Reviews

This DOCU covers this very topic, the final nine months of United States involvement in Afghanistan. At the start, the viewer is shown US Green Berets working with the Afghan Army and one of its rising star Generals, Major General Sadat. The film then takes a turn when the US decides to pull out of the conflict. We see the rushed retrograde of the US Military and its effect on the moral and logistics of the Afghan Army. The rest of the film follows General Sadat as he tries to put on a brave front and encourage his men to fight on. Unfortunately, renewed Taliban attacks after the Americans leave are too much for the newly emerging democracy to handle. The humanitarian disaster that follows is heartbreakingly examined in this film. The background score is fantastic and enhances the vibe of the film in every scene. This DOCU was a sobering watch from start to finish. An eye opener!

Incredible take on Michonne's turbulent journey in her quest to find and rescue Rick Grimes from the CRM (Civic Republic Military).

Writers of this anthology series (collections of shorter works) made a good move shortening the stories. The pervious approach to the main Walking Dead series was a little long winded, I thought. This miniseries was direct, in your face, no nonsense drama. Great written lines. Character dynamics, cinematography, sound effects, emotional scenes done to perfection.

The Echelon Briefing scene in Final Episode 6 blew me away. So much raw tension! The plot in that scene gave me flashbacks of the zombie game, Resident Evil 2. In the game's plot, Umbrella Corporation with the backing of the US goverment contained the outbreak of the T-Virus in Racoon City by deploying an experimental thermobaric missile. Organized killing, ruthless efficiency at the highest level. In my view, the CRM is a modern day equivalent of the Schutzstaffel (SS), a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) during WW2. Just bone chilling. I hope there is a season 2 in the future.

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded first caught my eye on YouTube via a gameplay benchmark test video in 2023. Recently Feb of 2024, I had the chance to complete this game for the first time via RPCS3 emulator on PC using a mouse and keyboard configuration. Thoroughly enjoyed the fast paceness and the suspense offered in the game. In my view, this is hands down one of my favourite Daniel Crag's PS3 Bond game I've ever experienced. The cinematography, excellent. The map level designs, phenomenal. I especially enjoyed marvelling at the mountainous terrains of the snow mission 'Outpost', the sixth level in GoldenEye 007. The mission takes place in the remote Climate Change facility on the island group of Severnaya in the Russian high Arctic. The atmosphere looks and feels icy cold. The plot of the game, excellent. The gameplay mechanics and close quarter combat fights are very well polished. If you've played earlier modern warfare COD games from (2007 - 2011), you'll feel right at home.

Finally, David Arnold's soundtrack has the magical effect of placing the player in the shoes of an MI6 agent executing a risky mission. A bond game without David Arnold's music is an incomplete experience. A great testimony to his work. Now the downside, this game has a minor flaw, it's only console exclusive. Sorry PC users. That said, it's a worthy Bond game deserving of your attention. I recommend this. I rate this 9/10.

The very first entry to the Helldivers series. The game's design is unique because of it's Top Down Shoot them up Real Time Strategy gameplay mechanics. I recently tried this game for 2 days on Solo. It was interesting initially but it slowly became a big struggle playing alone. Some enemies would overwhelm you easily if your primary weapons are not powerful enough to hold them off. Some aspect of the game I dislike,

1.) The grind / leveling consumes alot of your time and I mean ALOT of your time when you are fighting alone.

2.) The camera / crosshair aiming system is incredibly awkward. You can't see where your weapon is aiming when enemies are closing in on you from all directions.

Now to be fair this game is a 4 player Co-op experience design to be played with friends. Overall, the first game is okay. If you enjoy RTS games like Company Of Heroes or Warhammer 40,000, this game is for you.

Cold fear first came to my attention in 2006 when I was 14. I tried it but was put off by the awkward over the shoulder camera aiming and low mouse sensitivity. I gave up halfway into the early sections of the game where the player is first seen onboard a Russian whaler in the middle of a storm.

Fast forward 17 years later (Dec 2nd 2023), I decided I'd attempt a 2nd run with ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fixes Pack, playing it at custom resolution of ''2560 x 1440'' alongside a Silent Hill 3 PCSX2 Custom Reshade Preset via Nexus Mod which improves the image quality. The result is an unforgettable horrifying and chilling experience.

Picture this, enemies ranging from humans and non-humans alike in the form of zombie-like creatures known as "Exos" (creatures infected by a parasitic organism known as an "Exocel") appearing randomly. I suspect most players had their hearts skip a beat by the sudden appearance of the infected from the corner of a room. Maybe it's the phobia of expecting something to jump out of the corner, I constantly find myself ADSing (Aiming Down Sight) when I'm clearing a room with tight corners. You need a strong heart or a very high tolerance for jump scares to see this game to the end. I'm glad I was able to finish this game in 2 days on Dec 4th. The score in this game is very fitting and well done! It amplifies the urgency of the situation. This is one of those rare Ubisoft games that deserves a remake, remaster or a sequel. A game truly ahead of it's time. Definitely not for the faint hearted. Recommended!

