Hobbies, Family, & Geekery from a Stay-at-Home Dad
Guys. I unboxed Kingdom Hearts III. Let that sink in. I know, I know, it’s been out for nearly a month. It’s not my fault I’ve been busy and haven’t been able to post this. But that’s not the point! The point is, KH3 is …Read More….
Whoa it’s been a long time since I did one of these! Last one was waaaaaaaay back in 2014!! Can’t believe it’s been that long. You should check out that link. If you follow gaming, it should be a nice trip down memory lane. As …Read More….
Hi, I’m Los. And I’m a Limited Edition-aholic. For some reason, no matter what sense enters my head, I seem to gravitate towards these boxes of junk you don’t really need.
But this one is totally justified though, I swear! See, the expansion pass is worth $35 by itself. If you’re buying the expansion pass (which, I KNEW I would be eventually if I didn’t get it at launch) then this $99 edition was worth the purchase. I mean, look at that steelbook!
Honestly, I’m glad for that steelbook because the actual Cabal themed box was pretty disappointing. You can tell in the video it’s very.. uh.. boxy and not worth a second look. Previous Destiny LE’s had awesome books that felt worn and weathered.
The book inside the box, however, is a good read and worth having in your collection if you’re a Destiny fan. Despite it not having the presentation of other LE books from the game.
When it comes to Destiny, it’s a very love-hate relationship with me. I absolutely adore the game. I bought the Ghost Edition when Destiny first released, and the Limited Edition for Taken King. I’m no stranger to plopping down money for Destiny and do it happily. But when I’m burnt out from it like I was for a long time, I don’t care to hear anything about it.
Still though, I managed to pre-order the Limited Edition, despite not really wanting to. That meh feeling turned out to be pretty strong because I cancelled that pre-order a few weeks before launch! ….. only to go on a mad hunt for it on launch day because the hype got me hard. And I’m glad it did because so far I’m feeling the hook in me. I can’t wait to continue playing and getting into it like I did before.
Enjoy the game, Guardians!
That’s right! I’m posting on the blog! Better play lotto or somethin’, because hot damn, this isn’t normal! I used to do this sort of thing a lot, you know? Unboxing collector’s editions, taking pictures, talking about art books and mandolls like a nerd. But …Read More….
No Man’s Sky!! So crazy, that we could now happily go out, buy it, and venture into this vast universe that we’ve longed for so.. long.. As always, I took some pictures because, hey, someone has to be a super ultra dork around here. Might …Read More….
The day is finally here! Uncharted 4 is now roaming free in the world and everyone is going insane! I haven’t even gotten to the second chapter yet but I’m right there with the hype.
I know, I know. Everyone is busy playing it so I’ll try to keep this brief. I just wanted to show off the contents of the Special Edition that I was lucky enough to pick up thanks to a birthday gift from the wife. And that’s the regular Special Edition, not to be confused with the Librarian Edition with the mandoll. I’m totally happy with my purchase, too. It helps I already have a Nathan Drake mandoll on my shelf, but that’s besides the point.
The Special Edition is simple. But for a game like this with the praise it’s getting, you’ll be happy with simple. The art book is half of the excitement in the package, as it should be.
I’m a huge fan of art books. I love combing through them and admiring the process of how the game came to be. Especially when it’s a game that I admire and look forward to experiencing.
The steelbook is the other half of the awesomeness. I have quite a few steelbooks in my collection but this is easily the most gorgeous.
The art is by freelance illustrator Alexander “That Kid Who Draws” Iaccarino who illustrates for NBC, Marvel, Sony and numerous other clients. The art style on the steelbook is his unique style you can find on his website there, and I’m super happy Naughty Dog got him to design it.
I was let down from the Uncharted 3 steelbook but this one blows basically every other steelbook I’ve seen or have out of the water.
Also included were stickers of the Naughty Dog logo and various pirate sigils, as well as a code for 300 Uncharted Points which I do not know anything about but know they have to do with multiplayer. Lastly, a bonus for pre-ordering from Best Buy got you a replica pirate coin!
