The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/118237
Arts and Entertainment Page 5 March 22, 2013 ���Tomb Raider��� comes back with a bang Savanah Rice Aleczander Simms Staff Writer Staff Writer ���I don���t think I���m THAT kind of Croft������ Lara Croft complained gazing upon a beautifully dark, rainy, and of course extremely dangerous mountainside. The newest update to the Tomb Raider series is the story of how Lara came to be what we all know her as today; an acrobatic, multilingual, gun slinging adventuress exploring ancient tombs and ruins around the world. Young, innocent, intelligent, squeamish and hungry for adventure; Lara sets off for her first expedition, to find the lost Japanese kingdom of Yamatai, said to hold some sort of mystical power. A giant storm forces Lara���s ship to wreck and separates Lara from her crew. Stranded on this mountainous island, Lara quickly recovers from the wreck so that she can go search for her friends. In search Lara begins to hear chanting when out of the blue she gets knocked out and abducted by someone savage and mysterious. Waking up again, disoriented and bound, Lara finds herself hanging in an ancient chamber struggling for freedom. Still disoriented, Lara manages to escape the chamber and is left to fend for herself in the elements with minimal supplies while she continues her search. Throughout the game you see Lara Croft pushed to her limits and evolve from it. You get to watch the transition from timid Lara, t o c o l d stone kiler Lara. Using i n g e n u it y, marksmanship, and her superior climbing capabilities to develop new weapons, gear, and hunt for experience. Tomb Raider has a typical RPG experience/ skills system, though the available skills aren���t anything to brag about and some even feel useless. Tomb Raider is quite different from the original ones in the series in the best ways possible. The function of the game is great. Lara takes cover automatically providing free movement in combat a n d eliminates the need for a dedicated cover command button. Most of the tombs in the game are optional, but compared to other oprotunities tombs provide the biggest chunk of experiance. The combat has been refined, the controls are smooth, there is little to no backtracking, platforming is more fluid, significantly fewer puzzles and a great sense of accomplishment when you do really anything. Not to mention that the graphics are head and shoulders superior to the originals Tomb Raiders. Mountains are crisp and clean. Ruins are stunningly decrepit, revealing ancient ritualistic glyphs. Wrecked ships and plans that are strewn across the island all tower over you in amazing detail. On the Pc version, every single one of the hairs on Lara���s head move independently. That���s just an example of Tomb Raider���s graphic capabilities. Full of dramatic events, danger and excitement, Tomb Raider makes it very hard not to get attached to Lara. Leaping off cliff sides onto ledges barely big enough for your fingertips, pumping you with adrenaline. Scouring caves for medical supplies to save your friend. The emotional impact of taking a man���s life for the first time tugs at your chest in a way that makes you want to play more. An awesome return to this classic series. ���Songza��� makes finding romance tale with ���Switched��� music a whole lot easier Amanda Hocking spins a great Aaron Lewis Staff Writer ���Switched���, by Amanda Hocking, is the first book in the Trylle Trilogy. The story follows the life of Wendy Everly as she meets Finn Holmes. Finn informs Wendy of her inherited royal status and true identity as a member of the Trylle. The story begins with a f lashback to Wendy���s sixth birthday party. She ended up throwing a tantrum because her mother bought her a chocolate birthday cake. Her mother asks her what type of child she is. Then her mother claims that Wendy is not her daughter and attempts to take Wendy���s life with the knife she was using to cut the birthday cake. 11 years later, Wendy discovers that her mother might be right. Wendy is frustrated and bored by her small town life. Of course, there is her lovely secret that she can absolutely not share with anyone. She can inf luence people���s decisions without knowing how or why. Finn is a very mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every obstacle that Wendy has faced, leaves her shaken and scared. Wendy���s feelings have more to do with her attraction to Finn than she would ever admit. Wendy Everly is a changeling that was switched at birth. Finn���s coming to take her home where she belongs. That place is F��rening, home of the Trylle. Wendy refuses to go with Finn, until two trolls from an enemy tribe called the ���Vittra��� attack her. You have guessed it right! Finn, the mysterious new guy in class, swoops in and saves Wendy. He then takes her back home where she belongs. She has lived with her foster family long enough. When she gets to F��rening, F��rening now rests in the hands of Wendy Everly. But through all this, Wendy is not even sure she wants to be a part of this world. At first when I started reading this book, it was a little distraught for me. But, as I got farther and farther into the book everything began too make more since. The plot line leaves you guessing on what is going too happen next. That���s not something you read in books now.Amanda Hocking has written a very drawing story about a mythical creature that you normally don���t read about in the typical version of a fairytale. This book includes a romance that is better than Twilight and the Titanic combined. Once you start, you don���t want to stop. This book is all you think about until you finish it. Switched leaves you wanting more and more. Definitely a book that���s worth your time and effort too sit down and read through. ���This book includes a romance that is better than Twilight and the Titanic combined.��� she meets her biological mother Elora, who informs her that she is the princess of the tribe and is the highest rung of society. After that, she meets Rhys and Rhiannon. They are known as something the Trylle call as ���m��nsklig.��� Finally, everything to Wendy makes sense. Among her own people, Wendy is not different, but she is considered special. What marks her out as being chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. While everything around her is changing, Finn is the only person that Wendy can trust. Dark forces are conspiringnot only to separate them, but to see the downfall of everything that Wendy cares about. The fate of A great romance novel. Natalie Almond Staff Writer Are you tired of all of your current outdated playlists? Need some new music to spice up your school commute? There���s an ap for that. You probably are already aware of some of the more common music apps such as Pandora. Songza, which hit the market about two years ago, is a fresh take on music suggesting services. Rather than selecting your music based on genre or artist, Songza gives you a playlist that matches up with your activity. It gives you six different options depending upon what day and time it is. For instance, on a Tuesday morning it might give you the following options: exploring obscure sounds, brand new music, doing housework, driving, saving the world, and working. Or on a Friday night it might let you chose from: love and romance, a sweaty dance party, putting on your party dress, entertaining cool friends, and unwinding. Then, after you chose your activity you are led to a menu of genes. Finally, it gives you a playlist of about a hundred songs. What I like about this approach is that it gives you a set of music that goes with your mood and acts as a soundtrack for whatever you happen to be doing. The best part about this ap is that unlike Pandora, there are no ads and it���s still free. I really Album of the Issue ���The Heist��� Macklemore and Ryan Lewis work together to create what is, by far, one of the best rap albums that has recently come out. The albums lyrics have meanings that include equality, struggling with drug and alcohaul addiction, questioning his faith and the over-commercialism of children in America, all while sounding incredible. www.talkandroid.com enjoy this because I hate having my music interrupted by annoying commercials. Songza has a wide array of music and is great for exploring fresh new artists. It even has a playlist that is specifically designed to play only new music filled with up and coming artists that you���ve more than likely never heard of before. Similarly to other aps, at the bottom of the screen there are thumbs up and thumbs down buttons. As you listen and give feedback on each song, it slowly adjusts to your music preferences and better provides recommendations for the lsitener. Songza is an extrememly handy music ap because it allows you to select a playlist and then not have to worry about chosing music when you���re busy doing something like entertaing or driving. I would highly recommend this ap to anyone, go on the app store and download it today! Songza makes music fun!