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Batman v Superman: The Review

Batman V Superman, the mother of all match ups finally did its Superhero landing this past Friday. And what a landing!

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The movie seems to be critically panned by most yet is set to make mega moola.

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So how did it really fare?

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*super minor spoilers ahead*

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Firstly the darkness of the movie was a breath of fresh air compared to all the humour we get from Marvel (don’t get me wrong I love the Stark/Banner Banter but too much one thing can be detrimental fro ones health ) but I also feel that they drenched it in darkness when a good soak was all that was needed. A little more humour would have balance it more.

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The movie did feel cluttered at times but with Snyder having to manages 3 heroes and world/franchise building I can let that slide which is more poor editing than bad direction. But like I said before the shared universe has that effect and it’s a symptom we will have to live with if we want this multi-verse to continue.There were some obvious plot holes that may be done on purpose and this shall only reveal itself in future instalments or could be just poor story telling.

The film is well cast ( more on that later) and for the most part well directed. There are some camera angles that seem less that courteous to the scene at times. Visually it is stunning, but with such a long development period I would expected nothing short of spectacular. The score felt right and my favourite was that of Wonder Woman in the final act.

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Moving on to the cast, Batfleck seems to have nailed the Dark Knight but falls a little short on Bruce Wayne as there are times when it feels they are the same character and it shouldn’t, but time will heal that wound and IMO he has earned his seat as a worthy successor to Bale. His relationship with Alfred is captured beautifully and a key moment was him making old Al a cup of coffee. A scene that clearly defined there relationship is more than what appears on the surface.

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Cavill seems to be settling into his role well and his second outing is an improvement, even his physique is larger. His romance with Lois felt a little fast tracked but again nothing one cant get past to enjoy the film. Ms Lane’s character is served well as one can but visually she looks a bit old for Clark but who am I to judge what Supe’s into these days.

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Wonder Woman is a scene stealer in the best sense, her beauty, her strength and charisma shines through and will surely cement success in her solo outing. The only negative is that we never have enough of her.

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Lex I must admit shattered all my fears of Eisenberg playing the role. His malice is unmatched (until a certain new green haired freak makes his début ) and his genius is on point. While others may say his eccentric was over the top, I applaud it and felt it was what would be in his youth in this time. He is so full of himself as only a Luther can be.

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Snapping back to the film itself, I felt it delivered, adapting key Batman and Superman stories write out of comic book history and blending them together to create a cohesive story. So yes the movie is flawed is some ways but it certainly didn’t deserve the global panning which will probably hurt its box office returns.

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This movie isn’t made to win over critics, it isn’t made to collect Oscars, it was made for the fans. It was made as fun popcorn blockbuster that brings together the holy trinity. And in that regards it succeeds.

All in all it is a solid entry into DC’s cinematic universe and even warrants a second viewing.

Lets give it a hard earned 4/5

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As always BRING DA MAYHEM!!!!!!!!!!!

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Arkham Knight: PS4 Game Review

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This review is well overdue… I know… but in my defence the game took me in and never let me go, I mean really. Man what a roller-coaster.

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Let’s kick off with the graphics or visuals, Rocksteady have really used the next gen console’s capabilities as best as one could. From the way the rain slicks of the cape to the landscaping of the city. The city is what I believe Gotham should look like on screen. There is so much to take in, one can just take the time to go sightseeing, however considering the use of the Batmobile the streets could have been made a little more sensible. But there is plenty to explore.

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purrrrr

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“Oracle… the time is off on the Watchtower”

The Story…

This is what a Batman story should be, the odds stacked up against him in every possible way and a multitude of villains doing everything to compound those odds. This game was equal parts comic, movie and gameplay. The plot twists had me stunned as the game took Batman characters to places we never expected. This game is rich with character development, which is just as vital as stunning visuals. There is so much I just want to blurt out here, but I have been spoiler warned by the powers that be, so its zip lips for now.

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Fast and Furious

The Batmobile

This is one of the biggest draws of the game, how often does one get to throw the Batmobile around the streets of Gotham. The car is a nice combination of Nolan’s Tumbler, the forthcoming variant from Batman V Superman and pure comic book insanity. Don’t expect GT like handling this isn’t a racing game or simulator but there are plenty of races one can undertake. The car has 2 modes which one can switch up anytime. The first is the normal car mode where you have speed and minor weapons and there is the battle mode which essentially makes you a tank.  The car is fun to use to get around the city but I still prefer gliding around.

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Surprise!!!

