Edward's September 2013 Mix

September. The month of my birth. Ah, another year older. Can't anybody do anything to slow it down? Seriously, I've had enough birthdays . . . oh wait, I don't want to stop having them, that wouldn't be good. I keep telling myself 50 is the new 40. And all of the cool guys on television are in their 50's, yeah, (nodding my head here) that's right! Shoot, I'm the same age as Jim Carrey and Tom Cruise. Johnny Depp is only a year or two behind me, and my daughters (both of them) lust after him! Oh well, I can't stay young forever, not physically anyway, but I'll never stop playing computer games. Hmmm . . .maybe that's a fountain of youth in itself.

  

1. Rise of Flight on PC

I couldn't run this game very well on my old rig. But now that I've reinstalled it on my new machine it looks simply amazing. And I've never been a fan of DLC, but this game has prompted me to purchase two new planes. The thing is, each plane is so inherently different that it feels like you are buying a complete new flight simulation with each plane you buy. You spend hours just learning the quirks and idiosyncrasies of each plane, and then when you meet your first gallant foe in the sky you use those plane characteristics to attempt an advantage over your enemy. I've recently started a career, and at this point, I can't even imagine shooting down an enemy plane. The sim is THAT difficult. I have, however, managed to shoot an observation balloon down. And if you read the history books, that was quite a major feat with all of the anti-air guns on the ground below surrounding each balloon.   

2. Mass Effect 2 on PC

I've been getting serious about finishing this game. I have no idea what kind of progress I'm making with 20 some hours under my belt, but this game is still as fun as it was the day I started it. I love RPGs, but it seems to me I always hit that certain spot where it feels as if the game has turned into a chore just trying to get quests done. And that's the special thing about Mass Effect 2. Every mission feels like you're in a blockbuster movie in which you're the star. I love this game. I guess, truth be known, I've been milking it because I never want it to end. I've grown so fond of the characters that each time I select my crew to go questing with me it's as if I'm with family. Losing one would be as bad as attending a funeral.

3. Merrick by Anne Rice

I'm plagiarizing my own review here from www.shelfari.com but it pretty much sums up how this book went: I was initially enamored with this series of books. I read Interview with the Vampire twice, and the second novel in the series, Lestat, The Vampire, is one of my top five all time favorite novels. I read Lestat over a six month period in which I was unemployed. I took full advantage of it--a chance to get off the Habitrail Wheel back in 2006. And Lestat, the Vampire became 2006 for me. And this is a cruel assessment, but it seems each book after Lestat, The Vampire slowly descended into near mediocrity. This is not a bad novel, but it's certainly incomparable to Rice's first two amazing novels. She's writing my beloved Lestat and Louis into characters that I no longer really care about. The series is winding down with this one. I'll have two more to complete the series. Maybe this is a good thing.

4. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

I picked this up per the suggestion of my friend, Neil Campbell, when he told me couldn't put it down. I have no choice but to second that. Ken Levine, the creative director for Bioshock: Infinite was inspired by this book to create that game. And I have to admit, if schools had a book like this, I would have run to history class every day. I'm only fifty pages into it, but Larson's writing is in the same vein as Michael Chricton. Learning can be fun! This book focuses on the architects who crafted the Columbian Exposition a.k.a. The Chicago World's Fair of 1893. And laterally, the book details the goings on of H.H. Holmes who operated a boarding house in proximity of the fair. He lured boarders into his mansion where he murdered them and sold their skeletons to universities and medical schools. This guy made Jack the Ripper look like a wannabe copycat.

5. Train Simulation 2014 on PC

When I was in the fourth grade I lived a block away from a train yard in a crumbling old apartment house filled with old people and mean drunks. My yard was a white gravel parking lot, and I whiled away my hours reading books from the school library. But I remember on Sunday nights lying in bed unable to sleep. I would lie there and think about dying, and I'd hear the sound of the train engines winding up their diesels and then winding them down. And I thought it was the most lonesome sound on the planet. I've always had an affinity for trains ever since and playing Train Simulation 2014 takes me back to those days. The sad truth of this game is this: I missed my true calling in life. I should have worked for the railroad.

6. Mission: Impossible Season One on Netflix

Technically, this old series looks like a high school play compared to the flash and dash of today's episodic television, but back when I was a kid this show was the bomb! Watching this show, it's a wonder I have any fingernails left. Each episode constantly cliffhangs, and that's every fifteen minutes right before the commercials! (Okay, well, where they used to insert the commercials.) Just watch the first few episodes, you'll be hooked. I never realized how great of an actor Martin Landau was.

