Review: Arx Fatalis – Xbox

Can you believe that I had never beaten this game until this week? As much of an Xbox and “western” RPG fan as I am, this one somehow got pulled under the radar in the years since I first bought my Xbox a couple of months after launch! Having enjoyed Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements (also from Arkane Studios) and having pulled a system out of storage recently, this is the first game I’ve put some serious time into on the Xbox since Morrowind on my X360 back in June.

I won’t make this a Dark Messiah versus Arx review but I will say that many of the things I liked about Dark Messiah came from Arx Fatalis. That may help some people in deciding whether they want to track down a copy of Arx or not and sink 20-30 hours into it.

This game has many unique qualities that I wish many other games had. Where on one hand it’s very linear with its go here, gather that, go there, defeat that style, it’s very open-ended in that your methods and choices you make can alter the story on a small scale. Enough to give it good replay value to experience something in a different way the next time you play it. While that isn’t such an innovative thing nowadays, it certainly was uncommon then. However as an added twist, your not penalized if someone dies by mistake. After all, the world does move on doesn’t it? Why should games be any different?

I’d be negligent in my review if I didn’t mention the neat casting system they use for magic. While you have the one button, choose a spell feature seen in other games, you can spice things up and cast spells manually. That’s to say you use runes and make gestures in the air to weave a pattern. Slower yes but very cool and in line with what’s found in many books and movies.

There’s also a “lite” stealth system where you can steal, pick locks and hide in the shadows while slowly moving forward. Something akin to the Thief series where you have a light meter and the sound of your footsteps both factor into your stealth skills.

What ties all of this together is that there isn’t any real “class” system for your character. Oh sure you can pick a specialization and dump your skill points into it, but why do that when you can use a two-handed sword in full plate armour while picking locks and casting spells? This can give you a higher level of customization for your skills and lets you juggle the numbers a bit more. Mind you the various skills’ usefulness depends on how high they are and some equipment have stat prerequisites but nevertheless you can specialize or become a Jack-of-all-trades at your leisure.

Besides the combat, fetch quests, general exploration and dialog there are puzzles. Some are as simple as knowing which tool to use and when but others are complex multi-part processes which can span a good length of time. Whether you’re looking for a hidden door, using artifacts to unlock a complex puzzle lock or putting two and two together as far as finding locations and people, this game has a level of challenge I’ve rarely found in most RPGs of the last ten years. To further complicate that, this game does nothing to hold your hand or offer hints outside of a vague journal. So it’s important that you remember what you see and hear because outside of a strategy guide you won’t find that info tucked away anywhere. Refreshing in this age of constant hand-holding that most games indulge in.

On the technical side, the game has good graphics and sound equal to most of what was found during that era. There’s a bit of slowdown from time to time but it never seems to get worse than a minor stutter that makes moving a bit sluggish. I especially enjoyed the various special effects for magic use and the subtle clues used by your “intuition” skill which points out hidden features and dangers. You work hard to earn the points to raise this skill and it delivers in kind. The music has a dark tone about it and they paid special attention to echoes and audio clues seeing as this game takes place underground with many hidden passages and areas with seemingly identical walls. My only caveat is that the voice acting and character animations can be a bit hit or miss which can affect the atmosphere of the game a bit. The best way to describe this observation is to say a dark, brooding atmosphere of desperation and determination with a touch of campy B movie in it.

Another positive point for the technical side of this game is that it has good controls that are well-mapped to the control pad. Everything makes sense and is placed exactly where I’d want it to be.

With all of that in mind, the story itself is somewhat predictable and cookie-cutter in fashion. However the gameplay and the pace would have pushed a better story into the background anyway so I really didn’t mind. I did however enjoy the use of sketches and real-time animations in telling the story through cutscenes. The two together complimented each other well.

Overall I really enjoyed this game as it has a unique identity and style which I found refreshing. I read somewhere that they meant for this to be part of the Ultima Underworld series but they failed to get the license for it. I can’t say for certain if that would have helped the game or not but I can say that this represents what that series could have been if it moved into the modern era of 3D. It’s also a shame that this game didn’t get the attention it deserved from the media or seemingly, from it’s publisher. This really is one of the better RPGs on the Xbox that retains the classic 90’s PC dungeon crawler feel but with a controller in your hand instead of a keyboard.

8.5/10

Review: Babylon 5 #3: Blood Oath by John Vornholt

This is the author’s second published B5 novel and what’s contained inside in my opinion, should be considered canon because of its importance to the series. On one hand, it brings closure to the failed Shon’Kar (Blood Oath) attempt seen on the television show. On the other, it offers a fantastic view into Narn society and their homeworld. Whether intended or not I also believe it’s an important stepping stone in character development as no character changed as much throughout the series as G’Kar did.

There are two distinct types of books in the Babylon 5 series. The first are the serialized standalone novels with a self-contained story which fit chronologically into the TV show. The other are the excellent trilogies which expand the mythology of the series both before, after and during the Shadow War. This particular novel, while having a standalone story, feels much like the later as it incorporates the past with the present while detailing character and cultural history outside of the Earth Alliance. It’s story, is well written, fast paced and almost too good to imagine as a single episode.

