VIDEO GAMES' BIGGEST NIGHT

It was a beautiful night at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, this year's site for the 2008 Spike TV Video Game Awards. The 6th annual awards show proved to be the biggest and best one yet with such stars as Neil Patrick Harris, Eliza Dushku, and Kiefer Sutherland on hand, Weezer, 50 Cent, LL Cool J, and the All-American Rejects performing, and hosted by the larger-than-life Jack Black (some of whom you can see in the video of my exploits on the red carpet before the actual show).

The show kicked off with a bang with Jack Black coming out and doing what seemed like an endless tribute skit to all of us video game geeks, while at the same time poking fun at us as he sang about reading and healthy relationships being our mortal enemies as we progress onto video game heaven. Healthy relationships maybe, but reading the subtitles in cut-scenes is integral to the plot of any video game.

Aside from all the celebrities, and awesome musical performances, the thing a lot of us geeks were most anticipating were the reveals of new game trailers, giving many of us hope that 2009 would be even bigger and better than 2008. Trailers for God of War III, Mafia 2, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, Dante's Inferno, Fight Night Round 4, Uncharted 2, and the highly anticipated Brutal Legend were just a few of the many reveals that had fans salivating over the new year. Only time will tell whether these games end up walking away with some awards next year since trailers are always supposed to look good. It doesn't mean the game actually will be good (except God of War III; I have total faith in that dominating).

We are still in 2008, though, even if for only a short while longer, and the night revolved around the best of what this year had to offer. Some games were clearly head and shoulders above their competition, while others were tougher to call, and then there were some that I flat-out disagreed with. Just like other awards shows, whether it is music, movies, or whatever, some of the nominees get a huge gust of positive hype in their sails and it propels them to the trophy when they are not worthy of the title. In my opinion, this was the case on several occasions for this awards show, as well.

"So just who walked away with what?" you may ask. Well, the video game community gathered, as many developers waited nervously to see how their years of hard work would be received by the expert panel, and here are how some of the biggest awards panned out:

Best Team Sports Game is pretty dull when it comes to nominees. You're always going to have nominees from the five biggest sports (yes, soccer is included due to its worldwide appeal). This year was no different. Madden 09, NBA 2K9, NHL 09, and FIFA 09 were the nominees. Madden is always a favorite due to its mass appeal, but there were rumors that it would fall short this year because most hardcore Madden gamers had a lot of complaints about it compared to previous years. NBA 2K9 was almost a pity nominee just so that EA Sports did not sweep the nominees. This left FIFA and the NHL, two of the least popular sports in the U.S.A. and more popular sports worldwide with a chance at the trophy. To my pleasant surprise, NHL 09 arose victorious and I agreed on every level. It was easily the most accurate sports simulation of the year, with new features like "Be a Pro" mode to compliment the thorough "Dynasty" mode, this was the right choice for Best Sports Game.

Best Shooter was another category that I thought the panel nailed right on the head. The nominees were Gears of War 2, Left 4 Dead, Resistance 2, and Far Cry 2. I knew this was going to Gears of War 2 the instance I beat that game because I've said it before, and I'll say it again, there is no more satisfying feeling than sneaking up behind someone and slicing them to ribbons with the Lancer Chainsaw Rifle. Plain and simple. The others games did not even come close in my mind. Resistance 2 seemed like they had tried to copy as many things from Gears as possible and had taken away the heart that Resistance 1 had. Left 4 Dead was nice, but it was just another carbon copy of all zombie shooters that have come out since Resident Evil 4. Far Cry 2 did not even register on my radar it paled so much in comparison to Gears of War 2. In what seemed like the year of sequel, Gears of War 2 was a sequel that went above and beyond the first in ways you could only hope for and was very deserving of the Best Shooter trophy. Gears of War 2 also walked away with Best XBOX360 Game, giving it two awards in the five categories it was nominated in.

One of the categories that made me grind my teeth in frustration was Best Wii Game. I thought the system was very well represented with the nominees. Boom Blox, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, No More Heroes, and Wii Fit were great selections because it showed the range of the Nintendo Wii. The fact that the award went to Boom Blox though shows that most people do not give the Wii the respect it deserves. Yes, you do not think of the Wii for hardcore gamers, but when you have Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which was also robbed of Best Fighter by another overrated game in Soul Caliber 4, that is another in the long list of dominate franchises Nintendo has and had an amazing story mode to go with the combat, you just have to shake your head when the trophy falls to something like Boom Blox. Even if No More Heroes had won, you could agree with it. No More Heroes comes from the insane mind of Suda 51 and the anime graphics style that it was created with, the over the top combat, and the fact that the hero had the greatest weapon ever created as his main tool, a lightsaber, made this guilty pleasure more than worthy. Instead, the award went to Jenga on steroids. Have we not learned that everything Steven Spielberg has made in the past 10 years or so is absolute garbage? Yes, Boom Blox is a fun multi-player game, especially for kids 10 and under, but in terms of showing what the system could do, or being revolutionary, this game was ridiculously overrated. The people who voted for this probably also loved Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Curse you Steven Spielberg, why do people still love you for things you did 20 years ago and fail to look at the crap you have been force-feeding us for the past 10? I also just realized that Steven Speilberg and Brett Favre must be related somehow.

