Well lets face it none of these two items are of any particular use to me.
There has not been a good monster movie in some time as well, and the wolfman or cloverfield really were not my cup of tea.
Well that is my comic for the week- next week expect much better art since the Olympic coverage has taken its stranglehold off my mind.
Meet Kratos!
Before I begin my first impressions from the God of War III Preview Event, I will inform you I have never actually played a God of War game.
The only vague recollection I have is when I watched my friend playing God Of War II on the Playstation2 one night for 10 minutes.
Also sadly, I don’t own a Playstation 3, but this is the type of game to make me seriously consider buying one.
From the moment I started playing the game there was blood everywhere- as a gamer that reminisces with the first time I played Mortal Kombat and how shocked I was at the violence – this is a definite plus for me. The controls for a first time GOWIII player were simple enough- I mashed the buttons and Kratos delivered a Baryshnikov style performance of dismemberment and mayhem. By button mashing and using my magic alone I was able to almost beat the giant crab horse thingy that I kept killing and just wouldn’t leave me alone but eventually my n00b luck ran out and I was treated to a screen that bluntly stated “You Are Dead” multiple times. READ MORE »
For the most part, sequels of any medium, be they film, novel or video game, have a few important items to address on a checklist: better developed characters, a more enticing story, new locations, and most importantly, a sense of polish and completeness that the original, while perhaps something new and unique, was unable to be fully realized for any number of reasons.
Assassin’s Creed II manages to not only address all of these issues, but manages to throw out the entire list and make you wonder just how far the inevitable sequel will be able to go from this point.
Anyone familiar with the first Assassin’s Creed is aware of the ongoing war between the Assassins and the Templars. The story picks up immediately where the first game left off, with you starting out in the shoes of Desmond Miles. Luckily, this is quickly rectified, and you are whisked away to the Renaissance, landing in the middle of 15th century Italy. Immediately, the sense of history, structure and life that flows through the city streets is instantly believable, immersing you in the reality of the game world. Merchants sweep the walkways in front of their stores, businessmen walk the streets with an entourage in tow, all the while engaged in private conversations. Doctors and artists hawk their wares to the passing crowds, some of who even stop in for a quick peek before returning to their chore of the moment. The cities feel alive in a way that the first game lacked, and each character walking the streets is unique – very rarely will you see a repeat costume or face in the same block of cobblestone walkways.
What helps to bring these vistas to life is the fantastic musical score. From haunting melodies to angelic choirs, the music fits the scenery as well as the action throughout the entire world. Attempting to scale to the top of a church tower results in both an uplifting and equally haunting rise in the score, making the sequence feel scripted, even though you are in complete control of when and where you choose to start climbing, or even if you decided halfway up to perform a swan dive into a conveniently-placed ox-cart; and even then, the sound design doesn’t fail. Dive off a high enough ledge, and you hear the wind whistle past your ears, and your clothes begin to flutter faster and harder the longer you fall. It is this attention to detail that helps fully realize the world in which Ezio lives, and immerses you in a way that few other games have been able to do. READ MORE »
Another big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. Another tie-in video game. But this one has James Cameron’s name on the box, so it can’t be that bad, right?
To be fair, I had very low expectations for James Cameron’s Avatar – The Video Game. It immediately brought back horrific memories of playing through another movie tie-in videogame with a title as long as my forearm (Peter Jackson’s King Kong The Movie The Game). It has always amazed me that a videogame form of a film seems to need the suffix “The Game” tagged on to the end of the title, as if the general public wouldn’t be able to figure out that the product they are currently holding, which may say Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo on it, isn’t actually the film that’s currently in theatres, but a game based on said film. But I digress….
If you’re expecting any kind of spoilers about the movie from this game, you won’t find them. The game is set two years prior to the events of the film, and you play a forgettable character that really doesn’t matter. You have a wide range of choices at the start of the game as to your gender and race, but this has no affect on the rest of the game, as you soon become a nameless grunt stuck on both sides of the ensuing conflict on the planet of Pandora. The basic story is similar to that of the film in that the humans are on Pandora and the Na’vi don’t really appreciate them, but since this is a few years prior, things are a little less established, and the invading human force hasn’t set up such a large presence – at least, not yet.
Through the main arc of the game, you progress to fighting with the humans and then with the Na’vi, eventually allowing you to make moral choices as to which side of the conflict you feel more at home with. The problem with this is that the game makes it very hard to side with the technologically-inferior Na’vi, especially when you can pilot mech suits, use rocket launchers and flamethrowers when you’re human, and on the flipside use bows and arrows and command bees. Bees? Really? I think I know which side I’m going to be sticking with, thanks.
YAY! 25th comic!
Well this one was way overdue since it deals with the now canceled Tonight Show with Conan O Brien.
I wanted to do several Conan comics but instead chose to stick with this one. It’s sad but at the same time rather funny drawing comparisons from the finally of Metal Gear 3.
So Conan bows out respectfully and stays loyal to his fans and saves the Tonight Show brand.
I salute you Conan- can’t wait to see what you do next.
So I was watching a well known T.V show and they were doing a list of some of the most anticipated games for 2010.
As it turns out Batman Arkham Asylum 2 was on their list. If you have played the first title you would know the amount of hell Batman goes through and if I were Batman I would be just as surprised.
Oh how I loved the holidays! Yes! I am back!
Long overdue I suppose but better late than never.
So what has been happening? Well the gaming department at andpop is now a bit lonely since our Editor in Chief of Games Josh Salem embarked on his dream career. Josh now works for the Video Games Industry and we couldn’t be more proud and happy for him. We wish him all the best at his new exciting career! All the Best to you Josh!
So gaming wise expect our usual blogs and reviews to start up again. Also we have yet to announce a game of the year(seems like every game publication is doing just that) so I suppose myself and my fellow writers can blog about what we loved dearly this year.
Besides that I had a chance to sit back and finally play some long overdue titles. What kept me busy this holiday were Dragon Age: Origins, Tekken 6, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and I got a long overdue chance to finally play a bit of Rune Factory Frontier. Nothing beats the deep freeze better than chilling at home with a good game or two.
So then I will go ahead and reveal the comic for the week.
I watch a lot of late night T.V and I love watching both Jay and Conan.
Recently however NBC is creating quite a buzz by canceling Leno and trying to mess with the time slots.
They keep talking about ratings and to be honest it doesn’t make much sense.
Heavy metal bands Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Opeth, Dream Theater and Taking Dawn will appear on an EP that will be released to promote the upcoming God Of War III video game, according to CHARTattack.com.
The EP, God Of War: Blood & Metal, will be released on March 2, 2010 through Roadrunner, and features five previously unreleased songs that were recorded exclusively for the album. The CD will be part of the God Of War III Ultimate Edition.
“I have played God Of War on PS3 and PSP,” said Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones. “To be part of this game in any fashion is amazing.”
“Let the rivers flow red with blood there is vengeance to bestow,” he continued. “Bring me more new finishing blows to my enemies!”
Red box means you will buy it the second you see it
Return of the king
I was very skeptical about the New Super Mario Bros. Wii. For starters it seemed like the DS game was ported over to the Wii and given a slight visual upgrade. Also when compared to its 3D counterpart (Mario Galaxy) the title seemed very “last gen” to say the least. So I questioned how a decade old game with a new paint job would ever keep my attention.
Oh boy was I in for a surprise.
Super Mario Bros. Wii is unlike anything out there. Sure the same old story of Princess Peach being kidnapped by Bowser and his Koopa Kids is far from original, but the gameplay is classic Mario at its best. Granted it’s a reinvention, but does it pack enough variety and value to merit your hard earned cash?
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