With 2011 – 2012 the NBA season looking more and more unlikely every day, I felt I needed to get my basketball fix somehow.  If I can’t watch the best players in the world play, why not take control of them in a video game?  The NBA 2K series has recently set the standard for National Basketball Association (NBA) video games.  While EA dominates the hockey video game market, 2K is the absolute leader for basketball simulation.  Last year’s NBA 2k11 was absolutely phenomenal.  It brought Michael Jordan back into the equation, allowing players to use him in the game to bring back those dominant Bulls teams.   The graphics, controls, and overall experience were heads above the competition.  It was so good in fact, that EA didn’t even bother releasing their NBA Elite game.  2K keeps upping the ante with NBA 2K12.  It takes everything that made 11 so good, and improves upon it.

The graphics in this game are beautiful.  Each player clearly resembles their real life counterpart.  The arenas are all gorgeous, from the glean off the buffed floors, to the logos on the court floors, it all looks and feels real.   It looks so good, my dad walked in while I was playing the game and thought I was watching a real life basketball game.  He obviously wasn’t aware of the looming lockout.

The sound and music are equally incredible.  The announcing is some of the best I’ve heard in a video game.  In some cities, depending on who they have on the microphones, it may actually be an improvement over their real life announcers.  I liked the soundtrack a lot too, which is usually good in 2K games.

After the successful introduction of Michael Jordan last year, 2K has added a ton of other greats to the game this year.  You can use vintage Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, and more. There are 15 total “Legends” whose terrific careers can be recreated within the game in great detail.  Relive the Larry Bird – Magic Johnson rivalries and much more.

One of the most popular features in the 2K series is the ability to create your own player to see how they stack up in the big leagues.  2K sports has built upon this and made the “My Player” functionality that much better.  You can now hear Commissioner David Stern call your name on draft night for your favorite team.  Enter yourself into the rookie skills competition, earn huge endorsement deals, pad your stats, and ultimately get your name on a huge franchise player contract.

Most of the modes are back, my favorite being Association mode.  Take your team from worst to first and watch the fans pack your arena to cheer you on.  You can now even take your association mode online to play against your buddies and see how you stack up in the online community.  The Playstation Network integration is seamless and a lot of fun.

Overall, this game is fantastic.  It takes what made the old NBA 2K games and builds upon it in every way.  The graphics, sound, presentation and game play are all the best around for basketball video games, and set the bar extremely high.  If EA wants to reclaim the top spot in the basketball video game market, they certainly have their work cut out for them.

For more game reviews check out ubethecritic.com.

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Who knew that a laptop stand could be so cool!
Promoted as the ‘World’s thinnest portable laptop Stand’ that is designed to extend the life of your laptop as well as your wrists, the AViiQ Portable Laptop Stand is ‘ready  to go when you are’ – literally. The AviiQ portable laptop stand is the laptop stand that is designed for people on the go. While other laptop stands are big, bulky and stationary, the AViiQ is a laptop stand that is designed for convenience and portability – and it works like this.

Constructed out of Hylite, a material that is composed of aluminum and polypropylene, the AviiQ portable laptop stand is flexible and rigid, easily strong enough to manage the weight of a MacBook Pro. The AviiQ portable laptop stand sets up in a second and folds down ultra thin when you are ready to go. When folded, for portability, the AviiQ  laptop stand is about the size of a piece of letter sized paper and weight only 5.5 ounces – has great strength, the weight of a feather and helps to distribute heat efficiently.

State of the Art – Technology meets Design

What does all this mean? It means that the AviiQ portable laptop stand can fit comfortably into a briefcase along with your Laptop and still leave space for lots of other items. It means your laptop will continue to operate at a cool temperature, extending the life of your laptop. The manufacturer claims, If the AviiQ portable laptop stand is used consistently, there is every possibility that the AviiQ will extend the life of your laptop and the life of the battery by up to 3 years, which in the end will more than compensate for the original cost of the AviiQ laptop stand.

But not only is the AviiQ portable laptop stand a practical product, the AviiQ portable laptop stand is also elegant and beautify designed. The AviiQ portable laptop stand comes in a variety of colours and finishes – white, black, silver and titanium.