Another category that made me just shake my head with frustration was Best Studio. This award goes to the game studio that went above and beyond its competition for 2008. The nominees were Media Molecule for Little Big Planet (on the PS3), Rockstar North for Grand Theft Auto 4 (on the PS3 and XBOX360), Harmonix for Rock Band 2 (on the Wii, XBOX360, and PS3), and Bethesda Game Studios for Fallout 3 (on the PS3 and XBOX360). Media Molecule walked away with this, and no offense to Media Molecule, but Little Big Planet is another game that Sony sank so much money into its advertising that, I guess, people were hypnotized by the simplest game I've ever played. Little Big Planet is a cute game, but again, this is a game better suited for gamers under the age of 10 that just had a revved up Create a Level mode. For the work and time that went into GTA 4 and considering the high level of product that was produced, there was no way Rockstar should not have come away with this. Especially since GTA 4 was named OVERALL GAME OF THE YEAR. GTA 4 is one of those rare occurrences when a game with so much hype and press actually lives up to it when it comes out. It is a travesty that Little Big Planet and Media Molecule got as much as it did for such an overhyped game. Little Big Planet also won Best PS3 Game over Metal Gear Solid 4 and GTA 4. I just have trouble understanding how a game that wins Overall Game of the Year, like GTA 4, does not come away with more awards. Were they trying to just "share the love"? At least GTA 4's getting Overall Game of the Year I agreed with.

So that was a taste of the 2008 Spike TV Video Game Awards. Check out the VGA page here http://www.spike.com/event/vga to see some of those amazing trailers I mentioned and to get the list of winners from all 25 categories. I want to give a special thanks to Geoff Keighley, Aileen Budow, David Schwarz, and the rest of the great people at Spike TV for extending me the invite and for accommodating me on the red carpet. It was easily the highlight of my year as a gamer and a journalist and it meant a lot to me to be there. Also, special congratulations to Will Wright for winning the Video Game Lifetime Achievement Award for creating Spore and The Sims series.

This was a great way to honor everything that happened this year in gaming and here is to a great 2009. See you in the New Year, folks.

-Ray Carsillo

MUSICAL CHECKMATE

Cadillac Records chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists. It's a feverish tale of race, sex, violence, and rock 'n' roll in Chicago of the 1950s and 60s as it follows the exciting, but turbulent, lives of some of America's great musical legends.

The story centers around how the blues became popular and would pave the way for what would be rock 'n' roll and opens up on Chicago of 1947 where an ambitious young Polish immigrant bar owner, Leonard Chess (Academy Award Winner, Adrian Brody), hires a talented, but undisciplined, blues combo led by guitarist Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright) and harmonica player Little Walter (Columbus Short).

Chess arranges a recording session for Waters and when his early recordings start rocketing up the R and B charts, Chess Records is born. As time goes on, Chess treats his musicians like family, buying each one a brand new Cadillac when they record their first hit (hence the name of the movie), but the line between professional and personal matters becomes blurred on many an occasion.

Finally, in 1955, one of Chess's artists crosses over into mainstream America, a skinny guy from St. Louis with a funny "duck walk" named Chuck Berry (Mos Def). Berry's catchy, country-tinged tunes mark the birth of rock 'n' roll. When Berry is arrested at the height of his career, however, Chess has to find someone else to bridge the cross over gap.

Enter Etta James (Beyonce Knowles), an emotionally scarred young woman whose vulnerability tempts Chess's loyalty and concern in unexpected ways.

As rock 'n' roll grows more popular, the Chess artists find that booze, women, and the high life have taken their toll and as tragedy looms, Leonard Chess leaves the music business finally in the late 60s. The blues and rock 'n' roll would live on though, having forever changed the landscape of American music.

Now that you know what you'll be getting yourself into for 1 hour and 48 minutes, let me tell you why you should see this movie.

This story accurately chronicles the roots of one of the strongest aspects of our culture: the music. It tells a story that has needed telling for a long time, since most people do not know the details about the origin of our modern music and the suffering that many people went through to refine some of these great sounds.

This movie gives you the highs and the lows that you would expect from any good drama and they're woven beautifully in-between some classic songs that will have your foot tapping in the theatre.

