Shovel Knight and SteamWorld Dig

This Christmas I decided that after shunning gaming in favour of university work for the past six months that I should treat myself for the holidays. So I hit the 3DS' Nintendo e-shop and bought myself a couple of indie games and set aside Christmas day and Boxing day as work free relaxation days. During which time I ploughed through SteamWorld Dig and part way through Shovel Knight. Both of which I have been eyeing up for a while.

SteamWorld Dig is a steampunk western exploration game that is very similar to Minecraft or Terreria. The focus isn't on levels or storyline and instead it is about digging your way down and discovering the hidden treasures beneath the surface.

Image from Steam Store

You play as a mining robot who has come upon a small town built upon a treasure-rich abandoned mine. There are legends around town about a famous miner who disappeared in the depths below and you head off to seek the treasure he sought. As far as plots go it isn't that detailed, but believe me, you don't need much else.

Despite lacking a strong antagonist or reason beyond go explore little robot there is not much else to prompt you along. Unless if you are like me you are quite content to just keep exploring in an OCD like fashion determined to find all the possible items you can. Well if it has worked for the likes of Minecraft, Pokemon and various other collection games it may as well work with this one.

Indeed I found myself rather obsessed with the game and couldn't quite put it down. It is rather addictive and I found myself becoming rather thorough in my tunneling. Like Minecraft I found myself loathing having to trudge back up to the surface. It seems there is an innate desire in me to burrow myself away if I am given the chance. Going to the surface when I had a full inventory brought the chance to upgrade myself and the town before heading back below.

The graphics are not amazing in a realism type of way. If you are looking for a photogenic steampunk robot game then this isn't for you (perhaps next year's Call of Duty will be better for you). Instead it chooses a 2D cartoon type art style which compliments the old west theme perfectly. Characters are cute but not sugary and remind me of the film Robots.

Technically there really is nothing that productive in the game. You dig to find minerals which pay for new upgrades which allow you to dig further. This mindless cycle was just what my overloaded brain needed right now. Something I could dribble over for a few hours whilst someone shoveled mince pies into me.

I love how distinct each character seems

Speaking of shoveled: Shovel Knights a game which has already found a lot of praise piled onto it. Another 2D, graphically simple game but one which has a complex background. This game has received a lot of recognition due to its retro feel. Not just in its 8-bit art style, but also because it is making a name for itself to being rather challenging and one of those games that you learn to master slowly.

You play as the titular Shovel Knight an adventurer who once was known throughout the land for his escapades. His companion Shield Knight was forever at his side until one fateful day when the tower she was in disappeared. Shovel Knight in his grief turns to farming, what else? Until the day the tower returns. With its return an evil enchantress also follows and her army of evil knights.

As Shovel Knight, the player must visit many levels and rid them of the evil knight that plagues them until he reaches the tower and the enchantress herself. Gameplay is very much like the games I would watch my brother play on the NES or Sega Mastersystem. It reminds me mostly of Castlevania in its setting, villains and gameplay. You move left to right platform jumping and sleighing enemies (or should that be shoveling) until you reach the boss of the level.

These bosses are one of my highlights as each are rather individual and very recognisable. In fact what attracted me to the game originally was the Plague Knight; who I have yet to face. The reason for this is despite sounding simple the game is rather tricky and there is a lot to explore beneath its surface. Whilst it can be completed quickly it would take a few playthroughs, and a bit of an obsession to do so.

This is Plague Knight, he's my favourite.

Both of these games are really good in there own right and for the prices asked, great value for money. SteamWorld Dig is about £8, and Shovel Knight about £13. Which compared to most modern games isn't bad considering both can be played multiple times through.

Overall they were a brilliant distraction from work for a couple of days. Small enough that they can be picked up and trawled through in a few hardcore hours. Or you can play bits at a time as neither have plots that are hard to follow. I loved every second I got with both and cherished the precious moments I got between my girlfriend snatching away my 3DS. This wasn't in a bid to force me to spend quality time together, but for her to play Mario Kart 7. Time she spent swearing like a sailor at the screen and making me fear for my limited edition 3DS' life.

Shovel Knights image from SoundonSight, Plague knight image from Planet Minecraft

Merry Christmas 2014

I think it is a tad to late to say it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. To be honest it has started to look this way since late September.

Regardless I have held out from doing a Christmas blog post until this week. A week that began with a new tradition, but will also include all the old ones too. A perfect time to reflect on my own personal festive traditions.

We didn't decorate ours, just placed one in the fireplace.

Firstly, the new tradition that I added to my list this year was the burning of a Yule log. This is a pagan tradition, one which I took part in because of a agreement between Amy and myself. I won't go into detail on this agreement yet, however, I'm sure you will hear more about it in the year ahead.

The burning of the yule log represents the end of the old year and encouraging a prosperous year ahead. It is performed around the Winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year (this year the 21st December). I fear I may have simplified that tradition a bit, but that is how I viewed it.

As I watched the log burn I thought about the year ahead and what I wanted from it. I thought of prosperity, renewal and restoration. I also thought that to achieve these I would need to sacrifice things in return, whether that be through time money or effort. We must always put in something to see a return.

As for returning traditions there are the obvious, like watching The Muppet's Christmas Carol, The Nightmare Before Christmas and perhaps some sitcoms too (or Adventure Time). Also I have already begun the tradition of listening to festive music as I work. Last year I found myself in the bottom floor of my University library, reading legal cases from the eighteenth century to the sound of Wombling Merry Christmas. Not the oddest way a law student has coped with studying the law, believe me.

I have also eaten rather a lot of junk food. My personal favourite so far has been some home-made shortbread.

Part of the food celebration will include the traditional eating of Astronaut ice-cream on Christmas eve (it's a long story).

I spent last Christmas around my brothers Christmas tree,
Pretty isn't it?

Of course soon on Christmas day will be the usual gift-giving and then on Boxing day comes eating left over food and opening a tree present.

This year marks the first that I won't be spending with my family and instead with my girlfriend and her parents. I will be seeing my own family on New Years a nice compromise, that has the side effect of two festive celebrations.

How are you all spending the festive period? Let me know below in the comments.

Yule log image from Kappaphi,

Amsterdam sights to see for a geek like me.

