BY LOGAN SCHLOSSER

STAFF WRITER

Today I have the pleasure of talking to you about my favorite game to waste time. The game that I am talking about here is Downwell. I can describe this game as a rapid-paced experience; and this a game can last  anywhere from one minute to thirty. The description I would also give this game would be “randomly-generated-fun”. I would give this game this description because your game experience is legitimately different every single time. The enemies are randomly spawned, same with the levels you experience! So, with the introduction out of the way, lets get more in depth with this game!

Alright, so I feel because this is a video game, I should be talking about the actual gameplay first. So in this game, as the name suggests, you are legitimately falling down a well! The main mechanic of this game is the gun boots that are strapped to your feet as you descend. These boots have many different upgrade abilities and mechanics as you travel fast down the well. On the mechanics side, you have a certain amount of ammo you can use, but it will reload once you land on a solid object. You will use these spectacular boots to traverse the well—mostly because they will allow you to slow fall and not just plummet into all of the enemies that will try to take your health away. Speaking of heath, you only have four hit points as you travel down, but these can be refilled as you travel down the well. You also have the ability to change the type of shots your boots shoot by picking up little upgrade modules. Now, each of these will usually contain an ammo upgrade or a health refill. But more importantly, they will always change how your boots function, making the game so much more fun! Lastly, as you destroy the enemies that are below you by stepping on them, they will always drop some sort of currency. This currency can be used in the shops that you will find occasionally to purchase health upgrades and ammo upgrades! Now, because I don’t wanna spoil too much of the game, let’s move onto the next paragraph.

Well, as I like to do in the reviews I write, I will be talking about the art style. I feel as though the art style of a game will really pull it together. Even if the gameplay is fun, I feel a game can only be good if you pair that with a good art style. This game’s art style is what would be described as 8-bit. The game also has a two-color color palette that can be changed as you progress through the game, so what can motivate you to continue playing the game is to unlock more color palettes, as well as this simple graphic design. You do not need the most powerful hardware in the business to play this comfortably, so that makes the game a lot more opening to new players hoping to join the PC gaming community

Anyways, there is so much more I would like to tell you about this game, but I don’t wanna spoil the experience that you can have with this game. So if my review made you want to pick up a copy of Downwell, I gladly recommend you do. 

BY LAUREN PAULSON
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

**Warning: this review contains spoilers!**

With a hurried and anticipatory air, Jo March hurries out of an apartment and off to the Weekly Volcano Press, a different and surprising beginning to the seventh movie with the same title, Little Women. Instead of being greeted by the smiling faces of all the March sisters on Christmas morning as many audience members expected, the new film defies the idea of chronological timing and instead begins toward the end of the story. In a portrayal different than all of the previous movie adaptations of Little Women, this new film jumps around to different times and years in almost every scene to keep the story engaging and help audiences connect the interplay of parts of the story throughout time.

Debuting in the United States on December 25th (Christmas Day), 2019, the new Little Women movie is yet another retelling of the classic book written by Louisa May Alcott, a full twenty-five years after the last (1994) version was released. Many famous actors and actresses star in this film adaptation written and directed by Greta Gerwig, which was nominated six times at the Academy Awards and has impressively high reviews on top sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. The adventurous and endearing March sisters were played by Saoirse Ronan (Jo), Emma Watson (Meg), Eliza Scanlen (Beth), and Florence Pugh (Amy); other well-known faces in the film include Laura Dern (Marmee) and Meryl Streep (Aunt March). 

Although it did not break any box-office records or make a stellar amount of gross income, Little Women has had an overwhelmingly positive response, and for good reason. The movie is a unique take on a classic story that is memorable and moving. As previously mentioned, the film begins towards the end of the story before flashing forward to the original beginning scene; throughout the rest of the movie flashbacks and forward jumps in time keep the pace fast and enticing. For newer audience members who have not watched earlier versions of the movie or read Little Women, this type of plotline might be confusing, but for long-time fans of the classic novel, the added twist keeps the story fresh and exciting.

With a slightly longer run time and different emphases, the new movie focuses on the main characters (the four March sisters and Laurie) and is able to develop their characters in a much more in-depth way than previous films have done. There is also more emphasis on the adult lives of each of the sisters, even after Jo moves away; in addition to the main focus on Jo, there is a deeper look into the lives of Meg, Beth, and Amy. In a scene not found in the book, Meg’s marriage to and life with John Brooke is focused on. Viewers get a closer look at Meg and her humanness: how she loves her husband and two children but is tired of being poor and being pitied by neighbors and “friends.”

