V has come to, just in time for Mad Max to once more drive right through our hearts…
After a typically quiet summer, fall is usually when the big game releases start up again, and that’s DEFINITELY the case on September 1. Following years of waiting, the possible firing of every person involved, and many cryptic updates, the fifth and possibly final Metal Gear Solid game has arrived. Not only that, but Mad Max is all up in your grill, not only with the Blu-ray release of the best film of the summer, but also a game of his own! That and much more are here to overwhelm you on Amazon this week, and should you want to purchase any of these items – or anything else – buying them through our links is another way to support us, in addition to the Laser Time Patreon. Now that you know the deal, it’s time to see the end of an era with this week’s stuff…
The first numbered Metal Gear entry in seven years is bound to have a lot of hype attached to it, but this also comes with heaps of baggage in tow. Hideo Kojima has been working on this magnum opus for so long, and he promises this will be the biggest MGS of them all, closing the book on Big Boss/Old Snake, and work as his exit to the series. At the same time, Konami has been pulling some shenanigans behind the scenes, seemingly shutting down Kojima Productions just as they finish the game. Time will tell if that’s all true, or if Konami even makes console games anymore, but for now all we know is there’s a huge Metal Gear out there, that Kojima worked on this for years, and that early reviews are overwhelmingly positive. That’s enough for me to give this my attention.
I first saw a demo for this game at E3 2015, before new-gen systems were announced and Fury Road wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Now, with the game finally arriving in stores, Mad Max couldn’t be hotter, and fans are ready for open world scavenging/shooting dudes point blank with a shotgun. I’m not sure where it takes place in the Mad Max mythology, and there hasn’t been much early buzz, but how bad can the Just Cause developers screw up Mad Max? I suppose we’ll find out this week.
Last year’s dual launch of Danganronpa games was quite a surprise for fans outside of Japan, as Vita owners finally got to sample to intriguing mysteries and complex characters of this whole new world. After two visual novels, Ultra Despair Girls is a spin-off that takes the series in a whole new (but entirely canonical) direction. This action game throws a brand new character onto the frenzied streets of Japan, fighting robotic teddy bears with the power of a megaphone – if you haven’t played the first games, that sentence may not make much sense. But diehard fans will definitely like seeing their favorite survivors appear in this new Vita game. Speaking of which, isn’t a treat to see a new Vita game that isn’t about dating underaged anime girls?
Oh, drat, a Vita game about dating underaged anime girls! Just kidding (mostly) because this Vita release is a port of one of the most well-liked visual novels in the entire genre. Steins;Gate got its start on the 360 back in 2009, and has racked up numerous rereleases, along with manga and anime adaptations for a dedicated group of fans. Now, as the visual novel genre is catching on in the US, the original is getting a chance on another system, one that’s a proven home for successful visual novels. I may not have the dozens of hours free at the moment to play it, but I will be sure to give this some time down the line, as my Vita has been a fantastic destination for reading (and playing) games like this one.
This summer had a lot of good to great films, like driving for family in Furious 7 or smashing Ultron robots with the Avengers, but nothing could compare to the extreme thrills and intensity of Mad Max: Fury Road, the impossibly stupendous sequel/reboot to the post-apocalyptic franchise. My heart is still recovering from the speed of George Miller’s return to the wastelands of Australia, and I’m not sure if I could love Tom Hardy more, or Charlize Theron’s Furiosa for that matter. This comes with a bunch of featurettes, though some fans are alleging that a fancier edition is coming down the line and to wait for that. By the way, if you’re looking for a triple dose of Max this week, the Mad Max: Fury Road comics collection is out this week too.
If you’re a crusty old anime fan like myself, Robot Carnival may have been one of the first ever unedited works of Japanese animation you’d ever seen. Released in 1987, this anthology film gave some of the best animators of the ’80s a chance to shine in experimental shorts, all cobbled together with opening and ending animation from Katsuhiro Otomo of Akira fame. Otomo would go on to curate more anthology films, but Robot Carnival hasn’t been ever been available on DVD in the US, until now. Yes, DVD is nearly a dead medium, but better late than never, right?
Not to spoil it, but I’ve heard good and really weird things about this film. In fact, when media critic Louis Peitzman was on Laser Time, he talked this up as one of his favorites of the Sundance film festival. All I will say is that James Marsden is an underrated actor and that I really want to get excited about seeing Jack Black in movies again – I think I lost that feeling about 40 minutes into King Kong. I’m not sure I’ll actually get this on disc, but at the very least I’ll give the digital version a shot.
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Hayao Miyazaki is the most celebrated animator of the last 50 years, and for good reason. Films like My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Princess Mononoke are some of the most fully realized worlds ever shown in theaters, capturing the hearts of people from just about every age and part of the planet. Now that he’s retired, Amazon has an exquisite looking special collection of every feature length film Miyazaki directed all in one box set. Plus, there are some fantastic bonuses as well that will likely justify the price. Out this November, this looks like a great gift for those you love most.
Meanwhile, the US Disney releases never go on sale, yet these are all set at just over $17!
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In regards to Mad Max, the game is very fun with great car combat and customization and does feel like it’s in the setting. It is true that there’s a lot of repeating and collecting but then again so do many other sandboxes. Like Far Cry, it’s an OCD gamer’s game.
Mad Max has achieved what was previously thought impossible: It’s a WB published game that runs well on the PC.
Picking up Mad Max: Fury Road now, and will pick up the Mad Max game later.
I’m 99.99% sure that Mad Max: Fury Road will be my film of the year. The only two films that could beat Mad Mad are The Hateful Eight or The Revenant.