Visit the AviiQ portable laptop stand website and view the online video to see the AviiQ portable laptop stand in action. I think you will agree that the AviiQ portable laptop stand is about as impressive and as useful as a laptop stand can be, complete with a no risk 30 day money back guarantee.

Available on line: $59.99

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Jersey Shore is invading everything, including gaming culture. Xbox Avatar users can now outfit themselves like characters from the MTV reality series, reports Shacknews.

For $2 you can have abs just like The Situation, or hair just like Snooki. Why you would want to look like this is another story.

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The video game industry hit a four-year low in May, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Video game sales apparently hit its lowest monthly U.S. profit since October 2006, totalling $743.1 million. That number may seem high, but it’s nothing compared to the $866.8 million of last year.

“A light slate of new releases is at the heart of this month’s performance,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier. “As a result of a lighter release slate, promotional activity at retail and in circulars was reduced as well, which undoubtedly affected not only planned but impulse purchases.”

Frazier says it is unfair to base all results on figures, though, as an increasing amount of video game sales derive from online or downloadable exclusive content purchases.

This year’s top selling game was ‘L.A. Noire,’ a murder-mystery action game set in old L.A.

I agree with the analyst. Much of today’s market comes from the online world, so we have to factor in the sales from that. I don’t think video games are going anywhere anytime soon.

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Sarah Michelle Gellar is going to be in a video game, and it’s going to be awesome.

Gellar will star alongside Robert Englund, Michael Rooker and Danny Trejo in ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops,’ fighting off zombies, of course.

Noted horror film director George Romero will lend his likeness to the game, inspired by his zombie film works. The new level, called “Call of the Dead,” will be included in the upcoming Escalation downloadable content pack.

“This is Treyarch’s tribute to the legendary George Romero, who truly defined the zombie genre and whose incredible work has been such an inspiration to our team,” said Black Ops director Dave Anthony. “It was an absolute honor to work with such an amazing and talented cast whose passion and energy brought their characters instantly to life. Fans are going to love this.”

Watch the video below to hear Gellar speak about the process. I’m so excited for her to come back into the spotlight, but I never anticipated this. It’s beyond my wildest dreams! (Yes, I’m fan-boying here, a little bit.)

The trailer for the game can be viewed here.

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It’s that time of year again, the start of the new hockey season and the launch of the newest version of the EA NHL Franchise. NHL 11 is the best one yet, and we can say this honestly as we had a chance to play it. To celebrate the debut, the good people at EA had a NHL 11 Tournament with top rookie prospects, including Taylor Hall, Tyler Sequin and Nazem Kadri.

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Hot chick on the cover? Check. Kind of resembles the Baroness from GI Joe? Double Check. Guns? Check – check her feet too, cause those high heels are packing heat too. Wait, what? From the get-go, you know this isn’t going to be a normal shooter. But just how far down the rabbit-hole does it go? Come with me for an interesting journey.

To be totally honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this game. On the surface, it looks like Devil May Cry and God of War thrown together, mixed in with a few of the more “respectable” character models from the Dead or Alive series for good measure. In other words, it had the potential for being something very entertaining, or something that felt like it’s been done to death a hundred times before, and that within minutes I would be turning off my Xbox and tossing the game and case back into the Give to Friends I Don’t Really Care About pile of games.

But along comes one of the most over-the-top, guns-blazing, unforgettable prologues I have every experienced in my 20 plus years of gaming. Without warning, you are thrown into what in most other games would be the lead-up battle to a boss fight, with seemingly endless wave after wave of enemies, just asking to be executed in the most over-the-top style you can imagine. Of course, at this point, you have had no proper introduction to the control system or special move-list, so you are basically pulling off random combos and incredibly well animated visceral executions without knowing how or why you are doing so. Did I mention that this was all happening on the face of a giant clock tower – as it is careening end over end down the face of mountain? Bayonetta is a game that reaches through the 4^th wall, grabs you by your face and screams “can you hear me now?” as loud as possible, while punching you repeatedly about the head and neck.

