Grand Theft Auto V

The wait is over

The guys that brought us Lemmings way back when has finally loosed onto the world the newest iteration of, and pinnacle of sandbox games, Grand Theft Auto.

O, happy day.

I don't think i'm going to fully review it, but here are some details:

Largest Rockstar world to date. Larger than Red Dead Redemption, San Andreas, and GTA4 ... COMBINED.

The world is entirely open from the start. This is new to the series, as, previously, new islands would unlock as if they were the next "level."

Three unique characters, each with his own special abilty:


Michael -- A "retired" bank robber in need of a big score. Michael can slow down time while shooting.
Franklyn -- A gangbanger without a gang, wanting to graduate to more serious offerings. Franklyn can slow down time while driving.
Trevor -- Michael's best friend from his heisting days and complete psychopath. Trevor goes berserk and takes half damage while dealing double.

These features come together so beautifully. I wasn't so sure about the three protagonists, at first. That isn't to say i thought it would be done poorly. No. I just figured I'd choose one character (probably Michael) and ignore the rest, except for missions.

I was wrong.

I actually favor Franklyn's ability, because the driving is stupendous. But I play as each character because they are all simply fun. I roleplay as the characters, actually. I race through town in a car as Franklyn. I try to appear sophisticated as Michael. I have no qualms about getting massacrey as Trevor.



A Day in the Life

One of the neatest things about the game is the act of switching characters. It isn't a "now I'm this guy" kind of change, but a "let's see what's going on" kind of change.

When you are one character, the other two are doing their own thing their own way wherever else they are.

So, while I'm making deliveries for the medicinal marijuana dispensary I purchased as Franklyn, Michael may be lounging by the pool at his house or watching an action flick at the cinema. Or, hey be getting screamed at by his kids.


When you switch to a another character, you take over them in whatever activity they were currently doing, which can add loads of fun and interesting moments.

WWTD

As stated, Trevor is psychotic. Previews leading up to the release showed off a Trevor switch in which you wake up on the beach. In your underwear. Covered in blood. Surrounded by the corpses of The Lost Motorcycle Club members.

I have yet to encounter this, but that's not to say I haven't had some fun:

My first switch had me waking up with a slight buzz on railroad tracks just in time to get out of the path of the train.

Another time, I found Trevor on the the end of pier pointing his gun at some nameless schmuck begging for his life.

I woke up, in my underwear, beside a pool in rich subdivision. I approached whom I assumed to be the owners. They did not like that I was in my undies.

My favorite character switch moment, though, was cruising down the freeway on my Vespa (in game brand is Faggio), singing to my best friend beside me. My Scooter Brother.



Some features I did not go over:

A stock market that you can manipulate. Invest in a car company, then destroy cars owned by the competitor. Yay, money.
Hobbies, including darts, yoga, hunting, triathalons.
A fully explorable ocean, complete with sharks and buried treasure.
Hidden stuff galore to collect, such as space ship parts and pieces of a murder confession.

It is a phenomenal game, and I cannot wait for the stories I make when the online portion is opened up.

I'm Bringing Gaming Back

How time disappears when you become a parent.

At the beginning of the year, my wife and I had a baby.


What a cutie, huh?

And with great baby, comes great responsibility,which resulted in a lot less time for fun Aaron stuff. It was rough, at first, and difficult to understand that, for now, there simply is not a lot of time for myself.

I got there, though, and I became much, much happier and less frustrated.

Nowadays, I do have more time, however. She goes to sleep, usually around 7:30, which gives me about 3 or so hours to have some baby-free time, and I have decided that I will set aside at lest one day a week to sit down, gather my thoughts, and write... about gaming, of course.

During my time away, I found out that my dad's friend plays Magic: The Gathering, and he was kind enough to provide me with his login info. So, while I have had a difficult time getting out to the local stores, I've still been able to play. Not my own, beloved deck, but a bunch of fun modern and commander stuff.


Oops, there goes your library!

I look forward to forcing myself to focus, again, especially since the last video game ever is about to be released.


Also, it's still cool to refer to really old Justin Timberlake songs, right?

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection

Oh, how I love, thee, Hideo Kojima.



Back in 1998, this god of a man released Metal Gear Solid. I shant get into it, but I will let you know that it is a life-changing game, and, as such, changed my life.


Changed for the better, obviously.

Then came Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, Portable Ops, 4, and Peace Walker.

My PS2 had been stolen several years ago, so, for several years, I have been unable to play 2 or 3. I got poor around PW, so I have actually never played that title, either.

However, this past Tuesday, Konami released the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (Apparently they thought this could somehow compete with Modern Warfare 3?). MGSHD consists of 2, 3, and PW remastered in widescreen and high definition. Two of the greatest -- if not THE greatest -- games of all time along with the sole Metal Gear iteration I have yet to play? At a discounted price?!

Count me in.


Inside the box, that is.

So, I started playing it, today. I was most excited to revisit 2, and made my wife and sister-in-law sit through the magnificent intro to experience the beauty of this game-which-is-art.

