Tag Archive: ray carsillo


Xbox 360 makes splash at CES 2010

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May 12, 2010

Originally Published: January 12, 2010 on Examiner.com

The Consumer Electronics Show is always a great way for tech companies of all kinds to make a big splash in the beginning of the New Year. Due to the plethora of gaming conventions that happen across the year though, it isn’t necessarily the biggest draw for gamers. Microsoft and Xbox 360 though felt that some of the announcements they had couldn’t wait for a convention dedicated solely to gaming.

Robert “Robbie” Bach, President for Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division came to Las Vegas for CES 2010 with some late holiday presents for the 37 million plus Xbox 360 users out there.

The biggest news to come down at CES 2010 is the announcement that Project NATAL, last E3’s biggest bombshell, that was speculated by many in the media (myself included) at still being a couple of years before it could be released for retail, will be coming out in time for the holiday rush in 2010. Although still no details as to how many games will be compatible with Xbox 360’s newest peripheral or even how much it will cost at time of release, if it can do even half the things it did at E3 2009, Xbox 360 could be looking at its best holiday season since it’s initial release.

Another big announcement involved Xbox Live and it’s arcade with the hopeful introduction of the Xbox Game Room, an old school gamers paradise where 8-bits will reign supreme. Hoping to dial up the nostalgia-obsessed demographic, Xbox Arcade Game Room will have all the arcade classics from the 80s, as well as original games done specifically in the 8-bit style, a la Mega Man 9 and 10, that will now be trophy based to go along with classic gameplay.

Other big announcements that came down at CES 2010 included that the multiplayer beta for Halo: Reach will start in Q2 of 2010 on Xbox Live and the confirmation that Mass Effect 2 and Splinter Cell Conviction will be available first exclusively for Xbox 360 as Xbox 360 moves more towards the idea of a “mature gaming platform”.

With these announcements, it looks like 2010 will be another strong year for Xbox 360, or as Robbie Bach put it at CES 2010, “When I said 2010 was going to be a big year for Xbox 360, I was lying. 2010 is going to be the biggest year of Xbox history.”

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From My Mom’s Basement – Episode 5

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Originally Published: January 11, 2010, on Lundberg.me and Sportsrev.tv

This week I looked at Dragon Age: Origins from EA and Cable #22 from Marvel. I also introduced a new segment with my Hot Chick Pick of the Week. This week I melted down while featuring Leysi Suarez from Peru.

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On the PS3 Horizon

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Originally Published: January 5, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Lundberg.me

Continuing the momentum of my last article previewing games coming out in 2010, I had a chance here in NYC to get a hands-on preview with some of the biggest upcoming titles for the first quarter of 2010 for Sony’s PS3. Among the titles we looked at include God of War 3, Just Cause 2, Bayonetta, Dante’s Inferno, and Dark Void. I know that Bayonetta actually comes out today, but it is still a good way for those of you who may be on the fence to take a look at some game footage, stills, and get some info from the folks over at Sega themselves. So, without further ado, I present to you my PS3 Q1 2010 preview!

Ray Carsillo Q1 2010 PS3 Preview Party
Video by Jared Bodden

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Ten Games to Look Forward to in 2010

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Originally Published: December 31, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Lundberg.me

As the year comes to an end, I think this is an opportune time to take a look forward at the year ahead in gaming. Last year we did this and the nine games we previewed were either awesome as expected (Ghostbusters, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Madworld, and Brutal Legend), pretty good (Punch-Out and Resident Evil 5), or delayed until early 2010 (Bioshock 2, God of War 3, and Dante’s Inferno). The three games delayed until early 2010 are basically shoe-ins for this year’s list as well because all the delays have done is make us salivate more as details leaked out to us. So with no further ado, here are the top 10 games to look forward to in 2010.

