckle now. The other neighbors of the swamp are interesting in their own right, Evinrude the dragonfly serves as the engine of a boat, another reference I get now that I'm older. There's also a turtle wearing a Confederate hat, very crotchety old sort. There's an owl preacher, which strikes me odd now, given that I didn't think animals were religious. It's clear the group of swamp animals are meant to be akin to rednecks, especially in how they speak and the music when they're on screen. Orville the Albatross is pretty fun to watch as well, even if he only shows up a handful of times.
Something I noticed, again now that I'm older, was the international board of mice, and how it was done. Some are a bit strange now that I know about the wider world. One mouse represents all of Africa, rather than a few for the different nations. There's a mouse for Vienna, as well as one for Austria. And the way they're represented... is a bit interesting. The Turkish mouse is wearing a fez and dark glasses, while the Arabian mouse wears a sheikh's robe and the same sort of glasses. The Scottish mouse is in a kilt, while the Austrian mouse is wearing a Tyrolean hat. The African mouse has an afro. They aren't really offensive, just very distinctive. In my mind, it's what you would expect to see in a kid's cartoon.
The animation throughout is quite good, and there are a couple moments that really jump out for the quality. Whenever Snoops sets off fireworks, it looks quite spectacular, especially for the time. The facial expressions of the various characters are fun to watch, especially when things start going wrong for the two mice. There's a scene where Bernard and Bianca are hiding in a pipe organ from the two alligators, and it's a great deal of fun to watch.
All in all, it's still a good movie, and one of Disney's that isn't all that well known. It's definitely worth a viewing in my mind if you haven't seen it, and worth watching it again if you haven't seen it in a long time. My next movie review will be of The Rescuers Down Under, one of the best Disney sequels in my opinion. Stay tuned!
Most of the characters are very enjoyable to watch. I very much enjoyed Miss Bianca growing up, for a reason I didn't realize then. Eva Gabor lends her voice to the character, and her manner of speaking reminded me a lot of my German-Hungarian grandmother and great-aunt. Miss Bianca's character is a very kind and determined character, never giving up on accomplishing the mission that she insisted on taking. Bernard is enjoyable as well, voiced by Bob Newhart. One thing I found curious was his superstitious nature, and watching the movie again makes me wonder just what triggered it. There's never any explanation of why he is so afraid of the number thirteen. But he's very determined, and that helps save the day more than once. Penny... I found to be a bit annoying. I think it was partly from how she spoke, though now it's not as bad. It's never explained how she can speak with the mice and the orphanage cat, though it might be in the books.
There are a few villains, Madame Medusa, Mr. Snoops, and the two alligators that Medusa keeps as pets. Geraldine Page voices Medusa, and does a very entertaining job of it. It's funny to listen how she can switch very quickly from calm and charming to utterly psychotic. Mr. Snoops is the incompetant henchman to Medusa, who also has an obsession with fireworks. That both helps and hinders he and Medusa at times, and always to comedic effect. Brutus and Nero are the alligators, and their animators must have had a lot of fun with their work.
There are several minor characters, and many are very memorable. The first that come to mind are the swamp dwellers. Luke, a muskrat I think, is voiced by Pat Buttram, who also voiced the Sheriff of Nottingham in Disney's Robin Hood. Something I didn't think about when I was little was that his jug was full of moonshine. Minor, but something that makes me chuckle now. The other neighbors of the swamp are interesting in their own right, Evinrude the dragonfly serves as the engine of a boat, another reference I get now that I'm older. There's also a turtle wearing a Confederate hat, very crotchety old sort. There's an owl preacher, which strikes me odd now, given that I didn't think animals were religious. It's clear the group of swamp animals are meant to be akin to rednecks, especially in how they speak and the music when they're on screen. Orville the Albatross is pretty fun to watch as well, even if he only shows up a handful of times.
Something I noticed, again now that I'm older, was the international board of mice, and how it was done. Some are a bit strange now that I know about the wider world. One mouse represents all of Africa, rather than a few for the different nations. There's a mouse for Vienna, as well as one for Austria. And the way they're represented... is a bit interesting. The Turkish mouse is wearing a fez and dark glasses, while the Arabian mouse wears a sheikh's robe and the same sort of glasses. The Scottish mouse is in a kilt, while the Austrian mouse is wearing a Tyrolean hat. The African mouse has an afro. They aren't really offensive, just very distinctive. In my mind, it's what you would expect to see in a kid's cartoon.
