The Universe

A combination of an unfathomable amount mass of such variation that we will never truly understand all of it. The Universe consists of variety of elements, maybe even more that we don’t know about, and compounds which make up everything that we know and everything that is. Even yourself and the person closest to you is made out of Carbon (C). I would start with it began with the big bang (BB) but I don’t believe there has only been one BB. I think that as the Universe is expanding and slowing down eventually it will begin to fall into itself again under it own gravity. This is nature method of restoring balance and wiping the slate clean, similar to the ice ages on Earth. The ice ages on Earth cause the world to freeze over and the ice and snow reflect a large amount of the Sun’s light that hits our planet. As the atmosphere fills with more CO2 it gradually warms until the ice and snow begins to melt. At this stage the snow and ice melts quicker because it cant reflect the sunlight away any more and global warming builds up a snowballing effect. It is at this point that the ice age starts over again and restore balance (will be put into more detail later). Back to my point, much like the ice ages on Earth I believe the Universe continues to expand and collapse in on itself and has done potentially countless times before. Scientist estimate the age of our universe to be in the thousands of billions but I don’t believe this the first Universe so whose to say how long existence has existed?

Our Solar System

Our Solar System (SS) has 9 planets (or 8 if you don’t count Pluto) which scientists consider to be a small solar system and our Star (The Sun) is dwarfed by countless other stars out there. The point i’m making is if there are millions of billions of Stars out there and each star played host to several planets each just imagine how many planets there are in the Universe. Which leaves anyone with common sense to believe that we cannot be alone nor the only advanced and intellectual life form out there. I’m not talking about E.T and War of the Worlds but I refuse to believe humans are the most intellectual and dominant thing in the Universe or that even exists. Even people who believe in God and believe that God created the Universe must have thoughts about other life. I’m an atheist but even I think that if God created everything there would be more in this Colossal Universe of his than just us, are we his greatest work?

Global Warming

We are not causing Global Warming (GW) it is gonna happen anyway we are however speeding it up with our pollution. As and when we get our snowballing effect the fresh water from the poles will mix with the salt water and cause a rapid cooling around the globe, as an example; The UK and surrounding nations are kept warm by the Golf Stream however Greenland is slowly melting and it has enough fresh water to disrupt the Golf Stream. Things like this will happen globally and you will end up with a scenario not too dissimilar from The Day After Tomorrow (FOX FILM). I have no doubt that we’ll survive GW but we might want to consider more eco friendly lifestyles to increase the intervals between disasters. I very highly recommend watching Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. I can’t say that everything he mentions is true however he has a better way of explaining things than me.

These topics interest me and if you would like to a comment even a comment asking my thoughts on another topic it would be appreciated.

MGR?

I’m really not sure about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (MGRR) which I thought was going to be named MGS Rising, but Konami is entitled to change their mind. From what i’ve seen I cant even recognize it as a part of the Metal Gear series except for the title. Konami havn’t made a bad Metal Gear yet and MGS4 was a work of art however I no longer like the look of MGRR as its progressed. I am impressed at the Graphics and textures not to mention the never before seen cutting and slicing action that has been introduced. A lot of time has been spent ensure that the player will be able to cut almost any object at any point or angle they choose and in slow motion if desired. There are many video clips on YouTube demonstrating several tests with the game where melons and bowling pins are being cut with such precision that it will leave other blade related games envious. This spin-off from the MGS series is set several years in the future after MGS4 where there is no Solid Snake and War is fought more by machines then men.

Raiden

In MGRR you will play as Raiden from MGS2 and MGS4 whom we have all grown to love. In MGS2 i’m sure I wasn’t the only one thrown when I went from playing as Solid Snake to suddenly playing as this Boy George in spandex but Raiden proved to be a good story in his own right. In MGS4 Raiden continued to strive and demonstrate his skill that could leave even Solid Snake speechless. It was in his blade fights with Vamp (MGS2&4) in MGS4 that Raiden become a truly loved and familiar character in the MGS series. In MGS4 Raiden was seen in his Cyborg Ninja suit which he continues to where, its slightly adulterated but not beyond recognition.  During MGRR you will be in control of Raiden and in possession of his katana which in your hands can cause such chaos and destruction. As you progress through the game you get an insight in Raiden’s life and his background. Konami has decided to elaborate on Raiden’s past as a child soldier and his relationship with solidus, this is our chance to get to know Raiden better. It is rumored that Konami are creating a totally different kind of gameplay for MGRR as it will an action game and players will notice the absence of the Tactical Espionage Action that we have grown use to with the previous MGS games but this is Konami’s chance to show variety, creativity and capability. Before Konami decided on MGRR there was talk of MGS5 where you would play as The Boss from MGS3 and her Cobra unit but the idea was scrapped as the spin-off story with Raiden became too popular.

What can we expect?

We know Raiden but can we expect any other familiar faces, friends or foes? I came across this image (on the right) which gave me more hope to MGRR. A Metal Gear Ray on steroids is one of the few things giving me hope for this game, it looks a bit crazy but its a familiar face. MGRR is such a new path for Konami which can go either way escpecially as Hideo Kojima isn’t the chief director/editor as his attention was turned to MGS peace walker. I wish Konami all the best with their new endeavour and trust them not to cock this up as all previous games have been stunning. Comments and updates would be appreciated and I look forward to the release.

Skyrim

Skyrim, a good game? Of course! Skyrim has turned out to be a huge success that dwarfs its previous works such as Oblivion and Morrowind. Skyrim is an action packed adventure full of twists and turns to keep hold of its audience. The Massive landscape makes it impossible to discover everything without putting in an unhealthy amount of time. Good story? Skyrim is but a single chapter in the Elder Scrolls cycle. History of the previous games can be found if you look hard enough, as an example; The Blades from Oblivion live on and there is frequent reference to the Oblivion crisis but that’s just for starters. As Stated on my previous Skyrim article (can be found under the gaming category) Skyrim is a labyrinth where at every turn there’s something new to experience. The variety of culture is astonishing and Skyrim even harbours stereotypes and prejudice. Some races are have backgrounds of being violent or unlawful where others are known for their pride and ability to fight.

