Spaztic Reviews - March 2018

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen!

This month's games are dominated by Ubisoft titles, and we have an anime movie on the list for the first time.

Let's get to it!

- Top Game of March 2018 - 

Watch Dogs 2

This decision was really difficult for me. It was a close race between Vermintide 2 and Watch Dogs 2, and several other factors besides the games themselves brought me to this decision.

First, each game's predecessor was crucial. Vermintide wasn't a favorite of mine, though I own it and have played it quite a bit. It was fun, but in comparison to Watch Dogs, the latter won out.

Story is a huge factor for me, and while Watch Dogs 2 started out a bit slow, it ended with a bang. The storytelling in Watch Dogs 2 is also very good, if not a bit cliche in some areas...but it's still executed well. Vermintide 2 just doesn't have much story to it. It has a story, but the main feature of the game is bashing in Skaven and Nurgle forces' skulls.

Finally, replayability. I've finished all of the main missions for both Vermintide 2 and Watch Dogs 2, and I haven't touched Vermintide 2 for about a week now. I just finished Watch Dogs 2, and I plan on diving right back in and finishing the side quests, ScoutX locations, key data points, and I'm also going to try for all the trophies as they seem like fun objectives.

So there's my reasoning--I felt it was important to let you all know my reasoning behind picking this month's top game.

Here is my brief, spoiler-free review:


Watch Dogs 2

The Story

Watch Dogs 2 picks up close to where the first left off. You play Marcus, who is a new character in the franchise. He is also not related to the first game's protagonist; Marcus is just a hacker looking to go up against the malicious company called Blume.

The missions in the game aren't very long and they're also not insanely difficult, but strategy (and a little bit of dumb luck) is required to beat them. It took me quite a while to play through the entire story line since I was on and off with it, but had I played it all in one straight shot, it feels like it would've been a short game.

The story takes you on a wild ride through the streets of San Francisco while you investigate Blume and major operators within the company. The main objective is to wake up the public and expose Blume's shady and malevolent intentions.

The story is finished up in a complex final mission, and without revealing major spoilers, it was as fun and interesting as the entire game before it. It was a blast.

Combat and other Mechanics

The game allows you to play however you want, though sneaking can be difficult (I really suck at sneaking anyway, so maybe it was just me). There are three main play styles that they give you: Aggressor, Ghost, and Trickster. There is technically a fourth, Jack of All Trades, which is just all three wrapped into one. Each role feels pretty solid.

When I play an open world game like this, sneaking is first priority because...well...it's better to remain undetected for as long as possible. Since I'm so bad at it, I often find myself sneaking in and then relying on the Aggressor skill from there on out. It's an effective play style.

One major perk of this game compared to other open world titles is the addition of the drones. Where other open world games usually only have you sneaking in somewhere and doing everything manually, Marcus has the option to fly an airborne drone or use a wheeled drone called the Jumper. From the air, you can easily assess the area while the wheeled drone allows you to hack some terminals. Both drones can drop bombs, electric shock devices, and once upgraded, the Jumper has some hilarious taunts that can distract guards.

Firearms feel ineffective in the game against armored targets. It seems far more rewarding to go a less-lethal route (unless you're playing PVP) as the stun gun can take down guards with one hit once it's upgraded. The fact the firearms are weak in the game would normally bug me, but it doesn't here. Most likely it's because you're playing as hackers...who are civilians. It feels like you're a vigilante, yes, but you're supposed to be protecting people and helping expose Blume. It feels weird to just empty magazines into Blume, the gangs, and law enforcement. I don't know if that was intentional on Ubisoft's part, but going a less-lethal route whenever you can just feels better in this game.

The World and Relevance

San Francisco is impressively mapped out and the developers made sure you have a chance to take in their beautifully crafted world by the means of ScoutX, which is an Instagram of sorts where you take pics or selfies at famous locations around San Francisco, Oakland, and Silicon Valley.

Relevance is a new mention in my review, but it's a must for Watch Dogs 2. This is also another one of the major contributing factors to why I chose it for my game of the month. During the events of Ubisoft's game, Marcus has to go around exposing Blume, a politician, and social media sites and their slimy, shady, privacy-breaching, 1984, and "Big Brother" practices.

Why is this relevant? Well, Facebook just had a major breach of security and information. Facebook, Google, and more sell your data to the highest bidder...where's our data going? Who's seeing where we live, our daily schedules, etc. It's borderline conspiracy theories...but it's also not a secret that the government and social media sites have no interest in our privacy. They spin it in a way that make us think we want things like limited privacy--They tell us it's for our safety, when in fact, it's just a great way to control us. Social media is also a fantastic echo chamber for people to voice their opinions, and more now than ever have I seen social media used as a platform to argue our beliefs. There's so much turmoil on social media that I've honestly considered deleting everything, but somebody wants everyone to argue and hate one another. Divide and conquer. Keep us frustrated and keep our minds off of the bigger problems in life.

Okay folks, you can take off your tinfoil hats now. The events and people of Watch Dogs 2 are purely fictitious, but with technology becoming bigger and more powerful every day, and with Google and Facebook recording your browsing history...with smart TVs and Alexa listening to your every day conversations...it makes you stop and think about what's really going on in the background.

