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Review: Minecraft Legends
Age of Minecraft
Minecraft the game and Minecraft the franchise are two different, yet equally fascinating beasts.
Minecraft needs no explanation. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you already have an opinion on it. But its many spinoffs haven’t necessarily stayed true to more than Minecraft’s overall aesthetic. Minecraft: Story Mode gave us a Telltale narrative adventure when that was the rage, and Minecraft Dungeons asked “What if Minecraft was Diablo?” Minecraft Legends is the newest game in this extended Minecraftian Universe, this time introducing the blocky world to the strategy genre.
Some may take umbrage with these Minecraft spinoffs, but I’m in favor of them. I never got invested in Minecraft proper; I just wasn’t in the right time and place at the height of its popularity. That said, mixing new genres with the Minecraft DNA is the perfect way to get people like me invested in the franchise. Coming in with a mostly blank slate, I genuinely didn’t know what to expect from Minecraft Legends. Fortunately, my time with the game has left me with a greater appreciation for both Minecraft and the strategy genre. It’s just Minecraft Legends itself that I’m on the fence about.
[caption id="attachment_373710" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
Minecraft Legends (PC [reviewed] Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, PS5)
Developer: Mojang Studios, Blackbird Interactive
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Release: April 18, 2023
MSRP: $39.99
Minecraft Legends is a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game. The developers have shied away from this label, likely for reasons that should become clear during this review. That said, I can’t think of a better descriptor for what Minecraft Legends is at its core. You collect resources, build settlements, and rally small armies of disposable troops to launch attacks on enemies. If you’re familiar with the gameplay loop of other RTS titles, you’ll have a step up coming into Minecraft Legends.
The difference is that Minecraft Legends attempts to make this PC-specific genre click in a console environment. It’s not the first game to attempt such a feat (mention Brutal Legend in the comments for free internet points), but this nonetheless gives Minecraft Legends a distinct identity. To achieve this, you directly control a player avatar that not only issues all commands but participates directly in battle. The result is right in the middle of Pikmin and Age of Empires, with a dash of Minecraft’s core gameplay.
It's a sound mixture of ideas, and I really like the approach Minecraft Legends takes here. The controls take an hour to get the hang of, but the basics are easy to grasp in a handful of minutes. Additionally, if you’re familiar with Minecraft, two of the three main pillars of the game will come naturally. In fact, before we get into the game modes Minecraft Legends puts in front of you, we have to review these core mechanics in isolation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw6f-tJKoao
The mining is good
It’s a bit silly to say out loud, but the mining and crafting in Minecraft Legends are its strongest elements.
Just like Minecraft proper, you want to find stacks of resources stemming from distinctly colored blocks. However, rather than smacking them yourself with a pickaxe, you issue orders to gather specific materials in an area. This will summon an Allay, a dedicated fairy-like unit whose sole existence is to gather things for you. If you’ve played other RTS games, this isn’t terribly different than sending a unit to indefinitely chop down trees. That said, ordering Allays around is instantaneous and oddly satisfying. I’d often be en route to an objective and see materials I’d need on the ground, so I’d bark a command at an Allay without even bothering to stop.
There’s a nice element of strategy here. You can order an Allay to collect a literal mountain of rocks for you, but that will tie up one of your limited number of gatherers for several minutes. Meanwhile, if you don't order Allays around, you're missing opportunities to earn stacks of valuable resources. Whether you should hold Allays or use them all for passive resource gains makes for a natural risk/reward system, which fits well within Minecraft Legends. It's an elegant mechanic that the game absolutely nails.
[caption id="attachment_373707" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
The crafting is good
Similarly, using your materials to craft buildings is also satisfying. When fending off enemies, Minecraft Legends closely resembles a Tower Defense game. You’ll have to protect your home base with a series of walls, arrow towers, and other buildings that will augment or heal your existing foundation. Like mining, crafting in Minecraft Legends uses its own pool of Allays. Issue an order for something to be built in one spot, and an Allay will build it brick by brick.
It's a great system, as it performs well in different contexts. In times of peace, erecting your settlement is fast and easy. You’ll spend a limited amount of time on minutia and focus solely on where you want things built. Similarly, when you’re under attack, you can frantically order Allays to patch walls and work on other constructions while you’re mid-combat. This adds a fun, frantic element to the defensive gameplay. When your units are struggling to fend off an army, it’s satisfying to slap four arrow towers around your army to provide some extra firepower.
There aren’t many building types in Minecraft Legends, but I don't see this as a negative. This is more of a Smash Bros. take on the RTS genre, so it doesn’t necessarily need the complexity that other titles have. Additionally, there’s still room for advanced strategies and player creativity with the tools provided. There do seem to be some balance issues, but I imagine Mojang and Blackbird Interactive will tweak things as time goes on. Unfortunately, Minecraft Legends has greater issues than its balancing.
[caption id="attachment_373709" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
Going on the attack is… well…
The third pillar of Minecraft Legends is its attack phase. When you’re ready to take down your opponent, you’ll gather a small squad of units around you and charge headlong into battle. On paper, this looks nice. You have a concise selection of units to pick, ranging from healers to stun-focused melee fighters. Additionally, you can summon classic Minecraft monsters like Skeletons, Creepers, and Zombies to fight alongside you. Even with no attachment to Minecraft, I enjoyed joining forces with former enemies to take bigger baddies down.
Once you’re engaged in combat, your best course of strategy is to…well, kind of hang out. Unlike the Allays—which are conducive to multitasking—your best course of action with your army is to hold down your one attack button. Wiggle around to take out the extra small fry, and hopefully, your army will eventually win. This really slows the action down, as that satisfaction from making snap strategic decisions largely disappears here. You do have to decide when to keep charging and when to retreat, but overall, there really isn’t much engagement here.
Even if your forces can comfortably overwhelm whatever they’re fighting, you still need to be physically present to collect the rewards they drop before they fade away. There are limited options to break up the tedium. Specifically, you can build a catapult that works very well if you're on the offensive. Still, this is one area where Minecraft Legends leans way too hard on simplicity.
[caption id="attachment_373708" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
Am I herding cats?
Additionally, your army’s AI is imprecise. If you issue an order to attack a specific structure, your troops will generally rush it from wherever they’re standing. This is bad if you, say, built a ramp to help your group cross a chasm, only to watch 20% of your forces just fall off the side instead. Even when they do obey, they often act in particularly baffling ways. Healing units, for example, usually won't charge into battle if no one needs healing. This might sound smart, but when your front line starts immediately taking damage, they have no intuition to enter the fray and start supporting.
There were so many times when I ran around just to see where my units wandered off to. Even after ordering my team to specifically charge a building or settlement, I had to corral stragglers stuck fighting losing battles by themselves nearby. This gets even worse if you have a mixture of melee and ranged attackers on your team since it is all too easy to miss units when you want to regroup and charge forward.
This isn’t necessarily game-breaking. After all, in a competitive environment, all players are dealing with their respective AIs. I just never felt as in control as I’d like to be for a strategy game. You eventually get a feel for how your army moves, and you can strategically maneuver in ways to help them charge in the direction you want them to. That said, I can’t help but feel this shouldn’t have been a part of the game to begin with.
[caption id="attachment_373742" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
Campaign pain
Minecraft Legends has three primary modes. All of them feature this same core gameplay, but with their own unique twist. Unfortunately, the adventure you are funneled into first is by far the weakest of the options.
Campaign Mode thrusts you into a larger map that tasks you with defeating armies of enemy Piglins. Minecraft Legends doesn’t need a more complicated story than that, but this threadbare plot is oddly expressed through many elaborate cutscenes. This sounds weird to complain about, but to avoid spoilers, I can't imagine anyone getting anything out of this. I understand the story is aimed at kids, but more on that later. Regardless, I'm not expecting Shakespeare out of Minecraft, but this isn't even Shark Tale.
If this were my only gripe with Campaign Mode, I’d be okay with it. The problem is the campaign takes Minecraft Legends' core systems intended for games lasting one hour and stretches it to over ten. There are flourishes thrown in here, but you’ll see almost everything worth experiencing shortly after it begins. The one bright spot is village defense missions, which work well because they play to the game's strongest elements. The rest of the story throws you against Piglin waves and bases you’ve already seen, just in bigger and more tedious numbers.
Every campaign features a procedurally generated world, which I can't help but consider a misstep. On one hand, I get that this is a more “Minecraft-y” approach. It also, in theory, makes the game replayable, especially since it supports four-player co-op. That said, when hour three looks virtually identical to hour six, procedural generation doesn’t make the campaign look better. It just exposes how little there is to begin with.
