Musings on films, games and other stuff...

This blog may come in useful one day...

[orangetrain95-blog]

Dreams and Nightmares: How Miyazaki cemented his place as a contemporary Walter Benjamin figure through ‘The Wind Rises’.

Disclaimer: If you have not read the works of Walter Benjamin, specifically his collection of essays entitled ‘Illuminations’ (published by Pimlico), then I thoroughly recommend you do so to better understand this essay. Although I recognise that he is a relatively obscure figure, having never heard of him myself before my university course, and can be quite difficult to engage with, it is seriously worth it for his words [far more than helping to understand mine a bit better].

When I was first introduced to the works of Walter Benjamin[1] it took me quite a long time to grasp the concepts that Benjamin was arguing for, and even longer to begin to agree with them. The ‘aura’ of art seemed like a silly argument, and the fear of a technology-based world seemed like the trite writings of a romanticist – clinging on to notions of the past that were simply not true. Over time, I realized that to simply write Benjamin off as a romanticist was naïve, because it ignores the complexity and intelligence that he brings to each topic he tackles. It is also difficult to blame Benjamin for his dark world view, as a Marxist Jew living in Nazi occupied Germany there was no future for him, a bleak reality that culminated in his suicide 1940. 

In many ways, I’ve had the same criticisms of Miyazaki, a man whose films revel in a world and culture long forgotten, yearning for a return to nature and childhood innocence that is simply at ends with the global spread of Western capitalism. I had also written off many of his films as idealistic, despite the beautiful positivity they had at the core of them, yet in The Wind Rises it appears as though Miyazaki has written off this notion as well. It is a beautiful film, but a wholly melancholic one, reflecting on failed dreams, death, love, art and the impact of technology. A film that encompasses everything Benjamin stood for, and in doing so presents Miyazaki as a contemporary Benjamin figure, one who despite the positivity that he yearns for recognises he is fighting a futile battle. Consider this quote from Miyazaki in a 2014 interview, “I think the peaceful time that we are living in is coming to an end”, it is reminiscent of Benjamin’s work at the end of his life – the signs of a once hopeful genius worn down through attrition by the negativity that he (rightly or wrongly) perceives surrounds him in society.

Take the opening scene, for instance, it is a dream sequence involving a young Jiro flying an airplane. He soars through the air, the look of the plane seemingly defying reality (especially for the time), and it is accompanied by a tranquil score that sets the tone as one of beauty, imagination and purity. This tone, however, is quickly done away with, the scene transitioning into one of horror and destruction – the other side of flight. Jiro’s beautiful dreams turns to a nightmare, the bombs of the planes above destroying his aircraft and send him plummeting to a brutal death – of course, he wakes up though. It is characteristic of The Wind Rises that the opening scene is one of a dream sequence turning into a nightmare, it appears a statement reflecting Miyazaki’s own transition from positivity to cynicism; a once beautiful dream of the future that Miyazaki held has turned into one of destruction and nightmares.[2]

It is not long before Jiro dreams again of flight and planes, this time occurring after learning of the great Italian airplane designer Caproni. In these dreams, Jiro meets Caproni who flies extravagant, gorgeous planes designed to transport people, not bombs. A man who has devoted his life to engineering planes, with the belief that “Airplanes are beautiful dreams. Engineers turn dreams into reality.” It is easy to posit that Miyazaki is entirely dismissive of planes as a technology/art, but that would be foolish, for like Benjamin he has always cautiously recognised the potential of future technologies – consider Benjamin’s appraisal of film as a medium that could produce it’s own art, something many critics of the time refused to recognise, despite his own belief in the traditional arts of storytelling through spoken and written language. Yet, if “engineers can turn dreams into reality”, for Miyazaki they just as easily turn nightmares into reality, which is key with the story of Jiro, most famous for designing the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter-plane, renowned worldwide at the time for being a scarily effective killing machine[3]. Despite the dreams Jiro has of creating planes that are fast, efficient, aerodynamic and beautiful, he never considers the end to which his means are being used for – death. Jiro seems to be a symbol of all that is cruel and wrong in the world for Miyazaki, a man who had dreams to create something beautiful and for the entire world, but due to circumstance outside of his control by men more selfish and powerful than he, ended up becoming infamous for his killing machine. This is also not to say that Miyazaki passes moral judgement on Jiro, for Jiro is merely a talented cog caught up in the Japanese war machine, it is rather a tragic statement on war itself that his talents must be used to such futile ends.[4]

At this point, it seems odd to suggest that Miyazaki is so cynical for the future, as surely he is criticising WW2 and Japan’s involvement, not the whole progression of technology itself. For instance, Porco Rosso, another film focused on airplanes and war (WW1) offers a far more balanced message at its centre, Miyazaki recognizing the horrors of destructive technology, but also acknowledging the good they can bring to the world.[5] Yet, it is in no doubt in my mind that the only acknowledgment of the good technology brings to the world in The Wind Rises is its potential for beauty through dreams, never its reality. A scene with a paper airplane is one of delight and humour, an innocent scene in which Jiro and his fiancée share a tender moment over the wonder of flight. Sadly, it is only a paper airplane, once again Miyazaki restricts the beauty of flight to outside of its reality, and when Jiro finally achieves record times with his new plane at the end of the film it is not met with celebration from him, like his wonderment at design here, but rather the feeling that something terrible has happened. The reality of flight can never be truly celebrated for Miyazaki, for with it comes the caveat of destruction and death, here that is literally with Naoki’s death causing an elemental, otherworldly reaction in Jiro, one that transcends his dreams of flight.

Here, Miyazaki returns to the themes that he has championed throughout his directorial career, those of human connection, love and the simplicity of the past. Like Benjamin’s terror at the loss of the storyteller in society, Miyazaki suggests that technology is not bringing people together, but tearing them apart – he has been quoted as being against today’s children’s current reliance on television, computers, tablets etc. and is a champion of traditional, practical skills[6]. The beauty and humanity in The Wind Rises comes from the relationship between Jiro and Naoki, one that Jiro places over his own ambitious career, and as this is a highly fictionalised account of Jiro’s life by Miyazaki, it allows him to stress that these human connections are far more important than technology can ever be.

