Bayonetta

I finished Bayonetta tonight, and it's a perfect example of what annoys me so much about so many games.

The gameplay is fantastic, really great fun, and the first levels really got me hooked. It was easy and intuitive to get a handle on, so kicking my way through angels just rocked. And the new bad guys they added worked as well, although it got kind of annoying when you'd be introduced to a new guy, then 2 minutes later you'd be fighting him again, then again in another two. It just ruined the specialness of those characters.

What really brought the game down in my eyes was two main things:

Firstly a truly horrific plot, one that I could not follow in the slightest, and really just messed you around. Add to this the LOTR length cut scenes near the end, I was sorely tempted just to skip them, after all I didn't care what was being said any more. A game plot should keep you hooked into the story, but this one just kicked you out part way through, which pissed me off

Secondly, the simply stupid bosses that appeared in the last half of the game. Instead of challenging by way of actual skill, they made it challenge by luck of the draw. After getting my ass handed to me over and over again by one boss, I mashed away at the buttons and barely took a scratch. The semi-final boss fight is a bit of a piss take as well, almost impossible to hurt him without taking damage before or after. And as for the one hit kills button mashing in the actual final boss, that should just be removed - it doesn't add anything to the game other than a lame way to make that fight last longer.

Oh and as for all the super fast quick time events, they can fuck off too, it's not a challenge to hit a button at the right time, so why include so many? The player just has to re-do the section and hit the button. The amount of times I had to do that because I'd put the controller down for the cut-scene.

Great gameplay seriously let down by shitty bosses and a shittier plot.

My Audience

Seems to be mostly Russian! Hello Russians :)

Also hello to the USA, you're in second place

Even Canada is doing better than the UK - which is where I live!

Oh well, if someone wants to offer me somewhere to stay in these countries I'd love to travel. So if you're some kind of crazy super fan, then let me know ;)

Gig Reviews

I've been getting back into my gig reviewing, for Brumlive.com

Head over now and look for my name, there should be a few recently.

Any advice on writing - please send it my way, I'm no Shakespeare!

Some people hate me...

Awesome, so why are they nice to me in person?

I don't hang out with people I don't like, and I don't have reason to complain about these people. As far as I know, I've done nothing wrong, except maybe pulling a girl they wanted!

Also, there's some people that think I drink :S Sober for 7 years, but apparently faking...

Idiots

Games!

I've been reading quite a lot the last couple days, mostly about the psychology of computer games. It's a field I've found fascinating, and today I met a subject I feel quite strongly. Inspiration here and here

Game difficulty!

Now, one thing should be made clear - I am not good at video games! I am a casual gamer! Despite playing them so much through my teenage years, I only ever finished a couple of games, 007 Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, on my N64, oh, and Lylat Wars, but never the hardest route.

I owned lots more, but I never had the patience to get all the stars, or the skill to get the best time.

And since then the only games I've actually completed are Call Of Duty, and Dragon Age. I got bored of Oblivion twice before finishing it.

I rarely find a game that engages me enough to actually pull me in make me want to play, I'll happily buy a game, and let it sit there for months, I don't know why. I need something that is immediate enough to get me involved before I get bored of plot crap, but enough depth to make me take the next step.

Dead Space plays well, but the 'scary' atmosphere just annoyed me, and the seemingly endless tasks of go here, get that, put that there, bored me, and with no real plot I doubt I'll ever play the game again. To top it off, I found out that I'm only on chapter two of eleven or something! I cannot be arsed to wade through a game, especially with so far to go.

Dead Rising pissed me off pretty early, my players level wasn't high enough to beat any of the bosses, and I stubbornly refused to restart and go through all those quests again. In the end, I relented, blasted through the first quest with ease, and found the game quite fun, it even has enough plot to keep me happy. My gripe here is the length - I'd be quite happy to have finished it already!

All the Final Fantasy games bore me now, before I even reach any action. Although IX did draw me in well enough for a good few run-throughs.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is I'm picky, anything that pisses me off gets binned, anything that bores me get's binned.

So, I need mildly involving plot, lots of rewards, nothing too challenging, and breathers and of course - genuinely fun gameplay!

Damn, I'm a game bitch!

Tattoos

I keep thinking of great ideas, but forgetting them again! so here's a little list...

Left forearm - "I Am All You've Ever Wanted" lyric from Brand New, because I love this band, and I love the arrogance of it, I kinda suits me as I'm sure a lot of people would agree.

Left Elbow - need to finish off the sun, and add a load more little bits to fill all those gaps - I want it quite dark in the end

Left Stomach - I need a filler for my sign, a dystopian/ruined city ideally

Chest - another quote on the left side to match the first, then them both put into scrolls, then between them an old style clock, but with numbers replaced with compass points, the hands pointing to 10 past 12. More to be added to this eventually, but that's all I know for now

Right arm - a sleeve design by Alex CF based around his wildemere comic series.

Back - lyrics from another song in the bottom left, then at the very bottom a city scape, possibly New York, with reflections in the water, the shore line being about the level of where my trousers normally sit. The reflection will show the darker side of the city though, with dark shit going down n tingz

Left calf - a page from DMZ my favourite comic series by Brian Wood.

That would leave me pretty covered, although I do want knuckles, hands and neck tats as well, just not sure what yet!

It's that time again

Where I hate everything and everyone I know :)

I'm just wound up because I let myself get fucked over by some people very close to me.

I've been working myself up today, and I don't know why. I fight this shit all the time, and try not to let it get in the way. I also try not to let it become a burden on other people, but right now if I wasn't writing this I'd probably be punching something.

I'll get over it, and move on like always - everyone has shit, and mine ain't that bad really, I'll deal with it. Tomorrow you fuckers won't have a clue.

Fuck this city.