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Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

7/3/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
When Solo: A Star Wars Story was first announced, there was a general confusion as to why it was happening. It didn’t seem like a necessary story to tell, as it would be impossible for it to escape from being predictable. On release, that belief has proven true. Solo is fun and entertaining at times, but unbelievably predictable from beginning to end. While many of the actors are great in their roles, nearly every new character is killed off in ways that are anything but interesting. Due to this, Solo amounts to being nothing more than an okay film. If you aren’t a huge Star Wars fan, it’s fine to give this one a pass and catch it on Netflix down the road.

For a Spoiler-Filled Review, read on.

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Call of Duty Black Ops 4: A Look at The Controversy

6/29/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
There has been plenty of hype around the Blackout mode and the numerous Zombies offerings launching with Black Ops 4... but there has been just as much controversy due to the lack of campaign and the Black Ops pass. As a huge fan of the series, I wanted to take a closer look at these two complaints and give my opinion on everything going on with this year’s ambitious (and risky) Call of Duty title.

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The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit - Review

6/27/2018

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Developed by: DONTNOD
Release Date: 6/25/2018
MSRP: Free
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (played on PS4)
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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
With the sequel to 2015’s surprise hit Life is Strange on the way, DONTNOD decided to skip the trailer and tease their game in a different way: a free prequel episode. The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit tells the story of a young boy named Chris Erikson, a kid with a huge love for superheroes and plenty of imagination. While it certainly has some issues, there’s some truly great setup for Life is Strange 2 here. Capitalizing on the same type of storytelling that made the original game a success, Captain Spirit succeeds in making the Erikson family interesting in its short two-hour runtime.

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Luke Cage Season 2 Review

6/26/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
​While the inaugural season of Luke Cage was solid, it saw a steep drop in quality after the early exit of Mahershala Ali’s Cottonmouth. This season, the writers had to go an entire season without the excellent-but-underused villain and prove that the show could survive without the character. Thankfully, they did just that. The cast is given good material to work with, and they take it a step farther with their great performances. Supporting characters like Misty Knight and Shades get interesting subplots, and Bushmaster, the new antagonist, is particularly brilliant. Most importantly, though, Luke Cage himself is more interesting here than in his previous appearances. While it does suffer from having too many episodes and more than a few slow scenes, Luke Cage season 2 is still a must-watch for Marvel fans.

For an in-depth and spoiler-heavy review, read on.

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Vampyr Review

6/12/2018

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​Developed by: DONTNOD
Release Date: 6/5/2018
MSRP: $59.99 USD
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (played on PS4)
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​Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
Set in post-war London during the year 1918, Vampyr puts players in the shoes of Dr. Jonathan Reid, a brilliant doctor-turned-Vampire. His journey consists of two major tasks: finding the Vampire who gave him eternal life and rescuing London from a deadly epidemic. With the story accompanied by action-oriented combat, a detailed open world, and a unique morality system, Life is Strange developer Don’t Nod has completely left their comfort zone with Vampyr. The resulting product might not be the best game of this year, but it’s certainly the most interesting one.

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Detroit: Become Human Review

6/4/2018

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Developer: Quantic Dream
Release Date: 5/25/2018
ESRB/PEGI: M/PEGI 18
MSRP: $59.99 USD
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The future is here…the future is now. What if androids could service your every need, want, and desire? What if androids replaced humans? What if androids could develop human emotions, thought and logic and fight for their own freedoms and rights? The story of Detroit: Become Human explores all three of these simple, but philosophical questions along with a lot more and the context in the grey.
 
In Detroit: Become Human, you play as three androids: Connor, a straight-laced by-the-book android investigator; Kara, a simple housekeeper searching for a better life, and Markus, an android escaping to unite other androids against the system. While all three androids have different ambitions and goals, each story is defined with depth, meaning, sorrow, and every emotion in between and everything else dependent on player choice and how he/she wants the story to go.

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How Sony Can Make Their Villain Universe Work

5/26/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
With the Venom trailer having been released a few weeks back and plans for Spider-Man villains like Black Cat and Morbius to get their own movies, Sony’s Marvel universe is coming whether we want it or not. I’ve always been a member of the latter group, as the prospect of a universe based on Spider-Man’s villains just isn’t that appealing to me. Yes, the characters are incredible, but they’re mainly incredible because of Spider-Man and the relationship they have with the iconic, friendly neighborhood hero. Without him, the universe just cannot work. The movies will fall flat, and the universe will crumble before it comes close to reaching a big payoff moment, just like Amazing Spider-Man failed to end its trilogy and introduce the Sinister Six. Further, these movies remove possibilities for villains to appear in the MCU alongside Tom Holland’s brilliant version of Spidey.
 
