Titan Fall 2 (PS4)

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I had never really put to much thought into Titan Fall 2 honestly. It looked like just a standard shooter with some giant robots. I mean that sounds fun enough really, I just didn’t want to spend money on it. A few weeks ago Torsten brought it up and I said it looked good enough. Fast forward a bit and he shows up at my place with an early Birthday/Christmas gift. Two copies of Titan Fall 2. Obviously one for me and one for him.

You guys won’t believe this, or hey maybe you will. A fast paced shooter that involves huge robots, is a hell of a lot of fun. The game looks nice and the controls are fluid and responsive. Whether running across walls or sliding across the road gunning people down while launching a grappling hook onto the side of a Titan to escape you never feel like you are out of control or limited in what you can do. You are encouraged to keep moving. The Titans however, control mostly like you would think but are still maneuverable enough to make battles strategic and fun. Each Titan also has their own strengths and weaknesses.

The game is far from perfect obviously, the match making is horrible and time consuming some nights and its usually easiest to just let the game pick whatever it wants to send you to. But regardless it is fun and easy to pick up, but challenging to master. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Force Awakens

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Thank the force we got a course correction for Star Wars after an ass load of (shiver) at the prequels. Yes, in many ways Awakens is a soft remake of the original classic but in no way a shot for shot remake.

After the fall of the Empire, a much more cruel force has started overtaking the galaxy in there wake. They call themselves the First Order and immediately we notice there dedication to the former Empire with the reinstatement of Stormtroopers equipped heavier and trained to exterminate Jedi, led by a figure in black named Kylo Ren tasked with killing off the Resistance led by a much older Leia. During an attack on Jakku, one stormtrooper sees the evil of Ren and the order first hand and decides to escape with a pilot named Poe they captured, crashing back on Jakku alone, finding a young woman named Rey who found Poe’s droid BB-8, who’s carrying plans for a new devastating weapon. Now named Finn, him and Rey journey to find the Resistance to return BB-8, coming across Han Solo who takes them to Leia as we see it was not truly a happy ever after in the years after Jedi. Luke had tried rebuilding the Jedi but there own son Ben Solo, Kylo Ren, had turned to the dark side much like his grandfather had, breaking Luke as well Han and Leia’s marriage. Finn and Rey are scared as hell, especially Rey who keeps having feelings she can’t explain, doing things she can’t explain, and having visions when she gets to touch the lightsaber that once belonged to both Anakin and Luke.  But the question remains, where did Luke Skywalker go?

I have to say the only real flaw I have with this movie is that it does feel very much like the classic film but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I hated what Star Wars had become after the prequels, remasters, and overabundance of cartoons, comics, games, and shit that never captured the feeling right. Awakens does for me. I love where the old characters stand as well as got invested in the new characters. I love the darker feeling, but that Finn, Poe, and Han added some levity. The movie is a good blend of practical and CGI unlike the prequels and thank god we didn’t get a over embellished, super fast, over choreographed lightsaber duel at the end. Kylo Ren feels similar to Darth Vader but I like his lack of composure and his depth, plus I love his lightsaber. Overall, I thought it was a great movie that put the series back on track and in regards to the originals I give it a A-. May the force be with you all.

XBox One X Review

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So I know I am a bit late on this compared to everyone else, but in my defense I did get mine later. I also wanted to spend a bit more time with it. First let me get this out of the way, some of what I say is going to sound like I am bashing it. I am not. The real question on buying an Xbox isn’t should you or shouldn’t you, it is which model do you buy. It is a great system.

My first experience with the One X honestly was waiting for a massively long fucking update. It wasn’t big.  Just took forever. I didn’t count how long, I just did other stuff, it was at least 45 minutes tho. I know this sounds like “hey savior your internet must suck”. It wasn’t my internet. I have downloaded other stuff on my PS4 pro and the One X that is much bigger and went much faster. That initial update is just insanely slow. I have known others that had the same issue. Don’t panic if you buy one, the most powerful system ever just does that.

