Mary: An Awakening of Terror

Mary is a nobody in every sense of the word. Banking on the dreaded 5-0 and wading into menopause, alone in the world except for her “loved ones” (tiny little porcelain figurines she talks to, her life turns upside down once she loses her job. A job that barely pays her enough to get by as is. A sliver lining comes when her loathsome, dying aunt Nadine calls begging for help. After pissing off Mary’s cousin, Nadine is alone and unable to care for herself. Mary is soon left to journey from New York to the eerie desert town where she grew up. Returning home resurfaces not only her repressed hatred for her crass, despicable aunt by the layers of trauma she spent her life hiding as well as what might be the secrets of the town itself? With bodies piling up, visions playing Mary, and an obsession with a hospital that had been converted from an infamous serial killer’s home, the question becomes who and what is Mary?

So I read this book for my book club, going in completely fresh. I knew nothing about the book or author and was even kind of surprised it came out in 2022. As someone who sucks at socializing, suffers from a host of mental health issues, and is just awkward as hell, I felt for Mary. I found her to almost be an updated Carrie, someone shy, frumpy and pathetically beaten down who just wanted to matter. This story takes a lot of crazy ass turns from being a ghost story, to a psychological thriller, to some bizarre Midsommar levels of WTF. The book deserves to be experienced because it is fun as hell trying to figure out where its going. However fun that particular aspect is, it causes some issues towards the end. A character I hated got a half-assed redemption and the ultimate conclusion, while being fun and over-the-top gory, didn’t really satisfy me. The ending couple of chapters felt unnecessarily open-ended, but given how weird of a ride this story was, I can’t tell you if a sequel would work.

In the end, I enjoyed this book a lot but I didn’t love it. It’s very well written and really engaging but the ending as well as some plot choices fumble it from being great. Absolutely a good read worth checking out if you want a weirder kind of horror book. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Graduation Day (1981)

Graduation Day is a movie about a track star from Midvale High School who dies during the school year, and when her sister comes home to receive an award she won, a deranged killer suddenly starts killing everyone that was on the team. Apparently, someone isn’t so happy that they won and plans on honoring this young lady’s death.

The movie has exactly what you would expect from a 1980s slasher movie, boobs, cheesy death scenes, a teacher that is very inappropriate with students, and a blatant killer who isn’t the killer, and a huge tirade I want to go off on but I refuse to spoil a movie even if it is closing in on 50 years old. I want to make this even more weird, check out the following picture.

One of these women is Vana White

That is not a joke, one of those women is, one of those women is a young Vana White before she became famous as the woman turning letters on Wheel of Fortune ( she also failed to get out of contestant row in a 1972 episode of The Price is Right as one of the first 4 people) See, I teach as well as entertain.

Back to the movie, as a horror movie in the 80’s it is the right kind of bad. We have the cheesy death scenes, the needless nudity that is done tastefully but tasteless at the same time that we all enjoy but know the horror genre is better off without, and most importantly it is entertaining. I had fun watching it and that is all I ask for. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Also because it was the 80s, do not watch the trailer below if you have a seizure disorder of any kind.

Blow It Up (PS5 Review)

Blow It Up is a physics destruction game sent to me by Brain Seal. Anyone familiar with the Angry Birds craze will instantly know how to play this game and what it is about. You aim, fire, knock over a structure, and kill some aliens.

There are 7 different, let us call them people, to throw at these structures all with different abilities. Some will simply move faster others explode or act as a bombers and just drop bombs in a row. They are easy and quick to unlock.

The game admittedly does not look the best, but for what they are going for and it being a budget title I don’t think it is fair to expect it to. Graphically it looks as good as it needs to. The sound is also solid, with explosions being satisfying and walls crashing down feeling like they have some weight to them.

My only real gripe was occasionally if you want to restart a mission you failed to succeed I did experience a couple of crashes and freezes, this was easily avoided tho by being careful when you pause.

The game is simple, and kind of short, it is also only about $8 so realistically the real question is, is it worth that price point? It has around 70 levels which is more than enough to keep you occupied for a few hours trying to collect gold trophies on all of them, there are gold coins to collect as well. The platinum is pretty simple so for hunters that will be an incentive. All in all, it is an 8/10 game. I had fun with it, it did a great job capturing that angry bids feel without completely ripping off the game. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Drug Dealer Simulator 2 Comes to PS5

Yes, that headline is correct. For many who have wanted to check out Drug Dealer Simulator 2 but could not due to it only being on Steam, the wait is almost over. Now console players can also start out a small-time dealer and work their way up to their wildest dreams of running the drug world, with friends online. The PS5 release will contain the full Steam version of the game, including all updates, including the one just released alongside this news. See below for an update video and PS5 screenshots.

