The end of 2020

 

The last post for 2020. Some good things, lots of bad things and a whole barrel full of seriously annoying things. I don't think anyone is sad to see 2020 go away. Here's hoping '21 is going to be better.

The world has seen mass protests against corrupt governments, and of course Covid-19 dominated everything everyone did and although vaccines are slowly being distributed we're not out of the woods yet, so keep using masks and washing your hands. One day it'll be over.

But that's enough real world stuff. The world of gaming has had it's share of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moments as well.

Looking back in this blog I was surprised to see that the failed launch of Warcraft III Refunded Reforged, was in February, this year. I could have sworn that it was last year, but no. Time has managed to both rush and crawl by at the same time.

Loot-boxes spent a lot of time in the news this year, culminating in both The Netherlands and The UK declaring them as gambling. I still maintain that it is perfectly possible to make games that are fun, fair and capable of generating extra income for the developers/publishers without resorting to garbage gambling mechanics.

The new, big game debacle has of course been the dramatic launch of Cyberpunk 2077. From working okay-ish on PC to bad on console to not at all on last gen consoles, few have been entirely happy. CD Project Red are naturally working hard to fix the issues, like a bug where if you looted too much stuff, it corrupted your save file. It wasn't the triumphant launch CDPR and everyone else wanted, but I don't think it's a disaster either. From what I've seen it is going to become a fantastic game. One day.

In the mean time, there are multiple lawsuits flying around, the CDPR devs are claiming the company leaders are lying, Sony removed the game from the PS Store and... well it seems almost appropriate that the original pen-and-paper rpg was called Cyberpunk 2020, and seeing as how 2020 has treated everyone, well, I don't know. There is a sarcastic joke in there somewhere, find it if you want to.

If this year has taught me anything else gaming wise, it is don't pre-order, do your own research instead of relying on biased media, don't give in to FOMO (fear of missing out), don't buy unfinished games, and have patience.

It's going to be interesting to see what the new year brings and despite the previous one, and the perhaps somewhat bleak tone of this post, I am optimistic. So I hope you will continue to visit me here on Eccentric Spheres and share in what's to come.

That's that. Join me again next year, until then have a great week, stay safe and don't blow yourself up with fireworks! See you in 2021!

The Jewel of Seven Stars

 

It's time to get literary since just last night I finished The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker, who is of course most famous for his 1897 novel Dracula. The Jewel of Seven Stars, was written in 1903 with a revised edition published in 1912.

The version I found free and legal on Project Gutenberg is the 1912 edition, which apparently is missing a pointless chapter and has a happier ending than the 1903 version. Otherwise the editions are the same.

Mild Spoilers ahead.

In a nutshell the hero, Malcolm Ross is summoned by a young woman, Margaret, who he is sweet on as her father Abel Trelawney, a famous Egyptologist has been attacked by a mysterious assailant in the middle of the night. Mr. Trelawney is in a trance and has left very strange instructions for what to do in just such a case.

Other characters like the young Doctor Winchester are pulled in to the mystery as they try to understand what has happened while struggling with unseen forces. This is the first part of the book.

In the second part, Mr. Trelawney and his associate Eugene Corbeck explain how they found the tomb of the sorcerer queen Tera and how the whole sequence of events came to be.

In the third, the small group of main characters go to a small house in Cornwall to investigate whether Queen Tera's knowledge of mystic powers are truly real.

Mild Spoilers end.

The whole novel was a bit tough to read, as the language and grammar is very old school. A modern editor would probably have a fit trying to get the sentence structure to make sense. Quote; No one, not accustomed to packing, could have the slightest idea of the amount of the amount of work involved in such a task”. I did get used to it after a while, but it is a bit rough.

That said, part one is in my opinion very good. The mystery is interesting and is what I'd say the only part of the book that could be classified as horror. The story moved along at a good pace.

Part two is interesting but a bit slow. A lot of talking, exposition and flashbacks with nothing really happening. Still captivating enough, especially if you have an interest in Egyptology. Since Howard Carter, the man who found the tomb of Tutankhamen also discovered the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut in 1903, it is likely that Stoker was inspired by these events. I myself have a love for the subject matter, which helped me with part two of the book.

It is however in part three that the book falls apart. Once the group gets to the house in Cornwall, I had a devil of a time following the narrative. Again we get a lot of talking, arguing and explanations of things we already know. I also had a hard time with locations. Mr. Trelawney shows the group a cave under the house and I got the impression they want to hold a ceremony there, but then all of a sudden they hold the ceremony in a room in the house. The actual ending was anti-climactic and felt incredibly rushed, as if Stoker had half an hour to finish the story and simply ended it.

The Jewel of Seven Stars is a gothic novel with its supernatural elements coupled with romance and mystery. I liked it, and would recommend it to fans of such literature. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to a casual reader just looking for something to read. It's good but not great.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week. Stay safe!

Time to learn

 Hello and welcome back to Eccentric Spheres!

This week we're once again putting on our learning hats, and watching some documentaries. I have found one about some of Egypt's lost wonders, one about Tsunamis and one about how the Soviet Union lost the war in Afghanistan. I hope you find them interesting and entertaining. 

Beyond that, I don't really have anything else to say, so please enjoy and join me again next week for more eccentricity. Until then, have a great week and stay safe!

Egypt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRfJykypi7o

Tsunami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ci0q-r7RHw

Afghanistan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1joxBmBYZw0

Dragonlance Chronicles

 

A couple of days ago, I finished the original Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy, and I figured I'd talk about it. This wasn't the first time I read the trilogy, but the first and only time I did, was about twenty years ago, so it was time.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night and Dragons of Spring Dawning are by now iconic fantasy novels. Published in 1984-1985, they began as adventure modules for the new Dragonlance setting for Dungeons & Dragons. The modules were written by Tracy Hickman, and he wanted to expand on the game he was running in these modules by turning the game sessions into a series of novels, which TSR (the then publisher of D&D) reluctantly agreed to. Another writer was slated to write the novels but he fell through so Hickman and his assigned editor Margaret Weis decided to write the trilogy on their own.

Enough back story, let's crack on. Mild spoilers ahead.

