Nuka Break: Episode 3

This weeks' episode may not be the most exciting, but it sets up what promises to be more entertainment!

Catherine

I really want to like Catherine, Atlus' bizarre puzzle-platformer/horror/romance-sim game that was released stateside back in midsummer.  After an unimpressive demo back in July, I've recently given the full-game a shot, having borrowed it from my friend.  However, despite my interest in its bizarre gameplay, I simply cannot embrace the game.

Could it be its more-difficult-than-they-need-to-be Q-bert style block puzzles?

Could it be the hamby-pamby story of Vincent, the protagonist stuck between his overbearing girlfriend, Katherine, and his multiple-night-stand-may-not-be-a-real-person-since-she-doesn't-interact-with-any-other-characters Catherine?

Could it be the stumbly dialogue options via text message that you exchange with Catherine or Katherine?

Or is it simply the lack of gender role nuances that forces the thought that Vincent is afraid of commitment, like all men must be, and that the "right" path is to get over it and settle with your domineering (and possibly pregnant) girlfriend?

Whichever of these is the real culprit, I'll not be able to say.  Not simply because blaming just one seems too limiting, but because I can't bring myself to play the game again.

Bethesda bringing Scrolls Battle to Court

 

Despite Notch (aka Markus Persson, aka the creator of Minecraft, aka my lover) offering to settle the issue in a Quake 3 deathmatch, it seems that big, bad, corporate Bethesda is moving forward with its lawsuit against Mojang.  The charge?  Mojang's upcoming game is named Scrolls and Bethesda feels this might confuse consumers with the upcoming Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the four other Elder Scrolls games that came before (particularly the IVth addition, Oblivion, which was Game of the Year).

I know I often confuse an independent studio's release with a GOTY-producing product line.

When first announced, it was like a bad joke, and Notch offered to resolve the problem out-of-court in what should become a precedent of all frivolous lawsuits: a Quake 3 Deathmatch!  Nevermind that Bethesda made Quake 3, this dude has the balls to go toe-to-toe.

If anything, this was Bethesda's opportunity to save face and build its fan base.  If they lost?  Ha-ha, you got to name your game Scrolls, even though we didn't really want you to, but we got tons of practically free publicity.  If they won?  Ha-ha, we get to keep our naming rights, and got tons of practically free publicity, but because we have this huge release coming out in November called Skyrim, so we're going to let you keep the naming rights, even though we won, as an act of goodwill towards all.

No, instead, it's to court they go. This will only leave a bad taste in the mouth of gamers, almost all of whom have some kind of soft-spot for the underdog Mojang, especially Notch and his hat fetish.  Opportunity of goodwill is slipping away, Bethesda - it's time to reach out and grab it.

On Scrolls, and scrolls.  Penny Arcade.

Finally, a thought: can you really hold a copyright or trademark on a word, like Scrolls?  If so, can God (or Moses, or whatever) sue Bethesda for ripping off the Dead Sea Scrolls?  I mean, there are dead things in Oblivion, and a sea, and - apparently - scrolls.

At Last!

It's only taken me forever (four playthroughs), but finally!

Platinum'd!

Nuka Break: Episode 2

There's not a ton of things going on that are absolutely awesome in my life.  Watching these is one of them.

A Tale of Two eReaders

As a boy, I would have told you that books weren't worth the paper they were printed on.  Reading books on the computer would have been my ideal scenario.  But as an adult, I've shied away from embracing this new technology, only recently completing a text via eReader.

Because of the iPad, I've been able to dip my toes in the world of reading via a mobile device, and have now read enough on two different platforms (iBooks and the Kindle iPad App) to judge them against each other.


Side by side comparison.  Kindle (left), and iBooks (right).



Neither is ideal, and both of them make me want to make an eReader that I would find ideal, but since I lack talent for anything other than complaining and criticizing, that is what I shall do!  So check out the criticism, after the jump...

Denton Square Donuts

This post is NSFD (not safe for diet).  Also, I am not attempting to occlude what is clearly SarahPlanet's domain in reviewing foodstuff.

This morning, Michael and I braved the Denton Car Show on the Square to try out Denton Square Donuts, a new store with a unique direction for the creation of breakfast pastries: to make them with edges.

My goal was simple: consume deliciousness.

Denton Square Donuts, Illy Coffee, Ancient Tablemats.

The Bacon Maple Donut, a well-cooked (nearly perfectly cooked) slice of bacon laid upon a maple glaze that affixed it to an eclair size puff pastry, was on both my husband and I's menus.  This featured item was not disappointing.  The bacon was nearly immaculately made, with the tiniest piece of chewy fat to remind you that hey: it's bacon.  The glaze was an excellent balance of sweetness to the savory of the bacon.  And the puff pastry held it together; an anchor of fluffy delight.

Perhaps I should have eaten the Bacon Maple Donut second, because the second pastry was hardly comparable.  The Apple Squared confection was exactly what you'd expect: apple preserves and some icing. Nothing memorable.

Hubby's second choice as the S'mores Donut, which promisingly was covered with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and golden grahams.  This had all the makings of wonder, but the icing concoction used to fasten these elements to the pastry was overwhelming.  Since he was unable to finish it, I took the last two bites and would really rather not have, honestly.  If only the stapler had been a little less toxic, I'm certain this would have come across rather well.

Our conclusion was that for the second or third week of Denton Square Donuts being open, it certainly is where a new business is: collecting a customer base, perfecting menu and processes.  At $2 a piece, I'd rather we just have gotten 4 Bacon Maple Donuts, based on this experience.  Truly, an $8 well spent.  Also, I was somewhat disappointed that the rogue in front of me in line claimed the final Apricot Brie, because that was what I'd like to have gotten. 

