Shinmaru

Oh man, [b]Portal 2[/b] has left [b]Portal[/b] in its dust so far. The puzzles are as interesting (and tough!) as [b]Portal[/b], but the addition of a stronger storyline has ramped up the fun so much. I love Wheatley popping up everywhere -- the part where [spoiler]he and Chell escape from GLaDOS, leading up to the second half of the game[/spoiler] is [i]fantastic[/i]; like James posted, the visual design is breathtaking -- and the way the story is integrated into everything is so damn awesome. The writing and voice acting are absolutely spot on, as well. Wheatley and GLaDOS have me laughing every time they speak. And I'm just getting to the parts with [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler], which I am sure will be likewise awesome and hilarious.

[quote name='James' timestamp='1306709729' post='707657'] [font=palatino linotype]How far are you in Portal 2? When you get a couple of chapters in, the game starts getting really crazy. It's ridiculously awesome. I don't want to spoil anything, but there are moments where you feel like you're breaking out of the Truman Show...and the way it all happens is just too cool. The twists and turns are very devious (and funny), too. :)[/font] [/quote] Not that far yet -- just finished the puzzle where [spoiler]GLaDOS vaporizes the companion cube a couple of times, and then vaporizes it again if you try to sneak it onto the elevator[/spoiler]. The addition of deadly lasers had me snickering, mostly because it's such a James Bond move and for me hammers home the loathing GLaDOS has for Chell, and I want more bouncing. Much more.

[b]FFXIII[/b]'s story is kind of boring so far, so I'm switching to [b]Portal 2[/b] for the time being. Definitely like it a lot so far: The setting is being used to great effect. I love all the touches that are going into it (probably as a result of a greatly expanded budget, I expect). There's some nice variety introduced so far, too -- deadly lasers, reflective cubes, bouncy plates, etc. I hear the best, most fun stuff is yet to come, too, so yay!

lol Never mind, I actually started [b]Final Fantasy XIII[/b] next. I'm pretty early in the game, so I don't have many solid impressions yet. I do like the pace of the battles at least; nice and quick, and they keep you on your toes. Kind of easy, though, because the healing items are pretty powerful, and you heal after every battle. I think the latter bit has caused me to be a bit more aggressive than usual, since I have that to fall back on even if I barely scrape past a battle, haha.

I'm probably one of the last gamers in the world to play [b]Portal[/b], but I just beat it today and loved it. Good stuff, and really engaging in a way I haven't felt from a console game in quite a while. I'll be playing [b]Portal 2[/b] next, but not right away since my brother is beating [b]Portal[/b] ... although it might be right away, actually, since he's progressing through the game at a faster clip than me lol.

The perfect answer to the swearing question would have been "**** no".

I enjoyed it. Some people weren't fond of how everything changes so much in the final few episodes, but the crazier the show got, the more I enjoyed it. Come on, [spoiler]good and evil magical girls, and magical flying panthers[/spoiler]? Who wouldn't enjoy that?

[b]L.A. Noire[/b] is what initially had me interested in picking up an Xbox 360, so I am definitely going to get this, although I don't know if it will be right away since I have so much other crap to play lol. But, yeah, living out a film noir seems like my idea of a great time. So down for this.

Man, it's been a while. Guess I'll offer some brief thoughts on stuff I've watched since February ... [b]Astro Fighter Sunred[/b]: Hilarious. Sentai parodies are done to death, but [b]Sunred[/b] brings a fun twist to the game by being purposely mundane, which brings an amusing air of absurdity to everything. [b]Cobra: The Animation[/b] + OVAs: The TV series is pretty kickin' in that goofy [b]Golgo 13[/b] kind of way. If you don't mind a thick layer of cheese, then it's definitely a fun watch. The OVAs not so much. [b]Cobra[/b] stories definitely seem to work better in shorter bursts. [b]Crest of the Stars[/b]: Awesome. The banter between Lafiel and Jinto is tons of fun and extremely well written, and helps keep interest high in a show that is deliberately paced. [b]Fireball[/b]: Fun series of shorts involving two quick-witted robots. Easy to find on YouTube and takes 20 minutes to blow through the first season. Really liking the second, currently-airing season, [b]Fireball Charming[/b], too. [b]Generator Gawl[/b]: Wasn't a huge fan. Too much WACKY SCHOOL HIJINX for my liking, and the ending blows. [b]GitS: SAC 2nd Gig[/b]: The first season had higher highs, I think, but as an overall package, [b]2nd Gig[/b] is superior. I especially love how the Major is developed in this season. [b]Moyashimon[/b]: Good comedy. Gets funnier as it goes along, and I definitely want more after the ending. Of the shows I've kept up with week by week, the ones I'd actively recommend are [b]Level E[/b] and [b]Madoka Magica[/b]. Maybe [b]Rio: Rainbow Gate![/b], too, if you love hilariously awful crap. I've also watched a bunch of god awful OVAs as part of a terribad anime watching group. They've ranged from the hilarious ([b]Garzey's Wing[/b], [b]The Prince of Tennis: The Two Samurai - The First Game[/b], [b]Legend of Duo[/b]) to the tortuous ([b]Itsudatte My Santa![/b], [b]Apocalypse Zero[/b], [b]ICE[/b]).

"I like [b]24[/b]" lol

I'm pretty sure teenagers sweat whine.

[quote name='Nerdsy' timestamp='1304463554' post='707085'] [color=deeppink]This depends on what you mean. It's completely different from KOTOR, gameplay-wise. It's not based on d20 tabletop rules and the combat isn't automatic. It's a third-person shooter with some rpg elements, and it's far more focused on action than the passive KOTOR system.[/color] [/quote] That makes me feel a bit better about it. The battle system was the biggest thing that turned me off about [b]KOTOR[/b]. Maybe it's just me, but I felt really detached from everything that was happening. If it's more active, though, I can get into that. Thanks for the clarification! My brother played [b]Left 4 Dead[/b] with some friends of his, and he's really into it. I imagine he'll probably buy that if I pick up the 360.