The story follows a band of heroes which includes Tanis Half-Elven, Flint Fireforge, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, the brothers Raistlin and Caramon Majere and Sturm Brightblade as they return home after a long five years apart. But times have changed and evil now stalks the land as the minions of the cruel Dragon Highlords cause trouble for everyone. The meet, rescue and team up with two plains barbarians Goldmoon and Riverwind and set off on adventure. Later on, they are joined by Tika Waylan, Laurana and Gilthanas Kanan (brother and sister) and a couple of others. Together they seek to stop the Dragon Highlords from conquering the world for the evil Goddess Takhisis.

The cast is pretty big but it isn't that hard to follow. The names aren't that similar and since the entire group is rarely in one place at the same time, there is little risk of getting them mixed up.

The story is solid if not groundbreaking. The Chronicles follow an old arc also used in the original Star Wars trilogy, with the threatening setup followed by a dark middle and ultimately a costly but happy ending. Simple and functional.

The writing is clean and easy to digest, but it is in the world and the locations that the Chronicles really shine in my opinion. The world of Krynn is presented in a believable way and feels both natural and functional which contrasts nicely with the more outlandish places that the heroes visit. Making everything incredibly fantastic is an easy trap for fantasy designers fall into, and Hickman and Weis elegantly sidesteps this, making the world feel alive and if not real then at least believable.

There are a couple of nitpicks though. A description of the elven homelands explains that it took the elves several hundreds of years to sculpt but “what is that to people who measure their lives in centuries”... I'd say that is quite a thing then.

The second book starts with a brief recap of an entire adventure that took place between the books. This felt very odd as not only did it sound like a very cool adventure, but why structure your story in such a way? Why not include it? If it would have made the Chronicles too long, then change the story. Imagine if the Lord of the Rings had started as it does, but then had jumped to Rivendell and merely mentioned that the journey had been perilous and that the encounters with the Ringwraiths were scary and so on. It jarred me quite badly, but it is what it is.

The Dragonlance Chronicles is not great literature, and that is in many ways its strength. It's a simple and clean fantasy adventure story. One might call it naive, and maybe it is, at least compared to the above mentioned Lord of the Rings, but it is also easier to read and nowhere near as cumbersome. It knows what it is and it doesn't try to be anything beyond that, which I respect. In the world of role-playing game novels, it is a venerable old war horse and if that is your thing, you do yourself a disservice by not reading it. If you come looking for high art you are in the wrong place.

I liked it and I recommend it.

That will do for this time. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week and stay safe.

Gaming Quiz

 

Hello and welcome to Eccentric Spheres. Last week we did general trivia and this week it's gaming. I decided to go for multiple choice this time, as I think it'll fit better.

So without further ado:

1. Which was the original D&D setting created by Gary Gygax?

   1. Forgotten Realms

   2. Dragonlance

   3. Greyhawk

2. What is the green crystal the hovers over the Sims called?

   1. Plumbob

   2. Life Gem

   3. Spinner

3. In the Fallout Universe, what is the small computer worn on the left arm called?

   1. Infotron

   2. Pipboy

   3. Personal Communicator

4. Conan the Barbarian hails from which country?

   1. Cimmeria

   2. Aquilonia

   3. Hyrkania

5. What year was the Super Nintendo system released?

   1. 1990

   2. 1991

   3. 1992

6. Which game series features the evil Umbrella Corporation?

   1. Alone in the Dark

   2. Fallout

   3. Resident Evil

7. Which movie inspired The Silent Hill franchise greatly?

   1. Jacob's Ladder

   2. Videodrome

   3. Pan's Labyrinth

8. Which classic arcade game caused a coin shortage in Japan?

   1. Pac-Man

   2. Space Invaders

   3. Asteroids

9. In the Elder Scrolls setting, what race are Orcs?

   1. Dwarves

   2. Humans

   3. Elves

10. What is the name of the most common currency in the Zelda games?

    1. Coins

    2. Rupees

    3. Chunks

And there we have it. Look below for the answers and as last time, you win nothing by answering the questions except fun. Join me again next time, have a great week and stay safe!

 

Answers: C A B A B C A B C B

Quiz time

 

It is time to get your quiz on. I have selected a number of questions from the internet and thought I'd challenge you to answer them. I have not chosen any questions that I couldn't answer without looking up the answer, so there will be nothing too esoteric.

Why do this? Well, why not? Perhaps you can challenge family and friends or perhaps the questions will come up in some other quiz you might partake in, like a pub quiz. And no, you don't win anything for getting the answers right. Knowledge is its own reward and all that.

Here we go:

1. What was Eleanor Roosevelt's maiden name?

2. What is the world's smallest country?

3. Under which nickname was Edward Teach better known as?

4. Since 1945, what foodstuff can be made in all British tanks?

5. Which actor played Batman in the 60's TV show?

6. In which country is Machu Picchu located?

7. In which year was the Great Fire of London?

8. What country has the most vending machines per Capita?

9. What has a head and a tail, but no body?

10. Which one of the seven wonders of the ancient world is still standing?

11. What is the only food that never expires?

12. What is the largest country in the Caribbean?

13. In which unit is force measured?

14. 50-70% of a whale's weight consists of what?

15. What is molten rock beneath the surface of the earth called? 

    There we go. Fifteen questions for you to mull over. The answers are located below this video.
    

     

     

Answers:

1. Roosevelt.

2. The Vatican.

3. Blackbeard.

4. Tea.

5. Adam West.

6. Peru.

7. 1666.

8. Japan.

9. A coin.

10. The Great Pyramid of Giza.

11. Honey.

12. Cuba.

13. Newton.

14. Blubber.

15. Magma.

And that's that. Join me again next time, and until then have a great week and stay safe!

Learn and Laugh

Alright, it is Monday. It is Monday and I have to cut it short due to things that like to appear in numbers and be dealt with, so here are three videos for your entertainment and education.

The first concerns some of the most dangerous phenomena on earth, the second illustrates how big space really is and the third is an animation from How It Should Have Ended, called Villain Pub where different villains drink at Emperor Palpatines pub. 

So enjoy and I'll see you next time, until then have a great week and stay safe!

1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_laoaV9Fkw

2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy7NzjCmUf0

3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzsop9HnJJ4

More Game News

 

A new week and new news. It's a case of the good, the bad and the ugly but not in that order.

We'll start with the bad.

NBA 2K21 was released recently, and as one might expect from a modern sports game, it comes with all the lootboxes one could want. However, 2K Games managed to really give the nasty taste of the lootbox a new twist. The lootboxes, or in this case card packs, contain random players with varying stats. One of the most sought after player in this case was James Harden and the player base, eager to gain an advantage over the competition forked over a lot of money as soon as they could for a chance to get Harden. The twist? For the first 23 minutes after release, Harden wasn't even in the packs! False advertising? Outright fraud? You decide.

