Austin Gonzalez
OPINION EDITOR

Video games offer an amazing
media for interactive art and experience, but
often, people just scoff as they see the next
Call of Duty title take the best seller slot year
after year. Many modern First-person shooter
(FPS) games have fallen into a groove of
linear cinematized single player action with
the promise of more dynamic multiplayer
battles. “Wolfenstein: The New Order” is a
robust example of what video games, and
First/person shooters in general, can be, if
developers focus on creating a great game
and not just great profits.

An integral part of the game that
differentiates them from other media is that
the player is part of the creation. Wolfenstein
never forces the player to choose a specific
tactic. You can choose to move unnoticed
and sneak from guard to guard. Or you can go
the ridiculous route, dual wielding automatic
shotguns as your enemies fall around in
waves of crashing glory. The choice is up to
the player and it never feels like you’re being
pushed from point A to point B. In terms of

Toch[nology]Nm:

Tuesday, August 26th, 2014 | 1'06th

‘Wolfenstein' makes games fun

a bigger picture, there are points in the story
where decisions you make directly affect the
branch your path will lead down. It manages
to create agency while maintaining a relatively
linear narrative.

“Wolfenstein: The New Order” also
uses collectables and added game modes for
increased playability as you slog your way
through Futuristic Nazi guards in an alternate
timeline look for pieces of the enigma code.
Once you’ve collected 8 you can try to crack
the code to open up new game modes. Find
all the codes to unlock 4 new modes in total.
There are also scattered Easter eggs and
history notes which add to a genuine setting.

To really take advantage of this
game, use a console controller to fully enjoy
the interesting control scheme and peek
features. In the end, it is amazing fun to mow
down thousands of Nazi’s without a care in
the world. There are added modern benefits
that increase how many times you can enjoy
this game. This game harkens back to a
simpler time in FPS history where you could
just have fun and not be forced through a
movie with a controller in your hand.

OnePlus One invitation valuable

Kyle Stanevich
BUSINESS MANAGER

If you are in the know, you
might have heard of this cool new phone,
the OnePlus One. It is an amazing piece
of hardware, with a 2.5GHz Quad-core
processor, 3 GB RAM, 13 megapixel back
camera, 5 megapixel front camera, and a 5.5
inch 1080p screen. It has been dubbed the
“2014 flagship killer,” and rightly so. There is
no other phone out there right now that could
beat the OnePlus One.

While I will do a review of the
phone in the future, today I will instead talk
about howl came to get the phone. Because
the company OnePlus is a small company
and they are just getting into the phone
manufacturing business, their production
rates are not very high. They are trying to
get their production up to the level of other
phone manufacturers, but until they do, one
has to win the phone through a competition
or be randomly selected to receive an
invitation to buy it. This way, they can control
their stock of phones to make sure that they
do not keep running out of stock.

I did not get an invitation or win
a competition to get this phone; instead, a
good friend of mine from high school did. He
entered a free event by the company called the
“Storm of Invites.” All someone had to do was
perform certain actions like liking them on
Facebook, or subscribing to their newsletter.
With less than a 0.5% chance of winning, he
won an invite. However, the week before the
competition ended, he bought an HTC One.

Plus, the OnePlus One is not
compatible with his current cell phone service
provider. Being a good friend, he knew that I
was interested in the phone. He emailed me
the invitation code that he won and I bought
the phone for myself.

It is a great phone, and it comes
at a great price. I got the 64 GB version
of the phone, which only cost $350. As a
comparison, the Samsung Galaxy SS will
cost about $650 without a contract. And even
better is that the phone has a custom version
of Cyanogen mod on it. You are free to root
it, unlock the boot loader, and mess with any
of the other phone settings without voiding
any warranty. Allin all, it is a fantastic phone
and a nice upgrade from my old phone.

LEGO Movie impresses

Austin Gonzalez
OPINION EDITOR

“Everything is Awesome” is the only
thing that will be in your head after watching
The LEGO Movie.

Filled with wit, laugh-a—minute
jokes, and great animation, this feature-length
“stop-motion” LEGO movie is nothing short
of fantastic. In it, Lord Business is seeking
to unleash the Kragle on the unsuspecting
Brickopolis and only through the help of the
Special, the chosen one, can he be stopped.
However, the only thing special about this
Special is how remarkably unremarkable
he is. With some guidance from the worlds’
Master Builders, the journey begins with the
fate of the LEGO universe in the balance. It’s
a family—friendly fun time and ultimately
is about what LEGO has always stood for:
imagination and creativity. It’s about being
a kid and approaching problems differently
with a fresh point of view.

The movie is, sort of, entirely made
out of LEGO. The LEGO scenes are made
using the free-to-use LEGO building software,
Digital Designer, which is now prominently

served by Google. The design team calls the
style “dumb-pressive,” so realistic and simple
that it’s dumb, yet impressive. For instance,
with the right angle, you can see a thumbprint
on the main character’s body piece and there
are gum wrapper robot disguises which are
clever and bring a smile to your face. The team
“researched” by traveling and just having fun.
It really shows in some of the scenes. The
movie also features an all-star cast including
Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, and other greats.

Even if you’re not a fan of LEGOs,
imagination, fun, whimsy, laughter, or general
happiness, the LEGO movie is visually
impressive and can serve as a model example
for aspiring 3D modelers. The movie creates
believable lens proxies, mimics stop motions,
and even makes use of a virtual Steadicam rig
for its cinematography. LEGO people can’t
shrug. They have no way to kiss or hug. The
use of LEGO is extremely limiting but was
embraced, and the effect is unnoticeable.
All of this is managed with easily available
software such as MAYA and OpenGL.

The LEGO movie truly is the biggest
movie ever assembled.

       
 

Come join us for the Fall 2014

Study Abroad Fair

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