Forza Horizon 5 and the End of the Console Wars

 

When I originally came up with this post, I meant for at least a portion of it to be about Forza Horizon 5 (FH5). I've never owned an Xbox, and thus never owned or really played any of the Forza games. However, the series was always on my radar as a racing fan. I even contemplated buying an Xbox at one point of time just to play Forza Motorsport. When it was announced that FH5 was coming to PS5, I was super excited and bought it within a month of its release. Admittedly, I've only played the game for about an hour at the time of this post. I'll play it more when time allows, but it isn't really my type of racing game. However, I will say this - the game looks and sounds fantastic. Despite not playing it much, it does introduce a much larger gaming topic, and that is the end of the console wars, something that I think very much needs to be discussed.

As long as I can remember there have been console wars. Nintendo vs Sega, then Nintendo vs Playstation, then Playstation vs Xbox. Third party games have generally been on all platforms, but each system had their share of exclusives, with Forza being a huge exclusive for Microsoft's Xbox, akin to Gran Turismo on Playstation. A few years ago, Sony started releasing some of their games on Windows. Then earlier this year, Xbox released some of its exclusives on Playstation. This is a major development in gaming, something that even just a few years ago would seem impossible. FH5 has been one of the best selling games on the Playstation in 2025. The fact that Microsoft is willing to allow one of their premiere gaming franchises to be played on their rival's console, and the fact that it has sold really well, to me signifies the end of the console wars as we have known them. This is a huge win for gamers and consumers, and I think (hope) that the huge number of people playing FH5 on the Playstation will lead to other Xbox exclusives being released on the Playstation. No longer will there be great games that can only be played if you own a certain console. This signifies a massive shift in how companies approach their gaming business, an approach that has been present for 30+ years. I think the fact that FH5 was ever released on the Playstation, and its huge success on the Playstation, is a major shift in gaming, and one that is a huge win for gamers. Now if we can just get Nintendo to play nicely and release its games on other consoles...

Tropic Hustle

 

The Tropic books have been a nice alternative to the more dense books I often find myself gravitating towards, such as Game of Thrones. Sometimes it is nice to sit down and read an enjoyable book that is quick to read and doesn't require a glossary or a map or a Wiki search of the characters. Tropic Hustle is the third book in the Tropic series, and while decent it has been my least favorite thus far. Luke Angel is the main character, a pilot who seems to always find himself wrapped up in a mystery. The first two books mention that his father is a criminal who is in jail, and that Luke does not have a relationship with his father because he believes his father is responsible for the death of his mother. The general plot of this book is that his father, Frank, gets out of jail and is retrieving a stash of diamonds that he had hidden prior to going to jail. Despite hating his father, Luke agrees to help because in exchange for his help, Frank agrees to give Luke his beloved seaplane the Tropic Angel. Not only does Luke love the plane, but he believes it will help revive his struggling piloting business.

The adventure follows Luke and Frank down to the Florida Keys, the location of Frank's shenanigans transporting drugs for the cartels back in the day. From ChatGTP:

Protagonist: Luke Angel, a former military pilot turned seaplane business owner, cherishes his laid-back Florida lifestyle, his dog, and flying GoodreadsTertulia.

Conflict: Luke’s prized antique flying boat hits a bureaucratic snag—its registration is entangled in legal troubles. To clear it up, he must reluctantly seek help from the one man he despises: his father, Frank Angel, an ex-con with a murky past and a reputation in the drug-flying world Goodreads.

Complication: Frank has just been released from prison—but he’s not alone. Criminal adversaries from his old illicit ventures are on his trail. The stakes skyrocket when it turns out the location of Frank’s hidden treasure is known only to Luke, the son he once abandoned GoodreadsTertulia.

The Tension: Caught between love for his dog and seaplane and hatred for his father, Luke must decide how much he’s willing to risk. He faces dangerous pursuit, familial betrayal, and the need to reconcile—or at least confront—the man he swore he’d never forgive GoodreadsTertulia.

