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Revisiting Alien Isolation in 2024

 Many years ago my girlfriend at the time surprised me with a gift copy of Alien Isolation for the Playstation 4. We ended up playing it together (meaning I played it and she watched) and I remember liking the experience and feeling very immersed into the world that Alien Isolation created. It was almost as if we were smack dab in the world that Ridley Scott had created with his film Alien back from 1979. The retro-futuristic steam punk style with checkerboard patterns, clean white hallways decked out with pipes, valves, wiring panels and industrial food coolers etc. really lend to Alien Isolation becoming a truly immersive video game that I would argue rivals many video games today.   Now if you remember for those of you out there that did read or watch IGN reviews you know or heard that IGN found the game frustrating, some of course disregarded those statements as ridiculous but after having playing a few hours these last couple of days to be in the spook season mood, I can understan
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The Boys Season 4 Review: Stale and Obnoxiously Political(SPOILERS)

The Boys first dropped on Amazon Prime back in twenty nineteen and immediately left an impression on anybody that watched. The first episode especially let the audience know that this was not some cutesy, fun romp through a comic book world like people may have been used to through watching the multiple MCU movies and even DC movies that Disney and Warner Bros. had released. This show was going to be a gory, nothing held back roller coaster ride where we find ourselves in a world where superheroes are essentially these undisciplined drug addicts, sex fiends or worse because the world has essentially been handed to them on a silver platter for no other reason than they have super powers. Superheroes are not people, nor are they really heroes, they are simply brands and faces on the side of energy drinks, kid's meals and even sex toys because it can sell on the marketplace. Whenever there is a crime and a particular superhero comes along the way to save the day? It is most likely sta

Super Hero Fatigue is Real

Back  In two thousand and eight, the first Iron Man movie starring Robert Downey Jr. was released, and it was a massive hit. Comic book fans loved the movie, and even those who did not grow up reading Iron Man or barely knew of him loved the film. It was also the start of a great redemption arc for Robert Downey Jr. and his life and career, as the story of Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr. had many similarities, and many would point it out as life imitating art or vice versa.   Later, Iron Man would serve as the first of many comic book movies to come, and the cinemas would be filled with moviegoers eagerly waiting to see Captain America fight off some Nazis or Thor use Mjlonir to summon lightning and strike down his foes.   As time went on, more comic book movies followed, and audiences would go to the theater year after year to watch these beloved heroes save the day. We would go to the theater to be introduced to new superheroes many had never heard of but saw that it was another

The Streaming Era

 Once upon a time, many years ago, there once existed this place in towns and cities everywhere called "Video Stores" some of these stores were chains of franchises like Hollywood Video and Blockbuster. Other video stores were locally owned and locally ran, Ma and Pop video stores run by people who loved movies that would spend their own money on buying copies of VHS tapes, DVDs and even some video games to put out on their floors and let families show up and rent these movies to either watch on a day off or over the weekend.  You would RENT these tapes and DVDs for a week or a few days and would need to return it, otherwise the store would charge you late fees and when you'd come back, if you kept the movie out for so long, then you would have to pay for the movie and the late fee.  In the midst of this, a subscription based mailing service for films came out when the internet was but a wee lad. This subscription service would let you rent DVDs to be sent to your home an

How Xbox Lost the Console War

 The console wars has been going on ever since different companies tried to introduce their new video game system to play the latest and greatest games on the best hardware on the market. Most of you who might read this will know a lot about, some of you even participated in it by taking allegiances to either Sega, Sony or Nintendo or Sega Genesis over Super Nintendo and the Playstation.  Sure, you could make the argument that there have been clear winners from console generation to console generation but despite whoever the winner of the generation is the "war" never ends. Now for the purpose of this particular article I will be using my own rules as to what determines who wins the console generation. First, your gaming experience must be something that no one else can top, the games are legendary and even today if you were to mention these titles, everyone in the room begins to think fond memories of said games and reminisces about them. Second, hardware that makes the gami

Destiny 2 is not Free to Play

When you hear "Free to Play" the first things that immediately pop into your head is a game that is very repetitive, very grind and heavy with microtransactions. Every time you turn around the game is asking for money for access to certain quests, certain weapons and outfits.  Fortnite is probably the game that most of you probably think of when you hear "Free to Play". A game that asks players for money at every point for the Battle-Pass, the emotes, the outfits, the weapon skins etc. etc.  However, there are free to play titles like Warframe. Warframe is probably the gold standard of free to play titles. It is a game that while yes offers microtransactions for many of it's in game items and special goods. A lot of what the game offers is completely free. You can make it from expansions to expansion without paying a penny for better gear, better warframes to take on combatants. You can grind for as long as you'd like to getting better gear and you will righ

The Video Game Adaptation Conundrum

You might have heard something about HBO's latest show "The Last of Us". You are probably hearing how it is a wonderful attempt at adapting a video game to live-action format. You are probably hearing that it is doing a good job of telling the story from the video game that was a major success within the gaming industry WAY back in twenty thirteen. Only a handful of games have been given the award by the community in the gaming industry and the industry itself in having a masterfully told story with a brilliant cast of characters with a brilliant cast of actors. Troy Baker and Ashely Johnson as Joel and Ellie in the Last of Us rose to fame and would forever be remembered as one of the best gaming duos since Master Chief and Cortana. Heart strings would be tugged in ways that would leave an indelible mark on gamers for years to come.  It was also a clear indication that the format of narrative based games in the industry were changing. Games were becoming so cinematic that