The animation throughout is quite good, and there are a couple moments that really jump out for the quality. Whenever Snoops sets off fireworks, it looks quite spectacular, especially for the time. The facial expressions of the various characters are fun to watch, especially when things start going wrong for the two mice. There's a scene where Bernard and Bianca are hiding in a pipe organ from the two alligators, and it's a great deal of fun to watch.
All in all, it's still a good movie, and one of Disney's that isn't all that well known. It's definitely worth a viewing in my mind if you haven't seen it, and worth watching it again if you haven't seen it in a long time. My next movie review will be of The Rescuers Down Under, one of the best Disney sequels in my opinion. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Oops!
Sorry for leaving this go for a couple weeks, I will be doing a movie review here very soon. Had some internet issues, as well as writer's block. And I would much rather put out something good and interesting, than just something to fulfill my self set quota. Stay tuned!
Friday, August 21, 2015
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
What is it: This is a Diablo style game with a steampunk theme, with the playing taking on the role of the son of the famed Doctor Van Helsing. It features a lengthy campaign, lots of monsters to kill, a skill system that allows for quite a bit of customization, and of course lots of shiny loot. I put about 25 hours into this game, and enjoyed almost every moment of it. More on that later.
Pros
Graphics - It's a good looking game. It has a very realistic style, something very similar to TitanQuest. The presentation of a dull, industrialized world is very well shown in the city landscapes, and the villages are nicely done, reminding me of eastern Europe. The intervening times in the wilderness and the Ink had their own style, and every area had a uniqueness to it.
Music/Sound - Very well done, I could sit and listen to this all day. There's a good variety of music, and the sound design fits the areas nicely. The sounds for the various monsters and devices works nicely and helps to round out the setting. There's a eerie sense of beauty to the music, which also suits the setting quite well.
Character Customization - This is where the game really shines. No matter which of the three classes you pick, there is a crazy amount of customizing. With the base class of Hunter, you can pick a path of guns or swords. The DLC added two classes, the Arcane Mechanic, and Thaumaturge. The Arcane Mechanic focuses on things like grenades, mechanical constructs, and various kinds of traps, while the Thamaturge focuses on magical spells of many kinds. Each class has a unique look with the different kinds of armor and weapons. The Hunter looks like a Van Helsing that just stepped out of a movie, complete with many kinds of hats. The Mechanic wears a gas mask, a chemical tank on his back, and always has something to shoot at the enemies. The Thamaturge looks the most theatrical, wearing a mask and flowing capes.
Every class also has access to auras and tricks, passive and active skills that makes the game easier. These include auras that heal you or cause more damage, and tricks that provide active heals and additional damage cooldowns. The customization even extends to your ghost companion Katatina, who has her own tree of auras and tricks to use.
Lady Katarina - Your ghostly companion is perhaps the best part of the game. Snarky and always striving to be in charge of the situation, she constantly taunts your character, but is ultimately very helpful. She can also store items for later vendoring, as well as sending her to buy potions if you run out in the middle of adventuring.
Story - It's pretty solid. Lots of interesting little points and characters to be found along the way, as well as a few references to your character's father. The theme of weird science gone mad permeates the whole story, and it becomes a battle of Van Helsing against these many elements. There are quite a number of side missions as well, and choices to be made. While they do not ultimately affect the outcome of the game, it's neat that there are a few moral decisions to be made. With Katarina commenting the entire way.
Monsters - There are a LOT of different beasts, constructs, and other things affected by weird science to fight throughout the game. In one area, you can fight at least a half dozen different kinds of enemies, each with their own behaviors and nasty tricks. There are elite monsters as well, with additional nasty skills. Something fun for me was seeing all the different kinds of monsters from mythology, such as rusalka, domovoi, and others.
Other elements - You have a lair once you hit the big city, which has a customizable maze you can set with traps. Every now and again, you get missions to defend the lair with aid from those traps. Once you finish the story, there are a couple of options for continuing the game. You can either start over at a higher difficulty, or go on special scenarios. Both will drop high quality loot.
Cons
DLC - I purchased the DLC as part of a package, but I am not sure if I would have bought it separately. Each class is $4 each, and extra skills for Katarina is another $2. While the extra classes are nice, they add no additional content or missions to the game. It feels like this should have been included content. Not a game breaker, but I would recommend getting these either on sale, or in a bundle.
