Skyrim: Immersion

I did not put any consideration into my character before starting the game. In fact, the character creation in Oblivion happened so long ago and was completely forgotten. I forgot that you even choose your name, so when I was prompted in Skyrim to do so, I put in my typical handle: Ryebone. I didn't realize until half a dozen hours later that this was not ideal. For the most part it has no influence over the game, but there are moments where it blares itself: say you are being assassinated, and kill the assassin. Read the note on their body and find out there is a contract on your head, naming you specifically. It's a bit odd jarring to see Ryebone in there: it's not very Elder Scrolls-esque. But such as it is.

Redguard was my race of choice in Oblivion, as it is in this game as well. I feel like they are well rounded fighters, good at using all weapons, and able to capably wield magic. They fit my play style perfectly. However, in Skyrim, the skills and leveling are handled - in my opinion - much better. If you chose a race that excels in magic, you simply get a head start in the skill tree. If I keep casting destruction skills, but destruction levels up and when you're at the max level, everybody is the same. Sure, there are other benefits here and there, like Nord's being more resistant to cold, but whatever. Perhaps my dragon-born character is a descendant of my redguard champion from Oblivion. 

There are many posts about people getting immersed in the game, and I realize that this is a role playing game and that's how people approach it. They create characters and their own backstories, and what amazes me most is how they create artificial rules for themselves while playing the game. It could be something as absurd as being a vegetarian. It's certainly possible: you find lots of fruits and different foods: simply avoid meats and perhaps avoid killing the cute little foxes and rabbits running around. I guess this is a sandbox game that allows you to do quite a bit. I never really looked at it like that: I play the game as I do subconsciously: I use basic magic, and specializing in one-handed blades. I like to keep a tidy house, and collect one of every item I get my hands on. I sell the rest. 

A few difference exist between the two characters. The major difference between my character in Oblivion and Skyrim is that I never sneak, unless the opportunity is too grand to pass up. Oblivion's Varrus (my character) was a devious bastard, who would sneak up to everyone and smash them across the room with his sword. He wore light armour exclusively - another different from my heavy armour loving Redguard in Skyrim.Finally, I am not a thief (not yet - I haven't tackled the thieve's guild storyline yet). I stole everything in Oblivion, and I did it primarily for money, so I can buy better gear. This does not seem to be necessary in Skyrim, as I haven't stolen a single thing yet for profit.

But I never really immerse myself like a traditional role play. I guess, I am playing the game as the game allows me: I'm not doing anything wrong. There's a beauty in that, and it's a big part in what makes this game so great and why it's so universally accepted by a variety of gamers. Be a mage, be a stealth archer, be a tank: it's all up to you. And for the first time in one of these giant games, I'm looking forward to trying a second character.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes. Everyone knows what it is; everyone knows "the twist." But I discovered this past summer that the fact is not so. I was on a "date" or something with a girl while Rise was out in theatres; as we discuss movies I mention that it's on. She asks: "what's planet of the apes?" I quickly scan her face to look for sarcasm, or anything else that would lead me to believe she was joking. I was in disbelief for a bit, and I certainly followed through with my investigation. Put a hat on my head, a cigar in my mouth and a brightly burning naked bulb overhead and I was able to determine that the suspect was telling the truth.

It made me a little sad. I was under the distinct impression that all generations were familiar with this ape planet. After all, Tim Burton's remake from ten years ago (that's right, TEN years, get over it) hit the scene and was somewhat controversial, or at least, I remember it that way. I certainly remember discussion going on, and I remember it hitting the theatres. My roommate had purchased it on two disc special edition DVD, and while he was away on Christmas break I had a look. It was decent enough, and certainly forgettable - at least, I have to assume as such because I really don't remember it.

Then again, I don't really remember watching the original either, although it is fact that I did. It's one of those important films my dad ensured that I would not miss, and for that, I'm forever thankful. It's movies like that, that shaped my love for cinema and my interests so sharply (or broadly, if you can accept that).

