Happy New Years

Title says it all. Old year gone, new one coming in. Whatever you want to do this coming year to make you a better person, go for it and step it up. Go get some.

Let the Blood Rebellion Commence

Another entry into the longstanding Tekken series, Tekken 6 makes its debut on 10/28/09. The family feud of the Mishimas (Heihachi, Jin Kazama, Kazyua) continue on. Also new brawlers, Lars Alexandersson and Leo (who strangely looks like Rock Howard from Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves) make their debut. Another beatdown is on the horizon. My only question is should I go Xbox360 or PS3.

What up?

So I was in the neighborhood and decided to blog. Just a skinny on some things:

Berserk, the anime series, kicks ass
Inglorious Basterds kicks ass
Gears of War 2 still kicks ass
BlazBlue kicks my ass

I am the Prototype.

Okay. So your day starts on the slab of a morgue about to be sliced open, when you're shocked back to life. Two lab technicians in NBC suits haul ass and order military lockdown. You're flooded with memories and you got the military on your ass. Such is the life of Alex Mercer, main character of the game, Prototype.

Prototype is a free roam game in the same vein as Grand Theft Auto and Ultimate Spider Man. You play the role of Alex Mercer, a man who is trying to piece together his past while under fire from multiple groups that basically want him dead. As you play through the game, Alex gains new abilities either from main story related missions, or side missions (i.e. military base infiltration). You can buy new abilities by spending EP (Evolution Points). These points are gained from either completing objectives, performing feats (i.e. jumping from building to building in under 50 seconds), or just killing people and blowing up crap.

If anyone has played or is familiar with such games as Ultimate Spider Man and Hulk Ultimate Destruction, then you will see that Prototype plays very similar in traversing Manhattan and the combat system. One of the nuances of the combat system is that there are a vast array of powers and abilities to the point that the game becomes extremely button-heavy. However, you will probably only end up spamming a handful of moves (*cough*overpowered*cough*). Another flaw in the combat system is the targeting. According to the instruction manual, yeah I read those, targeting works by selecting the target that poses the biggest threat. In other words, the enemy that can wreck your face in one hit should be targeted, right? Well, say that you're fighting a military guy with a semi-automatic pea shooter while fending off a giant malformed mutant hunter that would give Resident Evil's Tyrant a run for his money. You got to target. Who do you target? I'll give you a hint: it's human. Yep, you target the guy with the pea shooter while the mega mutant is hellbent on making you his bitch/lunch. Aside from those flaws, the combat system with the multiple combos and face-wrecking is workable, but nothing to write home about.

Since the game takes place on the island of Manhattan, traversing it can be a pain. Alex's primary travel power is his super speed, jump, and glide, all of which can be upgraded as you go. However, even at max level, getting around Manhattan is cumbersome as you won't be able to get to certain objectives in time, no matter how much ass you haul, military and mutants be damned.

The Web of Intrigue helps piece together Alex's memory and give the player greater insight into his condition and the circumstances surrounding Alex. To gain a memory node in the Web of Intrigue, you find a target marked on the map, usually a red dot, and you grab and absorb them. Well after you beat the game, WoI can provide some extended playtime if you're interested in learning more about Alex's past and circumstances. If you're the type of person who just wants to wreck camp, then move along.

Prototype is a solid game with flaws that hurt it in a lot of areas. The game is good, but it isn't worth $60. While no game is perfect, Prototype could've stood to spend some more time in the R&D division at Activision.

Final score: 8 out of 10

Hello and welcome.

2 month hiatus due to varying circumstances, but I'm still here. Had a lot on my mind about this, that, and the other. I have a bit more time to myself as I am done with my networking classes for the time being and plan to dedicate every waking second to the bettering of myself.

First order of business, Prototype. This game puts you in the shoes of Alex Mercer, a subject of genetic manipulation, that gives him powers of assimilation, flight, and superhuman attributes. Only problem with this, is that everyone seems to want him dead for some reason. A full review is to be made soon by yours truly.

Second order of business, finding a new travel destination. I don't wanna go berserk, but I think I'll just branch out a little more, bit by bit.

Flying Zen continued.

So as I was 30,000 feet in the air, looking down on the majestic earth, it dawned on me how minuscule humans are in the grand scheme of things. Sure, we have impacts on our lives and the lives of others, but what is that compared to the world, or the universe. I knew from flying what having a 'bird's eye view' truly meant. Looking down at the earth, seeing cars commute from one destination to the next and seeing houses resembling a small diorama, it came into focus about how the scale of humans to the universe.

Boundaries faded in the sky for there was only landmass. Rolling hills and verdant forests ran as far as the eye could see. Bodies of water reflecting light as though they were a thousand tiny mirrors.

Also, during flight, I likened the air to the sea. With the exception of the element you are traversing, the sea and the air share the fact that you are completely at their mercy. The ocean is but a sea of water, whereas the sky is an ocean of air. It's truly a beautiful thing.

Oh, Canada!!!

I just took a trip to Toronto, Ontario, Canada and I must say that it is a very nice city. I would even say that if I were to live in a city outside of the US, then this would be it. Diverse and easygoing people are found here a plenty. All in all, I had a great time.

I just want to go ahead and give some observations on a personal level. This isn't about the trip in Toronto, per se, but the trip to Toronto. This was my first time flying and I've always been curious, yet afraid. Then, as my trip date came closer and closer, that fear became anticipation. From there on, anticipation gave way to excitement and excitement then transformed into euphoria. I didn't reach euphoria until I was 33,000 ft. above the ground in the plane.

The funny thing about flying is that when you look down on the Earth, one begins to take into perspective how small humanity is in the scheme of things. Borders are pretty much man made. When traveling on ground, one can see where one state ends and another begins just by looking at the man made sign. However, when flying, there are no borders. There is only landmass. I couldn't tell where Georgia ended and Tennessee began. It was, to say the least, eye opening.

More to come on flying zen....