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Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
It's not a tutorial
The bizarre part is the campaign doesn’t even make for a good tutorial. At best, it’s an open-ended playground for you to experiment with Minecraft Legends’ gameplay. But it doesn’t really teach you anything aside from the exceedingly obvious. Even a game as old as Age of Empires 2 threw you into different scenarios that tested your mastery of different aspects of the game. If you strictly judge the campaign against other co-op-focused experiences, it still feels lacking in the end.
In fact, I’d argue the campaign is borderline unnecessary. In a few minutes of PvP practice, I was amazed at how quickly I grasped the gameplay compared to my hours in a solo adventure. There's also a “Lost Legends” mode, which will dish out concentrated PvE missions every month. I tried the one Lost Legend available, and though I was defeated handily solo, I had way more fun here than in the campaign. If there were more missions like these in the game, I'd easily recommend Minecraft Legends as a co-op game.
[caption id="attachment_373712" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
PvP is where it’s at
Speaking of PvP, that’s really the main draw of Minecraft Legends. In a competitive environment, the game feels better and makes more sense. While the campaign is tedious, even mundane tasks in Versus mode have urgency when you’re racing against other players. Additionally, upgrades come much quicker in multiplayer, creating a satisfying sense of progression.
I wish I could speak on this more specifically, as my PvP experience was limited leading up to this review. I can say that for an ideal experience, you’ll want at least two teams of two. The early game is slow in 1v1, but more players allow you to delegate responsibilities and make progress much faster. Additionally, because the mechanics ride a fine line of depth and accessibility, Minecraft Legends makes for casual, competitive fun. I can understand that local multiplayer wasn’t on the table for Minecraft Legends, but if it was, I could see this being a fun party game.
Do note that Minecraft Legends doesn’t have a persistent progression system for multiplayer. You won’t level up or earn extra goodies by playing PvP. I don’t hold this against the game. A game should be fun regardless of any breadcrumbs it throws your way. However, if that’s important to you, it’s worth the note regardless.
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Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
Let’s talk microtransactions
One thing I do unfortunately have to discuss is the existence of microtransactions in Minecraft Legends. They toe the line of what some may consider acceptable, but they are here all the same.
Minecraft Legends appears to use the Minecoins currency from Minecraft Bedrock Edition. During my review period, only a pack of player skins was available. However, Lost Legends also had a tab in the marketplace, indicating that there will be microtransactions related to those too (hopefully just content DLC). But assuming only skins will be purchasable, I still dislike the existence of paid skins in Minecraft Legends particularly. By default, only ten (admittedly distinct) skins are available at launch, with a note to check the marketplace for more. Even if they release more skins for free (one is even available as a reward for the current Lost Legend mission), you’re still funneled into a storefront where you’ll be tempted to buy cosmetic items.
Minecraft Legends isn’t the most offensive example of microtransaction slinging, but this inherently makes the game less safe for kids. Considering the main story clearly targets children, this bothers me a lot. I personally know people less literate in video games who have struggled with their kids begging for cosmetics in Minecraft. Perhaps parents are to blame, but the problem wouldn’t exist if the temptation wasn’t there in the first place.
Make of this what you will, but microtransactions alone would prevent me from recommending Minecraft Legends for a young child. I'm sure the argument is that microtransactions will fund the continued release of Lost Legends episodes. Still, you should know that they're there.
[caption id="attachment_373714" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]
So who is Minecraft Legends for?
Ultimately, Minecraft Legends is a bit hard to evaluate. Everything from its game modes to its core systems is uneven, littered with many highs and notable lows. The parts of it that draw specifically from Minecraft proper come off well, while its more RTS-adjacent moments are lacking. Additionally, I can't recommend playing this solo at all. The foundation is good enough, but it needs company to sustain it.
Your enjoyment of Minecraft Legends will come down to three questions. 1: Are you in love with Minecraft and its extended universe? 2: Are you hankering for an RTS-style game playable on a console? 3: Do you have a minimum of three friends who are eager to play this game too? If you answered yes to at least two of those questions, you’ll have a good time with Minecraft Legends. For everyone else, Minecraft Legends offers a fairly unique experience and not much more. Just don’t expect to get any mileage out of the campaign.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
The post Review: Minecraft Legends appeared first on Destructoid.
Millennials Spend More Time Playing Video Games Than Gen Z and Teens, New Study Finds
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Chris Farley Played Jon Favreau On The Improv Stage Before Either Of Them Became Famous
According to various online biographies, director Jon Favreau graduated high school in 1984 and attended Queens College for only three years before dropping out in 1987. As he recently said on an episode of the "Smartless" podcast, he was immediately offered a high-paying job at the investment firm Bear Stearns, hooked up with the gig by a friend's dad. Given Favreau's age, this would definitely be considered "selling out" at the time. The easily earned, large-salary job was once something young aspiring artists eschewed, preferring a hard-earned, low-money career in the arts. (See also "Tick, Tick... BOOM!") Favreau was bitten by the acting bug at a young age and always had his sights turned on performance.
After about a year at Bear Stearns, Favreau quit. It seems he just barely missed Black Monday. It also seemed that he hated it. After another brief try at college, Favreau dropped out again, this time for good, and drove out to Chicago to dive into the city's thriving comedy scene.
Recall that Chicago is the seat of the famed Second City comedy troupe, an extended network of theaters and performers that put on improv and sketch comedy shows all over the city. By the late 1980s, the Second City was a well-known source of talent that was frequently hired to appear on "Saturday Night Live." Many, many aspiring comedians floated in and out of the troupe's orbit, and many others were indeed hired to be part of Lorne Michaels' various sketch programs. Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Bonnie Hunt, Dan Castellaneta, Richard Kind, and Alan Arkin are among the school's many famous alumni.
Notably, "SNL" cast member Chris Farley was a graduate. Farley and Favreau, on one fateful night in 1988, were in the same theater together.
The Dream
Favreau admitted on "Smartless" that he always enjoyed improv and acting, saying that it was a low-stress gig:
"I like that there was no pressure on me, so it was like school plays, and that was just a fun time for me. Improv was great, because when people went up on their lines, that was the most fun, like when you could be on stage and get out of that, but I never thought it was an option."
After the crash and the disillusionment with Bear Stearns, Favreau talked about his move to Chicago, describing the crowd that drew him there and how he made ends meet. He also recalled very sharply one magic night of going to see some improv at a famous Chicago comedy institution, and the game they played with him. Favreau was the one who gave the prompts, and the comedy troupe was to take it away. In his words:
"That's when I saw people doing improv in Chicago. I had a friend who was taking classes at iO and at Second City, and I was like, this is the best. I was in my 20s, I think I was 22 at the time. I knew how to bartend [...] I volunteered to be on stage, and the first thing I remember, they interviewed me about my day. It was the Improv game at iO called 'The Dream,' where they interview you about what happened that day, and then they improvise in front of you what your nightmare is going to be like that night, based on your responses."
Anyone who has been to a live improv show will likely be familiar with a similar game, but a notable "SNL" cast member was on stage with him that night.
The Power Of Improv
Yes, the man who took Favreau's role on stage was none other than Chris Farley. Not only did he have an early celebrity-to-be-to-celebrity-to-be encounter, but Favreau was astonished at how improv actually worked. They really do, he found, make stuff up on the fly. In Favreau's words:
"So they did that with me, and I was on stage doing an interview, getting some laughs, and then Chris Farley played me. So that was my first experience seeing improv, was Chris Farley playing me, and watching them really improvise. [...] When you see good improv, you think, 'Oh, is that just a shtick they have up their sleeve, right?' But I know they improvised it all, because it was all coming off of my interview, and I was completely flabbergasted."
It may have been his encounter with Farley that shaped Favreau's eventual skills as a director. He talked a little bit later in the interview about working with Vince Vaughn, his co-star in both the 1997 film "Swingers," which Favreau wrote and starred in, and the 2001 film "Made," which he wrote, starred in, and directed. Favreau admired Vaughn's ability to ramble and improvise for minutes at a time, completely on the fly. Indeed, Favreau admitted that Vaughn's ability to improvise was so sharp and fast, that, as a co-star, all he could do was stand aside and play the straight man.
His work on "Swingers" and "Made" laid a firm foundation for Favreau's career as a filmmaker. He eventually gained mainstream studio experience on films like "Elf" and "Zathura." He is now one of the premiere directors at Disney, having made "Iron Man," "The Lion King," and "The Mandalorian."
