Rogue One: A Star Wars Review

I couldn’t think of a better way to revive this little blog of ours than by writing a review of one of the most anticipated movies of 2016. No, Marvel and DC don’t get a stake in that category this year. I am, of course, talking about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Since this review all at once for those you have seen it and have yet to see it, I will post this review in two parts. The first is a general review for those of you who wish to read some thoughts on the movie but are trying to stay clear of spoilers. The second is a longer post for those who have seen the movie and would like to analyze and discuss the movie in greater detail. This is the Spoiler-Free Review.

The Spoiler-Free Review

To start, let‘s look at aesthetics and other non-story elements.

This movie is just beautiful. You can certainly see that the combination of practical effects and (not too much) CGI firmly connect Rogue One to its SFX roots. The score was exceptional and maintained what we have all come to expect from a Star Wars movie, as Michael Giacchino has wonderfully built a fantastic musical tower upon the solid foundation laid by the series’ main composer, the unmatched John Williams. Editing was very well done, as I thought that transitions from scene to scene had a natural flow and did not feel forced or out of place. In fact, when discussing the movie’s non-story components, there isn’t really much to critique. In that area, you will see that the movie is not a pain to watch.

Now, to the story. The writing was absolutely fantastic, and even though there was a bit of cheesy dialogue here and there, it was nothing that was out of character for a typical Star Wars movie. Pacing was a bit slow in the first half, but the fact that it presented  necessary elements for the characters, as well as solid world-building, more than made up for the slow start that soon accelerates to an explosive finish. Think of an airliner that first taxis on the runway, then takes of with great power after the slow gathering of speed. Admittedly, I had to remind myself that this wasn’t an Episode, but was instead a stand-alone and must be treated as such.

Word to the wise: do NOT expect a traditional Star Wars movie. While this movie is wholly and unequivocally a solid member of the franchise, it is truly the first of it’s kind with respect to what we are used to.

I will say that the tone of the movie is what truly sets Rogue One apart. It is certainly the darkest Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back, and I would argue that it was much darker and grittier than the darkest moments of Revenge of the Sith. I would recommend that small children NOT be taken to this film. While it never goes overboard, the movie still contains elements that young children may not be ready to digest (hence the PG-13 rating). This movie should be treated like it’s meant to be: a war movie with espionage and infiltration elements. For a dark story that had to quickly introduce new characters into an existing world, the story is everything you SHOULD expect.

I am also willing to admit that the fan-service is STRONG with this one. If The Force Awakens was a love letter to the Original Trilogy, then Rogue One is a love letter to the fans, as well as an apology for retconning decades of Extended Universe material by way of giving us exactly that. If you are a long-time fan (who have read a Star Wars novel or two), this movie is everything you’ve ever wanted. It’s a Star Wars story that’s not bogged down with the destinies of Jedi and Sith, but focuses on the actions and fates of those fighting on the front lines of the most well-known conflict in the Star Wars Universe, giving glimpses of what life was really like under virtually uncontested Imperial rule as well as motivation for the formation of the Rebel Alliance.

Here’s the part where I rate the movie. When it comes to Star Wars, the only way to accurately rate it is to place it among its predecessors. The following is a scale from worst to best Star Wars film: Attack of the Clones, The Phantom Menace, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, and The Empire Strikes Back.

So, on a scale from Clones to Empire, I must agree with some colleagues of mine and rank Rogue One right behind The Empire Strikes Back. It was a brilliant movie that brought new characters to a well-established world and naturally connected them to it. For the Star Wars fan, it is a wonderful blend of new and familiar without leaning heavily on the nostalgia of the other movies. It is a true stand alone that will indeed stand the test of time and will be chief among the pantheon of Star Wars films.

The Thursday Review: Mortal Kombat X

When I was asked to do a review on Mortal Kombat X, I was thrilled to say the least. Over the course of my videogame experience, which began when I was about 4 or 5, there’s no name that’s held on to me quite like Mortal Kombat (not even Mario). Besides the fact that fighters are easily my favorite genre of videogame, Mortal Kombat’s story and characters have always stood out to me like no other game series. I’ve played every game from MK1 to MKX, with the exception of the 3 spin-off games (Special Forces, Mythologies, and Shaolin Monks).

