The Markza Is Badass

Having played Overrun and Survival mode as well as plenty of multiplayer on Gears Of War: Judgment, I have come to the realisation that the Markza is an incredibly powerful weapon. 

The Markza is a semi automatic rifle equipped with a scope that can old up to 120 rounds of ammo. The thing that makes it so powerful is the fact that it can be used in anyway to achieve quick kills. Up close the gun is powerful and will kill in a few shots, and the scope also allows you to use it over long distances. 

Unlike with weapons like the Longshot, the Markza has a magazine of more than 1 bullet and can be fired fairly quickly, especially if you have a fast trigger finger. 

Up close the weapons can blow peoples heads off with only a few shots. In fact, you don't even have to aim down the sights. Firing from the hip is a fantastic, accurate way of killing enemies,

From a distance the Markza doesn't lose damage either. It may take 3 bullets to half a mag to kill someone, however, as I said, it has a good fire rate so it isn't hard to do this.

The fantastic thing about this weapon, aside from its high damage, is the fact it has 3 ways to aim with it. You can hip-fire, aim down the scope or simple aim over the shoulder. All are great, efficient ways to kill enemies.

Overall the Markza is an awesome weapon. I highly recommend you try it out and use it. It is an extremely powerful gun.

I Have Nothing Interesting To Say (At The Moment)....

You may have noticed there have not been as many blogs or random articles published within the last week and that is mainly because I have been busy playing Tomb Raider and (now) Gears of War: Judgment. Soon I will be playing Bioshock Infinite too. my life has been limited to my thoughts, my gaming and a little bit of social interaction so I have had, really, nothing interesting to say except about what I am playing.

I know this won't have bothered many people because my gaming articles are the most popular things on my blog, however it has bothered me so I wanted to just let people know I haven't gone dead in this area, I am still here, but my focus is primarily gaming at the moment. Throughout April, when less games are released, my variety of articles will go up again. 

A quick note on these podcasts too:

I know it has been a while and I said I would be doing them in February, however due to equipment costs and irritating budget issues I have had to delay it. I apologise. BUT, I do know it should be within the next month. I emphasise should because I can't make any promises, but it should be.

Oh, also, I forgot FUT Player Of The Week on Friday. I am sorry. In truth, due to me not really playing FIFA 13 I am not feeling the vibe with those articles. I am going to postpone the series until I feel I want to start writing it again. Sorry, but I really don't want to keep at something I'm not feeling so...

As for App Of The Week, it seemed to kick off well (or at least that is what my view figures told me) so that is gonna be carrying on as normal every Wednesday. 

I want to write another A Question Of... this week so stay tuned for that!

Anyways; keep gaming, keep watching TV, keep going out, keep getting drunk, keep doing that shit and, most of all, keep chilled. Peace.

An Orgasmic Guide on Omelette Making

Do you like omelettes? Good, so do I. I love them, in fact. Here is a brilliant little guide on how to make the nicest, most orgasmic omelette possible. While you read it, it is highly recommended you listen to this. Got it? Gooood. Oh and before we start: things mighty get a bit steamy if you get what I mean. Or, in other words; awkward. Very awkward. Just saying...

So, let us begin.

Step 1...

The first thing you need to do is decide how many eggs you want. I recommend a 3 egg omelette or at least a 2. Anything less will result in burning and a dry texture.

Slowly remove the eggs from their packaging, being careful not to break them. Good.

Arrange them delicately on the side.

Put some oil in the pan to heat up. Oil will make sure it isn't dry and will help to keep things wet. Make sure you spread it out, pouring it all over the pan. Dripping it in, careful not to pour out too much. You don't want it too greasy, do you?

Step 2...

Now you need to break the eggs. It helps if you have some nice, big, jugs. Do you? If yes, brilliant. If no, grab the next best thing. Preferably only a slightly smaller cup. Hopefully you have a fairly big cup. We don't want anything too small to we? Don't want to spill anything anywhere and make a mess.

Get the first egg and break in into the jug/cup. Don't be too gentle or too aggressive. If you are too hard it will break and go everywhere. If you are too soft it will only break a bit, allowing some of the shell to fall into the jug/cup.

Be firm and reassuring with your touch. Once broken, put two fingers inside and split it open. As you do this the egg should slide out and slop into the mixing container. Do this with all eggs. Make sure you really get your fingers in there and firmly spread it open. Otherwise shell will break away and get mixed in.

Step 3...

Mix the eggs together with a fork, unless you are doing anything above a 5 egg omelette in which case you might need something bigger and more experienced. 

The best way to do this is simply plunge the fork in there, swirling the contents around. It will be wet and sloppy, but just mix it, first clockwise then, after a little bit, anticlockwise. 

Make sure you do it vigorously and hard. Really put your strength into it. Some of the juice may splash on you, but bare it out. It won't last long if you do it right. 

Keep going until all of the darker yellow bits have mixed in and the egg is a lighter yellow colour.

Step 4...

