Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Defiance, “Past Is Prologue” + TSW’s First Birthday

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Today marks the one year anniversary of the launch of The Secret World. The occasion is being celebrated by an in-game event through July 8th featuring new world bosses in every zone and all kinds of bonuses to experience, ability points, and skill points.

A particularly spooky scene beneath London in The Secret WorldI haven’t had a chance to play yet, but I’m looking forward to tackling the new bosses and taking advantage of the doubled AP. Gonna see if I can finish a few more decks.

Funcom is also making the game temporarily free to play for anyone who has ever played one of their games, so now is a great time to give the game a try. I don’t know if this will work for a fact, so take it with a grain of salt, but since Age of Conan is totally free to play, one might theoretically be able to sign up for it and then download TSW. Don’t hate me if you waste time trying this, but I thought I’d mention in case anyone out there really wants to give TSW a shot.

I also think I’ve still got some buddy keys lying around if you want a more reliable way to try the game. These won’t allow you to play for as long as if you were to take advantage of the anniversary event starting today, but if you like the game and buy it after I refer you, I’ll get some nice veteran’s rewards.

Drop me a line on my contact page if you’d like a key. Make sure to include the email you would like to receive the key at.

It’s been a rocky first year for The Secret World, but I’m cautiously optimistic about the future, and I greatly look forward to what the next year will bring. This game has exceeded my expectations in every way, and it gets better with every new update.

"The Pope was right. Hell is real, and it's not other people."Onward to Tokyo!

Review: “Past Is Prologue”

I’m not sure how to rate this episode. While it isn’t labelled as part one of two, it’s obviously just the first part of the season finale. It feels a bit thin and unfinished, but I guess that’s to be expected since we haven’t seen the whole story yet.

“Past Is Prologue” sees tensions rise in Defiance on the eve of the mayoral election. The Tarrs hatch an elaborate scheme to discredit Nolan and Amanda, putting Alak in danger in the process. Meanwhile, an experiment by Doc Yewll accidentally uncovers a new clue to Irisa’s past.

This episode gives little cause for complaint. There are no obvious holes in the story or especially weak moments. It’s another case of nearly every character getting a moment to shine — even Kenya, for once.

But it is extremely clear that this is only the setup for the next episode. So “Past Is Prologue” really just feels like watching the first half of an episode. We haven’t seen the climax yet — only the build up. I don’t think it’s necessarily fair to list that as a fault of the episode, but that does prevent it from being terribly exciting.

Datak Tarr (Tony Curran) in DefianceOn the plus side, I am curious to see where this will all go. I’m definitely interested in learning more about Irisa’s past. I also find myself wondering what the future holds for Alak Tarr. Is he going to end up being as ruthless as his parents, or is he going to turn away from their wicked ways?

Also, at the risk of giving away a bit of a spoiler, seeing Datak Tarr get kicked in the face felt good. Very, very good.

Overall rating: 7.3/10

Review: Defiance, “The Bride Wore Black”

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“The Bride Wore Black” is a fairly typical example of Defiance. That is, the story is a bit weak, but the excellent characters carry it through.

The cast of DefianceThe episode begins with Alak Tarr’s bachelor party uncovering a literal skeleton in Defiance’s closet, sending Tommy and Nolan on a murder investigation that uncovers many secrets from the town’s past. Meanwhile, tensions between Datak Tarr and Rafe McCawley rise as their children’s wedding approaches.

Again, the actual story of the episode is nothing special, really. The murder mystery is pretty weak, offering nothing but a series of obvious red herrings before a somewhat underwhelming reveal of the true culprit. The setup for the wedding is a bit better, but none of it is truly surprising.

But the writers seem to have realized where Defiance’s true strength lies, because they let the strength of the characters and acting on this series carry what would otherwise be a weak episode.

Pretty much every character can be seen at their best in “The Bride Wore Black.” We have Datak being a mean bastard, Stahma being clever and manipulative, Amanda being tough and principled, Nicky being ruthless and vile, Nolan being the wily space cowboy… Even Alak showed that he’s more than a smartass DJ.

One thing I love about the characters in this show is how each one is a puzzle that the viewer is slowly solving. Each new piece of info allows us to see the characters in a new light and understand why they’ve behaved the way they have. Couple that with the fact that the characters are continuing to grow and evolve in the present day, and it makes each cast member a rich tapestry.

In particular, two characters really stood out for me in this episode.

Graham Greene as Rafe McCawley in DefianceThe first is Rafe McCawley. I’m not sure if he’s yet my favourite character on Defiance — he has stiff competition from Nolan, Yewll, and Datak — but I think he’s probably the best character. He’s incredibly nuanced. He has a lot of obvious flaws, and he’s made some big mistakes in the past, but he’s also very principled in his way, and he’s proven he can grow and do what’s right despite his own prejudices.

Odd comparison to draw, but he kind of reminds me of Varian Wrynn in World of Warcraft. He has much anger and hate within him, but he doesn’t let those things control him, and his love for his family keeps him grounded.

And Graham Greene’s acting is impeccable.

The second character to impress me is Doc Yewll. She’s a good example of what I meant about each character being a puzzle. At first, she seemed little more than comedy relief. Then we started getting hints of her past, and she took on a sinister turn. Now — at the risk of giving too much away — we see that she has moved on from her dark history, that she wants to do good despite whatever wrongs she may have committed in the past.

Again, she’s a very nuanced character.

“The Bride Wore Black” might not be quite the home run last week’s episode was, but it’s a very solid episode all the same, and it deepens my appreciation for the strengths of Defiance as a series.

And the best thing about this episode? No stupid musical montage at the end.

Overall rating: 8/10