Category: Written


A Legendary Disappointment

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July 15, 2010

Originally Published: July 15, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com

The beliefs and mythology of cultures long since past have a habit of still influencing much of our media today. From the Clash of the Titans movie from the beginning of the summer to many of our video games like God of War 3, mythology is a favorite of creators everywhere to tap into when coming up with different concepts. In that vein, I present to you Sega and High Voltage’s latest exclusive for the Nintendo Wii, Tournament of Legends.

A budget fighting game (only $30 brand new), Tournament of Legends takes random mythological beings from all over the world, like Baath, the Egyptian god of the sun, or Jupiter, King of the Roman Gods, and pits them against each other in a battle for the enchanted sickle of Thanatos (the god of death) in a bid for power that will propel them to a legendary status they had only dared dream about. So, basically, the standard fighting game plot where all the characters are looking for some form or another of ultimate power.

As fighters go, even for a budget title, this is a bad game. There are only eight playable characters to start with and two unlockables as the game goes along. Last time I checked, there were a lot more legends and mythological creatures out there than 10. For this to even be considered as a decent fighter, it would have needed at least five more playable characters.

And much like Sega and High Voltage’s last over-hyped Wii-exclusive, The Conduit, the graphics are abysmal. They look like something from the last generation of consoles with loose polygons and a lack of detail rarely seen in games nowadays. Include a lack of blood or anything overly graphic in terms of some of the big hits you can deliver and the game comes across as too childish to be taken serious as a fighter.

At least the audio is tolerable though to help even out the peripherals. A great job by all the voice actors involved makes the taunts of each character come across as much more personal that you typically see in a fighting game and the narrator does a good job laying out the story and the conclusion with each fighter’s end scene. Add in solid SFX and some decent instrumentals that try to make the game feel like the epic it was promoted to be and at least the composers seemed to have given their best effort with this one.

As for the gameplay, this is where Tournament of Legends leaves me most on the fence. If you use the Wii’s Classic Controller, then the controls are passable. You have your standard high, low, heavy, and light attack combinations. You have some really cool and unique special powers, like the Roman Centurion throws a slab of beef at his opponent (which I’ve nicknamed the “beefcake” attack) who then gets swarmed by lions if it hits. And you also have some great level design that incorporates traps like giant griffins and kraken that attack both players randomly. Unfortunately, if you use the Wiimote and Nunchuck control scheme though, the game is unresponsive and difficult to handle, making it harder to appreciate those glimmers of brilliance that Sega was able to fit into this game.

The game also really suffered with the replay value. As mentioned above, there are only 10 total characters to play with and unfortunately the game lacks an online vs. multiplayer. Without a lot of characters and being able to play against people online, there is very little to bring you back to this game should you be foolish enough to buy this in the first place.

Originally this game was supposed to be a 300 inspired action game that somehow morphed into this lackluster fighter. After playing this game, you only think of what could have been had Sega stayed with their original idea considering how awful this turned out. I know Sega has the potential to pull off great games for the Wii as I keep looking back at the gem that was Madworld, but Tournament of Legends does not even hold a candle to that masterpiece. I feel dirty even mentioning them in the same sentence as Tournament of Legends is just another example of Sega producing a game that does not live up to the hype or its fullest potential.

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

Graphics: 4.0: No blood, no guts, and a lack of detail not seen in modern console games anymore. This game is one of the worst looking games I’ve seen since the last time Sega and High Voltage fell flat on their face with The Conduit.

Audio: 9.0: The instrumentals tried their best to convey the feeling of this being an epic game. It’s not their fault it wasn’t. Add in some well-done voice over work and the audio is one of the few aspects of this game that actually delivered all the goods.

Plot/Plot Development: 7.0: Your standard fighter plot where all the characters are looking for a form of ultimate power for some reason or another. Nothing special.

Gameplay: 7.0: With the classic controller, this is a solid fighting game with some creative and humorous elements thrown in to differentiate itself from the crowd. Unfortunately, if you use the Wiimore/Nunchuck combination, this game is a joke to play due to unresponsiveness and difficulty in pulling off maneuvers.

Replay Value: 2.0: Only 10 characters to play with (8 from the beginning) and no online modes makes this one of the flimsiest fighters I’ve ever played.

Overall (not an average): 4.0: A lack of fighters, no online mode, poor controls, and shoddy graphics show that this game didn’t just lack polish, it lacked all the essentials. Avoid Tournament of Legends at all costs.

Tournament of Legends is available now (not that you should care) for the Nintendo Wii.

-Ray Carsillo

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A Great Game in Disguise

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June 29, 2010

Originally Published: June 29, 2010, on Examiner.com, ESPNNewYork.com, and PlayerAffinity.com

For well more than twenty years, Transformers has permeated our pop culture in ways few things have. Several successful cartoon series, a successful movie franchise, and the action figures that started it all still fly off the store shelves. The one place that Transformers has lacked proper representation though has been in video game format. Until now.

Transformers: War for Cybertron is a look back at why the robots in disguise that we all know and love were forced to leave their home planet of Cybertron and take to the stars before their fateful landing on Earth. Starting off as Megatron and his band of evil Decepticons, you are left searching for a weapon to turn the tide of war in your favor in order to rout the Autobots and claim Cybertron for yourself.

Left to grasping at legends, Megatron invades an Autobot space station that was supposed to at one time manufacture an unstable element only known as “Dark Energon”. Megatron feels if the legends are true and he can harness this element, he could strike at Cybertron’s core and take over the planet in one fell swoop. After recruiting former Autobot Starscream into his ranks, Megatron begins claiming the station for himself and soon his plans for global domination are under way.

It’s at this point, with Cybertron completely under siege, that you take over Optimus and his band of Autobots in an attempt to thwart Megatron’s grand plans for dominance. Only by Optimus embracing his destiny and taking the reigns of Autobot leadership can the Autobots overcome Megatron and attempt to save their home planet before this ages old war wipes out both Autobot and Decepticon alike.

