The Long Dark - Snowy Snowy Death

Greetings!

I'm back, and to celebrate the fact that there is no way in hell I'm going outside when the temperatures are in the negatives and it is snowing like a beast - I will be playing "The Long Dark", a pre-release game I recently acquired on Steam. The premise is not far from my current situation, except for the fact that I will not be in a cozy house, I'll be flung into the elements after a natural disaster and left to survive on my own. Will I be able to scrounge up enough food? Will the wind speeds of the blizzard rip my clothing to rags before I find shelter? Will I be straight up devoured by a pack of wolves? Who knows - only time and the slow icy hands of death can tell. Let us begin!

Day One

It's cold, very very very very cold. Not like, oh hey sweater weather cold - but I'm going to die out here in a few minutes cold. It's also dark, which is great. I don't remember how I got here or where I am, but it's cold and dark - wonderful. The only thing I can make out in the gloom is the partial outline of a snow covered road, my best guess is to follow said road - could lead me to a settlement of sorts. Let's get moving.

I got lucky, just as I was sure the fingers on both of my hands were near snapping off from the persistent freezing wind I stumbled upon a small clutch of fishing houses. Not exactly a Marriott, but I can't complain. No one else is around, there is no electricity as far as I can tell, what happened here? My hands numbly fumble for the doorknob and I stumble inside. Quiet, dark, and it smells moldy - but it's warm....well warmer. It looks as though most of the shack has been ransacked, anything valuable that wasn't nailed down is gone except for large pieces of furniture and things they didn't have time to carry, ah well all the better for me. Time to dig through some cabinets.

I can't help but feel slightly disheartened, I did find a small amount of drinkable water and a few granola bars but that won't be enough to last me long. I've only been out here for three hours and it feels like an eternity. Well, I can't hide in here forever, there are still two more fishing sacks to look through - better get to it. *zips up his jacket and steps outside*

While my stores of food and water aren't improving by much, I did run into a streak of luck in the last of the fishing huts. A perfect condition lantern was resting on a dusty shelf, complete with a jerry can of lantern fuel nestled in a corner not far away. Nearby on one of the small bunks I found a jacket, and not just any old jacket - but one of those that a pro would buy from some exclusive website or upscale shop. Well, it's not doing anyone good sitting around here - out with the old in with the new. If the owner returns hopefully they won't mind me switching out my wind-ravaged jacket with theirs.

I'm tired, my knees ache, and I don't want to go ranging away from the fishing village while it is still dark. After gathering up the meager amount of blankets in the small hut I crawled into a creaking bed and drifted into an icy sleep, only to awaken a few hours later as the sun peeked through the windows. Time to get up and get moving.

It's only slightly warmer outside as the sun is out and the wind has died down some. To my right I see a frozen lake dotted with small ice-fishing huts, a large home rests in the center of the frozen lake on an island...perhaps I'll take my chances with the ice later, but for now I'm not equipped to deal with a dip into sub-zero waters. Time to follow the road some more!

About two hours of walking later and I can see a small village ahead of me, perhaps four to five serviceable houses still remain among the burned out husks of their neighbors. I'm freezing now, I've been outside too long and I swear the howls I keep hearing are closing in. I've seen something prowling through the trees from the corner of my eye once or twice, but never enough to see what is following me. Better to just put a little pep in my step and get to those houses. A distant (but closer) howl rings out form behind me. My jog becomes a wheezing sprint, the door to the first home is only a few steps away. I crash into the door, push it open, and slam it shut behind me.

Not bad, not bad at all. A two story house with a fireplace no less, swanky. I drop my gear in the living room near the fireplace and begin my scavenging. Much to my joy a few rolls of newsprint, some fuel from my jerry can, and a few logs I found stacked in a corner make for an absolutely divine fire. I can't help but sit and absorb the warmth from the flames for a few hours before I begin my search of the home further.

Now we're talking, a fridge full of soda, a freezer with a hefty amount of raw venison, and even a sewing kit and cloth! I've also stumbled upon a treasure trove of pork and beans cans, but alas I have no can opener or way to pry the can apart - smashing it against the ground until I could get at the contents crossed my mind, but I think it would be better to save them for the moment. With a few inexperienced stitches I repair a few troublesome holes in my jeans and wool socks - not much but the patches will keep the wind out a little longer. I stoke the fire with another log and prepare the venison I found for cooking. After about 2 hours of slow roasting over the fire it's time to dig in, and if this were to be my last meal in this frozen wasteland I could probably die happy. Even with no seasoning or fancy sauces the warm cooked meat was everything I needed. My spirits were lifted, the house smelled of delicious cooked venison, and I had a safe place to stay for the night. I made myself at home and curled up for a nap in front of the roaring fire.

