Valiant Hearts: The Great War

By: Robert Murphy

There have always been a vast amount of video games that tell the stories of past wars and it has been awhile since I have seen one about World War I but that isn't even the most significant aspect to Valiant Hearts: The Great War.  The story is represented in a charming cartoon like manor although it definitely has it's darker tone to it. War has brought for individuals and a dog together in a story of love, loss and conflict the likes of which the world had never before seen up until this point in 1914. The game however doesn't revolve any sort of gun play and instead features a puzzle solving adventure that you will embark on as your four main characters or five really, try to survive this harsh time in world history. 

At the beginning of the war, German citizens living in France were asked to leave their nation and return home as the conflict began to break out. This is where Karl, a German born man comes into our story as he is forced to leave his wife and newborn son to return to his home country. From here we meet Emile, who is the grandfather to Karl's young son and is called into service for the French army quickly moving through boot camp and sent out to fight when we meet another man character Freddie. Freddie is an american solider who befriends Emile early in the game and is a man who has volunteered to fight for the French as the Germans have taken away what he holds most dear to him and seeks revenge against them. Even though this is all taken into a 2D and relatively simpler narrative to what happened during this time, it is no less powerful in it's story telling. It was a heart jerking moment to almost immediately see Karl taken away from his wife and son and then being sent along with Emile to fight in the war where artillery fire, gas attacks and mounted machine gun fire would kill thousands of men on the field. The imagery is exceedingly well done and brought to life here with all that occurs and will make you forget any notion of the game being childish for it's initial representation. 

The games 2D platforming style works very well as it uses both a foreground and background affect that comes into play with enemies as well as the other character you may have along with in certain parts of the story. Where it often comes into play is when you must hide from enemy AI in the game as you won't spend a lot of time fighting as I said earlier. Bushes, bookshelves and other items can be hidden behind while you wait for a patrolling French policemen to move out of the way or distract him with something you're holding. Perhaps my favorite fleeing moment came later in the game while playing as Karl escaping from a prison camp, moving a scarecrow across the field while waiting for patrolling soldiers in the foreground to move along their path. While most of the time the game is fairly simple with it's puzzles, I still very much enjoyed them. There are a variety of puzzles to face in Valiant Hearts many of which involve doing a series of events to get to your underline goal of the level where you help one person get something to get what you want in the end. Also though in the unlikely event you do get stuck on a puzzle or array the game provides hints, a carrier pigeon in the corner will appear after you spend to long in an area and it will have an envelope with a clue for you which I thought was a fun addition to the game.

Each character also has their own unique sort of skill and little attributes that will contribute as you play as either one of them. Freddie carries with him a handy set of wire cutters to cut through fencing on the battlefield while Emile carries with him a shovel to move dirt and maneuver to areas you can't get with others. Ana, who will come a bit later to the first chapter of the game is looking for her father who she hasn't heard from and is believed to be forcibly helping the Germans. Ana is a young girl who knows quite a bit about medicine will patch up soldiers in the game with a medical mini game and also plays feature to a few taxi mini games as she drives her handy vehicle all across the front lines and must dodge enemy bombs, gun fire and just about everything else. Our last character is a furry little hero named Walt who helps all of the characters at one point or another in the game whether it's flicking a switch or distracting an enemy so you can sneak by, he is one handy pup to have around. 

In conclusion, I really loved Valiant Hearts, it was a game that I had heard nothing about but is something that I am glad to have played through once I had bought it. Despite it's appearance, it gives a very hardening tale of not only World War I but also the characters who were all around favorites for me, each with their own story to tell and each very enjoyable to play through. The puzzles may not be too much of a challenge for most but each was unique and entertaining for me as they all worked together in some way, one thing led you to get another and reach your goal. They were not tedious tasks for me to complete, they were fun and quirky and fit the story. 

Good:

- Very powerful story telling

- Incredible design and artwork

- Enjoyable characters all around to play as 

- Solid puzzle solving and adventure side scroller

Bad:

- The somewhat demeaning moments for the German soldiers which occurred time to time especially with the games central enemy 

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

SNR Fallout New Vegas video with Murphy and Dibby.

