BY LOGAN SCHLOSSER

STAFF WRITER

Hello to all of you lovely people! Welcome back to this series of newspaper articles where I review a game that’s probably been out for a long time, and I just am not up to date on. Alright, with introductions out of the way, time to reveal this week’s game to enjoy! It is a 3D sandbox game focused purely on modding and having a good time. This game is of course, Garry’s Mod. Time to move to the most important part of all, gameplay!

Alright, let’s just get right into it. Before we get into the whole modding thing, let’s get into the barebones game, which I have affectionately named “The Garry”. Now, this game is built upon Valve’s flagship engine, the Source Engine. That means that the movement and parkour is the exact same as Valve’s other games that are running off of it. These include many of Valve’s flagship games, such as the Portal series and Half-Life 2. So basically, once you are in the game and have selected the map you would like to play on, you get your first chance to open the Garry’s Mod menu. Now this menu allows you to spawn in every single asset from the Half-Life 2 game to screw around with. Really want to blow up some explosive barrels using a crossbow? You can do that at any time, any place. There is also a tools section where you can make your very own creations you can call your own. Like a massive sculpture made purely out of bathtubs.

Now that we have the core gameplay out of the way, we can talk about the mod part of the game. Because the only place you can purchase this game is Steam, you have full access to the Steam Workshop. This is where people upload their very own modifications to various games. Now this is where the mod part of Garry’s Mod comes in. You can simply just click “Subscribe” on all of the mods that seem interesting to you, reboot the game, wait for them to install, and then you are good to go! There are various different types of modifications that you can install, from maps to play on, to items to play around with. Overall though, the modding is the reason that I have spent 258.7 hours of my life on this game (oh, yeah. Did I mention that part?).

Garry’s mod is a very complex game. Yet simple enough to attract people. Now you may be wondering why I never talked about the music of it. Now, this game does not exactly have music at all. If you would like to have music though, head onto the Steam Workshop and pick some up for your game. Now, there is not much else to explain about this game, so I will just have to tell you to pick up the game and try it for yourself. I know that I am repetitive when I say that, but this is just a game that is hard to explain without someone experiencing it for themselves. Anyway, that is all I have for you today. As usual, have a good day and try this game out if you like the review. Thanks as usual!

BY VENKATA KARAVADI

STAFF WRITER

A month or two ago, the games Rocket league, Fortnite, Minecraft, Etc. were really popular. But a month ago, there was this game called “Among Us”. 

Many popular Youtubers were trying out this game, and they loved it. There are three maps , and it’s a game where there are 7-9 crewmates (depends on host options) ,and there can be 1-3 imposters (host options). Crewmates have to do tasks so they can fix the ship they are in, and the imposter has to kill all crew mates before the crewmates know the person is the imposter. Once a dead body is found, they will have a meeting and they will discuss(by chat or voice call if private) who was near and who they think it was. The most people who have voted for a person are out, but you can also skip if you are unsure of who it is or if many people are going to skip (because the other people will be suspicious of you If you are the only one who voted for somebody). If you are the imposter, you have to silently kill the person, and if you are in or near a room, you go in a vent so people who come near don’t notice you. You can also go from room to room with a vent. Once there are only three people (including you), if you are the imposter, just kill somebody when people are not near you. So, when there are three people and the imposter kills one more person, the game is over and the imposter won. If you want to win as a crewmate, you either have to complete all tasks or vote out the imposter or imposters. I have tried this game, and it’s also a game of strategy,because you can kill somebody (if you are an imposter) at a certain spot.There are three game modes; public, private, or freeplay. Freeplay is where you finish all tasks (and there is no imposter and nobody else except you), and then you win.  It’s a very fun game and I recommend you try it. It’s also free on App Store and Google Play(for phones and tablets) . On laptops or PCs, it costs money. You can buy it on Steam(for PC) if you have it.

BY ROWAN RAVERTY

STAFF WRITER

Has this distance learning gotten too boring for you? Need some action in your life? Want to leave your house and travel? Getting tired of those FRIENDS reruns and need something new to watch? Well, have I got a show for you!