The ending of the film is one of melancholy, Jiro once again dreams of Caproni who tells him that he has created something beautiful, but it feels like a hollow claim amidst all the destruction that has come from Jiro’s creation, and Naoki tells Jiro to live his life to the fullest. But, in a Japan that has been ruined by WW2, and as a man that lacks the most important thing to him, his wife, there is a recognition from the viewer that Jiro cannot live his life to the fullest, for he is lacking fundamental human elements to this. For Jiro, like Miyazaki, the future is not one of happiness, love and beauty, but rather a despairing and melancholic one, suffering from the impact of destructive technologies and lacking in human connection. It is a lot like the future Benjamin foresaw in his writings, conveniently also writing at the time the film is set, where the on-set of mass industrialisation and the rise of the information age would be irrecoverably damageable to society.

It is ultimately strange to suggest that Miyazaki has ended his career on a melancholic note; a man who has throughout his films championed the wonder of the world through children, nature, and art; who saw the beauty of the world where others saw the darkness; yet, in his swan-song piece The Wind Rises Miyazaki reflects on the end of peace, the loss of humanity and the horrors of technology. For Miyazaki, he recognises the potential of all of these elements, but no longer does nature “win”, or love triumph, instead a universal sense of suffering forebodes, and the future of the world does not seem so bright as it once did.  

[1] Illuminations, a collection of his essays.

[2] We are drawn back to the Miyazaki quote previously used, “I think the peaceful time that we are living in is coming to an end”

[3] At one point during WW2, it had a kill ratio of 12 to 1.

[4] A scene roughly 1 hour and 37 minutes in sees a howling laughter to Jiro’s suggestion of “leave out the guns” – a sad reality for Miyazaki.

[5] Contrasting scenes of Porco Rosso saving innocent people from pirates, and reflecting on the deaths of hundreds of his comrades.  

[6] http://kotaku.com/5756870/hayao-miyazaki-advocates-knives-fire-making--and-other-stone-age-skills

[orangetrain95-blog]

GTA V Erratum

Quite a while ago I wrote a couple of pieces on GTA V; one on the justification of its use of torture (the infamous Trevor scene) and another defending its characterisation. Now, nearly two years have passed since the release of the game and I’ve been coming to the realisation of just how wrong I was. I mean like really, really wrong.

The catalyst was the news the other day that Rockstar are suing the BBC regarding their new drama Game Changer, which is set to tell the story of the game developer’s conflict with everyones favourite moronic lawyer Jack Thompson. Rockstar and the GTA series have always taken a swipe at large corporations and contemporary culture, seeing themselves as outliers who play by their own rules and aren’t afraid to speak ‘the truth’. With this move they take one step closer to becoming the very corporation that they so desperately aim to satirise, no longer an example of creative freedom, instead symbolic of the wider creative stifling that the large companies in the games industry have become. 

It was this disappointing revelation that made me re-evaluate my opinion on GTA V, a game that I still enjoy and believe is mechanically sound, but where I previously felt it offered sharp satire and strong characterisation I realised this was not the case. Originally I described the torture scene along the lines of being necessarily violent to emphasise the futility and horror of torture, something that mattered in a world where Guantanamo Bay continues to operate its brutal regime. In reality, the scene was wholly gratuitous and offered no meaningful critique of torture - it existed because Trevor’s fucked up and the game wanted to show you just how fucked up he is, not that one of the earliest scenes involving him sees you watch him stomp a man to death...

The characterisation that I defended, their attempts to write women as people for once almost succeeding with Michael’s wife and daughter, was incredibly naive of me. The writing for the women in that game is crap, and throughout the whole series continues to be crap, they’re not likeable or even people, instead acting as vehicles for mild misogyny and low-level satire of consumer culture - something that women are only objectified for in that game. Elsewhere, Franklin’s story has been told a million times before and offers nothing valuable on the institutionalised racism that continues to keep a stranglehold on minorities in the US, an area that video games have really never covered.

The notion that GTA (V in particular) is a grand satirical masterpiece, and that it should be praised for its writing, is a silly one. Much like Fincher’s Fight Club, GTA has never succeeded at being a satire, their respective audiences revelling in hyper masculinity, violence and misogyny. This is not because the audience is stupid, it’s because the writing is very weak - people are never asked to consider their actions in GTA V, they merely revel in the destruction. And you know what, that would be okay if Rockstar wasn’t so arrogant in its belief that it’s the anti-corporation, crusading against the profit obsessed Ubisoft’s and EA’s, because at the end of the day GTA V falls down the same holes that AAA-games do over and over again when it comes to writing. 

Sorry for defending it back in the day, I was wrong.  

[cinephiliabeyond]

The making of Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. Still photographer: Keith Hamshere.

What is now considered one of Stanley Kubrick’s most accomplished films, as well as an example of innovative, audacious filmmaking at its best, was almost given birth to by accident. After Kubrick’s dream of making Napoleon crumbled into pieces, he used this studious research and shifted his ambitions and talent into William Makepeace Thackeray’s 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon. The story of an unscrupulous Irish scoundrel who marries into high society and advances in the aristocratic society of 18th century England proved an ideal ground for the master to exhibit his storytelling powers. With the significant help of his director of photography John Alcott, Kubrick created a cinematic world that could be most easily described as a moving 18th century painting. Giving its best to avoid using electric sources of artificial light, relying on the illuminating power of candles and natural lighting, investing enormous effort into costume design, Barry Lyndon looks genuine through and through. Moreover, it leaves the impression of actually being comprised of works of art taken down from the walls of some filthily rich British nobleman.

The colors, shading and atmosphere aren’t the only things Barry Lyndon has in common with two-dimensional works of art—the film also appropriates a certain quality of unresponsiveness. It’s somehow distanced from the viewers, it masterfully puts them into the position of an observer in an art gallery, not someone who actively interacts with the screen. Barry Lyndon is detached, cold and to a degree unburdened with the pressure of entertaining an audience. Kubrick, who not only directed but also adapted Thackeray’s satiric novel to produce a sharp, narration-driven script, created a technically breath-taking, arrogantly and recklessly fearless, monumental film over three hours long. The first reactions to it, unfortunately for Kubrick’s peace of mind, perhaps failed to be as enthusiastic as the piece deserved, but decades that followed certainly did Barry justice. All hail Barry Lyndon, an exceptional piece of filmmaking, a masterclass in bringing a unique filmmaker’s vision to life, a work of art only a few others have the quality to measure up to.

[orangetrain95-blog]

Daredevil: ‘Into the Ring’

When watching the first episode of a new series, it’s necessary to consider the purpose of this. The most obvious answer, and the correct one, is set-up. A new TV series must quickly and coherently set up characters, tone, themes and an over-arching plot within the space of one [53 minute] episode.

