Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist REVIEW

I am an avid fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game, having played the actual physical card game when I was younger, and since then have become fond of the Tag Force series for the PSP. Imagine my excitement then, when I discovered that a re-mastered Yu-Gi-Oh! game was to be released on the PS4! Admittedly, I am an old school Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, as I much prefer the simplicity of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series and ruleset, and I find GX bearable. I thought Synchro monsters were an unnecessary addition, but they grew on me. What I haven't come to grips with yet are the new(ish) XYZ monsters, and I know absolutely nothing about the newest addition to the game, Pendulum monsters. I had grown frustrated that the Yu-Gi-Oh! game had become so complicated, and began to notice that the original storyline, characters and cards were pretty much gone from modern games. 

This artwork shows the main characters of the five storylines
Left to right: Yusei Fudo (5Ds), Yuya Sakaki (Arc-V), Yugi Mutou (Original), Yuma Tsukumo (Zexal), Jaden Yuki (GX)

This brings me onto the most amazing thing about this Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist. It features ALL eras of Yu-Gi-Oh! including the very original storyline, characters and cards, all the way up to the very latest additions to the game. I knew this game was on to a winner as soon as I knew that was the case. This had me hooked before I had ever played my first duel in Legacy of the Duelist. That said, the gameplay is of a very high standard, and places LOTD (I'll abbreviate from now on) at the pinacle of Yu-Gi-Oh! video gaming. All the animations during the duel are smooth, and once you've nailed the rules, dueling is an easy process. There are glimpses of extra effort from the game's makers in the form of minor animations that play when signature monsters attack (so far I've seen it for Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Red Eyes B. Dragon and Dark Magician). They're not particularly impressive and so far have been the only thing I've not been impressed by. I've touched on the smooth and enjoyable playability of the duels in LOTD, which brings with it the experience and excitement of playing an actual physical duel. All aspects of the game have been fine-tuned to create the best-possible dueling experience, including the different kinds of summons and card effects, as well as the navigation of the field, and the playing of the different types of cards. The graphics are high quality and this makes the playing experience even better, as the artwork on the cards and the playing field are all defined and smooth. 

An example of in-duel gameplay in Legacy of the Duelist

Another thing that makes LOTD such a good playing experience is that the game has both offline and online gaming modes. The offline campaign is enjoyable and follows popular storylines from the manga. Using the original storyline as an example, LOTD follows Yugi and his friends through the Duelist Kingdom storyline, and then moves on to the Battle City tournament with the ghouls led by Marik. It's very enjoyable and the duels become more challenging as you move further through the story. If that wasn't enough, there's a further challenge as you can play every story duel in reverse, playing as the opponent rather than the player. This is just one that adds to the variety of playing possibilities. Added to this, each duel gives you the option to play with the story deck, for a greater challenge and to stay true to the storyline, or you can play with a custom deck, which makes the duels much easier; it's not difficult to create an overpowered deck that can sweep away any of the offline opposition. Of course, to get the good cards, a good deal of offline playing is required in order to earn DP (duel points) and open card packs which you unlock along the way. This links to the online duels; there's ranked matches against real online players, and it's very enjoyable. It gives you the opportunity to show off your cards and decks earned in the campaign, and provides a real test when compared to playing against the AI.

All in all, I am completely obsessed with this game. I've been playing Tag Force on the PSP and gameboy Yu-Gi-Oh! games including a personal favourite, The Sacred Cards. Legacy of the Duelist, in a short space of time, has become my favourite Yu-Gi-Oh! game and this shows how good it is. I can't get enough of playing LOTD, both offline and online, and have made friends who I have rematches with. It's a satisfying dueling experience and offers so much more than Yu-Gi-Oh! games have done in the past. If you're a big fan of Yu-Gi-Oh!, it's a no-brainer. If you've never heard of the game, Legacy of the Duelist provides tutorials and practice duels for you to learn the rules and hone your skills. Anyone who's a fan of card games, you're gonna love this.


Luke

No words are needed for this. Genius.

Why I'm Excited For CHVRCHES' Return

CHVRCHES, without a shadow of a doubt, are one of my absolute favourite music artists. I didn't expect much from the small-time three-piece from Scotland, but ended up blown away when I first heard 'Recover', and progressively every song in their debut album 'The Bones Of What You Believe'. An album which, in my opinion, is amazing. Some standout favourites of mine include 'Science/Visions', 'The Mother We Share', 'Lies' and deluxe edition exclusive 'Strong Hand'.

Their music is so unique, a wonderful combination which includes Lauren Mayberry's voice, which is completely comfortable alongside the synths and guitar and whatever other magical components Martin Doherty and Iain Cook put in to CHVRCHES' stunning array of musical creations. The instrumentals are undeniably fantastic, and Lauren's voice is so powerful, yet so calming and listenable. That said, she sounds formidable in 'Gun', as she says 'I will be a gun, and it's you I'll come for'.