Last week marked the end of my penultimate week as a Winchester student. I would say it was a somber occasion and I savored every moment. Unfortunately, I can't due to the amount of work that needed to be done. Instead my days were spent buried beneath work consisting of criminal law, Intellectual Property and Teaching; sounds thrilling right?

In the end what got me through the mountains of work was the thought that soon I would have four weeks of holiday. Time that I will spend half relaxing and half maintaining a level of work so that I don't fall behind.

However from tomorrow I have allowed myself one straight week without any thought to work. Possibly because I will be far removed from my laptop, literally, as I will be in Amsterdam. Whilst I am sure I will feel some immense work guilt, I will just have to console myself with some of the city's greatest (or nerdiest) sights.

Image from Thierry on Flikr

Here is what I hope to be able to visit.

1. Nerdy shops.
   It would seem like Amsterdam has quite a few nerdy and retro shops. So of course I am more than interested. Two I am especially interested in are Game Over and Go Joker comics. The first for retro video games at some reasonable prices (I hope). And the second because they sell comics under the name of one of my favourite characters. Both are on my hit list.


2. The Canals.
   I may be a nerd, but I do appreciate natural beauty. There is nothing I like more than water. Couple this with the fact that the canals are one of the first things people mention when you say Amsterdam (apart from that other thing), ensures I am pretty hyped for them. With any luck we will be taking a canal cruise during our stay. It may be a bit too cold for the traditional bike ride along the side however.


3. The food.
   How does a plate full of small pancakes covered in icing sugar, that you smother in butter sound? What about deep fried caked dough? Add in chocolate sprinkle sandwiches and you can see why I am excited for the food.


4. Anne Frank's House.
   It may sound cliched, but a stop here is definitely on my list. Out of respect, if nothing else. I did try to read Anne Frank's diary once and couldn't really get on with it. I have a love of history, however, so will take this chance to respect the darker times of history.


5. The Architecture.
   I am not a massive fan of buildings. Yet even I can't help admitting that there is something picturesque about the pictures I have seen of the buildings on the waterfront. Also it never hurts to have a change of scenery.

Image from Amsterdam.info

So, there you have it five reasons I am looking forward to my adventure in Amsterdam. I bet it wasn't quite what you expected a student to be looking forward to in a city with its certain reputation.

Christmas Tag Time

 It seems blog-tags are coming to me thick and fast, well maybe not actually considering this is only the second on Geek Boy Babbles. For those who are interested the first one can be found here, and was a post all about random facts about myself.

This tag is a bit more seasonally appropriate, considering I am posting this on the 1^st of December, and is all about Christmas. The tag was passed to me by Jenna Louise Lloyd, who got it from Amy (different Amy).

Nothing about this Santa looks right. 

I will be tagging DependantonGadgets, Suzy Marie and Anna Celeste.

1. What is/are your favourite Christmas movie/s?
   Tough one this, despite not being my favourite Christmas films, I guess it would be between The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Due to having to watch both of these films during the season every year. You would think films I have seen at least 15 times would have got old, but I still sing along every year regardless.
2. Do you open your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
   Christmas morning of course, what do you think I am? I like to savour the excitement; to the point that one gift, the 'tree present' (a small gift that fits in the tree) doesn't get opened until Boxing Day.
3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
   This may sound sad but not really I'm afraid. Not because I've had a harsh life, but because I enjoy every year as much as possible. Last year was epic as I got to celebrate once with my housemates, once with my family in Norfolk, once with my Grandparents and  once with my family in Dartford. I was all over the place, yet loved every stuffing moment. This year I am off to Amsterdam just before Christmas, in Norfolk for the actual day and then Dartford for New Years. Hectic once again and I can't wait, the best bit, returning to Uni for a Law exam the week semester starts.  A big thanks to the University of Winchester's Law department.
4. Favourite festive food?
   Turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings. Basically the savoury Christmas dinner. Although, as my housemates found out last year, you can't beat Josh Francis' Christmas stew and dumplings.
5. Favourite Christmas gift?
   Hmmm, another hard one. I have had a few that I can name, my GameBoy SP complete with Pokémon Ruby, my various gaming stuff and then there is the annual Space-Man Ice Cream I get every year now... Hint, hint, Dad!
6. Favourite Christmas scent?
   I thought they were all the same; cinnamon, spice, it's all pretty and nice.


7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
   Not as such, perhaps get to sleep early to bring on the fun quicker. Although, I usually stay up to see the night in. Also of course, watching aforementioned films, if I haven't caught up on them by that time already.


8. What tops your tree?
   A snowman made from a toilet-roll tube made by my brother. It is the only thing that looks natural to me. A fairy looks like it is being tortured, I guess a star is nice however.


9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
   Peace on earth... only kidding, what child wants that? I'm not sure I can ever remember a toy I never got but massively wanted. Perhaps I was a bit spoilt, or that I was so hyper over what I got that I forgot my list afterwards.


10. What’s the best part about Christmas for you?
    This one has been turned upside down somewhat by Amy Brown, but it used to be how different every day felt around Christmas. some days are anticipation, others excitement; then there's tiring, relaxing and eventually somewhat reflective. I love the whirlwind of emotions the season brings. Now since being in a relationship I find the highlight is appreciating all the little twinkles alongside someone else (eugh, so cheesy!).
    
    

Interstellar Science Fiction Films

Before we begin another reminder that I have been nominated for two UK Blog Awards, my nominations can be found here and here. I would really appreciate your support.

Last week saw the release of Christopher Nolan's new film Interstellar. The latest Science Fiction blockbuster that once again sees humanity seeking a solution to a future blight. As a result some brave space explorers blast into the stars to find the answer.

Image from Interstellar-movie.com

Now I'm going admit something to you, I am not a big fan of films in space (that's films set in space, not that I have an extraterrestrial cinema). I do enjoy Christopher Nolan films, but I don't find Interstellar that appealing. I like my stories in the here and now, not necessarily straight realism, but at least a little grounded.  Before you get ahead of me, yes that does also mean I am not a fan of the fantasy genre either.

No need to check the address bar, you are indeed visiting Geek Boy Babbles. So how can I call myself a geek whilst disliking two of the biggest geek genres?

Well I still get overly excited (and exasperated) of things I do love; many of which are rather childish. So I think I fit some of the criteria of a Geek. Also like many things there are exceptions to the rule.

To demonstrate this here is my top Space-set films, TV shows, games and books.

Fortunately the film is more exciting.

