Dread Nautical is a tactics based horror game with an Eldritch twist.
In Dread Nautical you are on a cruise ship sailing through the Bermuda Triangle. What could possibly go wrong? This title from Zen Studios attempts to answer just that by putting players on a luxury cruise and everything goes to hell rather quickly.
You might as well be Bill Murray because you get thrown into a Groundhog Day situation where each day you wake up and the day starts over. Playing as Fargo Drexler you must solve the mystery of what is going on and why you wake up back where you started each time you sound the ship’s horn.
Conceptually a cruise ship in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle makes for an interesting locale and the introduction of Eldritch creatures make for a story that leaves you wondering what is behind your new world of horrors. Controls are quite easy to master as you maneuver the ship but where this game really lacks is the visuals. The visuals look very similar to the original Virtua Fighter game and feels out of place among the many other titles in their library– namely Pinball Fx. I was expecting something a bit flashier but it is not enough to take away from the experience. The gameplay is enjoyable enough but the game just comes off feeling tedious.
Through the Darkest of Times is a strategy game based on one of the world’s darkest periods in history- the rise of Nazi Germany.
Through the Darkest of Times by Handy Games is a historical strategy game that puts you behind the resistance movement in hopes of preventing Hitler’s rise to power. When I started this game I knew that your goal would fail but figured I’d stick it to every Nazi I could along the way. Little did I know how close the game would hit to home. Not only did it give me a reality check but it literally made me nauseous. It wasn’t the graphics or video quality that did it either.
Within a couple game days I noticed a sickening trend, how much the rise of the Nazi party mirrored our own country’s politics the last couple of years. The things Nazi sympathizers would say would mirror almost word for word things I have heard and read said by Trump supporters. Whether this was intentional or not I have no idea. This wouldn’t be the only time I’ve compared the rhetoric to Nazi Germany and certainly won’t be the last. I just hope that the current election woes will pass soon and we can return to making our country a better place, without the need of war and outside interference.
The game itself plays similar to games like the original Where in the World is Carmen San Diego and it’s many sequels but instead of quizzing players it allows you to turn the populace towards revolting against the regime. Visually the graphics would fit well with the late 80’s computer games and it feels like that was the goal, aiming for some semblance of nostalgia. The gameplay however is mind numbing but interspersed with tidbits of story to keep you curious. If you want to watch a resistance movement like a fly on the wall, observing the plans and the results only as the members return to headquarters then you will enjoy this game. The story is fascinating and disturbing in equal parts and worth the play for that alone but don’t expect much in terms of excitement.
Beyond Blue is the title meant for every aspiring marine biologist or anyone that wanted to be one as a child (myself included).
Beyond Blue from E-Line Media is an adventure where you play as Marine Biologist Mirai as she explores the ocean collecting data. Her primary focus is on studying a group of whales, or a pod, specifically Humpback whales. Each in game day gives a list of tasks to perform like scanning the pod of whales and fixing buoys. With the couple hours I already put into the game the worst of the tasks was holding the X button down for about five seconds. The game has a story but it is far from exciting, however it does have a bit of backstory you can pick up regarding Mirai and her family.
Visually the character models look like they belong to some of the classic Xbox days and not the Xbox One. The best thing though is how natural the underwater creatures move. The reactions of the AI have a bit to be desired as you can swim through a school of fish and the just keep swimming instead of darting away from you like real schools of fish would. The game is easy to pick up to play and can be played with your whole family in the room. It was an enjoyable game that was a bit too slow to keep my attention for more than thirty minutes at a time.
Many games allow you to play as an insect and many more allow you to play in a first person perspective but only Metamorphosis allows you to play both!
Based on the writings of Franz Kafka, Metamorphosis begins with players waking up in a hotel room, vague memories of the night before. After leaving your friend behind you enter a strange hallway and start to notice things about yourself changing the further you get. Soon after you realize you have not only turned into a bug of some sort but see a letter offering you employment at a secretive location called The Tower. Deciding to accept the offer the page sucks you into a dizzying world where you use the written words as stones to bridge your path.