MMo

Skyrim is big but can its landscape hold host to hundreds of thousands of players or potentially millions? How could Skyrim be adulterated to accommodate something fresh or new? Where will the story pick up and what will your role be in an MMO? These are all thoughts I’d like your opinions on. Personally I think many players would be content to play Skyrim like normal but with other online players running around that you can compete with in fights and make bonds with. However with Other MMOs such as The Lord Of The Rings Online (LOTRO), World Of Warcraft (WOW) and even Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) I think Bethesda will need to pull something special out the hat. I think if they use Skyrim but several years later it will be a good excuse to change it a little just to give it a fresh look but not beyond recognition. As far as Online play goes I think Skyrim will have a whole new set of quests with rewards such a exp or special items and I believe that if Skyrim MMO is successful then expansion packs such as Morrowind and the Imperial city can be created and will allow you to walk of the edge of Skyrims map and eventually explore all of Tamriel. What could we be expected to pay for this online privilege? Will it be free for Playstation users? Will it be PC based only to ensure monthly fees? Whatever Bethesda do I hope they do it right as there so much potential in an Elder Scrolls MMO.

Feedback is Prefereable I’d like to know what other gamers want and expect from this colossal project, btw thanks for 500 hits on the God Of War Article

Lua P

What I LOVE about this chick is how she takes grunge punk rock and makes it look effortless and makes you want to just, take them tights and rip them!! rip like you never ripped anything before!

Cosette M

Quirky, original and vintage nostalgia. perfect words to describe the oh-so-indescribable Girl from Stockholm.

Masha S

SO colourful! She always changes her hair and the colours in her wardrobe are no exception! It’s wonderful to see her new creations and it’s an art. really is.

Nin ..

Nin is I believe one of my most favourite people to stalk on lookbook. I don’t know what it is but her photos just speak to you. They’re strong, full of attitude and hard to ignore. If the outfit doesn’t catch your eye, the look on her face will. I’d suggest really checking her out. It’s worth it!

Ashley J.

Now this blonde (for the time being) bombshell has enough attitude in her one outfit to power NY city for a year! SO loud, SO dark it’s awesome. Original, a bit dark but I’m sure there are plenty of artsy colour avoiding people out there that will appreciate this girl as much as I do *smugFace*

NOW I think that’s enough girls for now (thou I’d love to put more on here, I don’t want to ignore the boys! So here are some awesome dressers from all over that caught my eye *wink….ouch* I’ll just drop a lot of photos in here minus my own comments on these guys because lets face it, a picture is worth a thousand words and there’s no way I’m writing a 1000 words for every picture on here..I’m a bit too lazy for that!

I keep seeing these cross tees eeeverywhere, It’s like it’s becoming a trend like cross earrings, rings, rosaries… Ok, nevermind, I see what’s going on.

Ok so there’s the top FEW people on lookbook that are like BAM!! and I love every one of them. Bear in mind that It’s all according to my personal taste and I do like quite strange or quirky looks. I don’s tend to wear a lot of colour myself and that’s why all these looks are awesome in my eyes.
So yes, there’s the list (not ranked or anything, they’re all amazing) and Thank you for reading! If you know anyone who is amazing and has an awesome personal style, please do share!! I’d love to find new and upcoming stylists, bloggers or youtubers.

Over & Out

(2.5 cigarettes were smoked during the making of this post)

I DO love going round the web and finding new and talented bloggers. People that are REAL and RAW, they dont put on a mask for the readers and are not afraid to state their mind and their opinions, even if that means using words that need to be bleeped out for the younger generation (wink, wink)

and Now I found Radha Mahmood, 21 year old youtuber, blogger and apparently just a very kindred soul from England;

I found her while searching the web, I got tired of the “typical” people on youtube so I searched and searched….about an hour later I stumbled on Radha or iamvonhorror and well, I liked what I saw. She’s an amazing artist aswell! her art is amazing (fighting the urge to say Sick) and she has an awesome personal style. So! She’s got a youtube (I already linked to it hint*hername*hint) and also an online store where she sells clothing that she modified to fit her own taste aaand a tumblr aaand a blog.

her Tumblr – http://radhavonhorror.tumblr.com/

her blog – http://iamvonhorror.blogspot.co.uk/

her Shop – http://vonhorror.bigcartel.com/ (a bit of a side not, her shop gets sold out FAST!! so if you follow her on youtube you’ll know when new items are added and might have a better chance of getting hold of it)

I tell you, I always have a soft spot for punky, alternative, creative awesome people thus I tend to stick to them. They seem to be more like me character wise and well, as most people I enjoy people who are like me *smugface*

Please check her out if you’d like. I’m sure you wont regret it. I just pray that She does not hunt me down for using her photo. lol.

Over and Out

surprisingly only 1 cigarette was smoked during the making of this post

xx

Background

Hack and Slash games have become very popular, branching from the God of War series to the Mortal Combat games. As distasteful and some people believe it to be, blood and gore sells and the more realistic and frequent the better. After closely observing the Sky1 TV series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and Spartacus: Blood and Sand I have concluded that I would relish the opportunity to stand in the Arena’s of Rome and have the opportunity to slay in detail.

Idea 1

In the Sky1 series of Spartacus you witness countless slaves who are used as gladiators. This is an excellent introduction to your gaming story. You find yourself on an old wooden cart being brought into Capua, a Roman city where the TV series was held, when you and many others are removed from the cart and taken to the slave market. At this point various Dominus/Domina look around and decide upon the slaves they wish to purchase. Dominus/Domina are wealthy Romans of social standing who buy and sells slaves for household servants or for fighting. The ancient Roman title of Dominus/Domina meant owner of slaves and the variation was for gender sake where Dominus was a male and Domina was a female. Chained up, the Dominus/Domina ogle at you and weigh up your worth as a gladiator or house servant. At this point you are allowed to customize your character and create your ideal gladiator. You will have the option to alter your gladiator’s build, ethnicity, facial features, hair, hair colour, eye colour, gender etc. At this point a Dominus/Domina will recognize your worth and purchase you where they will transport you to their house. The Dominus Batiatus (seen in the Sky1 TV series) owned such a house in the hills where his gladiators would train for the arena (as seen above).

