Author: torstenvblog

Writer of the strange and everything; lover of horror, literature, comics, and the alien is my spirit animal

Resistance: Fall of Man

Resistance_Fall_of_Man

What if the horrors of WWII wasn’t a product of man but what lead to man’s downfall? Enter the Chimera, grotesque aliens that came to Earth in the early 1900’s and by the time WWII would’ve been ending, the Chimera are well on there way to domination. Can Sgt. Nathan Hale survive the war against these monstrous aliens and there impressive technology?

This was one of the PlayStation 3’s first games and in some ways it shows like the gimmick of having to shake the controller when a Chimera grabs you or the graphics that aren’t too distant from PS2 but it’s a damn solid debut. The story is a good looking apocalyptic war story that does has a nice, grim tone and feels surprisingly grounded. The Chimera are pretty creepy and fairly intelligent so they feel like a threat; while the human weapons are solid, the alien weapons are badass and a blast to use. Hale is a bland, generic protagonist but he’s serviceable. A mild issue I have is the environments are dull to look at and thankfully, the sequel has a bit more color. In the end, it’s a solid game that is worth playing if you want a solid FPS that you don’t have to  heavily invest in. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Elder Scrolls Online: GreyMoor, Dark Heart of Skyrim launch cinematic

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a total casual here when it comes to Elder Scrolls Online but seeing a return to Skyrim was nice. I love the focus on werewolves in the trailer, which were some of my favorite parts of Skyrim. In the end, it’s a cool trailer and I hope the expansion lives up to it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Far Cry 3

far cry 3

You what I find annoying as hell about the FPS market? The fact that a majority of the genre is divided into either military C.O.D/ Battlefield fashion or a standard paranormal shooter. Far Cry is a series like no other for me because 1 game stole my heart and only one in the series, so I ask you, do you know the definition of insanity?

Jason Brody and his friends are a bunch of  young yuppies partying in the islands, celebrating the return of Jason’s brother from the army. It was a wild time and a roaring blast…until the pirates came, armed to the teeth and watched over by crazed enforcer Vaas. Jason and his friends are captured. Escaping, Jason’s brother is killed and his friends are separated. It’s up to Jason to embrace new ways of life and the savagery of a warrior as he takes on nature and a pirate army while fighting to not lose himself in the jungle.

When I played Far Cry 3, I didn’t know what to expect but I was seriously blown away. I was insanely enamored by the scenery, exotic animals, and how by the end I felt like I went through a genuine journey and transformed. The story takes many a twist and turns, going into some true WTF territory, and Vaas is indeed a legendary gaming villain who should have been the main bad guy. What I like a lot, is the tight balance between stealth and full on gun combat, both means are supported and flushed out perfectly well for your play style. Having an tattoo on your arm that develops after you level up is also a nice touch I admired and made me want to push myself to see the final vision. What I will say as a downfall, the last quarter of the game feels flat without Vaas and Hoyt goes down pretty quickly and isn’t that great of a final villain; alongside of that, both endings to the game aren’t spectacular and pretty generic. In the end, Far Cry 3 is a damn awesome experience I highly recommend but don’t expect a great ending. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Emperor Quill

gotg emp quill  The Guardians of the Galaxy have reformed after losing Star Lord to his new responsibility as the new leader of Spartax and Gamora falling out with Quill. Kitty Pryde, once Shadowcat of the X men and fiance to Quill, has taken his mantle of Star-Lord while Rocket Raccoon takes position as leader of Drax, Groot, Agent Venom and the Thing formerly of the Fantastic Four. Bored as hell of formal leadership, Quill can’t stand his new job until a viscous attack finds his way to Spartax and he’s forced to reunite with Gamora to face Hala, a vengeful Kree accuser who wants to destroy both Spartax and Earth in exchange for the Guardians failing to save the Kree homeworld. If that wasn’t enough, Yotat- the Destroyer of Destroyers has tracked them to Spartax with a grudge he has against Drax. Is it just the Guardians’s signature bad luck or is there someone else behind the scenes?

