BioShock 2 - Complete

I was going to write a lot about my end thoughts on BioShock 2, after finishing the Single Player campaign mode last night with my bestest, but D-pads Are Us has done a great job of covering most of what I was going to say. Here are my few additions to his post -

*Caution: May Contain Spoilers*

• Ummm..what happened to all the people? Grace? Poole? THE DAD?!?! Did we just leave them down there...for BioShock 3?
• The dad who was leaving voice recordings (Matt M-something?) touched my heart, and I would have liked a side-quest where we meet him and help him find his daughter, Cindy....and as a side-note: Don't set up good/interesting characters and then never show them. Grrrr.
• I agree with what the link above says: Essentially the first 8-10 hours of the game are almost *exactly* like BioShock 1. It isn't until the last leg of the journey that you begin to do some different stuff, which I did think was VERY cool (if only because it shows how intricate each character type is, and how much effort the game creators put into the back stories of each). But the overall storyline of this game was nowhere near as epic/crazy as the first one - still pretty good though :-)
• As more of an inside joke: The most important thing this game lacked = the clown's voice and laugh for the Circus of Value. A close second = the crazy singing splicers.
• Big Sisters = pretty freakin' sweet. And scary. Super scary. Stop screaming.
• It would have been nice to re-visit some of the original maps from the first game - most notably Andrew Ryan's office, maybe the core of Rapture too...

Overall - a good sequel. I mean...it could have been A LOT worse. But I enjoyed it, for what it was. Perhaps in a few months I'll pick it up again and try it on a harder difficulty...but for now, onto Mass Effect 2/Modern Warfare 2!

Favorite quote from the game (would have been "It's the circus of value! HAHAHAH"):

Love is just a chemical. We chose to give it meaning.

                                              -Eleanor Lamb, Rapture

Rapture

I wrote a very long blog post last night all about BioShock 2, and the pros and cons of the game...only to click the "Publish Post" button and have the system send me an error message saying something about a "failure to post." I lost the entire thing, and I was too tired/frustrated to re-write it. So, here's a short recap of what I was going to say:


*Caution: May contain spoilers*


I love the BioShock series.


Pros of the game:

• Level of detail in not only characters and backstory (the voice acting is very, very good), but also the creation and development of Rapture
• Being a Big Daddy
• Exploring the new levels
• Listening to the audio diaries (I love them!)

Cons of the game:

• Very similar story to the first one (New tyrant, splicers work for new tyrant, new tyrant is an enemy of Andrew Ryan..)
• Surprising how easily the splicers are able to take down my Big Daddy, even with the suit and big guns (seems like you start with a very small health bar in the game)
• Insufficient Funds - I'm roughly halfway through the game, and I'm just now getting enough $$$ to buy ammo and health kits

Creepiest parts of the game:

• Walking around in near darkness with a flashlight (the bloody bodies everywhere doesn't help...)
• So much water! For those of you who know me, I'm a terrible swimmer, so I'm already a little nervous around water in the real world. However, Duke Nukem totally ruined water in video games for me, so I'm even more paranoid...
• Big Sisters, and their god-awful screams

Overall:

• The story is not as good as BioShock 1 (although, it's still pretty compelling)
• Security Bots are the end-all, be-all (I sometimes set alarms off purely to summon security bots so I can hack them and have my army of 2 :D)
• Can't wait for the BioShock Movie! If they actually make it, that is...

In other news, I've only played a tiny bit of Modern Warfare 2 recently, as I've been dedicating my time to fixing my car, spending time with my bestest while playing BioShock 2 (yeah, it's a team effort), and gearing up for joining PMS. Sadly, I missed the Pre-Recruitment meeting last Sunday due to being out of town with my boyfriend and best friend (yay for seeing plays in Philly!), so hopefully I can start the 8+ training hours per week next week. Don't get me wrong - I'm dedicated - but I feel like it's going to take me a little while to get used to this new addition..not to mention re-arranging my schedule....but I'm excited!

Anger toward Xbox Live

I just received an email from Xbox Live Support regarding my problem with attempting to merge or switch an Xbox Live subscription from one profile to another. This is the exact email I received:

"Hello Kimberly,

 

This is Kody, with Microsoft XBOX Support services.

           As I understand, you are very concerned to know if it is possible to merge two Xbox Live and or an offline and online accounts and transfer or credit points and achievements to the other.

 Unfortunately, we cannot merge two Xbox Live and or an offline and online accounts or profiles and transfer or credit points to one gamertag to the other.

 Thank you so much for your time and inquiry.

 If you need to reply to this e-mail, please reply 'with history' (include any previous e-mail) or reference to Service Request Number 1125944892 so we can expedite our service to you.

 Thank you for visiting Xbox.com. We hope that we were able to assist you, and that your experience with our customer service was positive - something we constantly strive to improve. If you should have future questions on Xbox products or services, please be sure to revisit our Web site as we are continually adding information to enhance our service.

Best Regards, 

 Kody

Microsoft XBOX Support Services

http://support.microsoft.com"

Ummm...excuse me? You can't do anything to help me? You can't even give me an alternative? I'm another $40 in the hole because your system has a stupid account-setup process? Great...


So I went ahead and purchased another subscription to Gold...I apologize if you guys get another friend request from me on Live, as I'll be deleting the current "Kimmington" account when I get my new subscription code. 

On a happier note - I played on Live last night, and it was great. I'm not nearly as bad as I thought (although I'm certainly no where near as good as I want to be), and I really enjoy the multiplayer aspect of BioShock 2. My copy of Modern Warfare 2 is stuck in Philly somewhere...I fear it may never get to me. In any event, I hope to play more tonight, and even have a guest join me! We'll see how this works out...

Just a few more weeks...

Late last night I received my confirmation email from Phoenix of the Frag Dolls, saying they received all the parts of my application, they are complete, and that my name has been entered into the random drawing - YAY! I know I shouldn't get my hopes up....but WOW do I want to be accepted into this program. Dream come true - hell yes.

Fun side note - Barbie's new career is Computer Engineer! I definitely voted for this, and I'm glad it turned out! I like that she looks like she's straight out of the 80's in this link too.

Another fun fact - I'm officially getting Xbox Live! I've decided to suck it up and pay for Live, as well as a Wireless Adapter for my 360. I'm still looking for a cheap one, but I did go ahead and buy two headsets, a year subscription to Xbox Live Gold, and three new games: BioShock 2, Modern Warfare 2, and Mass Effect 2. I'm super excited...now if only I could not break the bank with this wireless adapter... :-) I'll post my Xbox Live name on here as soon as I'm set up and ready to game!

New York, New York

Hello all!

So...how about this snow on the East Cost, huh? Thankfully, I spent the last four days in New York where not a single snowflake touched the city. Although this post doesn't particularly talk about games or gaming, I would like to recap my experiences in the Big Apple, as some of it is nerdy, and dorky, and downright awesome.


Left work early on Friday and spent the entire afternoon driving to NYC, where we stashed my car in a parking lot, checked into the Hotel (DoubleTree Metropolitan Hotel on 51st and Lexington), and spent the rest of the evening looking around Grand Central Station and Times Square. [Nerd alert #1] - Spent ALL Saturday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Why, you ask? They have an entire wing dedicated to "Arms and Armor" - filled with weapons (swords, guns, glaives, halberds, you name it!) and armor. I had been there once before a few years back, and it was just as amazing as I had remembered it.


[Update: Pictures from the Met...]

(Knights!)

(Rapiers!)

(Katana!)

(Armor!)

Now...if you're not from NYC, or you're not used to the travel pattern there, let me inform you - there is a TON of walking. Or subway-ing, if you prefer. So, by the time Sunday came around, I was dead tired. Forget watching the SuperBowl (congrats Saints) - we went out to eat lunch/breakfast (FYI - it is nearly impossible to find breakfast served after 11 am in the city) and then came back for a loooong nap....only in preparation for [Nerd alert #2] - NINJA NEW YORK! This place is amazing - from ninja magic to surprise attacks to great food, the place really had everything a (nerd)girl could ask for :D


[Update: Pictures from NINJA New York...]

(One of the walls in our "Ninja Room")

(The drink and dinner menus...and my drink :D)

(My first course - Ceaser Salad in Ninja bowl)

(My second course - Shrimp Tempura, Ninja style)

(My third course - Chicken Terriyaki - delicious!)

Monday was a packed day of walking around to all sorts of places in NYC - first with lunch in Grand Central Station, then onto Crumbs, a bakery that sells giant, delicious cupcakes (yummmmm). Afterwards, we traveled to the [Nerd alert #3] - Nintendo store in Rockefeller Center. What a neat place with all sorts of Nintendo games, gamers, and Nintendo history - they even had a Game Boy that was damaged in the Gulf War...that still works! Impressive :D After a quick stop for some lunch, we headed back Uptown to visit the famed "Serendipity 3" restaurant - home of the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate AND the $1,000.00 Golden Opulence Sundae...

[Update: Pictures from the Nintendo Store and Serendipity...]

(The Nintendo World storefront)

(More of the storefront)

(Chandelier in Serendipity)

(Menu cover with the story of the founding of Serendipity)

(Frozen Hot Chocolate)

(The two of us :D)

After checking this place out, we headed to our final destination...[Nerd alert #4] - the Utada Hikaru "In The Flesh" concert!!!!!!! Aside from waiting for two hours in line in the freezing cold of New York, and then finally getting into the venue and through coat check only to be forced to the back of a huge crowd of people (where someone tiny like me can't see a thing), the concert was fantastic. I didn't get to see Utada Hikaru as much as I would have liked, but her music was great and the crowd was totally digging it. I've waited for years to see her in person - Yay Utada!!!

[Update: Pictures from the Utada Hikaru concert...]

(The Fillmore)

(Me, waiting in line excitedly)

Now I am back at home, finishing up some work, and will then proceed to play Dragon Age in the hopes of finishing it tonight. In the back of my mind I realize that BioShock 2 was released today, and it's taking all my ninja-mental-training not to run out and get it now. 

As soon as I get my SD card back for my camera, I'll post pictures of my trip on Facebook and perhaps here. If you're interested in seeing NINJA-AWESOMENESS, check back here for picture updates ;-) [PICTURES UPLOADED!!!]

Words cannot express my love for this game {series}

Hotness!!! - That link sealed the deal - not that I wasn't going to get the game anyway, but now I may have to pick up my copy the day it comes out.

I love BioShock - I followed the game for a year before it came out. It intrigued me so much, I read every article I could in all the gaming magazines and online sites, and it looks like I may have to catch up on reading about this sequel :-) But wow, that launch trailer totally had me hooked. I like the concept of the Little Sisters and the moral choice you have to make with them...I love the Big Daddy's, and how totally creepy it is to hear their footsteps when you play...and now the Big Sisters (I think that's what they're calling that last baddie in the trailer) - how totally neat. I'm super excited to go back to Rapture, and I hope you all are too!