Final Word

Usually I mention bugs and my frustrations with the game, but there were so few that it wasn't worth making a separate topic. Watch Dogs had a rough launch on PC, but I enjoyed it on PS4. Watch Dogs 2 seemed to have a much smoother launch across all platforms, and PS4 was no exception. My biggest complaint? When you're driving, it's really easy for your car to clip the curb in certain areas making your car stop, flip, and sometimes cause enough damage to start smoking. In the Driver SF app, there is a lady who requests you to do jumps for views on a YouTube-like platform. On several of the jumps, while I was accelerating toward the jump, I'd often clip on the road right before hitting the jump. A mild headache to deal with, but not game-breaking. That's really my only major complaint. The game is very solid.

Having just finished it, I can confidently say that it was one of my favorites in recent months. Getting any sort of continuation from the first iteration was a surprise to me, let alone a really great one. Now I'm dealing with two frustrations: The fact that I waited this long to finish it, and the fact that it's almost completely wrapped up. I want more! I hope there's a third installment announced at E3 2018.

- Top Anime of March 2018 - 

Children Who Chase Lost Voices

There's a lot hitting the anime market right now. From the long awaited dub of the D.Gray-Man series to the continuation of hits like Black Clover and Dragon Ball Super--it's hard to pick a top show or movie each month. I try to keep my picks to anime that has wrapped up (or at least ones that are awaiting continuations). A lot of what I'm currently watching are winter titles that are just now airing.

That said, last Monday I decided to sit down and watch a movie. It's something I want to do more of and for good reason. So many classic hit anime movies are on store shelves right now, and I've only seen a few to date: Akira, the last two Dragon Ball Z films, and now Children Who Chase Lost Voices.

The Story

Children Who Chase Lost Voices is a fantasy/slice of life mash up with a lot of influence from ancient culture. It starts with a girl who lost her father when she was younger. Before leaving the material existence, he left with her a mysterious radio that--without electricity or an amplifier--plays an eerie song every once and a while; A song unlike any from the known world.

One day, a boy shows up at her favorite spot to listen to the radio, and things get weird...but in a good way.

The rest of the story plays out in the two hour feature film and tells a somber story of death and mystical adventure. Children takes the viewer on a trip through a world once thought to be purely mythological, and brings with it many heavy topics and a great reminder at the end of the film. I'll refrain from sharing that reminder (as it could mildly spoil the outcome of the film), but it's a wonderful lesson that everyone should remember.

One of the coolest parts of the film is how the writer ties in a lot of mystical topics from the real world. South America's mythic quetzalcoatl makes an appearance as well as the hollow Earth theory. The hollow Earth theory is almost up there with the flat Earth theory (in the way of "how crazy do you have to be to subscribe to this theory?"), but it's not quite as bad. In fact, Native Americans of the Hopi tribe have beliefs that their deities actually came from underground, which helps to push the theory of a hollow Earth. Again, it's out there, but fun to think about, and especially fun when any films or show puts a theory like that to work.

Artwork and Animation

Having released in 2012 in Japan, Children Who Chase Lost Voices is by no means old, but it feels like a classic. The artwork is stunning, as it is in many other anime films, and animators spared no expense when it comes to tiny details.

One thing that struck a wonderful note with me was the lighting effects of the day night cycle. It sounds like an odd thing to point out, but the artists nailed the look of the sky during twilight and night time. In certain parts of the film, the scenery is so striking, it almost takes away from the film a bit. You just want to take in the landscapes.

The character designs are another great aspect. The main three main characters are unique in their own way, and the compliment each other nicely. Their style (like their clothing, hair, and even mannerisms) set them apart from one another, and really makes them so dynamic yet completely organic. The mythical creatures like the quetzalcoatl are extremely unique, and at times...almost kind of silly looking, but in a believable way (if that makes sense).

Final Word

If you're looking for different movie that panders to odd theories about the Earth, life, and death - Look no further. It's an endearing but sobering tale of life and death, that ends on a wonderful note. There are heavy themes all throughout the film, but it's well worth the watch. Sentai Filmworks blew this movie out of the park.


Talking Points

Top Video Games of 3/2018

1. Watch Dogs 2 (PS4, PC, Xbox)
2. Vermintide 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox)
3. Final Fantasy XV (PS4, PC, Xbox)

Top Anime of 3/2018

1. Children Who Chase Lost Voices (Sentai Filmworks)
2.  D.Gray-Man Season 4 Part 1 (Funimation)
3. Star Blazers (ongoing, Funimation, 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)

Guns, The Boogeyman, and You

Hi readers,

I wanted to avoid this topic as much as I possibly could, but it is difficult when the top tweets are all about anti-gun laws. These appeals to emotion are cause for action, but appeals to emotion are also commonly known to be a fallacy. My argument is not to take away from the tragedy in Florida in the recent past. The fact is the children and adults died, and that should always be the header first and foremost in tragedies like this. It just shouldn't ever happen.

The bottom line, and before I type any further, is that the world needs to be a safer, happier place, and it's appalling that we live in a world where the mentally ill has access to the tools and locations to commit a mass shooting anywhere, but schools in particular.

I also want to make it clear that I am not a self-proclaimed republican or democrat. The two-party system is broken, and all it ever does is divide the nation.

