Oh how the mighty have fallen. Wrestlemania 31 was awesome. All the matches turned out to be better than I thought and it was one of the best Wrestlemanias in history, one they showcased many of the future stars of WWE. Extreme Rules has a pretty weak card coming off of WM 31. No Triple H, Sting, Undertaker, and most surprisingly Bray Wyatt. Once again, Bray Wyatt loses a feud and just vanishes. He's been doing promos about a new person and reports say that it's Ryback. Ryback though? That's a definite drop from his major level feuds he's had. The only thing that's going to redeem Bray Wyatt is if he wins the Money in the Bank contract. Is there anyone else who could potentially win it? Ambrose maybe? That's in a couple months though. Anyway, I'm not going to do predictions as I'm really not heavily invested in this event at all. There's only a few matches that I want to see. The Tag Title matches, the Steel Cage, Ziggler/Sheamus and the match to steal the show, Ambrose VS Harper in a Street Fight. Cena/Rusev and Reigns/Show are throwaway matches. Reigns pinned Rollins on Smackdown so I'm thinking he'll be back into the main event after this. Cena will continue with the youth and defend his championship, maybe eventually running into Neville in the months to come. Bryan is out of action with an injury apparently so that match is most likely off. I'd like to see Barrett VS Neville in its place though. This event isn't really doing much for me.
So, here's a quick predictions post!
Cena wins.
If Neville/Barrett happens, Neville wins first PPV match.
Reigns wins.
Ambrose FINALLY wins on PPV.
Cesaro/Kidd wins.
Sheamus wins?
Naomi wins, setting up a match with Paige eventually.
Rollins wins.
Triple threat main event at Payback along with Wyatt/Ryback, Lucha Dragons VS Cesaro/Kidd, Cena VS some new youth he can squash and whatever else WWE wants to put on this throwaway PPV. It's all leading to the big event Money in the Bank, where hopefully, Wyatt will get his career back on track by winning the MITB briefcase. Hopefully or I'm done.
BIGGEST NEWS OF THE WEEK! NXT is coming to Philadelphia! To be more specific, the Tower Theaters in Upper Darby, which is 5 minutes from where I live! I'm going up! Front row seats! Presale tickets on sale Wednesday and I will definitely be buying tickets for myself and my friends. They aren't the biggest NXT fans but for the price of admission, you can't pass it up. I'm way more excited for this than watching Extreme Rules and Payback combined. SERIOUSLY.
Anyway, watch Extreme Rules tomorrow. It's free and rightfully so.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
2 Years
When Monday, April 20th hits, I will have been married for 2 years. 2 YEARS. Do you know how much has happened in the last two years in this world or better yet, in the world of wrestling and video games? Daniel Bryan rose to fame, the PS4 and Xbox One were released, the WWE Network came out, The Undertaker's streak ended, Super Smash Bros was finally released, The Office, Parks and Rec and Dexter all ended, NXT became THE brand as international stars like Prince Devitt, Kenta and Kevin Steen all signed onto to developmental contracts, two ROH stars left different Wrestlemanias as World Champion, I could go on and on! Yes, only I would connect wrestling and video games with my anniversary, thank you very much! Anyway, this post isn't about pro wrestling or video games, it's actually a personal post about my 2 year marriage.
I still remember my wedding day like it was yesterday. The amount of nerves I had, my mind racing with all the things that could go wrong and my anticipation of finally getting alone with my wife. It was a great day and while I didn't want to share the moment by having a nice sized wedding, we did anyway so my wife could be happy. Now that I have the experience of being married, I can honestly say that it's something you can't take lightly. There's a sort of finality of it, like, this is the only person you can be with for the rest of your life. I'm 24 so by standards, I should have a lot of life left to live. That's not really a problem for me or so I thought at first. I never had anyone besides my wife. Robyn was basically my first everything. My first kiss, my first girlfriend, my first lover, the list goes on. Every first you can have romantically with a woman, Robyn took. I don't have anything else to compare her to except my mind. There are pros and cons to each side of the story. If you never had anyone, you don't have the baggage that someone else with multiple ex partners does. I came in fresh and pure. It can also be a bad thing as you wonder what life would have been like had you never gotten married. You know, could you have gotten someone else, stuff like that. The fact of the matter is your mind always comes back to what you have currently because it's what God has given you. Besides, it was Him who put us together in the first place anyway.
Marriage is like a roller coaster. There are many ups and downs, many high moments and many low moments. It's an adventure worth experiencing. If I had to compare a game to my marriage, it would be Dark Souls. Dark Souls is a learning experience. If you don't learn how to survive quick, you're not going to have a good time. You have to know when to play defense or when to play offense. Marriage is the same. When you're married and start living together, you're going to have to get used to the other's habits. Robyn is a TV junkie, I'm a video game junkie. With one television in the room, it doesn't mix well. I have an advantage though because Robyn loves sleep and will sleep after just about anything. Eating, a day out, sneezing, playing a game, whatever. She'll go to sleep. I use that opportunity to sneak in a couple of hard earned gaming hours in before she wakes up. I try not to be a TV hog but when every once in a while, it happens, like when Dark Souls II came out last year. MAN, I was all over that TV. Now with Bloodborne, it's not so bad because our schedules don't allow us to see each other at all basically so whenever I'm home, she's not. It's fun learning each other's habits and how to plan for each one.