Alien, Aliens and Alien Vs. Predator
The first two shouldn't come as a surprise, you wouldn't find many, geek or otherwise, who aren't a fan of those two. Not only are they brilliant sci-fi examples, but also great pieces of cinema. Some of you may be questioning Alien Vs. Predator. I know it hasn't got great story, cannon or cast. But what it does have is some cool action scenes between two giants of the genre. Who doesn't want to see these two fighting inside a giant underground pyramid?

Serenity
I know, surprise, surprise; yet another Joss Whedon film mentioned on Geek Boy Babbles.  I know I have some serious Whedon love, but you have to admit space-western is pretty different. Plus you can't help but admire its production. After Firefly was cancelled the cast and the fan community raised the funds to create a proper finale. It is a love letter to the fans of Firefly who needed closure. 

Mass Effect
No game series has hooked me in as much as Bioware's Mass Effect series. There isn't one game in the trilogy that doesn't meet the others high standards. I even like Mass Effect 3's ending. It could have been more personal to my choices, but logistics of programming games to an individuals game progress would be nigh on impossible.

War of The Worlds
By this I mean H.G. Well's novel and not the film adaptations. Having said this the story takes place on Earth and it isn't the aliens I enjoy. What I love is the narrative style. The story feels very personal and I almost felt like I was making the journey alongside the main character; rather than just an observer.

Image from Robbierocks

Doctor Who
This refers to when David Tennant played the Doctor (and perhaps Smith's first season). I watched Doctor Who  as a child and still hold those seasons as some of my favorite example of TV. They are fun, frantic and full of nostalgia for me. Unfortunately I have fallen out of love with Doctor Who recently. I can't help but cringe and feel it is slightly childish now. I don't blame the writing wholly for this, most of it is probably due to growing up and leaving Doctor Who behind. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
I almost forgot this one, remembering only as I edited. I felt ashamed as the books and radio series (not the film, nor the TV show) are some of my favorite pieces of fiction. The series has helped shaped my humour and was a large part of my childhood. The biggest draw perhaps comes from how grounded it is, despite its space setting. Aliens act like parallels to everyday cliches, for example: the bureaucratic Vogon's who are the galaxy's pencil pushers. This is helped by the main character, Arthur Dent, who upon being introduced to a whole galaxy of wonder takes it all in his stride. Aliens destroy my planet, looks like I can't walk the dog pretty much sums up The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. 

Image from Scriptographer

There we have it some examples that I do enjoy some space-set media. I hope I can warrant the title of geek still. That said I still won't be seeing Interstellar at the cinema, but I will watch it when it is on DVD. If a film I am unsure of is so long, I like to know I can get up and have a wander during it.

Please let me know in the comments your thoughts and opinions.

Alien Vs. Predator image from themanwhonevermissed,

The UK Blog Awards 2015

Right now, I am feeling rather overwhelmed with work. Don’t let anyone tell you that University students just sit around all day twiddling their thumbs; we don’t, well some don't.

I find myself spending each week trying to carefully balancing:

Two law modules, one creative writing module,  two part-time jobs, being co-admin of the University of Winchester’s Writer’s Society; trying to eat, sleep and generally stay healthy; be a good friend/boyfriend, keep up with a ten thousand word dissertation and write a blog post a week.

Do you know what? I am shattered.

But, I will say that sometimes hard work can pay off and this week I found out that my blog has been nominated for two categories in the UKBlog Awards 2015.

Geek Boy Babbles has been nominated in the categories of young blogger and technology blog. This news gave me a little pep that showed me hard work can pay off.

From now until the 1^st December 2015, the nominees are up for the public vote. I would really appreciate any and all support from you, dear reader.

You can follow these links, here and here, to vote for Geek Boy Babbles in the categories.

I really do appreciate the votes and if you can join my campaign by spreading this post and the links to anyone and everyone I would be really grateful.

A cheeky shout-out to some of my blog friends who have also been nominated; please show them the support they deserve too:

Dependent on Gadgets

Emily Benet - more laughs than Bronte, also here.

The Willow Web, also here.

Thank you very much for any and all support, here is a slightly embarassing photo of me for your troubles.

Tag I'm It: The Liebster Award

The UK Blog Awards voting opened today and my blog Geek Boy Babbles is entered under two categories: Young Person and Tech blog.
Any and all support for me in the awards is appreciated.
Well this is certainly exciting, my first blog tag on Geek Boy Babbles. I would like to thank Anna Kissed Celeste for this challenge, known as the Liebster Award. The blogger tagged as part of the award must give 11 random facts about themselves, then answer 11 questions put to them by the tagger. After that, the tagged blogger can issue 11 of their own questions to inflict, sorry, pass on to 5-11 other bloggers.
I don’t know what's up with all the 11s; perhaps they’re in season this year.

So, without further ado: 
11 Random Facts 
1. Despite having a deep hatred for football I actually have a working knowledge of the game and the teams. I can even explain to you the offside rule. This is a result of growing up in a family that was more than a little obsessed with the sport. To this day I have a distrust for everything to do with Derby, due to a family-based Nottingham Forest biased.


2. I enjoy making things and I am often crafting something or other. I recently got into Amigurumi (crocheting plush toys), but in the past have constructed props for costumes; such as my keyblade from Kingdom Hearts. Which I vow will someday be used as pert of a Sora cosplay. If you want to check out some of my stuff then check out the Crafty Projects page on this blog.


3. I consider myself as having a semi-eidetic memory (also known as photographic memory) and because of this get compared to the characters Sherlock (from BBC'S Sherlock) and L (from Death Note). Considering both of these characters are rather odd to say the least you would expect me to be insulted, actually I'm rather proud. Why semi-eidetic? well it is contested whether the condition exists. And yes I do use practices such as 'mind palaces', although I think of it more like a memory map or tree.


4. I can sing the whole of the musical episode of Scrubs (My Musical) after I watched obsessively for a few weeks.


5. I am more than a little bit geeky and consider myself to be an emo (although the age of 21 is pushing the boundaries of either). For this reason I coined the term 'gemo' to describe myself.


6. Despite random fact number two I loathe the shop Hobby Craft. The reason for this is the how expensive their prices are and working for the company for little over a year.


7. Apart from Geek Boy Babbles I run another blog: Taken To Tokyo, which is part of my university dissertation. I also used to ran Saxon Daze, where I reviewed sweets and candy. I ended Saxon Daze after a year of blogging, believe me there is only a few ways you can describe chocolate before you get bored of it.


