Tag Archive: review


Just Chaos!

Filed under: Written — Leave a comment
June 5, 2010

Originally Published: March 25, 2010, on Examiner.com and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

When you think of Square Enix, you think of elaborate, time-consuming RPGs and fantastic worlds where magic and wizardry are more commonplace than traffic at the Holland Tunnel. So when it came down that Square Enix was pairing with Eidos and Avalanche Studios to bring us a sequel to a game that had a lukewarm reception, befuddled to optimistically curious was the range of thoughts for many gamers.

Just Cause 2 sees the return of CIA special agent Rico Rodriguez, our protagonist from the first game, as he is again tasked with overthrowing a tropical island’s government that is somewhat hostile towards our good ol’ U.S. of A. On top of this, Rico must also track down his missing mentor and best friend, Tom Sheldon, whom the desk jockeys in Washington think has gone rouge after he fell off their radar for several weeks. In order to accomplish his mission, Rico is tasked with going around and blowing up as much government owned and operated equipment as possible in order to lure out both Tom and the dictator of the island nation of Panau, “Baby” Panay.

So, even with the addition of Square Enix and an 18-month delay from when this game was supposed to be originally released (leading to speculation if it would ever hit store shelves), the plot was clearly not a priority to be changed and improved upon. The game still plays like a long version of a bad Miami Vice episode with stereotypical characters ripped right from that era. From Rico, who is every hero of the 80s rolled into one with an Antonio Banderas accent, to Tom who represents every higher up in the government as a redneck in a Hawaiian t-shirt who hates commies. If the game was trying to be a farce, then they should have made the rest of the gameplay try to be less serious as a whole.

The third person shooter gameplay was more of a joke than the plot though. Although the addition of the grappling hook mechanics allowing you to tether to almost anything in the environment was nice and made getting around on foot easier, it felt like I was playing Bionic Commando all over again, but with a lot more glitches. And this game is chock full of glitches, especially with the vehicles. There were several times when my poor flying skills were going to result in my plane crashing into a building, but instead I either flew straight through the building or hit it and was sent straight down into the ground where the plane would get stuck. It would not explode or fall flat on its backside; it would get stuck, balancing on its nose, with me trapped in the vertical cockpit against the side of the building.

On the positive: the sandbox world you play in is beyond massive with several hundred full villages, cities, and military bases with their own nuances to them. Possibly the scope of the world you play in took away from other aspects of the game and caused so many other glitches to find their way into the system. From mountains and jungles to the desert and ocean, the island of Panau is beautiful, diverse, and fully explorable after beating your obligatory tutorial mission.

Another disadvantage of having such a large world is rendering it. The graphics for the game suffer somewhat due to the sheer scope of the landscape you play in. Although the characters and people look up to par, the landscape, especially in the distance, is muddied and bland, considerably so in the jungles.

The voice acting is over the top on purpose so it can be forgiven a little, but it’s still rather unpleasant to listen to and the music becomes repetitive quickly. The best music actually comes in the end credits, and not just because you’ve beaten the story mode, but also because it is the first time you hear a couple of different instrumentals besides the main theme.

The strongest point about this game aside from the scope is probably the replay value. With thousands, not hundreds, of items to collect and countless cities and villages to liberate by destroying government property, you can probably get 50-60 hours out of this game if you are driven to get 100%. Otherwise, you’ll still see yourself playing this for probably 20-25 hours to get through the story mode causing a minimum amount of chaos to advance the story. Add in four difficulty levels, with the hardest actually being somewhat difficult, and you’ll probably get your money’s worth, even if you get frustrated with the countless glitches and over the top acting.

Much like the first Just Cause, this game has so much potential, but glitches and a real lack of plot and character development keep Just Cause 2 from being a top tier game. If you’re only interested in the story mode, you’ll only need to rent this as I’m sure you’ll get your over-the-top explosion and cheesy voice acting quota in with just a few hours of gameplay, but if you are an achievement/trophy hog then you’ll probably be frustrated in having to buy this in order to collect every item and finish every challenge.

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

Graphics: 7.0: The main characters, NPCs, and vehicles all are rendered very nicely, but when dealing with a sandbox like that seen in Just Cause 2, the environment always suffers. Taking that into consideration, the graphics get a passing, but not superb, score.

Audio: 7.0: Assuming that the voice acting and accents were purposely embellished for the sake of humor, we can give the audio a passing score. Some musical variety would have been appreciated, but the SFX at least were decent.

Plot/Plot Development: 4.0: Run around and blow up things that have the Panauian flag on them. That’s the basic premise. Add in some insane twists at the end that remind you of an atrocious 80s B-movie or an awful Miami Vice episode and I can’t give the plot a passing score.

Gameplay: 5.0: Glitches galore really hurt the gaming experience. Add in a complete rip off of Bionic Commando with the grappling hook and even my passion for random destruction can’t save this one.

Replay Value: 9.0: I don’t know how they could have fit a multiplayer into this game, but it is the only thing that keeps the replay value from being perfect. With thousands of items, challenges, and things to blow up, completion freaks out there will definitely get their money’s worth.