The worst thing about being married is my selfishness. I am a selfish guy, I'm sorry. It's really bad. It's to a point where I get upset when things don't go the way that I think they should. If things go off the path that I've envisioned for them, I'll get an attitude. I'm currently playing through Xenoblade on the 3DS. You know how Shulk has visions of the future and they usually tell of a grim fate for some of the characters involved in the story and how he does his best to change them? Well, I'm the opposite of that. Once again, only I can compare games to my real life. Anyway, if I have plans to sit down and game all day and that's disturbed, I'm pissed. One Friday, I worked morning shift and didn't have to go back until Saturday night. Robyn had to work her 2nd job so I had plenty of time to myself to get some gaming in. To my surprise, just when I started to get into one of the games I was playing, can't remember which it was, Robyn pops in and says her shift was cancelled. My mood completely changed, It's not like I wasn't happy to see her, it's just I hate when my plans are changed. To her though, it was like I didn't want to see her. That caused a problem and that was 100% MY fault. I really shouldn't have treated her like that. I'm not the perfect husband, I'm far from it actually. I've never been married or even had a relationship before so all this is new to me and I'm still in the learning process. I also have to learn to spend more time with her. We don't get any time AT ALL now. With our varying schedules and such, we always get to go to church together but that's the only given. We're actually spending our anniversary apart this year as she has to go away for a school trip. It's hard but I know that we'll get the time we need together eventually. It is almost summer movie season so we have to make plans to see Avengers, Fantastic Four, Ant-Man and many others.
Regardless of my imperfections, I truly love Robyn. It's been a fun ride so far and we haven't even started yet. If this were WWE, we would be in NXT, probably as the NXT Champion. We still have yet to live on our own or have any children yet. Once we do that, that's when the real tests of marriage will begin. That's something to look forward to though.
Wrestling and video game posts will resume
I still remember my wedding day like it was yesterday. The amount of nerves I had, my mind racing with all the things that could go wrong and my anticipation of finally getting alone with my wife. It was a great day and while I didn't want to share the moment by having a nice sized wedding, we did anyway so my wife could be happy. Now that I have the experience of being married, I can honestly say that it's something you can't take lightly. There's a sort of finality of it, like, this is the only person you can be with for the rest of your life. I'm 24 so by standards, I should have a lot of life left to live. That's not really a problem for me or so I thought at first. I never had anyone besides my wife. Robyn was basically my first everything. My first kiss, my first girlfriend, my first lover, the list goes on. Every first you can have romantically with a woman, Robyn took. I don't have anything else to compare her to except my mind. There are pros and cons to each side of the story. If you never had anyone, you don't have the baggage that someone else with multiple ex partners does. I came in fresh and pure. It can also be a bad thing as you wonder what life would have been like had you never gotten married. You know, could you have gotten someone else, stuff like that. The fact of the matter is your mind always comes back to what you have currently because it's what God has given you. Besides, it was Him who put us together in the first place anyway.
Marriage is like a roller coaster. There are many ups and downs, many high moments and many low moments. It's an adventure worth experiencing. If I had to compare a game to my marriage, it would be Dark Souls. Dark Souls is a learning experience. If you don't learn how to survive quick, you're not going to have a good time. You have to know when to play defense or when to play offense. Marriage is the same. When you're married and start living together, you're going to have to get used to the other's habits. Robyn is a TV junkie, I'm a video game junkie. With one television in the room, it doesn't mix well. I have an advantage though because Robyn loves sleep and will sleep after just about anything. Eating, a day out, sneezing, playing a game, whatever. She'll go to sleep. I use that opportunity to sneak in a couple of hard earned gaming hours in before she wakes up. I try not to be a TV hog but when every once in a while, it happens, like when Dark Souls II came out last year. MAN, I was all over that TV. Now with Bloodborne, it's not so bad because our schedules don't allow us to see each other at all basically so whenever I'm home, she's not. It's fun learning each other's habits and how to plan for each one.
The worst thing about being married is my selfishness. I am a selfish guy, I'm sorry. It's really bad. It's to a point where I get upset when things don't go the way that I think they should. If things go off the path that I've envisioned for them, I'll get an attitude. I'm currently playing through Xenoblade on the 3DS. You know how Shulk has visions of the future and they usually tell of a grim fate for some of the characters involved in the story and how he does his best to change them? Well, I'm the opposite of that. Once again, only I can compare games to my real life. Anyway, if I have plans to sit down and game all day and that's disturbed, I'm pissed. One Friday, I worked morning shift and didn't have to go back until Saturday night. Robyn had to work her 2nd job so I had plenty of time to myself to get some gaming in. To my surprise, just when I started to get into one of the games I was playing, can't remember which it was, Robyn pops in and says her shift was cancelled. My mood completely changed, It's not like I wasn't happy to see her, it's just I hate when my plans are changed. To her though, it was like I didn't want to see her. That caused a problem and that was 100% MY fault. I really shouldn't have treated her like that. I'm not the perfect husband, I'm far from it actually. I've never been married or even had a relationship before so all this is new to me and I'm still in the learning process. I also have to learn to spend more time with her. We don't get any time AT ALL now. With our varying schedules and such, we always get to go to church together but that's the only given. We're actually spending our anniversary apart this year as she has to go away for a school trip. It's hard but I know that we'll get the time we need together eventually. It is almost summer movie season so we have to make plans to see Avengers, Fantastic Four, Ant-Man and many others.
Regardless of my imperfections, I truly love Robyn. It's been a fun ride so far and we haven't even started yet. If this were WWE, we would be in NXT, probably as the NXT Champion. We still have yet to live on our own or have any children yet. Once we do that, that's when the real tests of marriage will begin. That's something to look forward to though.
Wrestling and video game posts will resume
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Bloodborne Impressions
So, if you read my last post about the best of the first quarter, you'll know that I recently bought a Playstation 4. I wasn't in a real big rush to get the system but when GameStop offered $175 credit towards if you traded in your PS3, I took the bait. I was reluctant at first because Tales of Zestiria will be releasing probably in the summer months and it's only ON PS3. I decided that in the long run, this was the best deal that I was going to get for my 5 year old system. It couldn't have come at a better time because the game I wanted most on the console finally released the week prior; Bloodborne.
Demon's Souls was one of the first titles I bought with my PS3. While I didn't beat it, (I wasn't ready for it yet) I loved everything about it. The difficulty, the world, the nonlinear gameplay. It all made for a fantastic experience that was unlike anything I had played up to that point. Like I said, I never finished it. The last thing I remember doing was defeating a huge dragon like creature that gave you a silver trophy upon completion. Though I loved the game, I honestly don't think I was ready for everything the world had to offer.
