Since I have nothing else to post now that my review is done, I should get to uploading those podcasts. But because I love myself so much, I decided to change my profile pic on Facebook to something awesome. I am now working on making it an awesome wallpaper for all my Me. This is what it looks like right now.
If you could make it look better than probably could, then try. I'M LOOKING AT YOU EDWARD!
That's it! No, seriously. THAT'S IT! If you wanna blame something, blame Tropico 3.

The game is a genre starter. You could say a mystery game. You could say it was a role-playing game. You could say it was an action game. At heart, it would be an “interactive “Choose Your Own Adventure” visual novel” game. There are many games that claim that “every choice affects the game”. But in truth, these games have choices that either make very little difference to how the game plays out or just one major choice that just affects the ending of the game. Even the predecessor to this game, Indigo Prophecy , was basically just that. Most games that have this have this bullet-point on their boxes have nothing on Heavy Rain. I went into the game with high expectations, and I was not disappointed.

I know for a fact that many of the seemingly miniscule things that the you do in this game have just about as much of an effect as the major choices in the game. I wish I could go into detail, but that’s something for you to experience yourself. And if you want proof, ask a friend to play at the same time you are, and ask each other about your separate experiences with the game. I swear that the game will play out almost completely different for each of you.

I walk into a room unnecessarily while investigating this house, and get clocked in the head and end up trapped in a basement. Unlike my friend, who went in, got what she needed, and got out. My OTHER friend accidentally got drunk and ended up having his character experience a premature death.

And that was only a glimpse of the possible outcomes of ONE level. It could end up being very short and simple, or it could end up being very drawn out and risky. It all depends on what kind of player YOU are.

Yes, the game does lead up to a certain final event, but the way the event plays out takes into an account almost EVERYTHING that has occurred through the whole game. Certain characters might not be there and certain characters will either succeed or fail(and they can) in their missions.

Many points of the game are super-intense. Every event of the game occurs in real-time most have a lot of player involvement, meaning that you are given many choices, even during the cut scenes, that you need to make, and you aren’t given an infinite amount of time to make those choices. There are many quick-time events that usually give you very little time to react, keeping you tense every second of the game. Also add the fact that your character has many chances to die during the game. That’s right. Each character you control can DIE at almost ANY point in the game.

My experience with the controls came to me like second nature, but for some others, it may take some time getting used to. If you aren’t a fan of Silent Hill/Resident Evil tank controls, you might have a bad time while playing. Other complaints that I heard other people voice revolved around some scenes that require you to hold down a combination of many of the buttons on the controller to do actions. With some of the situations, it seems very fitting. The character is doing something that requires extra precision, and these controls is the game’s way of having you experience the same pressure.

And of course, the major point of the game, the story, is fantastic. You could either really care, or really hate some of the characters. It’s so fantastic that I won’t tell you anything about it other than the game has some awesome twists…

Now, buy or rent? Well, the game is definitely worth a play through. You HAVE to complete this game ONCE. But after that, you learn that the game is definitely surrounds a few number of major plot points, but once you’ve experienced that, the thrill really disappears. You really only play certain points of the game just to see how they can play out differently. The game is a must play, but not really a replayable game. A definite rent. A fantastic game, but I don’t know if you should spend your hard earned money buying and keeping the game.

You might see that this review is shorter than most of my others, but that's because I accepted the idea that reviews are impressions and opinions. Unlike my other reviews, were I explain unnecessary mechanics like controls, or go into things like graphics if they don't need to be brought up, I just say what needs to be said: What I thought of the game. If the graphics stood out that much, I would've mentioned them, but they really aren't anything special. If they were outstanding or terrible, than that's when I would mention them.

Okay. List start now!

Heavy Rain Review (DONE, JUST NEED TO TYPE AND POST)

Library of Games Podcast FOR PODBEAN.

You need something to blame? Doctor Who and Tropico 3. Actually, just blame Tropico 3. DO NOT BUY TROPICO 3. IT IS WAY TOO ADDICTING!

Thanks for voting everyone!

A quick apology for not posting at all this entire week. Too busy backing up files and preparing to euthanize my computer. After that's done, I have to reinstall all those new games that I just got...
this isn't going to be fun.

Ooo! Look! A new podcast logo! I'm actually planning to keep this one! I like it!

Weird things happen this episode:

• Random person appears at the beginning of the show. Seriously, I have no idea who he is, but he was pretty funny!
• Pat's laptop sounds like it may explode! We don't know why it made such a weird noise, but I know that I was genuinely scared.
  
• We get hyped on Cory Doctorow and his new book "For the Win"!
• We learn about a kid who has no idea what Halo is!
• We get hyped ON MOSKAU!
• Kaillif raves about Halo: Legends!
• And after about a 10 minute rave on Halo...I rave about more Halo! Halo: Reach impressions!
• Talk about movies based of comics!
• I expect to say something I'm hated for...but I'm actually quite supported!
• Taylor and I try to convince Pat to watch Ouran...but then we learn that Pat is lacking feelings...and we try to convince Pat that Ouran is not mushy and it's hilarious and Patrick, you need to watch it! Here, I'll give you a post to start you up with the show!
• We also talk about I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1 and Bible Reader X.
• And we talk about a mysterious topic I don't even know.