Overall (not an average): 6.5: Even with the cheesiness this game oozes, and the glitches at every turn, I love blowing things up. If this game actually tried to take itself seriously, left out the Miami Vice stereotypes, and put in a little more polish, it could have been a must-buy. As it is though, it is a recommended rental for most, a buy for people who are completion crazy and love third person shooters.

Just Cause 2 is available now for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , ,
Comment

Hunter, Survivor, Prey

Filed under: Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: March 22, 2010, on Collider.com, Examiner.com, 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com), and PlayerAffinity.com

Those three words sum up the entire premise behind Sega’s latest foray into the mature gaming world as they continue to try to distance themselves from a certain blue rodent. Aliens vs. Predator, the latest addition into a series that has been beaten to death with new iterations of the same name on nearly every system dating back over a decade, returns with what they are claiming is a brand new story, but is really just a rehashed version of the same old one Rebellion Developments and other developers have been pushing out for what seems like forever with this series.

Like in the previous installments of the game, this version of Aliens vs. Predator gives you the opportunity to take control of three different factions and playthrough their respective storylines. Unlike previous installments of the game though where there were three completely different story arcs, these three story arcs all interconnect.

You can play as the Aliens (Survivors), or xenomorphs, as they are referred to as in this fictional universe, where the Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the movies are still trying to obtain and train a xenomorph specimen for their own nefarious means. This time, they have captured one on a faraway planet that happens to have these strange ruins that look very familiar to anyone who has seen the movies. As the xenomorph, it is your objective to escape the facility where you were raised to maturity and to wreak havoc on your oppressors. With your prehensile tail, ability to walk on walls, and a hatred for the flesh bags who have imprisoned your queen, you must find a way to not only destroy the on-world facility, but find a way off-world to continue spreading your species.

You can also play as the Predator (Hunters). This ancient race whose society is based on battle and honor has come to this strange planet with a group of Youngbloods to test their worthiness by slaying the Predator’s most ancient enemy, the xenomorphs. It is with rage and disgust upon your arrival to find that humans have settled near one of your temples and have pillaged your proving grounds. You must not only wipe out the greedy humans for disgracing your people, but also avoid the constant xenomorph threat at the same time.

And last, and most definitely least, you can play as a Human (Prey). Assigned to a Weyland-Yutani task force, your marine squad is sent planet side after a colony unearthed something in those ruins they probably shouldn’t have. With your limited military might, your objective is to uncover exactly what happened to the planet-side colonists while escaping with your life.

As you can see, it is basically the exact same storyline for every Aliens, Predator, or Aliens vs. Predator movie or video game to have ever come out where your mission is the most basic of missions: to survive.

Aside from a lack of originality, the game does deliver some decent first-person shooter action. Each species brings its own distinct advantages and challenges to the gamplay. The aliens rely almost entirely on stealth and cannot afford a full frontal assault on any group of humans or else you’ll be mowed down with extreme prejudice. This means you spend a good amount of time trying to avoid vertigo as you walk on ceilings and try to take out all the lights in a room before dropping down onto your unsuspecting prey and rip them to shreds in an exquisitely gruesome fashion. Sometimes you slit their throats with your tail and other times you can use your inner mouth to rip out their eyeballs as they scream in terror and the blood splatters across your screen.

The Humans have the greatest disadvantage of the group and so in order to compensate, carry the biggest guns imaginable. From sniper rifles with night vision to wide impact shotguns, the humans have the most to fear so they have the most to shoot stuff with. Although this provides a more traditional FPS experience, it also provides the greatest challenge due to the fact that your foes can come from literally anywhere without you knowing. This also creates a nice sense of suspense as you progress and gives the truest feeling to the movies.

Then comes the Predators and they are the best-known hunters in the universe for a reason. From plasma rifles to disc blades to one hit kill staves, there is no reason why you would want to be anything but the Predator. Even on the hardest of difficulties, the Predator puts his two counterparts to shame and offers the least challenging of the game experiences.

Each species has six levels, including the almost mandatory tutorial level, and each campaign shouldn’t take more than five hours, even on the hardest difficulty, to complete any of them. This only gives you a 15 hour single player experience, and the multiplayer is usually a wash because everyone wants to be the Predator, again due to its being head and shoulders above the other two species.

There are four difficulty levels, with the hardest mode taking away all mid-level checkpoints, that could bring you back for more, but one playthrough should be enough for most any gamer, even the most die-hard of FPS fans. There was a minimum of glitches throughout with the very straightforward gamplay and the game features some good graphics, even though the background textures were somewhat plain, and some nice shadow effects. Throw in a decent musical score to set a suspenseful mood for much of the game and you have a solid, but not spectacular, experience for what has become a rather banal franchise.

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

Graphics: 7.0: Good shadow effects were a nice touch, especially during the xenomorph levels, but using the same five or six basic skins for all the enemies got very repetitive and the blood effects were average at best. The level textures were also very simple and won’t push your system too hard.

Audio: 8.0: A nice musical score sets a very suspenseful mood, but the limited loop of screams, hisses, grunts, and clicks made by the various species in the game takes away from the overall experience as they become redundant quickly. Add in some subpar voice acting for the human campaign and the audio is good, but not great.

Plot/Plot Development: 3.0: Shoot stuff and survive. That’s all you need to know and that’s all they really explain to you.

