Amnesia. Darkness. Awesomeness.

Amnesia - The Dark Descent
Genre : Survival Horror, First Person
The game's protagonist Daniel wakes up in the basement of castle Brennenburg, with no memory of who he is, and how he got there. Throughout the game, players control Daniel as he tries to unravel the mysteries of his past. There are only 2 attributes in the game - Health(which is lost when the player falls from a height or is hit by a monster) and Sanity(which is reduced when the player stands in the dark for a long time, or when he witnesses an unnerving event). Tinderboxes are available for lighting candles, and our hero carries a lantern - whose oil content has to be replenished from time to time. Health can be replenished by drinking Laudanum potions, and sanity can be restored by standing in the light or completing objectives. You do not have any means to defend yourself from the terrors that lurk in the castle - flight and evasion are the only options. The game has many puzzles - from mixing potion ingredients to repairing machinery, which make it a great gaming experience.
A memorable part of the game is when Daniel enters the torture chambers, and various pictures and flashbacks of torturing mechanisms are shown. The way in which all this is portrayed (all those devices - from the Wheel to the Bull DID exist in reality) makes you shudder, and think about all those poor souls who lost their lives!
A must play for horror lovers!!

May the force be with you.

Star Wars Battlefront 2
Genre:First/Third person shooter

Another masterpiece from LucasArts. Even though I haven't seen Star wars IV,V and VI (which I definitely will), I still love this game. The gameplay is similar to that of LOTR:Conquest. Players have to choose from 2 opposing sides, and then choose a military class-Assault, Recon(Sniper), Heavy(Anti-vehicle), or Engineer. As you kill more enemies, more classes will become available. Many game modes are available, such as Conquest (In which you have to capture certain Control Points till the enemy reinforcements dwindle), Assault (An all out attack), and Capture the flag. The campaign covers almost the whole story as told from the point of view of an Imperial Trooper - beginning from the Galactic Republic and their skirmishes against the separatist, covering the infamous order 66 and the attack on the Jedi, and the rebellion against the Empire. Many heroes (and villains) can be played, such as Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Windu, Chewie, Luke, Darth Vader and The Emperor. This game is fun, especially the parts when you are taking part in a space assault, but some levels can be pretty frustrating. Do check it out if you are a Star Wars fan!

An assassin's delight.

This was one of the games I had been eagerly expecting, and it turned out to be every bit of fun I'd expected it to be. In AC2, you are once again Desmond Miles, and have been rescued from Abstergo corporation by Lucy Stillman, who has now become your ally. Through the Animus 2.0 Desmond re-lives the life of one of his ancestors - Ezio Auditore. Set in reneissance Italy, the game allows you to roam freely in Venice, Florence, Tuscany and many other cities. The gameplay is very much the same as AC1, with a few changes in the HUD and Animus interface. The Introduction and the soundtrack are especially awesome. If you have not played the game yet, I won't spoil your experience by telling you the plot. But take my word for it, if you liked AC1, this is one game you will remember.

Requiescat in Pace

Camera-shy? Or Maybe Just sleepy.....

I found this cute little pup sitting outside a PC retail shop. I took out my camera to take a snap of his. At the same time , my mom also took out her camera and we both started to take his pictures. One would expect him to be happy to be the center of attention, but master Black-and-White pup was not so. He kept on turning his face away from the camera(even the flash was off). Both of us had to content ourselves with only a few pics of his, that too with his eyes closed. He was probably trying to catch a wink after a hard day's work :P so I left him to himself.

Scenic Beauty?

My first post. Congratulations, Aniruddh Jammoria.
My Himachal Pradesh trip with my parents was a really nice experience for me. Even more, it got me thinking about how much technology, and comfort, have become such an integral part of our living.
Himachal Pradesh, or the "Region of Snowy Mountains" is a state in north India. It is a mountainous state, with elevations ranging from 350 to 6000 metres above the sea level. On my way to my aunt's place, one thing that surprised me(other than the geographical change, of course) was the change in the way people live. Gone were the dense residential areas of the plains. Gone were the apartments, replaced by huts, and sparsely placed houses.
The place itself is very beautiful-lush green hills, tall trees, a vast expanse of sky above you, and a thousand feet drop below. If a place is close to nature, this was it. No wonder, I told my mom, "I want to live here when I retire(some planning, eh? )".
But after 2 Pizza-less, Air Conditioner-less, Internet-less and Big city-less days, I was already reconsidering my decision. I longed to sleep in an AC set at 18 degrees. The surroundings, which had captivated me so, were now becoming boring. Being close to nature, it seems, has its disadvantages. Truth be told, I would never give up the comfort of my living, nor give up my Tech life, to live in nature's embrace. Even if you told me that the pollution is killing my lungs, or the hectic life is driving me crazy(like hell, it is). Somehow, I feel, that we WANT all this luxury at our disposal. We could go on a holiday to a hill station, or a resort for a few days, but we will find ourselves longing for our fast paced lives once more. Technology has become such an integral part of our lives. There's no living without it. The city, if I may say, calls you back.

Enough of this.I gotta run, because I have project to complete. Damn work keeping me busy. Hell, I could use a vacation right now. A hill station, maybe.
Where's my pizza?