Guns are a Proverbial Boogeyman

Bernie Sanders, the president hopeful from 2016, recently tweeted:

I couldn't agree more with his thoughts, except the last point, and it's only by about half. This blog post is going to stray wildly from my typical content (games and animation), and I swore to myself I would let politics go and never tweet or post about them again (because we all know we sometimes just need to take a break since political frustration is everywhere), but here I go. In a final hurrah, this is my last post about politics and political action I will ever post. My blog is new and has very few followers, so I'd be surprised if this got much attention anyway...but please bear with me. I'm not blindly making a case to support firearms. I agree almost wholly with Sanders, and I'll explain myself about the assault weapons later. At the end of the day, this is my opinion. I am open for debate, but be open-minded while reading this. Think critically, and let's keep it peaceful.

The NRA

This is my first point that I need to get out of the way. I am an owner of numerous firearms, even of a semi-auto assault weapon. I enjoy shooting targets even though I haven't for quite some time, and in my general opinion, slinging lead down-range quicker is almost always better; More fun, and a bit more exhilarating. To some, that makes me mentally unstable which is incredibly offensive; that kind of thinking is completely uncalled for. In the right operating environment it's completely safe (a completely secluded field with a 100% safe backstop [large dirt mound, miles of forest] is a must for any shooting range).

With all of that being the case, the NRA is a truly scumbag organization. My grandfather was probably rolling in his grave as I said that as he was a diehard member, but it's true. Nobody can argue with that, and it needs to change if the second amendment or gun owners in general are to retain any form of integrity.

The NRA constantly blocks legislation that would make it more difficult for the ill-minded to obtain firearms. They blindly lobby for more guns, including assault weapons, to be available in a variety of ways. One such way includes gun shows which severely lack any adequate safety net to keep them out of the wrong people's hands.

I was going to research more about the NRA to see their dirty tricks, but everything that popped up was a far left article. It's not that I don't care for liberals and democrats, I just hate extremist media. Far left or far right is a no go for me, so I won't be supplying links or sources for this portion of the article. I just know that the NRA makes gun safety a very difficult thing to accomplish, and they are a major hurdle in getting America safer. Everything with the NRA needs to change, and sooner rather than later.

Gun shows

I've been to many gun shows in my time. They're fun, and can be an interesting place especially if you enjoy history. I've never had a lot of money, so buying anything was never an option, but you can buy firearms dirt cheap. The issue here is that gun shows are not the only "unofficial" way to buy weapons. There are other weapons floating around the country that are traded, bought, and sold outside of the government's watch. I can't give proper evidence to support this, but just as illegal drugs are moved, you can bet illegal weapons are moved as well. The underground cartels and gangs love unregistered firearms, and there was even a story on the local news sharing details on how anyone with an internet connection can order unregistered carbine parts to build their own semi-auto AR-15 like the one recently used in Florida.

So, yes, blocking sales at gun shows is a must. If you ask me, it should be just like a car show where registered owners take their guns, and can show them off, but sales should be banned at gun shows altogether. If people want to sell military clothing, airsoft guns, non-firing replica guns, or something else for war enthusiasts, that's fine...but it's no place to be selling real firearms.

The Mental Health Issue

This is a largely overlooked contributing factor when thinking about gun control. There is one thing in common with nearly all mass shootings: Mental illness. The Aurora, CO shooting suspect was detained and tried, only to be found that he was mentally ill. He is going to rot in a prison cell for the rest of his life, which doesn't really offer all that much closure. He gets to sit in a cell getting a few decent meals a day at our expense? The best defense to this sort of absurdity is (no, not the death sentence, you neanderthal) accessibility to affordable and regular mental health screenings.

The healthcare system in this country is absurd for the US being a "first world" country. The only thing that's ever first within US borders is money. Not the citizens, not their health, not their happiness, but the wealth of the leaders who run this establishment. I don't understand how the citizens aren't more up in arms about the healthcare system...Oh wait, they're too angry at inanimate objects and far too angry at their opposing political party to think rationally about a true solution to the ever-growing issue.

Affordable healthcare (including mental health coverage) would raise quality-of-life standards in the nation. People might not be so stressed and angry if they didn't have to worry what they'd do should they need to see a doctor in a life-or-death situation. This is perhaps the only first-world country where you have to choose whether or not to get life-saving surgery because it will bankrupt you.

Apologies for going on more of a rant here as opposed to level-headed discussion, but it's a major issue, and no politician ever wants to talk about it. If they ever do talk about it, they either "forget", are bribed, or go back on their word; they are often blocked by the frustrating government system and big pharmacy in this country; or they just never get a chance to even try (Oh I'm feeling the bern, alright).

Obama had a decent idea that involved "affordable" health care, but the major problem here is that it wasn't necessarily affordable for all, and it was forced upon the nation. Not in the way that they voted on it, and it passed, and there was nothing we could do. No, I mean, if you didn't buy health coverage, you were fined more than if you didn't have it. So it was either be poor and pay for something you couldn't afford, or be stuck paying even more, and actually have zero dollars left. That's NOT what this country needed.

The country needs affordable (free, universal, accessible) healthcare. If we had that, maybe we could avoid some of the mental issues that plague the nation and cause these tragedies in the first place.

Monitoring

Some time before the Florida shooting incident, the suspect posted to their social media that they had an AR-15 and that they were going to kill people. How is this overlooked?

The last thing I want is the government snooping more into our daily lives, be it social media, automated home assistants, our personal computers, internet traffic, location services, etc.

I thought there was a bill in place that was supposed to monitor and "tick" when someone was showing signs of mental illness or a possible terrorist threat. Where was that system when the would-be home-grown terrorist started saying these things?