Gameplay: 7.0: A minimal amount of minor glitches on a game that won’t push your system anywhere near to its full capabilities. It doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but it doesn’t fail as a FPS either.

Replay Value: 7.0: Although the multiplayer becomes tired quickly as most people choose the Predator species, it is a nice multiplayer system, even if it takes some time to match you up with other players. There isn’t a lot to bring you back to the campaign, but at least they offer you four difficulties with collectibles scattered throughout each level for the sole purpose of attracting achievement/trophy hogs.

Overall (not an average): 6.0: A solid FPS, but by no means does it break any ground and the lack of creativity with this franchise as a whole is frustrating. A strongly recommended rental, but I would avoid as a full-blown purchase.


Aliens vs. Predator is available now for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

In the End, There Will Only Be Chaos

Filed under: Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: March 12, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Those are the first words you see, emblazoned in a bold gold color, when you look at the back cover of one of the most anticipated video games of all time. God of War III is the epic conclusion to Sony’s exclusive Greek tragedy worthy of Homer himself. And epic is the perfect way to describe this game.

SPOILER ALERT: I just want to mention that if you have not played the first two God of War games, this review will come from the perspective of someone who has. If you haven’t played the first two, go pick up the God of War Collection for PS3, catch up, and come back later because there are spoilers of the first two games ahead.

God of War III takes place immediately after the conclusion of God of War II, with Kratos on the back of the Titan Gaia as they continue their climb to the summit of Mount Olympus for the final confrontation with Zeus. It wouldn’t be much of a game though if there weren’t some strife and anguish for our anger management challenged protagonist. Zeus will pull out all the stops to ensure that the Titans remain where he put them, below his almighty heel, and will send Kratos there with them if he is not careful. Some of the most famous gods from Greek Mythology will join Zeus’ cause in trying to stop Kratos and the ensuing battles may cause more chaos and mayhem than humanity can stand.

I can’t talk about the plot much more without giving away any more spoilers, but the adventure is something worthy of a Greek epic and God of War III fleshes out exactly where Kratos falls in the grand scheme of things amongst the great Greek heroes. Just like the previous games in the series, God of War III expertly weaves its story through infamous locations from the Greek pantheon that interconnect throughout various points in the game, all the while making reference to the history established in the previous two games. Of course, not knowing about Greek mythology doesn’t hurt your gaming experience, but it sure does it make it that much sweeter.

So, the plot is spectacular as expected, but a big question coming into this game was how could they improve upon the gameplay in the God of War series after the leaps and bounds made from the first installment to the second? Well, just think of the gap between PS2 and PS3 and then increase it tenfold. The new “soft-body collision” system that allows Kratos to walk and climb along the Titans and other moving platforms adds an entirely new element to the gameplay. It can give traps and level hazards the ability to come from completely new directions as well as changing the entire scope of the level with one swing of a colossal arm or rotation of a platform. One second you’re on your feet, the next you’re hanging upside down. Include even more boss battles and button prompt sequences, mountable creatures to use against your foes, and brand new weapons and the gameplay has been taken to another level all over again.

Along with the amazing new “soft-body collision” system, the game is almost completely glitchless. The only glitch I saw was after upgrading my weapons in the pause screen, like in the previous God of War games, when coming back to the main game, the game froze. And not just lagged, I mean completely froze. I waited for five or six minutes before finally having to restart my PS3 and it happened several times. Maybe that “soft-body collision” system stressed the PS3 more than expected.

Aside from that glitch, the game is flawless. The graphics are absolutely stunning and take full advantage of the PS3’s capabilities by flooding the game with as much detailed blood and guts as possible. The carnage you can wreak on your enemies, from using weaker drones as battering rams against other foes and disemboweling some of the larger enemies, to ripping out a Cyclops’ eye like in God of War II, is all awesomely gruesome and detailed in ways you never imagined.

And the peripherals are phenomenal all around when you hear the tremendous audio. The original orchestrations that convey Kratos’ inner turmoil and the tension between Kratos and his godly foes are unbelievable at how well they set the mood. The SFX are spectacular from the clang of Kratos’ blades against concrete to a duller sound as they tear through rotted flesh. The greatest part of the sound though was the voiceovers. A star-studded cast came in to lend their voices to help flesh out some of the most famous faces in Greek Mythology. I won’t spoil who they play, but Rip Torn, Malcolm McDowell, and Kevin Sorbo (you can probably guess who he plays) all lend their voices to the returning cast of the first two God of War games including TC Carson as our infamous Ghost of Sparta, Kratos.

For the most part, everything about the game is top of the line, but it does lack in one area. Once you beat the story mode, I feel that there just isn’t a lot to bring you back for more. The story is so engrossing and takes so much out of you, that I don’t see a lot of people going for a second playthrough once you unlock “very hard” mode unless you are a trophy hog. The challenges might bring you back for a couple more hours, but they lack the depth to keep God of War III in your system once you complete this great gaming epic and so replay value is the only real sore point I see in God of War III.

Even without a lot to bring you back, if you are a fan of amazing storytelling, solid gameplay, and gorgeous peripherals, then you would have to be insane to not pickup God of War III. I would recommend, however, that you play the first two God of War games before popping in this installment.

