In between gulping down Alka Seltzer, sleeping most of the day and hiding the basement while my lovely and patient wife watched the kids so I could try to fend off the cold that's coming on, I played a bit more Borderlands today. Not too much, mind you, as I felt guilty about playing when i should have been resting or at work. Nonetheless, I succumbed to the temptation and jumped in for a bit. Between a little while today and an hour or so last night, the hunter I started is now level 13. There's a lot to like about the hunter, but he really makes for a somewhat difficult solo character. His primary weapon proficiency (sniper rifles) is good only for the first few shots, as nearly all the enemies charge directly at you once alerted to your presence. The secondary weapon proficiency I can have (revolvers) may just now be coming into play, as the first revolver in my game just dropped. That will warrant some experimentation and adventuring.
The game really has shifted into a higher gear. The main storyline, as well as at least one sidequest, has me going to the Arid Hills. These aren't your father's Arid Hills, filled with lots of very fast, very tough skags that cause me fits to try to take down before becoming dog chow. It's clear that the strategies that have worked up to this point will need to be 'tweaked', which is code for 'throw them out and start again'. I'm determined to make this work, however. There's a lot of satisfaction to be gained from a successful headshot with a sniper rifle and I'm not ready to give it up just yet.
One of the few upsides about being sick at home was being able to spend a bit of extra time with the kids, who are also coming down with the same cold. It never ceases to amaze me that, aside from being a bit more grumbly or just plain tired, they have the same cheerful disposition they exhibit when completely healthy. Me, I'm miserable, and I'm not afraid to let anyone know it. Those little ones, aside from constant runny noses and a quicker trigger for frustration, are just as happy and curious and loving as always. There are days when I wish my life were as simple and innocent as theirs...
Happy early Halloween to all those who will be celebrating it tomorrow, and be safe!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Borderlands Impressions
Sometime around the middle of last week, the somewhat dangerous habit I've tried to quell known as 'impulsive game buying' reared its ugly head and convinced me to pre-purchase Borderlands on Steam. I'd been following the game for some time, prior to its major artistic change from more realistic to 'Concept Art', but considering that I will soon be attempting to guide the lives of three little children, the thought of actually consuming the game had been banished. Unfortunately (for my wallet) the impulse to have the shiny new toy and be able to relate with all the media buzz that has been generated by its release got the better of me, and here we are. As background, the following impressions come from a total playtime, over the past two evenings, of approximately 3-1/2 hours, while my character (a soldier) stands at level 10, and beginning the quests that will allow him to leave the starting town.
It has to be said that the tutorial section of this game was done with some character. The little robot that greets you as you get off the bus, Claptrap, possesses a charm that makes me smile whenever I see him (although I could do with a few less repetitions of his standard 'I'm standing next to the Bounty Board and need to sing and dance every time the character comes near' animations and voice). The game lays out the basic controls and mechanics in a way that feels relatively natural, while using it to lay the groundwork for some of the early quests. So far, the nameless woman who appears in your character's 'mind', giving you advice and talking about Pandora doesn't grab me. There must have been a different way to tell the story, rather than this.
Overall, the aiming and shooting mechanic feel crisp and responsive, although I have been frustrated at times when I miss a target that clearly is in the middle of my sights. It's moments like these that underline the fact that while it looks like a first person shooter, sounds like a first person shooter and may even smell like a first person shooter, at it's core the game is an RPG with better than average FPS mechanics grafted on top. This fact apparently hasn't bothered too many people, but to me it occasionally feels like Fallout 3 without the option of its VATS mode. Ever so frustrating are the times when an enemy is running toward you, your crosshairs are dead center on the target and you can see bullets ricocheting all around them, with the occasional hit. I've emptied entire clips trying to take down a charging skag, with an approximate 50% hit rate while the target never left my targeting reticle. It is a fault I am willing to forgive for a while, knowing that eventually my RPG skills will come into line with my meager FPS skills and everything will feel more natural again.
