Mass Effect: Andromeda

I said I was going to get a ton of hours today, but I didn't. I did a 'demo' replay with vanilla Ryder, today I actually created my own character:

Yeah, she's definitely not your typical one, but I wanted to really make her vibrant in a game that is already getting roasted on the meme department. Honestly, I don't think she looks that bad.

For a girl who is sarcastically professional, I think she has some dark and gritty look to her. So what about the game itself?

I'm not far into the game at all so I don't have an opinion. The gameplay is no doubt spectacular, not as grounded as the original trilogy, but fast and definitely demanding. I have to wait and see what I can say about the character and the story. Andromeda has a lot to live up to. I have the feeling that the character department may not be as substantial to me....

It might be another Dragon Age 2 v.s. Dragon Age: Inquisition dilemma. 

(EA Figures) Mass Effect Series I: John Shepard

To end these blast to the past figures, I am here to review Commander Shepard; my timing couldn't be any more perfect since tomorrow Andromeda does come out. As to when I'll have my copy, only this week will be able to tell. Then playing it is another story. Well, until that time, let's take a gander at Commander Shepard, courtesy of EA.

Nothing new in regards to the packaging. We've seen this before with my previous reviews.

I'll jump right in and point this out: he has a helmet that he can wear! That is an awesome addition since there isn't a lot of Shepard related figures that have him sport his classic helmet (definitely does NOT look like his ME2 or ME3 helmet). Good for it too since his face rendition isn't very good. We'll get to that but first lets look at the figure.

Save for a few coloring with the N7 stripes, the blue lights on his back, and the black parts of his armor, this Shepard is all metallic grey. It resembles Shepard's armor enough, but I think it misses a few points. The sculpt is good; it has a lot of rivets, different texturing, and a lot of 'plating' to make it resemble 'armor' rather than just painted out 'detail'. That's something I can appreciate.

The face is bad, I have to admit. It looks nothing like vanilla Shepard.

The helmet, while not perfect, does offer a new kind of aesthetic. Though he reminds me of Robocop for some reason with the color of his armor, the helmet, and all that.

Of course we all know how this articulation goes. There is really no need for me to go in depth at what he can't do and what he can do. You can get the basics, but that's about it. He can't even have a proper gun shooting action pose.

And while Playarts Kai Shepard does offer more articulation and accessories, the face resemblance doesn't hit home either. I am hoping a company like Figma or S.H. Figuarts pick up the Mass Effect franchise since they are pretty good at making their figures resemble the characters they are trying to depict. Still, I am grateful to have Mass Effect figures on my collection.

What can I say? The figures do have their share of problems. But figures that are out dated have some leeway in terms of how harsh I can judge them. Hindsight, I probably would have a waited a few months to open them since something is around the corner.... BUT it is Andromeda's release date so here I am celebrating that. Shepard, being the last that I own does come with some drawbacks, but hey, I still like this figure to some degree. Maybe in the future I'll pick up Thane and Miranda; MAYBE in the future, a new line of Mass Effect figures are around the corner to pay homage to the awesome trilogy.
SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

(EA Figures) Mass Effect Series II: Garrus Vakarian

There is no Shepard without Vakarian. Damn straight. Garrus is also a mainstay crew member of the trilogy. He is awesome. I love this guy and despite the scarcity of "Archangel" figures out there, I do believe I tried to catch the two that are noteworthy and feasible in my collection. I like this figure and I'll explain why.

For collector's sake, I regret not getting Miranda, even though this is not a good representation of the sexy Cerberus agent.

The sculpt is fantastic. It is a Turian body and we can easily recognize Garrus in a heartbeat. It has his signature battle damaged armor, his visor, and for his only accessory, he has a sniper rifle; trademark of the Archangel of Omega.

The paint isn't exactly accurate to his ME2 aesthetics, but it is fairly good. The blue seems a bit too metallic, which I get what they were going for, it's just that I feel it is a bit off. Garrus' Turian features are fine, not as crisp, but does well enough.

Much like the other figures in this wave, he is outdated in the idea of articulation. Yes, you can get him to do some things like dancing, or holding his gun, but don't expect a whole lot. But he does have some forgivable qualities since Mass Effect action figures are rare and the affordable ones are are even more scarce for my collection.

The closest figure that I know of that can compare to EA Mass Effect figure in regards to Garrus is the Playarts Kai version of Garrus. Different time, different price points, different quality, different versions of Garrus(EA is ME2 and PAK is ME3), but both are my only Garrus figures and I appreciate them. Both are definitely cool enough to join my ranks of awesome figures!

