Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

By: Robert Murphy

There is no easy way to tell everyone this but there is sadly no robot Naruto in this latest edition to the franchise. Devastating, I know. Now that that's out of the way, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 picks the story right back up where players left off as the 4th Great Shinobi War is well underway. For those of you who have read the manga you know that this means there are intense battles, amazing characters and some of the most gut wrenching scenes to ever come from the series are about to unfold. But, does the game follow through as well as the core material did?

The combat system for the Ninja Storm games has already been a long favorite of mine, players can easily weave jutsu as well as use hand to hand combat against your opponents without it being too complex. When coupled with the climactic scenes for these final chapters of the series they offer up just the right feeling one would expect to get from fighting these legendary characters. Fights are also complemented by cinematic sequences that depict some of the raw action as it unfolds and the returning quick time button moments really drive them home as players unleash their characters attacks in full force. A small but interesting new mechanic that has been added here is the ability to switch freely from your support characters, so rather than fight alone with one character and having them unleash minor attacks, you can switch to them and use both of the characters techniques. A compelling feature since I prefer some characters to others or some signature attacks.

Other featured elements are a bit of a hit or a miss for the most part. Mob battles are a feature for certain story moments and in some regards they work like the scene where you first see Kakashi's chidori when he was a kid or when Obito kills all those Hidden Mist ninja that killed Rin. But, these can lead to monotonous story moments later on where you must simply beat wave after wave of the same generic enemies until you reach a certain closing point. What's worse is the optional story mode objectives that can require players to get a large amount of kills or strikes during these sequences.

Once players dig into the games main Story mode, Ninja Storm 4 found a way to take the story that many players already knew was coming but present it in a unique way. The story comes with different branching storylines as Naruto and Sasuke are the main characters truthfully for these final moments. Each of them went through something slightly different and so did the people around them, so the story follows suit as players will play different branching arcs that join up with one another when Naruto and Sasuke do the same. However, each story point itself is plays out in a rather bizarre fashion as each chapter is capped off by explaining the battle that is about to unfold with quick cutscenes that can often be really long. What's more is the cutscenes go back and forth between animated scenes and motion comic effects, both never really coming off as that appealing since the animations were poor and the lip synchronization was often completely off. The story itself doesn't ever derail and plays out all the great battles just as they appeared in the book but there was simply a bit much to sift through when you're trying to get those great battles.

Following on the heels of Story mode, players also have the games Adventure mode which is also a bit of a two prong experience. The story here brings up some of Naruto's best fights through it's many years as Naruto himself moves forward in the present as the hero of the Hidden Leaf Village and new adventures that come with it. It's an interesting way to bring Naruto and Hinata together as well as remind players more about the rich history the series has. Unfortunately, the adventure mechanic itself is really a big bust that felt thrown in as a side note when it could have all simply been incorporated into the Story mode itself. Adventure mode is filled with dull side missions that have you travel all over to fight a random character or go on an actual mission that just has you taking a letter to another village and all the games faults truly are more prevalent in this area such as the bad lip syncing and poor animation. 

Multiplayer battling continues to be an ear mark however for the Naruto games. The character roster now features the complete list of all the series characters with 61 players to choose from, each having their famous jutsus, attacks and variant costumes to try out. The different mode options for online play are limited but outside of a regular sparring match what did you really expect? Still there is an Endless mode, League, Tournament and Ranked/Player matches to choose from and test your fighting abilities against other players out there. The minor aesthetic features are still here as well, such as editing your own ninja playing card to feature pictures from the series and your own ninja tag line. 

Happily, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 took a huge step away from the features that were present in Ninja Revolution and gets back to the elements that work so well for the series in the past. While many of the additions to the game are only minor, they do offer new ways to fight such as the support switching feature in combat. But, the good does balance the bad here as the games Adventure mode and some other poor editions prevented a totally enjoyable experience here.