Dark Souls was released in October 2011 for both PS3 and 360 so I tried again in this world. This time though, I was hooked. I could not stop playing this game. I would have crazy nonstop sessions of gaming with this. I remember facing that dang Chaos Witch Quelaag before church one Sunday and it took me 3 hours to beat her. THREE HOURS. I loved how brutal the game was. It made me keep coming back for more and more punishment. It sounds sadistic but that's what we all love about these types of games. It punishes you deeply but once you overcome whatever was stopping your progress, you feel like you accomplished something huge. When I beat the Capra Demon, Smough and Ornstein and Quelaag, I felt unstoppable. That is, until I got to the next area and got a strong dose of reality. Dark Souls 2 released in 2014 and it was more of the same, just easier. That brings us to Bloodborne, the PS4 exclusive that continues the legacy that Demon's Souls started 6 years ago.
You'll see that my progress jumps from point to point. I've been doing this post for the last couple days so, just bare with it.
Let's be honest right from the gate; if you have played any one of these games, you've played them all. The gameplay is the same in all but what Bloodborne adds are guns. This might be weird to say, but Bloodborne feels more gothic than the other three Souls games. Maybe it's the areas I've been across already or the outfits the main character gets/ It just feels that way to me. I've probably spent at least 5 hours in the game so far and the last thing I did was stop at the lantern in the Old cathedral as I had about four different ways to go and I had to leave for work (This has since been updated below). Out of all the elements in the game, the open world is still the thing that keeps me coming back. My biggest gripe with Demon's Souls was that each area was separate and that it basically had a game hub, where you select the different levels you want to go to. Now, I know Bloodborne has the Hunter's Dream that you're in, but it feels more like Marjula in Dark Souls II. The point I'm at right now makes me feel like whichever way I go, it's going to lead to a different area. There's these hugge stairs that leads to a big door that I can go through. There's these two grassy areas that I can go to. There's also Old Yarham, where's there's someone who doesn't want me in there. I love exploring in these games and learning where to go and what to do.
I started out like I do in all of these games; making sure strength is my top priority. I always play the melee character and will continue to do until I die. I picked the Hunter's Ax and Pistol and started the journey. I wondered around, killing enemies, just trying to get a feel for the game and seeing if I still had the Souls experience in me. It was only this time last year where I was going through DS2. I kept trekking through until I found the first boss; The Cleric Beast. Bloodborne doesn't hide its areas with a door of fog when you first meet a boss so your only clue to when a boss is coming are the notes people leave. I didn't see any notes indicating a fight so I just continue to stroll until this huge freaking monstrosity pops up. I try to run away but the way out is blocked by an invisible wall. I tell myself, well, I'm screwed! I was nowhere near ready for this fight. Somehow though, on my first try, I beat it! Yes, I beat the Cleric Beast! I pumped my fist in victory and continued my journey. I started to feel myself get better as I remember the 100+ hours I've spent with Dark Souls 1 and 2. I met the 2nd boss of the area, Father Gascoigne. He beat me the first time but I bested him the 2nd. He wasn't too hard and wasn't nearly as scary as the Cleric Beast. I've continued to go through the game and eventually found my first Chalice but not without a challenge. The Blood-Starved Beast was the first real challenging boss in Bloodborne. His unpredictable movements, the small area and his poison all made for a difficult fight. Once you get a handle on how he attacks, you then have to worry about him poisoning you as his health bar depletes. Once his health gets even further, he starts to leak out poison so staying near him for too long will harm you in the long run. Did I mention his attacks get harder to read? You have to really watch if he goes for just one swing or if he does a huge combo because if you get hit with a combo, then you're sure to be poisoned and then die from that. It took close to 10 tries but beating him was a huge accomplishment for me. I started to telegraph all his movements and anytime he would do one swing, I would counter with one giant swing with my Hunter's Ax. Old reliable there. I went back to Hunter' Dream and used the Chalice but as I saw the clock, it said 11:45 PM and with me having to be up at 4AM, I turned the game off for the night.
I've since explored my first Chalice dungeon, saw a boss and got killed. I haven't returned since. I had some confidence after beating the Blood Starved Beast so I went to the other boss in the area that was giving me trouble; Vicar Amelia. After conquering BSB, Vicar was easy enough in reading movements. It was just her ability to restore a lot of the damage you've already done to her that made her cheap. After learning about the Numbing Mist, I beat her and learned the password for a door I couldn't open previously. As I was on my way to that room, I was killed by a new enemy that I hadn't seen before in an area that I traversed many times before. Upon death, I was in a new area, which was filled with plenty of those creatures. After finding the lantern there, I left, deeming the area too hard for my current level. I found the password door and continued into the next area; a forest like area. After getting through it and finding notes that stated a hidden path led to the clinic from the beginning of the game, I strayed off to that path and found the insane woman in the clinic. I killed her and stopped for the time being. There are SO many different ways to go. I found a summon letter in the clinic, telling me a chariot waits for me in an area I haven't explored yet but have discovered. I saw what I think is another boss nearby. It was a big forest like opening and there was a black, hairy like entity on the ground. There's still the room with the saucer that I don't know how to pass yet. There's still that Unseen village to explore. There's also the forest that I haven't fully gotten through. SO MUCH left to do. Bloodborne truly captures the essence of exploration. Every corner is an adventure and I love going deeper in this game. I truly love any game where you can explore freely. That's why I love Metroidvania games so much.
Bloodborne has me hooked. I'm 15 hours in but I don't feel like I'm even close to figuring this game out. I haven't even gotten the ability to do magic yet either. There's still SO MUCH that Bloodborne hasn't showed me yet and I'm very intrigued to continue my journey in this amazing and bleak world. It was worth trading in my PS3 for. Thanks to this game, I truly have no regrets of missing out on Tales, that is, until the date of the release draws closer and then I'll start to hate myself and look up cheap PS3 alternatives. Anyway, Bloodborne is worth the price of admission alone. It's the best PS4 exclusive so far. There aren't too many exclusives as it is but still, I feel comfortable saying that. It could wind up being my Game of the Year, simply because it captures the feel and intrigue I had when I played Dark Souls the first time. There's not a feeling in the world like it.