The book itself was fine, but I didn't find the story to be quite as good in this book as it was in the first two. There wasn't much of a mystery in this one. While there were a couple of plot twists towards the end (a few people shot, etc.) the overall story pretty much played out like you'd expect. Additionally, it took a solid 80-100 pages for the story to really take off, which is kind of a slow pace when the entire book is only 300 some pages long. The first 3rd of the book is used to setup the plot, but not much actually happens and if you've read the prior two books you kind of already know the background.

Overall, this book was good and was a quick and enjoyable read. Not quite as good as Van Coops' first two books in the series, but good none the less. He's apparently working on the fourth book in this series, and I'll likely pick it up to read when it comes out.

City Journal: Steveland - The Initial City

 

Above is the city of Steveland. I've created this city many times as a demo or learning city on Cities Skylines, but this is the first time I've developed it in SimCity. As you can see in the above picture, it is a densely populated city of 370,000 people. What you can see above is considered the downtown or city center of Steveland, with the surrounding area expanding outward to create the overall metro area. I have built cities that are loosely based on real cities before (see London), as well as completely fictional cities (Westeros, which unfortunately I don't have any city journal entries for). What's interesting is that Steveland is a hybrid city. The regional map is of New York City, with the Steveland city center being where Brooklyn/Queens are located in reality. Following our recent trip to Boston, the city is heavily influenced by the real Boston. However, it has some influences from Chicago as well as lesser influences from London and even Indianapolis.

The picture above has signs that point out various landmarks throughout the city. The first thing that I want to point out is the identification of districts. This is a concept that exists in Cities Skylines as well as in real cities. In Skylines, you can apply various district ordinances and themes to the districts. You cannot do that in SimCity. However, I like the concept of districts and thus decided to create the South & North End districts, as well as the Airport and Park districts, Old Town, Central Loop, and the East & West Industrial districts. This is the first city I've ever built in SimCity to feature districts.

The picture above shows the Steveland Common. This is obviously a play on words of the Boston Common, but the point being is that there is a large, central park and green space in the middle of a densely populated city. This is a common city design approach, and many major cities throughout the United States feature such parks, including New York City (Central Park), Chicago (Grant), and St. Louis (Forest).

In the above picture is the Steveland Garden, this city's version of the Boston Garden. More importantly, however, is the North Station. Unlike NYC's Penn Station, Boston doesn't have a central station. Instead, it has a North and South station for its commuter and regional trains. I decided to loosely model my commuter train lines like Boston in terms of how there are two major stations in the downtown area, a North station and a West station. The subway and light rail network is a bit influenced by NYC, though there is a Chicago vibe, as shown on the transit map below. The purple line represents the Central Loop for the light rail network, just like Chicago's loop.

Some other features to point out in the picture with the signs is Steveland Park, this city's version of Fenway Park. Also, if you notice the interchanges on the highway are labeled as South Split, NW Split, etc. This is a nod to north and south split in Indianapolis. Also, the highways are labeled as M & A, followed by a number. This is a nod to the highway system nomenclature in the UK & London.

This concludes my introduction to Steveland. As you can see, it blends features from many different cities, some of my favorite cities in fact. Additionally, in the above picture you can see there is a lot of surrounding land available to develop the entire metro area. Up next in Steveland's City Journal is a project inspired by Cities Skylines and another first for me in SimCity - the cleaning up and reduction of air pollution.

Jessica Jones (Season 2)

 

I really like Jessica Jones the character, and I really enjoyed the fist season of this show. The second season was a bit of a tough pill to swallow, however. The season starts with Jessica struggling, both mentally and with alcohol, following the events with Kilgrave. This is completely understandable, as Kilgrave is possibly the most terrifying Marvel villain I've encountered. As Jessica deals with her own demons, she discovers that others with powers are dying, which leads her to research and investigate IGH, the company responsible for giving her powers. She discovers that someone with powers is targeting others with powers and killing them. For the first several episodes we have no idea who this person is, only getting brief glimpses of them here and there. This mystery surrounding who the main villain is for season 2 lasted an episode or two too long, to the point where it became a bit frustrating. We eventually find out that it is Jessica's mother, who survived the crash that supposedly killed Jessica's entire family after receiving treatments from an IGH doctor. Jessica is obviously pissed, but instead of killing her despite having numerous changes, she drags her feet and by the end of the season ends up trying to protect her until her friend Trish Walker ends up shooting her. Ouch.