The art style for the game is very unique as well, which fits the over-the-top in-your-face atmosphere, from having still photo spreads for cutscenes (which are actually still images from a roll of film, interestingly enough) with the dialogue played over the images, to full out game-engine animated scenes mixed up to keep you on your toes. Bayonetta herself is apparently the last Witch on the planet, and has just woken up from a 500 year nap at the bottom of a lake, and is on a mission to find her memory and cause general havoc and chaos for the good guys – or bad guys, in this case. Every singles enemy in the game is an “angel”, replete with glowing halo’s over their heads, and your job is to eradicate them in the most awful and punishing ways possible. You even have the option of executing Punishment and Torture attacks, such as summoning an Iron Maiden to crush and destroy your enemies, or at later stages when you have improved your magic abilites, calling larger than life demons to eradicate all the enemies around you.

This just adds to the completely ridiculous, but incredibly enjoyable experience that Bayonetta actually is. Just when you think you’ve seen how crazy Sega let the dev team go with the game, along comes a disco-dance sequence in a graveyard, complete with Bayonetta looking into the camera and quipping that as long as music is playing, she might as well keeping dancing (!). The game continuously breaks the 4^th wall, drawing the player in with subtle references to past games, similar games, and even celebrities (if Joe Pesci hasn’t tried to sue yet, just call me a Wet Bandit).

Having the ability to collect magical items and then mix them together and create new and more powerful potions and spells is utterly engrossing, as only specific items will successfully mix with other items, and each time you try a new combination you are rewarded with a new in-game experience, as well as the ever-elusive Achievement Points. Even if you aren’t a fan of fetch-questing, most of the items are found in fairly mundane places, and are very easy to pick out of the back- and foregrounds. Don’t worry – this isn’t like finding all 240 of the Riddler’s puzzles in Arkham Asylum. These add more depth to the game, but aren’t completely necessary. The overabundance of easy-to-perform, entertaining and highly-stylized combo moves more than make up for magic spells.

From performing backflip executions, to planting your feet (or hands) and rotating the Left Stick to shoot surrounding enemies with your hands (or feet as the case may be) and having Bayonetta move like a ballerina through it all is a sight to be seen. There was obviously a lot of time and effort put into making the action of our heroine as silky-smooth as possible, and it shows; from her vixen-like slow walk to the way she can nimbly jump from one execution to a group execution, Bayonetta looks good. And the other character models throughout the game are nothing to sneeze at either – they might not have had as much time in the oven as Bayonetta did, but they look damn good.

While the sound effects in the game are probably considered standard fare for most shooters at this point, the soundtrack is what stands out in my mind as something that they really nailed. Having a booming orchestral sound during epic fights works just as well here as it does in key scenes if larger than life films- you can feel your pulse quicken in time with the music, which is of course timed with events in the game, and you feel completely immersed in the experience. Which is exactly what you want when you have to fight off a 100-foot Godzilla wannabe. You want your palms to be sweating just a bit, your pulse racing, and then you realize you have to take a breath cause you’ve been holding it for the last thirty seconds in anticipation of just how insane this battle actually is.

Unlike a lot of other games, the Normal mode is Bayonetta is actually set to “normal”, so you shouldn’t feel scared to start there, if you aren’t sure if Hard is really something you want to deal with. With properly balanced gameplay, collectability, customization of spells and magic, and incredible visuals and sound, Bayonetta is a great game that everyone needs to try. Its completely over-the-top, crazy, irreverent at times, but by far one of the most unique entertainment experiences to slide into my disc drive in months. It took what was fun about Dante, furious about Kratos, and threw in just enough comedy to create an amazing final product that you would be very sorry to miss out on.

Graphics: 4/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Sound: 4/5
Replay: 4/5

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It seems that the Moon Walk is the new black as more and more Michael Jackson merchandise is in the works.

According to TMZ, the King of Pop is set to star in a new video game that will essentially be a “dance karaoke.” Unlike many other ventures surrounding the deceased Jackson, apparently the pop singer’s estate is totally on board for this plan. Basically, gamers will see Jackson dancing on screen and then will be challenged to imitate his movements.

The game, currently untitled, will be available on multiple gaming platforms including Wii and Xbox 360. The Xbox version will include Microsoft’s new Kinect motion capture technology which will allow players to participate in the game without holding a controller.