Difficulty - It ramps up without any sort of warning at various points of the game, which can be very annoying. When you get swarmed by a number of elites in multiple packs, it can be very difficult to get out of.
The ending - I have to admit that I did not actually finish the game, I got stuck on the very last battle. I got frustrated, and found a video to tell me what happened. And it really wasn't much of an ending.
I would have been very upset had there not been a second game as follow up.
Gameplay - My only dislike for this category is that there is little in the way of innovation. It's pretty standard in running around and shooting, stabbing or setting monsters on fire.
Overall - It's a pretty solid game, with an interesting premise, and lot of funny moments. There's a two headed, talking cow in the first village you find, just as a hint. If you buy the DLC, there should be a class and style to suit just about anyone. To me, this one is well worth getting, and a very good start to a franchise.
Pros
Graphics - It's a good looking game. It has a very realistic style, something very similar to TitanQuest. The presentation of a dull, industrialized world is very well shown in the city landscapes, and the villages are nicely done, reminding me of eastern Europe. The intervening times in the wilderness and the Ink had their own style, and every area had a uniqueness to it.
Music/Sound - Very well done, I could sit and listen to this all day. There's a good variety of music, and the sound design fits the areas nicely. The sounds for the various monsters and devices works nicely and helps to round out the setting. There's a eerie sense of beauty to the music, which also suits the setting quite well.
Character Customization - This is where the game really shines. No matter which of the three classes you pick, there is a crazy amount of customizing. With the base class of Hunter, you can pick a path of guns or swords. The DLC added two classes, the Arcane Mechanic, and Thaumaturge. The Arcane Mechanic focuses on things like grenades, mechanical constructs, and various kinds of traps, while the Thamaturge focuses on magical spells of many kinds. Each class has a unique look with the different kinds of armor and weapons. The Hunter looks like a Van Helsing that just stepped out of a movie, complete with many kinds of hats. The Mechanic wears a gas mask, a chemical tank on his back, and always has something to shoot at the enemies. The Thamaturge looks the most theatrical, wearing a mask and flowing capes.
Every class also has access to auras and tricks, passive and active skills that makes the game easier. These include auras that heal you or cause more damage, and tricks that provide active heals and additional damage cooldowns. The customization even extends to your ghost companion Katatina, who has her own tree of auras and tricks to use.
Lady Katarina - Your ghostly companion is perhaps the best part of the game. Snarky and always striving to be in charge of the situation, she constantly taunts your character, but is ultimately very helpful. She can also store items for later vendoring, as well as sending her to buy potions if you run out in the middle of adventuring.
Story - It's pretty solid. Lots of interesting little points and characters to be found along the way, as well as a few references to your character's father. The theme of weird science gone mad permeates the whole story, and it becomes a battle of Van Helsing against these many elements. There are quite a number of side missions as well, and choices to be made. While they do not ultimately affect the outcome of the game, it's neat that there are a few moral decisions to be made. With Katarina commenting the entire way.
Monsters - There are a LOT of different beasts, constructs, and other things affected by weird science to fight throughout the game. In one area, you can fight at least a half dozen different kinds of enemies, each with their own behaviors and nasty tricks. There are elite monsters as well, with additional nasty skills. Something fun for me was seeing all the different kinds of monsters from mythology, such as rusalka, domovoi, and others.
Other elements - You have a lair once you hit the big city, which has a customizable maze you can set with traps. Every now and again, you get missions to defend the lair with aid from those traps. Once you finish the story, there are a couple of options for continuing the game. You can either start over at a higher difficulty, or go on special scenarios. Both will drop high quality loot.
Cons
DLC - I purchased the DLC as part of a package, but I am not sure if I would have bought it separately. Each class is $4 each, and extra skills for Katarina is another $2. While the extra classes are nice, they add no additional content or missions to the game. It feels like this should have been included content. Not a game breaker, but I would recommend getting these either on sale, or in a bundle.
Difficulty - It ramps up without any sort of warning at various points of the game, which can be very annoying. When you get swarmed by a number of elites in multiple packs, it can be very difficult to get out of.
The ending - I have to admit that I did not actually finish the game, I got stuck on the very last battle. I got frustrated, and found a video to tell me what happened. And it really wasn't much of an ending.
I would have been very upset had there not been a second game as follow up.
Gameplay - My only dislike for this category is that there is little in the way of innovation. It's pretty standard in running around and shooting, stabbing or setting monsters on fire.
