Okay, after far too much belating, I'm going to go ahead and write about what my first post was supposed to be; Fallout 3.
Now, I love this game. I can't really think of any other way to explain it ... it gripped me right from the beginning with it's "gritty, apocalyptic realism meets optimistic futurism" style, as well as it's cool storyline and it's humourous tidbits. Put simply, it's got Gatling lasers, techno-knights, and a talking tree called Harold.
Anyway, I have one gripe with this game, and I think it's pretty representative of free-roam games across the board: Depth.
For me to enjoy a game I have to be involved, I have to like the hero, like/dislike the bad guy, and want to find out what happens. Games, like movies, have to make you care, but in free-roam games, because there's just so much stuff going on, minor characters and sub-plots can seem flimsy, so much so that, sadly, I just don't care.
Allow me to give you a for-instance. Of course ... I really didn't have to ask, considering it's my blog and I can do whatever I want ... but ... anyway.
In the first town the player encounters, Megaton, there is a bar called Moriarty's, owned by Colin Moriarty, a rather shifty criminal type. Now, the barman is a Ghoul (Radioactive zombie!) by the name of Gob, who is basically a slave who is regularly abused and beaten by Moriarty and his customers. He longs to be free, many of the people in town feel sorry for him, and the general consensus is that Gob not being there would be a good thing ... so, can you do anything about it? No. Not a thing.
You could kill Moriarty ... but ... really, that doesn't change anything ... the Bar's name changes, but, a lot of people still talk about him in the present tense, and Gob remains in Megaton.
It's not a big deal, and Fallout's still a good game, but there are many places where things feel incomplete ... Vampires go unpunished, Aliens go unexplained and lonely Goth-girls never get their man (or woman, as the case may be)
Free roam games such as Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls series are good fun, but it'd be nice if the freedom they provide extended to the characters, rather than just the game-world, and whether-or-not you're going to bother with the main plot.
On a totally unrelated note; I hope Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen doesn't suck.
This has been Rude, shouting at deaf ears.
Tuesday 23 June 2009
Sunday 14 June 2009
The Un-caped Crusader
I dunno if I said this post would be about my original topic; which was Fallout 3, if i haven't said that already ... but, if it was, I lied. It's not about Fallout at all. There's no hidden subtext, no reading between the lines, nuttin'.
What this post is really about is movies. To be precise, Superhero movies.
Traditionally, costumed do-good-ers wear their signature mask to hide their identities, so that their super-powered enemies can't track down their friends and family. This is all well and good, but, y'see, I've noticed a pattern. In most Superhero motion pictures (with the notable exception of Batman Begins and Dark Knight; well done Christian Bale ^^) the heroes shed their masks during the final scene.
This happens in all three Spiderman films, Iron Man, and even Ghost Rider, who doesn't WEAR a mask.
Many may wonder why this is so. (Other than giving Peter Parker an excuse to execute all-but-one of his enemies. "He'd hurt Aunt May! It's not my fault!" ... jerk.) But, as far as I'm concerned, the answer is all too clear: Movie Stars.
Don't get me wrong, I love Robert Downy Jr. as much as the next guy, but, he's an actor, who's job it is to play the part he is given. The problem is, studios and agents want to make such a big deal of their clients, whether it's to make them happy or to boost the film's popularity, that it interferes with the film, and it's believeability. Would Spiderman keep using a mask that falls off at the first sign of trouble? Tony Stark can really remove armour manually that had to be put on by a large robotic putty-togethery machine? Bruce Banner's head was conveiniently the only part of his body not to hulk out during the final battle with the Abomonation?
Okay, so I exaggerate a little, but, I fear this is what it is coming to.
So, actors, how about leaving the masks on? We all know you're the one behind it, and it'll make all us comic-book nerds very happy.
And, movie-writers, how about leaving the mask on when you make the Captain America movie? (We'll see how that one goes at the international box office. >.>)
I end with a thought for the day: Give the "Merc with a mouth" A MOUTH.
What this post is really about is movies. To be precise, Superhero movies.
Traditionally, costumed do-good-ers wear their signature mask to hide their identities, so that their super-powered enemies can't track down their friends and family. This is all well and good, but, y'see, I've noticed a pattern. In most Superhero motion pictures (with the notable exception of Batman Begins and Dark Knight; well done Christian Bale ^^) the heroes shed their masks during the final scene.