It is in this house where you will get to know your brothers in arms and have to chance to fight without fatal consequences. Among your brothers you may find friendships, love or even betrayal. Whilst in the house of your Dominus/Domina you can fight with each of the weapon variations and find one to suit you. As you rank up within your house you will unlock different forms of clothing and armour but choose with caution as the armour that will protect you the most will also slow you down the most and speed is everything in the arena. Their are inter-house competitions which allow you level up and progress, this involves improving your reputation and gaining the favour of your master. After proving your worth you are eligible to fight in the arena where wooden weapons are exchanged for steel and the fight for your life begins. In the arenas and colesseums you must bring honour to your house and master. There will be a variation of games in the arena such as; One on one, Tag team, Handicap, Man vs Beast, House vs House etc. You will be reward with wine and women as well as a variety of rewards offered to you. Be aware though, being the best or even having lots of potential might catch the eye of another house and you may be purchased or transferred where your current relationships will be severed. On top you could end up fighting you old comrades in the arena as a result, be sure to gain your masters favour to avoid this. Should you survive long enough and bring enough wealth and honour to your master you may earn your freedom. In this freedom you can become a Domina/Dominus or simply start the game again.

Idea 2

An alternate playable mode in this game would be to fill the shoes of a Dominus/Domina where, using your charisma or taste in gladiators, you will gain social standing and potentially political power. You will have a starting budget and a small house where using your business skills you will buy and sell slaves and gladiators to earn money. With money you can buy better gladiators where in exchange for living longer you can prosper better from their performances. As you accumulate wealth you can purchase bigger houses allowing for a higher capacity of gladiators at one time. Money can be spent to pleasure and occupy neighboring Dominus/Domina and slowly you claw your way up until your name is known by all in your city. It might be an idea to allow you to progress to Rome itself once your are renown in Capua, this is still a pending idea. In this role you must maintain your gladiators strength and skill whilst also preventing any revolts or anarchy. Marriage is an appropriate part of the game where you may find yourself marrying the offspring of someone with political standing. If you find that there is a gladiator from another house that none of your gladiators can best try offering a handicap match and use 2 of your gladiators to dispatch him/her or, if you have the wealth, simply purchase that gladiator for yourself. It is your duty, also, to select a Doctore to maintain your gladiators and see to it that they are trained correctly. A doctore should be a gladiator who has plenty of experience and has proven his skill countless times. The doctore will be used as the bridge between you and your gladiators so make sure the doctore is a respected member of the brotherhood. Men and Women were not the only thing available to you as a Dominus/Domina as you have the option to purchase beasts of your own such as Tigers, Lions, wolves etc. Beasts are a lot more expensive than slaves but can spice up your performances in the arena. Beasts will also be under the care of the Doctore.

 If you find your progressing too slow as a Domina/Dominus you can visit The Pits. The Pits was a dark and dangerous place seen in the Sky1 TV series where, as master of your house, you can take your gladiators and put them into a fight to the death. The winnings can be much more rewarding but at a greater risk. The opponents in The Pits will be ferocious and only your best gladiators will do. You can make wagers with anyone you find in The Pits but it may cost you your Gladiator. You can even stick your less progressive gladiators into The Pits and bet on them to lose but remember this is the Roman Empire and reputation counts for something also the frequent use of The Pits may cause a stir among your gladiators as their is no honour to be had in The Pits. Even playing the role of the slave you may find yourself here..

Note: Please leaves comments as i’m interested in your opinion of the idea and open to any idea that can improve it

    1. Solid Snake

(Meta Gear Solid)

2. Kratos

(God of War)

3. Lara croft

 (Tomb Raider)

4. Ocelot

(Metal Gear Solid)

5. Agent 47

 (Hitman)

6. Grey Fox

(Metal Gear Solid)

7. Zeus

(God of War)

8. Regina

(Dino Crisis)

9. Vamp

(Metal Gear Solid)

10. Captain Mactavish

(COD:MW)

Off the top of my head these are characters I believe deserve to be on the Top 10 Video Game Characters List unfortunately they cant all be from Metal Gear Solid

The Background

Wow, Metal Gear Solid, I finally mustard the courage to write about it. The single greatest story in gaming history, Metal Gear Solid (MGS) will forever hold a place on the wall of fame. The story of MGS is so vast and complex that I have no intention of trying to explain it as it’s first game was released in 1987 (as seen on the right), it spreads over 8 different consoles in over 15 different games with more being made. Instead I’m going to share my experience of MGS4 with you. I encourage anyone who hasn’t already played a Metal Gear Solid game, to play one now even if it’s Metal Gear Solid (PS1), I still have my copy. Happy 25th Anniversary MGS

