Game: Until Dawn
Platform: PlayStation 4
HowLongToBeat: 8 Hours
 
Likes: choose your own adventure stories and beating some of my unplayed games.
Dislikes: being subjected to jump scares. Choosing Until Dawn as the first game from my backlog to play for my new series, then, put me in a tricky spot. But all of the jump scares were worth it for what was an enthralling, clever, and immersive experience that made for the perfect backdrop to Halloween. 

Until Dawn is a 2015 survival horror game released exclusively on the PS4. I’ve managed to avoid playing it for this long mainly because of the aforementioned jump scares, something I now regret doing because of how enjoyable it was. The game has captured my attention since its release because of its butterfly effect system, where the choices you make as a player impact the playthrough and outcome of the story. It just took some bravery to get to that aspect of it.
 
Joining the group of characters at a party in a mountain cabin, you’re hooked before the opening credits even roll as you’re faced with the illusion of choice in the survival of two of the characters during the prologue. Those two characters fall off of a cliff after being pursued by a mysterious individual, setting the stage for a tense tale ahead. 
 
The narrative is a fantastic bit of cheesy horror movie trope goodness. A year after the incident, the group of young adults (bad idea) decides to go back to the remote mountain lodge (don’t) where their friends disappeared (why?). The group plays with a Ouija board (idiots), breaks off into smaller groups to explore the property (did Scooby Doo teach you nothing?), and does all the other silly things horror movie characters do. Also, the mountain property is the ancestral home of a displaced Native American tribe (nope), sits near a haunted mine where a tragic accident took place (no thanks), and includes an abandoned sanatorium (I’m out). The use of these various settings and situations add variety to the game. 
 
The game makes use of camera angles and controls in a way that makes every decision feel intense and spooky. It uses a mix of low- and high-angle shots that create unique, eerie perspectives. The character movement with these vantage points can sometimes feel clunky. For instance, you may be walking away from the camera one moment, then walking towards it the next as the camera angle suddenly changes, requiring you to shift your direction and sometimes causing your character to backtrack a little. That being said, the occasional lack of smoothness is typically worth it, as it generates the feeling that a scare is just around every corner. The use of the “Don’t Move” quick-time event - where you have to hold the controller perfectly still to escape a threat - is a nerve-wracking touch to the game, too. 
 
Another fun aspect is the extremely talented crew of actors and actresses contributing voice and motion-capture for the game. Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere play Josh and Sam, just one pair of notable pieces from the game’s fantastic voice-acting ensemble. Panettiere was pretty well established by the time Until Dawn released, but it’s a treat to go back and see Malek prior to his breakout roles in Mr. Robot and Bohemian Rhapsody.
 
My initial playthrough taught me a lot about how I would behave in a horror movie. All the years spent yelling at TV screens have apparently prepared me to be extremely cautious in navigating horror situations. When given the option to take a safe path or a quick but risky shortcut, I take the former (much to the dismay of the character I was trying to rescue, who I was too slow to save. My apologies. R.I.P.). When faced with doing something individually heroic or cautious as part of a duo, I choose the latter. But one of the great things about Until Dawn is that it makes you feel like you’re both inside of a scary movie and like you’re watching it in the theater; you can guide the protagonists away from bad decisions and protect them, but only so much. Even when you make the safest of decisions, horror and consequences are still imminent. 
 
Beginning my “Beating the Backlog” series with Until Dawn was a perfect fit for a few reasons. First, the game pays wonderful homage to movies like Scream, Saw, The Descent, The Shining, Friday the 13th, and more, so it pairs well with the horror movie watching that goes on in the month of October. Second, it’s a quick game with a re-playable story, which makes me reflect on all the un-played games that I’ve put off for a variety of reasons and how easy they would be to move off of my list in reality. Finally, the butterfly effect style gameplay has me motivated to play similar games in my collection, like The Last of Us: Remastered and Detroit: Become Human. One game down and many to go, but my attempt to dig into my backlog of games is off to a promising start!

