Change Your Image
Ember_TSeal
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side: End is the beginning (2020)
Not perfect, but good
Well, that was a great ending! But like the previous few episodes, this one also has some plotholes that you can't ignore.
Why did Lolark go alone with Rasul if he suspected him?
Why did Nikhil waste so much time waiting?
Did Nikhil ever tell where he was held hostage? That's the first thing he should have done after leaving that place.
The climax was great. My heart goes out to Lolark - he was my favourite in the show.
So now they have Kesar, but Rasul and the original Shubh - i.e podcast guy is still out there. Wonder how they will tackle all these now that the heroes have fallen apart.
One of the better series. Really enjoyed watching it!
Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side: The firewall (2020)
Some loopholes
So far it had been good - but I have some issues with this episode.
The hacking was unbelievable. And it was unnecessarry too. At this point, the serial killings should have been a national level news. And with discussion, NIC would have granted access to CBI.
Then again, most hacking scenes are unrealistic anyway, so I guess we could ignore that...
On the other hand....
killing Aditya within seconds seems impossible too. And why did no one guard the electric sources? His party was already guarded heavily as well. And why did no one turn on flashlight on phone?
Despite all that, the mythological stories are interesting, and I'm curious what happens next.
Rang De Basanti (2006)
Thought-provoking!
The movie starts like a wholesome movie about college students taking part in a documentary film about Indian freedom fighters. And it continues so for the first half - and then it takes a dark turn and ends in a rather haunting ending.
The writing is brilliant. How the characters grow and develop throughout the movie - it's downright outstanding. Especially Karan. It's amazing.
I really loved how the parallels are drawn between the British rule and the current timeline. Especially the one part where they directly display Jalianwalabug and Ajay's death protest being dispersed by the police. Even after so many years of independence, the same events continue. The rich, the powerful continue to silence the weaker crowd. That was such a powerful scene. Amazing.
The acting was top-notch. Music was good.
The film delivers a message to its youth - to stand up against the wrongdoings, to stop being passive and take action so that there is a better future ahead. Be an IAS Officer, a pilot - be involved in the government and bring the changes the country deserve. Sure, it does take a dark turn and our main characters end up becoming murderers (and honestly, that was amazing - I love such moral ambiguity) - however, the filmmakers didn't want to glorify that.
Overall, one of my favourite movies.
Genshin Impact (2020)
Decent game but annoying dialogues
I've progressed a decent bit into the game so I guess it's time for a review since it's not going to end anytime soon:
Combat: (8/10)
Combat system is very simple to learn but a bit difficult to master. There are normal and charged attacks. No dedicated button to dodge but you can jump or sprint from attacks. Parry and shield are only available for certain characters. There are elemental bursts (E and Q in pc) - powerups with cooldowns. And there are elemental reactions which you can use to your advantage (e.g use freeze/cryo near water to freeze enemies, affect them with fire and then use anemo/wind to produce the reaction 'swirl'). Upto midgame in both open world and quests, combat is nothing difficult and you can easily win most battles if you level up your characters and put some effort into building them with proper artifacts.
Open World Aspect: (8/10)
The world is huge, and it has small encounters, treasures, puzzles and challenges, but despite that it feels empty sometimes. The character moves very slowly, there's no mount so it gets a bit tedious. Gliding is only possible if you jump for a higher place.
The combat being fairly simple and there being too many encounters, the game gets a bit repetitive sometimes. But some of the puzzles are really good - for eg, the three mountain puzzles near Mt Aocang is really good.
Quests: (9/10)
The main quests are extremely good. Side quests have a lot of fetch quests and they might get boring. Commissions are okay, though they are mostly 'fight hillichurl' types. There are random events and world quests too if you start exploring the world which is fun.
Characters and Interactions: (5/10)
This is probably the worst part of the game for me. The dialogues are terrible and repetitive. Voice acting is okay for the chinese version. But I don't get why Paimon keeps repeating the same words? Is that supposed to be cute? It's annoying. And her English voice is downright garbage.
Most of the time I don't really care about what the characters are saying because of this repetition. I enjoy getting the characters and using them in combat though.
Music: (10/10)
The best part of the game. I love how the exploration theme and battle themes mix together. It's extremely good. Stormterror Lair is one of the most beautiful ost I've heard.