While I love the Fantastic 4 and I’m still not entirely sure why Kitty decided to call herself Star-Lord, this book is pretty entertaining. The Thing is a unexpectedly welcome addition to the team and fits right in and Kitty does add a unique dynamic as well. Quill has a good story arc and Hala puts up a epic fight, along with some fan service I appreciated. The artwork is well done and the writing is easy to follow and enjoyable. While it’s the first volume of a new story arc, it stands well on its own. The only issue I can see is the length which is short and sweet but may not be worth the expensive cost you will likely be faced with (because Marvel/ Disney) so I recommend definitely reading it just try to get a good price. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Tenet trailer 2

I haven’t been so glad to see the sentence “coming to theaters” in my life. During Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn we got a special IMAX sneak peek of Tenet and like many Christopher Nolan features, it’s a awesome time and a great treat after months of quarantine.  I can’t wait. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Batman: I Am Bane (DC Rebirth vol 3.)

batman rb v3

Batman is my favorite DC hero of all time and quite possibly my favorite superhero of all time because dammit he was the first I was introduced to and as much as I love Mr. J, I’m sick of almost every classic bat story involving if not totally revolving around him. Bane stands alongside Joker, Ras Al Ghul, and the Court of Owls as some of Batman’s greatest threats so what happens when he goes on a full fledged vendetta?

Batman has seen hope to win his war against crime through Gotham and Gotham Girl; he has amassed a family of allies and has harbored a love for Selina Kyle, Catwoman. Bane, the only enemy to have truly broken him, is on the warpath. Bruce warns his charges to go away, only to find surrogates hung in the Batcave in there costumes. Batman lures the brute into Arkham Asylum, arming some of his most dangerous foes to slow the behemoth down. Will Bane finally break the bat once and for all?

So, warning right now, I recommend reading the first 2 books in Rebirth before this (I Am Gotham and I Am Suicide) because I was pretty lost. Weirdly, Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles( DC Rebirth) was way easier to follow and is the next book in the series. I love Bane who is a violent wrecking machine the whole book and kept me glued; while having issues with Batman here and there, I do love the comparisons done between the 2’s upbringing. There are other stories here as well including a prelude to Jokes and Riddles, a mini tale of Bruce warming up to a abused dog, and a little adventure of Bats and Swamp Thing tracking down the killer of Swampy’s father. The artwork is well done and truly grisly and badass at times. While Tom King isn’t my favorite writer, I can appreciate the effort made. In the end, its a solid book but I absolutely don’t starting with it, instead hitting the first 2 books beforehand. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Aquaman: The Trench (New 52, vol.1)

new 52 aquaman

Before the Aquaman movie, my friend Autobot had me read a Aquaman comic, the first book of DC’s New 52. Like many, I saw Arthur Curry as a joke amongst a solid roster of heroes and demigods. Little did I know, there was a lot more to Aquaman than meets the eye.

Aquaman is the definition of a short-change hero; the surface mocks him despite his incredible powers and the people of Atlantis mostly revile him for his half human heritage. Even aligning himself with the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in the Justice League, no one takes him seriously. But in Amnesty Bay, a threat is looming from the darkest part of the sea where even the king of the sea fears to tread. Ancient monstrous Atlanteans that dwell in the trenches leave in search of dwindling food and it’s up to Arthur and Mera to push them back alone.

While Aquaman (new 52, volume 5) sea of storms  and the few books that followed were good, this is the best I’ve seen from the New 52 line of Aquaman. The story is great and action packed, juggling mythos, horror, and a cool meta nature about the old reincarnations of the character. Aquaman is a complex hero and Mera is a epic badass. Geoff Johns, one of DC’s most talented writers gives Aquaman a hell of a new beginning. The artwork is beautiful and colorful. In the end, this book is pretty much everything I love about the characters of Aquaman and Mera and I highly recommend it if you thought Aquaman just talked to fish. May the gaming gods bring you glory.