... I was really glad to get my hands on Shadowrun Returns. I had backed their Kickstarter and it was good to see one of those projects deliver on their game. I have also enjoyed the play through immensely. It is decidedly 'old school', and the decision to not have in mission saves will definitely turn people away, but the rest of it was everything I like with those old style RPGs. Namely a deep and flexible character and skill system that allows the player to experiment, some good solid writing, and true to it's setting. It does belong to a different generation, and won't be for all, but those up for an interesting and challenging old school RPG should check it out ...
... I am also really excited to see what content will be made for it in a few months time. The game ships with a fully featured editor, and I have a feeling the internet will have fun with it!
... not been a bad summer for the big movie season. I don't think anything has been truly disappointing for me, and the worst offenders were simply inoffensive and just a bit run of the mill rather than being outright bad (I'm looking at you RIPD). On the other end of the spectrum I rather predictably loved Pacific Rim, which was pretty much a love letter to a certain type of movie, and put all the usual action movie tropes to good effect ...
... Red 2 meanwhile, like the first film, strays far from the original comics into comedy, you can tell that the cast simply have fun with the concept. It's also all the better for it, we have enough straight up action movies, so I appreciate a comic turn now and again. I think people often forget that Bruce Willis actually has some pretty impressive comic timing, of course I am also old enough to remember Moonlighting ...
... really enjoying Brian Wood's The Massive, the world it's building is compelling and layered, with some interesting characters trying to make their way in a shattered world that is all too believable. It's one of those books that takes its strength from the fact that you can relate to his characters, while it spins out an ever more ambitious story ...
... glad to see that Falling Skies will get a fourth season. Aside from the odd scene I have hugely enjoyed this season, and the show is now comfortable with its cast of characters, and mostly manages to juggle the personal drama with the main alien invasion storyline while only occasionally straying into melodrama. Also glad to have The Newsroom back, something to fill the Sunday evening hole left by Game of Thrones for a few months ...
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