The first thing that fans will notice right off the bat is these are not the movie Transformers. These are the cartoon and action figures that we grew up with. Megatron transforms into his classic white and purple tank form, Bumblebee is not a Camaro, and Soundwave comes along with Rumble, Frenzy, and Laserbeak in tow.

You’ll then notice the great control scheme and third-person shooter action. Finding the balance between your vehicle form and your robot form is a fun challenge as both have their positives and negatives and the game forces to you to use both on different occasions and is a brilliant way to build in gameplay variety. And that’s not the only balance you have to find. The Decepticon and Autobot campaigns are so different that you’ll find yourself feeling like you’re playing two different games altogether.

There are some flaws with the gameplay though. The lack of a duck and cover mechanism is the first and most obvious problem. Although there is plenty of cover to hide behind, not being able to hug it and fire around corners or even duck to fit in behind smaller crates makes some of the firefights you get into a lot harder than they need to be.

Another problem is the enemy A.I. Some of the lower enemies you have to face in this game redefine the term “cannon fodder”, but at least the boss battles are epic. In this vein, although the game is compelling and pulls you in, with most enemies having a relatively low A.I., you should be able to blow through this game in about 10 hours, even on hard mode.

These flaws in gameplay though are more than made up for in other areas. The graphics for this game are flawless. From the seamless transformations of each character with their classic cartoon designs to every piece of Cybertron, this game’s look shines like Energon crystals. When you combine this with a spectacular voice cast spearheaded by Peter Cullen returning as Optimus Prime and the peripherals are almost second to none.

Possibly the best feature of this entire game though is the multiplayer. Of course, almost any shooter nowadays has to have a “Horde” style mode a la Gears of War and Transformers: War for Cybertron provides that with its “Escalation” mode. Your typical Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes really steal the show though as they’re done in the Call of Duty style (no surprise being an Activision game; if something isn’t broken don’t fix it) and you just hope the Transformers fans truly appreciate this

Beyond some minor flaws, the game really sparkles while setting a new standard for what a Transformers game should be. Good gameplay coupled with a top-notch multiplayer and some pretty graphics makes this game a must have for Transformers fans old and new alike.

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

Graphics: 10.0: This is how I imagined Cybertron would look like. Add in these are the cartoon designs and not the movie ones and the look of this game is flawless.

Audio: 10.0: Perfect voice acting from all those involved including the legendary Peter Cullen leads the charge for a stellar auditory performance. The music is a little generic at times, but it artfully sets the mood and the end credits being set to an old classic makes the audio flawless.

Plot/Plot Development: 10.0: A brilliantly executed story that helps to set up the canon that fans are familiar with while answering some age old questions. It flowed perfectly over the game’s 10 levels and left me wishing they had started even farther back to explain more of the history.

Gameplay: 6.0: Poor enemy A.I., only 10 hours in the story mode, and the lack of duck and cover mechanism left me looking for a little more while I blasted away robot drones.

Replay Value: 7.0: “Escalation” mode was a predictable addition to the basic Call of Duty multiplayer shell this game uses. That doesn’t make it any less fun. A lack of something to bring you back to the story mode does hurt the experience though.

Overall (not an average): 9.0: Brilliant story, great peripherals, and a proven winner in terms of multiplayer mode and this game is a must buy for any and every Transformers fan.

Transformers: War for Cybertron is available now on all systems.

-Ray Carsillo

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A Rock Band Breakdown

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June 13, 2010

Originally Published: June 13, 2010, on PlayerAffinity.com

They are one of the most popular bands in the world and have been speaking to the youth of a generation for about 20 years now. Their music has even inspired a Broadway play. So it’s no wonder that the folks at Harmonix and MTV Games felt that Green Day deserved their own Rock Band video game. Unfortunately, all this latest edition into the Rock Band library shows is how soft Green Day has become over the years.

Starting off with the hit album Dookie that launched Green Day into the limelight, Green Day Rock Band features 47 songs that touches upon most of the group’s best hits as well as the near entireties of American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. The problem is that by putting on so many newer, and in my opinion, inferior songs, they left out almost the entirety of Insomniac, all of Shenanigans, and nearly all of Warning and Nimrod, all of which were far superior to the red-headed bastard child that was 21st Century Breakdown.

And you can tell the difference in the gameplay. I have the entire set of instruments for Rock Band and made sure to try my hand at them all as I moved through my paltry three-venue career mode. I slammed down on drums and ripped away at guitar and bass and finally screamed till my lungs bled on the microphone. That is until I hit the 21st Century Breakdown section of the game and realized just how much Green Day had sold out when none of the singles were in the game off that album, (they needed to be bought separately on top of $60 you’re already dropping) and how slow and monotonous the music was that I was playing compared to the Dookie days.

I will say that the diehards of the band will enjoy the unlockable videos and rare still shots for three and five-starring songs and challenges as you get to see Billie Joe, Tre, and Mike back in their traveling bookmobile days as they moved from venue to venue. Aside from this though there really isn’t a lot to keep you coming back for more unless you are a Green Day addict. Include the fact that 47 songs is costing you $60, and most of the songs you probably want aren’t even on the disc, and that means this is a reach in terms of a purchase.

The audio is great, as you would expect since it is a music game, and the songs sound like they’re supposed to. Although I have to say that it is hard to keep a beat when all of the swears have been edited out to keep this a T-rated game and none of the character of the band can come through because of this censorship. If anyone has even seen Green Day live, they know that Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre aren’t exactly angels in terms of their language and on-stage antics. The game may look like Green Day and the game may even sort of sound like them, but this game is everything that Green Day used to sing about rebelling against.

Obviously, there is no plot to shred apart because it’s all about playing the music. There is a lackluster career mode that takes you through three venues and three distinctive looks of Green Day over the years as you try to unlock all 47 songs, but aside from this, the game is a glorified track pack. Even with the inclusion of some Tre Cool drum challenges this game is not worth a $60 purchase.