The oil should be more than hot enough by now. If it is smoking hot, you know it has been on long enough. 

Pour the egg mix into the pan. Don't do it too fast. Slowly at first and then as the amount of mix lessens pour it all in faster. 

The egg will spread out and mix with the oil. After a little while it will begin to firm up and get harder. 

Once the top of the omelette is dry and there is no more uncooked egg, grab a spatular and use it to lift up the side of the egg and peak under for a better view. Check how it is doing. It might be a bit wet. If it is, let it cook some more.

When it is dry, take the spatular and slide it carefully and slowly underneath. You want it to be firmly between the egg and the pan. Slight it in as far as you can. If you meet any resistance just push on through it. The egg might look like it can't take it, like it might break, but they are more flexible than you think and all should be fine. No damage is likely to be done.

When the spatular is in position, lift it up a bit. The egg will bend slightly. Then, in one quick motion, flip the spatular, along with the egg, over onto the other side. Check out the other side. Make sure it isn't burnt. Brown blotches are mostly OK and simply mean the egg has cooked well. This won't affect the taste when you eat it.

Cook the other side for about a minute, maybe less. When it is done, slide the spatular, again, underneath. It will be easier to get it in now than it was the first time.

Ready yourself then flip the omelette onto your eagerly awaiting plate. 

Step 5...

Take your beautiful egg to the table. If you want to spice things up, add some salt and maybe pepper. If you used the right amount of oil it shouldn't be too wet or greasy. Prepare yourself for this incredible, memorable experience and tuck in. Enjoy it while it lasts <3

Rant - Aliens Colonial Marines SUCKS

I know this is overdue because the game was released last month, but I didn't play it until now. And I probably shouldn't have played it. It was shit. Very shit. Ho-ly fuck was it shit.

So if you read my previous rant on FIFA 13 you will have a good idea what the drill is here. I swear a lot and explain why the game sucks so much. Simples, right?

OK I honestly don't know where to start. I was going to write a review, but I thought: fuck it; this game isn't even worth that. So you can take this as my review. 

So here we go.

Mike, why do you hate this game that you don't even want to write the name of so much?

Hm, well let's start with the cosmetics first. Nothing too heavy. Just the cosmetics. Well the game looks shit. Now I know, I know, 'graphics aren't everything' and all that shit. Well, believe me, I am one of the few people you will meet who hole heartedly agrees with that statement, and I could forgive this game for its poor graphics and many, many, graphical glitches. However, when I consider how shit the graphics are and then think of how shit the rest of the game is, well, it pissed me off even more.

Outdoor environments look pretty good, I'll give the game that. However indoor environments look more fucking shit than a toilet after a night of curry eating. It might more be the art design than graphics, but the environments, except some outdoor ones, look like crap. They all look the fucking same. WHY DO YOU ALL LOOK THE SAME?

They are so fucking boring the only way to make them even remotely entertaining would be to smoke ten joints and fill yourself up on LSD - and I would not recommend that in the least, unless you want to die.

They are so fucking boring. Like 'zzzzz' boring. Like, poke your eyes out boring. 

The rest of the graphics are, well the rest of the graphics, well, let's just say, for the most part, 'shit'.

The characters look like something out of fucking Looney Tunes and facial animations are crap.
What's more, screen tearing and popping is con-fucking-stant.  

Not that the characters need to have recognisable or presentable faces because all of them are as shallow as a fucking half-inch puddle. My God, GearBox must have gone out of their way to make the characters so stupid and shallow and completely uninteresting. I honestly don't think that you can make them that fucking awful by accident; they must have done it specially. 

They are boring and completely, just, fucking, I don't know, just fucking shit. Completely shit. The eggs in my cupboard have more character than these shits. Honestly, at least some of my eggs have feathers stuck to them that make them look a little funny. 

They are so fucking dumb too. I mean, if they were real humans, I can honestly say they would be in the funny farm, not the fucking military. 

They don't do jack, fucking, shit. They literally stand there, gawping, shouting and doing nothing constructive. In FACT, all they did was block my way. They actually got in the way. They did nothing but GET IN THE FUCKING WAY. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN IN 20-AND FUCKING-13 GEARBOX? HOW?

The enemy AI is, haha, exactly that: laughable. I don't think I've ever been so not scared by a game. I was actually LAUGHING, when I should have been crying.

The aliens are just bumbling goons. And the human bad guys are shit too.

The gameplay is shit also. The aliens and humans are not much fun to fight and the shooting feels so fucking papery I thought I was playing Paper Mario With Guns or something.

I really don't want to waste my time ranting about this game anymore. Bottom line is that it is shit. Don't play it, just don't. I am not even a massive fan of the Alien series, but I was looking forward to this game like crazy. It is totally shit. Massive piece of crap that craps all over Gearbox's reputation. To be honest, the E3 demo looked way better than this shitty version. How is that even possible?

