Author: Detached

The Walking Dead – The Game – Episode 3 The Long Road Ahead

/ Detached / Leave a comment

the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead-cfa6bde45c8f98ab66fe-midThe more I play The Walking Dead, the more I feel like being the bad guy at times…. When I started episode one, I felt like I needed to make all the good choices and be that stand-up guy for Clementine.  Starting episode two made you question whether Lee was going to be that good guy, or the protector and survivor he needed to be. Now, after finishing episode three and looking back at my choices, it really makes you question if you did the right thing, or did you make the best survivors judgement call in the split second of time they give you to mash that choice button? Faced with the toughest decisions to date, there was no question over how a choice would make Lee look or how that choice would affect the group.  This episode was so fast paced and when something happened, I personally felt a knee jerk reaction and you make that split second choice.  This is what I love about the game the most is the way it pulls the emotions into things….the situations almost bring the survivor out of you at times.

I’m a huge Walking Dead fan if you haven’t caught on yet… I love the show, the comics, the story, and overall premise of what The Walking Dead is.  The parallel between watching Rick Grimes – The main protagonist of the AMC original TV series evolves as does he evolve with each new comic, I personally get to see an ever evolving Lee Everett in the game.

111780_maxThe Long Road Ahead is the third out of five series in the game that have been released and best way I can describe this episode is “A roller coaster going a hundred miles an hour and no ones watching the controls”  Our small group get’s to see some of the most screwed up, emotional twisted moments to date in game.  This episode brings in a situation with the bandits who have nowhere else to turn now that the dairy farm is out of commission, as well as Kenny and Lilly who are still at odds, and to top everything off…..there’s a thief in the midst your little group now.

By this point, it’s safe to assume you’ve gotten really connected with these characters now and have learned a ton about them and who they really are….and probably even have some favorites that you tend to lean towards more than others. So, when the season-defining choices appear on screen, there’s an emotional roller coaster at times that come for us players and the characters we’ve grown fond of.

frame_0002Since episode one, this game and the characters in it create a very unique emotional relationship that brings the games context to a deeper level.  This episode really brings together Lee and Kenny’s relationship and you begin to see how important trust is in this game.  You also understand how important protection, and grasp the idea of who has your back and who doesn’t.

As always, this episode looks amazing with its comic-style, and the voice acting is above and beyond amazing! These two aspects of the game really bring you into the game and you just get completely lost in the story.   One great portion of this episode that brings such rich satisfaction to the story is the side adventure stories you are challenged with which becomes a huge plot of the story unlike the previous episodes.  This episode in my book has been one of the best to date, but I’m not done with the game yet and so far this has overall been on of the best games I’ve played all year.

scr.ee tags:

#thewalkingdead #seasonone #episodethree

Bloggy Xmas Day 17: Community and The Family That Is

/ Detached / Leave a comment

Here’s a big shout out to Syl over at MMO Gypsy who had this amazing idea for the Bloggy Xmas Holiday Event and has asked the “Blog-O-Sphere” to take a minute and share their stories around “Gaming and Community” which is one of my favorite topics!  Community in gaming is huge for me and that is why I’ve been so excited and anxious to get this post written and out on the site.

For me, Gaming and Community started back in the days of the Nintendo and our favorite little hero Mario…as my friends and I would have huge weekend parties full of junk food, way to much soda, and more hours of yelling, and being boys then I can even count. Now let me set the tone here and let you know that when the “NES” or Nintendo Entertainment System first came out I was only four, and no I wasn’t playing Mario at the age of four but I wasn’t much older before I got my first gaming system….which was mine and not my brothers.  My brother was a different generation as his first gaming system was the original Atari, and yes I did play it, but my big brother was a typical big brother and I only got to play it every once in a while….or if he wasn’t around….I may have snuck into his room and played it on occasion, but don’t tell him that!

Let’s fast forward a few years and breeze by the era of my “SNES, Sega Genesis, and pretty much every other gaming system you can think of” and we’ll land around the time I got my first PC that could handle gaming.  The system my brother had built for me was operated by the an Intel 486 and probably something like half a K of memory or some nonsense like that….but the first PC game I remember playing was a flight simulator….and yes I know what your probably thinking “A FLIGHT SIMULATOR?” are you kidding me?  But this game was not only fun, it’s something my friends and I had massive competitions over to see who could get the best flight times, or even complete some side missions of landing a plane.  Though this flight simulator wasn’t anything that blew your socks off on graphics or intense game play it did create community amongst a group of friends that spawned a passion for gaming, competition, and stronger friendships.

