Fresh Take - Captain America Brave New World (Spoiler-Free Thoughts)

 Available in Theaters

Synopsis (from IMDB):

Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must discover the motive behind a nefarious global plan.

Thoughts

I am just going to get this out of the way right now; if you have not watched the movie but instead listened/read other peoples negative thoughts that start with Woke and DEI you're doing yourself a disservice. Comic book fans have known for a while now that Sam makes a pretty good Captain America. The torch was passed and I think this movie reflects that, much like the Falcon and Winter Soldier show. Do you need to have watched the show before going into this movie? Not really, but it would help with a few characters and a plot thread that made its way from the show. There is also a thread from the 2008 Incredible Hulk film that makes its way into this movie as well. This movie like the other Capt. movies is your basic spy thriller in tone. There is a political theme to it as well but not like some people may think. The action is shot well and the CG is well done too. If you have seen the trailer then you should know that the Red Hulk is in the movie and that fight as well as the CG was done well in my opinion. I think the cast is great and did an awesome job. The soundtrack is well done too. For the most part the movie flows well and I did enjoy a couple of the cameos that did show up in the movie. 

The main problem I see with the movie is that there are parts where it does feel rushed and there are maybe some scenes that are on the cutting room floor that maybe shouldn't be. While I do like some of the setups they do here I think that this movie suffers from everything being thrown off by the pandemic. When you watch the movie you will understand what I am talking about. 

For Parents

This movie is a little under two hours and is rated PG-13 for action and superhero violence. The film is paced well even if it does feel rushed at times. They do a good job with the cat-and-mouse game with the villain. Like the Captain America movies I think this will be a good time at the theater for everyone. 

Final Thoughts

This movie gets a MATINEE from me. I think its perfect for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The movie is paced well, Anthony Mackie is pretty much perfect casting for Sam. Another standout performance is from Giancarlo Esposito, the man is just a cool actor and an even cooler villain. In my opinion its a fun action movie that does not deserve the hate it gets. Have you seen Captain America Brave New World? What did you think? Please leave a comment and let's talk about it. As always thanks for reading, please consider sharing out the blog.

Trailer

Impressions - Tales of Graces f Remastered

 Available on Switch, PS4|5, XBox Series S|X, PC

Thoughts on the Story & Gameplay

This is one of my favorite games in the Tales of series from Bandai Namco. The story revolves around Asbel Lhant and his friends as they try to save their world and their friend from an impending crisis. That's the very short version. The story begins with Asbel and his friends as children. The opening is about a couple hours and serves as a decent tutorial. The game really gets going once the time skip happens and everyone meets up again. I found this story to be one of the more emotional entries in the Tales series. The themes of duty, loss, and friendship are heavy in this one. 

As for the gameplay, it is very well done. Combat is broken up into A Artes and B Artes. The best way for me to describe it is A Artes are your combo starters and B Artes are your special moves. The way your character gains new moves and buffs are via Titles. Every Tales game has titles in them but this game made the title system have an actual use. Their are a lot of titles in this game so its a good idea to play around with them to see which ones fit your gameplay style best. One thing I love about this game is that they made the Mystic Artes/Hi-Ougis easier to do, once you unlock them just hold L in the middle of a combo and voila. The combat is very intuitive and easy to master. That doesn't mean that the game is easy, there are some fights that will be challenging if you aren't prepared for them.

Thoughts on the Good

What do I like about this game? The combat in this game is my jam. Its still one of my favorite Tales combat systems. I enjoy it way more than Abyss or even Symphonia. I also think that they improved upon some of the issues with Vesperia's combat system just by using the Titles for movesets and making Mystic Artes easier to pull off. The voice acting is well done and the soundtrack is great as well. The game comes with all the DLC so its the complete package. Also, the quality of life improvements they made are great. For example, having the destination marker is a huge help as there is a lot of backtracking in this game. Another improvement is giving a run mechanic in the open world areas which helps cut down on time. 