With Marvel and Netflix’s newest adaptation of the infamous lawyer-cum-vigilante it wastes no time in setting up the show, and that’s a good thing. The opening scene reveals how Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) came to be blind - a car accident that led to hazardous waste burning his eyes and making him blind forever. It’s mildly cliche superhero stuff, but the acting is just good enough to pull off the emotional distress of the scene, despite its silly premise. From there, we jump to modern day where Murdock is taking penance in a church - the scene mainly acts as exposition, giving insight into how he is such an adept fighter, but also shedding light on the key themes of the show - namely father-son relationships and the ethics of vigilante crime fighting whilst also being a lawyer. Two professions that contradict each other.

As stated in the introduction the rest of the show is about setting up. We’re introduced to key characters quickly - Foggy, Matt’s lawyer, who acts as comic-relief, but so far has been the weakest element of the show due to often poorly delivered lines. Karen Page, who by the end of the episode has joined forces with Foggy and Murdoch, starts off the victim of a suspicious framing attempt, having woken up with no memory of the night before, covered in blood in front of the dead body of her colleague. This story twists and turns with intrigue and betrayal, highlighting corruption at the forefront of all ends of society, before linking back to the main villain of the show - the mysterious client (almost certainly Kingpin). By the end of the episode, her initial horror story has been wrapped up, and the wheels are in motion for the inevitable collision of Kingpin and Daredevil somewhere down the line. 

Yet, what grabbed me most from the episode was not the story or characters, which outside of Murdock were lacking to be brutally honest (although it’s a first episode, so the titular character must be explored the most), rather it was the fight choreography and the cinematography. The fight scenes felt wholly inspired by modern action movies like The Raid and Bourne franchises, combining fast-moving interior battles with brutal environmental combat. They break up moments of slower pacing nicely and are a treat to watch - the 15 rating has been put to good use, as Murdoch’s character would simply seem implausible in a lighter, more Avengers friendly world. Even more impressive, however, was the aforementioned cinematography [and lighting]. The show is gorgeous; from the opening scene in the church, to an emotional back-and-forth between Page and Murdoch in his apartment, to a dramatic fight in the rain and the ending silhouette of Murdoch in the boxing ring, the lighting and cinematography feel completely in-sync tonally with the rest of the show. Quite frankly, if it weren’t as good the show would likely suffer, the harsh contrasts between the dark of the city and the neon glow of lights creates an atmosphere of a seedy, crime infested city, which is essential in creating a show that is well-rounded and deserving of a place in the Marvel cinematic universe. 

Of course, it’s too early to say whether Daredevil will earn its place in that cinematic universe, but the first episode certainly suggests that it is heading in the right direction. As stated in the introduction, set-up is key. With the first episode, Daredevil has managed to create a believable, violent, gorgeous world - all essential to the overall tone of the show. If the writing of the show can match this technical quality as it progresses, then Marvel and Netflix should be on to a winner here.

Keep coming back for thoughts on each and every episode in the series.

[talibkweli]

Not every rapper is an MC, and not every MC is a lyricist. There are great songs with stupid lyrics, and lyricists who have never made great songs. It’s usually the beat that grabs you first. Sometimes it’s the hook. But for the true hip hop fan, it’s the verses that bring it home. A verse could...

[orangetrain95-blog]

Starred Up and the failures of BAFTA

I often go back and forth over whether film awards matter, I mean, ultimately, they don’t as a recognition of a film/film-maker's quality – Kubrick never won an Oscar for Best Director, neither did Hitchcock, but they’re still held in esteem as two of the greatest directors that ever lived. But, awards ceremonies are important for the general proliferation of ‘smaller’ films into the mainstream consciousness, and as films can clearly have an important cultural impact like all art, it’s necessary in my mind that the films that challenge social issues be recognised by these voters (assuming that they’re good films, of course).

This is where Starred Up comes into play, as well as the BAFTAs, because it was noticeably lacking in the ‘Outstanding British Film’ category, where nominees included: ’71, Under the Skin, Pride, The Imitation Game, Paddington and The Theory of Everything. I’m certain that these are all fine films – in fact, Under the Skin would be my pick even if Starred Up were included, although I have reservations over Paddington especially. The problem is, is that of all these films only Under the Skin could be argued to be dealing directly with contemporary issues, and it does so in such an abstract way that any large elements of controversy are lost. This is in direct contrast with Starred Up, where one scene sees the servants of the state trying to engineer the attempted suicide of Eric Love because of the hassle that he has become to the prison and its inmates (whom are in league with corrupt prison officials). It’s not exactly subtle stuff, but it is quite damning of the current British prison system where death and punishment is the cheaper, quicker alternative to rehabilitation – a theme that is handled with more tact elsewhere in the film.

This approach towards difficult themes is why I’m so frustrated at BAFTA and the nominations, because it feels like they’re afraid to represent the art that is most important to British society for fear of offending those in power – hell, look at the ridiculous policies towards books in British prisons that are worse than they were in the 19th century, and it’s clear that films that challenge these backwards ideals need to be put into the focus of the public eye. The fact that we have three films dealing with issues from at least 30 years ago, rather than their contemporary counterparts, suggests to me that BAFTA only feels truly comfortable in dealing with films that critique issues that can no longer affect them.

I feel I should make it clear that I’m not blaming these other films for existing or exploring the themes that they do – The Imitation Game left me furious at the government’s treatment of Alan Turing, and I’m sure Pride manages to blend together a strong critique of Thatcherism and homophobia, but it’s undeniably true that those issues are not as relevant today as they were 30, 40, 50 years ago. Yes, homophobia is still rife, but there are no British films that I know of dealing with it in a contemporary context, and the best British film to deal with contemporary issues this year has been cruelly ignored by BAFTA. It’s hard to not be embarrassed by this year’s category of ‘Outstanding British Film’ when such an injustice has been served – normally I feel I can trust BAFTA (more so than the Oscar’s), but this year I’ve been wholly let down.

[orangetrain95-blog]

The films you needed to see in 2014

So I watched a lot of films in 2014 - 126 to be precise. Most of these were not released in 2014, and there's a whole host of films that I haven't seen yet because they've not been released in the UK or only have a limited release: Foxcatcher, Gone Girl, ida, Leviathan, Whiplash, Boyhood, Inherent Vice, American Sniper, Starred Up. All of these films could potentially be on this list, and when I eventually see them I'll definitely make a more rounded out top 10, but for now let's just leave it with these.

