Kachibito's Rants & Reviews

Oh . . . Mass Effect 3 . . . how I love and hate you . . .

2012-03-25T01:36:00.000-04:00

Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer gaming

2012-03-19T14:51:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but I have been engulfed by ME3's single player mode. I just started the ME3 multi player mode now, and I'm already hooked! I'll review it later on. For now, if you want to play in a squad together, look me up at Gamertag: Shirogohan (Xbox 360). My character's name is Kachibito. I'm doing a human Infiltrator now (level 16) and a Vanguard Asari (level 3).

Happy gaming!

ALL Romance Options in Mass Effect 3 DETAILED!

2012-03-08T13:58:00.000-04:00

As always, I try my best to get you the info needed and wanted at the moment. Most questions regarding Mass Effect 3 the past few days have been about character relationships. Well, with the help of the Prima Official Strategy Guide (from which I have only included excerpts for educational purposes, which falls under the Fair Use doctrine), and my own experience, here are all romance options in the game.

*Characters omitted imply no romantic option*

Please post any questions, comments, or any additional information that you would like me to include here, on the comments section below. Enjoy!

Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition Content Review

2012-03-06T13:38:00.002-04:00

I finally got my copy of Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition and the Prima Strategy Guide. This is a content review of the Collector's Edition for Xbox 360.

1. The first thing you get is the N7 slide-open box. It is very cheap-looking and flimsy. The first thing you have to do is take everything out of it and save the box somewhere it will never be touched or get wet or get dry or . . . well, you know what I mean.

2. Now we get to the good stuff. Inside the slide-open box there are two things: a very sturdy tin game case including a certificate of authenticity, and another flimsy cardboard case which nonetheless has a very nice design.

3. The tin case is amazing. It is very sturdy; similar to the ME2 case, and on the back side it has beautiful renderings of Shep and Femshep in their N7s.

4. Once you flip the case, you get the usual stuff: two discs slightly interposed rather than completely superimposed, which makes it easier to take them out; and on the other side, the codes for the online pass and all bonus in-game content, which is fantastic in itself (new mission and character - From Ashes; Mechdog Companion sidekick on the Normandy; Squadmate Alternate Outfit Pack; N7 Hoodie for Commander Shepard; Elite N7 Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, SMG and Pistol; and an Xbox Live Normandy Prop for your Avatar). In terms of in-game content alone, the $80 dollar price tag is worth it. (The regular version is $60 and the From Ashes mission alone is $10, and I still haven't discussed the additional freebies).

5. The second cardboard case, although flimsy, has amazing art as well. It looks like Shep is trying to rescue an injured human from the ashes of planet Earth's annihilation by the Reapers.

6. Inside that case, is the meat and potatoes of the bonus content (other than in-game). There is a short graphic novel called Mass Effect Invasion, detailing and expanding on Liara's story; a 70-page hardbound book called The Art of Mass Effect 3, which, albeit small, has very detailed and high quality art; a 4x6 litographic print (which is really just a postcard); and an N7 patch made of fabric and velcro.

Everything here is great, except for the postcard, I guess. The patch especially is amazing. I have been blown away by the content in this Collector's Edition, even without fully digesting everything yet.

I easily give this a 10 out of 10. Now I'm off to play the actual game and I'm hoping to have a full review of it in the coming days.

FINAL SCORE: 10/10

Never Pre-order from Kmart or for an EA/Bioware game AGAIN!

2012-03-05T20:48:00.001-04:00

***UPDATE*** A heaven-sent friend who won't be able to get his copy from Gamestop this week is letting me get his pre-order. He figures (rightly so) that Gamestop won't honor his pre-order for more than a day and will give it to someone else, so it might as well be me, his friend who got screwed by Kmart. I owe you one man! BIG TIME!!!
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This past February 7th I managed to pre-order a copy of Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition at Kmart.com. The process was easy, straightforward and trustworthy . . . or so I thought.

I decided to check my order status today, since the game was to ship out tomorrow, when to my surprise, I find this:

Not only did the ethically challenged moribund megacorp cancel my pre-order, it did so on February 28, mere days before the game comes out and thus leaving me with no possible way of getting the Collector's Edition.

Could it get any worse? Well, yes it could, thank you for asking: the bastards DID NOT even send me an e-mail to inform me that my pre-order had been cancelled. I only found out because I decided to check its status a few hours ago. Had I not done that, I would have been ~~sitting on my porch like a fucking douchebag waiting for the mailman until 7:00 p.m. before crying myself to sleep~~ really pissed when I found out what happened.

In any case, as a gamer, I am rightfully angry at this situation. As an attorney, I'm fucking pissed now!!!

Assassin's Creed TRAILER is out!

2012-03-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

WOW. Just. WOW.

The trailer is amazing! I gotta be honest, I was worried about the setting of this game at first, if only because of the sparse landscape. I even thought it would be too Red Dead Revolver-ish, and this was before reading the GI article and watching this trailer.