It was surprising that after the generally accepted "failure" of the remake, that another modern adaptation would be made. But then you're watching the trailer and James Franco appears - as if out of nowhere - and immediately credence is with the movie. The title is relatively obvious; in just a few words you know the entire plot of the movie. The apes are looking to take over, and here's their story. And it's a decent story, truth be told. I was entertained: the action was good, the story adequate and the special effects solid. I didn't feel as though the movie dragged on, or was very absurd. The only thing that felt out of place was Heston's classic line "keep your hands off me you damn, dirty ape."

Caeser does a fantastic job here, although I found his motivation for turning so "evil" to be a bit far-fetched. Sure, he is left behind, but why doesn't anyone explain to him why? Seems like it might have helped his anger issues a bit, although in the end it doesn't matter. As it should be, it's humans who will undo themselves, this time through playing with genetics (of course). You're practically watching an alternate version of 28 Days Later and any other movie that is remotely similar, which is fine by me and perhaps a bit unfair.

Another Earth

I really enjoy these well-done science fiction movies. Take a look at Moon, for instance. Sure, it's set on the actual Moon, involves cloning but it's about so much more than that. In fact, you could classify these movies as more mainstream sci-fi - I don't know - in that people who don't like the sci, will still like the fi. Makes sense? No, probably not. How about Another Earth: this is a movie set in a world where our world can be seen in the sky at all times. Confusing, but I'm just making it that way.

Imagine looking up in the sky on your way to work, and you see Earth hovering far above us, like the Moon normally does. An entire planet in "close" proximity that has the exact same continent structures as our own, and in fact even has an identical moon to ours. It sends shivers up my spine. So there's that, which is why I know about this movie, but it's not the story. The real story is emotional and moving, of course, and really well acted. A woman's life is changed forever through a horrible accident, and she becomes obsessed with the other lives she has affected. Vague, really, but I don't want to spoil too much for you. This girl - racked with guilt - befriends the victim and dreams of life on the other Earth.

So what's on the other Earth? I love how subtle the movie is; without compromising the humanity of the story itself, we get doses of fairly interesting science fiction sprinkled throughout. This is mostly done via the classic news casts: characters catch bits and pieces of the news on television, and just like the characters themselves, we're allowed to become a regular viewer. I've probably mentioned this before: in Independence Day we start off the same way. "Regular" people hearing the news, seeing objects in the sky, etc. We can relate to all of that, but we get a major disconnect when these same characters walk into the President's office and proceed to hang out in Area 51. We get to stay human in this movie: it's easy to put yourself in their place.

One major moment that really made the movie for me was the "first contact" scene. A family watching the event on live television, with curiosity, fear and excitement. It's the type of moment that makes me fall in love with these independent, subtle sci-fi movies. Check it out.

Skyrim

I'm not sure where to even begin. How do you? That's part of the obstacle: the mental hurdle of knowing - simply being aware - that you are going to have this game spinning at home, and you are going to lose dozens of hours of your life. It's inevitable. Since playing Oblivion I've feared the sequel; I put over 120 hours into the fourth Elder Scrolls game, and I anticipate spending even more with Skyrim, the fifth in the series.

So far, I'm easily on track. In fact, if you look at my "epic" run of Fallout 3 hovering around 80 hours over five or six weeks, the 32 hours I've invested in the first seven days since release I'm quite on track to hit some number that I don't care to calculate. Quite simply I should surpass Fallout 3 within the week or two, and most likely Oblivion a few weeks after that. It's scary: how is this possible? What makes it all click? It doesn't matter, and I'm not going to explore this. Just accept the fact that this happens, and if you choose to play, it will happen to you to. For all of us non-drug users, I would imagine this is as close to chemical addiction that we're going to get to.

Indeed, I pre-ordered the game, picked it up and began playing almost immediately. My sister asked if I would babysit my niece Friday night. I told her it was Skyrim release day, like that should mean something. She responds by asking when the movie starts, thinking that perhaps I could just go to a later showing. Little did she know the weight of the situation. I would pick up my niece from daycare, go to EB and pick up my copy of the collector's edition. My niece didn't care that the box was so gigantic, and that it contained a foot-tall dragon "statue" inside. She wanted to see me play it, but I knew how futile something like that would be: I knew the intro would be long, dramatic and boring to a five year old. It would have to wait. My sister would get home, then I head home after and just around midnight, I have the game unboxed and installing on the drive. I would begin playing.

For the remainder of the weekend, I couldn't stop. It was exactly what I expected to happen, but even then, I'm not sure I was prepared. How could you be? How can anyone? It's practically unfair what they do to us. Infinite quests? Are you serious? I enjoy going through a list of quests to do, completing them and moving on. In this game when you return from a quest, that same person has another waiting for you. Most of the time I'm not sure if these are "main" quests or not, although after so many hours it's fairly evident that any mundane fetch quests are part of this "radiant quest" system. There's so much to do and so much to explore it's overwhelming, and the only way to approach things is systematically. So that's where I go from there: find an entry point, quest it out, get some achievements and move on. Stop talking to random strangers because everybody has something they want you to do.

Has it been fun? It has, for the most part. Playing for extended periods of time is physically exhausting. You get tired of the repetition and when you want to quit, that's when you find yourself in a dungeon that never ends. You have to take breaks, or else you will go mad. When I originally played Oblivion I don't recall having so much free time. It took months to do what I anticipate will only take weeks here.

The Dark Knight

As I mentioned a short while ago, Blockbuster closed all their stores, leaving all sorts of vacant consumer space around towns. Before BBV moved into one of the locations in town, it was a car shop - or something - but it cleaned up nicely. So what would move into the location now that Blockbuster walked away? A liquidation book and DVD store, of course. The Blockbuster signs are still lit up, the shelves in tact, and full of DVDs again.

Oddly enough none of the movies in the store are from Blockbuster. Each one is new - factory sealed and ready for you to buy it. Each movie is priced at $5, although there are some priced higher, such as television series or box sets. They have a modest Bluray collection as well, all priced at $8. They also have books, but mostly all garbage (except for the kid's books, I guess).

So, I was browsing around and found something interesting: The Dark Knight, Batpod edition. Basically this is the two disc version of the Bluray, but with a very cheap model of the Batpod that was featured in the movie. It was only $10. The regular movie sans pod costs more than that. It was a good movie. I had to buy it.

I ripped the packaging open when I got home and yes, the rumours are true: the model is incredibly cheap, flimsy and let's face it, the Batpod is not all that interesting to begin with. I would much prefer a die-cast model of the entire Batmobile, or something. This plastic is just cheap. It's collectible though, and fun: it fits on the shelf nicely and looks decent enough.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

And all of a sudden, I am terrified of Decepticons. It's not because they are huge, menacing robots or anything. It's because they now wield War of the Worlds-level human-evaporation technology. In the Tom Cruise vehicle I discovered that I was terrified of such things: it was done so much better than when I saw it the first time in the original (campy) Batman series where they turned a bunch of people into dust. The instantaneous destruction of humans, and the disconnect between their deaths and any emotion was kind of hard to swallow. With all that being said, you should just know that I'm disturbed when people just get evaporated in these sci-fi movies and shows (looking at you too Wrath of Khan). It happens in this Transformers, but so non-nonchalantly. In fact, it's worse: there is a scene where a Decepticon fires his ray at a group of people: they evaporate, but then you see a skull rolling down the sidewalk. These people weren't completed dusted: their skin and flesh were just melted off instantly, leaving behind those pesky bones. And, assuming this movie is meant for people of all ages, I was disturbed even moreso. Perhaps it was the high definition that made it more visible (I love my television) and the fact that I couldn't stop looking my fear in the face.

I'll be talking about stuff in the movie that may spoil it for you, although I'm sure YOU won't care. Yes, it's true: nobody would go see this movie with me. Granted, the first two were "terrible." Terrible in the sense that I enjoyed the first one - but could barely stand to watch it a couple of more times - and the second one was wretched: I haven't seen it again. So with a bad track record, Feed the Voices wouldn't come to the movie with me. I promised him hot robot action. Big robot action. Effects that will be mindblowing. I couldn't promise a coherent film that functions on the basic levels of cinema, and I guess that's important to some people. It can't be important all the time though: I really just wanted to see crazy robots with crazy explosions fighting each other, in crazy spectacular. The movie would deliver on all fronts (except that pesky plot and acting business).

First, the violence is brutal. It's weird: when I was a kid I wasn't allowed to play with regular G.I. Joe's; perhaps the "real" guns and mix of human violence was too much and my mom didn't want me to be negatively influenced into a life of wretched crime. So, I stuck with Transformers, who by contrast were not human, and shot at one another with lasers. In retrospect, I don't see how this was less violent, but it didn't matter, because Transformers are better than G.I. Joe any day of the week regardless. So what we have is a situation, the situation is this: because they are robots, they are allowed to do much more grotesque things to one another. Robots die in a horrible fashion: Optimus sticks his power ax in the face of Megatron, flips around him and not only rips his head off, but also the robot equivalent of his spine. It was horrific.

It continues too. Guns are inserted into the bodies of Decepticons and fired, blowing out their innards and spraying gears and sprockets all over the place. Heads are torn in half. It was present in the previous two, to a degree, but not to this level. Conventional movies have to pare down their violence: quick, confused shots and other trickery. Most hide it, or imply it off-screen. Transformers can just show us everything on screen, in slow motion, in super high resolution glory. It's disturbing, but it's also extremely awesome. Eight year old Ryebone was jumping for joy as these horrible acts were taking place. It's his imagination piped directly onto the big screen, and it rocks.

You may ask yourself: but this is Transformers, the movie must suck, right? Well, no. I enjoyed it. All two and a half hours. It was real fun to watch, but yes, there were some negatives. The plot, as a whole, was solid, and I think it finds its power in it simplicity. It's no more complicated than one of the original cartoon series, or something I thought of a a child. It's in all the filler that it goes wrong: Shia is unemployed and bummed out. We're treated to a "funny" montage of job interviews, which ends on a peculiar cameo from John Malkovich. Perhaps it's because I was browsing reddit for the first half of the movie, but I didn't understand Ken Jeong's appearance (most notably from Hangover fame) and subequent comic relief (and tragic death). It all serves as a purpose to get Shia back into the government and fighting Decepticons. You see, they don't have any use for him anymore and people still doubt him, even though he saved the world twice. He travels to Russia at one point, uncovers the secret Decepticon plot, and is then accepted again, and the entire first half hour seemed like a waste of time. It was delaying the inevitable action, of which there was plenty: I actually put down the laptop and focused on the movie.

Another thing I couldnt' get over were all the "cameo" bits played by relatively famous people. That guy from Grey's Anatomy had a big role; Frances Mcdormand was in there, and again: John Malkovich. Didn't they see the first two? What were they thinking? Last, but not least, is Leonard Nimoy coming back to the Transformers movies as the voice of Sentinel Prime. I thought he was retired, but I'm very glad he came back for this.

I was sad to see a couple of Autobats die, but I had to admit that I didn't know who died until after the movie (when I looked it up). You see, one of my main problems with these movies is that the robots are so complex visually, I can't tell them apart. The action typically goes so fast, or there is so much on screen at once, that you can't see much difference between them. They resolve this by making one of them look like Einstein, but in typical fashion, they obliterate him. Also, I thought it was funny that all the computers were Lenovo. All white, just like Mac, but not.

So there you have it. It may sound unbelievable but I enjoyed the film. It was simple, full of action and better than the other two entries. Sure, it had great moments of ridiculousness, terrible acting and senseless moments, but we're watching a Michael Bay film here. Come on.