1. Bioshock 2: I said it last year and I’ll say it again this year: I will go screaming through the halls here at ESPN the day this comes out from sheer, overwhelming joy. With a lot more revealed in terms of the plot and gameplay, this easily tops my list as my most anticipated game as you return to Rapture and assume the role of a Big Daddy 10 years after the events of the first Bioshock. Along with this new twist from the first Bioshock, there is also a confirmed multiplayer mode and the ability to use your Big Daddy suit to explore the ocean immediately surrounding Rapture, which should allow for all kinds of new and creative ways to explore the once great cultural haven beneath the waves. Barring any last minute setbacks, expect Bioshock 2 to hit store shelves February 9, 2010, for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

2. God of War 3: There are few trilogies in video games that are more celebrated than God of War and this is before the third one has even hit store shelves. Inspired by many classic stories from Greek mythology, you play as Kratos once more as you attempt to work out your anger issues with the gods for the last time. I had a chance to play an advanced demo of this (which I will post a special PS3 Q1 Preview video next week where I got to talk with some of the developers of God of War 3) and you will flip just like Kratos’ point of view seamlessly does in several epic boss battles as you should expect to start wrapping up this classic trilogy on your PS3 towards the end of March 2010.

3. Dante’s Inferno: Many are calling this a God of War rip-off, but I’m a firm believer that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and this might be even better because it isn’t limited to just the PS3. Inspired by the part of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy of the same name, if Kratos has anger management issues, Dante is the ultimate obsessive, smothering boyfriend as he is willing to fight through the nine layers of hell to save his girlfriend’s soul while having a tapestry depicting the holy cross stitched to his chest. Just like God of War, Dante’s Inferno mixes classic plot with tremendous, bloody action (and a little bit of nudity) and amazing, original monsters based on this classic work of literature to get any action/adventure fan’s blood pumping. Just like Bioshock 2, Dante’s Inferno hits store shelves on February 9, 2010, for Xbox 360, PS3, and PSP.

4. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle: Travis Touchdown returns with his beam katana (it’s a lightsaber, but that whole copyright thing can be such a pain sometimes) as he has gotten lazy and let his number one world assassin ranking drop all the way down to 51 (possibly in honor of game creator Suda 51?). When things get personal though, Travis once again hones his wrestling inspired moves and attempts to move back up the ladder to the number one spot with even more crazy, over the top boss battles that are even better than those from the first game. The sandbox system is gone to help save on time while you hunt down your quarry and travel from location to location by just going to a map menu now and since that was one of the major complaints from the first game, it looks like No More Heroes 2 could be another sleeper hit from the deranged mind of Suda 51 and his Grasshopper Studios. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a Wii exclusive and should hit store shelves January 28, 2010.

5. Dead Rising 2: The first Dead Rising broke new ground in zombie bashing by having an unheard of (for the time) amount of NPCs on screen at one time with no lag. And it was set in a mall allowing you to have a variety of weapons from food court table umbrellas to golf clubs to nerf guns. Dead Rising 2 takes several of the great elements from the first game (regular guy dropped into a zombie invasion) and puts a whole new twist on it that has me chomping at the bit as I count the days until this hits store shelves. Dead Rising 2 assumes you failed to completely contain the zombie virus at Willamette from the first Dead Rising and now there are zombie outbreaks all over the country. These zombie zones have been cordoned off by the government, but with times being tough, leave it to reality TV to step in to offer the masses a chance to risk life and limb for amazing prizes. “Terror is Reality” is one of these reality TV shows that asks people to help control the zombie population in new and inventive ways for the chance at huge piles of cash. Of course, you’re being dropped into these living nightmares with nothing but the clothes on your back, but it wouldn’t be a zombie game if you were given a gatling gun from the get go. Add in what could be the best online multiplayer of the year as Dead Rising 2 pits you against three other players in an American Gladiators meets Resident Evil scenario and sends you all on your merry competitive ways. Zombie bashing will never be the same again on your Xbox 360, PS3, and PC come the end of Q1.

6. DC Universe Online: It is hyped as what could be the greatest MMORPG of all-time as it allows you to interact with the best of the best of the DC Comics Universe with your own original character and with a member of current comic book royalty in Jim Lee serving as the Executive Creative Director, you know you are in good hands. Unfortunately, it has been delayed countless times and is a game on life support to say the least. DCU Online was supposed to come out last summer, but now we are still waiting to rub elbows with the Dark Knight and Man of Steel and take down the likes of Lex Luthor, Mr. Freeze, the Joker, Bizarro, and many, many, many more as a loose Q3 2010 date has been set for this possible PS3 and PC powerhouse. If DCU Online doesn’t come out this year, I think the game will be completely scrapped because it has been in production for far too long for us to wait much longer for it.

