Rand's Rants

    Sony’s PlayStation 5 has quickly become a juggernaut success, even with a worldwide pandemic and microchip shortages . A reason for this success is PlayStation’s commitment to games, as they came out swinging for the launch of their console with next-gen exclusive games like Demon’s Souls Remake and Astro’s Playroom . They also released cross-gen titles, like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy’s Big Adventure , launching on both PS5 and PS4.. However, it’s this library of cross-gen games that leave me in a weird sort of limbo when it comes to keeping up with Sony’s first-party lineup, or any sort of new releases on the platform this past year. Why buy a new game when there is a better version waiting for me when I can eventually get a new console? Without a chance to obtain, let alone afford, Sony’s speedy new console, it seems Sony has created an un-incentivizing approach for experiencing the next generation early.       PlayStation has an ama...

Two years ago, I sat at a table at Brown’s Social House, constantly checking my Twitter timeline. San Diego Comic-Con was taking place, and Marvel news was flooding in. Sure, there was a Blade announcement, and the slate of Disney+ shows were revealed, but what got me the most excited was Shang-Chi. Asian Americans, or Asian Canadians in the case of lead Simu Liu, are a demographic that isn’t on the blockbuster screen enough, in my opinion. Even if they appear on screen, they’re never in the lead protagonist role. Go on, name one blockbuster, other than Crazy Rich Asians. It’s a culture that needed to shine through, and I was pumped that Marvel, arguably the biggest franchise in the world, was pushing the demographic front and center.  Fast forward two years, and my excitement is tempered a bit. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a great first half of a film, with a fairly messy last half that brings it down from being spectacular. We follow the titular Shang-Chi as h...