So what used to happen when I worked the Saturday lunch shift is that it would be dead until 1-2pm. Then they would cut me off the floor, and about 1/2 hour after that they would get slammed. So it was ridiculous. The past two weekends have been steady, but they kept me on anyways. It works out good in the end. I bring home a nice chunk of change. A lot better than when I used to get cut.
Well, I watched six of the seven episodes of the HBO series John Adams. I havent read the book, but I have read 1776, which was written by the same auther (David McCullough). I like the show. Its a different spin on the time period, where rather than being a “military” show, focusing on the players and battles of the American Revolution, the show is more of a drama, where the show follows the life of John Adams. Adams was a diplomat/statesman during the Revolutionary War, not a soldier or officer.
One of the things I found rather annoying, however, was the almost complete avoidance of mentioning anything to do with the war militarily. This was not a bad thing for me, because I know quite a bit about colonial America and the Revolution, and I knew what was going on in the country with just one little mention of a name or place. But for others who are not as schooled in American history, the show can be very confusing, and things they show can seem quite pointless. For example, in either the first or second episode, Abagail Adams sees Henry Knox coming down the road. They have a brief discussion, but the viewer is left saying “who is this guy, who cares about him, and why is he even mentioned.” Knox was instrumental in getting the British to evacuate Boston, because he dragged a bunch of cannons and munitions from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. However, this information is not mentioned, and it leaves people puzzled.
I know the show is called “John Adams”, and I know it centers around his life. And it does so very well. However, I felt it would have been necessary to provide more details and whatnot into what was going on behind the scenes. Adams life was affected by the war, and certain key points in the war should have been presented more clearly.
Personally, I did not like Giamatti as Adams. He didnt look right. On the other hand, the actors who portrayed Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin were spot on in not only appearance but also in mannerisims and speech as well.
Overall, the show is truely great. I’ll take a show on the American Revolution whenever I can. However, if anything, I think the success and popularity of this show should lead to perhaps another television series, which focuses more on the war itself, and jumps around as necessary to portray everything that is happening during that time.
I saw on joystiq.com today that they released the newest trailer for this game. It looks ridiculously good. I am very excited for it. Its about time they had this type of game featuring Batman. Heres the link to catch it.
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/30/joker-brings-the-funnies-in-latest-arkham-asylum-trailer/
One of my biggest disappointments with the PS3 is its lack of RPGs. There are a few, but the only one I have gotten my hands on so far is Oblivion.
When I say a “true” RPG, Im talking about a massively indepth adventure. There are others, such as Dark Kingdom, which can be considered an RPG, but that game is more of a dungeon-crawling hack-and-slash beat-em-up RPG. Oblivion is, needless to say, an awesome RPG. Its is a single player game set in a MMO world. The world you can explore is massive, with many different towns and even more dungeons. Basically, you do whatever you want.
You start off by creating your own character. You choose their race, sex, and appearance, and then you select a class (or create your own custom class). My character ended up being a male Wood Elf Assassin. From there, you start off in the game’s main story, but pretty soon, you are free to do as you will. You can continue advancing the main story whenever you want, but the games main fun is in its hundreds of mini sidequests, usually brought upon by NPCs. There are also many different dungeons, mines, and other locals you can explore in order to snag some swag. The free-roam of Oblivion is extremely great, and the freedom you have to do whatever you want makes the game extremely addictive.
Whats unique is that the game plays like a FPS, so all you see of your character is the weapon they are holding (be it sword, axe, bow, staff, etc.) This game was one of the first ones I bought with my PS3, so for me it took a lot of getting used to (I played very few FPS previously.) However, once you get the hang of the controls, you get sucked in. Between the free-roam, the ability to make a ton of choices for yourself, and the controls/camera, you really connect with the game. Without spoiling too much, one of the best parts of the game was when I had joined the Assassin’s Guild. I had done several missions for the guild, and suddenly the head of the group contacts me and informs me that one of the other guild members is a traitor. Thus, I am forced to go in and kill all the guild members. That was a blast.
This game is really revolutionary, as far as Im concerned. I have never played an RPG that sucked me in as much as this one did. However, the free-roam and seemingly endless quests are also one of the games biggest problems, as it makes the game extremely daunting. However, it is still the best RPG on the PS3, and one of my favorite PS3 games in all.