Along with great music, you get great acting from this movie. Nearly all songs played in the movie were played by the actors themselves, there was no lip synching going on here. And since most characters were forced onto an emotional roller coaster, you really got to see the range of many of these actors.

"It was daunting. You wanted to have the fresh, green Walter to going to where he went really dark. That's why it was a challenge, but that's why I wanted to do it. It was going to challenge me and Hollywood's perception of me," said Columbus Short at the NYC premiere when asked why he took the role considering the range of Walter's life he was portraying in the film.

The struggles for many of these artists was not just making a living through music, but also trying to be accepted in the segregated America of the 1950s and 60s and the trials that came with that. Not only trying to find acceptance within their own communities, but with white America was a struggle on many different levels.

"When you see him singing, you see him alive and well and the performance side is who these man really are, but you have to survive and you're surviving segregation and heavy racism and it was a poor time. The blues is what helped them get through it. If they weren't singing, they'd be in the fields picking cotton in the hot baking sun. That was their everyday life. And that's what this film does on multiple layers. It gives you the music, the time, the good feeling you get from that music because sometimes they would be drinking and it would come out as happy music and sometimes it would be deeply painful and you would hear the pain in it. This music influenced Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Who, and in the end these men have to come back and pay homage and half the riffs you hear in this film, you do a double take and go 'oh my god, that is where that came from?' and some of them didn't even try to hide it when they took it, they just took it," commented Eamonn Walker, who plays Howlin' Wolf in the film, on the struggles the Chess Records artists went through.

There was a lot of stir around this movie as well not only for the touchy subject matter this movie deals with, but also because Hollywood loves making a stink whenever someone gains or loses weight for a role. Beyonce had to put on 20 pounds to play the legendary Etta James and I promise you she still looks amazing in the movie and, of course, she had no problem pulling off the singing. The real question would come with having to play such a troubled character on screen. I can tell you, she made it seem like it was second nature.

"I had to think about things that really meant something to me. I had to think of things that were painful and emotional and it was difficult because I would go home with swollen eyes and a big attitude every night, but it definitely paid off," said Beyonce about her inspiration.

The only problem with this movie I had was that there were so many different characters that I felt you never followed one long enough to really develop the relationship you need to have as a viewer to care about the characters. Most of these people wore their hearts on their sleeves, but you never really see where they get the shirt from.

Now, in the movie's defense, to chronicle the 20 year history of one of the most influential music companies in history, you would expect to see a lot of different characters and shifting personalities. To remedy the lack of being able to develop the characters then, they should have stressed the greatest character of all, the company itself. To have some of the most influential musicians of the 20th century all congregate at one point or another under this one roof is remarkable and not nearly emphasized enough in this movie for my liking and because there never is a single character fleshed out to the point that you feel strongly for them, the movie leaves a little something more to be desired when all is said and done.

However, when the credits are rolling, this is a solid movie. It portrays everyone involved with the dignity and class they deserve while still remaining true to the story that was Chess Records and the birth of rock 'n' roll during one of the ugliest times in American history. Everyone involved gives amazing performances and the music makes you want to run out and buy the soundtrack immediately. Anyone who has heard any rock 'n' roll from the past 40 years should see this movie, especially if they do not know where it all started. Look for Cadillac Records in theatres nationwide on Friday, December 5th. Cadillac Records gets: 4 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo

NEAR-FLAWLESS VICTORY

Most felt that the Mortal Kombat series had suffered one of their own fatalities; they thought the previous installment in the series would mark a possible end to one of the most successful fighting franchises of all time. The genii at Midway would need something big, some twist, to rejuvenate the series and keep it fresh.

Enter one of the most enduring pop-culture franchises ever created, DC Comics. With the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and many others, you had instantly recognizable names, faces, places, and powers that had just recently been rejuvenated themselves through blockbuster box office returns and are in the midst of one of the largest comic story arcs ever where evil is supposed to win in the Final Crisis.

So, what happens when two beloved pop-culture dynamos come
together? They FIGHT! I present to you ladies and gentlemen: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.

If you are going to get one fighting game this holiday season, this is the one. From a storyline that actually makes sense, to brand new features like "Testing Your Might" in the middle of a battle, and mid-air and special "Klose Kombat" fighting sequences and the series has successfully been renewed.

In terms of the combat, the old Mortal Kombat system has returned along with a few new twists. There are now expert moves, moves that, if timed correctly, are automatically done twice and done more powerfully the second time. However, so small is the window to pull off these moves that even the better experts will have difficulty performing them every time. Mix this with the potential for some old school 10 hit combos, the new mid-air and up-close fighting systems, and some revamped fatalities (and brutalities for the DC Heroes since they cannot kill) and the gameplay is on par with the best of the series.

