Hey Guys, I haven't been on GS for a while, and I guess I should probably tell you what I'm up to. It's been a long term at school, my schoolwork is taking up a lot of my free time, the rest of it being taken up by socialising and games, so I guess I haven't really had time to come on GS. My A levels are going well, especially English and Politics, and I've even started looking at what university I want to study at in 2010, Manchester leaps right off the page for me. I love the city of Manchester, and degrees from there are held in high regard. It'll be a lot of work getting there, but I'm confident I can manage it.

Games wise, I've finished Fallout 3, finished Mirror's Edge, and got started with Little Big Planet and Home. Fallout 3 is a very good, but short game. The concept of postapocalyptic Washington DC is great, but it feels a little too barren for the type of game it tries to be. Nontheless, it's a great purchase, and a great game. Mirror's Edge looks beautiful, and gameplay is fantastic. That said, it's horrifcally short, and I'd have been annoyed had I paid any more than £25 for it. I'm a little late to the Little Big Planet party, but it's definitely worth the wait for me. I don't think it should be hailed as godlike, as it often is, but it's an enjoyable platformer with heaps of charm that I'm sure I'll put hours into. Now Home... I'm not impressed. That's really only for one reason. 59p to download a virtual jacket... you're kidding, right?

Anyhow, I hope to be on more in the next couple of weeks that I have off for Christmas. See you around hopefully :)

Ash.

I heard Chinese Democracy by Guns N Roses today. The album that had been in production for so long (17 years to precise) that it nearly slipped into folklore. Since songwriting began, all of the original members quit the band, except the singer Axl Rose, who has scrapped and rewritten the material numerous times over the past decade and a half. So much so that saying 'When Chinese Democracy comes out' almost came to mean the same as 'When pigs fly'. But now, it's actually here, and the first surprise? It's good.        

   Let me get this straight first, it's no Appetite for Destruction, in fact at times it doesn't feel like a Guns N Roses album at all. If you were to listen to Chinese Democracy expecting an Appetite for Destruction for the 21st century, you'll have to look elsewhere. This is not Guns N Roses, it's a seperate project in it's own right. The creative diversity that could be partially blamed for a rift between Axl and the other band members is present here as it is on efforts of the others, such as Slash's band 'Slash's Snakepit' or the collaboration of 3 of the former members in 'Velvet Revolver'. Axl is an effects junkie, and it is showcased to the highest degree on Chinese Democracy.

   In places it rocks like hell, most notably the title track 'Chinese Democracy' and the dark industrial track 'Shackler's revenge, but for the most part, Chinese Democracy is a very sedated approach on the genre. The majority of the album's tracks are ballads, including the soaring 'Street of Dreams', and the lyrics are much more mature than the Guns of old (whether that's a good thing or not, I'll leave you to decide).

   It's no classic, but it shows that Axl Rose is still here, and he can still sing and write songs over 20 years since the band's classic debut. Some will be disappointed, but those that can see Chinese Democracy for what it truly is, may just enjoy it.

This morning, I got a package that I've been waiting for for a couple of days. BioShock, for PS3. After dutifully finishing my Geography work, I popped the disc into the machine, set it to Normal difficulty, and got going. What I was treated to was FANTASTIC. The areas are atmospherically lit, the baddies are as scary as hell, and the weapons, both plasmid and conventional, worked like a charm. Having nothing to do for the rest of the day, I just kept on playing. And now I've finished it. I just feel disappointed that this lengthy, well developed game was over in a matter of hours. I'll be replaying it on Hard, obviously, but I can't help but feel a little annoyed.

Ash.

Definites

Fallout 3- This game looks like it's going to be pure gold. And I have a bit of a soft spot for RPGs, so how can I resist.

Mirror's Edge- The concept of this game is one of the most innovative ideas of 2008 IMO

Pure- I think it's already out, I just haven't got round to buying it yet. It's supposed to be like SSX Tricky with bikes, and if it lives up to that description, I'm sold.

Resistance 2- I loved the first one, and with two storylines and 64 player multiplayer, the sequel will be epic.

Maybes

Little BigPlanet- I'm going to get ripped into for putting this on the maybes list, but to be honest, I'll believe how good it is when I read the reviews (including user reviews). I think it's great that sony are trying to create a better online community, but will the actual game really be all that great?

BioShock- This game didn't actually appeal to me that much on the Xbox 360, but I may give it a look if I have the money.

FarCry 2- To be honest, I don't know much about this one, though the gameplay videos are very intriguing. I'll check out the scores nearer the time.

Dead Space- I could do with a good survival horror in HD, so I may just check this out.

I got moderated (WITH POINT LOSS) for saying that the PS3 was a more reliable console than the Xbox 360 ON THE PS3 FORUMS! I mean, a loss of points for that is a bit harsh, no?!

That is such a good deal... I'll have to try very hard to resist :P
I hear they're to be even cheaper in Woolworths too... damn...

