Visionary Auteur game developer Lucas Pope has a knack for making the mundane exciting. Back in 2013, he took the gaming world by storm with his hit Papers, Please. This game put the player in the shoes of a border control officer of a fictional Eastern Bloc style dictatorship called Arstotzka. In the game you had to check the passports and eventually various other forms of ID of everyone entering the country. The premise sounds rather dull but is actually one of the most enthralling games you could ever play. Moral decisions need to be made whether you should support your family with wages or bribes and whether you should stay loyal to the state or help a terrorist plot. Papers, Please is basically a perfect game and it would be nearly impossible for a solo developer to top such an achievement. But Lucas Pope only went and did it…
Return Of The Obra Dinn has you take control of an insurance agent in early 19th Century England. Yet another dull premise for a video game on face value. You are sent aboard a ship that has mysteriously re-emerged after having been missing for a few years. On the Obra Dinn, you are tasked with figuring out the identities of each of the souls on board and what befell them. To work everything out, you’re given a book which has basic details about the ship and who was on it and a magical pocket watch. This pocket watch shows you the last moments of someone’s life when you activate it over a corpse on the ship. Through these moments you need to pick up a lot of small but significant details that build up to make the brilliant and tragic tale of the Obra Dinn.
Lucas Pope’s second big game is his best…so far. It’s a masterfully created game that is an absolute joy to play and is so satisfying when you complete every step. Like a lot of detective based games, there’s a lot of puzzles to be solved in Return Of The Obra Dinn. Working out every fate is very tricky as nobody’s identity is very obvious except perhaps for the Captain of the ship. What also makes it even harder is that the game won’t confirm if you have anything right until you provide three completely correct answers. This means that when you eventually do get a set right you will scream and bask in your genius detective skills. It’s a rare feeling for a game to produce, especially in the days of constant shooters like Call Of Duty which, while fun, don’t really require much thought.
The graphics of the game will put off a lot of younger gamers. The visuals are a throwback to a bygone era of point and click adventures. There is basically no movement and everything is black and white (or Blue and green, depending on which setting you choose). This does nothing but add to the already hugely rich atmosphere of the game. Return Of The Obra Dinn would be ruined if it was made like a Rockstar game, with perfect face capture and realistic movements with true to life textures. No, the basic nature of the game adds to the mystery of the story and gives the game its unbelievable charm.
Where Return Of The Obra Dinn completely succeeds is its sound design. In each memory, you’re treated to a brilliantly acted and directed radio play that proceeds over a black screen with stylish captions. These are so atmospheric and engrossing and make you wonder why Lucas Pope hasn’t gone into book or film writing. Then when that’s over, the soundtrack explodes into your ears as you inspect the last minutes of the soul whose corpse you’ve selected. A great achievement of both Papers, Please and Return Of The Obra Dinn are their scores. They are such perfectly composed and addictive soundtracks that are such a joy to listen to even outside of the context of their respective games. It makes you wonder why you need an orchestra when one man can do something as good as a Hans Zimmer soundtrack alone on his computer.
Return Of The Obra Dinn is one of the best games of the last decade and definitely deserves your time and money. It achieves so much with so little. Not only is it a perfect example of how to do a detective game, but it’s got a fantastic story to boot. The only problem with it is that you can only really experience it once. As when you know the fates of everyone, a second playthrough is a lot easier. So savour every last second and wait in anticipation of Lucas Pope’s next game. Which will undoubtedly be the best game of all time if his track record is anything to go by.
Return Of The Obra Dinn is available to download on Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Freddie has a degree in Digital Film Production from Ravensbourne University London. He’s obsessive about many things but mostly Batman, Doctor Who and The Incredibles. To find out all of Freddie's film opinions go to his Letterboxd - TheDeightonator
The following piece was written during the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie material being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Plot
A new generation of stars join the world’s top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in Expend4bles. Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone are joined for the first time by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.
Iko Uwais as Suarto Rahmat (Lionsgate Movies)
The Expendables Film Series
I highly recommend catching up on the other movies in the Expendables film series.
