Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Mirror's Edge Review
Game: Mirror's Edge
Ted Puffer Review: 4 stars
The reason I decided to give this game a shot was because of the graphics. You play "Faith", a runner who is a glorified messenger in a futuristic city. She gets around by jumping between rooftops, sliding down drainpipes and other parkour behavior. The city is what caught my eye. EA did an amazing job of creating a huge, sterile glass and chrome city to play in, and to my mind it's the real star of the game.
If you go online you'll see that the reviews for the game are mixed. Almost everyone likes the fact that the idea behind the game is new and fresh. Yes, there is some gun play involved. But for the most part, the game is played in FPS style and has you solving puzzles. Specifically, how on earth are you going to get from the street to the top of a skyscraper without using stairs.
The reviewers didn't like the controls, and I have to agree with them. When you encounter a hostile target, you use almost Aikido like disarming moves. Again, this is new but at the same time leads to a lot of frustration. For the most part, you can be in the perfect position, use the disarm move at the perfect time, and then helplessly watch as Faith gets pistol-whipped until the screen goes black.
But I stuck it out and am glad I did. The plot, Faith's motivation for getting to the top of said skyscraper, is very good and the voice work in the game is exceptional.
The drawback from playing this game is a serious one. I remember going to the arcade and playing some racing game, something fast and entertaining enough to get the adrenaline flowing. Then I'd get in my car and drive like a maniac home. After leaping chasms in the game, it was hard to drive in a safe and normal way afterward.
Now when I'm at the mall, I look around and think, "hop that ATM, jump to the planter and then shimmy over the railing and I'm on the second level. That's got to be easier and faster than walking all the way to the escalator..."
Ted Puffer Review: 4 stars
The reason I decided to give this game a shot was because of the graphics. You play "Faith", a runner who is a glorified messenger in a futuristic city. She gets around by jumping between rooftops, sliding down drainpipes and other parkour behavior. The city is what caught my eye. EA did an amazing job of creating a huge, sterile glass and chrome city to play in, and to my mind it's the real star of the game.
If you go online you'll see that the reviews for the game are mixed. Almost everyone likes the fact that the idea behind the game is new and fresh. Yes, there is some gun play involved. But for the most part, the game is played in FPS style and has you solving puzzles. Specifically, how on earth are you going to get from the street to the top of a skyscraper without using stairs.
The reviewers didn't like the controls, and I have to agree with them. When you encounter a hostile target, you use almost Aikido like disarming moves. Again, this is new but at the same time leads to a lot of frustration. For the most part, you can be in the perfect position, use the disarm move at the perfect time, and then helplessly watch as Faith gets pistol-whipped until the screen goes black.
But I stuck it out and am glad I did. The plot, Faith's motivation for getting to the top of said skyscraper, is very good and the voice work in the game is exceptional.
The drawback from playing this game is a serious one. I remember going to the arcade and playing some racing game, something fast and entertaining enough to get the adrenaline flowing. Then I'd get in my car and drive like a maniac home. After leaping chasms in the game, it was hard to drive in a safe and normal way afterward.
Now when I'm at the mall, I look around and think, "hop that ATM, jump to the planter and then shimmy over the railing and I'm on the second level. That's got to be easier and faster than walking all the way to the escalator..."
Hungry little Hawks
So I'm messing around in the garden feeling pretty good with myself. I've watered all the marigolds, iris' and a bunch of other flowering things that I haven't remembered the names too yet. I've fed the birds in the back yard, cut back a bush that was crowding the entry way and lopped off a few branches of a screwbean tree that were tapping my head as I walked into the house. I figured I'd done everything that needed doing in the morning.
Suddenly, I hear a low droning coming from right over my shoulder. I turned around, and was eye to eye with a hummingbird. I swear he was scowling as he flashed his iridescent chest. He waited. I waited. He waited some more.
Oh yeah, fill the hummingbird feeder. I'd almost forgot. He hadn't though.
Pretty pushy for a guy who play handball in my coffee mug.
Suddenly, I hear a low droning coming from right over my shoulder. I turned around, and was eye to eye with a hummingbird. I swear he was scowling as he flashed his iridescent chest. He waited. I waited. He waited some more.
Oh yeah, fill the hummingbird feeder. I'd almost forgot. He hadn't though.
Pretty pushy for a guy who play handball in my coffee mug.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Taking it on the chin
Tommy has actually improved a bit today and his chin looks good. I still don't have a clue what sets him off, but am breathing a little easier now!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Another Notch!
Boo YA!!!! Sold another story and putting the finishing touches on it in InDesign. Did I get published again? Heck YES!!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Random Quote
"Sometimes you have to sit back and be amazed by what humans can accomplish when they really, really want to kill each other."
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The Awkward Circle
The problem with having cool things going on means that I don't get much time to update the blog, and when I don't update the blog instantly, time passes. Then more cool things go one and the cycle repeats itself. Grr..
But for the past few weeks there have been some great things going on. Namely:
The Palm Springs Short Film Fest: Hit two groups of showings. A mixed bag, but there were some great films that I'd have been sorry to have missed. So all in all it was worth the drive out there (hot, long, etc.) to see them. Palm Springs is great to visit as well, but I was pretty beat that day because...
I got published again! Yee Ha! Also, I've got two more stories submitted that that's pretty cool. I'll write more about those later, because I wanted to mention...
Starting classes to finish up my degree. Classes started last week... been going to them... and writing... and it's been working well because I was able to fit it in with another.....
Tripwire playing live in Rancho Cucamonga! Sweet performance! Yeah, they added a Journey song to their show. And yes, I sang along with the band. I didn't air guitar tho. Not really. Not too much.
But for the past few weeks there have been some great things going on. Namely:
The Palm Springs Short Film Fest: Hit two groups of showings. A mixed bag, but there were some great films that I'd have been sorry to have missed. So all in all it was worth the drive out there (hot, long, etc.) to see them. Palm Springs is great to visit as well, but I was pretty beat that day because...
I got published again! Yee Ha! Also, I've got two more stories submitted that that's pretty cool. I'll write more about those later, because I wanted to mention...
Starting classes to finish up my degree. Classes started last week... been going to them... and writing... and it's been working well because I was able to fit it in with another.....
Tripwire playing live in Rancho Cucamonga! Sweet performance! Yeah, they added a Journey song to their show. And yes, I sang along with the band. I didn't air guitar tho. Not really. Not too much.
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