So I didn't start playing until late due to some distractions (I got a game in the mail- Valkyrie Profile Lenneth for my PSP which I love by the way) so I can't say anything about if Moonlight works in the day time or not so.... on we go leveling up! :D

Let me just say this as I begin today WHAT IS WITH ALL THESE LADIES JUMPING OUT OF TREES!!!??? I'm serious I found another one as I went along my path and almost jumped out my skin they just appear with out any warning. It's creepy. That is all.

Well actually not it turns out she gives you a Pecha berry so she is located if you go up around from the last jumpy person go to the right side of the beginning of the path that clearly will lead to the slanty log and she appears. It makes sense if your playing the game. :)

Daikenki at level 17 can learn Razor Shell which is a water type move where the user cuts the target with sharp shells and it might lower the defense stat of the target. So I learned it and forgot how to Tackle (HM moves can't be forgotten right now so my choices were Water Gun or Tackle and I got the Normal Cut which is better than Tackle so I'll just do that).

Oh and Daikenki evolved at level 17 into a Dewott! :D

I caught a level 15 Panpour with a Great Ball inside the PinWheel Forest. It evolves into Semipour when exposed to the Water Stone so it's nickname, the Japanese version of Semipour, is Hiyakkie. His starting moves are: Leer, Lick, Water Gun, and Fury Swipes.

I just noticed I now have 19 pokemon unless you want to count that I had a Oshawott and now have a Dewott (this would be based on the pokedex system basically) I've "obtained" 20 pokemon. I've seen 27 too.... I know there is one more pokemon to catch in this area and I can't find it yet (Pansage I will find you!).

I found a hidden item TinyMushroom in the PinWheel Forest as I continued on.

Then it grew late and I grew tired so next time some more leveling excitement :D

Today we're taking a look at Death Jr. Root of Evil. Technically the first and only Wii game in the series, but actually a port of the sequel to the first game. There's a lot too this seemingly obscure franchise series of games, and yet it's basically been abandoned -- until now! Today I highlight one of the, so far, best third party Wii games out there. This is an in-progress review. As of writing, I am at the start of Chapter 8 of 18.

I'm not gonna lie -- the fact Ted Naifeh was attached to this project and key to the art direction already had me sold on the idea of getting Root of Evil. If you ever wanted to see more stuff to the tune of Coraline, he's you best bet. He writes stuff that, really, should be fine for kids, but certainly not for sheltered ones. His works, both purely art based (as in the case of this game) and his fiction (Courtney Crumrin)  have fit in the very niche genre of genuinely unflinching children's horror and dark fantasy.

Death Jr. features Naifeh doing the art while Gary Whitta (that guy who somehow managed to both write for Duke Nukem Forever at some point AND Telltale's The Walking Dead) handles the writing. This could have been a game that just looked great but, you know what, Whitta's writing isn't that bad. Sure there are a few awkward lines but I expected a quirky, dark, cynical children's story and I got that. Death Jr.'s girlfriend Pandora may put more than a few dollars more than necessary in the swear jar, but the cast seems likeable enough and have room for growth. You get the feeling some development has already occurred, like jumping in the middle of a TV series, but it's still a pleasant experience. The best bits seem to actually take a note from Terry Pratchett, especially in the case of Death Jr's father (I'll let you guess who he is). The main villain is actually surprising, and more unconventional than the standard bad guy. You rarely have to deal with what can best be described as an unruly teenager demigod as your opponent in a game.

There's a flaw to this though -- the story, however, charming if basic it may be, seems detached at times from the core gameplay and levels. This became most blunt during a section to find objects for a shotgun, just jammed into the game to increase the play time. Normally though, you'll be running through linear platforming/brawling/shooting segments, flowing between them quite easily. The nice thing is that all these aspects control adequately, even if there's not much to speak of in terms of originality for the gameplay. Shooting with the Wiimote is stable , brawling attacks are easy to execute with either a button press or a swing in one direction of the Wiimote (most of which triggered successfully), and platforming executed the best of wall. You'll bash things to collect "energy", you'll fight waves of enemies with your guns and melee weapon, and you'll jump around almost as much as in Alice: Madness Returns. In fact, it kind of feels like a more loose, less graphically impressive, more forgiving version of Alice: Madness Returns.

The shooting feels a bit more like Quake though. You strafe, shoot, and jump around to dodge attacks, aiming with your Wiimote to target enemies. To access your guns, all you need to do is hold down Z. Guns are limited at first but by the end you'll have around seven guns and be able to swap between them at will with the D-Pad. It is nice to carry more than two weapons at once, but I fear that once I have more than three ranged weapons, I may have trouble swapping. Enemies are surprisingly accurate if you sit still, so mobility is a must, especially in boss encounters. Some energy pods are even so far away your only option is to shoot them. Guns do have unspoken limited ranges though, so you can only hit things a certain distance away.

I actually both do and don't like that the Wiimote is also used to make melee attacks. It either could have been really sloppy and pointless (LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga) or close enough to your actions to make it feel more visceral (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). Instead, you just do a single motion in one direction to make a special move. Up lifts your enemies high in the air then slams them down. Left does a 360 degree attack, and I imagine down and right will also gain moves soon enough. The energy you collect gives you new moves over time, and objects collected around levels can be used to make new guns. These upgrade systems pay off for those who explore -- and surprisingly the levels are a great deal more free to traverse than your standard linear platformer.

Levels are large and interesting if low-poly (this is a Wii game, you should expect this by now) models. It should be noted that most of the polycount goes into the characters, leaving them with far more fluid animations than some other Wii games. They may not compare to Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, but considering this started as a PSP game, I'm impressed. The environments often shift within themselves. The opening happens in a forest, but I already transitioned from that to a demented toy grave yard with some short bits in places like a medieval dungeon, and a dank swamp. The lack of loading screens outside of the short ones between levels (and sometimes cutscenes) is a big plus as well.

Now you may be wondering why I haven't gotten to the negatives because anyone who reads my stuff knows I have thrown arguably more popular games off of cliffs... but really, my only complaints are that it lacks polish. It feels like it still needs a second look, some added effort, and for goodness sake, some more variety without overkill to the enemy types. I mean, sure, enemies that drop mines that explode upon hitting them, enemies that shield themselves with their heads, enemies that shoot missiles at you from range but try to bop you up close, and mini-bosses that can be beaten without A QTE are certainly interesting, but we still often just fight dregs of the same two basic enemies in most areas. It feels like the game is honestly nervous and afraid  of showing itself at its best, and as a result, stumbles around, as I mentioned already with the "build a shotgun" level.

The other key thing holding me back from truly gushing over it is... this is a very niche title sort of game. I can't see a huge demand for it, although I'm glad to hear that the comic book series has done very well. A real benefit to the games would be to actually update the concepts to modern or next-gen hardware and EXPAND. Instead of just fixing the supposed problems if Death Jr. PSP, why not add something more to the experience? Imagine it -- a Quake shooter meets DmC brawler meets Alice: Madness Returns/Rayman Legends platformer. That'd be a hell of a game to play with all the things they could do with AI, level design, and combat design on a PS4 or Xbox One.

Still, this appears to be where the story ends, unless Backbone did well enough helping out with Dance Central 3 that they'll consider making another game with or without Konami and/or Sony's help.

Unless anything changes though -- Death Jr. is worth the price tag (eight dollars for my copy) if you have a Wii. I should mention that it does have full campaign split-screen co-op, but I've yet to get to try it, so I'm holding out on reviewing that aspect until I get the chance. From what I understand though, it's a quite enjoyable feature as well.

Cheers,
Paradigm the Fallen

Trivia: This was the first game in over six months that I've played on my Wii.

There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of interesting costumed heroes and villains that have decades of storylines and powers that would be a good deal of fun in a video game. That raises the question: Why is Batman the only superhero that's had any number of critically acclaimed games? He doesn't even have super powers, which would logically be the most entertaining part of the game. The answer is that people actually put effort into this game. They mixed good story with a good setting, good gameplay, and good characters. I don't think there's any reason that another great comic book hero like Superman or Captain America can't also have a quality game, and here are some of the rules they should go by:

1-      Stay true to the character

One of the most important things that licensed super hero games usually get wrong is having a character that doesn't stay true to the comic books. Superman is not going to be taken down by some random thugs, and cheapening the characters powers might alienate fans of the comics. We don't need there to be "kryptonite fog", or for all the enemies to be super powered or something else stupid. Some concessions must be made for the sake of gameplay, but they should be innovative. For example, in the video game based on the 2006 flop Superman Returns, the health meter wasn't for Superman's health, it was for destruction to the city and how much was acceptable. Something along those lines would be more plausible than Superman being taken down by a random crack head.

2- Good cast

What is a hero without his villains? Batman Arkham City had a whole cast of villains, some of whom had very little to do with the story, but their inclusion was still cool for comic fans. If we're going to see a Spider-Man game, and the main villain is Dr. Octopus, I want to see Venom or Hydro-man, even if it's just for a quick cameo. Also, a good supporting cast is necessary. If we were to playing a Spider-Man game, we would need an appearance from Mary Jane.

3-References to the larger universe

Both the DC and Marvel universes are huge and have hundreds of characters to populate dozens of named locations each. If you're playing an Iron Man game, maybe you can cross paths with Thor, or one of the other Avengers.  Or if you're playing a Fantastic Four game you could run into a group of X-Men who are on their own mission. Just something to make the player think that the story of the game is just one of many going on at the same time, just like in comics. If there were multiple games that were set in the same huge universe, there could even be huge event crossovers, just like the kind that comics are so fond of.

4- Gameplay

Gameplay is paramount to a good super hero video game. You want to actually feel like the hero you are playing if you want to enjoy the game, and it should feel authentic to the character. You should feel like Iron Man, Green Lantern, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, and so forth.  Superman should basically be a god, and Captain America should realistically be a trained man in peak physical condition. The Arkham Games did a good job of making the player feel like Batman- you had his strength, his weaknesses, his gadgets, and the games even delved deep into Bruce Wayne's psyche to show us what kind of man he is. We need to feel that connection with the player's character.

5- Setting

Setting is so important in comic books that the cities the heroes inhabit  are synonymous with the characters. Batman has Gotham, Superman has Metropolis, Spider-Man has New York, Iron Man has New York, Punisher has New York, Daredevil has New Yor- Wow, really? The entire Marvel Universe is in New York apparently. I guess crime doesn't occur anywhere else.  Anyway, back on track, setting is important to the game. Whether it's the grim, claustrophobic that Arkham Asylum has, or the futuristic but still grounded in reality that Metropolis should have. The setting should fit the overall tone of the game, whether it's grim, hopeful, adventurous, or humorous.

There have been some good licensed super hero games, (Spider-Man 2, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, The Marvel Ultimate Alliance games) but the characters deserve more than the treatment they've gotten. Unfortunately, most super hero games are usually movie tie-ins, or so rushed that they are obviously cash grabs.  I hope that eventually other super heroes get a game to the quality of the Arkham games. Thanks for reading, leave any feedback in the comments!

-Note: This is a joke blog regarding the Game Informer Online 2014 Fantasy Football League.  It's aim is nothing more than silly smack talk.  Whatever cockiness follows this message, DO NOT TAKE SERIOUSLY, as more than likely my team will suck a**.-

If you don't already know, there are GIO fantasy football leagues going on, one of which I'm a part of.  I was a little hesitant at first to join, as the only other time I've done fantasy football it was an auto-draft league, but in the end I decided to throw caution to the wind and give a more serious league a go.  I couldn't do that bad on my first live draft, right?

Well, while I like my team, my draft did not go as planned.  Any players I intended to get were taken before I knew it, and for most of the draft I was picking players mostly based on the points they're expected to get this year.  So really, I don't know what to make of my team.  They might just be the GIO edition of the 2008 Detroit Lions.  Ultimately, only time will tell how I did.

