LEAD THE REBELLION!

It's time to rebel, to rise up against the tyrannical King Logan - also known as your thin, pale and generally sickly looking brother. In Fable III it's all about rebellion and leading an army to restore Albion to its former glory. This is the story of a prince (or princess) and their journey to becoming the ruler of Albion.

You start out well enough - woken up by your butler, dressed in the clothing of your choice, it's all very relaxed and peaceful. You go and meet your girlfriend (or boyfriend) in the gardens, you fool around a bit and then suddenly your calm and easy life is shattered right before your eyes. There are protesters outside the palace, yelling about the cruelty of Logan and how he has changed over the past four years of his rule. It is then that you are called to the throne room where your brother forces you to choose - send a group of protesters for execution, or your love interest? It's a difficult choice, but it has to be made. Once you have decided who dies, your Mentor, Walter, informs you that you must escape the palace along with your butler, Jasper, and your dog.

You have to agree he looks pretty unwell.

Once you've escaped your journey begins. It is you who must gather the armies together to fight against your brother in order to repair the broken cities and civilisations that live in Albion. Starting from the mountains way to the East of the palace before moving down to the city you will earn the respect and following of the people of Albion. The game is filled with personal choices on what you do, choices that can make your character good, or turn them into evil future rulers. With every quest you do and the enemies that you kill you collect Guild Seals which allow you to buy new skills and emotes to use with NPC's and other players, as well as allowing you to unlock the gates on The Road to Rule - the road leading you to the palace. It's not a particularly long game, the storyline is very linear which allows you to complete the story pretty quickly. However, there are loads of side quests that you can do too, meaning that you can either take longer to complete the game or do them once you've finished.



The controls are pretty easy to get the hang of, it's nothing drastically different from every other games. It's a simple game to play which allows for relaxed gameplay. The co-op features are excellent - you can complete the whole game whilst playing with your friends, I did it on XBOX live. You can enter business contracts with your friends, allowing them to buy/rent properties in your game (you share the money earned), you can marry the other player and even have children with them. It's a lot of fun, especially with the different interactions that are available to you. I have to say it's on of the best forms of co-op - gaming can be so much more fun when you're playing with your mates.

The graphics aren't amazing quality, and I know it's a slightly older game being two years old, but they could have been better. Regardless, it doesn't take away from the great storyline. There may have been a few parts of the main story that I found a little disappointing, such as the length of certain battles during the game, but you can never have a perfect game. Despite the few flaws it is a fantastic story and allows for really great, enjoyable gameplay. I highly recommend picking up a copy of Fable III from your local game store. Partly because it's a great game, but also as rumour claims the next Fable game will allow you to merge your Fable III save with it - but more on that later, watch this space...

Valhalla

5 Things Every Gamer Needs

The world of the gamer is tough, we know that, we understand the constant struggle to beat the worldwide high score, the desperation to obtain that ultra-rare sword. That's why we, at The Control Room, have put together a list of 10 things every gamer needs to survive those long nights spent blasting zombies and handing in quests. From PC gamer to XBOX fanatic, we have what you've been looking for.

1. A gaming platform.

Yes, if you want to play video games you're going to need something to play them on. It all depends on what you want - here are some platforms that we suggest.


XBOX 360

PS3

Wii

Or, for you PC gamers you have the harder choice of which laptop/desktop to choose. Personally, I like the feel and power of an Alienware, but you might prefer something else.

2. Games

You should always have a good selection of games to play during the night - you might feel like switching games after a few hours and a decent variety is always good to have. In an evening I like to have something  like this - how about you?

3. A comfy place to sit.

This is incredibly important. Being comfortable allows for better gameplay. A hard wood floor when playing consoles is not comfortable, trust me, and can really damage my aim in shooter games. A nice cushy chair in front of the PC or a nice fluff;y couch can really help you relax and get into the game.

I want this chair so bad...

4. Food, drink and lots of it.

You're pulling an all nighter to complete that all important raid or finally finish the level that's been driving you crazy for weeks - or maybe you're just battling your friends. Either way, you're going to need energy to help you stay alert and ready for action. Before starting a long gaming session we suggest running to the store and picking up loads of snacks.

You'll go through at least 10 of these plus soda.

5. To enjoy the game.

It may sound cheesy, but there is nothing worse than sitting down to play a game and getting stressed over certain levels. Make sure to stay relaxed and just take the game as it comes. If you have to try a certain part again, then don't worry - it's all experience in the end.

So there you have it - 5 basic things that every gamer needs to enjoy themselves. If you have friends to play with then drag them over to you place or challenge them to PvP style or co-op battles online. The possibilities are endless.

Valhalla

Nintendo's new Console

You may have heard of Nintendo's latest console in passing. It's been talked about for quite some time, and, more recently, Nintendo have told us when to expect it to hit our shelves. The Wii U is coming in the fourth quarter of 2012, and the company are expecting to hit high sales with their latest creation. However, the reviews are mixed and so we ask, what exactly is the Wii U all about?

