Tag: games

The Last Of Us – Review

Being a blogger who loves reviewing TV shows, I felt that it was time to look back on the series I just finished. To do a proper ‘The Last of Us’ review I need a whole blogpost as it is quite complicated. Hopefully I can take a balanced look at a series that has got the world talking.

This shell reminded me of the worn out buildings in The Last Of Us.

Not really being a person who plays computer games, I hadn’t heard of this title before. However, when I started seeing trailers involving Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, both of whom were in Games of Thrones, it piqued my interest.

What’s ‘The Last Of Us’ All About?

Well…. it is hard to know where to start. In the first episode we were introduced to Joel (Pedro) and his daughter and they seemed to be living a normal life. Little did they know a kind of apocalypse was just around the corner.

In a one hour and twenty-one minute pilot episode, they took us on a rollercoaster ride from normality to chaos. Joel was forced to run away from some seriously creepy people who had been infected by a fatal fungus. He came across Ellie (Bella) who had survived being bitten by an infected. She then joined him on a journey of discovery, awkwardness and danger.

With military forces penning communities into quarantine zones (QDs) and countless infected everywhere, life became challenging. Joel and Ellie had already both suffered losses and the story led to several more acquaintances dying. A bitter-sweet relationship between the two of them led the narrative forward, unflinching.

Positive Points

– The lead actors were believable in their roles and had great chemistry. Bella was convincing as a lost looking teenager, swept up by a journey full of hazards. Pedro finally took his Mandolurian helmet off and was a mix of heroic and vulnerable.

– Each episode had guest actors (like Melanie Lynskey) who played important parts in carrying the story forward. Apart from a couple of characters, most only showed up in one episode each. A sweet episode where Ellie was exploring an empty shopping centre was particularly memorable.

– There is a lovely LBGTQ storyline where a man locked himself into a gated village and met another guy who he fell for. They had been friends of Joel and so he was taking Ellie to see them. Watching the backstory of protecting the village and their romance blossoming was sweet.

– I was reluctant to watch The Last Of Us as I knew nothing of the computer game. However, I’m glad that I began to watch as it was addictive and brilliant.

Downside

– There were a couple of scenes which were overindulgent and could have been much shorter. Sometimes the script wallowed a bit in conversations which didn’t push the story forward.

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Final Thoughts

I genuinely fell in love with this exciting narrative which focused on just two characters, played by excellent actors. One minute I was laughing at Ellie reading puns from the book she had managed to save and carry with them. The next my heart was jumping due to some pretty scary infected zombies.

Admittedly, some episodes were better than others but it really made me think. What if an incurable disease took hold and spread throughout the world? What if infected people hid the fact they had it until it was too late? How would we adapt, given our reliance on fuel and imported food?

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read my The Last Of Us review. Check out my recent Scream VI review for another exhilarating viewing choice.

Why Business Sim Games Are Fun To Play

Collaborative post about money-related online Sim games.

I have mentioned before how much I love playing online games. They can be very entertaining and useful, especially when filling time, waiting for meetings or travelling from one place to another. If these games can reflect the real world, then that is even better. You may even learn something while playing them.

Money-related games

Imagine being able to play Sim games that are based on real life. Games that simulate financial things such as making investments and making decisions about trading. For me, these kinds of games are more interesting and relevant than racing games or wrestling simulations. My best friend would disagree. For him, you can’t beat an hour of Wrestlemania.

This article is my way of saying that business simulations can be just as fun, but while also being educational.

A Few Examples

I have become fond of a game which relates to trading stocks and shares (something which I do regularly, but not always well). Stocks is a game where you have to click to buy and sell your stocks as they rise and fall in value. It is quite fast and you have to be a rapid clicker to stand any chance of making money (not real money obviously – this is a game after all).

A screenshot from the Stocks game.

Housing Market Game

Real Estate Tycoon is also a lot of fun. I have been trying to get my head around this one which involves buying and selling houses as they increase and decrease in value. As each property is built, a green speech bubble appears showing the value go up or down. You have to make quick decisions about when to sell and the resulting profit or loss shows up in the top score bar.

A screenshot from Real Estate Tycoon

Entertaining but cost-free

There are so many games to choose from which are related to money and finance. If you enjoy activities which make you really think and make quick decisions, then these particular games will easily satisfy your needs. For me, they scratch an itch. The best thing about them is that they are free and you don’t lose any real money if you make the wrong decisions.

A lot of computer games do cost money these days. Even if they are free to begin with, you soon end up buying credits to progress further through modern online games. That is why I happily recommend free business Sim games, as they are easily accessible and you won’t be persuaded to pay for credits later on.

Final Thoughts

The idea of playing online games to pass time may be commonplace these days. However, having the chance to practise life skills while playing Sim games may be new to you. I learned about these types of games through blogging and previously wrote about them but this time I have focused on ones which I find most fun and relevant (especially for me, as a person obsessed with stocks and shares).

Thank you for reading my article about online games. Which do you prefer to play? If you are also looking for TV suggestions, check out Two TV Shows Worth Watching. Please drop a comment and consider following my blog for future similar content.

Chilling Out With Online Games

Collaborative post (AD)- All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Online games can be light relief.

Since I was a kid, I have loved playing games. From card games to board games, I was always happy to compete with someone or with a computer rival. In fact, computer games were still kind of new in the 80s so we used to have to wait ten minutes for them to load from what looked like a tape cassette player. The anticipation was always worth it though. The only disappointment came when the long awaited game was chewed up by the old fashioned cassette player. I could only dream of such things as online games.

Online Free Games

These days, I use a variety of apps and online free games to entertain myself when I just need a break from concentrating on my work. Modern technology means that I can load up a new game in seconds and there is no delay.

One such game that is becoming very popular online involves guessing a word every day. Wordle provides five blank spaces which need filling with letters. If those letters are correct but in the wrong place they turn yellow and if they are in the right place they go green. You basically get six guesses at finding the word. This is the kind of thing I do when I want to wake up my brain and it is very popular with my students too.

Another way to access plenty of free online games is by visiting plays.org which is an advert-free site that has loads of traditional and new games to choose from. One of my favourites there is Battleship, where you can play against the computer and try to destroy its ships. This game has always been popular with my family and so having an online version brings back happy memories for me.

I find it really easy to set out where I want to hide my warships and then love to use my logic to locate those pesky enemy vessels before my opponent finds mine. The game is quick to play and ideal for when I am waiting around for a meeting or just sat on a train, filling time.

This site also has educational games and is increasing its offering every week. A new favourite of mine is Dominoes Battle, for instance, where I have to match the end of my domino with the opponent. The idea is to be the first to use all of your dominoes but obviously there are times when you have to skip a go, due to not having the right numbers on your dominoes. I used to play this game with real dominoes whilst growing up and absolutely love it when I am feeling bored and need a quick fix of fun.

How do games reduce stress?

In my opinion solo games are really good for reducing stress levels as they allow you to be distracted from your everyday problems for a moment. As long as you manage your time well and don’t neglect your work, spending up to an hour a day playing a game online can be beneficial. For me, it is relaxing and if I have been feeling pressured, I usually feel much more chilled out by the end of a gaming session.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article about how playing games can make you feel more chilled out. If you enjoyed the article please drop a comment below and consider following my blog for similar articles in future. If you would rather chill by another means, you might find Read, Watch, Listen handy as it recommends a good book, TV show and podcast.