Welcome to the EZ Showcase! As some of you may already know, the art showcase will alternate between famous works of art and member pieces. The intention is to be exposed to various artists and attempt to appreciate them and learn something along the way. We welcome suggestions for future discussions.


For approximately two weeks we will be discussing Jen Stark's paper sculptures.




The only rules for this are to be respectful of each other. Art is a very individual, personal thing and there may be disagreements. Please refrain from insulting each other or the artist whose work we are discussing.



What do you like about this work?
What do you dislike?
What is your personal interpretation of these pieces?
Is there a story being told?
Does any one piece invoke an emotional connection with you?
What does the work tell you about the artist?




If you have any suggestions for future Showcase pieces, or discussion questions, please PM me so as not to clutter the thread.

Welcome to our first art discussion! As some of you may already know from the interest thread, the art showcase will alternate between famous works of art and member pieces. We welcome suggestions for future discussions.


For the next week (or two, depending on how much we have to say) we will be discussing Salvador Dali's "Persistence of Memory."





The only rules for this are to be respectful of each other. Art is a very individual, personal thing and there may be disagreements. Please refrain from insulting each other or the artist whose work we are discussing.






Question: Would you like some discussion questions listed in this post? I hesitate to do this as often people will only answer the questions rather than think through their opinions fully. Please PM me if you feel they would be useful.

Overview:
KINGDOM- This anime is based off of Yasuhisa Hara's Japanese manga series taking place in the Warring States Period of ancient China (475-221 BCE). It follows the story of Xin and Hyou, two war-orphans in the kingdom of Qin.

Episodes: 38
Status: Currently being shown
Producers: Studio Pierrot, FUNimation EntertainmentL, NHK
Genres: Action, Historical, Military

Okay- we all know that we can be picky when it comes to animation in any series. If it is badly done then we tend to lose interest, right? Well you would be right for 99.9% of the time...that is until you see this story. So sue me...that 0.01% makes a whole lot of difference in the wider context of anime series- because it is that awesome. And of course if you asked me, I would stubbornly agree that I am completely objective over the whole issue.

Don't let the first episode fool you though or anything. The first 1-4 episodes, the animation isn't fantastic as they shockingly decide to combine 2d and 3d animation together. Or at least it appears that way to my inexperienced eyes. Even the comments I viewed for episode one made me apprehensive as to what I will expect. But surprisingly in-between the "OMG! The animation just turns me off" comments, there were some very positive comments as well. So my curiosity became a raging inferno... needing a new series to watch and actually see if it is as bad as some of the comments claimed it to be.

What I found surprised me. Actually no... not just surprised me. It dumbfounded me.

It is a hidden gem among the greatest of diamonds. It doesn't help that the one main actor had a familiar voice, and after discussing it with a friend, I made a general assumption. 'You know... I think this character's voice sounds like Ichigo from Bleach!' I exclaimed excitedly. I was slightly red in the face- if only he could see me from Denmark as we chatted on Skype- and my enthusiasm was bubbling over the top after having seen the first 7 episodes at that stage. A virtual shake of his head and a standard reply followed: 'I doubt it.' However not deterred in the slightest by his reply, I had to know...so I looked at Wikipedia and lo and behold. It was!

Masakazu Morita is best known for his roles as Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach, Marco (One Piece), and Auel Neider (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed). In this story, he plays Xin, the protagonist of the story that has a great dream: To become the 'World's Greatest General!'

However, that dream is shared by his closest friend Piao (漂 Hyō?), who like Xin is a slave and an orphan. They both serve in a household and share this incredible dream to become the world's greatest generals. It is very touching as you follow their progress as they train, fighting each other and later get discovered by a loyal supporter of the king, Changwenjun.

But here is where it gets slightly emotional as the pair is separated and then without trying to spoil the surprise and story... I will say this:

The character development is fantastic. Think back to Ichigo of Bleach if you have seen the anime at all, and how he progressed, learned and gotten stronger as time went by. Same effect applies to Xin. The opening song to the anime series as a whole is catchy and eventually you will find yourself singing along to it. There are twists and turns in the plot that will be completely unexpected. And the action- don't let me get started on that! It is absolutely bloody fantastic! Eventually the whole 2d/3d animation that isn't as great in the beginning, starts to fade away and you realise that it doesn't matter any more. The story more than compensates for EVERYTHING!

I told you I was objective.

Now here is the sad part: Since Kingdoms is an ongoing series, I had to wait many times for the new weekly episode to be released and wanted to pull my hair out at some points. Each episode, bar maybe 3 episodes in the entire series so far, had me sitting at the edge of my seat and wanting to see what will happen. I think what captured my attention was the strategy involved in the individual wars and fight scenes. I have never come across an anime series that gripped me like this in such a way where I started comparing other series I have seen and found them lacking.