This story broke on Reddit, and the story spread quickly, but since 2K hasn't (to my knowledge) commented I can't be 100% sure it happened. However I really wouldn't be surprised. Either way it's another sobering reason to avoid lootboxes and pay-2-win.

Time for the ugly.

The highly anticipated Playstation 5 is just around the corner, with a release date of November 12^th. A much lauded feature is backwards compatibility for all but a small handful of games, which means you can play older PS4 titles on the new system and even port over your saves. The issue of backwards compatibility is one that has been hotly debated in the console world going back a long time and players are pleased about the PS5's ability to do so.

For those not in the know, back in 2014, Konami released P.T. or Playable Teaser to hype up their upcoming Silent Hills game by veteran game director Hideo Kojima and movie director Guillermo del Toro. Sadly, the game was canceled after Konami and Kojima had a bitter falling out, and Konami decided to focus mainly on Pachinko machines.

The P.T. however remained available for a time, and it was incredibly popular. Polygon recently ported P.T. to their review copy of the PS5 and found that it worked perfectly. Then apparently Konami got wind of this and removed it from the list of games that can be ported to the PS5. Sony has confirmed that this decision came from Konami and not from them.

Whether this is due to some petty desire for vengeance against Kojima, or general pettiness in general no one knows, but since new copies of P.T. can't be downloaded, it seems weird to bother limiting access to the fairly small group of players who still has it. Now there is a rumor of a rumor that a new Silent Hill game is in the works, which could explain the decision, but with Konami's recent track record, I doubt it. Whatever the reason may be, it's an ugly thing to do.

Now for the good. Hopefully.

Bioware has finally announced the long awaited remaster of their incredible sci-fi masterpiece, the Mass Effect trilogy. The remaster will include the entire trilogy, all DLC and extra promotional items, all available in modern resolutions. Good news, if they do it right. After all, not all remasters are created equal. Earlier this year, Blizzard released their catastrophic remaster of Warcraft 3 Reforged, which quickly became known as Warcraft 3 Refunded.

I have high hopes for this, I love the original Mass Effect games, and if Bioware sits down and does the work it can become a best seller. If they rely on “Bioware magic” like with Anthem, it will be garbage, and dead before arrival.

They also announced that a new Mass Effect game is in the works, but seeing as what they did with Mass Effect Andromeda, this is very much a question mark, might be good, might be worth skipping. Time will tell. Either way, they still have to finish and ship Dragon Age 4, so this game is far away.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time, have a great week and stay safe!

Game News

 

It's been a tumultuous week in game news.

Cyberpunk 2077 got delayed again. Not just again but for the third time. I absolutely support finishing a game before releasing it, and it is a simple fact that COVID has made everyone's lives difficult. A third delay, however is fairly unheard of, even though it may be needed. Then CD Project Red's boss made some really dumb comments about crunch and was forced to apologize. The end result was a 25% drop in stock value which is never good, although it is rising again. I'm sure Cyberpunk 2077 will be released one day before 2077. Maybe.

Speaking of delayed, the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Shadowlands got delayed a while back but the new release date is set as November 23-24 (depending on region) for those who are interested but maybe hadn't heard.

*edit* I got the date wrong when I wrote this. the above date should be correct*

 

Google Stadia Games & Entertainment Creative Director, Alex Hutchinson caused a storm when he tweeted that streamers and let's players should pay a license fee to game companies in order to stream games. This elicited a reaction ranging from scornful laughter to pure anger from gamers and creators worldwide.

Many sources from developers to journalists pointed out that game companies benefit hugely from the streaming community as it is, and in fact many give out free copies of their games to streamers in order to promote their product. Live-streams and let's plays are one of, if not the best form of advertisement in the games industry today, which makes Alex's statement ignorant and foolish. Google Stadia has since stated:

“The recent tweets by Alex Hutchinson, creative director at the Montreal Studio of Stadia Games and Entertainment, do not reflect those of Stadia, YouTube or Google.”

Hutchinson has also been forced to state that all his opinions are purely his own. Way to prove you are out of touch from your own job.

Finally, EA got their asses handed to them by the Dutch District Court. The debacle surrounding EA's FIFA lootboxes is nothing new and back in 2018 they became illegal in Belgium. Now the Dutch court has given the Netherlands Gambling Authority, Ksa (Kansspelautoriteit) the authority to fine EA $10 million for illegal gambling.

EA, of course, will still try to appeal, forever claiming that they don't agree with scientific evidence concerning lootboxes, gambling and minors. They also keep yammering on about how the card packs and lootboxes are “surprise mechanics” and so on. The sands are running out on this anti-consumer practice, and in my opinion, game publishers who push for this aggressive monetization should read the fable about the goose who laid golden eggs. It fits today's game market perfectly, and there are quite a few publishers who are sharpening the knives.

On top of this, there is a class action lawsuit in California and one in Canada accusing EA of illegal gambling and promoting gambling to children. After all, FIFA is rated E for Everyone, which includes the kids.

That is that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week and stay safe! (Don't forget to wash your hands).

A lightsaber?

 

The lightsaber. Probably the most iconic fictional weapon in the world. Pretty much everyone knows what a lightsaber is, and most people want one. And why not? They are really cool, with the light and the sound and the ability to slice through anything (and everyone).

A great deal of effort has been made to figure out how such an amazing device could work and most seem to agree that the blade is super heated plasma contained by a magnetic field. So far so good.

But as a I said, fictional. Lightsabers aren't real, right? No they aren't real. We do not have the technology to create the signature weapon of the Jedi and their Sith enemies.

It is however possible to come surprisingly close. The mad geniuses over at The Hacksmith have built what could only be called a protosaber! Sure, you can't parry things with it, and since the Force is even more unbelievable than the lightsaber itself, you certainly can't block laser shots with it either, but you can cut through a wide variety of stuff and holy smokes is it cool!

The first video details the design and build process, and the second one is the test video.

Build: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC6J4T_hUKg

Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey_EjSzKFWQ

Enjoy the closest humanity has ever come to a lightsaber and I'll see you next time. Until then stay safe and have a great week!

