#and if even one additional person goes to watch this underrated gem of a show my work is done

[maxescheibechlinichacheli]

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#180-171)

#180: Fernando Tordo -- Tourada (Portugal 1973)

“Entram guizos, chocas e capotes, E mantilhas pretas, Entram espadas, chifres e derrotes, E alguns poetas, Entram bravos, cravos e dichotes, Porque tudo mais são tretas,”

“Bells, cowbells and capes are coming in, And black mantillas Swords, big horns and defeats are coming in And some poets Brave people, carnations and swear words are coming in Because it's a wheeze at most”

Despite the title ("tourada" translates to bullfight in Portuguese), it's actually a portrait of a revolution in the making. The lyrics were so clever that the censors at the RTP didn’t notice these lyrics were reflecting the current regime.

That’s enough for a 250 appearance for me, but there’s more that makes the song so memorable.

The build with the brass and percussion sets the stage for something important to happen. Sometimes, I do forget I like this song, but listening to it like right now is an experience, like one entering the battlefield.

The last line, "And the intelligent man says that songs are over..." still amuses me, though it's quite cynical in that the intellectuals would eventually not believe in the movement.

Personal ranking: 5th/17 Actual ranking: 10th/17 in Luxembourg

#179: France Gall -- Poupée de cire, poupée de son (Luxembourg 1965)

“Suis-je meilleure, suis-je pire qu’une poupée de salon? Je vois la vie en rose bonbon Poupée de cire, poupée de son”

“Am I better, am I worse than a fashion doll? I see life through bright rosy-tinted glasses Wax doll, sawdust doll”

One of the game-changing songs of Eurovision, in that the general mood shifts from slow-tempo songs to a little bit of pop. The first ten contests had their share of good songs, but seem to blur into each other at points. Afterwards, the song quality rose, and they were better suited to the times.

Beyond the happy orchestral sound is something quite sad—a pretty girl who sings songs without experiencing what they mean. Gainsbourg was quite the songwriter, but it led to a falling out between him and France later on, because of the double meanings of the songs he wrote for her.

The drama related to France Gall and the contest didn't stop there. Kathy Kirby, the runner-up that year, slapped France when she won. Then her boyfriend broke up with her shortly after, and wrote a song that would be the basis of "My Way".

Quite interesting I must say, though I don’t come back to this song often.

Personal and actual ranking: 1st/18 in Naples

#178: Ajda Pekkan -- Petr'oil (Turkey 1980)

"Öyle gururlusun gidemem yanına Girmişsin kim bilir kaç aşığın kanına Dolardan, marktan başka laf çıkmaz dilinden Neler, neler çekiyorum senin elinden"

"You are so proud, I can’t come close to you I wonder who else suffers from your love You speak of nothing but dollars and marks I am so suffering because of you"

My 1980 winner is not only quite groovy and seductive, but also clever.

The 1970s had two major oil crises--one in 1973, and another in 1979. The first one was when OPEC withheld their oil from countries who supported Israel during the Yom Kippur, and the second one when oil production stopped during the Iranian Revolution, resulting in higher prices per barrel. Both resulted in low supply and increased gas prices in the United States; those who grew up during the era were less likely to drive as a result.

Petr'oil takes this issue and anthromorphizes it, as Ajda sings about the troubles of relying oil as a resource and as a partner. The belly-dance music also emphasizes the tension. combined with the percussion and strings on this piece.

While Ajda has since distanced herself from the song, I embrace it in all its charms. Plus it was heavily underrated in its year.

Personal ranking: 1st/19 Actual ranking: 15th/19 in Den Haag

Final Impressions on 1980: This year stands out a bit, for it had a number of songs dealing with a huge number of topics (including Belgium's "Euro-Vision", which made the contest go meta, haha). Alongside it, the production was a bit bare-bones, because of the Netherlands hosting it four years earlier, but it featured quirks such as a representative announcing their country's song, Morocco competing for the only time, and a steel band for the interval!

#177: The Allisons -- Are you sure? (United Kingdom 1961)

“Are you sure you won’t be sorry? Comes tomorrow, you won’t want me Back again to hold you tightly?”

The lyrics are quite smug, in that the Allisons warn the girl who plans to break up with them she might be sorry and alone. Not unlike with "If I Were Sorry", though there's a bit more charm and teasing towards their soon-to-be ex-, whereas the latter feels a bit more arrogant.

That said, it’s upbeat and almost lines up to the musical scene at the time (comparisons to Buddy Holly are not uncommon), and the musical run time just goes by so quickly (in comparison to other entries of the same era)! It's just a breeze.

Personal ranking: 1st/16 Actual ranking: 2nd/16 in Cannes

#176: Vicky Leandros: L'amour est bleu (Luxembourg 1967)

“Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu, Berce mon cœur, mon cœur amoureux, Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu, Bleu comme le ciel qui joue dans tes yeux.”

“Blue, blue, love is blue, Cradle my heart, my loving heart Blue, blue, love is blue Blue like the sky which play in your eyes."”

I think I first heard this in the intro to Eurovision 2006's semi-final. While the harp motif stood out, I didn't know where it came from. It was until when I watched the contest this song was in, which is strange because it was notable for having a Paul Mauriat cover which became a hit.

