1/31/2024 0 Comments Xbox wireless headsetYou’d normally expect to pay double that to get the same sort of audio and build quality in a wireless gaming headset. The Xbox Wireless Headset is just £89/$99, which is really what seals the deal here. Charging is handled by USB-C, and Microsoft includes a short cable in the box, though you’ll likely want to use a longer lead, especially if you intend to play while charging, or use the same cable to connect to a PC. Win-win.Ī full charge takes three hours or so, though just half an hour charging will get you 30 minutes of playtime. That gets you both easy, two-button pairing and a more reliable, higher-quality connection for audio. The Xbox Wireless Headset connects to Xbox consoles in the same way that the controllers do, using Microsoft’s own Xbox Wireless standard. Audio from the headset mic is crisp and clear, and helped by voice isolation that attempts to tune out background noise, and an auto-mute function that silences your mic when not in use. You do get support forĭolby Atmos and DTS:X spatial sound, though note that both of these require separate subscriptions.Ĭhat audio is just as important as gaming audio of course, and Microsoft has delivered here too. If so, you’ll just miss out on proper media controls.Īs mentioned, there’s no active noise-cancellation, which is the main thing that keeps this headset from rivalling the best in the business, but for the price the omission is acceptable. The speakers hold up for music too, which is welcome given that these have easy Bluetooth pairing with phones or computers – so it’s pretty plausible that these could become your everyday headphones rather than be relegated to your gaming gear.
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1/30/2024 0 Comments Shut in free full movieIt does give the audience a chance to learn more about her character’s backstory, including the trauma of her own past addiction, but it tends to shuffle at a point where it should be ratcheting up the tension. When Jessica is first imprisoned inside the pantry, the story quickly loses its momentum by focusing on Jessica coming to grips with her own self-reflection. No film is perfect, and Shut In is no different. It works, with just a few minor stumbles along the way. The film’s second act purposely skimps on any and all exterior shots outside of the pantry, preferring to ramp up tension by leveraging claustrophobia with an increasing sense of danger. It’s done in such a way that the audience feels trapped in the pantry along with her, which is a lot harder to pull off in application, as opposed to theory. As she communicates with those on the outside (particularly her daughter Lainey), Caruso implements sound for the purpose of spatial awareness and narrative anchoring. Here, Caruso tackles Shut In’s isolated single set design with a strong combination of camera angles and sound work.Ī large chunk of the film takes place inside the cramped pantry, where Jessica is effectively “shut in,” and forced to find a way out. Caruso, best known for his directorial work in TV shows like Dark Angel, Smallville, and The Shield, as well as films like Disturbia, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, and Two For The Money, starring Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey. The concept of redemption is one of the strongest thematic elements of the story, and it works whether Jessica is fighting tooth and nail for survival, or bonding with her children as a young mother. The result is a film with an uplifting message, as opposed to a nihilistic one. Once again, the religious element is used effectively, sprinkled in at just the right times in ways that feel appropriate to the story. Irrespective of personal religious belief or non-belief, each viewer is capable of understanding the message. Yet, it’s remarkably easy to appreciate and admire Shut In’s message regarding the concept of faith, and the importance of walking the straight and narrow path. Jessica is both a single mom, and a recovering drug addict trying to stay on the straight and narrow for the sake of her two young children, Lainey and Mason.