Justice League Dark

Aka "Batman meets Constantine".

When people start having waking nightmares and killing each other, the Justice League springs into action to try stop the madness. And by that I mean, Batman alone decides to investigate. I suppose the rest *could* be trying to keep the peace but we don't really see that. It is totally understandable though to make room for the more mystical powered heroes he teams up with, the most notable being Zatanna and Constantine.

Facial expressions: Determined, Determined, Determined, and Batman.

There's a bit of slowness during the introduction of these newbies, but the fun gradually picks up pace as the team faces more absurd characters and challenges such as: demons, ghosts, wizards, shit monsters... etc. Even Batman isn't impressed (which is hilarious). While the story is definitely out there, it works towards a very satisfactory ending.

Not a bad outing for this Justice League movie. Not fantastic, but not bad. I'd definitely watch it again and hope they make more of this "Dark" series. All up I give it three magic spells out of five. If you like Justice League and/or the Constantine TV show, you'll probably like this.

Shin Gojira

Toxic dumping creates a rampaging monstrosity - again!

After his stint in the US, this Godzilla reboot returns him to Japanese waters where he not so promptly begins to rampage across miniature cities - much like most of the gigantic foes in say... Power Rangers. Of course, the CGI makes this much better than it sounds, but the feel of a "guy in a suit" rampaging in a mini-city is still there. Not that the movie ever explains why it is doing this.

Maybe he's just looking for a sweet roll.

Instead it focuses on the many aspects of the government debating and organizing on how to handle this threat. Indeed, at least 50% of this movie is "let's have a meeting" followed by "let's have another meeting in a different room, with slightly different people". There are so many people that I can't honestly name a single of their names, not even the protagonist. The female lead(?) stands out for having the worst engrish in the film, which isn't really a positive. Why is she even speaking English to a cast of Japanese speakers anyway?

As cool as Godzilla's sections are (despite how quirky he looks), it keeps getting tempered with what I find as boring bureaucracy which is a shame. I give it 2 lazers out of five, and have no intention of watching it again.

Sheltered: Black Vengeance

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

Of the attack force, Carol Black is really the only one to return to the bunker with Timothy Redshoes and Mary dying from their injuries on the way back, and William Beardguy abandoning her during to try escape the region on his own. She learns from Michael Gray and Margaret Cleaner that Skrmischa and Carol Hattier had since returned with the last car part, repaired it and left with some supplies - leaving the bunker to them as agreed.

Enraged at the loss of her sister, Carol tries to convince her two remaining allies to go back to Glenchester and extract vengeance but they decline, quite rightly pointing out that they can just shut the hatch and survive indefinitely in this fully self sustaining bunker. Carol hears none of it though, and loads up with armor and as many bullets as she can carry. That turns out to be a big number, as the bunker is quite stocked with ammo, just not firearms. She then departs, leaving Michael and Margaret to their "Crypt".

With no intention of surviving this suicide mission, Carol attacks the Marauders head on with guns blazing. The crazed bastards seem to be popping out of the woodwork with their axes and blades and crowbars, but because none of them had guns of their own the playing field was quite even. Ultimately Carol's aim and grit and ammo out lasted the Marauders until at last, the walls and roads ran red with their blood. She had killed them all.

And became legend.

Sheltered: The Battle of Glenchester

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

The battle at Glenchester City against Janet's crew is furious, with Carolyn, Cynthia and Helen Harvey being beaten to death by Janet's lackeys and Janet personally gunning down Christine and Elizabeth Armygal before Martha Black can put a shotgun shell into Janet's head.

No one takes cover in this game.

The rest of the forces do well in their own battles, but as the remnants of Janet's lackeys try to scatter away a new and more dangerous faction calling themselves "the Marauders" arrvie on their bikes, having been attracted to the fighting... and the fresh meat. Apparently Janet's group -was- protecting the city after all.

Still exhausted from combat, the group is no match for these axe-wielding Marauders and are routed. Karen Road, Edward Montgomery, Cannibal Joyce and Daniel Darksin all fall to their axes. Martha Black is also separated from her sister, captured and later forced to watch her former allies be cooked over a bonfire and endure horrific torture before she too becomes the main course for the ravenous Marauders.

Sheltered: Meat Unraided

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

With the addition of Mary, Cannibal Joyce, Edward Montgomery, Timothy Redshoes and Daniel Darksin - the army, led by the Black sisters move out in force and in high spirits despite only having 3 firearms between them.

At the same time Skrmischa and Carol Hattier go to search for that last missing car part, leaving only new comers Mark and Michael Gray to guard the base when the two surviving raiders from before return and bust down the door, timing their attack when the base is at its weakest, looking to steal more loot!

The auto rifle hits hard, but doesn't hit often.

Mark dies via pick axe to the face, but with both intruders weakened via the autorifle turret, Michael beats them to death with a metal pipe. He then recruits passerby Margaret Cleaner to assist in harvesting the bodies and fitting them into the fridge. The dead would not go to waste, not on his watch!

Sheltered: Declaration of War

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

With Big Mike holding down the fort and trading with ex-bunker buddy Frances, Skrmischa leads a retaliatory strike force to attack Janet's crew. This does not go well at all, as Janet has superior numbers and firepower. Paul is carved up by a knife and Amy is shot by Janet herself - once in each eye.

Skrmischa and Christine are captured, stripped and after a few days of humiliation are sent back to their bunker in shame. Janet's emissary arrives sometime later to request for tribute again, only to be vehemently denied once more.

Instead, Skrmischa gets on the radio and starts recruiting people for the upcoming war, starting with William Beardguy, Elizabeth Armygal, Karen Road and the sisters, Martha and Carol Black (another Carol!). What's in it for them? Skrmischa offers them the bunker and the lion's share of the supplies, as she plans to leave on the RV once the last missing part is found.

Dianne, Big Mike and Brenda are not thrilled at this turn of events and all of them decide to pack up and leave with Frances in hopes of reaching greener pastures before the war begins.

So they decided to wander the wastes to get there... like this lot! :)

Today I Smiled: Night Time View

It's great that we have a(nother?) bard in the guild in Neverwinter Online, not that there's an actual bard class mind you. She just roleplays as a bard who happens to have a youtube music channel called Night Time View. Give her a listen! :)

For the non-music inclined, I've come across interesting knowledge such as "How to make a Golden Cloak of Nope Spider Silk", what exactly a "Fatberg" is (eww), and that forget Drop Bears - even the plants in Australia want to kill you. For those mathematically inclined, here's an interesting channel for you: vsauce.

I'm going to wrap this up with one more link on a game I can no longer play due to it being enhanced so much, my graphics card can no longer handle it. It's gone from randomly generated "cell" spaceships, to larger randomly generated planet sections, to being able to fly and fight in space, Warframe is progressing to having an open world. Behold the Plains of Eidolon!

Have a good day everyone! :)

Sheltered: Warning Signs

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

Another month has passed and the bunker is going strong while the world outside is just getting worse as evidenced by a duo of scum who attempted to pick axe their way through the vault doors. Fortunately they gave up upon finding a second door behind the first.

There is no such protection for people out on expeditions though, as Michael Mustache is killed by an unarmed, kung fu warrior. Catherine manages to escape but her injuries are too severe and dies back at the base where Amanda Bandana is assigned to harvest her. She does the job but promptly goes catatonic from the stress of what she just did. Fortunately Cannibal Amy is there to care for her, feeding her Catharine's meat to make her feel better...

Gary is also laid low by a bandit in a factory, and his ally Cynthia (who proves to be a terrible fighter) barely makes it out alive. Lucky for her, she meets Carolyn and Martha Stanley on the road, who help her get back to the bunker. As a reward for their assistance, both women are welcomed into the family.

Carolyn then tells of a new group who have established themselves at the nearby Glenchester city, led by some fierce matriarch. Christine quickly gets on the radio and warns the expeditions in that area to be extra careful. Almost as soon as she finished transmitting the bunker came under attack again by the same scum from before, now with one extra man.

This time they break through and kill Amanda Bandana and Martha Stanley (she didn't last long). Despite managing to kill one of the raiders, the remaining bunkerites cower in fear as the last two raid the pantry, taking a good amount of supplies but sparing their miserable lives. As they leave they make it clear that it is their old acquaintance Janet, aka the matriarch, who owns them now.

That did not go well.

Sheltered: That Time of the Month

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

It's been over a month since the incident, and the bunker is in good shape with new recruits Dianne Davidson, Carol Hattier (another Carol!?) and Sarah the nympho (courtesy of seducing Gary the bald) adding more hands to maintain it. Outside, there seem to be encounters with a lot of violent and crazed women, who often flee after a few rounds of fisticuffs.

An encounter with a knife wielding man at a church is the last for Carol (the original) and Dennis, and Sarah's encounter with a bear proves fatal despite making it back to base. Her meat is harvested, and turns out to be a good currency to barter with when traders visit. This breaks the once battle hardened Big Mike - becoming a recluse who refuses to leave the bunker.

Knife trumps a pair of metal bars in this game.

Fortunately Gary steps up as leader when he and Christine slay a bear, and he quickly decides to recruit Brenda, Cynthia, Helen Harvey the soldier and Amy who is quite probably a cannibal - not that it matters these days. Gary's not so subtle attempt at building a harem does not go unnoticed, but his building a recycling plant in the lower floors undeniably helps to improve their bunker upgrading capabilities.

At around this time a pair of scumbags visit the bunker, demanding supplies in exchange for "protection". Their request is denied.

Sheltered: Things are Looking Up

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

A combination of a lack of rain, a failing air filter, and Ann harvesting Stephen (quite decomposed) and Shaliquor's "meat" for uncooked consumption leads to a wave of illness in the bunker, the floor literally covered in vomit. To this end, despite the lack of gas masks, everyone except Christine (for base communications) is sent out to get some fresh(?) air, and much needed supplies.

This does not go well for William and Ann who end up as bear food, while Carol "Red" Rein is killed in a skirmish with brigands on the road. Despite the losses, the survivor count actually increases as Dennis, Gary the bald, Catherine, Amanda Bandana, and Michael Mustache are recruited by the various teams on expedition.

Could have been Ann and William in this movie.
Also, this is a terrible movie.

Most have radiation poisoning upon their return, but fortunately there is a good stash of anti-rad tablets available, thanks to Janet returning briefly to trade goods with Christine. Interestingly, Skrmischa comes back with a car part - one of eleven required to repair the broken vehicle just outside. If it can be fully repaired, they might be able to escape this place.

The sound of thunder overhead also signals the end of the drought, and despite the black rain, things are looking up.

Sheltered: Over the Edge

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

With madness closing in, Big Mike and Skrmischa were saved by William the merchant - who had returned to ask to join the group. The pair were in no position to reject him, so he quickly tasked them on a supply run while he buried the bodies of Dr. Vahlen and Pip top side.

While doing so a trio of girls - Janet, Carol "the original" and Ann come by and ask for asylum from some "bad people". William welcomes them in, and they set about fixing the facilities in dire need of repair. Ann also finally makes a mop and bucket to clean up all the filth scattered within the bunker.

A particularly foul smelling vent revealed the desiccated corpse of Shaliquor, who had been torn apart by a swarm of mutated rats. Upon their return, Big Mike and Skrmischa are surprised to find all the new comers in their base. They brought three of their own - Carol "Red" Rein (another Carol, this one with with red hair), Christine the librarian and Christopher.

Mutated rodents of unusual size!

This Christopher turns out to be the person the trio of girls was running from, and at the first opportune moment - Janet shanks him with a knife. This automatically makes her untrustworthy in the eyes of Big Mike though, and she is expelled to the wastes. Her friends Carol (the original) and Ann, don't stand up for her - opting instead to remain in the relative safety of the shelter.

