Heavy Metal, Video Games, Horror Movies and Nerdom
Hey everyone,
I assure you, I’m hard at work on a project I can’t wait to show to all of you. We’re very close to leaving the pre-production phase. Hopefully, within the next few weeks I will have something more tangible to show you. The last thing I want to do is constantly be posting vague coded messages about a “project.” I just can’t really say much about it right now except that I’ve put a lot of effort into this and I hope it finds an audience. Thank you for your patience.
Bryan DeMarco
Hey,
Just wanted to give a friendly update on the status of Sonic Mercury. With the help of some very talented people, I’ve been hard at work at the helm of an exciting new project. I can’t say exactly what it is just yet, but know it’s way beyond the scope of anything I’ve posted here in the past. This new and exciting project is also probably a little bit different than anything I’ve posted here before. As things develop further in the next few months I will be posting more information on the project at hand. It sucks to have to be so cryptic about the project right now but it’s just not the right time to reveal anything. Hopefully, when I can finally post something more substantial, you get just as excited about this new endeavor as my crew and myself have been for the past few months.
In the meantime, I wish you all a Happy New Year. Go create something of your own. To paraphrase a bit from Kevin Smith, “only you have your specific voice.” Your expression might have a meaningful impact on another person’s life. You’ll never know unless you try. Here’s to a new year with new adventures!
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Hello!
I know I have been gone for quite a while, and for that I am sorry. The truth is I am currently working on an MFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment, and that takes up quite a bit of my time right now. Maybe you’ll notice an improvement in my writing. Maybe not. Anyway, hopefully in the near future I will be writing lots of fun stuff for all of us to enjoy in many different forms of media.
It’s October again, and Pat is once again treating all of us to his 13 Days of Halloween Spectacular. So, while I will be making no promises like last year to update every single post he does this year; I will be making this post to remind all of you to watch Pat’s show. Click the giant link to check out episode #1 of this year’s special. The episode is about one of my all time favorite franchises The Evil Dead.
By the way I am still fairly active on Twitter, and if you want to get a glimpse of what I have been up to this last year check out my Tumblr page.
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For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack
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(IMAGE APPEARS COURTESY OF IGN)
The Order 1886 is a game in hot contention right now. It seems to be under fire from all directions with some of gaming’s biggest outlets panning the Order as nothing more than a graphical showcase. This is sorely misinformed. I am forced to wonder if I played the same game that they did.
Having just completed the games campaign as I am writing this. My first thought is I cannot wait for a sequel. My impressions of the game start with how fresh I found the setting. It was just really nice to escape into a world that felt new and different. From the very outset of The Order 1886, a very robust and intriguing mythology is developed.
First off. Yes the graphics are gorgeous, but their was so much more to the game than just a visual feast. The other criticism made about The Order 1886 is that it is too short. Admittedly it took me about 9 hours to complete on normal difficulty but for perspective the first Uncharted game was shorter than that by almost 2 hrs and that game started one of the biggest franchises in gaming right now.
You play as Sir Galahad a veteran of The Order although very noble he tends to follow his own moral compass. His team including himself is made of four unique characters with distinctive personalities and interesting backgrounds. Sir Perceval serves as the squad leader, delving out wisdom he and Sir Galahad are old friends and Galahad does not take Perceval’s advice lightly. Lady Igraine or Izzy as she is referred to in the game has a big ego and is often the first to kick in a door. Rounding out the team is the passionate Marquis de Lafayette a freedom fighter who fought in both the American and French Revolutions. Together this team serves as a sort of special forces where encounters with the occult and supernatural seem like a normal occurrence.
The story is fascinating, ripe with the possibilities historical fiction allows for in the Whitechapel district of the 1880’s. For instance Jack the Ripper’s infamous murder spree is in full swing, Nikola Tesla not only makes all of your tools and weapons he is also one of your best friends and confidant’s, and you occasionally fight werewolves. The combat is really satisfying. Every single weapon fires differently and has a different feel to it. Specifically the weapons that Tesla has created are fun and imaginative. For instance one weapon is basically a giant electric arc generator and another shoots clouds of flammable gas that you can engulf multiple enemies in before launching the weapons secondary incendiary function taking down multiple enemies in a giant fireball. The cover system works very well too. Using the circle button to cover and the X button to break cover makes it harder for you to stick to cover by accident.
The Order 1886 is truly an immersive experience. It is obvious a ridiculous amount of effort went into crafting this game. Every level down to the tiniest detail looks incredible. The characters are likable and engaging. Combined with the story The Order 1886 is successful in creating a fresh experience for the gaming community. Most importantly the game is just fun to play. I found it hard to put down.