It's been long overdue, but here's our first gameplay video.  We're starting out with a modern classic: Fallout New Vegas.  Watch Dibble and Murphy try to survive in Fallout: New Vegas.

Game of Thrones (Season 4)

Zach Goodier

Another season of my favorite show just ended its run on HBO, so it’s time to give it a review.  Did season 4 keep the awesomeness that is Game of Thrones at its well-deserved place as my #1 favorite show on TV?  Let’s discuss that…  **SPOILERS** (Obviously).

Season 4 starts out with one of the saddest scenes I have ever watched.  Tywin Lannister is having Ice, Eddard Stark’s ancestral sword, a blade that has served the Starks for 1,000’s of years, melted down and reforged into two separate blades.  The music, the lighting, everything just reflects the tragedy, and reminds the audience of the end of an era.  With the loss of Robb Stark, and the end of the Northern Rebellion, it seems the Lannisters have secured their hold on the Iron Throne, with Stannis still trying to recover from the Blackwater, there is nobody left militarily to oppose them.  However, the Game of Thrones never truly ends, and it’s never over until it’s over, and this season drives that point home more than any other.

 

This whole scene gave me feels... bad feels.

In the north, Roose Bolton has secured the title of Warden of the North, but he has almost no actual control over the North.  The Greyjoys hold Moat Cailin, and in doing so, are keeping Roose’s army trapped below the Neck, and unable to actually  enter the lands he supposedly holds.  The rest of the North is in disarray, between the loss of Robb and the invasion of the Ironborn, the North faces aggression on multiple fronts without a Stark to lead them for the first time in recorded history.  Theon Greyjoy (AKA “Reek) is now a member of the Bolton household, and his tragic loss of identity is truly complete this season, as he shows his Stockholm-driven loyalty to his captors.

Yup. Dany still has dragons.

For Dany, this season is a test of her ability to rule, as she attempts to settle down in Meereen and truly rule for the first time.  She will finally start to understand that ruling is not as easy as it seems, with difficult decisions and realizing that her conquest, even in the best of hopes, has a lot of collateral damage, not only to the city itself, but to the lives of the people who live there, both during and after the conquest.  Dany’s always been a character I found to be a rather naïve one, but this season really addresses that, and challenges her convictions to their very core, much like Robb in season 3.  Her relationship with her oldest friend, Jorah Mormont, will also be pushed to the limit as old allegiances are revealed.

Meereen, Dany's next challenge.

Arya is another interesting character this season, as you start to see her transition into a true killer.  Her first kill at the end of last season, but it’s this season that you start to see Arya truly become a killer.  Her relationship with the Hound is also brilliant, providing a nice dynamic between the relatively innocent girl, and the heartless beast, but all the while they almost share a disgust with everyone else, and a melancholy that really brings the two closer together, even if Arya still wants the Hound dead.

Meet Oberyn, one of the best characters of the season.

Jaime and Tyrion really knock it out of the park this season, but perhaps one of the greatest characters in King’s Landing is a new face: Oberyn Martel.  Prince Oberyn is on a quest to exact vengeance for his sister’s murder at the hands of the Mountain, under orders of Tywin Lannister.  Oberyn is an exciting character, giving the Lannisters a dangerous foe who walks beside them in King’s Landing.  While his role wasn’t all it could be, it gives us a reminder that there are still other powerful people in Westeros, and many of them are opposed to the Lannisters who many see as usurpers.

This is where I saw Peter win another Emmy. True story.

One of the biggest highlights this season is another full-episode battle at the Wall, with the Night’s Watch fighting off the Wildling army.  In many ways, this battle really outdoes the Blackwater, with hordes of on-screen fighting with relatively little CGI, aside from the Wall itself.  Many characters really stand out, and while not all of them are still standing by the end, many go out in the right fashion to make you proud.

Bravos, we expect to see more of this city next season, but we get a brilliant intro this season.

The finale is one that is going to be talked about for a long time.  While it might not have the impact of the now infamous Red Wedding, this is in many ways the twist that we all have wished for.  Not going to go into specifics, but it was definitely a twist that will define the entire show from here onward.  Like the Red Wedding, the finale redefined Westeros, and left a void in the series that seems almost impossible to fill.  Even so, the story will keep us coming back, eager to experience more of this epic story of deception, betrayal, survival, and the desperate pursuit of justice.