Oh and you may have noticed I didn't mention the story. I forgot actually, which is what you will do with the story after you play this shit fucking game. Although I do beg you not to play it. If anything play Alien Vs Predator. It is actually pretty fun.

A Surprising Movie Sequel I Would Like To See

This contains some spoilers for the film Predators: So read with caution if you are spoiler wary!

There are a ton of movies I love, however how many of these I would like to see have a sequel is at a minimum. When finishing a great movie, you tend to want there to be a sequel or something just so you can see more of it. If you're honest about it though, few of these movies would actually benefit from one.

This being said, there is one particular movie that I wish they would just hurry up and make a damn sequel to. That film being Predators.

The real poster would have to look far less tacky, of course.

Predators, made in 2010 and the most recent Predator film, is the fifth film in the franchise. Unlike Predators 2, or Alien Vs Predator, this film was actually awesome. If you haven't seen it then let me try to convince you to.

It actually offers up its own unique ideas and plot, as well as having a great cast of characters (and actors, including Adrien Brody). For instance; the setting being an alien planet, the idea that it is a hunting ground for the Predators and that there are tons more types of Predators out there as well as other foes to fight, the mystery surrounding the entire situation; these are all awesome contributions to the series. I highly recommend watching it as it is one of the best sci-fi movies I have seen for a while.

A sequel to this badass film would not only be awesome, but it would work too. 

Like a boss

It wouldn't work if it switched up the cast and characters, though. At the end of the first film you were just starting to feel properly attached to Adrien Brody and Alice Braga's characters. To get rid of them in the sequel would be stupid.
Instead, and it may seem like a bit of an obvious plot to go for if you have seen the original Predators, a story about how these two people try to escape the planet would be the best bet. Incorporating other characters into it would be easy, too, as they could be the extra humans coming in for the Predators to munch on and entertain themselves with.

It might be hard, but avoiding rehashing too many of the scenes and ideas from the first film is vital. I, myself, hate films that rehash too many things from the original movie into the new one. It feels fairly cheap. 

There is an entire planet to play with here, a load of which wasn't explored in the first film. There could easily be a part of the film that is set underground, or in caves; there could be a lava pit - anything the directors and producers want, really. After all, like is said, they have an entire alien planet to play with. I emphasise 'alien' because that means they could incorporate anything into it and no one could complain because it isn't set on Earth or a real place.

While it may surprise some people, a Predators sequel is easily one of my most wanted movie sequels, and has been for a good while. If they would just hurry up and make one I would be as happy as could be - for a while at least.

Sexual & Romantic Orientation Gone Wild

I was on my beloved Wikipedia a few days ago, when I wandered off into the sexuality department. I was having a blast (yep, I do actually get joy from reading for hours on Wikipedia) reading up on homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality when I read something interesting.

According to Wikipedia, and this is backed up by professionals (in other words, what I'm about to say is not bullshit), there is an even deeper level to terms used to describe affectional/romantic orientation. If you don't know what 'affectional orientation' or 'romantic orientation' is, then let me fill you in: it is like sexual orientation, except instead of sex it focuses on affection and love. So an asexual can be romantically interested in women but not feel anything sexually, rather they fall in love but do not have any sexual desires.

As I said above, this ties into deeper terms that can be used to describe people's orientation with different genders.

The more I read and learned, the more I realised how shallow and non descriptive the term 'heterosexual' or 'bisexual' or 'homosexual' is. In fact, these terms simply mean that the person is sexually, and pretty much only sexually, interested in people of that/those genders. No romance is felt.

However the terms: 'heteroromantic', 'biromantic' and 'homoromantic' mean that the person is romantically interested in people of that/those genders.

When describing their sexuality, unless someone really doesn't feel romantic emotions for other people,  they should always use 'sexual' and 'romantic' terms to describe their orientation.

So it goes like this: If Jim says to someone he is heterosexual, technically he is saying he is sexually, and only sexually, interested in women. What he should say is that he is a; heterosexual heteroromantic. This now means that wishes to have sex with women but also have a romantic and loving relationship with them.

Crazy huh?

This is really intriguing and there are a good few variations you can come up with and it also does an incredible job of properly describing how people feel about other people they are attracted to in different ways. So if you are, like me, a male bisexual but lean towards women sexually and do not wish to have sexual intercourse with males, you just feel romantically towards them (and women) then that makes you, and me: heterosexual biromantic.

You can be: asexual heteroromantic, or asexual homoromantic, or bisexual homoromantic, or homosexual heteroromantic. There are loads of variations.

So here, I challenge you: what is your sexual and romantic orientation? Write your 'results' down in the comments!

A Question Of Faith (Belief Vs Belief & Right Vs Wrong)

People don't like discussing religion and belief like they don't politics, but for other reasons. Sure you can expect clashes of opinion when talking about what you believe versus what the other person believes just like you can when talking about governments and political decisions and parties, but there is something else that comes coupled with religious talk. It is as though people dislike the subject because it unsettles them and their deeper fears about life and death as well as questions that are not answerable.