įull disclosure – this writer is an Atheist. Shut In centers around the character of Jessica, played with excellence by actress Rainey Qualley, best known for appearances in films like Ocean’s 8 and Ultrasound, and TV hits like Mad Men. Its only real weak point lies in particular story mechanics, which don’t always make sense. Shut In uses the nail-biting thriller motif to trojan horse in a few key messages that end up becoming far more important than its overall premise. Thankfully, the answer is yes, though with a few tiny caveats. Shut In serves a dual purpose – to entertain audiences with a brisk, tense, and atmospheric thriller, while also carving out an alternative space for both audiences, and industry professionals trying to escape the propagandistic quagmire of Leftist-dominated Hollywood. Source: Shut In (2022), The Daily Wire, YouTube trailer 1/30/2024 0 Comments B note recorderNext we need to work on making an even better sound and maybe making our performance a bit more lively! But we hope you enjoy this sneak peek into our rehearsals :-) We are really pleased with how we are playing together and reading the notes as well as keeping in time with the music. We are busy learning new notes using our right hand fingers, but in the meantime we have also been learning this reel - a type of dance, which here is like line dancing. Year 5 have been working so hard in their recorder lessons and are making great progress. You can also sing Pancake Day to the same tune! Practise changing from B to A to G at the same time as tonguing (doo, doo, doo) to help you to play Hot Cross buns a bit faster with the Gospel-style track below. Two At Twilight - remember to play slowly and smoothly (legato). Can you make some different patterns and tunes with just these two notes? Try changing from A to B, remembering to move only your middle finger on the left hand (not your index finger!) and keep the thumb over the hole at the back. Here are some other resources to help you: Write the names of the notes if you lose track! Scroll down this page to find a video of last year's Year 5 playing the Reel! (Visit the Download Help page for more info.)Ībout the Audio Recordings Audio recordings contain full performance and accompaniment only (instrumental) tracks.Use your homework sheet for the notes - you can either read the Figurenotes notation (with colours) or the standard notation. It is also a great chance to talk about and have your students try improvisation.Ībout the Downloadable Option The downloadable version contains all the components the print version would, but in electronic format. In both arrangements, the notes B, A, and G are used, with the option of adding E on the funky edition for your more advanced players. Cheesy Feet - We've provided both a cool and mellow, swingin' jazz arrangement of this tune and a sharp and crunchy, funky rock arrangement, so you can choose whatever flavor suits your mood.Set in a relaxed folk/rock style, the melody of this tune is distinctive, but limits the notes to just B, A, and G, so the players can concentrate on the rhythms. It's a simple rhythm, but can sometimes be a bit of an obstacle. Drifting Slowly - This is a nice exercise designed to teach the rhythm dotted quarter, eighth, quarter, quarter.There is also an optional A towards the end of the tune. While the wild and zany accompaniment clips along, all your recorder players have to do is play the note B. Hungarian Rhapso-B - Franz Liszt might be cringing, but we had a lot of fun adapting his Hungarian Rhapsody No.The feel-good groove with a rollicking piano motif and some great improvised alto sax lines will make your students smile! "Find A Happy Place" uses the notes B, A, and G on soprano and E, D, and C on alto recorder. Find A Happy Place - An upbeat, breezy jazz tune, this is fun, easy-to-play, and gives you the option of using both soprano and alto recorders.B Cool - This Latin jazz flavored tune is a fun way to work on the note B, but it also has a version using B, A, and G, so you can use it with beginning players or challenge others and even perform it as a duet! You may use it as a lesson on improv, a warm-up, or as a chance to cement posture and hand position - it's full of options.Fortify your recorder program with this wonderful recorder collection that includes: This versatile resource provides lots of flexibility for your classroom by giving you easier and harder versions of some of the songs, or faster and slower tempos, and plenty of teaching notes about the songs. We've put together the first collection of fabulous recorder songs from our premier Recorder Classroom magazine. B BAG and BEYONDby Paul Jennings, Teresa Jennings, John Riggio, and Karl HitzemannĪmazingly Cool Songs For Beginning Recorder Since Subway Surfers is an android application and is not meant for Windows OS, you will need an Android emulator to run the app. Method 2- Install Subway Surfers for PC using Bluestacks But in case this file setup doesn’t work for you, you can try the following method. Now you can start your journey with Jake and his hooligan friends. Set the screen resolution and Graphics quality to 1024x 768 and Fantastic on this window. Step 3: There will be a shortcut icon on your desktop as the installation is done. Step 2: After the downloading process is completed, click on the. Or you can download it using the links given above. So it is the direct method of downloading the application in. The first method is the process by which you can download Subway Surfers for PC without Bluestacks, the Android