That said, I still think there’s a solution to the problems. There is something that Sony can do to fix this universe before it even begins, and to win over even those like myself who don’t like the concept... ​

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Deadpool 2 Review

5/21/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
In basically every way imaginable, Deadpool 2 is what you expect it to be. The action is fast and gory, the humor is as crude and fourth-wall-breaking as it can get, and the cast is just as lovable as they were in the original. It’s a sequel that doesn’t try to be anything but a Deadpool movie, and it finds success because of that. Ryan Reynolds and the rest of the team behind the film saw what people loved about the character, and they turned it to 11 for this movie. While that move does lead to a few missteps here and there, it’s a choice that ultimately pays off and leads to a sequel that is on par with its predecessor. For fans of the character, this is a must-see.

* For a more spoiler-heavy look at the movie, read on *

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Avengers: Infinity War Review

4/27/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
Infinity War has been referred to as “the most ambitious crossover event in history”, and it certainly is. With 18 movies building towards this event, it had to deliver on everything from character interactions to action to (most importantly of all) its villain: Thanos. Thankfully, it does all that. Unlike Age of Ultron, it meets the ridiculous expectations for an Avengers film and entertains from beginning to end. It stands as a symbol for the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Infinity War blends elements from each film into one colossal movie that is made for fans but is also outright great as a movie. It offers things that haven’t been seen in a Marvel film thus far, and Thanos is genuinely unforgettable. While it does have some flaws, they’re greatly outweighed by Infinity War’s many strengths. This is a must-see movie for any fan, and it’s sure to have people talking all year long.

For my full thoughts and a spoiler-filled review, read on.

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Infinity War Predictions

4/26/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
The day has finally come. Tonight, I’ll be seeing Avengers: Infinity War for what will likely be the first of many times. Honestly, unlike any of the previous films, I have no idea what will happen. Still, I’ve tried to make the best guesses I can, and in this article I thought that I’d share them. Check out some of my IW predictions, and feel free to respond with some of your own.

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God Of War Review

4/26/2018

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Written by Jose Gonzalez

A god reimagined and reawakened for the current generation of gamers, God Of War takes players on an adventure full of action, tragedy and a quest to lay the past to rest. God Of War places you in the eyes of a redesigned Kratos and his young son Atreus. After a family incident, the two decide they must travel across the lands and realms to finish the job they started and put the past to rest once and for all. Around 15-20 hours (with some side exploration in my personal opinion) and 12-14 running through the main story only, God Of War provides the frame for a stunning masterpiece of an experience that everyone should run out to buy a PS4 for.

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My MCU Ranking

4/25/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
When embarking on the journey that was the 18 movie rewatch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I had more than just Infinity War preparation in mind. I wanted to find out, definitively, how each movie ranked for me. In this article, I’ll be sharing a list for every phase, building up to the ultimate 18-film list at the end. Take a look at my list, and be sure to share yours afterwards!

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The Great MCU Rewatch: Phase 3

4/24/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
When comparing the third phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the previous groups of movies, it’s hard not to be impressed. When Civil War dropped, Marvel Studios began a hot streak and they haven’t stopped since. Every movie in Phase 3 is excellent, with the introduction of new heroes like Doctor Strange and Black Panther, as well as the return of Marvel’s biggest star: Spider-Man. There is so much greatness in this group of movies, and I’ll be talking in detail about what makes them so great to me in this article. ​

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The Great MCU Rewatch: Phase 2

4/24/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
The second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was filled with some of the highest highs and lowest lows of all the movies. The “weak villain” problem became an epidemic here, infecting the majority of the phase. Still, the MCU persisted, and it’s here that Kevin Feige and the rest of the minds behind the universe began to take risks and establish their style. Today, I’m taking a look at each movie in Phase 2. Why not join me?

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The Great MCU Rewatch: Phase 1

4/23/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
10 years ago, Iron Man released and changed comic book movies forever. It planted the seeds for a series of movies that would sprout into a universe full of classic moments and blockbuster successes. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is incredible. It has taken the characters from the books we read as kids and translated them perfectly into excellent live action film after excellent live action film. I started watching and loving these movies when I was a kid, and as an adult, I couldn’t be happier with the fact that I’m still doing the same. With Infinity War closing in, I started a rewatch of the entire MCU. I’ll be talking about each movie from Phase One in this article, comparing my original score with my current one and explaining why the numbers have/haven’t changed. Give it a read! ​

