Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Video Game, 2004)

Introduction:
Growing up, GTA was on the top of the list of games I was not allowed to play. I don't dislike that, as it helped me hone in my gaming skillz (that z was actually an accident, but...) In other genres, such as Strategy and RPG games. But the first thing I did when I got old enough to play whatever I wanted was buy myself a mint, unopened GTA: San Andreas from the local old games store. Damn, what a good game. I played it through for the first time back then, and I go back to it ever since. But, is San Andreas at the top of the gaming world, or are people blinded by nostalgia? Let's find out, shall we?

How it Looks:
GTA: San Andreas is... Well, not pretty. Even for the date it was released in, the graphics of this game are below average, but I can forgive it for that. Back in the PS2 Era, open-world games like this were a rarity, and few had such a complicated story. (More on that later.)

How it Sounds:
The game sounds pretty good, for it's time, with specific sounds for each weapons, a good cast of characters, and good-sounding cars. Even the music that plays from the radio sounds good.

How it Plays:
San Andreas' biggest boon is it's gameplay. The open-world, car-riding, gun-shooting experience this game created left a much-talked about impression on it's players, even to this day. The controls take a bit to get used to when compared to today's more organized controls, but back when they were made, this was the way to play.

How it Stories:
I never thought GTA could have a deep story, but here we are, giving props. I won't go into specifics, but San Andreas has a fantastic story, with quite a few heavy-hitting plot points and twists.

Veredict and Conclusion:
San Andreas is definitely one of the most iconic games for our generation, and rightly so. It earns a good 4 out of 5, and the star it loses is because the game glitches out sometimes, leading to annoying repetitions of certain areas.

Christopher Robin (Movie, 2018)

Introduction:
I never had the blessing of growing with the whole of Winnie the Pooh. At most, I had one of those VHS with a handful of episodes, but that was about it. So when Christopher Robin showed up as a upcoming movie, it did very little to me. Enter today, where my SO decided that we'd watch it. Is it a really good movie, or is it just another cashgrab that ruins our childhood? Let's find out, shall we?

How It Looks:
Christopher Robin looks great, for what it is. The mayority of the movie is fully live-action, bar the actual classic characters, who are digital. This is not to say it takes away from their existence, as Pooh looked impossibly adorable, arguably more adorable than it ever did. The visual effects were few, as the movie kept grounded in reality, but when it went off on it and used those effects, it was really impressive. The movie also does a fantastic job of splitting the reality of showing Christopher's life without the use of narration, creating a heart-breaking montage of how he became an adult. All in all, this movie looks wonderful, and uses it's visuals to their fullest.

How It Sounds:
Just like in visuals, the sound of this movie is on point. The characters sound and feel spot-on, as they would if they truly existed, and if those aren't the original voice actors, they definitely nailed the essense of those voices, whisking me away back to that one VHS that I used to watch over and over. The music is also beautiful, using the old classics to perfectly capture the nostalgia of returning to your childhood, much like the character himself did.

How it Stories:
This movie's most impactful part is the story. Let's get it out of the way: The story is perfect. Sure, it's a bit on the whimsical side, but in it's essence, this is a children's story. And it delivers beautifully. The balancing act between the story directed at children is masterfully balanced with the message that the movie so clearly wanted parents to get, making a movie that all can enjoy.

Veredict and Conclusion:
This movie spoke to me on such a fundamental level that I have little in the way of wit to spout for this conclusion. I spent half the movie crying, not just because there is rarely a cast of more lovable characters, but because I saw myself in Christopher. I realized many things about myself and where I want to be, whuch speaks volumes as to the purpose of this movie. This movie, as is to be expected, gets 5 stars out of 5, for making a grumpy soul like mine realize that I still have time to do 'nothing'.

Fire Emblem Heroes (App, 2017)

Paladins Strike (App, 2018)

Paladins (Video Game, 2018)