Good:

- Minor additions to the games already solid combat system

- Story mode follows the series perfect with an interesting presentation to following along with it

- A completed roster makes online and offline play

Bad:

- Adventure mode is a complete wash

- Story mode is sadly filled with bad cutscenes and overabundant dialogue

Scully Rating: 6.0 out of 10

RWBY Season 3

By: Robert Murphy

Those of you who have been with RWBY right from the get go know that the story is about many lovable characters who are attending Beacon Academy for hunters and huntresses. Everything is fun, bubbly and only gets serious for brief moments during the series where Ruby Rose and her friends must combat some upstart trouble makers. This season however follows a much darker path and the time for being kids must be set aside in order to combat the growing threat hidden away in the shadows, until now. 

The start of the series begins much as you would expect it to as Ruby and her team prepare for the Autumn festival and compete with classmates as well as other cools in competitions that test their skills as huntsmen and huntresses. This whole ordeal capitalizes on perhaps the most captivating aspects for the show and that is it's fight scenes. A Pokemon style battle arena is brought forth and the stages vary with each and every match up so you will see beach levels, mountain levels, forest levels and all of them coming with their own environmental challenges to face while the teams are fighting one another. All the fights themselves are spectacular and show off the skills the Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang have all acquired since they joined the school and became teammates. Their teamwork being one of the best parts to see as they combine all of their skills to make excellently choreographed attacks against the opposing teams. 

This setup also sets the stage for many characters to appear from team RWBY's respective pasts. Ruby and Yang's Uncle Qrow (pronounces Crow) makes his first appearance and despite his outward drunk/smart ass behavior, he will be a major player in revealing all of the evil activity going on behind the scenes for the past two seasons. Weiss also gets an unexpected welcome from a former family member when her sister Winter comes to Beacon alongside of General Ironwood and his massive army of robot soldiers. She is just as cold as Weiss was when viewers first met her but later it is revealed that she left home just like Weiss did and followed an unorthodox path, in their father's opinion anyways. Lastly, we learn a great deal more about Blake's past when the White Fang makes their own moves on Beacon this season. Their leader Adam having a long teased history with her that now has come back to haunt her. 

While this all may seem like great editions to the story that will drive home a much more serious plot line, many of the ideas get muddled along the way as all of this information tries to be crammed into the story in progress. Qrow is not just in town to see his family as I said and he in turn reveals what Cinder Fall and the rest of her cronies have been trying to achieve. The end game seems to be nothing but true chaos for Cinder but in order to get there she needs more power, even more the impress amount she already wields. This ends up coming from a bizarre story about four legendary huntresses that were thought to be nothing but an old fairy tale. It would seem that it was anything but that however and when it comes time for it, an ultimate sacrifice must be made by one of the shows main characters in order to acquire this power. The real issue with this turn of events though was how quickly it gets thrown into our story and then must be accepted as fact. 

There are more signs of these thrown at the wall ideas when Qrow reveals more about Yang's history. It would seem that somehow he can speak to his sister (Yang's mother) who was presumed dead and yet must be in some other plane of existence? It really makes no sense and little time is spent exploring what this could all mean for Yang's character down the road. It seems very crucial to question this because by the end of this season Yang has gone through quite the ordeal, she no long is the same smiling ass kicker she has been this whole time and its hard to see how she will recover after everything that happens to her. Other instances of thrown around ideas are all too common, between Winter revealing a hidden power she and Weiss possess and the odd abusive love story between Blake and Adam and Ruby possess some hidden power herself too by the end. There is truly just far too much going on this season and far too little time to get through it all properly. 

What remained rock solid thus far was the overall story that was established after last season with Cinder and her team preparing to unleash all out war on Beacon. Her plans devastated not only Beacon but our main characters too and in almost George R.R. Martin fashion, all bets are off. Cinder effectively causes untold despair for just about everyone which is what attracts a massive amount of Grimm to the city in all shapes and sizes. This includes the biggest Grimm we've ever seen to date but the overall tone shift proved to be an interesting one to say the least. It offered a new layer of depth that I didn't expect to come from a show with such a light hearted feel to it, heck other shows like this don't even go this dark when it comes to the world being taken over by some evil force so it's truly something to be admired. 

