Another review for a Halo game, another title pun. Sigh, if only I could think of better titles…
The review is for none other than Halo 2, the sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, which I have only recently gotten to play. Yes, I have been missing out all this time.
As you were probably able to tell by my review of the original Halo, even though I liked it very much, I was hot and cold on some aspects of the game, such as the vehicles and the difficulty level. I was happy to see that several of these aspects were improved upon in Halo 2. This makes it a 5 out of 5 right off the bat. After all, I would have rated Halo 1 the exact same thing if it weren't for its flaws, considering how fun it was.
In Halo 2, you have the option of dual wielding certain weapons. It doesn't have to be two of the same weapon; you can have two different weapons, even having an alien gun and a human gun at the same time. As a consequence, however, while dual wielding, you can't use grenades or melee (you can do that, but you automatically drop your weapon if you do).
There are also a few new weapons. The assault rifle is no longer in the game. Instead, you have the battle rifle. It takes some getting used to, but it's stronger than the assault rifle and even has a scope so that you can zoom in. There is still a machine gun in the game, called the SMG. New Covenant arms include the Covenant Carbine, which is the Covenant equivalent of a battle rifle, the Energy Sword, which was in the first game even though you couldn't use it, the Beam Sniper, which is a Covenant sniper rifle, and a few others.
Some old weapons have changed since the first game. The rocket launcher now has a lock-on feature for more precise shots, and its range has been moderated so that you don't get killed if you shoot one and it hits an enemy two miles away. The pistol, which I grew to like in the first game, has been changed to the magnum. You have to use two of them at once for them to be worth a crap in this game, which is a small disappointment. The Needler is now much more powerful, and using two of them together is devastating.
The vehicles have also changed a lot since the first game. The Warthog is easier to control than in the first game, and the framerate doesn't drop as much while riding it in co-op. The Scorpion's main cannon is much more accurate, and it doesn't take an hour to charge up. Its machine gun is more powerful, too. The body now moves independently from the turret, providing better control. While this means that you can no longer sit on it while a friend drives it during co-op, you can still hitch a ride by simply jumping on it. This is actually more convenient, because you can aim in all directions. The Ghost has more grip, and also has a boost function. The Banshee also has a boost function, and you can also perform tricks while driving it and it can shoot bombs. You can ride the Wraiths in this game, but they're not very fun. Another great feature is that, rather than having to kill the enemy in the vehicle and risking destroying the vehicle along with the enemy in order to ride it, you can jack them.
Another great thing is that the difficulty of the game has been toned down. The Fludd don't pour into the room and quickly kill you like in the previous game, and they can't come back to life unless a tiny Fludd crawls into a bigger one, so if you kill all the small ones, you shouldn't have many problems. Of course, there are still annoying parts, but they're not nearly as abundant.
Overall, Halo 2 receives a 5 out of 5. It is a great sequel, although the (spoiler) unsatisfactory ending would probably have annoyed me if Halo 3 wasn't out by the time I got to play it.
This game has received a T-MAN'S GAMES T-MAN'S CHOICE AWARD.
The review is for none other than Halo 2, the sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, which I have only recently gotten to play. Yes, I have been missing out all this time.
As you were probably able to tell by my review of the original Halo, even though I liked it very much, I was hot and cold on some aspects of the game, such as the vehicles and the difficulty level. I was happy to see that several of these aspects were improved upon in Halo 2. This makes it a 5 out of 5 right off the bat. After all, I would have rated Halo 1 the exact same thing if it weren't for its flaws, considering how fun it was.
In Halo 2, you have the option of dual wielding certain weapons. It doesn't have to be two of the same weapon; you can have two different weapons, even having an alien gun and a human gun at the same time. As a consequence, however, while dual wielding, you can't use grenades or melee (you can do that, but you automatically drop your weapon if you do).
There are also a few new weapons. The assault rifle is no longer in the game. Instead, you have the battle rifle. It takes some getting used to, but it's stronger than the assault rifle and even has a scope so that you can zoom in. There is still a machine gun in the game, called the SMG. New Covenant arms include the Covenant Carbine, which is the Covenant equivalent of a battle rifle, the Energy Sword, which was in the first game even though you couldn't use it, the Beam Sniper, which is a Covenant sniper rifle, and a few others.
Some old weapons have changed since the first game. The rocket launcher now has a lock-on feature for more precise shots, and its range has been moderated so that you don't get killed if you shoot one and it hits an enemy two miles away. The pistol, which I grew to like in the first game, has been changed to the magnum. You have to use two of them at once for them to be worth a crap in this game, which is a small disappointment. The Needler is now much more powerful, and using two of them together is devastating.
The vehicles have also changed a lot since the first game. The Warthog is easier to control than in the first game, and the framerate doesn't drop as much while riding it in co-op. The Scorpion's main cannon is much more accurate, and it doesn't take an hour to charge up. Its machine gun is more powerful, too. The body now moves independently from the turret, providing better control. While this means that you can no longer sit on it while a friend drives it during co-op, you can still hitch a ride by simply jumping on it. This is actually more convenient, because you can aim in all directions. The Ghost has more grip, and also has a boost function. The Banshee also has a boost function, and you can also perform tricks while driving it and it can shoot bombs. You can ride the Wraiths in this game, but they're not very fun. Another great feature is that, rather than having to kill the enemy in the vehicle and risking destroying the vehicle along with the enemy in order to ride it, you can jack them.
Another great thing is that the difficulty of the game has been toned down. The Fludd don't pour into the room and quickly kill you like in the previous game, and they can't come back to life unless a tiny Fludd crawls into a bigger one, so if you kill all the small ones, you shouldn't have many problems. Of course, there are still annoying parts, but they're not nearly as abundant.
Overall, Halo 2 receives a 5 out of 5. It is a great sequel, although the (spoiler) unsatisfactory ending would probably have annoyed me if Halo 3 wasn't out by the time I got to play it.
This game has received a T-MAN'S GAMES T-MAN'S CHOICE AWARD.
The famous pop-rock band One Republic struck gold last year with their album, Dreaming Out Loud, and released hit singles Apologize and Stop & Stare. Before Father-dear got the album, the only song I had ever heard was Apologize (the Timbaland remix), and, me being against the entire existence of teeny bop and all, I hated it at that time. Since then, however, I've grown to like it, and I have realized that it is actually one of the best songs on their CD…and it has a LOT of good songs. Here is the track list:
Mercy
Apologize
Stop & Stare
Tyrant
Sleep
Goodbye Apathy
All We Are
Someone to Save You
Dreamin' Out Loud
Too Easy
Prodigal
Coming to open the CD is the best song, Mercy. It is a fast-paced tune that really hits you with how great it is when you listen to it. Apologize is okay in its normal form, but the Timbaland remix (which is a bonus track on the album) is ironically a lot better. The third song, Stop & Stare, is actually the second best song on the CD. Unfortunately, the fourth track, Tyrant, is one of the few cruddy songs on the album…
The next track, Sleep, doesn't really do much to save it, either. That's not to say it's bad, but it's just simply "ok." Thankfully, Goodbye Apathy returns the album to greatness. The rest of the songs from that point on are great, sans the penultimate song, Too Easy.