The Babadook - One of the best horror films in recent years, delving into themes of depression, maternity, parenthood and mental illness The Babadook reinforces the power of the genre that has often felt lost recently, whilst boasting a fantastic lead performance and being a directorial debut to boost.

Calvary - If I had to pick one film on here that still stands above the rest, it would probably be this one. Brendan Gleeson is on phenomenal form as a priest in Ireland dealing with the knowledge that he will be murdered in a week's time. This film is packed full of powerful ideas, with beautiful cinematography and performances, alongside a good helping of black comedy.

Nightcrawler - Gylenhaal gives his strongest performance yet channeling his inner De Niro in Taxi Driver, playing the sociopathic Lou Bloom who is at once utterly charming, yet utterly creepy as well. It looks beautiful, although the social satire is laid on a little thick sometimes.

Birdman - Having only watched this yesterday I likely still need time to ruminate on the film, but I really enjoyed. Norton and Keaton are both fantastic in the film, which delves into some many ideas involving art, purpose in life, relationships, depression, contemporary society, celebrity and more. It's frankly too many, and the ending should have happened far earlier in the film, but for pure ambition - not only in a technical aspect, but also thematic it definitely deserves to be seen.

The Raid 2 - not too much to say, other than it's bat-shit crazy balls-to-the-walls action unlike anything I've ever seen. It's a little too long, and the story's far from original, but the choreography and fight design is endlessly re-watchable. 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - The best blockbuster of the year by far in my mind. It's got some flaws, particularly on the human side of the story, but hosts wonderful performances by Andy Serkis and others, as well as thrilling action and the best CGI of the year.

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson's best film yet? Arguably so. Excellent performances all round - especially Ralph Fiennes - combining his trademark visual style with his trademark bitterly dark and tragic undercurrent that flows throughout every one of his films.

Under the Skin - Visually this does things that I've never seen before, which is a triumph in itself. Scarlet Johansson is marvellous as the alien, and often quite terrifying. More importantly though the film is packed full of themes from the small to the massive, such as what it means to be human. Unlike anything else I've seen this year.

I could right a lot more about these films, they're all fantastic. There's no order, and I have far too many films left to consider a full top 10, but for now if you haven't seen these films I urge you to do so.

[orangetrain95-blog]

The Elevator Pitch

Elevators are a bit weird, aren't they? In real life, I mean. Not only could you be about to plunge to your death at any minute (or for that matter be flung catastrophically into the ceiling, trust me I've seen videos of this - not a snuff film though), but your forced to endure the classic awkward where do I look scenario of public transport. Yes, I'm referring to elevators as a type of public transport, but that's a digression. The awkwardness is exacerbated by the sodding great big mirror they have in every elevator ever... Why on earth that exists I do not know? Imagine having mirrors surrounding you on the tube or on a bus, it would be ridiculous. There have been numerous times I've been caught facing the mirror, only for the doors to slide open and for me to be left caught looking like a right twat ogling myself - if they weren't there we wouldn't have this problem. 

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Why write about elevators you might be asking yourself at this point? The simple answer is because of videogames. That's right, for a medium so trapped in a creative bubble right now (that's hopefully about to burst) games have always managed to make elevators interesting, and that's a bit weird. Isn't it?

I mean, the inspiration for this little ramble came from playing Alien: Isolation on my shiny, new PS4, and within the first two hours of the game you step inside an elevator with a character named Axel (moments earlier two other strangers have swiftly left you behind using an elevator). It's a nice little moment during a game that so far has left its writing to be desired, as it captures that horrible sense of tension and awkwardness of stepping into an elevator with a stranger, except in Alien: Isolation you step into the elevator with a psycho and the knowledge that there's a terrifying creature slaughtering the inhabitants of the ship as you speak. Nothing happens, thankfully, just like a normal elevator ride, but having not progressed much further than this point I'm curious to see how the game will use elevators to enhance the tension and horror. 

One game where something can happen in an elevator (and the emphasis is on can here) is Dead Space, which has quite possibly the best use of elevators in a game I've ever seen. I'm going from memory here, but if it serves me correctly the first elevator ride you encounter is perfectly normal. You get on, you get off. It's the second time that changes how you handle this seemingly inconspicuous transportation system. Whether it was a body curled up in the corner seemingly dead, or an enemy dropping from the vent above you, it doesn't matter - the first time this happens will scare you shitless. It's quite genius (and a little cheap) really, launching a vicious, horrific creature on you just at the moment you think you're allowed a little respite from the terror of the USG Ishimura - a moment that will likely see you panic stomp before hurriedly grabbing your plasma rifle and shooting whatever limb comes at you first. After this point, elevators in Dead Space will never be the same again.

(He really wanted to get on)

Elsewhere, elevators often provide contextual information and comedic entertainment to the game, in place of a loading screen. Mirror's Edge uses elevators to show how your actions are affecting the dystopian city in which you inhabit, citizens being warned to look out for the "runner style", as well as providing an opportunity for the various Mayorial candidates to spew their propaganda. Strange that that also takes place in an elevator, rather than the glistening white buildings of the rest of the city, but perhaps that's the power of elevators? 

Moreover, Mass Effect famously infuriated players with their insistence on elevators to cover up loading screens, providing a chance to gaze at Shepherd's derriere and listen to characters play off of one another. Nothing too essential, the inability to move was annoying, but I guess that's like a real elevator then. 

I suppose I don't really know where I'm going with this piece, ironically the exact opposite of an elevator's function. I mean, movies rarely use elevators outside of action sequences (Captain America 2, Mission Impossible, Drive), and I can't recall any famous instances in books, music or theatre. So I guess it is games that have this niche cornered, and I kind of love that. Not only do they help me reflect on my own social anxiety towards elevators, but they also make games a bit weirder, and that's a good thing. 

P.S.

The first thing I write in months is an impassioned look at elevators in games... Merry Boxing Day everyone.

[orangetrain95-blog]

Revisiting Halo 3: ODST

In 2009 Bungie released Halo 3:ODST (originally titled Halo 3: Recon), a game that offered a new spin on the traditional Halo gameplay, with players controlling ‘the Rookie’ instead of the super-human Master Chief of the previous three games, as well as alterations to the structure of the campaign and the introduction of ‘Firefight’ mode instead of a traditional multiplayer portion. Despite relative critical acclaim, the game holds an 83/100 on Metacritic; it came under backlash for its short campaign, lack of traditional multiplayer and general perception as ‘glorified DLC’. In this new series, I’ll be looking back on all aspects of ODST; seeing whether the game still holds up, whether the player backlash was deserved, and wondering how/where it fits into the Halo franchise as a whole.

