Like a debt-ridden retail chain stumbling through the recession, somehow remaining in business despite all sense to the contrary, Best of Gamesblog returns. This week it's last week, not this week, but hey, when last week boasted James Blunt, the BNP and the films of Kevin Smith, why shouldn't it be savoured five days late?
Limni is on editing duties. "For the first time, it felt like a chore," he told me, sanguinely. I think it was James Blunt wot did it.
Personally, I think there's some good stuff in here...
Part one: game chat
Call of Duty: World at War
Cameroon95 kicked off this hot topic with the understated, "Thinking of getting Call of Duty: World at War, what's the view on this? I played CoD4 to death online".
Quick to respond, Timmmy provided his mini-review: "Can't comment on the multiplayer aspect, as I've only played the campaign. A reasonable way through now (after a few setbacks - game kept crashing at a certain point) and it just feels like more of the same. It's a fairly polished experience, big set-pieces, graphics are fairly good etc., however going back to WW2 after COD4 feels like a bit of a step backwards. The pacific campaign adds some new scenery, but you can't shake the 'been there, done that' feeling (or at least, I can't). Not saying it's bad mind you, just a little too familiar...
By Thursday Timmmy had had enough. "Took COD:WAW back to Blockbuster last night, couldn't be bothered with it - nowt wrong with it particularly, just too similar to previous ones, felt like I was replaying an old game."
Then Bertjansch chipped in. "COD WOW multiplayer is almost identical to COD4. And that is a very, very good thing indeed. New maps, different and very enjoyable weapons, obnoxious 13 year old yanks and woolybacks to shoot - what's not to like? Especially since having caned COD4 I'm actually good at the multiplayer from the start without spending the first few months having my arse handed to me.
Only differences really are artillery replacing airstrikes and packs of attack dogs replacing the chopper (this is a particular blast especially watching people from a distance as they frantically try and knife Fido!)
Single player is good but obviously not as good as multi, it's also frustratingly hard at times with re-spawning enemies etc. Very good though but will be spending most time on multi."
Next, F0ll0wy0urexit arrived, and managing to get on Best Of with his first ever comment. "So I bought COD 5 yesterday and I was specifically looking forward to the co-op mode due to my mates wanting to destroy things with me. Is anyone else really disappointed with the way the screens are split?! I understand that the game uses large landscapes for battle scenes and you could argue that you need the width for these, but it's my personal feeling that they should have forgotten about the aspect ratio and used the typical split screen down the middle... or at least given the option for this to happen. It's really annoying."
Limni's view – I've been playing it on PS3 over the weekend and enjoying playing an FPS on a console for the first time in ages. It certainly feels cinematic on the larger screen. Not got into Multiplayer yet – I suspect I'm going to get taken to pieces!
Keef's view - I'm with Timmmy on this one, as my blogpost last week made clear. It's well-constructed, but if I have to run through one more bombed-out representation of a small European town, I'm going to take a howitzer to my TV. Also if you stand in the wrong place when your computer-controlled pals move in behind you, you can actually get trapped behind them. This has happened to me on a couple of occassions. Hello?! QA?!
Part two: not the sharpest chatter in the box
I can't believe this actually became a topic, but after a particularly poor Monday we were starved of decent subject matter. It all started with a side comment from Smike: "The studio guest was James Blunt and he said he remembered playing Chuckie Egg on the BBC."
Dizzyisanegg replied: "Saw that Blunt + WoW thing. The thing about Blunt is that although his music is very obviously objectionable I find, whenever I see him on TV, that I'm completely fascinated by him. He's so posh - he's like some sort of comedy alien pretending to be from Sussex - so polite and interested to find out about our Earth ways and trying not to let on that his Dark Overlord will vaporize the planet once he has the information. I think, for me at least, he ceased to be a hate figure the moment I saw his Sesame Street appearance. Anyone who buys his records or goes to see him is obviously an idiot but that isn't his fault. In my mind slagging off James Blunt is like punching a kitten."
The big revelation came from BeardofBees – it turns out the 'box has its very own resident Blunt fan: "Blunty is alright. His music is fine, really. Horrendously overplayed, but I remember getting it before the rest of the world seemed to have it on perma-loop and quite enjoying it. And he's always funny and seems like a nice guy. He's a good sport too as evidenced by that Sesame Street thing and did you see him on Top Gear? Stop hating on the Blunt."
