Resident Evil 5

This is my first Resident Evil game, so don't expect an insider's review full of mentions of old games and how much it's changed over the course of it's existence. Instead, eagerly await the words of an ecstatic, albeit crazy fan-girl utterly in love with what had just been a wild roller-coaster ride of a video game. (I'm going to go full steam ahead into spoiler-galore land so if you haven't yet played this game, don't read any more!)

Resident Evil 5 promises scares, mystery, emotion and more. Of course, It's Resident Evil! The same Resident Evil that spawned films, books and obviously more games. The storyline is something short of jaw-dropping. You, Chris Redfield and your new partner – who you meet at the start of the game! - Sheva Alomar, are instructed with tracking down a known terrorist in the area of Kijuju, Africa and have to muscle through some terrifying creatures and monsters to do so. Along the way, secrets are unveiled, old friends and new and old foes come to light.

Wesker's back.
You can be sure of that! But you only get to see him quite a far way into the game, after having battling some truly horrific foes. Some that need to be doused in fire to be killed, some that wield chainsaws... I could go on! When he finally shows his Germanic, chiselled god-like face, don't go thinking this is the end! You face Wesker again after the first time you both meet after Chris and Jill Valentine's confrontation back at the Spencer Mansion – don't worry you get a flash back of all that, thunder, lightening and all. After a breath-taking cut-scene which holds one of the more shocking secrets of the game, you then have to survive for 7 minutes where you and your partner get to 'play' with Wesker. Actually, you have to deal as much damage as you can to him in those seven minutes all the while trying to stay alive. Stressful, I know! But for that reason, this if my favourite stage of the game.

As well as the baddest and biggest baddie of all time, you get to confront some new antagonists to Capcom's biggest game series ever. Ricardo Irving – who you actually finally meet after tracking down his ass for so long. Excella Gionne – a poor son of a b*tch, who is the head of the Tricell Africa Branch and of course ole Albert Wesker who slithers back into the game.

Along with some new characters, new setting, friends and foes. Resident Evil 5 also unleashes a whole new control system to the game. Having only played one other Resident Evil game and still, sadly not finished it. I can only offer a limited range of info on the matter but know this much – you can't shoot and run at the same time as well as the fact the inventory is now only accessible in-game and not in a pause menu. Which is not only frustrating but is also responsible for several deaths and damage dealt in my play-through!

But the music makes up for all the hated. Well, nearly all of it... the soundtrack is both insightful and beautiful with each track matching the scene/level or character fantastically well. I even downloaded some of them! Some tracks sound similar but if you close you eyes tight enough and listen out for the subtle differences you can easily pin-point where they fit into the game and it's cut-scenes. Or not so easily in my case as I actually thought 'Sad But True' fit into the 'Favour For A Friend' cinematic! Oops!

Anyway, you're not paying attention to the music when you're supposed to be killing and defeating truck loads of enemies. Mainly the Majini, that means 'evil spirit' – which are our zombies for the game. Which, actually aren't actual zombies. More puppets, mutated puppets with someone just as mutated pulling their strings.
 With many levels, many pretty, cools things to collect, like extra weapons, BSAA emblems and treasures there's loads to keep you busy, interested and excited in this surprisingly fantastic video game which I only just finished today, 17th April! At around two o'clock, no less! I then at unlocked and immediately tried out The Mercenaries mini-game and the new costumes, cut-scenes and files I had been so thankfully rewarded with for killing Wesker – by making him fall into a volcano full of burning lava and taking off his head with a rocket. Thank you, Capcom!

The graphics make the grotesque creatures and mutated monsters all the more horrid and the characters, mainly Excella and Wesker all the more god-like which then makes the cinematics fun to re-watch! Each level is intricately designed with hidden objects to hunt down till your heart's content with hordes of nasty things, each with their own freaking way to take them down. With buckets of secrets revealed, enemies and collectables the replay-ability in this game is sky high! Along with three difficulty setting and extras all over the place there's always more to do. And as Wesker's corpse is floating around in lava and you and your friends, fly away to safety in a chopper the only thing on your mind should be – when am I getting Resident Evil 6? ...and certainly not 'is Wesker really dead?!'
Thanks for reading! DCIPHOENIX

Antagonist here, anagonist there...

Which antagonist are you?

A review of Avatar the video game.

It's going to be a vast and beautiful land for you to run wild in, that's expected!

The scenery ensures much enjoyment from playing in James' Cameron's Avatar the game. As he, himself came up for the storyline etc in this, it's a prequel to the much loved, widely awaited 3D blockbuster. With you, an RDA grunt sent to Pandora as a signals specialist to help bring peace to the planet.

Of course it's not all that plain sailing.

After a quick and fairly intro to the game, setting, characters and controls – Avatar the video game splits it's save slot in the game to create two. One for the saved game you are currently playing(I started playing Na'vi side first) and another save for you to be a bad-ass and gun wielding(yeah, yeah, I enjoyed the RDA side better) grunt! So you can play as both sides to have to most fun out of this game. Also, obviously to hear and play both sides of this beautiful story which will grip you to the floor like a Na'vi spear.

I won't talk too much about the computer side of this game because this fun blog will just deteriorate into a mess of technology babbling with you, the reader running away from this game review and googling something more fun than this.

So, forget the film, this lil' beaut takes you to a whole new dimension of Pandora, Avatar and the mind of JC.