7. Hope for Haiti 2013 

I've only participated in one other group ride on my bicycle. That was two years ago in Linton, Indiana, a fun, oak tree shaded early morning 25 mile ride. This ride was 45 miles and I had doubts as to whether or not I could even finish a ride of this length. The proprietor of our local bike shop, Larry Shinn, told me, "ah, yeah, you'll be in a group. You'll be able to do it." Well, this ride consisted of three separate distances, a 25 miler, a 45 and a 63 miler. Wouldn't you know it? I was like the only one riding the 45 miler. Ha! So, I rode alone, and this was no shade tree venture. I rode over flat country roads surrounded by corn fields and vistas where the land was flat all of the way out to the horizon. The first half I was bombarded by a nasty headwind, but then the route circled back and I had a tailwind helping me out. My legs felt a little squirrely driving home, but the next day I was fine. I figured I'd need a walker or a wheelchair. Heh. I guess those daily 8 mile rides are doing better than I thought they were.

 

 

Edward's August 2013 Mix

Autumn in July! Who would have known? And now here we are in August experiencing temperatures in the upper nineties. Crazy weather! Funny how it all went nutso after El Nino in 1993. Coincidence? Anyway, I paid my car off this month, Hallelujah! More money for games now! Actually, my next big purchase will be a peripheral for my PC. I've been drooling for the Logitech G27 Wheel/Paddle set for a very long time. I'm told once you go with a wheel and paddle set there's just no going back to anything else. Oh, and I didn't think I would, but I've become hopelessly addicted to crafting Steam badges. Anybody got any they want to trade for? I'm particularly looking for Civilization 5 and Bioshock Infinite badges. Come on, help a bro out!

1. SimCity on PC

Soon to hit the 75 hour mark in this game. Maxis just released a new patch that enables one to create roads which include bridges and overpasses, how cool is that? Truthfully, this game is nothing like the debacle it was on launch day. I've started my first city specialization: gambling, and installed my first gambling HQ. And now all of a sudden, MONEY! MONEY!, it's raining MONEY! So what if my sewage pumps are at max, and people are getting sick due to encroaching ground pollution. It's a tourist town they don't have to stay there! 

2. Battlefield 3 on PC

DICE is trying to instill a lot of anticipation for Battlefield 4. And they did it right this month; they offered a long double XP weekend. I took full advantage, earning a lion's share of medals, assignments, a ton of XP, and I ranked up twice. Boo-yah! My kill/death ratio isn't the best. I die about twice as many times as I dispatch someone, but my accuracy is my gift. Of all my friends I have the best.

3. Bioshock Infinite on PC

Bioshock way back in 2007 was the first game that worked me into an emotional turmoil in the end. The cinematic cut scene worked its magic and yes, I wept. The game's undersea madhouse outshined the characters in the game. Shoot, the environment really WAS the main character. And now I'm finally getting to play Bioshock Infinite and for the first time in my life I've actually gotten emotional at the beginning of a game. It took me completely by surprise. I'm only about a quarter into the game and loving it immensely. This is one of those games that make me proud to say I'm a PC gamer and confirms that the love I have for my chosen platform is unshakable.

4. Hard Times by Charles Dickens 

This is a bleak novel of the underbelly of pre-Victorian England. Dickens's characters are all memorable and his language is evocative, but sheesh, this is a very heavy novel. What I mean is, the plotline is confusing, and there's a lot going on, and to tell you the truth I got lost. A lot. This is certainly not my favorite Dickens's novel. I'm not so familiar with the man's works; I've read few of them, but I did knock out his outstanding Great Expectations. That book was enjoyable. This one, in my opinion was like mowing a lawn. In other words, reading it was all too chore-like.  This is a book I would have enjoyed much better with an accompanying Cliffs Notes.

5. Hole Celebrity Skin on CD

Courtney Love is the female rocker of our discontent. She's more infamous than famous, former girlfriend of Billy Corgan and ex wife of Kurt Cobain, she's pressed on nobly. She's a big fan of Manga, and I've seen her in a movie. She's not a bad actress. But I like her best as the front man, er . ..woman, that is, of the band Hole. I've not heard Hole's first album, but the second album was interesting, gritty and raging. This third effort, however, is polished and plays like a greatest hits album. I was first introduced to it back in 1998, and each time I listen to it now it always takes me back to that time. It's never far from my car's CD player. It's one I'll never get rid of, and a replay always makes me smile and makes me feel just a little too cool.

6. Computer Games Magazine 2004

Still working on this venerable year of my old Computer Games Magazine. 2004 truly was a great year for a geek culture whore such as me. The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly came out on DVD in a very nice box set, The Star Wars Trilogy was released on DVD this year, and more importantly, this was the year City of Heroes came out, and my first foray into MMOs. (Thanks to my cousin, Justin Rexroad.) World of Warcraft came out soon after and I abandoned City of Heroes, but there are aspects of CoH I really miss, even today.

7. Lanterna Desert Ocean on CD

This little band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois was a Pandora discovery that hastened me to order the CD right after hearing that first song. They are ambient, sort of like a more quiet version of Explosions in the Sky. Their sound is mostly comprised of glittering floaty guitars. Listening to them on my early morning bicycle rides have been really fulfilling lately. Who needs aspirin when there is music like this in the world. Go to youtube and look up "Luminous." You can thank me later.

