Little Big Planet 2 Review for the PS3

As a part of CGR Undertow, I reviewed Little Big Planet 2 for the PS3.

EAT THEM! Review for the PSN

As a part of CGR Undertow, I reviewed Eat Them! for the Playstation Network.

EAT OUT YOUR HEART MARIO KART

I had a chance to sit down with Indycar and NASCAR racecar driver Danica Patrick. It wasn't to talk about the Indianapolis 500 or her transition to NASCAR or even those provocative GoDaddy.com Super Bowl commercials.

If you know anything about me at this point, you know it had to be about a video game. The video game in question, in which the very lovely Danica stars as the final boss, is called Blur.

Blur is a graphically beautiful game that has the real-time damage features of games like Need for Speed combined with the multiplayer and weapon caused chaos of Mario Kart.

Check out my interview with Danica below and then get ready to go out and grab an electric shooting Lotus or super turbo charged Mustang as Blur hits store shelves May 25th for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

JUST CHAOS

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

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

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



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

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

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



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

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

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



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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

-Ray Carsillo

HUNTER. SURVIVOR. PREY.

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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



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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Ray Carsillo

IN THE END, THERE WILL BE ONLY CHAOS

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

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

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



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

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

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



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

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

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



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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

-Ray Carsillo

FLY ME TO THE MOON

When one mentions Sega, the first thing that comes to mind, for most people, is a spiky blue hedgehog. However, Sega has taken steps over the past couple years to let people know there is a lot more to them than our superfast friend. First came Jack in last year's sleeper hit Madworld, with his chainsaw and the game's Sin City style sending gamers into a frenzy. Now, with the help of Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe director Hideki Kamiya, Sega unveils their latest creation: Bayonetta.

With guns in hand (and attached to each ankle), as well as swords, claws, and other weapons you acquire over the course of the game, Bayonetta, a 500 year old witch who escaped the witch hunts of the 15th century, rages her own personal war against the forces of heaven as she fights to not only restore the balance between light and dark, but also to restore the memories she lost when she was forced into a near five century hibernation by her fellow witches.

As soon as the game starts, Kamiya's style oozes out of the game with over the top characters and situations, a pop version of Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" blasting in the background, and an ageless battle between heaven and hell unfolding as you're immediately thrown into a face-off against several angel-like creatures.



The other thing you immediately notice is that the fighting system is exactly like Devil May Cry. It is to the point that you wonder how much work Kamiya actually did on this game or if he just redesigned his classic Dante as a female in a cat-suit. It's not to say that the system is poor, but points off for lack of originality. Also, the PS3 version lags tremendously compared to the Xbox 360 version so the fighting system on that console lacks the smoothness necessary to pull off many of the elaborate combos that define this fighting style.

One of the nice nuances added to this fighting style, and for many of the game's button prompt sequences, is that Bayonetta's power comes from her hair and that she uses her hair to serve not only as most of the construct of her cat-suit, but to construct giant fists and feet to finish off some of her more devastating combos. She also uses her hair to summon hellish demons to her side to finish off all of the massive bosses you have to deal with over the course of the game in some tremendous cut scenes.

To counteract the lack of originality in the gameplay, the game is graphically beautiful. Of course, a good portion of that deals with the emphasis on some of Bayonetta's...best assets...but even when not focusing on those select areas, the levels, the angel creatures, the demons, the bosses, everything looks like you really are invading a heavenly stronghold.



Throw in phenomenal voice acting (although it was weird that no voice actors were credited in the end credits), a great instrumental soundtrack and some great pop covers on a Frank Sinatra classic, and spot-on SFX and the peripherals for this game are top notch.

It is a shame that it looks like that the great music and graphics are mostly being used to try to cover up a plot with more holes in it than a Palm Beach golf course. As Bayonetta starts to uncover her memories, she comes across a small girl, who starts calling her "Mommy", that ends up being a time-traveling version of herself, and she has to fight her father, who might also be her husband, who is also the right eye of their god, and Bayonetta may have died, and then come back because of a magical gem, and that is why she hibernated, and...I am confused just writing this. When you also consider that everyone seems to make these unbelievable escapes, whether they are magical or not, and the plot might just make your head hurt like a fourth-rate anime.

