Dust of Dreams

Another deep, epic tale in this ambitious series.

Steven Erikson's latest tale starts off as you would expect, with a prologue that jumps around and illustrates what you're about to dive into.  This includes children suffering in the aftermath of an unexplained crises, which is an incredible hook for the rest of the story.  Chapter one starts frantically, which is a bit of a surprise, but soon the story cools down and sets up the greater conflict with important meetings, maneuvers, and discoveries.  

For the most part, Dust of Dream is slower than many books in the series.  Including bit slower than its immediate predecessor, Toll the Hounds.  Without a doubt, it's because Dust of Dreams is setting up an explosion of a finale, and that build-up is unsurprisingly slower than the conclusion.  But by no means is Dust of Dreams a bad book.  It still contains the mature themes, epic battles, and interesting political maneuvers as the rest of The Malazan Book of the Fallen series.  While the build-up is slow, there are also some very interesting plot twists that answer the big questions left behind by Reaper's Gale.

And of course, the conclusion is every bit as good as could be anticipated.  An epic battle and some stirring revelations regarding the mysterious inhabitants of another continent will keep you up at night to finish the last few hundred pages of this mammoth book.  It's still incredible how ambitious this series is, and the final battle of Dust of Dreams is one of the most brutal Fantasy battles I've ever read.  In the face of devastating magics and monstrous creatures, how can human soldiers stand a chance?  Steven Erikson is simply a master of this genre.  

It's unfortunate that Dust of Dreams is the first book in the series to end on a cliffhanger, but regardless of negative opinions of it in this regard, it's still an absolute must-read, especially for Fantasy fans that love the new wave of dark, gritty epics.  Book 10, The Crippled God, is slated for a paperback release in the coming month, and I personally can't wait to witness the conclusion of one of my favorite Fantasy series ever: The Malazan Book of the Fallen.

A Look Back at The Malazan Book of the Fallen

Leading the charge of dark, gritty fantasy along with Glen Cook and George RR Martin.

Finally, I'm going to discuss an actual fantasy book series.  And man, this is a good one.  Before I read Gardens of the Moon, I had never experienced one of the truly dark fantasy novels (most people credit Glen Cook and his The Black Company as the catalyst of this new wave of fantasy).  I was missing out.

While you can make the claim that series like The Wheel of Time and The Lord of the Rings have their share of dark moments, they're easily accessible and enjoyable to younger audiences.  The Malazan Book of the Fallen, along with The Black Company and A Song of Ice and Fire, are strictly adults-only.  They delve into the brutal realities of life and human nature, from vivid descriptions of violence to young children forced into sexual situations, from rape to the agonizing lives of slaves and common people displaced by war.  It's unlikely that someone who isn't old enough to have experienced the world for themselves will understand this series and empathize with the masses of people trapped in the most squalid of conditions.

It's obvious from the very beginning that The Malazan Book of the Fallen isn't your typical fantasy.  While Gardens of the Moon is widely considered the weakest book in the series (it's also the shortest), it still provides us with deep political intrigue, epic battles, and a massive storyline loaded with interesting characters.  Thousands upon thousands of people are slaughtered within the first one hundred pages of this book.  It's a hook unlike any other, and it's very likely you'll be instantly addicted.  Steven Erikson is almost unique in that he doesn't need a big buildup before the action; he's not afraid to throw you right into the middle of the action, often with little background information, forcing you to piece together what's going on for yourself.  While this can make the early books a struggle, stick with it and you'll experience fantasy like you've never read it before.

If you can make it to book 2, Deadhouse Gates, you're probably not going to turn back.  Almost the entire story is one enormous battle, only occasionally interrupted by some adventuring.  It's easily one of the most epic fantasy books ever created.  Still confusing, perhaps, but I promise you'll have a hard time putting it down.  At this point, you'll also realize just how massive this series is in scope.  The series takes place over the span of several huge continents, with hundreds of characters for their own unique cause.  You won't find a bigger series than The Malazan Book of the Fallen.

As great as Deadhouse Gates is, I thought Memories of Ice actually trumped it.  The interweaving plot-lines are better than ever, the battles somehow more epic, and the pace never dropping despite being a longer book.  Memories of Ice is my favorite book in the series and quite possibly the greatest fantasy book ever written.  But it doesn't really go downhill from there, as I've currently read through book 9, Dust of Dreams.  They're all incredible for the same reasons mentioned above, and while Midnight Tides in particular gets slow, there are few series that exude that feeling of "epicness" like The Malazan.  Toll the Hounds got a fuzzy reception from fans, but I personally found the politics in it to be more interesting than any other fantasy book I've read.  The ending is also heart-wrenching, and it's not a cliffhanger like in Dust of Dreams. 

