Just an incoming thought: While my blog's main interest is video games and entertainment, I want to note that with it being my own personal blog, I do want and plan to post things not relating to the theme of this blog. This blog is an exploratory blog for myself and it's important for me that I post what I want. With that being said, I have some new types of posts to make.

Some background: As a manager of a coffee shop (Green Cove Springs), I was invited to the SCAA EXPO 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. I attended this event with my two bosses. It was a pleasant event and extremely insightful. I learned a lot and managed to snag a few [pretty exclusive] interviews with some of the top leaders/competitors in the coffee industry. Over the next few weeks, I plan to post some of these interviews and feature articles I've written during this event.

I hope my readers understand and appreciate the work I plan to do.

Thanks!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Teaser Trailer Breakdown

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Teaser Trailer Thoughts and Impressions
-Something very familiar but very new

-Yesterday evening, seemingly random, Disney released an 11-second teaser of Rogue One. This teaser came with the reveal that tomorrow (which is now today), a full teaser trailer would be released on Good Morning America, a popular morning talk show. Well, today with the release of the long-awaited teaser trailer , fans and critics alike have taken to the internet to give their thoughts and impressions. With that being said, it's only right that I take part in the discussion. Here's my trailer breakdown:

Right from the get go, we come to one of my favorite parts of this trailer: the music. After getting past that screen letting us viewers know that the trailer is appropriate for all audiences, a soft and faint music begins playing. Sure enough, the music playing is that Star Wars theme we're all so familiar with. Yes, the one that plays when Luke stares off into the dual sunset of Tatooine. Yes, the one masterfully remixed for the first full-length Episode 7 trailer. That one. It's a beautiful rendition and takes cues from Jurassic World. Like in Jurassic World, the theme is being played softly on a piano. Obviously, there's no link there; just a recognition of a smart musical decision. This rendition of John William's classic sets the tone for the trailer. You know right off the bat that this isn't going to be a fun time. It's eerie and alarming, soft but loud and clear. This movie will not be heroic and light. This movie will be dark and grim.

The shot presented here is Felicity Jones' character being led through a door, passing by that weird rebel armor first seen in beginning Episode 4.

Next, we see Felicity Jones' character turn around to look at the camera (us). It's hear that we hear her mutter her name: Jyn Erso. As the scene continues on, we hear a man naming off charges against Jyn. Forgery, stealing, assault and resisting arrest. Jyn is not a good citizen of the galactic universe. She's a lawbreaker, through and through. It's a refreshing change of pace as we're used to following a lead who seemingly can only do good. Jyn stands as the complete opposite of that. 

After walking through what appears to be a base on Yavin IV (first seen in Episode 4), Jyn is brought to a table opposite Mon Mothma, played by Genevieve O'Reilly. It's important to note that while walking through this base hangar, we see a jungle outside and vines hanging over the garage door. If this is Yavin IV, then this base is actually an old temple. Anyway, as we arrive to the table with Jyn, Mothma declares Jyn "reckless, aggressive, and undisciplined." She continues on, stating that Jyn has been on her own since she was 15. Why? We don't know. Maybe she ran away from home or maybe her parents were killed. I'm sure we'll find out in December. 

The camera then shifts to our first look at Diego Luna's character. He's slyly listening in on Mothma and Jyn's meeting. He doesn't say anything and we aren't given a name but by the looks of it, his character is an experienced rebel with some form of authority.

Next up is something I completely missed in my viewings but credit to Jacob Hall of Slash Film for catching this. Behind Jyn is a tall and thin droid, clearly a droid that towers over any average human in height. As Hall pointed out, this could be Alan Tudyk's character. Rumors suggest that Tudyk is playing a character brought to life by motion capture that is a "reprogrammed, Imperial assault droid who towers over an average human." This might be a stretch but it is possible.

Following that scene, we get a taste of Jyn's capabilities. We learn that she is very capable at holding her own. She defeats with ease a group of Stormtroopers. It's quick and brutal. This is certainly new to us in that in previous Star Wars entries, we watch our female lead grow into the heroine she was destined to be. Here, Jyn has that part covered. She's kicking butts and taking names already.

After finishing off those Stormtroopers, we're brought back to Jyn's meeting with Mothma. Here, Jyn says something that's already taken off on social media: "This is a rebellion, isn't it? I rebel." Mothma yields a look that demonstrates this meeting isn't a session of reprimanding, but rather one of recruitment. If it wasn't obvious before, Jyn was brought to Mothma so Mothma could pitch her rebellious plans to Jyn.

Our next shot is the one that stands to serve as director Gareth Edwards' promise on Rogue One being a war movie. This shot here not only demonstrates the fear in Jyn but also the simultaneous determination she has for whatever mission she's on. It reminds me of war movie shots we've seen before (think soldier in a helicopter on his way to the battlefield). Sure, firefights and explosions sell us on the "war", but this shot is what really does it.

From here, we're brought to an all-too familiar image: A Starship Destroyer casually floating through space. This scene serves to establish the plot that we've all known about for some time now: Our heroes are on a mission to investigate the Imperial's newest weapon and return home safely with the plans of this weapon.

Soon after, we get this shot that sets the time period of this movie up for us. We've known it's a story that takes place before Episode 4 but by the looks of it, the Death Star has nearly reached completion in its construction, which places this story right before the events of Episode 4. Edwards uses the iconic symbol of destruction in the Star Wars universe to set the scale of this movie. The Death Star is an image of times past for us, but this shot serves to remind us that it's time to return. It looms over everything, eclipsing the mightiness of the Star Destroyers flying by. We know of its power which only raises the danger present in this film. Our heroes have no idea what they're getting into.

While we have no confirmation, this appears to be a character played by Alistair Petrie, who's appeared in Cloud Atlas and Rush among other movies. From the quick glimpse of him we get, we can gather that he's the hardened tough guy to Mothma's peaceful diplomat.

Here is your cliche hero shot featuring our heroes, or those who appear to be heroes aka Jyn and Luna's character, determinedly walking forward beside X-Wing pilots and soldiers, ready to take on a mission. Nothing too significant here but an exciting shot nonetheless.

Following that, we get our first look at Ben Mendelsohn's character, the main villain of the movie. We don't know his character's name or his title/ranking, but we do know that he's pretty high up. Star Wars lore dictates that those wearing white are of a higher ranking and those with a cape are even higher. We can only speculate for now but my guess is that this guy is the man in charge of the Death Star. Vader certainly answers to this guy when on board.

