Noir

Review – Blade Runner: 2049

30th July 2021

Review – Blade Runner: 2049 Directed by: Denis Villeneuve Written by: Hampton Fancher & Michael Green Produced by: Ridley Scott & Yale Badik Starring: Ryan Gosling & Harrison Ford Release Date: October 5th 2017 After recently revisiting the original Blade Runner, I decided to revisit its follow up; Blade Runner: 2049, for review. Revisiting this movie was a blast, as it is probably one the greatest sequels ever produced. First off, this movie is a feast for the eyeballs. I won’t go on about the visuals too much, as I’m sure at this point that you already well aware of how good looking this movie is, all I’ll say is this; the movie deserves to be viewed on the biggest screen possible. What is even better though, is unlike a certain Zack Snyder film, Blade Runner 2049 has more to it than just surface level, pretty visuals. Denis Villeneuve is one of my favourite directors working in Hollywood today. The run of movies he released between 2013 and 2017 was nothing short of astounding, beginning with Prisoners and ending with this film. Additionally, he has achieved the impossible here by managing to pull off a truly fantastic sequel to a 35 year old classic. I love almost every part of this movie. The direction is masterful to watch, with the movie being moved along at a deliberate, purposeful pace, rather than rushing through from action scene to action scene. The sets used in the film are out of this world, some props are really cool to look at and the use of mostly practical backdrops makes a huge difference as opposed to using an abundance of green screen. Rodger Deakins’ cinematography is utterly astonishing, you could honestly screen grab an image from any time stamp in this movie and it would work perfectly as a beautiful desktop background. I also think that the performances are fantastic and everyone does a great job in their respective roles. Although Ford doesn’t appear until the movie’s third act, when he does he is great. Gosling commands his leading man role as we’ve come to expect him to. Robin Wright and Dave Bautista are the other standouts for me in terms of their performances. The more technical elements of the movie work perfectly in tandem with the story being told as well. The special effects are beautifully implemented and the lighting in the movie adds a whole other layer of visual depth as well. The score also works for the tone that the movie was aiming to achieve. Additionally, the script is solid and tightly woven. The only thing I will say is; if you were to go into the film expecting a sci-fi action blockbuster, you will come out disappointed. This is a slow paced, sci-fi noir, detective story. There are a few sparse moments of action and it does feel impactful when it occurs, but it is not the focus of the movie at all. The one small element that bothers me in this movie is Jared Leto’s performance. He never fails to take me out of the movie and is the only cast member who doesn’t feel like a real character within this world. Maybe I’m just being biased, as Jared Leto has always annoyed me in general, but for me he is the one bad part of this near masterpiece. Thankfully he doesn’t get that much screen time, so it could have been worse. Also, the fact that David Bowie was originally cast in that role adds an extra sprinkle of salt in the wound. Overall I love Blade Runner: 2049, but I can see why people find it somewhat divisive. For me though, the vast majority of this movie’s parts are absolutely fantastic and come together to form a journey that you must experience for yourself. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of Blade Runner: 2049, check out what he thought of the original Blade Runner here. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord and join our official Facebook Group. Check out our new Podcast and subscribe to the channel on Youtube, Spotify, Apple and Google. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews and News from Glasgow, Scotland, UK and the US, HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Blade Runner