This happens in all three Spiderman films, Iron Man, and even Ghost Rider, who doesn't WEAR a mask.
Many may wonder why this is so. (Other than giving Peter Parker an excuse to execute all-but-one of his enemies. "He'd hurt Aunt May! It's not my fault!" ... jerk.) But, as far as I'm concerned, the answer is all too clear: Movie Stars.
Don't get me wrong, I love Robert Downy Jr. as much as the next guy, but, he's an actor, who's job it is to play the part he is given. The problem is, studios and agents want to make such a big deal of their clients, whether it's to make them happy or to boost the film's popularity, that it interferes with the film, and it's believeability. Would Spiderman keep using a mask that falls off at the first sign of trouble? Tony Stark can really remove armour manually that had to be put on by a large robotic putty-togethery machine? Bruce Banner's head was conveiniently the only part of his body not to hulk out during the final battle with the Abomonation?
Okay, so I exaggerate a little, but, I fear this is what it is coming to.
So, actors, how about leaving the masks on? We all know you're the one behind it, and it'll make all us comic-book nerds very happy.
And, movie-writers, how about leaving the mask on when you make the Captain America movie? (We'll see how that one goes at the international box office. >.>)
I end with a thought for the day: Give the "Merc with a mouth" A MOUTH.
Sunday 7 June 2009
John Rambo ... has been pussified
I was going to use this post to write about Fallout 3, a game I have some gripes with, but, something has recently got my proverbial goat, so it looks like that particular rant will be belated yet again.
A while back, I was watching the movie channel we get out here in Asia, when I saw Rambo 4 advertised ... or was it just Rambo? ... or John Rambo ...?
Well, whatever it was called, it was the newest addition to the Rambo movies series, featuring Sylvester Stallone as one of his two most famous characters, John Rambo, Vietnam veteran, ultra-commando, and all around psycho.
While I was skeptical, I gave the film a chance. Stallone looked slightly pudgy, and was wearing a shirt, but, c'mon ... it's Rambo. Freaking Rambo! They COULDN'T mess RAMBO up, right?
The end credits began to roll and I couldn't help but say, "That's IT?"
It just seemed like they hadn't put any effort into the action sequences. In most cases that might not have been such a big deal, but this is an ACTION movie. And not just ANY action movie, this is RAMBO.
First Rambo killed some guys on a boat, then he shot a couple of people with arrows, blew up a fairly terrible CG bomb, and had a large, yet strangely empty fight on a beach. Only the last fight scene had a respectable body-count, and it paled in comparison with the earlier films' climaxes, such as First Blood, or Rambo 2.
This upset me, and I didn't hesitate to let everyone know.
Time moves on, and a few months later I found myself watching Cinemassacre's "Top 10 Shoot 'em ups," the favourite gunfight-films of movie-boffin, James Rolfe. All in all, it was a pretty standard top-10 video, but one of the entries surprised me; Rambo 4.
At first, I was totally baffled. Then, I saw it. Footage of Rambo 4.
It was AWESOME.
There were body parts flying, blood spewing, and generally havoc being wrought. It struck me that this wasn't the film I had seen.
The point of this entry (a subject which isn't usually brought up half-way-through) is censorship, something that this example demonstrates.
Pretty much everyone who stumbles upon this blog will live back in the west, and so won't have come into contact with TRUE cencorship, but, anyone who's spent time here should know what I'm talking about. It's inescapable. Almost any movie you watch in the cinema, on the satellite, or rented from a video store will have some content cut.
Usually this is extreme violence or nudity, but at times relatively tame death, sex and swearing can disappear, along with any accompanying plot-points, artiness, or quality editing. In one movie, I didn't even realise a character was dead, until someone mentioned his "unfortunate demise" at the BEGINNING of the movie.
While, in most cases, you can listen through the bleeping, or imagine what is cut, and get a good idea of what the movie should be like, sometimes you can be severely disappointed, like me with Rambo.
Censorship is stupid, and altogether pointless. If you are watching a violent gore-fest, there's no doubt what you want to see, so why cut it?
I've seen the most clean-mouthed people I know watch swearing on TV and be unfazed, so why blank it out?
We're buying products, and not getting what we payed for.
Altogether, the whole business baffles and astonishes me, and, while my little opinion matters little, I wish it would stop.
