- Computer problem solved (well, kind of) 2009-02-16 22:45:05 A few days ago, the DVD player on my laptop kept freezing when I tried playing a video DVD on it. Funny thing was, I was still able to play audio CDs on it, and I was even able to install a game on my laptop that was on a DVD. After a lot of trial and error, it seems that these new drivers I installed for my nvidia 8800m video cards (version 179.48 drivers) don’t want to play DVD movies while in SLI mode (at least on my laptop). I never thought this was the problem at first, because previous drivers allowed me to play DVD videos in SLI mode. Anyways, I submitted this problem to nvidia, and hopefully this issue will be resolved...eventually.
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2009-02-08 22:48:53
Don’t worry. This entry won’t be as long as my last one ;)
First off, congrats to Autraya for winning two awards at the AI Con AMV competition for her Path of Destiny video! I remember seeing it a while back, and it is a really well done AMV.
Recently, a friend of mine showed me a trailer for an upcoming Japanese movie called “Goemon”, which can be found here (be sure to watch it in HD):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxtxdbARO4I
It’s by the same director as the live action version of Casshern. Personally, I thought the live action Casshern was pretty good, although it could have used a few more fight scenes. It seems that the director wants to rectify that in Goemon. It looks really cool, and I hope I can check it out one of these days.
Staying on the movie theme, I got the chance last week to check out Taken in theatres. I didn’t really expect too much out of it, and I was surprised as how much I enjoyed it in the end. It won’t revolutionize cinema, but there’s a lot of great action, and Liam Neeson is just fantastic in this movie. Definitely a solid 4/5 stars.
I’ve also been introduced to an old sci-fi series, which I’ve heard a lot about, called The Prisoner. I’ve watched about half the series, and I absolutely love it. Honestly, watching this show is akin to taking a weird 60’s drug trip. Patrick McGoohan owns the role of Prisoner #6. I’ve read not too long ago that there’s going to be a modern remake of this series, but I don’t know if could work as well without all the 60’s cheesiness.
Lastly, I’ve been playing the heck out of the Dawn of War II beta on my PC. It’s a big departure from other real-time strategy games I’ve played, as there is a huge emphasis on squad tactics, and limited base building. It took a while for me to get around some of the game’s mechanics (i.e. using cover actually helps you), but once I did, the game is a blast to play!
That’s it for now. Be seeing you! -
2009-01-27 22:14:43
So, this is another one of my multi-subject entries that I’m writing to kill time until I can get my hands on the Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II beta from Steam. Enjoy :)
AMVs
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I don’t know why I put this off for so long, but I finally made a correction to an anime listed on one of my videos...that being my first video. When I first entered this video into the catalogue, I accidentally put both Final Fantasy VII (i.e. the game), and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, although the video only contained footage from Advent Children. Due to a combination of not looking at my old videos often, and...well...laziness, whenever I saw that mistake I always thought to myself “I’ll deal with it later”. Well, over 2.5 years after entering the AMV into the Org, I finally got that video entry to list only Advent Children, so big thanks to the site admins for doing that. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner, but at least my subsequent videos don’t have an entry error (and hopefully my future ones won’t either).
Movies
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Valkyrie:
I really did not expect this movie to be any good, but to my surprise I ended up enjoying it. Revolving around the plan of Colonel Stauffenberg (played by Tom Cruise) to assassinate Hitler, the story’s plot and pacing, as well as decent acting by all involved helped keep me interested through the entire movie. However, one big gripe I had with the movie was that most of the characters (aside from Hitler) did not use German accents. I remember reading that this was the decision of director Bryan Singer, who says that it would feel too false using fake accents. Still, it was odd seeing a German soldier speak with a British accent. 4/5 stars.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans:
The Underworld series has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. I know that it’s campy, but as a pure popcorn movie it delivers. I’ve always enjoyed the cool battle scenes between scores of vampires and werewolves, and Rise of the Lycans continues this hallowed tradition. If you’re a fan of the series then you should definitely check it out. 3.5/5 stars.
Gaming
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I should note that I didn’t start and finish all these games since my last journal entry (I wish I had that much time). Anyways, on to the reviews:
Grand Theft Auto IV:
If you’ve played the more recent iterations of the GTA series (i.e. GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas), then you’ll have a pretty good idea of what this game is like. The graphics in this GTA IV are a huge step up from the previous versions. However, these improved require a pretty damn powerful rig to run it well (while my system runs it...okay). There are also plenty of side activities to do (e.g. racing, dating someone), and I enjoyed how story driven this GTA game was. In fact, this is the first GTA game I played all the way to the final mission, so I could find out what happened in the end. I can’t comment on the multiplayer aspects of this game, since I haven’t really touched it. However, I would give the single player experience of GTA IV 4.5/5 stars.
Two Worlds:
This game was actually release way back in 2007. I really liked Oblivion, and I heard that this game was pretty much the same concept. However, due to some of the reviews I read, I was hesitant to buy it until it dropped in price...a lot. Fast forward to just a couple of weeks before the end of 2008, and I see this game at my local Best Buy for under $20, so I decided to get. The story in Two Worlds is a pretty standard fantasy plot (something about stopping a group of people from releasing an evil god), and graphically it just doesn’t compare to Oblivion. Still, because of the large number of quests, items, and huge world to explore, I ended up enjoying this game. Two Worlds could have used a bit more polish (I used the latest patch, and still found some quest breaking bugs), but if you’re an RPG fan, and can find this game for a cheap price, then I would definitely recommend Two Worlds. 3.5/5 stars.
