Spaztic Reviews - April 2018

April flew by this year, and I've been playing stuff and watching stuff like crazy. While all of you were playing God of War for the past few days, I've been playing a ton of Rock Band 4. The Rivals mode is fantastic, breathing life into an old game and an even older franchise. From what I can tell, it's still going strong with no end in sight. The beginning of the month was action packed with Ubisoft's Far Cry 5. Anime has also been great this month - as many of the Winter premieres are finally wrapping up. So many good series are finishing up, and many new ones are starting.

As a reminder, the games on my list are NOT part of my list because they released during this month.

These lists merely contain the games I've been playing this month. They could have come out in 2018, 2013, or 1984. Bearing that in mind, here's what I've been playing!

- Top Game of April 2018 - 

Far Cry 5 

Peppered in between the Rock Band 4 Rivals grinds, I got my hands on the collector's edition of Far Cry 5 with the steelbook case. Is the steelbook worth the $100 I payed for it? No, but the season pass is a major perk of the game. Not only do you get the three expansions, you also get Far Cry 3 remastered and some special avatars, I believe. When you consider the game itself was $60 brand new, the season pass is $30, I really only paid $10 extra for the steel case, which is beautiful.

One major selling point for the season pass for me is three different storylines all mashed into three separate add-ons. One is set in Vietnam, another is a zombie apocalypse, and the last is set on Mars. How can you argue with those? Especially taking into consideration the success of Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, you can't go wrong but to get this Season Pass.

It's been a busy month what with Easter and family holidays (birthdays), so I didn't actually beat Far Cry 5, but I will still review it the best I can. It's my top game of the month loosely based on the franchise itself and how much I've enjoyed them ever since Far Cry 2.

The Story

Considering I haven't yet beat the game, I feel like I'm less qualified to insert a section about the story of the game. However, it's an engrossing story about a deputy who went to detain the leader of a cult in the middle of this rural, mountainous area in a fictional Montana county.

The leader of the cult is assisted by three "henchmen" I'll call them, and I've so far only beat one. So far, the story is paced fairly well. There are some confusing parts to the story that don't really add up like pulling the player from friendly sanctuaries and putting them into an enemy encampment out of the blue, but I think those will make more sense the further through the story I play.

I can't say enough about my excitement for the end of the game, as Far Cry titles usually end with a bang. I'll either update this blog, or post a new one when I'm finally done.

Combat and Other Mechanics

Far Cry 5 is a fresh installment of the series, but it's still Far Cry through and through. I've read that Far Cry Primal's melee system was carried over to 5, and it does feel like an improvement over the melee system in 3 and 4.

Climbing, gun fighting, and most everything else feels identical to previous Far Cry titles. The wingsuit feels a bit different (feels much better), but it could just be me. I don't know that they actually changed anything.

I'm enjoying the level of customization for weapons and vehicles in this game. I'm running around playing as a pseudo Rick and Negan mash up from The Walking Dead. I carry a barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat and what I believe looks like a .44 magnum. Going up against the cult in the game vaguely reminds me of tackling Negan or the Governor from the television show, so it all fits together nicely.

Flying was a great addition to the game! Planes don't control quite as I'd like them to, but they're simple and fun to fly. They add a great new way to traverse the map, and it really helps to push the map size. On the ground with all the trees around you, you feel utterly lost. In a plane or helicopter, you feel slightly less lost. It's a fun time!

Speaking of helicopters, there's nothing better than grabbing yourself an armed chopper, hovering down next to an outpost, and letting the lead fly. It's so much more satisfying than sneaking through, taking the enemies out one by one.

Finally, outposts! They've been kept in the game (as I think this is Far Cry's main staple), and they're largely the same as what they've always been. They're as tricky as ever, and enemies do seem more intelligent this time around, but they're the same old outposts you either love or hate. Their philosophy is clearly "Don't fix what's not broken", and I'm okay with that.

Conspiracies and Preppers

This game shines a light on a certain group of people who are usually deemed insane. When compared to a malevolent cult, they don't look so bad! Maybe they're still a bit insane, but they actually seem kind of cool with their bunkers and prepper supplies.

One thing I love about Far Cry 5 is the insertion of actual conspiracies/UFOs/cryptids. In one cabin, you stumble across a prepper's cork board that connects certain areas of the map to bigfoot sightings and crop circles. How cool is that?! Move over Grand Theft Auto, Far Cry 5 might actually have a bigfoot roaming the map.