The addition of DC's greatest heroes and villains adds depth to the game by allowing you to play a deep story mode from both points of view (and you have to if you want to unlock both of the game's hidden characters). You play through the story mode and get a chance to try almost every character to see their strengths and weaknesses. (I am still a dominating force with Sub-Zero.)

The big change to the story mode from previous games is that, even though it worked for a short while, there is no more third person action adventure. The story plays out for you in-between character-specific fights. For example, when Batman meets Scorpion and the two have words with each other, there is no third-person take on this. We go to an old school, best of three rounds, Kombat scenario. I personally enjoyed the third-person adventuring, but this was the only possible way to pull off a story mode in this game considering how many great characters are available to you. And, of course, the story mode leaves it open-ended enough so there is a possibility for a second MK vs. DCU.

Those are the game's positives, but there are a few negatives. One of the big negatives is there are no level specific fatalities like in previous games. In the last installment of the Mortal Kombat series, you could knock your opponent into a lava pit or a giant meat grinder by hitting them up against certain walls or boundaries. Even in the old school games, with the right mashing of buttons at the end of a battle, you could knock your opponent into a spike pit or acid bath. These have all been removed.

Another issue I had was the lack of unlockables. The Krypt has been removed and the only things you can unlock, aside from story and arcade endings, are two bonus characters added to the twenty you start out with. I liked the Krypt, even if it was nearly impossible to get everything in it, because I enjoyed looking at extra movies and concept art and getting alternative costumes. You're telling me you couldn't give me black suit Superman from when he came back after being killed by Doomsday? How about an old-school blue Batman suit? The Joker in his Hawaiian vacation outfit is always hysterical. A lack of unlockables is a sore point with me and it damages this game's replay value.

Even with a couple negatives, this was a great game. The spectacle of my favorite DC Heroes and Villains kicking butt was great. Add in the return of some of my favorites from the Mortal Kombat universe and then mixing in some old school, button mashing and I was one happy gamer from this. If there is one fighting game you are going to get this holiday season (because you should have gotten Super Smash Bros. Brawl back when it came out) this is the one.

If you want more information on this game, take a look at my Youtube slideshow/radio interview with Lead Designer Brian LeBaron.


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

Graphics: 9.0: Blood and guts galore are always the visual gem that a Mortal Kombat game provides and this one does not disappoint. A nice detail was how good Sub-Zero's Ice Ball/Superman's Ice Breath looked when the opponent was frozen solid. A point was removed because some of the interactive environment looked a little blocky and faded from the screen too quickly. Aside from that, this is a beautiful looking game.

Audio: 10.0: The voice acting was crisp and the SFX were all solid. The voice script was a little over the top, but its comic book characters fighting Mortal Kombat characters, I think I would have been more disappointed if it wasn't over the top. This game delivers a great sounding experience.

Plot/Plot Development: 8.5: It was actually a plausible plot for these respective universes to somehow meet. Written by comic book veterans Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, the story kept in tune with both the Mortal Kombat and the DCU story lines. The time period was set happening sometime after the second Mortal Kombat game and before the Identity Crisis of the DCU and it fit well with the original plot. Some things were a stretch for both universes though and a few of the pop culture references were funny, but unnecessary.

Gameplay: 9.0: Like every Mortal Kombat before it, this was easy to pick up, but difficult to master. Some of the combos are simply impossible to complete and there were a couple of glitches if you liked to use Scorpion's, Sub-Zero's, Batman's, or Raiden's teleportation moves a lot. Still, this game was mostly smooth and not very frustrating.

Replay Value: 7.5: The lack of unlockables and extra characters keeps you from coming back to the single player story and arcade modes very often. The multiplayer and online features are solid, but won't keep you coming back unless you need a constant dose of bloody, brutal fighting.

Overall (not an average): 8.5: This game is a great new entry into both Mortal Kombat's and DCU's respective mythos. The game gets a little repetitive after a while, but that's the same for every fighting game. New in-battle Kombat systems, old-school characters, a revamped story mode, and old-school Mortal Kombat brutality makes this a must have if you are a fighting fan and/or a DC Universe fan. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is out now for XBOX360 and PS3.

-Ray Carsillo

THUNDERSTRUCK...TWICE!

After an eight year hiatus, that little devil in the school boy outfit (that still fits so well at 53 years old) and his old mates have come around once again with their new album, Black Ice. Of course, I am talking about AC/DC.

Along with a new album, is a new tour, and I was fortunate enough to acquire tickets to not one, but TWO concerts in the area. Out of the sky fell a pair of tickets to the November 13th concert at Madison Square Garden and out of my own pocket I acquired a four pack to the November 19th concert at the Izod Center. Since it seems to be a mandatory obligation to comment on concerts for us 1050 Bloggers, I have come here today to sing the praises of one of my all-time favorites.

