Ratchet and Clank: It Made Gaming Fun Again

           

           Every three weeks I participate in this same awkward ritual, I sit on my couch, boot up a game, play it for a moment and quickly turn it off.  I do this about three times before turning to my roommate and complain about having nothing to play.  It has become this annoying cycle that is only occasionally broken by a certain game.  For a while The Division was the answer, until I lost faith in that typical MMO cycle.  The Witness held my attention for the game’s entirety, but for obvious reasons it lacked replay value. Since then I was longing for a game to grab me again, to really remind me why I am a gamer. Then out of nowhere I found Ratchet and Clank.

            I’ve always known about this game series, but I was a Ratchet virgin before this new reboot.  I bought this game on a recommendation (from Kinda Funny’s Colin Moriarty via PS. I Love You xoxo) and just as he declared, this is Playstation 4’s best exclusive.  There is something really special about Ratchet and Clank, while the game’s marketing has stated it’s a game based on the movie based on the game, it never feels like a remastered version of it’s 14-year old predecessor.  This game could have very easily been a rehash of the old game with just some nicer graphics.  Instead developer Insomniac went the extra mile (despite never playing the original, my roommate did and filled me in on what was there and what wasn’t) they remade and added to their already existing game.  They added new systems, like each weapon’s upgrade tree, they even parsed in a few extra missions and completely recreated the original story.

            According to my Ratchet and Clank guru the game begins in an entirely new way, with an extraordinary cut scene starring, my personal favorite character, Captain Qwark as he tells his side of Ratchet and Clank’s first adventure.  After watching just this scene I knew I was playing something very special.  It was like watching a Pixar movie and I was shocked as I started to control a character that was Pixar beautiful.  It’s a game that looks far better than anything I ever imagined, not only is every character precisely animated, each planet and little detail is something to be marveled at.  Along with the visuals the game’s writing is noticeably epic, it plays to both kids and adults.  It reminded me of watching Zootopia, where sure kids could laugh at the crazy animals and situations, but every little joke was crafted for people far older.  It’s a game I could sit with for hours and find something new to enjoy every thirty minutes.

            To me that is where Ratchet and Clank succeeds, it’s simply fun.  While every cut scene is beautiful and clever, nothing compares to the actual gameplay.  Insomniac has made a game that perfectly balances two genres: making a third person shooter fused with a 3D platformer.  Exploring the different planets is almost as enjoyable as an epic firefight.  Though nothing compares to shooting the endless hordes of enemies spread across each level.

            Every level is densely populated with enemies for Ratchet and Clank to obliterate.  This endless slaughter-fest is by far the most fun I’ve had in gaming in quite some time.  As with all other Ratchet and Clank games the true fun comes from the zany arsenal at the players disposal.  There are traditional blaster and rocket launcher all the way to a murder-hungry robot companion Mr. Zurkon that helps destroy enemies while spouting out hilarious one-liners.  My personal favorite weapon is the groovitron, a small grenade that makes any enemy (even bosses) dance uncontrollably for a short period of time.  That weapon tagged along with the powerful sheepinator, a gun that turns any enemy into a helpless sheep, quickly became one of my favorite gaming moments of the year.  The amount of weapons manages to make each level filled with challenging hilarious firefights that never get old.

            I think the reason Ratchet and Clank is a true gem is the amount of pure joy I felt every second I played it.  Despite the rare moments when you are forced in awkward ship combat or the few times you play at just Clank, it’s a game that has practically no downside.  It’s a game that leaves a smile on your face.  It’s stellar writing and zany gameplay make it a fun romp from start to finish.  Ratchet and Clank made gaming fun again, it made me feel like a kid that was just playing a game to have fun rather than a truly gritty experience that could change my life.

            I recommend what in my opinion is Playstation 4’s best exclusive as a must play.  Do yourself a favor and go have fun with Ratchet and Clank.

Why I’m falling in love with The Division

            While recently looking through a list I keep that contains every game I’ve played in 2016 a thought came to me: I play a lot of video games. It’s only the middle of March and I’ve played about eight different titles.  Lucky we will live in a gaming world where not one of these eight was a AAA game and my bank account wasn’t diminished like many would think.  Now when The Division came out I swore I wasn’t going to buy it, that I couldn’t spend any more money on games, that this game wasn’t worth my $60.  So I did what any young adult living on his on dime would do, I redboxed it and after five hours I was pissed. Why you ask? I knew within that small amount of time that I needed to buy The Division.

