Video Game Review: Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation

PlayStation 3

Like other long suffering fans of the Alien franchise, I too have been longing for a decent video game adaptation of the series to hit home consoles. The only Alien game I have ever played and truly enjoyed was Alien Trilogy for the Sega Saturn, and that was released somewhere in the area of twenty years ago.

Ever since first catching whiff of this title through a Game Informer cover story, I have been looking forward to playing it. My initial impressions coming in were that this was going to be more of a sneaky, stealth based title where you evade the Alien as opposed to fighting it. And this for the most part was what I got. Did I like the game or not? Some facets of the game I thought were brilliant. Other gameplay mechanics left me very frustrated. Despite going back and forth on whether I was having a good time or not, now that I am through with the game I can say that it was for the most part a satisfying experience.

The story line isn't much to write home about. If you have ever played other first person games where you are trapped on a space station and have to go around reading and listening to crew logs, then this title does little to stand out. Based on the way the game started, I thought that the story was going to be one of the highlights of the game. But alas, it quickly devolved into nothing much more than moving around from point a to b to c to d, etc. I know that there was still story related stuff going on, as my character often held comm conversations with other characters off screen, but I tend to tune out what people are saying when they are talking while I am walking around and still playing the game.

Although the story line of the game is nothing fabulous, the atmosphere of the game is. The graphics are brilliant, sharp, and lifelike. The makers of the game did a terrific job creating some of the environments here. There is a ship in the game that has a layout which mirrors the Nostromo from the first Alien movie, and it is faithfully recreated in extreme detail. It is like the movie came alive and you are now walking around in it. Little personal touches make the game seem even more lifelike. I enjoy seeing things like half eaten meals, family pictures, ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts, and personal decorations scattered all over the game. It gives the environment so much character and lends a very specific feel of authenticity to the things going on around you.

The game's soundtrack is authentic to the original movie. If you are familiar with the film, you will be hearing quite a few tunes pulled straight from the movie. The music always correlates to what is going on in the game. In high pressure situations, the intensity is revved up. When things are chill and you are just kind of walking around, it tends to be a little more quiet. Couple immersive music and sound effects with the game's stunning graphical design, and you have one very impressive environmental experience on your hands. I can say nothing bad about this aspect of Alien: Isolation. I must say, the game sure looks and sounds the part.

But what good is such a great, immersive environment if the game itself isn't any fun to play? This is where I struggled with the game for the most part.

The majority of the stages in the game revolve around sneaking around and avoiding combat. Scattered throughout the game are androids, which as you should know from the movies can sometimes be very bad. There are some areas in the game where the androids ignore you and go about their work, but for the most part you want to stay away from them as they are liable to attack you at any time. Be on the lookout for human scavengers as well. Stealth is the preferred option when dealing with your foes, but even though this is not a combat oriented game, sometimes you have to fight.

Conventional attacks in the game are quite ineffective. Your default attack involves you swinging a wrench at your opponent. Effective against human foes, but useless against androids or the Alien. As you proceed in the game, you do discover weapons like a handgun and a shotgun, but ammo is very sparse. The key to survival in this game is crafting items to help you along your way. You can craft molotov cocktails, EMP grenades, shrapnel bombs, noisemakers, health items, and many other things.

For the most part however, you will find yourself sneaking around and avoiding combat situations. Anyone who has played a game with stealth elements should have an easy time picking up on things. Walk slowly or crouch to avoid making noise. Stay out of your enemy's line of sight. Avoid cameras. Hide in lockers. Create distractions to pull your enemy away from you. I have no problem with the stealth element when it comes to dealing with human or android foes. The main thing that irritated me about this game was your interaction with the Alien itself.

On paper it sounds like a great idea. Lay low, keep quiet as you sneak through a dark science station in outer space. An Alien is stalking you, and you must avoid it as you progress through the game. You don't have the proper weapons to kill or harm the Alien, so you must hide from it or shake it off of your trail when the opportunity arises. Sounds fun right? An exciting little cat and mouse chase to keep you on your toes. But the execution of the idea fell a little flat for me.

The Alien can't be killed or harmed. If it sees you, you are automatically dead because there is no getting away from it once it has you in its sights. Later on in the game you pick up a flamethrower that forces the Alien to retreat, but for the vast majority of the game you don't have this luxury at your convenience. So you have to be extra careful that you avoid the Alien and hide properly at all costs.

But a lot of times, the game doesn't let you hide properly. You will be walking along, minding your own business when all of a sudden the Alien appears out of nowhere and sees you. You are dead, with no warning whatsoever. You have a radar in this game that detects the Alien's movements, but a lot of times it is hard to read. It will show an Alien in the next room, but the next room will be empty. So that means it is in the vents above you and could drop down at any time. But then at other times, there will be nothing on the radar and the Alien will drop down from a vent and see you immediately. Bam, you are dead. Or you will be walking down a corridor and there is nothing on radar. You come to an intersection, turn the corner and guess what - there is the Alien. And you are dead. Many times the coast will be clear, so you will start working on hacking a computer or opening a door panel. The Alien just LOVES entering the room unexpectedly when you are doing these things. It takes too long to back out of what you are doing. By the time you do, it has seen you and you are done for.

So my problem was the (at times) ridiculously unfair AI in the game. You could do everything right and still find yourself in a situation where there is no escaping the Alien. I suppose some people will say that this adds to the tension and atmosphere of the game... makes it more unpredictable and exciting. I mean, I guess that's true. It makes you fear that damn Alien so much more. But I just found it very unfair at points. Especially when there is a long gap between save points and you die and have to replay the last twenty minutes over again. It is too random luck based, is what I am trying to say. Sometimes the Alien hounds you and won't leave you the frack alone, other times you hardly see it.

When you do see the Alien coming and it hasn't spotted you yet, the best thing to do is to hide. There are lots of lockers and cabinets to hide in. When you are in a locker, make sure you withdraw as far back into the locker as you can. If the Alien walks by, it can hear you breathing. So there is a button to hold your breath. Holding your breath drains your health, which is supremely annoying. But losing a little health is better than the Alien finding you and ripping your innards out. When hiding, also be sure to put the handheld radar away as the Alien can hear it.

The idea is to hide until the Alien leaves the area or goes up into the vents. Then you can come out and explore the area. Again, this is where the game gets annoying sometimes because you can find yourself camping out in lockers for a long time waiting for that stupid thing to go away. Or it will go away but immediately come back as soon as you emerge from hiding. This can be VERY annoying, especially if you have just wasted a lot of time evading it.

This is my main problem with the game. I thought it was a fantastic idea, but the execution of this idea was not perfected by any stretch of the imagination. My interactions with the Alien left me more frustrated and angry than exhilarated. Lots of trial and error while running through these levels. Lots of random luck involved. Expect to die a lot. A LOT.