If you can look past the plot holes and the Devil May Cry gameplay mirroring and get into the game, there is actually a lot of replay value for this considering it only has a one-player mode. There are endless collectibles and secrets to find as you progress through the game and after beating the game the first time through, you unlock hard mode. Mind you, a full playthrough on normal should only take you 12-13 hours, so even with the replay value; this game will probably give you a total experience of only 25-30 hours if you beat every mode and collect every item.



Speaking of collectibles and lack of originality, the economy system for this game to buy items and maneuvers requires collecting...golden rings. Really Sega? You couldn't just make some digital cash? Just because you call them "halos" in this game, doesn't mean we don't know what they really are. Such a setup is fitting for a game that is best described as "fun, but trite".

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

Graphics: 10.0: This game is gorgeous in every aspect. From the color schemes, to the facial expressions, to creature design, to water effects, this game delivers on the visual spectrum.

Audio: 9.0: I loved the cover of Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" along with a tremendous original orchestral theme. I could've used a fuller soundtrack though besides those two songs and that knocks this down a point. The voice acting was top-notch, even if no one knows who the actors were, and the SFX were spot-on.

Plot/Plot Development: 5.0: The plot was more convoluted than most animes and even after beating the game, leaves you asking questions about a lot of the characters. The character development was clearly more focused on how Bayonetta physically developed instead of how her personality should develop. Add-in that the game had a very fast pace to it, which was probably intentional, and you can see the plot was not a primary concern for the development team.

Gameplay: 7.0: The Xbox 360 was very smooth. The PS3 version was anything but. Taking away the glitches, the gameplay was still a blatant rip off of Devil May Cry and left you looking for more.

Replay Value: 8.0: A very good score considering this is only a one-player game. There are a lot of collectibles, a lot of unlockables, and you have to play through the game fully once before you can unlock hard mode.

Overall (not an average): 7.0: A lack of originality really hurts this score. There are games that take elements from other games, and then there are blatant rip offs. Bayonetta is the latter. It is a beautiful looking game that hopes some make-up and bright lights will cover up its deeper flaws. The plot is poorly developed, but the action is good, if not repetitive. A surprisingly amount of replay value for a single player game helps to give this game a passable score, but at the end of the day, I recommend this as a rental, not a purchase, especially if you are eyeing up the badly optimized PS3 version.

Bayonetta is available now for Xbox 360 and PS3.

-Ray Carsillo

THE HORSEMAN COMETH

Often when something works, and works well, it will have imitators and copycats come out of the woodwork and try to capitalize on the splash made by the original. This is especially true in the media world and in video games. The hottest trend right now is an oldie but goodie: the portrayal of the possibility of a coming apocalypse, an Armageddon. There are different spins put on it from heaven vs. hell, man vs. the supernatural, or some seemingly omnipotent being needing to be stopped from wreaking havoc, but in the end it all comes down to the same basic concept. In the first quarter of 2010, we have three such games coming out with this basic theme: God of War 3, Dante's Inferno and Darksiders with the original God of War series being the base concept.


Just because all these games may be similar in theme and execution, does not mean that they all can't be good. In fact, sometimes the imitators will surpass the original and blow the concept out of the water. The first of these three games released, Darksiders, might do just that.


Darksiders begins with hell on Earth erupting as the balance between heaven, hell, and Earth has been disrupted and Armageddon has been triggered early. You play as War, one of the four mythical horsemen who mark the coming of the end of days, and immediately know something is awry as your fellow horsemen have not appeared. As you move through city streets, trying to find the source of the disruption as angels and demons alike fight overhead, you come upon Straga, one of the most powerful demons to emerge from hell and watch as one of the leaders of the angels, Abaddon, is swallowed up like an appetizer for the things to come. You fight the demon, but like Abaddon, fall to the unparalleled might of this hellish monstrosity.