I haven't fully explored the map, so I don't actually know what all is in the game yet, but it's exciting to say the least. Going on a hunt for cryptids or aliens (even if it leads to a whole lot of nothing), is a game within a game that I always thoroughly enjoy.

Final Word

Far Cry 5 won out over Rock Band 4 simply because of the game's age. I have far more time in Rock Band 4 this month because of the Rivals season grind (curse you, bloodstone!), but Far Cry 5 really hit home for me. I loved 3 and 4, so when 5 hit the store shelves, I knew it was going to be a fun game for me.

The gun play, flying, outpost captures, hunting, and conspiracy theories really push this game over the top for me. The story on top of everything else, I'm sure, will seal this away as one of my all time favorites. Ubisoft continues it's climb out of the whole it dug itself into with another great title.

- Top Anime of April 2018 - 

The Ancient Magus' Bride

One of those Winter series wrapping up this month is The Ancient Magus' Bride. This series is set in a fictional part of the world that is either parallel to ours or one that is just a secluded part of Earth.

 The Story

Chise is a young girl who is bought at a human trafficking ring by a mysterious stranger. When brought to the stranger's house, it is revealed that he is an ancient mage who bought Chise in order to train her as his apprentice, and for her to become his bride.

It might sound weird, but it is one of the best new series I've ever watched. With some dark overtones (I mean, it starts off with human trafficking), and some light-hearted moments in between for comic relief, it's a series that keeps on giving.

All that, and then throw in some dragons, fae, elves, alchemists, familiars, and even mythological figures and you have yourself The Ancient Magus' Bride. It all focuses on Chise finding her place in the world.

Artwork and Animation

The Ancient Magus' Bride brings top notch animation to your television and streaming devices. The quality of animation is on par to a feature film, and the special effects are stunning. The background scenery and locations that the anime takes the viewer to are unique and beautifully crafted. Some of the series takes place in London, and other parts take you to a mystical land of dragons, a magically charged forest, and more.

It's such an easy anime to get lost in, and the story is fantastic. As cliche as this sounds, it keeps you guessing until the final episode.

The Final Word

If you're looking for a great fantasy and slice of life anime with a great dub cast and excellent artwork, look no further than The Ancient Magus' Bride. There are themes that everyone has encountered in their life at one point or another, but the events in the story are told in a very mystical and satisfying manner. Have a tissue box ready for some moments, but be prepared to laugh at others. The series is a great balance of good story-telling, intense drama, and uplifting moments. As a shonen series, I feel confident recommending this series to everyone.


Talking Points

Top Games of 4/2018

1. Far Cry 5 (PS4, PC, Xbox)
2. Rock Band 4 (PS4, Xbox)
3. Terraria (PC, PS4, Xbox)

Top Anime of 4/2018

1. Ancient Magus Bride (Funimation (dub), Crunchyroll)
2. Tokyo Ghoul (Funimation (dub), Crunchyroll)
3. Junji Ito Collection (Funimation (dub), Crunchyroll)

Spaztic Reviews - February 2018

It's the 25th day of the month. You know what that means!

Welcome to another Spaztic Reviews blog post. As a reminder, I'll give you my top three games and anime that I've been playing and watching this month. The top title for each category will get a more in-depth review, which are always spoiler free. The full lists are in the talking points section at the bottom of the post. As another quick reminder, the content featured on my lists isn't restricted to titles that released in this specific month. They could have released in 1998, but I might just be catching up to the awesomeness now, so it can by all means make the list.

Be sure to check back monthly, as I'm working to post more content as time goes by. My last article was about politics, because let's face it--who isn't talking about guns right now? But nearly all of my posts moving forward will remain on the topic of geek culture: mainly video games and Japanese animation.

So with that, let's get to it. My top games and anime for February 2018!

Top Game of February 2018 - Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter World skyrocketed to the top of the charts across both consoles following it's February release. As someone who attempted to play previous Monster Hunter titles with little luck, this title breathed fresh air into the franchise. The old games were fun without a doubt, but you almost needed a group of people to play with, and features were limited. With time and effort comes refinement, and that is extremely apparent in Monster Hunter's newest installment.

The Story

There's not a ton to talk about with the story without getting a bit spoilery. The game starts you off (much like a couple of the old titles, if I remember correctly) where you are part of a hunting group moving to a "new world" to hunt monsters. Just outside of the new world, a giant mountain of a monster rises out of the ocean. Your journey virtually begins here; You now need to investigate this monster and the monsters of the new world. There's probably deeper meaning and purpose to the entire story line, but that's what I got out of it having just completed the main quests myself.

