Batman: Arkham Asylum

Greetings, I know that a few readers are not fans of the superhero genre but I feel that Batman: Arkham Asylum deserves a mention. The game is well received by many critics and it isn’t hard to see why, everything seems to fit perfectly. I particularly like the dark edge which has been given to the Caped Crusader in recent media such as the films, this darkness is carried on into Arkham Asylum. I feel that is more in tune with the character, Batman or Bruce Wayne, due to the events that shaped him into the hero he is.  

The plot is rather simple but later extends into something much bigger. At the start the usual prison in which the rivals of Batman are contained is damaged in a fire, meaning all prisoners are to be transported to a Lunatic Asylum on an island named Arkham Asylum.  The Dark Knight had caught the Joker before the story even begins and delivers him to the island not far from Gotham City. Batman escorts his enemy to his cell, along with other Asylum Personnel but the Joker breaks free and soon takes control of Arkham. The Caped Crusader is stuck in the Asylum and must confront many of his worst foes if he hopes to regain power over the facility.

The map is quite large and some areas have riddles, trophies and challenges from the Riddler, as well as tapes covering some thoughts or interviewers of different characters. These are not essential to complete but there are achievements for doing so. The combat can be quite hard, especially if the enemies are armed with machineguns and should then be taken out silently.  All actors portrayed their roles brilliantly but Mark Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, brings a new level of insanity to the Joker. In conclusion, this is a brilliant game and is a must have for any fan of Batman. The sequel promises to be as entertaining as the original. The fifth chapter of Unforgotten Rivalry is up in Warehouse 17.

Plot=8/10

Characters=9/10

Graphics=9/10

Overall= 9/10

Quote of the day

Daniel... Do not wish to interfere with operation of ship, but perhaps you should pull up sharply...

Rorschach

Watchmen

Casino Royale, the book

Greetings, Casino Royale is the first James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming, himself. It should be noted that the book is quite old and therefore some of its views, as well as technology are now considered outdated.  One aspect I couldn’t help but notice was the lack of action. I didn’t really expect that from a Bond adventure however, I imagine that Fleming wanted to focus more so on the centre character, James and his development through his experiences rather than create a fast paced thrill.  As far as I remember the agent only disarms an assassin and does not actually kill anyone during the plot.

The story line itself is much less complicated than the film and is reasonably short. The villain, LeChiffre was a member of a soviet organisation called SMERSH, which was established to kill Western spies and continue the spread of communism. LeChiffre lost a large amount of SMERSH’s money before the events of the novel, as such the institute branded him a traitor and hence he would receive the death penalty. A frightened LeChiffre begins gambling to pay off his debts, in Casino Royale which is situated in France.

Therefore M, head of MI6 has sent 007 to beat LeChiffre at the card game Baccarat to remove his winnings and gain more money for the West. It would also mean the villain would be hunted by his former employers. James is helped in his mission by Mathis of the Deuxieme, Vesper Lynd and Felix of the CIA. The story is also heavily embedded with the game Baccarat which is explained in detail and featured heavily in some chapters. Despite attempts to instruct the reader of how it is played, I didn’t understand and was left reading through several chapters having to guess what was going on.  That isn’t too important as the winner is clearly announced.

Casino Royale is a reasonable novel, which seems to have shaped Bond into the 007 known in the cinema but I can’t confirm that until I read the next book. It is certainly more entertaining than the film which seemed to have added scenes and distort the plot to the point of confusing the viewers. The fourth chapter of Unforgotten Rivalry is up at Warehouse 17.

Plot=7/10

Characters=8/10

Wording=7/10

Overall=7/10

Quote of the day

Replicants are like any other machine. They're either a benefit or a hazard. If they're a benefit, it's not my problem.

Decker

Blade Runner

Red Faction: Guerrilla

Greetings, Red Faction: Guerrilla is the third instalment of the Red Faction series.  It should be noted I have never played the originals, so was therefore new to the plot and some of the mentioned characters.  The previous games aren’t really needed to understand the rather thin plot and I believe the current individuals where only introduced in Guerrilla. I felt that the entire point of its existence wasn’t actually based on these factors but on the destructible environment, which is quite fun. It is also difficult, especially during the later missions.