Sources and rumors alike indicate that Rogue One will come packed full of new weapons and Stormtroopers. While this shot has its standard Stormtroopers that we've seen before, a closer look reveals a new kind of Stormtrooper sitting atop the tank-like machine in the background. Not only does the vehicle appear to be something new, the Stormtrooper as well as his/her weapon are too.

The next shot is the money-shot (get out of the gutter...). Quite literally as it features the greatly awarded (Academy, etc.) Forest Whitaker. We have no idea who his character is in any way, shape, or form at all. Rumors suggest his character is a man who's been near destroyed by battle. Many have already suggested that he uses a cane to walk around and wears the armor he's in to remain alive (possible breathing tube of some sort on his neck?). Time will tell in the coming months.

The next shot is the one seen in yesterday's teaser for the teaser trailer. It's a black Stormtrooper (no confirmation as to what they're called yet...some think Shadow Trooper while others have dubbed it the Death Trooper) which is new to the movie universe of Star Wars. Whatever they are, they are certainly downright terrifying, imposing and definitely not somebody to mess with. They appear to be the worst of the worst. Running into them surely means death.

Up next, we have quite a revealing scene. First off, there appears to be a row of X-Wing pilots chained up together. X-Wing indicates the Rebellion so something tells me they've been captured by the Empire. This is a simple telling of the harshness that comes with this film. It's not a happy movie. These rebels are now prisoners of war with no guarantee of tomorrow. Secondly, as has been pointed by thousands online already, that Stormtrooper is wearing a black shoulder pad which, in Star Wars canon indicates an enlisted soldier (white=sergeant, orange=unit leaders). Finally, this scene indicates a setting of some kind of crowded market aka a scene where Edwards can show multiple types of aliens and species of the universe (ala Cantina ala Kanata's Castle).

Here, we have Jyn and Luna's character running through some kind of Imperial base corridor. More importantly, there's another shot of that mysterious droid that many believe Tudyk to be playing in this movie.

Quickly after, we're brought to this shot of Stormtroopers running through an Imperial base. It's important to note that this shot offers a glimpse at a new type of Stormtrooper. They're beige which is definitely new but as to why they're beige, we know nothing.

We have no idea who Donnie Yen is playing in this movie but we do know a bit more about his character than most. From the initial cast photo, we know his character is blind and utilizes a staff. He's definitely giving off the vibe that although he's blind, he can still kick some serious ass.

Following the debut of Yen's character, we get a quick montage of some big spaceship blowing up. It begins with another look at the black-armored Stormtroopers and our first glimpse at what appears to be a new planet. In the next shot, we see the ship actually exploding with a better look at the new planet. This planet appears to be tropical and beachy. I'm very excited for this as it's a setting we haven't seen before in Star Wars. Finally, the last shot is what appears to be a rebel soldier witnessing the ship exploding. His outfit is new and seems to be what ground soldiers wear.

We get another glimpse at Mendelsohn's villain character. With the sun setting, dead soldiers littered on the ground, and a ship glimmering with embers post-explosion, it appears his character is making an appearance after the battle. With that in mind, whatever goes down on this planet must be big. Why else would he leave the comfort of the Death Star to walk the ground of a tropical battlefield?

Here, we have one of the most interesting and conversation-starting scenes from the teaser trailer. There's those red figures, the Emperor's Royal Guard, which indicates that the cloaked figure menacingly walking forward might be Emperor Palpatine. It could be Vader (who's supposedly in this movie) but in my opinion, the outfit doesn't match that of Vader's. Any other possibilities?

Whitaker's character appears to be laying into Jyn. In some capacity, it reveals that his character has been through the ringer plenty of times; at least enough times that he feels he can scold Jyn on the possibilities of being caught, fighting the Empire, etc. 

Just like the majority of the cast, we get no name or dialogue from Jiang Wen's character but we do get a dope action scene that makes Wen look like a total badass. Rumors suggest he's a bounty hunter turned rebel fighter. His outfit follows that rumor but whether or not that's true, we won't find out for some time to come. 

Finally, this shot. We get another shot of that new tropical planet with some rebel soldiers racing along its' beaches, but more importantly, the freaking walkers. FOUR AT-AT's, yes FOUR! The rebels were always the underdogs but man, they are way way under this time around. To add to this, Edwards shoots the shot from ground up which gives the walkers an even more terrifying and menacing presence. If this trailer indicates anything, it's that Edwards totally understands what he's doing with this movie. 

The teaser trailer ends with this magnificent shot of Jyn clearly in an Imperial outfit. This is one of the shots that everyone is currently talking about. Here's my take: Okay, so with the announcement of Rogue One and the reveal that this movie will be about the crew that stole the Death Star plans, my mind immediately decided that "Rogue One" was the name of the squadron that completes the task. I still think this is true but I think the name of the title stands to have a double meaning. With Jyn in Imperial garb, it's reasonable to say that she infiltrates the Empire and then goes "rogue". She poses as an Imperial to gain understanding of the Death Star and then use that info to go "rogue" and let the rebellion know exactly what's going on in there. Jyn is essentially the "rogue one." Time will tell but I have a feeling that I'm right. 

Finally, we get our title reveal and the month that this movie will be released. Pretty standard stuff here but it makes for a cool wallpaper. 

-Welp folks, we did it. This was a frame-by-frame breakdown of the Rogue One teaser trailer. I, for one, am extremely stoked to see this story played out on the big screen, and if it's anything like this trailer, it seems that Edwards will knock it out of the park with this movie. 

Thanks for joining me readers!

Questions and Comments are always welcomed!

Final Fantasy 15 Uncovered: What We Learned

Before Greg Miller and Tim Gettys, of Kinda Funny fame, took the stage last night to begin what was called Final Fantasy XV: Uncovered, some announcements were unfortunately leaked before the show began by GameSpot. A sad occurrence but luckily for fans, many surprises were still to be told and boy oh boy (I might be a mega Final Fantasy fan...), were there surprises indeed. So, with that being said, let's get right to it.

-With Episode 1 being available now, a Final Fantasy XV anime series, titled Brotherhood, will slowly roll out up until the game's release. The series will consist of five episodes and will provide  backstory to the four main characters, Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto.