It was a captivating story with challenging gameplay at times, but it was never frustrating. It was always fun, and extremely hard to put down. One huge perk to the game's story the content that comes after. The game leaves you with that feeling that, even though the main quest line ended, the real game is just beginning. There are endless quests and monster to be slain or captured. There's also an arena mode where the player can enter solo or with a group of friends to see who can take down certain monsters with the quickest times possible.

Combat and Other Mechanics

The controls leave nothing to be desired. The sprint button is bound to either L3 or R1. Clicking one of the sticks is usually the time-tested method of sprinting, but holding R1 was surprisingly intuitive.

The combat is similar to what I remember from previous Monster Hunter titles, and one major perk to these games is the immense number of play styles. Each weapon (there are upwards of 10 options) has it's own completely unique play style and move set including special combos.

Similar to the bard class in other games such as Final Fantasy XIV, this game boasts a bagpipe on which you can play tunes to buff your teammates as well as yourself. As you level it up, it can become other instruments, but come on...How cool is it that there's a doodlesack in the game?!

Tracking and hunting monsters is the meat of the game. I ran into an issue with at least two of the monsters, with a couple others I was able to defeat while only fainting once or twice. The major boss events throughout the game were more fun than challenging--I was able to beat each level on the first try. It was the monster hunts leading up to the final quest that gave me trouble. That said, I believe with the proper amount of farming for better gear components, the game could be easily solo'ed if multiplayer isn't your thing.

The World

The "New World" in Monster Hunter World is just that. A new locale separate from past titles, and it's gorgeous. It's a bit small, and it's divided into several sectors, but the scenery is gorgeous. Each sector of the world map is fairly big, but it's absolutely dwarfed by the map size of games like The Witcher, Breath of the Wild, and Fallout 4.

There is a nice variety of locations from thick forest to desert wastelands, and two of the later locations are particularly awesome from an aesthetic standpoint. Being spoiler free, I'll leave those locations for you to discover if you haven't played the game yet, but they're both quite stunning.

The player hub called Astera, where you ready yourself for your quests, is bustling with activity. I wish you could see other online hunters in this area, but it's a feature they didn't include (it wasn't a feature in the older games either if I remember correctly). Even though it's unlike the player hub in Destiny or Dragon Ball FighterZ, it still feels like the world is truly alive. Any time a game can do that without inserting actual PCs, it's a sign the developers have done a great job crafting the world around you.

From Astera, you can craft your armor, trade for supplies, cultivate materials, check quests, order stat-buffing food, and even manage your personal room which is also a fun little aspect all on its own. I feel like the rooms might actually be severely underrated; I never hear much about them with all the other hype surrounding the game. It's a fun way to step away from combat and personalize your room however you want with limited (but really amusing) options.

At the end of the day, the mechanics of hunting and capturing monsters is the meat of the game as I said above, but the world is beautifully crafted and truly completes the package.

Bugs and Complaints

It's worth noting that most games, within their first month on store shelves, will encounter their fair share of bugs and glitches. Maybe it's shocking or maybe it's not, but this game has been as stable as a Playstation Vita after all those stability updates. I've never experienced a crash, and there's never been any kind of weird glitch in the game play. One time, while playing with my cousin online, my quests failed to load and I lost connection to the game...but I honestly believe that to be a personal network issue either on my end or my ISP's.

The game works as it should, and there are no other red flags that have popped up. The developers keep adding neat stuff to the game including ongoing login bonuses, 3rd party content (like items/characters from Horizon Zero Dawn and Street Fighter V), and milestone bonuses (for instance, everyone got a reward the game selling so many copies).

Furthermore, the players that I've run into have been very kind. The community that plays this game is very chill and willing to work with new hunters in any way possible. Sending information back and forth is a breeze--Just hit options (on PS4), view the player list, and send your guild card to whoever you want.

I could not be happier with the quality of this game. It pushes it above and beyond all of my expectations.

Final Word

Capcom promised a game that would appease old and new Monster Hunter fans alike. Not unlike Final Fantasy XV, they strongly delivered on that promise and produced a Monster Hunter title that is accessible to all walks of life. Are you a long-time MH franchise fan? You'll love it. Brand new to the franchise? You'll love it. Like to solo everything? Done. Want to party up and have fun with your friends? Also done. There's variety, there are beautiful graphics, there are a lot of customization options for avatars and play styles, there's a decent story and much more content after, and it's all provided with a clean business model. They're not in your face about microtransactions, they keep adding new content, and they made a very stable game to begin with.

