I was sent The Wandering Village as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
The Wandering Village is a cute and casual village builder with beautiful art, interesting mechanics, and a solid soundtrack. This game easily became one of my favorites due to its casual atmosphere. This game is simple enough to pick up quickly but offers enough of a challenge without becoming overwhelming. This game is the perfect entry point to the genre and a fantastic addition to any library.
The world has become toxic and uninhabitable. The few remaining survivors have found refuge on the back of a giant wandering beast, the Onbu. Together you will wander the world as you attempt to rebuild a symbiotic civilization on the back of the Onbu.
The Wandering Village is a beautiful game with many moving parts. I recommend you play a few runs without looking up guides. I believe most of the fun is trying to figure out how to grow your village properly, failing, and doing it better the next time around. I am sure there is an optimal way of running through this game, but I had as much fun failing as when everything was running smoothly. This game is casual enough that guides aren’t necessary.
The Wandering Village is one of the more casual village builders I’ve played. Worker, resource, and resource management are challenging enough to keep the game engaging without becoming overwhelming. There are settings you can tweak that makes the management mechanics more difficult, but I never felt like it lost its casual vibe. What does create a challenge is adapting to the random encounters throughout the Onbu’s journey. The types of scouting missions that become available, the types of biomes it walks through, and the Onbu’s health all affect the growth of your village. Players will often have to readjust quickly to changes. I lost a few villages because I wasn’t planning properly. You will eventually be able to have more control of the Onbu, but I enjoyed the random nature of the journey. It makes every run unique, giving the game lots of replayability.
I had a lot of fun with The Wandering Village, and recommend it to anyone in the market for a new game. The art is beautiful, and the mechanics are fun and interesting. The game just got an update that added a new biome, buildings, and encounters. You can pick up The Wandering Village on Steam and Xbox for $24.99 or play it for free if you have Game Pass.
I was wrong about Krzyżacy: The Knights of the Cross, the game was rather disappointing
I was sent Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross is a pixel art deck builder based on a book of the same name. Unfortunately, the English localization is bad. I stopped reading the story early on because the effort isn’t worth it. The source material might be worth reading, but this adaptation isn’t. With only gameplay left, there wasn’t much reason for me to keep playing once the novelty wore off. Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross becomes a boring grind with cute pixel art, but you can find a better game elsewhere.
Like most deck builders, you start the game with a basic deck and slowly build a stronger one as you progress through the campaign. What makes this deck builder unique is that you can recruit units to help you in battles. These units will perform actions based on the combination of cards you play during a turn. This creates an interesting dynamic where you are trying to create combos from your hand that synergizes with your companions. The problem I have with this system is that if you don’t meet the basic requirements for an action, the unit sits idle. This game is not forgiving when it comes to the action economy, and wasted turns result in more unnecessary grind.
I recommend you look up guides or build toward a two-color deck early on to make sure you play efficiently. The amount of gold and xp you earn and the global healing you can do is limited. These limits are standard in the genre. The problem is that you can get stuck in the campaign if you haven’t been using your gold wisely. Most deck builders let you easily redo the run, but Krzyżacy forces you to sit through the cut scenes and restart from zero. This is great if you are good at these games and love the strategy, but bad for the casual players. There are global perks you can earn by playing the game that alleviate some of this grind, but it stops being worth the trouble. The game is short enough that the reset isn’t a huge issue, but I couldn’t find the motivation for a second one.
Don’t get me wrong. I like that this game offers difficult choices to its players and rewards efficiency, but I wish the story was better and it was easier to reset the run. I kept hitting a point where I didn’t have money to buy companions, cards, or heals, and my deck wasn’t strong enough to get through the story, and I couldn’t justify going through the grind.
If you are looking for a fun deck builder, there are better options. The art is cool and it introduces interesting mechanics, but as is, this game isn’t worth buying into. The localization of the story isn’t good, and the gameplay isn’t fun enough to justify the price. You can get it on Steam for $14.99, but I suggest you hold off for a sale or some major updates.
Digimon Seekers: Chapter 2-5: when the demon wolf meets the god of thunder
Sorry this weeks chapter is a little late. I was on vacation but will resume my usual schedule. Make sure you always read the original, but check out my version if you need something that isn’t google translate. If you’ve been enjoying this project, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends!
