Gloria Oliver - Unveiling the Fantastic

Virtual Tourist – Seasons After Fall 11/3/19

Morning all!

Fall is definitely in the air. Temperatures have been chilly all week. It might actually be here to stay!

Due to unforeseen issues at the publisher, Alien Redemption will probably not be available in 2019 but be pushed to early 2020. 🙁 Editing is progressing. I don’t think they’ve assigned a cover artist yet.

Movie Reviews

Terminator: Dark Fate – A lot of James Cameron’s films of late have been not so great, so I went to see this with low expectations. I was very pleasantly surprised – the movie was good!

It picks up after events in Terminator 2 Judgement Day and then leaps forward twenty years or so. Skynet is no more. Now they have to worry about Legion. (Time does not like being messed with.)

Great action, special effects, and acting. There are lots of small surprises. I was impressed with the physical details concerning Grace being a cyborg. You can see the scars around her eyes, her arms, chest, and stomach where they did work on her. There are also divets, small screws, and more. And there is a price to be paid for the enhancements.

The new terminator type sent after Dani was super tough and absorbed information at an alarming rate. I love that they made him a small man, someone who you’d never expect to be able to do what he does. Both a liquid and solid terminator, he makes for a super challenging and scary combo. There were some attacks he could have done that he didn’t, but then a future flashback shows his compatriots doing precisely what I thought he should have done. LOL. Guess it would have made his mission too easy then.

Overall, I enjoyed the film a lot. Seeing Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwatzeneger together again was a treat. Bitter old Sarah Conner was a hoot. The film definitely deserves to do better at the box office than it has so far. Rating: 3.5 out of 4. (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Virtual Tourist

Seasons After Fall

Our true form. This is the Sanctuary.

We are back inside the fox and heading off to the second guardian.

You’ll learn that in any of the areas with water, winter is your friend. It is the only way to get across and leap out.

Walking through a hollow log.

The route here is obstructed. There are little creatures you can get to spawn who, depending on the seasons, can be activated to blow them up. 🙂

Another obstruction. Though later, you learn to play with the steam and ice.

There’s a giant feather on the outcropping. Something that will be useful after we meet the second guardian.

The second guardian! Now things are about to get super interesting!

Now we can summon summer by barking twice near the energy ball. The new season affects the little guys, and thus we can make them leave their nest which you can see in the branch to the left.

The tree now has a carving for the second guardian as we make our way back to the Sanctuary.

Stay warm out there!

Virtual Tourist – ABZU 10/27/19

Morning!

October has turned out to be a very chaotic and tiring month. Loads of crazy stuff at work. The weather also just turned, so we’ve had lower temperatures and rain this week. But is the heat really done with us yet? We shall see!

Mini Movie Reviews

Gemini Man – Hubby and I had thought this would be Will Smith and his son, but it was all Will Smith. The film was great fun. Impressive stunts and fight scenes with some surprising moves. Gorgeous locals and cinematography. They even play with camera perspectives – enough to make it interesting, but not so much it disturbs the viewer. Rating: 3.5 out of 4 (Hubby’s Rating: Pay Full Price to See Again!)

The Current War: Director’s Cut – I’d never heard of the film until about a week ago. Per IMDB it was initially released in 2017. The title is horrible (If you don’t know what it is, you’d think it was an actual war movie.) The film is about Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse and the fight/race to light up the US with either DC or Alternating Current. A lot of history gets sanitized for the history books. Here’s a chance to get a taste of what they don’t tell you. Great acting, fascinating history, and you get a feel for how truly revolutionary the concepts being thrown about are to the people of that ear. Rating: 3.75 out of 4 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price.)

Virtual Tourist

ABZU

ABZU is a visually stunning puzzle game. The music and art are great, but I will say it was really short (only a little over 3 hrs of gameplay), and the character movement underwater is so awkward that it proved frustrating and horribly distracting from the beauty around you. Just about the time I finally felt I got the hang of it, the game was over. o.O

A fast-moving current underwater.

The awakening.

That’s us. You become aware floating facedown in the water.

The first area – there are several species of fish to meet. 🙂

Each area is different, and through your explorations and solving of puzzles, the area themselves can change. You start getting the feeling something terrible happened here, and you’re trying to fix it.