The possibility of a God is exactly that; a possibility. There are no facts and no certainties here. There is nothing solid saying that there is a higher power and that Jesus really was sent from the Heavens just like there isn't anything saying it isn't true. 

I myself believe that there is a God and an afterlife. I am not religious in any way, however, and hate being related to religion. Religion is just a nice way of saying 'cult'.

Part of the reason I believe in this is because I was brought up believing and I have always found a bit of comfort in the thought of there being more to life (and death). In truth, 65% of me is a firm believer while the other 35% is a cynical sceptic. 

When considering the infamous question: 'Why are we here?" people who believe often come back with something along the lines of and relating to; to be good, to help people and those in need, to do this and that and all that stuff. 

In my mind there is no definitive answer. And that is why I am of a split opinion. 

You see, science doesn't need a reason for us being here. God, presuming he is an almighty being, does. 

If God created people, then why didn't he create us perfect and nice, without any badness? A common counter to this, I find, is often: "So we could learn to be good ourselves". But why? What is the point of that? Is this some game? Unless by us deciding to be good ourselves we have some greater effect on something that could not be achieved any other way, what is the point? Why not just be amazing people from the start? In fact, why not just start us in 'Heaven' and forget the Earth? Just start us in Heaven as these amazing beings and we're all set and done, right? 

The only other counter to this I have so far heard or thought up, that actually defeats me, is 'free will'.

When God created people, he created us to be able to do what we wanted, to be free and to have, ultimately, free will. If he wanted us to be naturally perfect and flawless people, that would take away any kind of option to do bad things (in other words: choice), and thus our ability of free-will would be corrupted. We would not, essentially, be people. Well I'll be damned, that is a bloody good point. I have absolutely no counter to that.

When it comes to science, as I said before, it doesn't need a reason. Science does what science does and if you have a problem with that then deal with it. If people were created by some random fluke of science then so be it, we do not need a greater purpose because science is just the way it is. 

I am not here to try and disprove anything, just to ask some questions and take points of view on board. 

Derren Brown asked the question: is God and this overall belief in a supernatural power just a positive placebo? Was God made up to keep peoples morale's in check, make people feel more secure and happier and to give everyone something positive to help them through their life? It's possible.

In the end, I have no answers, and neither do you. Nor do the Jehovah's Witnesses who knock on my door or the Pope. Everything, all of this, is based on a hunch. It's a bit scary really.

Earlier I noted that I hate religion. I believe what I believe and sure, you can believe what you want, but religion is just wrong. Getting a group of people together like a club who all believe in the same thing is a great idea, but religions don't seem to do any good. In fact, all they do is discriminate and hurt people. The amount of controversy surrounding the Catholic Church and pedophilia alone is disgusting. You say you are here for the greater good, to spread goodness and promote good and do good good good? Well why don't you stop causing more problems then? 

It's not that I have an issue with the normal people who are part of religions that are just normal people, it is the entire religion itself and what it stands for.

I have a great example(s) of this in the form of sexism and homophobia within the church. 

First of all, no women popes? Why the hell not? Because of some rubbish you believe? Give me a break. 

And why no gay marriages? Because it is an abomination of God and the church or something? Really? Let me just say something relating to both things just mentioned. No matter whether you believe or not, this is the fact of the matter: people, not God, created this whole 'religion' thing, OK? People, not God, created marriage, OK? People, not God, made these messed up, discriminative, rules, OK? I highly, highly, highly, highly, highly doubt that God dislikes gay people. You know why? Because if he is so 'almighty' and 'kind' and amazing, he won't give a crap.

Marriage is a man made thing, not supernaturally imposed upon us all with some secret rules. So if man made it, man can, and should, change it to accommodate gay people. It absolutely boggles my mind that it is such an issue to allow gay people to get married. Why? Just why? If you stand for God and kindness then why the fuck are you discriminating? AND being sexist to women?

It absolutely blows my mind how far this lunacy has gone. The church is a joke, imposing its power and wealth upon society in ways that are unavoidable or changeable by normal people. The church has a responsibility as the so-called 'representatives' of God, to account for everyone in a kind and accepting way. They are not doing this. They are a discriminative, homophobic, sexist organisation with little coming from the heart anymore. 

The thing is, too, that Christianity is the recognised religion of many people and places. It is so wide and big and has such an effect on society that what it does matters to everyone because in some way or another it affects them. Scientology is a crazy cult, but it has little effect on politics or society and thus what they do is irrelevant to all those not involved with them. On the other hand, things like Christianity have a responsibility to serve society well which they are not fulfilling and are, in fact, causing more problems with their outdated and long left behind and completely man-made homophobia and sexism. 

Religion and belief can be a toxic, horrible mass of nastiness. 

I can't get over what some people say and think and also do, because it relates to what they believe. 