Best Songs:
Mercy
Apologize (Timbaland remix)
Stop & Stare
Someone to Save You
Dreamin' Out Loud
Good Songs:
Apologize
Sleep
Goodbye Apathy
All We Are
Prodigal
Worst Songs:
Tyrant
Too Easy
Overall, Dreaming Out Loud receives a 4 out of 5. I don't like pop, I like One Republic! (I guess it doesn't count, though, since they're pop-rock)
Mercy
Apologize
Stop & Stare
Tyrant
Sleep
Goodbye Apathy
All We Are
Someone to Save You
Dreamin' Out Loud
Too Easy
Prodigal
Coming to open the CD is the best song, Mercy. It is a fast-paced tune that really hits you with how great it is when you listen to it. Apologize is okay in its normal form, but the Timbaland remix (which is a bonus track on the album) is ironically a lot better. The third song, Stop & Stare, is actually the second best song on the CD. Unfortunately, the fourth track, Tyrant, is one of the few cruddy songs on the album…
The next track, Sleep, doesn't really do much to save it, either. That's not to say it's bad, but it's just simply "ok." Thankfully, Goodbye Apathy returns the album to greatness. The rest of the songs from that point on are great, sans the penultimate song, Too Easy.
Best Songs:
Mercy
Apologize (Timbaland remix)
Stop & Stare
Someone to Save You
Dreamin' Out Loud
Good Songs:
Apologize
Sleep
Goodbye Apathy
All We Are
Prodigal
Worst Songs:
Tyrant
Too Easy
Overall, Dreaming Out Loud receives a 4 out of 5. I don't like pop, I like One Republic! (I guess it doesn't count, though, since they're pop-rock)
Much as the world turns, Coldplay is generally not that good. They have several little gems in their albums, such as Yellow or In My Place, which in turn become smash hits with the public. But from what I've heard from my dear old dad (I mention him in yet another music review), most of their stuff is just plain boring. Judging by the fact that I simply detest musicians such as Damien Rice and James Blunt, both of whom he enjoys, I would more than likely think so, too.
I still wanted to listen to their new album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, all the way through. When I did, I was actually in for a pleasant surprise. There was only one song that was crappy, and the rest were great. Here is the track list:
Life in Technicolor
Cemeteries of London
Lost
42
Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love
Yes
Viva La Vida
Violet Hill
Strawberry Swing
Death and All His Friends (Contains Hidden Track, The Escapist)
The first track, Life in Technicolor, is just another intro, featuring a quiet synthesizer tune. Cemeteries of London is the first real song of the album, and it's really good. Its follow-up, Lost, is actually one of the best songs on the album.
Unfortunately, 42, the next song, is a bore to listen to. It picks up toward the end, but that part is just…stupid. Thankfully, most of the next song, Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love is better, although the end of it is mostly boring piano. Whatever. 42 is actually the only completely crappy song.
The album goes back to the good stuff with Yes, however. Then comes Viva La Vida. It is by far the best song on the album. It is the story of a king, who…wasn't a very good king. Thus, he is overthrown, and loses everything. At least, that's what the lyrics imply. However, it could be a metaphor for losing your love, as everything seems to be these days. Violet Hill is the album's second best song, a nice tune about someone taking their love to the place that he grew up, and telling her the history of the place. Yet, she wouldn't tell him he loved her back, and let him go. It's actually a song about a place, and unrequited love.
The final track on the album, Death and All His Friends, is the "sequel" to Viva La Vida. In it, the king/lover in question decides to go along with whatever happens, as implied in the lyrics: "I don't wanna cycle or recycle revenge, I don't wanna follow death and all of his friends." At the beginning, there is soft piano music and soft lyrics, but toward the end, there is some soft guitar and the lyrics become more pronounced. It also contains a hidden track, The Escapist. It is a beautiful little tune, and a great way to end the CD.
Best Songs:
Lost
Viva La Vida
Violet Hill
Death and All His Friends
Good Songs:
Life in Technicolor
Cemeteries of London
Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love
Yes
Strawberry Swing
Worst Song:
42
Overall, Coldplay's new album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, receives a 4 out of 5. Coldplay's band members have discovered something they should have discovered a long time ago: you don't have to be boring to be sincere and meaningful.
I still wanted to listen to their new album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, all the way through. When I did, I was actually in for a pleasant surprise. There was only one song that was crappy, and the rest were great. Here is the track list:
Life in Technicolor
Cemeteries of London
Lost
42
Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love
Yes
Viva La Vida
Violet Hill
Strawberry Swing
Death and All His Friends (Contains Hidden Track, The Escapist)
The first track, Life in Technicolor, is just another intro, featuring a quiet synthesizer tune. Cemeteries of London is the first real song of the album, and it's really good. Its follow-up, Lost, is actually one of the best songs on the album.
Unfortunately, 42, the next song, is a bore to listen to. It picks up toward the end, but that part is just…stupid. Thankfully, most of the next song, Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love is better, although the end of it is mostly boring piano. Whatever. 42 is actually the only completely crappy song.
The album goes back to the good stuff with Yes, however. Then comes Viva La Vida. It is by far the best song on the album. It is the story of a king, who…wasn't a very good king. Thus, he is overthrown, and loses everything. At least, that's what the lyrics imply. However, it could be a metaphor for losing your love, as everything seems to be these days. Violet Hill is the album's second best song, a nice tune about someone taking their love to the place that he grew up, and telling her the history of the place. Yet, she wouldn't tell him he loved her back, and let him go. It's actually a song about a place, and unrequited love.
The final track on the album, Death and All His Friends, is the "sequel" to Viva La Vida. In it, the king/lover in question decides to go along with whatever happens, as implied in the lyrics: "I don't wanna cycle or recycle revenge, I don't wanna follow death and all of his friends." At the beginning, there is soft piano music and soft lyrics, but toward the end, there is some soft guitar and the lyrics become more pronounced. It also contains a hidden track, The Escapist. It is a beautiful little tune, and a great way to end the CD.
Best Songs:
Lost
Viva La Vida
Violet Hill
Death and All His Friends
Good Songs:
Life in Technicolor
Cemeteries of London
Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love
Yes
Strawberry Swing
Worst Song:
42
Overall, Coldplay's new album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, receives a 4 out of 5. Coldplay's band members have discovered something they should have discovered a long time ago: you don't have to be boring to be sincere and meaningful.
Guess I've finally been able to think of better titles, eh? Well, anyway, I have recently gotten into the band Three Days Grace, having put every song from their new album One – X on my MP3 player.