The fire is out and the house has gotten cold. How long did I sleep? It's hard to tell, I haven't been keeping track of time well, but if I had to guess I would say I've been here for almost an entire day. The sun is beginning to set, but now that I am rested, warm, and fed I think I have the strength to hit the other houses in the area and see what I can come up with. I'd give my kingdom for a rifle to deal with any troublesome wildlife, and even to hunt some game if the opportunity arose. Whatever, let's get moving again. I take another deep breath of the smokey house and reluctantly turn the doorknob leading outside. The wooden frame creaks, but there is another noise. A low guttural growl greets me from the other side of the door. I don't know how many there are, but a writhing mass of black fur and bared teeth awaits me, I freeze in place. How could I have been so stupid, the smell of the cooked meat probably attracted every wolf within ten miles - and then the first was on me.

Teeth snapped at my face and neck, I pushed back and fought - I'd be damned if a dog was going to finish me after all I've done. I feel its teeth sink into my shoulder and cry out, I gain a momentary advantage as it rips my shoulder apart and drive my left fist into its right eye. A plaintive yelp splits the air and the wolf releases its grip on my shoulder. Dark blood seeps from the puncture wounds in my fancy new jacket. Damn, that's going to be hard to repai- Another wolf, I'm too weak. My vision swims, I'm pinned to the ground once more. I push the wolf back with all the strength I can muster with my right hand, my left grasping desperately for anything to fight the beast off with - but nothing is there. Is this it? My arm weakens, the snapping jaws of the wolf inch closer - its friends close in now, sensing my weakness.

I never got to....

The wolf's jaws close around my throat, searing pain tears through my chest darkness swirls down.

Not even a day this time, rough. I've managed to make it to three days, but that was mostly luck. I'm off to try again as the snow piles up around my house in real life - perhaps I'll have better chances this time.

Too Many Assassins in the Kitchen

Ahoy friends - I have survived my recent bout of hellish stomach flu and am back in action (with a serious backlog of games to get to sometime). October and November were months I was greatly looking forward to, their promise of a myriad of next gen titles got my hopes up - and for good reason. Many of the titles that have recently arrived are games that I have respect for, an uncommon trait for many releases these days.

I'm currently working through a number of titles, some of which my fiance enjoys playing as well. This will bring our target for today into focus, Assassin's Creed Unity.

 

My fiance and I have been playing the Assassin's Creed franchise together since before we were actually dating. By the way, before we continue there will be spoilers for numerous, if not all, of the Assassin's Creed titles while I discuss the most current - so viewer beware. Now where was I, right - ever since Altair stepped into the spotlight at the advent of Assassin's Creed it has been a game that brought my fiance and I together for hours of enjoyment. She loves nothing more than to run around, collect hard to find treasures, and dig up mysteries that my patience does not allow me to pursue. In all honesty, most of the legwork is done by her - if a massive brawl happens to break out, or a story mission that involves something stupid like tailing a target for 50 years without being seen shows up then I step in and play. It works out wonderfully, we chew through the title and make it out with almost every achievement - that is until recently.

Once Ezio Auditore took the reins of the Creed for his stretch of games things looked wonderful. Many of the gripes about repetitive game play and boring missions were corrected. As Ezio grew, the intellectual property grew with him and by the time we put our old friend to rest Assassin's Creed was in an amazing place. Combat was fun (though not difficult in the least), the story was interesting, there were characters we cared about, the list goes on - it was good old fashioned fun.

But all good things come to an end, and with the entrance of Assassin's Creed 3 the slow slide into mediocrity began. Connor, the main character, falls flatter than a drunk assassin attempting a dive into a hay bale and landing on a cobblestone street. His story, which was supposed to be one of the more emotionally rending tales was well...boring. His setting saved the game, that and the introduction of your own ship which would be the mainstay of the following title. These pluses do not forgive the horrible negatives which have only continued to infect following titles. The once interesting puzzles you solved that gave you a glimpse into the bigger picture behind the storyline were all but removed. Combat remained the same (more or less) and for the life of me I can't actually recall why the title was important to the overall story arch - this holds true for the next title, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag.

Another dull main character, Edward Kenway is not even an Assassin. He runs into one in the very beginning of the game, blows the guy away and basically decides to wear his clothes and hidden blade because they are super nifty, later allowing him entry into the Assassin club.

Ooook.... sure why not he is a pirate after all. Don't look here for story, I'm not even going to go into that line of questioning for this title because all I remember is driving my boat around sinking people (the only fun part of the game in my opinion). Don't get me wrong, the inclusion of naval combat was flawless and so fun that I let my fiance take over anything that had to do with land - I simply did not care about eavesdropping, tailing, or assassinating anyone (unless they happened to be on a boat I could sink of course).

Here we are, finally, at Assassin's Creed Unity (which by the way released the SAME DAY as Assassin's Creed Rogue that is only for last gen consoles and follows Black Flag closely with its ship combat etc.). Two games at once, really? Really? I can't tell if the Ubisoft team behind Assassin's Creed got cocky or if the good ol dollar sign won out in the end - but things are no longer enjoyable in the world of cloak and dagger assassinations - I AM SO TIRED OF TYPING ASSASSIN. Ahem. Sorry.

So I purchased Assassin's Creed Unity for Xbox One after the usual flurry of CG videos to hype up the populace before its release, and I'm not ashamed to admit I was one of those excited people. I love this series, well perhaps loved is more appropriate.