Arya and the Hound need their own spin-off series.

Season 4 is in many ways a reminder that this series is far from over.  While season 3 ended things in a way that felt like the end of an era, this season really reminded us that this is far from over, and even the strongest house in Westeros is by no means untouchable.   The only real disappointment for me was the lack of Lady Stoneheart, which I won’t delve into very much here, other than saying her inclusion in the finale would, like the books, add a very jaw-dropping moment to top off everything that happened, and it would really help validate that whole “The North Remembers” thing that many of us (myself included) have been whispering under our breath.  Still, this season continues to turn up the heat, and keep us all guessing which characters are destined to die, and which will advance in their quests.

Good:

-Epic story keeps on being epic.

-Lot of standout moments for several characters.

-Unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat action, with lots of twists and turns to keep the story engaging

-Brilliant combat scenes, particularly the Mountain and the Viper.

Bad:

-Just for the sake of having some geniune criticism, this season really deviates from the source material in certain areas.  While it usually works just fine with the story, it does create some conspicuous moments that might challenge the loyalty of books fans.

Scully Rating: 9.9 out of 10

Almost Human

By: Robert Murphy

This is a review I have been meaning to get to for awhile now as Almost Human was something that peeked my interests the moment I saw it advertised. The year is 2048 and the world is everything that you have imagined the future would be like in terms of how far humanity has come with technology. The story is set around a pair of cops who couldn't be more wrong for each other, go figure right? Detective John Kennex (Karl Urban) is a gruff and gritty man who doesn't too much care for androids which is unfortunate because cops in this time are partnered with them almost always. Enter the android, Dorian (Michael Ealy) who is part of a long decommissioned group of androids who were suppose to be more human-like and therefore better but things don't always go that way. The two are paired together and despite the cliche mismatched cop dynamic screaming in my head the show works. 

As I said earlier, the futuristic dystopia of a world that the characters are set in really has been done to death whether it be in films or in other television shows. All those 80's and 90's movies use to picture a world where we all would one day live in by this point and it often looked bleak and needed saving. This is where I find fault with a show like Almost Human for the simple fact that it's been done to death but the themes are what save it all frankly. Crime is always a problem it seems and it has gotten a lot more unique as technology has progressed so far, trafficking organs gets more ingenious when you can grow them in a jar rather than farm them from innocent victims. I somewhat felt like the show was what Robocop could have been if it was ever a television show as Kennex and Dorian take down criminals together.

What's also good is the relationship between Kennex and Dorian themselves, you can forget all the futuristic nonsense going on around them and the crime fighting when you see the two work so well together. Ealy's portrayal as Dorian is fantastic as he plays the friendly android that knows just how to push Urban's character Kennex in the right ways. Dorian often gets his kicks out of watching Kennex relationship with one of the other detectives, Valerie Stahl (Minka Kelly) after he points out how much Kennex really has something for her. Kennex himself was everything you expected him to be when you first see him as the rough around the edges kind of cop who was still great at his job as a cop though. Kennex does warm up though as you often see the grumpy character do in this sour and sweet cop situations, plus he's Karl Urban, you gotta love the guy. 

I do wish that there had been a better supporting cast of characters to the show alongside of Kennex and Dorian because as good of main characters they're, you can't rest it all on them with a show. The resident Captain Sandra Maldonado (Lili Taylor) was really just a flat character whose only relevance came up when she was handing out orders. Rudy Lom (Mackenzie Crook) was an interesting surprise to the show as the quirky lab tech but he just doesn't get out enough like another quirky lab tech Abby from NCIS. And of course there's other detectives who come on the screen but go away just as quickly, the only one making any impact would be Valerie Stahl for her estrange love interest to Detective Kennex and the joy it brings to Dorian. 

In conclusion, Almost Human is something that carries a spark of something like a movie that you know you shouldn't love but do for some reason, it's there and it makes you laugh and watch along. It probably comes from the great chemistry of Kennex and Dorian who make great partners in a very cliche situation. Other characters though don't stand out enough and settle in for the ride with the rest of us as our cop duo do there thing. The cases and the partnership are truly what save you from all the cliches and made Almost Human stay alive for me, shame it won't be getting another season, FOX strikes again. 