Along the way you encounter various dangers and puzzles to solve to bring you closer to The Tower. As a bug you find that traversing steep slopes is far easier and with the help of something sticky can easily walk along vertical walls. One of your first tasks is to return to your friend and wake him up to try to get him to see you as yourself and not just the bug you have been turned into.
Visually the game leaves a bit to be desired as an Xbox One title I would expect the visuals to be a bit cleaner. Gameplay is quite fluid as you traverse the many varying terrain in ways you never expected but can be quite glitchy. Multiple times over the course of an hour of play the game crashed and required rebooting the system before I could return to the game to only do it again. Glitches and visuals aside though, the team at All In Games made an enjoyable title that is well worth playing for the mechanics alone, not to mention an interesting story that will leave you wondering what’s at the tower? After nearly four hours of play (including two reboots) I feel like I am nowhere near the tower but wanting to get there and learn it’s secrets.
Ole Jack is here to help you navigate the sports card collecting market. This week he focuses on Pokemon and Top Loaders!
HELLO JACK-O-LANTERNS! Ole Jack is here to help you navigate the collectible memorabilia trading card market, more so this week than our typical sports card collecting. If you are the last one to hear about this, it’s okay and there is no judgement coming from ole Jack on this… Pokemon cards, if you got em find someone who knows about them. first edition sets are clearing hundreds of thousands of dollars. I repeat if you got old Pokemon cards do not sell these at your annual garage sale and if you already have, it’s okay and let me tell you why.
POKEWHAT!?
Currently there is a “new” to newish set called Hidden Fates. roughly can sell the retail “tins” and elite trainer boxes for 100% profit. They pull is a raw “Shiny” Charizard that is fetching $400-$500 online if you happen to hit one in these you can keep it for bragging rights and water cooler talk how you should send it out for grading it but….
Folks paying double retail from the retail…
TOP LOADERS AND PENNY SLEAVES HORROR IN THE RETAIL ISLE! OUT OF STOCK!
Okay so if you are now in the hobby and you are throwing dollar upon dollar out there and you now are hunting for retail boxes so you can “rip”. You look around at your dinner table as they cards can no longer be looked at on your bed. You don’t have protection… Do yourself a favor and take my advice on this. Just spend the few bucks to make sure your $10 if not $5 or higher cards are penny sleaved and top loaded or at least the lanyard cover looking ones from 1998.
Let’s like at the pros…
Protects your investment
Easier to store. (Don’t be an animal and stack em cardboard boxes)
If you sell them in the future, It will be much easier as a person not seeing your collection will have a clearer idea of what is in it.
Cons? It cost ya few extra bucks…
The Retail Rush of 2020! TRICK OR TREAT! IF YOU CAN FIND A BOX.
Does everyone remember when my president was black and my lambo’s blue and I be gd’d if my rims ain’t too??… maybe it was more simple time then it is now. Maybe it was better time, maybe it was more flossy and less substance. I miss those days, not because of Jeezy or anything political. It was when you can walk into a wal-mart or target and buy retail sports card boxes.
Here is your reality check! This isn’t going away. There are too many people out there that have the money for this but not the time, to hunt these retail stores down for product. Just as many folks that have the time to wait for them to be re-stocked. There are plenty of people out there that flip these boxes for 100-300% profit. Each one of these retail locations have independent vendors who stock a “leased” spot on one row of product normally in the check out lines area. So if you see a box like this at Wal-Mart… stick around.
Poor Bastard…
There is nothing that you can do as a buyer except try to drop the comp price. Good luck, lol. There will be natural half life on mostly all boxes. Basketball seems to be the exception. I am interested in watching what happens to the retail box resale price when the season kicks off and the draft finalizes. As always a little advice from your boy Jack, stock up and sit on these unopened boxes of 2020 Mosaic Basketball. Good luck on not opening the boxes!
thanks for checking out my post. If anyone is interested in more tips for hunting retail send me a message on the post and I will help if I can. Happy Social Distance Drive Thru Halloween!
