XCOM: Enemy Within (17 hours):

https://youtu.be/qdXVuPhyBHA?list=PLEJrELYLxNgXslbfxQhld_qxZPSqFTHHK

By the time I was done with February I was nearly done with XCOM: Enemy Within. It was a fun revisit of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but I think I’m done for a while. That’s a good thing since I hear that XCOM 2 has some beefy PC and graphics card requirements.

Civilization 5 (2 Hours):

https://youtu.be/TfToUjWEq_0?list=PLEJrELYLxNgVwd6MWpI64II_fu14o3KpB

My brothers have accelerated the pace of their turn-taking - so the games are proceeding apace.

Me: and that’s why earth worms are good. Scarlett: Yeah, and other planet worms are bad.

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As I said with the previous book, there probably isn’t too much that’s new to say about this book given its age and the popularity of the TV show.

I think I once read that ASOIAF was originally meant to be a trilogy and this book definitely has a feel of expanding the narrative without resolving much. A lot is set up and I’m definitely ready for book 3, but if I’d been reading this when it first came out, I wonder if it would’ve contained enough forward momentum on the plot to keep me engaged in the series.

Star Wars: Dark Empire by Tom Veitch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As I said in one of my status updates, this is no longer canon as Disney erased the Extended Universe canon when they took over the franchise. I’m not bothered - we comic book fans are used to canon being changed and alternate universes. I can still enjoy the story.

What’s interesting is that this is a radio play based on a comic book. If I remember correctly, it’s by the same people who did the NPR radio play of the original trilogy. The voice acting is a little wooden, but Billy Dee Williams stops in to do Lando and his acting is great.

Return of the Jedi Radio Drama by Brian Daley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This radio play reminded me that Return of the Jedi is the Star Wars movie I like the least. The plot isn’t all that interesting and the parts that are supposed to resonate most with Vader and Luke just don’t do it for me. I think the first two are much better. This is also the first of the radio plays that doesn’t have Mark Hammil as Luke. Overall it’s a good radioplay, it’s just that the source material wasn’t as good.