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Probably would be my favorite movie of the year, if Iron Man hadn’t rocked as hard as it did. The 2008 superhero entourage notwithstanding, Quantum of Solace was a hit, at least for me. The reviews really didn’t surprise me. I was probably more baffled by Casino Royale’s excellent reviews that I was by Quantum’s average scores. Bond movies have never traditionally been well received, but they always have a certain charm to a certain audience, a perfectly acceptable situation in my opinion. I’ve mentioned the following verbage in a number of conversations, so I will relay it once more: Casino Royale is the atypical bond flick, while Quantum is the ultimate throwback to classic Moore and Connery films.
In saying this, I do not want to imply that I didn’t like Casino. On the contrary, Casino sold me on Daniel Craig as a great James Bond, perhaps greater than any other. I am actually watching Casino as I write this post. But while Casino Royale tries to be more than James Bond, Quantum of Solace simply is James Bond.
I am in love with LittleBigPlanet. The PS3 has had some strong titles this year, but none as impressive as LBP. It takes a tremendous amount of work and patience to build a passable level (at least by my standards), but whenever I need to take a break, I can explore the hundreds of thousands of community created levels. Truely the most limitless game I have ever played.
Thank you Sony. My out-of-warranty PS3 broke, and you fixed it on your dime. Your customer service reps were helpful, your service prompt, and now I can play LittleBigPlanet to my heart’s content, which I’ve realized can be a tall order to fill.
It is so hard to find a company with great customer service anymore, and this really shouldn’t be the case. It seems to me that a company should nurture its customer relationships, rather than resort to trickery and loopholes. I appreciate companies like Sony that sees me as an asset rather than simply a sale.
Anytime a sequel is announced, I find myself both excited and worried. Will the game live up to its predecessor? More importantly, will it surpass it? Luckily for video games, they rarely suffer the sequel curse that seems to plague the film industry. Nevertheless, with a high profile franchise such as Gears of War, there is a lot to live up to.
I am probably the biggest Gears of War fan you are likely to meet, so naturally I expected quite a bit from GOW 2. Gears 1 was damn near perfect, so if GOW2 were a massive transformation, even for the better, I would be a bit disappointed. Gears has such a great formula already; it would be a shame to see it changed. Luckily Gears 2 offers the same satisfaction and enjoyment, with a few welcome additions and changes.
I finished playing through the co-op campaign on Tuesday, and I can definitely say the campaign is more varied than Gears 1. The game simply never let up, with some truly epic battles, somehow more frantic than the first game.
Horde mode alone merits the price of admission, and my first 5 player match was the most fun I have had in a game in a LONG time.
Gears of War 2, while lacking much innovation, is one of the best games of the year, and I suspect I will still be hooked by this time next year.
Umbrellas
Fall season after the trees have lost their leaves. Now it is just rotten everywhere I step.
People who list something they personally said under “Favorite Quotes”
People who list every band they have ever heard of as their favorite music.
Dirty dishes
text messages with one word in them.
Wow i really thought this list would be longer. Oh well.
One major criticism I have for laptop computers is the lack of finess and precision in the track pad. Anything a laptop can do, a desktop can do better. I am beginning to realize this rule has changed, especially since buying the new MacBook. I think its strongest suit is the integrated gesture controls in the track pad. These work so well that they literally change the way a laptop can be used. Granted, not every program supports these gestures, but I suspect that will be solved in time.
I think there are still reasons to have a PC, especially in a desktop, but for a laptop, the Mac is essential.
One thing I have noticed in gaming reviews is the linear/sandbox gameplay argument. When a game like Fallout 3, Fable, or GTA swings for the fence in terms of open ended gameplay, reviewers condemn it as a disjointed experience. Meanwhile, the linear games out there are criticized for their lack of openess.
A game can’t be everything at once, so why should reviewers try and tackle this debate? Sure, if a sandbox game has weak sandbox components, then a reviewer is justified to discuss it. On the other hand, if a linear game handles itself perfectly well, then it seems counterproductive to demand otherwise.
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