Good:

- Dorian and Kennex make a perfect team with great on screen chemistry

- The cases are very solid and enjoyable

- Something of a nostalgic feel to it for my childhood

Bad:

- It has many cliches to it that are hard not to see

- The done to death futuristic dystopia feel

- Side characters are less than that and really needed to be more 

Scully Rating: 6.0 out of 10 

Bleach 586: The Headless Star 5

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/586

This week, the Quincy and Soul Reapers clash, while Ichigo attempts to chase down Juha Bach in order to stop him from invading the Soul Palace.  However, in his way stands his old friend, Uryuu, and he seemingly has no intention of letting Ichigo get by to face his true enemy.  Is Uryuu truly with the enemy, or is he holding out for the right moment to strike?  No way of knowing until we get the next chapters and find out.

Naruto 682: I'm sure you've never seen this

By: Robert Murphy

Link to the manga here

It has been a long time since I've seen a battle like this one, it's good to know that in all this seriousness there is still time for a good joke every once and awhile and this ones a true gem for Naruto. This week's chapter entitled "I'm sure you've never seen this" and picks up after we almost saw the end of Naruto and Sasuke at the hands of Kaguya as they almost became Black Zetsu themselves. Kakashi puts it right in this week's chapter by saying that Kaguya is on a whole other plan of ability, her powers are God-like. At the end of the last chapter we saw though that Naruto and Sasuke have something up their sleeves, a secret tactic that they somehow had time to plan after only being back together for such a short time. Will it be enough to get Kaguya sealed away just like the Sage of Six Paths and his brother did before? Hop on in and find out in this week's chapter of Naruto. 

GAME OF THRONES MEDLEY (Monster, Roar, Demons, & Titanium Parody)

Zach Goodier

While we work on some fresh stuff, here's a fun video based on Game of Thrones. We're all fanatics, here, so we're still filling the Thrones-sized hole that now exists in our lives now that season 4 is ended.  Speaking of season 4, I will have a review of it up later this week, so stay tuned.

Rick and Morty (Season 1)

By: Robert Murphy

Do you ever sit down and wish that you had a grandfather that was more like Emmett Brown from the Back to the Future movies, someone who is super intelligent but just a little bit hair brained. Well Rick and Morty tells the story of a young kid much like Marty McFly named Morty who has an extremely intelligent but rude, crude and alcoholic grandfather named Rick who gets themselves and their family into extraordinarily crazy and dangerous situations. These often dangerous sci-fi adventures the two go on often lead the planet or themselves to certain doom and simple minded but earnest Morty often brings Rick to his senses but the crazy ride up to that point is something you'll have to see to believe. 

The ridiculous nature of Rick and Morty isn't something new when you think about the other shows that have come alongside of it on Adult Swim, the late night and adult programming time slot for Cartoon Network where you see shows like Family Guy or Superjail. Morty in all honesty would rather go about his regular mundane existence like any other teenager, he wants to date the prettiest girl in school and just have things be not so crazy. Rick on the other hand has other plans for his grandson and wants him to take part in the crazy experiments and alternate dimension jumping "fun" he has in store. It's somewhat of the sad mad scientist story where Rick is a super genius but needs someone humble to balance him out for the story and it works. Even though almost 99% of the time it appears he is a selfish and self absorbed butt munch, you can tell that there is underline caring for Morty and their family even if it comes with a sarcastic and alcoholic burp of a response. 

The shows more darker comedy is what you will undoubtedly love about the show, every joke and theme about Rick and Morty is done for pure insane fun as it takes you along for the ride. Perhaps the most disturbing episode for me was entitled "Rick Potion #9" where an upcoming school dance leads Morty to ask Rick for a way to get the school's resident hotty Jessica to say yes to going with him. This leads to Rick creating a potion that causes everyone to fall in love with him at the dance, creepily so as they all end up chasing after him looking for his affection. This would be fine until Rick tries to fix it with another potion that contains preying mantis extract and turns everyone into half mantis/half human monsters trying to kill Morty. While Rick just kinda shrugs this off, Morty being a normal person is entirely freaked out and it was incredibly hilarious, the out of this world ideas that the show takes on makes it both and enjoyable and creative to think about all the way through.