The Gameplay

In a game the first thing I look for is graphics and textures. MGS4 still has the best graphics/textures I can think of even though it was a 2008 game. These realism of this game even puts God of War to shame. For a game that is 4 years old already It is still more enjoyable than some of the latest releases. You begin the game with a handful of items but no weapons however you quickly pick up weapons as you go along. Not all these weapons can not be used until you unlock them. Konami has placed in the game a system through a character known as Drebin (as seen on the left). The idea is if you find a weapon on the battle field but you already own one then you sell all and any spares to Drebin. Drebin gives you the equivalent of store credit which you can use to unlock weapons you have found as well as buy new weapons, ammunition and items. This is an interesting system to add to the game that makes you work for the potential enjoyment the game has to offer. The variety of weapons available in your Arsenal is unbelievable. You have a choice of 15 handguns, 7 sub-machine guns, 7 assault rifles, 6 sniper rifles, 4 Light machine guns, 3 shotguns, 2 grenade launchers, 4 rocket launchers, 12 other tactical weapons i.e. grenade, claymores etc and a Railgun (EMP). You have a long list of customizable parts to add to your weapons, as an example my M4 custom had; silencer, zoomed scope, shotgun attachment to the bottom, laser sight and flash light. You also have a long list of non-lethal items which can help you through the game. The infamous ration is available as well a group of other substances designed to recover your health. You find yourself with a Stamina and stress problems in Snake’s old age and you have supplements to give Snake more energy, relieve stress and nullify achy joints. It was such as surprise to see the famous and unbeatable Solid Snake (Snake) so old and vulnerable which grips the player with sorrow as the game goes on. Helping Old Snake to get around is a new sneaking suit which enhances your muscular skeleton which even in Snake’s condition is enough to get him around and fight. This suit also has a new feature which Konami can consider a gaming triumph, camouflage. This isn’t camouflage like seen in previous MGS games, this suit take on the pattern and texture of the ground/object you’re laying/leaning on. This is an incredibly useful and fun feature for the player which has helped change the game. MGS4 has reintroduced characters from previous MGS games. A combination of Meryl (MGS1), Raiden (MGS2), Otacon (MGS1 and 2), Vamp (MGS2), Ocelot (MGS1 and 2) makes this game a monumental story that leaves you with goose pimples. Each character has been brought up to date in appearance as well making them more surreal than ever. Can’t leave out the main machine that puts the Metal Gear in to Metal Gear Solid. Both Metal Gear Rex and Metal Gear Ray (As seen on the left) have been included in this final saga, better yet you get to control the beloved Rex in a fight against Ray in stunning HD. This addition I believe is for sentimental value as well as the trip to Shadow Moses as seen previously in MGS1. In MGS4 you get the chance to see various environments around the world, each of them also having a different effect on snake, as an example; The Middle-East and South America cause a lot more stress due to the temperature and Shadow Moses (Alaska, Berring sea) causes Snake to develop colds. The addition of Gekko has enhanced the use of your weapon variety as certain weapons are more or less effective against it. Gekko are smaller Metal Gears designed for sentry and clearance. You meet the Gekko almost immediately and have no real means of destroying them at first however this is an opportunity to witness there destructive power. What would a MGS game be without the bosses that you come across. MGS4 has a B&B corps which is devised of 4 smoking hot women who are outfitted in the latest technological wapons to give them the edge in battle. This technology give them the appearance of different beasts hence the B&B corps that stands for Beauty and the Beast. The 4 members are Laughing Octopus, Raging Raven, Crying Wolf and Screaming Mantis. Each of these women are scarred by being brought up and caught up in Military skirmishes in 3rd world countries. They each carry their emotion into battle. Other favourites such as Vamp are still present in the game and are cooler than ever. Vamp’s unnatural ability to heal after severe wounds is not down to immortality but because of microscopic Nano Machine within him that allow him to heal at a rapid rate. Ocelot shows himself in MGS4 but is however controlled by Liquid Snake (as seen previous in MGS1 and 2). MGS4 also has a feature which very rare to find in games, you have the ability to rotate the camera 360 degrees which allows for more detailed game play when sneaking and hiding from the enemy.

90/100

Storyline…

Middle-East

In the not too distant future war has become routine. War consumes the planet and even has its own market and economy. Soldiers have been induced with Nano Machines to suppress emotions, improve homoeostasis and enhance skills in battle. Every soldier’s vitals can be measured, monitored and altered by a system. Liquid Snake (Liquid) seeks to harness the power of the System, created by the Patriots (an organisation created in the cold war, MGS3). The game begins with Old Snake (as seen on the right) explaining the way of war and how it is controlled and monitored whilst you watch a series of trucks loaded with troops drive down the road. The monologue continues as you enter a local city full of carnage an mayhem as you witness people being shot before you as Snake finishes his Monologue. Snake exits the truck disguised as Rebel and fires of a few shots only to find his rifle jams. Shortly after discarding the rifle the game is handed over to you where you get the chance to explore your surroundings. You get as far as the nearest corner before the game cuts back to a video. Snake can see the two teams fighting, the PMC’s and the Rebels, when the PMC’s, who are winning, make a retreat. This is odd but quickly explained as you hear a buzzing sound followed by the crashing of Gekko landing and exterminating any rebel they’re path. You manage to run up the road and into an alleyway where stop to have a smoke. You’re enjoying your Cigarette but blood drips on your shoulder. You glance up only to see a Gekko standing over you on the side of the building with a rebel in its mouth. You immediately run and discharge a few rounds but in it haste to catch you the Gekko falls from the side of the building where you, in the shelter of the nearest building, reload. Before you have time to have another pull of your cigarette another Gekko comes crashing through the wall where you dive to avoid it and discard you disguise in the process revealing Solid Snake in his sneaking suit. You manage to lose the Gekko by running upstairs and using your sneaking suit to blend in with your surroundings. The Gekko abandon the hunt which is where you stand on top the building stare across the chaotic town and the title  Metal Gear Solid 4 fills the screen. A clip is shown, from a few days previous, where you find out that Snake is dying of an unknown illness that is rapidly ageing him. You enter a helicopter where you are informed by your former colonel, Roy Cambell (MGS1, MGS2), that Liquid Snake has been located in the Middle east. The video ends and you are free to roam the Middle East. You are tasked to Ron-devout with with Otacon further into the city. You get your first taste of action as you kill a group of PMC’s and progress through the hot, dry and dusty streets. You meet up with Otocon however he is in the form of the Metal Gear Mark 2 (MK2, as seen on the left) and remote controlled terminal with a screen and a camera which allows you two to talk to each other. You are allowed to use the MK2 to scout ahead and zap any enemies who inconvenience your sneaking. You are also provided with a handgun that pre-dates the system as well as a tranquillizer handgun. All weapons must be registered with the system before use. You acquire the Solid Eye System (SES) which is worn like an eye patch that allows you to zoom with it as a scope, and turn to light amplifying night vision. Your next objective is to meet up with a team of informants, Rat patrol 01 (RP01), who may have knowledge on Liquids whereabouts. Whilst searching for RP01 you come across Drebin, a gun launderer who offers to buy any weapons of you in exchange for points you can spend in his shop. He also gives you a brand new M4 custom (carbine model) as a gift. Drebin leaves you feeling very uneasy but you agree with his plan and continue to search for RP01. At last in the top of a high building is RP01 who is lead by Meryl, your very own sweet heart from MGS1. At first Meryl doesn’t recognize you and is shocked and upset when she sees what has happened to your rapidly ageing body. You were Meryl’s inspiration to become a soldier and now your vulnerable state has left her wounded. You meet her team which consists of her, Jonathan , Ed and Johnny (Akiba). Meryl fills you in on Liquids plan and informs you as to where you are likely to find him. Due to Johnny clumsily giving away your position you must escape the building with all haste. Between you and RP01 you must take out a large group of elite soldiers. Once you’ve killed the majority of the soldiers you escape to the bottom of the building and depart with Meryl and RP01. You continue to the coordinates given you by Meryl when you get your first look at the B&B Corps. You witness first hand the devastation that the B&B’s can wreak upon common soldiers. Once the B&B corps left you progress further until at last you catch your first glimpse of Liquid (as seen on the right) where you intend to kill him but he has a way of suppressing Nano Machines in the body so that all the emotions you should feel every time you take a life or witness something horrific in war are all released at once causing fits, seizures, throwing up, stomach cramps etc. You see Naomi Hunter (MGS1) who is the original scientist behind the Nano Machine technology and is helping Liquid with the control of soldiers Nano Machines. Snake is also effected by this and whilst you lay helplessly on the floor Liquid takes this opportunity to monologue and leave. You are rescued by Johnny who is strangely unaffected by Liquids capabilities. You awake to find yourself on an aircraft known as the Nomad where Otacon and Sunny are stationed and support you through computer technology.