Again like the rest of the set, there is a lot left to be desired. With that though, there is a lot to factor in as to why this/these figures are missing a lot. All in all, if you are a Mass Effect fan and is just looking for something affordable to put on your collection that is Mass Effect related, then this is it for Garrus Vakarian! 

Fate Movies/Series

Wow! Another Fate Stay/Night adaptation! This time it will focus on Sakura and Shiro? So does that mean Rin will be on the back burner? Will Rider actually get some cool parts? Will we get that bondage scene with Rin AGAIN(w/ gag this time)? Will we see more of the other Servants this time? Will we get more awesome Figma toys? And a Rin with a more conventional outfit? A Medusa/Rider update Figma? It's movie trilogy so... it will definitely have more flesh that the 2010 Unlimited Blade Works movie. 

And I'm not entirely sure if this is an amalgam of a bunch of Fate movies/series/games that are coming out but it's pretty darn cool with that music. I know there are a plethora of Fate related animes coming out this year so I'm pretty excited. 

Masterless and Rage: This Day

There you are.

Here I am. Why do you seek?

You've been a machine. You're just on the go that... everything else becomes a blur. Everything that 'used' to make you, YOU, just suddenly became...

Expendable?

I wouldn't say that, otherwise you and I wouldn't be here in this moment. What I'm saying is that you've taken a considerable amount of your time hiding with how busy, your hobbies, and just flat out killing things that you used to feel. 

Hiding? I don't think that is the adequate word. I realized a lot of things. I came to grips with so much. I'm not hiding from anything, I just don't have the capacity to 'feel' things the way I used to. So I let myself indulge, enjoy, and just geek out over the things that really do make me happy. The things that are real to me. The things that I know will always be my comfort. They make no promises and then break it. They utter no vows and then step away. They don't pretend to be something and then run away when they are faulted.

Sounds like you are still targeting a few faces.

I'm speaking about the clockwork faces I have met in my lifetime. There is no difference with a hero, an eternal, or a friend who ran away... they are all the same. I have to speak of their crimes and their faults because that is what they are, that is who they are. They are common, clockwork, and parasites that I will continue to encounter. The difference is, they don't like they should anymore. They just... in some moments of my life, they annoy.

That might be true. And I'm not defending any of them because they are at fault; ALL of them. But you continue to walk this way, this path... and you'll just be Masterless. 

Rage won't do in this life, you know. Emotions are not something I need to have or indulge over when it comes to people and the woes that follow them. 

This road... are you sure this is the way? 

We know that the road we've taken wasn't. 

..... Very well. You know you can always find me if you need to. 

To do so would mean I still care that much. And lately, I have gained the uncanny ability to consolidate, terminate, and deem something worthy or not. I don't want to lose this person I have become. 

Then why did you stop just to talk? 

Because this day meant something before. Some habits, die hard. 

FINAL FANTASY 30TH ANNIVERSARY – Timeless Legacy Trailer

I usually have something quirky to say about how Final Fantasy is technically only on "13", but this time, let's just take a moment to just say congratulations, Final Fantasy. Through the good games and the bad, I am glad you are forever. 

ML Titus BAF: Aldriff Odinsdottir/Angela

Visit my NEW DOMAIN

-gh0st =)

I remember Angela back in the day when she was a slayer of Hellspawns. She was Spawn's rival/friend/bedmate for a while, she died and all of a sudden we see her in Marvel. Since Ragnarok came, Marvel had a lot more leeway with Thor's story so they decide that Angela is Thor's sister, Odin's long-lost sister. So Aldriff Odinsdotter(Odin's Daughter as opposed to Odin's Son/Odinson) is her real name and well, she's a mainstay now in Marvel. Can't really say if that's a good or bad since I don't read her stories or comic books in general. What I can say is that we get an action figure of her and well... Let's get to the review.

So this is the first wave of Guardians of the Galaxy's Vol. 2 figures. The BAF is a cosmic creature known as "Titus"; a Tiger cyborg-like entity whom I know nothing about other than I like his name. I don't think I will be building him, but some of the figures from this wave is particularly cool. Angela being one of them.

I might be interested in Nighthawk and Nova, but that's about it; Yondu looks kind of cool, but if I get him, that means I get all the MCU Guardians and I don't need to do all that. For variety's sake, it's not a bad wave. While I love Stark, I'm glad they didn't throw in another Iron Man in a Guardians of the Galaxy wave.

Now as for the figure itself, it's a bit shocking that this is a retail Hasbro figure. Really, it is. I'll start off with the sculpting, and for the price, this gal gets a ton of it. She has a lot of new parts that aren't seen in other figures before. It's quite baffling. There are more separated pieces to make the limbs, the 'armor', rather than the way we know Hasbro would do it: paint it on. Her 'boots' are different from her things, each gauntlet is different and sculpted, the hair came out magnificent, and her face is just well done. Even her 'skirt' and sheathe for her sword came out real well! It's amazing.

