Mass Effect 3 Will Have Co-op

Just read this article that confirms Mass Effect 3 will have a co-op mode! Can't wait to try it out. Right now, the game is scheduled to come out in March 2012.

Steam Special: Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 are on sale on Steam right now for $6.79 each, or you can get them both for about $10 until November 1. If you like killing zombies, this is a fun one. Best played with 1-3 friends.

Top 10 TV Countdown - #9: SANCTUARY

"The guy who invented the radio just dissed Jack the Ripper." -- Will Zimmerman

I tried out this show because I am a Stargate fan, and I heard Amanda Tapping was involved. That being said, I thought the first episode was horrible. It wasn't very exciting, a little too creepy, and the premise seemed awfully similar to Warehouse 13 except it was creatures they were hunting down rather than artifacts. But I gave it a chance and watched a few more episodes. It was then that I discovered how much fun the character of Helen Magnus and her world of monsters can be.

Helen Magnus was born in 1850, and was part of a secret group known as "the Five," who injected themselves with vampire blood and received special powers; Helen's ability, of course, is longevity (the show takes place in present day). She and her team hunt down dangerous creatures that inhabit the world, or "abnormals" as they call them, and bring them to the sanctuary for safekeeping.

I am impressed with this show because it is mostly shot in green screen. The actors and production team do a marvelous job with it. There are so many places for this show to go, whether it is underwater in a submarine, inside the castle-like sanctuary, a bank vault, or an underground city. It also goes back in time to deal with Helen's history, and explores the backgrounds of the different characters. There are werewolves, vampires, time-travelers, giant spiders, and historical figures like Nichola Tesla and Jack the Ripper involved. Though I find the character of Will Zimmerman a tad boring, the rest of the interesting cast make up for him. All in all, it's a lot of fun.

Top 10 TV Countdown - #10: EUREKA

"Nothing like being chased by a killer robot to make you want your mom." -- Jack

I consumed most of the four seasons of Eureka this week while I was sick and couldn't do much of anything but watch TV. Henceforth, it has bumped the show I originally had as #10 on my list.

I want to describe this show as humorous, but when I think about it, it's actually quite serious, with life-threatening situations happening nearly every episode. But what draws me to it is that the characters are just plain fun. You've got Jack Carter, your easy-going, likeable main character; Jo Lupo, the scrappy, gun-loving deputy who will take on anything or anyone; Henry Deacon, brilliant scientist and mechanic; Nathan Stark, annoying but also brilliant head of scientific company; Douglas Fargo, the guy who always pushes the wrong button at the wrong time; and... I could go on.

At times, there was a bit too much drama for me, with couples getting together (or almost getting together) and breaking up everywhere, often using time-travel and alternate universe story lines to bring about said breakups. I mean (SPOILER WARNING), it took Jack four years to ask Allison out! But I guess drawing it out is where the fun's at. And hopefully they won't break up and get back together too many more times, since there is only one season left.

I was pleasantly surprised that they made the alternate universe work after travelling back in time to 1947 (which, by the way, is my favourite episode so far, in which five Eureka citizens get sent back to 1947, Jo charges in on a stolen motorcycle with a tank chasing her and beats up a bunch of soldiers. 'Cause she's scrappy.) I kept expecting them to get back to the original universe, but it looks like they're in the new one for good. But it seems to work, and it's been a lot of fun watching the five characters deal with their new lives.

Oh yeah, and the writers do a good job of making the science jargon sound real.

There's always something exciting happening at Eureka, whether it is a massive explosion, miniaturization, time travel, or a ship and its crew disappearing (did I mention I HATE cliffhangers! Now we have to wait til next summer to see what happens... grumble grumble). Even if you aren't generally a fan of science fiction, you might find yourself enjoying this show. I certainly did.

Top 10 Countdown - TV Shows

I'm gonna be kicking off the blog with a top 10 countdown of my favourite sci-fi/fantasy tv shows. I actually had a lot more trouble making this list than I thought I would! Stay tuned for #10--a fun and serious show with great characters that recently got cancelled, though it will have one more season.

Beginnings

Sometimes when I'm lying awake at night, my thoughts are whisked away to a universe of space cowboys, or to a galaxy far, far away, or to Middle Earth, or to a world of my own design, and I think wouldn't it be nice to have a place to organize my scattered thoughts. I like to make lists of my top favourite tv shows or books, and discuss their merits and shortcomings with other geeks like me. I also like to review new books, video games, shows, or movies. So thus this blog is born, mostly for my own amusement, but if others find it amusing too, then that is a special bonus.