It seems I'm back! - A review round-up!

By the Nine, it's been a while since I've expressed my opinions on the Internet now. This well deserved (every now and then I like to reward my laziness with even more laziness) break from writing after the closing events of my first year abroad has probably done me more harm than it has good. I would dwell on my bad mannerisms but I like to think of myself as the sort of person that likes to let go of things.

Because it has been so long since I've blessed this miserable country with my charming slurs, I'll be serving a feast of reviews. For starters there will be a number of video games (contrary to popular belief, video games can be an art form) I have recently enjoyed, followed by a mains of succulent movies and an overly-indulgent taking of music for dessert. I'll be splitting up the courses over separate posts - be sure to check them all out.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3/360/PC)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (repeat sentence as necessary), it may have taken me seven months to start the game and nine months to finally collect my thoughts on this epic, but here I am, at the end (sort of) of a very, very good journey. Skyrim is everything that I look for in a fantasy, open-world RPG: there's dragons, elves, bows, dragons, magic, guilds, dragons, an extremely amusing physics engine and oh, did I mention that there were dragons? No? well, there is. And they are (without a hint of irony) awesome. Despite being plagued by a few bugs and glitches, such as the ever increasing frame-rate drop and longer loading times dues to bigger save files, Skyrim is a treat for the senses. It's big (scarily big actually, the amount of hours I've put into being the Dragonborn is obscene), and there's plenty of options for any aspiring warrior to do once they've taken to the plains of Skyrim. The main story is pretty sub-par (the land is at threat from dragons and you're the only powerful enough to stop them, yardy-yar) but it's the entertaining side-quests and the intriguing NPCs which really make the world feel alive and wonderful. If you haven't already, you NEED to play this game and if what I've said already isn't enough to convince you otherwise, then just take my word on it and give it a go. Please, for Skyrim!

8.0/10

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3/360/PC)

To ease you in gently, I'll put this one out there - Human Revolution is the best game I've played this year (despite it's 2011 release - I really need to review products a lot sooner). DE:HR is a hybrid of many genres: first-person shooter, third-person stealth and espionage, RPG and sci-fi epic. Set in the year 2027 (for those in the know, this is a prequel to the 2000 PC Game of the Year, Deus Ex, set several years later) you take on the role of Adam Jensen, a recently hired head of security for Sariff Industries. Combing the said genres, you make your way through the world (literally, the places you visit ranges from Detroit to Australia and fictional Japanese city Hengsha) trying to make your way on top of a conspiracy involving the kidnapping of ex-girlfriend Megan Reed. If I were to say anymore, I would essentially be ruining the game for you, such is the intensity and brilliance of the main storyline. As with many RPGs, there are side quests, many of which are interesting and help to fill in information about the main characters (including Jensen). Of course, there are a few hitches such as one particular side quest being broken which makes it impossible to finish and a few issues concerning the boss fights, which aren't difficult but take away from the beauty of a game which rewards you for avoiding killing enemies, but then forces you to kill the big bad guys. The game is near-on perfect and while it may not be as accessible as the game of the previous review, it is essentially a masterpiece.

9.5/10

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

The most recent Legend of Zelda game (hereby referred to as SS) is probably the best the series has seen, or at least the best entry since fan-favourite Ocarina of Time. I'll start off by getting the bad things said and out of the way first. While the controls are somewhat revolutionary, they often suffer from problems, especially when the 1:1 calibration is somewhat too in sync with the players movements. Certain enemies can be annoying early on and while at times the game can be overall quite easy, at others it can be equally as punishing. However, when compared to just how good the rest of the game, these problems can be easily over-looked. The combat and exploration is superb and this is perhaps the first entry in the series which forces you to think strategically when in a new area of the game. The musical score isn't the best the series has seen but is still memorable and the characters, despite not being fully voiced are both delightful and very funny. The story is deep and draws the player in from the very start when Link's (that's you) child-hood friend Zelda (that's not you) falls into the clouds below the home of their floating island. SS serves as the series' prologue, explaining how the Master Sword and Hyrule were first established (although the game raises enough questions to spawn a prequel of its own) and how the story of the hero (that's you, again) comes about. This is arguably the best in the series and Nintendo have really pulled out the stops in re-defining its own series.

9.0/10

Short reviews

Journey (PS3)

Journey is a visually stunning piece of art with an equally impressive game play style and narrative. While it's not worth the price (£10 for around two and a half hours) it makes up for this in mostly every other way. The ending is superb and the limited but refreshing interactivity with the community is aspiring. It's worth a play, but I recommend checking out the demo first.

7.0/10

The Walking Dead: The Video Game (PS3/360/PC)

A much bigger and better bang for your buck (downloading the season pass for £16 grants around 20+ hours of game play once all the episodes are out) TWD is an imaginative point and click adventure game set approximately before Rick Grimes recovers from his coma in the comic books. You play as a convict named Lee as you encounter a new cast of characters (some like able, others horrible) and pre-existing characters (won't try to give too much away, but in the first episode you find out what happens to a certain someones son). The game is fun and absolutely brilliant and despite only two of the five episodes available for download, this is shaping up to be one of the years best releases.

