Category: Written


2011 Green Hornet Movie Lacks Sting

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January 12, 2011

Originally Published: January 10, 2011, on PlayerAffinity.com, and my StrongProtector profiles on Comicvine.com and Screened.com

I had the chance of getting an advanced screening of the 2011 Green Hornet starring Seth Rogen and so have written the following review!

Based off the classic radio drama, 60s TV show, and 70 years of comic book iterations, the Green Hornet movie looks to bring this classic character to a new generation of fans.

Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is living a life of debauchery at his father’s expense, a well-respected newsman and owner of the Sentinel newspaper, when his father’s unlikely demise leaves Britt as the sole inheritor of the family fortune and newspaper legacy. Having wasted most of his life, Britt relies on the people around him to help run the newspaper, including new secretary Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz) and his trusted butler and the only man he can trust to make a good cup of coffee, Kato (Jay Chou).

After drinking one night with Kato, Britt’s resentment of his father comes to the surface and so the two set out to desecrate the statue placed at his gravesite. On the way to committing their act of petty vandalism, the two come across a woman being mugged and Kato and Britt jump into action (mostly Kato). It is then that Britt comes up with the crazy idea that he should be using his wealth and Kato’s mechanical savant and martial arts skills to fight crime and clean up the streets in ways his father never dreamed of. Unfortunately for Britt, Los Angeles crime lord Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) has a few different ideas for how the city should end up being run.

The thing that you have to keep in mind with this movie is that the story is basically an amalgamation of the origin story from those classic radio dramas and the more recent and modernized comic book that has been released over the past year by Dynamite Comics. The origin story basics are mostly kept in tact for Case, Kato, and Reid being a wealthy newspaper mogul, but playing the spoiled son who inherits it from his father is a Dynamite Comics twist.

Purists will be disappointed by the bumbling, goofy, yet well-intentioned Seth Rogen version of Britt Reid who remember the character as a master detective with a genius-level intellect that could hold his own in a fight. But since when are purists ever satisfied with a super-hero movie? My problem with Seth Rogen’s portrayal of the character was that whenever there was a punchline for him to deliver as Reid (and there are plenty since Rogen co-wrote the script), he’d break character. So, instead of trying to show us more of Reid’s personality, it came off as just Rogen telling a stupid joke in a green mask before he could compose himself and start acting as Reid again.

Rogen wasn’t the only eyesore on the screen though as Cameron Diaz as love interest/secretary/aspiring reporter Lenore Case was a joke. Cameron Diaz hasn’t been plausible as a love interest since The Mask starring Jim Carrey and is probably the most overrated leading lady in the past two decades of Hollywood yet for some reason she keeps being cast. Someone get me Scarlett Johansson, please. Not to mention that the character was poorly written and the banter between her and Rogen wasn’t funny at all. Mind you, as a whole, the movie did accomplish its mission to be a “lighter” and more jovial super-hero movie and succeeded in distancing itself from the darker and more serious films that have been the definition of the super-hero genre for the last few years.

In fact, most of the movie is actually a lot of fun as the relationship between Britt and Kato makes this feel at times more like a textbook buddy comedy instead of a super-hero film. I credit this to the great rapport that Jay Chou and Rogen were able to develop and it made the relationship between Britt and Kato seem a lot more natural than in most other iterations I’ve seen before with these characters.

And speaking of characters, Christoph Waltz is a rising superstar in Hollywood because he was absolutely brilliant as the villain with confidence issues, Chudnofsky. One second he was cold and calculating and the next he was delivering probably the funniest lines in the entire movie. Every scene he was in is a highlight of the film for me.

Now, this movie is also another in the long line of 3D films that seem to be flooding the theatres right now. But unlike most of those other 3D films, this one did well in keeping the gimmick to a minimum and reserved it for only a few of the action sequences so it wouldn’t jolt you out of the story too much. Of course, it was only used in a few action sequences, because there weren’t as many of these sequences as you would expect from a super-hero movie. Again, this is probably because the movie was focusing more on the comedy and plot development than on the actual character and its history.

This extra exposition also made the movie feel about 15-20 minutes too long. This could be because the movie probably got caught in the middle of if it was trying to be an action movie or a straight up comedy. Coming in at 1 hour 50 minutes, some of the jokes or character development could have been trimmed to help the movie flow a lot better than it did and will probably have you look at your watch a couple times during the more drawn out scenes. This could also be the fault of director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Be Kind Rewind) whose best known works are comedies and maybe he didn’t feel right moving so far outside his comfort zone.

When all is said and done, this movie ended up being mostly what it intended to be though: a fun, colorful romp that didn’t take itself too seriously. It falls short a little in terms of the acting chops and it could have used a little more action and a little less comedy, but despite this, The Green Hornet was a solid movie going experience that should please fans old and new of the character with its humor and occasional reference to the old 1960s TV series starring Bruce Lee and Van Williams.

If you’re not a Green Hornet diehard and still on the fence on whether you should see this, I can easily recommend this for a cheap matinee or something that could be moved to the top of your Netflix queue when released on DVD/Blu-Ray, but is not something you should pay full price for or rush out to see opening weekend.