Download Now!

This is the song we were listening to after the end of the first break:

HOSTED BY KAILLIF AMMEN (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY NG (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), PATRICK HERMANN, AARON ECKHART FRANK, MALIC, TAYLOR BAYLESS, AND RANDOM GUEST PERSON TO ENTER: JORDAN!

Intro, Outro, and Break music: "No Escape" by Civalias.

Yeah, you see that? NOT NINE INCH NAILS. Not saying I don't like them, just saying that we need to differentiate with the music!

And the official new logo for the podcast as of now:

Don't usually expect posts during the weekends, but I just have to present a small piece of news (also, I'm waiting for Tropico 3 to download on Steam). As I brought up two days ago, I kinda took advantage of the Fry's sales and purchased Serenity and Command and Conquer 4. ($7 & $25, original price $26 and $50. Over 50% off!) Well, this weekend, Steam was also having an amazing deal. There was a game that I really wanted to buy a while back called Tropico 3 which I was willing to buy for $30 back then. Now it was on sale for $7.50 (75% off!). I HAD TO GET IT!

Now I feel a lot like my mom. I think I'm inheriting her taking-advantage-of-sales skill of buying.

------------------------------------

Footnote: This usually isn't something I get into (I actually try very hard to avoid it), but have you guys heard about this Greyson Chance kid? 12 year old singing prodigy? Probably going to overthrow Justin Bieber? Yeah, see why I stay away from that stuff? Well, anyway, it's your choice whether or not you want to see it, but it's ANOTHER underage talented singer. I caved and had to see this video. OH MY GOD JESUS CHRIST HE GENIUNELY SOUNDS LIKE A GIRL. No, not the Justin Bieber kind of girl, but a SERIOUS girl. I'm not denying the kid has talent, but seriously?

I can't really explain to you how awesome today was...

without explaining to you how much the beginning of the week really sucked.

I had a theatre project that I was apparently supposed to be working on over the weekend, but of course, I didn't. You know why? Because I enjoy life, and time away from school is time that needs to be nourished like a baby. So HELL NO was I going to work on it over the weekend.

So then I ended up having to work on it during the week. When I went to school on Monday, apparently everyone thought I was supposed to have it done by today. I was like "WTF, mate?" And so I lied and said that the editing was almost halfway done (it barely began. Okay, fine, I'm going to stop lying to myself. I didn't bother doing shiz). And then I decided to commit the rest of my entire nights and mornings working on the project. I'm not going to go too much into detail, but I'm going to tell you right now,

IT SUCKED.

I thought this was probably going to be one of the worst weeks of school in my life (as I got piles and piles of World Studies homework to do while simultaneously having to read "Things Fall Apart" for Survey Lit. (which I have only skimmed and read a few of the final chapters. It might've been good if I didn't have SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO DO.), but then,

Yesterday happened.

Something that I conveniently left out of my story was that I recorded the tenth episode of the podcast I'm in called the Library of Games Podcast (you can find the newest episodes right here on this website by clicking on the link or visiting the official Library of Games website here!). During one of the breaks that we took during the show, the librarian/mentor supervising the podcast Taylor (I mention her in a couple of posts) asked for volunteers to ask questions at a Cory Doctorow panel happening at the library this Thursday (author of books such as Makers, Little Brother, and his newest book which was the whole reason for the panel, For The Win). Seeing this as a great opportunity, I raise my hand, and I end up getting to sit next to the man himself and ask him any question I want to ask him in front of many jealous fans (even Leo has read more Cory Doctorow then I have, he wishes he was me). Sadly, I ended up having to leave early and I wasn't able to take a picture with the man like Aaron, Patrick, and Taylor were able to. It was really great thought!

And then today happens.

School was S.S.D.D., then I end up going to the library. The library decided to do a favor for everyone that was on that panel by getting them (that means ALSO ME) a SIGNED HARDCOVER COPY of FOR THE WIN (as seen in picture). So now my day happens to become amazing. After I get picked up by my mother, she is driving me with a friend who decides to celebrate my birthday a couple of days late by giving me $20. My mom also ends up asking me if I'm interested in the "Battlefield 2 game". "Of course I am!" says I, and then I find out that Fry's Electronics is doing a "basically 50% off" sale on the game ($35!) and I decide to take advantage of the $20 I just got.