I love little things like this even though they’re hard to display. There’s not as much weight to it as I was hoping, but there is a tad. I love how it looks so worn, and how it’s slightly fading on the back. It’s a nice little trinket to add to the contents of the Special Edition.
Overall, I’m happy with everything. Granted, of course, I didn’t pay full price for it. Discounts, certs, gift cards, they all softened the blow. But if I was paying full price for it I feel like it would’ve been justified because it’s Uncharted 4.
This has been on the wish list of many for a long long time. And finally being able to play it and hear about how amazing it is not only makes me happy I got this Special Edition, but also makes me feel bad for not getting the one with the statue.
Either way though, as long as you’re playing the game and experiencing the story, it doesn’t really matter what’s sitting on your shelf.
…..No, that’s a lie, this steelbook, man! It’s somethin’ else!
It’s been a long time since I felt inspired to write something on a whim. Usually my blogging has consisted of days of planning, editing dozens of food pictures, making sure at least 3 planets are aligned, it’s been a lot more complicated than it …Read More….
It’s a glorious time to be a Guardian, my friends! The Taken King is here and he is a little upset. He brought a ton of his friends, the massive Dreadnaught, and this sweet, sweet Collector’s Edition that we’re looking at today. Yes, we all …Read More….
It’s been a looooong time since I reviewed something from Disney Infinity. Ever since the absolute madness that was Infinity Corner over at EZ-Mode Unlocked – where I reviewed every single figure and playset that was out for 1.0 – I decided to take a break from it. It was a hard labor of love, but it was and still is glorious to look at. But here we are now! Disney Infinity 3.0! And I’m reviewing a play set that will hit shelves on September 29th.
The Rise Against the Empire play set came bundled in the Saga Bundle that I purchased when the game launched August 30th. And ever since then I’ve been slowly but steadily chipping away at the whole game. But since this play set in particular was a timed exclusive, I figured I should try and focus on it and review it for those who look to purchase when it hits shelves.
I wasn’t going to spend too much time on these, but to me, half the fun of Disney Infinity are the figures! I feel like I went into pretty good detail as to why I loved these figures in my Rise Against the Empire Play Set Unboxing post. My main appreciation for the figures is how they both perfectly captured the spirit of the their movie characters. The poses each of them have are a great representation of who they are. And even though they’re simple, if you’re a fan of the characters, you’ll love how they’re designed.
Luke and Leia are packaged with the play set. Other figures that call Rise Against the Empire home are Han Solo, Chewbacca, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader. Six iconic figures altogether! All the figures will be available on shelves on 9/29, except for Boba Fett who is a timed exclusive to the Saga Bundle and won’t be released until January 2016. If you want to check him out though, there’s a sweet unboxing post featuring Boba Fett right here! Trust me, he’s my favorite so far, so check that out. Such an amazing figure and a blast to play as.
So as long as you unlock them in game by simply finding their Champion Coin in the play set, you can use figures like Yoda and Obi-Wan, or any of the Rebels figures in Rise Against the Empire.
And what’s great is all Star Wars figures can be used in all Star Wars play sets. So as long as you unlock them in game by simply finding their hidden Champion Coin in the world, you can use figures like Yoda and Obi-Wan, or any of the Rebels figures in Rise Against the Empire. It’s a very welcomed change, being able to share figures among play sets. You get to put them all to use and you don’t feel sad for not being able to play with a favorite.
Overall, I’m exceedingly pleased with the figures so far. I cannot wait to pick up the other 3 that belong in this play set, but I’m so happy I don’t have to wait for them to have different experiences in the game. It’s the type of fun Disney Infinity as a whole is based on. Being able to take your favorite figure and just have a blast with no limits (in the toy box). With that way of playing slowly creeping out of the toy box where you’re absolutely free to do so, and making its way into play sets gives me great joy and hope for where the series is going.
The Play Set
Now if you know me, you know I don’t spoil anything when I review. So if you’re afraid of me listing off the different awesome things you encounter in all the different worlds, worry not. I’m here to mainly tell you about my experiences and what stood out to make it fun. And this play set has plenty of fun!
