I keep forgetting to mention...

I'm being promoted. And by "promoted" I mean "being given a job," as it pays... I've been chosen as the next Opinions Editor for The Daily Toreador. I'll be trying my absolutely best to replace the last editor, Britney Drumm, who I don't hesitate to call a good friend. She's done a great job as editor in the past (double editor, most recently), but she's graduating, so I'm taking her place. A lot to live up to. Please pray I don't screw it up.

I'm really excited, though. I've come to really love the DT over the last semester, so I'm excited to have a job taking care of it.

Story Done + GTA IV First Impressions

For whatever reason, I was up until around 3:30AM finishing up that short story I mentioned... So it's done, and if I recall correctly it's around 4,000 words... I haven't looked at it since completion, though, so it probably sucks.

I woke up relatively early (it was like... 10:00AM) to go pick up Grand Theft Auto IV, and since I only had one class - and it was my last class of the semester, not counting finals - I spent the better part of the day playing it.

It's amazing. 7 hours of stealing cars and I don't wanna go out and jack people in real life! Man, who'd have thought that?

But anyways, I'm actually extremely impressed. I think a lot of this is due to the storyline, which is really quite good. Fantastic dialogue, great voice acting... And most importantly, really likable characters. You just couldn't relate to previous GTA protagonists, IMO, but Niko is an extremely interesting character. New to America and Liberty City, he's conflicted... He wants a new start, wants to not live a life of crime, but ever since the war (whichever war he was in... I'm not sure), he finds himself doing nothing but bad things.

The story really has me wondering what comes next. By the end, it might actually rank up there with some of the great crime/gangster movies.

Gameplay is great too... It's weird, on the surface, it feels EXACTLY like a GTA game, which have typically bored me in the past after an hour or two. But I dunno, everything here is just so refined and so polished... It's a great and addicting formula that most certainly goes beyond running around a city causing mayhem.

I also played a fair amount of multiplayer, which is a whole lot more entertaining than I thought. It's chaoctic, but in a very good way. I've only done team stuff so far, but I really enjoy the modes I tried... Which wasn't even half of them.

So yeah. I'm not altogether positive that it deserves the bajillion perfect scores it's been getting from just about every review source in the nation right now, but my first impressions are VERY positive.

Note, however, that it's still very much a Grand Theft Auto game. While the story shows an existance of moral dilemas and an actual concern for doing the right thing (at least sometimes), there's extremely strong language, inappropriate dialogue, strong sexual content (a lot/most of which is avoidable, as per series standard), violence, etc.

'aint for the kiddies, though I really, REALLY hope there aren't still parents out there that think it would be.

But for those of you who are 17 and up? I'm really enjoying it so far. I kind of want to play it more right now, but I'm exhausted, and thus should get some sleep. I'll have more stuff to say later.

Waking Up

I have sent off the second draft of "The Awakening" to both a professor a several chosen/voluntary readers. So there's that... Hopefully they'll give me enough good comments and critisism to build on so my next draft is a winner for Writer's of the Future (*hint hint*).

I've already started another short story project, though it's pretty bizzare, and very likely won't be seen by more than, say... Six pairs of eyes. So that may not matter a ton.

The beginning of "Tobias" needs to be revised pretty desperately, but as more and more time goes on I'm more and more sure of how to fix it... And make it really, really awesome. I may write more (if not all) of the second half of the novel before rewriting the first, though.

In other news, GTA IV comes out tomorrow, and the fact that I'm so excited about it probably means that the world has turned upside town. Quick! Somebody flip it back over before Michael Jackson is black again!

Of course, the fact that it's currently tied with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for best game of all time (as OoT surely is) on Metacritic certainly helps things make sense... Sort of. Apparently the story is really, really good? Really? Then I shall play it!

In other other news: Go Stars!

Not about Black Sabbath

I'm really, really excited about Iron Man. The film, not the song.

That is all.

Go watch Lost, if you haven't already. It's awesome.

Comic book crossovers provide the best of both worlds - La Vida

Comic book crossovers provide the best of both worlds - La Vida

Stream of Consciousness

Random thoughts for the day/week/month/whatever:

-- Some people have opened up an ImprovEverywhere branch here in Lubbock, and I happily participated in the first mission - the classic "Freeze" mission, which took place in the crowded Student Union Building. It was pretty rad.

-- I feel kind of guilty for this (and my mother probably won't be quick to understand), but I'm actually really excited about the release of Grand Theft Auto IV next week. It just looks really good, and hey! It has a freakin' story! One that actually sounds alright! Score! Regardless, I've gotta review it for the Toreador anyway, so I have to buy it. Oh, what I do for my job...

-- It looks like I'm going to be working a lot this summer, which means I'm going to be reading a lot. This is good, 'cuz I have a lot to catch up on... My copy of "The Lies of Locke Lamora" came in today (which a friend highly recommended to me), and I still have to read Steven King's "Dark Tower" series, Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" sequence, and the latest Ted Dekker books. Oh, and I need to see what all the fuss about that "Twilight" series is about, too.