This arm of the Creed follows Arno...and ahhh....I'm not really sure why. His dad...or someone like his dad....or a foster dad....I dunno his dad gets killed and he wants revenge - enter the Assassins, recruiting harder than the US Army. Arno's story has already fallen out of my scope of interest, as has his character. Sure, the graphics are shiny and he looks amazing in game - but the overall glitchiness of the title hampers everything from game play to enjoying the character. Wide open windows beckon you to jump through them in seamless leaps from rooftops that would make Indiana Jones blush, yet no matter what I do I end up climbing around the window frame like a mentally damaged fly for about two minutes - if there are guards chasing me I am now being shot repeatedly in the back while Arno tries to figure out how to get INSIDE A WINDOW. Aggressive screen tearing also takes place, Arno falls through the ground into the infinite void now and then, and I've even jumped from a box to a fence only for Arno's model to be impaled upon said fence leaving me stuck and helpless. Ubisoft says that a patch is in the works to fix these problems - but why the hell are these problems here? How many titles do you have under your belt at this point? Enough to not fall into silly mistakes such as these I'd imagine. 

 

See? We've done all of that, how have we not perfected free roaming movement without stupid bugs? Now, onto my major gripes. Let's begin with the combat, now melee battles in Assassin's Creed have never been challenging (boss "fights" included). Battles are simply a matter of countering then insta-killing the guy you countered, then flowing into an endless stream of brutality that ends when the last guard standing before you hits the ground like a perforated bag of red dye. Easy, but fun and cathartic, one of my favorite AC past times was running around cities attracting as many guards as possible and then getting into a brawl than dragged across entire cities until I was the last one standing. No more.....no more....

Combat in Unity, to be blunt, is one of the least fun pieces of the experience. I don't know why or how they changed it, but now I feel useless. Arno feels like a fifteen year old with a wooden sword, battles either start with you killing everyone before they draw their swords or guards noticing you and then piling onto you while you attempt to finagle your way around countering and killing your enemies - which never works how you need it to. A color now flashes above and enemies head right as they are about to strike you signaling if you should dodge or attack - guess how visible this is when you are fighting more than two people? Not very. Enjoy getting hammered by one heavy attack and then dying. As far as I can tell, perhaps I'm not far enough into the title, the fluid fun combat of yesteryear is gone and the crude simulacrum in its place is a complete disappointment. 

Next up, the setting. The French Revolution has long been a period in history that I wished for AC to visit, but surprise - if you don't play through the multiplayer missions your involvement in the actual Revoltion at hand is minimal except for a meager handful of single player missions. Forcing AC players down the path of multiplayer is not a good choice, in my opinion at least. When I'm supposed to be occupying the shoes of an assassin I don't picture myself hanging out with five guys dressed just like me running around causing antics in French mansions. If you want to make a multiplayer game make a multiplayer game, stop watering down what was once and amazing single player experience to shoe horn in unnecessary content that no one asked for.

I still intend to finish the game because of my history with the series, but I've said it once and I'll say it again - this may very well be my last foray into the world of Assassin's Creed. My disappointment has been complete so far and my hopes are not high for a glorious turn around. In this next-gen of gaming there is no room for mistakes, because there are good games out there. Want to play a game 50x better than this that fills the same niche? Go play Shadow of Mordor - a downright fun game from start to finish. Now that Dragon Age: Inquisition and Farcry 4 have arrived I'm finding it hard to bring myself to put Unity back in. I flogged myself with the whip of The Evil Within until the game ended just to say I finished it, I will not do so again.

Shame Ubisoft...shame. 

Evil Revisited and Traversal Made Bliss

Morning/Afternoon/Evening everyone!

Working out a schedule where I can fit in work, writing, and fun is difficult - mainly because the whole "fun" portion of that equation constantly croons its siren song into my ear. After waking up at 4 AM to serve coffee to the sleepy masses of Colorado, finishing up my shift, and driving home I find it hard to dig deep and find the drive to get writing done - another tool in my writing toolbox that has long been blunted by disuse, discipline. Balance is what I need, however I digress - let's talk about some things shall we?

First and foremost, I'd like to address The Evil Within (for Xbox One in my case) once more. If you read my last entry about the title you'll be surprised to find out that I did not immediately return the game to the store for whatever meager store credit they decided to give me - I pressed on into the title hoping to dredge a positive experience out of it. Now, I still have yet to complete the game (thanks to the next game I'll be discussing being released recently) but I don't hate the idea of playing it - a major step up from my first opinion no doubt, but why? Well, to be honest - because it feels like playing this.

 

As I have progressed through the first seven chapters at this point, expect some spoilers ahead. If you are interested in playing the title then avert thine eyes and scroll down!