Overall - It's a pretty solid game, with an interesting premise, and lot of funny moments. There's a two headed, talking cow in the first village you find, just as a hint. If you buy the DLC, there should be a class and style to suit just about anyone. To me, this one is well worth getting, and a very good start to a franchise.
Friday, August 14, 2015
My first movie review! - Beauty And the Beast (1991)
I decided to sit down and watch this again as I am in an orchestra, and
we're playing a suite of the music from the movie for a Disney concert. It has long been one of my favorite Disney movies, mostly because I related to Belle quite a bit as a child. I much preferred my books to being around people. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the animation still holds up very well, and the introduction looks as beautiful as I remember. The stained glass in the animation is still one of the prettiest things I remember seeing in a film.
The second thing I loved then, and still do, is the music. Watching it now, I appreciate the orchestral background music a lot more, since it sets the atmosphere with sound. The moment where Belle finds her father's hat in the castle's courtyard is very nicely done with the music. The songs are still fun to listen to as well, Gaston's song is perhaps one of the most cheerful villain songs I've heard. When Belle is exploring the forbidden west wing, there's a wonderfully creepy vibe to the music, but it's not spooky in a way that makes you want to draw your eyes away. There's an almost curious air to the whole scene.
The voice actors and actresses are also still enjoyable. Belle comes across as a young woman, her father as the quirky old inventor, Gaston as the complete macho ass. The Beast is interesting, as his voice is able to convey quite a bit of emotion in a short amount of time. Especially when he has a moment of kindness, then seems to remember his beastly appearance, and changes his voice to match. Or when he throws one of his temper tantrums.
One thing that I was also pleasantly surprised about are the bits of humor still come through very well. There were still many moments that made me chuckle. The line "flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep..." from Cogsworth when the Beast asks when he can do for Belle can hit a bit close to home, but it's still an amusing point.
The Major Characters
Belle - One of my favorite Disney princesses, she doesn't spend the whole movie screaming, crying, or being generally useless. That's something that's always bothered me in a lot of cases of Disney movies, even when I was younger. I was waiting for some of them to just get up and DO SOMETHING! She didn't annoy me as much as some could, especially Cinderella as an example. She doesn't change a whole lot through the movie, though she does have moments of developing, like when she stands up to the Beast after the chase through the woods. A bit flat perhaps, but still an enjoyable character to watch. I thought it was really interesting where she turns away and almost rides off after the wolf attack. She seems to consider leaving him to die for a few moments, but her kindhearted nature changes her mind. When Belle threw the snowball at the Beast in the courtyard, that was a nice way of showing that she's capable of mischief too, which doesn't come up very often.
Gaston - The funny thing about this character is he has a great many of the same characteristics as the hero in other Disney movies. If it wasn't said at the beginning that he intended to marry Belle against her will, there's a good chance he would have been a possibility as the hero. He's charming, handsome, charismatic, and popular with the villagers. This is especially noticeable near the end when he rallies the villagers to attack the Beast's castle.
The Beast - He changes the most as the movie progresses, even letting the one person capable of lifting his curse go so she can save her father. He definitely comes across as a spoiled rotten brat at the beginning, especially with all the temper tantrums when Belle doesn't do what he wants. But there's still a hint of humanity there, especially when he goes after Belle and saves her from the wolves. From that point, it's as if he reminds himself that he is human under it all, and he acts like it.
There are only a couple of points that I would nitpick at now that I've grown up, but they don't bother me all that much for the sake of the story.
All in all, this is still a very good movie!
The second thing I loved then, and still do, is the music. Watching it now, I appreciate the orchestral background music a lot more, since it sets the atmosphere with sound. The moment where Belle finds her father's hat in the castle's courtyard is very nicely done with the music. The songs are still fun to listen to as well, Gaston's song is perhaps one of the most cheerful villain songs I've heard. When Belle is exploring the forbidden west wing, there's a wonderfully creepy vibe to the music, but it's not spooky in a way that makes you want to draw your eyes away. There's an almost curious air to the whole scene.
The voice actors and actresses are also still enjoyable. Belle comes across as a young woman, her father as the quirky old inventor, Gaston as the complete macho ass. The Beast is interesting, as his voice is able to convey quite a bit of emotion in a short amount of time. Especially when he has a moment of kindness, then seems to remember his beastly appearance, and changes his voice to match. Or when he throws one of his temper tantrums.