Sometime after the initial excitement wore off, the dreaded reality set in. I have to write a review on a fighting game, but I’M A BUTTON MASHER!!!

Yes, I must confess. Even though fighters are my favorite genre, I’m the guy that learns a few moves, then rubs his thumbs over the buttons and hopes for the best.However, I’ve realized that I’m not alone in that. That being said, I intend to make this a very “user friendly” review, for the both the hardcore and non-hardcore fighting game enthusiast.

When reviewing this game, I’ll be doing so upon the following criteria: Story, Gameplay, Characters, Online, and Offline Content. Mortal Kombat X is available for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Story

Mortal Kombat’s story has always been the series’ biggest selling point, in my opinion, and this game does not disappoint. The story mode takes you on a cinematic journey, following a team of young heroines and heroes (all new characters), led by veteran characters Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. They are tasked with attempting to save Earthrealm from the evil, fallen elder god, Shinnok. Seriously guys, this game’s story is awesome. Before I even had a PS4, I had already watched YouTube compilations of all of the cutscenes several times, and the gameplay with it only makes it better. From the political struggles in Outworld (with a potential insurrection in the works), to the budding romance between two characters (who I won’t reveal for spoilers sake), to the internal struggle of a young woman trying to fill the shoes of her mother and father, who are estranged from one another, all while leading a group that has not yet come to terms with her position of authority. This game has it all. Throughout the story mode, you will play as several different characters, as the game not only guides you through its overarching story, but also explores each character's unique backstory so the player can better understand the character’s perspective. In typical Mortal Kombat fashion, there’s a lot of treachery and bloodshed. I guarantee you will be surprised by at least one of the plot twists in the story. For those who may not be fans of the fighting genre or of Mortal Kombat particularly, this game’s story is where I feel you will be most won over.

Gameplay

The gameplay of MKX is, in my opinion, the smoothest gameplay that the series has ever had. Mortal Kombat’s gameplay in general has stepped up since being under Warner Bros (also known for the DC fighting game, Injustice), and combined with next gen technology, this is both the best looking and feeling MK game to date, in my opinion. The graphics are crisp and the characters’ motions are smooth. The game has more than enough detailed stages to keep the gamer visually stimulated. If that is not enough for you, each of the stages has interactive background items that can be used for attack, defense, and fatalities. Literally, there is a stage where you can attack your opponent by hitting them with an elderly woman who is standing in the background! As Mortal Kombat is probably most noted for, the fatalities in this game are the best I’ve seen in the MK series. Each character has multiple fatalities, exclusive to their character that shows off how vicious and creative they can be. Each character also has an “easy fatality”, where the button command input is catered to button mashers, such as me. I must admit I am quite partial to Cassie Cage’s “Selfie” fatality, and, if you know me, I’m sure you can guess why.

Cinnamon, though...

In addition to fatalities, this game also incorporates brutalities, which are slightly less gruesome than fatalities, but still render the opponent dead, and, my favorite, x-rays. X-rays were incorporated into the MK series with the previous game (MK9) and are brutal combos in which the same gives you X-ray vision on the opponent, where you can see each of their bones being broken as your character completes his/her combo. Like fatalities, these are character specific. Unlike fatalities, these can be pulled off at any point in the game that you have a full x-ray meter at the bottom of the screen. Overall the gameplay, is true to what many have come to love about Mortal Kombat while also bringing in new ideas that only further the brand, in my opinion.

Sonya has always been pretty stubborn.

Lastly, one of the best things about the game is that nothing you do is in vain. Every match, online or offline contributes to points for 1 of 5 factions that you must choose from when beginning the game. These points add up to in-game perks if your faction comes out on top in the weekly rankings. The factions are as follows: The Lin Kuei (They’re cool. Get it? Because that’s Sub-Zero’s faction. Okay I’ll stop), The Brotherhood of the Shadow (Boooo), The Special Forces (that’s me!), The White Lotus, and The Black Dragon. You can be a part of any faction, regardless of which characters you like to play as. Don’t worry, if you if you ever want to switch factions, you can at any time.

TR-8R would know.