It's been too long for me to give a detailed review of each of these books (except Dust of Dreams, which is coming up), but the bottom line is that you need to read this series.  It's definitely one of the top 3 fantasy series out there.  When The Crippled God comes out in paperback (soon), I'll get right on that one as well, along with the Esslemont novels. 

Game Review: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

 The newest game in the legendary series.

Apprehension filled me as I pulled out the disk and inserted Skyward Sword for the first time. It's not that I was scared to play the next saga in this great series, but that, like Twilight Princess, it wouldn't completely meet my lofty expectations. The series, especially with the DS Zelda games, had been turning in a direction that I did not like, and this had me worried that such a great series might finally be leaving me after all these years. Nintendo promised a completely revamped experience, however; one that even longtime fans had never seen. And, in many ways, that is exactly what they did. But before we go too crazy into all the changes implemented in this game, it's still obvious that it's Zelda. Skyward Sword is not such a complete overhaul so as to make it anywhere near unrecognizable. It still holds many similarities to The Legend of Zelda of old. But it has its share of big changes, for the good and the bad. And while some aspects of Skyward Sword are immensely entertaining, some changes indeed fall short of expectations. It might not be perfect, but Skyward Sword is a great adventure that sends off the Wii on a positive note.

The game opens in Skyloft with Link and Zelda as best friends in Skyloft, the floating world housing the majority of humankind in this pre-Hyrule era. Link must participate in a race that will allow him special moment with Zelda if he is victorious, and both characters do everything in their power to make sure that happens. They're both students at the Knight Academy, a school drama setting that has been heavily popularized in other franchises over the last two decades. The beginning is very much a tutorial for the rest of the game, similar to the farm setting of Twilight Princess. Therefore, you might be similarly frustrated with the first five or so hours of Skyward Sword if you found Twilight Princess' opening to be tedious. As would be expected, it's very easy to progress at this point, you'll get an introduction to the all of the gameplay mechanics, and the story moves at a turtle's pace. But even though the school drama setting is predictably lacking and there isn't much storytelling throughout the game, longtime Zelda fans will have many gems thrown their way before it's all over. For Skyward Sword is a prequel to the rest of the series and the latter quarter of the game explains much of the history behind the franchise, something that is very appreciable to those of us who have been with the franchise for many years.

Flying is the method of transportation in Skyward Sword.

Link's first foray into Skyward Sword's method of transportation, flying, occurs at the beginning of the game as the competition gets ready to begin. While it's hard to say that this is a superior traveling mechanism as compared to Epona and vast landscape of Hyrule, it's definitely an exhilarating experience. The controls are easy to get used to, and it won't be long before you'll have Link flying at ridiculous speeds from one destination to the next. The problem, however, lies with how sparse the territories are in the sky, which is the only place where you can truly free-roam to begin with. There are a lot of scattered islands, in which you can find treasure chests that you've activated in the ground world, but are otherwise useless. It's pretty much just Skyloft and a handful of other islands to explore and enjoy, and you otherwise get no open exploration. The ground world, pre-Hyrule, is unlike anything you've seen in a Zelda before, for good and bad. There are puzzles and enemies throughout, so you rarely have a dull moment. Even the backtracking you do will always see you with something to do. The problem is that it's incredibly linear. No more open fields of Hyrule to adventure and find the infinite secrets. The lands below are straightforward and always force you in one direction if you want to advance. While this is a direct response to the open and empty world of Twilight Princess, it's hard to forgive the lack of one of Zelda's key elements: that feeling of freedom and openness that few other franchises have ever achieved.

While the ground world itself is full of puzzles and enemies to hinder your progression, that doesn't mean there was any less effort put in the creation of numerous dungeons, some of which are basically extensions of the overworld while others are more traditional. You move through these dungeons in the same manner as you always have, defeating enemies, solving puzzles, and exploring every niche to find keys, items, and whatever you need to progress. The key annoyance here is that the game is overly helpful in almost every room you step foot in, and this is despite there not being any difficult puzzles in this game to begin with. The game always spotlights anything that might perhaps be a potential hurdle, so it's very hard to ever get stuck for too long in these dungeons. The dungeon design is otherwise excellent, but these are the easiest puzzles a Zelda has seen in a long time, and it's hard not to feel disappointed in that regard. The game's insistence on telling you unnecessary and unwanted information oozes into other portions of the game as well. If you catch a bug or pick up a non-battle item for the first time after turning on the game for a play session, it always brings up a menu showing you what you received. If your hearts are running low or your batteries are nearing depletion, this game's companion, Fi, buzzes an annoying sound until you call on her and hear her worthless advice about your problem. These moments are not only aggravating, but turn Fi into one of the most annoying companion characters the franchise has seen. On top of that, Nintendo continues to force fetch quests that serve as little more than filler in the game, and are really dull to boot. Cutting out a few of these jaded quests would go a long way in helping the experience, and this is a problem the series has had since The Wind Waker.

