New games! :)

I am deviating from the typical tone and talking about actual games today, rather than head games. :-P

I bought Bastion, the new arcade game- LOVING it but am frustrated when I die near the end of a long and particularly challenging level (liek 2 jumps away from success) and have to do the whole ding danged level over again. I like that you can engage "idols" at the Shrine to make your game a little tougher (or a lot toughter) and lvl up faster. I like the narrator the best still- it actually reacts to your current progress, choices you make, etc- it's not just on auto-run or whatever. I'm definitely enjoying this game.

From Dust: yeah, I bit. I tried the trial and was uncertain, but liked the trial enough to do it again and want more, so I bought it. I'm probably about halfway through at this point (having had it around 24 hrs, maybe 4 hrs of actual play time has been put into it) and am enjoying it enough to be glad I bought it, but once I finish the achievements, this game will probably be deleted to make room for more. It's not like Magic or Galaga where you keep it around indefinitely. This has some decent graphics, and I like that the land is so easily manipulated. It's a god-game (I didn't know that was a "thing" until I read it somewhere, I'm not just making up the phrase) and I like it- sometimes I get frustrated and am a vengeful god... heh. I like drowing my peasants when they tick me off for being stupid. I finally encountered a level that really challenged me and now I like it even more. It's a little anticlimactic but the upside is that there's ALWAYS something to be done- I'm not just sitting around waiting for the grass to grow (which BTW is an achievement- getting 100% foliage coverage).

And now for my star... Alice: Madness Returns. *({[clouds part, angels sing]})*  I don't care about the reviews I read online, I disagree heartily. It was given an "okay" rating for non-escalating challenges and combat, and so-so graphics. I say that's crap. Ok, the combat is semi-repetitive, but you have more weaponry and diversity of enemies as the game progresses. I think the artwork is clever and beautiful! It's definitely a dark game, which I really like. It reminds me of BioShock a little, but not as high tech. You'd think Alice in Wonderland theme would make it a girls' game, but I disagree. (I do think her dresses are cute though- I got the DL-able content) :) Anyway, the story is good, the artwork is lovely and imaginative, the character action response is fabulous, enemies are tough, and collecting teeth (teeth are your currency) takes a long time before you can level up your weaponry. I like that you have to work for it, and it's not just a given. There is a good bit of jumping involved, and landing precisely is hard sometimes, but necessary. You can play 1st person mode or not, and there's an inverted camera angle option (haven't used it yet so can't really comment on it). I just finished chapter 1, which took several hours, but I'm also doing side quests as I go along. It's going to be easier to do it that way than go back for it later, I think. The characters you encounter are a little scary, and it certainly deserves the M rating it got. It has a link on the main menu to American McGee's Alice... don't know anything about that but plan to find out more. If it's anything like this, I'm having it.

Some personal updates: 1) I grew my nails out these past three weeks that I haven't been playing. I haven't touched my violin in so long I'm afraid I won't remember what to do. I have been playing piano, but my nails are at a length now that makes it difficult. I am going crazy with them this long, and painted (bright golden yellow, to match my toes!)  but I decided I'd try it just to see what it's like. My cats are liking when I scratch their backs (to be frank, so does Matt), but I'll be glad to cut them off when school starts. 2) I'm going for a very $$$ salon consultation one of my musician friends hooked me up with- I'm going to "get my hair did", as my friend says, and it's gonna be fabulous (or had better be, given what I'm paying for it). 3) I walked right past a shoe store today, didn't even go in. I call this personal growth. 4) Riding my bike, swimming almost every day, and eating better have started to pay off, and I'm glad for it. 5) Matt's birthday was a great success, fun party, and he LOVED his gifts! (I am the worst gift-buyer. I seldom get what someone would really want, and I finally did it this time. Yay!) 6) I wrote an email to one of the committees I'm on because I'm sick of their crap. It was a professional "go screw yourself letter" and I'd managed to keep it to three succint sentences. I was irate when I wrote it, and before I knew it I had pressed Send and made it official. I already received a few emails in response, but none were too hot-headed, luckily. I feel my temper boiling up just thinking about it. Last but not least, Borders bookstore is going out of business and I went in there yesterday and made a killing on savings! I had over $60 worth of books which I got for $14 & change. :) Plenty to read, and the money I saved I used to justify buying Alice today. Huzzah! 13 days of summer vacay left....*sobs*... but that means new shoes for a new school year!! Kate Spade, here I come.