Expendables 1 (2010)
The only life they’ve known is war. The only loyalty they have is to each other. They are the Expendables: leader and mastermind Barney Ross (Stallone), former SAS blade expert Lee Christmas (Statham), hand-to-hand combat specialist Yin Yang (Li), long barrel weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Crews), demolitions expert Toll Road (Couture), and precision sniper Gunnar Jensen (Lundgren). Living life in the fringes of the law, these hardened mercenaries take on what appears to be a routine assignment: a covert, CIA-funded operation to infiltrate the South American country of Vilena and overthrow its ruthless dictator General Garza (David Zayas). But when their job is revealed to be a suicide mission, the men are faced with a deadly choice, one that might redeem their souls or destroy their brotherhood forever.
The Expendables Official Trailer (Lionsgate Movies)
Expendables 2
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) — with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard — are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — six tons of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother. That is done the Expendables way….
The Expendables 2 Official Trailer (Lionsgate Movies)
Expendables 3 (2014)
In The Expendables 3, Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. In order to defeat Stonebanks, Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.
The Expendables 3 Official Trailer (Lionsgate Movies)
Movie Review
Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture and Sylvester Stallone bring the explosive energy needed to give us an explosive performance on-screen. The new members, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia bring in a breath of fresh air with new attitude and fighting styles to keep us entertained. This movie is the fourth in the Expendable film series, but there is definitely no clear link between this movie and the prequels. Each movie in essence is a new mission and Expendables 4 can be watched without watching the previous movies. I suggest watching the previous three movies to experience the explosive action that you get when you combine our favorite action heroes.
Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross, leader of the Expendables (Lionsgate Movies)
Expendables 4 was great and delivered yet another action-packed mission filled with awesome fights, humor, cultural references and explosions. However, it wasn’t difficult to spot the main villain and there aren’t much surprises in terms of the new action stars who join this mission.
The movie starts us off with the Expendables in a race against time to retrieve nuclear warheads, but the mission goes south and instead of sticking to orders, one of the soldiers attempt to save his team member instead, which results in a failed mission and a casualty. The story follows the combination of accomplishing the mission while delivering a can of revenge-based whoop-ass. The last fight isn’t as explosive as the cast but still manages to deliver a plot-twist finale.
Megan Fox, Andy Garcia & Jacob Scipio, some of the newest members of the Expendables (Lionsgate Movies)
A future sequel should really consider a completely new group pick up the baton and leave us in suspense as to who the new heroes and villains could be. I love a good surprise with a side of plot twist in any movie.
There is no post-credits scene, so no need to wait till the very end. The trailer doesn’t spoil any of the plot twists you can expect from the movie. Overall, my rating for Expendables 4 is a 3.5 out of 5.
Brooke Markham and VyVy Nguyen in 'Shaky Shivers' (Cineverse)
If you thought that Sung Kang can only thrill you with amazing car stunts, then you are wrong. The acclaimed star is set to take you on an entertaining ride with his directorial debut titled ‘Shaky Shivers’.
The latest horror-comedy film marks the feature directorial debut of Sung Kang, renowned for his roles in the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise and several other big projects. The movie stars Brooke Markham and VyVy Nguyen, with an ensemble cast including Jimmy Bellinger, Erin Daniels, and Herschel Sparber.
A still from ‘Shaky Shivers’ (Cineverse)
From the very beginning, ‘Shaky Shivers’ grabs hold of your attention with the comedic chemistry between lead actresses Brooke Markham (Lucy) and VyVy Nguyen (Karen). Their hilarious banter and dynamic friendship draw you into their world of magic, mayhem, and monstrous encounters. While a few other characters make appearances, the heart of the film rests on the shoulders of Karen and Lucy, whose relatable and believable friendship makes the story even more bewitching.
One of the best aspects of the film is how Sung Kang skillfully directs the title despite limited cast and limited settings. It still manages to keep audiences engaged and entertained. Kang also pays homage to classic horror films like ‘American Werewolf in London’ and injects fresh energy into the scenes while showcasing his comedic flair.
A still from ‘Shaky Shivers’ (Cineverse)
If you are one of those who enjoy unapologetically goofy and fun movies, ‘Shaky Shivers’ is undoubtedly a fun watch. Embracing its campiness, the film doesn’t try to be anything other than an enjoyable ride filled with supernatural elements. The characters have a helpful book of spells that they use to solve problems, which adds a clever and funny element to the story that will make you laugh..
While categorized as a horror-comedy, ‘Shaky Shivers’ leans more towards comedy than horror. However, don’t worry, as the supernatural beings like werewolves, zombies, and witches make their presence known throughout. The practical effects and impressive monster makeup, reminiscent of old-school horror flicks from the 70s and 80s, immerse you in a world of creatures and enchantment.
