Discussing Film, Music, TV, Books, Video Games and More
For future reference: when skydiving, be sure that your projected landing zone doesn’t happen to be an island full of evil pirates that are more than willing to take you hostage. And to think I was only concerned with the parachute not opening… [Read more...]
Last but not least, here is HST’s list of favorite video games from the past year. And what a year it was, with huge titles coming out and an epic fall season to cap off the year. Plenty of sequels and a few new IPs to boot, so there are plenty of games to mention even without the honorable title and seat on high as the crowned favorite. [Read more...]
With the number of Assassin’s Creed games that have been released in the recent past, I am starting to wonder if they are trying to outdo The Sims with that series’s affinity of releasing expansion packs. Thankfully each game is a full adventure on its own, with this 3rd installment of Ezio’s trilogy within a trilogy finally bringing two characters to an end (granted we could still see them in some form in the future based on how the series has treated them so far). [Read more...]
With the DVD release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time this week many may be looking for a way to continue the fun action adventure without having to put the movie on repeat. Luckily enough there is another option, which is to rent Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, the game that was released in conjunction with the film’s theater outing.
Though there are numerous similarities between the film and the game, this is not the typical film based game that often fails to live up to the film. Instead the story of the game actually alludes back to the first game of the series (Forgotten Sands takes place between the first and second game) with yet another plotline involving the mistakes of releasing magical sand from its prison. However, with the ending of the first game only the Prince is aware of this alternate reality, so this time around no one but he can learn from the mistakes of the past. Unfortunately he is unable to convince his brother not to raise Salomon’s army of sand creatures in order to help defend the palace from a losing battle, and before long the sand has overwhelmed the palace. [Read more...]
For weeks now Playstation 3 owners have known what it is like to be Scott Pilgrim while the rest of us (I am including me because of my achievement whore status) have had to sit and live vicariously through the film and books. Now with the recent release on the Xbox 360 Arcade everyone can feel just how epic it is to live as Pilgrim in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
This game is no different from any incarnation of this story in that the player will work through seven levels with one of Ramona’s evil exes acting as a boss to defeat before moving on to the next. However, this time around instead of just fighting as the title character, now Ramona, Kim, and Stephen are playable as well. All four stay true to the spirit of their respective characters with hints at personality traits and signature moves to lash out at the throngs of thugs with, evolving more as they level up throughout the progression of the game. [Read more...]
That’s right! We are back with a new round of questions and answers, this time taking of the ever evolving universe of Scott Pilgrim in order to celebrate the film’s release this weekend (and just how awesome Scott Pilgrim is in general). And this time things get “heated.” Read on to find out why.
SPOILERS AHEAD, SO ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Side note: This is just a review for the main single player campaign for the game because I am still waiting for someone (*cough* Zac *cough*) to play the co-op portion to the game.
Sam Fisher has gone off the map in Splinter Cell: Conviction without his gadgets, secret government agency backing him up, and without his daughter. The one thing he does have is the tenacity to find out the story behind her death. It may be a sad undertaking for him, but it sure is fun for the player to see him angry, and I sure do like him when he’s angry.
The gameplay is pretty simple in this incarnation, taking on a more action adventure feel to it in the vein of the Uncharted 2 and Arkham Asylum, which is right up my alley. In the beginning of the game Sam is working with the bare minimum of gadgets to cycle through on the controls, sticking with the basic gun/explosives combo to go about his business. With just these, a mirror (eventually a snake cam), and a soft step Sam has to work his way through some streets and buildings with some pretty dumb thugs to take out from the shadows. [Read more...]
Unfortunately after June I haven’t had the time to knock out any video games this summer, but if you are looking for a game to kill some time, here are some ideas, starting with Prince of Persia (originally written Dec. 28, 2008):
This game is a beauty. Though I can say that I was one of those people who was slightly aggravated by the necessity to find a certain number of light seeds before moving on to a new area, it is worth the time in the end because it gives the player the time to appreciate the world that these characters are tying to save. Though the design is the best part by far, the game is further filled out by the characters, banter, and story line.
When having to describe a band like Silversun Pickups to friends, I'd portray them as a collection of different pieces of art. I know that sounds weird, … (more...)
Kon-Tiki is a pretty straight forward biopic in its construction, but it tells an incredible story that allows some gorgeous imagery. … (more)
J.J. Abrams is back for another trek into Star Trek and fans of his first entry will have little to complain about with Into Darkness. … (more)
Baz Luhrmann brings The Great Gatsby to the big screen with a style and visual wonder that is irresistible, even when the story doesn't connect as … (more)
Upstream Color is now available to everyone, so I thought it's about time to break it down to the best of my abilities to help fuel the conversation. … (more)
Iron Man 3 isn't really an Iron Man movie for much of its run time, but that doesn't stop it from being an entertaining and hilarious ride from nearly … (more)
Love them or hate them, Vampire Weekend’s latest album Modern Vampires of the City is a must listen of 2013. … (more)
Allison Weiss latest effort Say What You Mean brings a punky charm to a rather plastic singer/songwriter scene. … (more)
Iron and Wine continues his road down the glossy, highly produced road with Ghost on Ghost. This time around, however, he knocks this album out of … (more)
Kid Cudi third rap album Indicud reminds us just how unique and fun the former G.O.O.D. Music artist is, as he rides in and out of the most unique … (more)
Fall Out Boy comes out of hiding to release Save Rock and Roll, their highly anticipated fifth full length that doesn’t fall flat when it comes to … (more)
Daenerys army continues to grow, Samwell Tarly displays his brave side, Ser Davos becomes literate and Sansa's last name is Lannister in this … (more)
As I wipe the tears from my eyes, I think it is safe to say that Arrow knows how to end a season. … (more)
Right before our eyes, Jaime Lannister has gone from being one of the most hated, to one of the most respectable characters in the Game of Thrones … (more)
The new HBO show from Christopher Guest and his gang gets off to a great start that shows a lot of promise for the future. … (more)
Yes, this might possibly be (i.e., definitely is) yet another World War II book review that you by now have probably come to expect from me; but … (more)
I am really struggling to come up with an introduction that does this book justice, because to me, Me Before You was perfection. … (more)
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll be thankful no one ever called you raghead because they think your ginger hair is reminiscent of a … (more)
What do you do when the fate of humanity rests on the shoulders of one small boy? Choose it for book club and discuss it, of course! … (more)
Ken Levine deserves some kind of medal. First, he introduced us to the world of Rapture, where we would kindly roam the halls of a forgotten city … (more)
Plagued by delays and shortcomings, 2012 was an up-and-down year for video games. We saw triumphant returns to form, fantastic new IP's, and some … (more)
For future reference: when skydiving, be sure that your projected landing zone doesn’t happen to be an island full of evil pirates that are more … (more)