In an attempt to regain some normalcy and finding my balance I got
Spec Ops: The Line having been recommended by just about everyone who have played it. I needed to experience this before someone spoiled the story line for me.
So I tried to give it my undivided attention but it started out pretty slowly and before long I was in my same old routine..... I frequently have a cellphone with IM or txt, netbook or computer with chat panes all over the show, answering live messages and party chat all going while getting in my gaming and doing this with brain engines firing on half the cylinders made me dull party chat company.
No apologies for last night, I gave up on IM and txt and everything, I even closed my netbook!!! madness!!! Spec Ops the Line was drawing me in slowly... I finally got a dose of what I've been missing... That sense of complete immersion in the game story where your own real life problems don't matter until you power down the Xbox.... being engulfed by all the emotions the game gives you... feeling the soul of a game. If you play though this and skip a single cut scene your missing out.
I played it in one sitting on the easiest setting, and my save file says 3hrs and 42mins and I had 80% of the collectibles without a guide. One thing they did right was chapter select and collectible log (which btw are all amazing story tidbits, well worth the extra sit though) not once did I look at the guide or achievement list and I'm glad I didn't on my first playthough
I won't go in to much detail about
Spec Ops: The Line other than the graphics are good but not great, the shooting is good enough, and the music is awesome but the story... and the more specifically the choices your faced with, which often don't even feel like choices... are stand out mind blowing brilliant.
Which brings me to life's choices... the little things that change everything... Our lives are entirely defined by the choices.... but sometimes the choices aren't entirely yours to make... I thought about this last night playing the game... knowing I had choices to make to progress but what about my team mates... when I made a choice that affected their lives too, when I told them this is where we're going and how we're doing things... sure they had the choice to stay or to go but is that really a choice?
In a more real life example, a drunk driver smashes in to the side of your car... it was ultimately your choice to drive on the same road at the same time... but you didn't choose to drink... you didn't choose to be hit... in the end was any of it your choice?
In life there are these crossroads that are big and clear and you make the defining choices that align with your morality and what you know to be true. But what about all the decisions made for you, by others, perhaps not even aware the impact it has on your life... maybe they care... maybe they don't... maybe they aren't aware... maybe it doesn't even matter to them...
Not really sure what the moral of the post is, just trying to square away some echoes in my brain
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I hate ending a weeks blog in a bad mood, knowing its up for the weekend.... so here goes my highlight of the day
I figured retail therapy all ways cheers me up, nothing is better than tangible exchange of money for goods.... even the electronic version is pretty satisfying, but I figure some insta-gratification last night would do me some good.
I wasn't entirely disappointed but not seeing the new Kinect Ice Age nor Brave was a bit annoying get your shit together EB! this score junkie has an obsession to feed!!
Instead I picked up these trinkets, candy boxes
I am a HUGE Mario fan, and these made me a little giddy.
Inside was compressed dextrose candy not really impressive but SO CUTE!
look at the detail!!!
the coins are a little banana-ish and the stars are a little lemon... someone stop me eating them all! I think I'm going to use these as pill boxes too!!