Or maybe, just maybe, the Cerpin Taxmen (in keeping with combining The Mars Volta and The Beatles, I was originally going to name them the Abbey Road Goliaths, but decided that just sounded stupid), will be the equivalent of my beloved 2007 New York Giants.  The team that against all odds, despite a trying season, managed to defeat the undefeated, 18-0 (now and forever 18-1) New England Patriots.  And what were the 2007 New York football Giants to almost everybody who looked at them?  Underdogs.  Underdogs in the truest sense of the word.  I know that my fellow owners in the league might look at my team and possibly see an easy win.  You want to know what I see?  An underdog. Laugh at this pathetic display of sappiness and maudlin if you will, (takes deep breath to prevent self from getting emotional) but I've always been one to believe that in every underdog...(bites lip as the tears start coming) lies the heart of a true champion (cries football tears of manliness).  I look at my fantasy team and see in them the same spirit that's embodied teams like the '07 and '11 Giants, the '04 Boston Red Sox (I admit that grudgingly), the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, and all the other underdogs you can add to that list.  We may not win as much as everyone else, and it certainly won't be pretty, but that doesn't matter.  As the owner, general manager, and head coach of the Cerpin Taxmen, I put forth the notion that this team will not only be a great underdog story, but that they will be the GREATEST UNDERDOG STORY.  And that's all I have to say on that.

Now it's time to call out some of my fellow users competing for fantasy glory.

TOGNick

TOGNick, owner of the Bourbon St Skankzillaz, a well respected member of GIO.  He lost all respect I ever had for him when he stole the defense I was going to draft.  Now I look forward to kicking this old fart's a** in the season opener.  I ask you this, amigo: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO SON, WHEN I RUIN YOUR FUN IN WEEK ONE?  I'll be waiting for your answer, pal.

Chris MrkVicka

The commissioner of the Game Informer Online 2014 Fantasy Football League, and another well respected member of the community.  He seems like a nice guy, BUT THAT MEANS NOTHING IN THE WORLD OF COMPETITIVE SPORT!!!  This chump, for reasons I'll leave him to explain, was late for his own draft.  THE COMMISSIONER OF THE LEAGUE, LATE FOR THE DRAFT.  Makes me question the seriousness of this league.  I still respect you buddy, but answer me this: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, WHEN THE TAXMEN COME TO COLLECT FROM YOU IN WEEK TWO?  Probably run and hide, if I had to guess.

LetMeGetToACheckpoint

I already layed the smackdown on Checkpoint when I started some pre-draft crap talk a few days ago.  But just to reiterate: I WILL BE FILLED WITH GLEE, WHEN I SEE YOUR TEAM FLEE FROM MY TAXMEN IN WEEK THREE!!!  The Taxmen will collect any ounce of pride you have in your team, indeed.

Saturday Morning Replay

The guy who named himself after one of the best features on the site, and probably one of the nicest people on here to boot.  Saturday Morning Replay is the owner of the Blue Stingers in the fantasy league.  Much as I hate to tarnish a good Super Replay, I like to refer to his team as the BOO STINKERS, or the POO FLINGERS, or the DOO RINGERS, or the GOO DRINKERS (?)....Okay, so I ran out of steam on those last two, but regardless, let me make this clear to you my friend: YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN A QUITE A FIX, WHEN I EVADE YOUR TRICKS IN WEEK SIX!!  See you on the field, Replay.

Thegodofwine7

Like with Checkpoint, I've already minced words with thegodofwine.  I dissed his horrid taste in his namesake.  But hey, it always helps to reiterate a point: YOUR TASTE IN WINE IS TERRIBLE, AND YOUR ENTIRE COLLECTION SMELLS OF STALE CAT'S URINE.  Trust me, vengeance for my slight shall not be had, as my victory is assured.  I might've said that our match in week nine was going to be divine a fews day ago, but now I say this: VICTORY WILL ALREADY BE ASSUREDLY MINE, AS I DESTROY YOUR WINE, IN WEEK NINE!!  Don't cry too hard now.

Now that I've taken care of that, I present to you what will be the soundtrack to my season: a delightful mix of eighties cheese, combined with video game and anime music.  Enjoy!

Team Song: "Something So Strong" by Jim Capaldi

This song from the 1989 martial arts film Best of the Best (which I've never watched), is perfect for my team.  You want to know why?  Because the heart of an underdog and eventual champion is just SOMETHING SO STRONG!

Training Song: "Push It To The Limit" by Paul Engemann

With the fierce competition my team will be facing, you can damn well guarantee I'll be pushing them t the limit, montage style!

Victory Song: "Victory-A Gift of Spring" by Yasunori Mitsuda from Chrono Cross

You would think I would have chosen another cheesy eighties song to put here, and I almost did.  In the end though, I thought this song perfectly represented the glory and relief of a victory.

Loss Song: "Bink's Sake (Violin version)" from One Piece (warning: OP spoilers)

I imagine the pain I'll feel at losing a game, will be akin to the pain that (spoilers) Monkey D. Luffy felt when his crew was soundly defeated at Soabody Archipelago (on a serious note, you should definitely read One Piece).  I couldn't think of a better song to show that pain.

Post-Loss Inspiration Song: "No Easy Way Out" by Robert Tepper

But you  know what?  I'll realize that there's no easy way out of a loss, and I'll do everything I can to come back from one.

Down Time theme:"Do-Shin" from Oh! Edo Rocket

Because every team needs a chill out theme.

Weekly Planning theme: "The Magnificent Eleven" by Sam Spence

Decided to go old school NFL Films when I set my lineups and whatnot. 

Pre-Game Hype Up Song 1: "Million Way of Drum" from Samurai Champloo

Something about this song always gets me hyped up.  I imagine if I ever actually played football (serious note: always wanted to, never gave it a shot), I'd use this song to get me in game mode.  Being that I'm not a football player, I'll use it for my fantasy football team.

Pre-Game Hype Up Song 2: "Facing Three Admirals" from One Piece

On top of being an awesome manga and anime, One Piece also has some music that can get you ready to defend your nakama (means friend, if I'm not wrong) to the death.  My team are my nakama, and I'M READY TO FIGHT FOR THEM!

Pre-Game Hype Up Song 3:"Choose Your Destiny" by David Robidoux

You know, this fantasy league knows, and I know that I'm destined to win the championship.  Why? Because I choose my destiny that's why!

INTENSE MATCHUP theme 1: "Anti-Spiral Theme" from Gurren Lagann

This may sound like a horrifically ugly song to people who haven't watched Gurren Lagann, but in my mind it's a song that embodies struggle against a strong force.  I know some of my matches are going to be tough, and I'm prepared musically for that.  I'll make sure to yell "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?", at the turning point of a game.

INTENSE MATCHUP theme 2: "One Who Gets In Our Way" by Ace+, Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda, and Minami Kiyota from Xenoblade Chronicles

Quite simply a song to my fellow owners who are currently between me and the championship.  I look at them as simply one who gets in my way.

Championship Game/Winning The Championship theme: "Tryouts" by from Rudy

What better song for an underdog team to have, than the best song from a movie about an underdog?  I'll go all in when this plays and inevitably win the championship, too.

Credits theme: "I'm The Greatest" by Ringo Starr

I believe the song name will say everything you need to know when I've won it all.

So it begins my fellow fantasy footballers.  I'll see you chumps on the field.  Try not take your beatdowns in this season of the Taxmen too hard.

-And back to serious me-

In all reality, even though I can get quite competitive at times, I'm just in this for the fun of it.  I actually had quite a good time talking to some of my fellow GIOers this past Sunday during the draft, and I wish them the best of luck when the season starts.  Win or lose, I'm just going to try to enjoy myself.

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much I liked writing it.  Take care and thanks for reading!

New episode this week. We talk about putting the finishing touches on our game, Flickers, before sending it off to PAX. Two more members of our team join us this week - Katelyn and Pearce. Pearce talks about his recent interactions with Gabe Newell and I discuss gardening with Shigeru Miyamoto. Other highlights include: me making weird noises and Street Fighter impressions, Beth recounting her recent vacationing, and our answering of an email question regarding what game should a newbie with an interest in gaming play? 

I also giggle like an idiot throughout.

Click to hear the podcast!

Also, we're on itunes, so please subscribe!

We all know them. They are great games, but the devs, publishers, or sometimes both, fail to see it, so we, as the gamer community, have to go without getting a sequel to what we really loved. The following games are games that, at least for me, deserve a sequel, and yet, they don't have them. Note that a sequel is probably in the works for a couple of these games, but we(or rather, I) haven't heard any confirmation on these. This is just my opinion, so please don't take this for a fact. Enjoy!

(Half Life 2)

I can't believe that there isn't really s sequel to this game, but, with Valve doing what they do best, we still have not received, in nine years, a sequel to what has to be one of the best games of all time. And, with the story gap they left with both Half Life 2 itself and episode 2, they have some story points to wrap up, and a sequel would be the perfect way to do it. And, on top of that, I just want to be able to use the gravity gun in stunning Crysis 3 level visuals(we all know that Valve can do that, so the only thing we have to do it wait).

(Bulletstorm)

Bulletstorm is one of the most over the top games that I've really ever played(I haven't played Saints Row), so it was a breath of fresh air, being able to get something more light hearted that wasn't another Metro: Last Light or Call Of Duty: Black Ops II. And, on top of that, the whole kill with skill part of the game got to be immensely entertaining, trying to think of worse and worse ways to take out your enemies. This game didn't sell very well, but a sequel would still be nice, so I still hope.

(Dishonored)

This was definitely the best new IP from last year, but it is also, arguably, the best game from last year. The stealth gameplay felt so right, and it sort of reminded me of the older Splinter Cell games(which I loved). And it had a cool, albeit easily worn, story, which I enjoyed. A sequel would be amazing, and this, more than any other game on this blog, is possible, because Bethesda has shown a lot of delight in how well Dishonored did. So don't be surprised if we hear of a sequel in the works sometime by the end of this year.

(Rage)

I enjoyed Rage very much, although I know that I am about the only one who bought it, and I'm part of an even smaller club of people who really liked it. But, this game was fun, and it's definitely worth the time of day to play it. It made me wonder where Fallout is right now, but it also will hold me off until Fallout gets another game in the series. But at the same time, this game is just great. If id made a sequel, I would thank them. I just have to wait for Doom 4 to come out first(in 2016?).

(Fallout 3)

Remember what I said about a sequel to Fallout 3? While Rage can hold me off, nothing is like the real thing. A sequel to one of this generations' finest games would make me scream like a madman. But, with Bethesda doing the same thing as Valve, I don't think we will get it until at least the middle of the next generation of gaming, which does sadden me a little bit. But, I can, again, hope.

Hope that you have enjoyed this. My Bulletstorm review won't happen until at least the 22nd(blame UPS for taking until Monday for shipping), but I have plenty of other things in mind to keep you guys entertained. Tomorrow, I will probably put up my thoughts on either sequels or how I would develop a game(if you're interested in hearing that at all, tell me in the comments below). Have a nice day!

From here on out, we'll be discussing the game in a far more focused examination. Rather than a general review, this is for the story arcs and gameplay I participate in as I proceed through. Unfortunately though, until such time as I can provide myself with another ME3-supporting PC, I will purely be basing these observations on my PS3 playthrough. That all said, let's get started.

SPOILERS!

So, I've completed up to Samara's mission, which I'm going to just say right now was one of the least satisfying former-teammate missions out there. It's not a new aspect of Samara shown to us, neither does it really expand much of our knowledge beyond some unnecessary if surprisingly logical exposition on how the Asari deal with their Ardat-Yakshi. She's barely present to begin with and the mission feels so rushed that I imagine if you cut her out of the picture, you wouldn't even notice the difference.

She was always a reserved character in ME2, and a late-game party member, but she at least had some growth. We learned about her, dealt with her pains alongside her, and some of us even managed to nearly shatter her oh-so-perfect Justicar code with romance. Here? Here we just basically say "hi -- bye" and maybe stop her from shooting herself. Speaking of which -- I'm officially calling out the Justicar code as it seems incredibly prone to loopholes,contradictions, and downright inhumane (or insapient if you want to get technical) towards those who follow it. Samurai probably had less to worry about with their codes of honor. And why Samara is somehow "bound" to these codes in some semi-mystical thing is something we NEVER get explained that would be a hell of a lot more important. However, there are far more significant things to talk about.