Rating: 6/10

-Ray Carsillo

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Maximum Nostalgia: Carnage #2 (of 5) Review

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January 11, 2011

Originally Published: January 10, 2011, on my StrongProtector profile on ComicVine.com

As someone who works in media, there is always one adage to live by when it comes to putting out a product. “Sex, humor, and violence sell.” Now, although this may be true, there is also another primal focus that can draw us into a product, even if devoid of those other aspects, especially from what I’ve seen of my generation. Nostalgia.

So even though I haven’t been staying up to speed on the more modern adventures of Spider-Man outside of his time in the New Avengers, (I’ve mostly boycotted Spider-Man since the One More Day story arc. Check out my blog post here from Oct. 2009 to understand why: http://raycarsillo.com/2010/04/24/just-call-me-j-jonah-jameson ) when I saw this new mini-series with Carnage gracing the cover, I knew I had to pick it up.

And let me tell you, as someone who originally got into Spider-Man due to the infamous Maximum Carnage storyline, I’m glad I got this as Carnage just grabbed my nostalgia factor by the balls and pulled me right in.

Into the second issue now, Carnage, written by Zeb Wells and drawn by Clayton Crain, sees a classic super hero team-up in progress as Iron Man is helping Spider-Man try to piece together what caused a sudden riot during a routine prisoner transfer, and what drew out a Spidey foe we haven’t seen in years, the Doppelganger, in issue 1. Of course, this was anything but a routine prisoner transfer from the Ravencroft Sanitarium though since the reader knows that it was actually Shriek in the armored car and her emotion destabilizing powers that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

During the riot, Iron Man, who arrived on the scene around the same time as Spidey, obtained a sample of a red organic residue that wasn’t blood and returns to his lab to analyze it with the wall-crawler. Meanwhile, a corporate foe of Iron Man is getting ready to give our favorite red and gold Avenger a run for his money by activating a handful of his own armored super soldiers that are running on a very special biofuel. And I don’t think there’s any vegetable oil in there. This sets in motion the events that will lead to a great fight scene and cliffhanger confrontation at the end of the issue that will leave you starting a riot of your own as you realize this mini-series is being released on a bi-monthly basis (meaning we have to wait until February for the next issue!).

Carnage #2 features some spectacular artwork by Clayton Crain as the many dark tones of the book are emphasized by the settings the characters usually find themselves in. From dimly lit hospital rooms to Iron Man’s workshop left mostly unlit, you can feel the atmosphere oozing out of this book. And the scene where the strand of organic residue continues to act…negatively…towards the sound of Spider-Man’s voice is just classic.

The writing is also very good by Zeb Wells as he expertly weaves a complex web (pun intended, pun always intended) of intrigue and suspense as he bounces back and forth from Spider-Man and Iron Man to Shriek, Carnage, and the holding cells until they explosively collide towards the end of the issue and set us up for what seem will be three thrilling final issues.

But the most powerful thing about this mini-series so far is clearly the nostalgia. From the moment Doppelganger showed up in the first issue, you knew this was going to be something special and to bring back rarely featured villain Shriek, and any reason to bring back Carnage, is a great move in my book. The only thing that could make this book better is if we start seeing other heroes and villains brought into it much like in the original Maximum Carnage story arc as I’m sure this fight will spread beyond Carnage’s current holding cell. Maybe this could be a good way to feature Toxin and/or Anti-Venom some more?

Anyway, going back to my old adage, this book has almost everything you would need. Lots of violence, Spidey’s classic humor, and so much nostalgia that you almost feel like looking for a Green Jelly CD to listen to in the background as you read this. All it needs is a little more sex and this would be an instant classic. Maybe get a few gratuitous shots of Mary Jane or Black Cat in the next issue and we’d be all set!

Even without that though, Carnage #2 (of 5) gets a 5 out of 5 from me due to the tremendous way in which the plot has been forwarded and the triumphant return of one of the greatest comic book villains of all-time.

-Ray Carsillo

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Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam Blu-ray Review

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December 23, 2010

Originally Published: December 18, 2010, on Collider.com

Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam is the latest animated short to be released by the folks in charge of the DC Animated Universe. The Man of Steel, in his Clark Kent guise, is doing a newspaper piece on Billy Bastion, a young orphan with a heart of gold who tries to always see the good in the world. It is this eternal optimism that has also piqued the interest of a mystical being known as the Wizard Shazam. Unbeknowst to Billy, he has been marked by the Wizard in order for him to keep an eye on him. This mystical mark though is also acting as a beacon for the Wizard’s greatest failure, Black Adam.

Black Adam was originally a champion of Shazam, but his dark heart quickly led him to using his powers for evil and so the Wizard banished him to the farthest star system he could think of. With the powers of a god though at his disposal, Black Adam has been traveling back to Earth for centuries and now wishes revenge on those who had wronged him.

Now, left with no other choice, the Wizard must prematurely bestow Billy with the same powers as Black Adam to help protect Earth from all manner of villainy as he will now become the new Captain Marvel, Earth’s Mightiest Mortal. Billy must quickly learn about his powers and how to be a hero from Superman who, as always, conveniently shows up and together they must stop Black Adam once and for all.

Origin stories can be very fun if done properly and this animated short’s quick pace, great voice acting, and shiny stylized looking animation all come together very well on the Blu-ray format as probably the best short yet by DC’s animation gurus. All the major voice actors, George Newburn as Superman, Arnold Vosloo as Black Adam, Jerry O’Connell as Captain Marvel, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Mister Tawky Tawny also gave great performances and really made you believe in their characters motivations.

