Wildeybeast
02-04-2012, 12:03 PM
I got chance to listen to the new BL audio drama this morning and thought I'd post a quick review. I will avoid any major spoilers for the benefit of those considering getting it. This is my first review, so it probably won't be very good, but hopefully it might give people some guidance.
Plot: The Brazen Minotaurs are battling the Death Guard and a squad are on a secret mission to recover something which will change the course of the war. But, unkown to both sides, the Raven Guard are lurking in the shadows. What could they want?
Performance: The last audio drama I picked up was a while ago, so this may not be new, but BL are investing more in the cast, with three actors; one narrating and two doing voices. Perfectly functional performances, as much emotional depth as one would expect from someone voicing a space marine. My only criticism is the accents for the Brazen Minotaurs. I think they are supposed to sound 'African' but I keep picking up twinges of 'Russian' which was a bit distracting.
Story: Disappointing for me. I like the Raven Guard because they aren't just your standard hack and slash SM's, but that was pretty much all this was. No character development at all, so it felt a bit silly when characters got all angry over the death of their comrades who I barely knew. The story follows a very formulaic pattern - description of nasty chaos things, space marines violently kill nasty things, then find more nasty things to be described/killed. Really rather boring, so when the story reached it's big reveal I found it neither surprising nor interesting because I had no investment in the characters or story. What I want, particularly from a RG story, is stealth, subterfuge, cunning plans and characters I care about. What I got was by the numbers hack and slash, with the only difference being the RG hide in the shadows and then hack and slash.
My conclusion: If you want fairly good descriptions of visceral combat and nasty nurgle creatures, then this will appeal to you, otherwise, in my humble opinion, it has little else to recommend it.
Edit: I should perhaps add that George Mann's previous RG audio drama 'Helion Rain' is, in every way, superior to Labryinth of Sorrows. If you are one of the select group of people, who, like myself, are looking for the their fix of RG background then I would recommend Helion Rain over Labryinth of Sorrows.
Plot: The Brazen Minotaurs are battling the Death Guard and a squad are on a secret mission to recover something which will change the course of the war. But, unkown to both sides, the Raven Guard are lurking in the shadows. What could they want?
Performance: The last audio drama I picked up was a while ago, so this may not be new, but BL are investing more in the cast, with three actors; one narrating and two doing voices. Perfectly functional performances, as much emotional depth as one would expect from someone voicing a space marine. My only criticism is the accents for the Brazen Minotaurs. I think they are supposed to sound 'African' but I keep picking up twinges of 'Russian' which was a bit distracting.
Story: Disappointing for me. I like the Raven Guard because they aren't just your standard hack and slash SM's, but that was pretty much all this was. No character development at all, so it felt a bit silly when characters got all angry over the death of their comrades who I barely knew. The story follows a very formulaic pattern - description of nasty chaos things, space marines violently kill nasty things, then find more nasty things to be described/killed. Really rather boring, so when the story reached it's big reveal I found it neither surprising nor interesting because I had no investment in the characters or story. What I want, particularly from a RG story, is stealth, subterfuge, cunning plans and characters I care about. What I got was by the numbers hack and slash, with the only difference being the RG hide in the shadows and then hack and slash.
My conclusion: If you want fairly good descriptions of visceral combat and nasty nurgle creatures, then this will appeal to you, otherwise, in my humble opinion, it has little else to recommend it.
Edit: I should perhaps add that George Mann's previous RG audio drama 'Helion Rain' is, in every way, superior to Labryinth of Sorrows. If you are one of the select group of people, who, like myself, are looking for the their fix of RG background then I would recommend Helion Rain over Labryinth of Sorrows.