Farley, one might say, was the bearer of his fate.
Read this next: All 10 Chris Farley Movies, Ranked Worst To Best
The post Chris Farley Played Jon Favreau on the Improv Stage Before Either of Them Became Famous appeared first on /Film.
Antiviral @ 10: The Beginning of Brandon Cronenberg
It's been a decade since Brandon Cronenberg came into the scene, with Antiviral as his feature debut. That film was preceded by a couple of shorts, succeeded by various music videos, Possessor, and this year's Infinity Pool. Common themes reverberate through his oeuvre, linking him to his father's cinema. Like David, Brandon Cronenberg works within dimensions of horror, often considering transcendence through the body and the body transcended, altered, made a dream cum nightmare. Yet, despite similar interests, shared names, linked blood, father and son feel like unique auteurs, their connections superficial. One would expect the nepo baby to forever live in his patriarch's shadow, but maybe not…
Discord Says Cooperating in Probe of Classified Material Breach
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More and More Americans Are Gaming the Deposit-Insurance System
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Get a One-Year Sam's Club Membership for $10 Right Now
For Sam’s Club’s 4oth birthday, they’re offering deals for both tiers of their memberships for a limited time. You can get the basic the Club membership for $10 (usually $50) and the Plus membership for $60 (usually $110).
Anime Shows You Should Watch If You Loved Yasuke
Released in 2021, "Yasuke" is an anime miniseries created by LeSean Thomas for Netflix. Based on a legendary figure from Japanese history, the titular Yasuke is an African man who comes to Japan with some Jesuit missionaries and eventually becomes a samurai in the service of Lord Oda Nobunaga. When Nobunaga and his forces are destroyed by another warlord, Yasuke flees and finds a quiet retirement as a boatman outside a small village. When he's asked to help a sick little girl get to a doctor, he soon finds himself called on to fight once again.
With only six episodes, it's entirely likely that "Yasuke" will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, there are lots of other anime series out there for you to watch, and quite a few of them have similar settings and themes. We've put together a list of anime you should check out once you've watched Yasuke, and most of them involve sword fights and Japanese history.
Cannon Busters
"Yasuke" isn't the only anime from creator LeSean Thomas to show up on Netflix, so if you're interested in his work, you should probably check out his first. "Cannon Busters" is about a robot girl named SAM who teams up with a criminal named Philly the Kid while looking for her best friend, Kelby, who happens to be the prince of their embattled kingdom. Nobody in "Cannon Busters" is quite what they seem at first. Philly is immortal due to an old deal with a devil, with a number appearing on his body for every would-be death. Meanwhile, SAM looks like an innocent young woman most of the time, but when one of her friends is in danger, she instantly converts to an intimidating "cannon buster" form.
"Cannon Busters" is LeSean Thomas's first real anime, although his previous adaptation of Aaron McGruder's "Boondocks" for Adult Swim certainly had anime influences. In "Cannon Busters," we begin to see the mix of Western and Japanese elements influencing his storytelling, whereas in "Yasuke," we see those elements fully come into harmony.
Afro Samurai
You probably don't need this article to tell you that if you're looking for another anime about a Black samurai, you should probably check out "Afro Samurai." But seriously, if you've never watched it, it's really good. Manga artist Takashi Okazaki was inspired by his love of hip-hop and soul music and decided to combine a Black protagonist and American storytelling elements with Japanese history and culture. The original legend of Yasuke is also said to be an inspiration for Afro Samurai, although that certainly wasn't Okazaki's focus. The manga was adapted into an anime miniseries in 2007, with a follow-up movie in 2009. Both feature the voice of Samuel L. Jackson and the music of the RZA.
Afro Samurai (yes, that's actually the character's name) lives in a futuristic feudal Japan that's even less interested in historical accuracy than the Mech-infused world of "Yasuke." Afro's father wore the Number One Headband, which grants power to the world's greatest warrior. When a gunslinger named Justice kills him and takes the headband, Afro devotes his life to becoming a great warrior so that he can one day exact his revenge and take the Number One Headband. Of course, he learns that vengeance is a complicated and messy path, but there are lots of awesome sword fights along the way.
Samurai Champloo
If you're looking for samurai stories infused with a modern hip-hop sensibility, you can't go wrong with "Samurai Champloo," which first aired in 2004. Acclaimed creator Shinichirō Watanabe's follow-up to his huge hit "Cowboy Bebop," this series replaces jazzy space battles with breakbeat sword fights to great effect. "Samurai Champloo" features two diametrically opposed fighters: the chaotic outlaw Mugen and the taciturn samurai Jin. Although they are enemies on sight, they reluctantly team up to help a young woman named Fuu on a mission to find a mysterious samurai from her past.
Although the series is set in a recognizable version of the Edo Period in Japanese history, it brings in modern music and sensibilities. Many of the episodes focus on figures who are outsiders in Edo-era Japan because of their nationality, race, or sexuality. In its way, the series becomes something of a statement about how diversity is not new but has been an element of many societies all along. Most importantly, however, even when it has things to say, "Samurai Champloo" never forgets to be a fun and engaging samurai adventure anime.
Brave 10
The 2012 series "Brave 10" takes place in the Sengoku period of Japanese history and retells the legend of the Sanada 10 Braves, a group of 10 ninjas gathered by the warlord Yukimura Sanada. The central character is Saizō Kirigakure, a ninja so skilled he's rumored to have never let an opponent touch so much as his hair. Saizō has killed many people and no longer seems to have much feeling about that (or anything in general) until he meets Isanami, a priestess he saves from a kidnapping attempt in the woods. They travel together to Yokimura's home, where Isanami seeks refuge, and Saizō joins the team he's gathering.
If "Brave 10" were a simple surface-level historical adventure, it would most likely be worth a watch. However, it has a bit more going on than just that. Each of the 10 Braves corresponds to an element, with Saizō representing light, something he has a hard time accepting about himself since he's caused so much death. Isanami, on the other hand, represents darkness, and when his power is unleashed, things become really interesting (and unfortunate) for all concerned.
Blade Of The Immortal
"Blade of the Immortal" is another classic of samurai-focused anime. Originally a manga that began in the 1990s, the first anime version came out in 2008. There was a new anime in 2019, and both are worth a look if this is the sort of thing you're into, but we're focusing on the newer version. The immortal of the title is a ronin named Manji, who is unable to die because of some sacred bloodworms he got from a weird nun named Yaobikuni. It's clear at the beginning of the story that he's not fond of his immortality. For one thing, he's pretty sure it makes him a worse swordsman since he doesn't have to put in as much effort, and it gives him lots of time to dwell on the 100 good samurai he slew at the behest of his former master.
Manji makes a deal with Yaobikuni that she'll remove the bloodworms and allow him to die if he kills 1,000 bad men to make up for the 100 good men he killed. Meanwhile, a young woman named Rin Asano is looking for revenge on the warlord who killed her family. She reminds Manji of his late sister, so he's inclined to protect her, and of course, there are plenty of evil men to be slain along the way.
Hyouge Mono
Released in 2011, "Hyouge Mono" is based on the true story of a Sengoku-era warlord named Furuta Oribe. While the realm is torn apart by war and upheaval, Furuta becomes obsessed with the Japanese tradition of the tea ceremony. He's an aesthete by nature, taken with the simple beauty of things like tea, pottery, and architecture. In a time of constant war, his perspective is difficult for many to understand. Ultimately, Furuta Oribe becomes a legendary master of the tea ceremony. The anime shows the value of his perspective as well as the importance of aesthetic beauty and community-fostering traditions.
"Hyouge Mono" is an unusual story and an entertaining one. It also has a lot of perspectives to offer viewers, not just on Japanese history and traditions but on the value of the arts in the face of violence and conflict. That's certainly a theme with resonance for today's world.
Samurai 7
"Samurai 7" is an anime adaptation of the classic Akira Kurosawa film "Seven Samurai." It was released in 2004, 50 years after the original. Although it takes many departures from Kurosawa's version, starting with being set in the future, the seven warriors at its center have the same names and many of the same characteristics as their counterparts in that historical epic.
The wicked bandits that threaten a poor village in this version are cyborgs, making them that much more intimidating. A village priestess named Kirara is given the task of recruiting hungry samurai (since the town can only afford to pay them in rice), and the recruitment process is given a lot more space in the story, considering this is a 26-episode series as opposed to a movie. In addition to the grizzled leader Kanbei and the young romantic Katsushiro, the samurai include Kikuchiyo, an enormous armored cyborg with a truly huge sword. Perhaps inevitably, Katsushiro falls in love with Kirara, but Kirara falls for Kanbei, which inevitably leads to drama. And then, of course, they have to put all that drama aside to defend the village from evil cyborgs.