 

8. Lost: Season One on Blu-Ray
 

Still working my way through season one. (See, I've always told you I'm a procrastinator) but dragging this out nice and slow is making it worth it. Still, so much is happening so quickly. Boone has died, which I found to be more disheartening than I would have imagined. Sawyer keeps vacillating from an evil prick I can't stand to a good guy I'd want on my side. And now even John Locke, who I'd always liked, is starting to wade out into grey areas. We find Hurley is a lottery winner and worth 158 million back in civilization. Michael is trying to build a raft and is going to take a small crew with him to seek out the known world. It will be interesting to see where (and if) that raft will take them. But I think so far the greatest revelation to me is discovering that Sawyer really was crushing on Kate in a very big way.

9. The Munsters: Season One on Netflix

Granted, this show only spawned two seasons, however there were a lot of episodes! Just finished the first episode, and I have to admit it got a little long in the tooth. Maybe it's because the last time I watched this I was 9 years old. Still, it's interesting all of the vernacular I thought came out much later that I'm actually hearing in this show, "Let's go, already!", "That would be really boss!" And I've gotten to hear Lily Munster sing. (I'm guilty of crushing on Yvonne DeCarlo.) I actually saw the episode featuring Grandpa's Drag-ula (one of my favorite model car kits as a kid.) This show really does depict a more innocent time.

10. System Shock 2 on PC

I've tried to play this game before, but recurring bugs finally caused me to give up. I recently purchased the game on www.gog.com and it seemed promising. But alas, like an idiot, I quick saved right at a point where I was falling over dead. And I've progressed much too far to go back. It's too bad I couldn't finish this, the spiritual predecessor to Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite, but it will remain in my personal annals of history now because I won't make a third attempt to play it.

11. Civilization 5 on PC

Definitely my favorite Turn Based Strategy game ever made. I see myself playing this for a long time to come. I recently ventured into my first online game. It was with my next door neighbor, and it turned into an 8 hour all-nighter. How cool is it that my neighbor would be as much an addict as am I! I'm the Songhai and he's Japanese, and the two of us are taking over the world. And you know what? I think we're actually going to pull it off! Our game isn't completed yet, (another cool feature that you can save online games) but we'll finish it before long.






 

Edward's July 2013 Mix

Autumn in July! Who would have known? Who could have guessed, yet that’s what it is. Our nights lately have been in the low 50’s. But it doesn’t matter, whether I’m avoiding the melanomanic rays of the sun or escaping these unseasonably Icelandic temps, I’ve been indoors indulging in Steam’s wonderfully maddening Steam Sale and losing myself in all sorts of gaming goodness. I picked up Shogun 2, Bastion, X-Com: Enemy Engaged and Darksiders. I suppose the real tragedy in this is I still have games from Steam’s Winter Sale I’ve not played! Doh! Anyway, I think I’m good to go . . .for a while . . .er, at least until Steam’s Winter Sale.

1. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne on PC

I knocked this game out in 10 hours. A friend once told me, play the first Max Payne for the gameplay, and the second one for the story. Having made it through the game, and looking back, I have to agree with him. Kudos to Tommy Stevens for that nugget of sage advice. I was a little disappointed I had to download a NO CD crack to get the game to work, but then I recently heard Rockstar was doing the same thing to get the game to work properly when they ported it over to Steam. Ah, the irony!  Much of this game was a nightmarish tour in which I was not led by the hand, but more like pulled along, my heels hesitantly dug into the ground, and looking back to see a wake of twin furrows. But through the movie set funhouse, and the dreamscape police precinct, and the construction site in the rain and the myriad shootouts with countless bad men (and bullet time!) I found myself wildly entertained. I’m a fan of emergent gameplay, but a great solid linear storyline in a game once in a while is always a good thing.

2. Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin in paperback

I’m winding down the first novel. It has been a magnificent tour de force on paper. I’ve not found myself so emotionally involved in such a colorful cast of characters like this for ages. Who is good in one chapter does something underhandedly heinous in the next. And the guy you loved to hate in one chapter does something noble and redeeming in the next. The settings Martin has conjured up in this novel make me feel as if they’re real places. This is a book that makes me want to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In last month’s post I intimated this series of books were reputed to be better than The Lord of the Rings. At this point I can safely say, yes, A Song of Fire and Ice is more entertaining than LOTR. 

3. Sid Meier’s Railroads on PC

Another completion of a game this month. Boo-yah! This makes the second time I’ve played through this game. And who knows, with its quaint charm, its ease of use and its bright eye popping graphics I may give it another go in the future. I’m not so pleased they took Railroad Tycoon 3’s seriousness and dumbed it down to appeal to a wider audience, but this is a beer and pretzels kind of game well worth checking out.
 

4. The Darkness II on PC

I was a little put off by the fact the original game was not released on PC at all. Damn! PC gamers getting screwed again! But despite its console roots it was a very well done game. It was another foray into a heavy narrative of a game, but I kept focus throughout simply because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Was I a resident in a state hospital who dreamt I was an anti hero with unearthly powers inspired by the comic books laying on my nightstand? Or was I actually a demon possessed former mafia hitman who had terrible dreams of being locked away in a state hospital? The ride was over all too soon. I finished the game in 11 hours, but wow, what an amazing 11 hours! This game reminded me of why I believe games still outshine the best movies Hollywood has to offer.

