'Bad Company 2' better than MW2

When I reviewed “Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2” earlier this year for my school’s newspaper, I said it was one of the top 5 games of the year. I was sucked into the glory and fanfare of the Modern Warfare series and truly believed it was that great. The campaign was fun, albeit short with a dysfunctional story, and the new Spec ops mode was supremely fun when played with another person. The multiplayer, I thought at the time, was the best out there, besides the Halo series. But after 17 hours of playing online, I was disgusted with the laundry list of glitches, campers and overpowered unbalanced weaponry. I was over it. It was still a good game, but it lacked that special something the first MW had.

Now fast forward to March 2, 2010. I was in line at midnight for “Battlefield: Bad Company 2,” and pumped. BC2 was the sequel to the first Bad Company game, and it was back with a vengeance. I finally found, in my eyes at least, a game that could contend with MW. Now whether or not it catches on remains to be seen, but this game made me ashamed that I called MW2 one of the best games of the year. BC2 is better in every way. The maps are more complex, the environments are destructible, the weapons are actually balanced and the gameplay doesn’t get repetitive. The squad-based play is bar none some of the best multiplayer action I have seen in a game. The ability to spawn with your three other squad mates and for each member to take a specific position (assault, engineer, medic, recon) creates a strategic environment unlike MW2 where 10-year-olds rule the map by double-fisting shotguns. Campers aren’t as big of a problem in BC2 either because specific points in the Rush and Conquest modes are pinpointed on the map, so you can anticipate where enemies will be based off of that information. The weapons are very balanced as well, along with the perks and upgrades available for the different classes. If you are a level 10 playing against a bunch of level 20s, you still have useful perks at your fingertips. The melee action is also a bit slower and more deliberate than MW2, so you won’t get knifed from 10 yards away as was common in that game, instead a melee takes more precision and timing. 

Overall, the experience is more rewarding. The game can’t be won by one or two players camping the best area of a map. A good squad can be a game changer, but it is unlikely in BC2 for one player to be able to do it all. The maps are too big for that and there is too much going on to be a one-man army. Speaking of a lot going on, did I mention the incredible vehicles that are present in the multiplayer? There is nothing more satisfying than performing a low flyby in a helicopter while your buddies are raining lead down on combatants with a M230 Chain Gun. Or you could always saddle up in an M1 Abrams and go crashing through trees, cutting them down with the mounted machine gun or the 120mm smooth bore cannon. There are plenty of opportunities to use vehicles, but beware, they take practice. The difference between an experienced helicopter pilot and an inexperienced is obvious(the one spiraling into the ground and the one ruling the sky will clue you into which is which).

I am thankful for the people at DICE who brought BC2 to my TV and 360. Finally, someone has decided to make a “modern warfare” type game and not sit in silence while Infinity Ward gets all the glory. This game is better than MW2, hands down. I am confident in saying I will never buy another  Modern Warfare title, and I am still pissed at myself for calling that game one of the best of 2009. Three short months into 2010 and BC2 has changed the way I look at tactical shooters.

Gordo's Pub delicious, inconsistent

After my second trip to Gordo's Pub, I still loved the food. Known for their upscale bar food in a quaint wooden bar setting, I went their with my brother the first time around on our own little hunt for the best burger in Cincinnati. He had heard good things so we immediately wanted to try it out.
My brother ordered the Surf & Turf, a burger topped with crab meat, spring salad and Bearnaise sauce while I ordered the Teriyaki, a burger with Hoison honey glaze and chow mein noodle salad. Each of us ordered them cooked rare, as we believe meat should be cooked that way for the best possible flavor. Plus, a burger that has been cooked too long has terrible texture and usually falls apart.
From our first bites, we were completely satisfied. The burgers actually came cooked rare, which was a nice surprise and the flavor of the burger was extraordinary. Gordo's burgers are a half-pound made from lean ground beef mixed with bacon, onion compote and mixed herbs, and those extra ingredients definitely make a difference. Both of our burgers were in our bellies in less than 10 minutes even though we discussed how much we enjoyed them long after that. The fries, which didn't seem homemade, were still tasty. They had a light dusting of a few spices and complemented the burger nicely. Gordo's offers other sides to upgrade to for an extra $2.00, and can be seen here, along with the rest of their lunch menu.
My bro and I were seated at the bar because it was a busy Friday night and there were no other seats available when we showed up, so we were helped by the bartender. He offered us great service, even while tending to the other guests around us and even though it was crowded our orders came out in less than 15 minutes.

