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Mini-Review: The Walking Dead – I Really Liked!

Posted in Blog, Games, Reviews, The Walking Dead on August 15, 2012 by slateman

While away I saw the first two episodes of The Walking Dead were free for ps+ subscribers. Having heard good things, and being a big fan of TWD, I was excited. The first few free nights, I got a few hours with the first game and walked away impressed. Of course this is not standard zombie fare. This is a moving game with its share of intense moments. As some choices were presented to me, I struggled with finding an answer that suited Lee. You have limited time on some of these. Do I speak the truth and trust in human nature? Or, do I tell them what they want to hear? Can I keep up with what lies I told one person? Which character do I save or back up? And getting back to Lee, he isn’t just the main character, he’s Lee…My Lee! I absolutely love the protagonist. His eyes are bright and revealing. His mysterious background is curious and compelling. I look at him as if he truly were a reflection of me. He can’t be a killer…right?

I look forward to playing episode 2. If it continues on this path, I’ll be forced to pick up parts 3-5! This is some cool stuff!

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Summer Vacation Updates: Gout! Games! Foliage Ocean!?

Posted in Blog, Cubing, Games, Personal, Reviews, Ys with tags , , , , , on June 23, 2012 by slateman

Update #1: The Gout Sucks! I really needn’t say more.

UG&G

OK, I played Ultimate Ghosts & Goblins several years back when it first appeared on the PSP but this week’s $5 sale well…sold me. I’ll be heading out to camp next month and figured I’d stock up on some portable gaming. Of course, this is a poor decision because UG&G is one of the most brutal gaming experiences ever. I knew this having stopped playing all those years ago due to sheer frustration and outright disgust ad the developers. It’s cheap, difficult and evil. However, it’s also classic. It’s a good mix of old and new, but I think it needed to draw from some other sources as well. Its save system is archaic, and while this may appeal to the hardcore gamer, I am disappointed in the layout. Much like Maximo missed out on opportunities, this game could’ve benefited from some tweaks here and there.

The Glory Of Ys

Now, this is what I’ve been waiting for. Back when the Vita launched, we all sensed the drought of killer games. It happens after each hardware launch. However, as I went through the PSN store to see what they had, Ys Seven and Ys: Oath In Felghana were the only two there. No Chronicles??? Supposedly there was a problem and so this game just snuck in there recently. Oh, I’m psyched. Now, I admit that I liked playing the game on the NDS several years back but something happened to my cart, and I never finished it. I’ve run through Book I on the PSP as well IIRC, but something happened once I got to Book II. (Are you seeing a trend here?) This all means I’m friggin’ thrilled to finally get to this. This too will be summer gaming at camp. Headphones, those classic tunes, oh man, this is going to be sweet!

Rochard

I purchased this game several months ago and really never got a chance to dive into it. It seemed a cool concept but only recently have I dug it out to try it. It isn’t perfect and the story is entirely skippable. However, the gravity gun and control over gravity itself are both just awesome ideas. Now, the rest of the game is the generic Metroidvania that we all know and love. And even this generation, this game was done, and done better, with Shadow Complex. Now that game friggin’ rocked. However, while this is just a generally-good game, the inclusion of gravity control and the gun make it different enough to be enjoyed in its own right. I recommend this…I Like would be the review caption.

Celceta

Finally…Ys Celceta is now suffixed Foliage Ocean In Celceta. Of course, it’ll be renamed when localized. And it will be localized, likely by XSeed. I’m looking forward to it, the game drops in September, let’s hope for a translation in early/mid ’13? Now, I haven’t bought any of the PSP games retail (got Oath and Chronicles digitally) but I do hope for a nice packaging. I’d love to shell out some cash for something like that. Music CD, map, some nonsense that fools like me pick up. We’ll see. In any event, the screenshots show a nice world map in the upper-right-hand portion of the screen, a sleek HUD and I’m psyched.

