Reviews

Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker

Reviewed by Senior Staff Writer Brandon Arrowood

April 2023Reviews

Endwalker is the latest expansion to Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) and concludes the first arc of the story. With content patches still releasing, each one brings a story to start the new part of FFXIV. The expansion was released on December 3, 2021 and is still getting new content. The reviews are the highest of all the other expansions: Metacritic gave the game a 92%, IGN a 9/10, and OpenCritic a 93%.

Endwalker has 108 base-story quests and, currently, 28 post-main-story quests. The expansion added two new jobs to play, which are the "Barrier Healer Sage" and the "Melee DPS Reaper." Also a new race got added, which is the male Viera. Two new "ultimates" were added in this expansion, which are the hardest raids in the entire game, they are called "Dragonsong Reprise" and "The Omega Protocol." The PVP also got a revamp in this expansion with the new Crystalline Conflict and other cool features that got more people to play PVP. Creators also added a new area, after completing the base main story of Endwalker, called Island Sanctuary. Island Sanctuary is an area to relax after finishing the story to just build your island with buildings and make a farm with minions that you collect.

I give Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker a 10/10. This expansion is tied for being my favorite expansion of FFXIV. The story for Endwalker was emotional with every character being amazing. There is never a dull moment in the story with different types of areas to explore, like the moon! The new dungeons and trials are amazing with different mechanics to deal with. The 8-man raid tiers are amazing with great songs and story, same with the alliance raids. I also love the PVP changes, because I wasn’t interested in the PVP before Endwalker, but the changes implemented better rewards and were easier to get that got me interested.

Vincenzo

Reviewed by Senior Staff Writer Kyleigh Talmadge

April 2023Reviews

Vincenzo, a hit Netflix series, took the world by storm two years ago. The show follows Vincenzo Cassano, a Korean-Italian lawyer who works for a powerful mafia organization in Italy. As a lawyer for the mafia, Vincenzo must navigate a complicated and dangerous world of crime and politics, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the law.

The show uses a combination of dark comedy, crime drama, and political intrigue to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Vincenzo is a complex character, and the show follows him as he attempts to use his legal knowledge to protect his clients and bring justice to those who wronged him. As he attempts to stay ahead of the law, Vincenzo is forced to make difficult decisions and face off against some of the most powerful people in the world.

The show features a diverse cast of characters, including some of the most memorable villains in recent television history. The show also features some of the best performances from some of the biggest stars in Korean entertainment.

Vincenzo is definitely a must watch for anyone looking for an exciting and thrilling ride. The show is filled with suspenseful moments and unexpected twists that will keep you guessing until the very end. Whether you're looking for a crime drama, dark comedy, or political thriller, Vincenzo has something for everyone. So, make sure to check it out on Netflix and get ready for the ride of your life.

Puss in Boots - The Last Wish

Reviewed by Senior Staff Writer Brandon Arrowood

February 2023Reviews

Puss in Boots The Last Wish was first shown at theaters on December 21, 2022. It was made by DreamWorks who also made the Shrek movies. The movie is a side story from the Shrek films but also a sequel to the Puss in Boots series. The movie is 1 hour and 40 minutes long, which is refreshing from the longer movies that have been made. The ratings for the film was a 95% in Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.8 rating from IMDb.

Puss in Boots follows a cat that is like a human. He likes to adventure, cause mischief, and be romantic. In the start of the film he is at a bar to drink milk but is visited from a wolf who is trying to get him because Puss in Boots is wanted. He then runs away from the wolf and fakes his death to avoid the wolf, but he then gets trapped inside this old lady’s house, which is filled with cats. He meets with a talking dog who is trying to act like a cat to stay alive. Puss in Boots then goes out on an adventure with the dog to find the last wish, but he has competition because other people want the wish.

I would rate this film a 9/10. The animation was vivid and clean and the drawings were nicely done. The story was energetic and the characters were great. This film can be seen by everyone and they will like it. It will be coming to Disney+ soon and everyone hopes to see this movie on July 8th.

Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers

Reviewed by Senior Staff Writer Brandon Arrowood

February 2023Reviews

Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers is the second to last expansion of the Final Fantasy XIV series. The game is playable on computers and the Sony consoles. The expansion was released on July 2nd, 2019 and the last patch was released on May 25th, 2021. Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers got a 90% on Metacritic and a 9.5 out of 10 on IGN.

Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers is set in a new world and your friends and you are trying to save the world from disappearing. Jobs can go to level 80 in this expansion and two new jobs are added: dancer and gunbreaker. Dancer is a ranged DPS job, they mostly support their team with buffs and give buffs to their dance partner. Gunbreaker is a tank, they help damage the enemy rather than take hits compared to other tanks. This expansion also removed TP, which made moves limited. Two new races were also added viera and hrothgar but were sex exclusive. The expansion added duty support and Trust where you run the dungeons with NPCs. The story is the best that has ever been written, it was written by the person who wrote the Dark Knight job story quest.

I would rate this game an 11/10, it was the best expansion and game that I ever played especially compared to the other expansions. The expansion added a lot of quality of life stuff and added two new ultimate raids. Thank you for reading my review and I will review Endwalker when I finish the story.

Everything I Know About Love

Reviewed by Senior Staff Writer Kyliegh Talmadge

December 2022 Reviews

Laufey’s music is drawn from the worlds of jazz and classical music. She creates an album that is intimate and cinematic, and it showcases her mother's Chinese violin playing and her father's love for jazz. The album's 12 tracks are not enough to experience the beauty of her music. Jónsdóttir's voice is captivating, and her experiences with falling in and out of love are also showcased.

Everything I Know About Love is full of intricate sounds. The album features songs that are both uplifting and beautiful, such as "Above The Chinese Restaurant" and "What Love Will Do To You."

The title track, "Everything I Know About Love," is a must-listen for anyone who is still in the dark about Jónsdóttir's talent. It features a powerful and uplifting song that can rival the sounds of Masie Peters and mxmtoon.

It’s hard not to think of the 1950s and Hollywood when listening to Jónsdótti's haunting vocals accompanied by sweeping orchestral arrangements. There is something comforting about a sound that combines old and new, and this is what makes her work so captivating. With her distinct take on pop and voice for the ages, she is one of a kind. The sky's the limit for this rising star.

To Be Honest

Reviewed by Junior Staff Writer Kyleigh Talmadge

November 2022 Reviews

Rising R&B singer-songwriter and producer Gareth Tong Ling-shan has written over 300 songs–mixing sounds and composing lyrics all by himself in his bedroom since he was in secondary school.

Tong's breakthrough singles, “Boyfriend Material” and “Honest'' (feat. Moon Tang), have already garnered about 3 million streams on Spotify. As well as his soulful vocals, he is known for his unfailing honesty in both his work and personal life.

To be Honest was Gareth.T's debut album and was released on May 20, 2022. A total of 9 songs are included on this album. There are two songs included on this album that I like the most, "Boyfriend Material" and "Honest" (feat. Moon Tang). On his debut album of smooth R&B, the artist gets candid about life.

“Honest” (feat. Moon Tang)

The song is a heartfelt, guitar-strummed back-and-forth discussion between two people about the various metrics of success in life and love, and the anxiety that comes with trying to achieve it. Moon is up first, and she already tugs at the heartstrings. In general, she isn't concerned about success, believing that everything will fall into place when it is supposed to. Gareth.T has a different approach to life. He’s always been successful in everything he’s done, so he’s always pushing himself to be better, but that puts him under a lot of pressure.

"Honest" is a refreshing take on the struggles of climbing to success, as well as being newly in love.

“Boyfriend Material”

At 170 centimeters tall on a good day, Gareth.T feels like the cards are stacked against him in the dating game. Poking fun at his ineptness in dating, Gareth.T sings about his desire to find a “worthy partner who can recognize him for his good qualities.” Fortunately for him, the woman who sparked the song ended up becoming his partner.

In an interview with LiFTED, Gareth.T revealed that Moon Tang inspired the song.“The first time she met me, she started calling me short, and throughout the night, she listed out the reasons I wasn’t dateable. So when I got home, I started writing. I’m not the type to be noticed, cause I’m barely 5’7’ and as I continued my train of thought, out came guess I’m just not boyfriend material. Eventually, she became my girlfriend.”

“Throughout these last two years, I’ve started paying a lot of attention to my lyrics, so that every song isn’t just a song, but a story that captures who I am and how I felt during that period of time. I think ‘boyfriend material’ is the first track that shows my style of writing pretty well.”