The RPG underpinnings of the game seem to be (from the short time I've interacted with them) fairly satisfying. Skill trees allow for some customization of your base character to better suit your playstyle, while the weapon proficiencies increase the more you use that particular style of weapon. Basically, in a manner similar to the Ratchet & Clank series, the more stuff you shoot with a particular class of weapon, the better you get with that weapon. Because I haven't had that much time with the game, I don't think I have the full feel for what all of the skills do, nor have I settled into a playstyle yet. Even though I chose the soldier class, the way I've been approaching battles leans more toward the hunter class. It may not be long before I start again and give Mordecai a chance, to see if his strengths fit more into line with my playing habits.
I won't waste time on the graphical presentation as it has been discussed and dissected ad nauseum. The overall visual effect makes me happy, as it does give a comic book feel to a game that could have been yet another muddy, depressing world in the vein of Fallout 3.
Oh, the guns! Even with my relatively meager experience in the world, the loot-whoring side of me has reveled in the amount of guns that are dropped. The system to procedurally generate the individual stats and bonuses allow for a nearly infinite variety of weapons, which makes picking up the loot that's dropped a lot of fun, because you never know when the gun with just the right bonuses is going to appear and make your character the talk of the wasteland.
Overall, my initial impressions of the game are pretty positive. I hope to spend a bit more quality time with the game, before my free time is reduced. I'd like to check back in later with some more advanced discussion after some time to really understand the mechanics and game better. If you have any thoughts, feel free to leave a comment.
It has to be said that the tutorial section of this game was done with some character. The little robot that greets you as you get off the bus, Claptrap, possesses a charm that makes me smile whenever I see him (although I could do with a few less repetitions of his standard 'I'm standing next to the Bounty Board and need to sing and dance every time the character comes near' animations and voice). The game lays out the basic controls and mechanics in a way that feels relatively natural, while using it to lay the groundwork for some of the early quests. So far, the nameless woman who appears in your character's 'mind', giving you advice and talking about Pandora doesn't grab me. There must have been a different way to tell the story, rather than this.
Overall, the aiming and shooting mechanic feel crisp and responsive, although I have been frustrated at times when I miss a target that clearly is in the middle of my sights. It's moments like these that underline the fact that while it looks like a first person shooter, sounds like a first person shooter and may even smell like a first person shooter, at it's core the game is an RPG with better than average FPS mechanics grafted on top. This fact apparently hasn't bothered too many people, but to me it occasionally feels like Fallout 3 without the option of its VATS mode. Ever so frustrating are the times when an enemy is running toward you, your crosshairs are dead center on the target and you can see bullets ricocheting all around them, with the occasional hit. I've emptied entire clips trying to take down a charging skag, with an approximate 50% hit rate while the target never left my targeting reticle. It is a fault I am willing to forgive for a while, knowing that eventually my RPG skills will come into line with my meager FPS skills and everything will feel more natural again.
The RPG underpinnings of the game seem to be (from the short time I've interacted with them) fairly satisfying. Skill trees allow for some customization of your base character to better suit your playstyle, while the weapon proficiencies increase the more you use that particular style of weapon. Basically, in a manner similar to the Ratchet & Clank series, the more stuff you shoot with a particular class of weapon, the better you get with that weapon. Because I haven't had that much time with the game, I don't think I have the full feel for what all of the skills do, nor have I settled into a playstyle yet. Even though I chose the soldier class, the way I've been approaching battles leans more toward the hunter class. It may not be long before I start again and give Mordecai a chance, to see if his strengths fit more into line with my playing habits.
I won't waste time on the graphical presentation as it has been discussed and dissected ad nauseum. The overall visual effect makes me happy, as it does give a comic book feel to a game that could have been yet another muddy, depressing world in the vein of Fallout 3.
Oh, the guns! Even with my relatively meager experience in the world, the loot-whoring side of me has reveled in the amount of guns that are dropped. The system to procedurally generate the individual stats and bonuses allow for a nearly infinite variety of weapons, which makes picking up the loot that's dropped a lot of fun, because you never know when the gun with just the right bonuses is going to appear and make your character the talk of the wasteland.