A still from ‘Shaky Shivers’ (Cineverse)
The plot of ‘Shaky Shivers’ escalates in an exciting and compelling manner, filled with unpredictable twists and goofy surprises. While it may not leave you terrified, the perfect blend of supernatural ambiance and comedic moments guarantees plenty of laughter and enjoyment.
In conclusion, ‘Shaky Shivers’ is a must-watch horror-comedy that delivers on laughs, friendship, and supernatural encounters. With its engaging storyline, talented cast, and Sung Kang’s impressive directorial debut, the film is a delightful addition to the genre. So grab a large tub of popcorn and take your family for this fun-filled ride.
Official posted of 'Sex Education' Season 4 (Netflix)
When the first season of Sex Education came out on Netflix in 2019, it felt pretty daring and exciting for everyone. While there were many shows about teenagers and sex, ‘Sex Education’ stood out because it talked about these topics openly and covered them in a pretty detailed manner. Without any guesses, the show became really popular and is now considered a classic on Netflix. For 3 long seasons, viewers have seen students of Moordale, and everyone around them, dealing with a lot of complications, but now, it’s time to say goodbye to some of our character as the Netflix series has returned for its fourth and final edition.
At the end of Season 3, Moordale Secondary School closed down. This means that Otis, Eric, Aimee, Jackson, Vivienne, Cal, and Ruby have to go to a new school, Cavendish Sixth Form College. Some of them fit in well, while others struggle. And while Otis tries to focus on his therapy work, he finds out that there are other young people who are experts on relationships and sex in town.
Gillian Anderson as Jean Milburn in ‘Sex Education’ Season 4 (Netflix)
One of the strengths of Sex Education is its diverse and inclusive representation. The show shines a light on various sexual orientations, gender identities, and cultural backgrounds, providing a platform for underrepresented voices. Season 4 continues to explore these themes, introducing new characters who add depth and complexity to the narrative. On ghe other hand, the only problem with Season 4 is that there are too many things going on at once. There are so many sub-plots that might distract you at times and make you feel that this story might have looked good if there was another season in pipeline.
Even then, the writing remains sharp and witty, creating relatable and genuine teenage characters who grapple with their own insecurities and desires.
Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong in Sex Education Season 4 (Netflix)
The performances in ‘Sex Education’ Season 4 are consistently strong. Asa Butterfield brings vulnerability and charm to his role as Otis, portraying the character’s growth and maturity. Ncuti Gatwa shines as Eric, capturing both his strength and vulnerability as he navigates new relationships and personal challenges. Emma Mackey delivers a nuanced performance as Maeve, showcasing her character’s intelligence and emotional depth. Mimi Keene is stupendous as well and bring another layer to her character which was so nice to see. Meanwhile, Gillian Anderson does what she is best at: deliver another extraordinary performance.
Emma Mackey as Maeve in Sex Education Season 4. (Netflix)
On the other hand, Aimee Lou Wood continues to mesmerise us with her charm and simplicity. Directors should definitely look at her and give her a leading role soon because she deserves it. Another actor that is surely a star in the making is Anthony Lexa, who portrays Abbi in Season 4. Her performance adds an additional charm to the series and gives a hope to Trans actors that they can too achieve their dreams.
A still from ‘Sex Education’ Season 4 (Netflix)
The final edition tackles difficult topics with sensitivity and care, highlighting the importance of consent, communication, and understanding in relationships. The show’s ability to tackle these issues head-on without becoming preachy is a testament to its thoughtful storytelling.
While the final season of ‘Sex Education’ does have some pacing and narrative issues, the strength of the performances, the thoughtful exploration of important issues, and the show’s commitment to inclusivity make it a satisfying and engaging watch. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to these beloved characters, but the legacy of Sex Education will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the television landscape.
Sex Education Season 4. (L to R) Mimi Keene as Ruby, Asa Butterfield as Otis in Sex Education Season 4 (Netflix)
In conclusion, ‘Sex Education’ Season 4 continues to deliver a standout and boundary-pushing narrative that explores sexuality, identity, and personal growth with humor and sensitivity. Despite some minor flaws, the show remains a shining example of inclusive storytelling and offers a heartfelt farewell to its beloved characters.
Some goodbyes are hard and this is certainly one of them.