When I first got my 360 one of the immediate things that struck me was the achievement system. I'd dabbled on friend's consoles playing a bit of Halo and Pro Evo (When it used to be good :'( ..) and not really noticed it at all. As soon as I did though I became slightly obsessed with it. Then once I got Live going I realised that all my friend's scores were there to see and compete with. This encouraged me further. Further down the spiral. To the point where I stood in Blockbuster with unwashed clothes, pale dirty skin and a copy of Avatar in my shaking, sweaty palm. Well, not actually. But that sounds more poetic than just one day realising there's no real point in furthering your gamer score. That is of course until last night. I'm now ignited in a race for me to get to 50k before a friend of mine can get to 10k. Foolish you may say. Bah! Well, it probably is. But it took him the best part of 3 years to get to 5k so I'm hedging my bets on this one.
Anyway the point in that rather listless narrative endeavour is that I decided to pick up the baton and give Borderlands a thorough finishing. Which I did today. This game had bored me a little after I beasted a fair few hours into it when it first arrived. Coming back to it though, after a couple of weeks away, reignited my passion for it. Probably one of the best, if not the best, new IPs of last year. The story, as I constantly state, is cack. But the game is consistently fun and rewarding. Getting a sweet alien purple ball blasting rifle thing after defeating a rather troublesome grunt being a prime example of this. It went on to be my weapon of choice in the rather baffling final boss fight. It was a bit shit. Not Arkham Asylum boss shit. But still pretty shit. So, next on my list is the rather average Mercenaries 2. Like Just Cause before it, I find it a bit of a disappointing mess. My brother loved both games though. So I might be wrong. Anyway we'll see.
The scores currently are: Cherky 2 (5674) v Captain Fantasm (27703).
A long way to go for me then.
Showing posts with label Borderlands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Borderlands. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Various Titbits #5
Been a busy week for for me, culminating in my last shift of the week in a couple of hours now. I'm officially nocturnal now, before I dabbled in insomnia. Occasionally not reaching slumber until the harsh rays of light and audible stumble of approaching school children (I live near a school, not by choice of course. Coincidence I assure you.). Anywho this leaves me with very little time for my usual habits of films and the like, but as ever I made time.
So cinematically speaking very little has happened. I did however get to re-watch Batman Begins last Sunday for the first time since I saw it at the multiplex. It seems strange that a film released about 5 years ago is only just having it's network premiere. I remember as a kid that network premieres were the most exciting thing about television. Another reason why Christmas was a magical time of year, Mum and Dad hadn't taken you to the cinema to see the film when it came out and now its on at 2pm on Boxing Day. Hurrah! But anyway, the film is better than I remember it being. Although there is no Ledger show-stopping performances there is just one long blockbuster that entertains from start to finish. Also making The Scarecrow scary is an achievement in itself. I always remember him being a bit lame in the cartoon but in the film he's realised as an element of true psychological horror. Something they also took to Arkham Asylum. Seemingly Batman can do no wrong these days. Here's hoping they do get round to making a third, even if The Dark Knight is going to be almost impossible to top I'm sure the Nolan brothers will conjure up a story which clamber near those dizzy heights.
I've also been watching a fair bit of TV but nothing out of the ordinary. All I will say is I'm very thankful for the BBC's comedic output. Something good to watch almost every night before work on the iPlayer. Still, saving True Blood and Misfits for the weekend. Going to get home at 12 today after my shift, whack on Score and have a few beers. Then start the catch up. Good times. I have also progressed quite far in Borderlands. I do find myself getting a little bored with the quests, lots of fetching and shooting and the like. Unfortunately no-one on my friends list is playing it or even owns it by the look of it and I don't really fancy diving in to the pre-pubescent, expletive ridden land of Xbox Live alone. Oh well, sparing plays for short periods have made this less of a worry but I can't help but feel I'm missing out on the majority of the fun of the game. If it's anything like that seen in Left 4 Dead its probably going to be a fair whack of it. Right best be off, got to make a sandwich for work. Now that I live in GMT+13. So I imagine this is what its like to be Russian, starting your day when everyone else has finished theirs. How very depressing.