Prince of Persia:
My gut reaction after completing this game is...I prefer the Sands of Time trilogy more. That’s not to say that this new Prince of Persia is a bad game (because it’s not). The art direction in this game is great. The cell shaded graphics are fantastic, and the character animations are incredibly fluid. The combat can be fun, but at the same time, it can get repetitive because you’re essentially fighting one-on-one with the same enemies over and over again. Also, once you beat a boss on a map, you have to go through the map again to collect Light Seeds which will unlock other areas. Personally, when I beat a map, I just want to move on to something new. One feature in the game that’s a little (for lack of a better term) controversial, is the fact that you can’t die in this game. Period. No matter what you do, you’re partner Elika will be there to save you. Some say that takes all the challenge out of the game. However, I didn’t mind it that much because, when you think about it, in most games if your character dies, you’ll just reload from the last save point and go through it again. Having Elika rescue you cuts out the need to reload a save file. In the end, this reboot of the PoP series is a decent game, and lays the groundwork for what could be some great sequels. 3.5/5 stars.
Far Cry 2:
I bought this game when Steam had its holiday sale recently, and frankly, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the game. Basically, you’re a mercenary in small country in Africa, and are tasked with hunting down an arms dealer called The Jackal. However, aside from the main storyline, you can take plenty of side quests spread across a very large map. The money you earn from completing these quests can be used to buy new weapons (the automatic grenade launcher being my personal favourite), as well as upgrades to existing weapons and other equipment. Graphically, this Far Cry 2 is on par with games like Crysis, and the jungle terrain setting is beautifully rendered. So what are the downsides IMO, well...most of the side quests essentially boil down to just “kill a guy”. Also, the way enemies spawn can be really annoying. For example, I could be standing in a middle of a field, and see nothing in all directions, but then all of the sudden an enemy jeep could spawn and run me over. Still, this is one of the best shooters I’ve played in a while, and must buy for FPS fans. 4/5 stars.
Whew, so that’s it for now! Until next time! -
2008-12-27 23:51:31
So a few of things to talk about:
First and foremost, I released my latest project the other day, which is a comic book/manga themed video:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=92170
I hope you all like it!
Now, on a semi-related note, due in no small part to the movie The Dark Knight, I’ve been taking up reading a lot of batman comics recently. These titles include The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, The Long Halloween, and Dark Victory. These are some of the best stories that I’ve read, and any fan of comics should definitely pick them up.
Lastly, yesterday was Boxing Day in Canada, and I had planned to come in to my local Best Buy fairly early in the day to see if I could snatch up any deals....and then I overslept. I went later in the day, and as I anticipated, the store was absolutely packed. There was no parking in the store’s lot, and in fact, there was a traffic jam near the entrance to the lot. I decided to park at the Home Depot across the street, but the lot there was packed as well with Best Buy shoppers. Oh well, maybe next year.
Until next time! -
2008-12-22 23:34:10
It’s been a while since my last journal entry, so it’s time that I finally update it.
First off, I want to point you to the newly released Gothik II MEP. The link for the video page is here:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=164582
And there is a forum thread here (which also includes the first Gothik video):
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=91923
I have to say that I am very happy with how the final video turned out (and no, it’s not just because I’m a part of this MEP), and I hope to do more MEPs in the future.
So next up, I’ve been playing quite a few games on my PC recently (surprise, surprise), and here are my thoughts on a few of them:
Dead Space:
This is probably one of the few horror themed games I played that I actually found scary. Taking place aboard a derelict and infested spaceship, I was completely enthralled by the games creepy atmosphere, engaging story, and of course, having to take down monsters piece by piece (literally). The only real complaint I have is that the controls have not been optimised properly for the PC. Turning off V-sync helps a little, but I still found it too sluggish. Fortunately, I have a gamepad, and once I plugged it in the game played fine. The bottom line is, if you’re a fan of the survival horror genre, then definitely give Dead Space a try. 4.5/5 stars.
Fallout 3:
This probably ranks with Mass Effect as one of the best RPGs I’ve played this year. If you enjoyed Oblivion, then I can almost guarantee you that you will enjoy Fallout 3. However, this game is more than just “Oblivion with guns”. For instance, being able to target specific body parts of an enemy using the VATS system adds a lot more strategy to combat. Also, much of what you do in the game will have consequences later. You can save a town from a nuclear bomb, or flip the switch yourself, but lose all quests from that town. The only nitpicks I have with this game is that it is actually smaller than Oblivion, and I was hoping for the opposite (although there is still plenty to do in the gameworld). Also, the game caps you at level 20 (though I suspect they will raise it if the developers make an expansion pack). Still, this is one game that no RPG fan should miss out on. 4.5/5 stars.
Left 4 Dead:
Zombies, guns, and gore! What more could I ask for?! This is arguably one of the best online shooters I’ve played since the original Counter-Strike. While most team-based shooters do require some degree of teamwork, this game of Zombies vs. Humans absolutely DEMANDS it! If you’re team does not work well together, then you will lose very easily! And that’s what I love about this game. Whether you’re playing as the survivors (humans) or as a zombie, being able to plan your attacks and watching them succeed is a sight to behold. It’s fun to play as either side, but I really like playing as the zombies. Throwing up on a human to attract other zombies like bees to honey is just too much fun. Valve did a great job with this game, and I can’t wait to see what other original games they’ll come up with! 5/5 stars.
Now, on a different topic, I’m putting the finishing touches on my latest AMV, and I’m hoping to get it released either at the end of this week, or by early next week. Hope you’ll all check it out when it's released.
Well I guess that’s all I have to say for now. Until next time!
JOURNAL: Fizziks
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