28th July 2021

Review – Blade Runner Directed by: Ridley Scott Written by: Hampton Fancher & David Peoples Produced by: Ridley Scott & Hampton Fancher Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer & Sean Young Release Date: September 9th 1982 I first watched Blade Runner around twenty years ago and in my dumb kid-brain, I put it into the same category as Star Wars. They were both sci-fi movies, both made in a similar era and they both starred Harrison Ford. I think that the first version I saw was the director’s cut version. I then went back to Blade Runner at the age of 12, when the ultimate cut was released in 2007 and at the time, I felt that the setting and the world were still incredible, but the plot and characters in the movie left a lot to be desired. Recently, I decided to go back and re-watch the directors cut of Blade Runner for review and then follow it up with Blade Runner: 2049. The biggest shock that I experienced during this most recent re-watch what that I realised that I had totally forgotten just how excruciatingly slow this film is. The whole thing moves at a snail’s pace and half of the run-time is spent looking at Harrison Ford’s reaction shots. I had it in my head that the pace of Blade Runner was similar to that of A New Hope, but I was way off. I get it, it’s not a sci-fi action flick, it’s a hard-boiled, contemplative detective film, but it really is a slog to sit through. And that is coming from a guy that loves a slow burn movie! I still feel the same way about this movie that I always have, the world and the setting that the story takes place in are far more interesting than the movie itself, (something else that Blade Runner has in common with Star Wars!) There is a reason that so many other movies have borrowed elements of Blade Runner’s amazing setting over the years and used them as inspiration for their own set design. To this day the sets and the majority of this almost 40-year-old film’s visuals still look great, that is an achievement not to be scoffed at. I will always appreciate Blade Runner for what it did for sci-fi movies that came after it, but if you saw this film as a kid and are thinking about going back to re-watch it again to see how well it holds up, I would actually recommend against it. This movie was so much better in my head than it was when I actually re-watched it and I somehow like it less now after re-watching it. However, this certainly should not take away from the importance and influence of this film and if you consider this a classic, it would be hard to argue that point with you. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] Speaking of things that blatantly ripped off the aesthetic of Blade Runner, you can check out our review of Cyberpunk: 2077 right here. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord and join our official Facebook Group. Check out our new Podcast and subscribe to the channel on Youtube, Spotify, Apple and Google. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews and News from Glasgow, Scotland, UK and the US, HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – That Texas Blood Vol 1