Better yet, why did none of his friends or family speak up? The parents had to know something was wrong. Why are parents not monitoring their children's use of social media? The young man was nineteen years old, so technically he wasn't a child anymore, but what kind of parent are you if you're not keeping in touch with your child? Maybe they were like me and never go on Facebook, but still, millions of people use Facebook every day, and I'm sure he had to have friends who saw the post.

From one perspective, you can't just take everything you read on the internet seriously, but in today's day in age, you have to be wary of that kind of thing; Especially so if the person has a history of posting about violence, weapons in a malicious context, etc.

A friend wants to show off a new rifle he just bought? He posts a picture. That's not a problem.

A friend posts a picture of him holding a pistol, saying some crazy nonsense or something offensive? Might want to speak up.

Two more large contributing factors that involve monitoring are parental guidance and bullying.

Parents need to be doing their job from day one. The moment that child is born, the parent has an obligation to shower it with love, affection, and guidance until the day that child turns 18. Anything less, and the parent has failed. It's not easy, and "love and affection" are relative (your idea of caring for a child may differ from mine, but you have to teach the child right from wrong. Don't leave it up to the school system or anything else). That's the cost of being a parent.

Bullying is another can of worms, but it can lead to distraught children (and adults). The school systems need to offer a better way to fight bullying, and this also reverts back to parental guidance. Parents need to teach their children right from wrong. Bullying is wrong. What's so hard about that?

Background Checks

If people want to own an object that could make mass-killing easier, they need to be getting a more rigorous background check than what's currently in place.

Instead of just checking criminal records, why not check their gun ownership history? They've never owned a gun before, but all of a sudden are taking an interest? Red flag. This shouldn't make it impossible to buy a firearm because anyone who's never owned a gun could ever buy one again, but put them on a list for say ten years, and monitor their social media for that duration. Any upticks in malevolent posts, and they get a visit from law enforcement or mental health agents.

How about more mental health screenings and tests. You can't become a police officer without taking rigorous mental tests that challenge the aptitude required to safely operate a firearm. In the military, it takes weeks of training before you're granted permission to serve with your firearm, why should civilians be treated any differently? If people want semi-auto assault weapons, put them through the same qualification trials. They'll either prove their mentally fit, or they'll not want to go through all of it and pass on buying altogether.


So, those are my main talking points regarding what Bernie Sanders said in his tweet, but now I would like to try to share with you my opinion on some of the fallacies--not in Sander's tweet--but of most anti-gun advocates.

Inanimate Objects

A gun is just that. It doesn't matter if it's sitting in a closet somewhere, sitting out in the middle of a room, a gun locker, whatever - It's never going to be any more than a hunk of steel, machined in such a way that it can sling lead really far and really fast.

Yes, it makes the act of killing effortless, but in order for it to do that, you need to insert a human aspect. It's the mental issues of mankind that bring a firearm to kill. It's not the gun itself. People may not be fit to have access to these sorts of tools, but it's most certainly not the gun's fault.

Where I live, 95% of the population own firearms, and I'd be willing to bet upwards of 40% of that number own some sort of semi-auto assault weapon. Take a miniscule number like 10% and I'd say that's how many have licenses to own legal full-auto weapons and attachments like suppressors. Take another 5-10% from that same forty and that's probably how many rig their legally owned semi-autos to shoot full-auto through after market parts or personal tinkering with the gun internals.

Okay, that was a lot of technicality that I have no evidence to back up, but that's just a personal estimate, and I truly believe that to be accurate for most rural areas in the country. That being the case, that's hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of firearms in the hands of Americans. In my area alone, a largely rural county in which 358,000 people call home, that's a lot of firearms. Based on those numbers, if guns were to blame, we'd be seeing mass shootings twice a day. That's not the case. There are millions of law-abiding citizens maintaining their firearms on a daily basis. It just takes a single bad apple, once a month (who needs mental help) to ruin it for the millions who are lawful and safe.

Going back to touch upon the number of guns in the country, I did find a statistic from pewresearch.org that shows that there are 270 to 310 million firearms in the country today. Even though only a small number of Americans (37%) own a firearm or know someone who does, that's a lot of guns compared to the handful that are misused.

My point is not to justify the acts of these monsters. Obviously. Guns need to be restricted from their use, and they need mental help more than anything else in the world, but I am only trying to point out that the guns are not to blame. For all the firearms that are in this country, there should be way more mass killings if the guns are indeed to blame.

Why Assault Weapons?

This is a big question that's not that hard to answer. It's a perfectly sane hobby.

The basic answer is: No they are not needed. Coming from a sportsman's standpoint, it's the same as saying why does a vehicle enthusiast need to upgrade his engine so he can go faster and save on efficiency. Why does a gamer need to put a few thousands of dollars into a gaming PC when around $800 can buy you the bare minimum to enjoy today's games? It comes down to hobby.

The biggest rebuttal to this is that sports cars and video games are not capable of mass murder. Yes, this is a perfectly valid, good point, but thousands of people lawfully enjoy shooting targets. There's an Olympic competition that revolves around shooting targets. Just because war is evil, and firearms are the basic method to eliminate the other forces, it doesn't mean guns have to be associated with malevolence.

Skeet and stationary target shooting is a valid test of strength and dexterity; hand-eye coordination. It can be a fun, relaxing competition. So why are assault weapons needed? The best answer I can give you is efficiency. Like the person who upgraded their car to get from point A to B faster and more efficiently, an assault weapon with a slightly larger magazine and the elimination of cranking the bolt after every shot, allows the shooter to concentrate more on sending lead down range. The force of the gun kicking back is also amusing to some. Guns are powerful objects and should be taken seriously with no exceptions. They are dangerous, but with the proper training and handling, they are nothing more than an inanimate object, assault weapons included.