One of many classics which featured in 1960s contests, I like the innocence shown through the lyrics, which uses color and imagery to tell about the different cycles of love. The orchestration along the bridge was especially spectacular, as it provided a cinematic feel towards . Vicky’s accent sometimes gets in the way, but she sings this well and should’ve gotten a podium position.

Personal ranking: 2nd/17 Actual ranking: 4th/17 in Vienna

#175: Kaija -- Ullu joy Hullu yö (Finland 1991)

"En edes halunnut sua omistaa En edes leikisti rakastaa Kaksi kulkijaa yhteen osuttiin Yksi yhteinen hetki jaettiin"

"I didn’t even want to own you I didn’t even want to love you We two travellers came across each other Shared one common moment together"

While I was watching Eurovision 1991, I liked the mysterious verses of Hullu yo, but I found the chorus a bit off, because it was punchier and more energetic. It also had that "minor-verse/major chorus" thing going on, which also made me uneasy with the song. With a few listens, I grew to like a bit more, because of its unique sound. It definitely sounds better with the studio cut versus the live, which shows off the failures of RAI's orchestra.

Another thing about the song, beyond its lyrics about a one-night-stand turned into longing feelings, was the choice choreography. Playing out the turmoiled relationship, it's funny to see how provocative it is, and that's after Toto's hilarious pronunciation of the song.

Elements of the live performance aside, it's still a jam which deserved better. Maybe it would've done so in the televote era.

Personal ranking: 7th/22 Actual ranking: 20th/22 in Rome

#174: Francoise Hardy -- L'amour s'en va (Monaco 1963)

“Si ce n’est toi Ce sera moi qui m’en irai L’amour s’en va Et nous n’y pourrons rien changer"

"If it isn’t you It will be me who will go away Love goes away And we can’t change anything about that"

I was happily surprised hearing this for the first time. It was very melancholic, with an interesting structure between the verses and the chorus. The percussion also helps with the latter, and adds a bit of character to the song.

The fact Francoise wrote this classic gem also warmed me up more to the song, especially because she was from the ye-ye generation of singers (which are known for being young and upbeat). Yet she stands and sings her own composition in a serious, almost bored tone, without taking the substance of the song away

(That being said, I really need to listen to more of her songs; I've found a couple a month ago, though there's obviously more...)

Personal ranking: 2nd/16 Actual ranking: 5th/16 in London

#173: ABBA -- Waterloo (Sweden 1974)

“The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself...”

You don’t need me to tell about this, do you? It’s fun and timeless pop, with some cool costumes to boot.

For more interesting stuff for both, the song Waterloo was an actual risk for the contest--they actually had another song for consideration, the folk-influenced Hasta Manana, but turned to this instead. And it worked, of course!

For the clothes, ABBA apparently chose these glam-rock inspired costumes because in Sweden, one wouldn't have to pay additional fees if the costumes won't be used for normal wear. Both Anni-frid and Agnetha look great, nevertheless.

And as of the moment, my favorite ABBA song is "Knowing Me, Knowing You". Despite the poppy tone, it has a moody vibe throughout, and one knows the relationship is going to end on a bad note.

Personal ranking: 2nd/17 Actual ranking: 1st/17 in Brighton

#172: Gigliola Cinquetti -- Si (Italy 1974)

“Sì, dolcemente dissi sì, Per provare un'emozione, Che non ho avuto mai,”

“Yes, I softly said yes, To feel an emotion That I've never had before”

My friend told me an interesting story about the lyrics—whereas the song Gigliola won with tells of a girl waiting to grow older to find true love, Si talks of the girl growing up and taking the plunge. So she interprets Si as a sequel of sorts.

So why does this beat Waterloo, in my opinion?

I like how the song starts—quietly, but with an interesting guitar part. The instrumentation builds well towards the "Si...", at which it gently but certainly blooms towards Gigliola's certainty on going with the man she loves.

The interesting part of it was how the song was censored in Italy because it was seen as "subliminal messaging" for a campaign on a divorce referendum that May. "Si" sounds like an endorsement for the "no" campaign, as it embraces being in love, even if it requires the death of another relationship.

Personal ranking: 1st/17 Actual ranking: 2nd/17 in Brighton

Final Impressions on 1974: Definitely one of the most memorable years in the contest, if only for who won. The rest was a tale of two halves, with the first half being particularly good, and the other half bad (except for Si, as you can tell). And there were Wombles in the interval act, hehe.

#171: Eugent Bushpepa -- Mall (Albania 2018)

“Lot i patharë ndriçojë këtë natë Sonte kumbo prej shpirtit pa fjalë Vetëm një çast dhimbja të më ndalë”

“Lingering tear, light up this night Find your way out, to soothe my soul Just for one day make this pain subside”

Aren’t the lyrics to this so beautiful? They convey Eugent’s desire to be with his loved one so well, in both its pain and beauty.

The music really helps too--while the pre-vamped version was a whole minute longer, it also has a rockier edge to it. The revamped version cuts it down and cleans up the production, but it's still maintains the overall feel throughout.