Anyway, notice the title. Does it imply anything? Yes, the album is half the length of an average rock album. I was playing the second-to-last level on Star Fox Assault while listening to it. It's a long level, surely…but not long enough to excusably complete an entire rock album before completing the level. This is a major problem because I really liked the album, sans about three of the twelve songs. Anyway, here are the songs:
It's All Over
Pain
Animal I Have Become
Never Too Late
On My Own
Riot
Get Out Alive
Let It Die
Over and Over
Time of Dying
Gone Forever
One – X
The song that opens the album, It's All Over, is pretty good. Speaking out against drug abuse, it is a good way to open the album. It opens with a soft synthesizer tune, and then making a transition to noisy guitar, after which it goes acoustic. Transitions between loud rock guitar and soft acoustic guitar are something you'll see a lot of in the album. Though it opened well, the second song is, ummm….
"Paiiiiiiin, without love,
Paiiiiiiiiin, I can't get enough,
Paiiiiiin, I like it rough,
Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all."
Ugh. Yes, those were lyrics from the second song of the album, entitled, surprise surprise, Pain. The very beginning isn't a good start to the song, but at least the song gets better as you listen.
Thankfully, the third song, Animal I Have Become, is One – X's gem. Following in the style of bands such as Linkin Park and, in some ways (thankfully not many), the album's previous song, it is an angst-stricken tune about someone having become very angry at the world and mean, and wanting his family and friends to help him out of this. At least, that's the way I see it.
Never Too Late is the song you've probably heard a lot of if you've been listening to the radio for the past month or so. It's actually the SECOND best song of the album. Once again, some angst touches. The story is about a person's girlfriend/wife hating her life and wanting to commit suicide, although the person the song is about is trying to convince her not to.
However, with many albums I review, with every string of good songs comes a bad song at the end. Riot is probably the WORST song on the album. OK, so, would you be so mad at people who dislike you that you would want to start a riot? Really? Well, then, LET'S START A RIOT!! LET'S START A RIOT!! And so on, and so forth. Seriously, it's that dumb. At least the rest of the songs are good…
Sans Gone Forever. The evil doppelganger of Never Too Late, the song is about a person who is HAPPY his girlfriend/wife is dead because it means he can "get drunk and fight" and do stuff like that. The music sounds okay, but the lyrics are abysmal.
Best Songs:
Animal I Have Become
Never Too Late
Time of Dying
One – X
Good Songs:
It's All Over
On My Own
Get Out Alive
Let It Die
Over and Over
Worst Songs:
Pain
Riot
Gone Forever
Overall, One – X receives a 4 out of 5. Those three bad songs aren't a big deal; the album just should have been a lot longer.
Anyway, notice the title. Does it imply anything? Yes, the album is half the length of an average rock album. I was playing the second-to-last level on Star Fox Assault while listening to it. It's a long level, surely…but not long enough to excusably complete an entire rock album before completing the level. This is a major problem because I really liked the album, sans about three of the twelve songs. Anyway, here are the songs:
It's All Over
Pain
Animal I Have Become
Never Too Late
On My Own
Riot
Get Out Alive
Let It Die
Over and Over
Time of Dying
Gone Forever
One – X
The song that opens the album, It's All Over, is pretty good. Speaking out against drug abuse, it is a good way to open the album. It opens with a soft synthesizer tune, and then making a transition to noisy guitar, after which it goes acoustic. Transitions between loud rock guitar and soft acoustic guitar are something you'll see a lot of in the album. Though it opened well, the second song is, ummm….
"Paiiiiiiin, without love,
Paiiiiiiiiin, I can't get enough,
Paiiiiiin, I like it rough,
Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all."
Ugh. Yes, those were lyrics from the second song of the album, entitled, surprise surprise, Pain. The very beginning isn't a good start to the song, but at least the song gets better as you listen.
Thankfully, the third song, Animal I Have Become, is One – X's gem. Following in the style of bands such as Linkin Park and, in some ways (thankfully not many), the album's previous song, it is an angst-stricken tune about someone having become very angry at the world and mean, and wanting his family and friends to help him out of this. At least, that's the way I see it.
Never Too Late is the song you've probably heard a lot of if you've been listening to the radio for the past month or so. It's actually the SECOND best song of the album. Once again, some angst touches. The story is about a person's girlfriend/wife hating her life and wanting to commit suicide, although the person the song is about is trying to convince her not to.
However, with many albums I review, with every string of good songs comes a bad song at the end. Riot is probably the WORST song on the album. OK, so, would you be so mad at people who dislike you that you would want to start a riot? Really? Well, then, LET'S START A RIOT!! LET'S START A RIOT!! And so on, and so forth. Seriously, it's that dumb. At least the rest of the songs are good…
Sans Gone Forever. The evil doppelganger of Never Too Late, the song is about a person who is HAPPY his girlfriend/wife is dead because it means he can "get drunk and fight" and do stuff like that. The music sounds okay, but the lyrics are abysmal.
Best Songs:
Animal I Have Become
Never Too Late
Time of Dying
One – X
Good Songs:
It's All Over
On My Own
Get Out Alive
Let It Die
Over and Over
Worst Songs:
Pain
Riot
Gone Forever
Overall, One – X receives a 4 out of 5. Those three bad songs aren't a big deal; the album just should have been a lot longer.
Flyleaf's debut album came out three years ago, and achieved them massive success. Three singles were released: I'm So Sick, Fully Alive, and that song that follows you everywhere on the radio, All Around Me. Like Daughtry and Alicia Keyes, it plays so much that it's almost annoying. Sure, it's their best song…
But that's not saying much.
How did I end up with the album, then? Well, my good old dad (I bring him up in every music review, it seems) heard, surprise surprise, All Around Me on some movie. Finding it to his liking, he got the album. After listening to it once, he never paid it any mind, saying that Fully Alive and All Around Me were the only songs that were worth a crap. At first, I hated them too, sans I'm So Sick and All Around Me.
Then, one day, since Dad had gotten all sorts of new albums, I decided to get everything that was already on my MP3 player off (temporarily) and stuff it full of as many new albums it could hold. Among these were One X (Three Days Grace), Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (Coldplay), Don't You Fake It [Deluxe Edition] (The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus), and Flyleaf, as I thought it would only be fair to give them a second try.
There are ten songs on the album:
I'm So Sick
Fully Alive
Perfect
Cassie
Sorrow
I'm Sorry
All Around Me
Breathe Today
There For You
So I Thought
I'm So Sick opens the album. It's the second best song on the album, next to All Around Me. Their hard rock image is shown from the first song on. It's really the only song with screaming in it. It's a good way to open up their first album. The hard rock tune carries over to Fully Alive, although it's not as good as the previous song. I know that Fully Alive has been inspired by some other type of rock, but whatever…
The first three songs on the album are OK, but the fourth track (called Cassie) is simply…atrocious. Hearing the sound of Lacey Mosley's voice in that song...think of a girl version of the lead singer of System of a Down, except slightly better, with better, yet still terrible, lyrics. It's about a girl named Cassie who "pulled the trigger," but I didn't catch much more than that. Thankfully, Sorrow and I'm Sorry return the band to their normal selves.