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

Graphics: 10.0: Blood, guts, and seamless textures makes this possibly the best-looking game I’ve ever seen. You literally need to see it to believe it.

Audio: 10.0: A tremendous, completely original, mood-setting score combined with spot-on SFX would automatically give this great marks, but when you take into account the amazing voiceovers (something that is all too often taken for granted nowadays) from an all-star cast and this game is a treat for your ears.

Plot/Plot Development: 10.0: A perfect conclusion to the trilogy, God of War III is a quintessential Greek tragedy and would make Homer jealous that he hadn’t thought of it himself.

Gameplay: 8.5: The “soft-body collision” system is revolutionary in how seamlessly in changes your perspective in the middle of fighting hordes of enemies without an ounce of lag. Unfortunately, this might put a constant strain on the system because several times when I tried to return to action after upgrading my powers, the game would completely freeze and it happened far too often. This major glitch is the only thing that keeps this from getting a perfect score.

Replay Value: 6.5: Only a barely passing score for the replay value because God of War III offers you a couple of incentives to bring you back, but not enough to make it a necessity. Several challenges out of the main game and an unlockable “Very hard” mode are nice, but not really enough to make my mouth water at the thought of playing this game again.

Overall (not an average): 9.5: Amazing peripherals, compelling characters in this tremendous finale to one of the most epic trilogies in gaming history, and revolutionary gameplay makes the wait for God of War III well worth it. If you thought the jump in quality between God of War I and God of War II was unbelievable, you’re head just might explode with the jump between God of War II and God of War III.

God of War III will be available for PS3 on March 16th, 2010.

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

Comedy Gone Ugly

Filed under: Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: March 9, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

The efforts of Comedy Central to bridge the gap between South Park and Daily Show on Wednesday nights have been well documented in my column. Starting with Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, and continuing on to Michael and Michael Have Issues, and Secret Girlfriend. I have previewed all of these shows before they came out and predicted that they were never destined for a long life (although I did think Michael and Michael Have Issues would have lasted a little longer than it did) due to repetitive potty humor and a lack of comical subtlety that people are starving for in today’s overpowering shock value comedy landscape. I think Comedy Central’s latest effort though might finally bridge this seemingly impossible to fill 10:30PM gap.

Ugly Americans, which premieres March 17th at 10:30 PM after the start of the brand new season of South Park, sees a young, optimistic social worker in Mark Lilly hitting the hard streets of New York City in an effort to help new citizens acclimate to the greatest city in the world. But there’s one major catch to this seemingly straightforward concept. Mark doesn’t live in our reality. He lives in an alternate universe New York City where monsters, demons, and people coexist in a hysterically twisted vision of the Big Apple. From regular folks from Croatia to zombies and chicken-men, Mark must analyze each one on a case-by-case basis and try to help them acclimate as quickly as possible before they get deported by his rival, Officer Frank Grimes, who is trying to meet his deportation quota. As if his job wasn’t difficult enough, he must also balance an affair with his she-devil boss Callie (literally, she is a she-devil, with a tail, and horns, and…you get the picture) and deal with the antics of his zombie (again: an actual zombie) roommate, Randall.

Ugly Americans is a refreshing change to what Comedy Central had been pitching into the 10:30PM abyss on Wednesday nights and I think it will be able to find an audience and hold its own. Ugly Americans has its fair share of shock value and potty humor, but it also has enough subtle undertones and room for character development that people can really get behind Mark and his hopeless quest to help the people of his demonic New York. From traversing into Hell to meet Callie’s dad (assumingly accessible via Hell’s Kitchen), to helping Randall buy new body parts as they rot off, the sky is the limit for the possible situations and different twists on classic situations that Mark can find himself in.

The only knock against it is that the animation is average at best, but Ugly Americans is so funny that only the most critical eye (like my own) will pick a little at the animation style. The voice acting and comedic timing is top notch and as long as the writing can keep up to the high bar that is set with the first episode, I can see Ugly Americans serving as the perfect transition from South Park into the Daily Show.

To help prove my point, Comedy Central has also come out with, by far, their greatest flash game yet to coincide with the launch of Ugly Americans. This standard point and click problem solving game is a great way to kill time at work (not that I would know, of course) and get a quick glimpse at some of the characters Mark will have to interact with in every episode.

CLICK HERE to check out the Ugly Americans flash game and get an idea of what it is all about before its March 17th premiere.

So, aside from the usual pints of Guinness and/or green beer you have to look forward to on St. Patrick’s Day, remember: starting at 10:30 PM, you can look forward to the premiere of the next great Comedy Central original show, Ugly Americans, immediately following the premiere of the new season of South Park.

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

Winning Time

Filed under: Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: March 5, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

When I was growing up and first getting into sports in the early 90’s, I remember clearly how my favorite teams were developing. The Yankees were slowly starting to come out of the funk they were in for the better part of the 80’s and the strike-shortened season was heartbreaking for the biggest Donnie Baseball fan under the age of 10. The Rangers were winning the Stanley Cup and I couldn’t understand just how significant it was at the time. Though, I still jumped up and down though knowing that it was the first championship I would truly remember for the rest of my life and it was exhilarating. The Giants were coming undone as their stars from the 80’s were aged fast, Bill Parcells was on his way out, and Dan Reeves would help usher in three of the worst years I ever had to see as a Giants fan. And finally, the Knicks had gotten what they had always needed with Michael Jordan retiring early and giving the rest of the NBA a chance to win a championship. The Knicks would run all the way to the Finals in 1994 before falling short against the Rockets. Of course, along that run, a young upstart named Reggie Miller would make his presence felt, an omen of things to come in 1995.

