Hobbies, Family, & Geekery from a Stay-at-Home Dad
With Borderlands 3 out today, we are now in the gravitational pull that is the fall release schedule. You know what that means! No, not that your wallet is about to be burnt to a crisp from entering Planet Q4’s atmosphere. That’s besides the point. …Read More….
It’s been almost exactly 5 whole years since the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on the Wii U. I know, not many remember it because, well, the Wii U. But I’m sure you know of it now if you own a Switch. Because …Read More….
Now, don’t get me wrong with my negatives here. I like what Telltale does. They can take a franchise you like and give you a packaged story that’ll keep you intrigued and wanting more. It’s like a cross between a game and a really good book that you are shaping as you go along. The only issue I have is the package they’re giving you feels like it’s straight off the UPS truck during the holidays. No, it’s not an unplayable mess, but there are bugs and such that you wouldn’t expect considering all the games Telltale has been pumping out.
For instance, I was 2 episodes in on Batman. I was excited to get into the 3rd and realized in the “previously on Batman..” movie before the episode, that none of the choices I made were carried over. Before, I questioned if the choices I made throughout the game were even significant. So it wasn’t until this point I realized I actually do care because I was ready to call it quits if I had to replay the whole thing. I had to search and find a random reddit post where someone from Telltale explained a crazy loophole that danced around the glitch. They said a patch is in the works, but seeing as how the 1+ year old game that was just ported to Switch is still receiving complaints on glitches, I doubt we’ll see anything.
Knowing who was who and how Telltale decided to portray the characters made everything Batman feel fresh for me.
Other than that, I adored the game. I’ve been drifting away from Batman for a while now, not caring for him as a character or respecting him as a superhero like I used to. Maybe it’s because Iron Man is better? I dunno. The Marvel fanboy in me could be what’s making me bias, but let’s be real. Iron Man wins every time.
Ok, I’m just fueling flames here, back on topic. Batman: The Telltale Series made me care about Batman again. See? That’s the point I’m trying to make here! While playing through the story and watching it unfold, I couldn’t help but feel engrossed. Even days after completing it I was thinking of the twists and turns the story made and the impact some characters left. Having a good general consciousness of Batman and his universe made it all a great experience. Knowing who was who and how Telltale decided to portray the characters made everything Batman feel fresh for me. Penguin, for example, is one who made a huge impact on me while playing. Typically, he’s a robust, and somewhat grotesque looking character. Here, he’s thin, very cleaned up (in appearance), and I was shocked to see that’s who he was.
It made me want to get into Batman again, and that’s saying something because it’s been forever since I cared about him.
It was so dark the way Telltale twisted everything about, taking almost everything you know about Gotham and the Caped Crusader and making you rethink it all. It made me extremely excited for the new Batman Telltale series – Batman: The Enemy Within – that just started back in August. With a new story featuring the Joker, Mr. Freeze, and my favorite Batman villain, The Riddler, I cannot wait for it to come to Switch…
Which brings me to the last point I wanted to make here. I guess you can say I’m done with the actual review of Batman: The Telltale Series. The glitches were present but the story and characters made you feel aaaaaaall better. There. Ok. Now that that’s out of the way, let me get to the one thing I learned from playing this game: All Telltale games – past, present, and future – need to be on the Nintendo Switch. With who I am as a gamer right now, I’m talking parent/husband first, food blogger somewhere in there, with a dash of wannabe reader these days, it’s all pretty hard to juggle with a measly 24 hours in the day. Not since Destiny 2’s launch have I forced myself to sit in front of a T.V. to play a game. So I know without a doubt I wouldn’t have made any sort of exception for Batman.
All Telltale games – past, present, and future – need to be on the Nintendo Switch.
With it being on the Switch, it made it a bajillion times easier to burn through it. And the formula of Telltale games is so amazingly easy to digest on the go. Nothing too button dependent or twitch reflexes needed (though that may be debatable). The sound was hard to hear at some points but it could’ve been just me and the noise levels in the room. Despite the bugs and glitches I experienced, the game was an absolute dream on the Switch and I can only hope Telltale brings their library of games to the system. They’ve already confirmed as much, it’s only a matter of when at this point.
