Remix Your Own Music Video

link to video: here

You're the Teacher

Link to the video: here

LLLLLLLLLLLET'S PLAY!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3CV_2lyGi0

“Let’s Plays”, at least to me, are some of the funniest videos I watch on the internet. Why are these types of videos so successful? It is really because you just have a really funny person or group of really funny people playing a game in a way that is very entertaining.  In the end, it really is not so much about the gameplay; it is more about the commentary. Some Let’s Plays have such great commentary that you may not even really need the visual aspect. Most of the time, the visual aspect of the gameplay itself helps a lot, though. Whatever these people are doing, they have me hooked. I have been watching Achievement Hunter videos since before they even did Let’s Plays and I have been watching Yogscast for about a year now. My greatest hope is that this continues to be a popular type of video.

Peace it Together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK4g2In88sw

In this mood, I am trying to create a mood of peaceful nature and isolation. This is attempted by showing marine animals in an aquatic setting. The isolation is accomplished by the absence of any animals in the final shot.

So Wait, What Changed?

For this project, I played Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 4 from the Halo franchise of games. There is a huge time gap between these two games. Halo: Combat Evolved was released in 2001, while Halo 4 was released in 2012. While these games are two in the same series, they are actually very different. Not just in terms of graphics, but in terms of gameplay as well.

            To start, one key difference between these two games is that Halo 4 has the added armor ability feature. Armor abilities are essentially power-ups to your character that can be activated for a certain period of time before needing to recharge. These abilities include a jetpack, an energy shield, and a holographic decoy. Halo: Combat Evolved does not have armor abilities, but does have “overshield” and invisibility power-ups that can be found in some places in the game. These power-ups, though, must be found during gameplay and activate only once, which is as soon as the player walks through the physical power-up. These differences really affect the dynamics of the games.

            Also, one of the largest differences between the two games is the ability to sprint. Halo 4 allows for sprinting, while the other game does not. This truly has a great impact on overall gameplay. Movement is much slower when not sprinting, therefore making Halo: Combat Evolved somewhat slower-paced than Halo 4. Sprinting was not really a popular gameplay mechanic at the time of Halo: Combat Evolved’s release, so it makes sense for it not to be featured. Transitioning from playing shooters where sprinting is a given to one where you no longer can sprint is a bit of a shock, and it definitely takes some getting used to.

            While those differences are somewhat prevalent, it is time to break into what makes this series great.  What is the main thing going on in either game? The player is shooting aliens. That does not seem like the most original concept in the world. What really grips the player is the story behind why they are shooting at these aliens. At the beginning of Halo: Combat Evolved, it is not really known what is going on. The player later learns that these aliens are trying to essentially destroy the human race. The reason for this is unclear until the next game in the series, Halo 2, in which much of the story of the aliens is revealed. There are just plot twists and turns everywhere, and they keep the games interesting.

            Another thing that draws players back to Halo series time and time again is definitely the protagonist in the main series. Master Chief, John-117, Reclaimer, whatever one may refer to him as, is one of the most iconic characters in all of gaming culture. Why do people seem to like the Chief so much? It has a lot to do with the fact that he is a rather silent character. He has little of his own dialogue in most games in the series, giving the player the opportunity to sort of build their own narrative and increase their immersion in the game. This makes for a unique gameplay experience that is completely linear, yet still allows the player to have some of their own unique experiences.

            Some may disagree with me on this, but the series that is probably the most similar to Halo in terms of the self-narrative aspect is Call of Duty. In many of the games, the player plays a character that is silent the majority of the time. While the player is not necessarily the big hero in Call of Duty, the narrative aspect is similar. The character played does not speak much, so there is a lot of opportunity for players to build up their own narrative.

            With all of that being said, the Halo series is my favorite franchise of all time. It may be something that has lost its luster over the years for some, but it still shines brightly in my mind. The unique storytelling aspect of the game is something that all can appreciate. All of the players out there should be waiting on their next opportunity to go behind the mask of Master Chief. 

Hey! It's a Podcast!

Link to the podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/ln1020/hey-its-a-podcast-mdia-1020

Review Mania

So here are a few movie reviews. The most difficult part of this was making accounts for all of these things.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/1068183/reviews/

http://www.metacritic.com/user/luken1020

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1276104/reviews-668

http://www.moviefone.com/movie/fast--and--furious-6/54333/reviews#main-column (I should be the first review on this one as of 4/11/14)

http://www.amazon.com/review/R25XQD5GLEBO6B/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=630529142X