Game Review: Batman: Arkham City

Posted by Natasha Bennett




Since being released, Batman: Arkham City has gotten several favourable reviews from Metacritic and Playstation, not to mention several thousand fans. So bring on the hatemail, because I am probably the only person in the universe who didn't like this one. 

Okay, maybe that was too harsh. Let me rephrase-I liked it, but not nearly as much as Batman: Arkham Asylum. The plot is this-following the events of the first game, Doctor Hugo Strange converts Arkham Asylum into a massive city. Doctor Strange is also doubly dangerous, since he knows Batman is Bruce Wayne and captures him from the start.

The more I think about Arkham City, the more I have to ask a question-what exactly is Gotham City smoking? They put serial killers and lunatics in a city, unrestrained and with zero supervision. And it really is zero supervision, because in the game they form gangs, try to murder each other, and Hugo Strange shrugs and says, ‘Screw it. Let them fight it out.’ Strange then bestows inhumane conditions such as limited food, forcing many to starve. Do you still have your suspension o f disbelief? Okay, how about Hugo Strange arrests Bruce Wayne and several politicians and toss them into the mix as well. I understand Hugo’s plan for doing this, which ultimately is pretty brilliant, but did he really think this wouldn’t get some attention from Gotham City? Hugo Strange must have hired himself a pretty good PR man. 



Most of the combat system, enemy AI, graphics, and voice acting remains the same, which is admittedly pretty awesome. Batman also gets a few new gadgets. So, what could I possibly hate about this game? For starters, the first game had these mystery items called Riddler troppies, which Batman has to retrieve. It was pretty cool, but in the sequel it’s now too much of a good thing. They’ve quadrupled to a point where Batman trips over the damn things every five feet, most of which he can’t even get until he finds the right upgrade. There are four hundred of these suckers, some of which I don’t think is even accessible after certain parts of the game.  Let me put if this way-when the game becomes a chore rather than something fun, it gets boring pretty fast. So, congratulations Riddler, you beat me this time.



Overall, the game felt way too fast, and I finished the main plots and most of the side plots within a week (I swear to god, one of them involved either resetting the date on my PS3 or playing the game on certain days of the year). Plus, the lack of scarecrow is sorely missed and the enemy chatter can be annoying.

FINAL GRADE: 3 ½ out of 5 stars. It's not a bad game-in fact it's far better than several currently out there. I just think the first one is a little bit better.

It’s too bad Batman didn’t have Bat-shark repellent during one stage of the game.

Sunday, October 30, 2011
Read More

Game Review: Dead Island

Posted by Natasha Bennett




Like most people, I bought this game not because I knew what it would be like, but for one reason only-the incredibly awesome but sad trailer.




Yeah, that one *sniff*.

So how does the actual game measure up? Well, the graphics are detailed and stunning, the enemies are tough and also decent, there is plenty of environment to explore and the voice acting is pretty good. 

So why am I still scratching my head and not thinking this is a good game?

The player can start as one of four different characters, each one a different personality and different skill sets. In the cutscenes all four players are working together. Considering they either didn’t know each other or hated each other in the beginning, they are working together...because, um...because! And they are all immune to the zombie virus...um, because!

So why don’t I like this game? One thing that hurts this game considerably is the lack of a tutorial system in the beginning. I spent an embarrassing long time trying to follow an objective, when I realized I was following a compass direction. Secondly, it’s very long-probably two or three times longer than other games I’ve bought recently. The enemies are also numerous and respawn. A lot. And if the players upgrade, the zombies upgrade with you. You might think that it’s natural to have that in a zombie game, but it is a little frustrating to have a player is fully armed with all sorts of cool abilities, only to die three seconds later from one elbow from a zombie. Actually it’s more than frustrating-both myself and my significant other quit playing a couple of times due to the steep difficulty curve. I strongly recommend running through some sections (especially the city) instead of trying to tackle every single enemy that comes your way.



You might have noticed I haven’t said much about the plot. Well...eh, it’s a zombie story, so what do you expect? There are some clichés here and there especially towards the end, and I don’t think parts of it are developed as well as they could have, especially in the jungle section. I also find it odd that the only people who are immune to the virus are not locked away in a vault somewhere having testing done of them, instead of doing every side mission imaginable in a hostile world where they can still easily die. And shockingly when they do go to a lab the scientist does not develop a cure by sampling their blood, but instead by the players kidnapping some native girl (and that in itself really does not go well).

Final Grade: 3 1/2 out of 5. A rich resort world that’s pretty to look at, but the annoying difficulty makes it tough to stick around. Fallout 3 mastered this a lot better.