This game had great potential if not for the bugs in certain parts of the game. I don't recommend this because of it's game breaking glitches. Maybe I'm just unlucky, the PC version I got from My Abandonware is plagued with nothing but problems. I couldn't finish this game. For example, in Mission 4, the player is required to provide covering fire for the Convoy coming to load up injured American military personals from the local Beirut hospital. One of the humvees vehicle would drive out of the map in a noclip style, subsequently going missing and you're stuck in an infinite loop of providing endless covering fire. This is dumb, stupid to the point of wanting to pull your hair out. Save your sanity and just play the console version, Xbox or Wii on their respective emulators (Xenia and Dolphin) for PC if you don't own any of the consoles.

Before I say anything, if you're looking to play the free PC version, do yourself a favour and Google ''007 - Nightfire (Windows 10 Compatible) archive dot org''. The install file is uploaded by user ''Electronic Arts / A White Bob Installer''. It has no bugs or crashes to desktop unlike the other modified copy with updated multiplayer support patched to v5.91 that's made widely available on ''nightfirepc'' website.

Here's my review, so I had the chance to complete both version of this game on the Console PS2 via PCSX2 Emulator for PC followed by the PC version. It's an engaging Action/Adventure FPS game with all the usual Bond gadgets made ready for the player to use in different situations. I highly recommend that you play the console version first because it has the ''Car Driving Missions'' that was removed in the PC version for reasons unknown. Unsure why the Devs made this terrible decision? The PC port is a completely new experience, feels like another game imo. The graphics, the gameplay mechanics, cinematography etc. Alot of stuff in the PC version feels rushed or remove. I rate both versions an 8 out of 10.

The Remastered Project from Sept 2022 makes this game playable by fixing major graphical glitches that occurred on modern-day PCs, and improves overall performance. The project also touches up the game textures and sound via remade, a.i upscaled or remastered. However, I encountered crashing to desktop problems when using this mod with the vanilla game. I suspect it is due to the buggy nature of the remade game textures. A random user who also experience the same issue left a helpful tip on page 3 of this Nexus Mod. Here is a quote of his reply posted below.

''I just tested the Drive-In mission that always crashed the game and fixed it by not installing the Mod's art/characters/npc folder textures. You can install all other folders except this subfolder, it seems that some npc textures are buggy and cause crashes. You should delete the npc subfolder and replace it with the one from cement.rcf in the Backup Rcf folder that the installation of this mod creates (by using Scarface Archive Explorer, a user shared the steps in the comments below). Be aware that I haven't tested it in other areas prone to crashes (Like the Island Bar's docks) but the Drive In mission always crashed with the mod completely installed, now was the first time I managed to complete it with this mod on by removing the mod's npc textures and replacing them with vanilla ones.''

Using this fix / workaround solves the crashing to desktop problem. Overall, this a great GTA Clone game.

My 2nd go at this game on Oct 20th 2023 as an adult. The last time I tried this game at my local arcade machine in Singapore was in the early 2000s, going back some 20+ years ago. Memories of my early childhood years came flooding back. So much nostalgia! Gameplay mechanics, duck & shoot familiar as always. The game's background score sums up the chaotic thrilling nature of the Time Crisis series. Early 2000s were fun times. The era before social media.

Just a heads up, I don't recommend playing this game on the PCSX2 emulator with iGPU HD 4600. Many settings in the emulator had to be scale down (e.g. Internal Resolution) to 2x Native (~720p) for stable fps without sound stuttering issues due to it's low GPU performance. That said, the iGPU HD4600 functions very well on the PS1 Duckstation emulator for PC at 6x Native (~1440p). I guess it's less demanding?

Overall, Time Crisis II was a blastful thrilling ride.

Going in, I was expecting this movie to be your typical plane hijack movie. Turns out it was more than that! The protagonist is a German widow, Nadja who have a mysterious illness who is forced into action when a group of terrorists attempt to hijack a transatlantic overnight flight.

It is later revealed she is a vampire going to New York, America to seek treatment for this vampire illness. Despite the daunting setting, the film manages to convey a sense of hope and perseverance through the characters and their relationships with each other.

In summary, "Blood Red Sky" is a thrilling and emotionally charged film that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I highly recommend this film to anyone looking for an immersive and captivating viewing experience.

My review for Season 1 and 2.