Shigurui: Death Frenzy
"Shigurui: Death Frenzy" came out in 2007, and the whole series revolves around one unusual fight. It's 1629, and the lord Tokugawa Tadanaga is holding a tournament in which the competitors will fight with real swords rather than the wooden training swords usually used for such activities. To the surprise of all in attendance, the first match of the tournament is between a one-armed swordsman named Fujiki Gennosuke and a blind Samurai named Irako Seigen. The series then goes on to tell the intertwined stories of these two men and how they came to this moment of inevitable conflict.
It turns out that Fujiki and Irako were both students of Kogan Iwamoto, a cruel sensei who runs his own school. Irako was once the heir to the school and engaged to marry Kogan's daughter, Mie. However, he also became involved with Kogan's concubine, Lady Iku, which led to his blinding and banishment. The less ambitious Fujiki then becomes Kogan's heir, despite losing his arm in an initial confrontation with Irako.
"Shigurui" is unrelentingly dark and grim in its tone, so it may not be for every viewer. The women characters are treated especially terribly, with depictions of sexual assault and extreme domestic violence. If you have a strong stomach, however, this is an entertaining and unflinching depiction of a dark time in Japanese history.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls
"Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls" was released in 2005 and takes place in the era when Japan was first united by one ruler, the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. When Ieyasu first seizes power, the legendary ninja Hattori Hanzo ends a centuries-long feud between two clans, the Iga of Tsubagakure and the Kouga of Manjidani, by conscripting both to serve the new shogun. A few years later, in 1614, that peace ends when the two clans are ordered to each send their 10 best ninjas to fight to the death. It seems there's disagreement about which of Ieyasu's grandsons should eventually inherit the shogunate, and it's already threatening to tear the young nation apart. Each ninja clan will fight for one of the heirs, determining once and for all who will eventually rule Japan.
The ninja clans never asked for this, especially after they'd spent years putting their feud behind them. Gennosuke Kouga, leader of the Kouga clan, is a young man who strongly believes in looking to the future and not holding grudges. As proof of his principles (and because he's in love, of course), he's even engaged to Oboro, the heir to the Iga clan. Unfortunately, what the shogun says goes, and the two are bound to be mortal enemies.
Gintama
No anime mixes samurai and science fiction more enthusiastically than "Gintama" from 2006, a series that takes place in an alternate version of feudal Japan occupied by invading aliens. Although the samurai of this world defended Earth against the invaders, the shogun surrendered to the aliens and allowed their occupation. Twenty years later, technology has vastly increased, but publicly carrying swords is illegal, and samurai are persona non grata. That leaves Gintoki Sakata, the series' protagonist, to take up a life of odd jobs to make ends meet.
Despite his unglamorous new career, Gintoki employs Shinpachi Shimura, a teenage boy who wants to learn the way of the samurai, and Kagura, a friendly alien girl. Together, the three have adventures involving aliens and samurai as they struggle against the strange world they live in and Gintoki's shady past.
"Gintama" is extremely comedic in tone, with a lot of fourth-wall-breaking humor that pokes fun at manga and anime tropes. It might even be the silliest thing on this list, but after witnessing the violence and tragedy of shows like "Shigurui" and "Basilisk," something silly might be just what you need.
Dororo
The original "Dororo" anime was created by "Astro Boy" innovator Osamu Tezuka in 1968, but that's not the one we're here to talk about today. In 2019, Tezuka's original manga was adapted into a new series that brings modern sensibilities to the already unusual story. It tells of Hyakkimaru, a young ronin whose limbs and several organs were sacrificed to 12 demons by his father when he was a newborn. As an adult, Hyakkimaru is equipped with prosthetics and the ability to see (and, therefore, fight) demons hiding on Earth. On the road, he meets young Dororo, who becomes his traveling companion, as he looks to retrieve his lost body parts from the demons. Dororo not only helps him with day-to-day stuff because of his disability but also becomes his emotional tether to humanity, as he is tempted to give in to the violence that has defined his life. As you can tell from the premise, this one is extremely dark, but it's also emotionally rewarding.
Eventually, Hyakkimaru must confront his evil father and fight his younger brother, who has become his father's heir. It turns out Dororo has a complicated family history, as well, and needs Hyakkimaru's help at least as much as he needs hers. This dark fantasy goes to some pretty unique places with the "wandering ronin" premise, and the 2019 version is well worth a look.
House Of Five Leaves
Another Edo period story, 2010's "House of Five Leaves" follows Masanosuke Akitsu, a down-on-his-luck samurai. Although he's a good swordsman, Masanosuke (or Masa for short) is a naturally timid man who gets uncomfortable around crowds. This leads to his shogun releasing him. Disgraced and unable to support his family, Masa moves alone to Edo (Japan's capital city, later renamed Tokyo). Looking for work as a bodyguard, he takes a job with a man named Yaichi, who turns out to be the leader of a criminal gang called the Five Leaves. Masa is initially reluctant to work with the Five Leaves, being more than a little uncomfortable using his skills for crime. However, he can't stop thinking about Yaichi's carefree attitude and gets increasingly drawn into the world of the Five Leaves.
Throughout the series, Masa tries to learn about Yaichi, whose origin story is finally told in the final episode. Yaichi was adopted by a prominent family but was kidnapped on his adoptive mother's instructions after she got pregnant with another son. He never goes back home, living the life of an outlaw from then on. Like Masa, he's a man who lost his family and is living the only life left to him, even if he seems to be having a great time.
Rurouni Kenshin
A classic of '90s anime, "Rurouni Kenshin" stands the test of time and is worth revisiting if you're in the mood for samurai stories (and if you've made it all the way through this list, you probably are). The title character is Himura Kenshin, a legendary assassin who has renounced his former ways and become a wandering swordsman who carries a "reverse blade sword," a katana with a cutting edge on the inner-curved side of the blade that makes it nearly impossible to kill with. As the series begins, Kenshin wanders into Tokyo, where he meets Kamiya Kaoru, a woman who owns a dojo. He takes up residence at the dojo, offering protection and help to those around him. Meanwhile, enemies from his violent past reemerge to cause trouble.
If you're looking for good anime about samurai and other sword-wielding Japanese historical figures, there's no shortage. This list probably could be twice as long, but we did our best to gather for you the cream of the crop from Champloo to Kenshin and focus on those that bring a modern sensibility to the table in a similar manner as "Yasuke."
Read this next: 14 Anime Series Like Chainsaw Man You Need To See
The post Anime shows you should watch if you loved Yasuke appeared first on /Film.
Leader of Online Group Where Secret Documents Leaked Is Air National Guardsman
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Google Launches New Cybersecurity Initiatives to Strengthen Vulnerability Management
petermorwood: weaselle:theheartspeaksloudest:neue-muslim-lekture...
the origin of the letter 🇦
(from the documentary The Odyssey of the Writing, 2020)
Documentary is called “The Secret History of Writing” done by BBC
this has always fascinated me. I first learned it about 25 years ago, and ever since, every time I see a capital letter A a tiny voice inside me goes “bull!”
Fun to see an actual scholarly version of this, because I first read it as explained (-ish) by one of Kipling’s “Just So Stories” a very, very long time ago…
Before He Played Dracula In Renfield, Nicolas Cage Went Wild With Vampire's Kiss
It may have taken Nic Cage over 40 years to play Dracula in "Renfield," but he previously donned fangs for one of his most out-there performances in "Vampire's Kiss."
It's kind of surprising that it's taken this long for Nicolas Cage to play Count Dracula. If any actor was born to play the most famous vampire on the planet then surely it was our generation's most unpredictable screen legend. Now he's getting his chance in the comedy "Renfield," where he stars alongside Nicholas Hoult, who plays Dracula's beleaguered goon in the midst of an identity crisis. Cage has always expressed interest in vampire lore. He produced the 2000 film "Shadow of the Vampire," a fictionalized version of the making of "Nosferatu" that imagines what would have happened if an actual vampire had been among the cast. Mostly, however, his highly specific strain of acting has been saved for playing mere mortals. There is an exception to that rule (sort of) in the movie "Vampire's Kiss," which manages to be strange even by the standards of the king of such qualities.