I really do like some of the side content in this. The interesting ways to work around the problems in the universe and meeting allies in unexpected places. However, I'm deeply conflicted. I want to run head first and save the galaxy... and yet the game actually rewards me for spending as much time -not- doing the priority missions as soon as possible. In tandem with the fetch quests, I'm just left doubting what really has an impact and what doesn't. Getting a stupid totem pole raises morale and gets me assets, but stopping a bomb that could blow up millions of Krogan? Eh, maybe 25 war assets if you're LUCKY. What kind of logic is this?

I should be debating whether I have the time to get Macguffin #25, not debating about how many more I'm going to complete before I ever get around to that supposedly important story mission. I realize a Dead Rising 2 sort of time scale is hard to manage and would be difficult for most people but, you know what? This is the finale. I expect hard choices, and yet the only time I've had a bonus paragon/renegade option set was for a side quest that barely mattered to begin with. And unlike Bioware's claims, on PS3 I've been roughly 75% Paragon and there's always been a way to stick to that. In fact, the biggest decision thus far -- the Genophage -- has no real impact beyond how you want the story to go. The Salarians join you anyway after Priority Citadel, so what's the point? You basically just choose how and/or if Mordin and Wrex die. That's all it comes down to, as the numbers are the same in the end, they just might be under a different title for what kind of War Asset they are.

Which brings me to a further criticism of the War Asset concept. I right now, just with what I have in military resources, could just grind through the multiplayer, get morale up to 90-100%, and I would apparently have enough military force to have nearly maximum necessary strength to take on the Reapers. I haven't even gotten to the Quarians and Geth yet, and only recently got Kaidan back, but could be ready to fight Reapers, by indication of the game, with as little as four armies? Why do we even bother with the Crucible if you can build up forces THAT quickly? I realize before, left unpatched, gaining assets took forever, but I actually find that a great deal more realistic. And that's not the only thing that's been changed with the patch.

Everyone who's played through to cure the Genophage and kept Mordin alive knows how he dies in ME3. It is a moment in the game that, when I viewed it on Youtube a year back, brought tears to my eyes. His last performance is one of the saddest moments in the games. And yet, for some reason,  now he no longer sings. In fact, instead of that, he says just a few quick bits of generic "now we can begin again" crap that isn't nearly as true to the character and it feels odd I've never heard of anyone else encountering this. For reference, here's the original scene on Youtube:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Look, Bioware's been given enough slag as is for their changes to the final game but if this is some sort of snide come back at fans, I'm just disappointed.

On the more positive note, I am pleased to see some narrative explanation for each of the levels in the game's multiplayer. Oddly enough though, they never updated the maps to be like how they are in multiplayer. This sticks out most on Noveria, where the additional hallways are gone, but it's not that big a deal. I genuinely wish I could revisit the maps to raise morale and get more credits though -- similar in concept to the multiplayer but specifically built around singleplayer. There could even be an increase in difficulty so as to prevent credit farming and making every battle count.

Also, the new weapons included in this early mid-campaign levels are enjoyable. A rocket propelled sticky grenade launcher has become every pistol wielding teammate's heavy pistol of choice. While some guns are just statistically different with some new animations, others (such as aforementioned) are quite distinct and enjoyable. The number of mods are also welcome, although I wish that some mods, such as weight decrease, were available to more than one weapon. I'd rather only my sniper rifle having cover piercing mods if it meant I could carry more weapons, even if they'd be at a disadvantage of only having one combat-influencing mod.

Besides that... well, basically most of what reviewers praised the game for. Character moments often are good, especially Grunt, which was surprising since he barely registered for me during Mass Effect 2. Your choices deeply impact little things, but not necessarily the big ones, most of the time. I get the distinct feeling Tuchanka was a long-labored over piece of the game, considering the various outcomes for it. I would have liked to see maybe a bit more of Palaven, but the progress of the narrative makes sense so far.

So once again -- it isn't a bad game. I will state that every time Shepard has a nightmare sequence I am ready to scream, but likewise I've nearly been brought to genuine, non-negative tears by some potential deaths of characters I've grown up with.

Cheers,
Paradigm the Fallen

I don't need luck. I have ammo! -- Grunt

Trivia: It is possible to keep Mordin alive, but requires a specific set of choices to do so.

Today is the Call of Duty: Ghosts Multi player reveal, and a lot of information has come to fruition.There's a lot of info to digest, so I'm gonna try to keep it rather short.

They began with a trailer of a bunch of features, while a brand new Eminem song played in the background. It is apparently a world premier from his new album. So, some new multi player stuff. It's going to be a bit jumbled, because a lot of the information they provided was back and forth and integrated into all other new announcements

Complete soldier customization - appearance, clothing, faces, gender, camouflage. Approximately 20,000 combinations possible.

Classes are now your Squad - Instead of 10 classes, you get a squad. Essentially tailoring each soldier to what you want them to be. If you want a ghillied LMG expert, have fun, and so on and so forth.

Squads - Compete across all modes. Squad v squad puts you and your AI squad against another player and their squad, war game - which you hand pick 5 squad mates against 5 AI opponents, and safeguard - a wave based squad game mode

The AI will be refined and attempt to play like humans, ala like douchey kids who like to drop shot, jump shot, etc. I understand this is part of the game, but when you say that your game is realistic, this stuff tends to take away from the experience, as it's a cheap way to take advantage of the shooting system and mechanics. What makes it worse is that Infinity Ward is actually supporting this form of game play. 

Dynamic maps - Set pieces and scripted events you can trigger, like moving locations, falling debris/buildings, map specific kill streaks, and some destructible cover.

Kill streaks - 20 new kill streaks have been added, and they're also removing a lot of air based streaks to minimize the necessity to carry around specific equipment to neutralize them. Care packages, UAV, mini gun, sentry guns, juggernaut, choppers, are all returning, plus more. Also Riley, the campaign dog will be a kill streak. He will follow you around, help with CQC, and act as a personal UAV. Death streaks have also been removed.

The idea behind removing holding certain equipment for game play takes away even more of the strategy element of the game. I understand that some kill streaks were very overpowered in past iterations, but now making them ground based might even make it worse. 

Weapons - 30 new weapons have been added, they didn't go into specifics, other than a new gun class called marksmen rifles that looked to be like the FAL-DSW, M21, etc. Essentially single/burst/full auto high powered weapons that can have high powered scopes or normal red dot, etc.

Again this is something I don't like. Giving weapons full customization is an awesome thing. But the power of some of these weapons is great enough, and the whole quick/no scoping, and rapid firing semi auto rifles with no recoil give the game an annoying touch to it. This is another piece of annoying community fanfare they're embracing that I personally don't agree with.

Second screen - They're embracing second screen a lot. Seems like just enhanced stats, customization on the fly. There's also a lot more second screen options like touch screen emblem creators, clan operations, etc.

Weapon Overhaul - The system to building your squad (class) has been overhauled. For the first time since modern warfare 1 the new system is considered "most flexible." They've adopted the "pick 10" system from Treyarch, but is slightly redesigned with new/more perks. Every perk has a set point value from 1-5. The maximum quantity of picked perks is set to 8, without weapons it goes to 11. Now, XP gives squad points to unlock the usual - difference is pick what you want to unlock at any point, in any order. So, instead of classes, you singly level 10 different soldiers. Each soldier has 1 prestige, equaling the usual 10 prestige levels.

Strike Packages - Are back. They didn't go too much into it though. I'm assuming because it's the same as MW3, with assault, support, and specialist.

Game Modes - 
Cranked -It's TDM with faster pace. Every kill gives you faster movement, like reload speed, ADS, but with a timer. If you don't get a kill in the timer, you die. It's a similar idea to the movie Crank where he has to keep moving with adrenaline or he dies.
Search and Rescue - This is similar to Search and Destroy, but after your death, instead of being done, you can be revived. When you die, your tag drops. If you grab a teammates tag they respawn. If you grab an enemy tag they stay dead until the next round.
Squads - Is explained above. These are also considered in the new game modes.


Movement - Now the movement system has been more streamlined, so moving over cover, or mantling, is now easier and you don't lost momentum. They have also added in a leaning cover system where you don't need to press any more buttons, it will do it intuitively, and a knee slide to slide into cover, obviously.

Redefined Sound - The new system sounds good. Depending on where you are on the map, say a metal warehouse, or a carpeted room, the fire fights, and explosions will sound differently. They have also added in combat chatter which will help with locating enemies, and other things around the map without any prompt.

Field Orders - In the live demo, while they were playing a game of Cranked, the first player killed dropped a briefcase, the briefcase contains an order from anywhere to humiliate your opponent to a certain number of kills. If the player holding the orders dies, someone else can pick it up and try to complete it Upon completing this gets you a care package that could be anything. Now I don't know if this is across all game types or just cranked, but it's actually a cool idea.

Clans - Integrated clan support and in game challenging, as well as 2 week long Clan Wars involving maps, and challenges to determine a winner, all in game. Winning events will earn you exclusive gear, emblems, camo, etc.

Prestige edition - They had a really dumb video of the two guys from college humor showing off the prestige edition of the game, with a helmet cam that resembled a Go-Pro, and how it is shock and water proof. I don't know, I didn't get it. But there's obviously other goodies in it. Also, the season pass is back.

So, Eric Hirshberg stood on stage and said that there is a holiday every year in November called Call of Duty time, and referenced pop culture like how when the franchise was born Pierce Brosnan was 007, Ironman was only a comic, and the Avengers were something, I forget, but... there was something about this guy talking that gave me cringe worthy chills down my neck. Touting stats of what Call of Duty has done, how the series brings that "holy ***" reaction to gamers, bringing Eminem in for a shameless plug for his new album, and cameo saying to stay tuned for more information, and just overall trying to be too overly funny and culturally hip.

In my honest opinion, as someone who's been in love with the brand, Call of Duty is heading in the wrong direction. I get it, they want to keep making the billion they make every year. I'm all for companies doing their thing. I just don't really like how they're trying to market the annoyances of the game, like drop shots, and quick scoping, and upping the speed of the game, but still have the audacity to talk about the realism it portrays. They have actual US soldiers playing the game, yet none of the soldiers would ever do anything in the game. Again, let me reiterate, I understand the franchise is essentially a hero's idea of war, and supposed to be arcade-like super speed action. I just don't think they should be advertising it as realistic for anything other than their attempt at graphics.

The series is a mainstream thing, which is no problem at all, but it seems like they're having problems staying humble as well.The issue there, is that they're talking about game features that have been present in their biggest nemesis, the Battlefield series, for a little while now.

In the end, there are a lot of things I like about the idea of the new Ghosts entry. Enhanced customization, interactive maps, new game modes, bigger emphasis on clans, and a complete class overhaul. These are the things that need to push the soon to become boring FPS genre forward. Embracing the social media space, new generations of gamers and consoles, different styles of game play are all great ideas, and I hope they succeed in attempt to make the franchise seem fresh again. I just hope they don't lose site of what made Call of Duty a multi-billion dollar franchise in the process.

Call of Duty Ghosts releases on all major platforms, including next gen on November 5th, 2013

Rich

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Do I think the Christ has anything to do with indie horror games? No, don't be ridiculous. We all know he's a huge Dead Space fan.

Whoa...not even a cricket chirp. I think I'm losing my edge.