You get given a helper character very early on in the game by the name of Kendra Midori – she'd kinda like the Grace of the game - a bunch of other guys come and go in the game which gives it a bit more depth and realism. Monroe – the Dr Max, and Harper; I have no idea how to describe this crazy ass dude. He's just that weird! Then there's Commander Falco – he's your Quaritch; just as nuts and violent.

You also a welcome speech by Dr Grace Augustine voiced by Weaver herself right at the start of the game on the Valkyrie shuttle ship.

There's guest appearances by Trudy, voiced by Michelle Rodriguez and Colonel Quaritch, voiced by Stephen Lang. Oorah!

The storyline its self is fun and will keep you hooked although it's slightly routine and there's no newness to it after you have gotten to the middle and near climax of the game. But that being said, the finale with give you a sense of achievement no matter what side you took to get you there.

There's a cool set of Na'vi that you either have to go and kill; or if you take the Na'vi side, you have to take their orders. With a wide array of weapons on either side and some equipped skills to help you along the way, you almost feel welcome on each side – you also feel a strong hatred for the opposition. Even if you are playing for the RDA.

In fact, if you're not doing a happy-dance in the middle of your room after seeing your virtual, ripped, sexy, camouflaged self beat the antagonist of the game. You just played it wrong. So get up and start it all over again. This game if perfect, if you disagree, please comment why. I loved this game and am playing it for the 6^th time.

DCIPHOENIX

A review of Left 4 Dead

I burn things to feel joy. Kinda.
A REVIEW OF LEFT 4 DEAD.


For many years now, well three in fact – I have been a big fan of a game called left 4 dead. It's amazing, you must play it!
It's both violent and beautiful, it's scary, suspenseful also crazy and perfect. Even though there's truck loads of rabid zombies wanting to eat you and rip you to shreds – I have died many times on this game, I’ve seen it happen – within the undead beings and pouring rain, it feels perfect. It feels so perfect that if there was a zombie apocalypse L4D is what I would think it defiantly look like.
If it doesn't; I’ll post a complaint to the zombie in charge of said apocalypse!

Left 4 Dead's characters are insightful, lovable and hilarious. With Bill – the bad-ass army vet turned zombie killer, Francis – the biker with a heart in there somewhere, Louis – the ever positive computer analyst and Zoey – the kindest and youngest of the team who went to college to study film; but ended up staying in her dorm room watching zombie movies. I RELATE TO THIS CHICK! There's brilliant characters and I feel for them. I love and care about them.

It's setting is quite interesting too, as it's set in Pennsylvania – which I’m guessing is an important place in America; to warrant a full blown zombie apocalypse video game to be placed in it's heart, yes? But I swear I have seen a couple of films with scenes similar to that in Left 4 Dead! I am so sure that I have seen the same tree, road or house from L4D. Either I have played this game WAY too many times or Valve have really gone to town on this awesome game and not only gave us a fantastic place to shoot zombie ass and feel good doing it but it is art. Plain and simple, eerie art.

I can honestly say that I love Left 4 Dead. When I've not been on it in a while, I feel almost as if I've lost a friend and when I jump back on the zombie saddle and kick some ass – meaning I have my controller in my hands and game in the console. I feel the friend has been returned to me.
I known I have not hinted upon the game-play, storyline and music but that is another story to tell... and perhaps another blog for me to write.
My mutated, infected virtual friend, I salute you and your makers.
I adore you.


DCIPHOENIX

DCIPHOENIX: An Intro to Me!

That strange fan-girl.

Welcome to my dark corner of cyberspace. Make yourself a cuppa, some toast and buckle up! My name is Rose and I'm a BIG fan-girl of quite a lot of things – Torchwood, Ashes To Ashes, X-Files, Buffy: the vampire slayer, NCIS, CSI, Terra Nova, Stargate SG-1, Avatar and Spooks.

I'm a BIG lover of science fiction, crime, drama and romance TV shows, films and books – it's no wonder I love writing and reading; also the creative and performing arts.
I aspire to be an actress as I feel no enjoyment what so ever from any other career choice... apart from the military, weirdly enough. I have a fanfiction profile and I write mainly for pleasure and to express myself but also to escape the bores and routine of college and normal menial life. When I'm not being a bad-ass writer and college student I enjoy doing Tai Chi and weight lifting. I own a cat and many video gaming systems.
I like violent, shoot-y games but those that combine that with an awesome cinematic storyline that had you gasping, crying and acting like a mental patient swallowing your own tongue on your bedroom floor. Good times.
I also like guns. Mainly ones of the machine variety. Here's a question – if you were a gun, which one would you be? I would be a M-16 Assault Rifle.
Enough of me and time for the fan-girling.

I enjoy the works of:

J.K Rowling, Peter Robinson, J.R.R Tolkien, Phil Ford, Peter Robinson, Meg Cabot, Joanna Fulford, Lynda La Plant, Laurell K. Hamilton, Emma Pass, H.G Wells, Christopher Paolini, Anthony Horowitz, Philip K. Dick, Trevor Baxter, James Goss, Peter Angheidies, Gary Russell and Linda Winstead Jones.

And some singer/songwriters:

Rihanna, Pauley Perrette, Lady Gaga, Natalia Kills, Ellie Goulding, Katy Perry, 3OH!3, Leona Lewis, Theory of a Deadman, Poets of the Fall and Martina Topley Bird.

Thanks for stopping by, please comment on what YOU fan-girl/boy about!
DCIPHOENIX