And that is why I struggle with how to grade my experience with the game. Phenomenal presentation, visuals, environment, sound. An extremely immersive and detailed atmosphere. Truly top notch in every technical aspect. But it was just a bit too frustrating at times. There was a span of about two or three weeks where I didn't play the game at all because I was dreading picking it up. There is a lot of walking around and backtracking in the game. A lot of frustrating random deaths. The story line - hell I don't even really remember what was going on and I just finished the game. I was only along for the ride.

But now that I am over with it I think back on it fondly. Which is odd because I didn't always have a great time with the game. I realize that this could have been a lot better, but if you are a big time Alien fan this is probably the closest you will come to that authentic Alien experience on a video game console. The game itself has a lot of flaws, but as an experience it is pretty darn cool. I can't see myself giving it a B or higher, and it is definitely not D material. Anywhere in the C range would probably work. So I'll take the safe route here.

Overall:

C

Special Guest Video Game Review: Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross

PlayStation

Greetings one and all, Almightywisk here to bring that sweet video game lovin' to your brainholes and review one of my favorite games I recently played: Chrono Cross. This will be a special review as this game along with its predecessor are close to my heart. I played this game before I knew what Chrono Trigger was, which goes to show that you can truly enjoy this game without knowledge of the first game. But knowing the little easter eggs and what happened before this game helps.

The days before Square Enix, this game was released under the Squaresoft company. Squaresoft was the company I loved, most of my memories are from Square's titles, and Chrono Cross is no different.

I played this game with an old friend, he loved watching me play these 1 players games. I loved watching him play, so it worked out well. There was a point where I played this game for nearly 24 hours straight one weekend. My mom was out of town and I hooked up the PlayStation to the 45 inch TV and I was just in heaven.

The game wasn't marketed well in the U.S. like all diamonds in the rough. Barely a million units shipped on initial release, but eventually the game still earned that ugly but coveted greatest hits sticker. The game was beloved by reviewers, Gamespot itself gave it a perfect 10, and only a handful of games have reached that status. Well let's review then shall we?

This game is the perfect example of the snowball effect. The game begins with you playing as Serge, a silent protagonist (big surprise) in a small fishing town with your girlfriend and a pink talking dog with a serious lisp. The game knows you're new, so the first area eases you into a rich, detailed but easy to use battle system. The battle system is nice - you have 7 stamina and 3 attacks; Low, medium and high - each with a percentage to hit. When you land a hit it optimizes which one you should do next and raises the percentage for harder hits. Low hits are 1 stamina, medium hits are 2, and hard hits are 3. So you can low hit 7 times, medium hit 3 times and use a low etc. etc. I assume Dan will put in a good picture describing how this looks.

With every attack you land, a grid fills up which is an element grid, which is this game's version of magic, and each use of an element takes 7 of your stamina. Now before you say "i'll just keep using attacks and then use my 1 stamina to cast a spell", wrong. You can go negative in stamina which is the equivalent of recharging or cooldowns, but fret not, for each attack a party member uses you gain one stamina back. So after 2 rounds of your party members using all 7 of their stamina, your main character has his back. It's a very balanced and fair system.

The story involves Serge and his travels through time and dimensions. After collecting some komodo dragon scales for his girlfriend he ends up at a beach and passes out. The adventure begins from here. He returns back to the village to find that no one recognizes him. He goes on a journey to find out why he's not recognized and ends up on the most epic quest that only a Square game can deliver.

The game plays smoothly between storylines, the dialogue and plot is rich and detailed, and the very best part about the dialogue is that it knows when to start and stop. You will not be weighed down by this very detailed storyline during your adventures, it's usually reserved until after you beat said area, or in towns.

 

Remember early I mentioned a pink talking dog with a lisp? It's a party member. That's right, along with 44 other playable characters. This game has something for everyone, you want to play with 6 foot tall living voodoo doll? No problem. You want to fight with a Luchador priest? Got you covered. Pirates? Fairies? Dragons? Plants? Shamans? Scientists? Aliens? All taken care of. Every character has a quirk or an accent that makes them unique and fun. Most have there own side plots or reason for traveling. The amount of characters can be summed up in one sentence, if there's a portrait next to their name, odds are they will join at one point or another. Maybe even some unexpected characters.

The music, oh my gravy boat full of gravy and butter sauce, the music in this game is to be truly appreciated. It is all done by the same gentleman who did all of Chrono Trigger's music, Xenogears, Final Fantasy V, and Secret of Mana. The game delivers and it delivers on another level in the music department. Every area is amazing, charasmatic and it makes you want more. Later in the game you hear it at it's finest with an electric version of the Marbule home theme which I've instructed Dan the man with a plan to put a link in here somewhere. The link to the song explains how the music is delivered and I needn't say anymore, this epic little diddy speaks for itself.

Here's your link, you filthy animal

The enemies and bosses, there's a lot to be improved on here, yes they are unique and fun, but the areas are limited to the same 3 or 4 monsters due to the size of said areas. Most are more of a nuisance than a challenge. There's no random battles, they are on the screen chasing you or waiting. Areas do get mundane quickly for a game that has gorgeous graphics. The dungeons and mountains are depressing and the scenery is ruined with polygonal monsters jumping around. Bosses are fun, unique and provide a nescessary challenge in the easily defeatable normal fights. The challenge of the bosses may actually be switching from mashing X to actually turning your brain back on and developing a tactic to win.

Dungeons and areas, big complaint here, they are either too short or too long. They try to make more time by adding easily solveable puzzles, and most game areas are dreary and depressing compared to the bright and colorful overworld. Most areas here you enjoy the bleak area for all of 2 minutes due to new enemies and a new place to explore, then you just hope to get through it. But the one thing that makes up for that pain is the story, the reason why you are there.

Let's discuss replay value. Chrono Trigger invented the New Game + which lets you start a new game while keeping all of your old items equipment, gold, and levels. Chrono Cross is no exception with the addition of  'Continue +' which to sum up without getting too in depth, lets you collect every character of the game and max your stats via multiple save files. Chrono Cross, just like Trigger, has multiple endings, New Game plus, and bonus enemies and bosses in an area called "The Bend of Time". Chrono Cross will give you 35+ Hours of storyline gameplay, and if you loved it like I did, even longer to get all the characters along with the best weapons and armor.

This game is an RPG players dream, perfect for those wanting to break the monotony of 'classic' JRPGs. Filled with fun, adventure, unique characters, a deep and rich story line and a high replay value, the bleak dungeons are worth that yawn just so you can figure out why people call you "Ghost Boy".

Overall: 

A-

2016 Movie Ranking Countdown: August

Nine movies watched in August, which is nearly as many watched as the last two months combined. This should make for an interesting competition for once. Which five of the nine movies will move on to my year end ranking? Let's find out.

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The first two Lord of the Rings movies have both advanced to my year end ranking, so this fact should bode well for Return of the King, generally regarded as the best LOTR film. However, this movie is up against stiffer competition than its predecessors.

I've always considered this to be one of the best films in the trilogy. I generally regard it as better than the Two Towers, but more on par with Fellowship of the Ring. Some years when I watch these films I like the original better, sometimes I prefer Return of the King. This was one of the years when I preferred the original. Heck, I may have even had a better time with The Two Towers. The problem is that I have seen these movies far too many times. Even though it has been several years since I've seen Return of the King, I still got bored and started playing around on my phone no more than an hour into the film.