As for all the bad reviews and negative press this game has garnered over the last few days I just find it bewildering. I have noticed this mindset more and more in reviews over the last few years. Some outlets have made a conscious effort to stay away from it and fight hard to be unbiased. However if you read between the lines of a bad review sometimes you will notice it. People will sometimes give a game a bad review, not because the game is actually that bad but because its not the game they wanted. I think that this is exactly what has happened with The Order 1886. The game has been highly publicized since it was announced and their was a lot of hype for this game being one of the first big next-gen console exclusives and it just simply wasn’t the kind of game the critics wanted. By no means however does that make this a bad game.
Obviously this is just my speculation. The only other reasoning I can validate as to why The Order 1886 got such a bad review is because of some background politics between the publisher and the big name outlets because quite honestly I thought the game was brilliant. I thought the story was really interesting and I found the conclusion really satisfying. My hope is that word of mouth will triumph over these superficial reviews because this game is worth playing and I really hope they make a sequel or at least some big DLC content because I don’t want to stop exploring this world.
The Order 1886 is a PS4 exclusive and is rated M for mature.
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Day 5 of the 13 Days of Halloween has a less serious tone than our last entry. “Tucker and Dale VS Evil” is equal parts hilarity and brutal dismemberment. The story of two rednecks with hearts of gold “Tucker and Dale VS Evil” flips the script on the old horror movie trope of evil rednecks. In this case Tucker and Dale are just two well meaning guys with poor social skills. After making very poor first impressions on some young vacationers Tucker and Dale decide to head up to their fishing cabin and cut their losses. Guess where the vacationers cabin is? For more on this new classic we turn it over to our master of ceremonies Pat of the GessNation. Just click the link below.
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For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack
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For day four of the 13 Days of Halloween were taking a trip down under. Paul Hogan will not be making any cameos in this one though. Our Day 4 horror film is “Wolf Creek” the story of some British tourists who encounter a disturbingly upbeat psychopath during their vacation in Australia. A thoroughly entertaining horror film albeit far more gory than Day 3’s film “Freaks.” “Wolf Creek” is most notable for actor John Jarrett’s performance as the movies antagonist Mick Taylor who steals the show and is ultimately one of the most underrated horror movie antagonists of modern horror. As is the case with most movies I can go on and on so I will stop here and let Pat tell you all about “Wolf Creek.” Just click the link below.
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For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack
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Today Pat brings us a piece of cinema history. “Freaks” is a 1932 horror film directed and produced by Tod Browning. Tod is regarded by many film critics and historians as an incredibly talented artist of early cinema. “Freaks” is considered to be Tod Browning’s greatest film for it’s powerful story and unflinching look into the world of its subject matter, circus freaks. Most of the film’s characters are portrayed by real life circus performers. “Freaks” is an excellent edition to this list and a film all fans of not just horror but cinema in general should know about. Without further adieu I submit to you day 3 of the 13 Days of Halloween, “Freaks.” Click the link below to watch Pat’s review.
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For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack
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“Dead Alive” or “Braindead” as it is called outside the U.S. is one of my all time favorite horror movies. I won’t give much away as Pat will give you the details on this merry trip down insanity lane but I will say “Dead Alive” wins a lot of points with me for its sheer creativity. This blood soaked gem from New Zealand is notable for its bizarre story line, at times impressive special effects and unpredictability. “Dead Alive” is an irreverent horror film that is as gory as it is zany. I guarantee when the credits finally roll on this film you will not have been able to predict any of the events that have unfolded. For more we turn to Pat at the GessNation.
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For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack
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Pat kicks off the month of Halloween with an 80’s classic. H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Re-Animator” is the story of a medical student named Herbert West with a special serum that brings the dead back to life. As you can imagine things quickly go awry. For some reason bringing back the dead never seems to lead to things like medical breakthroughs or a higher level of general safety. “The Re-Animator” has an engaging plot that treads that fine line between horror and comedy exceptionally. A very entertaining film that also has some impressive special effects that still hold up pretty well.
Truly a must see for any horror fan and also a good choice for any Halloween movie marathon. Like most horror films from the 80’s “The Re-Animator” does contain gore, nudity and adult language so you might want to put the kids to sleep before pushing play. Without giving anything away the ending of this film is one of my all time favorites for its sheer level of twisted creativity. Surely a film you won’t ever forget here is the link to Pat’s official YouTube page TheGessNation home of Pat’s Metal reviews where you can checkout entry number #1 in his 13 Days of Halloween special.
