The Geek Wardrobe That I Need Right Now: Street Fighter Tights

Source: http://www.insertcoinclothing.com/

So I stumbled upon these fantastic Street Fighter leggings on some nerdy one clothing store. Unfortunately this is the only interesting thing being sold on the website in my opinion. I always get the feeling that the nerdy clothes are basic and have nothing special to them. And if you were to find some nerdy theme clothing that was actually decent, it would be overpriced and sold from another country. We need more nerdy designers out there...

YES, I KNOW I'M LATE: MY REVIEW OF GTA V

(I know some of you readers are thinking, why did it take you so long to finish this game?

I am not a person who discusses all the aspects of my life on the internet, and although I blog about my interests, and I try not to reveal anything that would exploit my privacy in any way. I flaunt my opinions and that's it. You may see what my face looks like from the header at the top of my blog, but that's all that I am going to reveal about myself).

 

Here's my review:

 

I bought Grand Theft Auto around the time it was released back in September and I finally managed to finish the entire game yesterday. It took me 3 entire months of exhausting gameplay to close another important gaming chapter in my life. And once again, I felt choked up at all of the endings. And I feel happy that I am a part of such an incredible generation to play all of these groundbreaking and culturally influential platforms. Grand Theft Auto V is not to be ignored by any indie gamers who feel like society is being mentally chewed up by ignorance involving negativity in social media, the conditions of the broken government, and the downfall of humanity. The irony of GTA V is that all of society is down the shithole and we are laughing at it because its all satire. And these sort of games really reflect how horrible we have become as human beings both from the 1%  and the 99%. Maybe people don't pay attention to the conspiracies flaunted very openly in the game, but at least the gameplay is sharp, the character acting is Oscar-worthy and the overall story is just another fantastic edition to the infamous series.

 

So the introduction of a multi character gameplay had to be done for the latest installment, because popular game editors have the reputation of using the same features over and over and in every series (*Cough cough*, Assassin's Creed). In GTA V, everything was over the top. The setting had to be more vast and lively, the missions had to be more intense and the characters had to be more vulgar and complex. The development of  Michael, Trevor and Franklin really surprised me because at first I thought to myself, what was their chemistry going to be like in the game and how do their backgrounds end up helping one another out. In this series, character development was crucial to the story in the gamer. The interchangeable feature of switching from character to character really gave me a sense of freedom and less of structural gameplay. I decided to do whatever I felt like doing at the moment with a certain character. Because we all knew (not to be bias) that Trevor is the best character ever written for a video game. But the fact that I could customize my characters with tattoos, and clothes really made me invest my time into all of the characters. And I was amazed that the editors took note into the fact that I could train my character into bettering their skills when it came to stamina, shooting, driving, and stealth kills. I felt like the characters were more important to pay attention to because you had an impact of controlling them in every way possible.

As much fun as the characters were so free to control, I feel like they lacked some emotional value from time to time. Yes, their side comments when running over people or getting blow jobs in cars by strippers are by far hilarious: Its just that I had the impression that it was all for the entertainment value. Some of the side missions, where Franklin helped a paparazzi made him seem like he had no respect for people's privacy and I thought Franklin to be somewhat of a person who had his limits to helping strangers out. Or like when Michael helped a widow go underwater to find some missing pieces made everything seem out of place. And the one thing I noticed about the game is that the secondary characters were obviously less developed and you couldn't really interact with that many people. I mean, you couldn't even have a girlfriend for crying out loud. Just the social interaction between other characters seemed juts a little dead.

The setting of Los Santos was by far the most interactive gaming playground yet. You could do a good amount of activities in an entire day from hunting to yoga to water racing with jet skis and sky diving. At one point I mistaken myself for playing Red Dead Redemption every time I killed animals up in the mountains. And you can do the obvious Generation Y shit like go shopping and customize your cars. I wish the game gave more opportunities in purchasing real estate that you can interact with just like in the old GTA games. And I was kinda surprised that there was only one strip club. At least in GTA 4, there were restaurants you could explore and car dealerships you could mess around with. Its weird to see such an open space with some areas being so limited. That's where I saw the imbalance in the game for sure.

Now, Im not going on some hate rant with this game, but there is always improvement suggested for the next installment.

The duration of the game seemed just a little short, but luckily with all the optional side missions, you can really put in a lot of time into the entire gameplay. I just hope that all the easter eggs will be worth finding in the end.

