My 5 Most Anticipated Games of 2013 (PS3)

It's almost the new year, so I thought I would let you guys know which PS3 titles I'm looking forward to the most in 2013.

5. Dead Island: Riptide

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/30/dead-island-riptide-release-date-announced

I would be lying if I said that Dead Island is one of my favorite games, but I certainly recognize its potential. There were so many moments in the first installment that made me jump and being able to execute zombies with a wide array of customizable weapons was incredibly satisfying. According to this IGN article, Riptide will include the same characters, who have the misfortune of landing on island that just so happens to be infested with zombies. The great thing is, elements (such as skills), are able to be carried over from the original game, so you can continue to badass-ify your character. Basically, if you enjoyed the first one then you'll definitely want to pick up Dead Island: Riptide. Release date: April 23, 2013

Official Page


4. The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

Source: 

http://www.brokenjoysticks.net/2012/10/26/activisionterminal-reality-names-the-walking-dead-survival-instinct/

No, unfortunately this is NOT the second season of The Walking Dead game by Telltale. I'm still really excited about it though. The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is a first person shooter based off the TV series. You get to play as Daryl and, according to this article on IGN, you are able to make many choices as the game progresses; this includes which place to travel next or whether or not to save a person you happen upon. The fact that you can send other people in your group out on missions really excites me. Be sure to check out the article I mentioned, as it also includes a video of some gameplay and includes more info about the upcoming game from Activision/Terminal Reality. I'm both enthusiastic and scared about this game. On one hand, what I've read and seen so far seems absolutely amazing and right up my alley. On the other hand, I'm a huge fan of The Walking Dead AND first person shooters, so if this game doesn't deliver and live up to my high expectations well...that's going to be a rather large let down. Release date: TBA 2013


3. Agent

Source: http://www.take2games.com/games/index.php?game_id=141

Here's the only information I could really find about this new upcoming game from Rockstar, which was found on the Take-Two Interactive website: 

Agent takes players on a paranoid journey into the world of counter-intelligence, espionage and political assassinations during the height of the Cold War at the end of the 1970's.

I guess we'll have to wait to hear more details, but if you're like me and love Rockstar's other titles, then you know it's going to be awesome regardless. Release date: TBA 2013

Official Page 


2. Beyond: Two Souls

Source: http://www.vg247.com/2012/06/05/beyond-two-souls-screens-show-quantic-dreams-flair/

Seriously, is there anyone NOT excited for Beyond: Two Souls? There are so many things to love about this game. First of all, the voice cast is awesome (hello, Ellen Page is amazing). Second, have you seen the graphics? They are absolutely stunning and gorgeous, as well as the most life-like I have ever seen. Lastly, the game play sounds really entertaining. I like that the player gets to go through different stages of this the main character's life, and that you are also able to play as her supernatural friend. It's also nice that the player is able to take different approaches to certain situations. Release date: TBA 2013 (I keep seeing conflicting dates - Walmart says March, Gamestop says December - so keep a look out for the release date announcement!)

Official Page

1. The Last of Us

Source: http://thelastofus.com

Was there even any doubt that this would be my #1 pick? I'm assuming it's going to be on a lot of wish lists for next year. I've already got my copy pre-ordered through Gamestop, but it doesn't make the waiting any easier! It's basically two people trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, which has obviously been done before, but this one just looks fantastic. Also, it's by Naughty Dog, of which I am a huge fan. The graphics look amazing and the voice acting is top notch (but what else would be expected - Uncharted anyone?). Release date: May 7, 2013

Official Page


What games are all of you looking forward to in the new year? Did I miss any that are on your top list? Let me know in the comments!

Journal Jars

I had a lot of trouble figuring out what to get my nieces this Christmas. I didn't want to do anything generic; I wanted to put some time and thought into their gifts, so they would know that I didn't grab just any old thing off the shelf. I ended up stumbling across an idea called a journal jar. Here's a picture of the finished product, and then I'll explain more.

I decided to go with a butterfly theme for Riley and a cupcake theme for Taylor. These are pretty easy to make. Honestly, you can can put as much time, or as little time as you want in them. Instead of just copying and pasting journal entry ideas from other websites, I made up my own. There were 100+ of them and let me tell you, cutting them all out was sort of a pain. But SO worth it! I'll post some links to sites where you can copy/paste or just get some ideas later. Basically all you need to make your own journal jars is:

• A jar, or something similar. I used some containers I found at Michaels; they sort of look like little see-thru paint cans. Perfect for this sort of thing!
• Journal entry ideas, to be printed and cut out. I chose card stock in a matching color scheme to print them on; this way, they would hold up better.
• A journal/diary. You can always have them just set up a blog on the internet instead, if you think they would prefer that to actual writing.
• Decorations for the jar. This is sort of optional, but they look so awesome decorated! Again, I perused Michaels and picked out card stock pages for the front/back. I also had fun picking out stickers in the scrapbooking section.

Pretty easy, right? I also included nice pens and some glue sticks. The idea is that the person can pick out a random slip of paper, glue the slip of paper in their journal (or not, if they go the blog route instead), and then write their answer or thoughts. I provided enough ideas to where they could choose one a week to write about and it would last more than a year, but really they can write as often as they wish. 

On the back of the jars I added this poem, which I found on Squidoo.

It reads:

Preserve your memories,

Seal them up well.

What you forget,

You can never retell.

But a journal that's kept fresh on the shelf,

Will help someone through rough times,

Maybe even yourself. 

That website also has many ideas for making journal jars, so be sure to check it out! 

Check out the top of the jars too! I didn't leave much undecorated!

As I promised, here are some links to websites where you can get more ideas and help with topics:

• MADE
• Teaching With TLC
• Scrapjazz

Those are just a few of the many websites out there, but they are the ones I used for ideas. Journal jars are great because they are perfect for many different age groups, not just kids. 

And for those of you who use Pinterest, feel free to repin and share this with others!

Hey y'all (introductions and such)

Hey everyone! Thank you for checking out my site! I know it's not much to look at now, but I promise it will all come together soon. You may be wondering what I plan on posting about. Well, I'm sort of a nerd/geek, so there will be many different things I will talk about. I'm thinking TV recaps, movie/book/game reviews, my opinion on news stories, any cool gadgets or generally awesome stuff I want to buy, and so on. Hopefully this will all take on some sort of organization. I guess I'll just figure that out as I go! Make sure you bookmark my page so you can visit again soon.