Eventually I put the phone away and started paying closer attention, but by that point the movie was almost over and I had missed a big chunk in the middle of it because I wasn't paying attention (basically all the stuff with Aragorn recruiting the ghost army, and then the ensuing battle). The ending is still epic though, and I had a good time watching it. I strongly believe that the whole sequence with Frodo at Mt Doom battling Smeagol for control of the ring is one of the best scenes in movie history.

Still though, the movie is what, nearly three hours long? And I only paid attention for about half of it. Will that be good enough to advance it to my year end ranking? I don't know, and I won't know until I finish writing the rest of this post.

 

It really bothers me that it looks like the VVitch in the movie poster. I never noticed this until just now when looking for images of the DVD cover or original movie poster to put here. Luckily this will have no bearing on my thoughts for the film, which I wasn't a huge fan of.

I had heard that this was supposed to be one of the scariest "new" horror movies out there. I am not easily scared, so of course this immediately intrigued me. The movie certainly looks impressive with strong costumes and set pieces. It certainly looks and feels as if the Witch was actually filmed in the colonial days. I have to give it props for that. But as far as everything else goes, I was less than impressed.

My main problem was that I could barely understand anything that the characters were saying. Sure it is nice to be authentic to the time period as possible, so the accents are understandable, but it seemed like most of the characters, the dad in particular, were mumbling their way through the film. I was tempted to put subtitles on because nearly everything they were saying was so unclear. In retrospect I probably should have. I would have enjoyed the movie more if I could actually comprehend what the characters were actually saying.

Other than that, I didn't find the movie scary at all. It was built up as this big suspenseful movie. But I thought it was rather dull. I couldn't follow what was going on most of the time, and I thought the ending was quite dumb. I've read reviews where critics have showered praise on the movie, saying that the people who didn't understand or follow the film weren't intelligent enough to "get it".

I beg to differ. I am quite intelligent (well, somewhat intelligent anyway) and I didn't get it either. Could be because of my short attention span. More likely it was because I couldn't understand what the mumbling, heavily accented characters were saying throughout most of the film. I think this movie could have been really good. And maybe if I ever try it again I will like it the second time through. As of now however, I find it highly unlikely this will crack my top five for the month of August.

I haven't seen this movie in years, but I remember watching it at my old apartment on the east side and really loving it. With all of the things going on in the USA today - the police shootings, the racial inequality stories, the high tension level between whites and blacks - I figured that this movie would be good to watch and relevant to everything that has been happening lately.

It is still a very good movie, and still very relevant. Make a few tweaks, change some things here and there, and this film could just as easily have been made in 2016. A lot of the discussions these characters have, a lot of arguments the film raises, they are still very much active issues in today's world. In the eighteen years since this film was made, it is kind of sad to see that not much has changed.

Still though, it is a very thought provoking, well written movie. What really makes it go, however, is the acting. Great performances all around - in particular from its two main stars: the Edwards Furlong and Norton. But I was really surprised to see Avery Brooks in the movie. I loved him on Deep Space Nine and have always thought he was a tremendous actor. He was great here as well. It's a shame he never appeared in more things.

Great movie, and this should easily crack my top five for August.

This has been on my "to watch list" for years now but for some reason I never got around to it. Well, finally I did. I had a random day off and wanted to watch something fun and lighthearted, and I figured that it was finally time to give this movie a shot. Now, I have seen this movie before. But it has been so long that I didn't remember anything about it other than the whole "shark repellent" scene.

Unfortunately, that turned out to be the highlight of the entire movie. The movie starts off okay. By okay I mean in a fun, cute kind of way. Look how silly Batman used to be. This movie is so bad that its good!

But after a very, very short period of time the novelty starts to fade away. It switches gears from "so bad its good" to "dear Lord, when is this going to be over with?" It's one thing to watch an episode or two of the show for a fun trip down memory lane. But to watch an entire feature length movie of this uninterrupted? It was near torture. This movie will not crack my top five for August. It was fun for a little while, but then quickly became insufferable.

This was one of my favorite "superhero" movies as a kid. I use the term superhero loosely because Darkman isn't out looking for justice or to make the world a better place. He is out for revenge, plain and simple. He is not above killing and maiming to get the job done.

Watching it again in 2016, I was delighted to see that the movie has aged well. Sure it is tonally very different from a lot of superhero movies you see today, but this is not a bad thing. I had a fantastic time with it, and found it to be a very well put together film. And criminally underrated, I must say. Ask the average moviegoer who Darkman is and they probably wouldn't be able to tell you, which is sad.

Great acting performances all around. Lots of shocking, disturbing moments. Some really cool death scenes. This movie will never go down as one of the all time great films ever made, but if you are simply looking to have a good time and be entertained, you really can't go wrong here.

I know that a lot of people were skeptical about this film when they first heard it was being remade with an all female ghost busting cast, but I was not one of them. Anyone who would pick up the mantle of such an iconic series as Ghostbusters would have to have a deep respect for the original film and make extra sure not to ruin its legacy.

While this film is definitely higher octane and much different in tone from the original two Ghostbusters movies, I really enjoyed it. The original films are more laid back and character oriented, the films didn't even really have to try to be funny: they just were. This one is very in your face with the ghost stuff. Lots of action, lots of high flying special effects. And unlike the original movies, this one definitely goes out of its way to try to be funny. Which for the most part, it is.

I can understand why the purists wouldn't like the film. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to have an open mind and just enjoy things for what they are. This is a really fun, really funny film with a lot of great moments.

It is not the original Ghostbusters, but that is okay because it doesn't pretend to be the original film. This movie has my stamp of approval.

I thought that the original VHS movie was a relatively fun film. Not great, but not terrible by any stretch of the imagination. It was entertaining but altogether forgettable in the long run. Which is exactly the way I feel about this movie, its sequel.

Is it a gripping, thrill ride of a movie? No. Does it suck? No. It is just kind of stuck in the middle somewhere. I had a good time with the movie, but now that I am thinking back on it I don't remember much about the film at all. Mind candy in a way. Entertaining while you watch it, but when its over it leaves behind nothing of educational/nutritional value whatsoever. For that reason it likely won't make my top five for the month.

This movie has been around since the 80's, yet I didn't watch it until 2016. I am not a huge comedy guy, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I had never seen this movie until now.

I was having a bad day midway through the month and wanted to watch something that was funny, but yet considered a classic by most people out there. While scrolling through my Netflix queue, I came across this movie and it instantly clicked in my mind that I should watch this.

I did not regret the decision. Very funny, great story. Great characters. I can see why this movie is considered a classic by so many people. I loved it. Eddie Murphy is fantastic in the movie and I quickly came to fall in love with his character Prince Akeem. So many great jokes and funny situations in this movie. The mid 80's produced some really great comedies. While I am not a huge fan of the comedy genre, I find that most of my favorite comedies were made in this era.