Sheltered: The Dangers of Generosity

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

The outings were surprisingly fruitful in terms of construction supplies, and with new recruits as Dr. Vahlen's good will invited the wanderers Frances, Paul and the gun-nut Stephen into the Shelter - much to Big Mike's disdain. The food supplies were almost all spent now, but at least the new comers could help expand and furnish the shelter a tiny bit.

Desperate to combat starvation, the expeditions began heading even further - which is when they started running into the local wild life. Dr. Vahlen and Skrmischa barely escaped from a ravenous bear, while Big Mike and Pip managed to slay a wolf for its meat. The boy was so excited by the kill though that he neglected to mention the bleeding bite he suffered during the combat.

Bears don't need gas masks. Clearly.

Back in the shelter, Pip passed away quietly in his sleep. Dr. Vahlen, distraught that she missed such an obvious wound was overcome by the shock suffered a heart attack right then and there - dying right beside Pip while everyone was "giving her space".

Unwilling to endure these bad vibes, Frances left to resume her wanderings. Stephen put his one bullet into his gun and after thrusting it in his mouth - pulled the trigger.

Sheltered: The Fifth Day

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

Skrmischa and Pip watched with great interest as Big Mike and Dr. Vahlen took turns explaining the machinery that powered the lights and filtration system of the shelter, knowing that they would some day need the knowledge themselves. Meanwhile Shaliquor kept to herself, hunting the gigantic rats that had moved into the air vents.

While the shelter was stocked with enough gas to keep the vital systems running, food and water was quickly becoming scarce as the days wore on. Having no facilities also meant the filth of human excrement was beginning to pile up.

It's a poop bunker.

On the fifth day, a buzz at the intercom surprised them all. It was a trader named William, and while the group had nothing to offer him he did suggest they start foraging for themselves since the air was actually breathable topside before looking for other customers.

There was little other option if they didn't want to starve, so Dr. Vahlen handed out the supply of gas masks to everyone as they began to venture out into the wasteland. Shaliquor was happy to remain behind and stand guard.

Sheltered: Zero Hour

Part of the Fate of Heroes series - spoilers ahead!

After leaving the accursed hamlet, Big Mike and Dr. Vahlen found themselves in the odd company of Skrmischa and Shaliquor the magical, talking cat on their quest to find their way home. On the road they encountered a ragged boy named Pip, who had taken to wandering after losing his own home and family to some catastrophe in the past.

Dr. Vahlen took pity on the child and was in the midst of convincing her companions to let him come along when suddenly a brilliant flash of light exploded from the distant mountain range. Both the good doctor and Mike knew immediately what it was. "Get to cover!" barked Big Mike as he rounded up his allies and ushered them away from the blast.

"Down here!" meowed Shaliquoir, scratching at a well obscured metallic vault door in the middle of nowhere. Not wasting anytime, Big Mike wheeled the hatch open and got everyone into the darkness below - sealing it behind them just minutes before the radioactive blast reached passed overhead.

It took a magical cat to find it.

"What is this place?" asked Skrmischa, readying to fight whatever lay in the darkness within. It wasn't the sprawling dungeon she expected though, instead it was just a chamber with a few pieces of dusty furniture and foreign looking contraptions.

"It's a bomb shelter," explained Big Mike as he examined the surroundings with his small lighter. "And for now, it's home."

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

Because the New Order wasn't crazy enough!

A prequel to The New Order, this uses most of the same mechanics from that game and just builds on it - adding a few "new" weapons and more Nazi enemies. I'd actually say the story here is slightly better since it is less piecemeal than the other one, combined with the game starting at Castle Wolfenstein itself which is a big plus!

Huge explosions are another big plus!

I also quite like that there are more Wolfenstein 3D levels included in secret areas, and that stealth is still rewarding in the areas that allow it. There is an early "mandatory" stealth part that might annoy some people but it isn't very long and I still recommend playing at the highest difficulty again for any who have ever played a shooter. You will be very in for a slightly punishing ride if you aren't decent with head shots towards the end game though.

Also the added climbing "ability" never fit quite right for me. Still, I give it 4.5 "plugged in enemies" out of 5 and is easily recommended for FPS players.