I'm actually seriously considering this... If I could hear myself saying that I might buy one yesterday, I wouldn't believe it :P

Looks like the Labour party have called for a vote of No Confidence, and want Gordon Brown replaced as British Prime Minister. It's doubtful that it will actually go through, but it looks like David Miliband, Jack Straw and Alan Milburn are the favourites to succeed him. I just pray for our sake that it isn't Miliband :P

I thought that for my latest blog, I'd do something that isn't just a little anecdote about what games I'm currently playing. So here it is, my Top 10 Video Game Characters, hope you enjoy reading it :D

10.Frank West from Dead Rising

I'll start off my top 10 with Frank West. Photojournalist. Conspiracy cracker. Zombie Killer. Starting out with only a camera and his wits, West is dropped into a zombie infested mall, and has 72 hours to figure out what is happening so he can write a great story when he escapes. He is voiced to perfection, and the way his character is scripted makes him unusually likeable (for a journalist anyway :P).

9.Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell games

I remember the first time I played Splinter Cell. I passed the first level (after an hour of frustration) and then got horribly stuck on level 2. Undeterred, I went on to complete the game (albeit very slowly). I've completed every Splinter Cell game since. So Fisher is here mostly out of nostalgia.

8.Mario from Super Mario Bros.

Would any Video Game Prontagonists list be complete without the red capped plumber making an appearance? From his first outing in Super Mario Bros. to his latest in Super Mario Galaxy, Mario has been consistenly great, with awesome catchphrases such as 'It's a'me! Mario!' and 'Mamma Mia!' Mario is just a completely loveable character and the star of many great games.

7.The 'Guy' from GTA III

My favourite GTA character yet. And yes, I know they gave him a name in San Andreas, but I refuse to accept it! He'll always just be The 'Guy' to me :D. I loved how the only way he communicated with anyone was by nodding at them after they told him who/what to blow up/steal/kill etc..

6.Sir Auron from Final Fantasy X

Despite being the strongest playable character in Final Fantasy X, Auron was incredibly cool headed and had an enigmatic past, that was slowly revealed throughout the story (including a shocking twist near the end).

5.Max Payne from Max Payne

Another great character from Rockstar. His character is developed through noirish comic book strips backed up by dialogue. It's the age old Noir story of a man out for revenge. And I made sure that I used the picture above, because it looks like he's just sucked on a lemon :lol:

4.Solid Snake from Metal Gear Games and Metal Gear Solid Games

I remember being in school, probably around the year 2000 and as a treat for being good that week, our teacher let us bring things in like board games etc. One guy, however had brought in his PS1 and was playing a game called Metal Gear Solid. He was reluctant to actually let me have a go, but I stared on in awe as he snuck around dispatching guards and fighting very big robots. I asked my mum if she would buy the game for me, but she said no, because it was a 15 and I can only have been about 8 at the time. So I forgot about it until MGS3 came out on the PS2, which I loved, and it quickly became my favourite game (even though it doesn't star Solid Snake) and now, about 8 years on from that first time I saw MGS, MGS4 is one of my favourite games, and Solid Snake is one of my favourite characters.

3.Agent 47

Bald head, Fibre Wire, Barcode tattoo. Surely Agent 47 has to be the number 1 person who you don't want to bump into in a dark alley! He manages to sneak into almost anywhere, kill his target and sneak out undetected. But he doesn't do it by crawling in through air vents, he walks in through the front door, wearing a disguise, conviniently 'borrowed' from the guy taking a leak in the car park.

2.Link from Legend of Zelda games

When I was growing up, Ocarina of Time was my favourite video game. The sprawling epic-ness of being able to free roam and do what you want was just awesome. Also deserving some credit though, was the game's main character, Link. The Hero of Time, saving the land of Hyrule armed only with a sword, shield and magical Ocarina. Also worth a mention are Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, 2 games that changed the graphical presentation to cel-shaded cartoony graphics, and starred a younger descendant Link over 100 years after the events of Ocarina of Time. Link is quite simply Nintendo's greatest creation.

1.Big Boss (aka Naked Snake) from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Yes, my number 1 video game prontagonist is Big Boss from MGS3. Not only is he the star of my favourite game, but his story is very intriguing. After his story is completed in MGS4, you begin to see that although he was branded a criminal by the government, his intentions were good all along, and that for his whole life following operation Snake Eater, he felt horribly empty after killing his friend and mentor, The Boss.

So that's it, if you have any comments, please post them, and any feedback on how to improve my next blog would be greatly appreciated :D

Ash.

I haven't been on GS in a few days, because I've been in sunny... Wales. It was a good weekend, and I even managed to pick up FF XII: Revenant wings for DS at a bargain price (even if it is punishingly hard) :D

Ash

I started to get a little sick of the ol' Link avatar (probably because a lot of others had it too), so I've gone for a new one, Big Boss from MGS3. That's all I really had to say, so I guess I'll end this blog early :P

Ash.