(I think I'm just going to use pics of Yvonne Strahovski whenever there's a Mass Effect 2 piece from here on in, if you don't mind. Hey, she's in the game -- it's topical!)
A video game I’m really anticipating A new Mass Effect 2 video for y'all. This time it's for the Sentinel class. Cool looking, eh? I usually just play a grunt in ME, but I might try one of these suckers in one of my (many) playthroughs of the new game.
Transformers
Could this be the Transformers video game that everyone has been waiting for? Yeah, trailers are usually bullshit, but this looks pretty promising.
Beatles
I just got Beatles Rock Band a few days ago and already it's one of my favorite things. Putting Rubber Soul out as DLC is only going to make that feeling stronger.
And finally… In gaming circles, the upcoming release of Final Fantasy XIII is what you would call "a big deal." For me, meh, not so much. Japanese role playing games are too awkward and annoying to turn me on, usually, what with all the emo-looking boy-men and their brooding and the mewling girl-women with their squealing and upskirts (well, maybe not the upskirts) but I'll definitely give it a try. Especially given the mouth-watering visuals it's promising. Look:
Mass Effect 2 Yup. Another one. Another Mass Effect 2 post. Suck it. This time we've got some voice cast news and, well, there are a buttload of people. From Martin Sheen to Tricia Helfer and everything in between including Worf, Jayne and Trinity. Watch this video.
David Lynch Director David Lynch talks about meeting George Lucas to discuss making Return of the Jedi and the subsequent wookie-related headache that ensued.
Tron Legacy
The first image and poster for the long-time-coming sequel are here. Enjoy, Programs!
Clash of the Titans
As we've talked about, no good can come of the Clash of the Titans remake. Hyperbolic-yet-derivative posters however...
And finally…
Speaking of posters and titans clashing, what happens when you get your Clash of the Titans poster all up in my Sex and the City 2 poster? Genius that can only improve both films.
Spider-Man rumor
There's a big Spider-Man 4 rumor floating around out there today. Or should I say flapping around out there? Hmm. Heh. Yes. Anyway, yeah, there are reports that John Malkovich and Anne Hathaway are possibly coming onboard the next film as the Vulture and, uh, the Vulture's daughter called, ugh, the Vulturess. I don't know, maybe it could work? But wait! There's more! Hathaway's character is actually Felicia Hardy, the woman who is also the Black Cat. I'm sure comic book fans won't have a problem with that. Not at all. No way. Malkovich as Vulture is something I can sign off on but Hathaway? Meh. Not so sure. I've never been a fan. Well, I've been a fan of her secret big boobs but she's a tad overrated and would likely overdo it, I'm thinking. But still:
Worst statues
It's the holiday season and you've no doubt got gifts on your mind. Maybe you need to buy some kind of comics and/or anime-related collectible statue for that comics and/or anime-related collectible statue collector on your list? Here's some help: do NOT buy any of these!
BioShock 2
I've still got a bad feeling about the BioShock sequel. The first game is a tough act to follow, no doubt, but this just seems like it won't be anywhere close. That said, good or not, it's going to look damn awesome as these two videos show.
Hobbit
Strap yourself in for a sweet roller coaster ride of thrilling Hobbit casting news rumors and confirmations over the next little while, my friends. Here's the first batch!
Todd Margaret Did you know there's a show featuring the comedic shenanigans-slash-stylings of David Cross, Will Arnett and Spike Jonze? Unless you live in the UK, you probably didn't but there is. It's called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret and it's pretty damn funny, you can be sure of that. Will it ever see the light of day on this side of the pond? This article speculates on that very subject. Bonus: There's a clip.
TV moments
Another end of decade list, this time taking a look at 14 HUGE moments in television in the last ten years. Hard to argue with a lot of 'em.
Buwahahaha! This is just sad. At best, maybe all the fact checkers out there getting let go can use it to persuade a rethink about the layoffs?
And finally…
Long ago, I swore an angry blood oath witnessed by naked Wiccan priestesses under moonlight and the unholy eyes of their ancient and terrible god that as soon as I began resorting to funny animal stories, I would hang up my blog shoes for good. But really, how could I resist this? Why won't they let that dog have a job? Huh? Why? He looks so awesome and proud in his work shirt. Plus, he's probably more motivated, happy and clean than most people with jobs (myself included) out there. Damn this fucking world. Wasn't the whole point of progress-slash-North America that we would eventually leave working to our unknowingly enslaved animal workforce? What the fuck am I paying taxes for????
Clash of the Titans We didn't ask for a remake of Clash of the Titans and, shoot, we certainly didn't need it but it's here, people. It's here and it's angry, it's yelling and -- worst of all -- it will stick you with its giant scorpion tail to the sound of Hungarian metal. Watch the trailer here.
Superheroes
In Dubai anything is possible. If on some crazy and wonderful whim someone in Dubai wanted an island shaped like Donkey Kong made out of angel food cake and to have Megan Fox and Britney Spears wrestle in strawberry sauce on its candy-covered beach to the song stylings of the original line-up of CCR on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and twice on Sundays, they could probably make that happen somehow. So when you hear that they want to have a Marvel Superheroes amusement park with lifelike New York City streets and various forms of Marvel mayhem going on, you gotta believe it'll happen.
Mirror’s Edge Mirror's Edge is kinda like the Dollhouse of video games. Thanks to heavy buzz, it was expected to revolutionize everything we knew about our favourite artform but instead everyone was meh on it and played something else -- in this case, Left 4 Dead -- instead. Then, seeing it soundly thrashed by critics, a few hipsters held it up as a work of misunderstood genius that they, of course, got. Well, I played Mirror's Edge and I'll tell you: it really was meh. The idea of it may be nice and shiny, but the idea of a monkey commando driving an atomic-powered war-dozer is nice and shiny too and you don't see a ton of those rolling around, do you? Still, I think EA should take another shot at the universe they created and it looks like they may do just that.
Bridges on Iron Man
Jeff Bridges has revealed that there wasn't a script for Iron Man, they just improvised the whole damn thing. Somehow that makes it better. In other "Shellhead" news, here's another poster for Iron Man 2. I gotta say, it doesn't look much different than most of the posters for the first movie.
Metro 2033 Gamespot has a preview of the Russian-set post-apocalyptic shooter. A few things: a) the game has some interesting gameplay features including missions limited by the amount of time your gas mask is useful and having to charge up your flashlight, b) they hosted the event in an actual Moscow metro station! and c) the reporter's name is Guy Cocker, LOL!
And finally…
You hear a lot about how Minnesota Vikings' QB Brett Favre is awesome and whatnot, but now you actually get to hear it. LISTEN!