Since I've been listening to it non-stop for the past three weeks, I'll start with the new album. If you are a fan of AC/DC, this is a must have. Most of the tracks are amazing, although I admit that there were a couple that sounded like the same song, just with different lyrics. The single off the album, "Rock 'n' Roll Train", is an instant classic that will have you singing along in no time. There are so many other great songs on the album, from "Money Made", "Anything Goes," "Big Jack", and my pick for the theme of Iron Man 2, "War Machine", that you should go get this album right now if you haven't already.

In terms of the concerts, all I can say is AMAZING! Even well into their 50s, these guys know how to put on a show and make sure their fans go home happy. As to be expected, they played a few songs from the new album since it is the Black Ice Tour, but they pulled out a lot of their classics and left mine and many others' throats hoarse from screaming and singing along. From Angus pulling off one of the most amazing solos in the history of rock 'n' roll when they break out "Let There Be Rock" to the cannons firing with "For Those About to Rock", this is one of the must see rock experiences of your life if you get the chance.

Even the opening act, a band from Ireland called The Answer, was awesome and got the crowd revved up. I expect good things from those guys in the future, but the night belonged, of course, to AC/DC.

The only disappointing thing was that they played the entirely same set in both concerts. Here was the set list (and yes, supposedly they are mixing it up a little bit in different cities which disappointed me even more):

1. Rock N' Roll Train
2. Hell Ain't a Bad Place To Be
3. Back In Black
4. Big Jack
5. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
6. Thunderstruck
7. Black Ice
8. The Jack
9. Hells Bells
10. Shoot to Thrill
11. War Machine
12. Anything Goes
13. You Shook Me All Night Long
14. T.N.T.
15. Whole Lotta Rosie
16. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

17. Highway To Hell
18. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

An interesting difference was that I never noticed how good the acoustics were in the Izod compared to Garden, but when you think about it, the Garden was never really built for concerts; it was technically built for the circus. Anyway, the NYC crowd I felt was much stronger than the Jersey crowd and that disappoints me because, well, I'm a Jersey boy. I wanted us to represent a little more. Even with the nice acoustics, we didn't sound nearly as loud as the NYC crowd even though both venues were sold out.

Aside from that though, I can't stress enough how great this new album is and that if you've never seen them live, AC/DC is one of the must sees of your lifetime if you are any degree of a rocker. You won't regret it.

-Ray Carsillo

GRINDING THE GEARS

It helped launch the current generation of systems and prove just how far we had come in terms of shooter games. It also left us on the edge of our seats as we knew by the end cut scene that this epic was not over. Gears of War was revolutionary in terms of how much it stressed firing from behind cover and blind firing without a stress on stealth. Add in that there was nothing more satisfying in online play than sneaking up behind someone and mowing them down with the chainsaw attached to your gun. Graphics, weapon design, enemy A.I., they all took steps forward with the first Gears of War, so how on earth could they top it?

If you loved the first Gears as much as I did, then you were at a Midnight Mayhem Launch at one of the many locations across the tri-state area, waiting anxiously for the clock to strike 12:01 AM on Friday, November 7th. Take a look at the attached video to see a special interview with Rod Fergusson, the Senior Producer for Gears of War 2 from Epic Games and you can get a better sense of what to expect.

After finally procuring my own copy of Gears of War 2, I staved off sleep for as long as it took for me to beat it and I could not have been happier with the product.

The first game set the stage for one of the grandest universes we've been immersed in as gamers in a long while and the second game did its job, which was to flesh out the characters and expound on the background of this amazing universe. You once again take on the role of Marcus Fenix and have to lead Delta Squad against the Locust Hordes who are trying to take over the surface world after living under the earth's crust for no one knows how long.

One of the additions to this game is in Co-op story mode, you aren't a ghost shooter when you tag along with a buddy, but take over as Dominic Santiago, Marcus's closest friend and 2nd in command and follow the story through his eyes as well as Marcus's. A nice addition to mention is that both Marcus's and Dom's back stories have been fleshed out and you learn a lot about their characters and personal motives with some interesting twists and turns along the way.

As well as the fleshed out story, the graphics have been upgraded to push the XBOX 360 to its limits and you can tell. The light effects, the blood, the lush color of vegetation (or not so lush of rotting vegetation), all bring the sense of realism to all new heights. The enemy A.I. has been upgraded and the gameplay is as smooth as can be. I saw no glitches to speak of. And some of the most fun levels I've played in a long time were when you get behind the wheel of several C.O.G. and Locust "vehicles" and just start blowing everything and everyone to kingdom come.

The multiplayer is back as well and has been ramped up. With new multiplayer modes, like King of the Hill, Wingman, and Annex, new maps, and the pure satisfaction of winning a battle of clashing chainsaws and you have one of the best multiplayer experiences out there.