Review:
Story/Premise- 4.5
As I mentioned, while the free-roam of the game is awesome, if you spend too much time off the main quest (which you will do without even realizing it), you will forget what is going on.
Graphics- 4
The graphics were good. Not as clear or crisp, but still clearly superior to the PS2.
Controls/Camera- 5
The controls and camera took a bit of getting used to, but within an hour or two you will be good to go. After that, it all makes sense and comes together, and it really flows well with the game.
Replay Value- 5
The game has an unlimited replay value. I mean, there is just sooo much stuff to do. Even when you eventually finish the main quest, and all the side quests, you can download two expansions which add even more quests. Plus, all the races and classes offer a different experience, so I can see myself going back through as a warrior or mage at some point.
Online/Multiplayer- N/A
Final score-Â 4.6/5
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one of the best RPGs on the PS3. If you’re looking for a 50+hour RPG, this is the one.
Recommendation
A must have for the PS3 if you like RPGs.
I should be officially starting to teach my students at the middle school Im teaching at by next Friday. By that time, they will be starting up a new chapter on the Constitution, and my partner and I will begin to co-teach the chapter and following ones. Im looking forward to starting up. Of course Im nervous, but it will be awesome. The kids are great.
So in case you missed the notice, Shell and I are now engaged. We plan to be married in the summer of 2010, somewhere up here around Albany.
I set up a page on the site for the wedding, and I will update it as I get more and more information. As of right now, very little is decided. About the only thing we officially decided is that we will be going to Disney World for our honeymoon. I guess theres just something romantic about Pluto…
I picked this up the other day, thanks to my awesome $50 giftcard for being “Employee of the Month” at work. Anywho, I just wanted to say its pretty great. Previously, I had been using my old PS2 wired headset/headphone thingy. It was clumsy and got tangled, and the audio quality was definitely lacking.
With the official PS3 wireless bluetooth headset, I have seen an increased level of audio quality. Also, not only do I hear better, but people hear me better. Whats also nice is that I can sync it to my PS3, and now I can get on-screen status reports for it, just like you would get for the controllers. So if I happen to somehow hit the mute button or turn off the headset, the on-screen icon pops up telling me whats going on.
If you play online, and dont have a bluetooth headset yet, then I highly recommend the official PS3 one. I have experienced nothing negative about it so far, and am really enjoying it. Its a great buy, and worth the cash.
For those of you watching, Lost is most certainly getting off the hook. I am very interested this season with the whole time-travel white-flash thingy going on.
On another note, my other favorite show, Heroes, starts up next Monday. Me so happy.
Heres a pretty tasty recipe for a beef and barley stew. As most of my recipes, its made for use in a crock pot.
2 lbs beef stew meat
1 cup carrot, diced
2 stalks/ sticks of celery, diced (u dont really need it, because they only sell it in big bulk. get it if ur gonna eat it by itself)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 yukon gold potatoes, diced
2/3 cup barley (its in the rice aisle…its like a pasta. doesnt taste like much, but its good, and gives some stuff to the stew)
14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
8oz tomato sauce
4 cups (32oz) beef broth (i bought 2 cans of 14.5oz great value beef broth)
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Directons:
1. Pour some oil into a frying pan and brown the stew meat
2. Pour the veggies, broth, and sauce into the crock pot
3. Pour the meat andd seasonings into the crock pot and stir it in
4. Cook on low heat for 8-9 hours
5. Enjoy!
Im on the fence over whether I should get a PSP or a DS. Im leaning towards a DS. A handheld game should not be too complicated. Otherwise it takes the place of my PS3. Thus, I want the system that is fun, fast, and easy. Something that I can play when killing time. I think the DS fits that bill better than the PSP does.
So as I was writing up my review of Bioshock, I said to myself, “You know Rob, most people who write reviews have some kind of rating at the end and whatnot.” So I decided to start doing that. I sat down and thought about the five biggest criteria I would want to review in a game, and I came up with five catagories. They are:
Story/Premise- If the game has a storyline/campaign mode, then I will give the general story a rating, depending on how good it is. If the game has no story, and is simply a game, then I will rate the premise behind the game, and how well it is pulled off.
Graphics- How visually appealing the game is.
Controls/Camera- My biggest concern when gaming is how well the controls and camera are. I dont care how beautiful a game is or how great the story is, but if the controls are frustrating and the camera is off, then I will not be able to continue playing.