7. Mafia 2: Another strong title on the horizon from the folks at 2K (why do they even bother with sports anymore when their shooters and action/adventure games are so awesome?) is Mafia 2. Set in a fictitious mob family in the late 1940s-early 1950s, Mafia 2 combines a GTA-style sandbox experience with a Hollywood-inspired cinematic driven plot as you play as Vito, a small-time hood trying his best to get his piece of the American dream in some less than savory ways. Add in some awesome action sequences and Martin Scorsese couldn’t have done a better job with this. Mafia 2 looks to be the strongest release due out in Q2 when it lands on store shelves May 3, 2010, for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

8. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Every major attempt to bring the fabled history of Castlevania into the 3D realm has fallen flat on its face and the only thing keeping the series alive has been a successful run with the classic side scrolling action on handheld systems. Things may change come the next holiday season. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has you cast as the mysterious figure Gabriel as you fight through a massive world in the third person. Mix in some puzzles and some holy (or unholy) artifacts to help power up Gabriel and you have the base for a nice action/adventure game. There aren’t a lot of details out on this one yet in terms of how Gabriel fits in with the Belmont clan or if Dracula is even the main force of darkness here (although I’m sure he is because it wouldn’t be Castlevania if he wasn’t), but from what I’ve seen so far, this could be the best chance to FINALLY bring Castlevania successfully onto modern consoles especially with Hideo Kojima (of the Metal Gear Series) consulting on this project, Patrick Stewart serving as the narrator, and some God of War and Assassin’s Creed style gameplay mechanics shown in the early trailer. Expect Castlevania: Lords of Shadow to emerge from the darkness next holiday season for Xbox 360 and PS3.

9. Super Mario Galaxy 2: Everyone loves Mario, plain and simple. Another game expected to be released in time for the next holiday season, Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be the first direct sequel to another Mario game in a decade (since Super Mario World 2 back for the SNES). Add in that you are definitely going to be riding Yoshi around and I’m sure you’ll see the return of some other classic powers and this is another sure fire hit for Nintendo. Plus, don’t forget that you are sure to see a lot of classic Mario themes, enemies, and puzzles mixed in with the tremendous planetary exploration aspect introduced in the first Super Mario Galaxy and this will be another platforming gem from Nintendo. Super Mario Galaxy 2 should be out in time for next holiday season and is, of course, a Nintendo exclusive.

10. Metroid: Other M: Nintendo has the strongest first party franchises out there and another one confirmed for next holiday season is Metroid: Other M. A lot like seeing Hideo Kojima’s production studio helping out with Castlevania, Team Ninja, best known for the Ninja Gaiden games, has stepped up to help give a bit of an anime style and storytelling flair to this newest Samus Aran adventure. Mixing some classic side-scrolling action and some 3D arena battles as you progress through the game and interchange between the two seamlessly should keep you on your toes and keep you from getting bored. Add in that at least Ridley has been confirmed as one of the boss battles and it should be interesting to see what Team Ninja can do with this beloved Nintendo franchise. Metroid: Other M is another Wii exclusive and should be out in time for the next holiday season.

So there is my top 10 for the coming year and it is one heck of a list. On top of these games, there are also lots of other games that I just could not take the time to go into right now, plus I did not feel they were worthy of the top 10. MAG, Heavy Rain, Bayonetta, Darksiders, Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands (adding a 4th chapter to one of the better trilogies for the last generation of consoles was not necessary and is thus a major reason that Prince of Persia stayed off the list), Mass Effect 2, Just Cause 2, Epic Mickey, Red Steel 2, Mega Man 10, Gran Turismo 5, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and an unnamed Legend of Zelda title for the Wii (not enough info for me to be confident that this will make it in time for a 2010 release, but Nintendo is the best at keeping secrets) all deserve honorable mentions and should be awesome games in 2010, but these are my top 10 and I stand by them. It is going to be another great year for games and I cannot wait. Until then, have a great New Year and my resolution is that I will be sure to try my best to keep you informed over the course of 2010 just as I did over the course of 2009.

