Author: PaulCombs

Barlow’s Dread Machine adds visual flair to twin-stick shooters

Bartlow's Dread Machine
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Bartlow’s Dread Machine, by developers Beep Games and Tribetoy, is a twin-stick shooter with a unique visual design. The game takes place in the early 1900s and considering the game’s abundant visual use of levers, tracks, dials, and even the animatronic character you navigate, it is meant to convey a piece of machinery that would be right at home during that time period. In fact, the game opens with one inserting a coin into an old-timey arcade machine which I outright love. The aesthetic even makes me overlook some of the game’s other flaws and recommend any fan of the twin-stick shooter genre add it to their must-play list.

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Doctor Strange is a beautiful but ultimately flawed Marvel film

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 Doctor Strange header image

Marvel films are always some of the most anticipated films of the year by many moviegoers, and Doctor Strange was no different. The film was the subject of a lot of hype because of a stellar cast and the fact that Marvel’s movies have been consistently enjoyable since the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 with The Incredible Hulk.  Of course, the quality of the movies has been inconsistent, and unfortunately, Doctor Strange is closer to the bottom tier of MCU movies than the top. The tier includes films such as Iron Man 2, Ant Man and the Thor movies, which are films that are enjoyable and fun,but aren’t what we have come to expect from Marvel especially after others such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

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A long time Star Wars nerd’s thoughts on Rogue One

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As someone who has loved Star Wars since his formative years, I could not be more excited for Rogue One. Based on the two trailers we’ve seen so far, it looks like everything any Star Wars fan could want in a spinoff film. It doesn’t feel like the adventures we’re used to seeing in the  Episodes. Rogue One feels like a war film set within the Star Wars universe, and that’s what we fans need after The Force Awakens, a movie that feels different, especially after so many complained about how derivative The Force Awakens felt. Though it is important to note, had The Force Awakens not been so successful at the box office, Rogue One never would have been made. In fact, I believe Disney had to play it safe in order to rekindle people’s love for Star Wars after the prequels. Now we’re getting to see the risks and the expansion of the universe we wanted all along with new planets and new characters, and I couldn’t be happier. Continue reading