What else...Oh yeah lets talk about the heists. THERE WERENT ENOUGH OF THEM! Seriously! For such a radical game, you'd expect to explode a building every five seconds. I wanted the adrenaline filled action and I decided to choose all the outlandish choices for doing all of the heists. Some of the heists weren't all well thought out, but I have to blame the editors for running out of ideas or stealing yet another obvious plot from any 80s cop movie. The heists should have been the pinnacle of the game, but they failed to impress me at times.

This game was a great investment in my collection and the replay level on this game is at its absolute highest. Characters are well developed, gameplay is easily adaptable, driving is superb. Its a GREAT GAME. The missions could be more exciting and thought out, the areas should be just a little more interactive, but overall this game is a commercial success for a reason. Maybe in the next installments, we will see major improvements.
 

 

Gamer Obsession: Trevor Phillips from GTA V

So recently I have picked up on playing Grand Theft Auto 5 again when I have nothing else to do at home. I've been taking my time with the story mode of the game and the only character I play as is Trevor. I find Franklin to be rather boring and Michael is a dried up old man still. Every time I play as Trevor, his dialogue, his mannerisms and his comments collectively make him more desirable and sexy. There is something about him that is so wired and crazy, I like that perversion of nature. In my head, he is me: A narcissist, insane and doesn't give any fucks to society. In reality, I'm only a narcissist. But he's a fantastic character who every one wants to be in a parallel universe. There are moments in the game where I wish that I was just as cool as Trevor.

 

YES PLEASE!

He's the coolest white guy I know.

He's very comfortable with his sexuality.

He breaks all stereotypes.

He has a very bad temper.

 

He doesn't take shit from anyone.

 

He has issuing with professing his love to women.

He wakes up in the weirdest places.

 

Like this time:

He's not afraid to kill anyone and he feels no remorse.

He's a big PERVE.

I love you, TREVOR!

 

Really, I LOVE YOU!

 

Carolyn Petit's Controversial Review of GTA V: Does she make a point?

There has been a bit of a back lash at the GameSpot review of Grand Theft Auto 5 after Carolyn Petit's criticism of the misogynistic and sexist traits featured in the game. It's obvious that the infamous series has been known for beating up hookers and getting away with killing sprees and blowing stuff up. Really other than the missions, who doesn't find time to run over pedestrians on streets during breaks? The whole game is chaotic and there is no surprise that this game is a parody of what society is today. The game flaunts the corrupted balance between the Rich and the Poor, Men as the higher sex versus Women at the bottom of the barrel and Good vs Evil. Personally, I'm not offended by the misogyny in the game. I'd go to the strip clubs and throw money at the dancers and not feel a thing. Call me sexist, that's what the game is about. 

But Carolyn points out that the game rarely features a main character as a woman. I mean out of all three characters, it would have been cool to play as a bad ass chick who has more problems than a guest on Maury. Maybe some one a little more complex, but the fact that she would be a women would give a little more dynamics to the overall game. Being a female which is 40% of the demographics in the gamer community , it would be more relatable to play as a chick. 

Carolyn has been given a lot of shit and backlash over her review even when she gave the game an overall 90/100. There have been petitions signed to have her fired from Gamespot. It's enough as it is that she gets shit over her gender identity. As a gamer she knows what she is taking about unlike Anita Sarkeesian (Feminist Frequency), who rants on about feminism in videos games and she has the right to point out her opinion. 

Did GTA V become more girly?

I've been playing the game for a short time, but for the time being I drive around Los Santos to discover landmarks and take photos like any hipster would. As I'm driving around in my convertible, I noticed that my radio would start blasting out music by All Saints, Rihanna and even Fergie?! The soundtrack  selection in the GTA series always left me a little puzzled in their editor's music taste.

 

 

 

Any whoozle, another thing I wanted to point out was the little gems hidden all over the city. One of the landmarks that stood out to me the most was the pink Malibu beach house right outside of the shrink's office.

 

Doesn't this look familiar?

 

 

It's the Barbie House Goddammit!

 

I'm really surprised that the developers included this iconic home in their game. I have to scope out more of the city to see what else I can find.

 

Grand Theft Auto 5: Why it deserves all the hype.