Dumb characters aside, so far I have yet to run into a human being I have given an ounce of a crap about, something keeps me pushing forward. Even though I constantly bad mouth the silly storyline, the ridiculous one liners, and the general confused nature of the narrative the combat still brings me back. Similar to passing someone on the street who wears the same perfume or cologne as an ex you may have dated in the past, when I'm aiming down the trembling iron sights of my pistol hoping to whatever deity happens to listen to my cries that my final bullet will do the job, I feel like I'm playing Resident Evil 4 - and as I've said, Resident Evil 4 is amazing. Then the fight ends, and the disappointment reasserts itself, I'm not Leon Kennedy - I'm some random detective guy. Back to solving puzzles that you could solve in your sleep - or my new favorite scenario, "protecting" a colleague while they open a locked door for you. In this sort of environment I've found that the easiest way to deal with things is to simply jog around the room in slow circles like an aging man getting his hammies loose for a long distance run. I completely ignore the laughably slow undead trying to catch up to me, because they are defeated by running in slow ovals. Not exactly scary, now if our friend the Xenomorph from Alien: Isolation caught a glimpse of me out of the corner of its eye it would be on me like Thanksgiving dinner before I could utter a surprisingly feminine shriek - I mean a manly bearded..cry..of...something, shut up.

Long story short, The Evil Within is not as bad as I first thought. Is it still "bad?" In my case yes, in my own personal bubble I find this game to be lacking - however I'm finding that the more people I talk to about it seem to be enjoying the title. Maybe you'll find something I do not in the game, so by all means if your curiosity gland has been tickled - rent it, don't buy it unless you've got that kind of money just laying around. I myself will be pressing on with the hopes of completing the title, but something else comes first - a recent release that I have fallen completely in love with.

Sunset Overdrive is a title I've had my eye on since I first heard its name. While I may consider myself more of a "hardcore" gamer,  or whatever silly label I fall under, I do still believe in the idea that sometimes a game just needs to be fun. Not everything needs to be Dark Souls (as much as I love the struggle and the payoff). Sunset Overdrive puts fun at the very forefront of the game from the opening cinematic to the end.

In a nutshell, Sunset City is in the grips of an apocalypse caused by Fizzco - a soda peddling corporate giant who is launching their new beverage - Overcharge. Sunset City, being the lucky place that it is, is the first to be allowed an early access taste of Overcharge during a music pumping party. Your hero (who you get to choose and customize) is working as a garbage collector during the event when things go horribly wrong - Overcharge is a little more than energizing, it also  happens to mutate your DNA into horrible monstrosities called the OD - and they now flood the city in endless numbers. Thus the fun begins.

I don't really know what else to say, the title is funny, action packed, full of amazing guns (it is an Insomniac title after all), and just a downright blast to play. What you are left with here is a game that feels like you are playing a version of Tony Hawk - on speed - with better music - with GIGANTIC guns - TONS of enemies - and DID YOU SEE HIM GRINDING AROUND ON THE ROLLER COASTER? Sorry, I spent about half an hour just going around and around that thing. Sunset Overdrive is all about fun and style, you are at your most powerful while mobile - be it hopping off a bouncy umbrella or grinding along a train-track you'll find yourself constantly on the move. Once you get a grip on movement, which is only slightly difficult, the game becomes a symphony of beautiful destruction. Things called Amps also play a vital role in making the game more fun, as you progress through the story you'll unlock said Amps - these can range from Melee Amps that can do awesome things like make your melee swings shoot out waves of stunning electricity or Amps that directly effect your Hero, like making the ground you walk on rumble and shoot out gouts of burning lava. As you grind, wall-run, and bounce through the city you'll accrue style - if you throw in some fancy gun play you can even max out your style gauge causing all of your Amps to become active at the same time leading to some truly spectacular fights.

I don't have enough good things to say about the title, in fact as soon as I'm done here I'm going to go finish up the main story line. Sure, some of the jokes fall flat and the characters (besides your own hero) fall flat and are unremarkable at best - but guess what? None of that matters when you're grinding down a telephone line at 90mph with a rocket launcher that you've amped up to randomly cause nuclear explosions. Buckle in, drop your worries off at the front door, and believe me when I say that Sunset Overdrive is a must play and one of the few next-gen titles that TRULY impressed me.

Until next time, I've got some OD to deal with!

The Evil Within...the plastic box you just payed 64$ for.

Disappointment is in the air, much like the bittersweet smell of delicious cookies who spent too long in the oven thus becoming overdone monstrosities. Then again, you like cookies right - I know I sure as hell do. So, do you know what you're going to do? You're going to take a bite out of that burnt to hell cookie, smile at the person who made them for you, attempt not to vomit, and then pretend you liked it. Who knows, you may even eat one or two more just for kicks later, cookies are cookies after all right?

I really could leave my review of The Evil Within with that paragraph, alas my verbose nature will not allow me to do so. Beware dear readers, that wafting smell of fresh sugar cookies being baked in the oven does indeed smell tantalizing - but the product...the product is something different all together.

 

There was so much promise to this title, allow me to explain. The Evil Within, while not a Resident Evil game, is a title that evolved from Shinji Mikami's long running series of survival-horror games. Not only that, it feels and plays much like my personal favorite title of the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil 4. This portion of the Resident Evil family tree is highly regarded as one of the best games to come out of the IP, I'm sure some will argue against that but it's hard to call RE4 a bad game. Is it scary? Maybe to some people, I was scared by the first Resident Evil - though I imagine only because graphics were so humble back then that my imagination fired up the fear engines for me. While definitely more action based that its predecessors, the game play was amazing.