-Later this year, before the release of the game, another entry into the Final Fantasy XV universe will debut. Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, a full-length feature film was announced during the show last night. The story will revolve around three characters: King Regis, Princess Luna, and Nyx, a member of the Kingsglaive. Even more surprising are the voices of these characters. Sean Bean will voice King Regis (which sadly means we might see Regis die since, well, you know...Sean Bean). Lena Headey will voice Princess Luna (hopefully Luna is nothing like Headey's usual powerful female roles...). Finally, Aaron Paul will play soldier of the Kingsglaive, Nyx (who ironically enough, is tasked with defending the last blue crystal in existence).

-Before the release of Final Fantasy XV, fans can download a mobile game titled Justice Monsters Five. The game is available for pre-registration/pre-load now and is coming to iOS and Android. The game seems to be a Final Fantasy variation of pinball.

-During the show, a new Final Fantasy XV demo was shown, titled Platinum Demo. This demo takes place in a dream of young Noctis' and follows his adventure during the dream. Players are joined by the ever-so-adorable Carbuncle, a strange cat-like creature that appears to be Noctis' pet. Upon completing the demo, players can rename Carbuncle and when Final Fantasy XV is released, transfer him/her over to their game. The demo is available for download now.

-While not necessarily announcements, the following were exciting pieces of the show certainly worth mentioning:

-Hironobu Sakaguchi, the man responsible for beginning the Final Fantasy series, took the stage to let players know that he's excited to see Final Fantasy XV become a "challenger" yet again.

-A brand-new trailer was release titled Reclaim Your Throne. This trailer showed off new combat, areas of exploration, cities, and much more. Florence + The Machine recorded a beautiful, Final Fantasy-like rendition of the classic song, Stand By Me, for this trailer and to serve as the game's theme song.

-The famed Final Fantasy artist, Yoshitaka Amano, created a brand-new animation titled Big Bang, which was shown for the first time during last night's show.

-Gameplay was shown featuring new battle mechanics, the summon Titan, magic and how it interacts with the environment and the monsters within, and of course, Chocobos.

-A new look at the world of Final Fantasy XV was shown. Titled World of Wonder: Environment Footage, this trailer utilized a soothing soar through the many locations featured in Final Fantasy XV. 

-Square Enix and Audi are partnering to design and create a one-of-a-king Audi R8, themed around the world of Kingsglaive.

-Two editions (beyond the standard edition) of Final Fantasy XV were announced: The $90 Deluxe Edition and the $270 Ultimate Collector's Edition. For more info on ordering and the contents within each edition, visit http://www.finalfantasyxv.com/en/buy.

-A final trailer was shown that debuted even more gameplay and another dive into the mysterious story of Final Fantasy XV. Oh yeah, it also showed us our first glimpse at our players' freaking flying car!

-Lastly but certainly not least, the release date for Final Fantasy XV was announced. *Drumroll* Final Fantasy XV will be released worldwide, on PS4 and Xbox One, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2016!

For more info on Final Fantasy XV, make sure to follow Reallifegamingblog.

Maps Project

Batman v Superman v Itself

Batman v Superman Review
-Batman v Superman v Itself.

Three years ago, Snyder took the stage of the 2013 San Diego Comic Con to announce that the next movie in the DC Universe would be Batman v Superman. While the announcement attracted much excitement, it also invited in loads of skepticism. Many disliked Man of Steel and questioned whether that same director could not only fix his mistakes with Superman, but also juggle the introduction of arguably the biggest character in the DC Movie Universe, Batman. As the years went by, bits of details leaked, set photos were released, costumes were revealed and the hype continued growing. It was this hype that grew into such an extremity that BvS was never going to be what fans wanted and expected. Sadly, with the release of this movie, it is safe to say that it wasn't that hype that did this movie in; it was itself.

What was revealed as a Man of Steel sequel turned out to be more of a Justice League prequel. In Snyder's superhero epic, the early relationship between Batman and Superman is explored, allowing fans to watch as the two go head to head, both physically and symbolically, with an eventual conclusion of friendship.

On paper, that seems like the perfect Batman versus Superman movie but unfortunately, Snyder and his team never quite delivered on the promise of what could have been the greatest superhero movie of our generation.

Another unfortunate telling came straight from the marketing team. With arguably the most spoilery trailers ever seen for a superhero movie, anyone who made up their mind after watching these trailers, will have a hard time changing their mind via this movie. What you've seen is what you're getting.

The film utilizes the climactic battle between Superman and Zod that occurs during the tail end of Man of Steel to introduce us to, what I believe, the best Batman ever portrayed on the big screen. Played by Ben Affleck, this Batman (and subsequently SPOILER ALERT Bruce Wayne) is brooding, angry, destructive, and brutal. He's a Batman that's been through the ringer time and time again, and we see that through Batman's vicious physicality and Wayne's constant wariness. Batman sees Superman as a threat, an alien, worshiped on Earth as a God and as a figure of power that he cannot trust and, as a result, must take down.

Superman, on the other end of the bay, sees Batman as a threat that must be stopped too. In Superman's eyes, Batman is an outlaw. He defies the law-abiding morals of Superman by taking justice into his own hand, often in a relentless manner with no regard for the civil rights guaranteed to all, even criminals.

It is this relationship between the two that opens the door for the likes of alternate-universe Zuckerberg ala Lex Luthor, played by Jesse Eisenberg, to manipulate the playing field.

Meanwhile, Diana Prince, played by Gal Gadot, is playing her own game of cards. She hides under the guise of rich beauty, always there but hardly noticed. As the movie runs on, her motives are never quite revealed. The audience knows who she truly is (thanks again to the trailers) and when that moment comes, it is hard to plot the points that got her there.

This is how much of the story plays out. During the far-too-long two and a half hour run time, Batman, Superman, Diana Prince, and Lex Luthor are all doing things. Some of these things pan out and some come off as contrived but dropped story lines. The problem with all of these story points though is that after arriving, it's tough to say how you got there. Up until the third act, these story points largely consist of characters brooding or moping (you can guess who does what), talking with someone who's advice they probably won't take, and occasional bursts of action sequences that fall short only because we've seen them in trailers already. It's in the third act that you'll get what you want: a visual feast of action.

