Check out my other site, RPGreats, for honest RPG reviews!

4/28/2014

Let's Play Fallout 2 "Captain Kirk", Part 9

We visit Broken Hills, which in retrospect I probably should have done before New Reno and the SAD.  Oh well.  At least we get a pretty good new companion.


There's one more small "quest" you can do here.


Once Marcus is on your team, you can enter his house and find an, erm, "rubber doll" on his shelves.


Head to the east end of town and talk to Typhon in the Old Ghouls' Home.  He'll ask you for a Cat's Paw magazine, the rubber doll and a bottle of Rotgut, which you can buy at the bar.  Give him all three.  He'll tell you about a treasure he's hidden in town.  (You can steal the Cat's Paw back afterwards).

This gets you 2000 experience.  But if you want to see this story through to the end, check out the well in the first section of town.


You'll find a loose brick, but accidentally drop it down the well, taking the treasure with it.  The well is also too small for you to climb down.  Fortunately there is a treasure hunter nearby!


Talk Micky into helping you and he goes down to retrieve it... and meets a rather gruesome end.  But hey, at least you get your reward.


....10,000 Bottle Caps, which are no longer the accepted currency in Fallout 2's time.  Bleh.



Ah yes, and once you've collected 10 issues of Cat's Paw, turn them into Miss Kitty for 1000 experience.


Mention the fifth issue to her and she'll give you a spare copy, which you can use to gain 10% in your Energy Weapons skill (even if it's over 91%).  Handy dandy.


And finally, another Special encounter I ran across:



The big stone head of the Vault Dweller.  Good for a chuckle.  Also, the Monument Chunk gives you a pretty hefty stat boost for a while (+3 Strength, +3 Agility, +50 Damage Resistance).

You can swipe a few more too, but you need to have a seriously high Steal stat to get away with it; getting caught results in instant death.

Let's Play Fallout 2 "Captain Kirk", Part 8

We explore the Sierra Army Depot and then wrap things up in New Reno.



I did a bit of inventory management off-camera, but here's a couple other fun stuffs.


Once you become a Made Man (of any family), you can ask to see Eldridge's "special stock", which contains a handful of awesome weapons.  The Sniper Rifle and Bozar are probably the best things here, but the Super Sledge isn't bad either.  Still the strongest melee weapon in the game.


Once you make a name for yourself in New Reno (by becoming a Prizefighter or a Made Man), you can audition to become a porn star at Golden Globes.  This requires 8 Endurance and Agility.  Once you join on (pick the second option), you get 1500 experience, $500 and the Porn Star title, as well as the ability to shoot another movie every month for $500 a pop.  Note that Mrs. Bishop won't talk to you if you're a Porn Star, so be sure to do her quest first.

Like your boxer name choices, your porn star name choices also have a ton of references buried in them.  I chose "Buck Fitch."

4/26/2014

Let's Play Xenogears, Part 10

Things in Nortune go from "plodding and tedious" to "kind of badly written and not very interesting."

...Did I mention I really don't like the Nortune arc because it goes on way too long and ultimately adds very little to the story?  I think I did.



Questions so far


  • What is the "Gatekeeper" that Dominia mentioned?
  • What kind of deal did Sigmund want to make with Fei?
  • Is Rico in some way related to Sigmund?  We can be sure at least that his late wife was Rico's mother.
  • Who was the pilot of that winged red Gear Elly saw?


Answered questions

  • Wiseman claims to be the one who left Fei at Lahan village.  He also claims that he knew his father, Khan Wong, and his mother, Karen, and that Khan is currently searching for Grahf.
  • The Elements are the top elite soldiers of Jugend, and serve as Ramsus' personal guard.


Various factoids and symbolism

  • Stier is German for "Bull."
  • Hecht is German for "Pike" (a type of fish).
  • Shevat is the name of a month on the Hebrew calendar.
  • Dominia's name is derived from "Dominion", an order of angels.
  • In the Bible, Goliath was a giant Philistine warrior who was defeated by David, the future king of Israel.

4/21/2014

Let's Play Fallout 2 "Captain Kirk", Part 7

We do a bunch of fun stuff in New Reno.  Suffice to say there's not much chance of coming out of here with a net gain in Karma.



A couple neat things I forgot to show:


Check the pool table next to the stairs on the second floor of Bishop's casino to find the Magic 8-Ball.  Not much use unless you have a Luck stat of 9 or higher, but it's quite a bit of fun if you do.  It points you to a bunch of hidden goodies that you can't access otherwise.


Uncovering a specific grave in Golgotha will also earn you the Mirrored Shades, which give you a +1 Charisma bonus if you have them equipped as your active item.  Worth the Karma drop.

4/14/2014

Let's Play Xenogears, Part 9

The mandated sewer level.  And like most sewer levels, it's not very fun and only included in the game to waste an hour or two of our time.