9th July 2021

Review – That Texas Blood Vol 1 Publisher: Image Comics Writer: Chris Condon Artwork: Jacob Phillips Colours: Jacob Philips Cover Artists: Jacob Philips. Variants by Sean Phillips & Duncan Fegredo Publication Design: Sean Phillips Release Date:  13th January 2021 Introduction Reviewing That Texas Blood Vol1 I was struck with how it had me on edge. Four pages of vibrant blood red on the inlay, as we get titles and credits, compounds that feeling of unease. Then a warm introduction to the seemingly mundane life of Sheriff  Joe Bob Coates. On the morning of his 70th birthday, he muses with his wife about how he thought he’d feel different. Next he starts the groundwork on the case of reclaiming his wife’s best casserole dish. Everything seems pleasant, a little too pleasant. Witty back and forth between characters gives way to hint at something darker, something animalistic running in the blood of the fictional Ambrose County. Story/Writing That Texas Blood began life as a feature script that Chris Condon was hitting a brick wall in securing funding for. Talking with Lost’n comics , he said he was inspired by how the film Whiplash secured funding based on a short film. Which, was like a miniature version of the final feature film. However, Chris wanted to do a short that was telling a parallel story to his intended feature and not a condensed version of it. But funding for that short was still hard to find. Condon commissioned Jacob Phillips to do concept art for the film and loved it. Eventually he opted to make the story as a comic book with Jacob as the artist. Condon has mentioned multiple influences leading him to write That Texas Blood. Shakespeare, North by Northwest and Darwyn Cooke’s Parker series are actively referenced in the book. The X-files and the connected work of Stephen King, are strong structural influences as That Texas Blood is an anthology series. After our introduction to Sheriff Joe Bob in ‘The Casserole Dish’, we meet Los Angeles-based writer Randy Terrill. Randy is returning to Ambrose County after the sudden and mysterious death of his brother. This story stretches out from issue two to issue six and is subtitled, ‘A Brother’s Conscience’.  Randy seems at first to be quite mild mannered and unassuming like Joe Bob. But  Randy is more in line with the story told in issue one than its main character, we start to see darker elements emerge in him too, in parallel to them developing in the plot. Texas itself and the stories Condon associated with it were another influence. The expansive landscape gave him the idea that anything could happen and he has baked that sense of hanging anticipation into That Texas Blood. When the quieter and easier going moments are broken up, they are done so in shocking fashion and the choices made give you no reassurance that you can expect what’s coming next. Review – That Texas Blood Vol 1 continues below Art In a youtube interview with Angelo Callazo,  titled ‘From Screenplay to Comic’ ; Chris broke down the journey from screenplay to comic script to comic page. A  scene involving a snake is highlighted, in the original screenplay with production costs in mind, Chris wrote it so that a real snake and snake wrangler wouldn’t be required on set. They could bring the snake alive off screen with the use of sound effects. This idea carried to the comic and you don’t really see the snake, it’s out of shot. Jacob then omitted the sound effects so that the visuals could tell the story.  Condon mentioned many other similar instances throughout the book, stressing that both the writing and the art of the book were a collaboration. He’d suggest the shot types for the panels or pictures for Jacob to reference, Jacob would do as was laid out or he’d ‘fiddle’ with ideas reframing them and shaping their telling.  Chris said he gave all  script pages to Jacob with the idea that he could change whatever he wanted. Jacob Phillips’ artwork is reminiscent of that of his father, Sean Phillips. It makes sense. He took an interest in his father’s work from a young age, learned under him and did his first professional work with him. Jacob likes to reference what he draws and you can see it in the work. There’s authenticity to the figures and settings. In the detailing and colouring of the book, Jacob uses a scribble like marker effect that features prominently. It depicts the lights and shadows at play in most scenes, giving a sense of subsurface scattering. Sometimes it adds texture to surfaces, representing glass here, grass there. It can be used for wistful clouds in one scene, or to convey the dead heat on the freeway in the next. Beautifully emotive colouring is rich on the page. We see so many shades of day and night, light and shadow. Flashes of red denote anger or violence, the colour’s vibrancy jumps in scenes where moods flare or metaphorical imagery is introduced. Alternatively backgrounds are white  and blank  to focus us on the action. There’s a lot of variation in all of the above and a lot to love about the art of this book. Overall Thoughts So in reviewing That Texas Blood Vol1 … it’s great, go get it. Everything’s done tremendously well. It’s funny, warm, smart, shocking  and exciting. An exceptional opening book for both writer and artist. They compliment each other very well. I look forward to hearing both their names in the future but especially when they’re in the same breath. That Texas Blood is continuing as an ongoing series. If you enjoyed our Review of That Texas Blood Vol 1 then please leave a comment or your own rating below. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Check out BGCP’s new list of Scottish Comic Shops to see if they have a copy of That Texas Blood Vol 1 in stock and buy local Buy tickets for BGCP

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Review – Blacksad: Amarillo

30th June 2021

SUMMARY Back on the losing side of life, Blacksad takes a step back from the rough world of PI work and opts for a seemingly harmless job as a valet through the valleys of Route 66. What follows is a travelling circus of criminal chaos with one man leaving his mark in each town, a down on his luck lion with a one hit wonder novel. Even with Blacksad and a stampede of bad decisions on this lion’s tail, everyone deserves a second chance to do one good thing. ART Coincidentally, the colouring throughout this comic is like a brand new coat of paint on a 50s Cadillac; redefiningly classic and exuberantly bright. Brightest of this palette is the condimental combination of red and yellow. While it’s symbolism is tailored more towards carnival cosmetics, there is a fitting air of Summer poetry to the warm and passionate colours of red and yellow. Guarnido demonstrates his artistic ingenuity in designing and engineering intricate watercolours throughout this wanderlusting adventure. In the midst of gorgeous train stations and populated city landscapes are atomic nuances of artistry such as concentrated expressions among 100 different animal civilians at once. WRITING As we reach the final instalment (for now) of the Blacksad series, it seems only fair to take the arcs of the series into consideration here. While Canales’ characterisation is immediately brilliant from the moment we are introduced to a character, the real beauty comes from the friends we made along the way. Or rather, their development as beloved characters. For the short time that we see Weekly in this comic, it is a wholesome time to be had as he and Blacksad have formed a genuine admiration for each other. Despite his external and fowl flaws both moral and physical, his inner talents and personality are a breath of fresh air! Canales strays from the path of his usual storytelling tropes of razor sharp relevant subject materials and instead offers his most unique and deep addition to the series. I’m not entirely sure of the overall theme, the human condition? The larger balance of work and passion? A powerful and gripping message of mental health? Whatever it is, I relate to it way more than the other volumes. There’s an element of self-discovery to be found in Blacksad: Amarillo that is as intriguing as it is daunting. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: Amarillo is a fast paced and fascinating addition to the story of Blacksad. Where previous tales focused on subject matters grounded in scarily relevant realism, Amarillo instead offers a simple but convoluted by the numbers classic detective story with uniquely engaging twists and thrills. Heavily detailed and beautifully consistent in both Guarnido’s artistry and Canales’ writing, this duo when separated are stand-alone virtuosos but together are a real tour de force that are ahead of the curve in the world of comic books. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Blacksad: Amarillo and be sure to check out my reviews for Blacksad: Somewhere Within The Shadows, Blacksad: Arctic Nation, Blacksad: Red Soul, Blacksad: A Silent Hell & Blacksad: Under The Skin! Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Blacksad: A Silent Hell

