Michael Castellano

Marvel has OFFICIALLY lost its MOJO…Nuff Said.

I so wanted to like this show…totally new characters, set in the golden age of the Jedi?? Yes please!! But the execution was so gimmicky and slap dash, that it never felt like a cohesive story. Way too much time was spent on the “twins” aspect of the plot, while not enough time was spent building out the characters. I never felt invested in, and therefore didn’t care about, any of them. Even the special effects seemed weird, or off putting in some undefinable way. And that ending, don’t get me started. I came away feeling like I’d just watched a film student’s senior project using Star Wars as a template for societal power dynamics. And although that may be a worthwhile framework for a Star Wars film, it must come second to the STORY. If it isn’t entertaining, then no one will hear the message you’re trying to send.

After finishing the prologue, the music swells and the camera pulls back on the City of Baghdad and I feel, wait what…is this Origins!?! So much of this game looks like AC Origins that it felt boring and recycled. Maybe I’ve outgrown Assassin’s Creed, but everything about this game, from its combat and graphics, to its parkour (utter fail) and climbing, feels like a massive step backwards. And the marketing and price point make it feel like a cash grab by Ubisoft. But, hey, maybe I’m just a cynic.