Review: Diablo III

Posted on January 15, 2014 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3 (also on Xbox 360)

Developer: Blizzard

Publisher: Activision/Blizzard

# of Players 1-4

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Score: A (95%)

My experience with Diablo III on PC was an ab-Normal Hell Nightmare of an Inferno thanks to the always online requirements, Error 37 woes and a raft of other issues that have finally been patched up over time by Blizzard, but not quickly enough to get me playing again once I finished up my initial review. When the console version of the game was announced, I was one of those people jumping for joy at the news because I know that the game would soar as an untethered from the internet solo or co-op experience because other chase ‘n chop dungeon crawlers were plenty of fun without the online ball and chain. On the PS3 however, the game is not only superior to the PC version in nearly every respect (save for visuals, but it’s not a bad looker at all), it makes for both a great entry level and hardcore experience that’s a must-buy.

While the story isn’t what you’d call “deep”, Blizzard keeps things rolling along through some fine CG cinemas and a few nifty (if not too unexpected) twists before things are wrapped up (sort of) in this sequel. You don’t need to have played Diablo II (or even the first Diablo) to get off and running into the fray at all. But it helps if you’re a continuity freak or someone looking for references to previous installments. Of course, the chances of Blizzard getting those two older games onto any console is slim to none, but it’s something to dream about since this super-enhanced “port” that’s not a port turned out so well… Continue reading →

Random Film of the Week: History Is Made At Night

Posted on January 15, 2014 by geelw

(Thanks, jolaysius!)

Up until I saw all of Frank Borzage’s wonderful History Is Made At Night, the only part I’d seen was a hilarious clip that had me laughing a wee bit too hard because I’d taken it way out of context (it’s not hard to do, people). That “Cleo” gag is used again in the film, but by that time you’re probably going to be caught up in the blend of comedy and melodrama on display that adds a slight dip into disaster movie territory and tosses in a suicide for good measure. Borzage’s film isn’t your run of the mill funny flick at all and that’s exactly what makes it worth tracking down.

The plot is a bit loopy for sure, but the cast makes it work as things move from silly to serious and back again. If you’ve yet to see it, you can walk in on this film at a few different points and think you’re watching two or three different movies. It’s got some screwball elements for sure, but it’s also deeply romantic and suddenly serious as it ping-pongs about the emotional spectrum. Then again, real life is just like that at many times (which is why I like this oldie so much)…
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Dark Souls II “CURSED” Trailer: More Like “CURSING” Once You Play This One…

Posted on January 14, 2014 by geelw

Dark Souls II is going to be the toughest thing many gamers will touch all this year and love. And hate, as the game’s relentless enemies and crushing difficulty will chew up and spit out all comers from seasoned veterans to new players who THINK they can survive unscathed. Nah, not gonna happen, people. You will die (well, your character will die) and you’ll be glaring at your controller with malicious intent when you should be holding up a mirror and heavy breathing into your fogged up reflection. Hey, what did you expect from a game with the tagline “Prepare to Die”, hmmmmm? On the other hand, to the victor go the spoils… but most of those spoils happen to be of the “Holy crap, I survived THIS long before I got stepped on/skewered/roasted/run over, et cetera…”

This one’s going to be a killer, people. Watch the skies for flying controllers and keep an ear out for banshee-like howls from above, I say…

Random Film of the Week: The Black Hole

Posted on January 14, 2014 by geelw

(Thanks, MovieTrailerGrave!)

I saw The Black Hole on the first day it was released and was pretty darn disappointed because I felt Disney blew an opportunity to make a more cerebral sci-fi film along the lines of a Forbidden Planet or a 2001: A Space Odyssey in favor of what was more or less a hobbled remake of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea with dashes of Star Wars, Moby Dick, and a few other bits borrowed from other classic and not so classic books and movies. It’s clearly NOT a “family film” despite the sci-fi/western shoot ’em up moments and two stupid trash can robots with big cartoon eyes that can’t be ignored as to how stupid they look mixed in with the more serious elements.

