Bioshocked

So I've played for six hours now. During those six hours I managed to get to the last level of Bioshock, cook dinner, eat and watch an episode of NCIS ^_^


Which brings me back to the subject of Bioshock being way too short. You pay a lot of money for it and you can actually finish it in one day. Don't get me wrong, I love Bioshock, but if you would compare it to Final Fantasy XIII which I'm at 70+ hours - it's not worth the amount of money.
, 
Sure, now the game is a lot cheaper so go out and buy it. Though what I do like better about this one compared to Bioshock 2 is the fact that you can backtrack. Visit all the previous levels and pick things up you might have missed. Or just go hunting for trophies, which I'll be doing when I finish it, so it has a replay value to it.


This is my fourth of fifth - I'm not sure - gameplay so that means a lot. Says a lot about the quality of the game. Not that I'm saying that the games I don't touch are bad per se, just the games in the genres that I play.


Even when I finish this playthrough, the game's gonna stay in my collection. It's got such a great atmosphere, wonderful level designs, amusing and quite interesting characters and a Hollywood-worthy story. One that I've touched upon in one of my previous blogs.


Bioshock 2, I'm not too sure I'll be keeping that one. I might let my dad have a go on it and as soon as he finishes the game, I'll go trophy hunting and will be selling it again. I'm sorry 2K, I love the effort and spirit you put into the game but it doesn't beat its first installment. 


Which is kinda sad. Look at Uncharted. It can be done.


So, finishing Bioshock tomorrow and do some trophy hunting and then I'm back on Final Fantasy XIII do to some more trophy hunting ^_^


Quote of the Day: Love is just a chemical, no matter the origin. We give it meaning by choice.

Oh my gawd o_O

After 2 hours and 41 minutes, the update has finally installed himself on my PS3!


Meanwhile I finished my ironing, read the last chapters of my latest book, watched an episode of Flikken Maastricht and cleaned the kitchen. *rolleyes*


Let's see if I can finish this Bioshock playthrough today as it's 16u43 
*rubs fingers and grabs PS3 controller*


Game on!

PS3 Updates and slow Internet connections

Couple of days ago, I re-started Bioshock to get the trophies that I wanted - and could get - to finally put this little baby away.


Lo-behold, I finished playing it in one day, made a proper new (read back-up) save and crushed the end-boss after doing so.


But wait! Instead of auto-saving on the last file, the PS3 saves OVER my back-up file, instantly deleting my whole playthrough.


Needless to say I was pretty damn pissed off.


He could pick from two files but no he HAD to screw up mine.


Not my sparkly black friend that evening.


So, anyway - because I'm such hardheaded and stubborn as hell - I decided to give it yet another, very last, try today. With four back-up saves!


Until I got prompted to update the PS3. Now, I'm over my download limit on my Internet connection until the 7th of April and it automatically goes to a slower connection. 


26 minutes later, it's still at 7%.


If I had the time and money, I'd hunt down my Internet Providers and beat them down with a spoon.


*insert very annoyed, rolling eyes, sighing brunette*


So, meanwhile I'm stuck with ironing until the download finishes. Hopefully sometime today - preferably this afternoon still. 


Oh, has anyone seen the new Resident Evil Afterlife Trailer? Gosh. I'm speechless - and that doesn't happen often - and I don't mean that in a good way. What were they thinking?

Bioshock

Many of you know that I like my games to be "story-heavy" or at least have a profound meaning. Okay, granted, Uncharted 2 had a fanfic-like story in which the hero is in love with the girl and she almost dies and in the end he finally tells her he loves her and all's well that end's well but there are games out there; like for instance Bioshock that carry a heavy theme, a message to a lot of people out there.

It's a story about power and how we could and would use power. And that the bad guy may not always be the bad guy because there could be someone there even worse.

So whom are you loyal to? How far would we go to let ourselves be ordered around? How far would be go to help or to survive.


And that is what Bioshock wants us to experience. In the game you're a man arriving in an underwater city. A city created by a man sick of goverments and power mongers and he just said: ya know what? Screw you all, I'll just create my own city under water and people can be who they want to be.

