Your Second Life

Fallensword - Game Review

2011-06-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ok this is going to be a different spin to my usual game reviews. Most of my reviews have been about games for console and PC. This game review is going to be on a game that is played on the PC (probably can be played on consoles with browsers) but it is not your usual PC game.

Fallensword is a browser based game, and like many other browser based games, it is rather addicting. I would include a trailer video for the game that they have but its not avaliable for search on youtube so here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/user/HuntedCowStudios#p/u

The combat isn't that flashy and its text based so you can use your imagination if you want. The main reason why I play it is because I have made lots of friends while doing so and its kept me coming back even after I take a while off.

If you are interested in joining or checking it out you can help me by clicking on this: CLICK ME!

Thanks a bunch!

I Saw the Devil - Movie Review

2011-06-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Movie: I Saw the Devil (2010) [Akmareul boatda (original title)]
Rating: R
Crime, Drama, Horror, Thiller

I am going to try to include trailers for the movies and games I review. Do you think its a good idea? Also, should I include more than one trailer if its different?

This was a very good movie, a solid 8, maybe even a 8.5 or a 9 if I had a subbed version of the movie. As I did not I missed out on a few key details; so if you decide to see this movie try and find a subbed version if you don't speak Korean.

The story-line for the movie is simple: A cop hunts down a serial killer whose victim was the cop's wife. What makes this movie special from other movies is the way he treats the killer once he finds him. This part is where understanding the dialog comes in handy and since I didn't have a subbed version of the movie and I don't understand Korean, I missed out.

If you like movies with gore in it than you won't be disappointed. If you get queasy easily than you don't have to fear either because gore scenes don't happen too often within the movie.

In conclusion: Go watch it. Make sure you either understand Korean or have a subbed version. Dubbed is ok too, but if you are a real movie fan like me than you'd want to hear the original dialog even if you don't understand it. Don't watch this movie during a date unless you know she or he likes this kinda thing.

I Saw the Devil [Blu-ray]
I Saw the Devil

As always check out my new blog: Random Bouts of Insanity <- Link here

day9tv - Youtube gamimg channel reviews

2011-06-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Most of you know about this channel already. Sorry for others that don't, but its another Starcraft 2 channel :P

http://www.youtube.com/user/day9tv

He does some very good analysis of Starcraft 2 games in his show called Day9 Daily. He is also a very famous caster and an ex.pro gamer

As always check out my new blog: Random Bouts of Insanity <- Link here

New Blog

2011-06-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Random Bouts of Insanity <- Link here

I made a new blog for non-gaming and entertainment kinda stuff. Please follow it :)

-Also sorry for no movie review like I promised, I had a dentist appointment which got canceled and then got canceled again today. :(

Over 200! - Personal Gaming

2011-06-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well everyone does one so I thought I should too. Now over 200 subscribers and hopefully growing everyday!

Hopefully you guys have me on morning coffee or something or maybe you are actually checking in on if I've posted something new :P Either way, Thanks for all the support.

-Look for a new Movie Review tomorrow On "I saw the Devil". Just watched it today when I was eating, that was a bit of a mistake.

Laptop Decision - Personal Gaming

2011-06-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry to those that are waiting for reviews but I just haven't had the time to do much else but work and look for a new laptop. As for the new youtube gamer thing that I am looking to pick up...well there haven't been any that I would jump on right now. There are a few that are good but those are usually quite well known and for the most port I've been watching Youtube channels that are about comedy recently.

For a laptop Ive spoken to my dad and he says that the best ones to get are made my Sony then Asus then HP. So I think instead of getting an HP this time I'll get a Sony Vaio one. The one that I've been looking at is:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127434

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127365

The thing is they are basically the same one but the more expensive one apparently has a bluray dvd drive and the other doesn't. Not to mention it comes with a game and a headset. I think I like the head set but I don't care for the game and those added items don't seem to make up for the $100 different unless the headset is worth more than $100. I did an Amazon.com search on the headset (by look since newegg di8dn't provide any information about it) and found out 2 headsets that match the one they are offering. One is around $60 and the other is around $120. They both look the same but one is obviously newer and better, I can't tell which one they include with the laptop though since there is no distiguishing marks. If my hunch is correct though, its the cheaper one which would mean I should buy the cheaper laptop since the added items are a waste. Then again the bluray disc drive might be worth it though I don't plan on buying any dvds anytime soon..so I guess it isn't worth it eh?.

