Singin' the Old World Blues

With 1280 Microsoft Points burning a hole in my account and an ongoing Fallout: New Vegas obsession, I figured it was time to pick up some DLC.

I had heard good things about all three of the currently released expansions, Dead Money being the least popular (though not to say it's bad). Old World Blues seemed like the best choice.

Fallout 3 handled DLC well, in that all items could be brought back to the main world. Only Old World Blues in New Vegas allows this, which is strange. OWB also allows haircuts, facial reconstruction, and skill reset. The first two were available in Fallout 3 without additional content, so I always wondered why New Vegas didn't have them.

Moonstrider or: How I Have Two Awesome New Webcomics to Read

Friends, I am truly blessed. I have not one, but two excellent webcomics to enjoy that were made by people that I know. Do yourself a favor and check them out. My personal (and very biased opinion) is that they're some of the best on the Web, while still newcomers. Check out...

Legacy Control

This first got its start a few months back. Legacy Control features the madcap video game and pop culture adventures of two dudes and a pink rabbit. While I love Rabs to pieces, this ain't Winnie the Pooh… definitely an adult strip. Do not confuse "adult" with "mature", though. There's plenty of scatological and sexual humor. The commentary is spot on, too. I particularly enjoyed the strip on the Wii U.

The writer/illustrator/CEO is Javis Ray, a Cincinnati native who manages to find time for a thrice-a-week webcomic and plenty of Minecraft. Not to mention a full-time job, wife and two kids. Don't know how he does it… but we get to enjoy it.

Check out Legacy-Control.com MWF. The website will soon get a fresh coat of paint, thanks to Wrecklaimer, the webmaster. Yours truly designed the logo. Maybe someday I'll need to update it with a ™ symbol or something… Javis is shooting for the moon with the strip. Personally, I'd like to see it get a spot on Kotaku's Sunday Comics. That would be an excellent first step toward world domination.

Unicorn Soup

I don't know that Unicorn Soup would fit in with Sunday Comics. For one thing, it's a good bit longer than most. And while I love the day-brightening one-shot strips like Legacy Control, the Soup is more gourmet… you gotta savor it. Which is appropriate, because the current schedule is weekly.

I can't say enough good things about the art and writing. It's really no surprise that it's the product of "Jim" and "Jack", two blokes I know from Xbox Live who are fine, upstanding Americans (sorry, Canadian friends). The writing really speaks to gamers' experience, and the art is right out of a serial from the '50s. It's a very classy way to approach topics in gaming.

Check out Unicorn-Soup.com, which has some great web design, too. There are only two strips out at the moment, but fear not; Jack and Jim have many more in the can and will doubtless keep it up as long as they can.

The fact that Jim, Jack, and Javis can put out such quality work is amazing. They all have wives and kids and full-time jobs. What's your secret, guys? What drugs do I need to take to achieve your productivity?

Gentlemen, I salute you. Consider me your first and biggest fan. Keep up the good work.

Review: Singularity (Xbox 360)

Last week, I was standing in my local Gamestop (one of two that are less than a quarter mile from my apartment), lost in thought.

I had two Russian-themed FPSs in my hands: "Metro: 2033" and "Singularity". Unfortunately, there could only be one.

On a whim, I went with "Singularity."

I was intrigued by the "Bioshock"-ripoff vibe I got. Turns out that vibe was pretty accurate. There are a lot of other influences mixed in, particularly "Timesplitters" and "Half-Life." But "Bioshock" is the most noticeable; sadly, "Singularity" doesn't live up to its pedigree.