Marvin’s Megadramon now lay motionless on the ground. Smoke rises from the freshly made wound. Bits of its metal armor have broken or melted away, leaving badly burnt tissue beneath it. Eiji and Loogamon freeze from the shock of seeing Megadramon felled so easily.
“…Um, Marvin?” Eiji calls in an attempt to shake off the initial shock. There is no answer. Eiji and Loogamon stand alone in the hangar, desperately searching for the source of the attack. The Machinedramon pulls at its weakened restraints.
“You there noob?” One of the SOC’s leaders calls over voice chat. “We’re heading back to the meeting point. What’s your status?”
“It’s bad. We don’t have Machinedramon and something took out Marvin. We need help.” Eiji doesn’t hide the fear in his voice. He knows they aren’t strong enough for whatever stalks them in the shadows.
“Machinedramon hasn’t been caught yet?” another voice replies.
“Hang tight, we’ll be right there.” Moments later two cloaked figures appear and rush towards Megadramon.
“What happened to Marvin?” asks one of the figures.
“I don’t know. Something attacked and I haven’t been able to reach him since.” Eiji’s voice shakes with panic. He continues his fruitless search. “I think they’re still out there.”
“I thought we got all the defense forces.”
“Maybe its the DigiPolice?” Eiji asks. He isn’t ready for another encounter.
“No, they wouldn’t risk an international incident. Whoever it is, they have a Mega. Stay alert.”
“What the…”
A bolt of lightning comes crashing down in the distance and lands with an explosion. The force of the blast knocks the group off their feet and sends them crashing into walls. A purple haze forms around the crash sight. Static sparks randomly around the cloud. A glowing figure steps out of the haze holding twin swords crackling with lightning.
“This is bad Eiji,” calls Loogamon. Eiji can feel the fear in Loogamon’s tone and the raw power emanating from Kazuchimon. They didn’t stand a chance against the mega.
“Dammit!” One of the cloaked figures curses, “Why is he here?”
“He? You know this guy?” Eiji asks.
“There’s only one person who can control that thing.” Replies the other cloaked figure.
“The Hacker Judge” both respond together, their voices choking with fear.
“Judge?!” Eiji asks. The handle seems familiar.
Kazuchimon slices his swords in the air, releasing slices of electrical energy through the air. They land, creating terrifying explosions that shake the hangar. A loud metallic roar follows. Eiji’s heart stops. He turns to find a newly freed Machinedramon shaking off the stiffness of its incarceration.
“What a pity,” Kazuchimon finally says. “You have no control over your actions but have committed multiple crimes. Final verdict? Guilty!”
Glowing orbs of electricity start to form around Kazuchimon as it charges an attack. When the orbs grow about a meter wide, they release blinding beams at the raging Machinedramon in rapid succession. Eiji and Loogamon stand far from the attack but can feel its oppressive heat. The Machinedramon lets out a blood-curdling screech as the beams tear through its body. Seconds go by before the attack stops. The Machinedramons lifeless body stands smoldering, full of holes, and its armor torn to shreds. The massive corpse falls apart, each piece creating small quakes throughout the hanger.
Kazuchimon sheaths his swords and claps his hands together and prays. “May you find peace in your next life.”
Kazuchimon turns to the code crackers. They remain frozen with fear. “Thanks for the assist,” it says in a superior tone.
“You swooped our kill!” Eiji snaps. Eiji doesn’t appreciate Kazuchimon’s mocking tone or its self-righteous smirk.
“We have to get out of here! The missions done.” Loogamon’s warning comes abruptly, tearing Eiji away from his misguided trance.
It takes Eiji moments to remember the danger. “Yeah.” Loogamon takes a step before Eiji remembers the unconscious Megadramon lying nearby. “Wait! We have to help Marvin.”
“Leave him, we don’t have time,” Loogamon snarls as it takes another step away from the danger.
“I don’t care. Marvin’s a good guy, we have to try.” Eiji switches voice channels and calls the remaining SOC members. “We’ll distract Judge, you get Marvin and get out of here!”
“You can’t…” but Eiji doesn’t hear the rest. He switches channels. “Let’s go Loogamon!”