-Ray Carsillo

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It’s Elementary My Dear Reader

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Originally Published: December 28, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

It is the quintessential detective story. A consulting detective from 221B Baker St. in London whose keen intellect has no match as he solves the unsolvable to try to keep streets of Victorian era London safe while having his own unique brand of fun along the way. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is a character that resonates with people even now over 100 years since his creation. After all, he was the original CSI and we all know how popular those TV shows are. In fact, several of Holmes’ techniques concocted by Conan Doyle influenced modern crime solving techniques like finger printing and bullet printing.

In terms of popularity though, Holmes as an iconic character had quietly faded into the background noise of the modern media frenzy and passing fads. With a shortage of good ideas out in there in Hollywood, director Guy Ritchie pulled Holmes and the gang off the shelf to reintroduce them to the world with a more modern filmmaking flare and an original plot not directly based off of any of Conan Doyle’s stories.

With a little more base in the occult and the macabre than anything the original Sherlock Holmes ever had to deal with, this modern rendition starring Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson see the original Dynamic Duo deal with an ominous figure in a man known as Lord Blackwell, played by Mark Strong. The movie opens up with the duo breaking in and disrupting the sacrifice of a young maiden by Blackwell who is promptly arrested, thrown in jail, and then hung for his crimes. Not much of a movie if the antagonist is jailed and hung in the first ten minutes, but miraculously, Lord Blackwell rises from the grave and begins to haunt the streets of London once again, striking fear and terror into all who believe. Luckily for all of London, there is Sherlock Holmes.

As a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories, this is a fantastic modern rendition of the timeless tales. There were a few extra explosions and fight scenes to help keep the viewers attention than were in the original stories, but more importantly, the movie flowed well for the entire 2 hours and 14 minutes. The character depictions were more true to the original stories than most media portrayals have been over the years, such as Watson being a very competent companion and not the bumbling sidekick as in several depictions, or not leaving out the details of Holmes’ persona that he was an avid boxer who got bored very easily, to the point that he would shoot the queen’s initials into his wall to help occupy his time.

Aside from the accurate character depictions (with a lot of credit going to Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr.), the story was something worthy of the originals. Although a tad much with the occult theme for the villain, the way Holmes unraveled all the clues and came to his conclusions with his deductive thinking, all the while skirting just on the edge of the law, were done in ways that would’ve made Conan Doyle proud.

My only critique with the movie was that it was done in a third person perspective. The original stories were all from the perspective of Dr. Watson and therefore told from his perspective as Watson was being trained all the while in detective work by Holmes. I think it would have been nice to see Guy Ritchie try something a little different and tell the story through the eyes of Watson instead of from the movie-standard third person.

Aside from that minor complaint though, this was a fantastic movie with superb acting from everyone involved, tremendous action, some nice light-hearted comedic moments, and an enthralling plot. The dynamic between Law and Downey Jr. was a joy to watch and the movie held your attention the whole way through and, of course, the movie’s ending left it open for a sequel. If you plan on going to the movies only once this holiday season, Sherlock Holmes should be your pick.

Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law gets 4.5 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo

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From My Mom’s Basement – Episode 4 – A Very Geeky Christmas

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Originally Published: December 26, 2009, on Sportsrev.tv and Lundberg.me

This episode sees me showing off all my geeky Christmas presents.

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Looking Through 3D Glasses

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Originally Published: December 23, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (Now ESPNNewYork.com)

It is the most hyped movie of the holiday season with one of the most acclaimed directors of our time (James Cameron) and a $500 million dollar budget. Could it possibly live up to all this hype though or is it just a lot of bright colors and flashing lights?

The first thing I have to explain, due to many people asking me about how much money Nickelodeon put up for this, is that this is NOT the same property as the Nickelodeon cartoon of the same name! Nickelodeon’s Avatar will have its own movie in 2010 and it will be directed by M. Night Shyamalan. James Cameron’s Avatar has blue aliens and amazing visuals. Nickelodeon’s Avatar deals with monks who control the four main elements (earth, wind, water, fire).

Now that we have cleared that up, James Cameron’s Avatar deals with a human mining company trying to rip out special ore (imaginatively named “unobtainium”) from the crust of a jungle planet called Pandora. The indigenous people of this planet though refuse to let their land simply be cultivated or embrace the human culture that is being forced upon them.