8.5/10


Well, that's all from me this evening, check back in the next few days for the film reviews and sometime after that for some album reviews. Adios amigos!

Songs of the day:

Say Anything - Alive With the Glory of Love
Nena - 99 Luftballons (I like the German version much more)
The Strokes - Machu Picchu
While She Sleeps - Seven Hills

Smiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile.

After suffering from a slight bout of negativity these past few days I've finally made a recovery of sorts. I was feeling a bit downtrodden about the Journalism side of my course as I was unsure whether or not that I wanted to do it for another two years. I looked at ways of getting out of it, particularly by swapping it for a course that I may enjoy more so, such as Film Studies or English. However, I've decided against it and here is a list of reasons as to why:

• Both Journalism and the other courses that I was interested in had their pros and cons that would make me uneasy with the courses. At least with Journalism I know what I'm to expect now.
• Thinking in the long run, a joint honours with Journalism will be more beneficial than one with Film Studies.
• I can always study subjects such as Film Studies/English etc etc at a later date.

So, now I'm feeling a bit more cheery, especially after making my first ever chilli earlier (unashamedly from a jar) which was tip top, watching Breaking Bad and realising I have just over a week before I'm back at home.

Moving on, one thing I've noticed with people out and about that grinds (no bad language here, kids) me down is that they all need to be a bit more positive. It annoys me when I walk past people with their eyes towards the ground making little effort to be pleasent. I just think it would be much better, and mentally more healthy for people to keep their chin and try to raise a smile every once in a while. I'm not asking you to overly assert your positivity into everyones faces, but I do believe smiles are contagious, which is good, very good! And if you want someone to do it for, think of the children...

Moving on, a couple of updates in my world of TV and film:

My Neighbour Totoro is absolutely brilliant. I've been a bit lazy with my half-promise to watch the five Studio Ghibli films I have and review them, but I have watched this one at last. The film is colourful, pleasent and extremely imaginative. Sure it's main target audience are kids, but there's definitely a sense that the film (and Studio Ghibli films in general) has also been made with an older audience in mind. The story is simple to follow and little conflict is thrown in, which by the time things get a bit tense towards the end you'll find yourself thoroughly enjoying what the film has to offer. 7/10

Walking Dead Season 2 finale was without any sense of irony, absolutely epic. It was tense, surprising and quite gory, but not overly done. The first half of the episode showed the intense battle between Rick, Hershel and the rets of the farm against the herd of walkers. A couple of twists are thrown in, although they aren't too surprising for anyone who's read the comics (SPOILER: Michonne's arival, the prison, truth about zombie infection) although it's interesting to see that Andrea has been split from the group and I'm excited to see where they go with that in season 3. The second half of the episode deals with the aftermath of the prior event, where the above twists are introduced and everyone deals with the deaths of some of their friends. It makes up for some of the lacklustre happenings in previous episodes and rounds up the show so far excellently. 9/10

I'd review the pilot of Breaking Bad, but is was first aired years ago and so I'm going to review the first season once I'm finished watching it instead.

Song(s) of the Day:

Alexisonfire - "Hey, It's Your Funeral Mama"
Funeral for a Friend - This Year's Most Open Heartbreak
Dear Prudence - Valentine

Source Code.

I watched a very, very good film last night. It was so good in fact, that it takes my place as the best film of 2012 so far (despite it's 2011 release), over Drive. This film would be Source Code, a sci-fi thriller that runs along similar lines to Twelve Monkeys (also highly recommended). As such, I believe it deserves a review on this here blog.

Source Code (2011)

Source Code went very much under the radar. Despite starring Hollywood hits Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) and Vera Farmiga (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) I didn't hear about Source Code until I was at a friends house in August 2011 when his dad had asked him about it. Now nearly a third way through 2012, I've finally seen this marvelous and captivating film. The base plot of the film is that army helicoptor pilot Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) is put through a machine, known as the Source Code where upon he is instructed by Captain Colleen Goodwin (Farmiga) and is given eight minutes to find out about the bombing of a mainline Chicago train and help prevent any further bombings. Unaware of how he got himself into the situation he is currently in, Stevens desperataly races against time to find out what he is doing on the train as well trying to find out who was behind the bombing.

If I were to say anything more about the plot would ruin it - as such is the richness and boldness of the films storyline. Gyllenhaal's performance is brilliant and he helps to further cement his place as one of Hollywood's finest actors. The style is slick, and the always changing realities will have you guessing at what is coming next. Despite not having a massive plot-twist it is far from predictable and even at it's short run time (a measly 93 minutes) the film does well to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat from the very first scene.

All in all, visually impressive and a well acted plotline.

9/10

Oh, and let us not forget this...

Song of the Day:

Asking Alexandria - Someone, Somewhere (Acoustic)