Over the weekend, I got to play in the Warhammer 40k Darktide beta. I know I am a bit late with the coverage, but it is a game that I need to talk about. I had a lot of fun, and if you like 40k, this game should be on your radar. This isn’t going to be much of a review because I understand it is still in its early stages. This will be more of my initial thoughts about the game.
Darktide is the 40k themed Vermintide. Darktide is a horde survival game where you and a squad of 4 must complete missions and objectives while surviving hordes of enemies. The goal is to complete the missions without dying.
The beta lets you choose from four classes: the Psyker, the Sharpshooter, the Ogryin, and the Zealot. Each class has its own set of abilities, skills, and weapons. When you start the game, you create your character. You design their appearance, choose a back story, and a name. The backstory is more for flavor. It only seems to affect the color of the jumpsuit you wear. I played the Zealot and loved it dearly. Each class plays differently, and you should try them all.
The game felt very polished for a beta. The only issue I had was the long Queue at launch. I never encountered a queue after the fact. There were some minor crashes in between, but nothing that turned me off the game. The art style had that grimdark dirty feel that I love about 40k, and the voice acting was pretty good.
The combat was great. Shooting enemies with the bolter, closing gaps with my rush, stunning them with my grenade, and crushing skulls with my axe was just so satisfying that I am sitting here wishing I had more. There were only a few game modes and maps available for the beta, but the game got more fun as I learned the pathing. One issue I can see is that the grind can be repetitive, but I am sure the full release will have a more diverse gaming experience. There is some RNG involved in the form of weapon drops at the end of missions. I thought they were fair at the lower levels, but I can’t speak on the drop rate for the end-game content. There are cosmetics in this game. I didn’t get to play with that aspect of the game, but I can only hope it isn’t predatory.
As far as the community goes, i had a good experience. I never encountered any toxic players, but this might change at launch. There is a discord that is booming for those interested.
I had a lot of fun with this game. If you like 40k or these horde survival games, this should be on your radar. You can preorder it on steam and check out their website for more details. The game plans to release November 11, 2022.
Movie Review: The School of Good and Evil (2022)
The School of Good and Evil is a fun little fantasy that I am sure you will enjoy. While not without its flaws, it is a solid narrative. It is made for a younger audience, so expect a general cheesiness to its tone. This movie also leans heavily on its fairy tale tropes, so expect a sappy ending. That said, if you’re looking for something to watch, especially with your kids, try The School of Good and Evil.
The School of Good and Evil was established to create a balance between the two opposing forces. This school was designed to create the actors that would frame the many fairy tales we have come to know. The story is about two girls who are brought to this school from another world. As they struggle to adapt to the new roles they are given, evil lurks in the shadows. It is their destiny to change the world of good and evil presently, but will this change be their happily ever after?
I had a lot of fun with this movie. The acting is great, the action is fun, and it has a solid narrative. The movie attempts to challenge the traditional roles in fairy tales by having two headstrong and competent female leads challenging the system. It is nice that they aren’t perfect at first, but they do suddenly become perfect when the plot needs them to be. I also liked that the story focuses on their friendship, rather than having a prince give them meaning. It is a solid attempt at redefining the genre, but they could have pushed the boundaries further.
This movie is long, but it never felt like it. Every actor in this brought tremendous energy making this movie a fantastic experience. The villain is a bit one-dimensional, but there are enough characters to hate to keep the plot moving nicely. The movie gets a little preachy about the ideas of good and evil, but I kind of expected it from the general tone. Regardless of its flaws, it’s a solid fantasy movie.
This movie is what I believe the Descendants movies tried to be but failed to do so. If you are looking for a fun movie to watch with your family, this is a solid choice. It has action, adventure, and some pretty solid leads. Go stream it on Netflix.
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Series Review: The Watcher (2022)
The Watcher is a suspenseful drama full of fantastic actors that is fine at first, but it certainly overstays its welcome. I was fully invested for the first half of the series, but the show becomes tedious towards the end. It isn’t a bad show, and you won’t hate it if you sit through it, but it should have been shorter.
The Watcher is a series based on the real events of a family being sent threatening letters when they move to the suburbs of New Jersey. Strange things start to happen to the family as they attempt to settle into their new lives. There is an ominous force messing with the family. The family grows increasingly paranoid as they desperately try to determine the cause of the unexplainable events in the house. Will they ever find the cause of all this evil?
