Christmas Round Up

So, it's Boxing Day today, and it seems that the gaming year is all but over.  The only new things in terms of gaming is what people got for Christmas.  I've therefore decided to make everyone jealous and post what I got, or at least the highlights.

Just to explain, in my house we have two sets of presents.  We have a stocking of small things, like chocolates, socks, and novelties.  These are the sorts of things that are great in a stocking but would be kind of not so good if they were from anyone.  I always ask for socks as a stocking present because I like getting socks in my stocking.  Then there's the tree presents.  These are the gifts actually given from people.  These can be anything really.

My stocking presents included:

A Starbucks take-away style mug!

A dalek full of bubble bath!

A bottle of Pickled Santa ale!

And for some of the tree presents:

A binary watch from my brother's family!  (the time is displayed in binary, with numbers to make it easier to work out)

A bracelet from my dad and his fiancee!

And lots of gift cards!

Oh, and Christmas in our house wouldn't be complete without a little controlled arson, so here is our Christmas pudding, which is on fire:

All in all, it was a great day.  A great lunch, great gifts, and rounded off with a nice walk in the forest.  I might not have gotten a great deal, but it was definitely quality over quantity, and what I did get was amazing.

Unboxing: Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 is the sequel to the highly successful MMORPG Guild Wars.  I've spent many hours wandering around the world of Guild Wars, slaying many different beasts, collecting much loot, and generally enjoying the whole experience.  The expansion packs added new features to the game, such as new areas and new classes, but they didn't really change the game all that much.  Guild Wars 2 being a whole new game promises to be the next big game.  Unfortunately a review will have to wait until next week as my computer died and I'm waiting for the new bits to arrive.  I doubt the old one could have coped with it so it's not such a bad thing.

It's a big brown box!

It's a slightly smaller box, and what a box it is!

The game was delivered in a large brown box and I was half expecting it to contain packing materials.  Turns out the outer box was just big enough to hold the Guild Wars two box with no packing materials at all!  Despite the tight fit, the box came out easily and the whole thing is impressive.  I was expecting that the statue would need some assembly so I wasn't surprised to see the sword was separate, given the size of it.  I'll go into the statue in more detail as the rest is amazing too.

It's the end of the world as we know it . . and by 'end' I mean 'map' . .

Under the statue is this lovely tin which features a map of the world and the Guild Wars 2 logo, all embossed and showing the relative heights of the mountain ranges.  It's not the kind of map that would be useful for getting around with but it adds a certain something and brings it more to life, actually seeing the mountains as 3D objects rather than just flat pictures.  I might be talking rubbish, probably am, but I like it.

It's a white box

Lots of lovely prints

As soon as you open the tin you see a large white folio box with a string tie.  Inside this is a set of four prints, each carefully separated by a thin sheet of paper to prevent them sticking to each other.  I had half expected to be able to easily decide which one I'd put in the frame, but the truth is I like them all.  I think the easiest thing would be to sort out some sort of rotation order because I really like them all.

I've been framed!

Talking of the frame, here it is!  It might be simple but that's often the way I like things.  It's just a nice looking frame that won't detract from any of the prints put in it.  It's also wrapped in cellophane to protect it (hence the big white blob of camera flash reflection) and it has various fixtures and such on the back for your display preferences.  The question is, where to put it?

The game itself

Under the frame is the art book, the game case, and the 'best of' soundtrack.  I've only just noticed how the art flows from the book to the game case, but I like it.  The game case doesn't hold much so I didn't take any pictures, but it contains an installation guide, a quick reference guide, the serial key, and a code for $5 off the complete soundtrack.

Architecture and technology, don't you just love it?

A more complete map of Tyria, with key locations.

The art book is rather large and contains full colour images on high quality glossy paper.  I haven't looked at it in detail yet but I always find it fascinating to see how games evolved from ideas through to concepts and then to the final game.  Not only that but the art is superb.

And now the statue!

Free at last!

The statue was tied very securely to a plastic form to protect it in transit (or something), and it was very very securely tied!  I had a bit of problems get it out but I managed it in the end.  I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of details but I do like that the sword hilt is part of the sword and not the hand that holds it, especially as it's not really visible unless you display it separately.  It just slides into the hand, if a little stiffly, but that just makes it secure.

The full statue.