Lots of changes in World of Warcraft

 

Last Wednesday the pre-patch to WoW Shadowlands hit and changed everything. Well, most things anyway. The big level squish hit, dividing character levels with 2.4, the new starting zone Exile's Reach is here, plenty of new character customization options and more.

Some things are still very much missing however, but I really do think they'll be added later. Some of the advertised customization options were not implemented, like being able to choose straight backed trolls and orcs and a few other quality of life things are still missing. Time will tell if and when they'll be added later.

Blizzard did say that leveling your characters will be faster than before, and they were not kidding. At least to me it doesn't really feel that fast, but that is only because my brain doesn't yet understand what the new levels mean. A level 10 is 24 in the old system and a 25 is 60 in the old way. I got my new warrior to 25 in two evenings. It used to take months to get to 60, not two evenings! So yeah, you level up crazy fast, believe me.

I had expected some server issues and Blizzard did not disappoint. On both Wednesday and Thursday evenings it was almost impossible to log in, the queues were that bad, and when the authentication servers got full you got booted just as you were about to log in. Sit in queue, check. Load times, check. Get in, nope – out you go!

These issues are now solved by and large, it just amazes me that after 16 years, Blizzard still hasn't learned to avoid this. Back in '04 it was understandable. Blizzard were new at the whole mmorpg thing, server technology was still pretty raw, there were no where near as many IT-techs as there are now, but still for some reason, the servers seem to be held together with bubblegum and scotch tape.

There is one major thing I want to bring up. For quite a while now, Blizzard has pushed the whole Exile's Reach and straight to Battle for Azeroth (previous expansion) thing. New players don't even get a choice. New and free players must do the Exile's Reach area and then straight to BfA, but I can't see how they are going to make it there.

I sent a level 10 to Kul Tiras, the Alliance part of BfA, and was shocked to find that everything the local vendors sell is level 45! All the food, the potions, everything you could perhaps craft is 45. So unless you play a class that can heal, you are utterly screwed in BfA. You can only equip quest rewards and what happens to drop as loot and you get 0% healing. I had to relog to a character in another part of the game in order to go buy food, which I could send over to my “stranded” alt.

I get Blizzards idea that this is a good story line for new players, and at least Kul Tiras is incredibly pretty and atmospheric, but why have they left everything at the old top levels? This goes for all other expansion areas as well, but the discrepancy between your character and the local consumables isn't that big, and you can choose where to go. You can get supplies elsewhere as long as you are not new. Blizzard, fix this, please!

It may seem that I'm incredibly negative towards the new changes, but I'm not. It really is a lot of fun and the new systems will be good, when they're properly done. But that's enough rambling for now. Join me again next time and until then, have a great and safe week!

An interesting discussion

 

Today I want to talk a bit more about Microsoft buying Zenimax Media, or more specifically Bethesda.

There is nothing concrete as such to mention, there are no new big announcements but that is to be expected.

Last week I tripped over an interview, or actually more of a discussion, headed by Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, Director of Programming for Xbox Live, (what a title....). In this four-way discussion, he talks to Phil Spencer, the VP of games at Microsoft, and Pete Hines and Todd Howard from Bethesda.

This interview is notable not for what is being said as that is the usual “we're excited to work together” and “great opportunities” blah blah that these things always are. Much like when a big blockbuster is being released, all the actors gush about the director and each other, and nothing substantial is being said. This is natural since they have to say something and they naturally can't talk smack about each other. That just isn't on.

In this vein the video doesn't mention anything dramatic, but it does give some interesting history between Microsoft and Bethesda., going all the way back to Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. What I also found interesting is their demeanor. Phil seems pleased as he always does, and why not? He is killing it. But both Pete and Todd seem to me to be slightly relieved.

It could be my imagination, of course, I'm neither a psychologist nor a professional interrogator, so my interpretation is purely gut instinct. Add to this that especially Todd has a hell of a poker face, but I'm 95% sure that they are relieved to be working under Microsoft rather than just Zenimax, and if so it would bear out my suspicion that most of the nonsense surrounding Fallout 76 came from the Zenimax bosses and Bethesda was left to clean it up and carry the blame. I could be wrong, but here's hoping...

So, if you’re interested, give the video a look, it's 25 minutes long. Either way, I hope to see you next time and until then, have a great week and stay safe! (wash your hands and wear a mask)

Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI2IPeocbAA

 

 

 

Dogs

 A bit of a quick one today. Every now and then I find myself with extra things to do and those things like to congregate on Mondays. When I started this blog back in 2012 I should have chosen another day than Mondays to post on, but after all this time what is done is done. If I change now I don't know what'll happen.

So today I present you with a bit of stand up about dogs by Sarah Millican and Bill Burr. Join me again next time for more Eccentric Spheres and until then, have a great week, stay safe and wash your hands!

 Sarah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBuKcwLh82s

Bill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQfnbHJ3MrQ

 

Not your average shopping spree

 

Big, no, huge news hit the gaming world last week. Microsoft has bought Zenimax Media for 7.5 billion USD. This includes Bethesda Game Studios and all contained therein.

So what does this mean? Well it means that Microsoft now owns The Elder Scrolls, the Fallout franchise, Id Software and their DOOM and Quake, Arkane Studios and their Dishonored and Prey series, Machine Head and their Wolfenstein games and a bit more.

I for one am not a fan in general of mega-corporations buying up everything in sight, but Microsoft has been incredibly pro-consumer with their gaming division the last couple of years. Their Game Pass for PC and Xbox is great value for money and it seems like they aren't too keen on all the excessive monetization garbage some of the other AAA developers love so much.

So on that front I'm more than willing to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt and here's why.

Bethesda has changed a lot during the last five years or so. The pay for mods debacle, how Fallout 76 has been managed, constant bait and switch and so on. It is entirely possible that these decisions have come from higher up on the corporate ladder, leaving the folks at Bethesda to weather the storm of angry players. If so, things should get better under Microsoft.

On the other hand, it could be that these anti-consumer ideas originate from Bethesda themselves, and in that case there is the possibility that Microsoft will rein them in.

For me the biggest relief concerns Bethesda's credibility, or lack thereof. When Fallout 76 was being announced they promised (and I don't use that word lightly) many things, and within a year those promises were broken and trampled on.

Pete Hines, their VP of Public Relations and Marketing was later interviewed and he said that they hadn't lied or broken any promises but that “plans had changed.” He likened their decision to start selling items with game changing effects on their in-game store to saying “I said we'd go get pizza on Friday, but then I got sick so, sorry, buddy. Plans change”.