All Around Me is the seventh song on the album. It is by far their best song, despite its constant radio airplay that is beginning to get on my nerves. I actually watched a music video for it…and it was not good. Just a bunch of crazy, unfitting dance moves and the wall being periodically painted different colors. Whatever. After All Around Me comes, unfortunately, Breathe Today. OK, not all of that song is crappy, but a lot of it involves Lacey Mosley just rhythmically talking, like rap. It's not just like rap, but I don't usually like talking mixed with singing…
The last two songs, There For You and So I Thought, are much more sincere than the other songs on the album. With nice, clean acoustic guitar, with some soft electric guitar thrown in there to mix things up a bit, they're definitely up there with I'm So Sick and All Around Me.
Good Songs:
I'm So Sick
All Around Me
There For You
So I Thought
O-K Songs:
Fully Alive
Perfect
Sorrow
I'm Sorry
Bad Songs:
Cassie
Breathe Today
Overall, Flyleaf's self-titled debut album receives a 2 out of 5. Only 40% of the album's songs are actually good (yes, I did the math), but I'm not going to crap on them. I believe that their next album can be great, if they try to better.
But that's not saying much.
How did I end up with the album, then? Well, my good old dad (I bring him up in every music review, it seems) heard, surprise surprise, All Around Me on some movie. Finding it to his liking, he got the album. After listening to it once, he never paid it any mind, saying that Fully Alive and All Around Me were the only songs that were worth a crap. At first, I hated them too, sans I'm So Sick and All Around Me.
Then, one day, since Dad had gotten all sorts of new albums, I decided to get everything that was already on my MP3 player off (temporarily) and stuff it full of as many new albums it could hold. Among these were One X (Three Days Grace), Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (Coldplay), Don't You Fake It [Deluxe Edition] (The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus), and Flyleaf, as I thought it would only be fair to give them a second try.
There are ten songs on the album:
I'm So Sick
Fully Alive
Perfect
Cassie
Sorrow
I'm Sorry
All Around Me
Breathe Today
There For You
So I Thought
I'm So Sick opens the album. It's the second best song on the album, next to All Around Me. Their hard rock image is shown from the first song on. It's really the only song with screaming in it. It's a good way to open up their first album. The hard rock tune carries over to Fully Alive, although it's not as good as the previous song. I know that Fully Alive has been inspired by some other type of rock, but whatever…
The first three songs on the album are OK, but the fourth track (called Cassie) is simply…atrocious. Hearing the sound of Lacey Mosley's voice in that song...think of a girl version of the lead singer of System of a Down, except slightly better, with better, yet still terrible, lyrics. It's about a girl named Cassie who "pulled the trigger," but I didn't catch much more than that. Thankfully, Sorrow and I'm Sorry return the band to their normal selves.
All Around Me is the seventh song on the album. It is by far their best song, despite its constant radio airplay that is beginning to get on my nerves. I actually watched a music video for it…and it was not good. Just a bunch of crazy, unfitting dance moves and the wall being periodically painted different colors. Whatever. After All Around Me comes, unfortunately, Breathe Today. OK, not all of that song is crappy, but a lot of it involves Lacey Mosley just rhythmically talking, like rap. It's not just like rap, but I don't usually like talking mixed with singing…
The last two songs, There For You and So I Thought, are much more sincere than the other songs on the album. With nice, clean acoustic guitar, with some soft electric guitar thrown in there to mix things up a bit, they're definitely up there with I'm So Sick and All Around Me.
Good Songs:
I'm So Sick
All Around Me
There For You
So I Thought
O-K Songs:
Fully Alive
Perfect
Sorrow
I'm Sorry
Bad Songs:
Cassie
Breathe Today
Overall, Flyleaf's self-titled debut album receives a 2 out of 5. Only 40% of the album's songs are actually good (yes, I did the math), but I'm not going to crap on them. I believe that their next album can be great, if they try to better.
It’s been many months since I did my last music review, for Inhuman Rampage, by Dragonforce (2006). Now, I’m back with a review for Good Charlotte’s new album Good Morning Revival (2007)! I’ve also noticed how cheesy my review titles have been lately, although this is the best I got…
Though I’ve never really been particularly interested in Good Charlotte, I’ve always liked them. The Anthem and Girls and Boys were the main two songs I ever heard, although I may have heard others in my life. During Thanksgiving of last year, I watched the Thanksgiving Parade, where I saw Good Charlotte performing Dance Floor Anthem live. This ultimately got me interested in their new album, which I ultimately ended up getting.
There are a total of 15 songs on the album, and they are:
Good Morning Revival
Misery
The River
Dance Floor Anthem (I Don’t Wanna Be in Love)
Keep Your Hands off My Girl
Victims of Love
Where Would We Be Now
Break Apart Her Heart
All Back
Beautiful Place
Something Else
Broken Hearts Parade
March On
Keep Your Hands off My Girl (remix)
Face the Strange
Although, most of the time, the song which an album is named after is the album’s lead single, although Good Morning Revival is just a short intro with harmonizing voices like a chorus. Once that’s over, Misery plays. During that song, you can tell that Good Charlotte is going in a different direction from their previous songs (at least, the ones I've heard). The song, and the rest of the album has more electronica and sounds a lot more like pop. I don’t like pop, but I do like most of the album.
The fourth track on the album, called Dance Floor Anthem (I Don’t Wanna Be in Love), is probably my favorite Good Charlotte song. It tells the story of a woman who breaks up with her husband, despite the fact that the husband was trying to keep her happy any way he could. The sound of the guitar at some points is reminiscent of 80’s pop, although it goes perfectly with the rest of the song. Unfortunately, Keep Your Hands off My Girl comes after that. It is a mix of punk and rap…mostly rap. It also has a remix later on in the album, which isn’t much better. Just avoid both versions at all costs. Although Victims of Love is a lot better than the previous song, it is too heavy on the “teeny bop” influence, techno sounds dominating the song and thus making it the second worst song on the album.
Fortunately, Where Would We Be Now helps to get the bad taste of the previous two songs out of your mouth. With soft keyboard music, and soft, harmonizing vocals, it’s one of the more sincere songs on the album. Break Apart Her Heart returns to the rock-pop sound, however. All Black tells the story of a person who has a gothic girlfriend, who has caused him to become a goth himself. Though fast paced, it has a more melancholy tune and lyrics, akin to Misery, which carries on to Beautiful Place.
Great Songs:
Misery
Dance Floor Anthem (I Don’t Wanna Be in Love)
Where Would We Be Now
All Black
Good Songs:
Good Morning Revival
The River
Break Apart Her Heart
Beautiful Place
Something Else
Broken Hearts Parade
March On
Face the Strange
Bad Songs:
Keep Your Hands off My Girl
Victims of Love
Keep Your Hands off My Girl (remix)
Overall, Good Charlotte’s new album Good Morning Revival receives a 3 out of 5. Although not outstanding, the album does have some real winners.