OK, this was a long update but had a lot to cover. My cubes finally hit the U.S. so I hope to have them by the middle of next week. That’ll be cool as I gave my student my Windmill Cube. :) I’m curious how similar the Fisher Cube is to that one. Let’s get this gout totally cleared up (OMFG So Bad!) and life will be pretty good!

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Mini-Review: Module – Imagineering: I Like…

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Music, Reviews with tags , on June 17, 2012 by slateman

Module: Imagineering

I listened to the new offering from Module and had to have the record. Then I got it and didn’t like it. The next spin started out great, but got real boring for most of the middle tracks. The next session was wonderful and I loved it again.

This strange love/hate relationship with this record doesn’t make much sense to me. I can’t quite figure out what I think about it. The first few tracks are great. The last few as well. The middle is the selling point. As background listening, it’s wonderful. However, since I cannot possibly write this without referencing the Shatter soundtrack, I desired something more than background music. Got plenty of it already, thanks.

So, what’s wrong with this record, you might ask. Well, nothing. That’s why I’m so confused. On the one hand, it’s precisely what I want. Perhaps mood has something to do with it. The songs aren’t too long, usually have some catchy pull to them, and remind me of Module’s other releases. I think the flow of the songs isn’t quite so grand. Several could be skipped. Perhaps several should be skipped to craft a better-flowing LP. With some filler songs removed, the best of the best could shine. Ultimately, I like this album. Not all of it, sadly. Fortunately, the good is rather good and it might be something I go back to, culling my favorite tracks into a longer EP. Or, I’ll just say, “Fuck it,” and turn on Shatter. We’ll see how that battle turns out!

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Mini-Review Format

Posted in Blog, Reviews on June 17, 2012 by slateman

I thought I should change the ‘scoring’ rules for mini-reviews. I like doing these, as they’re not too hefty and they convey my thoughts quickly after something (movie, music, game, etc.) Rather than doing numerical rankings, I’ll stick with something more basic. This could change, but this is a generic template for possible rankings.

OMFG: Kill It With Fire
Eh….
I Liked
I Really Liked
I Loved
Epic Effin’ Greatness!

Something like this will suffice. Now to write a review of the new Module album.

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Mini-Review: Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light – I LOVE!

Posted in Blog, Games, Reviews with tags , on June 12, 2012 by slateman

Love This Game!

I’ve always wanted to try this game out and due to the free nature of it on PS+ this week, my wishes were answered. I tried the demo a while back with my wife and quite liked it. However, yesterday I got the chance to play with a buddy and go through a few levels. The verdict? It’s exactly what I love about games.

The two-player system is perfect and strikes a great balance between action and puzzles. Neither is too tough and both were surprisingly fun. The rewards system allows for great replay value (for those interested, my friend is not) and I even tested out a level in single player which was just as fun. The coop gameplay is solid and rewarding. Upgrading weapons, artifacts and relics give a boost which makes me want to go back and play more. It’s a perfect system, one which I wish other developers would employ more. Sure, it’s classic…it’s really nothing new. However, with so many games being so brainless, this is a nice change. Granted, a high IQ isn’t necessary, but I love thinking games.

As I won’t be canceling my PS+ account any time soon, I’ll have plenty of time to play this coop, and then to go back and collect all the hidden things. The only downside is that I have too much to play lately. This PS+ thing is almost a curse! So many excellent titles and so little time. I look forward to playing this to completion online, then to hopping into single player for speed runs & collecting. Fantastic stuff!

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Mini-Review: Prometheus – I Definitely Liked!

Posted in Aliens, Best / Worst, Movies, Reviews with tags on June 10, 2012 by slateman

There WILL Be Spoilers

I have not been this excited for a movie since Return Of The King. That was 9 years ago. In all honesty, I have been waiting for this movie to be made for 20 years. We survived Alien: Resurrection and a pair of Alien vs. Predator films. While this may not be an official prequel, anyone who gives a damn about this series knows it is the only film to matter in almost quarter a century. As the days progressed, I kept my expectations low but the fact remained; I was excited beyond belief. Therefore, as the 1pm showing crept closer, I could hardly contain myself. Prometheus is here.