8. I am not your stereotypical student, and since attending the University of Winchester I have actually become healthier. I haven't drunk alcohol since the second semester of my first year (partly down to too many nights of being taken home in the 'safety bus' during semester one) and go to bed usually before eleven. I don't even get to lie in as my body wakes up naturally about seven thirty!


9. Despite being rather nerdy, I loathe computers and their accessories. I can't fathom software or computer programmes and have gone through more than four printers. As a writer I much prefer pen and paper and hate how I have to use Microsoft Word for the majority of my work.


10. I don't consider myself a vegetarian, but I really dislike meat. Nothing to do with my morals I just really hate the texture, the preparation in cooking it and the taste. I much prefer vegetables and meat free products. If I do eat meat it is usually chicken, ham or cod; but they are my limits.


11. To relax whilst studying law I have found myself: reading law upside down, crocheting, baking, listening to The Muppet Movie soundtrack, eating vast amounts of carrots, throwing balled up socks at my friends, doodling, origami, walking after midnight in the rain, watching Youtube and many more things. Basically studying law can be dull, stressful, moral questioning and unpractical; although I enjoy every second of it.

It looks like I've been spotted!

And now to the questions put to me by Anna Kissed Celeste:

1. Have you taken any exciting trips anywhere you can tell us about?
   Easy one to start, eh? This summer my girlfriend Amy and I travelled to Tokyo. It was an amazing trip to a city that made me feel more at home then anywhere I have ever been. I miss it everyday, although this is both helped and hindered by my dissertation; which is a series of travel pieces based upon the trip.


2. Where would you love to visit the most?
   At one time this would have been easy to answer: Tokyo. But since I have been there it would probably now fall to Oslo in Norway. I studied it once and fell in love with its name, the society and Scandinavia in general.


3. What is your favourite social media platform? I will admit to being less than proficient with computers and almost equally as bad at keeping in touch with people. Overall, I find myself most at ease with Twitter (@JoshFrancis93); I hate Facebook with a passion.


4. How long have you been blogging for?
   I have been blogging in some form or another for just under two years now. My current blog Geek Boy Babbles is still pretty new and under half a year old.


5. What can we expect to find in your blog?
On my blog, Geek Boy Babbles, you can expect all kinds of nerdy posts. Mostly reviews or news on the latest books, film and games. But sometimes I post the odd rant or opinion piece too.

6. Can you describe to us a memorable dream you've had?
   I am terrible at remembering my dreams and those I do recall probably shouldn't be mentioned.


7. What is your ideal career path?
   Ideally I would like a career in freelance writing, that is my most grounded aspiration. My dream job would to someday be a stand-up comic, as I love to make people laugh. I believe laughter is one of the most human things to do, especially uncontrollable giggle fits.


8. If you had a talk show, what would you name it?
   I think I would stick with the name of my blog. It really encapsulates what you get with me: a talkative nerdy guy.


9. What is your favourite film of the moment and why?
   I am still in love with Joss Whedon's Serenity, not just because of the film and lets face it space-western is always awesome. But because of the community it created amongst the fans and the way it saw the light of day after the show, Firefly, was cancelled.


10. Can you tell us about an artist who's music meant a lot to you?
    Probably one of the most recent influential artist on me is Mat Devine and the band Kill Hannah. They were introduced to me by my girlfriend before we began dating, and was the soundtrack that built up my courage to ask her out.


11.  It will be my 1st Blogiversary in December, what do you recommend should be done to celebrate?
    A massive cake with your face and HTML tag on it. The live tweet eating it and perhaps even get a twitter party hangout going. Whatever you do congratulations, have fun and keep on being an awesome blogger.

If you want to find out more about the geek behind the babbling check out this post here and my about me page.










My Questions

1. Where do you see your blog in: (a) one year, (b) three years and (c) five years time?


2. Who most influenced you to blog?


3. What are your favourite blog posts to read and write?


4. What is TV show could you watch indefinitely?


5. Do you enjoy gaming? If so what is your best loved game/series?


6. Have you got any crafty hobbies?


7. When did you last just completely fall flat-out asleep?


8. What is the best live event you have been to?


9. Where was your first memorable holiday to?


10. What shop do you always have time to lunch in?


11. How do you connect with your audience?

That marks the end of my tag post. Those I pass this challenge on to shall be notified by Twitter. Good luck to those chosen few.

I would also like to end by saying that Monday 10th November is when the public voting opens on the UK Blog Awards 2014. Geek Boy Babbles has been nominated for Young Person and Technology blog.

A full list of candidates can be found here.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving

I know by now most of you will be fed up of me talking about Halloween. I am sorry, I have talked about it a lot; but then again it is my favourite time of the year.

Not just because of the night itself. Everything about late October/early November excites me. The Autumn air is fresh, the temperature isn't quite chilly yet, and the nights draw in at about the right time so that you have an excuse to huddle inside earlier. It also helps that Halloween, Diwali and Fireworks night occur in quick succession; meaning their is no shortage of excitement, but that is just the icing on the cake.

This was my pumpkin effort this year.

I promise that this post will pretty much be my final word on Halloween 2014. So, fear not dear reader, it will soon be past; for 365 days at least.

I just wanted to quickly show you the pumpkins that my flatmates and I carved this year for the evening. I am rather proud of them. Although, I will admit we may have cheated in some peoples' eyes. We used templates for the pumpkins before we carved them, I am so sorry reader if you feel that I let you down.

We had a great evening, even if we didn't leave the house. We also got some trick or treaters come to the door; imagine my surprise opening the door to kid-Flash.

I hope you enjoy the photos below, feel free to comment and share your experiences in the comments below.

Happy Halloween 2014

Hello All,

This is just a quick blog post to wish you all a Happy Halloween. May your tricks be forgiving, and your waistlines just the same, with the treats you tuck in to.I hope you all survive the night and don't get grabbed by ghouls and goblins, what ever you have planned.

My plans are a bit subdued this year. My friends and I will be carving pumpkins, baking some cookies, watching scary films and then retreating under our blankets; probably all before ten o'clock this evening. Oh the joys of being hardworking third-year students.