Speaking of Trish, the side characters step up big time in season 2. Trish becomes addicted to officer Simpson's (from season 1) adrenaline drug. At first she is using it to help investigate who the villain is, but eventually this turns into her wanting to get her own powers, and goes as far as consulting the IGH doctor to perform the same procedure on her as he did on Jessica and her mother. Once again, Jessica is pissed. 

Malcom is promoted at Alias Investigations, only to be alienated by Jessica. He then tries working with Trish before she turns on him. Jeri Hogarth, the lawyer who is in multiple Defenders series shows, is diagnosed with ALS and also shows interest in working with IGH to possibly heal her ALS. In the end, she is conned by both her former colleagues at the law firm and the former IGH employees who end up robbing her. Hogarth, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, is a great side character. Generally I like Trish, Malcolm, and Jessica, so it is tough to watch all of them struggle so much.

I'm sure you could do a much more in-depth discussion on how the second season highlights complex female friendships, mother-daughter relationships, rivalry, etc. The characters are written and acted very well, and these concepts are likely explored well here. I felt like the plot pace was a bit slow in terms of revealing the main villain, and once she was revealed she just wasn't as intriguing of a character as Kilgrave, though it was nice to see David Tennant's character make a brief appearance this season. I also really like all of these characters, so seeing them struggle and bicker so much was just sad, honestly. At the end of the second season, everything was looking as if it was improving for them, albeit individually. They were still pissed at each other. Here's to some reconciliation and forgiveness for season 3.

City Journal: Steveland - An Introduction

 No matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to get away from SimCity 4. After taking a break from city building games, trips to Chicago in the spring and Boston in the summer spurred my interest in returning to the genre. I have Cities: Skylines on both PS5 (the PS4 version) and Steam, so I decided to give it another try. That game itself is 10 years old at this point, but offers several upgrades to the over two decade old SimCity 4. I've always thought that games in this genre were better with a mouse, and now that I have a computer that can comfortably handle the resource needy game, I decided to give C:S yet another try. One of my favorite parts of SC4 is its large modding community. C:S also has a large modding community through Steam, which is hugely appealing to me. On a side note, the Steam community is pretty nice. If I weren't so engaged in the Playstation echo system, I would likely utilize Steam as my main gaming platform. At any rate, with my motivation from visiting Chicago and Boston, along with my new computer and its ability to play C:S on Steam, I gave the game another chance.

I fully expected a learning curve with C:S and was OK with that. I have SC4 down to a science, and had accepted the fact that my city on C:S would likely struggle. I started my 4th or 5th version of the city of Steveland. One of the hardest parts of any city building game is coming up with names for your cities. A play on the name of Cleveland, Steveland was the city name I had been using to play and learn C:S. I had a decent city going, around 10,000 people, when all of a sudden people in my city started dying and my population dropped to under 2,000 people. The reason was because my water supply had become polluted. In C:S, you have to pump drinking water upstream and dump sewage water downstream. This feature doesn't exist in SC4, but I was aware of this part of the game in C:S and that is how I had my water system setup. Other than setting up your water system in this certain way, there was no other clear explanation on how to fix this issue that I could find. I also found that mass city death waves were common in C:S. Once this happened and I couldn't find a clear solution, I once again decided to quit C:S and go back to SC4. Steveland had never been built in SC4...until now!

There's a small number of maps available on SC4. You can download user-built maps or edit existing maps, but I decided to build Steveland on the New York City map. It's a map that I've only used one other time to try to recreate NYC. That didn't go well, mostly because of how the map divides the region over Manhattan. Anyway, given that Steveland is purely fictional, I started building the city in the NYC region but without attempting to recreate any one particular city. The last city I tried recreating was London a couple of years ago, and it has been quite some time since I built a purely fictional city. Instead of placing Steveland in Manhattan, I decided to build it where Brooklyn exists in real life. While it is fictional, you will find inspiration from some of my favorite cities in its design, including Chicago, London, and Boston. Using the NYC map, I even included some design elements from New York. I'm excited to build this hybrid city and grow the entire region. In my next CJ post, I'll share what Steveland looks like in its current form. I have big plans for the city, including some first-time building and design strategies that I've never done in more than two decades of playing SC4. More to come!