Thoughts on the Bad

The main thing I didn't like was what I didn't like when it originally released and that is all the backtracking. There comes a point in the game where I wish there was just a fast travel option. Also, some of the anime cutscenes in my opinion, could have used a little bit of a touch up. Its not the best in that department I still think the best anime cutscenes in the Tales series belong to Vesperia and Breseria. 

For Parents

This game is rated T for Teen. Its your basic Japanese RPG but like most Tales series games leans heavy on the anime style and themes. This game does have some heavy themes in it but its nothing to adult in my opinion. Its a good sized game length wise between 40 - 60 hours and there are a lot of side quests and things to find as well as getting all the titles for every character. There is a lot to do and there is couch co-op so the kids can play together.

Overall Thoughts/Is the Game FUN?

Yes this game is FUN. I highly recommend it. I have the Switch version but the game is available everywhere and I have had no issues with this game at all. Unlike the Symphonia release this game is running well. Have you played Tales of Graces f Remastered? What's your favorite Tales of game? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. 

Trailer/GamePlay

Gameplay

Trailer

Fresh Take - Love Hurts Spoiler Free Thoughts

 In Theaters

Synopsis (from IMDB):

A realtor is pulled back into the life he left behind after his former partner-in-crime resurfaces with an ominous message. With his crime-lord brother also on his trail, he must confront his past and the history he never fully buried.

Thoughts

This movie reminds me of those 90s era dark action comedies i.e. The Big Hit. This film is short and to the point. It actually makes me nostalgic for those days when action movies were an hour and half. Good times. This movie has a very good cast and the action is very well done. The fights are done with clarity and what I mean by that is, you can see everything and there isn't a lot of shaky cam. I hate when there is a lot of shaky cam in fight scenes. The comedy was pretty good here too. The standouts in my opinion being Marshawn Lynch and Andre Eriksen as King and Otis respectively. They were just a lot of fun every time they were on screen. They had a couple cameos in here that I thought was pretty good too. Drew Scott as the rival realtor was pretty good. The cinematography wasn't bad either I liked a lot of the shots in the movie. There are even a couple of shots of Ke Huy Quan where he looks like Jackie Chan from the 90s. Mustafa Shakir was also very good as The Raven, he didn't have the most screen time but I found his character to be very interesting. 

The only thing I really didn't like about the movie is the crazy ex-girlfriend trope. Ariana Debose is great as Rose but to be fair she probably wouldn't have survived. That being said her character was kind of annoying but I understood the motivation. Once again, if the movie was longer it would have been problematic.

For Parents

The movie is rated R for violence and language. The movie has a runtime of an hour and thirty minutes and is paced well. There are a couple of gorey scenes but other than that its just martial arts violence and shoot outs. 

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this movie. The comedy was very good and the jokes didn't drag on. The movie was paced very well and the movie flowed perfectly in my opinion. Marshawn Lynch is great and I hope he gets to do more. Have you seen Love Hurts? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading. 

Trailer

Fresh Take - HAMMER Vol 5 Thoughts

 Available Now Where Books are sold

Thoughts On The Story

In this volume Stud travels to the Bird Kingdom, still trying to find his way back home and make a few friends along the way. In the Bird Kingdom he meets with the Prince Kamaal and learns that in this country prejudice is at an all time high between those deemed 'true birds' and those that are 'defeathered'. Basically, birds who have human faces. This volume is heavy on the theme of belonging and not hiding who you are. In my opinion, I think its handled very well and I liked the surprises that were in store in this volume. As always the action and art is very well done. I like the fact that in this volume we finally get to see Tool and Stud meet. We also, get a little more background on the Genies and what Tool has been doing while he is away from Stud. This brings me to the one thing I didn't like about this volume. This is going to sound like a little bit of a rant but its not, its just something I am tired of seeing in all forms of media. That is the absentee dad/dad that doesn't care/dad that thinks leaving his child(ren) by themselves is a good idea for whatever reason. We all laugh when its Goku being negligent. I think a lot of people genuinely wonder what is Ging Freecs issue. Endeavor was just plain abusive. I am just tired of seeing that from Fathers. I have no idea how the author plans on addressing this but it sucks how Stud and Tool's dynamic is and I don't really see a way to redeem Tool. To me he's just a bad dad that's using his wife as an excuse at this point. That being said I still love the volume overall, especially with the cliffhanger we were left with, I have a whole lot more questions. 