I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up this game. Having played some of the previous titles, I was a little unsure of what to expect. It turned out to truly be one of my top games this month, and probably all year.

Top Anime of February 2018 - Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga

The Story

Rin Okumura is back in the continuation of the original hit anime Blue Exorcist. Due to possible spoilers regarding the first season of Blue Exorcist, I won't be going into great detail with the story arc.

The Kyoto Saga picks up where the original series left off, with the students of True Cross Academy shocked regarding the events that ended the original series. These events raise questions about the main character Rin and whether he truly should be considered exorcist material.

The plot takes the class of exorcists to Kyoto, where a terrorist organization threatens to steal artifacts that could lead to the awakening of an immensely powerful demon. The students, as well as official exorcist and investigation organizations, respond to Kyoto to put a stop to the terrorist organization's plans.

Having vastly enjoyed the original series, I was pleasantly surprised at how well this second season played out. Sometimes, second or third seasons have a way of straying from the original storytelling that made the series shine (*Cough Cough* Gurren Lagann), but the second installment of this anime had the same feel as season one. It spun a yarn about how the students of True Cross Academy worked to rebound after the epic events of the first arc, all the while working to thwart a terrorist organization.

It had me on the edge of my seat through the entire season.

Animation, Artwork, and Style

Blue Exorcist: The Kyoto Saga boasts the same high-quality animation that the first one had. Being that it was one of the first series I watched (only after Fullmetal Alchemist and D.Gray-Man), the art style quickly became a standard for what I thought most anime should look like. Many anime series look very similar, with a few ranging from being a little different to vastly different. I really enjoy all the different styles that are out there, but Blue Exorcist is always top-notch. Even the first series holds up to the highest-quality animation that's released today. The original series is only about five years old, so that makes sense, but even anime that's release in 2015 can look dated already depending on the studio.

The effects that are used in the Kyoto Saga are nearly second to none. From fire and smoke to the exorcist powers that are used throughout the season, there's a lot of eye candy in the form of vfx. Another great aspect of this series is the camera angles that are frequently used. They're a little different sometimes, but it pushes the narrative in subtle ways by emphasizing specific shots and character actions.

Final Word

This series as a whole holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the first few that I watched. Add a sequel onto the end of the first series, and you get this season, The Kyoto Arc: A solid continuation of an already great anime. If there are any gripes at all with this series, at this point it's just that season three isn't out yet. There are some cliche and maybe cheesy parts depending on who you ask, but it never detracted from the season or the entire series.

With a strong voice acting cast for the English dub (Including Johnny Yong Bosch and Bryce Papenbrook), the excellent visuals, and the captivating plot, you really can't go wrong with this one.

Talking Points

Top Video Games of 2/2018

1. Monster Hunter World (PS4, Xbox One)
2. Planet Coaster (PC)
3. Grand Theft Auto V (PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360)

Top Anime of 2/2018

1. Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga (Dub: Hulu, Sub: Crunchyroll/Hulu)
2. Fate/Zero (Netflix)
3. Dagashi Kashi (Dub: Funimation, Sub: Crunchyroll)

Spaztic Reviews - January 2018

Hello readers, and welcome to the first review article of 2018!

At the very beginning of the year--or maybe late last year--I mentioned something about posting monthly reviews of the games and anime I've been watching during the last month.

What started this idea was at the end of 2017, everyone was posting their top games of the year. Usually it's a top ten list, and it's kind of all the rage. Even when I was a child, television stations used to get in on the action at the end of the year and show the "top commercials of 1998" or whatever year it was. After rolling around the idea for a while, I decided to start doing a 'top whatever' list at the end of each month.

The blog posts will start with my top game and anime for the month, and then in the talking points section, I will share a few lists that detail my top three to five games and anime for the month. Since some months see very few new game releases, my lists will not be restricted to games that released during the month of the blog article. If I get an itch to play A Link to the Past, and am enjoying the game, it'll be on the list. So with that said, let's get this show on the road!

Wait, one more note; a bit of a disclaimer--None of my reviews will ever contain major spoilers. My goal is to refrain from spoiling anything, so read at ease.

Top Game of January 2018 - Horizon Zero Dawn 

I'm only a year tardy to the party, but I finally unlocked the platinum trophy for the spectacle that is Horizon Zero Dawn.

The game takes place in the distant, post-apocalyptic future where interesting things happen that send humanity into a fiery doomsday spiral, and extinction is knocking on the door. Several (hundreds? thousands?) years later, Aloy--the protagonist--is born and the story begins.

