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matthewmlang
Reviews
Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3 (2024)
Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 = 8.5/10! (So suspenseful!)
MASCOT-HORROR AT ITS BEST (at least for a newbie)
Series Overall Score of 9/10 based on:
1.) Gameplay/Puzzle Mechanics
2.) Horror/Suspense
3.) Worldbuilding/Story/Lore!
ABOUT ME (if it matters to you): 32 y.o. Male HS teacher and Army Reserve Officer. Normally, I don't play or watch horror genre-type things. I just don't like the end result of being scared even if it's a fun ride. However, this series is special (despite the nightmares it gave me lol). Played all 3 Chapters between FEB-APR24 which means I avoided (most) early release glitches.
I GOT PULLED IN BECAUSE:
The franchise has such a passionate fanbase. I was Youtube algorithm leapfrogging from video to video after one of my wrestlers showed me a FNAF song (and it was a bop; "Join us for a Bite"). From there I ended up on the rapidly growing-in-popularity and content Poppy Playtime series. It has such intriguing mascot-horror atmosphere to it! CG5 and other Youtubers fan-made songs were so catchy & captivating (similar to the many massively popular FNAF songs that exist).
THE GAMEPLAY & STORY: (for reference, I find anything that's at least 6/10 servicable/acceptable):
CHAPTER 1 - Gameplay 9/10! - Story 8/10! - Horror/Suspense: 8/10! = Overall 8.5/10!
It was free to download on Steam FEB24. The game was short; I finished it in about an hour. I definitely like to explore for easter eggs and the game rewards you for this via its worldbuilding: Tapes, notes, posters etc. The atmosphere does a great job at building unease. The puzzles are simple, but effective in their unique mechanics. Despite what some people may say there are arguably a couple jump scares present. But it is done very well and is appropriately timed to where you experience them in the game. The final chase scene was intense and exciting!
CHAPTER 2 - Gameplay 8/10! - Story 9/10! - Horror/Suspense: 7/10! = Overall 8/10!
More puzzles! A memorable antagonist, more lore-building. The chase scene was still well done (and the unearthly moaning was so creepy!) and in some ways better than the original even if the character was naturally not as terrifying as Huggy was. And that's fine, she was still plenty unnerving and naturally will lose some mystery to her since she is providing some backstory via her dialogue with the character. Unfortunately, this Chapter is where I learned of some disappointing things the company had allegedly involved themselves in: NFT bs, a company workplace allegation. No idea if this is true but the general consensus online seemed to hurt the franchise's reputation a little. Lastly, I'll mention that the audio design is ON POINT! It is helpful for some of the mini-games, and downright intrinsic to all 3 Chapter's ability to elevate the creep factor.
CHAPTER 3 - Gameplay 7.5/10! - Story 8.5/10! - Horror/Suspense: 9/10! = Overall 8.5/10!
HOLY COW! This Chapter gave me more nightmares than the last two combined lol! And for a sequel that is no easy feat. Kudos Mob Entertainment They KNOW that YOU KNOW something scary is coming. And they do a masterful job building that unease and tension. This is never more apparent than in the first major Playcare building, Home Sweet Home. I was on the edge of my seat as my HR continued to build. They even manage to weave in plenty of new lore! The end boss was the first that wasn't a chase. While I applaud their creativity in trying to branch out this time it somewhat missed the mark for me. This is true for many of the puzzles in Chapter 3. It also breaks the Suspension Of Disbelief in how many puzzles were overly complicated. Like, many of these are (In-game universe) expected to just be how the regular workers just move around and do their jobs... BOSS: "Why did it take you 2 hours to come back from the bathroom?" THEM: "Bcuz I had to redo the damn puzzle thru the breakroom 9 freaking times!" Outside of that it was a solid game lasting approx. 3 hours. This includes a glitch I ran into where I had to restart the game (DogDay chase glitched me into a win, but then the rest of the world didn't react properly and I couldn't restart the mission).
I also agree that finding that antagonist balance between:
very little contact (Chapter 1, Huggy who doesn't speak) VS basically following along with you as an antagonistic narrator (Chapter 2's Mommy providing exposition). They both do well for their purpose in the story even if too much contact can lower the suspense. CATNAP shows up an appropriate amount of times but isn't quite fleshed out enough as to WHY he cares about us or vice versa. We know he's like a cat playing with its food, but it just felt like something was lacking in his motivations.
That being said I am excited for Chapter 4!
PROTIP (After the Game):
Have an active imagination like me? Did you make the mistake of playing the game before bed?
