Author Archives: Joshua M.

Game Review: We Were Here

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Two adventurers, stranded in the mountains. An ancient castle, full of secrets. And only a radio to talk with.

We Were Here is an indie puzzle game similar to an escape room. The two player game starts as both players are captured by an unknown entity. The players are separated, with one in a library and one in an enclosed room. This is one very interesting aspect of the game. The players are completely isolated from each other, with voice chat as the only way for players to communicate. The puzzles, which might be easy to solve normally, become much more difficult when neither player can see what the other is seeing. Good communication and descriptive wording are absolutely necessary if you want to make it out alive.

A friend and I played this together, and we had a blast. The puzzles were fun but not overly challenging. The changing scenery kept the game fresh throughout our play, and we both really loved the atmosphere of the game. We may have died once (or twice) but it never got boring. We were pleasantly surprised by this excellent game.

One thing I love about this game is that it showcases the potential shown by virtual escape rooms. When the escape room is fully digital, you can have all sorts of crazy scenarios, puzzles, and themes. Who cares if you freeze to death while playing a giant game of chess? Who cares if a murderous marionette ends your theater career early? It’s all just a game!

So, in conclusion, I’d definitely recommend checking We Were Here out. It’s a nice, simple game with a cool premise, and it’s loads of fun with a friend. Even, better, as I write this, it’s free on most platforms (Xbox, PS4, Steam, etc). So pick this up and give it a try if you’re looking for a fun cooperative challenge.

9/10

– Josh M.

Subnautica Game Review

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Subnautica on Steam

I had never been a fan of survival games. Their grindy, repetitive gameplay, and often disappointing storylines had never captivated me in the same way that other games could. Then I found Subnautica. This game blows almost all other survival games out of the water (pun intended). There’s a deep story, interesting mechanics, and all sorts of cool flora and fauna.

Subnautica is a survival/crafting game set on an aquatic alien planet. The playable area is the inside of a volcanic crater, with the crater edges serving as boundaries. Within the crater is a plethora of explorable biomes, some safe and some deadly. As there is no provided map, you’ll need to learn how to find your way around with a compass and some landmarks.

The storyline is well-executed without feeling forced or choppy. The main thing I like about this game is that there’s not much hand-holding. There isn’t a concrete tutorial, and you can play the game for hours without completing any of the story elements.

Finally, one of the best things about this game is how it uses terror. I wasn’t expecting this game to be scary. It was absolutely chilling. Rather than using cheap jump scares or gore, this game gets you to scare yourself. When you’re in the middle of a pitch-black ocean and you hear a roar in the distance, or when you look down to see nothing but crushing depths, it’s terrifying. It’s really well done.

The only complaint with this game is performance. The game normally looks stunning, but there is often lag and rendering issues. These problems slightly break your immersion, but if you’re okay with some graphics glitches every now and then, it won’t be a problem.

Overall, this is a great game for anyone who doesn’t have thalassophobia (look that one up). Other than a few performance-related issues, there’s nothing I’d change about this game.

Rating: 9/10

-Josh M

Silas Marner by George Eliot

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Silas Marner is a book by George Eliot about an outcast who finds redemption in a child. The story is simple yet beautiful, showing the depth of human kindness.

Silas, the protagonist, grows up in a small, church-centered town. He is a respected, virtuous citizen. However, one day, he is framed by a close friend for embezzlement and is cast out of the town. His trust in humanity bruised, he settles on the outskirts of Raveloe, a rural but prosperous village.

Years pass, and the quiet, reclusive weaver makes no effort to assimilate with the villagers. Hoarding gold, he saves up a good amount of money. Suddenly, tragedy strikes. A mysterious thief steals all of Silas’ accumulated earnings. Silas, distraught, mourns the loss of his fortune.

One day, a lost child wanders into Silas’ lonely cottage. He takes the child in and raises her as his own. Through her presence, Silas reconnects with humanity and becomes an upstanding member of society once again.

All in all, this book is a nice, quick read with a simple but entrancing plot. Hope you enjoy it!

-Joshua M, 7th grade

Silas Marner by George Eliot is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

 

Awakening

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With this writing piece, I have attempted to give Cayde-6 (RIP), from the games Destiny and Destiny 2, a backstory. Hope you enjoy.

The dying sun slowly drags itself above the horizon, illuminating the slums with its dismal crimson glow. I know I should already be working, but my last job paid well, and I had allowed myself extra rest. A few revelers stumble around the alley, still holding champagne glasses from last night. Happy 2093, I sarcastically think, Another year of wars, chemical leaks, and poverty. 

I know that a select few in the aristocracy are quite wealthy and charitable, but like the sunlight, not much makes it to the lowest levels of the concrete labyrinth. Above, I hear the roar of a transport ship, taking a few lucky people off this wreck of a planet. I need to get working, or I’ll sleep on an empty stomach tonight. I stretch, stand, and make my way into the crowded streets, scanning the throngs for promising “benefactors”. After a few minutes, I spot a likely target.

He appears flustered and busy, not focusing on the hordes around him. His wallet is gone before he even turns around, and in five minutes, I’m having a nice hot breakfast by one of the countless food stands. I still have a few credits left, and I stow them in a hiding spot. I’m going to buy my ticket off this dump someday.

As the day drags on, I meet a few more “generous” commuters, and by the time the red sunlight fades, I’m full and as happy as a street urchin can be. I find my way back to my alley, and am just about to doze off under a tattered blanket when I hear a strange humming coming from behind a scrap pile.

Once I shovel the rusted metal and old parts away, I see a glint of steel-blue. I dig more frantically now, my hopes rising. As I pull away the last piece of rubble, I nearly shout with joy. Beneath the trash lies a small personal spacecraft. It must have accidentally been jettisoned from a transport. But is it functional?