A century then passes as hell has consumed the Earth and the human race has been wiped out. You have been imprisoned for all this time in the depths of hell by The Council, an ancient race of beings whose sole purpose is to maintain the balance that you have been blamed for disrupting. Finally, the Council relents to your pleas to send you back to clear your name. They concede, but they pair you with a high level demon called a Watcher (played brilliantly by Mark Hamill), to make sure you will do the Council's bidding, and find out how, and more importantly, who caused the end of days before it was destined to.


Thus begins the story of Darksiders, a tale of redemption as you unravel a conspiracy that could invoke the wrath of a god.


Even with the overplayed theme, Darksiders is brilliantly executed. A combination of The Legend of Zelda and God of War series, the game is packed with both original characters, like Vulgrim the Soul Merchant, with whom you exchange the souls of your fallen foes for new weapons and fighting techniques, and those based in scripture like Azrael, the Angel of Death. Add in tons of actions sequences involving some epic boss battles and an ending that will leave you anticipating the impending sequel is more than enough for me to label this as the first must have game of 2010 (not that there is a lot competition right now).


The graphics are beautiful, from deserts where the sand is comprised of the ashes of six billion dead humans, to lush jungles that have reclaimed the cities that once dominated the landscape. Every creature has exquisite detail to them, from the scars on War's face to the talons of the giant bats that litter the twisted remains of the world.



Along with great looks, the game sounds very good. The music, although rather generic, helps set the atmosphere beautifully and the voice acting is top notch, highlighted by Mark Hamill who seemed to channel shades of the Joker from Batman: The Animated Series into the masochistic Watcher and Moon Bloodgood as Uriel, the angel who takes over heaven's ranks after the fall of Abaddon.


I also liked the fact how, aside from the opening and closing movies, the game really focuses more on the action, the fighting, and the platforming and avoids unnecessarily long cut scenes to forward the plot. Possibly this was a move to avoid too many comparisons to the style of games this is clearly based off of since the gameplay easily can draw a lot of parallels to more well-established franchises.


The gore and fighting mechanics are very similar to that of God of War with only a handful of buttons really being needed to mash your way across your typical desert, water, jungle, and fire areas. This goes along nicely with the "me against the world" theme from that franchise.


More parallels can be seen in the items you acquire over the course of the game since almost all of them have appeared in The Legend of Zelda at some point or another. The abyssal chain is exactly like the hookshot, your horse Ruin is reminiscent of Epona, the Crossblade is just like the boomerang, etc. So, the gameplay isn't anything you haven't seen before and lacks any real originality. Along with this, there are a few glitches as the game progresses and can be very frustrating when you fall into a bottomless pit when the game glitches mid-jump.



Still though, there is a reason why people love The Legend of Zelda and it was nice to see a game with hard puzzles and tremendous temples. The outside world wasn't as epic as I would have liked, considering the entire Earth was supposed to be wiped out. It doesn't seem like you're traveling more than through the five NYC boroughs.


The game should take you 15-20 hours to completely beat, but there isn't much to bring you back for a second playthrough. If there were any collectibles or achievements you missed the first time through they could bring you back for a little while, but otherwise this is a one and done.


Even with the aforementioned lack of originality, this game is a lot of fun and does a great job drawing you into the post-apocalyptic world. I enjoyed the game so much that I stood up and clapped at the end of the final cinematic and with the amount of games I have to play; it takes a lot to elicit that kind of a response from me anymore. Kudos to Vigil Games and THQ. Simply put, this is a great game. Darksiders is available now for Xbox 360 and PS3 and is the first must have game of the New Year.


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


Graphics: 9.0: From the detail of the world you fight through to the skulls carved on your Chaoseater sword, the graphics are top notch. A point gets deducted only for the generic looking blood effects. There could have been a little more splatter that lasted longer on screen for my tastes.