25th June 2021

SUMMARY Taking a trip down to New Orleans, Blacksad and his repellent rascal of a reporter Weekly are tasked with finding a beloved missing musician in the mayhem of Mardi Gras. However, the Masquerade of the local music industry has prowled through the poisonous streets of New Orleans longer than any parade. In the hometown of Jazz and voodoo, Blacksad is soon to find out that A Silent Hell awaits those with a Life Everlasting. ART With a loud and proud colour palette party and an intricate gallery of water-coloured storytelling throughout, Guarnido has a field day with this volume of Blacksad. You know you are witnessing something special when even the simple use of colour can tell a dynamic story. With the subject matter dealing with the harsh realities of drug abuse, Guarnido takes the opportunity to show off his abstract chops with some truly trippy compositions that are both moving and menacing all at once. These in their own right could be covers for the comic or installations in a renowned art gallery for kaleidoscopic prowess. WRITING Crossing the line between art and writing, I wasn’t sure how to talk about the English translation of this comic. Unfortunately, it’s shoddily done both in it’s style and translation. Slapped across the original speech bubbles like a tacky elbow patch on a tailored suit is a grammatical nightmare of an English translation from it’s original French text, in a lifeless husk of a font no less. Canales is a genius with his immersive dialogue and sadly there’s enough immersion-breaking mistakes in the translation that really break the flow. I’d happily learn French for Blacksad but I think it’d be easier to re-release the comic with a more collaborative translation. That being said, Canales is a tour de force when it comes to his virtuosic talents for as a writer and not even a poor translation can stop him from creating a riveting tale of fabled realism. Arctic Nation dealt with racism, Red Soul a commentary on political warfare and now with A Silent Hell, a dark descension into the world of drugs and exploitative nature of the music industry. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: A Silent Hell, is a maddening Mardi Gras of mistreatment and music. Just like Jazz, there’s a beauty to the dissonance of Canales’ story coupled with a fun and lively appearance atop an exhausted internal struggle from Guarnido. Despite it’s rough and staggered translation to the English language, this comic is essential reading for anyone attending the Blacksad party! [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Blacksad: A Silent Hell and be sure to check out my reviews for Blacksad: Somewhere Within The Shadows, Blacksad: Arctic Nation, Blacksad: Red Soul & Blacksad: Under The Skin! Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Blacksad: Arctic Nation

