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Review: I Am Setsuna Is A Classic JRPG Throwback

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Nostalgia is the word and the state of pop culture right now. I’m totally digging it. We have all kinds of expansions of movies, comics, music and games that call back to the 80’s and 90’s. If you stepped out of a time machine from the future right now, you would have to check your flux-whoozatwirl to make sure you were in the right decade. One of my favorite things about my nostalgic thoughts are all the classic RPG’s I used to play. It looks like I wasn’t the only one thinking about those either. Square Enix and Tokyo RPG Factory have released a classic turn-based RPG called “I Am Setsuna” that is an almost perfect way to revisit your long lost RPG adventures.

“I Am Setsuna’s” story picks from different story elements of classic JRPG games. The setting is a depressing one. The character you play as is tasked with traveling to a nearby village in order to assassinate a young girl named Setsuna. Once you arrive, you discover that the girl is an important character in the world that is destined for a sacrifice during a ceremony. This sacrifice forces demons out of the area for a limited time, until the next sacrifice is required. Recently the area has become infested with demons and their numbers only seem to be growing.

Setsuna understands her destiny and is perfectly ok with giving herself up for the greater good. Once your character hears this he agrees to be a guard and help escort her to the sacrificial ceremony.

Along the way, you meet a cast of characters that join your group and assist in delivering Setsuna to her final destination. As you would expect from this sort of RPG, the world is full of twists, turns and the like.

The game takes place in a desolate world covered in snow. And when I say covered I mean it is everywhere. If this were “Game of Thrones,” the tagline would be “Winter done come!” While the snow scape does help to cement the idea of how cold and desolate the world is, it also becomes a very boring thing to look at. From screen to screen, all of it begins to look the same. There are small chunks of time where you visit dungeons that kind of breaks up the monotony. Overall though, there is too much of the same thing from area to area when it comes to snow. Boring. white. snow. 

The combat system is a mirror of a hybrid “Final Fantasy VI” and “Chrono Trigger.” They aren’t trying to be vague about that fact either. Some spells and combo attacks are named after some from the before mentioned games. Combat is a turn-based, three party system. It consists of dealing out attacks while trying to heal and protect members of your part from dying. There is nothing groundbreaking, but that isn’t what we came here for is it? This is a classic JRPG with everything that you loved about them built right inside.

Abilities can be equipped and switched out to allow for variety in attacks. You acquire special abilities by collecting materials and selling them to a merchant. Weapons can be purchased and reinforced in order to give them special perks. None of the mechanics are going to be anything new but it does offer one hell of a breath of fresh and nostalgic air.

I’m hoping to see more of these sorts of games from Tokyo RPG Factory. I’m hoping for larger games with a larger variety of landscapes. The magic is definitely there and should be developed to give us more of the same with added bonuses.

I’m a fan of “I Am Setsuna.” It was hard to pull myself away from, I enjoyed the blast from the past. I’m interested to see what younger gamers think about it without the hindsight of the nostalgia factor goggles.

…offer one hell of

a breath of fresh

and nostalgic air.

Setsuna offers a great story full of emotional highs and lows along with some memorable characters. It borrows from all the right games to make all the right mechanical decisions. You get exactly what you pay for in both playtime and RPG elements. It was also a nice break from from first person shooters and 3rd person adventure. My eyes are going to be on Tokyo RPG Factory in the coming years to see what is next.

“I Am Setsuna” is available on PS4 Vita and Steam.

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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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