Beyond: Two Souls Review

Beyond: Two Souls is a Playstation exclusive game staring Ellen Page and Willem Defoe. It's about a girl who was born linked to some sort of entity. You play through quite a few years of her life, from when she was a young kid, to around her late 20s or so. While you play Ellen Page's character, Jodie, through most of the story, you are also able to control the entity she is linked to in order to solve puzzles and get through certain points in the game. This game is from the same makers of Heavy Rain, and runs similarly. Any decision and choice you make can either drastically effect you in the game, or just change what sequence you happens next.

Let me start out by saying that Beyond: Two Souls is probably one of the most visually stunning games I have ever played. The graphics are truly amazing, and it makes me wonder what the game would have looked like had it been released for the Playstation 4. The characters definitely look like the actors who play them, and the environment is just so realistic and impressive looking. Most things are also interactive, even if they don't really have anything to do with the story at the time.

You play through different points in her life, though you play through them out of order. At first, a lot of the parts you play don't really seem to make much sense, or may not seem to hold much relevance, but as you play through more and more points on the timeline, things start to come together and make sense.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the game, and definitely made it not only on my list for one of the best games released this year, but one of my favorite games overall. The story is immersive, the characters are easy to get attached to, and the storyline is nothing less than epic and intense. Since making decisions is generally times, it adds to the stress and excitement of the game, especially since all of your choices have consequences. There is tons of re-playability since there are many different options you can chose to do, and I personally have already started to go back and try out all of these different choices to see how it affects the game.

I recommend this game to anyone. While it isn't action packed like lets say how a shooter game is, and is more of an interactive story, the storyline is amazing and very enjoyable. Even if you may not be a huge video game fan, I definitely recommend giving it a shot. I have heard stories of people's grandmother's even being interested in the game because the story is so strong.

I also wrote a review for this game HERE

First Impression of Pokemon Black

So I bought Pokemon Black for the Nintendo DS before I actually got Pokemon X, however I never got around to playing it before I played Pokemon X, so I am working a little bit backwards in that sense. But, I'd figure I should get working on both Black and Black 2 if I want to make use of the Pokemon Bank when it comes out in late December.

So, so far I have started the game, and beaten the first gym. I have to admit, I was a bit spoiled with being able to run immediately in Pokemon X, though it doesn't take too long before you get your running shoes in Pokemon Black, but walking just seemed like a very slow mode of transportation.

Any way, as for the actual game, I am not impressed with the available starters for this generation. I am a fan of the old generations, but so far of all of the games, these are probably my least favorite starters, but this is all personal opinion. You are able to choose between Snivy (grass), Tepig (fire), or Oshawott (water). Personally I chose water, since that generally is the type I start out with and the other two Pokemon weren't doing much for me.

Right after choosing your Pokemon you fight two battles with the two other's who got new starter Pokemon. Now the first battle I got hit with a critical, but still managed to win, but the second battle, I actually lost! I have to say that is the first time I have lost one of the opening battles. It inspires hope that this game will have more challenge to it than Pokemon Diamond seemed to.

The landscape and graphics are actually really nice for a Pokemon game. The people who walk around are more custom and look a little bit more individualized as opposed to how generic the people looked in older games. The cities I have passed through already also had some neat designs, having the city buildings sit on different levels, having to go up and down stairs to visit all of the buildings. It adds a little bit to the game as opposed to the usual simple layouts.

So far I'm enjoying the game. It definitely has been updated from the older games, and while I've been spoiled with the new updates of Pokemon X, I can definitely still appreciate the improvements this generation has made from the older generations. I plan on putting out a full review after I have beaten the game (beaten the elite 4).

Future Games Planned:

I plan on picking up a few new games here fairly soon:

- Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for Nintendo 3DS
This game was brought to my attention through my boyfriend actually. He saw a few friends play it and was interested in it. While I don't know too much about it, nor have played any of the games earlier in the series, it looks like it involves hunting different creatures/monsters. It seems that your characters are customizable and you work on different weapons and skills in order to be effective at different hunting jobs.

- Rain for the Playstation 3
Rain is an interesting looking game about a young boy and young girl who are invisible unless they are in the rain. You follow both of their stories, as they seem to keep missing each other, and try to find your way through the world. Various monsters seem to attack you while in the rain, though other than that, the trailer and plot summary doesn't give you too much information.

- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag available on PS3/Xbox 360/PS4/Xbox One
While I love the Assassin's Creed series, I decided to wait until I get my PS4 to order this one. I just feel that it will look all the more amazing on one of the next generation consoles.

- Grand Theft Auto 5: available on PS3/Xbox 360/PS4/Xbox One
The same goes for this game. While I'm excited for it, and have heard really good things, I plan on waiting for the release of the PS4 before actually getting it. It seems like a game with such a huge world with great graphics would be stunning on the new console.