John Vornholt has crafted an excellent outline of the Narn Regime that does wonders in explaining questions about this species that the show never addressed. The key one for me is the whole “circle” society structure. Now I understand what the “Third Circle” means and how G’Kar fits into it. The author has also gone to great lengths to fill out some of the more obvious gaps such as religion, social caste, architecture, geography and even a bit of evolution. All of this is cleverly placed within the story as to not ruin the action with a history lecture but instead, take you on a tour of the planet and its people as the story unfolds.

If you’re a B5 fan, you should read this book not only because it can add so much to your knowledge of the series but also because it’s a really good, well written story.

Review: Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime – DS

Now here is a game that defies genre categorization. It’s part platformer, part adventure, part RPG, part strategy, part puzzle and part Pokemon. As confusing as that sounds, it’s very refreshing and everything blends seamlessly. It gave me some serious Zelda: A Link to the Past vibes and that’s a high comment if there ever was one.

In a neat twist of the Dragon Quest universe, you play as a slime whose mission is to save his friends and fellow slimes from a baddie who is slimenapping them to further his own agenda. A pretty basic story that doesn’t interfere with the game while setting up each portion as you progress in your quest. Along with his abilities and skills, he can also draw on a magical battle tank for mini-boss battles which move the game to a real-time strategy scenario. Much of the game revolves around these tank battles as you upgrade and customize it.

To keep this review short and neat, here’s what I did and did not like about this game:

Didn’t like:

• It was so addictive I neglected other real life things in order to play it constantly.

Seriously, that it. I really enjoyed this game that much and in fact after the ending I’m still playing it.

Did like:

• Colourful graphics that are easy on the eyes and quite vibrant.
• Cheerful music and sound effects that while may appeal to a large audience, certainly weren’t “kiddish” at all.
• Loads of variety in gameplay, and fun puzzles that while challenging weren’t the least bit frustrating.
• Imaginative level and character design that gives the game an identity of its own.
• Easy to control and the dual screens were used well.
• Lots of replay value in both the 20+ hour single-player or the tank battle multiplayer.

I’m amazed at just how much I enjoyed this game. It’s a shame we didn’t get the first in this spinoff series which was released in Japan on the Game Boy Advance. It feels and plays like such a classic game it reminds me of why I enjoyed the 16-bit era and older 2D Zelda games so much. For the DQ series fan, it has all the charm, campy humor and quirkiness of that series. I hope to see a sequel someday.

9.5/10

 

Collecting Journal 2009: November 14th

It’s been a month since I updated my game collection and that long since I blogged my latest acquisitions. I admit I got lax and fell behind but I’m making amends for my procrastination with this entry which will cover all of November.

On November 3rd I picked up my pre-ordered copy of Dragon Age: Origins along with the strategy guide.

Yesterday I received Game & Watch Collection Vol.1 for the DS. I finally redeemed my Club Nintendo points to get it. I also got my Mario hat in late October for being a Platinum member this year. I’m rather surprised at how well made it is. It sure beats the crappy glorified demo download which was offered as an alternative choice!

Finally, I picked up a copy of Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the DS. I had seen a couple of copies in the bargain section of the grocery store a week or two ago and decided that this time one of them was coming home with me. I’m looking forward to trying it out, especially seeing as Dragon Age fever has worn off!

November 3rd
Dragon Age: Origins Collector’s Edition (PS3) – $75
Dragon Age: Origins Collector’s Edition guide – $39.99

November 13th
Game & Watch Collection Vol. 1 (DS) – Free

November 14th
Dragon Quest Heroes Rocket Slime (DS) – $18.98

Total for November = $141.64 taxes included.

Grand total spent to date for 2009: $2030.78 taxes included
Traded / sold total to date for 2009: $1206.75
Total games/hardware donated to charity for 2009: 92 games, 6 systems
Bought = 127 / Sold = 159 / Strategy guides / books = 3 / Hardware = 16

Canadian Gun Registry Bill C-391 Clarification

I just wanted to throw some bulleted points out there about the C-391 bill and what it is as well as what it isn’t:

It will not:

• Change the laws regarding handguns or restricted firearms.
• Remove the registration process of said firearms mentioned above.
• Change the fact that all gun owners still need to be licensed.
• Put police or the public in danger because realistically knowing that a house owner has a firearms license should be all the info an officer needs.
• Cause a crime wave because any reasonable person knows that criminals don’t register firearms anyway.
• Change the need for a firearm’s license in order to buy ammunition.

What it will do:

• Remove the lengthy and sometimes discriminative process of registration which has an almost parole board feeling for law-abiding citizens.
• Save millions of dollars in tax payer money that is spent making Joe Farmer or Frank Hunter feel like a criminal to own hunting firearms or those used to protect one’s livestock.
• Improve the appeal of shooting sports which include Olympic events and youth programs by removing unnecessary red tape.

I heard an interesting quote once and I’d like to share it: “Guns Kill People. By this same logic, do spoons make people fat?” A gun is a tool not a weapon. The term weapon is offensive and incorrect as it assumes that every firearm owner has malicious intent.

Many firearm owners feel nervous or discriminated against and are scrutinized under a microscope or investigated when they buy something new. The testing and licensing and safety courses all owners must take is more than enough. Questioning our purchases and keeping tabs on us means there is a segment of Canadian society that isn’t treated equal. How would you feel if you missed golf season because every club in your bag had to be registered or you were investigated because you wanted to buy a 4×4 versus a 2 wheel drive? Non-gun owners think that registration is just a form you fill out and send in to get a piece of paper. So they ask, “what’s the big deal anyway?” Try reading up on the horror stories of confiscations where an owner was taken to court, lost their possessions without recompense. Or the many documented cases where a registration process took several months including inspections or investigations. Or where a police officer who relied on this registry was killed because the information in the database was incorrect which caused them to lower their guard. Now tell me it’s a great thing for Canadians to spend between $15 and $80 million a year on.