He quoted: "I am Andrew Ryan, and I'm here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? 'No!' says the man in Washington, 'It belongs to the poor.' 'No!' says the man in the Vatican, 'It belongs to God.' 'No!' says the man in Moscow, 'It belongs to everyone.' I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose... Rapture, a city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, Where the great would not be constrained by the small! And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well."


But of course in the end he had to create rules, punishment and by lacking those he created a city in chaos. People partying all the time, ravishing others, murdering.

The city known as Rapture became a lost city.


From the start there is a man asking you, "would you kindly", to help rescue his wife and kid. Of course you want to because that's a good thing. Right?


Then they seemed to have escaped high up in the city and he asks you "to kindly murder someone to get the key to free them". You do this because the man with the key is just a bad guy. Or is he?


Then you start to realize that you are being used as merely a puppet to execute orders. You murdered people for this man.


And in that man's words: "A man chooses, a slave obeys.", you struggle with your conscious. Did you really choose to help him or did you just obey his orders like a slave?


I think that's a very powerful statement. 


Something that recently happened to me on my previous job; I chose to leave because I refused to be a slave.


That's Bioshock for ya, I'm really curious how Bioshock 2 will turn out to be; gameplay wise and the story of course =)


Game on!

More Blue Moon Awards!!!

This is beyond crazy! I can't stop grinning like an idiot!


Just went for a stroll to get my Bioshock 2 copy-


(through the snow, my whole town was in distress, saw four accidents, 2 cm of snow; no traffic lights, a providor lost his Internet, phone connection, Digital TV, no credit card terminals working, no police because they're on strike...more than 900 km traffic jams throughout Belgium!...*headdesk* You gotta love this country...I have this huge box filled with vanilla candles just in case the electricity goes out and we get stuck in the freakkin' dark ages) 


-and came back to see that I got an email stating three of my fanfics were up for nomination!!!


...must stop using exclamation marks...


I'm so humbled by it, so touched. The three stories that were nominated are:


Hope and Love
Ché Ché
Fulfilled Dreams


Voting starts on March 9th, go vote if you really really like one of the stories, please do check out the other nominations because there are some people up there whom I strongly believe should pick up writing as a profession. There are so many talented people up there!


Thanks a million for the appreciation ^_^

Grand Theft Auto IV

Since I'm still pumped by all the adrenaline souring through my body from all the dancing, I don't feel like sleeping...even when it's 04u46 xD

Grand Theft Auto IV might be slightly overrated to some so I was really weary when I started playing this but I found myself drown into the story, the characters, the mood, the gameplay, the Trophies of course and I truly believe it's in the top 10 of best games ever. Series wise of course because I'd have a lot of Final Fantasy's and Resident Evil's in that top 10 =)

The game itself is very well played out, it's a story within a mission. Each character has his own difficulties and missions to complete and you, as Niko, need to help them.

Whether it's stealing high end cars, delivering "packages", driving around with dead bodies, stealing, breaking in, killing mob families, dating their sisters,... the list goes on and that makes the game so playable. It doesn't get boring at all, frustrating yes whenever you have to do a story mission and you keep failing and you can't continue but after some time you find that if you take a deep breath, it's do-able.

The story blew me away. It's a very very strong script, very good voice acting, very believable characters. Some of the conversations had me in fits of laughter. It's pure geniusness, I tell ya.


And in the end, spoilers be warned, he doesn't get the girl. He does save his brother though and I believe that is why it can still be very heartwarming. You can relate to it. His family is so important to him, there's a lesson in it, I'm sure.

I finished it but I still have two trophies I need to do for it to be completed in my book. This is not a game where I can get a Platinum Trophy. o_O


But back to some examples of the quotes in the game. Nico was watching television (yes you can do that in the game) and on one of the shows; it goes something like: and the British came, sure they did they're all gay!


I mean knowing that this game is made by the Brittish...LOL... them Brits like to take the piss out of themselves. Gah. I love them.

Niko Bellic: (when drunk and hailing a cab) Heeeey! Yeeeeeeeeelooooow Car!!!