Add Coming to America to that list.

The last time I saw this movie I was a pubescent kid back in the early 90's. I liked the movie, but I mainly watched it for the sex scenes. LOL.

Fast forward to the present time. I saw on Facebook that a friend was watching this movie and I was like "holy shit, I forgot all about Wolf." I seriously had not even thought of this film for over twenty years. I added it to my to-watch list, and finally got around to watching it near the end of the month.

It is a good movie. I found it to be a little boring and dry for long stretches of the film, but for the most part I liked it. It is definitely not a timeless classic, though. And there is a reason I didn't think about the movie for over twenty years. It is decent, but it is probably not a movie that would find its way onto too many people's "favorite movies of all time" list.

It was good for a one time watch. Will I ever watch it again? Maybe, maybe not. I'm very "meh" about it. The only way it cracks my top five for August is if it is able to beat out other movies I am more indifferent towards. Which is what I am going to go find out right now....

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Moving on from this month's crop of films:

Coming to America

American History X

Ghostbusters

Darkman

Return of the King

It was a close call between Return of the King and Wolf, but RoTK took it home by a slight margin.

8 months down, 4 to go. Here are my top 40 movies watched this year based on my top 5 selections for each month:

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Cake
American Sniper
Predator
Friday the 13th Part 2
Locke
Evil Dead
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Elysium
Snowpiercer
Room
Manson Family Vacation
Deadpool
Goodnight, Mommy
Unforgiven
Big Driver
The Martian
Pixels
JFK: The Smoking Gun
Crimson Peak
It
Creed
The Revenant
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
No Good Deed
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Krampus
The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition
The Night of the Living Dead
Mad Max: Fury Road
Forrest Gump
The Little Rascals
Deliverance
The Two Towers
Zombieland

Coming to America

American History X

Ghostbusters

Darkman

Return of the King

Video Game Review: X-Men

X-Men

 Genesis

Back in 1993, the X-Men were big. Not only were the comic book and the cartoon series well known and beloved, the characters themselves were iconic and easily recognizable by even the most casual follower. I myself was a big X-Men fan. Pryde of the X-Men had gotten me hooked a few years before, and after that I devoured every single thing X-Men ever thrown my way.

When I first saw previews of this game in an old video game magazine (EGM? Gamepro?) of course it immediately piqued my interest. Good old pre-internet days. I followed the progress of the game from magazine to magazine. X-Men was on the top of all my wish lists. I don't know if I got it as a present or bought it with my hard saved allowance money, but I quickly managed to snatch this game up as soon as it hit the shelves.

The game was everything I had hoped for, and more. I don't know how many times I must have played and beaten the game, but it was quite a few times. I searched every nook and cranny of the game. Found and saw everything there was to find and see. As is often the case back in the Sega Genesis era, the novelty of the game eventually wore off and I moved on to obsess over another title. X-Men got put on the dreaded shelf of obscurity, and eventually disappeared from my life. I don't remember whether I traded it in for cash or had given it to a family member, but the game was no longer in my possession.

Ever since I began writing this blog about a year and a half ago (give or take a handful of months) I have been thinking about X-Men. Reviewing old games had made me nostalgic for this title. But the problem was: I didn't own it anymore. It had vanished from my possession nearly 20 years ago. I regularly scour used game stores for classic 8 and 16 bit titles, but I had never been able to find X-Men for the Sega Genesis. I don't believe in emulating games online, so it seemed I had reached an impasse.

But alas, like a ray of shining light burning its way through the darkness came my cousin Ryan, who is a regular reader of this blog. He loaned to me a box of his old Genesis games to play and review. Lo and behold, he had X-Men. It was like my prayers were answered. As I powered the game up, I even began to wonder if this was my old copy and I had given it away to Ryan so long ago that I had forgotten about it. That would be quite the reunion after 20 some years had passed.

Anyway, even though it had been such a long time since I'd played the game, it all came back to me pretty quickly. The music at the beginning, the little introduction with Magneto and the X-Men.... classic. And then the game started.

If you have never played this game before, it actually has a pretty decent story line for a side scrolling platform game. Magneto has sent a signal that interferes with the X-Men's Danger Room simulations, putting them in real life or death situations. Playing as one of four X-Men (Cyclops, Gambit, Wolverine, or Nightcrawler) you must find a way to break free of the simulation.

Each level takes place inside a Danger Room simulation. These levels take you all over the X-Men universe to areas like the Savage Lands, the Shi'Ar Empire, and Mojo World. This is a clever way of working all these different X-Men environments into the game without the game makers having to make up some fantastic story line where the team is traveling all over the place. Once you finally do manage to break free of the Danger Room (which you accomplish by pressing the reset button on your Genesis when you reach the end of Mojo World), you head to Asteroid M to end the Magneto threat once and for all.

The old reset trick is the stuff of video game lore. It took me forever as a kid to find out that that was what you were supposed to do. I always just assumed that the game froze or got stuck whenever I would reach a certain point. Out of frustration after the fourth or fifth time this happened to me, I hit the reset button to start over and hey, would you look at that, it worked and I was able to advance to the final level of the game.

As mentioned earlier, you can pick from one of four X-Men to play throughout the course of the game. You can swap characters mid level, but I believe you can only swap twice per stage. The health of the characters stays the same at all times. So if you are almost dead with Cyclops, you can switch to Gambit. But Cyclops will still be near death if you switch back to him again. Once all your characters die, it is game over for you.

But the game is very generous in allowing you plenty of time to recharge all of your battered and broken X-Men. In between each stage, the Danger Room reverts to normal for a minute or two, and you can break these floating orb things that refill your character's health. So if you are smart, you should be able to manage each of your characters having full health at the beginning of each stage.

The game's controls are pretty standard fair. You walk (no running in this game), jump, and punch. Each character also has a special attack. Cyclops shoots lasers from his eyes (of course), Wolverine's claws deal big time physical damage, Nightcrawler can teleport through walls (and damage enemies if they touch him while teleporting), and Gambit slings explosive cards at his foes. Controls are a little wooden and stiff, and as I mentioned your characters can only walk, so it seems as if you are moving pretty slowly at all times. But I never minded this too much. This is more of a methodical platformer, so taking your time is encouraged.

In addition to your characters' regular attacks, you can also call upon four additional X-Men to help you out. Iceman is the most useless of the four. He creates bridges for you to walk across. Which really only comes in handy at two different points in the game. The others - Archangel, Storm, and Rogue, deal punishing physical attacks to your enemies. I find the best strategy to be saving these special attacks for the boss battles, as these characters can do big time damage to most of the bosses and do most of your work for you.

Speaking of bosses, most classic X-Men villains make an appearance in the game. Juggernaut, Apocalypse, Sabretooth, Mojo, and of course Magneto himself all put in their token appearances. There are a few lesser known boss characters in the game as well, but I have no idea what any of their names are.