With sword in hand, the statue is truly a sight to behold.  My camera really can't do any justice as to how big and details it really is.  I tried to take some close up shots but again my camera is limited.  Here's what I got though.

A nice shot of the head and chest

A clear shot of the armour

The hilt of the sword with the fire breathing dragon head

The details on the base

And a shot of his bum, because even that is detailed

Adding perspective

The last picture shows just how impressively large the statue is.  In the background is my laptop which has a 13.3" screen.  Behind that is a 21" widescreen monitor and a 17" fullscreen monitor.  Next to my laptop is an XBox 360 controller, and that cup of tea is the same size as the largest mug that Starbucks do.  Not having any kind of frame of reference when I ordered it, I wasn't sure as to how it would measure up, so I added this to give some sense of scale to it.  Trust me when I say that it's very not small!

Overall verdict?  You certainly get a lot for your money, there's no denying that.  The statue is fantastic, the book is lovely, and the prints will look great on any wall.  In terms of whether it's worth it or not, for me I'm saying definitely.  I was a big fan of Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 looks to be even better.  The statue now sits on a speaker on my desk and glowers threateningly at me, which is kind of disconcerting but also kind of awesome.  I can pretend he's yelling "write, damn you, write!" at me when I'm not working on my novels.  Not only is it worth it in terms of what is actually in it, it's also worth it because the game has no subscription fees.  I dread to think how much it would have cost me to play Guild Wars for as long as I have, and I was involved in the beta weekends.  Guild Wars 2 will no doubt involve many years of happy gaming and I'd rather spend the money up front and get something as epic as this than spend money every month.  If you're not convinced or you're not interested in physical gubbins, then the regular edition is still worth checking out.

And finally, because it was only released yesterday, it's still on sale!

GAME (UK): http://www.game.co.uk/en/guild-wars-2-collectors-edition-171751

It's not an affiliate link, but it is the cheapest I've found.  I only really buy from GAME, Amazon, and play.com though, so check with your retailer of choice.

And finally!  I hope to have a review up next week!  So here's hoping my shiny new computer gets here in time for me to actually play it and get some great screenshots for the review.  If there's anything you want me to focus on then just leave a comment and I'll do my best.

My book

Today is a little different, mostly because I want to plug my debut novel.  Now, one person I spoke to said that it being a romance novel put them off.  I've written a lot of what I call 'mush', which is what I'm guessing is assumed by 'romance'.  To me, romance isn't always mushy, and this isn't all that mushy.  Someone else found it funny because they know me well and because where they came from romance meant something like 'sloppy erotica', which my book is certainly not.  There's no passionate ripping of clothing or rampant bedroom antics, it's just romance and love.

There's a lot more to it than the romance side of things.  It's more than just boy/girl meets girl/boy, tries to woo, succeeds.  It's also not girl/boy meets wrong boy/girl but ends up with right boy/girl.  There's a lot of that already and I wanted my book to be different, so it is!

This is the cover:

This is the blurb:

Kate is having the worst day of her life.  Nothing is going right and her life is falling to pieces around her.  With the help of a friend, she manages to pick herself up before life send her through another loop and a whole lot more crazy.

Set in the titular cathedral city of Salisbury, England, this is a romance novel with a twist, and a few surprises along the way.  Featuring cats, coffee, zombies, and ferrets, Salisbury has something for everyone to enjoy, including real locations that can be visited.

Full details can be found here: Salisbury by Rachel James

Got any questions?  Just ask!

Rachel Unboxes: Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition

I know this is a huge break from the norm and that this is a video game blog, but I'm excited about this and it is a limited edition.  Also, it's my blog and I can do what I want, so nyer!  Seriously though, this is still a game and it's a popular game too.  I have an army somewhere but as I don't live close enough to anyone else who plays it it has been gathering dust in the loft.  Hopefully I'll move soon and the army will see the light of day again!  In the mean time, I have the Ork Codex and new rulebook to peruse.

ZOMG!  It's a box!!

This was the box I got in the post.  I removed the UPS sticker for security reasons but it looked just like any other bland box I've received.  Certainly nothing special about it, though I was expecting what's inside so I kind of guessed what it was.

Yay!  It's the Gamers' Edition of the new Warhammer 40,000 rules!