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For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack
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Our good friend Pat the indomitable harbinger of the GessNation has bestowed upon us a glorious message promising a bounty of fictional picture records of crimes most foul upon the month of All Hallows Eve. With a 33 and 1/2 foot blade forged in the flames of the purest heavy metal glory Pat will cleave 13 horror movie reviews featuring his favorite moments and characters. Throughout the month of October Sonic Mercury will feature Pat’s 13 Days of Halloween and will post links to his YouTube channel for your entertainment. While we patiently await his next transmission here is the link to Pat’s YouTube channel TheGessNation where he describes his Halloween special in his own words.
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For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack
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(Image appears courtesy of Christopher Ott and London 1888)
According to an article posted on fashionnstyle.com recently, the 13th installment featuring the hockey masked horror icon Jason Voorhees is slated for a November 2015 release date. Titled “Friday the 13th 3D” the newest chapter in this storied franchise will be the series second film to be in 3D as Friday the 13th Part 3 was also in 3D. Part 3 is also significant because it is the first entry in the series where Jason dons the now legendary hockey mask that defines his image.
In 2013 Warner Bros. relinquished its rights to the Friday the 13th Franchise and also a potential new South Park film to partner with Paramount Pictures on Christopher Nolan’s film “Interstellar.” Nolan’s Batman trilogy was very successful for Warner Bros. and it seems they’re not ready to split ways with the esteemed director. This move gave Paramount the sole rights to the “Friday” franchise and it looks like they aren’t going to waste the opportunity to take advantage of the deal.
Little is known about the film at this time as it is still listed in development. According to fashionnstyle.com the producer Brad Fuller has stated that the script isn’t quite finished and it is unlikely that any of the previous actors, including Derek Mears who played Jason in the last installment of the “Friday the 13th” series will be returning. It seems plausible that “Friday the 13th 3D” will ignore the events of “Friday the 13th (2009).” That’s probably a good thing given that the 2009 version had a lukewarm response at best from longtime fans of the series despite performing respectively at the box office. Like it’s hockey masked antagonist the “Friday the 13th” franchise just won’t stay dead.
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Hey, so uh, yeah its official. Mortal Kombat X is real! An announcement trailer has surfaced today featuring staples of the franchise Sub-Zero and Scorpion battling it out in a winter forest setting. The two donned costumes that were reminiscent of their original ninja designs yet they appeared updated and far more detailed than ever before. The end of the trailer teases a 2015 release. With that info in mind I think it is safe to say that this trailer is not in game footage but likely a CG rendering of what we can expect in the new game.
Based on the “kombat” shown it looks like the x-ray attacks from the last game will be present. It looks like the game will again be 2.5D in presentation meaning a 2 dimensional presentation in a 3D environment. This means no side stepping but the character models and levels will still be rendered in 3D. (More confused? or less?) Think Street Fighter’s presentation versus Tekken’s. The environment seems to play a bigger role this time as both Scorpion and Sub-Zero were shown interacting with trees during their battle, bouncing off of their trunks and using their branches as weapons. Individual character weapons appear to be making a comeback as well.
The setting of a snowy forest at night is noticeably less fantastical than in previous games. It looks like Scorpion and Sub-Zero are fighting in an actual forest. The overall atmosphere is darker than in previous games and the tone is serious. Despite Scorpion and Sub-Zero’s magical powers it is the most realistic MK rendition I have seen. I won’t spoil it for you but the fatality shown at the end of the trailer is just brutal.
IGN reports that every match played in MKX will have an impact on the online portion of the game. Most interesting is that it is being reported players will be able to select different versions of the same characters, effecting both strategy and fighting style. Mortal Kombat X is said to feature an original story encompassing both classic and completely new characters in the fight of good versus evil. Luckily MKX will be on show next week at E3 so we will not have to wait long to learn more about this title. Mortal Kombat X will be available on PS4, PS3, XBOX One, XBOX 360 and the PC.
Here is the link to the announcement trailer for Mortal Kombat X as posted on the Mortal Kombat Community YouTube page.
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Highly anticipated horror title The Evil Within has seen its release date pushed back. Director of the title Shinji Mikami and his development team requested more time to polish the game. Publisher Bethesda Softworks included this quote with the delay announcement.
“Shinji Mikami and his team at Tango Gameworks have asked for additional time to further balance and refine the game in order to deliver the polished, terrifying pure survival horror experience they set out to create.”
Thankfully the new release date is only a few months so instead of a late August release we will see The Evil Within release in late October, just in time for Halloween. Also included in this announcement were details about in game perks rewarded to people who pre-order The Evil Within. Dubbed The Fighting Chance Pack here is what it comes with as listed on Bethesda Softworks home page.