Though I’ve never really been particularly interested in Good Charlotte, I’ve always liked them. The Anthem and Girls and Boys were the main two songs I ever heard, although I may have heard others in my life. During Thanksgiving of last year, I watched the Thanksgiving Parade, where I saw Good Charlotte performing Dance Floor Anthem live. This ultimately got me interested in their new album, which I ultimately ended up getting.
There are a total of 15 songs on the album, and they are:
Good Morning Revival
Misery
The River
Dance Floor Anthem (I Don’t Wanna Be in Love)
Keep Your Hands off My Girl
Victims of Love
Where Would We Be Now
Break Apart Her Heart
All Back
Beautiful Place
Something Else
Broken Hearts Parade
March On
Keep Your Hands off My Girl (remix)
Face the Strange
Although, most of the time, the song which an album is named after is the album’s lead single, although Good Morning Revival is just a short intro with harmonizing voices like a chorus. Once that’s over, Misery plays. During that song, you can tell that Good Charlotte is going in a different direction from their previous songs (at least, the ones I've heard). The song, and the rest of the album has more electronica and sounds a lot more like pop. I don’t like pop, but I do like most of the album.
The fourth track on the album, called Dance Floor Anthem (I Don’t Wanna Be in Love), is probably my favorite Good Charlotte song. It tells the story of a woman who breaks up with her husband, despite the fact that the husband was trying to keep her happy any way he could. The sound of the guitar at some points is reminiscent of 80’s pop, although it goes perfectly with the rest of the song. Unfortunately, Keep Your Hands off My Girl comes after that. It is a mix of punk and rap…mostly rap. It also has a remix later on in the album, which isn’t much better. Just avoid both versions at all costs. Although Victims of Love is a lot better than the previous song, it is too heavy on the “teeny bop” influence, techno sounds dominating the song and thus making it the second worst song on the album.
Fortunately, Where Would We Be Now helps to get the bad taste of the previous two songs out of your mouth. With soft keyboard music, and soft, harmonizing vocals, it’s one of the more sincere songs on the album. Break Apart Her Heart returns to the rock-pop sound, however. All Black tells the story of a person who has a gothic girlfriend, who has caused him to become a goth himself. Though fast paced, it has a more melancholy tune and lyrics, akin to Misery, which carries on to Beautiful Place.
Great Songs:
Misery
Dance Floor Anthem (I Don’t Wanna Be in Love)
Where Would We Be Now
All Black
Good Songs:
Good Morning Revival
The River
Break Apart Her Heart
Beautiful Place
Something Else
Broken Hearts Parade
March On
Face the Strange
Bad Songs:
Keep Your Hands off My Girl
Victims of Love
Keep Your Hands off My Girl (remix)
Overall, Good Charlotte’s new album Good Morning Revival receives a 3 out of 5. Although not outstanding, the album does have some real winners.
Fourscore and two posts ago, I posted a huge announcement: I was allowed to play Halo. Yes. Halo.
While anyone reading this may be surprised that I wasn’t allowed to play it since I was 9 or 10, keep in mind that my mother dislikes trigger-button-shooters. Mainly, she dislikes me playing them. I don’t know why; she’s always been like that. It didn’t matter that you were killing aliens/diseases; it didn’t matter that at 11 I was shooting a BB gun at my grandparents’ house. It wasn’t until this year, at 12, that my mother finally decided to let me play Halo. She still dislikes the thought of me playing war games, since you’re killing people, but I’m sure Halo is better than any of those. I also believe this has opened the door to any shooters in which you’re not killing humans; I’ve put Resistance: Fall of Man on my Christmas list, actually. (Yes, I’ve already gotten started on my Christmas list…and I know that Resistance II is coming out, but I want the first one for Christmas to see if I like it, and get Resistance II for my birthday if I do). If you want to learn more, read my post entitled, “Halo Everybody!!”
Although Mom didn’t want me playing Halo, she didn’t mind if I learned the story. I already knew a lot about it to begin with, and had seen the endings of Halo 1 and Halo 3 because of my cousin’s intense Halo obsession. I’ve probably seen the ending of Halo 2 as well, but I’ll probably have to beat the game and see it again to remember. Currently, Halo: Combat Evolved and its successors could probably pass as the most story-driven shooters ever made. Of course, I love the story. Very much.
However, the gameplay doesn’t exactly fare as well anymore. Although the game is still a blast to play, lots of crap comes with it. Since the game has 12 levels, I like to mentally separate the game into halves of six levels each. During the first half, you’re only fighting the Covenant. When it’s just the Covenant, the game can be a blast to play on Normal, minus the last level of the first half, known as the Canyon. Don’t make me relive that…
Once the first half is over, the Fludd step in. After the Jenkins cutscene in the seventh level (which is, of course, awesome), Fludd immediately start pouring into the room. They’re everywhere! Everywhere!! The big ones (people or Covenant who have been turned into Fludd, or several small ones clumped together, which diffuse in an explosion when they get near you) are the ones you really need to watch out for, although the small ones can get very annoying in groups. Although the first couple of Fludd levels aren’t so bad on Normal (at least in co-op), the others need to be played on Easy to be fun at all. This is due to the fact that Fludd can close you in small corridors. Then, when you think you’re about to escape, one throws a grenade, which kills you immediately…even if you have a full shield and full health. Not to mention the Fludd often come back to life like zombies. Ugh.
Another thing is the range of the Fludd attacks, grenades, and rocket launcher shots. Several times, I’ve been looking at a Fludd that is five feet away. It punches the air, and it hurts me as if it were standing right in front of me. Also, if you throw a grenade and it lands half a mile away from you, you have to move 10 feet backwards or you’ll die from the grenade blast. And this happened to my cousin when we were playing co-op, and he ultimately made us quit because of it: he shot a rocket from all the way across a long hallway, and the blast killed him.
There are also issues with the vehicles in Halo: Combat Evolved. The Warthog has zero grip, forcing it to turn over several times. Also, when riding it during co-op, the framerate goes ballistic. The Ghost also has no grip. While this is more forgivable, considering it doesn’t touch the ground, it needs some grip to be fun to control. During co-op, accidentally gently touching your teammates with a vehicle that doesn’t even touch the ground will kill them immediately. While in the Scorpion (a tank), a charged shot from a plasma pistol will immediately annihilate your shield, despite the fact that you’re actually INSIDE the tank. The Scorpion’s machine gun is extremely weak. Although devastating if it DOES hit something, the Scorpion’s main cannon is extremely inaccurate, and it takes an hour of charging before you are able to use it again. Though the least of the vehicle-related issues, you can’t ride the Wraiths…
The graphics for the game are great for their time. Despite the fact that the human characters’ mouths move as though they are ventriloquist dummies, everything else looks almost real, such as Master Chief’s suit.