I slip into the cockpit, press a few buttons, and the entire console lights up, bombarding me with beeps and whistles as the systems come online. I am jubilant, not daring to believe my success. This ship is hope, a star in a dark night. My name is Cayde, and I am free.

-Joshua M.

The King’s Fifth by Scott O’Dell

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Image result for the king's fifthWhat would you do if you heard of a golden city? Attempt to find it? Destroy it? Ransack it? This is the question posed by Scott O’Dell in his book The King’s Fifth. In the book, we follow the adventures of Esteban de Sandoval, a young mapmaker who is part of an expedition to the new world.

While the party explores the new world, they encounter Indians, who are usually welcoming, but sometimes hostile. However, in almost every case, the party tricks or fights the Native Americans. They do this because they have heard of vast supplies of gold. The Indians think little of the gold, taking what they need but not much more, and wonder why the Spaniards are so devoted to the material. Later, they acquire a huge amount of gold, only to have most of the members of the expedition perish or depart. Sandoval, after commandeering the remainder of the group, ends up in prison for failing to give the King his share of the treasure.

Even though the adventures of the explorers are fictional, many of the themes are all too real. Spanish expeditions did, quite often, swindle and cheat Indians out of valuables, even resorting to violence if trickery was unsuccessful. They also traveled with no respect to the land, destroying forests and slaughtering wildlife. Another aspect that truly happened was the Spanish gold rush. Many crews and expeditions deviated from their purposes to search for cities of gold. Wild tales were told of people who ate from golden platters and wore gold clothing. In the end, Scott O’Dell’s book wonderfully gives a look into the exploration of early North America.

-Joshua M.

The King’s Fifth by Scott O’Dell is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

CT-7567

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This is the story of CT-7567, also known as Captain Rex who was introduced to the Star Wars universe in the animated series, The Clone Wars. Monthly installments will be released. Hope you enjoy.                                                                                                   _____________________________________________________________________

CT-7567 was having a great dream before the datapad next to his bed woke him up. It flashed red and blared,

“CT-7567, prepare yourself for morning Physical Training.”

The young cadet rubbed his eyes, jumped out of bed, and shook his bunkmate awake.

“Come on, 2224! We’ve gotta go!”

CT-2224 slowly and methodically rolled off his bunk and dressed himself. Once 2224 was ready, the two clone youths jogged over to the training area. Their instructor, Bani, waited for them. The Duros was irritated.

“You’re late again! How many times do I have to tell you?”

He made the two clones run laps until they were sweaty and miserable. Cody, or CT-2224, grumbled under his breath as they stepped into the sonic refreshers. Rex, who was designated CT-7567, was equally displeased. He knew they had gotten there on time. The eternally irate Duros always found something wrong.

Their next assignment was their favorite: Battle training! As they hefted their mock blasters and blew holographic droids into oblivion, they joked and laughed. Battle training never failed to cheer them up. Rex especially loved using special tactics to destroy the fake droids, who always used the exact same formation and strategy. He had just attacked a huge wave when something hit him in the shoulder. He stumbled forward and whipped around. It was CT-6453. What a jerk. Rex always saw him around, bullying cadets and bothering teachers.

“Eat bantha dung, 43.”

Rex waved him off. Little did he know how important 6453 would turn out to be.

The last assignment of the day was worse than PT: Galactic history. Their teacher was a hardworking taskmaster. The Kaminoan, Lima Bri, gave them tons of work and papers, and she never graded easily. Rex was feeling good about a report he had written about the moons of Io, but when he got it back Bri had given him only 75%. Cody was disappointed as well. His paper had received a 73%. They left class and headed back to the barracks to grab some sleep.

-Joshua M.

The Fog Diver by Joel Ross

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The Fog Diver, written by Joel Ross, is a great book full of suspense and twists. It has a wonderful plot and intriguing characters.

What if the whole earth was engulfed in deadly fog? What if a great treasure was said to be hidden beneath the clouds? And what if you were the only one who could survive in that fog?  The main character, Chess, finds himself in such a dilemma. An orphan with special power, he is part of a ragtag scrapper crew. They hunt for items from old Earth to sell on the mountaintops while avoiding sky pirates and monsters.

Meanwhile, a tyrant named Kodoc hunts for Chess so he can use him to find the Compass, an ancient artifact said to  control the Fog. The team thinks that Port Oro, a legendary mountaintop, will be a safe haven for them, and attempt a journey. Along the way, they team up with pirates and gang kids. This book is full of friendship and action. I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a summer read.

-Joshua M, 6th grade

The Fog Diver by Joel Ross is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

The Captain’s Dog by Roland Smith

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Image result for the captain's dog cover imageIf you’re looking for a heartfelt tail of bravery and affection, The Captain’s Dog is the book for you. The many chapters are told from the perspective of Captain Meriwether Lewis’ dog, Seaman. Because of this, you’ll hear about antics that will make you smile, adventures that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and tales that will bring you back in time.

The plot almost exactly follows the events of the expedition, giving you historical content as well. The author describes events and adventures in depth, making you feel like you’re there with the expedition crew. From deserting members to a deadly mountain crossing, no detail is left out.

As you read through the book, you learn of Seaman’s abused puppyhood and the savior he found in Captain Lewis. Seaman proves to be a valuable asset to the team, warning of bears and cheering up saddened trekkers.

All in all, I loved the whole book, down to the last word of the epilogue. I hope I’ve interested you in this work of art. Even cat people will fall in love with the charming and lovable Seaman. I hope you will find time to read this great book.

-Joshua M. 6th Grade

The Captain’s Dog by Roland Smith is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.