Leading up to this third act, BvS could easily be described as a character-driven drama more satisfying to the psyche, rather than your veins ready to release that sweet adrenaline movies like this have done before (shout out to Marvel and the Dark Knight trilogy). It's here that the movie might lose its standard fan-boys/girls, but those more invested in the characters rather than their fists, are in for a treat.

 It was Snyder's dive into the minds of Superman and Batman that I felt most satisfied by. Yes, his depictions are different but that's no reason to write them off. What Snyder has done with these characters is differentiate them from portrayals of the past. Cavill's Superman struggles, kills, and ultimately fails to maintain the image of perfection in the world's eye, something new to the silver screen Superman. Affleck's Batman punishes, crushes, brands, and destroys his enemies, a telling fortune of a seasoned Batman; also something new to the silver screen.

It's partly Snyder's fault that audiences expects the action the title guarantees (a more fitting title: Batman and Superman discuss directly and indirectly the problems they have with each other using menacing voices before fighting for a few minutes). With a name like Batman v Superman, it's tough not to imagine that this movie won't be a fisticuffs of the two greatest heroes. Instead, we get a psychological analysis of the characters, which is awesome in it's own right, but not what we were promised.

Speaking of characters, when we do arrive at a scene with Batman, he steals the show. As I've already said, this Batman is beautifully brutal and Affleck certainly proves that he deserves the title of this comic book champion. He's the perfect concoction of bachelor playboy and obsessed autocratic, culminating into the ultimate Bruce Wayne/Batman combination.

The amount of detail that went into the creation of this Batman almost indicates a secret desire in Snyder to create a Batman movie. From the suit, to the car, to the cave, to the voice, to the combat, to it all, this Batman is damn near perfection (by far the best Batman we've ever seen in a movie).

Batman for the most part drives the plot forward (this movie should have been a Batman movie), but Cavill's Superman is what allows the audience to be a part of the story. It's near impossible to sympathize with Batman, or even understand what drives a man to the point of acting as a hellish vigilante, but Superman is always the connection we as humans can make to superheros, and that's no different this time around. In BvS, Superman strives to be a force of good and change in the world, but every action comes with a reaction. Sadly, for Superman, some of the reaction is not in his favor. There's a sequence of action that occurs in Africa that is used to drive this negative reaction towards Superman forward, but what seems like a worthwhile subplot, ends up being a way to make a setting for the most surprising scene in the movie (I'll be honest...I jumped).

Cavill tries hard, really hard (have you seen those arms?), but ultimately fails to convince me that he is Superman. He's wooden and lacks true conviction like his counterpart Affleck does when he's in his suit. Maybe it's bad writing or maybe it's poor acting, but Cavill is not my Superman. He's good enough though so for the time being, he's what myself and the audience will have to work with.

Alongside Cavill is Amy Adams, back again as Lois Lane. She seemingly hasn't grown at all as a character since we last saw her in Man of Steel, but fortunately, bringing to the table the same dish as last time isn't always a bad thing. Like in Man of Steel, she's hardened but kind, determined and beautiful, and stands proudly by her man, or rather, Superman (I'm sorry...). She brings the "human" factor of this movie full circle, acting as a mere mortal forced to face the consequences of loving a God.

As I said earlier, Snyder nailed everything and anything Batman, even Alfred. Jeremy Irons uses his little screen time to shine and tease the capabilities this new take on Alfred has. He's certainly not a butler but a caretaker to Batman nonetheless. I'm excited to see him alongside the Caped Crusader years down the road when the inevitable Batman solo film is released.

Smack dab in the middle of Affleck and Cavill is Gal Gadot. She pans out to be an excellent choice as Wonder Woman but ultimately, fails to matter in the story that Snyder is trying to tell. Patty Jenkins is spearheading the coming Wonder Woman movie, and the little glimpse we got of Gadot's portrayal wet my appetite enough to guarantee that I'll be seeing that movie in theaters.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. While different, his take on Luthor is a memorable one and ultimately, a decisive choice. This Luthor is still a business mogul, but rather than relying on greed and power to drive his decisions, Eisenberg's Luthor might have a legitimate psychological disorder. It's a controversial decision for sure. Some will love it and some will hate it.

 It's during the third act that the audience will come to agree on one thing with this character: his motivations don't add up. At first, he's a powerful man who wants to prevent a potential threat from becoming an actual one. As the film rolls on though, he becomes a lunatic who's essentially adopting a dead alien (going so far as making sure they're "blood" family), resurrecting him into a frankenstein-like form, and unleashing him onto Metropolis. In simpler terms, what I just wrote is "a man scared of the damage an alien might cause, resurrects an exponentially-more dangerous alien and unleashes him to cause damage." Sure, maybe this creature will kill Superman, but does Luthor remember he wants Superman dead because of the threat he serves to possibly be? Superman has nothing on the threat Luthor's creation poses. It's here where I believe Luthor isn't a man set on saving mankind from Superman, but rather, a man who hates all that Superman is and stands for. It's here that I believe this Luthor suffers from some obsessive disorder, but unfortunately, all that was translated from Snyder to the audience was poor storytelling, so for now, we don't really know.

BvS does take a break or two from its psychoanalysis to finally (an hour and a half in) let Batman and Superman fight. This fight is what we were promised by the title. It's brutal, painful, hard-hitting, and nicely sourced straight from the pages of Miller's TDKR. Had the trailer kept this part of the movie a bit more secretive, it would've been even better.

BvS also slows down to pointlessly and forcibly introduce some future Justice League members. I won't say how it's done but it is lazy. Our glimpses at Ezra Miller's Flash are nice, but obvious and predictable, and Jason Mamoa's Aquaman falls somewhere in between awkward and intimidating. Ray Fisher's Cyborg takes the short end of the stick though as his cameo feels more YouTube than it does million dollar cinema. In the end, these introductions could have easily been cut from the film. They're there to create the "Dawn of Justice" subtitle but they serve to create a more "yeah, one day I bet something will happen with them of Justice" subtitle.

BvS is thankfully focused on Batman and Superman, which leaves me thinking that while Gadot crushed it has Wonder Woman, she could have easily been saved for a more proper introduction ala the upcoming 2017 Wonder Woman solo film. In fact, Snyder should have removed the Justice League cameos and the inclusion of Wonder Woman, and called this movie Batman v Superman.