One thing that I was also pleasantly surprised about are the bits of humor still come through very well. There were still many moments that made me chuckle. The line "flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep..." from Cogsworth when the Beast asks when he can do for Belle can hit a bit close to home, but it's still an amusing point.
The Major Characters
Belle - One of my favorite Disney princesses, she doesn't spend the whole movie screaming, crying, or being generally useless. That's something that's always bothered me in a lot of cases of Disney movies, even when I was younger. I was waiting for some of them to just get up and DO SOMETHING! She didn't annoy me as much as some could, especially Cinderella as an example. She doesn't change a whole lot through the movie, though she does have moments of developing, like when she stands up to the Beast after the chase through the woods. A bit flat perhaps, but still an enjoyable character to watch. I thought it was really interesting where she turns away and almost rides off after the wolf attack. She seems to consider leaving him to die for a few moments, but her kindhearted nature changes her mind. When Belle threw the snowball at the Beast in the courtyard, that was a nice way of showing that she's capable of mischief too, which doesn't come up very often.
Gaston - The funny thing about this character is he has a great many of the same characteristics as the hero in other Disney movies. If it wasn't said at the beginning that he intended to marry Belle against her will, there's a good chance he would have been a possibility as the hero. He's charming, handsome, charismatic, and popular with the villagers. This is especially noticeable near the end when he rallies the villagers to attack the Beast's castle.
The Beast - He changes the most as the movie progresses, even letting the one person capable of lifting his curse go so she can save her father. He definitely comes across as a spoiled rotten brat at the beginning, especially with all the temper tantrums when Belle doesn't do what he wants. But there's still a hint of humanity there, especially when he goes after Belle and saves her from the wolves. From that point, it's as if he reminds himself that he is human under it all, and he acts like it.
There are only a couple of points that I would nitpick at now that I've grown up, but they don't bother me all that much for the sake of the story.
All in all, this is still a very good movie!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Well, this is a big one. As an avid player of World of Warcraft, I have enjoyed the game on and off since launch, and I've bought every expansion. Every one of them has had its ups and downs, and Warlords is definitely no exception. People either seem to love or hate it, and I've noticed that this expansion seems to draw out very strong feelings. Given that the announcement for the next expansion will be released on 8/6, I wanted to post this review before then.
What is it: Warlords of Draenor is the fifth expansion in the long running game World of Warcraft. Once again, you take on the role of a hero of Azeroth, sent into an alternate timeline 30 years or so in the past to ensure disaster does not ensue. Along the way, you meet many familiar faces, and get to know some new ones as well.
Pros:
Leveling: The leveling experience is fantastic. I had an absolute blast working through the storylines, and seeing the new areas. I've leveled a few Horde characters, and one Alliance. The starting areas were both fantastic, and a great introduction in the world of Draenor. The leveling was pretty smooth, and I enjoyed that there tended to be several quests in an area, rather than one, move on, another move somewhere else, and do one or two more. The movement through the zones was good too, I think there were only a few times you didn't see most of the zones.
The Zones: Each zone looked amazing. I've always loved snowy areas, and Frostfire Ridge did not disappoint in the least. It becomes the Blade's Edge Mountains that we see in Outland, and there are certain similarities. Shadowmoon Valley is absolutely gorgeous, and a complete contrast to what we see of our own Shadowmoon Valley. I think this zone showed the most contrast between the Burning Crusade and Warlords version, and I wanted to see this place the most. It was amazing to see the designers' vision of the original Shadowmoon Valley, as well as Karabor Temple. Gorgrond feels very primal and dangerous, which I think became another part of Blade's Edge. Talador is beautiful, and this was another zone I was very excited to see in its original form. I was not disappointed. The Spires of Arak looked amazing, and I really enjoyed exploring this place, as it showed more about the Arakkoa. It is also the only zone that did not have an Outlands analog. Nagrand looked beautiful again, and I loved seeing my favorite Outland zone once more. Tanaan Jungle looked very interesting as well, and I found points on the map that corresponded well with Hellfire Peninsula.
The flightpoints were well laid out, and I had very little trouble getting from point to point.
Garrisons: This has been a long time coming, and I love the concept of having a home base that I could customize to what my character could use. Each building is very useful, and upgradeable to be even more useful. I loved having the Barracks, which grant the ability to have a bodyguard that follows you around through Draenor. Another favorite is the Salvage Yard, as it unlocks a unique transmog set for each class.
[It was at this point my computer had a freakout, so please bear with me as I remember what I can.]