That is not even vaguely comparable, but never mind. What really stuck in my mind was when Bethesda then stated that Fallout 76 was just an experiment and that both the upcoming Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 are going to be a return to form. How can I trust that statement? How can I believe that they won't change the game six months after release and just say “sorry buddy, plans change”? I can't, that is the sad truth, but under Microsoft I have much greater faith in the future of franchises I love. This is the main reason I'm cautiously happy about this acquisition.

There are also a few other aspects to consider, and the first is the games themselves. As the owner of IP's like say Fallout, there seems to be nothing to stop Microsoft from putting another studio in charge of making a new Fallout game while Bethesda keeps working on Starfield. This could mean more games than once per ten years.

Another aspect is that Microsoft also bought Obsidian Entertainment a couple of years ago. Obsidian are the developers of sequels like Kotor 2 and Fallout New Vegas. Sequels that are arguably better than the originals. Fans immediately began hoping and praying for a New Vegas 2, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one but it is possible.

Obsidian recently announced a new sandbox open world RPG in their popular Pillars of Eternity world. This game could have been a very serious competitor to Elder Scrolls and now Microsoft owns them both. This could be good or bad, we'll see.

As for the console wars, this could get heated. Bethesda had two games in the pipeline for PC and Playstation; Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo. Microsoft has stated that they intend to honor the timed exclusive, but that future games on console will be decided on a “case by case basis”. This could mean that gamers who play exclusively on Playstation will be left out in the cold on future Fallout and Elder Scrolls titles, as there is no reason for Microsoft to release them on their biggest console competitor. Then again, it would not only mean more money but it would be a chance to poke Sony in the eye. Apparently Microsoft has a good working relationship with Nintendo, so it could also mean that they intend to leave the Playstation isolated and alone while Microsoft parties with Nintendo. Time will tell, but it is important to remember that Microsoft is very pro PC if you don't want to own two consoles.

It is far too early to say anything with any kind of certainty but as I said I'm cautiously optimistic and in any case, things likely can't get worse under Microsoft than under Zenimax's old management, can they?

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week and stay safe!

News time

 

Alright, game news time!

The pre-patch for World of Warcraft Shadowlands is almost upon us. This is the patch that adds the changes to the game that are not bound by owning the new expansion, including access to Battle for Azeroth (the current expansion), new crafting, new character customization options etc.

A background download has been available for a few days now which likely means that the pre-patch could come this week or the next. This is backed up by the fact that Shadowlands is just about a month away for those who intend to buy it or have already bought it.

Exciting times ahead there.

The hugely anticipated game Cyberpunk 2077 is being released on November 19th, and the specs have been released. It looks like they have somehow managed to keep the minimum system requirements incredibly low for such a massive and complex game.

Here is a PCGamer article with the requirements:

https://www.pcgamer.com/cyberpunk-2077-pc-system-requirements/

In other news, the battle between Epic Games and Apple continues. A new hearing is set for the 28^th, and it is going to be interesting. For those not in the know, Epic intentionally broke the Terms of Service with Apple and promptly got kicked off the iOS store. Legal papers quickly started to fly and now it remains to see what will happen. Epic tried to rally the masses in support but they just got mad at Epic instead.

Apple alleges that it was a publicity stunt to raise interest in order to combat falling Fortnite numbers, but Epic claims they are going as strong as ever, while simultaneously whining that this will cause irreparable harm to their product. Go figure... Either way, it seems that Epic Games are loosing around $26 million per month from being kicked off the Apple store. Substantial losses for any company.

In other mixed news, the new GTX 30 series of graphic cards was released and immediately the scalpers grabbed them all using bots to resell at enormous mark-ups. This has of course caused a stir and perhaps one day, scalpers will disappear. I for one hope so, though I'm not holding my breath..

EA is being sued in California in a class action suit with over 100 plaintiffs seeking damages for gambling mechanics.

And finally both the next gen Xbox and Playstation have finally been priced. The PS is $400 for the digital only version and $500 for the version that can read disks. The Xbox series S is $300 and the series X is $500. The tech specs for both machines are easily available so do your research before you buy.

That's that. Join me again next time and until then have a fantastic week and stay safe!

Something to watch

 

It's Monday, so it's time for the spheres to get eccentric!

This week I want to share a few Youtube channels that I find entertaining and even informative. Whether you like them is of course up to you, but do check them out and see for yourself. Now, it is possible that I might have mentioned some of these channels before though I'm reasonably sure I haven't. Sometimes one double dips by accident.

First up we have It's [Redacted]. This channel delves into mysteries of the more conspiratorial kind. In my mind it's not a conspiracy channel as such, it is the mystery that is important. Nice moody videos about things like aliens, UFO's and the Dyatlov Pass. Cool stuff if this is your cup of tea. Spooky and intriguing.

Then we go to the LockPickingLawyer. This man is a master of opening things that are supposed to stay closed. Heavy duty padlocks, safes, and all manners of locks lose in seconds to this guy. I even saw him open a hand-held safe with three combination tumblers using nothing but a sliver of a Red Bull can. Even if you don't care about locks or locksporting, it is fascinating to watch him work.

Next we move on to oddball experiments. TylerTube is a guy in his garage testing stuff out. What happens to different thing left in nasty liquids like drain cleaner in 30 days? How strong are different glues? What does it take to stop a crossbow? These are things Tyler tests and it is a lot of fun to watch.

From a garage in the U.S. we go down under to Australia to the HowRidiculous team. These loud and exited guys love dropping things from a 44 meter (144 feet) tall tower. Things like glass spheres, watermelons, giant steel darts, a 300 kg steel fist, boats... etc. As I said they do get loud but damn if it isn't satisfying to see the stuff fall.

Finally, I want to mention RedLetterMedia. This channel is my latest obsession. A crew of guys with a very serious film collection and snarky wit. They talk movies, they dissect movies and they watch some of the worst stinkers ever distributed on VHS. This last part called Best of the Worst is my favorite. If you ever enjoyed watching a bad movie go and have a look at this channel, it's so worth it.

There it is. Some curated randomly chosen channels for your entertainment. Something to occupy yourself with in these trying times. And as always join me again next time and until then have a great week, stay safe and wash your hands! 