Both The Evil Within and Resident Evil 4 boast a 3rd person camera hovering just behind the protagonist's shoulder, allowing for quick switches into aiming down the sights of your pistol at whatever monstrosity is lumbering your way. The game, while less about the scare, kept your heart rate up due to the visceral nature of the combat and the fact that bullets weren't just lying around everywhere - every bullet counts.

Now, Mr. Mikami has returned to the genre he helped define with his entry into the next generation of  gaming - The Evil Within. Normally I would have information set aside about characters, setting, etc. - but honestly after completing 5 chapters of the game one would hope that you knew the main character's name...I do not, I know I've been told but I honestly just don't care. The protagonist reacts to gut-wrenching changes in reality, walking corpses, and demonic monstrosities bursting out of the dead like it's a damned trip to Baskin Robbins. Slight spoiler ahead (if you care).

At one point I had just gotten done wandering through a room literally waist deep with the blood and viscera of a myriad of slain people when a beast with multiple long clawed arms bursts out of a body and begins to chase me down a hall - his reaction? "What's your deal?" Really? What's your deal Mr. (or Miss) horrifically brutalized demon, why are you being such a meanie? How about a little, oh I dunno, screaming or even cursing whatever divine beings allowed such a creature to roam the Earth? Nope, not Mr. Protagonist - he seems completely cool even while said beast is smashing his head against the tiled floor until it pops open like a cantaloupe. 

In all honesty, the game is beautiful. The artists had a ball and you can tell, the environments are absolutely amazing to just wander around in - if only all the shitty game play could be taken out. Don't expect much evolution from Resident Evil 4, in fact I can say that it takes a few GIANT steps backwards. Saving now requires you to enter some strange dimension through random ornate mirrors you find scattered about the destroyed ruins you wander, not only that you must enter "mirror land" (which is an empty psychiatric hospital, original!) in order to spend your upgrade points to make your protagonist more resilient to having his head torn off his body. Nothing like taking stupid amounts of time out of a game that is supposed to build suspense in order to find a stupid mirror to spend stupid points (I've been calling them brain points because as far as I can tell that's what they are, little weird green jars of brain fluid).

Granted I have not completed the game, though I doubt I will - and perhaps everything turns around and the game is amazing. I've read reviews ranging from a measly two stars on a five star scale to a shocking 9.0 on a 10 scale, so there are some out there who do in fact enjoy the title. I'm not going to attempt to explain the story because frankly I have no idea what the fuck is going on at any given moment in time - if this was meant to add to the atmosphere it did not go as planned. When a new chapter begins your guess is as good as mine as to where I'll end up, will I continue on the path I was on or be teleported to a strange new area with little to no explanation besides "things are weird"?

I get it, distorting reality and all that - it is a cool touch but only if you do it right *cough Eternal Darkness cough* and this most certainly does not. The strange effects are neat to see, but other than that they are just fluff - plus that and it's hard to be scared of things when I have a crossbow that literally shoots arrows that stick into your target and then emit jets of flame at different angles in order to fry entire crowds of the shambling dead. Its not scary when I can turn around and shoot off a one liner to my fiance before I blow someone in half with a shotgun - that is not survival horror. 

Are there cool things about the game? Sure there are, am I glad to FINALLY see a protagonist take the undead seriously with the inclusion of collecting matches to burn the corpses of the foes you've slain...you know, just in case they come back? Hell yes I am, I love that touch, if I were fighting things that drift between the veil of life and death you can be damned sure I'm gonna douse the thing in gasoline and light it up faster than you can say "What the fuck was that thing?".

I could prattle on for ages, but here is what you can expect if the title still tugs on your curiosity as it did mine. You'll be running around through dilapidated villages, gore filled dungeons, and other mainstay settings for horror games dodging traps, setting traps, and shooting zombie things in the face when you have to. Though the gripes with this title are massive and you should consider pocketing that 60$ or maybe spending it on something actually scary - may I suggest Alien: Isolation? Or actually any of the other games coming out this month?

The experience boils down to a half baked 3rd person shooter that doesn't follow its own rules. Corpses on the ground are able to be burned by matches in order to prevent them from rising up at an inconvenient time, yet you'll wander into a room chock full of bodies, matches at the ready, and the game will not allow you to torch them because they have to get up and try to kill you in a scripted event soon. Boom, all hopes of scariness gone. When I'm standing in an empty room full of ammo and only one dead body on the floor that I for some reason cannot burn I can't help but shake my head. Oh dear, I wonder what's going to happen with that weird body, oh wait it got up / exploded / turned into a boss. Yawn. Yawn x100000. Thumbs down.

 

Crew Expendable

Hello again world! Am I the most inconsistent blogger in the world? Probably! Nonetheless, here I am once more. I do fully mean for this blog to become a regular thing - once I find a nice balance between working on my various writing projects / actual paying work / and thinking of interesting topics to talk about I'll be here much more often.