Oh, and please take back anything I have ever said about Rambo 4, because I haven't actually seen it yet ...
***
Next time on The Blog with a Memorable name, some other random crap that may, or may not be about Fallout 3!
A while back, I was watching the movie channel we get out here in Asia, when I saw Rambo 4 advertised ... or was it just Rambo? ... or John Rambo ...?
Well, whatever it was called, it was the newest addition to the Rambo movies series, featuring Sylvester Stallone as one of his two most famous characters, John Rambo, Vietnam veteran, ultra-commando, and all around psycho.
While I was skeptical, I gave the film a chance. Stallone looked slightly pudgy, and was wearing a shirt, but, c'mon ... it's Rambo. Freaking Rambo! They COULDN'T mess RAMBO up, right?
The end credits began to roll and I couldn't help but say, "That's IT?"
It just seemed like they hadn't put any effort into the action sequences. In most cases that might not have been such a big deal, but this is an ACTION movie. And not just ANY action movie, this is RAMBO.
First Rambo killed some guys on a boat, then he shot a couple of people with arrows, blew up a fairly terrible CG bomb, and had a large, yet strangely empty fight on a beach. Only the last fight scene had a respectable body-count, and it paled in comparison with the earlier films' climaxes, such as First Blood, or Rambo 2.
This upset me, and I didn't hesitate to let everyone know.
Time moves on, and a few months later I found myself watching Cinemassacre's "Top 10 Shoot 'em ups," the favourite gunfight-films of movie-boffin, James Rolfe. All in all, it was a pretty standard top-10 video, but one of the entries surprised me; Rambo 4.
At first, I was totally baffled. Then, I saw it. Footage of Rambo 4.
It was AWESOME.
There were body parts flying, blood spewing, and generally havoc being wrought. It struck me that this wasn't the film I had seen.
The point of this entry (a subject which isn't usually brought up half-way-through) is censorship, something that this example demonstrates.
Pretty much everyone who stumbles upon this blog will live back in the west, and so won't have come into contact with TRUE cencorship, but, anyone who's spent time here should know what I'm talking about. It's inescapable. Almost any movie you watch in the cinema, on the satellite, or rented from a video store will have some content cut.
Usually this is extreme violence or nudity, but at times relatively tame death, sex and swearing can disappear, along with any accompanying plot-points, artiness, or quality editing. In one movie, I didn't even realise a character was dead, until someone mentioned his "unfortunate demise" at the BEGINNING of the movie.
While, in most cases, you can listen through the bleeping, or imagine what is cut, and get a good idea of what the movie should be like, sometimes you can be severely disappointed, like me with Rambo.
Censorship is stupid, and altogether pointless. If you are watching a violent gore-fest, there's no doubt what you want to see, so why cut it?
I've seen the most clean-mouthed people I know watch swearing on TV and be unfazed, so why blank it out?
We're buying products, and not getting what we payed for.
Altogether, the whole business baffles and astonishes me, and, while my little opinion matters little, I wish it would stop.
Oh, and please take back anything I have ever said about Rambo 4, because I haven't actually seen it yet ...
***
Next time on The Blog with a Memorable name, some other random crap that may, or may not be about Fallout 3!
Friday 5 June 2009
I was looking over my first entry, when I came upon the sudden realisation that I had only told half a story. Here, dear reader (take that designation with a pinch of salt, as I may not even like you) is the conclusion.
After receaving my conformation Email, typing in my propostorous password and logging into "BayWords," I was greeted by this message.
"August 7, 2008
Due to some problems with some software we’ve decided to not add to the problem by letting new users register blogs for a few days. We’re upgrading the software hopefully this week and that would sort the problems out, however it might take some more time so we just want to inform you guys.
Thanks!"
If you've checked the date, you can imagine my dismay. (If you haven't, you cannot, or you WILL be executed)
Anyway, long story short, (words I doubt you hear often in a blog) I ended up here, typing, with you reading my words some time later.
I will talk about what I REALLY wanted to talk about in the FIRST post tomorrow. Damn me and my uncontrollable appitite for complaining.
After receaving my conformation Email, typing in my propostorous password and logging into "BayWords," I was greeted by this message.
"August 7, 2008
Due to some problems with some software we’ve decided to not add to the problem by letting new users register blogs for a few days. We’re upgrading the software hopefully this week and that would sort the problems out, however it might take some more time so we just want to inform you guys.
