Endgame

Ok, so I finally bit the bullet and quit Football Manager. Being more or less the only game I still played, I realised that I would have to quit before uni started again. FM was so easy to just pick up on a rainy day - of which we've had quite a few. I was gifted the "part of the furniture" achievement on the day I quit, how ironic. Deleting it was the last step of a long adventure (what a geek). Before I step back into the world of uni I thought I'd list my fave games that I've played. No decision taken lightly...

1) Half-Life 2 (2004) / Half-Life 2: Episode Two (2007)

"Rise and shine...Mr Freeman..."

I could have just said The Orange Box for this, but that would be cheating. So instead I'll cheat only slightly, and say HL2 and Episode Two. Half-Life 1 was the first game I played on PC (apart from Rayman...of course) and scared the shit out of me. Valve are just amazing developers, and the sequels are even better. So many memorable levels in this (the boat levels, ravenholm, etc), and a sense of atmosphere that is rare in FPS games. Flawless. Now where is Episode Three...

2) Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (2002)

Humans, Orcs, Night Elves. What more do you need?

In my eyes, still the greatest RTS game. I only got this because I had to exchange C&C Generals, which wouldn't work on my PC at the time. From the epic movie-like cutscenes to the magnificent storyline, faultless voice-acting and soundtrack, this is a beast of a game. The expansion, The Frozen Throne also deserves a mention for being almost a game in itself. I waited for Warcraft 4, but instead we got WoW.

3) Freelancer (2003)

A Liberty fighter.

A cult favourite. A free-roaming space adventure, the story revolved around a conspiracy and was very well written. It is largely left to you if you want to pursue the storyline, explore, fight, or trade. Amazingly fun to play, Freelancer generated a huge community revolving around various mods, several of which change the game completely. Almost a decade since its release and with Microsoft having long dropped support for it, Freelancer is kept alive by the players. Back in the day, this was the first game I played online, and had a lot of fun on the Freeworlds and Crossfire mods, which still survive.

4) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)

"Stop right there criminal scum!"

The most ambitious game I've ever played. Massive. One of those experiences that eats away at your life, you can spend hours just wandering the world and exploring. Several storylines and guilds gave direction, the most notable being the sinister Dark Brotherhood. Some of the quests were hilarious, others grim. But with no companions and the poor voice acting, it quickly gets lonely. The name on everyone's lips right now is the sequel, Skyrim, which includes dragons. And hopefully better voice acting.

5) Unreal Tournament (1999)

"DOMINATING!!"

They say you either played Quake or UT. I played the latter, and there have been many reincarnations since. One of the original deathmatch games, which expanded to become the successful series. UT2004 and UT3 being the highlights, but the original is still the most fast-paced and easiest to jump into. Legendary.

Honourable Mentions

Battlefield 1942 (2002): the nostalgia of playing this with mates 'til the early hours.

Bioshock (2007): flawed but cinematic beauty.

Deus Ex (2000): highly regarded, but I haven't finished it yet.
FM 2010 (2009): if you can get addicted, a game has done its job.
Mass Effect (2007): as Deus Ex, reserving judgment until completed.
Medieval 2: Total War (2006): my favourite of the series.
Portal (2007): can't forget this and it's phenomenal sequel.
The Longest Journey (1999): one of the best stories in gaming.
World of Warcraft (2004): never got into it like others do, but still great.

Brand New Start

Ok. I confess, I have neglected this blog for over two years now. Originally intended as a music blog where I would review albums and gigs I went to, things quickly became sporadic and I got lazy about updating pictures. In my defence...blogger was a bitch to use, and it didn't help when my photographs went haywire. In the two years I've spent at university, I can hardly say I would have found time. About time that changed!

Greece and project work aside, this summer has been a bit quiet. I haven't been doing much, but it's been good to be back home. It's September as of tomorrow, and something like guilt is creeping into my mind. Two things I've struggled with called "focus" and "direction" recently need to be found in massive abundance over the next year or so, in order for me to gain something from this degree. Plus, near half of my degree will depend on essay and dissertation work, so it is gone time for me to brush up on my writing skills! Self-discipline is a great thing if you can find it, but first you must find willpower. I want this year to be a fun and enjoyable one, without ruining what I must do. Truth is, I'm not even 10% sure where I will be this time next year. I've quit my job, I'll be living closer to my studies again, so I really don't have any excuses this time. I dislike the expression, but in essence, it's time to sort my life out.

GIG: Bad Company/The Joe Perry Project

For me it was a case of third time lucky with Paul Rodgers, having been silly enough to miss him twice before in Newcastle. With Bad Co reuniting for this tour, I was keen to see the legends in action.
However it was Joe Perry of Aerosmith and his band who opened proceedings with some raunchy rocking sounds from his new album, Have Guitar, Will Travel. Produced when hundreds of rumours were circling about whether or not Steven Tyler would continue in Aerosmith, it comes from a man with an ambition to develop his own music. Though very different from his roots, stand out tracks such as We've Got A Long Way To Go and Wooden Ships gave a great example of this man's guitar skills. Aerosmith are due to play a few gigs this summer, but only a few months ago it was Perry had put forward names such as Rodgers himself for a replacement. As for the gig, the Project were very good, but singer Hagen did seem out of place occasionally despite his vocal talent. They were a good warm up for Bad Co, but I believe it is nothing more than Perry exploring his musical style. They finished with the unforgettable Walk This Way, which was a nice touch. I hope the so called toxic twins can get back to where they belong or a great rock band will be lost.

After a short break, on came Bad Company, currently including Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs on guitar and Simon Kirke (also of Free) from the original line-up plus touring guitarist Howard Leese and bassist Lynn Sorensen. It was clear to see that these guys had lost none of their flow. Storming on with Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Rodgers strutted about the stage, the true frontman he is. Though a fair bit back, the acoustics and light show were brilliant and Rodgers' voice got everyone on their feet with one twirl of his microphone. Every song was a classic, and Rodgers and Leese took turns to play on the grand piano situated on stage. Burnin' Sky and Feel Like Makin' Love were stand out tunes from their seventies albums. A brilliant acoustic version of Seagull provided a breather before the pace picked up once again for Rock N' Roll Fantasy, for which Joe Perry reappeared on stage to provide a memorable performance.

The crowd favourite was always going to be Shooting Star, and behind the band a vast screen showed a montage of lost legends like John Bonham, Jimi Hendrix, and Freddie Mercury, the crowd singing along. Rodgers still has one of the best voices in rock today, and this showed through the brilliant encore of Ready For Love and Bad Company. Though I prefer more intimate venues, Bad Company started out in 1973 and on a chilly spring night in 2010 they blew us all away.