nrshultz-66446 Reviews

Fallout (2024– )

Never been more happy to be wrong about a TV show

[9/10 · 12 April 2024]

I thought this series would blow so hard but all my fears went away after watching the first episode. I'll try to avoid spoilers the best I can, but the way they tackle the 3 plots that follow one character all with their own motivations I say was done very well. As a show it's very good, I have played a few Fallout games but never finished any of them, now I might. This show doesn't just appeal to fans, obviously the references for fan service is alive and well, but people that don't know the games very well can still enjoy it. If I had to squeak out one complaint is that the depiction of Wasteland looks more like just a plain old desert and not a landscape that underwent a nuclear blast (not a spoiler, the name says it all). It's not that it looks bad, it's just in the games you see the damage that was caused by the blasts even centuries later, in the show it just sand and sometimes trees. It just felt underwhelming to me. Other than that, it's a great show. I came in with very low expectations and was blown away. Definitely recommend.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

The Best "superhero" film.

[10/10 · 6 March 2024]

James Gunn is such a talented storyteller, and this film is proof. The action is good, the story though admittedly pretty goofy is still a fun and very well told tale of expendable inmates that embark on a suicide mission to be rewarded with a reduced sentence. The highlight for me is the characters. This movie boast a colorful and likeable cast of characters, some notable ones are the needlessly brutal but hilarious Peacemaker, the unapologetically kind Ratcatcher, and the endlessly loveable but underused King Shark. Everyone knows that the original Suicide Squad was a soiled diaper piece of trash film, with boring characters and ridiculously awful writing, but this movie proves to be the exact opposite. The writing was great, the character development was phenomenal, and the action was awesome and well shot and was pretty graphic as well. This movie is awesome and is a must watch for people hoping for an actually good film from DC. If James Gunn's "DCU" projects are like this, then I see a bright future for DC fans.

Peacemaker (2022– )

This show actually slapped

[10/10 · 14 December 2023]

I loved Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad and I love him here as well. John Cena is a great actor and he is perfect for this role as a man-child absolutely obsessed with peace. All the other characters in the show are likeable in their own ways and they never fail to entertain. An example is Vigilante, he is obsessed with teaming up with peacemaker and isn't afraid to kill people at all, and he doesn't take anything seriously, even in the most serious moments he is unintentionally funny, it was annoying at first but the character grew on me eventually. The writing is so good in this show as well as in all of James Gunn's projects that I've seen so far. They weave in an alien threat that operate in a way that I have never seen before and they also do a great job at building up it's side antagonist with Robert Patrick's character. This show was also really funny, to my surprise. Sometimes they do overwhelm the a serious moment with jokes but those moments are few and far between. Finally, the violence in this show is graphic but still really fun to watch, each fight or shootout is in great detail and they also do well at capturing the fight, I can only recall one fight that had a little bit of shakey camera. Overall, this show slaps, I'm doing a horrible job at selling how good this show really is, if you love DC or loved The Suicide Squad, give this show a shot, you will love it.

Fortnite (2017 Video Game)

Not a bad game

[7/10 · 3 December 2023]

It's a great shooter, the combat is fun, the style is actually amazing, and they have added a ton of things that made the game better. Best example of this is making a zero build mode, finally you can play a battle Royale game without shooting someone once and having them spam an apartment complex at you as a result. Mechanically and gameplay wise, this game is awesome. Even the battle pass system is fine, it's not pay to win, everything in battle pass is purely cosmetic, nothing that is required to play that game fairly, you don't need that battle pass to play better, unlike a certain hero shooter from Activision Blizzard that we all know. There is nothing wrong with the game itself.

But the issue comes with the community and the player base. "Battle of the Kindergarteners" is a common term used to describe the player base, and they are not wrong, this game is overwhelmed with kids and sweats, to the point that it gets very annoying. This makes playing with randoms almost impossible to enjoy. Some of them will scold you for having a default skin which is just pathetic to me. So if you have a friend or sibling with you, just play with them, it's way better I promise.

Another thing is despite my praise for the battle pass system, they make items in the item shop outrageously prices, it's wild. I did the math, during the dragon ball even way back when, to get Goku, Vegeta, Beerus, Bulma, bulmas back bling, and Beerus emote, you had to pay 75 dollars worth of V bucks and would have no spare change. Thats an outrageous amount of money for skins. And saving up for that wouldn't feel like an accomplishment to me, more of just a waste of money, and it's made worse by the fact that there is no real way to get V-bucks in game effectively unless you buy the battle pass.