In a way, I was right. The game has distanced itself somewhat from what Assassin's Creed used to be, and yes, it borrowed a few elements from Red Dead. However, as soon as I saw Connor traversing the forest like a freakin monkey(!) I was extremely impressed. This is the NEW Creed, and it's coming H.A.M!!!

ALL LEAKED info on Assassin's Creed III (article, screenshots, info) in one place!!!

2012-03-02T18:36:00.000-04:00

1. The main character of the game will be Ratohnhaké:ton (pronounced Ra-ton-ha-gay-too), although he will be referred to as Connor.

"Born to an English father and Native American mother, Connor was raised among the Mohawk and suffered severely during his childhood, mostly because of their encounters with the white colonists.

This reached its maximum when his village was destroyed, and eventually led him to seek justice and fight tyranny, resulting in Connor coming across the Assassins. At the same time, the American Revolution unfolded, and Connor found himself allying with the leaders of the American revolutionaries, mainly George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Charles Lee.

Connor's personality appeared thoughtful and intense, and the words he didn't speak were just as loud as the ones he did. His way of moving resembled a predator, always staying low to the ground and moving under enemy's attacks."

Here's the leaked Game Informer article:

Assassin's Creed III: Down with the Redcoats Edition

2012-03-01T19:36:00.001-04:00

The boxart for Assassin's Creed III is out, and there's a few interesting things we can gleam from it:

1. The game takes place during the American Revolution. At first there was some confusion as to whether the game took place during the Civil War or the American Revolution. The fact that the flag in the background is the "Betsy Ross flag" is the first piece of evidence that the game is set during the American Revolution. The American Army later used the Betsy Ross flag in Army artillery units in 1834, and in infantry units in 1842, but the British Army had left by then, so this means that the game takes place between the years of the American Revolution (1763-1783).

2. The game's hero is either fighting for the colonies or for a third party (Native Americans). The reason for this is that he is seen attacking a Redcoat in the cover. Redcoat is, of course, the historical term used to describe the British Army.

3. The hero's attire suggests Native American influence. This could mean that he is either an assassin for the Native Americans working against both colonials and redcoats, or that, although working for the colonials, he has some native lineage or influence.

I don't really know how I feel yet about the game's setting. I always thought this franchise lent itself best for an entry or two as a ninja in feudal Japan, and I honestly thought Ubisoft would go that route next, if only because it would be a welcome departure from the first 4 entries.This setting makes me feel as though the changes in both gameplay and graphics/assets will be minimal, and that is not the feeling I wanted to have after the Altair/Ezio saga. In any case, this is a day 1 purchase for me, if only to continue what I started, but I can't help but feel just like I did when I used to watch "LOST"; as in, I had already invested so much time on it, I just HAD to finish it. Oh well . . .

If you have any theories or any additional information, or if you just want to give your opinion, please comment below.

For Technorati

2012-03-01T11:35:00.002-04:00

Here is my claim code: RZ2RE27KPNJW

"The Avengers" -- Official 2nd Trailer is out

2012-02-29T17:02:00.001-04:00

The 2nd official trailer for "The Avengers" is out and, quite frankly, looks amazing. I can only imagine the amount of nerdgasms per second occurring throughout the world on this beautiful Leap Day.

I managed to find a few screen-shots as well. Check them out below the video.

Happy Leap Day everyone! May Leap Dave Williams bring joy to us all!!!

After the last screen-shot (the beautiful Scarlett), click on "Read More" for dozens more screens!!!

Gibbs, our General from "Cat's Eye"

2012-02-25T13:31:00.001-04:00

17 years ago, when I was barely 13, and my baby sister was only 5, Gibbs the cat came to protect us from lizards and cockroaches, much like General from Stephen King's "Cat's Eye" came to protect a 10-year-old Drew Barrymore from a nasty looking evil troll, whose physical appearance would still haunt me today if not for the fact that I knew Gibbs would always be there for my sister and I.

Gibbs appeared to be a mean cat, seeing as he would bite anyone just for fun and then look at them with beady, shifty eyes, as if saying, "what you gon' do about it?", right before proceeding to lick his nut-sack while sitting lazily in the couch. He wasn't mean though, he was simply playful yet full of conviction, and he was training for the day when the troll would come.

Gibbs was extremely loyal. Whilst training for the troll, he would kill lizards, cockroaches and anything else he could get his paws and beady eyes on. As a show of loyalty, of keeping up with his training, and of love, he would lay the defeated animal on my baby sister's pillow. I am sure if Gibbs could write, he would accompany the carcass with a tiny note that read, "I'll always be there for you, so sleep sound tonight".

The troll started coming to visit a few months ago. Gibbs had already turned 84 in cat years, and neither I nor my baby sister (around 22 years old by then) lived with him anymore. We moved on, we made our own families, in great part because Gibbs protected us long enough to grow up. He, however, was stuck in the same big house as always, but with no one left to protect.