I can’t say much for other Telltale games that have been released the past few years. I’ve come very close to buying Guardians of the Galaxy but I refrained. The last one I played was A Wolf Among Us, which I thoroughly enjoyed as you can tell from my review. I purchased Game of Thrones and was very excited for it, but like I said, asstime™ is hard to come by. And when it comes down to it, if I’m on the couch, I’m playing something that will take a good chunk out of my Pile of Shame™.
With that said, Batman: The Telltale Series just hit the PS+ lineup for January 2018. So as of this writing, if you have PS+, get on this because it is well worth your time if you dig Bats. Like I mentioned, I’m beyond excited to visit Telltale’s Gotham again in Batman: The Enemy Within which takes place close to a year after the events of Batman: The Telltale Series. I hope you’ll check this out and enjoy Telltale’s Batman universe like I did. In the meantime, I’ll be here anxiously awaiting them to release everything else they have on the Nintendo Switch.
I’ve been putting this off for a while. No, not for the usual laziness that’s typically why I don’t write reviews anymore. But because it would signify completion. Writing this up and putting it out there for the world to see would be like reading …Read More….
Here’s a confession: I’m not a mobile gamer. I don’t have anything against the genre. I don’t sit here and think I’m a real gamer and people who play mobile games are below me or anything like that. I just don’t have time in my …Read More….
It’s been a looooong time since I reviewed something from Disney Infinity. Ever since the absolute madness that was Infinity Corner over at EZ-Mode Unlocked – where I reviewed every single figure and playset that was out for 1.0 – I decided to take a break from it. It was a hard labor of love, but it was and still is glorious to look at. But here we are now! Disney Infinity 3.0! And I’m reviewing a play set that will hit shelves on September 29th.
The Rise Against the Empire play set came bundled in the Saga Bundle that I purchased when the game launched August 30th. And ever since then I’ve been slowly but steadily chipping away at the whole game. But since this play set in particular was a timed exclusive, I figured I should try and focus on it and review it for those who look to purchase when it hits shelves.
I wasn’t going to spend too much time on these, but to me, half the fun of Disney Infinity are the figures! I feel like I went into pretty good detail as to why I loved these figures in my Rise Against the Empire Play Set Unboxing post. My main appreciation for the figures is how they both perfectly captured the spirit of the their movie characters. The poses each of them have are a great representation of who they are. And even though they’re simple, if you’re a fan of the characters, you’ll love how they’re designed.
Luke and Leia are packaged with the play set. Other figures that call Rise Against the Empire home are Han Solo, Chewbacca, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader. Six iconic figures altogether! All the figures will be available on shelves on 9/29, except for Boba Fett who is a timed exclusive to the Saga Bundle and won’t be released until January 2016. If you want to check him out though, there’s a sweet unboxing post featuring Boba Fett right here! Trust me, he’s my favorite so far, so check that out. Such an amazing figure and a blast to play as.
So as long as you unlock them in game by simply finding their Champion Coin in the play set, you can use figures like Yoda and Obi-Wan, or any of the Rebels figures in Rise Against the Empire.
And what’s great is all Star Wars figures can be used in all Star Wars play sets. So as long as you unlock them in game by simply finding their hidden Champion Coin in the world, you can use figures like Yoda and Obi-Wan, or any of the Rebels figures in Rise Against the Empire. It’s a very welcomed change, being able to share figures among play sets. You get to put them all to use and you don’t feel sad for not being able to play with a favorite.
Overall, I’m exceedingly pleased with the figures so far. I cannot wait to pick up the other 3 that belong in this play set, but I’m so happy I don’t have to wait for them to have different experiences in the game. It’s the type of fun Disney Infinity as a whole is based on. Being able to take your favorite figure and just have a blast with no limits (in the toy box). With that way of playing slowly creeping out of the toy box where you’re absolutely free to do so, and making its way into play sets gives me great joy and hope for where the series is going.
The Play Set
Now if you know me, you know I don’t spoil anything when I review. So if you’re afraid of me listing off the different awesome things you encounter in all the different worlds, worry not. I’m here to mainly tell you about my experiences and what stood out to make it fun. And this play set has plenty of fun!