Graphics is okay as it is to be expected in this kind of game. Co-op is fun. Gacha aspect is annoying, but can't complain when it's a gacha game to begin with. Overall, it's a good game if you can tolerate annoying dialogues. Solid 8/10 game from me.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (2021)
Great game!
I'm a huge fan of Marvel, and Guardians of the Galaxy, and so a game about them hyped me up when I first heard of it. And I'm so glad that it lived up to its hype!
It's a linear game - mostly a combat focused one. The mechanics are fun, it's different from other games with the cooperative elements and how you can't rush in, instead play strategically. Huddle was an amazing feature, I can't speak enough about how fun it is to smash your enemies with some good old 80s track playing in the background!
Though upto mid-game, in normal mode, it's almost button-smashy. Only in late game, hard mode gets hard. Then again, it gets a bit repetitive in the end game with so many encounters one after another. But it's still fun! In end-game, you can't actually die thanks to Groot's revival skills - though that was almost unnecessary for normal mode.
The story was good. The characters were fun, I loved their banter, it felt natural - and I'm glad they weren't joking all the time. There were serious discussions and heartfelt moments. It was great.
The soundtrack was amazing. I love Peter Quill's playlist! Graphics too, were so good, though I felt Peter's expressions were a bit off in the artifact dialogues. Voice acting was perfect.
I'll note some great moments in the end! Guardians getting a new outfit for the endgame was so cool! And they change to their regular outfits in Magus fight by default, and that was neat. The group hug in Knowhere was adorable. I fought a lot of dragons in many games, but this one was unique and I'll remember it! (I didn't expect it to be really called Fin Fang Foom though xD)
As a PC player, navigating the Milano at times was difficult. Especially in the Makaula chapter. And I wish sometimes we could play as other characters.
But overall, this was a great game! Enjoyed it a lot! :)
God of War (2018)
M-A-S-T-E-R-P-I-E-C-E!
What a game!
Wonderful writing and narrative, well-written characters, beautiful soundtrack, god-tier graphics, pretty good gameplay mechanics. And also a great ending. It's one of the best games I've ever played, and I haven't even played any other GoW games yet.
The only issue I had with this game was - lack of variety in enemies. So many of the bosses were just reskins of ogres or trolls. They were well spaced between the cinematics and other events, so the repetition didn't bother me too much. Still, variety would be appreciated. Travellers were fun fights, and they reminded me of soulsborne. Valkyries, too. However, while they are interesting, their attack style doesn't really fit in with the game - they were too fast. Then again, they are optional - good for those who really want challenges.
About gameplay mechanics - many skills get unlocked as you progress on the skill-tree. There were too many of them though, and I didn't remember most of it. However, I still beat the game in balanced mode mostly with button smashing lol. It worked. The games does a good job making you feel powerful. Besides combat, the puzzles were fun. Sometimes a bit tedious, indeed, but most of the time, fun.
As I mentioned before, the plot was perfect. Freya and Baldur were the best parts plotwise, and the way everything builds up to the final Baldur vs Kratos fight is just downright the best thing I've ever experienced in video games. Atreus and Kratos's relationship developed wonderfully too, seeing how in the end Kratos called him 'son' finally. Also loved how Brok and Sindr went back to being the Huldra brothers together again. It's just... *chef's kiss*
About the open world - the game is linear, while giving you certain optional areas to explore alongside the main campaign. The open world aspect and fast travel system only opens up in the last quarter of the game, which disappointed me a little bit. The game also doesn't have any camera cuts, which was wonderful, but the invisible loading screen of fast travels was a bit time consuming. The realms had variety and they were interesting. Muspelheim was amazing, the various trials were well executed. Niflheim was an optional roguelike adventure within the game, which had good concept, but didn't gripe me that much.
Nothing much to elaborate on graphics and soundtrack. They were perfect.
Overall, one of the best games, truly deserving of GOTY 2018.
Turning Red (2022)
Wholesome and adorable!
I don't really get the hate for this one. It's not the usual Pixar, and had bold themes, but they handled them very well! The animation was beautiful, and the colour palette was gorgeous. The astral world was amazing. Characters were funny, relatable, and it has a wholesome happy ending. Overall, a perfect lighthearted watch!