 

Direct links:

It's Redacted: https://www.youtube.com/c/Itsredactedchannel/videos

Lockpickinglawyer: https://www.youtube.com/c/lockpickinglawyer

TylerTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TylerTube/featured

HowRidiculous: https://www.youtube.com/c/howridiculous/videos

RedLetterMedia: https://www.youtube.com/user/RedLetterMedia/featured

 

 

 

 

Inferno

 

This week we are looking at yet another Argento film, but unlike the two previous ones, this one is not a Giallo, but a straight horror movie. Today we're looking at:

Inferno (1980).

It is worth noting that this is a follow up to Argento's probably most famous movie, Suspiria (1977). It's not a sequel, but a continuation of the theme of three witches called the Three Mothers. One character, Rose, discovers that she is living in the very building in New York that was built for the mother of darkness. She calls in her brother who is studying in Rome, and the rest of the film is his investigation into the matter. Insert some murders and gore, add some interesting visuals and you have Inferno.

If you haven't seen it, this movie is worth a look. In a discussion with a learned friend I mentioned that Inferno almost looks like a Roger Corman movie, which he confirmed was no accident as Argento was a huge fan and intended for Inferno to be a bit of a homage.

This really shows as the entire movie is drowning in rich dramatic color. So much in fact that it almost becomes distracting at times.

The plot is kind of all over the place. Some things are over-explained while other things are never explained at all. This creates a slight disconnect and it's easy to phase out and just take in the visuals and the atmosphere without really getting the story. Try to resist zoning out as the story is interesting though not ground breaking.

Unlike films like Deep Red and Bird with the Crystal Plumage, this is not a mystery movie, so the plot is not meant to be solvable by the audience, this means that if you want to watch it, sit back and enjoy and never mind the plot-holes. Like Suspiria, Inferno is designed to be dreamlike and akin to a fairy tale so things don't have to make perfect sense, no matter how much you want them to.

What struck me personally is that I didn't enjoy it as much as I used to back in the day. It was one of my favorite Argento movies, but these days I definitely enjoy his Giallo movies more. Then again I'm quite a but older than I was the last time I saw Inferno.

In conclusion, I would say that Inferno is almost essential viewing if you want to take in the best of Italian horror. How highly you rate it is completely up to you, but I urge you to see it if you liked Suspiria, or if you enjoy surreal horror. It's not a masterpiece as such but a solid nightmare horror movie and should be watched as such.

That's that. Join me again next time and until then have a great week! Oh, and wash your hands.

A crystal bird?

 

Last week I talked about Deep Red (1975) by Italian director Dario Argento. This week I want to go over Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970).

This is a film that I thought I had seen before, but it turns out I had it mixed up with another movie. Thus, I could go into it with open eyes and an uncluttered mind. Now I have to take a look at a few other titles to see what is what. But on with this weeks topic.

What struck me very quickly and persisted throughout is that the plot is incredibly similar to Deep Red.

In Deep Red we have the English pianist Marcus Daly, here we have the American writer Sam Dalmas. Like Marcus, Sam witnesses an attack on a woman and becomes involved with the investigation. Also like Marcus, Sam is incredibly cavalier about his own safety, even more so than Marcus. In one scene Sam is being pursued by a hitman with a silenced gun and despite managing to escape decides to follow the hitman to get some answers... Yeah that's smart... Kind of like hunting tigers by grabbing their tails. Sure, you caught it but now what?

Anyway, I'm not going to spoil anything so bear with me. There are as many differences between the two movies as there are similarities, but the beautiful cinematography I mentioned in Deep Red is almost missing in Crystal Plumage. The embryo is there, you can clearly see Argento's vision, and sometimes it works but most scenes are just functional rather then art. He wasn't there yet, but a mere five years later he had it nailed.

The actors do a good job and it amused me to learn that Tony Musante who plays Sam also starred as a mafia boss in HBO's Oz. Its also really fun to see what would have been cutting edge police computers in 1970. We've come a long way...

The plot is actually really good. It made more sense than Deep Red, at least to me and it is more complelling. The killer's motivation was more believable than in Deep Red, and the puzzle pieces fit better as well. Like in Deep Red, Argento plays it completely straight. He doesn't cheat at all, it is all there for you to solve, even if some details are only explained in the end. I failed to figure out the identity of the killer in Deep Red but I got it in Crystal Plumage.

Bottom line is that this movie is said to have skyrocketed the popularity of the Giallo genre, but in my view it stands on the fence between pure thriller and Giallo. With this being Argento's first time directing solo, it makes sense that Crystal Plumage is quite a bit rougher around the edges than Deep Red, but not in a bad way. It can be seen as both and enjoyed by fans of both genres. It drags a bit at times, but never so much as to risk becoming boring. It's not a movies for gorehounds and I would have hated it in my youth. Luckily I have matured a bit because I recommend it without hesitation.

That as they say is that. Join me again next time and until then have a great week, stay safe and wash your hands!

Profoundly Red

 

In all my years of watching horror in all its forms I have seen more movies than I can realistically remember. I've seen great ones, interesting ones and so many bad ones.

However there exists a list of classics (good and bad) that I haven't seen. Or there would be a list if I could be bothered to write it down, which I can't.

Just the other night, I watched a video by Sandy Petersen, the man behind Call of Cthulhu and level designer in the original Doom, in which he discussed Giallo movies.

Giallo, meaning yellow in Italian is the name for thriller-horror movies from Italy (duh). The name comes from the fact that cheap paperbacks of the genre were usually yellow. Today the term is best know as a movie genre however.

Giallo movies are gorier and usually sexier than straight thrillers, but less supernatural and over the top than straight horror. These are rough generalizations and not to be taken as straight rules.

I've even written about some Giallo movies before: Tenebrae, The House with Laughing Windows and The Fifth Cord, but back to the video by Sandy Petersen. In it he mentioned one of the most famous Giallo movies and it was one I had never seen, so I decided to rectify that, even though I've been informed that it isn't very good.

One has to make up ones own mind in the end so I sat down and watched Deep Red (1975) by Dario Argento.

It's important to note that there exists multiple versions of this film, with various scenes removed or re-added. At least the one I saw was in wide-screen which is important but I can't tell you which version it was in any detail.

The story concerns a Pianist, Marcus Daly, who witnesses his neighbor being brutally killed in her window. He rushes to help but is too late to save her. He does become obsessed with the murder and tries to solve it. He is aided by a reporter, Gianna Brezzi and Professor Giordani.