Loogamon and Eiji turn to Kazuchimon as the cloaked figures make their way to Magadramon
Kazuchimon crackles with electricity. It lets out a taunting smile. “I guess you guys aren’t as strong as everyone says.” Its body glows into a bright silhouette of light. The static in the room drops as the figure shrinks and leaves behind a new Digimon.
“I’m not letting you get away that easy,” Boutmon shouts at the cloaked figures.
“Couldn’t keep your mega?” Eiji responds, slightly surprised by the sudden de-digivolution.
“I don’t need it. Without the Megadramon or Machinedramon, there really is no need for a mega. At least not against the likes of you.” Boutmon rushes towards the Sons of Chaos busy trying to move the Megadramon.
Judge’s dismissive tone angers Eiji. He doesn’t like being talked down to. The rage begins to bubble over.
“Calm down Eiji. He’s on a timer just like us.”
“But Loogamon…”
“He’s underestimating us. Let’s show him how it’s done!”
Eiji takes a calming breath. “You’re right.” A smile starts to creep across his face. “Let’s go! Digivolve!”
A surge of power flows through the pair as a familiar light engulfs them. Loogarmon lands in a heavy thud as the ground cracks under the sudden change in weight. Flames lick from between the wolf’s metallic muzzle as it lets out a menacing growl.
“Flame Blow!”
Loogarmon becomes engulfed in a ball of flames and flies toward the charging Boutmon. Boutmon manages to block the blow, but the impact sends it flying. Boutman stands its attention now towards the massive wolf. Its knees shake as the flames of the attack burn at the wounds.
“You…” Boutmon studies his new opponent.
Loogarmon stands ready. Flames spill from its maw. Its claws dig into the earth as its impressive plumage fan the embers that rain around its body. Eiji sees the members of the SOC make off with the Megadramon. An involuntary sense of relief washes over him.
“Howling Burner!”
Loogarmon roars, unleashing a torrent of fire. Boutmon raises its arms to block the attack, but the flames stick to them.
Judge grits his teeth as the searing pain bites at him and Boutmon. “This is annoying!”
Eiji and Loogarmon continue to kite Boutmon, keeping a healthy distance between them.
“You can’t keep this up forever,” Eiji taunts. “That’s why you de-digivolved isn’t it? You used up all your energy as the Mega.”
“Eiji, its time to go!” Marvin’s voice calls to him.
“Marvin is alive,” Eiji thinks with a sigh of relief.
“Eiji…?” Judge says softly. The name feels familiar, but he can’t remember why.
“You’ll pay for this Leon!” Marvin shouts at the unmoving Boutmon.
“Leon…?” Eiji tries to remember why the name sounds so familiar.
Boutmon growls in frustration as its body glows and it shrinks down to its rookie form.
Eiji recognizes Pulsemon before the computer pulls the data. He has seen it before…
It takes a moment for the memories to return. Eiji remembers his elementary school days when his friend showed him the same Digimon.
“Pulsemon…” Eiji mutters as he begins to piece it all together. “Leo? Is that you?” Eiji’s hologram suddenly appears next to the Loogarmon. Pulsemon’s expression softens a bit. Leo appears.
Eiji studies Leo and remembers the blond-haired and blue-eyed boy he was friends with all those years ago. He had grown a lot since, but he was undeniably the same kid. The same look of recognition washes over Leon’s face.
An alarm begins to screech. Nation X’s reinforcements begin to close in on the intruders. Eiji and Leo don’t move.
“Leo, its you!” Eiji repeats in disbelief.
“How could you become a code cracker?!” Leon asks, his voice filled with a mix of disappointment and resentment. Bullets begin to rain around them as Nation X’s forces close in.
Leo disappears back into Pulsemon. Pulsemon lingers for a moment before turning into lightning and vanishing into the digital sea. Eiji stands alone in the hangar, security inching closer by the moment.
“So you’re a hacker now…”
The Wandering Village huge update and release on Game Pass for Xbox and PC
I’ve always enjoyed the village builder genre a bit more than I should. I can lose weeks playing a good village builder, and I will always recommend the genre to those looking for a casual and relaxing experience with enough of a challenge to stay engaging. I typically do my best to avoid titles in the genre because of how much time I end up spending on them, but I like to keep my eye out for what’s available just in case.