Emulator. Here are the two methods you can use to download and install Subway Surfers on Windows PC. But to enjoy the same apps on your Windows PC, you will need an Android emulator like Bluestacks. Just open the Google Play store and search for the app you want. Hard Disk Space: 30 Mb of free space requiredĭownloading apps on the Android phone is so easy.Operating System: Window XP / Vista/ Window 7/ Window 8 and 8.1/10.Can jump on the top of the trains and avoid being caught.I need to collect the gold coins out of the air.It can revolve around teenage hooligans.It’s a fantastic action-packed, endless-running Android/PC game.With this game, be ready to experience your adrenaline rush through your body. Here are some links to download Subway Surfers for Windows PC. Or click on the given link to download Subway Surfers for PC online. The Subway Surfers PC file- version 1.0 has the size of 23.50MB and can be downloaded easily from any website. You can easily install the game on systems running on Windows XP, Vista, Vista 圆4, Win7 圆4, Win7 x32, Windows2003, and the later versions. It is a free software application of the subcategory of Arcade and a part of the Games and Entertainment category. Just like you play Subway Surfers on your Android device, you can now enjoy this game on your PC. Also, look out for various word challenges, complete daily challenges, and unlock Jake’s friends. With Hoverboards, you can escape collisions and continue with your game. Also, don’t forget to pick up the coins and power-ups.Īnd when you gain speed, use your hoverboard as it makes you invulnerable for about 30 seconds. You can pick up power jumpers, jetpacks, and power shoes as you ride your way through various stations. The game has an easy interface, impressive visual effects, and HD graphics. Also, it would be best if you dodged the collision with the trains at the same time. And so, as the character runs down the track, they have to collect the gold coins coming their way. He is a naughty young teenager who dons a rock-n-roll-inspired attire, making his wall graffiti famous. There are a lot of unique characters, Jake being the unlocked and default one. At the same time, they run to escape from being caught by the inspector and his patrol dog. Subway Surfers is an exciting game that revolves around a gang of teenage hooligans busy making graffiti on metro stations. Method 3: Download Subway Surfers from Microsoft Store.Method 2- Install Subway Surfers for PC using Bluestacks. 1/30/2024 0 Comments Afloat waterbed reviewsWhile some continue to enjoy the unique sensation waterbeds bring, many have switched to more traditional mattresses. In the 1960s up to the 1980s, waterbeds became a bedroom staple. In the latter half of the 20 th century, waterbeds became a popular bedroom fad among the hip and the young. We address this further in our soft-side waterbed mattress reviews.Trends come and go, but some came to stay. It’s important now, to look at some of the best waveless waterbed mattresses on the market and their specific features before choosing the perfect fit for you. Now you have a firm grasp on both the health benefits of water mattresses and their construction. This is a notable cost-saver and an added convenience when you’re looking to replace a current mattress. Lastly, the soft-sided bed can easily fit within most wooden frames once occupied by older beds. With this model, there is an even distribution of weight, regardless of your shift or moving about. Placing the bladder in between the layers of foam and upholstery protects softside waterbed from being compromised.Īdditionally, the soft-sided option encapsulates the water-filled chamber in such a way that it is no longer difficult to get in and out of bed. In the past, waterbeds have been known by their ability to be easily damaged by sharp objects and friction. Rather than consisting of water and a thin exterior, the softside waterbed is made with a smaller water-filled chamber, commonly referred to as the bed’s “bladder.” This chamber is encapsulated by a layer or layers of foam and upholstery, which contribute to the waveless feel of this bed.Īn added benefit to this innovative water chamber design is increased durability and flexibility. Soft-sided waterbeds are the newer and more popular solution to many of the traditional woes. Much like many proactive and preventative health care practices, choosing the proper bedding with lower back wellness in mind leads to overall health in later years. Lumbar support is a current hot topic among chiropractors and other doctors, alike, as it is common that many adults today have difficulty finding adequate support in the work setting and at home in their beds.