With that said, I would still recommend this as a rental if you are a Green Day fan and especially if you have friends who are fans so this way you can rock out together (at least on Dookie). Otherwise, this is just a reminder of how much these once anti-establishment icons have sold out.

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Ground and Pound

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June 6, 2010

Originally Published: June 1, 2010, on Examiner.com, PlayerAffinity.com, and ESPNNewYork.com

They are modern day gladiators as fans cheer for knockout blows and bone breaking submissions. It is the fastest growing sport in America and is wowing fans with both the technical precision and sheer brutality its athletes need in order to just be competitive, never mind to try to reach superstar status. Of course, I am talking about MMA and its premiere league, the UFC. As with every sport in modern America though, you haven’t really made the full impact your capable of on the popular culture until you have a successful video game franchise. With that, I present to you the second video game installment of the UFC: UFC Undisputed 2010 from THQ.

The first thing you notice as soon as you pop in UFC: Undisputed 2010 are the near-flawless graphics. Accurate facial designs and tattoos of every UFC fighter through every division makes you feel as if you are watching a live Pay-Per-View event at times. Cuts gushing open, blood splattering and staining the canvas, and bruised ribs shine as highlights of a great visual package. Add in live movies of the UFC ring girls (I love Arianny Celeste) introducing the Classic Matches mode and the game is as beautiful as all those girls.

The audio is spectacular as well. Great, fluid play-by-play and analysis by Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan that even takes your previous matches into account when commenting, something no other sports game really does. Include Bruce Buffer as the ring announcer and quality audio clips from every fighter for pre- and post-match interviews, including UFC President Dana White, and the audio is well played all around.

As with every other sports sim, the storyline is really determined by the results of your own play as you try to write your own story in career mode. If you keep winning, you’ll get title shots and be able to change weight classes and maybe even become a hall-of-famer. If you keep losing, you’ll wallow in the depths of the unknown and remain a nobody.

The biggest questions I had with UFC: Undisputed 2010 came with the decisions made about gameplay. I understand how difficult MMA is. It’s not something you can just pick up and play. You can’t just go outside, tape up your ankles, and start trying to choke out your brother whereas most other sports you just need a ball. Video games though should be something you can just pick up and play and you cannot do that at all with this game. The tutorial is something you’ll probably need to go through three or four times before you can even begin to understand how to perform basic techniques like throws and submission maneuvers and the amount of countering down by the computer can become frustrating even on easier game modes. If you don’t put your time in to learn the basic moves this will turn into a old school button masher for you very quickly.

This lack of pick up and play is a tremendous negative in terms of trying to draw in casual fans. The hardcore fans though will appreciate the work that has to go into making your created fighter the best he can be. The deep, detailed career mode that can follow you from being a scrub to a superstar, including what sponsors take an interest in you as you customize your own gear, is probably the greatest individual career mode I’ve ever seen in a sports game. Include sim modes where you can use an already existing fighter, ranging from Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir to Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and BJ Penn, to go after their respective weight classes’ title, to a gauntlet like title defense mode where you have to whittle away twelve competitors in a row and there is enough depth to this game to keep the hardcore fan coming back. But there’s even more! The Classic Matches mode where you relive and, in some cases, rewrite classic UFC matches to earn customization rewards, gives you a rarely seen total amount of depth from a fighting game.

And you can’t forget about the online play. Not only can you take your favorite fighters, real or created, up against other people, you can even join or start your own MMA camp. You can invite your friends to train with you and hone your skills for online play as you try to let people know that you are not only the ultimate fighter, you’re the ultimate trainer as well.

After devoting much of my Memorial Day weekend to this game, I can say that if you are a fan of the UFC, you’re going to love this game. If not, the difficult control schemes could leave you frustrated enough that you might not want to pick it up again, even with the glowing positives that you’ll notice from the second you get to the title screen. If you are on the fence about this game, not being able to just pick up and play is a big enough negative that might make you want to rent this before you make it a full-blown purchase.

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

Graphics: 9.0: Near-flawless graphics in terms of rendering and arenas and the fighters are so detailed that you would think you’re watching an actual Pay-Per-View.

Audio: 10.0: Great music sets the theme for these modern day gladiators and when combined with tremendous voice over work from every person involved with the UFC makes this one of the better sounding games out there.

Plot/Plot Development: N/A: It’s a sports sim and therefore you make your own plot.

Gameplay: 6.5: The only real negative for this game is that you can’t just pick it up and start playing. Having to devote a lot of time to tutorials and building up your fighters and technique might turn off more casual fans.

Replay Value: 9.0: An in-depth career mode, title and title defense modes, and classic matches mode coupled with online play that includes building your own MMA camp will keep hardcore fans practicing their submission maneuvers long into the night.

Overall (not an average): 7.0: The lack of accessibility to casual fans and newcomers will turn this into something we don’t see much of nowadays, a button masher. Being unable to just pick up and play this takes it down a notch from a must buy to a must rent and is only recommended for the ultimate fan of the UFC.

UFC Undisputed 2010 is available now for PS3, PSP, and Xbox 360.

-Ray Carsillo

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Pwning the President’s Politics

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Originally Published: May 27, 2010, on TalkXbox.com

I’ve been professionally writing about video games for almost two years now and I’ve never felt the need to incorporate politics into my articles (I did write an editorial back in 2008 on the election, but games never came into it). Two weeks ago though, our president made some comments that really got under my skin.

For those of you who may be unaware, President Obama was giving a commencement speech at Hampton University in Virginia when he began talking about the bombardment of the masses by varying news and information reports from every technological orifice imaginable. Now, this is a valid point and I do personally believe that society does have a problem, at times, when it comes to filtering its news. But he said it in a way that, basically, throws video games under the bus for a lot of our information consumption problems.

His exact words that I am calling into question were: “With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation.” Personally, as someone whose life is dedicated to the reporting of and playing of video games, I took serious offense to this statement.

