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.

Marvel vs Capcom 2 Review for XBLA

As a part of CGR Undertow, I reviewed Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for the Xbox Live Arcade.



-Ray Carsillo

NBA Jam review for the Nintendo Wii

I reviewed the NBA Jam remake from EA Sports for the Nintendo Wii as a part of CGR Undertow.

Guilty Party review for Nintendo Wii

As a part of CGR Undertow, Ray Carsillo reviews Guilty Party from Disney Interactive Entertainment for the Nintendo Wii.

Dance! It's Your Stage Review

As a part of CGR Undertow, I review Dance! It's Your Stage for XBLA.

FABLE 3 PREVIEW WITH PETER MOLYNEUX!

I had a chance to sit down with gaming legend and the head of Lionhead Studios Peter Molyneux to get the low down on the October release of Fable 3 for Xbox 360 and PC. Edited by Taylor Tallscott.

Rock Band 3 and Dance Central Preview

Ray Carsillo talks with Harmonix's John Drake about the upcoming release of Rock Band 3 and Kinect launch title Dance Central.

HALO REACH PREVIEW

Ray Carsillo had a chance to sit down with Brian Jarrard, the Community Director of Bungie, to talk about their final Halo game, Halo Reach, which will be released Sept. 14, 2010.

THE BEST OF E3

I know that E3 was three weeks ago, but with the craziness of the World Cup, NBA Free Agency, and the approaching MLB All-Star break, to say we've been a little busy here at ESPN would be an understatement. But in our spare time, my expert cameraman/editor Jared Bodden and I, have been toiling away trying to finish these videos to show you some of the great games we saw at E3 and bring you some exclusive interviews with the people behind those games.



One of the most difficult things in this process has been whittling down what we felt were the most worthwhile games to look at, so we broke it down into four videos. The first video is a compilation featuring online and DLC games with the following three videos being a summary of the rest of the best from each day. For the games that we had to cut for the sake of time, I apologize tremendously. I also wish we could have given every game we did feature their own special video.



On that note, without further ado, below is the culmination of my three days at the L.A. Convention Center for E3 2010. I hope you all enjoy.



The first video was my online/DLC game special that features looks at the new Deadliest Warrior game from Spike Games that comes out next Tuesday, DCU Online from Sony Online Entertainment, QuickHit.com and their brand new NFL license, and Blacklight: Tango Down from Ignition Entertainment.







Our first day at E3 was a special day overall and had us see some spectacular looking games for consoles. Our video of Day 1 features Tron and Epic Mickey from Disney Entertainment, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness from Konami, and Test Drive Unlimited 2 from Atari.








On the second day of E3, console games and their peripherals were well represented once more as we looked at Vanquish from SEGA, Shaun White Skateboarding and Ghost Recon: Future Solider from Ubisoft, WWE All-Stars from THQ, and the new Wii Exercise Bike from Big Ben Interactive.







On the last day of E3, we had a chance to look at some of the most hyped games for consoles and some sweet accessories when we looked at Call of Duty: Black Ops and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions from Activision and some sweet products from Nyko and iGUGU.







Videos by Jared Bodden

-Ray Carsillo

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

"What do we perceive as real?"

That is the key question that the folks from Eidos and Io Interactive asked themselves when they sat down to make Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days. With that integral concept in mind, they set out to create a third-person shooter that was not only responsive and entertaining, but also engrossing and ground breaking in the way it was "shot" and how it unfolded.

I had a chance to sit down a few weeks ago with Karsten Lund, Kane and Lynch 2's Game Director, to talk to him about the plot of the game, the multiplayer, and what we could expect in general from Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days when we see it hit store shelves in August.



Video by Josh Anderson and Jared Bodden

-Ray Carsillo

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.

RAY INVADES PAX EAST 2010

Here is a video log of my experiences over the three days up in Boston for the highly anticipated, 1st annual, PAX East video game convention.







-Ray Carsillo

WAVERING CONVICTION

Sam Fisher is back in Splinter Cell: Conviction and not only have the rules of the espionage game changed, but so has the game that players have come to know and love.

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not played the previous Splinter Cell games, be warned that there may be references to previous events of the Splinter Cell series.