In fact, this is an ideal example of how far involved with what they think is true some people are:

"Women shouldn't be able to have abortions-" OK, "Even if they are raped!" Uh wait, what? I know this is a difficult and controversial subject but really? Are you fucking kidding me? What a horrible view to have. That is such a shallow and ignorant and obnoxious view on pregnancy from rape that I am actually kind of disgusted by you. You are saying people who are victims of one of the most disturbing crimes on this earth and suffer pregnancy as a result of it, should not have the option of abortion, even though that child, which is related to the offender, may grow up to be, understandably, resented or not liked by the mother and may not get the childhood it deserves as well as causing its mother much trauma?  Why, exactly, do you think this?

"Because everything happens for a reason and that was obviously meant to happen to that woman. And what is more, abortion is never the answer."

So, you are basing your opinion of one of the most disgusting, horrible and traumatising crimes entirely on a possibly fictional and maybe even religious belief? Get the fuck away from me please. 

That is, in a nutshell, why religion, but also people who have such strong personal beliefs about these subjects, disturb me.

Do people really base what they think about extreme subjects like rape on what may or may not be true? So if there is no God, all of what you thought is pointless? Geez, well done pal. Good job. Imagine if idiotic people like these were in places of power like in politics (I know that politics is full of idiots but bare with me)? Imagine if they had the opportunity to force their ludicrous and crass beliefs upon everyone? Like I said, I believe in God and an afterlife, but not to the point where I actually make my decisions and all my opinions based on it, because what if it isn't real? What if God doesn't exist? All that would be for nothing.

All of that is like someone saying that they believe there is a monster in their attic that doesn't want them to eat waffles. So they don't eat waffles. This is insane because they are not eating waffles simply because of something they believe (but might not be true) that there is a monster in their house. Like, what the hell? But it is the same as the above situations.

These people, who have these crazy views all because of something potentially fictional, scare the crap out of me. They honest to God do. And it is another reason why religion and faith are so worrying; because of the power they have over people and our society. Religions have been the cause of lots of disgusting crimes over the years. And we are supposed to take what they represent seriously after all that/this?

Peoples may believe to be happier, or because they genuinely do think there is a higher power, or some people don't because, quite rightly, there is no proof. In my mind, life is about being happy. Do what makes you happy, so long as it doesn't involve hurting others. Be a good person and enjoy yourself. If believing helps you with that, that is awesome. If you are still happy and good even if you don't have faith in religion or something, then that too is awesome. There is nothing wrong with 'religion' as such, or the people who are a part of it, but the whole religion thing today, as it is on a whole and the things it inspires and causes, is very crazy and does little good overall. 

The bottom line is that we are here, on this planet, in this universe, with these other people. Who gives a damn if there is a God or not? Because whether there is or not we are only going to be on earth for so long, and no matter what is true or false we should strive to be happy and be good people. You don't need some dumb, fucked up, modern day religion to tell you that. 

Most of this was just my opinion though, so share your's in the comments! 

Peace people.

I Saw Jack Dee Live!

A couple of days ago, on Sunday actually, I went to see Jack Dee live. If you are lost on who he is, then let me help you. He is an English, and my favourite, comedian, and he was returning for one night only at the Cliffs Pavilion for an exclusive show.
I got tickets for my birthday last month to see him.

His show was great. He was ultimately trying to tell you the events of his week, however he constantly digressed off into other things, such as his children, social experiences as well as other things relating to his style of observational comedy.

He is a totally awesome comedian, funny as hell, and his interaction with the audience was also really good.

One thing I did thoroughly enjoy about his show, though, was his want to bring back into more common use the phrase 'So what?'. According to him he uses it whenever anyone says something to him he doesn't care about. He is certainly right, people struggle to find a response to it when you say it to their face. I think I will try using it more.

Any comedians in particular take your fancy or you enjoy watching? Say what you want in the comments!

Depressing Games Of This Gen

Some games, even if they are fantastic to play, are depressing. I have had my own experiences with depressing games and here is my take on some of the saddest games around. Beware that this feature does contain spoilers.

Catherine

Catherine was one of my favourite games of 2012. It was incredibly unique and had a totally brilliant story. Unfortunately, it was also one of the most depressing games I have played in a long time.

It is hard to hit the nail on the head as to why it made me feel so bad, but it may be because on my first play-through I didn't get the ending I wanted. That said, none of the endings are particularly 'happy'. If you stay with Katherine then you have to live with that annoying, boring woman for the rest of your life. If you stick to Catherine then you get the best girl around, but also have to go and live in the demon world because she isn't even a real human being. Great.

If you get the 'ultimate freedom' ending(s) then you are basically free from both relationships and Vincent can carry on his life. 

The entire game is great to play, but at the same time brings you down in almost every way. Vincent's Nightmares, his time in the bar with the other really well made characters, his time with the girls and, ultimately, the entire journey is an intriguing one, but not exactly the happiest. 

Heavy Rain

Damn. If you want to be cheered up don't play this game. Just don't do it. 