While it is nice to see the DC Trinity on screen together, it is underwhelming to say the least. When you see that shot (yes, the one from the trailers), Superman at that point hasn't said a single word to Wonder Woman and Batman, although having spent adequate time talking to her, doesn't understand her arrival to the scene. Together, they fight as a cohesive unit, but only as cohesive as three heroes can be without having a relationship that makes fighting together meaningful. It's for this reason that the climax that should have fired on all cylinders, fails to get the engine started.

Overall, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has enough good in it to warrant seeing it in theaters. What's good is really good, and in Batman's case, near perfection. What hurts this movie most though is that what's bad, is really bad. The action sequences are great, the dialogue is well written, but it's Snyder's execution that ultimately fails this superhero epic. The story aimlessly wanders from point to point, and the lack of try demonstrates a laziness present throughout. The blueprint of this film is excellent; it's the step-by-step instructions that keep this movie from ever reaching greatness.

Final Score: 6 out of 10.
5 is the score for an average movie and this movie has enough going good for it to place it above average. It fails though to reach beyond good into anything great. For this reason, the movie doesn't reach 7 or anything above. It falls right in between 5 and 7 as a standard 6.

It's Time For A New Dimension
-Last Wednesday, March 16th, Playstation announced at it's GDC conference that Playstation VR will be released this October with a price of $399.99.

The long anticipated virtual reality machine from Playstation will finally reach the consumer market this fall. This news came by way of mouth straight from Sony at their GDC conference and came as no surprise. We've been told many times that this machine would come out this year, 2016, so when it was announced to come this October, it wasn't too big of a surprise, but still an exciting announcement nonetheless.

Many predicted the price tag of $399.99. Keep in mind though, that this price tag is for the headset and accompanying essential pieces only. You can expand your experience by purchasing a Playstation Camera and two Playstation Move controllers as well. The camera and two controllers are estimated to add an additional $100 to the total making the ultimate Playstation VR experience a $500 one.

Still though, with that price tag, it comes in as the most affordable virtual reality machine. The HTC Vive machine carries a hefty $800 price tag and the Oculus Rift packs a $600 price. Because of these differences in prices, many predict that the Playstation VR will sell the best, although nobody really knows.

Pokemon Alpha Sappire and Omega Ruby Review

Pokemon Alpha Sapphire & Omega Ruby Review

-Not the Alpha of Pokemon games, but still pretty legendary.

It's hard to play a Pokemon game without being transported back to a place in time where your life was easier. This makes it even harder to prevent nostalgia from making an appearance when judging games like Pokemon Alpha Sapphire & Omega Ruby critically. Fortunately, these two games are remakes, which means not only are they playing on your nostalgia (why else would you purchase a game you played 13 years ago?), but they are allowing it to run wild. Playing through these two games of the beloved Pokemon franchise allowed me to appreciate and understand the love I felt for them years ago, but it also showed me some problems that plagued the franchise in 2002.

For those who missed the game back in the day, or who are completely unaware of the existence of Pokemon games, Pokemon, at its core, is an RPG series. In these games, you're tasked with completing your Pokedex by collecting monsters known as Pokemon via Pokeballs, while obtaining 8 gyms badges throughout the region. You first must train your Pokemon team by battling wild Pokemon and trainers alike to obtain experience. This levels up your Pokemon and when you're ready, you can choose to take on a gym leader. Upon defeating these leaders, you will be given a gym badge. After obtaining all 8, you may challenge the Elite Four and become the Pokemon Champion (sounds awesome, right?). This is a formula followed in all main-line Pokemon games and like the rest of them, these games come with the story of either Team Magma (Omega Ruby) or Team Aqua (Alpha Sapphire) attempting to use the power of legendary Pokemon to completely change the region of Hoenn to align with their respective visions.

These two remakes stand as the first two of older games to receive the 3D remake treatment. We've played 3D Pokemon games before (Pokemon X and Y), but these are the first 3D remakes. When released originally as the third generation of Pokemon games, these two games made some large splashes in the by-and-by Pokemon formula. First, they added Abilities (essentially traits that add advantages, and sometimes disadvantages, to your Pokemon) and Natures (these dictate how a Pokemon's stats evolve as the Pokemon grows). These games also added Double Battles (which have now been overshadowed by Triple Battles) that allow for up to two Pokemon to battle on each side of the fight. With a story relying heavily on the topic of region land and sea, these games came with the addition of changing weather patterns and a unique layout of land, ranging from deserts, to beaches, to treetops, and more.

Playing these games as an excited 7-year-old back in 2002 granted me an extreme sense of wonder, awe, and a desperate need for continued exploration. Now, 13 years later in 2015, I can say that all those raw emotions are still there. With updated graphics and some layout changes, exploring Hoenn all over again felt like my first time. Meeting some of my favorite characters such as Wally or May in their new 3D character models, or encountering some of my favorite areas only to find that they had been completely over-hauled (for the better...wait til you get to Mauville), brought a warm and welcoming rush of happiness.

GameFreak also took care to utilize new features from recent additions to the franchise in these remakes. My personal favorite, Pokemon Amie, returns allowing you to pet, feed, and play games with all of your Hoenn favorites. With the return of features like Pokemon Amie comes the return of the incredibly useful Super Training and the Player Search System. All of this and more rests within your PokeNav Plus aka your menu screen on steroids, which sits tactically on the bottom screen of your 3DS. New features were added as well such as the DexNav application. This allows you to to see the level of nearby ears-popping-out-of-the-grass Pokemon as well as their ability and if you're lucky, rare moves. With this, collecting all the Pokemon and finding those ones perfect for breeding and EV training, has never been easier.

These remakes also come with an updated Berry system which includes berries that came in later entries in the series and with berries, one can't forget about Pokeblocks. Pokeblocks play into a section of the game that I usually dismiss which is the Beauty Contests. Although these aren't for me, I can see why they're present. Pokeblocks can be given to your Pokemon to raise it where it counts (in Beauty Contests), Coolness, Beauty, Cuteness, Cleverness and Toughness. While the original iterations of Sapphire and Ruby held their contests in a more standard manner, the remakes really embraced their Japanese roots by making each contest feel like a J-Pop concert, which might come off as odd for those not familiar with J-Pop. I will say, in a strange and unforeseen way, this change in contests compelled me to put a little more time into this section of the game than originally planned.