In conclusion, I am excited that the show will be receiving a second season as it has been the best new animated cartoon to come out of Adult Swim in quite some time. Rick and Morty is exceedingly smart and clever with it's dark toned humor and will leave you with the question of "what the hell did I just watch?" ringing in your mind. But still you will love it all the same I hope as much as I have for all its little quirks and wit whether Rick and Morty are in another dimension full of other versions of themselves or inside the body of a homeless man they're trying to put a theme park into, it's just a riot. 

Good:

- Smart and funny

- Disturbing but all around hilarious episodes

- Best animated show I've watched in a long time

Bad:

- The humor may not be for everyone 

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

Game of Thrones (Season 3)

Zach Goodier

In anticipation of the end of Season 4 tomorrow, I figured I better make sure I’m up-to-date on our GoT reviews before reviewing the entirety of Season 4.  So here’s our season 3 review, obvious ***SPOILERS*** included.

If you give an aspiring Queen an army... She's going to want a throne to go with it.

As we left off in Season 2, Dany is learning to become more assertive, and with the help of Jorah is becoming more of a queen every day.  Back in Westeros, The war is dragging on, as Robb continues to win on the field, but starts to have trouble amongst his own ranks.  Further south, the Lannisters still hold King’s Landing, but are struggling to contend with continuing opposition, and even their allies are out to undermine them.  Stannis, still reeling from the Battle of Blackwater, licks his wounds, and struggles to keep himself in the game, despite being the rightful heir to the throne.  And north of the Wall, the Night’s Watch struggles to contend with the White Walkers, as well as the savage Wildlings.  All in all, the struggle for the Iron Throne, and the dangers to the far north, are only escalating.

 

We really get to know more about the Wildling clans this season.

For Dany, the season is all uphill, with her dragons, as well as her growing reputation, she starts to become more of an actual leader this season.  Her cause of liberating the slaves gives her a sense of nobility, and her charisma is almost as potent as dragonfire.  However, I found the season for Dany to be somewhat less interesting than the other storylines, particularly after she obtains the Unsullied army.  Ser Barristan Selmy appears again, adding some new life to Dany’s story, as well as returning a favorite side-character of mine to the show again.  Towards the end of the season her story picks up again, with the siege of Yunkai and the introduction of the character of Daario.

Mance Raider, the King Beyond the Wall.

For Robb, the season is full of frustration, as he keeps trying to engage the Lannisters, only finding they have fallen back, murdering and pillaging everything they can along the way, leaving dead northerners behind at Harrenhall in order to further frustrate Robb.  Following his mother’s betrayal by setting Jaime Lannister free, Robb starts to struggle with the difficult position of not killing Jaime, and the resentment fostered amongst many of his supporters for it.  The growing tension amongst his own ranks gives Robb no end of difficulty, and things come to a head later in the season when one of his lords outright violates Robb’s orders and takes matters into his own hands.  While I sympathize with Robb’s problems, I believe his approach was far too soft, and that his lords are right to question his ability when Robb could lose his father, and see the bodies of murdered Northmen and still not exact vengeance for those loses.  It makes Robb start to lose face, and altogether lose the support of his own men.

Robb has an increasingly difficult season, trying to find justice in a world without mercy can be very difficult, and the enemies never play fair.

Since I mentioned Jaime, I should say that this is really Jaime’s breakout season, as he struggles to get back to King’s Landing to return to his beloved Cersei.  Despite the disturbing nature of his incest relationship, Jaime really starts to develop as a character this season, really challenging some of the conceptions we’ve had about him from the beginning of the series.  He doesn’t necessarily redeem himself, but he certainly does a good job of walking a fine line between hero and villain in the story, especially in a bath scene with Brienne where to tells the story of how he killed the Mad King.  I won’t spoil details, but it’s a standout scene where he really starts to open up, and we finally see the man underneath the armor.

Jaime doesn't have a very good season... But it's at his lowest that he really starts to shine.

Jon Snow is struggling to survive north of the Wall, and Ygritte proves to be one of his greatest challenges yet, in more ways than one.  She challenges Jon, and helps validate the warning Aemon gave to Jon way back in season one.  This really starts to give some complexity to Jon, who now faces the cruelty of his own vows.  While I left off after season 2 believing that the White Walkers were finally on the warpath (I hadn’t started reading at that point), there really isn’t that much about them this season, aside from a significant role later on when we finally find out that they do have some sort of weakness.