Thoughts On The Artwork

The artwork is clean and the action is very well done. Stud pulled out a new move. I love how Stud pulls stuff out on the fly. We even got a cool flashback scene and a present day scene with Tool that I thought was well done showing how good he is at using Z energy. I also like how Stud is doing all this without being properly trained. Just makes me think what will happen once he gets trained. Before I forget this volume has some pretty cool colored pages. One of my favorite things about the SaturdayAM graphic novels.

For Parents

The themes can get a little heavy in this volume but I think they are done in a way that is easy to understand. Its not "preachy" per se but I do think its relevant very much to the world we live in today. 

Overall Thoughts

Outside of the story elements with Tool and Stud, I very much enjoyed this

volume. The Bird Kingdom was very well done and I like how Stud is making

an impact in the lives of every new friend he makes. Makes me want to see

him meet up with everybody again as he does have it pretty rough in the

friend department. I have all 5 Volumes of HAMMER and I can't recommend

this title enough. Have you read HAMMER Volume 5? What do you think?

Leave a comment and let's talk about it. As always thanks for reading the

blog feel free to share it with your family and friends.

Fresh Take - WHAT IF Season 3 Thoughts

 Available on Disney Plus

Synopsis (from IMDB):

Exploring pivotal moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turning them on their head, leading the audience into uncharted territory.

Thoughts

Apparently, this is the final season of What IF and according to some people it couldn't come soon enough. Personally though I didn't think the season was to bad. Sure it had its ups and downs but I thought there were more fun episodes than bad ones. I think that is one of the main issues with this series is that when the episode is good, its great but when its bad its painful to get through. That inconsistency has been an issue throughout each of the seasons. This season its more pronounced but in my opinion there are more interesting to good episodes than bad ones. This season also shows some continuation of story beats that happened in Seasons 1 and 2 for example Howard the Duck and Darcy getting married in Vegas. Captain Carter teaming up with Kahori again, they do try to have an overarching story and it does work to an extent. From a visual perspective, if it ain't broke don't fix it, I love the artstyle of the series and hope that it sticks around since it seems like Marvel is up their animated output. The soundtrack is awesome as always and the voice acting is well done. I do see the criticisms that some of had online and personally, I think that the series stays true to what they have been doing for the past two seasons. If you like that then I think you will enjoy this season overall.

For Parents

This series is rated TV-14. It has a lot of super hero style action in it. Like I said previously, if you have seen the first two seasons you pretty much know what to expect. The episodes are 30 minutes a piece and this season there are only 8 episodes. They are well paced and nothing feels like it drags in any area. 

Final Thoughts

Should you watch it? That's a tough question, to be fair. However, I enjoyed the first and second seasons and honestly, I enjoyed most of this season. Its not a hard watch by any stretch of the imagination and I will miss this show. If I had to give it a rating I would give it a RENTAL as nothing about it made me upset but I do think there were some issues that needed to be addressed. What did you think of the final season of WHAT IF? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. 

Trailer

Fresh Take - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Spoiler Free Thoughts)

 In Theaters

Synopsis (from IMDB):

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet. 

Thoughts

If you've watched the first two films in this franchise then you have a pretty good idea of how things will flow visually. This movie introduces Shadow and Gerald Robotnik and pulls from the Sonic Adventure 2 story. Keanu Reeves and Jim Carrey straight killed it in their roles. Especially, Jim Carrey as he is playing both Robotniks in the movie. I like how they showcased Shadow's powers and what makes him different from Sonic. The jokes in the movie are well done and they don't really drag anything on. The human element in the movie makes sense and they do a good job of using them just enough to not be annoying. I thought the movie was pretty balanced in that way. The visuals are pretty much the same as in the second film, this isn't a bad thing to me as the saying goes if ain't broke don't fix it. The soundtrack is very well done and yes, they play Live and Learn during the climax of the movie. That makes this my movie of the year just for that alone. 