With all the touching and emotional scenes, the fighting and strategy that occurs plus not to mention all the back-stabbery and underhanded plots of some characters like Chengjiao (the half brother of the King), you will never say it is 'Boring!'

I give Kingdoms a resounding 9 out of 10 and I do know this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like some action, a good story and great character development, then Kingdoms will take you into a world unlike anything you have encountered.

As of this time I found a great browser-game to compliment this series that is based on 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms.'


As taken from Wikipedia:

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a historical novel set amidst the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 C.E. and ending with the reunification of the land in 280 C.E.

The game itself, Tripod: Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a browser-based game set in ancient China. You can choose to join one of three historical factions where you build your own kingdom and develop the city you are in. At first glance it seems like a typical strategy browser-based game as well, but after getting to level 60, the game drastically expands into different areas where you can enter Arena fights among other surprises. It is free to play, but you have the option of buying gold for the game. But as long as you are patient, you can continue to play the game as a free user without feeling like you are restricted in any way which is a nice surprise for a change as having played quite a few browser-games in the past, I found that players with some money always had the best advantages. In Tripod: Romance of the Three Kingdoms you have as much chance as the next player to be the best.

In addition to developing the city, you must build an army, train and equip various generals, and conquer new territory.

The anime series Kingdom will be the main course and the game (click here to sign up) will just be the dessert. If you have a curious mind like I do, you will undoubtedly find yourself delving into the history of Ancient China and absolutely rave to a dozen other people about the series. But don't just take my word for it... watch the first 6 episodes of Kingdom and then come back and tell me it is a crappy series.

(If you do come back and say that, then you have some marbles that need to be assessed and placed under investigation for some cracks on the surface!)

Red Garden
Episodes: 22 (including OVA)
Distributor: FUNimation (Originally the license rights belonged to ADV)
Content Rating: PG-12 (Very Low nudity, violence and death)
Original creator: Gonzo



Disc one:

01: Farewell Girls 02. Cruel Night 03. The Real Me 04. Where Are We Going? 05. Every Window 06. Small Light

Disc two:

07. Another Fate 08. Go Love 09. Awakening 10. Bewilderment 11. Respective Thoughts 12. His Thoughts

Disc Three:

13. Holiday 14. Reason To Fight 15. Sorrow & Anger 16. Painful Lie 17. The Truth 18. Slight Hope

Disc Four:

19. Feelings That Don't Come Across 20. The Room That's Left Behind 21. The Last Morning 22. The Light OVA - Dead Girls


If you saw dozens of butterflies hovering above you while you are shopping in the high street, then there is a good chance that you will be in for a gruesome surprise. You might even want to grab your baseball bat (Not that we have one lying around, but you can improvise!) or head to the nearest park and scrounge around for a large piece of tree-wood-thingie... you get my drift!

'Now why would I need that?' you ask.

At this point we may just gently place our hand on your arm in a comforting manner and say with very little emotion, 'It is time for you to fight. And fight you must or you will die.'

However, we may ignore that bewildered look of yours and then just nudge you in the right direction.

Soon you will see the horror that awaits you.... in the dark night... there... just in front of you...

Oh! You may want to grab a friend or two to help you out, but under no circumstances can you avoid what will happen.

RED GARDEN- is certainly not a typical anime in the sense of overly cute characters, or amazing fight scenes, however, the fighting that takes place is gruesome in it's own way, so if you don't enjoy violence, then I wouldn't suggest this anime. Saying that though, the first episode opens with a very colourful introduction that keeps in line with where the story takes place- New York. It has that girlie-designer feel to it, so it was definitely different for me at least.

Once the episode starts, titled "Farewell Girls" we are greeted with a man in one car and a blonde woman in another car gaze at the other while the cars pass by each other. Seems a bit suspect and once the camera zooms out, we also see a sleeping girl in the car with the blonde woman, all wrapped snug in a blanket. Her hair looks disorganized and that is where it even gets weirder as the girl is taken to an apartment by two men and placed in her bed in this unconscious state as it becomes apparent. We see three other girls meet the exact same fate as they are taken to their homes and then a fifth girl that was in one car was suddenly attacked...

At this point I was going 'Huh!?' and watched in eager anticipation how this story would unfold. But as luck was not on my side, it appears the episodes don't tell you - the viewer- everything in one go. So it leaves you hanging and later you meet the four teenagers properly as you are introduced to them and their lives.

So what do you think happens to these four girls once five other girls were discovered in the woods near their school? Was it really a case of suicide like the reporters said? And why couldn't they remember what happened that one evening?

