The conclusion to this epic trilogy....and I finished it!
Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
Overall Score: 10/10
Pros: Great graphics even on an SDTV, great story, super fun gameplay, best campaign mode ever.
Cons: Some points are a little confusing, and it spoils you for other games.
Halo 1 was perfect, Halo 2 was near perfect, and Halo 3 helps the series regain its jeweled crown of perfection. First off, no, the graphics aren't super high detail, super high textures, super high everything. They are subtle and stylized and overall much more beautiful. The sound design is perfect, with everything sounding as realistic as is possible, and the music is to die for. And the main reason that I play, the campaign, is the best part of the whole package. The story is downright awesome. Even though some points are a little fuzzy and will require a couple more playthroughs, I felt like I understood everything in the big picture. The story itself is really tied neck and neck with the gameplay as my favorite part of the game. Everything in the game feels like it was structured and paced perfectly. The entire game was absolutely a blast to play from beginning to end, and I can't wait to play it again, in fact, I might just do that once I'm done posting this. It is super amazingly fun, and it is highly recommended to anyone who likes good stories and fun gameplay.
NOTE: I didn't really get a chance to screw around with multiplayer stuff, but from what I have experimented with, I can say that Forge is pretty easy to use, though not perfect, and that Saved Films are a blast, but I'm still trying to figure a couple of things out concerning it.
Concept: Make the ending of the Halo trilogy the best possible game that it could be.
Graphics: Extremely good on an SDTV. They aren't the sharpest things in the world, but the overall Halo style and feel are presented perfectly. Real fans won't be disappointed.
Sound: Mary O'Donnell's music mixes in perfectly with the rest of the sound in the game, making the whole thing just absolutely perfect.
Playibility: The perfect Halo gameplay isn't gone. This game is more fun than Halo 2, and just as fun as the first game. I gave it a 10/10 score, so that's gotta tell you something about how fun it was.
Entertainment: Perfect from start to finish, this game is great for everyone who loves good stories and good gameplay.
Replay Value: Very High.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Game Review: Halo 2
Halo 2 (Xbox)
Overall Score: 9/10
Pros: Great graphics, voice acting and story, as well as sweet new weapons. And the gameplay is as good as ever.
Cons: A lot of times I just didn't feel like it was very much fun. Sometimes it felt like a shooting gallery instead of a living world.
Halo 1 was awesome, and so Halo 2 had a massive reputation to live up to. I like to say that it delivered, but to be honest, I don't think it was as good as the first game. Since most people know how awesome the game was, I'm just going to focus on the points that I felt were negative.
First off, some of the levels were just really too long for their own good. They just didn't feel fun. Sure, there was a lot of good stuff there, but it just wasn't fun. Okay, I have to be honest, that's my only complaint, but it was enough to drop the game down to a 9/10, so....
Concept: Make an awesome sequel that almost lives up to the hype.
Graphics: Pretty darn good, even if there are a few switching textures.
Sound: Halo in 5.1 is always a good thing, and the score is just as truly amazing and beautiful.
Playability: Gameplay hasn't changed much, just level design has, making the game slightly less fun than its predecessor.
Entertainment: If you're looking for an awesome FPS, even one that isn't quite perfect, Halo 2 fits the bill.
Replay Value: High.
Overall Score: 9/10
Pros: Great graphics, voice acting and story, as well as sweet new weapons. And the gameplay is as good as ever.
Cons: A lot of times I just didn't feel like it was very much fun. Sometimes it felt like a shooting gallery instead of a living world.
Halo 1 was awesome, and so Halo 2 had a massive reputation to live up to. I like to say that it delivered, but to be honest, I don't think it was as good as the first game. Since most people know how awesome the game was, I'm just going to focus on the points that I felt were negative.
First off, some of the levels were just really too long for their own good. They just didn't feel fun. Sure, there was a lot of good stuff there, but it just wasn't fun. Okay, I have to be honest, that's my only complaint, but it was enough to drop the game down to a 9/10, so....
Concept: Make an awesome sequel that almost lives up to the hype.
Graphics: Pretty darn good, even if there are a few switching textures.
Sound: Halo in 5.1 is always a good thing, and the score is just as truly amazing and beautiful.
Playability: Gameplay hasn't changed much, just level design has, making the game slightly less fun than its predecessor.
Entertainment: If you're looking for an awesome FPS, even one that isn't quite perfect, Halo 2 fits the bill.
Replay Value: High.
Game Review: Halo-Combat Evolved (Xbox)
In preperation for Halo 3's historic launch tomorrow, I thought that I would review the first two games in the series, starting with number one.
Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)
Overall Score: 10/10
Pros: Epic and awesome story, great voice acting, great gameplay and controls, super amazing multiplayer.
Cons: Thehuman character models really don't hold up that well, but the rest of the environments do so amazingly.
Halo was really the first 'hardcore' game that I played. All other video games that I had played were casual games like Tetris and stuff like that, and I gotta say, even now, years after having played it for the first time, I still love it just as much.
By now, everyone who is going to play it has already played it, and even if they haven't, they know a lot about what goes on, so I'm not going to worry about spoilers here. The story starts off in a very interesting way, giving you very little information about exactly what went on. Sure the manual clued you in a little bit, but definitely not a ton. Then, you go on to play through nine of the greatest video game levels of all time, in the process viewing and experiencing one of the best video game stories of all time. This is interesting to me now, because replaying through Halo and Halo 2, its amazing how simple the story is, especially in Halo 1, and yet the first time you played it, and even now replaying it, you feel like you're in on some big secret. You feel like you know something other people don't know. That kind of feeling is a tribute to how good a game this really is.
On the technical side, the game is pretty solid. The gameplay, which was truly revolutionary, still proves that even years after the initial innovation, it still feels and plays just as good as any of the competition. The graphics are pretty nice, although the actual character models don't exactly look breathtaking, and the enemies are just plain cool. The AI works well, and the game is truly just a blast to play.
Concept: The first FPS on a console that replicates the PC experience perfectly.
Graphics: The environments and weapons look really, really cool, even after several years. The human character models are the main bad part when it comes to graphics, and the enemy models hold up fairly well, especially the Hunter.
Sound: This is one of the first games to really get voice acting right. Other then that, the weapons and enemies and allies all sound great, and the music is practically Oscar-quality. Marty O'Donnell is truly amazing.
Playability: The controls and gameplay are awesome to begin with. Then you add vehicles like the warthog into the mix and it just gets better and better.
Entertainment: Even if you are playing on easy, you get an amazing story, amazing gameplay, and the start of an epic trilogy all wrapped into one.
Replay Value: Super High.
Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)
Overall Score: 10/10
Pros: Epic and awesome story, great voice acting, great gameplay and controls, super amazing multiplayer.
Cons: Thehuman character models really don't hold up that well, but the rest of the environments do so amazingly.
Halo was really the first 'hardcore' game that I played. All other video games that I had played were casual games like Tetris and stuff like that, and I gotta say, even now, years after having played it for the first time, I still love it just as much.
By now, everyone who is going to play it has already played it, and even if they haven't, they know a lot about what goes on, so I'm not going to worry about spoilers here. The story starts off in a very interesting way, giving you very little information about exactly what went on. Sure the manual clued you in a little bit, but definitely not a ton. Then, you go on to play through nine of the greatest video game levels of all time, in the process viewing and experiencing one of the best video game stories of all time. This is interesting to me now, because replaying through Halo and Halo 2, its amazing how simple the story is, especially in Halo 1, and yet the first time you played it, and even now replaying it, you feel like you're in on some big secret. You feel like you know something other people don't know. That kind of feeling is a tribute to how good a game this really is.