The Last of Us Review

The Last of Us is a survival horror game Playstation exclusive. This game is probably one of the most visually stunning zombie games I have ever seen, which made the game very appealing to me. This game definitely isn't a shoot em' up zombie game where you run in guns blazing. No, doing that in this game, especially on the harder difficulties, would most likely get you killed in most situations. This game is in every sense of the word a "survival" horror. You are always on the look out for ammo and supplies to make useful tools like upgraded weapons and health kits, as all of these materials run low through out the game. You really have to plan each move you do well, or you could be low or even out of ammo for a difficult part of the game. You also find yourself trying to be a stealthy as possible during many areas as there are simply too many people that you would be able to handle all rushing you - which I find very realistic. This game also takes a different spin on zombies than the usual virus or parasite. This time, it is a fungus that causes this infection. I found it an interesting take.

The story of this game is very capturing. You get attached to the main character after the first scene and you experience some truly intense and dramatic moments through the game. You find it easy to sympathize with the characters and feel concern for their safety. It is probably the most in depth storyline I've seen for a survival horror game.

While I truly thought this was a stunning game, there was still a couple of things I noticed. While scenes to actual play time are seamless and in a very realistic environment, the controls were very strange. I'm not sure if this is a person thought, but I found getting used to how you move and control the characters was a bit awkward compared to some other games. Of course, you get used to it, but I thought it was a bit strange.

The AI also needed a little bit of work. While you could be detected simply by making too fast of a step, or even sticking out too far around a cover spot, your followers can practically bump into people, not to mention stand in front of them, and not blow cover while you are sneaking. There are also times when your two main characters will talk to each other while you are hiding from infected, yet no one seems to notice. I found this kind of ridiculous and unrealistic, though I supposed it made sneaking a lot easier since you weren't usually having to depend on the AI to be just as sneaky. However, occasionally, the AI will give away your position by possibly throwing something like a brick at your enemy, alerting them. There are also parts, especially on the harder difficulties, in which your enemies seem to have super senses and seem to be able to detect you from unreasonable distances.

While there can be a couple things that could have been improved, I found this game extremely impressive. The graphics and environment is stunning, the storyline is very easy to get into, the characters are likable, and there is quite a bit of play time, especially if you want to unlock all of the different costumes for the characters. It is probably one of the best survival horror games out there and I found it to be one of the best games of the year. I definitely recommend the game.

Bought Some New DS Games

So today I ended up kinda going on a DS spree, though I am really excited to get these games in the mail:

- Pokemon Soul Silver for DS
I played the original Silver version, and I have to say it is probably one of my favorites in the Pokemon game series. I like the new graphic updates they did on Soul Silver, and I'm really excited that the Pokemon follow you. I wish they would do that in the new games because I simply think it is a neat feature.

- Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns DS
I played Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town (the same as Friends of Mineral Town just with a female character) on the Gameboy Advanced and loved the game! I am excited to see some of the new games now that I have a 3DS and finally able to see some of the sequel games in the series.

- Harvest Moon: A New Beginning for 3DS
Again, I really loved the series and I'm really see all of the new updates and everything done to the game. Since these games have quite a bit to them, they should keep me decently bust for a little while.

I also gave an update about these new games HERE

Pokemon X Review

Pokemon X is definitely one of the only newer generation Pokemon games I have picked up, aside from Pokemon Diamond, but it seems there has been quite a bit of updates. First off, the camera is much more dynamic and gives you a much different look into the 3D world as opposed to a fixed camera angle in an overhead view.

You also get a minimum of 2 starters, pretty much right at the beginning of the game. You get your choice between 3 new generation starters Chespin (grass), Fennekin (fire), and Froakie (water) along with fairly soon after that the three original starters Bulbasaur (grass), Charmander (fire), and Squirtle (water). You also have the chance to get Torchic (a fire type starter from an earlier generation) if you get the game before January 2014.

As for the story, it seems much more interactive with the player. You start your adventure with not only the person who will be your rival throughout the game, but three other side characters that you will interact with throughout your story as well, though they play slightly different roles than your rival does.

While traveling you will be able to walk, run, very quickly acquire roller skates, and not long after a bike, so they added some new modes of transportation, which I thought was neat, especially since there are unique places your can only get to with your skates. You also get the chance to use a Taxi when you get to the central town, and you get to ride different Pokemon in different areas on the map.

Another update is you are able to customize your character. You can cut and dye your hair, along with get different clothing from different stores around the region. I actually had a lot of fun seeing what each store offered and what kind of styles they had.

The storyline was interesting, and actually decently long. I spent a good 40 hours + trying to get all of the way through the elite four, and of course there are still a couple things I can do after beating the main storyline and elite four, so you have quite a bit of play time on the game, which I like a lot.