South America

After being briefed in the Nomad you go on the Hunt for Naomi who said to be found in South America. There are fights going on in South America as well involving Rebels and hired PMC’s. Upon arriving in South America you are outside a PMC camp where you find Rebel prisoners being escorted and readied for execution. Also at the camp is Vamp and Laughing Octopus from the B&B corps (on the left). Laughing Octopus has the same camouflage technology in her suit as you do. She uses this to her advantage and alters her face to look like Snakes and attacks a group of Rebels. She is uncontrollable until Vamp throws a knife in her and asks her to leave one Rebel alive (this rebel will continue on and warn his comrades of your face). Vamp and Laughing Octopus take their leave giving you the opportunity to gain the Rebels favour by attacking the camp and setting them free. You can progress fast through South America with the aid of the Rebels but you receive a strange call by codec (a phone call via Nano Machines). An “admirer” is giving you advice about the surroundings ahead. You continue freeing and aiding the Rebels as you go when you come across Drebin, who fills you in with information about the B&B corps and explains to you a bit more about how the system works. With the help of a bulldozer you break into a mansion with the Rebels where you locate a way down into the basement. There is a tunnel in the basement leading to a small medical facility where Naomi (as seen on the right) is located. Upon seeing Naomi she is a Stunning brunette with partial chest exposer taking Snakes attention. Naomi isn’t shocked to see you and fills you in on everything. Whilst she does this you keep seeing movement by the windows but never catch a glimpse at what it was. Naomi wishes to carry out a few tests on you to see if she cannot pinpoint the cause for your accelerated ageing. It turns out that because your a clone you natural life expectancy was set to be shorter than normal so that you couldn’t be stolen and used as a weapon by somebody else. You aren’t ill you are reaching your twilight months. Once the tests are over and you are dressed again Naomi is evacuated by a group of elite troops which is where you are left in the building with Laughing Octopus (which is what you saw at the window). You have your showdown with your first boss of the game and find her to be treacherous as she uses her camouflage ability to disguise herself as anything and everything. After a lot of running around you manage to defeat her. She sheds her extra 4 extra legs and mask revealing a young, innocent and gorgeous girl. She begins laughing manically but then spits up ink before curling up in a ball and turning hard as members of the B&B cannot be exposed to the elements for too long. This is where you acquire the camouflage mask that allows you to camouflage you head to match your background. With all haste you pursue Naomi when you get another Call via codec, your admire turns out to be Raiden who helps you track Naomi by teaching you how to track. When you finally catch up with Naomi, her and Vamp are about to enter a helicopter when Snake takes a carefully aimed shot and shoots Vamp in the head where he is temporarily dead. Gekko turn up and so does Drebin who allows Naomi to jump from the helicopter and onto his truck. Where he picks up Snake and they make their getaway. Whilst this is going on Liquid has activated his device again which deactivated the soldiers Nano Machines. This time it is more severe and leaves the soldiers emotionless where they stumble around like zombies. During your getaway you must out run and fight both soldiers and Gekko making for an interesting escape. You reach the nearest city where Drebin crashes the truck and you are stuck in the city surrounded by Gekko. In this tight situation you spot Raiden (as seen on the left) upon the rooftops. Single handedly Raiden makes a stunning display as he takes down numerous Gekko with only a sword. Snake and Naomi use this time to escape to a helicopter that Otacon has touched down in the city centre. Once you begin to take off you search for Raiden and see him tied up by the Gekko and with Vamp approaching. Vamp stick a knife in Raiden and then again whilst Raiden gives him no reaction. Snake manages to shoot one of the cables holding Raiden where Raiden draws his sword and continues to fight both the Gekko and Vamp. Whilst sustaining severe wounds Raiden manages to defeat Vamp and the Gekko however Vamp will recover but Raidens situation looks dire. He manages to jump to the helicopter where you retreat to safety and finally back to the Nomad.