You will find a statue like this in each new area. You can sit on it and meditate. In meditation, the camera will attach to a nearby fish and follow it around, showing you the name on the bottom right.

As you complete the puzzles, you will enter this energy temple area and give energy to it.

The central area of the energy temple.

Once you give the energy for the area you completed, the energy temple will go through a growth sequence.

This occurs after the change at the temple, transforming the garden and releasing new creatures into the sea.

Have a great week!

Virtual Tourist – Yakuza 0 9/15/19

Morning!

Dropped off the planet again. Seems to be more often than not anymore. Apologies!

I could bore you with the weird health issues or the insanity at work with the horrible software we now have to work in, but I won’t. 😛 Let’s look at something more fun. 🙂

News – Edits on “Alien Redemption” are moving forward! I don’t know if the publisher will work it all in before the end of the year, but I am hopeful! So keep your fingers crossed!

Also, for anyone up in the Oklahoma area, there are activities on Nov 2-3, 2019. I won’t be signing up but thought it would be worth passing then info. It’s the Tulsa Pop Culture Expo 2019! (They were super nice to reach out and send me info, so I figured I’d help them in return. :))

Yakuza O

One of the crazy things about the game is the substories. The main storyline is super serious, but everything else? Not so much. Lol. In this one, I’ve been helping out as a “producer” for a difficult director. They even dressed me for the part. Well, the guy behind Kazuma is the real Producer. The clothes are an exact match. lol.

Another bizarre substory. Helping a dom learn how to talk the talk. (She was too polite and her customers weren’t feeling it. ROFL.)

So adorable! Look at the cute kappa statue! Awwww!

Maharajah Disco. There’s one of these in both cities in the game. The dancing mini-game is HARD! (At least to my uncoordinated fingers.) 😛

Like the substories, all the mini-games take things to farce levels. They have the guys to Saturday Night Fever struts before we do the dancing. The disparity between the main story line and everything else is extreme, but also a lot of fun.

See what I mean? (Oh, and during Karaoke, it goes super crazy. No pics as I am pushing arrow keys like mad! lol)

Swank hotel/office lobby. I’m about to go see a mysterious benefactor.

A lot of the substories end up having to do with kids. Some of the stories are too adorable.

Kazuma has such awesome facial expressions! Lol.

This is Oda. Right-hand man to Tachibana, the mysterious benefactor. He wants to test my mettle. 😛

May your week be fruitful and calm!

Virtual Tourist Yakuza 0 7/21/19

Greetings!

Yes, I dropped off the face of the planet again. Seems a rather common occurrence anymore. 🙁 While I am doing better than I have been, I am not 100%. Sundays have been elusive for some reason. The fact it’s quarter-end close and we’re doing it in two separate systems hasn’t helped! (There’s been loads of overtime the last couple of weeks.)

Conventions!

I will be going to my first convention this year in a couple of weeks! ArmadilloCon will soon be upon us! Looking forward to it. 🙂

Promotions!

Smashwords is holding a July ebook special offer. Both Crossed-eyed Dragon Troubles and Inner Demons are on sale at 50% off! If you’ve been curious about my books, this might be the perfect time to try one of them out!

Yakuza 0

Street view of one of the main roads. The Maharaja dance club is across the street. A gaggle of schoolgirls as well.

Tasty looking food display! Not all the businesses are actually there, but does make for some nice scenery. 🙂

This is Oda. He works for Tachibana Real Estate. He says he’s not a yakuza, but he sure knows a lot of their tactics! 😛

Interesting club front. lol.

Kazuma takes all the mini games very seriously. Here’s his game face for playing darts! Brint it!

One of the toughest battlefields – a karaoke bar! (You either get to sing or cheer them on. Not for the weak! So hard!

This is the second Japanese game I’ve played where they educate the players about certain types of alcohol. Bizarre!

When one of the game hints told me to seek out a rather unusual Shinto priest, this guy was NOT what I was expecting – white suit, clown face, and green bushy hair. He has free packages of goodies, which include costumes (not yet far enough to be able to see them or wear them). More important is the shrine itself. Doing certain things in the game gain you CP points. (Eating all the food at a restaurant, completing goals like walking 2 miles, etc.) You spend those points here.

