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REVIEW: Dishonored 2

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The first ‘Dishonored,’ gave us a sleeper hit. The game gave you a new way to play. It bent to your playing style and let your creativity become central. The options were endless when it came to taking down enemies or getting through levels.  If you wanted you could use your powers to become a rat, slowdown time, lure enemies and teleport. Or you could simply choose to sneak past without using powers. It was an exhilarating and a entirely unique experience.  Dishonored 2 takes what made the original so damned good and builds on that foundation.

It’s been little over a decade since the Corvo Attano took his revenge on the powers that assassinated the Empress of the Isles. Over these years, Emily Kaldwin has taken the throne under protection from her father Corvo. Knowing that this world is a dangerous one, Corvo trained Emily in combat and stealth. Good thing too, when a mysterious person claiming to be the rightful aire to the throne arrives, Emily and Corvo are attacked and are left no choice but to flee their kingdom in search of answers.

Early on, you will have to choose who you will complete the campaign as. Emily or Corvo? Corvo comes with the same killer abilities that he had in the first Dishonored. While, Emily has an entirely new skill set. The story will play out pretty much the same way with either character, but the approach to stealth, combat and overall style is very different. Emily comes with new skills to pay the bills. They include “Domino” which chains enemies together. For example, if you kill or knock out one of them the other’s you chained will suffer the same fate. “Shadow Walk” allows you to become a crawling shadow that easily allows you to stealthily sneak past tight spots. “Mesmerize” has the ability to lure enemies into situations you see fit. As Emily you still have the ability to (like Corvo) to see through walls and teleport.

“It perfects itself in both level design and scale.

Learning abilities, still relies on finding runes. Runes still buy you new abilities and allow you to upgrade those abilities. For example, one of Shadow Walk’s upgrades will have you casting the shadow of a rat in order to remain even more undetectable. Since upgrades do rely on runes, you will spend much of your game pulling your hair out in order to locate all the runes in each level. These things are seriously more sought after and revered than Pokemon, in my book.

The enemies AI are truly aware of the world around them. They are smart, sometimes annoyingly so. This makes the stealth approach that much more difficult especially early on in the game. As you progress through, there is a section of the game towards the end that becomes easier. Almost too easy. This is mainly because your powers have reach their peak and you have become a true badass. To keep the challenge going I had to adjust my difficulty to a higher setting. It pays off.

No matter who you choose, the game heads and ends in pretty much the same place. Making a choice between the two, simply comes down to preference. I went with Emily the first time around, because I felt I was already familiar with Corvo. Replay value is high since both characters are uniquely enjoyable.

The real star of the show for me is in a boat captain named, Meagan Foster. Foster is voiced perfectly by the amazingly talented Rosario Dawson. Foster is captain of the Dreadful Wale. She is missing an eye and an arm. Her past is full of demons and those details are revealed throughout the entirety of the game. I found the character captivating. Dawson is great.

Each level is each its own individual world. Each, forces you to change and adapt gameplay style. What you do in one level isn’t a sure way to get past the next. The game peaks in a clockwork mansion level. Here you are able to change the architecture of the room by moving levers. This level tasks you with using your skills wisely. Each level is also absolutely breathtaking in scale and beauty. The steampunk approach from the first Dishonored is back and perfected. Outside of the abilities and gameplay, Dishonored 2 is unmistakably its own world.

Early on in the game you cross into “The Outsider’s” world. He is the one who bestows you with powers. I found it interesting that you are given an option to play through without powers. I didn’t choose that route. The game is too reliant on its cool powers for me to even imagine going powerless. I’m guessing the the powerless experience  would be more akin too the ‘Thief’ series.

“Dishonored 2 is unmistakably its own world. 

It is challenging to begin the game on a harder difficulty setting but, it pays off later. You simply become too powerful in later levels to sustain the challenge if you play on the normal setting. The game also conveniently offers the ability to switch difficulty levels while you play. If you enjoy a challenge you might find yourself looking for that option. Even if you don’t go for a harder difficulty, your powers make you almost godlike and seemingly invincible and that’s pretty awesome too.

If you were a fan of Dishonored, Dishonored 2 is for you. It perfects itself in both level design and scale. For those that haven’t played the first Dishonored, you can start here without being lost. The first game’s story (like this games story)  was simple. Both are revenge stories and both revolve around regaining a kingdom lost to the corruption. This game is all about its gameplay and its replay-ability. Choices you make effect the world around you and can have dire circumstances and a bleak ending if you choose to take a more murderous dark path. Helping NPC’s can reward you later in the game or have bad consequences. The amount of different ways to play the game is really cool. This game is really cool. Emily and Corvo are perfect central characters that I hope get more Dishonored games in the future.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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