Overall, my initial impressions of the game are pretty positive. I hope to spend a bit more quality time with the game, before my free time is reduced. I'd like to check back in later with some more advanced discussion after some time to really understand the mechanics and game better. If you have any thoughts, feel free to leave a comment.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Five Things I'm Pretty Sure I Think (Tuesday Edition)
It's another edition of everyone's favorite catchall! Yet again, I toss out five random topics that have been bouncing around in this head of mine, as a form of navel-gazing or simply to get them out of my head and clutter up the Internet a bit more.
1. The Canton, MA arm of the Columbia Falls Grants are now the proud owners of a minivan. To accomplish this feat, there has been a relative flurry of automobile dealing going on. Over the past 4-5 weeks, we have (a) sold our 2007 Toyota Corolla S, (b) sold our 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited, and (c) purchased a 2008 Toyota Sienna LE. From the previous sentence, you can correctly infer that we are both a Toyota family and an expanding one, as the van was needed to fit the inevitable third car seat. One thing you might not infer is that we are completely sick of the auto buying/selling process, and hope to not have to partake in it for some time. The purchase of the minivan does have its upsides, as it puts the twins in the 3rd row bench seat, which will make it more difficult for them to pelt Mom and Dad with french fries. I can also now affectionately refer to our vehicle as the 'family boat.' :)
2. It was a fantastic showing for the Patriots this past Sunday, returning to 2007 form against the hapless Tennessee Titans, 59-0. Brady had 380 yards and 6 touchdowns...after one drive in the third quarter. Needless to say he finished the game on the sidelines sipping hot cocoa and watching Brian Hoyer get some experience under actual game conditions. It's not absurd to think that the Pats offensive unit experienced more pressure in practice the week leading up to the game than during it. Now, let's hope that this was not just a fluke game against a terrible opponent, and that this is just Brady returning to pre-knee injury form and the rest of the team starting to click, not that this week will be any test either. They'll face the pitiful 0-6 Buccaneers in London before having a bye week.
3. Taking far longer than it should have, I finally finished Final Fantasy PSP, with liberal use of online FAQs and guides. At first, I felt bad about having to rely on them to make my way through a game that's older than my brother (who's 21, by the way), but it dawned on me that the game design was obtuse in such a way that it encouraged far too much aimless wandering. Sadly, with the amount of free time I now have, I'd prefer to spend it pursuing a concrete goal, and the guides allowed me to stay focused and finish the game. My party, a Knight, Red Wizard, White Wizard and Black Wizard, were level 46 by the end, and even then faced a tough test in defeating Chaos. Now it's on to Final Fantasy II, also on the PSP, which should be a bit more interesting for me, as I've never experienced this game before (I'd completed Final Fantasy back on the NES, many many moons ago).
4. Hanging my head in shame and defeat, I will admit to the fact that Arkham Asylum was shipped out yesterday (via Goozex trade) without actually being completed. After several failed attempts at the Joker fight, somewhere around 10-15, I had no desire to go back and try again. The overall game experience itself was still positive, but the design of the final battle still boggles me, and feels like a letdown after the high quality displayed by the rest of the game. Maybe someday I'll rent it and finish the game and the remaining Riddler challenges, but not right now. The game has been converted to 1000 Goozex points, which will help me net another few titles in the near future.
5. Last, but most certainly not least, the wife and I enjoyed a rugrat-free extended vacation last week, when my parents so graciously offered to take them off our hands. We met in the middle (we live 6 hours apart), transferred the precious cargo, and each party enjoyed a different experience from Friday evening to Wednesday afternoon. My wife and I reconnected as a couple (read: we didn't kill each other), and my parents soaked up some grandkid time. The kids probably benefitted the most, as they were able to spend time with people who weren't beaten down by life and the grind of parenthood, but were energetic, excited and ready to spoil them rotten. I took some time to indulge my gaming hobby, at one point playing for 4 hours straight with no guilt or neglecting of family duties. It will be some time before this happens again, but I certainly appreciated it.