Close up of the biggest and oddest looking priest ever!

Fashion change for a sub-story. This is what a producer of a film looks like. (When we meet the real guy, he’s wearing the exact outfit! lol)

That’s it for this week. Hopefully, we’ll get to go to the movies on Friday. This quarter-end has been brutal and since we’re going to the merged company’s BOLO system 100% for Aug, close for that should be insane. Ugh….

Have a great week!

Virtual Tourist – Yakuza 0 6/30/19

Morning! I’m running late!

Yakuza 0

The Yakuza 0 title screen.

Kiryu is helped out by a mysterious man. This is his swanky pad.

Outside a Pachinko arcade. No Sousa marching music though. 😛

One of several convenience stores in the area. One of the few places you can buy food to take with you to up your health after a fight. At restaurants, you have to eat it there, unless your health is full, in which case you can’t eat at all.

Kiryu’s neighborhood. He has a one-room apartment on the second floor of the building on the right.

A restaurant food display.

One of the places Kiryu can play side games. This is for mini car racing! You get a free car, and you can buy or find parts to improve it. One of the few side games I did OK at. Lol.

One of the substories. Rather hilarious. Love his 50’s Yankee look.

Yakuza 0 - rebel singing group

These guys are part of a singing group that is very popular with delinquents. They look like delinquents but are far from it. They want me to teach them how to pass as badass, so their fans don’t realize the truth. Lol. (The leader talks tough on second, apologetic the next, hilarious.)

One of the restaurants you can buy food. On the minimap, they show as orange. The yellow squares are for places you can buy things, like the convenience store. Purple colored areas are places with games. The Sega Game stores have UFO Catchers! (Something else I’m doing decent on! Yay! Stuffed animals for the win! :P)

Have a great week! And a happy 4th of July!

Virtual Tourist – Yakuza 0 6/16/19

First off, Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there!

Happy Father's Day

Mini Movie Review

Men In Black International Men In Black: International – They are back! With more attitude, bigger weapons, and the usual chaos! 😛 The original theme music is back, so the film had a nostalgic vibe to it. There’s even a painting in High T’s office of J and K saving the world. 😛 There’s a recurring theme in the film they pound into you hard – the universe always puts you where you need to be when you need to be there. They stretch this out a bit much! And while some explanations on why things have happened are shown, there are others you have to infer from what’s been presented. (For example: Why H changed so much in 3 years. And no, it’s not the girlfriend. Though if you don’t put it together yourself, it’s gone :P) Cool effects, fast pace, overall a good ride! Rating: 3.5 out of 4 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission.)

Yakuza 0

This is another Japanese console game that has been converted for PC. For the most part, they’ve done a good change over, though I have run into one issue on a keybinding that drove me nuts as it trapped me on a fighting style tutorial. Ugh.

It’s 1988 in Kamurocho, a fictional small town/district in Japan. You’re Kazuma Kiryu, one of two orphan boys who joined the local yakuza when they became of age. Kiryu is a straight shooter, who’s gets set up for murder so the shame can be used against his boss in a tangled political power play.

In the middle of the serious storyline, there are substories to get involved in and mini-games (karaoke, pocket racers, baseball batting, etc.). Some of those are far from serious. Watching Kyriu pose with his pocket racer and doing his “I win!” bit are hilarious. Geek fun abounds!

One of the streets in Kamurocho at night. Loads of clubs and adult entertainment. Following my friend Majima to do some drinking.

The opposite side of the same street. Video stores, pachinko, and more.

Majima and Kiryu. Both orphans raised at the Sunflower Orphanage. It’s financed by their boss, Kazama, which is why they both decided to join the yakuza. (He did try to dissuade them, but these two are stubborn.) (I love Kyriu’s sideburns!!!!!!!!)

Look at the gorgeous woodwork! Upper floor on the Dojima HQ. (Dojima is the main Yakuza family in the zone.)

