Blogga's Video Game Diary - 29/7/11

So it's time to discuss another piece of Mass Effect 2 DLC - Overlord and again I'm experimenting with Avatar Kinect so you get this one through video!!



OK, but I'm going to supplement the video with pics as my video editing skills aren't quite at the stage where I can just slip them in.

New Stuff

Overlord














You can see the creepy green graphics formed here into a face, a face that follows you around, appears in windows and walls, controls security and herds you around by locking and opening doors not to mention startling you with it's digital scream.

Space Cows









Another cool part I missed out in the vid was the return of space cows, these creatures popped up on a number of worlds in the first Mass Effect but this is their first and only appearance in the second game and it was a nice nod to players to include them.

and that's about it for this post - more soon!

Avatar Kinect

It's finally arrived! I've been waiting for Avatar Kinect to come out to add a bit of life to this blog, expect more avatar posts coming soon! Here's a little intro vid showing off the tech.

Note that the preview vid I get recording differs slightly from the finished version, which is why some things don't quite make sense when I say them!!




I also noticed that some clever clogs has been fiddling with my avatar and turned my eyes red - I shall have my vengeance upon you!!

What did you guys think?

SF at the movies - July '11

Only one - but a big one!!

Captain America: The First Avenger



more next month

The Wall - June '11

Bit late this month - anyway this is what went up on my wall in June.

1) X-Men: First Class












I think I've already said enough about this movie. I really enjoyed this film and can't wait for the next X-Men flick

2) Star Wars - Jedi: The Dark Side













Another new series from Dark Horse, this follows Qui-Gon and his padawan Xanatos in a time long before the Phantom Menace. I haven't really followed much pre-prequel stuff, much preferring stuff that goes forward or explores a new era like Legacy and Knight Errant. Nonetheless I enjoyed the first issue and am interested to see where it goes.

3) Smallville: Series 10













The final series of Smallville is on the air in the UK (though I'm not convinced having heard that for about 3 series now!!) and this one definitely does seem to be gearing towards making Clark our favourite red and blue hero. Things have moved fast with the introduction of Darkseid as a villain, the return of Supergirl, Clark telling Lois his secret and Green Arrow going public as well as much more. It still has it's silly moments, like Lois becoming the goddess Isis but that's well within the remit of Superman and the series as a whole is moving forward and very enjoyable.

That's it - more next month!!

Blogga's Video Game Diary - 21/7/11

More Mass Effect DLC for you - 'Stolen Memory'. With only doing one pack I hope I can give you a little more detail. If you don't want spoilers - don't read!!

Diary

Xbox-Live currently have the latest DLC Arrival at half price so if you're intrigued by Mass Effect and want to know more I'd go for it, especially as this pack does seem to have a strong connection with the upcoming game.

New Stuff

Kasumi Goto
Species: Human (Japanese)
Sex: Female
Occupation: Thief







Kasumi is an additional member to the squad recruitable through this pack, much like Zaeed is vias the Cerberus Network. Cerberus recruits her services for a considerable fee and like all other characters she has some unfinished business before she's fully ready to accompany Shepard on his suicidal mission. She's after her former partner's graybox, a device that can store memories, it not only holds precious secrets, but also precious memories of someone who was more than just a friend. Kasumi is an infiltrator, meaning she can go invisible and sneak on enemies from behind. On the ship, she acts much like Zaeed in that she has a number of dialogue options, things in her room she likes to talk about and comments on missions and crewmembers - especially Jacob, who she has a thing for!

Donovan Hock
Species: Human (South African)
Sex: Male
Ocupation: Criminal







Hock is a wealthy and powerful criminal that not only runs seedy and illegal operations but also firmly believes in what he does, claiming that if it weren't for criminals like him the galaxy wouldn't turn. In his illicit activities he has amassed a private collection of artwork to rival any other. He killed Kasumi's partner and is trying to access the information in his graybox for his own gain.

