Infinity Train: Book Two... Reviewed!

 Before I jump in, I would like to thank Warner Bros for supplying a copy of this show for my review. My opinions are my own.


All Aboard! Thank you for riding the Infinity Train... let's go!

I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to Infinity Train: Book Two, and I wasn't familiar with the show at all. It takes place on a train (duh of the day), but it reminds me of Snowpiercer where the various cars... don't exactly feel like your standard train cars. They actually feel like a series of dimensions tied together, and you access them through the different doors of the train.

Story: Infinity Train is an interesting concept in itself, but... the characters and their story make it an experience worth watching. Mirror Tulip, is a reflection of a girl named... Tulip (the main character from Book One). The adventure begins with Mirror Tulip (aka M.T.) changing her appearance to escape the Mirror Police (aka the Flects) from the Chrome Car (available in Infinity Train: Book One). These guys use reflections to gain access to any location, but I was confused as the why M.T. wouldn't use such an ability. That would've made for some kick-ass fighting scenes and stealth... but I guess they wanted to keep it confined to the train for the main characters. 

Her attempt to escape... resulted in her meeting a deer with superpowers, and Jesse, a 14-year old jock from Arizona. The Infinity Train exists to put people in situations that force them to fix their personal problems if they want to leave, so this is the reason why Jesse is on the train. Like all other human passengers, he has to get his number to zero in order to leave. Could you imagine if that were true to our reality? The world would be completely different.

Anyway, the trio has a good balance as far as personality goes. M.T. is more of the rebel who refused to settle for life as a reflection, Jesse is a fun-loving teen who needs to realize the error of his ways, and Alan Dracula is the super-powered silent type (but... he's a deer, so talking wouldn't really be his thing anyway).

The different train cars put this interesting trio in a variety of scenarios that require them to work together (for the most part). You might see them running from one door to the next while escaping the Mirror Police, but most of the time it's a big question mark of what's on the other side of the door. In this adventure, you experience a little more than 10 cars that challenge the characters... and initially, they were just going through the motions to overcome the challenges of that car until the episode with the Toad car.

There wasn't much going on in that car when it came to action, but... there was plenty in the episode to connect the dots in terms of Jesse's backstory. So... yes, I knew he was there, I just didn't know the reason why, but the same episode also revealed more about M.T. which increased their bond. It also showed that she didn't simply consist of this strong exterior, because she was trying to show Jesse the wrong in a situation. Her softer side began to reveal itself as the episodes progressed, even though I saw it in the first episode. She escaped the servitude of being a reflection, she wanted to live her own life... which probably grabbed the attention of some viewers who wonder if our reflections have lives of their own (my answer is no because a reflection is a reflection).

I don't want to get off-topic but think about the color of things. We can't see the color of anything without light first bouncing off of it, so wouldn't that result in our reflection merely being a reflection of... light? I didn't mean to get this deep, but... let's move on.

Outside of the Flects, and the bots running the operation... I didn't see a lot of reoccurring characters. I thought the Wasteland was going to lead to an additional antagonist that ran the course of the show, but at least it gave Jesse more of the focus for a couple of episodes. These episodes were more like crossroads for him because he had the option of going off the rails with antagonists who saw their numbers as cred or... continue his journey to qualify for his exit home. Each character got a satisfactory amount of shine.

Alan Dracula also go some love in the Parasite Car episode, which delivered the most comedic value of the show for me. They tried to deliver some laughs here throughout the season, but (I don't know)... It didn't connect for me.

Visuals: Visually... Infinity Train: Book Two, has that sort of jazzed-up plain art style as seen in many of your Cartoon Network shows. I figured this is done to maintain a recognizable style associated with the network, but... I would like to see a bit more oomph.


Going back to the art style, what I can say about this show is that you get different art styles served up based on what car you're in. I won't say I was wowed at any given time, but... I was curious as to what I was going to see next.




Audio + Extras: When it comes to the audio, I didn't mind the upbeat electronic soundtrack even if I didn't really focus notice it outside of the theme music. The sound effects were okay, nothing really stood out to me though.

You get 10 episodes in Infinity Train: Book Two... which have a short but sweet runtime of 10 minutes or so. So you get through the season fairly quick, which is why I appreciate the price seen below.

Extra include 3 special features:

Commentaries
Animatics
Image Gallery

These extras are a plus for fans, but I also think the commentary is a great addition for those still scratching their head about the show. Animatics are something I would recommend for the artists interested in animation, along with the image gallery... in order to get an idea of what you would have to produce in order to be part of an animation studio.



Price: Pricewise, this show is awesomely priced at $14.97. It could have been a steal at $10, but I have no complaints at $14.97 MSRP. Luckily we can make that $10 price tag happen for you... here!

