Let's discuss BioShock Infinite (Part 1).

Before we begin, there are three things I have to say.

1) This is a great game, and I have no problems recommending it.  If you haven’t played, watched, or tried it, do so now.

2) This is not the greatest game ever created -- and if you think that it’s a masterpiece, you might need to start re-evaluating your standards.

3) I accurately predicted the ending for the game -- and said ending very nearly ruined the entire experience for me.

WARNING: I know I say this pretty much every time, but in the name of all that is good and pure (i.e. the average hot dog), DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVEN’T FINISHED THE GAME.  If you have any intention of playing through Infinite for yourself, turn away now.  I mean it.  Seriously.  Go away.  This is not a post for you.

It’s the only way to protect you from SPOILERS like Booker becoming a robot and Elizabeth learning how to moonwalk.

So, What Have We Learned?

Quite a bit, actually.  Let’s recount.

Might as well laugh.

Sorry guys, but it looks like I’m going to have to step away from the blog for a bit pretty soon.  If you’ve been following for a while, you probably know why.  If you don’t -- and even if you do -- then…well…

Let me tell you a little story.

Manly Songs: Path of Glory

It’s back!  It’s back!  Snap back!  Nice slacks!  Snack attack!

Yeah, I know it’s been a while since I’ve added anything to the Repository, but I’d say it’s about time for a change…and to write a post that isn’t thousands and thousands of words.  (I’m nothing if not accommodating to others.)  So, let’s have some more manly songs.  Because if there’s one thing I’ve noticed, it’s that I have this habit of saying “Time to be a man!” when I’m about to play video games.  But I can think of worse habits to have, and certainly far less endearing ones.

But enough talk.  Let’s have some rockin’ tunes.  And magic.

So Why Not Make a Female Protagonist?

Yep.  This topic. 

I didn’t really want to make a post on this topic, because the point has been argued elsewhere, and probably argued far better than I ever could (or am about to).  But the thought’s been on my mind for a while now, and I figure it’s as good a time as any to discuss it while it’s still a fresh topic.  So here we go.  Bear with me here.

Do Video Games Need Good Stories?

Short answer?  Of course they do.  Post's over.

Long answer?  The rest of this post.

Why Anime is Amazing: Because DAT MUSIC

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before -- both online and in real-world conversations -- but just so it’s on the record I’ll go ahead and say it again.  In my opinion, no character (least of all my own) is complete without a theme song to call their own.

Not being much in the way of composition or technology, I can’t say I’ve made my own songs to blast in my headphones (though I have a couple of melodies in mind for certain heroes).  So in exchange, time and time again I find myself relying on the glory of YouTube and the music stocked there -- not necessarily from bands like Gamma Ray or Stratovarius…not always, at least.  No, I find myself making full-on Word Documents full of links to music from games.  The lack of lyrics in most songs is a boon in a lot of ways; I’ll give my characters theme songs (game-related or not), but it’s downright natural for me to look for a certain song to help me write a certain scene.  How well it works out for me is up for debate, but I’d like to think it at least makes the process easier.

And really, the same can be said for the music from anime.  So let’s take a moment to extend some praise -- yet again -- to that sacred medium yet again, shall we? 

And by sacred I mean stuffed to the brim with speedlines and mechs.  Not that that’s a bad thing; if anything it just makes the medium more legitimate.

Might as well write...

…Because really, that’s as good an option as any right now.

Hitting the pause button.

Just a little heads-up: I'm going out of town for a few days, so if things get a little quiet around her for a while, that's why.  Hopefully I'll be back soon enough with some crazy new content.

In the meantime, feel free to enjoy some of the older posts on the site.  You won't starve for content -- and if nothing else, Cross-Up is proof that there's more to do online than look for XXX stuff.  I mean, come on; we can all do better than obsessing over a decade-old Vin Diesel movie, right?

Anyway, see you guys around.  Hope I can entertain even with my non-presence.

I Hraet You -- The Feedback Page

Because I’m almost positive nobody’s tired of hearing about I Hraet You just yet.  Time to test the patience of my readership!

In all seriousness, though, this is probably going to be the last housekeeping post for IHY -- the next thing to start popping up will be new chapters.  But even so, I want to go ahead and take steps now, so that everything I can think of or might want/need in the future is pre-installed.  So here we are, with the latest feature.

Multiplayer Games -- An All-Points Bulletin

Well, I was originally going to do a post on I Hraet You, but I’ll push that one back a few days.  Right now, I’m in what could be generously described as a state of emergency.

I’ve made it no secret that I don’t particularly care for Call of Duty, least of all its bloppiest iteration yet.  And I’m all right with that; as long as I could put some distance between myself and the game, I would have figured we’d both be better off.  Problem is, lately I haven’t been able to put some distance between us; my gaming buddies are eager to pop in the disc every time, and with it being a two-to-one vote, I end up suffering through having a few rounds.  The only thing that can save me from the game is offering up another, better game to play -- and as of late that’s been getting tougher and tougher. 

So that’s where you come in, readers.  I’m putting out another all-points bulletin; recommend me some good (local) multiplayer games that I can pick up, in the hopes of diverting their attention and saving me from some serious headaches.  That way, the next time I trot on over to GameStop I can maybe grab an old game or two that’ll give us hours of fun (and dissuade more trade-ins).  Right now my preference is for PS3 games, so that we can exchange the PlayStation All-Stars => CoDBlops2 cycle with an All-Stars => Significantly Cooler Game cycle.  But I’m not opposed to hearing some Wii or 360 games being named.  (Doubly so for the Wii, in case there are some GameCube gems.)

Got a recommendation?  Then let me hear it in the comments.  Keep me from meeting with a horrible fate.

Hmmm.  I think I need to do a post on multiplayer games one of these days.