Also, a quick mention that this week I have finally gotten around to playing the spook-tacular (sorry) Silent Hill 2, a game which every gamer and horror buffs should experience. I have been rather neglectful, until now, of the long list of games that are must plays. Weirdly, what put me off playing wasn't the horror, as I don't find it that scary. It was the rather archaic controls, but once I gave it time they have grown on me. So, now I can add that badge: 'met Mr Pyramid Head to my gamer belt.

How are you guys spending your Halloweens?
Share with us in the comments below.

I wish my meeting with Pyramid Head was this pleasant.

Happy Halloween banner from PDFfun, Silent Hill image from wall4all.

My Top Five What To Watch This Halloween

Halloween is one of those festive events that naturally goes hand in tentacle with watching a film. It makes sense, if you can't travel outside, in case of ghost and goblin attack, you may as well stay indoors and drool over the screen.

 It is made all the better when you invite your friends round to share in the horrors you watch. Also if you really are unlucky, and befall a monster, it helps that all you need to do is outrun your nearest and dearest.

In case you are in a quandary as to what to watch this year I thought I would make some suggestions. So, here are my top five films to watch around Halloween.

1. Cabin In The Woods
   I am a self-confessed Joss Whedon worshipper, but that doesn't stop this being an amazing film. It presents itself as your typical horror flick, yet beneath its calm surface is an intelligent commentary on the whole horror genre. A great film that isn't too scary or gore filled, with enough twists and turns to be genuinely entertaining.


2. Sleepy Hollow/ Sweeney Todd/ The Corpse Bride/ Beetlejuice 
   Basically number two is anything made by Tim Burton (if they star both Johnny Depp and Helen Bonna Carter you get extra points). Like Joss Whedon I have a lot of love for the emo of Hollywood and always enjoy a Burton film. All four of these are brilliant films and demonstrate Burton's distinct cinematic direction. This year I will probably choose Beetlejuice as I haven't watched in some years. 'Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice'...


3. The Nightmare Before Christmas/ Coraline 
   Another director who specialises in making the darker side seem simple and innocent is Henry Sellick. A brilliant stop-frame director who created a film that has probably had the biggest influence on me (The Nightmare Before Christmas). Anyone who is confused at this point and thinking I put The Nightmare Before Christmas in the wrong place needs to go stand in the corner with the dunce hat.


4.  Alien/ Aliens
Lets get a classic in this list shall we? Both of these are great horror films from a time when directors, like Ridley Scott and James Cameron, understood tension isn't cheap scare tactics (Sinister, cough... cough...). The tight corridors of Alien create a genuine sense of claustrophobia and the horror flows naturally. Aliens fear draws from overwhelming odds and an objective that is worth protecting. Whilst they may now be showing their age, especially the wind-up beast that flies out of John Hurt, the unease never fades.



5. Ringu
   Readers of my blog will know that I recently watched the Japanese original that inspired The Ring. I fell in love, and disgust, with it instantly. Once again the maker didn't rely on showing the monster, nor cheap jump scares. Instead the director used everything from subtle camera angles, background side effects and cheaper production values to create something truly unnerving. One of the few films that almost got me jumping behind the sofa. To check out my full review see Here.

   

   This sums up my childhood I think...
   Which probably explains a lot.

   
   

That's my full list. What did you think? Do you agree or disagree with my choices?


What are your thoughts, let us know in the comments section below.

Halloween banner from anarchyonstardoll, Tim Burton artwork from fanpop,

Gone Girl Book Review

This review will be SPOILER FREE.

The latest blockbuster to hit cinema screens in the UK is Gone Girl, a mystery/thriller based on the popular Gillian Flynn novel. After seeing trailers for the film I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the premise, the fact that it stars Neil Patrick Harris also helped. In line with what people describe as my hipster nature (I swear I’m not), I decided to read the novel before I go and see the film (OK maybe I am a bit of a hipster).

The premise of the novel is:

After five years of marriage (which has become progressively hostile), Nick Dunne comes home to discover his wife, Amy, is missing.  With no clues as to what happened other than a battlefield of a living room and the treasure hunt his wife had prepared for their anniversary. Soon Amy’s disappearance attracts the attention of the media, starting a state-wide manhunt that demands answers from Nick, who soon finds himself the prime suspect. Could the treasure hunt be the key to finding his wife, saving his marriage and himself?

Gone Girl (the novel) takes an interesting narrative viewpoint, the chapters alternate between the present from Nick's point of view and Amy’s diary extracts at key points in their past. In this way the reader gets to know both character's inner thoughts and often hear their opinion in very specific detail. We are inside both of their heads which helps create an intimate connection with them. At first having every opinion expressed made it seem rather slow and too hung up on precise detail. I found the first few chapters a bit of a slog, feeling like it was a little unnecessary to know what Nick thought about crepes. Then something clicked, and turned to the books advantage. I began to feel rather uncomfortable as I read. Seeing reflections of my personal relationships within their own, believe me this made me worry, their lives are not not something you want to replicate. However, this is the power Gone Girl has over its reader. By feeling intimately connected with the characters you gain an understanding of why their lives were doomed when they became entwined. It may be too late to save them (not a spoiler), but not yourself.

I did find some reassurance after I finished, and I realised that the sensation I felt was merely an illusion. I had felt a similar feeling when I read Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test. In one chapter Ronson described how a psychopath acts, I found myself thinking:

     ‘Oh god I match this profile!’ 

Thankfully, the passage that followed this stated that a key flaw of a psychopath is that they would never imagine themselves to be one. There is a natural response in humans to see ourselves in everything we read. It’s the same thing that makes hypochondriacs thinking they will soon stop ticking.

Gone Girl evoked a very real sense of fear for me. Not a fear constructed from horror, but a much more chilling one. A fear based in reality, the possibility that our lives are beyond our control. The underlining message of the book concerns manipulation of the people by different sources. Characters in the novel are controlled by the pressures they face, whether that be from loved ones, society or the media. It made me start to question my own life, which created a polar response in my mind. Part of me wanted to throw the book down and shut myself away from questioning my life, whilst half of me was hooked in a morbid fascination and hope I could learn how to overcome any threats to myself. Of course these fears are unfounded, and I soon shed their power over me when I reached the conclusion.

Gillian Flynn’s characters are therefore, warrant of praise; rarely do I read a novel which contains such realistic depictions as those in Gone Girl. Even the characters that only appear on the side-lines of the story are fleshed out in just enough detail. The relationships between them are believable too. Its exploration of marriage, blood ties and friendship is brutally honest and doesn’t pull punches. I saw reflections in many of my family ties whilst reading too.