Yes, Nic Cage Is A Good Actor
It's easy to dismiss the work of Nicolas Cage, to decry it as bad or inept. His performances display immense range as an actor but his most infamous work is frenetic, highly committed, and often inexplicably gripping. For decades, he's demanded attention, even if not all of it has been positive. Many are cynical about his process because, even after over 40 years in the business, it's utterly unlike anything his peers are doing. Cage once described his acting style as "Western Kabuki" and "Nouveau Shamanic," more rooted in the likes of German Expressionism than the realism-driven method that has dominated Hollywood since the '50s. Where others aim for naturalism, Cage goes for the extreme, a kind of unpredictability that David Lynch once compared to jazz.
What's most fascinating about Cage's work (and we could be here all day listing his intriguing qualities) is how consistent he's been. There was no mid-career evolution into who we now know as Nic Cage. He was always like that, as evidenced by his feral subversion of the stoic romantic hero in "Moonstruck" and his turn as a traumatized soldier in "Birdy," wherein he yanked out two of his front teeth to prepare for the role. In 1988, still only 24 years old, Cage headlined a curious dark comedy that purported to be a vampire movie but quickly revealed itself to viewers to be something far stranger. Even by Nic Cage standards, "Vampire's Kiss" is a unique one.
How Vampire's Kiss Got Made
"Vampire's Kiss" centers on a yuppie literary agent whose grasp on reality is tenuous long before he meets a woman who may or may not be a vampire. His drug-addled rants about alphabetizing are so uncomfortable that his own psychiatrist has no idea how to help him. When he has a one-night stand with a woman he's convinced wants him to be a vampire, things only get bleaker from here. The film was written by Joseph Minion, who was best known at the time for the screenplay of "After Hours," the Martin Scorsese black comedy about a bored yuppie who tries to get home one night in the midst of absolute chaos. A minor disappointment upon release, "After Hours" is now considered one of Scorsese's most underrated works, a bleak blend of screwball comedy, film noir, and panic attack that delves into pure Freudian nightmare, albeit with more jokes. It's not traditionally comedic, often more concerned with needling at the audiences' anxieties than their funny bones.
For his follow-up script, Minion wanted to explore his ongoing depression as well as a toxic relationship he'd had with his then-girlfriend, producer Barbara Zitwer. He saw Zitwer as "vampire and destroying him," and he imagined the speculative aspects of a classic vampire tale would fit well into his oeuvre (which is especially raw given that she went on to produce this film). He wasn't wrong. Vampire stories work best when they act as a conduit to explore contemporary ideas and concerns. Minion also wanted to make a New York movie, one with as grim an outlook on the city as "After Hours." Initially offered to Dennis Quaid, perhaps a more traditional leading man than his replacement, the screenplay for "Vampire's Kiss" then fell into the hands of Cage. His own agent tried to coax him into turning it down, believing it to be a poor follow-up to his previous film, "Moonstruck." Of course, few people can tell Nicolas Cage what to do.
Cage's Performance Is, Of Course, Intense
As Peter Loew, a rich jerk with more issues than a Fangoria subscription, Cage is surreally committed to his acting choices. To paraphrase "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace," he knows actors who use subtext and they're all cowards. This is a part of pure text, of unfettered id that cannot be controlled. For Cage, the core of this character was his smothering isolation, and the idea that one could be so lonely that you could literally go mad. While Cage is known for going off-script, with "Vampire's Kiss," he followed the screenplay to the latter for almost the entire production. That's not to say he performed as the studio expected. He'd never be so predictable. In perhaps the film's most infamous scene, where Peter recites the entire alphabet with the disgusted force of a Baptist preacher railing against Satan, he noted that he planned out his movements "in my hotel room with my cat."
Director Robert Bierman, who is mostly known for working on British television, encouraged Cage's more out-there choices, such as his pretentious transatlantic accent that veers into Transylvanian during his most hectic bellowing. Even he, however, was baffled by Cage's request that, when shooting a love scene with Jennifer Beals, he has hot yogurt poured onto his toes to get him aroused. It was also Cage's idea to eat a real cockroach on camera, which was the only change he made to the script.
What Vampire's Kiss Is Actually About
It's easy to mock "Vampire's Kiss." It's bonkers, eminently quotable, and the blueprint for the Nic Cage archetype that has been the stuff of memes for many years. If you've seen "Con Air" or the remake of "The Wicker Man" or any of the bad movie night-primed Cage films, you'll recognize that shared energy immediately in "Vampire's Kiss." But it's not a bad movie, certainly not in the way it's been deemed since it opened to terrible reviews and disappointing box office. The film really does exemplify the Cage Method and why it's proven so wildly divisive over the decades. He wanted to shock the audience, to make them feel nauseated by this repulsive character whose fall into madness is nonetheless deeply moving. And he wanted to do it without any sliver of realism in his performance. You can't say he failed when he set the terms so thoroughly.
"Vampire's Kiss" could probably have still worked had Peter been played by, to put it kindly, a more timid actor. Like "After Hours," it's a pitch-black comedy with a scathing view of the much-fetishized misogynistic yuppie culture of the era that's equally fascinated by psychological distress. It's not hard to see Griffin Dunne looking increasingly harried as he becomes convinced he's joined the ranks of the undead. But it's with Cage that the film finds its perfect partner, the one it needed if not necessarily the one its studio wanted. The potency of Cage lies in how he captures something so acutely human, even if it seems over-the-top. Being so utterly and unbearably alone does feel agonizing on a Cage-esque level, as much as we bottle up our emotions and pretend otherwise.
Is Vampire's Kiss Actually A Vampire Movie?
A vampire film can be defined by such by the presence of, you guessed it, a vampire. What form said creature takes is another question. Dracula is a 180 turn from Edward Cullen, who is the total opposite of Nosferatu, who is nothing like Santanico Pandemonium, and so on. Centuries of vampiric lore give creators endless options to pick and choose when telling their own tale. Many of the things we see as requirements of vampirism — an aversion to sunlight, fangs — aren't present in its most iconic stories. That gives "Vampire's Kiss" a lot of leeway to define itself as a vampire film. Sometimes, vampirism is a metaphor. With Peter Loew, it often feels like an excuse.
It's not uncommon to see vampirism as a stand-in for misogyny. So much of "Dracula" makes more sense when read as a dissection of Victorian-era puritanism and how it punishes women for defying the rigid status quo. With "Vampire's Kiss," Peter's contempt for women is akin to derangement, something that has saturated the era and seems primed to explode at any moment. He treats every woman he comes across, from his therapist to his beleaguered secretary to the women he ditches after endless one-night stands, as prey. He cuts his neck while shaving but sees it as a bloodsucking attack from a mysterious seductress who pins him down and leaves him helpless. As he begins to modify his behavior to become more vampiric, including buying a set of plastic fangs that look hilariously cheap, it coincides with his increasing torment towards his secretary, Alva. Peter is so convinced of his vampirism when, in reality, he's just a misogynist whose fear of women has left him isolated beyond hope. That's a pretty nervy story for a 1980s dark comedy with the title "Vampire's Kiss." Clearly, Nic Cage knew that, and committed accordingly. This is the story of an apex predator who is terrified of losing his power, and it nails that frenetic panic with zeal. Look past the memes and descend into its thrall.
Read this next: Movies That Flopped So Hard They Practically Put Studios Out Of Business
The post Before He Played Dracula In Renfield, Nicolas Cage Went Wild With Vampire's Kiss appeared first on /Film.
[News] SHUDDER – Here’s What’s Coming in May
![[News] SHUDDER - Here's What's Coming in May](https://i0.wp.com/www.nightmarishconjurings.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Shudder-Logo.jpg?resize=600%2C337&ssl=1){kind=logo}
Just because Halfway to Halloween is over doesn’t mean the horror party hasn’t stopped over at our favorite streaming service. We’ve got some brand new films as well as some horror classics coming on over to Shudder. Check out what all is being thrown into your eyeballs this May.
PREMIERES
HUESERA: THE BONE WOMAN
Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera
Streaming on Shudder May 12th; Check our review here.
(Available in US, CA, UKI, ANZ)
![[News] SHUDDER - Here's What's Coming in May](https://i0.wp.com/www.nightmarishconjurings.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/hueseraStill.png?resize=600%2C337&ssl=1)
Director: Michelle Garza Cervera
Writers: Michelle Garza Cervera and Abia Castillo
Cast: Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández, Aída López,
Martha Claudia Moreno
Language: Spanish
CONSECRATION
Directed by Christopher Smith
Streaming on Shudder May 19th; Check out our review here.