Just as all the gaming systems have changed over the years, the way we interact as gamers has dramatically changed as well!  We have so many social features at our fingertips when playing games, and whether that’s on a console system or a PC we can choose to interact over a chat message screen, or throwing on a headset and chatting with some of your “Guildies, or Kinnies” from a favorite MMO game you play.  For me, MMORPG games are what revolutionized the communities we see today as they draw players in and allow them to customize the way they play the games.  It wasn’t until I started playing LOTRO back around 2008 that I really even understood how huge the gamer communities had become.  What has come from playing games like WoW and LOTRO for years is not only a place that I can meet friends and go team up on some orcs or even 12 man up on an instance, but connect over social media, or even those groupies around the Blog-O-Sphere realm.

Community is so important in games…. as without that core foundation games would be boring for the most part as we would have no one to cheer with, or make fun of when that one guy or gal “Accidentally” pulls that huge mob over to your RAID group and wipes you all… I promise I’ve never done that.. hehe.  More importantly community goes even further than just the games we play, it reflects our character and who we are as people, and I just want to say thank you to all my gaming friends out there that I’ve had the pleasure of sharing exciting gaming moments with, or possibly some witty banter on Twitter, this year…..but most of all to my lovely bunch of LOTRO family that have formed over the past few years.  Yes, you know who you are, and I say thank you for those wonderful Google Hangout sessions we get to have throughout the week.  See, community is more then just zero’s and ones that make up a game or a social network, it’s people and their personalities and that my friends is why I love community and gaming so much…It’s all because of you!

Everyone have a lovely Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

Sincerely,

Iogro Merrybelly

 

scr.ee tags:

#bloggyxmas

 

The Origins of Evil – Part Three

/ Detached / Leave a comment

Hail and Well Met Friends!

I’m back after what seems like ages of not writing since the last episode published and very excited to continue in this lore series!

When we left off last time, Melkor had returned to rebuild his fortress Angband and breed his mass armies of fell beasts.  This week we pick up with Melkor in the first age and the Noldor rebelling to recover the stolen Silmarils.  I hope you enjoy!

morgothpic4Melkor’s Evil In The First Age

Feanor followed Morgoth to Middle-earth with the greater part of the Noldor in rebellion, hoping to recover the Silmarils.  This rebellion and last effort from Feanor to recover the Silmarils caused the massive War of the Great Jewels, in which the elves were completely defeated.  Upon learning of the arrival of the Noldor in Middle-earth, Morgoth sent armies of Orcs against Feanor’s and his elves, hoping to destroy them before they could establish any strongholds and well organized defenses. Though the Noldor were outnumbered, they were very skilled in combat and swiftly destroyed the Orcs; though only a handful returned to Angband. But Feanor, in his pride and arrogance, came after Morgoth himself and pursued the Orcs.  Soon, the vanguard and Feanor pressed ahead of the main host, and the Orcs and they came to battle at the gates of Angband.  The battle was so close to Angband that it alerted a number of Balrogs that came to the aid of the Orcs that quickly defeated the Elves. Feanor fought on alone, but was eventually struck down by Gothmog, the Lord of the Balrogs. Though a relief force under the command of his sons saved him from being killed on the field of battle, Feanor’s wounds were mortal and he perished soon after.

gothmogShortly after Feanor’s death, Morgoth sent an embassy to the Noldor offering terms of surrender, even promising a Silmaril.  Maedhros agreed to the parley, but both sides, expecting treachery, came with greater force than was agreed. Unfortunately for the Elves, Morgoth’s force was the greater of the two, and was accompanied by Balrogs. The Elven company was quickly slain with the exception of Maedhros, who was captured and chained by his right hand to one of Thangorodrim’s cliffs.  Morgoth sent word to the Noldor, promising to release Maedhros on the condition that the Elves would depart from the North and cease their war against him.  However, the Elves knew that Morgoth would not honor his word, and sent no reply.