In order to help bridge the gap between the two species, Dr. Grace Augustine (played by sci-fi staple Sigourney Weaver; if you want to have a successful sci-fi movie, you need Sigourney!) develops something called the “avatar” program where she melds human DNA with the alien DNA. The human who had their DNA harvested can then plug into the avatar body mentally via a machine that is safe back at the human mining colony.

This is where Jake Sully comes in (played by Sam Worthington, another sci-fi vet after his major role in Terminator: Salvation). His twin brother helped Dr. Augustine with the avatar program, but was murdered in cold blood and thus his avatar was left in storage. Since the avatar-human hybrids cost millions to cultivate, instead of throwing it away, the government contracted Jake due to his similar DNA.

Thus begins an epic, action-packed drama that really takes about 20 minutes too long to unfold and tries to cover up slow moments with some cheesy 3D special effects and a light show that would be too intense for most raves. Really, this was a very good movie, but it just dragged at a couple of points that helped shake you out of the world that James Cameron tried so hard (and spent so much money) to bring us into.

The South Park episode that summed it up as “Dancing with Smurfs” was very spot-on. This movie is basically the thought that a people who are one with nature are forced to leave their homes and fight against foreign invaders and their culture after bringing one of these foreigners into their fold and way of life. Instead of Native Americans and settlers though like in Dances with Wolves, it is blue aliens and humans.

The movie’s visuals were brilliant (and the creature that was a hammerhead shark crossed with a rhinoceros was awesome) and it should win a Visual Effects Oscar hands down. Anything beyond that would be a stretch and the fact that 7-10 Oscar nominations have been predicted for this is a joke. There was some good acting from those involved with a plot that has shown worth before with some simple twists and special effects to make it look new again, but this isn’t a ground-breaking feature film. Of course, with worldwide numbers, it should make back the $500 million dollar investment.

A visually beautiful film with a solid plot makes this probably worth a viewing in the theatre and maybe even a special edition DVD buy because it will probably have some sweet special features (it better with that budget), but I saw it once and that was enough for me.

James Cameron’s Avatar gets 3.5 out of 5 as a solid, but not special, movie worth one, but not multiple, movie theatre viewings.

-Ray Carsillo

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The Holiday Rush

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Originally Published: December 21, 2009, on Lundberg.me and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

I did this last year where I offered some last minute advice to help out people looking to pick up a couple of more items to stuff in the stockings or under the tree and due to positive feedback, we’re doing it one more time!

Now, if you’re looking for games for some little ones and don’t feel they’re ready for an over the top, alien shoot ’em up, or some action-adventure, sword wielding bloodbath, then here are a few E-rated games that will keep them happy till their birthday rolls around.

1. New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Nintendo Wii – Any older gamer will appreciate the nostalgia this game conjures up. Any young gamer will fall in love with the crazy characters, classic side-scrolling platforming gameplay, and the hours of exploration and fun it will provide. Just like every other great Mario Bros. game to ever come out. This Wii game has been flying off of store shelves this holiday season with good reason.


2. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks – Nintendo DS –Another one of Nintendo’s powerhouse franchises with a new chapter in its long and storied history. What’s nice about this is that the kids can take this with them on the long car or plane ride you’re already dreading. At least it’ll keep the kids out of your hair as you prepare for departure delays or traffic due to the predicted bad weather. Not the longest or most in-depth in the Zelda series, it will more than do the job of distracting the little ones this holiday season.

3. A Boy and His Blob – Nintendo Wii – Rounding out the Nintendo dominance of kid-oriented games is a remake of a NES classic. A Boy and His Blob follows a young lad and his alien, shape-shifitng friend, who can help the boy in a plethora of ways by eating magical jellybeans. These jellybeans allow the blob to turn into a gun, a ladder, a trampoline, and many other useful items as you travel across these beautifully drawn 2.5 D worlds.

“But, Ray! My kid is in high school and I don’t think these childish games will work for him/her.” Never fear! There is plenty of T-rated games just waiting to be picked up.

1. Ghostbusters: The Video Game – All systems – The closest thing die-hards have seen to a third movie, this game picks up about three years after the end of the second movie and brings the story together better than any movie could have. With all the original voice cast returning to reprise their iconic 80s roles, ‘bustin’ has never felt so good.