On the technical side, the game is pretty solid. The gameplay, which was truly revolutionary, still proves that even years after the initial innovation, it still feels and plays just as good as any of the competition. The graphics are pretty nice, although the actual character models don't exactly look breathtaking, and the enemies are just plain cool. The AI works well, and the game is truly just a blast to play.
Concept: The first FPS on a console that replicates the PC experience perfectly.
Graphics: The environments and weapons look really, really cool, even after several years. The human character models are the main bad part when it comes to graphics, and the enemy models hold up fairly well, especially the Hunter.
Sound: This is one of the first games to really get voice acting right. Other then that, the weapons and enemies and allies all sound great, and the music is practically Oscar-quality. Marty O'Donnell is truly amazing.
Playability: The controls and gameplay are awesome to begin with. Then you add vehicles like the warthog into the mix and it just gets better and better.
Entertainment: Even if you are playing on easy, you get an amazing story, amazing gameplay, and the start of an epic trilogy all wrapped into one.
Replay Value: Super High.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Book Review: 2010-Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
Overall: 3 and a half/4 Stars
2001: A Space Odyssey the film was an epic film that captured the imagination and the mind. The movie was just awesome, filled with mind-blowing imagery and great music to top it all off. But, to be honest, it was just a little bit wierd, and the ending didn't really bring everything to a conclusion.
Now, we must thank Arthur C. Clarke, famed British author and inventor, for continuing the story of the space shuttle Discovery and making everything that was once so confusing much easier to understand while still expanding upon the already established universe that the books take place in.
First off, the book is super easy to read, and even if you didn't get 2001 the movie, you'll pretty much immediately understand everything in the book and the movie, and maybe you'll even understand the movie better then you did originally. I know that's what happened to me. The entire story is very interesting because unlike a lot of novels, there really isn't any action, just a lot of internal and external observations that take place onboard a space ship. There really aren't even that many dramatic moments, really, between the crew on the space ship, even in a book that you would expect to have lots of them (I mean eight people onboard one ship for a matter of years, come on). Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the entire book's structure and narrative, and now I can't wait to go to my local library to pick up 2061: Odyssey Three, the third book in the series.
Overall, if you like science fiction in general or maybe you just liked the movie 2001, this is a great book and I highly recommend it to everyone.
2001: A Space Odyssey the film was an epic film that captured the imagination and the mind. The movie was just awesome, filled with mind-blowing imagery and great music to top it all off. But, to be honest, it was just a little bit wierd, and the ending didn't really bring everything to a conclusion.
Now, we must thank Arthur C. Clarke, famed British author and inventor, for continuing the story of the space shuttle Discovery and making everything that was once so confusing much easier to understand while still expanding upon the already established universe that the books take place in.
First off, the book is super easy to read, and even if you didn't get 2001 the movie, you'll pretty much immediately understand everything in the book and the movie, and maybe you'll even understand the movie better then you did originally. I know that's what happened to me. The entire story is very interesting because unlike a lot of novels, there really isn't any action, just a lot of internal and external observations that take place onboard a space ship. There really aren't even that many dramatic moments, really, between the crew on the space ship, even in a book that you would expect to have lots of them (I mean eight people onboard one ship for a matter of years, come on). Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the entire book's structure and narrative, and now I can't wait to go to my local library to pick up 2061: Odyssey Three, the third book in the series.
Overall, if you like science fiction in general or maybe you just liked the movie 2001, this is a great book and I highly recommend it to everyone.
Monday, September 17, 2007
World War II Video Games
Okay, so in the video game industry, there is a huge amount of titles that aim at depicting the action and heroism of soldiers in World War II. For the sake of this post, towards the end I'm going to only focus on the main WWII games.
First off, I don' t think that video games that seek to emulate real wars and situations are disrespectful. If they are taken wrong then they can be, because they make light of a situatin in which thousands of people lost lives, but in general I don't think that is a real problem. If you play a World War II game just to have fun instead of intending on being wrapped up in the story and drama of the war, then you may just be missing the point. I think that these games should be made to tell real and accurate stories, not just to run and gun through a historically based mission.
Now, I'm going to look at a few series of WWII games and say my thoughst about each.
Medal of Honor
As I have said, I don't think that World War II games are bad or wrong. The one thing that I have a problem with in the Medal of Honor series, is that they glorify things and tone things down. There isn't any blood flying everywhere, there aren't swear words being spewed out of every mouth, and it just doesn't do any justice to what real veterans really experienced. To be honest, the MoH games are engrossing and epic experiences, but they still aren't my favorite.
Call of Duty
The Call of Duty games suffer from the exact same thing as the MoH games. They glorify everything, making it seem much more heroic then it really was. Sure, the soldiers helped to define history as we know it, but really a lot of them were just trying to stay alive, they weren't doing certain actions with the whole situation of the war in mind. Then, they tone everything down, with no or very little blood. I'm not saying that you need to make everything bloody and gory to the endth degree, but at least make it accurate to some degree.
Brothers in Arms
This is my favorite series of WWII games. It is brutally and horribly accurate in its depiction of combat situations and the real drama between soldiers and enemies. I think that this is the series that does the best job in depicting what it was like to fight in World War II, and I hope that Gearbox Studios, the series' developer, keeps on doing this kind of job, giving gamers and people everywhere who couldn't have experienced WWII to at least get a little taste of what it must have been like.
Also, for those of you interested in World War II, there is a documentary called The War that looks very interesting that is set to air on PBS on the 23rd.
First off, I don' t think that video games that seek to emulate real wars and situations are disrespectful. If they are taken wrong then they can be, because they make light of a situatin in which thousands of people lost lives, but in general I don't think that is a real problem. If you play a World War II game just to have fun instead of intending on being wrapped up in the story and drama of the war, then you may just be missing the point. I think that these games should be made to tell real and accurate stories, not just to run and gun through a historically based mission.
Now, I'm going to look at a few series of WWII games and say my thoughst about each.
Medal of Honor
As I have said, I don't think that World War II games are bad or wrong. The one thing that I have a problem with in the Medal of Honor series, is that they glorify things and tone things down. There isn't any blood flying everywhere, there aren't swear words being spewed out of every mouth, and it just doesn't do any justice to what real veterans really experienced. To be honest, the MoH games are engrossing and epic experiences, but they still aren't my favorite.
Call of Duty
The Call of Duty games suffer from the exact same thing as the MoH games. They glorify everything, making it seem much more heroic then it really was. Sure, the soldiers helped to define history as we know it, but really a lot of them were just trying to stay alive, they weren't doing certain actions with the whole situation of the war in mind. Then, they tone everything down, with no or very little blood. I'm not saying that you need to make everything bloody and gory to the endth degree, but at least make it accurate to some degree.
Brothers in Arms
This is my favorite series of WWII games. It is brutally and horribly accurate in its depiction of combat situations and the real drama between soldiers and enemies. I think that this is the series that does the best job in depicting what it was like to fight in World War II, and I hope that Gearbox Studios, the series' developer, keeps on doing this kind of job, giving gamers and people everywhere who couldn't have experienced WWII to at least get a little taste of what it must have been like.
Also, for those of you interested in World War II, there is a documentary called The War that looks very interesting that is set to air on PBS on the 23rd.
