deerstalker
So, I was right that Disneyland and Walt Disney World will not be open on April 1st as they extended the closures of the shutdown. Those theme parks will remain closed until further notice. The Disney company said that they will continue to extend the paying hourly parks and pay Its Disney cast members through April 18 (mid-April). Disney said it would work with people who have reservations at Disney hotels to help modify their visits or get a full refund. Annual pass holders will have the expiration of their tickets extended out to cover the period of closure, while any one-day tickets are valid until Dec. 30, 2021 and unused multi-day tickets are valid until Jan. 12, 2022.
In the other Disney news… I also heard that Disney has extended the Food and Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure to September 7th due to the covid-19 concerns. I think they might have done the same with Soarin Over California which is also set to that date as well. Although, it is possible that they could take the event down while the parks are closed, but I think they already confirmed that it will run through the beginning of September.
Remember to stay tuned on when they will finally announce the reopening dates for Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
The post Huge Disney Update appeared first on The Nerd Element.
Comedian and actor Zainab Johnson appears as Aleesha in the 2020 Amazon series Upload, created by Greg Daniels.
Johnson is also known as a semi-finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. In 2016, Johnson appeared on the HBO special All Def Comedy, and she currently co-hosts the Netflix series 100 Humans. She was named to Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch for 2019.
The series follows app developer Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), who has been killed in a self-driving car accident. He’s uploaded to his fiancé’s family’s fancy virtual afterlife, the Horizon company’s “Lakeview.” Nathan meets his new customer service guardian angel Nora (Andy Allo), who helps him navigate the virtual afterlife. Nora confides in Aleesha (Zainab Johnson) when things get tough. Whether it’s for friendship support or hilarious comic relief, Aleesha has Nora’s back. To find out how amazing it was to be a part of Upload, BGN got Johnson to spill the tea on her experience.
How did you feel about being cast as Aleesha? What drew you to the upload team?
I signed on to the pilot as a guest star. Remember, the character that I read for the first pilot didn’t really have a character, wasn’t Aleesha. When I was cast, they gave her a name and that made me feel like, “There’s probably a part of this character that is me,” like maybe Greg saw something in me that was, “Oh, OK, we can put that in. We can create this character in line with her.”
Once I read the entire pilot, I went to the table, read, and met all the other people that were cast. I felt like it was such a good group of people. It was such a smart and fun and supportive group. I think I’m lucky to be a part of this.
I love that. Do you wish that you could upload yourself into your preferred afterlife? If so, what would it be?
If I could upload into my preferred afterlife, like my, you know, utopia, it would probably involve the beach with white sands and clear water. And it would have all my favorite foods and all my favorite people. At our optimal selves. Like my sister, when I love her the most, when she’s the most funny. Possibly I’d have the ability to have experiences that I didn’t get to experience before I uploaded into that afterlife, like, I didn’t get to go on a safari. So, make sure you put a safari there.
I can experience it, you know, but if we had the option to upload into some virtual afterlife today, I’m not sure if it’s something that I would choose. There’s a part of me that doesn’t trust other human beings and doesn’t trust my existence being in the hands of somebody that’s at work.
I was really nerding out over all the tech of the cars and things like that. But it also shows some of the flaws that exist in modern technology. Do you think the show highlights some of those risks of expanding technology?
Absolutely. And I think that we all know that there are risks when expanding technology. But the way Upload shows it at the very beginning is when someone tries to download and it’s on national television. If we saw that happen today on the news, I mean, it would change the world forever. If you lose the cartridge or upload, you’ve lost the person. I think that we do start those conversations so that everybody who watches thinks about that. We want you to enjoy it.
What has been your favorite moment with the cast?
It’s funny because I’ve had some moments that were wonderful. There’s a scene where Nora is telling me about this encounter with Mason, and I’m just shoving a falafel down my throat. Right? And I remember the director was like, “I want you to be eating in this scene.” And I was like, “I don’t think I can eat and talk.” And he was like, “I know, but that’s gonna be funny.” I feel like in real life, I do that like when I’m listening to a friend and watching a show. I’m just like, shoving things down my throat.
I remember one moment during that scene, the falafel is in my face and around my mouth in such a funny way. I think in my regular life, I’m normally not that vulnerable. You know, I would never want to be in front of a group of people with a bunch of white stuff around my mouth.
Another moment was when I was in Vancouver. I went [with Robbie] to my first hockey game ever. For Robbie to be Canadian and to be walking me through every single aspect of this hockey game was amazing.
How has being on Upload given you the opportunity to flex your comedy chops and express yourself as a comedian through the show?
Upload has amazing writers and amazing creator, but really great comedic directors. For me, it was trusting. It was trusting what was on the page. Trusting what I was directed to do and then trusting my own instincts.