Add in new abilities, like using dying Locust soldiers as shields while under fire, collectibles from every level, and new weapons such as poison gas grenades, burst shot pistols, the ability to turn your grenades into proximity mines (which can be planted right on enemies as well as on walls), flamethrowers, and the return of some of the greatest weapons ever imagined like the Lancer chainsaw rifle and you have all the ingredients for, in my opinion, so far, the best gaming experience of 2008.

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

Graphics: 9.5: Sharp, clear, crisp. These are words that you use when describing Gears of War 2. The only reason why I deducted points was that when you mow down enemies with the chainsaw, they fall apart into lots of little pieces that would not make sense if you're slicing them right down the middle. Aside from this minor critique, the game is a feast for the eyes.

Audio: 10.0: The voice acting was superb. The gravel and guts in Marcus Fenix's voice made you think of how much fighting this man had seen. The music fit every situation and helped to build tension to let you know when something was coming so that you actually tensed up because you didn't know what would be behind the next corner. Explosions, gunfire, chainsaws grinding, and other SFX were all solidly used as well. Can't deduct from something was perfect.

Plot/Plot Development: 9.0: The first Gears ended in a cliffhanger and the second Gears ends in even a bigger cliffhanger. Questions from the first Gears were answered, but even more questions pop up as you play through the game. I don't want to give anything away by saying what they are, but I already can't wait for Gears 3! Add in the emotion you feel for the characters as their backgrounds are fleshed out and you walk away from this one like you just watched a great movie in the middle of the trilogy. Dare I say, this is The Empire Strike Back of video games?

Gameplay: 10.0: There were no glitches as far as I could tell and everything kept up at a great pace. I didn't even realize how long I had been playing the game for until I finally looked at my clock and said "Damn!" It felt like I was watching a movie it was so smooth. Enemy A.I. was relatively unpredictable and the game was just hard enough to give you a challenge, but with enough checkpoints to keep you from being frustrated. Best game I've played this year, I think.

Replay Value: 9.0: Not a lot to bring you back to the story mode aside from getting the achievements of beating the game on a harder difficulty and trying to find all the collectibles, but the multiplayer is great. Lots of different modes keeps the multiplayer situations constantly in flux and there is still no greater feeling in gaming than sneaking up on someone and hacking them to ribbons with your Lancer Chainsaw Rifle.

Overall (not an average): 9.5: One of the most enjoyable experiences I've had in gaming in a while. From the story mode to the great multiplayer mode, this game is tight as a drum. It's hard to really complain about anything except that I don't think I can wait another two years for Gears 3 to come out. Gears of War 2 is out now exclusively for XBOX 360.

-Ray Carsillo

DOUBLE REVIEW FOR DOUBLE-0-7

With the release of the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, I've decided to review not only the movie, but the video game as well. We'll begin with the movie.

Many people were worried that the series was on its last legs after the egg that Die Another Day laid and the lack of action in Casino Royale , but Quantum of Solace proves that Casino Royale was simply setting the stage for something much bigger and better than we could have hoped for. Quantum of Solace slams you against the back of your seat from the very get-go with its fast-paced, action-packed, sequences and a plot deeper than the Atlantic Ocean.

The movie picks up right where Casino Royale left off with Bond transporting "Mr. White" to a MI-6 safe house for interrogation. This also marks the first time in the series that a Bond movie picks up so closely on the heels of the previous movie, helping with the continuity of the story and insinuating that, if you didn't get the feeling from Casino Royale, this isn't your daddy's James Bond.

Once the interrogation starts, you find out quickly that Mr. White and his unknown organization have people everywhere, as demonstrated by one of MI-6's agents going rouge and freeing Mr. White. Thus begins another action packed chase sequence on the roofs of Siena, Italy.

I won't give away any more of the plot except that Bond will find himself unable to trust anyone as it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe from the reach of this mystery organization and Bond will have to go rogue to get to the bottom of how far this mystery organization's reach is. Along the way, he will question himself as he realizes that many of whom he holds near and dear begin to suffer in the wake of his path of destruction as he travels across oceans to corner solid leads and stop a diabolical plot or two along the way.

Bottom line is that this was an awesome Bond movie and it will rejuvenate the series. With the continuation of the story directly from movie to movie, it's easier to follow the characters and their changes and really get engrossed in the mythos. Everyone gives great performances and Daniel Craig really puts his own touch on Bond by acting so blatantly defiant at times that it's almost funny while still being a bad ass.

The plot and action sequences were really well thought out, played beautifully on the screen, and will keep your attention for the entire 1 hour and 45 minutes to the point you'll be asking for more. Add in classic elements like tons of beautiful women with some...interesting character names like Miss Strawberry Fields and you'll really enjoy the experience.