I’ve been eyeing The Wandering Village for a while now, but I have been strong enough to not pull the trigger. The art is cute, the music score is nice, and the gameplay is what I’d expect from a cute and casual village builder. Now is a great time to get into the game because it is now available on Game Pass for both Xbox and PC, and it is getting its biggest update since its release. Players will now have access to the ocean which introduces a new biome, mechanics, and structures. If you are looking for a cute and casual entry into the village builder genre, it might be worth looking into The Wandering Village.
If you don’t have Game Pass, you can pick it up on Steam for $24.99. It’s currently on sale for. I just got my review code and will post a review as soon as I get back from vacation.
Digimon Seekers: Chapter 2-4: The Machinedramon in the Dungeon
Make sure you always read the original release. If you’ve been enjoying this project, like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends!
Loogamon tears through the Digital World at the speed of light. The data surrounding him blurs, forming a tunnel of bright light. Marvin and his partner Airdramon race ahead of him. The eight members participating in the raid were split into teams of two. Each team would attack Nation X’s server from a different angle.
“What do you think Tartartus will do with the Machinedramon?” Eiji asks.
“What do you mean?” Marvin replies. There was a hint of suspicion in his tone.
“The orders were to capture the Machinedramon, not destroy it. I just thought…”
“You seem a little too invested in our leader. What’s your deal anyways?”
Eiji tries to find the right words to extinguish any suspicion.
“Well?” Marvin asks. Airdramon begins to slow his pace.
“I’m just a little nervous. I ask a lot of questions when I’m nervous. This is the biggest job I’ve ever pulled, and I don’t want to mess it up.” Eiji tries to sound shaken to sell his point.
Marvin lets out an empathetic sigh. “No one knows why Tartarus does what he does, but I’m sure he’s got a good reason for going after this Machinedramon.”
“He must be after something.” Eiji continues to prie.
“Tartarus is taking on the Digital world and looking for…something.”
“Anything in particular?”
“Who knows? It’s not money or fame, I can tell you that much.”
“Spinning Needle!”
Airdramon flaps its wings, sending a sharp wave of force through a horde of Nation X’s defense. The attack cuts through the mass of guards without meeting much resistance.
Loogamon takes a deep breath. Flames begin to lick from the corners of his mouth. “Howling Fire!”
Fire pours from Loogamons mouth towards the mob of advancing guards. The flame repels their advance.
“Nice one!” Marvin shoots a compliment. “Stay in Rookie form. We need you to budget your mindlink in case we need to get out in a hurry. Use the timer I made for.” Marvin says as Airdramon takes out another group of guards.
Eiji turns his attention to the timer. It continues to tick down slowly. “I’ll be good. Don’t worry” Loogamon runs after Airdramon, taking down any security Digimon it comes across without much resistance.
Nation X’s servers were designed like an old-school dungeon crawler. It was a series of filthy stone tunnels that formed a seemingly endless maze, but Airdramon and Loogamon move confidently through its corridors. Loogamon stops on occasion to sniff for clues, Airdramon quickly snakes after him until they exit a tunnel and find themselves in a small corridor with a large ceiling.
“That’s huge!” Eiji reacts as they come to the base of a large door. It was about five stories tall and made of old sturdy iron.
“Decoding it is going to be a pain,” Marvin says as he begins running calculations.
“Nah” Loogamon says as he approaches the door.
“What are you doing?” Eiji asks frantically.
“Set your tool to decode,” Loogamon commands without slowing his stride.
“…Okay?”
The jewel on Loogamon’s head begins to glow.
“Are you serious?” Marvin yelps as he watches the decryption progress fill instantly. The massive door unlocks. The sounds of rotating gears fill the corridor as doors slide open.
“I guess I’m good at opening doors,” Loogamon says smugly.
“We should rob some bank next,” Marvin jokes.
The massive doors open, revealing a deep darkness. A low mechanical roar rises from somewhere in the shadows.
Loogamon and Aidramon make their way toward the roars. They find themselves running toward a massive metallic dinosaur. Its body is made for a mismatched collection of cyborg Digimon parts with massive cannons strapped to its shoulders.
