Mass Effect had a really interesting storyline and I was pretty excited to delve further into the universe of Shepard and his tight-clothed comrades. The game starts off with an exciting cinematic which fulfilled goal number one of any RPG sequel: strip the player of all their powers and loot so they can start from square one again. Well, all was not completely lost. I imported my character from the first game so it remembered a few of the major decisions I had made which, for all the hype, seemed to have very little significant bearing on most of Mass Effect 2.
Game play remains mostly the same. Things seem to be a bit easier this time around and the hideous inventory system has been ditched altogether and replaced with… nothing. So, inventory management is gone and now you can just blindly click through and upgrade everything without having to put any thought into your decisions. Okay, fine. I’ve said I’m a lazy gamer in the past, but this seems to defeat the role playing aspect of the experience. The new-found focus seems to make this more of a twitch-free shooter with only hints of role playing in the mix.
The majority of the game’s decisions are made in your dialogue choices. Choosing wisely gains you the benefit of avoiding conflict later on, and can help shape the loyalty of your crew. This time around I was more careful to build relationships with my crew which help me care about them more during the character killing climax of the game. I also spent more time mining resources for upgrade. This was the thoroughly boring process of mousing over the surfaces of dozens of planets and waiting for beeps to get faster. Couldn’t they have made a mini-game out of the process? Even a tertris clone would have improved this.
Fortunately, the story keeps things interesting and makes much of the grinding worthwhile. Each character is given some back story and you actually care about them all. The main plot is rather simple and lacks the grand mystery of the first game but there are plenty of side quests and lots of character development to make it seem deeper than it really was. In the end I like Mass Effect 2 and ME3 may actually be a day of release purchase for me!
Portal 2 is incredible. You’ll find plenty of gushing reviews just about everywhere else on the ‘net so I will keep this short. The game combines a wickedly funny narrative with innovative and engaging game play mechanics. Portal 2 isn’t terribly difficult (it’s much easier than Portal), but there’s still nothing more satisfying than completing a particularly rube-goldberg-esque puzzle. Also, multiplayer co-op adds a whole new level of complication to the puzzling. Hopefully Valve will keep releasing new maps for the co-op game in the near-future. This is one of those games with a fairly universal appeal which you try to get your non-gamer friends to play just so they can get hooked on gaming (and heroin).
This is another Miyazaki film to watch strictly for the visuals. The story is pretty inane, but, as far as kids movies go, you could do worse. Many of the Miyazaki clichés are there: story takes place in rural Japan, humans are evil polluting beasts, all the elderly people look exactly the same, and the main character is a little girl facing huge, fantastical obstacles (what’s Miyazaki’s deal with little girls? A little creepy I must say.).
The third movie in the six film DVD set Icons of Suspense: Hammer Films is, so far, the best. The story takes the somewhat novel approach of showing you who the killer is within the first three minutes. The suspense then comes from wondering how (or even if) the other characters will be able to see the clues which are obvious to the audience. The acting is all very good and baddie is given an extra edge of creepiness with his choice of corny (although era-appropriate) high-waisted pants and skimpy speedos.
Spinout remains my favorite Elvis record. You could pair it with thirty minutes modem noises and this CD would still be awesome. Fortunately, it has been matched with Double Trouble, another good Elvis movie soundtrack… not Spinout good, but good nonetheless. I was first attracted to the cheese factor of some of these songs like “Beach Shack” and “Smorgosbord,” but the more I listened, the more I realized there were some real gems here: “Stop, Look, And Listen,” “Adam and Evil,” “Never Say Yes,” and “Spinout.” I really could go on and just name every track. Did I mention I love this record? Double Trouble is a little more mellow and showtune-ish but the title track and “Long Legged Girl (With the Short Dress On)” bring the rock ‘n’ roll. These Double Feature CDs are worth every penny.
This is a French horror film that often gets lumped into the sub-genre of torture porn along with Hostel and Saw. I can surely see why, but this film feels like there’s more to it than that. The majority of the movie feels like a j-horror psychodrama in which you don’t know whether to believe what you are seeing. Just when you think you have it all worked out the film makes some crazy twists and it becomes something else entirely. It’s very dark and, at times, seriously cringe-worthy but is worth seeing through to the end if, for anything, the discussions you will have over what it all meant.
Another great thriller from the Icons of Suspense: Hammer Films DVD six-pack. This one pits Grand Moff Tarkington against a clever bank robber who seems to hold all the cards. The story shows its stage production roots by taking place, more or less, in real-time and by building most of its tension through dialogue and intense acting. Cushing is absolutely great as Fordeyes, the uptight and nervous band manager. The Christmas setting and Fordeyes’s character instantly reminds you of Scrooge, but it’s A Christmas Carol laced with threats of violence and torture!
Unlike his debut album, this one feels much more complete and less like a singles collection. The production is slicker but the early Elvis rawness and attitude is still there. So many great songs like “Rip It Up” and “Paralyzed.” The rock ‘n’ roll stands aside for “Old Shep,” which is an epic tale of dog mercy killing. The CD includes six bonus tracks (singles from the same sessions) which include three of his best: “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog,” and “Love Me Tender.” Awesome cover photo, by the way.
This is so much better than the overrated Clash album that stole its cover design. I think people forget just how raw and rollicking Elvis when he burst on the scene. I came to appreciate Elvis in reverse. I liked his cheesy film soundtracks before I ever really gave these early songs a chance. Elvis lives!
This is a good film noir from the six movie Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films DVD set. There is plenty of psychological drama and over-the-top acting. Aside from the female lead’s weird Italian accent, I found all the characters intriguing. The tight pacing keeps it moving and there are plenty of interesting twists and turns along the way. I especially like the opening shot in which the camera slowly pulls back to reveal a horrible car crash.