Fight off nightmares by watching fun Youtubers play through the game (JackScepticEye, Markiplier, CoryxKenshin, MatPat from Game Theory etc). Youtube's Horrorscope also shows you the game mechanics by utilizing into the game data itself detailing how the game/world is designed. And for a shorter post-PP wind-down I recommend the 3 short videos by the hilarious Asian Youtuber/animator Somac.
Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 (2022)
Poppy Playtime Chapters 1-3 Breakdown!
MASCOT-HORROR AT ITS BEST (at least for a newbie)
Series Overall Score of 9/10 based on:
1.) Gameplay/Puzzle Mechanics
2.) Horror/Suspense
3.) Worldbuilding/Story/Lore!
ABOUT ME (if it matters to you): 32 y.o. Male HS teacher and Army Reserve Officer. Normally, I don't play or watch horror genre-type things. I just don't like the end result of being scared even if it's a fun ride. However, this series is special (despite the nightmares it gave me lol). Played all 3 Chapters between FEB-APR24 which means I avoided (most) early release glitches.
I GOT PULLED IN BECAUSE:
The franchise has such a passionate fanbase. I was Youtube algorithm leapfrogging from video to video after one of my wrestlers showed me a FNAF song (and it was a bop; "Join us for a Bite"). From there I ended up on the rapidly growing-in-popularity and content Poppy Playtime series. It has such intriguing mascot-horror atmosphere to it! CG5 and other Youtubers fan-made songs were so catchy & captivating (similar to the many massively popular FNAF songs that exist).
THE GAMEPLAY & STORY: (for reference, I find anything that's at least 6/10 servicable/acceptable):
CHAPTER 1 - Gameplay 9/10! - Story 8/10! - Horror/Suspense: 8/10! = Overall 8.5/10!
It was free to download on Steam FEB24. The game was short; I finished it in about an hour. I definitely like to explore for easter eggs and the game rewards you for this via its worldbuilding: Tapes, notes, posters etc. The atmosphere does a great job at building unease. The puzzles are simple, but effective in their unique mechanics. Despite what some people may say there are arguably a couple jump scares present. But it is done very well and is appropriately timed to where you experience them in the game. The final chase scene was intense and exciting!
CHAPTER 2 - Gameplay 8/10! - Story 9/10! - Horror/Suspense: 7/10! = Overall 8/10!
More puzzles! A memorable antagonist, more lore-building. The chase scene was still well done (and the unearthly moaning was so creepy!) and in some ways better than the original even if the character was naturally not as terrifying as Huggy was. And that's fine, she was still plenty unnerving and naturally will lose some mystery to her since she is providing some backstory via her dialogue with the character. Unfortunately, this Chapter is where I learned of some disappointing things the company had allegedly involved themselves in: NFT bs, a company workplace allegation. No idea if this is true but the general consensus online seemed to hurt the franchise's reputation a little. Lastly, I'll mention that the audio design is ON POINT! It is helpful for some of the mini-games, and downright intrinsic to all 3 Chapter's ability to elevate the creep factor.
CHAPTER 3 - Gameplay 7/10! - Story 9/10! - Horror/Suspense: 9.5/10! = Overall 8.5/10!
HOLY COW! This Chapter gave me more nightmares than the last two combined lol! And for a sequel that is no easy feat. Kudos Mob Entertainment They KNOW that YOU KNOW something scary is coming. And they do a masterful job building that unease and tension. This is never more apparent than in the first major Playcare building, Home Sweet Home. I was on the edge of my seat as my HR continued to build. They even manage to weave in plenty of new lore! The end boss was the first that wasn't a chase. While I applaud their creativity in trying to branch out this time it somewhat missed the mark for me. This is true for many of the puzzles in Chapter 3. It also breaks the Suspension Of Disbelief in how many puzzles were overly complicated. Like, many of these are (In-game universe) expected to just be how the regular workers just move around and do their jobs... BOSS: "Why did it take you 2 hours to come back from the bathroom?" THEM: "Bcuz I had to redo the damn puzzle thru the breakroom 9 freaking times!" Outside of that it was a solid game lasting approx. 3 hours. This includes a glitch I ran into where I had to restart the game (DogDay chase glitched me into a win but then the rest of the world didn't react properly and I couldn't restart the mission). But I am excited for Chapter 4!
PROTIP (After the Game):
Have an active imagination like me? Did you make the mistake of playing the game before bed?