Europe

In the Nomad Raiden informs of a women known as Matka Pluku (Big Mama as seen on the right) and says you must seek her out as she can aid you. Raiden is to see a specialist doctor in the meantime who will be able to help him to recover with a special dialysis machine. You first meet Meryl in who tells you of her plans to take down Liquid by force. The US President has finally seen Liquid as a threat and has given Meryl the command of more men than she knows what to do with. To avoid being recognized, Snake uses the mask acquired from Laughing Octopus to make himself look young again. You learn that Big Mama is in charge of a group known as the resistance and in order to find her location you must track a member of the resistance to her location. After a long time spent tracking the resistance member, who is in no hurry, you witness him stop outside a door where, upon opening it, you get him in a lock where he struggles to move and you enter the premises with him as a human shield. Snake demonstrates his capabilities as he takes down a group of soldiers without firing a single shot. Big Mama at last reveals herself and identifies herself as Eva (MGS3). Eva was Big Boss’s (MGS3) lover and Snakes Surrogate mother. She is highly informative and fills Snake in on very important and interesting information. The information consists of Yours and Liquids history as well as hers, Big Boss’s, Ocelots and more. You learn of her possession of Big Boss’s body which Liquid needs to unlock the system and place it under his control. Needless to say shortly after your conversation Liquid unleashes an elite force to recover/secure the body. The Body is in a van and you must prevent Liquid’s soldiers from destroying the van. Other vans have been sent out as decoys and you, as well as resistance members, are following the vans on Motorcycles. Once you’ve escapes the soldiers and Gekko you are faced with a new challenge of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) which shoot rockets. These UAV’s are led by Raging Raven (as seen on the left) from the B&B Corps. The vans are destroyed and you crash along with them leaving Big Mama wounded. Whilst Big mama rests and tries not to move you get to higher ground in a hope to take out Raging Raven. Once several floors up in a tall building Raging Raven meets you in person where she exchanges words about your doom and attempts to incinerate you by turning her jet pack on high. You must take down Raging Raven whilst she and her UAV’s attempt to blow you off the top of this building. After a long fight Raging Raven finally weakens and shed her suit and Grenade launcher. As before with Laughing Octopus, any B&B corps member cannot be exposed to the elements for too long and Raging Raven finally curls up in a ball and turns hard. You return to Big Mama with all haste and make good your escape through the sewers. Upon exiting the sewer you found yourself in the presence of Liquid, Vamp and Naomi. Liquid and Snake fight but Snake is no match for Liquid’s CQC (Close Quarters Combat). Leaving you beaten and bruised you and Big Mama are left without hope however as Liquid attempts to make his escape across the river he is ambushed and his retreat is cut off by hundreds of soldiers, helicopters, boats, jeeps etc. With Meryl on the Microphone, Liquid is asked to stop where he is which is where (with great special effects) Liquids demonstrates his hold over the system and locks down all the soldiers weapons, brings down the helicopters and sinks the surrounding boats using the only working guns that his soldiers carried. Liquids cackles and states that “The system is mine!” which is where he takes his leave. As he drives past Snake and big Mama he throws the body of Big Boss on to some nearby flames which incinerate the body and explode the flammable liquids within causing Snake to burn his face and Big Mama to lose her chance of recovering from her injuries. One small fortune is that Drebin is nearby and takes you where you need to go. Big Mama dies but Meryl is rescued from the river by Johnny which is where they fall in love.

Shadow Moses: Alaska, Bering Sea

Liquid’s victory hangs heavy in your hearts as Big Mama is dead, Raiden is still unwell and you are unsure of Naomi’s loyalties. After being contacted by Roy Cambell (The Colonel) you learn that Liquid plans to launch a nuclear missile into space to take out one of the systems satellites. Liquid is unable to fire Nukes without authorization from the remains of the system that don’t belong to him however Liquid has got some Nukes that predate the system but has no means of launching them. A rail gun (EMP) could launch a Nuke but there isn’t a rail gun big enough except the gun on Metal Gear Rex. Assuming that Liquid has gone to retrieve the rail gun from Shadow Moses you make that your immediate destination. Vamp has destroyed your MK2 and so you have acquired the MK3. You reach Shadow Moses and have numerous flashbacks where the player is drawn into a sentimental whirlwind. You progress towards Rex’s location fighting Gekko along the way. After passing through the various facilities of Shadow Moses you are confronted by Crying Wolf (as seen above) from the B&B corps. You engage her in a brutal fight involving her and elite soldiers. She is tricky to kill in a blizzard where you struggle to find a heat signal and she carries a small rail gun with allows her to strike you from a long distance. You manage to defeat her nonetheless after a long fight and she too is cleansed and finds herself vulnerable to the elements. She is carried away by a wolf into the darkness and you move on towards Rex’s location. With the help of the MK3 you activate the elevator which takes you up to Rex’s wreckage. Upon gazing at Rex you notice that its rail gun is missing and Vamp announces that you are too late. You glance up at Vamp to see Naomi holding him and caressing him. He states his intent to end your journey. You are now faced with the difficult task of putting Vamp down permanently. You manage to defeat him, only for him to get up again and continue fighting. You use a syringe full of Nano Machines to suppress Vamps Nano Machines and prevent him from regenerating and healing wounds. Raiden arrives to help you with your fight as Suicide Gekko arrive to blow up the facility. Vamp challenges Raiden and Raiden without hesitation accepts. Standing atop Rex, Raiden and vamp have a showdown with blades and whilst they fight Snake must repel the Gekko. Eventually Raiden catches Vamp across the chest with his sword leaving Vamp wounded where he falls from Rex’s head and hits the floor. Vamp is in agony and is dying slowly. Naomi asks Otocon (through the Mark3) to give Vamp a syringe to end his suffering where you see the long overdue death of Vamp. Naomi too takes a syringe to suppress  her Nano Machines however her Nano Machines where delaying the progress of her Cancer. Naomi dies next to Vamp where your cue to leave arrives as several suicide Gekko enter the premises. With Otocon’s help Rex is hot wired and is your means of escape. You escape down a long narrow tunnel in Rex destroying all Gekko in your path with Raiden running alongside. As you escape into the sunlight the Gekko detonate and bring down the facility. Raiden gets caught under some rocks leaving him trapped by his arm. You find yourself in a harbor where a noise comes from the water. Suddenly water is thrown up in the air and Metal Gear Ray emerges with Liquid in control. This is a famous scene in MGS4 as you and Liquid battle it out with the 2 colossal machines. Snake defeats the Metal Gear Ray and Liquid falls from its control point and lands motionless on the floor. He appears to be being attacked by FOXDIE a virus that killed Liquid in MGS1 however in Ocelots body the virus is noneffective. Liquid now makes his escape cackling and Snake rolls out of Rex and breaks his shoulder. With only one good arm and damaged legs, Snake staggers but continues to pursues Liquid until a Ship of monumental size emerges from the water and hauls Liquid to safety. Snake fires his rifle to no end before giving up and laying down on the harbor floor. Liquid then turns his ship to face snake and goes full force into the harbor. Snake too tired to move sits there staring at his death. Raiden is still trapped and unable to help Snake but in a moment of thought Raiden uses his sword to cut his arm off. Snake about to be crushed is saved by Raiden who stands in front of the Ship. Slowing the Ships speed, Raiden orders Snake to move where he is innevitably crushed beneath the weight of the ship. Liquids leaves in his ship as the USS Missouri fires at him. Otocon arrives in a helicopter to take you to safety.