And Newburn continues to rival Tim Daly’s classic 1990s Superman voiceover portrayal here in more recent times. Even the changes they made to Bastion’s upbringing in order to make him a character that the audience could immediately get behind was forgivable for diehards and didn’t take anything away from the piece or the theme of the character.

The only real weak point of this piece is the most obvious one in that it is less than 30 minutes long for what easily could have been a full-feature all on its own for one of comics’ oldest heroes (first appearing in February of 1940 even though he didn’t become a DC property until 1972).

And since this adventure is less than 30 minutes long, it has been bundled together with the other DC shorts that were featured on their more recent full-length animated films. Extended versions of the Green Arrow, The Spectre, and Jonah Hex shorts are included to help flesh out this Blu-Ray package into a more respectable length closer to 70 minutes.

Unfortunately, if you are a fan of the DC Universe and have been collecting the animated movies up to this point, then these added shorts, which were needlessly extended with a couple of minutes of filler animation each to try to extend the Blu-ray further, don’t add much to this disc overall really. Even with special episodes from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Batman: The Animated Series, and Justice League Unlimited that highlight all the characters featured on this disc, there is only 30 minutes of non-documentary original content.

It is because of this lack of original animated content that I can’t recommend this to anyone who has bought Batman/Superman: Apocalypse, Batman: Under the Red Hood, or Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths already. Sorry Captain Marvel fans, but I’d just rent this or wait till it hit the bargain bin if you really want to purchase this solid, albeit very short, representation of your hero.

Rating: C

-Ray Carsillo

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Little League World Series 2010 Review

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August 29, 2010

Originally Posted: August 27, 2010 on PlayerAffinity.com

It is a time of the summer when the crack of the bat is replaced by an aluminum ping and the average player goes from being 6′ 5″ to more like 5′ 4″. It is a time when Williamsport, Pennsylvania, plays host to kids from all over the world who care more about getting their homework done than a seven-figure salary as they all vie for a shot at the world title.

In honor of the actual Little League World Series tournament going on (I’m actually watching an elimination game as I write this); I felt it would be prudent to review the corresponding video game. For the first time we see the cartoony graphics and kid-friendly gameplay mechanics leap over to the more adult oriented game systems. That’s right; LLWS 2010 is now available on all systems, including Xbox 360 and PS3 and that alone makes this game deserve a look.

With the leap to the new systems, there are promises of more surprises and content besides just achievements or trophies. Unfortunately, most of the promises of deeper gameplay and a more enthralling experience are false. The addition of being able to compare your stats online is a nice feature and a new season style mode to settle the tournament is a different take on things for sure if you don’t want to go through the traditional tournament. The inclusion of new mini-games such as a Simon-like memory game and a baseball bowling hybrid help flesh out the game, but besides all this it’s really the same experience as the 2009 version.

You select where your team originates from various regions and countries all over the world and can customize the look of your team after choosing a mascot from a previously compiled list. You then play through the deepest regional tournament mode to date to see if you can become the team to represent your region or country (being from Jersey, I always try to represent the hometown Toms River powerhouses in the Mid-Atlantic region). If you continue to win, you continue to advance until you hopefully take home the trophy that serves as the ultimate representation of teamwork and selflessness as Little League World Champs.

In order to help you out, just like in the previous games, you can use cards that you earn by doing well (like in Madden from the late 90s-early 2000s) to bolster your stats for an at-bat, an inning, or an entire game. By also doing well in a particular game, you can earn levels that you can use to have you pitcher throw fire, literally, for an at-bat, or to give your superstar player the ability to hit an instant home run if they make contact.

Brent Musberger and Gary Thorne return to the do the limited play-by-play that stresses “sportsmanship and fair play” and the graphics at least are crisper and cleaner than in previous years, even if all the players are still very anime influenced, showing that developer NOW Productions took advantage of the better processing power of the new systems, even though LLWS 2010 still won’t push the Xbox 360 or PS3 anywhere near to where they are capable of going.

Clearly, this is a game geared towards kids who are still eligible for the LLWS and taking that into consideration, this is a solid experience overall. The game allows you to use a strong A.I. to help with fielding and base-running if necessary, although it does make the wrong decision sometimes in taking one base too few or having the wrong fielder go for the ball. It can be forgiven though because it always works both ways. The graphics are also the best they’ve been for the series, even if they are a little too anime influenced for a simulation game. There is no plot to speak of with a simulation because it all revolves around how you do with your particular team and so it is like you write your own storylines. Add in a brand new season mode and deeper tournament mode and you have a very strong rental experience, but I doubt this will hold any up and coming baseball diehards’ attention for too long.

Overall: 7.0/10

-Ray Carsillo

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Working Like a Dog

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August 21, 2010

Originally Published: August 20, 2010 on PlayerAffinity.com

It’s a classic story: The good hearted criminals who are looking for that last big score so they can ride off into the sunset comfortably and with a pretty lady in tow. Unfortunately, when you’re hired thugs Kane and Lynch, these situations usually end up going awry before they even get started.

Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days sees our anti-heroes brought together again a few years after the end of the first game. Lynch has fallen into a nice situation as an enforcer for the number two crime lord in Shanghai and has been tasked with a gun running deal that will allow him to walk away from the business for good with his new lady friend Xiu. It’s a situation that is too good to be true and so he reaches out to his old friend Kane in the hopes of getting him a cut of the good life, especially since things have been a little rougher on Kane since last we saw him.

Kane’s daughter, Jenny, who miraculously survived the events around the first game’s ending, refuses to talk to her father, still blaming him for the death of her mother. Kane isn’t thrilled about teaming up with the still psychotic and pill dependant Lynch, but hopes that this last huge score will help him and his daughter make amends. Or at the very least, allow him to help Jenny achieve a semblance of a normal life from here on out.

As soon as Kane lands in Shanghai and is met by Lynch, you can just feel things are going to turn sour. Lynch informs Kane that he has to rough up a small-time hood with a big mouth before escorting him to his hotel and invites him along for the ride on what serves as the obligatory tutorial mission. As soon as Lynch (who you control this go around, instead of Kane like in the first game) kicks down the door, you know there is more going on than was originally alluded to as the small-time hood, who is in the middle of…umm…relations…with his girlfriend at the time, runs out the backdoor, firing a blind hail of bullets towards Kane and Lynch. The two quickly chase him down, while teaching you the basic controls along the way, and corner the hood and the half-naked woman in a dead end alley.

In the heat of the moment, Kane shoots the girl, who the hood was using like a shield, and the hood in turn cuts his own throat. As Lynch now recognizes the woman who Kane shot as the daughter of Shanghai’s largest crime lord, the two soon realize this has now become a mission of pure survival as there will be a bounty on both their heads that would put their arms deal profit to shame.

The most unique aspect of Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days has to be the “real” cam the game features. I’m sure you’ve seen the ads everywhere with sayings like “Real is blood in your teeth”, etc. and then you see our two anti-heroes with Lynch showing a blood-stained grin. The entire reason for this was the new camera system for the game where it is as if a third person was following Kane and Lynch and documenting it with a handy cam. The hope was to make you feel as if you were watching amateur video on YouTube or the nightly news instead of something dreamed up on a Hollywood sound stage. They even go as far as to have the faces of those you beat extra brutally blurred out and to have the sound on the camera go in and out depending on where shots are coming from and who is yelling.

It was a novel idea at first, but after playing through an entire campaign and having the multiplayer locked into that feature as well, I think I actually felt nauseous from motion sickness for the first time in my gaming life. Add in the annoying glare from lights and how it gave the developers the chance to be a little more lazy when it came to environmental details and I appreciate the attempt at something new, but the “real” cam was more irritating that immersive.

Aside from the camera, the game is your standard third-person shooter and doesn’t blow you away with anything in particular. The “sticky” cover used in the first game has been replaced with your standard button prompt cover tactics as seen in Gears of War or Uncharted and you see a typical array of weaponry from pistols to machine guns. The game is also chock full of glitches in both single player and multiplayer. Although I admit I’ve never laughed so hard on headset until I saw a few of the awkward positions my teammates were left in after some of those glitches.

The plot is also very generic and you have a hard time relating to the characters as it seems they bring it all on themselves just to have an excuse to throw more enemies at you and give you a more difficult game experience. I truly believe that Kane and Lynch are two of the unluckiest characters in gaming history and it’s all because they are too stupid to get out of their own way. Next time, they need to include an option to make sure Lynch keeps taking his pills because I actually found myself getting frustrated at how stupid he would act.
One plus to the game is that the voice acting is solid. Everyone gives a good performance with the limited amount of dialogue incorporated. The graphics are not as strong, but again, this goes back to the “real” cam feature and that a handy cam is not going to push an Xbox 360 or PS3 to the limits.

Another mediocre point is the campaign more. You’ll only get your money’s worth if you crank the difficulty up to Extreme mode where one or two hits will kill you, otherwise there is only about eight hours worth of content with no replay value here.

Possibly the strongest point to the entire game is the multiplayer. The campaign is weak to begin with, so co-op does little more for it, but the versus modes are something to behold. Fragile Alliance mode returns and constitutes up to eight players who can work together to pull off a heist, or turn traitor on their teammates to try to collect all the loot for themselves and leaves room for some interesting headset moments when you’re the first victim of a turncoat. The victims though can get revenge as they get one life as a cop to try to take down the criminals and collect a cut of the loot for themselves.

Building on to Fragile Alliance is Undercover Cop mode where you not only have to worry about possible traitors amongst your gang of thieves, but the knowledge that it is one player’s sole purpose to basically turn traitor. The undercover cop’s job is that as soon as a crime has been committed, to take down all the criminals. Not always easy in a full room, but it can be done and can be quite the challenge. The final mode is Cops and Robbers which is a play on your standard six-on-six death match.

Overall, Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is solid, but not spectacular. The new gimmicks employed in this game grow tired quickly and seems to be a blatant attempt to just dress up an alarmingly average third-person shooter. Worth a rental over a weekend, I’d only buy it if you fall head over heels for the multiplayer because the story mode doesn’t have enough on its own to make this a keeper.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 6.5: The “real” cam limits the amount of detail this game can go into, but the detail that is there is solid.

Audio: 8.0: Good voice acting with impressive sound effects due to the “real” cam’s built-in microphone makes this one of the game’s stronger points.