By the time RWBY 's third season comes to a close there is a great deal of information to digest and that isn't necessarily a good or a bad thing. There are plenty of new ideas floating up in the air but none of it is really concrete by the end of the story. However, Cinder Fall and the rest of her team have proven to be a force to be reckoned with after causing untold death and despair for our main characters, offering up a different experience for this season that I did not see coming from an anime like this. So overall the future for RWBY can truthfully go down a very solid path if all the ideas brought up this season get more time to grow and develop, but only time will tell if that will happen.

Good:

- A much darker plot line than I ever thought to come from RWBY

- Top notch fighting scenes remain throughout

- Solid trademark humor the show is known for

Bad:

- New plot lines are all over the place

- Interesting ideas but so much left unexplained or ignored on the way to the end

Scully Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Psycho Pass: The Movie

By: Robert Murphy

In the past Psycho Pass has merely been focusing it's stories inward as people have come out in opposition of the Sibyl system and all that it stands for, they've wanted to turn it up on it's head and make those who loyally follow it question what kind of world they are living in. Psycho Pass: The Movie however looks outward to the world outside the "peaceful" society that Japan has established for itself and tries to spread it's grand views to other lands. Naturally, it's people are not as accepting as those who have spent so long under the watchful eye of Sibyl and so Akane Tsunemori must travel to a land ravaged by civil war and a guerrilla force that is led by a former member of her team.

Thus far, the plot lines for both Psycho Pass and Psycho Pass 2 have been so engaging that I never found myself curious as to what the rest of the world was like outside of Japan's borders. While the story focuses merely on the shores somewhere in Asia's mainland there is a distinct impression that the world is dire need of stability and safety everywhere you go. Sibyl is willing to offer just that in this latest entry into the series but it appears to be going poorly as an unknown group of terrorists breaks into Japan in order to punish those who have unleashed this force on them. Akane and her team fortunately got wind of the attack before anything serious occurs but something even more disturbing comes about once the situation is investigated further. It would seem the  leader of these terrorists is Shinya Kogami and he has been preventing Sibyl and their sympathizers overseas from gaining control over the land. Determined to discovers the whole truth for herself, Akane sets out to find Kogami and have him reveal the whole story as well as determine what Sibyl is really planning. 

Immediately the situation seems bleak for Akane and this land as it's cities and people are battered from the constant fighting and unrest that has plagued the land. The only prosperous area is the technologically advance island city just off shore of the mainland where Sibyl and the areas leaders have settled and begun to implement the new order of things. The area looks just like Japan but there are some very disturbing sites when you look closely at the peaceful atmosphere. Many of the citizens inside are forced to wear collars that constantly check their psycho pass due to so many people having above average hues with war, violence and hate being overly common. 

These people sadly have become a servant class inside of the city where they are treated as lesser for just having a questionable hue. They must take separate buses, are only allowed to work menial jobs (if they get any at all) and are also immediately blamed in altercations if the other party is a none collar wearing person. What's even more disheartening is the simple fact that if any of these people's hues go too far above the already agreed upon new limit under Sibyl then they are killed instantly by the governments aggressive military police force. It is a tough pill to swallow and since Akane has no authority here she must look the other way in the hopes that she can eventually get to the bottom of what is happening here.

This is where the movie definitely shines however and it's with Akane front and center confronting yet another Sibyl debacle. After two series Akane has become something of a potent force against all of Sibyl's misdoings and it in turn actually values her input when critical moments arise. It's made her so much stronger than the scared little girl who first joined Kogami years ago on their first mission and so when the two of them come together again it is quite the interesting turn around. Akane is able to read Kogami and determine what he is feeling, knowing instantly that he did not intend to become leader of a resistance force. Kogami along side of her is also still rock solid as a character and his current situation leaves for some unflattering parallels to a man he once killed for being able to bring out fanatical devotion in people. This is because he has done just this with the rebels around him, not deliberately, but the people in the camp all look to him as some sort of savior to their cause and it worries him. 

While Akane and Kogami are at the forefront, the rest of the cast manage to garner some interesting screen time in the movie. Ginoza has changed drastically alongside of Akane by becoming more relaxed and open with what is going with himself personally and this includes revealing his needing to punch some sense into Kogami. It's not anything major for the story but it's a bit of light fun in another dark Psycho Pass entry. But by far the most interesting side characters to come out of all this was Akane's partner Mika who has taken a different path after discovering Sibyl's secret. She has essentially become the systems willing watch dog since then and her role as this is far more established here as she not only brutally tortures someone to get information but also she is constantly challenging and critical of Akane's methods. Mika praises Sybil here at the end when everything is revealed and played off as a massive success, it ultimately feels like a massive conflict between her an Akane will be coming in a possible new season.