Overall the story has been quite enjoyable so far, and it is definitely different in terms of animation (look and feel) along with the obvious fact that it plays out like a typical drama story as it follows the girls around and what happens in their lives. Refreshingly it also appears that these teenage girls are very human with emotions they can't control, fears that escalate to points where it renders them helpless and situations that might even make you sniffle once or twice. Okay, and even I have to admit... I actually liked the singing. Yes, there is singing... believe it or not. Think Moulin Rouge style.

If anything, this story will keep you glued to your couch because you will want to find out exactly what they have become...

So watch it and tell me what you think.

His & Her Circumstances by Azoth
Length: 26 Episodes
Date of Release: 1998
Director & Screenplay: Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

























If the idea of being deceitful and pretending has any appeal, then this story may wet your 'romance' appetite in many ways.

'His & Her Circumstances- a.k.a. Kare Kano is an interesting high school romance story that centres around Yukino Miyazawa who feels absolute pleasure at being praised by her fellow students, family and teachers. In essence she is rather vain, enjoys being the best at everything and has to look the best for every occasion. That is, at least on the outside, to her classmates and everyone else.

At home it is a completely different story.

You could say she is rather lazy, doesn't care about her appearance and just loves to relax on her days off.

"But doesn't that sound like most people these days?" I hear you ask.

The issue here isn't so much the fact that she is perfect at school and outside, and not so perfect at home, but her personality changes drastically as to avoid conflict entirely and therefore 'lying and deceit' is the name of the game.

Fans of Hideaki Anno, who so famously had a big part to play in the creation of Neon Genesis Evangelion, were shocked when he did the impossible and changed gears to delve into the world of this High School romance. Anno even went as far as interviewing students in and around high school in Japan when this title was being adapted. Yes, unfortunately this was not an in-house project, but there were some amazing scenes that gave 'His & Her Circumstances' a fresh spin on an otherwise normal story.

Sadly this director didn't last very long and was removed after episode 18, after which there were one or two painful fillers, but otherwise the story is interesting in every way.

In short, when Yukino meets Souichirou Arima, who manages to upstage Yukino in academics and in a few other areas, you really start to see the sparks fly. That is... especially after he visits her house...

Being the best in everything often means that if someone better comes along, you wouldn't know how to handle it. You would think Yukino would have handled it with absolute grace, but once the obstacle known as Souichirou Arima becomes larger than life, there were only two options for her:

1. Ignore and do better.
2. Show your true colours.

What path did Yukino choose?

Why not watch it and find out.

A very creative comedy series, based on a successful novel, that has won a lot of critical acclaim but remains largely within the shadows of obscurity due its lack of the key ingredients that a show seems to require in order to permeate the general consciousness (That is to say, ingredients such as disproportionately large weapons, cute high school girls and fan service, all three combined appears to be the standard viewer appeasement policy taken by shows which have no other substance to offer).

The story is set at a university in Kyoto where our protagonist, whose name is never actually revealed (hence simply titled “watashi” or “I”), chooses a club in the naive hope that it will lead to his idyllic rose coloured campus life of popularity and romance. These efforts invariably result in miserable consequences that the protagonist bitterly regrets after spending what he considers a wasted two years, at the climax of his despair towards the end of most episodes, time is rewound and an alternative world created.

Each episode is a parallel world with a usually self-containing story in which the protagonist chose a different club to join. This style of story telling will be familiar to those who have watched “Higurashi No Naku Koroni”. Like that similarly excellent show, “Yojohan Shinwa Taikei” cleverly and gradually builds up a complete picture of the major stoy line, involving his eccentric friends and acquaintances, by letting the protagonist see the same series of events from several different perspectives, allowing the viewer to gradually gather information. This all builds up to the final two episodes that, while not being unpredictable, provide a very satisfying conclusion.

The comedy comes from the cast of bizarre quirky characters (including a personification of the protagonist’s lust), the at times quite surreal individual storylines (with interesting creations such as a strict and brutally totalitarian library police) and the accompanying witty first person narrative. In terms of the last point, the amusing narration provided, right from the very first second of the show, is a verbal machine gun chattering away at five hundred words a second. This might make the series a little difficult to follow for those not used to a barrage of subtitles flying across the screen like cars on a five hundred miles per hour high way. However viewers who enjoyed the humorous dialogue in “Bakemonogatari” or the witty banter in “Gintama” will probably enjoy the flowing narrations, of perhaps a higher literary caliber than the two mentioned examples, often referencing classical literature and mythology.

The creative art style (a little stylistically similar to “Tekkonkinkreet”), as expected from Madhouse Studio, is also a beautiful clean cut business with lines drawn sharper than Goemon’s Zantetsuken (I went out on a limb there, referencing a classical long running anime. “Lupin the Third” anyone?) The vibrant and colourful animation complements the narrative well, often visually expressing the wild analogies and metaphors employed by the protagonist, adding nicely to the surreal feeling of the series. The characters are by and large drawn proportionally accurately, so no biologically impossibly large eyes (except for the villainous companion to the protagonist, Ozu who is drawn deliberately inhuman and caricatured), if that is the sort of thing that grinds your metaphorical gears.

