Wasteland 2: Incandescent

[Part of the Wasted Land story]

The scorpion bot is no match for the combined firepower of the Rangers, but as they fight through more and more checkpoints they too suffer casualties. By the time the squad reaches the interior it is only them and Vargas left in a showdown against Matthias and his numerous robot body guards. Ignoring self preservation - Vagras charges blows Matthias away with his desert eagle. Night Terror tries to protect Vagras from the retaliatory bullets but even he cannot withstand the high-ex grenade that follows.

Seeing both get vaporized, Pizepi panics and runs into the open where she takes a bullet to the leg. Scotchmo and Takayuki try to save her with Takayuki's axe destroying two bots before he is hit by a hail of bullets and collapses. Vulture's Cry - covering them - manages to snipe a few before being out sniped herself and taking a round through the brain. Scotchmo does better but once his guns require reloading the robots reach his position and twist his head off his body. Alone a pool of her own urine, Pizepi fights back poorly before her mutant face is stomped and squished into and through the metal grating.

With majority of the enemy still active, it falls to Pump's heavy machine gun and Malice's auto rifle to slowly and methodically take them out - which they do through good use of corners and ambushing. After the battle Takayuki somehow manages to get to his feet and the trio descend to the storage hangar where they find another operational helicopter and the nuke!

Unfortunately the nuke can only be activated by a dead man switch which Takayuki, who probably wouldn't survive his current injuries, volunteers to use. Malice and Pump pat him on the back, get to the chopper and escape to a safe distance before the whole place explodes in an incandescent, radioactive blast.

It was the only way to be sure.

And so the wasteland is saved... for now.

Insight: If you don't have high leadership (or have your high leadership characters killed), expect all the NPCs to do their own thing half the time. It's annoying.

Wasteland 2: Going Offensive

[Part of the Wasted Land story]

The coordinates where God's militia sends pilgrims to "evolve" prove to be the correct base, as the remnants of Angela Deth's chopper are found nearby. Not wanting to pussy-foot around, Malice takes the team on a full offensive strike - blowing away the weak minded pilgrims and the swarms of robots within. Their boss proves a bit trickier with rockets that knock down Malice and Scotchmo, but Brother Thomas also turns out to be a good doctor.

I'm sure getting to use this picture a lot!

Once cleared, they receive a transmission from Matthias, the leader of God's Militia, who reveals he is the one behind the robot threat and that he is already attacking Vargas at the old Ranger HQ! Worse - he's deploying a virus over the radio that will somehow turn people into synths (uh, sure)! The team scrambles on the convenient, functional helicopter left behind which Malice flies it right back home over the mountains.

Landing outside the HQ the team meet up with Vargas and the few remaining rangers. Matthias and his bots have already taken the base, but Vargas has a plan. They just need to get in and arm the nuke kept in the storage hangar below. It's the only way to be sure the virus doesn't get unleashed on the world. The Rangers grimly load up on ammo one last time before marching back into the breach. A breach guarded by a scorpion bot!

Insight: Reload your weapons after every fight. All of them!

Wasteland 2: Show Business

[Part of the Wasted Land story]

Hollywood is a massive place, and while the Rangers help out in menial matters such as clearing out animals from the graveyard and stopping a slaver ring there is a more political power struggle here - that between the city's leaders and God's militia. As the current madam mayor is pushing for a more violent resolution to leave her control of the armed forces, Frances tries to find a more moderate approach.

Who needs moderation when it comes to sexy bridges?

An opportunity presents itself in the form of one of the church leaders who is questioning his organization's righteousness as he has fallen in love with the madam mayor's assistant. Positioning him to take overall control is a simple matter of assassinating the other, easily manipulated leaders. Takayuki's energy axe makes short work of them in isolated areas of their base.

Getting the mayor's assistant enough votes to become mayor herself is more challenging as it involves a bit more footwork and some blackmail. Securing the final vote involves tracking down who is stealing weapons from the gun shop, and as the team is split up for the stakeout it is Frances who spots the store clerk selling arms to a synth! She tries to stop the deal without waiting for backup and is mercilessly gunned down in a filthy back alley before her team can deal with her attackers (violently).

Being the most veteran squadie, Malice takes charge and oversees the mayor get over thrown and a tentative peace treaty formed between the quarreling factions. He then follows up on the possible locations of the robot threat and is given the coordinates of a base by the ocean... their next destination.

Insight: There's a not-so-secret path near Matthias' TV which saves a lot of time in reaching the militia base.