More praise has to be given to the clever narrative, which as I mentioned lets the reader know the inner-most thoughts of Amy and Nick; despite this, the narrators can  also be very unreliable. We may know what they are thinking, but that doesn’t mean we have the full clarity of their intentions. Throughout the book I wanted to believe that Nick was innocent, yet I was in as much doubt as the characters within the novel. At one point Nick checks an unregistered phone with little reference to why he is carrying one or how long he has had it. By withholding the right amount of information to the reader Flynn kept me guessing all the way through.

My only nit-pick with the book is some of the events that lead up to its final act. A few events felt a bit rushed and inconsequential other than to drive the plot forward. That isn’t to say that they aren’t needed and they do serve a purpose. But, any other manner of events could have been used and they felt a bit unrelated to what had come before.

Gone Girl in my opinion is great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in crime thrillers and mystery. Having said that, I am not a reader of those genres myself and still I was enthralled. I loved the in-depth discussion the book had about relationships and power plays, which kept me hooked and philosophising throughout.  




Cover image from esquire,

Halloween - Practical Magic

It’s October, which can only means one thing: the supermarkets are acting rather schizophrenic right now. Half of the shops shelving is being taken up by Christmas tat (despite the fact that it is about three months away); the other half is still clinging onto a sense of everyday life. The untouched part is worryingly eyeing up what happened to a large portion of the floorplan, dreading when its tinsel-time will come too. Christmas aisles are like a virus, one that we have no hope of stopping before it spreads. Then there is one lonely aisle, perhaps one and a half if its lucky, dedicated to an event that is actually coming rather soon: Halloween.

This yearly cycle always frustrates me, not because of ridiculously early preparation which angers most people. But because of the way Halloween gets overshadowed. Last year, for instance, some shops were pulling down their Halloween stock the week before the 31st of October. In its place stood more Christmas stock, seemingly five other shelves just wasn’t enough.

I love Halloween, perhaps more so than Christmas. There is less pressure to be happy, to see people and generally less expensive; it makes the experience overall more fun. Christmas becomes so hyped with expectations that it can never live up to it. After eagerly opening my advent calendar last year I spent the actual day watching TV like a zombie. I didn’t even like the programmes that were on, nor do I watch TV regularily (for some reason becoming a student actually made me more proactive, clearly an oddity).

Halloween on the over hand, is barely celebrated in the UK and what is celebrated isn’t my take on it. I don’t trick or treat (often), I don’t have a séances board (the Milton Bradley board game that’s fun for the whole family, even great, great, great grandpa Joe) and I am not part of a cult. What I actually do is bake, carve pumpkins, dress up with friends and watch a scary film.

My personal belief of Halloween is similar to the older Pagan views and other festivals like Obon (Japan) and Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Basically I believe if anything does happen on Halloween it is that the spirits come back to our world once again. Not to spook us out of spite, I can’t imagine the dead would make the effort just to troll the living, but to revisit their ancestors. Having said that I am a realist at heart and don’t hold much belief in ghosts anyway.

Last year for my first blog SaxonDaze, I reviewed a ghoulish confectionery item each day for October. For this blog I plan to celebrate by charting the best and worst examples of horror related games, films and books.  The first of this could have begun with a review of PracticalMagic, which Amy (from the Willow Web) and I watched recently. It won’t however, partly because it would be a rant rather than a review. But mostly because it is one of Amy’s favourite films and I really don’t want to be slapped.

I will briefly discuss some of my VALID reasons for disliking the film and I will try to back them up. Firstly I felt it have a few pacing problems. There were moments in the film were time will have moved on in the story with little indication as to how long has passed. It left me rather confused on more than one occasion.

Scenes seem to change at whim, sometimes I thought it changed without fully completing its purpose. Scenes like one where one of the sister visits to comfort the other. One moment they are talking in bed and raising each other’s morale, the next they are back to everyday life. They had about two or three lines of comforting each other, acting rather sombre, before skipping to the next moment where they are laughing and joking. It is a technique that, if handled properly, could be effective. If we know the characters well enough we can assume what may have occurred between them.But I didn't really connect enough with them, I didn't feel like I had time to. Any poignant or character building moments flashed to the next. In my opinion the scenes change a lot without indication of time, purpose or place and felt rather jarring.

I think the main issue is the source material. It is based on a moderately long book and a film with a running time of around 90 minutes can’t hope to do justice. It does devote a lot of time to other scenes, usually ones featuring cheesy nineties pop and cringe worthy family fun. I understand the need for this as the relationship is the films focus and in films it is better to show and not tell. I am not asking for dialogue where characters just say 'Oh what fun we had earlier'. However, had they made it a bit longer they could have avoided the many times in which scenes change without much explanation. It made it seem rather erratic and flighty to me.

Here looking like Mary Poppins with magical powers

My second issue is the male characters, who really lack any personality of their own. They are pretty much stock characters; you have the perfect husband who tragically dies, the dream guy and then the abusive one. None of them say very much and what they do say is rather cliché. Again, I think this comes down to time: the men aren’t really the story and therefore don’t get the screen time to be fleshed .

Also the treatment of the men in the film is rather worrying. Both the perfect husband and dream guy fall in love due to spells cast upon them. They have no choice but to fall in love and possibly die if the sister's curse is to be believed. The main character doesn’t even warn her husband of the curse that befalls men who marry into her family. The other sister isn’t much better and often drugs her partner each night after sex; I’m pretty sure that is illegal in most states. You could say it is refreshing that it is men who are finally getting these poor character profiles, but really that is a poor excuse.

Overall you could say that I wasn’t very taken with Practical Magic. I know the film doesn’t really target me as its audience, but that’s a flimsy excuse. Many may argue that technically it isn’t a horror film and shouldn’t be the beginning of my horror themed posts. On the other hand, from a male perspective, it is a rather chilling tale of men being controlled by the magic surrounding two sisters.

I will now pass over to Amy at the Willow Web, if she would like to respond to my criticism.




Halloween Image from Pics Hunger, Practical Magic image from Daniella's Bureau, Film still from Spooky Things Online

My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki

It isn't often that a book makes me feel physically sick and I still keep reading. Especially if what is making me feel sick is a harsh truth about the way we live. I read books to escape from reality, so why would I continue with one that highlights the worst aspects of society?