Heavy Rain is another amazing title, but one that isn't exactly uplifting. Its plot focuses around a child being abducted not too long after his brother was killed in a car accident and how it ties in with a serial killer called the 'Origami Killer'. 

The 4 characters in the game all have many issues and can die at any time. If you make a mistake then poof, they're gone. No coming back either. If they all die it is game over. 

The plot is realistic, deep and somewhat meaningful, however despite how awesome it is, it is still one of the most depressing games this generation, tapping into your emotions and feelings. 

Bioshock

This wasn't the first game I considered when I thought up this article. However on closer thought, it isn't exactly Super Mario Bros. Bioshock doesn't necessarily make you feel sad, but it has such an outstanding atmosphere and setting it is hard not to get drawn into its grotty, depressed world.

Nothing about the game is positive. Sure, your character gets more powerful and better equipped, but it never feels like you are ever going to escape the hellhole that is Rapture. Then the game poses moral decisions relating to little girls. Kill these demonised children to gain more ADAM to level up faster, or spare them and receive less. Sparing, or saving them, removes this horrible demonic curse from them and they are normal little girls again, free to run off and live safely.

It is a horrible choice to have to make and one that doesn't really seem rewarding either way. 

There is just a certain sadness and detachment about Rapture. The insane Splicers, the enraged and totally crazy Big Daddies, the weird characters; everything in it is messed up and creepy.

Fallout 3

I'm not saying the entire game is depressing, but let's just say it never really feels very positive. The game starts off in far from the best circumstances and just gets worse. People die, disappear and then you are out, out in the open desolate and destroyed world to find your own way around. 

The game is very loose, allowing for some crazy things to be done. Hell, I even screwed up an entire side part of the game because I killed the wrong guy. It is one of the few games where I felt almost fully in control. That what I wanted to do could be done. Hell, you can destroy an entire 'city' if you want to with a nuke. Now isn't that a positive thought.

Fallout chucks you out in the world and says "deal with it" and if you don't then you are screwed. it is very easy to get lost in the game and get caught in an unchangeable rut of dying and failing. It is up to you to play the cards right.

The game is excellent and fun, but it doesn't come with much positivity. 

Metro 2033

I didn't necessarily feel too bad when I first played Metro, but it is a game that deserves to be on this list for the simple fact of its setting and atmosphere.

The game is set in a world destroyed by nuclear war. Russians have taken to underground shelter in the Metro to survive. Unfortunately this is only a partial fix to the problem. Deformed beasts roam the tunnels, varying colonies of Russians have different and often more brutal ways of life, and supplies are scarce. Survival is of the utmost fittest. 

And you haven't even gone outside yet.

When you do finally exit the tunnels, it is gas mask on and guns at the ready. Going outside into a destroyed and completely desolate Moscow is a gaming memory I will never forget. There is literally nothing out there except for some crumbling, grey, buildings. Oh, and some more deformed beasts.

Breathing heavily and realistically through the gas mask, with steam and cracks distorting the view, it suddenly makes the underground tunnels seem safer.

When I played it I realised there was nothing else. How do you rebuild and survive with the world in this state? It was different in Fallout 3 because towns and cities already existed and in a way the future was kind of positive, but here there was absolutely nothing. Everything was dead, or soon would be.

Dead Space

There isn't much to say here. Dead Space is...is....is....Dead Space is...a...great...game.

Yes, it is a great game. Very great. Excellent, even. The reason it is so goddamn depressing is not only the entire plot, but also because you are trapped on a space ship in space with little except these disturbing creatures from the deep depths of hell on it with you. Yay. What a fun orgy that would be. 

The isolation felt when playing it is surpassed by few games. You. Are. Alone. It is one of the scariest, most depressing games ever made.

Silent Hill

It is hard to pick one individual Silent Hill game here, so let's assume it is all of them.

I, myself, like Silent Hill. It is scary and fun, but, most of all, it has some of the most intriguing stories and one of the most depressing settings ever. 

The stories are messed up and creepy. Nothing is normal and things are always very weird. Most of all, though, they are depressing. Sadness is a key element of almost every story related to Silent Hill and you won't find much, if anything, uplifting here.

But it's the setting that makes the games so downright dreary, scary and depressing. The place of Silent Hill hits the 'isolation' mark even better than Dead Space in my opinion. The reason being that Silent Hill isn't isolated. There are people living there. The thing is that these people are either never to be seen or are mysteriously useless. If you are running from a big bad monster and you see someone ahead, you might for a moment feel positive, like there is hope, but then that soon drains away because, as always, no one in Silent Hill is actually helpful or useful to you. 

The fact that there are people there, but they just don't do anything scares me.

There is no doubt in my mind that Silent Hill, despite the issues it has had with the quality of its titles over the years, is one of the most depressing game series around.

Spec Ops: The Line

Going off into Dubai on a mission to 'save people' doesn't exactly work out well after Walker and his squad get attacked and then confronted with some really messed up things about Dubai and what is going on there.