I think the movie is great but there are a couple of things that made me scratch my head a little bit. The exclusion of Rouge the Bat and Kristen Ritter's character. I really thought she would have more to do but apparently I was wrong. Also, it feels like some stuff with Gerald Robotnik may have been cut. They made it seem like Eggman didn't even know him, which I thought was pretty weird. It does seem like there are some scenes that are on the cutting room floor that would probably have helped explain some things a little better. Other than that I thought the movie was great. 

For Parents

The movie is rated PG and runs a little under two hours. I thought the pacing was fine and outside of a few things that I thought could have been explained better I think the story flowed well. There are two post credit scenes, one in the middle and one after. The one in the middle does have a couple of surprising cameos and sets up what they could possibly do in Sonic 4.

Final Thoughts

This movie was awesome. This is getting a FULL PRICE from me.

I think fans of Sonic Adventure 2 will really enjoy this movie.

Jim Carrey as always is great and Keanu really nailed Shadow, in my opinion.

Not gonna lie, the Sonic movies have all been good and I am interested in seeing the next

entry. Have you seen Sonic the Hedgehog 3? What did you think? Leave a comment and

let's talk about it. As always thanks for reading. If you like the blog please share and tell

your friends and family.

Trailer

Impressions - Fitness Boxing 3 Your Personal Trainer

 Available on Nintendo Switch

Thoughts on the Gameplay

The Fitness Boxing series is a workout series that has been prominent on the Nintendo Switch. There are three main entries and two spin offs with one based on Hatsune Mike and the other on the Fist of the North Star series. I have been a fan of the mainline games since the first one and found that they are very good for those people wanting to burn calories and try to help stay in shape. This game basically takes you through various workouts all cardio based and based on boxing. The objective is to follow the prompts on the screen and perform the assigned movement. Easy peasy, right? Well it can be but it is a rhythm based game so its not always as easy as it looks. You can, however, tailor your workouts to your skill level and what you want to accomplish. This new entry is a vast improvement over the previous entry, which, while good, had its fair share of issues. 

Thoughts on the Good

There are a good number of virtual instructors that give recommendations and tips. There is a lot of variety as well with the workouts. There is a quick workout option if you are short on time. There is also a few workouts that are unlocked pretty early on. I love the fact that they added Daily and Weekly missions. It gives a reason to come back more than once a day. In this entry I feel like there is no lag between your movement and when the movement registers on screen. In the previous entry there was noticeable lag. There was a way to get around it but it was annoying as I found a lot of the workouts just couldn't be done because the lag was a serious issue. I have found that the majority of issues I had with the first two entries in the series have been addressed. 

Thoughts on the Bad

I'm just gonna say it the music is horrible. In the previous entry they had instrumentals of certain popular songs playing. Here it's mostly just bad electric or synth music. I kind of wish there was a way for us, the gamer, to link our Spotify or YouTube Music accounts as I feel that would just be better and easier on my ears. That's about the only thing I have had a real issue with in my play so far. They have changed the instructors from the previous game but you can still customize them to fit your liking.

For Parents

I highly recommend this game if you are looking for something to use to help keep you in shape when you can't go to the gym. The game is highly customizable and the workouts can be tailored to fit your level of fitness. Anyone can play this and I think it is a great addition for those that are interested in getting a good sweat a few times a week. 

Overall Thoughts/Is the Game FUN?

This game is very fun in my opinion. A FULL PRICE purchase, especially if you are looking for something to help reach your fitness goals. You will get your blood pumping and a good sweat going. You don't press any buttons during workouts as it is all movement based using the joy cons. Outside of the horrendous soundtrack I am really enjoying this game and can't recommend it enough. Have you played Fitness Boxing 3? What do you think so far? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. 