It is an interesting tale. We all yearned to know the origins of the aliens, the mythical Space Jockey’s details, the reason the space craft crashed. Ultimately however, we don’t get all the answers we desired. In fact, there is much left unclear and many new questions are raised.

  • This wasn’t LV426, so this setting isn’t the same as Alien.
  • Assuming this is an actual prequel, a different ship crash landed. Was that Dr. Shaw’s?
  • Therefore, could the space jockey w/ the chest burster be Dr. Shaw?
  • Guy Pearce played Weyland. Why not just get an older actor?
  • Vickers (Charlize Theron – rowr) – Was she an android? Why should I care that David calls her mother and she calls Weyland father?
  • The xenomorph at the end is different from what we know. Since it was all CG, recreating the classic alien should have been easy. Why opt for a different style?
  • The tattooed guy returned with super-human strength. What exactly was he?
  • Similarly, Dr. Holloway was infected with the black liquid. What was he becoming?

What I Liked..

Ridley Scott separated himself from the Alien mythos and for good reason. He would have been inundated with xenomorph questions for the entire 2-year publicity run. Once again though, we knew it was a prequel and I just kept trying to prepare myself for a different type of movie. This was not meant to be Alien and Aliens. That’s OK with me. Some of the best parts were ones removed from that style. On the other hand…

Fifield and Milburn – the scenes with them after they were trapped overnight. There was an intensity to the waiting and barring the stupidity of wanting to play with alien snakes, that whole attack scene was awesome.

The self-abortion scene was insane.

David was an excellent part of the movie. Unlike the anti-android sentiment you got in the first two movies, this was different. I never quite knew what to think of him and what his agenda was. Couple this with Vickers hatred for Weyland and their relationship, there was always a level of underlying strife.

The sandstorm was pretty cool. As were the scanning orbs (pups).

The entire look of the ship was just like the Nostromo and the outfits were classic looking. The look was familiar and awesome.

Final Thoughts

There were a few iffy moments but it avoided being cheesy and that was worth it alone. (remember Alien: Resurrection?) While it created more questions than it answered, I actually quite liked the final product. It was not what we had been expecting and that almost made it more interesting. The intense moments were intense. The thought-provoking concept was deep (and I’m still thinking about it) and barring a few small qualms, I think I liked the movie quite a lot. Now to wait for the blu-ray release, see if there are any cool extras (answers?!?!) and then rethink the whole thing all over again. Definitely thumbs up!

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Mini-Review: That Game Company & Journey – I Like…ish

Posted in Blog, Games, Reviews with tags on June 9, 2012 by slateman

That Game Company

I am a sucker for good downloadable games and when I first got my PS3, I jumped all over Fl0w. Later, I had some extra funds and Flower was my choice after reading such stellar reviews. Finally, Journey has landed and I was intrigued from the get go. I had to try this out. Now, none are games in the classic sense, but all were rather entertaining. Ultimately, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the whole lot, so here are reviews for each.

This was one of the first games I got on the PSN…you know, around launch when new consoles just don’t have a ton of stuff. It was cool and different. The Sixaxis controller was gimmicky but I thought the game was OK. Months later I went back to finish the game off and it was an OK game. It was relatively fun but nothing I had much desire to return to. After getting a bunch of trophies, I was good and haven’t touched it since.

The reviews for Flower were remarkable and the colors looked phenomenal. The game was a very cool diversion, relaxing and free. I was actually a bit bummed as the game progressed and the bright, vibrant colors progressed into a dull, dark palette. Ultimately it was a great game, something I went back to more than once (as I lost my save game) but haven’t really given the time after 100%ing the trophies. Thinking of it now, I would even play it again soon. It’s calming and soothing. The motion controls felt more natural than in Fl0w.

