Tag Archives: adventure

Game Preview: Sovereign Syndicate (Review Code)

August 12, 2022 josechurape Leave a comment

All pictures are screenshots from the game

I got the Sovereign Syndicate demo as a review code. While I am very grateful, I will not let this sway my opinion. These will be my honest thoughts and opinions about the demo.

This demo is too short for me to form a meaningful opinion about the game, but it is long enough to at least get a taste of the gameplay. Sovereign Syndicate is a top-down cRRP that takes place in a steampunk fantasy version of London. The full game gives you the choice of three characters, but the demo had me playing as the minotaur Atticus Daley. At the start of the game, you are given the option of four classes that provide boosts to certain attributes. I played as each one, but I never felt like the choice made much of a difference gameplay-wise.

This game ran real smooth. The top-down view was interesting, and the city was nice, but there wasn’t much room for exploration. If the demo is any indication of what the game will be like, the setting is going to be dank, dark, and dirty. Most of the gameplay was in the form of dialogue. I got to speak with a couple of NPCs, each providing you with a choice of responses and the occasional skill challenge. Skill challenges are neat in that they are determined by picking from a set of tarot cards. Your skill points affect the kinds of cards you can pull, but the game was too short for choices to matter. The choices you make can provide buffs and debuffs, but mostly they affect the types of responses you get from the NPCs.

My biggest complaint about this game is the font. Some of the dialogue is written in an italicized font which was hard on my dyslexia. The writing itself is inconsistently flowery. Some descriptions are fine, but others are long and awkwardly worded. It wasn’t so bad that I stopped playing, but it is something that gave me trouble. It is also written in an English dialect I am not familiar with, but it offers definitions for certain slang words and phrases. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough gameplay in the demo to judge this game on its character and world-building.

I am very much interested in learning more about this game and possibly getting a longer demo. I liked the text-based choose your own adventure aspect of this game. I can only hope the full game will include meaningful choices that affect the story. I also enjoyed that the skill points are personified. Wit, for example, is an old woman who will give you advice on how to respond to an NPC. Each skill point will offer its suggestion, but the choice is always in the hands of the players. This is a neat little feature for people like me who can’t make a single decision. I will certainly be keeping an eye on this game.

The game is planned to release during the 4th quarter of 2023 for Xbox, PC, and Playstation. If you want more information, check out and wish list it on steam.

Series Reviews

Series Review: The Sandman (2022)

August 10, 2022 josechurape 16 Comments

I can’t recommend The Sandman enough. This is fantasy at its finest. The story is amazing, the acting is mostly great, and it is such a beautiful show. I can’t speak on how close of an adaptation it is to the comic, but I can speak on what a good show this is.

The series deals with the gods and forces outside of the human realm that affects the human experience. Forces like death, desire, and dreams are manifested as gods, each with its own domain to rule. The natural order of things gets complicated when a series of events lead to the capture of Dream. Years go by, and Dream’s kingdom crumbles. The show focuses on a newly freed Dream as he tries to rebuild his Kingdom and his power.

I have been impatiently waiting for any new fantasy to hold me over till the next season of The Circle of Time. This definitely helped soothe my impatient heart, but now I fear I will be impatiently waiting for this next season of The Sandman as well. It is safe to say that I am obsessed with this show, and there is a good reason for that. The narrative is interesting, full of well-generated tension, interesting villains and heroes, and some pretty fantastic world-building. I love that Dream isn’t a traditional hero. Dream will often act whit his own interest in mind because he is not limited by human morals. He will slowly realize that this is not always in the universe’s best interest, and his thinking slowly changes as a result of his experience. It is very cool to see a hero who learns from his journey as he deals with his flaws and inhibitions.

The narrative style for this show is unique. Each arc seems to have its own voice, keeping the series fresh and exciting. It is nice to see fantasy that doesn’t follow the usual tropes. My only complaint is with the inconsistency of the acting. Some actors give amazing performances, while others do their best but have awkward delivery. It isn’t a terrible problem, but it is noticeable. I also had an issue with the pacing. I felt it slows down towards the end, but I never felt like it was unwatchable.

This is a great series and you can watch it on Netflix!

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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Lightyear (2022)

August 5, 2022 josechurape 2 Comments

Lightyear has just been released on Disney+, and after watching it, I understand why it flopped so badly. The first few minutes show promise. I was optimistic about the story because Buzz was interesting. Unfortunately, the rest of this movie turned into a disappointing and generic kids’ action movie.

Buzz is the lone wolf archetype you are already familiar with. There isn’t much variation in his character or his journey, so why bother? His tendency to work alone causes the series of events that leave him and the colony stranded on a strange planet. The guilt Buzz feels about getting everyone stranded fuels his obsession to be perfect. Buzz makes it his mission to help get the colony into space again. His guilt and pride drive the remaining of this disappointing narrative. It isn’t a bad movie, but you have seen this story play out better elsewhere.

The voice acting was fine, but there are some awkward line readings that are hard to ignore. It can be better. I wish they would stop using celebrity voice actors and instead focus on hiring good voice actors. Good voice acting wouldn’t save this movie, but it would be more watchable.

The characters in this movie are flat and uninteresting. Buzz is a generic action hero, the villain is a terrible trope that ruined the movie, and the side characters are one-note characters that only exist to make their one joke. I didn’t care about the movie because I didn’t care about the characters and that is a problem.

The story is a generic action movie. Buzz wants to work alone, but this one mission helps him realize that he can’t do everything alone. I was excited when I watched the trailers because I remember liking the animated series. Unfortunately, instead of the epic space adventure, we get a recycled story we have seen too many times already. This movie needs a compelling villain, a better lead and side characters, and a unique story.