That factor alone is the only thing wrong with the Psycho Pass: The Movie and that's the fact that it is less of an overall movie as it is a continuation of everything that came before. The story furthers many different plot lines and creates an overall solid new story to go along with all the new developments. So the fact that the story itself is not a beginning to end or stand alone event is not a bad thing to have here in any way. Adding on top of the excellent story pieces you have Akane and Kogami together once again and showing off just what type of characters they have become. As always too Sibyl is on constant source of intrigue for the story and seeing how it can effect the outside world is a terrifying thought. In the end, all the pieces come together and Psycho Pass: The Movie proves to be a stepping stone to greater things down the road. 

Good:

- Akane and Kogami together again

- Seeing Sybil being used on another society is both terrifying and interesting

- Side character development and stories that could lead to future plot lines

Bad:

- The "movie" is less stand alone and more of a continuation of everything we've seen so far

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Lazer Team

By: Robert Murphy

Many of you out there are old enough to remember just how comical science fiction movies use to be before everyone started to take the genre seriously, the movies weren't all bad but there were plenty out there like Mars Attacks that were plain ridiculous. Well, Lazer Team is just that kind of ridiculous, but in a good way. Developed by the web production company Rooster Teeth the movie follows four misfits who end up crashing a vessel sent from an intelligent alien race known as the Andarians and is meant for the savior of planet Earth. Sadly, the suit inside ends up in their hands and the world is left with no other choice but to have them fight against an imminent alien threat.

The story itself however tends to focus more around the four members of the team; overprotective cop Hagan (Burnie Burnes), cocky high school quarterback Zach (Michael Burns), burnt out alcoholic Herman (Colton Dunn) and the dimwitted Woody (Gavin Free), rather than the impending attack on Earth. This isn't a bad thing though as each of the characters have their own unique experience with one another and the pieces of the suit they receive. Hagen receiving a shield that symbolizes his wanting to protect those around him, Herman picking the pair of boots that fixes his limp and restores his former legendary speed and then some, Woody dawns the helmet that grants him a massive intelligence boost and Zach takes the laser for his incredible throwing arm and his loose cannon personality. It's not the most subtle of metaphors for each of the characters but it gets the job done.

The other factor working in the teams favor is the fact that the cast members themselves have worked together for many years and it relieves any misgivings people might have about their lack of acting experience. There is no sense of tension on screen and all of the actors are able to play off of one another in the best way so the jokes hit when they need to, for example Woody's sudden adaptation of an English accent after gaining super intelligence (Free actually being of British decent) and making a point to say that stupid people think British accents make them sound smarter. However, some of the dialogue does go to a lower level for the sake of trying to get a cheap laugh out of the audience. I felt that there were far more hits than misses when it came to the humor but early on when you have characters like Zach (who is portrayed as the dumb jock) talking like a buffoon about sex, drinking or getting "likes" on an Instagram post of the "Lazer Team," it goes a bit too far. 

Some of the side characters also have room to play with their roles as well and this is especially true for resident Captain American-esque Adam (Alan Ritchson) who was meant to wear the super suit and be Earth's savior. He is admittedly upset about the thing he spent his life to achieve being taken away by these undeserving four and even more so when he is given the task to train them on how the suit is suppose to function. He later has a change of heart when he sees just what they are capable of when they work together. You also have Mindy (Alexandria DeBerry) who is not only Hagen's daughter but also the love interest for teenage motermouth Zach. Her best moments are when she shows up to the team's hideout to refuel the team with food and refuel Zach in other ways. Don't worry, it doesn't go well. 