“This is too much!” Eiji shouts as they continue their approach. He is clearly shaken by the scale of the Mega.
“Calm down Eiji,” Loogamon responds, “you’re making us look bad. It’s all tied up.” Eiji notices the restraints holding the Digimon in place. It lets out another series of emotionless roars.
Loogamon looks toward Machinedramon with an unusual amount of sympathy. “What a sorry sight. It can’t hunt or live its life. I wouldn’t wish this fate on my worst enemy.”
“Eradication attack!” Marvin shouts, not wasting a second.
Megadramon lifts its arms towards the Machinedramon. The large metal claws open, letting out a barrage of missiles. The missiles break through the Machinedramon’s restraints. The room fills with smoke from the explosions.
“Careful! Don’t kill it!” Eiji yells. The Machindramon doesn’t move. It couldn’t without human direction.
“Relax, I’m only targeting the restraints,” Marvins says dismissively. “We gotta bust it out of its chains so we can use our capture tool on it.” Megadromon moves into position as Marvin finishes his explanation.
“Ultimate Slicer”
Megadramon crosses its arms releasing a slashing energy of the same shape. It flies through the air cutting away the last bit of data holding the Digimon in place.
Eiji and Loogamon suddenly find themselves surrounded by the hissing and popping of firework-like sparks.
“What the heck?” Eiji yells as he tries to make sense of the flashes. Loogamon’s vision becomes obscured by the sudden spectacle. Loogamon sniffs at the air trying to make up for his lost senses while Eiji looks through his monitors desperately. The words “Mega, Diety, Vaccine” appear on one of the screens. “Are you seeing this?” Eiji says as he tries to find the Digimon belonging to the description.
A bolt of lightning dances along the walls, finally leaping through the air of the hanger.
“Megadramon!”
Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross: The beautiful pixel art deck builder coming to steam July 20th!
If you’ve been following my blog since the beginning or have seen the recent state of my blog, it is no secret that I love card games. I’ve spent way too much money on trading cards and am always looking for a new deck builder to add to my collection. The latest to catch my eye is a little game called Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross, coming to Steam on July 20, 2023.
Play as a knight who must help his people defeat the Teutonic Knights. The game is based on an award-winning story of the same name that covers the conflict between the Polish-Lithuanian people and the Teutonic Knights in the 15th century. I haven’t read the book, but I hope that means the story is good. I also hope the game is an accurate adaptation because I love learning about history.
As the knight, you travel the real collecting companions to fight with you and cards to make your deck stronger. There are 30 characters you can collect and level, and the freedom to build a deck that fits your playstyle. The combat looks like a strait forward deck builder but with a story and some RPG elements that might help it stand out against the genre. The game has seven chapters, 200 side quests, and a roguelite mode for hours of gameplay. That probably means this game is going to take me forever to complete.
What excites me most about this game is the art style. I love pixel art, and the design for Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross is amazing! The sprites are cute, the characters are cool, and the animation looks fun. There is a bit of fan service, but I don’t mind it. I’ve seen a lot worse, and the characters are too cool for it to matter.
I just received my review code for this game, and am super excited to try it out. I haven’t started the game, but I am also under embargo so I won’t be able to share my thoughts on the game just yet. I’ll get my review out as soon as I am able, so make sure you’re subscribed. Until then, make sure you add Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross to your wishlist.
Revita: The retro twin-stick roguelike you might need in your collection
Revita is an interesting-looking twin-shooter roguelike that I just came across. It has a cool art style, a fantastic soundtrack, and fun-looking gameplay. If you are looking for a game with a solid retro arcade feel, you might want to consider looking into Revita.
Play as a nameless child who has lost all their memories. Fight your way through procedurally generated floors and mobs of monsters to piece together the mystery of what has been lost. What secrets lie within the walls of this ominous tower? You will have to play to find out.
The art in this game looks so good. I love pixel art and adore this renaissance of pixel art games we are going through. I hope Revita can be included in that because it’s such a pretty game. The soundtrack is what mostly sells it for me because it is phenomenal. I am listening to it now, and I recommend you do the same so that you can also get hyped for this game. I am pretty sure the score alone has convinced me to pick this game up for myself.