The claim that ODST is merely ‘glorified DLC’ certainly seems harsh having played through the game multiple times and invested hours into Firefight mode, but at the time it was definitely justifiable. Back in 2009, the idea of a first-person shooter with no PvP multiplayer and a six hour campaign was a recipe for player-backlash. Nowadays, the rise of smaller titles and shorter, sharper campaign modes makes ODST feel right at home alongside today’s juggernauts. Both Call of Duty and Battlefield produce short (poor) single-player campaigns, as well as the likes of Spec Ops: The Line and Wolfenstein: The New Order being single-player focused, narrative experiences. In many ways this helps to keep ODST feeling fresh, with the campaign not suffering from pacing issues as there are no sections of the game that feel padded or excessive to increase the dollar-per-hour rate. Instead, the tight editing heightens the contrast between the sombre moments of isolation; followed by the high-octane action set pieces, which leads to the thematic resonance of the game feeling more pronounced and ensures the gameplay rarely becomes stale.

The thematic resonance is perhaps the most interesting aspect of ODST, as I’d always struggled to empathise with Master Chief and Cortana’s story because you always felt indestructible. Here, however, your character is much more isolated and in danger. Not only are you stranded alone in a Covenant infested city at night, the brilliant, smooth sounds of Marty O’Donnell’s jazz-infused score emphasising the melancholic atmosphere, but there are significant changes to the mechanics of the player as well. Unlike the Chief, the Rookie doesn’t jump as high, run as fast, have as much health or even dualwield. He’s weaker in every single aspect, which not only reinforces the themes of the game, but also forces the player to be more cautious in combat. Whilst the gunplay is certainly not better than any of the games that came before or after it, the subtle changes offer a new flavour to the Halo canon, and continue to help the game feel fresh long after release. It’s especially prescient when played on Legendary difficulty, offering a new strategic element and forcing the player into ‘guerrilla-warfare’ like situations; launching surprise attacks on clusters of grunts and then falling back into a building to recover your health and start again.

Where ODST’s campaign succeeds in providing nuanced, fresh combat to a series so rigidly set in its ways (in a good sense); it lacks the jaw-dropping set pieces of previous instalments. Thematically it makes sense, this is a smaller game with a smaller story, it’s not about you saving the world, it’s about completing your mission and getting off the planet before the Covenant destroys it. Sadly though the games biggest set pieces, a rooftop battle against Covenant airships and a highway escort mission in a Scorpion, never reach the heights we’re hoping for. The game lacks the spectacular escape from the Halo ring of Halo 1/3 or the first time you single-handedly take down a scorpion, and whilst this makes sense thematically, it certainly feels like there is room for a grand finale or equivalent throughout the campaign, instead relying too much on missions where you must take a stand and take on hordes of enemies. With the Covenant ‘glassing’ the planet, I see little reason why they couldn’t have pushed the games timeline a long a little bit and had the final level be racing through the streets of New Mombasa, avoiding explosions, Covenant et al. It’s these little things  (figuratively speaking) that leave the player wanting more, and whilst they don’t ruin the overall excellent campaign experience, it certainly leaves me questioning what they could have achieved with more time and money.

Whilst the campaign is very good, the lack of those spectacular set pieces perhaps holds it back from reaching the heights of other Halo entries (although I’d say it stands head-and-shoulders above the efforts of Halo 4). The real meat of the game comes from its ‘Firefight’ mode – Halo’s answer to Gears of War’s Horde mode, in which players (up to four) face off against waves of enemies with limited resources, trying to last until the end as the difficulty increases. It’s a simple idea and it’s incredibly well executed, with the addition of skulls tweaking the difficulty of every round, forcing the players to act more strategically and conservatively, especially when there’s ‘Grunt Birthday Party’ activated. The maps are taken from the campaign, each with a central defence point that is packed with health kits, ammo and weapons, as well as being a good area of operation from which to mount your defence. The latter rounds require good communication and teamwork especially, with an onslaught of Brute Chieftains and Hunters able to make quick work of a team if not adequately controlled. The popularity of ‘Firefight’ mode is evident in its return to both Reach and Halo 4, both of which improved upon the formula by adding in matchmaking and other features – the fact that matchmaking for ‘Firefight’ didn’t exist in ODST was a costly mistake for Bungie, as it could have helped save both the reputation and user activity of the game.

Halo 3: ODST is a strange game in my mind. It came out between Halo 3 and Reach (including a time period where Bungie had begun work on Destiny, which they managed to sneak into the game in the form of posters) and was a radical change of pace from the previous formula. It might not be a masterpiece, but I love it many ways, especially the campaign. The combination of the gorgeous visual design of the city at night, Marty O’Donnell’s incredible score (the best in the franchise in my opinion) and the subtle changes to gameplay make this game quite special to me. Yes, the flashback segments aren’t as good as they could be, and ‘Firefight’ had its flaws, and there’s no multiplayer, but when you’re sneaking through the abandoned city at night, HUD aglow from your night-goggles, it creates this magical, ethereal quality that no game in the series has ever quite matched, and most likely never will.

[orangetrain95-blog]

Thoughts On: The Walking Dead Game (Season 2, Episode 3)

Full spoilers for the episode ahead

The formula of Season 2 of The Walking Dead is arguably becoming predictable; a slow start gradually makes way to a tense, climactic cliff-hanger (punctuated by moments of horror throughout), with Clementine left in some precarious situation with her life in danger. It’s standard procedure for The Walking Dead, and necessary for a game that relies on episodic content to drive the player forward into purchasing the next episode, but it also highlights the continued excellence of Telltale’s writing and direction. Not only do I fall for the trick every time; finishing the episode with accelerated heartbeat and sweaty palms, but I continue to come back for more, despite the formula being quite obvious at this point.

In Episode 3 of Telltale’s series, Clementine and her group have been [re]captured by Carver – the mysterious villain of the previous two episodes – and are imprisoned inside his camp against their will, with the promise that they will be forgiven with time and a lot of hard work. The game uses simple yet effective scenes to exacerbate the hate towards Carver and his crew of thugs, although only a couple become fully formed characters rather than clichéd bad guys/thugs.