Demon's Souls was one of the first titles I bought with my PS3. While I didn't beat it, (I wasn't ready for it yet) I loved everything about it. The difficulty, the world, the nonlinear gameplay. It all made for a fantastic experience that was unlike anything I had played up to that point. Like I said, I never finished it. The last thing I remember doing was defeating a huge dragon like creature that gave you a silver trophy upon completion. Though I loved the game, I honestly don't think I was ready for everything the world had to offer.
Dark Souls was released in October 2011 for both PS3 and 360 so I tried again in this world. This time though, I was hooked. I could not stop playing this game. I would have crazy nonstop sessions of gaming with this. I remember facing that dang Chaos Witch Quelaag before church one Sunday and it took me 3 hours to beat her. THREE HOURS. I loved how brutal the game was. It made me keep coming back for more and more punishment. It sounds sadistic but that's what we all love about these types of games. It punishes you deeply but once you overcome whatever was stopping your progress, you feel like you accomplished something huge. When I beat the Capra Demon, Smough and Ornstein and Quelaag, I felt unstoppable. That is, until I got to the next area and got a strong dose of reality. Dark Souls 2 released in 2014 and it was more of the same, just easier. That brings us to Bloodborne, the PS4 exclusive that continues the legacy that Demon's Souls started 6 years ago.
You'll see that my progress jumps from point to point. I've been doing this post for the last couple days so, just bare with it.
Let's be honest right from the gate; if you have played any one of these games, you've played them all. The gameplay is the same in all but what Bloodborne adds are guns. This might be weird to say, but Bloodborne feels more gothic than the other three Souls games. Maybe it's the areas I've been across already or the outfits the main character gets/ It just feels that way to me. I've probably spent at least 5 hours in the game so far and the last thing I did was stop at the lantern in the Old cathedral as I had about four different ways to go and I had to leave for work (This has since been updated below). Out of all the elements in the game, the open world is still the thing that keeps me coming back. My biggest gripe with Demon's Souls was that each area was separate and that it basically had a game hub, where you select the different levels you want to go to. Now, I know Bloodborne has the Hunter's Dream that you're in, but it feels more like Marjula in Dark Souls II. The point I'm at right now makes me feel like whichever way I go, it's going to lead to a different area. There's these hugge stairs that leads to a big door that I can go through. There's these two grassy areas that I can go to. There's also Old Yarham, where's there's someone who doesn't want me in there. I love exploring in these games and learning where to go and what to do.
I started out like I do in all of these games; making sure strength is my top priority. I always play the melee character and will continue to do until I die. I picked the Hunter's Ax and Pistol and started the journey. I wondered around, killing enemies, just trying to get a feel for the game and seeing if I still had the Souls experience in me. It was only this time last year where I was going through DS2. I kept trekking through until I found the first boss; The Cleric Beast. Bloodborne doesn't hide its areas with a door of fog when you first meet a boss so your only clue to when a boss is coming are the notes people leave. I didn't see any notes indicating a fight so I just continue to stroll until this huge freaking monstrosity pops up. I try to run away but the way out is blocked by an invisible wall. I tell myself, well, I'm screwed! I was nowhere near ready for this fight. Somehow though, on my first try, I beat it! Yes, I beat the Cleric Beast! I pumped my fist in victory and continued my journey. I started to feel myself get better as I remember the 100+ hours I've spent with Dark Souls 1 and 2. I met the 2nd boss of the area, Father Gascoigne. He beat me the first time but I bested him the 2nd. He wasn't too hard and wasn't nearly as scary as the Cleric Beast. I've continued to go through the game and eventually found my first Chalice but not without a challenge. The Blood-Starved Beast was the first real challenging boss in Bloodborne. His unpredictable movements, the small area and his poison all made for a difficult fight. Once you get a handle on how he attacks, you then have to worry about him poisoning you as his health bar depletes. Once his health gets even further, he starts to leak out poison so staying near him for too long will harm you in the long run. Did I mention his attacks get harder to read? You have to really watch if he goes for just one swing or if he does a huge combo because if you get hit with a combo, then you're sure to be poisoned and then die from that. It took close to 10 tries but beating him was a huge accomplishment for me. I started to telegraph all his movements and anytime he would do one swing, I would counter with one giant swing with my Hunter's Ax. Old reliable there. I went back to Hunter' Dream and used the Chalice but as I saw the clock, it said 11:45 PM and with me having to be up at 4AM, I turned the game off for the night.
I've since explored my first Chalice dungeon, saw a boss and got killed. I haven't returned since. I had some confidence after beating the Blood Starved Beast so I went to the other boss in the area that was giving me trouble; Vicar Amelia. After conquering BSB, Vicar was easy enough in reading movements. It was just her ability to restore a lot of the damage you've already done to her that made her cheap. After learning about the Numbing Mist, I beat her and learned the password for a door I couldn't open previously. As I was on my way to that room, I was killed by a new enemy that I hadn't seen before in an area that I traversed many times before. Upon death, I was in a new area, which was filled with plenty of those creatures. After finding the lantern there, I left, deeming the area too hard for my current level. I found the password door and continued into the next area; a forest like area. After getting through it and finding notes that stated a hidden path led to the clinic from the beginning of the game, I strayed off to that path and found the insane woman in the clinic. I killed her and stopped for the time being. There are SO many different ways to go. I found a summon letter in the clinic, telling me a chariot waits for me in an area I haven't explored yet but have discovered. I saw what I think is another boss nearby. It was a big forest like opening and there was a black, hairy like entity on the ground. There's still the room with the saucer that I don't know how to pass yet. There's still that Unseen village to explore. There's also the forest that I haven't fully gotten through. SO MUCH left to do. Bloodborne truly captures the essence of exploration. Every corner is an adventure and I love going deeper in this game. I truly love any game where you can explore freely. That's why I love Metroidvania games so much.