So cinematically speaking very little has happened. I did however get to re-watch Batman Begins last Sunday for the first time since I saw it at the multiplex. It seems strange that a film released about 5 years ago is only just having it's network premiere. I remember as a kid that network premieres were the most exciting thing about television. Another reason why Christmas was a magical time of year, Mum and Dad hadn't taken you to the cinema to see the film when it came out and now its on at 2pm on Boxing Day. Hurrah! But anyway, the film is better than I remember it being. Although there is no Ledger show-stopping performances there is just one long blockbuster that entertains from start to finish. Also making The Scarecrow scary is an achievement in itself. I always remember him being a bit lame in the cartoon but in the film he's realised as an element of true psychological horror. Something they also took to Arkham Asylum. Seemingly Batman can do no wrong these days. Here's hoping they do get round to making a third, even if The Dark Knight is going to be almost impossible to top I'm sure the Nolan brothers will conjure up a story which clamber near those dizzy heights.
I've also been watching a fair bit of TV but nothing out of the ordinary. All I will say is I'm very thankful for the BBC's comedic output. Something good to watch almost every night before work on the iPlayer. Still, saving True Blood and Misfits for the weekend. Going to get home at 12 today after my shift, whack on Score and have a few beers. Then start the catch up. Good times. I have also progressed quite far in Borderlands. I do find myself getting a little bored with the quests, lots of fetching and shooting and the like. Unfortunately no-one on my friends list is playing it or even owns it by the look of it and I don't really fancy diving in to the pre-pubescent, expletive ridden land of Xbox Live alone. Oh well, sparing plays for short periods have made this less of a worry but I can't help but feel I'm missing out on the majority of the fun of the game. If it's anything like that seen in Left 4 Dead its probably going to be a fair whack of it. Right best be off, got to make a sandwich for work. Now that I live in GMT+13. So I imagine this is what its like to be Russian, starting your day when everyone else has finished theirs. How very depressing.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Various Titbits #4
So been on a nice little holiday, come back and got a job. Its been a productive week for this old Captain. Even up to date on my washing now. Only taken me about a year. Even those old pants that have been lingering under the bed have been put through the spin cycle. The only downside of this is that the house is now adorned with my underwear. Boxers of various sizes and shapes dangling from radiators, doors, pictures. I considered draping some over my fish but thought better of it. They don't deserve to witness such horror, they've seen enough in their time already. Anyway, so in the lull before I start my new found employment on Tuesday (at 4am!) I've been enjoying and enduring some movies and games as ever.
Whilst on my foray north I went to see 2012 at the cinema. The cinema was a lovely little independent place, bigger than here but still quite quaint really. However, the loveliness of the venue in no way prepared me for the film. Honestly, its the most astonishing thing I've ever seen. I've never laughed so much in a cinema before, everything about the movie is pretty terrible. I never thought I'd get bored of watching stuff get blown up, but I did. To sum it up really, someone said "my god" within the first twenty minutes or so. I can't really get across how bad this film is, but I also can't recommend it enough for that very same reason. With a group of like minded friends the laughs will just keep on coming. I'm going to forward it for comedy of the year. But be warned, it goes on for about three days.
I was speaking to my friend the other day about great films and we traded a couple of recommendations, I told him to watch In Bruges (a great film) and he told me to watch Click (...). I approached it with trepidation, as it has Adam Sandler in it. The amount of movies I like with Adam Sandler in I can count on one hand. None. Probably should have realised I wouldn't love Click when my friend began said conversation by praising You Don't Mess With The Zohan. I do partly want to see it out of morbid curiosity, it sounds so bad that it won't be good but highly offensive. That's very morbid curiosity I'm aware, but I'd like to see Sandler fall flat on his round punchable face. The cock. Anyway, Click. Christopher Wowlken (phonetics) gives him a remote that changes time. Which is good, you can fast-forward arguments with your ridiculously attractive wife, mute annoying people, watch your parents spawn you. You know, the usual scrapes that Sandler gets into. The thing is the story, acting and general concept of this film is quite flimsy. You can poo-poo it very easily but it does work quite nicely in a Disney kind of mold. But it also rests on the likability of Adam Sandler who makes me cringe with annoyance whenever his nasally drawl saunters into my innocent ears. To put it short, I would have liked it if anyone else played the lead. But Sandler grates me so much that I can't say I enjoyed it. Even though the acting gets rather straight by the end, the seeds are already sown by his madcap antics in the first half. Nice try Sandler, its probably the best film you've done. Probably, I'll never build up the courage to watch another to test that though.
Finally film wise I watched The Life Aquatic again today. I'm a bit of a fan of Wes Anderson. The font of writing on screen, the wide shots, the quirky dialogue, the great soundtracks. I could wax lyrical about how much I enjoy his movies for a long while. Although to be honest I covered a lot of the bases in the second sentence there. Would have struggled after that. Probably would have just put Bill Murray and then would have started scratching my chin for further thoughts. Anyway, its a great film. Two great things to take from this movie even if you don't like it; the acoustic Bowie covers and the submarine scene near the end. Both wonderful in their own way. I'd go as far as saying its my favourite (maybe second after Tenenbaums) Wes Anderson movie.
