Oh boy, you would not BELIEVE the amount of fiery cushions I’ve had to extinguish over the last few months. I’ve had to postpone Fa’Luffy’s reviews due to various work-related ventures, and he has not been happy.

But he’s happy now. Oh yes! He’s so chuffed, he’s rolled out the carpet and pitched up the circus tents for this new review extravaganza! This time round, Fa’Luffy will be reviewing THREE adventures from the chosen mediums (games, books & movies), all in one plush go!

I’m sure he’ll forgive me after this. Especially since I’ve allowed his next review to also be a three-strike event, too. 😉 So, without further ado, let’s begin!

For this round’s game, Fa’Luffy has chosen one of the most underrated yet totally worth playing gems of the last gen consoles:

Today Fa’Luffy will review: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Publisher: Namco & Bandai Games
Developer: Ninja Theory
Platform: PlayStation 3, X Box 360, PC
Rated: M for Mature/ T for Teen (for violence, mild language, & mild suggestive themes)
Genre: Action/ adventure

Q: What’s it all about?

Fa’Luffy: A clever re-imagining of the Chinese story, Journey into the West, Enslaved takes place 150 years in a future post-apocalyptic world following a global war, with only remnants of humanity left, along with the still active war machines left over from the conflict. Trip (second protagonist) enlists the help (and by ‘enlist’ I mean ‘force by control of a slavers headband and pain of death should anything happen to her’) of Monkey (gamer’s character) in order to trek the 300 miles of mech-infested post-apoc ruins to her home.

Q: Who would enjoy this?

Fa’Luffy: Gamers who enjoy a tightly-paced combat adventure, with an epic story-line, nice shiny graphics, and characters who are not only memorable, but so well-developed and cleverly interactive, you won’t mind one bit that there are no fluffy, cushiony things to be found. Also, those who like SMASHING up mechanical nasties with an anti-mech staff of awesomeness!

Q: What are some of your favourite aspects?

Fa’Luffy: Graphics are cushalisha-sharp and clean! Character motion capture and facial expression are really, really good! Voice acting is superb in all characters, especially Monkey (voiced by ANDY SERKIS! Roooaaarrr of amazement). Story is really cool, too, as are the various upgrades available to Monkey’s weapon. And can I add, the CLOUD! Super cool method of transportation (play the game to find out!)

Q: What are some of your less favourite aspects?

Fa’Luffy: Apparently the PS3 version has some tech issues, including jagged visuals and character glitches. Luckily, I viewed the X Box 360 version, which had none of that and was sharp and clean the whole way through. The platform and combat is not revolutionary, and some might consider overly simplified. Some of the combat mechanics are a little … er … loose? But for the most part they work well. The laser point on Monkey’s projectile weapon is SO ANNOYINGLY small and precise, a mech can literally be standing in front of you, and you can still miss (that freaky little red dot MUST be on the mech, or your missile will MISS). There’s a larger cross-hair that appears on targets at a distance, but that too, MUST appear, or your missile won’t hit. Other than those little issues, the game is a gold cushion!

Q: How would you sum up your opinion?

Fa’Luffy: A game that surprised me with it’s exceptional characters, story and pacing. It’s a clever and worthy gem to add to any collection, but has sadly been underrated and underplayed due to … well due to no fault of it’s own. These things do happen. Seriously, though, worth the time and effort for you action/ adventure gamers to hunt down and play. Enslaved is not a long game by any stretch, but every hour invested is well spent!

Q: What is the final Fa’Luffy Verdict?

Fa’Luffy: Out of a total of 5 Fa’Luffy Stars:

Now, for this round’s book, Fa’Luffy has chosen a “break-neck, jam-packed, roller coaster of an adventure”, which has left him with a cricked neck and a bucket full of cushion puke.

Today Fa’Luffy will review: House of Secrets

Publisher: Harper Collins
Target Audience: MG (ages 8+)
Genre: Fantasy
Medium: Available in Hardcover, Paperback, and eBook

Q: What’s it all about?

Fa’Luffy: Siblings Brendan, Eleanor, and Cordelia Walker had everything they could ever want … until Dr. Walker lost his job, forcing the family to relocate to a creepy old Victorian house, formerly the home of occult novelist Denver Kristoff. By the time the kids realize that one of their neighbors has sinister plans for them, they’re banished into the realms of Kristoff’s frightening stories! To survive, the siblings will have to be braver than they ever thought possible—and to fight against their darkest impulses.
Sounds awesome right? … egh …

Q: Who would enjoy this?

Fa’Luffy: Kids who enjoy reading any sort of crazy realm-jumping adventure. Although kids who enjoy any real depth in characters, and a plot that makes sense, will not enjoy this book. Adults may or may not get a kick out of this story. Depends on what you like.