Bloodborne has me hooked. I'm 15 hours in but I don't feel like I'm even close to figuring this game out. I haven't even gotten the ability to do magic yet either. There's still SO MUCH that Bloodborne hasn't showed me yet and I'm very intrigued to continue my journey in this amazing and bleak world. It was worth trading in my PS3 for. Thanks to this game, I truly have no regrets of missing out on Tales, that is, until the date of the release draws closer and then I'll start to hate myself and look up cheap PS3 alternatives. Anyway, Bloodborne is worth the price of admission alone. It's the best PS4 exclusive so far. There aren't too many exclusives as it is but still, I feel comfortable saying that. It could wind up being my Game of the Year, simply because it captures the feel and intrigue I had when I played Dark Souls the first time. There's not a feeling in the world like it.
Friday, April 3, 2015
First Quarter Over
Alright, so here's a new segment here at the blog; I'm going to be wrapping up my interests in quarters now! My favorite part about this blog is typing up the year end posts. I love going through my year and remembering all the highs and lows. I'm hope to get that feeling by doing it quarterly now. I'll still do the year end posts though! First up, video games!
DISCLAIMER: Big games I didn't play that released in the first quarter of 2015; Dying Light, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, The Order, Evolve, and Dragon Ball.
Personally, the first quarter set me up for the rest of the year. I started the year by finishing Danganronpa 2. I literally beat it on the first day of the year. It was such an amazing experience. I moved onto what would end up being the last game I completed for my PS3, Kingdom Hearts 2.5. I only completed KH2 though. The game was so much better than I remembered it being and all the added features were lovely. The ability to face EVERY member of Organization XIII anytime I wanted was a nice end treat. That was my biggest problem with the game as a kid. The battles though, are NOT easy. I spent hours mastering movements and blocks. It took everything I had but I ended up beating all 13. Marluxia was my favorite fight while Vexen or Xemnas II were the most difficult. The Anti-Sora was so cheap and would come at the absolute WORST time while Xemnas was just a pain to fight and if you lost to him, you would have to face his easier first form all over. A very tedious process. I did it though and it was the crowning achievement of my time in Kingdom Hearts 2.
I finally upgraded my 3DS. I've had the original 3DS since April 2013 and once they announced the New 3DS and that Xenoblade was only playable on it, I decided to get one. I got it a week after it came out and I couldn't be happier with it. I love the HUGE screen and I seriously can't wait until I get to play Xenoblade again. I'm going to finish it this time definitely. I also traded in my PS3 this past Monday for the PS4. GameStop had a trade offer for $175 toward the purchase of a PS4 and I couldn't pass that up. I'm not going to be able to play Tales of Zestiria now but at least Persona 5 is going to be on both! Now, if you know me, you'll know there's only one reason why I got the system, for now at least. BLOODBORNE. I didn't even see any gameplay videos for it, I just knew I NEEDED TO PLAY IT. So, I had to trade the old system in. I haven't really gotten deep into it yet. I got to the first lamp in the first area before crashing last night. And by crashing, I meant from sleep because I had to work Monday morning after Wrestlemania. I also have Last of Us, Killzone and Infamous. I'm really looking forward to playing those. I might even get Final Fantasy XV on the system, time will tell. I like the PS4 from the 2 hours I've spent with it but I'll give more of my experience with it during the later months.
Video games usually don't have many big releases during January to March. As gamers know, the blockbuster releases are reserved for the holiday months for all the sales they generate. There were definitely some big releases though in February, like The Order for PS4, Evolve and Dragon Ball. I didn't happen to play any of those yet but I have played some great gems.
Life is Strange is easily the stand out title in the first three months of the year. It's an adventure game in the same style of Heavy Rain and any Telltale game. You play as Max who's attending high school and finds out she somehow has the ability to reverse time. You, as the player, can use that ability to find out details you wouldn't possibly know by living them out. It also comes in handy when there are decisions to be made. Do you want to do things this way or this way? The choice is up to you. LIS is being released in episodic fashion with a supposed 6 weeks between releases. The first quarter saw two releases and hopefully the 2nd quarter will get the same love. I'm a huge fan of these types of games and I can't wait to continue Max's story in the 2nd quarter. After the way the 2nd episode ended, I'm hooked and want to dive further into the world. I'm never going to play a episodic game until all the episodes are released. The wait is too much for me.
Ori and the Blind Forest was released in March and I was hooked as soon as I gained control. With my favorite game being Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and my love for all games like it, it's no wonder why I fell in love with the game. The settings are all beautiful and unique while the gameplay is familiar but still fun. It was a little difficult at times but a welcome challenge. I do have some complaints though. It's more platforming than action, which is totally fine but I just wish there was more than just the fireballs you get. There is no quick travel option available at all in the game. Again, it's not the worse thing as going through each environment is great and with different abilities, you find new secrets each time you go to a different place. There are no bosses in the game, which is disappointing. Bosses are replaced with three intense auto scrolling sections which are the toughest parts of the game. If you die, you have to start from the beginning of the section and that can become old VERY fast. My biggest gripe with the game is that after you finish it, THE FILE IS LOCKED FOR GOOD. Didn't get all the Orbs you wanted to get? Too bad, file is locked! It's a little depressing that you can't explore the world more after you beat it. I understand that the whole world changes after the ending but a save before the last part would have been nice. Overall though, OATBF is a fantastic addition to the Xbox One catalog. While it's very short and pretty pricey (5 hours for $20) it's still worth your time if you love these types of games.