Fight off nightmares by watching fun Youtubers play through the game (JackScepticEye, Markiplier, CoryxKenshin, MatPat from Game Theory etc). Youtube's Horrorscope also shows you the game mechanics by utilizing into the game data itself detailing how the game/world is designed. And for a shorter post-PP wind-down I recommend the 3 short videos by the hilarious Asian Youtuber/animator Somac.
Poppy Playtime (2021)
Poppy Playtime Chapter 1 = 8.5/10! (Eerie, w/ Intense Chase)
MASCOT-HORROR AT ITS BEST (at least for an obsessed newbie)
Series Overall Score of 9/10 based on:
1.) Gameplay/Puzzle Mechanics
2.) Horror/Suspense
3.) Worldbuilding/Story/Lore!
ABOUT ME (if it matters to you): 32 y.o. Male HS teacher and Army Reserve Officer. Normally, I don't play or watch horror genre-type things. I just don't like the end result of being scared even if it's a fun ride. However, this series is special (despite the nightmares it gave me lol). Played all 3 Chapters between FEB-APR24 which means I avoided (most) early release glitches.
I GOT PULLED IN BECAUSE:
The franchise has such a passionate fanbase. I was Youtube algorithm leapfrogging from video to video after one of my wrestlers showed me a FNAF song (and it was a bop; "Join us for a Bite"). From there I ended up on the rapidly growing-in-popularity and content Poppy Playtime series. It has such intriguing mascot-horror atmosphere to it! CG5 and other Youtubers fan-made songs were so catchy & captivating (similar to the many massively popular FNAF songs that exist).
THE GAMEPLAY & STORY: (for reference, I find anything that's at least 6/10 servicable/acceptable):
CHAPTER 1 - Gameplay 9/10! - Story 8/10! - Horror/Suspense: 8/10! = Overall 8.5/10!
It was free to download on Steam FEB24. The game was short; I finished it in about an hour. I definitely like to explore for easter eggs and the game rewards you for this via its worldbuilding: Tapes, notes, posters etc. The atmosphere does a great job at building unease. The puzzles are simple, but effective in their unique mechanics. Despite what some people may say there are arguably a couple jump scares present. But it is done very well and is appropriately timed to where you experience them in the game. The final chase scene was intense and exciting!
CHAPTER 2 - Gameplay 8/10! - Story 9/10! - Horror/Suspense: 7/10! = Overall 8/10!
More puzzles! A memorable antagonist, more lore-building. The chase scene was still well done (and the unearthly moaning was so creepy!) and in some ways better than the original even if the character was naturally not as terrifying as Huggy was. And that's fine, she was still plenty unnerving and naturally will lose some mystery to her since she is providing some backstory via her dialogue with the character. Unfortunately, this Chapter is where I learned of some disappointing things the company had allegedly involved themselves in: NFT bs, a company workplace allegation. No idea if this is true but the general consensus online seemed to hurt the franchise's reputation a little. Lastly, I'll mention that the audio design is ON POINT! It is helpful for some of the mini-games, and downright intrinsic to all 3 Chapter's ability to elevate the creep factor.
CHAPTER 3 - Gameplay 7.5/10! - Story 8.5/10! - Horror/Suspense: 9/10! = Overall 8.5/10!
HOLY COW! This Chapter gave me more nightmares than the last two combined lol! And for a sequel that is no easy feat. Kudos Mob Entertainment They KNOW that YOU KNOW something scary is coming. And they do a masterful job building that unease and tension. This is never more apparent than in the first major Playcare building, Home Sweet Home. I was on the edge of my seat as my HR continued to build. They even manage to weave in plenty of new lore! The end boss was the first that wasn't a chase. While I applaud their creativity in trying to branch out this time it somewhat missed the mark for me. This is true for many of the puzzles in Chapter 3. It also breaks the Suspension Of Disbelief in how many puzzles were overly complicated. Like, many of these are (In-game universe) expected to just be how the regular workers just move around and do their jobs... BOSS: "Why did it take you 2 hours to come back from the bathroom?" THEM: "Bcuz I had to redo the damn puzzle thru the breakroom 9 freaking times!" Outside of that it was a solid game lasting approx. 3 hours. This includes a glitch I ran into where I had to restart the game (DogDay chase glitched me into a win, but then the rest of the world didn't react properly and I couldn't restart the mission).
