Here We Go...

I'm happy to have finally finished off Fable 2, which has been a game I've been wanting to finish up for a while now. I guess I could have actually finished it back in December, but I didn't because of the random side quests and real estate mumbo jumbo I was trying to get done. But that's all in the past now and so after finishing off Fable 2 (finally), I am looking ahead to see what's next.

And all I see in front of me now is Halo Wars, which is getting released today.

What gets me excited about it is the fact that I actually enjoyed playing this much more then I did Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. Sure I've read that Halo Wars wouldn't be quite the same as the standard RTS game, but again, basing off of what I've played in the demo, I'm liking it.

Then again, there are still many other games which I need to finish which include: Blue Dragon, Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia (not so sure about this one now), Mirror's Edge and Street Fighter 4.

I'm not so sure about SF4 anymore and I definitely do not have the same enthusiasm towards it as I did a few weeks ago. Maybe it was getting beaten repeatedly by cheap AI? Or maybe it was getting beaten repeatedly by cheap players? Hmmm...

But I digress, I will admit outright that I'm not world class Street Fighter like a number of people I know personally. And I can't be too bitter, because I've won a fight or two online, so it wasn't like I was curb stomped like a screaming Locust. I suppose at the end of the day, I am just a casual gamer in regards to fighting games.

Incredible

It is incredible to me that this month has just blown by! It is stranger still that it feels to me as if time itself just moves so much faster then before! Or maybe it is still moving at the same speed, it is just me keeping busier then ever before?

I cannot say for certain, but what I still can't fathom is the fact that I've been out of high school for almost ten years already. Even with the time that has passed, it feels almost like it happened only yesterday.

Perhaps this is the feeling a person gets when he or she does not change all that much? I'd like to think I am a different (and hopefully better) person then I was before. But can a person really just judge something like that for themselves?

Maybe with each passing trip home, maybe little by little I am becoming homesick. Either that or maybe it allows my mind to clear up for a moment to reflect. Reflect on what I've done and what I need to do next. It is extremely helpful in a sense, because sometimes, regardless of how hard I try, I end up "losing my way" so to speak.

On the flip side though, sometimes this sort of thing just makes things a little more confusing. I think I will ponder over my thoughts further and maybe I'll come back here and write them down. Who knows when or how that might come in handy?

Onto the gaming! I swear it won't be that drawn out, just some quick thoughts to share.

While I was glad to hear that Final Fantasy XIII at least has something of an estimated release date, though Winter, 2010 is a hell of a stretch away. What wasn't so good to hear was how the demo may very well end up being a Japan exclusive. Ouch!

I've finally gotten back into playing Chrono Trigger and I am breezing along though the game, with trying to recall what I can remember of the game being a challenge in it of itself.

I've just gotten Frog to join up and the battle against the Fiendlord, Magus, really almost had me! Now I can't wait to move to the part of the game where I can recruit that powerful son of a demon...

Finished off Gears of War 2 (finally!) and now my girlfriend and I are putting more time into playing the "Horde" mode. It is fun and certainly challenging to say the least. The furthest we've made it to has been the 12th wave...

One final thought here... the next game I'd like to finish would be Fable 2, though progress there has been halted because of a batched evil spree of mine which ended with a untimely auto-save, the deaths of many innocents and a severe dropping in my gold. Meh.

Beyond that? I am wanting to pick up Blue Dragon (again) to finish off once and for all, as well as Assassin's Creed and maybe even Prince of Persia. That will keep me busy for a while, me thinks.

Dood!

I was surprised to discover this game while browsing though IGN the other night. The first thought that popped into my head was exactly what the title stated: Can a Prinny really be the hero of it's own game?

Considering how they've been the tail end of the comedy stick in the original Disgaea game (and anime), I can just imagine the type of insanity that may ensue in a game of their very own. I also expect a great deal of explosions, too.

Against all rational thought, I picked up Left 4 Dead today. Thankfully though, I managed enough trade-ins to avoid having to pay anything for it. On second thought, considering the number of games I've traded in, I suppose I still end up being the village idiot. Duh!