I have mixed feelings about this series because the pacing is terrible, and the ending is disappointing. I think Netflix was trying to drag this series out, as most streaming services do with their original content, to keep people watching. The slow pacing hurts the narrative, making it hard to recommend. There is too much build-up to an ending that doesn’t deliver a satisfying conclusion. The last two episodes are pointless and add little to the story. This series should need to be condensed to be a more effective narrative
Toward the end, the series gets repetitive. The couple will get a clue and follow the lead toward a big confrontation only to be proven wrong by a new lead. This keeps happening to the point where I grew tired of the couple and as a result, less sympathetic. The Watcher does a fantastic job at showing the growing obsession and paranoia in the family, but it does a terrible job unfolding its mystery. This puts me in a weird place because I love the initial presentation, but hate how diluted it becomes.
If you have nothing else to watch, this is a good choice. Just be aware of its faults. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, but you can stream it on Netflix.
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Game Review: Warpips
I was sent Warpips as a review code, and while I am grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let that sway my opinion. This will be an honest review of the game.
Warpips is a real-time strategy game that is similar to the mobile game Clash Royale. The game is available on pc and all major consoles. I played this game on the Nintendo Switch, so this review will be based on that experience.
Warpips is a 2D, card-based strategy game. You choose from a myriad of pips and traps to use against an oncoming enemy hoard. To win, you must destroy the enemy base before they destroy yours. This game has three game modes: Conquest, Quick Battle, and Endless. Conquest takes you through a campaign through different countries as you try to free them of their oil. Quick Battle is a random mode with three difficulties: Easy, Challenging, and Hard. You are given a random deck of pips and traps and try to defeat an enemy on a random map. Endless mode has you surviving an endless assault as you try to beat your previous high score.
The gameplay is very simple. You summon your pips and watch them fight against the enemy hoard. You can summon air strikes, use tools, and set up traps to help your pips secure their victory. In conquest mode, you can purchase additional cards and upgrades with the currency you earn while playing. There is some RNG, but I always thought it was fair.
Don’t let this game’s cuteness deceive you, you will need to be strategic with your choices. I played on easy and still found enough of a challenge to keep me engaged. If I wasn’t paying attention or was too conservative with my choices, I was easily overwhelmed by the enemy AI. I suggest playing this game on the harder difficulties for a more fulfilling experience.
This game ran smoothly most of the time, but I did notice the occasional stutter. The game would freeze for a second before resuming. It never crashed on me or affected my game, but it is something to keep in mind. I didn’t notice much of a difference between docked and handheld mode, but I preferred handheld mode because of its versatility.
The gameplay is a bit repetitive, but it might be a symptom of having it on the easiest difficulty. I played on higher difficulties, but I was never smart enough to get by. This game is deceptively unforgiving. Most of the game however is the same, and you find yourself constantly waiting for cooldowns.
I liked this game a lot, and I’d recommend it if it were cheaper. I am not a huge RTS fan, but this was a manageable game for my skill level. I thought the pixel art was a fantastic choice, and it definitely made losing sting less. The music is pretty fantastic as well. I recommend playing with the sound out, at least for the first hour or so. Warpips is a game you pick up when you want to chill but still need a challenge. This is a game where you don’t need to be too invested in a story or mechanics, but you will need to be strategic. I personally wouldn’t spend $20 on it and would wait for a sale, but I can see this being worth it to someone who really loves the genre.
Check it out on Steam, Nintendo, Xbox, and Playstation.
Tech Review: Razer Orbweaver Keypad
My search for a more ergonomic gaming setup eventually landed me the Razor Orbweaver. Unfortunately, this device is no longer supported by Razor, and each day becomes an increased gamble of whether or not it will continue to work. That said, I love this keypad to bits and will continue to use it till it officially dies. I won’t be linking to this product because all I could find were listings with inflated prices that are not justifiable for this keypad. The most ideal price for this would be $50-$60 new, and that is pushing it.
The Orbweaver is a 30-button keypad that you can reprogram to fit your gaming style. The keypad can be easily remapped through the official Synapse app. You can save multiple different profiles that are game or program-specific. You can program the device to automatically switch profiles when certain programs or games are running. One issue I have with the software is that you do need to have an account with Razor to access your keybinds. The software will occasionally log you out, and if you lose your password, you have to start over. I wish they would have had onboard memory so that I didn’t have to sign into synapse every single time. Otherwise, the program is pretty straightforward, but I have heard people having issues with the buggy software.
Please note that Razor is no longer supporting the Orbweaver. There will no longer be any updates to the firmware or the software; it will eventually become unusable. I am sure there are third-party open-sourced solutions for remapping this device, but I haven’t looked into any because the current configuration works for me.