Wasteland 2: Nearing the Source

[Part of the Wasted Land story]

With the microscope in hand, the doctor at Rodia confirms Pizepi's poisoned water theory. In fact, a trip down in the well even finds the source - a synth corpse. While he works on the cure, the Rangers are tasked by the mercs with stopping a nearby synth attack - from a giant scorpion bot! It takes most of their saved explosive ordinance to take down the monstrosity, but it also manages to down Takayuki - who is bleeding to death.

Pizepi staring down the scorpionbot.

Scotchmo then surprises everyone with his surgical knowledge to save the miner, and upon returning to Rodia expel the exploitative mercs and cure the town. Hailed as heroes, they are joined by Pistol Pete, Adrian the fanboy, Ertan the satanist and Brother Thomas a priest who has left his cult of body modifying zealots known as "God's Militia" based to the North.

As they may have more intel on the robot menace, Frances leads her team there next but are surrounded and ambushed at a farm by the vengeful mercs and the robots who paid them. Despite the Night Terror's great tanking, this is a hard fight with Frances, Pizepi, and Pump going down - saved only by Scotchmo. There is nothing he can do for Adrian, Ertan and Pistol Pete who are KIA.

The squad then pushes on to the massive city guarded by God's Militia... Hollywood.

Insight: In the farm ambush, push left into the field where there are less baddies.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Vengeance of the lab rats!

Following the events of the Scorch Trials, Thomas and his merry men go on a risky rescue mission right into the heart of the corporation hunting them. A simple story, executed rather well but one you won't be too invested in if you haven't watched the previous two.

I don't even see what you're shooting at dude.

The pacing (except for one small bit), settings, action pieces and effects are great, and acting wise everyone is fine. There are quite a few questions it leaves unanswered though, but as long as you aren't thinking too much - it remains an enjoyable action flick with some really cool camera shots.

Watch again? Maybe. If you liked the previous Maze Runner movies then you should follow through. I give the Death Cure 3 cranks out of 5.

Dark Souls II: The Jester

Tales from Dark Souls - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

Exploring Sanctum City is painful, and it gets worse when I reach the Mayan Temple Dragon Sanctum which is patrolled by ghost knights, who are immune to all attacks until I destroy their suits of armor. The first two have theirs laying out on display which is fine, but there are a lot more further in who I just have to run past since their armor is hidden. This takes more than a few attempts.

It's a huge place.

Near the bottom I am invaded by my once ally, Jester Thomas! Low on healing at this point I just dash past his pyromancies and out into a large shallow lake full of half dinosaurs, who join Thomas in chasing me. In the distance I see my salvation: a bonfire! I sprint as hard as I can and light it just in time before the Jester immolates me to death. Fortunately I can now respawn right there, which is a MUCH better starting point to explore that temple.

I thought we were friends! :(

After sneaking back past through dino land, I find Jester Thomas once more and this time after a long duel, slay the bastard. I also discover the "armory" room during a sprint scout and go to town smashing everything. This understandably angers the "ghosts" but I don't care since it makes them killable. Amazingly, I soon have the run of the interior of that temple - finding a stone key to raise a bridge to reach the next part of it, as well as an elevator shortcut back to the very first bonfire!

It's in situations like this that I wish I could carry the old D&D staple: rope. Sigh.

Dark Souls II: Cool Turtle

Tales from Dark Souls - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

Since the Belfry is another dead end, I revisit the Gutter next - since I have a key to a locked door there now. In a room littered with poison shooting statues I find my old armor! Erm, I mean Havel's old armor! It still weighs a ton, but with the super defense it provides I warp back to Earthen Peak more confident than ever. The climb is definitely more survivable now, and after easily defeating a giant demonic turd I am joined by Devotee Scarlett who is a bit of a punk/cleric.

You thought I was exaggerating huh?

She guides me to a nearby windmill and keeps pointing and gesturing at it until I torch the thing which makes her happy. Young people eh? There's nothing that really stops us from continuing our ascent. Even the fire sorceresses are easily slammed now, and when the pyromaniac Jester Thomas joins there is no stopping our little band. Even the medusa boss of the place had no chance. I just sat and watched as Thomas and Scarlett tore her apart.

Easiest "boss" fight so far.

They depart after that victory leaving the path open for me to a keep made of iron, sitting in a moat of lava. Because that's obviously the best place to build these things. On the approach I am invaded by Fencer Sharon who has no chance getting through my defense. After sending her packing, Armorer Dennis attacks next - and he has some cool magic sword powers. Not cool enough to win though (thank you Estus flask!). I make sure to toss his corpse into the lava so he won't show up again.