The writers take efforts to humanise Carver, but his actions towards Reggie, Alvin and the rest of Clem’s crew (especially Kenny) ultimately result in nothing but player vitriol towards him. It’s arguably a failure of the series, as his death later on doesn’t leave the player questioning their morality, but instead the brutality he has enacted upon everyone only makes it all the more satisfying. Although, perhaps this in itself is the key moment of the episode, as the player no longer questions their morality and choices, alternatively choosing to take his actions at face-value and not consider the consequences. In many ways, this only reinforces the quality of the writing, as the player no longer acts as though they exist in contemporary society, but rather that they exist in the world of The Walking Dead, and I think this is the highest praise I can offer the writers.

Through the series so far I’ve played Clementine as a relatively unbiased, moral person, intent on being a good person and making sure that she helps people survive. I’ve basically played the idealised version of the character. Yet, in the finale of episode 3 she’d been transformed, commanding Luke to “just shoot him” [Carver] and hacking off Surita’s arm because I know this will save her. Both examples demonstrate how my Clementine now fully operates within the rules of the universe to maximise her survival chances and those of the people around her. Ironically becoming more and more like Carver, the very person who I/she detested. It was a powerful self-realisation for me, and one that only affirmed my ever high-praise for the series.

However, I cannot forget some of the flaws of the episode. Most notably the technical issues that break the experience, such as frame-rate drops, screen tearing and ‘hiccups/jolts’ – a term I just made up to describe when the cut from one camera angle to the next is not clean, but ‘jolty’ due to the load times. As always, these are minor issues but ones that cannot be ignored, especially as Telltale moves into the next generation with a lot of projects to handle simultaneously. The larger problems were the aforementioned formulaic nature of the episodes, primarily the slow build-up, which can lead to periods of seemingly meaningless interaction (although they may pay off in later episodes).

Ultimately, Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season 2 continues to grow in stature and confidence, almost rivalling the quality of the storytelling in Season 1. Whilst there are no relationships quite as strong as the one between Lee and Clem, the overall breadth is almost as deep, and the ‘role-playing’ experience is absorbing, shocking and utterly thrilling.

9/10

[orangetrain95-blog]

Thoughts On: The Walking Dead Game (Season 2, Episode 2)

Despite the initial slow start of episode 2, Telltale once again manages to prove themselves as one of the finest storytellers working in the modern games industry when the credits roll. Whilst the base structure and mechanics of the series are not revolutionary by any means, the quality of the writing and voice-acting continue to elevate the game to narrative heights within the medium. Although the game may rarely tackle the big social, economic and political themes that many a critic of art will strive to look for, it takes on the arguably more daunting task of exploring the very nature of man, and the will to survive when placed under the most horrific of circumstances. A daring achievement, which also combines with memorable characters, fantastic writing and acting, and enough twists & turns to break a walker’s neck - guaranteeing that the ride is ALWAYS worth the one or two bumps along the way. 

Unsurprisingly, Episode 2 sets off immediately after the events of the first episode, which were left on a cliffhanger.

**SPOILERS FROM HERE ON IN** 

In my play-through, Pete is dead - his corpse now a delicious meal for many a hungry zombie - and I, Clementine, follow Nick into the woods in an attempt to survive. Finding shelter in a log cabin, the two characters go back-and-forth with one another in a sequence that fleshes out Nick’s characteristics (to Ben levels of irritability) and ends with Clementine fleeing the scene whilst Nick drowns his sorrows (presumably to death). This interaction is definitely the weakest moment of the episode, providing little exposition about the character of Nick, and not truly helping forge a relationship between him and the player. As well as this, it does little to develop the character, outside of reinforcing him as weak, hot-headed and naive, all traits that have been shown before it. It’s a disappointing start to an episode that otherwise only climbs in quality, but nevertheless cannot be excused for its poor execution.

After this, however, we move onto the most important character introduction of the episode (and what I can only presume will be for the rest of the season), as Clem comes face-to-face with the mysterious William Carver. His motivations are unclear for quite some time as to why he is so aggressively hunting down Clem’s new gang, but they become apparent as time goes on with repeated instances of Clem being told to “ask Rebecca” about the group’s past. With her pregnancy it is not hard to put two and two together to realise that he is the father, desperate to get back his child (not that the game is sympathetic towards the character in this episode, rather painting him as the mysterious evil, although there are certainly some doubts lying beneath the surface).

Past this incident, Clem and the group decide to leave and head North to the mountains, which involves a dangerous bridge crossing with disastrous results (the results of which are brilliantly alluded to as they meet another group, with the player piecing together the mystery of the missing person - even if nobody suspects anything yet). After this, there is the moment of the episode as Clem reunites with an old friend ( a moment that left both myself and the character exclaiming “Holy Shit!”), and a series of escalating tensions between the two groups, reflected through the pathetic fallacy of the encroaching storm. As always Telltale leaves the player on a cliff-hanger as to what will happen next, but unlike last time it feels as though the events to come will be far more consequential for Clementine and her new groups. 

The subtitle of the episode is: A House Divided, and whilst it could allude to both Clementine’s group still being undecided on her trustworthiness, or what to do over the Carver situation, I felt it more reflected the situation Clementine finds herself in part way through the episode. She is the only unifying figure between the two groups that otherwise might have blown themselves apart (a figure of safety, ‘house-esque’ if you will), but she is faced with a series of agonising questions over where her loyalty lies and which group she will stay with. A series of questions that I could only choose to stay silent for, which is in my opinion a testament to the quality of the story-telling, as I cared deeply enough that I didn’t want to divide, destroy or ruin the home that I was a part of; even if it wasn’t my fault. 

Ultimately, Episode 2 reinforces Telltale as the leaders of storytelling in an industry where there are so few willing to do this ‘job’. Yes, the game still suffers from awkward controls and technical problems, but these can and are looked past because the experience is just too good to miss otherwise. 

9/10

[orangetrain95-blog]

Thoughts On: The Walking Dead Game (Season 2, Episode 1)

Perhaps the most daring aspect of Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 2 is that they chose to make the player in control of Clementine, a 9-year-old girl. I couldn’t count on two hands the number of games that place their protagonist through the horrifying journey that Clementine goes through, let alone the number of games that place a child through this trauma (The Last of Us being the only other example I can think of). It’s definitely not easy viewing at points, particularly a long, slow, painful scene involving a needle and thread, and whilst it could be argued that the use of a child is just an easy technique to create an emotional response, it’s the excellent writing and assured performance from Melissa Hutchinson that truly creates the relationship between player and character.