In any case, for this blog I opted for a more lighthearted topic. Horrifying atmosphere, gruesome and grotesque scenes of torture and suffering, phantasmal frights, you know...the fun stuff. Okay look, compared to the topic I've been writing about lately, this is definitely far easier to take. Maybe. I don't know. If you're squeamish...stick around. You have nothing to worry about ;) 

Those of you that have known me for the few years I've been on this site have already experienced my fondness for Amnesia, so don't expect me to go over all that again. However, Amnesia certainly stirred something in me. A sort of craving, a hunger for terrors that I just couldn't seem to get from the typical hum-drum triple A horror titles. Dead Space? You mean It Looks Dead but Really isn't and we're just going to throw so much gore at you to convince you somehow this is scary stuff...Space. Yeah...that title probably wasn't catchy enough for marketing. And don't get me started on Resident Evil. The only way that series will scare me is if it's the last game in existence and I'll never be able to play anything else, ever again.

Oh crap. I'm going to give myself nightmares... 

Seriously though, when it comes to anything horror, I'm hard to please. Always have been. Insidious is a crap movie as far as I'm concerned, but it shows up on so many top ten horror lists I'm starting to wonder if I somehow watched the wrong movie. And scary novels? Look, if you had even a GLIMPSE into my imagination and its everyday going-ons, you'd understand why "an inhuman scream reverberated down the corridors" typically results in me yawning uncontrollably.

But, for whatever reason, Amnesia got to me. And I have wanted more of that sense of absolute dread ever since. That's where all these indie developers come in. They consistently are able to do what none of these big name developers have managed to do-wet myself.

From spilling my drink you ass. Good grief.

Jump scares aside, the following games also do an excellent job of setting up a tense atmosphere. Here are some of my favorites.

Kraven Manor (Free)

It's a simple enough set up. Caught in the rain, you come upon a house and decide to take refuge inside. But as soon as you enter, an ethereal train of light beckons you towards another room...What follows is a short, but chilling experience with a very clever mapping mechanic that I wish I saw more of. Each time you enter a new room, you're constantly put on your guard by a particularly creepy stalker. I will simply say this-keep your eyes on em.

Cold Fusion (Free)

Another short game. This one has little in the way of actual interaction but the atmosphere is extremely creepy. Bodies don't stay where you left them and something sinister seems to be hunting you down within the abandoned military base.

Slender (The Free Original Version)

Even if you're not into the whole Slenderman mythos, you're bound to get the creeps playing this game. Set in a dark forest, you play as an overweight girl (I think anyway with how quickly she gets out of breath) with a cyborg eye or something. Your task is to find 8 pages detailing just how awesome Slenderman is to have as a friend. Naturally, I'm being a bit silly about it, but I originally played this game with my cousins and everyone got so spooked at one point, one cousin threw my mouse, my sister threw my keyboard, and I threw myself. Right out of the room. To grab a snack. What? You thought I had gotten scared? Pssh... It just so happened I was feeling for some Cheetos... Don't judge me.

Slender: The Arrival ($10)

One of the few games on this list that actually costs anything, this is based on the original Slender game mentioned above. Except everything's done bigger. Graphics are better, there's another creepy antagonist that stalks you as well and it's (in my opinion), the definitive Slenderman experience.

SCP: Containment Breach (Free)

Don't let the subpar graphics fool you. This game is likely to terrify the unsuspecting and overly confident. This game has an interesting blinking mechanic that leaves you no choice but to close your eyes. And in this game, that is just about the last thing you want to do. No matter how frightening things get, don't look away. That's the only thing that will save you.

One Late Night (Free)

Because of my job, I found this game particularly appealing. A seemingly normal office environment suddenly turns sinister when strange things begin to happen. Yet another short game, expect to knock this out in little over half an hour if anything.

7 Days (Free)

Fun little game with some pretty spooky frights. That's especially impressive considering this game has the most dated looking graphics of them all. No seriously, it's 8 bit :D Or...whatever...I dunno what it's called. Judge me at your peril, or something. Anyway the game is very well done, it's very mysterious and spooky despite its appearance.

Are all these games jump fests? Are they going to give you nightmares? I don't know! Stop asking me questions, ugh.

Look, these games are good and (for the most part) free. If you're like me and you're in need of feeling that sense of terror but your wallet is mysteriously empty because, darn it all, those bill collectors are like ninjas, then give one of these games a go. All you have to lose is a little time. All you have to gain is...well, that depends. How easily do you scare?

~EE

P.S. For the record, I don't hate Dead Space or Resident Evil. They're both really fun and whatnot...just not what I'd consider particularly scary. I prefer moody, atmospheric type games than straight up gore fests when looking for a scare. Also, clicking on the title of each game will take you to a download page to get it if you're interested in wetting yourself. That sounded weird. Okay, I'm done.

P.P.S For legal reasons, I am obligated to tell you that in the event anyone of these games causes you to have a heart attack, stroke, the fits, episodes of bed wetting, incontinence, and the like...that's all on you. If anybody tries slapping me with a lawsuit, I'm slapping them right back...with a tuna. But seriously folks. Stop reading my blog and start trying one of these games out!

Call Of Duty is one of my favorite franchises, and I have been buying COD every year on release since Modern Warfare 2. I started thinking about doing an archive review of every Call Of Duty since COD 4, but, instead of taking up about a week, I will combine all of these into one, quality blog. This is just my opinion, so please don't take this for a fact. Enjoy!

(Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)

Being the most critically acclaimed Call Of Duty in the franchise, and the only Call Of Duty that not many, if any, people have any gripes with. This game is the posterboy for so many different aspects of military first person shooters, with the greatest controls in the genre, beating out even Battlefield. The graphics are pretty good, and, for the time, beautiful. The multiplayer is amazing; almost perfect, and I can't find a single gripe with it. Even the campaign, which isn't COD's strong point, is also exceptional.

My Score: 10/10

(Call Of Duty: World At War)

After playing COD 4, this game was an even bigger disappointment. Not just because of the WWII setting that's been used to death, but also because non of the weapons were fun to use(except the ever so awesome flamethrower). The campaign was a bit of a let down, even though we did get a memorable character in Viktor Reznov. Multiplayer, while fun, couldn't hold me like COD 4 did, further disappointing me. The one mode that I will still go back to this game for is Nazi Zombies mode, which is extremely fun. But, even with Nazi Zombies, this was a far fetch from what was the game of it's year.

My Score: 8/10

(Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)

I had high hopes for this game. Being the sequel to COD 4, I was very excited for what I figured to be another game of the year. And while this game wasn't game of the year for 2009, it was a great game to own, and was my favorite multiplayer game from 2009. While the campaign was a narrative disaster(I had to go to the wikipedia page just to figure out the reason for Shepard's actions), the multiplayer saved this game, and the spec ops missions made this game great. The last game I think to earn a score above or at 9.5 as well.

My Score: 9.5

(Call Of Duty: Black Ops)

I wasn't as excited for this entry in the COD franchise. With Treyarch's last attempt disappointing me, I was wary about this game. But, I can say that Treyarch did this game right. The campaign was great, with characters that I actually cared about, along with a great story. Treyarch hit it out of the park. The zombies mode wasn't as fun this time around, and I only played it for the novelty of shooting zombies. The multiplayer is really fun, although it feels a little disappointing, compared to Modern Warfare 2. But, it's still able to keep me hooked even today. This game was pretty good, although it didn't impress too much.

My Score: 9/10

(Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3)

This game tried too hard to be epic. The campaign, while better than MW 2, is still a little disappointing. The narrative is, again, a bit of a mess until about near the end, where it fixes itself up and gives an incredible conclusion. The multiplayer is just great, and I don't think I wanted to stop playing, even for Battlefield 3. The spec ops missions are as good as ever, and the survival mode is great, rivaling zombies in fun. But, it still did disappoint me a bit, so I can't say that this game deserves the acclaim that it's predecessor.

My Score: 8.75/10

(Call Of Duty: Black Ops II)

At first, I wasn't going to buy this game. I was just not looking forward to this game, to begin with. But, after a while, I warmed up to the idea of near future warfare in COD. And I'm glad I did. With the best campaign since COD 4, I can say that this is my favorite narrative, more because of my choices in it. The zombies mode is very fun in this game, and is a very large improvement over Black Ops. I've played it a lot. The multiplayer is amazing, and it's my favorite of the franchise. This game is the best Call Of Duty game since MW2, and is about on par with that game.

My Score: 9.25/10

I hope you've enjoyed reading about what I think of each of the COD games, at least starting with COD 4. I will maybe get to write a blog about some of the dead franchises, and whether I think they should be brought back from the dead(some of them are given releases, but the new releases constantly are terrible). Have a nice day!

My custom painted Super Nintendo is finally done! For those of you who don't know about this project, check out my Part 1 blog; it explains the inspiration for this idea and what not.

This project took a lot longer than my friend thought it would as he stays very busy at his job where he does paint work on cars professionally. I don't care if this would have taken another year - it was worth the wait! I am ecstatic to have this incredibly awesome, custom console. Matt, I can't thank you enough for making my vision a quality reality. 

I don't have much else to say at this point. I'm just going to post a bunch of pictures of this project from beginning to end. Enjoy! :)

The Process:

"What?! A Dodge Viper?!" I added this picture to note something cool. Matt used what I think is actually called "Viper Green" which, you guessed it, is used on some Dodge Vipers. I LOVE IT!

I'm really pleased with how the stencil turned out! The graphics company that made it recreated it as I couldn't find something high res enough for them to work with. They were able to match the font and it looks EXACTLY like the comics logo (minus the Teenage Mutant Ninja not having spaces between the words).

Matt said, "My sprayer puts out 12 pounds of pressure. I was working in a large room with big grates on the floor. I was pretty nervous when I started spraying those buttons. I thought, 'If these aren't mounted correctly, they're gone.'" HAHA!

It's been awhile since we took this thing apart, so I brought over my other Super Nintendo for reference to make sure we put it back together properly.

The Finished Product:

There is a piece that covers that bottom connection, but the area next to the connection has too much clear coat build-up, so Matt is going to sand that down for me soon so the piece will snap in there without bowing. 

The lighting is really bad, but I wanted to get a quick pic to prove that we put it back together right and that it works! :P

Of course I'm biased because it's mine, my friend painted it, and I came up with the design for it, but I really do think this is the best looking Super Nintendo I've ever seen. I didn't expect the finished product to be just as good as (if not better than) some of the consoles online that inspired this project, but it definitely is.

My friends and I are having another retro video game day next month and I can't wait to play on this bad boy at that event! 

I see a lot of people commenting on how Battlefield 4 is exactly the same as BF3, even think that it is a scheme to dig into your pockets such as other games that won't be mentioned, or are just totally confused and wondering what differences there are between the two games.  Because of this, I figured I'd give people a few general reasons as to why I agree and disagree with the popular opinion.

I could write about all the specific changes such as Commander Mode, skins, kits, weapons, etc, but I'd rather just touch upon the most general and important aspects as to why this installment, or "remake" as some may call it, is a good thing.

1. Frostbite 3 - This engine is insane.  There is so much to be utilized here, it's sexy.  This is probably the most important reason for BF4 to exist.  Through the development, care, and upkeep of BF3, DICE now has a master grasp of this engine.  They know where they went wrong, what they can improve, and how to improve it.  Yes, BF3 used the same engine, but with such a degree of experience with the engine there's not any reason it shouldn't be taken advantage of and truly show what this beast can do.  Bring on Battlefield 4.

2. Demand - BF3 has held strong since it's release.  Who can deny the fun to be had within this arena of devastation, strategy, and beautiful scenery.  So many players still put hours into this game well after they've hit 100, because its just that damn good.  So, why not keep releasing DLC?  Why not keep releasing patches?  I'll be perfectly honest... because there's no money involved with that.  This sounds bad but it isn't.  It costs money to keep updating a game, so why would DICE and EA find it a good idea to keep pumping cash towards a game that's not the best it could be?  A game that players who've put hours and hours into grow tired of all the same bugs and glitches?  It's stupid.  Battlefield 3 offers so much content, and its very good, but again... it could be better!  People want it, so give it to them... except give them something better!  Bring on Battlefield 4.