Aesthetics aside, the game looks fun to play. It promises nearly unlimited builds, unique runs, and lots of customization so that you can play the game how you want. You will have access to settings that make the game as casual or hard-core as you want, such as adjustable aim assist, speed, and enemy visibility. The platforming is where I might have an issue with this game because I am not good at it, but it looks fun enough that I am willing to set prejudices aside. The combat looks easy enough to learn, but hard enough to keep the game engaging. It is hard to know how good the game will be from the trailer alone, but I will be picking it up for the Switch and getting that review out as soon as I can. Stay tuned for that.
You can pick up Revita now for the Switch, PlayStation, and PC for $16.99. Nintendo has it on sale for $13.59 until July 26. Pre-orders for the deluxe edition of the game are also available if you want the poster, an acrylic standee, and some extra swag for €34.99. The deluxe edition is expected to release later this year, but no date has been announced yet.
REVITA NINTENDO SWITCH™ (DELUXE EDITION)
Backpack Hero: The inventory management roguelike you should be playing
I was sent Backpack Hero as a review code, and while I am grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.
Backpack Hero is a charming little inventory roguelike that deserves a lot more attention. It has a cute art style, a nice soundtrack, and fun gameplay. This game is a lot more fun than an early-access game has the right to be. If you are looking for a chill game that will challenge you, get Backpack Hero.
Dive through procedurally generated dungeons as you fight enemies, find treasure, and manage your inventory. Space in your bag is limited, so choose carefully. How will you brave the unknown? Will you use magic? Poison? Swords? Ninja stars? The choice is yours! (and RNGesus’)
Players start with limited inventory space and gain more as their character levels. Dungeons are full of monsters, treasure, and random events that award players loot to shuffle around. Weapons, items, armor, and potions have unique skills that can interact with each other based on their placement in the backpack. Inventory management is almost like a deck builder as you work towards specific builds by collecting certain items.
As deceptively simple as this game appears, I spent a lot of time theory crafting and optimizing my build only to have my run ended by an enemy or ability I didn’t plan for. Losing was never a frustrating experience in Backpack Hero. I understood my shortcomings and planned for a better run. There are special challenges you can run if the normal game because too easy, but I mostly played in normal because I enjoyed the chill yet challenging vibe that came with it.
What I liked most about this game is how different every run felt. I never had the same build, even when I started building toward a familiar one. There was always something dumb and alluring I wanted to try. It didn’t always work out, but I had a lot of fun exploring and testing my options. The combat is a little simple. It is turn-based, and what you can do is limited by action points. You spend your action points by casting spells, attacking with weapons, or blocking with shields. I never felt like combat got stale because my strategy was constantly changing. Some runs were more fun than others, but such is life with RNGesus.
Inventory management is the most important mechanic in Backpack Hero. If you’ve played any MMO or RPG, you’ve become too familiar with the concept. I used to joke that most of my playtime on Guild Wars 2 was spent in my inventory. In Backpack Hero, you will consistently make difficult choices as you arrange and rearrange your bag. What you choose to keep in your bag affects how you play each round, so make sure you choose carefully. There are vendors and special events that will give you access to random and sometimes cool items, a smith that will upgrade your gear, and cursed items that will mess up your whole strategy. I spent a lot of time theory-crafting the perfect build and had a blast doing it, even if I never got impressively far. There are probably guides out there for the most optimal run, but I recommend you fail a couple of times on your own first.
If you have been considering getting this game or looking for a new game to get into, Backpack Hero is worth every penny. It is a cute casual game with enough kick to it to keep you entertained for hours. You can buy Backpack Hero on Steam for $16.99. Now would be a great time to pick it up because it is 20% off ($13.59) until the 13th.
Digimon Seekers: Chapter 2-3: Marvin’s Room
Make sure to check out the official release. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends. See you next week!
Only eight members of the Sons of Chaos attend the Operation Infinity briefing. Eiji stares nervously at the seven other avatars around him. He only recognizes Marvin. The rest are strangers who occasionally share idle chatter, but the room is mostly silent.
A large screen suddenly flashes above them and fills with maps, pictures, and charts.