            Now luckily I’m semi crafty and found a few games to trade in and managed to not spend a penny of my hard-earned money. Now I just started The Division, but I think I’m in love or I’m slowly falling in with this fantastic game.  I know what you’re thinking: “Jake it’s too early to declare your love” or “It’s the honey moon stage and your bound to have a few unknown issues down the line.” While those are all fair points, I know I’m right. I am in love.

            I once asked a question to a mentor: “What is the difference between loving someone and falling in love with someone?” He thought for a bit and then gave me an answer that I will remember forever. “You don’t choose to fall in love, it happens unexpectedly.  It’s terrifying because no one ever plans on falling, falling in love is out of your control.” (Full disclosure that’s not an actual quote, but it’s what I took away from his answer) With The Division I never planned on loving it, hell three days ago I didn’t plan on buying it.  Then I tried it out, like a first date, and after just one date I wanted more, I wanted it enough to commit to it and know I’m in a committed loving relationship with The Division.

            Now as for why I love it, it’s actually quite simple- this game screams Jake.  Now the only thing that could make it more Jake is if had any Jedi.  Though despite this it bleeds Jake, so let me got through the checklist.  Does it take place in my favorite city New York? Yep.  Is it a third person shooter? Well of course. Is it set in a post apocalyptic world? Do I like pizza? (Yes I do, it’s possibly my favorite food)  Is this a game that is based on a loot system? (or grabbing that next gun, chest plate or scarf to make your character better).  Does a bear shit in the woods? They do.  And lastly, The Division is a multiplayer game I can play by myself.

            The Division’s setting is the world’s greatest city, New York, after a chemical attack.  The in-game map is a massive chunk of Manhattan.  The game uses this city in a lovely way that incorporates the harshness of winter and the desperate feeling of destruction that the city has gone through.  The city is beautiful and melds with the games many different objectives, whether it is a full story mission or a small-scale hostage rescue that pops up as you roam Hell’s Kitchen.  The map is engaging and even at some times overwhelming as a boatload of icons cover your map.  The strategy I have to use is in game management, where in order to not be besieged with countless missions I focus on either a certain district or a certain type of mission.

            The mission verity is one part of unexpected greatness from The Division.  I figured it would be just another Destiny, where every mission involved you going from point A to point B, but here every mission has some unique aspect that makes it all feel different.  Each side mission has some reward that makes a trivial task seem worth it, and each story mission feels like it was ripped out of a single player campaign.  The story seems to be well thought out rather than the shoe in that Destiny’s story was.  The Destiny comparisons seem to come naturally since each game was trying to achieve relatively the same thing.

            Their objective is quite clear: make an on console MMO, or massive multiplayer online game.  While Destiny easily looked this way with a massive hub world and random players running around like jack-asses on every planet.  The Division’s world isn’t cluttered with any of that, it’s basically my version of New York.  Each mission seems as if I am the cities last hope, these don’t feel like something other players have done before.  It’s exciting to take on a boss, as they seem genuinely threatening, every time a boss appeared I was running for my life rather than the boss acting as my personal bullet sponge.  There’s just something special about The Division’s missions, it’s an MMO that allows you to take ownership.

            Though my real sense of ownership comes with my character, or as they’re called in-game an Agent.  My Agent is truly my own, though the initial face customization is a little lackluster, the world of customization expands as you discover weapons, gear and (my favorite part) clothes.  Each MMO is all about the loot you get from killing enemies, completing quests or just scavenging around the world and The Division nails this.  As I wander around this desolate New York the best part is how I’m slowly updating my arsenal.  Within just four hours my primary weapon change three times as I swapped out a heavy machine gun with the assault rifle I’m current use.  The loot is just consistently gratifying and makes you feel that playing The Division is actually worth it.  Each weapon, while not being vastly different, feels somewhat unique and worth finding.  Armor on the other hand is perhaps The Division’s most innovative feature.

            The game’s armor selection is truly impressive as each piece: backpack, holster, kneepads, etc. add up to your total armor point count.  While this isn’t anything that different from other MMOs the true game changer is that none of this armor affects your outward appearance.  Your Agents outward appearance comes from something entirely different, a selection of clothing found around New York.  Though this may not seem like a big deal it is in fact an epic change to that MMO format.  Now that annoying decision of better looking verse better armor is no longer relevant.  Just like Hannah Montana you get the best of both worlds.  This is weirdly enough one of my favorite features in The Division and I couldn’t be my excited to customize my Agent while keeping on that blue bomber jacket.