Thanks to the film not knowing which way to go tonally (and sorry, those robots never mesh with the dark mood and doom-filled dialog), what you have is an often grand looking, intentionally gloom-draped but sloppy sci-fi pastiche that’s too scary for the little kids those dopey robots were made for and too full of decent ideas better executed decades earlier to be a “great” movie. Not counting the awful “science” on display (it gets a pass from me because no one should go to a sci-fi flick expecting actual science!) I’d call it “adequate” at best. That said, there’s a niggling buzz in the back of my head that’s never left even after repeated re-viewings as recent as a few months ago. Then again, I was 17 when I first saw this and thanks to a tired ticket seller and a few early showings had already been exposed to Ridley Scott’s still brilliant ALIEN two years earlier, so my wider-eyed and more innocent eight-year old self was long buried by that point…

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From The Vaults, Slowly They Come (#1 of Who Knows How Many)…

Posted on January 14, 2014 by geelw

Thanks to years of writing for a few places, I have a LOT of press stuff here socked away in a few bins (I tend to keep just about everything I’ve gotten of importance). When I’m not doing my usual headless chicken thing, I keep plotting and planning to post a few galleries of the assorted discs and other material I’ve held on to, but I just haven’t had the time to pore through that mountain of materials. Anyway, thanks to these two press kits popping out of a box while I was digging up some old games someone wants to buy from me, I guess this is now one part of a many-part project I’ve launched. That’s one of the Sly 2: Band of Thieves press kit on the left and Killzone on the right. They’re about the size of a 12″ vinyl LP, by the way. I don’t think I have any more records here or I’d have done a size comparison. Or If I do have any records left around here they’re probably hiding out in a different bin I haven’t cracked open in a few years. Eek.

I’m not sure when another update is coming from the press vaults, as it’s a daunting task to dive in and not get lost going through things for hours and reminiscing. All that does is leave me with stacks of stuff to repack and no place to sleep if I don’t. Of course, a helper monkey who can make lists and take pictures would be a total help, but they don’t exist yet and any robot I want to think of buying can only vacuum my floor or dance (but not both? Come on technology, get with it already!). Ah well… I guess I’ll get this thing taken care of when I can…

Legionwood 2 Volume One Is Getting To The “All Done, Pay Up!” Part (This Is A Good Thing)…

Posted on January 13, 2014 by geelw

To me, five dollars isn’t a lot of money for almost any game I like. However (believe it or else), there are many people slaving away on assorted RPG Maker and other simple to complex to use game creation software titles who charge not a dime for all their hard work.

I’m one of those people who feel those who spend even a few spare hours a week working on games to give away should be compensated with funds over mere thanks and praises (and “Hey, where’s that next game? Hurry up already!” comments), so it’s actually great news to see Dark Gaia Productions (aka D. Robert Grixti) finally charging something for the upcoming Legionwood 2: Rise of the Eternal’s Realm. The first game (Legionwood: Tale of The Two Swords) was lengthy, challenging and very fun in that 16-bit manner. Meaning it was worth about $50 or so if it was to somehow appear in a game box between 1991 and 1995.

If you’re waxing on and off in a nostalgic manner, feel free to try the game out in beta form HERE and follow Dark Gaia Productions by clicking one of those two links in the previous paragraph. That was real simple, right? Mondays aren’t always so under-complicated, right? Good. Then my work here is done. Well, just HERE in this post. I think I have another one to three others left in me tonight… we’ll see.

Random Film of the Week: Sharky’s Machine

Posted on January 13, 2014 by geelw

Okay, I’ll admit it. I saw Sharky’s Machine with a few friends back in 1981 just so we could see a massive train-wreck in action. Of course, we were all surprised that the Burt Reynolds-directed film was not only quite good and well made, but actually a lot darker in tone than expected. There are also plenty of scenery-chewing funny bits in here as well, but none of them come at Burt’s expense and very few come from him (another surprise!).

