Quick Reviews #13
I'm In Way More Demand
This week we have a long awaited request from the UK’s Aces Weekly digital magazine. Along with another advance review for a Kickstarter product and Mad Cave.
Before We Sail
Have you ever wanted to experience the feeling of Let’s Playing a zombie game? Where every little thing affects you so much. Who you can trust, what you hold onto, and whether the person closest to you is lying or not. That’s what’s going on in Before We Sail.
Just the first pages feel like a player is going through The Last of Us. Not just because of how the zombies work, but finding a note from a dead character. Not only is it a great use of setting up the tone and characterizations, but it evokes the emotional and environmental storytelling from a player interacting with the overworld.
The characters are all interesting, leading complicated lives where you can feel the effects of their pasts. The leads Jonathan and Katherine might be keeping things from each other, but it’s not like they’re going to stab one another in the back. They just don’t want to spread their pain around. Even side characters like Angel have morally gray and complex lives where you don’t know what the best course of action would have been.
The presentation by Michelle Lino greatly enhances the feeling of every action having an effect. A bullet to the back a zombie’s neck feels critical, but the fungal spores and fibers that leak out are a terror. In juxtaposition, the inner dialogue of Jonathan displays how he’s trying to keep himself stable unlike the writer of the note he found as the captions started to shift.
All in all, this is a good story to follow on the seven week campaign starting on July 7. 8.5/10. Barring unforeseen barriers to Aces Weekly.
Either way, we’ll be spotlighting the highlights of each chapter’s release.
Shonuff Studios
Yet another request for a Dusk…Redux? Oh wait, this is for its newest iteration Dusk: Love Bites.
Thankfully, this older format I got to see has the same story. And it’s a pretty interesting look at being a vampire’s thrall.
Best of all, it explores many angles and parallels of the dynamics around relationships. The little joys of just letting go with someone, the horrible effects of abuse, and looking for more out of your partner when it’s not enough. All with the pace and beat of music you can feel through the momentum. 8.5/10
Mad Cave
God Tier Vol. 2: The second part of this retelling of Greek mythology is pretty high concept, but the characterizations, presentation, and general direction are weak. 6/10
Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders Vol. 2: Good visuals does not make this plot less confusing. 6/10
Defenders of the Earth #8: A big finish to end this arc. Families finally coming together, but not quite there. All for one more adventure. 8.5/10
The Pale Knight #2: Some real theatrical suspense about confronting mortality and sin. The air is thick with a heavy atmosphere where the reader’s soul grows heavy. 8.5/10
Crush Depth #4: Grotesque cosmic horrors galore! With some okay character development. 8/10
Blade Forger #4: A slower but tense parallel arc. Perfectly complements the music that accompanies the last pages. 8/10
Dark Pyramid #4: Finally some answers, with just as much relief as there is tension. 8.5/10