Splinter Cell: Conviction opens up with Sam Fisher sipping a drink in Malta, a small island nation in the Mediterranean, as he tries to piece back together his life after the death of his daughter in a drunk driving accident three years earlier. Having left Third Echelon after his last mission pushed him past a point he didn’t think he could return from, where he killed one of his best friends in Irving Lambert, Sam appears completely lost. That is until an angel watching over him appears to deliver him from the brink.

Well, not quite an angel. More like his old handler Anna “Grim” Grimsdottir watching him via a low orbiting satellite. Grim contacts Sam and explains that his daughter’s death wasn’t an accident and that the people who set that up and used his grief to take him out of the espionage game are now targeting the US’s first female president.



Driven by rage and a quest for vengeance, Sam Fisher has never been more dangerous as he only works for himself now. Saving the president will only be a bonus for nothing will get in the way of the revenge Sam will try to enact on to the people who took his daughter away from him.

A nice twist on the classic Splinter Cell plot, where Sam always has to save the world from terrorists, this new game fleshes out the character of our favorite agent with flashback levels and constant plot surprises that I will not spoil here.

The first thing you will notice is that this is easily one of the best looking games out there right now. From blood splattering accurately on walls from headshots to the detail of the characters’ faces, Splinter Cell: Conviction is a gorgeous game. It’s a shame that half of it is spent, literally, in the dark.

A new color-changing system implemented in the scenery informs you of when you are hidden from enemy sight. When hidden, the world is black and white. When you’re in the open, the world is full of vibrant colors. Although a nice idea to help the player try to progress through the levels and around patrols, it takes away from the visuals and makes it difficult to make out cover most of the time. I would have preferred if they had simply left this system out and left it to the player to figure out if they were in the open. Usually the gunfire is a dead giveaway.



The audio for the game though is spectacular. Michael Ironside reprises his role as Sam Fisher and heads up a strong voice over cast that all end up giving great performances. The music helps set the tone of the gameplay and knows exactly when to amp things up and tone things down. Topped off with spot-on SFX and Splinter Cell: Conviction is something that other game developers should listen to when focusing on the audio of their games.

The biggest change from previous Splinter Cell installments though comes from the gameplay. Although there is still a very strong emphasis on stealth, with Sam not being weighed down by his Splinter Cell suit he moves much quicker than he has in previous games.

Along with this emphasis on speed, there is a new “mark and execute” system where Sam can earn some one shot assassination style kills whenever he takes out an enemy in hand-to-hand combat, throws him from a window, or drops on him old-school Splinter Cell style from an overhead pipe.

Once marks are earned, if Sam can see his foe, either from line of sight, underneath the door with his snake camera, or through walls with his new sonar goggles (more on that in a sec) he can mark up to four guys at once depending on what gun he is using (shotguns usually only give you two marks, while Sam’s favorite Five-Seven pistol can get the aforementioned four marks) and when he is in range, the marks turn red. Then with one press of the Y button, Sam turns his would be attackers into instant doormats as some awesome bullet-time sequences play out as Sam executes his marks with one shot each. This mode is a great, quick way to help even the odds in a heavily populated room or to clear one out before the terrorists even know what hit them.



Another nice addition is the new “interrogation” system. Although you’re really just mashing the B button, watching Sam smash the faces of targets of interest against urinals, TV screens, and with the butt of his gun is a beautiful new technique to advance the story. Next time, Ubisoft just might want to make these full-blown button prompt sequences though to add some difficulty to this.

Unfortunately, one minor complaint about the gameplay is the new “sonar goggles”. No longer being a part of Third Echelon has forced Sam to forfeit his signature night vision goggles and about half way through the story mode, Sam acquires these cheap knockoffs instead.

The sonar goggles work just like regular sonar, sending out bleeps in Sam’s general vicinity that can map out the area around him. It’s a good way to see enemies through walls, but it takes away from so much of the terrain that it feels like you’re playing some ancient shooter like the original Wolfenstein or the first Doom (classics for what they were, not something I need to play right now).

Speaking of enemies, the A.I. is hit or miss. I played through the single player campaign mode on the hardest difficult and still only sometimes do the enemies act brilliantly as they try to outflank Sam or create distractions for you. Just as often, instead of just reacting, they exclaim, “We’ve got to try to spread out!” Thank you for telling me your plan of attack so that I can react accordingly and pick you off one by one. Or when taking on opposing Splinter Cells who also have sonar, but act like regular thugs when trying to traverse through smoke screens.