On the subject of changes, almost all changes were made to improve the game. What's unfortunate here is that some things that should've been tweaked, remain untouched. Made worse by the fact that recent Pokemon games have addressed these problems, it is a shame the developers overlooked some things. For example, even after dropping Flash as an HM (Hidden Machine, a move necessary to pass certain obstacles), these games still have 7 HMs. Compared to X and Y's 5 HMs, it's unfortunate that once again, players will have to waste a team slot on a Pokemon who only knows HMs. On top of that, the Hoenn region is filled with secret bases (cool, little bases that you can customize and invite other players into) that require you to use a move known as "Secret Power", aka another wasted move slot. With secret bases being such a fun side section of the game, you have to wonder why GameFreak didn't opt to remove the use of a move to reach your secret base.

You've heard this before but still, Hoenn remains imbalanced in terms of Pokemon types. This is noticeable especially with Water-Types which far outnumber every other type present in the game. To make matters worse, if you're playing Alpha Sapphire, Team Aqua (who you'll encounter often) almost exclusively uses Water-Types. Finding it tough to enter a battle without a water type on either side of the field, find an Electric-Type and love it deeply, because when your journey is over, it will certainly be your strongest and most experienced Pokemon. You must also get used to loving the open ocean because almost half the map is water, which means that quite often, you'll be surfing and diving (some HMs that will take up more move slots) throughout Hoenn's seas.

The only plus about all the water, is that it is beautiful. With these remakes comes the best main-line Pokemon graphics we've ever seen. The sky reflects on water puddles, the flowers sway, the waterfalls cascade, and the treetop bridges of Fortree City rumble with each step. It's easy to get lost in the gorgeous setting of Hoenn with Pokemon graphics this great.

Overall, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire & Omega Ruby might not be the greatest remakes, but they are certainly must-plays for any fan of the series. Being the most beautiful Pokemon games to date, with the most attention to in-world details, these are games I highly recommend to almost anyone who owns a 3DS. What GameFreak did well was re-introduce the series to any who put the cartridge in their 3DS, making it accessible to all. Unfortunately, what GameFreak didn't do well is even more apparent now that these games have been given the fresh remake treatment. Luckily, by some new additions to the game plus a post-game surprise, one can almost forgive them.

Final Score: 8 out 10.

This game isn't perfect but it is great and certainly worth your time.

Special Occasion Post:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POKEMON!

-Twenty years ago, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Green hit the shelves of Japanese game stores. Two years late, in 1998, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue (the US never sold Pokemon Green) found a place in the hands of American children. Finally, one year later, in 1999, Pokemon Yellow was released and it was this game that sold the franchise to kids all over the world. While the first game I played in the series was Pokemon Blue, it was Yellow that solidified a place in my life for any and all Pokemon games. Like millions of other children, Pokemon gave me the feeling that I was an adventurer. The real world was boring but with a switch on the side of my GameBoy, I was completely encapsulated by a totally new world in which I was the hero, the guy everyone watched. I battled my way through wild Pokemon and trainers alike, obtaining the eight badges necessary to challenge the Elite Four. After many tough battles, I was the new Pokemon Champion. Being the first game I ever beat, Pokemon Yellow gave me a feeling like no other. I, not him or her, was the one Champion.
Now, twenty years later and multiple entries into the franchise, I'm still being granted that feeling by one of my favorite franchises. Being the twentieth birthday, GameFreak and Nintendo have decided to not only re-release Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow (via the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console), but after a six-minute, nostalgia-filled Pokemon Direct (ala Nintendo Direct), two new Pokemon games, Pokemon Sun & Pokemon Moon, have been announced for a worldwide release Holiday 2016. Having never misses a Pokemon game, you can bet on me being at Gamestop, waiting in line with plenty of other Pokemon Trainers, patiently watching the clock knowing that once it hits midnight, my next adventure begins.
This post isn't a review or a public announcement. This post is an appreciation post, a happy birthday, to a game that will forever hold a place in my hands.
Thank you Pokemon..

Deadpool Review

-Deadpool, Dead On.

Almost six years ago, May 1^st of 2009, fans of Marvel’s cult antihero Deadpool were treated to quite possibly, the worst iteration of the character ever seen. In what world is literally sewing the mouth of the “Merc with the Mouth” shut a good idea? Fortunately for all, the creators of this movie were quite aware of Wolverine: Origins’ disrespect to the character that so many Marvel fans have come to love. Deadpool, starring Ryan Reynolds knows the character is back in the spotlight and throws everything they’ve got into the character. Unfortunately though, this means that nothing was thrown into everything else such as the plot and the villain. With a depressingly conventional revenge plot and a near forgettable (save for an almost incomprehensible English accent) villain, it’s a shame the writers didn’t put more effort into everything surrounding Deadpool. Had they done so, this movie would have been near perfect.

While everything around him falls short, Deadpool shoots and slices through expectations, yielding one of the most memorable character iterations in recent history. This is mostly in part thanks to Ryan Reynolds performance. He’s confident, charismatic, and fully aware that this Deadpool has to win us all over and he certainly does. While he spends some of the movie in heavy makeup (burnt skin and all), it’s when he’s in the suit that surprisingly enough, Reynolds shines. This suit might as well be pulled straight from a page in a comic and with the help of some minor CGI, Deadpool comes to life. With the use of CGI giving Reynolds’ Deadpool facial expression and Reynold’s ability to bring the physicality of the character to life, I don’t think we’ll see a better version of Deadpool on the big screen.

The best part about Reynold’s performance is that he never shuts up. From the second we first see Deadpool, the jokes flow and flow and flow and flow. From one-liners to critiques of today’s society all the way to meta-jokes breaking the fourth wall, Deadpool is full of comedy. Sure, when you’re constantly tossing out jokes and gags, some fail but for the most part, you’ll be laughing out loud.

There’s plenty of vulgarity and immature jokes but the humor really shines through in the most normal moments of the movie like sitting in a bar, riding in a cab, or watching his blind roommate build some IKEA furniture. It’s quite strange laughing during a Marvel movie while not watching the Hulk throw Loki like a rag doll or hearing the banter between Captain America and Iron Man but a welcome feeling nonetheless. This movie is quite aware that it’s not big like its superhero movie counterparts and takes full advantage of its opportunities to have some normal every-day moments. In fact, this movie feels more on par with a sitcom like Workaholics or Broad City than a comic book movie.