Something I am still working on getting used to about Left 4 Dead is the infected rush. These undead bitches just pop up out of nowhere and rush you like you were a Nintendo Wii during Christmas time (or at least how things were last Christmas)!

Last little tidbit of useless information, I think I am finally nearing the end of Fable 2. After being side tracked with marriages (yep, I went for more then one!), jobs, side quests and just outright killing stuff, I am nearing the end at last.

I think I may end up replaying Fable 2 another round or more, just to try out life on the dark side of life. Speaking of which, that has also been a reason why I've taken longer to progress through the game. I've been having more and more outbursts of ill will and so I've gone on all out rampages against the innocent people of Albion.

Besides that, damn folks Thanksgiving is here already and Black Friday should be a bitch! Best of luck to anyone who dares to brave the flood of humanity coming to damn near every store that'll open up. I tried to ask my girlfriend if it was alright if I pretended to be in a zombie game and just beat up anyone that gets to close to me/runs at me during this period.

I was being serious, she wasn't amused though. Huh.

Really though, best of luck and happy hunting to whom ever decides to dive into this insanity that is Black Friday. It will be a busy weekend folks, I know I'll be up to my ears working at both of my jobs this weekend and all indications point towards pure crazy.

Overload, Overload!

I'm starting to juggle more and more games and I am quickly losing my mind. Besides playing Fable 2, I picked up Gears of War 2 and I am hoping to get Mirror's Edge today too. Thankfully though, I am nearly finished with Fable 2. How will it all end I wonder!?

Ok, I cheated and I've already read a little into how the games ends and even now I cannot decide on which choice to make. Three choices to choose from and you can only make one. Blah.

One thing I will say about the game and this goes for the dog "feature." He really doesn't help much, besides finding buried treasure or chests. Ok and he growls when bad guys are nearby too, but that's it! Maybe he'll gnaw on someone if they are on the ground, but otherwise nothing! Can't we have an attack dog? An aggressive and angry attack dog?

What kind of made me laugh (and also what caused me to consider joining the Temple of Shadows) was being able to "earn" purity and goodness by giving gold to the Temple of Light. What? So really, considering I had the money, I could kill everyone in Bowerstone and all I'd need is to donate money and I'm clean? Whoa, sign me up!

I ultimately did not go over to the dark side, because the Temple of Shadows is just too fucked up! Not in a bad way really, they are just a weird bunch of freaks!

Gears of War 2 feels a lot like the first, just the usual changes of more (and bigger) baddies, more explosions and gunfights and all of that jazz. I think more of the changes took place in the multiplayer stuff and the addition of Horde mode is pretty cool too. Talk about dying badly, I got surrounded and totally destroyed and I didn't even see what murdered my ass either. Don't get me wrong though, it is still a lot of fun (if you're into this sort of thing)!

And then Mirror's Edge, my damn near obsession since playing the demo the first time around. I hope the final product lives up to what it has been hyping itself up to being. One thing about this game, too, is if you experience motion sickness... this is not a game for you! My girlfriend hates this game just for the fact that her stomach does twists, turns and flips when she watched me play through the demo.

But I like it! I like it a lot! I suppose that makes me a little mean, but eh! If I need to hear Korean pop music, I consider this as retribution! Mwahahaha!

Just Wow...

I've been reading around the internet and I've come across a number of people's reactions to Fable 2. And I know I probably shouldn't be surprised by this sort of thing, but wow! I can't believe how much people are cutting this game down!

People make it out to being such a shit game, but it really isn't THAT bad. I mean I couldn't barely play through the original Fable and I didn't enjoy that one all that much.

To me, Fable 2 is a lot easier to pick up and get into. Hell, I am actually enjoying it.

What I think is most unfair to Fable 2 is actually trying to compare this to Oblivion and/or Mass Effect. It is like comparing Final Fantasy to Oblivion or Dragon Quest to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Even while these games get classified as "RPGs," these games just aren't the same kind of animal. Is that too hard for people to get?

I guess ultimately this just reminds me why I don't really read a lot of player written reviews. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few that have helped sway my opinions about some games. But more often then not, it just sounds like a bunch of people who will never, ever be happy with anything that anyone ever releases.