Firstly, the comment makes our president look like a Luddite and that he is out of touch with the constantly evolving technology that our lifestyles now demand. Secondly, as our president has admitted on camera to his BlackBerry addiction, to bash modern technology and those of us who use it, but to also admit to relying on it like a crutch himself, makes him look like a hypocrite.

Now I’m not knocking the President just to do so, the point simply is that most of us can process information effectively in today’s society and still play games. In fact, I’m sure many of the students he was talking to were gamers (maybe even gaming during his boring speech). For many of us, it is called a hobby (and a lucky few, a job). Most of us do not confine ourselves to our mothers’ basements surrounded by empty Red Bull cans and Doritos bags (and those of us who do are usually getting paid to do so)! Many people play video games and have a full social life. I know successful, intelligent people from a female medical doctor that likes to fly with Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 2 (yes, she’s married guys) to hockey players who double as Dark Jedi Masters in their spare time in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed to army specialists who practice maneuvers with zombie hordes in Left 4 Dead 2.

Video games are simply a safe, entertaining way, to pass time by oneself or with friends. I’m sorry that we’ve moved beyond the printing press Mr. President. Maybe you should look into banning movies, reality TV, trashy romance novels, the Internet, or any other of the plethora of things that people do for entertainment. Or maybe you’re just frustrated that Midway Games, who were based out of your hometown of Chicago, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Either way, games are here to stay and are nowhere near the reason why the economy hasn’t rebounded yet, unemployment is through the roof, and Iran is getting their hands on low-grade plutonium. Maybe, Mr. President if you added President Mahmoud Ahmadinjejad (the President of Iran) to your Xbox Live friends list and played him for a few hours in NBA Live (we’ll make Bill Clinton an unlockable like in the old NBA Jam if it’ll help) he’d be more willing to listen to those sanctions you’re always going on about. Until then, choose your words more wisely because as someone who is using his gaming column to criticize your words, I feel pretty damn empowered. Game on! 

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Never to be Forgotten

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Originally Published: May 20, 2010, on Lundberg.me, Examiner.com, ESPNNewYork.com, and PlayerAffinity.com

Note: This review was done with the Xbox 360 version. The Xbox 360, PS3, and PC versions are very different from the Wii, PSP, and DS versions.

The Prince of Persia series of the last generation of consoles was one of the most successful and critically acclaimed series to come out during its era and so it was no surprise that Ubisoft would want to somehow continue it on the current generation of consoles. The problem was that there was really no room to continue the story after it was so perfectly tied together with its final chapter. The solution? An interquel! Thus, we have the Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.

Naturally, the only place to expand on the trilogy would be in the seven year gap between the first chapter in the trilogy, The Sands of Time, and the second chapter, The Warrior Within, since the third chapter, The Two Thrones, took place immediately after Warrior Within and left no room for expansion (unless they wanted to go more in-depth about the Prince and Kaileena’s relationship on that boat of theirs& probably not a lot of gameplay there, but it might’ve provided for some interesting mini-games). In order to leave more room for later expansion and maybe the return of the Warrior Within’s nemesis, the Dahaka, Forgotten Sands takes place immediately after Sands of Time.

Now that we’ve banged out the timeline continuity, let’s get into the actual story. Our young hero, still not nearly as jaded as we would find him to be in Warrior Within, is sent by his father immediately after the events of Sands of Time to meet his brother, Malik, in the hopes that some of his leadership skills would rub off on our young prince. Upon arriving in his brother’s kingdom, the Prince finds Malik’s capital under siege and immediately puts to use his infamous agility as he begins to scour the city for his brother.

Once he catches up to Malik, the Prince finds that Malik is so desperate to win the battle, knowing that his forces have been nearly wiped out, that in a last ditch effort before retreat, Malik reveals to the Prince an ancient seal he has inherited. This seal supposedly will unlock the gates to a mystical sand army that the once great King Solomon had control over. Malik figures if he could control the army, he could turn the tide of war. It wouldn’t be much of a game though if Malik’s plan came to fruition.

As soon as the seal is inserted, it snaps in two as sand begins pouring out into the treasure room of Malik’s palace. The Prince, once again played by Yuri Lowenthal, quips that it always seems to be sand as only he and Malik are saved from the gruesome fate of being turned into sand statues by the remaining magic in the two halves of the seal. The Prince must now find a way to re-imprison the sand army that is running havoc around Malik’s city while discovering the secrets of King Solomon’s ancient city.

If you are a fan of the Prince of Persia trilogy from the last generation of consoles, then you will absolutely love Forgotten Sands. The Prince flows just as smoothly as ever as he uses his infamous agility to still hop along walls, columns, and flagpoles with as much as grace as in any previous game in the trilogy. There have also been new fighting mechanics added to the game as the Prince now uses not only his entire body and environment as a weapon with his typical jump kicks and acrobatic swinging sword somersaults, but several new powers that he acquires over the course of the game.

There is still the classic rewinding of time introduced way back in Sands of Time, but now there is also the ability to control the elements of wind, water, fire, and earth as the Prince’s new medallion made out of his half of the seal allows him an entire new power set. This new power set also allows for brand new puzzles for the Prince to traverse. Abilities like being able to freeze and unfreeze water has the Prince bouncing back and forth between frozen water ropes and trying to perfectly time when to turn waterfalls into walls and back. Also, being able to reverse time for not only the Prince, but also structures in the environment, creates a whole new challenge in terms of “looking before you leap”.

These new powers also help in the pumped up fights that the modern consoles can handle. There are times now where you are facing entire rooms full of twenty or thirty sand soldiers now, instead of only five or six like in most points in the original trilogy, so being able to call up stone armor or create a whirlwind around the Prince can really help even the odds.

The game also shines in terms of graphics on modern consoles. Never has a Prince of Persia game (even compared to the one that came out in December of 2008) looked so good. From facial expressions to Malik’s collapsing palace, Forgotten Sands is a visual gem. When you throw in a fantastic score and great voice acting from all those involved, including Yuri Lowenthal returning as the voice of the Prince, and this game’s peripherals are top-notch.