Just as the car collector likes to own numerous vehicles, a video game enthusiast may collect games or even consoles, a gun hobbyist might want to collect several firearms. As much as you want to believe it, that is not a mental issue. Using them to kill others is.

2nd Amendment

This isn't going away.

By me saying that, I'm not trying to toot gun owners' horns. I'm not trying to be obnoxious or facetious. I'm honestly just saying that the government has been explicit in that they don't want to take away single action firearms from the people. Which is good. Most representatives, Sanders included, just want to make assault weapons illegal.

That said, I want to make it clear why the 2nd amendment was created in the first place. The amendment was enacted to ensure the nation had a means to fight back a tyrannical power. This Live Science article about the second amendment says, "Having just used guns and other arms to ward off the English, the amendment was originally created to give citizens the opportunity to fight back against a tyrannical federal government."

Would we ever need to fight a tyrannical government entity? I don't think so, but for as hard as our forefathers fought to make the country what it is, I personally believe the amendment should be untouched, which includes assault weapons.

Why? Regarding the point to make a stand against a tyrannical government, any modern government would easily outgun bolt action rifles, pump shotguns, and revolvers. Some may say that the world doesn't work like it did back then; tyrannical governments don't exist. I beg to differ. Whether or not we live in one is irrelevant. It can happen, and in the odd situation that it would occur in this nation, I would feel better knowing the people had a chance to stand up against oppressors.

Yes, it's a lot closer to fantasy than fact at this point of Earth's timeline, but that's the basic purpose of the amendment, and I'd rather it be kept intact.

Final Word

This article has honestly gone on long enough. There are other points to be made, I'm sure, on both sides of the argument. For instance, all the points I made supporting gun ownership, even in a severely monitored and restrictive state, may not be enough to thwart terrorists. As long as guns exist, I expect there will be shady ways to get them either on home soil or abroad. Like illegal substances like hard narcotics, they're illegal and banned in the states, yet it's an epidemic.

Mass shootings are often twisted into a red herring, meant to make us feel scared and helpless against these inanimate objects. Maybe it's to take our minds off of the president and the government as a whole? Maybe it's meant to misdirect our attention off of a failing democracy and healthcare system? Maybe it's something bigger and deeper altogether.

Yes, assault weapons are dangerous, but in the right hands, they're no more dangerous than a butter knife. A box truck was used in London to kill nearly the same amount of people, so the logical conclusion is to ban box trucks, right? That was a religious statement, and in my opinion, religious extremism (following any faith) is also a mental illness. The motives are still unclear for the Florida massacre, but it's no more than a mental health problem.

With all that said, there comes a point where I even say "try it.", but I truly doubt it will make a big difference. If it does seem to stop the killings, I will be vaguely suspicious--happy that the mass killings have stopped--but suspicious and eager to see what happens to our quality of life after that.

Talking Points:

Technology

Why can't gun manufacturers make technological attachments to firearms to biometrically lock them? The game Metal Gear Solid 4 comes to mind - every weapon was locked behind nano-machines that were detected by the gun lock. When the owner was holding the weapon, it would function normally. In anyone else's hands, it was locked.

This kind of technology isn't science fiction. At the very least, the firearms could be locked with a fingerprint and pressure sensors similar to those seen on the back of a 1911 (see picture). A firearm could be initially unlocked with a thumbprint, and then could remain unlocked so long as that pressure plate was held down. As soon as the plate is released, the gun would lock again. It's not a hard concept to grasp, and I think that alone would curb deaths by firearms in the country.

Image courtesy of Cheaper Than Dirt

Alternatives to Shooting

As I mentioned before, I am an owner and advocate of firearms. I enjoy collecting and shooting, though I don't get to the range hardly at all anymore. I haven't discharged a real firearm in over three years, and I'm no worse for wear. Guns are as superficial as owning a fancy sportscar, or having the nicest house on the block, you really don't need them unless your home is being burgled, you're being attacked by a wild animal, or something of the like. I do think they're a great deterrent for burglars, but outside of that, they're just fun to use at a gun range. One reason they're fun, you can test your dexterity and coordination by shooting targets at various distances. Believe it or not, yes, that can be fun. The second reason is feeling the power of the weapon. It's a bit unnerving how much power is held in one of those small rounds, but that's part of the allure for many.

Both of these attractions can be otherwise delivered...again by technology. Virtual reality is making a huge leap forward with ongoing support for Vive, PSVR, and Oculus Rift among others. Even haptic feedback is getting a boost in development with a company formerly known as AxonVR creating a force-feedback haptic glove for virtual reality.

If you combine a hyper realistic VR game (give the industry a few years to develop further) with haptic gloves and a shoulder pad, anyone who wants to shoot targets will be free to do so in VR with NO limitations. Want to shoot ten thirty-round magazines through an AK-47 to see what it feels like? Boom. Done...kick and all. Want to take your mile-long shot with a Berrett .50 caliber long rifle? Also easy peasy in a virtual world, and you never have to worry about harming others. I think this is the best option to kind of appease everyone. Shooters still get access to guns, just in a different format, assault weapons can be banned, yet enthusiasts can still shoot targets. It's a win-win, unless a tyrannical government comes into power. Then we're screwed.



