Hobbies, Family, & Geekery from a Stay-at-Home Dad
I heard people complaining about the Samus amiibo when it was first announced. Something about it not being a very exciting pose or something. Plain and boring might have been used? I dunno, I don’t see it! It’s such a great looking figure. If you’re …Read More….
If you were lucky enough to get a pre-order in for this bad boy, then I’m sure you’re enjoying it. I’m a sucker for game soundtracks and that was the main appeal of the Special Edition for me. That was, until I saw the reversible …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….
Song of the Deep! Aren’t you excited?!? Yeah, I… what? What the heck is Song of the Deep?? It’s… it’s a game! Yeah! Ok, I know, Song of the Deep is not really on everyone’s radar, but I’ve been insanely intrigued since I first heard about it.
A quick rundown straight from the official site:
Song of the Deep is a metroidvania-style action-adventure game following a young girl’s quest into the unknown to find her missing father. Combining discovery, skill, and suspense with an unforgettable narrative, this underwater journey will challenge players to explore, experiment, and skillfully navigate a vast ocean landscape.
The whole aspect of being an underwater adventure is what lured me the most. I’m a sucker for two types of atmospheres in games: space, and underwater. The fact that it’s an Insomniac game helped it a lot too. At $15, it was easy to take a chance on it.
But… for $15 more!….. Yes, for just $30, you too…. Ok, I’ll stop now before I get carried away.
But yeah, the Collector’s Edition was only $30. And even if it’s a short game, I think for what you’re getting, it’s a pretty sweet deal. Why? I’m glad you asked!
The game itself is $15. But in the collector’s edition you’re getting.. stickers! Eh? Ehhhh?? Beat THAT deal! Stickers! AND the soundtrack to the game. Which really is awesome, because who doesn’t like soundtracks? And from what I’ve heard, the music in the game is pretty nice. On top of that, you get a sweet, sweet steelbook.
And you know me and steelbooks. C’mon, they’re my kryptonite. It’s hard to resist a sexy looking steelbook.
But all these awesome goodies are accompanied by something else: A book! MAN, I am not selling you guys on any of this, am I?!
Ok, seriously. The book was a huge reason why I wanted the collector’s edition. You can get the book separately without the CE, but this one has a special cover only found here. But the price of the book along with the game is just about the price of the collector’s edition so why the hell not? (Though the book seems to have dropped in price significantly since launch week.) The PS4 version sold out pretty quick but there was still Xbox One and PC versions as of this writing. I didn’t mind showing my Xbox some love so I went for it. And of course, judging from this post, you could see I’m happy with my decision.
Important Note: Now, I’m not sure it’s for all collector’s editions, but I don’t see why not. Turns out the code for the soundtrack – that has to be redeemed via Steam – is ALSO the code for the full game! So if you get the collector’s edition, you’re essentially getting 2 copies of the game. I really wish I would’ve known this. I would’ve had a contest for the Steam version or given it to a friend. But now I have 2 copies of the game, one of which I’ll probably never use. I know, worst things have happened. But still, I wish it would’ve been clearer.
I’m really, really excited to dive deep into the book and the game. The book sets up the game, so we need to go through that first. It’s a children’s book at its core, and that is awesome coming from a dad.
The author, Insomniac’s chief creative officer, Brian Hastings, said he wrote the book wanting to create a heroine that his daughter could look up to. From an article on Gamasutra:
“In video games in particular, the heroines have trended toward the archetype of the ‘sexy badass,’ and I’ve enjoyed playing as many of those sexy badass characters.” says Hastings. “But I wanted the hero of this game, Merryn, to be something different. I wanted her to show that you didn’t need to be either sexy or badass to be a hero.”
I only had time to read the first chapter and so far it seems like it’s setting up an intriguing story. For a children’s book, it’s getting pretty deep into the characters of Merryn and her father. I already find myself wanting to keep reading without my kid, to see how everything evolves. But he’s into it and wants to hear what happens too so that’s saying something!
Anyway, that about covers the Collector’s Edition for Song of the Deep. I haven’t touched the game yet, but so far I feel like I’m pretty invested in it. I don’t know, something about it is intriguing to me. The way the book will lead into the game, the exploration and the way the story will progress, I can’t wait! I can’t promise a review because I’m insanely lazy and already owe you guys like 5 reviews.
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 …Read More….
Unboxing time! Been a while since I’ve done this, hasn’t it? I remember posting unboxings on the old EZMU blog every other month it seemed. Anywho, let’s get to this awesomeness! Twilight Princess HD is finally among us. And so far, from the hour or …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 know I could sit here for hours and talk about Destiny and why it’s so great, but for today I’m focusing on this awesome limited edition that I picked up when the game released a few weeks ago (sorry, I’ve been playing it!). This was a GameStop exclusive CE that I actually went to a midnight launch for!