Dragon Age 2 DLC: Legacy

I already reviewed the first round of DLC for Dragon Age 2, which was mainly the standard of whether or not you bought the game used and wanted to flush $10 towards having access to The Black Emporium and also the dismally dissatisfying Exiled Prince DLC.  Since, I've played through with the new Item Packs (just round one of them, I'm not made of money, you know!) and the new Legacy DLC, which promised an interesting exploration into Hawke's lineage.

The Item Packs (round 1) were more of a "let me spend this strange leftover amount of cash" purchase than something I actually wanted.  In hindsight, they are pretty dumb.  The value added in "better" equipment is marginal, since the reason I play DA2 is to experience Hawke's adventurers through Kirkwall.  That is, even if the items were in fact better.  Stats of many regular in-game items are comparable.  There are some unique items for followers that carry the "Improves with level up" text, usually amulets or rings, but I can't verify that they do, in fact, improve with level up.

Is it Worth It?  Item packs generally aren't worth it, though some of the new armors for Hawke do actually look kind of cool, and I really like the staff that I gave to Anders that I got as part of Mage portion of the item-goodness.  But for $4.99, I could think of other things I'd enjoy (maybe like a new DLC case for L.A. Noire).

He can't be evil.  He's so shiny.

Legacy is a different story.  No really!  Like, it's a different story from the original Dragon Age 2 game.  Hawke travels to some ruins - though I can't quite remember why - and ends up being hunted for his blood by the Dwarven Coeterie gang.  His blood, specifically, since he is the child of the often unmentioned Malcom Hawke, who we learn the backstory behind in this fun, four-to-five hour DLC adventure.

Great news everyone!  This DLC includes new enemies, and not just retooled pushovers of old enemies!  Actually real, somewhat challenging, new creatures to contend with.  NEATNESS.

The DLC also includes new dialogue with companions, some new items, and puzzles, which the main game felt like you could really do without, as if all the people of Kirkwall already have had enough of the brain teasers and have just directly given up on them without another moment's thought.  A child of The Ocarina of Time, myself, I cannot get enough of puzzles.  Blocks to move around?  YES PLEASE.  In fact, I just assume that if I want to take money out of my bank account, that instead of entering in a 4 digit pin number (how pedestrian!), that I instead am forced to rearrange a series mirrors in order to shine a light onto a sensor on the ATM.

Pro: I get to show off my mad Zelda skillz.

Con: Lazy thieves with flashlights.

So, is it worth it?  Yes, yes, yes.  Sure it's $9.99, but that's worth a few extra hours and the great, in-depth story you get to explore.  No spoilers here, but let me tell you: I was very happy with this DLC.

So, if you've got $15 blowing a hole in your pocket, you could do a whole hell of a lot worse than picking up both of these for another run through DA2 in which you attempt to finally nab the elusive Supplier trophy.  If you've only got $10, skip the Item Pack and go straight for Legacy.  Only got $5?  Save it until you have $10 and buy Legacy.

Also: here's more Varric:

Semester Starts

The semester is really kicking off, what with me working three nights this week until 9:00pm.  Joy.  I promise to get back to playing video games as soon as possible!

Books: The Hunger Games

I think it might be impossible to review The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins' inaugural dystopian novel of a post-war America, without using terms relating to my own hunger for reading the novels, or symbolic utilization of food in comparison with the text itself.  Trying to resist is futile, so instead I will comically overuse these reviewing standards.

The Hunger Games is the delectable first voyage into the dystopian (by the way, Google Chrome - that is a word) world of Panem, as narrated by a young woman named Katniss.  Every morsel-sized chapter flourishes with the flavor of the intricately designed world of Collins.  Because of rebellion against the overseeing government, every year one young man and young woman are selected by lottery to compete in arena deathmatches called The Hunger Games.  This is the story of how Katniss goes to the Games and her experience.

The relative isolation of District 12 where Katniss originates from is a convenient avenue to introduce readers to the strangeness of the world.  But the effect never feels burnt to the reader, and very natural - or shall we say, granola.

There are moments when putting the book down is near impossible, the savory story absolutely enraptures the reader.  Action sequences (which you can depend on with any story that involves 24 individuals fighting to the death) are well written, but so are those scenes where Katniss is alone, and in survival mode.  This varies substantially from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where Harry and Hermione's similar treks into the wilderness are near painful.  Instead, I'm chomping at the bit to follow the heroine's trek in the arena.

Sure, sure, the book has the stink of an Atwood dystopia (still a word, Google Chrome!), but it's a delicious smell, really.

This book was also my first run reading a book on the iPad Kindle reader.  I really enjoyed it.  iBooks has a slightly cooler looking dictionary tool, but luckily The Hunger Games didn't push my vocabulary.  Kindle lets me read via the CLOUD, which sounds so future-esque.

So, I've added the series to my Amazon Wish List.  Also, the list below:

• The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games (Kindle Edition)
• Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) and Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) (Kindle Edition)
• Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, Book 3) and Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) (Kindle Edition)

Supplier Trophy - here I come!

After doing L.A. Noire justice and utterly giving up on Catherine, I've decided to run through another 30-hour playthrough with Dragon Age 2 in hopes of finally doing it right and nabbing the Supplier trophy.  Also, there is new DLC I've not played.

You've no doubt already read my review of the game, so here's a cute picture of Varric:

Picture care of The Haughty Queen, who has some fun DA2 fanart.