I've been getting far too many games recently. I don't know why I act surprised that my GamerScore doesn't add up, when I don't get around to finishing the games.
Well, that's a lie, there's just a few that I don't play, but they're often the ones that I'll probably get the most out of if I stick with them. Let's have a run down.

Mass Effect
I had no intention on giving up Mass Effect. I bought it cheap in late December, given how long it's been out. I bought an 360 in the summer of '08, so I'd missed the release date by a wide margin. I played for about 10 hours or so before I kind of just moved on from other games and after 10 hours, I got the impression that the story had just started. Like, I'd finished the prologue. I appreciate long games. Grand Theft Auto IV was a great game, and 30 hours is a hefty chunk of time to invest in one campaign. But with GTA, by hour 3 it felt like I was knee-deep and it only progressed from there. Mass Effect takes too long to find it's groove which leaves me feeling like I'm running in circles, going nowhere. Stories are not vital to video-games. I dig stupid shooters and racing games, but there comes a point in a game that relies heavily on its story that it needs to actually give you some story. Mass Effect fails in that respect. I've still not quit on ME, but I'm not rushing back. I'm not stoked for the sequel, I'd like to finish the actual game first. We'll see.

Far Cry 2
You know when you can tell the game you're playing is good but... well, you just don't feel like playing it? It's not even that it's not fun. Hell I had a good time with it. But it's a flawed game from the start. By which I mean to say that it is insanely fucking difficult. I like a challenge, man, but ya'know...thats why I play on Hard later. My refusal to play any game on Easy kicks in here, too. It's a pride thing. I'm very arrogant like that...
You know what would make the game feel better? If it was a Third-Person action game. I like First-Person-Shooters as much as the next game, but Far Cry 2...it's too wide, too open. Too big, to loose. And it's just too fucking realistic for it's own good. I had fun with it for about 10 hours, but then it just felt like I had made my way to South Africa and was fighting a real war, rather than playing a game. Immersive qualities be damned, I like games, not realism. It's the reason art exists, as a form of escapism. I want to escape, not be pulled back into this shitstain of a planet.

Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is freaking brilliant, yet I've not played the game in about a month and I'm only half way through the main storyline. I keep on trying to convince myself to play more but I never get around to it. Same as Mass Effect, other games have taken my attention first. Which really sucks now that I think about how much I was enjoying Fallout. Whereas Far Cry felt too big, Fallout doesn't. Maybe it's the fact that you don't get assaulted everytime you travel five feet across the map. Maybe it's because it's so out there, in it's own future world that it doesn't bring me down every time I play it. I don't know, But I'm sure I'll get around to playing through some more sooner or later.

Left 4 Dead
I've never been a massive Valve fan. Half-Life 2 was ok, although I never played too much, really. I dug Portal as much as any other guy. It was cool, but one fucking annoying glitch killed my progress and I've never been bothered to return. I do not like Team Fortress 2 at all. Left 4 Dead, however, I love. It's so tight and immersive. As a total nerd, I'm also obligated to love it due to the content revolving around zombies. Although one incident did frustrate me (some fucker on Xbox Live asking if I "have a girlfriend"? What business is that or yours you total fucking freak?) I don't think anything can overshadow the awesomeness of finding a good crew of team-mates and annihalting civilizations of Z's. I'm laying off for a bit because my friend Tom has yet to buy it. But when he does get it, I'll be playing for days at a time.

Call of Duty: World at War
I had a bit of fun with World at War. I crammed through the campaign and it was cool. The whole multi-player aspect left a lot to be desired though, which sucked because it's *ALL THAT ANY OF MY FRIENDS WERE PLAYING*. I shit you not, every night, man "Up for some COD5 action?"
Shit man, that ain't action. Get back on COD4, dude, that was action. Hop on Left 4 Dead, that my pal is action. The closest COD5 comes to action is in it's Veteran difficulty, and then it suffers from Far Cry 2 syndrome, but I'll give it credit for knowing its place. The Regular difficulty was of an appropriate difficulty (bar the last level which just go absurd.)
Oh, and credit to the crew on getting Kiefer Sutherland on board. As a massive fan of 24, just hearing his voice reassured me through half of that game. Kudos on Gary Oldman, too, except you can't really tell it's Gary Oldman, which is kinda weak. Use your stars to their full potential to draw in the money. He puts in a decent performance, sure, but it doesn't mean anything if I don't know it's him =/
So, yeah, capable shooter. Fairly fun. I might nip back for some more Veteran difficulty. Perhaps.