(Available in US, CA, UKI, ANZ)
![[News] SHUDDER - Here's What's Coming in May](https://i0.wp.com/www.nightmarishconjurings.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/consecration_still.jpg?resize=640%2C410&ssl=1)
Synopsis: After the suspicious death of her brother, a priest, Grace (Malone) goes to the Mount Saviour Convent in Scotland to find out what really happened with the help of Father Romero (Huston). But she soon comes to distrust the account of the Church as she uncovers murder, sacrilege, and a disturbing truth about her own shadowy past that brings long-buried trauma to the surface.
Director: Christopher Smith
Writer: Christopher Smith, Laurie Cook
Cast: Jena Malone, Danny Huston, Janet Suzman
Language: English
INFLUENCER
Directed by Kurtis David Harder
Streaming on Shudder May 26th; Check out our review here.
(Available in US, CA, UKI, ANZ)
**Shudder Premiere**
Synopsis: While struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living. But CW’s interest in her takes a darker turn.
Director: Kurtis David Harder (SPIRAL)
Writer: Kurtis David Harder, Tesh Guttikonda
Cast: Cassandra Naud, Emily Tennant, Rory J Saper, Sara Canning
Language: English
SHUDDER RESURRECTED
**Repertory Titles New to Shudder**
High Tension (2003)
Directed by Alexandre Aja
Streaming on Shudder May 1st
Inside (2007)
Directed by Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury
Streaming on Shudder May 1st
Livid (2011)
Directed by Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury
Streaming on Shudder May 1st
Martyrs (2015)
Directed by Kevin & Michael Goetz
Streaming on Shudder May 1st
Poison for the Fairies (1986)
Directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada
Streaming on Shudder May 8th
Darker than the Night (1975)
Directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada
Streaming on Shudder May 8th
The Babadook (2014)
Directed by Jennifer Kent
Streaming on Shudder May 15th
The Devil’s Doorway (2018)
Directed by Aislinn Clarke
Streaming on Shudder May 15th
In Their Skin (2012)
Directed by Jeremy Power Regimbal
Streaming on Shudder May 22nd
The post [News] SHUDDER – Here’s What’s Coming in May appeared first on Nightmarish Conjurings.
7 Reasons Why You Should Get an IT Certification
Is an IT certification worth it or a waste of time? While time-consuming, earning a credential from a trusted platform validates your skills and gives you credibility in the eyes of employers. Here are some reasons why you should get an IT certification.
Half-Life 2 has a whole new spin-off campaign thanks to massive mod
If Valve isn't going to do Half-Life 3 (although we still believe; we’ll always believe) it’s over to fans of the stalwart Steam FPS game to keep the world and the story of Gordon Freeman going, and deliver a series of unofficial Half-Life 2 sequels. In 2022, we had Entropy Zero, an extremely professionally made and expansive mod which served as a spin-off to Valve’s original 2004 opus. Now comes the follow up, an entirely new Half-Life 2 campaign that casts you as a Civil Protection officer during HL2’s climactic revolt.
The Latest Star Trek Picard Season 3 Cameo Is A Perfect Deep Cut
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Picard."
Unless you've been living in a derelict Borg cube hopelessly severed from the Collective, you've probably noticed that this season of "Star Trek: Picard" has doubled down on "The Next Generation" to whole new levels of nostalgia. For some, that's exactly what they've been waiting for from this series ever since it was first announced. For others, well, just check out /Film's recap by Witney Seibold of the very last episode, titled "Vox," for the other end of the spectrum of reactions.
But for showrunner Terry Matalas, this third and final season has provided the best excuse to go out on a high note, smashing together various eras of "Trek" history to give Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and the rest of our original heroes one last grand adventure. While that has obviously meant reuniting our title character with old friends like Brent Spiner's Data and LeVar Burton's Geordi LaForge, it's also made room for several deep cuts and unexpected references of lore from years past. This time, one sneakily clever reappearance by a previously established "The Next Generation" character gave one dramatic death at the hands of the Borg a little extra irony.
As the plot line surrounding the Changeling conspiracy to take down Starfleet once and for all barrels towards its explosive conclusion on Frontier Day, the festivities allowed for one familiar face to briefly take centerstage: a certain Admiral Elizabeth Shelby on the bridge of the Enterprise-F, portrayed by actor Elizabeth Dennehy. Of course, Trekkies have seen this particular character before in the classic "The Next Generation" two-parter, "The Best of Both Worlds" — which shocked the fanbase by having Picard assimilated by the Borg.
A Blast From The Past
The Borg. Why does it always have to be the Borg? Picard's lasting trauma from his previous assimilation by the biggest bad in all of "Trek" has lingered throughout the decades, having been explored throughout "The Next Generation," the subsequent movies, and even earlier this season in "Picard." But as much as Picard is a central figure in the Federation, he didn't face off against this threat alone. Back in the season 3 finale of "The Next Generation," Starfleet dispatched Captain Elizabeth Shelby to the Enterprise-D, a bona fide Borg expert tasked with helping to repel the imminent Borg invasion. Fans will remember that she and Riker almost immediately rubbed one another the wrong way, thanks to a combo of clashing styles, a little bit of political overambition, and, most unforgivably of all, beating Riker at a hand of poker.
Still, the young officer proved her worth when Picard was captured by the enemy as she led the away mission to retrieve the captain. Though she couldn't quite prevent his assimilation and subsequent rampage during the Battle of Wolf 359, her efforts helped cripple the Borg cube and set up their eventual rescue of Picard from Borg clutches. Riker smoothed over any differences between the unlikely pair by promoting her to first officer in Picard's absence and eventually commander, Starfleet tasked her with rebuilding their fleet to prepare for future attacks, and she even reappeared once more down the line in an incredibly silly episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks."
All's well that ends well ... right? Well, maybe not. Just ask the dearly departed Ro Laren.
One For The Road
Having so much Borg experience under her belt, it was perhaps only a matter of time before "Star Trek: Picard" recruited the services of Elizabeth Shelby upon the shocking revelation that the Changelings had been collaborating with the sinister Borg. Of course, none of us could've predicted exactly how she'd be used in the latest episode. Or how bleakly ironic her final appearance would be.
With all of Starfleet blissfully unaware of the danger at their doorstep, the fleet celebrates the storied Frontier Day by gathering en masse to test out their fancy, system-wide new gadgetry. Synchronously linking each and every ship to the other for a much more efficient level of defense — hint: if your newfangled tech looks like the Borg and sounds like the Borg, it's probably the Borg — the system makes the fleet disastrously vulnerable to sabotage. That's exactly what happens when Picard & Co. show up, interrupt Admiral Shelby's grandiose speech, and trigger the defense mechanisms of the starships in orbit around Earth. Even Picard notes the irony of Shelby endorsing a plan of action that's "so Borg-like," showing how even the most decorated figures in Starfleet could lower their guard in such a time of (perceived) peace.
When the Borg inevitably begins their assimilation of the fleet and turn their drones against the ships, a completely bewildered and overwhelmed Shelby becomes one of the first and most tragic victims of the attack. It's an unceremonious and deeply upsetting end for a character who's lived through some of the darkest moments in all of "Trek" canon, but the instinct to bring her back for such a small but crucial role in "Picard" pays off effectively.
The "Star Trek: Picard" series finale airs on Paramount+ April 20, 2023.
Read this next: 13 Reasons Why Deep Space Nine Is The Best Star Trek Show
The post The Latest Star Trek Picard Season 3 Cameo is A Perfect Deep Cut appeared first on /Film.
Improve supply chain security and resiliency with Microsoft
The Microsoft Supply Chain Platform was just launched to help companies protect their supply chains against cyber threats.
The post Improve supply chain security and resiliency with Microsoft appeared first on Microsoft Security Blog.
The Mandalorian fans believe The Armorer is a Moff Gideon spy after Chapter 23
There’s only one more episode of The Mandalorian season 3 to come and we discuss theories answering the question: Is The Armorer a spy? We also explain the leader’s connection to Rook Kast and the mentioned Death Watch.
This week saw the reutrn of the formidable Moff Gideon and we previously discussed the villain’s Dark Trooper suit.
Created by Jon Favreau for Disney Plus and starring Pascal as the titular bounty hunter, The Mandalorian follows Din Djarin who is hired to track down a child known as Grogu – more commonly Baby Yoda – but ends up doing everything he can to protect him from Imperial forces.
**Warning – Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian**
The Mandalorian Chapter 23 recap
Season 3 episode 7 saw Bo-Katan rally the Nite Owls and the Children of the Watch to retake the Great Forge on Mandalore.
