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Superman is a fun and inspiring movie. That's my biggest initial takeaway. My number one priority going into this film was needing the writer to understand the heroic and selfless character of Superman, and for the most part, I feel they nailed it.

Superman is the thankfully the best part about Superman. He's humble, caring, and very much the Boy Scout I think the vast majority of fans have been wanting to see for the past nearly two decades. The movie goes to great lengths to emphasize his determination to protect people above all else, and I think this is entirely to this film's benefit. I am very much a fan of Henry Cavill's Superman, but I would have to admit that he seems to display a borderline-disregard for potential collateral damage when compared to Davis Corenswet's iteration of the character. If you were worried about being subjected to yet another "what if Superman was bad though" slop story, rest assured, Superman is a good guy, through and through.

My gripes with movie aren't severe, but I definitely think that this movie's cast is bloated. James Gunn is no stranger to ensemble casts but I think two to five side characters could have been trimmed here with almost no impact on the story. Additionally , Krypto the super dog feels very forced and got blatantly obnoxious after a while. Lastly, and without venturing into spoiler territory, there were a few choices related to changes with the source material that I found baffling.

The standouts are Green Lantern and Mr. Terrific, and Nicholas Hoult is great as always. Lois Lane's chemistry with Clark Kent is also very believable, which is a vast improvement over Man of Steel in this department.

Overall, Superman is a good-but-not-great superhero movie. It won't be topping any lists in my book, and it's not even Gunn's best superhero flick. That title belongs perpetually to Guardians 1. Still, as a DC fan first and foremost, I needed a win, and Superman largely delivered.

Hellblade 2 is a bit of a strange animal in the sense that it's a very cinematic-heavy game, almost to the point where I would hesitate to call it a fully-fledged video game and instead would argue that it borders closer on interactive cutscene for the majority of its run time. This isn't necessarily a flaw, as the original Hellblade was very cinematic in its presentation as well, but I feel that in case of Hellblade 2, a few decent gameplay mechanics were sacrificed or simplified to amp up the visual experience. As a result, 2 feels looks and sounds amazing but noticeably minimizes player participation compared to its predecessor.

Combat suffers the most in this regard. In the original, the player is often confronted with multiple enemies and is forced to manage space and positioning to keep from getting surrounded and overwhelmed. 2 completely does away with this mechanic, allowing for only one enemy combatant at a time and throws the player through mini in-game cutscenes that stitch together individual fights. Again, this isn't necessarily flawed, but fans of the original will likely feel that a great deal of their agency in combat has been completed eliminated. Not only that, but attack types have also been reduced from three to two different options, further limiting variety in gameplay. As a result, the fights in 2 come off as far more staged and far less engaging.

Thankfully, world exploration remains fantastic in 2, and in many ways feels improved. Optical illusions and clever puzzles litter the gorgeous environments, and more hidden collectibles are scattered throughout the areas. The vast majority of the game spends its time utilizing these mechanics, and it does so very much to its benefit. The music and sound design also contribute immensely to the look and feel of the world, and paired with headphones, make for incredibly realistic and palpable environments.

Ultimately, what Hellblade 2 chooses to build upon, it improves, but it is painfully evident that delivering the cinematic experience of the game took priority over combat mechanics. Fans of the first will probably be satisfied with the sequel, but it sadly feels like a watered-down follow-up rather than a strong successor. Still, I'd recommend a play through.

Stellar Blade is a blast. For external reasons, it'll likely be one of the most talked-about games of the year, so for the sake of brevity, I'll avoid those obvious points and instead get onto what the game itself has to offer.

The world of Stellar Blade is both beautiful and terrifying. The game strikes a nice balance between gorgeous aesthetics in environment design and brutal (and often bloody) enemies and combat. The two meshed quite well for me though, and this pleasant combination was helped by an absolutely phenomenal soundtrack that adds to the future/post-apocalyptic vibes in every level.

Combat is great. While I wouldn't venture as far to say that Stellar Blade is a soulslike, the difficulty in both random enemy encounters and boss fights is comparable, if not quite to the level of intensity that From Software games generally boast. Nonetheless, I found Stellar Blade to be a compelling and rewarding experience all on its own. The combat is quick and dynamic, and relies heavily on its dodge and parry mechanics, which it utilizes to (mostly) great effect. It functions as a risk/reward system that punishes the player severely for mistiming a dodge or a block, but it opens windows to decimate the enemy as well.

World exploration is mostly excellent, with a scanning system that reveals potential threats and secrets in a wide range. Numerous chests, costumes, and power-ups litter the multiple maps, making exploration and side quest-completing very worthwhile. Platforming is enjoyable, but wonky aerial movements and overly-precise detection zones for ropes and ladders can often contribute to frustrating retries that come off as cheap and unnecessarily difficult. It doesn't break the game, but it definitely detracts from an otherwise great setup.

In terms of the story, Stellar Blade walks a fine line between dark and melodramatic, but never quite ventures into standard levels of cheese found in your average JRPG. The characters are well-written and (mostly) well-acted. I can't say much more without spoiling the story, but suffice it to say that it worked for me, and you'll simply have to experience it for yourself.

In short, Stellar Blade is an incredibly promising start to what I hope will become a long-standing franchise. Its combat is excellent, its story and characters are loveable, and apart from a few mechanical hiccups, the world traversal makes for a very engaging experience. Whether you're a fan of tough, soulslike action games or are just looking for an awesome new game to drop 40+ hours into, definitely give this one a try.