Who likes video games? Who likes the Xbox 360. My name is Ryan Jones and I have been a gamer ever since I was a kid, and so I have created a website/blog all about video games and in particular, the Xbox 360 (though I will also talk about other systems as well). This site talks about upcoming games, offers reviews of games I have played, user sumitted content and more. Connect with me here on BlogSpot.
Who here has played Grand Theft Auto 5 Online on Xbox One lately? Considering that I have already played through the storyline mode on the Xbox 360 version of GTA 5 I have decided to try and focus a bit more of my time in the online version of the Los Santos area. My character is officially at level 14 as of today and will likely level up again in the near future as well.
Here is a picture of my GTA Online character. I named him Uncle Steve (was trying to be creative with names)
Anyways, while playing through the online mode, I have noticed that the streets Los Santo has been rather empty lately (besides npc characters). At onetime, GTA Online has been quite lively with lots of people online, doing missions together, organizing races, doing pvp matches, etc. Now days, it seems to look more like a ghost town. There are npc characters you can interact with and some missions can be doable even on single player (though some missions can be considerably more difficult to do when playing alone as opposed to teaming up with people), though the online mode is definitely funner to do when other people are online too. By the way, some missions and mini games are unplayable or nearly impossible to complete on single player mode (especially ones requiring 2 or more players). I remember doing this one drug deal mission gone wrong mission where you had to go to a drug deal, though the people you had to meet turn hostile and you have to steal the drugs and destroy their vans (can't remember the name of the mission right off), but that missions was nearly impossible to do in single player (even on easy mode). Not only do you have to take on an army of gang members but you also have to destroy vans too in that mission which pretty much suicide when one attempts the mission alone.
By the way, I am disappointed and suprised to see the empty map in GTA Online, especially now they are advertising the new GTA online heist missions that people can do on GTA online now. Obviously you can't do a heist mission if there is nobody to team up with. I hope Rockstar will fix those issues with GTA online, otherwise GTA 5 Online could very well be dead (much like how it was on GTA 4 was when GTA 5 came out) and you might be better off just sticking to the single player mode. I don't have any pictures of the empty map yet, but if I see an empty map again, I will share it to show what I mean.
Is anyone else having these issues with GTA Online? By the way, I am not sure if this is issue is just affecting the Xbox One version or if it is affecting PS4 as well, but if you play GTA online you just might find yourself in a ghost town for now.
You know, the new Avengers of movie is supposed to come out in just a few weeks from now and there have been several different trailers out and here is a very humorous 8 bit trailer of that movie featuring NES characters and sprites.
Few notes:
- Mario seems to be portraying Thor
- Mega Man as Tony Stark and Iron Man (Mega Man is somewhat fitting for that role considering that he too has his own mechanical suit and armor)
- Donkey Kong as Hulk (pretty funny, especially when he takes on Mega Man).
8 bit can definitely make funny parodies of various movies and shows.
This year is definitely going to be an intersting year for movies. Last year, there was the third and final hobbit movie, Iron Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy (interstingly, the guy that played Starlord is from the Lake Stevens area here in Washington), Teenage Muntant Ninja Turrtles reboot (still have yet to see that movie) and even Captain America Winter Solider (btw much of the Agents of Shield episodes since the movie have dealt with the aftermath of that move with the revived Agent Coulson being named the new director of SHIELD after Nick Fury stepped down), Lego Movie and even Interestellar (I thought that movie was as blast to watch, especially at night in theaters). This year, more movies are slated to be released. Here are some movies I am looking forward to:
Movie 1- Avengers 2: Age of Ultron (should be coming up in May)
It looks like Marvel is going to be starting this year off with a bang with the release of the anticpated Avengers 2 Age of Ultron. This movies seems like it is going to be significantly darker than the first movie and brings the heroes back in a seemingly more chaotic world, especially with SHIELD in ruins and pretty much in civil war mode in the aftermath of Captain America 2 as well as unfolding events in Agents of SHIELD (given the hydra situation as well as now the so called "Real SHIELD") group too that has arisen (tough to tell the good guys from the bad guys too sometimes). By the way, at comic con this year, I decided to dress up as Nick Fury (had the trench coat and eye patch) with the new movie coming out. Interestingly, Age of Utron is supposed to mark the end of "phase 2" and being the "phase 3" marvel movies. Apparently, it is also supposed to tie into Captain America 3: Civil War (apparently the Civil War storyline is going to be shown in that movie), though it is not clear on how the events will lead to the marvel civil war.
Movie 2: Ant Man (currently set to come out in July sometime)
This movie will start the storyline in the Marvel Cinematic universe version of Ant Man (aka Hank Pym). He had a much bigger role in earlier versions of Avengers (such as Avengers Earth's Mightiest heroes, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Marvel's Ultimate Avengers 1 and 2 movies). Interestingly, Hank is not supposed to appear in the New Avengers movie considering past versions of Ultron were Hank's creation.
Movie 3: Fantastic 4 Reboot
Who here saw Fantastic 4 back in 2005 with Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans (also known as Steve Rogers from Captain America), and Michael Chiklis portraying the Fantastic 4 characters? Well, it looks like we are about to be a reboot version of that movie, this time portrayed by different actors. Will the infamous Doctor Doom make a return in this movie? Only time will tell. It will be interesting to see how this version compares with the 2005 version.
Movie 4: Jurassic World
After a long hiatus in Jurassic Park movies, the franchise is about go get yet another sequel. This movie is supposed to be set about 22 years after the events of the original movie and a new dinosaur theme park is built in place of the old one. It appears a new mutant dinosaur is supposed to make a debut too? I still remember when the earlier version of the movies when they came out in the 1990s and early 2000s (especailly Jurassic Park and Lost World). By the way, where is Turok the Dinosaur (from the N64 game Turok) hunter when you need him should the dinosaurs go on a rampage once again?
Movie 5: Terminator Genysis
Interestingly, the 5th installment of the Terminator is slated to be released later this year and Arnold Schwarzenegger is supposed to make a return into the franchise once again, after being absent from Terminator Salvation (aka Terminator 4) probably as a result of him being governor of California at the time. Interestingly according to an article I read apparently, he wasn't too wild about Terminator Salvation (see http://www.fashionnstyle.com/articles/56098/20150409/terminator-genisys-news-arnold-schwarzenegger-slams-terminator-salvation-says-glad-didnt-have-appear-fourth-movie.htm), though I suppose having less say in the movie was a small price to pay for not being in that movie and being governor instead that year. By the way, while I have seen Terminator Salvation, I haven't seen all of the other 3 movies yet. Will have to watch the other movies sometime.
Movie 6 - Star Wars Force Awakens (aka Episode 7)
You know, who would have thought that there was going to be a third Star Wars trilogy in our lifetime. I remember George Lucas once saying that he wasn't going to make any new Star Wars movies after episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith). However it seems like he had a change of heart and let others directors continue the Star Wars movie storyline. This movie will officially mark the beginning of the 3rd trilogy and will see the return of old favorites (portrayed by the original actors and actresses), including Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, etc. This storyline is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, though even I am in the dark on what the new movies are going to be about. Originally I thought that the Expanded Universe (such as books, comics, games, etc) were going to bridge the gap between the original trilogy and the new trilogy but it looks like the producers are not going to use those versions of events (no longer considered canon) and the new movies will be all new, so it is pretty much uncharted territory now. There is some speculation though considering that there were some loose ends ins the storyline after Return of the Jedi (especially in light of the prequels). Some questions I might have includes:
1) Does Luke restore the Jedi council (remember it was decimated during the events of Revenge of the Sith, especially once Order 66 was issued by Palpatine).
2) Does Darth Sidious Make a return despite his apparent death in Return of the Jedi?
3) What happens to Coruscant and the fallen Old Republic?
4) How about Han and Leia? In the book version of events, they get married and have kids (Jacen and Jaina)
5) Does Boba Fett escape the Sarlacc monster? In the expanded universe, he does?
6) Is Luke married? In the book version of events, he gets married to a lady named Mara Jade. Interestingly, if you read the Thrawn Trilogy, initially she wanted to kill Luke as a result of Palpatine's death, but I don't remember seeing her in the prequel trilogy, so I don't know if she will be in the movie or not.
7) Does Obi Wan Kenobi make a return as force ghost
8) Does Leia become a jedi? Remember in Return of the Jedi she just begun to realise her powers (much like how Luke was in Episode 4).
9) How about Luke and Leia's origins (not sure how much they knew about Anakin and Padme).
And many other questions. Of course right now, one can only speculate.
Well, that is all for now. I am sure there are many other movies set to be released this year. How about you, are there movies you are anticipating this year? Next year (2016) we will see more big name movies, including Captain America 3: Civil War, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Reboot (bringing back all of the original characters portrayed by new actors), Superman vs Batman (interestingly, when Man of Steel came out, I had to do a demo at the Walmart in South Everett where I literally had to dress up as Superman and try to get people to buy tickets for the debut screening of the movie, it will be interesting to see if Walmart stores do a similar promotion for the next film), and Independence Day 2 (yes, Independence day is getting a sequel at last). By the way, all of these movies coming up are already giving me ideas on what to dress up as to next year's Emerald City comic con. Could go as superman again, Batman, a power rangers character (doing a Bulk and Skull cosplay might be fun, though I would have to get someone to dress up too and get a punk outfit to look authentic), or even a Star Wars character.
It looks like the latest Star Wars Battlefront game is going to be coming out this year. I remember playing through the first 2 Star Wars Battlefront games too. Will definitely consider buying this game when it comes out. Interestingly, it looks like there might even be content in the upcoming Star Wars Force Awakens movie too (aka Episode 7).
Who here likes Legos? I remember playing through both Lego Star Wars (prequel era Star Wars) and Lego Star Wars 2 (based on the original trilogy back in the day) and thought they were pretty fun to play through. It is Lego and Star Wars after all. Fast forward to Christmas season of 2014, there is now a game based on the classic Lego Movie that was released earlier last year. In case if you don't know, Lego Movie was a movie that was released back in February of 2014 and was basically about an average Joe worker, named Emmet who had been living a seemingly normal and comfortable life. However, unbeknownst to Emmet, the world he was living in was basically a global dictatorship lead by the evil Lord Business, who was pretty much ruling the world with an iron fist and secretly wanted to "cragle" (or anhilate everyone). One day Emmet stumbles across a prophecy that would spell the end of Lord Business' regime and soon gets caught in the middle of an ongoing conflict between Lord Business and his cronies (such as Bad Cop) and an ever growing group of rebels that want to overthrow his regime and it is up to Emet to help save the day. I won't spoil how the movie plays out and ends (assuming some of you haven't seen the movie yet), but if you want to see the movie, you can probably buy it on Amazon or maybe even Netflix (not sure of it is on Netflix or not). See link below for the lego movie.
Anyways, as most people might expect: several games have been released based on Lego Movie and I was able to play through the Xbox One Version of the game. After playing through the game, in my opinion it is definitely a fun and interesting movie based game to play through. The game starts out with the prologue, where the wizard Vitruvius and Cleopatra teams up to take on Lord Business (much like he does in the movie) which comes in the form of a boss fight and ends with Vitruvius utters his prophecy about the downfall of Lord Business' regime. Then the game shifts over to present day and in the role of Emmet and in an open world environment. Initially the game takes place in the City of Bricksburg, but other areas open up as you play through the game, inlcuding Flatbrush gultch (which petty much as an old west style theme), Cuckoo land (basically a city in the clouds) and later the Octan tower. There is also a bonus room (there is nothing in there at first, but comes alive after you beat the story mode) and a secret area too I believe. In each world there are a series of levels and storyline missions to play through. Below is a video showing the first 9 minutes of the game.
I won't spoil the rest of the game for you (of course if you do not mind spoilers, you can get a full game guide at http://www.gamefaqs.com/xbox360/722935-the-lego-movie-videogame/faqs/68687 that details the walkthrough of the entire game). Overall, personally I thought the game was a very fun and great tie-in to the movie. The levels and worlds feel like you are playing in an interactive version of Lego Movie, full of worlds, levels, cutscenes and voice acting that you would see in the movie. It even has a huge boss fight at the end where Emmet and Hello Kitty team up in their final showdown against Lord Business. I have seen some sources that seem to offer mixed reviews of the game, but I have seen movie game that are much worse than Lego Movie, but I am sure that Lego Movie will not appeal to everyone, though I am sure kids will love the game, though maybe not as much for older crowds.
Review Highlights:
Pros:
+ Plays out much like the ovie
+ Good replay value. Like many lego based games, as you play through each storyline level, you will find that there are hidden objects and secret areas hidden throughout the levels and will definitely require revisits on Freeplay mode if you want to find them all.
+ Somewhat open worlds in Free Roam mode. The map size is not too big, but there plenty of things you can do in each world, such as stocking up on lego pieces that can be used to buy red bricks or unlocking new characters. Many of them even have hidden objects you can find and side missions you can do (for example, in Bricksburg one side mission has you finding cats around the city for a reg brick, and in Flatbrush Gulch there is a side mission where characters can help find and bring outlaws to justice).
+ Lots of cutscenes from the movie complete with voice acting and all from the movie.
+ Interesting characters you can play as too. My favorites are: Batman, Superman, Bad Cop, Green Lantarn, as well as the guy that can throw dynamites at things, but there are plenty of other ones available.
+ Minigames (especially the hacker terminal games, which pretty much play out much like Pacman).
Negative aspects about the game:
- The storymode is relatively short and linear. Though it is possible to stretch out the game to extend the gameplay
- Will probably appeal more to kids than adults. While I thought the game was pretty fun even though I am 32 years old, I am sure the game will not appeal to everyone, though I am sure kids will love it.
- Like many similar games, eventually, you do run out of things you can do and items to find and then there really isn't much left to do. Eventually you play through the storyline, complete the freeplay mode and complete all of the side missions in each world and then it is time to move on. On the positive note, the game can be stretched out so that you don't have to do everything in one setting.
- The game might seem to be too easy to some people. When your character dies, he/she just respawns right by where he died and it just subtracts some of your lego money.
Overall grade in my opinon: A
Want the game, you can buy it on Amazon at:
Note that the game is also available for the PS4, 3DS, Xbox 360 and WII U as well.
Similar games:
Have you played Lego Movie? Feel free to share your experiences with the game in the comments section below? Feel free to like and share this post if you like it. Your support would be most appreciated.
