The Time Has Come To Speak Of Media

And the consumption thereof.

In the recently:

I have finished Bioshock Infinite.
And I have some questions.

THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BIOSHOCK INFINITE.

I'm well versed in the whole "infinite, parallel universes" device. The fact, FACT that there exists at least two different universes in which the movie Clue stars Rowan Atkinson and John Cleese (respectively) as Wadsworth is something I look to for solace more often than you'd imagine.
So...first and foremost, how does killing Booker before he becomes Comstock in ONE universe cause everything to be all right? I mean, Elizabeth said there are a million million worlds that have Comstock in them and we only killed ONE Booker, thus eliminating ONE Comstock from being created.
Although people had a lot of issues with it, King's solution to this problem in the Dark Tower series to have a "key world" where things happened for good would have been helpful here.
Then there are the handful of times when Elizabeth opened tears into other worlds when something was totally insurmountably in the world they were in; when the gunsmith was dead or when the gunsmithing equipment was locked up. The idea that these worlds were different yet similar enough to continue with everything pretty much the way they were going...I don't know...didn't really work for me. Too much of a con incidence.
And then there's the lucky coincidence that, every time she opened a tear, it was into a world that had a Columbia and, more specifically, a Columbia right under their feet. I would have enjoyed once or twice her opening a tear into some patch of sky, tens of thousands of feet above the earth and then, maybe throwing an enemy through it or something.
All in all though: I really loved the game, I loved the world, I loved the detail and the time and space stuff, even if there were little strings for me to pick at. That final chapter, The Sea of Doors? Wow. Wow. Wow. Very cool stuff.
I'm hoping against hope that the DLC for Infinite is going to straight up be different worlds, each one starting from that sea of doors as a different set of Bookers and Elizabeths. It writes itself and would let them just have a fun time, like what Blood Dragon was to Far Cry 3.
Very excited for what comes next.

THUS ENDS THE SPOILERS FOR BIOSHOCK INFINITE.

After finishing Bioshock, rather than dive back into my growing pile of games I've had for months, I picked up Remember Me. I'm one or two episodes out from the end and, so far, I've been enjoying myself immensely.
The world is so rich and detailed and the story has kept my attention up to this point.
The combat is much like that from the recent Batman: Arkham games, but rougher and less good. Then again, you're Nilin, not Batman*. Like most people who have played this, the parts that stick out the most are the sections where you must "remix" a person's memories. It's a lot of fun and I've never really experienced anything like it in a game before. Some reviewer called the language "pretentious", but, you know what? I find it refreshing. I have yet to roll my eyes once during any dialog.
Oh, except for the insults the guards throw at the female protagonist.
*sigh*
While they aren't as creepy and horrible as when I was Catwoman in Arkham City, they're still pretty badly written and limited.
My only real problem with Remember Me is that, when you aren't slowly and methodically going through each level, looking in every darkened alley and obscured nook for collectibles that either expend the world or enhance your abilities, the game feels rather short.
Also, that boss fight with Madame.
Fuck that shit right off the bus.
Other than that; good stuff and I'm curious as to how they'll wrap this up...although I kind of have an idea.
Once I've completed Remember Me, I'm probably going to dive, face first, into The Last Of Us, despite that aforementioned ever-growing pile of games.
Because I want to.

Aside from interactive media, I have been taking in the kind one does NOT interact with.

Specifically: Batman: The Brave and The Bold.
The very first time I tried to watch this, it could not hold my interest. It was too silly. I think I may have been craving some Batman because Arkham City was about to come out...or Dark Knight Rises or something and I just was not in the mood for "stop you cad! And feel the righteous wrath of my justice fist!" or whatever. But, now that I have nothing to look forward to until October or November when Arkham Origins comes out, I have been able to enjoy the show fully for what it is.
Campy fun.
I also love the random, RANDOM ass C and D-list heroes and villains that pop up from time to time.
Hopefully this will keep me until Beware The Batman comes out, and, hopefully, Beware The Batman won't suck Penguin balls.

Then, there's the new season of Arrested Development. Chris and I had been plowing our way (slowly plowing our way) through the first three season in order to fully appreciate any callbacks or references or whatever and so we jumped right into season four after the final episode of season three.
Hm.
"Disconnected" is the word that comes to mind.
I understand that not everyone was there to shoot everything together, but, still, it feels very disconnected. We're still in the midst of the "catch up" episodes and, while you really do need those (it has been a decade), that amazing ensemble energy is sorely lacking. And there are still at least six more catch up episodes to go before the actually show can start, leaving us with only six or seven full on episodes that don't need to play catch up or spend time explaining things.
Quite a letdown so far.

And, finally, I saw Now You See Me a few days ago. Had some strong moments at the beginning, and then it stopped having strong moments. Overall, it felt like Ocean's Eleven with some magic and twists and the government.
I was also distracted by the fact that Lucius Fox, Alfred Pennyworth and the Hulk were all in this movie.
With Mark Zuckerberg and Mickey Knox.
I watch too much stuff.

Oh! Also! Reading! I have finally stopped reading comics, moving on to Phil's copy of TalesFrom The Dying Earth.
I've just started "Cugel's Saga" after finishing "Eyes of the Overworld".
It's good to get back into Vance after all these years. The guy really knew how to spin a yarn.
Also, how to write a book.
About a shitty little prick named Cugel.

I've also been doing quite a bit of business with the whole voice acty talk money thing.
But more on that later.
For I fear the something is something and now I must something.





* Of course, the game developers can't actually SAY that...