There were only two things with the movie that bothered me. The first was in some scenes, you could tell that someone wasn't watching the continuity as certain characters were out of place from cut to cut and it didn't make sense. To the untrained eye it could probably get by, but for someone like me, it got under my skin a little.

The other thing was that this movie basically confirms the cutting of "Q Branch", the R&D gurus who outfitted Bond with his many wonderful gadgets. Although there was some cutting edge tech, there was nothing so outlandish like a grenade-pen or tracking beacons in his shoes. The most extensive piece of tech for Bond was his cell phone, which really helps solidify the new, more realistic, direction the Bond movies are going in. I miss John Cleese though. Aside from these minor complaints, never mind one of the better Bond movies, this was one of the straight up better action movies I've seen in a long time.

Quantum of Solace gets a solid 4.5 out of 5.

Moving from the theatre to the home, I picked up the Quantum of Solace video game, looking forward to boat, plane, and car chases across three continents and more chase scenes on foot than I could shake my controller at. Unlike the movie though, the game fails to deliver on many accounts.

Although the levels based on the movie are well thought out and stealth is highly encouraged, there were no vehicle chase scenes to speak of and this really took away from the length of the game. In order to compensate, they flashed back to Casino Royale and had half the game revolve around these flashbacks.

Now, these levels were enjoyable, but the fact that they felt they needed to virtually include both movies in the game to make this worthwhile simply speaks to the fact that there probably wasn't enough here to make a game with to begin with and that disappointed me because from watching the movie there was, which means the developers got lazy.

Now, in fairness, all James Bond games will be compared to the smash hit, Goldeneye, from the N64. One of the things from that game was that the gameplay came straight out of the movie to the point that you had the entire plot without even having to see the movie. This game changed a few things around; some were good, some not so much.

One of the good things was that it explained the situations a lot more thoroughly so that you had a better understanding. Example, the chase scene in Siena, Italy. The scene takes place on the day of the Polio, one of the most famous horse races in the world held in the town square. If you are unfamiliar with Italian traditions though, you might be a little confused watching a horse race in a town square while watching the movie, whereas it is explained in great detail in the game.

Another good thing was that enemy physics system. Enemies falling down when you shot them in the legs, but not necessarily passing away, or falling over a hand rail into boxes below if their momentum was taking them towards the rail were nice touches. This gave the game a solid sense of realism and was one of the bright spots.

One other great thing was hand to hand combat. Sneaking up on enemies and stealthily putting them down by pressing a corresponding button was great stuff. Add in the boss and lock pick mini-games and of having to push the right button at the right time in order to pass and the game does try to keep you on your toes by mixing things up a bit.

One of the bad things is that the game basically changed a great deal of the plot, especially towards the end of the game, to fit where they were going with it more and showed us things from the villain's points of view, which was interesting, but completely unnecessary since the game is supposed to revolve around James Bond.

Add in that the enemy A.I. was poor at best and that it began to feel like you were playing a shooting gallery down at the boardwalk, simply hiding behind cover and waiting to pick off enemies when they popped up to shoot at you, and you have a game barely worthy of a rental. If you are a fan of James Bond and the mythos, then rent the game to get a couple extra plot details you may have missed from the movie, otherwise, there are plenty of better 1st person shooters out there.

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

Graphics: 9.0: The game looked pretty solid. The fire graphics were alright, and the light effects were well done. Everyone's faces and movements were smooth and everything looked as it should. It was difficult to tell exactly where to go sometimes because sometimes exits blended in a little too well to the darkness, but aside from this, the game looked pretty good.

Audio: 10.0: Voice acting was really well done and having a long list of enemy phrases to choose from prevented the A.I. from ever repeating itself. If Bond was spotted, enemies never called it in the same way twice, which was a nice touch. Explosions and gun fire sounded solid and the music was solid as is always expected from a James Bond game. Just play the opera level to get a sense of how good this game was sound-wise.

Plot/Plot Development: 6.5: The plot was only passable because if you didn't see the movie, not everything made sense to you. And if you didn't see Casino Royale, you were definitely in trouble. If a James Bond game is based on a movie, it should follow the movie as closely as possible, and this didn't do that. Lots of holes in the plot make the movie a must see and the game a rental at best.

Gameplay: 7.5: A lack of levels based on the vehicle chases really took something away from the game. The enemy physics was solid, but their A.I. was subpar and it made it feel like a shooting gallery half the time. Even when they tried to flank you, it was so blatantly obvious that it was no difficulty at all picking them off. All you had to do was hide behind cover and that made it feel like the shootouts were cheap knockoffs from the Gears of War series. I liked the addition of a hand to hand combat system and that many "boss" fights and the lock picking system was basically a mini-game. It kept the feel of the game different and tested your reflexes a bit more. Overall, the gameplay passes, but was nothing special.