I know! That’s like way past my bedtime but I had to. I was hoping for sweet giveaways and getting a hold of the game as soon as possible so I could unbox and play a bit in the morning. My store is awesome and had a raffle and I wound up winning a sweet little pin! I’ve been collecting pins lately so it’s a great addition to my little collection.
I was lucky enough to get the Ghost Edition last year and did not regret it for a second. I knew with how happy I was with the purchase, and how much I enjoyed the game itself, I just had to pick up the collector’s edition of The Taken King. If you could tell from the unboxing above, there’s a good amount of stuff in this small package. So let’s check it out and take a closer look:
The main box is nicely detailed with the Destiny symbol on it. It’s well made and feels like a box you’d want to keep around to store stuff in.
Well. At least I would. It’s sitting on my shelf right now because why freaking not!
Opening up from the side, you’ll see the contents – the steelbook and Cayde-6’s copy of Treasure Island – along with a nice little quote.
Somewhere in the rubble of our former glory, lies the key to our survival. Or perhaps it lies within. No matter. It is yours by right. Claim it.
Looking at the steelbook, you’ll see the differences between it and last year’s steelbook. Much more detail, also, the Taken King’s symbol on the back.
I also noticed the designs on the back of each steelbook line up. Not perfectly, but some. I’m sure it’s totally nothing, but it’s nice to to imagine it’s on purpose.
Moving on, the book itself is sweet!
At first you would think it’s just a holder for the main piece we’re going to get to in a bit, but it’s about 18 or so pages of awesomely written notes and sketches by Cayde-6.
Spend some time with an Exo who’s been through it like we have and you’ll see all the tells. We got issues.
If you’re not familiar with Cayde-6, he’s a major component in The Taken King story line. Voiced by Nathan Fillion, Cayde is easily the most story driven, most cared about character in Destiny. Ever. Haha, seriously, everything they’ve done in the past with the vanilla game and the expansions doesn’t come close to Cayde and what he delivers. Likeable and entertaining, you could tell a lot of Fillion came through and it’s awesome.
I’ll get into that more when I review the game, but for now, let’s get back to the book. Cayde is telling a story. It gets pretty deep as far as back stories go. I mean, book spoiler………….. he dances around it, but he basically details how Exo used to be humans. Also talks about a love interest, things he’s done, it’s really great to sit and soak it all in. Especially if you’re a fan of the game and you’re wanting and craving more story…………… I don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to get so in depth with a character from Destiny before, and it’s awesome.
..But other voices wait. At your center, safe and untouched, sits the original you. Just a little box tucked at the back of a closet, filled with trinkets and odd notions kept for no obvious reason..
I could get into the book and how much it reveals of Cayde and his backstory it teases, but I’ll stop. Keeping on! Everything from the illustrations to the hidden codes you’ll be able to decipher (somehow) are great to look at.
All the scribbles and notes provided by Cayde-6 give him and edge over the rest of the characters in the game. Whatever you read here along with his role in the story will easily make him the star of the show.
Moving on, there’s the schematic for the exotic heavy fusion rifle named Sleeper Stimulant.
It’s a sweet looking schematic and having this as such a main focus in the CE reaffirms how much emphasis they’re putting on weapons this time around. And for good reason. The number and differences in weapons in the game make it a great focus, helping you stay engaged in the content.
The poster itself is awesome and hangable. It’s made of the same material from the star chart last year. On top of that, there’s a code on the back!
Of course, it needs to be deciphered. And that’s where the fun is! Unfortunately I haven’t had time to sit with it, but there’s obviously something there.
In the envelope, you’ll find a collection of Relics and Artifacts – a Tex Mechanica patch (manufacturer of The Last Word & The Chaperone), an Earth sticker which is going on my laptop, a picture or drawing of Saturn, and some of Cayde-6’s playing cards that he uses to categorize his stashes of loot. In case you haven’t found his secret room in one of his early missions, here’s a clip I took of where he explains how he uses the cards. There’s also a letter to you from Cayde-6 detailing how special you are for finding the book, the first breadcrumb in a path he wants you to follow. Reading it is pretty good primer for the story since he’s guiding you so much through it.
Lastly, the main draw of the Collector’s Edition, a replica Strange Coin.
The size wasn’t too surpassing, but the weight? It has some heft to it! It makes it feel really premium.
The details in the carvings are notable as well. Overall, it’s a sweet piece to have, especially if you spent hours trying to acquire enough to bargain for some exotics from Xûr.
It’s a great, memorable piece that was an awesome choice to lead you into year 2.
And that’s The Taken King Collector’s Edition! Lots of cool stuff for the Destiny fan. And honestly, as a fan, it all really is cool stuff. I don’t know if anyone knows this, but I’m a huge fan of the game! I know, hard to tell, right? But it’s true, I love it. And just like I didn’t regret the Ghost Edition, I don’t regret this one. Which is a huge deal because aside from Destiny, I’ve done nothing but regret Collector’s Editions for years. It’s just more fun Destiny goodies to appreciate and display on the shelf, and that’s awesome to have if you’re a fan.