  • Play solo or in 3-player online co-op
  • Acquire ingredients and create and portion your own products
  • Distribute merchandise and attract new customers
  • Use influencer networks to increase demand for your own brand’s merchandise
  • Avoid the militia and beware of raids on your headquarters
  • Put up a fight or flee hostile gangsters
  • Hire employees and bodyguards and create a hierarchy of power
  • Acquire and decorate new hideouts, from shacks to outrageous villas
  • Buy boats and yachts and enjoy your wealth

Monster Hunter Wilds (PS5)

What is there to say about this game that hasn’t been said by a million others. Is it beautiful? Damn right, it is. Does it control great? Absolutely. Did I drop eleven hours into it the day it launched? No, it was 10 hours 58 minutes, and 47 seconds. Thanks for counting Capcom.

Dude knows what this is and still almost dies because of it

Now, I do have to add this, I played on PS5 and supposedly the PC launch was horrific. I do have a friend playing over on PC, and he hasn’t had any complaints or run into any of the issues you will see on the Steam store. That isn’t to say they don’t exist, he just has a mid-range PC and maybe he is lucky.

Now that the Steam version is out of the way, back to the two other complaints I have seen. The story is easy, and the menu system. I can’t deny the easy part or say it is true, I have been playing Monster Hunter since I can’t remember when each game seems to get easier, and at this point, I haven’t been carted or lost a hunt in wilds yet, and I have finished the story. The menus are also easier to navigate than ever, however isn’t exactly a compliment because they have always been abysmal.

The game, however, is probably the best Monster Hunter to date in terms of gameplay. As an avid hunting horn user this thing has never felt better. They added a few things in Rise and added more here. It is no longer just a buff weapon but a full-on damage dealer as well, without the need to farm for decorations and gear. It isn’t a top-tier damage dealer of course but it is far more viable solo.

If you were considering buying this one but may have been on the fence, it is time to hop off the fence. Join the hunters’ guild and kill some monsters. They deserve it. Ok as always they really don’t and we are probably the bad guys for committing genocide. Regardless, best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory,

AI People

AI people is a game that is played in many ways, like The Sims. It seems that you create people that live their lives, either with your help or all on their own. There is one key and major difference. This game is powered by AI technology and has long-term memories that learn through your decisions.

I honestly do not know much about the game, but I am interested in the idea. As someone who has played the Sims since the very first one, I have often wondered what it would be like if I could write my very own story and watch it play out. I also want to know if I could push the designs of the AI, create a bunch of retired police and detectives but one serial killer, and see if they will interact in some way for example.

The only drawback I see to those games isn’t even a drawback, it is played strictly online and is cloud-based and costs $10 a month to play. To me, however, this isn’t any different than any other service game except you don’t have to also buy the game. If that sounds interesting to you maybe go check it out and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Suikoden Star Leap mobile game

Suikoden Star Leap is an upcoming mobile game, with no set release date, that will be free to play and have plenty of microtransactions I am sure. It will also be the first new Suikoden game in about 13 years, the Japan-only Woven Web of Centuries. Not much has been released beyond we will finally know what happened to the Rune of Change, it takes place between Suikoden V and I and Odessa Silverberg will be a main character. ENjoy the trailer below and a short blurb released about some of the main characters. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

  • Hero (voiced by Tomohiro Ono) – The protagonist of this story and son of the village chief, Hou. He is kind, courageous, and charming.
  • Hisui (voicd by Hika Tsukishiro) – A servant that works in the Hero’s house. Due to reasons unknown, she is suppressing her emotions, however, she is a cheerful and kind girl by nature.
  • Hou (voiced by Akio Otsuka) – Chief of the village and father of the Hero. He used to be a fiery fighter, but he brought the ruffians together and created a new village. Other than that, his past is shrouded in mystery, but he seems to have relations with many important people in various countries.
  • Shirin (voiced by Fairouz Ai) – The Hero’s childhood friend. Her high-spirited personality is a mirror to her father’s, who raised her on his own. She sometimes gets caught up in tunnel vision, but her sense of justice is strong.
  • Shapur (voiced by Takuya Sato) – The Hero’s teacher and butler of the Hou household. He used to be a general. He doesn’t seem to be the kind of person to settle as a butler of a household in a small village…

 “SAND,” tinyBuild’s Diesel-punk Multiplayer Mech Game, Hits Steam Early Access April 3

Publisher tinyBuild and indie developers Hologryph and TowerHaus are thrilled to announce that SAND, the action-packed, mech-fueled, multiplayer action game, will launch onto Steam Early Access on April 3, 2025! Trek across vast open-world dunes in groups of up to six players, customize your mech fortress, and battle against other iron beasts and their crews to claim your fortune.

SAND is set in an alternate-history, diesel-punk world – the ruined planet Sophie – where an ecological disaster has evaporated the oceans. All that’s left are humans and their Trampler mechs, titanic mechanical moving structures that can traverse Sophie’s sprawling wasteland. Working alone or in teams, humanity now scours Sophie’s sprawling deserts, scavenging for hidden riches and fighting to keep them.

Players got a taste of SAND’s unforgiving terrain and intense gameplay with a demo that was ranked among the top 10 most played in Steam Next Fest last year, as well as a highly successful open playtest that attracted over 200K testers. Early access will introduce loads of improvements along with continued development to keep players coming back to Sophie.