Elden Ring (2022)
An Amazing Journey!!
I have never played any soulsborne games before. Well, I did play Dark Souls 3 for first couple of hours but then gave up because I kept getting confused about the controls, being a keyboard-mouse player. However, Elden Ring was a completely different experience.
I'm a sucker for open-world games, however, Elden Ring's open world is entirely different from all other open-world games I've played so far -
ignoring Skyrim. This game gives you a map - a simple PAINTED map, not one already filled with quest marker, checkpoints and what not - and then tells you: go. Go explore. And in my opinion, this is what open-world games should be like! An amazing unique world to explore, interesting characters, epic bossfights and beautiful soundtrack. After the second boss, Rennala, I fell in love with this game and wasn't able to put it down till I finished my first playthrough.
Unlike all other games, this one requires a lot of effort from your side, even with summons. You do need to get good to overcome the challenges imposed to you, and that's why after winning every fight, clearing every dungeon, you feel a good level of satisfaction.
And, I love torrent. <3
But obviously, it's not a perfect game and has it's flaws. There are copy-paste locations - something that all open-world games seem to suffer from. This is seen mostly in catacombs and tunnels, more in catacombs as they are more in number. I was a completionist and cleared every catacomb in Limgrave and Weeping Peninsula, but slowly I started to dislike them and skipped most of them later. Tunnels were fun though, so I did explore all of them.
Another flaw is with the quest system in Elden Ring. It isn't a linear game, and there are so many possibilities for choosing an area for exploring, so following the questlines and successfully completing them without a guide seems impossible, unless you do 100% exploration which I didn't want to do. I'm not asking for quest markers... but if the NPCs were a bit clear on where they would be found next (like the cut Kale quest who leaves messages), it could be better. Still liked the quests, and I'm sad for my bros Alexander and Blaidd :(
The end-game also suffers from a problem. Most bosses are AOE spamming and RNG based there - especially Elden Beast. In one attempt I got Elden Stars, Sword Attack and Raining Arrows all at once, and in my winning attempt I only got Sword Attack once. Even my mimic tear summon stayed alive till the end. I unfortunately didn't feel that amazing beating him. That same feeling from Margit or Rennala or Rykard wasn't there. :( I get that there are souls veterans winning the game at RL1 wretch, but well, I'm not that good. :'')
But besides these, it's one of the best, if not the best game I've ever played. Looking forward to do Journey 2 with a different build after relaxing with some simple games :D
Thank you Fromsoft for this masterpiece!
Stranger Things: Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab (2022)
BRILLIANT!!!
Just when you think it can't get better than this - there comes this episode! Can't wait to see how it all turns out! Especially the last 30m or so is simply amazing!!!
Stranger Things: Chapter Four: Dear Billy (2022)
Amazing!!!
This episode was just perfect. The whole sequence of Max being trapped, then all the flashbacks, the realisation of Lucas's "I don't need letters - just talk to me, we're right here" - and then running to the exit and coming back to reality - that was top-tier. Best episode so far.
The Silent Sea (2021)
Flawed, but a pretty good and entertaining watch
The premise was exciting. I liked the idea of the whole earth situation - lack of water - and from that, the water-classification system. It's amazing to see what length the researchers would go preserve the earth.
Pacing was pretty good, and it didn't really feel dragged out to me.
It's mostly plot-driven, so characters aren't a strong point of the show. The only exceptions are Dr. Song Jian and Captain Han who are the most fleshed out characters and their motivations are set clear.
The acting was so good, and the vfx was amazing.
The plot had some issues. Firstly, the whole 'no information being given to the astronauts' wasn't believable. Then, the crew keep taking off their helmets, even though they know there are dangerous leaks around. The human cloning is never really explained, it's just stuffed in in the last few episodes. Lunar water not obeying mass of conservation didn't really bother me - it's science fiction so, guess we can ignore that. However, the last episode had too many twists and Luna surviving without oxygen in the moon - it was too much. Unnecessary.
Besides all that, rest was pretty good. The way the plot unveiled was damn good. I loved the scene in ep 8 where Song Jian talks with her sister in her mind and cries. It was beautiful.
Unlike most western shows, this show has lots of storytelling without dialogues and I really liked that.