Maledictions is a Warhammer Horror Anthology from the Black Library and features such names as Graham McNeill and Josh Reynolds!
There are numerous anthologies published by the Black Library that are centered in the 41st millennium but Maledictions is the first in their Warhammer Horror lineup. Some of the authors have been around since the earliest days of the Black Library like Graham McNeill, Josh Reynolds and C L Werner. There are even some newcomers to the ranks of fabulous writers- Cassandra Khaw and Lora Gray! Lora Gray you may remember from last year’s Digital Horror Week.
The worlds of Warhammer 40k have always had a tendency to fall along the lines of horrific between the machinations of Chaos or the terrifying swarms of the Tyranid. This means that these stories must be absolutely dreadful to be labeled as Horror. Many of these stories however are about on par from what we’ve come to expect from the Black Library but a few definitely pushed the envelope a bit further. What makes this book really stand out is that it is the first I’ve seen that contains both Warhammer Fantasy AND Warhammer 40k stories. Overall this book is a great read when you are looking for easier to digest stories. These stories still kick some major ass despite their length.
Here’s the full story and author list (some of which were previously released by the Black Library as short stories outside of this collection):
Nepenthe by Cassandra Khaw
The Widow Tide by Richard Strachan
No Good Deed by Graham McNeill
Crimson Snow by Lora Gray
Last of the Blood by C L Werner
Predation of the Eagle by Peter McLean
The Last Ascension of Dominic Seroff by David Annandale
Ever wondered what the world would look like if you woke up from a coma? With Neversong you can!
Neversong is a side scrolling platformer from Serenity Forge that requires ingenuity to solve it’s many puzzles and defeat the many adults. I mean monsters. The world has become much darker upon Peet’s waking up from his coma. His best friend (and possible love interest?) has been kidnapped and it is up to Peet to find her. She has been taken to Blackfork Asylum and her fate looks grim.
The puzzles require some thought and many can’t be completed until returning later with new abilities. Graphically the game is rather simple but quite endearing in its simplicity. You are greeted with a dark story-line where this same darkness permeates everything and yet still manages to feel like a game to be enjoyed by the family. Neversong looks and plays similar to games like Limbo and it’s sequel Inside.
When I first started the game I felt a weird kinship with Peet having been in a coma myself at the beginning of the year. The coma was handled tastefully and was an interesting starting point for a story. For someone that barely recovered from a coma he is quite athletic.
Overall I found the game enjoyable and look forward to being able to spend more time helping Peet save his lady love.
“What man of you does not go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? Harken to my words, and I will tell you the tale of The Marked, chapters 7 & 8, verses 1-32!
“For Pope and Klara to save Lovecraft, they must sacrifice their own ambitions. Will The Marked superstars give up fame for the sake of one miserable, half-mad writer?”
The mere mention of Lovecraft appearing in a comic should pique your interest. Unfortunately, this issue just won’t live up to expectations. Lovecraft is a whiney little bitch and the cavalry, which arrives too late, turns out to be unnecessary.
I never pictured something Lovecraftian to be…cute. I mean…it’s a damned puppy!
My Impressions:
Full Disclosure: I’ve already read issue #8…(Yes, I’m a little behind on my reviews)
The story was quite disappointing. (Especially when combined with issue #8, which just drops this entire storyline for something new.)
This series has some of the best cover art I’ve seen. It’s too bad that this issue’s internal artwork is so bland.
Major overarching story blunder: The start to this arc made perfect sense…a funeral for those that were lost in the previous battle exposes that Pope’s soul is missing! Cool! A new arc to figure out what happened to his soul and put it right! PSYCHE! The reader finds out what’s up, but Pope’s “friends” start looking into it, only to drop the unresolved storyline cold for something new and unrelated in issue #8. (Yeah, I know this was intended to set up something in the future and create suspense, but it didn’t work.) The whole thing is unrealistic and disjointed. I demand better segues for my money.