GamePlay

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (Spoiler free thoughts)

 Available in Theaters

Synopsis (from IMDB):

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, it tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg-a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm's Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Hera, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.

Thoughts

The first thing I noticed was how clean the animation. Visually this movie looks amazing. Some of the shots they did were pretty good. From a story perspective it felt like an extension of the original Lord of the Rings, more specifically The Two Towers film. The score is well done also and has a nostalgic feel to it. There is a lot to like here in my opinion. The cast and the voice acting is well done. The writing on the majority of characters is good. As an anime fan it feels like a 90s era anime with modern animation techniques which make the visuals pop even more. The action sequences are well done and even the tie ins that happen are done in a good way and make total sense in terms of the narrative. 

The only real gripe I had was with the antagonist, Wulf. He seemed like a weak simp who was just mad that the girl he liked didn't like him back. That's a trope in Hollywood I really wish they would stop, just because it makes the villain just look weak and not interesting or compelling. Also, we don't spend that much time with him or his father to understand their side of why they had issue with the King of Rohan. Lastly, there are some things that are just way to predictable and it got to a point I knew what was going to happen before it happened. 

For Parents

The movie is rated PG-13 for strong violence. While it is not gory there are some bloody scenes and battle scenes. There are characters that die, however, I will say its nothing that hasn't been depicted in any of the Lord of the Rings movies. The movie is paced well. I didn't feel a drag at all. The movie is a little over two hours but I didn't feel it all.

Final Thoughts

If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you've probably already seen it. I think that this movie is great for fans of Tolkein's work. It expands the lore in an interesting way without stepping on the toes of what came before it. The action is great, the visuals are amazing and the score is well done. This movie gets a MATINEE from me, perfect afternoon movie. Have you seen The War of the Rohirrim? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading if you like the blog please feel free to share it on your social media.

Trailer

Fresh Take - Gladiator 2 Spoiler-Free Thoughts

 In Theatres 

Synopsis (from IMDB):

After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Thoughts

A couple things, 1. don't go into this movie expecting historical accuracy, 2. while you don't have to watch the first one its probably a good idea. The cinematography, music, and acting are all great in this movie. Ridley Scott just knows what he is doing. In my opinion, Denzel crushed it as Macrinus the way he commands the screen and when the twist happens even though you may see it coming it is still a shock with how violent it does get. One of the things about this movie is they use a good amount of CG but its not egregious. The fights in the Colosseum are all shot very well and have a feeling of brutality much like the first film. Also, props to Pedro Pascal, he did a very good job portraying General Acacius. I felt bad for his character as the longer the film went on you saw the writing on the wall and that character was a good man.

While I enjoyed the movie there are a couple of things that make it fall short of the classic that is the first Gladiator film. That is the main antagonist. I think the actor did as good a job as he could but the writing for him, in my opinion, was kind of bland. Russell Crowe's, Maximus had memorable lines, Hanno aka Lucius did not have that, as a matter of fact the only memorable line he had was Strength & Honor, which was a line from the first movie. The other issue I had was that I thought the emperors would be more terrifying. The trailer kind of built them up to that but they weren't, they were more spoiled brat than anything else. I think that's where most of my issues with the movie came from it was the writing of certain characters.

For Parents

The movie is Rated R for violence. There is a lot of fighting and some gore. This movie isn't for the little ones in the slightest. The runtime is two hours and twenty minutes and is paced well. The movie never drags in my opinion and flows smoothly for the most part. 

Final Thoughts

I had fun with this movie. It does have its issues but it is a solid MATINEE in my opinion. If you have the option to see it in IMAX I would as it looks great. Denzel and Pedro Pascal were the standouts in my humble opinion. I also liked how they tied certain plot points back to the first film and it made sense. Have you seen Gladiator 2? What did you think? Please leave a comment and let's talk about it.

