Can't embed YouTube videos, apparently, but here it is.

I honestly have no idea whether or not anyone follows my blog anymore. It's been more than a yearsince I've posted anything. So, if no one out there is reading, that's understandable.

And this isn't really a re-introduction, just more of a blog to make sure anyone who did enjoy my blog, videos and other assorted stupidity can still find me. You can find me first onTwitter. Next, you can find me at my pretty much brand spanking new website entitled "Awkward Nerd". It's bare bones, no-frills. I'm just using it as a repository for some ideas and hopefully will be a place where we can talk in a little bit more detail than what Twitter's 140 characters allow.

So yeah, that's it! I hope to see you on Twitter and/or my blog. Take it easy, folks!

Last week, I sat among friends and stared up at the stars. A meteor shower provided the "fireworks" for the evening, but simply laying on my back and looking upwards was enough. It harkened back to when I was a child and did the same from time to time, when I would simply look at the twinkling sky and marvel at its beauty. Back then, I wanted to hold the sky in my arms; to hold and breathe in its significance.

Obviously, that isn't going to happen, but it did remind me of the only game that put me back into that kind of frame of mind: Flower. Flower is a love song to the innate, simple beauty of the world that is so easily missed, especially as we continue to progress technologically. We're all consumed by the variety of different things that vie for our time: Bills that must be paid, relationships that must be tended to, education, careers, you name it.

But when I'm playing Flower,all those concerns melt away for a slight moment. No longer is my mind wandering off to the trivialities of the day that bring me unending pressure. It gives me a chance to stop and revert to a simpler time that we probably all remember when we were younger and didn't constantly worry about our appearance, our futures, and weren't so acutely aware of the world as it is. Instead, we're placed inside rolling hills with blades of grass swaying in the wind, with a bouquet of mult-colored flower petals sweeping through the air.

To maintain its credibility as a "video game", Flower does have a linear narrative, insofar as you have to complete certain objectives to progress into the next area. It is an unfortunate nod to video game conventions, one that was unavoidable to put in the game. Yet, Flower is at its best when you throw away the game's bow to video game convention and treat it simply as an open-world game. You're not interested in picking up the different flower petals that push you quickly into the next area, but you're gliding along the blades of grass, evoking that sense of freedom you feel when driving along the road, hand outside the door and feeling the wind brush against your hand.

You're free from your responsibilities and your fears, insulated from both within this virtual world. Perhaps there's a life lesson to take from navigating Flower without purpose: To be grateful that you're still flying, even if you're not progressing.

http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/ArtG/

http://www.endsights.com/

And yeah, I'll probably still be lurking around GameSpot.

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Here she is. And for those who don't like my ugly, panda-like mug, there's a written review!

Enjoy, kiddos!

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Title says it all.

As the end of my video says, my heart goes out to my good friend Talor for his missing dog. Hopefully he comes up soon!

With hopefully my last MGS4 related post, I'm here to announce that me, Talor (thewesker) and Doug (DouglasBuffone) got together over Skype and talked a whole bunch about MGS4.

Warning: If you didn't read the title, there are spoilers a plenty for Metal Gear Solid 4 (and The Darkness!) so if you're not finished with the game, do not listen to this podcast. Do not, again, listen to this podcast if you're worried about spoilers. We go pretty deep into the story and gameplay...had a pretty good discussion about the game, and I hope you folks enjoy!

To listen to the podcast, click here!

Yes, second to last Metal Gear Solid 4 blog. I think I'll probably do a video about Metal Solid 4 exclusively, but I'll see where life leads me.

Anyways, I wrote a review earlier today of Metal Gear Solid 4. I had time to really think about the game. I wrote the review in a different $tyle than you're used to reading. I kind of adapted a way of writing that Shawn Elliot of GFW/1UP by telling more of a narrative about the story, while still getting the main points down. Towards the end, and in certain topics of the game... it's kind of hard to keep that up, so I hope the jerk back isn't too disjointed. Let me know what you think, and let me know if I have any sweet typos. I'm always up for a good laugh.

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Here she is.

Yes, I managed to snag a copy at Wal-Mart last night. There was a considerable line, actually. Considerable for midnight, anyway. They sold out of all their MGS4 bundles, while I happily snagged the game itself.

There were definitely some reservations about me picking up MGS4. For one, I hadn't gotten past the first hour or so of previous entries. The original Metal Gear Solid I only played the demo of, and I literally had no idea what to do. My 10 year-old brain was confused and...it was a traumatic experience. MGS2...I got somewhat far into the initial level, but I got sick of the camera and the controls that I gave up. I have never played MGS3. So--why did I get MGS4, exactly? I'm a sucker for the "big" releases, and I had no expectations for the title.

*STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT EVEN GENERAL MGS4 GAMEPLAY SPOILED FOR YOU. NO SPECIFICS, JUST GOING TO TALK IN GENERAL*

Ok, now that that is out of the way, I finished the first Act last night. It took me about four hours or so, watching all the cut-scenes and what not. Definitely much, much improved. The thing that always prevented me from playing Metal Gear games was the camera, and how you shoot your weapons. This time around, the camera is much improved, being directly behind Snake rather than a top down. The shooting is also much improved this time around, partly due to the camera, I think. It's not quite as jarring to go from a top down perspective to shooting your pistol. Shooting your pistol isn't as finicky either.

The biggest surprise of Act 1 is how varied the gameplay gets. Don't expect to just be sneaking around!

The real reason that anyone who's anyone plays Metal Gear is for the story. It's a little cockamamie and out there, but MGS4 is completely engaging. The introduction to the game is pretty impactful, and as much as I do like the varied gameplay, my singular focus is to get to the checkpoint so I can watch another cut-scene. They were some hilarious moments thrown in there, as well.

*END GENERAL MGS4 SPOILERS*

All in all, I'm loving the game so far--something I didn't think I'd ever be able to say about a Metal Gear game.