Questions so far


  • Fei has undergone some sort of "awakening" three times now.  We've witnessed two of them.  When was the third time, and what exactly does the "awakening" entail?
  • They also mention a "purpose" that Fei is to fulfill.  What is it?


Answered questions


  • Emperor Cain is the ruler of Solaris and Citan is in league with him.  Both are keeping an eye on Fei.  However, Cain's "elders" seem to be working against his wishes and seem to wish to destroy Fei at all costs, even if that means leveling the entire Kislev capital...


Various factoids and symbolism


  • "Redrum" is "murder" backwards, and also likely a reference to the Stephen King story "the Shining."

4/13/2014

Let's Play Fallout 2 "Captain Kirk", Part 6

We kill the Raiders plaguing Vault City after a very difficult fight.  Then it's off to New Reno and the Toxic Caves for a bit of fun.




And a small quest I did off-camera.  Hand over a spare Laser Pistol to Eldridge at New Reno arms for an easy 500 experience and $1500.

Oh, and check in with Algernon to upgrade your Plasma Pistol.

4/12/2014

100 action games that are better than God of War

I could keep going and going but I think this proves my point.
  1. Alien Soldier
  2. Astro Boy: Omega Factor
  3. Axiom Verge
  4. Bangai-o Spirits
  5. Batman
  6. Battletoads
  7. Bayonetta
  8. Bayonetta 2
  9. Bionic Commando (1988)
  10. Castlevania
  11. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
  12. Cave Story
  13. Contra
  14. Devil May Cry 3
  15. Devil May Cry 4
  16. Devil May Cry 5
  17. Doom
  18. Donkey Kong Country
  19. Donkey Kong Country 2
  20. Double Dragon
  21. Double Dragon II: The Revenge
  22. Dynamite Headdy
  23. Earth Defense Force 4.1
  24. Final Fight
  25. Final Fight 3
  26. Freedom Planet
  27. Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death-Adder
  28. Giana Sisters 2D
  29. Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
  30. Gunstar Heroes
  31. Kirby Super Star
  32. Legend of Zelda
  33. Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
  34. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  35. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
  36. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D
  37. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
  38. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
  39. Little Samson
  40. Marvel's Spider-Man
  41. Max Payne
  42. Max Payne 2
  43. Mega Man
  44. Mega Man 2
  45. Mega Man 3
  46. Mega Man 4
  47. Mega Man 5
  48. Mega Man 6
  49. Mega Man 7
  50. Mega Man 8
  51. Mega Man 9
  52. Mega Man 10
  53. Mega Man and Bass
  54. Mega Man: Powered Up
  55. Mega Man 4 (Game Boy)
  56. Mega Man 5 (Game Boy)
  57. Mega Man X
  58. Mega Man X2
  59. Mega Man X3
  60. Mega Man X4
  61. Metal Gear Solid
  62. Metal Gear Solid 2
  63. Metal Gear Solid 3
  64. Metal Slug
  65. Metal Slug 3
  66. Metal Slug X
  67. Metroid
  68. Metroid Fusion
  69. Mischief Makers
  70. Mr. Gimmick!
  71. NieR: Automata
  72. Ninja Gaiden
  73. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
  74. Noitu Love 2: Devolution
  75. One Step from Eden
  76. Out of This World
  77. Resident Evil 2
  78. Resident Evil 4
  79. Resident Evil 7
  80. River City Ransom
  81. Rocket Knight Adventures
  82. Saints Row: The Third
  83. Saints Row IV
  84. Silhouette Mirage
  85. Smash TV
  86. Streets of Rage 2
  87. Strider
  88. Strider 2
  89. Super Mario Bros. 2
  90. Super Mario Bros. 3
  91. Super Mario World
  92. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
  93. Super Mario 3D World
  94. Super Mario Sunshine
  95. Super Mario Galaxy
  96. Super Mario Odyssey
  97. Super Metroid
  98. Vanquish
  99. VVVVVV
  100. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
  101. Zombies Ate My Neighbors

4/10/2014

Let's Play Xenogears, Part 8

We awaken to a hard knock life in Nortune prison.  But we have a promise to keep, so we hatch a plan to get out...


Questions so far:

  • What is Sigmund trying to gain by allying with Grahf and the "masked woman"?
  • Who is the masked woman?
  • Is there any significance to the cross pendant?
  • What do the three Feis symbolize?
  • Who are the masked men who appear on the rotating computer?