That story is what Dan Klores has decided to tell in the upcoming March 14th installment of ESPN’s 30 in 30 series. Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks is the story of how a second rivalry for the Knicks (in addition to the Knicks vs. Bulls rivalry) began to develop in the mid-90s and how one of the most dynamic characters of the NBA would lead the charge in the classic “David” (Miller’s Pacers) vs. “Goliath” (Ewing, Starks, and the rest of the Knicks) storyline that was the 1995 playoff series between New York and Indiana.

Of course, knowing how this story ended was already putting me in a sour mood, but I went in with an open mind and wanted to see Reggie’s viewpoint on the story. I have to admit, I was entertained. The way Klores builds the story up with the interviews of Reggie and his family to put Reggie in a better light while balancing that with the biggest Knicks fan in the world, Spike Lee, and several of the key Knicks who played in that 1995 series was nicely done.

There were several problems I had with the piece beyond the subject matter. The story moved at a frantic pace. Being only 68 minutes long, Klores fits in everything from the 1985 draft of Patrick Ewing, the entire high school, college, and then pro career of Reggie Miller up to that point, and the entire 1994 and 1995 seasons were run down leading up to that playoff series between the Knicks and Pacers. If Klores was going to try to fit so much content into the piece, he should have asked ESPN for more time, or cram in less of Reggie’s personal stories like his rivalry with his sister. Of course, my advanced screening was also without commercial interruption, which may help with the pacing of the story once aired on the network since this was made for TV.

This was a well-done documentary with interesting interviews that gave a completely different perspective on those two Knicks seasons. It could have done with better pacing and less fluff if they were going to try to fit everything they fit into only 68 minutes, but it will make a fine “made for TV” movie and continues the strong trend for ESPN’s 30 in 30 series. Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks airs on Sunday, March 14th at 9 PM on ESPN.

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks gets a 3.5 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

From My Mom’s Basement – Ep 12 – Monkeys Love Guns

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

Originally Published: March 2, 2010, on Lundberg.me, SportsRev.TV, and NationalLampoon.com

This week no video games came across the radar so I instead did a double comic book review and looked at Deadpool #20 and X-Force #24 from Marvel. Also, this week’s hot chick pick of the week: Jenn Sterger.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Opposite Day!

Filed under: Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: March 2, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

The folks at DC Animation are constantly thinking up new ways to put some twists on classic comic book storylines and their latest undertaking is a new look at the classic alternative universe, or “multi-verse”, storylines that have been a staple of the DC Universe (DCU) since the 1960s.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths sees the Justice League visited by an alternative universe Lex Luthor where everything is opposite to our beloved Justice League’s universe. So, Lex Luthor and the Joker (called The Jester) are heroes and Superman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League all has villainous mobster-type counterparts (Ultraman to Superman, Owlman to Batman, etc.). It is now tasked to our Justice League to rise to the challenge of adapting to this new world and to take down this nefarious group of super villains (called the Crime Syndicate) for the sake of the entire multi-verse!

If you’re a DCU fan and you are expecting to see a single comic story arc represented in this latest straight to DVD movie, then you will be sorely mistaken. A die-hard DCU fan will immediately recognize that this is more of a compilation of elements from all of the multi-verse stories of the 1960s all the way through to the first DCU Crisis. From adding a few original elements and using the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3 storylines, to the idea of a multi-verse and its possible destruction, this DVD was able to tie together all those concepts very well to create a never-before-seen, enjoyable storyline involving all of our favorite superheroes. Of course, it didn’t take a lot of reworking from the brain trust at DC Animation since most of these pieces were already in place almost a decade ago when this was originally supposed to be a bridge between the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons, but I still liked it.

Although the movie is just 75 minutes, there are also plenty of DVD features on the special edition to make this a worthwhile purchase instead of a simple rental. The special features include a short documentary feature on the advent of the multi-verse in the DCU and how they inspire storylines even today, which was brilliantly done and features the usual powerhouses behind the scenes of DC. Along with this, you get a preview of the next big DC Animation project (Under the Red Hood), a special animated short featuring the original Spectre done in the style of a 1970s crime drama, and two episodes of the Justice League cartoon from the early 2000s that, of course, features an alternative universe Justice League. Right there you have probably another 75 minutes of bonus content, not to mention it comes with an Owlman figurine if you get the 2-disc special edition.