Plot/Plot Development: 7.0: Originally I had this as a higher score, but as I kept playing and continued to grow more and more frustrated with the stupidity of the characters, their situation became less and less believable and more and more frustrating and made playing through the rest of the story a chore.

Gameplay: 4.0: Glitches galore knock this down a couple pegs, but it was only mediocre to begin with. Couple the glitches with only standard third-person shooter action and little variety and you have a below average score.

Replay Value: 7.0: The return of the highly original Fragile Alliance mode and the new Undercover Cop mode highlight a tremendous multiplayer, but there is nothing to bring you back to the campaign, even with a co-op option.

Overall (not an average): 6.0: At the end of the day, Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is a standard third-person shooter with some bells and whistles that fall flat. The game is nothing spectacular besides the multiplayer, but definitely a nice effort overall. Worth a rental over a long weekend, but I would definitely hold off on a purchase unless you go bonkers for the multiplayer.

Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is available now for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

-Ray Carsillo

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Alan Wake DLC “The Signal” Review

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July 31, 2010

Originally Published: July 30, 2010, on PlayerAffinity.com

I admit, the first time I heard the title of the first Alan Wake DLC I immediately flashed back to the end of Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman starring Michael Keaton where Commissioner Gordon (played by Pat Hingle) and DA Harvey Dent (played by Billy Dee Williams) are having a press conference to comment on Batman’s actions against the Joker. Dent says that Batman gave them a letter saying should evil ever rise again to strike against the good citizens of Gotham, to call him. Alexander Knox (played by Robert Wuhl) immediately asks, “How do we call him?” and Gordon steps in and yells “HE GAVE US THE SIGNAL!”

Okay, so great childhood movie moments aside, Alan Wake’s “The Signal” DLC picks up right where the main game ended. Serving as the seventh “episode” of the game, it opens up refreshing our memories with the “previously seen on” trailer utilized through the main game and explains exactly what happened at the end in case we weren’t too sure. Alan has succeeded in saving his wife Alice by destroying the darkness’ avatar in the long deceased Barbara Jagger, but in the process has trapped himself within the darkness. Now, in a twisted and constantly shifting dark mirror of Bright Falls, Alan must find a way out of the darkness before succumbing to the encroaching madness while also figuring out what new presence Alan is fighting against that is using shadows of his memories to try to steer him off the proper path.

In order to keep Alan from losing his way, a familiar friend from the main game will immediately intervene upon the start of the new episode. BATMAN! No, sorry, couldn’t resist. Thomas Zane, the first writer who fell victim to the temptations of the darkness, returns in his light bulb decorated diving suit warning Alan he is walking a dangerous path and imparts onto him a new flashlight and a cell phone (chock full of Verizon product placement just like in the main game as well). Zane orders Alan to follow the phone’s GPS signal (hence the title of the DLC) to a safe haven in the darkness where they can discuss events up to this point and try to work out a way for Alan to escape. It is here that Alan begins to square off against some familiar foes as well as some new obstacles as he tries to escape the darkness and unravel the mystery of why he became trapped after saving Alice.

If you enjoyed Alan Wake the first time, then this DLC will only prove to suck you back into the enthralling story with another twist ending that will have you counting down the days until the story’s conclusion DLC “The Writer” is released in September. And if you thought the enemies were difficult before, “The Signal” only ramps up the intensity by throwing more at you in this single episode than were probably in the entire main game. Luckily, some of the twisted and unusual areas you stumble across in the dark mirror of Bright Falls have some environmental helps that can even the odds and help you save ammo.

Added into this DLC is a dynamic you saw in the darkness at the end of the main game where typed words were floating in the air and if you shined your light on them, they came into reality. Now though, instead of simple scenery, you’ll need to rely on this dynamic to help find extra ammo, batteries, and maybe trigger a few traps for the possessed shadows looking to drag Alan into eternal darkness. Of course, the words can also be used against Alan as sometimes “enemy” or “possessed” are floating around as well and this can make your life even more difficult if you’re not careful with your flashlight during a fight. Could the words be a way of Thomas Zane and this mysterious new presence battling each other over Alan? Maybe we’ll find out in “The Writer”.

All in all, the only downside to this DLC is that it is only about the same length as any single episode from the main game and should not take most gamers more than 90 minutes to blow through. There is some replay value in that the DLC does include an extra eight achievements worth 250 possible Gamerscore and they will most likely take you two or three playthroughs to collect them all, but aside from that, those just obsessed with the story won’t have a lot to come back to this for. Then again, for a DLC that was free to everyone who bought the game brand new means I can’t really complain about the lack of product. As of now though, “The Writer” looks like it will cost users 560 Microsoft points (about $8) in September so if you want to get the full ending of Alan Wake, it will cost you a few extra bones in the end.

With the same great voice acting and graphics and more of the tremendous story that can’t help but suck you in, I don’t see how anyone could not want to download this free DLC. As for “The Writer”, well, you’ll just have to stay tuned here for our full report. Same Alan Wake time, same Alan Wake channel! I couldn’t help myself.