īut are waterbeds comfortable for those not suffering from back pain? Adults are not the only members of the population who can benefit from the use of waterbeds as an additive to their lumbar support. Most notably, these waterbed mattresses are known to be used as a very effective treatment for issues related to the lumbar, or lower back. These beds provide an equal distribution of weight across the whole body, taking pressure off the back and evenly supporting all joints, which allows the spine to relax and leads to less pain and discomfort. Sleeping on a waterbed is a well-known treatment for many who suffer from backaches. Are waterbeds good for you and your back pain? Let’s find out. Whether you’re working at a desk, or you’re doing manual labor, there is a good chance that you’ve experienced a sore or hurt back. It also includes links to an additional 60+ best mattress pages from Sleep Advisor (example: best memory foam mattress).īackaches have always been a prominent health issue for almost every person at one point in their lives. It is a great starting place for most mattress shoppers because it includes a diverse list of mattress picks based on various preferences, styles, and needs. If you're unsure or want to learn about more great mattress options available then we recommend you check our top-rated mattresses for 2023. While the different waterbed designs all attribute to a healthier lifestyle, personal preference in terms of feel, firmness, and movement all contribute to your, as a customer, satisfaction with your waterbed.Īre you confident that a waterbed mattress is the perfect option for you? If so, continue exploring this page! There are traditional styles and modern styles, different materials and many other attributes to consider while you’re shopping around.īecause your decision will ultimately affect your health, it’s important to consider which benefits you hope to receive. Before thinking “Where I can buy a waterbed?”, decide which features and benefits interest you most, and what style best suites your individual sleep needs. 1/30/2024 0 Comments Lg signatureIn some processors the search in L1 and L2 is simultaneous. If the processor does not find the data needed in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache memory. The L1 (level 1) cache memory has a small volume, but operates faster than the RAM and the rest cache memory levels. The cache memory is used by the processor in order to shorten the time needed to access data and instructions that a frequently used. Information about the set of instructions the processor can execute. The instruction set architecture (ISA) is a set of commands used by the software to manage the CPU's work. 64-bit CPUs provide better performance than 32-bit ones, which on their part perform better than 16-bit processors. The CPU bits are determined by the bit-size of the processor registers, address buses and data buses. Its main function is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.Ĥx 2.45 GHz Kryo 280, 4x 1.9 GHz Kryo 280 The value in nanometers represents half the distance between elements that make up the CPU.ĬPU is the Central Processing Unit or the processor of a mobile device. Information about the process technology used in manufacturing the chip. The SoC integrates different hardware components such as the CPU, GPU, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as software for their functioning. System on Chip (SoC) A system on a chip (SoC) includes into a single chip some of the main hardware components of the mobile device. A further development of the technology is called LTE Advanced. It has been developed by the 3GPP based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA technologies in order to increase the speed and capacity of wireless data networks. LTE is deemed to be the fourth generation (4G) of mobile communications technology. It has been developed by the 3GPP and its major advantage is the provision of greater bandwidth and spectral efficiency, due to the W-CDMA technology. Based on the GSM standard, it is deemed as a 3G mobile network standard. UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It has been improved with the addition of General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) and later via the Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) was developed to replace the analog cellular network (1G), therefore it is referred to as a 2G mobile network. Networks A mobile (cellular) network is a radio system, which allows a large number of mobile devices to communicate with each other. Information about the standards, in which the device is certified. Materials used in the fabrication of the device's body. Information about the colors, in which the device is available in the market. Applies for devices in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped. Information about the weight of the device in different measurement units.