The game isn't the best in the the world, but it does something very right with its story. It makes you feel exactly like your character, Walker, does: confused. As you progress through the game, the entire reason you went to Dubai in the first place gets distorted and questions about morality are asked in brutal ways. You start to question everything. Why are we here? Are we actually the good guys? What is going on? Can I trust these people? What are we actually doing?

The game ends in one of four different ways. All of them sad and none of them giving you any real answers. But there aren't any solid answers to be had, because questions relating to morality can only be answered by yourself and not with any actual, truthful answers. So it is up to you to decipher what just happened.

The game makes you question you and the characters moral choices and no decision can be made for certain in the game because no one knows exactly what to do or what is going on in the first place. 

It is a psychological experience no gamer should miss.

There are plenty more too...

Yep, depressing games are everywhere and I've played some really bad ones over the years. This list is in no way the only games that have depressed me, but just some main ones I wanted to note. 

What games depress you? Say your say in the comments!

A Question Of Fashion (What You Want Vs Society)

I hate fashion. I don't mind dressing myself well or buying clothes, but I hate the entire 'fashion' thing. I hate styling my hair too, and deciding on what style I will have it in next. At the end of it all I look good, but for what? Women do not fall at my feet, drooling, and I get little satisfaction from the procedures I have gone through to achieve this look. In fact, worrying about how I look drives my anxiety insane.

Everyday people make sure they look impeccable. Why? To impress, to avoid judgment and maybe for their own self values. I, just like a lot of people, am caught up in this rut of doing the same thing for the benefit of, if anyone, others, when in reality all I want is to dry my hair, style it how I like and go outside.

People may give you their own opinion, too: "I think you look best dressed like this" "Your hair is better like this" "No, that doesn't look good". Some people take this as advice, but it is only advice when you personally ask for it. If you want your hair sticking up and then someone you know supposedly 'advises' or rather 'tells' you it looks better the other way without you even asking, that is not advice.

Sure, certain colours don't suit you or me. Sure, that hairstyle generally looks bad. It is nice to have guidance when you don't fully understand something. But when that crosses over into telling or putting down (even in the slightest way that the person may not realise) then you have a problem.

I can draw many examples from myself. For instance, at times I wish to have my hair back, more windswept and out of my face as I have a fairly long fringe. I know for a fact it doesn't suit me as well as having it styled forward and to the side. People I know let me know that too. They call it 'advice' and 'their own opinion' but when those people directly affect your life, it is hard to ignore what they think and not take it on board.

I like it though. I like my hair like that. Sometimes I like having it forward, others messy. Sometimes I just let it dry naturally without any of my styling products invading its space.

The same goes for clothes. Dressing how you like is not enough. People barge in with their own opinions. Will society look at me weird if I wear this and do my hair like this?

Actually, high majorities of people you see in the street don't care about you. They are too busy with their own issues to spare a thought or judgment for others. So why worry?

Ads barge into our lives, creating false ideas of perfection and how we should dress and look. Everywhere you go everything is screaming out at you that you have to look your best and be the best to stand a chance.

The thing is, people never said it was confidence that lets you pull it off. I can pull off having my hair back because while it does suit me, just not as much as other styles, I don't care. If I did care, people would pick up on that and they would notice I look a bit weird. If you can strut your stuff and just do it, people respond with respect and they too will not care for your style.

Society as it should be

A good friend of mine often tells me to do what I want. It's the most common form of consolation there is when someone is concerned about something cosmetic or shallow, but he says it different. He himself, my friend, tells me to do what I want with such confidence that I question why I didn't view it like he does.

The thing is, even if you are confident, you may be worried still about the way you are dressed or styled. Looking good: it is something everyone has drilled into them by society. Sure, looking your best is always nice. Dressing well is great. But it doesn't, and it shouldn't, be a constant worry and concern. It is such a minor part of everyones' lives it is a wonder why we even care.

The wants and needs of the individual themselves are often blocked out by the insane fact that it is what society wants people to do that is what matters, not what the person themselves wants or needs.

In the end, it is what you want vs. what society wants for you. If society wins over, you get nothing. But neither does society. Who or what is society? Society is everything and everyone. Every ad, every corporation with posters up, every train and bus and every person, and they are indirectly affecting peoples lives. So even if society does win, society doesn't care. The only way to win is for you to win yourself. Then that really does matter.

All of this, though, raises the question of even bigger issues with todays society.

I'd like to give a shout-out to Michael Crichton, a legend of a guy who has helped me out a lot. He is a great guy and, of course, a gamer, who deserves all the bro hugs he gets. Follow him on twitter: @Mike__Crichton Follow me on twitter too: @mookyst

The comment box is your thought box so go ahead and use it!

Sinister Scared The Crap Out Of Me (Detachment Was Good Though)

I may use some bad language in this post - just sayin'!

I watched the film Sinister over a month ago. On my birthday actually. What a present that was; a sleepless night and terror for the next two weeks? Thanks a lot.