​Over the past year or so, we’ve talked a lot about the beauty and the majesty that is found in Star Trek Online and there’s good reason for that. Because the galaxy in this game indeed features some breathtaking imagery, with planets so foreign and beautiful that you’re forced to stop and admire everything they have to offer and the same goes for deep space as well. Since there are some places you encounter while on patrol that are serene in nature and despite the fact that the patrol is over, all you can do is hover in the void and admire the wondrous sights that digital nature is offering up to you.
 
But despite the fact that this game consistently leaves one’s jaw dropped with the visuals it has to offer, this is a game that never forgets to offer up the flip side of existence. Which means that there are indeed places out there that aren’t exactly the prettiest thing you’ll find in the galaxy. In fact, they’re downright hideous and vicious and that’s where we are going to spend a little bit of our time today. Because while we all wait for Awakening’s next chapter to drop, it’s time to resume our journey through the galaxy and today I settled upon returning to a planet that is hostile and dangerous and desolate in its own right; Nukara Prime.
 
Now for those unfamiliar with this particular place, it’s nestled near the edge of the Galaxy in the Boreth Sector and this world is nothing short of a nightmare. Because it’s orbit around a pair of suns is akin to that of Mercury, which means the surface is baking to say the least and one cannot properly explore this planet without an Environmental Suit, outside of the rally point that is, and well, I know what you’re thinking, why on earth would one want to take the time to explore this place? And to that I answer, because it is there. For Nukara Prime is a wonderful example of how the universe/nature is sometimes unforgiving and angry in what offers up to us and it is fascinating to walk around a planet that is populated by heat and desolation.
 
But of course, there would be no point in a story based game to just let you beam down and only see threatening rock faces and pools of acid, so thankfully they added the twist of having the Tholians invade for their own nefarious purposes involving interspatial rifts and that allows for some serious combat to take place and I have to admit, that adds a new level of danger to this particular place. Because there is safety to be found in one’s EV suit when you start to explore, so seeing weapons fire burst over your head, or seeing three or four Tholian warriors surround you adds a little tension to the situation since you’re on your own when you beam down and well, kudos to the game for adding a little thrill to a world that should offer none.
 
Yet you’ll also notice that I referred to this place as the Arizona of the galaxy and I mean that. Because the rock formations here, are akin to many of the places I’ve visited in that state and in many ways this planet looks like a hybrid of both the Grand Canyon and the Superstition Mountains. And of course, the heat in this place also makes me think of that state, and what I wouldn’t give for an EV suit the next time I visit extended family out there. But all snark aside, this is a cool planet (no pun intended) to travel to since it serves as a sobering reminder that the galaxy is a dangerous place, and that a good Captain or Admiral should be prepared for anything and now that we are done with this angry world, I think it is high time we visit a planet filled with rich history and great beauty, one located in the heart of the Alpha Quadrant, and that is where we will pick up, next time. Until then. 

If there’s one universal truth about life, that applies to just about anything we do, it would have to be that sometimes… you just gotta change things up. Because sometimes routine gets a little boring and that’s why we do things a little differently in regard to our daily routine in the mornings or at work, or that’s why we surprise our significant others with a night out on the town, just so that we can keep things interesting. And I wasn’t kidding when I said this applies to just about everything in life since even in the creative world, things get shaken up from time to time in order to spice up a particular storytelling experience and for proof, look no further than Star Trek Online.
​
Because this is a game that for that most part, has stuck to a pretty baseline formula in the near ten years that’s it has been around, and that’s not bad thing by any means. Because the story system in this game has brought forth some incredible tales, the kind that have taken our breath away. But clearly the powers that be wanted to try something new for Awakening and well, that’s quite the bold move to say the least. For we’ve grown used to traditional episodes playing out when we log into the game, but after finishing ‘Beneath the Skin’, I (and many others, I’m certain) came to quickly realize that this was going to be a vastly different type of story arc.

For everything that plays out after that season premiere takes place via a unique style of patrol mission, one where a story plays out from the bridge of your ship and while this is jarring at first, since you’re patiently waiting to beam down on an away mission and enjoy some quality cinematics, this ends up being quite the unique and exciting experience for so many reasons. First and foremost, it’s action packed for certain, since you quickly find yourself under fire from House Mo’Kai forces and you’re forced to think fast and employ everything you’ve learned about combat so far since J’Ula’s thugs are fierce and overwhelming at times, especially when waves of them just keep coming.