I haven’t much ear for music but as far as I (in my capacity as someone who found out two weeks late when Whitney Houston died then took another week or so to work out who she was) can tell, the original sound track is sufficiently interesting and fitting for the series; with a polite classical atmosphere that works well with the generally refined and polished comedic feeling of the show (in contrast to say, the enjoyably crude “Gintama”).

The one negative point to the show that I can excavate is that, due to the format, it does inevitably become a little repetitive in places and a few of the individual episodes are a little predictable. However its only a short series of eleven episodes and the ultimate conclusion is satisfying enough to make these issues, at least in my eyes, completely insignificant.

Overall “Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei” is a series with a good story (both individual episodes and the overarching plot), solid character development (demonstrating well how no person has just one true face), enjoyable comedy and beautifully flowing artistic animation. A definite recommendation.

Yes I am back with a review of one of my favourite anime ever, Berserk. This is disturbing and wholly violent anime is based upon the manga by Kentaro Miura and is set in a medieval Europe inspired fantasy world full of demons (Apostles), elves, human and the undead.

The Manga began back in 1990 and is still going, aimed at the Seinen Demographic reaching 36 volumes, and published by Dark Horse comics in the west. The anime series was produced by OLM written by Yasuhiro Imagawa, directed by Naohito Takahashi with music by Susumu Hirasawa. It was produce back in 1997, ran for 25 episodes, it was licensed by MVM Films in the UK.

Well that is all the formal informative stuff taken care of, now just crack on with how awesome this series is! It should be noted that a lot of the more brutal and violent stuff wasn’t carried over from the manga, and there were a few alterations, all of the changes were made with the permission of Kentaro Miura.

Now all the changed taken into account this series is great, it has fair dark in mood to it. The Golden arc part is pretty true to the manga though, with some modification or elimination of characters and the more violent scenes. The themes of the anime focus on friendship, loyalty and ambition rather then loss, causality and the supernatural, though the latter theme became more prominent in the last few episodes.

So I have give you a lot of information on the details of the series both in manga and anime form nd the differences, though little of the story or the characters. The story follows Guts, a mercenary warrior who was found still alive in his dead mother, Guts calls himself the Black Swordsman in the first episode. The first episode deals with him hunting an Apostle in a castle town and killing it.

After this the series begins the flash back to the beginning of the Golden arc which deals with his introduction to the Band of the Hawk, and two of the series main characters, Casca, a female warrior and second in command of the Band of the Hawk, and Griffith, the Bands leader who is Guts’ complete opposite in everyway. The Golden arc deals with the how Guts is recruited into the Band of the Hawk and their subsequent involvement in the war between Midland and Chuder.

As the series continues we learn of about The Hawks Successes during the war, Griffith’s knighthood and his distancing himself from the rest of the band and Guts, and the event the lead to the event know as the Eclipse, Griffith’s transformation into Femto, a member of a insidious group of powerful being known as the God Hand, messengers of the Idea of Evil.

You may expect with an anime of it is it looks pretty dated compared to more modern anime, and that music though very awesome and fitting sounds much the same. The dated look and feel take nothing away from the enjoyment of the series to be honest, I love it always have and I hope to always love it! So much so when people ask for a recommendation of an anime to watch it is usually the first one I say is Berserk.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion


Hello there everyone, Pudding Earl here with the first of many reviews of anime box sets and shows. For my premier I chose a personal favorite of mine, Code Geass. Feel free to comment on what you think of the review or what you think of the show if you’ve seen it.

PLOT
Seven years ago in 2010 the Holy Britannian Empire invaded the nation of Japan. The conflict was over in a matter of months as Britannia unveiled their new weapon the Knightmare Frame, a five meter tall mech suit capable of being outfitted in a variety of weapon configurations and quick maneuvering around the battlefield. Japan becomes a territory of the Britannian Empire and is now called ‘Area 11’ and the Japanease are simply ‘Elevens’ and have no rights. Elevens may apply to become Honorary Britannians and attain citizenship but this equality is on paper only.

And now we fast forward to the year 2017.