It was time that the host of Fingolfin, which had been betrayed and abandoned by Feanor’s group in Aman, came at last to Middle-earth. Tension between the two groups quickly developed and Morgoth, seeing that the Noldor were divided, made plans to destroy his very distracted enemy’s.  To his dismay however, the Valar revealed the creation of the Sun and the Moon, which confounded Morgoth and his servants for a time. To counter these new lights, Morgoth sent up clouds of smoke from the Iron Mountains to darken Hithlum.

During the time of confusion and inaction caused among Morgoth’s forces by these new lights, Fingon traveled to Angband, aided by the very darkness Morgoth had set upon Hithlum, and rescued Maedhros. In doing so, he started a series of events that united the Noldor and allowed them to establish great and mighty kingdoms in Beleriand and Hithlum. When Morgoth initiated his next attack, the Noldor swiftly destroyed his forces and set a war upon Angband, hoping to forever contain the evil of Morgoth.  After waiting many years, Morgoth tested his enemy’s, causing the Iron Mountains to erupt sending an army of Orcs down through the passes, but the Noldor easily defeated these Orcs. After this failure, Morgoth took to capturing what Elves he could, breaking them with the power of his will and chaining their lives to his. These Elves became his spies among the Noldor, keeping him aware of all there movements and plans.

Lord_of_the_rings_glaurung_by_vaejoun-d71q48fBattle of Sudden Flame

One hundred years later, Morgoth sent an army into the north to approach Hithlum from the side, but an army under the command of Fingon destroyed them yet again. At this point, Morgoth came to realize that the Orcs unaided were no match for the Noldor, and began experimenting with ways to create more deadly creatures for his armies. Another century passed, and the creation of Glaurung, the first dragon, was the result of Morgoth’s long intense labor. Glaurung’s sudden appearance scattered the Elves around the areas of Angband, but a group of archers under Fingon’s command engaged him before he could attack and merely frightened the Elves. Glaurung was barely half-grown, and his hide wasn’t thick enough to take the Elven arrows so he had no choice but to flee. Morgoth was displeased with Glaurung for revealing himself to soon, but ultimately Glaurung’s sudden attack on the elves was of little consequence.

images (28)When Men first arrived in Beleriand, it was revealed that Morgoth left Angband and walked among the fathers of Men. Hoping to corrupt them to his service, he spread his lies among them, and found them to be much easier to sway than the Elves had been. However, the strengthening of the Elven kingdoms worried Morgoth, and he returned to Angband before his labors were complete. Nevertheless, most Men believed or half-believed his lies and either departed from the North or joined with Morgoth’s forces.  A small group of Men that became known as the Edain were able to resist Morgoth. They provided the Elves with vital intelligence as to the doings of Morgoth in the North, as many of them chose to live within sight of Angband’s gates.

Until next weeks episode, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!

scr.ee tags:

 

The Walking Dead – The Game – Episode 2 Starved for Help Review

/ Detached / Leave a comment

walkingdead_episode2_group-600x400The second of my five episode review, Starved for Help picks up three months after the zombie apocalypse erupted.  You are still playing as Lee trying to protect Clementine, and now dealing with a group of survivors and trying to make the best of a dump motel you’ve tried turning into a secured fort.  This is where the game has gotten really interesting because the choices you make help build relationships and can also destroy relationships. Every choice you make caries over into a new episode of the game you play, so all those choices you made in episode one you now have to live with in Starved for Help.

This game doesn’t give you a second chance or to take back your choices to someone, so when your dialogue windows pop up it gives you just a few seconds to choose, and those choices could bring you closer to a friend or even create a new enemy in a later episode.

download (7)This episode is the first time you get to see the choices you made in the previous episodes. Everything from your relationship with Clementine, to the new found friendship with Kenny.  This also means that you have some remembering to do… did you tell any lies in the previous episode, were you truthful, who did you be-friend and who did you make an enemy out of.  All of these choices set Lee and his group up for a very suspenseful and action packed 2nd episode.

download (6)Starved for Help opens with the most gruesome scene to date in the game in my opinion, but besides the blood and guts it is becoming a really big challenge to keep your cool and look out for the group.  You have become a leader in the group and you have to make the tough decisions at times, and you get thrown right into the middle of your group’s nearly out of food, so it’s up to you to decide who gets to eat and who doesn’t.  Will you pick your friends, will you take the high ground and do whats best for the group, what will you do? That draw back you might have going with the emotion thing really comes into picture when a new group of survivors from the St. John’s Dairy Farm show up and invite your group to come over and trade gas for food. The family asks Lee all sorts of questions about the group, but something isn’t quite right with them.  Do you take the chance and go with these strangers who say they have food, or do you chance it and stay at the motel and hope you all can survive.