Premise of the show is heavily influenced by post-apocalyptic horror dramas and movies like ''The Walking Dead'', ''Fear The Walking Dead'', ''28 Weeks Later'', ''Dawn Of The Dead'' etc and the video game, Metro Exodus (2019). Unknown contagious virus spreads worldwide and is declared a pandemic by the governing authorities. The Outbreak causes the collapse of society, which results in the end of modern civilization and the near extinction of the human race. Random group of survivors coming together to beat the odds of survival. Each character in the show brings along a past history of their former lives that ends up indirectly affecting other survivors. The group travels from one region of Russia to another. Nobody ever catches a real break in this show. Danger always lurk in the corner. Feels like a thriller. Overall, I enjoyed both Seasons. I hope there's a Season 3.

This series embodies the theme ''Every action has consequences'' in every sense of the word. The screenplay is fantastic, it reflects our current volatile world. Breaking my review into 2 parts, Disliked and Liked.

Parts I Disliked, too much unnecessary sex scenes. Some filler episodes just there to fill in the gap which did not have much effect on the main storyline.

Parts I Liked, the opening sequence in Ep1 beginning in Syria was a blast to watch. Seeing an A-10 'Warthog' Thunderbolt II CAS (close air support) attack aircraft in action was a sight to behold. CQB (close-quarters battle) tactics employed by CIA assets are on point, deadly and precise. Dialogue written for the characters are filled with thought provoking stuff.

Michael Kelly seems to be the go to actor for anything spy thriller related ever since his role in ''Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Season 2'' as CIA field officer Mike November. Nice to see Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman for the 1st time together in a TV show. Background score is phoenmonal. Overall, a very thrilling ride. Hopefully a Season 2 in the future.

Before I say anything. I've not seen Nolan's version on Oppenheimer. I will refrain from any comparison. Watched this series in Aug 2023. I came away very impressed with the production values of this 7 part BBC take on the Manhattan Project, the man behind it and the fallout after it's deployment of the A-Bomb. Sam Waterston was a fire to watch as Oppenheimer. His tall slender frame, the famous porkpie hat Oppie wore and the cigar he smoked closely resembles to reality. The way Sam Waterston embodied Oppie was amazing to watch. He almost looks and behaves like the man himself. I have seen many actors portraying Oppenheimer, most of the actors do look like him. I think hollywood has a great deal of obsession with this man's life, which is a good thing because of the awareness it creates. Recommended watch.

If you seek to grasp the mindset of the Russian people and their obsessions with WWII, which is understandable because the Soviet Union lost more than 27 million people in the conflict, do yourself a favor and watch this hour and a half long documentary on the 2017 Victory Day celebrations at Berlin's Soviet War Memorial, filmed in the style of a Terrence Malick's movie. There's no background commentary or narration, just you the viewer observing people participating in the celebrations. Somewhat boring if you lack patience to sit through a documentary with no sense of filming direction. My hats off to the Russian people when it comes to honoring their veterans in a stylistic manner that evokes memories of the "Great Patriotic War", even though I have my disagreements with Putin's action in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. A one time watch for me, I rate this a 5 out of 10. Not good but not bad either. So-So.

The 19th standalone episode of the 10th season of TWD is one of the most tension filled depressing episode I've ever watch in this series. On Wikipedia it reads the following, ''The episode was overwhelmingly praised by critics, particularly the performances and Laura Belsey's direction.'' I wholeheartedly agree with the general consensus of the critics. As a viewer, you are sitting at the edge of your seat, never knowing which character is going to meet his fate. The characters of Aaron (Ross Marquand) and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) were well written. Their performances had me glue to my screen. Good writing, well directed episode!

Re-visited the original Silent Hill 2 - Director's cut w/ Enhanced Edition mod to prep myself for the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake, announced in Oct 2022, expected to release sometime in 2023? I vaguely recall playing bits of SH2 during my younger days back in the early 2000s. Didn't finish it. When I finally had the chance to start this game fresh in my early 30s in 2022 - 2023 (played it on & off for a while), I was awestruck by how good the horror/tension/creepy vibe this game presents itself to the audience. So the story is basically centered on 1 guy by the name of James Sunderland, a widower who journeys to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his dead wife informing him that she is waiting there for him. There is not much backstory at the start but the player slowly uncovers bits and pieces of his past and towards the end you get a complete picture. Critics have praise this game for its psychological horror story, use of metaphors, symbolism, and taboo topics, overall atmosphere, graphics, monster designs, soundtrack and sound design. Couldn't agree more! This game still makes my hair stand when I play it in the middle of the night. Big Shout Out to the development, ''Team Silent'' for making such a groundbreaking game! Still creepy in 2023. Recommended!