23rd June 2021

Review – Blacksad: Arctic Nation SUMMARY Blacksad puts himself in the crossfire of a visceral race war within The Line, a decrepit district of New York. Being a black and white cat is a dangerous thing to be when stuck between the Arctic Nation and Black Claws gang, but Blacksad is willing to go the distance in order to save the life of a kidnapped child torn from childhood. Not for the faint of heart, Animal Farm meets A Time to Kill in Blacksad’s coldest case yet. ART Guarnido’s artwork throughout Blacksad: Arctic Nation is comparable to every detective noir novel cover you’ve ever seen; hyper detailed with an aged complexion of scarred stoicism and brooding nihilism. Simultaneously and in contrast, underneath this cold and dark exterior is hearty anthropomorphic artistry, comparable to early Disney animation with carefully crafted and exaggeratedly expressive characters. As if the subject matter itself wasn’t enough to earn this comic it’s R rating, Guarnido looks to offend your eyes with equally scarring imagery of white supremacy, among other things best left unsaid. Regardless of the subject matter, the artwork throughout is wholly and undeniably masterful. WRITING Canales, in my humble opinion, has cemented himself as one of the greatest noir writers of all time with Blacksad. With a deep understanding of the genre, he manages to poke fun at the clichés while maintaining his own brilliant brand of gritty detective allegories by pushing the envelope further than his predecessors; that is by putting anthropomorphic animals into the stained shoes of the human condition. Orwell would be proud! With the comic’s original publisher being the French company Dargaud, the English translation at times can be a little askew which is forgivable, though there is one speech bubble that is just totally in French for some reason. That being said, the dialogue and storytelling do not suffer one bit with it’s pure poetry and tragic realism burned into an unapologetic apologue. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: Arctic Nation is a paragon in the world of comic books and even noir novels that is sure to fluctuate your core temperature throughout. Dialogue is dripping with poetic prowess and melodramatic magnificence while the artwork pulls your heart strings back and forth with it’s adorably industrious mythology eclipsed by a painfully relevant avalanche of reality. To reiterate, this is not for the faint of heart and has garnered a harsh R rating for it’s various subject matters. If you can brave the cold of Blacksad: Arctic Nation, you’ll be rewarded with a one of a kind comic experience that will stay with you forever. A brilliantly harrowing crime story worthy of your attention. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on our Review of Blacksad: Arctic Nation and be sure to check out my reviews for Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows & Blacksad: Under The Skin! Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows

23rd June 2021

Review – Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows is a 2016 fable comic written by Juan Diaz Canales and illustrated by Juanjo Guarnido. Published by Darguad. SUMMARY Pronounced dead at the scene, the concrete jungle of New York mourns and scorns a beloved actress after her cold-blooded murder. One man is on the case to catch the killer; Private Detective and coincidentally her former lover, John Blacksad. With a personal grudge and a city of wild animals out to stop him, justice is hidden Somewhere Within the Shadows. Also, he’s a cat! ART Even if anthropomorphic animals aren’t your thing, you can’t help but admire the gritty details in the designs of these colourful cartoon characters. Guarnido is able to portray and balance a multitude of thematic scenes such as comic relief and crippling despair or primal fury combating intellectual charm. The pages of this comic are coloured like a sunny Sunday morning; faded red wine and smeared lipstick from a wild Saturday night, steamed over with the smoke of lit cigarettes and stained fresh coffee. Blissfully warming even its hazy agitated complexion, you can’t help but be wrapped up in the cruel world of John Blacksad. WRITING One gripe I have is that the characters refer to themselves both as human and animals. This could be a cheeky jab at mankind as a whole being more animalistic than humane in their day to day lives but that only works in continuity sake or with a clear idea of a human being. In this case however, mankind is absent from the setting so it comes off more like a glitch in the system. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, back to praising this wonderful City of Animals fable noir! At face value alone, Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows is an outstandingly grizzly crime story with anthropomorphic animals. Take a deeper dissection of this world that Canales has created and you uncover beautifully intricate characters in a very bleak but familiar setting alongside a gripping satirical narrative laced with hierarchical social food chains and brilliant stereotypical character casting, for better or for worse. This Animal Farm has moved to the big city. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows is an impassioned masterpiece in every way. The premise of a walking talking cat detective solving cases alone is enough to scratch the itch for any fan of detective novels looking for a unique noir story. Once you add the gorgeous artwork and James Ellroy-esque writing styles of Guarnido & Canales, you know you are in for something special. The heavily detailed and creative art combined with charmingly sophisticated storytelling, characters and dialogue makes this triumphant social satire comic a must have for anyone who has ever collected a comic. Blacksad leaves you begging for more and thankfully, this isn’t his last case. Rate our Review of Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows and be sure to read our review of the video game Blacksad: Under The Skin. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Blacksad: Under The Skin

23rd June 2021

Blacksad: Under The Skin is a detective adventure game by Pendulo Studios, based off of an ongoing comic series of the same titular name by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido. Think the gritty realism of LA Noire meeting the charm and anthropomorphic style of Sly Cooper. Released in November, 2019 Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Classic Mac OS SUMMARY The stage is set, Bobby Yale VS the reigning champ Al Stone in a boxing match at Madison Square Garden! However, the shocking discovery of a beloved gym coach’s apparent suicide has put the match and industry in jeopardy. It’s up to private investigator John Blacksad to peel back the layers of chicanery and monkeyshines to reveal what’s Under The Skin. STORY Set against a backdrop of New York; the concrete jungle wet dream tomato (or whatever Alicia Keys said), you’ll find all manner of anthropomorphic animals from all walks of life, more often than not carefully reflecting stereotypes of the real world with exceptional voice acting and beautiful animation. Our titular character, Blacksad, is everything a crime solving cat should be; smooth, witty, handsome and a big ol’ softie or a brooding nihilist depending on how he’s feeling (or how you decide to play). A sultry silken voiceover by Barry Johnson combined with a stoically calm demeanour makes this character the coolest cat in town. The story is overly typical of your favourite noir and whodunnit stories and that’s never a bad thing. They’re always so much fun to unravel and solve, especially in this case with a wide variety of possible suspects and motives. I’ve yet to replay the game to try and invert my statistics so I am unaware if said inversion of my results will award me with an alternate ending, it looks promising though! GAMEPLAY As with any good detective game, you’ll be searching for clues and asking questions to solve a crime and Blacksad: Under The Skin is no different. It’s closest comparison is Rockstar’s LA Noire with some deviations, both good and bad. What separates this game from the pack is its logistical and varied mechanics, including an actual solving window where you combine the information you’ve collected to connect the dots. As a smooth-talking feline, your wits will only get you so far before you need to put your cat-like reflexes and enhanced senses to the test with slow motion hot spot scenes and QT events. As well as the primal tools of a cat, Blacksad never leaves his office without his trusty lockpick. On top of this, your quickdraw decisions and emotional connections to each character have consequences and this allows for an inclusive experience that demands your attention. The game is forgiving enough of your mistakes – if you don’t mind seeing your beloved Blacksad die in a variety of painfully callous game over scenarios, but some mistakes will stick with you forever. A problem with the game however, is that is riddled with bugs, and not the buzzing anthropomorphic kind. I initially put the game down months ago because the flow and my progress were interrupted several times by crashes. Upon returning to the game, those issues have mostly subsided but there are still fuzzy textures and choppy frame rates that could break the immersion. Alas, it’s part of the wider issue of releasing games before they are completely bug-tested. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: Under The Skin is a gem of a noir detective story set in a coffee stained New York jungle full of interesting and likeable animals. With an initial playtime of 7-9 hours and the addition of replayability, there is more than enough gameplay to enjoy here. If it weren’t for the multiple bugs, especially of the game breaking variety, this game would be a cult classic masterpiece. Until such time as the developers continue to fix said bugs, I would say wait for a final update or discounted price. If you have an itch for a unique and engaging interactive noir story however, I suggest you have a scratch at this to once more with a brooding voice, reveal what’s Under The Skin. [yasr_multiset setid=5] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=5] Let us know your thoughts on Blacksad: Under The Skin, your thoughts on the original comic series and what your favourite noir and whodunnit stories are! If you enjoyed our Blacksad: Under The Skin Review, you can check out what we thought of Cyberpunk: 2077 here. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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