Nerd News | Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer

I didn't play video games growing up. In part because my parents never bought me a console*, and in part because I really wasn't all that interested. Even in college, when I had more access to video games in the dorms, I played on occasion, but nothing really held my attention for long. When the Mister and I moved in together, we eventually accumulated both an XBox 360 and a PS3. Even then, nothing really spoke to me.

Until, that is, I found Mass Effect. And Mass Effect 2. And Mass Effect 3.

The Mass Effect series is the first series I've ever beaten, and it holds a special place in my heart. (The main spaceship from the series, the Normandy, is even featured in my tattoo.) Therefore, the ending of Mass Effect 3 was bittersweet—and no, I'm not referring to the discontent with the actual content of the ending—I wanted to be able to continue playing in the ME 'verse forever.

When I heard that there would be another game released "at some point," I immediately got excited. And that game was officially announced yesterday at E3:

via @masseffect

I'm so excited. I just hope the game continues to be as awesome as the others, and gives me another opportunity to play a kickass female character like Commander Shepard**.

*No, they weren't the worst parents ever. Just particular about my entertainment, I suppose.
**Sure, Commander Shepard could also be a dude, but I never played the character as one, so I think of her as a female.

Haiku Revieu | Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road
★★★★1/2

Max is a bit nuts
Furiosa's a badass
What a lovely day

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In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two rebels just might be able to restore order: Max, a man of action and of few words, and Furiosa, a woman of action who is looking to make it back to her childhood homeland.

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WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.

You might have heard of this movie? It's a little, arty film featuring some up-and-coming actors—and who am I kidding? I can't keep this joke going. If you haven't heard of Mad Max: Fury Road, I have to ask what rock you've been living under.

I'm not quite sure if Fury Road is supposed to be a remake, a reboot, or just a continuation of the franchise that started back in 1979 (with Mel Gibson as Max) with a new leading man. Regardless, the movie fits perfectly in the world created in that first movie, and the subsequent sequels The Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome, and jacks the intensity up to 11.

There's much to like about this movie: The strong female characters, particularly Charlize Theron's Furiosa, the true partnership between Tom Hardy's Max and Furiosa (rather than it being some forced romantic thing). The balls-to-the-wall crazy of Immortan Joe and his War Boys, particularly Nicholas Hoult's Nux. The amazing chase scenes and the RIDICULOUS vehicles they all drive. It's all a whole lot of fun.

I do have a nit to pick, however. It's obvious that 3D effects were added to the movie post-production. I am not a fan of this sort of 3D, and the occasional scene in which things were added for 3D's sake (objects jutting toward the screen, etc.) was annoyingly distracting. They took me out of the movie, which I really dislike.

Even if you've never seen the first three Mad Max movies, if you're a fan of action, badass ladies, and men who'll stand up for what's right, I'd definitely recommend this one.

Check it out:

June has arrived

The 2015 Man Calendar:

Mr. June: Chris Evans
Mr. May: Henry Cavill
Mr. April: Michael Fassbender
Mr. March: Jensen Ackles
Mr. February: Tom Hiddleston
Mr. January: Eoin Macken

Download this page of the 2015 Man Calendar for personal use by clicking on the image; it will open in a new window. Right/control click to save it. Then print the page on letter-size cardstock, and trim it to 6"x9".