Completed this game on the S8 Galaxy at the time of this review. Game was a Milestone for mobile gaming. The theme of this game draws heavily on the post 9/11 period, beginning in the Invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq following the infamous declaration of War on Terrorism by Bush Jr in his 2001 speech to Congress. You see the influence of that period from 2001 - 2010 in the plot it presents itself to the audience. I enjoyed this game but it's not without its flaws. For example, there're occasional missing audio in a cutscene, overlapping audio that keeps replaying again and again in certain parts of a mission. It could be a bug or perhaps newer smartphones are not compatible with this game? On a side note, this game was removed from the Google App Store in September 2014. No reason was given why. Overall, a solid, engaging 1st person shooter experience. Recommended!

I wasn't expecting much from Tom Holland's 3rd spiderman movie but boy was I wrong! It had my full attention from start to finish especially in the 2nd half. Dr. Stephen Strange role in this film opens up opportunities for more interesting, creative storytelling. The multiverse aspect of the story was very well written. I love how Marvel Studios pays tribute to the earlier spiderman movies by featuring Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and the villains in them with a new spin. Chemistry among the characters were engaging. Dialogues were funny and witty. Benedict Cumberbatch's performance excellent as always! So much interesting spin in this one. Love every second of it!

This review is for Soldier of Fortune: Platinum Edition, a GOG re-released from 2018 + SoFplus mod, a fan mod that adds new features to the base game such as Higher Resolution support etc.

The amount of gore in this game is truly horrifying. Saving Private Ryan comes to mind. A bullet or a bomb hits someone and the player witnesses his guts hanging out or limbs dismembered in real time. You play the role of John Mullins, a soldier for hire who accepts the most dangerous missions the U. S. government offers, including recovering stolen nuclear warheads and infiltrating war-torn Kosovo. The Devs of this game would go on to make several Call Of Duty games. I'm guessing that's where the Devs got their experience in close up cinematic violence. This was a unique FPS game ahead of its time when it was released in 2000. A very interesting game...

This review is for the PS2 and PSP version.

To start off, I have not seen the movie. In the behind the scenes clips featured in this game, the creators wanted to make a directors cut movie edition of the game...interesting take. The impression I had was the creators wanted to be as close to the film as possible and exploring more of the world of the movie in a video game setting, which I very much enjoyed.

Now for the PSP version, it felt very lacking, all the car chase or vehicle sequences chapters were cut out in it's entirety. A pity. If you want the full experience, play the console versions.

This review is for the Main game, the Two DLCs Athena Sword (2004) & Iron Wrath DLC 2 (2005).

Every step you take in this game could be your last. Not a joke, true story. This game has excellent AI reaction. They shoot with precise accuracy. This entry to the R6 series features the ability to see one's weapon in the first-person view, a move most likely inspired by the counter-strike games. The maps for the base game and 2 DLCs were big and spacious. Most of the map layout are based in Urban areas such as Factories/ University Campuses/ Busy Corner streets in a downtown city etc. The squad based UI system is very similar to S. W. A. T 4 released in 2006. Users will be reminded of that game. Brutal experience!

I finished this game recently on the PCSX2. Unlike the first game which was a one-on-one fighting game, the 2nd entry is a beat 'em up hack and slash fighting game in full 3D. The game's plot is set in the time of the three kingdoms. If you like mindless hack and slash type of games sprinkle with a bit of Ancient China history, this one might peek your interest. Give it a shot.

---{ Pros }---

• If you're a diehard Resident Evil fan, this is a must.

• If you like Oldschool Light Gun Shooter games, this is for you.

• Extra areas to explore to keep you around for a 2nd or 3rd playthrough.

• Creepy zombie moaning

---{ Cons }---

• Story is pretty short, you can finish in 1 day.

• The writing could have been better.

---{ Difficulty }---

• Easy to learn.

Finished this game today Aug 18, 2022 on the PCSX2 emulator for PC. Achieved Ending #5.

So... the story of Way of the Samurai takes place in 1878, after the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the start of the Meiji period, during the Satsuma Rebellion, a time when the samurai who were once at the top of Japanese society are all but outlawed. The game begins with the player, taking the role of a wandering ronin by the name of Kenji, arriving in a fictional outpost called Rokkotsu Pass.

Learning the mechanics of sword wielding was quite a steep learning curve for me as a new comer to the game. Challenging experience if you are not used to hack and slash mechanics. Overall, a very interesting Samurai game.

Okay short review, some Episodes were good, some were draggy. One example was "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?" Episode in 7. The Final Episode was a blast though, Overall, an enlightening watch. I hope Season 2 of this series will shed more light on other Marvel characters path. Fingers crossed!