Even though I have played the game before, albeit 20 years ago, I actually found it to be a bit of a challenge. There is a learning curve, but once you get the hang of things it isn't too bad. Some of the levels and a handful of boss battles can be a little trial and error intensive. But if you die, fire the game right back up again and you should breeze through the area you just had trouble with. The levels I found to be the most difficult were the future world and Asteroid M. Everything else was relatively easy. Asteroid M took me quite a few attempts to beat. There is lots of precision jumping, and everything seems to do double the damage that it did earlier in the game. But it is beatable.

Graphically, the game is not much to look at by today's standards, but by no definition is the game ugly. There are a few games out there from the 16-bit era that do not withstand the test of time, but this is not one of them. The game looks nice. Certainly not mind blowing, but nice. Same with the music and sound effects. Nothing earth shattering, but the do the job.

All in all, I found this to be a very enjoyable game. Perhaps I am biased because I loved this so much as a kid, but I had a fun time. Is it a timeless classic on par with games like Sonic the Hedgehog or Super Mario Bros 3? Of course not. And now that I have beaten the game, I don't have any particular desire to go back and play it again. But three years from now... Five. Ten. However long it is before I play this again I will still enjoy it.

Overall:

A-

Every single video game I own: the complete list. Also: my backlog tracker!

Backlog Tracker updated

as of 7/31/2026

* do not trust the math

For this blog entry I am going to list each and every video game that I own. Why? Because I have always been curious as to how many video game titles I actually have in my possession.

Just a quick note before I begin: I will count digital copies as actually owning a game. If I have a digital copy of a classic game on a next generation system, I will count the game as being for the system it was originally made for. For example: I have Punch-Out!! for the NES on my Wii, which I purchased from the Virtual Console. I will count this on my list as being an NES game, not a Wii game. X-Men for the arcade, which I have on my PS3, I will count as an arcade game even though I don't own the actual arcade unit. Also, any game that I have as part of a collection will count as an individual game. For example: I have the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the PS3. I will go through and count each game on the collection and add them as Genesis titles that I own. I will not count the collection disc itself as a game. I have several arcade collection discs, which you will note is the reason why I have so many arcade titles listed.

Games that have been re-released with graphical updates, I probably will count as the original game. For example, I have Nights Into Dreams HD for PS3. Seeing as it is basically the exact same game as Nights Into Dreams for Sega Saturn, plus I own the original Nights for Saturn, I will count it as a Saturn game rather than a PS3 game. The only time I will count each game separately is if the re-released game is drastically different from its original version. For example: Metal Gear Solid: the Twin Snakes vs plain old Metal Gear Solid. These would each count as their own game. If I own an HD remake of a game and it is significantly different, I will count the HD remake as the original. For example: Ducktales Remastered I would count as a PS3 game. I have played the original version, but I don't remember it much, nor have I ever owned a copy of the original version. So I just go with the most recent edition that is on my mind.

I will only count DLC as a separate game if I feel that the DLC of a game could be considered a valid standalone title. Example: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon I consider a valid standalone title. I do not consider the Walking Dead: 400 Days as a valid standalone title. If I buy a "complete edition" of a game that includes DLC (for example - Horizon Zero Dawn that includes the Frozen Wilds DLC or The Last of Us Remastered that includes Left Behind) then I will just review the game as a whole and not review the DLC separately, even though they may be big enough to be considered a standalone title.

I will not put games onto this list that are in my possession, but are only being lent to me. A couple of Fallout games have been loaned to me, as well as a box of Genesis games from my cousin Ryan. They're not mine, so duh I won't include them on a list of games I own! Also, if I have a game as a result of a free online promotion (for example, Batman: A Telltale Series for PS4) I won't count it as owning the game. When my PS Plus subscription expires - I lose access to the game. So it is not like I actually own it. Emulated games will not count as being owned by me.

That's a lot of "rules" to post for such a simple listing, but hopefully it all makes sense. So all in all, this is what I came up with after counting all my games:

Arcade: 11 of 57 reviewed (19.3%)
Alien Syndrome
Blaster
Bosconian
Bubbles
Congo Bongo
Contra
Defender
Defender II
Dig-Dug
Double Dragon
Dragon Spirit
Fantasy Zone
Galaga
Galaga '88
Galaxian
Gauntlet
Guerilla War
Hang-On
Joust
Joust 2
KLAX
Mappy
Mega Man: The Power Battle
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat II
Ms. Pac-Man
Pac-Man
Pac-Mania
Paperboy
Pole Position
Pole Position II
Rally-X
Rampage
Rampart
RoadBlasters
Robotron 2084
Rolling Thunder
Root Beer Tapper
Satan's Hollow
720 Degrees
Shinobi
Sinistar
Sky Kid
Smash TV
Sonic the Fighters
Space Harrier
SPLAT!
Spy Hunter
Super Contra
Super Sprint
Toobin'

Ultimate Mortal Kombat III
Vindicators
Xevious
X-Men
Zaxxon

NES: 30 of 50 reviewed (60%)
Bart vs the Space Mutants
Batman
Blaster Master
Castlevania
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Contra
Double Dragon

Double Dragon 2
Dragon Warrior
Duck Hunt
Friday the 13th
Ghosts n Goblins
Goonies II
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Jackal
Jurassic Park
Legend of Zelda, The
Kid Dracula
Kid Icarus
Marble Madness
Mega Man
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 4
Mega Man 5
Mega Man 6
Metal Gear
Metroid

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden II
Ninja Gaiden III
R.C. Pro-Am
Rush'n Attack
Rygar
Section Z
Snake's Revenge
Super C
Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros 2

Super Mario Bros 3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
Thundercade
Tom & Jerry
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Willow
World Class Track Meet

Sega Master System: 1 of 2 reviewed (50%)
Golden Axe Warrior
Phantasy Star

Genesis: 23 of 51 reviewed (45%)
Adventures of Batman and Robin, The
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Bonanza Bros.
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Columns
Comix Zone
Contra: Hard Corps
Decap Attack
Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco 2: The Tides of Time
ESWAT: City Under Siege
Fatal Labyrinth
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Jungle Strike: The Sequel to Desert Strike
Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium
Revenge of Shinobi, The
Ristar
Separation Anxiety
Shining Force
Shining Force II: The Ancient Seal
Shining in the Darkness
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Sonic 3D Blast
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Street of Rage 3
Super Thunder Blade
Taz in Escape from Mars
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
Wrestle War
X-Men 2: Clone Wars

Game Boy: 3 of 3 reviewed (100%)
Castlevania Adventure, The
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge
Operation C

Game Gear: 0 of 5 reviewed (0%)
Sonic Drift 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
Tails' Skypatrol
Tails Adventure

SNES: 23 of 34 reviewed (67.6%)
Aladdin
Beethoven: The Ultimate Canine Caper
Batman Returns
Captain America and the Avengers
Cliffhanger
Chrono Trigger
Cool Spot
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Deep Space Nine: The Crossroads of Time
Demolition Man
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy VI
Judge Dredd
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park: The Chaos Continues
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The
Lord of the Rings Vol. 1, The
Mega Man 7
Secret of Evermore
Star Fox
Super Castlevania IV
Super Empire Strikes Back
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Super Punch-Out!!
Super Return of the Jedi
Super Star Wars
True Lies
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse

Sega CD: 0 of 1 reviewed (0%)
Sonic CD

PS1: 27 of 46 reviewed (58.6%)
Austin Powers Pinball
Blaster Master: Blasting Again
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Chrono Cross
Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis 2
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy Tactics
Gex: Enter the Gecko
G-Police
Grandia
Grand Theft Auto 2
Herc's Adventures
Kartia

Legend of Dragoon, The
Lost World, The
Mega Man 8
Metal Gear Solid
Myst
Pandemonium
Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve II
Resident Evil: Director's Cut
Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill
Soviet Strike
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Rebel Assault II
Suikoden
Syphon Filter
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider 2
Tomb Raider 3
Tomb Raider Chronicles
Tomorrow Never Dies
Total Eclipse Turbo
Vandal Hearts
Warhawk
Weakest Link, The
Who Wants to be a Millionaire: 2nd Edition
Wild Arms
Xenogears

Saturn: 10 of 10 reviewed (100%)
Alien Trilogy
Bug!
Congo: The Movie: The Lost City of Zinj
Fighters Megamix
Legend of Oasis, The
Nights Into Dreams
Panzer Dragoon
Solar Eclipse
Sonic R
Virtua Cop 2

N64: 11 of 16 reviewed (68.7%)
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Doom 64
Forsaken 64
Goldeneye 007
Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The
Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The
Mission Impossible
Paper Mario
Quake
Quake 2
San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing
Star Fox 64
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Super Mario 64
Waverace 64

Dreamcast: 4 of 7 reviewed (57.1%)
Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future
Sega Rally 2
Sega Swirl
Shenmue
Sonic Adventure
Virtua Fighter 3tb
Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram

PS2: 27 of 51 reviewed (52.9%)
Bully
Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy XII *but I did review Zodiac Age. Honestly, never gonna play this version

Finding Nemo
God of War
God of War 2
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Half Life
Hot Shots Golf 3
Ico
Jak and Daxter
Jak 2
Jak 3
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts II
Mark of Kri, The

Manhunt
Max Payne
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Maximo: Ghosts to Glory
Medal of Honor Frontline
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Mojo
Odin Sphere
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Red Faction

Resident Evil Code Veronica X
Rygar
Shadow of the Colossus
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Star Wars: Starfighter
Tomb Raider: Legend
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Xenosaga
Xenosaga II
Xenosaga III

Gamecube: 11 of 16 reviewed (68.75%)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Legend of Zelda, The: The Wind Waker
Lord of the Rings, The: The Return of the King
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Kart: Double Dash
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime 2
Resident Evil
Resident Evil Zero
Resident Evil 4
Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Assault
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
Super Mario Sunshine

PC: 3 of 3 reviews (100%)
Doom
Doom 2
Wolfenstein 3D

PSP: 1 of 1 reviewed (100%)
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Xbox: 5 of 6 reviewed 83.33%)
Half Life 2
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Shenmue 2
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe

Xbox 360: 4 of 6 reviewed (66.6%)

Dark Sector

Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3

LA Noire

Perfect Dark Zero

Xbox One: 0 of 2 reviewed (0%)

Call of Duty Black Ops III

Metro: Redux

Wii: 5 of 17 reviewed (29.4%)
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Jillian Michaels: Fitness Ultimatum 2010
Just Dance: Disney Party
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The
Mario Kart Wii
Metroid Prime 3
Mini Golf Resort
Okami
Rec Room Games
Super Mario Bros. Wii

Super Mario Sunshine
Super Paper Mario
Wii Fit Plus
Wii Sports
Wii Sports Resort

PS3: 34 of 49 reviewed (69.3%)
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed 2
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Back to the Future
Batman: Arkham Origins
Beyond Good and Evil HD
Bioshock
Braid
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Dishonored
Doom 3: BFG Edition
Ducktales: Remastered
Earthworm Jim HD
Elder Scrolls V, The: Skyrim
Evil Within, The
Far Cry: Classic
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 3
Far Dry 3: Blood Dragon
Game of Thrones (Atlas)
Game of Thrones (Telltale)
God of War 3
Goldeneye 007: Reloaded
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto V *reviewed PS4 version, close enough
Heavenly Sword
Heavy Fire: Afghanistan
Heavy Rain
Infamous
Infamous 2
Jurassic Park: The Game
Little Big Planet
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Super Stardust HD
Tekken Revolution
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Walking Dead, The
Walking Dead, The: Season 2
Walking Dead, The: Michonne

Mobile: 3 of 3 reviewed (100%)
Bubble Witch Saga 3
Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Soda Saga

PlayStation 4: 30 of 37 reviewed (81%)
Axiom Verge
Batman: Arkham Knight

Blaster Master Zero

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

Blaster Master Zero 2

Croc: The Legend of the Gobbos Platinum Edition
Doom

Far Cry 4

Far Cry 5

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Final Fantasy XV

Gone Home
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Himno
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Hyper Light Drifter

Immortals Fenyx Rising
Last of Us, The: Remastered

Legend of the Skyfish
Life is Strange
Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Outlast

Quake II HD Collection
Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 4
Shenmue III
Sonic Mania Plus

Spider-Man

Subnautica

Turok Remastered

Turok 2 Remastered
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Undertale
Walking Dead, The: A New Frontier
Witcher III, The: Complete Edition

Witness, The

That is 473 games I own. I bolded all the games I have reviewed from my collection so far. There are 262 of them. That means I have reviewed about 55% of the games I own. Again - don't trust the math. I haven't double checked this list in a long time. I recently bought a few games that I added to my backlog, and I don't know if I adjusted the totals properly or not. I'll have to double count all my numbers some day. But that day is not today!

Regardless, I have been playing and reviewing for over 11 years now. It is going to take me a loooong time at this rate to review every game I own. Especially if I keep adding games to my collection or playing and reviewing games I don't own. But it is a goal to at least get to 90% reviewed someday. It could happen!

Video Game Review: Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

PlayStation 3

I've never been one to drop 50 or 60 bucks on a brand new game. And with rental stores like Blockbuster going the way of the dodo bird, it has gotten very hard for me to play new games. Even just to play newer games. Hell, even new-ish games.

But I've recently invested in a Gamefly account, and I am on a quest to check out all the games that I've been missing out on the last year or two. The very first game to cross my mind was Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. It went straight to the top of my queue, and 3 or 4 days later it arrived at my house.

Being a big Lord of the Rings fan, I've been interested in playing this game for a while now. All I knew about the game coming in was that it was a brand new prequel story set completely within the confines of Mordor. I knew there would be some stealth as well as some brawler elements to it. But my knowledge on how the game would actually play was very limited.

My initial first impression of the game was actually severe disappointment. The story line at first looked like it was going to be a very interesting one, but it quickly fell apart in my opinion. Things moved too fast, events jumped around in time, and I had absolutely no idea what was going on. It felt rushed and a bit too sloppy for my taste. I expected the Empire Strikes Back as far as storytelling, and got the Phantom Menace instead.

