Interstellar Review

If Gravity had a story and if 2001: A Space Odyssey made sense, and you put them together you would get this movie.

8/10

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies Review

I spent more time looking for the lip balm I dropped through the crack in my theater seat than I spent giving a shit about this garbage movie.

Super Late Review: Watch_Dogs

When Watch_Dogs was revealed in 2012, it was unlike anything gamers had ever seen. The brief glimpse of the open-world rendition of Chicago looked like the game had a real, living environment for you to explore. Subsequent video previews and gameplay demos only added to the anticipation. It seemed that the player was free to do anything, and the world would organically present exciting opportunities to shoot, drive, and use the revolutionary hacking mechanic. The near-future plot centered around governments digitally spying on its citizens struck a nerve in people as we were dealing with the same issues. It was a truly next-gen experience.

What we got instead was an everyday action game might have impressed me if it were released two years ago. The visuals were nothing like the jaw-dropping first gameplay demo, and the mechanics could have been copy/pasted from a plethora of similar games. The promising open-world turned out to be a generic city environment with side quests and mini games for when you're not playing through the story. Those "organic" crime-fighting opportunities turned out to be optional side-missions that pop up on your HUD every couple of minutes. I realized about halfway through the campaign that Watch_Dogs could have been a much better game had it not aligned itself with the genre it thinks it can improve upon. By being an open-world action/shooter game, Watch Dogs stacks itself against the likes of Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row, and Sleeping Dogs. It was destined to lose from the start.

Top 5 Games of 2013

It's February. 2013 is long gone. I'm back in school and clutching for dear life to what remains of my ability to interact with other humans. I've been really slacking on this blog, and that upsets me more than anyone else that might come across my humble domain. I've got a lot of big plans for my writing career in 2014, and it starts here with my list of the 5 best games of 2013.

The Best New Console Isn't What You Think

The Playstation 4 and Xbox One have been on sale for a few weeks now, and both have put up record-breaking numbers. Before the end of December, they'll both have sold millions of units each. Their impressive hardware and cutting-edge software features offer experiences and BLAH BLAH BLAH.

I didn't buy a next-gen console. I had a PS4 preordered since E3, but cancelled it due to a shortage of both money and fucks to give. Neither console gives me much incentive to buy right away. I don't need a new box to play Netflix and Call of Duty with a few more polygons. I'm going to wait until the games I really want are close. Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, Watch Dogs, Infamous, and The Order: 1886 are high on my list of most anticipated games, so a PS4 would be collecting dust for the next few months until they come around.

People are talking a lot about the battle for supremacy between the PS4 and Xbox, but they're all picking a losing side. The console I'm really excited for offers something far more unique than either next-gen box. I am of course talking about the Hyperkin RetroN 5.

The Void in My Life that is Persona 4

The new consoles have arrived and already put up record-breaking sales numbers, and I wasn't around to give two shits about either of them. I've got a new graphics card in my PC, and I'm looking forward to an alternative gaming console that I'll talk more about later. However, by passing on next gen, November was by no means a money-saving month for me. I celebrated my 19th birthday, and got some cash from my family (because it's easier than explaining to them what I want). Along with the graphics card (and some awesome free games that came with it), I went to Gamestop and picked up the new Zelda and Pokemon games for 3DS.

Unfortunately, none of this matters. I haven't played a second of either of my new Nintendo games, and my PC mostly sits collecting dust. This is because I also picked up Persona 4 Golden for my Playstation Vita. That game has consumed most of my free time and, with the semester coming to an end, has been a cataclysmic disaster for my grades.

Via

I didn't anticipate playing this much of the game. I've never been a very big fan of JRPGs, and didn't know a lot about it. All I know is that it's been on my radar for a while since it's on virtually every "Must-own Vita Games" list on the internet, and I needed a third game to meet the criteria of the "buy 2, get 1 free" deal, so I bought it.

My first clue should have been when an employee at Gamestop got incredibly excited for me purchasing the game when he saw me checking out. He said he put over 90 hours into it and that it's his favorite JRPG. That didn't carry much meaning to me, but I was still looking forward to it when I went home and started up.

I have never underestimated how much I would enjoy a game in my entire life.

That game is utterly fantastic. The combat is rich and deep, yet easily accessible and quick to learn, something not a lot of RPGs get right nowadays. Battles are wicked fun, and you can choose to either let your battle party attack on their own or control them yourself (I of course chose the latter). Collecting and fusing Personas is like a grown-up's version of Pokemon, and I'm always trying to level up to unlock new abilities for myself or my crew. The game is always open to hours of grinding in any of your previously conquered dungeons (which are sometimes saunas and strip clubs), which I never thought I could enjoy. The only time I think I've welcomed grinding in a game is Pokemon, but Persona gives so much more incentive. Defeated enemies drop sidequest items, gems and loot which you can sell or, better yet, take to the town blacksmith (right next to the tofu shop and the gas station, like in every small town) so he can make them into new, more powerful weapons and armor.

Outside of the great combat system, Persona is a delightful Japanese life sim. You make lots of friends at your new high school, which is significantly less terrifying and stressful than what I've heard about Japanese education. You form relationships, go on dates, and solve mysteries with the hilarious crew you've assembled. This game is loaded with fully-voiced dialogue, and has made me laugh out loud several times, which is really weird considering that I'm almost certain Persona 4 is not Portal 2.

After a couple of weeks with the game I'm already over 40 hours in, which from my research is only about halfway through the main story. Frankly, that isn't long enough. I never want Persona 4 to end. It's already one of my favorite games, and I can't put it down for the life of me.

The Top 5 Shotguns in Video Games

The shotty. The scattergun. The howitzer. The spreadgun. The blasty-you-in-halfsie. For as long as video games have featured guns (Read: Always), the most coveted and sought-after weapon by the gaming masses has always been the shotgun. You can't blame them; the shotgun has consistently been the most devastating and efficient digitized firearm since people were fighting over a big letter 'S' in Contra.

As tribute to the close-range killer, I've put together the list of the five best shotguns in my gaming history.