Movie Review #4: Saving Private Ryan
Overall: 4/4 Stars
Pros: Great visual style, battle scenes, pretty much everything.
Cons: Musical score.
First off, I'll get the obvious out of the way. This movie was amazingly beautiful to watch. The cinematography was brilliant and the battle scenes were amazing. Yes, the movie was bloody and full of swearing, but that really didn't bother me at all. The movie was amazingly well written, and each and every one of the characters was someone that I could relate to and I was interested in their well-being. Corporal Upham's story in particular was just something that I really felt rooted in across the entire movie.
Now, on to the part of the movie that really impacted me: the emotion. This is truly one of the first movies in a long time to make me cry, and it made me cry a lot. The ending is one of the most powerful endings I have seen in a movie ever, and it just touched me in a way that I didn't think was possible. Also, the battle scenes stirred something in me. I think it would be disrespectful to call them 'cool' or 'awesome', but what they really did is show the true atrocity and brutality of war. The shot in which the one soldier is blown to pieces by a sticky bomb is one particular image that has just stuck with me. Most people called this a bloody movie, but to be honest, it didn't really impact me like I thought it would. I came into the movie expecting a massive bloodbath, but it wasn't really like that, it was more subdued and a lot of little bits of blood to add up to a larger amount of blood total. There were a few moments that were quite gruesome, such as one man picking up his own arm that had just been blown off, or another where a man literally holds his own guts inside his body, but those kinds of moments were far and few between. The main thing thta this movie made me do was reflect. My grandfather served in World War II, and just thinking about that makes me realize what a brave man my grandfather was, and how much honor he really deserves. That was the real success of Saving Private Ryan.
I think right after this I'll write down my thoughts on WWII video games...
Pros: Great visual style, battle scenes, pretty much everything.
Cons: Musical score.
First off, I'll get the obvious out of the way. This movie was amazingly beautiful to watch. The cinematography was brilliant and the battle scenes were amazing. Yes, the movie was bloody and full of swearing, but that really didn't bother me at all. The movie was amazingly well written, and each and every one of the characters was someone that I could relate to and I was interested in their well-being. Corporal Upham's story in particular was just something that I really felt rooted in across the entire movie.
Now, on to the part of the movie that really impacted me: the emotion. This is truly one of the first movies in a long time to make me cry, and it made me cry a lot. The ending is one of the most powerful endings I have seen in a movie ever, and it just touched me in a way that I didn't think was possible. Also, the battle scenes stirred something in me. I think it would be disrespectful to call them 'cool' or 'awesome', but what they really did is show the true atrocity and brutality of war. The shot in which the one soldier is blown to pieces by a sticky bomb is one particular image that has just stuck with me. Most people called this a bloody movie, but to be honest, it didn't really impact me like I thought it would. I came into the movie expecting a massive bloodbath, but it wasn't really like that, it was more subdued and a lot of little bits of blood to add up to a larger amount of blood total. There were a few moments that were quite gruesome, such as one man picking up his own arm that had just been blown off, or another where a man literally holds his own guts inside his body, but those kinds of moments were far and few between. The main thing thta this movie made me do was reflect. My grandfather served in World War II, and just thinking about that makes me realize what a brave man my grandfather was, and how much honor he really deserves. That was the real success of Saving Private Ryan.
I think right after this I'll write down my thoughts on WWII video games...
Sunday, September 16, 2007
My Fascination With the Unknown
Without any doubt, 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the greatest films ever made, and really, its one that I very much enjoyed. Right now, I'm reading 2010: The Second Odyseey, a continuation of the movies that was written by Arthur C. Clarke, the original book's author and co-author of the screenplay. There are also two other books, 2061 and 3001.
To be honest, I didn't really get the movie when I saw it for the first time. It was just too wierd, and the plot wasn't really expressed or told to the viewer, they really had to look and find it for themselves. I guess that was what really threw me off the first time through. Now, watching it again, I realize just how awesome it really is. I don't really have the time or the ability to write down every single thing that I find awesome about the movie, but I do have to say, it is just awesome. Maybe sometime I'll get around to writing a review of it...
To be honest, I didn't really get the movie when I saw it for the first time. It was just too wierd, and the plot wasn't really expressed or told to the viewer, they really had to look and find it for themselves. I guess that was what really threw me off the first time through. Now, watching it again, I realize just how awesome it really is. I don't really have the time or the ability to write down every single thing that I find awesome about the movie, but I do have to say, it is just awesome. Maybe sometime I'll get around to writing a review of it...
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Movie Review #3 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
The third part of a trilogy.
Overall: 2/4 Stars
Pros: Witty dialogue, okay music, some good battles, and great special effects.
Cons: Stupid story, some pretty boring characters, unbelievable and impractical battles and situations.
So, really, I loved the first two Pirates movies, and so I had high expectations for this third one. Boy was I let down. First off, lets start with my chief complaint, the story. The first two movies did an admirable job of mixing the supernatural and pirate themes together, while this one focuses almost exclusively on the former, making the entire movie more about mythology and pirate lords and pirate legends and stuff like that. The movie concentrated more on becoming a spectacle unto itself instead of fitting in with the other two movies and becoming an awesome and epic trilogy. The music for this entry was done by Hans Zimmer, who composed the music for the second movie as well, and really I was quite disappointed. Really, I only heard the main Pirates themes that I know and love about 10 times in the whole movie, mostly in the background so that you could barely hear them. That was a major disappointment to me. The visual effects are as good as ever, and I really admire what ILM has done, but they can't help save an overall disappointing movie experience.
Overall: 2/4 Stars
Pros: Witty dialogue, okay music, some good battles, and great special effects.
Cons: Stupid story, some pretty boring characters, unbelievable and impractical battles and situations.
So, really, I loved the first two Pirates movies, and so I had high expectations for this third one. Boy was I let down. First off, lets start with my chief complaint, the story. The first two movies did an admirable job of mixing the supernatural and pirate themes together, while this one focuses almost exclusively on the former, making the entire movie more about mythology and pirate lords and pirate legends and stuff like that. The movie concentrated more on becoming a spectacle unto itself instead of fitting in with the other two movies and becoming an awesome and epic trilogy. The music for this entry was done by Hans Zimmer, who composed the music for the second movie as well, and really I was quite disappointed. Really, I only heard the main Pirates themes that I know and love about 10 times in the whole movie, mostly in the background so that you could barely hear them. That was a major disappointment to me. The visual effects are as good as ever, and I really admire what ILM has done, but they can't help save an overall disappointing movie experience.
Movie Review #2 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Here's the second movie...
Overall: 3/4 Stars
Pros: Still great and witty dialogue, truly breathtaking special effects, and an interesting if not awesome plot still add up to a quality movie experience.
Cons: It's a little drawn out, and it just isn't as good as the first one.
This was on the top of my list of movies to see when it first came out, then when I saw it I was utterly confused about everything in it up until I saw it again, at which point I understood everything in it. However, even then I wasn't pleased with the movie as a whole. First off, this time, they didn't really concentrate on making it just one self contained movie, they had to make it this big thing where there would be a third movie that would finish it all off, and really I didn't like that all that much. Add in the fact that you really had to pay attention to every single thing going on around you in order to understand it completely makes it hard for a person to enjoy it within a casual and simplistic context. The music was good, though not as good as the first movie's, and everything really added up to make the movie a great one, but still, great music, dialogue and visual effects doesn't make up for a confusing plot.