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Putting Out an APB on Your Typical MMORPG

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July 28, 2010

Originally Published: July 28, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com and Newsday.com

I previewed All Points Bulletin, the Grand Theft Auto inspired MMORPG from EA, back at PAX East in March and we saw an open-world environment that had our mouths watering from the thought of bringing that much chaos to a constantly evolving MMO style world. With the promise of “no more level grinding” to revolutionize the MMO experience, PC gamers everywhere were keeping a close eye on this title. Now that it has officially launched and is available, could the final product live up to that March demo’s tremendous hype?

First, let me establish the basic story. You are a citizen in the crime ravaged modern city of San Paro and you have a very basic choice at this point in your life. In order to survive you have to join one of two factions, either the criminal faction that feeds on the innocent people of San Paro, or the Enforcers who serve as a vigilante force that feeds on the criminals.

In order to get the most out of my review copy, I set up two separate accounts, one for the criminals and one for the Enforcers to first test the balance since unlike most MMORPGs, these are the only two “classes” you really get to choose from. The difference in difficulty you have playing as an Enforcer compared to the criminal is tremendous, as you must walk a much finer line than the criminals in your “day-to-day” actions. From avoiding killing NPCs to the techniques you must use in trying to apprehend criminals makes you a much better person than me if you choose to be an Enforcer. I found myself gravitating to the much easier criminal faction where your foul actions are rewarded with prestige and money and let’s be honest, it’s a lot more fun causing chaos in video games. Of course, this could just be personal preference though and could be very rewarding for those looking for the challenge of capturing criminals.

As for the gameplay, APB falls truly flat. The promise of “no more grinding” was false as you will find yourself trying to accomplish meaningless graffiti quests in order to level up and unlock bigger and better guns. And you need the better guns in order to advance faster since, just like your typical MMORPG, what weapon you can use depends solely on your level. If APB had made each bullet as powerful as it should be, no matter the gun, instead of me having to pour a 30 bullet clip into a guy like I was playing Gears of War 2 then I would have been impressed. And at least in Gears of War 2 a single grenade was all that was needed to kill an enemy whereas this may take two or three. Add in that it doesn’t matter where you hit the character and your frustration grows very quickly if you’re just starting out. At least the lag is sporadic.

There are some good gameplay elements though. Being able to have impromptu drive-bys is a lot of fun as you cram into a four-door car with your teammates and one guy drives while the other three go to town on your targets. And then if you need to scatter, being able to jump over fences and kick down double doors is a great feeling. Unfortunately, you can feel the game relying on these team building and fighting tactics to get things done. Sometimes you just want to shoot something by yourself.

Aside from the great possible team tactics, the place where APB truly shines is the customization abilities and peripherals for this game. From having your own theme song play whenever you kill someone to logo and decal creation for your clothes, cars, and even whatever you spray paint means you can turn the world into your own little canvas for all other players to see. No other MMO offers you this level of customization for your character and their equipment.

But are great customization features and some random chaos causing elements enough for a buy and then subscription fees? I’m going to lean towards saying no. It is a shame because there were such high hopes for this game from demos and the hype, but in the end it comes off as a water-downed Grand Theft Auto that lacks any real direction or purpose. After devoting a lot of time into APB, I just found myself wishing I was playing a MMORPG that gave me super powers and magical abilities.

APB is available for $49.95 for the install disc and then $9.99 a month after that or for 50-hour blocks of $6.99 each.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 9.0: The game is gorgeous in terms of how much detail you can get on each person with only sporadic lag and the ability to create any and every logo imaginable is a nice touch.

Audio: 9.0: Solid voice acting combined with the ability to mix and assign your own tunes is beyond awesome and I’m surprised no one has thought of it until now.

Plot/Plot Development: 5.0: A nice opening credits cut scene sets up a very simple tale. Will you be a bad guy or a good guy?

Gameplay: 5.0: Being forced to team up with people and having to use 30 bullets and three grenades to take out a single enemy is frustrating beyond belief. I can’t remember the last time I yelled at a game this much. So much for eliminating the level grinding.

Replay Value: 4.0: I’m not a big fan of paying for something that relies on me playing with other people in order to enjoy it.

Overall (not an average): 5.0: It is still early in the life of this MMORPG and so I have hope that many of the problems like weapon balancing and only team driven gameplay will be remedied somehow. As it is, the game might be worth a look for the customization features, but should only be bought if you like the idea of having to level grind in a Grand Theft Auto environment.

All Points Bulletin is available now for the PC.

Also, just for your knowledge, here are the specs for the PC I used:

Windows Home 7 64-bit
Intel Core i7 930 @ 3.2 Ghz
6 GB DDR3 RAM
nVidia GTX 260

-Ray Carsillo

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Under the Red Hood

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July 27, 2010

Originally Published: July 27, 2010, on Collider.com and PlayerAffinity.com

It was one of the most controversial decisions in the history of comics. Back in September of 1988, DC Comics opened up a 24 hour vote where fans would decide the fate of Jason Todd, the second Robin in the famed Batman canon. By less than a 100 votes, fans decided that Batman would not make it in time to save Jason from the clutches of the Joker and thus complete the now legendary “A Death in the Family” story arc. Flash forward 20 years now (about four or five in the actual DC Universe) and DC decided to find a way to bring Jason back. Batman: Under the Red Hood is the story of how Batman’s greatest failure comes back to haunt him in ways he never could have imagined.