Several Mandalorians offered to go, including Din Djarin, Paz Vizsla, and The Armorer, and the group also met up with more Mandalorian survivors on the planet.
After entering the Great Forge, the Mandalorians were quickly ambushed by Moff Gideon’s forces within a secret Imperial base.
Chapter 23. Now streaming. #TheMandalorian #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/vfY5pE00ho
— The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) April 12, 2023
Is The Armorer a spy?
A theory surrounding the Children of the Watch’s Armorer being an Imperial spy began during season 3, after she was willing to let Bo-Katan disregard the creed of keeping the helmet on in order for her to bring the scattered Mandalorian factions together.
Considering The Armorer has always been a devout follower of “the way,” it gave fans cause for concern when she was quickly willing to throw that away for the good of reuniting their exiled brothers and sisters.
Suspicions also rose after Chapter 23 when The Armorer offered to come on Bo-Katan’s mission to the Great Forge that was later ambushed – something the character would never have embarked on before.
It was also convenient that The Armorer went back with the injured survivors before the ambush began.
Fans also have their crosshairs on Axe Woves being a spy, after he left the ambush rather quickly and previously claimed his honor went to the highest bidder.
Who are the Death Watch?
The Death Watch is a faction of Mandalorian terrorists who fought against the pro-active government on Mandalore during the Clone Wars and they were mentioned by The Armorer during the latest episode.
Led by Duchess Satine Kryze – Bo-Katan’s sister – the splinter group failed to overthrow the government many times and resorted to becoming the Shadow Collective led by Darth Maul.
The Shadow Collective managed to take control of the planet under Maul’s rule, but power for leadership created conflict between Maul and Pre Vizsla.
After the latter was defeated, Maul climbed the ladder and the Death Watch disbanded becoming the Mandalorian rebels led by Bo-Katan.
Bo Katan insisting using non-violent methods, like she didn't Raid and plundered villages with Death Watch.#StarWars #Mandalorian pic.twitter.com/L0SQlImtZm
— Cheney (@GuessWh34974049) April 5, 2023
Who is Rook Kast?
One Mandalorian theory points to The Armorer’s real identity being Rook Kast – known as a surviving member of the Death Watch and loyalist to Darth Maul.
This group of extremists was said to have disbanded – explained by The Armorer – but this theory suggests that some of Maul’s followers survived the Mandalorian civil war and regrouped with Rook as their leader.
Since The Armorer was the one that responded about the Death Watch in Chapter 23 – after a sinister pause – fans believe this could be a major clue.
The Mandalorian episode count and release schedule
The Mandalorian season 3 is confirmed to have eight episodes, following the episode count of its previous two seasons.
Season 3 will follow the pattern of most Disney Plus shows and release weekly, with new episodes airing on a Wednesday.
Each episode lasts between 30-50 minutes and the season 3 finale is confirmed to take place on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
Season 3’s full release schedule reveals when you can catch every new episode of The Mandalorian until the finale.
By Jo Craig – jo.craig@grv.media
The Mandalorian season 3 is now streaming on Disney Plus.
The post The Mandalorian fans believe The Armorer is a Moff Gideon spy after Chapter 23 appeared first on ForeverGeek.
8 Games to Play if You Love the Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda library contains some of the best games of the past and modern eras. It's impossible to deny that the series has considerably influenced gaming history, not just for the players but also for developers of new titles.
Study Reveals Cancer's 'Infinite' Ability To Evolve
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Resident Evil remakes and RE7 lose DirectX 11 support from Capcom
Capcom is officially withdrawing support for the DirectX 11 versions of the Resident Evil remakes Resident Evil 2 and RE3, as well as Resident Evil 7, meaning that any future updates or patches for the horror games will only apply to the DirectX 12-enabled versions. The newer versions previously drew criticism for their integration of ray tracing lighting effects, which some fans felt made the games look worse than the DirectX 11-driven originals. Nevertheless, the RE series continues riding high thanks to the successful launch of Resident Evil 4 Remake and the first full trailer for tie-in movie Resident Evil Death Island.
The weird influence of H.G. Wells on Guerrilla Games’ Horizon franchise
Our Techno-Utopian Nightmare
Artificial intelligence has become an unavoidable trend, and with that comes an explosion of possibilities and fears. Though A.I. promises to free the masses from the suffering of alienated labor, it also threatens to render many redundant. In some sense, the blessing and curse of A.I. is that it may become too good, painfully exposing just how inadequate our biological modes of being are.
In Guerrilla Games' Horizon franchise, A.I. appears as both the villain and the hero, illustrating the dual nature of technology. Interestingly, the studio's science fiction vision appears to borrow heavily from H.G. Wells. Although it may seem counterintuitive at first, upon closer analysis, it becomes apparent that Guerrilla Games and Wells may have been trying to convey very similar messages through their art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShJuY6Zl2Aw
Guerrilla Games and H.G. Wells
The story behind Horizon Zero Dawn's conception has been retold aplenty in the gaming community, as it demonstrates how creativity can be maximally harnessed with good leadership. After years of working on the Killzone franchise, Guerrilla Games realized that being a one-trick pony would not be a sustainable long-term strategy. Hermen Hulst, who was the studio head at the time, had the team pitch ideas about what games they'd like to work on. Out of that, the Horizon franchise was born.
During the pitching process, the team toyed with the idea of making a game based on H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, first published in 1895. The sci-fi novel is set in the distant year 802701, and at first, it appears that the perfect utopia has been achieved. However, upon closer inspection, readers discover that the class differences have been so exaggerated that humans have split into two races, and the rich and poor appear to be two separate species.
Though the idea of a Wells' game was scrapped, it doesn't mean that Guerrilla Games completely abandoned the iconic author. As Hermen Hulst has admitted when discussing The Time Machine: "Even though we ultimately didn’t pick it I suppose you can see some elements translated into Horizon". Wells fans will be aware that one of the races in The Time Machine is called the Eloi, a word that's quite similar to a certain red-haired heroine's name.
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Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]
The Horizon Between Biology and Bot
The War of the Worlds is perhaps Wells' most widely recognized text. It has found a special place in literary culture, and it is considered a seminal example of the alien invasion subgenre. Part of the novel's success comes from its descriptions captivating enough to cause mass panic when it was read in a 1938 radio program.
Through the vivid descriptions, Wells brings to life the Fighting Machines that the invading Martians use to terrorize England. In an unexpected twist, what makes the Fighting Machines so awe-inspiring is not their technological prowess, but their resemblance to simple biological beings.
The narrator notes how the Fighting Machines are not a mess of cogs and wheels. Instead, they walk on spider-like legs that are powered by a "sort of sham musculature" that electric currents run through. It is this "curious parallelism to animal motions" which was "so striking and disturbing to the human beholder". At one point, the animal-like nature of a Fighting Machine enchants the narrator so much that he "did not see it as a machine, in spite of its metallic glitter".
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Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]
A similar effect is found in the Horizon franchise. The Machines that have enchanted fans seem more animal-like than robotic, with many of them exhibiting reptilian or mammalian behavior. For players with an active enough imagination, it is also possible to form a bond with Aloy's mounts as if they were living pets.
Though the similarities between the machines of Guerrilla Games and Wells may seem merely poetic at first, it goes much deeper. The Corruptors, which bring destruction in Horizon Zero Dawn, walk on spindly legs much like the Fighting Machines, and they have the same skittish, animated style of motion described in The War of the Worlds. With the upcoming Horizon Forbidden West DLC, Burning Shores, it appears players will see more of the Horus Titans which sport tentacular appendages.
Hope During Dystopian Disasters
Wells' influence on the Horizon franchise has produced a unique variety of science fiction that represents a masterclass in worldbuilding. The peak of technology in both Wells' works and the Horizon franchise is represented, not by an austere, sentient computer like 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL 9000, but rather by biology mimics. These are perhaps the comforting video game villains needed now more than ever, when technology poses the risk of ushering in biological obsolescence. Humans can draw some superiority from, and feel flattered by, the fact that the higher technology strives, the more it becomes like us.
The post The weird influence of H.G. Wells on Guerrilla Games’ Horizon franchise appeared first on Destructoid.
Leaked Pentagon Documents May Herald a New Era of Revelations
Can I run Windows 11 without a Microsoft account?
Windows 11 is a great version of Microsoft's operating system, having brought along many changes that make Windows more visually appealing and welcoming to new users. However, it's not to everyone's taste. For example, you might not like that you have to use a Microsoft account with Windows 11. It's used in a few places throughout the operating system and its apps. As of Windows 11 version 22H2, both Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 require a Microsoft account to set up, at least for most users.
