Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!

J.R.R. Tolkien

Skyrim is a vast game. But not only a vast game, a vast place as well.

There is no doubt that Skyrim had massive anticipation (“hype”) on the build-up to release. Many gamers (including myself) were watching and re-watching videos of Skyrim and lavishing in any detail released about the game, no matter how small or large the detail. Even pre-release, there were cries of “Game of The Year” and many saw the game as the one-and-only; the game that would suck away the social lives of many. Indeed, a day or two before its official release, reviews from game journalists were unleashed, many awarding the game perfect, or near-perfect, scores, only cementing the idea to many that Skyrim would be unlike anything before it (at least in the RPG genre). Admittedly, I played Skyrim the entire weekend of its release (quite literally). Nearly three months on, I am still playing the game, having clocked in (at the time of writing) well over one hundred and twenty-two hours (although I only started playing again recently after a three week hiatus on the brilliant Battlefield 3).

Before I proceed further, I should point out that the only “full” Elder Scrolls games I’ve played have been Oblivion (including its expansion pack, “The Shivering Isles”) and Skyrim, respectively. I have only played a very small bit of Morrowind – nowhere near enough to draw a comparison, though (although, I’d love to play it, old as it is) – hence, my main comparison in this review will be that of Skyrim and Oblivion/The Shivering Isles.

Since the beginning, I have been playing as a Khajiit (I’m currently Level 42) – a feline race in the Elder Scrolls lore hailing from the province of Elsweyr. My main play-style is that of a mage/thief/archer (if anything, it could be narrowed down even further to just thief/archer – I use magic but not much of it). What’s different about Skyrim compared to Oblivion – and other traditional Fantasy RPGs – is that there aren’t any classes to choose from at the beginning – you play the game as you wish, developing your own play-style as you play (or playing a variety of styles). In a way, I like this method because it means I don’t have to start a whole new game if I suddenly decide that I want to be more of an axe-wielding fighter than an archer. However, it may not go down so well with those who prefer the more traditional RPG route, akin to that of Dungeons and Dragons, of choosing a class and playing solely in that class. The issue doesn’t bother me personally an awful lot because I’ve been playing the same style throughout the whole game anyway although I can see how “purists” may feel a bit miffed at the exclusion of classes. However, this is somewhat compensated for by the inclusion of Guardian Stones. These are large standing stones (usually in groups of three) scattered throughout Skyrim and which grant the player certain skills and abilities, or help to improve an existing skill (the Mage stone helps improve Magic skills, the Thief stone helps improve stealth skills, the Warrior stone helps improve combat skills and so on). The downside to the Stones is that you can only have one active at a time – if you choose the Mage Stone, you adopt its attributes, in turn losing the attributes of the Stone you previously had active.

In the main story, and throughout the game, you are a Dragonborn – a Dovahkiin – a person born with the soul of a dragon. This gives you the ability to absorb the souls of dead dragons and use them to unlock Shouts which you read from Word Walls scattered throughout the world (and which are very often guarded by a dragon). Shouts grant you special abilities such as slowing down time, unleashing fire, freezing an opponent, detecting nearby beings (heat-seeking of the Fantasy world…), calling upon an ally from another world and even calling upon a Dragon (both of which help you for a while). There are three elements to a Shout and you can use Dragon Souls to unlock each one – however, once you Shout, there is a delay before you can do so again – the more powerful a Shout, the longer the “recharge”. The most popular one, spread thanks to the Internet, is that of Unrelenting Force. What’s impressive is that these aren’t just English, German or other localisation words – there is a complete Dragon alphabet, language and even font.

The environments of Skyrim are a joy to explore and wander about. While I loved Oblivion’s traditional, Western Fantasy setting (rolling green hills and lush forests), the landscape of Cyrodiil (the main province in the game) often felt “same-ish”. The lush green was amazing, don’t get me wrong, but there wasn’t much variety in the environment (although, in fairness, I thoroughly enjoyed the environments of The Shivering Isles, small that world was compared to Cyrodiil). Skyrim, however, is much different (in a good way). I will admit, before release, I somewhat expected Skyrim to be nothing but snow – in the same way that Cyrodiil was practically nothing but forest – but I was pleasantly surprised to find that that was not the case. Certainly, there are many snowy areas in Skyrim and the snow effects are incredible – snow realistically falls and is blown about by the wind – there is so much of it at times that it blurs the world around you (you can even see individual flakes of snow if you stand still). However, there are many areas in the game that are not snow-covered. The further north you travel, the more snow you encounter, whereas areas in the west are much more barren, brown and rugged – lifeless areas devoid of settlements or homes. There are swamps where the trees are grey and crooked and sweeping tundras where cover from an attacking Dragon is non-existent. Mist smothers mountainsides and, running alongside a river, you can very often see a haze develop as the rain falls. The sound of wind is very often present and as you walk over snow you can hear it crunch. Of course, there are green forests as well which, like all the other forests, have an occasional fallen tree and tree stump to jump over and leaves which gently glide and swirl to the forest floor. There is no doubt that the world of Skyrim is much more grey than that of Cyrodiil (and feels a lot more hostile) but it is by no means less beautiful.

The towns and cities of Skyrim are just as varied as the physical world. Whiterun, in the centre, is quite an isolated city with a lot of Norse architecture – the same for Morthal north-west of it (most of Skyrim’s towns and cities reflect Norse/Viking architecture). Markarth, on the West of Skyrim, consists of grey stone and is quite claustrophobic. Solitude, in the north-west, is a port-town situated on a pinnacle of rock (which often reminds me of Minas Tirith) and is home to Imperial influence in Skyrim. Dawnstar in the north is another port-town but is quite shabby. Winterhold in the north-east is a somewhat run-down city, home to the College of Winterhold – which, like Solitude, sits on a pinnacle of rock. South of Winterhold is Windhelm – a great fortress of stone with a shanty area inside of its walls where Dark Elves live – the Nord citizens of Windhelm, harbouring xenophobic beliefs, refer to them as the “grey-skins”. South-east lies Riften, home to the Thieves Guild and which has a river flowing through it – reflecting the surrounding environment, it is more-or-less full of autumn colours – brown, gold and yellow. Lastly, in the south, Falkreath is a town hidden in the forest among tall evergreens and has a very open feel to it – you don’t pass through any gates.

The terrain of Skyrim is much harder to traverse than Oblivion’s – indeed, in some places of Skyrim, snow and brambles cover the surface of the road, making it hard to follow. In Oblivion, you could take a short-cut by, more-or-less, heading off the road and into the forest. In Skyrim, there are quite a lot of mountains to overcome, particularly in the south and north-east. This can make your journey by foot even longer – and sometimes more frustrating – as you try to find a way up (or around) the mountainside. In my experience, it’s harder to jump up the mountains in Skyrim than those in Cyrodiil. It perhaps isn’t helped much by the fact that the skill of Acrobatics is no longer present, like in Oblivion – in Oblivion, I could (quite easily) jump up the side of the Jerall Mountains near Bruma – in Skyrim, it’s not that easy as the experience is more like climbing a real mountain (the reason being, I think, because the mountains in Skyrim are much steeper and higher than those in Cyrodiil).

Not only is the physical environment of Skyrim a joy to explore but its citizens and creatures are, in my opinion, much more interesting than Oblivion’s. Trolls, wolves, spriggans and rats look much fiercer and menacing and bandits are more fun to fight (even if they do often come out with, “You’ll make a fine rug, cat!”). My only criticism towards the world is that it feels too barren at times. There have been times when playing the game that I’ve travelled (on foot) from one end of Skyrim to the other and came across, quite literally, one or two creatures or thieves (although, in fairness, I’ve found that I encounter many more enemies in the West and North of Skyrim). It’s good in that you can explore the world without any real danger of your exploration being rudely interrupted but, as some posters on the Bethesda forums stated, it can feel lonely at times. Saying that, there is no doubt that the world is geographically huge. Unlike in Oblivion, you can sprint in Skyrim. Although my sprint level is much higher now than when I first started, it still takes me a long time (in real world terms) to get from West to East or North to South – you can spend some coin to use the services of a horse and cart – although, these are controlled by an NPC and you don’t get to experience the actual journey. You can, of course, still Fast-Travel to places you’ve previously discovered, just like in Oblivion. To be honest, I try to avoid Fast-Travel – I think that if you excessively use it, you not only miss out on opportunities to improve your character but you also miss out on the astounding beauty and scale of Skyrim itself.

To help you along in the world, you are given a 3D map which you can zoom in and out of (a physical, paper one – with only the major routes and cities on it – comes with the actual game – at least, my copy of the game did). To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the in-game map (the physical, paper map is gorgeous with more of a rough texture than the slighter smoother Oblivion map). While the in-game map is nice to look at, showing real-time weather in different areas as well as the actual geography of Skyrim, I have found it to be more of a hindrance than a help in practical terms. For instance, say you are given a Quest – a Quest arrow appears at the location of it on your map – you look to see where the location of the Quest is and see that it looks quite close – only on closer inspection do you find that the location is actually behind the 3D mountain, not on it. Oblivion’s in-game map was a simple, flat one but it worked well and I didn’t have (and still don’t have) any issues with it. For Skyrim, I can’t help but think that Bethesda thought, “Hey, cool aesthetic feature!” and didn’t think of its practicality. To me, they should have stuck with 2D for the map – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Many people who play RPGs do so because they love doing Quests. And of these, there are many. There is the Main Quest, Side Quests and Miscellaneous tasks (the nature of which mostly involve you finding and collecting things, or killing a bandit leader – some do, however, evolve into larger Quest-lines – the Dark Brotherhood Quest-line, for example, starts out as a Miscellaneous task). By-and-large, the Quests are fun and quite rewarding (sometimes you get a nice sword, get an attribute increased or even just receive coin – for some Quests, however, you can’t help but wonder why you bothered going to all the trouble once you get your “reward”). The characters and people you encounter in the world, and in the Quests, are very interesting – some are nice, some are nasty and some are just plain nuts. A criticism of Oblivion was that you often heard the same voice actor in several roles (which was true). I must admit, the problem seems to have been alleviated in Skyrim – in my experience, I quite rarely hear the same voice actor time-and-time again, the exception being the town guards, some of whom sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger (seventy voice actors were used for Skyrim, whereas only seventeen were used in Oblivion and The Shivering Isles – thirteen for the former, four for the latter, according to IMDb).

If anything, there are two Main Quest-lines: one involves you saving the world from the prophesied return of the Dragons, the other has you fighting in Skyrim’s civil war with either the Stormcloaks (a group wanting Skyrim to be free from the Empire) or with the Imperial Legion (a group who believe that Skyrim should remain in the Empire).

To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy either of the Main Quest-lines – the Dragon Quest-line was fun but far too short with a very abrupt ending – even-so, the story was mostly boring (I doubt it’ll be winning any writing prizes soon); the Civil War, on the other hand, mostly involved going to, and taking over, Forts with your fellow men (and women) – these expeditions were fun at first but soon got tedious – you do, however, on two or three occasions, get the opportunity to attack a city held by the enemy. I actually enjoyed these – there were catapults and lots of NPCs on-screen – it felt like a real siege (I joined the Stormcloaks in the game but I’m assuming the same is true if you join the Imperial Legion).

If I had to describe the ending to each Quest-line, however, I would call them anti-climatic (especially the Dragonborn one). I don’t want to spoil the stories too much but I didn’t think they had much closure to them. I find it baffling because, usually, the Main Quest is the highlight of an RPG – it takes centre-stage (at least, it’s supposed to) – Side Quests, strictly speaking, are just that: asides – things to keep you playing the game a bit longer after you’ve completed the Main Quest. To me, a lot of the Side Quests were (and are) much more interesting and engaging – not only the stories and objectives but the characters as well – I didn’t find myself caring much about the characters in either the Dragonborn or Civil War quest-lines. Not only that, but I found the Quest-lines to be very linear, although this is an issue I have in general with regards to The Elder Scrolls’ Main Quest-lines – very often, you’re set on a linear path and can’t determine the outcome of the story in any significant manner – you’re very often “the good guy” with only limited leeway morally (Knights of The Old Republic and Dragon Age: Origins did a better job at that, in my opinion – maybe Bethesda should take a leaf out of BioWare’s book).

By-and-large, the game-play of Skyrim is incredibly fun. Combat has much more “weight” to it than Oblivion. You can hear arrows whistle from your bow (or whizzing past you from an enemy) and the sound they give when slamming into an enemy’s flesh is intensely satisfying to hear. While one-handed combat has been improved from Oblivion, there are still times when it’s hard to know if you’ve truly hit your enemy. Blood splatters out but, other than that, there aren’t many other indicators (apart from their health-bar) to tell you if you’re damaging an opponent (perhaps dismemberment was excluded to avoid raising the age-rating of the game further). Skyrim also sees the inclusion of two-handed combat. You can now dual-wield one-handed weapons and spells – dual-wielding spells makes the spells more powerful (but, as a result, drains more of your Magicka – or magic) – dual-wielding one-handed swords inflicts more damage. You don’t have to dual-wield the same spells (or swords) – you can, for instance, use a healing spell in one hand and a fire spell in the other.

My impression of the magic in the game is that it takes more of a back-seat than in Oblivion. Some on the Bethesda forums (I visit the place quite often!) have suggested that this is because of the nature of Skyrim itself – it is the home of Humans – a hardy people – who view magic as something alien (in fact, I remember stumbling across a Nord Mage in the College in Winterhold – a Mages’ Guild – who disclosed to me the same opinion – they believed in the power of magic but their family didn’t). Indeed, in the town of Winterhold itself, many of the citizens blame the town’s misfortunes on the College – a lot of the town was swept into the sea aeons ago, but the College survived with little damage – hence, many of the townspeople believe that the Mages were involved in some malicious intent. Some spells that were in Oblivion, like opening locked doors, are now gone – spell-making is no longer present either. The spell effects are very impressive, however – healing produces a golden orb in your hand, or you can use that same hand to shoot bolts of lightning (akin to BioShock).

If combat isn’t your thing, you can chop wood, blacksmith, enchant weapons and armour or just simply fish. Alchemy makes a return in the game though is slightly different to how it was in Oblivion. In Oblivion, you needed a Mortar and Pestle (and some ingredients) to create basic potions (with the addition of Retorts, Calcinators and Alembics). What I loved about Oblivion’s Alchemy was that you could do it anywhere, any time (provided enemies weren’t present). In Skyrim, you can only do Alchemy at an Alchemy table – like Oblivion, however, eating raw ingredients reveals one of their properties. Personally, I much prefer Oblivion’s Alchemy (I was even a Master of it at one stage).

Another curious thing I’ve noticed removed is that of damage to weapons and armour (as far as I can tell). In Oblivion, your weapons and armour had “health”, representing their condition – the more a weapon was used, the more it deteriorated – the more blows a piece of armour took, the more it deteriorated. After a certain time, you needed to repair your items either yourself, using repair hammers, or by paying someone else for the job. In Skyrim, your weapons have damage, weight and value numbers (or, in the case of armour, armour instead of damage…) but no “health”. What this means, essentially, is that you can head into a dungeon without fear of your sword or shield breaking. While this sounds appealing (and it is, in a way), I do miss its exclusion. For me, having weapons and armour have condition gave the game a strategic element – you couldn’t head into a dungeon “bows blazing” if the condition of your bow (or armour) was extremely low – you would engage in combat only for your bow or armour to break in the heat of it. While this was perhaps a pain to some, it never bothered me because repair hammers were (quite often) easy to find – even so, you could always loot your enemy and take their sword if yours was about to snap.

In Skyrim, you can have a follower alongside you – you can give orders to them and kit out their inventory to make them more effective in battle. It’s nice having an extra pair of hands to help you out when you’re overwhelmed with enemies, or even just for the company as followers sometimes tell you the history and ways of a race. When I first read about the follower system, my first thought was that of babysitting – I thought that if you had a follower, you’d have to constantly monitor them (“The Sims: Skyrim”). In general, though, your followers don’t need much (if any) attending to – they follow you and you can dismiss them at any time. Granted, the system is quite shallow compared to that of Dragon Age: Origins’, in which you could tell individuals in your group what to do in various scenarios (e.g. do this when an enemy is detected) – sometimes in Skyrim, your followers will give your position away if you’re trying to sneak past undetected, block your line of sight or block your path entirely. Even-so, followers are often random characters – in Dragon Age, you could learn about the pasts and stories of those in your group; in Skyrim, that’s somewhat non-existent.

I must admit that I am quite disappointed by the UI (User Interface) of the game. One thing I loved about Oblivion was that you could see your character beside your inventory – you could rotate him/her and check out your equipped armour and weapons. Not only that, but I think the actual layout of it was much better. In Skyrim, while you can see the object you’ve selected beside the menu (and it’s nice being able to zoom into and rotate the objects), you can’t see it on your character unless you exit the menu and enter third-person view. Your Inventory basically consists of lists (categories include Weapons, Apparel, Potions, Scrolls, Food, Ingredients and Books) – this is fine if you don’t have much equipment or loot, but it can be a pain having to scroll through loads of items to find the one you’re looking for – perhaps a search bar would have made the navigation process easier.

Like I said, I have the PS3 version of Skyrim. If you’ve been following the (gaming) news over the past couple of weeks, you will have no doubt heard (or read) many reports of PS3 gamers encountering crippling lag. I am sad to say that I, too, have been affected by said lag. At times, it is barely noticeable – the frame rate drops a little while the environment is loading – at other times it’s very noticeable, to the point of the game being unplayable and unbearable. To my knowledge, the Xbox 360 and PC versions have been unaffected by this issue. Granted, it mostly happens when I’m out in the world but, seeing as I spend most of my time there, it’s a nuisance I could do without. Bethesda say they have fixed the lag with their upcoming 1.4 patch but, like many, I am going to wait and see.

The ultimate version of Skyrim is, I believe, probably that of the PC version. I say “probably” because I haven’t got the PC version. The release of the Creation Kit will be soon, allowing users to create modifications to the game (even to the extent of completely overhauling it). If you have a powerful enough PC, I’d definitely recommend getting Skyrim for it, if anything just for the “Mods”. I remember flicking through people’s creations for Oblivion and the vast majority of them were incredibly impressive and it was great seeing the passion and depth many had towards their work – no doubt the same will be true with Skyrim. For us console users, there will most likely be official add-ons in the near future and, from what Bethesda have said, they are going to be “meaty” (no more horse armour!). In the meantime, however, I am quite content with what I have – I have done many Quests but there are still many dungeons and forts to be raided and many dragons to be killed.

To conclude my review, I definitely think you should purchase Skyrim if you haven’t done so already. The art, design and detail are incredible, the characters are interesting, the dragons are incredibly fun to fight and the Quests come in all shapes-and-sizes. Although I didn’t touch on it, the music of Jeremy Soule is captivating in the menu (I say “in the menu” because, admittedly, I keep the music turned off in-game, just because I like hearing the sounds of the environment).

To be honest, I wouldn’t say that Skyrim is the definitive Fantasy game ever made (or even the definitive RPG for that matter) – from a technical standpoint, it has a lot of niggles that still need ironed out (and hopefully will be in upcoming patches and updates) – from an artistic standpoint, it is near flawless, in my opinion (there are probably things about the game that I’ve completely missed or haven’t yet discovered).

Indeed, I may find it hard-pressed to go back to Cyrodiil because, if I went there, I can’t help but think that I would miss the land of Skyrim…

Is the PS3 a good console? Is it worth forking out upwards of £300? In my opinion, the answer is a double-edged sword: yes and no. There are things I like about the PS3 and there are other things I don’t like about it.

There is no doubt that the PS3 is a powerful console, producing some of the best-looking games on the market. With the addition of Blu-Ray, more content can be packed into a disc than ever before (double-layered Blu-Ray discs hold up to 50GB of data while a double-layered DVD only holds up to 8.7GB of data). On top of that, some of the PS3′s recent games can be played in 3D using a 3D-compatible television, bringing you closer to the action than ever before (however, 3D-compatible televisions often cost more than £1,000 – a price, I think, that may be too steep at the moment for many people so it may be some time before playing games in 3D becomes a commodity).

The games I have for my PS3 at the moment are Gran Turismo 5, Medal of Honor, Killzone 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Formula 1 2010, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Assassin’s Creed and Grand Theft Auto IV. I have also played demos of God of War III, Killzone 3 and Dragon Age 2. As I said, the PS3 produces some of the best-looking games, particularly those from first-party developers. The facial animations in MGS 4 are near photo-realistic, as is the detail on the characters and the environments; the physics as well are very impressive: water ripples and flows when a character moves through it, or splashes when bullets are fired into it; blades of grass sway in the wind and sunlight seeps through the trees. The same principle applies to Gran Turismo 5 – cars gleam with detail and track locations feel life-like, the result being an immersive experience (the downside is that Premium cars – Ferraris, Lamborghinies etc – evidently have more detail on them than Standard cars – many of which have no in-car view). Even third-party games such as F1 2010 boost impressive graphics – heat waves rise and shimmer when the cars rev their engines and cars take heavy damage when crashed. Of course, PC owners will probably say that they’ve been enjoying such technology for years (as well as what the technology can achieve), and that is somewhat true, but I think consoles are much more mainstream now than PC games, partly because consoles can match (or at least keep up with) what high-end PCs offer (not only that, but consoles are often much cheaper than high-end PCs).

Even-so, the PS3 is not lacking in exclusive titles. The line-up includes the likes of God of War, Killzone, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy, Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid, Resistance, LittleBigPlanet and Ratchet and Clank, to name a few. Saying that, being a FPS fan, I am quite disappointed that there are very few “exclusive” FPS titles on offer, and any exclusive FPS games there are are not quite as memorable as other FPS games on other platforms – there are no equivalents to Halo or Half-Life, nor are the FPS games of a similar calibre to Halo or Half-Life (strictly speaking, it is possible to play Metal Gear Solid 4 from a primarily first-person perspective but, let’s be honest, most people play the game in third-person). For years I played Halo 1 and Halo 2 on the Xbox, and again on Xbox 360 (I have never played Halo 3). Of the two, Halo 1 was by far my favourite; sure, it was repetitive at times (“The Library”, anyone?) but it was nevertheless epic, and fun, and I think it’s safe to say that I spent many hours playing and re-playing the game.

Now take Killzone 2.

Admittedly, the first time I played through it I thoroughly enjoyed it and I still think it’s a very good game and one worth buying (or at least renting). However, unlike with Halo, I have little-to-no incentive to play through Killzone 2 a second time, let alone multiple times. In terms of story, character and locale, the Killzone franchise just doesn’t float my boat (if I remember correctly, Killzone 1 for the PS2 was received quite badly). Of course, Halo’s sci-fi story wasn’t exactly revolutionary either – it involved aliens fighting Humans – but what set Halo apart, I think, was its lore, background, environments and characters. Not only that but there were many different elements and surprises to the plot: at first, the Covenant were your main enemy, then the Flood were introduced who fought both Human and Covenant; after that, in Halo 2, you saw more of the inner-workings of the Covenant hierarchy – particularly the Prophets and their Religious beliefs; then civil war erupted in the Covenant between the Brutes and the Elites, resulting in the Elites supporting the Human war effort (significant because the Elites were once Humanity’s enemy); lastly, there was an air of mystery as to who the Forerunners were. While you do learn why the Helghast fight you in Killzone 2, there weren’t any significant plot twists or revelations – something to spin the story on its head – it was, in my opinion, your typical “Good guys vs Bad guys” story. The Halo universe has been compared to that of Star Wars’ – to me, an apt link.

In fairness, quite a few FPS games haven’t got good stories but recently good story has become a much sought-for thing in first-person shooters (the prime example of how to do a good story in a FPS, in my opinion, is that of Bioshock). Another major issue I have with regards to Killzone 2 and 3 is that they are too cinematic, especially during game-play. However, it would be wrong of me to point the finger of blame solely at Killzone/Guerrilla Games (Killzone’s developers). There’s a big mantra in the gaming world today that games must be cinematic – in other words, developers must make video-games to be as film-like as possible. This, to me, is a mistake and I would argue that putting cinematic perspectives into games is not needed for games to be good or successful (or, most importantly, fun) – if cinematic perspectives are to be put into games then I think they should be used conservatively (saying that, I think certain games benefit having cinematic perspectives, like God of War. By-and-large, however, I find cinematic perspectives to be very distracting and more of a hindrance than a help). I suppose if you’re into nitty-gritty, “realistic” sci-fi games then you might enjoy Killzone 2 and 3.

Of all the games I’ve played on my PS3, Metal Gear Solid 4 is without doubt my favourite: the scope, size and depth of the game may be enough to persuade anyone to buy a PS3. Saying that, however, I think most people are not willing to buy a console for the sake of playing one game, regardless of how good the game may be. Of course, a game can be a contributing factor to a console’s success (or failure), helping to make or break it (Halo 1, for instance, helped to sell the Xbox – not just the original console but the Xbox brand itself). Ultimately, though, I think people are going to want more than one high-quality game, or reassurance that there are going to be many high-quality games.

The PS3 controller, dubbed the “DualShock 3 Sixaxis”, is wireless – the range on it being quite good – although I’ve found that when I take the controller out of the room, even down the hall, it quickly loses contact with the console (you can also use the controller the “traditional” way, by plugging it directly into one of the console’s USB ports using a USB cable; doing so also charges the controller – the cable, however, is quite short in length, meaning if you use the controller plugged in, you have to be about three or four feet close to the television). To be honest, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the PS3 controller. On the one hand, I enjoy its lightweight form – it is by no means heavy or bulky. On the other hand, however, I dislike its layout and design – there are times when it feels, well, slippery.

For instance, the  two triggers on the back of the controller curve downwards which means that, for example, if you’re playing a first-person-shooter it is very easy for your fingers to slide off in the heat of battle; there isn’t much grip to be found. What I liked about the 360′s triggers was that they curved upwards which meant that, while my fingers did come off occasionally, I had better grip. Of course, some may say that the answer to such a problem is simply to change the controller settings and, admittedly, that’s what I did with Gran Turismo 5 which has better controls for me now than when I first played it. However, in my opinion, I still think that, really, you shouldn’t need to “just” change the settings; they should be designed in such a way as to make the experience for the player as smooth, and comfortable, as possible – especially considering that most console users will use a controller, unlike gamers of a PC nature who have a mouse and keyboard at their disposal. Saying that, perhaps the difficulty in designing default, adequate controls for a controller is the fact that a) developers are limited by what they can do with a controller and b) many people have different ideas about what the default settings in a game should be. To be honest, I don’t understand why Sony designed the triggers on the DualShock 3 to curve downwards because the PS2 DualShock had flat buttons which performed much better in action (a case of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?)

Another niggle I have with regards to the controller is the analog sticks. Unlike the 360′s controller layout, the analog sticks on the DualShock are positioned right beside each other and, like the DualShock triggers, have very limited grip, curving across the top and having a matte finish – the result being that I often have to reposition my thumbs in order to regain control (to compensate, I revert to the D-pad, particularly for racing games, yet a part of me feels I shouldn’t have to do so). Another issue I have with the DualShock is that it feels cheap (literally). For instance, there are times when the controller creaks when I’m playing a game. I don’t think I’m being overly forceful with it because the same thing happens if I gently press it; it doesn’t feel strong or sturdy (I don’t have much confidence in its ability to survive a fall). The controller itself is quite small – something which took me a while to get used to after handling the 360′s slightly larger controller. On the plus side, the controller is nimble – its size means I don’t have to clear much room around my PlayStation or television. Ergonomically, though, I think its design could have been made better in order for it to have a more natural feel, or fit, when being held and particularly when held in the hands of someone playing a game (Sony and PlayStation being based in Japan, I’m not sure if small, “nimble” controllers is a Japanese trait; maybe us Westerners really do think bigger-is-better). There are a few third-party PlayStation controllers on the market, like the Nyko Zero or Logitech’s Cordless Precision Controller, which may be worth investing in (personally, I haven’t tried either so I can’t recommend one or the other).

Stating the obvious, the PS3 has a built-in Blu-Ray player, meaning you can not only play Blu-Ray games but you can also watch Blu-Ray movies. Admittedly, I haven’t yet watched a Blu-Ray movie using it, only DVD movies. I sometimes find that DVD movies look blurry when played in the console. To be honest, I’m not sure if the issue lies with my own PS3′s settings or if it’s “just” the type of Blu-Ray player the PS3 uses. Granted, sometimes the blurriness is barely noticeable but at other times it’s very noticeable (for the record, my PS3 is connected to a HDTV in my sun-room at home). Saying that, however, there is also a Blu-Ray player in my living room, also connected to a HDTV, which doesn’t have an issue with blurriness.

What makes the PS3 similar to a PC is the fact that its storage capacity can be upgraded using another HDD (Hard Disc Drive). However, the replacement HDD has to be a 2.5 inch (internal) Serial ATA. Even-so, I doubt anyone would need more than 200GB (250GB at the most) but perhaps the size of the HDD depends on how much you are willing to download, save and install (and how much you do download, save and install). Much like the 360, you don’t get the full number of GB advertised to play with. For instance, while my PS3 has a HDD of “320GB”, I “only” get 298GB to use (which is plenty for me) – the other 22GB are reserved for essential system files.

In terms of on-line, I find that the PlayStation Network is quite good. Like most things with the PS3, though, I think it has an upside and a downside. On the upside, the service itself is free (but you still need to pay for broadband in order to access it) – if you so desire, you can pay a subscription to “PlayStation Plus” which lets you receive automatic console updates and even gives you access to demos earlier than non-PlayStation Plus consumers. On the downside to the PSN, I sometimes find it difficult trying to find anything in the PlayStation Store (where you can access demos, videos and even full games, including past PlayStation classics – all pluses in my opinion). What I liked about Xbox Live was the layout of it; it was very easy to find a demo of a game you were looking for in the Xbox Marketplace. In the PlayStation Store, I often have to manually type in the game-name in the search bar and sift through lists of results to find what I’m looking for. In terms of accessibility, I find the PlayStation Store to be very poor. While you have to pay for Xbox Live Gold in order to play on-line and access other areas, I do think you get the better package overall. In an attempt to be more community-orientated, Sony developed “PlayStation Home” – the idea being that you have your own virtual avatar/home, can invite people round and do things collectively. I tried Home once and haven’t used it since – it seems very few people do use it, perhaps the reason being that there’s not much to do in it. It’s like a water-downed version of The Sims.

From July 2008 onwards, Trophies were introduced and incorporated into PS3 games. Players can achieve Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum trophies based on what they accomplish in-game. The more Trophies a player unlocks, the higher their Gamer level becomes. The concept isn’t really new. The Xbox 360 from 2005 has allowed players to have Gamerscores and unlock game Achievements. However, despite the somewhat unoriginal nature of the Trophy system, it does add a more competitive touch to your, and your friends’, overall gaming experience. Saying that, the good thing about Xbox Live is that your and your friends’ Gamercards are easily accessible, meaning you can quickly see who is ahead of who in terms of overall points. On the PS3, there is no “card” in the XMB (Xcross Media Bar) which clearly shows you your score and/or level, nor does the same apply to your friends – if I want to know whether or not I’ve achieved more Trophies in a particular game than my friend, I have to manually go to my friend’s profile, open a menu and in that menu select “Compare Trophies”. While it’s not the slowest or most complicated of processes, it would be nice if it was more streamlined.

Granted, PSN is still somewhat in its infancy and has potential to develop into something better but, as of now, it’s not quite up to the same standard, or quality, as other on-line services.

A big area Sony and Microsoft have been trying to dominate lately is that of motion-sensing, currently the Wii’s stronghold. Sony have been pushing their PlayStation Move motion controller and the Eye Camera, while Microsoft have been pushing Kinect. To me, while motion-sensing is (or can be) an excellent form of video-gaming, it’s not essential criteria. Saying that, however, I am very impressed by how Microsoft are incorporating Kinect into their games – indeed, Kinect seems to be a major area of interest for Microsoft and their first-party developers. In Forza Motorsport 4, for instance, a person can use Kinect to steer cars (using an “air wheel”, essentially); as well as that, head-tracking is incorporated into the game using Kinect, meaning a person can walk around cars and inspect their details (the same feature is in Gran Turismo 5 but seems to be used to a much lesser degree). While, admittedly, I prefer having the feel of a plastic steering wheel in my hands when playing car racing games (just as I like having a real steering wheel when driving a car in real life!), the idea of being able to control a car in-game using an “air wheel” is, I admit, an ingenious idea – it saves having to buy a steering wheel and Kinect (although I love driving and car games, not having to buy both peripherals is useful if not you’re only mildly into racing games). Sony’s Eye camera, on the other hand, strikes me as being much less prominent in the PlayStation arsenal. While I don’t own one myself (nor have I ever used one), the Eye seems to be marketed as more of a side-dish than a main course – it’s available for you to buy and use but, to me, it doesn’t seem to be at the forefront of the PlayStation brand.

The PS3 is certainly a powerhouse and, in terms of what it can deliver in size and scale of games, is a machine to be reckoned with, as well as a worthy competitor to the Xbox 360 and the Wii. However, in terms of sales between the PS3 and the 360, the 360 is clearly winning the race (of course, just because one thing sells more than another doesn’t necessarily mean the lesser-selling product is worse or that the greater-selling product is better). To be honest, though, I doubt either Sony or Microsoft are losing sleep over a bit of financial loss in both their respective gaming sectors (or maybe they are!). Saying that, being last in the current console war, one can’t help but wonder what the future holds for the PS3 (especially considering it’s into its fourth/fifth year of release). In fairness, the PS3 isn’t lagging behind the 360 in sales by much – although, when I say “much”, I mean about five million units (according to Wikipedia)!

Don’t misunderstand me, this isn’t an anti-Sony or anti-PlayStation rant (if anything, I think I’ve given quite a bit of credit to the PS3). Sony are a great company and, despite its drawbacks, I thoroughly enjoy my PS3. However, there are problems with the hardware that I think need addressed (like the controller, for instance). If such problems were fixed, or improved upon, then I think the PlayStation 3 could be an even worthier competitor in the “Console War” (not to mention an all-round better product). Granted, the Xbox 360 is not perfect either but, in my opinion, I think it’s the better console of the two. Whilst the 360 may not excel in disc space, I do think it offers an all-round better gaming and social experience (hopefully Microsoft will keep disc space/format in mind when designing the next iteration of Xbox).

If I was writing this post four or five-years-ago, I could probably get away with saying, “Wait a couple of years”. This being 2011, however, I’m not sure if that same sentiment applies. Near the PS3′s launch, Sony commented that they saw the console as having a ten-year life cycle (the release of a theoretical “PlayStation 4″ being in 2016). If that is the case, the PS3 has reached half-way. In fairness, it hasn’t been a bad ride so far: Killzone 2 and 3 have been released, as have Metal Gear Solid 4, the Resistance and Uncharted series respectively and other nice add-ons such as Move (of course, playing games in 3D is also a big asset). Saying that, in some respects, the novelty of the console has worn off for me. I still intend to keep my PS3 but I hope that something on an epic scale comes along that will make me thrilled to own a PS3.

Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later…

When “Bioshock” was released about three-years-ago, it sent a wave of excitement throughout the gaming world. The gaming website, IGN said in their review of “Bioshock”:

…to call this game simply a first-person shooter, a game that successfully fuses gameplay and narrative, is really doing it a disservice. This game is a beacon. It’s one of those monumental experiences you’ll never forget, and the benchmark against which games for years to come will, and indeed must, be measured. This isn’t merely an evolution of System Shock 2, but a wake-up call to the industry at large. Play this, and you’ll see why you should demand something more from publishers and developers, more than all those derivative sequels forced down our throats year after year with only minor tweaks in their formulas. It’s a shining example of how it’s possible to bring together all elements of game design and succeed to the wildest degree.

To be honest, I can’t really outline my admiration for “Bioshock” any better than that. “Bioshock” has been the only game which I’ve managed to go back to time-after-time; to me, it is simply mind-blowing and a masterpiece in video-gaming. Sure, the last few sections of the game seem disjointed and rushed (boss battle, anyone?) but, overall, it is a glorious package. The only other game which I often go back to is “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″ but even it’s nothing compared to “Bioshock” (in fact, as contradictory as it sounds, I sometimes find “Modern Warfare 2″ incredibly boring and overly “Hollywoodised”- it’s good on a couple of play-throughs and it has some really fun levels, but it can often get repetitive and linear). In “Bioshock”, you can manipulate the environment (thanks to Havok Physics), you can turn your enemies against each other, you can hack enemy turrets and security cameras, you can stop oncoming missiles and fire them back, as well as a host of many other things: it really is a playground of destruction and imagination (granted, a playground with a rating of 18+).

One of my favourite aspects of “Bioshock” is the art design of Rapture- it has a 1950s Art Deco style throughout it: from the music and the advertisements right down to the interior and exterior of the buildings- while it is Fantasy (or should that be “Science Fiction”?), it does also feel like the relevant time period. The water effects are some of, if not the, best around- that may not be surprising, considering the entire game-world takes place miles underwater, but it makes (I think) for a more believable experience and breathes more life into Rapture- water drips from the ceilings and falls into puddles below, creating ripple effects, while streams of water splash on the floor. Walking around the environment, it’s clear that the developers had love for their labour and you can clearly see the fruits of it- the attention to detail is staggering and the A.I., of both friend and foe, is top-notch (yes, sometimes friendly security bots can get in your way, causing you to accidentally fire on them, but they’re generally effective).

I must admit, however, that I haven’t got “Bioshock 2″. To be honest, though, I’m not sure if I do want it. It looks great, no doubt, but from what I’ve seen of it it just doesn’t seem to have that same appeal as the first game. In “Bioshock 2″ (correct me if I’m wrong on this), you play the role of one of the first ever Big Daddy prototypes called “Subject Delta”. I think what was great about the first game was the fact that you played as a Human Being (called Jack) which made the story (at least, to me anyway) seem more Human in nature.

What I, and many others, love about “Bioshock” is the crumbling, depressing nature of Rapture- yes, it is beautiful and a marvel to look at but it is also decadent and (literally) falling to bits- it is dark, creepy and unwelcoming at times- you have to keep your wits about you. “Bioshock 2″ (again, correct me if I’m wrong), also took place in Rapture and has that same depressing feel about it. I admit that I’ve had my own mini-debate in my head as to whether or not “Bioshock” is a horror game in the true sense of the word. In my opinion, it isn’t (at least, not exclusively). Certainly, there are elements of “horror” involved: there is tense music, there are flickering lights, and people jump out at you from the dark. However, to me, the game is more “scary” in the psychological sense than in the “jump-out-at-you” sense. For example, you might hear quick footsteps behind you followed by an echoing laugh- the “scary surprise” isn’t slapped in your face- instead, the game tries to play at your nerves- it tries to make you crack- it tries to make you think to yourself, “I’ll not go in there” or, “I’m being followed”. What also contributes to the “fear-factor” is the superb sound and music, which can range from wailing children and fast-paced drums to slow violin strings, each conveying a different emotion or sentiment in the player.

The characters of “Bioshock” (much like the music) can range from the reasonable to the outright insane: there is quite a wide spectrum of personalities, with many of Rapture’s citizens voicing their views of the city and of its architect, Andrew Ryan, through the use of Audio Diaries (which the player can collect). One prominent thing about “Bioshock” is that there are no cinematic “movies” in the game- the story is told through Audio Diaries, newspaper cuttings and even Propaganda- in some respects, you, the player, are the detective who has to piece together (as best as possible) what exactly happened to Rapture and why.

I think what stands Rapture out from the crowd is the fact that it feels like a living, breathing city. For instance, if you go into a room and clear it of enemies, that doesn’t necessarily mean that that room will then always be empty of enemies- the Splicers of Rapture still walk around- just because you cleared a room (or an area) doesn’t guarantee that you can go there again without incident. Some may find that irritating but I actually find it interesting- to me, it makes the game feel more alive because you’re not just mindlessly killing a set number of NPCs (non-player characters)- it also means that you have to be on your toes and not let your guard down.

Another interesting aspect to Rapture is the philosophical, religious and quasi-religious sides to it. At the beginning of the game, your plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean- you then have to walk from the wreckage to a lighthouse in the distance. On entering it, you are greeted by the sight of a giant bust of Andrew Ryan, with a banner across it saying:

No gods or kings. Only Man.

The fundamental philosophy of Ryan, and of Rapture, is that of Free Enterprise and Free Will: putting Man, not God, Government or Monarchy, at the centre of existence. At least, that was the idea. You soon discover that religion is more prominent than you are initially led to believe. Crucifixes and Bibles have been smuggled in in boxes. Splicers walk around singing, “Jesus Loves Me” and saying things like, “Even at the bottom of the ocean, He sees everything!”. Likewise, the names of places in Rapture have connotations with Greek mythology (such as Hephaestus, Apollo, Olympus and Prometheus)- even “Rapture” conjures up the idea of ascension, or rising (in Christianity, the Rapture is an event in which those on Earth, who are saved by Christ, ascend into Heaven).

At this point, I suppose I should mention that “Bioshock” and “Bioshock 2″ were made by different developers: “Bioshock” was made by Irrational Games, whereas “Bioshock 2″ was made by 2K Marin. One thing that was in “Bioshock 2″ that wasn’t in “Bioshock” was the inclusion of multiplayer. For me, this was always going to be a bit tricky. You see, what I loved about “Bioshock” was the fact that it was single-player. Not to sound incredibly anti-social, but I think it’s nice that, for once, a game’s experience is made for one, single player in mind.

Now, behold the new entry in the “Bioshock” franchise: Bioshock Infinite.

“Infinite” is, thankfully, being made by Irrational Games. It has only recently been announced and not a lot of information has been made available, other than it’s set in 1912 on a flying city in the sky called, “Columbia”. In the game, you play as detective Booker DeWitt, sent to the city to investigate the disappearance of a woman there called Elizabeth:

In 1900, Columbia is unveiled as a symbol of America’s success as a nation. It floats around the world as a traveling World’s Fair, a marvel of human innovation. But an international incident involves the city and it turns out that the airborne metropolis is also heavily armed. A confrontation occurs, and Columbia disappears into the clouds.

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/111/1111864p1.html

Photo Courtesy of IGN

Although I don’t want to judge too much too soon, I will admit that I do feel a tinge of disappointment after seeing the new screen-shots and trailer of “Infinite”. Yes, the game looks stunning, no question about it (it’s running on Unreal Engine 3, whereas the original “Bioshock” was on 2.5) but, by the looks of it, it doesn’t seem to have that “Bioshock” flair. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great that Irrational are trying something new with the series but a part of me can’t help but feel that, in this case, it’s true what they say: “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”.

I suppose the first “Bioshock” was always going to be a tall order and a hard game to live up to. Likewise, I suppose there was always the issue surrounding whether or not it should have sequels. Sequels, done properly, can be great (“The Two Towers” is often thought of as better than “The Fellowship of The Ring”; even “The Empire Strikes Back” is held in high regard). However, if not done properly, sequels can turn out worse than their predecessors, so there is somewhat of a gamble involved.

One thing I hope Irrational (or any other developer) doesn’t do is “milk” the “Bioshock” franchise (there is even going to be a “Bioshock” movie at some point). I suppose the same is true with anything popular: more-and-more of it is released to feed the people’s hunger of wanting more-and-more of it. Take the “Final Fantasy” series, for example: about thirteen or fourteen games in the series have been released on various consoles (granted, mostly on Playstation but it has also expanded into the Xbox, the PC and hand-helds). I honestly couldn’t tell you what happened in “Final Fantasy VI” or “Final Fantasy IX”.

Of course, if what is released is genuinely good then that’s fine, but I don’t like it when things are released for the sake of appeasing fans or for the sake of increasing revenue. Truth be told, ideally I would have liked “Bioshock” to be its own game- I didn’t (and don’t) really see the need for a “Bioshock 2″ or a “Bioshock Infinite”. “Bioshock”, on its own, did the job for me- it won me over with its charm, its beauty and its fear-factor (indeed, even though I’ve used the word, one could argue that “Bioshock” shouldn’t be made into a “franchise” at all). Sure, it would have been nice to see more of Rapture and to meet more of its bizarre citizens, but I’m happy with what I got. “Bioshock” had RPG elements, but I don’t think it was meant to be a “RPG” in the sense that “The Elder Scrolls” games are open-world RPGs. I liked what I saw of Rapture and that’s that.

A couple of years ago, Ken Levine (“Bioshock’s” Creative Director) did a commentary and showed a walk-through of some of “Bioshock’s” enemies, weapons and abilities (I think it was at E3 2006. I’m sure you can catch the video on Youtube). I remember watching it and thinking to myself, “Wow!”. It was really that video (roughly fifteen-minutes-long) which sparked my interest in “Bioshock”- it was unlike anything else: the graphics, the design and the special effects all looked stunning (and remained, more-or-less, unchanged in the final game)- it was a video I wanted to watch over-and-over again. The same mentality stayed with me when the “Bioshock” demo was released on the Xbox Marketplace a few weeks before the full game was released- I repeatedly played the demo and, even though it was a bit short, it was very sweet.

“Bioshock Infinite” wont be released until 2012 so there is still some time to go before we get our hands on it. However, I am somewhat reassured by the fact that Irrational have been working on the game (or so they say) since the completion of “Bioshock” (so it should, I hope, be well-polished by the time of release). I hope and pray, however, that Irrational don’t churn out “Bioshock” after “Bioshock” after “Bioshock”. If they do decide to release another “Bioshock” after “Infinite” I hope they don’t rush its production. Granted, by the time “Infinite” is released, it will have been five years since Irrational first released “Bioshock”, so it might be unfair to accuse them of releasing multiple versions of their products.

In an interview with ShackNews, Irrational’s director of Product Development, Timothy Gerritsen, commented on the name of, “Bioshock Infinite”:

There are so many possibilities that we have for the concept that is a BioShock game, and that’s really the declarative statement. That’s why we called it Infinite, instead of just calling it BioShock 3. It’s not just a number, it’s not just a sequel. This truly is a new experience. We want to build something new. So really to us, this is a new IP.

I trust Irrational will do a fine job on “Infinite”…and I hope they would kindly take their time…

About four-years-ago, I bought “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion”. To be honest, I haven’t had much experience with The Elder Scrolls series. A good friend of mine had (and probably still does have) “The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind” for the PC and I remember going over to his house and playing it with him. Even though I’ve had “Oblivion” for four years, it is a game I find myself coming back to again-and-again. Graphically, the game is astonishing- from the lush green of the trees to the dark and gloomy Forts, where only flickers of light guide your path. The detail on the weapons, clothes, shops and even the sky are so intrinsic. Trumpets blare when enemies are nearby or come charging towards you, only to be replaced by melody after they’re gone (the soundtrack was created by composer, Jeremy Soule and, in my opinion, is superb). The sheer, geographical size of “Oblivion” is mind-blowing. A couple of days ago (real-world time), I was climbing the snowy Jerall Mountains near the town of Bruma (itself quite Viking-esque). I reached what I thought was the highest peak and gazed at my surroundings. In the far distance (probably miles away in-game), I could see the Imperial City with its White Gold Tower looming. Dotted here-and-there were other towns and settlements. Needless to say, standing atop the mountain was quite incredible.

My character is an Imperial Warrior who uses a combination of magic, stealth and blade and has gained entry into the Arcane University in the Imperial City. Although I find the Mages Guild Questline too easy (in fact, it’s probably the easiest Guild Questline), it is a lot of fun, mostly because of the spells and other magic involved.

What I like most about Cyrodill (the province where the main game takes place- although it’s just one province in a continent called “Tamriel”- itself part of a world called “Nirn”) is that each city in it has its own vibe- the city of Bruma, for example, is snowy and has Viking-esque architecture; Anvil is a bright harbour city with its own quay; Bravil is mossy, run-down and (in my opinion) quite depressing; Leyawiin is similar to Bravil and is quite isolated from everywhere else, situated on marsh land and surrounded by the Blackwood forest. (I must chip in here and say that Cyrodiil looks a lot like the geographical shape of Northern Ireland- where I currently live).

One thing I do find disappointing is that the cities are very quiet (perhaps with the exception of the Imperial City, which isn’t surprising considering it’s the centre of the world). For example, a few days ago (real-world time), I was walking around the city of Skingrad when I thought to myself, “Where is everyone?”- there were only a couple of residents and guards walking around. However, saying that, the game was developed for the PC and the Xbox 360- obviously, a console will not be able to support as many citizens as a high-end PC might. The unfortunate thing about the Xbox 360 version (and perhaps it also applies to the PS3 version as well) is that it’s impossible to modify the game (at least, not legally!). The PC version comes with a “Construction Set” which allows players to create their own mods (short for “modifications”), whether it be in the form of new houses, quests, people, back-stories or weapons (or even to completely overhaul the game- I once saw a “The Lord of The Rings”-style mod).

I’ve played about eleven real-time hours with my current character and have barely touched the Main Questline. In fact, I’ve avoided it altogether for now. At the moment, I’m progressing my way through the Thieves Guild and have just recently joined the Dark Brotherhood (an assassin-type “cult” in which murder is involved).

A few days ago, real-world time, I completed the “Vampire Cure” Quest. I was, in my opinion unfortunately, turned into a full-blown Vampire (the disease is called, “Porphyric Hemophilia”) which resulted in me having to find a cure (and not just for myself, but also the Count of Skingrad, Janus Hassildor, who is also a Vampire). Strictly speaking, you don’t have to find a cure for it (as far as I’m aware, a cure is not compulsory)- you can, if you want, remain a Vampire for the entire game- I find it a nuisance more than anything as I like to be able to walk around when it’s sunny and not worry about my health being affected. I will say, however, that the Quest to find the Vampire Cure is, in my opinion, one of the most frustrating in the game. One of the requirements is that you need to find five empty Grand Soul Gems and give them to a woman called Melisande (an old witch- not an expression of disgust- she is actually an old/elderly witch!). Finding the Gems, at least to me, is not easy. I tried every Mages Guild and got about two or three (I honestly can’t remember where I got the others!). Once you find the Gems, you then need to gather ingredients, get the Blood of an Argonian and get the ashes of a powerful Vampire called Hindaril (granted, finding the ingredients isn’t too bad- I basically went to a couple of Alchemical shops and bought what I needed- “The Main Ingredient” in the Imperial City Market District was quite useful for that. Getting the ashes of the Vampire, as well as the Blood of an Argonian, was a little bit harder).

There is an element in the game called “Fast Travel”. Basically, this allows you to instantly go to a particular place (however, it can’t be anywhere, it has to be a Fort, town, village or other place that you’ve physically “discovered”- as well as that, it only works if you’re not being chased by enemies and aren’t taking health damage). I admit that I occasionally use “Fast Travel” (perhaps more than I should), especially when I’m in a hurry. However, I do think it can be relied upon too much. While it does help in quickly finishing Quests, I do find that there is more pleasure in running from place-to-place. You get to see and discover more but you also help your character to level up and improve. Granted, enemies tend to level up with you (although I think it stops after you reach a particular level) but levelling up also gives you access to Quests and abilities which require the player to be a particular level.

I think what makes “Oblivion” popular (and the rest of The Elder Scrolls series) is that it feels like a real world- it feels like “The Lord of The Rings” (I know that maybe sounds like a contradiction- what I mean is: it feels believable). In “Oblivion”, the characters are controlled by “Radiant AI”- this means that they are not “static”- they go about their business, they talk to each other and they introduce new Topics of interest for the player to enquire about. Granted, many of the conversations are repetitive and sometimes the characters’ voice-acting sounds a bit stale (I don’t know how many times I’ve heard, “I saw a mud crab the other day”). As well as that, many of the characters have the same voice- it seems that the actors were assigned to certain roles- however, in a game as large as “Oblivion”, perhaps it’s not surprising that the actors’ voices had to be “recycled”. Two unique voices in the game are those of Patrick Stewart, who voices Emperor Uriel Septum VII, and Sean Bean, who plays Uriel Septum’s illegitimate son, Martin. Uriel Septum, however, only appears in the opening section to “Oblivion”, before he is then assassinated (so, goodbye Patrick Stewart). Martin/Sean Bean, however, remains in the game until you finish the Main Questline. It would have been nice to have had more actors like Patrick Stewart and Sean Bean included in the game, but then there might have been a danger of making the game “Hollywoodised” (it might also have been more expensive for the developers- making a large, open-ended game and employing the services of many Hollywood actors/actresses).

As well as the main game, there are also a couple of official add-ons for “Oblivion”, the most prominent one probably being the expansion pack, “Shivering Isles”, in which you travel to Lord Sheogorath‘s plane of Oblivion- a mad and crazy place. There is also the “Knights of The Nine” plug-in and the lesser received “Horse Armour Pack” (horses in “Oblivion” are often terrible to ride as they feel clunky, jump about a foot high and can’t attack- the Armour, to many people, seemed pointless and a waste of money). So, even if you get bored with the main game (which, in my opinion, is unlikely to happen) you still have other goodies to try out.

Even if you never touched any Quest, you could still have a good time playing “Oblivion”. The physics engine used is that of “Havok” and, while it can be a bit glitchy at times, it is a lot of fun experimenting with- as grotesque as it sounds, you can throw people and animals off the sides of cliffs and watch them plunge hundreds of feet to their death. Or, if you wanted to, you could explore and plunder every cave, Fort and village. A bizarre situation happened to me two-days-ago: I was carrying out a Quest given to me by the Arcane University, which required me to investigate the Mages Guild in Bruma (it had stopped correspondence with the University and I was sent to find out why). When I got there, I found the place destroyed and infested with Undead creatures (it had been attacked by Necromancers). When I encountered some Undead skeletons, I lured them out of the Guild and into the town- it just so happened that it was about noon and many people were walking around. Hilarity ensued when the townspeople, including the guards, started fighting with about three skeletons (who wiped out quite a few townspeople)- I held back and watched the chaos unfold.

The motto of the game (and, I think, of the entire Elder Scrolls series) is that of: “Live another life in another world”. In “Oblivion”, that is certainly the case- to me, it does feel like I have another life in the game.

I have read some views by players which say that Bethesda, the developer of the series, should develop an entirely on-line version of, “The Elder Scrolls”- sort of like, “World of Warcraft” only, “Oblivion On-line” or something similar. I admit that I am sceptical of the idea. I also admit that I have always wanted to try, “World of Warcraft” but thought I might become addicted to it. Perhaps “Oblivion On-line” would only work if the number of players in a particular server was reduced to maybe two or three- sort of like “Guild Wars” where you and a couple of others make up a party. Even-so, I would rather the series remain single-player (if they are to make a fifth iteration, which I hope they do)- to add lots of people in the world would, in my opinion, be detrimental to the game and to the story. Not that I’m unsociable or anti-collective, but I sometimes like being the only one (or the main one) to make the decisions: to go where I want and do what I want. In my opinion, adding more people in to the mix would severely hamper that- it would take away the strategy and jeopardise the game-play.

I think what makes “Oblivion” such a good game is the fact that there is Lore to it- there is History and Literature (you can read books on magic, thievery or general history); the game-world has depth to it and is not just a generic, static piece of land- nor are the people without their own stories and backgrounds.

I do have one major criticism of the game with regards to the Quests. I sometimes feel that the game leads the player by the hand too much with arrows and Journal Updates- it would have been nice if the developers gave more freedom by making the player figure out for themselves where to go or what to do- very often, an arrow appears indicating the location where you need to go, or a Journal Update tells you. Perhaps Bethesda were trying to cater for a more casual audience and, again, such things can be changed via “mods” if you have the PC version and the Construction Set. Still, it’s one thing I would have liked as a fundamental game mechanic and, in some respects, I don’t understand why it wasn’t made that way: on your map, you can manually place a blue Marker at any location (as a type of reminder or guide), so it’s not like players would have gotten lost, is it?

If, like me, you enjoy the Fantasy genre, this is definitely one game to pick up and play. As far as RPGs go, it’s quite a bit different from Eastern RPGs (often called “JRPGs” or “Japanese Role-Playing Games” for the fact that most are made in Japan). “Oblivion”, unlike most games in the Final Fantasy series, is not turn-based; in other words, turns are not taken to inflict damage- it is “free” combat and mostly takes place in the First-Person perspective. I do admit, though, that I haven’t played any of the Final Fantasy games (not even the highly acclaimed “Final Fantasy VII”).

While the enemies are usually bog-standard Fantasy enemies- Trolls, Goblins, Necromancers etc- they are, in themselves, unique- not all Goblins, for example, are the same (at one point, there is civil war between two rival Goblin factions). Even if you aren’t particularly interested in the Fantasy genre, this may still be a game you’ll enjoy as it’s not all magic and wizardry. Morality wise, you can choose to be rude or kind (or both) to other NPCs (you can even bribe them for information using money). This only works, however, with regards to side Quests- in the Main Questline, you are put on a set path which you can’t really deviate from which, in my opinion, is a bit disappointing. However, saying that, “Oblivion” is its own separate game/world- perhaps that would have only worked if there was going to be an “Oblivion 2″ (a bit like “Mass Effect”/“Mass Effect 2″, when your decisions made in the first game are carried through to the second).

Even if you haven’t played any of the other games in the “Elder Scrolls” series, I’d still recommend getting, “Oblivion”- it’s a fun game, it looks fantastic and, even though they are often linear and easy, the side Quests are a lot of fun (don’t always expect a large reward though- I once spent a long time on one Quest only to receive a rather useless book at the end of it- needless to say, I was a bit annoyed!). The good thing about “Oblivion” (and perhaps every “Elder Scrolls” game) is that you don’t need to know about past events- if you haven’t played “Morrowind”, you’ll still be able to understand what happens in “Oblivion”- each game in the series is treated individually.

In the words of Patrick Stewart, “Close shut the jaws…of Oblivion!” (or don’t- it’s up to you!).

I thought it would be nice to share my work on this Blog. At the time, I loved writing the story and I fully admit that I am quite proud of the result (I’ve always had a love for anything Fantasy). I wrote this story when I was about fourteen or fifteen-years-old. At the time, I was reading “The Lord of The Rings” trilogy for the first time, as well as “The Hobbit”, and I was greatly influenced by them. I also think that “The Lord of The Rings” movie trilogy had been released round about that time. Reading my story now, I find it interesting seeing what form my writing took back then compared to now (although it’s not much different).

(Although it’s fundamentally the same, I’ve altered some of my original writing to make it more grammatically correct! I do have to laugh, though, at some of the words I used when I first wrote the story- I don’t quite know what I was thinking- I guess, at the time, they seemed appropriate! You may find this map helpful in visualising the locations).

Enjoy…

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How the story begins…

There are two countries separated by a river: Kraznir and Slinsil. The people of Kraznir are fierce and warlike. Their land is poor and little will grow there. Their king is called Krill and lives in a castle in the mountains. To the south of Kraznir is Slinsil. It is a rich and beautiful country, whose people love peace. Rumours have reached Slinsil that Krill is planning to send an army to attack them. They hurriedly prepare to defend themselves. They send a team of spies to Kraznir to found out about Krill’s plans. They want to know when and where he intends to attack. The spies are successful. Deep in the cellars of Castle Krill they find the complete battle plan. This, and many other valuable  documents, is stored in a large wooden chest. Now the spies have got to get the chest and all its contents safely back to Slinsil.

YOU are the leader of the spies, and here are your companions.

Touchfire the Wizard: Touchfire can make himself invisible. He can turn evil creatures to stone, but this spell only lasts for five minutes, and does not work near water.

Doughty the Warrior: Doughty wears strong armour and carries a huge sword. He is very brave and strong.

Littlejohn the Hobbit: Littlejohn is very small, only a metre tall. He is quick and light-footed, but not very strong. He carries a small dagger. Because he is so nimble, he can usually escape from danger, provided he is not too tired.

Athor the Dwarf: He too is short, but he is broad and strong. He is accustomed to living underground, so he can see in the dark and can make himself almost invisible. He is very brave and carries a battle-axe.

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DAY 1

We now had to escape from Castle Krill. Easier said than done. But first-thing-first: food. Without it, we would die within days of escaping. Littlejohn scouted ahead to check if any guards were out on patrol. He came back informing us there was one in an empty room just straight ahead. Touchfire crept into the room, sneaked up to the guard and knocked him out cold. He then turned invisible, crept into the food store, and knocked the other guard unconscious. We gathered as much food as possible; the journey back would be slow, hard and gruelling. Once we had gathered rations, we had to get out. Littlejohn and Athor suggested the tunnel would be the best escape route. After much discussion, we decided the tunnel would be the best option. After that, we would then make our way down the path along the cliffs.

Now the hard part: getting out. Thankfully, no guards were on patrol, so we made our way softly along the tunnel. It was dark, dimly lit and puddles of mud and water soaked our feet. Dust filled our lungs and we spluttered, and bits of spiders’ cobwebs caught on our clothes. It was difficult to see but the light ahead of the tunnel gave us an indication as to how far we had to go.

We finally reached the end of the tunnel into a light, gentle breeze. This was very relieving after being within a basement for hours. We then made our way down the cliff edge. Doughty and I carried the chest while Athor and Littlejohn carried the food. After Touchfire knocked the guard out at the foot of the path, we slowly made our way down the cliffs.

The journey back to Slinsil had begun.

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DAY 2

We escaped the Castle and spent a chilling, bitter night on a very cramped, narrow ledge. Touchfire and Doughty scouted the path ahead, looking out for any unwanted company, such as Giant Spiders, Wargs or Orcs of Krill. I stayed with the others to protect the chest and food supply. Doughty and Touchfire were more than experienced leaders and warriors.

The dreaded Wargs of the mountains ambushed Doughty and Touchfire while on a tight and narrow bend. Now Wargs are terrified of fire, so Touchfire hurled a ball of it at them. He scorched them very badly, and they scurried off before Doughty had a chance to stab them with his sword. As Doughty and Touchfire headed back to where the chest, food supply, Littlejohn and Athor and I were camping, the Wargs attacked Touchfire from behind- they slashed him and blood began to seep from underneath his cloak. Doughty drew his sword and struck the Warg who attacked Touchfire.

Back at camp, we heard the sound of barks and growls and immediately headed down the path. We slew the Wargs and gave aid to Touchfire- he was bleeding heavily and his cloak was covered in blood stains, but he was going to be OK.

We continued our journey down the mountains, being ever vigilant of any unwanted company.

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DAY 3

We had left the dreaded mountains and had reached the forceful River Glin. Everyone glanced at each other with worried looks. As we were thinking of how to get across, I noticed a rather small, feeble boat on the edge of the bank. I approached it and checked it for strength and robustness, as did Athor. He investigated the boat from top-to-bottom; being a dwarf, Athor knows strength from weakness and has examined many boats and axes in his life.

After Athor’s careful examination and approval, the first passengers got in. The first to get in were Touchfire, Doughty and Athor (who would manoeuvre it). We also put in one of the bags of food. As the boat wobbled uneasily away from the shoreline, disaster struck. An incredible pillar of waves exploded upwards, rocking the boat vigorously from side-to-side and, before Littlejohn and myself, the waves were as immense as the tallest tree. We heard ear-splitting snaps of wood and the thought of our companions and food being tossed around was aching.

The waves collided onto the surface of the water with a deafening crash and the horrified faces of our three companions emerged. They were okay! Though the once perfect boat now looked like it had been struck with a battering ram. The look on Athor’s face told us it wasn’t a pleasant experience. He looked like he’d seen a ghost! They managed to row the boat, very slowly now, to the other side of the river (still recovering from the shock of nature’s ferocious side). They clambered out and heaved the bag of food onto the ground. Athor and Doughty rowed the tiny boat back to where Littlejohn, myself, the remaining bags of food and the chest were. We got the chest and the last bag of food loaded onto the boat. Doughty and Athor rowed it to the other side, unloaded the cargo, and rowed it back over to Littlejohn and I. We clambered into the very diminutive and confined boat, and we set sail for the other side.

The journey wasn’t long but the boat seemed to sway uneasily and I thought, with all this weight, that it would cap-size. After much struggle, we reached the comfort of dry and rough ground. We wanted to raze the boat as we had no further use for it but Athor strongly argued that, even though the boat had been massacred, it was still a fine piece of craftsmanship.

So we turned, lifted the chest and two bags of food, and continued our journey back to Slinsil, hoping we wouldn’t encounter the same catastrophe as the waves. Unfortunately, the waves were only the beginning; worse was to come.

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DAY 4

The journey continued for another excruciating six hours. We were all exhausted and still shocked by the vigorous waves. Our stomachs ached, and Littlejohn’s rumbled so loud that Athor swung around brandishing his axe (probably thinking he heard a Warg or some other ghastly creature), raised it high so the tip of the blade shone on the setting sun, and was ready to cast down the beast he thought he heard. After being reassured repeatedly that it was only Littlejohn’s stomach and not a Warg running wild, we continued on ahead.

The journey was fatiguing; the spirits of everyone had fallen dramatically. The sun was setting and a chilling breeze swept over us, raising the hairs on the back of our necks. We were weary and in desperate need of water. The scorching sun had dried our mouths and a river wasn’t to be seen anywhere. All of a sudden, Athor quickly pointed ahead. In the near distance, a rocky outline emerged. As we got closer, it appeared to be an enclave of some sort. The enclave was cut into the mountainside; it was very high, but not quite near the peak of the mountain, so we decided to check it out.

Doughty and I clambered slowly over the jagged rocks, heaving the chest and meeting some gruesome skeletons too repulsive to describe. The others had reached the enclave, which was much larger in size than any of us had expected. It seemed more like a wealthy King’s Hall. Touchfire suggested it could be a dragon’s lair, which didn’t help matters. The very thought of a dragon made me get goosebumps. We set up camp under the shelter of the cave and Athor and I set out to salvage wood, or anything useful for the rest of the journey, such as food or weapons. We made our way down the rocky slope and into the desert in search of our requirements. We were not long down the mountain when we heard an ear-splitting, screeching noise from the camp. Looking at each other extremely bamboozled, we quickly headed for the camp. [Ed's note: When I was typing this up from the original (I no longer have it saved electronically) I couldn't stop laughing at my use of the words "extremely bamboozled". I may now adopt the phrase for everyday speech!]. The screeching noise grew higher until we had no choice but to cover our ears and head towards the encampment. As we reached the enclave, another hideous screech was let out, and there before our very eyes was a grotesque Margatroth!

Through the blinding darkness that had nearly set, the creature was difficult to see, but I could just make out its appearance before it turned on me. It had two horrible heads, almost human-like, on either side of its body, with necks stretching out, bulging yellow eyes, mammoth claws, a writhing, blood-red tongue, threatening black teeth and dark, slimy green scales covering its body. I swiftly dived to avoid one of it heads, drew my sword, lurched towards the creature and stabbed the head that attacked me. It wailed out in pain, tossed its head and, in the midst of the confusion, stamped its claws hard on the rocks. The trembling felt like an earthquake, and I thought the mountain would crack open.

Meanwhile, the other head wasn’t going to give in so easily. It had already badly wounded Athor, who thought a blow of his axe would eradicate it. Doughty and Touchfire seemed to be having difficulty hitting its head in the pitch darkness. The glow and comfort of the fire was long gone.

All of a sudden I heard a yelling noise, and lo! There was Littlejohn! Somehow, he had managed to get past the Margatroth unnoticed to leap onto its neck. Littlejohn stabbed hard with his dagger into the head- the one that tried to have me for dinner. Blood was everywhere, and the head desperately snapped at Littlejohn, not willing to be crushed by a small hobbit. Still Littlejohn clung on, sliced the neck and, with a huge screech, the creature’s head snapped off, falling to the ground with a thunderous crash. Littlejohn rose from the wreckage of the Margatroth, looking very determined and exhausted.

Athor took a blow to the head and blood was seeping out, but we soon got bandages and fixed him up. Doughty and Touchfire received little injuries and walked away with only a few scars. My hand got cut by the Margatoroth’s teeth, but it wasn’t too severe. I put my sword, now covered in blood, back into its sheath and buckled it around my waist. We decided to have an early night, for tomorrow would be long and hard, for the journey through the Forest of Haag would be very perilous.

Reaching the Forest was one achievement. Coming out of it alive was another.

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DAY 5

For the past four days we’ve come through many perils: escaping Castle Krill, the ambush of the Wargs, the natural phenomena of River Glin and the attack of the Margatroth. Our quest was nearing the end and the faint delineate of Slinsil appeared on the horizon. But our journey hadn’t finished yet; we still had another task at hand: the formidable Forest of Haag. Stories of this forest were common around Slinsil, and the mysteries of it unknown, for none gallant enough had dared to venture into it.

After travelling several hours with no food, very little water and hauling the cumbersome chest for miles, we finally reached the foyer of the Forest of Haag. Littlejohn was so frail with no food that Doughty had the task of carrying him on his shoulders. We set down the chest, lowered Littlejohn beside our treasure and peered upwards at the sinister forest. The trees looked threateningly back at us, and a cold shiver ran up my back. I looked through the midst of twig and branch, searching for a glimmer of light that was Slinsil, though all I could distinguish was pitch black, and the path through the forest appeared to be interminable. We set up camp at the entrance to the forest but decided we shouldn’t stay long- the sooner we got through, the better. After an hour of rest and puzzled thoughts, we headed off into the treacherous forest, hoping to reach the other side…in one piece.

The journey through Haag was eccentric- it seemed the trees knew our presence and were constantly contemplating us. Countless times we got lost and the path through the forest was riddled with traps. We shortly discovered there were many paths, but which one would lead us out? And how could we tell? There could be many exits out of the forest, each one leading out of the wood at different locations. About an hour passed, or two hours, or four hours for that matter because we had lost all track of time, and the only way we knew what time it was was by calculating the position of the sun. Trouble was, when we glanced up, there was no sky. The “sky” now was layer-upon-layer of leaves and branches, and not a chink of sunlight seeped through. So after bitter disappointment, we continued along the path which now sloped downwards, descending deeper into the woods, and I had a continuous feeling of uneasiness that we were being followed…

For approximately an hour we continued to walk, our pace slacking. We suddenly heard the ripple of water ahead and, with hopes raised, we swiftly headed to where the sound was coming from. Dreams swamped our minds with a new sense of life, and it almost felt too illusory to be true.

We reached a miniature brook with a small, timber bridge. The enthusiasm started to rise inside each of us. Our hearts thumped harder and harder, and the faces of everyone were full of enthusiasm and anticipation. I kneeled down, scooped the water in my hands (the feel of it was beyond words) and snipped it. Yuk! The taste was revolting, and I quickly lurched over the stream and spat the water out. All of a sudden, an old man, wearing a dark, tattered blue cloak and leaning on a tall, crooked brown staff, cackled loudly. It was the immoral magician, Nehemath! Before I had a chance to take a blow to him, we were cast backwards into the chilling stream by his magic. Luckily, the stream wasn’t deep and we were able to raise ourselves up, though with some difficulty. Athor took a swing of his axe and tried to hack the magician’s head off. But the cunning magician vanished and reappeared behind Athor; and Athor, totally bewildered, couldn’t avoid the clout to his head by the magician’s staff. The blow was so powerful it knocked Athor out cold. Nehemath then put a sleeping charm on Littlejohn who, in all the commotion, was as perplexed as Athor was.

Now it was three versus one. Doughty hurled forward, sword raised, ready to strike down the cursed conjuror- the magician, however, put him to sleep and he fell to the ground with a flop. Now only Touchfire and I were left. I ran for the magician, but Touchfire headed for the cover of trees- luckily, the magician didn’t notice Touchfire and thought it was only me left. The two of us duelled, my lucky sword versus his wretched staff, while Touchfire crept up behind Nehemath and knocked him onto his knees. Now it was my chance to rid this forest of this curse. I raised my sword and put it through the magician- he was no more. We roused the others, settled Littlejohn again on Doughty’s shoulders, and set off for the River Slin, across which would take us to Slinsil. It was surprisingly far and we came across a few Wargs and Orcs, but they fled in terror and panic at the sight of us. We reached the shoreline and searched for a sturdy boat. After some scouting, we came across a boat similar to the one we found next to the River Glin, though a little bigger. We climbed in, rested Littlejohn down, hoisted the chest in and Doughty and I manned the rudders. Slowly we set sail across the vast stretch of water, the sun gleaming off the surface. It took us a while to reach Slinsil’s harbour- the boat and cargo were heavy.

As we sailed closer to the harbour, the people of Slinsil gathered and gave us a rapturous applause. The townspeople tied the boat for us and we lifted the chest onto the bank, helped Littlejohn out, and made our way through the excited crowds to give the documents to the Slinsil council. They were extremely delighted and appreciative at our daring attempt to retrieve the plans. These are what the documents were in relation to: Krill’s army was to attack from the south of the Stony Desert and dispatch warships to shell Slinsil along the coast, to annihilate its harbour. Transporters carrying troops would then follow from the rear and land near Slinsil, making their way towards the town for an ambush. Reinforcements would then come down and assault from the North, via the Forest of Haag. All this would commence in two days time. This would hopefully give Slinsil enough time to build up its army and defences, and finish Krill once-and-for-all.

When the time of battle came, Slinsil fought back brutally with its counter-attack. Krill’s warships were surprised when they saw Slinsil’s navy coming towards them- they panicked and scattered in disarray. The transporting craft eventually landed after some heavy resistance, but struggled heading back to base. Slinsil quickly gained control of the River Slin and halted Krill’s reinforcements. The battle raged on for another three days- casualties were high yet very few were killed.

With his surprise attack in tatters, Krill finally surrendered and handed his Castle over to the people of Slinsil, whose troops quickly cleared out its inhabitants. They recovered more battle plans, troop rosters, weapons and food supplies. Krill was imprisoned in Slinsil and was to remain there for the rest of his life. Many more of his army were taken prisoner and ordered to clear away debris left over from the battle, and to work on the reconstruction of Slinsil.

So, with the threat of Krill demolished, and most of his army wiped out, the people of Slinsil now have peace, and the bravery of the spies will never be forgotten.

THE END.

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And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Apple are notorious for releasing multiple versions of their products and it’s quite an exhaustive list. There are generations of iPods, iMacs and iPhones on offer and, to the ordinary Joe Bloggs on the street, there might not seem like much difference between each version. I fully admit that my family and I are quite Apple nuts (especially my Dad and I)- I, for example, have had the iPod nano (second generation), the iPod nano video, the original iPhone, the iPhone 3GS (my current phone) and now I have “co-ownership” of the iPad (we even have two MacBooks). My Dad has been to Apple Headquarters in California with his work and has personally met Steve Jobs himself. So, perhaps we can appropriately be called “Apple Fan-boys” (I fully admit that I have a sticker of the Apple logo stuck to the outside of my bedroom door!).

In all fairness, I like Apple products. I like them a lot. It’s true that they have a habit of failing but when they do work, they work well. Plus, they are quite stylish aesthetically and have good interfaces.

When the iPad was announced and revealed back in January of this year, my initial reaction to it was, “It’s an inflated iPhone”. It seems I was not alone in my sentiment- many people have called it the exact same thing. Indeed, the iPad’s user-interface is practically identical to that of the iPhone’s. While a part of me feels that Apple rightly supported the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” policy, a part of me still wishes they had tried something new- it just feels like they wanted to cash in on the market and, in the process, didn’t really think through the design of their product. I can’t help but think that not much was happening at the brain-storming sessions. Did one of the designers see somebody’s iPhone sitting on the table one day and say, “Hey, let’s just expand the iPhone!”? Even the default apps on the iPad are practically the same as the default apps on the iPhone.

The exception to this is the new “iBooks” app, in which you can read books, save your place, and put them on your “bookshelf”. You move the pages by swiping your finger to the left or right and you can even buy new books on the Apple Store to add to your collection. In my honest opinion, I don’t know if this will catch on. Call me traditional, but there is just something about reading a paper copy of a book in my hand that I prefer- it seems easier and it seems more natural. However, maybe “iBooks” will catch on as time progresses- maybe people will eventually adapt to it and adopt it. I’m sceptical, though, that it’ll be any time soon.

One thing I really like about the iPad, however, is the picture quality. Like the iPhone, it’s possible to watch videos on the iPad. Last night I watched “District 9″ and the picture quality was fantastic- the resolution was high and the image was sharp, even when zoomed in. Talking about images, there is no camera in the iPad, which means no photography or video-recording (you can only upload pictures and videos). To some degree, this is understandable- I can’t imagine being in a scenario where I see Queen Elizabeth and the first thing I do is whip out my iPad and start recording her with it- it’s too “bulky” for such a task (here are the specific measurements of the iPad, taken from Apple’s website: Height: 9.56 inches. Width: 7.47 inches. Depth: 0.5 inches). Games-wise, I honestly don’t know. There are no games on my Dad’s iPad at the moment. I’m assuming, though, that playing them on the iPad isn’t much different from playing them on the iPhone.

There are three amounts of storage available (16GB, 32GB and 64GB) and they all have Wi-Fi built-in as standard. 16GB costs £429, 32GB costs £499 and 64GB costs £599. However, and here comes the bomb, it’ll cost you an extra £100 if you want 3G included (regardless of storage capacity). In my opinion, the prices are too expensive for the package which is, essentially, a bigger iPhone (on the Apple website it states, quite humorously: “A magical and revolutionary product at an unbelievable price”). As is the same for most things such as the iPad, you don’t actually get the full amount of storage advertised. For example, while it may state “64GB”, you only get about 59.2GB to play with- the 5GB you lose go towards running the Operating System, which may not be a huge issue if you get the “64GB” version, but if you get the “16GB” version you might only get about 11GB to play with.

My verdict? I think it’s best to wait a while for the price to drop, or wait to see if a newer version will be released (knowing Apple, they’ll probably release another version six or seven months later, thus making this review obsolete!). If you already have an iPhone, I don’t really see much point in splashing out £429 (or more) for what is essentially the same product, only bigger. However, the picture quality on the iPad is top-notch and the “iBooks” app might gain popularity. Finally, like the iPhone, the iPad has an inbuilt iPod- although, the iPad might be difficult to use for music if you commute by train or bus (or even if you’re going on holiday).

Overall, I’d give the iPad a 3 out of 5.

Just to be clear, this Blog isn’t replacing “Cydonia Mensae”; I will still keep that Blog (believe me, I would find it very difficult to tear myself away from it, so don’t remove it from your Blogroll!). As I said before, this Blog (I’m hoping!) will be much less serious in tone and subject matter and will probably show the quirkier side to me (so you’ve been warned)! The posts will probably also be much shorter than those on “Cydonia Mensae” (although, saying that, I said the exact same thing when I started that Blog and…well…let’s not go there…).

I have actually wanted to do this for quite some time but have never really gotten round to it. This might go well or it might fall flat on its face. But, writing is an art I enjoy doing.

I’m thinking for my first proper post I’ll write about my thoughts on the newly released Apple iPad (my Dad bought one yesterday and I’ve been playing around with it a few times).

So, on that highly anticipating note, I bid you farewell for now…