-- I still need to revise "The Awakening" and send it out, though tonight I started on yet another project, despite the fact that I have a ton of schoolwork that needs doing... I need to finish "Tobias" as well. People are finally starting to read it, and the overall response has been pretty good so far, both in terms of people enjoying the story and in terms of good suggestions on how to make it better.

-- I left this post open for awhile after I realized I have like 4 papers to write by... Really soon. So I'm out. Later!

Games With the Best Stories (+ Prayer Request)

Last night, while dealing with horrible back pain, I bookmarked this Kotaku story so I could post about it today, also while dealing with horrible back pain.

GamesRadar apparently posted a list of the top 15 video game stories. They are, in no particular order:

Metal Gear Solid (1998, PlayStation, PC)
Grim Fandango (1998, PC)
The Longest Journey (2000, PC)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, Xbox, PC, 2004)
Beyond Good & Evil (PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, 2003)
Astro Boy: Omega Factor (Game Boy Advance, 2004)
Portal (Xbox 360, PC, PS3, 2007)
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (PC, 1993)
Bioshock (Xbox 360, 2007)
Planescape: Torment (PC, 1999)
Fallout 2 (PC, 1998)
God of War (PS2, 2005)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox, PC, 2003)
Final Fantasy VI (Super Nintendo, 1994)
Silent Hill 2 (Xbox, PS2, PC, 2001)

I'm literally ashamed that I haven't played several of the games on that list, including a few suprises... GTA: San Andreas? Really?!? Astro Boy: Omega Factor?!? What?

But most of the list looks extremely solid? The Longest Journey? HECK yeah. That game had an amazing storyline. Final Fantasy VI? The best of the Final Fantasies. Silent Hill 2? SUPER creepy in a very, very good way. Amazing plot. Bioshock? Totally. Metal Gear Solid? Better than the Tom Clancy novels I've read.

So yeah, it's a pretty great list, in my opinion. I can't actually think of any glaring omissions... Maybe some SNES RPG classics like Earthbound or Chrono Trigger... Oh, maybe System Shock 2 -- haven't played that one, though, I've just heard great things.

I dunno. Mostly this list looks great. I'd probably take out KotOR and GTA, and Portal, while AWESOME, is kinda iffy...

I need to track down a copy of Gabriel Knight...

Anyways, prayer request:

My buddy (sort of. He sent me Eragon on the 360. That either makes us friends or enemies) Don Francis over at GameSpot.com had a bit of a scare the other day when his young daughter fell into the pool and had to be rushed to the hospital. She's alive and well, and it looks as if she won't have any permanent damage, praise God... But this is of course the sort of thing that no parent wants to get a phone call about, so pray for him and his family as his daughter recovers. From what little I know of him from our conversations on New Zealand and 360 Achiemvent Points, Don is a fantastic guy and a great family man, so I'm glad God was looking out for him here.

Mortal Komics

Now, I don't typically like to use harsh/mild language - whether in speech or in my blogs...

But when I woke up to this news this morning, I could only say, "What the hell?"



















Yeah, that's Sub-Zero... Facing off against Batman...

Again, what the hell?

I knew that a new Mortal Kombat game was set to be announced at Midway's press event yesterday and today, and I knew that the embargos were going to be lifted tonight...

But I can't say I ever would have expected Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

If the thought of Superman facing off against Scorpion wasn't weird enough, get this: The game won't be rated "M" for Mature. It's going to be a Mortal Kombat game... a MORTAL-FREAKIN'-KOMBAT game, without blood or fatalities.

We are truly living in the final days.

Still, as shocked and puzzled as I am by this... I'm kinda anxious to play it myself. I mean, the Marvel vs. Capcom games were cool, right? Fantastic even. While I'm not sure this even has the potential of reaching that calibur, I'm certainly interested. I want to know more.

But man... What the hell?

An immensely neglected sport - Opinions

An immensely neglected sport - Opinions

The Cast of the Talebearer Trilogy

**NOTE: Obviously these aren't real cast members. The book hasn't been published yet, so it'd be absolutely insane to assume that there's a movie in the works.

Also, these aren't even real suggestions for who I'd like to play certain characters should Talebearer movies be made. The exception to this is the actress you'll see listed for Cassandra. She can have the job as far as I'm concerned... She'd be perfect for it, I think. Unless she's too old by the time my dreams of a "Tobias" motion picture come true.

This is just to give you guys some sort of visual idea of the people I've been "living with" for the past few years... sort of. Some are pretty solid representations (again, see: Cassandra), while some, like Tobias, are rather iffy.

But it's a fun and interesting excercise for me nonetheless. For those lucky few of you who have read the first half of "Tobias", let me know what you think of my choices.

Also: The formatting is kinda funky. Dang.

Tobias:

Freddie Highmore

Reasonably tall, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He’s not extremely bulky, but he’s no wimp either. He’s fast, but his main strength is his ability to plan and command.

Cassandra:

AnnaSophia Robb

Tall, blonde, beautiful, and more than capable of taking care of herself. Green eyes. She has combat skills that easily rival Tobias and Matthias, but she doesn’t originally seek an army life. After war breaks out and Tobias leaves, however, she starts training. She joins the Legion lot long after Matthias, and is put under Tobias’ command for the ‘Hell’ mission. She also dislikes being called by her nickname, “Cass”. Tobias is the only one who can call her that without being pounded. Others have tried, but only once.

Matthias:

Josh Hutcherson

He may look bulky, strong, and somewhat gruff, but he’s more willing to crack jokes than to take lives.

Heich:

Jeremy Irons

A Commander in the Legion. Knows his way around a battlefield.

Mia:

Miley Cyrus

A lone mercenary. Long, dark hair. A few years older than Tobias, but that doesn’t stop her from becoming quite infatuated with him. She has a normally peppy and bubbly personality, but she’s tough in battle.

Victor:

Jonathan Jackson

“Leading them was a man dressed entirely in black, with an assortment of blades at his side. He was clean-shaven aside from a black goatee that matched his hair, and he looked to be about twenty-five summers old. From what he could tell, Tobias took him to be a higher ranking Loki officer. Perhaps equal to Tobias’ Commander rank from a Loki standpoint.”

New 'Final Fantasy' addition continues to please gamers - La Vida

New 'Final Fantasy' addition continues to please gamers - La Vida

I'll do that special, "Hey, I've done 50 posts!" post later, m'kay? In the meantime, you can read how good I thought Crisis Core is.

The Way It Was Meant To Be

But there were those who wanted more,
The ones who hid in shell,
And should they loose the dogs of war,
They swing wide the gates of Hell.




But give thanks to Arovis,
Give thanks to the Three,
For this is the way it was meant to be.

If I'm not mistaken my next blog will be my 50th here on BrittonPeele.com. I might celebrate in style, who knows? I could talk a bit about characters and plot for Talebearer, since that's kind of why I'm here, you know?

Truth be told I should be making more progress on writing the Talebearer Trilogy. I've spent several nights over the past couple of weeks at a friend's dorm instead, getting beat by a girl in Mario Kart. Is there no greater shame?

Stay tuned. Things may get exciting in the near future.

::EDIT:: Oh! Almost forgot. Apparently the Bible is America's favorite book, with Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter among the most popular choices for second favorite. So utterly fantastic news all around!

Beware, I Live

Maybe You Should Burn That Rope

I've gotta say, it's possible that even my mom could beat this game:

You Have To Burn The Rope

And yet, it's pretty satisfying.

Hint: The title is a hint.

Question: Do you think they made this game just so they could write that awesome credits song?

Bonus Question: Why am I still awake, anyway?

Here's hoping for a gaming classics revival - Opinions

Here's hoping for a gaming classics revival - Opinions

Since this column was written, the existance of Sonic Unleashed has been confirmed. Huzzah! (Hopefully)

By the way, since these posts are coming minutes apart: Don't miss the other new one below.

Food Court Musical

I meant to post this closer to April 1st, but I got a bit caught up with the whole MGS4 review (which was a complete lie, in case you didn't catch on. I WAS asked to do that review... But for an April Fool's Joke. Apparently I'm good at acting like a crazy person) and other online pranks.

Then I developed a bit of an unhealthy obsession with The Miley and Mandy Show, so that's what any YouTube time was spent on. It's just, you know... If I'm gonna choose between watching two extremely attractive, strong Christian girls make ridiculous videos, or some kid wave a fake lightsaber around... I choose the ladies. Now, if only they would response to my messages...

But anyways, I've mentioned the ImprovEverywhere folks before, but I was shown this video by a friend recently, and I thought some of you (particularly my sister) would get a kick out of it... You know how in musicals, everybody just busts into song and dance in the middle of random public places? What if that really happened? NOW IT HAS!



Anyone wanna help me do something like this in Lubbock or Dallas? :-P Maybe not a musical, but SOMETHING, dang it!

Review - Metal Gear Solid 4

Earlier this year I was extremely blessed to have my boss over at the Guide2Games Forums, silver-dragon, contact me being a full-time reviewer for the revamped Guide2Games page. While I told him that I couldn't devote that sort of time to the site at this point in my life (with college, the DT job, writing and everything), I did offer my services should a real need arise.

So when Konami started getting in touch with members of the press to review Metal Gear Solid 4, they got in touch with SD, and he in turn got in touch with me.

The review itself went up today - I'm pretty sure we're the first people online to have one up - which is extremely exciting:

Metal Gear Solid 4 Guide2Games Review

I also spent a fair amount of time making this my first video review, so check that out as well.