Which to me is really funny, I have a friend who does the same thing when he's drunk LOL

Vladimir 'Vlad' Glebov: (answering his phone) Hey. Hey, gorgeous, no. I can't talk right now. What are you wearing? Listen, I'll call you back.
[to Niko]
Vladimir 'Vlad' Glebov: Sorry.
Niko Bellic: Who was that?
Vladimir 'Vlad' Glebov: Never you mind.
Niko Bellic: Was it Ivan?
Vladimir 'Vlad' Glebov: Oh, that's funny. You know, for a damn yokel you're a very funny guy.
Niko Bellic: [laughing] Yes. And for an annoying dick, you're really an annoying dick. 

Niko Bellic: [after being insulted by Brian] You're a dick!
Brian Meech: I'm a rich dick, friend. I'm young. I'm rich. And I'm loaded. You know what?
[Takes out $100 and hands it to Niko]
Brian Meech: Have a hundred dollars, on Uncle Sam. Benjamin Motherfucking Franklin. Freedom! [Walks away] This coke is okay!

Dimitri Rascalov: You know, if there is one thing that I have learned, it is that we must obey the rules of the game. We can pick the game, Niko Bellic. But we cannot change the rules.

United Liberty Paper: You think I don't know that? You think I've been sitting around scratching my balls with my head up my ass?
Niko Bellic: I'd be impressed if you had been. 


Well that's it for GTA IV and as my clock reads 05u56, I bid you farewell yet again because I know I'll be having another sleepless night later today as I'm gonna pick up my copy of Bioshock 2!! More on that later ^_^

Insanity: going slighty controlled mad

Insanity; a word with different meanings.


It is known to be a condition; a derangement of the mind.
Or used by the law to state someone who's unsoundness of mind affects their legal responsibility or capacity.
It is also known to be a psychosis. 


Or in my case; someone who's extreme folly, has a foolhardiness but controlled.


Controlled madness.


I just came back from a party; the invitation coming in just two hours before it started but hey sometimes, you just gotta live on the edge and feel stress. 


Nah, I'm kidding. Are you crazy, I don't need two hours to get ready.


It was insane. The party was crazy and wild and did I mention; insane?


There were different kinds of rooms set up; each a theme expressed by emotions. There was a psychedelic crazy happy room with TV's displaying all kinds of happy things and clips.


Then you had a dark room; complete with Vampire themed waiters and black satin couches and gosh...I loved that room. Though I found out I really don't like Bloody Mary's. The cocktail Dracula's Bite was pretty darn good...no seriously...they had a punch set up on the table and it was waving me over. I could not resist it. The bright red and purple color worried me though LOL


And for those wondering; no I don't take drinks from strangers but I pretty much knew everyone that was in that room. Look at it as a very large home party.


It felt that way, my jaw still hurts from all the grinning, smiling and laughing.


Oh and the dancing. How I love dancing. For me it really is an expression of emotions...letting go. Something I don't do easily...like I said; it's controlled madness.


My dancing is a lot more controlled (again that word) because of my bad knee that can dislocate if stretched too far. And because of that I'm not that technically anymore and there were girls there...man...they were good. Very good. I used to be on the stage with them.


Those girls were dancing like cheetahs with fire crackers up their butt and I was the turtle stampeding through peanut butter.


I don't know just goes to show that you need to treasure your body. Your body is your temple.


Anyway as the party was in full swing...and my head...I was in the middle room which had a stage and large dancing space and two bars and loads of big screen TV's and this woman walked into the room; swaying her hips, her head high as she walked like a cat.


She stopped in the middle of the room and everyone turned to look at her and she said, " we are not amused". 


Which is sexy, funny and freaky at the same time. Multipersonality. HELLO? Anyone?


But normally that kind of behavior would rub me the wrong way but I found myself in the center of her attention. I could see and feel she was a Black Heart, just like me.


So she walked up to me, probably knowing who I was (because like I said, I know those people), and looked me up and down, tilted her head to one side and asked: "what are you thinking now?"


And I said, "I feel like I'm being licked and lapped by a cat and her cream."


And she laughed, she actually took the dare and leaned into me and said in my ear, "Saw through my act huh?"


I couldn't help but smile.


I had met my Master. I'm good but I'm not that good.