I wasn't impressed with the game play either. Everything felt like it had been pulled directly from an Arkham game. The fighting system is nearly identical, in fact. Same buttons to punch, counter, stun, leap over enemies... Except nothing felt as fluid or as natural as in the Batman games.

So it was a rough start. Bad story, fast and confusing pace, copcyat game play mechanics. I didn't find the game's graphics very impressive either. And the loading time... dear Lord. That nearly killed it for me. Every time you pause or check the map it takes a good 30 seconds to get back to the action. This game actively makes you NOT want want to check where it is you are going simply because it takes so long to back up out of the map screen and return to the game. In a game like this where paying attention to the map is essential, that is not a good thing.

Needless to say I wasn't a fan and actually considered sending the game back immediately and getting something else. I played around with the game for an hour or so, but couldn't figure out what it was I should be doing with myself. It seemed like everywhere I would turn, their would be a horde of enemies for me to fight. There were missions to complete, but they all felt a little too similar in my mind and it didn't feel like I was really accomplishing anything.

As mentioned, I played the game for about an hour and then I went to bed, wholly unsatisfied with a title that I had such high hopes for.

Luckily I didn't give up on the game. I returned to it the next day with an open mind and found myself liking it more and more as I played on.

First off, I will say that there is a lot to do in the game. I'm a big fan of sandbox style games where there are a ton of things to collect, and this game definitely falls into that category. Everywhere you look, it seems like there is some little trinket to pick up or collect.

If you have ever played Assassin's Creed, the tower system here works similarly to that title. Many areas of the map are blacked out and items and missions don't appear on the map. Find the tower, scale it, and "forge", whatever that means, and the area you are in opens up and you can explore and collect things to your heart's content.

The side content continues. You can go on survival missions where you collect herbs and flowers. Hunting missions where you track down and kill the wild creatures of Mordor. Side missions where you must free slaves. Each of your three weapons (bow, sword, dagger) has missions attached to them which you must complete to fully unlock their potential. And I haven't even mentioned the main quest and all the captain slaying journeys you will go on. There is a LOT to do in the game.

The main quest itself is not very long. But it seems longer because, if you are like me, you will often be stopping to look for hidden artifacts or complete side quests.

As mentioned, the story line is nothing to get too excited about. If I had paid more attention perhaps I would have enjoyed it more. But I didn't. I lost track of what was going on very quickly. And while I didn't skip the cutscenes I very well could have and still enjoyed the game as much as I would have if I didn't bother watching them. I have a feeling it is an interesting story, if a little farfetched. You'll see a lot of neat Middle Earth history, such as the actual forging of the rings and a couple of interesting battles with Sauron. But like I said, I had no idea what was going on so the flashbacks didn't interest me nearly as much as they should have.

The game does play just like one of the Arkham titles, but I find that the stealth element is actually a bit of an improvement. Yeah the enemies are a lot dumber, but if you get spotted, it isn't the end of the world. You don't get killed immediately. You don't have to hide. You can very easily fight your way out of anything in this game. In fact, the enemies are so stupid, they often forget about you after mere seconds. If I am spotted while attacking a ruined stronghold, for example, all I have to do is duck outside, wait a few seconds, and sneak back in. They will have forgotten all about me and I can pick everyone off one by one.

Occasionally you will encounter a battle where there are simply too many enemies to destroy. Or perhaps there are archers and spear throwers making your life a living nightmare. This is really the only time I ever died in the game. The game is so forgiving, actually, that you can play a little quick time game before your death each and every time you run out of health. This brings you back with a little bit of health intact. Fail the game, however, and you are sent back to a restart point. AND the enemy that killed you gets more powerful and rises in the Uruk ranks.

Infiltrating the ranks of the Uruk is one of the game's more interesting challenges. Basically, there is an entire screen of Uruk chiefs and captains that you can access through the game's menus. Each one has its own specific strengths and weaknesses. You can discover these strengths and weaknesses by interrogating "worms" located throughout the Uruk army.

I don't know if you can actually destroy or wipe out the entire Uruk force, because it seemed like captains and chiefs kept sporadically popping up again and replacing the ones that fell as I worked my way through the game. Its an interesting dynamic though. Hunting these warriors and taking them out. As the game unfolds you can send death threats to the Uruks you are hunting. This makes them tougher in battle, but the reward for killing them is much greater. You also learn how to "brand" Uruk, which make them loyal to you. You can set the Uruk against one another, causing strife among their ranks.

As disappointed with the game as I was originally, it grew on me pretty fast. I found myself obsessed with the game, playing it for 5 hours or so at a time until I finally finished with it. I know that 5 hour playing sessions don't sound too absurdly long for hardcore gamers, but for me it is a big thing. I just simply don't get as much time to game as I would like. And when I do find the time, I have such a short attention span I usually find myself title jumping. But not in this instance.

The game is very addictive. There is so much to do, that I often had to tell myself "just one more mission and then its time for bed" or something along those lines. But then I'd complete it and move on to another mission. And then there would be an item nearby on my map to collect. And then another mission. And an item. I kept telling myself "just one more!" And it wasn't working. 

So that is the mark of a really good game for me. It is true that this game wasn't really what I was expecting. It is VERY Akrham-esque. It does some things to set itself apart, like the ability to ride Caragors and hunt wildlife.  And there is the whole War Chief/enemy captain system. But I couldn't help but feel that this game could have been a lot better if it had gone a slightly less action oriented route. So much of this game is one repetitive battle after another. I'm not knocking the game but it does get old after a while.

All in all I found my time with the game pretty enjoyable. This isn't a perfect game. The story line is pretty incoherent and can be a downright mess at times. Game play elements feel as if they have been pulled directly from other series' like Assassin's Creed or Arkham Asylum. There are a lot of repetitive battles. The load times are some of the worst I have ever seen in the PS3 era. The graphics, while not bad by any means, could have been a lot better, especially in the small details. So much of the areas you explore look exactly the same.

But on the positive side, the game is very, very fun. So fun in fact that these obvious shortcomings don't distract too much from your enjoyment of the game. I lost myself in this title for hours and hours at a time. There is so much to do, so much to collect. So many quests and sidequests to complete. Although the fighting can be repetitive, at least it is fun and there are several upgrades and powers you learn along the way to keep things interesting.

With some graphical tweaks and a stronger story line this game could have gotten an A from me. I feel as the game is a little too fast paced and action oriented, and all it has to do is step back on occasion to let you appreciate where you are and what it is you are doing in the game. Instead you just feel like a mindless killing machine, and the game comes across as lacking in substance. Sure there is a lot to do, but will the game be memorable or stick with you after you've beaten it, like, say - The Last of Us? No.

Overall:

B

2016 Movie Ranking Countdown: July

Only 6 movies watched in July. I am way, way behind my usual pace as far as movies watched this year. The reason I changed the format for my ranking was because I always watch so many movies it is very hard to rank them all at the end of the year.

