In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I never played the original Team Fortress (now dubbed Team Fortress Classic). I don’t know if I ever had enough friends who also played that could have helped me assemble a decent team. But the appeal of the idea was never lost on me, and… Continue reading Game Review: Team Fortress 2
Tag: Reviews
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The Fifth Element
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/fifth_e.mp3] Originality is a rare commodity in movies these days. Adaptations, remakes and wholly derivative works clog the cinemas and jostle one another in cajoling you for your money. There was a time when an original spectacle didn’t have to count on a phrase like “You have to see it in 3-D to get the… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The Fifth Element
Game Review: Half-Life 2 Episode 2
After the success of the main game, Valve embarked upon an experiment in episodic gaming, the first portion of which I’ve already reviewed. The second was the keystone in the Orange Box release, and having played it, it’s clear to see why it featured so prominently. The immersion and pacing that made the previous Half-Life… Continue reading Game Review: Half-Life 2 Episode 2
Game Review: Half-Life 2 Episode 1
Half-Life 2, as I’ve discussed, is a great game. But it leaves the player wanting more. Even people who aren’t playing it, who sit beside the player wrapped in their Snuggie watching the action unfold and occasionally laughing at player error or wincing at bad things that happen to Gordon, found themselves asking “That’s IT?!?”… Continue reading Game Review: Half-Life 2 Episode 1
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Crash
This week’s IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! brought to you by a generous donation by Benjamin Axel Jakobsson. Thank you for your support! [audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/crash.mp3] When Hubilub asked me to review Paul Haggis’ Crash from 2005, he did so in the following charming fashion: It won three Oscars and IT’S FUCKING HORRIBLE!. I hate it so much!… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Crash
Game Review: Half-Life 2
In light of the recent March Mayhem throwdown over at the Escapist, I thought it’d be an interesting idea to pick up the Orange Box and see how well the various games within have aged. Since Valve wouldn’t exist without the ground-breaking awesomeness of Half-Life, the place to begin seemed obvious: Half-Life 2. Gordon Freeman,… Continue reading Game Review: Half-Life 2
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Pulp Fiction
(Audio’s got a little something extra in it this week.) [audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/p_fiction.mp3] I wasn’t planning on starting a Tarantino series. Really, I wasn’t! However, there was a snafu at my local Netflix distribution center, and Crash ended up arriving at the same time as Pulp Fiction. Having just watched Reservoir Dogs last week, and waiting to… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Pulp Fiction
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Reservoir Dogs
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/r_dogs.mp3] Every now and again, when you start taking on work as a critic, it’s beneficial to remind yourself of what’s good in your chosen medium and why it’s worth defending. It’s why I’ve been playing Half-Life 2 again lately. That’s also the reason why Reservoir Dogs was bumped to the top of my Netflix… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Reservoir Dogs
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Pokémon 3
This week’s IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! brought to you by a generous donation by Rachel Kraft. Thank you for your support! [audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/pokemon.mp3] I went into this knowing I’m probably not the right audience for the film. I’m not an adolescent and my brain is, as far as I can tell, relatively intact and undamaged. However,… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Pokémon 3
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Inglorious Basterds
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/basterds.mp3] The 2010 Academy Awards are a fading memory. By now most of the Internet has moved on to more interesting things, like porn stars playing D&D. However, if I might indulge your attention for a few minutes, I’d like to discuss one of the films that was in contention for best of the year.… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Inglorious Basterds