Loneliness, old age, joint pain, fatigue, loss of appetite . . . Gibbs was losing the battle against this troll and more importantly, with no one left to protect, Gibbs had no desire to fight against it. He would have easily overtaken it otherwise.

In my mind, Gibbs didn't give up. He simply realized that his work was done. The people he swore to protect had grown older thanks to him and were now protecting their own families. It was time for Gibbs to look at the troll with his beady, shifty eyes and say, "what you gon' do about it?", right before proceeding to lick his nut-sack while sitting lazily in the couch.

Gibbs went to cat heaven yesterday. He's probably bragging about all the trolls he killed in 84 plus years and knowing, without a doubt in his mind, that my baby sister and I will never forget his legend, and will never be afraid of trolls . . . ever again . . .

Rest in Peace old friend. We Love You.

"THE RIVER" (General Review)

2012-02-24T17:18:00.004-04:00

One of this season's best TV series has to be "The River". Created by Oren Peli, the Director/Creator of "Paranormal Activity", and Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, "The River" is a "found footage" series about an explorer/TV show host who goes missing while looking for "magic" in the uncharted regions of the Amazon River and the efforts of his family and a documentary crew to find him and tape a season or two of the show while doing it.

Each episode unfolds like a mix between "LOST" and "Paranormal Activity", meaning that part of the episode is setup through flashbacks (cleverly done through found footage, for consistency) that foretell either the theme of the episode or the way in which the crew will solve the episode's mystery. The other part is the mystery itself; again, seen by the viewer as found footage much like in "Paranormal Activity" and its progeny.

Yes, every episode has a new mystery/legend/curse/whatever you want to call it. Latin American and Brazilian lore is expertly mined to bring fresh, unknown scary stories to an American audience desperately in need of fresh material. It definitely works.

My only gripe with "The River" comes from the acting and casting. Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Emmet Cole, is fantastic as always, although being the "MacGuffin" rather than the lead actor is a bit of a letdown, as we don't see as much of him as we should.

Lincoln Cole, Dr. Emmet's son, portrayed by Joe Anderson, and effectively the show's main character, was sadly, a terrible casting choice. Anderson, born and raised in England, has immense trouble hiding his British accent, resulting in pure unintentional comedy as you wonder if the American Lincoln Cole is being possessed by a British entity. In a show where voice-altering possession is the norm, it was probably not wise to cast a Englishman who cannot produce a consistent American accent.

Not to pile on the character of Lincoln Cole, but his look is way too disheveled and homely to be the son of a celebrity and a Doctor himself, unless he was a huge fan of Kurt Cobain growing up . . .

The rest of the cast is generic, at least after 4 episodes, with the exception of Paulina Gaitan, as Jahel Valenzuela, who shines even while speaking Spanish only, and whose eyes are decidedly creepy.

I have no idea why more people are not watching this show. "The River" is a perfect blend of procedural (monster of the week) with mythological. Furthermore, it is creepy, yet in a classy way: not overly gory and doesn't rely on many jump scares, but rather draws you in with Latin american and Brazilian lore and hooks you with on-camera scares that develop slowly and only you, the viewer, can see them. I did not think a found footage series could work, yet The River has proven me wrong.

Americans love garbage reality television and generic, manatee produced comedies and police procedurals, yet never tune in for quality serialized dramas. Will the American audience finally tune in to "The River", and prove me wrong as well?

Pilot Review Score: 8.75/10

Linsanity and its Effects on Lintellectual Stereotypes

2012-02-17T17:53:00.000-04:00

I am really enjoying the Linsanity (all Jeremy Lin all the time), but am also deeply troubled by the way he is portrayed in most media articles: as a nerd, and as the smartest player on the court at all times.

Not only do I believe that perception to be a classic example of the continued use and abuse of asian stereotypes, but I also think it unwittingly belittles the other 9 players on the court, many of them from Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Georgetown and other very fine institutions of higher education, and yes, many of them, African Americans and non-americans …

Is Jeremy Lin smarter than Dikembe Mutombo (African)? Dikembe has two degrees from Georgetown, one in linguistics and the other in diplomacy, speaks 9 languages, and has multiple honorary doctorates … and yet, he was never called the smartest player on the court.

Pau Gasol (Spanish) went to medical school in Barcelona before joining the NBA; the Collins (african americans) and the Lopez (hispanic descent) twins graduated from Stanford; Shane Battier (half african american) had a 3.8 GPA at Duke and was an Academic All-American twice.

I am not trying to stir up anything; I am simply stating the obvious. American media, and especially sports media, has a long way to go regarding stereotypes in sports. At the risk of sounding like I agree with Floyd Mayweather’s take, the fact remains that race plays a large part in Jeremy Lin’s meteoric rise. Not in regards to his physical abilities, like Floyd thought, but rather his intellectual ones …