Characters

Characters is one area that I feel that the MK series excels above all other fighting games and many other games period. MKX has all of the faces that you have come to know and love, from Raiden to Scorpion to Sub-Zero, and so on so forth. Out of the box, the game has a roster of 23 characters, with 1 additional character being available after completing story mode. MKX also introduces 8 new characters into the series, not counting those that are available as downloadable content (freaking Jason Voorhees, and others!). One of the things that I absolutely LOVE about this game is that every character has 3 fighting styles to choose from. This may seem overwhelming, but it’s really not. Each character’s standard, punches, kicks and throws are the same across all 3 fighting styles as well as the character’s fatalities, x-rays, etc. The difference comes in with the technique in which the character uses. Let’s take Scorpion for instance. Scorpion’s 3 styles to choose from are: Ninjitsu, Hellfire, and Inferno. In Scorpion’s Ninjitsu style, Scorpion relies heavily on fighting with dual swords. In Hellfire, Scorpion can call fire from the ground to burn the opponent and can also shoot fireballs. With Inferno, Scorpion can summon a demonic minion to aid in in the fight. In my online and offline battles, Inferno has given me the most problems of Scorpion’s 3 fighting styles. The 3 styles definitely add to the complexity of the game. You may be comfortable fighting against one version of Reptile, but, have you mastered all 3? I personally enjoy seeing how other fighters use my favorite character (Sonya), but with different styles.

Online

The online features of MKX are great, in my opinion. I can only speak from my experience on PlayStation Network here, but the online community is teeming with fighters from all levels of gameplay. I have never had to wait long for a fight to connect or, if I want to play a friend online, it’s super easy to connect with them (I could throw shade at Street Fighter V on this, but I’ll be good).

Offline

MKX has a wide variety of things to do offline, from the story mode to the classic arcade tower, and more. You can go to practice mode to sharpen your skills or training mode if you have no idea what you’re looking down at as you hold a controller in your hand. Training walks you step by step in the most fundamental aspects of the game. You can also complete various challenges to unlock content. One of the coolest offline modes, in my opinion, is the living towers. It’s the basic arcade mode, with random, often comedic, stipulations thrown in each match. The living towers updates with the online server to various themes at different times (Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day all had themes related to their respective holidays). And, of course, there is versus mode, where you can pummel your friends- always a must have.

Final Thoughts

I’ve always appreciated Mortal Kombat for its story, more than anything else. MK’s fighting never wowed me, until recent years (Warner Brother’s era). Prior to that in terms of gameplay, I was always a Tekken person, but the last few MK games have been phenomenal, with this one taking the top position. Whether you’re a casual fan who just likes the blood and gore, or an experienced player who likes to learn the ins and outs of a game, I can’t recommend a better fighting game for you. I cannot come up with a numerical score for this game, as I’ve never been good at those kinds of things, but this game is DEFINITELY a Flawless Victory as far as I’m concerned.

It get’s a Talkin’ Nerdy rating of 10/10.

Additional Information

On 3/1/2016, Mortal Kombat XL was released. This is the same game as MKX, but has every DLC character already available, every fatality already unlocked, and every costume for each character. The gameplay is the same and is compatible online with MKX. If you don’t already have MKX, I would recommend this game. You can pick it up at your local retailer for $59.99 (same as most new release games). If you do already have MKX and want this additional content, which gives you access to a total of 4 additional characters (9 if you haven’t purchased any of the DLC characters in MKX), you can download the XL package for $29.99. No need to buy an entirely new game.  MKXL is only available for the PS4 and Xbox One. It was not released for the PC.

The Eric Nelson RAW Report (Feb, 29 2016)

"The Right" by experimental R&B group KING permeates the room. I often have something as a backdrop whenever I'm playing something. Sometimes I simply appreciate the in-game music, Fallout being a fine example, but I often want my own mood to be set. Not that Animal Crossing: New Leaf doesn't have nice ambient music of it's own, but I needed a little more substance. As butter-smooth as KING is being right now, I still find myself repeatedly hitting my neighbor Hippeux in the head with a bug net, in the attempt to anger him to the point of moving out of my village.  Run The Jewels may have been a more appropriate music choice, as I rail on this dude's head for simply having an annoying schtick. I just want a duck to move in the village. I like ducks, and Hippeux has to go. It's mad hot in here.

I get up to turn the fan on. While I'm up I peek out of the crack of where my door is practically closed, but not technically closed, at least not to where I can get yelled at about it for being closed. My dad is yelling at the tv. I didn't have a good enough view to actually see the television screen, so he's either yelling at an opposing sports team, his own sports team, or liberals who are everything that is wrong with this country. That's sarcasm for the record. On my part, not his. You get it, right?

