The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Written by Lunar_95

Developed and published by Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released in May 2023. The game returns to the familiar yet evolved world of Hyrule, with even more depth and verticality. The land is now split into three major layers: the surface world, floating sky islands, and a mysterious underground. These new environments, combined with the dynamic weather, sprawling towns, and ancient ruins, offer a fresh twist on the vast world that fans loved in its predecessor The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

In Tears of the Kingdom, you once again take on the role of Link. After a catastrophic event, you must embark on a quest to stop a new threat that emerges from beneath Hyrule. Along the way, you will discover ancient powers, uncover forgotten secrets of the kingdom, and restore balance to the land. The stakes are higher than ever, as you race against time to prevent further destruction and protect those you hold dear.

The game builds on the mechanics of its predecessor, offering an even more expansive sandbox. It emphasizes creativity and player agency, with a new set of powers that let you manipulate objects in the environment in ways never before seen in the series. One standout feature is the Fuse ability, which allows you to combine weapons, items, and materials into new creations offering endless possibilities for combat and exploration. The sky islands add vertical exploration, with thrilling moments of diving from the heavens to the surface world.

The progression system is once again tied to completing Shrines to upgrade Link's stamina and health, but this time you also unlock new abilities that completely change how you interact with the world. For example, the Ultrahand allows you to build vehicles or devices from found materials encouraging experimentation. Outside of gameplay, the game's narrative dives deeper into Hyrule's lore, enriching the player's understanding of its ancient history and giving more context to the events of the previous games.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a brilliant evolution of the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild formula. The game expands the world, story, and gameplay in exciting new ways. With its focus on creativity, exploration, and freedom; it pushes the boundaries of what an open-world game can be. Nintendo has crafted yet another masterpiece, and for those who loved Breath of the Wild, this is an unmissable experience. I rate this game as Excellent on the five-tiered scale (Bad, Below Average, Average, Above Average, Excellent).

Breath of the Wild: The Game Of It's Generation

Written by Lunar_95

Developed by Nintendo and published by the same, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released in March 2017. Set in the vast kingdom of Hyrule, the game offers one of the most expansive and precisely designed open worlds ever seen in gaming. The world is filled with multiple landscapes, from grassy plains to snow-covered mountains, dense forests, and ancient ruins. Hyrule feels alive, with dynamic weather, wildlife, and a sense of history embedded in every corner, making exploration truly magical.

In Breath of the Wild, you play as Link, a hero who awakens from a deep slumber in a ruined world. Your goal is to defeat the ancient evil, Calamity Ganon, who threatens the very existence of Hyrule. To do this, you must reclaim your lost memories, gather allies, and strengthen yourself for the final confrontation. It is a story of heroism, perseverance, and the rediscovery of the world and yourself.

Breath of the Wild's gameplay is incredibly fluid and emphasizes player freedom. You can climb any surface, glide through the air, and even solve puzzles in multiple ways, which separates it from most other games. Combat is a blend of strategic weapon and item usage, and the game's physics engine adds creativity, allowing for experiments with the environment (such as using fire, wind, or even gravity to outsmart enemies). The sheer freedom of exploration and the ability to tackle objectives in any order makes each playthrough feel unique.

The game uses a unique progression system where you can upgrade Link's health and stamina by completing Shrines/mini-dungeons scattered across the world. Rather than a typical level-up system, progress comes through resource management, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Another unique feature is the game's durability system, where weapons and shields break with use, forcing you to constantly adapt your combat strategies. Additionally, the minimal use of traditional markers on the map encourages players to rely on their instincts and observations.

Breath of the Wild is a monumental achievement in game design, offering players a sense of true adventure and freedom rarely found in the genre. Its world feels organic and reactive, and the many ways to approach challenges keep it engaging from start to finish. With its breathtaking visuals, emotionally resonant story, and innovative gameplay systems, it stands out as one of the best games of its generation. I rate this game as Excellent on the five-tiered scale (Bad, Below Average, Average, Above Average, Excellent).

Am I Racist?

Written by Mike

Am I Racist? Is a comedic documentary produced by Daily Wire Studios and Digital Astronaut, and distributed by SDG Releasing. The movie was released on September 13, 2024. The documentary is about the progressive ideology surrounding race relations. In the year 2024, we live in a time when racial tensions are on the rise. There are different beliefs on how important these issues are and how to deal with them. This documentary tries to bring the progressive ideas on this to light.

The basic idea that is used to tie the documentary interviews together into a narrative is Matt Walsh asking himself if he is a racist, and trying to find out if he is or not. Matt then goes about throughout the movie interviewing and observing DEI experts, credentialed representatives of the progressive race relations ideology, and people with notable experiences that highlight race relations issues. Walsh even goes through an actually DEI training course and is certified as a DEI expert.

To be very clear, this is not a mocumentary. This is a legitimate documentary with Matt asking real questions actually related to the views of the interviewees. If you are unaware of what the progressive take on race relations is or what DEI actually means, you will learn it here in this documentary. The comedic aspect of the documentary comes from the perceived ridiculousness of much of the ideology being examined. The film consists of interviews about race theory and DEI ideas with experts and “common people”, hidden camera style observations of meetings centered around DEI, and demonstrations of the ideas presented. One interesting thing to note is the inclusion of how much the speakers in the documentary charge for their speeches and the meetings that they run.

Matt Walsh utilizes deadpan humor and satire to great effect. Very few jokes are actually made; instead, he relies on his guests and people he observes to say comedic things when answering his questions or giving their thoughts. Almost all of the people interviewed and observed are unaware of the context in which the film is being made and therefore are giving their legitimate thoughts on the issues.

I will not lie to you and say that everyone who watches this movie will enjoy it. Although the interviewees are legitimate progressive thought leaders, if you follow their ideological beliefs you would probably say that the film is in bad taste due to the Daily Wire’s own beliefs and the context in which it was made. This movie was made for people who are ideologically centered or conservative. Centered people will probably find the ideas presented either interesting or strange, and conservatives will probably laugh at how ridiculous they find progressive ideas.

The Oxford dictionary defines racism as “Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.” The basic idea of the ideology presented in the film is that all white people are racist and will always be racist no matter what they do or believe, and people who are not white cannot be racist no matter what they do or believe because of perceived systemic imbalances. Whether you agree with progressive ideology or not, I think that it is important for people to fully know what they believe. I would also say that it is standard for people of an ideology to be offended by a documentary that explores that ideology, and therefore is not important if the beliefs are accurately represented.

I give Am I Racist? A rating of Above Average on the Mike’s After Action Reviews five-tiered scale (Excellent, Above Average, Average, Below Average, Bad). While I understand it is not for everyone, I think that the audience it was made for will love it. I do not think that a movie must be made for everyone, but I will say that although progressives may not like it, because of the reasons highlighted above, they should check it out to hear the ideas of their own thought leaders and how the other side sees them.