Hotline Miami was the first game I took advantage of when I signed up for Playstation Plus. I loved it. The violence, the difficulty, the fun. When they announced a sequel, I was equally excited but I couldn't wait until it was made for free so I bought it a week or so after it came out. It's more of the same murder and violence but it does have a more fleshed out story and there are plenty of multiple characters that all have different abilities. For examples, when you play as the copycat murderers, you have one guy who has deadly punches, one who can flip over bullets and a brother and sister combo that controls both a melee weapon and ranged weapon. It's a pretty unique setup. The only thing is I got lost with all the jumping around the story does. One minute you're in 1991 then the next you're in 1986. While the story is good and very deep, it's very wasy to get lost in the shuffle. Hotline Miami 2 is a more fleshed out game than the original. It's longer, more difficult and more ambitious. While many reviewers found the new larger levels cheap and very difficult. I always felt amazing once I figured out where every enemy was placed and moved onto to the next area. While I think the SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS Hotline Miami 3 screen at the end was a nice touch, it's not fair to tease a game that's never going to be released. The series was amazing and if they did decide for make another, I'd be joyous but I'm just going to enjoy what I got out of the series.
So, what's to come in the 2nd quarter of gaming? Well, April 10th sees the release of Xenoblade on the New 3DS AKA the sole reason why I bought the system. I'm very excited to experience the game again and to ACTUALLY beat it this time. I have to. Mortal Kombat X released the following Tuesday. I loved the last entry in the series so I'll definitely be playing down the line. Titan Souls looks like an interesting experience and with my new PS4, I'm definitely going to give it a go. Mighty No. 9 is suppose to release in April. I'm a huge Megaman fan and I recently played through the amazing Azure Striker Gunvolt so I'm all ready for an experience like this. The Witcher 3 releases in May and it will probably end up being the biggest game this year. They recently announced that it could take up to 200 HOURS to do everything in the game. That's way too long. I loved the gameplay from Witcher 2 but I just didn't give it enough time. With no real RPG love on the next gen consoles just yet, I'll probably pick this one up when I can. Batman will finally release in June. The ending of the Arkham trilogy by Rocksteady, it's set to be a much darker tale. It has a M rating! That doesn't mean the game will be better or even fully use the M rating but I'm excited to see WHY it got that.
That pretty much sums up the major releases. Obviously, the big releases are Batman and The Witcher 3. Nothing for Nintendo's Wii U huh? With Zelda being pushed back, they need a solid release this holiday season to tie fans over. There's a Nintendo Direct coming up so hopefully, we get some titles announced. XENOBLADE CHRONICLES X RELEASE PLEASE! Hopefully, September. It's already a jam packed month with Metal Gear and Mad Max so...
Overall, the first quarter was basically a lead in to the rest of the year. Life is Strange is basically going to take the whole year to complete because of the episode order while I'm sure Bloodborne will become my favorite game from this quarter once I really dig deep into it. The 2nd quarter will also bring us E3, which will definitely shed some light on some releases. Crackdown hopefully and Quantum Break?
Wrestling time!
The first quarter of wrestling this year featured Wrestlemania, which doesn't happen too often as the event is usually in April. This quarter featured some key things.
-Roman Reigns was made the man to succeed the throne but was quickly kicked off said throne before even taking a seat on it. The crowd reaction for his Royal Rumble win was terrible and when they could have made things right with Bryan, they had Reigns beat him too. Reigns went to Wrestlemania, had a great main event with Lesnar and didn't capture the title like he was slated to since last year. Crushing loss for Reigns. He went from Mania main event to probably some match featuring Kane and/or Big Show at Extreme Rules.
-Lesnar resigned with WWE for three more years, which opens up a lot more matches for him down the road. If he stays heel, a clash with Randy Orton should definitely happen at a SummerSlam, maybe even this year. The two youngest World Champions facing off at the event where they both won their first World Titles. It writes itself people. Lesnar/Sheamus would be interesting if Lesnar turn face. I've wanted to see this match since Lesnar first came back and it might be possible now. There are plenty of other matches for Lesnar but these two intrigue me the most.
-Going into the 2nd quarter, it looks like the WWE are trying to elevate their midcard titles. At Wrestlemania, Daniel Bryan and John Cena captured the IC and US titles respectively. Putting the titles on the two tops stars is a step in the right direction. Bryan will definitely become the work horse and will put on the great matches that the IC Title has been known for. Cena will hold the US Title for a while I bet and all the wins he gets will put more and more on the guy who eventually dethrones him. It will also put more eyes and care on the mid card title matches. This was a smart move and I'm looking forward to the divisions going forward.
-NXT continues to evolve. They started performing shows outside of Florida, having a huge event in Ohio and even during Wrestlemania weekend in San Jose. Itami did the GTS!!! It's certainly a growing brand. Triple H pointed out that all but one match at WM featured a NXT alumni. That should speak volumes to what NXT can do for a newcomers career. The Lucha Dragons and Adrian Neville were called up to the main roster following Mania so while NXT lost those great stars, there are plenty of guys left who can fill in those shoes. Congrats to Neville. I'm really pushing for him and I hope a Neville/Bryan or Ziggler feud is in the works for the IC Title. It needs to happen.
-Nikki Bella is the longest reigning champion in WWE right now. EVERY title has changed hands this year, including the NXT titles. Just let that sink in.
-A heel Sheamus is a push in the right direction. Say what you will but when Reigns wins the championship, I would love to see Sheamus/Reigns. It would be a nice hard hitting match with fast counters. Spear into Brogue Kick, Brogue Kick into Spear. Make it happen WWE.
-For the first time in the 10 year history of MITB, there was a cash in at Wrestlemania and it was a successful one at that!
-Daniel Bryan achieved the Triple Crown honors when he won the IC Title at Mania. He's also won EVERY male title in WWE, excluding the NXT titles. Also, Bryan has competed at 5 different Wrestlemanias with 5 different titles on the line. 27 he fought for the US Title, 28 the World Title, 29 the Tag Team Titles, 30 the WWE Title, and 31 the IC Title.