Any thoughts? or if someone has bought this stuff before do you know which one is included?

New laptop - Pesonal Gaming

2011-05-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was stupid and spilled water onto my laptop. Its got lost by the post office so I can't even try to send it in for repairs anymore, meaning I need a new one.

I've been looking around for one but haven't really decided on one yet. I usually use newegg.com but the laptop that I used to have is no longer sold much to my dismay. I usually buy my laptops so that they can play games even though a desktop is better for this I go to college so bring a Desktop back and forth is such a bother.

I usually look for an i7 or i5 or a AMD quad core with a screen size of no more than 15.6in. I had one that was around 17 in but it weighed too much to lug around school all the time. Price its too big of a deal but obviously cheaper and great is better for a student.

Anyone have any opinions on which one to get for gaming? i7 over i5 probably but what about i7 over AMD quad-core?

ForceSC2strategy - Youtube gaming channel reviews

2011-05-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

This is going to be the 4th section of my blog. As you know this is more of an entertainment blog where I review both games and movies as well as keeping you up to date with my own personal gaming life that includes my gaming setup and what I might be doing during the day or week.

The 4th section is going to be about youtube channels that I've found that are very good for gaming news or just entertaining to watch about games. Feel free to comment below about any channels that you know about that are about gaming or even those that you find entertaining.

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ForceSC2strategy
Most recent video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAhkmhyPi4o

Why watch/checkout/subscribe?:

I subscribed to the channel at first for Starcraft 2 tips and tutorials that the channel made dubbed: Like-A-Boss, where they talked about strategies and tips to improve your gaming. The channel also does Starcraft 2 game commentaries if you enjoy those. What set this channel out of the other ones for me was its most recent reviews and podcasts about the new upcoming Blizzard game: Diablo 3.

Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do.

Finally Back - Personal Gaming

2011-05-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, time just flies when you aren't looking. I didn't have anytime to go and update my blog sadly since once finals finished I started packing to come home (I'm back home now). I should have a bit more time now to write more reviews and update this blog regularly but I also have to work (hopefully more than 1 job since I need to pay for college).

As for reviews I don't think I'll be playing too many new games but rather more of the older ones since I left my console games at home; being back I have the freedom to play them. I will also probably be doing a ton more movie reviews so if you have any movies you want reviewed or genres then just post in the comments.

Thanks for reading my blog, commenting, and following.

Finished Guild Wars Project - Personal Gaming

2011-05-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Finished making my PvE dervish so I can use it in PvP. yeah I know its strange to go PvE for PvP stuff but I like the cool armor. Not to mention its nice to take a break from PvP every once in a while. I think I am going to make a mesmer next and practice with it, yeah I know I wrote about this in a previous blog post but I made up my mind to do it.

Also I have lots of comments to go through but just haven't had the time :( I'l probably do it tommrow.

Next update - Personal Gaming

2011-05-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

Spent the day watching Smallville and playing Guild Wars :/ Almost done with Smallville and also getting a bit bored of Guild Wars again.

Think of creating a mesmer to PvP with but I'm not that good at it so we'll have to see.

Finals Week - Personal Gaming

2011-05-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

Well I still don't really have time to do any reviews since its finals week. As the title says, but hopefully I can do a few soon enough.

For those of you still in college: Good Luck on your Finals
To those already done: Hope you did well.

Also for those of you that have been asking: I have finished Portal 2, haven't started the co-op yet since my roommate and I have finals coming up but we might do it afterwards. I haven't finished the first Portal game though but to my dismay. Just never got around to it :/

Quick Update - Personal Gaming

2011-05-16T08:57:00.001-07:00

I've gone back to Guild Wars for now since it was Double Fame weekend. Haven't been playing anything else except Killing Floor on steam which I did a review on. So right now I have absolutely nothing to review, I might try to do one on a movie but I haven't really seen any good ones either.