images (26)Episode 2 is full of cliffhanger moments, sketchy choices you have to make, new chances to redeem yourself, and even be-friend some new people.  It’s suspensful, emotional, full of blood and guts, and it even has some WTF moments in it that really make you turn your head and ask yourself what the heck just happened….but I’m not going to spoil those moments for you as you will just have to check the game our for yourself.

scr.ee tags:

#thewalkingdead #seasonone #episodetwo

 

The Origins Of Evil – Part Two

/ Detached / Leave a comment

Hail and Well Met Friends!

Last week if you remember we left off with Melkor being captured and held for three ages in the Halls of Mandos.  I hope you all are enjoying the series!

utumnoMelkor’s Revenge

During the War of the Powers when the Valar took to overthrow Melkor, they in the haste to do so left many of Utumno’s pits and vaults unexplored, and Sauron was still roaming the lands as well.  Also, the Valar didn’t capture or destroy the Balrogs, who gathered at the ruins of Angband who had gone into hibernation awaiting Melkor’s return.

After the passing of the Ages, Melkor was brought before Manwe, and played a good act of repentance.  Manwe was just unable to comprehend the evil of Melkor, so Manwe ordered him to be released.  At first, it seemed as though the evil of Melkor had been cured, for all who sought his counsel and aid in that time benefited greatly from it.  However, Tulkas and Ulmo were both very slow to forget Melkor’s evils, and watched him closely. In truth, Melkor was more filled with malice than ever, and began to put his extraordinary cunning to use in devising a way to ruin Aman.  Seeing the bliss of the Elves and remembering that it was for their sake that he was overthrown, Melkor desired above all things to corrupt them.  Of all the three primary groups of Elves, he found the Noldor to have a perfect balance of usefulness and open ears, and so worked began to work his malice almost exclusively among them.

Catherine_Karina_Chmiel_-_FeanorThe Greatest of the Noldor

Over a long period of time he spread lies concerning the intentions of the Valar in bringing the Elves to Aman, telling them, among other things, tales of the coming of Men, the existence of which the Valar had not revealed to the Elves. Due to his carefully crafted lies, many of the Noldor began to believe that the Valar had brought them to Aman so that Men might inherit Middle-earth, taking the lands and the glory that could have been theirs. Eventually, a shadow fell upon the Noldor, and they began to openly rebel against the Valar.  Chief amongst the disgruntled Noldor was Feanor, the firstborn son of the Noldor King Finwe.  Though he hated and feared Melkor, his overwhelming pride caused him to be the most vocal of the Noldor in expressing discontent. For their part, the Valar remained unaware of Melkor’s work, and saw Feanor as the source of the Noldor’s unrest. Though perturbed, they let the situation continue until Feanor threatened his brother Fingolfin at which point the Valar summoned him to the Ring of Doom in Valinor to explain his unlawful actions.

Feanor’s testimony revealed the lies of Melkor, and Tulkas immediately left the Ring of Doom to recapture him. But Melkor could not be found. After a time, he went to Formenos and struck a deceitful friendship to Feanor, as Melkor was only after the Silmarils.  Feanor, knew what he was up to and saw Melkor’s greed, refused him and shut the doors of Formenos in the face of Arda’s mightiest being.  Melkor passed unseen to the south, and came upon the great spider Ungoliant, which he promised to satisfy her unrelenting hunger, so she and Melkor together came back to Valinor, intending to destroy the Trees. During a time of festival, Melkor and Ungoliant suddenly attacked and Melkor thrust a great spear into the Trees and Ungoliant drank the sap that poured from the wounds, draining the Trees and poisoning them. The Trees quickly withered and died, plunging Aman into complete darkness for a time.

Melkor-and-UngoliantKilling of the Two Trees

In the fear and confusion that followed, Melkor sped to Formenos and broke into the fortress. There, he killed Finwe, father of Feanor, and stole the Silmarils along with all the other gems that lay there. The Silmarils burned Melkor’s hand, causing him great pain, but he did not release them. He and Ungoliant fled to the North, and the Valar pursued them, but the Unlight of Ungoliant brought great confusion to the Valar and the two escaped. The two thieves crossed the Grinding Ice of the Helcaraxe and entered Middle-earth, completing Melkor’s great revenge.