I did some research in hopes of finding a balanced argument, as we aren't lucky enough to have a Wii U of our own to play on. From what we've seen it looks like two consoles in one - something that we found very interesting. The main console is similar to the Wii in size, being only slightly larger. It's the controller that's really different. It's a touchscreen controller, not dissimilar to the touchscreen on a 3DS and it can be used for a whole host of things whilst playing video games.

Let's take a closer look at the controller, it seems to be the main point of focus. The controller is relatively flat and around the same size as a 3DS, but it only has one screen. The controller can be used to enhance gameplay (such as viewing the inventory on the Zelda game) or to continue playing a game that was previously on the TV if somene changes the channel whilst you play. This can be seen in the trailer below. Regular Wii controllers are compatible with the Wii U as the newst Nintendo console has been made backwards compatible with the Wii. So, if you want to go multiplayer on a game the best thing to do it bring out the old Wii controllers. Why not use two Wii U controllers you might ask. Well, the main reaosn is that whilst it is technically possible for two Wii U controllers to be used, the console was only really designed for one, mainly due to the high price of indiviadual controllers. It has yet to be confirmed if two Wii U controllers are definitely compatible. The wonderful thing about the controller is the fact that it can do so much. Art, internet browsing, enchancing gameplay, acting as its own handheld, built in camera...the list goes on. It's more about the new controller than the actual console.

The only noteable changes to the actual console are that the graphics have been enhanced, the shape is different and it's slightly bigger than the Wii, but still smaller than the XBOX 360 and the PS3. This is where the arguments come in. Some sources claim that the Wii's graphics will not be as a good as the XBOX and PS3, making the console less valuable and saleable. Others say that the graphics and quality are just as good and don't hinder gameplay in any way. I can't tell you who's right, but it seems like an interesting debate. Perhaps the London Expo will have a Wii U for trial?

What I do know is that Nintendo have got some really hardcore games coming out on the Wii U - and I mean some serious stuff. Just take a look at a few of the current planned releases.

Assassins Creed III
Darksiders II
Arkham City
A new Battlefield

For us older gamers this is heaven on a plate - Nintendo is releasing some pretty fantastic titles on their latest console. I reckon I'll be there - will you?

Take a look at the trailer here.

We'll keep you posted on any news that we come across!

Valhalla

Show me the Vita!

Before I start this post on the epic handheld console that is the PS Vita, I would like to thank Tanky for covering for both myself and Titus whilst we were away. I'm sending virtual applause.

I was going to get this up last night, bit I was far too excited by the new addition to my console family to even think of writing a post. So, just over twenty four hours after purchasing the PS Vita, here's what I think about Sony's latest creation.

The PS Vita, or PSP2 as it is sometimes referred to, was released yesterday in Europe. It had taken a while for me to decide whether or not to pre-order the console, and so I only got 'round to it on Sunday but I was excited nonetheless. After picking it up from my local GAME I raced home and instantly unwrapped it, marvelling at its beauty. In my excitement, I took a while to figure out where my memory card went and where to insert the game, but I got there in the end...with some help. Sadly, the game I pre-ordered (Dungeon Hunter: Alliance) had not arrived in store and so I bought Wipeout 2048 instead so that I at least had something to play.

Once I had tapped in all the required details (PSN, etc.) I started playing Wipeout 2048 - a racing game set in what is now the not-so-distant future. My parents remember having this game on our PS1 all those years ago and were surprised to see  remake of it  - it was their favourite game. I have to say, it's brilliant. I thought Mario Kart on the 3DS and Wii was fun, but I hadn't yet come across this beast of a game. It's ruthless, the cars (or perhaps ships) are awesome and it's exciting as you do your best to at least finish in fifth place. I like futuristic racing games...they're awesome. So, a lot of yesterday was spent with me and my younger sister playing Wipeout 2048 in an attempt to beat each other...I always win...of course. The controls are pretty easy to get the hang of and there are some tracks where you're able to tilt the screen in order to steer the ship-car, which is pretty epic.

Deeply upset by the absence of Dungeon Hunter: Alliance, I decided to download the free trial from the PlayStation store and give it a go. Of course, they put strict limits on you - you started as a level six and could only reach level ten. I've played this game a hundred times before on my phone, and I don't believe the storyline has changed, but I still love it - a basic RPG without anything fancy. You choose one of three classes and get out there. I've only ever played as a warrior or a rogue and so gave the mage a chance this time 'round. Not sure if I like that class so much, he keeps getting killed. I found the controls to be a little irritating at times, especially having to tap the screen in order to activate my fairy powers rather than having an assigned button, but it's not a massive flaw.

The Welcome Park seemed to me a waste of time when I first turned my Vita on. However, I started playing with it last night and it's actually a lot of fun. They're really games to get you used to the controls, but I use them purely for the element of fun. There's one where you have to tilt the screen to move a skateboard so that you can dodge giant balls, another where the rear touch pad comes into use so that you can destroy numbers that are floating around. There is also a game where you speak into the microphone and create balls with that sound which will play on a loop - it's very odd. I haven't finished exploring the Welcome Park yet, but I know there's some stuff to to with Augmented Reality (where the console makes it looks like there's things crawling around your house), which is pretty cool.

