Welcome back (and to those just joining, welcome) to another Machinima Titan's Return review! Last week saw the release of the first two episodes of this new series, (you can catch up on my review for those
here and
here) and this week we finally get the resolution to some of the cliffhanging plot threads left over from last week. Let's get straight to it and take a look at Titan's Return Episode 3!
So, we pick up where we left off in episode 2, with Trypticon in the middle of rampaging through Cybertron and Metroplex coming to meet him. And then, finally, we get the big (literally) fight scene between the two titans. It's actually fairly well done and entertaining to watch. Windblade again tries to get Metroplex to stand down, but he knows he must to defend the city.
Mmmm, hot giant robot-on-giant robot dinosaur action Thanks to a random bit of purple smoke that comes out of Trypticon's mouth(?), we hear Starscream's voice, and Windblade and Metroplex discover that Starscream is the one controlling Trypticon.
Bluhh, sorry, I had ChipotleWe cut away from the fight for a moment to catch up with Perceptor and the Mistress of Flame, who make contact with Hot Rod. He asks how the evacuation is going, even though we've seen no one but the main cast in this entire city. Hot Rod informs them he'll be arriving shortly to aid with the fight.
We then cut to the Matrix of Leadership, now in the hands of the 13 Primes, who send a message to Optimus Prime. He stops, heeding the sign from the Matrix, and realizes what has happened in the city he's left behind. He travels back to the fight, and then, finally, we get the reappearance of Megatron. He remains the greatest, best-acted character in the entire two series, and the dialogue and exposition between he and Optimus in this scene is really good. He gives us some foreshadowing about the next series, Power of the Primes.
AW YISSSS But all good things must come to an end, as, like a thief in the night, Megatron leaves as soon as he arrived. He decides not to go with Optimus to save the city, but I'd assume this is not the last we'll see of him through the rest of the series.
While this is all happening, we find the Mistress of Flame and Perceptor trying to contact the combiners on their quest to find Fortress Maximus, which they are unable to do.
"[Trypticon] could want one thing, or everything!" .....What?!?!? What is this writing??After watching the battle for a few moments more, she sends Perceptor to turn on the castle's defense systems, while she goes to her "Prayer Chamber".
#thoughtsandprayersPerceptor then makes it to the basilica control room, and turns the defenses on.
Orchestrated by Daft Punk, apparently.The combiners finally make it to Fortress Maximus and attempt to activate it. We hear Youtuber Matpat in the role of Computron for the first time, and there's kind of a unique, fun dynamic between all the combiners hinted at here. Menasor fires off a missile by accident, with no idea where it will land. With that, episode 3 ends.
It's ya boy, DJ P3rcy P, spinning some fresh hits for ya all night long...This was, again, a good episode. It was nothing exceptional, but the Metroplex/Trypticon battle scenes were very well done, and makes up for some pacing, timing, and writing issues that are pretty regular in this series so far. I honestly think it's biggest issue currrently is that, even though you had a pretty constant amount of action in this episode, it still feels pretty dull. It just doesn't grab you and make you feel like you're involved or invested in these battles you're seeing. The pacing issues coupled with the wide, steady, far out camera angles I think really detach you from the situation, which is not how you should feel. It just makes everything seem inconsequential, when it really isn't. This is still a huge improvement over the last series, though, because we've move on from being "Oh this is just bad" to actual critique, dissecting the actual occasional flaw that presents itself.
Well, that's it this week. What did you think? Watch the new episode over
on Go90, and then come back and tell us in the Energon pub forums below! Happy Thanksgiving to you all if you celebrate it, and I'll see you next Tuesday!