Also in the Xbox version, the player will be judged based on full body moves; the game will process the player’s movements and display them on screen, dancing alongside Jackson.

If that wasn’t spectacular enough for aspiring Princes of Pop everywhere, the game also includes a karaoke feature which will allow players to sing along to Jackson songs and even funk up their voices with an autotune feature.

The game is being developed by Ubisoft (the same company behind Assassin’s Creed and Ghost Recon) and they have apparently secured permission from Jackson’s estate, so this is sure to go ahead. The game is scheduled to be released sometime before Christmas.

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I’m going to get something off my chest right out of the gate: I haven’t been a fan of baseball nor baseball videogames for the last decade or so. Watching the game can be downright boring, and playing a virtual representation seems to result in little more than timing mini-games and a few button presses.

Then along comes Visual Concepts’ MLB 2K10. For the first time since I last held aloft a piece of lumber, here’s a video game that actually made me feel like I was playing the game again. Everything feels crisp, clean, and connected – as if you are actually on the mound dueling with the batter, desperately trying to keep the sweat out of your eyes as you look down another full count with the bases loaded.

The presentation of the 2K10 is spot on, from the commercial bumpers during the telecast, to the voiceovers calling the shots during the games themselves. Having spent enough time running bases and trying to make double plays, I have yet to hear a repeat canned soundbite, which was a great surprise and welcome change from previous years’ entries. You get the best of both worlds from Visual Concepts’ setup – all of the stats and random personal facts that hardcore hardball fans crave, but enough of the “seen on TV” presentation that it flows wonderfully into you actually stepping into the batter’s box to see just how far you can crank that sliding fastball.

Your options for gameplay seems to have improved significantly as well. You can play any MLB game currently being played, or set up to be played on a specific day through MLB Today. It’s always fun to see if you can do a better job than the big boys at there own game (or feel as humbled as they do when things don’t exactly work out the way you wanted them to). Home Run Derby is included, and is pretty much exactly what it claims to be: hit homers, anything else is an out, get the most points. My Player is the heart of the game, and you’ll definitely find yourself spending the majority of time grinding away through this mode. You create a rookie phenom, pick your favourite franchise to be drafted into, and then set off to try to become an MLB legend.

Skill points are awarded just about every time you hit the field. Hit a single, and you get points for hitting. Make an assist, and you get points for fielding. Cross home plate with a run, and you get points for baserunning. Strike out the side, and you get points for pitching. You can see where this is going. There are special objectives and clutch situations which provide extra points: you might be called upon to record an out in under five pitches, or work a hit-and-run when standing on first. You take part only in the plays that your player is involved in, which allows you to zip through entire seasons while still playing nearly every game on the schedule.

However, all the action you see depends on the position you choose, of course. If you play a pitcher, you’re right in there with every toss from the mound, and you can even get called up to the majors after making a measly five starts in AA. If you assume the role of a catcher (my personal choice, as that was my position back in the day), you just take your at-bats and step into the field every now and then to try to pick off steals for second, or bunts for easy outs at first. Unless you’re completely committed to your role, you will get tired of seeing the same few animations repeated over and over. Still, the role-playing aspect is superb, and you’ll find yourself feeling a real team vibe.

My Player is not only addictive – you can actually see your player working their way up with each improvement you give to their stats, adding a very nice RPG element to an otherwise good sports game – but very unforgiving at the same time. Especially if you choose anything other than a pitching role. The game becomes very tedious trying to fill out the criteria for being called up the majors. Want a power hitter but not too interested in a Willie Mays Hays? Good luck, because you need to get your baserunning speed up to 65 before a call will come down from any GM for you. This system needs a little tweaking, but overall there’s a lot of potential for something great over the next season. As long as the balancing act is polished up for next years’ release, My Player has the potential for drawing you in and keeping you there for a long, long time.

Visually, the game is beautiful. Player models are spot on, and facial expressions are not only visible this time around, but actually reflect what’s going on during the game. Pitcher has the bases loaded? Not only will you see a reaction on the player model, but you will feel the intensity as your controller vibrates to show how much pressure you’re actually feeling. This definitely makes controlling your pitches more difficult, but adds to the realism of the game – you have to line up where you want your pitch to end up while you’re setting up, then have to lock in your context-sensitive pitch. If you make a messy stick-move, or enter it too fast or too slow, you could throw it in the dirt or into the umpire’s face. This really adds to the dynamic of the pitcher-batter duel, and draws you even further into the game, allowing you to glimpse what it would actually be like to be out there on your own.