Kuze – one of the three top lieutenants in the Dojima family. He’s willing to do anything to get a shot at being captain. A position currently held by Kazama, Kyriu’s boss, who is currently in jail. (That ceiling is rad!)

Kuze’s Yakuza tattoo – the King of Hell (Underworld). Heh heh.

Kyriu’s yakuza tattoo – work in progress. He’s currently pretty low in the ranks.

I really liked this image — the view from a top floor of one of the buildings in Kamurocho. Tachibana of Tachibana Realty is the man reflected in the window. A non-yakuza group who is also vying for control of the “Empty Lot.”

Of course, I forgot to take a shot of the login screen. Fighting skill tree pic is also probably in order. DOH!

Have a great week!

Virtual Tourist – Subnautica 5/12/19

Mini Movie Review

Pokemon Detective Pikachu

Pokemon Detective Pikachu – This movie was so cute! It was awesome seeing all the pokemon with actual fur, feathers, etc. The story is more complex than expected. There are lots of red herrings to keep the audience guessing. All the weird stuff, like Pikachu being understood by Tim, all have explanations. This was a fun little film. I just wish they’d given Jigglypuff more camera time! Lol. Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Subnautica

This freaked me out. You could hear moaning through the water, but seeing it was such a surprise!

There are six or more of them, all different ages. You can tell by looking at the top carapace. This specimen is an older one. He has all sorts of plant life, coral and even some minerals on his shell.

A picture of the beast’s underbelly. They are truly fascinating.

Sunset on the alien world. There is a lot of beauty here.

Glowing life form. Quite beautiful. The fauna and flora changes depending on what zone you find yourself in.

Drooping Stinger – gorgeous but don’t get too close. They pack a bit of a punch. So be careful. (I also got carried away and let my oxygen get too low. Time to panic! lol.)

The still burning Aurora and the reddish moon.

There is more than just water everywhere! Here’s some dry land. Rescue is imminent. A passing spaceship picked up Aurora’s distress signal.

We are not alone! A building of alien origin. Might there be alien lifeforms here as well?

I did want to wish all the Mom’s out there a fabulous and well deserved “Happy Mother’s Day!”

Virtual Tourist – Subnautica 5/5/19

Morning!

No mini movie review this week. Still fighting with some unspecified health issues. I’d hoped they would have figured it out by now, but no such luck. Ugh

Subnautica

New game! (For me, anyway.) It’s a survival/exploration game. Most of it is underwater. You can tone down the number of issues for your survival. I skipped needing food and water. Air seemed hard enough to contend with. 😛

The game is also a mystery story as well. Exploring and trying to find other survivors lead you to clues explaining why you are there and the reasons somethings have happened.

This is Aurora a ship belonging to the Altera Corporation. For reasons unknown at the beginning, the ship is about to crash on the planet below.

Subnautica - upper hatch of survival pod

This is a pic of the upper hatch of your escape/survival pod. Half the stuff is not working and your PDA has also suffered data damage. (The PDA houses your inventory, schematics, scan data, locations, and other info.)

The wreck of the Aurora. Until you get some schematics and improve your diving suit, the area is too radioactive to approach.

This is the underwater area just beneath the escape capsule. Gorgeous graphics! You can see your health bar and oxygen on the left. Keeping track of your oxygen is SUPER important. 🙂

Coral, fish, and underwater plants. You have a scanner that you use to gather data. It will also let you know if there’s stuff you can make with it or if it is edible, and more.

The outside of the escape pod. You can see the moon peeking behind it.

The shallow area is gorgeous at night! A lot of the plants and fish glow in the dark. So beautiful!

Night view from the surface of the water. Fires from the Aurora are darkening the view of the moon/planet with smoke.

Celestial companions.

Sunrise on the planet. Beautiful but it has its dangers as well.

Have a great week!

Virtual Tourist – Tales of Bersaria 4/28/19

Mini Movie Review

Avengers: End Game – First off, be aware this movie is 3 hours long! It won’t feel like it, but your bladder will know. So FYI! lol. There was a lot to like about the film. Tons of emotional fodder and we get to see characters that have been gone for a while. Tons of humorous and serious moments. Some fun mixed character interactions. It’s only in the last half hour or so that the plot becomes forced as there are certain things they want to happen, regardless of the fact there are better alternatives. They also don’t take certain facts into account during least one of the time travel moments.