That being said, the games with the enhancements are beautiful. Now I have mentioned this before but for new people I do have to mention, I do own a 40 inch 4k HDR compatible television. This system is pretty much designed to run on this thing and it shows. The frame rate is also much more stable in many games. Elite Dangerous for example  is a game I have plenty of experience with across both Xbox and PS4. The game on PS4 pro looked much better than on standard Xbox. The One X shows up with the 4k patch and I will admit,it looks far better on the One X.

All that being said, here is the part that is going to sound like I am bashing the One X. The system is made for a very small amount of people that own a television it is designed for and some estimates say at least 80% of Americans don’t even own one currently. Admittedly that number gets smaller every month as more people make the switch as more companies are making the switch.  The price difference between a One X and the One S is quite significant, the performance between the two without the right television however is not.  The question isn’t should you buy an Xbox, the Xbox is a great system. The question is which one,and in my humble opinion, without a 4k television that supports HDR, the One  X is simply a waste of money. With one tho, with one it truly is a sight to behold. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Return of the Jedi

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Jedi blew my mind and to this day this remains my favorite trilogy ender and damn you whoever was responsible for adding in all the bullshit that killed this movie in the remaster.

Again, not too much longer after Empire, the rebels are in a really crappy place. Jabba got Han Solo by means of ridiculously overrated bounty hunter Boba Fett at the end of Empire, the Empire is building a second Death Star with Vader’s master the Emperor overseeing it’s construction personally, and after getting his hand chopped off by Vader, his faith in his mentors crushed by Vader’s revelation he is indeed Anakin Skywalker, and his lightsaber gone, Luke is M.I.A to finish his training to become a Jedi. Leia and Lando try rescuing Han but to no avail and suddenly all of Han’s friends are caught in Jabba’s grasp. Suddenly, a somber Luke arrives all in black with a new lightsaber and his powers great, to save the day. Before reuniting with the rebels, he returns to Yoda who dies of old age before telling him to become a Jedi he must confront Vader and that there is another Skywalker- his twin sister Leia. As the rebels begin a finally assault on the second Death Star led by Lando, it’s up to our heroes to destroy the shield to it on Endor, banning together with the Ewoks, as Luke gives himself to Vader and a final clash to save his father and save the galaxy…

Ok, so I seriously have to say the versions ratings are going to split hard on this.

Pre 97: A-

Post  97: C

Overall, the characters again are done very well again, with great music and truly epic battles that lead into a satisfying conclusion. Originally I got teary eyed watching Vader’s final moments with Luke. This being said, the remaster fucked up the immersion a lot with some really ridiculous CGI scenes like a goofy musical number in Jabba’s palace or the Scarlac’s stupid CGI beak. On top of that they try really hard at the end to wrap the whole saga up with views of places you don’t even hear about in the original trilogy and even edited out Anakin’s original force ghost at the end with his prequel actor Hayden Christensen (shiver). Also they substitute the jubilant celebration music at the end for something less memorable and more somber. AND TO REALLY PISS ME OFF, because it helped so much at the end of Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader once again bellows NOOOO before throwing the Emperor. I loved the original and damn Luke’s debut with the emerald green lightsaber was amazing but try not to watch the newer version if you can help it. May the force be with you and let the gaming gods bring you glory.

Monster Hunter World Beta

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For those with a PlayStation 4 and a PSN account this weekend was a treat, we got to take part in the open beta for Monster Hunter world. But how was it? There are a few negative things you could say that would all be fair. I will say those now real quick just to get them out of the way. First off, it was pretty small really. There were only  three missions with very limited ability to really upgrade anything at all. The match making was also a nightmare even for a beta. At one point on Saturday it took me almost 45 minutes to find a game. Those missions could all be beaten pretty quickly as well. Also on a minor control issue certain attacks being mapped to the controller how they are would result in messing with items instead if you were too close, which almost got me killed a few times.

Other than that my time with the game flew by. The graphics looked great on my PS4 pro. I didn’t have any issues with frame rate tho i should note when given the option I did choose to prioritize that over anything else, an option the game tells you is only given to pro owners.  The controls themselves felt nice and fluid and easy to use with combinations working as one would expect and each weapon felt different. The game will definitely be a treat for fans of the series come January. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Empire Strikes Back

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Hands down in my opinion Empire is my favorite sequel of all time, and thankfully the damn remaster didn’t really touch it. So after the awesome first entry, how can you really top it?