Robb's allies and relatives, the Tully's.

The most discussed moment from season 3 is without doubt the Red Wedding.  I won’t go into it in this review, besides mentioning that it is one of the greatest twists/shocking moments of television history.  It’s not just the event itself, but the brutality of it all, as you are reminded that this world and story takes no prisoners.  If you’ve seen it, then you know just how brutal it all is, even making changes to the story to keep things fresh and exciting for even those that have read the books.

Ygritte is Jon Snow's biggest test yet.

Overall, season 3 keeps the trend going of turning up the dial, throwing twists and turns your way, all the while fooling you into believing you have this show all figured out.  It’s this tightrope walk between defying expectations and still giving the audience something to go on.  It’s a dangerous line that few shows have ever thought to walk, and none have successfully done.  George R. R. Martin has earned a reputation as a literary sadist in the way he writes, but if this story was only about “bad” guys winning, it would still fall into the same predictable patterns as any other show.  It’s not knowing where or when the twists will come that keeps this show so interesting, and the depth of character makes it all stay fresh and exciting, never formulaic or dull.  Like the rest of the show, the complexity and depth make it all so incredible to watch, and a masterpiece in modern television.

Good:

-More incredible story and characters, some new, mostly old.

-More twists and turns than you know how to cope with.

-A continually rich, visceral world that captivates with its scale, intrigue, and utter brutality.

Bad: 

-Not really a bash on the show… but ‘dem feels, bro.

Scully Rating:  10 out of 10

In the News: Steam Summer Sale has begun!

Zach Goodier

The Steam summer sale has begun, and that means our wallets will all cry out in terror as we drop every spare dollar we have on some of the greatest sales of the year in terms of video games.  From personal experience, I can offer a couple of tips to maximize the fun while limiting the expenses:

-Try to stick to games that are on your wishlist.  If you don't have one, start one.  If you have email alerts, Steam will let you know when they are on sale.  Let them do the work for you so you don't have to stalk the store pages and then be tempted by all the other items they have on sale.

-Look for the biggest discounts.  If a good $30 game is on sale for $3, then jump all over that.  If a $10 game is on sale for $5, then it's really not that big of a deal if you miss out for now and just buy it later.

-If you don't know the game, but feel tempted, look up reviews or gameplay to make sure you would probably like it before you buy.

Well that's about all I have for you.  Another great thing about Steam Summer Sale is we'll be able to churn out some more reviews for the site, which we've already started.  So, enjoy the sale, shop wisely, and stay nerdy.

22 Jump Street

By: Robert Murphy

We all know how it goes when a sequel to a hit comedy comes along and of course with a movie like 21 Jump Street raising a few eye brows, the sequel was bound to do the same. 22 Jump Street somehow new that this was going to happen though and let's out jokes at it's own expense, self aware humor is anything new and it can be a little stale but not when it's done right and 22 Jump Street does just that. Our crime fighting partners Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are back fighting crime but it isn't going as well without the same routine as before and after a failed crime sting goes awry, they're put back into similar circumstances once again but in college. The formula remains the same, pretend to be students, new break-out drug with catchy name, infiltrate the school and bring down whoever is responsible. The whole thing though whines up being a meta affair where the jokes go back to the first film about the new film and how it shouldn't be funny and shouldn't work the same way but it does. 

Things should be breaking Schmidt and Jenko's way now that they're renowned detectives who solved a major drug problem, right? Well that's not quite true as they're still both completely incompetent when it comes to police work, as partners they add up to less than one good cop even with Jenko's crazy strength and physcial abilities and Schmidt's know how. This has never been more clear than it is now they worked a major case and failed miserably, so it looks like it's back to college after all just like the last movie suggests. The Jump Street program has drastically changed though since last time, the joke being since the first movie was so good the budget is now super big for this movie and that means cooler stuff. Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) is still large and in charge and must once again babysit his favorite screw ups once again as they go back undercover at a local college that has lost a student to a new drug called WHYPHY.  I want to point out from here that I loved Ice Cube's character this time around, he's always a bit of a hit or miss with me and his pension for being a tough guy in comedies but this time it worked in a big way, don't worry I won't spoil it, it's too good.  