I am glad I didn’t spend any money on this movie because it isn’t worth it. It isn’t the worst movie on the platform, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. If you are forced to watch this, you aren’t going to hate it, but you probably won’t watch it again. I know I am not. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch it on Disney+.

video game reviews

Game Review: Noel the Mortal One (2022)

August 5, 2022 josechurape 5 Comments

I received Noel the Mortal Fate as a review code. I want to thank Playism for the opportunity to review this title. That said, I will not let this sway my opinion of the game. This will be an honest review of the game.

Noel the Mortal Fate is a visual novel with some minor gaming elements to it. This is a book, and any gameplay, whether it be puzzles or boss fights, is a railroad you to a certain ending. The choices you make and any exploration available don’t matter. The puzzles and boss fights are simple, as the focus of this title is to tell a story. If you like manga or anime, this is a solid revenge plot with a lot of the anime tropes you are familiar with. I had a lot of fun with this title, but I understand that it isn’t for everyone.

Noel is a young prodigy pianist who has lost the most important piano competitions in her town. Angered by the loss, she is tricked into making a deal with the devil. Unbeknownst to her, the deal will restore her honor at the cost of her limbs. Caren, the devil she summons, takes pity on Noel and promises to help her get her revenge on the person who tricked her into making the deal. The game then follows Noel’s journey toward vengeance. This is a game full of interesting characters, epic fights, and devil pacts. Will Noel be able to exact her revenge? You will need to play to find out.

Gameplay-wise, this is a book. There is a lot of reading and no voice acting. The reading is occasionally broken up by puzzles, fights, and light exploration. I enjoyed the story, but I am speaking as an anime fan. The characters are unique and interesting, although some of them are anime archetypes. I loved the style of storytelling. Most of the story exists in 2D animated sprites, but they make it work. The use of flashbacks, fight scenes, music, and comic strips all come together to tell an engaging narrative. Boss encounters felt epic, character growth was exciting, and the flashbacks were woven in nicely. My only complaint would be with the translation. I noticed some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, but none of it was unplayable.

I played this game on the Nintendo Switch and loved it. Undocked, the game runs great. The letters are easy to read, and the maps were very visible. When docked I used a controller. It was nice to have a bigger screen, but it isn’t necessary. In both modes, I preferred the d-pad for movement because it allowed for more control. Movement in this game is awkward, and I often overshot targets. The d-pad offers more control over the movement, but it isn’t perfect. The awkward movement added unnecessary difficulty to the puzzles and boss fights.

Overall, I enjoyed this game a lot. I liked the story and loved the music, but I wish the game offered meaningful choices to give it replayability. It would be nice to have multiple endings instead of being railroaded into one. Some of the gameplay feels like padding, like when you control a character to walk through a hallway. That said, I still enjoyed it. There was enough world-building where I wasn’t lost or overwhelmed. The characters were interesting and memorable. I ended up becoming very invested in the narrative, often rooting for the heroin’s success.

This is a niche game. If you like anime and visual novels, this is a solid one. If you are curious about the genre, Noel the Mortal Fate is a nice starting point. The story is interesting but easy to follow, the characters are unique and well developed, and it isn’t overly sexualized. Just know that you aren’t buying a game, but a novel with gaming elements.

It is available for the Nintendo Switch, Sony Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Links lead to respective store page.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Don’t Make Me Go (2022)

August 3, 2022 josechurape 11 Comments

Don’t Make Me Go is a fantastic movie, and you should be watching it. The acting is amazing and the story is great, but keep in mind that it is sad.

Max is a single father who finds out he only has a year to live due to bone cancer. In an effort to spend his remaining time with his daughter, and leave her with the only family she has left, he takes her on a road trip to meet her birth mother. Will this trip be the perfect goodbye, creating the lasting memory it is intended for?

This movie is sad, but it has enough cute and heartwarming moments that make up for it. While the story brought me to tears, I wasn’t depressed after. It won’t ruin your day if you watch this. The ending is cheesy yet satisfying. The story is well done and made better by its cast.

This movie has some amazing leads. You need to watch this performance. They are amazing, and the chemistry they share is unparalleled. For a movie like this to work, you need a believable father-daughter relationship, and they are able to create a cute one. You will laugh when you need to laugh, but you will also cry when you need to. The performances are that moving.

You can stream this on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.

Series Reviews

Series Review: Paper Girls (2022)

August 1, 2022 josechurape 7 Comments

If you like what I do and want to show your support, please consider buying me a coffee

Paper Girls is an interesting take on the time travel narrative that I am sure you will enjoy. Where most time travel narratives create a complex journey full of plot holes and redundancies, Paper Girls creates a creative narrative about womanhood within an epic time travel adventure. The series focuses on a group of four girls who stumble into a war that has waged through time. Stranded outside of their own time, the girls must figure out a way to get back home and maybe save the universe in the process.

The show is incredibly fun with great actors and a fantastic narrative. The leads are well written and share some great chemistry. They are fun to watch on screen. I absolutely love how they handle time travel. The science is pretty reasonable, making this a very plausible Sci-Fi adventure. I loved that there wasn’t any over-the-top scientific babble. You won’t be overloaded with convoluted plot points, but instead, be told a very sweet story about friendship and growing up.

At its core, Paper Girls is a coming-of-age story. Each girl is just trying to survive being a teenager dealing with the circumstances they are dealt. Each girl wants to find out who they are in life. This adventure forces them to make the difficult choices that define who they will be. It is a well-written adventure, and watching the girls grow throughout is well worth the investment.

If you like Sci-Fi Fantasy like Stranger Things, this is a good show to tide you over till the new season. I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this up, but it has easily become one of my favorites. Check it out on Amazon if you have a Prime Membership.