The worst part about the gameplay though is how short the single player and co-op campaigns are. It only took me eight to nine hours to beat all 11 single player missions and another two or three to go through the four co-op prequel missions. Fifteen missions in ten hours is too short to drop a full $60 on.

The replay value suffers as well with the versus modes of old having been scrapped in favor of more co-op vs. CPU matches in new game modes like “Hunter” and “Last Stand” where you get to play as either an American Third Echelon agent or Russian Voron (Russian equivalent of Third Echelon) agent. In these modes you’re pit against the CPU terrorists and complete sweeps of locations from the campaign modes or defend certain locations. Although fun, taking away the more traditional vs. modes from previous installments of the series was disappointing.

Overall, Splinter Cell: Conviction is a nice experiment with the series with new gameplay elements and with an open-ending for a sixth console release if they so chose, but I would hope that Ubisoft got their artistic juices out with this one and will go back to focusing on having Sam Fisher do what he does best and not worrying about playing around with color schemes and fancy gadgets.

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

Graphics: 8.0: If it wasn’t for the crazy changing color and sonar schemes that you’re constantly having to deal with, this would be a perfect score because when the screen is actually in full color, it looks fantastic in terms of blood splatter effects and the details of many facial features, some of the hardest things to digitize.

Audio: 10.0: A tremendous voice cast led by Michael Ironside helps to paint the emotion conveyed throughout this latest chapter in the Splinter Cell series. Add in the usual fantastic orchestrations and perfect SFX and I can’t give the audio anything less than a perfect score.

Plot/Plot Development: 8.0: An original and inventive way to mix up the usual story of Sam trying to save the world from terrorists, but I felt it also took the game away from its roots enough to put off the series’ diehards.

Gameplay: 7.0: It was nice to see Ubisoft trying to mix things up to try to keep things from getting stale, but when you mess with too much, you lose what made the series great to begin with. I love the “mark and execute” system, but the color-changing scheme to represent when you’re in the dark or not was more of a nuisance than a help and the “interrogation” system was pretty, but offered no challenge. When you add in that the entire single player and co-op campaigns are only worth about ten hours total and you have an average score at best.

Replay Value: 5.0: Unless you’re an achievement hog, you’ll only need to play the story mode once to get everything you need from it. And the lack of a traditional vs. mode in the multiplayer I think takes a lot away from the replay value of this game and puts it in mediocre company in terms of bringing players back for more.

Overall (not an average): 7.0: It was nice to see Ubisoft try a few new things with this latest Splinter Cell, but not all of them worked. Couple that with a lack of replay value and overall length to the campaigns and I would recommend Splinter Cell: Conviction as a nice rental over a rainy weekend, but not as a full-blown $60 purchase.

Splinter Cell: Conviction is available now for the Xbox 360.

-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

WAKING UP INTO NIGHTMARES

It was one of the most talked about titles from E3 2009 and after several delays, psychological thriller fans will finally see their dreams turn into living nightmares on May 18, 2010, with the long anticipated release of Alan Wake for the Xbox 360.

For those of you caught unawares, Alan Wake sees the title character, a horror writer, and his wife taking a vacation in a tranquil Pacific Northwestern city trying to help Alan overcome his writer's block. Once in the town though, Alan starts having nightmares and wakes up one night to find his wife is missing and a story he can't remember writing has come to life. As Alan scrounges about the wilderness collecting pages from his otherworldly novel, trying to find his wife and unravel the mystery of where the book came from, he must combat members of the community who have been consumed by a poltergeist-like darkness.

Done in a cinematic like style that sees each level of Alan's exploration broken down into something like episodes out of the X-Files (even with a nice little narrator's "On the last episode of..." montage between levels), Alan Wake is a story that can't help but pull you in.

On that note, I had a chance to catch up with the man behind the story of Alan Wake, Remedy Entertainment Lead Writer Sam Lake.



Alan Wake Preview - Ray Carsillo w/ Lead Writer Sam Lake

Video by Jared Bodden

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

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