Overall, Halo: Combat Evolved receives a 4 out of 5. Although it has great graphics, fun factor, and story, issues with the vehicles and a nightmarish difficulty in the second half of the game prevent it from getting a perfect score. I’ve played Halo 2, and it’s a lot better. I still say that Halo 1 is “Holy Crap” worthy, though.
This game has received a T-MAN’S GAMES T-MAN’S CHOICE AWARD.
While anyone reading this may be surprised that I wasn’t allowed to play it since I was 9 or 10, keep in mind that my mother dislikes trigger-button-shooters. Mainly, she dislikes me playing them. I don’t know why; she’s always been like that. It didn’t matter that you were killing aliens/diseases; it didn’t matter that at 11 I was shooting a BB gun at my grandparents’ house. It wasn’t until this year, at 12, that my mother finally decided to let me play Halo. She still dislikes the thought of me playing war games, since you’re killing people, but I’m sure Halo is better than any of those. I also believe this has opened the door to any shooters in which you’re not killing humans; I’ve put Resistance: Fall of Man on my Christmas list, actually. (Yes, I’ve already gotten started on my Christmas list…and I know that Resistance II is coming out, but I want the first one for Christmas to see if I like it, and get Resistance II for my birthday if I do). If you want to learn more, read my post entitled, “Halo Everybody!!”
Although Mom didn’t want me playing Halo, she didn’t mind if I learned the story. I already knew a lot about it to begin with, and had seen the endings of Halo 1 and Halo 3 because of my cousin’s intense Halo obsession. I’ve probably seen the ending of Halo 2 as well, but I’ll probably have to beat the game and see it again to remember. Currently, Halo: Combat Evolved and its successors could probably pass as the most story-driven shooters ever made. Of course, I love the story. Very much.
However, the gameplay doesn’t exactly fare as well anymore. Although the game is still a blast to play, lots of crap comes with it. Since the game has 12 levels, I like to mentally separate the game into halves of six levels each. During the first half, you’re only fighting the Covenant. When it’s just the Covenant, the game can be a blast to play on Normal, minus the last level of the first half, known as the Canyon. Don’t make me relive that…
Once the first half is over, the Fludd step in. After the Jenkins cutscene in the seventh level (which is, of course, awesome), Fludd immediately start pouring into the room. They’re everywhere! Everywhere!! The big ones (people or Covenant who have been turned into Fludd, or several small ones clumped together, which diffuse in an explosion when they get near you) are the ones you really need to watch out for, although the small ones can get very annoying in groups. Although the first couple of Fludd levels aren’t so bad on Normal (at least in co-op), the others need to be played on Easy to be fun at all. This is due to the fact that Fludd can close you in small corridors. Then, when you think you’re about to escape, one throws a grenade, which kills you immediately…even if you have a full shield and full health. Not to mention the Fludd often come back to life like zombies. Ugh.
Another thing is the range of the Fludd attacks, grenades, and rocket launcher shots. Several times, I’ve been looking at a Fludd that is five feet away. It punches the air, and it hurts me as if it were standing right in front of me. Also, if you throw a grenade and it lands half a mile away from you, you have to move 10 feet backwards or you’ll die from the grenade blast. And this happened to my cousin when we were playing co-op, and he ultimately made us quit because of it: he shot a rocket from all the way across a long hallway, and the blast killed him.
There are also issues with the vehicles in Halo: Combat Evolved. The Warthog has zero grip, forcing it to turn over several times. Also, when riding it during co-op, the framerate goes ballistic. The Ghost also has no grip. While this is more forgivable, considering it doesn’t touch the ground, it needs some grip to be fun to control. During co-op, accidentally gently touching your teammates with a vehicle that doesn’t even touch the ground will kill them immediately. While in the Scorpion (a tank), a charged shot from a plasma pistol will immediately annihilate your shield, despite the fact that you’re actually INSIDE the tank. The Scorpion’s machine gun is extremely weak. Although devastating if it DOES hit something, the Scorpion’s main cannon is extremely inaccurate, and it takes an hour of charging before you are able to use it again. Though the least of the vehicle-related issues, you can’t ride the Wraiths…
The graphics for the game are great for their time. Despite the fact that the human characters’ mouths move as though they are ventriloquist dummies, everything else looks almost real, such as Master Chief’s suit.
Overall, Halo: Combat Evolved receives a 4 out of 5. Although it has great graphics, fun factor, and story, issues with the vehicles and a nightmarish difficulty in the second half of the game prevent it from getting a perfect score. I’ve played Halo 2, and it’s a lot better. I still say that Halo 1 is “Holy Crap” worthy, though.
This game has received a T-MAN’S GAMES T-MAN’S CHOICE AWARD.
Many Japanese anime shows can be great, especially movies, such as Spirited Away and Akira. Some can be so great that they are referenced in other Japanese pop culture, such as in Final Fantasy VII, during the cutscene in which Sephiroth walked through the flames (a reference to a similar scene with Tetsuo in Akira) Some can be so great that they can inspire some American movies, such as The Matrix. Some, however, are plagued with at least one of these five things. Some of them only apply for American dubs. Others, however, are solely the fault of the idiots who originally created the show.
Pet Peeve Number One: Unneeded Censorship (Sonic X)
America is subject to some of the highest censorship standards in the world. In Japan, anime can get by with smoking, drinking, death reference, cursing, and blood by the bucketful and Japanese kids still love it. In America, however, there is an ongoing belief that kids are wusses. After all, Jonny Quest was taken off the air because of parental watchdog groups calling it too violent, and also commenting on the use of weaponry and on-screen deaths. In order to placate parents who believe that kids shouldn’t watch SpongeBob SquarePants because it says the word “butt” in it, people oftentimes have to heavily censor anime. Sometimes it is necessary, but other times, people take it a wee bit too far.
I’ll take the 4Kids dub of Sonic X, for instance. I’m sure some of it needed to be censored, as is the nature of anime. Still, they made an effort to remove any and all reference of death. For instance, when the show was adapting Sonic Adventure 2, rather than leaving it be, they thought, “Maria shouldn’t die! Then, young Sonic fans who play the much more mature games won’t be able to watch the show! Let’s have her get taken away, instead!” Thus, a scene that came out of an E-rated game was censored like crazy. This is also apparent when the show-specific character Cosmo dies. An otherwise touching scene involving Tails not wanting her to die because of his love for her was censored to within an inch of its existence. Yeah, bad.
Pet Peeve Number Two: Mid-Battle Transformations, a.k.a. “But you haven’t seen my most powerful form!” (Dragon Ball Z)
Unlike the first one, this is the fault of the people who created Dragon Ball Z in the first place. Now, if I were Frieza, I would want to exterminate everyone quickly by immediately transforming into my Final Form. But no, instead Frieza waited until the Saiyans nearly wasted him to transform into his second form. Then, Piccolo had to come and deal out some damage before Frieza decided to transform again…and then again. But he still hadn’t taken the time to reach his 100% Full Power form. Also, if I were Goku, I would immediately go Super Saiyan 3 and annihilate everything, but thankfully I’m NOT Goku…
Pet Peeve Number Three: Stopping to Talk in the Middle of a Fight, a.ka. “You don’t have what it takes to be a Saiyan elite!” (Dragon Ball Z)
Another thing that I used Dragon Ball Z to represent. Anyway, HEY JAPANESE ANIMATORS!!! THERE’S A THING WE AMERICANS CALL FIGHTING!!! HAVE YOU HEARD OF IT?!! Though I wouldn’t be able to understand the answer coming from the person I was asking, the answer is in the TV shows they make.