Of course, no game is perfect though. Even with all the great gameplay elements of the original trilogy successfully being ported over to this new chapter along with some tremendous additions in terms of puzzle solving, the game still has a couple of faults. Some irritating mid-jump glitches can make the already frustrating traps even more difficult to traverse.

More frustration comes through with the fact that even though the new systems can support more enemies, many of them are just as simple minded as ever and fall like bowling pins as they are knocked over by the agility of a well-trained Prince. The lack of enemy A.I. helps contribute to the fact that the story mode should only be about a 10-hour romp for most experienced players.

Another weak point of the game is that there isn’t much to keep you playing this beyond the short story mode. There isn’t even a hard mode. There is a second mode called “Enemy Tides” that you can unlock after beating the story mode where you try to defeat eight waves of enemies as quickly as possible, but you’ll be so experienced with your powers by the time you finish the game that you should blow through it on your first try with little difficulty. There are some collectibles and the hopes of powering up your Prince more to maybe bring you back for a second playthrough, but this is unlikely.

After having several intense playing sessions with Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands I have to say that if you are a fan of the series, then this is a must pick up. If this is your first foray into this series, I would recommend a rental first, but this is still a game that most every action/adventure gamer should enjoy.

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

Graphics: 10.0: From the smallest grain of sand on the ground to Malik’s collapsing palace, and with spectacular faces and models for all the characters, Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands is one of the best looking games out there now.

Audio: 10.0: Spot-on SFX, a fantastic score that perfectly sets the mood, and superb voice acting from all those involved, including the return of Yuri Lowenthal as the Prince, and the game is a treat for your ears.

Plot/Plot Development: 9.0: I admit that I was a little hesitant with the fact that the newest Prince of Persia game was going to be an interquel, but the folks at Ubisoft did a really good job tying it into the first game. The only problem I have with it is that I would have liked to have seen a tease of the Dahaka at some point since he is such a major force in the Prince’s life later on.

Gameplay: 8.0: The gameplay is very good and the action is as always tremendous in a Prince game. Unfortunately, poor enemy A.I., some glitches, and only 10 hours of gameplay knocks this down a little.

Replay Value: 4.0: This is where the game really falls flat. The “Enemy Tides” survival mode was a nice idea, and I’m sure there will be a little DLC later on, but no hard mode and a minimal of collectibles in the story mode will keep you from playing this after getting through the story.

Overall (not an average): 8.0: A fantastic game to play through the story once, but unless you are an established fan of the Prince of Persia series you should rent this before full out buying it. Still though, this is at least a must experience for every action/adventure fan out there.

-Ray Carsillo

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Worst Writers Block Ever

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Originally Published: May 11, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com, PlayerAffinity.com, and Examiner.com

A lot of times nowadays, plot is an afterthought when it comes to making games. It’s more about explosions, big guns, and an endless swarm of enemies to mow down. What would happen though if you had a writer as your main character and the plot was the entire premise of the game? You would probably have something along the lines of Remedy Entertainment’s newest Xbox 360 exclusive, Alan Wake. Alan Wake follows the title character through his mundane life as he struggles with a horrible case of writers block. It’s been two years since Alan has written anything of note and he is plagued by insomnia and nightmares. Finally, at the behest of his wife Alice, Alan decides to take a vacation with her to the quiet and tranquil town of Bright Falls in Washington.

Alan immediately feels out of place as a city boy in this rural backwater town. Everyone from the local radio DJ to the waitress at the main street diner begin to swoon over the great Alan Wake’s presence as he realizes this is probably the closest thing most of these people ever get to touching Hollywood. Alan rushes to find the local grease monkey who seems to be in charge of his cabin’s key, but comes across a haunting old woman instead who says the mechanic is indisposed at the moment, but left the key for him with her.

Alan takes it without thinking twice and heads with Alice for the cabin on the lake. But things quickly go awry when night comes. The power goes out, Alice disappears, and before Alan knows it, he is sitting behind the wheel of his wrecked car and has no idea what has happened to him. All he knows is that he keeps stumbling across pages from a manuscript he can’t remember writing and that he needs to find Alice. A mysterious dark presence though is working to make sure that our writer friend does not accomplish his mission and goes about possessing the normally peaceful townsfolk of Bright Falls and moving them into Alan’s path. As Alan begins moving against the dark presence though, he also comes to realize that the manuscript he keeps stumbling across seems to have some precognitive abilities as he tries to shed some light on the puzzle laid out before him.

I really can’t say anymore beyond that without giving away the entire plot, but when they describe Alan Wake as a psychological thriller, they mean it. With more plot twists than a Twizzler, Alan Wake will have you on the edge of your seat as you get sucked into Alan’s world and you addictively play your way through the six episodes that comprise the game.

And I do mean episodes. With heavy inspiration from shows like Lost, Twin Peaks, and The X-Files, Alan Wake is set up like a television show or HBO miniseries considering how long it’ll probably take your average gamer to get through each one. With full previous episode recaps, theme music, and cliffhanger endings, Alan Wake is an accomplishment in video game storytelling and will have conspiracy theorists out there talking about it like several of the shows it drew its inspiration from.

Alan Wake isn’t just a spectacularly laid out story though. The gameplay is top notch for the most part as well. The townsfolk who are possessed by the dark energy live in the shadows and can come from almost anywhere. This gives you the stress of a survival horror’s gameplay, but with a new factor of unpredictability as an enemy can literally come from any source of darkness, continuing the psychological thriller theme as you begin to dread looking around every new corner. Another aspect of this is that later in the game, not only are people becoming possessed, but also animals and even inanimate objects that violently hurl themselves in your path.