Early Access Features

  • New cities, points of interest and way more loot
  • Undead NPCs that roam cities and engage in combat with players
  • New environmental hazards such as minefields
  • Revamped controls for Tramplers
  • New Trampler customization options, including new compartments and a new chassis option

New gameplay content and features will be added throughout early access in regular updates, and a development roadmap will be available at launch detailing what to expect from the future of SAND.

To learn more about SAND, visit the game’s website, and follow along with the latest updates on X and Discord.

The Playground

Hey kids, have you ever heard of splatterpunk? Have you ever watched Willy Wonka and wished there was Saw in it? Well, Aaron Beauregard has you covered. Before I begin, the cover of this book tells you exactly what you’re getting into. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, fuck that, here’s a good exception to the rule. This book is gnarly so if you have a weak stomach and the idea of children dying triggers you at all as well as some really, really WTF sexual stuff involving poop at one point, this book is absolutely not for you.

3 low-income families receive the chance of a lifetime from the reclusive billionaire and philanthropist, Geraldine Borden. She and her adopted son, Rock, have invited the families with their total 8 children to come and test some new state-of-the-art playground equipment in exchange for $3,000 per family. Not a bad deal, right? The parents even get to relax in their own private theater and monitor their children at play…until things go violently wrong. Ambushed by ravenous dogs, the children are chased through a razor blade-laced chute to a dungeonous series of macabre games where survival is the only reward. The parents, captive in places, are forced to watch there beloved children fight not only the horrific games but also themselves as Geraldine’s twisted games unfold…

Holy shit this book gave me whiplash. Is it a fun read? Hell no! Is it an exciting read I literally couldn’t put down? I really couldn’t. The kids are the superstars of the story and a lot of praise to Beauregard for writing thoughtful, authentic children instead of angelic Hollywood kind of kids. I felt for quite a few of them on their reactions and grisly fates while also cheering when the villain of the eight gets his just deserts. The games are eerie and pretty imaginative with some incredibly disturbing outcomes. I like that Geraldine is in no way a sympathetic or redeemable villain in a modern world of tragic villains. Rock is a really tragic character and his redemption at the end is well-earned. The flaw in the book is the parent sections which do drag the pacing down. The book is organized into 3 POVs: the kids, the parents, and Geraldine. The parents are literally locked in place and most of their sections revolve around reacting to what just happened to their kids. It makes the pacing a bit bumpy, especially around the middle.

So in the end I really enjoyed the book, though all be damned if I didn’t need a hot shower and a hug after. No, there’s no happy ending and yes this book is depressing and horrific but the ending lands and is self-contained which is cool. It’s honestly well worth a read and well written if you can get past the grotestuque subject matter. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Blood Meridan

What do you think of when you hear about the Old West? Cowboys, Indians, covered wagons, and dusty saloons where a shootout is a shot of whiskey and a whore away? John Wayne? Clint Eastwood? John Marsten? Well, like most people I did too. I heard many tales that this novel was one of the darkest, if not the darkest westerns ever written with one of the most fascinating villains in literature. Does it hold up to the claims?

The story begins with a young runaway referred to as The Kid who finds his way into the Glanton Gang, a crew of scalp hunters roaming across the west near Texas and Mexico in the 1850s. Normally I’d go deeper into the story but Blood Meridian doesn’t have much of a coventional plot. Much of the book is an experience in haunting philoshy and depravity. For real, this book is grim as hell so if you are easily triggered by racism, violence to people or animals, gore, or rape stay away from this book.

Cormac McCarthy (Rest in Peace) beautifully illustrates a hellish depiction of the Old West and the horrors of man left his own devices. There is some truly horrifying imagery and the way the book is written, I felt strained as the gang does getting worn down after dozens of bloody raids and losses in a unforgiving desert. Could this be a second hand horror story? I can see it in the way Dante’s Inferno could be seen that way. I really like that the Kid is not a good kid corrupted by the debauchery or even has anything close to a redemption- nope- he’s just as cutthroat and ruthless as Glanton and the rest. The standout, the man who does steal the show of the book, is the mysterious Judge Holden. He’s a huge, hulking hairless albino man that is almost inhumanly intelligent and depraved more than the rest; the sermons he gives are legendary and off putting as hell. Whenever Holden appears I was instantly griped and I think the praise he receives as a villain is well earned.

So is this book a masterpiece, yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. First, this is not written like a modern book. McCarthy is a novelist in the true sense of the word; ten pages in I said “oh shit this is one of them smart people books we don’t get anymore”. He won’t hold your hand. He has a pretty impressive vocabulary. You have to pay attention. One thing I admit irked the shit out of me was that there are no quotation marks but an awful lot of dialogue; do you see why I said pay attention? He also loves giant sentences with little punctuation so if you are trying to rush, things will blend together. The pacing is a double edged sword. 350 pages doesn’t feel like it.

In the end, this book is a masterpiece of dark fiction but be warned it’s not the easiest read and if the book didn’t hit you hard enough, the ending will. May the gaming gods bring you glory and like the Judge, you keep dancing on and on gleefully.