The one thing I noticed is that the puzzles were usually fairly easy, and the game sort of held your hand through most of the story. There was no real way to miss an HM or something important since it was usually just handed to you, so I found the game a bit easier than some of the older generations. Some people may like this better, I kind of miss the old challenge that the older games offered. Training your Pokemon has also been simplified since very early in the game you get an XP Share that works for your whole team as opposed to just one Pokemon. I liked that I spent less time just training my Pokemon because I was able to move along with the story, but I know a few people who enjoyed having to train all of their Pokemon. To each their own.

There are also a couple new features that aren't exactly part of the story line. One is the Pokemon Amie. This is a side kind of game in which you can interact, pet, feed, and play mini games with your Pokemon. It gives you some extra elements to the game along with some in game bonus's. Pokemon you pet and play with often will gain hearts and enjoyment. The happier your Pokemon, it starts to land more critical hits, avoid more attacks, experience boosts, and sometimes even shake itself out of paralysis because of it's connection to you.

Super training is also a new thing. It is kind of similar to boosting stats like EV training, however much simpler to do. You can complete minigames that will super train your Pokemon, along with win prizes in the later stages, or you can have them train themselves using punching bags. Either way, their stats get boosted, making them even stronger.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the game. I really enjoy the Pokemon series, and this definitely makes a great edition to the series. They add a lot to it, and the new 3D world is something I've personally been waiting for a long time. There is quite a bit of play time, and quite a few things to do in game. So, if you have a 3DS or a 2DS, I definitely recommend you check it out.

Probux Review

Overview:
Probux is a popluar pay to click site that I have started to use maybe around a month ago or so. For anyone who doesn't know what a pay to click site is, it is a site in which pays you, usually a very small amount, to view different ads. They are very simple. You click on the ad, most you view for about 5 seconds and get credited anywhere from $0.001 to $0.02 depending on the site and ad you view. It sounds like slow earning, however the payout on Probux is pretty low at $5.

Rented Referrals:
There is also more earning potential in something called rented referrals. If you are like I was, and new to Pay to Click sites, I had no idea what this was. To put it simply, rented referrals are basically you renting people who click for the site, and earning a partial amount that they earn for ads they click. Keep in mind, since you are "renting" them, you are required to pay a small amount for them, though they generally earn you more than they pay - which increases your earnings off of the site.

In order to rent them right off the bat, you need $0.20 per rented referral. This rents them for 30 days. If you let their 30 days without renewing them, it actually costs you a few cents. It also ends up being more expensive if you renew them month by month as opposed to enabling an option called autopay, which is what I and other people who use this site and rented referrals recommend you do, in order to save on the cost.

Now to rent these referrals, you can either invest your own money in order to start having rented referrals, or wait until you earn money through the website and rent them through your earnings. Personally I have invested about $10 to rent 40 referrals ($2 still left over in my account to pay for autopay) and still waiting to earn the money back maybe about two weeks after renting all of them.

You also should check up on which of your rented referrals are clicking how often each day. If you have a rented referral who hasn't been clicking very often (the are judged on clicks from 0-6) then you can recycle them for $0.07 for someone who hopefully is more active. The site will only give you rented referrals who have been active recently and not just any random account, however sometimes people stop being active, or aren't as active as you would like. You also earn more the more your rented referrals click.

Keep in mind that you have to be planning on viewing your own ads every day. If you don't view any ads one day, the next day, you wont earn from your rented referrals, though autopay will still be active if your rented referrals click. Just something to keep in mind. On Probux, you also have to be a member for about a week or so, which gives you some time to start earning to buy these rented referrals.

Direct Referrals:
Direct referrals (people who sign up that you referred) you do not have to pay for, though you still earn some of what they make through their clicks. They are definitely nice to have, if you can find people to refer.

Different Accounts:
There are also three different accounts a user can have. Standard, which is free, Golden, and Ultimate, both of which are paid for accounts. There is bonuses to these paid for accounts however. Your maximum number of rented referrals you can have, and you also tend to earn more off of the ads you view, and earn more off of your referrals. However, I recommend you earn the money to upgrade your account through Probux and build up your earning as opposed to shelling out more money for upgraded accounts.

Earning Potential:
Probux offers a couple charts and even an earnings calculator in their FAQ here. This will kind of help you see the differences in earning between accounts and how many referrals you have and how many clicks they average.

Above is my earnings over about a month (I only had my 40 referrals for about 2 weeks) and also keep in mind I am not the best with viewing my ads every day and have missed more than a couple days, lowering my earnings a bit.

Sum Up:
My thoughts are that while it may take awhile to build up your earnings and how many rented referrals you have, that the site does have some earning potential if you stick with it. Right now I do plan on continuing and I will definitely be giving an update. If you have any questions at all, just leave a comment and I'll answer as best as I can.
You can sign up for Probux HERE.