Picking up after not long after Star Wars ended, the rebels are getting there asses kicked by the Empire, bad and are laying low on the ice planet Hoth. Leia is trying to run too much by herself, Han broke her heart because shit’s getting too real for him and he wants to bail- again- and Luke is about to freeze to death or get eaten alive by a space yeti while getting cryptic messages from the ghost of Obi wan to find something on Dagobah called Yoda. Also, Vader is pissed and comes back with a vengeance. After a really epic battle on Hoth, the rebels flee and our heroes split. Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C3PO have the Empire on there ass as they flee to Han’s friend Lando who runs Cloud City while Luke searches out Yoda, a Jedi master who once trained Obi wan to finish his training. Vader commissions a group of bounty hunters to track down Solo, but Solo isn’t his true target. He plans to try and bring Luke to the dark side with him. Luke has visions of his friends and while his training is far from complete he rushes to go save them, falling into a trap set by Vader, luring Luke into a fight and the truth of what really happened to his father…

Wow, everything pretty much improved in this. The characters not only progressed since the first, but also we learned more about them. The dialogue is great, combined with great music, great effects, and a amazing sense of tense, eerie, nuance at the very end with the Luke and Vader fight. I’m glad to say there isn’t major changes, the effects they used blend right in. Either way I give this movie a A+ easy and absolutely check it out. May the force be with you, always.

 

 

 

Dreamcatcher (2003)

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Before we get started, I know, the Stephen King book was better. I have not read it, but someone always shows up and says it. I could say this movie was garbage, someone will say it. If I say the movie was amazing someone will still say it. Save us the time, lets assume the book was better and move on. And yes I am talking to one person specifically. My mother. I know you read these mom, I know you think the book was better and yes you will see me at Christmas. Also mom, you can click here  to buy a Savior Gaming coffee cup.

Now, moving on. Dreamcatcher as you may have noticed, is based on a Stephen King book. I am also convinced he was on drugs when he wrote this. Here is the story.

A group of kids help a mentally challenged kid being attacked by bullies. They become friends and it turns out he has special powers that he then gives to his new friends. As time goes on they all grow up, keep in touch and eventually have to save the world from an infection, or aliens. or something, I am trying not to ruin it. Also that sounds a lot like Power Rangers.

That is a pretty bare bones explanation, but we all know my love of avoiding spoilers. The story is pretty damn great tho, as is the acting. You will never be confused by it and what is going on will be pretty clear, but the true weight of it all is just out of reach. King has always been a master at this, and the movie does a good job at translating that. By all means check this one out, best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Star Wars

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Let’s talk about a film trilogy that shaped 9 out of 10 childhoods, changed the way people look at fantasy and sci fi forever, and that came from left field and kicked major ass. It will always be Star Wars to me, such as the sequels will always be Empire, Jedi, and Awakens to me because Star Wars meant a grand epic story full of intrigue, great characters, cool settings and hope for punk ass nobodies like myself that maybe we aren’t nothing in the grand scheme of things, that everybody, no matter how small can make a difference.

I’m sure most of us know the story but for those who don’t, I’m truly sorry because I’ll get to that at the end but I’m going to rectify that a bit. Luke Skywalker is a bored teen living on the desert planet of Tatooine, farming moisture with his aunt and uncle, wishing he was off fighting the far off rebellion against the Galactic Empire. One day he finds two droids, C3PO and R2D2, who are secretly carrying a message from Princess Leia for a old Jedi master named Obi wan Kenobi to help her. Luke knows a mysterious old hermit named Ben Kenobi that is indeed Obi Wan, and tells Luke about the Jedi Knights of old days and hands Luke his father’s old lightsaber. Obi wan offers to train Luke in the ways of the force, to become a Jedi like his father, but Luke is bound to his aunt and uncle- until the Empire came looking for the droids and murdered his family. Alone with old Obi wan, it’s up to Lukeand two scoundrels, Han Solo and Chewbacca, to save Leia from the clutches of the Empire and their dark, menacing enforcer Darth Vader and destroy there humongous moon sized super weapon called the Death Star that blows up planets…

So, obviously I love the shit out of this movie but now for the original trilogy I have to do things a little differently. I’m going to give the original and “remasters” a rating from A to F to show you an idea how much it kills the experience and tarnishes these masterpieces.

