What I (Dis)Liked Last Week

I know I've been getting a little lazy with the updates, as I generally do, but on Friday I had an awful cluster headache or migraine or whatever it was that caused enough pain to also inflict strong nausea. I dragged myself into work anyway, stopping occasionally to try to focus my energy on not being in pain. I did some research on WebMD, which is never a good idea, and made a shaky determination that it may, in fact, have been a cluster headache based on the symptoms described. It also went on to say that processed meats, bread and caffeine have chemicals that can act as triggers for cluster headaches, a disconcerting thing to read as I hate an Arby's sandwich and drank my Water Joe (caffeinated water). The weekend wasn't much better with a sort of dull buzzing in my head, but I'm feeling better now, my brain lives on to explode another day.

Finished off Mass Effect over the weekend and despite some annoying inventory management issues it was still one of the most compelling games I've ever played, a fully realized and beautifully executed space opera. Since I got it cheap off of the Expert Zone I didn't feel the need to dive right into it, not with the PC version still just around the corner, coming out next month. I was bored one day and decided to fire it up for a minute, see what it was like and then go back to waiting for the (allegedly) much improved PC version. So by the end of the game, doing all the side quests I found (Which I assume was the majority, if not all), it clocked in at a healthy 35 hours, and I even fired it up for a second playthrough which lets you continue using your same character. I guess what I'm saying is that when it finally pops up on PC it'll be more than worthy of your attention.

I also picked up Doom on Live Arcade when it went half price a few weeks ago, and played through that again as well. Something struck me as odd the entire time I was playing it, which I couldn't quite put a finger on, why is Doom still fun? I've pretty much played it on every system I've ever owned, homebrew or otherwise. That includes the GBA and DS. I don't think it's just nostalgia at work, there are other classic games I loved that I just can't get into anymore. I tried giving the original Grand Theft Auto another crack, and just couldn't manage it. When it came out for PC, one of the first games that took advantage of 3DFX cards which were also just coming out, I played it for hours on end. But the awful on foot combat controls, the top-down camera that does extend quite far back enough so when you're trying to move fast you'll often smash into cars you don't see until it's too late, lack of a save feature other than completing all the missions in a city, I couldn't stomach it for more than fifteen minutes. But Doom, with its shoddy texture work, levels that don't represent at all what they're supposed to be (You're telling me the whole first episode is supposed to be a moon base with laboratories?), a story that's barely there, and dated key-hunting gameplay, still ropes me in. Sure, it still has the best shotgun in a game ever, and the best power-up (Berserk! Because anyone who doesn't think being able to pummel a demon from hell to death with your bare hands isn't cool isn't worth listening to.), there's really no reason that I should still enjoy this. Can someone help me out on this?

Speaking of Grand Theft Auto, I'll be attending my first midnight release for anything tonight at the Best Buy in South County, waiting for GTA4 with other sweaty nerds and other unlikable archetypes of our generation. I dread that I'll be stuck in line with someone who really loves Halo 3 and wants to trade Gamertags, or be witness to a 360 vs. PS3 fanboy debate. They're promising giveaways and fun times. I don't want giveaways and fun times. I just want to buy it and go home. I really hope the local news doesn't show up to get some footage like they did with the PS3 and Wii releases. I'm sure I'll have more to report about this later.

-K.