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (2025)

 

The 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue came once again with multiple covers. I've never been a big fan of this concept, and instead prefer a one cover model per year approach. I remember in the past when revealing the cover of the issue was a big deal. Having multiple covers eliminates the specialness of that reveal. The multiple models approach is likely an attempt to sell more issues. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, in the age of digital editions, the actual cover of the physical edition of the magazine is less important. It's just a minor beef that I have with recent changes to the special edition magazine.

Moving past that minor quarrel, Olivia Dunne was one of the 4 cover models for the 2025 edition, and my favorite cover. This is her 3rd issue, and at this point is more famous for being a celebrity/model than athlete, but it is interesting that she is also a collegiate-level athlete. The other interesting cover of the 4 to me was Salma Hayek. I definitely did not anticipate seeing her appear in this issue, and good for her for appearing at age 58. 

On the concept of athletes appearing in the issue, this is not a new concept but I think this issue did a really good job of featuring current athletes. In addition to Dunne, Gabby Thomas and Nelly Korda were a couple of my favorites this year. 

One of the interesting changes with the issue that has occurred with the issue in the past year is the concept of digital covers. Gone are the days where the issue comes out once per year and otherwise nothing from the brand is heard from. Today's swimsuit issue is much more volatile, getting updates throughout the year in the form of digital covers. Unlike the idea of having multiple cover models on the physical issue each year, I like the idea of digital covers being released throughout the year. This allows for extra content throughout the year and keeps the brand and issue more relevant and fresh in people's minds. The fact that the cover is digital still keeps the physical issue important, and the once per season digital cover release seems like the correct cadence for this.

One of my favorite newer models from the issue has been Christen Goff (Harper), and she had a nice issue this year. I have featured her in previous posts about the issue, however, so instead I've decided to shift my focus on Penny Lane, a model who I've not featured in the past. This is Penny's second issue, and I'll be honest I think she flew under the radar a bit in her rookie season in '24. She had a really good set of photos for the 2025 issue, and stood out to me as one of the better collections for this year's issue. 

Final Fantasy VII - Traces of Two Pasts

 

Much like how Crisis Core told the story of the events prior to Final Fantasy VII from Zach's perspective, Traces of Two Pasts tells the events prior to Final Fantasy VII from Tifa and Aerith's perspectives. The book helps explain some of the memories and key moments that occur in Final Fantasy VII, especially in Rebirth. A traveling martial artist arrives in Nibelheim and trains Tifa, which explains why she is so good at fighting. After being wounded by Sephiroth in Nibelheim (as depicted in Crisis Core and Rebirth), she is transported to a hospital recovery center in the slums of Midgar. Alone and unable to pay her hospital bill, she begins working at a food cart. She eventually meets Jessie and the rest of the group from Avalanche, and takes over the bar Seventh Heaven. This is also where she meets Barrett Wallace, and this is basically where we are introduced to Tifa & Avalanche at the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.

Aerith grows up in the confines of the Shinra headquarters, where they are running experiments on her mother, Ifalna, the last known Ancient. Aerith and her mother escape, but unfortunately her mother dies in the process. We see this scene in a flashback during Rebirth. Young Aerith is discovered by Elmyra, who adopts her. It becomes discovered that Aerith had acquired some powers of the Ancients, and thus lives in the slums under Shinra surveillance. Feeling bad about brining unwanted attention to Elmyra, she attempts to escape and discovers the abandoned church where the flowers are growing, which is where we discover Aerith in FFVII. 

This book is a companion to Final Fantasy VII, adding additional information to the back stories of Tifa and Aerith. It wouldn't make much sense without the background knowledge of the characters from the game. However, if you enjoyed the game and are looking for additional information regarding their histories, I'd recommend this book. It is well written and a fairly quick read. Their back stories are interesting, especially Aerith's. We get a glimpse of these stories in the form of flashbacks in Rebirth, but the book goes more in-depth and provides additional information and context to their pasts.