I can definitely call myself a video game snob. I'm reluctant about first shooters and most fantasy games. I am very selective with the games I choose to play. Most of the times, the commercial games are full of hype and turn out to be half-ass and lack luster. Most games featured in E3 for this year were basically forgotten. And now that the PS4 is going to be released, games are being released like a last minute squeeze to fame. Yeah, the return of Tomb Raider was fabulous and it was great to see Lara back in action, but the game was way too short and the multiplayer was stale. The Last of Us had a major success, but it didn't stand up to the reputation as what the release of Grand Theft Auto 5 will do. I can't explain how excited and pumped I am for the 5th installment of one of the most revolutionary games of all time. And yes, I'm going to be the hype man just as any gamer is for the moment.

 

I've done my research and HOLY SHIT....no one is going to have a life once they get their hands on this game. This game pulsates all your veins with action-pack adventure and top grade story line. Your life will never be as exciting as the life you are going to live in this game. You can play tennis, or rob a car shop with your friends, go biking up a hill, customize your car, fly planes, harass people on the streets and get away with murder. Psychologically, this game shouldn't be doing anything more than stimulating the need to rebel and go against all the rules.

 

I'm treating myself and getting this game. I don't care if I'm dropping 60 for a game because It will be worth every penny.

Little Pet Peeves about Imperious Gamers

When they make reference to a game you never heard of and they feel superior to your knowledge of games.

 

When they think your game taste is awful.

When they boast about how skilled they are in games, but they have no social skills what so ever.

 

When nerds think they know everything about history because they play Assassin's Creed.

 

 

When they tear you to pieces for not caring about the Final Fantasy Franchise.

 

 

When they call you a NOOB when you try of a game for the very first time and you have no idea how to use the controls.

When they call us gamers girls. Like I have this label that I'm trying to impress dudes. I play games, DASIT.

Every time they beat you in a battle, they parade around all day claiming that they won.

 

 

When they say you only play girly games.

 

I just wanna play my games with out people judging me Goddamit. This is why I don't do multiplayer and I don't play with others. I am officially an Anti-Social Gamer.

 

 

I has a lot of feelings today.

 

 

My dream home: Croft Manor aka Tomb Raider Mansion

As a young gamer, I fell in love with the Tomb Raider franchise. But one of the things I looked forward to after long hours of game play was exploring Lara's Mansion. It reminded me of those Tudor homes in Europe and it was nice to be at peace where I didn't have to watch out for enemies every 5 seconds. 

When you explore her home, you notice she doesn't have a lot of furniture. But her spaces were so huge, its impossible to fill the rooms up. Her bedroom looked like a hotel room and I was surprised to find her place have a pink bed with girly drapery. Who knew Lara could be a little but feminine...

I used to think her bath was a pool. And she had a bidet. SWAG.

The main entrance was so iconic. I remember running down these halls doing somersaults and backflips just because you had enough space. 

The artifact room needed more if you ask me. How is it that one of the most infamous Tomb Raider's only holds a few artifacts. I guess she's not much of a hoarder when it comes to stealing.

Ah, the infamous fridge. That creepy Butler needed to be locked up from time to time because I freaked out every time I heard his tea tray shake. 

But the reboot of the game really put the cherry on top with the experience of secondary exploration in the Croft Manor. I mean for crying out loud, look at that!

Yeah, even if it's a knock off from the Tomb Raider movie I still think it looks gorgeous. And to be honest, the space looks more realistic. Not every room has to look like a big Lego block.

It's definitely a surprise to see that the rooms were interactive and you were able to find your gear around your home. 

The swimming pool, one of my favorite features just looks like a gorgeous resort spa. Not to mention the fact that you could climb around the chandeliers and swim through the pool tunnel to the other side of the gym.

If I wanted to be in the best shape of my life, hell yeah I would need a training course. At the end of the day, I couldn't come up with an excuse to not workout if I have trampolines and pools and rock climbing walls.

The only issue I see with new home was that you could rarely explore much outside of the mansion. I wouldn't mind seeing the neighborhood Lara lives in. Where she buys her groceries or goes to get her nails done. She can't be trapped in that house all year?!

Well I guess she's not alone since she happens to bump into the butler at the weirdest places. If only we could shoot at him to scare him off.

LA Noire 2: When will it be released?

I don't think there is any other video game I can categorize as being refined and mature as Rock star's LA Noire. Commercially a huge success, LA Noire was based off of the actual cases and murder trials and its infamously known for the strategized gameplay with witty investigations and meticulous questioning from potential witnesses and victims. The overall game was a dynamic gaming experience of realistic detective role play set in 1940's Los Angeles. And it would be a shame if Rock star would discontinue the series because it one of their most sophisticated games to date.