While the movie puts everything it has into the character of Deadpool, the plot and villain fall to the way side. The story is a simple revenge story. Bad guy does this to Wade Wilson and Wade Wilson is angry about it. Bad guy steals Wilson’s girlfriend and Wilson goes after him. There’s nothing special at all about the plot. In fact, it’s arguably the most forgettable story told in a comic book movie. To add to that, the villain, English-accented Ajax is extremely boring. He’s the man responsible for turning Wade Wilson into Deadpool and beyond that, he adds nothing to this universe. He’s very strong and doesn’t feel pain (and subsequently, boring). While the revenge plot serves to let Deadpool be Deadpool (the jokes, the violence, etc.), Ajax serves to fight in an underwhelming climax.

In recent superhero movies, we see the man or woman gain super powers. Then we see a montage of them training. Finally, the movie ends after the superhero fights the villain with these powers. While Deadpool’s plot is boring, it is refreshingly told. Deadpool talks the audience through his journey from Wade to Deadpool in the middle of a hilarious fight. Once he catches us up to speed, we see how he lives his everyday life. It’s here that we’re introduced to the bad-guy-steals-girlfriend-revenge story and here that the movie loses some of its steam, but not enough to stop the train.

The most exciting prospect of this movie is its connection to the greater X-Men (thanks FOX) universe. We get a taste of this with the extended cameos of Colossus (who looks great for a low-budget movie CGI character) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. While they have their moments, they ultimately feel underused. This culminates in the feeling that the writers were highly restrained in what they could and couldn’t use. It’s not their fault but it would have been nice for Marvel and FOX to loosen up on the reins a bit.

Thankfully, one area that this movie isn’t restrained in is violence. Filled with the most gore I’ve seen on the big screen since a Saw movie, this movie borders ultraviolence but that’s a good thing. Those familiar with Deadpool know that he slices and dismembers his enemies, laying bullets into their heads as well. The fight scenes stuffed to the brim with this violence are stylized, utilizing slow-mo to express even more extreme gore, and choreographed perfectly. Not once did I believe that what I was seeing wasn’t actually happening. It’s that well done. One of my favorite scenes comes from arguably the most graphic fight in the movie. With only twelve bullets left, Deadpool narrates to the audience how he plans to use each bullet, showing us in brutal slow motion.

Overall, Deadpool has returned from his slumber with a big bang. This Deadpool is definitively so and clearly Reynold’s character through and through. The character of Deadpool, the violence, and the humor keep this movie standing, while the forgettable plot and even more so villain valiantly attempt to bring it down. It’s a shame that some gears never get going because had they done so, this movie would be almost perfect. Thankfully, Deadpool is dead on. What shines, shines bright.

Final Score: 7 out of 10.

With 5 serving as the score for an average movie and 10 being the best possible score, Deadpool falls right in between. It’s certainly not average and too much holds it back from receiving a 10. It falls right in between yielding a 7. 

ON THE SUBJECT OF MOVIES:

I want to take the time to introduce the idea of my blog featuring reviews of movies as well as my standard reviews of games. To preface it, I am not by any means an expert on movies. With video games, because of how often I play them and how critically I judge them, I would say that I'm becoming more and more of an expert on the subject of games. Rather than just playing current games, I delve into the past and play what my parents played. I play the important games that changed the industry. I research the companies that make these games, the voice actors and actresses, the development and so on. I do all I can to take my video game interest to a professional level. Because of that, I think it is easy to feel like my video game reviews are more than just some guy writing a review. I hope that those reading them feel like they are getting a professionally created product. 

With movies, all of that changes. I am by no means an expert and I have no plans to dive into the world of movies in the same way I did with games. I watch movies and I enjoy them, not much more and not much less. While video games are more than a hobby, movies are a way of pure entertainment for me. Regardless, I plan to begin reviewing the occasional movie I see. With that being said, I saw Deadpool the night it came out and I plan to review it here very soon. It will be my first movie review so it certainly won't be something to take seriously but understand, it is the first stepping stone into legitimately reviewing movies.

Thank you,

Wesley

Star Wars Battlefront Review

Star Wars Battlefront Review

-A New Hope for the franchise, but not yet a Return.

Star Wars Battlefront is a tribute to a universe we all love. It’s immersive and incredibly detailed, pushed forward by a desire to defeat the next hero, capture the next droid, or even take down an AT-AT. By improving on the classic games of two generations ago, and fully embracing the world of Star Wars, DICE has created a game that I know I’ll keep returning back to months and months after release, despite its problems.

What DICE nails, it really nails but when the game falls short, it not only falls but quite frankly, plummets.

This game comes jam packed with an unbelievable amount of detail. Star Wars Battlefront is the most beautiful game I’ve ever seen. The textures never pop and constantly retain a high level of detail, the shafts of light cutting through the trees on Endor look better than ever, and the explosions rival that of any Michael Bay movie. This is the best we’ve ever seen the Star Wars universe. Just like the original trilogy that this game strives to honor, the objects and characters in this game are weathered, creating the sense that this world has been through the ringer far beyond what we are aware of. The AT-AT’s have scratches and scorches, the guns aren’t pretty and certainly not brand new off the shelf, and the planets aren’t untouched. Everything you encounter in this game reminds you that this battle has been going on for quite a while.

The only thing better in this game than the sight, is the sound. DICE’s sound designers have perfected the sounds of Star Wars. The lightsabers rumble and growl, the Tie-Fighters screech and scream as they zoom above, and the guns sound just like you always remembered. Your favorite songs are present including the main theme of Star Wars as well as the Imperial March. DICE has also managed to mix in an original score that sounds so good that I don’t even realize it isn’t music from the movies.

DICE puts this perfection of sight and sound in a hodge-podge of game modes. At best, you’ll find two or three of the eight game modes that you enjoy. The downside is that after playing the other modes once, you’ll never return to them. Battlefront really stretches its wings though in some of the most unique game modes I’ve ever played such as Walker Assault, Heroes vs. Villains, and Drop Zone.