As I sit down to continue my session of gentrification on the 3ds, I can't help but pay attention to the fan. It's spinning. The blades on it, I mean. It's not slowed down or anything, but I can see it all, vividly. It's hard to explain. It's the same exact speed as always yet the spinning isn't a blur, I can see super clearly as if it's super slowed down. Guess it wasn't that hard to explain at all. I'm sweating. I know I said it was mad hot in here, but this is more. I'm dizzy, kind of out of it, sweating, and focusing on these fan propellers way too much.

I awake. I didn't know I fell asleep really. Crap....did I leave my 3ds on all night? It's probably dead, I didn't save, and that stupid mole is gonna give me an earfull. I'm not in my room. Wood....wood on everything. Wood on wood on wood. This is a freakin' log cabin. Not a modern one either where people enjoy the aesthetic but it still has wifi and a Keurig, more of an actual Skyrim, Dragon's Dogma-esque actual effing log cabin. This bed is practically hay on wood. And there is a fireplace! This entire enclosure is wood and hay, and there is a fireplace! Brilliant! And most importantly, where am I!? Possibly more important, why wasn't that my first thought?! And in third, in a sentence exlaiming excitement and a question, does the question mark or exclamation point come first?! Does it depend on which emotion is stronger?

I walk outside, before some creepy guy with a mustache pulls up in a white van and comes back in to check on his prey. I have no clue where I am and how I got here. I don't remember anything. I don't remember my name, where I'm from, I sure as heck don't remember the first three paragraphs. My memory bank is empty. Entirely empty. I can traverse it, strangely enough. I can search the depths of my mind, like a CPU. There is something here. Tucked away in the corner of what I'm going to assume is a brain crevice or something, a bit of information. I open my mouth to relay whatever information I find.

"Monday Night Raw opens up with Triple H's music. Well, I mean it was him or Steph that was going to start the show off with a 20 minute promo (Turns out we get both. Hurray!) Dude delivers a pretty solid promo, for someone who is known for delivering solid promos. Not great, not boring....solid. Authority is necessary. We all listen to authority in our lives. We hate it, but it's necessary. That kind of stuff. Dean Ambrose guitar riff thing that sounds like the Road Warriors opening riff! What a rush! Dean limps out in a way that implies to some that he's injured, but implies to me that he's a G, and he's fixing to collect his money from Trips. It appears they are heading towards a program with Dean and Trips. This is interesting, considering this should be Roman, and hint hint, Roman isn't actually injured (You seen Byron slip him that blood capsule.) Dean challenges Trips, and to a title match at that. "You can't beat him" chants toward Trips. This is great. Dean, by the way, is gold on the mic. Why? Because he doesn't cut promos like a wrestler. He talks like a human being. He has the support of the fans, way more than Roman. I like Dean Ambrose if that hasn't been clear yet. Roman.....not so much. We get an Oscars reference. The fans didn't react to it, because they're here to watch wrestling, not the writers try to be relevant. Dean wants an answer by the end of the night.

Quesalupa commercial. They're not bad, but underwhelming. Pepsi commercial. I hate my job. I really hate it. Check on me later.

Ric Flair and Charlotte at ringside. Out comes Becky Lynch. If you haven't watch Becky on NXT, she can go, and is a great talent, and the main roster needs to utilize that more. She has a dope entrance as well. Out comes Sasha Banks. So you can just scratch all that I said about Becky. Sasha Banks vs Bayley at the recent two NXT specials were AMAZING! Sasha Banks is completely capable of being to top heel of pro wrestling, and completely showed it in NXT. Gonna get personal, seeing a woman, and one of color, be that good at what she does, in an industry that has never been for women, people of color, and naturally, not women of color, and be that over with the fanbase....she is amazing. I pull for Sasha Banks. She's dope on all cylinders. Becky Lynch can eat a booger at this point. My mom on the couch complaining about their fake hair colors. (I watch Raw at my parents' house, as I don't have cable.) Any womens match, there is a spewing of hatred from my mom. Those boobs are bought. Those are hair extensions. We get it, mom.