Eugent is also a talented talented singer, which proved initial odds wrong and got Albania one of its best results! The bridge between the second verse and chorus has a great chord progression (which was given more space in the revamp), and he deserved qualification for that alone. And those high notes.

(Also, he's probably the best dressed guy of his year...good job Eugent, good job.)

Personal ranking: 7th/43 Actual ranking: 11th/26 GF in Lisbon

[big-girl-toaster]

Emily Sonnett - player analysis

A compilation of Sonnett‘s strengths, weaknesses (cause everyone has them) and general observations from Portland and USWNT games (mostly from 2018 and 2019) ft. my irrelevant opinion.

Enjoy!

Before I’ll start a few notes:

I’m obviously not a professional soccer analyst person or whatever, so please don’t come for my ass. These are just patterns or reoccurring things in Sonnett’s game I observed while rewatching tons of PTFC and USWNT games. 

I will focus on a few key points, that doesn’t mean that she has deficiencies in other aspects, sometimes it’s just hard to show them and I tried to avoid stating arguments without giving visual evidence. (All the links and credits are below the gifs)

I would love it if you gave additions, feedback or criticism to this post but all in all I just hope that you enjoy reading a bit about Sonnett’s more professional side and soccer tactics in general.

Please let me know if the format is weird, I’m still figuring out how to make big posts.

I sincerely apologize for the low quality of gifs, as I said, I’m figuring things out and I wasn’t able to upload proper clips.

And lastly, Sonnett is a precious little bean and I enjoyed making this more than I should have. Also, did I use this as an excuse to spend days on end rewatching old games? Yes I did.

I will start with three main strengths I think she brings to the pitch:

Communication / Leading the back line                                               (this is in regards to her position with the Thorns, I will talk about the differences between PTFC/USWNT later on)

As a center back you naturally have a more responsible role in terms of shifting players that are in front of you and communicating things to them they can’t necessarily see. Sonnett embraces that role completely and at 25 years old she is at the level of world class CBs in that regard. A lot of players take on that role much later in their career. Her college coach Steve Swanson for the University of Virginia said about her:

"There is a standard of focus and intensity that Emily demands of the players that play around her. She’s not afraid to hold her teammates accountable in that regard. That was one of the unique aspects of our team dynamic this year, is that Emily's style of leadership is different than the team was used to. I think the team has recognized that the qualities Emily has, we need.“

http://www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/14100802/virginia-emily-sonnett

This clip I wanted to show you is from a situation that is very common for a defensive line but overlooked bc we as viewers naturally tend to look at the movement of the ball. It’s the intentional shifting of the back line in the exact right moment to let an opposing attacker run into offside. In the original video you can hear Sonnett shout “DROP THE LINE“ and Menges and Kling follow her movement which results in Alex being successfully caught offside at the side line. 

((Tumblr won’t let me upload video clips, so here’s a crappy gif (look at Sonny and Menges), click the link to get to youtube, it’s at 21:30))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JGM6Nju0b4

A simple moment but a very crucial part of back line coordination.

      2.    Box positioning

A.k.a. one of the most important parts of good defending. Sonnett covers runs from attackers almost always with textbook precision. She anticipates passes and is able intercept balls which makes her a proactive rather than a reactive player. When she does have to go for a tackle she brings a feistiness that she probably learnt from a certain Kelley O’Hara I can imagine. She usually opts for slide tackles and that decision could be debatable if you’re the coach but it’s just so good to look at tbh

(credit to @geekmythologys for the last gif)

But anyway, her box positioning. Having watched a lot of games with my eyes glued to number 16, I can of course safely say that Sonnett knows what she’s doing. But I’ve been thinking more and more that she often has a sort of intuitive approach when it comes to box positioning in particular. For this next clip I’m gonna need your opinion. Normally I wouldn’t tell Sonnett to abandon her player in that moment, especially bc it creates a 3v2 situation on the attackers left side and also considering the angle in which Dunn is facing the goal. However, she steps in and is able to block the ball.

to see it properly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ev3SFCmbqQ  at 15:40

What do you think?

Oh and this is just excellent clearance work. AD was certainly hyped about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvcOuadyFu4

    3.   Offensive effort

Sonnett is one of the highest scoring CBs of the league but her offensive efforts aren’t measurable in just goals. For corner kicks she likes to do the near-post run Julie Ertz style and has been successful in the past, most notably the 2-0 in the semifinal 2017 against Orlando (which resulted in this gem of a gif):

She likes to stay up top for a bit when her position is covered by someone else and tbh I’m living for these moments.

Here she encourages quick playing and would have gotten through with it if the nwsl had good refs. She didn’t even touch her. (get it? haha) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOIDLJ4ZL1A

Here she drives the ball after winning it, even if her teammates are pushing up late and then she stays up front to participate in the counter attack. Unfortunately nothing evolves out of this situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ev3SFCmbqQ

Right. Those were the strengths, in terms of weaknesses, I don’t wanna pick apart the smallest things but this is what I found:

Misjudged midfield positioning

We’ve talked about her excellent positioning in the box, however, a huge part of modern soccer is having the Center Backs pushed up to the half-line (as well as inverted outside backs but that’s another point). And what I’ve noticed is that sometimes during turnovers Sonnett goes in to put pressure on the player and with that an even wider space opens up behind her that the opposing team could exploit. Like in this picture.

