The Horror!

First off, for anyone who read the previous blog: I may not exist, but I bought a car anyhow. That's right, I managed to acquire my third vehicle. The difference being that this one should run (well, even) for some time to come. I never did get a bank loan so I convinced the seller to finance me if I put 1/3 down. A winner is me. The only mild irritant being that I don't actually get the car until it's paid off but that's fair enough I guess.

Now, on to the entertainment side of life: Resident Evil 5 is out and boy am I a happy camper. I have loved Resident Evil since I bought RE: Director's Cut for PlayStation back when it came out a hundred years ago. Laughably bad character acting aside, RE was the first game to spook me (don't laugh - those Hunters built tension back then!) and if I recall correctly, the sequel was the first game I ever pre-ordered.

I played all the official (and most of the unofficial) sequels. My brother and I both are Resident Evil addicts. Resident Evil 5 is the realization of our RE dream: side-by-side survival horror! RE5 is quite a bit different than the series of old, but anyone who has played RE4 will be pretty much at home here. It's much more an action game with zombie-ish people and crazy monsters than a scare-fest anymore. In fact, after two playthroughs I can say I never had much feeling of fear or related tension. RE5 pushes adrenaline now and again but pretty much leaves fear behind. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I could go for more "horror" than just the action and "survival" aspects but there is plenty to love in this new sequel.

The production values of RE5 are through the roof. It's really a beautiful game in my eyes. From the technical side of the graphics to the musical score to the acting & script to the concept and pacing, Resident Evil 5 has hit my game library in full-force. From a satisfaction standpoint, I think it's one of the best games I've played in a couple years. This is evidenced by the fact that in a three or four day span, my brother and I had an average of ten hours per day logged (each). We just couldn't get enough. Incidentally, my brother hasn't been gaming for a while now, being of the opinion that games have gotten much worse lately. Well, it was convenient that I own two Xbox 360s and two TVs 'cause when I pre-ordered a couple copies of RE5 and got him to come over to see my "surprise," he didn't leave for about a week. Nothing like a classic series to rejuvenate a little brotherly bonding, am I right?

I have Left 4 Dead as well, which is a fun almost-horror game that I might be able to weasel him into playing. Alone in the Dark is still sitting on my shelf having only been opened and subsequently played once before being forgotten. I should get around to that one. Dead Space exists out there too, and I'd like to grab a copy of that to see what the fuss I heard was about. Come to think of it, I've got an awful lot of games I either haven't played at all or haven't played nearly enough to warrant owning them. I should catch up on them sooner or later... and/or sell some off. Orz.

In other news, the weather still sucks in general but there is a hint of spring creeping into the picture. We had a few days in a row of beautiful sunny weather in my town but it was all-too short-lived. Been debating a quick little trip outta town for a couple weeks or something. Maybe visit friends/family in southern California or Hawaii. Better to do it now than to miss out on the summer, right?

Well I'd better catch some Z's if I'm gonna work open to close for the next two days. I love my job and all but a guy needs his rest, y'know. Until next time~