Shout out to Warner Bros Discovery for providing a copy of this show to review. My opinions are my own.
Right out of the gate, this show gained my interest thinking it was going to place Wednesday and Pugsley in a high school setting that challenged them to navigate through token school life, but then things shifted after something entertaining occurred. Does it hold up from this point? Let's find out.
Story: So that... thing that Wednesday pulled off at school to avenge Pugsley got her the boot, but not the students who kicked it all off (you know how that usually goes)... but her move to a new school took her from the ordinary to the abnormal via Nevermore Academy.
Wednesday goes into this season with smoke for her parents. It mainly seems like it's aimed at her mom (Morticia), but... her dad is getting that work as well. She seems to be a rebel with... causes she feels is noble. She doesn't believe in being a housewife, which I was like... is this going to be one of those show that revolves around that type of narrative with an Addams Family theme wrapped around it. It definitely remains tucked in the show... but it isn't oversaturated to the point that it commandeers the show. Thank goodness. A message is one thing, using it as a crutch instead of showcasing originality is something else... and Tim Burton didn't allow his name to be fuel for a dumpster fire.
But yeah... Wednesday doesn't just have a problem with that type of notion, she also doesn't believe in social media, she doesn't believe in cell phones... and just seems to be anti-anything that she feels would annoy her (which isn't far off from Wednesday). It's carried as a badge of honor by Wednesday to represent that she doesn't allow others to define her.
I would've loved to see how things played out at the traditional school, but the deeper I got into the various chapters... the show got even better. I don't really see the comedy aspect (unless it's dry dark comedy... until the family graces the screen), but the mystery... yes! I'd even call it a thriller to an extent as Wednesday tries to find the truth about a book that dates back centuries... and appears to be tied to the Addams family and their history in Jericho. The past doesn't just tie in Wednesday's ancestor, but also her dad... (Gomez) who had the local sheriff convinced that he was a killer.
So you have that aspect placing them opposite sides, plus the drama that takes place at the academy and Jericho in general. It almost feels like a cross up between The Outsider + Star Girl + Bones... featuring Thing. I was actually trying to see if Thing was doing sign language, which in part he was... and fun fact, it's a form of ASL that I use (called Signed English). Signed English is finger spelling with one hand but at a fast past that allows you to hold a conversation (with deaf individuals and the hearing impaired).
Overall, this is a really good show, despite the pace picking up closer to the finale. With over 6 billion minutes poured into the show in its first five days, it's safe to say that others feel similar outside of curious viewers (who watch the trending suggestions).
Fun fact: This is Netflix's most popular English TV series of all time. That's the power of flexing your creativity in a way that viewers appreciate.
Visuals: Visually speaking, you get a lot of dark vivid scenes in this film. They're broken up with the sunny days around town, but certain areas still deliver that darkness despite the sun shining. This show captures plenty of mid shots, closeups, with low angles and high angles tucked in (i.e. the balcony scene involving Gomez, Principal Larissa, and others). One of my favorite shots was Wednesday and a classmate climbing into the spiraled cave. I won't say anymore about that, but it was a nice angle.
Audio: Wednesday is served up in DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as Dolby Digital 5.1.
I listened with both surround sound speakers and... 1More S50s. The quality audio makes this series even better, and it's easy to point out the sounds when the action kicks up... but subtle sounds like Lurch walking across the floor or Thing breaking someone out of a cop car sounds great too. Proper placement and quality sounds go such a long way and I appreciated what was done here. I watched the finally a few times just to hear it over again, especially when all hell broke lose and things got a little... electrifying (that sounded sweet on the headphones).
Price: Price: Pricewise you can get... Wednesday on DVD for $24.98 & $29.98 on Blu-Ray. Is it worth it? Yes, you get multiple elements that give you the feel of a thrill ride to a degree, plus the mystery aspect, plus the love interest(s) that some viewers crave even if Wednesday doesn't exactly know how to show it in a way we deem normal, but... she's an Addams (what can ya can about it, huh?). You get over 480 minutes in the 2-disc Blu-ray that serve up 8 well-rounded episodes that feel like a long movie. These episodes move you closer to the finale with ease... because they're easy to binge watch thanks to the cliffhangers. The ending also leaves the door open for another season. Personally, I would've celebrated the success of the first season with a special edition disc that included a Thing keychain.
Shout out to Raw Fury for supplying a copy of this game for a review.
Call of the Sea is... an interesting first-person adventure puzzle game. I'd call it an adventure, thriller, puzzle hybrid that starts out where it should just to gear you up for... to gear you up for a nifty adventure.
Story:Call of the Sea... takes place in 1934, and the story revolves around a female protagonist by the name of Norah. Not only are you in Norah's shoes, but this H.P. Lovecraft inspired story is based on her going on a quest to find out what happened to her husband... who ventured off to find a cure for her. Needless to say, she comes across some interesting things on this island that she doesn't find a need to weapon up for.
Not to rant or anything, but... (hmmm) I just couldn't help but wonder why in the world would someone venture off to an island with unknown dangers... and no weapon(s). Even if the weapon isn't used... I think it would've been more realistic to grab something. By the way, I had to attach thriller to this game, because of the things you come across. It's not considered a horror game.
Gameplay:The gameplay consists of you venturing around an island in the South Pacific, uncovering secrets of a lost civilization while connecting dots to uncover what happened to your husband and where he might be. In order to progress from one section to the next, you have to figure out the clues to overcome a variety of challenging puzzles.
Of course, you aren't just going from one puzzle to the next... you uncover more of the story and history of the island at the same time. The story actually goes from 0 to 20 to 60... and even if it's not considered a horror game, one part of the game (once it switches gears) really was out of the playbook of horror.
While I don't have a problem with the puzzles in the game, I kept going back to Norah traveling alone. There was a missed opportunity to add a survival element to this game with the fact that she was traveling to an unknown island to face who knows what. She didn't know how long the adventure would be, she would need food, and shelter... at least. That would have really transformed this game and took it to the next level.
Visuals:The visuals are like a quality cel shade (at least in some areas), that almost fades into full 3D models and textures after a certain occurrence. This is when the game really came alive for me... while maintaining the puzzle elements and your pursuit of finding Norah's husband. The environment is lush both on land... and in the sea, during those times when you swim the fishes.
Price:Pricewise, Call of the Sea... comes in at $19.99. That's the sweet spot for this otherworldly tale of mystery and love.
The Invisible Hours is a complex murder mystery playable with or without a VR headset. Players freely explore an intricate web of interwoven stories within a sprawling mansion.
A group of strangers receive a curious invitation from the enigmatic inventor, Nikola Tesla, offering each of them the chance to make amends for their darkest wrongdoings. When the last guest arrives at Tesla’s isolated mansion laboratory, they find him dead – murdered. Disgraced Swedish detective, Gustaf Gustav, vows to find the killer amongst the other guests: a blind butler, a convicted murderer, the world’s most famous actress, Tesla’s former assistant, the son of a wealthy railroad magnate, and rival inventor Thomas Edison. But none of these people are what they seem. The player is invisible, with freedom to follow and observe anyone in the story – or to explore the mansion for hidden clues.