I know if you’re reading this, odds are you’re a fan of Star Wars. And if you’re not automatically purchasing this on day one, you’re probably looking for a thumbs up. Approval. Validation that your $35 for the play set or $65 for the starter pack is going to be worth it, or if it’s going to be just another cash in on the Star Wars money machine.
If you’re a fan of the original trilogy – which Rise Against the Empire is based on – then you’re in for a Death Star sized treat.
There’s a few exceptions, e.g. the Inside Out play set is platform driven while the Star Wars play sets are action based. But for the most part, you’re looking at the same concept and the same types of side missions and quests in every play set. The different themes and franchises are enough to mask repetitiveness, but there’s only so many times you have to bring X over to Y before you realize the similarities.
With that said, Rise Against the Empire shares the same types of side quests and missions as other play sets, but they don’t feel repetitive. They don’t feel like a chore that makes you want to hurry up and progress so you can carry on with the story. Maybe it’s thanks to the wonderful world of Star Wars? You’re in this setting that you know and love and you want to savor every Wompa kill, every Tie Fighter explosion, and every Storm Trooper popped open with your lightsaber. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I do know I was disappointed whenever I ran out of missions to do and had to continue on the main story. None of them felt like I was doing the same thing over and over which is a curse Disney Infinity play sets as a whole have dealt with since 1.0. Not to mention the laundry list of characters that you’re going to recognize as you’re playing, which I’m sure will help you love the play set even more than what you already were.
Even though everything is based off the original trilogy, it’s not a direct telling of the events that happened. I haven’t seen the original trilogy for a few years (waiting for closer to Episode VII to rewatch), but as I was playing, I noticed very easily there were certain things out of place or that simply didn’t happen. So no, you’re not getting the authentic story, so if you’re looking for that, you might be slightly disappointed. But seriously, at the end of the day, this is a game that is geared towards kids. We as the adult fanboys and girls that we are, should be counting our lucky stars that a game like this even exists for us. So what Luke, Han, and Chewy are helping Princess Leia get the droids onto an escape pod away from Darth Vader’s grasp? It’s the Disney Infinity way. The flow of the gameplay has to work with the figures that are playable. What really truly matters is we’re there to relive it, play it, and experience it either on our own or with the next generation of Star Wars geeks right beside us.
…I knew my kids were going to grow up with their own Star Wars films, experiences, and memories. A whole new generation is being exposed to this space magic for the first time, and that makes me so amazingly happy, I cannot begin to describe it.
And that’s my main draw to it. I can’t properly put into words the pure joy I feel when I boot up this game with my 5 year old next to me. And he’s as into it as I am! Ever since it was announce that Disney purchased Star Wars, I jumped for joy because I knew they were going to do right by it. I knew we were going to be seeing new movies and shows and games and Han Solo branded Pop Tarts, and Boba Fett branded coffee creamer. And most importantly, I knew my kids were going to grow up with their own Star Wars films, experiences, and memories. A whole new generation is being exposed to this space magic for the first time, and that makes me so amazingly happy, I cannot begin to describe it. Disney Infinity 3.0 was pretty much the first wave of Star Wars goodness to be launched in anticipation for The Force Awakens, and I honestly think if you’re a fan of Star Wars, or are looking to become one, then this entire game needs to be on your radar.
If you really want more substance as to why I’m so happy with this play set, then I’ll make it easy for you: The story is classic. The way it feels when you’re playing is impressive. Controls are responsive and great and most importantly, fun! You actually feel the power of the lightsaber every time you swing it, the force of the blasters every time they’re shot. And all the awesomeness goes for the space battles as well, which you get to partake in a few times throughout the play set.
For years I was hoping to get an updated Star Wars game I could enjoy with my kid because the old Lego games get stale after 100+ hours. Disney Infinity 3.0 not only gives us this great toy box to have all sorts of fun in, but it also gives us experiences like the Rise Against the Empire play set where we can relive moments and characters from these classic films. I can’ wait for The Force Awakens play set when it’s released with the film. I have no doubt it’ll be a great way to celebrate and experience the movie when it comes out. You could tell a lot of love and passion went into the making of this game and this play set. It’s up to you to pick it up and experience it.