Graybox







A graybox is a synthetic device designed to record memories. Originally developed to aid people with Alzheimer's and similar conditions it was eventually banned due to the risk of brain damage if anything went wrong with it. It is still in use however by criminals and thieves.

M-12 Locust






A powerful weapon known as 'the gun that killed two presidents' Hock has the original in his vault and a copy along with schematics to make more.

The Story

Shepard meets Kasumi on the Citadel, at first conversing with her through and advertisment she'd hacked. She agreed to join him and they travelled to Beckenstein, a human colony that trades Alliance goods to the enarby Citadel. They smuggled their armour and weapons into Hock's home, arriving as guests to his party for criminals. Shepard and Kasumi thengo about breaking into his vault, collecting a voice sample, DNA and cutting power to the vault security.















The Vault is the real highlight of the mission, inside are a number or priceless artefacts Hock has got hold of, including Michaelangelo's David, a Prothean statue, ancient artefacts and the Head of the Statue of Liberty!!! After finding the graybox, Kasumi and Shepard battle their way out of the vault, killing Hock in the process.

A neat mission and Kasumi is a fun addition to the team, especially with her flashbang grenade and 'shadow strike' abilities.

More soon!

Torchwood: Miracle Day

Just a head's up that there's a new series of Torchwood on the air. 'Miracle Day' is the new American series (or 'season' I suppose) still featuring Captain Jack and Gwen, the only surviving members after 'Children of Earth' the last miniseries featuring a powerful alien race intent on capturing Earth's children.

Like the previous series 'Miracle Day' has a single plot to it rather than a series of seperate adventures. On one day no one dies, no one dies the next day or the day after, not even a man caught in an explosion, who has his head removed just to test the effects. CIA agent Rex Matheson knows that Torchwood is involved so he sets off to Wales to track down the remaining members - but he's not the only one hunting them!!

There's a lot more going on and the cause has yet to be revealed, but it's almost certainly some cool alien phenomenon and I can't wait to see what emerges. I'm going to stick to documenting any new aliens that show up - for discussion of the episodes head over to Impossible Podcasts in the sidebar.

If you aren't following this new series you should still be able to catch up on your on-demand service before the next broadcast on Thursday.

X-Men: First Class - From Strip to Screen part 2

Right, on with part two then - you won't have to scroll far to find part 1! In my previous post I covered the new mutants we saw who joined the fledgling X-Men under Xavier in the 60s during the Cuban Missile Crisis, in this post I'm going to look at the instigators of that crisis - The Hellfire Club.

First of all I think it would be worth looking at the organisations as a whole. In the comics the Hellfire Club is an ancient organisation for the wealthy to hide away from society and enjoy vice, with an inner circle using their influence to seek world domination, with the overall leader being Sebastian Shaw, a mutant. In the movies the Hellfire Club is a gentleman's club where the wealthy and influential can enjoy vices, but it is secretly being run by a handful of mutants who use the club as a cover to create deals and manipulate the players they want into carrying out their wishes.

Let's look at the members.

Sebastian Shaw (Screen)
Real Name: Sebastian Shaw
Power: Kinetic Energy Absorbtion
Affiliation: Hellfire Club





Sebastian Shaw is an exceptionally poweful mutant who was playing a long game to secure world dominance for mutants. His power to absorb energy gave him a very long life, appearing to age little in over 20 years. During World War 2 he worked for the Nazis, not caring about 'human' wars, only interesed in researching mutants. He discovered the boy Magneto and killed his mother to reveal his power. He knew nuclear energy triggered mutation so he used the Hellfire Club and his team of mutants to manipulatethe world into Nuclear war. He was stopped by the X-Men, who discovered his plan and banded together to stop him, ultimately he was killed by Magneto, who had come to agree with his beliefs, but refused to forgive him for killing his mother.