My final complaint is that the story has turned into a convoluted mess. Since the game has so many crossovers, they are making some sort of multiverse out of all them and it's really gotten hard to understand, especially because it keeps changing after each season. It at least makes you hunt for answers in a match rather than then telling you outright. But it's gotten really wacky with some of its seasons, one season you're saving the island from Galactus straight out of marvel comics, then you're helping Jones destroy this giant time flower thing that the rock sealed in a spore, then you're saving the island from aliens that destroy the aforementioned spire freeing the time thingy, then you find out the island is made up of two separate dimensions, then the island is covered in a chrome silver state of matter, and then all of that just disappears when the next chapter happens. They try to weave story into new mechanics which...kind works??? But it still just makes their story more convoluted because every season somehow makes the previous season completely obsolete. They start something with one of their stories and you want to see it conclude but you can't because next season will be something completely new. Their story won't stay in one spot and that makes it hard to understand or love.

Player-base, Microtransactions, and jumpy story aside. This game is good and actually well balanced, and with it's lack of a price tag makes it easy to jump into and it's genuinely a fun time even with it's flaws.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Flashy, Fluent, and Fantastic. (With a very minor spoiler)

[9/10 · 2 November 2023]

Admittedly this film is an acquired taste, but looking passed that, you'll find a cult classic that has a second to none style and fun characters. It feels like youre watching a comic book, Edgar Wright even told the actors not to blink to nail the comic book aesthetic and it works. It also feels like a video game, with many callbacks to old games, even the universal studios intro is animated in 16-bit. One of my favorite aspects of this film is the musical numbers. All of Sex-Bob-Oms songs were weird to say the least but that doesn't make them any less good, and that faceoff with the twins went so hard, wish my guitar riffs could do that. Overall, this film is incredible, a true 2010 classic. Some people won't get the comic book vibe or the humor but it's a film that you cannot love by just watching it, you have to embrace the comic book vibe to truly love and enjoy what this film has to offer. Give it a chance and you will not be disappointed.

Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

You No fan, You No like

[6/10 · 28 October 2023]

This is a movie that is for the fans. If you see passed the references and the callbacks, you see a hardly scary film with very questionable writing at about an hour in the film. A movie adapted from a game series known for it's jump scares, hardly has any at all. From what I remember, there is only 2 total. This movie is best when it tries to be scary, when it tries to build tension, it doesn't always land but there are parts where it works well. The acting is also incredible, Josh Hutcherson was a great pick and he did a great job, especially with his characters unique concept with his dream scenarios, I don't want to spoil anything so that's all I'll say about that. I also want to briefly mention Mathew Lillard, he is a great actor who is underused, but was great in every scene he was in. The animatronics also have never looked better, they did a great job with the animatronics in this film, they felt threatening when the scene makes them threatening. It wasn't an amazing film but I was surprised because I expected it to be awful, But the problem with that is, I'm partial. I like the lore of FNaF, it's really good and very interesting, it was made with passion, because of that I enjoyed the film. They did deviate the lore alot though, but it was still a fun film for me. If you don't like the lore or don't know it, then you wont like this film at all I imagine, Look no further than the critic reviews. There was even a fight in a UK theater over this fact, which was dubbed "The Fight of 87". Someone said out loud that the film was awful, so a fan went over and beat him up for it. I just wanted to mention that because this film is not for everyone, if you're a fan you will at most like and enjoy the film, if you aren't a fan, you will not like it. Maybe with the dream scenarios with Mike will make non-fans at least check out the lore of FnaF, but seeing this first will not win you over.

Mortal Kombat 11 (2019 Video Game)

Incredible game

[8/10 · 29 September 2023]

Now I admit I am fairly new to the fighting game genre, I first started playing MK a few months ago aside from the original MK that I had on my Sega Genesis, but regardless, this game is amazing and damn is it fun.

8/10.

+5: The Gameplay is the refined from previous entries, it's smooth and it's flashy. I like the fatal blow system that replaces x-rays. Instead of taking up your meters, you can deliver a fatal blow if you are at low health, sort of like a last resort to deal damage to your opponent. And your meter has been replaced with 2 meters, one for combat, and one for defense. They also regenerate passively so you don't have to absorb damage to regain it. So the combat, oh wait... sorry, the Kombat is just great and it is fun to mess around with. As for the story, it's just okay, but it's not bad enough to take points away, you'll still have fun marching through the campaign and it's Aftermath dlc.