The intuitive combat system makes sword-fighting more life-like than ever.

If the puzzles in this game are too easy, Nintendo tries mightily hard to balance this with more difficult combat. This time around, unlike Twilight Princess, the motion controls don't feel tacked on. In fact, timing and precision are paramount if you don't want to see the game over screen constantly. The Wiimotion Plus allows for sword strikes that follow your Wiimote swings directly, meaning that the sword feels like an extension of your arm, allowing for immersive battles. Combat almost feels like a puzzle itself, with Link needing to utilize horizontal, vertical, and diagonal swings along with thrusts and Nunchuk-controlled shield bashes to defeat his foes. This can take some time getting used to, but in the end it's well worth it as Skyward Sword provides some of the most exciting combat in Zelda history. Exciting doesn't necessarily mean perfect, however, as hiccups aren't uncommon, which can be a pain as one mistake can sometimes be the difference between life and death. It's also worth noting that you can no longer swing while running, which is unfortunately noticeable. After your sword and shield, Skyward Sword provides a plethora of other interesting items, useful for varying instances of combat and puzzle-solving. There's the whip, which can be worked with a flick of the wrist, used for swinging across gaps and pulling certain enemies towards you among other things. Then there's both a slingshot and a bow, which are both utilized by pointing at the screen towards your target. And of course, many other items join the aforementioned, all of which use the Wii's motion controls to their fullest potential. The only problem arises as the game constantly recalibrates the pointer settings to help you aim no matter what physical position you're taking while playing the game. To make things short, I wish they would've just forced you to point at the screen at all times. As it is now, fast-paced aiming gets quite awry at times.

Even though the controls present untimely problems, that's not the reason the combat can get difficult. Some enemies not only present puzzle-like challenges as far as the way you need to swing, but later enemies are very quick and can counter you on a dime. But the small fries have nothing on the bosses. The opening boss in Skyward Sword is by far the most difficult this franchise has ever seen, and if you don't have the controls down or go in greatly underestimating him, Link will be eating dirt at least a time or two. Many of the bosses immediately after the first are much easier, but unlike in The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, almost all of them present, at the very least, a threat. It gets very rough near the end as well, as unprepared adventurers might see themselves pummeled in ways no Zelda game has been able to manage in many years. But this isn't a bad thing; for the first time in quite a while, it actually feels like an accomplishment to run your sword through some of these monstrous bosses. To make matters tougher, enemies can destroy your shield. While the shield isn't necessary and actually not needed at all through most of the game, it can be useful later on, and there aren't many worse feelings that seeing it destroyed as a huge boss bears down on you. If you need even more of a challenge, then Nintendo has even added a Hero Mode and a Boss Rush Mode to satiate you in that regard. I still wish they would get on the ball as far as online leaderboards would go for things like Boss Rush Mode high scores, but it doesn't take away from the thrill of that aspect of the game.

The Wii isn't the strongest system, but Skyward Sword has some beautiful environments.

Other welcome additions include the item upgrading system, the variety of useful items to purchase, the stamina meter, and the new item selection interface. For the first time in a long time, rupees are highly valuable. From buying additional (and expensive) slots for your adventure pouch to buying upgrades for your items, there are many, many uses for this game's currency. To help you out, Nintendo has added a large variety of side quests, mini-games, and bug-catching to help you rake in the cash. This adds a good distraction to the main quest, though some of the side quests get tedious. Along with rupees, you can find many different items out in the open and on defeated enemies that you can collect, and these are the items you use to upgrade your weapons. Almost everything can be upgraded (so long as you have the parts and some money), and it's an intriguing feature that greatly helps you on your campaign. To pull out your items, you hit the item menu and point at the one you want to use. To use a potion, simply press A and drink. You can also open up your adventure pouch, point at the potion you want to drink (if you've already used one in the current battle) and press A again to drink that one. This allows for non-stop action and even more immersion, as it's not like a real enemy would give you time to heal yourself before continuing to maul you. And then there's the new stamina bar, which determines how long Link can climb, sprint, and use power attacks. This adds more strategy to some of the fights, and Link being able to sprint is a huge relief as you backtrack some of the more lengthy areas.

While many players might not appreciate the colorful graphics, I thought they fit in wonderfully considering the Wii's graphical limitations. Everything is very colorful and vivid, and this often masks the many areas of the game lacking textures. Nintendo also did an excellent job of making most of the characters, bosses, buildings, and enemies as smooth as possible, though some areas do contain noticeable jagged edges. Skyward Sword has some of the best character models the Wii system has ever produced, and let's not forget the game's ability to hold frantic action with many enemies on-screen without any slow-down. Some of the vast views you can behold are grand, and while they're often blurry, some of these views look like true impressionist art and are better than almost every sight in Twilight Princess. With some surprisingly good lighting effects and solid draw distance, Skyward Sword is one of the best looking games on the Wii. And this goes for sound as well as graphics. Skyward Sword possesses an enchanting orchestrated soundtrack with both new and familiar tunes. The soundtrack blends magnificently with the environments, adding extra charm to the adventure. Music is once again a key element to the game, and playing Zelda's harp with your Wiimote makes for some of the game's most remarkable moments. In contrast to the music is Nintendo's continued stubbornness as far as voice-acting is concerned, and none (outside of the occasional "Hey!") is present. It's still tough to get completely immersed in a game these days when I see lips move but no voice is emitted, but it's certainly not a killing blow to the game by any means. Instead, there are many grunts, groans, and other such utterances, but that's not really the same. The sound effects are otherwise excellent, with meticulous effort put into atmospheric sounds such as birds chirping, the wind blowing, and water running. The sound and music coalesce to create an entirely convincing and even powerful atmosphere that is really only missing one previously mentioned element: the freedom of previous games in the series.

Zelda is once again the sweet character we loved from Ocarina of Time.

Skyward Sword houses a closet of mixed reactions, the majority of them ultimately positive in the end. Before you're finished, you'll find some of the most beautiful moments the franchise has ever gifted us, but you'll also discover some of the dullest. And it's this inconsistency that inevitably keeps the game from reaching its fullest potential, other reasons aside. The combat, while not perfect, is outstanding, and even longtime fans will be forced to admit that Skyward Sword has some of the most entertaining and challenging boss battles of the franchise, the best since the series moved to the 3rd dimension. But the dungeons are too simple and almost balance out the difficulty of the combat, once again illuminating the inconsistency so rife within the game. The graphics are beautiful, the soundtrack stunning, and there is enough content for hours and hours of playability past the approximate forty hours it will take to complete the game. But once again, outside of limited free-roam in the sky, the overworld of Skyward Sword is dishearteningly linear, and that sense of adventure so wildly powerful in other games of the series is almost inexistent here. And this deficiency really sets Skyward Sword apart from its Zelda cousins, and despite being a great game, it can't claim the excellence of its forebears. Without a doubt, it sends the Wii off with a bang, and it belongs at the top of every Wii owner's wish list who hasn't bought it already. Skyward Sword successfully lays down the foundation of the Zelda story with some bumps along the way, but is worthy of its namesake.

Conclusion: 3.5/5 - Another great game in the series, though the linearity is a shame.

Game Review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

One of gaming's greatest remade in 3D.

To think that it's actually been thirteen years. Thirteen years since the original Ocarina of Time was released to universal acclaim on the N64. Without a doubt one of the greatest games ever created, no big surprise in a series that had already given gamers instant classics like The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, and Link's Awakening. And unless you count Link's Awakening being introduced with color on the GBC, Ocarina of Time is now the first Zelda game to receive a substantial graphical overhaul. For those who missed the original, there is no doubt that $40 is a small price to pay to experience arguably the greatest game of all time. But for those who have played it time and time again? The visuals are certainly beautiful, but is that enough to warrant a purchase?

The wonderfully-told story of Link and Zelda's seven-year quest to rid the world of Ganondorf's evil is the same as ever, now aided by impressive visuals. From Link's childhood friend Saria to farm-girl Malon and Link's sworn brother Darunia, you will meet a large cast of loveable characters. To this day, the characters of OoT are my favorite in the series, and even the annoying Navi doesn't hold me back from saying it. These interesting characters not only help Link in his adventure, but they sometimes provide comic relief when the going gets serious, especially in the young Link segments of the game. The lighter, more humorous child half of OoT also mixes incredibly well with the darker adult half of the game, providing a balance that the older, darker Zeldas didn't quite have. Add some excellent plot twists and poignant moments, and it's easy to see why so many people consider OoT's story to be one of (if not) the best in the franchise.

A heartfelt moment between Link and Saria.

Of course, it helps that the graphics are now much-improved over those that were once so amazing during the N64 era. While there are still some murky textures that could've been improved, this is for the most part a complete overhaul. Gone are the pre-rendered backgrounds that permeated much of the original OoT, replaced by beautiful castles and stunning building interiors. Everything is also crystal clear, which is most noticeable when riding Epona through Hyrule's expansive environments. Draw-distance is also improved, and sharper textures result in a stunning Hyrule that would've given people heart-attacks had they seen it thirteen years ago. Character models hold less jagged edges, and are more realistically rounded than those in the N64 game. That means facial expressions are even more convincing than they were in the original, which is saying a lot. Improved lighting effects make for even more brilliant battles, and this is even more special when enemy attacks appear to go right at your face due to the 3D effects. As for the 3D, it is mostly shown off when receiving items, and the 3D has definitely met the hype. It looks very good. You'll get your first dose of it when you step out of Link's home to Kokiri Forest and see the tiny shining lights appear to move out of the screen.

For the most part, the rest of the game remains the same. The dungeon design is still brilliant after so many years; who will forget the zany Forest Temple, the frustrating (but entertainingly so) Water Temple, or the awesome Spirit Temple that fully utilizes the game's time-traveling? The touch-screen mechanics help keep some temples (especially Water) from being as annoying now that you can swiftly select items and gear. Outstanding puzzles and superb one-on-one sword fights will help move you through the dungeons rarely feeling bored, and incredibly memorable mini-bosses are perfect lead-ins to some of the series' best boss fights. The fact that these bosses can actually cause some good chunks of damage will force you to think and strategize like you wouldn't have to in The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. This will lead to some very rewarding battles for newer players. Of course, there are a few problems. Not being able to control the camera at will can result in some annoying moments, and the targeting system has aged in that it sometimes doesn't lock on to what you want it to and can lose fast-moving targets. You also need to find a certain item to save your spot in a dungeon, otherwise expect to be returned to the beginning every time you turn off the 3DS. Of course, these are relatively minor problems and the latter (which is also true for the overworld in that you always start at either Link's house or the Temple of Time) can be avoided by having your 3DS sleep instead of power off.

For those who haven't played OoT before and don't know exactly what to do, it will quickly be obvious that OoT, despite just being of average difficulty when it released, is very much a hardcore game by today's standards. There is no indicator pointing you to your exact destination at all times (although the map often flashes to the city or temple that you need to go). And although Navi will often give hints, you don't have a list of objectives to consult. Indeed, you must talk to every NPC you can find, listen to what they have to say carefully, and actually explore your environments to figure out how to progress. While this might seem like a pain in this day and age, it's actually one of the beauties of OoT. You are the adventurer. If you were in a real adventure, you wouldn't have a magical indicator. If you were out adventuring in a fantasy world, it probably wouldn't be as linear as Twilight Princess was either. Therefore, you have to adventure and talk to people to figure out your way. It can be tough, but it's far more rewarding this way, and if you hold off on grabbing a walkthrough, the words "It's finally over" will have much more meaning when you complete the game. And this is what separates games like OoT, Zelda 1, and ALttP from almost every game created today. To help newer gamers out, Nintendo decided to add Sheikah Stones that give even more hints, one of the last additions to this version.

No more pre-rendered backgrounds.

To distract you from the main quest is an array of side-quests and mini-games. There is a small dungeon that rewards you with a powerful item at the end, and will provide you with several extra hours of puzzles and combat. There is a trade quest that grants you a powerful blade and is a lot of fun. There are people who need help in a variety of ways. From bow shooting to mask selling to Lake Hylia fishing, there are many entertaining distractions present in the land of Hyrule. They all provide worthwhile rewards, but none so much as the Golden Skulltula hunting for the rich family of Kakariko Village. And of course, the exploration in OoT can't be understated. There are many secrets to find scattered throughout the land, and some secret locations award you with some of the game's most powerful items. Searching at night can result in the acquisition of many Golden Skulltulas. And placing magical beans as a child can result in finding heart pieces when the plants have grown seven years later.

And, even after explaining the brilliance of the game's dungeons, battles, and exploration, there is absolutely no way to forget OoT's soundtrack, one of the best in video game history. The sound quality is only a bit better than it was on the N64, but it doesn't even matter. The tunes are shockingly beautiful, and even the short ocarina melodies are stunning: the Serenade of Water, the Nocturne of Shadow, the Song of Storms, and other tunes are beautiful enough that you might want to play them again and again on your ocarina. Stepping into the Temple of Time for the for time can send shivers down the spine, and Zelda's Lullaby (first appearing in ALttP) is as beautiful as ever. There's no doubt in my mind that the music makes the story seem even better than it was, always matching the environments perfectly no matter where you are. And the sound effects match up perfectly as well. The meticulous effort put in to make footsteps and sword clashes sound real and convincing is stunningly obvious. It's mind-blowing to think that these same sound effects were actually present in an N64 game. If you cut a sign in half, you hear of a thud of metal on wood, and then hear the pieces of the sign fall to the ground. If you're walking on a dirt road one moment, and then on stone pavement the next, the soft patters of Link's feet will immediately switch to hard steps befitting the more solid ground. This not only sounds pleasant to the ears, but it also immerses you in the world of Hyrule as if you were actually there. 

Galloping across Hyrule Field is one of gaming's best-ever experiences.

After watching the credits roll and unlocking the more difficult Master Quest, I sat and let this great adventure sink in for the umpteenth time. It didn't give me the same feeling I got after finishing it in 1998, and it won't for those of you who have played it before. But it did convince me, once again, that it is one of the greatest achievements in the history of video games. And those of you who haven't played it before, and want a true adventure that isn't linear and forces you to figure out where to go on your own, will be blown away by this masterpiece. For most Ocarina of Time veterans, I do indeed believe that the updated visuals, addition of Master Quest, and excellent 3D effects are enough to warrant another purchase of this ever-enduring classic. Ocarina of Time is one of those near-perfect adventures that has been matched by only a handful of games ever made, and surpassed by none. It has characters you actually care about, a delightful soundtrack, huge fields to explore, and epic battles from beginning to end. In a generation that has seen games become overly simplified and linear, Ocarina of Time stands tall as a true adventure that takes patience and wit. And this is the definitive version of that unforgettable masterpiece.

Conclusion: 5/5 - Even if you've already experienced it, Ocarina of Time is a must-own.

The Road

A stirring post-apocalyptic novel.

Cormac McCarthy, one of my all-time favorite authors, wrote The Road to universal critical acclaim in 2006.  I originally read The Road a few years ago and was moved by the powerful emotional connection between father and son and the vivid environmental descriptions of a demolished earth.  McCarthy's brutal and direct writing style translates seamlessly to the post-apocalyptic genre, and the often-frantic pace of the story is easy to be sucked into.  As purely entertaining as the story is though, there is so much more to it.

 The vision of an earth with a shattered biosphere is eye-opening; The Road definitely has one of the best post-apocalyptic atmospheres ever.  It does still contain much of what you would expect in the genre: people reduced to their basest instincts of survival, cities left in ruins, and the lack of verdant life.  But it goes a step further: there is no vegetation in McCarthy's work whatsoever.  Humanity is facing certain extinction in the near future.  It's the utter lack of hope, combined with the characters' stubborn perseverance, that makes this story so enticing.

And of course, the connection between father and son as they endure in their bleak world is palpable.  McCarthy's forlorn narration will get you in the shoes of the characters and the desire to see if they can escape the insane remnants of humanity drove me on and on.  This is a very powerful aspect of the 2009 movie as well, Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee doing a phenomenal job with the father and son.  I personally didn't like the movie as much as the novel, but it's worth mentioning that it's also a great experience.

Conclusion: 4/5 - While not a completely original post-apocalyptic story, both the novel and movie are well worth experiencing.

Game Review: STALKER: Call of Pripyat

An exhilarating shooter-adventure.

The STALKER series has, for the most part, lingered outside the gaze of most gamers this generation.  This is quite the unfortunate fact, because, since the release of Shadow of Chernobyl in 2007, STALKER has been one of the greatest series produced in many years.  It is also, in a generation that has seen the "casualization" of video games to a mind-numbing degree, one of the few truly hardcore franchises left available.  But at the same time, I wouldn’t say that either of the previous two STALKER games were truly phenomenal, with plenty of room for improvement, though Shadow of Chernobyl was very, very close.  Call of Pripyat attempts to capitalize on the potential of its predecessors with more refined gameplay, wider environments that allow for better adventuring, less technical issues, and meatier missions.  It doesn’t disappoint.  Call of Pripyat is an unmistakable gem that PC gamers shouldn’t miss out on.

Welcome to the Zone around Pripyat!

The game picks up after several military helicopters crash in the Zone under mysterious circumstances, putting you in the shoes of military agent Alexander Degtyarev.  With a bare minimum of supplies and weaponry, it’s Degtyarev’s job to locate the crews of the choppers, discover the source of the problem, and aid the military effort in the Zone.  Call of Pripyat certainly pushes for a more story-oriented game this time around, with cut-scenes that flash around the characters for a more dramatic effect, and a larger quantity of cut-scenes as well.  More effort was put into the writing as well, though in certain places, this is still sketchy too.  The main issue with the story is that it takes many hours to get anywhere.  Until you’re finally walking the road to Pripyat, it almost seems as if the developers decided to discard the main storyline entirely.  Fortunately, some interesting characters and surprisingly good side stories might be enough to keep you interested, and the main storyline definitely picks up over the last several hours of the game.  

Early in the game, it’s easy to notice many similarities, but also some changes, to what made the first two STALKER games so good.  The interface remains mostly unchanged, but some minor tweaks to the way you can check on status problems, quests, factions, and a few other things are obvious, and in a good way.  The same hardcore combat from CoP’s predecessors is back, with realistic firing that will see your weapons jam occasionally (based on the unreliability of the same weapons in real life), shots not always go exactly where you’re aiming, recoil that intensifies the longer you hold the trigger, and constant deterioration of equipment.  However, while CoP is certainly on the more difficult side when it comes to games of this generation, it’s not nearly as hard as Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky.  While there are some new, viciously tough enemies like the chimera and the pseudo-giant, you don’t see them very often, and the more wide-open layout of CoP means virtually never getting stuck in atrociously difficult choke points that could be seen especially in Clear Sky.  You won’t be grenade-spammed either.

 Thought this sucker was hard?

To make matters even simpler, bandits actually don’t attack you on sight anymore.  You can actually talk to them, even take missions from some groups, though there will certainly be times when mowing them down with an assault rifle will be your best option.  When fighting human enemies, STALKER’s AI still ranges from incredible to really dull.  It’s readily agreed that the AI in STALKER is, overall, among the best in gaming, with soldiers who coordinate their attacks, flank, lure you out with grenades and cover fire, and not to mention work in groups to survive outside of combat.  But it’s still annoyingly hard to sneak up on people as they seem to have animal-like perception, and enemies often neglect to use cover or come at you in a wave that is easy to tear apart.  Of course, it’s not all easy here.  As I mentioned, the mutated enemies, both new and old, are more difficult in this game and can destroy you with ease.  And the higher difficulty settings are still an astounding challenge for those who want to test their skills.  

You can still receive missions by traveling the Zone and talking to people, though side missions in particular in this game are much meatier than in previous installments of this series.  Completion of missions typically results in more quests that prolong each specific side story and a lump sum of cash that you can save up to buy new equipment or repair older stuff.  Upgrading equipment is changed a bit as you now need to find certain sets of tools (or provide vodka in one case) before being able to receive your upgrades.  You also search for anomalies in the same way you did in Clear Sky, with detectors, and vendors in CoP will actively ask you to seek them out.  Turning anomalies in for lump sums of cash can go a long ways in affording new equipment and ensuring your survival in the Zone.  Let’s also not forget the survival/horror aspect of CoP’s gameplay that go along with the shooter and RPG elements: the inventory and its puny weight limit.  You’ll likely only be able to carry a few big guns and a certain amount of ammo for each one, so you better be properly prepared before heading out to each mission.

How about a dozen at one time?  Better not sneeze...

When you begin to walk in the open fields of this game for the first time, it’s hard not to be overcome with awe.  This is the most expansive STALKER yet, with the most compelling atmosphere and wide open roaming available.  And I do mean that the atmosphere is thoroughly engrossing.  At one point, I was wandering into what appeared to be an abandoned complex of buildings.  The wind was blowing, but everything was eerily quiet.  I went from room to room, collecting mysterious documents.  Eventually, STALKERs began to shout from just outside the room I was in, and, lightly equipped, I ran down the hall as bullets sprayed over my head.  I went down a flight of steps, pulling out a shotgun just in time to blow away two mercenaries coming up to meet me.  I went down some more steps, but backed away quickly as bullets erupted from the hallway on the next floor.  Moments from being overwhelmed, I scanned around the staircase, finding a small ledge to sneak through.  I dropped out of the building, and snuck around, listening to footsteps and avoiding all signs of life until I was in the clear.  Using the environments to your advantage is a key in STALKER, and with the dark ambience, this creates an atmosphere few games have accomplished this generation. 

But there are some problems with the clearly-aging visuals.  The lighting effects have been significantly scaled back since Clear Sky, which is beyond disappointing.  It still looks fantastic considering how wide-open it is, but to be an obvious notch below a game that is approximately two years older is unacceptable.  The character models are finally improved by a huge amount, but this is the only area in which CoP graphically surpasses its predecessor.  The environments still look sharp and highly detailed, even from long distances, which adds to the game’s enormous sense of scope.  The pop-in is still annoyingly apparent even when maxed out, as are the game’s constant hangings even when your system should easily be strong enough to run this game without lag.  Part of this is obviously due to the lush environments full of shrubberies and grasses (let’s ignore the seeming ridiculousness of such verdant life in a post-nuclear accident zone), though constant hangings still shouldn’t happen.  There are still a good deal of glitches as well, though CoP isn’t nearly as bad in that regard as the previous STALKERs, but it’s worth mentioning that I have run into an impossible quest because of a glitch myself.

 Call of Pripyat is one of the most atmospheric games of this generation.

Visual problems aside, the sound design in this series has never been better.  Much of the time, music isn’t even utilized, instead giving way to beautiful environment sounds: the soft flow of wind, the movements of various life-forms, the shrill calls of birds, and more.  When music is used, it’s often low, out-of-the-way environmental tunes that blend with the background and flow of the action.  We still get the occasional music that we all loved from the previous STALKERs, but most of the music in CoP is meant to add to the atmosphere, something it achieves without flaw.  While you will still need to read most of the script, there is still some voice-acting, made better with the more common cut-scenes in this game.  While some of it is highly mediocre and plagued with translation issues, there is a more flagrant touch to the voices of some of the characters, adding some life to the game.  Considering the scope and open-endedness of the game’s design, it was vitally important that the sound effects be done right.  As you adventure into deserted buildings and swamps with reeds blocking your view around you, being able to listen to footsteps and voices in your vicinity is very important.  And it adds not only to the atmosphere, but to the sense of tactical awareness when planning your next move.  

Everyone who played Shadow of Chernobyl loved its hardcore difficulty, intense shootouts, stark atmosphere, and haunting exploration with terrifying creatures lurking everywhere.  All of this returns in Call of Pripyat, with refined gameplay and more intelligent design.  It’s a step down in difficulty with less firefights, but the atmosphere is more captivating than ever, the exploration more memorable, and the twisted creatures of the Zone more numerous and fearful.  It’s unfortunate that the story takes so long to get anywhere, but with seriously fleshed out side quests and noticeably less glitches, I’ll take the few shortcomings with little complaint.  There’s also a multiplayer mode worth checking out, though it’s the single-player that is the staple of this series.  Call of Pripyat is a gem unfortunately hidden to the bulk of the gaming community, and it’s not only arguably the most underappreciated game of 2010, it’s easily one of the best.  Call of Pripyat takes the STALKER series to new heights; it’s the greatest one yet, and an absolute must-own for hardcore shooter/adventure fans.  

Conclusion: 4.5/5 - One of the most atmospheric games in years is also one of the best.

The Alchemist / O Alquimista

A beautiful tale of destiny...

This might be a book that you've only recently heard of, but it's far from new.  Originally published in Brazil in 1986 and translated into English in 1993, The Alchemist is a story that grew very famous in a remarkably short amount of time after years of struggling to sell.  Part of the issue might have been writing issues on author Paulo Coelho's part when it was first published in Portuguese.  Indeed, having tried the Portuguese addition myself (I am half-Portuguese), it's not difficult to find problems, which have mostly been cleared up in the translated editions.  Since its rise to fame, the book has managed to sell an astounding amount of copies, with estimations ranging from around 20 million to well over 60 million worldwide, making it the highest selling book of all time in the Portuguese language.

The Alchemist tells the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd who gave up a promising life at home to travel throughout Spain with his flock.  When he travels to Tarifa and shares a fateful encounter with an old man, he learns that he must find his Personal Legend and fulfill his destiny.  His hardships, decisions, and realizations are evocative, pushing across the message that no matter how tough life gets, we can find our purpose if we persevere.  Coelho has an outstanding grasp on spirituality and the universe, an understanding that may very well touch your own beliefs.  His characters exude Coelho's sense of the world, especially Santiago as he develops during his trip across Africa, the partnerships between Santiago and other characters, including his love relationship with Fatima, illustrate the mutual understanding of people who (regardless of personal beliefs) understand destiny and the Soul of the World.  The Soul of the World itself is an intriguing aspect of the story, as it represents more than "just" God, but a linking of all the universe to a spiritual core, combining peoples of all religions, beliefs, or lack thereof. 

The writing in The Alchemist is simple; I'm not going to deny that.  But it does flow gracefully from one chapter to the next and perfectly matches the often troubled and inexperienced Santiago.  The English edition, as stated, is cleaned up in comparison to the original Portuguese print, and beautifully conveys the scenery and emotion with nothing lost in translation.  The story is a fable after all, not meant to blow us away with elaborate sentences and long action scenes.  However, there is one issue that those of us familiar with the Arabian Nights might find, and that's its similarity to one of the tales.  Of course, with such a remarkable, poignant story holding a deep spiritual message, it's easy to overlook this thorn and appreciate Paulo Coelho's gem. 

Conclusion: 4.5/5 - If you enjoy fables with deep spiritual messages, you must read The Alchemist.