3. The Past - One thing I love is DICE and their attention to the fans.  If anyone knows a game its obviously the turd who put 500hrs into it.  What are these fans opinions based on though?  Where do they gather these solutions and ideas for a better experience from a series they love?  Past installments, that's where, and by golly are the past Battlefield games as awesome as cheese on ***.  From what I've seen, BF4 is taking a lot of cues from the past.  BF3 seemed like an experiment, a new direction, a test.  Through this test they tested some new limits, and it worked great, but there are some things better left the way they are, and BF4 looks like its bringing the best back while keeping what worked with the juggernaut known as BF3.  Bring on Battlefield 4.

4. Market, Money, Masses - Our society moves quick and people get bored.  You've heard this all before.  Other games that are hugely popular, one's that we will leave out of this conversation, come out with regular installments either yearly or bi-yearly... and it WORKS.  It is annoying, but only when the content is sightly changed. I know this is the dilemma here with BF3 and BF4, there's not much difference, but as I've been trying to make clear, it's necessary in this situation.  Not to mention, in business, you have to compete.  If something your rival is doing works.... DO IT!  People demand new things, and fast, so it's a must in this market.  This is one of the uglier sides of the subject, but it makes sense and is worthy of acknowledgment.

5.  ITS BATTLEFIELD, DAMN IT!

Yeah, that last point screams fanboy-ism, but I only conclude with it because Battlefield is such an anomaly amongst the shooter genre.  The closest thing to it is Planetside 2, another great game, but wouldn't exist without the influence of the genius that steams off of Battlefield.

I know this is my opinion, but what I'm trying to get across is that this installment only makes sense.  If you're a fan of the series, buy it.  If you're curious about it but have never indulged, give it a shot, you'll love it.  DICE has had 3 full games and countless expansions and DLC's to perfect their craft, and that's what I'm hoping for with BF4: perfection.

And no, it’s not that lame Marriage theory.

I used to play Skyrim like you, then I got bored. Even if you haven’t played Skyrim, you’ve heard of the Arrow to the Knee Meme; and if you’ve heard of the arrow to the knee meme, you’ve heard an explanation or two for it. Today, I’m going to dispel a few theories, and bring a few more to light.

I like to start this by saying that the Game Designers from Bethesda themselves just came up with the line out of the blue; They didn’t mean for it to mean anything, and they certainly didn’t mean for it to be a meme. They just threw it in there. (Here the article I’m referring to) So even though none of these theories are ‘right’ so much as fun to talk about. So really I’m just finding the theory that’s the least wrong.

And to make thing easier, let’s just assume that Skyrim is based off Nordic Culture…. It’s not that hard to conclude.

1: The Marriage theory

This one, despite its popularity, is my least favorite and it also has the most going against it… even though it doesn’t sound that way. This theory suggests that “taking an arrow to the knee” is Nordic slang for getting down on one knee so you could propose to someone to get married. But there are already a lot of problems with this theory.

Firstly, getting down on one knee to propose is a Christian practice, and Nords aren’t exactly known for their devotion to the gospel. Secondly, to imply that Nordic Culture was Advanced enough to have a Sub-culture which would produce Slang Is ludicrous and lacking of hard evidence.

Thirdly, The things that the Dragon-Born do in Skyrim aren’t exactly top secret. It’s not uncommon to go into a city and over hear people say “The Dragon Born saved us” or something. So why then don’t they say anything about the fact that you took an “Arrow to the Knee” (marriage)? Even if you never speak a word, what about your spouse? Some of them run shops; word of your marriage would have to get around eventually.  And Fourthly, Speaking of your spouse; If it’s common custom to stop adventuring after you get a spouse, and the player clearly doesn’t stop once he/she gets married, then why is the Spouse so complacent about it? They could at least make a comment about they wished you’d slow down and stop adventuring, like so many before you.

And finally, the Man to Woman Ratio in Skyrim seems a bit lopsided if you ask me.

2: It’s an Excuse

This sound more plausible. Imagine, you’re tired of the adventuring Life style, so you decide to stop, but how to go about it without losing any Pride? The Answer; Fake an Injury. This would make sense, if it wasn’t for the sheer variety of tasks available in Skyrim. Seriously, If you ever get bored of Sneaking around pickpocketing poeple, you could go to a random dungeon and kill some stuff. Really you can’t get bored in Skyrim unless you’re trying.

3: The Game Theory

Rather than explain it, I think you should just watch this video:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

‘Over thinking it’ For the Win!

Well that’s all I got, tell me in the comment below what you thought, and be sure to tell me what you think about this meme.

Hey everyone! welcome to this weeks AGV, where this weekend i share my opinion of the video game world merging with the art world! Are video games art? Can a simple disc prove to major artists that not all art is in the form of century old paintings and 3 colors on a new piece that looks like a baby puked on it? Does a slice of pizza and coke really cost 20 bucks in France?! well find out if you read on in this Weeks A Gamers View!

What is an art?

What is an art? According to Webster, an art is the conscious use of skill in the production of Aesthetic objects. Yes, that is true to a point. but still; what determines an art? Is it skill? Patience? Ability? Agility? Prosperity or maybe perhaps Visually? When you hear the word "Art" many people thing of a bunch of french guys painting or people standing in front of a painting, but i want you to know Art isn't limited to the canvas.No, indeed Art stretches forth out to different places and activities! Some people say dancing is an art, others point out that archery, football,soccer, or even water polo are arts in this world. Fishers who compete for the biggest catch often look up to master fisherman and work to perfect their casting technique and refer to it as their art. Martial arts is about fighting and that's even referred to as an art! And there is so much more to name that's out there that I'd overload the Game informer site with the information let alone the list.

The skeptics and downers

When i say video games can be considered an art, i can hear and get ready to brace myself for the bickering and scoffs at my statement: " Video games an art? Pshaw! What a mindless waste of time!" It's amazing that a lot of people think that video games are still retro looking and violence and "Producing Mass Murderers of today! oh no!" supposedly, sandy hook was a result of video games, even though a little research and people that ACTUALLY knew him,  *cough* certain websites *cough* said that the only game he ever played or got into was Dance Dance Revolution "oh yay! A dancing game where it teaches me to swing my hips get jiggy to the butterfly song while murdering people LOL hur durr hur" uh, no. that's absolutely a ton of garbage i had to look into until i kept finding DDR in the articles. funny huh? Anyways, I'm here today to tell you that not all video games are killing and murdering and while some games i enjoy even though some may be exactly what i just said or similar... i have standards as well. some games i will seriously not touch due to the way they disgust me. even though all of that may be, there's still countless other titles that are just simply amazing that are out there! here are a few games that are considered and i hope are accepted as art in their own category right below us.

The beauty within

Remember "Journey" ? I still replay that game every other week or so (53 times so far) all because i cannot get enough of the beauty of the landscape or the expertness of the atmosphere! Another game i dug up to fit this article was a favorite and well known game called Little Big Planet. The games motto was simple to everyone who played: "Play. Create. Share." plain right there. did you notice the CREATE part? the to top it all off, "Share" was included right after! and as far as i know playing that game. there absolutely nothing, except in the online portion sometimes, that teaches anybody to go blast people with guns or whatever. In fact, i even heard that some of the levels and creators have been dubbed "Works of Art" and "Artists" in AND out of the game! that also is what gives the game it's spice. millions (yes millions) of levels have been formed and uploaded all because of one small studio that flooded the gaming market with their loveable mascot: Sackboy. these games i have referenced are just scratching the surface! There's still other games such as flow, limbo, thomas was alone, castle crashers etc. you wanna know something even better? books. yes, what makes a good book? the story the writer presents! and what is mostly in video games that are appealing nowadays? the stories and bonds formed between the character and the gamer! video games are basically being turned into movies/books with the new great stories and the cinematic sequences that are beautifully depicted; here are a few of these wondrous works: Uncharted, sly cooper, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy, The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, Heavy Rain, Skyrim.

A Gamers View

So in all this, i hope i stayed on the right topic this whole time, but all the works of art in video games that is starting to be recognized in the art world was accomplished by thousands and possibly millions of writers and studio developers with a determination to make their game known. everyday, more and more people begin to hear and see the beauty and the work that is taken to create some of these games (Flower was so peaceful and beautiful), but It's not just a hobby, It's a passion, a pastime, a bonding moment, whether between the character, friends or family, It's the light of day coming up in a glorious morning, a big bright moon on a perfect summer night, the yin and the yang, and...wait hold up here I'm losing my point here...oh yeah! most importantly, It's more than that when you meet another gamer that hails from the Atari era or possibly NES or somewhere around there that's still involved with the gaming of today. Then, you can say to yourself "wow, It's an art".

A Final Word

So, in conclusion: Indie developers, future developers, depressed gamers who wish they know why people depreciate the hobby of playing with a friend online or locally, Professional gamers who have lost their drive about why they compete with others and why they are sponsored to go to tournaments, your not alone. Just remember this: have fun, and look up Art in the dictionary,

(1) A skill Acquired by Experience

This is a skill, and if you practiced this long and improved in a certain genre you play online or locally, remember: It's anYOUR Art.I rest my case

"Let's show the world What Games and Gamers really are."

A toast to all Gamers,

-Alex

Crytek’s Crysis: Warhead is the standalone expansion to the original Crysis. Unfortunately for console gamers, the game is only for the computer at this  time, but who knows? Crytek may plan to port the game over sometime this year.  But for those of you who have the PC rig powerful enough to handle the game, Warhead is an essential buy for PC gamers.

The Story

The game follows Psycho from the original game instead of protagonist, Nomad, and follows a pretty similar storyline. You’ll find yourself running through lush jungle environments, ice vistas, and fighting off plenty of Korean and flying alien baddies.

What there is to be found here that doesn’t stray from what you got with Crysis, but the game definitely packs in a more cinematic, action packed experience than before in a more tightly wound, linear experience. It was disappointing that there was less freedom to explore and approach your combat situations in practically anyway I saw fit, but when I was out in the thick of it all, I didn’t really have that much time to notice the loss before all chaos broke loose and I was  under attack.

Unlike in Crysis, where it really took some time until we got a good look at the aliens and the opening levels focused more on the fights between you and the Korean army, Warhead brings the aliens onto the scene far more quickly. Yes, the Koreans are still there simply just to be a pain in your ass, but they aren’t the center of attention anymore.

One wild roller-coaster ride

Warhead was a lot like a modern Call of Duty game than it was a Crysis game. It was one roller coaster ride from start to finish, with relentless firefights breaking out every few minutes or so against one of the many glowing, little aliens.

And as with Crysis, the key to your success in practically every mission of the game was your Nanosuit. As before you can increase you speed, improve your  armor, buff up your strength, or even turn invisible for a short period of time. The ability to switch between these abilities on the fly make for some pretty  cool, unscripted action scenes as well.

The only clear problem I found with Warhead was how short it was. It almost seemed like the game was over in the blink of an eye. Cough, cough, Modern Warfare. If you enjoyed the extensive amount of hours you probably put into Crysis and were hoping for a similar experience, you’ll probably be  disappointed.

I beat Warhead in about six hours and I probably could have played through it even quicker if I had the difficulty setting tuned down a bit. But if you think about it, the game is just an expansion, not a sequel to the game. If this were Crysis 2, it probably would have been longer! Or at least I hope so.

And for those of you who fell in love with the graphics in Crysis, you’ll be right at home with Warhead, I just hope you’ve got a system that can run the  game. The game is once again a gorgeous benchmark that all games should look up and really shows off what can be accomplished with a speedy graphics card.

Crytek also shipped the game with Crysis Wars, which boasts an improved multiplayer mode that allows up to 32 people to play with each other at one time. And with 21 maps to choose from and a few game modes to play around in, Warhead should keep the competitive online gamer satisfied for a while. And even though the game has already been out for a long time, I never had much trouble finding a server to play on!

Closing Comments

Warhead is a fantastic expansion to one of my most favorite open world shooters to date and the expectations I had for the game did not go to vain. The story is an enticing one again, the graphics are beautiful, and the chaotic firefights at every corner of the game were a blast to experience. The game may not be as explorable as it once was, but I found it to be a small sacrifice for  the joyous experience I got out of the game.

