Author: Steve Murray

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Murdered: Soul Suspect Review: Cold Case

murdered-soul-suspect-headerWhen there’s a game that I’m interested in reviewing, I reach out to the public relations officers at the publisher of the game (or their contracted PR firm) to see if I can get a copy for review. More often than not, I don’t get a copy of the game. Usually, I can wait for a sale and pick up a copy to play it through but usually that’s not for several months that it gets down to a price within my budget.

In the case of Murdered: Soul Suspect, I was figuring that Steam’s Holiday or a spring sale would bring it down to a price where I would buy it. Then I got it for $15 from the Humble Store in early August. Two months after the game was released, I’m already getting it for some 70% off. While I know it was a big enough flop to force developer Airtight Games out of business, it couldn’t be that bad, could it?

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Dropping the Ball

yara-khmidan-beachbunny14-14It’s been a while since I’ve done a sports focused linkdump. Over the last couple of years, we’ve kind of transitioned from being a sports and pop culture blog to a pop culture and sports website. Okay, it’s almost the same thing but we’re doing more video game and entertainment posts than sports posts. It’s nice to go back to our roots every now and then.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that we’re starting off the links with a picture of a woman because Google Image Search is still the best friend of this blog. Here’s Yara Khmidan.

Not surprisingly, while Rob Ford was in rehab, the Toronto Police were looking to see if the crack videos could form the basis of criminal charges against the Mayor. (The Globe and Mail)

With the Conservative Speaker of the House of Commons seemingly playing favourites to help his party, it’s time for him to resign and let someone competent take the role. (The Chronicle Herald)

You see, Forbes, when you’re a respected publication and you hand over your website to anyone looking to make a quick buck by democratizing writing as if it’s bloody WordPress, stuff like this happens. A community contributor wrote a piece called “Drunk Female Guests Are the Gravest Threat To Fraternities.” It went over quite well. (New York Daily News)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Entertainment

Doctor Who: Time Heist Review

doctor-who-time-heist-headerIf there’s anyway to describe the first few episodes of Peter Capaldi’s run at the helm of the TARDIS, it might be that he’s getting a lot of the standard Doctor Who adventures out of the way. There’s the Dalek adventure. He’s done the adventure with a historical figure. There’s the horror episode. This week, it was timey-wimey genre bending.

The Doctor and Clara were tasked with robbing the most secure bank in the universe. However, this wasn’t the standard bank robbery caper. Of course not. This is Doctor Who.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

The Walking Dead: Season Two Review: Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

the-walking-dead-season-two-bannerTelltale Games had a bit of an up-and-down reputation prior to the release of The Walking Dead. That game completely changed the way that most thought of Telltale and many critics felt that they set the bar for storytelling in games. After the numerous game of the year awards for TWD and a critically acclaimed launch for The Wolf Among Us, Telltale’s second comic book adaptation, The Walking Dead: Season Two was one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2014.

The problem with a game with all that hype is that it occasionally bogs down under the weight. The problem with a sequel is that they struggle to balance the needs of new gamers to the franchise with the desires of people continuing the story. There were times when TWD:S2 caved to these pressures as Telltale tried very hard to copy what made Season One so loved but missing the emotional mark that Season One hit. However, once Season Two came into its own, Telltale had put out another stellar experience.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Who Do You Trust?

A little bit of science and a little bit of actual observation allows you to reach a valuable conclusion: Is there anybody in the world that we can really trust? Sure, there are a few people that we can rely on but the people we really need like government and elected officials? Sometimes I’m not so sure. Some of today’s links don’t fill me with much optimism.

And on that semi-depressing note, it’s Wednesday so let’s do the links. Here’s Jessica Chastain.

Canadian workers are facing the toughest economic circumstances and least worker-sympathetic government since the 1930s. (Counterpunch)

Not happy with that characterization of the government? How about calling them an anti-democracy government? They aren’t answering the Opposition’s questions in the House of Commons and the Conservative speaker doesn’t care. (MacLean’s)

We might disagree about the cause of global warming but the facts are that the world is getting warming. For example, this past August was the hottest on record. (American Geophysical Union)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Humour

Facebook Fails of the Week

Every so often, we look at the most spectacular fails that the internet has to offer. Well today, we have a special look at the most spectacular fails that Facebook has to offer. This week, we have ten of the best Grandmaster Flash tagging fails Facebook has to offer.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Sports

F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Stop. Spanner Time.

Just when you thought that none of the luck at Mercedes was going Lewis Hamilton’s way, his championship chances got a massive boost in Singapore. When the cars formed up on the grid, it looked like it was going to be another week of Hamilton slowly chipping away at Nico Rosberg’s championship lead. Instead, Rosberg suffered a massive failure before the formation lap. That handed the win and the championship lead to Hamilton.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Make Us Whole

hannah-ferguson-galore14-01How important is the NFL to the cultural fabric of America? Something like thirteen channels were covering Roger Goodell’s press conference which went on at the same time as President Obama. The guy is leading the country isn’t as important as the guy leading the country’s leading sports league. Maybe that’s an illustration of the start of their problems…

Anyway, it’s Sunday morning which means that we’re doing the links. Let’s start with Hannah Ferguson in cheerleading garb which is ever so appropriate.

There was some concern that Quebec separatists would be bolstered by the strength of the Yes campaign in Scotland. However, the strength of the separation movement in Quebec might be the weakest that it’s been in 40 years. (The Globe and Mail)

With the Scottish Referendum done, the work isn’t finished for those in the British Parliament supporting the no side. They still have to come through on their promises. Failing to do so could start another independence campaign some years down the road. (MacLean’s)

“The days when old men get to decide what a woman does with her body are long gone.” Oh, Justin Trudeau… When will you stop trying to court me? I’m already in your corner. (CBC News)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Entertainment

Doctor Who: Listen Review

doctor-who-listen-headerSteven Moffat has two tricks that he really likes to use when writing episodes. The first is creating and/or solving problems through wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey time paradoxes. I’ve lost count of the number of times that we’ve seen that. The second is trying to scare little children of everyday things. We’ve done statues, shadows and this week, we’re supposed to be scared of being alone in the dark.

Moffat decided to hybrid timey-wimey with everyday horror in Listen. In many ways, it’s a spiritual successor to Blink, the first time we met the Weeping Angels. Maybe it was a bit too familiar, though.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Sports

F1 Power Rankings: Singapore Grand Prix

Formula One has left Europe for the final time this season as we embark on a six-race flyaway portion of the calendar to conclude the season. A six-race flyaway swing that’s worth seven races worth of points but six races nonetheless.

The important question over the next couple of races is whether Lewis Hamilton has gotten out of his own head enough to win the Championship. Pressuring Nico Rosberg into a mistake in Monza was a win in itself. Now that he has momentum, the pressure is on Rosberg to capitalize on his street circuit strength this weekend in Singapore. We’re closing with some strong Hamilton circuits so Nico has to capitalize on every opportunity he has.

Continue reading →