(SPOILERS!!!!!) – Quill getting bushwhacked on the dead planet. They totally ignore the group of bad guys who show up on the planet when he’s there. An unconscious Quill would mean a Dead Quill (by alien rats or by bad guys!). Plus the two picking up this rock would have been ambushed just like Quill. (These guys were acting separately from Thanos’ other peeps.) Doctor Strange/Iron Man – Strange wields power, and like the Ancient One, uses the Eye of Agamotto. So would he not be better able to survive or shield himself when using the five Infinity Stones? Yet that avenue is never pursued in any way. Cap’s decision at the end – while for me it was a squee moment, on further thought there’s no way he could pull it off. Would someone of his moral fiber be able to not fight crime or injustice when he could make a difference? All for selfish gain? I think not. (Plus this also gives the finger to Bucky! He gets left behind!) Also, while the moment with Falcon was very moving, but if you’re not acquainted with the comics, it seems strange, especially since he’s not done any leadership before this or has been shown to have powers of his own.

I was disturbed by the fact they held a funeral/vigil for Tony, but they did nothing for Natasha! Why did they not do both together? They knew all the same people. Why would they shut her out like that? She doesn’t get her own movie and now no sendoff either? Come on!

I was able to ignore some of this stuff way better than hubby. Just be warned! Super build up and awesomeness for convenient letdowns. Rating: 3.5 out of 5. (Hubby’s Rating: Better for Matinee. (Yeah, he was not happy! lol)

Tales of Berseria

Some really nice details! I believe this is an Inn at Loegres.

A super cold winter. Not that Velvet feels it.

Crystal caves. What are those exorcists up to?

Moss filled caves, almost jungle like. The goal is near.

Gorgeous coastal view! Look at that sky!

One of the many ways the Abbey is restricting the populace. Giant lock system restricting trading by ship.

The pirate ship Captained by Airfried. He’s currently missing, captured by the Abbey. Velvet and her companions have joined them as they have similar paths and goals.

Tales of Berseria - ships coming to port

Heading to port. Really love this ship!

View from port out to the open sea. Calming, isn’t it? 🙂

I will say the Abbey does have some impressive churches.

Hope you have a great weekend! Till next time. 🙂

Virtual Tourist – Tales of Bersaria 4/21/19

Morning!

Mini Movie Review

Hellboy – This film is like a reboot of the Hellboy franchise. Think of it as a prequel/retelling. It’s very well done. The cast was great! While Ron Perlman did a great job in the previous two films, it has been 12 years since the last one. David Harbour picks up the mantle seamlessly. Great special effects, loads of action, even some twists and turns. Overall, it was quite enjoyable! Rating: 3.75 out of 4. (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Tales of Bersaria

The big betrayal! This is where all the bad stuff truly begins.

Artorious – Velvet’s brother-in-law and mentor. Now turned murderer.

A spell in motion.

Artorious’ Malach companion. Three years later she’s seen enough of what he is doing to know he has to be stopped. She releases and is later consumed by Velvet. (Malach are a spirit race, which until recently couldn’t be seen by humans.)

Velvet is free of her jail cell, but must now fight her way out. Her only thought, revenge.

Velvet and Artorious’ Malach.

Magilou – a witch also imprisoned in the island jail. She’s an enigma of sorts. Is also hardly ever serious and loves to poke at all the members of the group. Yet there’s more to her beneath her odd facade.

A closeup of Velvet.

Typical Magilou. 😛

The first town Velvet and her new companions see after the boat they stole crash lands. Huh, I didn’t take a pic of Rokurou. 🙁

Hope you and yours have a wonderful Easter.

Movie Reviews

Virtual Tourist

Seasons After Fall

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Mini Movie Reviews

Virtual Tourist

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Yakuza O

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Conventions!

Promotions!

Yakuza 0

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Yakuza 0

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Mini Movie Review

Yakuza 0

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Mini Movie Review

Subnautica

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Subnautica

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Mini Movie Review

Tales of Berseria

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Mini Movie Review

Tales of Bersaria

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