Killing Floor - Game Review

2011-05-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

* I couldn't find a good information page like I normally do on Wiki so I'll do a quick run down myself.

Its on PC only from what I know and it can be bought off Steam for around $17 (since I'm in Germany right now it says its costs 17.99 euros) [Steam sometimes seems to do a direct conversion of price of Euro to dollar or maybe even dollar to euro].

As part of the title of the game would suggest, this is a co-op game and is meant to be played online with others (there is a lan function if you wish to stay among friends only)

Graphics: 7/10

It might be a 6 but this game is still a work in progress I think so for now it is pretty well off. I've seen some pictures of it when it was just a mod for other games but now that it is a game itself the graphics have improved quite a bit. Not to mention the blood, fire, and general destruction looks nice. Some of the buildings look fake but you aren't looking at them when you are getting swarmed by a bunch of these mutated horrors.

Game play: 7/10

Very simple. Kill, buy new weapons, survive. Rinse and repeat. The key factor that makes it different from all those other zombie, survive the apocalypse games is the difficulty of it. Now I'm not saying its harder than some of the ones out there. Call of Duty is rather hard since it never ends, L4D 1 and 2 are kinda hard, but easier than this game. Killing Floor combines them both by giving you the ability to win but makes it challenging due to the sheer amount of the "specimens" that you have to kill. Not only that but there is no cross-hair targeting system so its all by iron sight unless its a crossbow then you have this scope on it but there is always a final boss that is pretty hard to kill if you don't work together.

There are also several classes that you can play and each one gives you certain benefits. These benefits increase as you level up that class. The levels are saved on the account (it does depends on the games you play as some games are modded for fun and it won't be saved)

Plot/ Storyline: 6/10

To be fair its not a bad score for the type of game that it is. Killing Floor isn't the first and defiantly won't be the last type of game where you have to kill hordes of monsters and survive. The background story is also a bit cliche. Some scientists do some experiments on people and it goes horribly wrong. Now the army or w/e military they have are sent in to find survivors and kill them off.

Online game-play:

Very important to the game. Online play is what drives this game forward but the only problem, which isn't really a game specific problem, is the team that you get. If you get a bunch of people that don't know what they are doing you can still survive but you won't get far. If you get a bunch of people that think they can go solo you won't last long either. Worse is when you join a game with assholes that thinks its funny to kill you if Friendly Fire is on. (Got a game like that today and I ended up going on my friend's steam account and killing them until they raged and left)

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To buy,sent, or leave on shelf.

Its another Buy for me. For me its one of those games that you play then maybe stop playing for a bit but when you start playing again you won't stop for a few weeks or even a few months.

My Audio Setup - Personal Gaming

2011-05-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

Some people like to play game with speakers (surround sound, etc.) but I prefer to have headphones on. It does get uncomfortable after a few hours of gaming but I usually take enough breaks that it doesn't affect me too much. I prefer headphones and headsets over speakers since it allows be to hear more especially if I play First Person Shooter games and need to hear foot steps.

So here is a question for you:

1) Which do you prefer?: Headset /headphones or Speakers
2) What is your setup? (Brand, etc.)

My Setup

JVC HA-FX35 (Black) Marshmallow Inner-ear Headphone

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106455
$14^.99

Logitech Gaming Headset G330 (Black)

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Gaming-Headset-G330-Black/dp/B002I3OZB2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1304817027&sr=8-5

$33.86

*My ear covering headphones broke recently and I have yet to find a decent replacement. I've been shopping around and I think I've narrowed it down to these 4. If you have other suggestions that would be awesome. Preferably not too expensive.

