Review No. 144 Grand Theft Auto IV - PC (18+)

Strong Points:
Strong voice performances
Great animation for cutscenes...
Variety of missions
Niko is well rounded and complete
Strong supporting cast
Great story
Gunplay is tight and versatile
Lots of cars to drive around in, with them behaving mostly like they should
Niko actually questions what's being asked of him...
The detail of the world and dialogue
Plenty of references
Detail of world - being able to skip tolls if you are in an ambulance with sirens on

Weak Points:
...Even with the occasional glitch or pop-in
Seems confused as to whether Niko is the main character or just a vehicle for the player to see the city
...Although doesn't necessarily do anything about it
Dark and gritty city fits the mood but isn't particularly fun to drive around
Constantly jumping between islands can get repetitive
The chronology of the game doesn't necessarily fit with the amount of time you play it for
Constant phone calls
No checkpoints in missions
No quicksave option
Tolls and bottlenecked traffic slow travel down
Some interesting physics with the cars

Some spoilers ahead:

Video Game Character of the Month - September 2018 - Fox McCloud - Star Fox

Video Game Character of the Month

September 2018
Fox McCloud
Star Fox

Overview:
Star Fox, I mean 'Fox McCloud', is one of the galaxy's best pilots, and certainly one of the best anthropomorphic fox pilots. And, while his main game series may have slipped slightly into obscurity (although Captain Falcon of F-Zero would argue that Star Fox is alive and kicking in comparison), he's certainly still very relevant in Super Smash Bros. tournaments. And, as an original Nintendo mascot, I think it's only fair to say: Fox, 'do a barrel role' and come and collect your Video Game Character of the Month Award!
Now for a little bit of information on Fox McCloud:
Warning: spoilers ahead

Film Review No. 43 Ant-Man and The Wasp (12+)

Strong Points:

More fun and interesting uses of the Pym Particle powers

A great script

Some brilliant one-liners

Interesting villain powers

More Luis lip-syncing

A better look at the Quantum Realm

Some great costumes

Mid-credit scene

Explains the repercussions of Captain America: Civil War and why Ant-Man wasn’t in Infinity War

Paul Rudd as Michelle Pfeiffer

A nice pallet-cleanser after Infinity War

Weak Points:

Felt like a filler episode before Avengers 4

Very quick pacing – because it has to take place in the same time-frame as Infinity War

Perhaps not to do with Ant-Man and The Wasp enough to justify the title

Some comedic breaks in tension fell flat

Spoiler warning for Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War

Film Review No. 42 The Incredibles 2 (PG)

Strong Points:
One of the funniest Pixar movies
The family life details are spot on...
Jack-Jack
Great voice acting from all
Stylish action sequences
Incredibly detailed animation and graphics
Great score
Edna's scene

Weak Points:
Never stops and takes a breath
The villain isn't quite Syndrome
The other heroes aren't really explored
...But the superhero sequences can't quite live up to them
Has some ideas (especially in the monologue) that aren't explored fully
Void's character model seemed off

Nitpick:
Some of the greatest scenes were too short and spoiled in the trailers

Spoilers ahead:

Video Game Character of the Month - August 2018 - Galen 'Starkiller' Marek - Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Video Game Character of the Month

July 2018
Galen 'Starkiller' Marek (Starkiller)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Overview:
For completing his final test, making me feel like an all-powerful Sith/Jedi, Galen 'Starkiller' Marek's, has been granted the prestigious Video Game Character of the Month Award. Now only two goals remain for the Star Wars production team: to finish the Force Unleashed Trilogy rather than leaving it as the Half-Life of movie tie-ins, and to grant Chewie his own medal for his role in a New Hope.
And now for a bit of information on Galen 'Starkiller' Marek:
Spoilers ahead:

Review No. 143 Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage - PS4 (12+)

Strong Points:
Beautiful graphics
An interesting development on Aqua's character
Smooth and fluid gameplay
Good pacing
Brilliant soundtrack
Helps to explain odd plot holes from the previous games
And sets up Kingdom Hearts 3 nicely
Customisation surprisingly works
Good voice acting
The animation in cutscenes is top notch
You can straight away see Aqua's power

Weak Points:
Some gameplay elements such as the clock gears were little more than gimmicks
Yearned for more
Ice ramps aren't properly explained and a slight change in environment will affect them

Some spoilers ahead:

Review No. 142 Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Final Mix - PS3 (12+)

Strong Points:
Great battle system
Intricate deck building...
A large adventure which demands to be seen as a whole rather than three stories
The Final Mix adds even more story and battles
A nice selection of worlds
Great voice acting from most...
Helps to fill in gaps from the wider KH narrative
Music is brilliant
Mirage Arena is a fun experience
Lots of little collectables...

Weak Points:
...which is slightly at ends with the original portable design of quick play sessions
...Although the three main characters could do with a bit more expression
The three stories mean the overarching narrative isn't filled in until the end, so remember to read up on what you've done before
Slightly barren worlds
Not enough Unversed bosses
...Which aren't really explained as to why they are there
Music sometimes loops too often - Cinderalla's World especially
D-Link takes too long to load

PS4 photo due to sharing option

Film Review No. 41 Ocean's Eight (12+)

Strong Points:
Entertaining and humorous throughout
Tongue-in-cheek...
Didn't rely on raunchy or over the top jokes as many films do when trying to show 'real female characters'
Clever heists
Multiple twists
Some nice references to the previous trilogy...
Low stakes make for an entertaining popcorn flick...

Weak Points:
...sometimes too much so
Slightly too long
James Corden's role wasn't needed
...But was it really needed?
...albeit a forgettable one
Some characters could have had larger, more fleshed out roles

Spoilers ahead:

Video Game Character of the Month - July 2018 - Merlin - Kingdom Hearts

Video Game Character of the Month

July 2018
Merlin
Kingdom Hearts

Overview:
Ah, Merlin. While you have had many incarnations over the years across a wide spectrum of mediums, it is Kingdom Hearts where you are remembered most fondly by this writer. His bumbling but calm demeanour brought moments of peace to an otherwise frantic game series. He also introduced the series to The Hundred Acre Wood and, as the series progressed, was shown to have a vast array of powers, including the ability to train people in the ways of the Keyblade. For this, and many other reasons, Merlin is being given the Video Game Character of the Month Award today.
And now for some information on Merlin:

Comment: Satamer's Favourite E3 Reveals 2018

With E3 (and my exams) complete for another year, I thought I'd do a quick post to reflect on my favourite reveals this year. I'm sure to have missed at least one reveal (I couldn't watch all of the showcases) but I'll update the post if I remember any more