2. Batman: Arkham Asylum – XBOX360, PS3 – One of the most critically acclaimed games of the year, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the initial offering of what looks to be a long series of new Batman games. With a free-flow combat system that flows like water and a plot worthy of a comic maxi-series, this game is a must have for any comic book fan.

3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – PS3 – The SpikeTV Video Game Awards game of the year delivers on every front like no other game this year. Plot depth, tremendous characters that pull on your heart strings, probably the best looking game of the year, and flawless gameplay makes this a must have for any gamer’s collection if you have a PS3.

Now you’re wondering, “What about the games for Mommy and Daddy?” Well, there are plenty of M-rated games out there for long after the kiddies go to bed.

1. Madworld – Wii – It’s rare to see a phenomenal M-rated game on the Wii, but Sega’s Madworld delievers in ways I never thought a Wii game could. An unfathomable amount of gore and language brightens up the black and white world of “Jack”, a man tasked with winning a “Running Man”-esque game of death in a world that just screams “Sin City”. Either interacting with the entire environment to find new and interesting ways to kill your enemies, or just relying on the chainsaw on your right hand, you will have fun wreaking havoc in Madworld.

2. Assassin’s Creed 2 – XBOX360, PS3 – My pick for game of the year, Assassin’s Creed 2 expounds on the plot of the first game and trumps the action by leaps and bounds. A new free-flow combat system, being able to wield two weapons at once, poison, guns, and an entire economic system make what was once a repetitive, tedious chore to beat in AC1, makes AC2 one of the most unique mainstream gaming experiences of the year.

3. Halo 3: ODST – XBOX360 – My choice for first-person shooter of the year, any Halo fan needs to have this game. Aside from the amped up difficulty due to you acting as a lower class of trooper than Master Chief’s Spartan self, the film noir aspect of taking over every member of your squad at different moments as you unravel the mystery of the Covenant’s attack is one of the most immersive plot techniques I’ve seen in gaming in years.

Those are the games that will make everyone you know, no matter their age, happy. On this last list, are the games that leave everyone cringing and they will be returned. Guaranteed. Avoid these games at all costs Grandma!

1. Fairytale Fights – XBOX 360, PS3, PC – A nice concept that falls flat on its face. Living through some classic fairytale character’s stories with some bloody hack-‘n’-slash combat is a nice thought, but horrible gameplay, a poorly kept-together plot, and nothing really special about using these fabled characters from fairytale lore aside from the random weapons they find was really a disappointment.

2. TMNT: Smash-Up – Nintendo Wii – It uses the same engine as Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but it lacks everything else. Only a handful of selectable characters, a miserable story mode, and controls that aren’t nearly as responsive as the Nintendo character counterpart. A bitter disappointment for any TMNT fan and another TMNT media project that doesn’t include the original theme music!

3. The Conduit – Nintendo Wii – This is probably one of the most hyped games of the year and instead should be considered as the worst first-person shooter of the year. Basically a remake of Perfect Dark from N64, but with some more high tech weapons and a looser plot. The graphics look like something from the Gamecube and the multiplayer, although probably one of the better ones for the Wii, is still subpar when compared with the multiplayer offered by games for the XBOX 360 and PS3.

Well folks, there it is. For all you last minute shoppers out there, those are some helpful hints. Thanks for reading my article and have a happy and safe holiday season.

-Ray Carsillo

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Eat Your Heart Out John Hammond

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Originally Published: December 20, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com), Lundberg.me, and Examiner.com

I think every boy growing up in my generation who saw Jurassic Park instantly fell in love with dinosaurs and the idea of “What if they roamed the Earth, today?” We even sat through the less than stellar sequels because the thought of living with these long extinct creatures excited and scared us in ways that stimulated our pre-pubescent imaginations.

Most of us have matured (and, of course, most of us now are obsessing over women, an entirely different breed of creature that excites and scares us), but we still remember the feelings that are stirred up when a concept involving dinosaurs is brought to the table.