5. Revenge on DVD

(Speaking of movies . . .) Tony Scott may not have been as revered as his brother Ridley, but he did a fine job with Top Gun and Crimson Tide. This earlier gem starring Kevin Costner, Madeline Stowe and Anthony Quinn didn’t receive quite the same fanfare. This suspenseful thriller also introduced John Leguizamo in probably the most serious role I’ve ever seen him in. But what really made me a fan of this movie was the music. I ordered the CD of the soundtrack years ago, and it had to be specially ordered from England. Not since Blade Runner or 1492: Conquest of Paradise have I seen music so effectively used in a film. Okay, how odd is that? Blade Runner and 1492 were both directed by Tony’s brother, Ridley. (Incidentally, the Blade Runner and 1492 soundtracks were both done by Vangelis; Revenge was done by Jack Nitsche.)  

6. Computer Games Magazine 2004

Reading back through my back issues of CGM. 2004 was a great year for PC gaming. Far Cry came out as did Doom 3. This was the year I had my first essay published in Computer Games Magazine about one of my favorite games, Novalogic’s Black Hawk Down. I was big into LAN gaming parties at this time. Everybody has broadband now and Teamspeak so those days are behind us but I sure do miss them sometimes.  

7. The Ocean Blue: Ultramarine on Amazon Cloud

This is the band you’ve heard me talk about that I discovered on late night Conan O’Brian way back in 1989. Hearing David Shelzel’s guitar solo on “Between Something and Nothing” made me an instant fan. The band’s sophomore release, Cerulean, was slightly more mature, and more dreamy sounding. They had several more released in the years to follow, but I’ve read on more than one message board (and I have to agree) this album is the true successor to Cerulean. This is the album I would pass to someone to become acquainted with the band. They’re certainly not esoteric, but they’re not mainstream, and I like that. I like keeping them to myself. “New York, 6:00 A.M.” If Simon and Garfunkel wrote a song about New York City today, this would be it. “Ground Gives Way” this song reflects the wholesomeness that seems to exude from all TOB lyrics, and that heavily chorused guitar intro always makes me replay the beginning about five times.

 

8. Train Simulator 2013 on PC

From my first electric train on my 9th birthday I've always liked trains. I've lived in a few places where I had trains running near my back yard, and it seems I've always lived within earshot of that long lonesome whistle at night. Shoot, I interviewed with Union Pacific in Austin, Texas, and I've interviewed twice with Conrail out of Indianapolis. I was never selected and I think that's been one of my life's injustices. Self pity aside, at least now I can do the next best thing. I can drive pretty near every engine on nearly every line in the US (and the world.) Yes, it's true, all you really do is go forward and backward, but oh man, all of the in between. Staring out the open window at the world outside while feeling the vibration of those turbo diesel engines under your feet, and looking back to realize you're pulling a 70 car train. This simulation pulls it off beautifully. This is a dictionary definition of a niche game, and its esoteric following proves this. If you were to download all of the retail lines and engines, you'd have $2,000.00 in the game. Most expensive PC game on the planet!

Edward's June 2013 Mix

 

 

Ah, the throes of summer! Why brave the dangerous sunrays, the engulfing showers of lawn sprinklers, and the blinding views of white people with white legs wearing shorts? Just stay in and read or play computer games like I did this month. Well, I did get some good saddle time on the bike, and I would be a liar if I didn't admit at least a little bit of fondness for these wonderful summer days. I guess, in reality balance is where it's at, huh? The ability to get out there away from the computer and the books to get some good old fashioned vitamin D. I tried.

1. Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. on PC

I tried to tackle this game way back in 2009 when it first came out. It's as about an arcadish game as you can get, where the flight stick is eschewed for a simple Xbox 360 controller (and makes complete sense when you are using it.) It's as hokey as stories can get, set in the future you are part of an elite flyboy squadron created to protect the interests of big corporations, a sort of highly mobile security force. You are ordered to assist the US Navy against a large terrorist force, and then when the Navy is down and out final blow pending, your leader goes rogue and orders you to deliver the coup de grace so your squadron has total power. And like all good guys, you turn against your leader and your own squadron. I progressed relatively far in this game, all the way to mission 12 of 19. And then the game ramped up to one of the biggest difficulty escalations I've ever seen in a game. Uggh! I hate investing time and effort into a game and it finally defeating me. Anyway, I'm done with it. Took it off the hard disk. It's going on eBay. I will not be buying H.A.W.X. 2.
 

2. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne on PC

I've not actually started this game yet, but I will have by the time you read this. I beat the first one years ago, and I really want MP3 on Steam. (The summer sale is just around the corner. Ha!) But in order for me to play the third one, I just won't feel right without having played the second game in the series. Here's the thing, though: MP2 is unplayable in its present state on modern PCs. Yes, I know, it is rather ludicrous that Rockstar can't come out with a patch that lets one of their fairly modern games play on a modern system. But then this is Rockstar. I honestly think they hate PC gamers. I was telling someone the other day it would be hilarious if they didn't release GTA V for PC and the new Saint's Row game outsold GTA V on the consoles. But we both know that's not going to happen. A year from now they'll release GTA V on the PC, and a gazillion fanboys will slip in their own drool to get it onto their PCs as quickly as they possibly can. Oh, by the way, in order to get this game to work on my Windows 7 64 bit system I had to download a NO CD crack. But hey, it worked!
 

3. Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin in paperback

Had someone approached me and asked me to read a book about political intrigue any other time I probably would have made the suggestion they take a long walk off of a short pier. This book, though, the first in the series, has me captivated. I'm taking it slow, maybe too slow. I'm only page 350 or so, but man, it's brilliant. If you call yourself a fan of fantasy and you've not read this, hmmm . . .then I don't know about you. Purists say it's better than LOTR. So far, I have to wonder if there's not some truth to that. I found a family tree depicting the hierarchies in the back of the book as an appendix. It's almost required because this book has more characters in it than the DC and Marvel universe put together. I honestly look forward to going to work so I can spend time with the people in this book.
 

4. Mass Effect 2 on PC

This is the most fun I've had in a PC game in a while. (Catching up to my friends' ranks in BF3 might run a close second.) This game plays much like the first one, except faster, slimmer, and more cut to the chase. The game feels easier by far than the first one as well. I'm thrilled to be playing this, the second in a trilogy, and look forward to beating it and moving on to ME3. But then, no, I'm almost not wanting this one to end because it's such a good time. Cutting the lights, donning the cans on my head, fingers on the mouse and keyboard, I actually feel like I'm lost in another universe. If you've not played this series, you owe yourself. People hate on EA for good reason, but this game series compels tolerance for the evil empire.
 

5. Manny's Search by Edward C. Burton on paperback and Kindle

It still feels quite strange to type that, the title of my novel by . . .me. Heh. It's all done, bound, printed, and sold. . . well, selling anyway. It won't make me rich by any means, but like Shakespeare was reputed to have said, he wanted to write so he could be immortal. I've left my scratch on the planet. It really was a labor of love, but now that it's done it's such a relief. I've lifted the sack of rice off my shoulders. But there is no rest for the wicked. I have a second novel I completed years ago, and now I need to get it ready for its journey to Amazon.

6. Knights of the Old Republic on PC

Like I've said before, I didn't get very far with this game back in 2003, despite it's been hailed as one of the best RPGs ever made. I'm trying a different approach this time, however. I'm actually playing a Sith character. It goes against my very grain to play an evil character, but so far it's working out okay. I'm a consular, and I live for the day when I level up to be able to chokehold enemies and toss them across the room like rag dolls. I have a way to go. I'm still a mere level 6, but I'm turning into a badass with my critical strike ability with swords. Ah, just wait until I trade it in for a light saber, bwaahaaahaa! I guess I passed my baptism as a bad guy when I had to chase down some ancient tomes that would fulfill the hopes and dreams of a prophet set on delivering his people from oppression in the sewers and undercity of an area controlled by Sith. I rounded up all of the books and sold them to a black market profiteer for a hundred credits. You should have heard the speech the prophet gave me explaining how I made the world of he and his people crumble like a house of cards. Yes, I have to admit, I did feel bad. For about two seconds.
 

7. Computer Games Magazine 2003

I always feel nostalgic reading through these old magazines, and yes, a little proud, too. I feel honored to be a part of the PC gaming world, and even moreso because I got my start way back in 1989 and have played consistently since. Through the evolution of game engines, graphic improvements, game innovations, radical hardware changes and the ever ringing death toll, "PC as a gaming platform is dying!" Hmph! Tell me something new. What's really strange is how much modern consoles are becoming more and more like the PC. Shoot, all they need now is a mouse and keyboard interface and the total transformation will be complete. But ten years ago, 2003, let's see. I had a Pentium 4 2.4 gHz rig powered by a Geforce 4200. Doom3, FarCry, and Railroad Tycoon 3 loomed on the horizon. It was an exciting time to be a gamer.
 

8. Boards of Canada: Trans Canada Highway on CD

I can never get enough of this duo, two brothers who migrated from Scotland to Canada and took old music from 1970's TV documentaries and resampled it with synthesizers and serious drum and bass. This music always takes me back to Saturday morning cartoons, the ponds and woods of my grandparents' farm in Indiana, and the splendor of being a kid in the '70's. These two guys simply nailed that bittersweet nostalgia for me quite unlike anything else has. Give them a listen on Youtube. Look up "Heard from Telegraph Lines" and try not to think about Kindergarten and milk and cookies, and sunshine streaming in broken sunbeams through tree branches.

9. Magic: The Gathering-Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 on PC
I've been a fan of Magic: The Gathering since 1995 when I was introduced to it. And getting to play this game on the pc is like getting to play against a 24/7 buddy, except you can play in your pajamas! The only thing I don't like about the game is not being able to build decks from scratch, but this is a fun series, and if you can't find people to play with this serves as a great standby. Beating an opponent is no small feat, and always feels like an accomplishment.

