Skyrates: A Review

At last, I get to pretend I'm a cat and fly darinly through the skies!

Skyrates is a free, browser based game. You choose a character from a nice selection of animals and take off into the skies to trade, fight, or do missions across the 'Skylands'. It sounds simple enough, but the twist comes with the realtime flight times between locations. A journey may take many hours, which makes every decision vitally important. 

Of course, there are certain issues that can be raised with the game. The graphics are simple and the combats are generally uninteresting at the lower levels. In addition to this, the fact that the game is still in beta means that there are some bugs left to be erradicated and that nothing in the game can be taken for granted in future releases.

But these issues are marginal. The simple graphics suit the game perfectly and bring an excellent amount of colour and vibrancy to the game. Also, the dynamic economy that shifts depending on players trading patterns makes a simple concept both innovative and addictive. Finally, the wide variety of planes and ugrades on offer, along with the extensive ranking system combines to create a highly worhtwhile gaming experience.

If you want to feel like Lord Flasheart while donning the personality of a cute animal, then this is most certainly the game to play!

-The English Student

Stardust: Film Review

My holiday film binge begins with Matthew Vaughn's Stardust.

This adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel by the same name attempts to bring the fantastical world of "The Wall" to a wider audience. By allying the unusual plot with unusual film direction, a new medium is created for this solid story. This film has its negatives and positives but at any rate is a good example of a successful novel to film crossover.

Of course, these theoretical underpinnings are not enough to make a film worth watching. Real mastery of the movie craft must be shown and Stardust often shows flashes of this brilliance. It is unpredictable, wise and witty. When you add a solid cast to this and some excellent cinematography and effects it is quite obvious that director Matthew Vaughn has created a modern fantasy classic. His depiction of the witches rivals Rohl Dahl and Robert de Niro is an excellent choice for Captain Shakespeare. 

But of course, this film is not without its faults. Occasionally, some of the acting falls flat and the script stalls but the main issue of the feature relates to plot. The success of a story like this hinges on the consistency of plot and Stardust suffers in this regard because of the relative brevity of the film. This is not a major issue however and I suspect it is due to the fact that film adaptations of novels are necessarily curtailed for the big screen. The other notable failing of the feature is the predictable ending to a largely unpredictable film. But while it is an obvious conclusion, it is an appropriate one. 

Overall, this is a brilliant story that takes its place amongst classic family films.

-The English Student

Christmas Guilt

Another Christmas approaches and a familiar sense of dread emerges.

Of course, it would be ridiculous to simply say that I hate the holiday season. It is billed as a time of joy when people can come together to celebrate and give thanks with family and friends. Indeed, in these more secular times this holiday is no longer just for the religious minded, but for everyone.

However, there are several reasons why I have never truly and consistently enjoyed Christmas. The music is nauseating, the decorations gaudy and the weather is bitterly cold. This is all in conjunction with the increasingly cynical nature of a market driven holiday. But these persistent annoyances can hardly be enough to drive me away from Christmas. In fact, these aspects have only become apparent to me recently.

But ever since I was young this holiday has caused me pain and frustration due to a feeling I call 'Christmas Guilt'. The idea of gift giving is all well and good, but I happen to be someone who has everything they could possibly want. I don't wake up hungry, nor do I go to sleep freezing cold and despite my many failings I have friends who stick by me. So how can I in good concsience demand anymore from those who give so much?

But they will keep asking me what I want for Christmas, so I must stay resolute in my response: I want nothing.



-The English Student

College Essays

In my last discussion, I highlighted the problems created by college newspapers. Similar patterns can be observed in relation to college essays.

Upon entering the English department earlier this week, someone remarked that I was becoming an essay writing “machine”. This idea stuck with me and it is only now that I have fully understood the connotations of such a statement. The college systems absolutely encourage the creation of mechanical essay construction. In effect, we are given the input values of a title, word count, relevant texts and a due date and expected to output an argument.

But this cold and calculating method of composition inhibits real creativity and diversity. Students simply go through the motions of writing essays and never feel the desire, or indeed are given the time, to develop and impart their own personal views. I understand the practical necessities of these essays, but through them students are effectively being made into hacks before they even leave college.

There are simple solutions to these problems. If the due dates of essays were spread out adequately, time would be afforded for real engagement with these questions. In addition to this, when lecturers allow students to create their own essay titles and bring in external material, they encourage a personal approach to assessment. The system is not so much broken, as it is in need of some delicate tweaking.

In this way, the passion and love a student has for a subject can be nurtured and developed into a viable life tool.

-The English Student