In that vein, I present to you Jurassic: The Hunted, a new first person shooter from Activision. You play as Craig Dylan, a contractor for a private security firm that is hired by a scientist looking for her father whose expedition was lost in the Bermuda Triangle back in 1983. As your plane flies over the ocean and you prepare to parachute onto an island, a storm suddenly appears and lightning strikes your plane. As the plane begins to tail spin out of control, you, your teammate, and the doctor (Gilligan and the skipper escaped the same fate), fall into a bright blue light. When you wake up and begin foraging for weapons and supplies, you come across a lizard…a really big lizard.

Thus begins your adventure as you find out later that you fell through a temporal vortex and that the reversal of the earth’s magnetic poles are causing tremendous amounts of unstable energy to pull creatures and objects from all of time. You’ll explore a German U-boat, use weapons from the Civil War, and get your hands on a sweet plasma rifle from the future as you search for the missing doctor and end up trying to save the world in the process.

Well, it isn’t the most original plot, but it had great potential and like I said before, people love dinosaurs. Unfortunately, great potential does not a great game make. The execution of the plot felt rushed, like Activision was trying to just get this out before the holiday. I blew through the entire game in about five hours and even with the unlocking of a hard mode, and the inclusion of a survival mode that reminds you of a one-man Horde or Firefight mode from Gears 2 or Halo 3: ODST, is not enough to make this an elite game.

I will say that the game at least looks good. Seeing the dinosaurs on-screen in this game is like watching Jurassic Park again. All I would need is John Williams’ classic theme and I would be set with the peripherals of this game. Unfortunately, the sound falls flat on its face compared to the graphics. The music and SFX are generic at best and the voice acting would be comparable to Larry the Cable Guy trying to do Shakespeare.

The gameplay is solid, but not spectacular and I would have loved a larger variety of weapons, especially those from different time eras. The whole time travel aspect of the game wasn’t emphasized enough in general, but that again goes back to the rush job that Activision seemed to give this one. The boss battles were simple and you shouldn’t die more than a handful of times if you are any good at first-person shooters. The adrenaline feature you have is a nice idea and the graphics of seeing the vitals for the dinosaurs are awesome, but aside from that it is mostly unnecessary.

Going back to the survival mode, which is probably the only thing to try to bring you back to this game, but it isn’t special in any way and you should get your fill of hunting dinosaurs after a single playthrough of the game.

This game has a really strong core to it, but it just seems that everything was so rushed that it started to unravel at the seams as you continue through the entire game. The gameplay is average and there is no difficulty to speak of for anyone familiar with first-person shooters. A saving point for this game is that it is available on all systems and is only $40 compared to the full $50 or $60 price usually seen. Still, it shouldn’t offer you more than five to seven hours of gameplay and for that I would rent this instead of buying it.

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

Graphics: 9.0: Easily the best part of this game is the visuals. The dinosaurs look just as good as if you were watching Jurassic Park and there were almost no glitches to speak of.

Audio: 4.0: Generic music and SFX do a horrible job of setting the mood or immersing you in the game. Add on top of that some of the worst voice acting I’ve heard in a long time and this game might be better played with the volume off.

Plot/Plot Development: 6.0: A fun idea that should appeal to a wide audience, but horrible execution and a feeling of being rushed through the game really takes you back and out of the experience.

Gameplay: 6.5: There weren’t any glitches that I could think of throughout the game, but there were only a handful of weapons to use and the melee feature was not necessary because if the dinosaurs got close to you, you were done for. Of course, every first-person shooter needs to have a melee option though. The adrenaline feature was also unnecessary. Add in the simplicity of the game and you have a barely passing score.

Replay Value: 4.0: A couple of difficulty levels and a survival mode is just not enough to bring me back to this game after the initial playthrough.

Overall (not an average): 6.5: The game gets a barely passing score because even with all the flaws it had, it was still fun. It is sad when a game like this comes out because if the developers had sat on it and put a little more into it, you could’ve seen this being a solid game that made an impact instead of something that is at best a good rental. The lower price tag does make it appeal a little more to the masses, but I would still rent it over buying it.

Jurassic: The Hunted is out now for Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, and PS2.

-Ray Carsillo

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From My Mom’s Basement – Episode 3

Filed under: From My Mom's Basement — Leave a comment

Originally Published: December 19, 2009, on Lundberg.me and Sportsrev.tv

This week features reviews of Captain America: Reborn #5 (of 6) and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for Nintendo DS.

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