If you have read my Metroid review, then you know why I'm reviewing Super Metroid. My friend Companion Cube has been pestering me to review it for longer than I care to remember, which naturally caused me to keep putting it off until later. Yesterday I finished a spontaneous, three hour replay, so I decided to review Super Metroid while I wait for God Hand to arrive in the mail. Are you happy, Cube? 

Super Metroid is a 2D metroidvania game. That means that you start the game with initially limited abilities and can only access a small amount of the world. As you gain weapons and upgrades, you open up more of it for exploration. That world is inhabited by a number of creatures to kill. There's plenty of freedom and empowerment, but that comes with a cost; backtracking, and plenty of it. After getting an upgrade, you'll often have to go back across places you've already went too to reach one you couldn't earlier. This should only really be a problem if you absolutely hate backtracking though. 

The story is near nonexistent, aside from the beginning and ending. The only lines of dialogue are a monologue spoken by Samus Aran, the main character, at the very beginning. There is some visual storytelling and something of a plot twist after you beat the second to last boss, conveyed with nothing but a broken object on the ground. The lack of a story actually makes the ending all the better, because it's so unexpected after the near nonexistent story attached to the last few hours. You probably already know what it is, through playing or having it spoiled, but on the off chance you don't I'll say no more.

Super Metroid has great atmosphere, mutually supported by the sense of complete isolation of exploring an alien world. The music does a great job of setting the mood and enhancing the atmosphere, and each areas theme music fits it well.

You get a well rounded arsenal of upgrades and enough firepower to obliterate anything in your way, with all kinds of unique ones like the Morph Ball that lets you go into small spaces with bombs that can be used to jump up higher, a grapple beam used to cross certain gaps, and a dozen others, several of which are optional. There's also creative uses for them, like using the Ice Beam to freeze enemies to use as stepping stones, or the grapple beam electrocuting a certain boss by making yourself a conduit for electricity. There are some balance problems though: What's the point of an upgrade that lets you jump higher when later you get one that enables jumping forever? The grapple beam is rendered useless by infinite jumping too. Aside from that, all your upgrades are balanced, and there weren't any weapons I didn't use.

For people who are new to the game, there appears to be a strict sequence of major upgrades to get. However, once you master mechanics like Wall Jumping, there are several instances where you can do things in a different order. Some people say they're exploits, and while at least a few of them are there are others that I swear the developer put there on purpose, considering how easy they'd be to prevent. One could be stopped simply by making the nearby enemies invulnerable to Super Missiles, and another by making a ledge slightly longer. They're hard to pull off, and the way I see it they're rewards for mastering the game and going off the beaten path.

The controls and physics are where time has been least kind to Super Metroid. Jumps feel somewhat floaty, and for some reason the developers put in a run button, rather than having you automatically run faster as you walk forward - this is responsible for the infamous 'noob bridge', something known to stop progress on a first playthrough for hours because the player doesn't know how to run. Wall Jumping is an exercise in frustration, and the controls feel even more dated if you've played Zero Mission or Fusion. It's still far from unplayable or bad, but it could be much better. 

A list of enemies in Super Metroid comes out to about 50, with all kinds of creatures, from the small, weak Geemers to massive bosses like Kraid. There are five main bosses and a number of minibosses. The main boss battles are all very good, but the minibosses are less consistent in quality. The first is rather boring and the Spore Spawn is a chore, but the rest are generally good. The final battle is arguably the best final boss battle in the franchise, but as I pointed out in my Metroid Prime Trilogy review that's not quite as great as it sounds.

Super Metroid is a classic. It's one of the best sequels ever made, in the sense that it both carried on the core ideas of its predecessor and greatly improved on it in just about every conceivable way. Even after just short of twenty years it holds up very well, and it's worthy of all the praise it gets.

8.75/10

Deploy the flame shield!

*Note. This review has not been edited to address the flame shield mechanics.

Don't forget to rate and comment.

There are several different types of war movies. There are the ones that focus on the war itself, like Saving Private Ryan. There are some that just focus on a very specific aspect of the war, like Das Boot (which, if you haven't watched it, I'd highly suggest you do). There are also those that use the war as a backdrop for the story being told, like Apocalypse Now. Full Metal Jacket can't be directly classified into any of those categories, and is a success because of it.

Full Metal Jacket, a film by the genius Stanley Kubrick, is a war movie unlike other war movies in that it doesn't follow the traditional themes of war movies. It glamorizes war, but in a way that makes it  more ugly than spectacular. The storyline follows Pvt. Joker from boot camp to the Tet Offensive. We don't know anything about his past, and don't know if he'll have any future, we just know what the movie wants us to know, which could get a little tricky and feel like it's forcing us to know these things, but never reaches that point. Joker's just another soldier trying to get through the war in one piece, and changes throughout his time there. The film is also unique in that it has two distinctly different parts to it, and they both feel like different movies. Personally, I find that the first hour is undoubtedly the best, and an example of just how fantastic Stanley Kubrick's filmmaking can be. But that's not discounting how great the second act is, as they're both worthy parts in their own right. Because of that, my review will be focus on each act independently and then take it as a whole near the end, so it could get a little long.

The first 45 minutes to an hour of Full Metal Jacket take place in the boot camp on Parris Island. There, we first meet Pvt. Joker and some of his companions there, like Pvt. Cowboy, Pvt. Snowball, and most importantly Pvt. Pyle. We also first come into contact with the incredibly vulgar and brutal Sgt. Hartman, who is played by R. Lee Ermey, who in real life was a boot camp drill sergeant. Most of his lines were improvised by Ermey, which is even more impressive considering how long he can go on yelling at the recruits. Overall, the cast does an excellent job making us believe what it would be like at  a marine recruiting center during the Vietnam War.

Over the course of the training camp, the recruits are endlessly ridiculed and made fun of by Hartman, and for some of the recruits it obviously takes a toll. Now, from start to finish there is incredibly vulgar language, homosexual jokes, and horribly mean spirited remarks, so if you have any problem with profanity in movies this would be a major turnoff. But if you aren't affected by language in films, this shouldn't be a problem.

As the boot camp goes on, things get decidedly darker and darker, as is usual for a Kubrick film. The end of this first section is particularly dark and shocking, and while I won't get into plot details, it's unfortunately a realistic example of what could happen when it gets too stressful in there. The storyline and ending of the first act could have greatly influenced some things in the second act, but unfortunately that was never capitalized on.

The second act follows Joker as a wartime reporter, collecting stories after combat, but never actually being in combat himself. This changes when his CO tells him and his friend Rafterman to go to a platoon of soldiers and fight with them to get a story on being at the front lines. There, we meet Cowboy, Animal Mother, and the other soldiers in the platoon. The rest is following them as they fight NVA, have some male bonding, and ultimately face off against a sniper. The storyline for the second act does get dark as it goes on, but fails to reach as powerful a climax as the first act, and doesn't emotionally resonate as much. While this is ultimately my opinion, I feel as though they could have done some more with what they had for the last 45 minutes. That isn't to say I didn't like it, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but feel that it could have been better.

As a whole, the movie is excellent. Strong performances across the board and exceptional writing make this one of the best war movies I've personally seen. This being the first time I've seen it, I was surprised to see how many references I know came from it ("This is my rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine"), and some of the themes that came out of it ultimately. The main theme I took away from the film is the duality of war and what it does to people, both before, during, and after the actual fighting. The main character writes on his helmet "Born to kill" without ever killing someone, and wears a button on his collar with the peace symbol. There's a helicopter gunner knowingly killing civilians but insisting they're NVA. A bunch of soldiers are singing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme while they're surrounded by destruction and death (upon research, I learned that Mickey Mouse was GI slang for something being stupid or senseless). It also questions our breaking point for this kind of stuff, when would we murder women and children for the cause of the war. Overall, it's a fantastic film, and I'd highly suggest it to anyone interested in the medium.

9.3/10

Anything you feel you need to say? Sound off in the comments, and please for the love of all that is holy don't spoil anything. Thanks for reading!

Video-games are an experience that’s precious to many of us, but they’re not the only entertainment that brings a sense of magic to ‘em. Though an avid gamer for most of my life, I can recall being a film fanatic for nearly as long. The 2013 movie season has been abuzz with films as much for theater-goers as it has for me and it’s only right that I pay tribute to them somewhere for anyone who’ll read, and I thought Game Informer no better a place to find a few movie buffs who can appreciate my musings. Movies have been as prestigious of a retreat for me for just as long as video-games have, and it’s unfortunate that I often don’t have the time/money to see enough of them. For that reason, a majority of my films are older ones delivered from my friend Netflix or Walmart DVD sales, but I always love squeezing in a few of the latest hot blockbusters. You’ll find both in this list and I hope you can find them just a little interesting. 

As many movies as I’ve seen already this year, it would be an exhausting, even premature feat, to number them all now. With Thor: The Dark World, Catching Fire, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smog, I’m far from done with this year just yet. Therefore, none of the films listed here will be numbered on in any way ranked and probably won’t be until closer to year’s end. For now, I’ll do the list the justice of being named Phase 1 of my 2013 picks, (so aptly inspired by Marvel’s pre-Avengers movie lineup) until I’ve full exhausted my viewing pleasure for the year. Check back around December and you’ll no doubt find my official top ten and honorable mentions in their completed form.

It's not too long ago that many people on the site have been asking how The Wolverine was, and click to page 2 to see it along with the summer's other big superhero flicks. Otherwise, enjoy reading my own home selections from earlier this year. See you at the movies!

Note: As I try to do with all of my game reviews and otherwise game-related blogs, there are no spoilers included in the various films I review below. 

Star Trek: Nemesis

While I owe much of my passion for film to George Lucas's Star Wars saga, Star Trek, especially The Next Generation, has been a series just as close to my heart. It was shameful then that I had missed Captain Picard and crew's last voyage in 2002‘s Star Trek: Nemesis. Popping it into the Netflix que early this year, I can say that I was both glad and sad I did. At its start, Nemesis begins like that of a Star Wars film. The Romulan Senate is hit by a terrorist attack, killing its heads of state and leaving the Tom Hardy’s creepy, enigmatic Praetor Shinzon, to seize power and wage an impending war against the Federation. The crew of the Enterprise inevitably step in and the typical political intrigue and sci-fi tropes ensue. I initially enjoyed Nemesis’s promises of a more character-driven, action story even if short on Trek-style exploration, but after the first half-hour the film seemed to lose its way in what it wanted to do with its cast. Full of shallow characterization and randomized twists, Nemesis stumbles over itself trying to tell its story and generally fails to develop its star people. Shinzon progressively lost my interest as he crossed into the territory of the most stereotypical, mustache-twirling villain. His complexities fall short of feeling deep, particularly his lackluster secret origin, with his “dark mirror of Picard” only proving how being the opposite of Patrick Stewart awesome is something uncool to be. Data’s separate story-arc with his android brother of B4 was the closest to feeling personal, even if rehashing the old territory of “Do robots have souls?” we’ve all heard before. It’s unfortunate that B4 was only as poor comparably to Data as Shinzon was to Picard, for what potential it had and the same can be said for Data’s final scenes. The near saving grace of the film is that it’s pretty to watch even for 2002 CGi and the spectacular ship battle and ensuing crash at its end is worth seeing. Still, such effects are short from winning me over entirely and I would say I was generally disappointed in the Enterprise E’s last outing, even for all the potential it had and ‘tis a shame that TNG’s chances at another try.