In Lammoth, Melkor and Ungoliant approached the ruins of Angband, with Melkor hoping to escape and leave his promise to feed Ungoliant unfulfilled. Ungoliant however, saw through his plan and stopped with him before they reached Angband. She demanded that he surrender the treasure of Formenos to satisfy her hunger as he had promised, so he gave her the lesser of treasures he had taken, but he would not give her the Silmarils which lay hidden within his right hand.  With his refusal to surrender the Silmarils, Ungoliant attacked Melkor, weaving her dark webbing around him. His resulting cry of pain and anguish woke the Balrogs from their depths of Angband. With a violent windstorm of fire they came to his aid, and drove away Ungoliant, but Melkor recalled them, and allowed Ungoliant to escape.  He then began to rebuild Angband, and gather his servants there.

When Feanor found his father was slain, he cursed Melkor and named him Morgoth, meaning “Dark Enemy”, and by that name was he known ever after. The name Melkor was never spoken again by his enemies.  As Morgoth finished rebuilding Angband, the slag and debris created by his vast tunnelings was plied into three huge volcanoes, collectively known as Thangorodrim.  Once he made these huge volcanoes, he began work on creating his forces, breeding vast numbers of Orcs and other fell beasts.

Until next weeks episode, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!

scr.ee tags:

The Origins of Evil – Part One

/ Detached / 2 Comments

 

Hail and well met everyone!

This week we continue in our lore with a brand new series.  We are taking a look at someone who truly is the creator of evil. I hope you enjoy the series!

dark_lord_by_rinthcog-d3ki4nhThe First Dark Lord

That’s right I said the First Dark Lord, as Sauron was not the first… Originally the most powerful of the Ainur created by Eru was Melkor and he rebelled against his creator because of pride and sought to corrupt Arda, becoming Morgoth.  After committing many evils in the First Age, such as the theft of the Silmarils and the destruction of the Two Lamps, Morgoth was defeated by the Host of Valinor in the War of Wrath. According to an unpublished portion of Tolkien’s conclusion to The Silmarillion, Morgoth will return at the end of the world to fight against good in Dagor Dagorath, the final battle.

Melkor was made in the beginning as an Ainu created by Eru Iluvatar in the Timeless Halls, at the beginning of creation. Manwë is said to be brother to him, yet Melkor was greater in power than any of the Ainur. Melkor was gifted also with the greatest knowledge of all the Ainur, and had share in all of the gifts given to his fellow Ainur by Eru. Desiring to create things of his own and knowing of but not understanding the Flame Imperishable, Melkor often went forth into the Great Void outside of the Timeless Halls in search of this flame. His quest was in vain; he found not the Flame Imperishable for it lies with Eru alone. Melkor grew ever more impatient of the unclear designs of Eru and the emptiness of the Void, and was often alone and apart from his fellow Ainur. It was during these lonesome periods that Melkor began to have ideas and thoughts of his own that were not in accordance with his fellow Ainur.

When the Ainur sang the Great Music before Eru, some of these stray thoughts he wove into his music, and straightaway discontent arose around him. Some of those nearby attuned their music to his, until two musical themes were warring before the Throne. Then Eru introduced a Second, and then a Third Theme into the music. Melkor succeeded in holding back the Second theme, of which Manwe was the chief instrument. The Third was the theme of Elves and Men, and while it was not overwhelmed by the Discord, it too failed to correct it. When Eru brought the Music to an end, he rebuked Melkor, praising his strength but telling him that all he did redounded only to the glory of Eru’s work. Melkor was ashamed, and resented it; for he thought his Discord an improvement. When the Music was made incarnate as Arda, it was already flawed through the Discord, and immoderate heat and great cold stalked it. He then took in the interest of the World and put his evil wherever he could put it.