Yes! I am someone who enjoys drinking. Perhaps to excess, but I enjoy it nonetheless. There will be no judgments. And it is no secret I enjoy a playthrough of a video game from time to time. They pass the hours quite nicely. Now, I would be lying if I said that I've never combined the two. Seems natural right? I remember one particular (and painful) session of the shit-tastic Too Human that turned into an inadvertent drinking game. I promised myself I would go to bed at the end of one of its (seemingly interminable) levels but found myself slogging and slogging away with no end in sight -- while also drinking. And drinking. Things ended badly for me, more or less, but the level never did. But hey, that's basically the same experience anyone who played that game had -- and at least I was drunk. Well, finally someone has set down some rules (which, clearly, I didn't follow) on how to drink and play video games. And I thank you, good sir.
Cool! These pics of actors in plain clothes (sort of) recreating famous roles are really, really neat. No, seriously, you find a better adjective.
Iron Man/War Machine
It's a new poster for Iron Man 2. It's got Iron Man and it's got War Machine. Together. Pow. Good times.
Mass Effect 2
With the awesome Dragon Age: Origins out there in the world, getting bought, getting played, getting taken out to dinner, whispered to sweetly and loved tenderly by the fire, BioWare can now concentrate full time on Mass Effect 2, as well as the added side effect of making me jizz in my pants every five seconds. To whit: here is another character reveal for the game, out January 26, also known as the beginning of my vacation.
Kant + Comics = Awesome, understandable
Hey, who doesn't enjoy the philosophical stylings of German philosopher Immanuel Kant? But dayum is his writing foul. One possible work-around? Explain his wrtitings using comic books.
Are you kidding me? Here's an article from Slate. The premise: DVD box sets of TV shows are a terrible gift. Why, you no doubt are wondering? Apparently you're forcing the recipient to slog through a whole bunch of television.Yep. The article says: "Boxed sets have transformed television from light entertainment into homework." No, really, that's what it says. Uh, what? Oh, did my gift of something I consider so culturally and (more important) personally essential that I wanted to share it with you force you to sit and do nothing but enjoy art/entertainment and possibly be emotionally engaged in something other than your Facebook page? Did it? Wow. I'm really, REALLY sorry for that. Ugh. Fuck you, Slate. Enjoy manufacturing cultural criticism no one asked for and living up your own ass. I guess I can go and give the box set of season two of Supernatural I got you to someone who will actually appreciate it. (Yes, I mean my mom.)
Assassin’s Creed II DLC
If you felt that there wasn't enough assassinating people in Renaissance Italy using various methods (and, really, how could there be?) in Assassin's Creed II, you're in luck. Our friends at Ubisoft are releasing not one but two content packs early in the New Year. As they say in Italy: Dolce! (They don't say that...)
Red Dead Redemption
I must admit, this game held no interest for me until this trailer. How cool does this thing look, though?
And finally… This video has a number of things that shouldn't be put together (like, ever) but always seem to be for whatever reason. Japan. Robots. Dancing. J-Pop. Scary robot faces.
More JSA Here are some more shots of the various DC heroes that will be appearing on Smallville in a big ole two-hour movie. You've got Hawkman and Green Arrow having a heart-to-heart talk and also Dr. Fate and Stargirl -- who kinda looks like she was dragged along to this whole thing and isn't so happy about it.
The Mighty Thor
There's been a lot of casting news and hubub around the Thor movie lately but I'm still having some trouble getting into the idea. I mean, Thor is even a tough sell sometimes in comics when you get right down to it. Especially when he kicks it with other heroes. Like, him and Spidey hanging out? That's weird, man. Amiright? Anyway, Marvel big dog Joe Quesada is saying that Thor will redefine superhero films. Yay?
And finally… This is pretty damn funny AND makes me hungry all at once. Wonder Woman, not the secret pizza, of course. (** record scratch! **)
Awesome
If this e-mail exchange is for reals it's gold. Hey, even if it isn't, it's still damn funny.
COD: MW2 DLC = $$$
Have you played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 yet? I haven't picked it up yet but I think that may be the next game I buy (since no one sent me a copy to review). So, yeah, no shooting up of the n00bs and whatnot. Not for a little bit, anyway. Activision should be okay until then since they sold a metric fuck-ton of them already. With that said, they're looking to launch some downloadable content in the spring that will probably sell faster than tickets to a Free Bags of Money and Blow Jobs convention.
Choice
I don't know if y'all read that reallllly long post I tossed off up here yesterday. Not the one about Power Girl's boobs but the one re: Dragon Age: Origins. In it, I talked a bit about choice in games -- moral or otherwise -- and how it's a cool and sort of evolving topic in the art of gaming. Well, here's a good article to have a look at if you're interested in pursuing the topic a little further.
And finally…
Is it wrong that: a) I find this brilliant and b) can't stop laughing at it? (Via Topless Robot)
Fight Club I like director David Fincher's work for the most part (understatement). Se7en is one of my faves. And so is Fight Club, which is now 10 years old. Crazy, huh? Here's a great essay on the film's, uh, greatness.
Comic Books
The AV Club has their best comic books of the '00s. I gotta say, no Fables or Walking Dead seems weird to me -- am I wrong, more serious comic book graphic novel readers out there? Pretty hipster choices in there, as with their best games piece, too. Sure, BioShock and Portal are great games but please don't lecture me while you're picking them, thank you. Also, Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead = best games of 2008; do not = best games of '00s.
Ubiquitous Mass Effect 2 entry
Lots of news on this front. First, there are TWO awesome vids. The first teases the return of Tali, one of the beloved characters from the first game. If you played the original game, the video is guaranteed to make you go, "Ohhhh shit!" The second demonstrates an adept, one of the character classes from the new game. If you haven't played the original game, the video is guaranteed to make you go, "Ohhhh shit!" Moving along, there's also a story on how BioWare plans on churning out a shit-ton of DLC for Mass Effect 2. Sounds good to me considering the first game got one semi-decent DLC and one WTF? one.
Dexter
Do you like the voiceovers on Dexter? I know I do. Michael C. Hall, the dude that plays Dexter, likes 'em, too. He talks about his process for churning them out here. The best part: imagining him saying all this in his creepy/awesome Dexter voice.
Power Girl’s costume
If you look up at the top of this entry you'll see DC Comics' Power Girl. You'll also see a good portion of her boobs. Believe it or not, the pic I've chosen is tasteful among Power Girl pics. They get sort of ridiculous and even insulting sometimes. Well there's a reason, supposedly, and, short answer: it's about female empowerment. Not buying it? Neither is Comics Alliance. It's funny, I mean, I've always thought PG was sexy in that drawing-of-a-sexy-lady-in-a-comic-book kinda way, but it's pretty obvious they're leading with the boobs, no? Please stop with the patronizing explanation.
Tron You wanted a Tron video game? You got one! To me, a new video game makes more sense than a new movie, but there you go.
I’ve played about a day of Dragon Age: Origins (the game told me so) and a lot has happened in that time.
Keeping it spoiler free (because I really think you should play this game and discover what happens on your own) I’ve killed a bunch of stuff, talked (and grown) with my ever-expanding band of companions and continued slutting around the countryside of Ferelden with the hopes of stopping the major bummer of a full-on Darkspawn invasion known as a “Blight.”
It’s serious business, even with all the slutting around.
I’m sure you’re saying to yourself: “My friend, at a milestone such as this, it is time for some deep reflection upon your many long travels thus far.” (That totally sounds like you, BTW) And you’re right.
So: what have I learned so far?
Again, what with the non-spoilers thing, I can really only talk in broad strokes and generalizations – things you probably aren’t accustomed to reading anywhere at all on the Internet, so I apologize.
The main thing that starts to sink in as you play Dragon Age: Origins is dread. Deep, dark, deepening dread.
Where does it come from?
You would think it out of place in one of these epic fantasy tales of heroic deeds and elven maidens and whatnot, right? And, the thing is, for the most part, that’s what DAO is so far: a big ole ball of fantasy goodness.
My character is completely awesome. I don’t just mean that because he’s like Aragorn and the Knights of the Round Table combined -- with a little 1960s Mick Jagger thrown in for the ladies; I mean it in that I’m playing him to be an incredibly noble person, with bottomless honor and bravery and a willingness to back up all his friends no questions asked. Sure, I play it so that he basically can’t say no to rolling around with women – high born, wenches, elves alike – but he’s always honest about what’s going on. So basically, so far Dragon Age has been me and my friends going around on awesome adventures being awesome.
So why the dread?
Well, I think it seeps in there in a number of ways and on a number of levels, starting with the glorious and simple menu screen.
Let me set it up: We see two war-ravaged swords stabbed into the earth, abandoned – as storm clouds ominously churn above. The music is sad in the background. A drop of blood (almost mournfully) rolls off the guard of one of the blades. Unclear debris (bodies?) is strewn into the background. Is this the aftermath of an epic clash of armies that shakes the world? Is it one fought by a small brave band of companions, one that changes the world forever though none shall notice? Whatever has happened, it is over and it isn’t (entirely) good.
Here, watch and listen:
That’s the menu screen! What has happened here? There’s a reason they went with this one and not some sexy sorceress fire-balling a shit-ton of orcs hurlocks, right? Shoot, they could have even gone with the blood dragon Dragon Age motif (at the top of the entry) – that’s pretty sweet looking, right? But they didn’t. They went with this scene and it seems like it was for a reason.
Sure, at first, I was all like, “That’s pretty much standard fantasy code for the kickassery that is about to ensue – gimme!” But soon it felt like more. Soon, I felt the dread of impending doom and tragedy.
Maybe it was the clouds that started it. The clouds definitely can’t be a sign of anything good to come. Look at those! They’re all sepia and stormy and orange and roiling like a fire that’s going out.
Then the swords – chipped, abandoned, sad somehow. And bloody. (Keep an eye on the sword on the right for the blood drop…) It feels like they want to tell me their tale – to experience their tale – rather than just be plunder. How did they wind up here, forgotten? Who once wielded them? Was it/is it me? What happened?
Throw in the mournful tune, the plaintive lady singing – and then the build up to a pounding, ominous march that comes out of nowhere.
Dread, dudes. Dread.
And that’s just the menu screen.
Before I talk about anything grounded in the actual play of the game itself, I thought I’d draw your attention to a couple of side points related to the game that fill me with dread as well.
First off: BioWare describes the game as a “dark fantasy epic.” They don’t describe it as a “fun fantasy epic” or a “bitchin’ fantasy epic” or even an “epic fantasy saga” or anything like that. It’s their “dark fantasy epic” and they use the word “dark,” specifically.
Now, of course, they could mean that in a sort of, “it’s violent, there’s sex, people die but it ends on a heroic, happy note after it all” kinda way – but something tells me this isn’t the case.
That something is my second side point: Of all the possible (and probable) influences on the game (Tolkien, Jordan, Kay, etc.) the developers constantly reference George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series as the main one. That says a lot.
If you haven’t read these books, and you are a fan of fantasy, you should definitely pick them up. In a nutshell, it’s an unsentimental tale of a kingdom’s fall into anarchy through treachery and court intrigue – meanwhile an impending invasion by evil demon-like beings is coming from the north. That’s a simplification, of course but you get the idea. Main characters die on a regular basis and ugly things happen all over the place. More importantly: survival often depends on one’s ability to remain in moral gray areas, manipulating others to make bold moves and suffer the consequences while you reap the rewards. Notions of honour, heroism, glory (the usual fantasy fare) get characters schooled pretty quickly – if they don’t wind up dead in a ditch first.
This brings me to my next point about the dread.
Game narrative is evolving at an incredible rate currently. I’m not going to debate about what makes it up or how it’s created and blah blah – I’ll let the usual suspects do that. What I’m talking about in relation to Dragon Age is that I’m detecting a certain form of manipulation from the narrative that may lead to some very dark things in the tale.
BioWare tells some real bangers when it comes to stories. Yes, you get the usual epic plot arc RPGs require, but you also get character arcs that are just as epic. There are romances and friendships that hang in the balance of what you choose to do. And BioWare really, really has a knack for creating interesting characters. It makes the moral choices in the game (yes, I know the morality in games is artificial and all that but for the sake of this discussion – shut it) that much harder when you’re invested in the characters.
When I played games like Fallout 3 and Oblivion, I wasn’t finding this. Sure, your choices had consequences but it all seemed arbitrary. And the characters were usually ciphers, placeholders, fonts of info I needed. They weren’t characters, really. Do something good to someone and they probably did something good for you and vice versa. The game, the NPCs, everything meant as much as you allowed it to. The storytelling was very passive, in the background. If you let it affect you, it would, otherwise you could just run around, kill things, collect stuff and finish up the quests. Or not. Whatever.
With a Dragon Age, the game actively forces you to care about what you’re doing by throwing so much character and emotional beats that you can’t help it. The “Origins” portion of the introduction is integral to this, indoctrinating you in the game’s world. It takes an active approach to engaging you, as a film or TV show might.
So, where am I going with this?
Well – again without getting all spoilery – I think I’m being played. Manipulated. Hoodwinked. Had. I keep getting a sinking feeling that one of my companions is using my admittedly 2D Sir Lancelot-style heroism for their own gains. It’s not overt. Not yet. They don’t wink at the camera or anything like that. It’s just a feeling. A feeling of dread.
I feel like the game may not reward the standard fantasy hero in the standard fantasy manner. Time will tell. Ask me how it’s going after my next 24 hours of game time.
Much has happened since last I wrote. Twelve or so hours of action, actually.
There has been tragedy, tough moral choices, sex with elven (elfin? elvish?) ladies in waiting, family strife, betrayal, sex with hookers in a brothel, conspiracies, card games, scraps with the undead, intrigue, poisoning – and battle after bloody battle.
I’ve made a bunch of enemies. I’ve made a bunch of friends. And it’s the friends that I’m more interested in. The relationships are so deep and nuanced already. I’ve had one of my friends question something I’ve done and make me feel like total shit for doing what I did. My flirtations with one woman in my party have made the other jealous. Everyone questions my choices. It’s hard being the leader of a bunch of fantasy characters. You have no idea.
Maybe I should just go back to the brothel. It’s a lot easier there.
Dragon Age: Origins
I'm at about hour 12 of my playthrough of BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins and I'm not even close to finishing the first major quest. It's got me bouncing around the world, getting attacked, jumping into bed with hookers -- and loving every minute of it. The only thing I don't like about the game is that one day -- one sad, sad day -- it will end and I will finish the game. BioWare feels my pain. Helping to postpone the heartbreak, they've announced the second DLC for the game and I'm damn happy about it.
Left 4 Dead 2
Speaking of DLC, is the recently released sequel already lining up its own content pack?
Samurai Jack
Did you like Samurai Jack? I did. It was subtle, lovingly-crafted and very, very unique. I'm glad to hear that a movie of the cartoon is on the way.
Radiohead
Magazines are in a tough place these days. Bottom line: they need to sell magazines in a time where people don't buy magazines. That means sinking low sometimes. That means you need to resort to hyperbole and ridiculousness sometimes (just ask Entertainment Weekly.) Sometimes it's letting reality stars guest "edit" the mag. Other times it's running a countdown of best films and putting something absolutely stupid as the No. 1 while leaving off obvious choices. You need to rile people up. You need to shock them. If you're Spin magazine, you go and write an article on how Radiohead sucks but we just won't admit it. Like, basically, we're all angry and shit that they never continued on their The Bends-slash-rock anthems path to being the new U2 and we just pretend we like how experimental they are -- but really, stuff like In Rainbows and any post-OK Computer albums suck. The problem with that is then this dude comes along and totally disembowels your fake argument and makes you look like hacks. And, also, this.
And finally…
Here's that Hawkman from Smallville picture again -- except bigger. I can't get enough of it. It's terrible. He looks like your friend's grandfather trying to get off a ladder because you guys are "horsing around too goddamn much" and he's going to try and stop you. Like, as soon as he gets down. Whenever that is. (No, I don't know why his grandfather is on a ladder.) Apparently it's all for an episode featuring the Justice Society. I think it's going to have Doctor Fate and Stargirl in there, too. I don't know about Stargirl, but Doctor Fate isn't going to look much better than Hawkman, I'm thinking.
No-no If you know (and love) your baseball, you'll love this. But hey, if you love funny shit, animation and great (true!) stories you will, too.
Alien Legion Alien Legion was a cool, somewhat obscure comic book graphic novel series from the late '80s, early '90s. Basically it was the foreign legion in space with aliens and humans killing shit across the galaxy. Bonus: the commanding officer was half-snake. It was an enjoyable romp that sometimes did the whole thinly-veiled allegory for contemporary issues thing but overall it was about who these people (and aliens) were before and who they became after joining the legion. And it was pretty violent. You could probably pick up a whack of issues for next to nothing, I would think. And you might want to do it quick because, according to this article, they're looking to turn it into a film/franchise. Could definitely work.
Fringe
I haven't made my love of Fringe a secret. The show's characters and world appeal to me and I don't care who knows it. It's cost me friends and family to do so (it hasn't) but that's the way it has to be -- I am a passionate man in my passions. Now Fox is hoping to attract new viewers to the show with its latest viral campaign. It uses the mysterious (and bald!) Observers and they've been turning up across various Fox properties -- even NFL football! It's all gonna culminate on this week's episode. Sounds good to me.
Hawkman, unfortunately
Sometimes staying true to a super hero's costume can be a mistake. Exhibit A: Hawkman's appearance on Smallville.
Decade NME has released their top albums of the decade. Yeah, it's a little Brit-centric and, yeah, the Strokes are number one, but it's hard to argue the majority of the choices. Well, maybe Klaxons.
And finally…
The year 2008 was a year where Fallout 3 was released (along with Fable II, GTA IV, Gears 2 and other huge titles). And, still, I think Ubisoft's Prince of Persia reboot was my favourite. Maybe not overall, but as a concept from top to bottom it was genius. One of the greatest things about it was its enigmatic ending. An ending so unique, it's inspired debates ever since. Now Destructoid elloquently opens up the debate again -- and I thank them.
I ended up “buying” this one. Well, I used some Game Stop store credit to pick it up. I hate doing that but what can you do? Sometimes you have to live like the other half and all that.
I’m a fantasy RPG fan from way back. Like, pencils, paper and polyhedral dice way back. Yes, I’m a D&D geek and I make no apologies. Loving the shit out of that kind of stuff and talking and thinking incessantly about it has led to this point. “What point is that?” you ask? Getting paid to talk and think and write about that kind of stuff… FOR A LIVING. So, suck it.
So, yeah, Dragon Age: Origins – I picked it up. Considering the enormity of this sort of game (I’ve heard this thing runs close to 70-80 hours), you’ll probably get a few of these entries detailing my crazy (fake) adventures and whatnot.
To start, BioWare is all about RPGs. They’ve been doing expansive video game RPGs for years. They continually push the envelope with these things. It’s edge of the seat type stuff, yeah? RPG gold that has you obsessed after only an hour of play. If you compiled a list of best all time RPGs, I’m thinking they’d score a few in there. Maybe even the top one. I know they make my favorite: Mass Effect. Sure, that’s not a fantasy one but still, it’s BioWare at their RPG-loving best.
I decided to go with the standard: male, human, fighter. The vanilla of fantasy characters. I’m also a noble, but that was the only choice available. I’ve played about two hours and things are already hardcore addictive. The whole “origins” thing in the title is that the first part of the game sets up an origin for your character – and they have different ones depending on your race and social standing. I guess it really amps up the replayability. Without getting spoilery, my origin had some sex, some sweetness and lots of tragedy. I’m not even sure I’m finished my origin yet. Right now I’m hanging out with the King’s army and trying to complete a special task that will help me join this special group of warriors called the Grey Wardens. Their job is to fight all the bad shit in the world. Sounds awesome, right?
I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface yet but this weekend I’m pretty sure I will. I think I’m just on the surface. Or maybe above it in a sea plane or whatever. There’s still a shit ton of political intrigue, supernatural terror and crazy fantasy action to come.
Mass Effect 2 Yeah, yeah, I go on a lot about Mass Effect 2. Especially since it hasn't even been released yet. To be fair, the original is probably my favorite game (yes, my favorite) and this one is making that look like Pac Man, so maybe you can understand why I might be so damned excited about it. Also, I watched all the ME2 bits in this episode of Game Trailers.
John Cusack: Not as nice as you were led to believe
John Cusack is one of those dudes who plays the right kinda nice guy in films. He's not syrupy or a pussy, he's cool and funny -- like an older brother or something or a best man. But I've just seen too many moments like this one and now this one -- where he just seems like a dick with no sense of humor -- to believe he's actually like that.
Crazy Beatles This is a pretty cool alternate timeline that outlines what would happen if the Beatles got back together and accepted Lorne Michaels' legendary offer. I always wondered how cool it would be if they had. Now I have an idea.
TV
AV Club's list of the best TV series of the '00s is a little on the nose but, really, how can you argue with most of these? Although, I'm not sure I'd classify Buffy as an '00s show, to be honest.
I can't seem to find this anywhere else, but IMDB is a pretty good source: it looks like Colonel Tighe himself, Battlestar Galactica's (and Canada's) Michael Hogan is doing a voice in upcoming BioWare game Mass Effect 2 -- if you believe his IMDB page (which I kinda do.) Doesn't say who he's playing but maybe based on the close proximity to an upcoming Game Trailers TV (Thursday Nov. 12) piece on the 2010 title, it could be shady figure the "Illusive Man." Any way you look at it, though, Hogan = awesomeness. So, yeah, thought you should know.
Black Cat Some big rumors afoot in Spidey-ville. Here's the breakdown: it looks like one of the Wall Crawler's adversaries in the fourth film is going to be Black Cat. Sure, she's basically a Catwoman rip off, but a lot has been done and a lot could be done with her. As a character, too. (And I thank you...) Anyway, let's set our mood organs to "positive" for this, so far. The rumors get more specific with actress Romola Garai (allegedly) auditioning and (wait for it) Rachel McAdams as well. I don't know, Rachel McAdams as a femme fatale feline anti-hero? Meh. Not seeing it but maybe? At least she can act. And is cute as a button, of course. (I think my Canadian citizenship gets revoked if I don't put that in there -- it's bad enough I use US spelling.) Remember though, these are all rumors -- including Black Cat even being in the film. Still, as a love interest of Spidey's, 'Cat has the potential of impacting his personal and super-heroic life. That's the sort of stuff Sam Raimi liked using in the first two movies. Oh, all right, I guess he tried to do that in the third one, too.
Good.
Steven Spielberg and Will Smith's planned remake of awesome Korean film Oldboyhas (thankfully) been shitcanned. I'm not being a typical bloggy hater dude who's cheering because some obscure thing I like is not being made into a bloated Hollywood abortion. I do that sometimes but not now. Promise. I like Spielberg and have been known to like Smith on occasion, but there's just no way they would have been able to do this film. Sorry. They just couldn't. There's just too much over-the-top stuff -- and the twist at the end? Come on. No way. Let 'em do some other kind of fancy movie magic together. Some sci-fi or something like that maybe.
Mad Men
Did you watch the season finale of Mad Men this week? What did y'all think? Some huge stuff going on, right? Looks like next season is shaping up to be a doozy. Ambiguous enough for all you spoiler-free types? Good. Here's an interview/season 3 post-mortem with series creator Matthew Weiner. There's spoilers, by the way.
Fringe
So, J.J. Abrams is all cheery about Fringe taking some ratings hits thanks to being placed in a hyper-competitive timeslot, huh? Not sure I would be. Especially now that EW's Michael Ausiello is circling it and dropping the C word. Considering Fox moved the show to a night and timeslot that is killing it, I would say maybe they should take responsibility and move it back or somewhere better, no? Although, the almost-assured cancellation of Dollhouse is a good thing if you're a Fringe fan, I guess. After all, Fox does need to have at least one sci-fi show to hold up when everyone is crying over FireflyTerminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles Dollhouse, right?
Oh my.
What happens when Sir Ian McKellan drops in on the ladies from The View? Wow. Just wow.
Saboteur
Upcoming WWII open world game The Saboteur looks like a lot of fun. Instead of your usual one man v. the Nazis you... well... sure, you're still one man v. the Nazis, but this time you're Irish! And a saboteur! And you wear a leather jacket and a cool hat! Plus, you get to whore around Paris. Slap Nazis in the face. Shoot zeppelins out of the air. All that shit. And you get to do it whenevs and howevs you want. The game is launching before Christmas, which gives me some hope that it just might be awesome. Oh well, at the very least it'll be the best Irish WWII saboteur video game of the year -- and that's something, right?
And finally… Did you want X-Men 3? Yes, yes you did. Did you like the X-Men 3 you got? No, not one bit. But really, why was that? In a nutshell, the dudes who had made the first two films weren't involved in the third one. But what if they were? How would it all have turned out? Curious? Hmmm? (sorry) Well, X2 writer Michael Dougherty has revealed the direction in which he and original X-Men series director Bryan Singer were headed. Gotta say, I like it.
Mass Effect 2
Some more sweetness where Mass Effect 2 is concerned. This video has officially stopped me from being a Mass Effect apologist and launched me into "I told you so" mode. On top of introducing the Collectors and their scary badassery, you meet Legion -- a Geth (a synthetic life-form that were a major enemy from the first game) that is not only an individual but one that's obsessed with your character. That is just awesome. I don't care who you are. Now you guys apologize to me for not playing Mass Effect in the first place. And here are some screenshots, too, with minor spoilers if you're worried about that sort of thing.
HTTM
Sometimes the world isn't big enough for beautiful ideas. They spark brilliantly in the mind of some absurd, hermit dream engineer and tragically fade into obscurity never to be heard. It's a sad truth, my friends, but one we can all agree on. But sometimes, just sometimes, an idea filled with heart-crushing beauty explodes into the world with the force of a million shattered rainbows shattering. Well, that idea has found its time. That idea is a film. That idea stars John Cusack (among others). That idea, my dear little monsters, is Hot Tub Time Machine. Let the always wonderful Mr. Cusack fill you in on the whole breathtaking conjuration.
Wow. Why?
Life in 21st Century North America is harrowing to say the least, right? So many things commanding your attention, so little of it actually important to you. Who can remember it all? A phone number here. A waxing appointment there. You're bound to forget some stuff, ya? Keeping that in mind, let me remind you (you know, in case you forgot) that between 2003-2009, the Sci-Fi Network took corny 1970s Star Wars also-ran, Battlestar Galactica, and rebooted it into one of the most critically acclaimed television programs of the last decade. I'm totally fucking serious. It featured intense character drama and chewed around ideas of faith, rebirth, cyclical history, politics, idealism vs. pragmatism, among others -- all while presenting a subtextual debate on the U.S. led invasion of Iraq and the War on Terror. It was some damn fine television for the most part and, thanks to it, Battlestar Galactica means something good rather than this. So, yeah, that's my joke, BSG is memorable and a triumph. Anyway, Bryan Singer wants to reboot the original show for film, too, now. Yeah...
Clash of the Titans
I liked the original Clash of the Titans, but I'm sure a lot of that is just nostalgia. It's probably got some bad acting in places. And dated hair or whatever. Still, it had swords, sorcery, some Ray Harryhausen effects all up in it, greek mythology and a half-naked Ursula Andress, so there's that. Anyway, I'm totally cool with the possibility that this remake may be good. Here are some posters for it. Decide for yourself.
Jim Carrey
Yup, this is pretty much what you're going to expect from Jim Carrey's official site.
And finally… What's better than slave Leia? Two slave Leias sunbathing, that's what. (We would also except: naked slave Leia and slave Leia bringing me a sub and a drink.) And yeah, that's Carrie Fisher back in the day.
Prince of Persia
In case you haven't been, you know, awake in the last 24 hours, here is the trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I liked Sands of Time the video game a lot. It was a damn fine title. One of the best. Just ask Metacritic. And I like Jake Gyllenhaal. If it weren't for Secretary Maggie, he would be my favorite Gyllenhaal. And I definitely like Gemma Arterton. I don't even have a problem with them adapting the game into a movie/franchise in theory. But this trailer isn't showing me anything. It just seems really bad. Bad accents. Bad jokes. Just bad.
30 Rock? More like Zero Rock, amiright?
Ze Germans don't like ze 30 Rock. Shocking, ja? Nein. Wow, you mean a show rife with (North) American pop culture references, meta riffs and inside jokes can't be funny when it's translated into another language? Crazy.
Trek 2 So MTV tried to get J.J. Abrams to talk a bit about the next Star Trek film and he said some stuff but didn't say anything, know what I mean? That's not the issue for me, though. It makes sense he wouldn't have anything to say because, as far as I can tell, there's nothing to tell. The writers haven't even finalized an idea, let alone a script. No, what bugs me is this continuing (and growing) subtext that the press is perpetuating where Abrams, Orci and Kurtzman HAVE to remake/reboot/reimagine Khan. Why is this happening? I have no doubt that the team behind the films will ignore this but it still bugs me. Can't we just enjoy some new adventures based in the universe? Why do we need to remake something that has no business being remade? I know that everyone involved realizes that what made Star Trek the most successful film in the franchise was that it DIDN'T pander to geeks. I really hope this stops.
Hobbit
Sir Ian McKellan has read the script to the Hobbit film(s) and he approves!
Fallout MMO Last year-ish, there was news that Interplay was cooking up a Fallout-based MMO. This seemed like a no brainer, except, of course, that Bethesda owned the rights to anything Fallout-y and had just released the critically-accliamed Fallout 3. So, yeah, they were understandably mad, to say the least and lawsuits ensued. With the legal slugfest underway, we're starting to see what Interplay had in mind and, well, it looks like they get the whole post-nuclear war look the game is known for.
Diora Baird It's pretty easy to see why dudes like Diora Baird. That needs no discussion. And, actually, it would probably be creepy to discuss it anyway, so it's best we skipped that chat, my friends. When it was announced that Diora would be joining the also easy-on-the-eyes Rachel Nichols as Orions in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, nerds jizzed in their pants the world over -- even before the various "scenarios" one might imagine occuring between the comely Misses Baird and Nichols in green make-up and little clothing. But again, it wasn't a surprise that Diora would be cast as a sexy green chick. But then a double decker surprise chop sandwich gets served up as J.J. not only cuts out her scene but he cast her as the Orion with the clothes in the first place. WTF?
Sci-Fi TV Here's an analysis of how science fiction shows are doing on TV this fall. I was happy to see that Fringe may not be in as much trouble as has been discussed recently.
Mass Effect 2 Check out this video of the upcoming BioWare title, which emphasizes combat. While I didn't hate on the original's combat as much as others do, this looks much improved. Also, if you know anything about the original, the new and improved (read: frightening) husks are chilling. I'm not really sure how you would make those more frightening than they already were, but I guess BioWare did it because I am NOT looking forward to that level at all, man.
Batman This is a great list of the top Batman: The Animated Series episodes. Can't say I can argue with it. And it makes me want to rewatch them all, too.
And finally…
Speaking of Batman, do you watch Community on NBC? If not, you're missing the funniest show on TV right now. Shame on you. This whole sequence based on the Caped Crusader isn't even the sixth funniest part on their recent Halloween episode.
So, I’ve created several different “tournaments” but, really, they’re just leagues. I’m running through a season of the MLS (as Toronto FC, natch) and a season of the Barclay’s Premiere League (the English league, for you soccer/football uninitiated) and am playing as Liverpool FC. I’m an Arsenal supporter but they’re rated at 4.5 stars and I wanted to play a 5 star club. (On a side note: It sometimes seems arbitrary how they come up with these ratings. Like, no offense to any fans, but I can't really see how Liverpool is a 5 and the Gunners are a 4.5, you know? Or how Roma is a 4.5 and Inter is a 5. I kinda feel that maybe Liverpool has scarier fans than Arsenal and that maybe the designers don't watch Italian clubs, so that's sort of how it's all decided. The MLS is even crazier. Everyone is pretty much a 2 or 2.5, with some 1.5s in there, too. You got to feel pretty lame if you're one of those 1.5s, I would imagine. Still, Toronto is a 2, and they're 3-0-1 or something like that in one of my leagues.)
I also created a Champions League style table that has teams from all over the world – which I’m using Liverpool for as well.
I haven’t even bothered to try the “Be a Pro” stuff yet. You know, where you play as one dude for a whole season? You can even create a player – yourself, if you’d like – and download a pic of your face and import it. It’s tempting, but we’ll see.
So far, things are going well as Liverpool. In my crazy Champions League, I’m 2-0-1, with wins against Ajax Amsterdam (2-0) and Sporting Lisbon (1-0) and a hard-fought scoreless draw with the always formidable Bayern Munich. Got a big game against Celtic of Glasgow coming up and then Real Madrid after that one. Yeesh. I’ll probably start up my run at the Premiership tonight with my first fixture against Aston Villa first, though. Sweet.
With Toronto, as you can imagine, not so much. I think I have a draw and a loss. Or maybe just a loss. Not sure. And, also, Dwayne “Dee Ro” DeRosario got a red card in the last match, so he’s not around for our next game. Bummer.
I have to say, I’m really enjoying 10 versus 09. It’s hard to put my finger on where it’s better just yet but I just feel it. I yell much less at the TV when playing, that’s a good start. With every version of the game, it feels more and more like a sim rather than a game. I love that I can slow the play down and I don’t have guys swarming me because, you know what? That’s not what happens in a real game.
And it’s really, REALLY hard to score. Even with an empty net things go horribly wrong. Crossbars and posts are hit. Tears are shed. If you look at those results, they’re like a real game. The TFC games were the same. I haven’t been involved in a match where anyone has scored more than two goals. It keeps things real feeling and I like that.
This weekend, I figure some more league play and then on to the “Be a Pro” stuff. Sweet.
Scary
Obviously what scares us is about as subjective as things can get. For me, it's suffocation and those flat, saucer-like nipples chicks (usually from the late '70s, early '80s) sometimes get. I suppose if somehow both could be worked into something, I'd be pretty afraid of that as well. (Although, possibly aroused, too.) As far as films go, that's a tough one. I guess I don't really get scared of flicks or games when I'm watching or playing them. It's more that night, after, when I'm in bed and I start thinking about aspects of them that it starts to freak me out a bit. Blair Witch was good for that. Dead Space was, too. Anyway, Den of Geek has a list of movies that scared them. What do y'all think?
Frost vs. Frosting
Nick Frost is a funny dude. Flushing things down the toilet that aren't supposed to be flushed down the toilet is funny, too. Put them together and, well, you've got to feel that that's going to land on the amusing side of things as well.
Thor
This Mighty Thor movie Marvel has been talking about is coming together. In all honesty, I don't care. I understand how Marvel is all excited because someone made some good choices around the Iron Man thing and it turned out awesome for them and the rest of us -- and now they want to parlay that into even more awesomeness. But I don't think that's going to happen. Or at least, I'm skeptical of it. You see, if you learn one thing in this business, it's that awesome doesn't come easy to Hollywood. Still, we've got Kenneth Brannagh directing this thing. And now we've got Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin. So, maybe?
Not scary but scary
Life is weird sometimes. There are horror movies that aren't scary out there and there are non-horror movies that have scary bits in them. Crazy! IFC has made a list of some of those latter ones.
Jemaine
I always thought that Flight of the Conchords dude Jemaine Clement's first name was actually Jermaine and that Brett's accent made it sound that way when he talked to him. But no, it's JE-maine not JER-maine. Weird. Is Brett's name actually Brit, like how it sounds when JE-maine pronounces it? On top of Jemaine's Conchords chores, he's starring in a new flick from the dudes who brought you Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre called Gentleman Broncos. He's interviewed in AV Club in support of that.
Dead Space 2
Yes. It's confirmed. A sequel. Well, sort of by Reuters. Dead Space was a weird game in that it had a lot of really great things about it but you got to a point where those really great things just stopped mattering and it went from a 9+ out of 10 to an 8+ out of 10. The first chunk is some of the scariest stuff I've experienced in any medium, game or otherwise. Also, the zero-G sequences are mindblowing -- especially some of the horrific shit that happens to you outside the spaceship. Wow. But by the end, you figure out patterns and the game's AI lets it down. You can read my old review, if you'd like, here. I also did an interview with the game's art director, Ian Milham here. I'm interested to see what EA and the team will do with a new game. I think they could hit this one out of the park if they take some of the criticisms out there to heart.
And finally… Marvel comics is 70 years old. That is insane. I remember when they turned... well, nevermind. The Times Online has a list of facts about them you (probably) didn't know. Also, for any Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 fans out there -- guilty or otherwise -- here's some word on the upcoming DLC, including word that Black Panther is one of the characters. Sweet!
Dragon Age: Origins Man, I have a buttload of games to review. First off and for the record: That's not a complaint. It is the truth, though. I have six games I'm at varying stages of playing that all should get reviewed soon-ish (if not already). Shoot, I still have to get deep enough into NHL 10 to start forming some opinions and when did that come out? Like, months ago, it seems (it wasn't.) It's sad. And the worst of it? After Nov. 3, I'm pretty much just playing Dragon Age: Origins. Bioware continues to tease some amazing details like this social network-style element the game uses. Also, this reviewer has outlined the use of sex (which is pretty frequent) in the game. My favorite tidbit from that is that the sex becomes an element "around the 60 hour mark" of the game. Awesome.
Uncharted
Nolan North, game voice actor extraordinaire has dropped that Hugh Jackman is everyone's fave pick to play Nathan Drake in a big screen adaptation of Uncharted. I guess that works. I like Jackman, a lot actually, but him as Drake isn't a slam dunk for me. Nope, it isn't. After recently playing all of Uncharted 2 and revisiting a bit of the original for comparitive purposes (yes, I'm just that thorough), I was feeling Bradley Cooper as Nathan for some reason. He sort of has that cocky-wry thing going, he would probably put a lot more into the franchise than someone who already has one going, and, he really sounds like North/Drake. Then again, maybe Drake needs the Indiana Jones style weight that someone like Jackman has. I don't know. It's probably best that I don't cast giant Hollywood adaptations of video games for a living, isn't it?
Alien prequel
Ridley Scott is doing a prequel to Alien. Whether or not you think that's a good idea, it's happening. Hey, it's better than Brett Ratner doing it or who-have-you, but still, yeah, there's going to be some nervousness there for all of us out here. Scott has started to drop some details about his idea -- well, very vague ones, anyway. Mainly about when the film would take place in relation to the original.
Avatar Here is the first, full Avatar trailer. So, what did you think? It looks rather plush, doesn't it? To me, it also looks like it will be kinda bad and here's why: the dialogue/story we're allowed to see. It just all seems a tad too simple, doesn't it? Shouldn't a futuristic tale of morality have some complex moral choices in it? Then there's the (possibly ridiculous) Braveheart-slash-St. Crispen's Day speech that all epic films seem to have and all I could say was: Wow. As in: Wow, that's bad. My dad and I were talking about the movie at Thanksgiving and he was like, "If they can put people's consciousness into another entity, why don't they have the technology to repair the guy's body?" The trailer sort of hints that maybe there's a reason, but still, I'm really getting the no feeling from this one.
And finally... Networks keep giving science fiction shows the green light. There are a bunch out there in TV land. Some are great. Some are just good. Some are Stargate. Regardless, networks have a tendency to kick science fiction shows in their special parts any chance they can get. Moving them around. Putting them on hiatus. Reducing their budgets. Etc. Well, it's about time they stopped. And figures that as soon as I get into Fringe, it's now considered a bubble show. Face palm.
I haven’t played a ton of EA’s monster FIFA 10 yet – just a few friendly games using Toronto FC – but I can already tell how true to life the game is. In each closely contested game, I had TFC tied nil-nil going into the dying seconds of the match and then (you see where this is going, right?) – just like the real team – I choked in a cheap goal right at the end to lose. Of course, I haven’t totally melted down when a playoff spot was on the line but, like I said, I haven’t played much yet.
Lingering fan anger aside, I’m really looking forward to diving into the game and seeing how much EA has improved the game since last year.
Conan Did you know they're making a new Conan movie? Yep. They are. Want some details? You're welcome.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a dumb game. But Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is also a dumb game that is awesome. Sort of. Read my review.
True Grit
The Coen brothers are re-doing True Grit -- you know, the western that John Wayne won an Oscar for? In the role of Rooster Cogburn, they're thinking Jeff Bridges, Nice, right? Now word is they're adding Matt Damon and Josh Brolin to the mix, too.
Avatar… stolen? There are murmurings going around that the idea/story for James Cameron's upcoming 3D orgy Avatar may have been "borrowed" from a late 1950s science fiction short story by Poul Anderson. Based on that painting for the story, I'm thinking it's no coincidence -- but that's just me.
BioShock 2
In many ways 2007's BioShock changed the face of gaming. Ideas about the way games are played, designed, conceived and written -- on top of art directed -- were pushed to the limits. So it's kinda strange to look at this trailer for the sequel. Sure, it's amazing looking and awesome but it looks sort of like gaming has changed the face of BioShock, doesn't it? Instead of atmosphere and fear, you're getting a high octane first-person shooter feel. Is that BioShock? When you factor in that the game is going to push a multiplayer component and that original writer Susan O'Connor isn't onboard, I have some reservations.
Action figures
I've never been huge into the action figure thing, Star Wars or otherwise. Although, I have an original C3P0 hanging out on my bookcase right at this very moment. Still, I enjoy a good list and if it happens to be about Star Wars action figures and some of the most embarassingly collectible examples, then so be it!
Evil
Another good list. This one documents some truly evil entities in science fiction. Although, Galactus? Isn't that like calling a shark or lion evil? Doesn't he serve some kind of culling purpose or is he just into destroying things? I thought he needs to eat planets to survive? If that's wrong then I don't want to be right.
The Who: Rock Band
On top of all the other Beatles-related awesomeness Beatles: Rock Band has unleashed on the world, it's success is just going to open the floodgates on other, similar projects for bands that approach the Fab Four's stature. There have been murmurs from Pink Floyd and U2 on the subject but it looks like the first follow-up may be from The Who. And to this I say: FUCK YA!
Assassin’s Creed
Ubisoft is pretty damned serious about Assassin's Creed 2. How serious? So serious, they bought Hybride Technologies, the digital post-production studio behind 300 and Sin City and got them to make a bunch of background shizz for the game. Shizz like this short film called Lineage. On top of that, Ubi is dropping more hints of what they're thinking for Assassin's Creed 3. If you remember, a couple of weeks ago they mentioned a World War II-plagued Europe as a possible setting, with a female assassin as the protagonist. This week, it's either Medieval Europe or feudal Japan. No word on if they're still considering the lady assassin. I like the feudal Japan idea. That means ninjas and, knowing Ubi, it'll mean meticulously researched and realistic ninjas -- which could be really, really cool. I guess all the brainstorming is sort of showing how limitless the franchise could be.
And finally… I linked to this before on the old blog, but it popped up again today and I just had to go there again. Cracks my shit up every time.
Okay, so I finished the game. Now I have to write the review. Let’s just say: it’s not going well.
That’s not the game’s fault. I enjoyed Uncharted 2 a lot and will be giving it a pretty solid review – like a 9 or 9.5 out of 10. I loved going on adventures with Nate Drake and meeting the colourful cast of loveable rogues and scoundrels. Also, my crush on Elena continues. So, me not writing a review isn’t because I hated the game or whatever. Let’s get that out there. I’m just having trouble putting things down in a nicely set out, review form.
I’m going to use this entry as a way to organize my thoughts and maybe come up with some bon mots etc.
Here’s what’s good about the game:
- The controls are a lot tighter this time around. The amount of times where you die a frustrating death chalked up to a camera or controller glitch is almost nil. Well done, Naughty Dog. Also, I loved that grenades have their own button now, instead of having to switch between your guns to get to them as in the original. It keeps things simple and that’s what you want in combat.
- Everything is BIGGER! The story. The action. The fun. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune had a ton of thrills and spills, don’t get me wrong, but Among Thieves tops them all by taking a gaming experience and turning it into something beyond by fusing pulse-pounding action movie cinematic techniques. There are a bunch of set pieces that I just sat there and shook my head about how awesome they were – and there was at least one that made me exclaim (yes, out loud) “I always wanted to do this in a game…”
- The voice acting and use of it is exceptional. Some of the best out there.
- Great characterization. One of the things I loved about Drake’s Fortune was that it created this believable and interesting character, Nathan Drake. You want to learn more about him and his adventures and, thanks to the franchise, you’re probably going to now.
One bad thing about the game:
- Well, it’s not bad, so much as a complaint. The difference in difficulty at “Normal” between Drake’s Fortune and Among Thieves is very noticeable. What I really liked about the first game was that firefights were excruciating and you never really had that much ammo, so you always felt like your back was against the wall and often, you’d be forced to do crazy things to stay alive. It gave Nate and the game this ragged feel, sort of like Indiana Jones in Raiders. In Among Thieves, I don’t remember once getting close to running out of ammo. Also, most gunfights were short by standards of the original game. The pulled punches sort of continue in other aspects of the game, with a lot of hand holding and the like. Things are so lightweight sometimes that when you do face a heftier challenge, you’re pretty surprised by it.
Quibbles aside, I highly recommend the game. It delivers a high flying, enjoyable kick to the face – and you’ll be smiling through the whole thing.