Įstimated volume of the device, calculated from the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Information about the thickness/depth of the device in different measurement units. the vertical side of the device when it is used in its standard orientation. the horizontal side of the device when it is used in its standard orientation. Body materials, available colors, certifications. When the screen slides up, a pair of thin poles rise up in unison to keep the panel rigid as it’s unrolling.īesides being fully extended or rolled up, the Signature OLED R’s display can also be partially exposed in a so-called “Line View,” with roughly a quarter of the screen visible.Design Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, shown in different measurement units. The flexible screen rolls down into the base at the push of a button, with the roll itself (if you’re curious) facing forward inside the housing. You can upgrade the WISA-ready TV’s audio to a 5.1-channel configuration using an optional dongle. Meanwhile, the nearly 5.5-foot-wide base houses a 100-watt, 4.2-channel speaker array, complete with front-firing drivers and Dolby Atmos support. And yes, there’s built-in Alexa and Google Assistant, not to mention AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support. The 120Hz OLED panel supports VRR for gaming, while webOS 6.0 delivers a grid of streaming videos and smart TV apps. 4K HDR resolution with Dolby Vision is a given, of course, as well as the manufacturer’s fourth-gen, AI-enabled A9 upscaling processor. Specs-wise, you can expect the same features and functionality in the Signature OLED R (or the OLED65R1PUA) as you would in LG’s mainstream high-end OLED models. LG’s rollable OLED TV, as seen at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. 1/30/2024 0 Comments Fast mouse clicker gameHowever, before you download the program, you might want to explore a few alternatives. GS Auto Clicker is an excellent tool for automating repetitive mouse clicking tasks. That said, though, GS Auto Clicker has a specific use case and aims to target a particular problem area for Windows users. However, if there is a drawback, it is its limited functionality. You can rest assured that you won’t lose any files or data to malicious code or ransomware with this tool. So, you don’t need to worry about the program harming your computer’s performance. Once again, this feature is quite useful for gamers, but even programmers and coders working on repetitive tasks can use GS Auto Clicker to save time.Īlso, GS Auto Clicker doesn’t come with harmful codes or viruses. From a single area, this extends the tool’s usage to a complete sequence of ‘events’. In case you want to tap multiple areas on the screen in a particular order, you can set the software to record the entire input to be played later whenever needed. You can set up customized hotkeys to save more time, input frequently used words, or navigate web browsers without entering repetitive phrases. For those unfamiliar with this, it's a macro, perfect for gaming purposes. It boasts the ability to set key sequences to run with a single click. Is GS Auto Clicker easy to use?Īpart from focusing on automated mouse clicking, GS Auto Clicker offers a few more features. All you need to do is set up the mouse clicking task and interval to automate processes. The program’s simplistic menu doesn’t require any technical skills or knowledge. Once you download and install the task automation tool on your PC, you can start using it instantly without any issues. The program doesn’t display disruptive ads or subscription requests. The best part about GS Auto Clicker is its free usage. A task automation program like GS Auto Clicker can optimize your time and minimize any bodily wear and tear. It’s even worse if you haven’t invested a good amount of money in a high-quality device. Repeatedly using the computer’s mouse not only risks your wrist’s strength but damages the mouse as well. GS Auto Clicker is often used in the ‘idlers’ gaming genre, where you need to tap a character thousands of times to perform a specific task. For instance, you can use the program in games like Minecraft and Roblox, which require you to build from scratch to earn points. While it’s not the perfect alternative to a mouse, it comes in handy for various tasks. Simply put, GS Auto Clicker is a task automation software that saves you from the trouble of repeatedly clicking on the screen. GS Auto Clicker is efficient and fast, automating repetitive mouse clicking on your Windows PC. Since the app doesn’t take a lot of system resources, you don’t have to worry about lags or crashes. The tool asks you for the number of clicks and the interval between them. From the main menu, you can insert details about the tasks you want to automate. The game may seem to play from a so-called limited user account but when you eventually start downloading community developed boat models and boat skins then you will run into complications with folder security settings.