Blue is the ball movement, red (Sonnett) goes in when in my opinion green (Lindsey) should have been the one putting pressure on the ball bc now Daly can run into that open space. 

Luckily Sonnett’s speed prevents Houston from getting anything out of it but Daly tried it several times during the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOIDLJ4ZL1A

My second example is that iconic tactical foul against ARod that we all remember.

Her positioning isn’t optimal, Klings pass isn’t the best, ARod gets her off of the wrong foot, she can’t turn around fast enough and has to stop her with a professional foul which is (I’ll say it again) demanded by coaches in situations like that. But anyway, tumblr has talked enough about this game rip

      2. Determining the biggest threat

This is a minor one, because Sonnett is usually really good at reading the game and making the right decisions. However in this game against Australia, she tries to cover the space behind Dahl which is technically reasonable but considering how wide open the Australian is, she should have closed her in earlier. That little hop inside the center of the field made the difference and the opposing player was able to score. 

I think it’s safe to say that stuff like this comes with age and experience. And again, Sonnett is only 25!

(The whole game against Australia is awesome for spotting strengths and weaknesses, plus we get tons of Sonny close-ups thus I can recommend rewatching it) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBNvE3owllY

Two more things I wanted to include are two risks that could be relevant in the future.

From time to time she doesn’t control her arm movement in the box.

This is obviously the natural thing you do when you make a move like that but with the new rules by Fifa, defenders are more and more limited and this would have been a penalty if it had hit her arm. Idk it could bite her in the ass at some point.

      2. Intuitive positioning 

We’ve talked about this and people might have different opinions on it. I personally think though that this might make the difference between a great and a world class defender. So I say go for it Sonny.

Phew, I’m almost done guys, congrats for getting this far, I hope it’s interesting at all.

The last thing I wanna mention is this: The difference between Portland Sonnett and National Team Sonnett, a.k.a. CB Sonnett and RB Sonnett.

Even though as a right back your role is more offensive, I feel like Sonnett has to be pushed to go for it. She rarely does those runs in behind the winger and towards the end line. When she does it it’s great but compared to Kelley she simply isn’t there yet. It also seems to me like for Portland she takes more liberties in pushing forward which maybe is a confidence thing as well. She is a given for the Thorns but had to fight to regain that roster spot for the NT in 2017 after not being called up for several months. Maybe the fear of making mistakes bc of being out of position hinders her a bit? (I’m saying this while being aware that I of course don’t know what the coaches want her to do and what the different game plans require of her.) Anyway, I love her 1v1 defending as RB. I think she is underrated and absolutely deserves a spot on the Olympic roster next year. 

One last low quality gif because we gotta stay on brand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBNvE3owllY

Well that’s it, I hope you enjoyed it. Again, I’d be grateful for additions, opinions, feedback, whatever. 

Thanks for reading :)

[secret-diary-of-an-fa]

“Another Life” Review: Another Hour of Mine I Won’t Get Back

One of the good things about Netlix (particularly compared to traditional TV channels) is that its ability to deliver a wide variety of content simultaneously allows it to experiment with things that might not have wider appeal. This is particularly important where genre fiction is concerned, because you can’t rely on formula to develop something genuinely good in that area. Who’d have thought that a ‘cursed object’ story set exclusively in the art world where everyone talks like they’re delivering a devastating Gustav Klimt review would turn out to be one of the best horror movies of recent years? And yet Velvet Buzzsaw blew me away and gave me a reason not to give up on western culture completely. Likewise, who expected a revenge saga about classical music with (at most) one or two truly graphic scenes to be the most gut-wrenching and powerful psychological thrillers of recent years? Yet The Perfection was one of the only truly transcendent films I’ve ever had the privilege of watching. The same goes for series- it’s hard to imagine that an overwhelming blend of surreal and dystopian imagery, hard-to-grasp technological concepts, semi-obscure literary references, needlessly brutal violence, gleeful depravity, whip-smart humour and a borderline-sociopath with a Hello Kitty rucksack would ever be aired on a proper channel. Altered Carbon, however, turned out to be one of the best sci-fi series of the last decade, missing the top spot only thanks to the existence of Rick and Morty.

The reason I’ve started with all this gushing praise, however, is merely to provide context and a necessary counterbalance to the excoriating review that follows. For you see, an ability to deliver niche or experimental content can lead to abject failures as well as shining successes. For every underrated gem, there must be a meticulously-polished turd waiting to ambush the unsuspecting connoisseur. Ladies and gentlemen, Another Life is that turd.

On paper, Another Life sounds like good, solid sci-fi. A starship captain has to travel across the universe to ascertain whether an alien race that recently dropped probes on Earth is hostile or just curious. Along the way, her journey will be complicated by a crew who’s used to working under a different captain with a radically different style of leadership and all the usual, real-life-plausible dangers of travel through uncharted space (along with a few blatantly made-up ones). It’s not a terrible idea, but every bad creative decision that could be made is made and so the whole things collapses like a poorly-made soufle before the end of episode one.