I mean look at the profile! That's a lot of sculpted and well-executed plastic! Now as for the paint, she looks like she has a lot of paint detail but she doesn't really. It's all the different plastics sculpted and placed together to make it seem like they spent a ton on paint. But the things that were painted were done well. And the colors all work well and make her a vibrant piece. It might be the character design to thank, but Hasbro did their part well.

Now as for accessories, she gets two axes and her sword(it's slightly warped from the packaging. I still need to heat it up with a blow dryer to give it a straight posture) and Titus' BAF piece. It's not great or anything, but it's definitely not the worse. We've had worse from Hasbro both in the areas of detail and variety and in some cases, from lacking anything for our figures. Less than mediocre figures getting accessories gives them a fun factor that they wouldn't have had and great characters/figures WITHOUT accessories really rips away the fun factor. Now a great figure/character with some good accessories is something!

There's no doubt about it that Angela's first design when she entered the Marvel Universe steered away with what Marvel is doing with their female characters (covering them up and chiseling at the way Heroines are also eye candy for geeks; another topic for another day), but I like this design and as a figure, there's a lot of things going on with it. But despite all the craziness, Angela isn't hindered and she has a lot of good range of movements. She can move like a standard Marvel Legends, and with some of her clothing sculpted separately, it allows her to be posed in some dynamic poses. 

Again, Hasbro put some thought into her! Even if the accessory department is not ideal (would be cool if she got a spear and some alternate heads/hands), it works to spice up the fun factor department. That and most poses I was able to get her in she looked great.

And here she is slaying Al Simmons who gave in to his Malebolgia tendencies. 

Speaking of Spawn, here she is next to one of my Random Spawns from back in the day. It's kind of cool seeing these two next to each other. 

And just for a comparison, here she is next to Captain Marvel, a standard female figure height. So yes, Angela is towering over her like nothing. 

In conclusion, I'll stand by my statement and sday that this is one of Hasbro's best work in a Marvel Legend. At times I wonder if this is a retail figure and not a higher pricepoint figure. With some great sculpting, a rich color scheme (mostly due to the character design), well executed paint where she has them, and just an over all great piece, I think Hasbro set the standard of what they can do if they put some thought to it. Sadly, I know not all their figures will end up like this, but it would be nice if they give a character that ACTUALLY was born from Marvel with this much effort. Definitley going to put this gal as a good runner up for Marvel Legend of 2017.

(EA Figures) Mass Effect Series II: Mordin Solus

Mass Effect 2 was all about characters. It built up some of the best characterization I have seen in video games both new and old. One of the best that came out of the series is Mordin Solus. Had to be him, someone else might have gotten it wrong. While I was never that fond of the Salarians, I grew to really like what they are, their role in the Mass Effect lore, and all their quirks through Mordin. So, let's check out this figure to see if this pays homage to Mordin Solus.

Much like the rest of the ME2 crew (I don't count Garrus and Tali since they were with Shepard since ME1), Mordin is sidelined to mere support and nonplayable character in ME3; while he had one of his best moments in my game(he can survive! I just found that out reently), I still wish that he was by my side as part of my 'core' crew.

I've always liked Mordin's designs from the get go of the game. He has a 'doctor' look to him, but still have that 'badassery-space-feel' that one would need from a Special Ops Scientist. The paint is good so I can't complain(a lot of that is good in this series). The resemblance is pretty spot on and you can tell it's Mordin; they really got the distinct scars and the uneven 'head' on this figure.

AND... just like the rest of the figures in this series, you can't expect him to be articulated for some dynamic poses. But I was able to get some fairly adequate ones that I am happy with. He has a few swivels on his biceps, wrists, and some decent range with his shoulders that allowed me to get certain 'shooting' or other 'natural' poses for this Salarian. Unfortunately his legs aren't as cooperative and since he needs the stand to stay upright, the range of movements with his legs or any dynamic poses are out the window.

Here he is next to the only Mordin Solus merchandise I own: the Official Bioware Mordin Solus bust. It's pretty cool that there is some consistency between these two even if they are two completely different creatures (at least figure wise).

Overall, I like this figure. Probably my favorite one as of right now(still have two to review; well, ONE actually since I have Garrus' photoshoot done and I have my verdict on him, just have to put it in words). It looks like Mordin and it does a decent tribute to a character whom I could not save. A character who in my game went out like a true hero. I'd welcome more Mordin Solus figures if I can find one that is in a decent price! Unfortunately, with Andromeda around the corner, we might not be getting anymore merchanise from the previous Mass Effect Trilogy.