Was not dissapointed!  Inside the box is the Gamers' Edition of the Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition rule book.  What a mouthful of wonderful words.  On top is the bag, on the right is my limited edition die set, and under the bag is the rulebook itself.

Never did figure out how servo-skulls fly, but fly they do.

 This is the die set.  Ten red die, six servo-skull markers, and the lasgun power pack carrying tin.  The top of the tin slides off and everything fits nicely inside.  The tin then fits into the pockets of the bag.  On the tin, which I'm not sure is easily visible is this text:

LASGUN POWER PACK

CAPACITY: 135 DISCHARGES

RANGE RATING: 19 MEGATHULE*

DEPARTMENTO MUNITORUM ISSUE

ORIGIN: ARMAGEDDON

At the bottom is the tiny writing:

*CONFIRM COMPATIBILITY WITH TECHPRIEST PRIOR TO USING THIS POWER PACK

So there's some really nice details on the tin.  This is available to buy separately from Games Workshop, but only those bought with the two limited editions of the rule book contain red die.  The regular die are white, but they still look nifty.

Chaos or Imperial?  Either way, both badges look great!

And the bag.  It's a fake leather material which is this lovely brown colour.  The strap is a thick canvas with a buckle to adjust the length.  The big hole is where the toggle to close it goes through.  Above that is two small holes for attaching the badges, the one on the left being the Chaos star and the one on the left being the Imperial Aquila.  I've not yet worked out how to put them on properly though but I do like that there is the option.  I'm an Ork player so I would have preferred an Ork badge, but Chaos is good too.  Bah, Space Marines! *hock*spit*

Ammunition pouches, useful for carrying ammunition, or something.

Under the flap are the three pouches.  These are useful for putting the power pack tin of die or the psychic power cards or anything else that might be useful.  Inside is a main compartment for the rule book and there's a smaller one which can be used for a Codex or any errata sheets or army lists.

Departmento Munitorum, eh?  From Cadia, eh?  Never been there myself, but I hear it's nice this time of year.

On the back of the bag is this messages stamped into the material.  I didn't notice it at first but it's another nice little detail that really makes this special.  It reads:

OFFICER SIGNAL SATCHEL

DEPARTMENTO MUNITORIUM

ORIGIN: CADIA
PATTERN: DELTA
MARK: P3C

It's only a little thing in that it could have been left blank, but I really like that it's there.

These are rules you cannot break! (That's called cheating)

And finally, the rule book.  Gorgeous art outside and in, this is the core of the Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition game.  Not only does it contain art but it also has highly detailed photographs to help illustrate rules, show off big battle scenes, and provide examples of models and how to paint them.

Overall, this is a really nice edition.  Not quite as fancy as the more expensive edition which came with a lot more, but it's certainly very good.  The bag is well made and it's the kind of thing I'd actually use on a day to day basis, or would if I actually left the house.  I'm very pleased with the whole thing and I look forward to kicking some butt with the new rules.

Hope you liked this unboxing.  I know it's not a video game, but it's still awesome, right?

Rachel Unboxes: The Witcher 2 (360)

This is the unboxing of the XBox 360 version of The Witcher 2.  For the PC version see the last entry.

My copy arrived late in the afternoon and I imediately took it to my room to unbox it.  To my surprise, I found this delightful, if a bit too big, tshirt inside.  It features a side profile of Geralt's pendant and it looks awesome.

I think it was a preorder bonus or something, but it was still unexpected and still awesome

The box itself, like that of the PC version, is rather large, and it features the logo in the middle.  My first thought was that it was an optical illusion of some kind, but it turns out it's just a moulder plastic insert behind a plastic window.  Still, it does look rather good.

It seems like an optical illusion, so cool

Unlike the contents of the PC version, the contents for the 360 version are in a drawer that is pulled out with the red ribbon tab.  Right on top is the art book.  As far as I can tell it's the same as the book in the PC version but with a different cover.  This one has an old feel to like, like an embossed leather tome.  I think I prefer this cover as it's a fantasy game and it wouldn't look out of place in the game world, except for maybe the full colour pages inside.

I think I prefer this cover to the one that came with the PC version

Under the book is a sticker sheet, a small box, and the regular edition of the game.

A bit blurry but there's not much to see

All in all, there's the book, the game, a bonus DVD featuring making of footage and other bonus material, the small box, and the stickers.

