Right second review of three, maybe four, fallout 3. Now anyone who knows my top 5 games list would know fallout is in there in fairly high up. I adored fallout 1 and 2, i enjoyed tactics. Apparently there was another one but i don’t know if that’s good; by the box cover I’d say it was shite.

For years we have been teased by the potential of a Fallout 3. Constant changing of hands, starting out and falling through. Then suddenly a ray of hope, ‘Bethesda’. The creators of such classics as Morrowind and Oblivion. I was concerned since they have never made a top down rpg before but what the heck they could do it well. Then came the first screen shots; they looked like a futuristic Oblivion. Dismay!

Playing the game and it is just a futuristic Oblivion with ideas borrowed from the previous Fallout games. The VACS system, the setting, the character generation and levelling system. This was expected you can’t change these things, but they missed what made Fallout a truly great game. Fallout had a certain charm to it, where the story line could take a back seat and most of the time you were off fannying around becoming a porn star or trading some homeless people into slavery. However in the new one you kinda can do side quests but they’ve gone from being unending amounts of fun to being ‘oblivion quests’. By that i mean you have an arrow pointing you to your location, straight forward obvious things.

This game really feels like that annoying cousin that each family has. That person who was younger than you and always copied you. Whatever you liked he liked, where you went he went etc.. Always the cheap imitation. Good but not brilliant.

Oblivion suffers from the same copy cat problem. It’s like they thought ‘hey we’ve got to release a game lets copy lord of the rings.’ Lets make it feel like a classic like Baldur’s Gate but lets just forget the best bits about character development and overall brilliance of dialogue. Oh and get some better voice actors and more of them. In Baldur’s Gate people generally had a different voice. Sometimes they would overlap but rarely would you get sick of walking through town.

But enough about that game lets go back to Fallout. The game was enjoyable, the graphics pretty to look at. All in all i enjoyed it and i was glad i played it.

I give it a generous 7/10.

It would of been an 8 if not for the terrible handling of the ending. Far to short and you cant even carry on playing the side quests afterwards.

So i thought I’d get past this drought with some actual substance and bring you my first game review.

I went into this game with mixed feelings, on one hand the reviews and released preview graphics looks sweet but I’ve been fooled before and this could be fairly repetitive but all these fears were alleviated when the start up movie played.

True to C+C form i get to watch a live action video instead of a cut scene and immediately I’m greeted with the familiar faces of Tim Curry and Peter Stormare, both generally bring a smile to my face. quality of the videos is generally high only let down by the fact that the acting feels a little forced, but that could be down to their choice of some of the actors and especially actresses who i will reveal later. After the Russians and their shenanigans it plays a video basically there to showcase the Japanese units and it does well. First thing i wanted to do was start the Japanese campaign and play with some of those awesome looking machines. Well after playing the tutorial of course.

The tutorial itself was essentially as i expected; the same information as always but this time given to you by three tanks, one from each faction, with a healthy slice of slap stick comedy which brightened up the tedium.

Then came the campaign mode, I go straight for the Empire of the Rising Sun to be told that it would be best if i played the Russians first. Fuck that, the Japanese were the reason for me getting this game. While i do enjoy C+C they can get quite samey for me but the anime inspired units were to much to pass on. So i ignored this warning and went straight in. I was then talked to by a very familiar face, the face of George Takai, one of my favourite actors.

That’s another thing worth mentioning the pre mission reviews and cut scenes are all set like they are talking to you which i absolutely adore. Things like that really boost the immersion factor which is very very important to me. I love having the feel that i am actually the commander and I’m in the same universe as all these funny characters.

Another new addition is the fact that each mission is made for co-op play, which is a rare sight in today’s games. If you don’t have a friend to play with or don’t want to risk playing with a retard on smack you get a computer player as your wing-man. Each has a unique personality and actor as do your opponents in each mission, added to the immersion as well. Each time you start a mission your ally introduces themselves and gibbers for a bit, which is nice, and later on your enemy will call you up just to have a go at you. I’m sure they wouldn’t do that in real war, which is a shame, i could just see Hitler phoning up Churchill to say ‘You schiss kopf you’ve destroyed my battleships I’ll get you next time gadget!’ or something to that effect.

Through out the game as the Japanese you get the lovely Kelly Hu chatting to you as your information officer while playing as the Allied forces you get the not quite so lovely Gemma Atkinson of Hollyoakes fame. Not sure who the Russians get as i haven’t had the inclination to play as them.