 

   The complex character development and motion capture of real actors give off high standards when it comes to interaction and problem solving.
 I was always excited to question suspects and prove them wrong and at times, I became arrogant and I fooled to believe that I had all the evidence. The one thing that strikes me about the questioning sequences was that it got gradually harder and more complicated. You really had to think and judge a situation carefully in order to solve a case. As much as this was important in gameplay, its unfortunate that it didn't involve the character's story. In the end, whether you solved the case or not, you ended up getting promoted after a few cases. But I still found my motivation to get all the clues and crake the cases. In the sequel, there should be multiple endings to prove to the player that all choices are crucial in gameplay and the character's story.

  
The open world was more of a tourist location or attraction like Disneyland except there wasn't much to do, but drive to locations of murder victims. Yes you could spot famous landmarks once in a while, but you were never given a chance to interact with stores, buy clothes or go to lounges. And even the people walking around the street were rarely given any personalities. Because you were playing as a detective, you were  not allowed to harm any Samaritans outside of the police station or crime scene. So running over people from time to time was somewhat of a bore. Rock star knows open world games. They have recreated so many beautiful cities in Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, at least put in some interactive places, an apartment and maybe a gentlemen's lounge. Just so that when you are too clouded with stress from the main story, you can drive off to the jazz bar, spend money on hookers with scabies, beat up trendy cars with baseball bats and get drunk with the fellas.
 

The gun play in LA Noire was stale. Simple generated gun-aim-shoot interaction just like any modern game and you were only given one weapon at a time to use. I'm all about realistic features in new games, but I am also all about fantasy. Weaponry is essential to any action based sequence and it's a shame that you are limited with the variety of guns you can use. I also have to mention this with the driving features as well. Stale and slow. I know the cars in the 40s didn't have as much horse power as the obnoxious sport cars used in Grand Theft Auto, but I feel like I'm riding on a shopping cart when I'm chasing a bad guy down. It was defiantly frustrating to loose a guy after a bad turn.

 

Okay so the story of the main character Cole Phelps was somewhat overshadowed and not really explained. Yes we knew he was a war veteran and he was messing with some German singer, but we knew nothing of his personal life. If I am going to involve empathy with the protagonist, I need to relate to him/her in some way. Since he died at the end of the game, we have no clue of who could be the sequel. I wouldn't mind someone who was mentally unstable or had more issues than any one else. I just need complexity in the game. If Rock star could take time to actually renew LA Noire, I would have less things to bitch about in this world.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gah! This looks incredible. For once, the Sims are fully customizable. Physically, you can make them thick, curvy, muscular, beyond fat, thin or anything your evil heart desires. But in the end, if I were to remodel myself in the game, I would be thinner with endowed breasts and ass ass ass.

I could totally make dirty fan fictions and post them online like I used to with the other sims games.

I'm surprised they are given emotions now. It's crazy that people are going to be more involved with their sims. This is when I officially won't have a life if all of my characters will have more interesting things to look forward to. This is a trap. This is just a game. My life is totally not bland in comparison to my Sims who will be billionaires, gorgeous and extremely successful.

Who knows...

Lara Croft, my Hero

Ever since I was a child, one of the first games I've drawn interest in was Tomb Raider. Back then, 3D video game platforming was a big deal and It was boring to see Mario do the same shit over and over again. When I was introduced to Lara Croft, the first thing I thought was, "Oh wow. She's pretty." Lara had the best features. She had the highest cheekbones, the most arched eye brows and the biggest lips. She was a super model. She looked like a bimbo from the 90's: Like my aunt who used to wear brown lipstick and get away with it. The way she used to dress was pretty badass. Her combat boots and short shorts really gave her more of a spunky personality that most chicks in video games didn't have back than (I'm talking to you, Princess Peach or Princess Daphne). The fact that she could shoot on point while doing back flips or tumbling while running away from bears was totally awesome. For a woman who has so many skills such as archery and gymnastics, its incredible how so many people relate to her or see something in her that they would like to see in themselves.

I wanted her lifestyle as well. Infinite wealth, tons of gadgets and weapons and that training course :).

 She always found things to do in that enormous mansion while doing research for her next adventure. Lara would look for secret tombs and undiscovered rooms while practicing her parkour in her gymnasium or get herself out of her hedge maze. I love that she never lived a mundane lifestyle and she was pleased to be by herself.  Her independence really does prove that you can be your own person. What I appreciated most about what the lead designers did to Lara's character, was that they made her a nerd. She was always updated on her knowledge of lost history and she was a hoarder for collecting relics and artifacts. I think anyone somewhat interested in how civilization was formed would definitely let Lara be leader of the club. And in the latest game, she is the total geek in her group of friends.