1. The Canton, MA arm of the Columbia Falls Grants are now the proud owners of a minivan. To accomplish this feat, there has been a relative flurry of automobile dealing going on. Over the past 4-5 weeks, we have (a) sold our 2007 Toyota Corolla S, (b) sold our 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited, and (c) purchased a 2008 Toyota Sienna LE. From the previous sentence, you can correctly infer that we are both a Toyota family and an expanding one, as the van was needed to fit the inevitable third car seat. One thing you might not infer is that we are completely sick of the auto buying/selling process, and hope to not have to partake in it for some time. The purchase of the minivan does have its upsides, as it puts the twins in the 3rd row bench seat, which will make it more difficult for them to pelt Mom and Dad with french fries. I can also now affectionately refer to our vehicle as the 'family boat.' :)
2. It was a fantastic showing for the Patriots this past Sunday, returning to 2007 form against the hapless Tennessee Titans, 59-0. Brady had 380 yards and 6 touchdowns...after one drive in the third quarter. Needless to say he finished the game on the sidelines sipping hot cocoa and watching Brian Hoyer get some experience under actual game conditions. It's not absurd to think that the Pats offensive unit experienced more pressure in practice the week leading up to the game than during it. Now, let's hope that this was not just a fluke game against a terrible opponent, and that this is just Brady returning to pre-knee injury form and the rest of the team starting to click, not that this week will be any test either. They'll face the pitiful 0-6 Buccaneers in London before having a bye week.
3. Taking far longer than it should have, I finally finished Final Fantasy PSP, with liberal use of online FAQs and guides. At first, I felt bad about having to rely on them to make my way through a game that's older than my brother (who's 21, by the way), but it dawned on me that the game design was obtuse in such a way that it encouraged far too much aimless wandering. Sadly, with the amount of free time I now have, I'd prefer to spend it pursuing a concrete goal, and the guides allowed me to stay focused and finish the game. My party, a Knight, Red Wizard, White Wizard and Black Wizard, were level 46 by the end, and even then faced a tough test in defeating Chaos. Now it's on to Final Fantasy II, also on the PSP, which should be a bit more interesting for me, as I've never experienced this game before (I'd completed Final Fantasy back on the NES, many many moons ago).
4. Hanging my head in shame and defeat, I will admit to the fact that Arkham Asylum was shipped out yesterday (via Goozex trade) without actually being completed. After several failed attempts at the Joker fight, somewhere around 10-15, I had no desire to go back and try again. The overall game experience itself was still positive, but the design of the final battle still boggles me, and feels like a letdown after the high quality displayed by the rest of the game. Maybe someday I'll rent it and finish the game and the remaining Riddler challenges, but not right now. The game has been converted to 1000 Goozex points, which will help me net another few titles in the near future.
5. Last, but most certainly not least, the wife and I enjoyed a rugrat-free extended vacation last week, when my parents so graciously offered to take them off our hands. We met in the middle (we live 6 hours apart), transferred the precious cargo, and each party enjoyed a different experience from Friday evening to Wednesday afternoon. My wife and I reconnected as a couple (read: we didn't kill each other), and my parents soaked up some grandkid time. The kids probably benefitted the most, as they were able to spend time with people who weren't beaten down by life and the grind of parenthood, but were energetic, excited and ready to spoil them rotten. I took some time to indulge my gaming hobby, at one point playing for 4 hours straight with no guilt or neglecting of family duties. It will be some time before this happens again, but I certainly appreciated it.
Titan Quest
I currently find myself dabbling with Titan Quest, a nice-looking Diablo clone released a few years ago by Iron Lore Entertainment (a now-defunct developer, sad to say). My journey to this game is not typical of others. There's no stories of playing countless hours in Diablo II multiplayer for that one rare drop. Actually, there's almost no Diablo II involved in this story at all. Having spent a fair amount of time playing the original Diablo on the PSOne, but not following the franchise further, I did purchase the Diablo II battlechest and loaded it onto my PC. Unfortunately, every time I've tried to sit down and play through it, the low-res graphics just look muddy on my newer monitor and cause me to not want to play it, even though the underlying concepts, mechanics and (most important of all) loot-whoring are all there. With that being said, the game still sits on my hard drive, and there's a faint hope that these negative feelings will fade and I will stick with a playthrough, if only to experience what countless others have.
