Rings of Power [Season 2, Episode 5 – We got rings!]

Wow, an actual semi-competent episode with some tension and interesting plot development. Color me surprised! Well, I shouldn’t praise it too much, since I find the Númenor plot line boring, and above all, strange. Now, the coup for leadership is completed for Númenor, but I really don’t see how the failure (was it even a failure?) of the little war in the south would turn the whole country against the queen. Sure, losing a battle is never good for morale, yet, it wasn’t that bad. And when they set out to slay orcs, the spirits of the population were high. They do realize that war comes with risk, and that some of the soldiers will surely die, right? Also, it was only one freaking battle! Talk about finicky citizens that supposedly have war in their veins.

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Why does this keep happening? [DRM HELL]

In the gaming hellscape of digital ownership, there isn’t a day that goes by without new intrusive anti-consumer practices. This time it’s about the indie store itch.io, and the game Oxenfree. It’s a cute little store for all kinds of indie-games. From the hobo titles made in a dark and dangerous alley, to the shining examples of finest indie-craftsmanship with worthy gameplay of any AAA production. However, it should be noted that itch.io probably didn’t have much of a say in this case. Yet, it sets a bad precedent, as it looks like games can be revoked and removed from your account now. 

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It is happening again [DRM HELL]

Oh boy, here we go again. A now fourteen year old game (Alan Wake) will have an update to remove a song in the game on PC, due to licensing issues. And once again, it proves my point that keeping things digital is an incredible bad idea. If a fourteen old game isn’t safe, then what is? The main problem comes from forced updates, in which thankfully you can go around when it comes to GOG. On Steam however, you are pretty much screwed, as updating your game is forced upon you, if you, in this case, want to play Alan Wake.

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Rings of Power [Season 2, Episode 1-4 – Back to dullness]

Out of a morbid curiosity, I just had to watch the initial episodes of Rings of Power season 2. And it sure is a morbid experience, morbidly dull. The main problem, beyond the apparent forced diversity, is the pacing. Almost every single scene consists of two people talking in a very static environment. It’s hilariously boring because the dialogue spoken is incredibly poor, and rarely moves the plot forward. It desperately tries to sound profound and “ye old English” for authenticity, but just comes off as inept. It’s a repeat of the first season, yet, somehow, even worse now, as it seems the little passion they had for the project has evaporated fully.

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