TonyHayers had a typically cynical view: "His name rhymes for a reason. His voice is very, very odd, and annoying, his music awful. Though he does seem to be quite a decent bloke, and really everyone is just jealous of him having made a chunk of cash, and going to live in Ibiza while servicing endless models. I know I am."
Alfienoakes had a position he wasn't prepared to change: "You're wrong, he has no redeeming features at all – None"
Sever brings a literary stance: "He's alright, can't believe a person like him actually was a soldier, he seems way too clean and unaffected. Everybody would probably appreciate him more if his music wasn't rotated so heavily, we wouldn't hate so much. Look at Dido, gone for a few years and people start missing her. Hunter S. Thompson was right about the music industry though..."
EnglishRed was more interested in the (military) man than the music: "Wasn't Blunt in the Blues and Royals or some similar regiment though? Aren't the majority of their duties polishing their helmets/breastplates and riding horses after the Queen on state occasions?"
LarryLoxley appeared as shocked as me by the whole discussion: "James Blunt? Seriously? I just assumed the millions of people who bought his album were either deaf/senile or children. I guess it is actually the Blog that is keeping him in existence. Stop it now. Please."
Part three: never talk about politics or religion
The release of a list of BNP members caused controversy on Wednesday and the 'box chat got political:
ImperfectRex mentioned it first: "By the way, anyone find that BNP membership list? Surely no Chatterboxers could be in a cold sweat this morning. It seems like they were holding a lot of information on people. Why on earth would they need to know members' occupations (and why indeed would a copper for instance tell the truth)? Apparently there are also kid's names on there as people have bought 'family memberships'. Thanks mum, thanks dad. Best Christmas ever."
AndyJ23: "Wonder how many police officers will be putting in their resignations this morning? Unless it's some wicked plan by the BNP to get people out of their jobs who aren't their members!"
Umborous23: "I managed to get on to that last night and forwarded my local activist's details on to the local paper, as he likes to hand out fliers through doors anonymously. If they take the story up then fair enough, if they decide not to I can't blame them as it was front page scandal in the Metro this morning! There were names on the list from households which were clearly children - 'Not a member as not 16 yet' underneath them. Obviously that is bad news, but the whole thing made me chuckle for hours. The poor fascist racist's privacy has been truly invaded. Oh no!!
I especially loved the comments from their forum "What the f**k is going on? I could lose my job over this!" And so you should, you nutcase. There's a reason why those in positions of responsibility are not allowed to be members and if they lose their jobs as they have been lying about their membership then good riddance to the lot of them."
NickT drew a few responses with his comment: "To be honest I think people should be able to join any party they like, that's what makes this country democratic. The fact the list is in the open should just embarrass a few folks, I don't think they should lose their jobs over it, in fact with their colleagues knowing they might be able to talk a bit of sense into them. Only if the BNP got violent and KKK-like should they be reigned in."
Craggy (to NickT): "While I don't see that membership is particularly different from being a member of the Black Police Federation etc I wouldn't want a BNP member to be involved in cases against Asians or Blacks, it would taint every investigation that they were a part of.
ImperfectRex (to NickT): "People can be members of whatever political party they want (apart from plod). If they think society in general would find it objectionable then they should maybe reconsider."
BeardofBees: "People can join whatever party they want and I'll shout to my last breath for the right of the BNP to have a platform to express their views. Then we can publicly mock and denounce them for their bigoted ways, yes, but at least it's all open and public.
CommodoreSchmiddlapp: "Absolutely everyone has the right to join any political party they wish to - they should however be aware of the potential consequences of doing so. Unfortunately, if people do lose their jobs over this, the BNP will probably get more members, or at least unite their base over the perceived injustice. Scary stuff really, parties like the BNP - do you ignore them and thereby add credence to their "outsider" status, or engage them and make them look legitimate?"
Sorbicol: "Never fails to amuse me just how thick people can be and just how little they realise how much information on them, their lives and their views are available online. While I've got sympathy that the list was released in an apparently malicious manner and the info should never have got out, I've got no sympathy for any policemen losing their jobs over it - they aren't allowed to be members, it's the law. Anyone stupid enough to tell the BNP they are a policeman probably deserves to be sacked anyway.