The story line was rather simple in that Mars has been colonised by humanity but is also occupied by the Earth Defence Force, EDF for short. The organisation is corrupt, killing anyone suspected of being in league with the guerrilla terrorist group, Red Faction, whose purpose is to liberate Mar’s six sectors from the EDF.  Alec Mason is the lead character who joins the Red Faction when his brother, Dan, is killed for actually being a member.  There is more plot than this but not much more, having only several important characters.

The better parts of the game come from the actual game play action, which is normally over the top, having to take out large numbers of enemies. To liberate a Sector Alec must increase ally morale and destroy the EDF structures to decline their strangle hold. The vehicles are also an important section as they are needed to transport the player to different locations, unless an upgrade is bought, and often using weapons to take out EDF soldiers as well as supplies. To receive upgrades, the player must obtain salvage which can be found in destroying the environment or playing through some very repetitive side missions.

If you are looking for a game that is mainly involved around massive destruction and want some fun, then this would keep you entertained. The third chapter of Unforgotten Rivalry is in Warehouse 17.

Plot=7/10

Characters=7/10

Graphics=8/10

Overall=7/10

Quote of the day

Sergeant Butterman, the little hand says it's time to rock and roll.

Nicholas Angel

Hot Fuzz

Unforgotten Rivalry ch 2

Greetings, the second chapter of Lutionn’s latest, Unforgotten Rivalry is up. I hope you are and continue to enjoy it. In other news, the Yogscast is entertainment from the internet and is mainly known for its let’s play of Minecraft. It is run by two individuals known as Simon and Lewis who take on the roles of Xephos and Honeydew during their show called the Shadow of Israphel. The first series mainly focused on how to survive in Minecraft but in latter episodes plot began to emerge as other characters where introduced. It is quite funny and you might like it once you get into the story. They do other let’s plays in different games alongside another member Hannah, as well as voicing their opinions on video game adverts.  The second chapter of Unforgotten Rivalry is up in Warehouse 17.

Quote of the day

It's not about what I want, it's about what's fair! You thought we could be decent men in an indecent time! You were wrong! The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance. Unbiased. Unprejudiced. Fair. His son's got the same chance she had - fifty-fifty.

Two-Face

The Dark Knight

Unforgotten Rivalry

Greetings, Lutionn returns in the fifth novel, Unforgotten Rivalry. The plot of this story was mostly explored through the forth book, the Invisible Agents and the majority of characters where introduced in the previous novels as well. It expands on certain individual’s backgrounds that have been only mentioned slightly. It is mainly situated in one specific location due to the emergence of the villains beforehand, why it is like this will be explained in the book. I hope you enjoy it. The first chapter of Unforgotten Rivalry is up in Warehouse 17.

Quote of the day

Sometimes I pick up too much fabric and it ends up all puckered and the entire garment hangs wrong afterward. And you're... you know, grandmotherly. Grandmothers do that sort of thing, don't they? Darning socks and whatnot. You don't want me to have to fight darkspawn in a shirt with a hole, do you? It might get bigger. I might catch cold.

Alistair

Dragon Age: Origins

FRA and Akinator

Greetings, the adventures of Fletch and Roman series three ends with this update. I have enjoyed writing the mad plot so far over all the episodes. The ridiculous duo, as well as other characters will be back for another insane series. I hope you have enjoyed it too. 

I would also like to talk about Akinator, the existence of which I have known about for quite a while but have recently started playing it again. I’m sure you have already heard about him. Akinator will ask you questions about a character or person in fiction and non-fiction, who the player will have thought of. Through the answers provided it will guess who this individual is, most of the time it will uncover who the player was thinking of but it has missed several of my characters. If you haven’t tried it I would encourage you to give it a go. The tenth episode of the adventures of Fletch and Roman series three are up in Warehouse 17.

Quote of the day

All the world’s a stage, I seemed to have missed the rehearsal. 

Philosoraptor

Philosoraptor