Figures that the year I change my format to make it easier to do is the year that I've watched the least amount of movies in a loooooong time.

Oh well, the show must go on. 6 movies watched. 5 will move on to my year end ranking.

What will move on and what will be the film left out? We shall see.

 ---

This movie is good for a rewatch every couple of years. It is one of my favorite films of all time.

I'm not going to recap Forrest Gump, because if you are alive and drawing a pulse, you probably have at least a slight notion of what the movie is about.

As acclaimed as the film is, a lot of people I know in real life don't like the movie. Which I don't understand. It is touching, it is heartbreaking, it is funny, and it teaches you a little a bit of history in the process. There are parts in this movie that never fail to bring a tear to my eye. Every time! It is very well acted and has a great musical score. And it is filmed wonderfully too. The film really makes the 60's and 70's come to life before your eyes.

It is truly a great movie and worthy of all the accolades it has received. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you don't like Forrest Gump, you have no soul.

I have been aware of this movie for quite some time now, and the idea of it has always intrigued me. Coming in, all I knew was that it was about an eccentric millionaire who takes in members of the US Olympic wrestling squad to help them train, and then ends up killing one of the members.

It turns out that that really is all the movie is about. This millionaire guy is played by Steve Carell who is apparently doing his best Alan Tudyk impression. Carell brings in Channing Tatum and some of his teammates to his estate to train at his massive gym. He seems like an off again/on again all right guy until he starts treating Tatum like crap. He then brings in Tatum's brother (in the movie, not his real brother. That would be weird, right?) to take his place. After the Olympics, where the team fails to win gold, the millionaire snaps and shoots the brother. And that's the end of the movie.

There, I saved you 2 and a half hours.

I found this movie to be really, really boring. I thought I would like it. I've heard it described as dark and depressing - and I like movies like that. But it didn't cut it for me. The majority of the film focuses on training for wrestling, which is about as boring as it can get. And then on Tatum/Carell's awkward relationship. It is not as bad as watching paint dry, but it is close.

The murder doesn't happen until the very, very end of the film. And we aren't given any resolution. We don't see a lot of the main characters' reaction to the murder. We get no insight as to Steve Carell's intentions behind the shooting.

It is all just very strange. I was bored, and likely will never watch this again. I don't know why it got such critical acclaim as it did.

Just like with Forrest Gump, I usually rewatch the Lord of the Rings movies every few years because they are so good.

I've always considered this the weakest of the trilogy, but this time around I found that I actually enjoyed it much more than I usually do. I wasn't bored by the endless "Smeagol getting dragged around by a rope" scenes, nor the "Merry and Pippin talking to trees" scenes. Plus, I really was able to get into the battle at Helm's Deep and appreciate it in a way that I never had before.

I still don't think it is the best Lord of the Rings film, but I definitely put it much closer to the original than I have in years past. It will be interesting to see which one comes out on top when I do my year end ranking.

It has been a long time since I've seen this movie, but I've been watching a lot of Walking Dead lately and have been in the mood for more zombie stuff. I enjoyed this movie when it first came out, and I am glad to see that it definitely stands the test of time.

For those who haven't seen the movie, it explores the "lighter side" of the zombie apocalypse (lol). Jesse Eisenberg plays a young man who finds himself as one of the last survivors in America. On his journeys he meets up with several colorful characters. Some who are out to help him, and some who are out to rob him blind.

I'm not a big comedy fan but I still really enjoyed this movie. Woody Harrelson's character is great, as is his love of Twinkies. Bill Murray has an amazing cameo. And this movie is also where I originally became acquainted with Emma Stone.

Definitely a fun time, especially if you like zombie movies. It's not the longest movie ever but it is funny and definitely a solid and worthwhile mashup of genres. I like this much more than Shaun of the Dead, actually.

Over the years I have heard endless references to this movie, but I had never actually seen it before. I've attempted to check it out the library but the discs have always been too beat up and scratched to watch. So when it finally came on Netflix, I jumped at the opportunity to watch the movie.

The premise is simple. A group of men go on vacation, rafting down a river through a natural area that is in jeopardy because of urbanization. These men encounter hostile rednecks on their journey, one of which rapes a member of the group and another who threatens to kill the rest. The rapist redneck is killed and the other one runs off.

The men panic about their actions, thinking that since this is in such a backwater location that the locals will lie and say that the murder wasn't committed out of self defense. So they dispose of the body and attempt to flee. On the way out, things fall apart. There's a rafting accident, someone dies, and the second redneck returns to finish the job.

It doesn't seem like a groundbreaking premise. We've seen movies where people on vacation battle hostile locals before. But this is one of the classics, very original for its time.

Great acting, memorable scenes (squeal like a pig!), intense action, and a few ambiguous scenes that are open to interpretation really make the movie memorable. It's hard to get too excited about the movie when I've seen a countless number of similar films, but I have to remember that this is one of the originals. Deliverance is definitely a pioneer in its field.

This is a movie I haven't seen since it originally came out. It was the year 1994 and I was only 12 years old. Back then I didn't think twice about the humor in the movie. I liked the Little Rascals and thought that the movie was hilarious and great.

Watching it now, I can't believe how risque/borderline offensive some of the jokes are. Especially when you consider that the actors and actresses in this movie were mainly between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. If this movie were made today, the people in charge of its creation would probably be crucified.

That being said, I still find it really hilarious. I am surprised at how much it has held up, to be honest. As mentioned in my Zombieland review, I am not a huge comedy fan. But this movie had me laughing out loud on more occasions than any single movie I have watched in recent memory. It's a fun movie, lots of great humor. Even if it is a little inappropriate considering the ages of some of these kids.

But I didn't give a shit. I had a great time.

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Well, if you've read my write up for each movie, it should be clear that Foxcatcher is the odd movie out. I really wanted to enjoy the movie, but it was just too boring for me. The good news is that the remaining 5 films are all very worthy of making the year end ranking list. No clunkers sneaking in this time around!

7 months in the books, a grand total of 35 movies moving on to my year end ranking. Each month I will continue to add 5 movies to the list. Once we roll over into 2017, I will eliminate 10 movies immediately from contention, and then rank the top 50 from least to most favorite.

It's been an interesting year so far. Definitely not one of my favorite years for movie watching that I've ever had. It's a wide open race with no clear front runners. Hopefully I can watch some better films in the last 5 months of 2016.

Here are the 35 so far that will be ranked at the end of the year:

 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Cake
American Sniper
Predator
Friday the 13th Part 2
Locke
Evil Dead
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Elysium
Snowpiercer
Room
Manson Family Vacation
Deadpool
Goodnight, Mommy
Unforgiven
Big Driver
The Martian
Pixels
JFK: The Smoking Gun
Crimson Peak
It
Creed
The Revenant
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
No Good Deed
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Krampus
The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition
The Night of the Living Dead
Mad Max: Fury Road
Forrest Gump
The Little Rascals
Deliverance
The Two Towers
Zombieland