So, there you have it: My extremely long-winded rant/article about gun control, assault weapon bans, and possible solutions. I am 100% open to debate, and I'm not a blind gun advocate. I realize there are major issues at play here, and assault weapons are one of them. They're dangerous. People die, and it's a tragedy that NEEDS to stop. I do, however, think that blind anything is a bad idea, including opposition to firearms and even assault weapons. Thoughts and prayers aren't meaningless, but they certainly won't put an end to anything. The time to act is now, but whatever steps are taken need to be carefully examined.

First thing I'd suggest? Let's replace the head of the NRA so that they make rational decisions, and let's also change legislation changing the ease of gun sales, and most importantly get health care reform moving. It needs to be universal health care, anything short of that would be criminal on the government's behalf.

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)

New Avatar, New Merch!

Good news, everyone!

I've changed my personal avatar for Twitter, Blogger, and more. This new design will, for the time being, become my personal image; a sort of "brand logo".

That being the case, I extend an invitation for you to pick up merch! Yes, it's a little early to be offering merchandise for my blog that gets very little traffic at this point in time, but at the end of the day, college loans are expensive and I could always use the extra income.

It ultimately relies on how successful my blog becomes, and if I can build a "brand" per se, but I hope to. I really enjoy games and animation, so it would mean a lot to be able to plant my foot firmly in the industry and offer insights and critiques.

Without further ado, below is the link to my redbubble page. Once you head over there, you can buy merchandise like t-shirts, leggings, and stickers.

Redbubble Skelders Merch

As always, thanks for reading! Stay tuned because my January update is hitting the blog soon, where I detail my favorite game and anime of the month.

Pittsburgh's Tekko Convention 2018

Hello readers!

Earlier this month, I posted an article about my plans for the new year, and in those plans, I included framework for monthly reviews of games and anime. This blog post specifically pertains to the latter, although it's not concerning reviews. I want to talk conventions.

Pittsburgh--and Pennsylvania in general--never seemed like a popular place for certain types of conventions. Boy was I wrong. Pittsburgh hosts several conventions of all types throughout the year, and they have two in particular that consistently catch my attention: Steel City Con and Tekko. Both are right around the corner (early April), and since I focus half of my attention on anime on this blog, I wanted to talk a bit about Tekko 2018.

I have never had the chance to attend Tekko, but it's clear that they try and book huge names in the anime industry--with a heavy focus on voice actors. As guests in previous years, they have had Brina Palencia, Cherami Leigh, Ian Sinclair, Matt Mercer, and J. Michael Tatum to name a few.

This year, they're continuing the trend by inviting four more extremely talented voice actors and internet personalities:

• SungWon Cho - VA and internet personality on YouTube, Twitter, and more. I constantly see his work shared and posted on Twitter and Reddit, and it's always some of the most entertaining content I've ever seen.
• Bryce Papenbrook - VA: Kirito (Sword Art Online), Erin (Attack on Titan), and tons more
• Monical Rial - VA: May Chang (Fullmetal Alchemist), Shiro (Deadman Wonderland), Mirajane (Fairy Tail), and again tons more
• Vic Mignogna - VA: Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist), Vega (Street Fighter II), Broly (Dragon Ball Z), Kurz (Fullmetal Panic), and fifteen years worth of other voices, not to mention a music career

Along with the voice actors, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy like pachinko (yes, pachinko), other Japanese arcade games, competitions like the scale model contest, a book drive hosted by Accio Books, an escape room, and more. Other areas of the convention are dedicated to activities such as gaming (video, CCG, Table Top, and even LARP), cosplay, dance, fashion, and more.

Passes for the weekend start at $45 for attendance throughout the weekend, $75 for the next tier which includes access to exclusive autograph sessions and guest events in the Tekko Premium Lounge, and $150 for the "Rockstar Badge" which includes early access to the hall each morning, a limited concert T-shirt, and an invitation to the private staff dinner and concert Sunday night after Tekko wraps up. More details can be found on this page: http://www.teamtekko.us/registration/

With so much to do, and with the all-star list of guests, any anime fans in the area should try to attend. Hopefully this will be my first year there as well. Maybe I'll see you there!

Talking Points:

Vic Mignogna Sometimes Shares "Secret Video"
On YouTube, it's not uncommon for fans to upload videos of voice actors at conventions (usually just Q&A stuff), and there are quite a few of Vic doing a few of his panels across the country. There is one thing that each of his videos have in common: They all cut out when he shows the secret footage of himself and other voice actors cosplaying as their characters from Fullmetal Alchemist. The name of the video eludes me, but his request when he shows it at conventions is that it stays at conventions. He doesn't ever release the video to the public so that it remains a "special treat" to those who attend.

Other Anime Events and Conventions Around the Area
A friend recently informed me that Penn State also has a small anime convention as well! I'll try to get more information and update accordingly. I believe it's called Setsucon, and PSU students hold the event every year. It might be another interesting event to check out if you're in the area.

Finally, our local Pittsburgh-based newspaper just ran a story about anime fans in the area. How cool is that? It actually had a little section on the front page (and my copy didn't even contain the typo!). Anyway, the article's coolest talking point drew attention to several local libraries that run anime clubs. The thought of a local anime club never crossed my mind, but it's great to know that even in my back-woodsy little town anime is doing pretty well. I realize probably few or none of my readers are in the immediate area, but it's worth noting that your local library might also have a similar club. If the answer is still no, then it might be possible to start one up yourself and share the anime joy.