As the news of Journey came, it was an almost-certain purchase. I waited a bit, but upon purchasing it I wasn’t immediately sold. Every time I wanted to go back to it, it was late at night and the game promptly put me to sleep. Today I had some time and managed to finish the game. The online integration was a very interesting change. The soundtrack was one of the best in a downloadable game (nothing is going to trump Shatter) and the title was as fitting a title as any game I’ve ever played. Ultimately though, I’m unsure of how I feel about the journey. I was told I need to go through the game in one sitting and I can see the draw to that. The ambience of Journey was a unique change to the norm and there were some incredible sequences. For the $15 price tag, I don’t know if the replay value makes it worth it. Will I go back to it? Not sure. I think I will, if only just for some trophies. Beyond that though? I don’t know. I can add that the entire outro sequence was exciting and exhilarating. It was a very cool and fun portion of the game and I would go back to play this again.

So, that makes three That Game Company games. I’m enamored with one of them. The first is something I’ll almost certainly never play again. I’m still on the fence about the last one.

Bigger than replay value though, all three games are unlike anything else I have played. Barring a generally weak concept for whatever they put out next, I’ll line up to get it immediately. New and interesting ideas are always welcome and really should be supported. Sure, Uncharted, Gear Of War and all those big titles are spectacular. There’s something to say about games like these. I would recommend it…but only to a certain type of gamer. That’s not a bad thing.

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Game Of Thrones Finale: So Friggin’ Awesome!

Posted in Blog, Game Of Thrones, Reviews on June 5, 2012 by slateman

God I Hate You Joffrey...

Sansa is now free from Joffrey…What does this mean? Why didn’t she escape with the Hound? I’m confused but it doesn’t look good. I hate Joffrey so damn much. This guy has to go. Even his grandfather doesn’t like him. Of course, he’s not really related to Tywin so…

Where Is This Going?

I’m not entirely sure where this is going either…but it’s probably not going to be good. Now, all the prisoners are gone. Arya and the bastard son are free. Jaime is going somewhere. Bran and his brother are escaping Winterfell. WTF is going on?!?! What’s with the chick? What’s her story? Something bad is going to happen. That much is certain.

Bad Choice Sir?

This kinda makes me happy. I don’t know why. This girl is probably no good but for now it’s the only positive in an otherwise dreary show! Who is she anyway? What about the girl to whom he is betrothed? Now he won’t have access to this bridge thing. Come to think of it, Robb hasn’t done anything this year, has he?

Gonna Wreck Shit!

Khaleesi…She got her dragons and has transformed back into that bad-ass chick we all hoped we’d see this whole year. The dragons should play a larger role in season 3 and then it’s time to wreck shit! I can’t wait. I was nervous about the supernatural element of season 2 but I think it was done spectacularly well.

OMFG!

Oh right. This guy. Well, umm, WTF?!?!? The king of the white walkers? OMFG…this is going to rock! He looks so awesome! Game Of Thrones – FTW!!!!!

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Uncharted: Why Golden Abyss Is Better Than UC3

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Lists, Reviews, Uncharted with tags on May 27, 2012 by slateman

I love me some Uncharted. I’ll go as far as to say it’s the best game this generation. It helps that I prefer 3rd person games. But there’s no disputing the level of care the four UC games have been given. The settings, voice acting, stories and gameplay are all polished and pristine.

When Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception came out in November, I was disappointed. It did a lot right, let’s clear the air there. However, when looking at its single-player experience, it was inferior to UC2. That’s not a surprise, really, as UC2 is the aforementioned best game of this generation. There was something more though…something more disappointing than the fact the game was disappointing. It failed to move forward in a lot of ways. It failed to make me care.

So, as I started to play Golden Abyss, I knew we were looking at a side entry into the series. They’re never as good. And, once again, to be clear, it is less grand in several ways.

The visuals are clearly not as fantastic as the third game. The controls are lacking both a second pair of shoulders and the clicking of L3/R3, that’s 4 buttons lost. This makes reloading more cumbersome and you cannot zoom in through most gun scopes. The touch-screen controls are totally unnecessary and add zero to the game’s value. And there are never as many enemies on screen as on the consoles, though the endless hordes towards the end of UC3 was apparently one of the only picking points to its stellar scores.