Sebastian Shaw (Comics)
Real Name: Sebastian Shaw
Power: Kinetic Absorption
Affiliation: Hellfire Club









After discovering his power at a young age shaw was driven to succeed forming a billion-dollar industry, attracting the attention of the Hellfire Club, whom he soon joined. He joined with other mutants in the group, expanding his influence before staging a coup and taking over the group, reforming the clkub for his goal of world-domination. He has clashed with the X-Men numerous times and his position within the club has changed, but he is always a driving force and his goal remains the same.

Emma Frost
Real Name: Emma Frost
Power: Telepathy, Diamond Skin
Affiliation: Hellfire Club, Brotherhood








Emma Frost was second-in-comand to Sebastian Shaw and also his lover. She wore provicative clothing like the other girls of the Helfire Club to mask her importance and to gain access to Key political figures. She brought Colonel Hendry of the U.S. to Shaw to manipulate the Navy's position and was caught seducing a Russian Commander who was forced into moving his nation's hand towards the Hellfire Club's goal. She was captured by Xavier and Magneto and later rescued by the Brotherhood.

Emma Frost (Strip)
Real Name: Emma Frost
Power: Telepathy, Diamond Skin
Affiliation: Hellfire Club, X-Men











As a young girl Emma was born into wealth and power but chose to make her own way in the world. She became involved in the Hellfire Club as a dancer, also building her business empire. She eventually became a leading member of the club, allying with Sebastian Shaw and other mutants to take over the group and become it's white queen. She clashed with the X-Men as they both tried to recruit mutants for their respective organizations and again in various battles. I know Emma best in her more recent guise as co-leader of the X-Men with her lover Scott Summers, though Emma has had more than one change of allegiance since then.

Azazel (Screen)
Real Name: Unknown
Power: Teleportation
Affiliation: Hellfire Club, Brotherhood





Azazel is a Russian mutant with Red Skin and a demonic tail. He was a member of the Hellfire Club, who largely kept to the side in their operations due to his unusual appearance. He was a fierce combatant, combining his teleportation skills with deadly knives, appearing to slash a victim before teleporting away. He also used the horrific tactic of teleporting his victims up into the air then letting them drop. When the Club was defeated he joined Magneto's brotherhood.

Azazel (Strip)
Real Name: Azazel
Power: Teleportation
Affiliation: Neyaphem









Azazel actually has nothing to do with the Hellfire Club is comics, instead leader of the Neyaphem, a group of ancient demonic mutants who live in another dimension. The only one of his kind who could reach our dimension he had a number of children with women he met on Earth, including Mystique with whom he had a son, Nightcrawler. He tried to lead his forces to Earth by sacrificing his children but was stopped by the X-Men including Nightcrawler who turned his back on his father.

Riptide (Screen)
Real Name: Janos Quested
Ability: Weather manipulation
Affiliation: Hellfire Club, Brotherhood





Riptide has the ability to create tornadoes of various dimensions and use them in battle. He was a key figure of the Hellfire Club, piloting their hidden submarine and battling the X-Men. When Shaw was defeated he joined with Magneto to start the Brotherhood.

Riptide (Strip)
Real Name: Janos Quested
Power: Spinning
Affiliation: Marauders







Again, much differing from the movie version. The established comics version of Riptide can instead spin his body at such speeds as to become a living tornado, rather than actually creating tornadoes himself. Riptide successfully engaged the X-Men as part of the Marauders team, but was bested by Colossus who killed him. He has since been cloned by Mister Sinister and several verisons of him have again engaged the X-Men as part of the Marauders.

So that's it for this movie. While it makes some pretty big jumps from the established comic storyline I think First Class re-used these characters well to create it's updated version of the Hellfire Club.

As for the rest - we'll see...

Star Wars Legacy: War (1-6)

This is it! The end of Legacy with the entire Galaxy plunged into War as Darth Krayt returns from the dead and tumbles the galaxy in Chaos to ahieve his vision for it. Meanwhile Cade has his own vision - him and Krayt one on one in a final confrontation.