“Our Target is the Nation of X,” Marvin begins. His voice is more stern and serious than it was the day before. “They are a small nation with an almost negligible GDP, but they are one of the world’s biggest sponsors of terrorism. Bombings, kidnappings, genocide, you name it, they’ve done it. Recently, they’ve moved their operations into digital world.” Marvin flips through the slides filled with related news clippings. “A large number of cyber-attacks originate Nation X. Their latest exploit? The digital exchange where they made off with billions of dollars in crypto…”
“That was them?” Eiji involuntarily blurts out, interrupting Marvin’s flow.
Marvin nods. “Yep, it is state sponsored Digimon crime, and it has to stop. Attacks like these will destabilize the market, but more importantly, it goes against the fundamental beliefs we were built on. Nation X threatens freedom in Digital World.”
Eiji takes a hard swallow as the scale of the operation hits him. This was bigger than any freelance job he had ever taken. His hands tremble slightly as Marvin continues his explanation. Most of it goes over his head. Eiji understands bits and pieces, but his nerves become a distraction. Eiji takes a deep breath and tries to remember why he’s there. His breath echos throughout the small dark apartment as he tries to calm himself and focus on Marvin’s words.
“Nation X is using a Machindramon to commit their crimes and pinning it on us.” Marvin throws an image of the metallic dinosaur on the screen. “I don’t think I need to explain why we can’t let that continue.” There aren’t many forces that can take down a Mega Digimon. This wasn’t mission wasn’t going to be easy.
Marvin finishes his explanation. The room remains silent as they look over one another.
“Good, we’re all here,” a mysterious voice says suddenly. “Since there are some fresh faces, allow me to introduce myself. I am Tartarus, and I’ll personally be running this operation.”
Tartarus is here?! Eiji thinks to himself. He tries to recover from the shock an stay professional. He wasn’t expecting to get this close to Tartarus so soon.
“This is a simple mission. We crash their servers and capture the Machinedramon.”
Eiji studies the image of Machinedramon. This Digimon has the power to penetrate the toughest national security. Such a tool has already proven catastrophic in the hands of a small country, Eiji couldn’t imagine what a group of skilled Code Crackers could do with it.
“It’s time we show this dictator his place,” Tartarus continues. “This is a fight for the freedom of the network.”
“For the freedom of the network!” Marvin echoes enthusiastically.
“For the Freedom of the network!” The others repeat loudly.
“No team of code crackers are as unified or powerful as the Sons of Chaos. Soon the world will see that we are a force to be reckoned with. They will see that we are a team that can topple nations!” Tartarus continues charismatically. His voice commanded respect, and those who gathered around him were ready to give it.
One by one, the SOC higher-ups start bringing out their Digimon. Most of them were Cyborg types. Eiji mutes his mic and looks down at his Digimon Linker. “This is it Loogamon. You Ready?” Eiji takes a deep breath as he looks down at his pixel art companion, “Here we go!”
Marvin’s room empties as one by one the members blink out of existence. Eiji scrolls through the options on his linker, stopping on the mindlink option. There was no going back now. Eiji is overwhelmed by a warm dizzying sensation that was growing more familiar.
They were now mindlinked. In the void of Loogamon’s Digicore, Eiji’s heart races. He goes over the mission directives in his head, repeating them like a mantra to calm himself.
Disable the servers, steal the Machinedramon, Eiji repeats to himself. This should be easy right? He takes a small breath to sooth his nerves.
“Loogamon, this is your conscious. You should let Eiji pet you,” Eiji manages in a playfully spooky voice.
“Shut up!” Loogamon retorts smugly. “Get serious Eiji.”
“I’m just trying to lighten up the mood. This can be our pregame ritual.” Eiji says, each word finding a more confident purchase.
“Pregame?”
“It’s something we do to pump ourselves up. Something to do before a big mission like this for good luck.”
“This isn’t a game. I need you to be serious for a moment and watch this.” Loogamon’s tone is stern as he pulls up a video on one of the screens.
Eiji stares at a man strapped to a reclining chair. Wires run neatly from the man and connect to nearby monitors and machines. A neat overlay over the video records his vitals.
“Who is that?”
“He was a hacker that used to work at the DDL. He was one of the institutes most promising subjects. He’s logged more mindlink hours than anyone else, and I think his record still stands. Keep watching, you need to see this.”