The fans are into this match, which I love. We've been conditioned for a while that the womens matches are the bathroom break of the show. Slowly, that perception is changing. Again, go watch Sasha vs Bayley. Both matches. Pay for the Network. Find it on youtube, find it illegally, steal a physical copy from a dvd store, just slide it into that large hoody you own for such thievery. Watch it! Back to the match, some solid wrestling here. I love it.

Chrisley commercial. Clayuss not Ayuss!

Back to the match. Double knees to the face of Becky by Sasha and a solid dropkick from Becky are highlights of this one. Double pin. Draw. Not the smoothest ending there, but still, proud of Becky and Sasha here. Hoping this leads to a triple threat at Mania, as both Becky and Sasha deserve to be in the title match at Mania. The fans seem to agree here.

Wyatts promo. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, Bray says. Is he taking shots at the booking and writing? The irony of the Wyatts saying this. Poor Bray, he constantly delivers what I consider captivating promos, simply trying to explain his own horrible booking in metaphysical voodoo metaphors.

Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz. This is the first moment of Raw where I would break out my PS Vita or 3ds if I wasn't now reviewing the show. Wrestling commences. Miz wins with a rollup. Not sure where this is going. They show some country music guy in the crowd. I could care less, but it didn't make me actively angry at least, like anything involving Flo Rida or Florida Georgia Line on Raw.

Recap of Shane McMahon last week. I know it was last week, but.....them Jordan 1's though. Shane ain't playin' with yall. Undertaker has the match in the bag as long as he don't step on Shane's feet. Step on Shane's Js at Mania, Taker's gonna be the Deadman for real.

Steph comes out. Her music is perfect for her character. That horrible rap music that people think people who listen to rap enjoy, but we actually don't even know who that is rapping, because it's hot garbage. I bet Stephanie likes Macklemore. I just hurled all over my keyboard. Went to Walmart to buy another one. Back. Vincent J McMahon Award Ceremony speech. A lot of hatred towards Shane. I would bet money a lot of these feelings are real, as her acting is actually decent here. Shane was never here while I was here on every Raw. Sounds like Cena when he was so butthurt that the fans liked The Rock. That family seems so much like Game of Thrones. I'm glad I'm an only child.

Lucha Dragons vs Sheamus and Rusev. JBL mentions wanting to ban the "Lucha" chant. Wonder who he's voting for. Rusev gets the pin. None of us were paying attention to this match. League of Nations is such a fail.

Natalya with a Subway plug. Funny story, last week I was talking up how lately I've been craving tuna salad sandwiches. I ended up getting one from Subway at some point. But, my dad made a thing of tuna salad for me to take home and make sandwiches. So....that's a thing not crucial to this wrestling review at all.

Domino's commercial. They have their own car now!

Ryback comes out without all that stupid merch he wears. Squashes Adam Rose in a match. We can take Ryback seriously again. Rose looks like when I was a child in my underwear pretending to be a wrestler.

OHHHHHHHH NASHVILLE, DON'T YOU DARE BE SOUR! Out come New Day. They talk about "loose booty", does that mean what I assume it means? Sonic and Tails, and Snoop and Dre references. I no longer ever have to explain why I love New Day, ever. They even said Y2AJ in a way that tells me they know how stupid it is. Just to be clear. Y2AJ.........everything about it.....I loathe. You already have nothing for AJ Styles to do, and he just got here. Ok, WWE, whatever. New Day vs Y2AJ. Wrestling commences. At a point in the match, Kofi slides out of the ring, where Xavier Woods tells Kofi to draw a card. Kofi draws a card. Xavier inquires what card he drew. "I got his number!" My life is complete. Y2AJ win the match. AJ and Cool Dad Jericho cut a promo. Even they sound like they know it's a stupid name.

Todd Chrisley in the crowd! You need to quit runnin around here actin like Larry Flint!

Out comes Vince. I wish Vince's age was more incorporated into his character. Face Vince comes out passing out Werther's Originals to fans, heel Vince complains about minorities taking over the country. Book it! So he cuts a promo, and it's always weird, because he seems to acknowledge that people want Shane to win because they want change, and are sick of the booking and writing and format. He doesn't come out and say that, but I get the sense that he gets that. So....why don't YOU just deliver a better product? Either way, Taker comes out. Vince starts to talk and Taker grabs him by the "goozler strap" as my dad refers to the neck area. Taker says like two lines. Best use of Taker. Something like "You know who I am, You know what I do. The blood of your  son is gonna be on your hands, not mine." Then he leaves. Vince continues his old man ramblings. Shane will no longer be his son, but rather, just a son of a b. Hilarious.