He’s also all about writing songs that people will remember. “I feel like in this day and age, to find a song that sounds good is pretty easy. But to find a song where you listen to it again and again because you relate with the words or what the artist is trying to say is hard,” Gareth. T said.

This album is currently available to stream on all music platforms. If you find yourself intrigued by this article make sure to follow his Instagram via @gareth_tong and watch out for new music releases.

Sound Voltex

Reviewed by Senior Staff Writer Brandon Arrowood

November 2022Reviews

On January 18, 2012 Konami made a new rhythm game called Sound Voltex. A newer game version, Sound Voltex Exceed Gear, is getting updated frequently with more songs.

Sound Voltex is a 6-key arcade rhythm game, where the arcade controller has two knobs for lasers, four big buttons, and two rectangle buttons. The unique thing about this game is the lasers. The knobs have to match where the lasers are going, and they can go fast and have complicated patterns. The game has 1000+ songs that can be played inside a computer. The game also has multiple features to train people's skills or play with other people.

I would give this game a 9.5/10; it is a wonderful rhythm game with addicting gameplay. The lasers add depth to the game that no other music game can offer. The multiple features that they add are great to improve in the game or rhythm games in general. The only downside is that this game needs an arcade controller or to go to an arcade machine, which are expensive investments, also the video game has a subscription of $10 a month. But with the amount of songs and features you get I say that it is worth your money and time. Have you tried the game before and are you still playing?

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Reviewed by Junior Staff Writer Nancy Quang

October 2022 Reviews

The first episode of this heart-warming and powerful legal drama was released as a Netflix Original on June 29, 2022. In just its first week, it grabbed the attention of over 24 million viewers and became one of Netflix’s most popular non-English series for the past few months.

The show centers itself around a 27-year-old lawyer named Woo Young-woo who was born with autism spectrum disorder and is learning the ropes at a top law firm. She graduated from Seoul National University law school with honors and possesses an impressive memory that allows her to memorize all the laws she has read in books. Her deep love for whales is also never forgotten, as she commonly mentions them at any possible chance she gets. As the story advances, the brilliant attorney takes on new challenges in the courtroom with a great deal of cases that only get more progressively difficult.

The casting of Park Eun-bin for the main character of this drama has to be by far one of the best decisions that were ever made. Her portrayal of Woo Young-woo is one of those performances by an actor that is just unforgettable. She was able to flawlessly depict all the emotions and mannerisms of her character without being disrespectful or going over the top, and inhabits her role so remarkably. There isn’t anybody else who comes to mind that could’ve illustrated Young-woo just as amazing as she did.

In addition, all the characters really help make it engaging to watch, and their interactions with the female lead shape them to be even more lovable. For instance, Young-woo’s direct boss would speak to her ignorantly before catching himself doing so. Throughout the entire show, the viewer is able to recognize him making adjustments to change that and seeing him try his best to learn how to talk to her. This certainly made him a memorable character with great development. In large, the core characters simply produce this sweet and delightful mood that keeps the drama entertaining and amusing.

This refreshing show gave an authentic look into what experiences an autistic attorney might have to go through, and for that it receives well deserved praise for its wonderful writing. If you’re interested in going through a journey of intriguing cases, light-hearted humor, and even romance, I would highly recommend giving this series a shot.

Tomorrow

Reviewed by Junior Staff Writer Kyliegh Talmadge

October 2022 Reviews

On April 1, 2022, Netflix released the first episode of MBC TV’s Tomorrow. The sixteen-episode series stars Kim Hee-sun, Rowoon, Lee Soo-hyuk, Yoon Ji-on, and Kim Hae-sook.

A supernatural fantasy that had rather dark undertones,”Tomorrow” revolved around a group of Grim Reapers from the ‘Crisis Management’ team. They are entrusted with cases that involve having to save suicidal humans. The Grim Reapers also have to prove to them how meaningful life really is.

The drama begins with Grim Reaper Ryeon and Ryung-gu, crossing paths with a rather miserable Choi Jun-woong who can’t land a job. One night, he sees a man trying to jump off a bridge and tries to save him. As a result of the altercation, he meets Koo Ryeon and Lim Ryung-gu, Grim Reapers tasked with preventing suicides. When Joon-woong tries to save the man, he ends up in a coma, becoming half-human and half-spirit. Ryeon and Ryung-gu take him to Jumadeung, where he is given a choice to either work as a Reaper to shorten his coma to six months, or leave and wake up after three years. Every episode in this series shows their antics in a humorous way.

