Fresh Take - Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania (Spoiler-free thoughts)

 

Synopsis (from IMDB): During her days of entrapment in the Quantum Realm, Janet Van Dyne encounters Kang, an "exiled" Traveler who claims that they can both escape from the realm if she can help him rebuild his Multiversal Power Core. When they manage to repair it, Janet sees a vision of him destroying and conquering worlds, in which she turns on him. Outmatched, Janet uses her Pym Particles to enlarge his Power Core beyond use stranding them further in the Realm.

This movie is not as bad as some people are saying it is in all honesty. Is it the best thing since sliced bread, of course not, but it's also not the worst of the MCU. Paul Rudd is still very likable as Scott Lang. The characters we have all gotten used to are back except for T.I. and Michael Pena. I wound up missing them, to be honest, but I don't know how you could have fit them into the story. From a visual standpoint, the movie looks great to me. The majority of the movie is spent in the Quantum Realm and they did a good job of creating the world and making it look really alien and weird. I enjoyed Jonathan Majors portrayal of Kang in Loki Season 1 and here he plays the Conqueror variant of Kang. I think he did a great job of capturing how that character is and his mannerisms. Kang the Conqueror in the comics is one of the best villains that Marvel has and it will be interesting to see what they do with that character going forward. Like all Marvel movies this movie has its comedic moments, some are good, some not so good. Outside of one joke, I don't think any of the jokes drag on. The previous Ant-Man movies have been action comedies and that tone is still here.  

There are a few things that I didn't like about the movie. First, I didn't like what they did with M.O.D.O.K. and also the fact that they kept dragging the joke about why he looked the way he did. At first, it was funny but it kept going and stopped being funny. The other thing that I didn't like was how they wrote Cassie. I think the actress did a good job with what she was given but they made the character annoying in my opinion. Lastly, I think we can all agree that Phase 4 of the MCU, for the most part, has felt like filler, and the way this wrapped up I felt could have been done better. It also felt like some scenes were missing that probably could have helped explain why Kang did the things that he did. 

For Parents

The movie is rated PG-13 and follows the standard MCU story beats. By now you should know what you're getting yourself into for the most part. The movie has a two-hour runtime and is paced well. There are two post-credits scenes, one in the middle of the credits, and one after the credits have finished that setup Loki Season 2. 

Overall Thoughts

I thought the movie was okay. I would give it a MATINEE. Jonathan Majors did a very good job as Kang the Conqueror in my opinion. It actually got me hyped for Creed 3, with the way the fight between him and Scott went. It's not a perfect movie but then again are any of the Ant-Man movies like that, if we are being completely honest. That being said I think it's perfect for a weekend afternoon movie if you have a couple hours to waste. Have you seen Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania? What did you think? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading and if you like the blog please share it out and comment.

Trailer

Images via Screenshot

Impressions - Octopath Traveler 2 Demo

Demo Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4|5, and PC

Demo Thoughts

If you have seen the YouTube channel lately you may have noticed that I played through an hour of the Warrior Hikari chapter of the Ocotopath Traveler 2 demo. I played and enjoyed the first game even with some of the issues I had with it as it pertained to the story. If you haven't played the first game, here's the short version. You play as one of eight 'travelers' each of these travelers has a specific story that plays out over 4 chapters. The game is an homage to the SNES era of JRPG. This means that the combat is turn-based and the characters' ability ties into their particular 'job'. From a visual standpoint, the game uses the HD2D style and I really don't know how to explain this but visually it looks better than LiveALive. As a matter of fact, every HD2D game looks better than the last, I don't know how Team Asano does it but that team definitely has some magic. If you have played through the first game then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Story wise I am looking forward to jumping in and playing with each of the characters. My favorite so far is Hikari the Warrior I am very interested in his story and how it will all play out. 

Gameplay

The combat in the game is turn-based with each character having moves based off of their class/job. Just like in the first game though you will be able to give your character another class it makes things very interesting and adds a layer of strategy to the game. The new gameplay element they add to this outing is the addition of latent power. Each character has one and it can really change the flow of battle. The boost gameplay element is back and works just like the original. The menus are largely the same as the first game and are easy to navigate. Knowing your character's latent power and when to utilize it will be crucial to success in this game. Another new element of the game is the day/night cycle and how it will affect your path action. Each character has a path action, talent usable by that job, and at night that action changes completely. All of the characters add something and it will be interesting as your party has a max limit of 4 players. 