        1998's Les Miserables 

      (Blogger’s Choice)

Many of you may immediately think of Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe's singing tirades of 2012 when recalling adaptations of Victor Hugo's 19th century French classic, but make no mistake: I'm reviewing one of its lesser known films, namely Liam Neeson's 1998 version of the same name. In a stark, even refreshing contrast to Les Miserables’ musical adaptations, Neeson’s Jean Val Jean is exposed to no singing or broadway showboating at all but nevertheless carries a great emotional weight to it that does the story’s sobering plot justice. In an abridged version to the original tale, Jean is a petty thief on the run after having violated parole and being imprisoned for 19 terrible yrs. for stealing a mere loaf of bread to survive on. Pirates of the Caribbean’s Geoffrey Rush then plays the psychotically obsessive inspector Javier intent on catching him. From there the film chronicles the two’s life struggles over the years as Jean evolves from a selfish, broken man into a noble surrogate father to the daughter of a woman he took upon himself to protect. Both Neeson and Rush’s performances are spectacular as they clearly show you how each has transformed themselves into opposites of what they had been at the start and, as in the 19th century novel, presents its own subtle ways of using its included events of the French July Revolution to further ask its audience how far the law trumps moral codes in all of us. Is it slow at parts? Yes, it can still seem to drag with the occasionally long monologues, but as long as they’re said by either Liam Neeson or Geoffrey Rush, you’ll find yourself engaged in them. I’ll probably never be interested in 2012’s musical short of rewatching Anne Hathaway’s stellar performance on YouTube. For me, 1998’s Les Miserables is my Les Miserables and a high point for my viewings this year. 

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

After seeing Forest Gump this year, it was both ironic and appropriate that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button soon followed, as much as it can be touted as the great character journey of the 2000s. Unlike Forest Gump, it was a bitter-sweet mixture of elation and frustration that’s made it one of the hardest movies for me to discuss. On one hand, Benjamin Button is probably the most beautifully made film of the last decade to watch as a piece of art. The period-pieces, historical wardrobes, and combo of makeup and CG effects capture Benjamin’s aging flawlessly. In the other, you have  miscast characters and poor pacing that put a wrench in the movie’s otherwise terrific plot. Like Tom Hanks’ film, Benjamin Button does an admirable job at setting up an epic story covering a man’s life from one end to the other. The peculiar, or should I say, “curious” element of aging backwards is treated as brilliantly of a device for alienating Brad Pitt’s Benjamin Button from a normal life as it did for F. Scott Fitz Gerald’s original story. Throughout Benjamin’s life you get to see and feel his pain of living a life he can’t share with people he’ll always be doomed to be younger or older than and wonderfully feel the personal demons of circumstance he deals with. It’s most unfortunate that Cate Blanchet’s striking lass of Daisy outshines Brad Pitt’s decidedly dull performance and it’s that gap of quality that, for me, made them a terribly awkward couple. While the film further opened and ended on a deeply captivating note, the middle dragged considerably was they stayed far too long on Benjamin’s middle-aged years for far too long without the continual evolution that made him interesting. It’s then difficult to weigh such pluses and minuses for what’s still a fundamentally intriguing film. I’d no doubt have to put Benjamin Button somewhere in the middle thanks to a few missteps, but regretfully so for all it still accomplishes and still could have if it only went farther.

I Am Legend

The Last of Us this year has invigorated the post-apocalyptic genre for many gamers this year and it’s hard not to take at least a few notes from Will Smith’s fascinating version of it. Unlike its contemporaries in the genre, the initial set-up of I Am Legend isn’t a bullet-ridden story of zombie-slaying or government conspiracy theories, but rather the greater terror of being left alone in an empty world of. . . nothing. It’s that unique element that makes I Am Legend a startling contrast and an addictive sight to see. Opening with the foreboding image of a silent, wasteland of New York City, Will Smith’s Robert Neville’s life is introduced as a lonely existence with no one but his faithful dog as a friend, surviving day to day hunting for food in the middle of Brooklyn against wild animals and the city’s few mutated, savage humans. The clever use of flashbacks further fill in the gaps about the origins of the apocalypse and Nevill’s own role in it and are thrilling to piece together the truth once all presented to the viewer. From moment to moment, the film is riddled with the half-sobering humor of being able to have a whole city to play with yet no one to talk to about it, making I am Legend a film with “What If?” questions that are interesting to digest. It’s only complemented with equally intense scares by the mutants akin to the Last of Us that give the movie a great mixture of sci-fi thriller/mild survival horror. It’s too bad that the Neville’s ultimate end in the film is quite disenfranchising compared to the movie’s start. Oddly, the more Neville battled mutants the more it seemed like the movie got progressively less engaging than its quite moments of isolation. Both the original or director’s cut failed to satisfy my desire to see Neville meet a worthwhile end, even if it was indeed an inevitable one, but I can’t help feeling that something more definitively hopeful would’ve been written in even if it would’ve been cheesy. I liked I Am Legend for a long, long time and I may still give it a high score at the end of the year, even in spite of its latter half. 

       Titanic

I wasn’t one of the many people to be tortured with the frequency of Celine Dione’s classic theme music, but one way or the other, I couldn’t hope to be an eventual film buff without having seen Titanic at least once. An enjoyable film from start to finish even if worthy of some legitimate criticism. Titanic easily sets itself up as the holy grail of love stories and in spite of its over-determination to be so, it ultimately worked in ways I didn’t quite think it would. Ordinarily I think little of either Leonardo DiCaprio or Kate Winslet, the two worked well enough to satisfy the goals of the touching story director James Cameron put forth in the film. DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson is the classic pauper to the high society princess that Winslet’s Rose DeBukater is modeled as and the plot very much follows those tropes: Boy meets girl, girl is amused by but can’t really allow herself to be interested in boy, has evil fiancee she’s forced to marry, girl rethinks life plans, boy and girl end up together, but not quite. I still may have an agenda to set by admitting my underwhelmed appreciation of either actors’ somewhat stilted acting, but their moments are written well-enough where I forgot about it in favor of their genuinely emotional moments. Their voyage together on the Titanic, as any of you most basic history buffs should know, is doomed and their story does not exactly end happily. Nevertheless, its utter tragedy is the saving grace of the film and sincerely made me cry. Even this many years afterwards, Cameron’s still stunning ship effects look great and film’s last, heartbreaking scenes with the ship’s other passengers instills the tragedy at the heart of the romance. The present-day segment at the end is priceless and what I’ll remember from my experience rather than Jack’s infamous “I’m the King of the World!” d!ck line. A part of me could write off Titanic as a copycat romance of so many other films, but Titanic’s special moments overrides that urge to admit it as an experience worth taking.

     Forest Gump

      (Blogger’s Choice)

It’s hard not to overemphasize how much Forest Gump touches a special place in your heart. Oscar award winning and a still frequently talked about icon of the film industry’s, Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis’ 1990s masterpiece has a lot of hyperbole behind it, and rightly so by my count. To describe it to a movie-watcher, or even pitch it to a movie studio back in the day, Forest Gump’s soul is a difficult sell. In truth, it’s a film about basically nothing but a person’s life. We see Tom Hanks’ character of the film’s namesake traverse the course of both is own personal journey across some of the most historic events of the 1950s and 60s not to learn about himself at all, maybe just to observe the struggles of others. While maybe a weakness, that fresh and unique grab is what makes for the film’s greatest strength. The plot flows naturally thanks to an amazing cast along with its great storytelling. Tom Hanks performs with every bit of the Oscar-winning emotion you expect of him, with a keen eye capturing Forest Gump’s mental handicaps. Supporting cast members like Sally Field, Robin Wright, and Gary Sinise only complement such great acting with their own respective roles that further help bring Forest to life. Though brilliantly plopping Forest into the middle of such big, bold events from the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, Watergate, and the like, Forest Gump is a film about quiet moments. Its emotional value resonates in the tenderest of scenes it beautifully captures just between a casual conversation with a subtle, sweet natured way that wins your heart. I’d like to believe that nothing in cinema’s ever truly perfect, but when I think of Forest Gump, I still can’t recall anything it did wrong in what it sought to achieve. If that year of 1994 netted me The Shawshank Redemption, then Forests Gump is probably the best thing I will see this year.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

    (Blogger’s Choice)

Monty Python’s easily one of the most culturally recognizable comedy acts of the late twentieth century that I had never up ‘til now seen in action, but that all changed with their famed debut into irreverent Arthurian legend. I can say that half of their jokes were nearly ruined for me thanks to my Python officianado parents’ constant references to them throughout my childhood years, but the ones that did surprise me did in quite the hilarious manner. Knights galloping to the sounds of coconuts, vastly random dance numbers, and sarcastic Frenchmen can’t begin to describe the tip of the film’s iceberg of comedy to a non-viewer, but rest assured that the decades can only take so much of the movie’s timeless appeal away from it. Whatever you can think of that’s off-the-wall and totally disregards all history and traditional film-making is what’s probably done in Holy Grail and all for the better as wacky and amusing as Monty Python can be. True, it doesn’t have nearly the same re-watch value after you’ve heard the jokes, but you’ll most likely repeat them to yourself long afterwards. Friendly warning: Don’t drink any liquids during this, you’ll probably be spewing it chuckling out all too often.

Independence Day

There are classics, there are complete duds, and then there are movies like Independence Day. While I could easily write it off as yet another example of Roland Emmerich and Hollywood's addiction for explosions, gunfire, and macho swagger (and I still just might), I stuck through all 2 and a half hours of it for a reason. On one hand, there's at least half of Independence Day that I'd write off as utter annoyances. All the while there's something about this film that strangely engaged me, whether through its hilariously bad dialogue to its ludicrous characterization. Like many Roland Emmerich films, the heart of the film is dedicated to overblown, crazy big special effects coated over with a slim commitment to a few outlandish characters who participate while not feeling necessary. Aliens attack in their most traditional fashion of launching saucer-shaped UFOs all over the earth (but namely America as always) and proceed to blow the crap out of us humans for reasons only known to hostile aliens. Jeff Goldblum is your classic geek with all the answers and none of the charisma. Will Smith is the hip and happen’in fresh prince of, uhh, the Air Force, and an alien-punch’in bad-ass to boot. The two make for the oddest yet amusing pair and they most certainly represent the irreverent tone of the rest of the film. Bill Pullman’s non-chalant most cheesily quotable presidential speech to the bombardment of special effects everywhere, Independence Day makes no mistake in trying to create a serious undertone, and maybe that’s forgivable given how comedically fun the movie can be when it’s not boring you with pointless character development in comparison to the explosions and wisecracks it obviously is better at. In the end, I can’t defend Independence Day as a good film, but it is a good time for patriotism and a grand ‘ole does of alien squashing. (^ Above: Eat your heart out Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx.)

The Fugitive

Harrison Ford’s been a staple of my childhood ever since George Lucas’ series introduced me to him, but it was about time I explored more of his library of films outside of rolling boulders and lightsabers. My first step in that endeavor has been The Fugitive, a film I can say is simply good from start to finish. Exactly the movie its title advertises it to be, Harrison Ford’s Dr. Richard Kimble is the classic man on the run for the crime he didn’t commit and carries with him all of Ford’s typical every man charm. He’s smart, clever, and quick witted when it comes to a fight or a banter contest with Tommy Lee Jones’ U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard. All business and a perfect strategist, Gerard is a perfect foil to Kimble and the cat-and-mouse game played between them is the device that the movie sets itself around to entertain. The Fugitive doesn’t bat an eye about shoe-horning in satisfying chase sequences and a cool train-crashes, but that’s not to deny it’s talent at delivering a nice plot twist regarding the real culprit at the heart of Kimble’s alleged crime. The Fugitive’s an action-packed, character-driven thriller that certainly pleases, but it’s undeniably simpler than most perhaps due in part to its devotion to entertaining with the simple joy of cops and robbers. If you utterly enjoy watching Harrison Ford play anybody for two hours of a good ‘ole Chicago manhunt, you’re still in for a treat and 

Ironman 3 

In many ways, The Avengers seemed like Iron Man 2.5 with how much Tony Stark we got throughout the film, so as I thought earlier this summer, was Iron Man 3 a waste of time? Thankfully it wasn’t and despite its divisive twists and turns, it’s arguably the best Iron Man film to date. In light of the Avengers, Tony’s devolved into a moody, paranoid version of himself from the carefree playboy inventor we last saw him as since his near death experience at the hands of an alien army. He’s as much a victim of his hubris as we’ve seen him and all the while he’s more committed to his suits than the people he cares about. It’s an interesting position to put Tony in and its refreshingly sobering element pays off in balancing the film’s still present humor. The typical amount of Stark wisecracks abound while feeling less blatant than less entries and this time more people seem to share in it. Rhodey and Pepper’s roles, even if still bitterly small, are nevertheless granted better screen-time than they have before and getting their hands on Ironman tech are probably some of their neatest moments thus far. Down to Tony’s Disney-esque sort-of kid sidekick, Ironman 3 does an admirable job of making even the most naturally campy scenes feel entertaining, mostly thanks to Robert Downey Jr.’s always awesome skill at improving a situation. The film’s true test comes down to the villain that it bets all its money on: The Mandarin. It’s one of the most divisive issues at the heart of this otherwise good flick and though I understand those who cannot forgive its (*ahem*) “non-canon” twist, I found it to be nothing but amusing and appropriate for the world the film was setting. That said, Guy Pierce’s side-villain of Aldrich Killian indeed feels stale and short of a winning personality, and it’s sad that his greater, fire-breathing presence towards the film’s end doesn’t improve it. (Yes, I said that right.) Ironman 3 hits enough right notes to be a fun ride and if you’re watching the calendar ready for Avengers 2 to come out, Tony won’t let you down with this appetizer.