While 22 Jump Street is filled with jokes at it's own expense, it doesn't completely rely on this entirely as it pulls out some fresh faced gags and humor too. As I mentioned earlier Channing Tatum is the picture of physically fit and that comes up time and again this time around as his character jump leaps and parkours his way all across every chase scene. At one point Schmidt gets extremely frustrated and retorts back about how he can't do that sort of thing, he isn't frickin Spiderman. Other comedy comes from the pure references made throughout the film, much like a comedy special Schmidt typically lets out a solid one liner in the defense of his otherwise lacking abilities and to try and save the failing relationship with his partner. Things aren't looking so well for the two this time around as Jenko begins to pull away from Schmidt and his friendship because of the overwhelming facts about them not having too much in common. This causes Schmidt to act like the clinging and unrelenting female role in which he litterally cries out for Jenko, this becomes even more hilarious when they experience a break-up type moment together and even go through a couples counseling scene on top of that. 

All in all, 22 Jump Street manages to still pull off charm and humor that is always hard to maintain in a sequel and a questionable sequel at that. I will say that it does sag at points such as the beginning where the movie itself needs to get established and other drawn out gags such as the gender bent fight scene near the end of the film. The overall humor saves it all though and as I said before I was pleasantly surprised with the increased role for past side characters such as Captain Dickson. As a final note as well I highly recommend staying for the credits before walking out at the end, much like a Marvel movie you'll be happy when you see the witty end credits for 22 Jump Street. 

Good:

- Tatum and Hill do it again in their oddly mismatched partnership

- Meta comedy about the past film along with new solid one liners

- Side characters break out and make more of a better role

- End credit scene

Bad:

- Drawn out fight scene near the end

- Some recycled humor

Scully Rating: 7.5 out of 10 

Naruto 681: Kaguya's tears

By: Robert Murphy

Link to the manga here

Good news everyone, it's time for a new week of Naruto for you all to enjoy. This week's chapter is entitled "Kaguya's tears" and things still don't look to be going in Naruto and Sasuke's way at all. Kaguya, the rabbit goddess has been showing her tremendous power even further and putting Naruto and Sasuke on the defense the entire time, even with their new powers. Her abilities seem limitless as she teleports everyone to a lava infested area, even using the byakugan and other abilities. Naruto and Sasuke know though that once before Kaguya's sons sealed her away and now that they have become the transmigrations of her former sons they should be able to do the same. Time is running out for the two though as the rabbit goddess is not going to lay down and let herself be taken once again, things are tense in the Naruto universe and I hope you're all prepared for another excited chapter. Murphy out. 

Bleach 585: The Headless Star 4

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/585/2413/1

This week, Ichigo hears the voice of Juha Bach, who tells him that because of his arrival, in particular arriving from the Soul Palace with clothes made of the hair and bone of Squad 0, the defenses keeping intruders out of the Soul Palace will be down for 6000 seconds.  This means that Juha Bach means to invade the Soul Palace while those defenses are down, upping the pressure on Ichigo to hurry and face him.  However, Ichigo has 8 Quincy surrounding him, and they have no intention of letting him go.  Still, after a series of attacks, Ichigo is unhurt.  However, will he be able to break away to face Juha Bach, or will he be too late to stop him from invading the Palace of the King of Souls?

I'm hoping this bout between Ichigo and the other Quincy is finally over.  I wasn't minding it, but now that the pace is picking up, I'm hoping it means he'll be able to move on up, if not facing Juha Bach himself, than Hashwald or Uryuu.  Renji and the others arriving to hold off the Quincy was helpful, and it kept this fight from dragging out any longer than necessary, plus it does give us the chance to let the rest of that fight unravel mostly out of sight of the reader, since we've seen most of the abilities each character has.  I'm still waiting for the rest of Ichigo's new "allies" to arrive, like the Fullbring and the mysterious partner of Urahara's, but it is still unclear when or if we'll get a peek at them during this round of fighting.  Until next week, we'll just have to keep grasping at straws, hoping we get there soon.