Before we begin, allow me to shamelessly plug the amazing anthology my first short story was recently published in. Www.daylightdims.com - feel free to peruse the snazzy website, learn more about the anthology, and if you feel so inclined head on over to Amazon and pick up a copy - what's Halloween without great horror literature after all?

Now on to the matter at hand. I am an experienced veteran of the Horror genre - this includes nearly every medium from books and movies to video games and the like. Being truly scared while reading/watching/playing is not something that happens often these days - movies that people swear gave them nightmares for weeks leave me with nothing but a sense of wasted time and money. My fiance and I both have been long seeking something to feed the old horror furnace, but until recently nothing has caught fire.

Sure, movies such as The Conjuring were enjoyable and a little creepy at times - but scary? I'd have to say no. The last true movie to deeply frighten me and leave an indelible mark upon my soul that no amount of time will remove was Antichrist directed by the somewhat controversial Lars von Trier. If you are expecting a glowing recommendation of the film then I am sad to say you will not find one here. I can appreciate the beauty of the movie and the talent behind what I saw - but I am not lying when I say that film may have actually bitten off a piece of my soul never to be seen again. One thing is certain though, I will never be able to look at Willem Dafoe in the same light ever again. If this post piques your curiosity I am warning you, with as much gravity that I can muster, that the things you will see are truly disturbing. Now, I'm going to push on before my mind is completely taken over by the images I can still recall with crystal clear clarity from the movie.

Being October I find it only natural to talk about horror and all things macabre - though once more my discussion finds its roots in the depths of outer space in a world created by Ridley Scott.

Yes yes, I know - yet ANOTHER attempt to form a playable experience out of one of (if not my favorite) sci-fi horror franchises. Why you ask, why would I even give the title a second glance after the botched monstrosity that was Aliens: Colonial Marines? Well...this is why.

Finally, the perfect scenario. No huge guns, no horrible attempts to match the macho playfulness of space marines, and seemingly no hope of survival - much like our friend the Xenomorph, to me this title is perfection.

The story (I can't spoil anything even if I wanted to as I've been playing for hours and still have not gotten past the first few meetings with our Xenomorph pal without a giant spiked tail through my sternum) follows Ripley's daughter, Amanda, in between the first and second films. Naturally, when one's mother goes missing in space on a routine salvage mission you would be curious as to where she went. For those of us that have seen Alien in all of its glory, well we know what happened. After an offer from some higher ups, Amanda is given the opportunity to accompany a small crew in the hopes of discovering exactly what happened to her mother and the crew of the missing ship the Nostromo.

First of all, what makes this game scary? Well, where to begin. I purchased the title on Xbox One (against my better judgement) and was pleasantly surprised to see how the Kinect was used to enhance the experience. The Kinect not only tracks your head movement (allowing you to peek around corners and over objects in order to scare the shit out of yourself) it also detects noise in the room. Allow me to explain.

I sit crouched behind some type of metallic alloy crate. Somewhere around me the hissing breath of the alien echoes - it knows I'm near. I constantly steal glances at the ceiling, this isn't my first rodeo - I know the bastard can crawl on ceilings, but I see no threats. Tink...tink...tink....shhhhhhh - the sound of sharp chitinous claws on metal, and the telltale scrape of that horrific tail - it's getting closer. I hold my breath and hold down the button that allows the Kinect to transfer my head motion onto the screen, I peek over the stack of crates - OHSHITTHEREITIS. I release the button, crouching back behind the boxes, my heart hammering in my chest. Like I said though, this isn't my first rodeo and just like in every game if I wait long enough it'll wander off. I smile to myself, restoring some sense of calm - just play it cool daddy-o. Oh no. My right nostril twitches. Not now. I clamp a hand over my nose, my face contorts as I fight a sneeze. No no no no no no no no nonooooooACHHOOOO!! In a nightmarish blur of speed and mind shattering shrieks the Alien vanishes, it's over. Before I can even make a break for it I can hear it breathing behind me, I can imagine the long strings of saliva dangling from one of its many fanged mouths. A black clawed hand obscures my view and a spiked tail tears through my chest. Game over man...game over.

While there are various tools and even guns you came across during the title, standing and fighting your alien adversary is not advisable - take a pipe to all the people you want, but mess with the big dog and you get eaten. The feeling of utter helplessness in the face of such an overwhelming enemy makes this game a one of a kind experience. Where other games (such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent) have tread down a similar path, the focus here is completely on the environment and the experience.

Unlike the bastardized version of Aliens in Aliens: Colonial Marines - this game actually does look THAT good when you play it. No bait and switch here, play this game on a big enough television and you'll swear you could walk right into any hallway pictured before you. The ambiance is perfect, the sound is perfect, the lighting is perfect, hell even the horrifically difficult learning curve is perfect. This is not a game to play if you want to feel powerful, if you're the type that can only get by with a mini gun in his hands and endless ammo then you will not enjoy your stay here. You are going to die, you are going to forget to save and you are going to die. There are even streams of the game on Hard mode going just to see how long someone lasts during the first confrontation with the beast, spoiler alert - no one lasts long. 