This is where the anime starts and shows us the story of Lelouch vi Britannia and his dream to change the world. The first thing you’ll notice about Code Geass is the mech suits, which are called Knightmares in this anime to reflect the feudal system that Britannia uses, but don’t be fooled into think this is just about a kid who gets his hands on a mech, rounds up some friends, and raises holy hell. The Knightmares are not central to the story at all, if they had made this anime based in a setting with no mechs I think it would’ve been just as good. Early on in the series LeLouch gets mixed up in a skirmish between some Japanese terrorists and the Britannians and is caught by a squad of soldiers. About to be executed and with nowhere to run things look bleak for our protagonist, suddenly this girl with olive green hair and a strange tattoo on her forehead takes the bullet for LeLouch and offers him a ‘contract’. In exchange for fulfilling her one wish she will grant him the power of the king. LeLouch accepts the contract and immediately commands the soldiers facing him to die and they immediately turn their guns on themselves.
With this newfound power LeLouch manages to hijack a Knightmare and helps the terrorists drive off the Britannians and make his way to the enemy headquarters. LeLouch manages to get alone with Prince Clovis, Viceroy of Area 11, 3^rd in line to the throne, and LeLouch’s half brother. We find out that LeLouch is actually an exiled prince of Britannia and that his mother was assassinated while he was a young child. LeLouch is furious with the Emperor, his father, for throwing his sister and himself away and that he didn’t put more resources into finding his mother’s killer. After using his Geass to find out what Clovis knows LeLouch kills Clovis and leaves the bureaucracy of Area 11 wondering how their Viceroy was murdered.
As the series goes on LeLouch has to balance a double life. In the public eye he’s just a normal schoolboy at the local academy but behind the mask he is a leader of men and the inspiration of a nation eager to overthrow their oppressors. All of the characters in this anime are forced to question how far they are willing to go to achieve the peace they desire and how much a human life is worth. One of the biggest reasons I like this series is that there’s no clear cut villain. Every character is fighting for a goal they feel will bring peace to the world but at the same time are forced to commit atrocities that would scar some for life.

All in all I’d give the story a 9/10 The only thing keeping this from a 10 is that it can be hard for some people, myself included, to keep track of all of the different characters and understand a few of the things you see. This can easily be remedied by re-watching the series, or better yet, watching Season 2 and then revisiting Season 1. But again, the only thing keeping the story from being perfect in my opinion is the amount of characters you’re introduced to rapidly and the numerous references to things you won’t understand until season 2.

ANIMATION
The animation in Code Geass is certainly up to the standards set today. And for being made between 2006 and 2008 it's pretty damn impressive if I do say so myself. While it certainly doesn't measure up to shows like FMA: Brotherhood or Gundam 00 it is not harsh on the eyes at all. If I had to compare a series to it in term of animation style I would say Naruto Shippuden.
All in all I'd give the animation a 7.5/10 the style is clean and fairly realistic but not groundbreaking by any means. Again though the animation was made almost half a decade go now so if you take in how dated he show i compared to some newer shows the animation is very impressive for the time.

MUSIC
This is the part of the anime that you will either love or hate. The soundtrack from season one tries to convey a wide range of emotions. Everything from the rage of loss to the comfort of a loved one and while the music is fantastic in my opinion there are some instances where a different song may've been more suited. For example, whenever LeLouch does something particularly dark you hear this little brass crescendo and then fall. I personally like it but a few of my friends complained that they didn't think it fit the situation at all. Personally I'd give the soundtrack an 8/10 but be warned that your opinions may differ from mine.

THE PRODUCT
And now onto the actual Season 1 Box Set. Full retail for this is usually listed between $30 to $50 but almost every retailer online leaves it at $30. There are 25 episodes on six discs. There are no special features aside from language selection, commentary on some episodes, subtitles and trailers. All in all though, for over six hours of anime, $30 isn't a bad price. Especially considering the quality. The first time I watched Code Geass it was online and re-watching it on the DVD there were numerous times where I noticed something on screen that hadn't show up before due to the quality on the website(s) I was using. There were no skips in the sound or video and the discs were in perfect shape. Really my only complaint with the box set is how they have the six DVD's set up inside of the case. If one isn't careful they could potentially scratch a disc easily with how they are laid out inside. In the end I would give the box set an 8.5/10. It' certainly worth the value, but a few more special features and a better layout for the discs wouldn't have hurt.

FINAL OPINION
If you haven't given Code Geass a chance I certainly recommend it to you, doubly so if you enjoy mecha. It leaves you rooting for both sides of a conflict where only one can emerge victorious, will leave you near tears at times and will also keep you guessing on how far each character is willing to go to achieve peace in the world. If you feel this sounds like an anime for you I can easily recommend just going out and purchasing the Season 1 set. It'll easily be one of the best, and cheapest, anime purchases you have made. If you're still a little leery of jumping into this anime whole heartedly there are numerous places you can find the first few episodes and if you enjoy it as much as I do please support the official release and pick up the DVD.



Thanks for reading and I hope you found the review helpful,
Pudding Earl

PS: Please comment on anything you think I could've done better with the review or if you feel there's an aspect I should elaborate on.

