Even in its early alpha state, my extensive hands-on time with Eternal Strands gave me a lot to be excited about. Whether it’s the Monster Hunter-esque boss fights against giant creatures, the interesting and flexible physics-manipulating magical powers, or the obvious dedication to telling a wholesome story filled with lovable characters, this upcoming indie repeatedly surprised me by being very different from its action-adventure peers. By combining a hodgepodge of some of my favorite elements from different genres into one action-packed package, developer Yellow Brick Games hopes to pull off something wholly unique with its inaugural title. After numerous hours climbing atop fiery dragons and freezing pesky knights in a block of ice, I think Eternal Strands stands a good chance of delivering something really special, and I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on it.
The Baby Assassins movies revive the dying art of action comedy
04.04.2024 - 18:41 / polygon.com / Jackie Chan
Blockbuster action comedies are in a bit of a rough spot in modern Hollywood. (Fingers crossed that The Fall Guyrights the ship!) It can seem like the only options these days are quip-filled MCU movies, where the comedy potential is limited by some inevitable impending apocalypse; quip-filled MCU derivatives; or bleak action comedies where the humor is mostly dark and cruel. But there is another way: the way of the Baby Assassins.
The Japanese action-comedy franchise has delivered two consecutive bangers: 2021’s Baby Assassins lit my brain and heart on fire, reminding me of the glory days of Jackie Chan’s Hong Kong comedies through its combination of silly young-people antics and incredible fight choreography. The sequel, Baby Assassins 2, now out on VOD, offers more of the same and delighted me just as much as the first. It is my fervent hope we will get a 3 Babies 3 Furious situation going on soon.
The movies are a brilliant combination of two genres you don’t often see mashed up: slice-of-life angsty teen comedy and action-packed assassin drama. Teenagers Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) would like nothing more than to perform their killer duties for the shadowy organization that trained them, then just laze around their apartment all day. They watch anime, read manga, play video games, eat tons of junk food, moan about their responsibilities, and work out in their cramped living space. You know, teenage stuff. But the demands of their job, and of modern life, keep getting in the way.
In the first movie, their handler tells them to get part-time jobs so they can better integrate into society, and the two girls struggle to find a means of workplace conflict resolution other than murder. In the second, they’re deep in debt after unknowingly racking up bills from the company gym (which they only attended once) and must quickly make their money back, all while fending off two up-and-coming assassins who want to kill them to take their jobs.
Those two new assassins are in some ways a mirror image of Chisato and Mahiro — two teenage boys (Joey Iwanaga and Tatsuomi Hamada) who have a similarly casual attitude toward life and their deadly work. They hold no ill will toward their targets, but are motivated by the instability of their position as contractors. The movies do a great job of infusing modern workplace anxieties into an otherwise very silly assassin comedy, all while making room for fantastic action.
That action is designed by Kensuke Sonomura, one of the best action directors and fight choreographers working today. He also happens to have a long history designing action for video games, like Devil May Cry 4, Vanquish, 2020’s Resident Evil 3, and multiple Metal Gear Solid games.
Season of the Guardian: Artifact Deep Dive
Greetings, Adventurers!
Baby Reindeer: Did Donny Sleep With Martha?
Toward the end of episode 5 of, there’s a sequence where it appears that. Given the intensity and editing of this part, some viewers might be confused as to whether he actually had sex with Martha or if it’s all in his head. Fortunately, there’s a definitive answer to this, and we’ll break it down for you below.
GameSpot Hands-On The War Within - More of the Same, In a Good Way
GameSpot has released a writeup of their hands-on experience with The War Within, citing it as more of the same Warcraft, but in a good way! GameSpot Hands-on The War Within
Bethesda's Todd Howard clarifies the fate of Shady Sands in the Fallout TV show timeline
Bethesda's very own Mr Handy (director and executive producer) Todd Howard has addressed the controversy surrounding the Fallout TV show's treatment of Fallout backstory, reaffirming the canonicity of Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas and promising that Bethesda and Amazon are being "careful" to maintain consistency between the games and the TV series. Are you new to this latest lore scandal? Watch out for Fallout Season 1 spoilers ahead, then.
Keanu Reeves to play Shadow in the Sonic 3 movie as Sega announce the Year of Shadow
I've been watching this year's ostensible "major" news developments - the launch of a Fallout TV show, the impending release of Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, to pick a couple - with a sense of zealous disapproval and weary resignation as to the hubris of human beings. Do these brazen publishers and developers not know that this, the year 2024, is the Year of Shadow the Hedgehog?
The Fallout TV show gave the Fallout games a huge player bump, as everyone remembers they like Fallout
Crawl out through the fallout, baby! I've watched two episodes of Amazon's recently released Fallout TV show, a series for and about Walton Goggins' rizz (a thing the kids say). I've been on the Goggins hype train for over a decade at this point, and it's great that - oh sorry, I'm being told that the Fallout TV show is in fact about Bethesda's post-nukepocalypse RPG series of video games, and as such has given a massive player bump to said video games on Steam.
Star Wars Outlaws creative director says the Jedi "didn't even enter the picture" when deciding what the open-world game would be about
Star Wars Outlaws is set to launch later this year, and beyond offering an open world to explore, it's also going to allow players to step into the shoes of a scoundrel named Kay Vess. Needless to say, it's shaping up to be quite a departure from the lightsaber-swinging action we're used to from the recent Star Wars Jedi games, but the creative director of Outlaws says that the idea of having Jedi at the forefront of the game "didn't even enter the picture."
Enjoy the Fallout Show? Check Out These 6 Games
By now, you've probably heard the buzz surrounding Amazon's live-action Fallout show. And as it turns out, it is a faithful and fun adaptation of the hilariously grotesque post-apocalyptic role-playing game series. The live-action show offers a glimpse of the wild world of Fallout and all the bizarre hijinks just waiting to be uncovered, and it's likely got you wanting for some games to try out that have a similar conceit.
Rise Of The Ronin: How To Beat Matthew Perry (Boss Fight)
Matthew Perry is the first boss players will encounter, a colonist Commodore set on finally capturing the «white whale» of Japanese trade. He attacks fast, has a firearm at long ranges, and can quickly take down Veiled Edges with his combos. Yet, this militiaman can be defeated with well-timed Counterspark parries and use your ally well.
Children of the Sun review: unnerving shooter is the feel-bad game of the year
Children of the Sun Score Details DT Recommended Product Pros