+3: Guest Fighters and Dlc are great. Nobody saw it coming when Spawn was announced as a guest fighter, and Keith David's performance is just the icing on the cake. Rambo was also a cool pick for a guest fighter, who is also voiced by Sylvester Stallone which was awesome to hear, it made the character more immersive to fight with. But my favorite guest fighter is the RoboCop fighter, not because he is a good fighter (not saying he is bad), but that he is voiced by Peter Weller, the guy that played RoboCop in the original movies who was absent from the acting space for a long time, it was amazing hearing him in the shoes of RoboCop again. I'm a bit disappointed that Shao Khan is only accessed through dlc given that you fight him in the campaign, that's the only issue I have with it, it just seems very greedy.

-2: Speaking of greed, WB games hopped on the Microtransactions trend in gaming and like with all other games that utilize this, it went poorly. This game has challenge towers that had challenges that you could only complete if you have specific items that you have to grind hundreds of hours for. Even then, getting those items is pure RNG because of loot boxes, but still it was horrible and an anti fun system. If you're a completionist, you will be very busy grinding this game. I don't know if this has changed, I only read about this monetization system because I'm playing so late after it's launch, but I have to dock points for this greed. The only reason why I'm taking off 2 points is because 1: I wasn't there when it was at its peak, and 2: I'm not a completionist so I don't care that much about getting all collectables.

So yeah, besides the mtx I wasn't around for, this game is a wonderful piece of art that should not be overlooked by fighting game lovers, for the gameplay and story, not the monetization.

Hi-Fi Rush (2023 Video Game)

True Masterpiece, Don't skip out on this game.

[10/10 · 4 September 2023]

This game is one of the best games i have ever played, the only reason anyone would have something bad to say is if they arent a fan of the combat. This game plays alot like DMC and Bayonetta, you have a light attack and heavy attack, and you can pair those attacks together that form special combos that deal massive damage. But the catch is that these said attacks go along with the beat, even your enemies attacks are on beat, hell EVERYTHING is on beat. When you are out traversing the games many platforming sections, when you loom around, you can see the environment jamming out to the beat. I aslo want to mention this game bossfights, the bosses attacks and environment match perfectly with the characters personality, and they are so action packed, except for one, but it has impressive animation and satisfying moves so i forgive it.

Aside from the combat, the game does have a story, and it accomplishes exactly what it wants to, the story is fun and the writing goes along perfectly with the story as well. It has a ton of one liners but it never gets annoying because they fit perfectly with the characters.

This is a game that doesnt take itself seriously, and because of that, "Everything just works". It turns what should be cringy and weird in other games but because the game is so goofy like this, it works well, like most of the games lines.

Naturally with a rhythem based game, the soundtrack has to be good, and its incredible. Its stylish and catchy and super satisfying how your attacks affect the song when you land a hit on the enemy.

And need i mention the style, its like a mix of sunset overdrive with animation similar to the Persona games , its like what you would see out of a modern 3d anime, a recent example is Dragonball super: super hero.

Overall, Hi-Fi Rush is an incredible game that came out of nowhere. If you like good music based combat and fun enjoyable characters with a great style, this game is perfect for you.

The Nun (2018)

Generic, stupid plot, boring, and just a bad movie

[1/10 · 4 September 2023]

Nuns can be scary, they can be unsettling, creepy, and scary but this movie is a crowning example of how they also arent scary. This movie uses all the old cliche jumpscares and scary moments to a point that it gets boring. I deadass nearly fell asleep. This movie hardly tries to deviate its scares to keep you hooked. Its just super sloppy Even if its not scary, its still not a good movie. The Conjuring series is a weak and bad horror franchise as a whole (personally speaking), and The Nun is another one to add to that list. I came into this film expecting it to be bad and thats exactly what i got On the other hand, the poster for this movie i think is very well done, that poster freaked me the fuq out when i was younger and haunts me to this day, even now while typing this review i have it covered up, but we arent here to talk about that.

Overall this is yet another generic horror stinker that is best watched with the tv off. If you have a knack for horror films, i would skip this one.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

A strange but good moviw

[9/10 · 29 August 2023]

Despite the wacky concept of Aliens invading earth in the form of demented circus clowns that want to eat humans by encasing them in cotton candy cocoons and sucking their blood, this is actually a well written and imaginative horror flick.

