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In Space, No One Can Hear You Jump for Joy

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April 18, 2010

Originally Published: February 24, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Lundberg.me

They can hear it here on Earth, though, and if you are a fan of RTS (Real Time Strategy) games or the Halo franchise then that is exactly what you’ll be doing after playing Halo Wars. After acquiring a review copy of the game, I played the whole way through its 15 campaign levels and played some multiplayer against the computer and can see already this game has everything you could want from it.

Many skeptics out there worried that if you combined the long history of RTS failures on consoles with a prequel to one of the most successful franchises in gaming history you were going to get burned for playing with fire. Then when they heard it would be an XBOX360 exclusive with no PC port, they almost wrote this gem off before a demo had even been released. However, the folks at Ensemble Studios knew exactly what they were doing. Hailed for RTS staples like the Age of Empires series, Ensemble Studios proved they were the right ones to make what I am declaring to be the first successful RTS game for a console.

As an RTS, Halo Wars plays as if you were using your computer. Using the paintbrush tools and hot buttons to select troops and move from base to base make basic commands a breeze to the point that you forget you’re using an XBOX360 controller and not a mouse and keyboard. Supplies gathering and building upgrades are simple and have been streamlined to fit the console’s RTS scheme and make it so that you can build your supply depot and forget about it and know your supplies will continue to stream in (as long as you keep the supply depot from getting razed by enemy fire that is). The gameplay is crisp and there isn’t an ounce of lag throughout the game.

The only problems were the usual ones you find in most RTS games, such as trying to send a group of three or four large units, like tanks, through a narrow opening in the land and instead of them naturally deciding to go one at a time, they keep running into each other as all four try to fit through at once. This pathfinding bugginess is forgivable since that has been a problem with RTS games for years, not just on consoles. The battle engagements are challenging and most missions require more thinking than “I’ll just build more units than the enemy and unleash my entire army in a barbaric charge when the time comes”. With four levels of difficulty to play through and an online co-op mode, the Halo Wars story mode will keep RTS fans happy for a long time.

In terms of the head-to-head multiplayer, I will admit I wasn’t able to get a true feel for it due to there being only so many early copies out there for us media outlets, but I did play a few Deathmatches against the computer and it had everything you would expect from an RTS Deathmatch. Standard rules: wipe your opponent off the map. It gives you a huge amount of starting supplies and it’s a race to see how fast you can build the largest army to try and eradicate your opponent. The maps are all based off planets and locales you come across in the main game, but on a smaller scale to encourage constant engagements. Everything taken into consideration, the Halo Wars head-to-head multiplayer has a strong foundation for some great XBOX Live battles ahead for itself.

If you’re a follower of the Halo canon you can rest easy. The story is not only compelling, but it does justice to the series and highlights some obscure key events in the Halo timeline that many might not be familiar with that lead up to Master Chief’s escapades. Troops, vehicles, and buildings are all as accurate as can be for both the Marines and the Covenant and follow in line with what you’ve learned from previous Halo games. For example, you can’t make an army of Spartan soldiers; if you’re lucky you’ll get a couple at the beginning of the level to help you out and that’s it. Add in collectibles that concur with the Halo universe like a skull on each level and black boxes to reveal more of the Halo timeline feature and you’ve got plenty to keep this game warm in your machine for a long time. The only real drawback I felt was that the story seemed a bit short. The plot developed too quickly for my tastes and to have as much action as it did spread across only 15 levels felt like you had unfinished business. Then again, it does take place 20 years before Master Chief so that might have been on purpose.

If you want to learn a little bit more about the story and the characters, take a look at the interview I did with Lead Story Writer, Graeme Devine from Ensemble Studios.

Ray Carsillo with Graeme Devine, Lead Story Writer for Halo Wars
Video by Jared Bodden

Ratings are based on a system of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest.

Graphics: 8.5: Not a tremendous amount of detail is usually necessary for an RTS game. As long as the terrain is has some variations and is glitch-free, then you’re usually set. This being said, Halo Wars’ cut scenes are spectacular to view and bring up the overall visual quality of the game and are something to look forward to after each mission. A solid display to say the least.

Audio: 9.5: The voice acting was crisp and clean and the SFX were fairly solid. In-game explosions could have used a little work. I just didn’t feel it when I destroyed a Covenant base. The music was taken straight from the trilogy which was a smart move. Minor complaints, but really great overall.

Plot/Plot Development: 9.0: The plot seemed a little rushed at times and developed too quickly considering the grand scale of the Covenant’s master plan in this game. I understand that it was probably a lot of story to fit in over only 15 levels, but it left you feeling with unfinished business at the end. Then again, this is only one short series of events over a war that spans decades and is still 20 years away from Master Chief’s adventures.

Gameplay: 9.0: The game was mostly smooth and the A.I. was pretty impressive. The only problems were the usual ones you find in any great RTS game, such as trying to send a group of three or four large units through a narrow opening in the land. They decide that running into each other, as all four try to fit through at once, will be exactly the kind of reinforcements you need in any altercation. This has been a problem that has plagued RTS games for years and until someone figures out how to fix that, no RTS will ever earn a perfect score on gameplay.

Replay Value: 10.0: The telltale sign of an RTS game’s greatness is if you want to keep playing the missions over and over and this one succeeds. With hidden collectibles on each mission, co-op and versus options, and like any good RTS game, no mission can be completed the same way twice, this game will stay in your XBOX360 for a long time.

Overall (not an average): 10.0: Let me start off by saying that 10 out of 10 does not make a game perfect, there is no such thing as a “perfect” game. However, to not give this game the highest possible score would be a tragedy. What pushed this up from a 9 to a 10 is that this game is the first to break the stereotype of RTS games being abysmal on a console. Never before has an RTS been able to successfully transition from the PC to the home console or go straight to the console with such fluidity. This game could revolutionize the RTS genre and open up doors we had only begun to dream of. This alone would have garnered a great score, but combined with an awesome plot, stellar controls, and visually stunning cut scenes, I could not think of giving this game any less than a “perfect” score. Thank you to the people at Microsoft and Ensemble Studios for FINALLY getting it right. Halo Wars is available everywhere on March 3rd, 2009.

-Ray Carsillo

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A Wonder to Behold

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Originally Published: February 21, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

The first night of the NY ComicCon held one of the most anticipated events of the entire convention. The IGN theatre was filled to the rafters before a special complete viewing of the highly anticipated Wonder Woman full-length animated, straight to DVD, feature coming out March 3rd, 2009, three days before the Watchmen premieres in theatres (DC drilled that into our heads during the Lauren Montgomery/Bruce Timm/Michael Jelenic panel after the movie).

DC’s animation department has been churning out these full-length features for years now, and they have always pushed themselves to the limits in terms of story telling and doing justice to the characters (except for Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, I’ve tried for years to delete that from my memory banks). It’s a credit to Producer Bruce Timm and Casting Director Andrea Romano who have been a part of almost all of them. Bruce and Andrea were also in the original brain trust that started the animation revolution in the early 1990s with Batman: The Animated Series and continued their relationship with DC with this project and it shows in another above and beyond effort.

This was a huge undertaking since it marks the first time in 30 years that any media form has devoted a sole project to the Amazonian Princess and DC pulled out all the stops in terms of talent: Keri Russell as Wonder Woman, Alfred Molina as Ares, Oliver Platt as Hades, Nathan Fillion as Steve Trevor, Rosario Dawson as Artemis, and Virginia Madsen as Hippolyta. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a DC animation project without a little pro voice over talent, perfectly cast again by Andrea Romano, with Tara Strong (Raven in Teen Titans, Batgirl in Batman: The Animated Series) as Alexa and John DiMaggio (Bender in Futurama, Marcus Fenix in Gears of War 1 and 2) as Deimos. Director Lauren Montgomery is a veteran in the animation game, but this was her first full-length feature where she was the sole director and she did a great job with such a huge undertaking. Add in veteran cartoon writer Michael Jelenic for the script and the pieces were in place for what could be one of DC’s best cartoon features to date.

Here’s the basic premise for those of you unfamiliar with Wonder Woman’s background. Taken with some liberties from Greek mythology, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, wages war against Ares, the god of war, in an attempt to save humanity from itself. After besting Ares in battle, Hippolyta wishes to do away with Ares, but is prevented by Zeus, the father of Ares and king of the gods. Hera, queen of the gods, and patron to Hippolyta, bargains to imprison Ares for all time on the Amazon’s island in the Aegean Sea and Hera would be given a child from the gods for her trouble. So Hippolyta locks Ares away and makes a child out of mud and clay that is blessed by the gods in the form of a daughter, whom Hippolyta names Diana.

Centuries later, the Amazons, who still look smoking hot because they are descended from gods and do not age like humans, are living in tranquility on their island, hidden from man’s eyes by a magic mirror by Hephaestus (Greek god of the forge) when an American fighter jet gets shot down and crashes into the invisible island. Upon landing in what he thinks is heaven (who can blame him), American pilot Steve Trevor is captured and learns that the Amazons’ culture involves the hatred of man and that he must be sent back to America with an emissary from the Amazons’ island. Diana, dying to explore the world, rigs the selection process so that she may be the emissary. At the same time, the Amazons are betrayed by one of their own and Ares is set free so Diana’s mission becomes two-fold, to re-capture Ares as well as escort Steve Trevor home.

This was a great watch. The only real snag I hit with this project was that it still never explained where the heck she got her invisible jet! Everything else was given a detailed, ornate history from her bulletproof bracelets to her Lasso of Truth. The jet though just sort of appeared as if an invisible jet was common place. Then, to add insult to injury, it seemed like too many people could see the invisible jet so it really wasn’t that invisible, was it? My theory is that the Amazons reverse engineered the jet that Steve Trevor crashed in and made their own improvements to it, but it still wasn’t explained outright. Cursed comic book speculation!

Overall, the story is relatively accurate to the comics, with a few liberties taken on the Greek mythos, but it was still done in an enjoyable and meaningful manner that does justice to the original stories from the 1940s. The voice acting was great, the story held your attention the entire way through, and it timed out nicely at nearly an hour and a half. It also answered every question (almost; damn invisible jet) that you might have about Wonder Woman if you weren’t a diehard and not too familiar with the character.

The Wonder Woman animated feature gets 4 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo

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Ray vs. Robin

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Originally Published: February 14, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Robin Lundberg VS. Ray “Ray 2” Carsillo
Video by Jared Bodden

During the first day of the 2009 NY ComicCon, I was accompanied by producer extraordinaire Robin Lundberg. Robin wanted the perfect setting to have at me for a review I wrote a couple of weeks ago for the new Marvel DVD, Hulk VS. For those who read the article (and still can by simply scrolling down or looking through this page’s archives), you know my stance against it. Robin felt a little bit differently though as you can see by watching this video.

Do you agree or disagree? You can e-mail Robin and me by CLICKING HERE.

-Ray Carsillo

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Collecting Interest

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Originally Published: February 12, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

After days of images of Green Lantern Rings, Batarangs, and Webshooters dancing through my head, I’ve finally been able to remotely connect back to reality, dragging myself out of my NY ComicCon overload and managing to write something. The amazing events leading up to and during NY ComicCon included more previews for big movies and video games than I could count and I got exclusive interviews and demos on some of the hottest games and movies coming out in the next couple of months, and enough to keep me writing for a good long time.

My articles dealing with NY ComicCon will span the next few weeks and probably go in order of what is coming out first so there is less time for you to anticipate the gems galore I was able to get sneak peeks at. Keeping that in mind, my first article deals with a movie that is coming out on Friday, February 13th. No, it isn’t the new Friday the 13th movie, although the horror genre does appeal to a special group of the geek community. No, I’m talking about my advanced screening of The International, the new action-thriller starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts.

The basic premise is simple. Everyone uses banks to keep their cash safe and to basically earn free money by collecting interest as the money sits in the bank. Of course, the banks are government funded organizations and what most people forget is that the money is allowed to be used by the government to do whatever they deem is necessary for the good of their representatives. So what happens when that money starts being used by the bankers themselves for some very underhanded dealings? Not the Bush Administration, but close!

Clive Owen is an Interpol agent charged with tracking a bank in Luxemburg that allegedly is using investors’ money to illegally buy and sell weapons. He teams up with Naomi Watts who works out of the New York City District Attorney’s Office and has also been tracking this case since the New York branch is one of the top fronts for this bank. Action and drama ensue as the two seem to be the only ones who believe what the clues are telling them as they try to take down one of the most powerful banks in the world.

To be honest, I went into this not expecting much and walked away rather pleased. Not the smartest conspiracy action-thriller to ever come out, it did at least hold your attention for most of the movie and kept the twists and turns fresh and fun from the get-go. Naomi Watts’ performance left something to be desired, but Clive Owen was solid as the Interpol agent whose career has revolved around this one case and would go through any means necessary to see justice delivered.

The ensemble cast around the two stars of the movie was great as well, from the assassin the bank hires, to the men at the top of the bank itself. They all seemed to fit in the movie perfectly, much like the clues Clive Owen finds as he tries to crack this career-long puzzle.

Aside from Ms. Watts’ lackluster performance, the only other negative aspect of this movie was that it seemed like everything came across as too simple, that everything fit too neatly and still not enough people in the movie supported Owen and Watts.

Positives, aside from the cast excluding Ms. Watts, include the overall flow of the movie. The pace was enough to keep you interested to the point that when it ends, you don’t realize that 1 hour 58 minutes has passed. The plot does move at a very traditional pace though with everything slowly building to a climatic shootout followed by a neat winding down of the plot to its conclusion in the final 20 minutes.

With all the God-awful romantic detritus that is out there right now from Confessions of a Shopaholic to He’s Just Not That in to You, it’s nice to see someone come up with a semi-original plot with decent writing and action that holds your attention. If you’re looking for a break from the Hollywood crap factory, for something a little bit smarter, then take a look at The International and you probably won’t be disappointed.

The International gets 3.5 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo

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Ray Smash Puny Movies!

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Originally Published: February 6, 2009, for Collider.com and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Its efforts like this from Marvel that have almost made me “Hulk-out” on many an occasion. I will give them some credit; their timing is impeccable. A few months after the release of the solid Incredible Hulk remake with Edward Norton on DVD, days before the New York Comic Con, and only a couple of months before Wolverine: Origins hits theatres, Marvel Studios drops this little wannabe gem on us called Hulk VS.

“Versus who?” you ask. Well, who do you want to see fight the Hulk? This is after all the question that the folks at Marvel seemed to ask themselves since this effort is just a huge piece of fan fiction to drive the fan-boys into frenzied fits at comic-conventions.

Hulk VS. is a straight to DVD release that contains not one, but TWO “movies”. I have to put those magical punctuations around the word “movies” with this because something that can be strung across a pair of Saturday morning cartoon episodes should not be considered an actual movie. To try to make this geek-gasm on a disc worth your money, Marvel paired two separate Hulk adventures onto this DVD and even then it times out to only 82 minutes.

First, we see the not-so-jolly green giant take on the man who is “the best at what he does, and what he does isn’t very nice”. A pre-X-MEN Wolverine has been tasked by his Department H headmasters to locate and subdue a monster who is wreaking havoc in the Canadian countryside. Dept. H is a fictional spin on Canada’s CSIS, by the way. Fictional, of course, because who expects Canada to have any REAL intelligence agency? After picking up the scent, Wolverine begins to track the Hulk across the Canadian Rockies.

The action quickly picks up as Wolverine finds a quivering Bruce Banner in the woods and he wants to know why there is a half-naked man in freezing temperatures out in the middle of nowhere. Wolverine’s subsequent threats get under Banner’s skin, transforming Banner into his worse half and the highlight of the “movie” ensues with a defining battle taking place with moments from all the Hulk vs. Wolverine battles that have happened over the past 30 years, again catering to the fan-boys. Before it can end, Sabertooth, Lady Deathstrike, Deadpool, and Omega Red appear out of nowhere. We then see a montage of Wolverine’s origin story, which is not explained so if you are unfamiliar with the character, you end up lost, confused, and frustrated because I thought the Hulk was supposed to be the main character here and we just had every major bad guy and moment from Wolverine’s history thrown into a five minute montage. The story then continues in a Wolverine and Hulk TEAM-UP against the Weapon X rejects. After they are defeated, the Hulk and Wolverine go back to fighting each other, for no apparent reason, and the credits start to roll on a freeze frame a la Rocky vs. Apollo Creed like they were two friends sparring in some eternal duel.

This first DVD is a complete and utter disappointment. The things that made me furious as a comics fan far outweigh the handful of positives in this. When all the special features vignettes outlast the actual “movie” by almost 20 minutes each, you know you got off on the wrong foot.

The only positives were that the animation style kept in line with the popular Japanese style that many American animation studios have adapted in recent history (starting in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series and continuing through most major superhero cartoons up to this point) and living up to those standards, they tried to make it play like a comic story arc, and the introduction of Deadpool to animation.

The negatives include the horrible character development, the fact that the name of the title is Hulk vs. Wolverine and it ended up being Hulk and Wolverine vs. Weapon X, the horrible animation model for Sabertooth, who looked nearly the same size as Wolverine, the fact that the entire movie could have been done over the course of a Saturday morning special, and you just have a frustrating, disjointed viewing experience as if you were reading a comic story arc, but missed several issues. If you are a diehard comics fan then you will probably be able to sit through it because you already know the back stories and will recognize the many, many references the “movie” makes to the comics, but if you are a casual fan, this would not be for you. Add in a few typical behind the scenes vignettes and special commentary packages and the special edition part of this disc is not very special at all.

The second piece in this two part Hulk-fest sees Mr. “You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry” against the mighty Thor, the Norse God of Thunder in the aptly titled: Hulk vs. Thor. This second “movie” was a lot better than the first. With a narrated opening montage that explains all you need to know about Asgard (realm of the Norse gods) and the characters in play, the plot is revealed within the first five minutes and the rest is non-stop smashing. Loki, the Norse God of Mischief and Evil has separated Bruce Banner from the essence that is the Hulk and unleashed him on Asgard during its weakest hour.

Without Banner to keep the Hulk tethered to humanity, the Hulk rampages throughout Asgard, laying waste to all in his path and all that stands between Hulk and the complete destruction of Asgard is Thor. The Hulk, being the only thing that could compete with a god, handily smashes Thor. Loki is betrayed though by his minion, the nicely drawn Enchantress, who revives Thor because it seems she’s got a crush on Mr. Goldilocks. She reveals what Loki has done and the rest of the movie is cut between Thor trying to reunite Banner with the Hulk and Hulk just laying waste to the rest of Asgard’s army as he makes a beeline towards the temporarily incapacitated Odin (near omnipotent king of the gods) with Thor finally succeeding in the end.

This “movie” was much better in terms of establishing the plot and giving the heroes an objective. Still though, being only 45 minutes, again this could have been done over a pair of Saturday morning specials and we could have been done with it. Instead, Marvel wanted to show off the new blood special effects that they have for animation so they could get a PG-13 rating on a cartoon and therefore make it so they couldn’t put it on network Saturday mornings and mass produce these ridiculously overpriced DVDs. Again, the special feature vignettes are just “How we produced 82 minutes of par animation and charged you $24.99 for it” and they last longer than the actual “movie”.

I have to end on the note that I really hope they do better with future releases in the “VS.” series Marvel is planning. On an individual basis, Hulk vs. Wolverine gets a 1 out of 5 and Hulk vs. Thor gets a 2 out of 5 to average it out to a whopping 1.5 out of 5. Unless you are a hardcore Marvel fan-boy, I would probably avoid these or rent them at most.

-Ray Carsillo

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Sitting Down with a Comics Legend

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Originally Published: February 3, 2009, for 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

I was very excited when I had a chance to catch up with an old friend of mine. He is one of the most legendary comic writers to come along in recent history. He has to his credit writing for the X-Men and Batman, as well as creating the critically acclaimed Earth X and Clockmaker series, and working on two of the most popular maxi-series in recent history with Alex Ross in Justice and Avengers/Invaders. I am talking, of course, about Jim Krueger.

Jim and I talked about his inspiration for Avengers/Invaders, what he thinks will happen to Captain America in the future, his thoughts on the death of Batman, and much more. Click on the links below to give a listen to my interview with Jim Krueger.


CLICK HERE – to listen to Part 1 of my interview with legendary comic writer Jim Krueger.


CLICK HERE – to listen to Part 2 of my interview with legendary comic writer Jim Krueger.

Be sure to check out Jim’s website at

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The Gears Keep on Turning for Gearheads

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Originally Published: January 30, 2009, for 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

I had said last week that running over a platoon of Covenant troops with a squadron of Warthogs might threaten Gears of War 2‘s Lancer Chainsaw Rifle on the fun-level food chain. In response, the genii at Epic Games unleashed the new Combustible Map Pack for Gears of War 2. Three new maps to freshen up the multiplayer mayhem that Gears of War 2 brings to your XBOX360 to keep you up till 3 AM swearing at kids who can’t even spell the words you are using when you get forced into an Imulsion bath. Ummm…maybe that’s just me, but it still gives the multiplayer a nice new kick to the teeth to make sure the disc stays warm in your system.

First, we’ll look at the Gold Rush map. You are situated in an old, still running, Imulsion refinery with multiple tiers. Oh, and it just so happens to have a mortar launcher smack in the middle of it. A symmetrical level with plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in, if you can grab the mortar positioned in the most open part of the level and make it back to a nook; you can easily control the battle. You can imagine the problems that arise with it being in the middle of an open platform, though. Talk about risking your neck. Not my favorite level personally because of a lack of level hazards, the level’s symmetry, and that any well-coordinated team could easily dominate, it is still a solid multiplayer level.

The second map became near and dear to my heart quickly because it revolves around pyrotechnics. Fuel Station is located around an abandoned fossil fuel station and several well placed re-fueling trucks. The station itself is the center of the map and anyone who controls the station can control the tide of battle very easily. With little cover around the station that does not explode, getting to the station from across the street can be difficult at best if your opponent camps out on the roof and starts setting off all your cover in a blaze of glory with the Mulcher Mini-gun, conveniently located in the station. Maybe all these explosions give you an idea why they call it the “Combustible” Map Pack. Word of advice; do not get discouraged if you aren’t spawned at the station to start the level. A well organized unit could still work their way to the rear of the station and the fight for the stairwell to the roof is always memorable.

The last map is my personal favorite. Flood is the smallest of the three new maps as you are stranded on an island consisting of freeway rubble and debris surrounded by a golden sea of poisonous Imulsion. And if you think it’s a small level to start, wait till the Imulsion level starts rising. The battle that ensues for the raised piece of crumbling freeway is always exciting as there are several paths leading onto that little slice of salvation and a couple of decayed cars that like to go off like the Fuel Station tankers. With little to no cover left, a winner will be forced to emerge from this hazardous situation every time.

These three new maps bring multiplayer mayhem to a whole new level and will keep everyone grinding their gears as these levels successfully keep the game fresh. With the maps themselves providing just as much danger as the opposing teams and, for the most part, preventing anyone from camping out and being a pesky sniper (and no pesky snipers makes me a happy Gearhead), these levels are well worth the download to your XBOX360.

The Gears of War 2 Combustible Map Pack is available now for download on XBOX Live for 800 Microsoft Points (roughly eight American dollars) and there is still nothing more fun in games than sneaking up behind someone and slicing them to ribbons with the Lancer Chainsaw Rifle.

-Ray Carsillo

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Halo Wars!

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Originally Published: January 21, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Ray Carsillo with Graeme Devine, Lead Story Writer for Halo Wars
Video by Jared Bodden

The name of the game says it all. Halo Wars is a prequel in the canon of Halo, but some would consider it a look forward for the series in terms of its grand war-like scale. Halo Wars turns the Halo series on its head by taking it out of the 1st person shooter perspective and pulling the camera way back to a satellite view and turning it into a Real-Time Strategy game.

Now, initial reactions when this game was revealed were a chorus of moans and groans because, traditionally, it is impossible to have any good RTS on a console and people were afraid of what it would do to the Halo series. In terms of problems, many times in console RTS games it is hard to manage and find your resources, difficult to choose units and the glitches with troop movement are enough to make you throw your controller through the TV. I had a chance to play an early make of the game and it seems that most of these problems have been corrected.

Managing resources is a breeze because all the resources have been streamlined into one resource that is produced right next your base. Basically, the construction that manages your resources is a helipad and you are constantly getting supplies from your mother ship sent to your base of operations planet-side. Finding and managing resources, taken care of.

Choosing groups of troops and commanding them has also been streamlined. By pressing the A button, you can either choose unit by unit, or if you hold it, the cursor turns into a larger paintbrush type tool that will select troops highlighted by this large circular cursor. This method simplifies making groups of troops to the point that you’ll be sending scouting parties, making flanking maneuvers, and leaving no man behind in barely any time at all.

The gameplay is smooth and crisp and the story has been reworked repeatedly to sit well with all those hardcore Halo fan-boys. I also have found something that might compete with the Gears of War Lancer Chainsaw Rifle fun-level; running over a platoon of Covenant ground troops with a squadron of Warthog vehicles. Their screams of fear and pain followed by a satisfying *squish* may be my new guilty gaming pleasure.

Also, for you die-hard Halo fans, wrap your heads around this. You enjoy controlling one Spartan in Master Chief. Think about controlling an entire platoon. Let the geek-gasms commence. (I know, there is still only one Master Chief, though)

This game could pave the way for the RTS genre to finally find a foothold on consoles. It solves the traditional problems that come with an RTS on a console and has the backing of the powerhouse Halo franchise. It’s easy to just pick up and start playing and once you start playing, you don’t want to stop. I had to have the controller forcible ripped from my hands once my time with the demo was up and I spent three days in a dark room going through painful Halo Wars withdrawal involving the sounds of muted screams of Covenant troops and flashes of images of Warthogs and dropships. And, of course, a Master Chief with a rotating head.

I soon won’t be the only one addicted because Microsoft announced a couple of weeks ago at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show that a downloadable demo for Halo Wars will be available on February 5, 2009, via XBOX Live. If you can’t wait for the downloadable demo, then take a look at the video above where I had a chance to sit down with Graeme Devine, Lead Story Writer for Halo Wars, and take a look at some awesome in-game gameplay and cinemas and hear from the source how the plot unfolds. Be sure to check back here when the game comes out for a full review, but early impressions have me saying that Halo Wars looks like one of the first must-haves of the year, and if you want a little more than a demo, look for it on store shelves March 3, 2009.

-Ray Carsillo

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The Death of a Batman

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Originally Published: January 18, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

A sure fire way to sell comics is to hit readers with something they would not see coming. Even with the rumor mills swirling, most comic readers won’t believe it until they see it. Well, the unthinkable has happened. Almost 70 years after his first appearance in Detective Comics #27, in issue #6 (of 7) of the Final Crisis series, Batman has been killed off by DC Comics. Supposedly, this was well in the works, but Warner Bros., a major stock holder in DC Comics and publisher of all Batman related movies and television programs, had nixed his demise due to the summer blockbuster, The Dark Knight, pulling in over $500 million dollars and proving Batman was at the peak of his popularity.

Written by a master of comic book controversy, Grant Morrison, the final pages of this issue would be the possible final pages of the Caped Crusader. Here is how Morrison’s controversial vision unfolded. Gotham’s Guardian, after having foiled every plot by Darkseid to manipulate the Dark Knight into helping Darkseid create an army of mindless soldiers with Batman’s unique skill set, confronts Darkseid in his earthly stronghold. After exchanging words, the two stare each down in the style of a Wild West duel at high noon. Batman, going against every fiber of his character to never use a gun and to never kill, pulls out the weapon that murdered the New God, Orion. It was a gun that fires Radion bullets. Radion, of course, is the only substance that Darkseid and the other “New Gods” are weak against, much like Superman is weak against Kryptonite. In the battle between man and god, Batman’s trigger finger was faster than Darkseid’s Omega Beams (imagine Superman’s heat vision multiplied by 1000). Batman’s shot was pretty impressive for someone who never used a gun. Unfortunately, Darkseid also got his shot off and vaporized the Dark Knight. The issue ends with Superman carrying Batman’s charred carcass from the stronghold.

If there is anything that has been consistent with these major death/re-launch events is that they provide a temporary boost in sales before a sharp decline sets in as people usually respond unfavorable to the replacements to these heroic icons. There are three major ones from “The Big 2” that stick out in my mind as failures.

The first two were in 1993 when Superman died and Batman had his back broken by Bane and was replaced by Jean Paul Valley, better known as Azrael. The public outcry for Superman to return was immediate and led to one of the worst story arcs in his history as DC struggled to find a way to bring him back. When Batman was replaced, and DC worked to correct it, it at least led to some of the more memorable story arcs in his recent history with the Knightfall and KnightsEnd arcs where it detailed his rehab to come back and wrest the title of Batman back from Azrael who had gone mad with power.

The third is the very recent re-launch of Spider-Man where he sold his marriage with Mary Jane to Mephisto (the devil) to save Aunt May’s life. This was one of the worst implemented re-launches in comic history and Spidey’s sales have suffered greatly because of it. With a horribly written four issue story arc called One More Day, Marvel rewrote over 20 years and 250 issues worth of continuity. How do you think the conversation between Marvel executives go when this decision came down? I think it would go something along the lines of a Guinness beer commercial.

Marvel Exec. 1: How do we re-launch Spider-Man and save Aunt May?

Marvel Exec. 2: This is a tough one. We need something that will do the character justice and stay true to him while making sure our readers understand why we made our decision to do this.

Marvel Exec. 1: Let’s just have him sell his marriage to Mephisto and we’ll go from there.

Marvel Exec. 2: Brilliant!

Marvel Exec. 1: Brilliant!

Everything I knew about Spider-Man, that I had learned over my 23 years, was gone in a matter of four weeks. Since the re-launch, Marvel has been reduced to using gimmicks like Spider-Man meeting President-Elect Obama to try and push sales and save one of their most beloved heroes.

A major issue DC has, is now that Batman has passed on, how do they keep Batman, Detective Comics, and all other Batman related series going without the main character, or at least until they decide to bring Batman back. They have already announced the I AM BATMAN story arc beginning in March that will encompass all existing titles as Robin, Nightwing, Damian (Batman’s illegitimate son with Talia Al’ Guhl), the newly resurrected Jason Todd (card carrying member with the revolving door of death), Alfred, Batwoman, Batgirl, Catwoman, and everyone else who might have any claim to the cowl duke it out to see who will inherit the mantra of the Dark Knight. My money is on the current Robin, Tim Drake. He has the best detective skills of all the candidates and was closest to the dearly departed.

Another dilemma that could (and should) arise is that once DC realizes the error of their ways, how do they bring back someone they had vaporized? In the very same issue, Superman was in the future (read the rest of Final Crisis to understand why) and as he was about to return back to the present, Brainiac 8 of the Legion of Superheroes in the 31st century, revealed to Superman a device called the Miracle Machine. This device was created in the 29th century by the Guardians of the Universe, the same guardians who created the Central Power Battery for the Green Lantern Corps. With the experience of creating devices powered by one’s will, the Guardians created this device that was so powerful, that the simplest thought entered into the Miracle Machine, could be made into reality. Of course, such a powerful device is kept under constant watch by the Legion of Superheroes and only a select few even know of its existence. Here is your obvious fix to bring Batman back once DC sees their sales plummet. Send Superman to the future (since he seems to be there every year or two anyways), grab the machine, think Batman back into existence, and the problem is solved. I know it is ridiculous, but these are the kind of things that fit right into revolving door of death in comics.

The landscape of comics is always changing, but this might be the straw that breaks a lot of backs. This ranks up there with some of the worst storyline moves ever made in comics history and I am sure I am not the only one that is shaking their head in disbelief. I would not be surprised to see some of the worst backlash in comic history from this. Batman is at an all-time popularity high with the comics, movies, video games, merchandise, and anything else you can stick a Batman emblem on in the public domain, and DC has just sent their cash cow to the hamburger factory for no apparent reason. Keep looking here as this situation continues to unfold in the coming months.

-Ray Carsillo

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Nine Must Haves for 2009

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Originally Published: January, 6, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

A new year means a whole new heaping helping of games to help whittle away the hours. There are so many that have been announced this year already that look so good. So which ones are the MUST HAVES? Which are the ones that no boy or girl should be without and should start saving their pennies for now? That’s simple. Just look at this list:

1. GHOSTBUSTERS – After being pushed back several times and threats that it would never be made, the closest thing to us ever seeing a third Ghostbusters movie is coming straight to your XBOX360, PS3, Wii, or PC in June. Set just a couple of years after the end of Ghostbusters II, the game sees our heroes as just that, heroes. Still “savin’ the day” on a regular basis, the boys are finally getting the just rewards they were denied in the beginning of the second film. An abnormal amount of activity from the other side, though begins to take its toll on the fabulous foursome and so they decide to add a fifth.

The fifth is your character. You get trained in all the Ghostbusters’ patented gadgets as you go around the city trying to unravel a ghoulish mystery worthy of the Ghostbusters name. Screens and demos have this being more fun than both movies combined. With the original cast coming back to voice over all their characters and with a tremendous amount of input from Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd, ‘bustin’ will make you feel good, all over again.



2. BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM – Based on one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, DC made up for not coming out with a movie-based game for The Dark Knight when they announced this game. Batman must once again hunt down his arch-nemesis, the Joker, but this time it is completely on the Joker’s terms as he is causing havoc from inside the walls of Arkham Asylum. Early screens show a gritty, well-detailed Batman looking like he leapt straight from a Jim Lee drawing as he fights his way through inmates turned Joker henchmen in what looks to be the sub-levels of the asylum. This one is due out closer to Halloween and we are all holding our breath that it does not get pushed back farther than that. It will be released on PS3 and XBOX360.

3. RESIDENT EVIL 5 – After Resident Evil 4 saved the series by giving it a new 3rd person shooting perspective to FINALLY fix those pain in the neck controls that plagued the series for far too long, Resident Evil 5 takes a look at another character from the famous Raccoon City incident. Whereas RE4 followed Leon Kennedy in Europe, RE5 follows Chris Redfield through Africa as he seems to have stumbled on a similar plot to the parasitic zombie virus that Leon found while chasing the president’s daughter in Spain.

Capcom realized that to top RE4, they were going to have to do more than change the camera angle again. This time Chris has a partner that can actually defend herself and the co-op play will be critical to beating the main story mode. Add in that you can expect enemies to be anywhere now due to current-gen graphics, no shadow is safe. If you jumped at the surprises in RE4, you just might need to keep an extra few pairs of pants around while playing RE5. It’ll be out on, of course, Friday, March 13th, 2009 for XBOX360 and PS3.

4. MADWORLD – It is rare to see any Wii-exclusive, Sega made game push the envelope, but that is exactly what Madworld seems to do. Imagine Sin City meets The Running Man and you have Madworld, a black, white, and red cartoon romp with enough violence to satiate Charles Manson in the form of a game show. With rewards being given for more and more inventive ways of killing your enemies beyond the use of your chainsaw, which you start the game with, (and we all know how much I loved that in Gears of War 2) and the comic book-esqe onomatopoeia for explosions and crashes, this has a chance to be a big underground hit along the lines of No More Heroes. The only question is the plotline that is still unrevealed beyond the game show aspects, but is promised to be enthralling by the higher-ups at Sega. Sega and Nintendo coming together again, what is the world coming to? It will be a mad, mad, mad, Madworld on March 10th. At least it has nothing to do with a little blue hedgehog this time.

5. DANTE’S INFERNO – Part of one of the all time great works of literature, it painted an amazingly detailed picture of what one man believed hell to be. The idea of layers or levels of hell was still a relatively new concept, and by the amazing looking trailer, this game will have you fighting through every single one of them. Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery (try saying that five times fast)…I always knew I was going to go to hell, just never like this. How the plot of the epic poem will actually work into the game is still a mystery, but it looks like if you know what’s good for you, it’ll be a warm winter in hell when this is released just in time for the holidays on PS3, XBOX360, and PC.

6. BIOSHOCK 2: SEA OF DREAMS – This has been one of the most tightly kept secrets in games since it was announced that BioShock would be a trilogy. All that we have to go on is a teaser trailer that shows almost nothing (here’s a screen from it), a title, and a release date around August. I mean, what is that? A little sister all grown up? No one knows ANYTHING.

Easily one of the best games I have ever played, the original BioShock was a masterpiece. I cannot praise it enough. So the fact that we still have so little to go on but the reputation of the first one keeps this from being at the top of my list. The mystery is part of the beauty though and if they let me, I’ll camp out for this one and take a week off of work if it is anywhere near the first one. The very thought though that we are only seven months away from another BioShock, though, makes me want to run screaming through the halls here at ESPN with tears of joy streaming down my face for this XBOX360, PS3, and PC release.

7. BRUTAL LEGEND – What happens when you take Rob Halford of Judas Priest and Jack Black and throw them into a video game? You simply get the MOST ROCKING VIDEO GAME OF ALL TIME! At least according to them you do. Their biased opinions aside, this does look like an amazing game as you control Eddie Riggs (voiced by Jack Black) as he takes part on an epic quest during the “dark days of metal” and attempts to work his way up from meager roadie to rock god.

I don’t know how good this game is going to be, but I know I am going to have a good time playing it. It just looks absolutely hysterical. Riggs is obviously modeled after Jack Black and his one-liners along with what looks like a lot of carnage and I am sure you will enjoy this game. If you hate metal, humor, or all things good in the world, this game might not be for you, though. It just looks like a fun action-adventure game that will make you laugh and bang your head as you trek through the metal-inspired universe. Prepare to rock out in August on XBOX360 and PS3.

8. PUNCH-OUT!! – Another Wii-exclusive, the long dormant Punch-Out series has been revamped, retooled, and will be released for the Wii in April. Bringing back all your favorites like King Hippo and Glass Joe to take on the ultimate underdog in Little Mac, this will be instant nostalgia heaven for anyone who played the original Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out for the NES. For obvious reasons, Iron Mike is no longer associated with the game since Nintendo, after all, is a family company. Although the graphics look a little on the cartoony side, if the controls are anywhere near accurate in terms of sensitivity, this is going to be a great throwback for old fans of the game and a great new boxing game for the Wii for the newcomers. (In the screenshot, what’s up with that pineapple in front of King Hippo though?)

9. GOD OF WAR III – Before I continue with anything, the God of War series takes place in Greece, centered on Greek mythology. So why have they been using ROMAN numerals for the game? Never mind; moving on. It is the conclusion to one of the most popular trilogies in history and has more riding on it than just doing the series justice. God of War III is the ace in the hole for a struggling Sony company. One on a short list of exclusives this year for the PS3, Sony needs this game to have gone platinum a month ago.

In terms of the game itself, it looks just as good as the first two so if you enjoyed the first two, then you need to get the third to know how everything finishes and see if Kratos finally gets the mythological Prozac he is so desperately in need of. There are new weapons, more mythological creatures, and the climax to a tale that Homer himself wishes he crafted. God of War III will keep the PS3’s heart pumping for a little while longer as it is released just in time for the holiday push.

So that’s it. If a game you are looking forward to didn’t make the list, don’t worry. There are a lot of GREAT games coming out this year. These are just, in my opinion, the top ones. Trust me, I will still be looking at Halo Wars, Godfather II, House of the Dead 4, DC Universe Online, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2: Fusion, Damnation, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad (you cannot tell me you aren’t the least bit curious about that one), and Street Fighter 4. It is going to be a great year for games and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I will.

–Ray Carsillo

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