My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki showed me uncomfortable truths. The fact that I fought with discomfort to the end demonstrates how compelling the story, or more accurately the characters are. This is the second novel of Ozeki's that I have enjoyed after recently finishing  A Tale for the Time Being; which I read shortly after returning from Tokyo as I pined for the Japanese way of life.

Note: This review contains NO spoilers!

Ozeki was born in America. Her father was American, and her mother was Japanese. This split-cultural background clearly drives her choice of story. Her novels I have read both feature the two cultures coming together. She draws from her own feelings towards heritage to make her characters' behavior believable. One of the characters, Jane, shares the same mixed parentage as Ozeki and I'm sure she has imparted her own personal insecurities. A reoccurring theme within both novels is a struggle to understand yourself and find somewhere that feels like home. Despite my own background being rather straightforward, I share the sense of limbo her characters experience.

Within My Year of Meats, the uncertainty that Ozeki explores is love and integrity. The novel focuses on two very different women; Jane, a documentary filmmaker in America, who struggles with a career that she loves, but one makes her question her beliefs, and Akikko, a Japanese housewife trapped in her marriage.

During the course of making a cookery show, Jane discovers horrible truths about Western food and finds answers to a personal mystery. She battles to show the truth about the meat that the show's producers would rather not be revealed. At the same time, across the globe in Japan another woman, Akikko, watches the show and begins to question her marriage, her society and even her sexuality. Both women become linked by the two sides of the lens and, though their countries are different, the issues they face in life are the same.

The novel interested me on multiple levels. I set out to read it due to my obsession with Japanese culture. Once again, Ozeki doesn't pull punches in her portrayal of Japanese society and this time sheds light on the darker aspects of being a housewife. I genuinely felt trapped like Akikko, as I read her side of the story. Part of this came from my own knowledge of the relationship dynamic in Japan, but it is Ozeki's writing style that brought it into sharp focus.

On another level, the novel revealed more to me about the meat industry. Thankfully I am not a voracious meat-eater anyway; I tend to stick to white meat and fish. My almost vegetarian existence isn't political or down to disgust, simply a matter of taste. But after reading the novel I am glad that I don't like beef anyway. Many parts showing the way in which cattle are bred made me feel ill. I was disgusted at the ways society is desperately trying to feed our escalating population. During these parts it would have been very easy to give up in disgust yet, due to her enticing plot, I read on. It was like coming across a car crash on the motorway: you know you shouldn't want to see it, but curiosity keeps you watching. I am sure that, like me, any reader will come away from reading this with their eyes open.

If I have one criticism of the book it is the ending. Whilst some plot details were wrapped up rather conveniently for my liking, others were left open. Sometimes this isn't a problem and it is rather refreshing when a novel leaves it up to your imagination. However, in this case I felt a little cheated. It really isn't a big point and the rest of the novel far outweighs this gripe.

One aspect I love about the book is how the characters stories are told. The book is split into sections and the point of view switches between the characters. Thankfully, it is clearly shown whose head we are in at all times and it doesn't become confusing. Nor does the switches happen too frequently as to become annoying.

Overall, My Year of Meats is a brilliant read for those who want to dip into another culture. It sheds light on Japanese and American life, as well as death. Along the way it questions relationships, identity, media bias and the food on our plates. I highly recommend both the book and other works by Ruth Ozeki.

Cover image from Madison, beef image from teacher-chef.

#HeforShe: Strong Female Characters

The big news as of posting is Emma Watson's recent speech to the UN as the ambassador for the #HeforShe campaign. I firmly support this movement and hope it can bring about some fresh change.

I have never called myself a feminist, equalitist yes, but not a feminist. In my head a feminist is someone who wants to flip society and give men a piece of their own patronisation. Since SheforHe I have realised this is an outdated view of feminism. The new wave seeks to not only promote woman's rights to be equal to men, but also to allow men to also be free express themselves.

The movement seeks to break down barriers of how society dictates your gender. I would describe it more, but I fear I would do it a disservice. Instead I will incluede a link to Emma Watson's amazing speech below.

My interest of the movement led me to attending the Winchester University Feminist Society. Where during a round of introductions we had to say our favorite female character. This task has created the inspiration for this post of my top females in fiction (in no particular order).

• Morrigan from Dragon Age: Origins
  Morrigan was my first thoughts when I thought of a female character I admire. When faced with her world's saviour how does she react? With mistrust, sarcasm and disinterest of course. Yet, over time as he/she proves themselves she can, depending on your choices, soften to you. She is a powerful sorceress and becomes your most powerful ally. Then I read this article, specifically point 2. I realised that she does in sleep with the hero as a plot device, this caused me to question whether she is that strong. Then I remembered that, after the ending, she scarpers with the baby. She has her own goal and that child has a use to her. Also if your main character is female she doesn't jump in bed with you, instead she encourages you to for the same dubious purposes. The child is significant to her in both cases, clearly it wasn't just to save you. Added to this there are points when she is rather vulnerable and the walls of sarcasm fall. After all, if your mother raised you solely to prolong her
  own life wouldn't you have trust issues?
  


• Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty/KingdomHearts
  I will admit I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty; and I won't be talking about the latest Maleficent film. Not that she isn't strong in it, she is; especially during the film's darker moments. But when the film tries to soften her villainous intent she gets too sentimental. Maleficent in KingdomHearts is the example I want to mention. Here she leads an army of Heartless (evil shadow creatures), is the head of a league of evil characters (which includes male villains like Hook, Oogy Boogy and Hades) and manages to resurrect herself from the dead. Yes she is beaten in the first game, but she comes back stronger than ever in the second. She is still somewhere in the game's universe, plotting her return. Plus, she turns into one badass dragon, which is a pain to defeat.






• Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas
  
  Sally is trapped physically by her creator/dad, Dr. Finklestein, and emotionally, by her unrequited love for Jack. She escapes both of these on her own, and manages to save Jack from Oogy Boogy and himself. She is strong-willed and street smart despite being a typical sheltered child. Her personality isn't rough and ready; instead she is deeply caring and eager to help those around her.