Thanks!"
If you've checked the date, you can imagine my dismay. (If you haven't, you cannot, or you WILL be executed)
Anyway, long story short, (words I doubt you hear often in a blog) I ended up here, typing, with you reading my words some time later.
I will talk about what I REALLY wanted to talk about in the FIRST post tomorrow. Damn me and my uncontrollable appitite for complaining.
Thursday 4 June 2009
And so it begins ...
Well, after a good half hour of searching, a few minutes of setup-time, one bathroom-break and a lot of goading from my best friend, I have done it. I have claimed a patch of my own in the wild, untamed lands of blog-topia. Admittedly, this isn't too much of an life-changing event for you, considering blog-topia is an overcrowded and congested little burg, but hey, humour me.
I haven't got much of a purpose for writing this, which doesn't really give you much incentive to read it, so, altogether, we're off to a bad start.
After complaining about stuff to my afore-mentioned best friend, Wrince, I have decided to open my rants to the whole wide world for EVERYONE to ignore, not just him.
What is this post about? Well, allow me to start at the beginning ...
After the initial architectural plan had been set forth, I needed a plot of land for my blog. Wrince, being the Internet-master he is, pointed me in the direction of "BayWords," for an unknown reason. I dropped the strained building-metaphor, created an account, played the usual game of Internet tag, and was then told two pieces of information; my username and password.
Now, the username I had picked out for myself earlier in the process, but the password was, I assume, a randomly generated pile of garble, somewhere along the lines of "CL34BEE9."
What on EARTH is THAT!?
I thought the idea of a password was security. Y'know, so no one gets into your account and messes around with your stuff. The password aids in this by acting as a quick safeguard against strangers. Now, no-one's going to remember THAT, which means, for the first few logins at least, you'll have to have it written down, or saved in a text-document on your computer-box. All someone has to do is read your stray piece of paper/.txt file and they've gained access to everything!
From a purely n00bish "I-don't-know-how-such-things-work,-electronically-speaking" standpoint, (boy, my quote-mark fingers are tired) I must say this is a flawed system. I think it would be much better if they randomly generated a WORD for you. Like "Donkey." It's easy to type, can be associated with something of-this-earth, and, is memorable, if only for the "ha ha ha, that's a funny word for a password," factor. Also, no-one could guess it. I have no relationships with any donkeys at all, so it'd be perfect for me. (Does that make me a mule-ist?)
Admittedly, you might not like it so much if your randomly generated word was "Xenarthra," or "Password," but, hey, it's better than "H475JE8"
I haven't got much of a purpose for writing this, which doesn't really give you much incentive to read it, so, altogether, we're off to a bad start.
After complaining about stuff to my afore-mentioned best friend, Wrince, I have decided to open my rants to the whole wide world for EVERYONE to ignore, not just him.
What is this post about? Well, allow me to start at the beginning ...
After the initial architectural plan had been set forth, I needed a plot of land for my blog. Wrince, being the Internet-master he is, pointed me in the direction of "BayWords," for an unknown reason. I dropped the strained building-metaphor, created an account, played the usual game of Internet tag, and was then told two pieces of information; my username and password.
Now, the username I had picked out for myself earlier in the process, but the password was, I assume, a randomly generated pile of garble, somewhere along the lines of "CL34BEE9."
What on EARTH is THAT!?
I thought the idea of a password was security. Y'know, so no one gets into your account and messes around with your stuff. The password aids in this by acting as a quick safeguard against strangers. Now, no-one's going to remember THAT, which means, for the first few logins at least, you'll have to have it written down, or saved in a text-document on your computer-box. All someone has to do is read your stray piece of paper/.txt file and they've gained access to everything!
From a purely n00bish "I-don't-know-how-such-things-work,-electronically-speaking" standpoint, (boy, my quote-mark fingers are tired) I must say this is a flawed system. I think it would be much better if they randomly generated a WORD for you. Like "Donkey." It's easy to type, can be associated with something of-this-earth, and, is memorable, if only for the "ha ha ha, that's a funny word for a password," factor. Also, no-one could guess it. I have no relationships with any donkeys at all, so it'd be perfect for me. (Does that make me a mule-ist?)
Admittedly, you might not like it so much if your randomly generated word was "Xenarthra," or "Password," but, hey, it's better than "H475JE8"
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