Sennheiser - Professional DJ styled - Hi-Fi Stereo Headphones (HD 201)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106455

$19^.99

Sennheiser HD228 3.5mm Connector Supra-aural Stereo Headphone

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106239

$54^.95

Sennheiser - Professional DJ styled - Closed Dynamic Bass Headphones (HD 202 II)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106508

$24^.95

Sennheiser HD203 6.3mm Connector Circumaural Stereo Headphones - DJ/MP3 closed lightweight Headphones

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106443

$29^.99

Diablo 2 - Game Review

2011-05-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

Diablo II

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unless it crashes, then fix it." - IGN.com

Developer(s)	Blizzard North
Publisher(s)	^NA Blizzard Entertainment ^EU Sierra Entertainment HanbitSoft
Designer(s)	David Brevik Stieg Hedlund Erich Schaefer Chase Clements Max Schaefer Eric Sexton
Composer(s)	Matt Uelmen
Series	Diablo
Version	1.13c (March 23, 2010)
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X
Release date(s)	^NA / PAL June 29, 2000
Genre(s)	hack and slash^[1]
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ELSPA: 15+ ESRB: M OFLC: MA15+ OFLC: M and R16+ PEGI: 16+
Media/distribution	3 CD-ROMs (Play, Install, and Cinematics discs), Download
System requirements Mac OS G3 processor or equivalent, System 8.1 or later, 64MB RAM plus Virtual Memory, 650MB drive space, 4X CD-ROM drive, 256 color display at 640x480 resolution (800x600 with expansion) Windows 233 MHz Pentium or better, 32 MB RAM, 650 MB drive space, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX compatible video card

- From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diablo_II

I'm going to make a bold statement to start off this game review. Here it is: if you haven't played Diablo 2 then you aren't a real gamer, or you are too young and definitely aren't a real gamer (you need to experience some N64, Dreamcast, etc.)

Graphics: 8/10

Rather high but you have to remember the time period that it came out. It was amazing at the time, not realistic, far from it in fact but it was good enough. They had plenty of environmental effects, such as rain, thunder storms, snow? (think this was in the expansion but I haven't played in years). There was even a bunch of blood effects (more than enough actually), even some funny ones (remember the spinning Fallen Ones?). The cinematic on the other-hand are amazing and would alone make it close to 9/10 or even 10/10

Game play: 10/10

4 "races/professions", 2 more if you have the expansion. Plenty of spells and abilities with limited amounts of skill points so you have to choose your tech/learning path wisely, or play the game multiple times, trying a new path each time. The game play is rather simple as well, you kill hordes of monsters, demons, and anything else that Hell throws at you. You gain gold, items, and experience for killing them and then use the experience to level up and unlock skills while doing so. It gets a bit repetitive but the storyline makes up for it enough.

Plot/ Storyline: 10/10

The storyline is the same for each character but that doesn't take away from the story line. Its pretty simple actually, you are hunting down 3 brothers. The Lords of Terror, Hatred, and Destruction. The side quests and your path there is what makes this game so special. If you played the first Diablo game then there is a special treat in one of the side quests for you.

Online game-play:

Its pretty good but items that are dropped are open for anyone to pick up so you can get your drops stolen. If you play with friends then this isn't a big problem since you can just share it with each other. Also the more people in the game, the stronger the creatures you have to kill.

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Buy/rent or leave on the shelf?

BUY BUY BUY! Its a classic, another one of Blizzard's prize games. If you want play the first Diablo game first then move on to this game, the expansion, and then finally sit and wait for Diablo3 when it comes out.

Buy the Battle-chest if you have the chance since it includes the expansion and guide books.

As usual:

Amazon.com: $29.99

Bestbuy: $29.99

Gamestop: $29.99

Ebay: $1-$100

Warning: Buying things from ebay, especially games, you might receive damaged items.

Blizzard is down! - Quick News

2011-05-06T05:33:00.001-07:00

Noooooo!

I tried to login to my Starcraft 2 account just now to play a few games and to my surprise I found that Blizzard is having some issues.

Lets hope they fix it soon and its not a Sony fiasco with them being hacked.

What games are you waiting for / want? - Question(s)

2011-05-04T04:21:00.000-07:00

I'm going to make this post a short one for now. I'm working on my next one which should be about Diablo 2 (one of my all-time favorite games) and a movie review (but I haven't been watching anything super awesome to review yet)

I recently saw a bunch of videos of game-play on the new Diablo 3 game, which got me to thinking about which games I am waiting for to come out and which game are already out that I haven't purchased yet. My current list is:

Diablo 3
Guild Wars 2
Gears of War 3
Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Batman: Arkam City
Assassins Creed (suppose to be out for Christmas?)
Fabe 3
Battlefield 3
Starcraft 2 expansions

and a bunch of other ones that I am looking forward to seeing some trailers or game-play, or if it is an MMORPG: if it requires subscription.