The game itself is enjoyable, gameplay is classic C+C, hard to really improve on it. These sequels are just graphical, story and unit upgrades to be honest. Which is fine; wish some other developers would understand that their game works and to stop fucking with it.

All in all the game is very enjoyable; I’m having a couple of bug problems with it that have hindered my game play. Funny storyline, awesome units, good innovations.

This game is a good 8/10

Oh and the shitty actors in this are: Gemma Atkinson (surprise fucking surprise), Gina Carono who plays Natasha and Jenny McCarthy who plays Tanya. These three annoyed me with their shitty acting and forced actions. Also to a lesser extent Jonathan Price who plays Field Marshall Robert Bingham but he wasn’t to bad. Just look out for the ‘God Speed’ it made me cringe.

So i’ve been dry for weeks, couldn’t write or draw or design a god damn thing. I’m two joints in and the work is screaming off my fingers. My mouse is smoking and the keys are melting.

It’s great, now all i have to do is try to get everything and then some done before i run out.

So i’ve got a plate full of design work, art work to get done and framed and daily blogs to write. And here i sit with absolutely no inspiration. Its horrible i can stare at a blank white page, or a blank blog box or even a half done picture and cannot think of any way to get past it.

I’ve tried raising my heart rate, getting the blood going but then what i think of then isn’t really applicable.

So firstly this is an apology for not posting much, been ‘busy’.

Things to complain about today, aside from the inspirationlessness, i feel disconnected from everything. That might sound like an obvious thing to say by the guy who spends most of his time in his house but bear with me. Firstly people generally tell me things, what’s been going on in their lives, what they’ve read or seen etc. I can also then overlay these things with what others say to get a kinda net of information. But people haven’t been around lately. Be it university, new girlfriend or whatever. It’s a little disconcerting.

This feeling is also reinforced by the fact i can’t find something i want. I’m being ambiguous on purpose. Back in the day i could, wouldn’t need anyone else’s help, and now i rely on others to much it would seem because they came up empty and i go without.

I don’t like being disconnected, i like knowing whats going on. I need to get out more, i need get the city back under my feet. But as far as i know there isn’t anything happening to justify it and i don’t particularly want to idle around town.

Advancements in technology is great, we can now call from pc to pc, talk to each other from miles away. Well it’s great when it fucking works. I’ve spent the better part of my night going through VoIP software trying to get one of the wankers to work. Skype is being a cunt, teamspeak is a fickle whore, msn has volume and artefact issues and this new one i installed….gizmo is just broken.

The thing is i cant figure out why, maybe the internet is just having a dick moment. A little hissy fit against all the retards who abuse her fine abilities.

It makes me think about how we often rely on these things and when they dont work we are stuck without an viable alternative. I mean i could just phone someone but that costs money.

Fuck, i cant think of a good ending. Too much on my mind, might go into that tomorrow if I can handle the pronoun game.

I was intending on writing something about feeling abandoned and left behind, but i reconsidered the idea; i would only be pissing out my ass anyway. What i do feel like writing about now though is betrayal. Now for all you reading this, this isn’t about any of you, or at least i severely doubt the one who it’s about is reading. I’ve been mulling this article over for a few days in my head, it’s a response to something about trust i read, or maybe a homage to the writer, or even something to show them they are not alone; despite how they feel.

Now we’ve all had a moment or two where we’ve felt betrayed by a loved one or someone close to us; it’s just fucking life. People suck, move on; right? Well I’m not talking about those pissant little betrayals, those bread and butter differences of opinions that most feel. I’m talking about the big life changing, head fucking deceptions that leave you knocked on your ass wondering what the fuck hit you.

I’m talking about the father leaving his family, the child running away without good reason, the most loved family member turning on you for no reason, the person you’ve trusted for years and year who suddenly decided to run off with your girlfriend, your tractor and your trailer. Well the last one is generally reserved for the deep south, but who am i to exclude those poor bastards. Tragedies such as these really fuck you up, they affect you like no other thing possibly can. You find yourself empty, full of hate, devoid of the ability to trust anyone. Things that fucking matter in life. For instance, no son should ever grow up hating his father, no one should find themselves faced with prospect of a good life but unable to trust someone because of some other wanker’s need to have been a cunt earlier in your life. Why should we have to carry the burdens for their assfuckery? I bet you that these people don’t even think about the incident any more, but we have to. We need to. We can’t escape it. Whenever we close our eyes its there. It sits in the back of our mind, chipping away at our souls till there’s nothing left except hatred and darkness.