The overall story in this season was enjoyable, after the second half I was all in trying to see how things worked out... and I was satisfied. There are factors in there that complicate Jesse's exit, but... I believe you will find the exit satisfying for the most part. If you're familiar with Infinity Train, then you know... there are different characters in each book... and this one gets a thumbs up. I wanted to see more fighting, but enough was injected in there to make me shrug it off.


Story 5

Visuals 4

Audio + Extras 4

Price 5

4.5 out of 5 Cool Points

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First 30: Pyramid Plunge


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The Money Tournament featuring PAC-MAN 256! You in?




We're pleased to announce our first tournament and you're welcomed to join in. The selected game is simple enough for anyone to play, and so are the rules presented below. So what game is it? It's PAC-MAN256. The spec requirements are low, so you can play it on a PC running in beast mode or... a simple laptop. 

So whether you're a new school or old school gamer... let's see what you've got. You can get the game on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox

We can't accept Apple or Android gameplay because you're able to continue from a loss and edit without notice.

How To Join

Record up to 1-Hour (Max) of your gameplay in PAC-MAN 256

  • Must record video from the start of the gameplay (no edits)
  • You don't have to be on video.

  • If you don't know how to record your gameplay on Windows 10, press the Windows (logo) key + G key on your keyboard.
  • When the boxes pop up, go to the one labeled "Capture" and press the "Start Recording" button.

  • Just hover your mouse over the button to make sure that's the one.

  • When you're done with gameplay, press the "Stop" button next to the recording timer.

  • Your video should be in the Captures folder in your videos folder.

_________________________________________________________

Upload Video To YouTube During The Tournament Dates:

  • June 11, 2021 - July 9, 2021 (by 11:59PM PST)

  • The video can be unlisted, it will be shared for everyone to see.

  • Mobile gamers are welcome, but you can't continue.

_________________________________________________________

How To Win:

  • The 3 players with the Highest Scores Win!

Winners Announced:

  • July 22nd or July 23rd (2021) which allows time to review the videos.
_________________________________________________________

Prizes:

  • 1st Place - $20 Amazon Gift Card or Equivalent

  • 2nd Place - $10 Amazon Gift Card or Equivalent

  • 3rd Place - $5 Amazon Gift Card or Equivalent
_________________________________________________________

Email Your YouTube Link To:

  • ForTheWin@SdgtStudio.com
This will give you an idea of gameplay. Your goal is simply to get the highest score among those who enter, that's it. Good luck and... game on!



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Top Audiences Last Week + A Bundle + A Tournament?!

 


Who made it on the list this week?

USA

Germany

United Kingdom

Hong Kong

Indonesia

France
Ukraine
Australia
Canada
Italy


Netherlands, Japan, and Portugal... came close!


+ Tournament
In addition to supporting your pals here at SDGT, spending a $1 on this bundle could pay off... because we're gearing up for a PAC-MAN 256 Tournament! We're working out the rules and what the prizes will be. There won't be any candy (momma noooo) but... there will be gift card (you could buy candy with)!





          
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Up to 45% off Thinkpad laptops w/ THINKMAYDEAL

Dear Developers: Taking A Step Back In Specs... Could Be A Win (on PC)!

You might be looking at this title wondering what am I getting at... NOW, but I really want you to consider something. I know that there are plenty of gamers out there rocking the latest and greatest GPU's in the market, but you can pull off great looking games with minimum's seen below:

Video Card

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 (2GB) DirectX 11

Pixel Shader 5.0

Vertex Shader 5.0

Dedicated Video RAM 2GB

CPU

Intel Core i5-4460 (3.40GHz); Quad-core Processor

RAM

4GB

Minimum OS

Windows 10 (64-bit OS)

I won't speak on disk space because... content varies and increases with DLC. You might be wondering what game would run on these types of specs, and the answer is... Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Sure the game was released some time ago (2015 to be exact), but at the minimum specs, it still looks good (in 2021). It doesn't stifle the ability to provide better quality via recommended specs or even the highest resolutions, you just open the door to more gamers.

There are games that miss out on a larger audience because the developers limit the range. The higher the specs the lower the percentage when it comes to PC players able to play that game. A game doesn't require specs as low as those seen in CS:GO but look at the audience for CS:GO.

Between May 13, 2021 and May 20, 2021... there were more nearly a million players in-game every single day (according to the Steam Charts).

There are games that look far better than CS:GO and you have to cross your fingers in hopes that someone is online to play with. There are gamers who hold onto yesterday's tech for quite some time, so I think taking a step back could prove to be... a win.


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The Alienist: Angel of Darkness... Reviewed!