Oh no, you mean it was the butler all along?
Notable Appearances/Events:
Spoiler: Pope’s soul is stuck inside of Lovecraft’s body
Revelation: The Lurch-like butler is the real H.P. Lovecraft
Conclusion: This is a classic example of how a single issue can kill a reader’s interest in a promising series
Bottom Line: 1 Star
The first story arc for The Marked, was something I highly recommend. Sadly, the writers seem to have spent all of there creative energy there, and left nothing in reserve. Issues #6 and #7 were just not up to par. With so many creative offerings out there right now, both mainstream and indie, there is just no reason to waste time and money on boring content. I’m out.
It has been written “For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you.” Damned if they didn’t end up in the book of Something is Killing the Children, chapter 10, verses 1-32!
“When Erica’s handler forces a confrontation on the street of Archer’s Peak, Erica must decide where her loyalties lie-to her employers, or to the people who need her?”
That’s a little bit of a mash-up really. That handler, he is really a dick, but the confrontation has nothing to do with him. Once it happens though, there really isn’t much decision making going on…it’s sort of a fight-or-flight thing.
In Aaron’s defense, this guy is a whiney little nuisance.
My Impressions:
A little character development for Erika…nice to see them adding some dimension to her.
Aaron, by the book and towing the company line, represents a great foil for our protagonist. I hope that he somehow survives.
Visually the book is inconsistent…the more important the character, the better they look…and vice versa.
Mature content incoming!!!!
Sorry dude, I think you’re guess is a little off.
Notable Appearances/Events:
Erika takes a stand
Aaron dies…pretty sure he’s not coming back from that…
Everyone else is on the menu
Bottom Line: 3 Stars!
This issue is a bridge between action scenes. It’s not bad, but it really isn’t all that impactful (in the grand scheme of things). However…it does go for a little shock value. (If you don’t believe me, you must have missed the picture above.) In the end, this is a set up for what feels like a rather messy confrontation. If you’re not reading this series, I question your nerd-worthiness!
“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” Learn the perils of jealousy in Superman, chapter 25, verses 1-32!
“A colossal new threat to Superman, the planet Earth, and the DC Universe arrives on the scene in this special issue! The unique warrior called Synmar was created to represent an entire alien race. He’s trained his entire life – but for what purpose? As the antithesis of everything Superman stands for, Synmar launches his aggression toward Earth – to destroy the Man of Steel and every being on the planet! This is what Superman was born to protect us from!”
For the record, much of this solicitation doesn’t come through. At least not in this issue. In fact Synmar is kind of silly looking and pathetic until the last page of this issue. No doubt there’s a fight coming…I just hope it is more exciting than this issue.
Mid-fight and Superman can pick out his high school crush snapping a photo!
My Impressions:
Head Scratcher: Um…Lana is a professional competitor of Clark Kent, why would he give her an interview? I mean…he can literally write the article for his own paper, himself, right???
Having two stories presented side-by-side is just annoying. I’d have rather seen Synmar’s back story as a flashback somewhere down the line.
Error!: Lana gushes about some high school times with Clark. (Except it isn’t THIS Clark! This Clark is from the pre-New52 universe!!! Her Clark is dead!!!
Flashback to Lana as Superwoman.
Notable Appearances/Events:
Superman (Kal-El / Clark Kent)
Synmar Utopica (Eisno Alkor) 1st Appearance!
Superwoman (Lana Lang)
Lois Lane
Lex Luthor (cameo)
Bottom Line: 2 Stars!
If it wasn’t a first appearance issue, I’d say skip it. My money says that unless you’re a huge Superman fan, you won’t care about anything in this issue. Additionally, Bendis should avoid trying to comment on social issues like platonic relationships, he isn’t good at it. Oh, and if he’s trying to set up a love triangle with Superman, he really doesn’t understand the character.