For all intents and purposes, those who are in favor of the long-arm registry are treating their fellow law-abiding Canadians the same way they treat the gang thugs who smuggle machine guns from the U.S. You’ve already labeled us as borderline criminals. All we ask for is our government to treat us like equal citizens and give us back some of our dignity which will restore our faith in our justice system.

 

 

Review: Babylon 5 #2: Accusations by Lois Tilton

Accusations, the second published Babylon 5 novel, is set within the time frame of the mid-way point of the second season. A tale of government conspiracy, fraud and corporate greed, it centers on Ivanova and Garibaldi as they uncover misdeeds that threaten the station, the Earth Alliance and their own careers.

An excellent novel which like others I’ve read, retains the same great story-telling feel and tone despite being a different medium than television. What I especially like about this novel is that the characters directly involved take center stage. With many different series I find that a lot of the time they try and make excuses to involve other popular characters whether or not they have anything to do with the story. By not doing that, the novels retain that same feeling of huge populations and a larger universe and was a great aspect of the television series. With trillions of people and hundreds of races it only makes sense that not everyone who was a cast member on the show needs to be involved in every single story and I appreciate the fact that the author recognized that. I also sense from this novel as I did the previous one, that writers were still uncertain of Sheridan as a character. Changing the lead role of a television series is a hard task to be sure and his role and behavior is written much like the show in that he’s still fitting in and the other characters are feeling him out to find his intentions and mindset. A coincidence or intentional I don’t know but it adds to the feel of this novel and where it fits in chronologically.

I also enjoyed the use of different locales to tell the tale. B5 is a huge place sure but not at the center of the universe by any means. So there’s lots of off-station activity as well as on and even within B5 it retains the “city in space” feel. Excellent action sequences, characters written for the story who provoke emotional responses from the reader and even a bit of humor, this feels like an episode script with its depth and detail. Lois Tilton really “gets” Babylon 5 and her use of themes and ideas mirror the show creator’s own.

Another great B5 novel that fans of the series should track down a copy of. Highly recommended!

Review: Star Trek Titan: Synthesis by James Swallow

The Titan series’ sixth novel, while mildly entertaining, has clearly shown me why this series needs some serious work. Six novels written by four authors is enough variety to show whether it’s the writing, the stories or some fundamental aspect that’s flawed. I believe Titan as a series has much potential but it remains largely soul-less and it’s Captain hardly necessary.

I have a couple of major points I want to make which after reading these novels, tends to keep coming back to me again and again. The first one, is that William Riker, Deanna Troi and Tuvok are great characters whose presence seems to be overshadowed by minor characters fighting for page space. That’s not to say some of these minors aren’t well written or interesting, it’s just that Riker/Troi are the foundation of the series as a spinoff of the Next Generation one and Tuvok as both the second officer and a television character for seven years doesn’t get enough attention either. It’s a real shame to see Riker who is traditionally a strong and involved leader/officer, so useless other than the occasional barked order or marriage spat. It seems that half the time there’s action, even on the ship, he’s not there or doesn’t contribute to the problem solving.

Secondly and something I’ve mentioned before, is the endless rehashing of the character introductions. Listen folks, if your reading a Star Trek novel for the first time that’s great. But it’s the sixth novel now, we know who these people are. Less time rehashing and more time telling good stories I say. I’m sure a fifth of each novel is spent on this stuff and half a dozen books later it makes for slow going for the first few chapters.

Last but not least, is the very soul of the series. It’s core identity if you will. One novel after another is just a pulp fiction tale of bizarre encounters without any real meaning or lasting consequences. Every alien race has a theme that relies mostly on physical attributes and technology more than theological, philosophical or cultural idiosyncrasies. What is Titan’s real purpose as a series? What separates it from other ongoing series like Voyager or Next Gen? DS9 has the Gamma Quadrant, Voyager has the Delta, Next Gen has the fallout of the post-Destiny events, New Frontier has its own sector of space, Vanguard has its own sector with its own unique character, S.C.E. has its own angle, The Klingon series speaks for itself etc. But what does Titan have? Scraps from each series and no real foundation to build its own identity. As a huge fan of Riker it’s a shame to see him so underutilized.

Anyway, as far as this specific novel is concerned, it’s a solid story with an interesting twist at the end. Not a page turner by any means but it’s OK. The action sequences were well written as is much of the dialog. However some of the technology and science seemed a bit of a stretch even for a Star Trek novel.

Seeing as the next big crossover event puts Titan in the forefront of events in the Federation, I’m hoping it’ll raise the bar for the series. Having a year off may do it some good.

Oh and what’s up with the sleazy looking front cover? It has no bearing on the story at all.

Review: Dragon Age Origins – The Stone Prisoner

Normally I wouldn’t bother writing something like this but I felt that I should speak up both in support of this downloadable content and against it. If you have the Collector’s Edition of the game you already have this. If your thinking of buying this game and perhaps this content, get the CE to save a few bucks down the road.