People get brutally murdered, the plot thickens and in the end all is solved. That's all I can tell you about the plot without spoiling anything important.

So what's it like? Beautiful and bizarre is the best way I can put it. There are so many gorgeous shots in this movie it's nuts. Scene after scene of amazing cinematography cut with scenes of really odd humor.

The dialog goes from serviceable to jaw dropping. My favorite line is: “There's someone in the house... absolutely trying to kill me, ya'know?” 

The music is also pretty odd. Most of the track is by Goblin, who scored Suspiria incredibly well, but here the music is more funky, and at times really clashes against the tense atmosphere.

Perhaps the biggest gripe I have is the mentality of the main hero, Marcus. He knows the killer wants to murder him, and he repeatedly goes to isolated locations to find the truth, but does he ever bring a weapon with him? Of course he doesn't. He is incredibly cavalier about the fact that he is completely unarmed and trailing a vicious maniac.

There are a couple of plot holes as well, but it may be that the version I saw had some scenes removed that would have explained them, I can't say. Either way, it's not too bad, it didn't spoil the fun, but they were there non the less.

In the end I can say I really enjoyed Deep Red. It's tense, stylish and very enjoyable. Perhaps more of a thriller than a “real” Giallo, but that is a debate I won't get draw into. It has been said that Deep Red is a turning point in Dario Argento's career, and I can see where that comes from. If you are looking into Giallo movies, do not miss this, and if you just fancy a fun murder-romp, give it a shot. If you want something more generic in the way of a thriller, watch something else. Deep Red is a bit too hard to digest for that.

And here we are again. Join me next time and until then, have a great week and stay safe!

Hero or Hypocrite?

 

Epic Games has sued both Google and Apple.

In case you haven't heard about this, Epic wanted to put the mobile version of their popular battle royale game Fortnite on both the big stores, so they did.

Then Epic blatantly broke the Terms of Service (i.e. the contract) by bypassing the stores payment methods and installing a private way to buy in-game currency without giving Apple or Google their agreed upon share. To no ones surprise Epic got tossed out on their ass and now they are suing.

But wait! It gets better. With lightning speed, Epic filed lawsuits against both tech giants claiming that this is a breach against the anti trust law, and that (especially Apple) are abusing their monopoly. Epic even went so far as to release a machinima video that spoofs an old Apple ad that ends with the words:

“Epic Games has defied the App Store Monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming “1984”.”

So, Epic intentionally breaks the TOS in order to get banned, files an already prepared lawsuit and releases a video trying to paint themselves as brave and selfless freedom fighters trying to tear down the evil Apple monopoly? Do they really think anyone will believe this nonsense?

Now, I'm no fan of Apple, and I have never been one. But if you essentially rent a space in a mall for your shop and then refuse to pay rent, what do you think is going to happen? How does this in any way make you a hero? Especially when you have your lawsuit and propaganda video ready to go? It's not taking a stand, it's intentional provocation and manipulation, which aren't very heroic in my opinion.

To make it even worse, we're talking about Epic Games here. The company who excels at buying up exclusives for themselves at the expense of others. I guess it is okay for them to do it but not for Apple or Google? Or maybe it is nothing but hypocrisy?

To make it even even worse, this is 2020. The year of Covid-19 kicking everything to pieces. The year when people all over the world are desperately fighting their corrupt governments to gain freedom for themselves and their children. The year of Black Lives Matter. This is the year that Epic Games wants to promote their FreeFortnite hashtag campaign as if it should be compared to these real life struggles? Please...

I'm not telling you do or not do anything. Make up your own mind. But to me this has really crystallized what kind of company Epic Games is, and I don't care what they do with their store, I'd rather not play games than be a customer of theirs.

Alright, this has been the angry rant part of Eccentric Spheres, join me again next time for hopefully something more lighthearted, and until then, have a great and safe week! Oh, and keep washing your hands.

Game News

 

Alright, it is time for some game news.

Blizzard has been in the news again, this time for financial reasons. It has been a know fact for over a decade that Blizzard pays low wages compared to other companies in the AAA industry. They have always pushed the passion line, i.e. people are such fans its a bit of a privilege to work there, so you don't need as much money.

Staff has now started comparing salaries and are furious at how little they are earning. Seeing how Blizz HQ is in Irvine, California, it's no wonder their workers are broke. Irvine is not the most expensive city in the US, but it is still pretty eye-wateringly expensive. Anyone who works for a living knows that landlords and grocery stores don't accept passion instead of money, but now it has hit a bit of a boiling point.

Stories have been shared about how staffers are forced to skip meals, how they have to do extra work as Uber drivers, how they even have to give up even talking about having kids as they know that can't afford it. At the same time, Activision-Blizzard keeps reporting record profits and their CEO Bobby Kotick has apparently earned about $40 million this year. Some shareholders have tried to stop Kotick from earning his obscene bonuses, but failed. Kotick has even been called the most over payed CEO in the world...

The bottom line is that Blizzard may well see an imminent brain-drain, if too many of their seasoned talent find better payed positions elsewhere. There seem to be a golden goose moral in here somewhere.

Bioware are still trying to get Anthem fixed. After a... lets call it lack-luster initial performance, they pulled the game in an attempt to fix it.

Back during the 6-8 years of development time Anthem had, the production leads refused to even look at what the competition was doing, and now it seems they are just copying their competition wholesale.

When you are designing something like a game you have to take in to account what the competition is doing. Otherwise you may end up creating cheap knock-off or even committing theft of intellectual property. You can't create in a vacuum. We'll see if their efforts pay off, but for my part I doubt it. The very name Anthem is now a poisoned pill and few gamers are going to want to swallow it to see if it tastes good.

Finally there have been talk of a new method of revenue generation in the AAA industry: In-game ads.

It's all in an early brainstorming stage, but there are elements who wants to integrate ads inside PC and console gaming much like in mobile gaming. Off the cuff I think it's a reprehensible idea, but to be fair there are a couple of minor ways I could possibly accept it. If it is an option you can turn off, if it does not handicap the player and you earn something extra for watching the ads, then maybe? If you could offset a subscription by seeing some ads in loadscreens, then maybe?

The problem is that the greed of these executives is beyond control and I have 0% trust in their abilities to rein themselves in. Look at the lootbox drama for an example.