Since all of your enemies are comprised of shadows, Alan Wake incorporates a brilliant new way of fighting these unusual enemies as well. A shotgun or rifle is no longer you’re greatest weapon, it is flares and flashlights. You must use whatever light sources you can find to wear down the shadow shields many of the possessed cloak themselves in before you can fire away with conventional weaponry. Your flashlight also works as an aiming sight for your weapons in order to eliminate any need for a conventional aiming system seen in most third person shooters. Even if you run of ammo though, a plethora of batteries for your flashlight could mean the difference between life and death as enemies can be held at bay with your light long enough for you to either find more ammo or to make it to a safe haven. The light vs. dark system also means usually useless weapons can become juggernauts. Flash bang grenades can clear entire screens of enemies and a flare gun can become like a grenade launcher as they give off enough light to completely burn away the possessed.

There were a couple of problems I had with the gameplay though. The combat system was a little faulty in that the shadows are still clinging to actual people and in theory a head shot should do more damage than shots to the legs or torso and this was not the case. It became frustrating that three head shots with a pistol did the same amount of damage as three shots to the arm with the same weapon.

Another frustrating thing was that the game incorporated a radar system in order to keep the player from getting completely lost in the massive Pacific Northwest wilderness that the game created. It was a nice feature, but I felt myself obsessing over it and it nudged me away from exploring as much as I should have.

There was also a couple of problems with the graphics. Although spectacular in many ways, from lighting effects that were obviously crucial to the gameplay mechanics to water and other environment effects, there were only maybe 10 enemy character models for the entire game. With a game that will probably take most gamers 12-15 hours to complete on hard mode, to see the same handful of models thrown at us, especially later in the game, was a sad sight indeed.

The wilderness also seemed to blend together sometimes. I understand that most of the game takes place in poorly lit areas, but for a lot of what you could see, it seemed like many of the bushes, trees, and dilapidated buildings you come across were not as crisp or eye-popping as they could have been.

The audio for the game was solid, but not spectacular. The original score and licensed music for the game really helped with the whole TV show feel and the SFX were spot-on, but the voice acting was only par with what we’ve come to expect nowadays. I’m not saying we needed Nolan North to play Alan Wake (since he seems to play every single other male video game character out there), but the voice acting seemed almost a little forced at times from many of the characters.

Another positive for the game though is the replay value. Unlocking a “Nightmare” difficulty upon completion of your first playthrough, this new mode allows you a chance to collect additional pages of the mystical manuscript. There are also coffee thermoses and other collectibles to still gather after beating the game and there is some DLC guaranteed. What the DLC will garner, whether entirely new episodes or rumors of a multiplayer mode, we will have to wait and see. I admit, normally I would need a little more than that to garner a game’s replay value a positive, but the story is so good that any hope that it won’t end is indeed a positive for me.

All in all, Alan Wake is a game that stays with you. You become emotionally invested in these characters and that is a testament to the story laid out before you. Alan Wake is one of the best written games I’ve come across in a long time and if they plan on doing a sequel, hopefully it won’t be delayed as much as this first game was. Add in a creative combat system and only a few minor complaints keep this from being gaming perfection.

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

Graphics: 7.0: Repetitive enemy models and poor shrubbery knocks this down. Solid otherwise.

Audio: 8.0: The licensed music and original score was fantastic, but the voice acting was a little lackluster and that keeps this from being a higher score.

Plot/Plot Development: 10.0: I can’t remember the last time I gave a perfect score to the story of a game, but I loved every second of it as played out before me.

Gameplay: 8.0: If I shoot a character in the head I want a logical explanation for him not to drop immediately. The radar also could have been tweaked. At least it wasn’t dust on the ground like in Fable II though.

Replay Value: 6.5: No multiplayer, but the hopes of it and new episodes in DLC keeps this respectable. Include extra difficulties and lots of collectibles and there is enough here to make you want to experience this nightmare at least twice.

Overall (not an average): 9.0: One of the best written stories I’ve ever played, Alan Wake is an accomplishment in video game storytelling. Only a few minor complaints keep this from being perfect, but this is definitely a must buy for most gamers and a must experience for all.

Alan Wake will be available for Xbox 360 on May 18th, 2010.

-Ray Carsillo

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Two Heroes, Two Reviews

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Originally Published: May 7, 2010, on PlayerAffinity.com, ESPNNewYork.com, Lundberg.me, and Examiner.com

One of my staples here is that when there are huge summer blockbusters, especially ones based off comics, which have corresponding video games, that I do a double review. So, in keeping with that pattern, I present to you Iron Man 2. We’ll start by taking a look at the movie.

Taking place six months after the end of the first movie, we find the world loving Iron Man. It seems that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is on top of the world and no one, not Congress, not the US Armed Forces, and not rivals like Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) can take him down. Unfortunately, the thing that has helped Tony rise to the glorified status he has reached, is also killing him. The miniature arc reactor in Tony’s chest is slowly poisoning him and the more he uses his Iron Man suit, the faster the poison spreads throughout his body.

Meanwhile, a physicist named Ivan Drako (Mickey Rourke) is plotting his family’s revenge from the confines of a shack in Siberia. Drako blames Stark for his family’s poverty and will stop at nothing to hasten the process of Stark’s death. Using blueprints that Ivan’s father helped Tony’s father develop and researching Tony’s own work on the arc reactor, Ivan makes his own miniature arc reactor. Instead of creating an entire suit of armor though, Ivan designs a simple harness that can be hidden beneath his clothes and two energy conducting whips that can uncoil at a moment’s notice from the harness.

As Tony privately counts down his last days and races for a cure to the poison in his chest, he must also contend with rivals and enemies he doesn’t even know he has yet. It looks like Tony will be forced to call for a little help from his friends.

Iron Man 2 is a great new chapter in the canon that Marvel is creating with their motion pictures, but is not as good as the original Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. There is no acting involved, he just is. The way he delivers his lines is brilliant and I can’t think of a better actor to personify a character. The humor delivered by Downey and several of the other characters like Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) though is a little dry and predictable at times.

