Games Consume the Soul!

Hey guys! I know it’s been a LOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGG time since I updated and I do sincerely apologize. I’ve had a lot going on and not a lot of time on my hands to really sit down and write about the things I like to do. Now that I’ve taken the time to literally sit down, get comfortable, and SPEAK here we are.

My last update was… July? O_o

It’s worse than I thought. I have so much to make up for! Alright, so here’s some updates about myself first.

For one, I did not (to my utter disappointment) get the position at GameStop. Not because I wasn’t qualified, not because of issues on my behalf, but… some matters within the company and a few choice employees that prevented me from working the holiday season. So here I am in the month of December, with Christmas and my birthday coming up… no job. It’s sad now, but I have resolve. Over the next few months I’ll be working on getting a driver’s license so I CAN work in places that require such and volunteering my time at an animal shelter while I try and worm my way up to being a part or full time employee. Wish me luck on this journey!

Secondly, I was thinking it might be best to leave the more in-depths reviews/thoughts here and start making YouTube vids, but it’s still a mental debate. My desktop is currently OUT-OF-COMMISSION. To the point of me needing to send it into Hewlett-Packard (HP for those of you who do not know) and get it repaired. Thank goodness for warranties! I’m not sure how long that will take, but it gives me time to gather up the funds for a decent web-camera, another monitor, and an overhaul on office products like a desk and chair.

Lastly, in general things have been going great with the gaming. It’s something I didn’t slow down, but picked up more with all this time on my hands and some of the support I’ve got behind me. A lot of my list from previous months have been narrowed down as I’ve been playing old and new titles like crazy. In a way I’m feeling a bit burnt out from games, but I’m trucking it and hanging in there.

So do you want to know what’s going to happen from here on? Well…

* New Schedule (that I will try to follow as closely as possible)

* New Material (Topics beyond games such as TV, anime, music… etc…. whatever I can think of and whatever is on my mind)

* New Look (for my YouTube channel and possibly Twitter and Google +)

* Partner-in-Crime (this is for me to know and YOU to find out)

I’ll continue to post here, obviously, but I’m going to possibly go VIDEO GAME VIXEN very soon. Be on the lookout!

Games I’ve Recently Played

·      Catherine (finished)

·      Fear 3 (stopped)

·      Gears of War (the entire trilogy)

·      Yakuza 3 (stopped)

·      DC Universe (on hold)

·      Sims 3 (expansions, on hold)

·      Dead Island (finished)

·      Heavy Rain (finished, trying for platinum)

·      Uncharted (had a friend play them, SUE ME XP)

·      Valkyria Chronicles (on hold)

·      Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (stopped)

·      Batman: Arkham City (playing)

·      Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (LIFE)

I’ll be discussing these more in-depths on my YOUTUBE!!! :D

What Is This? An Update!? Madness!!!!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! Now I know I have no excuse for not updating regularly, beyond not wanting to spam with gaming news (unless that’s what you want) and also sticking to some of my more casual games as of late. For that I apologize.

I do have some great news as for what is going on in Mimi-Land! It looks as if I’ll be going into my own small (and I do mean small) business concentrating on ceramics. It’ll take some time, patience, and a hell of a lot of research… but I hope to have everything up and running before the year is out. There will be more details on that later, but it’s more of a side job. Something to pay small bills, afford another dog, and pay for personal items. I’m looking forward to interviewing for a position at one of my local GameStops, though the date is not set in stone just yet. Game Advisor, not a huge position but it is something in the steady declining economy. Wish me luck? =)

Now we move onto what the heck I’ve been doing this whole time, gaming! I have quite a bit today, so the reviews will be short and simple. 

First, L.A Noire! I got my hands on this a few weeks ago and played through the main storyline with ease. You play as Detective Cole Phelps in 1947 Los Angeles, solving mysteries and crimes. Think “Phoenix Wright, Rated M” and set back in a time where not all men were treated equally. Gameplay? You look for clues at the scene of the crime and places of interest that may scrounge up some useful evidence. Your P.O.I (person of interest) or as we like to call them what they are, a “suspect”, is then questioned by the hardened war veteran. You’re the judge and it’s your call as you have to use their facial expression and overall manner to determine what is truth and what are lies. I found it to be a very interesting intricate system with the right amount of action (yes, you CAN run around and shoot but only when needed).

It is a perfect balance of gameplay and storyline to intrigue and satisfy even the most finicky of players. I found L.A Noire to be my cup of tea, besides the one flaw I have with it. The DLC. Originally planned to have SIX discs on the Xbox 360, all extra content will be released as downloadable content over the next year or so. According to my sources, there will be 10-15 pieces of separate DLC, money-making scheme anyone? What happened to the good old days of buying the WHOLE game at release and not worrying about anything extra? Regardless, it’s still worth purchasing and playing. I personally give it an eight out of ten.

I think it’s time to move on to my next game? Something a little less… dramatic? Or more dramatic depending on how you play? Now I know I don’t normally do PC games, but I’m a sucker for the Sims series and I had to do a review on the newest expansion.  Sims 3 Generations! 

Now previously I was VERY disappointed with Sims 3 in terms of expansions, until about Late Night. Then Generations came along and… literally expanded EVERY aspect (age group) of the Sims 3 series. The new options and events are pleasing and what fans have been wishing for in an expansion since the release of Sims 3. The game itself feels expanded and more open, instead of just “oh yay I just walked outside” or “oh wow, I can go to a new land and have ‘adventures’ like an adventure game”.  For those who play Sims, I’ll keep this short… BUY IT. (Or whatever means it is you gets PC games). It is well worth the money, if not to have in your collection of growing Sims games. Trust me on this. Nine out of ten.

What else should I catch up on? Well… I did not play Uncharted 2 for myself, but rather a great friend of mine LOVES the Uncharted series thanks to me. So I saw all of the gameplay, the plot, character development… so in a way, I touched it. Did I like it? Let’s just say that someone loves playing the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta and cannot wait to play the real thing for themself once it comes out this November. Arigatou Aizawa! You’ll be the first to play it when it arrives on my PS3!!!

Currently, as we speak, I am working on American McGee’s Alice and then Alice: Madness Returns. That review should be in supply once I finish both games. I WAS working on Resonance of Fate, but that battle system can make one’s head loopy. There are still a lot of need-to-play games (in no particular order)…

•  White Knight Chronicles
•  Star Ocean:  The Last Hope International
•   Yakuza 3
•   Oblivion IV: The Elder Scrolls
•    Borderlands GOTY(Lvl 23, still looking for mates on the 360)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
•   God Hand

And there you have it, what I plan on playing… OH!!! How horrible of me! I didn’t mention Catherine! SHAMEFUL. 

Now this lovely game… oh ho ho… I plan to have some good times in the near future with this. Even the demo, which showcases the early stages of the game, was fantastic. I have no doubt that Atlus did an excellent job and the English VA’s are all easily recognizable to fans of anime in general. That being said, I DEEPLY look forward to this game and it will be at the top of my TO DO list (no pun intended) on the 27^th. Honestly, who doesn’t want to be Vincent? Who would not want to run around in polka dot boxers, dodging bloody forks and falling blocks? It’s all in your mind anyway :D