As always, thanks for reading! Don't forget to bookmark this page for future posts and updates, including my monthly top games and anime lists!

Image Copyright Hiromu Arakawa, Bones Animation Studio, and Funimation - I do not own the image.

Happy New Year to All and To All A Good....Wait, That's Not Right.

Happy New Year to all.

2017 is over and 2018 is coming in like a heroic protagonist charging into the battle in the upgraded version of your favorite mecha. While I sit here troubleshooting the fan on my parent's laptop, I got to thinking now might be a good time to update this blog.

A new year is a new beginning. It's an opportunity to start over. A much needed 'Get out of jail free' card. I want to make 2018 a great year for all parties involved. I have large aspirations in the works that hopefully you'll hear about this year, but a large part of my life revolves around gaming and Japanese animation. I've been a quiet member of those two communities for such a long time, and I want to start giving more back to the industry in any way that I can. Moving forward, I plan on releasing monthly statements on what I've been playing and watching: My top games and anime that I've played/watched for that month...and more. It'll probably exist in a top three list, and depending on how active the month is, it may dip to one title for each category. I'll play it by ear on that one.

For anyone who follows me now, you may notice I complain a lot about sports and sometimes politics. I'm hoping to focus less on negativity and pull more attention to the good things I'm experiencing. The world needs more positivity, and I'll try and deliver that all year. Inevitably there will be horrible things that occur, and they should not be swept under the rug to be forgotten about, but there's a place and a time for that kind of thing. Furthermore, it's unhealthy to dwell on that kind of thing for so long, so let's kick back and have a blast this year. I'll still tweet about sports, but my tweets will consistently involve nerd culture.

As I sit here eating my pork and sauerkraut (a new year's eve tradition for some), I'm reflecting on the year that now fades in the rear-view mirror. It's been a trying year for many, and there's no reason 2018 has to be the same.

Let's rock 2018 like it's 1998 all over again.

Talking Points:

Rituals to Bring in the New Year:

My old boss used to say that placing money on the window sill used to bring in money for the course of the new year.

I'm sure there are loads of other rituals, but this has been a favorite of mine since around 2010. Has it ever worked? I don't think.

My Top Games and Anime of 2017

2017 was a killer year for gaming and animation. Here are my top five picks for each medium:

Gaming:
5. Streets of Rogue (PC) - This game is a very new indie title that I played just a couple days ago. It's not very often that I sit and play a game for hours on end, but I literally sat and played this thing for nine hours straight. How can I not include it?

The game has a charming look to it. It's a twin-stick, rogue-like, pixelated shooter where you live in a dystopian city. You're job is basically sticking it to the man as part of a resistance group. Each level is a new "floor" in this towering city, and they're all randomly generated. There are a lot of different characters and play styles to choose from, and there are so many surprises that keep the game interesting even after playing it for nine hours. It is an early access game, but it plays very well. The controls are good, the replay value is through the roof, and the developer plans to keep adding content.

4. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (PS4, PC) - Ninja Theory completely outdid themselves with this masterpiece of a game. The game itself is fairly short, I was able to beat it in a couple nights, but the content more than makes up for it. The story is incredibly engrossing, pulling you into the mind of Senua, a woman who deals with a mental condition that supports a deeper narrative. The sound design in the game, which one awards at the 2017 game awards, is amazing. When you use 3D headphones for this game, it literally sounds like you're hearing voices.

The combat is very rewarding, and the entire story is empowering but also somber and quite sobering. The graphics and sound design are impressive, and the puzzles are fun. There is no way you should miss this game!

3. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) - Plain and simple, it's the best Mario title since 64. The controls are silky smooth, the gameplay is challenging but extremely fun, there are fun easter eggs, you can change Mario's outfits...there really isn't much of anything to hate about this game.

There's really not much else to say. A proper 3D Mario in full HD is something Nintendo has needed for a long time. This was an instant classic.

2. Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) - Aloy is a great protagonist in this post-apocalyptic tour through a now-tribal region of the US. Running around with a bow, trip mines, bomb slingshots, and tethers is daunting when your enemies are giant robotic dinosaurs, but the fighting mechanics are so well balanced that all you get is this pure sensation of "That was awesome!" every time you take one down. There have been a couple times where I've found myself a bit upset with how a fight played out, but I usually don't blame the game - I blame my own ability and decisions most of the time.

I am almost finished with the story, and so far it's been ominous and very engrossing to see how the apocalypse played out all those years ago. I will tweet an update when I finally finish the story.

The graphics are really the main show here though. The combat is fun, the story is great, but the visuals are just insane. This game really pushed the PS4 to places it hasn't yet been, and believe it or not, I feel like Guerilla's game engine could even take the system even further.

1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) - There's so much to be said here, but I've already rambled for quite a while with my other games. I feel like there are three major points here. First:

The weapon system: People complain about the weapon durability system that is used in Breath of the Wild. Yes, the weapons break extremely quickly. It's a good and a bad thing. Weapons are so common in the game, that you really don't have a problem finding a replacement, so that's a plus. The bad thing is when you get attached to a weapon. Before you know it, it's gone...but other than one particular sword, there are multiples in the game. One major perk of low weapon durability is that the game forces you to use different play styles. You are forced to experience pretty much every weapon the game has to offer because you're constantly switching off. Later in the game, weapons and shields become more durable, but nothing is unbreakable. The main sword in the game (you guessed it, the master sword) recharges, so you don't actually lose it, and the main shield has an extremely high durability. Once it breaks, you can either buy or build a new one...I forget, as I've never had to do so yet. I did read about it online though. In previous Zelda games, when you found the best gear, that was it - you were done. This system keeps that from happening, and keeps the game fresh.