The comic story arc was originally written by Judd Winick and so it was only natural for DC Animation to approach Winick to rework his story into a screenplay. That was an easy decision. The difficult part was going to be having Winick actual trim down years of comic pages into something that could be told in a 75 minute movie.

There were some obvious reworks that needed to be had, like the summarization of 20 years of guilt on Batman’s part into a simple monologue in the Bat-Wing, but there were others that fans might come to question. Like the complete removal of Tim Drake as the third Robin and nothing more than a cryptic reference late in the movie to Barbara Gordon (the original Batgirl). Removing Tim Drake took away the great confrontations that the prodigal son Jason Todd had with the latest Boy Wonder and is something that fans would probably have liked to have seen.

Aside from this, many of the reworks were necessary to tell the story of the return of Jason Todd as efficiently as possible. There would have been no way to explain how the events of Infinite Crisis and Superboy Prime were what brought Jason back from the dead without making another new movie, so it was written off as being Ra’s Al Ghul and his Lazarus Pit. Also, to show every hit Jason did against the Black Mask as he began to move up in the underworld ranks would have taken an extra hour, so only showing a couple got the point across as well as moved the story along at a good pace. And for those out there who were not familiar with the “A Death in the Family” arc, there are plenty of flashbacks to fill in the remaining blanks of the Batman canon.

So, the story is about as true to the source material as it could be when being crammed into 75 minutes of animation, but what about the actual movie itself? I say it is absolutely brilliant. I still wish DC Animation would stop adapting raw source material and come up with some original stories again like in the Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond days, but for what it is, Batman: Under the Red Hood is a great telling of a landmark Batman story.

The animation is crisp and really jumps off the screen on Blu-Ray. For the most part, the voice acting is top of the line and although most Batman: The Animated Series fans would wish that Kevin Conroy was voicing the Dark Knight, Bruce Greenwood does an admirable job stepping into the role. Add in voice acting veteran John Dimaggio playing possibly the best Joker since Mark Hamill (a possible future replacement once Hamill permanently hangs up his acid spraying flower?) and Jensen Ackles wonderfully portraying the rage and raw emotion Jason Todd is always emitting, and almost everyone involved did a great job bringing these characters to life for this story. The only character portrayal I question was the Black Mask and how he was made out more to be a stereotypical Italian mafia boss instead of the criminal mastermind and psychopath who has come to haunt Batman time and again. I understand he was more of a plot device here to help set-up the final confrontation, but the character deserved more respect than what it was shown.

As always with these straight to Blu-Ray/DVD movies, there are plenty of bonus features to make the buy even more worthwhile and Batman: Under the Red Hood does not disappoint. Included on the disc are four episodes featuring Robin from Batman: The Animated Series, as well as two short documentaries detailing both the creation of the character of Robin and the infamous 1988 vote that sent Jason Todd to his doom. Throw in a preview of the next DC Animated feature, Batman/Superman Apocalypse, and a short bonus cartoon about Jonah Hex, based on a story by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, that is as brilliantly done as the main feature itself, and you have nearly three hours of bonus content that will make any DC Universe fanboy work a nice groove into their couch to watch this great package.

When all is said and done, any and every Batman fan will enjoy this portrayal of Jason Todd and his story as he has been reworked back into the DC Universe. Great action, superb voice acting, and tremendous storytelling make this a must have for fans of the Dark Knight. Batman: Under the Red Hood is available now on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Batman: Under the Red Hood gets 9 out of 10.

-Ray Carsillo

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Who is Deadliest?

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July 22, 2010

Originally Published: July 22, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com, Lundberg.me, PlayerAffinity.com, Newsday.com, and Examiner.com

Microsoft officially kicked off their Summer of Arcade 2010 last night with the release of Limbo, but considering my next review subject was just released last week, I don’t see why it couldn’t be part of this awesome event highlighting original XBL titles. Of course, I am talking about Spike Games’ Deadliest Warrior: The Game available now.

Based on Spike’s TV show of the same name, Deadliest Warrior: The Game takes seven combatants from the first season and the Roman Centurion from the second and pits them against each other in one of the most fun and brutal fighters to have come along in some time. With only eight fighters and five arenas to do battle in, this game works perfectly as a XBL title; available for 1000 Microsoft points (roughly $8).

The gameplay is near flawless as you can hack and slash your way through a difficult arcade mode to unlock new weapons and costumes for your favorite warriors or try your hand at proving that you are the deadliest in online versus and tournament modes. And trying to unlock new weapons can be surprisingly addictive due to each weapon having various attributes in terms of damage they can deal and the speed with which they can be wielded at so that it is unlikely you’ll have two exact fighters even if they are selected from the same class.

A unique aspect to Deadliest Warrior: The Game is the chance of a one-hit kill due to the realism the game focuses on (a spear through the face is an instant kill and for good reason). The realism that the game incorporates makes many fights faster than most fighting games, but this also makes you less likely to go in swords-a-swingin’ and make you think some before you actually attack. Include a simple, straightforward combat system that features high, mid, low, projectile, and signature attacks each assigned to their own button and Deadliest Warrior: The Game is the best kind of fighter, one that is easy to pick up but difficult to master.

The graphics are also very impressive. From limbs being hacked off and blood gushing around the arenas to the facial expressions of the warriors themselves, Deadliest Warrior: The Game is very pretty. There are a couple of minor glitches, but extra effects like dead bodies twitching at the end of each round more than make up for it.

There are some flaws to the game though. The game lags on occasion and the audio is very bland as a whole. It would have been nice if the game could have been livened up a bit with commentary from the hosts of the show, Geoff Desmoulin, Max Geiger, and Dr. Armand Dorian, or the show’s narrator Drew Skye. With only some generic music, roars of pain from the combatants, and the anticipated SFX of metal on metal leaves you wanting a little more from the audio side of things.

The plot is also non-existent really compared to your standard fighting game. It’s hard to critique it though since it’s the same premise as the show, to find out “who is deadliest?” In that aspect it has more of a simulation feel because the player really decides the storylines. What would happen if a knight took on an Apache? Or how about a samurai against a ninja?

Something that makes this game one of the best XBL titles out there though is the replay value. Aside from your standard online versus modes, there are promises of increasing the fighter roster as the show goes on and more medieval fighters are revealed. You could have a roster of 30 fighters before the show is done. If that happens, I would hope that the developers also include some new arenas.

The only other thing that fans of the show may be wondering is why all the fighters are of the medieval variety. Well, it wouldn’t be very fair to have Al Capone tear a Viking apart with his tommy gun now would it? Maybe they’ll come out with a sequel for modern warriors. I call dibs on the IRA!

Although flawed, Deadliest Warrior: The Game is a fun, unique fighter that is a bargain considering it is only going to cost you $8. Nevermind Limbo, Deadliest Warrior: The Game is the way you’re going to want to kick off your Summer of Arcade.

Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 9.0: A couple of minor glitches crop up here and there, but twitching dead bodies and blood spurting by the bucketful more than makes up for it.

Audio: 5.0: Generic music, expected SFX, and no commentary take away from the overall experience unfortunately.

Gameplay: 9.5: Unique fighter aspects like one-hit kills and the ease with which you can pick this game up make it a great overall fighting experience. Lag does crop up on occasion though and that’s the only thing that keeps this from being perfect.

Plot/Plot Development: N/A: After giving it some thought, I list Deadliest Warrior: The Game more as a simulation and therefore plot is a non-factor.

Replay Value: 7.5: You have your standard online versus and tournament modes, but the promise of more fighters for download as the show continues will make you come back to this more often than typical fighters.

Overall (not an average): 8.0: A few minor flaws can’t overshadow the legitimately solid experience that Deadliest Warrior: The Game delivers and I know I can’t wait for the first batch of new fighters to be released.

Deadliest Warrior: The Game is available now on Xbox Live.

-Ray Carsillo

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Digital Download Dominance?

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July 21, 2010

Originally Published: July 21, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com

I don’t usually spend a lot of time reviewing iPhone games, but I’ve been spending a lot of time in airports and waiting for delayed flights the past couple of months, so my iPhone has become my savior on some of the worst trips. So, I figured it’d be nice if I reviewed a couple of iPhone games for those out there who may read my column and run into the same problems that I have recently.

The first game I want to talk about is called iBailout!!. Basically, imagine Ms. Pac-Man set to the theme of the recent economic crisis where a yellow ball and pink bow have been replaced by a large corporation building set out to gobble up all of the Federal Reserve’s funds instead of little yellow dots. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Ms. Pac-Man style adventure if there weren’t things to avoid and iBailout!! provides that in the form of us, the American people. But do not fear! By collecting AK-47s and arming themselves to the teeth, your vacuum like corporation building will easily mow down the unsuspecting citizens as it continues to gobble up as much cash as possible.

Now, I’m not usually one to use my reviews to make any kind of grand statement, but I did find a bit of humor in the one that Marroni Electronic Entertainment made with the creation of this game. A simple, well-designed homage to a true classic, fans of Ms. Pac-Man and conservatives everywhere will probably want to take a look at iBailout!! when looking to kill a few minutes with their iPhones and is available for $1.99 at the iTunes Store.

The second game that I want to talk about will probably stir up a little less controversy. In honor of the recently completed FIFA World Cup, I present Flick Kick Football (Soccer). Part of a whole series of sports games brought to us by PikPok, Flick Kick Football (Soccer) gives you a chance to test your skills in a variety of common free kick and penalty kick situations from The Beautiful Game by simply dragging your finger across the ball. Depending on how fast and what angle you flick the ball at will determine its trajectory as you attempt to curve the ball around and through more and more defenders as the game progresses and you try to beat your high score. If you miss your shot though it could be game over, but you can earn extra lives by burying the really difficult shots to make up for when you maybe mis-flick an easier kick.

Including a time-trial mode, target practice mode, and an achievements list Flick Kick Football (Soccer) offers you a chance to not only kill some time as you try to perfect bouncing the ball in off the inside of a goal post, but to also compare your high scores (my high score is 66 goals) and scoring streaks with friends as you try to become the ultimate Flick Kick Footballer. Flick Kick Football (Soccer) is available now for $0.99 at the iTunes Store.

So there you have it folks. A couple of cheap and effective ways to kill time on your iPhones if you’re like me and end up getting stuck in an airport while waiting for a thunderstorm to pass or maybe if you just don’t feel like breaking out a controller for your console games. Both games are available for purchase now.

-Ray Carsillo

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