There's more but I'm late and I'm tired. Maybe tomorrow.

Laters ^__^
B[o]ut.

"Well, you uhh...I mean, I guess that you...I...plech?"

That was pretty much my response to that question at work today. I think my chances of being kept on at the Game store after Thursday are very, very slim...

Firstly, for anyone avoiding the piece, it's right here and I suggest you read it. Not because this blog won't make sense otherwise, more because it's actually a really fantastic combination of opinions on a specific matter that eventually branches out to cover so much more. It's my favourite type of discussion, the kind that stays true to it's original content whilst branching out whilst still retaining a sense of authenticity and without becoming stale.
I'm not meaning to harp on too much about how well it was written but there really wasn't a null point in there, it was an excellent example of discussion.

Right, now I'll get down to my opinions on the content of the symposium itself.
Review Scores aren't necessarily crucial, but they do seem to hold a secure place within the industry as we know it. It's actually kind of closed-minded to infer that the reviewing side of the industry can't change or expand, but as is proven repeatedly throughout the Symposium, there are a great deal of people within this...culture of ours that aren't ready to give up on scores.

I actually, kind of feel that the debate about review scores on the whole is kind of null and I always seem to groan a bit whenever Tycho from Penny Arcade or Yahtzee from Zero Punctuation exclaims that they don't believe a diverse opinion can be expressed numerically. Seriously, though, I think a part of that is because I'd assumed we all knew that already and had simply moved on with our lives. I've heard some people claiming a review isn't a review without a score, but it is. Although I mentioned the industry isn't ready for change, I rather meant that it's not ready for widespread change all across the board. We have room for variety and there are plenty of reviews scouring the internet (and I'm sure a few physical magazine publications) who feel no need to accompany their text with scores. That's cool. Personally, I am one of the few people who doesn't really mind whether a review has a score or not because if I check the score, then I tend to read the review anyway, and as long as the review is well-written and justifies it's criticisms, I'm content.

Admittedly, I don't read every review out there, it would be impossible. I don't even read every review on Giant Bomb, I tend to reserve the time it takes to read only the reviews for games that have taken my interest. Some may think that prudish, but frankly, the reviews aren't all there written just for me, and I've little doubt that a website with so large a community as ours will have some people out there who are a potential audience who will be ready to read it, The amount of comments each review recieves certainly suggests so.
Yes, I do watch every video review, but that's mostly for Vinny's editing if I'm not interested in the game, so I suppose that that's neither here nor there, although it is interesting to note that the video reviews don't recieve scores and they remain fairly popular (although I suppose those desperate for a score are only two clicks away from finding the written review).

My main train of thought behind my reasoning of Review Score Debate being redundant however, is actually one that I've never heard anybody else express before. Most people don't feel that a complex opinion about a video-game, an interactive experience, can be summed up by a number. Fair enough. But personally, I don't feel that a complex opinion about a video-game, an interactive experience, can be summed up by words either. Don't get me wrong, reviewers tend to do a fine job at approaching their work and even attempting to write a review about a video-game is admirable and can point a person in the right direction. The key word here, though, is Interactive and it's the interactivity that sets video-games apart from any other medium of media, except maybe seeing a live show and even then it's a rare and sketchy argument. I have a great deal of trouble believing that I can sum up all the flavours, all the tiny little...emotions I experience and savour during a video-game session in any form of worded article or argument and I don't believe that anybody can truly achieve such a feat.
Suggest it's because I'm a bad writer, it may be the case but this is what I think on the matter. I suppose it comes perilously close to arguing that video-games are art, which I'll avoid for the time being but experiencing video-games evokes a barrage of feelings in me and I've never yet been able to put a feeling into words that I've been able to appreciate as much as the emotion itself.

--

See, this very symposium is why I love living in the 'Now' of video games. We're all aware that we're a new culture to the world, niche at best but this sort of argument shows that we're growing. It's at a point where professionals in the field are starting to be recognised on a widespread basis and they can, for the most part, experiment, try new things, like a symposium, referring to their own field. I've expressed before how much of an exciting time to it is to be a part of a community in this field and it's times like these that I like to be reminded that it's not just our one little community here at Giant Bomb, it's an entire culture.

B[o]ut.