Pre 97: A

Post 97: B+

So why did I drop it a grade between versions? True some of the effects are touched up, the lightsabers look better and the Death Star run at the end looks better BUT other things they added were invasive as hell to say the least. Like they add a scene wwith Jabba the Hut that adds nothing but fluff and looks off with the CGI. You can tell it was added way later. And speaking of Solo, his encounter with bounty hunter Greedo in the Cantina was altered so Greedo shot first instead of Han. This is stupid for two reasons. First, it looks half assed how they added Greedo’s first shot. And more importantly,  originally it shows Han to be more of a cool lonely badass who finds a heart through the trilogy and a cause to fight for than a already good guy that want him to be. Honestly, you can easily fast forward the Jabba scene with a click but the stuff makes you groan a little bit but doesn’t destroy the movie’s immersion. In the end, I highly recommend Star Wars if you never saw or did, it’s a great time. May the force be with you, always, my friends.

Bedeviled (2016)

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With the reliance on technology today what would happen if there was an app that was also your companion? It talked to you, it knew you, it used the information on your phone to help you with things? You would probably call it Siri or Cortana. Lets take it a step further tho, what if that thing could say, play music for you? How about turn your lights on or record a television show? Actually we have the technology to do that as well.

This movie however isn’t about that. No this movie is about an evil force using our knowledge that technology exist to appear on your cell phone as an app that a friend sent you, gain your trust, then kill you. It then sends an invite for the app to your friends, and the process starts all over again. It is almost like a modern day boogie man or Freddie Kruger in a sense, angry that humans have convinced themselves they are gods and have nothing left to fear it has taken it upon itself to create that fear,

The story is pretty well done as is the acting, it manages to be modern and brings to light many of the things of the modern world, but it doesn’t do it in a belittling or arrogant way. It doesn’t try to convince you the good old days were better. It simply tries to tell you times have changed and some thing is angry. This one is worth a watch people, best wishes and may the gamin gods bring you glory.

South Park Xmas specials

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Do I enjoy Christmas- No. If you saw how Torsten makes a living, you’d understand why I hate holidays of pretty much any kind but me and the legendary Duke would get warm and snug and watch some true family friendly Xmas programming: South Park. I shit you not, pun intended, we did eat a assload of fiber one Xmas eve so we’d get visited by Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo. So I’d like to recommend a few episodes for you and you’re loved ones this holiday season, in no particular order, here we go…

5. Red Sleigh Down (s6, ep17)- Santa gets kidnapped by terrorists in the middle east and it’s Cartman’s bright idea to save him so he can win a spot on the nice list. So wrong, but so damn funny.

4. Merry Christmas Charlie Manson (s2, ep16)-  The gang travels to Nebraska to visit Cartman’s family and while there his uncle busts out of jail with none other than Charles Manson, who slowly learns the value of Christmas.

3. Mr Hankey’s Christmas Classics (s3, ep 15)- a various collection of of our favorite characters singing songs for the holiday. May I recommend “Christmas time in hell” by Satan and Hitler?

2. Woodland Critter Christmas (s8, ep14)- ok, in high school this episode scared the shit out of me. Stan finds a lovable group of talking critters that are friggin Devil worshippers and want to birth the Antichrist. I recommend for the dark humored at heart like myself or Savior.

1. Mr Hankey the Christmas Poo (s1, ep9)- the one and only talking piece of poop that brings you presents if you’re good and have a lot of fiber in your diet. There is a lot of heart as the center of it revolves around Kyle feeling isolated because he’s Jewish on Xmas and relevance on the political correct war on Xmas. Definately my top pick of the group and a must see this holiday. Best wishes and may you all get a visit from Mr. Hankey this holiday season.