This brings me to Titan Quest. The game was only $5 during a recent Direct2Drive promotion, so it could be fairly characterized as an 'impulse buy' on my part. Having read so many positive reviews and comments about it since it's release in 2006, the expenditure seemed safe and justified. I was immediately struck by the stark contrast between this game's graphics and those of Diablo II. The clear increase in visual fidelity and overall 'lightness' of Titan Quest's setting really won me over, but would the main draw of these games, the loot system, quench my thirst for unabashed loot-whoring?
I'm happy to report that it has, at least so far. I'm currently near the beginning of Act VII, somewhere around 10-12 hours in. My conqueror (warfare/defense masteries) has served me well up to this point, and the plot and setting keep me coming back. The endless mouse clicking to kill enemies, mixed in with some hot key presses on occasion, can get repetitive at times, but it's the loot gathering that steals the show here. Clearly the game is meant for multiple playthroughs and extensive multiplayer sessions, as the truly rare items drop infrequently enough to realize that accumulating a full set of one of the named rare armors would take significant time. The only fear I have for this game is that it will get lost in the shuffle of the two new releases I've been waiting all year for, Borderlands and Dragon Age: Origins. Those and the fact that my wife is going to give birth in a month to our third child. :)
Until then, though, I will most likely be found in the basement, clicking away on my mouse, hunting for the next rare drop. Or until the wife needs me to drive her to the hospital...
This brings me to Titan Quest. The game was only $5 during a recent Direct2Drive promotion, so it could be fairly characterized as an 'impulse buy' on my part. Having read so many positive reviews and comments about it since it's release in 2006, the expenditure seemed safe and justified. I was immediately struck by the stark contrast between this game's graphics and those of Diablo II. The clear increase in visual fidelity and overall 'lightness' of Titan Quest's setting really won me over, but would the main draw of these games, the loot system, quench my thirst for unabashed loot-whoring?
I'm happy to report that it has, at least so far. I'm currently near the beginning of Act VII, somewhere around 10-12 hours in. My conqueror (warfare/defense masteries) has served me well up to this point, and the plot and setting keep me coming back. The endless mouse clicking to kill enemies, mixed in with some hot key presses on occasion, can get repetitive at times, but it's the loot gathering that steals the show here. Clearly the game is meant for multiple playthroughs and extensive multiplayer sessions, as the truly rare items drop infrequently enough to realize that accumulating a full set of one of the named rare armors would take significant time. The only fear I have for this game is that it will get lost in the shuffle of the two new releases I've been waiting all year for, Borderlands and Dragon Age: Origins. Those and the fact that my wife is going to give birth in a month to our third child. :)
Until then, though, I will most likely be found in the basement, clicking away on my mouse, hunting for the next rare drop. Or until the wife needs me to drive her to the hospital...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
My Thoughts on Dollhouse
I like Dollhouse, but I don't love Dollhouse. It makes sense, of course, that I would like it. What's not to like about beautiful people, such as Eliza Dushku, Dichen Lachman, and Miracle Laurie, having the opportunity to be all different types of people in outrageous situations, and often kicking ass at the same time? Toss in the fact that the show is created by Joss Whedon, a pop culture and geek icon, and it's the perfect recipe for a great TV show. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend finding the first season on DVD (it's currently airing the second season on Fox, Friday nights at 9pm EST) to catch up. I also recommend that you stop reading this now, because everything I discuss from here on out is definitely spoiler territory, and won't make a lot of sense unless you've been watching the show.
With all that said (here I come to the fly in the ointment of this whole conversation), I'm having a tough time throwing myself behind the show and the direction being taken in the second season. There are so many great characters and opportunities that they seem to be missing. Let's start with the likes in this second season, in bulleted form and in no particular order:
If there's anyone out there who is watching Dollhouse as well, and has opinions on this, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear more from fans and where you feel the series is heading. You can be sure I'll be watching until they take it off the air!