I also agree that finding that antagonist balance between:
very little contact (Chapter 1, Huggy who doesn't speak) VS basically following along with you as an antagonistic narrator (Chapter 2's Mommy providing exposition). They both do well for their purpose in the story even if too much contact can lower the suspense. CATNAP shows up an appropriate amount of times but isn't quite fleshed out enough as to WHY he cares about us or vice versa. We know he's like a cat playing with its food, but it just felt like something was lacking in his motivations.
That being said I am excited for Chapter 4!
PROTIP (After the Game):
Have an active imagination like me? Did you make the mistake of playing the game before bed?
Fight off nightmares by watching fun Youtubers play through the game (JackScepticEye, Markiplier, CoryxKenshin, MatPat from Game Theory etc). Youtube's Horrorscope also shows you the game mechanics by utilizing into the game data itself detailing how the game/world is designed. And for a shorter post-PP wind-down I recommend the 3 short videos by the hilarious Asian Youtuber/animator Somac.
Is It Cake? (2022)
Semi-Novel concept; iffy execution
Binged the whole season over the weekend while I was sick. Gave it a shot because I like seeing Michael Day in SNL and the memes everywhere about things being cake.
The good - Talented artists. Some interesting personalities. The pacing is decent at keeping things from getting too monotonous at anyone part of the show. Michael Day introducing the judges is just right (not too lengthy an intro, not too short). + the judges are all interesting and they change where they pull them from in society to match the challenge. The Format of the show is kept interesting as they switch it up a bit halfway through the season.
The bad - Michael Day's jokes are so tiresome. It just doesn't work. It's much better when he is in between jokes and his more normal personality comes out. That should be his niche. When the camera switches to the contestants "laughing" at the jokes you can just tell someone told them "laugh" every single time.
The in-between - Some of the contestants hardly get any screen time due to how the contest works. The contestants are often tropes we have seen a million times: A single mom who never stops talking about their child, someone who weirdo who channels their energy into their art. It's fine to bring it up a bit but some of these characters never talk about anything else! + We've seen that before a million times on other shows.
Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019)
Solid - Pros/Arguable/Cons: Waiting to see more fleshed out after season 2/Mugen Train arc
Pros
-High tier animation
-Quality soundtrack that sounds both reminiscent of older anime (ghost in the shell comes to mind) while still being fresh and new.
-Compelling world
-Some of the characters are super adorable
-interesting powers which are amped by the strong visuals.
-Isn't aimed at kids. Even more than Bleach or Naruto. This is clearly a pg-13 level show or higher. Prostitutes, blood, character deaths, polygamy). Allows more people to take it seriously rather than writing it off as a kids anime that happens to also engage an older audience (like avatar the last airbender).
-Character designs are memorable (something Kubo with Bleach excelled at).
Arguable
-Tanjiro's power increases might be Deus ex machina at times. Waiting to see how it is fleshed out in future episodes (father; sun breathing etc)
-Zenitsu is often annoying (tho things being toned down as the series progresses)
-like many Shonen anime the main character is bland. This is often done so viewers can relate to them more (wider demographic appeal) but makes them appear a bit boring. (The more anime you have watched the more noticeable this may be to you so for some viewers you may not notice or be bothered by this)
-powers fall on the soft magic side vs the hard magic system (Gandalf vs H x H). A bit vague. They either work or don't work for the sake of the plot/narrative. Still waiting to learn more from the world building)
Improves
-Characters cry more than Deku from my hero academia (understandable in a literal sense because they are child soldiers, but watching this every 3 episodes lessens their impact)
-Characters are a bit tropey. Like you've seen all these character types before in other anime.
-buys into the trope of most power fantasy anime with "hidden powers" when needed for poor convenience (Deus ex machina)
-nezukos power increases need more prep work (when exactly is she training? She's always in a box)
-lack of development for secondary characters like Inosuke and zenitsu. Like, their base strength is improving and we see why, but what about their abilities? + nezuko barely is a character and more an adorable plot point)
-power system (hashira and the 8 levels below that) are mostly pointless/forgotten since the main characters sporadically change strengths for plot points + it mostly is ignored/irrelevant unless you are hashira level. Kind of like in Bleach. If you weren't vice captain level or higher it becomes kind of moot to the story. But Bleach succeeds by not focusing on those levels for obvious reasons. They know there's no point.
American Dad!: The Mural of the Story (2018)
Made me laugh
Long time watcher. The clown bits are especially funny. In fact the only part I didn't quite like was the graphic "alterations" Stan made with Hayley.