Those bits of comic relief come primarily from the supporting cast made up of some of those “Where do I know HIM from?” actors (Bernie Casey, Brian Keith, John Fielder and Charles Durning among others) while Burt underplays Sharky as a moody and determined cop out to make the best of his earlier demotion who discovers love, death and dismemberment in a few strange places. Only two of those things actually happen TO him during the film, but I’ll keep you in suspense here (for the most part) just because I want you to check this one out at some point…

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Random Film of the Week: My Life to Live

Posted on January 13, 2014 by geelw

You know all those easily forgettable modern quasi-romantic melodramas that try so hard to pull at the emotions at every turn and only fool the easily manipulated thanks to the usual tired plot points repeated over and over again? Well, Jean-Luc Godard’s 1962 masterpiece Vivre Sa Vie: film en douze tableaux STILL spits all over their graves thanks to the director’s remarkable technique and the simple, powerful performance given by Anna Karina as a young woman trying and failing to achieve anything resembling a happy life.

Presented in twelve scenes, each one chock full of what looks like first take genius, this look at one woman’s life and fate isn’t at all your run of the mill tearjerker at all and in fact may almost seems like a documentary at times. Karina’s naturalistic acting is flawless as she plays a character who uproots her own life in the pursuit of some kind of evolving dream that devolves as the film progresses to its abrupt finale. This is one you’re not going to walk away smiling about, but it sure as heck makes for a greatly depressing conversation piece… Continue reading →

Game of Thrones Season 4 Trailer: Liars And Dragons and Bares, Oh My!

Posted on January 12, 2014 by geelw

As we all know (well, those of us addicted to the HBO series, that is), last season saw the exit of quite a few Stark family members and a few other shocks to the system (unless one had already read the books years earlier and was suitably prepared). Of course, HBO isn’t going to rest until we all have gray hairs and they’re on the floor scattered around the TV room because we’ve gone and yanked them all out because of a few more earth shaking demises and other mind-blowing revelations. In English: Season 4 will kick some ass. April 6, 2014 is just around the corner, you know. Sort of. Well, the way time flies these days, it’s coming up sooner than you think. By the second, yet. Look at that clock go! Wooooo!

Okay, I’m calm now. Or calmer than I was a few seconds ago…

A Modern Stone-Age Remedy…

Posted on January 12, 2014 by geelw

Blehhhh. Woke up to-day with what feels like someone stepping on my throat IN my throat. Slight headache, too… but that’s probably caffeine withdrawal kicking in because it’s what, 12:46pm (what, already?!) and I’m still buried under some blankets. Currently debating whether to roll over and get back to sleep, kick myself out of bed far enough across the room to lift an aspirin out of my bag, pop it and fall backwards hoping I land back in bed or just getting the heck up, splashing some water at the body and getting out for a walk in that howling wind I hear outside. Wait, what? It better NOT be back to being too cold again. (*DingDingDingDingDing!*). Stupid bell. Damn thing always goes off when I think of the right thing to do (*DING!*).

Oh, shut up bell.

Besides, there are dinosaurs out there and hot sticky tar pits and something that looks like a stegosaurus but it’s really a lawn mower that I haven’t fed since it turned up in the yard the other day. So I don’t feel like venturing out and getting stepped on, sucked down or eaten. (*Ding?*)… Okay, Okay, so I had a rather silly Flintstones related dream last night, bell. It was kinda scary and really stupid and I’m not quite awake yet.

(*Ding…DingDINGDingDingDING!!!*) Hmmm… yeah, yeah… easy for YOU to say, you’re just inside my head and man, that ringing? It’s getting annoying! That and yes, I now REALLY want to buy a case of Gold’s Horseradish now because of it (*Ding!*). Ha, ha and ha. Alright, it’s settled, bell. (*Ding!*) Door Number Three it is, bell (*DingDingDing!!*)… but if I trip on a fossil and bust my head open, you better hope I wake up and this is some really dumb dream.

Ugh… back in a bit. I need a vacation… (*DING! DingDingDingDingDing!*). Geez, “what’s with this bell ringing…”