Lack of Posts

While I have been trying to keep up with the sites I use, I have actually been sick most of this past week, so I apologize to anyone looking for any updates for earning online, or even looking for reviews. However, I will be trying to play catch up and should be making a few posts here soon.

Personal Update Posts:
Healthy Again
Video Game Updates 10/19/13

Bubblews Update

In an earlier post (which can be found here), I mentioned a site in which you post articles on whatever you may choose, and earn money based off of views, comments, and likes. Well, I thought I'd give you a little update on my progress there so far:

-I have hit the redemption minimum ($25) and received payment three times so far (given I haven't been nearly as active as I would have liked to be), earning roughly $75 so far and I'm $15 into my next payout.

(sorry that the picture is so small, but this is a payment proof from Bubblews)

- I have recently hit 300 connections (basically people following my posts).

- And I have posted almost 350 articles.

So far I'm impressed and enjoy the site. No, it is probably not a site you will get rich off of, but if you like to write, it is a fun way to make some extra cash doing something you enjoy. It is legit, since I have recieved my payment all three times, and has a very friendly community. I definitely recommend you give it a shot if you haven't already.

Here are some of my other progress update posts for Bubblews:

300 Connections

Bubblews Milestones

Third Redemption

Game Reviews

One of the major topics I write are reviews, specifically game reviews. Since I am a big fan of gaming, I like to review the games I play, particularly games I enjoyed and feel other people should hear about. I also plan on giving a few game reviews on here, though I will also post links to some of the earlier game reviews I have done. So, I thought I'd give a quick summary of one of my favorite arcade type games that I recommend to everyone:

Super Amazing Wagon Adventure:
This is an 8-bit, kind of arcade style game that was modeled after the old Oregon Trail. You start out with 3 customizable characters and you are able to pick the wagon you complete your adventure in (you unlock wagons through certain game events). Of course the goal is to make it to Oregon with at least one of your characters alive. The difference is the events are mostly randomized and can range anywhere from being launched into space, finding a unicorn, or shooting your way through a herd of buffalo. The game is only about $2 and is tons of fun. I have spent hours and hours on this game and it really is worth the price for the playability.
Here are a couple more in depth reviews:
Review 1
Review 2

I Have Cats!

I have cats and I have to admit I post about them often, especially on Bubblews. Not to sound like a crazy cat woman, cats are just so entertaining. Watching them is usually like it's own television channel, especially since we have a rather young cat who loves to play and pounce on the other cats. When one of them does something I find particularly strange or amusing, I usually share it.

I have four cats:

Molly is the oldest, though I didn't get her first. She is a brown and black tabby cat who is around 8 years old. When I got her she had already been declawed, though she is one of the sweetest and friendliest cats you will ever meet. She is a bit strange looking. She is very round, a bit fat with short legs, her canines stick out of her mouth like walrus teeth, she has a very short tail, and she is a little bit cross eyed. All the same, we still lover her.

Introducing My Kitties: Molly

Aello is the second youngest, though older than in the picture above. She will be turning two at the end of January and I've had her since she was a very young (4 weeks) kitten. She is a very small gray calico tabby (she has a few orange spots that you can't really see in this picture). She is the smallest cat I have and have ever really seen, being full grown. She is very sweet with us, though not friendly with most strangers, at all. She's small but tough.

Introducing my Kitties: Aello part 1, Aello part 2

Nyx is the next oldest, or second youngest. I actually got her as a playmate for Aello since Aello was a very energetic kitten. Nyx has longer hair and for the most part is black and white, except some cream color that actually gives her a few tabby stripes on her legs. She was a bit ferrall when I got her, so she is shy around strangers, but she is just the biggest sweetheart. She has never, ever bitten, scratched, or even hissed at anyone, despite being scared of strangers. She also loves to cuddle and sit in laps.

Introducing my Kitties: Nyx part 1, Nyx part 2

How Nyx got her Name

Finally there is the youngest, Flynt. He is 8 months old and absolutely massive. He is the biggest of the four cats, even though he is the youngest. His mother was a Bengal (the cat breed not the Tiger breed) and his father was probably a random stray. He loves people and acts very dog like. He likes to play fetch, he wags his tail when he's happy and purring, and he likes to play in water.

Introducing my Kitties: Flynt part 1, Flynt part 2

Flynt the Half Bengal Cat

Sweet Kitten

Brief Apology

Sorry for anyone who has actually checked back on the blog for more posts. I ended up being really busy the past couple of days and haven't had the chance to do much writing at all unfortunately. Any way, it is very early in the morning and officially my birthday! Yay! I'll be going to the State Fair with my boyfriend, and then maybe go with my friends to a bar or two to try a real drink or two.

I'm going to try to get some more posts up very soon!

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21st Birthday!