Law & Order: DNR (1999)
Lisa, please make them stop
I really empathized with the trial judge when her friend, the victim judge, pleads with her in court to have the prosecution stop pressing her. Her desire to give up on life and pain comes through so memorably.
Law & Order: Virtue (1994)
One of my Favorite summatations by Jack McCoy
"Give me the keys to your house, or I'll charge you with murder. I'm the DA, I can do it. Give me $10,000 or ill tell the Feds about that shipment of heroin I saw you pick up at JFK. I'm the DA, they'll listen. What would you do? I can tell you what I'll be doing, spending the next 10 years in Attica, because what I did is called extortion and it's a felony. Sleep with me or I'll ruin your career..."
American Dad!: Killer Vacation (2012)
Fun episode! R.i.p. suicidal lemur
The mainstoryline as well as the B storyline are all used in perfect moderation. Plus it shows how the marriage of Jeff and Hailey is progressing. Steve's riff of Hugh grant, the suicidal lemur, what stan did to those dolphins. All hilarious.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Shadow Warrior (2011)
A little fillery but a good one
Dooku comes in person, the gungans aren't annoying. You even get to see General Grievous humbled.
Gravity Falls: Summerween (2012)
"I ate a man alive tonight"
Good story. Funny dialog. Plus the monster references No face from spirited away!
American Dad!: Hurricane! (2011)
Fun episode but...
It does kind of bother me when it's been established that a character has certain skills (Highly refined field operative for the CIA) but then can't make a proper decision or complete a physical action to save their (or others') life.
House M.D.: Honeymoon (2005)
Good backstory, decently compelling. Weird Cameron ending
However the part with Cameron at the end felt tacked on and odd. "You just couldn't love me" she says. What an odd comparison she is making between a FORMER SPOUSE and a 1st date.
Just felt odd to include that in this episode when it is the spotlight is not about her today.
American Dad!: Live and Let Fry (2009)
Love the little moments of the show
Forest Whitaker returns as a funnyTurlington. I love the news anchor segment with Greg and Terry with the kittens, the shop clerks love for Stan, Francine lack of mental resilience cooking for her family. All gold.
American Dad!: The Magnificent Steven (2007)
I love the Stan & Barry bits
"I see one tear, fatty, and I'm doing it again. " love it. Plus I always appreciate snots voice actor.
New Girl: Background Check (2014)
Nick Miller is so funny!
I couldn't stop laughing when he was trying not to lie to the inspector.
Boku no hîrô akademia: Symbol of Peace (2018)
Gives you a special feeling inside
Not only do you get a great sense of the tension everyone is feeling as the main villain attacks the pro heroes and the always high quality musical score adds an extra level of eeriness to his introduction.
Boku no hîrô akademia: One For All (2018)
Proves how great their supporting cast is
I forget what Youtuber said it (Swagkage or SuperEyepatch Wolf) but this world's Superman is All Might and part of what makes him more interesting than his DC counterpart is his more fleshed out desires and vulnerabilities. He is this world's symbol of hope and he knows it. He's put all his values into believing he can help make the world a better place and it weighs heavily on him. But he shows how desperately he will go to hold onto his ideals against THE villain of the century. A villain who isn't just a cartoony antagonist, but one who had his own desires and illegal empire ruined. He openly laughs and mocks All Might's famous smile as he sees the impact his tortuous words have upon the hero.
American Dad!: Stompe le Monde (2019)
A fun family episode
The American Dad family unit always seems tighter than Family Guy and I love that. The new York scenes were just neat to watch.
New Girl: Injured (2012)
You really feel like you learned more about everyone
When they are grooving together in the bar and rapping the core group here really seems to learn more about each other. And we learn more about them. Straight vibing with the bar piano rapping scene. And Nick's sobering realization after jumping in the ocean. Cece's story about her dad. Jess's deliberate coldness in response to Nick's comment that she can't be real ebbing back to her usual nurturing self. A lot to unpack here.
Community: Basic RV Repair and Palmistry (2015)
Introspective but something feels missing
A few yuks here anand there but I don't think that was the point of the episode. I think it was meant to be something for the characters to think about their lives a bit if only through a seasoned audience members' eyes. And yet, something is missing. The characters seem like they are tired of each other. Which is fine if that is the point ofthe episode or season arc. Until I see it fleshed out they just kinda seem mean to each other. I miss troy and the others
Community: Laws of Robotics & Party Rights (2015)
Change's so funny
His bit with the robot is hilarious. Elroy is a win. Plot is okay. Yields some yuks from me. Long time fan of the show. I miss troy and pierce.