            The last part of The Division that is exciting is a place no one wants to go: The Dark Zone.  This scary place is in the middle of New York, it is the place that was affected most by the virus, and it’s a place where anything can happen.  In the Dark Zone players may work together to obtain exclusive gear only found there, but it comes at a price, every player may kill another player for their loot.  It’s a place where teamwork is necessary, but trust is terrifying.  Here is where the end game lies and I cannot wait to level up just to explore The Dark Zone.

            The Division isn’t without it’s issues, but those are heavily outweighed by the positives.  The game has so much going for it and I know that my lovely relationship will continue to blossom.  If everything goes as I think it will proceed then I will be committed to The Division for quite some time.  I’m in love with The Division and I recommend you take the leap.  It won’t disappoint you.

Why Movies are so Important to Me

There is this one place: this one place manages to make me truly calm, focused, and in the moment.  That place, sadly a place where many no longer feel safe, is a movie theater.  The movie theater is my temple, my holy place because to me movies are the purest form of entertainment.  There are many reasons why I love movies and its theater, so let me just dive into them.

            If you didn’t know  I get a tad more stressed out than others around me.  So what this lovely trait of mine I am rarely in the moment or I over analysis everything, like a text message or just any possible outcome to a scenario.  But at the movie theater for some reason I am completely present.  My mind isn’t racing, trying to deceive me or even consume me, no, while I sit in that seat I’m there and no where else. To me a movie is the perfect stabilizer, it’s a place where you can truly lose yourself, a place to escape from the hardship of life.

            I’ve always found solace in movies, ranging from me at three years old to even now, they’re my holy place.  I guess this post is going to be about my Anxiety Disorder far more than I thought, but it’s only to explain my love for films.  As I’ve recently discovered my mind hates ambiguity, anything that isn’t set in stone terrifies me.  That’s where movies come in, they are set in stone, and you can’t change the end of film after you have seen it.  Darth Vader will always be Luke’s father, Marty always gets back to the future and John Bender always thrust his fist in the air.

            That’s probably why I re-watch so many movies-to center me, to put me in a moment of absolute certainty.  I know all of this sounds crazy, but for me it’s perfect.  In a way movies bring out the perfect Jake, he’s in the moment and not in that crazy head of his. But that’s juts part one on why I love movies.  The other is a phrase I didn’t invent, but manifested my own meaning for, Movie Magic.

            There’s a moment that’s incredibly rare in film, what I call Movie Magic and it’s different for everyone.  It’s that moment when something incredible happens, you smile, your heart skips a beat, and chills run down your spine; you can close your eyes and be consumed by one moment, that is my definition of movie magic.  Maybe I’m crazy and I’m the only one who closes his eyes after an amazing moment in a movie, but I really feel it.  It’s at moments like Luke sitting in his X-Wing for the first time saying “Red-5 standing by” because he finally made it, or like Will Hunting ending it with: “Sorry I had go see about a girl”, or even Marty McFly hitting 88 Miles and Hour for the first time so we could indeed see some serious shit.

            I’ve got my own list of movie magic moments, but they’re all special in their own way, it’s a moment that I am completely present in and it’s perfect.  I rarely get that anywhere else, not with a video game, or with a book, or even with people (and if I do get it with you, pat yourself on the back).  I only get that at a theater, sitting in the middle seat of the row with the bar in front, you know, the perfect seat.

            I don’t know what makes a perfect movie because to everyone a certain movie means something different. Not everyone’s favorite movie is Good Will Hunting, which is mine, some people love Pretty Woman, and hell some poor bastard out there loves George Clooney’s Batman & Robin. I’m so glad they all exist because there is something out there for everyone.  Everyone enjoys at least one movie and that’s what makes movies special they’re almost universal, yet somehow different to everyone. My movies center me and bring a moment of calm to my life and I love to hear what movies do for others.

2015: My Best Year Yet

           I do this stupid thing every New Year I keep track of all my firsts, and nothing important like my first kiss or something.  It’s the dumb little things like my first poop or drink of water.  I get this little voice in my head that says: “Well that’s your first sip of water in 2016.” The best part of all these “firsts” is that in a week I’ve already forgotten them.  But that’s just one of my New Year traditions, my other big one is claiming that the year to come will be my best one yet.  I stated it last night and I stated it every year prior.  It’s what I do.