CELL 8 Review: Death Penalty, Be Not Proud
Mimosa Willamo, Richard Lintern and Leonard Terfelt star in the tense and twisting Swedish mystery series, debuting in the U.S. and Canada on Viaplay.
CISA Publishes New Guidance for Achieving Zero Trust Maturity
CISA has published the second version of its guide describing the necessary strategies and policies to achieve zero trust maturity.
The post CISA Publishes New Guidance for Achieving Zero Trust Maturity appeared first on SecurityWeek.
What Is The Mandalorian's Mysterious 'Project Necromancer'? An Investigation
This post contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 7 of "The Mandalorian," "The Spies."
After last week's languid, lighthearted episode in the latest season of "The Mandalorian," we have been treated to an extremely high-stakes penultimate episode meant to gear us toward an explosive finale. Delivering a cold open that strengthens the show's connections with the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, Rick Famuyiwa's "The Spies" does not waste any time in setting up multiple future storylines in an attempt to fill in the gaps or fleshing out the canon.
We finally see Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) in the flesh after being teased about his return for six episodes, and the big baddie is busy conversing with the Imperial Shadow Council, who are working overtime to reinstate the Empire covertly. We see Admiral Pellaeon (Steve Pemberton), who has a direct connection to Grand Admiral Thrawn, along with Commandant Hux (Brian Gleeson), known to be key to the First Order and its eventual rise to power down the line. While these cameos already tie the events of "The Mandalorian" to that of the sequel trilogy, a mysterious, secretive project is namedropped to suggest the return of a familiar face.
Gideon and Commandant Hux briefly talk about cloning technologies, with the former evading questions about Dr. Pershing's fate and being dismissive about plans related to this field. This is when Hux mentions Project Necromancer, which everyone in the council seems to be aware of. While Hux and co. are most likely referring to Palpatine returning somehow, let us look into the many facets that might factor into this nefarious Imperial experiment.
Understanding Sith Necromancy
While the Sith are known to walk a dark, dangerous path, incorporating arcane magic and alchemy, necromancy is still considered niche and mostly off-limits by disciples of this path. After all, reanimating the dead is no easy task, as it requires ritual magic and personal sacrifices that come at a great cost.
However, canon dictates the existence of Siths like Dathka Graush, who were among the earliest practitioners of Sith necromancy. Graush managed to perfect a spell that helped create a zombified army bound to him through the dark side of the Force, while he replaced his heart with a crystal to further amplify his connection to the dark side. Years after Graush's death, many Sith practitioners were desperate to learn more about the forbidden arts from the long-dead Sith King, going as far as disturbing his Korriban grave for answers.
There are many magic users spread across the galaxy — for instance, the Nightsisters of Dathomir tap into dark energies granted by the planet's ichor — but the act of bringing the dead back to life is a big no-no even for the most formidable magic users. While ritual necromancy might be a lost art to the remnants of the Empire in "The Mandalorian," it is not far-fetched to assume that some form of this idea is being implemented with the aid of advanced technology. Project Necromancer might be a combination of arcane magic and state-of-the-art technology, with several layers of objectives ranked according to priority. At the moment, the Empire is scattered and leaderless, which would make sense for the introduction of an interim puppet ruler sometime in the future, leading us to...
Snoke, And By Extension, Palpatine
Events of the sequel trilogy map out the rise and fall of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), who acted as leader of the First Order in the New Republic era. After Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) betrays Snoke by killing him in "The Last Jedi," it is later revealed that he was only an artificial genetic construct created as a proxy until Palpatine's resurrection, with his only goal being manipulating events in favor of the Sith resurgence.
The opening of "The Rise of Skywalker" hints at several Snoke clones hibernating inside glass tanks, which could possibly mean they were all programmed to act a certain way, despite seeming to possess a mind of their own. The mechanics of cloning and artificial constructs in the sequels are murky at best, as we are never shown how Palpatine managed to return, but are instead treated to ascension schemes that abide by the Rule of Two. Kylo killing Snoke fulfilled the purpose of the last Skywalker sitting on the Sith throne, but Rey's (Daisy Ridley) decision to step up as "all the Jedi" thwarted this elaborate plan at the last minute. There are aspects of this plan that are shrouded in mystery, as Palpatine claimed that he was the one who created Snoke, and we might be offered a glimpse into how that came about.
Project Necromancer could be the Shadow Council's attempts to resurrect Palpatine while creating Snoke clones to keep edging towards their goal of establishing the First Order. Gideon seems to be in on it, but his latest display of forced leadership might point at potential tensions between and anyone who emerges as the supreme leader of this fascist superstructure.
An Undead Army
Gideon's interest in Grogu in the first two seasons of "The Mandalorian" ties in directly with the Empire's covert plans to champion genetic cloning and DNA reanimation. The Dr. Pershing episode reinforces these narrative strands, as he delivered a TED talk about the potential good that can come out of such experimental science, allowing dead loved ones to live on via DNA replication. Moreover, Elia Kane's presence on Coruscant also hints at a grander plan spearheaded by Gideon, wherein he has access to information about cloning that others in the Shadow Council might not be privy to.
But how does Thrawn factor into Project Necromancer, if at all? The Shadow Council seems to be confident of his imminent return, although Gideon, who is more power-hungry and ambitious than ever, does not seem too happy about this news. While Thrawn will most likely make his first live-action appearance in "Ahsoka," he is bound to be involved in the Council's plan to some extent. As Thrawn's hidden presence is the Empire's greatest wild card at the moment, it makes sense for the military strategist to pull the strings on a covert project involving the reanimation of the dead.
Could the Empire be seeking to bring back the dead in hordes? This is not a far-fetched idea, as Undead Troopers once existed in the galaxy, thanks to a viral outbreak. These troopers were infected with a viral agent that turned them into mindless killers after their deaths, and the group shared a hive mind and was able to sustain great damage. With thousands of stormtrooper casualties and dwindling Imperial forces, it is likely that Project Necromancer will focus on rebuilding an elite army of the dead that cannot be easily taken out with a blaster or the swing of a saber.
Read this next: The 11 Best Star Wars Droids Ranked By Usefulness
The post What Is The Mandalorian's Mysterious 'Project Necromancer'? An Investigation appeared first on /Film.
NVIDIA RTX Remix Runtime Available Now as Open Source Software, Creator Toolkit Coming Soon
Six months after its announcement, the NVIDIA RTX Remix runtime is finally available to the public as an open source software released under the MIT license via GitHub.
Modders have been using the NVIDIA RTX Remix files used in Portal RTX to try enhancing old games for quite a few months, but the whole process should be a lot easier now. It'll be even better when the Creator Toolkit becomes available, too. NVIDIA says it'll happen soon, though the software will be released in early access. When the Creator Toolkit is launched, modders will be allowed to add brand new lights and assets, as well as remaster the game's existing assets with advanced AI upscaling.
Meanwhile, you can already take advantage of the following components in your NVIDIA RTX Remix projects:
- USD capture and replacement modules, which are responsible for capturing a game scene to USD, and replacing original game assets with modded game assets at runtime.
- Bridge, which translates the renderer from an x86 to an x64 instruction set. This component uncaps the memory available for rendering.
- Scene manager, which uses information coming through the D3D9 fixed-function API to create a representation of the original scene, track game objects frame to frame, and set up the scene to be path traced.
- The core path tracer, which includes the rendering loop, the material handling, and the game-specific rendering features (e.g., decals and particles).
The NVIDIA RTX Remix repository also outlines the software's development roadmap. Right now, the team is working on terrain blending (rendering terrain by baking blended textures together, which was common when those games were designed, and then adding the material replacement), anti-culling (to get the games to draw more geometry, which is helpful for path tracing, and possibly to cache previously seen objects), and increased game compatibility.
In the near future, you can look forward to OpenGL support added via a wrapper, improved performance for the bridging functionality, and improvements to setting up the games in the NVIDIA RTX Remix runtime. Long term, there are some ambitious goals on the roadmap:
- Subsurface scattering support for foliage at first;
- Improved visual compatibility with rasterized materials;
- Advanced sky support for HDR and volumetrics;
- Advanced mod stacking support, which will be particularly useful for games like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind;
- Support for skinned mesh replacement.
NVIDIA RTX Remix will be expanded even further by closely working alongside the community. Stay tuned on Wccftech to get news on the latest and greatest remastering projects from enterprising modders.