Raids: The raids that we did get are fantastic, even if some of the lore on them seems to be a bit weird. The mechanics of the fights were all a lot of fun from what I experienced. I raided all of Highmaul with my guild, and my favorite fight there was the Twin Ogron, it was chaotic, but a hell of a lot of fun. Even once you learn the fights, you still have to pay a decent bit of attention in order to finish them off. Blackrock Foundry was pretty cool as well, the Gruul fight made me chuckle as I raided his Lair in Burning Crusade. Hans'gar and Fraznok is pretty amusing as well. Though I only saw the Blackhand fight on LFR mode, it was still very enjoyable and entertaining. Finally, we have Hellfire Citadel. I haven't had a chance to finish this yet, but all the fight so far have again been a lot of fun. The Gorefiend fight has a touch of C'thun to it, and you see a few familiar faces from questing, as well as from the Black Temple. I have not progressed passed Velhari yet, but hopefully I will have a chance soon.
Now for the cons...
Garrisons: Okay, I know that this was also on the pros list, but give me a moment. One of my big problems with garrisons is that they completely wrecked gathering professions. Everyone with a garrison can do mining and herbalism without actually having those professions. I would have much preferred to be able to switch one of those out for something useful to me, which also goes for the fishing shack and the pet building.
Apexis Dailies: There are just way too many of these, and they feel way too grindy and necessary. I did them, mostly for something to do. The ones in Tanaan are better, though it's still a ton of grinding. People didn't like them at the start, and people didn't like them very much more in 6.2.
Patch 6.1: Also referred to as the Social Media patch by many, I could only really shake my head. Two of the biggest features were Twitter integration, and an in game selfie camera. Really? Blood elves FINALLY received their model tweaks, something that should have been completed a long time ago along with the other models. There were only two things that I liked about this patch, the heirloom tab, and the daily visitors to the garrison with new profession recipes and quests.
Dungeons: The dungeons themselves are mostly fine... other than there are not enough of them. Instead of adding in new ones, Blizzard decided that they would add timewalker dungeons instead. In short, they returned old expansion dungeons for people to run. They also have two additional levels of difficulty, which is only more difficult from my understanding in that the numbers are bigger.
Content: A lot of content was cut. Tanaan was supposed to be a leveling zone, Farahlon was supposed to be added in as well, and it feels like there are other things missing. It also leaves people who have finished leveling with little to do. Basically... you have Apexis dailies, and LFR. If you like pets, there's a certain amount of pet gathering that can be done. But my druid rarely leaves her garrison now that she's completely all of the Tanaan content. I have little motivation to complete the zone on any of my other characters, and I've not been logging on very much over the last week or so. Also... 6.2 is supposed to last until the next expansion. I just don't see that happening. There is also a HUGE lack of raids. In vanilla WoW, we had 4 raids, Burning Crusade had 8 raids (with some of the best looking gear in the game to this day), Wrath of the Lich King had 9 (though a few only had one boss), Cataclysm had 6, and Mists had 5. In Warlords, we have 3, which is less than the base game. I find that very disappointing.
Shipyards: The idea itself sounds really cool. What we got was another mission table. I wanted to be able to jump on a ship and help complete a mission, rather than looking at the pretty ships while they are sitting in the harbor. Also, the shipyard is necessary for completing the legendary questline, which is a bit annoying if you have difficulty getting it upgraded.
Reputations: While some of the rewards are pretty cool... it is just not worth it. There are no quests for the original Warlords reputations, making them a complete grindfest. I saw this, and it really made me shake my head. The rep grinds in past expansions were much better, I did not mind doing the daily quests, especially when some of them added to the lore of the particular faction. The new ones in Tanaan are better... though there was a lot of room for improvement. The Saberstalkers is probably the worst, especially if you want any of their rewards. They have their own currency, which does not have a very good droprate.
Overall opinion: This expansion makes me sad, truth be told. It had so much promise, and I did not hesitate to buy it after I got to play in the beta. It started out so well, but the subscription numbers reflect the community's feeling. Just today (8/4/15), it was announced that another 1.5 million people have left, which puts the number of people playing back to the days of Vanilla WoW. I am not a fan of PvP, but from what I have heard, nothing has been added for people that do enjoy it. We also paid more for this expansion than the previous ones, and some regions also experienced raises in their subscription prices. I was also very amused at the whole issue of flying. It was something introduced in the first expansion, and something that we have gotten in all the expansions that followed up until now. It was announced that there would be no way we would have flying, and basically "tough shit" was the answer. Then Final Fantasy MMO announced they were adding flying, and the forums went nuts. It wasn't too long after that flying was announced, which was one of the fasted about-faces that I've ever seen.