New Ships

I know I've focused mostly on characters in my posts, hopeing that the series would stretch on long enough for me to do retrospectives on everything that turns up, sadly this isn't the case so I'll cover some of the ships that show up in this final series as well as the usual run of updates.

Dragon Ship










These massive warships were secretly constructed on Korriban to serve for the pure Sith forces, rather than the Empire. These massive ships outclassed the Star Destroyers that came their way and were used to devastating effect in the war.

Annihilator Starfighter









These massive starfighter were also constructed by Krayt who designed them for exclusive use by his Sith Troopers who were cybernetically connected to them. They had enough firepower to take on a cruiser single-handed and still could outmaneuver the latest fighter designs of the day.

Sith Gunship










These powerful gunships accompanied the Annihilators in the attack on Taivas, I don't know much more - I had to scan this image myself!!

Sith Updates

Sith Troopers










This army was secretly raised by Krayt, taking the most potent Sith from childhood and cybernetically augmenting them to serve his purposes they were both powerful and blindly loyal to Darth Krayt, fighting anyone their master ordered them to.

Darth Wyyrlok II
Species: Chagrian
Sex: Female
Position: Wyyrlok









In a brief flashback we got a glimpse of the current Wyyrlok's mother who had served Darth Krayt in the same way her son did until his betrayal.











The first casualty of the war was Darth Wyyrlok, who dueled Krayt on his return to Coruscant and was killed by his former master, losing control of the Sith to Krayt.

In the battle of Taivas Darth Rauder was killed by Imperial forces who defected to Roan Fel after seeing Sith atrocities.

Darth Stryfe was killed by Wolf Sazen.

And, of course, Darth Krayt was killed by Cade - I'll go into more detail further down the post.

Imperial Knight Updates

Elliah Fel
Species: Human (Hapan)
Sex: Female
Position: Empress






Another flashback character. This Hapan woman was the wife of Roan Fel and the mother of his daughter. When Eskhar Niin turned to the dark side and hoined the Sith he murdered her before faking his death and moving to Korriban as Darth Havoc. Her death damaged relations between the Empire and the Hapans.

More shockingly Emperor Roan Fel was killed. He planned to use a virus engineered by Sith to retake Coruscant, it was in fact a Sith trap, as they had engineered it so that they would be immune. But the other Knights thought this to be inethical and so Antares Draco killed him, saving the Alliance.

Jedi Updates

Nat Skywalker and Tr'aa Saa both sacrificed their lives on Taivas, as they were killed they released a powerful force surge that cleared a path for the fleeing Jedi from the hidden tample.

Wolf Sazen was killed in a duel with Darth Stryfe, taking out his opponent in the process.

Neti Seedlings








After the death of Tr'aa Saa these seedling were seen to be growing on Taivas, proving that even in war life finds a way. What will become of these force sensitive beings is yet to be seen...

Map

Obviously with the entire galaxy at war there's a lot going on so this map is more of a mish-mash than usual, still I hope it's of interest, showing the movements of the key players.












Issue Review

Thi isn't a review really it's more of a summary - oh well! I'm aware this post is getting on the long side so I'm gonna blitz through this. Darth Krayt is back from the dead, and he retakes Coruscant from Wyyrlok then sets to make war against his enemies. Cade continues his vendetta against the Sith, battling them one by one to get to Krayt, picking up his mother (revealed as a spy to the Sith) in the process and forgiving her. The Sith learn the location of the hidden temple and the Empire launches an attack, but the Alliance counterattack. However Krayt unleashes his Sith forces on them and they lose the battle. Desperate and battered the Allies launch an all-out assault on Coruscant and Cade finally battles Krayt once and for all and finally kills and puts his body into a sun, this throws the Sith into disarray and gives final victory to the Jedi.

My Two Credits

Despite a slow start - we don't we much 'war' till the half-way point this issue is a very fitting end to the Legacy story, open to be continued but as a narrative it is complete and very satisfying, well worth reading!