For a start, let’s talk about the show’s aesthetics and visual decisions. the CG budget clearly wasn’t huge (which is fine), but the show tries to realise as many of its effects as possible using CG anyway, which stretches that minimal budget far too thin and draws attention to how artificial and contrived everything looks. For example, the decision to make the alien probes on Earth giant shimmering walls of crystal that can only be realised through CG is particularly baffling, given that they could just have been big fuck-off metal things that could have been physically built as a set. Meanwhile, the show‘s overall look is... well, bland. If you’ve seen literally any space sci-fi before, you’ve seen the individual elements of the tech in Another Life. I think it’s aiming for Archetypal, but it just looks lazy. It doesn’t help that they liberally borrow terminology from other sci-fi. I know that ‘Impulse Engine’ is technically (probably) the correct name for a slower-than-light engine that works in a particular way, but calling your space engines that just invites comparisons to Star Trek, which won’t be favourable. Back to the point, though: in addition to cribbing heavily from superior shows, Another Life also makes everything look far too smooth and clean. A spaceship is a working vehicle filled with people doing dangerous, difficult, often dirty jobs. Its interior shouldn’t look like an iPhone fucked a trendy west-end bar. Seriously, the ‘future’ set in fucking Crystal Maze looks more convincing.

The problem of everything seeming too smooth and clean extends beyond the visuals and into the casting. Practically everyone in the core cast is in their early twenties. They’re not bad actors, necessarily, but they clearly need older, more experienced hands around them to guide their performances and the absence of these more seasoned actors is felt acutely. There’s a reason why mature sci-fi shows usually cast across a broad age range- you’re asking your cast to deal with conceptual and scientific abstractions that can be challenging for people who don’t have a few performances under their belt. It also feels wildly implausible that a dangerous space-mission would feature a bunch of hormonal twenty-somethings who’s personal drama might get in the way of them making clever decisions. The main lass (whose name I’ve already forgotten), is played by a noticeably older woman. Indeed, that age difference is a big part of her character: can she win the trust and respect of the young hotheads? Unfortunately, one older actress does not a seasoned cast make. Besides, the character she’s playing just isn’t worth rooting for. It’s not that she’s a terrible person- she’s coldly aloof, but so was Picard and everyone loves that dude. It’s just that she has no depth. She has a family back on Earth, and we’re told that she’s missing them and trying to ensure the mission’s success so she can see them again, but the supposed internal conflict has no effect on her behaviour. She just goes about robotically calculating and minimising risk, even though doing so ensures that she’s going to be in space, away from her loved ones, for much, much longer. Within the narrative of the show, she’s making the correct, mature decisions, but shouldn’t they be causing her some introspective strife? No? Yes? Does this fucking show care one way or the other?

Of course, janky characters and budget set designs are kind of par for the cause with sci-fi of a certain type. Sometimes it can be endearing (the fact that the sets literally wobbled sometimes in early Doctor Who was part of its charm, for example). A much bigger problem is Another Life’s total lack of narrative logic. The main character (no I still can’t remember her name, nor be bothered to check) managed to get ten people killed the last time she was in charge of a starship. Surely that’s the point at which you politely ask someone to retire? Even if there were mitigating circumstances (which there probably were because showing fallibility in its lead is not something this show feels comfortable with), why on Earth would anyone put her in charge of a crew of emotional 20-somethings she’s never met before while their previous, trusted captain is still on the fucking ship and clearly feeling mutinous? That’s just bad management on behalf of planet Earth’s top brass. I can only hope that someone in HR got the sack for that one. Or, better yet, that a giant hammer will spontaneously fall out of the sky and hit this show’s script-writer so hard in the head that he loses control of his motor functions and bowels and is forced to retire to a convalescent home for the incontinent.

The captain’s own decision making processes are just as baffling as her bosses. There’s a bit where the crew figures out that they can get back on course and cut down on journey time by slingshotting around a slightly temperamental star using the same shielding they use when traveling at FTL (yeah- FTL space travel is a common thing in this universe, yet humans have somehow never met another alien race before- make of that what you will). They already tried to slingshot round the star once and were forced to abort and break orbit because of the strain on the ship. The plan has an 89% chance of success. The 11% chance of failure doesn’t equate to instant death or anything- logically, it just means the shield would fail and they’d have to break orbit again (because that’s what happened before: remember that we’ve already established that slingshotting around the star doesn’t do anything worse than rattle the ship and give everyone plenty of time to back off). For some reason, Captain Caution decides that the high chance of success, negligible risk of serious repercussions and massive potential benefits just aren’t good enough and vetoes the plan, thereby adding months to the voyage. Isn’t establishing whether the new, technologically superior alien neighbours are friendly or not something of a time-critical op, by the way? Naturally, the crew mutiny (under the leadership of the previous captain), try their plan and it fails miserable.

And there’s the final nail in the coffin for Another Life. It doesn’t play by its own rules. Its established that the FTL shields can’t use much power, because they’re on all the fucking time during FTL. It’s established that nothing particularly terrible happens when you try to slingshot round a star and have to abort. It’s established that combining those two facts to get a speed boost has an 89% chance of success. And yet, when the crew try it without the Captain’s express permission, bits of the ship start to explode, everything goes to shit and the vessel ends up in a decaying orbit around the sun, somehow drained of power. The show’s in such a hurry to show that it’s main character is right and correct and noble in everything she does that it forgets rules it laid down literally five minutes earlier.