I'm currently playing on medium, a difficulty level I usually ignore due to my long history of game playing - but here the beast confounds me at every turn. Every careful plan and every stealthy maneuver only seems to land me in the horrible arms of my hunter. 

If true survival-horror is your bag, then look no further. If you can put up with dying repeatedly without throwing a temper tantrum and enjoy being part of a truly terrifying atmosphere, then this is the right derelict space-station for you. Now, I believe I have an elevator to attempt to sneak into....

What about the music?

Greeting once more! Today I'd like to tackle a subject that holds a great unspoken importance to myself - Music. Before we continue, this is not a discussion of video game music (though I'm sure some will make its way into the conversation), this is more of a glimpse into the constant soundtrack running behind my life. I need music, I don't think about it often but every activity I undertake simply must be accompanied by music - driving, playing games, writing, cooking dinner, doing laundry, walking, running, you name it I need a soundtrack to it. Someone who spends ridiculous amounts of time discovering new music (*cough* me) has more power in their hands than they may at first could have imagined.

If you'll allow to me to wax philosophical for a brief moment, as little as I know about the actual creation of music (as I have absolutely no talent in the field...except for making playlists) I do know one thing. Knowing yourself through music that ignites emotions inside you opens doors you never thought possible to pass through, how you may ask. I'll do my best to illuminate you on my opinions of my age old friend and long time muse - music.

Before I can truly dive into my opinions, it is worth mentioning that even though there are some types of music I truly despise hearing (my apologies Country fans) I still consider each and every genre to be music. The constant back and forth battle of "does a having a band vs. not having a band matter" has no right answer. There are artists in both categories that I adore that I also feel are talented musicians. Oh right, I should be posting what I'm listening to as I write this I believe.

Aussie hip/hop - that's right. Bliss N Eso, if you haven't listened to them you are most certainly missing out. I've grown weary of modern day hip-hop consisting of only streams of curse words and threats of violence. Bliss N Eso actually have a "bad reputation" for being "too positive." How this is a problem or why it would detract from their listeners is beyond me.

This is definitely a strange post for me to write, talking about music is something I rarely ever do - it simply has been with me throughout my life and has always held the same grave importance. I'm not going to create a list of my favorite bands, or even attempt some fumbling attempt at a top ten list - it would be impossible. My "favorite band" has evolved with me as I've grown. What I will do however is continue posting the tracks running behind this blog post as I go along - it is worth mentioning that this playlist is one I recently put together out of a rough timeline if my tastes as I've grown up. Our first track comes to you from the heady days of middle school.

Yeah I listened to Limp Bizkit, and yeah I loved Limp Bizkit. Hell I saw them in concert with Metallica (another long time favorite) - no shame. Every piece of music has a special place - for example, heading into a soccer game against my school's rival team with Break Stuff blasting in my headphones completely changed how I mentally entered the game. Therein lies the power of music, while it is certainly possible for a particular track to change how you feel in the moment - to me the most important quality lies within music's ability to augment what you are currently feeling and act as a source of power to fuel that desired emotion. Track change!

Incubus still holds the record of the band that I considered to be my "favorite" for the longest time. This track is also my only musically oriented tattoo (for now). My listening habits also tend to be far different from others, I attribute this to my natural interest in writing. My first few listens to a song always have me focusing on what the lyrics are, around the 3rd or 4th listen I allow the actual instruments/electronic equipment to seep in and give the words more punch. If your lyrics don't at least entertain me I can't finish the song - hence my problem with most Top 40 music today. I love the lyrics in almost every single Incubus song, they have recently fallen from my listening pool in recent years but they provided me with years of beautiful music that  I will never forget.

Enter early-mid high school.

I suppose now it is easier to see where all of the cross-pollination between genres showed up within my music taste. From Alternative, Indie, Hip Hop, Metal, to almost any genre you can come up with - you'll most likely find that I've dipped my toes into their respective pools and why shouldn't I?

Someone who is learning to draw is pushed to increase their "visual library" (basically all of the things you've seen stored in your brain) by traveling, taking in the sights, and then bringing to bear your new knowledge to make yourself a better artist. The same thing goes for a writer, you need to read astronomical amounts along side writing in order to fully round yourself out and have inspiration to pull from in those tough moments where the words just won't come to you. I can't help it, I'm going to go off on a tangent quickly and post one of my current favorite songs.

For me, every song is a key. Each key is useful for opening a specific door, and obviously not all keys will fit in every lock you run into. However, if you do enough searching and dig through enough rubble you will find that when you look down at your once bare keychain that it will be full of glistening metallic tools all waiting to help you get through whatever obstacles you may encounter. From little things to sitting in traffic or going for a walk, or to the more serious such as dealing with the passing of a loved one, or moving to a completely new state - music is always there with me. When I run into that door that simply will not budge and forces me to freeze in place unsure of what to do - all I need realize is that the key is already with me and when we attack the problem in unison there is no barrier that can stand in my way.