Various factoids and symbolism

  • Sigmund, like Sigurd, is the name of a hero from Norse mythology.  His name is also a reference to the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, whose works are heavily referenced in Xenogears.
  • Anima and Animus were concepts proposed by Carl Jung.  Anima being the unconscious feminine psychological qualities in a male and Animus as masculine psychological qualities in a female.  Like Freud and Lacan, Jung's works are also heavily referenced in Xenogears.
  • Cain was the son of Adam and Eve, who slew his brother Abel out of jealousy and was cursed by God.  He was also said to be given the "mark of Cain", which would prevent harm from coming to him and ensure him a full life.
  • The Gaetia Key may be a reference to Ars Goetia, a part of the Lesser Key of Solomon.
  • Hammer shares his name with another character in Xenosaga.

4/06/2014

Let's Play Fallout 2 "Captain Kirk", Part 5

Fun in a jet addicted little mining town.  Well, not really, but let's say it is.



Some stuff I overlooked and some other things I did off-camera to spare you from the tedium of watching me travel all over the map to tie up loose ends.



The cash tender at the casino carries around $3500 and restocks every few days or so.  Good place to convert any spare weapons at this early stage.


This was a quest I attempted to fulfill the conditions for, but couldn't complete due to the wall bug.  You can buy the deed to the mine from Redding's mayor for $1000, then sell it back for $2500 once you clear out the wanamingoes.  This also earns you 3500 experience once you kill them all and another 1000 experience once you sell the deed back.


(I used a save editor to flag the quest as complete, since that's a large reward I'd miss out on otherwise)



Back in Vault City, you can talk to Phyllis about a few things once you have 75% in Doctor skill.  With high Charisma and Speech, you can date her for 100 experience...


...talk to her about leaving the city for 300 experience (choose the "similarity of Citizens" option)...


...and, if you're a male character, donate sperm to Vault City for 500 experience (50 for INT below 5, 250 for INT below 7).  Ask her for a magazine to get a Cat's Paw.


Finally, you can talk to her about Vault City's potential sterility for another 300 points.


Har de har.


If you have 75% in Doctor you can also talk to the doc about Vault City medical techniques.  This gets you a 5% bonus to First Aid and Doctor.


Getting un-poisoned or un-radiated with a 75% Doctor skill will also allow you to talk to him about innoculations.  This gives you a 10% bonus to poison and rad resistance.


You can also examine the computer in this room.  With 75% Doctor, you can learn about combat implants.  The doc here won't install them, but some others will.  You'll need a suit of Combat Armor to dismantle in order to get them, though.


There's also a small easter egg with the console.  I'll just leave that for you to try yourself.



Finally, if you have 8 Strength (or 7 Strength and a Crowbar) you can pry open the doors on the second floor of the vault and find a Red Module.  This will be handy later.  (The rest of the rooms just contain scores of Water Chips, which are useless to you in this game).


Back in the Den, you can meet up with Fred again.  If you helped him out before, he'll reward you with $1000 (if you gave him $100) or $2000 and some ammunition (if you gave him $150).



Killing Metzger will not only earn you 1500 points and some positive Karma, but you can talk to Becky afterwards for $1000 (if you didn't destroy her still).  Don't forget to free the slaves for some more experience and Karma!



Finally, I went back to Gecko and talked to Percy to get some sellable goodies.

I didn't get a screencap of it, but I fought one of the Morton brothers outside town.  He had a .223 pistol and another random group had an H&K CAWS, so I gave Sulik and Cassidy some new equipment.  The .223 Pistol is one of the few pistols Sulik will wield, since it has the sprite for an SMG.
(Incidentally, these guys are very dangerous for this stage of the game, so it took me quite a few tries to actually win that encounter...)




Oh, and I hit a special encounter on my way back: The Bridgekeeper.  A not so subtle reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  You can either answer his questions legitimately or not; answering his third question with another question will cause him to explode.  Answering incorrectly causes YOU to explode.

The robes are quite awesome, by the way, giving all the same protections as Combat Armor but weighing half as much.  The only downside is you have to be at least Level 10 for this encounter to appear...

4/01/2014

Let's Play Xenogears, Part 7

The plan to retake Bledavik goes terribly wrong as Grahf and a mysterious red Gear intervene...



Questions so far:

  • Miang and Grahf seem to be in league with one another.  What is their goal?
  • What is the "power" that Grahf granted Vanderkaum?
  • Why is the red Gear so powerful?
  • What is Ramsus' grudge with the pilot of the red Gear?
  • What is the significance of the name "the demon of Elru"?

Answered questions

  • Elly's bloody flashback from earlier is apparently related to her having a negative reaction to the Drive drug.  As we see here, it brings out a much more violent, bloodthirsty side of her...
  • The red-haired man from Fei and Ramsus' flashbacks is apparently the pilot of the red Gear.

Various factoids and symbolism

  • Vierge is the French word for "virgin".  This could be a reference to either the Virgin Mary or Virgo, the sixth sign of the Zodiac.
  • Jericho is the name of a city located near the Jordan River.  In the Bible it is also the setting for the Battle of Jericho, where the Israelites, led by Joshua, return to the promised land.