A few aspects of gameplay feel off though. At the default slider settings, everything in the field is too frantic when you’re out there, which comes as a bit of a shock when compared to the duel between pitchers and batters. Speed isn’t so extreme that you can’t make plays, but ball and player movements have been accelerated so that catches and throws often look unrealistic. Weird animations make this effect worse. It’s just about impossible to steal a base with anyone but the best runners in the MLB. You have to get off to a perfect jump: go a split-second early, you get picked off. A split-second late, and you’re gunned down by a throw that always seems to be dead. It’s immensely frustrating, particularly when you’re doing baserunning drills early on with a My Player prospect.

But these problems pale in comparison to issues with online multiplayer. The games are lag-filled, and seemingly impossible to get into, and if you do manage it, expect your opponent to quit out on you at the earliest opportunity.

MLB 2K10 is a very good baseball game but still needs to be refined in a number of areas, which keeps it from knocking the ball out of the park. Even still, the franchise has certainly taken a huge leap forward and sets the stage for next year’s game to make a legitimate run for the title.

Graphics: 4/5

Gameplay: 4/5

Sound: 4/5

Replay: 4/5

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To celebrate the launch of Xbox LIVE Block Party, Xbox Canada hosted the ultimate 80s throw back event featuring 80s celebrities and old school arcade games, even with the mullets. Check out the celebrity guests who made an appearance!

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God of War 3 is one of the most highly anticipated games ever. The game follows Kratos on his quest to avenge his family and take down the Gods of Olympus. It completes the God of War trilogy and provides a satisfying and bloody end to Kratos’ quest for revenge. The first two games set the standard for action adventure games and are both Playstation 2 classics. Needless to say, this game had very high standards to meet. God of War 3 lives up to expectations and sets THE standard for action adventure games.

Gameplay
The developers, Sony Computer Entertainment Santa Monica, took what was an already impressive gaming engine and refined it in every which way. The game play and controls from the first two games were already incredible and there was not much to be improved. As they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Sony polished all of the elements that made the first two games exceptional, and provided new weapons, abilities, and a gripping story to keep players glued to the screen.

While I have played the first two and am familiar with Kratos’ move set, the controls and combo system are simple enough that even a newcomer to the series can begin this game and within minutes be unleashing devastating combos with Kratos’ blades. Tight controls were a staple in the first two games and that remains intact here. Whether you are leaping over chasms, ripping medusa’s head off in a killing sequence, or swinging off a Titan’s back you always feel in complete control of Kratos.

Speaking of the Titans, who are your massive, condominium sized allies in the battle against Olympus, their presence alongside you provides a real grasp of size and sense of scale in the game. You are an insect on their gargantuan backs. You climb their fingers, battle enemies on their shoulders, and even navigate the inside of their bodies.

On your quest to Olympus you will face hordes of enemies and colossal bosses. You are equipped for battle with new weapon types, and magic specific to each weapon. There are several new features in combat. Kratos can now mount certain wounded enemies and use them to kill other enemies. However, this game is not a shallow hack and slasher. There are many puzzles and obstacles to overcome. Sony has added to the challenge by implementing new puzzle types. Taking a note from Guitar hero, there is even a music puzzle.

The camera is locked (unlike most third person action games) but this is not a problem, rather I believe Sony intentionally locked the camera to enhance the user’s experience. Whether it is a gorgeous view of Olympus with behemoth Titans climbing alongside you in the background, or strategically overhead while running up a staircase, the camera angles really add to the presentation and enhance the gaming experience.

Graphics
The first two chapters of the God of War trilogy set the standard for graphics on the Playstation 2. Sony triumphed again with God of War 3. It seems that they squeezed every bit of graphic processing out of the PS3’s cell processor. The results are graphics that are incredibly crisp, detailed, and in my opinion the best I’ve seen on the system.