Apologies for any problems

Hey guys and girls Murphy here, we've recently suffered from some problems with Blogger where if you click on some of the links to our reviews it won't appear and will not come up. We're sorry for the inconvenience and hope it hasn't caused any problems for too many of you, if you do come across this issue I've found that using the search bar on our site will lead you to the link and you can read the review you are trying to get to. We're trying to get this straightened out and we here at Scully Nerd Reviews appreciate your patience and support. Thank you and keep on the look out for a week of new reviews from all of us here. Murphy out. 

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood

By: Robert Murphy

It has been awhile since I have taken up an adventure style puzzle game like this but with Max: The Curse of Brotherhood it makes me wish there were so many more of this style of game. Not since Limbo have I played something like this although this is far less bleak and dark and more something you'd want your kids to play for something fun to do. You play the role of Max, a young red headed boy who comes home from school one day to his annoying little brother (been there) who is playing with his toys and Max wishes for nothing more than to be alone. Going to the internet for a solution as we all do in today's world, he finds a spell that in turn opens a portal and gets his brother kidnapped. Immediately regretting his decision he jumps after his brother and now must travel through this new world he finds himself in to save his brother. 

Now you are not much of the hero type when the game first starts out, you're a young kid who doesn't want to risk getting in trouble for getting your brother sucked into another dimension. You appear quite small in this world and the first couple of platforming challenges you face are really easy but things get more difficult as you go on. After jumping your way through the first few platforms, you meet a mysterious elderly woman who tells you the tale of this land you find yourself in and she in turn will help you defeat the evil lord Mustacho who wants to use your brothers youth to become young again and continue ruling the land. This elderly woman possess the soul of your mighty weapon....a marker, this marker allows you to control various elements in the game such as creating earth pillars, creating vines to swing on, creating solid branches, controlling a gush of water, basically you become the Avatar when you have this thing. But all these abilities come gradually over time as you progress through the treacherous environments that you have to find your way through with your wits. 

All the puzzles in the game are fairly easy even when you get to the later levels, it involves a bit of trial an error though when you get to angling things like the water and end up falling to your death. The main drawback to the whole thing though isn't performing the puzzle over again or figuring it out, it comes from our main character Max. Since you don't possess many jaw dropping abilities as the young kid you are, you suffer from limitations like the inability to double jump or make it that tinniest fraction closer to grabbing that edge you missed. Things also get a little more challenging when Max will appear to glide and slide across a surface making you panic jump to your death, it's an issue with the game itself and when you're playing a puzzle game where any mistake can cost you, it can get a little irritating. 

The fun really kicked in more for me later on when I gained control of all my markers abilities, like I said before I felt like a real life Avatar with my ability to control all these elements. Solving puzzles was just so much more fun when I had all these abilities under my belt, water spouts are particularly fun as you create your own water slide in a sense and send Max on a ride through the air to a jungle vine. This also comes up when you have to do the puzzle you are presented with in a certain way to get to a hidden goodie, the game comes with amulet pieces to collect and eye stalks to sever that are used by Mustacho to spy on you. Often you'll have to take the puzzle in another direction to reach these hidden gems and then remember the correct way you set up your path before. This brings up the other issue I had with the game and that's the timing and quick time events you will encounter along the way when it really becomes a challenge to take your marker out in time to preform the action the game wants you to do. It happens every once and awhile but when you have to sit through a whole cut scene time and time again it got on my nerves. 

In closing, I enjoyed what Max: The Curse of Brotherhood had to offer with it's bright and colorful puzzle solving game play. It made me think back to playing Limbo as I said before and I'm glad to see this type of game make it's way to the Xbox One early on. Issues do arise though that can make the game play a little bit of a challenge when you involuntarily slide across a platform that cause you to freak out and fall to your death. Quick time events and timing issue are also a bit of a problem for the game and when you're trying to solve a puzzle over and over again do to you missing that split second time constraint, you'll be frustrated. 

Good:

- Cute and fun environments that fit the story

- Controlling all these elements with the flick of your marker was really quite fun

Bad:

- Timing and quick time event issues

- Some control issues with your character Max

- Max himself can bring fault onto himself by not being all he should be, whimply missing jumps and ledges

Scully Rating: 6.0 out of 10