Looking Ahead in 2014

2014 will hopefully be another awesome year for geeks and for blogging. Here is a list of various things that I look forward to in coming year, however it will not feature the movies that are coming out next year because that is another post entirely. These picks are things that I am looking forward to like television, news on 2015 movies, video games, and other things in general that I am excited about. Also the list is in no particular order.

Star Wars: Episode VII News and Teaser Trailer

Without a doubt, any news regarding Star Wars: Episode VII is the thing that I most excited for in 2014. Eventually, Abrams and crew have to cast the movie at some point. The waiting for more details is getting absurd! At least we know that the movie will be released in December of 2015.

Sherlock Season 3

After almost two years of waiting and Sherlock season three is almost here! If you live in the UK, you have probably already seen the first episode, but we Americans still have to wait a little while longer. Even though I have tried to avoid as many spoilers as possible, I but I really hope that something that happened in season two is explained in detail in the first episode.

The New Doctor

Matt Smith's brilliant run as the Doctor has come to a close, however Peter Capaldi looks as though he will do an excellent job in the role. Hopefully he will have the right amount of seriousness and humor, and let's hope the writing for the next season make more sense. Too bad we have to until the fall season before we get more Doctor Who. Also, look for an entire post about what I want to see in the next season of Doctor Who.

Coulson's Secret on Agents of SHIELD

After an unexpected twist in the Agents of SHIELD mid-season finale, we might actually discover how Coulson survived his encounter with the "Asgardian Mussolini." Considering that Centipede wants him, it would seem likely that he is not an LMD (robot) as we have previous speculated. Maybe he was brought back partially with science and partially with magic. 

The Walking Dead Returns

After becoming a fan of the Walking Dead television series last year, I am eagerly awaiting the second half of season four. Most likely, I will try and review each episode as it airs similarly to how I review Agents of SHIELD weekly. Hopefully there will be enough people interested to make the reviews worth writing.

Attack on Titan's English Dub

Before any sub fans go ballistic and start screaming that I should just watch the sub, I have a very good reasoning behind waiting. My brother is not a fan of anime at all. I have tried to get him to watch Sword Art Online, which he liked for a short time and then stopped watching, but Attack on Titan seems like the type of series that we will both enjoy, and he will only watch dubs. Other than that reason, Funimation almost always makes excellent dubs, and considering that Attack on Titan is the most popular modern anime right now, I doubt that they will deliver something low quality.

Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer

With Avengers: Age of Ultron being released in the summer of next year, one would think a trailer, or at least a teaser, will be released before the year's end. In all likelihood, a teaser could be attached in front of Guardians of the Galaxy. Aside from Star Wars: Episode VII, Age of Ultron is easily my most anticipated film of next year.

Halo 5 and the Xbox One

With the recent release of the next generation of consoles, Halo 5 was announced, which makes me excited to see what happens next in the series. Other than Mass Effect, the Halo series is my favorite video game franchise, and considering the ending of Halo 4, I have to know what happens next in the story. Additionally, I am hoping for a slight price cut of the absurdly overpriced Xbox One during the Holiday season later this year, which is when I will most likely buy the console.

Man of Steel/Batman vs. Superman Trailer

Since the announcement that Wonder Woman will make appearance in the Man of Steel sequel, aka "Half-a**ed Attempt at a Justice League Movie," my expectations for the movie, whatever it will be named, are uncertain. In the near future, I hope to have a full post discussing the future of the DC cinematic universe and how poorly Warner Brothers and DC are handling it at this point. Despite this, let's hope that the trailer will suppress our doubts when it is released later next year.

Mass Effect 4 News

Despite the infamous ending of Mass Effect 3, I still love the franchise and it is my all-time video game franchise. A few images of Mass Effect 4 have been released and they suggest a possible prequel, which would seem like the best idea considering what happened at the end of Mass Effect 3. According to sources, news on the game is likely to be released in the coming months.

What are you looking forward to the most in 2014? Please comment below and let me know. Also please check back tomorrow for a special Sherlock surprise.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Mass Effect Review.