So, going into the 2nd quarter, we have 3 events. Extreme Rules usually has good to great matches on the card. Payback will certainly be hit or miss. The event I'll have my eyes on most is Money in the Bank. We've seen what the MITB briefcase can do for a career. My favorite is definitely Bray Wyatt this year. He's the guy who definitely needs it the most since he's sure to wonder aimlessly after his defeat to The Undertaker. Seriously, why is Wyatt going to do for the rest of the year? Almost every main star is busy. I'm starting to lose faith that they'll ever be serious enough to consistently push him. WHAT IS WYATT GOING TO DO NOW? Seriously guys. Anyway, can't wait until Money in the Bank. Hopefully Neville will be in the match for spots but Wyatt needs to win. No one else!
So, that's the first quarter! See you again soon!
DISCLAIMER: Big games I didn't play that released in the first quarter of 2015; Dying Light, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, The Order, Evolve, and Dragon Ball.
Personally, the first quarter set me up for the rest of the year. I started the year by finishing Danganronpa 2. I literally beat it on the first day of the year. It was such an amazing experience. I moved onto what would end up being the last game I completed for my PS3, Kingdom Hearts 2.5. I only completed KH2 though. The game was so much better than I remembered it being and all the added features were lovely. The ability to face EVERY member of Organization XIII anytime I wanted was a nice end treat. That was my biggest problem with the game as a kid. The battles though, are NOT easy. I spent hours mastering movements and blocks. It took everything I had but I ended up beating all 13. Marluxia was my favorite fight while Vexen or Xemnas II were the most difficult. The Anti-Sora was so cheap and would come at the absolute WORST time while Xemnas was just a pain to fight and if you lost to him, you would have to face his easier first form all over. A very tedious process. I did it though and it was the crowning achievement of my time in Kingdom Hearts 2.
I finally upgraded my 3DS. I've had the original 3DS since April 2013 and once they announced the New 3DS and that Xenoblade was only playable on it, I decided to get one. I got it a week after it came out and I couldn't be happier with it. I love the HUGE screen and I seriously can't wait until I get to play Xenoblade again. I'm going to finish it this time definitely. I also traded in my PS3 this past Monday for the PS4. GameStop had a trade offer for $175 toward the purchase of a PS4 and I couldn't pass that up. I'm not going to be able to play Tales of Zestiria now but at least Persona 5 is going to be on both! Now, if you know me, you'll know there's only one reason why I got the system, for now at least. BLOODBORNE. I didn't even see any gameplay videos for it, I just knew I NEEDED TO PLAY IT. So, I had to trade the old system in. I haven't really gotten deep into it yet. I got to the first lamp in the first area before crashing last night. And by crashing, I meant from sleep because I had to work Monday morning after Wrestlemania. I also have Last of Us, Killzone and Infamous. I'm really looking forward to playing those. I might even get Final Fantasy XV on the system, time will tell. I like the PS4 from the 2 hours I've spent with it but I'll give more of my experience with it during the later months.
Video games usually don't have many big releases during January to March. As gamers know, the blockbuster releases are reserved for the holiday months for all the sales they generate. There were definitely some big releases though in February, like The Order for PS4, Evolve and Dragon Ball. I didn't happen to play any of those yet but I have played some great gems.
Life is Strange is easily the stand out title in the first three months of the year. It's an adventure game in the same style of Heavy Rain and any Telltale game. You play as Max who's attending high school and finds out she somehow has the ability to reverse time. You, as the player, can use that ability to find out details you wouldn't possibly know by living them out. It also comes in handy when there are decisions to be made. Do you want to do things this way or this way? The choice is up to you. LIS is being released in episodic fashion with a supposed 6 weeks between releases. The first quarter saw two releases and hopefully the 2nd quarter will get the same love. I'm a huge fan of these types of games and I can't wait to continue Max's story in the 2nd quarter. After the way the 2nd episode ended, I'm hooked and want to dive further into the world. I'm never going to play a episodic game until all the episodes are released. The wait is too much for me.
Ori and the Blind Forest was released in March and I was hooked as soon as I gained control. With my favorite game being Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and my love for all games like it, it's no wonder why I fell in love with the game. The settings are all beautiful and unique while the gameplay is familiar but still fun. It was a little difficult at times but a welcome challenge. I do have some complaints though. It's more platforming than action, which is totally fine but I just wish there was more than just the fireballs you get. There is no quick travel option available at all in the game. Again, it's not the worse thing as going through each environment is great and with different abilities, you find new secrets each time you go to a different place. There are no bosses in the game, which is disappointing. Bosses are replaced with three intense auto scrolling sections which are the toughest parts of the game. If you die, you have to start from the beginning of the section and that can become old VERY fast. My biggest gripe with the game is that after you finish it, THE FILE IS LOCKED FOR GOOD. Didn't get all the Orbs you wanted to get? Too bad, file is locked! It's a little depressing that you can't explore the world more after you beat it. I understand that the whole world changes after the ending but a save before the last part would have been nice. Overall though, OATBF is a fantastic addition to the Xbox One catalog. While it's very short and pretty pricey (5 hours for $20) it's still worth your time if you love these types of games.
Hotline Miami was the first game I took advantage of when I signed up for Playstation Plus. I loved it. The violence, the difficulty, the fun. When they announced a sequel, I was equally excited but I couldn't wait until it was made for free so I bought it a week or so after it came out. It's more of the same murder and violence but it does have a more fleshed out story and there are plenty of multiple characters that all have different abilities. For examples, when you play as the copycat murderers, you have one guy who has deadly punches, one who can flip over bullets and a brother and sister combo that controls both a melee weapon and ranged weapon. It's a pretty unique setup. The only thing is I got lost with all the jumping around the story does. One minute you're in 1991 then the next you're in 1986. While the story is good and very deep, it's very wasy to get lost in the shuffle. Hotline Miami 2 is a more fleshed out game than the original. It's longer, more difficult and more ambitious. While many reviewers found the new larger levels cheap and very difficult. I always felt amazing once I figured out where every enemy was placed and moved onto to the next area. While I think the SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS Hotline Miami 3 screen at the end was a nice touch, it's not fair to tease a game that's never going to be released. The series was amazing and if they did decide for make another, I'd be joyous but I'm just going to enjoy what I got out of the series.