Now the budget for the movie was obviously not to the heights of many other Hollywood productions but once again Lazer Team makes the best of what it's got. The CGI levels were up to par with exactly what they needed to be used for in the various fights and alien technologies such as holograms and so on. But what is the movies biggest eye sores are the moments where you remember that this a web production company and they're probably going to pump some free advertisement right into it. I appreciate the odd reference here and there but more than a couple times previous glories from the company's biggest production make their way into the story. Near the end of the movie there were a gaggle of superheroes dressed like characters from RWBY and X-Ray and Vav too. There was also the football teams colors being Red and Blue, a tip of the hat to the company's first production in online machinima. And while having your own easter eggs is fun, it is a bit self serving considering many of the people who will pay to watch your movie are already long time fans of your content. 

Lazer Team walks a fine line between being an example of just what crowd funding and plenty of community support can do for an independent movie. Nothing was too over the top or out of the depth for what the story needed in order to be funny, action packed and interesting. The four lead characters were all easily likable losers as well that had their own challenges to overcome in order to beat back the alien threat. However, many low brow jokes and plot points don't quite cut it here and when you think about the fact that there is a plan for a sequel to be made, you begin to hope that things won't get too far out of hand here.

Good:

- The "Lazer Team" themselves were solid

- Plenty of humor and high points for the story

- A balanced use of CGI and props that doesn't go out of depth for the story

Bad:

- Low points that feature bad dialogue and some frankly unappealing jokes

- Referrances to Rooster Teeth's other productions should have been few and far between

- A sequel? I'm not so sure guys.

Scully Rating: 6.0 out of 10 

Deadpool

Zach Goodier

After years of anticipation, we finally have the movie featuring our favorite “Merc with a mouth,” Deadpool. So, does it live up to the expectations? Well… F@#$ YES!!!

The movie starts us in the middle of the story, with Deadpool already mutated, and running rampant on a quest for revenge against Ajax: the mutant who had people like Wade lured into his workshop in an effort to create mutant slaves to sell to the highest bidder. Wade is also trying to find Ajax, to have him cure the disfigurement Wade endured during his mutation. After a firefight (not to mention the hilarious opening credits), Wade takes us back to the beginning, where he was working as a domestic merc. He then meets Venessa (AKA “A hot chick”), and their crazy almost immediately clicks, and they quickly fall in love before Wade falls ill with cancer. The rest, as they say, is history.

Mmmmmm... that's hot.

The plot of this movie isn’t all that original, but that really isn’t the idea, and the movie would only be hindered by a convoluted plot. This is a film about Deadpool, and establishing him as the character he is intended to be, and rinse the aftertaste from Origins that left us fearful. So the main focus of this review is going to be the character himself.

Colossus is strong, and somewhat overconfident. He is also a typical "hero" type, who thinks he can make Deadpool join the X-men.

On that front, I have to say, Ryan Reynolds nailed it. This is Deadpool, plain and simple. He swears, he’s dirty, and he has no intention of being PG-13. Plus, the hilarity never stops: 4^th wall breaks, guns galore, and all the relentless jokes and moments that make Deadpool… Deadpool. His relationships with everyone only help to make him even better: between Colossus and Teenage Warhead (not saying the whole thing), they only help to contrast Deadpool from the typical X-men variety of mutants/heroes.

Meet Francis... err... Ajax.

There really isn’t very much else to say. The action is all awesome, the laughs flow almost non-stop from the opening credits, and this movie really comes together brilliantly. It doesn’t rely on plot or deeper themes to entertain the audience, it uses Deadpool, and those around him, as a source of comedy and excitement, as things start getting crazy. If you’ve followed Deadpool in comic form, then you’ll almost certainly love this movie. If you’re walking in expecting another superhero film with boy scouts and mama’s boys, then keep looking, because Deadpool is neither. This is a raunchy, foul-mouthed, head-shooting action/comedy thrill ride that keeps the laughs coming from beginning to end.

Good:

-Deadpool is finally who he is meant to be.

-Hilarious, between 4^th wall breaks and edgy humor.

-Action to go with the laughs.

Bad:

-Isn’t overly original, and the powers of some mutants (like Ajax) are somewhat vague and don’t really make sense.