So what game(s) are you guys looking forward to or want to purchase?

Guild Wars - Game Review

2011-04-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

This review is going to be on the MMORPG Guild Wars. Its usually compared to the other "big" MMORPG World of Warcraft but seeing as I've never played the latter I can't compare it to the game at all. That might be a big plus or negative, I'm not sure yet, and its up to you to judge.

Guild Wars

Published by: NCsoft
Developed by: ArenaNet
Genre: Persistent Online RPG
Number of Players: Unlimited (8 Max in a party)
Release Date:
US: April 26, 2005
Japan: January 20, 2006
T for Teen: Use of Alcohol, Violence
My Rating: 9/10 (9 out of 10)

Lets start with the game options. You can either create a PvE (player versus environment) character or a PvP only character. The main different is that the PvE character starts at level 1 and goes up to level 20 (max) and can play in both PvE and later on PvP as well. A PvP only character (can't be used in PvE) starts at level 20 and has all skills, equipment, heroes (more on this later), and anything else you have unlocked with your PvE character, Anet store buys, or PvP rewards.

The game controls are very simple, using either a mouse and keyboard combination or just a keyboard if you want. (Best results would be Keyboard + Mouse). The graphics are good if you computer can handle it but if not you can always turn the settings down, you will miss the prettiness that is offered but not much of anything else. I actually prefer to play on the lowest settings (my computer can only handle moderate settings without too much lag at best anyway) as it lowers my lag during online play by a lot. (This actually makes a big difference).

Now to focus on the PvE aspect. The land is actually quite huge and with the 3 expansion packs the world becomes pretty massive. There are several professions that you can choose from, races are limited to humans for now, including an Elementalist, Warrior, Ranger, Mesmer, Necromancer, etc. There are many quests to complete and towns/outposts, explorable areas..to well explore, and more than enough missions to finish. Arena Net has also added a bunch of titles for you to finish (more on this later as well). You are allowed to party up with up to 8 players or henchmen (or heroes if you have the Nightfall or Eye of the North expansions). Even so with the recent introduction of heroes and now mercenaries the ability to form groups with other players is now almost down to zero unless you are farming some where. This is mainly because players don't want to fail a mission due to "noobiness".

The PvP aspect on the other hand is still full of players (mainly because its PvP and you have to) but it has slowly begun to die over the recent months but it is sure to rise again before GW2 is released. There are still GvG (Guild versus Guild) tournaments held with a cash payout for winners (maybe those are still around). Arena Net still works to balance the skills ever few weeks but there are still some complaints about it which is reasonable.

If you finish all the PvE missions and quests and get bored of PvP and GvG what else is there? Well you can go title hunting. There are titles for both PvE and PvP that if you finish you can add them to your Hall of Monuments (A town/outpost in Eye of the North expansion) that unlocks special items for your new character in GW2 when it releases.

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Buy, Rent, or Leave on Shelf?

Its a buy for me. If you like MMORPGs, making some onlines friends along the way, and some title grinding then its perfect for you. Not to mention its free! Free!? Yes FREE!?. It has some skill balance and when you know what to do everything in PvE become insanely easy. These little things are a bit easier to overlook when its a free to play game.

-Amazon.com offers the Guild Wars trilogy box set (All 3 of the core campaigns - no Eye of the North) for around $30.

-Amazon.com offers Eye of the North for around $10

There are also always local game stores such as Gamestop, Target, and Walmart (mainly U.S. I think). Also you can find cheaper copies on Ebay sometimes. (Especially if you are looking for collectors editions of the game which offers a few bonus items)

If you want to try it out I am sure there are places to find free online trial codes (WoW has them in almost every game you buy)

Game prices- Rant and Surprises

2011-04-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

I haven't been in the reviewing mood for the past few days and even though I want to write at least 1 blog post a day when you aren't in the mood the content, review, and general wording seems to go down. Who wants to read some rushed piece of crap literature? So instead of making a horrible review I think today I'll just write about whats been on my mind for the past few days (more like 1 day and on and off thought through my week).

As the title suggests, its about game prices. If you read one of my previous blog posts about Corporation games stores versus local self-owned game stores then you kinda get where my stance is on game prices. I'm not the kind of guy that needs to have new games; thats not to say that I don't enjoy having that shinny new box and game, or that collectors edition of a game; because I do and I have shelled out that extra cash for a Collectors edition or pre-ordered a game (most recently Pre-ordered: Guild Wars: Eye of the North [yeah its a while ago but thats the most recent pre-order], Collectors Edition: Assassins Creed: Brotherhood [Also a while ago but I wanted that Harley skin and the jack-in-the-box] and Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty [got off ebay so didn't pay full price])

Now that you know a bit about my stance, lets get down to the "meat' or "core" of this rant.

I was born in the U.S. so there are a variety of stores, though most stores are chains [i.e. Gamestop, Walmart, K-mart, etc.] and very few of those self-owed stores. This forced me to go their if I wanted some convenience, but this also meant that I learned how the pricing went for them and which store would offer the better deal. Now I go to college in Europe and while it is also dominated by stores like Gamestop [why wouldn't it be] there are also a bunch of other self-owned game stores that are a bit more in reach so almost just as convenient as that Gamestop in the mall.

The main part of this rant is when I was walking with some friends and we walked past a self-owned game store. To my surprise I saw an extremely overpriced game. Portal 2 was going for 70 euros! Even in Gamestop that game would go for 60 euros [in the U.S. its probably $60 since they seem to just convert the price straight]. I understand that games are becoming more advanced and even more expensive to make and this would result in an increase in game price (if you remember new games used to be $50, even further back $40 and even $30). This price increase for new games was noted by me with the release of Starcraft 2 (or maybe it was a game before hand that was marked as being $60). This was fine but if the new tread is a $10 or 10 euro price increase ever few years I am going to go insane. Imagine paying $100 for a new game, thats insane!

Maybe its just me but things like this force me to reconsider even looking at new games since I know they are going to be this expensive and I might as well wait a year or 2 for the price to drop.

Thats it and thanks for reading my rant. If you have comments please leave them below.

Armored Core - Game Review

2011-04-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core - (List of every single Armored Core game made)

This is going to be a general review since in my opinion the game never really changes too much.

How many of you have played this game or remember playing this game? This game brings back many memories for me since this is one of the first games I played on the original PlayStation (PsOne or PS1, my first console as well)

Basically you play as a kind of mercenary (in some of the other ones I believe you work for corporations) that pilots a robot (Armored Core) and have to do various missions. In a few of the later games there are Arenas that you can play in that are like PvP (player versus Player) matches against the computer. There are also 2 player versus modes and in later games for the Playstation 2 you were allowed to play online I think (I never payed online or had an interest to do so).

A quick note for those of you that have an Xbox360 or a PSP, there are Armored Core games for those consoles as well. (The PSP one is a big let down in my opinion).

The graphics of the game got better with each new game released and the gameplay and story line did as well, they even added in extra aspects such as heating problems of the Armored Core and an extra fast speed boost (overboost? or overdrive) and also extensions (more than the "optional parts" feature). For me all this added features and aspects took away from the simplicity of the game and with it my interest in continuing the collection of the series.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core_(video_game)

Developer(s)	From Software
Publisher(s)	SCEA, later Agetec
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Release date(s)	^JP July 10, 1997 ^NA October 31, 1997 ^EU June 1, 1998
Genre(s)	Action, Third-person shooter, Mecha Simulation
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T)
Media/distribution	CD-ROM Cartridge

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To buy, rent, or leave on the shelf?

I say its a buy if you like Gundam or Third-Person shooters and want the added spin of a mech aspect.

The games vary in price and after doing a quick search it seems that the older versions of the game (Armored Core for PS1) has become something like a collectible going for around $60 on amazon.com but some other sites are selling it for less than $10 (don't know if these sites are trusted or not).