The video speeds up. The time stamp makes its quick climb, and Eiji watches the man’s vitals closely. Before he could ask what he was supposed to look for, the man starts convulsing wildly. The man fights against the restraints holding him to the chair, but they keep him from falling to the ground. The medical staff rushes to the man. Eiji watches as their silent screams carry useless instructions. He watches as they attempt to hold the man down in their wasted efforts. After a few moments, the man stops moving. The video cuts as the staff begins unplugging him from the machine.
Eiji swallows hard. “What happened?”
“Their Digimon ran into trouble. We believe the encounter overloaded the mindlink.”
“Overloaded? How?”
“There are limits to mindlink. Those limits depend on the skill of the code cracker, their compatibility with their partner Digimon, and the level of their Digimon. The higher the disparity between these factors are, the shorter the window becomes. If you go above this limit, your consciousness becomes melded to the Digital World. You’ll become trapped here.”
“What do you mean by melded?”
“I don’t have an answer for that. Worst case, your consciousness is destroyed. Best case, you’ll float aimlessly through the vast networks, forever lost in the endless stream of data.
A shiver runs down Eiji’s spine. The answer disturbs him. The cold reality of the assignment hits him like a bullet train. He tries to find his nerve again.
“So what happens to the body?” Eiji asks, knowing the answer.
“It becomes an empty husk.”
For the first time since he took the assignment, Eiji thinks about the stakes involved. He thinks about his body sitting alone in his tiny apartment. How long would it take for someone to find his body? His rent was set up for automatic payments. It would be a few months before his account drained. Would his neighbors complain about the smell? Eiji imagines his corps, rotting away on his bed. Another computer junkie dead from too much gaming.
Eiji shakes off the dark thoughts. It’s too late to think about that. I just have to make sure I don’t pass the limit. Easy Peasy. The speach does little to settle his nerves.
“For your safety, I’ve set another limit to make sure you return to the real world,” Loogamon replies as if reading his mind.
“Aw! You do care!” Eiji teases in an attempt to find his nerve.
“Can’t risk having you melded to my Digicore,” Loogamon says snidely. “I can’t spend the rest of my life with your voice in my head. I’d rather be deleted.”
Eiji lets out a nervous laugh. “Come on, Loogamon. Get serious. Their waiting for us”
Happy Madison’s The Out-Laws is a bland comedy that will leave no impressions
The Out-Laws is one of those Adam Sandler movies you can skip because you are going to forget you watched it. It isn’t one the worst movies to come from his studio, but it doesn’t do enough to be worth your time. This movie feels like it was made to fill the quota Netflix set for Sander. The result is a lazy, poorly-written comedy that may get a couple of laughs, but not enough to earn its spot on your watchlist.
Adam Devine, who plays his goofy usual self, is marrying a girl who is clearly out of his league. Days before the wedding, his future in-laws make a sudden appearance and announce they will attend the wedding. But their checkered past catches up to them, and now Adam Devine needs to help them rob a bank to save his future fiance from a crazy gypsy mob queen. Can they rob enough banks before the wedding?
It should go without saying that this movie has no plot. It feels like a series of skits held together by the dumb heist movie and Adam Devine. Most of the gags are unfunny and go on for too long, but there will be the occasional joke that will make you laugh. Not enough to make this movie worth watching, but enough to make it tolerable. There is a lot of singing, lazy jokes, body humor, and Adam Davine being silly to pad out a movie that already feels too long for Netflix. I get the sense that this movie might be better under the influence of marijuana, but even then, there are better comedies you could be watching instead.
The Out-Laws isn’t the worst movie that has come out of Happy Madison Productions, but it isn’t entertaining either. My issue with a lot of original streaming content is that they only exist to pad out a library. The race to create original content comes at the cost of quality, and while they may have the time to make this garbage, we don’t have time to watch it. A lot of the stuff I’ve been watching lately gets forgotten, or it’s so bad I can’t bring myself to finish it. This is one of those movies I’ve already forgotten I watched. It isn’t funny enough to watch again, or good enough to recommend. This movie didn’t break me like others have, but it also didn’t leave much of an impression. You can stream it on Netflix, but your time is better spent elsewhere.