But what I truly appreciated about the wealth of patrols that I went on to further the story arc, was the sheer fact that this more or less allows for your imagination to run wild. Because while my Anti-Proton beams were tearing into my enemy, Lieutenant Commander Stamets and the rest of my bridge crew were chiming in to the move story along and I don’t know why, but it definitely made me feel like I was truly sitting in a captain’s chair, making calls on the fly while the Red Alert klaxon and lights blast around us and that makes these missions… just a true delight to play. But all nerdiness on my part aside, these missions really do deserve big credit for offering up a brand-new way to tell a story in STO.

Because this push to stop House Mo’Kai adds a genuine sense of urgency to the story, since it is clear that J’Ula is working hard and fast to perfect her Mycelial weapon, and having to move to multiple places in a hurry, adds to her mystique since she’s in essence launching a multi-pronged attack and really, you can never go wrong with subtlety in storytelling and that’s really where these missions succeed. If anything, it is quite cool to see a hybrid story arc present here, one that I’m certain will wrap up in cinematic fashion down the line. But while I wait for the next episode or patrol to drop in this arc, I may replay a few of these to see if there’s anything I’ve missed, and also to enjoy the thrill of being seated in the big chair, while the action unfolds in fast and furious fashion, one more time. 

Clutter is difficult to beat. People are tidying up along with Marie Kondo’s book and Netflix show. The internet is abound with memes referencing the urge to buy new books when plenty of unread tales line our shelves at home. Even beyond physical clutter, our lists of what to consume are growing longer and becoming more arduous as friends, family, and coworkers all recommend the latest shows, books, movies, restaurants, apps, and activities. There aren’t enough hours in the day to curtail our growing lists.
 
In addition to the movies, TV shows, books, and comics that I have yet to start and/or finish, I have enough unplayed video games to last me until the PlayStation 6 comes out. Yet that doesn’t seem to stop me from getting new ones. I still find myself pre-ordering the big releases that have caught my eye and downloading the two free PlayStation Plus games every month, all while my untouched games stare me down from the shelf.
 
A large stockpile of unplayed games takes both physical space and mental space. The physical problem is obvious. A stack of unopened cases is quick to crowd the bin, drawer, or shelf where you store your games. Even when going digital, a crowded hard drive or library can force you to make some tough decisions about what to delete and what to play. As for mental space, an untapped inventory of games can bring guilt to you and your wallet. When you drop $60 on a brand-new game, you wonder shamefully whether you should have held off until you finished the last one that took cash from your bank account.
 
I’m guilty of quite a few problems that contribute to a never-diminishing stockpile of games. First, as I mentioned before, I tend to take arguably too much advantage of the free games on PlayStation Plus each month. Every now and then the free game offered will be one I had been hoping to buy for a while, but more often than not I’m downloading games because they look interesting and because they’re free. Second, I’m a sucker for side quests in open-world games. I’m not a point A to point B type player when there’s so much to do. I’ll meander and take my time doing all the little things. Finally, I sink a considerable amount of time in games with no discernible end. Sports games are a good example. While some sports titles have implemented linear story modes, they are often short, and the main draw continues to be career or franchise modes that keep rolling on.
 
This problem of a video game backlog is not a rare one. You can find countless Tweets, articles, and YouTube videos where people vent about their backlog of games and provide tips to thinning those out. Chris Plante from Polygon suggested watching streams of the games in your backlog as one approach for cutting your list down. YouTuber and video game collector/historian The Immortal John Hancock posted a video in early 2018 detailing how he approaches his growing backlog: a collection of “thousands of games” which would allow him to “play a different game every day for decades.” Hancock’s video has over 27,000 views, so clearly the problem hits home for many people.  
 
Several websites are devoted solely to the effort of beating a backlog and provide tools to do so. HowLongToBeat (HLTB), a site I rely on to get a feel for how comprehensive a game’s story is and how much time I should expect to sink into it, has a backlog feature that allows users to track their progress. Users can sort games into “Backlog”, “Playing”, “Replay”, or “Completed”, leave reviews and ratings, and track how long it took them to beat a given game.

​All the shared guilt and useful resources brings us to the big plan: I’ve decided to finally do something about my backlog! Using HLTB as a tracker, I will log my unplayed games and track them as I try to beat them. So, what’s my goal? Is it to beat every game I own? Or just to play all of them? Do I go for 100% mastery and all of the trophies? Or is the main story the only goal? Here are some parameters:
 

• My list runs a spectrum of consoles, including games from the SNES, the N64, the Xbox 360, and the PS4. All are on the table. I’ve added around 40 games to my backlog to start.

 

• I’ll write a Beating the Backlog entry for each game I take on.

 

• I don’t want this to feel like a chore. After all, video games are supposed to be fun! For that reason, 100% completion is not my goal. I’ll try to beat the main story in most cases, but I’ll sometimes just play enough of a game to feel like I’ve gotten as much enjoyment as I can out of it. This will be especially true for games with a more nebulous conclusion or for games I’m not really enjoying.

 

• As much as I do love racking up trophies, I don’t necessarily plan to master every game, especially as doing so can sometimes double or even triple the playtime required. For example, HLTB lists Red Dead Redemption 2 as taking over 46.5 hours to beat the main story, 75 hours to beat the main story and extras (some side quests, unlockables, etc.), and a whopping ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN HOURS to go full completion-ist. Call me a quitter if you will, but I’m passing on that most times.

 

• Will there be a reward? Yes, I’ll probably use beating games as an excuse to buy new games. That’s how it works, right?

 
With the plan laid out and the backlog built, I’m all set to dive in! I plan to take on Until Dawn, Red Dead Redemption 2, and God of War in the immediate future. Bully, Ratchet & Clank, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past will all add some nostalgia to the list. Any of the other games in my HLTB backlog are sure to emerge on a whim. Please join me on this journey, either by following along or by jumping into a list of your own games that you’ve been hoping to play. It’ll be a fun ride. Together, we can beat the backlog!

​You know, I have to admit that it took me a long time to get started on this particular entry in The Admiral’s Log, simply because the number entry in said log gave me pause. Because this is Part 50, my nerdy friends, and seeing that number allowed for it to dawn on me that I’ve been writing these little vignettes for roughly a year now and that’s, pretty damn cool to say the least. Because I honestly never expected this series to last as long as it has, I thought I would recap my journey through Star Trek Online and find a nice stopping point and move along to another topic. But as we dove deeper into the various places and stories present in this game, I came to realize that I simply couldn’t walk away from this blog with any ease.
 
That’s because there’s still so much to see and do in this game since the folks who designed it gave us so much to explore and interact with and also because, this journey is now in my blood. That’s thanks in large part to your wonderful response to this blog, dear reader, but also because damnit, it is an outright joy to geek out about being able to traverse the stars that populate my favorite science fiction franchise, and because of that, I’m eager to keep going for as long as you’ll read this. But more importantly, the game also makes it supremely difficult to come to a conclusion because this adventure through the galaxy is always offering up new surprises and new stories and that’s really the point of today’s blog, new adventures.
 
Because Tuesday saw the launch of Awakening, the next chapter in the Discovery crossover. Which will finally bring the battle with J’Ula and her rogue forces to a conclusion and as is always the case when a new chapter in STO launches; I practically ran to my couch the instant it was live to fire it up and boy was that six gigabyte update worth the wait. For another Star Trek: Discovery alum is present in this particular arc since the story uses holographic technology to resurrect Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets of the U.S.S. Discovery and his arrival in this arc adds some phenomenal depth to ‘Beneath the Skin’ since his experiences in the Mycelial Network are paramount to the story.
 
For we quickly come to learn that J’Ula is working to weaponize said network and use it to destroy the Federation one planet at a time and the reveal of those plans led to some quality storytelling for certain. Because it was a jaw dropping sight to drop out of warp at Andoria and see her forces attacking a Federation world, since that’s something that really never happens outside of wartime. But it speaks to her cunning nature and her ruthlessness since all bets are off with J’Ula, and the fact that we get to venture into the Mycelial Network because of her actions is quite the treat when all is said and done since this is a beautiful but dangerous place, and it was definitely full of surprises.
 
Because I wasn’t expecting the network to take the form of Amna Patel, who passed away in ‘Impossibility of Reason’ a little while back, but it did so, all in the hopes of creating a bridge between the 23rd and 25th centuries and this little twist worked well here. But outside of all of that, there’s one man that steals the show in this opening chapter and that’s actor Anthony Rapp. For his portrayal of a holographically resurrected Paul Stamets is an utter delight. Because he is able to add an unexpected depth to this hybrid character since Stamets is vastly different before getting his memories back and that’s just a lovely touch to throw into the game. Plus, the cinematics here are simply top notch, making the mission feel at times like an episode of the series is playing out right before your eyes.
 
So, when you take those elements, and throw in an epic space battle that involves the Enterprise, you’re left with one wonderful opening chapter to this new story arc and already I’m eager to see where it is headed since this ‘season premiere’ was pretty amazing in its own right and this is a story I’ve been quite excited to see come to its logical conclusion. Which means we will be spending quite some time talking about Awakening in the weeks to come and once again, I cannot thank you all enough for supporting this ultra-nerdy journey through the stars for this long and I am beyond excited to have you along for the ride as the voyages of the U.S.S. Galactica continue. Until next time. 

​It is always difficult for a fan to sit through the outright fall of their favorite franchise. Because no fan ever wants to see what they love, fail, and that’s why so many support their beloved sagas in such dedicated and defensive fashion. But sadly, nothing lasts forever in the entertainment world and the perfect storm of mitigating factors can bring a popular saga to its knees. For when quality dips, or the story gets too outlandish for its own good, people simply turn away and find something new to latch onto, and that exodus signals the end and oddly enough, both of those factors are key reasons as to why the Blair Witch gaming saga faded into oblivion.
 
Because Blair Witch Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale basically goes off of the rails, and it effectively killed the video game arm of this franchise, and revisiting this one on YouTube was a painful experience. For I had truly forgotten all the of mistakes and missteps that this game brought forth when it was released back in the day and really, the first thing that caught me off guard and took me out of the story, was the acting. Because all of these games feature a great wealth of dialogue and every single line spoken in this particular game, is delivered in hammy and cheesy nature, with the over-the-top zest and zeal that plagued the early days of full motion video games and well, that acting is definitely something that removes you from the game immediately because it’s difficult to listen to this cheese-fest.
 
But the problems with the game don’t just end with the acting. Because the gameplay and overall plot are problematic as well. Case and point, the fact that you have to use every day religious items as energy weapons against the evil. Yeah you read that right, something as innocuous as a cross is a nasty weapon in this particular game since it ignites and burns the evil away and if that’s not odd enough, you can also use your Bible to zap the undead with electricity from heaven. And the fact that all of this is seen as ‘natural’ in game, makes it laughable to say the least and its only compounded further by the wannabe, Hammer Horror-esque soundtrack that plays over the events that unfold.
 
Yet while these issues could be forgotten and forgiven if they were supported by a quality story, that’s also missing from this game. Which is fascinating, because this is a portion of the Blair Witch mythos that was barely explored in the original film, meaning that the creative team at Ritual Entertainment could have gone wild and put together a powerfully terrifying story that provided us with the twisted origins of the Witch herself. But instead, we’re treated to a rushed tale that offers nothing new since it borrows more from Volume I than the source material, and that leads to a sloppy story that just goes from point A to point B without any rhyme or reason or explanation as to what makes the iconic ghost tick.
 
If anything, this really was the death knell of a unique idea, one that never quite reached its potential and that’s a shame. Because video games can sometimes go places that movies are simply unable to reach, and this trilogy could have been a horror masterpiece to say the least. But an obviously rushed production led to disaster and this more or less made developers afraid of games involving this character for years to come, since this is the first year, we’ve seen a new Blair Witch game hit the market. Yet while they failed to truly inspire their audience, they do deserve a little bit of credit for trying something new, because these stories were ambitious in their own right and there’s nothing wrong with being bold in telling a story, it’s just a shame that this trilogy lost its way. 

While a great many people deem Star Trek V: The Final Frontier to be one of the worst films in the Star Trek saga (and with good reason), it’s a movie that has a soft spot in my heart. Because for starters, it’s one of the few stories in the franchise to even remotely deal with religion and faith since all the shows made it clear that such matters are mostly non-existent in the 23rd and 24th Century. But I’m also a fan of this film, simply due to the fact that it takes the time to show us something we rarely see in this saga; failure for the United Federation of Planets.
 
Because when you take a moment to think about it, how often do we really see the Federation fail or stumble? For it is supposed to be made up of wise and intelligent people who see every angle before setting something into motion. But Final Frontier introduces us to Nimbus III, a planet that someone in the Federation believed could help engender a future full of peace and harmony by bringing together cultures from the three major powers in the galaxy, and well, it was clearly a total disaster. Sadly though, we don’t spend a ton of time exploring it in the film since Sha Ka Ree is our final destination, meaning that this is basically the first and last time we see and hear of this place within the framework of the franchise.
 
Enter Star Trek Online. Because as I’ve made mention of here and there, everything that has ever been featured in the fifty-plus year run of this glorious saga is somehow present within the framework of the game and that includes Nimbus III. In fact, there’s actually a story arc that features this planet, one that involves the Romulans, which is awesome in its own right. But since I spent/spend so much of my time focusing on the story over the location, I glossed over the wonder of this place my first time passing through here, and I’m honestly not sure what motivated me to come back to this place after enjoying the serenity of New Romulus, but it was a worthwhile voyage none the less.
 
For this is a fascinating world when all is said and done, one that has in essence been abandoned by the major governments of the Beta Quadrant and that is just… nuts. Because there’s peace in the galaxy now, and this was the Federation’s idea, so maybe, I dunno… get in there and fix what you done screwed up? But that’s a more philosophical question best left to fiction, so, allow me to digress since I’m getting off topic. Because what makes this world so fascinating, outside of its moral implications, is the sheer fact that it is in essence a lawless world. For the Orion Syndicate runs things here, and there’s some sneaky stuff happening on the side as well and it’s strange to walk on the surface of a world where chaos reigns supreme day and night, and where you are pretty much guaranteed to use your phaser.
 
Yet what’s equally more unique about this world, is that there is little to see here. It’s mostly desert, and a lot of busted structures that the pirates in this part of the galaxy call home and really, the only geek out moment you’ll find, is pictured above, since Paradise City is alive and well, and so is the cantina where Captain Kirk was attacked by that crazy cat lady. But while this isn’t exactly the most joyous place to explore, it’s still cool to set foot on another planet that is rich with Star Trek history, and it definitely gets your imagination going since it leaves you wonder what other failures the Federation has endured over the years that the saga has yet to bring up. But all of that aside, that brings our journey to ‘The Planet of Galactic Peace’ to a close and this voyage also signals a pause in our second journey through the galaxy. For when we reunite on the bridge of the Galactica next week, Awakening will have launched on console, and we will be diving into this new storyline’s first episode and I look forward to geeking out over this new story arc with all of you fine people in the weeks to come. Until next time.  

If there’s one universal truth that exists when it comes to the entertainment industry as a whole, it’s that sequels can be a difficult venture. Because ‘Part 2’often has to find a way to live up to the expectations of the original, all while finding a way to wow the audience with something new and exciting that allows for it to stand on its own, and that’s just not always possible. Because sometimes a second entry has no choice but to try and move the story into a different direction in order to not create a clone and well, you never quite know if audiences are going to embrace that or not.
 
But if the folks behind the scenes truly take the time to provide the audience with a quality and engaging story, one that properly has ties to the original, wonders can and will happen. But alas, more often than not, a desire to take things in a new direction and a lack of collaboration leads to sequels that are messy in nature or outright disappointing. This is something that is especially true in the gaming industry since sometimes different studios work on a sequel to a game and having an entirely different team build a story often leads to disaster since there is zero communication between the original team and the new one. And this is precisely why the second entry in the Blair Witch trilogy of video games falls short.
 
Because Blair Witch Volume II: The Legend of Coffin Rock is a game that only looks like its predecessor since it goes in a wildly different direction with its storytelling style and its gameplay and quite frankly, the changes that are made to this particular entry take the player right out of the overall experience. Because in essence, this story offers nothing new to the user. It’s the same stuff that the movie covered, surrounded by a plot involving a character who is desperate to regain his memory and sadly none of this inspires one to obsess over the game in the slightest since everything is carefully scripted out and it’s obvious early on that you don’t really need to pay attention to the plot, you just need to ride the cinematics out and hack and slash your way to the ending.
 
Which makes this game feel more like a side scrolling arcade game over an adventure game and that’s a shame because this one had some serious potential. For there are parts of this game that are actually eerie and creepy. Take for example the spirits of dead children that pop up within the environment often. For these little monsters’ chuckle with glee as they meander about, and their pale blue eyes are always locked upon your character and sometimes that’s a little more eerie than one would like. But alas, it’s subtle and twisted moments like that, which the game does not capitalize upon in the slightest. Instead, the focus is set on flashbacks designed to help you learn about your character, which really doesn’t pay off in the end, since the finale is pretty messy in its own right.
 
If anything, this is a game that feels like a wasted opportunity. Because had the game focused more on the creep factor and built wild moments upon that, we’d likely be calling this adventure a masterpiece. But instead, we are left with a game that is quite frankly, only for the hardcore Blair Witch fan in your life. For it does do a good job of exploring the legend it shares it namesake with. So, if you’re eager to learn more about this particular part of the Witch’s history, give this one a look on YouTube and enjoy the ride, but if you’re looking to find a solid horror story that leaves you uncomfortable, look elsewhere because this one is a straight up disappointment.

​Even though it’s been twenty years, I can still remember the craze that The Blair Witch Project engendered amongst the horror community. Because that particular film was revolutionary in every single sense of the word, since it gave birth to the found footage subgenre that filmmakers everywhere have taken advantage of, but more importantly, it ignited our imaginations like never before. For this film came out in the midst of a technological revolution, one that allowed for everyone to begin to enjoy the compendium of human knowledge with the click of a button. So, to stumble upon a story that was able to invoke the unknown was quite the wonderful cinematic discovery.
 
But as is always the case when the hot new thing hits the market, others want to take part in the mythos and expand it further by way of merchandising and spinoffs. But of the many books and comics and other goodies that this movie inspired with its success, one particular spinoff that truly caught my eye, was a trilogy of video games immersed within the world of the Blair Witch that were released in 2000. Because these games worked hard to expand upon the moments that left us curious or haunted in regard to the movie, and while the overall results were mixed at best, this trilogy has a soft spot in my heart simply due to the fact that they put in the most effort into expanding the legend of the Blair Witch and really my personal favorite when it comes to this trilogy was the first game, Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr.
 
Because this particular tale allowed for the player to step into the world of Burkittsville, Maryland, mere days after Rustin Parr revealed to the world what he had done in the basement of his home and what made this investigation so unique and so awesome, at least for me, is that it managed to create a gaming crossover event as well. For the studio behind the incredible game Nocturne, Terminal Reality, handled the production of this entry. Which means that the Spookhouse popped up in this particular tale and it is one of their agents that works to figure out as to whether or not Rustin Parr was a bloodthirsty serial killer, or a guy truly under the influence of something otherworldly, and the investigation in question is where this game shines, since this is where some scary stuff comes into play.
 
For the surrounding woods and various places from the movie are on full display here and these places are filled with strange sounds and sinister shadows and as ‘Doc’ Holliday’s investigation continues along, those shadows and sounds begin to reveal themselves to the player and that leads to some terrific jump scares and out right terrifying moments. In fact, I’ll never forget the moment I dared to dip my character’s toes into the legendary Tappy East Creek, only to have a massive, rotten hand burst out from the water and pull her beneath the surface. Because I did not see that coming and it definitely made me yelp in surprise and the wonder of this game doesn’t end there, since the true source of the Witch’s power is revealed late in the game, leading to an intense climax that leaves one to wonder if you’ve truly done enough to end her reign of terror.
 
If anything, it’s clear that a lot of care went into this particular game, and the folks at Terminal Reality wanted to tell a quality and engrossing story that brought the mythos of the Blair Witch to new heights, and they really did succeed at that. Because I found the new twists and turns that this game had to offer quite fascinating when all is said and done, and tossing the Spookhouse into the mix was equally as rewarding and truly, this adventure left me quite excited to play the other volumes in this trilogy that other studios were preparing. But before we dive into those sequels and their flaws, in the here and the now, it’s best we bask in the wonder of this particular game. Because it did a fine job of recreating the eerie atmosphere of the movie and if by chance you want to check it out, your best bet is to swing by YouTube since this game has faded from the market and I do hope you give it a look since it really was, something special

Of the many, many species that we’ve been introduced to in the Star Trek mythos, I am hard pressed to find one as mysterious and as alluring as the Romulans. For these cunning villains were often shrouded in secrecy in the earliest days of the franchise, to the point where they became an afterthought as the years rolled on and it really wasn’t until The Next Generation that they were given the proper chance to grow on screen and allow for the fans to discover their rich yet brutal culture. But while we learned plenty about them during Picard’s time aboard the Enterprise-D, once his initial adventures through the stars came to an end, our exploration of this species in essence came to a close.
 
Which I think is a shame because we all wanted more, in fact, I would venture to say that we want to feel as familiar with them as we do with the Klingon Empire and that’s why I firmly believe that J.J. Abrams used them as the primary villain of his 2009 reboot of the saga and why Star Trek: Picard will feature them heavily as well. Because the idea presented in these two stories, in that an Empire as large as this one can be brought to its knees by natural disaster, makes for some incredible storytelling to say the least and I’m eager to see what Picard will bring to the table in regard to a universe without Romulus and Remus. But alas, we have to wait until 2020 to find that out, and this is in fact a gaming blog about Star Trek Online and the importance of discussing the Romulans here has its rhyme and its reason; simply because their rich culture and their new beginning can be explored within the game right now.
 
For STO took the time to adopt the storyline involving the destruction of Romulus and Remus in 2387 and their direction with it is nothing short of brilliant. Because in 2410, there’s relative peace with this once proud race of warriors, simply because they were able to see that the only way forward was to make peace with their enemies and it’s fascinating to navigate a quadrant of space that is now free from Neutral Zones and the threat of war with neighbors and what is truly the crown jewel of this wonderful storytelling decision, is the fact that your character can fly to New Romulus and set foot on a world that was once forbidden to all by its host species, and my goodness what an incredible experience this is in game.
 
Because once you arrive within the confines of the capital city, you can see the people of this world working hard to rebuild and create homes and a functional civilization once again, and it’s wild to see Klingons and Starfleet officers working alongside them to accomplish those goals and the magic of this world doesn’t end there. For one can explore a great deal of New Romulus and there’s something quite beautiful about seeing a new world for the first time and exploring it from a scientific standpoint alongside the Romulans. For much remains hidden about this planet and it’s just so cool to tag creatures you’ve never seen in the series before and aid a former foe with safety and security themed missions.
 
If anything, the Romulans chose a lovely world from which to start fresh and it’s easy to get lost within its forests or even its mountain regions since you’ll find yourself just staring at the scenery. But what matters most to me is that New Romulus and everything we’ve just discussed in this Log, serves as a fine reminder of what Star Trek stands for. Because centuries of hostilities are forgotten in this place, and bad blood is a phrase that no one knows, since everyone is working together to help the Romulans thrive and proper once again and that’s just a beautiful thing to see within the framework of the game and its hopeful to say the least, and it leaves one to wonder if someday the newly formed Romulan Republic will apply for admission into the Federation.
 
But that’s likely a long way off, so in the meantime it is best we just celebrate the fact that there is peace at last, and there’s a majestic world to explore and study and it’s almost a shame that we have to leave this world, but it’s necessary in order to finish our second journey through the galaxy. So, for now, we bid this planet farewell to set sail for a place that is a little more rough and tumble, despite its nickname, and that’s where we will pick up, next time. Until then.