Everything on display

"What's in the box?" I hear you ask, like an overly emotional Brad Pitt.  Why, it's only a replica of Geralt's pendant!  From the front it looks exactly the same but from the side it's clearly flattened in comparison.  This isn't really an issue as it still looks good and still has a good weight to it.  The chain doesn't have a clasp but it is long enough to fit over most heads.

The regular edition of the game has the same map as the PC edition but the quest guide has been updated to include the extra quests that came with it.

A good sized map and expanded quest guide accompany the Enhanced Edition

Unfortunately, this too appears to have sold out everywhere, but the ordinary editions of the game are still readily available.  During the development of the 360 version, CD Projekt Red made a number of changes and added some content to the game.  The most obvious thing is the presence of a tutorial that wasn't in the original PC version.  The 360 version was called the 'Enhanced Edition' and it was made available for PC players as well.  What's good is that if you already have the PC version you'll get the Enhanced Edition update for free.  They did the same thing with The Witcher and it's what I really like about them.

Rachel Unboxes: The Witcher 2 (PC)

This will be the first of two Witcher 2 posts as it got two amazing limited edition.  This one will be the PC version with the 360 version coming next week.

First, the box itself.  It's a rather large and sturdy box featuring the game logo on the left.  It's a highly detailed image of a stylised wolf's head that the main character, Geralt wears as a pendant.

The outside of the huge Witcher 2 box

Inside the box is the sticker sheet, the papercraft sheets, and promo codes.

Everything all packed up neatly

Some nice Witcher 2 stickers

Papercraft, because only crazy people don't like papercraft

Under that is the georgously illustrated art book which features the title of the game superimposed over the mouth of some manner of beast.  Inside the book is a whole host of pictures including concept art and character art for the different outfits.

The gorgeous cover of a book full of gorgeous art

Several of the complete outfits available for Geralt to wear throughout the game

Under the book is the bust of Geralt which shows off his scars and his amazing hair.  This is where the game itself is found.

The bust was bigger than I expected, highly detailed too

Under the game box is the last of the extras.  A pack of playing cards, a rule book for playing different card games, and a bag of die with the game logo containing die identical to those used in the game.

Everything you need to gamble Witcher 2 style

And yet there's still more!  Inside the game box is the game, a map, a note about a beast, a 'cursed' coin, the game manual, a quest guide, and some more papercraft.

The contents of the regular edition

All in all, that's a whole lot of stuff   How much it cost is a bit moot as it was a limited edition and has all sold out now, but it was excellent value for money.

Rachel Unboxes: Gears of War 3 Limited Edition

Gears of War 3 is the last part of the Gears of War trilogy and the Limited Edition is pretty amazing.  Not only is the box chunky and substantial but it contains a lot of stuff too.  Even like this it looks great with the Octus medal in full view.  Take off the outer box and it still looks good.

This is a replica of the Octus medal presentation case that appears in Marcus' room at the beginning of the game.  It looks great in back and silver.  Simple yet effective and stylish.

 

The medal itself is surprisingly weighty and has a solid feel to it.  I was half expecting it to feel cheap and flimsy but it doesn't.  It feels as good as it looks, and I happen to think it looks really good.  Additionally, on the back of the medal is a DLC code for the Adam Fenix character to use in multiplayer (though I prefer to play as Baird because Baird is yummy).

Open the box and you'll see the game case.  It looks almost the same as the data disk that's in the game.  I won't say what's on it but it's important to the game.  It's a nice touch that this resembles that data disk.

Under the game case is the Octus flag which wraps and protects the rest of the content.

 The personal effects of Adam Fenix include the Hammer of Dawn schematics, his Last Will and Testament, two photos, a letter to Marcus, and the Octus medal certificate.  They're interesting more than anything but it's nice to see what the Hammer of Dawn looks like and hold things that are mentioned in the game.

Inside the game box is the manual, some Omen stickers, and a DLC card for two free days of XBL Gold.  Not very exciting but worth mentioning all the same.

What is exciting is that it might still be possible to get this if you look hard enough or are willing to spend a little extra for it.  Game do still have the Epic Edition which contains all this and the statue of Marcus Fenix but it's a lot more at nearly £70.  For me, as I'm not really interested in the statue, it's not worth it, but I definitely think the Limited Edition is great value for money.