Audio: 9.0: The voice acting for this game spearheads this score as Mark Hamill and Moon Bloodgood highlight a cast of awesome performances. Include spot-on SFX and the only point that gets docked from this is for the generic, forgettable background music that at least was able to set a nice mood as you progressed through the game.


Plot/Plot Development: 7.5: The general plot has been done before so it loses points for lack of originality, but at least the game progressed at a good pace and set things up well as the conspiracy against War unfolds and then comes together at the end in a great final cinema scene.


Gameplay: 7.0: Glitches and lack of originality again hurts this score, but when you are basing your game off of sure-fire hits like God of War and The Legend of Zelda, you can forgive them a little.


Replay Value: 3.0: There isn't a lot to bring you back to this game after the initial playthrough besides looking for more power-ups or any achievements you may have missed along the way.


Overall (not an average): 9.5: Even though I penalized the individual category scores for lack of originality, I can't do it for the overall game because, the time-tested, proven formula that Darksiders uses works and is a lot of fun to play. Any game that gets me to stand up and applaud while the credits roll is a winner in my book and I cannot deny the fun I had playing this game. I looked forward to coming home and playing this game every day after work. So what if it wasn't the most original game? Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery after all.


-Ray Carsillo

ON THE PS3 HORIZON

Continuing the momentum of my last article previewing games coming out in 2010, I had a chance here in NYC to get a hands-on preview with some of the biggest upcoming titles for the first quarter of 2010 for Sony's PS3. Among the titles we looked at include God of War 3, Just Cause 2, Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno, and Dark Void. I know that Bayonetta actually comes out today, but it is still a good way for those of you who may be on the fence to take a look at some game footage, stills, and get some info from the folks over at Sega themselves. So, without further ado, I present to you my PS3 Q1 2010 preview!
Ray Carsillo Q1 2010 PS3 Preview Party

Video by Jared Bodden

TOP 10 GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2010

As the year comes to an end, I think this is an opportune time to take a look forward at the year ahead in gaming. Last year we did this and the nine games we previewed were either awesome as expected (Ghostbusters, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Madworld, and Brutal Legend), pretty good (Punch-Out and Resident Evil 5), or delayed until early 2010 (Bioshock 2, God of War 3, and Dante's Inferno). The three games delayed until early 2010 are basically shoe-ins for this year's list as well because all the delays have done is make us salivate more as details leaked out to us. So with no further ado, here are the top 10 games to look forward to in 2010.





1. Bioshock 2: I said it last year and I'll say it again this year: I will go screaming through the halls here at ESPN the day this comes out from sheer, overwhelming joy. With a lot more revealed in terms of the plot and gameplay, this easily tops my list as my most anticipated game as you return to Rapture and assume the role of a Big Daddy 10 years after the events of the first Bioshock. Along with this new twist from the first Bioshock, there is also a confirmed multiplayer mode and the ability to use your Big Daddy suit to explore the ocean immediately surrounding Rapture, which should allow for all kinds of new and creative ways to explore the once great cultural haven beneath the waves. Barring any last minute setbacks, expect Bioshock 2 to hit store shelves February 9, 2010, for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.





2. God of War 3: There are few trilogies in video games that are more celebrated than God of War and this is before the third one has even hit store shelves. Inspired by many classic stories from Greek mythology, you play as Kratos once more as you attempt to work out your anger issues with the gods for the last time. I had a chance to play an advanced demo of this (which I will post a special PS3 Q1 Preview video next week where I got to talk with some of the developers of God of War 3) and you will flip just like Kratos' point of view seamlessly does in several epic boss battles as you should expect to start wrapping up this classic trilogy on your PS3 towards the end of March 2010.






3. Dante's Inferno: Many are calling this a God of War rip-off, but I'm a firm believer that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and this might be even better because it isn't limited to just the PS3. Inspired by the part of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy of the same name, if Kratos has anger management issues, Dante is the ultimate obsessive, smothering boyfriend as he is willing to fight through the nine layers of hell to save his girlfriend's soul while having a tapestry depicting the holy cross stitched to his chest. Just like God of War, Dante's Inferno mixes classic plot with tremendous, bloody action (and a little bit of nudity) and amazing, original monsters based on this classic work of literature to get any action/adventure fan's blood pumping. Just like Bioshock 2, Dante's Inferno hits store shelves on February 9, 2010, for Xbox 360, PS3, and PSP.





4. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle: Travis Touchdown returns with his beam katana (it's a lightsaber, but that whole copyright thing can be such a pain sometimes) as he has gotten lazy and let his number one world assassin ranking drop all the way down to 51 (possibly in honor of game creator Suda 51?). When things get personal though, Travis once again hones his wrestling inspired moves and attempts to move back up the ladder to the number one spot with even more crazy, over the top boss battles that are even better than those from the first game. The sandbox system is gone to help save on time while you hunt down your quarry and travel from location to location by just going to a map menu now and since that was one of the major complaints from the first game, it looks like No More Heroes 2 could be another sleeper hit from the deranged mind of Suda 51 and his Grasshopper Studios. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a Wii exclusive and should hit store shelves January 28, 2010.





5. Dead Rising 2: The first Dead Rising broke new ground in zombie bashing by having an unheard of (for the time) amount of NPCs on screen at one time with no lag. And it was set in a mall allowing you to have a variety of weapons from food court table umbrellas to golf clubs to nerf guns. Dead Rising 2 takes several of the great elements from the first game (regular guy dropped into a zombie invasion) and puts a whole new twist on it that has me chomping at the bit as I count the days until this hits store shelves. Dead Rising 2 assumes you failed to completely contain the zombie virus at Willamette from the first Dead Rising and now there are zombie outbreaks all over the country. These zombie zones have been cordoned off by the government, but with times being tough, leave it to reality TV to step in to offer the masses a chance to risk life and limb for amazing prizes. "Terror is Reality" is one of these reality TV shows that asks people to help control the zombie population in new and inventive ways for the chance at huge piles of cash. Of course, you're being dropped into these living nightmares with nothing but the clothes on your back, but it wouldn't be a zombie game if you were given a gatling gun from the get go. Add in what could be the best online multiplayer of the year as Dead Rising 2 pits you against three other players in an American Gladiators meets Resident Evil scenario and sends you all on your merry competitive ways. Zombie bashing will never be the same again on your Xbox 360, PS3, and PC come the end of Q1.





6. DC Universe Online: It is hyped as what could be the greatest MMORPG of all-time as it allows you to interact with the best of the best of the DC Comics Universe with your own original character and with a member of current comic book royalty in Jim Lee serving as the Executive Creative Director, you know you are in good hands. Unfortunately, it has been delayed countless times and is a game on life support to say the least. DCU Online was supposed to come out last summer, but now we are still waiting to rub elbows with the Dark Knight and Man of Steel and take down the likes of Lex Luthor, Mr. Freeze, the Joker, Bizarro, and many, many, many more as a loose Q3 2010 date has been set for this possible PS3 and PC powerhouse. If DCU Online doesn't come out this year, I think the game will be completely scrapped because it has been in production for far too long for us to wait much longer for it.





7. Mafia 2: Another strong title on the horizon from the folks at 2K (why do they even bother with sports anymore when their shooters and action/adventure games are so awesome?) is Mafia 2. Set in a fictitious mob family in the late 1940s-early 1950s, Mafia 2 combines a GTA-style sandbox experience with a Hollywood-inspired cinematic driven plot as you play as Vito, a small-time hood trying his best to get his piece of the American dream in some less than savory ways. Add in some awesome action sequences and Martin Scorsese couldn't have done a better job with this. Mafia 2 looks to be the strongest release due out in Q2 when it lands on store shelves May 3, 2010, for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.





8. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Every major attempt to bring the fabled history of Castlevania into the 3D realm has fallen flat on its face and the only thing keeping the series alive has been a successful run with the classic side scrolling action on handheld systems. Things may change come the next holiday season. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has you cast as the mysterious figure Gabriel as you fight through a massive world in the third person. Mix in some puzzles and some holy (or unholy) artifacts to help power up Gabriel and you have the base for a nice action/adventure game. There aren't a lot of details out on this one yet in terms of how Gabriel fits in with the Belmont clan or if Dracula is even the main force of darkness here (although I'm sure he is because it wouldn't be Castlevania if he wasn't), but from what I've seen so far, this could be the best chance to FINALLY bring Castlevania successfully onto modern consoles especially with Hideo Kojima (of the Metal Gear Series) consulting on this project, Patrick Stewart serving as the narrator, and some God of War and Assassin's Creed style gameplay mechanics shown in the early trailer. Expect Castlevania: Lords of Shadow to emerge from the darkness next holiday season for Xbox 360 and PS3.





9. Super Mario Galaxy 2: Everyone loves Mario, plain and simple. Another game expected to be released in time for the next holiday season, Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be the first direct sequel to another Mario game in a decade (since Super Mario World 2 back for the SNES). Add in that you are definitely going to be riding Yoshi around and I'm sure you'll see the return of some other classic powers and this is another sure fire hit for Nintendo. Plus, don't forget that you are sure to see a lot of classic Mario themes, enemies, and puzzles mixed in with the tremendous planetary exploration aspect introduced in the first Super Mario Galaxy and this will be another platforming gem from Nintendo. Super Mario Galaxy 2 should be out in time for next holiday season and is, of course, a Nintendo exclusive.





10. Metroid: Other M: Nintendo has the strongest first party franchises out there and another one confirmed for next holiday season is Metroid: Other M. A lot like seeing Hideo Kojima's production studio helping out with Castlevania, Team Ninja, best known for the Ninja Gaiden games, has stepped up to help give a bit of an anime style and storytelling flair to this newest Samus Aran adventure. Mixing some classic side-scrolling action and some 3D arena battles as you progress through the game and interchange between the two seamlessly should keep you on your toes and keep you from getting bored. Add in that at least Ridley has been confirmed as one of the boss battles and it should be interesting to see what Team Ninja can do with this beloved Nintendo franchise. Metroid: Other M is another Wii exclusive and should be out in time for the next holiday season.



So there is my top 10 for the coming year and it is one heck of a list. On top of these games, there are also lots of other games that I just could not take the time to go into right now, plus I did not feel they were worthy of the top 10. MAG, Heavy Rain, Bayonetta, Darksiders, Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands (adding a 4th chapter to one of the better trilogies for the last generation of consoles was not necessary and is thus a major reason that Prince of Persia stayed off the list), Mass Effect 2, Just Cause 2, Epic Mickey, Red Steel 2, Mega Man 10, Gran Turismo 5, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and an unnamed Legend of Zelda title for the Wii (not enough info for me to be confident that this will make it in time for a 2010 release, but Nintendo is the best at keeping secrets) all deserve honorable mentions and should be awesome games in 2010, but these are my top 10 and I stand by them. It is going to be another great year for games and I cannot wait. Until then, have a great New Year and my resolution is that I will be sure to try my best to keep you informed over the course of 2010 just as I did over the course of 2009.



-Ray Carsillo

VIDEO GAMES LIVE!

Since the video game revolution really started plowing forward back in the mid 80s, one of the most underrated aspects of the aspects has been the music. The 8 and 16-bit processors that the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis systems could produce were not much more than melodic beeps and pings made to sound like a catchy tune.

Of course, times have changed. Now, many of the best and brightest games have scores composed by full orchestras or big time, main-stream bands, but those original compositions still bring back childhood memories of simpler times to go along with our simpler games. The themes from Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Castlevania, are still lovingly talked about alongside the newcomers from Metal Gear Solid, Halo, and Kingdom Hearts.

The music from these games and the feelings of nostalgia they conjure up are only now starting to get the respect they deserve on a scale worthy of the sales of these monolithic franchises. In that vein, I present to you Video Games Live.

