Apr 04

Our Book (Part 3 of 3)

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” St. Augustine

On Thursday at sea, Roger and I filled our day with socializing, playing games, and learning the basics of Spanish in a class. Our team won the morning Catchphrase Challenge. I participated in the line dance class even though the ocean was rough. It was hilarious dancing while trying to maintain my balance.

Our Friday bus tour of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico included a visit to a tequila factory. The tour guide showed us how they used to make tequila and how the process has been modernized. We were given generous samples of about five different flavors of tequila. I opted out of the tasting experience. Roger enjoyed it. Some of the tourists purchased bottles of tequila to take home, but Roger just purchased a bottle of a special hot sauce.

During our island themed lunch, we were treated to a performance of Mexican dancers and a rider on a prancing horse. When they asked for audience participation, I happily volunteered to dance with one of the performers.

In the evening, Roger and I sat in on the Music Trivia Game Show with “Barry from Boston,” a piano bar entertainer whom we enjoyed listening to several evenings on the cruise. This night Roger and I tied another player in the game. Barry asked one of us to play against Cliff for the grand prize. Roger insisted I play for the team. Cliff and I played Name That Song. Barry gave us clues to a song he selected but didn’t play. I started by saying, “I can name that song in 12 notes.” Cliff countered with 11 notes. We continued until I got to 4 notes and said, “Name that song.” Cliff not only named that song, he sang it. I had no idea what that song was. Cliff won the grand prize of a Panama Canal lapel pen. Cute!

Saturday was spent at sea. Each evening on the Holland America Cruise ships, the room stewards would leave towels folded in the shape of an animal on the bed along with two chocolate candies. The passengers enjoyed that so much they requested a zoo of towel animals. Before breakfast, we were treated to the sight of over a hundred towel animals – monkeys, snakes, octopi, turtles, walruses, swans, rabbits, orangutans and many other animals – on the lido deck in the deck chairs, around the pool, and hanging from the ceiling. Even large elephants, each made with a blanket and towels, were on display. I was so impressed with their exhibit that I purchased the towel animal book for my granddaughter who likes origami. The book illustrates step by step directions on how to make the animals.

It was surprisingly cold on Saturday, and the ocean was too shaky to join the cha-cha dancing. We spent the time socializing, playing games, and eating the delicious food. After dinner, we joined Barry from Boston in his show tune sing-alongs.

Our fun-filled Panama cruise ended on Sunday when we disembarked in San Diego, California. While there, we could see nearby the Midway, which is a retired aircraft carrier. We took a direct flight home crossing back through three time zones. Exhausted, but happy, we went to sleep early knowing we experienced a marvelous chapter in our book of travels.

Apr 01

Amazing Journeys: Episode One

Father rabbit sniffed the air sensing danger. The tall grass provided some cover, however it’s brown fur would be a better camouflage next to where the trees loomed at the edge of the glade. A breeze carried the scent of flowers in bloom. Ears moving and nose twitching, the rabbit sought some clues as to where the danger lay. The babies were with the mother near the trees while he’d search for food. The grass was a good source for food. He’d scouted the area for predators before bringing out the family. A gust of wind carried a familiar scent of wolf. Now the rabbit sought the location of the predator.

Hearing nothing, the rabbit hopped a couple spaces. Stopped. Sniffed. Listened. Moved a few more spaces away from the tree line. He did not want to lead anything dangerous to his family. Draw it away and then make a break into another part of the forest. Hop, hop. Listen. Smell. 

A shadow blocked the sun. The rabbit instantly leaped. Hot breath assaulted his fur. Jaws snapped tufts of its tail. The wolf growled with frustration and hunger. It hurtled after the zig zagging rabbit, closing on it. If the rabbit could reach the trees, his chances of survival increased dramatically. It ran farther away from the forest. 

The wolf’s jaws snapped repeatedly, each time missing the rabbit’s tail by mere slivers. The rabbit raced around a boulder, forcing the wolf to steer wide to avoid impact, and creating momentary space. The rabbit’s endurance replenished momentarily, but not by much as the wolf continued pursuit. Fatigue crept inside the rabbit. It was too far from the trees to make it in time before the wolf overwhelmed it. With a burst of energy, he ran deeper into the grass. He squealed to warn the mother rabbit of the chase and the distance. She would have time to save the babies. At least they would survive.