Then, I played on for 5 hours. I ended my (story) session at the point where Raiden journeys to the central strut in search of President Johnson. After playing the campaign, I revisited the VR Missions. I only beat the sneaking missions for Raiden, but managed to get the top spot for all but two.


Sadly, Snakeboarding did not actually make a return to the HD Collection :(

I cannot wait to put hours upon hours into this game.

The Best Budget Title Video Games

It's time to start making lists or casing stores to see exactly what you want to receive and/or give. As a gamer on a budget, I like to look for deals. As a gamer who works at Kmart, I get to see those deals on a daily basis.

I decided that it would be an incredibly helpful tool to any of my friends or anyone who takes a wrong turn on the net and finds this if I created a list of what I think are the best budget titles.

So, I'm going to be scouring are lock ups and budget title tables to create a list of the most worthwhile games for the budget-conscience gamer or game buyer.

Stay tuned.

Taught My Wife How to Play MTG

A week or so ago, my wife, Nicole, saw that Steve's girlfriend, Kelley, had beaten him in Magic. She decided that, because this was something couples could enjoy together, and that she knows it'd make me happy to teach her, that I could do just that.

I told her her best bet would be to play the demo of Duals of the Planeswalkers on the 360, because it offers the full tutorial and would allow her to go at her own pace, but yesterday, before heading off to my nephew's birthday gathering, I sat her down and allowed her to use my new Red Sacrificial deck.

When I explain things, I kind of over discuss every little detail and can overwhelm the person, but she got the gist of it. By the second (last, before we had to go) she understood the core mechanics.

I'm sure we'll play more and she will become more confident.

Red Sacrificial (60)	Black Zombies (60)
Lands
20 Mountain	22 Swamp
Creatures
3 Bloodcrazed Neonate 4 Crossway Vampire 2 Flameblast Dragon 4 Goblin Arsonist 4 Goblin Fireslinger 1 Grim Lavamancer	1 Abattoir Ghoul 2 Ghoulraiser 2 Gravedigger 3 Rotting Fensnake 4 Walking Corpse 3 Warpath Ghoul 2 Zombie Goliath
Spells
4 Brimstone Volley 4 Curse of the Pierced Heart 3 Furor of the Bitten 3 Infernal Plunge 4 Nightbird's Clutches 1 Red Sun's Zenith 3 Vampiric Fury	2 Distress 1 Endless Ranks of the Dead 4 Ghoulcaller's Chant 4 Horrifying Revelation 3 Mind Rot 3 Morbid Plunder 3 Night Terrors 1 Zombie Infestation
Sideboard
N/A	N/A

I call it "Sacrificial," because of a few specific card. No card in the deck has a mana cost of more than 3, aside from Flameblast Dragon. Because of the relatively low mana cost of the deck, I figured going at a nice 1:3 ration for my lands would be sufficient.

I put in a bunch of one cost goblins. I figured I could use them mostly as fodder and food for my Infernal Plunge I nabbed from the newly released Innistrad set.

Infernal Plunge allows me to, for one red mana, sacrifice a creature and add three more red mana to my pool. When my Goblin Arsonist dies, I can then ping my opponent for one damage, which would just sweeten the sacrificial offering.

Pumping up my red mana could offer several chances to do some damage: I could get Flameblast Dragon out earlier than turn six, or pump up the damage of his or Red Sun's Zenith's abilities, which deal X amount of damage for X amount of red mana used.

Red Sun's Zenith is a great card, because, unless I somehow have to discard it, It shuffles right back into my deck.

I also have Bloodcrazed Neonate in there, offering up some cards for support. The Neonate receives +1/+1 any time she deals damage to the opponent. When Crossway Vampire enters the battle field, I prevent a creature from blocking, allowing a better chance for Bloodcrazed Neonate to do her thing. Nightbird's Clutches prevents two creatures from blocking, and I can even cast the bird an extra time from my graveyard.

Finally, when all that is said and done, I have a Grim Lavamancer (wish I had more) that takes all those sacrificed creatures and sorceries and instants and whatever else and uses them to send damage to my opponent.

As you can see, I'm also working on a Zombie deck that will revolve around the Zombie Infestation and Endless Ranks of the Dead cards.

Friday Night Magic Part 2

I participated in my second FNM, last night, at Game Emporium. I used my black deck mentioned previously, with, I believe, a few changes.

I had to leave after the fourth (out of five) round, however, to pick up my lovely wife from work; I didn't do horrible, though I did better two weeks ago. This time, I came out 50/50, winning two rounds and losing two.

I had a couple of dramatic plays, though:

One opponent was playing an infect deck that had very few creature spells. I have a large number of cards that involve creature destruction and buffing/debuffing, so those spells can be of little effect against a deck like his. I have a particular creature called tormented soul that attacks for only 1, but cannot be blocked. This card has a cost of only 1, so is quite effective when I can put him out my first turn, followed by my bloodthirst minions.