Edward's May 2013 Mix

    

Aha! And you thought May was going to get away without my monthly mix post? No way, Jose! Still enjoying the new mighty machine atop my desk. Loving the Steelseries cans. I've recently added a Creative SoundBlaster Z board, and as I mentioned in last month's post, I anticipated the sound was going to be incredible and it is truly amazing! Microsoft and Sony are leaking out (and proudly pronouncing) specs for their new consoles coming out at the end of the year. It's wonderful to be able to sigh and gloat in the fact the two consoles' hardware specs still won't touch my PC. Microsoft's big hook is, guess what? You can access Skype on your Xbox One! I've been doing that on my PC since 2003. Ah well, I know I'm personally prejudiced, but seriously, will you be able to play Rome: Total War 2 on any console? Battlefield 3 with 64 man servers? How about all of those mods for Skyrim and FarCry 3? Just goes to show, there's still no comparison.
     It's been a quite busy month, tons of games, and I've been watching the telly, (for a change.) All of this, despite the incredible amount of work to get my novel to fruition. Oh well, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!
    

1. About Schmitt on DVD

When Warren Schmitt (Jack Nicholson) retires and looks forward to the "next chapter" of his life by traveling around with his wife in their new Winnebago, his plans go awry when she immediately passes away. He attempts a life of normalcy at home, but decides it's too difficult. He drives out to his daughter's in Denver to attend her wedding (and convince her she's marrying the wrong man.) He meets with several mini-misadventures along the way and confides them all in letters to a six year old Tanzanian boy he's sponsoring in a Feed the Hungry program. His portrayal of a man obsessed with orderliness and routine whose life is suddenly everything but, is spot on. And as he looks back on his life he thinks he's the same mere common star stuff we're all made of, nothing really significant; he will leave the world without leaving his footprint in it. But then something happens to make him realize he has made a difference, much more than he could imagine. This bittersweet comedy is one of Jack's best.

2. Lost 1st Season on Blu-ray

I've finally traveled back to that lost island near the equator that is so reminiscent of an adult version of Gilligan's Island. I'm still in the first season, I'm slow I realize, but each episode is a real treat. I'm extending it out for as long as I can. Strange things are happening: Said has been conked on the head and captured by the lost French woman, we discover the Korean woman speaks fluent English, and Sawyer is coming around as not only a conman and a conniver, but also a man with a heart. The Blu-ray looks beautiful, and commercial free makes it even moreso.

3. Placebo Once More with Feeling -- Singles 1996-2004 on CD

I didn't discover Placebo (actually Brian Molko "guesting" on The Alpine Stars) until I heard a song on a PC game I was playing, Test Drive Unlimited. There I was, cruising in my Saturn Sky convertible trekking through rural roads in Oahu, the shadows of the trees gracing the cool pavement ahead of me and this song came on, sung by Molko. It was called "Carbon Kid" and it was so fitting for that game. I researched it and discovered Placebo. Amazing a trio can capture this much angst, dissatisfaction, and depression with so much energy. Shoot, this album depicts feeling down as something fun! And there is true profundity in such things as "Special Needs" and "Every You Every Me."

4. Mass Effect 2 on PC

I finished the original Mass Effect way back in 2009. I was discouraged to try out ME2 because since it had been so long I thought I was going to have to replay the first one just to get caught up to speed. Fortunately, this game's intro refreshed my entry rather elegantly, and now here I am again, lost in this wonderful and exciting universe poised to try to save Earth again. The environments are so dazzling I play this game with the lights off, despite the high resolution of my HDMI monitor, and the NPC's in this game have more personality than, well, probably any other game I've ever played. Who needs to go to Hollywood to become a movie star? Play this game, and you'll feel like you're outshining anything Tinsel town has ever produced. I'm serious.

5. Sid Meier's Railroads on PC

Sid Meier and Firaxis Games tantalized us back in 2006 with what seemed to be a beautiful sequel to Railroad Tycoon 3. The release proved to be a failure. They took the appeal of RRT3 and dumbed it down to appeal to the more casual gamer. And now there will probably never be a Railroad Tycoon 4. Still, I played through this game and enjoyed it. I'm running through another play through and having just as much fun. I'm disappointed in that the game came out in 2006 (it was actually released just after Windows Vista) and yet the game wouldn't work on Vista at all. That's inexcusable. It is, however, running on my Windows 7 system, albeit with occasional crashes to the desktop.  

6. Battlefield 3 on PC

You always hear me extolling the virtues and my amorous love for Battlefield 2. Well, Dr. Ruth once said a man only falls in love one time in his life. I think she lied. I've traded in BF2 for the newer and younger BF3 and I'm not looking back now. The last week of May rewarded players with double XP, and I've taken full advantage. I'm now a Major (level 43) and I worked up through 4 ranks in two days. That's pretty intense, if I say so myself. My kill/death ratio still sucks eggs, just like it did in BF2, but my weapon accuracy is accurate than most, so I guess that's something to write home about. BF4 will be out for Christmas, of course EA is already bragging about its release for the consoles. (How irksome--the Battlefield series was born and raised on the PC). But if BF4 is anything like BF3 I may just become a polygamist.

7. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I put off beginning this series for a long time. I'll admit I was a little bit intimidated by the series' length, but man oh man, this is great stuff! I'm surprised at how engaging Martin's writing is. I'm not a big fantasy fan, but of course I've read TLOR. I mean, it IS basically the shrine for any fantasy fan. But I think this series may just have it beat. Royal families deceiving each other to gain control on the eve of a terrible winter season that will last decades. There are so many characters in this book, and each chapter is told through the viewpoint of one of them, that I have to use a piece of notebook paper to keep tabs on everybody and their lineage, their squires, their servants, their stableboys, etc. But I've not been engrossed in a series like this since the first two books of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles.

8. Manny's Search by Edward C. Burton

Ah yes, after just mentioning A Game of Thrones I can now put away the huge limelight and break out my cheap boy scout camp flashlight with the el cheapo Eveready batteries in it. But hey, it is my book I created and I'm pretty proud of it. I've made all of the corrections, and my editor suggested I rewrite the last quarter of it, and guess what? She was right. It was a ton of work, and I think I must have worn off a few more letters from my keyboard, but I feel so much more confident with it now. I just ordered another published proof from Amazon. Hopefully, this one will be ready to fly and next month I can begin selling. Fingers crossed.

9. The Munsters 1st Season on Netflix

This show came out in 1964 and I remember watching it in syndication a few short years later. Gee, I'm really dating myself here. But it exuded a certain charm to it I still find appealing to this day, despite its camp. I thought Yvonne De Carlo who played Lily was to die for even back then. Hard to believe she was actually a year older than Grandpa Munster, but still played his daughter. And on another trivial note, the house used as their homeplace of 1313 Mockingbird Lane still exists. And you've seen it! It was featured on nearly every episode of Desperate Housewives.

10. Amnesia - The Dark Descent on PC

I recently finished Doom 3 on a fluke. I was just wanting to see how it held up on a modern system being that when it came out in 2004 it pushed such technological envelopes. It holds up nicely. The game's sound design (and the immersion it encases you with on a good 5.1 surround sound speaker system) is nothing short of remarkable. Of course I had to cheat through some of it. Ugh! Hate when I do that, but I've talked to a few people recently about a survival horror game called Descent - The Dark Descent, and only one of them was able to finish it. It's supposedly that scary. I've started it; I'm about three hours into it, and yes, I've got to admit, the hair on the back of my neck and the goosebumps have flourished a few times. I haven't jumped out of my chair yet, (not done that since System Shock 2, actually) but they tell me that moment's coming. I picked up the game on a really cheap Steam sale. Add it to your wishlist and you do the same when it goes on sale again. Then we can tease each other about finishing it.

Edward's April 2013 Mix

Still enjoying the new mighty machine atop my desk. Just picked up a set of Steelseries Siberia V2 headphones. What an amazing pair of cans! I'm using the onboard Realtek sound chip which is . . . hmmm, okay. But my next acquisition will be a Creative Z board. I'm just too much of an audiophile to not have a discrete sound card. Not being disrespectful to those of you who think sound is sound, to my discerning ears, yes, there is a massive difference. I remember installing an X-Fi card and getting accused of cheating in Battlefield 2. I heard my enemy's footprints in leaves, behind a building. I realized then and there I truly had a legitimate advantage. Finished a few games this past month that tested my tolerance and toyed with my patience. Portal, Mirror's Edge, and Titan Quest. All of these games were more difficult than they had a right to be. But then maybe it's just me. Maybe I really don't have any natural ability to be a gamer. Could I be the victim of a life misspent? Maybe so, but I'll fake it to my last breath. Can't stop now, been doing it too long, since 1989. But I mean, come on, 100 hours into Titan Quest, get to the final boss and he one shots me and my elemental? That's supposed to be fun? That's not even a challenge. That game is going on eBay. I don't even want it in the house anymore. And Mirror's Edge, yes it was fun, but there are some levels I loaded 30 times to get through. I'm either crazy or a masochist. Both? Okay, on to the good stuff for this month:

1. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy 

Last year I read The Road by McCarthy and in my review said it would break your heart. Well, I'm paraphrasing here from my own review on Shelfari, but Blood Meridian has to be the cruelest book I've ever read. And this is no Clive Barker Books of Blood goo, this is harsh black writing that floats down as light as a feather and settles into your stomach like a farrier's anvil. It's a rare thing that I'm so put off by a novel that I stop reading it, but in this book I came close. There are moments I had to close the book and take a look around me as if I was looking around the room laying claim to my own sanity. A band of cowboys ride down to Mexico to loot, pillage, and scalp Apache indians. Sounds like the stuff of a 1950's Saturday serial. Despite McCarthy’s poetic, dark and dismal tone, this book is fatally fascinating. And now I can't help myself. I want to read more of Cormac McCarthy.   

