I'm not really an Aliens fan, but I've seen all the movies, played the biggest games and still think Xenomorphs are among the best horror spots in Hollywood. On Wednesday I sat down in the darkness of the cinema with my aunt to watch Alien Romulus, a movie I had pretty high expectations for and which I had been careful not to see trailers from.

For my own part, I have no problem at all enjoying movies that aren't really very good, as long as they can surprise or convince me in some way - not least visually. And it was the latter I hoped for the most for Romulus. Because from what little I've seen, it seemed that director and creator Fede Alvarez understood exactly what an Alien reel should look like.

And yes, from the beginning of one of the most depressing planets in living memory to a simple space trip that really made it feel like space travel is probably pretty dangerous stuff and an abandoned base - Romulus feels more Alien than really anything else I've seen since... well, the original Alien actually.

Every little sound, every little room and every little blinking button makes me almost burst into falsetto with delight and I really enjoyed the darkness of the cinema. This is how it should look. It's like endorphin shock on endorphin shock, and the reel's jump scares are pretty good.

Maximum grade on the way? No, it doesn't really get that good, because around halfway it goes a little too fast and feels a little too disconnected. It's also noticeable that Alvarez is a little too fond of letting protagonists survive against completely impossible odds to the point that some scenes (no, didn't mean to spoil) just feel unnecessarily silly.

In addition, the film is "only" one hour and 59 minutes, which is certainly quite normal for the series - but still feels a little too long. The ending could have been tightened up and cut by ten minutes, which would have resulted in a better end product.

Overall, though, I'm very pleased, Alvarez understands Alien better than creator Ridley Scott himself, and I sincerely hope he gets to make a sequel. This is a reel that really satisfies all the senses except the film critic in me, but luckily it goes quite a long way when the rest is as violently good as here.

They obviously do not have the Public Dental Service in the future. What did you think of Alien Romulus?

One problem that Geoff Keighly has had for a long time with his streams beyond The Game Awards, has been that there is no real meaning to them other than a lot of trailers that roll on. It becomes a kind of highlight-reel that unfortunately usually has a little too little of just highlights. 

But for this year's Opening Night Live, Keighley had apparently reconsidered, because this felt much more exciting. Several trailers were followed up or introduced by people behind the project, there were elements that broke off and thanks to the hosts, there was always a kind of contact with the audience and viewers that made it feel like the live event it should be. In addition, Gamescom apparently has big ambitions and will go on export.

Combined with several nice trailers and announcements, I'm actually quite happy with today's event. Goat Simulator Remastered had themost unusual game trailer ever, Swedish Indiana Jones and the Great Circle looks incredibly good, Mafia seems to be back in earnest and also Borderlands 4 was announced.

I really can't complain and we seem to have a phenomenal gaming autumn and gaming year ahead of us, where the next really big event is The Game Awards. But Gamescom is not over yet and we will deliver lots of impressions and other things until the exhibition doors close for this year during the weekend.

What did you think of Opening Night Live this year? For my own part, the opening number Borderlands 4 won.

Less than two months ago I blogged about how I was the last person in Sweden to "discover" Best in test. Normally I avoid all such types of TV (hardly watch TV at all since many years back), but the concept got me down and with the right people and David Sundin it will be really fun.

Already when I wrote the blog, I suspected that many people would encourage me to take a look at the original instead, British Taskmaster. However, people always tend to think that everything British is best - which it very rarely is after all (often mostly pretty and difficult with low production values), so it was with healthy skepticism that I gave the series a chance during my vacation. And... It took maybe an episode or three before I got into it, but then I was hooked.

Because yes, Gamereactor's eminent readers were, as usual, absolutely right. Taskmaster is five times as good as the Swedish (still quite entertaining) version. The tone is significantly less family program, the comedians are actually funny for real and the whole setup is better. That it's actually the British David Sundin counterpart (little Alex Horne) who created the whole series and the music, feels half amazing considering all the shit he gets to take and all in all, me and my partner have binged four full seasons in just a few weeks.

Now we are frantically looking for previous seasons as well as the latest ones, because I really can't get enough of this - so thank you for giving tips.

A hell of a great duo.

So the four weeks of vacation were over. It feels like as a Swede you write it every single year – but what a weather. Apart from May, there have only been a few odd days that have felt really good, which on the other hand has meant that I have been able to play video games with a clear conscience and watch all kinds of movies and TV series instead.