67aadf5b93e2ca801a31c3a4f04cf77fBefore the Two Trees

When the Valar entered into Arda and began to shape the unwrought matter, Melkor saw the Field of Arda and claimed it for his own, striving against the Valar. He took various shapes. Whenever the Valar did something, Melkor disrupted them. For a long while, Melkor fought alone against the might of all the other Valar and Maiar of Arda, and he long held the upper hand. Then Tulkas came, his strength tipping the balance in favor of the Valar, and Melkor fled before him.

afe6a06255b84d74a3fabff74539c5bcThe Dark Lord Chained

The Valar had built for themselves the isle of Almaren in the midst of Middle-earth, between the Great Lamps. Then, Melkor delved a mighty fortress at the very north-most part of the World and named it Utumno. To defend it he raised the Mountains of the East in the northeast of Middle Earth, east of the Sea of Helcar. Decay arose in the North, and the Valar knew that he was there.

When the Valar had built Valinor, Melkor built his second, lesser fortress of Angband in the west, as a defense from the West should they attack. Angband was delved into the Iron Mountains, and was given to Sauron to command. While the Valar were unsure where the Children of Iluvatar would awake, they were reluctant to wage war against Melkor, fearing the clash of powers might result in massive collateral damage. Due to this, Melkor discovered the Elves before the other Valar, captured many of them, and transformed them by torture and other foul craft into orcs.

When it was discovered by the Vala Orome where the elves were, the Valar took immediate action against Melkor. This action was called the War of the Powers. When he saw the Valar winning, he retreated into Utumno and shut the great doors. The Valar smote the doors open and Melkor was cast down by Tulkas. Melkor was bound in Angainor and brought back to the Halls of Mandos for three Ages.

You will have to wait until next week to find out what happens after Melkor was bound in the halls for three ages.

Until next week, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!

scr.ee tags:

 

The Walking Dead – Game Review – Episode 1 A New Day

/ Detached / Leave a comment

images (15)In the first of my five episode reviews of The Walking Dead Season 1, you jump right into the game as the character Lee Everett, a man who was convicted of killing a man, and is currently on his way to prison.  In the midst of being transported to prison, the great zombie apocalypse abruptly outbreaks and you are now in control of this characters fate. Lee has been given a second chance of sorts now that the zombies are out and about, so it’s up to you to keep Lee alive and survive in this amazing horror.

The really cool part about this game is the story all takes place concurrently with the comic book series.  You now taking over and controlling the story of Lee is all happening while Rick the main character of the comic book series, is calmly asleep in his hospital bed. Though the story is happening in conjunction with one another, the game is a completely separate story line.  There will be a few familiar faces along the way of the game but for the most part it’s a whole new group of survivors and a whole lot of plot twisting.  This game has a ton of action and cut scenes that help build the stories main and sub plot lines, but you “Lee” will spend a lot of time making on the cuff decisions and having to live with the outcome.

images (14)The Walking Dead removes any second guessing and makes you choose a decision in a split second. Basically someone will ask you a question and you’ll have a limited time to pick one of four responses. Whatever you decide, you and whatever group you are with have to live with the outcome of that decision.  Also, the group will remember what you say and take note of your decisions.  Remember this is the same story line that everyone plays, but how they answer the questions is what depicts how the game plays out.  I’ve currently got multiple sessions of the game going as I want to play out different choice lines to see the outcome of the game.  You have three save slots available so ultimately you have three chances at the game having a different outcome to the same story.

Into the game we go… as when you play a zombie game you want to crush a few skulls and bash some zombie scum right?  Ok, so with this game the creators made a very unique movement and reaction system.  I’ve been playing the mobile version of the game so the controls on the phone are a bit different then the PC or Console versions.  You navigate Lee with your finger and he follows on-screen.  Sounds easy right…?  Wrong, as you sometimes have split seconds to decide what direction to go, or what zombie you have to kill.  They have even designed the “OMG” button that you have to frantically tap to get out of some sticky situations in the game.  Overall the movement in this game gets an A+ in my book because it’s easy to learn, and easy to follow along with, though it is much harder to target a “Walker” than you would think.

Walking_dead_telltale_game_charactersThe graphics in game are spectacularly done as well… they have that gritty, dark comic book look to them.  There is not a shortage of blood and gore in this zombie montage of craziness either.  Visually this game is beautiful in it’s own twisted sorta way. Plus, with the exception of a strange camera angle or a cut scene jumping the game is amazing.  The game is amazing but it’s not flawless but for the caliber of game quality you get I really don’t have many complaints and what complaints I do have are trivial at best. This by far is one of the best zombie apocalypse games I have ever played.

scr.ee tags:

#thewalkingdead #seasonone

I Once Was A Hobbit – Part Three

/ Detached / Leave a comment

Hail and well met friends!