Build quality is another issue that you should consider when buying this keypad. It looks cool out of the box, but it feels cheap. I purchased mine as an Amazon renewed, and while I did get lucky, one of the directions on the thumbstick stopped working when the window for exchange closed. Since then, the bottom thumb key has stopped registering presses consistently, and I fear it will eventually stop registering presses completely. Aside from these two issues, the Orbweaver works perfectly, and I still plan on daily driving it till it dies.
What I love about the Orbweaver is how customizable the experience is. You can readjust the wrist, palm, and thumb rests to fit your hand size. People with larger hands might have an issue, but I was able to find a perfect configuration that has allowed for a much more comfortable gaming experience. I used to get bad wrist and hand pain that limited how much meaningful gaming I could get from a session. I used to only be able to manage 30 minutes of gaming before I had to give up because the pain was too much. I can now play for a lot longer without issue, although I still recommend taking regular breaks and stretching. This isn’t a perfect solution, and the pain comes back if I use the computer for longer than I should. This is currently the best solution I have found for me and my hands.
For gaming, the Orbweaver has been a fantastic upgrade. The pain in my hands and wrists used to make it difficult to hit all the number keys. This greatly affected my reflexes, and it made competitive gaming impossible. I love being able to remap the key to fit both my hands and my play style. I no longer have issues with overextension to reach the keys. If you are looking for something more comfortable, or even something that is more convenient, this keypad is a great option.
I love the Orbweaver, and under normal circumstances, I would be recommending it, but it’s just too expensive for what you are getting. Anyone over $50 new is asking too much. Buying it used is a gamble because the build quality isn’t reliable enough to be worth the risk. It won’t be falling apart, but it is something to keep in mind before paying. This device is also reaching the end of its life, and when Razor stops supporting its software, you will have to deal with third-party solutions. It is probably a better idea to look for alternatives or the Orbweaver’s successors if you thinking of buying a keypad unless you find it for cheap and don’t mind working a little harder.
Series Review: Final Space
Final Space has no right to be as good as it is; you should watch it if you haven’t. I am disappointed that it won’t be getting its proper conclusion anytime soon because a greedy network is holding it hostage. Nonetheless, Final Space is the perfect space odyssey you should be watching!
Final Space is the story of Gary Goodspeed’s destiny. Gary is serving his prison sentence alone in space when a mysterious, planet-destroying space creature finds him. Gary befriends the strange creature and names it Mooncake. But the friendship between Mooncake and Garry sets off a series of events that will change the universe forever. Now Garry and his newly found crew of misfits must save the universe from an ancient evil.
Final Space is an epic and emotional adventure I wasn’t prepared for. Do not let the art style and general goofiness fool you, this is a serious adventure full of love, loss, action, and betrayal. Final Space is sci-fi done right. There is fantastic world-building, memorable characters with proper development, actual stakes, and a narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I laughed, I cried, but I need more.
My only complaint about this show is that there aren’t any plans for a final season. It is also difficult to find copies of the seasons that have been released because it is no longer available for streaming anywhere. You can find the first two seasons on Amazon for purchase right now, but that might change soon. It is worth the trouble if you can find it anywhere else, even if it is a physical copy. I can only hold onto the hope that one day it will miraculously get the proper conclusion that it deserves. Take my word for it, go watch Final Space, and don’t forget to thank me when you do.
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Game Review: Lovecraft’s Untold Stories 2
I want to start out by saying that I got this game as a review code and while I am grateful for the opportunity, I will not let that sway my opinion. This will be an honest review of the game.
Lovecraft Untold Stories 2 is a 2D isometric dungeon crawler for pc based on Lovecraft lore. You start off choosing from three playable characters: the witch, the professor, and the detective. Each character has its own unique abilities, armor, and weapons. You control your character through randomly generated dungeons as you try to solve a mystery.
I was very excited about this game. I liked the art, I liked that the cutscenes were comic-like, and I had fun at the intro level. But once you get out of the intro mission, the game becomes frustratingly unplayable. Movement becomes clunky and slow in the cluttered rooms. I was constantly getting stuck on boxes, holes, and trees, making kiting enemies virtually impossible. To make matters worse, I was getting stuck on the invisible boundaries of boxes and trees. The witch has a cool teleport ability that could pass through enemies but would get stuck on invisible artifacts. I died so many times because my teleport was constantly being canceled by nothing. There are instances where I would teleport only to be trapped in between an inescapable grouping of trees. When the environment is more deadly than the enemies, that is bad game design.
I thought the randomly generated dungeons were cool at first, but that view quickly turned sour. I quickly learned that the room generation was quite unbalanced. Some rooms were laughably easy, with only two enemies standing in my way. Others were impossibly hard, with too many enemies and no way to escape. There was one room I couldn’t even complete because there was a wall blocking the exit. I love the randomness of life as much as any other gamer, but this experience was frustrating.
The insanity mechanic is nonsense. If you get hit by an enemy, you slowly get stacks of insanity. If you get too many, you die. The problem is, there is no clear indication of how much insanity you have, nor is there an easy way to clear it. Because the environment made movement difficult, it was impossible to clear a level without getting stacks of insanity. You either got killed because you got stuck trying to run away, or you died because you gathered too much insanity. This poorly designed mechanic made this game harder than it should be.
I was beyond excited about this game because it reminds me of the Arkham Horror board game. I have been desperately trying to find a group to play with, and I believed this game would be my only chance. The disappointment I collected from this game was so painful, I couldn’t muster the strength to finish this game. I forced myself to play as much as I could, but I can only be so patient. This game is broken to the point where you won’t get any meaningful enjoyment out of it. Lovecraft Untold Stories 2 isn’t worth your time as a free game, let alone the $25 it is asking for. But if you don’t believe me, you can buy it on steam.
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Movie Review: My Best Friend’s Exorcism (2022)
My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a horror comedy that has enough problems with it to make it impossible to recommend. While I am sure a much younger audience will have a better time with this movie, I sure didn’t.
Abby and Gretchen are best friends in their last few months together. Gretchen moves in the summer, and they are willing to make the most of it. They and a group of friends spend a weekend at a cabin where an acid trip ends up being the nightmare that puts this friendship to the test. A demon possesses Gretchen and makes her plot against her friends, alienating her from anyone who can help her exorcise the demon. Will Abby be able to save her friend group from this evil in time, or will the demon claim his victim?
My problem with this movie is that it isn’t good at either of the genres it is trying to fit into. As a comedy, it isn’t funny enough to be worth your time. As a horror movie, it isn’t scary. It tries hard to work within the poorly written teen drama it ends up being, but it never does. The acting is fine but clearly held back by the writing. The plot is dumb, but it does have its moments. The best part of this movie is its soundtrack, but it’s defiantly trying to cash in on the ’80s nostalgia that Stranger Things brought back into pop culture.
What I did like about this movie is how it treats its demon possession. The demon preys on the friend group through sabotage and mind games instead of resorting to gore and gross-out scenes. For example, the demon tricks one of the girls into coming out as a lesbian, then uses her sorrow to almost killing her by nut allergy. It was pretty clever and uncomfortable, but this only makes up a small portion of the film. The rest of the movie lacks this creativity.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism isn’t the worst horror comedy I have seen. It definitely is too quirky for its own good, but it is watchable. I can’t recommend it, however, because it is boring. But to the curious and unbelievers, you can stream it on Amazon Video if you have a Prime Membership.
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Tech Review: Kinesis Freestyle2 Ergonomic Keyboard
Last post I wrote about the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB Keyboard, an ergonomic gaming keyboard that is nice but expensive. Know that if you are purchasing the Freestyle Edge, you are paying for the luxury of RGB backlighting. You can see my full review of the Freestyle Edge here. For a more affordable option, consider the Kinesis Freestyle2.
Before I begin, I would like to mention that I am not a doctor, and this review is based on my personal experience. For medical advice, always consult a doctor. This is not a paid review, but I will be using affiliate links to the products. If you choose to purchase anything I recommend, I get a small commission if you buy using my links. It isn’t much, but every little bit helps.
The Kinesis Freestyle2 is a wired split keyboard designed for ergonomics. The keyboard comes in a nine-inch split and a 20-inch split variation. I have the nine-inch split version, and I don’t feel like I need any more. Plan for your setup. I have wide shoulders, and the split design has allowed for a more comfortable position.
My only complaint about the Kinesis split keyboards is that they do not come with the optional tenting kit. Kinesis offers an optional tenting kit for all their split keyboards for a more ergonomic experience. I used the Freestyle2 without the kit, but I am so used to the tilt that I had to buy the kit for this one as well. Most people should be fine using the keyboard without the kit, but personally, the tenting kit makes long typing sessions a lot more comfortable. The Freestyle2 has two options for tenting, a 15-degree variant ($40 on Amazon) and a 90-degree variant ($200 on Amazon). I use the 15-degree variant and think it is perfectly fine, but the 90-degree is a solid option if you prefer a vertical keyboard. I don’t have any experience with the 90-degree version and can’t speak on how sturdy it is.