Overall, I really liked the concept. The lack of water killing away life on earth, and on the other hand, lunar water kills people by drowning them. It's amazing.
Definitely an 8/10 show for me.
The Silent Sea: The Truth Comes Out (2021)
Brilliant so far
Started watching this show with low expectations, but I'm really enjoying this so far! Mystery, horror, sci-fi - a brilliant blend. Will continue watching.
Stranger Things: Chapter Eight: The Upside Down (2016)
Marvelous from start to end!
And with episode 8, here concludes Stranger Things Season 1.
Loved everything about it. The characters, the way the plot is executed, all those multiple PoVs conflict and how the story plays out, the humour and the intense scenes - everything was well executed and kept me hooked to the show.
In short, it was AMAZING, and will definitely keep watching the next seasons.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Wholesome and Humorous
A wholesome movie about a little girl, Oliver wanting to be the beauty pageant. Although her performance made her disqualified for all such contests in the future, in the journey the family gets good with each other. A really good watch.
Avril et le monde truqué (2015)
Imaginative steampunk sci-fi, entertaining from start to end!
April and the Extraordinairy World takes place in an alternate history world, where the world changes drastically when the renowned scientists start to go missing. In an overview, it's a classic adventure film.
Plotwise it's excellent. Pacing is good, the dialogues are fun and engaging, and the way the plot progresses works very well. The buildup to the last moment was amazing. The main character April was well written, it's super heartwarming when you notice how much she has changed by the end of the movie. Julius and Pops are also precious, and Darwin has won my heart. If you're accquainted with Satyajit Ray's books, Pops will be reminiscent of Professor Shanku, and so personally, I really liked him.
The animation was pretty good, it's kind of like comics, and it works very well for the movie.
Over all, it's an hidden gem that you'll enjoy a lot. :)
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Brilliant Visuals but Problematic Message with a Rushed Plot
From the trailer, I could see this would have an expensive budget, and I wasn't disappointed. The animation was absolutely gorgeous. The character designs were very good, had realistic facial expressions, all the imagery were a visual treat. The action scenes were so well made. I didn't expect the dragon to have an Elsa-face though, but that's just me nitpicking, and apart from that, It's so good.
However, the movie had some serious issues when it comes to writing and the pacing. The movie constantly shows you what happens when you go around trusting strangers randomly, and then there's Sisu constantly blabbering about trust. I thought maybe they'd give Namaari a better redemption arc, but boy was I wrong. Naamari never apologises for the two times she messed up - and while I do agree that Raya had her faults too - but Naamari should have apologised. In the sacrifice scene, Naamari should have stepped up, sacrificed first, and the movie would be a lot better. Raya has enough trauma from Namaari's action, and she definitely shouldn't forgive her that easily. While Sisu argues that and tells Raya about how she trusted the other dragons and they trusted her, it should be noted that they were literally siblings, while Naamari and Raya weren't even friends - they knew each other for a few hours only. There's a huge difference between them. And thus, the movie delivers the message that, no matter how much someone hurts you and how much trauma they cause you, you should learn to forgive and trust them. That's incredibly toxic and that's where the movie fails.
Honestly, the movie did have the potential to be great. In fact, had it been a series, or slightly longer movie, the character relationships could be explored further. It'd have been better with slightly slower pacing.
But one could argue that we shouldn't look too deeply in a disney movie. And in that case, it's a pretty good movie! It will make you laugh and you'll enjoy all the interactions between the characters. Boat guy had some funniest scenes!
Over all, a solid 6/10 for me.
The Imitation Game (2014)
'The Imitation Game' - a compelling, tragic watch
The Imitation Game is a portrayal of Alan Turing's life and work on cryptography to break the enigma code during WWII. It was a very enjoyable watch. The acting was amazing, and I personally love the main theme. It's detailed, tragic and engaging. The ending teared me up. While the movie is not historically accurate completely, but to me, it isn't the most important. Overall, it's a movie you'll enjoy a lot.
How Alan Turing was treated despite all the work he had done was horrible. The movie does a great job honouring him.
A Short Hike (2019)
Short and relaxing, highly recommended
If you're looking for a break from all the objective and mechanics heavy games, this one is for you. Relaxing music, fun interactions and a good story. Thoroughly enjoyed. :)