Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Science Fiction, what's not to love?

So I did say that I would sort of turn this into a gaming blog since it's one of the most influential things in my life. Okay that's an understatement, If i had 1 word to describe who I really am I'd say gamer.

First on the chopping board is Mass Effect, so for all you gamers out there I'm pretty sure you've already heard of this game but for you non-gamers It's a science fiction game that's on all platforms from the 360 to the PC.

Now I don't know about you guys but for me in my world of gaming the story of a game is amazingly important. I don't just play no-brainer games (well fine maybe I do sometimes just for stress killing), but what really compels me to play a game from start to finish is the story line. Now Mass Effect is just amazing! story wise it's got a really interesting pseudo movie feel to it, and if you're a big fan of sci-fi then this game is just for you. It's got all the interesting elements to it, oppression with regards to the human race, the pressure of extinction, the scary "you-don't-know-what-you're-up-against" feel, and of course love.

I first played the pc-version of it and I finished it there as well, now the way I play games, I play to finish it the fastest way possible and then once I'm done with the story that's when I start to really take my time, go and check out all the quests and stuff and basically just take advantage of the replayability and the free-roaming factor of the game. I'm currently re-playing it on the xbox and I gotta say despite the fact that I already know how it ends I still love the game or maybe it's because of the fact that it reminds me of star trek since after a few hours of play you get to command your own ship. Oh and did I also mention that there are multiple endings for this game?

Here's the story so far, no spoilers so no worries :)

At the very start of the game, it'll ask you to input your profile, basically your character's background, as of now I'm a war hero who fended of a whole platoon single-handedly while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. Now the galaxy is obviously inhabited by humans and other races, some of which are turians, quarians and krogans. Now the galaxy's governing body is called the council which is made up of older races, humans not included since apparently humans are a relatively young race.

The council has a special task-force, a right-hand governing agency if you will called SPECTRES. Now spectres are a group of elite soldiers a little bit like delta force or maybe the israeli mosad, or U.K's MI-6 only difference is the only higher authority than the spectres is the council itself. When you're a part of the SPECTRES, you answer only to the council and no one else, basically bypassing all forms of law-enforcement agencies and rules. Now since you create your own background you're pretty much a hero of the human race and a prime candidate for the first ever human to be part of the spectres. And this is where your journey begins.

I guess this is one of those games that are a just a little bit complicated for your newbie gamer, but if you know your way around an RPG, like neverwinter nights or final fantasy maybe then this game is for you, specially if you loved star wars : knights of the old republic.

Science Fiction really is the way to a geek's heart.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Technology, Man's new master.

I feel naked today, I feel so hollow and uneasy.

I kid you not when I say that everyone is insanely attached to technology nowadays, everyone's so dependent on it. Would any of us live a day in the days of old where they had no electricity? no plumbing? no cars? no means of communication? In Sci-Fi ways, yes technology does make us better in a way that now we can kill a man with just the pull of a trigger but do you really consider that better? I mean in the olden days you had to be skilled, it took years for a man to master a blade, or if you go back even before that, people used their bare hands which I'm sure took even more skill. Can you imagine doing homework nowadays without the help of the internet? Actually doing research in a library without lights, using a candle and all that? I bet you, 80-85% of people nowadays can't even start a fire without a lighter or a match. I'm pretty sure you can't tell time by the sun as well and don't feel bad coz well I'm one of these people.

If this is how things are now, I wonder how things are going to be like in the year 3000 or something. I don't think we'll even be walking, that scene from wall-e where everyone was just fat is a very very likely possibility.


Today... I left my cellphone at home, 4 hours at the station without a phone is torture.