The Soundtrack

The soundtrack to this game is amazing. The music fits each area perfectly and gives that particular area a unique feel. The game is fully voice-acted as well. With a couple of voices, I recognize from anime I watch. I really wish they would sell the soundtrack or at the very least let it be available on streaming platforms. I am interested to know what you all think of the soundtrack. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Overall Thoughts

I think the demo is amazing and does a good job of getting players ready for the game. You are able to play the first 3 hours of the game and if you purchase the game you are able to carry over your save data. Most characters you only play through their first chapter one character you play through the first two chapters of his story. All in all I am picking this one up. I enjoyed the first one and the HD2D titles have just been getting better and better in my opinion. Have you played the demo? What did you think? Who will you be starting the game off with? Leave a comment and let me know. Thanks for reading and supporting the channel. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Prince Hikari Gameplay

Images via SwitchShare

First Impression - Metroid Prime Remastered Thoughts

 Available on Nintendo Switch

So I was going to do a whole blog post about the latest Direct but seeing as how my work schedule got in the way of that I thought it would probably be better just to talk about it on the YouTube channel. There is a live reaction there and we talked about it on episode 133 of the Wingin IT Podcast, check those out when you have a chance. One of the Direct's biggest surprises was the announcement and release of Metroid Prime Remastered. One of my favorite games of the 6th generation of gaming and one of the best GameCube games. This game ushered in the Prime series, a trilogy of games that brought Samus into 3D and the first-person shooter genre. It was basically a first-person shooter adventure game. 

Prime Remastered

The first thing you notice when booting up the game is how clean everything looks. At first, it looks like more of a Remake than a Remaster as everything appears to be overhauled. The game was originally one of the best-looking games on the GameCube and now it's one of the best-looking games on the Switch. Everything looks clean and evokes that sci-fi feel that you get when playing a Metroid game. The first area of the game, The Frigate, lets you know what you're in for, there is a lot of detail all over the place. The space pirates look incredible, even the different creatures that attack Samus have been given visual upgrades and details that just weren't possible on the GameCube or Wii. The sound is great in the game as well. Metroid has always had a more atmospheric style soundtrack and this has received an upgrade as well as everything sounds clearer and crisp. 

The Controls

There are plenty of control options for this game. Personally, I think the best options are Dual Stick and the GameCube controller option. I will say though after trying all of them they work well. The gyro option did take a little getting used to but it was fine. As far as gameplay is concerned the action is fast and the game does a good job of getting you prepared for every encounter. Remember in the Prime series the Scan Visor is your friend. SCAN EVERYTHING. Everything. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-NG, scanning will save you more times than you know, and also it is how you figure out where to go next and how to defeat enemies. The game isn't hard but it is challenging especially with the more abilities/suit upgrades you obtain. This version even has two modes at the start, Casual and Normal, I think Normal is fine but then again I have played this title so much that some of the later bosses will not give me as much trouble as someone brand new to the Prime series. 

Overall Thoughts

I remember hearing a few years ago that the Prime series was rumored to be getting the HD Remaster treatment and just put it out of my mind because nothing came from Nintendo about it. After playing the first few hours of Metroid Prime I would love to see the entire trilogy get the Remaster treatment especially my favorite game in the series, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption. The game is available now in the Nintendo eShop for 39.99 and will be available physically on February 22nd. This is a game I really think should be in every Switch library and shows that the Switch can do more than I think a lot of people are willing to admit. The game looks great in handheld mode as well as on TV and I cannot recommend this title enough. Have you played it? Is the game on your list to pick up at some point? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. As always I thank you for the support, check out the YouTube channel for gameplay and for our Podcast episodes. 

Jay's First Hour Gameplay

Metroid Prime Remastered Trailer

Images via SwitchShare

Just Thinkin - DC Chapter 1 Gods and Monsters Thoughts

 

Recently, James Gunn revealed the plan for the DCEU going forward. In a short video that you can see on YouTube, Gunn reveals the shows and movies that will begin the vision of the DCEU and how things will be tied together. I like that he came out and laid all his cards on the table. We live in an information age, and unfortunately, a lot of misinformation can also be put out. I will never be upset with a company for putting out their own statements so that fans can hear it from them instead of gossip sites and rumor mills. That's one of the reasons I think this approach will work as opposed to what they did before. Whether you like what Synder was doing or you didn't I think we can all agree that everything felt unfocused and disjointed. Some of it worked for me but I know people who weren't as familiar with the characters that had a hard time connecting because those films didn't flow together as well. With this, at least a groundwork is being laid so fans have an idea of what to expect. The last thing I want to talk about is Henry Cavill not being Superman. I liken it to when a sports team changes its management. The vision is different, but that doesn't mean they didn't like the player(s) but they want to go in a different direction. For those people mad at Gunn, he didn't promise Cavill anything and to be completely fair Cavill is my age, 42. By the time the Superman movie comes out, he will be 44 or 45 depending. How many more films will they be able to do before you really have to recast anyway. I think it's the smart play by recasting the character now so you can have someone play the role for a good while ala Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. I am cautiously optimistic about what was shown but I like the ideas and the roadmap. If you haven't had a chance to watch it, check it out below. I would love to see your thoughts. Leave a comment and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading and check out Fresh Take on Sunday mornings on YouTube and Twitch.

The Presentation