A claw swatted the rabbit along his flank, sending him into the air. Pain raced like fire through his body as he landed and tumbled through the grass. Rolling to his feet, the rabbit stretched forward, but pain exploded as the wolf’s jaws clamped on one of its feet. The wolf shook its head viciously sending waves of pain through the small body. The rabbit kicked hard with the other foot, fueled by powerful leg muscles. Once, twice, three times into the wolf’s sensitive snout. 

The wolf howled painfully, releasing the foot

The rabbit hobbled away, its shredded foot useless. The wolf growled in triumph. It launched in the air towards the wounded rabbit.

A shadow grew over the rabbit. He watched, frozen in place, readying for the inevitable clasp of jaws on its throat, ending its life. He thought of his family.

Growls and snapping of jaws filled the grassy area. A sudden yelp of pain followed by a snap. Silence filled the grove. Bird song spread through the trees.

The rabbit opened its eyes. It twitched its ears and sniffed the air. The wolf was gone. It hobbled one way, dragging its mangled foot and then another direction. Nothing.

Ears twitching, the rabbit moved painfully and slowly in the direction of the faraway trees. 

***

Socrates finished skinning the wolf. A notification message appeared at eye level, like a floating bubble, “+10 xp for medium skinning of a wolf.” Socrates smiled with satisfaction while dropping the fur into his bag. This virtual world, Amazing Journeys, was breath-taking, he thought. The cool breeze caressed his face and bare arms. The warmth of the sun’s rays felt real, along with the brilliant colors of the trees and vegetation. More bird sounds filled the grove, some fluttering around the trees just ten meters away. 

“This is so damn real!” Socrates whispered. As total immersion worlds went, this place felt impressive.

He noticed a rabbit near a large stone. It dragged a foot. Its health bar contained a small band of red. No way it survives with a broken foot, Socrates thought. In other virtual worlds the rabbit would regenerate instantly. Here, it kept what it received unless treated. Socrates wondered if the rabbit was worth skinning experience. 

He took aim with his bow, sighting the arrow tip towards the rabbit. A sudden hush filled the grove as the birds silently sped into the trees. The rabbit sniffed the air. Its ears moved like radar, listening for danger.

Socrates took a breath, and then released the arrow.

Mar 27

Office Nerd #2

Mar 20

Office Nerd

Mar 05

First Impressions of the Resident Evil 2 Remake

As big a fan I am of the Resident Evil game series, I have never had the chance to play every single game—particularly the early ones. The three sequels to the original game—2, 3, and Code Veronica—were only available on consoles by the time I really got in the franchise. I never got into playing games on the Playstation, Xbox, or Gamecube, and I doubt I will ever invest in one of those consoles.

Which is why I was elated when I first heard news in 2015 that Resident Evil 2 would be completely remade as a high-definition game. Past the initial announcement by the production company, Capcom, there was zero news or updates on the remake’s development until late last year. I got more hyped for this new game the more I learned about it, but I also tried to stay spoiler-free until I could experience it for the first time.

In anticipation of the game’s release on January 25, I invested in a better computer that would be built according to my preferences. While I didn’t get my new PC as soon as I wanted, I was able to play the remake for the first time on January 27 on a Surface Book.

And—aside from the glitches I experienced on the less-than-optimal hardware—the game definitely didn’t disappoint.

As with the original game, the plot follows the adventures of rookie cop Leon Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield—each of them braving a zombie-infested city for their own reasons. You can start the game with either character, but neither impacts how the other’s story plays out like it did in the original—more on that later. It was nice to see more realistic versions of all the characters from the original story, as well as the reimagined and very detailed environments to explore. Graphics-wise, the remake is spectacular.

Lack of knowledge on what to expect made the new and improved Resident Evil 2 a very nerve-wracking experience, though I wouldn’t call that a bad thing. Part of what made it so was that there were certain creatures that didn’t show up in the same locations where they were first seen in the original game. Since I didn’t know where I’d encounter a monster, I was very cautious on my first run through the police station. I very much enjoyed this venture into the unknown—I don’t think it would have been as enjoyable if everything had played out exactly the same.

Another source of tension stemmed from how hard it was to determine if a creature was down for the count. My reaction to a monster getting back up after I thought I’d killed it went as follows: Oh, my God, you’re not dead! Panic fire!

I started my first run playing as Claire. It took me near 11 hours just to get through her campaign—9 hours for Leon—but I enjoyed every minute. Part of what took me so long was that I got stuck at various points—sometimes on a puzzle that should have been easy to figure out. And the locations were at times difficult to traverse—I had to keep consulting the maps for each area to determine how to get to a certain room.