This piece of release day content, called The Stone Prisoner, is an add-on that adds a couple new places to explore, character specific items and a new character to possibly recruit. I won’t spoil the story but I’ll say that Shale is a stone golem and one helluva character to have in your party.

Think of this character as a comedy relief with deadly skills. The dialog between the main character and Shale is hilarious. If you fondly remember HK-47 from Knights of the Old Republic, you get the idea. A hilarious non-human character whose banter with his fellow party members is just as extensive and funny. There were times when I’d actually stop moving just to hear these exchanges behind me!

In combat Shale is a beast. Powerful, lots of hit points and some really powerful special attacks which can hit well past 300 damage! An absolute tank you can put your back to.

Unfortunately, there is (in my opinion) a major downside to this piece of content. It’s too damn expensive! As much fun as this character is to have, I certainly would never have paid $15 for it. To put that into perspective, for $10 more than the regular edition of the game, I got The Stone Prisoner, the Blood Dragon Armour, three exclusive items, a cloth map, an extra disc and a metal case. To say that buying this separately is getting ripped off is putting it mildly.

Hopefully in time the price will drop. Warden’s keep which in its own way has many great features that enrich the game, is only $6.99. When The Stone Prisoner hits $9.99, grab it. Otherwise you may feel a little underwhelmed by what you’re paying for.

Review: Dragon Age: Origins Collector’s Edition – PS3

Have you ever played a game you enjoyed so much that when you were nearing the end of the story it felt bittersweet? That’s my experience with Dragon Age: Origins. So much fun that I was saddened by the fact I was beating it and that it would soon be over.

Despite the PR people working feverishly, the media hype and developer promises, I wasn’t prepared for the impact this game had me nor my appreciation for it. As far as television, movies and books are concerned I have two major loves: Science Fiction and Sword and Sorcery. Dragon Age Origins did for s&s what Mass Effect has done for sci-fi. Both are grand scale epic stories, wonderfully written, well voiced with totally addictive gameplay. The simple fact of the matter is that this latest RPG from BioWare has many of the best elements of all of their games since Baldur’s Gate eleven years ago. But enough praise, let’s get down to the specifics:

Gameplay: If you’ve played Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic or Baldur’s Gate you’ll be instantly familiar with the basic concept. A party of adventurers with different skills and personalities engaged in fierce combat. There’s no button mashing involved, as you instead guide their actions through use of intelligent AI and pre-determined actions similar to say Final Fantasy XII. While you have a main character, your not restricted to using just that one. Any of your characters you recruit can be switched to in battle providing you with lots of combat variety.

This is a game of heavy micro-management. Meaning your up to your elbows in statistics, comparisons, planning and strategy as you meet and face each challenge. It has one of the most complex menus I have ever seen in a console game and the controls for both it and the gameplay itself are well mapped and easy to master.

On top of that you have plenty of exploration, side quests, puzzles and story-based decisions which will ultimately affect the game and how you play it. These decisions are made through dialog trees in real-time when you’re interacting with NPCs or even party members. All of this is a further evolution of BioWare’s style and the interaction between your party members is more important now than ever. Extra quests, skills, romantic liaisons and even whole storyline segments are all influenced by how well your character gets along with his/her peers. The fact that you can learn so much about your companions and build the story from it, make this a deeper game than just a “Fighter/Cleric/Mage/Rogue” party that kicks some goblin ass. Instead, your main character becomes a nexus in which the story evolves that produces several variations and endings for you to explore. The kind of replay value that will give you hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gameplay from several playthroughs.

Speaking of playthroughs, I got about 51 hours or so out of my first one. That’s with all characters recruited, 99% of all quests done, 100% pf the world explored and both downloadable quests finished as well. That’s standard length for a BioWare RPG in my experience. The “hundreds of hours” as I mentioned, are from creating new characters and choosing different paths. More so than previous games, those choices and characters you create change the gameplay dramatically, not just dialog choices of good and evil.

Graphics: For the most part, the eye candy in this game is really nice. It’s a gory game to be sure and the landscape presented here is rich and full of vibrant color. The character animations in battle are particularly well done as are the many cut-scenes that progress the story. It’s as close to a movie experience as I’ve seen in a game. Spell effects are also of particular note as they are easily recognizable in battle and very colourful.

That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement though. There are times when the framerate slows to a crawl. Particularly in heated battle with many on-screen enemies. Don’t let that detract you, as despite the harsh criticism of that seen in other reviews I’ve read, it’s not a game-breaker. After all it’s only a few seconds and it’s not a button masher game where timing is critical. Some of the cut-scenes were a bit choppy too but not all that bad. A little stutter here and there. Really though, how many of the best RPGs in recent memory didn’t have problems like this?

My last bit of praise on graphics are the maps. Large, highly detailed, clear and easy to read with well-defined landmarks. It really made searching some of the larger areas much easier especially with the map legend that accompanies it.

Sound: This is an area that obviously got a lot of special attention. Battles sounded brutal, huge and deadly. Metal on metal, the twang of a bow, the jingle of armor while running, visceral sounds of rending flesh, inhuman creatures with eerie voices and sounds. It’s all here in realistic audio that simply blows the mind. The cries of a dying warrior, the barking of an excited war hound, the thunderous report of a dragon’s roar, you get it all and more!