Another thing that falls into this area is the refusal to fight, able to be detected by people standing there and saying nothing but, “Ah…ah…ah…” as if they were filling their diapers with tiny, hard, constipation turds. It’s terrible all the same.
Pet Peeve Number Four: People Talking to Themselves, a.k.a. “Ah!” (Pokemon)
I’ve seen this in far too many anime shows, but to represent this, I will choose Pokemon. Now, I hate Pokemon. With a passion, in fact. Though there are many...many reasons why I hate it, I noticed this happen a lot when I used to watch it. In lots of anime, people will talk to themselves, and I find it annoying. But Pokemon and a few others took it one step further with “Ah!” This is what happens: during an intense moment, the screen will split to show some of the spectators saying “Ah!” It’s annoying. Very much so.
Final Pet Peeve: Abysmal Dubbing, a.k.a. “Hah, hoo, hah!!!” (Speed Racer)
This is all too common in localized anime. It’s gotten much better since the old days, surely, but it’s still common. For instance, I have a tape of Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, that has been around in the U.S. since about the time that Sonic Adventure came out. I like it very much, but get this: Sonic actually says to Metal Sonic, “You may know everything I’m going to do, but that won’t help you because I know everything you’re going to do!! Strange, isn’t it?!!” Not to mention the terrible voices chosen for some of the characters. Tails’s voice is the whiniest it’s ever been, and Sonic sounds like a girl. At least it’s better than Speed Racer.
Actually, I’ve never watched Speed Racer, and thank God I haven’t. However, if I was ever up in the wee hours of the morning, I would watch Astro Boy on Cartoon Network. I noticed how everyone talked so fast, and if I made up a scenario in which someone crapped a turd, it would sound something like this, “You crapped a turd, and I don’t wanna smell it, because it stinks, because you crapped a turd! Hah, hoo, hah!!!” Astro Boy didn’t have the “hah-hoo-hahs,” at least, but from what I know about Speed Racer, it did.
So, there you have it. My five Japanese anime pet peeves. I’m not saying all anime stinks, because I like some anime (mostly movies). Still, I am always disappointed to see any of these five things in anime.
I don't know if all of the quotes I put in the section titles were accurate, but they are just there to reflect upon the ultimate stupidity in these frequently-occurring anime mistakes.
Pet Peeve Number One: Unneeded Censorship (Sonic X)
America is subject to some of the highest censorship standards in the world. In Japan, anime can get by with smoking, drinking, death reference, cursing, and blood by the bucketful and Japanese kids still love it. In America, however, there is an ongoing belief that kids are wusses. After all, Jonny Quest was taken off the air because of parental watchdog groups calling it too violent, and also commenting on the use of weaponry and on-screen deaths. In order to placate parents who believe that kids shouldn’t watch SpongeBob SquarePants because it says the word “butt” in it, people oftentimes have to heavily censor anime. Sometimes it is necessary, but other times, people take it a wee bit too far.
I’ll take the 4Kids dub of Sonic X, for instance. I’m sure some of it needed to be censored, as is the nature of anime. Still, they made an effort to remove any and all reference of death. For instance, when the show was adapting Sonic Adventure 2, rather than leaving it be, they thought, “Maria shouldn’t die! Then, young Sonic fans who play the much more mature games won’t be able to watch the show! Let’s have her get taken away, instead!” Thus, a scene that came out of an E-rated game was censored like crazy. This is also apparent when the show-specific character Cosmo dies. An otherwise touching scene involving Tails not wanting her to die because of his love for her was censored to within an inch of its existence. Yeah, bad.
Pet Peeve Number Two: Mid-Battle Transformations, a.k.a. “But you haven’t seen my most powerful form!” (Dragon Ball Z)
Unlike the first one, this is the fault of the people who created Dragon Ball Z in the first place. Now, if I were Frieza, I would want to exterminate everyone quickly by immediately transforming into my Final Form. But no, instead Frieza waited until the Saiyans nearly wasted him to transform into his second form. Then, Piccolo had to come and deal out some damage before Frieza decided to transform again…and then again. But he still hadn’t taken the time to reach his 100% Full Power form. Also, if I were Goku, I would immediately go Super Saiyan 3 and annihilate everything, but thankfully I’m NOT Goku…
Pet Peeve Number Three: Stopping to Talk in the Middle of a Fight, a.ka. “You don’t have what it takes to be a Saiyan elite!” (Dragon Ball Z)
Another thing that I used Dragon Ball Z to represent. Anyway, HEY JAPANESE ANIMATORS!!! THERE’S A THING WE AMERICANS CALL FIGHTING!!! HAVE YOU HEARD OF IT?!! Though I wouldn’t be able to understand the answer coming from the person I was asking, the answer is in the TV shows they make.
Another thing that falls into this area is the refusal to fight, able to be detected by people standing there and saying nothing but, “Ah…ah…ah…” as if they were filling their diapers with tiny, hard, constipation turds. It’s terrible all the same.
Pet Peeve Number Four: People Talking to Themselves, a.k.a. “Ah!” (Pokemon)
I’ve seen this in far too many anime shows, but to represent this, I will choose Pokemon. Now, I hate Pokemon. With a passion, in fact. Though there are many...many reasons why I hate it, I noticed this happen a lot when I used to watch it. In lots of anime, people will talk to themselves, and I find it annoying. But Pokemon and a few others took it one step further with “Ah!” This is what happens: during an intense moment, the screen will split to show some of the spectators saying “Ah!” It’s annoying. Very much so.
Final Pet Peeve: Abysmal Dubbing, a.k.a. “Hah, hoo, hah!!!” (Speed Racer)
This is all too common in localized anime. It’s gotten much better since the old days, surely, but it’s still common. For instance, I have a tape of Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, that has been around in the U.S. since about the time that Sonic Adventure came out. I like it very much, but get this: Sonic actually says to Metal Sonic, “You may know everything I’m going to do, but that won’t help you because I know everything you’re going to do!! Strange, isn’t it?!!” Not to mention the terrible voices chosen for some of the characters. Tails’s voice is the whiniest it’s ever been, and Sonic sounds like a girl. At least it’s better than Speed Racer.
Actually, I’ve never watched Speed Racer, and thank God I haven’t. However, if I was ever up in the wee hours of the morning, I would watch Astro Boy on Cartoon Network. I noticed how everyone talked so fast, and if I made up a scenario in which someone crapped a turd, it would sound something like this, “You crapped a turd, and I don’t wanna smell it, because it stinks, because you crapped a turd! Hah, hoo, hah!!!” Astro Boy didn’t have the “hah-hoo-hahs,” at least, but from what I know about Speed Racer, it did.