Elsewhere, Telltale avoids cliché in its use of a dog, often an easy way to invoke an emotional response by creating an attachment through its cute nature, only for it to die heroically. Here though, Telltale uses the dog to reflect the brutality of its world, its savage nature indicative of a world where there is little food and even less trust. In this simple, but effective subversion of a common trope the writers managed to craft a scene that felt refreshing and just as powerful as the tried and tested tropes that have come before it. Moreover, in an industry clamouring for more diversity (and rightly so), Telltale offers an incredibly well rounded female lead, as well as a racially diverse cast, which is rarely scene in films let alone games. Whilst many people won’t care, and it doesn’t truly affect the quality of the game, it’s still something Telltale should be commended for, especially when so few other developers follow their lead.

Much like the first season of The Walking Dead game, the flaws rarely lie with the writing and voice acting, but instead with the technical and gameplay aspects. Admittedly, I don’t have a problem with the gameplay, although if you’ve never played a Telltale game before consider it as more of an interactive movie/TV show (much better than the actual TV show though), the real problem lies in the long load times, frequent frame rate issues, and awkward controls. None of these are game breaking problems, but it is definitely disappointing to see these problems recur considering they plagued Season 1 also.

With Season 2 of The Walking Dead, Telltale has proved that life after Lee is more than a pipe dream. Whilst there are no ground breaking moments or truly exceptional scenes, it’s certainly a good episode of the game, laying the groundwork for what should be a memorable season to come.

 8/10

[orangetrain95-blog]

Thoughts On: Alien Vault

The inner cover of Alien Vault is the Weylan-Yutani logo, repeated over and over again in an unsettling grey, black and yellow. It's a very small detail, but one that a lesser book might not have included, going to show the care and love that the author (Ian Nathan) has put in to his work. Alien Vault tells the story of the production of Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece, and it's definitely a fitting tribute to a classic film, worthy of a place on any Alien-lovers bookshelf. 

The book - more loosely presented as a a 'coffee-table' book, rather than a piece of prose - is split in to five sections (and an introduction): Birth, Nostromo, Perfect Organism, Ripley, and Legacy. Each section exploring the meticulous attention to detail that the crew went to in creating the film, lending insight into the difficulty of it getting created, as well as highlighting the brilliance of every element, making one realise just what a well crafted film it truly is.

That might be the book's greatest accomplishment, the fact that it gives the reader a deeper appreciation of the film than ever before - its use of behind-the-scenes photos, concept art and stills from the film shows how the creators went above and beyond what was required of them. For instance, the set of the space jockey cost a whopping $500,000 (one of the most expensive individual sets ever at the time) and Giger hand-crafted every single egg used in the film. 

Furthermore, the book comes with a handful of little extra items, mainly in the form of 'Ridleygrams', posters and concept art. It's a nice little touch, further lending insight into the brilliance of the film, but a lot of them have large crease lines from where they've been folded into little pouches, which is quite disappointing considering some of them would look nice framed. 

My only other complaint is that the chapter 'Legacy' was a little bit short, not really delving in to very much detail on its impact on the science-fiction and horror genres, instead merely praising it for its legacy without really explaining why. Although, I will say that chapter did give some fantastic insight into how people reacted to it at the time, with stories of people vomiting in the aisles and hiding behind their seats, completely horrified and disgusted. Not being alive for another sixteen years, I'd have loved to have experienced the film when it first released to really get a sense of how revolutionary and terrifying it truly was. 

Ultimately, the book really is a must-recommend for any big fan of Alien; its gorgeous artwork and pictures, insightful analysis and a feeling of genuine love toward the film pouring from the page ensure that you won't regret it.

(This is everything that comes with the book, but what you can't see here is the creases on some of the larger pieces) 

[shortfilmmasterpieces]

Suburbia

[orangetrain95-blog]

Brilliant!

[orangetrain95-blog]

Thoughts On: Microsoft's E3 Press Conference

Well, well, well. Colour me impressed, Microsoft did a pretty great job at this year’s E3, and it was lightyears ahead of anything they’ve done for at least 3 years, with no TV, no Kinect, no apps, nothing but games. The way E3 should be. Yes, I know we shouldn’t rush too fast to praise these games shown, especially those of us who only watch the trailers/demos, but it can still give us an overview of where the consoles (and the franchises/indies/new IPs) are heading. So, let’s go through this in chronological order.

1) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Not too surprisingly Microsoft opened with the new COD, which is being developed by Sledgehammer games, an offset of old Visceral guys (the other half of that team is now making a Battlefield game, funnily enough). The graphics, sound effects and animations all looked incredible, unlike anything a COD has done before, as well as pushing it into a ‘near sci-fi’ setting. Despite these technical developments, it did still look like a COD game, and whilst they can’t be expected to drastically change the formula, the demo didn’t do enough to really emphasise any key changes they may have made (however, the latest issue of EDGE magazine did run a large preview on the game, with the developers promising increased verticality and maneuverability).

2) Forza Horizon 2 - As I’ve stated before, I don’t care for racing games, but it did look quite pretty. Although, the announcement of free DLC for Forza 4 and the expectation that the players should be grateful for another map was a little irritating.

3) Evolve - This game continues to look really fun, which is unsurprising considering it’s being made by Turtle Rock Studios, the people behind Left 4 Dead. Not too much to say, other than that I really want to sit down and get into the game - hopefully there are enough maps, and that three monsters is enough.

4) Assassin’s Creed Unity - Once again, Ubisoft continues to prove that they are the masters of making awesome trailers and demos. Black Flag was a welcome return to the franchise, but Unity looks to up it once again - the French Revolution providing a wonderful setting for brutal, bloody gameplay and interesting storytelling. Furthermore, the introduction of 4 player, campaign co-op looks promising, although I wonder how these missions will work without people to play with. Graphically it looked pretty great, the little blood splatters on the walls being a nice touch, and whilst the core gameplay looks the same, there did seem to be an added fluidity to the parkour and a bit more depth to the combat, which is a welcome addition.

5) Dragon Age: Inquisition - Compared to The Witcher III this game is still not doing it for me. The graphics, world and gameplay just all seem to lack the level of polish and depth that the demos from The Witcher III have shown so far, but this game is slated for October and The Witcher III for next February. I’m sure it’s more fun to play than to watch, but I won’t be picking this one up based on these impressions anytime soon. Also, the small dialogue scene I saw on the IGN live stream also paled in comparison to The Witcher III in terms of voice acting and direction.