Why not just enjoy it for what it is and leave it be? We should all know by now that games will not and cannot ever truly be "perfect." And to expect something perfect is just setting yourself up for a major disappointment in my book. Ok, I know I'm starting to drag this out here but I will say one last thing here.

It is entirely one thing to give your opinions on a game, that is perfectly fine I'd say. But to go out and berate a game and just blast the people who make it, that just ain't right. I guess what I'm really trying to say is this: Is it so hard to show these folks a little respect?

Fable 2

This month, even while I've been working a lot, has been a gaming month. I think most (if not all) of my writings this month have been almost exclusively on games. And of course, it does not appear as though things will let up for the rest of the year (I'll be broke for a while)!

So today I gave in and even though I never got into the original, I picked up Fable 2.

What can I say? I never really cared much for Grand Theft Auto and yet I enjoyed Saints Row 2. With that in mind, I pretty much couldn't find any reasons why I couldn't or shouldn't give Fable 2 at least a chance.

And the verdict thus far?

I am actually enjoying it from what little way I've made through the beginning of this game. Adding the dog is an interesting touch, though so far he has proven to being a better treasure hunter then an aid in battle. Maybe I need to train him to do it...?

One difference I am experimenting with this time around is trying to play things on the 'good' side. Last game I went full on evil, with the results making for a very ugly (and bald) character. Why does evil need to be bald anyhow?

Anyway, now I must get back to shaping my future, playing fetch with my damn dog and who knows what else? Maybe I'll go and get married? Or maybe I'll go all Anakin Skywalker on people and just kill everyone I can find. That is always a plan I suppose...

The Makings of a Very Busy July

Man, I am still pumped about what went down on Monday night (CM Punk winning the World title)! It was just so unexpected and that means something these days, let me tell you. I just never would have imagined that I'd see Punk win one of the major titles (ECW title doesn't really match up with the WWE and World titles, in my opinion at least) before guys like Jeff Hardy.

What is so interesting is the rumors that made the rounds before Wrestlemania earlier this year, was that Hardy was chosen to win the Money in the Bank ladder match. But then he was busted on Wellness violations and was suspended, which lasted a month or two after 'Mania.

Makes me wonder now, if Hardy hadn't gotten suspended in the first place, would he be the man holding up the World Heavyweight Championship TODAY? Hmmmm...

Anyway, like the title of this writing states, man July is gonna be a busy little bugger!

On the movie front, there are so many movies I'd like to see that are out right now, it just ain't funny. Topping the list is Get Smart, The Incredible Hulk and Wall-E. Yet this month brings about The Dark Knight (pictured, top), plus the new Hellboy movie as well. So many choices, where does a guy possibly even begin?

The gaming front (for me) doesn't look to let up in the least either. But the game that I am looking forward to the most (at this point) is Civilization Revolution. I've played through the demo more then just a few times and I am really digging it. Another prospect is Final Fantasy IV, which should be released towards the end of this month.

While I wait for this judgment day of movies and games, I rented and have actually been playing Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. To sum up my feelings of it, I certainly like this version over the original C&C3 game. It just seems a whole hell of a lot easier to control this time around, which is a blessing because I ended up hating the original almost solely for that reason.

One thing though, about C&C... if you get hit by any of the super weapons and it's almost certainly game over.

Anyway, because of the changes made to C&C3: Kane's Wrath, I am more excited then ever about Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. Plus since I cannot play that on PC either, it getting released on XBox makes things a little better.

Last game I'll mention here is Fable 2, which is looking and sounding pretty damn promising in my opinion. But then, so did the first Fable and that sucker promised everything and the sun back in the day. Either way, I am sure I'll be giving that one a try sooner rather then later, once it is released that is.

Just Thinking

Games galore, games everywhere!

Or that is the general feeling these days, which gets me wondering why more of these didn't come out during the holidays? I suppose it was the space 'em out as to not have just a massive saturation of games all at once.

Didn't something like that happen a great deal of years ago? Hmmm...

I'm just sort of thinking aloud today, since storing thoughts in my brain isn't smart business lately. Hell, if it weren't for spell check, it is all too likely that this entire post would be a giant crash of misspellings. That would not have been cool at all.