            When asking a good friend, Jason, if he was excited for this New Year he simply replied: “I don’t know, I’ve got a lot of unknowns.”

            At first it was maybe the best response anyone has ever given this stereotypical question.  Then it made sense every year is filled with unknowns, and that’s why I claim that this year will be my best yet.

            Once this future year has been claimed as “Soon to be Jake’s Greatest Year of All-Time” I remember that moment 365 days before where I claimed the same thing.  I remember how different I was and how in just one year I drastically changed.  I’m talking the big change; not like my hairstyle (though I did start to do this gel-part-swoop thing in my hair, it’s going well) I’m talking about who I am and what I want.  After that thought I think about how this new Jake got here, how 2015 was my best year yet, because it made this version this of myself and this Jake is best one yet.

            So 2015, it’s big deal, but why was it my best year?  It’s probably hard to explain in detail, but I’m going to try because why the hell not.  2015 was the year I graduated college, got my heartbroken, found my best friends, and saw Star Wars Episode 7.  It was filled with ups and downs, but looking at those four huge things only one is negative and I’m still glad it happened.  I’m glad it all happened.

            In my short 22 years of living I’ve done a lot of cool shit, I jumped out of a plane this year, but I don’t think anything compared to walking across a stage and receiving my college degree.  It was something I never thought would happened and if knew me ages 6-14 my guess is you thought the same, and I wouldn’t blame you.  But I did it, I was a “normal kid” at that moment or so I thought, though I now know I was special, after all I had special education.  Out the thousands of people getting their degrees or watching someone they love accomplishing this great task only ten knew my story.  A story chockfull of anxiety, depression, special education and an amazing support system: that somehow saved a kid who didn’t think he could be saved.  It was surreal to stand their holding a college degree that was mine. I couldn’t believe it; it felt impossible and yet 2015 was the year I did it.  It was the year I graduated college.

            Though what life doesn’t tell you is that after college it’s not perfect in fact it’s far from it.  For the first time you’re on your own and I was really on my own, I don’t need to talk about it, but break-ups are devastating.  When you have that average negative mindset, and for quite awhile I did, it felt like the world was ending.  Then these awesome people in my life did everything in their power to keep me afloat while I believed I was sinking.  Finally, my mind set started to change I stopped think that this break-up was about losing everything and I noticed it became about all I gained from it. Through her I found these people, Colt and Hannah, that are now part of my family.  I got lucky, life gave me all I needed and took away what I didn’t.  The heartbreak made me realize that I need focus on what’s best for me, that in a relationship my happiness should be what’s important too. Now, my friends are the most important part.

            2015 was filled with a bunch of new people tossed in to my life, in fact my close friends all came from this year.  It’s weird how you find the important people in strangest ways and this was very evident this year.  It’s fun to look back and think to yourself: “how’d I get here.”  My friends, who are basically my family now, were found and kept because I stayed 500 miles away from San Diego for a reason that didn’t really pay off.  Now the reasons I stay (despite the contracted year-rental agreement) are these people, the ones I call my crew, each of these four people make luckiest man alive.  I don’t think many people have a group like I do. I’m so blessed to have four people that would drop anything for me and I love knowing that they rely on me too, we’re basically a family now and when I’m with them I’m home.

            This year I really got to return home, for the first time in ten years I went back to my galaxy far, far away and in that seat I was a three-year-old again.  I know there are lots of Star Wars fans out there, but I also know that many of them don’t compare to my fandom. I mean I wrote a love letter to Star Wars, you could read it here.  This year ended the perfect way, with me watching characters that feel like old friends back in action.  Seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the perfect ending to my best year yet.  Star Wars is all about chance encounters and how meeting a person can change your destiny and this year I found my Han, my Leia, my Chewbacca and my R2D2.  Star Wars helped end my year in the best way.

            This year wasn’t perfect, nothing ever is, but it was damn good and I wouldn’t trade any part of it. I wouldn’t trade the heartbreak, the anger, and the sadness because I’ve already lived through awful and somehow eventually the awful turns into amazing.  Life is all about possibilities and that’s why when say: “2016 is going be the best year of my life” I really don’t know, in fact I’ve got a lot of unknowns.  But it looks really fucking promising.  Bring it on 2016.