Thanks for Joining Me

My blog is here to bring hope and enjoyment to one and all. Just kidding. Its for me. I have a lot of crap running through my head and I need a place to stick it. So I'll stick it here. I hope to at least entertain you for a few hundred words.





Monday, February 17, 2014

6 Months Later Review - GTA V & GTA Online

I have beaten GTA V and have played about 25+ hours of GTA Online.

GTA V - 8/10

Solid and mostly fun game. My issue comes with the number of missions I do and get no real reward for doing it. People promise money but you never see it really. But if you don't do missions and explore around and make your own fun then its a great time. I have spent a lot of time running from the cops or randomly punching people. Changing between 3 people is new and an interesting way to get 3 characters stories into the game without having it all be DLC. Like most all GTA games the police AI makes no sense. I can be in the middle of no where and blow up the vehicle I stole and the cops would know exactly where I am. Also if I punch an old lady I do not think you need to shoot and kill me. I pulled over when you asked me to ya jerks. Characters and voice-over work are top notch. You don't need big names to make a good game.

Random Thought: I got ate by a shark...

Positives:
- Huge World to Explore
- A Lot of Hours of Game Play
- Various Weapons, Vehicles and Characters
- RPG-like skills to improve with use

Negatives:
- Very Little Reward for Quests
- Police AI
- Seems like a lot of the same quests I have played in other GTA Games


GTA Online - 7.5/10

Its still in the early stages so it can be improved and I am willing to change my grade of it later. But for now its a bit boring. I of course did not start it as soon as it came out. I got mine a bit later so I missed out on all the bugs and cheats to get a ton of cash. So I get to be the guy working his way up while the cheats have the great cars and mansions and gear.

Money is pretty much what GTA Online is all about. Do the same missions over and over so you can afford better stuff to go do the same missions over and over again. Its a well known cycle for MMOs.

There is a lot of fun to be had though. Getting some friends together to run the streets killing others is fun. Stick up stores with a get a way driver helps. Cruising along the beach running over power walkers is a blast. Because... you know... Fuck those guys. I think I spend half the time playing setting up explosive traps for the people who try to kill me.

It has some drawbacks. The character creator needs a bit of improvement. Sneaking is useless with the indicator telling everyone where you are currently located. Dropping out of the session when you just spent a few grand to turn in a car for a mission gets annoying.

It has a create a Race/Death match tools. If you like to be creative.

Positives:
- Fun with Friends and Family
- Extends the GTA V
- Tools to create your own stuff.

Negatives:
- Kill, Cash, Repeat gets boring
- Needs more Modes
- Needs a Build Your Own Heist

Sunday, February 9, 2014

My Favorite Movies From the 80s. Volume 1

I was going to do a top 100 list of my favorite movies from the 80s. But I get easily distracted. So I figured I might as well just lump a bunch of great 80s movies in a list and say why I loved them. So here is a list of 5 movies not in any particular order. If I get bored and feel like adding more then I will in Volume 2!

Ghostbusters - The sequel had its moments but I'd rather watch the original. Bill Murray and the rest made an interesting premise into an awesome movie. Scares and humor are a great combination. And if anyone ever says "Who you gonna call?" this is what always pops into your mind.

Batman - Michael Keaton was the Batman but it was really The Joker movie starring good old Jack. The movie was built more like a comic. Gotham was brooding and dark. Joker was an over the top killer. Perfect for a young teenage boy. Batman sold more tickets then The Dark Knight in case you want to compare.

The Princess Bride - A movie for boys and girls. You get the epic romance for the ladies and of course everything else for the men. A joy for everyone and one of the most quotable films I have ever watched.

The Neverending Story - It was a story within a story about a young boy who got bullied. But then it was a fantasy adventure through a world of magic. The special effects might have aged but the movie is still a wonderful tale.

The Thing - John Carpenter made a lot of great movies in the 70s and 80s. The Thing is one of the scariest movies I had ever seen. The whole movie always makes me feel cold and keeps me looking over my shoulder. You never knew who was human and who was next to die.