Ĭaution Pressing the button Restore defaults on either Display or Network advanced configuration pages will affect resolution and kbps settings made at the primary configuration page. It is recommended that you play the game with administrator credentials.Alternatively, if you routinely use a limited user account, then read the article Run as admin for instructions on how to configure the shortcut for this game to always run the game with the credentials of a specific administrator account. Use an administrator account to launch the game. Install You must install the game using an account with Administrator privileges. VSK 5 Online (free) Follow the DOWNLOADS link at the above website and select a mirror server from which to download the 256MB VSK5Online setup file. See the above-mentioned table for detail as to why this is recommended.ĭownload VSK 5 (pay) Follow the SHOP link at the game's official website: When you buy the full version it is best that you completely uninstall the free VSK5Online game and then download the full version for a clean install. See the article Evolution of VSK for a table comparing features of one generation previous and the current versions of VSK5. Nadeo has provided the opportunity for you to try before you buy.
The Legend Stages are further divided into three categories: Stories of Legend (SoL), Uncanny Legends (UL), and Zero Legends (ZL), with each being unlocked after completing the previous. The Catclaw Dojo contains a stage to test how many enemies you can defeat within a given period of time, with an addition of some collaborated stages of the same premise, except with collaborated enemies. The Legend Stages contain multiple sub-chapters. There are also two extra chapters: The Legend Stages and the Catclaw Dojo. The Battle Cats contains 3 main stories: Empire of Cats (EoC), Into the Future (ItF) and Cats of the Cosmos (CotC), with each story containing 3 chapters. To win the battle, a player must employ different types of cats, such as those that can outrange enemies, meat shields, or crowd controllers. For example, the cat "Axe Cat" is strong against the "Red" enemy type, which allows any spawned copies of the cat to deal more and take less damage against "Red". In battle, each cat and enemy unit has different stats and sometimes abilities, which allow them to be more effective against the opposite type. Enemies have traits such as "Red", "Floating", or "Aku". The gameplay involves sending the roster of the cats onto a 2D battlefield to defend the Cat Base and defeat the enemy's corresponding base. The Battle Cats is a tower defense game where the player selects a team of unlockable "cats", or units, to defeat enemies in order to protect their base (called "Cat Base"). Utilizing this technology, the cats begin to invade outer space, attacking a variety of places in the Cosmos.Įnglish screenshot from The Battle Cats gameplay on iOS The final main chapter of the game, Cats of the Cosmos (often shortened to CotC) begins when interplanetary travel becomes possible. Battles for the world then commence between the 2 forces. Using this, they travelled to the future, and find that Aliens have taken over Earth. The second main story chapter of the game, Into the Future (shortened to ItF)'s story revolves around a time machine the cats obtained in the beginning of Stories of Legend. The cats then proceed to take over the world, to harness the world's power. The identity of the creator of these Battle Cats is the fictional deity The Cat God, which can be unlocked as a power up early into the story, and beating chapter two of Cats Of The Cosmos unlocks it as a unit. The story of Empire of Cats (commonly shortened to EoC) consists of an army of "Battle Cats" appearing amidst the world's varying crises. The plot in the game is taught through screens of scrolling text, usually appearing at the beginning and end of each "Chapter". It was ported to the Nintendo 3DS in 2016 and Nintendo Switch in Japan in 2018 and Southeast Asia in 2021. A Microsoft Windows port release was released in August 2017, and was available for download until late 2018, when PONOS Corporation cut support for it. It later was deleted in both the US Google Play stores and App Store, with an improved version of the game released on September 17, 2014. It received immense popularity in Japan and Korea. The Battle Cats debuted on the Japanese iOS App Store in November 2012 under the name of Battle Nyankos, with Android support following in December of that same year. The Battle Cats is a free-to-play tower defense video game developed and published by PONOS Corporation for iOS and Android, which was originally released in Japan under the name にゃんこ大戦争 (Nyanko Great War). 