Last week when we left off, Gollum had told Sam and Frodo about another way into Mordor that was safer then crossing the Black Gate. This entrance was to the South and even though Frodo agreed to go, Sam was quite suspicious of Gollum’s actions.

gollumfishie_nasFinding the Stairs of Cirith Ungol.

During this change in direction to find this new passage to Mordor, Frodo and Sam were captured by Faramir, and Gollum quickly followed  In doing so, Frodo allowed Faramir to take Gollum prisoner, and Faramir found out that the place Gollum was taking the Hobbits was Cirith Ungol and he warned Frodo and Sam of the great evil that dwelt in that place.

cirith-ungol-leeThe Hobbits, and Gollum chose to leave Faramir and crossed the Morful Vale which brought them to the “Stairs of Cirith Ungol” which stood near the border mountains of Ephel Duath. Gollum was planning to betray the hobbits and had devised a plan to visit the great spider Shelob, the child spider of Ungoliant.  His plan was to deliver the Hobbits to Shelob for food and steal the “Precious” back for himself.  How Gollum managed to forge an alliance with Shelob is quite remarkable, as she was known for devouring and killing everything that came in her sight. When he returned from his devious onslaught the Hobbits were asleep. While Gollum watched Frodo sleeping it almost brought him to stop his plan…. However, Sam woke up and began speaking harshly to Gollum which brought back the hatred and Gollum chose to follow through with his plan and led Frodo and Sam into Torech Ungol.

Just as Frodo warned him, Gollum’s betrayal of his oath ultimately led to his demise, as Frodo and Sam escaped from the Great Spiders lair and Cirith Ungol. They made it to Mount Doom, but still Gollum followed them seeking his chance to surprise them and take the ring back.  Frodo and Sam had almost reached the peak of the Volcano and Gollum attacked them but failed to get the ring.  Sam, almost killed Gollum but couldn’t due to pity and disgust for the creature.

download (5)Gollum’s Fiery Death

Once Frodo reached the Crack of Doom which was the heart of the Volcano, he chose not to destroy the ring but instead claimed it for himself and put it on. Gollum then attacked the hobbits again and knocked Sam out with a rock while Frodo was invisible. But Gollum was able to track his footprints and jumped on Frodo. The two fought and finally Gollum bit off Frodo’s finger with the ring on it.  He finally got his “Precious” back but Gollum then teetered on the edge of the great pit, lost his balance and fell in, taking the Ring and finger with him along with a final cry of “Precious!”. The ring was burned in the molten magma with Gollum dying with it as well.

Years after Gollum’s death, Frodo would finally forgive him, as Gandalf had told Frodo that Gollum wasn’t actually an evil being that deserved his death, but was only a poor being, bound to the Ring’s will, and that Frodo’s fate would be like Gollum’s if he kept the Ring. For if Gollum did not stay with Sam and Frodo to the end of Mordor, Frodo’s choice not to destroy the Ring would have brought Sauron to it, and all good in the world of Middle-earth would have disappeared.

As we wrap up one of the most iconic characters in Middle Earth, stay tuned next week as we pick up with a brand new lore series.

Until next week, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell

scr.ee tags:

#mountdoom

 

A Glance at The Walking Dead: The Game Season 1

/ Detached / Leave a comment

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I thought it quite fitting and ironic that these last few weeks of gaming have been intense, suspenseful, questionable, and even down right horrifying.  It’s Halloween and nothing else would even be right…right?  Well anyways….Zombies have completely overtaken my gaming experiences of late and it’s all due to the amazing work that Telltale games has put into “The Walking Dead Game” which has it’s flaws but delivers an amazing game experience like none other that I soon won’t forget.  I’m currently playing through season one of the game, and it’s unique player choice system, and award-winning script writing has won this game multiple awards.

images (15)This game was originally released to be five episodes in which you play a character named Lee Everett, a convicted murderer on his way to prison.  Though the convicted murderer has something much bigger than trying to learn the inmates code on his hands, and that is the zombie apocalypse that has broken out.  This gives Lee a whirlwind of decisions that he is now having to make, and guess who is in charge of those decisions and all the steps in between; yep you guessed it, it’s YOU! The decisions that you make in the heat of the moment have rewards, or great consequences that stay with you throughout the entire journey of the game.

