Spartans

Greetings nerds and lady nerds! Yes, its me. Again. I think I'll do something I haven't done in some time...a video game review! Let's get stuck in, shall we?

Recently I purchased and subsequently beat God of War: Ghost of Sparta for the PSP. This is the second of the God of War PSP games, and is made by Ready at Dawn Studios. It takes place between the first and second God of War games for the Playstation 2. A brief summary of the events of Ghost of Sparta are as follows: Kratos, having vanquished Ares, is now the new God of War, yet he is still plagued by visions of his past, most particularly of his brother Deimos, long presumed dead. Turns out, that's not really the case. And so, in typical Kratos fashion, he decides that the best way to make sense of these memories is to hack, slash, and murder his way to the truth, defying gods, monsters, and anyone else in his path. Along the way, Kratos discovers more about his destiny and his ultimate role in the games and machinations of the gods of Olympus...and to put it mildly, he's not too happy about it. He vows to destroy the gods for what they did to him and his family, and he won't stop until all of Olympus is consumed.

In terms of graphics, Ghost of Sparta looks pretty good. Granted, its on the PSP, but it takes full advantage of the processing power of the PSP and as such it looks alright. I would have preferred that the images be a little more crisp, but then I'm used to the graphics of say the 360 or PS3. That being said, Ghost of Sparta looks much better than the God of War: Chains of Olympus, the first God of War game on the PSP. The character models are rendered nicely, and you can actually see what the enemies look like, even on the small PSP screen. Kratos' facial animations are good and responsive, though they are all just variations of "rage". Because we are talking about the graphics of an older handheld game, I'm going to be a little more lenient in my scoring of the graphics and give it a 3/5. It looks good, but for someone used to the graphics of higher powered gaming machines, its still a little lackluster.

The gameplay in Ghost of Sparta is on par with the rest of the God of War games. Kratos is still a brutal combatant who uses devastating executions and merciless tactics on the myriad enemies who come after him. There are still puzzles and platforming elements in this game just like all the others, but they seem a little too easy. In general, its a lot of the same stuff in the original God of War games: more hacking and slashing, more puzzles, more platforming, and the obligatory sex minigame (which, I have to admit, is one of the best things about the God of War series). About the only changes in this game are the weapons and items that Kratos finds. One example is the Arms of Sparta, a spear and shield combo used by the Spartans in ancient Greece. As Kratos IS a Spartan, this makes perfect sense. I found myself using the Arms of Sparta a lot once I got them, mainly because it felt like something new and not the same Blades of Athena that Kratos always uses. Another example is Erinys' Bane, which is basically a black hole that you can throw around. I used this a lot too, because it was helpful and it was new. Other than the new weapons and items, and the new executions, its exactly the same as the other God of War games. I give Ghost of Sparta a 3.5/5 for gameplay.

The sound in Ghost of Sparta is...alright. Again, its a lot of the same as the other games, which is to be expected. Kratos' screams and yells and rage noises are still here, and done well enough for the small speakers of the PSP. The voices of all of the characters are the same as the other games, so that is at least a plus. The growls, snarls and screams of the monsters are also done well, and the music is as good as the other games. Not much innovation here either, but I guess there is not much to be changed with something that is already pretty good. I give Ghost of Sparta a 4/5 for sound.

In summary, Ghost of Sparta is a good addition to the God of War series, and I'd recommend giving it a shot. It does plug up a few holes in the story between the first two games, and it reveals more of Kratos' past for those who care about that sort of thing. I mainly play games for the story, so I thought it was good that they addressed these concerns. So if you've got a PSP, I'd recommend giving this game a try. You might be pleasantly surprised. As added incentive, there is also a God of War collection for the PS3 that contains all of the games, remastered and remade to take advantage of the processing power of the PS3, so if you don't have a PSP but have a PS3, then I'd get that. Until next time!

-P.S. I apologize for the rushed nature of this post, but I'm tired. Cut me some slack people! I kid.

The Heresy revealed

Greetings nerds and nerdettes, Jay here to once more dispense some nerdy reviews and advice! Let's get stuck in!

Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter is the final book in the beginning trilogy of the Horus Heresy series from the Black Library and it tells of the beginnings of the galaxy-shattering events of the Horus Heresy. And now a summary: Continuing on from the events of False Gods, Horus has recovered from his grievous wounds on the planet of Davin and is now leading his Legion towards the Istvaan system, along with some of his brother Legions, most notably the World Eaters, the Word Bearers, the Death Guard, and the Emperor's Children, ostensibly under the impression that they are there to quell a rebellion against the Emperor. As with the previous books, the "main character" is Garviel Loken, a Space Marine of the Sons of Horus who is suspicious of the changes taking place in his Chapter. Loken's fears are soon realized when after the rebellion is swiftly dealt with, Horus orders the virus bombing of Istvaan V, with many loyalist Legions still on it. The Legions loyal to Horus turn on their brother Legions and begin slaughtering them, an act of such utter betrayal that it is felt by the Emperor all the way back on Terra. As Loken watches helplessly, Horus orders the planet to be cleansed by virus bombs, while the Traitor Legions are given advance warning and shelter against the horrifying viral weapons. The remainder of the Loyalist Legions and the survivors of the rebellion are vaporized, and their psychic screams resound in the mind of the Emperor, who is utterly horrified that his favored son could betray him. Horus, however, was now completely devoted to Chaos and his sacrifice of the people and Astartes on Istvaan V cemented his service to them. Though some of the Loyalist Marines escape, the damage was done. With this done, Horus then turned his gaze towards his ultimate goal, thus beginning an era of war and strife throughout the whole galaxy: Terra.

As with the previous two books of The Horus Heresy, Galaxy in Flames is a fantastic book. Ben Counter is a great author and he does a superb job of introducing the Legions and primarchs who became the basis of the Chaos Legions. The thing I love about all of the different Legions is that they are all so different, with varied personalities and ideals and practices. The rich back story and lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is really exemplified in the Horus Heresy series and I love it because of this reason. Galaxy in Flames does a nice job of tying together the events of the previous two books and showing how they all fit together in the grand scheme of the Heresy proper. It is also worth noting that this is the book in which Horus finally succumbs to the lures of Chaos after battling with them in the previous two installments. So this opening trilogy not only deals with the beginnings of the Heresy, it also shows that no being, no matter how mighty and noble, is beyond corruption. Horus' eventual surrender to Chaos is made all the more heartbreaking by the fact that he corrupted his own brothers into joining him in his war against the Emperor, and in the name of his own hubris, countless millions of lives were ended. And lets not forget the fantastic battle sequences and the character development, easily on par with the previous books in the series. Galaxy in Flames is a great war novel and it is certainly among one of the best novels I've read in some time. If you have heeded my advice and read the previous two books, then there is no reason not to own Galaxy in Flames. If you have not done so, then I urge you to give these books a shot. You'll enjoy them, seriously. Galaxy in Flames gets 5 virus bombs out of 5. Until next time!

The Heresy takes root...

Greetings nerdlings! It's Jay, here for another exciting entry about nerdy things! Without further ado, lets get to it!

Continuing on the subject of Warhammer 40,000, False Gods by Graham McNeill is the second book in The Horus Heresy series and the second book in the beginning trilogy. As with Horus Rising, False Gods is written from the point of view of Garviel Loken, a Space Marine of the Luna Wolves Legion, later renamed the Sons of Horus. For those who did not read my review of Horus Rising, here's a quick recap: The Emperor of Mankind, after many years of fighting in the Great Crusade, has given the reins of power over the Legiones Astartes to his favored son Horus, who is given the title of Warmaster. However, the title of Warmaster weighs heavily on Horus as he battles the jealousy of his brother primarchs and his own feelings about being abandoned by his father. On the planet of Davin, Horus is grievously wounded and lies near death while his Legion looks on helplessly. In False Gods, the Sons of Horus must battle infighting while also defending their fallen primarch. Loken is meanwhile struggling with secrets and plots from within his own Legion, for he is a steadfast and loyal soldier who is devoted to the Imperial Truth. His brothers are engaged in secret societies and clandestine meetings and Loken strives to remain true to his own ideals and beliefs. While Horus lies in a deathless state, he must battle his own inner demons while simultaneously fending off the temptations of the gods of Chaos, aided by the whispers of the treasonous chaplain Erebus of the Word Bearers Legion. Eventually, after a great struggle, Horus emerges from his coma and rejoins his Legion, but something isn't quite right with the Warmaster. Once Horus rejoins his Legion, he immediately orders sweeping changes in the Legions, and then orders that the Sons of Horus travel to the planet where his master plan is to take place, and where the Heresy truly begins: Istvaan V.

False Gods is a fantastic addition to the mythos of Warhammer 40,000 and to the Horus Heresy as well. Graham McNeill is one of my favorite authors from the Black Library and his skill at writing is shown splendidly in this book. One of the things I love most about the Horus Heresy novels is that they don't just focus on one chapter or Legion, but tell the story from the point of view of several Legions. I had to leave out a lot of characters in my synopsis, but they are all integral to the story, and they all play their own parts in shaping the narrative. The thing with the Horus Heresy novels is that they are so complex that summarizing them is difficult, because there is so much going on in the background and the universe is so rich. Hopefully I did a decent job of it. Anyways, moving on. The battle sequences are stunningly rendered and they pull you in so that you feel as though you are right there in the midst of the action. As well, McNeill's portrayal of Horus as a beautiful, noble, yet tortured being is amazing. Horus strives to live up to his father's expectations of him, just as any son does, but his own pride and hubris lead to his eventual downfall at the hands of Chaos. The Chaos gods see Horus' flaws and exploit them, worming their way into his heart and corrupting him for their own goals and amusements. It is because of them that Horus begins to turn from the light of the God Emperor to embrace the darkness in his own soul. It is heartbreaking to see such a noble being fall so utterly. I really can't say anything more about this book other than you need to read it. If you've read Horus Rising, then you absolutely need to pick up this book. As with most trilogies, you really can't get the full impact unless you read the preceding books, so I urge you, readers, to go and pick up Horus Rising first, and once you are finished with that, go give False Gods a try. My solemn oath as a geek, you'll enjoy it. False Gods gets 5 primarchs out of 5.