6) Sunset Overdrive - The more I see of this game the more excited I become, it looks like a nice blend of Crackdown, Jet Set Radio and Ratchet & Clank, to create a refreshing, colourful shooter. It certainly stands out from the crowd in terms of last-generation 3rd person shooters, and I hope that it’s as fun to play as it is to watch.

7) Fable Legends - Never played a Fable game before, this one isn’t convincing me otherwise. It all looks fine - nice graphics, probably fun to play with friends and a humorous world - but there’s nothing in there that screams PLAY ME, it just looks a bit generic in relation to other 3rd person fantasy games (although, the Dungeon Master style 5th player could mix things up)

8) Project Spark - Not my kind of game, but I’m sure it has its audience. Never played the old Conker games, but the reference seemed to piss a lot of people off.

9) The Master Chief Collection (+ Halo 5 Teaser) - Not going to bother talking about CGI trailers, there’s absolutely no point. The Master Chief Collection, on the other hand, piqued my interest. All 4 Master Chief games, with a remastered Halo 2 (the only one I’ve never played), and nearly every multiplayer map in its original glory. Yes, its a rerelease of old games, but the Halo franchise holds a special place in my heart, and I really want this collection. Plus, the playlist feature sounds pretty cool, and it gives you access to the new Halo TV show (the Director has done some good work in TV before, there’s also Ridley Scott working on it) and Halo 5 beta.

10) Inside - The new game from PlayDead, creators of the brilliant Limbo, was finally announced at the Microsoft. It’s another 2D platformer-lite game, but the promise of a new world, a beautiful art style and more excellent storytelling is enough to whet my appetite.

11) Indie Game sizzle-reel - It was hard to get a proper look at games in there, but it shows a commitment to bringing some more indies to the Xbox One, which so far PlayStation has dominated with this gen.

12) Rise of the Tomb Raider - Another CGI trailer, but the last game was pretty damn good and I look forward to returning to the world. Title’s a bit crap though.

13) The Witcher III - I’ve already compared this to Dragon Age enough, and I’ll just say that I’m really interested to see if they can deliver on their promise of a persistent open-world, which sounds very ambitious.

14) Phantom Dust - Couldn’t care less about this. Crappy trailer that didn’t illuminate anything particularly unique or interesting about the game. Thankfully, it was just a CG trailer and so judgements will be reserved until played/seen properly.

15) The Division - I see nothing but good things about this game, but for me it’s just not doing it yet. Which is a bit sad, because I think the promise of a massive MMO-esque New York to play around in is good, but outside of the graphics everything looks a bit uninspired. With the third person shooting looking a bit too generic, lacking the brutality of a Last of Us or the playfulness of a Gears game. It has got a long time until release, but I’d urge a lot of people to tap the brakes on the hype train.

16) Scalebound - New exclusive from Platinum games, but it was just a CG trailer - although it did give off a Monster Hunter vibe. I have lots of faith in Platinum though to deliver a crazy, brilliant, over-the-top action game.

17) Crackdown (reboot, not 3) - Crackdown 2 left a sour taste in almost everybody’s mouth, being hampered by a chaotic development cycle and strict deadline. This game is slated for 2015, at the earliest, and has David Jones (who was one of the leads for the original Crackdown) working on it, which gives me high hopes. Yes, it was a CG trailer, but there was not a zombie-thing in sight, and it alluded to a return to bombastic, gang-focused mayhem.

*Stretches fingers*

So that was almost every game shown at the Microsoft conference, and whilst we can complain that there was no HOLY SHIT surprise, it was undeniably an effective (safe), strong conference that delivered a wide-range of interesting games, and a promise that the future for the Xbox One looks quite bright indeed.

P.S. I almost forgot Ori and the Blind Forest. The gameplay shown today dulled my excitement as they talked of influences of Super Meatboy and being a metroid-vania, which contrasted the emotional and melancholic trailer shown yesterday. It was only a snippet, but it was a wee bit disappointing.

[orangetrain95-blog]

Thoughts On: EA's E3 Press Conference

Awful, just awful. I appreciate they're working on games for the future: Mass Effect, new Bioware IP, Star Wars: Battlefront and Mirror's Edge 2 -all games I'm excited for. But... that showing was pathetic - I'd actually rather have a cinematic trailer than the shots of developers talking, prototype footage, and concept art. God damn was this disappointing, especially the lack of proper ME2 gameplay, which I was desperately hoping to see something substantial for. (Although I suppose they shouldn't rush stuff, and just release footage when they think it's ready)

Elsewhere, sports, sports and more sports. Extended previews of UFC, Madden, FIFA and NHL, all to be expected, but nevertheless boring as fuck because it's the same old shit again. (But this time with the emotionz and dramaz!) We also got to see excessive amount of the new Sims game, which looks like more Sims - something I couldn't care less about, but it has its audience. 

One thing I did like was the prototype footage of the new Criterion game, which was a pleasant surprise. I rarely enjoy racing games, but Criterion's Burnout Paradise was a standout for me, and I look forward to the crazy multi-vehicle switching that they teased.

Finally, they ended the show on Battlefield: Hardline, which looks like a glorified DLC at the moment. Some fun moments that are obviously scripted, with a few cool new features (hopefully the single player campaign is an improvement on years past, Visceral are a talented studio so I have higher hopes than normal), as well as the announcement of the beta immediately available on PS4. This seems important because Battlefield 4 is meant to be a broken mess still, and a nice long beta will hopefully allow it to work on release (although I still have my doubts). 

So yeah, that was the EA press conference. Lots of hope for next year, but a massive disappointment this year with nothing substantial or particularly exciting (no, that Battlefront footage wasn't enough) and a lot of shit I didn't care about. 

P.S. Forgot that they showed footage of the new Dragon Age game, but it's not really doing it for me - especially in comparison to The Witcher 3 footage which looks expansive, with interesting combat, a persistent world and hope for a strong story.

P.P.S Thoughts on Microsoft's conference coming later today or tomorrow (quick preview - it was pretty great)

[orangetrain95-blog]

Quick Blog Update

So it has been a few weeks since I've uploaded anything, due to the mass of revision that has kept me away from writing, watching or playing anything. However, this will be about to change, with some new articles finally coming up later this week. I'm unsure about the order, but there will be a Thoughts On: Alien Vault, as well as reactions to/ review of the E3 press conferences - although I'll only be able to watch two of them live. 

Apologies for the few of you that read my stuff, there is more coming!