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode Four - A Block and a Hard Place

By: Robert Murphy 


All roads have led to this point, but why so soon? The fourth episode to Minecraft's: Story Mode teaches our budding heroes in the consequences of blindly worshiping their own idols while also continuing to delve ever deeper into the rich lore and wonder that Minecraft has to offer. Unfortunately, the journey there is filled with all manner of low points for the characters who either don't live up to there potential or just don't garner the development they deserve. 

"A Block and a Hard Place" starts out on solid footing when a mystery surrounding our legendary Order of the Stone starts to come about but before you get there the group has to take a trip to the farthest reaches of the known world, the "Far Lands." The concept of The Far Lands is not a far fetched one as many have managed to reach the seemingly impossible to find edge of the map in Minecraft. It's a place where nothing can be built or mined and thus the perfect place to somehow spawn an evil lair that holds all the Order's most valued artifacts. A very clever idea by the developers to be sure and one that digs even deeper into the development of this world into actually being a place where people live and spread secret legends about the games most famous glitches, tricks and mechanics.

The trip there however proved to be nothing compared to the grand spectacle that was the previous episodes opening credits. Cut together here are bits of time skips of our heroes traveling to the ends of the world in order to reach this legendary location. The chunks of time are filled in with choices for players to pick that include things like "Are we there yet?" over and over again to the annoyance of everyone in the game and myself. This also proves to set the tone for the rest of the stories dialogue choices from here on out.

Surprisingly little is done to grow Jesse and his friends as characters in this tale and once again most of the focus revolves around the Order and their past rather than what lies in the present. While the Whither Storm is a product of the groups past sins and the story developments that come from it do lead the story down a solid path, there is just little for Jesse and his team to do outside of generic compliments to one another. For that matter, many of the choices players will come to face do not end up being all that dire once all is said and done either. This is truly a shame since issues with Petra were growing into something that would potential damage the team forever and the reoccurring rivalry Lukas was beginning to heat things up as well, but they are simply dropped like they never happened or just forgotten for the sake of moving the story ahead. 

Fortunately the chapters climactic conclusion proved to put the focus back where it belonged as Jesse and his friends surpass their would be heroes in a big way. There is a charming battle that ensues here that mixes actual combat with ridiculous building, something that Jesse's friends are particularly great at and I loved choosing a final creation to help distract the Whither Storm as well as choosing mine and my friends battle gear. There were also some surprisingly intense combat moments involving the quick time button prompts and a tough sacrifice made by a character that I'm sure was a fan favorite.

The looming question in my head though continues to be, what is next? There is still a fifth and final episode planned for Story Mode somewhere in the near future but with all the lose ends tide up here it is hard to say what exactly that chapter will end up being about. Perhaps a bit of uncertainty going in is a good thing and a chance to correct the story issue of the past can be made but it is anyone's guess at this point. 

What I appreciate most about Minecraft's: Story Mode thus far has been the attention and appreciate that went into making the world of Minecraft come to life even more than the original game already does. Telltale Games has a clear understanding of the world and all of the crazy things that it can be capable of with the right mind set. However, the slow pacing and poor story direction for "A Block and a Hard Place" keep it from being totally enjoyable all the way through. 

Good:

- Triumphant conclusion

- Wonderful use of Minecraft lore

Bad:

- Important story issue get dropped

- Slow pacing and poor dialogue

- Focuses more on the Order rather than Jesse and his friends

Scully Rating: 7.0 out of 10

Rainbow Six Siege

By: Robert Murphy

An enemy group is hold up tight in a securely fortified room, but then the door gets ripped down and out go the flashbangs and systematically your enemies get dropped one by one and your team stands over them victorious. That's how a good match goes anyways but this is the extremely invigorating feeling that comes from playing Rainbow Six Siege. The reboot to the long standing Rainbow Six franchise now pits players against an unknown terrorist threat that has every nation in the world coming together in order to combat them. The world's top agents are at your fingers tips, all you have to do is put them to work.

