Reviews

Title: Fallout Shelter

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Platforms: iOS; Android

Release Dates: June 14, 2015 (iOS); August 13, 2015 (Android)

Genre: Simulation

Players: Single player

ESRB Rating: N/A

Kid Friendly Rating: 12+Violence in the form of raider and monster attacks. Fights involve swords and guns but blood and gore is minimal. Vault dwellers sometimes move out of view to get “friendly” with each other and return pregnant. In-game purchases.

Personal Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis:

You have been appointed Overseer of your own vault. Rescue dwellers from the wasteland and put them to work generating resources in return for their protection. Equip your dwellers with the skill and weapons necessary to fend off mole rat, raider, and Death Claw attacks.

This game is surprising in its depth for what is, essentially, a clever marketing tool for Bethesda’s upcoming Fallout 4. Each dweller has his/her own skill attributes across seven categories. These skills determine how effective the dweller will be in a particular room. For example, dwellers with high S (strength) attributes perform well in power generating rooms. You can create rooms to generate resources, as well as to level up a dweller’s skill categories. Unrelated male and female dwellers assigned to living quarters will sometimes create babies, who grow up to become adult vault dwellers. You can also send your dwellers out into the wasteland to gather gear, weapons, and caps (cash), but make sure they are well-equipped, or they may not survive for long.

The game is addictive, especially early on, as you attempt to scrape your way toward a happy vault. As your vault becomes bigger, resources become easier to maintain, but occasionally more difficult foes come along to keep you on your toes.

It’s not the most heart-pounding game in the world, but for a casual gamer who enjoyed Fallout 3, and other simulation games like Sim City or Rollercoaster Tycoon, this is a good bet.

Originally posted on Geeks and Geeklets

Title: The Martian

Author: Andy Weir

Published: 2011 (e-book); March 2013 (audiobook); February 2014 (hardcover)

Pages: 369

Genre: Science Fiction/Thriller

Kid Friendly Rating: 13+ for some coarse language; however, there is enough realistic science in the book that I would hesitate to discourage any mature science-minded kids from reading it.

Synopsis: Astronaut Mark Watney was part of a NASA crew performing science experiments on the surface of Mars. Gravely injured in a freak sandstorm that forced an emergency evacuation of the crew, Watney was mistakenly left for dead. With his crew thousands of miles from the planet and unaware of his survival, Watney must use every ounce of his knowledge and resourcefulness to hold out for a rescue.

One of my favorite science-fiction authors is Arthur C. Clarke. In my mind, it’s not so much his exhilarating prose; it’s his thought-provoking ideas coupled with a solid grasp of current science and theoretical physics. Keeping one leg firmly rooted in the familiar, or at least moderately believable, adds extra layers to the story. Ah! How crazy would it be if I was seeing this on the news? What if it was me!? In a sense, Weir owes a debt of gratitude to Apollo 13. We don’t even have to wonder if something like this could happen. It already has happened, albeit on a much smaller scale. But where Weir could have done everything wrong, and instead hit the mark so well, is in the details.

First, Watney. Watney is an everyman. Instantly relatable as your wisecracking friend who is just a little bit off-kilter, but loveable for it. We follow Watney as he weaves his way through a cavalcade of obstacles, attacking each with MacGyver-like ingenuity.

Almost every problem seems plausible, and his solutions feel realistic, from generating/maintaining food, to replenishing oxygen, to attempts to communicate with NASA, to efforts to secure his rescue.

Don’t let the science deter you, though! This is an edge-of-your-seat page-turner in every aspect. The stakes are high, the prognosis is grim. It starts out with a bang, almost literally, and from there it is a rollercoaster ride of near-death experiences from front to back, with a gripping climax. Weir balances the stakes with Watney’s irreverent sense of humor for a really fun read.

An added benefit to reading this book now: It’s coming to theaters soon! Really soon. Like, October 2015 soon. So get reading, and see your new favorite book come to life! With Maaatt Daamon. No, he’s okay, right? He’s pretty good. Just forget that he was recently in space in Interstellar. And Elysium. He’s done other things, you guys.

If previews can be relied on, it looks like Hollywood has caught on to some of the more positive aspects of the book, as Damon’s Watney intones, “I’m gonna have to science the shit out of this.”

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and I’ve encouraged many of my friends and family to give it a read. I have yet to hear a poor review! It rivals Dune and The Martian Chronicles for my favorite Mars-based book. I give it 4/5 stars.

Android Game Review: Fallout Shelter

Book Review: The Martian