To be quite frank, I'd have a difficult time recommending this to anyone in its current state, unless they plan on doing nothing but raiding.
What is it: Warlords of Draenor is the fifth expansion in the long running game World of Warcraft. Once again, you take on the role of a hero of Azeroth, sent into an alternate timeline 30 years or so in the past to ensure disaster does not ensue. Along the way, you meet many familiar faces, and get to know some new ones as well.
Pros:
Leveling: The leveling experience is fantastic. I had an absolute blast working through the storylines, and seeing the new areas. I've leveled a few Horde characters, and one Alliance. The starting areas were both fantastic, and a great introduction in the world of Draenor. The leveling was pretty smooth, and I enjoyed that there tended to be several quests in an area, rather than one, move on, another move somewhere else, and do one or two more. The movement through the zones was good too, I think there were only a few times you didn't see most of the zones.
The Zones: Each zone looked amazing. I've always loved snowy areas, and Frostfire Ridge did not disappoint in the least. It becomes the Blade's Edge Mountains that we see in Outland, and there are certain similarities. Shadowmoon Valley is absolutely gorgeous, and a complete contrast to what we see of our own Shadowmoon Valley. I think this zone showed the most contrast between the Burning Crusade and Warlords version, and I wanted to see this place the most. It was amazing to see the designers' vision of the original Shadowmoon Valley, as well as Karabor Temple. Gorgrond feels very primal and dangerous, which I think became another part of Blade's Edge. Talador is beautiful, and this was another zone I was very excited to see in its original form. I was not disappointed. The Spires of Arak looked amazing, and I really enjoyed exploring this place, as it showed more about the Arakkoa. It is also the only zone that did not have an Outlands analog. Nagrand looked beautiful again, and I loved seeing my favorite Outland zone once more. Tanaan Jungle looked very interesting as well, and I found points on the map that corresponded well with Hellfire Peninsula.
The flightpoints were well laid out, and I had very little trouble getting from point to point.
Garrisons: This has been a long time coming, and I love the concept of having a home base that I could customize to what my character could use. Each building is very useful, and upgradeable to be even more useful. I loved having the Barracks, which grant the ability to have a bodyguard that follows you around through Draenor. Another favorite is the Salvage Yard, as it unlocks a unique transmog set for each class.
[It was at this point my computer had a freakout, so please bear with me as I remember what I can.]
Raids: The raids that we did get are fantastic, even if some of the lore on them seems to be a bit weird. The mechanics of the fights were all a lot of fun from what I experienced. I raided all of Highmaul with my guild, and my favorite fight there was the Twin Ogron, it was chaotic, but a hell of a lot of fun. Even once you learn the fights, you still have to pay a decent bit of attention in order to finish them off. Blackrock Foundry was pretty cool as well, the Gruul fight made me chuckle as I raided his Lair in Burning Crusade. Hans'gar and Fraznok is pretty amusing as well. Though I only saw the Blackhand fight on LFR mode, it was still very enjoyable and entertaining. Finally, we have Hellfire Citadel. I haven't had a chance to finish this yet, but all the fight so far have again been a lot of fun. The Gorefiend fight has a touch of C'thun to it, and you see a few familiar faces from questing, as well as from the Black Temple. I have not progressed passed Velhari yet, but hopefully I will have a chance soon.
Now for the cons...
Garrisons: Okay, I know that this was also on the pros list, but give me a moment. One of my big problems with garrisons is that they completely wrecked gathering professions. Everyone with a garrison can do mining and herbalism without actually having those professions. I would have much preferred to be able to switch one of those out for something useful to me, which also goes for the fishing shack and the pet building.
Apexis Dailies: There are just way too many of these, and they feel way too grindy and necessary. I did them, mostly for something to do. The ones in Tanaan are better, though it's still a ton of grinding. People didn't like them at the start, and people didn't like them very much more in 6.2.
Patch 6.1: Also referred to as the Social Media patch by many, I could only really shake my head. Two of the biggest features were Twitter integration, and an in game selfie camera. Really? Blood elves FINALLY received their model tweaks, something that should have been completed a long time ago along with the other models. There were only two things that I liked about this patch, the heirloom tab, and the daily visitors to the garrison with new profession recipes and quests.