The Story

From start to finish, the game sucks the player in and keeps things interesting. Never was there a moment that the story became weak or it felt like there were holes in the plot. The quests all linked together nicely, and I was constantly saying "I wonder where this is going." or "What happened all those years ago?", and that's one of the best parts of this game: The lore.

Throughout the game, Aloy can find datapoints in the form of text, holograms, and audio fragments that fill in the story of what happened that caused this near-extinction level event. I don't know about you, but backstory is the bread and butter of any IP for me. Hearing everything go down as the game went along was really awesome. The lore was well-done, and there were times when goosebumps and otherwise epic feels were had.

By the end of the game, you get a full narrative touching on multiple themes that really leaves the player satisfied...at least it left me satisfied. I did not get around to playing The Frozen Wilds, the DLC story, but the main game was an excellent ride.

My only complaint with the story is that I wound up missing a lot of the side quests. There are two contributing factors: Early side quests felt bothersome and kind of broke up the main story. Because of this, I seemed to move away from doing the side quests, but to unlock the platinum trophy, you have to do I think seven specific side quests. I had to look them up, and do them after I completed the main quest. As a side note, the trophy isn't technically missable. After completing the main story, you simply go do the quests and...well...it'll be clear when you do it. Anyway, I digress, the second and probably main reason is most likely my lack of completionism. When I see an exclamation mark in the game (signifies a quest), I usually ignored it because I was so drawn into the main story. That said, do yourself a favor and don't skip side quests! The major ones for the trophy I mentioned are all really interesting and pretty deep. They're not quite Witcher 3 side quest deep, but they're following close behind.

Combat and Other Mechanics

The movement, controls, and combat of the game was very fluid. Taking down the biggest machine in the game felt possible early in the game because of the intuitive controls, but by the end of the game--with full perks--you really felt like a master of dodges, rolls, and attacks. The mechanics are all a joy to use.

Early in the game, because of low HP, low quality weapons and armor, and the sheer power of the robotic enemies, the player is wise to not get involved though with the right dodges, rolls, and strategic attacks, it is possible to take down nearly any enemy. I found myself hiding in the brush a lot though. Bigger machines like the ravagers often had me either hiding or running, but you can absolutely take them on and even win against them one on one...it just takes a lot of skill and patience.

Mounts are in the game, but I rarely used them. It's not that the mounts didn't feel right, or were a pain to control, I just honestly didn't mind running everywhere. Aloy isn't particularly slow, and with the graphics of the Decima engine, the game is really easy on the eyes so I didn't mind taking the scenic route.

I've read that some found the climbing to be clunky and particularly difficult to spot (there are specific ledges on which you must climb, and sometimes they're not extremely obvious), but I never had an issue. It's better than old Assassin's Creed titles, I'm sure.

The World

The map is immense and full of life. When you fill in the entire map and zoom out, it's hard to see the map past all the points of interest. When you zoom in though, you find there's a lot of map surrounding each attraction. There's no shortage of things to do. One thing Horizon did well is the range of venues. Like Skyrim or Breath of the Wild, there's a fine balance of climates all crammed into this one map. From Snowy mountains to a dry, warm, rocky area, a lush jungle, and even a destroyed city...it has it all, and the Decima engine really delivers the eye candy. From ambient light to dense foliage, the world looks amazing.

Completely revisiting every location in the game, including major dungeons is a huge advantage Horizon has over many others. The Elder Scrolls series was always good with this, but some games will block off major dungeons making some trophies missable (Looking at you, Fallout 3). Horizon is the exact opposite. If you miss a datapoint somewhere deep in the guts of the giant dungeon from twenty quests ago, you just go back and dig through the entire dungeon again. Mind you, I use the word dungeon loosely as most of the "dungeons" are buildings and underground bunkers that are falling apart, but it gets the point across.

Challenges (Hidden Objects, Corrupted Zones, etc)

Horizon Zero Dawn had many ways of keeping the game interesting. One of those ways exists in the form of certain challenges like clearing corrupted zones and bandit camps. There aren't absurd numbers of either, so it really just adds a nice distraction when your want to prolong the story and just explore the world. Some of the corrupted zones are pretty difficult, but when you max out your perks and weapons, they're not bad. Once again referring to the scaling of the difficulty, it feels great throughout the entire game. I can't stress that enough. Bandit camps are interesting, as they almost always involve rescuing hostages and taking out one or two mini-bosses of sorts (just a commander, who is a stronger version of a typical grunt). I've never had a hostage die, which is strange for me, so I don't know if it's just not possible, but it's a nice touch if so.