Spoilers To Come BTW!
With those basics out in the open, it appears (about 3/4 of the way through the game) Golden Abyss is better in almost every other way. The story in 3 may have been large, but like I mentioned, I didn’t care about Marlowe and Talbot. Cutter was a grunt and Chloe and Elena were barely in the game. I was really disappointed in the cast and settings of UC3. Right from the get-go, I felt passionate about Dante. He was slimy and deceitful from the outset and I disliked him greatly. However, you are tied with him, which makes you hate him more. Chase started out just so-so, but as I progressed, I actually cared about her search for her grandfather. The Chase/Nate chemistry is there too, replete with his trademark charm and tongue-in-cheek comments. Then…Sully!!! I really didn’t know he’d be in the game. His appearance is perfect. There is a ton of dialogue between him and Drake, the camaraderie and history is blatant. There are jokes about ‘that time when…’ and Nate picks on Sully’s age. It’s all just like it should be. It has virtually everything UC3 has.

We’re talking about a handheld game that is, through its story and gameplay just as good if not better than the huge-budget console brother! I am totally digging Golden Abyss. It is flawed but IMO not as flawed as UC3 was. It’s exciting and delivers a great story and explosive moments. Where UC3 gave me the ‘been-there, done-that’ feeling, this feels fresh and exciting. You may disagree with one being better than the other, but it’s hard to deny this is one of the biggest handheld adventures ever. I’d, once again, go as far as to say it’s the best portable game I’ve ever played. And I’m not even done yet! And, I’ve already thought about subsequent playthroughs.

I figured I’d share some more pics. I love the screenshot option and these sure are beauts.

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Uncharted: Golden Abyss = Friggin’ Sweet!

Posted in Blog, Games, Reviews, Uncharted with tags on May 22, 2012 by slateman

Golden Abyss!


OK, Golden Abyss is flawed. The controls can be a little shaky. The motion/touch-screen controls are gimmicky and at the outset, it feels like a side story.

With that out of the way, however, we can get into the rest. Now, I’m about 8 chapters in, so I think that’s about 1/3rd. It’s a reasonable time to make some sort of basic ‘conclusions’. Beyond those issues listed above, Golden Abyss is the best handheld title ever. It’s gorgeous. Its voice acting is top-notch. Beyond the voice-overs, the audio is spectacular. It’s fun. It’s Uncharted!!!

The story, which loses its ‘side-story’ feel as time goes on, is pretty cool and very quickly I identified with Nathan again. It helps that they didn’t outsource his voice, as it returns me back to the series I adore so much. The tale of Dante and Chase (pretty generic adventure names at this point) is not bad. I kinda like this Chase chick and Dante is as sleazy as he should be. I don’t trust him and I’m curious about her. Perfect…they’ve pulled me into this tale 100%. I’m overlooking the downsides, because at this point, I haven’t a clue why I’m collecting all this shit. There are treasures and there are pictures (lame) and then these archaeological things and for some reason you have to clean them. Why am I cleaning a pick-axe? Umm, ok, and then there are other puzzles like torn-up sheets of paper and then the rubbings…whatever. They’re gimmicky no doubt, but they’re not painful. The motion controls are horrible. Umm…there’s a reason they were removed after the first Uncharted game.

However, I’m having a blast with this game. Playing with headphones allows me to hear everything in its perfect, high-budget glory. This is not the ‘ting ting’ sound of yesteryear’s handhelds. It’s amazing. The gameplay, while definitely dumbed down from the PS3 outings (no analog click zoom, no swapping shoulders, grenade tossing sucks) is still Uncharted at heart and it’s fun. I’m finding the dialogue with Chase interesting and Drake just mentioned how he needed to show something to Sully. I may have dissed UC3 a bit a few months back, but I love the world and the series. I’ve already thought about subsequent playthroughs to pick up all the stupid crap I missed.

Ultimately, there’s still plenty left. I plan on enjoying it as I go through the game. I’m pretty psyched that it has turned out so well and may report back with final thoughts in a little bit. For now, some cool artwork from the game. I captured these with the Vita itself. I love this system!!! Enjoy!

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