   Skyfall

  (Blogger’s Choice)

I'm not what you could call an expert on the spy genre, but what I saw of last year's latest Bond outing impressed me on a level I never expected. Though already established in the series with his two preceding movies, Daniel Craig’s Bond never made me raise an eyebrow until now. Like that of Batman, Ironman, and Wolverine, Craig’s Bond is a man seeking to rebuild himself from the comfort zone he’s wasted away in. He’s older, he’s slower, and in dire need of reinvention in the face of more terrifying enemies than before and he get just that with a grander bout of action and intrigue than I imagined myself enjoying. The movie opens with as big of a bang as you could want out of a spy film. The motorcycle chase through Istanbul and an ensuing train fight straight out of Uncharted 2 makes for a spectacular introduction to Bond’s soon departure from MI6’s services, seemingly forever. It’s Javier Bardem’s creepy, fascinating menace that brings him back into action and in quite the brilliant way. Many bullets, subway crashes, and fisticuffs of awesome later showed how much older Hollywood actors, namely Daniel Craig, should not be underestimated. For all the terrific action sequences of director Sam Mendes’s, it was the quieter, more subtle moments of Skyfall that impressed me. I at last got to care about a Bond movie’s supporting cast for a change, liking the fresh, contemporary takes on Miss Moneypenny and Q, with Judy Dench’s M as a commanding leader. Most of all I liked getting so see a different side of 007. He kicks butt as hard as men half his age but manages to keep a more telling sense of vulnerability to him than spies often show and Skyfall takes him into ponderings that reflect where our societies of secrecy and extra-judiciary ethics can lead. I won’t say that I was entirely in love with a few typical spy cliches of the random love scenes and a bit too stony-faced moments from Bond, but Skyfall has convinced me that Bond movies of this formula are more than worth seeing. 

The Prestige

From Inception to Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s arguably the most trustworthy director for telling the mystery and psychological thrillers I’ve grown to love, and The Prestige is generally no exception to that high bar. Alongside its all enveloping story of revenge, lies, and the seeming supernatural, it pits two of my favorite superhero actors to tell it, namely Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Both play their respective turn-of-the-century magicians to a T and it’s all for the better as much as their lives carry the film. A classic twice told tale, the movie does a remarkable job at setting up both the two’s obsessive rivalry of becoming the best at what they do. Bale’s Alfred Borden and Jackman’s Robert Angier equally draw your sympathies and it’s a dangerous yet enthralling game of chess they play to outmaneuver the other, even at the often tragic cost of their families’ devotion. The Prestige goes the extra mile to throw in the real-world theories of Nikola Tesla as a platform for exploring the pair’s race to discover Borden’s secret to “real magic” and it’s those ideas that brings an addictive complexity to the film, perhaps to a fault. The movie continued at such a brilliant pace for so long I never wanted it to end, yet when it did, I fear that it nearly lost me. The final revelation of  Borden’s is, in short, a startling and utterly strange one I neither saw coming or even truly understood. Maybe the film demands multiple viewings to key myself in on the clues I’m sure The Prestige laid out for me without knowing it. Regardless, I still have great respect for story and characters that Nolan set up and after a 2nd viewing sometime, who knows? Maybe there’s another curtain of magic I never knew was there.

The Man of Steel

If you don’t count Superman’s inglorious return in 2006 (I sure don’t), then the world’s still been waiting for a fitting Superman epic for over 20 years; that is, until Christopher Nolan and Zak Snyder finally took charge with Man of Steel. The result? It’s a complicated one and perhaps not for the reasons you may expect. We may have already seen it done a million times, but I nevertheless desired to his origin done right on the big screen. In truth, Man of Steel tells Clark Kent’s story the same as always. It’s not a spoiler to say that the film goes through the motions in telling us the age-old tale of Clark Kent: his adoption by human parents in Kansas and his childhood being of living a lie to keep his secret hidden. What’s more interesting is the brief yet explosive snapshot of Krypton. For what little time we’re allowed to see it, Krypton’s beautifully rendered with a fully realized society not apparent in other series and some action that at last capture it’s eventual fall. Russell Crowe’s Jor-El plays a wise, sagely father figure who provides Clark the knowledge as much as Kevin Costner’s Jonathan Kent instills compassion. Both impressed me and it’s a shame that neither had the screen-time they deserved. It’s only further disappointing that those with face-time generally failed expectations. Despite his attempts, Henry Cavill struck me as the same bland personality of so many other Superman actors and while I thought marginally more of Amy Adams’ sassy Lois Lane, either on-screen. Michael Shannon’s Zod only fell flatter, representing all the shallow complexities I saw in Bane while reflecting the almost comically bad evil that too many comic-book movie villains are demonstrating. One can still praise the action set-pieces of Man of Steel, but like some said of Lone Ranger, Zak Snyder may clearly not know when to stop them. The final battle, as entertaining as it was on paper, reminded me more of Transformers’ exhausting action montages than of a superhero movie and distracted my attention away from the characters. While l the Dark Knight Rises may have had hiccups, Man of Steel bulks those same problems up on steroids and it’s most unfortunate for as many ideas as our boy in blue could’ve used for this generation.

     The Wolverine 

        (Blogger’s Choice)

After X-Men Origins Wolverine’s slap in the face to my favorite X-man’s legacy, I was afraid that good ‘ole Logan was about to hang up the claws for good as far as solo films were concerned. That fear was erased after this year’s The Wolverine. Caught up in the kind of mid-life crisis of most superheroes by this time in his series, Mr. 6 claws is broken, alone, and very, very angry following Jean Grey’s death in X-Men: The Last Stand and remains in hiding up in the Canadian hills (as usual) with a vow to never kill again. Knowing Marvel, that’s quickly broken thanks to his ensuing journey to a long-forgotten place of in his past. He’s soon invited back to the same Japanese shores he fought at in World War II by an old friend with the promise of being granted a chance at death to end his suffering. The tug-of-war between choosing life or death is what fuels The Wolverine as the most engaging story Logan’s ever been put through in a while and it’s for the better as he constantly challenges himself to find something worth living for. The movie begins with all the grit and darkness it carries from end to end, starting with its flashback to Logan’s survival of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima to his spectacular fight aboard a Tokyo bullet-train. In spite of the amount of PG-13 impalement Logan can take in one sitting, his story isn’t without its impressive amount of characterization. For the first time in a long time, Logan feels vulnerable without his powers for a short period in the story and Hugh Jackman one again proves that he’s the best at what he does when its Wolverine you’re talk’in about. It’s equally impressive that the film champions feminine heroes like The Wolverine’s cool ninja-girl warrior Yukio and the tender romance that Mariko brings to Logan’s life once more. Pair that up with well choreographed fight scenes and you have a greatly satisfying Wolverine film that never feels as long as it is. The film’s admittedly not without a few flaws, namely a very poorly acted villainess and a disconcerting change in tone from the international action-thriller it is to the rest of the movie’s more sci-fi brand. Still, The Wolverine’s cast always seemed to carry on the story in spite of such oddities and however you feel by the film’s end, the post-credits scene will more than make up for it. Guaranteed. The Wolverine, in my mind, is the Wolverine film that Marvel could’ve hoped to pull-off and arguably my superhero pick of the summer. Maybe Wolverine’s last day ain’t here just yet.

Seen any of these films yourself, or interested in them now? Or have a film from this year just have to give a shout out to? I’m all ears to your comments below and stay tuned. My 2013 film viewings are far from over, and I’ll see you next time for phase 2. I’m far from resting my eyes from the silver screen just yet. . .

P.S.: I will be seeing Pacific Rim tonight, (yes I know I'm late) so stay tuned for my review. . .

Part 6 of my playthrough of Quake 4 is now live! Hope you guys enjoy it!

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Probably being the second most controversial game in the Zelda series ( Spirit Tracks taking first place), Skyward Sword still tends to receive alot of criticism and alot of praises from the fans... Mostly criticism. Whether it be too linear, the worst companion ever, or the topic of this blog, the motion controls. I cannot get onto a forum about Skyward Sword and not see any comments on how stupid or gimmicky the controls were. " The controls were too uncooperative" or " Motion controls ruined Zelda" are the majority of complaints I hear about this game. What do I think of the motion controls? Well, while they're not perfect, I think they work and feel great.

Using the Motion controls to the fullest potential, Skyward Sword delivers by having the controls capable of capable of  almost 1:1 motion tracking- the controller can track axis, tilt, and velocity with far greater precision than its predecessor, Twilight Princess This control scheme makes the sword-fighting in the game much more enjoyable. Along with your accurate sword movements, the enemies are much smarter and can block your moves, making the controls come in handy. The charm comes not from seeing how many attacks you can string together over a period of time, but instead from trying to understand whether a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal stroke will be most effective. Enemies are designed with exaggerated features that stand out against the background details. Likewise their weapons and armor are signposts for their weakspots, and as such too much ornamentation would begin to work against the charms of the controls. The bow and arrow system is likewise completely reborn with gyroscopic nuance. Gone are the old days of automatically locking on to a distant target and pressing a button to draw an arrow, thread it against the bow string, pull the string back with sufficient tension, steady your aim, and set it loose. Another of Skyward Sword's marvels is the Beetle, an item that revolves around motion control. The path your Beetle takes depends on how you tilt your Wiimote, which make for some pleasureful and tactical gameplay.

So why do people hate the controls? I can't speak for them, but for one thing, the majority said they just don't work. Whether they had to repeatedly calibrate their Wiimote or the they controller wouldn't slash vertically, it is clear people think they're flawed... And I simply don't know why. Maybe I'm extremely lucky, but I didn't have many problems controller- wise throughout the game, and it was only once that I died because of the controls. All I can say to those people who had troubles with it is that it had to be user error. But like I said, the WiiMotion Plus isn't perfect, and if you swing furiously in the heat of battle, that's where the non-recognition issues occur in line with the Wii Motion Technology's limitations. But, there is one problem I seem to have with Motion Controls. In Skyward Sword, just about everything besides character movement is done with them. Sword fighting, item using, rolling and manuvering on your bird is great and all, but things like swimming and vine climbing? ... Really? While the swimming gimmick wasn't too bad ( except when you had to get back onto land), the vine climbing is one of the sole reasons I died in Skyward Sword because of controller issues. In a room where you are timed to climb the walls, I shook my remote ferociously to try to grab on to a patch of vines but failed, repetitively, and I have no clue why. It's just too much of a hassle, and it made my experience feel a little forced.

Should motion controls be used in the future Zelda games? While I enjoyed them to the fullest, others didn't. I don't want Nintendo to be chewed out again for trying something new, so I'm going to have to say no. Even so, I was sure impressed by them. Skyward Sword proves motion controls can work, and they can energize games in ways that button presses and analog sticks cannot. 

What's your opinion of motion controls in Zelda? Comment below and thanks of reading!