An Uso vs Bubba Ray Dudley is next. D'Von cheats, and they point out that the Dudleys are hypocrites for using a table when they refused to do it anymore, but fail to point out the hypocrisy that D'Von was a reverend, and they clearly bleeped out him using curse words. Shame on you D'Von!

I wasn't a big fan of the Goldust/R-Truth stuff, but it seems to be heading in an interesting direction. I'm intrigued enough. I'll bite. Anyways, R-Truth shuts down Goldust before he can even say anything, then seems to feel bad about it.

Kevin Owens vs Big Show is next. How bittersweet, the lovely taste of Kevin Owens mixed with the Big Show-y taste of vomit and cat terds. Even Kevin Owens can't make me care about this match. Big Show wins by a countout, and he has a big dumb face.

Interview with Brie Bella backstage. She's the worst actor ever. Lana shows up. I'm guessing this will lead to something. I wonder if Lana is finally going to wrestle a match. Naomi vs Brie is the actual match coming up. I'm sure my mom complained about something. One of Naomi's shoes wasn't turned on, which is the only thing I really noticed about the match. Naomi wins by a submission. Lana comes out. Previous thoughts.

The Freebirds are being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Heavy editing was done to find these jokers without being draped in rebel flags. If movies were people, Michael Hayes would be a Lifetime movie. That's what I think of the quality of him as a human being.

Sasha and Becky are backstage arguing over who won. In comes Charlotte with Ric. Sasha and Becky have another match on Smackdown to determine who faces Charlotte at Mania.

Dean Ambrose comes out for his match against Alberto Del Rio. I kind of dozed off during this entire match, and was awakened by the sound of Triple H's music. Trips comes down for a beatdown on Dean Ambrose, seemingly like an acknowledgement that this should be the story going into Mania, and Roman shouldn't be anywhere near this situation. I'm heavily intrigued by the direction of Mania at this point. Could Dean win from Triple H next week on Raw and face Roman at Mania? Who's the heel there? Raw ends, and I have no idea how to close out the review, and I don't wanna close out with a 'see you guys next time'. So.......yep."

I stand outside the log cabin, in the cold of the night, staring down at a dirt road in front of me, and darkness in the distance, completely vexed as to why a summary of a three hour wrestling show uncontrollably spewed from my mouth. A previously unnoticed shadowy figure approaches. I can't see who or what it is, due to the darkness of night, but I hear in a gravely voice "You're him...the one spoken of in the ancient prophecies."

What?

The Thursday Review: Fallout 4

Hello, Nerds!!! 

Derek Jordan, here, taking a break from the wastes for a bit to give you my thoughts on Fallout 4. It is hard enough to take a break from the game in my free time, so do me a favor and appreciate this enormous sacrifice of mine. Cool? Great, then let's get started!!!

Background:

    I am in no way a professional. I am just a guy like anyone else enjoying a game made by Bethesda. I played the original Fallout about a billion years ago, but since that only lasted about an hour, so I can’t really remember how that went. I played through Fallout 3, but I got it for Christmas and ran through the main story as quickly as I could. I had Fallout 4 to play, so I had get through it as fast as possible. Basically, this means that I knew practically nothing about the Fallout line of games when I started playing Fallout 3. Even then, I barely tapped into what it provided in playability.

    I have now gone full force into Fallout 4. At this time, I have still not begun the main story quest. Now don’t worry, there won’t be any spoilers here, but I will say that I like how this game starts. I also want to be clear that I have also put in MANY hours of gameplay.

    From here on out, I want to focus on a few aspects of the game and lay out my thoughts.

Graphics: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] (9/10)

My first point here is this: a good game does not need good graphics. That being said, Fallout 4 delivers them spectacularly. Keep in mind, I went directly from playing Fallout 3 to Fallout 4, so I had a drastic jump in quality. No matter how long I’ve been playing, when I open up the game I can get lost in the look and beauty of just the menu backdrop.

    One of the things I find really cool about the look and feel of Fallout 4 is how it can be so desolate and broken, yet at the very same time capture an untold beauty. Just a proper mixing of pixels and coloring in the right moments slow me down in my game and force me to appreciate the scenery around my player character.