Video Games Live was founded back in 2002 by celebrated game composers Jack Wall and Tommy Tallarico and has been a tour de force ever since. With a full orchestra and choir in tow, Wall and Tallarico have put together a show that needs to be seen to be believed. Fortunately, I saw it about two weeks ago. With musical selections from over 20 video games played, and 40 more waiting in the wings ensuring that an audience will never see the same show twice, Wall and Tallarico mix in geek-based humor with a light show, scenes from the greatest games ever created, and musical acumen that rivals the best and brightest out there.

The show I went to at the Beacon Theatre was the most fun I've had in a long time. You had a costume contest for people dressed as video game characters, a Guitar Hero competition, and a random drawing for a Nintendo DSi. You had special messages from Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series, as he gave a special recorded greeting before the playing of the Metal Gear music, and Koji Kondo, the composer of the Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda themes, give a special message as well.

There was a live Q & A with Ralph Baer, the man credited with inventing video games (he is also credited with inventing the light gun, the first video game system peripheral, and the popular kids' game Simon in the 70s), over Skype and it was impressive to see this legendary inventor at the ripe age of 87 still smiling at how his invention has changed and influenced the lives of so many people across the world.

You had YouTube sensations, pianist Martin Leung and Laura "Flute Link" Intravia, come on and do what made them famous on the stage. Martin is best known for playing the Mario theme on piano blindfolded and Laura plays a stunning rendition of the Ocarina of Time music on flute, in full green tunic like the Hero of Time. Both would accompany the orchestra on several songs over the course of the night, usually to standing ovations (I nearly leapt out of my seat when Martin started playing the Super Mario World theme).

There was a request portion (where I nearly lost my voice screaming for the Mega Man theme and starting a Mega Man chant in my section of the Beacon Theatre; I was pleasantly surprised to find it was incorporated later into the show) where everything many fans called for was played and many were pleasantly surprised when Martin broke into the original Tetris theme, just because.

There were classics played from Mega Man and Chrono Trigger to more recent games like Halo and Shadow of the Colossus, but no matter if you were young or old, newbie or wily old veteran, there was something to make every geek and video game fan smile and laugh.

Video Games Live is now on their fourth world tour, and much like the game music they play, are just beginning to receive the respect and recognition they deserve. Playing to sold-out shows all over the world and constantly adding new and beloved video game music all the time (including the one I went to at the Beacon Theatre), Video Games Live is an ever-evolving entity much like the games off of which they are based. It is with the utmost praise that I recommend that every video game fan should see this show when they come to your town.

-Ray Carsillo

NOT A WET BLANKET

Coming into 2009, there were three highly anticipated titles that were up in the air because their original developers dropped them suddenly and their fates were left to the winds. Luckily for us, those three games were too hot to be left there for long. The first was Ghostbusters, which came out in June and was dropped originally by Sierra before being picked up by Atari. The last one is Brutal Legend, comes out October 13th, and was originally a Vivendi Games title before being rescued by Electronic Arts. And then there is this little title called WET that just came out on September 15th, originally an Activision Blizzard game that was saved from the scrap heap by Bethesda Softworks.

WET follows around the most brutal Fixer to have ever stepped into cowboy boots, Rubi Malone. A Fixer is a nice description of what Rubi does in between whiskey shots and heavy weapons training. Rubi cleans up some of life’s most screwed up situations, usually in the crime underworld, with a trail of death, destruction, and misery in her wake. “Wet” is also a nice way to describe the blood on her hands.

We open up finding Rubi tasked with procuring a heart on the black market for an emergency transplant of a drug crime lord, but some small time hood has beaten her to her quarry. We are immediately immersed in Rubi’s world as she dives, slides, and runs up walls, all the while firing her patented dual pistols in the always awesome bullet time. The bullet time is critical because it allows us to aim Rubi’s pistols independently of each other, one automatically locking onto her nearest threat’s gut, the other free to wander around to other threats, or possibly the primary threat’s cranium for a quicker kill. Not to mention it’s just damn cool.