I like to thank Warner Bros. for supplying a copy of this show for my review. My opinions are my own.


I have to be honest. I had no idea what The Alienist: Angel Of Darkness was or what it would end up being. I saw the name of this show and thought it was going to be something related to Aliens being considered the devil or something.

I'm still confused about the title, but the show began to grab my interest a few episodes in. It didn't start off slow, but... my interest increased around the 2nd or 3rd episode.


Story: It started off jacked up, and that... kinda continued with the light of a crime-fighting team of detectives shining through to find out what sinister filth was behind babies being kidnapped and replaced with dolls. 


It seemed like a weird pattern of babies being taken and the mothers being charged for their alleged murder.

The dots connected in a way that kept my interest as the detectives began to unravel acts of pure evil, and when I thought the team was getting down to the bottom of it... there was a twist that had me like (holy sugar wrappers). It's not just sinister acts going on in this show, you also get a dab of romance in there.

Sara (played by Dakota Fanning) is the head of a private detective agency, that utilized the skills of Dr. Kreizler (Daniel Bruhl) aka the Alienist and a New York Times reporter by the name of... John Moore (Luke Evans). She also has other members of the team assisting her, but the story revolves around these three as they take down an elusive killer in an 1890's New York setting. You get corrupt institutions, sensationalism, and a spotlight on women in the society at that time as written for the show. What I appreciate is that they didn't make it cheesy while doing this, there were some things in there where they could have potentially taken this woman vs men direction... but I'm glad it didn't go that direction to overshadow the story.



There were things tucked in there that I found quite interesting, like with John Moore. I saw how he was being belittled publically for lacking certain resources and being in a relationship with someone who seemed like she wanted to be with him because she had someone to control financially. I think that was based on her upbringing, but... that's no way to maintain a relationship (when it comes to anyone) or that person wouldn't be authentic. In my opinion, I think that would merely be adapting to a life in captivity, so... I think that's one of the reasons he pours so much time into his work in order to prove himself worthy. 

Each of the main characters had something interesting about them, which resulted in something interesting to look forward to as far as their personal lives are concerned.


I did find it most interesting that the Alienist wasn't the main character in the show. Don't get me wrong, when it comes to the Alienist, he played a crucial role when it came to those breakthroughs (he was able to get people to recall memories). 


Even if he didn't lead the way, it didn't take away from the show as Dakota Fanning respectfully shined in her role. Overall, the team dynamic was interesting as the detectives inched their way towards taking down the baddies going after innocent little babies for reasons I will leave for you to find out.


Visuals: Visually this show has a good mix of angles that helped with the suspense. I really liked those bokeh shots the team was able to pull off for select scenes where they were able to capture the foreground and completely blur out the back (i.e. the hands are seen but the body is blurred out).

Most of the shots were your standard close-up and medium shots, but there were plenty of long/wide shots, panning, and other dramatic shots to keep it interesting. Even in the daytime, this show still felt dark to me based on the background music and overall environment. Day and night scenes were balanced with crisp visuals, and nothing felt like cheap fluff to sell the 1890's setting. 


If I had to knock a scene or two, it would be some of the ones involving the slaughtered pig props. They looked authentic, but the scenes had nothing to do with a butcher, so... I didn't think the pigs were a necessary part of the focal point for some shots. They could be there, but only to an extent that they didn't get that focus. At most, I could have seen them off to the side or something, but... it didn't kill the show.


Audio + Extras: As far as the audio goes, nothing really stood out to me. That's not a bad thing though, everything worked for the good of the experience and the sound was balanced. You have the background music that plays without overpowering the vocals of the characters, and keeps the tension where it should be (whether it's high or they merely want your attention because the team is on to something).

Extras include Inside The Alienist: Building the World, Walking the Set 2.0 with Luke Evans, Kreizler Season 1 Recap, Dressing a Modern Woman, Series Overview. I didn't get the time to dive into all the extras, but I'd suggest leaving these untouched if you didn't watch the show prior to the release on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital. 


Price: When it comes to price, you can get The Alienist: Angel of Darkness on Blu-ray for... $29.99, and DVD for... $24.99 or... get it on sale here! The MSRP isn't bad because you don't get those disappointing ups and downs that drag a show out unnecessarily, it feels more like a movie that keeps things paced throughout 8 episodes... but it doesn't have money either.

Overall, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness is a very good show... and I think it's a good thing that it's a limited series. A limited series has more of a sharper focus on the writing in my opinion because you don't have to figure out how to keep it going season after season because you have set objectives... and this show delivers the goods without at a worthwhile pace through a likable cast.


Story 5

Visuals 5

Audio + Extras 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points



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