Q: What are some of your favourite aspects?

Fa’Luffy: The cover looks cool! And I really liked the idea of this story. A cursed house that has books that can suck people to different literary worlds! Really cool premise, see? But …

Q: What are some of your less favourite aspects?

Fa’Luffy: Agh, so many places to start. The story is just a mess, especially once the kids get trapped in the Kristoff novels. The plot is chaotic and lacks any solid framework. There’s little in-world building. It’s just a jumble of action, which would be fine, if it was going somewhere purposeful. The pop and musical references in the book are unnecessary and rather ridiculous … like “no child of this recent generation will get these references at all” kind of ridiculous. I mean, how many 10-year-olds would know who Mick Jagger is?
In addition to the wandering plot and haphazard action scenes, there were no characters that I liked enough to root for. I didn’t even ‘like’ the villains. And the main villain’s ambition is beyond cliche “obtain book of unfathomable power and rule the world”.
I did not like the two older siblings at all (the 12-year-old plays violent games and lets his 8-year-old sister watch Game of Thrones … jerk), and their personalities didn’t really improve by the end of the book. I would spit fiery cushions of disgust, but have thrown up soggy cushions of NOPE instead.

A ‘Mick Jagger’ colossal … really? Eesh. At least Greg Call is an awesome artist.

Q: How would you sum up your opinion?

Fa’Luffy: A frantic tumble of action scenes and shallow character interactions that are, in this fluffy red dragon’s opinion, an insult to intelligent young readers. I’m not sure if things improve in the second book, and frankly, I’m not inclined to find out. But any of you fellow readers out there are welcome to try.

Q: What is the final Fa’Luffy Verdict?

Fa’Luffy: Out of a total of 5 Fa’Luffy Stars:

SHOCK! FA’LUFFY’S FIRST DISAPPROVAL STAMP! Yikes for the poor book facing such flufficious wrath.

 And finally, Fa’Luffy’s choice for a movie is one I’m sure you’ve all heard of.

Today Fa’Luffy will review: Big Hero 6

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Medium: DVD, Blue-ray, & Digital HD
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance recommended)
Genre: Sci-fi/ Superhero Fantasy

Q: What’s it all about?

Fa’Luffy: 14-year-old robotics genius, Hiro Hamada forms a special bond with his deceased brother’s (spoiler!) plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, who then team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.

Q: Who would enjoy this?

Fa’Luffy: Anyone who loves witty humour, a story full of heart, characters you will wish were your friends, and lovable PLUSHIE robots (oh my goodness, even more plushable than cushions)! Fans of superhero movies will jump right on board, as well a fans of clever, heart-warming animations like Wreck-it Ralph, Tangled, Brave, and How To Train Your Dragon.

Q: What are some of your favourite aspects?

Fa’Luffy: How about … all of it! Okay, okay, I’ll break it down some. The humour is my type of humour. The story is wonderful and heart-warming. The characters are so colourful! And Baymax … oh cushions of glory, he is the MOST HUGGABLE of anything. Ever. Even me. And that’s admitting a lot. I never thought a robot could beat Wall.E in terms of being adorable. But Baymax? Baymax and Wall.E are now on par.
Oh, the animation is exceptional, as what you’d expect from Disney, but the soundtrack is also really good. This was one of my favourite movies of 2014, and is now one of my all-time fav movies!

Q: What are some of your less favourite aspects?

Fa’Luffy: While some might consider the plot predictable, I personally don’t find that detracting. It’s a superhero story, after all (and I suck frayed cushions at predicting things anyway). Predictability is a killer negative for stories in the thriller and mystery genres. But for Big Hero 6? Not an issue for me at all. Villain was surprisingly more psychotic than I would have expected (doesn’t even blink during the numerous murder attempts on our brave, young heroes). Hide your wives and kids and husbands, people!

Q: How would you sum up your opinion?

Fa’Luffy: A brisk-paced, action-packed animation of awesomeness. But the real appeal isn’t even in the visuals or action … it’s in the up-lifting themes and the bigness of heart in the central characters.

Super-awesome 6!

Q: What is the final Fa’Luffy Verdict?

Fa’Luffy: Out of a total of 5 Fa’Luffy Stars:

And there you have it people! Fa’Luffy’s first REVIEW SPECTACULAR! Feel free to agree or disagree or agree in disagreeing with Fa’Luffy’s opinions, because we’re all entitled to our own. Yay for free thought! 😉

Have you played a game, watched a movie, or read a book that you think Fa’Luffy would enjoy reviewing? If so, feel free to send through your suggestions. If the Fa’Luffy finds it interesting, the Fa’Luffy will put up a review!