Even with all these great features and an original plot, there were a couple of drawbacks. I thought the animation style was a little sub par to what I’ve come to expect from DC Animation. There was just something that rubbed me the wrong way and it had to do with the characters’ faces. They almost looked a little too unrealistic, like they belonged more in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Along with this, the voice acting was only average. I was severely disappointed with William Baldwin’s portrayal of Batman and Mark Harmon as Superman and Chris Noth as Lex Luthor really ground my gears as well. I did love James Woods as Owlman, though, and Nolan North, a voice acting veteran best known for several of his video game roles, played Green Lantern and his evil counterpart, Power Ring, very nicely.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths could be a nice addition to any DC fan’s DVD collection with some great special features and a good plot based on some classic storylines, but I wouldn’t put it above Batman/Superman: Public Enemies or the Wonder Woman animated feature that came out last year.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths gets 3 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

A Shock to the System

Filed under: Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: February 25, 2010, on Examiner.com and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

I had stated in several articles that my anticipation for Bioshock 2 would bring me to tears and hysterics in the halls of 1050 when it finally hit store shelves. Unfortunately, when a game is surrounded by so much hype, there is always the possibility that the high you think you will have ends up falling short. That disappointment is part of the reason why I’m only getting to this article now. It’s not to say that Bioshock 2 is a bad game. It just wasn’t what I was expecting on my return to Rapture.

Bioshock 2 sees a brand new protagonist familiar to the confines of the intended utopia beneath the sea. Simply known as “Subject: Delta”, you play as an early prototype of the famed Big Daddies from the first Bioshock who is “killed” in the final days leading up to Rapture’s fall. Your carcass is left to rot in the middle of the streets of Rapture where you remain undisturbed for 10 years. Somehow, someway, you are brought back to life and are now forced to wander around Rapture searching not only for your lost memories, but also for the original Little Sister you were sworn to protect.

The first thing you will notice is that the graphics are still just as sharp as they were in the first Bioshock. There are moments where you will jump at your own shadow, literally, as the lighting effects cast eerie outlines of your own form against walls and floors. It sometimes takes you a second to remember, that Big Daddy shadow, a figure ingrained into your memory as an enemy, is actually your own, which only adds to the creepy atmosphere of the dilapidated Rapture.

In terms of sound, something the first Bioshock was lauded for, Bioshock 2 is just as strong. Heart pounding atmospheric instrumentals mixed in with classic 40s and 50s tunes provides a dichotomy that shocks your system more than any plasmid you may find in the game. Rounding out the great peripherals is the tremendous voice acting throughout. Whether a meaningless thug splicer’s grunts of rage and desperation to the pleas of your original Little Sister all grown up, the voice acting is some of the best in gaming.

The plot is brilliant, but there is one question that plagued me through the entire game. If in the original Bioshock, Rapture was falling apart as was and this game takes place about eight years after those original events, how has most of the structure remained standing and that there are still humans around, whose fate you decide, who haven’t succumbed completely to the temptations of Adam (the substance that grants you the ability to splice your DNA and give you powers)? I felt this little hole wasn’t explained as fully as it could have been and will just have to be chalked up to some of the mysteries and wonder of Rapture will just have to remain unsolved.

As you move away from the creative aspects of the game, you start to see the cracks in the proverbial Big Daddy’s armor. The gameplay is very good, but even on the hardest difficulty, which wasn’t that hard because of no real penalties if you die, I blew through the entire game in what felt like no time at all. Then consider that the game removed the ability to backtrack into previous areas you’ve explored as you move through Rapture. This sense of exploration and being able to go back to collect audio files or collect Little Sisters you may have missed was a critical part of the original Bioshock‘s gameplay. Rapture felt a lot smaller and more restrictive this time around, even with being able to go into the ocean for short intervals, than in the first game, and I refuse to believe it was a creative decision to draw a parallel to you being trapped in the Big Daddy suit. You also have to remember to quick save a lot more often because the game froze at several key moments and needed to be rebooted. That is a huge glitch.

There were some new positives to the gameplay though. Using Little Sisters to harvest Adam from all the corpses around Rapture was this game’s masterstroke and using new weapons like the Trap Rivet and the Mini-Turret to help protect them forced you to come up with new and inventive strategies continuously if you wanted to get the game’s best ending (there are six in total depending on the decisions you make over the course of your adventure).

And you needed to think up new strategies constantly because the enemy A.I. is impressive. You light an enemy on fire and they will seek out water. You hack a camera or turret and they will avoid it as best they can once they find it. And add in new varieties of enemies like the hybrid Big Sisters and the plasmid overloaded Brute Splicers and at least you can say there was an effort to amp up the difficulty.

One of the reasons why the gameplay was lacking could have been that the inclusion of the new multiplayer mode simply took up too much space on the disc. The only real knock on the original Bioshock was a lack of multiplayer, so 2K made it a point to include one with Bioshock 2. Unfortunately, I would just rather have had more of the single-player mode if this was the best multiplayer 2K could have come up with. Being able to have up to 10 player death matches, team death matches, capture-the-flag with Little Sisters, and territorial control matches, you have a very basic multiplayer system. The problem is that players cannot take a lot of damage before they die so many matches, although competitive, really don’t require a lot of strategy as it is simply more a race to see who can light who on fire first and hack the handful of turrets scattered about each level.

Bioshock 2, although it didn’t move me to tears like I had anticipated, is a very solid game. It does a wonderful job for the most part of adding to the history of Rapture and its collapse as it develops new characters while adding shades of depth to characters long gone from Rapture. The multiplayer seemed thrown together and more of a move to pacify critics of the first game than anything else, and I would rather have seen the space used for the multiplayer used to be able to backtrack in a larger single player mode. Even with a couple of knocks on the gameplay and multiplayer, Bioshock 2 would be a solid choice for a purchase, especially if you are as big of a fan of the first game as I was.