2. Homefront on PC

This was a very short romp put out by THQ a few years ago. I picked it up at Half Price Books some time ago, and just got around to playing it. Penned by the same man who wrote the original 90's cult film, Red Dawn and Apocalypse Now, this game had a great storyline. Unfortunately, that may have been its most disconcerting attribute. I never felt like I was playing this game so much as I was being led by the hand to see a great and terrible tour of a North Korean invasion of our American homeland. I'm not saying this is a bad thing; I'm not sure I would want every new title from this point forward to be this kind of game, but it was interesting nonetheless. I have heard that The Walking Dead game is portrayed the same way. Yet it involves a fair amount of soul searching and grave decision making. It's an interesting mechanic and I'll keep my eyes open for more of this type of gameplay.  

3. Mirror's Edge on PC

I picked this game up way back in 2009. Running it on my Intel E7200 with its (at the time) uber 9800GT card I couldn't even use PhysX because it turned the game into a slide show. I recently reinstalled it on my new rig and 1080p. The difference was totally remarkable. I get accused of saying every game I play is the most gorgeous game I've ever played up to that point. In that defense I will say this much: this game has the cleanest, brightest, clinically perfect geometry I've seen in any game. Ever. It's a short game that can easily be played over a couple of evenings that involves a girl who uses parkour to send messages and thwart an Orwellian neo government that is way too corporate for its own good. Oddly, this game feels like a blend of Final Fantasy (at least the 2006 movie) and a pinch of Cameron Crowe's excellent Vanilla Sky.

 

4. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

 

I'm about to embark on a great crusade, that is, begin this serial tome that purists say rivals Tolkien's revered Lord of the Rings. We shall see. I have not watched the HBO series, nor will I probably, especially while reading the books. This book had a hand in the story of Bioware's Dragon Age. The first book alone is 800 pages plus. I can't wait to dig in.

 

5. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho on Blu-Ray

 

Lauded by many to be the scariest movie ever made, I can see it. And with this perfect transfer to Blu-Ray I can see it at nothing less than perfect. At the expense of sounding almost arrogant, this movie was the original master all horror movies have since been cut from, and sadly, not very well. This movie was the original splatter movie less the blood, sex and gore. Yet, if you watch it you'll swear you saw all of these elements (which have since become worn clichés.)  But all of this is trite compared to the real reason this movie is so horrifying. It was so easy to watch a Universal Dracula or Wolfman movie and implement an almost "keystone caper-esque" mindset in how fantastic and unreal these movies were. Psycho shattered that mindset. It ruined us in a sense. Norman Bates could have been any one of our neighbors. A simple shower skewered our imaginations afterwards.

 

6. Battlefield 3 on PC

 

On my deathbed when I look back at the hours, days, and minutes I spent on Battlefield 2 I will probably shed one last tear. It's one of the few games I ever preordered. And it was the first game I bought on DVD. It's my 2nd most hours played game on X-fire. Any regrets? Nope. I loved the game. It's one of my top favorite games of all time, and probably always will be. But now, BF3 steps in to take its place on my new rig. The first weekend I played it I hammered out 35 hours. This level of commitment frightens me. Could it surpass my passion for Battlefield 2? I don't know. With EA shoving Battlefield 4 promos and ads down our throats I may be kidding myself trying to max out ranks/achievements in BF3, but then, hey, that's what I get for showing up so late. My old rig just couldn't run it. Well, okay, had I turned the graphics settings down, but you already know I just don't do that. And speaking of, this game in all its glorious muddy, runny, gritty graphics looks amazing at 1080p. Coming back to Wake Island and Karkand was like being the prodigal son showing up at the park pavilion right at the moment the family reunion cleanup commences. But it's okay. I'll be playing for a while, and this time, when Battlefield 4 comes out I'll be the first one in the serving line.

 

7. Knights of the Old Republic on PC

 

I tried to play this when it came out years ago, but got bored, misguided, frustrated, etc. Former Computer Gaming World editor, Jeff Green cited this game as the best RPG ever made. I've decided to give it another go on my laptop. Interestingly, it runs great on my i5 processor fitted laptop with integrated graphics. I'm (for once) playing an evil character, a Sith Consular, a dark crust of a man who specializes in chokeholds and mentally throwing victims against walls and ceilings. Ah, good stuff. I'm at level 4 so the fun is just beginning. I have one problem, however. I'm finding it hard as hell to be a bad guy. It just goes against my grain. Who would have known games can bring out our very cores?

 

8. Computer Games Magazine 2002

 

Revisiting these great old magazines that kindle a sense of nostalgia in me (unless you count my shelves full of old PC games) quite like nothing else can. 2002 was a great year, Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic, Rome Total War and Blizzard's World of Warcraft were all announced. I was utilizing a Pentium 4 1.8 gHz to ply my craft of murder and mayhem on the virtual fields and halls of my FPS's at this time. And what a glorious time it was.