Walker Assault provides the most canon-feeling mode in the game. In this mode, you will either play as the Rebels, who must capture and defend uplinks in an effort to call in a Y-Wing bombing run on the AT-AT, or the Imperials, who must stop the Rebels from capturing uplinks and calling in Y-Wings. While this serves as the games objective, there is so much more to do. You can pick up vehicle cards which allow you to fly around in the iconic Rebel X-Wing or stomp around in the Imperial AT-ST. Hell, if you’re lucky enough to find and pick up the card, you can become the driver of the AT-AT, utilizing Orbital Strikes and other weapons to defeat any and all enemies in your sights. Both teams can pick up the rare Hero card which, depending on your alliance, allows you to call in the likes of Han Solo or Darth Vader (or Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Emperor Palpatine, and Boba Fett) to possibly turn the tides of the battle. When you’re an Imperial, safely escorting the AT-AT feels like a solid accomplishment but taking down the formidable machines as a Rebel comes with the struggle and massive uphill battle (and the subsequent relief of pushing back the Imperial March through your rebel base) that is apparent in Episode V.

Heroes vs. Villains is a simple but extremely addictive game mode. Here, you’ll rotate between Hero (if you’re the Rebels) or Villain (if you’re the Imperials) and simple soldier in an effort to defeat the other team. Rather than relying on finding the elusive Hero card in a different game mode, you’re at least guaranteed a round playing as a hero or villain in this mode. The desire to play as a different hero the next round or the effort to take down a villain when playing as a Rebel soldier, is what keeps me coming back time and time again.

In Drop Zone, you’re in a constant 8v8 race to capture the next drop pod that has fallen out of the sky. Capture a drop pod and your team is granted 4 Power-Up cards, but lose the pod and you’ve just handed that advantage to your enemy. In these pods comes the crushing Orbital Strike, the dubstep bomb aka Thermal Imploder, and some weaker items that you’ll quickly end up relinquishing yourself from such as the Blaster Cannon. Because each player brings his or her own custom player setup to the field, coupled with the randomness of a drop pod, this mode gets wild and chaotic fast, and it’s in these moments that the game really shines.

Unfortunately, not all of the game modes hit their stride like the above-mentioned ones. Hero Hunt, a 7 soldier vs. 1 hero mode, is broken and unbalanced. Blast, DICE’s attempt at Team Deathmatch, is boring and forgettable. Some game modes such as Droid Run (think Destiny’s Control or Call of Duty’s Domination) and Cargo (think Capture the Flag) have hints of greatness but in the wake of modes such as Walker Assault, fall short of becoming anything meaningful that players will often return to. Fighter Squadron is short, sweet, and sadly, lazy. Fly around in an unbalanced match of A-Wings (that are near impossible to defeat) and Tie-Interceptors (that act as paper mache shooting targets for the A-Wings) while dodging the even more unbalanced Hero ships. Finally, Supremacy almost nails it on the head but due to a clear advantage to the rebels (give thanks to the A-Wing for this one), it’s tough to jump into this mode.

The only good that comes from some of the poorer game modes is the maps. Battlefront launches with 13 different maps (4 maps for the large game modes such as Walker Assault and 7 maps for the smaller game modes such as Drop Zone) and each and every map is great. These 13 maps are hosted on the planets of Endor, Hoth, Sullust, and Tattoine and each map is littered with hints of the planet they take place on. On Endor, sneak up on Ewoks in their tree houses. On Hoth, you’ll see the remnants of a local Wampa’s dinner, while on Tattoine, you’ll see Jawas scurry to safety when you arrive. Sullust, although previously never seen in a movie, retains the level of detail that each of the other planets do, making it a welcome addition to the Star Wars universe.

While the design and feel of these maps are great, they suffer from terrible spawn points, bad placement of Power-Up cards, and easy location exploits that allow players to farm kills. It’s a battle between the gorgeous pull of each map and the plague of technical problems each and every time you log into this game. If you’re like me, you’ll be happy enough playing anything Star Wars that looks and sounds this good.

To fans’ dismay, there is no single-player campaign. This game asks you to create your own stories using your battles in the multiplayer side of the game instead. That would be fine had players not been granted some of their favorite Star Wars campaigns in previous iterations of the game. In this day and age, there is almost no excuse for a lack of campaign. To add to that, DICE threw in a single-player (also co-op) wave-based mission mode called Survival. While fun, it’s certainly not a fair substitute from the galactic conquests we’ve been a part of in previous Battlefront games.

In each game mode, you’ll earn experience and subsequently, credits. With each level, you’ll unlock a different lazy character design (you can play as the old man rebel soldier that we all asked for…we all did right? Right?). After 40 levels of new character unlocks such as a woman soldier with a ponytail, or a man with a new style of beard, you’ll get to character unlocks that seem worth it. From levels 40 to 50, you’ll unlock different alien races or Imperial officers to play as such as Sullustians and Rodians (on the Rebel side) and the ever-so-badass Shadowtrooper (on the Imperial Side). The credits that come with experience allow you to unlock new weapons and Power-Up cards. Some weapons such as the Iconic Han Solo DL-44 can be unlocked as well as the classic Imperial E-11. While some of these weapons are great, many are forgettable and serve as placeholders until you get to the weapon you actually want to use. Using credits, you can also purchase new Star cards to put into your custom arsenal. These range from Plasma Cannons to Thermal Detonators, Personal Shields and even traits such as Scout, which allow you to receive special benefits with certain killstreaks. Like the weapons in the game, some star cards fall short while others stand out above the rest.

My favorite and most addicting surprise in the game is the Diorama. Here, by completing challenging and unique objectives, you’ll unlock new figures to add to your Diorama, each with a trophy view that comes with an iconic sound clip. This Diorama is often the only reason I’m jumping into my lesser-favorite modes such as Fighter Squadron or using my least-favorite Hero. It’s a simple yet welcome addition to the game, especially for the tried and true fans of Star Wars.

Star Wars Battlefront serve as the most beautiful and entertaining engagement into the Star Wars universe yet (save for the movies), but falls short in too many places for this game to considered anything beyond good. It’s the perfect example of masterclass perfection in aesthetic and sound design, but a poor example of a multiplayer game. What could’ve shined as one of the best multiplayer shooters this generation, serves only as a platform for DICE to learn what we truly want from the next Battlefront game. What’s there is mostly great, although many hiccups hold it back, but the lack of a single-player campaign makes it hard to justify this as a $60 game. In a few years, maybe DICE will deliver the game we wanted this one to be. DICE, you’re our only hope.

Final Score: 6 out of 10.

With 5 serving as the score for an average game, 6 stands for a game that is good. Star Wars Battlefront is just good. Nothing more, nothing less.