Even the glitches I encountered on the Surface Book made the remake an interesting experience. At one point early in the game, I actually had a zombie walk right through me. The other glitch that really stood out was when I was trying to get supporting character Sherry to hide from one of the bad guys—she kept spazzing out and repeatedly bobbing up and down. In retrospect, I wish I had a recording of the latter—it was really funny to see.

There are many creatures to fear in the remake. But the most daunting has to be Mr. X, a titan who relentlessly pursues you through the different areas—especially if you’re playing Leon’s campaign. And I found out the hard way that hiding from him doesn’t work—if you stay in one place too long, he will inevitably find you. Since he can take away half your health in one hit and will only drop for so long if you shoot him enough times, running is more advisable. Even the sound of his pounding footsteps—whether he’s on the same floor or overhead—can easily work your last nerve.

What made the game even more entertaining were my own blunders. You’re limited on how many items you can carry at one time. My inventory was full when I stumbled upon an item I needed to get through a nearby locked door. I had to discard some ammo I thought I could do without—you can’t retrieve something after it’s thrown away. Ironically, I found the gun that this ammo went with minutes later.

One of my other mistakes originated when I was running from Mr. X. I ended up trapped in a hallway surrounded by three different creature types. In spite of how harrowing that situation was, I could help but start laughing when I was killed.

Another thing I loved about the remake was how well the characters—main or supporting—were fleshed out. I found it easy to feel sorry for police lieutenant Marvin Branaugh, gun shop owner Robert Kendo, and even Umbrella scientists William and Annette Birkin with how their respective stories played out. Not so much with police chief Brian Irons, who is just as vile as he was in the original game.

What makes the remake even better is that it recreates a pair of mini-games that were presented in the original version. Firstly, there is a scenario called the 4th Survivor that has an Umbrella soldier code-named HUNK (Human Unit Never Killed) who must run through a monster-laden gauntlet to an extraction point. I attempted this mode once, but didn’t make it very far before I got overwhelmed. 4th Survivor is a difficult game to beat—stopping to shoot the creatures in your path is a waste of ammo. But I will definitely keep trying.

The other mini-game is identical to 4th Survivor except that you’re playing as a joke character from the original Resident Evil 2. The Tofu Survivor has you as a human-sized block of tofu armed only with a knife who must run through the same gauntlet. Even the Tofu character looks incredibly realistic from the texture to the way he jiggles when he runs. What makes it funnier is that Tofu gets chunks taken out of him as he takes damage. I haven’t yet played this mode, but YouTube videos I’ve watched have shown me you can unlock four additional Tofu characters, each with a different arsenal to help them get through the gauntlet. I very much look forward to trying out this mini-game for myself.

On February 15th, another mini-game titled Ghost Survivors was released as a free add-on to the remake. Ghost Survivors explores what-if scenarios for several characters who perished in the main story—what if they had lived to see another day? The roster includes Robert Kendo, mayor’s daughter Katherine Warren, an Umbrella soldier code-named Ghost, and sheriff Daniel Cortini. As entertaining as it was to see each of them escape their fate, Ghost Survivors is an extremely challenging mode to get through. You must make every bullet count—if playing as Kendo, Katherine or Ghost, you must carefully decide what items you’ll need to advance. I’ve yet to beat any scenario on standard mode—each campaign in Ghost Survivors features a training mode that reduces the number of enemies and makes them easier to eliminate. It may take time, but I believe I’ll find strategies that will help me get through each scenario in one piece. And it would be a treat to see a Ghost Survivors 2 that changes the fates of other supporting characters in the remake.

My only gripe is that Leon and Claire’s stories don’t really sync up in the remake. In the original game, the character you started with dictated the path taken by the other—if Leon unlocked a door in his campaign, it stayed accessible for Claire. In the remake, the second character must track down the same keys and solve the same puzzles as the first in order to advance. What further separates the two campaigns is Annette’s actions—if Leon and Claire’s stories were connected to each other, then the ending would have Annette in two places at once.

The Resident Evil 2 Remake is such a fantastic game chock full of content that I don’t see it getting old anytime soon. The developers have done such a great job revitalizing what made the original game so enjoyable that I can’t wait to see what will come next for the franchise. I have heard rumors that the third game in the series would also be remade if enough fans demanded it—rumors that look very likely to become a reality. Since the original Resident Evil 3 was the biggest nail-biter in the franchise, I imagine that a new and improved version will be an even bigger scare-fest.

Bring it on.