A cast of excellent and many well-known actors/actresses voiced characters so well they came to life and became individual personalities. That’s not something easy to do, especially for NPCs. This has become a sort of standard for BioWare games these days and Dragon Age: Origins is no different.

The one disappointment in the sound of this game is the music itself. I would go as far as to say it was well done and suits the game but it’s not memorable. That doesn’t mean it’s not quality, it just means it’s not really unique nor can I identify the game from it.

Final thoughts: When I bought this game, I also picked up the Collector’s Edition Strategy guide as well. Say what you will about using game guides. For a game like this it really adds to the experience. On one hand it’s a well made hardbound book with excellent artwork and page quality. On the other hand it has plenty of bonus material not found in the standard version which is great reading if you really want to immerse yourself in the fictional world of Fereldon. It also has a host of concept art from the game which you’d normally find in the game itself. Both of these paint a picture of the development process which compliments the bonus disc of the CE edition of the game rather nicely. I’ll also mention that both front and back inside covers have the signatures of the team who put this amazing game together. A nice added touch which makes this book feel more personal.

The Collector’s Edition of the game itself, comes in a nice metal case with a slip cover that has blood-smeared artwork on it. Inside, you have two discs, vouchers for downloadable content and as a great throw-back to RPGs of the past, a neat cloth map. I’m very wary of LE/CE editions of games but in this case it’s actually worth it.

The most important thing I can say about this game is that it’s an excellent merging of what made BioWare so respected in the past and why they are innovators today. From the obvious references to Baldur’s Gate to the similarities it has to Mass Effect in its overall feel and scale, you can tell this is a labour of love project. This is one game that should not be missed out on by anyone!

9.0/10

Review: The Outposter by Gordon R. Dickson

This is the third novel by Gordon R. Dickson I’ve read so far. He has a very unique style of science fiction that’s easy to pick up, gets you thinking and entertains you all at the same time. His use of themes and far out ideas set him apart from the standard fare of most authors while keeping away from the hard sci-fi with its technobabble that can often be hard to follow.

There are two main reasons I picked this book up right away when I saw it in a thrift store a few days ago. For one, the author’s reputation as a great writer precedes him and I really enjoy his writing. Enough so that his name alone is enough to warrant the purchase. Secondly, the blurb written on the back cover was wildly entertaining to me and I could tell this would be a good novel based on that alone. Let me indulge you with an excerpt:

Take one high-spirited little boy.
Kill his family before his eyes.
Allow him to escape.
Give him time to grow up.
You’re in trouble.

From that I knew that the main character would be incredible even if all I got was 251 pages of him. Sure enough, I couldn’t put the novel down!

What you have here is a novel set well into the future at a time when humankind has colonized nearby planets and has had some contact with alien races. At the same time, our culture has become decadent and stale with the amount of greed, self-interest and discrimination which comes as a result of developing a caste society.

In a lot of ways the various characters have an almost old-fashioned feel about them. If you can imagine, take Victorian era “high society” and mingle it with bold, adventurous pioneers with the military straddling the middle as their roles in peace time cause them to become lax. Blur the lines that separate these segments of society and allow them to rub shoulders. What happens then if one young idealist who sees the flaws of humanity, has a plan to change all of that? You’ve got a well thought out story that’s satisfying despite it’s short length. The idea of futuristic revolution certainly isn’t new, even by the 1972 standards this book was written. What sets it apart, is that the ultimate weapon is philosophy and sociology, not lasers or plasma guns.

A fun read with an incredible main character who is almost an anti-hero of sorts before such a thing was considered “cool”. I highly recommend this one whether you’re a sci-fi fan or not because I feel it paints a picture of what our future may be like under those circumstances.

Review: Deathlands #4: Crater Lake by James Axler (Laurence James)

The fourth novel in the Deathlands series, is decidedly more science fiction oriented than the previous three. It also spends a lot more time detailing character histories and personal information. Also, more of the pre-war history just prior to the “big chill” is mentioned as are the actions of several organizations who at the time were developing new technologies.

As usual, lots of action with emphasis on weapon details and strategies. The enemies however are a bit unusual and with two distinct groups to deal with it splits the story somewhat. In a way it’s ironic because these two communities/factions/groups couldn’t be farther apart ideologically, culturally or technologically. The story that this well written and well paced action is a part of, is more dire and important to the bigger picture than that of previous novels. The stakes are higher even if the danger is somewhat less than the characters are used to.

With more character revelations, insights into pre-war society and politics as well as dramatic changes that will cause repercussions in later novels, this is one not to be missed for its page turner action and it’s importance to the overall series.

 

Review: Star Trek I.K.S. Gorkon Book Three: Enemy Territory by Keith R. A. DeCandido

Another solid novel in the ongoing Klingon series. I say solid because while I really enjoyed it (even more so than many other ST novels), it was a bit derivative of the last two in the series.

First off, it feels a bit recycled. Instead of Alien race A that was in books 1 and 2, you get Alien Race B. Both are unique and imaginative but not quite fully fleshed out so they seem a bit shallow. More or less the same sector of space, more or less the same interpersonal conflicts and more or less the same ending. Maybe I wouldn’t have noticed so much if I hadn’t read all three simultaneously in short order but there it is.

