The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/98812
Page 5 Arts and Entertainment December 14, 2012 Black Ops II: Game of the Year Black Ops engages gamers and leaves them wanting more Aleczander Sims Guest Writer Treyarch truly out did themselves this time with the release of Black Ops II. To be able to grab your consciousness and throw you into this fantastic futuristic world in a time of crisis is a feat rarely accomplished by video games. Treyarch was able to blend action, story and fun almost perfectly. You take control of several characters throughout the game, mainly Alex Mason (Black Ops I) and his son David Mason, an elite U.S. Navy Seal. As a child, your father was reenlisted into the Marines to rescue Frank Woods. Woods had been held prisoner and tortured to less than an inch of his life by Raul Menendez. Menendez is the primary antagonist of the story. Menendez lost his sister when the U.S. Marines raided his village in an attempt to seize Menendez. This in turn helped fuel Menendez to do whatever necessary to teach the world utter misery and loss, which it has shown him. Especially Mason's Marine group. Menendez develops a terrorist organization known as the "Cordis Die". M e n e n d e z engineered a very intricate plan to pit the two greatest world powers (in 2025) America and China against e a c h other. Then t o cripple both of their civilizations while they are both weak with a massive cyber attack using unknown technologies. Throughout the game David Mason gets flashbacks to his childhood, the day Mason's father died. These flashbacks slowly unravel the mystery behind his father's death. The way the game was created, it gives you plenty of opportunities to change the outcome of the war. Stretching from taking an alleyway or rooftop, to choosing who to shoot in a split seconds notice. E v e r y with its suspenseful plot The Maze Runner, written by James Dashner, is a great book that is full of challenges the characters have to face and sadness. The challenges force the characters to use their heads and the sadness makes them be able to move on, no matter how hard it may seem. Thomas, the main character, shows up in a strange place that is strangely somewhat familiar to him; he feels as if he has been there before. The people who inhabit this strange place call it the Glade, and they call themselves the Gladers. Thomas can't remember anything about his family or his past when he arrives in the Glade; he can only remember his name. A few days after Thomas arrives in the Glade a girl, Theresa, the only girl to ever come to the Glade, arrives with a message that there will be no other teenagers coming to the Glade, she is the last one. For years the Gladers had been trying to find a switch between squads of different classes. You can play as your typical foot soldier, a robotic combat vehicle of some sort and an overhead view where you can command all playable squads separately. The strike force missions are by no means necessary but change the outcome of the war whether or not they are completed. The new weapons introduced in the game are mostly based on conceptual technologies and weapons today. All of the weapons are realistic and believable for a world in a near future. A big congratulation to Treyarch for creating the most intricate and entertaining Call of Duty games ever, but is there going to be a third? A nearly perfect game. Kindle Fire 'Maze Runner' dazzles readers Stefanie Brunello Guest Writer decision you make affects your game play and are all split second decisions that you have to live with for the rest of the campaign. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do because of a previous course of actions you chose that you didn't think mattered. It's easy to get sucked into the game because of this. After playing the gme three times, the same ending has never happened twice. The game play was never the same and different objectives were accomplished each time. The campaign features a new style of missions known as strike force missions. In these you don't play as just one character; instead y o u way out of the Maze, which surrounds the area, in which the Gladers live. They would have Runners go through the Maze and search for an escape route. One problem they had was that the Maze would change every day, and then, after a certain number of days, "James Dashner keeps the plot moving quickly to keep you entertained throughout the book." it would repeat the same pattern. Thomas and Theresa figure out that there wasn't ever a way out of the Maze, but that it spelled out a code to shut down the Glade. James Dashner keeps the plot moving quickly, but not too quickly to where the reader can get lost, to keep you entertained throughout the book. Dashner also adds many new twists throughout the plot. He adds new obstacles that the Gladers have to face, especially when they are getting closer to shutting down the Maze. Dashner keeps the characters loyal to one another, even though some feel that there is something suspicious about Thomas. He also does a great job of connecting the characters because they are all in the same situation, none of them can remember anything about their past and they all want to escape. The Maze Runner is the first book in a three book series, and Dashner does a great job of leaving you in suspense so that you want to read the next book. It is a great read, and I recommend this book to any teenagers who enjoy plots that keep the pages turning and are full of action and suspense. A re you having difficulties finding the perfect Christmas gift? Well lucky for you two new tablets are available this year. The Kindle fire HD with its high resolution image and low price tag, compared to the Ipad mini with a 7.9 inch screen, almost an inch bigger than the Kindle fire HD, with its higher price, which one is the perfect Christmas gift? Personally, the obvious choice would be the Kindle fire HD. It has 11 hour battery life, tons of apps, and duel stereo speakers while the ipad mini has only mono speakers. The Kindle has 216 pixels per inch while the Ipad mini has only 163 pixels per inch. The Kindle fire is only $199 while the Ipad mini is $329 Resources say The Kindle fire HD is " Much more for Much less". Not only can you read books in any lighting, you can download as many apps as you would like. The Kindle is connected with Amazon which has many sources. The Kindle is helpful for homework, listening to music and being connected with any social network. The kindle is a great gift for any hard working student, providing them with loads of information on the internet, and great books that you can have instantly at your fingertips within seconds. This tablet is also great for gamers, with as many games this tablet introduces you'll never be bored. The tablet also has a front-facing HD camera great for taking pictures, web chat and Skype. If you're looking for a tablet with loads of resources, available to anything and affordable, the kindle is your tablet. I would definitely recommend putting this on your Christmas list. Story by Morgan James A suspenseful page turner! Spartan Playlist 1. Baby Got Bach by Sir Mix A Lot 6. Up All Night by One Direction 2. Motto by Drake featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga 7. Lights by Ellie Goulding 3. Beauty and a Beat by Justin Beiber 8. I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz 4. Swimming Pools by Kendrick Lamar 9. Die Young by Keshia 5. Never Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift 10. Ode to Joy by Beethoven Top 10 Songs from Mrs. Coker's 3rd Period