The whole shoddy shebang has a weirdly patronising and conservative ethos. “Listen to your elders and official superiors”, it whispers smugly. “They always know best, even when they’re responsible for the deaths of ten or more people in the quite recent past. Don’t think for yourself. Don’t try to improve your situation. The old, safe ways of doing things are always best, even when they seem neurotic or unworkable.” It’s weird, because it’s the exact opposite problem that sci-fi normally has. Normally, sci-fi tries so hard to be forward-looking that you end up with a bunch of wide-eyed fuckwits trusting the power of friendship and love over a more measured, carefully-planned approach. Both sides of the coin are equally annoying since they involve sacrificing the internal logic of the fictional universe on the alter of Some Hack’s personal ethos. However, Another Life earns my full, unmitigated disapprobation, not just a mild slap on the wrist, because it doesn’t even bother to be a good sci-fi show before jumping into the message-mongering bullshit. Remember, all this shit is from episode one. My advice to those of you craving some hard space sci-fi is to re-watch Nightflyers instead. It’s weird as balls, well-scripted, has a properly-established set of hard sci-fi rules and there’s even a romantic subplot involving the hologramatic projection of a hideous mutant. Yeah. Go watch that instead. I think I might, too, come to think of it.

[entergamingxp]

DualShockers’ Favorite Games of 2019 — Mario’s Top 10

December 28, 2019 2:00 PM EST

While it was hard for me to just choose ten games for this list, 2019 still gave us a ton of exceptional games like Death Stranding and more.

As 2019 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2019 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2019 releases — can be considered.

Hello DualShockers! This is your resident new video boi writing for the first time for DualShockers for my top ten games of the year. Please take kindly because I don’t normally do this, my mind is best suited for video. With that said, here’s what I had to say year of great games.

Just as a note for my list: the first nine games are in no particular, with the last game as my overall Game of the Year.

Resident Evil 2

This game used to scare the piss out of me as a young boy. To imagine the remake still having the same effect on me nearly 21 years later is an understatement. The hallways I’m used to exploring felt new and fresh along with some great new surprises, making Resident Evil 2 among the best in the series right up there with Resident Evil 4.

This game looks incredible and is an example of this generation’s superb visual quality. The modern control enhancements are a dream and the reworked puzzles are exceptional. Its replayability with the inclusion of the additional side stories and missions makes this game worth every cent.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Resident Evil 2.

Devil May Cry 5

Dante and his merry band of misfits never before clicked with me with the few games of the series I have attempted to play throughout the years. But then high school happened, My Chemical Romance broke up, and my emo phase has never felt the same. However, that all changed in 2019 until this game.

This video game is a rocking emo metal love song with guns, spells, and robot arms. It’s The Fast and the Furious of video games. It has a fun inventive cast all-around with a story that makes no sense, but the action is non-stop fun. This game takes the RE engine and proves you can do so much more with it, and I’m excited for more that this series has to offer. I’m still looking for a good deal to play the rest of this series of games: it’s that damn good.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Devil May Cry 5.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Like DMC5, this strategy series has before never clicked with me. Awakening at the time did nothing for me, and I never picked these characters in Smash. But when you give me a Harry Potter-like school mixed with a Persona-style companion system (not sure if this is in the other games in the series, sorry) and you have my sword, or bow, or javelin.

This game hooked me deep. From falling in love with my chosen house and characters, to realizing that the gameplay is like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, it was the perfect entry in the series to pull me in.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Respawn going two-for-two for some of the best games I have played in 2019 is quite an achievement, given how different the games are. While Fallen Order certainly takes a lot of inspiration from other games, even mixing multiple genres, it’s the Star Wars layer on top that really holds it all together. The game’s Dark Souls-inspired combat was the only aspect that I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy, because normally it’s not my wheelhouse. But the Soulslike combat of Fallen Order really made me appreciate it, especially when you combine that with the story of rediscovering yourself as a Jedi.

This game’s greatest strength hands down was the story, because it follows through with Cal’s journey through his past, his crew, and what his future is to be in the Star Wars canon. This was one of the highlights of the year, and it’s a game I can’t wait to see a sequel for.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Control

Remedy has a formula of game design that just speaks directly to my sensibilities. The moment that I saw the first trailer for Control, I knew it was going to be one of my favorites from them. Whether it’s crime noir with Max Payne, science fiction drama with Quantum Break (which is an underrated gem this generation), and Control being a supernatural secret government organization game in the vein of The X-Files and Twin Peaks, oh boy is it speaking to me.

The game just looks beautiful, even in the most mundane areas to the most elaborate twisted puzzle box-like sections of the world. The gameplay is the power fantasy version of their previous games, and that formula still works with this game. This game makes me regret it more for skipping Alan Wake, so I’m happy to correct that mistake soon.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Control.