Left to right - Martin Doherty, Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook

'The Bones Of What You Believe' was a big success, and I was just one of thousands of fans who went crazy for a band that were completely different from anything else around. It wasn't just an act of post-production miracles however, because I went to see CHVRCHES live and it was one of the best gigs I've been to. Lauren's interactions with the crowd were funny and you feel so close to her and the band on stage. This contrasts somewhat to the stunning bass that powers through your body and electrifies you as they perform one of their masterpieces. What impressed me the most is that every song, performed live, sounded just like the studio version; CHVRCHES have (a lot) of real talent, and I could watch them recreating their instrumentals in front of my very eyes.

Here's CHVRCHES looking particularly badass.

Moving on to their future, now, and why it looks so bright and exciting. CHVRCHES recently released the first single from their new album, 'Every Open Eye', which is released 25th September. This comes two years since debut release 'The Bones Of What You Believe', and has a lot of fans excited. In a mini interview on Annie Mac, Radio One, when their new single was named the Hottest Record in the World, Lauren Mayberry said that they recorded the new album in a basement in Glasgow, as they did the first album, which to me shows a band that really care about the music they create, and are not prepared to release just anything. They've had two standalone tracks since their debut album, 'Get Away', made for Zane Lowe's 'Drive' score, and 'Dead Air', part of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay film soundtrack. They're both great, and in my opinion, bode extremely well for the band's upcoming music. The new song, 'Leave A Trace', is incredible and I love every aspect of it. Notably, Lauren's voice sounds, if even possible, better than it did in 'The Bones Of What You Believe', and seems to have become even more powerful and confident, and ventures to exciting places and notes that show she's developed as an artist over the last couple of years. It's also great to see that they haven't strayed from the music that made them popular; the electronic sound is still there, and better than ever. To me, this shows that they have stayed true to themselves and the music they love to make, and haven't changed their style for the sake of being mainstream as many artists fall victim to nowadays. They've simply adapted, tweaked, and more than anything improved on the already outstanding CHVRCHES style, and this is why I'm so overwhelmed with excitement for the trio and I'm certain they'll come back better and stronger and more amazing than ever before.

Luke

Album artwork for 'Every Open Eye'

Artwork for 'Leave A Trace' single

A Teenager's Struggles With Christianity: Introduction

A Teenager's Struggles With Christianity

Introduction

Christianity is something I've grappled with for many years. I'd describe myself as Christian, and have done for all my life. I go to church, I believe in God and the Bible. I was baptised a few years ago. This started as something I inherited from my parents, after all, I only started going to church because of them at a very young age. In the last couple of years however, I've started to develop my own views, and trying to discover where I lie with my beliefs. I don't know if anyone shares theses views, or if I'm alone in what I think. I've struggled with belief over the years. I've bordered on atheism, and abandoning Him completely. I've flirted with the popular modern theory that Christianity, and indeed all religion, is completely ridiculous and outdated. I felt like I should record my thoughts and theories, describe my experiences and see them all in one place. I am far from a perfect person, and I have done many things I regret and I'm not proud of it. I'm also nowhere near confident in my beliefs; I feel uncomfortable praying out loud, or even raising my hands when singing worship. So before you read on, understand my position. I have two Christian parents, I've been to church all my life, yet I am very much flawed. These are the writings or a flawed Christian teenager who has experienced many emotions over the years, and here they are for all to see.

[To read more head over to the 'Struggles with Christianity' page of the blog]

Rocket League REVIEW

Rocket League is a one-of-a-kind game. It doesn't copy any other game, and this is what gives it such a refreshing and enjoyable feel when playing. For those who don't know, Rocket League is a game which, in its simplest form, is a football match, where the players are cars. The matches range from 1v1 to 4v4, and there are online and offline game modes, all of which are greatly enjoyable. This is a game that is very difficult to get bored of and as a result very difficult to stop playing; I quickly became obsessed within a day of trying it for the first time. No game is ever the same; in a standard online scenario, you are teamed up with two complete strangers, and pitted against an opposition team, and the rules are very much the same as football - score more goals, and you win. In a gaming world where the likes of FIFA and PES are becoming 'samey' year in year out, it is exciting to play a game which takes the simple concept of a 'football game' and turbo-boosts it on to a whole new level.