Regardless of all that, it was still well written and enjoyable. Good action sequences, lots of cultural references, character revelations and even a fair bit of humor. These Klingon characters who provide the foundation of these novels are rich in personality and individuality. To top that off, there is so much potential for this crew because of the author’s grasp of the culture and his writing style that each novel proves it’s worth to have its own series alongside other human-based ones again and again.

Despite my criticisms I still recommend this book. However, if you’ve read the first two in the series lately, take a bit of time before you dive into this one so that it’s weaknesses won’t be so apparent. All in all a good novel not to be missed by fans.

 

Review: DAC Gunmaster 35 Piece Deluxe Universal Gun Cleaning Kit

That’s quite a mouthful for a title. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a misnomer as this kit is neither “Deluxe” nor have they mastered the art of making good firearm cleaning products. To be fair however, perhaps some of their products aren’t quite as lacking as this one is because they have a huge lineup of products on the market and they can’t all be crap, can they?

This is a $35 kit from Wal-Mart that I spotted about a month or so ago. So I suppose at $1 a piece it’s actually not a bad deal. The brass rods, adapters and wire brushes are actually on par with others I’ve used from other brands though I think the larger set of rods are a bit thin for heavy use in cleaning shotguns. Fortunately I already have another set that’s more suited to the task of cleaning my 12 gauge but I figured I’d mention it anyway. The aluminum carry case isn’t too bad. It won’t take a lot of abuse and the logos were attached crooked (a sure sign I suppose!) but it does what it’s supposed to and the pieces don’t move much inside with the foam cover on the underside of the lid. They even added a silica gel pack to help with moisture which is a nice touch.

On the bad side, the cloth patches are a bit cheap and somewhat useless as they are all one size and not suitable for anything with a larger bore. The organizer tray is flimsy and the pieces can be a bit hard to remove from it. A shame too it didn’t come with gun oil but I doubt I’d want to rely on a cheap product for an important task like that anyway. If that was all I had to say on the bad side of it I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this as a cheap kit for those needing something quick or for light cleaning. However, there is a major flaw with the brushes which I’ll explain. First though, a picture of the kit:

As you can see, I’ve already used it so I’m not talking out of my ass when I review this. So far I’ve used it to clean a 12 gauge pump and a .303 Enfield.

A word of warning: Don’t rely on the marked numbers on the brushes and mops to tell you what caliber/gauge they are intended for! I know that sounds crazy but you might get something stuck that you may not be able to pull out again!

I haven’t tested each brush as I don’t own something of every caliber this kit is intended for but I’ve already ran into a few problems with some of them. See the largest mop that has a ring of gunk that doesn’t go all the way down? That’s supposedly the 12 gauge brush. It got stuck halfway in while I was trying to use it to clean my 12 gauge Mossberg 500 barrel. I even tried rolling it between my hands to narrow the mop like I was wrapping up a tight cigar but it still wouldn’t fit nor was I about to snap those thin rods trying too hard. Now see the next mop down? The totally dirty one underneath? Well that’s the 20 gauge mop I used to clean my 12 gauge with. Still a bit tight but it works. I can only assume they screwed up somewhere on the assembly line and put 10 and 12 gauge mops on 12/20 gauge handles. The 12 gauge wire brush was a bit tight as well in comparison to others I have meant for the same size.

The second major snag (oh boy 2/2!) is the wire brush for the .30 cal size. This one actually did get stuck in my .303 Enfield. The diameter of this brush is about 9mm, much too large for common calibres like 30-30, .303, .32 Special or even .308 Winchester which are all well under 8mm. Instead, more suited to something the size of say a .35 Remington or .358 Winchester. Of course you’d expect the brush to fit the smaller, more common cartridge size than the larger big game ones. I had to use the .270 Winchester sized one once I was actually able to pull the damn thing out. The .270 brush BTW, is 8mm and some change in size! Although I haven’t used the .22 cal mop yet, I can already tell that I’ll be using the .17 one instead.

In conclusion, just don’t buy this POS. If you have already, dump the pieces that are mislabeled so you don’t get them mixed with proper ones and use the rods and adapters for .30 cal centerfire and under. There’s better products out there, you just have to fork a bit more out to get them.

Review: Star Trek TNG: A Rock and a Hard Place by Peter David

Author Peter David’s second published Star Trek novel, is a two-tiered story that takes place both planet-side and on the Enterprise. Full of action, witty dialog and imaginative narrative, it’s a perfect fit for the season three era it was written in.

Now before you brush this off as another fine novel that you’ll read eventually, I’ll point out that I believe the makings of Mackenzie Calhoun started here with a character created to throw a wrench into the works in the lives of the crew. There are many similarities between Quentin Stone and Calhoun that lead me to believe Stone was, unintentionally or not, a testbed for a character Peter had in mind who would eventually become more prominent down the road. Both are mavericks, both loose cannons who shirt the edges of morality and ethics without actually crossing them. Really stubborn, tremendously entertaining anti-hero types who infuriate the other characters to no end with their behavior.

That alone makes this novel worth reading. However, even without Quentin Stone, this is a great story, especially if you’re a Riker fan. It’s one of those fast paced page turners that sucks you in and doesn’t ask you to remember a lot of technobabble or prior character history. A good quick pick up book that’s short enough to finish in one evening.

