ALL AGES OF GEEKAttack on Drip — A Refined Selection of Rohil’s Favorite Anime And Video Game Memes (Part 1) (May 2021)
These made All Ages of Geek producer and staff writer, Rohil, laugh (audibly).
Upcoming Game Announcement: V Rising
Greetings fellow gamers! Tracy Preston/CuriousCat-13 here with a special gaming news report. Earlier this week, Stunlock Studios (creators of the Battlerite games and Bloodline Champions) announced an upcoming game that you’ll be able to sink your teeth into later this year: V Rising.
While we don’t know everything about the story, this is the basic premise of the game: Centuries ago, man and vampire fought against each other in a brutal battle. Beaten and humiliated, the vampires hid away, where they suffered and starved in the darkness. Now, a vampire (the player) rises from their dust-covered coffin to take on the world and survive in an unforgiving world.
V Rising is an open-world survival game where you face not only the environment around you (i.e. the sun of daytime and vampire hunters) but other vampires. For those that aren’t familiar with the lore, vampires are extremely territorial, so you’re going to end up competing for resources as you build your own empire. While there is competition, there will also be plenty of unions as your friends and other players can choose to join your clan (which is part of your empire). Even though you can persuade every vampire, there are still plenty of humans that you can turn into vampires (just try to be discrete about it).
While there hasn’t been a gameplay video (at the moment), the screenshots of the game are breathtaking. In all honesty, the concept and screenshots are enough to hook me in. Given that it’s coming out later this year, I hope that it comes out around October for the spooky season. I will say this though, currently, V Rising will be available on Steam for only Windows PC; if you’re a Mac user like myself, we can only wait and hope that a Mac version will be released sometime after. As for console gamers, who knows. Either way, I can’t wait to see what Stunlock Studios will have in store for us in this epic vampire talk. At the moment you can sign up to try out the beta the second it’s available here. For those that aren’t familiar with the term, a beta is basically the version of the game that isn’t complete (but almost is), so it’ll still have some weird bugs and glitches. Given how good the game looks right now (again from the screenshots), I can’t wait to see the completed version of V Rising in all of its gothic vampire glory. For more information on any upcoming updates, you can follow Stunlock Studio on their Twitter @StunlockStudios and the official V Rising Twitter page @VRisingGame.
Have a tip for us?Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to Allagesofhr@gmail.com
Tracy Preston is a contributing writer at All Age of Geek. You can follow her/him/them on Twitter @CuriousCat_13 and Instagram @curiouscat_13.
NEWS: What is DC FanDome and Why is It BACK?!
Okay, seriously. What the heck is this DC FanDome thing-y and why haven’t I heard one word about it? Yea I’ve been living in quara-limbo for what feels like the past century (it’s only been a year), but c’mon, I thought at the very least massive nerdom news such as this would trickle down to my depression lair.
Chances are, the majority of you are already in the know about this event (heck, you probably attended the event last year didn’t you?). Well, go ahead then. Roll your eyes at me all you want, and then after that please skip the following background information and go to this year’s update at the bottom half of the article.
But for those of you like me, who’ve been mentally checked out since March 2020, let me explain a little background information about this “dome” and how you, too, can enter.
In June of 2020, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment created the DC FanDome, a virtual event platform, to broadcast highlights of their upcoming projects across a multitude of media. It was first announced in response to the cancellation of San Diego Comic-con’s in person event due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Divided into two parts, the FanDome conventions featured pre recorded panels, interviews, sneak peaks and showings, all of which could be accessed for free by the public. The first half debuted on August 22, 2020 and its continuation shortly followed a few weeks later in early September. The virtual platform has since been used to stream the virtual premier of Wonder Woman 1984 in December 2020.
DC FanDome was lauded for the high quality of its online experience. Similar to 2020’s virtual San Diego Comic Con, it featured pre-recorded content. DC FanDome’s presentation, however, set it leagues apart. Warner Media, the parent company of Warner Bros. and DC Comics, fully utilized the editing opportunities that a pre-recorded virtual presentation afforded them, and thoughtfully programmed the event into a well coordinated spectacle.