It's a great feeling when you score a goal in Rocket League

There is something incredibly satisfying about using rockets on your car to burst towards the huge football at speed, and then launch a double-front-flip shot with your car which causes the ball to fly into the net. Scoring goals is far from an easy matter in this game; teams rely on tactics, attacking, defending, as with an ordinary game of football. This makes it all the more adrenaline-pumping when you do score, and even an 'assist' or 'centre ball' are treated with great appreciation. As for the defending, a stunning goal-line save or clearance can be cheered just as much as scoring a goal, as every effort to get your team the victory gives you a rewarding feeling. 

Defending is just as crucial to get your team the win

There are many aspects outside of the stunning gameplay which make Rocket League unique and great. There is a 'quickchat' in every game you enter online; this gives you options to send messages using the d-pad on the controller. It leads to inevitable cries of 'Nice shot!' after every goal and the inevitable 'Thanks!' in reply. There are a few options and these enhance the experience of playing with strangers and make you feel like you're sharing in an immersive experience with them. Above all however, has to be the incredible customisation options within Rocket League. There are hundreds of combinations to customise and design your car with, just two of these such options are shown in the pictures at the end of review. An array of car models, colours, paints, hats, wheels, antennas, and boost graphics are on offer to grant the player full control over the car they play with in online and offline games. Not only this, but the only way to unlock new and more exciting customisation options is to play games, as you are rewarded with one after most games you play.

Rocket League has fast become one of my favourite games and every aspect has so much to offer to a player. This game has appeal for all ages, and all types of gamer, whether you like traditional football games or not, as Rocket League brings something fresh, new and exciting to the world of sporting games.

Definitely recommended!

Luke




Two designs that can be made on Rocket League with the appropriate design features unlocked:

(jovemnerd.com.br)












(www.reddit.com)

Years & Years: Communion REVIEW

I love Years & Years. Ever since I first heard their single 'King', I've been blown away by every song they've put out. It came as no surprise to me then when their debut album 'Communion' was released and I fell in love straight away. I immediately loved their music, but I was also a big fan of the way they marketed themselves, and the artwork that accompanied them in the promotions leading up to the release of the album. You can see some examples at the end of this review.

There are a great number of songs on the deluxe edition of the album that make it such a compelling listen. The aforementioned 'King' is their most popular song, and with good reason - it's outstanding. However, other standout songs include 'Shine', 'Ties', 'Desire' and 'Worship'. An NME review on this album gave it a very harsh 4 out of 10, saying it had 'nothing to say'. I disagree; there are obvious religious connotations right through the album which must have been overlooked to make such a comment; the title ('Communion'), to the song titles (which include 'Gold', 'Worship', 'King' and 'Shine') and even the lyrics (the chorus of 'Worship' entails the "worship" of "high praises"). It's possible of course that these religious references are aesthetic and aren't as deeply rooted as I'd like to believe. However to say the album has 'nothing to say' with this great deal of very Christian terminology and references seems rather narrow minded.

The combination of stunning instrumentals (fueled by Emre Turkman's synths and Mikey Goldsworthy's bass) with Olly Alexander's unique and powerful vocals creates a wonderful album which can make you want to get up and dance ('King' and 'Desire' are very guilty of this) to other more relaxing songs ('Take Shelter' and 'Eyes Shut' are more slow-paced but are very listenable. It's very difficult for me to name a song I don't enjoy on the album, as even some of the lesser songs ('Memo', '1977' and 'I Want Your Love' are a few of the more underwhelming titles) have credentials and the talent of the young band is always distinctly seen throughout the album. 

This is an album enjoyed by myself and my parents, showing the great appeal of Years & Years' music to a huge audience. Their turnout at Glastonbury, despite being on a smaller stage, was huge and the shelter they were under was overflowing as fans packed in to see Years & Years in action. 

All in all, Years & Years have produced an incredible album, and one that I greatly recommend. 

Luke


Here is the great artwork that Years & Years released for each of their four singles:

 

 Desire


                                         

                               King







Shine


                             

                    Take Shelter

Huh. A blog.

I recently turned 18 and this is a stage of life which comes with a lot of transition. To be honest, I don't think my life has ever involved so much transition. My life is changing in terms of my education, my job, my home, even my relationships. This isn't a generic blog about growing up, however. I have a passion for writing, and I have a lot of things I want to write down. That's probably emphasised by my decision to study Creative Writing at university. 

I have views. I have a vivid imagination. I'd like to use this blog as a way for me to express all of these elements in one place. Sometimes I'll unleash bursts of creative fiction on here. Other times, a deep post about my religious views. Occasionally, I'll comment on some of my other views regarding social issues. You can expect music reviews, possibly film and game reviews too. It's gonna be flexible. It's hopefully even gonna be enjoyable.

I don't know if this blog will ever be read by other people, it depends how passionate I become about this, but it's gonna be a great personal project getting all of my ramblings and thoughts out in writing, as I experience some of life's biggest transitions.

Luke