Metal Gear Musings: Words, Words, Words...

As stated before, my love of this series knows no bounds. The complexity, vastness, and the nuance in which science fiction, fantasy, and real-world history are all merged together to create the world these characters populate is fascinating. I've played just about every game in the series, save for non-canon PSP games and poor, poor, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Having said all of this, I am also keenly aware of many problems that the series has. The convoluted story, the constantly shifting tone, but most polarizing of all...the sheer volume of exposition that is dumped everywhere in this series.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Hideo Kojima can't shut up, and neither can his characters. Allow me to explain why this is actually not as bad as it seems.

Remember Me

Sometimes, it is hard for a reviewer to separate expectation and reality. When you see a project that has promise and potential, you sometimes create expectations as to what the final product will be like. This is the problem I've had to deal with when reviewing, “Remember Me.” It's a game that takes place in a dystopian future where memories can be manipulated by technology. Companies can create new memories, delete old or painful ones, and sell them to anyone willing to pay for them. In this new society you have people who pay for memories of experiences they've never had. People who pay to have the painful memories replaced with more pleasant ones. That is just the tip of the iceberg of what is possible with this premise.

Man of Steel: A Review

We all want this one to be good. Even if you're not a huge fan of Superman, there has been so much anticipation, hype, and build toward this movie that it has to be good. With names like Christopher Nolan and Zack Synder behind the project, how could it not? Well, I'm here to give you my take on the film. There is a lot to like here: the action sequences are a feast for the eyes, the special effects are suitably destructive and firmly establish how high the stakes are, and the set pieces are quite good. Zack Snyder is clearly a director that excels in directing action and massive set-pieces. With all of this said, you would think we would have a hit here, right?

Metal Gear Musings: Olga Gurlukovich

There has been a lot of talk about the role of women in video games. The reality of the matter is that the gaming industry has difficulty portraying women as more than objects or victims. There is a lot of work that needs to be done with regards to the treatment of women in games. However, while I am in agreement with the idea that there is a problem, I also believe that there are exceptions to the rule. These exceptions are important because they illustrate that there is maturity within the gaming community. One of my favorite examples has to be Olga Gurlukovich. Yes, really.

Bioshock Infinite

I have to be honest with you guys: I love this game. Instead of giving this game a 1,000 word long blow-job, I will summarize here: The game is absolutely beautiful to look at. The story is well-written and carefully plotted throughout. Environments are immaculately detailed to the point where you can just walk around without ever pulling a trigger and be completely enthralled. Little details such as posters, slaves in stockades, and segregated bathrooms all breathe life into the world. The character designs are great. Elizabeth is probably one of the most interesting and important female protagonists in gaming right now. Chances are, you've already bought this game. You've probably read articles on Metacritic, or perhaps you've watched a video by far more qualified game reviewers than myself who have all given this game glowing scores.

The Call

There seems to be a shortage of good, suspenseful thriller films in today's industry. When I use the word, “thriller,” I'm talking about films with a general sense of real, gut-wrenching anxiety to them. My go-to example of the kind of moving I'm talking about would be Running Scared. It's definitely one of my favorite movies of all time, precisely because of its pacing and ability to keep the viewer on the edge of his/her seat. However, this is not a love-letter to Running Scared. No, I can do that on my own time. The Call is a modern thriller that had a lot of potential. It delivers in a lot of ways, too. The question is this: can it carry the torch as the next great thriller of this generation?

Metal Gear Musings: Solidus Snake

I would like to start this off by saying that I am an absolutely freak. No, really I am. I have spent more time playing, reading, and thinking about the Metal Gear series than any normal human being. While our politicians debate over the state of the economy, I'm thinking about the “La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo.”