Me. Being bitten. Uni is awesome!It's been almost a month since my last blog post, when I proudly stated that I was officially "back on the Bomb". Being at Uni, however, I have a lot of other stuff to be getting on with. There are assignments to be written, pints to be consumed, and a girl who's both captivated and annoyed me. Still, despite all these hold-ups, this is (from a literal standpoint at least) very true. I've been checking in on Giant Bomb pretty much daily to read the latest editorial content, check out the advancements made on some of the Wiki pages and pick up the latest instalments of the best blog on the Bomb. I've read all the awesome reviews (as well as the not-so-awesome ones), seen all the quality videos and listened to all the Bombcasts. In that respect, it's like I've never been away.

So I am definitely back on the Bomb, there's no doubt about that. What I've failed to do, though, is to get back in the Bomb. Reading all the reviews and features is all well and good, but I haven't re-integrated myself into the excellent Giant Bomb community. After five weeks away from the goings-on of the forums and the IRC, I have no idea what I've missed. Was there a massive user rebellion against the mods? Have I missed any golden Godhand moments? Is SuperMooseman still watching The Real Hustle? It's pretty upsetting that I don't know the answers to any of these questions (although it's probably safe to assume that Moose is still watching The Real Hustle). So I've developed a plan. I'm going to devote around an hour of each evening to re-establishing myself within this brilliant online community. I'm going to get back in the IRC, make myself known again on the forums, make some much-needed Wiki edits and catch up with all those unheard episodes of BSHAF clogging up my iTunes. In summary, expect to see a bit more of me from now on.

Thank you for listening and making it betterIn terms of games, I haven't really played a lot since I've been here. There are a couple of gamers in the flat, which is nice because it means I have people to talk to about what's going on in the gaming world. There are a few casual players too, which is cool. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, four of the girls in my flat bundled into my room to play the original Crash Bandicoot, which was a great laugh (plus it means I get to tell people I had four girls in my room the other night). Personally, I've been getting to grips with the 360 version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 and I'm already much more impressed by it than I was by last year's effort. Naturally, it has some issues (the computer-assisted pressing feels broken, to name but one), but on the whole it's a big leap forward for the next-gen iterations of the franchise. I'm particularly impressed by the off-the-ball movement of players, which was definitely lacking in PES 2008. Aesthetically it's a major improvement, with some sweet looking players and stadia, a much nicer menu system and a distinct lack of God-awful J-Pop in the soundtrack.

I've also had a little look at Saints Row 2, which one of my flatmates bought last week. I really enjoyed Grand Theft Auto IV and the emphasis it placed on story, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the excess and craziness of Vice City and San Andreas. Now that it's been established that both franchises are going in very different directions, it seems a lot more viable to check out the alternative. Unfortunately, I can't afford the new game on my ridiculously limited student budget, so I've ordered myself a cheap copy of the original Saints Row to check it out.

I think that about sums it up. Thanks for reading. I hope to see you guys around on the IRC soon.


DanK

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Currently Playing - Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (X360)