With all that said (here I come to the fly in the ointment of this whole conversation), I'm having a tough time throwing myself behind the show and the direction being taken in the second season. There are so many great characters and opportunities that they seem to be missing. Let's start with the likes in this second season, in bulleted form and in no particular order:
- Paul Ballard. I wasn't sure where the writers would take him entering this season, after all that transpired at the end of the first season. However, considering his position and the ability he's shown in the situation, it's hard not to root for him, even with the understanding his intentions are to bring down the Dollhouse. It's also interesting to watch him struggle with his feelings for Echo, even as he tries to remain detached and professional. There are a lot of options for them to take at this point, and they all appear promising.
- Echo, specifically that she is retaining the knowledge of all of her assignments. This particular twist was probably inevitable, considering that Echo had all of her previous assignment personalities pumped into her brain at once in last season's finale. There are several directions where the writers could take this, not all of them good. I hold out hope that they are building up to something interesting with this turn of events.
- Dr. Saunders and Topher. Even though the interaction lasted basically a third of an episode, it's intriguing to think where that relationship could go, and I hope it is explored further later in the season. This is, of course, assuming that Dr. Saunders comes back, since she decided to go for a joyride and hasn't returned.
- Mellie. Miracle Laurie's character made a brief appearance in the second episode, as her original personality. I hope that they somehow bring her back onto the ranch and have her as an active again, and soon.
- The entire 'remote wipe' debacle of the third episode. It's understood when watching a show such as this that you have to check your disbelief at the door, but when they pulled out this stunt in the third episode, even I had to groan. It might not have been so bad if they didn't reduce the result to the ridiculous scene at the nightclub.
- The lack of an obvious recurring subplot. The first season of Dollhouse had Alpha's shadow over the organization at all times, culminating in the season-ending two part episode. The only storylines introduced so far that have the potential to become larger are the chances that Ballard will figure out a way to take down the Dollhouse, and Echo's self-awareness. While both have potential to become greater than they are right now, neither seem to have the same haunting quality as Alpha in season 1. While the writers took great pains to make the viewer feel like Alpha could rear up and wreak havoc at any moment, that thread hasn't appeared in the episodes so far, which leaves me feeling like this season is just a bunch of relatively disjointed encapsulated stories. More common thread and strong undercurrent of a story, fewer ridiculous one-off stories.
- Not enough Boyd. It's disappointing to me that they went to such great lengths to develop the Boyd character as Echo's handler, to then relegate him to a 'back office' position in the Dollhouse. He is strong enough as a character, and the actor clearly has enough to pull him off, to devote more screen time and story to the previous "I hate what the Dollhouse stands for, but I'm going to work for you anyway, while I come up with a way to bring you down." Ballard picked up that mantle and has run with it admirably.
If there's anyone out there who is watching Dollhouse as well, and has opinions on this, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear more from fans and where you feel the series is heading. You can be sure I'll be watching until they take it off the air!
What a Goal!
This is one of the coolest things I've seen on hockey ice. It makes me proud that the kid who pulled it off is from Maine. Apparently this was being filmed for a Bruins special segment. It's definitely worth a watch.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Five Things I'm Pretty Sure I Think
Here's another installment of the Five Things I'm Pretty Sure I Think:
1. Psyched that the Patriots won this week against a very tough Ravens team, but I was disappointed in the officiating. The roughing the passer penalties were just ridiculous, and that's coming from someone who's team benefited from the calls. It's a shame when (arguably) the outcome of the game was affected by questionable calls. It's far better to win or lose based on talent and execution, as opposed to needing the ref's whistle. Here's to hoping the frequency and accuracy of these calls improve.
2. Haven't yet completed Arkham Asylum, because of my frustration with the final boss battle. Considering how great the game to this point has been, the tone of this encounter just doesn't fit with the rest of the story and atmosphere. This probably isn't the case, but considering that the mechanic is very similar to other boss battles (the swarms of thugs to fight through) and that the tone feels out of step with the rest of the narrative, this particular sequence feels rushed and not very polished. I'm going to give it another shot this evening, and hopefully put it behind me. Definitely looking forward to going back through and solving the Riddler challenges.