Katana Zero

There’s always a few indie games that really catch my eye each year, and for my list I really want to show my appreciation for this side-scrolling action platformer. As someone who is not the biggest fan of the gameplay of Hotline Miami, something about the perspective change to side-scrolling “don’t die” gameplay really captured me.

A lot of the heavy lifting that got me through the game were the story elements that were in between each of the levels, something I didn’t care for in the Hotline games. If you’re a fan of The Messenger and other amazing side-scrollers, this is not one to miss, and one I hope to get a sequel because there’s still some story left on the table that they could explore.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Katana Zero.

Apex Legends

Titanfall 2 from Respawn Entertainment really knocked my socks off when it came out, but with its launch coinciding with that of Battlefield 1, I was afraid that would have been the last of that world we would get to see. Thankfully, with a retooling of the genre, Apex Legends brings that action-adventure-style that I loved to the battle royale genre. With the mix of Titanfall gameplay with Overwatch-like heroes, this game kept bringing me back game-after-game long before a battle pass was ever introduced.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Apex Legends.

Gears 5

The fifth entry (technically sixth) in the ongoing Gears saga did something that the fourth one did not succeed in; it made me care about the franchise again. Taking DJ way from the spotlight and focusing on Kait and Del was the smartest move to make Gears unique again.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Gears 5.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

The original Modern Warfare picked up the torch that Halo 2 had in the previous generation and ran with it. With this new iteration, it goes back to its roots as a shooter and still retains the spark it had all those years ago, just now for 2019. Add multi-platform crossplay, and this shooter is a must-own.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

My Favorite Game of the Year: Death Stranding

Death Stranding is my Breath of the Wild for 2019. The story is loosely there, but the gameplay and the world you exist in kept me coming back hour-after-hour, and when I finished the game all I ever did was think about it. At work, in an Uber, while watching TV; all I wanted to do was walk that empty landscape alone and just deliver packages. I have never finished a Kojima game, but Death Stranding was the silly ambitious art project that I couldn’t help but admire and ultimately love. The story is silly. The themes are extremely on the noise. The performances are incredible.

Recently, I called this game the crazy version of The Wizard of Oz. The characters you meet along the way all bring their individual quirks that, to me, make the game special. The world around you is beautiful and sad. The score is beautiful and sometimes, when the Low Roar songs start to play perfectly to fit the mood of the moment, it’s wonderful.

The combat is not great, but to me it never was the focus. The connectivity of the world with strands from other players is as inventive as Journey was years before. I could go on and on about this game, but then there will be no room for the others on this list. This game may not be for everyone, but I dare you to try it for yourself.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Death Stranding.

Check out the rest of the DualShockers staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 23: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2019 December 25: Lou Contaldi, Editor-in-Chief // Logan Moore, Managing Editor December 26: Tomas Franzese, News Editor // Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor  December 27: Mike Long, Community Manager // Scott White, Staff Writer December 28: Chris Compendio, Contributor // Mario Rivera, Video Manager // Kris Cornelisse, Staff Writer December 29: Scott Meaney, Community Director // Allisa James, Senior Staff Writer // Ben Bayliss, Senior Staff Writer December 30: Cameron Hawkins, Staff Writer // David Gill, Senior Staff Writer // Portia Lightfoot, Contributor December 31: Iyane Agossah, Senior Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Senior Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Contributor January 1: Ricky Frech, Senior Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer

December 28, 2019 2:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2019/12/dualshockers-favorite-games-of-2019-marios-top-10/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dualshockers-favorite-games-of-2019-marios-top-10

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Well-known in Japan as being home to some of the country’s warmest – and most passionate – people, Hiroshima gets kind of a bum rap in the outside world.

Of course, being the first city in the history of mankind to be destroyed by an atomic bomb is quite a grim legacy. But Hiroshima is so much more than that and is well worth a visit on any trip to Japan. Quietly and consistently voted one of the most livable cities in the country, Hiroshima remains an underrated destination on the first Japanese bucket list. With the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing coming up this week, visiting any one of these top ten attractions will hopefully change anyone’s outlook on this gem of a city!

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1. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial/ Peace Park

Commonly known as the Atomic Bomb Dome, this is undoubtedly the symbol – for better or worse – most associated with Hiroshima. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1996, the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall was the only structure left standing after the bombing on August 6, 1945.

The twisted metal of the dome and the rubble-strewn surroundings are left the same as it was 70 years ago, a testament to the power of the new weapon and an everlasting symbol of peace.

The dome itself, as well as the absolutely beautiful Memorial Park surrounding the site, should be near the top of any visit to the city.

2. Miyajima Island

A personal favorite, Miyajima (officially named Itsukushima) is a very small island a short jaunt from Hiroshima. After a 10-minute ferry ride, the outstanding view of the island is unforgettable. Sparsely populated and intensely rural, Miyajima is renowned throughout the country as being the best spot to see the autumn leaves change colors.

The island’s many maple trees are turned a brilliant crimson in the fall, making it a top attraction for those looking to snap that perfect picture. And because the island itself is sacred, the trees are protected and cannot be cut.

This protection also extends to the domesticated deer roaming the island, a sacred animal considered to be a friend of the gods.