Review: Babylon 5 #1: Voices by John Vornholt

Maybe it’s the close-knit relationship B5’s creator (J. Michael Straczynski) has with the series. Or maybe the show and characters were just so well written that authors can write good stories set in the B5 universe easier than other series. Whatever it is, this novel like every other in the Babylon 5 series I’ve read so far, is as good as the show itself. Written during the show’s second season, it has the feel, the depth and the dialog you’d expect from these beloved characters.

Usually when I read a novel written during a show’s original run, it lacks many of those qualities listed above as the characters are still so new, so unexplored that writers are careful not to weave personal histories and events that may contradict later stories. In this case, it’s a self-contained story that fits in nicely while straddling the line between character development and canon.

Seeing as Garibaldi is one of the main characters here, I’ll mention how spot-on John Vornholt was in writing his dialog and behavior. The same goes for just about every other person in this book. John as a Star Trek writer is good reading but his B5 work is even better. Lots of action, behind the scenes cloak and dagger as well as lots of representation of the various themes that make the show such a classic. To top it off, it’s a great story that fits into the mythos perfectly while finding a use for great minor characters who we never got to see again.

A really good read that B5 fans should seek out. A shame there aren’t a hundred more Babylon 5 novels like this one.

Collecting Journal 2009: October 14th

It kinda really isn’t a collecting journal so much anymore. Nowadays I hardly pick anything up outside of the PS3 or DS and those hardly count as collector systems as much as current ones I buy games for, merely to enjoy. I think now it’s curiosity to see how much money I’ve blown on games. If I hadn’t sold off so many games and systems this year I’m sure it would be a lot less balanced than it is now since so much of my traded/sold funds went towards new games!

I almost picked up Uncharted 2, but I knew that Fallout 3 GOTY Edition would provide much better value for the money despite having a $10 higher pricetag. When it boils down, it’s a 10-15 hour game for $70 versus a 50-75 hour game for $80.

I also got rid of Scribblenauts and a PSP AC adapter I had lying around even though I had gotten rid of the system ages ago. Neither was worth much but it did provide me with a pre-order amount for Dragon Age: Origins Collector’s Edition on the PS3 in the small hope that Canada won’t get screwed out of the bonus as we often are.

Oct. 15th
Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition (PS3) – $69.99 new
Pre-order for Dragon Age Origins – $12.75

Traded / sold
Scribblenauts (DS)
PSP-2000 AC Adapter
= $12.75

Total spent = $79.09 taxes included.

Grand total spent to date for 2009: $1889.14 taxes included
Traded / sold total to date for 2009: $1206.75
Total games/hardware donated to charity for 2009: 92 games, 6 systems
Bought = 124 / Sold = 159 / Strategy guides / books = 2 / Hardware = 16

Review: Scribblenauts – Nintendo DS

I had really high hopes for this game. Perhaps I got swept up in the hype. Or maybe I was just dazzled by the videos and demonstrations I had seen of the tremendous possibilities this game claimed to offer. If a video game is a sum of its parts like a homemade stew, in this case the turds were hidden in the bottom of the pot underneath the succulent meaty chunks and richly spiced vegetables.

The game itself has a fun, ageless presentation about it that can appeal to anyone. As an adult, you may find it a bit childish until you get to the later levels and realize how vague the clues are and how challenging the puzzles can actually get. Then it becomes a battle of wits that will either make you it’s bitch or bow to your ingenuity. There are hundreds of puzzles that steep in difficulty as you progress and loosely follow a theme based on what part of the “world” your in. Having unlockables and a shop to spend your hard earned “ollars” is a nice touch too, especially the avatars as they can reduce the child-like quality a bit. Imagine solving puzzles not as a kid, but as a ninja! As far as avatars in games go it doesn’t get much better than that does it? You receive merit badges based on performance but it’s more of a novelty than anything else as only the “ollars” earned mean anything. You can unlock title screen levels by summoning new objects. This is neat in that it’s the game’s equivalent of “freeplay”. No puzzles or enemies, just a blank tapestry set to an environmental theme that lets you experiment with items and words. Once you start struggling with time based puzzles that can end in less than half a minute, you’ll be grateful for it.

The game boasts tens of thousands of words which will summon objects. Now on paper this sounds fantastic but in practice, at least as far as this game, it’s deceiving. See the game embraces what’s known as “emergent gameplay”. Simple interaction between objects which changes the game as you play it. For example, one of the developer videos shows an item at the top of the tree which the player is expected to reach. How you reach it is up to you. You can summon a lumberjack, give him a tool and he can chop it down for you. Or you can do it yourself. Or, you can fly up and get it. The game leaves that up to your imagination and for that this is a groundbreaking game for sure. As you play more and more of the game, you’ll find that the novelty wears off as you’re doing the same thing, only with slightly different items.

What it boils down to, is a well thought out game with loads of features and content, but with ultimately shallow gameplay. The objectives are always fetch/give/escort/save over and over again. One level you have to reunite a lost sheep with its flock, another a lost penguin. Avoid/confront the wasp to dig treasure in one, avoid/confront the wasp to gather flowers in another. You can see where I’m going with this. While the list of items “seems” endless, they are more or less variations on each other. Winged sandals and wings and a rocket pack are basically the same thing. A gun, a shotgun, a rifle, same thing. So while the novelty of finding new items is there, the purpose of each is exactly the same. There’s no advantage of using an apple versus an orange, or a shotgun versus a rifle, or a plane versus a UFO.