If anything you can go to Walmart or Gamestop (they should have a bunch) and look for the older games or used copies of the newer ones for PS2 and PS3.

Clockwork Orange - Movie Review

2011-04-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

I think its time for another movie review and then maybe a game review since I haven't posted in a while but that one will come in a few hours.

Movie: A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Rating: X
Length: 136 min
Crime, Drama, Sci-fi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/

What can I say about this movie? Its strange but has a very believable story line. I really don't think there are words that can describe this movie and tis greatness. Its something you will have to watch on your own time and I definitely recommend that you do.

The acting is quiet nice and the picture quality is fine (it is a 1971 move after all) and the story is very good. I think that saying anything more would be spoiling quite a bit for you and if you wanted to find out more you could always just go to the imdb link and read the articles there.

There is also a book out that you can get off Amazon.com along with the movie (around $8 for the book and $15 for the movie (bluray))

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

2011-04-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Published by: Blizzard Entertainment
Developed by: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Number of Players: 1-8
Release Date:
US: July 27, 2010
Japan: July 9, 2010
MSRP: $59.99
T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
Also Available On: Macintosh, Macintosh

My rating: 10/10 (10 out of 10)

General rating: 8.5/10 (8.5 out of 10)

Just a heads up about this game review; its going to be quite biased since I love this game and I am a big RTS and MMORPG player and I have played in several tournaments for both of these game genres. So with that in mind lets start this review.

If you've played Starcraft and the expansion Starcraft: Broodwar when they came out then first: you are old, and second: you might be a fan and thus have been waiting for this game to come out for some time. Now I know this review is coming out even though Starcraft 2 has been out for quite some time now but that doesn't change the fact that some less than die hard fans have still not bought this game and might still be "on the fence" about purchasing it.

A few things to note about Starcraft 2:

1) It requires internet connection to play (if you want achievements)

2) It requires a Battle-net account

This campaign for Starcraft 2 is a continuation of the story from Starcraft and Starcraft: Broodwar. I won't give away any spoilers since some people might not have played Starcraft and Starcraft: Broodwar and thus do not know of the epic story.

For those of you that favor the online multi-player scene then you shall not be disappointed or forgotten. Online play is huge with around 170,000 players and quite competitive with a ladder and league system. If you aren't then have no fear since Blizzard has been very creative and has a custom game option where you can play vs. the A.I. or even on a bunch of player created maps.

Some computers might have problems running this game with its best graphics offered but others won't and will be able to experience some of the best death animations ever made. It doesn't take too much away from the gameplay though unless you are a serious graphics "Nazi". The story line for the campaign is very nice, and leaves you wanting more, but the only problem is that you only have the option to play Terrans. Apparently there are expansions that will be coming out later for Zerg and Protoss. ($$$$ for Blizzard eh?)

Pros:

1) Continuation of one of the greatest games in history

2) Great Story line

3) Great multi-player

4) Awesome custom maps and games by fellow online players

4) Graphics are great if you computer can handle it

Cons:

1) $60 (less now) for a game is not cheap

2) Requires internet connection for achievements (there are ones for multi-player and campaign)

3) Multi-player still isn't fully balanced but everything takes time

4!) Multi-player is region locked. (If you buy a North American version then you play with other NA players, EU for EU, and Korean/Asian for Asian regions) If you want to play with other people you will have to buy more than one account. Blizzard does offer a one time region shift but after that they won't help you.

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To buy, rent, or leave on shelf?

Its a buy for me. If you played Starcraft and Starcraft: Broodwar and want to know what happens in the rest of the story then still pick it up. If you love RTS games then yes buy it, they even have a collectors edition for those die-hard fans (It comes with a bunch of stuff and I'll have price links to that and the regular version so you can see)

Best places to buy Starcraft 2:

1) Amazon.com , Newegg.com, Bestbuy.com ($49.99)

2) Walmart ($55.99)

3) Target, Apple Store (probably just MAC version) ($59.99)

Best places to buy Starcraft 2: Collectors edition

*StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Collector's Edition Features:

The Art of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, a 176-page book featuring artwork from the game
An exclusive 2GB USB flash drive replica of Jim Raynor's dog tag, which comes preloaded with the original StarCraft and theStarCraft: Brood War expansion set
A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, cinematics with director's commentary, and more
The official StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty soundtrack CD, containing 14 epic tracks from the game along with exclusive bonus tracks
StarCraft comic book issue #0, a prequel to the comic series
A World of Warcraft mini Thor in-game pet that can be applied to all World of Warcraft characters on a single Battle.net account
Exclusive Battle.net downloadable content, including special portraits for your Battle.net profile, decals to customize your units in-game, and a visually unique version of the terran Thor unit

1) Bestbuy.com ($99.99)

2) Amazon.com ($122.99) Base prices only

3) Ebay.com ($1-$200)

Local game stores versus Corporation game stores

2011-04-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

This came up in a conversation between my friend and I last night when we started talking about where we go to buy games.

There are some of you that don't know of anything other that corporation game stores such as Gamestop or Walmart or maybe even K-mart. These are not the only ones but they are some of the only ones that were around where I grew up.On the other side there are the Local game stores that are kind of like mom and pop stores but owned by one person or persons but not controlled by some board of directors or anything like that.

Of coarse there are other places to buy games such as online but thats if you are willing to wait for shipping (and most Corporation game stores also have websites anyway).

What I want to know is which one you support and if it applies which one would you rather support?

I would prefer to support a local game store but I don't know of any near where I grew up so if I bought games they came from Gamestop or Walmart. Here are some pros and cons that my friend and I came up with.

Corportation:

Pros:

1) Games always in stock

2) Prices always set and known

3) Buys/trades all items

4) Everywhere

Cons:

1) Greedy

2) Workers there are annoying

Local owned:

Pros:

1) Can negotiate prices (Buying and Selling/Trading)

2) Very good customer service

3) Might have rare items

Cons:

1) Not everywhere

2) Might not have some items in stock

Waking Life (2001) - Movie Review

2011-04-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I think I'll do a movie review so that we can move away from the monotonous blogs soli about games. Most people have a certain genre of movies that they watch and stick to, but I am one of the few that doesn't. I can sit down and watch a drama, comedy, action, horror, romance, etc. on my own without having to skip through it or be bored. So lets get down to the movie review shall we?

Movie: Waking Life (2001)
Rating: R
Length: 99 min
Animation, Drama, Fantasy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243017/
My rating: 7/10 (7 out of 10)

My roommate recently "found" a bunch of movies labeled "mindfuck', which already tells you the general basis of how this movie is going to turn out, for us to watch. This is one of those "mindfuck" movies, but contrary to popular thought its not one of those gore movies or anything that makes you confused but rather a thought provoking movie. The movie is simple and has real actors but the movie is seen in this "animated' sort of way. I would liken the animation to something akin to cell-shading which some really like, some hate, or if you are like me you don't like or hate it.

Even though I am on neither side of the fence on the animation I really couldn't stand to watch this for 99 minutes so I had to window the movie and do something else while listening intently to the movie. The key here if you also need to window or minimize (I wouldn't suggest this as the animations are pretty good and for the most part add the the plot and the feeling the directors are trying to produce) the movie is to listen. I can't stress that enough. LISTEN to the movie. The messages that Waking Life conveys is very thought provoking and should have you nodding your head the entire time or at least a few times throughout the movie.

To be very honest this movie would get a 9 out of 10 or even a 10 out of 10 if not for the fact I couldn't stare at the animation for long and thats a big deal to me since I don't know of anyone that goes to the movies just to listen to it. (My apologies to the blind). Then again others might give it that perfect score if they actually enjoy the cell-shading type animation.

I am trying to think of what else I can talk about as I have just been talking about the looks of the movie but its rather hard since that would give away some of the movie. So I think I'll just leave it there and wait for comments about the movie for those who are going to watch it or have already watched it. Please don't spoil it for others in the comments.

As always, comments are welcome, opinions, and suggestions, as well as requests for movie reviews. I shall always try to avoid spoiling the plot for others.

For those of you wishing to buy the movie:

Amazon.com offers it for $7.99 (shipping price not included) right now and Newegg.com offers it for $9.97