What strikes me the most with Lara is that she is particular about using her looks. Yes, she is a bombshell, but she's just as intimidating as any other man featured in a game. She's infamous for portraying both roles as a hero and a villain: If you think about it, she steals anything she lays her eyes on, she kills anyone and anything that gets in her way and destroys landmarks any chance she can get. How is this woman not in jail?! Well than again, she has all the money in the world to pay for all her wrongdoings. But on the other hand, she stops bad guys from taking artifacts and using them with bad intentions.  

Lara's past is definitely confusing to follow due to the character development of Crystal Dynamics and recently Square Enix. A lot of fan fictions and press have been jumbled into many stories about the famous heroine. Some stories have said that Lara is a widow and was living in heartbreak all along. I couldn't imagine seeing Lara with a husband at first, because she's always out of the country on an adventure, but it wouldn't fail to show Lara some more depth in her character if they feature that story in the new game.

I'm quite happy with the turn out of the latest game in the updated series of Tomb Raider and I am anticipating a new story for Lara and see who she will become in the end. If Square Enix does their research right again, Lara fans would be so proud for the legacy of their beloved Heroine.

The Last of Us Video Game Review

The Last of Us has been one of the most hyped games for 2013. After the success of the Uncharted series, Naughty Dog could do no wrong in launching a new RPG game. This time instead of doing an Indiana Jones type game, the game focuses on the rise of the zombie apocalypse in modern day. In all honesty, I don't care much for zombies. Maybe that's a shock to most gamers, but I don't think that the undead is typically exciting. It's been done over and over in movies and video games in general its lost it essence for a long time. But story writers tie the zombie-survivor game into something deeper nowadays. Zombies have a way of being politically symbolic in so examples. In most games, the plot surfaces around government control leading the public to go against them and break the system.

Zombies are involved within the story because it falls into the system of control. Modern day civilians live normal lives, than one day there is an outburst of infection and mayhem happens. It makes sense in some way. What the Last Of Us does in comparison to other zombie games is far more compelling and meaningful. The characters go far more into their own journey and really show a sense of vulnerability that really elopes the sense of being alone. In this game, a lot of sad and horrible things happen to the characters. But in juxtaposition, there lies so much beauty and fascinating layers to the characters and their meaning of life. Joel, the protagonist, lost his daughter 20 years after the zombie outbreak and sees no worth in doing anything to break out of his depression. He is sarcastic and impatient, but when he is introduced to Ellie (an Ellen Page look alike if you ask me) you see his comfort ability grow on her as he starts to realize how similar Ellie is to his daughter. Ellie is a firecracker, full of personality in comparison her stern mentor, Joel. Ellie is a natural born survivor, she can hold a gun on her own and handle herself around scary situations. She may seem to be all grown up at first, but the more you pay attention to her jokes and commentary, she is just a child. She looks up to Joel as a teacher and they challenge one another to get through the other side.

 With the brilliant voice acting, you are experiencing a whole new form of entertainment. The dialogue is seamless and every line is authentic and real and portrays the right emotion at the right time. If only video games could get Oscars for their brilliant voice acting.

The graphics are the best the ps3 platform has to offer. Everything is detailed to every patch. The settings really show off the color palettes and destruction and decay after the zombie apocalypse. The atmosphere of the isolated towns are somewhat creepy and you feel the need to turn around every few seconds to watch out for any clickers or running zombies. The game offers so many sceneries' to explore like lush green forests, urban streets, factories, museums, and suburban neighborhoods. You want to explore and search all crevices and corners to find any interesting collectables.

The gameplay is tasteful as always with the top notch gun play and shooting experience. You have the option to use a variety of weapons such as pistols, shotguns, bow & arrow, bombs, bricks and even the infamous flamethrower. Upgrading is essential to gameplay and supplies are scarce so every bullet counts. You never know when you will run out of bullets or health packs so it is key to pay attention to your supplies.

 

The overall story really captivates the actions of humans affected by such tragedies in life. Every character is tested and pushed to their limits in a search for a better life. It goes against the basic hero story and really captures the gritty and vulnerable position of how far you would go to kill and leave behind so many loved ones. Playability varies depending on how many more collectables you need in order to earn trophies, but its best to play once and leave it as one of the greatest stories ever told.

 

-KIKA