Anime, on the table top.

Hello all, it’s been a while since I wrote something on here, so I thought I would write about something I recently found. I’m pretty into Tabletop gaming, I used to play Warhammer, although I have cut back on that there is a whole world of tabletop game (TTG) to be found and explored.

Something that I have recently taken an interest in is a company called Soda Pop Miniature, these guys bought us Super Dungeon Explore (SDE) a few years back which was a table top version of many 8-bit and 16-bit computer games like Zelda. The game came in a box with loads of miniature to build, both heroes and monsters and could accommodate between 2-6 players. It is a lot more then it sounds, the miniatures are very Chibi in style and look really good and I will probably expand on this in another article.



What I want to talk about is a line of miniatures they are expanding upon and now releasing as a full game, Relic Knights: Darkspace Calamity. This project has been around for a few years, though with no rules and only metal miniatures. Now some of you may be wondering why I a putting a TTG on an anime Forums news page, well it’s because this game if heavily inspire by anime.

The game has over the top moves, character power ups and characters that can smash minions around like a cat playing with a spider. The game as a whole is still in Kickstarter for another few days (kickstarter is a means of generating funding from fans that get rewards for backing the project, more information can be found here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/.../relic-knights).


There is all sorts of information on that link including the deals you can get, game demos, some of the miniatures, and links to beta rules and stat cards so that you can try the game without using proxies.

The game uses a dice-less mechanic similar to that of Malufaux, this basically means that for the resolution mechanic dice are replaced with a deck of cards which you draw from.

As well as being inspired by anime there are also a number of Cosplay miniatures available (though only through Kickstarter) from a variety of anime, though they are still missing a Gundam miniature I can’t really complain that much.

I’m backing this game as I think it’s something that hasn’t really been done yet in the West or is it readily available, certainly not in the UK.

By Stormrider2407

Game title: Orcs Must Die! 2
Publisher: Robot Entertainment
Developer: Robot Entertainment
Release date: 30-Jul-2012
Genre: Action, Strategy, Indie
Platform: PC


A sequel to a PC indie title that became quite popular last year and winner the 2011 AIAS (Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences ) Strategy game of the year, Orcs must Die! has been released, Orcs Must Die! 2. Created by Robot Entertainment, Orcs Must Die! 2, like it’s predecessor, is a tower defence style game. But instead of making you place turrets and defences while you hover overhead, removed from the action, Orcs Must Die! 2 puts you right in the thick of the action.

With the obvious enemies being Orcs, coming in all shapes and sizes, you battle to defend “rifts”, magical gateways between the human world and the “Dead World”, from literally hundreds of enemies that come at you in waves.


The story begins a few days after the end of the first game. The Sorceress, the main antagonist of the first game, is being hunted down by the Orcs she once ruled over. She steps through a rift to find herself face to face with her old enemy, the protagonist, only known as the War Mage (formally known as the Apprentice), who now works in a mine. They team up to close the rifts and keep the Orcs out of the human world.

The single player campaign starts with a short cut-scene giving the basic outline of the story and launches the player straight in to preparing for the first wave of Orcs. The controls are almost identical to the original, but it is a very well thought-out control scheme, and easy to pick up and play on your first go, without a major tutorial. You start with some basic traps and a single weapon, with a primary and secondary attack. As you complete levels, depending on the
difficulty you set at the beginning, you earn skulls which can be used to buy and upgrade traps and weapons, with even more than the first game. I have noticed that the War Mages default weapon, a Blunderbuss, seems to feel a bit inaccurate at times, not sure if this was intentional to balance the weapon or if it’s a glitch. There are some other weapons the player’s character can use, which are dependent on whether you use the War Mage or the Sorceress. The Sorceress tends to be more ranged, and the War Mage can be either ranged or melee.


The level design is very well done. There are either one or two rifts that the Orcs can come though (I haven’t come across more than two in a single level), and lights flowing through the air show you the route the Orcs will take to get to your rift. In some levels there will be portals to help you move across the map quickly, or mine carts, that if they hit enemies can hurt them and knock them back. You can even control the direction of the mine carts using a signal along the tracks to change direction of the mine carts.

Although from what I have seen, most of the levels seem to take place in the dark mine that the War Mage works in, so the environments can seem to get a bit samey at times. The design of the levels allows for the placement of a lot of traps, ranging from wall-mounted arrow traps, to tar-pits on the floor, to crossbow turrets that hang from the ceiling. The game allows you to place a lot of traps in a small area, letting the player bombard the enemy from multiple sides all at once. Other than the single player campaign, there is also “endless” mode, which throws wave after wave of enemies with no end, this is unlocked after playing through the first few levels of the single player campaign. There is also a co-operative multiplayer that you can play with a friend that has it’s own campaign separate from the single player campaign, however there is no competitive multiplayer.