Every time I died, I woke up with a surprisingly lighter wallet. What, are the zombies hard up on cash?  

Saturday, October 15, 2011
Read More

Author Interview: M.R Gott

Posted by Natasha Bennett



Today on Blue Haven Reviews I am interviewing M.R Gott. M.R. Gott is the author of the novel Where the Dead fear to Tread and the forthcoming sequel Where the Damned Seek Closure. You can visit M.R. at his website Cutis Anserina at http://wherethedeadfeartotread.blogspot.com. Aside from contacting M.R. you will find his collection of book reviews and a list of small horror films you may have missed. M.R. lives contentedly in central New Hampshire with his wife, and their three pets. Aside from writing M.R. enjoys dark coffee, dark beer and fading light
 
N.B: Tell me about yourself. How long have you been writing? When you’re not writing, how do

you like to spend your free time?

M.R Gott: In elementary school we used to write our own stories and I never truly stopped. It was not until
recently though that I was able to finish a narrative. In my free time I enjoy stories, whether they
be in film or literature. There are countless books and movies I want to experience but again
time gets the better of me.

N.B: Can you tell us about your Novel, Where the Dead Fear to Tread?

M.R Gott: Where the Dead Fear to Tread combines two genres I am very fond of, supernatural horror
with elements from detective noir and old pulp heroes. To me there was no better character
to navigate a dark encompassing world than the cynical pragmatists created by men such as
Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. The characters they created saw the world as it was,
and despite their status as outsiders found success in meeting their goals.

The early Anita Blake novels by Laurell K Hamilton were greatly influential to me. I saw Anita
in these books as a well armed throwback to Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe. She was smart
and brutally efficient. I later lost interest in the series, not for the increasing and lengthy sexual
elements, but for Anita’s increased supernatural powers. When I left Anita she was no longer
the underdog hounded by disrespectful authority figures, she was giving commands to legions of
followers.


N.B: What was your favourite scene to write? What was your least favourite scene?

M.R Gott: No single scene was my favorite to write. My favorite scenes to write are the quiet reflective
moments between the scenes of carnage. It is in these scenes when I truly get to create the
character and show who they are. It is not always actions that define us, but how we react to our
own actions. I believe when recognized it is the small moments that are the most important in
character building.

My least favorite scene to write was in Where the Damned Fear Redemption, the sequel to
Where the Dead Fear to Tread. It is a crucial scene revolving around family violence where
my protagonist needs to be emotionally destroyed. I feel I accomplished this well by taking the
small comforts that parents can provide and warping them into acts of aggression.

N.B: What inspires you to write? (music, books, etc)

M.R Gott: No single element inspires me, to me it is trying to devise stories that articulate the way I see
the world. It may be dark and overbearing at times, it is our charge to acknowledge the small
unexploited potentials for good. This is what defines us.

N.B: Do you have other upcoming projects in the works?

M.R Gott: I have recently completed a manuscript for Where the Damned Fear Redemption. I have a
collection of short stories I am working toward releasing, as well as a couple other story outlines.

N.B: Any advice for beginning writers that are trying to get published?

M.R Gott: When you are offered advice or suggestions by professionals, listen.Even if you disagree you
may learn something from just interacting with them that you can use.

N.B: What is the best way for readers to contact you? (website, e-mail, facebook, twitter, etc)

M.R Gott: I am be contacted through goodreads.com at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Synopsis:

Where The Dead Fear To Tread

Description: A police officer and a serial killer search separately for a missing child while running a
malevolent labyrinth populated by creatures they never knew existed.

Former prosecutor William Chandler, disgusted with his past inaction, spills the blood of those
who victimize children to correct the ills he sees in the world. A self-admitted serial killer and
uncomfortable with his actions, Chandler attends the funerals of those whose lives he has taken
in an effort to retain a true understanding of the nature of violence.

The carnage left in his wake is investigated by Detective Kate Broadband, who becomes
progressively more comfortable with the corpses left by Chandler. Envying the power she sees in
him, she pursues Chandler as each search for Maria Verde, a missing eight-year-old girl.

As Chandler and Broadband draw closer to discovering what happened to Maria they are forced
to confront The Devourer, an unnatural being trafficking in stolen children.

Where the Dead Fear to Tread is a tale of hard-boiled macabre, bridging numerous genres to
reveal a story of horror, crime and revenge.

Available from the Untreed Reads Store, Amazon and most major e-book retailers for $4.99

Sunday, October 9, 2011
Read More