Replay Value: 7.0: There isn't a lot to replay the story mode. You could go back to try to find the entire cache of cell phones with extra intel on the mission to unlock things for multi-player, but that's it. The multi-player itself isn't anything special and feels like something that was added because it is expected nowadays. I would rather have had more levels and a better enemy A.I. than an average multi-player mode.

Overall (not an average): 7.0: Although the game looks and sounds great, it is not. The gameplay is lacking and a lack of overall game to actually play is disappointing. Add in an average multi-player that looked slapped together because it is expected to be in every shooter out there and this game is a rental at best, even for the most die-hard of James Bond fans. Quantum of Solace is out now for all systems.

-Ray Carsillo

HISTORY

Normally I steer away from the heavy stuff like politics, religion, and other societal issues, but the event that happened last evening was too tremendous an occasion not to at least comment on.

First off, congratulations to President-Elect Obama and kudos to Senator McCain for a hard fought campaign and for conceding the election in one of the most heartfelt speeches I have ever heard. His grace in the face of defeat was nothing short of miraculous and speaks to the man's character in ways we can barely comprehend.

I, for one, look forward to the radical changes that the President-Elect will bring to a nation crying out for something different. If anything, last night's results showed how sick and tired of the Bush Administration this nation is and, almost as a whole, rose up to support the farthest thing from that, Barack Obama.

There were several things from last night that made me very hopeful for the future for the first time in a good while concerning our government and my generation's impact on this nation. There were also a few things that make me worry for the status of our pop culture, which is not nearly as important, but since my job revolves around it, I want to talk about it. In terms of our government, I do not need to pretend I'm some pundit or someone who remotely knows what they are talking about to know that the change coming in the next couple of years is necessary and am happy to see that, for the most part, the nation is united for the first time in eight years behind one man.

In terms of history, we have finally completely eroded a wall that had been there, but never talked about, about the limits of a man based on the color of his skin. There will always be hate all over the world, but this was a major step in the direction of quelling that hate and kicking it to the shadows permanently. This is monumental for the minority population, those with more impoverished backgrounds, and those without hope. This election was a symbol of progress for our great nation in a spectacular direction towards healing the wounds we've inflicted upon ourselves in the past eight years.

There were several minor things about last night though that really bothered me.

First: Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi all voted for McCain even after they had two hurricanes dropped on their heads that almost turned that part of the south into our country's next great water park and got NOTHING from the current administration until it was too late. This happened to be the same administration that McCain voted with 90% of the time. This is why people from these states are considered some of the stupidest in the nation by those of us above the Mason-Dixon Line since logic would dictate that when bad stuff happens, and the people who are supposed to help in your time of need don't, you should no longer trust them to help you next time.

Second: The Daily Show/Colbert Report one hour live special was the first station to break Virginia going to Obama. That's right. Comedy Central broke one of the biggest political stories of the night to that point. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert were also the second to announce Obama as the President-Elect after CNN. Then older folks wonder why my generation turns to Comedy Central for our news before anywhere else. We get our news faster and with a funny twist without having to listen to the same whining from these pundits on the other networks. Kudos to Comedy Central.

Third: Sticking with the Daily Show/Colbert Report, what are these shows going to make fun of now? They have their work cut out for them. I'm sure something will happen though that will keep feeding the fodder for comedy writers everywhere. There's always professional sports. Not just comedians though will be affected in the media, but all the right wingers with radio and TV shows. Will they be muzzled now that the democrats have control over the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House? I'm relatively sure much of the brass in the larger networks has connections to Washington. I wonder if Sean Hannity can say "Would you like fries with that?"

Fourth: The election was summed up in a handful of television shots during McCain's concession speech and Obama's victory speech. When showing the disappointed McCain supporters, you saw nothing but old, white people in the crowd. There was not a single person of color or under the age of 40 there. When you saw the celebrating Obama supporters, you saw the potential of this great land of ours. People of all ages, colors, and creeds dancing and celebrating and jumping up and down with each other. Those few shots summarized the past two years of campaigning in about two minutes and explained the results more eloquently than any speech could.

Fifth: Did anyone else notice before Barack Obama came out to give his victory speech, they were playing Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher"? They were in Chicago and Bill Murray is from Chicago. Bill Murray was also in Ghostbusters 2, which any true geek will remember as that same song being the song that allowed the Ghostbusters to bring the Statue of Liberty to life to give them entry to Vigo's Slime Fortress (previously the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Did Bill Murray help Obama at all in Chicago? Or maybe Obama is just a Ghostbusters fan? No wonder why people love this guy!

Then again I could just be having a geek moment and it will pass.

In conclusion, be optimistic America. Things are going to start turning around.

I hope.

-Ray Carsillo