What is cool is I'll be going to see the WWE live this Wednesday evening, which I'm hoping will be an awesome show. The last time I saw live wrestling, it was a number of years ago... which would have actually been my first X-Mas on Oahu.

Random thought: What is with Microsoft and their colored deaths? I mean red rings of death? Blue screen of death? What next?

I've been having some fun with Devil May Cry 4, though my ratings at the end of mission leaves a great deal to be desired. *Sigh*...

As much as I have tried, Bladestorm continues to be a mind numbing experience. I am praying that Dynasty Warriors 6 will be my savior. Yes same company, but still... I've enjoyed the previous DW games a whole lot more then I think I can ever truly enjoy Bladestorm.

Last little thought before I disappear again and that is a pair of games which I am eagerly awaiting. Those are Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Pictured above) and Fable 2. Both of these (to me) look to be pretty promising and I hope they can deliver on the hype that is being built for both games.

Actually, 2 games is a lie but I'll save the third game I am waiting for until next writing. At least this way I'll have at least something to come back and write about! And despite the will to write that I have been lacking inspiration lately (which would explain my lack of writing this month), I will be a man and admit that I have been outright lazy!

There, I said it.

No, I don't feel better.

I feel...

Lazy.

Oh well!

Spotty Thoughts!

Spotty thoughts... hmm... yes, that is my lame attempt at coming up with something "witty." I'm starting to wonder, maybe I should have a banner with these words in huge, bold letters: "We Aim To Fail!"

Catchy?

No?

Yeah... that does kind of kill a person's self confidence doesn't it? It is so not easy to be inspired and stuff. But alas, this fool shall soldier on, though likely in vain, towards whatever end may come.

Hey! 300 is coming out on DVD soon! Can't wait for that one, that's for sure! (Best subject transition ever!?)

Some have said that it (300) starts out slow, but I didn't mind it. I mean once the action starts up, there that goes until basically the very end of the movie. Yes, blood, guts and gore for as far as the eye can see.

I got so into it, I was absolutely destroyed when what looked to be a massive army of Spartans were about to go head on with... um, those guys they were slaughtering for most of the film. Who in the hell were they again?

Another movie I'd like to see is Captivity, starring Elsha Cuthbert. It looks interesting to me, which kind of says something because most of these horror movies just make me laugh. Although I must admit, just about anything with Elsha Cuthbert in it looks pretty damn good to me also, so...

*ahem*

Gears of War! Fun! Whodathunkit!? It is interesting and different, considering I was half expecting something a little more like a Halo. What is even more amazing, my girlfriend and I make a fairly good team in the game. Aliens beware! We'll pump you full of lead and then proceed to subject you to an hour or more of arguing! Mwahahaha!

Speaking of Halo 3, I finally got around to reserving myself a copy, along with Blue Dragon. A little late, yes. It'll be interesting to see how the story finally ends, or will it even end at all? I think Halo needs to get a little "Doom"-ish, I mean give Master Chief a BFG-like gun....! Flood beware.

Back for a second to Blue Dragon, I hope it turns out good. I suppose this will prove if it was the creator of Final Fantasy that was the magic behind the series. Or if he was just a part of a team that made it all work.

Here's hoping he can make it happen!

Another RPG type game that has gotten my attention is Fable 2. Granted, I didn't care all that much for the first game (why does being evil require having flies...?). Still, this one looks to have improved, which I hope is a given on a next gen system. Just thinking about it makes me wonder what evil things can a person do to that dog.... *evil grin*

Just kidding of course. I kind of wonder though, I hope it'll live up to it's own hype this time around. And I hope it's maker isn't going around (again), telling everyone that'll listen that Fable will be the greatest game ever.

It was interesting to read how Congress has sent a letter to WWE, wanting them to provide them with their drug policy and their records of the tests. While it remains a tradigy no doubt, I suppose this was one good that came out of a bad situation.

I still do hope that this helps stop or seriously reduce the drug use in wrestling. I, like I'm sure a lot of wrestling fans are, sick of seeing more and more wrestlers dropping dead.

I was going to throw in a little more random thoughts and such, but eh. Today we shall be focused! yes! Random shall not win, not on this day or the next! Ok, that might be a lie...