It goes without saying that any title making the "Game Of the Year" is good (unlike blockbusting films). TESV is no exception. After picking up the game and DLCs for a good price, the game reveals itself to have great graphics and be reasonably atmospheric, and is a great RPG. The second best in the series (only behind Morrowind) and just a great game make this one worth it. 9/10
This is a little gem that I downloaded off the Playstation Store for like 80 cents on sale. The premise stars Fred, a private eye who was investigating the town's mobster. He was killed and then beheaded by the man and his goon, Lefty. Now, he is known as a brain in a jar on a body. The gameplay is nice, a decent control scheme mixed with fighting, platforming, and a cool "head switching" mechanic. The player-charater is also voiced by veteran actor John C McGinley (Scrubs) and his dark humor serves the plot well. Only slightly flawed, it is one of the best PSP titles to ever be released. 8.75/10
Episodic Mini Reviews: VGHS S3: E1
Well another season of Video Game High School has begun and It's pretty dang good. We once again are introduced and follow gamers Brian D, Ted Wong, Ki Swan, and Jenny Matrix through the final season of the series. The first episode has epic fights, political scandal, and much more, ultimately, a great way to start us off. 8.5/10 Episodic Review: VGHS S3:E2 This episode is odd. There are many short, albeit character defining, stories rolled into this episode. There are defining moments for Ki, Shane, and Wendell, then, one for Jenny, Brian, and finally, Ted. This episode also marks the first use of american licensed music, using the song "Growing Old Is Getting Old" by the band the Silversun Pickups. Ultimately, while confusing in scale, the episode remains enjoyable, and possibly one of the funniest of the season. 8.5/10 VGHS S3E4 This episode is actually very serious. It's also done well. As a central character is changed, we see it through the perspective of Ki, Brian, Jenny, Ki's parents, and Ted. This is done very well and is quite emotional. Now, that doesn't mean you won't laugh your face off occasionally. Arguably the best episode of the whole series, at least, the season. This one's my favorite. 10/10 VGHS S3E5 This episode returns to VGHS and we witness Ki rediscover herself, Brian and Jenny make up, Jenny reconciles with her mom, and, we witness the series' first recorded f-word! A nice follow-up to episode 4, this episode offers another glance at Shane *ahem* Pizza. Also, a full cameo from the Silversun Pickups, the band featured prominently in episode 2. 9/10 VGHS Series' Finale It's sad to see the series end. At least it goes out with a bang. Culminating in a large scale 32 on 32 player battle in Field of Fire (the FPS game in VGHS), featuring all the minor characters we've come to know and love. It also has the best Brian Firenzi Law moments (Wait in the car, Brian!) and some excellent teamwork to produce the final episode in the series. Well done, Rocket Jump, well done. PS: congrats to Josh Blaylock (BrianD) and Johanna Brady (Jenny Matrix) on two good years of marriage! A very odd book, with its spoilerific title, demonic slash alternate universe slash culty storyline, and its wierd arse characters. The story takes plae in the midwestern town of [Undisclosed], with the main characters being David Wong and John. They are what you may call investigators of the oddities of their town. Soon, a few local teens, including our 'heroes', get raveged by an unknown drug called "Soy Sauce". They begin to see some wierd crap. They go on to figure out why the 'sauce' was created and the overall goal is much larger in scale. *SPOILER* John doesn't die at the end. 8/10
John Dies At the End (Film 2012) A very odd film, with its spoilerific title, demonic slash alternate universe slash culty storyline, and its wierd arse characters (see what I did there?). The story is basically a condensed version of the book and it admirably follows the main events. We figure out that John's last name is Cheese. Definetely a good one to watch if you like culty horror, or cult horror legend, Don Coscarelli (Phantasm). 7.5/10 A thing I abhor hearing about this game is "its a zombie game". Our collective intelligence suggests a zombie game is one about zombies but I say that isn't true. Sure this game has "zombies" if you can call them that, but there more human like in design and for the first time ever, they're grounded in something real. You see, these infected are taken over by what is called "Cordyceps Fungus", a real fungi that infects ants and takes over their motor functions. But, they are more of a backdrop for the actual story. The game puts you into the shoes and clothes of Joel, a survivor and veteran of this apocalypse. He has a certain coldness about him and it is revealed why right in the beginning. His daughter, Sarah, was shot by a U.S. National Guardsman in the early days of the outbreak. He is currently partnered up with Tess (voiced by 24's Annie Wershing). The duo smuggle guns and pills for ration cards. These two come upon circumstances to smuggle Ellie, a fourteen year-old girl to the Capitol building in Boston, just outside quarantine. We figure out the purpose behind this and continue with Ellie, even beyond Tess' death, across the country to Utah. What isn't a zombie game, is actually an interactive drama (think Heavy Rain mixed with Uncharted), built like Cormac McCarthy's The Road. You will encounter frighteningly realistic humans trying to survive and the amount of disturbing things you see will allow you to question wether humanity deserves to be sustained. The completely non-altruistic story is accompanied by stellar graphics, and the best soundtrack I've ever heard. This Playstation exclusive will stick with you for a long while after you've played it. 10/10
Addendum: the multiplayer is also definitely a great addition and allows you to continue in the games universe for a really long time 1: MS Dos was the first computer operating system to see one of the first fully open-world action games; addictive but dated.