Part four: the works of Kevin Smith
CBPodge enjoyed a highly cultured evening watching Zack & Miri make a Porno. His review started a Kevin Smith (and more specifically Chasing Amy) appreciation group:
"'twas OK. Funny and crude, as you'd expect from a Kevin Smith film, and with an absolutely terrible romance plot as you'd expect from a Kevin Smith film not called Chasing Amy. No Jason Lee, no Smith acting. Jason Mewes is genius as usual. Dutch rudder - excellent idea."
BeardofBees was first to share the love: "Chasing Amy, to this day I maintain that this is quite a good film. Nobody else seems to agree, especially the missus who has such a very passionate hatred for it. I appreciate it's more of a bloke's film really, but why don't people like it more? It's quite funny, it's quite a good story end to end. It's a good example of Kevin Smith (overrated director by the way. Clerks = great, Chasing Amy and Mallrats = good, everything else = not so good). What's the beef?
Alfienoakes agreed: "Chasing Amy is probably my favorite Kevin Smith film - Its a wonderful good hearted romantic comedy - Anyone who says any different is a fool. I agree with you about the rest of his stuff but I do have a soft spot for the God one - the name escapes me at the moment and I can't be arsed Googling it"
Loser's view is worrying cerebral for the Chatterbox: "Chasing Amy is a cracking film and the cock jokes are kept to a grown-up minimum". (I believe we have the next Pauline Kael on our hands! Keef)
And if you thought that was concise, check out CheddarFrenzy's report: "Chasing Amy - is great"
Chubster2010 put a bit more meat on Kevin's bones with his anecdote: "When I was living in the US, I went to 'An Audience with Kevin Smith' - he was very funny. He turned up and said - 'I haven't got any material prepared, but if you wanna ask any questions fire away!'. I was like - 'What the f**k? I paid about £20 for this?!?' Two and half hours later he was still going. Very funny with loads of good little stories from the film industry.
Umborous23 is less of a Chasing Amy fan: "I like Clerks and Mallrats best. Chasing Amy was okay, my better half also has a passionate hatred for it though. Clerks 2 was better than expected."
Davefalse wraps things up: "One of my favorite films ever, I love it. Although girls in particular seem to hate it, especially Joey-Lauren Adam's voice."
Limni's view: Dogma is my favorite, I do like Chasing Amy but it's a very dark film, especially the way his relationship with Amy destroys his friendship.
Keef's view: Clerks is his only genuinely great film.
Quote of the Week
"Barely a week goes by without me having to hide in a tree to escape a polar bear"
I know just how you feel, Dizzyisanegg
Other Quotes
"Sod this, the markets are heading south again. I'm off to Somalia to go pirating. Boats full of oil and Russian tanks, hostages, heavy firepower, ex-SAS men delivering suitcases of unmarked bills. Cool. I'm going to make a TV program about it."
If this was anyone other than TonyHayers you'd assume they were joking
"Am astounded everyone would rather discuss the merits of Bananarama over Big Fun instead of the consultation"
PhilosopherK1ng will learn our ways, in time
"Observe: We no longer have a smoke alarm in the kitchen. One of the housemates broke it by throwing it across the room. The reason? It was too loud in his ears. Reason? While it was going off he held it against his ear to demonstrate that it was going off in his ear. Then he hoofed it across the room."
Lamontagne on the perils of Polish housemates. Or at least, his ones.
"I once consumed 75 cans of beer in one sitting with two friends while playing nothing but pro evolution 6 and eating oatcakes, pickle and cheese. Looking back it was a bit primitive."
Sounds like the height of sophistication to me, Mollocate?
Link of the Week
From Chubster2010 with this news snippet: Eidos allegedly silencing unfavourable Tomb Raider reviews.
Games: Fallout 3, LittleBigPlanet, The Orange Box, PES2009, Wrath of the Lich King, Mirrors Edge, Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins, Fable 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, Gears of War 2, Left4Dead, Call of Duty: World at War, Bioshock, KillZone2, Resident Evil 4, Civilisation Revolution DS, Advance Wars: Dark Conflict, Trackmania
Films: Burn After Reading, Predator 1&2, AvP & AvP: Requiem, Blind Fury, The Mist, Dark Angel, The Hitcher, Bladerunner, Prince of Orange
Music: Dido, A-Ha, TV on the Radio, Funeral for a Friend, Tears for Fears, Atreyu, Cancer Bat, Killswitch Engage, Glasvegas, The Deftones, The Vaselines, Chairlift, Ou est le Swimming Pool, Sigur Ros