So, what's to come in the 2nd quarter of gaming? Well, April 10th sees the release of Xenoblade on the New 3DS AKA the sole reason why I bought the system. I'm very excited to experience the game again and to ACTUALLY beat it this time. I have to. Mortal Kombat X released the following Tuesday. I loved the last entry in the series so I'll definitely be playing down the line. Titan Souls looks like an interesting experience and with my new PS4, I'm definitely going to give it a go. Mighty No. 9 is suppose to release in April. I'm a huge Megaman fan and I recently played through the amazing Azure Striker Gunvolt so I'm all ready for an experience like this. The Witcher 3 releases in May and it will probably end up being the biggest game this year. They recently announced that it could take up to 200 HOURS to do everything in the game. That's way too long. I loved the gameplay from Witcher 2 but I just didn't give it enough time. With no real RPG love on the next gen consoles just yet, I'll probably pick this one up when I can. Batman will finally release in June. The ending of the Arkham trilogy by Rocksteady, it's set to be a much darker tale. It has a M rating! That doesn't mean the game will be better or even fully use the M rating but I'm excited to see WHY it got that.
That pretty much sums up the major releases. Obviously, the big releases are Batman and The Witcher 3. Nothing for Nintendo's Wii U huh? With Zelda being pushed back, they need a solid release this holiday season to tie fans over. There's a Nintendo Direct coming up so hopefully, we get some titles announced. XENOBLADE CHRONICLES X RELEASE PLEASE! Hopefully, September. It's already a jam packed month with Metal Gear and Mad Max so...
Overall, the first quarter was basically a lead in to the rest of the year. Life is Strange is basically going to take the whole year to complete because of the episode order while I'm sure Bloodborne will become my favorite game from this quarter once I really dig deep into it. The 2nd quarter will also bring us E3, which will definitely shed some light on some releases. Crackdown hopefully and Quantum Break?
Wrestling time!
The first quarter of wrestling this year featured Wrestlemania, which doesn't happen too often as the event is usually in April. This quarter featured some key things.
-Roman Reigns was made the man to succeed the throne but was quickly kicked off said throne before even taking a seat on it. The crowd reaction for his Royal Rumble win was terrible and when they could have made things right with Bryan, they had Reigns beat him too. Reigns went to Wrestlemania, had a great main event with Lesnar and didn't capture the title like he was slated to since last year. Crushing loss for Reigns. He went from Mania main event to probably some match featuring Kane and/or Big Show at Extreme Rules.
-Lesnar resigned with WWE for three more years, which opens up a lot more matches for him down the road. If he stays heel, a clash with Randy Orton should definitely happen at a SummerSlam, maybe even this year. The two youngest World Champions facing off at the event where they both won their first World Titles. It writes itself people. Lesnar/Sheamus would be interesting if Lesnar turn face. I've wanted to see this match since Lesnar first came back and it might be possible now. There are plenty of other matches for Lesnar but these two intrigue me the most.
-Going into the 2nd quarter, it looks like the WWE are trying to elevate their midcard titles. At Wrestlemania, Daniel Bryan and John Cena captured the IC and US titles respectively. Putting the titles on the two tops stars is a step in the right direction. Bryan will definitely become the work horse and will put on the great matches that the IC Title has been known for. Cena will hold the US Title for a while I bet and all the wins he gets will put more and more on the guy who eventually dethrones him. It will also put more eyes and care on the mid card title matches. This was a smart move and I'm looking forward to the divisions going forward.
-NXT continues to evolve. They started performing shows outside of Florida, having a huge event in Ohio and even during Wrestlemania weekend in San Jose. Itami did the GTS!!! It's certainly a growing brand. Triple H pointed out that all but one match at WM featured a NXT alumni. That should speak volumes to what NXT can do for a newcomers career. The Lucha Dragons and Adrian Neville were called up to the main roster following Mania so while NXT lost those great stars, there are plenty of guys left who can fill in those shoes. Congrats to Neville. I'm really pushing for him and I hope a Neville/Bryan or Ziggler feud is in the works for the IC Title. It needs to happen.
-Nikki Bella is the longest reigning champion in WWE right now. EVERY title has changed hands this year, including the NXT titles. Just let that sink in.
-A heel Sheamus is a push in the right direction. Say what you will but when Reigns wins the championship, I would love to see Sheamus/Reigns. It would be a nice hard hitting match with fast counters. Spear into Brogue Kick, Brogue Kick into Spear. Make it happen WWE.
-For the first time in the 10 year history of MITB, there was a cash in at Wrestlemania and it was a successful one at that!
-Daniel Bryan achieved the Triple Crown honors when he won the IC Title at Mania. He's also won EVERY male title in WWE, excluding the NXT titles. Also, Bryan has competed at 5 different Wrestlemanias with 5 different titles on the line. 27 he fought for the US Title, 28 the World Title, 29 the Tag Team Titles, 30 the WWE Title, and 31 the IC Title.
So, going into the 2nd quarter, we have 3 events. Extreme Rules usually has good to great matches on the card. Payback will certainly be hit or miss. The event I'll have my eyes on most is Money in the Bank. We've seen what the MITB briefcase can do for a career. My favorite is definitely Bray Wyatt this year. He's the guy who definitely needs it the most since he's sure to wonder aimlessly after his defeat to The Undertaker. Seriously, why is Wyatt going to do for the rest of the year? Almost every main star is busy. I'm starting to lose faith that they'll ever be serious enough to consistently push him. WHAT IS WYATT GOING TO DO NOW? Seriously guys. Anyway, can't wait until Money in the Bank. Hopefully Neville will be in the match for spots but Wyatt needs to win. No one else!
So, that's the first quarter! See you again soon!
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