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

Graphics: 10.0: The graphics push the Xbox 360 to its limits with shadow and lighting effects that you just do not see in enough games. The details of the deformed remaining inhabitants of Rapture are shockingly clear and the overall theme of this sunken paradise is as sharp as can be and is enough to earn a perfect score for looks.

Audio: 10.0: Voice acting is such an underrated part of games sometimes, but great voice acting helps to keep you within the immersive experience that many games strive for and Bioshock 2 succeeds on every level. Add in great SFX like the pitter-patter of a leak on your iron helmet and critical atmosphere-setting instrumentals mixed with classic songs from the post-war period and I predict Bioshock 2 as my front-runner for best sounding game of the year, no matter what else will come out in the next 10 months.

Plot/Plot Development: 9.0: Bioshock 2‘s plot is a worthy addition to the mythos that was established in the first game. Aside from a couple of plot holes that I’m still not quite sure about, Bioshock 2 helps to develop some of your favorite characters from the first game as well as introduce some great new characters.

Gameplay: 6.5: The enemy A.I. is spectacular in its complexity and how it reacts to your moves. Unfortunately, not being able to backtrack into previous explored areas, not being penalized for dying, not being nearly as long as the first game, and the freezing that takes place about once per level, really knocks this score down to a barely passing level.

Replay Value: 5.0: One playthrough of the story mode is really all you need, especially if you get the best ending the first time through (like yours truly). The inclusion of a multiplayer bumps it up a couple of points, but not many because the multiplayer seemed thrown together and clearly takes up too much space on the disk. I was very disappointed with this attempt at fixing the first Bioshock’s most obvious flaw.

Overall (not an average): 8.5: Even with the gameplay flaws and real lack of replay value, this is still a very solid game. The story is compelling and this is one of the most visually stunning games to come out in some time. I hope that the folks at 2K take a look at this game very closely and fix these new problems they’ve created in time for Bioshock 3.

Bioshock 2 is out now for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

The Ultimate Quest for Redemption

Filed under: Audio — Leave a comment

Originally Published: February 17, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy is one of the most influential works of literature the world has known. It depicted the concept of hell, purgatory, and heaven in such detail that it became a widely believed standard that is still referenced to this day. It also was the first major work of literature that used the Tuscan dialect in early 14th century Italy instead of Latin and paved the way for the modern Italian language. With that kind of historical gravitas and background, no wonder EA wanted to make a video game series out of it. I had a chance to talk to Phil Marineau, EA’s Senior Product Manger for Dante’s Inferno, about the game’s adaptation process and more.

To listen to my interview with Phil Marineau,
CLICK HERE!

Dante’s Inferno, the first part of The Divine Comedy, sees the main character, Dante, having to face all his sins from his life as a Crusader as he makes his way through all nine layers of hell on his way to redemption. In the EA version, Dante is not only looking to redeem himself, but to save his true love and ideal woman, Beatrice (it always has to do with a chick).

Along the way, Dante comes across some of history’s most influential beings, from Pontius Pilate to Attila the Hun, in an effort to help depict the nine layers of hell and sin. Limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery all have their famous faces and in the game, absolving or punishing history’s most infamous sinners can also help you level up your abilities.

Unfortunately, like many of these third-person, action-adventure God of War clones, no matter how much you level up, you really only need two or three attacks while the rest are pretty useless. You can standard light attack and heavy attack your way through all nine levels of hell (just like I did) without having to level anything up except, maybe your health bar.

Another sour note about this game is that, at least right now, there isn’t much to bring you back into the game once you beat it. Although there is DLC on the way in March with a prequel level, and then a level-building multiplayer in April, as of right now, there isn’t much to make you want to go back to Hell once you’ve been through it.

I will say though, EA’s interpretation of Dante’s classic work is one of the most visually stunning games I’ve seen in a while. The level and character details are exquisite and the creative way in which they imagined classic characters like Cerberus, the mythical giant three-headed dog and guard of gluttony, is a sight to behold. When you add in an original orchestral theme from the Philharmonic Orchestra in London and the peripherals for Dante’s Inferno are top notch.

The plot is very compelling (the story is still popular after 700 years) and the characters are well developed, helped by top-notch voice acting and an amazing mixture of 2D anime and full 3D cut scenes. Add in EA having Dante sew a tapestry across his chest in the shape of a cross that tells his story up to the point where he enters hell as a creative masterstroke and you have probably the best interpretation of Dante’s Inferno yet.

This is one of literature’s most classic stories and EA did a spectacular job bringing it to life. Unfortunately, in terms of gameplay and difficulty, this game is lacking and shouldn’t take most gamers more than 10 hours to blow through. Dante’s Inferno is worth a look, but I would hold off on buying it outright if I didn’t have the cash to burn.

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

Graphics: 10.0: Graphics don’t get much better than this. From details like the eternally damned trying to reach up from the rivers of blood they are forever fated to drown in to the design of Dante himself, this game is visually stunning. Add in beautifully rendered 2D and 3D cut scenes and I can’t find any fault in the graphics.