The convention’s first part, titled “Hall of Heroes”, featured eight hours of content broadcast three times in a row back to back, making it a full 24 hr event. The programming consisted of sneak peaks and exclusive reveals of the newest and biggest titles to hit DC’s film and TV production, comic stands, game studios, etc. The convention’s second part, titled “Explore the Multiverse”, allowed fans to choose their own schedule from over 100 hours of on-demand content including screenings, panel sessions and interviews, and unseen content from the DC multiverse.
The key factors that set DC FanDome’s convention far apart from other virtual conventions were its cohesive visuals and staging. Whereas conventions like San Diego Comiccon were streamed across multiple Youtube channels, all of the FanDome events were broadcast across in-house DC Comic specific portals. Not only did this guarantee smooth transitions and prevent potential video playback errors from copyright (which happened a few times to the San Diego ComicCon panels due to YouTube’s stringent copyright laws), it made the event feel structured and purposeful. It truly felt as if it was an other worldly portal teleporting you to the DC realm.
DC took the feeling of uniqueness a step further by filming its content in a green-screen space constructed especially for occasion. Unlike the typical panel rooms one would see over many a Zoom call, the FanDome’s green screen capabilities allowed for guest streams to be projected side by side along the Dome walls, imitating an in-person interaction. The space helped the event appear much grander across the screen, reinforcing the feeling that this was something for audience members to get excited about. Spliced in between the convention’s most highly anticipated events were quirky sketches, speedy interviews and q&a’s, and tributes to the many years of the DC Universe. These spurts of stimulation broke up the monotony one would usually feel from attending never ending zoom calls and allowed the audience a moment of reprieve. Again, like everything else, these bites made the event feel specific, and much like extravagant commercials commissioned especially for the SuperBowl, it made DC’s online convention all the more a spectacle.
As you can pretty much expect, the DC FanDome 2020 was an absolute smashing success, exceeding 22 million views across the globe, presented in nine different languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish) across 220 countries and territories. Thanks to its overwhelming popularity, DC Comics has officially announced the event will come back for its second year, so y’all better mark your calendars for October 16, 2021!!
AHHHHHH!!!
But wait. Before we all get too excited, what exactly is going to be revealed at this year’s convention?
…Well, it’s not exactly clear. DC is keeping it pretty hush, hush as of now to increase suspense and intrigue. Figures.
Buuuut… we do have some possible predictions thanks to the good ole rumor mill and past announcements. I’ve included a short list of possible titles of which we can potentially hope to see sneak peaks.
Predicted titles of panels/teasers:
1. The Batman: Will Robert Pattinson finally get his day in the not-so-sunny sun? Jk. But actually can we get some long awaited panel action?
2. Sequels and Triquels: Wonderwoman 3 💪 and Aquaman 2 🧜♂️
3. New Titles: Blue Beetle, Cyborg, and Zatanna … holy heck am I excited for magical girl Zatanna!
4. The Flash: Finally! The film starring Ezra Miller we’ve all been waiting for?
5. The Green Lantern Corps: Hal Jordan AND John Stewart, babbbiiii!
6. Stargirl: It’s on the bubble for a season 3 renewal…
7. More Arrowverse shows: who else besides our newest DC hero Naomi will gets an adaptation?
8. Batgirl: BABSSSS!!! ‘nuff said.
9. Animated goodies: Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two, YOUNG JUSTICE: Phantoms, Harley Quinn, etc.
10. The Other Batman (???): Idk y’all, but there be some rumors of two different Batmen moving forward. Is Affleck actually keeping the cowl? It may actually work if Pattinson’s Batman is going to exist in a stand alone universe anyway. Honestly, if you ask me, it sounds like baseless rumors, but who really knows at this point with the multiverse…
Now, as far as unannounced projects go… those we can only pray for the good DC gods to grace us.
If you are interested in keeping up to date with DC’s live announcements should check out the DC community here and sign up for their newsletter here.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to allagesofhr@gmail.com.
T. Wu is a contributing writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow T. on Instagram @kata_the_clown.
IRL: A Graphic Novel About Economics and Video Games
Back in High School, I came across a graphic novel titled IN REAL LIFE and it was one of the best original stories I have ever read. You also did read the title of the article correctly….A graphic novel about video games and economics has been one of the best graphic novels I have ever read. I am here to tell you more about IN REAL LIFE!
Overview
The story follows Anda Bridge, a coding student. She learns about a game called Coarsegold, which is a massive multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG), from a guest. The guest is the leader of a clan in Coarsegold. All of the players are females. As Anda plays more she becomes friends with another player named Sarge and discovers the world of gold farming.
That is all I can really say without going into too much into the plot itself. I love the writing by Cory Doctorow. Not one part of the writing feels forced or out of character. Every single line is perfect for each character. The art is done by Jen Wang. Every single character looks distinctive and the art is great to look at as well. The writing and art just work in tandem with each other creating these wonderful and colorful characters. I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed this book and I hope other readers enjoy it too. If you want to see economics and video games work hand in hand, check out IN REAL LIFE!
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to pr@allagesofgeek.com
Lore Olympus, The Number One Romance Comic on WEBTOON (Review)
Olympus, the fabled paradise of the gods is a bustling human like city with the crazy drama of a reality show in WEBTOON’s Lore Olympus. The comic takes the audience into the world of the Greek gods, exposing all of the drama and romance of their lives. Rachel Smythe, creator of Lore Olympus, takes the legends of the Greek gods in a new direction by depicting them in a modernized Olympus. The story is based on the tale of Persephone who is traditionally stolen by Hades to become his wife, but the creator spins a new tale of how the King of the Underworld fell in love with a nineteen year old, spring goddess, leaving home for the first time. In Smythe’s comic, the mortal world is still in the time of ancient Greece, and the immortal world is set in modern times with modern luxuries like phones, laptops and Fatesbook, a social media site.
Persephone, formally known as Kore, has suffered the effects of having a helicopter mother her entire life, so when she earns a scholarship to Olympus University, she jumps at the chance to be on her own. However, Persephone has trouble on her first day in Olympus City when she goes to a party with her roommate, Artemis. She attracts the attention of Hades, which is the beginning of her dramatic love life that gets twisted in all of the secrets of Olympus. From the goddess Aphrodite to the god Apollo, Persephone runs into trouble with every person she meets although some like Eros and Hermes become her friends along the way. Her biggest struggle is her attraction to the King of the Underworld, Hades, because of her own personal commitments and his complicated relationship status.
The comic doesn’t spare the gods of dealing with trauma and abuse from their past or the present. Smythe warns her audience before any trauma or abuse appears on screen from toxic relationships to past events that haunt the character throughout the comic. These dramatic scenes are well done minimizing any potential graphic illustration, so the audience understands the scene. Many of these scenes drive the gods to become better versions of themselves for the others around though some are tragic.
Smythe effortlessly unfolds each character’s story arch as well as relating it back to the main characters of the comic. The complicated lineage of the gods, their emotional relationships and experiences are cleverly revealed as Persephone and Hades interact with the different gods through each new problem. Lore Olympus has attracted many to the comic, and has now become a graphic novel and slated to become an animated TV series on Netflix. For those who enjoy a dramatic romance between the gods, Lore Olympus has a tangled tale of love for two underdogs in the world of the gods.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please
send an email to pr@allagesofgeek.com
Angela Zwolinski is a contributing writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow her on Twitter @AngelaZwolinski & @angie_the_author on Instagram.
Resident Evil Village Final Demo Impressions: Castle Dimitrescu, Mother Miranda, and The Four Lords
Resident Evil Village, the eighth main entry in the iconic video game franchise, is scheduled to hit stores on May 7th, 2021. In April, fans got their hands on two gameplay demos, locked to 30-minute timers.
One of the demos takes place in the opening village, and the other in Castle Dimitrescu. These are some impressions of the castle portion of the demo.
The environmental detail is elegant, with refined textures and dynamic lighting that create a glossy, eerie atmosphere. The variety of (excellently modeled) gaudy furniture is impressive. Those chandeliers really do something to the hairs on the back of my neck. The sound is dynamic and spacious, too, selling the scale of the castle. The play-style in the castle is undoubtedly more claustrophobic with lots of crawl spaces, and it seems to be more puzzle-based.
In the village, I felt no real threat from the Lycan enemy-types. I could move freely. Also, Lycans die when you shoot them, unlike Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters, Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela, turning into swarms of insects and cornering you in the castle’s tight corridors. Lady Dimitrescu has mechanical similarities to Mr. X from the Resident Evil 2 Remake. They both enter doors with shared bully energy.
The game uses its linear design moments to set up some masterfully scripted sequences. We’re introduced to The Duke, who offers up some mild direction but serves primarily as this game’s version of the Resident Evil 4 Merchant. He’s not as cool as The Merchant, but he’s got some lively characterization. The store UI is also classic, clean to look through.
I’ve always liked the ideas of labs under the mansion in the first Resident Evil. The sciency bio-weapon aspects of the horror gave the absurdity some grounding. Resident Evil Village, however, is very committed to fantasy/folklore elements. The lower levels of this castle seem to be grimy cellars packed with slow-moving, sickle-wielding ghouls. These hooded creatures crawl out from every crevice in the brick, and I believe there’s a winged variant in a later stage of the game.
The running joke of players actually wanting to be chased by Tall Vampire Lady and her daughters comes from a real place. They are the most personable in a long list of Resident Evil enemies who relentlessly pursue the protagonist, and they have especially playful dialogue. The daughters talking about “devouring man-flesh,” or Lady Dimitrescu calling Ethan “a silly man thing” is a little more light femdom than survival horror — BUT make no mistake, when they do catch you, they will f**k up your life (not in the sexy way, well–).
The castle demo is an expansion of the play from the Maidens demo earlier this year, revealing more of the castle and a bit more interaction with the enemies. Resident Evil Village is teasing a grand scope. Outside of Lady Dimitrescu’s castle and the opening village, there is still Karl Heisenberg’s factory, which seems to borrow from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as did Resident Evil 7. Heisenberg, who was initially rumored to be the return of fan-favorite Luis Sera from Resident Evil 4, is actually one of The Four Lords governing the land under big bad (?) Mother Miranda. He seems responsible for the Lycans, who ride horses and shoot bows at some point in the game. He also might transform into a hulking Resident Evil 5 executioner-type Lycan himself. Then there are The Lords we still have limited information on; the fishy House Moreau, and perhaps most creepy, House Beneviento, represented by an upsetting talking puppet.
Check out Rohil’s thoughts on the opening village portion of the demo here.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to Allagesofhr@gmail.com
Rohil Aniruth is a producer and staff writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow him on Twitter @yorohil & see his portfolio at rohil.work
Resident Evil Village Final Demo Impressions: Opening Village
Resident Evil Village, the eighth main game entry in the franchise, is gearing up for release on May 7th, 2021.
In April, journalists and gamers got access to two more demos, each locked to a 30-minute timer. One of the demos takes place in the opening village, and the other in Castle Dimitrescu.
Starting with the village gameplay, we immediately get a sense of the ritualistic elements embedded in the culture. Carved colored doors, shrines, and intricately patterned cloths. The inhabitants are beholden to a seraphim figure, Mother Miranda, and her Four Lords that govern the land. The environmental detail is rich, with dynamic lighting and textures that inspire an inquisitive mind. The depth is also handled well. Distance is believable and used to create a daunting atmosphere… It had me thinking, “Oh, we’re headed to that big ass castle down there… this is about to be an entire ordeal.”
It isn’t long before the first encounter. Resident Evil Village is borrowing a lot from fantasy/folklore, so our starter/grunt zombies take the form of Lycans. They’re not terrifying, but the AI is engaging. The Lycans can bust through player-made barricades and climb buildings, adding some awesome verticality to the fights. There are memorable moments of elevation in the play. The tall grass also adds a level of tension, sort of like that scene in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, where the raptors use the coverage of the grass to pack-hunt.
In the closing moments of this demo, we meet the few remaining traumatized inhabitants, and there’s a prayer scene. Writing prayers is more challenging than you might expect. You’re borrowing from existing belief systems but not too much as to offend unintentionally, and the choice of words has to hit just right so the villagers’ faith is believable.
It’s tough to block out the Resident Evil 4 vibes during this chunk of the play, and there is footage of a 2-story barn fight, serving a lot of the same energy from the iconic RE4 cabin fight with Luis Sera. This village-setting playthrough is noticeably less tense than the Maidens demo earlier this year. Protagonist Ethan Winters plays a little more competently. There is a distinct feeling that he’s more up for a fight, which is narratively consistent, seeing that he made it through Resident Evil 7 — but also, we get a shotgun fairly early on in the playthrough. Ethan’s delivery is a tad cheeseball again, but that’s how I like my Resident Evil.
Check out Rohil’s thoughts on the Castle Dimitrescu portion of the demo here.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to Allagesofhr@gmail.com
Rohil Aniruth is a producer and staff writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow him on Twitter @yorohil & see his portfolio at rohil.work
Yasuke Review
Netflix’s Yasuke takes cues from history by telling the story of Japan’s first African samurai while also telling an original tale. Created by LeSean Thomas, it follows the story of Yasuke (LaKeith Stanfield), a man from Africa who served under the feudal lord Nobunaga Oda, known as the great unifier of Japan. Much of the show draws from Yasuke’s life, like his first meeting with Oda who has never seen an African person before and was intrigued with how dark his skin was. Even though there weren’t many records of Yasuke after Oda’s death, the series attempts to tell a new story filled with fantastical elements. The show depicts 16th century Japan with not just samurais, but also with sorcerers, beasts, and even mechs roaming the lands.
We follow Yasuke, who has lived in isolation since the death of Lord Oda as he lives the remainder of his life as a boatsman. He drinks his sorrows away to forget his painful past as a formidable samurai in Oda’s court decades earlier. The country is at war with a powerful Daimyo, who has decimated Nobunaga’s army in her wake. Much of the series displays some flashbacks of Yasuke’s life living under the feudal lord’s roof and serving under him as his top warrior despite being considered an outcast by those around the court. We see Nobunaga’s attempts to bring Japan forward from its old ways by accepting an African man and a female samurai into his military.
After Oda’s defeat, Yasuke feels guilty of how he died and the betrayal of his female comrade, Natsumaru. Yasuke’s undying commitment to save the Japanese community reawakens when he encounters a young girl named Saki, who holds an extremely powerful supernatural gift. Yasuke is tasked with bringing her to someone who can help her harnest these gifts to be used against the Daimyo. Much of the series follows their journey filled with fantastical fight sequences and interesting characters they meet along the way like werebeasts, sorcerers, and giant robots.
What works here is the stunning animation thanks to Studio MAPPA, who has worked on other anime series like Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan. The incredible action sequences should keep audiences engaged with the individual fight scenes with Yasuke as well as the huge action pieces during the flashback scenes with Oda’s army fighting against the Daimyo. Even the music done by Grammy-nomimated artist Flying Lotus. The music blends some R&B and electronica that perfectly matches the style of the series.
Even though the series takes inspiration from other anime series, the show does seem to struggle with finding its own footing. The storytelling follows a similar formula like other animated series on Netflix, where shorter seasons would build up a story arc and lead into a big showdown. However, Saki and Yasuke’s relationship is perhaps one of the strongest components of the series. Saki shows off what she can do with her gifts as they become powerful each time she uses them. Yasuke has shown how much skilled he is as a swordsman and fighter. Despite all the incredible fights we see here, the stories are something that we are all too familiar with.
Deep down, Yasuke proves to be worth a watch thanks to the superb animation and the incredible musical score. Creator LeSean Thomas has crafted something that shows his appreciation of anime as a great storytelling platform by giving audiences a historical tale that will break down barriers, following in the same footsteps as Afro Samurai, another anime series with a black lead character. Yasuke very much tells the age-old story of good versus evil that works when it comes to exploring feudal Japan through the eyes of an African samurai, but exploring more of the deep overtones of an outsider in a strange land would’ve been interesting as well. Nevertheless, Yasuke is definitely a series that will grab anyone’s attention thanks to the unique concept of a familiar style of storytelling.