With charm to spare, this town should already be at the top of anyone’s Japan list, but it has an ace up its sleeve. The main feature of the island is undoubtedly the absolutely massive torii gate, a crimson reminder that the island hosts Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage Site colloquially known as the Floating Shrine.

First established in the 6th century, the present shrine dates back almost 500 years and boasts one of Japan’s official Three Greatest Views. Because the shrine was built over the water, with stick-like structures lofting it above the seafloor, the entire shrine looks to be floating.

Depending on whether the tide is in or out, your views of the surrounding area will change. This beguiling shrine and the surrounding pagodas, temples, and extant buildings is a great place to visit and one of my favorite places in the entire country.

3. Catch a Hiroshima Carp baseball game

Playing in the best-named stadium in all of baseball (Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima), the Hiroshima Carp is considered the little brother among the other professional baseball teams.

Having not won any sort of pennant or championship since 1991, the team definitely isn’t a powerhouse akin to the Yankees or Red Sox. Can the team escape the yoke of history and win the whole year? No, probably not.

What the Carp can do, however, is boast having the country’s most passionate and crazed fans. Watching a Hiroshima Carp baseball game is a full-body, full senses experience. As opposed to your typical American baseball game, many Carp fans never sit down – the entire game.

They also have an impressive amount of songs, cheers, and dances memorized for just the right occasion during the game. At first, it can be confusing, even intimidating, watching a Carp game alongside the diehards in the bleachers. However, after one or two rounds, you will scream and stomp beside the other 30,000 fans for a lifetime.

4. Try okonomiyaki, the local delicacy

After yelling yourself hoarse watching the Carp valiantly soldier on, what better way to drown your sorrows than taking in Hiroshima’s most famous dish, okonomiyaki?

Very loosely described as a savory pancake, this Japanese delight contains an eclectic variety of ingredients, all working together to create a unique and delicious treat. Squid, cabbage, pork, egg, noodles, sauces – really anything you want!

Fiercely proud of their layered-style of okonomiyaki, every resident of Hiroshima will tell you the best-tasting okonomiyaki in the world comes from, of course, Hiroshima. I have yet to disagree.

Okonomimura is basically a food theme park, a ramshackle building with over 20 different okonomiyaki restaurants, all of which compete for your patronage. A very unique and memorable place to try the local delicacy!

5. Ride the Hiroden

To take a streetcar in Hiroshima is to take a ride back in time. Notable throughout Japan for the sheer number of streetcars, and its light rail system in general, Hiroshima takes great pride in still offering this gradually disappearing travel option.

Known as the Hiroden and employing over 300 streetcars, seeing one roll slowly down Hiroshima’s streets can arouse nostalgia for some. Since 1912, streetcars have moved the people of Hiroshima from place to place, rarely stopping.

Indeed, only three days after the atomic bombing, the streetcars were up and running again in the city. There are even a couple of streetcars still in service today from those early days.

Because Hiroshima actually buys up other city’s’ discontinued trolleys, there are a variety of streetcars to choose from. This preservation of a part of Japanese culture is one of the reasons the Hiroden is also known as the Moving Streetcar Museum. A great way to see the city!

6. Visit the Mazda Museum

  Founded in 1920 in Hiroshima, it is no surprise to see so many Mazda cars zooming the streets. Whether a car enthusiast or not, the Mazda Museum is a short trip from the city and well worth it.

In addition to the corporate headquarters proper, Mazda also owns a small plot of coastal land near the city. This plot of land accommodates a research and development center, as well as factories.

After signing up for a guided tour, the Mazda representative will take interested customers through a museum showing the history of the company, as well as walk through an actual, working assembly line. There’s also a chance to buy all the Mazda goods you can handle!

7. Hiroshima Castle

Providing a great example of building a traditional Japanese castle, Hiroshima Castle is really a good castle. The present castle was, of course, reconstructed after World War II, but is still a fantastic sight to behold.

Surrounded by a moat, the five-story castle was first built in 1589 by the legendary feudal lord Mori Terumoto. The present castle has been sturdily rebuilt out of concrete with a classic wooden exterior. It is also one of the best spots in the city to see cherry and plum blossoms among the sprawling castle gardens.

8. Shukkeien Garden

For one of the best examples of a typical Japanese garden, head to Shukkeien, just east of the castle. Shukkeien can be translated into meaning miniature landscape garden and that is exactly what it represents. Imposing mountains, deep valleys, lush forests, and scenic lakes are all miniaturized and have been carefully cultivated over the centuries.

Dating back to 1620, Shukkeien can be considered the quintessential garden of Japan. The vegetation lends itself well to natural landscapes and is a joy to walk around. Dotted with teahouses and tranquil lakes, it is difficult to take a bad photo here!

9. Atomic Bomb Dome

This is quite literally the most associated symbol of Hiroshima given the legacy that goes along with the city, and it commemorates the tragedy that occurred in August 1945. It is exactly as it was all those years ago, with the rubble and twisted metal just as it was in the immediate aftermath of the bombing.

10. Itshukushima Shrine

The Shrine is world-renowned, attracting people from all over the world and Japan as well to experience its stunning beauty, architecture, and rich history.

More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Quebec City, Canada

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