You heard me right this is a "horror" movie. Does it put me in a constant feeling of despair and suspense? No, not at all, but thats not all horror is about. Horror movies arent just there to scare you, they are there to entertain you. This movie is also an example that horror movies can be funny. People get killed in such crazy ways that they become almost believeable that if killer clowns came from space to kill humans, this is exactly what would happen.

And the concept is also extremely unique because nobody thought this concept would make a good movie, but alas it did.

Overall i have no complaints about the movie, its just a fun movie. In the 80's alot of the horror movies felt like the exact same because they try so hard to scare their audience, but this was a nice breath of fresh air because the movies objective isnt to scare, its to entertain, And they nailed that objective with flying colors. The only reason why its at 8/10 is because the visuals and clown designs do look dated which is to be expected from a near 40 year old film. However as of writing this, there is a game about this movie coming out later this year and it looks to be a good upgrade, but we will have to wait and see when it releases.

Atomic Heart (2023 Video Game)

A Flawed Masterpiece. Mundfish has started off strong

[8/10 · 26 August 2023]

This game is great, and coming from a first time developer Mundfish, this is a strong start to their career. However despite all the praise, there is still room for improvement

This game feels like a neat blend between Fallout and Bioshock Infinite both conceptually and its steampunky vibe it gives off. The soundtrack captures this feel incredibly well. Visually this game is stellar as well as the world they have crafted.

Speaking of world, the narrative focuses where little games based around this time period tend to focus, and thats the USSR after WW2. Russian Scientists have created marvels native to their country including cities in the sky and robots to carry out daily activities. But out of the blue the robots become hostile and turn on their creators, and you as P-3 must carry out your mission sent by your higher up Dr Sechnov in an effort to shut down the robots. The concept isnt exactly new as it was used in a way from the movie "I,Robot", but it still manages to keep things fresh like it was its own concept.

Gameplay wise, its really fun. Firstly, the Looting system is one of the best looting systems ive seen in a game. Gone is the time consuming seach every drawer individually, by simply holding yout your glove, the drawers and cabinets search themselves and they give you anything that you will find useful. Its really cool and satisfying as well. Combat wise, This game lets you be flexible in how you take down robots, you can go guns blazing or do it more hands on with its melee combat. The game gives you plenty of upgrades to change up how you want to take things. The combat is like that of dying light minus the freerun skills, you have a dodge and the melee has a power attack that you can use to deliver a devastating blow to the enemy, you can apply elemental effect to the weapon, same with guns. And there is gun combat and its fun to toy around with, and its not at all detrimental because you can get the ammo back really easily. You also have different abilities that you can upgrade on your glove and they serve their purpose in combat. Overall, the combat is solid and works well with this game.

Ive heard people complain that this games open world is empty and weak, but I disagree simply because i don't thinks its mich of an open world at all. It plays more like Mombasa Streets from Halo 3: ODST, there is extra stuff but its not a requirement, but its nice to have because it will give you an edge. There are no side quests, the game simply wants you to go where it tells you to and do what it wants you to do, which i don't mind the more linear style but it makes you feel like your in a constant rush when you still have so much to do and discover. There are houses along the way that you can loot with your glove and thats it, but in the streets, destroying robots or cameras is futile because repair drones will come and rebuild them if they are destroyed, i get why this is a thing but its still a little tedious because youll be destroying them over and over again if you hang around the area too long.

Finally, i love this game but i do have one huge issue, its the writing. I like the characters but man does P-3 get annoying. His tag line is "Crispy Critters" and that line gets so old after a while. The writing is made up mostly with cringy quips and odd dialogue, for a while the jokes and quips are funny but do tend to get old later on, and with all these jokes playing constantly, it drops the mood of an otherwise serious plot. There are moments where the characters drop their snark and mingle in a very well written comversation, but these moments are few and far between. The voice actors werent bad but the game lacked a russian accent which wasnt very immersive to the setting. Oddly enough, there were a few lines that were actually recorded in a russian accent and its sound really jarring after hearing a character talk like an american to then talk russian for a few seconds. Either way the writing wasnt very great, i like it when games like these have a less than serious protagonist but this took it a few steps too far.

In summary, this was a strong start for Mundfish, and though their writing skills could use some work, everything else they nailed. This is a great and fun game that i recommend you try.

