Pfangirl Through the Looking Glass

It took a bit of pre-planning and pleading, but over Christmas vacation I was able to play through Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox 360. I was also privileged to experience the first few hours of the game on Xbox One. Actually, I should probably use the word “privilege” to describe playing the 360 version as well because Rise of the Tomb Raider – even on previous generation hardware – is an exceptionally polished game. It is a masterclass example of what a Next Gen Action Adventure should be – gripping, gorgeous, intricately thought-out and essentially bug-free. The game isn’t without its issues, but developers Crystal Dynamics have clearly listened to player comments after the 2013 franchise reboot , and incorporated much of that feedback into the sequel. Certainly you can’t make claims of ludonarrative dissonance this time around. The story and gameplay are in sync as a slightly more experienced, considerably more confident Lara Croft embarks on a quest for answers to some m...

So it turns out that forty hours of flights are a great opportunity to catch up on all those movies you missed on the cinema circuit. Also, as in the case of the following two films, it provided massive relief that I didn’t pay to watch these turkeys on the big screen. Terminator Genisys I twitched, snickered and rolled my eyes through Terminator Salvation back in 2009. After that clearly oxygen-starved attempt to restart the time-travelling man vs. machine story, I swore I was done with the sci-fi series . Then Arnie signed up to star in Genisys. Of course, if mobile game commercials are any indication, Arnie will star in absolutely anything these days. (How much is Maria getting in the divorce, anyway?) Still, I had a nostalgic softening of heart – I actually quite enjoyed the third Terminator – and decided to give Genisys a shot. Well, now I am finished with the Terminator franchise for good. DONE. I should have been suspicious since the revelation of the new film’s...