Speaking of lootboxes, this may be a reaction to the increased ban on the addictive little boxes of doom. Either way, time will tell, but I don't think this will go over well at all.

That's that. Join me again next time, and until then, have a great week and stay safe and healthy!

A simpler history

I love history but it is not always easy to study. The history of the world and humanity in general can get incredibly complex and I find it helpful to get an overview of an issue before even trying to delve deeper.

Getting a simplified version of an event or a war also helps me understand how it all hangs together.

Example: If the Ottomans hadn't closed off Byzantium and blocked Europe from Asia, then there would have been no need for Columbus to cross the Atlantic in 1492. No Columbus means no European struggle for territory to colonize, which means Great Britain wouldn't have started their 13 colonies. This means no American war of Independence, which directly lead to the French Revolution which led to Napoleons rise to power etc.

One “small” act can have enormous repercussions centuries later but since it is such a humongous subject it is really helpful to get it in smaller pieces.

This bring me to our subject for the week:

OverSimplifed over on Youtube. It is an animated channel that does just this. It breaks down things like WWI & II, the French Revolution, the American Civil War, King Henry VIII etc and it is funny as well!

So if you like history or just want to get your learn on, head on over and enjoy yourself. I've lost... well learning is never a waste, so I'll say I've spent many a happy hour over there.

Here is the direct link: https://www.youtube.com/c/OverSimplified/featured

That's that. Until next time, have a safe and happy week! Oh and keep washing those hands, Covid is far from over.

Sample:

New upcoming games!

Last Thursday, July 23^rd, Microsoft held their Official Xbox Showcase 2020. They hinted at a second one later this year, but we'll see.

To start off, if you caught their E3 showcases for the last couple of years, you know what to expect, only this was smaller. In a way it's better like this, as I got pretty overwhelmed by their E3 presentations as they were so incredibly long. My brain got crammed so full it was hard to remember even half of what they showed.

This was one hour and just as stylish as before. Sadly, most trailers were just that, slick presentations with little actual gameplay. Then again they were gorgeous trailers, no doubt about that. Many of these games are still very far away, so all they have are teasers at this point but it is nice to know what is coming.

I'm not going to list the games shown, but I'm optimistic about the general output, even though there were many that are straight up not for me, like racing games. I urge you to take an hour and give it a look. If you don't care about Halo you can skip the first 10-12 minutes.

It is also worth pointing out that although they keep going on about how amazing their upcoming new Xbox is, all these games will also be available on PC.

My biggest take away is that beyond a few sequels for very popular titles, many studios seem to be thinking outside the proverbial box.

But enough rambling from me, I'll leave you to it but join me again next time for more Eccentric Spheres. Until then have a great week and stay safe!

Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7nkg_5ZfrM

Time for Fun

We had a bit of a heat spike over the weekend and it kind of melted my brain a bit, so I'm taking it easy today. I have some ace comedy for you today, and with all that is still happening in the world we can all need a bit of a laugh.

Now there is a small chance that I have posted this before, but since this blog has existed since 2012 it is getting a bit tricky to keep tabs on things like this. I expect that I'm going to accidentally re-post some stuff from time to time.

Anyway, first up we have some Norwegian comedy, which is in English so don't worry. Then we have a few select clips from Star Wars, Darth Vader to be specific, but you won't hear James Earl Jones. Instead another prominent African American actor with a more colorful vocabulary.

Join me again next time for more Eccentric Spheres, and have yourself a great and safe week! 

Norwegian Comedy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-mOy8VUEBk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eng5rJm9X7w 

Star Wars Comedy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_n8FRILoYE

 

The Day of the Jackal

It's been a while since I talked about a movie, but to be fair it's been a while since I watched a movie. Today that changes!

Last week I took the time to sit down and watch the classic The Day of the Jackal (1973), and I'm really glad I did.

The film is based on the book with the same name by Frederick Forsyth, and it's directed by Fred Zinnemann. I can honestly say I don't think I have ever seen another of his films, so whether they are good or not, I don't know. The Day of the Jackal is amazing, so maybe his other works are worth a look. I'll leave that up to you.

The story is based on real events, namely the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle by the Organisation Armée Secréte (secret armed organization). The OAS were furious when de Gaulle gave Algeria its independence and accused him of being a traitor to France. This is all fact, the rest of the movie is fiction.

So in a nutshell, the OAS hires an assassin to kill de Gaulle, since they are too inept and riddled with informers to do it properly themselves. The government puts their best cop on the case and he and his aides tries to chase down the Jackal before he can kill the president.

What really stands out here is that there is no mystery involved. Absolutely none. You know who the Jackal is, you follow him throughout the film in fact. You know what the police knows since you follow them as well. You even follow motorcycle couriers as they zoom around Paris. The tension comes from, well, tension. Will they arrive in time? Will the Jackals disguise work? Etc.

It sounds a bit lame, even though it isn't. This is a pretty subtle film and a lot of the focus is put on minor details. You can't have it on in the background while you do other things, or you will miss out. It requires your attention but I do think it rewards you for it.

To be fair, it's a pretty old film and in many ways it shows – we don't make movies like this anymore. There is no grandstanding, no dramatic speeches or chest beating. No fanatical “Viva la France”, instead a single tear rolling down a woman's cheek shows her utter commitment to the cause. Some might find this slow and boring, that's up to you.

In case you haven't picked up on it yet, I really liked it, but that doesn't mean there are no problems. If you are the sort who cares, you should know that all the cars are too modern. Being that the film is set in '62 and that it was filmed 10-11 years later this is understandable. As someone who knows very little concerning cars, I thought they looked fine, but there were complaints on the matter over at IMBD.

Personally I found the ending to be a bit weak. I won't spoil it, it is fine but there are complications with the story that they could have ironed out a bit. I'll give you one example. Throughout the film you follow the Jackal and all his preparations, and I do mean ALL. He steals a passport, he modifies his car, he even buys hair dye, but he has no plan to get away after shooting the president in the head! It would have been nice to see what his plan is. Sure the movie is 143 minutes long already and that is long enough, but the lack of a plan is kind of glaring.

I haven't talked about acting or cinematography, but I don't need to, it is all great. I can't talk about the score since there really isn't one. All that said, The Day of the Jackal is a kind of odd movie, but a really good one. I definitely recommend it without hesitation.

That as they say is that. Join me again next time, and until then have a great week! Stay safe and keep washing your hands.