And then my mother pulls up a list of $7 Blu-ray ads and asks me if any of them are interesting to me. I see Serenity, and I know that that movie is based of the show Firefly, which is where Nathan Fillion is from, who stars in Castle, which is a show that I LOVE. (He was also featured in Halo 3: ODST, his voice and his face model) So I decided to get that. After the purchase, I had this huge feeling of excitement. A feeling that said "I'm going to enjoy the next couple of weeks". I also came from a Math II meeting for school that made me feel smart. :P

---------------

Footnote: Thanks for voting, Nicole and Didi. It's seriously probably what inspired me to post such are large post so soon after another one. Who was the third person, please show yourself in the comments so I could thank you too! I promise I will post about Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu tomorrow! I am seriously thankful for the votes, and I would be much more grateful if you guys proved you existed with comments! Not forcing you or anything, just a suggestion! :P

Truly. I got to sit next to a famous author who's writing subjects are very much in my interests. Thanks to my impulse-hand-raising skills when Taylor had asked for two people to volunteer to ask questions for a Cory Doctorow panel during our last podcast. It was seriously a great pleasure to meet the man in person before I actually get to reading his books. I'll start with Little Brother to appease Leo and Patrick, but I really want to get into For The Win as that sounds amazingly interesting and Taylor says is so much better. Maybe I'll post a couple of pictures from the panel if I can soon!

P.S. Also, I can't believe I never posted a single thing about Ouran High School Host Club. It was (and still is) my favorite anime's ever. Maybe I was so excited about the show that I couldn't bring myself to post a single thing about it. Also maybe the fact that I'm about four years late to the excitement kind of brought me down).

Okay, so everything I want to do is not going to happen anytime soon. The good news is that I'm actually going to get a lot of schoolwork done! To do list, time! (Oh, by the way, I'm posting with my phone right before I go to sleep!)

[Finish Editing Theatre Movie]
[Finish Sections 1, 2, and 3 in World Studies]
[Read Chapters 9-16 for Survey Lit]

Second Priorities:
[Edit and post LOGCAST 10: Redux!]
[Work on Heavy Rain review]

Optional/To keep me from going insane:
Stay away from the library until all of these things are done.
Post on my blog
Maybe a couple of minutes of Rock Band 2...NO!

I will tell you right now, those Second Priorities are going to wait a long time! My plan for the next couple of days:

Sleep at 9
Wake up at 4

Gives me about 7 hours of sleep, and 4 hours of a fresh mind. I've always been a morning person, but I never felt school was worth the time. Seriously, the hardest part is getting out of bed. Once you're out, you'll feel soooo much better about it!
There is a specific reason why I seem to be in a very hard-working state right now (other than the fact that my grades will drop severly. I never really cared about that reason.), but it's way to embarrasing for me to actually disclose. This reason happens a lot, though, and I wish it would happen more often. I promise I will say this reason publicly soon, but by the time it comes, I will have realized how much it will have helped me that I should be proud to say that is the reason.
Well, anyway, I better get to sleep......but I won't because I want to talk about more things, but I will save that for tommorow night. Just remember: Supportive, Doctor Who, Podcast.
And once I post enough that I shove a couple of stories out, I might actually start telling my friends about this website! XD

Sup, guys? I have been making this blog my to-do-list lately, and don't worry! Here comes some more lists! Today's list: Things I'm Not Going To Admit To Other People Because I Will Lose My Reputation As A Nerd But Can Openly Admit Here Because No One Reads This Site Anyway: Things I Have Never Seen But Should Have Seen:

• Death Note
• Doctor Who

Both of these, I have seen 1 or more episodes of, and really like, but have never gotten the time to watch. This year, I'm planning to commit to them because I'm realizing how much more and more time I'm wasting because of my need to sleep/sit-down-for-minutes-on-end-without-doing-anything. I will do it! I SWEAR!!!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, guys! I actually just learned what that was actually celebrating today!

Don't hurt me! :P

Anyway, I just wanna say, Why are people raggin' on Halo Legends? The collection is great! It's great gift to fans of the series, whether or not your a fan or not! There are many Anime tropes in it, but it's something to love! My favorite episode is the package. and the best part is that the person who directed that episode was actually a Legendary Halo player and most of the things that are included in the episodes that reference to the Halo Games, specifically the actual HUDs, were his idea, and weren't forced into the episode by the game developers like you think they might.

Also, I've been hearing great things about Alan Wake even though I did not know or see anything about the game and didn't have a spot of interest in the game originally until now. The plot actually seems very interesting, though loosely reminiscent of Silent Hill. I've also been hearing some mixed reactions of Nier, but enough good enough reactions that I have some interest.

I also feel really bad not knowing a single thing about Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire, but school has taken so much of my game time away, I can't keep up like I used to. Also, I need to start doing more things other than gaming. Gaming can pay, yes, just not very well, and I know that thanks to a couple of friends...

Well, I know I've said this many times, but I will post more, smaller, condensed posts soon. Seems like a better idea!

Halo: Legends Impressions
Halo: Reach Beta Impressions
Heavy Rain review (after, oh, so long...)
Delving Into The World of Visual Novels: Death Note
My Experiences With Video Gaming Lately (or lack thereof)
and more....
This blog is coming back to life, damnit!

Trust me, it's hilarious. Especially around 32:00. Malik, you NEED to listen to this.

[Download Now]

HOSTED BY KAILLIF AMMEN (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY NG (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), AARON ECKHART FRANK, MALIK, AND GUEST MENTOR TAYLOR BAYLESS

Intro, Outro, and Break music: "Demon Seed" by Nine Inch Nails