The graphics are cartoon-styled and very good, without being a huge drain on the graphics card. There can be quite a bit of gore in the game, but this can be toggled off for the more squeamish player.

The animations are also very good, very smooth and they’ve taken the time to animate even small details about the characters. Having said this, the walks of the Orcs can look a little strange, especially the Orc Archers, who are tall, and lanky, and stand with an almost impossibly straight back, and the other Orcs, seem to just drudge along until they get close and start a clumsy run towards you, disregarding any obstacles, traps or objectives.


One of the flaws I did find with the game is the fact that Orcs Must Die! 2 seems to use the exact same soundtrack as the original. The original’s soundtrack is very good, calming in between waves while you’re setting up traps and getting ready, and changes to a very rocky theme when the Orcs start coming through the rifts with heavy electric guitar riffs. On top of this, the sound effects are top-notch, the weapon and trap sounds are very good, slightly cartoony but not too over the top, even the sound when Orcs explode there is a cartoon gore sound, but not too much to cheapen the sound.

There isn’t much voice acting other than the War Mage and the Sorceress, and the odd line from an Orc, but what there is, is very good. The writing doesn’t take itself too seriously, with witty comments and one-liners from the characters. Although if you listen, you can very quickly hear lines repeated several times over the course of a single level, which can get quite boring sometimes.


Orcs Must Die! 2 is an excellent game, takes what made the original good and expanded on it. While some of the maps can look similar, they do look beautiful and are obviously well designed. The weapons and traps are always fun to use, there’s nothing like seeing an Orc fly across the map and in to a chasm. It sucks you in to a large battle filled with different enemies, and keeps you on your toes by the sheer amount of enemies and the size of some of them. There is no way to sit back and watch your traps do all the work in this game, you're going to have to get your hands dirty.

The developers made good use of the Havok engine which the game runs on, and the very few bad things about this game are nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a patch or two.

The developers did a great job taking this award winning game and turning it in to another critically acclaimed hit, and I would personally give this game a 8 out of 10 rating. A very good and enjoyable game that will make you think twice about the tower defence genre and will have you laughing at the character’s remarks about the Orcs.

After playing both games countless times, I figured I might as well write up a comparison review between Dragon Age: Origins' 'Return to Ostagar" and Mass Effect 2's "Normandy Crash Site" Downloadable Content. Please turn away now if you don't like spoilers.

At the start of both games, your character is involved in dramatic events.

Dragon Age: Origins - Your character is saved from their circumstance, (Each custom character has a "Origin" story. Hence the name.) made into a Gray Warden and has the man who saved you and the man who didn't judge you, brutally killed. (One crushed to death by an Orgre, while the other is swarmed by a hoard of Dakrspawn.)

Mass Effect 2 - The Normandy is shot down by the Collectors. This forces everyone to abandon ship. (Some cannon fodder crew members die) Sadly, in saving one of your crew (Joker) Shepard dies. (But as we know revived at the start.)

=============================



I'll start with "Return to Ostagar" -

Even though you can access it when you leave Lothering, I recommend not going there until you have at least recruited Wynne, as having her in your party (Along with Alistair) makes for interesting dialogue and makes the story progression feel natural. The DLC location itself is flagged up as "Bann Loren's Lands." on the Ferelden area map. After going here and meeting someone it will then prompt you to (as the DLC is dubbed) return to Ostagar.

When you return to the site you see right away how the place is in pieces. You'd expect it to be a state after you left. But to actually see it how it is, it kinda brings a sense of down-to-earthness about it.

Upon your arrival you have to fight some Darkspawn and find a piece of King Cailan's armour on one of the bodies. Thus you get a quest to get all of Cailan's equipment back. As you make your way through the ruins of Ostagar and battle Darkspawn, you find a plot twist, that makes you dislike Loghain even more and more of the equipment. Then about half way through the DLC, you will find King Cailan's body, strung up and impaled. As your party look up at his dead body, the game plays a soft version of the games theme tune and gives you a short montage of him while he was alive, which just gives a somber feeling. After hearing what Cailan was like from others, this will be a sad moment, because you knew he died. (We are give a cut scene both when it happens and during the montage.) But to see him strung up like that, then shown a reminder of how brutally he died. That will make you feel something.
After this you are then confronted by a Darkspawn Necromancer. You have to chase after him AND gather all the pieces of armour that are missing. Once he is cornered, you then get to kick his ass and the ass of the Orgre who killed King Cailan. Once the battle is over you then have all the equipment and return to Cailan's body.