Trailer

Fresh Take - Apple Black Volume 5 Thoughts

 Available where Books are sold

Thoughts On The Story

This volume picks up where the previous one left off, dealing with the aftermath of the attack on Black Bottom Island. There are a lot of mysteries and questions that come about in this volume. The bulk of which deals with the Rumble Trials. If I had to compare it to anything I would say we are about to get into the time honored tradition of the "tournament arc" in manga. The set up here is great as we get some character development on Ruby, we delve a little bit more into Symon and learn that he may not be around to much longer. I did like the Breakfast Club style detention chapters they had early in the volume. There was some good back and forth between the characters. Sano still not understanding human interactions and that some phrases you just can't say will never not be funny to me. Two things really stood out to me this volume, well three; one - the color chapter that takes place and how it depicts Sano's nightmare, two - the character development between Opal and Sano and lastly seeing just how far Ruby has come. The action in the volume is great as well as we get to see Sano do some interesting things with his newly acquired wand as well as the introduction of a couple new characters. I'm still waiting to see why Gideon Banburi is so feared, hopefully we get to see why soon. In the meantime I am looking forward to the Nirvana Games. In the words of the legendary wrestling commentator Jim Ross, 'Business is about to Pick UP.'

Thoughts On The Artwork

Love the artwork in this volume. Everything is clean and easy to see. The standout to me are the color pages as they do a great job of depicting the nightmare that Sano experiences.  Also, I am really digging Sano's wand and how he uses it. Looking forward to seeing him and Ruby tear it up again as I have a feeling they will be facing off again soon. 

For Parents

This manga has a Teen rating and is heavy on the Shonen side. While I don't think its terribly bad for the little ones to read there is a lot of action. The nightmare sequence can be a little much but if they read comics like X-Men, Superman, or Wonder Woman then I don't see why they can't read this.

Overall Thoughts

I have been a fan of this series since I started reading it. Apple Black, Clock Striker, and Soul Beat are my favorites out of the SaturdayAM line. This volume is a great read my only issue is the wait for Volume 6 is gonna be torture. If I had to give this a rating it would be: Love IT. Have you read Apple Black volume 5? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading, if you like this post check out some of my other entries and feel free to share.

Impressions - Ys X Nordics

Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4|5, and PC

Thoughts on the Story & Gameplay

The latest entry in the Ys series of action rpg games sees series protagonist Adol Christin and traveling companion Dogi in one of the duos early adventures as they get caught up in the events surrounding the Obelia Gulf. There they meet the Balta Seaforce aka Normans aka Vikings and their war against the Greigr. The Greigr are the main antagonists of the game and generally are monsters that can only be finished off with the power of Mana that Adol and Karja wield. The one thing that I love about the Ys series of games is that they all do feel like an adventure and each entry is different from the previous installment that it makes the gaming experience fresh. 

The gameplay is a little different from Ys 8 & 9. While you still use one main button to attack and to use specials utilize the RB plus the corresponding face button, this game centers around the use of mana and as such they are a few different mechanics that come with that. I love the Mana line which acts as a grapple that helps with certain platforming areas. There is also a barter system in place this time around so you don't have to be so dependent on gold. Gathering a lot of resources is always a good idea especially if you are running low on gold. Since this game centers around Vikings there is a lot of sea faring in this game. You get your ship pretty early on and doing upgrades and finding characters helps to make your ship ready to take on the best the Greigr have to offer. The 'raids' from previous Ys entries is back accept this time they take place in occupied islands that need to be liberated from the Greigr. These sections have both land and sea portions. I had fun with these as they remind me of the raids in Ys 8 and the Nox in Ys 9. 

Thoughts on the Good

There is a lot to love here. If you have played 8 or 9 then you should be somewhat familiar with the gameplay. The action is fast paced and the boss battles can be challenging. There is enough variety to keep things interesting. The side quests are well done and can lead to interesting events. While I think the side quests in 9 are still my favorite the ones in this game aren't half bad. I think the story is interesting as well, I also feel that Adol and Karja's story is interesting. Karja is an awesome character, I love her interactions with people as they lead to awkwardly hilarious interactions. 