Yasuke is available to stream now on Netflix.
G4 Returns With New Host Kassem G
On 19 April 2021, something miraculous occurred… an upload on the iconic O.G. Kassem G YouTube channel. Not just any upload, but an upload of the beloved Ask Kassem format.
Ask Kassem was a comedic interactive Q&A show, with host Kassem G thrown against a greenscreen of brilliantly janky animations, hitting its peak of popularity between 2010 and 2012. The brief return of the show features favorite, Director of Photography, John “Fucking” Na.
The episode serves as an even larger announcement for the return of another dearly missed entertainment property, G4tv, with Kassem G stepping in as a new host.
G4tv was a geek-culture channel for the early 2000s, possibly most known for its original programming Attack of the Show! and X-Play. G4tv made it to approximately 61,217,000 American households by 2013, unfortunately ending all operations the following year.
On 24 July 2020, the Twitter accounts of G4, Attack of the Show! and X-Play were reactivated to announce a revival of the network. Finally, in January of 2021, we got the G4 relaunch announcement trailer, featuring Gus Johnson as G4’s “stand-in CEO” and confirmation of returning hosts Adam Sessler and Kevin Pereira, Ovilee May, and Froskurinn.
The channel has already posted videos with guest appearances from ProZD, The Completionist, and Ron Funches.
On 19 April 2021, Kassem G’s official host announcement video went live on the G4 YouTube channel, followed by a pinned comment with Kassem expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome, as well as his intentions as a host.
“Thanks for the warm reception so far everyone! I’m a G4 fan first and foremost! I want to see a lot of the old G4 stuff I remember watching on television in the early 2000’s but also very excited to see and help make new content and shows that reflects how gaming and pop culture has changed over the last decade. I’m very thankful for the opportunity and will do my best not to let you down! Plus I’ve already been paid so there’s no backing out now!”
Kassem G is already all over the G4 channel, participating in live streams as well. His sardonic, spicey wit is a welcome addition to video game commentary — almost perfectly timed for the current games media landscape with many critical of games journalism and craving a more self-aware, non-gatekeepy ethos.
G4 will bring back versions of Attack of the Show! and X-Play, along with Gaming News, Let’s Plays, Community Live Streams, and the occasional sketch — all with a digital-first approach.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to Allagesofhr@gmail.com
Rohil Aniruth is a producer and staff writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow him on Twitter @yorohil & see his portfolio at rohil.work
Mercenaries Mode Returns to Resident Evil Village With More Strategy and Fire Power
Resident Evil Village, the franchise’s eighth main installment, drops on May 7th, 2021. The game is a direct follow-up to the protagonist, Ethan Winters’ story in Resident Evil 7.
Once you beat the primary campaign, you’ll unlock the fan-favorite Mercenaries mode, an arcade-rush style of play where you clear out waves of enemies and make your way to various checkpoints, trying to get the best time.
Here are some quick deets on the updated game mode.
Before each round, you’ll link up with The Duke (Merchant) and purchase your load-out and support items. You’ll also be able to upgrade weapons too. Previous Mercenaries modes in Resident Evil 5 & 6 had predetermined load-outs based on the character you selected. This added choice of what you take with you into battle adds a new layer of strategy and allows players to explore the play styles which work for them.
RE: Village is a first-person shooter, bringing a new perspective to the traditionally 3rd-person Resident Evil Mercenaries play. Pairing the first-person camera with arena verticality makes for a more fluid, tense play experience. Shout out to Doom: Eternal one time for making that vertical combat trend again.
Dispatching enemies will buy you just a few more seconds for your run, while collecting orbs will give you a solid 30 seconds. Blue orbs will allow you to choose from 3 abilities you’ll have until the end of the game. Each ability pairs with your weapons. For example, one might enhance your melee, while the other boosts your sniper game.
Resident Evil Village is shaping up to be a release stacked with tons of replay-ability.
Check out Rohil’s thoughts on the final Resident Evil Village demos here.
Recent Comments