JohnnyBGamer

Radical 2

I have continued reading David Platt’s Radical and have been enjoying it immensely. Some key thoughts that have struck me hard have been:

How the commands that God gives Christians fly in the face of the American dream. Take for instance the command to be fruitful and multiply. The American dream dictates that we need to have a good job, money, and a house before we embark on the journey of children. Sure those things make supporting a family easier, but they are not Biblical.
Also, how Americans tend to have a mindset that says something like “I don’t care about reaching people for Christ that live outside America” or “I’m not called to missions, that is what missionaries are for”. (This one is a bit funny as I got into a conversation like it at Bible Study recently.)

Continuing onward in my reading.

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Launch Parties Are Go!

A friend of mine was telling me, over lunch, that Blizzard is hosting Cataclysm launch parties. Apparently the party/event closest to him will have developers on hand to sign retail copies. Sounds pretty sweet to me!

Check out this link for a list of stores and events surrounding the December 7th Cataclysm launch.

Radical

This morning I started reading David Platt’s Radical. So far, I find myself agreeing with Platt in regards to the disconnect he notes between Christ’s radical calling and how we live as Christians. Good stuff. Anywho, as I have been reading, I have been keeping in mind a review I read of the book recently here. I’ll keep ya’ll updated as I progress.

Final Fantasy XIII: Next Gen?

Run down a linear path, fight 20+ times, and watch a movie. Wash, rinse, repeat.

For a game representing the next generation of role playing games, Final Fantasy XIII sure doesn’t deviate from the established formula. I mean sure, the Paradigm shifts are fun and the battles are quick and breezy, but where is that next-gen wow factor? One could argue that:

The graphics are amazing. This is true.
The battle system is an extremely polished version of what has come before (what has worked and what hasn’t). This is also true.

But what about the storyline? The heart and soul of the game. Already, in my few hours of game play, I have found myself trying to figure out what exactly is going on. I have even visited wikipedia in an effort to unravel this mystery. This isn’t a good thing. Past Final Fantasy’s have grabbed ahold of me straight from the beginning. Take for instance Cloud in Final Fantasy VII. The game opens with Cloud, on a train with the terrorist group AVALANCHE, going to blow up a Mako reactor. At the time I didn’t know what a Mako reactor was, but I sure wanted to see it blow up! Simply epic. Similarly, Final Fantasy XIII begins on a train that quickly devolves into an endless escape sequence. Questions such as:

Why are we running/ escaping?
Where are we? Are we apart of the good guys? Are we bad?
Why do so many people have to die from all of these suspended roads collapsing? Surely someone thought that building such roads could be hazardous.

Soul burning questions (okay, not quite) aside, these questions are just not as compelling as going to blow up a reactor. No, I’m not bashing Final Fantasy XIII. I have kept playing it to see if the story becomes any clearer/ gets better. So far, I have learned that the story involves the main characters trying to figure out how to defeat a curse by figuring out exactly what they have been cursed with. This could be interesting I guess.

The graphics and battle system have kept me going thus far. But I wonder if ultimately I am wasting my time. I will not deny that this game certainly represents a step forward for the series, but I also wonder if it could represent a step back as well.

Royal Quest – Official Debut Trailer

Wow, there are so many MMO’s out there!

Another game to add to your MMO radar is Royal Quest. Scheduled to be released Spring 2012, Royal Quest looks to be a mash up for Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft. Could be an interesting combo. Below you will find some in-game footage. Enjoy!