For many, Adam West was the truest Batman. He was the first actor to bring Batman into the spotlight of popular culture and is remembered for his great sense of humor and his kind heart. No one has played Batman as he did. No one will. He passed away on Friday, June 9th of leukemia. He was 88.
Adam West introduced me to Batman, and I have many memories of watching him. There was a warmth and joviality that he gave to the character that makes his portrayal fun to watch even today. He gave joy to my childhood and to many others. He was a hero. May God rest his soul.
A Silent Voice is a manga series written and drawn by Yoshitoki Ōima. It is unique in many ways. It's one of the rare works of literature that has a deaf protagonist as a major character. It acknowledges the fact that everyone is flawed, and yet, holds the plot together without it being depressing. It is a work about the need for remorse, hope, and forgiveness in a world that is often short on second chances.
The story is of a deaf girl, Shoko Nishimiya, and a boy, Shoya Ishida, who bullied her in elementary school (from whose perspective the story is told). The plot goes forward a few years and shows Shoya on the verge of suicide because of remorse. All he wants is to apologize and then die. He sets out to find her, but when he does, he decides that he should try to make up for what he did. This starts a plot filled with existential themes and heartfelt emotion The perspectives of the images are precise and effective. The use of shading stands out. Some characters are depicted slightly darker with "X" marks over their faces if Shoya feels uncomfortable.
Overall, its realistic characters and the important themes it deals with make A Silent Voice a modern classic that should not be s.
The art is focussed and cleanly done. It has a softer, rounder appearance than many manga.missed.
(Also, if you're not a fan of manga, an animated movie adaptation is coming soon.)
Kids on the Slope is an anime based on the manga by Yuki Kodama and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo). In this show, Watanabe is teamed up with composer Yoko Kanno. The two prove once again that jazz is still cool and that they're both experts at what they do.
This show is a love letter to the golden days of jazz. It is beautiful to see a window into another time created so vividly. The plot is about a reserved, classical pianist who overcomes his loneliness with the help of a jazz drummer he befriends and the daughter of a record shop owner among others. The story is engaging. The characters are memorable in ways very few other anime characters are. They almost seem alive. I won't lie. By the end of this show, you will be sad to say goodbye.
The music is done unbelievably well. The arrangements of the classic, jazz songs are cool and really let the musicians shine. The soundtrack is always right where it needs to be. The music on this show mixed with the story has a way of drawing you in and making you feel like a part of the band. The OP is beautiful and gets you ready for the show, and the ED is a slow, haunting song that goes well.
The animation is slick and subtle. It doesn't force you to notice it. Its simple charm just says that it's there. The musicians' performances are painstakingly and precisely animated. Very few anime show you the pianist's (or any other musician's) hands as he plays.
This show is in every way a labor of love and a tribute to a time period that's beauty is often overshadowed by the Cold War. It glories in the simplicity and complexity of life and human relationships. This is not one to miss.
Oh my gosh . . . That conference was without a doubt the craziest thing I've seen in a long, long time.
So, I'm a little confused as to how I should start, but I suppose I should begin at the beginning.
God of War
This reboot of God of War looks far more heartwarming than, I think, anyone was expecting. A lot of comments were made about it feeling a bit like The Last of Us, and, although I didn't play The Last of Us, (Don't criticize me.) from the little I know, I'm inclined to agree.
Another obvious point was the setting was changed to an Norse environment. This was attested to by the mention of Valhalla and the runes in the logo and footage. We do not however know if this is a new god of war from a different culture or Kratos, who apparently moved to Scandinavia. (We did see "Spartan Rage", though which may imply this is indeed Kratos.)
Days Gone
And, speaking of the Last of Us, we have a new zombie game. This game does seem darkly thematic from the trailer and gameplay we've seen. Other than the demo we saw there is not much information.
The Last Guardian
We finally have a release date for The Last Guardian, October 25, 2016.
Horizon Zero Dawn
To me, this game's demo came off as the beginning of Princesses Mononoke with robots, and I love that concept. Its gameplay was a crazy, Far Cry-esq open world filled with hackable yak robots and weird mech crabs.
The characters were also endearing, which caught me off guard for such a short demo.
Detroit: Become Human
I am reservedly hopeful for this game. The new trailer for this game gave us more specifics and a completely new protagonist. One thing that made me happy was that it appears that in game choices make a significant difference on the plot's outcome as shown quite violently in the trailer. I also like that, for once, you can play as a member of the police who is not a detective but rather a negotiator.
PlayStation VR
If you were on the edge about PSVR, you probably aren't anymore after that conference.