Also, I just got the sunbed more than well supplied in Atlanta (where I still think you should go). Otherwise, I've vacationed in lovely Jämtland instead and had time to go to a couple of really touristy places I've wanted to do for a long time. That includes eating ice cream at Renate's in Krokom (insanely good), finally getting my thumb out and looking at the strange Thai pavilion in Utanede (should be one of Sweden's most unexpected constructions, right, but well worth a visit?), walking around properly at Döda fallet (a huge waterfall completely emptied of water due to an accident, Sweden's largest human natural disaster) and the like.

Well, now the batteries are fully charged and I'm craving Gamescom that starts tomorrow. Obviously, we can look forward to really nice titles and I guess that as usual there is a good surprise or two as well. Let's go!

Picture from the aquarium in Atlanta that had an Animal Crossing presentation and a huge photo wall from the series. How has your own summer been?

It's time to travel home from Atlanta after a week in a city I've had on my bucket list for a long time. It's not an obvious destination perhaps, even though the city has the world's – by far – largest airport, which probably means that many of you have still been here, even if you haven't done it. The reason why I ended up here this time is because SAS had a phenomenal EuroBonus offer that was ultimately hard to resist.

Whatever the case may be, I'm very happy with the experience, which I think is well worth a visit.

[ plus ] That you should be able to walk around in a vibrant downtown is far from safe in the United States. It's almost only New York, San Francisco and Seattle that I really think deliver there. However, Atlanta falls into this category. It's an unexpectedly nice city that is almost completely devoid of graffiti centrally, police cars are extremely rarely heard (almost Tokyo levels), there is no garbage along the streets or in parks, and many houses are very spectacular. In addition, the Olympic Park is a green gem to enjoy in.

[ minus ] Sure, it's home to one of the world's largest aquariums, a phenomenal Six Flags, water parks, the Coke Museum (where you can sample over 300 of the company's beverages, including an absolutely horrific plum Fanta from China) and much more. But compared to most other American cities, I think Atlanta is a little behind on spectacular things to do (unless you want to hike or are very interested in the Civil War). Therefore, I believe that up to a week is just right here, more is not needed if experiences are a priority for you.

[ plus ] For those who want to experience what the United States has to offer, Atlanta will go a long way. Here you will find giant malls, all the national food chains, fine restaurants, wonderful cinemas, a live live scene and so on. All complete with southern charm. If you don't want a busy schedule of new things to do and just want to experience a really nice American city – then Atlanta goes a long way. This is quality of life.

[ minus ] Together with Los Angeles, Atlanta has the worst traffic situation I've ever experienced in the United States. It's no wonder at all to be stuck on a seven-lane highway. In addition, the city is not as clearly gridded as many other US cities, so make sure you have a good GPS in case the rental car does not deliver (such as in our Chrysler 300). Get a US SIM so you can run Google Maps.

[ plus ] There is a lot of greenery in the city and also around with several nice parks. Me and the lady took the opportunity to go up Stone Mountain (just under 25 meters of elevation) for phenomenal views. Took around two hours with a break at the top. At Stone Mountain there is also the world's largest stone relief depicting three Southern profiles (including Robert E. Lee for anyone who knows their history). A grand thing bigger than a football field, but maybe not a must see. But there are plenty of nice walkways with a lot to see and I liked to walk around.

[ minus ] As I wrote above, Atlanta has the world's largest airport, and that's awesome. Over 100 million passengers pass through here annually, or one Malmö a day, if you will. Of course, this requires space. The airport is nice and fresh, but huge and just the journey from the terminal to the rental car part you have to dedicate around 35 minutes to. And it must still be said to be a minus because you could have eaten a Cinnabon on a cool mall instead.

[ plus ] The southern states undoubtedly have among the world's absolute best cuisines with tasty and light home-inspired food that definitely fills you up. Atlanta is located in the middle of Georgia and is therefore a great place to rub shoulders in grilled and smoked meats of various kinds. The best one I tried was the acclaimed Hattie Marie's, but it's no problem to get good BBQ with sweet tea here – and the size of the town means that there are plenty of other nice options.

We stayed at something as unexpected as a llama farm. Phenomenally charming, craving carrots and surprisingly social guys.