It took me a little while to find the balance, whether you see it or not, of my own processing of it all. It took me a while to decide what I would do, what Aleesha would do, what’s being written in, what it’s supposed to look like, what will be funny versus what’s played to be funny, if that makes sense.
I remember two things with Greg. I said one line. It’s a big scene, but it’s small dialogue, and I got it right. He comes in, and I was like, great. But then I remember another time where I chose to say a line differently than it was written. And as much as it was funny that way and I felt funny saying it, I mean, it felt easier to say it felt more genuine to say it like that from Zainab.
Greg came to me. He said, “I trust your comedic instincts, but it’s written this way because it informs something in the future. If you say it the way you’re thinking it, we won’t have the information that’s needed in the next scene.”
I think that me being a comedian, I had the default setting of trusting myself. But as a comedian, I get to say my own words. On Upload and different television, I’m trusting somebody else’s ideas and somebody else’s story. It was such an enjoyable exercise to merge the two. I think that this experience has helped my standup, and my standup has helped this experience.
Upload premieres May 1st on Amazon.
The post Zainab Johnson Spills the Tea on Her Role as Aleesha on the Amazon Series ‘Upload’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Square Enix Business Division 1 / Platform: Playstation / Release Date: April 10, 2020
Everyone has their favorite Final Fantasy, more than that, everyone has an entry in the series that they consider to be the best. Some say it’s VI, others IX’s but one thing that everyone can agree on, and it’s a fact that’s undeniable, is that Final Fantasy VII has had the biggest impact of all the games. Whether it’s because it’s the first 3D Final Fantasy game or most people’s first game in the series, Final Fantasy VII is infamous. The music, story, and characters are so iconic that it’s forever burnt into our brains.
That’s why when Square Enix first teased the possibility of the classic game being remade with back in 2005, the whole world collectively lost its shit. The prospect of seeing the game we loved recreated with current-generation graphics and technology was too enticing to pass up. It wasn’t until more than ten years and a whole console generation later that a remake of the game was officially announced, and it all became a reality.
Over the course of the next couple of years, more and more details began to emerge about how the remake would take shape, with director Tetsuya Nomura promising a change from the game’s original’s turn-based battle system to a more accessible action-RPG one. Even bigger was the reveal that the remake would be separated into parts, with this only being the first one. All this drew some cause for concern amongst fans, and for good reason. The old adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind. Everything from the Final Fantasy VII Remake screams of one huge risk. The only question – does it pay off? Yes, in a very big way.
Story
Eco-terrorists, corporate greed, and a fight to save the planet. It’s funny how timely the plot of the original Final Fantasy VII still is 23 years later. If you’ve never played the original, the core of Final Fantasy VII’s plot revolves around Cloud Strife, a former Soldier and company man to the Shinra corporation. At the request of an old friend, he teams up with eco-terrorist group Avalanche as a mercenary for hire against Shinra. From there, you begin to learn more about the city of Midgar, it’s people, and how Shinra is draining the planet of its energy at an alarming rate.
For longtime fans, you’ll be happy to know that the remake faithfully recreates the plot of the original, as well as it’s iconic moments. These scenes are just as you remember and so much better. For newcomers, you’ll find yourself entrenched in the city of Midgar and its struggle between its corporate overlords and the lower-class people. It’s a fun journey, complete with all the best aspects you’d expect from a fantasy epic. From guys with giant swords to magic and epic fights against gods, the spectacle and action are dialed up to 11. Fight scenes take on gravity-defying heights and the action choreography can give the Fast and the Furious franchise a run for its money. It’s all in good fun though and fits within the tone of its world.
Even better, the story expands on those moments. All of the Final Fantasy VII Remake’s plot takes place in Midgar, which accounts for a third to almost half of the original game’s story. It’s clear that the developers wanted to breathe life into Midgar in a way that makes it feel alive more than it ever did before. It’s all done in a way that it’s easy to see new players falling in love with this game the same way that older fans have. And for the old fans, some of the new elements added to the plot will be welcome additions while the other may prove controversial. There are some surprises for those who think they know what’s coming.
However, all of that would be pointless if they couldn’t do justice to the game’s unique cast of characters. Final Fantasy VII’s main players all remain as endearing as ever, personalities intact. Cloud’s a sarcastic smart ass, Tifa is the caring one with a heart of gold, Aerith is a bit of a troll, and Barrett is a passionate one. Even previously minor characters are given more screen time, developing them and adding some heart to the plot. At first, I was apprehensive to see these characters. I’m glad that my worries are unfounded. The voice cast portrays these characters how we remember them so well. Even though the script can sometimes come off as campy and stiff at points, the actors manage to pull it off, giving us an emotional connection to them and the story.