1/30/2024 0 Comments War of the gods 3God of War III is a good game, certainly a superlative game in some crucial areas. Fortunately, this isn't a review, so we don't have to deal with that. If this were a review, this is where I would give the game a relatively high score and prepare for the flood of comments asking me why the negative text doesn't match the number at the end. It would have been an even better game with a third of them. It would have been a better game with half these items. God of War III has lean level designs, but Kratos as a game character is overloaded with fat. That's why they're short – or, you know, why they were considered short in 2005 and are now the approximate length of most single-player action games. The God of War games have always been about trimming the fat from the design. Why does Kratos need a wall run? Kratos can climb walls. Kratos has, God help me, a wall run (L2 plus X). And you read it, and you're like, "Oh, right, you press L1 plus the circle button to jack a harpy" and then you forget it until the next time it comes up. L2? I think? I don't remember, because there's like a hundred different things to remember.Īnd somewhere along the line the designers realized that it was bothersome to make people remember, so every time you have to use a special attack, item or any of Kratos' many abilities, a big text box pops up onscreen telling you how to do it. Kratos also carries four different items into battle (the boots of Hermes, the head of Helios, etc.), which you use by holding. Weapons also have special attacks that you use by, um, holding the L1 button. Every weapon has its own magical attack, which you use by holding R2 and pressing the circle button. All the game really needed were these and one (1) chain-blade variant. These are awesome and I used them quite a bit. Rounding out the weapon selection are the massive boxing gloves of doom from the PSP game. But they weren't varied enough for me to actually use the other two. Three of them are variations on the chain-blades he's always packed. There's not too much combat, but there is way too much to do in combat. So we're left with platforming and combat, and since most people playing this game don't really seem to like 3-D platforming much either, we're left with combat. I'm not surprised that this is clearly what the audience wants (there's a reason it's called the lowest common denominator), but I am a little sad. Guess which feature turned out to have the most staying power? God of War III has, by my count, three puzzles: There are three moments in the game during which I had to stop, examine the environment and think carefully about how I was going to put things into place. I remember getting pumped about God of War based purely on the press materials, which pitched it as a cross between the action of classic arcade-style games and the difficult puzzles of point-and-click adventures. The designers created a whole mess of disparate environments, then superglued them together in random order. Aphrodite's bedroom has a door in it that literally leads straight to Hell. You jump around the chambers of Olympus haphazardly. Remember the trip through and out of Hades in the first game, and how it felt like an epic hero's journey with a destination? God of War III has no destination. Now, Olympus is the home of the gods, so of course they've built a whole Wonka factory up there, each room filled with something completely different. God of War III takes place entirely on Olympus. Kratos had one secret, and we already know it, and that's that.Īnd since Kratos isn't really going anywhere spiritually, he doesn't go much of anywhere physically, either. God of War managed to get one on there, but God of War III has nothing left up its sleeve. But layering a story onto that type of gameplay is almost exactly like trying to staple a plot onto Asteroids. In large part, that clarity of purpose is what makes the game fun. In that way, God of War is the true heir to the classic arcade game, and there's something to be said for knowing where you come from. He's a tiny ball of muscles and hate who does not know how to use his inside voice and who has no way of interacting with any object, moving or stationary, that does not involve killing it. Kratos cannot support a nuanced plot by this point. God of War III offers vague hints throughout the game that some kind of story might develop, and toward the end things do get a bit more complex, but by that time, we've spent seven hours or so indiscriminately killing people and it all just seems silly. Pac-Man had some semblance of a romantic subplot. Actually, that's not entirely fair: At least Ms. He tears through them in the same way that Pac-Man eats dots. Oh, on the way there he also kills several of the lesser gods in the Greek pantheon. |
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