Outer haven

Liquid’s Ship used to belong to the Patriots but now belongs to him and is known now as Outer Haven to be used as Liquids point of operations. As a pose to the Nomad you find yourself in the USS Missouri which is an old battleship that pre-dates the system therefore it’s weapons still work. The Missouri’s captain is Mei Ling from MGS1 and she aids you in the pursuit of Liquid. Liquid is planning to launch the nuke at the satellite but to do this he has to be in the right place in the world to get the satellite just above him. On the Missouri is Meryl (along with RP01), Otocon and Drebin. You have devised a plan to stop Liquid and to do so Snake, Meryl and Johnny (Akiba) will have to go aboard Outer Haven to shut down the part of the system Liquid controls. Outer Haven surfaces to Launch the Nuke and you pull up alongside it and get launched onto its deck. Johnny falls into the sea and both Snake and Meryl hurt there themselves. Landing on the deck Snake must make his way to the back of Outer Haven. Avoiding both Gekko and elite soldiers Snake reaches the rear of the ship and enters a short corridor. The corridor leads to what appears to be a large conference room large enough to rival the UN’s. In this room you find Meryl laying unconscious on the floor so you move in to investigate when you are attacked by a number of Elite troops. After dispatching the troops you make introductions with the last member of the B&B corps, Screaming Mantis. Mantis manipulates Meryl into shooting you and even shooting herself. You have to shoot the dolls which Mantis uses to manipulate both the Living and the Dead. After shooting the dolls enough times the dolls will fall to the ground. If you can retrieve the doll that controls the living you can use it to defeat Mantis. Mantis is defeated and sheds her suit revealing the beautiful woman beneath. Shortly after she is effected by the elements and curls up into a ball. Her suit puts itself back together and to form its former shape. Then you come in contact with Psycho mantis from MGS1 who demonstrates his power as being the world’s greatest mind reader and psychokinesist. Afterwards he vanishes and hear the voice of The Sorrow from MGS3. You and Meryl meet but you see more elite troops coming so she tells you to go on whilst she stays behind and fights them off. Snake begins to run down a long corridor. Whilst Snake is running to his goal Meryl’s life is in danger but she is saved by Johnny and tegether they fight off the enemy. Snake reaches the entrance to a corridor full of microwaves when he has a seizure and is surrounded by soldiers. Things look ill when suddenly Raiden turns up and Kills several soldiers and helps Snake to pass them. Raiden stays behind to hold them off and Snkae enters the corridor full of Microwaves. After a long struggle down the incinerating corrior on his hands and knees, Snake finally exits it smoking and twitching. Together with the MK3 they reach the main control room where Liquids hold over the system is located. Using the MK3, Otocon uploads a virus to destroy  Liquids hold on the system but the virus spreads to the whole system and wipes out all forms of law and order across the world making things like the wild west all over again. A video message is displayed from Naomi filling Snake and Otocon in about everything they just did and Snake passes out. On the highest point of Outer Haven Snake awakes to find Otocon looking at him telling him to stay put whilst Otocon goes for help. Snake slowly opens his eyes again to see Liquid walking towards him. Liquid tells his side of the story and is happy with the result despite what you thought was a victory. Liquid then continues to inject you to give you the energy you need to fight and thus begins the final moments in MGS4. In the sunset Snake and Liquid fight for ages, retaking the contents of syringes and fighting until neither of them can move. Liquid falls first and breifly becomes Ocelot again before dieing.

Epilogue

It cuts to Meryls wedding with Johnny and a beautiful ceremony is held with only a handful of guests including; Otocon, Jonathon, Ed, Drebin, Roy Cambell, Sunny and Mei Ling. You also view another clip in the hospital where you witness Raiden recovering from his severe injuries. He is visited by Rosemary (MGS2+4) who was his lover but they grew apart because of Raidens mental scarring and further choices in life. She introduces a little boy and explains that its his son where Raiden sees sense and promises to protect and love his family forever. Another scene is shown where Snake is visiting a grave and saluting it (another famous scene in the MGS series). Snake tries to kill himself by shooting himself in the head but cant bring himself to do it. At this point Big Boss reveals himself to Snake and they discuss all the details that put the whole story together. Snake cant understand because he believed Big Boss to be dead but he is told that the body used by Liquid was the body of Solidus (MGS2). Solidus was the new clone made after Snake and Liquid. Solidus had his left eye missing but Big Boss had his right eye missing however he was Big Boss’s most identical clone. Big Boss dies shortly after explaining all he could and takes Zero with him (Zero was Big Boss’s commander as seen in MGS3 and later went on to form the Patriots). Snake is left to enjoy his remaining days with Otocon, his ever faithful companion.