One facet of this movie deserves special mention: the visual effects. Ever since the original Star Wars, everyoen has known what ILM could do, but up until now, they haven't done as good a job as they did on this movie. To be honest, the first time that I saw it, I thought that Davy Jones was simply a guy in a suit with a few special effects touch ups, it was that detailed and realistic. The guys there simply create some of the best visual and special effects ever, hands down, and this movie really shows the quality of work that they can do.
Overall: 3/4 Stars
Pros: Still great and witty dialogue, truly breathtaking special effects, and an interesting if not awesome plot still add up to a quality movie experience.
Cons: It's a little drawn out, and it just isn't as good as the first one.
This was on the top of my list of movies to see when it first came out, then when I saw it I was utterly confused about everything in it up until I saw it again, at which point I understood everything in it. However, even then I wasn't pleased with the movie as a whole. First off, this time, they didn't really concentrate on making it just one self contained movie, they had to make it this big thing where there would be a third movie that would finish it all off, and really I didn't like that all that much. Add in the fact that you really had to pay attention to every single thing going on around you in order to understand it completely makes it hard for a person to enjoy it within a casual and simplistic context. The music was good, though not as good as the first movie's, and everything really added up to make the movie a great one, but still, great music, dialogue and visual effects doesn't make up for a confusing plot.
One facet of this movie deserves special mention: the visual effects. Ever since the original Star Wars, everyoen has known what ILM could do, but up until now, they haven't done as good a job as they did on this movie. To be honest, the first time that I saw it, I thought that Davy Jones was simply a guy in a suit with a few special effects touch ups, it was that detailed and realistic. The guys there simply create some of the best visual and special effects ever, hands down, and this movie really shows the quality of work that they can do.
Movie Review #1 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
So today I thought I would mix it up and review all three of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. This here is the first one!
Overall: 4/4 Stars
Pros: Great story, witty dialogue, and some of the best movie music ever combine to create a really awesome time.
Cons: Does it really have to end?
The first time I saw this movie, it was instantly my favorite movie. Everything in it was amazing, the visual effects, the swordplay, the dialogue, the story...everything. It made for a really entertaining two hours, and it is a surprisingly good film to watch over again several times. The whole supernatural element mixed in with the whole pirate theme is one that just gives me goosebumps because it usually wouldn't work, but in this case they made it work in such a way that almost as soon as the wierd things started happening, I was hooked and lost all doubts about the movie.
There is a part of this movie that deserves special mention here: the music. Klaus Badelt, a little known German composer working in Hans Zimmer's studio, has composed here one of the absolute best soundtrack's of all time, rivaling Star Wars to such a degree that I really cannot pick a favorite. I have the soundtrack, and I listen to it as often as I can. There's something about it that just excites me and energizes me, why, I don't know, but it does. Really, if you consider yourself to be a movie lover, go see this movie if you haven't already, and if you consider yourself a lover of 'modern' classical music, i. e. movie soundtracks, then go out and get this music immediately.
Overall: 4/4 Stars
Pros: Great story, witty dialogue, and some of the best movie music ever combine to create a really awesome time.
Cons: Does it really have to end?
The first time I saw this movie, it was instantly my favorite movie. Everything in it was amazing, the visual effects, the swordplay, the dialogue, the story...everything. It made for a really entertaining two hours, and it is a surprisingly good film to watch over again several times. The whole supernatural element mixed in with the whole pirate theme is one that just gives me goosebumps because it usually wouldn't work, but in this case they made it work in such a way that almost as soon as the wierd things started happening, I was hooked and lost all doubts about the movie.
There is a part of this movie that deserves special mention here: the music. Klaus Badelt, a little known German composer working in Hans Zimmer's studio, has composed here one of the absolute best soundtrack's of all time, rivaling Star Wars to such a degree that I really cannot pick a favorite. I have the soundtrack, and I listen to it as often as I can. There's something about it that just excites me and energizes me, why, I don't know, but it does. Really, if you consider yourself to be a movie lover, go see this movie if you haven't already, and if you consider yourself a lover of 'modern' classical music, i. e. movie soundtracks, then go out and get this music immediately.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Video Game Laws
I know that I've posted three times today, which is kind of a lot, but I really want to write this stuff down instead of waiting for a later date.
When I was at Wal*Mart buying my copy of GUN, probably sometime in December, I went up to the counter with my mom because I am under 17. I was going to pay for the game, and my mom was going to give permission for me to buy it. The lady wouldn't allow it. She said that store policy was no sales of M-rated games to minors at all. I tried to give my money to my mom so that she could buy it, and the lady said no again. I was still paying for it. My mom said that she would pay for it herself, and the lady said that she needed to hold the game so that someone could take it back to the shelf.
I went all the way back to the back of the store and picked up another copy of the game, gave it to my mom, went in a different isle and my mom bought the game for me. I paid her back, but still, both of us were kind of angry about it.
To clarify: the only law about the sale of M-rated video games to minors is that they must have the permission of an accompanying parent or adult. Whether or not it is legal or whatever for stores to have their own policies like that is something that I do not know. What I do know, is that it is annoying.
When I was at Wal*Mart buying my copy of GUN, probably sometime in December, I went up to the counter with my mom because I am under 17. I was going to pay for the game, and my mom was going to give permission for me to buy it. The lady wouldn't allow it. She said that store policy was no sales of M-rated games to minors at all. I tried to give my money to my mom so that she could buy it, and the lady said no again. I was still paying for it. My mom said that she would pay for it herself, and the lady said that she needed to hold the game so that someone could take it back to the shelf.
I went all the way back to the back of the store and picked up another copy of the game, gave it to my mom, went in a different isle and my mom bought the game for me. I paid her back, but still, both of us were kind of angry about it.
To clarify: the only law about the sale of M-rated video games to minors is that they must have the permission of an accompanying parent or adult. Whether or not it is legal or whatever for stores to have their own policies like that is something that I do not know. What I do know, is that it is annoying.
Game Review: GUN (Xbox)
Today I thought that I would post again, and so I decided to do another game review. Here you go...
GUN (Xbox)
Overall Score: 8.5/10
Pros: Quickdraw mode is awesome, super great voice acting and story, silky controls
Cons: Graphics ain't exactly the greatest, but that's okay, and it felt less open-ended and more simplistic and linear
I have wanted this game forever, and so when I finally picked it up (The lady at Wal*Mart was mean, maybe I'll write about that later tonight), I was instantly immersed in the game. Then, after awhile, I got stuck with one of the bosses and put the game to the side. Later on, probably two months later, I picked the game back up, sat down, and played. Two days later, I was done with the game, having probably played it for nearly eight hours total over those two days. The story that the writers at Neversoft have penned is amazing, and is perfectly complemented by the amazing voice cast. The in-engine cut-scenes were always amazing to look at, even though the game's ending left off at a wierd point. The gameplay is great, and the third person perspective works in a way that I didn't think it would. It feels like a first person shooter when you're playing it, giving you total control over Colton throughout the game. Quickdraw Mode is especially fun, and I was absolutely delighted one time when I entered into Quickdraw Mode, shot an enemy in the right side of his head, and then watched chunks of his skull fly off, only on that side just as his head whipped around in that direction. Now that's good graphics, animation, and physics all rolled into one. Overall, if you're a first or third person shooter fan, snatch this game up right away, it is just that good. If you're not a shooter fan but you really like good stories, still buy the game, because 1) the story will hook you in, 2) the shooting is simple and easy, and may just suck you into the genre as a whole, and 3) the game is not very hard and not very long, which makes it a great find for gamers who don't have a lot of time to invest in a title.
Concept: A video game spaghetti western that is practically perfect.
Graphics: The in-game cutscenes are really good and show off an impressive use of motion capture and key-frame animation. The graphics as a whole, however, are very detailed for an open world game, but still not the prettiest.
Sound: The music fits in perfectly, and is really just as good as any hollywood movie that you go see today. If you really want to get a taste for it, just sit and let the game idle at its title screen just to listen to the music. I did this a number of times.
Playability: The camera works perfectly most of the time, the AI is pretty smart, the controls are great, and the Quickdraw Mode is one of my favorite video game features ever.
Entertainment: The game is pretty easy, and the story alone makes it worth picking up over and over again, or at least once a year for a complete playthrough.
Replay Value: High.
GUN (Xbox)
Overall Score: 8.5/10
Pros: Quickdraw mode is awesome, super great voice acting and story, silky controls
Cons: Graphics ain't exactly the greatest, but that's okay, and it felt less open-ended and more simplistic and linear
I have wanted this game forever, and so when I finally picked it up (The lady at Wal*Mart was mean, maybe I'll write about that later tonight), I was instantly immersed in the game. Then, after awhile, I got stuck with one of the bosses and put the game to the side. Later on, probably two months later, I picked the game back up, sat down, and played. Two days later, I was done with the game, having probably played it for nearly eight hours total over those two days. The story that the writers at Neversoft have penned is amazing, and is perfectly complemented by the amazing voice cast. The in-engine cut-scenes were always amazing to look at, even though the game's ending left off at a wierd point. The gameplay is great, and the third person perspective works in a way that I didn't think it would. It feels like a first person shooter when you're playing it, giving you total control over Colton throughout the game. Quickdraw Mode is especially fun, and I was absolutely delighted one time when I entered into Quickdraw Mode, shot an enemy in the right side of his head, and then watched chunks of his skull fly off, only on that side just as his head whipped around in that direction. Now that's good graphics, animation, and physics all rolled into one. Overall, if you're a first or third person shooter fan, snatch this game up right away, it is just that good. If you're not a shooter fan but you really like good stories, still buy the game, because 1) the story will hook you in, 2) the shooting is simple and easy, and may just suck you into the genre as a whole, and 3) the game is not very hard and not very long, which makes it a great find for gamers who don't have a lot of time to invest in a title.
Concept: A video game spaghetti western that is practically perfect.
Graphics: The in-game cutscenes are really good and show off an impressive use of motion capture and key-frame animation. The graphics as a whole, however, are very detailed for an open world game, but still not the prettiest.
Sound: The music fits in perfectly, and is really just as good as any hollywood movie that you go see today. If you really want to get a taste for it, just sit and let the game idle at its title screen just to listen to the music. I did this a number of times.
Playability: The camera works perfectly most of the time, the AI is pretty smart, the controls are great, and the Quickdraw Mode is one of my favorite video game features ever.
Entertainment: The game is pretty easy, and the story alone makes it worth picking up over and over again, or at least once a year for a complete playthrough.
Replay Value: High.
Fun in Games, and my Awful RPG Skills
Fun in video games is something that is rarely championed anymore. If you look at any video game magazine's coverage of upcoming or even already released games, what they mainly champion are the graphics, sound, and sometimes the gameplay. While this isn't expressly wrong, it is also not expressly right.
What people, and I'm including consumers, developers, and reviewers, need to concentrate on is something that has been around since the beginning of gaming: fun. Today, I was playing through the original Splinter Cell. I had only gotten through the first two levels before, and today I started really getting into it and am now on the CIA headquarters level. I'm making good progress in the game, but what I'm really doing is having fun!
Now sure, I get frustrated from time to time in the game, mostly just because I keep getting caught, but I'm having fun nonetheless. The same is true about when I recently played through Ninja Gaiden. Now I'm not saying that developers don't concentrate on fun when they are making the game, because I am sure that they do, but really what I'm getting at is that they don't champion the fact that their game is fun. You don't see previews of major games that concentrate on what a gas the game is to play, you see them talking technical specifications for the visuals, new gameplay gimmicks, and new characters. What I really want in a game preview, is all of that stuff, plus a report on how fun the game actually is!
Now, recently I read an interview (I can't remember where, might have been on Game Informer's website) where some game designer, I think it was Denis Dyack, said that previews shouldn't be opinionated. I think that they should be! I think that previewers should give the gamers their honest opinion of a game, from the visuals to the gameplay and everything inbetween, including how fun the game is! Sure, it may hurt the developer in the long run, but what it does is it just makes them do a better job at making an awesome game, and it gives gamers an honest opinion on what a game is like. That way, they don't feel gipped when they buy a game that a reviewer said was great and then they hate it. Instead, they can decide from the beginning about whether or not they want the game.
But hey, that's just my opinion.
Onto other matters...
Now I love RPG's. I love the stories, the visuals and the gameplay. The one thing that I do not like, is the fact that I will rapidly progress through a game, and then come upon a boss that requires me to go back and level up for a ridiculous amount of time before I can defeat him and continue to progress in the game.
That being said, it is easy to see that I am not that great at RPG's. I love the, but unfortunately I have never beaten any real RPG (I've beaten Fable, but that debate is for another time). What I want, is an RPG that is as great and as immersive as Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy XII, but with gameplay that literally progresses just as I do, so that enemies only get stronger when I level up, and that bosses are tuned to the level that I am on, so that you don't have one big hulking boss that you can' t get past until you've gone back and fought enemy after enemy over and over again to get to the next level!
Sure, this may sound simplistic and 'stupid' to big RPG nerds, but for those of us who love game stories and RPG's, and yet aren't good at them, this would be one of the most awesome games ever! Maybe Blue Dragon, which I just picked up, is like this somewhat. I sure hope so, because I really want to beat this one.
What people, and I'm including consumers, developers, and reviewers, need to concentrate on is something that has been around since the beginning of gaming: fun. Today, I was playing through the original Splinter Cell. I had only gotten through the first two levels before, and today I started really getting into it and am now on the CIA headquarters level. I'm making good progress in the game, but what I'm really doing is having fun!
Now sure, I get frustrated from time to time in the game, mostly just because I keep getting caught, but I'm having fun nonetheless. The same is true about when I recently played through Ninja Gaiden. Now I'm not saying that developers don't concentrate on fun when they are making the game, because I am sure that they do, but really what I'm getting at is that they don't champion the fact that their game is fun. You don't see previews of major games that concentrate on what a gas the game is to play, you see them talking technical specifications for the visuals, new gameplay gimmicks, and new characters. What I really want in a game preview, is all of that stuff, plus a report on how fun the game actually is!
Now, recently I read an interview (I can't remember where, might have been on Game Informer's website) where some game designer, I think it was Denis Dyack, said that previews shouldn't be opinionated. I think that they should be! I think that previewers should give the gamers their honest opinion of a game, from the visuals to the gameplay and everything inbetween, including how fun the game is! Sure, it may hurt the developer in the long run, but what it does is it just makes them do a better job at making an awesome game, and it gives gamers an honest opinion on what a game is like. That way, they don't feel gipped when they buy a game that a reviewer said was great and then they hate it. Instead, they can decide from the beginning about whether or not they want the game.
But hey, that's just my opinion.
Onto other matters...
Now I love RPG's. I love the stories, the visuals and the gameplay. The one thing that I do not like, is the fact that I will rapidly progress through a game, and then come upon a boss that requires me to go back and level up for a ridiculous amount of time before I can defeat him and continue to progress in the game.
That being said, it is easy to see that I am not that great at RPG's. I love the, but unfortunately I have never beaten any real RPG (I've beaten Fable, but that debate is for another time). What I want, is an RPG that is as great and as immersive as Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy XII, but with gameplay that literally progresses just as I do, so that enemies only get stronger when I level up, and that bosses are tuned to the level that I am on, so that you don't have one big hulking boss that you can' t get past until you've gone back and fought enemy after enemy over and over again to get to the next level!
Sure, this may sound simplistic and 'stupid' to big RPG nerds, but for those of us who love game stories and RPG's, and yet aren't good at them, this would be one of the most awesome games ever! Maybe Blue Dragon, which I just picked up, is like this somewhat. I sure hope so, because I really want to beat this one.
Monday, September 10, 2007
My Newfound Love of the The Sims
I am not much of a casual gamer. Really, I am a hardcore gamer. I buy the games that you need to buy the whole series to get any of the games, and then I play them through, memorizing every story detail, and everything about the game (Maybe not to the biggest fanboy degree, but still...), so that I am practically and authority on it.
That being said, it is easy to see that I rarely play casual games. Usually they don't do anything for me, and the only casual game that I play anymore is Rollercoaster Tycoon for the PC, which I only play sporadically (But when I do play it, I play it a lot). Now, add The Sims to that list.
I don't know what it is about playing with your created characters, but it is super fun to run their lives. I'm kind of new to it all, so I don't really get everything about the interface and the objectives, but I'm still having a fun time.
If you haven't played The Sims or Rollercoaster Tycoon, go out and buy them, because they are awesome games.
That being said, it is easy to see that I rarely play casual games. Usually they don't do anything for me, and the only casual game that I play anymore is Rollercoaster Tycoon for the PC, which I only play sporadically (But when I do play it, I play it a lot). Now, add The Sims to that list.
I don't know what it is about playing with your created characters, but it is super fun to run their lives. I'm kind of new to it all, so I don't really get everything about the interface and the objectives, but I'm still having a fun time.
If you haven't played The Sims or Rollercoaster Tycoon, go out and buy them, because they are awesome games.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
If you have been reading my blog at all, you know that I am a big Halo fan. However, I have to admit one thing:
If I were to have only one video game series that I had to play for the rest of my life, I would choose Splinter Cell.
Why? Well, here, I'll spell it out for you. I love Halo, and have probably beaten the first game at least forty times. I've also beaten Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory around eight times. Each time that I replayed Chaos Theory, I have felt that it was like a totally new experience, because the AI is always adapting, and you are always discovering new things in the game world. Each time that I have replayed Halo, it has been simple and pretty much the same every single time that you play.
Plus, I have to admit, the Splinter Cell series has some of the best graphics, sound, gameplay, voice acting, and stories of any video game ever. Everything is just awesome. Michael Ironside is awesome, and the supporting cast works out well. The graphics really help to immerse you in the game, and it just makes everything so more visceral.
Today, I went to the store and bought the Splinter Cell: Double Agent Collector's Edition for the Xbox 360. It was $29.99 new, while it used to be $69.99. Anyways, this entry in the series brings the level of graphical quality and gameplay quality up to amazing heights. Anyone seen the screenshots in Game Informer? The game looks amazing. I'm not sure if it really holds up that well while you're playing it, but...man does it look sweet.
Overall, if you haven't played Splinter Cell yet, buy one of every game in the series and then go crazy. The gameplay is awesome, although you do have to have some patience, and it just makes for a superlative gaming experience.
(Also, if you can, get the collector's editions of Chaos Theory and Double Agent, because they are worth it, especially the Chaos Theory one)
If I were to have only one video game series that I had to play for the rest of my life, I would choose Splinter Cell.
Why? Well, here, I'll spell it out for you. I love Halo, and have probably beaten the first game at least forty times. I've also beaten Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory around eight times. Each time that I replayed Chaos Theory, I have felt that it was like a totally new experience, because the AI is always adapting, and you are always discovering new things in the game world. Each time that I have replayed Halo, it has been simple and pretty much the same every single time that you play.
Plus, I have to admit, the Splinter Cell series has some of the best graphics, sound, gameplay, voice acting, and stories of any video game ever. Everything is just awesome. Michael Ironside is awesome, and the supporting cast works out well. The graphics really help to immerse you in the game, and it just makes everything so more visceral.
Today, I went to the store and bought the Splinter Cell: Double Agent Collector's Edition for the Xbox 360. It was $29.99 new, while it used to be $69.99. Anyways, this entry in the series brings the level of graphical quality and gameplay quality up to amazing heights. Anyone seen the screenshots in Game Informer? The game looks amazing. I'm not sure if it really holds up that well while you're playing it, but...man does it look sweet.
Overall, if you haven't played Splinter Cell yet, buy one of every game in the series and then go crazy. The gameplay is awesome, although you do have to have some patience, and it just makes for a superlative gaming experience.
(Also, if you can, get the collector's editions of Chaos Theory and Double Agent, because they are worth it, especially the Chaos Theory one)
Friday, September 7, 2007
The Greatest Game Ever Played-One of the Greatest Movies Ever Made
As I write this, I am sitting near my television, watching the movie The Greatest Game Ever Played, starring Shia Labeouf. Really, I hadn't even heard of the movie until one day when my mom picked it up from the library. I didn't have anything to do, and so I threw the movie in. I watched it, and was totally amazed.
First off, sure, the movie is about golf, but you know what, it is just awesome. The acting is superb, the cinematography is beautiful, and the visual effects blend in perfectly. People that I have showed the movie to are amazed, because initially they think that a movie about gold would be boring. Then, when I showed it to them, they were amazed, because it was really filmed more like an action film then anything. Really, the movie is just amazing, and I wish that it had had a better reception, because it really deserves a huge, massive, wide audience.
If you have not seen this movie, than what are you doing at your computer? Go see it!
First off, sure, the movie is about golf, but you know what, it is just awesome. The acting is superb, the cinematography is beautiful, and the visual effects blend in perfectly. People that I have showed the movie to are amazed, because initially they think that a movie about gold would be boring. Then, when I showed it to them, they were amazed, because it was really filmed more like an action film then anything. Really, the movie is just amazing, and I wish that it had had a better reception, because it really deserves a huge, massive, wide audience.
If you have not seen this movie, than what are you doing at your computer? Go see it!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe
The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite series of books. I like them so much that I ended up buying the 50th Anniversary Edition of the books, setting me back nearly $100. Then, one day, The Chronicles of Narnia book series was recommended to me. I bought all seven of them in one big collection and started to read. Instead of the hard read that I expected, since they were supposedly similair to the Lord of the Rings, they were extremely easy to read, and I got through them rather quickly. Just that first impression made them into some of my favorite books ever, so much, in fact, that my first ever attempts at writing a script was an adaptation of the books, because I believed that they needed to be made into a series of films that did them justice (Not those stupid TV movies).
Then, I heard about the film. I was worried, as any fan of any book is, that they would just ruin it through the process of Hollywood-ization. My family doesn't usually go to the movies, at least not when movies first come out (We usually go to the dollar theater), but ther was no option this time, we were going to go. The first thing that hit me about the movie was the opening sequence with the bombing planes. That was awesome, and one of the things that made me go back and re-read the books, because I didn't remember anything about the war being mentioned in the book. The second thing that hit me was the music. As I said before in my post about music, I loved this soundtrack, and it wsa really the first movie that really grabbed ahold of me, just through the music. The third thing that hit was the pacing. Really, it was a pretty slow movie if you look at it, but when you're watching it, you just don't realize that. The next thing that hit me ws the battle sequence at the end. Even watching it again now just on its own without watching any of the movie beforehand, I feel a wierd feeling of pride and joy at the sequence. Then, when you mix in the awesoem visuals with the music, it is movie heaven. The last and most important thing that hit me was the fact that the movie stuck close to the book, even sacrificing the quality of the movie for it. That is what I loved and what stuck with me. Now, I can't wait for the next one, Andrew Adamson better do a good job.
I actually bought the Extended Edition of the movie when it came out, and I have to say, anyone who liked the movie and hasn't seen the extended cut, look on eBay, because what little they add to the movie is worth it, and the special features are really cool too.
Then, I heard about the film. I was worried, as any fan of any book is, that they would just ruin it through the process of Hollywood-ization. My family doesn't usually go to the movies, at least not when movies first come out (We usually go to the dollar theater), but ther was no option this time, we were going to go. The first thing that hit me about the movie was the opening sequence with the bombing planes. That was awesome, and one of the things that made me go back and re-read the books, because I didn't remember anything about the war being mentioned in the book. The second thing that hit me was the music. As I said before in my post about music, I loved this soundtrack, and it wsa really the first movie that really grabbed ahold of me, just through the music. The third thing that hit was the pacing. Really, it was a pretty slow movie if you look at it, but when you're watching it, you just don't realize that. The next thing that hit me ws the battle sequence at the end. Even watching it again now just on its own without watching any of the movie beforehand, I feel a wierd feeling of pride and joy at the sequence. Then, when you mix in the awesoem visuals with the music, it is movie heaven. The last and most important thing that hit me was the fact that the movie stuck close to the book, even sacrificing the quality of the movie for it. That is what I loved and what stuck with me. Now, I can't wait for the next one, Andrew Adamson better do a good job.
I actually bought the Extended Edition of the movie when it came out, and I have to say, anyone who liked the movie and hasn't seen the extended cut, look on eBay, because what little they add to the movie is worth it, and the special features are really cool too.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Game Review: Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox)
The last game that I played and finished was Ninja Gaiden Black, and several video game magazines have suggested that those wanting to get into the video game industry should maybe write some game reviews, so here goes...
Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox)
Overall Score: 9/10
Pros: Great graphics, engaging combat
Cons: Crappy story, stupid save points, sometimes just gets too dang frustrating
Okay, so I picked this game up awhile ago, and then one day I decided to actually play it. First off, the game is awesome. The combat is buttery smooth, the graphics are great, especially the pre-rendered cutscenes, and it is just awesome altogether. However, there are a few drawbacks. One, the combat, while awesome, is super ridiculously hard against a lot of the enemies, and while that is good and engaging, sometimes it just becomes ridiculous, specifically if you don't have a lot of time to play. The same goes for the puzzles, which are brilliant, don't get me wrong, but maddening. Sometimes, I just wanted it to be a tad easier, and then when I finally solved the puzzle, I felt a lot better and happy that I had solved it. Even then, that feeling of anger stayed with me. Once, I was so frustrated that I slammed my Xbox controller into the ground, and now I have to hang onto it very tightly, because otherwise it buzzes uncontrollably whenever a game vibrates.
So overall, if you have some patience and some skill, go ahead and buy the game if you're intereested, otherwise, stay very far away.
Concept: Ninjas, cool creatures, and awesome girl characters make for ultimate gaming awesomeness.
Graphics: Super smooth and great. The character models look great, although some of them look a little shiny at times, and the pre-rendered cutscenes are to die for.
Sound: The music is pretty good most of the time, the sound effects are nice, so overal not too bad.
Playability: Pretty good, if not challenging AI, and pretty awesome controls, except maybe for the camera at times.
Entertainment: Perfect the first time you get through it, but I personally am not sure if I really want to play through it again.
Replay Value: Moderate.
Okay, so now every time that I beat a game, or anytime that I feel like review a game that I previously beat, I will do.
Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox)
Overall Score: 9/10
Pros: Great graphics, engaging combat
Cons: Crappy story, stupid save points, sometimes just gets too dang frustrating
Okay, so I picked this game up awhile ago, and then one day I decided to actually play it. First off, the game is awesome. The combat is buttery smooth, the graphics are great, especially the pre-rendered cutscenes, and it is just awesome altogether. However, there are a few drawbacks. One, the combat, while awesome, is super ridiculously hard against a lot of the enemies, and while that is good and engaging, sometimes it just becomes ridiculous, specifically if you don't have a lot of time to play. The same goes for the puzzles, which are brilliant, don't get me wrong, but maddening. Sometimes, I just wanted it to be a tad easier, and then when I finally solved the puzzle, I felt a lot better and happy that I had solved it. Even then, that feeling of anger stayed with me. Once, I was so frustrated that I slammed my Xbox controller into the ground, and now I have to hang onto it very tightly, because otherwise it buzzes uncontrollably whenever a game vibrates.
So overall, if you have some patience and some skill, go ahead and buy the game if you're intereested, otherwise, stay very far away.
Concept: Ninjas, cool creatures, and awesome girl characters make for ultimate gaming awesomeness.
Graphics: Super smooth and great. The character models look great, although some of them look a little shiny at times, and the pre-rendered cutscenes are to die for.
Sound: The music is pretty good most of the time, the sound effects are nice, so overal not too bad.
Playability: Pretty good, if not challenging AI, and pretty awesome controls, except maybe for the camera at times.
Entertainment: Perfect the first time you get through it, but I personally am not sure if I really want to play through it again.
Replay Value: Moderate.
Okay, so now every time that I beat a game, or anytime that I feel like review a game that I previously beat, I will do.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Film and Video Game Music
Today, I decided to write an article about something that I have very little expertise in: music. This year in high school (Ninth grade) I am taking music as my elective. However, instead of choosing an instrument (I play guitar, violin, viola, cello) I decided that I would do music composition. It's going all right, but not spectacular, but what I really want to write about now is how important music in film and video games, and tell you who my favorites are.
Okay, first off, games and films suck without the right music. Would Star Wars Episode III even be cool if it weren't for the music? Sure it had Darth Vader, but not until the end...okay, back on subject, music adds a whole other layer of interactivity between the audience and whatever is being played/watched. Sure, you don't really interact with it, but it just makes it seem more visceral. Right now I'm playing through The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay on my Xbox, and when that battle music comes up, man I'm humming along and I can't get it out of my head. What I really hate, however, is when I see interviews with composers and they're like, "Oh yes, we talk in colors, we just decide the color of the scene and I compose music to go with that color." Yeah right. I hate it when filmmakers talk like that. "Yes, we just had to get into character and get into everything." Whatever. You're making a movie. You're standing in front of a camera and delivering lines. Sure there is a little bit of skill involved, but not enough to give me that artsy fartsy junk.
Okay...way off track. Anyways, these are my favorite composers.
John Williams - If you've seen Star Wars, you know why
Howard Shore - Lord of the Rings is awesome in all respects, and Into the West practically makes me cry.
James Newton Howard - King Kong and Shattered Glass have some really awesome music.
Klaus Badelt - If you don't know who this is, look him up now.
Hans Zimmer - Sure he steals credit (Look up Klaus Badelt again, I seriously didn't know that it was he who did Pirates of the Caribbean until I bought the soundtrack), but he's pretty darn good.
And finally...
Harry Gregson-Williams - The Chronicles of Narnia was the first film that had music that really 'spoke' to me or hooked me. Also, Metal Gear Solid's 2 and 3 have some of the best music ever. I think that they should release yet another enhanced edition of MGS 1 just so that he oculd compose the music for it and make it truly even more amazing than it already is.
Okay, first off, games and films suck without the right music. Would Star Wars Episode III even be cool if it weren't for the music? Sure it had Darth Vader, but not until the end...okay, back on subject, music adds a whole other layer of interactivity between the audience and whatever is being played/watched. Sure, you don't really interact with it, but it just makes it seem more visceral. Right now I'm playing through The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay on my Xbox, and when that battle music comes up, man I'm humming along and I can't get it out of my head. What I really hate, however, is when I see interviews with composers and they're like, "Oh yes, we talk in colors, we just decide the color of the scene and I compose music to go with that color." Yeah right. I hate it when filmmakers talk like that. "Yes, we just had to get into character and get into everything." Whatever. You're making a movie. You're standing in front of a camera and delivering lines. Sure there is a little bit of skill involved, but not enough to give me that artsy fartsy junk.
Okay...way off track. Anyways, these are my favorite composers.
John Williams - If you've seen Star Wars, you know why
Howard Shore - Lord of the Rings is awesome in all respects, and Into the West practically makes me cry.
James Newton Howard - King Kong and Shattered Glass have some really awesome music.
Klaus Badelt - If you don't know who this is, look him up now.
Hans Zimmer - Sure he steals credit (Look up Klaus Badelt again, I seriously didn't know that it was he who did Pirates of the Caribbean until I bought the soundtrack), but he's pretty darn good.
And finally...
Harry Gregson-Williams - The Chronicles of Narnia was the first film that had music that really 'spoke' to me or hooked me. Also, Metal Gear Solid's 2 and 3 have some of the best music ever. I think that they should release yet another enhanced edition of MGS 1 just so that he oculd compose the music for it and make it truly even more amazing than it already is.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Short Stories
Today, I sat down and wrote a short story. This is interesting, because whenever I would work on a short story before, I would always write it as part of my series of short stories eventually to be collected into a book. Today, the short story that I wrote was a standalone story, and instead of being 20 pages, like those other stories usually are, it ended up being 8. This one I was thinking of sending to Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
It's pretty interesting, and it all came out of me sitting in front of my uncle's Windows Vista laptop trying to come up with a story. I figured that generally I only write Science Fiction, so I chose a category that turns up in sceince fiction from time to time (Cloning) and wrote a little on that. I also just read Anthem by Ayn Rand, and so that may have influenced the story just a little bit, but not too much. Hopefully some other people will like it.
Also, yesterday I finished up another short story in my collection of short stories, although this one was quite a bit longer, ending up at 56 pages over the course of 12 days, although if you looked at the days that I actually spent writing, it would really be around four or so. I sent that one off to my sister for proofreading, because I was thinking of getting that one published as a standalone story eventually in some science fiction fanzine or something like that.
On a side note, my uncle and aunt left to return to Chicago tonight. They're supposedly going to come out next year, but that may or may not work out in the long run. Anyways, just thought I'd mention that, because it means no more using the Vista laptop. So sad...
Anyways, maybe later I'll try and post that entire short story on here, once I figure a couple of things out.
It's pretty interesting, and it all came out of me sitting in front of my uncle's Windows Vista laptop trying to come up with a story. I figured that generally I only write Science Fiction, so I chose a category that turns up in sceince fiction from time to time (Cloning) and wrote a little on that. I also just read Anthem by Ayn Rand, and so that may have influenced the story just a little bit, but not too much. Hopefully some other people will like it.
Also, yesterday I finished up another short story in my collection of short stories, although this one was quite a bit longer, ending up at 56 pages over the course of 12 days, although if you looked at the days that I actually spent writing, it would really be around four or so. I sent that one off to my sister for proofreading, because I was thinking of getting that one published as a standalone story eventually in some science fiction fanzine or something like that.
On a side note, my uncle and aunt left to return to Chicago tonight. They're supposedly going to come out next year, but that may or may not work out in the long run. Anyways, just thought I'd mention that, because it means no more using the Vista laptop. So sad...
Anyways, maybe later I'll try and post that entire short story on here, once I figure a couple of things out.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Windows Vista
I'll be honest, I'm something of a Microsoft Hater. I don't really like them, and even though I use Windows XP (Just because the rest of my family needs it), I'd rather have a Mac.
Sure, I'll be honest, I want the video game Crysis so bad that I'm willing to spend a couple of thousand dollars on a Vista gaming platform...eventually, but really, I don't like Vista all that much. Between my anger over Microsoft and the horror stories over bugs, it just doesn't excite me.
The past couple of days, my Uncle from Chicago has been here, and he brought with him a Toshiba laptop with Vista on it. I've been playing around with it, and I have to be honest: it's pretty nice.
The interface and design, excpet for the Windows Start Button, are ripped straight out of Mac, but lets be honest, we can't blame Microsoft for copying the world leader in beautiful backgrounds and interfaces. I'd do it if I were them. As for ease of use, I wasn't really getting into the nuts and bolts of the thing, so I was really looking at it from the point of view of a basic consumer, and what I saw wasn't bad. Everything opens super quickly and super easily, nothing appears to hard to use or anything like that, and he's got a built in webcam on his laptop, so that comes up and works at surprisingly high resolutions with extreme ease.
Now I can't say that it convinced me to like it all that much, but for a first time experience, I came away rather pleased.
All right, here's a list of the only things I like about Microsoft:
1. Xbox (Includes Xbox 360)
2. Halo/Halo 2/Halo 3
That's it!
Sure, I'll be honest, I want the video game Crysis so bad that I'm willing to spend a couple of thousand dollars on a Vista gaming platform...eventually, but really, I don't like Vista all that much. Between my anger over Microsoft and the horror stories over bugs, it just doesn't excite me.
The past couple of days, my Uncle from Chicago has been here, and he brought with him a Toshiba laptop with Vista on it. I've been playing around with it, and I have to be honest: it's pretty nice.
The interface and design, excpet for the Windows Start Button, are ripped straight out of Mac, but lets be honest, we can't blame Microsoft for copying the world leader in beautiful backgrounds and interfaces. I'd do it if I were them. As for ease of use, I wasn't really getting into the nuts and bolts of the thing, so I was really looking at it from the point of view of a basic consumer, and what I saw wasn't bad. Everything opens super quickly and super easily, nothing appears to hard to use or anything like that, and he's got a built in webcam on his laptop, so that comes up and works at surprisingly high resolutions with extreme ease.
Now I can't say that it convinced me to like it all that much, but for a first time experience, I came away rather pleased.
All right, here's a list of the only things I like about Microsoft:
1. Xbox (Includes Xbox 360)
2. Halo/Halo 2/Halo 3
That's it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