Miraculous Ladybug is a 3D animated show about two superheroes named Ladybug and Cat Noir. These partners in crime work together to protect the city from the evil Hawkmoth who wants to have their miraculouses. A miraculous is a piece of jewelry that holds the power of our heroes and villains. The power is found in these magical creatures called kwamiis. Each kwamii represents a different animal and holds a special ability. The Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses are the strongest, holding the power of creation and destruction. They belong to our protagonists.

The holder of the Ladybug Miraculous is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She is voiced by Christina Vee, who has also voiced Sailor Mars in the Sailor Moon franchise. Marinette is half French from her father’s side and half Chinese from her mother’s side. She’s a kind, clumsy girl who wants to be a fashion designer. Her kwamii friend is Tikki, who’s very kind and cheerful and supports Marinette. When Marinette is Ladybug, she becomes a lot more confident. Her weapon is a yo-yo, and her special power is called Lucky Charm. She can summon a random idea and use it to stop the villain. She has no clue what the item will be. She also has a big crush on her classmate, Adrian, and gets all flustered when she tries to talk to him.

And the holder of the Black Cat Miraculous is Adrien Agreste. He is voiced by Bryce Papenbrook, who also voices Makoto Neagi and Nagito Komeada in the Danganronpa franchise. Adrien’s the son of a famous fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste. His mom, Emilie Agreste, was a famous actress; she mysteriously disappeared before the events of the series. Adrien is a charismatic, friendly, encouraging, supportive, and innocent cinnamon roll. He is innocent because his father kept him in the house for so long. Well, until he got miraculous and then he was able to get a sense of freedom away from his scheduled life. His kwamii friend is named Plagg. He’s a mischievous little bean who likes to get into trouble. He’s also a big fan of cheese- the stinkier the better. When Adrian becomes Cat Noir, he has freedom. No more being controlled by his father! He’s more optimistic and has a thing for saying cat puns. He also likes flirting with Ladybug because he loves her.

That’s right, there’s a love square in this show, and it gets very aggravating at times. Marinette likes Adrian, but he likes Ladybug and doesn’t know that she’s Marinette. And Marinette has no clue that Adrian was flirting with her this whole time as Cat Noir. 

Now, in season 2, they did introduce two new love interests for both Marinette and Adrian. First is Luka Couffaine, a sweet guitarist who has Marinette question if her life will be with him or Adrian. He’s very supportive of her, saying that he’s always there for her if Adrian declines her. Kagami Tsurugi, a Japanese girl who’s a part of Adrian’s fencing team, likes him. They spend a lot of time together due to their parents being friends. She knows of Marinette’s crush on Adrian, but believes Adrian has a crush on Marinette. Adrien also has two other girls in the series that have crushes on him, but he doesn’t like them in that way. Chloe Bourgeois is the daughter of the Mayor of Paris, Adrian’s first ever friend, and Marinette’s bully. There’s also Lila Rossi who I really don’t like because she’s a liar and has a respect/works for Hawkmoth.

Speaking of Hawkmoth, he’s the series’ main antagonist. Now, I can’t say much about him because if I do, I have to spoil so much of the fun mystery of the series. So, I can only say a few things. First, he’s voiced by Keith Silverstien, who also voiced Gantetsu and Kimimaro Kaguya in the Naruto series. He holds the Butterfly Miraculous. I know, how can butterflies be evil? Well, he can turn butterflies into akumas, which translates to demons, to control people to be supervillains. This is only when someone is upset/angry/willing to be under his control. That’s called akumatization. Only Ladybug has the power to turn the akuma back into a butterfly. His kwamii is named Nuroo, a shy little purple butterfly boy who I just wanna hug.

My god, I did it! A review! This is great! Now, this isn’t everything I wanted to talk about. If I did talk about it, well, I’d just spoil the whole series. So, go watch this fun series; it’s on Netflix. There’s also a Christmas Special and an episode special where they go to New York! And the original characters you can make! The possibilities are endless. Now, go and binge-watch this amazing piece of work!

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