Thoughts: Mass Effect is a science fiction video game franchise and one of the best sci-fi stories ever told. While it may seem like a bold claim, the Mass Effect trilogy is my favorite video game series and one of best experiences I have ever had with a work of fiction. Also it is available on PC if you do not own a gaming console. Since most readers are not gamers, I will explain how the Mass Effect games work. Think of it a "choose your own adventure" book combined with a movie, because you, the player, get to choose how the story progresses according to your actions. Most of the choices are done through the dialogue choices of your character, who you create. The main character, Commander (insert name) Shepard, is customizable, meaning that you decide the gender, class, and overall look of the character. Tomorrow in the next episode of the podcast, Jordan and I will further discuss the Mass Effect series.
One of the many things that make Mass Effect truly great are the characters, specifically your crew on the Normandy (your ship). You get to interact with the characters almost as if they are real people and some characters are "romance-able," meaning you cam form a romantic relationship with another member of your crew, which will carry on into the next game and alter the experience. For example, there is point where you can only save one of crew members and the other must die, and whichever character you choose to save will be in the next two games and you will never see the other character again. While half of the game is making dialogue choices, the other half is the combat, which is fun because you can upgrade your character to fit your gaming preference. For those more interested in the story than the combat, you can lower the difficulty to an easier mode, which I recommend for those new to RPGs (Role-playing-games).


Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3,
Release Date: November 20, 2007
ESRB rating: M



The Good: Best video game story ever, Film quality voice cast, Unique dialogue system, Loveable characters, Well executed romance options, Tough choices, Long lasting appeal, Your decisions matter, Original sci-fi universe, Unforgettable experience, Tons of side quests, Replay value, Many choices, Great villain, Superb soundtrack, Decisions effect the sequels,

The Bad: Dated game play,

Warning: Mass Effect is rated "M" for mature content including mild profanity, violence, brief and optional sexual content. Basically, it is equivalent to a PG-13 movie.




Plot: 10/10- Mass Effect is the first chapter in one of the best fictional experiences ever created. Because the player has the decision to direct your character's actions, it offers an experience that no other form of media can offer. The characters are well developed, providing you explore their backstories and talk to them, which is optional. While the romance in the later games are better developed, Mass Effect 1 serves as a good starting point and the choices you make in that respect are important to what happens in the next game.

Gameplay: 8.1/10- Gameplay is the only slightly weak aspect of Mass Effect because the vehicle missions are somewhat awkward to control, unless you have are playing the PC version, which is said to  be much better. The third-person-shooter controls can be slightly odd because of the RPG elements blended with the shooting aspect. However, combining both the RPG turn-based type game and the shooting part created something entirely unique that requires both strategy and fast react time.

Graphics: 8.9/10- For a game that is six years old, the graphics holdup surprisingly well. The character models still look very realistic, even by today's standards, particularly the default Shepard. The atmosphere and design for the alien species are stunning and original, one of the best and most unique science fiction universes to date.

Voice Acting: 10/10- Until Mass Effect's sequels, this had the best voice acting in a game period. There are so many dialogue options; it is mind boggling! Both male and female Shepard are voiced in full and so are all of the characters, even aliens; they have a ton of well acted dialogue. Liz Sroka gives a standout performance as the always loveable Tali'Zorah. Also Seth Green, creator of Robot Chicken, is absolutely hilarious as the pilot of the Normandy, Joker. There is not a weak performance among the cast and they get even better as the series continues.

Sound Design/Score: 9.9/10- Jack Wall's score perfectly compliments the game. Many of the themes are memorable, particularly the "Love" and "Spectre" themes.

Humor: 7.8/10- Although Mass Effect is far from a comedy game, there is a good amount of humor, mostly from the pilot Joker, voiced by Seth Green.

Lasting Appeal: 10/10- On my first play through I spent roughly 30+ hours and about 17+ hours on my second time through. It will surely be a game that I will play through again and again trying all the different possibilities.

Overall: 9.8/10- Despite Mass Effect's age, the game is an absolute must play for science fiction fans or RPG fans.

Closing comments: Even non-gamers should consider playing Mass Effect because few forms of media gives you such a unique and complete experience.

Recommended for: Sci-Fi fans, RPG fans,

Click here to buy the entire trilogy on Xbox, PS3, or PC for only $30-$40 dollars!


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If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.