Audio: 10.0: An original score composed and played by the Philharmonic Orchestra in the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in London, tremendous voice acting, and spot-on SFX make the audio something EA should be proud of.

Plot/Plot Development: 10.0: The story is a classic for a reason and EA did a brilliant job staying as true to the original story as possible. The handful of changes and additions they made were insightful and only added to this timeless tale of redemption.

Gameplay: 6.0: The game is simple. An average gamer will blow through the entire story mode in 10 hours and will do it without a more complex combo than hitting light or heavy attack three times in a row. Although relatively glitchless, the game doesn’t put up a challenge.

Replay Value: 5.0: This category is saved a little by the fact that a DLC multiplayer will be coming out in April, but the fact that the original game or even the “Divine” edition doesn’t come with a code for this multiplayer means you’re going to have to shell out more cash just to play more of this game. It seems like a blatant attempt for EA just to milk you for more cash when the original game itself is barely worth the cover price.

Overall (not an average): 7.0: A compelling story with complex characters makes this at least worth a look, but simple gameplay and little to no replay value really knocks this clear God of War clone. An even mix of quality and quantity needs to be found before a game is worth having $60 shelled out for it. Rent it before you decide on buying it.

Dante’s Inferno is available now for Xbox 360 and PS3.


-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

The Devil is in The Details

Filed under: Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: February 15, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

In today’s fickle and over-stimulated world, it is hard sometimes to remember that literature was the preferred emotion evoking pastime for hundreds of years and that the Blu-ray movies we watch and video games we play all have to begin with a story, whether an original one like the one I am about to discuss or something inspired by a classical work. It is for these reasons I rarely review just a novel, so you know that this must be a book of the highest entertainment value. At least that’s how it was pitched to me.

Joe Hill, a relative newcomer to the suspense scene (you may know his dad, a guy by the name of Stephen King), is about to release his second novel called Horns on February 16, 2010, and was kind enough to send me an advanced copy to see if it could hold my video-game-addicted attention span.

Horns revolves around a young man from New Hampshire named Ignatius Perrish. Our sad and sorry protagonist has had a horrible streak of luck over the past year or so as he’s seen himself all but exiled from his community as he was accused of the murder of his lovely girlfriend, Merrin. Although cleared on all counts of the heinous act, Ignatius (Ig for short) has seen his life spiral out of control as the depression that consumes him over the loss of his one true love has left him a shell of his former self. That is until he wakes up one morning after drinking all night to find that he has two, small, black protuberances coming from his temples. After some haunting trial and error, Ig finds that he now has the ability to make people tell him their deepest, darkest secrets, have their entire lives of sin revealed to him with the slightest touch, and can bend their wills to his sinful suggestions.

Once Ig embraces his newfound abilities, he pledges to find out what really happened to Merrin on the night she was murdered and so begins a conquest for revenge that will put Ig through an emotional roller coaster the likes of which would break most men. Then again, you can’t really call Ig just a man now can you? When it comes to revenge, the devil is in the details…

I have to admit, like Ig is possessed by some awesome power in Horns, I was possessed to not put this book down. The book is about 360 pages, broken down into 50 short chapters, and by the time I was through the first five or six chapters, I couldn’t stop reading. I needed to find out more about what Ig would do with his powers and how they would evolve. The way Joe Hill describes the experiences Ig has when he reads people’s histories through touch is incredible, as if he was painting a vivid picture that cuts right to the core of human nature.

Also, the description of his main characters made me feel as if these were people from my own community, people who I could’ve grown up with. I felt like a silent witness within the tight-knit circle of characters with which all the action takes place in. I felt my heart strings tugged on with Ig’s unwavering devotion towards Merrin, even in her death, and felt an unquenchable rage boiling within my own gut at the betrayal and conspiracy against Ig that he must overcome.

There were a couple of drawbacks to this experience though. Joe Hill took 40% of the book just giving the back story on the characters to develop that connection between me, the reader, and his characters, mixing up action in present time with drawn out flashbacks over every 10 chapters. I felt that Hill could have condensed many of these flashback chapters and still gotten his point across and it would have given me a more pleasurable read.

These fodder chapters reminded me a little bit of his dad’s writing in how Hill became a little too detail oriented. Instead of letting the natural narratives of the story continue, the obsession on the details would shock you back out of the world Hill was trying to create and hurt the overall experience by creating lulls in the otherwise frantic action.

Of course, this could just be a suspense building tactic since Hill’s first 10 chapters are so brilliant that he more than likely will have you hooked for the rest of the ride (like myself) when you hit the first flashback in Chapter 11. Along with this, the ending seemed a little too anti-climatic. I won’t go into it any further because I refuse to give away any of the devilish details, but considering how much back story I was given, when I was finished with Horns, I felt like I needed something more.

However, I was happy to have read Horns and look forward to Hill’s next work. There were some very memorable passages in this original story that drew emotion from me and they easily overshadowed the lulls that popped up during the flashbacks. I would recommend Horns to anyone looking to read a very detail driven suspense story or maybe to kill some time on a cross-country trip. Horns hits bookstores February 16, 2010.

Horns by Joe Hill gets a 3.5 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment