Organizing pLayday
I want to organize a day of the week where we all attempt to get online Xb Live and play a game. Instead of leaving it to chance, we make an effort to log on a particular day and play together in a game we all have.
I can even post ideas for the game here ahead of time (map or gametype preferences can be expressed in comments).
I have been gathering potential days from everyone, and so far the best day looks like Tuesday.
I finally beat: Halo 3
This is a bit delayed, as I actually beat Halo 3 within two or three days of its launch.
Halo 3 is just the natural progression of Halo-ness. Halo may have revolutionized FPS with it’s two weapon system (How can I carry these 18 weapons at once? Where does that chainsaw GO when I pull out my Sniper Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, and Assault Rifle) and Regenerating Health (I’m bleeding deep in enemy territory. Good thing there are all these bullet healing health packs lying around EVERYWHERE), and a fun Co-Op Campaign (Mobile Respawn Point) but the 3rd game should bring something new to the table. After all, that’s what Halo did to make itself so popular. Let’s split this into two parts: Campaign and Matchmaking. Continue reading
Bioshock Progress Report #2
Okay. I now have motivation. There was a great story revelation partway through. Bioshock has a PLOT and characters beyond what they initially portray. Sure, some aspects of it are predictable, but others most certainly are not. And the conversation with the twist revealed is excellently acted. The voice actor/s do an outstanding job, and the entire scene is just directed well.
Anyway, the game is still easy, and perhaps even getting easier; it is hard to tell when everything dies with 2 hits of a wrench. Still, I am motivated to make it through now. They have gotten me interested in Rapture beyond looking at pretty architecture. I just hope the ending can hold up after such a cinematic chapter.
There is no ending to: SceneIt?
There is no plot to spoil for SceneIt, only the questions. The movie selection is varied, with quite a few older Oscar-winning movies. “It won 13 Oscars?!? How have I not heard of it!” There is a nice selection of easy achievements, and a few trickier ones.
Overall, it is a great party game. The buzzer controllers are fun to use and fairly easy to understand. They use a proprietary IR USB hub. This initially meets with a poor reaction, but they did take this as an opportunity to do something good for the consumer. You can use both a regular controller and SceneIt controller at the same time, letting up to 8 people play in teams of 2…. Continue reading
Don’t tell me the ending to: The Walking Dead
“Generic.”
This zombie story is as cliche as they get. It also in a very well done way. I’ve finished reading Book 1, and cannot wait to see what happens next.
The story centers on the characters, and what they go through, rather than trying to scare or show off interesting zombie designs. As old characters go crazy under the circumstances or are eaten by zombies, new and interesting characters are brought into the story. When surprises are used, they always appear on the left page, so you have turn the page in order to see them. The Art style is well done and while on the unrealistic or cartoon side still makes the characters feel more real and grounded with costume design and expression. One other word can be used to describe The Walking Dead:
“Great.”
Bioshock Progress Report #1
I got past the Vegas sequence. That lasted a bit longer than I would have liked, but at least I was collecting something more interesting than chemicals. My character’s wrench is a bit too powerful. With stacking plasmids, my wrench does far more damage than my fully upgraded shotgun at close range. I don’t even have to use any shock+smack combo; the smack kills them in 1-3 hits. The game’s plot is picking up again, but I know I can’t be that close to the end yet.
Don’t tell me the ending to: CoD4
I know. I’m supposed to be playing Bioshock. But I picked up CoD4 for $37 recently and one of my friends wanted to know if he, too, should pick it up. Well, there is only one way to find out: I put the disc in and boot up the game on the hardest difficulty.
It is definitely worthy of the Game Of the Year Runner-up moniker… Continue reading
don’t tell me the ending to: No Country for Old Men
My friends have all seen No Country for Old Men. Some recommend it, some do not. I still need to see it.
I know very little about the movie going into it, but it is apparently hard to follow without some previous knowledge. I’ve found that the lower my expectations and the less I know of the movie, the more I can enjoy watching it. I have also learned that a certain base knowledge, or non-spoilers, can help understand scenes and dialog that might otherwise have lost its meaning. So how much should I learn before I go into this one?
Below are some non-spoilers, but knowledge that people have passed on to me so that I may enjoy/understand the movie during my first viewing: Continue reading
I finally beat: Assassin’s Creed
This was a flagship, high profile game; it was met with mixed reviews. This has confused a lot of people, and caused those people to start defending one perspective or the other. I would like to address some of the common things I’ve seen, and some aspects that no one seems to discuss. Continue reading
I finally watched: National Treasure 2 – The Book of Secrets
I saw a movie recently. It was still in theaters. In fact, it is even new. It’s a shame I didn’t like it more.