Return to the Wastelands

One of my favourite computer roleplaying games is Fallout 2. Set in an alternate universe in which atomic war erupted in the 1950s, the player takes on the role of a survivor struggling to survive in the resulting wastelands. (The first Fallout has a similar theme, but I've never played that one.) More than a simple shoot-em-up, the game presented the player with moral choices all along the way, with supporting characters you could love or loathe, fascinating career options, challenging puzzles, and a real sense of poignancy. This was a fallen world, one that may have turned out better than our own if not for the nuclear holocaust. Music by the Ink Spots and incredible retro design added incredible depth and versimilitude to the game's atmosphere. It was a great place for a twentysomething bachelor with a love of SF and its post-apocalyptic subgenre to while away the hours.

Even though it's over a year away, I'm eagerly anticipating Fallout 3. From the looks of the official website, the developers are trying to keep the look and feel of the original games. I hope they succeed.

Confession: Not Always Good for the Soul (Music)

The other night I dreamed that I was in a rhythm and blues nightclub, enjoying the sounds. Out of the blue (and the club was predominantly blue - blue walls, blue lighting, blue tables), one of the band members hauls me up on stage and asks me to sing along with them as they perform "Gimmee Some God."

Gamely, I belt out the sweet soulful notes, in hand-clapping, shouting and screaming Southern Gospel style:

"Gimmee some God,
(oh, gimmee some god)
Gimmee that sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet God

Lord He's so fine
(he's so fine)
He's so sweet and fine
So very very sweet and fine

Now when that Lord
Hops down the street
He's got a beat
That's quite unique

Gimmee some God
(gimmee some God)
Gimmee some sweet, sweet, God
Gimmee that god, god, god, god, godddddddddd"

The bits in parenthesis were sung by a really deep baritone who accompanied me.

After the song, I feel the need to editorialize:

"Now, I've got to tell you, I'm not a religious man, but that is a great song." Even as I was saying it, I was thinking to myself, "Argh, why do you always have to push your views into affairs like this? Is it that important that people know you're not a Christian?"

Fortunately, no one takes it the wrong way, and I'm treated warmly for the rest of the night, which seems to stretch on forever...or at least until my alarm goes off and I wake up.