Presentation
There is a clear jump in the technology from the original Final Fantasy VII to the remake. We’ve come a long way from the first PlayStation to the PlayStation 4, and it shows. This game is beautiful, and Midgar is a new vision of its former self. Once again, there’s a clear focus by the developers to make Midgar feel as alive as possible. In order to do that, they had to expand the formerly isometric environment of the previous game and fully realize them into a 3D space, all while retaining its steampunk/neo-noir architecture. It’s no easy task but the team at Square Enix pulls it off…for the most part.
Minor technical issues do hold back these well-designed environments. I often found myself noticing how the main cast of the game and other major story characters looked amazing. However, textures on buildings and walls or details on NPC’s would take more than a few minutes to come into focus. I saw more than just a few muddy gray or brown backgrounds and pop-ins during my playthrough. Nothing major but enough to distract from how beautiful the game is. And the game is beautiful, pushing the boundaries of what the PS4 is capable of, making for visuals on par with the best CGI films.
One of the more memorable aspects of Final Fantasy VII is the score. Square Enix took the effort of creating updated versions of the songs, which add a bit of an orchestral flair to them. The new versions of these classic songs still have the same impact as the original did in 1997. I was worried that it would lose its sound in the update, but the score is just as unforgettable as ever. Plus, there are plenty of new songs added to the game, which are a welcome addition. Final Fantasy VII has some of the best music in the series, and Square’s update does it justice.
Gameplay
More than the story, more than the characters, a Final Fantasy game can live or die by its gameplay. The original turn-based battle system holds a special place in my heart. So, the announcement that it would be replaced with something was more akin to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy XV left me with pause. I worried that the remake would be just as mindless and lack strategy. The good thing is that those fears are alleviated once you get your hands on the battle system.
Before a battle, you can customize the weapons, equipment, and items for each party member. Each weapon comes with its own set of stats that can be upgraded, and a special ability that can be learned and passed onto the next weapon. The materia system makes a return, allowing players to tweak and set extra abilities, magic attacks, and summons. Upgrading weapons seem like an afterthought because I found myself not seeing the effects too much during battle.
Players can switch between all three-party members freely, move them around the battlefield, use basic and secondary attacks at any time, as well as block and dodge. What makes the combat stand out from your basic hack and slash is the Active Time Battle (ATB) system. As you fight, defend, and take damage, your ATB gauge grows. For each bar that is filled, players can take several special actions. Those actions can be linked to shortcuts or accessed by Pressing X to open up the menu, slowing down the combat like bullet time.
I barely found myself using shortcuts because using the menu feels a lot more satisfying and like playing the classic Final Fantasy VII. Slowing down the action also allows you to think, strategize, and plan whether you are going to spend ATB bars on a character’s special abilities, spells, or items. Once you get in the flow of things, even with the pauses in combat, the action is nonstop. While everything in battle is in real-time, the developers have made battle feel so cinematic, making each battle exciting to play. It’s the perfect middle ground for new and old players. There is so much fun to be had fighting against the enemies you take on.
Speaking of enemies, there is a large variety of them to encounter. Players will find themselves needing to pause the action a lot in order to analyze the enemies and exploit their weaknesses. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s not perfect. Smaller battles can grow a lot less thrilling and rewarding to play overtime. Sometimes you run into an area, press the attack a few times, and it’s over before it even starts. Another gripe I had was that the enemy AI tends to focus its attack on the party member you’re controlling, making you switch between members more often than I would have liked. Thankfully, there are plenty of mini-bosses and great boss battles that more than makeup for it, letting you fully utilize every aspect of combat.
Outside of combat, the game is mostly linear by all counts. It is designed to keep you in one specific area for as long as you can. The developers have added several side missions to each of the main areas, which act as a way of stretching the playtime and story. Environments like the Sector 6 and 7 slums and the wall market feel bigger and more populated than it did before. The architecture and NPC’s of those areas also do wonders for environmental storytelling. Even I, as someone who played the original PS1 game, felt like I was learning about Midgar through a whole new lens. All of it encourages you to explore as much as you can and take your time with the game.
Summary
Remakes and Remasters are not the same. There was a point where those two words got so confused, and I kinda understood why. Giving games a new coat of paint meant making it HD or updating the character models. However, the last year or two has seen developers fully recreating games with current-generation game design mechanics and flare. The Final Fantasy VII Remake is an example of that. When it comes down to it, the game is a reimagining of the classic game that feels familiar yet brand new at the same time. Old school fans will have to decide for themselves if they are okay with the major story changes but there is no arguing how visually stunning the graphics are and how captivating the gameplay can be. For sure, the remake will have made plenty of new fans and anyone who plays will have a blast.
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The post Final Fantasy VII Remake Review: An Endearing Classic in Its Own Right appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.