Recently my first story was picked up for publishing (something I am absolutely over the moon about that I will go into more detail later), as soon as I heard the news (besides telling my lovely fiance / friends / family) was to blast all of the songs that helped me through the times when I was sure that I was going to fail as a writer. My strength combined with the tracks that helped inspire me to write and to continue writing regardless of how fruitless it felt allowed me to reach the place that I am today. A place where I fully believe in myself as a writer, and as someone who is no longer afraid they are going to finish their book. Before I depart for the afternoon/evening I'd love to share with you the current playlist that has been giving my novel life. Talk to you all again soon!

Lost in space...

Is this thing on?

Shock, surprise, and awe! I have once more returned from under whatever bridge I have been sleeping under lately. It has been a while, far too long in fact. I hope everything has been alright with you all - I myself have been absurdly busy. My activities of late range from getting robbed, having my car broken into, moving to a new state soon, getting engaged to the perfect woman, and most recently becoming a published author. I'll be able to expand more on the final event once things have progressed further.

These events cast a wide net, from the downright deplorable to the amazing - and I can't actually say I'd rather have it any other way. Now that something I've written will actually stretch past the walls of this little blog I've decided resuscitate my beloved blog and continue my ramblings for those that are interested. I'm not sure what I want this space to be still...I may tell stories, talk about movies, discuss video games, rant about the absurd - who knows. Writing everyday and in varied forms is what is important however, and if my yammering happens to stir interest in someone else then all the better!

In my spare time I've been split between a variety of television shows and various video games. Now, before I go on - since it has been I while and maybe some of you will be new, everything I say is definitely only my opinion. There are no statues of me declaring my will law (yet), and I am open to all forms of discussion. Back to what I was talking about, that time I said writing in video games was better than television. Oh wait, that was just now.


Now now, I don't watch every single show on television - in fact far from it. My viewing list is often a mixed bag - most recently it includes; The Leftovers (HBO Drama), True Blood (HBO Giant Piece of Garbage), Kill la Kill (Anime), Breaking Bad (AMC, when I'm in the mood to be depressed), Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX etc.), and finally Doctor Who (BBC).  Looking over this list I'm almost reticent to back up what I have already said (except for the one dumpster among them). I must have seen every single episode of Always Sunny about (and I'm not lying) 50 times - something about the show allows it to be ceaselessly funny to me. Breaking Bad is of course amazing and highly lauded, though it does weigh heavily on the mind. The rest are amazing as well, NOT YOU True Blood, and deserve to be commended - but my love of well written video games is still stronger...I'll try to explain.

Pictured above is TellTale's rendition of the famous franchise first spawned from comics, The Walking Dead. It's graphics are not stellar, the animations are even a bit clunky at times, and actual game play is pretty sparse. Yet, as each new episode comes out I find myself frothing at the mouth barely able to contain my excitement. There are few games that will swindle me into the whole "Season Pass" schpeel, but Walking Dead is one of them. In my humble opinion, in comparison to the show, the game is the superior choice (except for maybe the comic books) when it comes to wanting to experience The Walking Dead.

The first game sees you following Lee through the beginning of the zombie apocalypse through an adventure that would mentally test anyone to their limits. The game is not full of pop out scares, button mashing combat, or over the top gore (though this is still present, it's The Walking Dead after all). What it is full of is some of the best character development in any medium that I've seen in years. If you have a computer capable of playing games (the requirements for TellTale's games aren't too bad to handle) I'd highly recommend the title. Instead of chopping through zombies (which you will do now and then) the game is more about how you respond in conversations. You are given four, or sometimes fewer, responses to whichever situation Lee finds himself in. As the game progresses your choices effect what happens, people will die and live by your choices. By the end of the final chapter in the first season you will be on edge of your seat, the characters by this point will be your friends and no matter what - not everyone is going to make it.

Following closely on The Walking Dead's heels comes another project by TellTale, The Wolf Among Us. Another to spawn from the comic book world, The Wolf Among Us takes the comic Fables and treads down a new storyline. Men and monsters alike have been pushed out of their fairytale world by a being known as The Adversary and the fantastical beings are forced to live in modern day New York City. Everyone gets a new start in the gritty real world, the game follows Bigby Wolf (AKA the Big Bad Wolf) as the sheriff of Fabletown attempting to solve a deadly case. Much like the walking dead you are building your character through conversation and progressing the story by digging out whatever facts you can and coming up with the best options when things go wrong (and they will).

A television show, while many are still amazing, simply does not provide the immersion of a title such as those listed above. Your actions do not directly impact how the story will play out or how someone will grow as a person - you are merely a spectator. You may have your heart strings pulled, but someone's (albeit virtual) life is never actually in your hands. Video games are slowly becoming the way to tell a truly emotionally impacting story. If you don't trust me, give one of the chapters to either of the above titles a try. If you  really don't want more, then alright you win this round. I have yet to meet someone (video game player or not) who has not enjoyed both.


Ahhhhhh, not bad for a warmup I suppose! I'll be back regularly with more musings, drawings, reviews, and what have you!