My next trip to Gordo's was on a Monday around six in the evening and I went with my three roommates. The service this time around was lacking, even though we were only four of the ten people in the entire place. Our server had to be summoned for refills and seemed more interested in talking at the bar with the other employees than helping us. I understand chatting it up with your co-workers when it is a slow night, but ignoring your guests completely is silly.
Also, when our orders came, my burger was cooked well when I asked for rare and my friend's was cooked rare when he asked for medium-well. Usually I don't care when this happens and I just eat what I get because I hate to be that guy, but this time I asked for another because I had enjoyed the rare burger so much my first visit. I got a brand new burger in about 5 mins and my roommate got his burger thrown back on the grill to be cooked more. I'm not sure if that is the best way to deal with an undercooked burger, but he still said it tasted good.
This time I ordered the Hawaiian which has a strange concoction of ingredients, but was still to my liking. It was topped with roasted pineapple, lettuce, tomato (which I took off), onion, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and American cheese. It sounds funky, which it is, but it definitely worked. The nice crunch of the cucumber coupled with the sweetness of the pineapple and onion, along with the tangy-ness of the BBQ sauce brought together a lot of compelling flavors that enhanced the taste of the delicious burger. Also, for a half-pound gourmet burger, $7.46 with tax isn't a bad deal. My only problem with the burger was that it got a bit messy, and not all the components were evident in every bite, but that is to be expected with such a lengthy list of toppings.

While my second trip wasn't as perfect as the first visit, every establishment can have off days. But the food, at least the burgers, speak for themselves. Trying to put this burger in a list against Zip's or Quatman Cafe is difficult, as I don't consider those gourmet burgers, but in my opinion it outdoes everything that Terry's Turf Club can do and for a cheaper price and better environment.
In the end, I would definitely go to Gordo's Pub again if anyone offered to accompany me. Actually, now that I think about it, any takers?

My thoughts on 'Shutter Island'

I went to see Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" with the mindset that I would hate it. I really didn't want to like it. And it isn't that I dislike Scorsese, Mark Ruffalo or Leonardo DiCaprio (even though when I was younger all the girls were in love with him and not me, which is still true), but I wanted it to fail because I was tired of the previews. They had been spamming my TV for what felt like a year and it was getting annoying, almost as bad as campaign commercials, but not quite. But because Scorsese is Scorsese, I decided to see it. It's like being offered fine cheese; it may taste horrible, but you are still going to try it because hey, you at least want to pretend to be more sophisticated than Velveeta.

So right from DiCaprio's first line in his ridiculous Boston accent, I watched with extreme skepticism. And the first hour was fine, I was a little bored, but intrigued enough to pay attention. It picked up a bit, and in the last 30 minutes it really clicked for me. I actually was enjoying myself. Sure, there were some good shots earlier in the movie, but the plot really unfolded in the last 20 to 30 minutes and it made the rest of the movie that much better. Now I am not saying it's a must see or Scorsese's best, but old Marty still converted me from my hateful attitude in just two hours time. The movie really makes you think about the humane treatment of psychiatric patients and about the human mind. And that is what a movie should do, make you think.
Well not all movies, but I'm tired of Megan Fox's terrible acting and overrated sex appeal.

Listening to her whiny voice during "Transformers 2" six months ago makes me appreciate DiCaprio's Boston accent now that I think about it.

'Diners, Drive-ins and Dives' not needed at Terry's Turf Club

Recently I read a small article in the Cincinnati Enquirer about Food Network's hit show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" with host Guy Fieri coming to Cincinnati to highlight the delicious local food we have to offer the many people of the great states. Terry's Turf Club was highlighted in the article, as the owner was in supposed talks with the producers of the show because they were interested in visiting that establishment (The link 404'd and I can't get the original story here). As a lover of all types of food, and definitely a tasty hamburger, I was pumped this show was coming to Cincinnati. My brother asked me if I wanted to go to Terry's with his lovely fiancée and I jumped at the chance. 


Well folks, in this eater's opinion, it doesn't deserve Fieri's presence or all the talk of being one of the best burgers in the Queen City. The burger is average tasting and overpriced. For all three of us, which was three burgers with special sauce, two orders of fries and three cokes, it cost $41 and change, sans tip. Take out the drinks, it was around 12 bucks a person and we had to share the two orders of fries. Now, I get the whole diner shtick they have, the place has enough fluorescent lighting to rival Las Vegas, but much like Vegas, the lights and the show at Terry's don't help you forget about how much money you lose.


At Terry's, you can get a "normal" burger, but what the place is supposedly all about are the "specialty sauces" you can add to the burger (for an extra $1.75), and for me, they were short of special. My brother's burger came with the Burgundy wine with wild mushrooms and truffle sauce. Sounds great, right? Well it was average and nothing more. And it didn't do anything to mask the fact that the burger was sub-par. I probably sound like a parrot with only a couple words on my mind, but if you want to be the best burger joint, you better have a solid tasting burger that can stand on its own, which Terry's does not. My brother's fiancée got a burger with goat cheese and I ordered the roasted red pepper and goat cheese specialty sauce (A picture of the menu can be found at urbanspoon.com, check out the prices!). We both found ours to be just OK, nothing revolutionary like so many people had promised. My burger top kept sliding around due to the copious amount of goat cheese and I looked like a Largemouth bass trying to handle all of the burger that I was given. It was a messy affair to say the least, one that left me overworked and unsatisfied.


The fries, which a lot of people complained about in their reviews, were actually to my liking. They were fried and somehow a little soggy, and had the perfect saltiness. The service was pretty good, despite being very crowded and busy, they still managed to seat us quickly and get our orders out to us on time. 


The experience was fine to put it in leyman's terms, not "terryble," but in the end, the burger is king, and this "king" should be de-crowned immediately.

Mass Effect 2 review

Imagine living in a world where traveling to different solar systems across the entire Milky Way is possible. Imagine being able to communicate with not only your own race, but well over 10 different species of aliens. And finally, imagine that you are at the center of it all, that the entire galaxy depends on your actions. If you can imagine that, you might as well play “Mass Effect 2.”
Bioware’s latest installment in the “Mass Effect” trilogy is an emotionally comprehensive third-person RPG shooter. The game starts with a prologue, which helps set the tone for the game and get players who missed the first “Mass Effect” into the mix. And from there, the game is on. Commander Shepard gets hired on by Cerberus, a mysterious renegade faction outside of the Alliance that focuses on human rights in a galaxy full of other alien races, among other shady activities that are whispered about but never reach full light.
The Collectors, a strange multi-eyed amphibian-esque alien race have started capturing humans for reasons unknown to the Alliance and Cerberus. The game revolves around finding and using Collector technology to find their base of operations with the hope of saving the human race, as they seem bent on wiping them out. However, the bulk of the game revolves around Shepard‘s quest to build the team he will lead into the unknown of the Omega 4 relay, which is where the Collectors hide out when they are taking a break from harvesting humans.
At the beginning of the game, you get choose between one of six character classes, ranging from a Soldier to a Vanguard, a soldier/biotic mix. Each class has specific talents they bring to the battlefield. An Infiltratotor has the ability to go invisible for a short period of time to gain a tactical advantage, while a Vanguard has a move called Charge. It allows the Vanguard to rush an enemy and essentially tackle them with biotic power. The customization of the characters look is similar to the first game. I still had trouble making my character not look ridiculous, but I only spent about five minutes tweaking his facial features. The armor can also be changed to suit your own personal style. But after the character customization, you’re ready to go.
ME2 is a big improvement from the first “Mass Effect“, both in the gameplay and graphic departments. The facial textures and detail in the armor are, depending on the visual style you enjoy, some of the best I’ve seen on the 360 and the cut scenes rival most other top visual games. It is an amazing feat when as a player, I stopped in the middle of an intense firefight to look at an environment to take in the beauty.
The gameplay is smoother and more streamlined and the new cover system allows for better battles, which last longer and are more franctic and fun. The action-wheel is back, allowing you to pause battle to highlight specific abilities you wish to use on your enemies, you can also control your teammates in this way. Better than the the first “Mass Effect,” you can hotkey specific abilities to the controller which makes the fights less choppy. ME2 also has about 100 percent more action compared to ME1, which helps along the 20-40 hours it takes to complete the game.
The story is also incredibly deep. If you take the time to read the codex and journal, you really can get lost in the world of Mass Effect. Many details of each planet, city, and alien race are explained, as well as the history of the Alliance and Cerberus. In conversation with other characters, there are distinct choices to make. You can be a paragon or renegade, essentially good or evil, and all of those decisions stack up and can change the course of the game. If you take the time, every one of your team members story is unique, and it is interesting to dig into their past, whether they want you to or not. It is even possible to pursue a sexual relationship with one of your team members.
The voice acting for this game is some of the best in the business as well, Bioware really knows how to work it. They even hired some big actors for specific parts, for example, Martin Sheen plays the part of the Illusive Man. But if you choose not to talk to your crew, it can really hurt the end game, and even result in disaster. Some people don’t like to bother with a lot of the story elements, but it is an RPG after all.
Upgrading weapons and armor is drastically different than the past game. Instead of finding better weapons off of slain enemies, you find upgrades that must be researched on the Normandy 2, your spaceship. To research, you must have one of four different types of elements: Element Zero, Palladium, Titatium and Iridium. You can find some of these on missions, but the most efficient way to gather them is by scanning the one of many plants in the “Mass Effect” galaxies. Scanning planets can be a bit tedious, but there are faster ways of doing it, it just takes some practice.
ME2 did away with the Mako, so you can no longer land on a random planet and traverse it in the off-road vehicle. I enjoyed using the Mako in the first game, despite its shotty controls, because it really made me feel small in a giant galaxy. Now, all the missions, whether main quest or side quest, are linear. The order in which you complete them is up to you, but I miss that feeling of finding my own way on a planet. There have been some rumors of an upcoming DLC that will have vehicle combat, so I am looking forward to that.
This game is sure to one of the best games of the year, but a perfect game it is not.
First, the lack of the Mako and the addition of scanning the planets for minerals makes the game seem less open, and more linear. But I know Bioware wanted to make some changes so ME2 was different from the first, but scanning can get boring after the umpteenth time. And the lack of open-world driving makes me miss it, regardless of the lackluster controls for the Mako.
Also, I found the voice actor for the male Commander Shepard (You can choose to be male or female) to be lacking the oomph a true leader possesses. The rest of the people who lend their voice work to the game are topshelf, but for some reason I found Shepard’s voice unfeeling and monotone, which really took away from the important or emotional scenes.
I found the upgrade system fun and interesting, because I had control over what I upgraded. I didn’t have to depend on finding a better gun, I could just upgrade the one I already had, but some people will probably find this as a negative. I can understand, scouring for better loot has always been a favorite among gamers.
Otherwise, this game does every thing else close to perfect. Somehow, Bioware found a way to balance, story, gameplay and graphics into a seamless third-person RPG shooter, and it is a real winner.
 I imagine that it has a chance to win many Game of the Year awards at the end of this year. And I would be surprised and ashamed of the gaming community if it didn’t win at least one.

My Blog

Hello, this is my new(er) blog. I am a journalism student at the University of Cincinnati and I like to write. More specifically, I like to review. Anything. I enjoy reading, eating, watching movies and playing video games, and I like to review what I read, eat, watch or play. The order of my reviews will most likely be out of order as I don't get around to everything on time and I will most likely just write when I feel like it. If you don't agree with what I have to say, let me know. It probably won't change how I feel, but I will still entertain your thoughts because that is my goal, to entertain. Enjoy.