Damned and Lost

I'm frickin' freezing, Mr. Bigglesworth!

It's cold in my house. It is apparently getting colder and colder this weekend. If I were a meteorologist, I would assume any dramatic change of weather would be the end of days. To quote my friend Paul, "Al Gore is a fraud. There is no global warming."

My body also aches all over. While, sure, some of that could be attributed to just being old, I don't think that is the full case. For starters, it just really started today. I would think it would be a gradual thing if it was normal wear and tear. I think my body is fighting something. I don't know if it is a flu or not. I am still pretty active, and not really lethargic, except for the idiocy to not sleep on a regular schedule. I'm not nauseous, much. There are occasional bouts of upset tummy, but nothing producing anything. Most of it just comes down to not focusing on it. I think it is trial of willpower.

Everyone seems to want me to play Dragon Age: Origins. Next to Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age seems to be the RPG people are talking about. My biggest problem is that I don't really dedicate time to playing many games. Dragon Age is up my alley, with the whole fantasy aspect were decisions actually have consequences. The company that made it, Bioware, has a track record for allowing choices to be made that effect the story and/or game-play of the video game. I played their original RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on the original Xbox. It is a great game, so I am not surprised that Dragon Age isn't also awesome.

I spend way too much time learning about video games than actually playing them. I am probably a scholar of it at this point. I have no practical knowledge of the product, but I know what everyone else tells me. That can probably be about many things concerning me. I typically listen to 2 podcasts a week dedicated to video games. I even read a magazine or 2 a month on the subject. That doesn't count the websites I check for news on nearly a daily basis. I probably put more work into learning about video games than I do leaning about comics.

I more than likely follow video games as a hobby instead of comics because comics are my job. Video games are escapism for me. There is only so much comic rumors I can take. Just like wrestling, I usually can tell what path the comic industry will take, but I will follow it regardless of what happens. With video games, options open up. With such a significant price tag attached, as well as time committed to playing the game, a lot gets invested by the consumer.

right now, there are about a dozen or so game I would like to be playing. right now, though, I am settling for Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City. It is a disc version of the downloadable content available for the original game GTA4. I am currently going through The Lost And The Damned, where I take the role of the second in command of a biker gang. I have only played for a little while, but it interesting how the gangs story happens at the same time as the original GTA4's protagonist's, Nico, does.

I never even beat the original GTA4 game. I asked for GTA4: Episodes from Liberty City for Christmas, and it was the only game I got. I am playing it before I get something else, like Dragon Age.

Videowrestling

Someone said I don't post here often. I would have to agree.

I need some time away from moving pictures at the moment. So, for the moment, I am listening to a gaming podcast while attempting to write something. I was playing Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360. It's a lot of fun. Probably the best $30 I spent recently. I finished up a game called Beyond Oasis, which I started just to grab an achievement. It's sort of like Zelda in that it is an action adventure game with a fantasy theme. Parts of it were frustrating in that they didn't really show you where to go. I did a lot of backtracking and roaming around. It was fun, but easy at the end.

I have been in a wrestling mood lately. It started a couple weeks ago leading up the Wrestlemania. My friend, Ken, came down from NYC to go to a wrestling show here in Philly. Granted, Ken is originally from Philly, but a live show with a respectable price at the old ECW Arena is rather enticing. Ken and I were joined by a third, John. Ring of Honor snagged a recent television deal, and we just happened to be on the second night of a two part TV taping. Lot of action and a lot of fun. No slow points.

Other than that, I really want to pick up Samckdown vs. Raw 2009, to link both the videogame stuff with the wrestling stuff. They just released more downloadable content for it too. Before the extra content was a couple current "superstars". The current addition is more retro. When the list of new wrestlers includes Doink the Clown, it's almost a must buy.

I really didn't do much this Saturday. I played some games, watched friday's Samckdown because I missed it do to "Out Drinking", and generally just sat around. I didn't really have anywhere to go that wouldn't suck the money from my wallet. I had enough sucked out today due to car insurance.

Braid

I have been playing Braid lately. It's a game that is you can via the Xbox Live Marketplace. It made some recent news headlines throughout the videogame industry. apparently, people didn't like it's price point.

I originally played the free trial. Xbox 360 is having a special promotion called the Summer of Arcade, or some-such. Basically, they are releasing a high-profile game every week for 5 weeks. The first was Geometry Wars 2, which is good and received some critical acclaim. Braid hit the second week. People (i.e. reviewers and gamer-snobs) loved it when they saw it at E3 and other expos. There came an uproar when to purchase the entire game, it costs $15. Most arcade titles are about $10.

I bought it. I don't regret my decision. In fact, I even made a trip to Gamestop specifically to get the micro points needed. Micro points are the currency for the Xbox Marketplace. Mathematically, every 400 points is equivalent to $5. I also picked up Soul Caliber 4 and pre-ordered Fable 2, but they are stories for another time.

Still, Braid is beautiful. I wanted to play it because I wanted to be entered into the Summer of Arcade contest. If I download and at least play the trial version of all the games listed, I have the chance for a sweet prize pack, including an Xbox Elite system and 100,000 micro points. The gameplay for Braid is a platformer with puzzle elements. Every level manipulates time in a certain way. You can't die, and instead rewind time to before you died. The level design has obvious influences. One is even patterned on the original Donkey Kong. All of the backgrounds look like a watercolor painting. I think one of the main reasons I bought it was just to see all the different art elements.

As of now, I have not finished it. It frustrated me for a while. The puzzles can definitely be tricky. If you think the ledge looks just out of reach, it probably is, but there may be a way to it somehow. Trying to figure out the importance of every object on a level can be arduous. I completed the first level with little problem, but can't seem to figure out some of the second. It has a level of difficulty that will challenge anyone who enjoys stretching there mental limits.

I would definitly say everyone should give it a try. A free trial wouldn't hurt. I played through the trial as much as I could. It is certainly something to break-up the typical kill frenzy I deal with in most games I play.

Braid - Game Detail Page