The PS Vita is amazing, it's a revolutionary piece of handheld gaming. I would really recommend you get out there and buy one. Although, I would suggest getting the WiFi version over the 3G one, because there isn't much more you can do with the 3G and it just costs more money initially and in an additional contract. WiFi all the way!

Valhalla

Me and my PS Vita...fetching...

To Play or not to play?

I had this written up and posted on Saturday, but the blog decided to rebel and deleted the post from the face of the Earth. It's the problem with owning a computer programmed to think by itself - it tends to do what it pleases when it likes. Anyway, my deepest apologies for how late this re-post is - I will be having words with my laptop.

This weekend, I had the plan of giving you all a DC Universe Online post. I thought it would be a pretty fun post, another MMORPG for you all to sink your teeth into. Not only this, but it would be an adventure for me too as I had never played it. So, I loaded it up onto my PS3 (just for a change) and after a quick installation I started the game and loaded it up. However, I reached the start screen and the patch note bar came up. I saw this as no big deal, it looked fine to me, but lo and behold, it's still patching and it's been nearly two days. Yes, I had to turn my PS3 off at night, but it's seriously slow (another good thing about still using the junk that is AOL) and I reckon you guys won't be seeing anything on DC Universe until next week. That and I owe you another update with my adventures in Skyrim. Thing is, I had to think on my feet for this post. It was late at night, everything was going wrong and I needed a game - fast. What did I happen upon first I hear you ask. Well, it was my 3DS and Super Pokemon Rumble was inside.

Our post for today will be focused on Super Pokemon Rumble and just how awesome it is. I have to say, it's one of the best Pokemon games that they've made, just because it's so different from the classic ones. Don;t get me wrong, I think the classic Pokemon games are fantastic, but this is a welcome break as we Pokemon fans wait for the next addition to the series.

Instead of being a Pokemon trainer, you are collecting wind up Pokemon toys. There are toys to collect from all five generations of Pokemon and so it will be difficult to collect every single one. To see Pokemon from such different generations working together in battle is almost weird as it's something that I, at least, would never have imagined seeing. Anyway, when you begin the game you get a walk through sequence so that you can get a feel for how the game works and collect a few more Pokemon toys (some of the toys you defeat lay on the floor for you to collect) before you enter the wide world of Pokemon toys. Once this level is completed, you find a place called Toy Town where a Lilipup is there to greet you. He gives you a tour of the little town and tells you how everything works before letting you go on with your adventure. He also tells you that the fountain in the middle of the town will revive your defeated toys (which was a relief to me). Once Lilipup is finished  you are free to leave and explore the world.

Outside Toy Town are little areas with huge poles outside. These areas are filled with different Pokemon to battle and collect as well as a Master Pokemon at the end (usually an evolved form of the most common Pokemon in the zone). It's a quick and fun game to play, and every level contains different Pokemon to battle as well as it being possible to collect all the Pokemon in that zone. Once a zone is completed the red lights on top of each pole turn green, signalling that you've completed that level. Don't worry, it's possible to go back in and grab any forgotten Pokemon. In between zones you're able to go back to Toy Town and revive your defeated toys so that you can go onto the next zone without worrying about how many Pokemon you have left.

Once you have completed each zone in the area you will be able to challenge the Battle Royale where you fight around a hundred low level Pokemon and two higher level ones. The Battle Royale is an enjoyable aspect of the game and unlocks the ability to battle Pokemon toys with your friends over Streetpass (or even strangers) which just adds a whole new element to Super Pokemon Rumble. Once you've defeated the Battle Royale you can move onto the next area and complete all the zones there before challenging the next Battle Royale.

For those of you wondering if this game just circles in the loop of completing zones and battling, then I can assure you that there's a storyline too. Shortly after you complete the first set of zones someone will steal the magic of the fountain. Whilst you're still able to use the fountain to revive yourself, the magic is running out and it's up to you to find out just who did it. I can't tell you who stole it because I'm not there yet, but I'm on the hunt.

Battle Royale

Super Pokemon Rumble isn't a hardcore game that requires strategy and thought, if anything it's something fun for an evening when you're feeling a little tired and don;t want to concentrate too much. It's the perfect game for those nights, or days, which ever you feel. Collecting the Pokemon toys is fun, mainly because they have pretty much every Pokemon in existence to collect and the Battle Royale (especially against friends) adds an element of excitement to the gameplay.

As I haven't finished the game yet, my rating could quite possible change, but for now I give it a 7/10, purely for its simplicity.

Valhalla

Pokémon and Nobunaga’s Ambition

(I was going to do a Christmas post today but when I heard this I was way too excited and postponed Christmas, sorry (this isn’t the first time I’ve threatened Christmas))

This is the new Pokémon game we have all been waiting for. A whole new concept, a whole new perspective and a whole new generation.