While it’s not necessarily a fault of the developer, the controls in this game can be frustrating at times. Fighting the camera, imprecise control or objects so small they are hard to manipulate, sometimes makes this game harder than it should be. Don’t even bother with the handwriting function, stick to the keyboard trust me.

All in all this is an OK game if you can find it dirt cheap. It could be fun for a few laughs over an evening or two. Unfortunately, I think few people will actually have the patience to beat the mass of only slightly varied levels and certainly even fewer will find replay value, even in the level editor. While I encourage everyone to try the game, I don’t recommend actually buying it. Wait ’til it hits the bins when value for your money isn’t measured in new game prices.

7.0/10

Review: Star Trek I.K.S. Gorkon Book Two: Honor Bound by Keith R. A. DeCandido

Aside from the fact this is the second in the Gorkon series, it’s actually part two of the Children of San-Tarah storyline. Captain Klag, despite the promise he made in the first book, has to return to the planet. This time, his enemies are of a far more personal nature and the story is split between landfall and what takes place in orbit. It builds both on the end of Deep Space Nine’s conclusion and the excellent Left Hand of Destiny series.

Once again, we have well written characters whose personal histories are explored in even greater detail. By the end of the novel you have the Klingon equivalent of the Enterprise in that each officer and crew member with significance to the story is well developed and three dimensional. The author also has an excellent grasp of space combat in that everything makes sense and is quite exciting.

I’ve always found that the most interesting things about an alien species in science fiction are found in books not shows. On television, Klingons are expected to be brutish, uncouth and violent. Yet books like this, stare past those stereotypes and find the vibrant culture and unique peoples that any civilization, real or not, is capable of. Keith DeCandido is one of the best and as far as Klingons are concerned, second to none. Highly recommended.

Review: Ravenloft: Spectre of the Black Rose by James Lowder and Voronica Whitney-Robinson

This novel, the sequel to Knight of the Black Rose, picks up the story a few decades later. We see the transformation of Lord Soth, the land he’s in and the story is joined by many new characters with differing agendas that culminates in a huge confrontation that will shape the future of the realm. At the same time it eases you into the story so if you missed the first one you won’t feel confused.

What’s really interesting is that you can clearly read the contribution by James Lowder’s partner Voronica Whitney-Robinson. She adds a whole new level of depth and lore that builds both on the first novel and the rest of the Ravenloft series as a whole. It’s much more involved, more character driven and has a better story now that there is established history to draw from. It also takes its fantasy horror label a bit more seriously, depicting a much darker, dreary and forlorn world with more violence and macabre overtones.

I’ve always wondered why the sequel came out eight or nine years after the first one. While common for some authors, book series like this tend to shoot them out every year or two. Perhaps in this case that extra time span was beneficial as I believe it to be one of Ravenloft’s best offerings. Odd that for nearly ten years it was also the last in the series. In any case, this is a fantastic novel for fantasy and horror fans alike and sits neatly in the middle enjoying the virtues of both. Highly recommended.

Review: Earth Blood #3: Aurora Quest by James Axler (Laurence James)

Hey, I said I’d start the book immediately didn’t I? Well four hours has passed since I blogged my “review” of number two of the series and I just finished the third. Fantastic book, best of the three!

As things came to a head in the story, the action got bigger, the players more bold and all of the pieces of the story fit snugly into place. The fact that I pounded back 346 pages in one evening should indicate how riveting and entertaining this book, nay the whole series, was!

Laurence James was an action story genius as far as I’m concerned. Not only are the weapons, vehicles and the geography well researched and used to good effect, but the strategies, realistic behavior and reactions from the characters dead on. No Hollywood movie crap here. Just gritty kill or be killed primal survival. He also has a way of writing antagonists that doesn’t spill unnecessary detail but yet makes them interesting. Instead, spending that character growth effort making the main characters at the center of the story more real and the sole focus of development as the story progresses. I really like that and I wish more authors would follow suit. The “villain” is merely an obstacle in the way of the main character’s goals. Who cares if they had abandonment issues that turned them evil or a motivation that spills onto a worldwide scale? They are bad, we want them killed and let’s get to it! This makes it a fun novel in that those details don’t need to gloss over the story, fill gaps or chop up an otherwise excellent pace. Kudos to the author I say!

Another note about the geography usage. I find that the story can be mapped out chapter by chapter where the groups/factions/people all head to the point of final confrontation in a manner where you can imagine the lines of travel like those old WWII flicks where the arrow represent different forces converging on a battleground. It’s great as it keeps you informed on a regular basis and the description of the land as they travel it makes it easy to imagine.

Lastly, I really appreciated how well thought out the smaller details were. Things like the improvised equipment and gear they salvaged, what houses and building would look like, what they would contain, hygiene, resource allotment as well as personality quirks. Everyone has a different reaction to stress and disaster and just about every form of dementia, courage and pluck was explored in great detail.

Few books, movies or shows in the post-apocalyptic genre can stand up to the quality and scope of story presented here. Even fewer have the ability to be read again in such a short time frame because of their depth. The author also had the good sense to create an extremely satisfying conclusion without making it a “happy ending” per se. That would have negated the entire premise of survival and struggle this story represents. Instead it offers the reader enough material to sate their imagination as to the future of these people.

Excellent trilogy, among the finest I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. True brain candy for the gun connoisseur, outdoor enthusiast or military science fiction buff. Just awesome.