So, there you have it. My five Japanese anime pet peeves. I’m not saying all anime stinks, because I like some anime (mostly movies). Still, I am always disappointed to see any of these five things in anime.
I don't know if all of the quotes I put in the section titles were accurate, but they are just there to reflect upon the ultimate stupidity in these frequently-occurring anime mistakes.
Yesterday, a very important announcement was made to me. This message was from my mother, who actively opposes all shooting or M-rated games. She said it right to my face:
“You can play Halo.”
After hearing these words, I was completely flabbergasted. I almost passed out. As my blood pressure rose, and my breathing sped up, I managed to choke out, “Why?” Of course, I had wanted to all my life, but my mother disliked the thought of me playing a trigger-button shooting game, because she felt that the experience was too realistic. It was as if she had set up an iron barricade separating me from Halo, which only she could penetrate. For years, me and my diehard Halo-fan cousin have been trying to break that barricade with our own rocket launchers and plasma rifles, but my mother’s own army of Spartans foiled our plans every time. But yesterday, she tore the wall down. That wall, which separated me from Halo, much like the Berlin Wall separated the East Germans from freedom in West Germany, had been torn down.
The reason was, plain and simple: Mother dear had come to her senses. I had watched movies in which tons of people died on several occasions, and neither of my parents even batted an eye. Plus, you were killing aliens, not people. I also feel that Mom letting me play the rated-M-for-no-worthy-reason Oblivion had opened a mental door of some sort, but who cares what kind of paranormal forces were involved?! I get to play Halo!!!
Yes, yesterday was a great day for me. Oh, what a wonderful day it was.
Wanting to experience the story from the start, I began playing Halo: Combat Evolved on my 360. I was eager to begin gunning down Covenant, but a good portion of the beginning was spent running through corridors AVOIDING Covenant instead of showering them with lead coming out of an assault rifle. This did not detract at all, for I knew the action would begin. Soon.
When Cortana’s disc had been firmly inserted into our hero’s helmet, I got a pistol. Unfortunately, there was no ammo. At all. I got some eventually, but that’s when I realized: the pistol SUCKS EGGS!!! I needed something with better rapid fire capabilities, something that could easily overwhelm the grunts and other Covenant I would encounter. Something like…the assault rifle! Thankfully, mere seconds after getting ammo for my pistol, I found one. That was the end for the pitiful Covenant that had stupidly boarded the ship.
I was having fun. Some of the most fun I had ever had in any video game…ever. I called Dad in specifically to say, “Holy crap, this is awesome!!” Never once before have I played a game that has been worthy of saying “Holy Crap” over, or call my dad in just to tell him how awesome it is (not that he didn’t know). Oh, yes, Halo is awesome. So awesome. So unbelievably awesome…
After successfully escaping the ship, the escape pod crash-landed on a nearby Halo, on which I was forced to look for survivors. This was fun at first, and in fact introduced me to the Warthog. The Warthog is one of many, many Halo vehicles. It’s fun to ride around in as one of your guys mans a turret and guns down everything in your path, but the controls take some getting used to. Now, although I had fun at first, searching for survivors became tedious, especially with the Covenant hiding everywhere and quickly overwhelming me and killing me about 20 times (I’m evidently not a master at evasive action). Thank God for frequent checkpoints. Yes, due to my inexperience with FPS games, I stink at Halo. Hardcore. Still, playing Halo has been an overall enriching experience. I have thanked my mother at least 20 times because of this. Though I’m currently terrible at Halo (nothing hardcore playing won’t fix), I love it. I am currently stuck on the finding-survivors mission, but I’ll be back for more. Definitely.
“You can play Halo.”
After hearing these words, I was completely flabbergasted. I almost passed out. As my blood pressure rose, and my breathing sped up, I managed to choke out, “Why?” Of course, I had wanted to all my life, but my mother disliked the thought of me playing a trigger-button shooting game, because she felt that the experience was too realistic. It was as if she had set up an iron barricade separating me from Halo, which only she could penetrate. For years, me and my diehard Halo-fan cousin have been trying to break that barricade with our own rocket launchers and plasma rifles, but my mother’s own army of Spartans foiled our plans every time. But yesterday, she tore the wall down. That wall, which separated me from Halo, much like the Berlin Wall separated the East Germans from freedom in West Germany, had been torn down.
The reason was, plain and simple: Mother dear had come to her senses. I had watched movies in which tons of people died on several occasions, and neither of my parents even batted an eye. Plus, you were killing aliens, not people. I also feel that Mom letting me play the rated-M-for-no-worthy-reason Oblivion had opened a mental door of some sort, but who cares what kind of paranormal forces were involved?! I get to play Halo!!!
Yes, yesterday was a great day for me. Oh, what a wonderful day it was.
Wanting to experience the story from the start, I began playing Halo: Combat Evolved on my 360. I was eager to begin gunning down Covenant, but a good portion of the beginning was spent running through corridors AVOIDING Covenant instead of showering them with lead coming out of an assault rifle. This did not detract at all, for I knew the action would begin. Soon.
When Cortana’s disc had been firmly inserted into our hero’s helmet, I got a pistol. Unfortunately, there was no ammo. At all. I got some eventually, but that’s when I realized: the pistol SUCKS EGGS!!! I needed something with better rapid fire capabilities, something that could easily overwhelm the grunts and other Covenant I would encounter. Something like…the assault rifle! Thankfully, mere seconds after getting ammo for my pistol, I found one. That was the end for the pitiful Covenant that had stupidly boarded the ship.
I was having fun. Some of the most fun I had ever had in any video game…ever. I called Dad in specifically to say, “Holy crap, this is awesome!!” Never once before have I played a game that has been worthy of saying “Holy Crap” over, or call my dad in just to tell him how awesome it is (not that he didn’t know). Oh, yes, Halo is awesome. So awesome. So unbelievably awesome…
After successfully escaping the ship, the escape pod crash-landed on a nearby Halo, on which I was forced to look for survivors. This was fun at first, and in fact introduced me to the Warthog. The Warthog is one of many, many Halo vehicles. It’s fun to ride around in as one of your guys mans a turret and guns down everything in your path, but the controls take some getting used to. Now, although I had fun at first, searching for survivors became tedious, especially with the Covenant hiding everywhere and quickly overwhelming me and killing me about 20 times (I’m evidently not a master at evasive action). Thank God for frequent checkpoints. Yes, due to my inexperience with FPS games, I stink at Halo. Hardcore. Still, playing Halo has been an overall enriching experience. I have thanked my mother at least 20 times because of this. Though I’m currently terrible at Halo (nothing hardcore playing won’t fix), I love it. I am currently stuck on the finding-survivors mission, but I’ll be back for more. Definitely.