I know if you’re reading this, odds are you’re a fan of Star Wars. And if you’re not automatically purchasing this on day one, you’re probably looking for a thumbs up. Approval. Validation that your $35 for the play set or $65 for the starter pack is going to be worth it, or if it’s going to be just another cash in on the Star Wars money machine.
If you’re a fan of the original trilogy – which Rise Against the Empire is based on – then you’re in for a Death Star sized treat.
There’s a few exceptions, e.g. the Inside Out play set is platform driven while the Star Wars play sets are action based. But for the most part, you’re looking at the same concept and the same types of side missions and quests in every play set. The different themes and franchises are enough to mask repetitiveness, but there’s only so many times you have to bring X over to Y before you realize the similarities.
With that said, Rise Against the Empire shares the same types of side quests and missions as other play sets, but they don’t feel repetitive. They don’t feel like a chore that makes you want to hurry up and progress so you can carry on with the story. Maybe it’s thanks to the wonderful world of Star Wars? You’re in this setting that you know and love and you want to savor every Wompa kill, every Tie Fighter explosion, and every Storm Trooper popped open with your lightsaber. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I do know I was disappointed whenever I ran out of missions to do and had to continue on the main story. None of them felt like I was doing the same thing over and over which is a curse Disney Infinity play sets as a whole have dealt with since 1.0. Not to mention the laundry list of characters that you’re going to recognize as you’re playing, which I’m sure will help you love the play set even more than what you already were.
Even though everything is based off the original trilogy, it’s not a direct telling of the events that happened. I haven’t seen the original trilogy for a few years (waiting for closer to Episode VII to rewatch), but as I was playing, I noticed very easily there were certain things out of place or that simply didn’t happen. So no, you’re not getting the authentic story, so if you’re looking for that, you might be slightly disappointed. But seriously, at the end of the day, this is a game that is geared towards kids. We as the adult fanboys and girls that we are, should be counting our lucky stars that a game like this even exists for us. So what Luke, Han, and Chewy are helping Princess Leia get the droids onto an escape pod away from Darth Vader’s grasp? It’s the Disney Infinity way. The flow of the gameplay has to work with the figures that are playable. What really truly matters is we’re there to relive it, play it, and experience it either on our own or with the next generation of Star Wars geeks right beside us.
…I knew my kids were going to grow up with their own Star Wars films, experiences, and memories. A whole new generation is being exposed to this space magic for the first time, and that makes me so amazingly happy, I cannot begin to describe it.
And that’s my main draw to it. I can’t properly put into words the pure joy I feel when I boot up this game with my 5 year old next to me. And he’s as into it as I am! Ever since it was announce that Disney purchased Star Wars, I jumped for joy because I knew they were going to do right by it. I knew we were going to be seeing new movies and shows and games and Han Solo branded Pop Tarts, and Boba Fett branded coffee creamer. And most importantly, I knew my kids were going to grow up with their own Star Wars films, experiences, and memories. A whole new generation is being exposed to this space magic for the first time, and that makes me so amazingly happy, I cannot begin to describe it. Disney Infinity 3.0 was pretty much the first wave of Star Wars goodness to be launched in anticipation for The Force Awakens, and I honestly think if you’re a fan of Star Wars, or are looking to become one, then this entire game needs to be on your radar.
If you really want more substance as to why I’m so happy with this play set, then I’ll make it easy for you: The story is classic. The way it feels when you’re playing is impressive. Controls are responsive and great and most importantly, fun! You actually feel the power of the lightsaber every time you swing it, the force of the blasters every time they’re shot. And all the awesomeness goes for the space battles as well, which you get to partake in a few times throughout the play set.
For years I was hoping to get an updated Star Wars game I could enjoy with my kid because the old Lego games get stale after 100+ hours. Disney Infinity 3.0 not only gives us this great toy box to have all sorts of fun in, but it also gives us experiences like the Rise Against the Empire play set where we can relive moments and characters from these classic films. I can’ wait for The Force Awakens play set when it’s released with the film. I have no doubt it’ll be a great way to celebrate and experience the movie when it comes out. You could tell a lot of love and passion went into the making of this game and this play set. It’s up to you to pick it up and experience it.