Tomorrow is a fun ride. While the stories might not be original, they are sure to connect with audiences on a deeper level. Give it a chance, and you might find something to watch for the next couple of weeks.

Despite each episode averaging around one hour and twenty minutes, the entire season comprised different stories. It was like an anthology featuring distinct characters whom our Grim Reapers are supposed to help. Tomorrow is definitely worth checking out! Every story is like a case, and it addresses a different social issue! It's a must-watch for K-Drama fans who love action, drama, and fantasy combined with social commentary!

While a second season has not been confirmed, it is possible for the series to continue. As for now, the first season is available to stream on Netflix.

Splatoon 3

Reviewed by Senior Staff Writer Brandon Arrowood

October 2022 Reviews

Splatoon is a third-person shooter game sold exclusively by Nintendo. Splatoon 3 is the new installment of this series, made on September 9, 2022. The game has above average scores: 83% on Metacritic, 9/10 on IGN, and 7/10 on GameSpot.

Splatoon 3 added multiple quality-of-life changes: Nintendo added “play with friends” where you can team up with your friends. Unlike before where you had to join them in a lobby, but you may not get in the same group as them. They also added two new types of weapons: stringers and splatanas. Splatoon 3 also has a campaign where you meet the Captain, Marie, and Callie. You have to go through six different sites where you turf the place with your ink. Nintendo also added a new edition campaign, in which a new buddy helps you traverse the sites.

You can also play with real people in the Lobby or Salmon Run. The Lobby has turf war, where you go 4v4 and try to ink the most turf before the time runs out, and ranked battles, which you start in B- and go up to S+. Rank battles have different types of modes inside it: the modes are Claim Blitz, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Splat Zones. Now, Salmon Run is where you and three other people team up to collect golden eggs and meet the quota before the time runs out. There are three waves that have an increase in quota. You complete this quota by getting the golden eggs, which you get by killing the bosses or whatever the wave is. You can also rank up in Salmon Run, where you start as an Intern, and each new rank gets harder. In Salmon Run you also get randomized weapons each wave; this can get people out of their comfort zone. You get many rewards for doing Salmon Run: can get more coins, clothes, ability chunks, and food/drink tickets. A new game mode that Nintendo added is Tableturf Battle, where you have a deck of cards and use these cards to get the most turf. You can get more cards by going through the campaign or playing multiplayer.

I’m going to give the game a 9/10. Splatoon 3 is still a new game, so there are many bugs that the game has. Without acknowledging the bugs, the game adds multiple new aspects to play. It is better than the last two games with all of its quality of life additions and in single player. Nintendo also announced that there is going to be paid downloadable content in the future. If you played the game, do you agree with my ranking?

Stranger

Reviewed by Oghosa Edionwe

October 2022 Reviews

“Stranger” is a thriller/mystery Korean drama with two seasons. The story starts when a man named Park Moo-sung is found dead at his home, and a delivery man, who happened to be at the murder scene by chance, is accused of being the murderer. With overwhelming evidence potraying the delivery man as the murderer, he is sent to jail. Two days later the man is found dead in his jail cell from committing suicide. Then come our main characters, Prosecutor Hwang Si-mok and Han Yeo-jin, a lieutenant in the homicide team. These two find the delivery man’s death suspicious and believe he wasn’t the actual killer. They end up reinvestigating the murder of Park Moo-sung and discover many secrets and corruption in the justice system along the way.

Now more about our main characters Hwang Si-mok and Han Yeo-jin. Hwang Si-mok is

a prosecutor, who as a child was extremely sensitive to sound. As a result, he underwent a

lobotomy for treatment, which made him lose his sense of empathy and social skills. Due to this,

his way of thinking is very rational, as he focuses solely on bringing justice. He also has

amazing analytical skills,and you will see them in action in the drama. As for Han Yeo-jin, she’s

a lieutenant in the homicide team, she has a head-strong personality, but is also empathetic as well when it's appropriate. She first meets Hwang-Si mok when they’re investigating Park Moo-sung’s murder case. Their teamwork eventually blossoms into a friendship of trust. In fact Hwang Si-moks friendship with Han-Yeo jin enables him to start feeling emotions he didn't have the ability to feel before. Throughout the series, we will meet different characters who are all connected in some way to the murder of Park Moo-sung..