2: Microsoft Windows saw the updated graphics of what was essentially the first one but better; still dated, but full of personality and murder. 3: Microsoft's Xbox console, Sony's Playstation 2, and Microsoft Windows received the first GTA game actually developed by a Rockstar studio; fully 3D but unpolished--also incredibly genre-defining. Vice City: The sixth generation of consoles (excluding Nintendo's GameCube) received another, updated version of GTA 3, but with a better story; very much inspired by Scarface, The Godfather, and many other gangster films. San Andreas: The Bad Boys series of films were mocked in this last sixth-gen GTA title; improving on a winning formula by adding control over clothing, body shape (eating makes you fat, working out makes you thin and muscular), and adds a dating and personal life aspect (HOT COFFEE!). Liberty City Stories: The Sony Playstation Portable finally gets its own adventure in LC and damn, it played well; showing people what the handheld could do with a buffed version of the Vice City engine, and improvements that strengthen the title. Vice City Stories: The PSP's second title won even more than the first; boasting improved graphics and the entire map of Vice City (a fan favorite). 4: The first seventh generation GTA title, again, excluding Nintendo's Wii console, was much larger in scale and ambition over the previous--this resulted in the PC's version being nearly inpossible to run; however; the serious storyline with a slightly branching path and VERY mature themes makes this one a nice change of pace, and still an exccelent game. Chinatown Wars: This Nintendo DS title served to show that an M game on Nintendo's console was actually possible and very successful; returning to an updated look of GTA 2 and the GTA 4's entire map, this title became the most mature DS intellectual property, dealing with racism, drug dealing, the S E X word, etcetera. 5: Finally, we have the seventh and eighth generation game GTA 5; large and in charge, back to its satirical roots, fun, and engaging, but still falls flat to the likes of Vice City and San Andreas. This novel, written by super-nerd Ernest Cline, is one large homage to the 80's. Taking place mostly in a virtual reality (think World Of Warcraft), the story follows Wade Watts, a teenager that suddenly becomes one of the most famous people in the world because he found the first piece of the reclusive creator's Easter Egg. The story is a mashup of nerd culture, 70's and 80's pop culture, teen drama, and post-apocalypse. We follow Wade as he does battle with the world's largest corporation and many other players in the virtual reality to complete the twisted puzzle of the Easter Egg. Definetly worth at least one read, this one can be identified with by teenagers and YA audiences, as well as adults everywhere. 9/10
I'm kickin it old school here with a short bit about Knights, In honor of the StarWars Humble Bundle
I was intruduced to this game by my friend Robbie and was in love. A masterfully done RPG by veteren Canadian Developer, BioWare. For those unaware, BioWare moved on to develop the Mass Effect series and so forth. The game uses a turn-based combat system, similar to Dungeons and Dragons. The in-game world is massive and allows players, once they've cleared the first planet, to explore freely and accomplish their given tasks in any order they choose. The game also has a morality system that changes certain interations and slightly varies the games ending, although the story will be the same no matter what. An ultimately addictive and well-made role-playing game it is and will satisfy anyne who plays it. 9.5/10 Post-apocalypse has never been this open (LOL except for the earlier entries in the series). You play as the Lone Wanderer, an "escapee" from the Vault 101. Your own father leaves you in the Vault and you leave to find the Liam Neeson-soundalike, so he can explain to you why he left. What you encounter can only be described as a combination of mutated insects, feral humans and mutated humans, remnants of civilization, and drugs. The story is incredibly engaging and the gameplay is the exact same as The Elder Scrolls series. A dark, creepy, open world, role-player, and shooter game like no other(LOL except for Fallout New Vegas)
9/10 It's here, everyone, it's here. The official website for the Mini Reviews online publication. Included on the website are the "mini reviews", an upcoming series of "Spoiler Reviews", basically these are just actual full-on reviews of the title in question. Also coming soon are the Mini Reviews videos, to be published on youtube and embeded here. These will include the reviews in video form, as well as game cmmentary, and possible podcasts.
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