Thoughts on the Bad

If there is one thing that I found worrying is the seafaring. I got used to it the more I played but sometimes your ship does feel slow and klunky even when the upgrades happen. Also, when you find people to help your crew grow you can't assign points for your ship, the game does it automatically. From a technical standpoint I haven't noticed any input lag or things of that nature. I am playing the Switch version of the game and it plays smooth. Other than that I have had a smooth experience so far. 

For Parents

This game is rated T for Teen. There is a lot of sword and axe fights in this game. The main villains are monsters for the most part and there is the occasional cuss word. Nothing egregious I would say nothing worse than what you would hear in a PG-13 movie. There are some points in the story where they talk about the brutality of the Normans but you don't really see that play out they just mention it.

Overall Thoughts/Is the Game FUN?

I am having a lot of FUN with this game. If you are a fan of the series then I think you will enjoy this entry. If you are a newcomer and want to try it out there is a demo that takes you through the first 3 chapters of the game. I highly recommend it as it is what convinced me to purchase this game. Have you played Ys X Nordics? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. 

Trailer/GamePlay

Trailer

Gameplay

Impressions - The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

 Available on Nintendo Switch

Thoughts on the Story & Gameplay

In this game, Zelda takes center stage after Link falls into a mysterious rift that has been forming all over Hyrule. The story is simple Zelda meets Tri, the companion character, and is bestowed the Tri Rod that allows her to create 'echoes' of just about everything, if we're being honest. This ability allows her to fight and solve puzzles and she uses this ability to save Hyrule. 

The gameplay is a little different from the usual Legend of Zelda formula and in my opinion it works as Princess Zelda should NOT play like Link does. On the visual side of things the game looks a lot like the Link's Awakening Remake and also has a few of the issues that came alone with that game which leads me to believe those issues lie with the game engine itself. I think the puzzles are creative and like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom there are multiple ways to come up with a resolution. There are also dungeons! I love dungeons and these are varied and can have some puzzles that are head scratchers. There are a number of side quests and in general a lot of things to do. It's also pretty cool that the map is pretty much the A Link to the Past map as far as everything is placed and things of that nature.

Thoughts on the Good

I love the gameplay and the look of the game. The story isn't convoluted and I don't think it needs to be. Its straight forward and to the point. The music is also very well done. It has a whimsical nature to it and I enjoy how the Echoes are implemented and the sheer amount. The developers really did think of just about everything. Also, for those fans that missed the dungeons in the Zelda series, they are back and they are really well done. 

Thoughts on the Bad

There are some points in the game where there are some noticeable dips but that's where I think the issue is with the engine more than the game. Also, while I love the Echoes there are so many that there needs to be a better way of sorting. Its pretty much the same way its done in Tears of the Kingdom. The more stuff you acquire it gets harder and harder to sort what you need. Other than that I enjoy this game so much, a truly fun time. 

For Parents

Its a Zelda game so if you have played any game in the series before then you should have an idea of how this plays. With Princess Zelda being playable this time the focus is more on the puzzles and inventive ways using what you have to resolve issues/puzzles. The game is about 35 hours and more than likely longer if you try to find everything. Perfect holiday gift as it will take some time to beat and is a fun time overall. Also, this game probably has the best opening to a Zelda game ever, in my humble opinion.

Overall Thoughts/Is the Game FUN?

Overall, I think this game is a great addition to the Zelda franchise. It does kind of make me want a Ganondorf action game. I love the visual style, the music, and the gameplay. I found the game to be a lot of fun even though I am not the biggest fan of the puzzle genre, I did find these to be enjoyable. Also, I love the boss fights in this game and the love of smoothies. Have you played Echoes of Wisdom? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. 

Trailer/GamePlay

Trailer

Gameplay