Bloodthirst allows me to place a +1/+1 counter on specific creatures if the opponent player had been dealt damage earlier in that turn. This is why tormented soul is so handy, as it cannot be blocked.

At one point, I had a couple vampires with bloodthirst on the board with power/toughness at 3+1/1+1. I needed to act fast, as my opponent had been poisoning me, and all I had was a card that put a -1/-1 counter on target creature, and allowed me then proliferate. Proliferate means to increase any counter by 1. I decided to place it on one of my vampires, making him a 3+1-1/1+1-1. The +s and -s are separate, so they do not make each pther disappear; therefore, I was able to increase the +s, making him a 3+2-1/1+2-1, and my other vampire a 3+2/1+2, giving me enough power to defeat him.



Another round had a similar play, but, instead of debuffing my own creature, I had an instant spell that destroyed a creature and proliferated. I used him on a creature my opponent was attacking with, which got rid of one of his potential blockers, securing the victory.



I decided To make up a new deck, as well. Staying true to what I am experienced with, I made a Red deck, though I know it needs some tweaks. Particularly, very few people are fond of Scrambleverse.



I like to have randomness in games. In Smash Bros., I cannot fathom how people can find no items/Final Destination to be fun. It takes all of the variables to work around out. This card takes all cards on the board (minus lands), puts them in a pile, and forces you to flip a coin to see who gets control of those cards. It could win the game for me or completely destroy me, and I think that sounds like fun.

I definitely need to get more cards for this deck. At least one more scrambleverse, as I only have one.

            

Black/Red (60)	Black (60)	Red (60)
Lands
3 Dragonskull Summit 9 Mountain 7 Swamp	22 Swamp	22 Mountain
Creatures
3 Blood Ogre 2 Bloodrage Vampire 4 Duskhunter Bat 3 Goblin Arsonist 4 Goblin Fireslinger 2 Grim Lavamancer 4 Stormblood Berserker 3 Tormented Soul 3 Vampire Outcasts	3 Bloodrage Vampire 4 Duskhunter Bat 4 Phyrexian Rager 3 Sengir Vampire 4 Tormented Soul 3 Vampire Outcasts	2 Flameblast Dragon 4 Goblin Arsonist 4 Goblin Fireslinger 1 Grim lavamancer 2 Manic Vandal 4 Stormblood Berserker 2 Volcanic Dragon 1 Warstorm Surge
Spells
4 Doom Blade 4 Incinerate 1 Red Sun's Zenith 4 Shock	2 Dark Favor 4 Doom Blade 3 Geth's Verdict 4 Grim Affliction 4 Spread the Sickness	3 Chandra's Outrage 2 Concussive Bolt 3 Fireball 4 Incinerate 1 Red Sun's Zenith 1 Scrambleverse 4 Shock
Sideboard
N/A	SB: 3 Child of Night SB: 4 Deathmark SB: 4 Horrifying Revelation SB: 3 Mind Rot	N/A

Also, a bit off the subject, but I discovered why I cannot play Modnation Racers online: After many months of searching, I discovered that my router is actually completely incompatible with the game. The Westell 7500 series routers do not work. These are the routers that Verizon rents out to their customers, along with a Gateway router. I called to inquire about switching routers, and they told me there would be a $60 or $70 charge. I asked, "With that price, that of course means it is mine to own?"

No. I would still have to pay rental fees. That's dumb, so, now, I have to go find a new router. At least I have a solution.

Post Friday Night Magic

I participated in my first Friday Night Magic, at Game Emporium, last night. Not sure exactly how many people were there, but I think there were at least twenty. There were five rounds, and each round is best two out of three. I won three rounds and lost two, with none going into the third set. So, I won six sets, lost four, and placed ninth. I did pretty decent for starting so recently, I feel.

I used my Black/Red deck, which was primarily crafted by Steve. However, since this was my first FNM, I had to sign up for my DCI card, which got me a premade thirty card deck.

I decided to go ahead and use these new cards to create my very own Black deck.

See ya, next week, FNM!

Black/Red (60)	Black (60)
Lands
3 Dragonskull Summit 9 Mountain 7 Swamp	20 Swamp
Creatures
3 Blood Ogre 2 Bloodrage Vampire 4 Duskhunter Bat 3 Goblin Arsonist 4 Goblin Fireslinger 2 Grim Lavamancer 4 Stormblood Berserker 3 Tormented Soul 3 Vampire Outcasts	2 Blood Seeker 3 Bloodrage Vampire 2 Caustic Hound 4 Duskhunter Bat 2 Gravedigger 2 Mortis Dogs 3 Onyx Mage 2 Sengir Vampire 4 Tormented Soul 3 Vampire Outcasts
Spells
4 Doom Blade 4 Incinerate 1 Red Sun's Zenith 4 Shock	3 Dark Favor 4 Doom Blade 2 Morbid Plunder 4 Spread the Sickness
Sideboard
N/A	SB: 3 Child of Night SB: 2 Disentomb SB: 4 Horrifying Revelation SB: 3 Mind Rot SB: 3 Warpath Ghoul