3. Finally moved on from being 'stuck' in Final Fantasy PSP (just plain stupidity on my part, nothing else), and made good progress over the weekend. Sitting at level 30, having completed the class change quest, getting the airship, and now moving on to lighting the other three crystals. After this, I'll move on to Final Fantasy II PSP, in an incredibly slow but dogged attempt to complete all the major numbered Final Fantasy games, with the notable exception of XI, the MMO entry. I just received an e-mail from Goozex that Final Fantasy III DS is in the mail. I own IV already (on GBA), I have requested V through Goozex, and have VI on SNES. I also have other games for the PSOne and PS2, but I do have some holes to fill in the catalog.
4. I started Dragon Quest V on DS a couple of days ago, before being consumed again by Final Fantasy. This game has a lot of promise, just from the couple of hours I've put in already. The game displays a refinement from its predecessor, which I played and thoroughly enjoyed, and the combat mechanics 'feel' good. I'll have more to say on this one as I progress further into it.
5. Though I don't normally talk about it here, work has been an absolute bear over the past few weeks, cutting drastically into my time for anything else. I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel which is encouraging for me, considering my 20-month old daughter's favorite phrase appears to be, "Bye Daddy!" Makes me proud and sad at the same time. One of my goals is to be there with them every morning when they wake up, and be there to help read stories and put them to bed every night. It makes putting in the extra hours at work a challenge, but I hope the results will be kids that know and love me, and see me as a part of their lives, instead of an outsider looking in.
That's all for now. Talk to you all again soon. I'd love to hear from you (if there's anyone out there reading this), so please leave comments if you feel so inclined.
1. Psyched that the Patriots won this week against a very tough Ravens team, but I was disappointed in the officiating. The roughing the passer penalties were just ridiculous, and that's coming from someone who's team benefited from the calls. It's a shame when (arguably) the outcome of the game was affected by questionable calls. It's far better to win or lose based on talent and execution, as opposed to needing the ref's whistle. Here's to hoping the frequency and accuracy of these calls improve.
2. Haven't yet completed Arkham Asylum, because of my frustration with the final boss battle. Considering how great the game to this point has been, the tone of this encounter just doesn't fit with the rest of the story and atmosphere. This probably isn't the case, but considering that the mechanic is very similar to other boss battles (the swarms of thugs to fight through) and that the tone feels out of step with the rest of the narrative, this particular sequence feels rushed and not very polished. I'm going to give it another shot this evening, and hopefully put it behind me. Definitely looking forward to going back through and solving the Riddler challenges.
3. Finally moved on from being 'stuck' in Final Fantasy PSP (just plain stupidity on my part, nothing else), and made good progress over the weekend. Sitting at level 30, having completed the class change quest, getting the airship, and now moving on to lighting the other three crystals. After this, I'll move on to Final Fantasy II PSP, in an incredibly slow but dogged attempt to complete all the major numbered Final Fantasy games, with the notable exception of XI, the MMO entry. I just received an e-mail from Goozex that Final Fantasy III DS is in the mail. I own IV already (on GBA), I have requested V through Goozex, and have VI on SNES. I also have other games for the PSOne and PS2, but I do have some holes to fill in the catalog.
4. I started Dragon Quest V on DS a couple of days ago, before being consumed again by Final Fantasy. This game has a lot of promise, just from the couple of hours I've put in already. The game displays a refinement from its predecessor, which I played and thoroughly enjoyed, and the combat mechanics 'feel' good. I'll have more to say on this one as I progress further into it.
5. Though I don't normally talk about it here, work has been an absolute bear over the past few weeks, cutting drastically into my time for anything else. I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel which is encouraging for me, considering my 20-month old daughter's favorite phrase appears to be, "Bye Daddy!" Makes me proud and sad at the same time. One of my goals is to be there with them every morning when they wake up, and be there to help read stories and put them to bed every night. It makes putting in the extra hours at work a challenge, but I hope the results will be kids that know and love me, and see me as a part of their lives, instead of an outsider looking in.
That's all for now. Talk to you all again soon. I'd love to hear from you (if there's anyone out there reading this), so please leave comments if you feel so inclined.
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