Siege is no joke when it comes to gameplay as it puts players into environments meant to make you aware of anything and everything that could possibly happen to them because it most likely will. Outside of the regular attack and defense style objectives, teams of five must attempt to keep every shred of themselves intact as they maneuver through various scenarios. If you think you are safe in a certain spot then you're dead wrong; walls, windows, floors, rooftops, it can all be taken down in an instant with any number of the gadgets players have at their disposal. This is all the thrill however as it is just as invigorating to destroy as it is to try and hunker down with a group and stop yourself from becoming a red blood smear on the side of the wall. It is an indescribable rush and one that I haven't felt from a shooter in so long since so many modern shooters are going the fast paced route, Siege wants you to go slow, to think tactically and strike hard.

What adds to this tactical way of playing is the attention to detail surrounding the games audio tracks, and no I don't mean some epic level song, I'm talking about the sounds of the players. Every level features some sort of scenario or interesting aspect to it but what players will be paying most attention to is those footsteps made by an enemy climbing up the staircase or the sound of glass shattering from an unknown window. Paying close attention to these details can lead players through a successful match or spell their certain demise. 

The chaos though comes from the variety of "Operators" that Siege has brought together from around the world in these matches of attack and defense. There are twenty characters in total and each of them brings their own unique skills to the table for the variety of game modes and they're even divided into the categories they would best serve players in such as Doc for defense and Sledge for attack. Digging further into these two characters and why they're suited for these tasks; Doc carries a handy revive gun that launches needles into your fallen allies which is a handy tool in a game where life can be taken away so easily and Sledge makes for an excellent offense operator with his sledgehammer that can be used to knock down any wall that isn't specially barricaded. The list goes on just like this and each operator is uniquely fun to play as with all their little gadgets to test out, the only problem being getting to your favorite operator before someone else picks them first. 

The maps you will be treading across are just as diverse as the characters that will be running through them, Oregon is a personal favorite of mine where you travel through a half constructed group of apartment buildings that looks like a drug den. But, the missions themselves do lack a bit of diversity to them, like when it comes to attacker missions that boil down to finding a certain objective and either retrieving or destroying it. The defender missions do shake things up a bit by causing pure paranoia as you defend against all avenues of danger but even still you're just playing the same game mode from a different perspective. And then the solution doesn't always wind down to whoever complete the objective but rather whoever eliminated who first. 

The fan favorite Terrorist Hunt mode however proves to bring back the true nostalgia players out there who remember taking down a series of AI controlled enemies throughout a map without them eliminating you first. While the game mode is definitely a welcomed blast from the past the difficulty settings could do with some altering considering Normal mode can almost be completely all by yourself. The AI won't take advantage of the features that make Siege the exceptional shooter that it is so players will need to bump it up a notch to Hard mode for a more satisfying challenge and then of course Realistic mode proves to be just what you would expect, one bullet and you're ready to drop.

As for the rest of the game, there isn't much to say when it comes to the single player element and that's not a bad thing considering it was never the main focus for it to begin with. The ten single player training missions serves as a way to ingratiate players into the various game types, tools and challenges that they will end up facing throughout their collective game play experience. The challenges are relatively quick and painless to get through and doing all of them earns you a fair amount of Renown, the in-game currency that unlocks weapons, characters, skins and more. There is also a hidden eleventh mission that puts all your skills into action but it's underline message to the audience will leave fans second guessing the lack of an interesting single player story or a cooperative one for that matter. 

Despite these minor few short comings, Rainbow Six Siege is the type of shooter that I have been missing for years now. The raw game play is simply fantastic as it blends realistic or as realistic as you would want it to be without you pulling out your hair or throwing your controller across the room. The shear chaos of destructible environments; shooting through walls, up through floor boards, thermiting through barricades, it's all a mixture for success as it couples with the tactical game play elements of stealthily moving through a level trying to take out enemies without awakening a hornets nest. In the end, what more could you really ask for?

Good:

- Paranoia inducing and chaotic gameplay action

- Massive amount of destructible environments

- Variety of Operators and their toys

- Beautiful maps

Bad:

- A single player element that hints that there could have been much more here

- Diversity in the game modes

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Stargate Universe (Complete Series)

Zach Goodier

Stargate Universe is the most recent addition to the Stargate franchise. Project Icarus, headed by Col. Young, is working on unlocking the secrets of an Ancient expedition, sent roughly 1 million years ago. This expedition involved sending multiple unmanned ships across the universe, to seed stargates, but, more importantly, to gather information. The main ship, the Destiny, was later sent to follow the seed ships across space on a mission to the very ends of the universe, with the final goal that is still unknown. However, powering the gate is proving problematic, with the calculations proving too complicated for the lead scientist, Dr. Rush. To solve this problem, the Ancients original calculations are embedded in a public game, which is eventually solved by Eli Wallace, a civilian dropout. After Eli is brought to the Icarus base, on a distant planet, he is asked to help finish work and finding the lost secrets of the Ancients.