There are a ton of collectibles hidden throughout the game. Treasure maps can be bought to help you locate these, and are all tied to trophies in the game. The datapoints (which there are hundreds of) are not connected to trophies, so they're optional but awesome for lore-lovers like myself. Hunting down a certain type of collectible also reveals the location of where HZD takes place, so I thought that was a nice touch.

Final Word

Horizon Zero Dawn has been an amazingly fun ride, and it is such a promising IP from the Netherlands-based Guerrilla Games. Their Decima engine was impressive to say the least, and there's information floating around that says Guerrilla Games and other Sony studios like Kojima's new team will be using it for future titles for the foreseeable future. The combat was satisfying, the challenges were perfect, and the story was gripping. There's not much else to say about this game. If you can put up with a sometimes less-than-stellar climbing system and main quest line that takes away from really spectacular side quests (that's a good problem to have, isn't it?), then you should definitely pick this game up if you get the chance. The Frozen Wilds is the only major DLC that released for the game, and it was announced that there wouldn't be any more. It seems like a bummer, but I'm hoping they're hard at work on a sequel.

Top Anime of January 2018 -

Kino's Journey: The Beautiful World (2017)

The Story

Kino's Journey is an interesting adventure and action anime that follows the protagonist Kino and bike Hermes through numerous countries. Most countries are seemingly no larger than a huge city typically enclosed within walls towering around the entire territory. Countries have their own rules, and typically the rules can be as normal or wild as the country wishes. In the first episode, the first country we see states that murder is permitted within the walls, but there is a twist which I will omit. I've already gone very close to spoiler territory, but I strive to never spoil anything. The twist in the first episode hooked me from the beginning. Nearly every episode has a twist like this first one, and every episode really is fantastic.

Along their many journeys, Kino and Hermes meet a couple friends and keep running into them from time to time. A couple episodes focus on the friends without Kino and Hermes, but most are centered around Kino. Hermes, a motorcycle, can talk. The best part about it is that nobody seems to think it's odd. It was another factor that drew me in right away. There may also be a talking dog in the series as well who is voiced by Vegeta and Piccolo's voice actor Christopher Sabat.

At the end of the day, there really is no story arc to the series. It spans 12 episodes, and it ends in a cool albeit open fashion. Through the episodes, Kino's history is visited, but the episodes focus mostly on stories from each country. There are funny parts, there are heavy parts, but it's such a good series.

Hermes, Kino's Motorcycle

Animation, Art Work, and Style

They don't call it The Beautiful World for nothing. Kino's Journey is beautifully drawn and animated in a fictional world where the landscape is dotted by fortified cities known as countries. That much I've covered already, but between the countries, it's not really mentioned whether there are dwellers or not. There seem to be fields of crops as well as up-kept dirt roads, so maybe there are residents outside of the countries. Regardless--I was kind of thinking out loud there--the landscapes are immersive and draws your attention away from Kino a lot of the time.

The style of clothing, buildings, and technology resembles that of the 1920s or 30s. The colors used in the animation are mostly drab tones, but there are moments where more vibrant hues are used to convey some of the more emotionally fueled moments. The color work and animation both work overtime to help convey the stories, which are already very nicely told.

Final Word

I can't recommend this anime enough. Kino's Journey: A Beautiful World is a very neat string of stories told as Kino travels from country to country. I'd never heard of this anime until Funimation announced the Simuldub, but it's been around in the form of light novels since 2000. In 2003, the first Kino's Journey was released and subsequently others were released as well. Apparently, the light novel is still ongoing. So I'm going to have to check that out as well. If you've read the light novels, feel free to comment below and share your thoughts on them!

Funimation will probably release the series on DVD, but I think it'd be well worth it to subscribe to Funimation Now long enough to binge this show. It is absolutely engrossing.

So there you have it! Those are my picks for top game and anime for January. Below are my extended lists. Please feel free to leave a comment below, tell me whether you agree or disagree, say hi, or just lurk. Regardless of what you do, I hope you enjoyed the article, and I hope you have a chance to enjoy these two titles.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more updates in the future, including next month's top picks.

Talking Points:

Top Three Games of 1/2018

1. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
2. Secrets of Grindea (Steam)
3. Euro Truck Simulator 2 (Steam)

Top Three Anime of 1/2018

1. Kino's Journey (Crunchyroll, Funimation)
2. The Ancient Magus' Bride (Crunchyroll, Funimation)
3. Drifters (Funimation)