Kratos is extremely detailed. From the scars he’s received in the previous games, to the blood that splatters all over his face during battle, the textures are so good that it is difficult to differentiate between the in game graphics and movie sequences.

The bosses and landscapes are equally gorgeous. Realistic water splashes down from Poseidon’s horse crab minions and the landscapes are each unique with their own ambiance. Mount Olympus is covered in snow and ice, with snowflakes falling onto Kratos, while the Underworld is a dark, brooding place with glowing lava pits and souls falling into the depths of Hades.

Sound
The sound effects, music and voice acting in the game are also top notch. TC Carson does an incredible job voicing Kratos. You can really hear and feel Kratos’ rage. Most of the characters benefit from great voice acting.

The music in the game is epic. It sets an appropriate mood for each unique level. You roam the Underworld and the music helps to create a creepy ambiance. The sound effects are extremely precise. Each step Kratos takes and each swing of Kratos’ blades results in a crisp, realistic sound. The graphics and the sound combine to provide an awesome overall experience.

Overall
God of War 3 seems to be perfect. Top of the line game play, graphics and sound. However, it is not without its faults. The game can be completed in around ten hours, and for me that was somewhat of a letdown because I kept wanting more! However, there are challenge modes, powerful upgrades, alternate costumes and difficulty settings that provide some replay value.

I am somewhat surprised that God of War 3 did not include online capabilities. Most of its competitors are providing online multiplayer these days. Maybe online death matches using the God of War 3 engine would be too chaotic for the internet to handle.

Another concern for people is that this game is EXTREMELY gory. Kratos shows no mercy to his adversaries and when he rips enemies apart he doesn’t hesitate to splatter their blood and guts everywhere. There are elaborate killing sequences for most foes and when completed they result in extremely gory kills. There are also several scenes which involve topless women and sexual references. Sex and violence did not negatively impact my experience, but for those who are sensitive to it, or for anyone buying the game for children, it is something to keep in mind.

Overall this game was absolutely incredible from start to finish. From climbing mount Olympus on a Titan’s back, to the final battle, I was awestruck and addicted. We can only hope that Sony provides us with another chapter of this incredible series or the fans and gamers will be the next ones seeking vengeance!

To read more reviews by Brandon, visit www.ubethecritic.com.

Gameplay: 5.0/5
Graphics: 5.0/5
Sound: 5.0/5
Replay: 4.0/5

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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.

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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.

When I spoke to Lead Cinematic Artist (and Edmonton native) John Palamarchuk he summed it up quite plainly, “This game looks like a PS3 Title” and I would have to 100% agree with him. The transitions between cinematic and gameplay are close to seamless. Finally a game that takes full advantage of the PS3′s hardware.

While John was hush hush on most of the story line he did confirm there would be some racy scenes with some naked ladies, more epic quick time events (one I saw involved Kratos prying open a ribcage of one of his enemies), and of course living up to the name of the game.

Kratos is not to be messed with and you should ensure that fact by purchasing God of War III right now.

God of War III is available now exclusively for the Playstation 3.

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I know it is not entirely original, but I do like how it turned out.
I’m sure we’ve all been there!

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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 15^th 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.

The fighting mechanic has also been overhauled for this second outing, and the changes have made an incredible difference. The controls are tight, responsive and the animations flow perfectly from one attack to another as you combine high and low punches to thwart your enemies. You still have access to your standard hidden blade, but it can now be upgraded to dual blades, one on each arm, which allows for some pretty neat kills, especially when you are surrounded by pesky guards. As you progress through the game, you establish your own stronghold, and can upgrade your own resources (such as armour, weapons and gadgets) as well as decorate the stronghold to your liking. While this is more of an aesthetic choice than a necessity to the gameplay, it does offer a nice break during the game, and a way to wind down and focus on developing Ezio into the assassin you always wanted to be. Teaming up with Leonardo Da Vinci through the game unlocks different suprises, although for the most part, you will more than likely be sticking to your traditional blades to do your dirty work, as they provide the most visceral and “personal” endings to your prey.