When I heard Mark Hammil's Joker start going into a monologue, I got chills, and when I realized what he was introducing, I smiled ear to ear - Batman Arkham VR. (So much for Rocksteady being out of the Bat business.)
Final Fantasy XV has a VR experience as well. It allows you to play as the young hotshot, Prompto, as he shoots at a dragon-bull thing and, I suspect, goes on a date.
We also got a look at the Star Wars: Battlefront VR experience starring X-Wings.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Resident Evil is returning to its terrifying roots in a big way. I haven't been that scared watching an E3 demo in quite a while. I didn't even think it was Resident Evil until I saw the logo come on screen.
Also, Capcom announced a Resident Evil 7: Biohazard demo available right now for PS+ members.
One of the biggest and most surprising parts was that it is 100% VR compatible. I personally doubt many people will play it in VR, because I was frightened enough to mute my tv from just watching the demo.
Interesting tidbit, Biohazard was the name of the first Resident Evil in Japan.
Death Stranding
By far the weirdest and most notable event of the evening, Hideo Kojima's theatrical return to the world of video games was marked by a disconcerting trailer. Norman Reedus and Kojima are together again in a trailer that makes me think we're seeing the return of Silent Hill under a different name. And, the reoccurring theme of Kojima using pop music in his trailers continues with I'll Keep Coming by Low Roar.
Spider-Man
Everyone's favorite web-slinger made an unannounced appearance as Insomniac Games revealed their marvelous, (Pun absolutely intended) new game. This game is a PlayStation exclusive which lets you play as a more seasoned Spider-Man.
The Platinum Demo for Final Fantasy XV evokes Alice in Wonderland in the best way possible, and it is, by far, the most intelligently put together demo I've ever seen.
Graphics
This demo is beautiful. I normally don't care about graphics too much, but in this one there were times I stopped and stared at how beautiful the environments were. It showed off its day and night cycle, weather system, and particle effects with stunning clarity, so much so, that I took the time to goof around with them, putting the different environments in different lighting and weather conditions.
Music
Music has always been a much praised aspect of the Final Fantasy series, and although the only experience I have had with the Final Fantasy series was playing part of XIII, I've been listening to the soundtracks for ages. The music in The Platinum Demo (and, by extension, Final Fantasy XV) carries on the series' musical legacy in awesome splendor.
Gameplay
I was unsure of it at first, but I like the combat system better and better the more I use it. I think it would be very cinematic if one were skilled at it. Even my touch-and-go attempts looked pretty nice (in my opinion). The warping is really great for adding an extra dimension to the combat. The traversal is good, but the jumping feels kind of weighty. The driving seems pretty good to me.
Story
One of the most impressive things about this demo is the fact that it isn't just a chunk of the full game. It is actually an independent plot that tells the backstory of the main character. I am fairly certain I spied some foreshadowing of the main game too.
Final Thoughts
This demo is not just a good demo but feels like a small game experience in and of itself. For that reason I would say even if you don't play Final Fantasy XV, play the demo.
I have been hooked on ERASED since episode one, and with the coming of the finale I must saythat this is one of the most well executed plots I've seen in any form of media ever.
The plot is riveting and well paced the entire way through. It is great to see the main protagonist, Satoru, grow into a different person through his experiences, and the progression of his character feels very natural. The ending is complete, and I thought it was a nice way to "close the book", so to speak.
The art is very good, and the stylization is great and extremely subtle. For example, when Satoru goes back in time, the perspective goes from full screen to wide screen and visa versa.
I cannot speak Japanese, so I cannot personally attest to the voice acting. But, to my unqualified ear, everything sounded good.
The music, though last, is certainly not least. Master composer Yuki Kajiura wrote a wonderfully beautiful and varied score.
Final Thoughts
I have read, watched, and played through many great stories, but ERASED stands above the rest in direction, art, acting, and writing.
Today at a Game Developer's Conference (GDC) media event Sony announced the release date, pricing, and various other details about PlayStation VR (previously known as "Project Morpheus"). We now know that the price is set at $399 USD. That is half the price of the HTC Vive and $200 less than the Oculus Rift. (But, bizarrely enough the required PlayStation Camera is sold separately.)
Stereo headphones × 1 (with a complete set of earpiece)
AC power cord × 1
AC adaptor × 1
The release date is set for October of this year, and according to Amazon UK's Twitter page pre-orders open March 16 at 11am GMT. Also, by the end of 2016, 50 games are to be released for PSVR.
Among these 50 are: EVE: Valkyrie, Golem, and PlayStation VR Worlds.