Forget starting at the beginning as a young boy or girl moving to a new town and beginning a new adventure by saving your local professor, in this game, you are a Japanese Warlord and it is set in a feudal Japan, you are trying to gain territory and become omnipotent.  

Ash is replaced with the roguishly handsome (not my words) Nobunaga and his Zekrom. You’ll have the Pokémon from our much loved games and series mixed with Nobunaga’s Ambition  (I can’t be bothered to keep writing this so from now on it is NA) gameplay. From this they came up with the imaginative title Pokémon and Nobunaga’s Ambition.

NA is a 28 year old strategy game with several sequels and remakes (available on NES, Gameboy, SNES and WII).

This game will only be available on Nintendo DS but hey most Pokémon lovers are 12 year olds and have DS’ anyway. But for those of you who do not yet have a DS, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? Pokémon is only available on DS and online and the online version is nowhere near as awesome as the DS game. So get your butts of the sofa, unglue your eyes from your High Resolution laptop screens and get down to your local Game or Gamestation and get yourself a DS.

Here’s a little something for you to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKOn0hjxymM&feature=player_embedded

Just kidding, I’m sure most of you can’t understand Japanese, those of you who can I commend you. In my case, I only understand small amounts of Japanese so translating this was close to impossible and there is nothing yet in English so either spend ages attempting to translate this in google translate or just be patient and wait for the English one.

Fable 1

Fable I

I’m a huge fantasy fan and I also have a strange adoration for the period that this game was set in despite my hatred of history (for someone who hates history there is a weird amount of time periods which fascinate me).

This game is one of the most anticipated games on the market. Who doesn’t love a bit of sword play, fantasy, heroism and ale drinking?

Fable is a third person action RPG based around 1 main character and his dog which follows him everywhere, the character is called ‘The Hero of Oakvale’. The cool thing is, your character can either be good or evil depending on your actions. The game is set in Albion which is a patchwork collection of towns and cities that used to be called the Old Kingdom (you’d thing that would come later rather than sooner) when it lived in prosperity but as time went on the ruler became corrupt and now the hero lives in a lawless, country that is slowly deteriorating.

The Hero is sent on quests, some further the plot and some are merely for entertainment value and for gain. Some quests allow the player to pick which side they wish to help, good or evil, these choices lead to the characters over all popularity and reputation. If a player accepts a quest then they can boast and can have bets like doing the whole quest naked or without getting hurt they can then increase the money they get from the quest if this challenge is overcome (I think that’s pretty cool, how many games dare you to do a quest naked?).

Renown is the most important thing the hero needs. To get this they can boast about winnings and trophies, they can use gold from quests to buy it but they also need the gold to buy better weapons to make harder quests achievable which also gets them Renown.

Weapons range (see what I did there? I make myself laugh sometimes. Someone has to...laugh that is) from swords and maces to bows and arrows and that even includes magic. To increase magical ability the hero must kill enemies and collect their orbs. Different colours mean different things; there is general, strength, skill and will. General can be used to modify groups of attributes, strength is good for toughness, health etc, Skill, for speed and accuracy and such and Will is for upgrading your spells. Each spell upgrade will tell you how much of which one it needs.

The Fable map is riddled with towns and cities, full of life and activities for the hero. I good way to get gold is to buy houses and rent them out(if you are feeling malevolent you can raise the rent or even, if you are feeling extra vicious, kick our your tenants for new ones). If you want, although if you ask me it’s a bit strange, you can find a woman, or man (you can even be gay) and get married (I should warn you, all the towns folk are really ugly) and have children (unless you are in a gay relationship in which case you can’t have children).

A note on alignment

I mentioned this earlier. Your character has the ability to become good or evil based on actions you choose to take. Well here is a bit more about that.

I think most gamers like the evil looking ones (it might just be me and my weird observation) like me and Valhalla. Some I suppose may like being good, well this game takes them to the extreme. The good ones get halo’s and end up looking a bit like prince charming (retch) and butterfly’s follow them around and it’s all pretty and such and the evil ones grow horns and get red eyes and give of a glowing red aura as a warning to any who approach.

Other things that affect the hero

If you eat too much or drink too much you become irreversibly fat it can also make you throw up.

Clothes can make you appear scary or protect you in battle and they can also affect your alignment. Bright colours will make the townspeople like you and dark colours will make them fear you.

You can change your hair, facial features and even get tattoos. Attributes also affect aesthetics such as your strength increases brawn, skill affects your height, and spells make celestial patterns on your skin.

Plot

As a child the hero’s family is killed, on his sister’s birthday. The hero joins ‘The Hero’s Guild’ and trains to become a champion. The hero begins a journey to find out why his family were killed and eventually a friend tells him that there is a blind seeress in a bandit camp nearby who may be able to help. So the hero travels to find her and discovers that it is his sister and that she was taken by the bandit leader who the hero challenges.  The hero can choose to let him live or kill him which marks the beginning of his choice of alignment.

