as Lauren Kelly Editor-in-Chief Me: The Gathering, the competitive trading-card game that has been around since 1993, is still incredibly popular. There are over 15 stores that sell cards and host tournaments in the Lower Mainland alone. However, next month’s Grand Prix will celebrate the game on a much grander scale. Taking place from February 17 to 19, the event’s main tournament is capped out at 1,500 entrants, with an entry fee of $100. This time, the main event will be in the Modern format, meaning that cards going back to 2003's Mirrodin set are legal to play barring a short ban-list. Because of the large number of cards at an entrant’s disposal, the format is incredibly competitive and quite expensive compared to Standard, which only allows cards from the last three blocks. Every few months, a new set is released. Most recently, it was January 20’s Aether Revolt, an expansion in the Kaladesh block. Both of these sets are heavily based around artifacts and the names and culture within them are influenced by South-Asian countries. A few cards in it are expected to make their way into consistent Modern play, so it will be interesting to see how the tournament is affected by the new release. Magic is well known for the beautiful Have an idea for a story? M arts@theotherpress.ca ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Grand Prix coming to Vancouver in February > Opportunity to compete in tournaments, meet artists, and buy goods MS Yl ee , ‘i art that adorns every card, and it goes as far as crediting the artist on the bottom of each one, something other card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh! haven't done. With the Grand Prix, fans will have the opportunity to meet the artists who drew the art for their favourite cards, and even have them signed. So far, the confirmed artists are Joseph Meehan, rk post, Jason Felix, Johannes Voss, and Craig Spearing. Although it’s free, unlike many autograph sessions, it is recommended that you tip the artists for their time. For those interested in getting some souvenirs from the Grand Prix without competing, there is a $50 souvenir package with a Vancouver Grand Prix exclusive playmat, a Grand Prix Looking for the centre of amaze > ‘Westworld’ review Chandler Walter Assistant Editor kkk ee WESTWORLD -ODE Image via HBO wore is... ambitious, to say the least. The HBO series directed by J.J. Abrams definitely did not hold anything back as far as intricacy is concerned, though how well the 10-episode-long debut season managed to convey those intricacies is left for the viewer to decide. We will keep spoilers to anything you would learn in the first episode, as we would not want to ruin the gun- toting, whiskey-drinking fun for anyone considering the 10-hour-long story, and who may be reading this review wanting no more than a gentle, guiding hand. Well, I’ve got two, and all 10 fingers to type with, so here we go. Westworld is an amusement park for rich people. It is inhabited by robotic beings—I refrain from the more definite “robots” for reasons that will become clear if you just watch the damn thing already—that exist solely for the enjoyment of any real humans willing to pay the hefty price. And yes, enjoyment in this case does include (but is not limited to) killing, torturing, berating, humiliating, love-making, shot taking, robot baiting, or just general befriending, depending on the deepest desires of the “guests” of the park. Oh, also, it’s in the wild west. We can’t forget that part. Westworld—note the italics, we're talking the show, not the identically named theme park here, folks—takes this somewhat unbelievable premise and delves as deep and as complex as, well, a labyrinth, into the question of what makes a human truly real. Is it free will? A beating heart? Suffering? Love? Memory? All of the above? This show is ambitious in that it does not hold anything back in the hopes that everyone will like it. It has a LOT of talking, with the majority being some form of explanation. I am more of a show-don't-tell kind of viewer, but to each their own. It also has a few things here and there that can quite literally throw you for a loop. The mysteries are hard to realize as actually being mysteries in the first place, until they hit you hard with the twist. By the bitter end the general storyline is tangible, though some may gain from the various YouTube “Ending Explained” videos (guilty). Looking at a 10-episode series like this one, it is hard not to relate it to another recent watch: The Netflix . > we 1 = = } eT: al) <- See ae > 2 : (¥ This epic anime stunner will stand the test of time (¥ Timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ( The offerings of the Alola region And more! Image via magic.wizards.com Progenitus promo card, as well as two draft sets. A draft set is three boosters, and these allow you to compete in side tournaments called drafts, where you make a deck on the spot by rotating the packs with those you are playing with and selecting cards from them. Since attending as a spectator is free, there is something for every Magic fan at this event. If you're feeling particularly strong about your Modern deck, throw your hat in the ring for that $15,000 grand prize, or one of the many smaller ones. Otherwise, meet and mingle with your community, and have a great time playing in side tournaments and perusing the goods sold by local vendors. original, Stranger Things. Though the genres are mostly different, they both operate on a slow reveal to pique the viewer's interest here and there over the course of the season. While Stranger Things runs a cliffhanger formula that had me up until 6:00 a.m. to finish the series in one go because are-you-kidding- me, Westworld lacked the overhanging questions that needed to be resolved. Sure, things needed explaining, but it was not the driving interest. The premise is enough to encourage an entirely 100 per cent legal stream of at least the second or third episode, and though the characters did not offer too much to root for in the beginning, the show is worth watching just to exist in such an interesting idea. There is a lot more that could be said about Westworld—from the questions it raises about morality, or identity, or “Who the hell even is the bad guy here?”— but we will leave it at this: Westworld is a great choice if you're looking for a new show to watch, but only if you are willing to pay attention. It’s kind of like Lost, actually. The good Lost. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn into bad Los¢.