Meet Destiny, an unmanned Ancient ship sent on a mission across the universe roughly... well, let's just say a lot of years ago.

This show has a great premise, but the start can be a little slow. The first episode does a great job of establishing the important characters, and get the ball rolling, but the following episodes are a little slow. An attack by the Lucian Alliance forces the crew to dial out to abandon the base, but Dr. Rush decides to dial the address provided by the Ancients. After arriving on the Destiny, the crew immediately has to struggle to survive as several of the ship’s systems start failing (mind you, a million year-old ship is bound to have some issues). What ensues is a lot of tension as a group of characters who is ill-equipped and unable to return home struggles to adapt to life a few billion light-years from home. However, as the show progresses, things pick up as the crew finds new civilizations, both hostile and… well, mostly hostile.

The characters are all very interesting. Col. Young is unprepared for the struggles he faces, and has a lot to overcome. Eli and Rush are both brilliant, but Eli is still idealistic, and Rush is somewhat callous and pragmatic, a combination that often puts him at odds with Col. Young when making major decisions. Tensions only escalate as military and civilians both attempt to work together, but are often at odds with each other in a high stress situation.

There isn’t as much exploration as some might hope for in the Stargate series, but the main focus is the Destiny itself, and uncovering its’ mysteries. This has some high points, but it also means a lot of time is spent with idle crew dialogue and drama. And with the communication stones discovered in SG-1, the sense of isolation also feels somewhat lessened.

There are races keen on taking the Destiny for its' advanced technology, and to uncover its' secrets.

The special effects are all well done, and sets are wonderfully created. One of the things I loved about this series was the sense of continuity, with people wearing down and things like ammunition and food being a constant issue, sense the expedition can’t resupply. These issues add a sense of desperation and tension that even Atlantis couldn’t compete with. The overall tone and aesthetic is much darker than the typical Stargate series, with there being a noticeable lack of the humor you might expect, given the previous entries in the franchise.

Meet Nicolas Rush, a brilliant, but callous man, who is always looking at the bottom line.

Overall, this is a very interesting show, and I did enjoy it; however, it certainly has its’ shortcomings. It takes a while to get started, and even then, you spend more time getting bogged down with personal drama for each character, rather than focusing on the journey ahead. This doesn’t make the diversions all bad, but it can over-complicate the plot, at times, and distract you from what is going on with the Destiny itself. The look into much older Ancient designs is interesting, with a ship that is much less advanced than designs found in Atlantis, being much more relatable to our modern tech.

Destiny is powered by solar matter, that it takes by literally flying into stars. Only way to keep a ship flying for all those years.

The remarkable, exciting, and often frightening fact that this ship is still functioning after roughly a million years travelling the universe keeps thing on edge, in a good way. Things break, and the crew is often stuck simply working around damaged systems, since knowledge, as well as spare parts, are very limited in supply to help Destiny. For its’ shortcomings, this show is an interesting entry to the frachise, one that will unfortunately never see its’ conclusion due to cancellation, leaving a very disappointing cliffhanger. For these issue, though, I did really enjoy this series. It’s different, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you want a unique entry to the franchise.

Good:

-A mysterious story that teases both the characters and audience.

-Interesting characters.

-An unprepared, under-qualified, and poorly supplied team on a neglected ship makes for great tension to spark conflicts throughout.

-Great aesthetic, with detailed set pieces and great CGI, and a ship that always holds more surprises.

Bad:

-Too much drama with individual character ties back on earth.

-A bad cliffhanger ending that we’re stuck with due to early cancellation.

-Lacks a lot of that humor, and adventurous spirit, that established the Stargate franchise.

Scully Rating: 8 out of 10