Teen Titans Go! (2013– )

Way to slaughter one of your own properties

[3/10 · 10 July 2023]

Teen Titans was a groundbreaking animated series with a dark narrative, so this show took that and gave it a more light hearted tone so kids can enjoy a good dose of the teen titans. But this show was a massive step in the wrong direction. All the characters are stripped of their cool names that came from the original Teen Titans and are replaced with gross and downright annoying pre teens that teach kids that bullying others is good. To put into perspective, Think about Pranksters on Tiktok that do nothing but make society a nightmare to live upon, thats these teen titans in a nutshell. They also are constantly joking about their own or each others assess and it feels like theh put or thought into those jokes than they did the entire show. The only compliment i can give the show is that the voice acting is good and has talented voice actors behind this filth. I get this show is geared towards kids, but this doesn't change the fact it ruins the entiew look of the original Teen Titans show. Please if you have a child, there are hundreds of other shows on cartoon network, make them watch something better for their fragile minds like The Powerpuff Girls, anything. Just keep them away from this show, you with thank me later and your child with thank you as well when he/she grows up.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (2021 Video Game)

"Ever Miss Those Long Elevator Rides?"

[10/10 · 15 June 2023]

Sound the bell, roll out the carpet, open the gates, for the king has returned with remastered graphics and high fps. This is the definitive way to play 3 of the most important games ever made. On par with Half-Life and Halo Combat Evolved. Mass Effect 1 gave us a fully functional diologue tree and strategic gameplay as well as and i say most importntly, character development. ME2 too everything a step further and added more romance options and an upgraded combat system that lets you truthfully say to yourself, "I have SUPERPOWERS." Ever wonder where Until Dawn got some of their ideas like character development and choices that will affect the future of the story and the characters alike? Mass Effect did it first. I havent even mentioned the compelling narrative. The story is amazing and will have you hooked in in minutes. These games require you to watch your back and what you do at each turn, often locking you into situations that you have to think your way out of. In conclusion, the Mass Effect series changed gaming and this is the definitive way to experience the original trilogy. If your skipping out on this glorious package, you are missing out on a truly life changing experince.

Mass Effect 2 (2010 Video Game)

A truly perfect game

[10/10 · 15 June 2023]

This game stole my heart and never gave it back. Even after beating the game, it still hasn't returned it. This game has a most compelling narrative that you will get lost into. This game constantly throw situations at you that will have a lasting impact for the remainder of the game in one way or another. The gunplay is refined and perfected compared to its predecessor, this one has a level of challenge as you will have to conserve ammo with the new addition of ammo capacity. This game requires you to think long and hard on your descisions to understand if it will affect you positively or negatively. And like the first game, romance is avalible if you choose to engage with your team in that way. This one has more romance options and each relationship actually feels impactful for you and your partner (no offense to the first game). Overall, this game is perfect for its narrative, gameplay, and character development which seems to be biowares strong suit. Do not dare turn the other cheek on this game, you will regret it.

Gravity Falls (2012–2016)

A perfect show

[10/10 · 30 May 2023]

This show is one of the best shows out there, on par with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul(quality wise of course, come one this is a kids show). There, i said it. Barely any show has as much rewatchability as this one. It has a ton of easter eggs, so many that rewatching the show is almost like a first watch because you can recognize all the connections to later events in the show. The show also has a suprising level of humor with punch lines that land more often than you might think, who could forget about grunkle stand cataracts. The show (as much as i hate making this connection) is executed alot like Breaking Bad, barely any filler, every episode relates back to the bigger picture in some way such as characters developing and growing a stronger relationship or an event that directly drives the plot. And don't even get me started with the story, it is mysterious and keeps you guessing to the last episode, its weird, its wacky, but its all fun. The conclusion without getting into spoilers is one of the better finalies in cartoons. With all that said, this is as great example of a perfect show, with great characters, an absolutly fantasic story, and its lack of filler make it where it appeals to kids and adults alike. This show is a must-watch for you and your kids, give this show a shot any i promise you, you will walk away with no regrets.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019 Video Game)

Good game but gets boring

[7/10 · 23 May 2023]

It has fun mechanics, cool combat, great story and has alot of nods to the movies and other star wars media, but the majority of planets you spend a good chunk of the game playing on are really empty and boring and for me personally, its hard to stay hooked. I love the narrative but its not worth seeing the whole way through if you have to fight the urge to fall asleep while playing. This could be just me and that fact I'm not a hardcore star wars fan, I like all the movies (obviously excluding the sequel trilogy) but calling me a fan is a bit of a stretch. If you are a hardcore star wars fan, Then youll have a great time.