As for why this drama is worth watching, it differs from other K-dramas where the main genre is romance, even though the two leads are of different genders. Their relationship remains platonic throughout the series, and as for me and other k-drama lovers this can be a breath of fresh air for those of us who want something new. This show has a unique air about it that you don’t see often with other thriller dramas. There are so many plot twists and just the right pacing to keep you invested and also wait in suspense as you go to the next episode. So why not give this series a try?

The Black Phone

Reviewed by Junior Staff Writer Evelyn Rutlowski

October 2022 Reviews

The film Black Phone debuted in theaters in June of 2022 andon Peacock about a month later, which is where it gained a true following. IMDb rated it 7/10 stars and it has rotten tomatoes rated it 82%. The movie is about a man, Grabber, who kidnaps boys in a small town. The Grabber keeps one of these boys, Finney, in a soundproof basement, and while he is down there, Finney starts to get calls on a disconnected black phone. The callers are the previous boys who are dead, and they are trying to help Finney escape. The audience finds out in the movie how the boys are helping Finney all while everyone in the town is looking for him. Finney’s sister is a small psychic and is getting signs of where he is and from the dead boys.

Watch the movie to find out if Finney escapes, and if his sister helps find him. I watched this film and I would recommend it and rate it 8.5/10 stars.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Reviewed by Junior Staff Writer Olivia Landivar

September 2022 Reviews

On May 27, 2022, Disney+ released the first two episodes of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The six-episode series stars Ewan McGregor reprising his role as the titular character.

The series takes place ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. It chronicles Kenobi's exile on Tatooine as he struggles to come to terms with the betrayal of his padawan, Anakin, and as he mourns the loss of the jedi order. As the empire's power grows, Kenobi must keep his true identity as a jedi hidden as he is hunted by the jedi-killing inquisitors.

On Tatooine, Kenobi is taken away from his duty of watching over a young Luke Skywalker to save a young Princess Leia from kidnappers. As his jedi skills are needed once again, Kenobi struggles to reconnect with the force and reconcile with his past.

Star Wars fans will be delighted to see McGregor return to the role of Obi-Wan. Despite the prequel trilogy receiving much criticism at the time of its release, the movies have garnered a dedicated fan base over the years. Along with characters from the prequels, some animated characters, such as the Grand Inquisitor, are also included in the series.

Despite each episode averaging around forty-five minutes, the plotlines are so captivating that viewers will hardly notice the run time. However, being a product of Disney, the show suffers from cliche dialogue and a forced message of hope. The writers also fail to produce a compelling villain as the inquisitor, Reva, comes across more as a bully than a terrifying Sith Lord. Even though the writers delivered a frankly mediocre script, it is just a delight to see Obi-Wan Kenobi in one last adventure.

While a second season has not been confirmed, it is possible for the series to continue. As for now, the six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi can be streamed now on Disney+.

The Sims Medieval

Reviewed by Senior Staff Writer Brandon Arrowood

September 2022 Reviews

The Sims Medieval is an action-adventure role-playing game made on March 22, 2011. The Sims Medieval also got an expansion called The Sims Medieval Pirates & Nobles; it was released on August 30, 2011. The scores that The Sims Medieval got were average; Metacritic giving it a 77% and IGN gave it a 8.5/10.

The Sims Medieval starts players off by making your Ruler and has a tutorial on quests and how to get Quest Points (QP). The game brings multiple types of roles and buildings which players unlock with Resources Points (RP). Players unlock RP by completing quests, and the amount of points depends on what quest they do. The roles players can get in Sims Medieval are bard, blacksmith, Jacoban priest, knight, merchant, Peteran priest, physician, spy, and wizard. These roles bring different powers or abilities to provide a different experience with each Sim. Players can also make allies with neighboring kingdoms to get resources from them and make their kingdom stronger.

My score of The Sims Medieval is a 9/10. The game brings many elements from the main Sims games but with adventure and action elements mixed with it. I love that it has a lot of customization options with the characters you make--they can be good or evil. You can play this game for hours and hours and not grow bored of it because you will be unlocking new roles and buildings. The only problem is that the building aspect is non-existent, but you shouldn’t expect that with a spin-off Sims game. Try the game out on Origin and see if you agree with my opinions or not.

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