Baldur's Gate 3 is a special experience, truly, because no matter how little interest you have in tabletop or strategy RPGs, you can find pure enjoyment in your playthrough. How do I know that? I was a person with little interest in tabletop and strategy RPGs, yet here we are with a 5 star ranking.

There is plenty to love in BG3, with hours upon hours of content to delve into, including so many different routes and options that you're likely to have a unique experience on every playthrough. The amount of things that got referenced or brought back throughout my playthrough, whether it was a small bit of information heard or characters interacted with hours or acts before, your choices actually do influence your playthrough. The story really does feel like a proper D&D campaign, with so much exploration to do and plenty of fun little interactions to have with the world throughout all 3 acts.

A good cast can make or break your game, and I'm delighted to say the cast of BG3 is the true star of the show. Whether you like the abrasive Lae'zel, charming Astarion, the hellfire teddy bear that's Karlach or everyone's favourite loser Gale, there is somebody in this cast for you. The aforementioned Karlach and Shadowheart are my two favourite characters in the game and I loved every single interaction provided.

Finally the gameplay of BG3 is a creative beast to say the least. It takes a bit of time to get used to the systems presented to you, but once you remember to play it less like your typical strategy game, and implent some of that classic D&D jank, it gets a whole lot more enjoyable. Being able to mix combat encounters with enjoyable dialogue checks, the gameplay loop never truly gets stale. It also helps the world aroud offers plenty of diversity in terms of strategy.

I went into BG3 worried that I wouldn't love it as much as everyone else has, and I'm sure I've parroted what everyone else has said, but honestly, this game was a proper experience. The fact that I'm already eager to do a second playthrough down the line says it all.

Cats & Dogs is a 2001 spy-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman and written by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. It stars Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins and Alexander Pollock, with the voices of (among others) Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin, Sean Hayes, Susan Sarandon, Charlton Heston, Jon Lovitz, Joe Pantoliano and Michael Clarke Duncan. The story centers on the relationships between cats and dogs, depicting the relationship as an intense rivalry in which both sides use organizations and tactics that mirror those used in human espionage. It was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 4, 2001. The film received mixed reviews and earned $200.7 million on a $60 million budget.

The Brody family's pet Bloodhound Buddy chases a cat and is captured by other cats in an ambush. Cats and dogs are revealed to be highly intelligent, tech-savvy enemies capable of speech, waging war with covert operatives while concealing their true nature from humans. After an Anatolian Shepherd dog named Butch reports Buddy's capture to his superiors, the best canine agents are dispatched to complete Buddy's mission: to prevent the cats from making all humans allergic to dogs.

At a local barn, a litter of Beagle puppies mock their youngest brother for trying to escape captivity. A Doberman Pinscher agent replaces the litter with a pack of Miniature Pinscher agents, failing to notice the youngest Beagle. Carolyn, the Brodys’ matriarch, arrives to adopt a new dog and selects the Beagle, naming him Lou after her son Scotty sarcastically suggests the name "Loser".

After detonating an explosive trap laid by cats for Lou, Butch – mistaking him for a trained operative – brings him to the dogs’ underground network, and introduces agents Peek, a Chinese Crested Dog, and Sam, an Old English Sheepdog. Realizing Lou is a civilian, Butch raises his concerns to his superiors but is rebuffed. Lou is briefed on the origins of the conflict between cats and dogs, dating back to Ancient Egypt when cats ruled the world. Butch reveals that Buddy has escaped the cats and the spy trade, retiring to a condo in Boca Raton.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tinkles, a white Persian cat, plans to exploit the Brodys’ patriarch Professor Charles’ research on dog allergies to conquer the world. His scheming is interrupted by Sophie, his comatose owner's maid, who enjoys dressing Tinkles in embarrassing costumes. Tinkles orders his sidekick Calico, an Exotic Shorthair, to send Devon Rex ninjas to steal the research. Lou foils the theft and meets a former agent and Butch's ex-girlfriend Ivy, a Saluki who encourages him to bond with Scotty.

Mr. Tinkles contracts a Russian Blue mercenary named Dimitri Kennelkoff, who tricks Lou and places a bomb on Brody's lab door. Kennelkoff battles Lou and Butch, damaging the Brodys’ house until Butch disables the bomb and captures Kennelkoff. During the interrogation, the dogs recover a note by Mr. Tinkles from Kennelkoff's stomach.

After a breakthrough involving Lou playing with Scotty, Charles' machine finally finds the formula to a cure for human allergies to dogs. Having bugged the house, Mr. Tinkles and Calico spring a trap for the Brodys. First, Mr. Tinkles travels to a Christmas tree flocking plant under the guise of the plant's comatose owner, Mr. Mason, and sends the employees home, then lures the Brodys with fake tickets to a soccer exhibition game, capturing the family.