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My Most Anticipated Games

4/20/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
This is it; the last top five. For over 8 months, each Friday I’ve shared everything from my favorite games of all time to my own ideas for superhero games. Easter eggs, endings, soundtracks, art styles... it’s all been covered. Sure, I could keep going (maybe I’d write a list on weapons or start doing lists about specific series, like one on Uncharted setpieces) but I feel like I’ve done every list that I truly want to do. It’s time to move on to something new, but before I do, one last top five: my most anticipated games.​

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My Favorite Level Up Moments

4/20/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
Over four years ago, I was spending the night doing the same thing as always: playing games. At some point I took a break and browsed Live from PlayStation, looking for something to kill time while I ate dinner and waited for friends to sign online. Eventually I landed on something called “The Level Up Show”, having no idea that what I was about to watch would have such a positive impact on my life. Years passed by, with new people who shared the same passion for gaming and all the news in the industry finding the show and joining in on the discussion. I kept making more friends as the channel grew, and I’ll always be thankful for that. There’s something special about this community that made us all stick around. Maybe it’s all the excellent hosts that have been a part of the Network over the years. Maybe it’s the great production quality (seriously, the amount of work Andrew puts into everything deserves so much praise) or the level of interaction with the viewers. Maybe it’s the viewers themselves, the running jokes or amazing extra life events. I can never pinpoint one exact reason, because I don’t think there is one; I think it’s all the things above and more.
 
I love this community, and before I stop making these top five lists, I wanted to share my favorite moments from these past four years. ​

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5 Insane Video Game Theories

4/13/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
 The clear majority of video games prefer to take the route of linear, clear storytelling. Players can trust what they see on screen, and important story beats are easy to notice. There are some games that aim to break that mold, like Virginia and Hideo Kojima’s highly anticipated Death Stranding, but they’re very rare. As a result, for years fans have searched through their favorite games and found different ways to interpret them. Whether it’s just for fun or done to justify things like bad endings and cancelations, new video game theories are constantly popping up. Here are five of the most interesting... 

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My 5 Favorite Easter Eggs

4/6/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
From double rainbows to NPCs with arrows in their knees, just about every game is packed with references and hidden details. Some are simple, others are complex, but all are fun. With this list, I'll be sharing my absolute favorite easter eggs - give it a read and share yours in the comments below!

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Far Cry 5 Review

4/4/2018

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Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release Date: 3/27/2018
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (played on PS4)
ESRB/PEGI: M/PEGI 18
MSRP: $59.99 USD

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
Set in the fictional location of Hope County, Montana, Far Cry moves to the United States for the first time in the series. With all the entry and exit points blocked off by a religious cult, things seem hopeless and outside assistance is not an option. It’s up to the player to build a resistance and, in typical Far Cry fashion, take down the monsters in charge. All the necessary pieces for success are there, and even if Ubisoft doesn’t always fit them together perfectly, the final product is still a great one.

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The Bargain Bin (4/3/2018-4/10/2018)

4/3/2018

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My 5 Favorite Open Worlds

3/30/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
As the gaming industry has evolved, more games have adopted open world outlooks. From entirely open world games like Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed to a once-linear series like Metal Gear Solid, seemingly every developer has a vision that involves an open world space. While it doesn’t always work out for the best, the open world games that find the most success usually have at least one thing in common: the open worlds themselves are amazing.

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Batman The Enemy Within - Episode 5 Review

3/29/2018

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Developer: Telltale
Release Date: 3/27/2018
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (played on PS4)
ESRB/PEGI: M/PEGI 18
MSRP: $4.99 USD (episode)/$24.99 (season pass)

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
From the very moment that Bruce Wayne met with John Doe in Arkham Asylum, every player knew what was coming. Eventually, the seemingly harmless John would become the most iconic comic book villain of all time. The Enemy Within spent its entire season building up The Joker, with its penultimate episode being used to show John’s transformation and to set up the big showdown. All Telltale’s work (and the player’s choices) paid off, as “Same Stitch” isn’t just the best episode of the season... it’s the best episode of the entire series.

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My 5 Favorite Video Game Expansions

3/23/2018

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Written by Rick Warren / gfn21
Over the years, gamers have grown less and less tolerant of DLC. Some complain when it's not announced beforehand, but others complain when it is. Pay-to-win microtransactions are grouped in with purchasable cosmetics, and an overpriced multiplayer map pack will be placed in the same category as a fairly-priced 20-hour expansion. The reality is that not all DLC is the same, and it should never be looked at as inherently bad. For every poor use of the system, there's a great one, and this week I'll be proving that by discussing my all-time favorites.

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The Bargain Bin (3/20/18 - 3/27/18)

3/22/2018

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