The World: The map is immense. The ability to climb is fun, though I read if climbing wasn't added, the hookshot would've been in the game. I miss the hookshot. Anyway, the world that you travel through is rather treacherous, but it's literally awe-inspiring. I can compare it to starting The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the first time. As soon as you step out of the sewers into the bright plains of Cyrodiil, you're just lost in the size of the world. 60% of the game for me has been exploring all the nooks and crannies of the map. The diverse regions are also a huge plus, and they're kind of level/gear locked. No fire protection? You're not going to Death Mountain. Same goes for the extreme cold areas. On top of that, you have numerous monsters to deal with, and threats from the environment like thunderstorms. It keeps you on edge, and because of this point and the last point, I can't help but love the game.

The Switch: With this impressive title, the Switch gained so much steam right from the get-go. It makes me happy to see so much success for a company that's been slumping in recent years. They have a long way to go to truly make fans happy, I think, but this was the first of many steps in the right direction. The Switch needs a better profile and friends system (there is currently no way to message others), and personally, I need an achievement system, but the system has a strong game library already and there's no sign that the dev support is going to wither anytime soon. If Nintendo keeps hitting the ball out of the park through 2018 and beyond, it will be the leading console for the foreseeable future.

So yeah, Breath of the Wild is definitely my top spot this year. It has soaked up a ton of my time, and I'm still far from done with it.

Honorary Mentions:
Conan Exiles (early access, PC)
Va-11 Hall-a (PC, Vita version landed in 2017)
Call of Duty: WWII (PS4, PC, Xbox One)
Cuphead (PC, Xbox One)
Warframe (PS4, PC, Xbox One - For its ongoing content)
American Truck Sim and Euro Truck Sim 2 (PC - For their ongoing support as well)


Anime:
This is going to be a much less in-depth review of the series (as compared to the games), but I have to list them regardless. Some of these series are ongoing, but here are my top anime of 2017.

5. Kino's Journey (Ongoing) - It has a talking motorcycle! Besides that, the stories from episode to episode are interesting. There's a lot to figure out about the protagonist, and the series just keeps delivering little bits and pieces to give you an idea on who Kino is, and what her story is all about. It might be a reboot of an older series, but it's really a fantastic series.

4. Juuni Taisen: Zodiac War (Ongoing) - A gory, unique story about a free-for-all battle royale pitting the world's strongest warriors against each other in a fight to the death. At the beginning of the match, each fighter has to swallow a poisonous gem. During the tournament, fighters who win one-on-one battles need to collected the fighter's poison gems. The last one standing and whoever collected the most gems wins the tournament. The games are held in this empty, ghost-town like city which is evacuated specifically for the Juni Taisen. So far, 10 episodes in, the series has been one of the best I've seen all year.

3. Knight's and Magic - You can't go wrong with medieval towns and magic, and you also can't go wrong with a mecha anime. That's what you get when you watch Knights and Magic. It's a story of a young male who tragically dies(?) in Japan, and winds up in this alternate universe where magic and giant mechs actually exist. Before he died in his previous life, he was an avid gunpla model collector, so once he embodies a prince in this new world, he can't help but obsess about real mechs. It's sort of your run of the mill mecha anime, but it was charming nonetheless. Definitely worth a watch.

2. My Hero Academia 2nd Season - How can you argue against superheroes in traditional fighting anime fashion? Want to punch your enemy? Why not yell out the name of your attack, and yell during the entire 10 second approach before your fist lands? That's My Hero Academia, plus your typical high school tropes of young Midoria, the protagonist. The best part of My Hero Academia is that it tells the story of Midoria, who has an against-all-odds uprising as one of the greatest superheroes ever. I haven't finished the second season yet, but even from the first season, that's the basis of the story - and Midoria even says so in the opening theme, so it's not really a spoiler, but yeah. Season 3 lands in February I think!

1. Ancient Magus' Bride (Ongoing) - When an anime is labeled as "shoujo", it suggests that anime is geared towards a more feminine crowd. Ancient Magus' Bride screams shoujo in many ways, but I'm really enjoying this one. It revolves around Chise, a 15 year old girl who has nearly nothing to her name, when a mysterious figure buys her. Yes, it's basically human trafficking, but the dude who buys her is an old mage. He takes her in as his apprentice and eventually his wife. Seems odd, but the story so far is filled with interesting themes of magic, alchemy, familiars, elves, and dragons. I sense Celtic and Druid influences, which is also cool. Finally, the stories in this anime have a way of tugging on the feels quite frequently. This anime is really different, and it's extremely interesting. Do yourself a favor and at least check it out!

Honorary Mentions:
Fuuka
Attack on Titan S2
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (film series)
Black Clover (Ongoing)
King's Game (Ongoing)

So there you have it. That's my rundown of my favorite games and anime of 2017. Hard to believe another year is gone, but I'm excited to leave this one behind and see what 2018 has to offer. I hope you all had a fun and safe New Year's Eve, and I'll check back in with you at the end of January.

Have a good one!