Some situations don’t always call for pistols though, especially in cramped quarters. With a quick tap of the X button, Rubi can hop out of bullet time and switch into a close-quarter she-devil as she slices limbs off with unbridled prejudice with her katana. This fighting flexibility is the staple of the gameplay and only by mastering it and recognizing what weapons work best where can Rubi progress through the game’s 12 stages.

As the game progresses, Rubi also unlocks a shotgun, SMG, and crossbow with explosive bolts, adding to the controlled mayhem that Rubi finds herself in throughout the game.

The action is there and is addictive and diverse enough, with Rubi randomly being thrown into a rage when she gets splashed with blood like she was Carrie or having to mow down hordes of enemies in an arena setting, to keep you glued to the game. That isn’t to say this game is without fault. In terms of gameplay, there are a lot of glitches. Walking through walls or falling through floors at certain points are old-school glitches that you just shouldn’t see anymore. Not to mention the game freezing later on during load-screens making you restart the game and probably the most anti-climatic final boss battle in all of gaming with a push-button prompt sequence (X flashes on screen, you press X; Y flashes on screen, you press Y, etc.) against the final two foes.

This said the plot is also a little thin. Although left open for a sequel in that cheesy, 1960s drive-thru, B-movie way (complete with commercials to remind you to buy food from the lobby; hysterical) that seemed to be the theme of the game, there was no real establishment of the characters, especially Rubi and her crew, and the plot itself just seemed to progress too quickly for my taste. There may have been 12 levels, but some of them were completely done in the rail-shooter style, which is a nice changeup from the regular gameplay, but that meant there were only nine levels of Rubi’s patented “monkey business” (a running gag for the game is Rubi’s acrobatics have her compared to a chimp on many occasions by some of the more unsavory characters and it also leads to toy monkey collectibles on each level).

In terms of graphics, the game is probably slightly above average. The blood effects weren’t the best and the grainy film effect added to much of the game to help cover this us was nice, but I would have rather of had a perfectly crisp, clean experience instead of gimmicks to cover it up.

The audio is something this game really shines in. Easily the best original soundtrack I’ve heard in a long time with original music from some up and coming bands on MySpace and some great voice acting from Eliza Dushku as Rubi, Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Pelham, and Alan Cumming as Sorrell and “Ze Kollector”.

At the end of the day, this is a really solid game. I’m on the fence about saying if it is a straight up buy due to the glitchy gameplay and thin plot, but when you add in collectibles throughout the levels, a high score mode, instant kill mode, and challenges galore unlocked after you beat the game for the first time, and I would say this is probably a solid investment if you play it to its max considering one play through will take you 10-15 hours by itself.

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

Graphics: 8.0: The grainy film effect was nice, but a clear attempt to cover up the generic looking backgrounds and average blood effects. Rubi looked very nice though.

Audio: 10.0: An awesome, blood pumping, original soundtrack that fit the game perfectly mixed with awesome sound effects and great voice acting from big stars like Eliza Dushku, Malcolm McDowell, and Alan Cumming and this is a wonderful listening experience.

Plot/Plot Development: 6.0: The plot felt a little thin and a little rushed, but the basics were there. I would’ve liked a little more character development though, especially with our heroine.

Gameplay: 7.0: The bullet time was flawless and it needed to be considering 80% of the game takes place in slow-mo as you try to pour bullets into various lowlifes. There were still a few very basic glitches with the environment though and freezing during load screens later in the game was beyond frustrating.

Replay Value: 9.0: I don’t know how they could have worked a multiplayer into this game, but there isn’t one. Aside from that, there is a lot to bring you back to the story mode including several new modes of play after the first play through and the toy monkey collectibles.

Overall (not an average): 7.5: The glitchy gameplay takes away from the great action concept that is WET. A lot to bring you back to this title, awesome bullet time effects, funny dialogue, and awesome music makes this a solid, but not spectacular gaming experience. Probably worth a buy though.

WET is available now for Xbox 360 and PS3.

-Ray Carsillo