I just received a copy of Myst and it turns out to be too old to work with my Mac. So my first thought was to contact the guy that I bought it from and trade it off for one of the newer versions. However, since I started looking for a newer one I've been reading all the reviews available and keep seeing things like ""puzzles", mediocre, bad, etc. So I think I'll trash that idea and look for something else.

I rented Predator: Concrete Jungle, last week. When you rent from Blockbuster you never get an instruction booklet. So it takes awhile for you to master the controls. And in some cases I've found that I can't do certain things because they are too complicated. For instance I’m still trying to figure out how to flay someone. In fact, other than the most basic moves I’m at a loss as to what I’m doing. So today I’m taking the game back, highly disappointed.

Knowing this, I’m tempted to open a store that specializes in renting games, WITH THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLETS INTACT.

I rented Fight Club last night. I usually rent all my games first to see if I really want to buy it. First impression, totally lame ass game. None of the characters are recognizable from the movie. Bob of course is easy to spot with his 44 DD boobs. But that's it. When characters are speaking to one another, all you see is an artist's rendering of the characters looking at each other without moving. It's like looking at a comic book. Same thing happens in Need for Speed. This is always a major let down for me. Especially when you have games out there like Lord of the Rings that are so realistic. It's disheartening to know the technology is there but for whatever lame ass reason, the designers decide to not use that technology. I don't mind when they use a great movie to promote the game. However, when the game is so lame, you don't even recognize it from any of the movie, the designer has failed us. Interestingly, the exact same thing happened in Resident evil. Great movies lame ass games.

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...

There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

--Theodore Roosevelt, 1919

Well the verdict is in. Ace Combat 5 is just not worth the bucks to upgrade to! Just too little has changed. And Resident Evil 4, though the movies were terrific, they ruined me for the game. The movies were just too damned good. Besides, the aiming on Resident Evil 4 sucks the big one.

So Christmas is over and now I'm playing two new games. Ace Combat 5 and Resident Evil 4. Ace Combat is okay so far but I seem to be stalled on the tenth mission. I'll figure it out soon enough. There isn't really all that much new to the game. Except that you can now control your squadron some. Although I've yet to see if it really makes any difference. For instance I tell them to attack and it seems like they run around the rest of the mission chasing one plane.
Resident Evil is okay. The aim mode sucks big time. Other than that I'm enjoying it well enough.

So it seems like I've been playing one new game after another. I got sort of burned out on Socom 1 and 2. Then I was into MVP 2004. Then I was driving the hell out of Need for Speed Underground 2. Now I'm shooting it up in Desert Storm: Back to Baghdad.

MVP was just too damn long a game. I've no patience to sit and play a game that has an easy hundred games within. The season is actually based on a real season. Which I suppose was the whole idea. But not for me.

Need for speed was on the other hand too damn short.

Conflict is really fun but once again it's pretty short once you have played through once and learned where and what you have go to do.

So my brother sends me Ghost Recon and Socom 2 for my birthday. How's that for in the nick of time, need a new game? Socom 2 no less! Too cool! So I've been playing Socom 2 ever since, (haven't even cracked the wrapper on Ghost Recon). The only thing I can see off hand about Socom 2 is that so many times the enemy (target) is so far off in the distance there is no way you can make them out. Bummer. And a serious flaw as far as I'm concerned. But for downright playability it's hard to beat. I still prefer Freedom Fighters but this game is cool!8)

It's only been about a week and I found myself getting bored with Ace Combat 4. I'm back to playing Freedom Fighter. I find myself just going through the motions with it. Perhaps it's time for a new game?

Ace Combat 4 was a 2004 Christmas gift. I was instantly hooked as I usually am with a new game. So far I've rated it a 7.5 and will update that as I get more game time.