This game is an adventure game by nature which is ultimately based off the critically acclaimed comic book and television series.  This isn’t your typical adventure game though, and as you play through the five episodes, the really important moments of the game come when you choose how Lee responds to situations and what he says in conversations with his fellow survivors.

images (14)This is a choice based game and specific dialogue comes up on your screen with timers, and you literally have seconds to choose exactly what Lee will do or say next….In this game when you choose and make your decision, the game adapts the story and moves on in the timeline, so choose wisely and choose quickly.  This exact feature is what makes The Walking Dead so special… everyone playing this game has the same task a head of them, which is to protect a little girl named Clementine that you encountered on your journey and you’ve taken her under your wing for protection.  The cool part about the decision system is everyone goes about the game a different way.  I might choose to befriend someone you hate, and you might choose to leave someone I took. I might blowup in anger, but you may keep a cool level headed mind. Whatever group you have with you will remember the decision you have made and that creates the dynamic of the group and how people react to you.

images (18)Once you are done with an episode of the game, it gives you a recap of your choices and how it compared to the percentage of what other players have chosen in that moment. The game itself has a way of drawing you into the moment, and you are basically the artist making the sketches for how the story plays out.  The main story has a very black and white foundation, and we’ve been hired as gamer’s to finish the drawings with whatever colorful choices we see appropriate at the time. Which is what makes this game such an emotional roller coaster and endearing.  Part of that connection comes from amazing writers in which they’ve added comedy, suspense, horror, and all those emotional moments seem to happen at just the right time.  The other big factor is the great voice acting, and visual style that is a picture perfect image out of the comic books.

Ok, now time for my critiques of the game and what I’ve seen fallen short or even off the wagon at times.  As much as I want to praise the whole game at being a superstar, there are a few things that really stood out to me as being what the heck just happened moments.  For instance, scenes will freeze as the next one loads, game play will slow down as the game tries to process intense action sequences, and at times the voices aren’t synced to the visuals on screen.  Even with these few hiccups in the game design, this is one of the best games I’ve ever played and don’t mind setting through a few flaws for the experience of a game like this one.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a look at each of the five episodes of season one and can’t wait to play season two, though I’m waiting a bit as I’ve heard season three won’t be out until sometime in 2015.

scr.ee tags:

#thewalkingdead #seasonone

Smite Thee – My Thoughts on a Refreshing Game

/ Detached / 2 Comments

images (12)A couple weeks ago I stumbled upon Smite, a Free to Play MOBA that brings a breath of fresh air to gaming for me.   Smite was released in March of this year, and honestly it’s been a great spin to gaming as It’s a 3rd person view on your character which I’ve never been a big fan of but something was much different with this game.  The mechanics and game play created something that caught my attention and held it. Smite’s features and different modes really help a new player get engaged with the game play style and it was so easy to pick up on the style of play.

Smite 2013-07-10 17-59-38-53Here’s the part that really drew me to the game and held my attention, Smite builds it’s character base off of mythological backgrounds and incorporates those lines into an MOBA play style.  Almost instantly after pulling up the main menu…you are dropped into the world of mythological madness.  You get to choose the character and line you want to play…  For instance, Zeus, the lightning bolt flinging god and father of Thor… yes he is one of the god’s you can choose.  The variety of characters you can pick from was very extensive…I think overall they have a total of 70 plus characters and the models themselves are extremely detailed!

maxresdefaultThe overall game is very fast paced but also strategy based, meaning that it really regulates you to play with a team, but if your a solo charging into battle maniac, then you will love the game as well.  The first reaction I had when first seeing the game is wow this is a 3rd person RPG game.  The mechanics of this MOBA game though are very engaging and it feels natural to play.  Just a couple of down sides to the game that didn’t set well with me though…The combat of the game is so varied depending on what class you have chosen that the battle field can get a bit confusing at times if your not paying close attention.  It’s easy to lose your way in what needs to be done in the objective, and my last knock on the game is the 3rd person view really hinders your ability to navigate the maps…and it becomes quite the task to track enemy’s down.  But overall this game has been a blast to play and a refreshing look on a good old classic style of MOBA play.

scr.ee tags: