Organ Trail: Director's Cut (2012)

Game score: 70%
Platform: Steam, PC


Zombies are IN for quite a while now and this game has been around for a few years as well. It was originally made as a parody of Oregon Trail, a really old game that had numerous re-releases (it was made in 1971 and had like 10 incarnations so far) that allowed a player to experience the settling in western United States. Organ Trail was a free flash/browser game that had a lot of fans, so the creators started a Kickstarter campaign to make a Director's Cut as a fully commercial title. After the funds were collected the game was made and is now available for Steam and mobile devices.

As the game starts you are given a station wagon with some limited supplies (food, scrap for car repairs, a few spare tires, mufflers, car batteries, medical kits...) and 4 companions. Your goal: reach safe haven at the west and survive the zombie apocalypse. The whole game is set around random events that occur as you travel from one city/settlement to another while scavenging supplies, trading with other people, fighting off zombie attacks, escaping gangs that are after your supplies etc. Each hour that passes (in a matter of 2 seconds) is a possible trigger for a random event and they vary from simple weather changes that can slow you down to encounters with all kinds of people (these trigger classic text adventure kind of stories).

Settlements offer a place to rest and trade and you can also get a job to earn some more supplies or money (arcade shootouts with zombies or bandits). Each city has a car shop that can upgrade your station wagon or a combat school to enhance your own abilities. Don't forget to refuel as well or you will get stranded in the middle of nowhere and forced to trade when you don't really want to.

The game looks and feels as if it was made in early 1980s and that gives it a specific charm. But don't let it turn you away! Seriously, it's kinda cute to have such a game in 2014 (or 2012, when it was made), a game that relies on gameplay rather than on awesome graphics. It's a lot of fun with all those events that may or may not occur, but it does have its limits. I completed it 4-5 times and it lost its charm - once you figure out the best way to gather supplies, when and where to sell them and what to buy instead - it gets real easy. True, there are difficulty levels but even the hardest one is hard only at the start. As for the zombie combat, I'll give you a tip: when you want to shoot a zombie click on the zombie and hold the mouse button as you drag it towards your avatar. It's a direct hit in 95% of cases.

I haven't played the mobile version (I got it as well, but I just never cared much for mobile games) so I can't say much about it. From what I saw online it's quite popular and people who own it love it! Give this game a chance, it's fun even though it's very limited.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This show is a perfect example of a super big-hype, high expectations product gone wrong. Back when it was first announced, we were spammed with dozens of Marvel's superhero movies (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk... concluded with The Avengers) and even though most of them were also super big-hype and all that blah-blah, we still hoped for the best. It was set in a timeline right after the events in The Avengers, it listed Director Fury, Agent Hill and Agent Coulson (??? Didn't he die by Loki in the movie?) and promised a lot due to its setup. But it ended up being a big, big failure.

Or is it?

Now scratch all that and throw it away! Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is actually a very weird show - it really was something we expected a lot from, but it started so slow and bad that I am sure a lot of people gave up on it. If you are one of those who gave it another chance, and I am glad I did - you are up for a treat! I'd mark episode 14 as the turning point - when I saw Lorelei appearing (yay, an Asgardian!) in the show I was hoping they would finally make it fun to watch and follow. They did and I am very glad I believed in it all this time.

I won't write about the story nor the characters much, I don't want to spoil it in case you haven't seen it yet. If you are unfamiliar with the world of Marvel, here's a few lines: it's set on "normal Earth" (so no fantasy cities such as Gotham etc), but is a home to a few superheroes and a super top secret agency called S.H.I.E.L.D (it stands for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division but that is unimportant to be honest). The agents mentioned in the title are brought together into a team by Agent Coulson and are given random assignments all over the globe, protecting us puny humans from all kinds of evil, including the superbad aliens and their artifacts. There are NO superheroes in the team whatsoever, everyone is a regular human with S.H.I.E.L.D. academy in its past and a lot of skills under the belt. These are the true good guys, comic-book type, the kind we all love. The episodes follow up on each other so you cannot skip any and just go back in (it's not CSI).

There's just one more episode left in this season, so it's a total of 22 for season one. I am not sure if season two is confirmed or not (I didn't do my homework, sorry) but I sure hope it is. Well, it will depend on season finale. I don't know what to expect from it, this show has turned around once already. Fortunately, that turn was for the good and lets hope it stays that way.

Vikings, Season 2 Finale!

I was away for a few days so this may be a bit late (the finale was aired on Thursday evening in the US), but when it comes to Vikings - it's never too late! As you may or may not remember, I recommended this show back in February, hoping for a good season 2. And now when the season is over... IT WAS AWESOME! It was even better than the first one which focused on telling us about Viking customs and culture. Season 2 was all about conquest and politics (but in a good way), loyalty and betrayal, slaughter and blood. 

The entire season 2 was quick paced, covered quite a large time period (about 5 or 6 years if I got it right) and it showed how powerful Earl Ragnar truly is. Ragnar had allies and enemies, he had to deal with the loss of his own village, bring his own justice to those who betrayed him and learned a lesson along the way. Season finale showed us how wise he was throughout all that time once all his allies showed up in front of his true enemy. Poor bastard thought he had it all figured out, but it turned out he was simply outplayed in the game of thrones. You win or you die. Simple as that.

I know this is a rather short text, but I always try not to spoil much with my own ramblings. If you haven't seen this show yet - do it! It's well worth your time! So far it's 2 seasons and 19 episodes in total and season 3 is confirmed.

Arrow

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN S02E20 - THE LATEST EPISODE!

I gotta say - this show is a real enigma to me. Every time I watch the latest episode I get reminded of how bad some of the actors in this show are. I am quite sure that some soaps have better and more convincing actors than Arrow, that's how bad they are. And the plot in most episodes is pretty bad, predictable and unconvincing. There's PLENTY of the typical "why don't you just shoot him and get it over with?" situations that usually end well.

But... I just can't wait to see the next episode! Week after week (Arrow features 24 episodes per season) I just want to see what is coming next. I remember how bored I got with the show during the first season... and then season finale happened and it was a shocker! Arrow failed to stop a disaster AND his best friend died!? And in the latest episode another one of the main characters died! Could Arrow be turning into The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones? No, of course not, but I like what the producers are doing with those deaths.

Anyway, I think I can explain my love for Arrow. It's made after a comic after all, and comics are a nerd's soft spot. It's actually easy to recognize the plot of almost every episode as if it was made for a comic book, rather than a TV show. There's a few of one-shot enemies that appear in single episodes, never to be seen or heard of again (they usually end up dead or imprisoned), then there's a whole bunch of recurring characters (both good and bad) and a master villain that spreads throughout a season. So far there have been two "bosses" in two seasons and neither was clear up until late mid-season. There's also a continuous flashback story that happens in the past, it takes about 20% of each episode and is even more interesting than the main plot.

Overall, Arrow is a cliche, but a fun cliche. It's not just for anyone, you have to be a hardcore fan of comics and/or heroes (not superheroes!) like Batman who relies on natural strength and expensive technology. Enjoy it!

Fargo (TV show)

An original adaptation of the Academy Award-winning feature film, Fargo features an all-new “true crime” story and follows a new case and new characters, all entrenched in the trademark humor, murder and “Minnesota nice” that made the film an enduring classic.  Set in Bemidji, Minnesota, this limited drama series follows Lorne Malvo (Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade), a drifter who meets and forever changes the life of an ordinary insurance salesman, Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman, Sherlock). Other key players include Colin Hanks (Dexter) as Duluth Police Deputy Gus Grimly, a single dad who must choose between his own personal safety and his duty as a policeman; Allison Tolman (Sordid Lives: The Series) and Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad) as a pair of Bemidji cops; Kate Walsh (Private Practice) as a former stripper; Oliver Platt (The Big C) as the supermarket king of Minnesota; Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as an ambitious personal trainer; and Russell Harvard (The Hammer) and Adam Goldberg (Saving Private Ryan) as members of the Fargo crime syndicate.

I was just too lazy to write my own description of the show so I just copied it off from the FX website. What else is there to say? It's FARGO! One of my all time favorite movies (1996) and it's got Billy Bob Thornton (the master of transformation), Martin Freeman (Dr. Watson & Bilbo Baggins) and Bob Odenkirk (Better call Saul!) in it. I watched the pilot episode last night and even though I had REALLY HIGH expectations I still got stunned by it! The story is new and has nothing to do with the movie (although the producers hinted some possible minor crossovers with the original story) and it is supposed to be a single-season, 10-episode show only. If you ask me, that's perfect... since a lot of shows get ruined by too stretched story. Even my wife may be willing to watch this - she really hates to wait for a year to see what happens next in the following season :)

After True Detective I thought it would take a lot of time to see something of this quality. Fortunately, I was wrong. It might be too early to say that since it's been only one episode, but I just can't see how this could go wrong. YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS!

The Swapper (2013)

Game score: 88%
Platform: Steam, PC


The Swapper is a rather simple puzzle platformer with an interesting gameplay: you are equipped with a unique weapon which allows you to create clones of yourself and swap with them. Confusing? I just may lack words to actually describe it correctly, but it really is a simple concept and will take you no more than 2 minutes to get used to what you need to do.

There's no one to kill in this game, there are no quick movements (mostly) so that kind of skill is far from needed. What you really need is a brain and some patience in order to complete this game. Mind you, it's not really a brain-killer as most puzzles are really easy to complete. Sometimes all you need is a two minute break to rest a bit and it will all come to you.

Anyway, what's it about? You are an astronaut on a Space Station Theseus and there's been an accident. You are trying to escape as well as find out what actually happened there. In order to progress you need to open certain doors and each door requires you to own a certain number of orbs. Orbs can be collected by solving puzzles. To solve puzzles you need to create clones of yourself (and swap places with your own clones, as I said before). These clones will do exactly the same movements and actions as yourself and you will need to use them to open doors, step on certain spots etc.

As I said, the game is incredibly simple in its mechanics, but is challenging enough to keep you playing it for 5 or 6 hours until the very end. I really enjoyed the time spent on this and I managed to get stuck only once! And it was only because I didn't notice one floor tile (it was upside down and I guess I was just too tired). The real challenges come up at later stages as you get into rooms where you know exactly what you need to do - but you need to figure HOW to do it.

One real good feature are teleporters that will allow you to move quickly if you ever need to go back to some room (if you missed something or took a left turn and now you want to go right). I just love it when developers think about us players and our need to cut down the lost time :)

There are 10 achievements in the game as well and they are real pain in the ass. Not because they are too hard to get or are luck based... No, it's because they require you to find 10 hidden rooms and to do that you would need to randomly clone and swap yourself into hidden walls and corridors. Most of the time such corridors are too well hidden and you'd do better if you ignore that part of the game completely. Unless you read a guide or watch YouTube videos to find out their locations.

Overall, The Swapper is a beautiful and entertaining indie game that will leave you asking for more. As for the actual story that develops as you progress - I leave that to you. It's a bit confusing... and unimportant, to be honest. Enjoy it while it lasts.

The Following

The following text has MAJOR spoilers so do not read if you missed some episodes or plan to watch The Following in the near future.

Ugh. This show... I don't even know how to begin describing it. It started some 15 months ago and had an awesome pilot episode! The story of an imprisoned serial killer who escapes his captors and plans reunion with his wife and son who don't really like him any more (to put it mildly), as well as revenge against an FBI agent who arrested him and virtually an entire world who does not understand him. We learn about his amazing network of killers, a cult of disturbed wackos who found their own sick meaning of life. We also found out that the show will not be soft in any way - victims were not spared nor saved at the last second, but brutally murdered without any remorse. Mind you, I am not a fan of brutality, but I do appreciate realism in such situations and there's a serious lack of it in 99% of movies and TV shows.

That lasted for about two, maybe three episodes and went downhill right after that. It got incredibly stretched and unconvincing, the characters became annoying, all the cliches were back in the game, then it got even more stretched... all the way into the season finale where the good guy defeats a bad guy and all is well. Or not, since the good guy and the love of his life got stabbed multiple times in his apartment, leaving The Following with a major cliffhanger. Season 2 was inevitable.

Jessica Stroup, the main reason
 I am still watching The Following

We are already 12 episodes into season 2 and the exact same scenario happened again! First two or three episodes were great again and I hoped they really got it this time. I was wrong - the rest of the season 2 (so far) went through the same scenario as it did last year - stretched, unconvincing, annoying and predictable. This year Mr. Wacko-serial-killer (who did not die at the end of the last season, as expected) is leading a crazed religious cult and is even more annoying than before, and our FBI good guy is a whole lot darker than he was - and that's the best thing about The Following, in my honest opinion. He shoots to kill and is absolutely focused on just one thing, with no regard to human life when it comes to bad guys. There's a third side as well, made of yet another seriously disturbed group of people who are obsessed with Mr. Killer - at first in a positive way towards him... until he dumps them and makes yet another powerful enemy. Quite a mixture.

Overall, this show had so much potential and I have to say that Kevin Bacon is doing a really good job as FBI agent Ryan Hardy. But it should have been compressed to no more than 6 episodes a year. And with a lot less capturing and escaping and recapturing and more escaping and...