The dogs receive a video from Mr. Tinkles demanding Charles’ research as a ransom for the Brodys, and dogs around the world assemble at a meeting, led by a Mastiff. When the assembly decides not to surrender the formula, Lou confronts Butch. Revealing that he was abandoned by his owner, the unsympathetic Butch leaves Lou behind. Desperate, Lou brings Mr. Tinkles the research and is double-crossed. Butch, realizing what has happened, stages a raid of Mr. Tinkles' factory where mice are being prepared to spread the mass-produced allergy.

While Butch, Ivy, Peek, and Sam fight Tinkles' cat forces, Lou frees the Brodys and Calico, who was betrayed by Tinkles, revealing to the family that he can speak. Lou defeats Tinkles but is struck by an excavator as an explosion destroys the whole factory. Butch rescues the seemingly dead Lou, tearfully admitting that Lou was right to love his adoptive family, and Lou awakens. He decides to return to a normal pet's life with the Brodys until he can serve as a full-grown agent.

Meanwhile, Tinkles is sent to live with Sophie and her three sisters, with even more humiliating outfits as punishment for his actions against the dogs.

he film was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia and Eagle Creek Studios in Burnaby, British Columbia[4] from June 19 to November 17, 2000. Lou's doghouse was filmed on Stage 1, Mr. Mason's office and the interior of the tree flocking factory was filmed on Stage 2, and the international meeting with the dogs was filmed on Stage 3, while the backyard of the Brody house was filmed on the studio backlot,[5] and the front exterior of the Brody house was filmed at 1661 W 45th Avenue in Vancouver.[6]

Cats & Dogs was released with the classic Looney Tunes short "Chow Hound" which was also seen in the movie itself.[citation needed] When released on Independence Day 2001, the film opened at #1, beating out Scary Movie 2 as it grossed $21.7 million over the Friday to Sunday span, averaging $7,140 from 3,040 theaters. It grossed $35.8 million over the Wednesday to Sunday span. It dropped 44% the following weekend, dropping to the #3 spot, grossing $12 million, falling behind Legally Blonde and The Score, and bringing its 12-day gross to $58.9 million. The film grossed $93.4 million in the US and $107.3 million overseas, for a total of $200.7 million worldwide on a $60 million budget.[citation needed]

Cats & Dogs was released on VHS and DVD on October 23, 2001.[7] The alternate ending that shows Sophie instead taking Mr. Tinkles to a pet hospital to be neutered was also included as one of the extras. It was later released on Blu-ray on July 20, 2010;[8] 10 days before the release of its sequel, The Revenge of Kitty Galore.

The soundtrack by composer John Debney was released in 2001. It includes What's New Pussycat? by Tom Jones.

Cats & Dogs has a 54% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes based upon 117 reviews (63 positive, 54 negative) and an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A great concept, but the movie fails to develop the characters and some of the jokes are hit-or-miss."[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100 based upon 26 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]

The Washington Post's Jane Horwitz called it "[a] surprisingly witty and sophisticated spy movie spoof that will tickle adult pet lovers and still capture kids 6 and older with its boy-and-his-dog love story and pet slapstick."[11] Roger Ebert gave the film 3 stars out of 4, praising the special effects and the CGI.[12] In contrast, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote "Irritating, childish and more frantic than funny, Cats & Dogs does manage some few pleasant moments, but they are not worth waiting for."[citation needed]

Cats & Dogs was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Feature Film (Comedy) and Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor (Alexander Pollock). John Debney won the ASCAP Award for his musical contribution to this film as well as The Princess Diaries and Spy Kids.

Heston received the 2001 Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his involvement in three films that year, including his role as The Mastiff.[citation needed]

Somehow the blending of Stephen King and Twin Peaks results in a more Xavier: Renegade Angel type of story than anything horrific.

For real, what a charming little experience. This game is so seventh generation it hurts. Even with the remastering job, this game has all that classic jank that I remember, I guess fondly, from when I was playing the Xbox 360. It is very clunky, and the game itself is a straight shot all the way to the end. That being said, what a charming little game it is, even with, and honestly because of its faults. This game is silly, it knows its silly, and embraces being silly, and knows how to just properly enthrall you enough to keep coming back for more. This would make for an excellent companion-piece to Deadly Premonition I would imagine, that year couldn't get enough Twin Peaks haha.

Very cute game, doesn't even attempt to hide its influences, of which I'm a massive fan of. I think the story and themes of this game aren't anything I'd personally write home about, but it makes up for that with some incredibly addicting rhythm-based gameplay, and so much character and charm. The developers very obviously adore Undertale, and I mean this very nicely, I think they do a good job of taking a lot of the charm of that game and putting it into the gameplay, though it doesn't ever quite match Undertale's qualities that it excels in (and the parts I adore).

Still this is a creative, fun, pretty short, and extremely cheap indie experience. Weird experiences like this will always be worth your time, go check it out if you think it would tickle your fancy.