100/100 Best Story Ever

You don’t usually think much into the lives of the designers. You imagine them imagining and other people creating pieces to suit what they wanted but seeing how elegant and mesmerizing the design process and the designer himself is, I must say, it opened my eyes to  a whole new view when it comes to understanding the process of the Designer.

I have watched and re-watched “Lagerfeld. Confidential” quite a few times just to get a better feel of it all, to understand and absorb it better and it was worth every single minute. It follows Karl around as he lives his life, travels, puts together shows and creates his masterpieces.

When I dabbled in fashion design in my earlier years, I thought design was one of the hardest things I’ve ever mistaken for being easy but watching Karl put together look after look, piece after piece…how he used markers and his beloved Tipex, It was baffling HOW easy it is for him, how his sophisticated taste pours onto the paper while mine, thou looking amazing in my head, turns out to be a wobbly figure draped in..Well, cheap looking over detailed tops and nothing-special dresses.

If you are interested in the fashion world and would like an inside into Lagerfeld’s world without using the oh-so-boring Wikipedia, this hour and twenty-five minute creation might be just the eye-opening experience you need to see how quietly hectic the world of a designer is.

Karl is surely one of the best known superhero of the fashion world of all times. He manages to portray Chanel’s image and idea so well that it’s amazing to watch his work. The man who hides behind his glasses and rarely showing his eyes. The man who when asked about his work and inspirations comes up with so many Literary and cultural references that it would probably take about a week of research to really understand what he means and where he’s coming from.

     *In photo with the Editor-in-chief of American Vogue – Anna Wintour.*

Latest news: Lagerfeld is not in good standings with thousands (maybe millions) of Adele fans all over the world since making an uncalled comment about the singer saying that she was “fat” just to defend himself later saying that the remark was actually about another singer Lana Del Ray (who, if you know is quite skinny);

Still a lot of criticism is flying around about Lagerfelds comments about the singers seeing as he himself used to be a lot heavier than he is now.

There isn’t a lot more to add, I unfortunately fell into the trap of reading celebrity news and thus writing about it (the whole Adele comment) but it has nothing to do with the brilliance of the designer Karl Lagerfeld.

If You Love Chanel, you’ll apreciate this article…and if you say “Karl who..?” then you need a reality check and ask yourself if the world of fashion really interest’s you or are you just in for the labels.

Over & Out

(a lot of cigarettes were smoked and a delicious cocktail was devoured in the making of this post)

Band members – Axl Rose (lead vocals) Slash (lead guitar) Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar) Duff Mckagan (bass) Steven Adler (drums)

When you think of the word ‘iconic’ many things come to mind. To me personally, this album is one of those things. This is the debut album of the band Guns N’ Roses. A hybrid of L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. Appetite for Destruction came out in 1985 and immediately skyrocketed the band to the top of the L.A. rock scene and, following their next album or two, the top of the world. Even though their fate would be the same as most rock bands (somebody nearly dies, the fame went to somebody’s head and they ruined it for everybody with a shit album) this album is still regarded as one of the greatest debut albums of all time. So let’s do this track by track.

1. Welcome to the Jungle – A blisteringly great way to start the album. Axl Rose’s whiny vocals and Slash’s fantastic guitar mastery immediately establish the sound of Guns N’ Roses. 9/10

2. It’s So Easy – Gloriously explicit, much like the rest of their 80′s phase. A great riff with a somewhat softer chorus, which works brilliantly well. 8/10

3. Nightrain – Written about a favourite drink of theirs, a great song with very storytelling lyrics and great guitar solo work. 7.5/10

4. Out Ta Get Me – My personal favourite. A fast and furious song with great lyrics and god like guitar work. 10/10

5. Mr. Brownstone – dark, funky, and sexy. A great riff with (as always) fantastic lyrics. Being addicted to drugs has never sounded so cool. 8/10

6. Paradise City – The anthem of anthems. One of those songs thats impossible to hear without moving to the beat. Truly inspiring. 9.5/10

7. My Michelle – Within the first verse, the song mentions porn, death and drugs. A perfect portrait of 1980′s L.A. Also a perfect portrait of a great song. With a riff meaner than Dog the Bounty Hunter. 9/10

8. Think About You – Although there is no such thing as a bad song on this album, this is probably the weakest. But Gripping and awesome nevertheless. 7/10

9. Sweet Child O’ Mine – This album is busting out classics like a Pez dispenser. Another Iconic song, with an iconic riff, from an iconic musician. Truly…iconic. 10/10

10. You’re Crazy – Sweet Child O’ Mine would always be a tough song to follow, but this great track does the job pretty well. Although most albums begin to dip just before the end, there isn’t any letting up this time around. 7.5/10

11. Anything Goes – In all honesty I was not a huge fan of this song the first time around, it seemed somewhat lazy for Guns. But like unwanted body hair, it grows on you. 8/10

12. Rocket Queen – A fantastic way to end the album. A big middle finger in the face of, well, everyone. Suspenseful riffs, spellbinding lyrics and a solo to match, it earns its place on the biggest debut album ever. 9/10

Overview – As far as rock albums go, this is pretty much head and shoulders above every other debut album in my opinion. Despite the monster that the name Guns N’ Roses has become, the whole world can listen to this album in Nostalgia, and remember a time when gods walked amongst mere mortals, on the sunset strip. 10/10