The indie movie landscape of the last few months and you'll see a trend: women running. More specifically, single, neurotic women running while coping with their middle-class problems. Renate Reinsve did it in The Worst Person in the World; Alana Haim did it in Licorice Pizza. But they're not alone.
Remember Frances in Frances Ha? She did it too. And let’s not forget Run Lola Run. But what if you, dear reader, were the director of their lives? To wit, may we present Saturn Return, an open-world role-playing game that someone should really make.
The Story
No boyfriend. No career. And now—no roommate. In Saturn Return, you play as Fiona, a dilettante in search of purpose while coping with adult responsibilities. As she rapidly approaches 30, Fiona wakes up in a city filled with lost potential and closed doors.
Armed with only her intellect and wit, Fiona must make money, fall in love, meet cool and interesting people, and gain validation in order to survive in this bitter land and regain her lost optimism—all before the planet Saturn returns to the same ecliptic longitude it occupied at her birth.
The Gameplay
As Fiona, you can explore the landscape of Metro any way that you like! You can attend parties and ask NPCs if they like their jobs, flirt with local baristas, performatively shop in the bookstore, ask a bartender if they have any good sour beers, or search for new destinations. (Maybe go to that museum exhibit your friend recommended? They read about it in The New Yorker.) You set your own path into the overpriced neighborhood she’s decided to call home.
Status Meters
Fiona has two meters that let you know her current ability to function: her mood and stamina. When they’re both filled up, she can explore the world endlessly! When they’re depleted, she is stuck in her apartment and retreating into her brain.
Mood
Depressed → Jubilant
Anxious → Chill
Stamina
Can’t get out of bed → Plans every night
Dehydrated → Hydrated
Inventory
Tote bag: Fiona keeps all her belongings in a public radio tote bag.
Bike: Once you obtain a bike the world becomes a little bit smaller.
Edibles: Discover cannabis edibles hidden away from a trip to California last year.
Expired student ID: You can sometimes get into museums with this.
Punch card for coffee shop by old office: Yeah, you should toss it, but what if you might need it someday?
Controls
The controls for Saturn Return are pretty straightforward, but each one can have profound effects on Fiona’s mood, stamina, and ability to deal. Press the buttons below to select from several options.
Read Also:
The Batman best characters in the movie
Who were the best characters from The Batman? Find out right here.
The Batman was a success. There’s no other way to say it. Despite all of the doubts people had going in, the movie succeeded. Not only that, it was a phenomenal movie. What’s even more impressive is that it’s a nearly three hour long movie and it didn’t feel like it.
Every moment was like a new experience for fans of The Dark Knight and the comic book genre. It showed promise for the franchise and the future of the comic movie genre in regards to both movies and TV shows.
It couldn’t have been accomplished without the cast putting on great performances. Moreover, each of the main characters added something to the project. There were seven characters in particular who made The Batman a triumph. This article will break them down and rank them. Let’s begin.
Alfred Pennyworth
Andy Serkis’ Alfred was better than this writer expected. After seeing Michael Gough, Jeremy Irons, and Michael Caine, it seemed like it would be hard for anyone to top them or even come close. However, Serkis proved that he could be every bit the Alfred as the others.
He treated Bruce just like he would in the comics. He was direct with him, but still had a loving tone. The only negative is that he wasn’t in the movie more. Hopefully, this won’t be the case in the next projects. It would be great to see Alfred helping Batman on missions from the Batcave.
James Gordon
Jeffrey Wright was a terrific pick for James Gordon. What helped the character was that this was Gordon who had been working with the Dark Knight for a long time. This made their relationship better, stronger and more palatable for the audience. We got to skip over the awkward phase of trust and give the fans what they wanted: The real feel of a Gordon and Batman relationship.
Seeing the two of them work together on a case was like watching a comic book come to life or a scene from Batman: The Animated Series. They had a relationship that required trust. When Batman needed to escape the police department, Gordon helped him. This isn’t necessarily something that would have happened if they were in year one of their working relationship.
Carmine Falcone
We’ve seen a lot of mob bosses in movies and TV shows. In Gotham, they have to be tougher. It isn’t just the police and elected officials that they have to worry about. There’s the Dark Knight. Batman may have been young and somewhat inexperienced here, but he’s proven to be formidable. That meant the boss here had to be even more formidable than anyone else. Carmine Falcone was that.
Falcone was deceptive, conniving, and smooth. He was one man who had a choke hold on Gotham. Everyone knew it, but they couldn’t do anything about it. Star John Turturro was so convincing in the role that he made Falcone one of the crime bosses we’ve seen on the screen in some time.
The Riddler
This writer was unfamiliar with Paul Dano before The Batman. However, everyone who knew about his work said that he’d be amazing. They were right.
Dano’s Riddler was terrifying. It wasn’t just the mask (although that helped). You never knew where he was going to strike next. Then, to see him flood all of Gotham City after committing crimes he claimed were for the city was really frightening. He became an unpredictable monster. Let’s not forget that he also became a cult leader and weaponized people to become terrorists.
It’s good that this won’t be the last we see of Paul Dano’s Riddler. He’s too good to be a one off villain.
The Penguin
This is Colin Farrell’s second role as a comic book character and it was his second 5-star performance. Farrell’s Penguin was cowardly in front of people, but brave when he had the upper hand. It was just like the character we know from DC Comics. A weasley guy who took abuse from his boss and everyone else. Yet, when he got a little leverage, he poked his chest out. Watching him talk a big game to get shut down was fantastic.
His next performance in the The Batman HBO Max spin-off series will no doubt be even better.
Bruce Wayne / Batman
Robert Pattinson’s portrayal as one of the most popular characters of all time exceeded expectations. Despite critics doubting him before the movie was released, he was great in the role. Not only did he nail the character, he gave everyone a new look at Bruce Wayne – one who seemed like he never truly got over the loss of his parents and thus engulfed himself in becoming “vengeance.”
As Batman, he was the first live-action version of the character that was a fully-blown detective. He wasn’t just a guy and gadgets. No, a big part of Bruce Wayne being a crime-fighter is his ability to solve crimes – not just punch his way out of situations. Pattinson captured that perectly.
This writer saw the future of the Dark Knight and it looked bright. Well, not bright. Nothing in Gotham is bright.
Catwoman
There was no way she couldn’t be number one on this list. Zoë Kravitz may have surpassed the previous women who have played Catwoman on the screen. She was honestly everything that you’d want from both Selina Kyle and Catwoman, nailing the character’s sultry nature, taking none of Batman’s mess, and quickly proving herself to be an incredible fighter. It was also great hearing her explain why she loves cats and the love for her friend. This showed a more vulnerable side to her.
As of now, we don’t know if we’ll see her again. However, considering how popular her character is, it’s a good guess to say we will. She should return in the movies and definitely get a spin-off of her own. Who wouldn’t want to watch a Catwoman show or movie starring Zoë Kravitz?