At certain points during your historical adventure, Ezio is tasked with raiding Tombs hidden beneath the three cities you are exploring. This is where the tight control and amazing camera-work come to life and show off exactly what the team at Ubisoft Montreal had been working to bring to life when they originally brought Assassin’s Creed to life. These are a mix of old-school platforming combined with fantastic puzzles, very similar to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. While Ezio might not be as nimble as the Prince – he can’t run along walls – he’s still incredibly nimble, balancing on rock outcroppings and deteriorating pieces of timber jutting out from crumbling masonry. These quests are a nice change of pace from the assassinations and other side-quests you come across walking through the pedestrian markets, and are a great tool in showing just how far this series still can go.

Overall, Assassin’s Creed II takes everything that was great about the original game, trims the fat of what wasn’t useful, and adds better controls, better scenery and an amazing voice cast and heartfelt story, and creates the game that Ubisoft (and gamers) originally wanted with Assassin’s Creed. This is a game that everyone needs to play, and if you haven’t already, sneak out right now and get your copy!

Gameplay: 4/5

Graphics: 5/5

Sound: 5/5

Replay: 4/5

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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.

Graphically, I have to say that Ubisoft once again has done what I thought would’ve been impossible. They manage to actually portray a convincing representation of Pandora, and do it in a way that respects the original medium. The jungle is teeming with life, from smaller insects to some of the larger predators that you can actually hunt or tame, depending on which side of the fight you’re currently on. The draw-distances throughout that game are beautiful, and the entire world seems to just be going about its business, whether or not you’re tearing through the jungle guns blazing or simple walking down a path taking in the sights and sounds. Character details are decent, nothing earth-shaking, but they get the job done. Cutscenes are presented with the in-game engine, which I was impressed with, as Ubisoft avoided using any clips from the film, instead allowing you to become completely immersed in this unique view of Pandora without worrying about filtering out expectations that come with using images from the Hollywood counterpart.

Sound design is both fantastic and dismal at the same time, but for completely different reasons. The sounds of life and nature throughout the jungle, and the effects from the weapons and vehicles are all spot-on. You can stand in one spot in the jungle and just listen to the variety of sounds coming from all around you, none of which seem canned and repetitive. The downside is when it comes to voice-acting. The dialogue is very stiff, and the actors don’t have any emotion behind what they are saying, which sucks the life right out of every single encounter with them. You just know that each time you have to report back to your superior you’re in for a boring short lecture, which is just repeated in text form about a second after the finish speaking to you. It’s almost like the other characters in the game are just as bored as you will be when they send you on some of the side-missions.

Some of these amazing side-missions are: collecting five types of a plant, but since you don’t know what they look like, you basically follow your map to a field and walk around; fixing sonic emitters that “were tampered with”, even though your character is a signal specialist, and admittedly knows nothing about sonic emitters; and then controlling vehicles that handle like bathtubs with bars of soap for wheels to simply get from point A to point B, even though you could’ve simply walked there instead (but you have to use the vehicles, otherwise the mission won’t continue).

Avatar has a multiplayer mode, but it feels tacked on instead of a fully developed gameplay mode. You have basic game choices, like capture the flag and team deathmatch, but once again, you’re faced with the fact that the humans are just simply better equipped than the Na’vi, and nobody wants to be on the Blue team. I’m still waiting to find anyone else playing this online to get a good feel for the multiplayer portion. Anybody out there?

Overall, James Cameron’s Avatar – The Game is a decent attempt from Ubisoft to follow up on the surprise that their version of King Kong was back in 2006. But at this point in the game, people are expecting more from games, especially movie tie-ins. The story is definitely thought out, but bad acting, lopsided weapon balancing, and a potentially player-less online mode relegate this game to the rental column, and even then only if you’re a die-hard Avatar fan.

Graphics: 4/5

Gameplay: 3/5

Sound: 3/5

Replay: 1/5

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!”

Fans who buy the God Of War III Ultimate Edition will get a voucher code to download the songs. A special code to get a director’s cut of the God Of War: Unearthing The Legend documentary will also be included. The Ultimate Edition will also come with seven challenges for players called God Of War Challenge Arena environment, as well as an exclusive Kratos skin and a limited-edition book.

The Ultimate Edition of God Of War III will be available on March 16 for the PlayStation 3 and will cost $99.99 U.S., which is about $106 Canadian.

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