Nah, I'm just joking with you, it didn't really scare me to the extent where I couldn't sleep or go in my attic for a while. It did scare me in the moment though.

It's not that the film is even scary, as such. It's just creepy and gross. If you don't know, Sinister is a film about a guy, more precisely an author named Ellison Oswalt, who moves his family of wife and two kids into a house that was previously inhabited by a family who were brutally murdered through hanging in their own backyard. The crime was nasty and not very pleasant at all. Did I mention that Oswalt KNEW what had happened here as well? But he hadn't told his wife? Yep, what a weird bastard.

Oh and it gets worse too. Oswalt is only there so he can write a book about the murders and regain his lost fame and money. What a douchebag. What a total, selfish, douchebag. His wife and kids, as I said, are unknowing about the controversy surrounding this place.

Of course, at the beginning you get to meet the stereotypical 'creepy' and 'weird' 'I don't like you' character, in this case a cop. He dislikes Oswalt for various reasons and basically tells him to fuck off. Well there goes his invitation to the house warming party. I thought cops were supposed to be friendly and helpful?

So to cut a long story short; he investigates the crime, finds some tapes of other murders committed in the attic, does some shiz here and some shiz there, argues with his wife, does this, that and this and that and that and this, argues some more, blah blah blah and finds out some weird stuff about the murder and other connected murders and some creepy demon thing or whatever, that could be behind it all.

Forget the story though, this film is supposed to be scary. That is its purpose in the world; to scare people. And does it succeed?
Well, it is one of the 'scariest films' I've seen, but not in a normal way.

Sinister is just downright gross, weird, creepy, and disturbing. It doesn't have a lot of jumps or blood, so what exactly makes it so hard to watch? It's hard to explain but the fact that this guy, Oswalt, finds these old tapes basically made up of people getting murdered in very disturbing (not bloody, just disturbing) instances in his attic and then watches them like you would the Indiana Jones trilogy (seriously, he even did himself a nice alcoholic drink while he watched them, why not go the full mile and buy some popcorn too?) is just weird. The tapes are weird. The whole thing is weird and not right. The murders themselves are nasty. The things that happen are just creepy. The bad guy is weird and disturbing. The whole story and setup is just wrong. It has this horrible dirty sheen to it that just makes your stomach turn. It made me feel ill watching it.

Admittedly I was shaken afterwards, and didn't want to leave the room on my own for a good while.

It's a pretty good watch, though, with great performances by the actors. I would consider watching it again. It's not a bad film, just very odd and stomach churning and creepy. I felt like I wanted to shower after it had ended, like I'd just been watching something dirty and bad.

You should watch it if you haven't already.

Going in the complete opposite way though, is a film I watched called Detachment. It features Adrien Brody, one of my favourite actors, and is directed by Tony Kaye, the same guy who did American History X, so you know you are gonna be getting a powerful film with a strong message that doesn't hold back on content.

It is basically about the education system and society in general. It has some truly brilliant performances and is gripping, to the point and just truthful. I'm considering writing a proper review for it because, being so excellent but also lesser known, I feel it deserves some proper credit.

Yeah so those are just two movies I wanted to quickly jot down. I recommend both! If you have anything to add or want to say something then go for it in the comments! Peace Troops.

Michael The Kyle & Michael The Entertainer Collaborate + Changes

So over the past week I've been thinking. Yep, a deadly game of thought processing has lead me to realise a couple of things.

First of all, this blog won't be changing when it comes to Video Game content. I love writing all this stuff and I hope you enjoy reading it. That said, I will be collaborating Michael The Kyle with my secondary blog Michael The Entertainer.

This means that MTE is no more and MTK is now the only blog I will have active. All articles from MTE will be appearing on MTK and this will mean that Michael The Kyle is now my ultimate blog. Gaming articles, spoofed articles, opinions, rants, blogs (and yes, there will actually be blogs from now on) will all be on the one blog. Why is this? Why have I taken a solely video game orientated site and turned it into my entire personal space?

Well, quite frankly, I was struggling to see why not. I am not IGN or GameSpot. I do not want to just be a blog that shells out video game article after video game article. I want more. I want this to be my area where I give everyone  a piece of me and my mind. I will still be doing game articles as frequently, but I will also be doing rants, blogs, opinions, reviews of movies maybe - whatever I want. MTK will feature my professional articles as well as my ramblings that people probably don't give a crap about. You gotta do what makes you happy, right? And this would make me happy so...

I know some people view this because, and only because, of the game content. I get that. But it won't be going anywhere, it will just be combined with everything else I want to do. Before, I was treating MTK like an official gaming website, but it isn't; it's a blog. And a blog is a space where anything can be written and no one can question it because that is what a blog is.

All that is going to change is the amount and variety of content. More variety and articles is all that is happening here. I love video games, so of course I will still be posting as many things on them as I was before.

The transition will be slow, with an article from MTE coming over to MTK every day to every other day as to avoid MTK being flooded with articles.

So chillax, eat some pizza and drink some Coke and let the fun begin!