The Evil Within has been on everyone’s radar because the director of the game Shinji Mikami is the creator of the Resident Evil series and this new title is said to be his desire to return survival horror to its roots. From the different sources I have seen who have had the opportunity to go hands on with The Evil Within it sounds promising that Shinji and his team at Tango Gameworks will make good on their promise. If the game does live up to expectations it will be well worth the wait. The Evil Within is slated for release on PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX One and PC.
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Starting June 9th of this year you will be able to pick up an XBOX One sans the Kinect motion sensor. This is good news for many people who were turned off by the peripheral. For starters the Kinect-less XBOX One will be available for $399, dropping the cost by $100 and matching the price of its biggest competitor the PS4. More good news for XBOX One consumers is that the console supposedly will have its performance boosted by freeing up memory designated to running the Kinect.
This was a much desired concession made by Microsoft that critics of the Kinect have wanted since day one. However the decision seems to have been abrupt as multiple developers who were working on XBOX One and Kinect titles have expressed disdain. Everyone developing anything for the XBOX One less than a few weeks ago were under the impression that Kinect was a mandatory part of the system. Some developers are currently creating games that exclusively use Kinect controls and they will definitely see an impact on sales now that the Kinect install base will shrink. Even the XBOX One interface has been retooled as it was designed to function with the Kinect.
While removing the Kinect is a popular decision within the hardcore gaming community it still seems a shame that Microsoft has made it optional. I know that I was someone who in the beginning was fiercely opposed to the Kinect but now I feel like the last part of Microsoft’s identity has been lost. Games that specifically only use Kinect controls don’t necessarily appeal to me but I can’t help wondering now how a future XBOX One exclusive may have took advantage of the Kinect’s unique features to create an experience only available on the XBOX One.
There are a few reasons as to why Microsoft may have chosen to remove the Kinect so swiftly. The PS4 is still outselling the XBOX One and Titanfall didn’t turn out to be the system seller Microsoft hoped it would be. Forbes estimates that if current trends keep up the XBOX One will have close to half the install base of the PS4 by the holiday 2014 season. This information combined with the fact that XBOX One cost $100 more than the PS4 fueled the decision makers at Microsoft to make a drastic decision. Once the decision was made to make Kinect optional Microsoft felt it better to make the news public as quickly as possible as to dissipate some of the negativity that might have been associated with this move before E3.
I’m sure that the XBOX One will still have some amazing exclusive content without the Kinect and the price drop is definitely favorable. My concern now is that in removing the Kinect has the XBOX One become too similar to the PS4? With less to differentiate itself from the PS4 will the price cut be enough to persuade consumers away from the highly popular PS4? Finally does the removal of mandatory Kinect herald the end of motion gaming?
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Tuesday May 13th the High Life Update is finally set to arrive for GTA Online. The addition of new high-end properties and the ability to own more than one property including garages is something online players have been wanting since day one. Five new locations with new interiors have been added to the real estate of Los Santos. Three new cars will be available, the Zentorno, Massacro, and Huntley S. A new motorcycle the Dinka Thrust. There is a new weapon the Bullpup rifle. Fifteen new missions will be added as well as new high-life themed attire. A feature many fans of GTA’s races will take note of the new “non-contact” mode where racers will no longer be able to bump each other off the road. Traffic and other obstacles will still remain. New vehicle horns as well as new player salutes will be included in the High Life Update. Lastly a new Mental State stat will appear for all players. The is designed to show how passive or insane your fellow players are.
Still glaringly missing are the heists promised for GTA Online from day 1. This update does add some much asked for additions, namely the new property and garage features. As someone who personally has really enjoyed GTA 5 and its online mode for what its worth, I can’t help but feel that the overall online experience including the updates has been far shallower than expected. GTA Online is far less populated by players now than when it was launched last September. Much of the mayhem and unprovoked hostility in GTA Online stems from this shallowness. There is little to no incentive for players to work together outside of certain missions and even then as soon as a mission is over it is fairly common for one player to murder another for the money they earned together on that same mission. These factors combined with a dwindling online community, mostly out of sheer boredom of repetition and a caustic peer to peer environment, make me think that Rockstar has dropped the ball on this one.
The next update after high life is supposed to be the one featuring heists. It just feels like too little too late. The large community that first participated in GTA Online has for the most part moved on. The updates have been mostly superficial and I’m curious to see that whenever the heists update finally does come out if that many people are really going to care. How many players are going to want to come back to GTA Online after playing every other aspect of it to death. I theorize that Rockstar might have an announcement regarding all of this at E3, probably regarding GTA on PS4 and XBOX One. Are you still excited to play the heists missions in GTA Online? Leave a comment below.
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