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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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A Whole New Level to the WWE Universe

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Originally Published: July 27, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com

He is a man who has been critical in helping to expand the WWE brand into the video game realm and is one of the premiere authorities on everything that constitutes the WWE empire. By tapping into his vast knowledge and the deep history of the WWE, he also co-authored the New York Times Bestselling WWE Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to World Wrestling Entertainment and will be promoting the book tomorrow night at the Farmingdale Library in Farmingdale, New York, at 7 PM. Of course, I am talking about Brian Shields.

I had a chance to chat with Brian and being the future king of all geek media (who doesn’t happen to have a pencil-neck), it was only natural for me to ask Brian about everything from the WWE Hall of Fame to how the WWE brand has grown in the video game realm over the years. And after checking out my interview with Brian below, be sure to check out his personal website at http://mightypenandsword.com/ ».

CLICK HERE – to hear my interview with Brian Shields, the author of the WWE Encyclopedia!.

-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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From My Mom’s Basement – Ep 31 – San Diego Comic Con Fallout

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Originally Published: July 27, 2010 on Lundberg.me, Sportsrev.tv, and NationalLampoon.com

This week I reviewed Batman Beyond #2 (of 6), Singularity from Activision, and in honor of San Diego Comic Con, had Jessica Nigri as my hot chick pick of the week.

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Reaching for the Brass Halo

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July 26, 2010

Originally Published: July 26, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com, PlayerAffinity.com, Original-Gamer.com, Lundberg.me, Examiner.com, and Newsday.com

My bad play on words aside, it is easily one of the most anticipated video games of not just the year, but possibly all-time. It is a prequel that takes a more in-depth look at the start of what has become one of the greatest video game canons to have ever been conceived. And with this being Bungie’s last official foray into this space-age realm they’ve created for us, they wanted to make sure they went out with a bang.

Of course, I am talking about Halo Reach. We are about seven weeks still from this being available far and wide, but I had a chance a couple of weeks ago to sit down with our old friend, Brian Jarrard, the Community Director for Bungie, to talk about what they’ve done specifically to make this the biggest and baddest Halo yet.

And so with no further delay, I am going to help start your mouth watering a little early for this sweet piece of gaming goodness by imploring you to check out my Halo Reach preview with Brian Jarrard, the Community Director for Bungie, below!

Videos by Jared Bodden and Lee Elias

-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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From My Mom’s Basement – Ep 30 – Green Lantern’s Light

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July 21, 2010

Originally Published: July 21, 2010, on Lundberg.me, SportsRev.tv, and NationalLampoon.com

This week I reviewed Blur from Activision for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC and X-Force: Sex and Violence #1 (of 3) from Marvel. My hot chick pick of the week this week is Joanna Shari.

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Digital Download Dominance?

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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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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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