Beth’s story is such a heartbreaking one, and I felt the movie did her justice by growing her character and giving the audience a window into her strong relationship with Jo. Although she has a very timid and shy personality, the new movie successfully establishes and advances her character into one of courage and selflessness. In fact, Beth cares so much about the Marches’ poor neighbors that she goes without her sisters to help with their sick children. It is this selfless act that leads to her sickness and eventual death, making it all the more tragic. I cried three times while watching the movie because of the poignant way Beth’s death and the family’s reaction to it is portrayed. The film was effective in provoking the audience to deeper questions about life, grief, and love.

Amy is usually disliked by readers and viewers because of her childish and selfish ways, but I thought the new movie did a wonderful job of showing her as a grown and mature woman who is able to think for herself and care about others. Audiences are able to see a little more of the rivalry between Jo and Amy, which leads to Amy’s real, human feelings of jealousy and unworthiness. The scene where Amy tells Laurie that she won’t marry him because she’s tired of being second-place to Jo is one of my favorites because it portrays how Amy has felt living in her sister’s shadow for so long. These scenes and others give viewers more of a look at the lives of all the March sisters, which I believe is a great addition to the story.

Besides the possible confusion from the way the movie jumps around, the only complaint I had was the age of the actress who played Amy. I thought there should have been a younger actress to play Amy as a young girl because she is supposed to be the youngest March sister, but she looks older than all the other actresses. Florence Pugh is a very talented actress who did a great job playing the character, but it was hard to imagine her as young because of how much she looks like an adult. This minor issue did not detract much from the movie as a whole, however. Overall, the film was entertaining, emotional, and deep, and I would recommend it to any audience. In my opinion, Little Women was a cinematic success.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Women_(2019_film)#Release

Image source:

https://tomandlorenzo.com/2019/10/little-women-character-posters-revealed-movie-preview-posters/

BY LYNNE INOUYE

STAFF WRITER

Scythe, by Neal Shusterman, is a riveting work with interesting twists and complex characters that make you question—what really draws the line between right and wrong? The book grabs your attention, and, from the start, spins a fascinating tale about two young people forced into a role they never wanted. But then again, what normal person would want to master the art of killing?

In this utopian world, humanity has reached its peak. With no disease, no warfare, and technologies that allow humans to be practically immortal, natural death has reached a standstill. To control the ever-growing population, a decision is reached. The scythedom is formed, and with it, the very best of humanity take upon themselves the burden of killing. This is a burden, because scythes are remorseful, wise people who do not enjoy their job. It just has to be done, as even in a world of complete peace and prosperity, the cycle of life and death must continue on.

At least, that’s the idea. 

Though a fair amount of people would jump at the idea of being a scythe, as they’re somewhat of celebrities, Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch are not these people. Still, they find themselves apprenticed to Scythe Faraday, through circumstances of their own. Neither of them really want to be in charge of killing. Neither of them really even like Scythe Faraday, but they end up in the scythedom, nonetheless. 

Citra and Rowan and their relationship with the scythedom is a very interesting aspect of this book. Shusterman writes in a way that makes the two protagonists very much three-dimensional, and then he adds a whole different layer in how realistically he portrays their growth.  With the amount of conflict and twists in this novel, the characters need to constantly adapt and change. However, it doesn’t feel forced. Reading it for the second time, it was honestly a surprise to see how different Rowan and Citra were from here to the second book. However, throughout the two available books of this series, one thing remains constant regarding our two main characters. That is that Citra and Rowan really do compliment each other nicely, from a writing standpoint. Somehow, no matter what happens, their relationship always works.

Now, Citra and Rowan, however likable they are, are not actually the stars of the show. This might not come as a surprise, but one of the most memorable things about this book, the thing that sets it apart from any other, is the plot. Or, well, the interesting moral dilemmas and questions the plot brings up. Scythe is a book that deals with a lot of heavy, complicated things, but the way Shusterman presents it to the reader makes it relatively easy to digest. I really think it makes it memorable. 

Scythe is a book that sticks with a person, all in all. Scythe, its sequel, and I’m sure the final book, The Toll, coming out this November, are all fantastic reads. So, if you’re looking for a YA sci-fi book, I’d definitely recommend giving Scythe a try!

Image from: https://nealshustermanreal.tumblr.com/post/169435480208/only-the-pain-of-empathy-will-keep-us-human