Finally games wise its been a mixed bag. Whilst I was away got a fair bit of Modern Warfare 2 happening split-screen. Lots of fun in the 2v2. I never dabbled in multi-player on COD4 so it was a new experience for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so I've slipped a little bit into the online mode back home now. A little mind. Because Borderlands is my latest Swapgame. Choosing the "top three only" package I had to wait a full week for it but I think its worth it. Sunk a fair chunk of hours into it last few days and found it very rewarding. I've always been partial to a bit of grinding. I, of course, refer to the nerd term of repetitively killing foes to gain levels and loot not the urban style of dance. Although, if the liquor is the right the hips may sway. But, good fun. Given up on the story, some guff about alien technology. Honestly couldn't care less. The mechanics are fun and the quests, if a little simple and predictable, are quite addicting. Should slot nicely in to that end of year list (not long now!).
Whilst on my foray north I went to see 2012 at the cinema. The cinema was a lovely little independent place, bigger than here but still quite quaint really. However, the loveliness of the venue in no way prepared me for the film. Honestly, its the most astonishing thing I've ever seen. I've never laughed so much in a cinema before, everything about the movie is pretty terrible. I never thought I'd get bored of watching stuff get blown up, but I did. To sum it up really, someone said "my god" within the first twenty minutes or so. I can't really get across how bad this film is, but I also can't recommend it enough for that very same reason. With a group of like minded friends the laughs will just keep on coming. I'm going to forward it for comedy of the year. But be warned, it goes on for about three days.
I was speaking to my friend the other day about great films and we traded a couple of recommendations, I told him to watch In Bruges (a great film) and he told me to watch Click (...). I approached it with trepidation, as it has Adam Sandler in it. The amount of movies I like with Adam Sandler in I can count on one hand. None. Probably should have realised I wouldn't love Click when my friend began said conversation by praising You Don't Mess With The Zohan. I do partly want to see it out of morbid curiosity, it sounds so bad that it won't be good but highly offensive. That's very morbid curiosity I'm aware, but I'd like to see Sandler fall flat on his round punchable face. The cock. Anyway, Click. Christopher Wowlken (phonetics) gives him a remote that changes time. Which is good, you can fast-forward arguments with your ridiculously attractive wife, mute annoying people, watch your parents spawn you. You know, the usual scrapes that Sandler gets into. The thing is the story, acting and general concept of this film is quite flimsy. You can poo-poo it very easily but it does work quite nicely in a Disney kind of mold. But it also rests on the likability of Adam Sandler who makes me cringe with annoyance whenever his nasally drawl saunters into my innocent ears. To put it short, I would have liked it if anyone else played the lead. But Sandler grates me so much that I can't say I enjoyed it. Even though the acting gets rather straight by the end, the seeds are already sown by his madcap antics in the first half. Nice try Sandler, its probably the best film you've done. Probably, I'll never build up the courage to watch another to test that though.
Finally film wise I watched The Life Aquatic again today. I'm a bit of a fan of Wes Anderson. The font of writing on screen, the wide shots, the quirky dialogue, the great soundtracks. I could wax lyrical about how much I enjoy his movies for a long while. Although to be honest I covered a lot of the bases in the second sentence there. Would have struggled after that. Probably would have just put Bill Murray and then would have started scratching my chin for further thoughts. Anyway, its a great film. Two great things to take from this movie even if you don't like it; the acoustic Bowie covers and the submarine scene near the end. Both wonderful in their own way. I'd go as far as saying its my favourite (maybe second after Tenenbaums) Wes Anderson movie.
Finally games wise its been a mixed bag. Whilst I was away got a fair bit of Modern Warfare 2 happening split-screen. Lots of fun in the 2v2. I never dabbled in multi-player on COD4 so it was a new experience for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so I've slipped a little bit into the online mode back home now. A little mind. Because Borderlands is my latest Swapgame. Choosing the "top three only" package I had to wait a full week for it but I think its worth it. Sunk a fair chunk of hours into it last few days and found it very rewarding. I've always been partial to a bit of grinding. I, of course, refer to the nerd term of repetitively killing foes to gain levels and loot not the urban style of dance. Although, if the liquor is the right the hips may sway. But, good fun. Given up on the story, some guff about alien technology. Honestly couldn't care less. The mechanics are fun and the quests, if a little simple and predictable, are quite addicting. Should slot nicely in to that end of year list (not long now!).
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