The main differences between the Freestyle Edge and the Freestyle 2 are the switches and backlight. The Freestyle2 is a membrane keyboard with no backlight and it honestly doesn’t need either. The key presses are soft and responsive, but they aren’t customizable. I have been using this keyboard regularly for two years and haven’t seen any visible signs of wear and tear. Unfortunately, Kinesis doesn’t offer keycap replacements keycaps or mac conversions for this keyboard. The Freestyle2 also comes with a few preprogrammed macro keys for productivity. I haven’t found too much use for these with my workflow.
I used to use a cheap flat keyboard for work that left my hands useless by the end of my shift. There were days when I couldn’t finish my work because the pain would be unbearable. Since making the switch to the Freestyle2, I haven’t had any issues with pain in my hands and wrists. I recommend taking regular breaks and looking into stretches for added comfort. My only other complaint about this keyboard is that there is no number keypad. I don’t really need one for my workflow, the number line works well enough, but the split design makes using numbers a slower experience. It isn’t unmanageable, but people who work with numbers should look into getting a separate keypad. Kinesis offers a Numeric Keypad, currently $35.95 on Amazon, but you can choose your presence.
If you are looking to make your setup a bit more ergonomic, consider the Kinesis Freestyle2 Keyboard, currently $89 on Amazon. This is the perfect option if you don’t care about a backlight, customizations, or key switches. I will be continuing this series with some gaming peripherals that have also helped save my hands a bit more strain. Stay tuned for more.
Movie Review: Significant Other (2022)
Image by Bingo Naranjo from Pixabay
Don’t waste your time on Significant Other. It is a garbage movie that should have never been made. I don’t know what it is about Paramount, but they don’t seem to understand how to make a proper horror movie.
The movie focuses on a generic couple who go on a camping trip. Alone in the woods, they begin to notice that there is something off. They find strange animal corpses, they see shadows, and it feels like something is watching them. Tensions grow high as the couple’s relationship begins to strain. There are aliens in the woods, and they seem to be after one of them. Will they be able to make it out alive?
It’s a shame that these actors are wasted on such a bad movie. The acting is fine, but everything else is terrible. There is no tension in this film, the buildup makes no sense, the twist is confusing, and the ending is disappointing. I had to rewatch this movie because I thought I missed some important details. I was very confused when the twist came, and I wanted to make sure I gave this film its fair trial. I didn’t miss anything. This movie is just that bad at telling its story.
I feel like a broken record at this point, but nothing happens in this movie. The first thirty minutes of this movie is relationship problems the movie. The boyfriend proposes, but the girl has issues with commitment. The film becomes a lot of awkward conversations in reaction to not accepting the proposal. The movie then tries desperately to be symbolically and suspenseful like Hereditary, but it only slows down the plot. There are a lot of scenes where the camera pans over nature to suggest something sinister is going on when nothing is.
I am going to spoil this movie because I need you to understand my frustration with it. If you are planning to watch this, don’t, but if you insist, stop reading here.
The movie suggests that the drama between the couple stems from unresolved trauma the girl is holding on to. I refuse to use the character names because they are generic and flat. The only defining characteristic for this girl is that she has crippling anxiety. This anxiety creates the strain on their relationship that takes up the first half of the movie. Something happens in the woods that makes the girl become distant. The movie suggests that maybe she was possessed by the aliens, and she pushes her boyfriend off a cliff.
The big twist is that the alien can steal the form of other life forms. With each transformation, the alien also gets the instincts and emotions of the form he takes. This will become important later. The boyfriend had been dead the whole time. The girl had somehow stumbled on the body early on and was acting suspicious because she knew. After the big reveal, the alien stands over the girl ready to claim another victim, but he finds himself frozen, unable to act. He can’t bring himself to kill the girl because he is overwhelmed by his love for her. Instead, he decides to save her from the impending alien invasion. The girl freaks out, and a convenient shark helps her escape again.
The alien can’t die, and he traps her again. The alien takes her form, and as he is about to kill her, the girl overcomes her anxiety and stands up for herself. The alien, on the other hand, is overwhelmed by crippling anxiety and has a panic attack. The girl takes this opportunity to kill the alien. As the girl rides off into the sunset, the movie sequel baits. The alien isn’t dead, and there is an invasion on the way.
I am still struggling to make sense of what I just watched. I am so mad that love saved her the first time and even madder that her anxiety saved her the final time. It’s not a good movie. This is time I will never get back. Don’t waste your time when there are better, more competent horror movies out there. But if you don’t believe me, you can stream it on Paramount+.
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