Dungeons: The dungeons themselves are mostly fine... other than there are not enough of them. Instead of adding in new ones, Blizzard decided that they would add timewalker dungeons instead. In short, they returned old expansion dungeons for people to run. They also have two additional levels of difficulty, which is only more difficult from my understanding in that the numbers are bigger.
Content: A lot of content was cut. Tanaan was supposed to be a leveling zone, Farahlon was supposed to be added in as well, and it feels like there are other things missing. It also leaves people who have finished leveling with little to do. Basically... you have Apexis dailies, and LFR. If you like pets, there's a certain amount of pet gathering that can be done. But my druid rarely leaves her garrison now that she's completely all of the Tanaan content. I have little motivation to complete the zone on any of my other characters, and I've not been logging on very much over the last week or so. Also... 6.2 is supposed to last until the next expansion. I just don't see that happening. There is also a HUGE lack of raids. In vanilla WoW, we had 4 raids, Burning Crusade had 8 raids (with some of the best looking gear in the game to this day), Wrath of the Lich King had 9 (though a few only had one boss), Cataclysm had 6, and Mists had 5. In Warlords, we have 3, which is less than the base game. I find that very disappointing.
Shipyards: The idea itself sounds really cool. What we got was another mission table. I wanted to be able to jump on a ship and help complete a mission, rather than looking at the pretty ships while they are sitting in the harbor. Also, the shipyard is necessary for completing the legendary questline, which is a bit annoying if you have difficulty getting it upgraded.
Reputations: While some of the rewards are pretty cool... it is just not worth it. There are no quests for the original Warlords reputations, making them a complete grindfest. I saw this, and it really made me shake my head. The rep grinds in past expansions were much better, I did not mind doing the daily quests, especially when some of them added to the lore of the particular faction. The new ones in Tanaan are better... though there was a lot of room for improvement. The Saberstalkers is probably the worst, especially if you want any of their rewards. They have their own currency, which does not have a very good droprate.
Overall opinion: This expansion makes me sad, truth be told. It had so much promise, and I did not hesitate to buy it after I got to play in the beta. It started out so well, but the subscription numbers reflect the community's feeling. Just today (8/4/15), it was announced that another 1.5 million people have left, which puts the number of people playing back to the days of Vanilla WoW. I am not a fan of PvP, but from what I have heard, nothing has been added for people that do enjoy it. We also paid more for this expansion than the previous ones, and some regions also experienced raises in their subscription prices. I was also very amused at the whole issue of flying. It was something introduced in the first expansion, and something that we have gotten in all the expansions that followed up until now. It was announced that there would be no way we would have flying, and basically "tough shit" was the answer. Then Final Fantasy MMO announced they were adding flying, and the forums went nuts. It wasn't too long after that flying was announced, which was one of the fasted about-faces that I've ever seen.
To be quite frank, I'd have a difficult time recommending this to anyone in its current state, unless they plan on doing nothing but raiding.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
-blows the dust off-
Okay, just a brief update for now!
I am truly sorry for letting this lapse, mostly due to real life issues. I'm back on focus now, with a plan to bring a new written review every two weeks. I am also planning on adding a movie review on the off weeks for my readers! These will be spoiler-rific, so be forewarned.
I have a list of games I've been working through, and plan to finish shortly, so keep an eye out.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, I, II, and III
World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Tropico 5
Never Alone
Sunless Sea
I also have a list of movies that I want to review. Some are personal favorites, others are those that made me shake my head.
Inside Out
Jurassic World
The Dark Knight Rises
The Golden Compass
My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding
Batman and Robin
That's all I have for now, and I'll have my review of the first Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing posted soon!
I am truly sorry for letting this lapse, mostly due to real life issues. I'm back on focus now, with a plan to bring a new written review every two weeks. I am also planning on adding a movie review on the off weeks for my readers! These will be spoiler-rific, so be forewarned.
I have a list of games I've been working through, and plan to finish shortly, so keep an eye out.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, I, II, and III
World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Tropico 5
Never Alone
Sunless Sea
I also have a list of movies that I want to review. Some are personal favorites, others are those that made me shake my head.
Inside Out
Jurassic World
The Dark Knight Rises
The Golden Compass
My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding
Batman and Robin
That's all I have for now, and I'll have my review of the first Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing posted soon!
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