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Hot Takes




‘Dragon Quest XI’ is simple, yet effective

 'Dragon Quest XI' is a simple yet effective piece of entertainment. It  gives the veteran 'Dragon Quest' player exactly what they have expected  from the franchise over the past 30 years: a fun, simple adventure.  However, it also gives the newcomer something incredibly digestible. For  those who have played 'Pokémon' or something of the like, it should be  an easy transition to pick up and play 'Dragon Quest XI.' Though the  music is not varied, and voice-acting is somewhat intrusive, 'Dragon  Quest XI' is a worthwhile, enjoyable experience. However, as noted  before, this likely will not change the mind of anyone who is JRPG  averse.  



’Kin’ suffers from an identity crisis

 'Kin' is a movie that is aided by its strong performances, fantastic  score, and interesting visual aesthetic. However, its shortcomings of  tone and pacing issues, as well as wasted potential that comes with its  ending, drag it down. All in all, it’s a movie that’s best saved to  watch on Netflix on a lazy Saturday.  


‘The Messenger’ delivers platforming greatness

 ‘The Messenger’ is an absolutely incredible platformer. It utilizes both  styles of retro platformers, with linear ‘Ninja Gaiden’-esque stages at  first, and then ‘Super Metroid’-esque exploration later in the game.  This, along with tons of different movement tools, creates a fast-paced  and satisfying platforming system. Combine that with an interesting  narrative that justifies the existence of both styles of game in one,  and the game really is a new peak for the genre. ‘The Messenger’ might  even be better than ‘Shovel Knight,’ taking the crown as the  modern-retro platforming king. 



Embracing femininity with ‘Splatoon 2’

A few months ago, when researching gender norms in clothing, I discovered we tend to value feminine qualities less than masculine ones. We are much more accepting of girls, for instance, who wear “boy shorts” or blazers than we are of boys who wear leggings or crop tops. Since social progress is important to me, I think we need to value both our feminine and masculine sides equally. Oddly enough, a video game from Nintendo provides inspiration. 


‘Don’t Panic’ is a near-perfect EP

 This has been her most solid piece of work so far and every new release  gets better. She is a solid artist with the energy and talent to make  amazing music time after time. Everything she makes is good and every  song on this EP is executed perfectly.  



What is 'CalArts' style?

The term 'CalArts' style has been thrown around the industry a lot in the past few years. Find out what it is, where it comes from, and why it matters.


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