Alistair will then make a query on what to do with his body, since it just doesn't feel right leaving him. You then have three options: Give him the traditional pyre which all nobles have once they die, take him down for the wolves to feast on or just leave him there to rot. I personally gave him the traditional pyre since I felt he deserved it. (I know we don't know him for long... but he was a really nice guy.)

After all this the DLC is then over.

=============================



Now for "Normandy Crash Site" -

After going to the Citadel, (and having your Spector status reinstated) Alliance Command will send you a message asking you to retrieve the dog tags of the fallen crew members of the original Normandy. You can then go to the planet "Alchera" which is when the DLC will begin.

Once there, it plays eerie music and it gives off an uneasy feeling being in the debris of the Normandy. It almost feels like the odd feeling you get when walking through a graveyard late at night. There are no enemy's around, but you expect something to jump out at you any moment. While you’re there, you collect the dog tags of the crew members who died with the Normandy. While collecting the dog tags you go to different parts of the broken Normandy and get flash backs of crew and how the Normandy once was. Before or After all this you can place a Normandy memorial marker. Once you are ready you can then leave.

DLC is then over.


=============================

Now with all that in mind this is my personal opinion.

Both of the games are great in their own right, and even though they were made by two entirely different sections of Bioware, you can tell they put a lot of thought into doing both DLC's. However, I felt that the Dragon Age crew put more effort into giving fans some closure, while the Mass Effect crew, to me, it just felt like they threw it out there for the hell of it. It didn't really feel like closure, but more just putting it out there since they know fans would want to know what the Normandy looked like. Where as the Dragon Age lot KNEW that fans would want to see Ostagar again. That is where it all began.

So overall, I prefer the Dragon Age DLC. They were both well written, but I just got a sense that more attention to detail was put into "Return to Ostagar" than "Normandy Crash Site."

With "Return to Ostagar" I enjoyed collecting the armour and getting payback for what the Darkspawn did to both Duncan and Cailan. It gave me a sense of victory and closure. It also gave me more determination to take down Loghain and Howe.

With "Normandy Crash Site", I was left wanting more and didn't get the closure it was trying to give. I would have liked to shoot the crap out of some Collectors, even though you do get revenge in the final mission. I still would have wanted more than justwandering around a frozen wasteland gathering dog tags and getting memories.

Anyway. These are just my thoughts on the DLC's. I encourage you to get both, because they are worth the playthroughs.

I started hearing things about this game more or less just after it came out, but I didn't actually get it until quite a while afterward, missing out on saving a few bucks on it. Mind you, I've found it to be worth the price, or at least addictive enough that I don't mind too much. Proof of this comes in the AL group I have made just for minecraft fans on AL, which can be found by searching for Deep Miners in the Groups section in the Community dropdown menu.

Now I'm not the first one to review Minecraft. Nor am I the best reviewer to do so. The best, of course, would be Yahtzee, whom says that while enjoyable, he doesn't really feel like it's a game, exactly, on the grounds that games have a plot. I have to agree with him on this, in a way; it's hard to call Minecraft a game as yet. It's unfinished though, and Notch, creator of Minecraft, has stated that he plans to include some sort of goal before he releases the final version.

Now, the game itself is rather simple in practice. You're dropped off in the middle of the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on your virtual back and your ability to punch trees down without breaking your fists. You can then use your superhuman ability to smash things into usable bits to craft stuff that you can use to escape or fight the monsters that come out at night. And... Well, that's about it, really.

As the name implies, you will be able to mine for stuff to help you escape the slobbering hordes of undead that come after you. And underground is where the heart of the game is, as you can find better and better stuff the closer you get to the bedrock, which incidentally is the only block in the game that can't be broken or manipulated. Oh, did I forget that? The whole world is breakable. Except for the bedrock. Want to level the playing field in a literal sense? You can do it. Want to make a big pit, like in 300? Have fun! Think the world needs a pair? Sure, why not?

Of course, digging holes or making hole fillers isn't all you can do in this game. The game world is freakin' huge, with one of the bragging points being that there's more than the entire surface area of the earth to explore. That's certainly true after a fashion, in that there is always a new place to explore, dig some holes, exploit the hell out of, and leave for your next digging binge. But it's not all pre-set; the game generates new areas as you move to them, and you're never quite sure what you'll end up with. Maybe you'll end up with a big mountain. Maybe you'll end up with a desolate plain. Maybe you'll get snowed on. Maybe it's a desert. Maybe it looks like a normal plain, but if you move too fast you'll fall into a hidden pit full of lava and die. The possibilities are endless.

In short, Minecraft isn't a game for everyone, but it's definitely enjoyable if you're into that sort of thing. Either way, I suggest at least giving it a look, you might enjoy it. In fact, you might end up with a crippling addiction. Only one way to be sure, and that is to play it, yo.