Gameplay: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] (9/10)

    

There are several factors in Gameplay that I just find to be spot on. These make the game enjoyable and, honestly, addicting to play.

Leveling System:

I found the leveling system in Fallout 3 to be slightly easier to understand than the one in Fallout 4. It was easy to understand the point system, which told you what level you needed to be at to achieve certain things. However, I think that without knowledge from Fallout 3,  this system would have been easier to understand from the start. That might not make sense, but when you go from "you need a score of X in Y to do Z" to "I can't do that" you can see my difficulty in navigating the system. 

 The system still works with numbers, but said "numbers" are now stars. Each category of your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. can be increased, giving you access to differing perks. While I liked having almost full access to all possible perks based on my level, I find it makes more sense for the perks to be dictated by attributes. So, ultimately, I like the Fallout 4 leveling system better, even though it has a steeper learning curve.

If you plan on playing the game, I recommend finding a video or write-up of some kind so you can get a better understanding of how to use your perks. Once you know this, making decisions throughout the game are easier and clearer. Knowing where to start your character and how to level them as you progress will be extremely helpful.

Forgiveness:

    There is a good degree of forgiveness built into the game, especially in the leveling system. You get a chance or two to change your attributes and you can also use your level increase to increase your attributes throughout the game.

    When making choices, you can play them through a bit, keeping a save if you don't like the outcome of your choice. However, the truth is, you might not understand what your choice does until it is too late to go back, sticking you with that outcome. It honestly makes the game more compelling.

Playability:

    I found movement, aiming, and just all around playability to be fairly standard. Usually smooth, it’s what you would expect from a first person view. You can toggle to third person view, but I have not played much at all from that standpoint. In my opinion, the third person view does not feel right for this game.

Adaptability:

    Without have some kind of cursory knowledge of Fallout, you can certainly play the game. Yet without it, you may quickly make decisions you did not intend to and you will find that yourself in an unfortunate position of some kind. Most of this occurs in the leveling system, but things can crop up from decisions you make in interactions with NPCs.

    The world will shift in degrees depending upon your choices. I could not tell you how much, mainly because nothing I have done seems to have changed anything drastically. I do know the way I have played has differed from my brother, but that is because of my focusing more on my settlements rather than the main game. I am sure that multiple playthroughs with differing choices can result in some differences in your game.

Settlement Building/Crafting:

    I believe this is one of the biggest things that this game has in it. There is SOOOO much that you can do across the whole map, and with that you get even more access and control over settlements. You can do as much or as little as you like. You can make this work for you (which is my goal) or you can just be annoyed by the added "work" the game asks you do.

    I really, really like this because you can focus on a settlement, build, and tweak it; yet still be leveling up. This is the same for crafting. Let me be clear on this; I HATE CRAFTING in most games. I find it annoying to have to try and figure out all the things you can make and what you need in order to do it. Case and point, I crafted one or two things in Fallout 3. First off, it took too long to get the "ability," and second it was pretty much useless.

    In Fallout 4, one of the first things I did was craft and upgrade my gun. As soon as I saw that I gained experience points for doing so, I knew I would be doing it much more often. So, I try to upgrade all my weapons and my armor frequently. The other crafting I focus on is in the cooking station. I really enjoy being able to take the meats and such from defeated enemies and improve their quality in healing and aid, as well as gain experience points for each item cooked.

   

Rating: M for Mature

Now why is this?

    Violence:

    The game is crazy violent. They don't really hold back on that. There is an entire race of Super Mutants that basically eat humans. There literal sacks of gore laying around. I do wish for an option to turn off gore, but it would be an insane undertaking and re-haul of the game.

    Using close quarter weapons can lead to a mess of gore as limbs and heads may come off as you fight. This also occurs when shooting shots, the worst being the head shot. Heads just pop right off. This is the way I play pretty much every game; headshot, headshot, headshot. So,  I constantly have severed heads around in the game. Sadly,  you won't avoid this if you don't play in this way. There are bodies all over because of the nature of the wasteland around you.

    Language:

    All NPCs pretty much have naughty mouths. Some more than others. I have been playing for hours and hours, and there are times I don't notice at all. Then someone attacks and says things that I certainly don't want to hear, and are certainly not fit for my kids. I, personally, like to play with a headset on so the kids don't hear much.