But it would be extremely remiss of me to not consider the other side of the argument, maybe they had a good reason. Maybe there were mitigating factors that we don’t know about. Maybe they had to do it. Maybe they couldn’t tell us why. Oh wait, fuck that, Anyone who tells me its easier to ruin someone instead of talking to them about something deserves having their private parts filleted and fed to them. And even then they have had plenty of chances to explain, not that it would have done much good but it would be nice to know why. To know what makes people tear families apart, abandon friends, to cause that irreparable hurt. Because not knowing hurts, i go through life believing that it was my fault. That it was something i did, something i could have changed if i had the chance, that possibility, that maybe always weighing down my mind.

The only consolation i can have is that in time my pain has dulled, been reduced by anger, tears and eventually apathy. I’ve begun to stop caring, slowly. When the memories come they have been reduced to a sharp ache instead of gut wrenching agony that leaves me screaming and gasping for air. Although they can still have a potency that surprises me. In that I’m lucky, some people don’t have that luxury, some people can’t be healed by time. They have to be shown to have faith in people again, you have to take time with them, you have to slowly coax them into the light once more before they can be saved from their pain. This in itself is simple but since people are generally bastards most peoples faith and trust problems have been compounded by assholes. People that abuse already hurting people are the worst we have to offer, they are snakes that can only survive on injured prey. They deserve the worst punishments we can give them. They deserve to hurt long and hard.

I end this on a more personal note. I hate the way he still makes me feel, i hate the fact i still love him. But most of all i hate that fact that he wont answer me the most simple of all questions; even when asked to his face. Why?

In lieu of a full article i shall download all the crap in my head for you.

Firstly did you know that 455,000 people are becoming unemployed a week in America. That’s a mind boggling number. I can’t imagine how they can carry on like that. Where the fuck are that many jobs going.

Secondly i found this on my Internet travels, Link. People will be up in arms about this i feel, but why? Surely this is a good thing, educate the little breeders young. ‘You follow Barbie down the path of superficiality, you too will end up pregnant by some empty headed jock.”

Next, link number two. I’ve been avoiding this election, those who know me from the old days will probably remember that elections get my journalistic meat gun quivering and have wondered why i’ve said nothing. Well this illustrates a good fucking reason. Anyone who thinks getting Barbara Streisand and Lindsay Lohan in to help their campaign needs to be shot. Quickly

Lastly, this. All i can muster here is WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY DOING.

Fucking money grabbing retards.

I love the way i can sit in my house all day and still hear everything that goes on. People report back like faithful spies. I sometimes know more about what’s going on than some of the people involved. In fact one of my favourite things to do is poke at the people i know more than at times like that.

I know, i know, it’s not nice but my god it’s so much fun. You just say little things that hint at a greater understanding and then acting clueless when they ask you about it. They think you know something but they can’t put their finger on it.

By far the greatest situation i find myself in is between two people. On person is totally smitten with the other but the other doesnt feel the same way. I then prod at the lovefool, and everytime they go on about how much they like them i fall off my chair laughing.

Some would call me mean and, to be honest, i would agree with them.

Just a quick post to link an article i read. Link

So people change, it’s natural. Things happen and people adapt, time moves on and people grow up What really gets on my tits is when people presume to change others. I don’t give a flying fuck if its for ‘the better’ or not. It always seems to be your partner who decides that this is a good thing to do. You know, the person who has actually chosen to be with you for the way you are. It’s like they’ve come to the conclusion that they could mould you into what they want. But surely you were what they wanted before? Maybe they grew and you didn’t but all i can say to that is find someone else; don’t change someone for your own gratification. And what the fuck is this ‘for the better’ shit, i mean what gives you the right or insight to know how a person would be better off. That’s just overbearing selfishness, people like that don’t deserve companionship or love.

It all boils down to manipulation, and that doesn’t fly well with the ‘big dog’. Why fuck about? If you want something from me ask for it, i can say yes or no. Either way thats the answer your going to have to live with. If you dick me about trying to get me to do it and i realise you’re going to find yourself in a massive pile of shit.

What im trying to say is love people for who they are and if you stop liking them for that, looks like you’ve stopped liking them. Move on and move up people.