Gameplay

The controls are easy to learn but can feel loose at times especially during close combat, the Batmobile as I mentioned is pretty basic car control with nice power slides and a afterburner turbo boost but the battle mode has decent manoeuvrability, the targeting feels off and never precise. Gliding is easy to pick up but takes some mastery for those moves and precision landing. If you have already played any of the previous titles then it’s like riding a bike and if not then just give it some time. The default settings are fitting, I know there were some arguments that its best to set your own style but I felt they hit it spot on (or maybe my style is default setting 1..LOL)  Again is pretty responsive and nothing negative to report that will hamper your experince

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2 Guys, a girl and one crazy b….

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Botox, a must for the modern super villain

Villains

Err…almost every villain makes an appearance in the final instalment of the trilogy. By now we know it will be focused on Scarecrow and the Arkham Knight, but fear not many other fan favourites have sizeable roles to play in this game. Sadly 2 of mine never even show face, namely Bane and Mr.Freeze but hey I only completed the main story so far and may be surprised yet. The villains are designed superbly mixing elements of realism and pure cartoon madness.

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Pokemon… Gotta catch ém all

Problems?

Well firstly was the day one patch which meant I had to wait at least  20mins before starting as the 2GB plus patch installed (no bandwidth isn’t that fast, but PS4’s play as you download start is awesome). Then games difficulty starts of mild but then starts to intensifies very quickly, while the upgrades help to kerb some of them, it does get a bit frustrating. Then there are the weird glitches, like the one that occurs when you smack in the middle of a fight and the screen distorts and you in limbo.  Riddler’s challenges will make you question (pun intended) you very capability as a gamer, when I say they hard, they friggin hard. The season pass (I opted out for now) is a joke, almost R600 for a six month pass? I would be happy to pay that extra for a premium version that has that included but these season passes are a joke, especially when they let us down so bad for the Batmobile version and threw some cheap skins on our face.

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shots fired

Verdict

This game now resides as the second best title of the PS4 of all time (so far), GTA 5 still holds on to that Number 1 spot. The game succeeds not because of the superb graphics or the use of the Batmobile or gameplay or what not, it succeeds because it does one simple thing, it makes you feel like you are the Batman, jumping roof tops and gliding around a gothic metropolis (too much?).  Be the Batman? Indeed!

But really how good is this game, well put it this way, I intended to write this review after 10% story play, I am now 100% complete on the core story. Yeah its that good.

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Yo Affleck… catch! You it!

4/5

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Arkham Knight Action Figure Series

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The highly anticipated game is here, and with it comes the merchandise. The good thing is Arkham takes as much pride with their merchandise as their game development. The Action series in particular has always been stellar. Even now the original Arkham Asylum Joker is highly sought after.

 

The first wave has already been released and I have already picked up 2 (should have gotten the Batman too darn it!). Harley Quinn and Scarecrow.

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Gone is the old blister packs, and now we have gorgeous boxes (great for those who keep their figures in packages). The figures have really evolved from the Asylum days and the detail is far superior to anything in its prices range. I love this rendition of Harley as it makes her look real while still preserving her craziness and sex appeal. Scarecrow is scarier than ever and looks the part as one half of the games central villain.

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This is the first wave with the second coming soon, Arkham Knight seems to be the elusive one from the entire series, so grab it if you have the chance. I very rarely collect or attempt to collect an entire series but I think this has earned that.

It is very well priced and detailed as i stated earlier. I will be updating this article as more of these pieces make it to my hands. I do hope they maximize the amount of characters they release and if this is the final game then bring them all.

PS: game review will be live later this week.

As always bring the MAYHEM!!!

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Figure Review: CABLE

Well he finally arrived…

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Cable is one of my favourite X Men characters. He is so badass. He is also one of the most powerful mutants in the world and one of Marvels powerhouse players.

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Born of the legendary Cyclops and Jean Grey (clone) he is the ultimate strategist and with his mothers telekinesis abilities he has made even Apocalypse quiver in his boots.

The new Marvel Select Honours him with this highly detailed action figure. It really does capture his rawness. Packaged with some rather large arsenal that well only Cable can pull off. His traditional armour is well positioned to emphasize his demeanour. And even that trade mark square line jaw is moulded to perfection.

Marvel Select proves to us that you can still get a great figure with plenty articulation and not have to break the bank. This one is a sure winner and is already positioned to be a highly valued collectors item. If you lucky to get your hands on a 1st edition grab it. There is a genuine short supply.

Mine is already aptly placed to Deadpool.