P.S. I read that damned symposium in an hour and half which just feels too fast ;_;

So, I just got back from a Fratellis gig at the Engine Shed. It was good and I felt compelled to do some writing. So lets get to it:

R.E.M.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.E.M.
Most known for: Michael Stipe
Been going since: 1980
Chances are, unless you've been living under a very quiet and boring rock for the past 28 years, you've heard of R.E.M.[.]
This band, hailing from Athens, Georgia, US, are often considered one of the best bands of today (usually compared with and spoken in the same breath as U2). They were also the first band I ever saw play live.
Twice.
So it was a good 4-5 years ago and my parents decided that it was time to really bring my sister and I into the music scene that they so cherished and loved. We'd all heard and appreciated the same music, but when my parents learned that R.E.M. were playing just a few hours away from home they decided not to go alone but to bring us as well. Even today, I appreciate that because as surreal as the experience was, it was also very important to my growth as a person, the growth of my musical appreciation and as well as that it was fucking awesome.
Arriving in Sheffield, we were pumped. We did some shopping during the day, ate a nice meal as the sun settled into the horizon and waited patiently in the que for only 30 or so minutes. Sitting down, we listened to the support act and chatted with those sitting next to us. They were nice people.
Then with not even a dimming of the lights, Michael Stipe wanders onto stage. Some cheer, some freak out. Most just wonder to themselves if this is how R.E.M. 'kickstart' every show. Apparently, it wasn't.
Michael thanks us all for coming down but it's not long until he's explaining that the show won't be taking place. Bassist Mike Mills is feeling particularly ill and isn't able to perform. There's a slither of laughter as the audience catch onto the joke that isn't there; Michael is serious. It's only a few moments before a women in front of me is breaking down: "This is the second time I've come to see them and both times they've had to cancel.". At the time I felt her pain...now I think she was funny as hell.
Dissapointment rings thick in the air, but Michael, God bless him, is a tremendous sport. He brings out Peter Buck who's sporting an acoustic guitar and the two of them slam out a half dozen of R.E.M.'s classics before saying that the show is to be re-arranged and we'll all be admitted as long as we have our tickets.
So two months later, we find ourselves in the same stadium, same seats, with the same drinks and the same food. We've had another good day in Sheffield and we're ready to see one of the worlds greatest bands play a great show, and they really do not disapoint. The lyrics bind with the music in a fashion that only a true artist of the highest pedigree can truly conjure up. Michael's banter with the audience is both funny and endearing, and there is little that has touched me more than Michael commenting on his discontent with the American Government before launching into a rendition of Final Straw.
Quite a few feel that Around the Sun was a weak R.E.M. album but I loved it, I loved the Around the Sun tour, twice and although no song will top some of R.E.M.'s classics, their combination of past hits and present chart toppers was an experience I wouldn't trade in for anything.

Favourite Song: Losing My Religion (1991)

Tenacious D

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenacious_D
Most known for: Rocking out! or Jack Black...
Been going since: 1994
It feels odd to follow up a band so phenomonal in their talent as R.E.M. with such a niche little rock-core band such as Tenacious D. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if half of you haven't even heard of Tenacious D. That said...if you've never heard of them before, now you have no excuse. If you don't listen to them then you're missing out on life and have only yourself to blame. Trust me.
This two-man band from Los Angeles, California is truly a band of kings. Doubly so as they are often referred to as Two Kings or sometimes simply 'the D'.
The bands music has a tendency to be as obscure as the bands name (a name which nobody really seems to understand) but Black's charisma and Gass's frantic, yet masterful playing of the guitar (usually acoustic) see the D through even the darkest of times. When the D aren't singing about getting high, or dominating a crumbling society, their main target seems to be the genre of Rock and all it's subsidiaries including, but not limited to: metal, heavy, techno, indie, jazz, blues, screamo, etc. One of the most attractive qualities that our beloved Two Kings use to their advantage is their appreciation to the history and art of good Rock and the feeling that these two fat slobs love rock just as much as you bridges the gap between listener and superstar. It's easy to forget that Jack Black is one of Hollywood's biggest names when he's screaming about the incredulous invention he's come up with to furthur the skill of Rock singers everywhere.
My memories of seeing the D are shaky and hectic. I was undergoing my Drama GCSE (that's a big compulsory UK examination) at school and found out that a teacher was selling Tenacious D tickets. The next week I finished my final examination, hopped in the back of my friend Dave's car with two other friends, Kelly and James and we began an epic 3 hour journey to Blackpool in order to see them. I should have been exhausted, having just finished such an important exam, but I was pumped. This was the D and I was going to savour it.
When we got to the stadium, we were greeted by, of all things, a standup comic as our support act. If anyone has ever seen the Tenacious D movie...yeah. Same guy. He had an odd habit of slating the audience and convincing us all to shout 'Cranberry Sauce' at the top of our voices before he left. And he threw coins at us. That hurt...
Eventually, Gass and Black made their way on stage, a stage that had been set up to look like an apartment and I was treated to the greatest show of my life. Not a gig...not a concert...they didn't just sing their back catalogue, they put on a performance. Literally, an entire story in which JB and KG got killed, went to hell and met up with Colonel Sanders and the Anti-Christ and started a rockband in Hell, before defeating Satan. I shit you not, it was easily the most genius thing I have ever seen in my life.
The music, as expected was great, but there was something about seeing Kyle slam down the riffs on an open stage, and seeing Jack sing "I do not need a microphone" whilst throwing away a microphone that made it all so much more compelling. It was obvious Jack had a headset so he could continue to sing, but hell, sometimes the magic is too strong to be killed by a few facts. It may not have been the best concert of my life, but there's no doubt in my mind that it was the best stage production.