    Drug Use:

   This is a different one. I can't think of too many games that I have played in my life that have as much drug use as this one. I like the idea that you can get addicted to them, mainly because it throws a bit of real life into the mix. I do what I can to not use alcohol or many of the other drugs in the game. This is due to my personal beliefs (odd that I feel that way, but still will shoot or hit someone with a sword in the game), but mostly because becoming addicted to it in the game can be quite harmful.  

Final Thoughts

Fallout 4 has amazing depth to it. If you don't enjoy getting totally caught up in all the extra stuff, then you still can play and blow through it. Yet if that is how you play, you are just not getting your money's worth. This game has more than it's fair share of content. If you are used to games with very linear storylines, then you will find yourself getting lost and wonder where you went wrong. The truth is, don't worry about getting lost. If you are 20 miles off your trail and exploring building after building, you are still playing the game the way it’s meant to be played. Just allow yourself to become immersed in it. This is what I enjoy most about Fallout 4. It can handle practically any play style, letting you make those choices in the way that you play. You are the one that make it fun.

So, have fun and game on, Nerds! 

I give Fallout 4 a Talkin’ Nerdy rating of 9/10.

You can watch me live on Twitch : Openedeyes02

You can check out the full playthrough on Youtube : Openedeyes02

The Mann's Review of the Playstation Vita.

Hello, everyone! Caleb Mann, here, with a good ol’ fashioned tech review!!!

As some of you may know, the PlayStation Vita (aka the PSV) is the successor to the handheld Portable PlayStation or PSP. In this short post, I will give my opinion on the PSV and will give it a rating #/10 based off of pros and cons. That being said, let’s jump right in.

The Pros

I have played many handheld game systems since I was young, ranging from the first Gameboy all the way to the 3DS. Compared to all those that came before, the Vita Slim 2000 has the best graphics I have ever seen in a handheld. It’s like playing your PS3 on the go. With its crisp and clear LCD screen, the vibrant colors on the games come to life. Depending on the brightness and power settings, you will have around 5-7 hours of constant game play before needing a charge.

The PSV also has an extensive PSN game library. This library has an archive of games that reaches all the way back to the PSOne. So this is a great feature if you're into any kind of gaming nostalgia. There’s another amazing feature I have never seen on any other handheld system. The Vita has the ability to connect to and remote control your PS3/PS4 from anywhere around the world, provided they are both connected to the web (through wifi or ethernet cable). Now, bear in mind, when remote playing with the PS4, the graphics aren’t going to be as crisp and nice because you aren’t playing it at home. However, it’s not substantially different, showing just how capable this little handheld truly is. Also, the Vita has no region lock. So for those who enjoy JRPGs and other games that may not get a western release, this is surely a game changer.  You can order a physical copy from Japan (or digital if you have a Japanese PSN account) and play it on your Vita without any kind of problem.

The Cons

I would like to say that  I can’t find a single bad thing about this system. Sadly, that is not the case. The system limits itself with exclusive Sony micro SD cards which cost an exuberant amount for such a small memory. The largest amount of memory is 64GB, and that will easily set you back $90-$100, possibly more. “I’ll just use an off brand micro SD card,” you might say. Unfortunately, no other micro SD card will work. This is especially regrettable because, to get the most out of the Vita’s massive digital library, you need the largest memory card possible. Which brings me to my next issue.

Compared to the 3DS, the Vita has a limited selection of physical games that have come to the states. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Vita has some amazing games: Persona 4 Golden;  Freedom Wars; Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth. There are so many great games out there for the Vita, but the majority of them haven’t been released in the west. So, I find that the selection of games can be pretty limited.

Wrapping Up

In summary, the Vita has amazing graphics (for a handheld) with a great screen and an acceptable battery life for most gamers. With its ability to connect  your home system (PS3/PS4), it’s like taking your home system wherever you go. However, with the expensive price tag for memory hindering access to its vast digital gaming, and the Vita’s limited physical games, it can get expensive to get the most out of the system. Regardless, if you want an amazing handheld game system while on the bus, at work, or just on the go, I still believe the Vita is the best option out there. I highly recommend it to everyone who is looking for a great handheld system.

I give the Playstation Vita a Talkin’ Nerdy rating of 9/10.