A major problem I had with the movie was the development of Whiplash/Ivan Drako and how they took two villains from the comic book canon and combined them poorly into one. Whiplash was nothing but a common thug in the comics and the Russian with a vendetta who stole Stark’s technology was the Crimson Dynamo. I appreciate that Marvel was trying to modernize the character since the whole “Communist Russia” that inspired the Crimson Dynamo is gone, but they could have kept the character and only changed his history some. Plus, the huge red armor would have probably looked cool.

Continuing with my problems with the character development, let’s look at War Machine. Don Cheadle was a great choice to replace Terrance Howard and he pulled off the Yin to Robert Downey Jr’s Yang perfectly, even if I would have liked to see a little more interaction between the two. My problem was how War Machine came about. Justin Hammer took stolen armor and modified it? That’s so far off course from the comics I can’t even start to dissect where they got that idea from, but I hated it. And why in a movie full of AC/DC music, was the song “War Machine” off the Black Ice album not used?

Speaking of great casting, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow/Natalia Romonova. Wow. I loved watching Scarlett in a skin-tight black cat suit doing flips and kicking butt. Only thing I had a problem with, as a diehard fan of the comics, is that they didn’t go much into her background and they never once referred to her as Black Widow, but it was understandable because she was more of a minor character in this movie.

A minor gripe I have is the fact that the scene from the commercials where Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) kisses Tony’s helmet and chucks it out the back of the airplane has been cut. Is this just something to save for the DVD or was there a legitimate reason that you purposely cut a scene you were using in your major TV ads?

My final complaint is that the last fight scene was anti-climatic compared to the 20-minute slugfest from the first film. Although fun and entertaining, the best fight scenes came in the middle of the movie with the suitcase suit (which was awesome) and made the end scene look like they were tying up loose ends.

On the positive side, it was nice to see that all these extra characters that were introduced were not forced into the series, but were eased in. The casting was spectacular for all these characters, as well, from Garry Shandling as the primary US Congressman against Tony to Scarlett as Black Widow. Also, the special effects were top of the line as expected. I always “geek-out” whenever I see Tony use those three dimensional computer models with JARVIS, his suit A.I. and butler.

All in all, minor complaints aside, Iron Man 2 is a fun, fast-paced action/adventure/comedy that does its predecessor justice, but does not surpass it. Well done by Marvel overall and I would strongly recommend that any fan of the first movie check out Iron Man 2.

Iron Man 2 gets 7.5 out of 10.

I really thought that Iron Man 2 was a solid movie, so I was hopeful that the game wouldn’t be a total screw up.

What I’ve noticed from many recent games based on movies is that they try to extend the story portrayed in the movie, either as events leading up to the movie, or events immediately following the movie. Two recent examples of this that come to mind were Terminator: Salvation and GI Joe. Iron Man 2’s video game, a third-person shooter/action/adventure title developed by Sega, falls into the “after the movie” concept.

The game opens up with Tony’s archives building being attacked by robot drones. Immediately Tony and Rhodey scramble to the scene and try to quell the chaos with repulsor beams and mini-guns blazin’. For the most part they are successful, but after checking all his files, Tony finds that part of his original program for JARVIS, his electronic butler and suit A.I. program, has been stolen. Knowing what could happen if that A.I. fell into the wrong hands, Tony and Rhodey start following a trail of breadcrumbs to find the culprits.

A simple comic book plot that ties well into the canon that the movies seem to be developing, the villains in the game are new adaptations of classic Avengers/Iron Man villains. Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.), Roxxon, Crimson Dynamo, and Ultimo all make appearances in a much deeper plot than is initially revealed in the opening level of the game and is done in a way that makes sense for this new movie universe, but stray far away from the comics. For example, Tony Stark in this new universe now creates Ultimo, one of the most formidable of villains of the Avengers and originally created by Hank Pym. An interesting account of these classic characters, but purists will flip over this for sure.

So, the plot may be workable, but a story alone does not a great game make. This game from a technical standpoint feels rushed. The graphics look like they were something from the last generation of consoles. NPCs looked cartoony and out of place and the backgrounds were bland at best.

The audio was unimpressive also. The voice acting was solid, but the dialogue was uninspired and I was disappointed that only Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson lent their voices to the game (I hereby declare my love for Scarlett Johansson). The music lent to the game from several rock bands was good, but they didn’t get any AC/DC, which is a clear theme for the movies. I think that is proof positive that this game was rushed to hit store shelves along with the movie hitting theatres.

The biggest downfall of this game though is the gameplay. This game is chock full of glitches, the controls felt unnatural (especially the flying where you’re constantly crashing into walls or obstacles), and made the game much harder than it needed to be. Mind you, the difficulty of the game was somewhat impressive, but it wasn’t because of a good enemy A.I., but because of sheer numbers and health handicaps when you up the difficulty. And even then, you only have eight missions that should take most veteran gamers only 8-10 hours to complete on hard. On easy, this game isn’t even worth a rental since there is no strategy necessary when playing (out of curiosity, I played a few levels on easy after beating the game on hard, and it was a joke, especially in terms of being able to procure a lot of the achievements). Plowing in headfirst will almost always win the day.

Another weakness of the game is the replay value. If you actually enjoy playing this game, there are new armors and power ups that you can acquire by repeating levels. Also, in four of the eight missions you can choose between playing as War Machine or Iron Man to get a different feel between War Machine’s offense heavy strategy and Iron Man’s defensive minded maneuvers. Some kind of multiplayer or co-op mode with both heroes would have gone leaps and bounds for this game and because of that there is really nothing to bring you back to this game. I don’t even think there is enough to bring you to this game once actually.

When you sit back and look at this game with a careful eye, you see the framework for a very solid third person shooter/action/adventure game. Unfortunately, it looks like Sega, either of their own volition or pressure from Marvel, rushed this game, plain and simple. Every element of this game seems incomplete, from the graphics to the gameplay mechanics. It seems that Iron Man 2 has fallen into another summer blockbuster pattern: the corresponding video game is usually nowhere near the quality of the movie.