Favourite Song: Rock Your Socks (2001) *editors note:* If I have one complaint about TD's setlist, it's that this track was omitted.

However, I am willing to admit that Master Exploder (2006) is also an immense song worthy of space on your iPod/mp3 player.

Snow Patrol

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Patrol
Most known for: Chasing Cars (20006)
Been going since: 1994
I have to admit, Snow Patrol took some time to grow on me. They're such a great band though, that advertisers seemed to have a habit of getting to their best songs before I did. Run, from their 2003 album, Final Straw was picked up immensely over here in the UK and I never really appreciated it until 2006's Eyes Open. Same deal with Chasing Cars, which picked up massive publicity in the US, and the world over. However, it's impossible to deny their passion for their music.
I saw Snow Patrol during their Eyes Open tour and walking in, I didn't appreciate the Irish/Scottish band at all. Walking out, I certainly did.
This was another family gig, with my Mom, Dad and Sister accompanying me. The support act was a then little known band called The Young Knives, who I'd actually been keeping track of. They gave the evening a good start by playing fantastically. But you know how it is. Somehow the support act never quite matches up to the band or artist you're going to see.
It's odd but there was nothing about the show that stood out as amazing, rather just the sheer tightness of the production. The band performed and they sounded perfect, the lights were incredible and probably most importantly there was a real sense of atmosphere to the arena. See, I've always said that skill and atmosphere are two different things. You can play a song and play it well, perfectly even, but if there's no sense of atmosphere, you're just a dude with a guitar, or a microphone, or a drum, or a theramin (all those of you who don't know what a theramin is, Google it). To really nail a concert experience you need to be able to play well and nail the atmosphere. Sometimes, the atmosphere can beat out the playing, so if you're playing badly it might not seem so bad or even be noticeable. Not only did Snow Patrol play well, they hit the atmosphere and they hit it hard. They showed themselves as a Rock Band and got the audience going as well. They got me going and I was cynical as hell walking in. Atmosphere can do a lot of weird things.
Something else, also worth noting is that Snow Patrol has a strong roster of songs to back up their skill and atmosphere. I mentioned how Run and Chasing Cars became somewhat overused, even slightly trite and cheap, but at the heart of the music, they're really good songs. All it takes is an unbiased perspective and you'd be surprised just how decent a lot of songs you'd written off as over-used really are.
So, I was happy with the show. More than happy even. The experience I will forever remember about Snow Patrol's gig is how they just turned me onto their music. There was actually a moment two songs in when I felt something click and realised that i was really enjoying the show. That I really liked this band.
It's the little moments that have been known to make a difference, that stay with you until the day you die and that no-one can ever take away from you, no matter how hard they try. All of these bands, all of these gigs have had their special moments (well, most of them...) but Snow Patrol's moment lasts with me because it was so small, so subtle and so impossible to miss that it was evidently genuine. It's the little moments that can't be faked.

Favourite song: Set the FIre to the Third Bar (2006)


Wow. This turned out longer than I expected, and I'm only 1/3rd of the way through. I would finish now but caps lock is stuck, so i have to hold down the shift key, which makes proper grammar and punctuation increasingly difficult. Tomorrow, once I've sussed out my keyboard, I'll get on pt. 2.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading ^_^
B[o]ut.