• Alice from Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (the novel)
  I think if I fell down a hole into a world of nonsense I would have no clue on where to go. It wouldn't take long for me to give in and breakdown. Alice doesn't, instead she plays the mad inhabitants at their own game and succeeds multiple times. Add to this that she is still a child and I feel rather ashamed.
  


• Elizabeth from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  Elizabeth, or Lisbeth, is a very complex character. With a troubled childhood and a social disorder, she could easily allow herself to be manipulated by society. But she doesn't, even when government agencies and psychopathic individuals try to stop her she fights back. Usually with her own sense of justice which can be rather brutal. She also isn't afraid to connect ties with her love interest, in doing so she asserts her independence. She is a fascinating character due to her amoral attitude towards everyone and everything. She sees no differences between people and only judges on their actions.
  

Honourable mentions:

• Princess Zelda, specifically in Ocarina of Time (Not just a kidnapped princess in another castle!)
• Female Commander Shephard from Mass Effect (Literally can do anything Male Commander Shephard can do)
• Lana Winters from American Horror Story: Asylum

Before I end I want to make you aware that #HeforShe stresses that they also want to promote male rights as well. The right for men to express themselves freely without being judged. For this reason I will follow up this post with examples of male characters who don't adhere to their gender.

I also throw the gauntlet down to fellow blogger Amy Elize at The Willow Web to give her list.

Link for Emma Watson's UN speech.

But I also want to know what you guys think.
Who are your favourite characters who transcend gender?


Let me know below.

Morrigan image from Dragon Age Wikia, Maleficent image from KingdomHeartsfanon, Sally image from Writeups, Alice image from e-reading, Lisbeth image from minkmagic.

Alien Isolation

As I mentioned in my previous EuroGamer Expo post, I was very fortunate to attend this years event. It gave me a chance to get hands on and see some of the biggest releases that would soon be hitting the highstreet. The biggest developers were there of course along with many indie developers and the event drew quite the crowd.

Whilst I don't tend to enjoy playing snippets of games pre-purchase I was quite eager to try Sega's Alien: Isolation.  This game has been causing quite a stir since its announcement and has won many awards at this years E3. After the last game in the franchise, Alien: Colonial Marines, ended in such devastation I was wary of the hype it was gaining. I as with many others had been burned by the previous game and felt I needed to see it first hand to avoid the problem a second time.

One big problem with bigger games such as this is that they drew the queues. Some of the lines boasted waiting times of over forty-five minutes for only a few seconds of demo. Thankfully this wasn't the case with Alien: Isolation. The queue seemed to dissipate in massive chunks and I started to question what they had behind the massive curtain perimeter. What didn't help was the smoke that seemed to be emanating from somewhere inside. Perhaps inside the infamous Xenomorph lurked and we gamers were in a production line of sorts fed to the hungry beast.

As I approached the staff energetically engaged with us in a refreshing manner that many other booth staff were not. All wearing uniform drawn from the film series, they ushered us forward stating that their 'Xenomorphs were hungry' or to move closer to 'warm us up, Aliens like their food hot. They also provided us with a free comic that ties into the game and told us of the competition that ran alongside the demo. If you could survive until the end of the level (a big IF they emphasised) your time taken, if good enough, would be added to a leaderboard. For those who made the top ten a free T-shirt was yours, if you came first a replica jacket from the game. With such customer interaction it is no wonder the booth apparently won an award for best visitor experience.

We entered the area in groups and were shown a short video about the games production. Then ushered into a darkened box filled with monitors ready to scare the unfortunate watchers. Many articles have said that the game is 'terrifying' and I hoped that it would live up to this. I am still very much on the hunt for something to scare me and I as of yet go rather sedate when confronted with all manner of horror media. I ensured I was sat comfortably, knew the controls and had the headphones secured to ensure I was as immersed as possible.

Immediately felt a sense of familiarity as I looked around the cramp cargo hold I started the level in. As a fan of the film series the iconic look that they carry was like an old friend. Everything is a light grey, piping hangs from the ceiling and tubes of coolant encompass me. This clearly where my character as the daughter of Ripley belongs. The developers clearly understood the feel of the franchise. It could have been tempting, with all the graphical technology at their disposal, to create a wondrous and eye-catching setting. But instead they have stayed true to the gritty, bleak, cargo ship feel that evokes the nostalgia.


I soon found myself gathering everything in the room to help my survival: metal scraps, extra batteries for the motion tracker, health bars and of course a handy flamethrower. I liked the sense of urgency this installed in me from the get go. I hope that a lack of resource will be big in the game making your chance of survival defendant on careful management.
Making my way cautiously towards the objective, a switch to activate the lifts door control. Utilising that trusty tracker to ensure I avoided any unwanted attention. I liked the fact that the tracker seems to take up a lot of the screen when used, which should discourage overuse. Anything else and a player could become reliant; much like Arkham Asylum's detective mode. I noticed a few times my wall-hugging technique would bring me in collision with the scenery. At which point a box would tumble and it's noise seemed to echo too loud for comfort. I felt the atmosphere was just right and really affected my playing style. I became very cautious of tight spaces where I may knock something; which drew me out into the open.

I soon learnt that this would be a bad sign.

I soon met my hunter of course, it was inevitable, unfortunately this wasn't as exciting or terrifying as I had hoped. I just watched him pass me by before sneaking behind him. A lot has been said about the Alien's intelligence, but I still saw the same adherence to a patrol pattern as any guard has in countless other games. Not to say it isn't imposing, I did find myself taking a breath in as it walked past hoping it wouldn't turn its gaze my way. When I made it to my destination I was given the next objective, head back to the lift. At this point there is a scripted attack, but as I kind of guessed there would be I was prepared. I flamed the Xenomorph in the face and then sprinted to the exit, pressing the lift control and surviving... on my first attempt.

It may be a bit boastful, but I will tell you that I did indeed make the leaderboard, unfortunately not the top. I was pretty proud of my free T-shirt especially since they had said no one had won for a while.

The demo was good, yet it wasn't quite as outstanding as I had hoped. Yes, it was atmospheric and yes, it is definitely an improvement on Alien: Colonial Marines (but the what isn't?). Groundbreaking, however, it isn't. The Alien was very easy to outsmart and this meant I never truly felt too vulnerable. I know in the main game there will also be other threats to deal with, I'm sure it has potential.

For now I will keep an eye on it, however, not enough  to pick it up on release day.







Alien: Isolation image from ABCgames, in-game image from Videogamewriters.