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

Graphics: 5.0: The models for people and villains are solid, but a lot of scenery clearly has a poor polygon count and seems incomplete or very basic at points. A very rushed job by the folks at Sega.

Audio: 6.0: The soundtrack was solid, but a lack of AC/DC was disappointing considering how important it was for the movie. Also, the fact that only two actors from a star studded cast signed on to do the game is a joke, even when they’re actors of Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle’s calibers.

Plot/Plot Development: 6.0: Not a bad story that works well with the new universe created by Marvel’s movies, but die-hards of the comics will want to throw a brick through their TVs and use the game disc for some skeet shooting.

Gameplay: 3.0: Chock full of glitches and a poor control scheme makes this game a chore to play at best. Add in an uneven difficulty system and only about 10 hours of gameplay on the hardest difficulty and you’re looking at something that should be put on the scrap heap.

Replay Value: 5.0: There are only eight missions in the game’s story and only four of those allow you to choose which of the two heroes you want to play as. There are some weapons and classic armor to collect and some very easy achievements to acquire via replaying a few levels, but beyond that there is nothing to keep you playing this game.

Overall (not an average): 3.5: A rush job all the way around, Iron Man 2 is horribly disappointing and maintains the status quo of good movies often make bad video games. Only the most hardcore of fans should even rent this. No one should buy.

Iron Man 2 is available now for PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and PSP.

-Ray Carsillo

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Bungie Snaps Again – Inks 10 Year Deal with Activision

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Originally Published: May 1, 2010, on Examiner.com

Last July I talked about how Bungie had announced that they were working on what they thought could be a groundbreaking new project and that Halo: Reach would be their final Halo title. In response to this, Microsoft formed 343 Industries to handle future Halo titles as the two parties decided to part amicably after Halo: Reach.

So nine months have passed and not a word of what was on the horizon for Bungie has surfaced. Everything has been about the new multiplayer for Reach (beta launches next week) and how it would usher in a new era of Xbox Live and that Halo would always be in the good hands of a Microsoft owned developer.

And then this bombshell dropped on the video game community. Amid lawsuits and walkouts, Activision reportedly inked a 10 year deal with Bungie, supposedly to allow the developer’s secret property a chance at reaching all three major consoles. A major part of the deal is supposed to include that Bungie also retains all rights to their creative properties, a tremendous sticking point that has led to many of Activision’s problems with their subsidiary Infinity Ward.

Bungie has promised Halo fans that this will not affect Halo: Reach in any way, shape, or form, but this move will allow them to stay focused on Halo: Reach for the most part while continuing to move forward with their new secret project that, according to the studio on Bungie.net “…another core team, led by our co-founder and Studio Creative Director, Jason Jones, has already begun laying the groundwork to bring our newest universe, stories, and characters to life…”.

The obvious question that comes to mind is: what is this secret project?! What would require Bungie to terminate, albeit peacefully, their exclusivity relationship with Microsoft that could turn the gaming industry on its head? And, maybe more importantly, when can we expect to see a demo or some screenshots? All I know is that if it reaches anywhere near the status of the Halo series, then no wonder Bungie would be trying to capitalize on it as much as possible.

Only time will tell how beneficial this relationship will be for all parties involved. Hopefully 343 Industries will be able to handle the heavy burden that has become producing quality content when you develop as a rabid a fan base as Halo has. Also, it will be interesting to see how this helps Activison’s public image as they stick this feather in their cap to help distract people from the Infinity Ward fiasco.

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XBOX-TV? Former FOX COO Approaches Microsoft

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Originally Published: April 28, 2010, on Lundberg.me, PlayerAffinity.com, Original-Gamer.com, and Examiner.com

After News Corporation/Fox did not renew Peter Chernin’s contract last June, the veteran media industry executive continued on his own right where he left off. Starting with the formation of his own production company, Chernin has been working non-stop coming up with new ideas and properties and when you’re credited by many as the reason all of Fox’s cable networks are a success, your ideas usually carry a bit of weight with them.

One of these new ideas has been brought to light now as Chernin met with Microsoft executives a couple of weeks ago. The idea? An exclusive Xbox Live TV network.

Bloomberg News reported last week that in his meeting at Microsoft headquarters up in Washington, Chernin had suggested creating an entire TV network centered on the core of Xbox gamers. This 18-34 male demographic focused network would be distributed through Xbox Live. Chernin also discussed that it would likely cost users an extra $1-$2 per month ($12-$24 per year) to keep the station up and running and that he would co-own the rights with Microsoft.

With music, movies, and TV shows already being downloaded en masse by gamers online, an entire channel could be the next likely step in media evolution as we become more and more dependent on our game systems for various forms of content besides games. The big questions that immediately come to mind though are: what actual programming could we see on the channel and would Xbox Live users be willing to pay another $20 a year on top of the $60 they are already dropping on the online service?

In terms of content production, I have faith that Chernin already has several ideas for shows and programming, especially since his sons are writers for such shows as “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Not to mention that it would not be hard to get distribution rights for shows like “Pure Pwnage” and that Microsoft already has their own shows like “The Guild” and “Red vs. Blue”. If anything, this would spark an even greater independent creative drive for the system.

The biggest problems would come from the price raise. Personally, raising my Xbox Live bill by 25% would not be something I would be thrilled about, but in the end would be something I end up paying for because the service is just too crucial to me enjoying the system. I know many gamers who would not bend so easily though. A possible solution could be having third party developers help to fit the bill, especially those that rely on online content as much as we rely on playing it. This could have other ramifications though like seeing the rise of software prices so this also seems unlikely.

With Microsoft and Chernin refusing to comment on the meeting at the moment, only time will tell if XBOX-TV will become a reality. Microsoft has always tried to be at the forefront of new and exciting media, but if isn’t cost effective for the consumer, this may be one idea that is never realized.

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