Replay Value- How likely I will be to play through a game again. This is important since some games (thanks to online multiplayer or DLC) have a very long shelf life, and others that have just one single-player mode may not.
Online/Multiplayer- The online services the game offers. If the game has no online play, then I will rate it N/A, so as to not skew the end results.
All the catagories will be ranked on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest. The average of the results will be the end rating. I will also end with my recommendation, on whether it should be purchased, rented, or not even given a moment’s thought.
I will slowly be going back through my Wii game reviews and adding in this rating system. My future PS3 game reviews will all include this rating system.
I knew I wanted this game after the first five minutes of playing through the demo. It is an amazing FPS that only has a single-player storyline (there is no online play). You play a man who survives a plane crash and ends up in an undersea metropolis. Basically, upon reaching the city, it becomes clear that all is not well, and there are strange mutants/creatures about. That is the gist of it.
The character has two types of weapons. First are actual weapons, such as guns, mines, flamethrowers, and wrenches. You can find ammo for these items either from dead bodies, lying around, or you can purchase them from vending machines. The second type of attack is called a “plasmid”. Plasmids are injections you can either find or purchase which will grant you special abilities, such as the ability to fire out flame, electric, and ice blasts, as well as a teleknisis-like ability. There are also neutral plasmids which give you enhanced skills such as extra health, the abilty to be undetected, and others.
As I already said, the demo moved me the way a game hasnt in a long time. It is amazingly beautiful, and the story catches you right away. The gameplay is a lot of fun, and it takes place in a creepy, violent environment which will keep you hooked. I think it is definitely one of the best games Ive played on the PS3 so far, hands down. Anyone who like FPS single-player campaigns will not be disappointed by this game.
Review:
Story/Premise- 5
The storyline for the game is great. It keeps you hooked until it throws you a major curveball, and then it draws you in even more. A really great idea, and leaves room for a sequel (which is hinted at the end of the game).
Graphics- 5
The graphics were great. The mutants were very detailed from a distance and close up. The outdoor environment (being the sea) is simply beautiful- 2K put a lot of effort into it, and it shows.
Controls/Camera- 5
I have no complaints about the controls or camera. The camera was controlled by the R analog, and proved to be no problem at all. The other controls were easily accessable and felt comfortable.
Replay Value- 4
Unfortunately, this is where the game falls a bit. The lack of an online multiplayer option really hurts this game, as online is what maintains the replay value of a FPS. Im sure I will go back and play through the game again at some point, but not anytime soon.
Online/Multiplayer- N/A
Final score-Â 4.5/5
Bioshock is an all-around great game. It is one of my favorite games for the PS3. Its only flaw was the lack of an online mode, which stopped it from getting a perfect 5.
Recommendation
A must have for the PS3.
Just a heads up in case some of you missed it, but I popped the question to Shell on News Years Eve/Day. We plan to be married in the summer of 2010, probably sometime in late June. No other details are set in stone yet, but we have a good idea of where we might like to have the reception.
I will keep updated as things go on.
I was a bit crazy when I went on my anti-Obama rant. Would I have preferred McCain? Yes, yes I would have. But Obama is the President. He won fair and square. And as thus, he has my support. I am a strong believer in the power and the person who is the President. Despite G.W. Bush’s horrible approval ratings, I supported him because I know that he did what was best for the country. The President makes tons of decisions on a daily basis, and we (the public) only know about a few of them. Years from now, when records get declassified, we may be able to see that through his policies and decisions that Bush prevented huge attacks or wars against the United States or other areas of the world. The President’s job is to ensure the safety of the citizens of the nation, and Bush did just that. There were no more attacks after the 9/11 attack, and I believe we can thank Bush for that, though he is unable to receive the credit he deserves.
As for Obama, my main concern is that he has big shoes to fill. Not that Bush left behind a huge legacy, but the fact that everyone has HUGE expectations from Obama. He is only one man, and I doubt he will be able to fulfull his promises within a term, or even two. I think everyone (the public and the world for that matter) need to calm down and realize he is simply a man who was elected President, not their “savior” (as he is being treated). There are kids in the middle school I teach at who are like “yeah Obama, thank God!”, and Im like “kid, you’re 12 years old. Calm down. You probably cant even tell me one thing that Obama wants to change.”
The point is that I support Obama, but I am critical of his reception. I fear that the expectations the public set for him may harm his term, as he tries desparately to stick to all those “crazy promises” he made. In the end, we shall see how much has changed.