When the hero is stronger he is invited to a battle arena where he meets Jack of Blades who challenges the hero to fight Whisper, a friend and rival. He then has to decide whether to kill or spare his friend.

The hero discovers that Jack of Blades is the one who killed his family and the whole of Oakvale (the hero’s childhood home). The hero tracks down his mother who has been a prisoner of Jack of Blades since ever since.  The hero is captured and when he escapes and takes his mother the hero once again searches for Jack. The hero’s friend is revealed to be a traitor and kidnaps the hero’s sister when the hero defeats his friend he gets to fight Jack where is mother is killed.

It is discovered that the hero and his sister are the only remaining decedents of the king and so the only ones who can wield the sword. After killing Jack the hero can either keep the sword and kill his sister or cast away the sword (it’s kind of like Achilles’ decision in mythology where he had to decide between living a short and heroic life or a long and boring one).

There are 4 possible endings, you must decide.

There is a special edition where the story continues but I will leave you to discover that.

Have fun.

Btw this is a great game and I give it high ratings GGGGGGGGG (9/10 gamer points) because it is original and has interesting interpretation of storyline.

Valhalla's adventures in Skyrim

Valhalla's awesome Skyrim hat. Yeah, totally awesome

Yesterday, before work, I picked up my own copy of Skyrim on PC so that I could play it all day today. That plan didn’t quite work as I accepted an all day shift and so was only able to play tonight (which is alright as work is enjoyable). Sadly, I didn’t get to play the Elder Scrolls games as they came out and only bought Oblivion on Wednesday – making me the n00b in this fantastic world. I will post relatively frequently about my epic adventures in Skyrim and my progression through the game (hopefully Titus will be joining in with this) so that you can enjoy the game with me. I’ve been taking screen shots like a psychotic Orc Berserker.

When I got home I was quick to start up my gaming laptop and get the game installed. You see, at work today a very tall man came and complained to my colleague and me about how Skyrim for PC had to be downloaded through Steam and because of this it took five hours to install. Upon hearing this I was afraid I wouldn’t get a post up tonight, but had this been the case you wouldn’t be reading this right now. For me, it took under twenty minutes to fully install through Steam and so I was more than pleased with this. Finally, my epic journey could begin...

Prisoner

I started out in a bumpy wooden cart on my way to an unknown destination. All around me was frightened chatter and something about an execution (everyone around me (in real life) was talking, it was hard to hear). I was mildly curious as to what the people in the cart were talking about but was more interested in my surroundings and looking out for our destination. After a short while I saw it right in front of me and already knew this wasn’t going to be pleasant. Helgen wasn’t the most reassuring of names either.

Once the carriage stopped in the little town, me and the other prisoners on the cart were forced off and made to line up so that our names could be called. Apparently, all these guys were rebels and I had managed to get mixed in with the wrong crowd. My name wasn’t called and so I was forced to introduce myself (no opportunity to do an Odysseus and call myself No-one). Here, I created my character, Kirith the Wood Elf, and even though my name wasn’t on the list that evil chick in the shiny armour wanted me dead. She’s racist towards Elves, I know it.

First guy down

One of my fellow prisoners was beheaded, and it was as I was shoved onto the chopping block that a massive dragon appeared from nowhere, sweeping through the skies and destroying all in its path. That saved my life. Totally freaked by the appearance of this beast I was quick to scurry to my feet, only to be met by Hadvar, the soldier who didn’t want me to die. 

Telling me to follow him the two of us began a journey underground in order to escape the dragon. We came across a few twists and turns, some nasty enemies and some decent weaponry – the journey was a breeze. The slow-mo combat when you give a critical hit is quite epic, I must say. I frequently got lost and fell off mini bridges as I kept forgetting which controls to use, and it was rather comical and I’m sure Hadvar must have been irritated by how slow I was...

We made our way back to the surface of Skyrim in good time, despite the various accidents, and my new friend led me along the cobbled path towards our next destination – Riverwood. There, we met the Smithy, Alvor, who was warm and welcoming towards me and Hadvar (I figure they’re good friends). We told him about the dragon that had started destroying everything, and how it was making its way towards Riverwood. Shocked and afraid, Alvor asked me to go to Whiterun where I should speak with the Jarl and request that he send troops to Riverwood for protection. I agreed (as I’m a helpful Elf), and bought a bunch of supplies from the smithy. On top of this, Hadvar told me that I should join the Imperial Legion, despite the fact that they attempted to kill me. As he had helped to save my life I told him I would think about it (I’ll be taking a different route).

On my own

So, Hadvar decided not to continue travelling with me – obviously feasting with the Smithy and his family was far more interesting than my Epic quest – and so I was forced to continue my journey alone. With my iron mace strapped to my back and my nice, thick leather armour clinging to my body I marched on to Whiterun, eager to complete my quest. I didn’t encounter many enemies along the way, a couple of wild animals, but that was about it. I was feeling pretty powerful by this point.

It wasn’t long before I arrived at the outskirts of Whiterun, the stables standing alone before me. As I crept towards it, a horse stood out of its stall, just begging for me to steal it. But no, I am a righteous Elf and respect the law, so I left it alone. Instead, I broke into the stable house and was arrested by the guard (went back on my own word there). Yeah, smart move for me. Being a bit of a wimp when it come to dirty prison cells (we Elves are very clean), I decided to pay my bounty instead of do my time. Thank the gods I had enough coin. I decided it was best not to break into houses anymore.

Once the guard let me go, I set out to find the Jarl in his mighty palace. It wasn’t hard to find (cough) as he was right on top of a hill. Barging through his doors, I was unimpressed by the woman who decided to confront me, demanding that I tell her what I had been asked to tell the Jarl. I avoided her questions until she relented and allowed me to pass. Once I was in front of the Jarl I told him everything that had happened, and he was eager to send troops to Riverwood to protect them from the dragon. Once I was done with him, I was sent to see his sorcerer in the other room so that I could help him learn more about dragons. He asked me to retrieve the dragon stone from the mountains nearby. I decided to go, even though the horse and carriage wouldn’t take me and I had no money to buy a horse.

I made my way up the mountain, cursing and grumbling about the weather, until I reached a little settlement filled with angry bandits. Irritated by their determination to kill me, I proceeded to slaughter them relentlessly, ensuring that they were all satisfactorily dead. Serves them right for attempting to slay me. It was then that I caught sight of my destination, where the dragon stone was kept.

Bleak Falls Temple...the beginning

I’m tired tonight; I didn’t have the energy to go any further than I did. So, I’m splitting this bit into two parts, and you’ll find out what happened next Skyrim update.

After slaying the bandits, I entered the Bleak Falls Temple where I knew the dragon stone was. There were quite a few bandits in there, but I had no trouble taking care of them. After all, I’m a strong and powerful Wood Elf who so far hasn’t died once (I’m just that good).

I made my way through the long and winding tunnel that led to my loot. I followed the map and my instinct towards what I thought was where I was supposed to be. I was wrong. I reached a small room with a portcullis-type gate and a lever just before it. After killing the single guy in the room, I pulled the lever to see what would happen. Shards of light rushed past me, but nothing else occurred. Confused, I messed around with the stones in the room and still, nothing happened. By this point I was becoming irritated, especially as my brain was tired and so I took a moment to retrace my footsteps. A while back there had been an extra path, it looked like I would have to turn around and go that way rather than have an easy route. Which is fine, tomorrow I’ll be adventuring again and back to the path I previously ignored.

There’s still a long way to go in the temple and so I’ll be sure to tell you what happens next as I continue on my quest to find the dragon stone. I’m not rushing through this game, I plan to enjoy it. It deserves thorough enjoyment and to be taken at a steady pace.

Have any of you guys played Skyrim yet? If so, tell us what you think so far. Just to let you know, if you want to send in a video sharing your thoughts on any game for our YouTube channel then feel free to send them in at titusvalhalla@gmail.com.

Below, are a few places where you can buy Skyrim if you don’t already own a copy.

Skyrim - GAME

Skyrim - Amazon

Skyrim - Play.com

Games Based on Movies

Okay, hear me out guys.

So there are these two totally awesome dudes, the so very strong and very just Valhalla and the amazingly wise Titus Proxima. Together they embark on a journey of discovery and trial. 3 times weekly they must provide their loyal followers with witty, banter filled adventures that they have and/or plan to embark on! On this particular day the wise Titus had this totally awesome idea to tell them the story of tasks they were set that they felt had been done before and so were disappointed in, and this is how that story went...(I’m not sure what this is but go with the flow)

Lara Croft Tomb Raider Legend

Yeah I know, don’t judge. I was a cool kid, ok? Plus... you can’t tell me she isn’t a little bit hot. Right?

So, I don’t know if you saw the movie (only like a zillion times) but the game is NOTHING like it (when is it ever).

The game starts with a bang (literally) as a plane with Lara and her mum are in crashes and they are the only two survivors. They find themselves in a tomb with a sword which Lara’s mum pulls out of a stone and she disappears (kind of like a weird take on Excalibur).

Bolivia: Back in real time Lara travels to Bolivia where there is a stone dais that her friend Anaya mentioned. Along the way she encounters mercenaries and wild animals that try to kill her. Upon reaching the dais she meets Rutland who holds a strange piece of sword, mentions a dead friend and then sets his mercenaries on her, but she’s Lara croft so no problem.

So from here Lara goes through a series of countries including Peru, Japan, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Great Britain and Nepal (she gets around a lot), finds out some awful truths, spares some lives and ends with a plan for the future.

So yeah it’s like pretty much every other movie game out there (I really want to use some big words here like infantile and menial that will impress but I think that that ruins the whole colloquial thing we have going on).

As much as I want to say ‘yeah, totally loved it 10/10’ I really can’t. Honestly there are few perks except a little Angelina Jolie and some nice gun action it’s really quite poor, even the graphics are weak. So GGGG(4/10) is the best I can give.

Bleach: The shattered blade

On Wii! Yes, I play this game on the Wii. Should I be ashamed? Some say so, but I would disagree. The Wii is generally seen as a family console, and whilst this is mostly true, it doesn’t mean you can’t play anything other than family based games on it. Anyway, I play Bleach: The shattered blade on Wii and I’m going to tell you a little bit about it.

The game is based shortly after (anime series spoiler) Ichigo rescues Rukia from her execution at Sōkyoku Hill. Now an accepted soul reaper (shinigami), he is able to help defend soul society from their newly formed enemy – the Espada/arrancar. The power that Ichigo used at Sōkyoku Hill was so great that it broke the seal that imprisoned an arrancar named Arturo Plateado. He is a highly dangerous, self-made arrancar that attempted to destroy the whole of soul society, but was captured and then sealed beneath the city. Now that he had been released, it is his goal to seek revenge. He is able to take on the form of any member of soul society, whether it is squad captains, vice captains or other team members. It is your goal to stop and defeat Arturo before it’s too late.

You can play as loads of different characters in this game, and I’ve completed it on nearly every single one. It’s actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Each character begins the game with different reasoning, but they all end the same way – confronting Arturo. As every character has different skills and varying forms and powers with their zanpaktou the game becomes more interesting. I wish they had been able to include Hisagi’s bankai. It rocks. It really does.

Multiplayer is pretty repetitive. You and a friend can battle characters (either the same character or different ones) in different ‘arenas’ and through that determine a winner. It’s simple and there isn’t much to it. Just a bit of mindless fun you might say.

The controls are simple to use and get the hang of. It requires the Wii remote and the nun chuck to play. The individual buttons on each remote release special moves such as the bankai form or various spells.

Compared to the anime/manga...

So, this is Arturo. You look...familiar.

Here’s the thing that really bugs me. This new arrancar, Arturo, looks almost exactly like Grimmjow with the slightly longer hair/bone remains on his face. I wonder why they couldn’t just design a different arrancar that didn’t bear such a heavy resemblance to one that already exists. It’s so irritating when the character seems to lack any form of creativity and the creators feel as though they have re-use a former character template.

Of course, it’s not part of the anime

All the characters are pretty good at remaining in the same mind set as they would if they were in the anime series and so I can say that everything in this game was pretty well done when comparing it to the original series.

In conclusion...

The storyline is lacking, and it gets a bit samey after a while. The clear lack of creativity when it comes to the actual main antagonist is rather appalling if not disappointing. If you’re looking for a mindless game that requires little skill and concentration then I would highly recommend this one to you. If you want something action packed and filled with variety and twists in the plot then this really, really is not the game you’re looking for.

Kids will love it, so will those who just don’t feel like thinking for a night (we’ve all been there). However, for its poor development, gameplay and lack of creativity I reward it a mere 5/10. Sorry, Bleach , you disappointed me

As a side note, readers, please don't forget that tomorrow the winner of a copy of Skyrim will be announced! Watch this space, it's coming quickly. 

Breaking News In The Gaming World!

Here's a mini update for you guys. Thanks to a tip I received from a very good and awesome source, it has come to my attention that the trailer for Grand Theft Auto V has been released today. You want to watch it? Take a look below, it's right there. I found this trailer on Gamespot, so I am in no way taking credit for the release of this video. Please enjoy it anyway!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJBaWILMzYU&feature=player_embedded

I'm sorry I couldn't directly insert the video, the insert video option for Blogger didn't show this video when I tried to upload from YouTube. It looks fantastic though, so I would recommend watching it. It's gonna be a rush.
Rumour has it that Tommy Vercetti will be returning for this game and it has to be said that the narrator sounds a lot like Ray Leotta.

My source also told me something else that I found to be interesting and I just had to check it out. He told me that Apple would be next in the world of gaming, that they were going to do something big, and so I did a little research. Sadly, it didn't get me very far and I didn't get much information. I came across rumours of a new XBOX and Wii, the PS4 and various other contraptions that aren't likely to ever exist. The only Apple related thing I found was an iBox, which I do believe is a spoof. You can take a look at the video below.

Can you believe it, it doesn't even need a controller.

So, that's it for the mini update. Thank you to my mysterious source for the updates and I hope you guys enjoyed it. As a final question - what do you guys think about an Apple console? You think they'll make one or is that just a rumour being spread to make people excited?

It's Halloween and The Control Room LOVE Zombies

Hey guys. Tonight is all about you...well...and HALLOWEEN OF COURSE!!!!

So in our excitement we have put together a collection of games and we would like you to vote for your favourite and on Hallowen itself we will do a full post on whichever recieves the most votes!

 

Dead Space was such a success after it's 2008 release that shortly after it spread(like a disease heh heh) creating a prequel AND a sequel.

All three games relate to one main storyline set in the 26th century. The main protagonist is called Isaak Clarke, an engineer, who must survive the take-over of the necromorphs (aka zombies) on a US Mining ship. Isaak also wants to find his girlfriend Nicole.....

 

 

Flesh Feast...even the name makes me hungry...NASAT have created a new food ingredient which has infected an entire island. The player must survive 14 levels of carnage with three teams of three. The main goal is to defeat NASAT and contain the situation.

 

Zombies Ate my Neighbours...I Know what you are thinking...My neighbours irk me too. Just kidding I wouldn't wish that on anybody...Then again, it's Halloween.

This game is not designed for graphics, in fact, I would only play it for the name(who wouldn't). It's a 2D game based around either Zeke or Julie who must traverse the suburban world e.g. shopping malls, haunted castles, Pyramids, and save their neighbours from zombiefication or lycanthropification(?) or even vampirism. Remember, Neighbours a worth points, Points lead to winning.

 

Ghoul Patrol(doesn't sound Zombie related does it, sounds ghostly) is a sequel to 'Zombies Ate my Neighbours' this time Zeke or Julie must travel through 5 worlds to save their town from flesh-eating plants, ninja spirits and garbage ghosts.

 

Burn Zombie Burn is more imaginative with it's zombies, there are various types that Bruce must defeat. Reaching score thresholds unlocks new levels. Burning Zombies get you more points but they are also more dangerous.

 

 Isle of the Dead. Imagine in it, you are trapped on an Island, the sole survivor of a terrible plane crash. The Island is packed with the rotting dead controlled by a mad scientist.I think it sounds pretty good but Sandy Peterson rated it 0 stars(It was released in my birth year so it can't be all bad). We'll have to wait and see.

 

 Lollipop Chainsaw(OK I couldn't wait to start this one). A chainsaw wielding CHEERLEADER! This is a bit weird so prepare yourselves. Lead by Juliet Starling, a former cheerleader, a group, including Juliet, her body less boyfriend and her family, hack at hordes of zombies at her old high school. Don't worry, the zombies at least have style. Don't miss the 'Rock'n'Roll' zombies in this game. Make sure to upgrade your chainsaw.

 

Dead Island. I'm sure you guys have all heard of it. It was released earlier this year, and doesn't it look epic? It's an open world game so feel free to explore the place, come across a few zombies, don't let your stamina fall too low. Don't forget your flashlight and don't go unarmed.

 

 

I Made a Game With Zombies in it! Strangely enough this game is also spelled alphanumerically, for some reason. *shrugs*. The players can add up to 4 and must shoot waves of zombies. This game was not designed to be succesful, in fact the creature was "half-expecting it to fail for being too stupid of a game." Doesn't that just say it all?

 

 

 MediEvil. Well not quite Medieval more sort of PlayStation era. They have, however, re-released it for PS3 and PSP and for those of you with Play Station Plus you, it's free. Sir Daniel Fortesque is resurected by the same Wizard that killed him 100 years previous to the game in a battle that his soldiers won without him. the Evil Wizard creates a Zombie army and so Dan gets his army back and then they all fight. Dan is more courageous this time around.

 

Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ! Fairytails brought to life...uhh...death! The player gets to be either trigger happy Red Riding Hood or ninja star wielding Momotaro. RRH likes to visit her grandma, picking flowers and is very fond of her firearms. Momotaro was porn from a Giant Peach and has had plenty of adventure before. And then Zombies attack storyland.

 

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare. No. 5 of RDR. John Marston searches fro a cure to an infectious zombie disease in the old west. The player is charged with the return of missing persons and random zombie encounters. Marston just wantsto cure his wife and son...aww...eugh!

Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingy's.(okay this is another one of those games that the name is more attractive than the game). Developed for NintendoDS, this is a platforming game based around 3 teenage zombies. The player needs all three as they each have unique abilities which help them progress.

Undead Knights. Romulus, Remus(yes, arrogant isnt it?), Remus' wife and the Beast are at the end of their lives. The House of Blood has been destroyed as ordered by King Kirk(I wouldn't be able to take this seriously) married to Fatima. People die, it's very dramatic and then Romulus, Remus and the Beast are punished by being hte Undead Knights.

Urban Dead. MMORPG. To be...dead...or not to be...dead...that is the question? The player is able to choose if they are a survivor in the aftermath of the zombie outbreak or one of the animated dead. Zombies can be revived with the correct technology and survivors can be killed and reanimated. All characters are players no game controlled characters exist.

 

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse. NOT meant to be taken seriously. Eddie Stubbs is shot by his Father In-Law(talk about monster In-Law). Stubbs raises an army of the dead from a town on its opening day. He gives a speech in front of the American Flag using only the word brains. The minions cheer 'BRAINS'. Stubbs is reunited with his love whose brain he indulges in. They live happily ever after, sailing off into the sunset.

 

So Valhalla ditched me tonight despite the fact that I have 2 full days of work at the shop and Valhalla has a day off and then a day at MGM Expo *cies*!

I hope you enjoy this one tonight make sure to vote!!