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X-Men Origins: Wolverine (movie review)
2009-05-11 07:10:30
Prior to seeing Wolverine, I glanced at a few reviews of the movie, with many of them saying that it was not very good. Also, some friends of mine who saw the movie say that they thought it was only okay. As such, my expectations of the movie were pretty low, which may be why I thought this movie was actually pretty decent.
As you may have guessed by the movie’s title, Wolverine is a prequel to the other X-Men movies that sheds some light on the history of one of Marvel’s most popular characters, particularly his relationship with Victor Creed (a.k.a. Sabertooth). I’ve heard that the movie deviates significantly in several places from the origin story of the comics. Personally, I am kind of indifferent to this fact (i.e. it’s cool if the filmmakers followed the comics, but I’m not going to raise hell if they didn’t).
The action scenes are (as expected) well done, adrenaline pumping sequences (with my favourite being the final climactic battle between Wolverine and Weapon XI), but they aren’t anything we haven’t seen before. Also, I was disappointed that the side characters in the movie (Gambit, Emma Frost, Blob, etc.), were not utilized more. I think this is due to the fact that the advertising people marketed the movie with these side characters too heavily, making myself (and others) believe they would play a larger role. In the end, the appearance of these characters appeared to be little more than fan-service.
What brings the movie above your standard action flick is Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine. It’s plain to see while watching this movie he genuinely enjoys playing the character, and if it weren’t for that, I don’t think I would have enjoyed this movie as much.
If I have to compare X-Men Origins: Wolverine to the other X-Men movies, I’d have to say that it was not as good as the first two X-Men movies, but it was better than the third one. Overall, Wolverine is a decent (but not great) entry into the X-Men franchise. However, if they decide to make a sequel to it, I’ll probably give it a shot.
I give this movie 3.5/5 stars. -
2009-05-08 17:51:29
New nvidia laptop drivers:
I wrote a journal entry back in February regarding how drivers I downloaded from nvidia for my 8800m gtx video card caused my computer to stop playing DVD movies on my laptop while in SLI mode, and that I sent a report to nvidia detailing the issue in the hopes that they may fix the problem. Well, I don’t know if my report had anything to do with it, but the latest drivers (version 185) now allows me to play DVD movies while in SLI mode, so...yay for that.
Commentary on the closure of game developer 3D Realms, and Duke Nukem Forever:
If you’re a PC gamer, then you’ve probably at one point heard about Duke Nukem Forever, the oft-delayed sequel to Duke Nukem 3D. Well according to reports, the developers of DNF, 3D Realms, have shut down operations. You can find out more info about the closure in this article:
http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=1127
There are some opinions floating around that this is just a very elaborate marketing scheme, but (as the article points out) this is probably not the case.
Now, I’m going to go on a little bit of a rant regarding 3D Realms and Duke Nukem Forever. I enjoyed playing Duke Nukem 3D back when it was released in the mid-1990’s, and so I and many others were looking forward to playing Duke Nukem Forever. DNF was originally announced back in 1997, with an intended release date for 1998. However, the years came and went, the public got screenshots and teaser trailers, but not much else. The fact is, I could never hope to program anything, let alone a video game, but personally I think that working on a single game for this long is beyond excessive.
To put things into perspective, between 1997 and 2009, four “main” Grand Theft Auto games were released, as well as several spin-offs (e.g. Vice City, San Andreas, etc.). Also, there were five games in the Total War series released (i.e. Shogun, Medieval, Rome, Medieval II, and Empire), and many games in the Final Fantasy series (i.e. FFVII to XII, and spin-offs like Tactics and Crystal Chronicles). As such, for one game to take 12 years to develop, and still have nothing to release just boggles my mind. Even if 3D Realms were to release the game right now, I don’t think most gamers would accept anything less than a completely revolutionary gaming experience.
Like pretty much every gamer out there, I hate it when publishers force developers to release a game before it’s really finished. However, this is probably the one and only exception where I think the publisher (which in this case is Take-Two Interactive) should have put a little pressure on the developer to get its act together, and finish the game. Take-Two still owns the rights to publish Duke Nukem Forever, so maybe one day in the distant future, this game will see light of day.
I feel sorry for all the people who have lost their jobs (especially in this current economic climate), and to be honest, I still wanted to believe that Duke Nukem Forever would be a decent game if released. At the very least, this may serve as an example of what could happen if a company develops something without (in my opinion) a clear direction. -
Talking about gaming
2009-05-02 20:03:38
Braid:
I am not that big a fan of puzzle games (mainly because I stink at them). However, I kept hearing from people on various websites about this puzzle game called Braid, which is an independently produced game that everyone says is fantastic. It came out on the 360’s Xbox Live Arcade first, but recently it made its way to the PC.
I must say that I’m pretty impressed with the game. The puzzles are fairly ingenious, incorporating interesting time manipulation mechanics, ramping up in difficultly as you progress further into the game. What also caught my eye was the game’s art direction. Each level feels like your moving through a big, cool looking painting, and the music that accompanies each level is very serene, and perfectly complements the mood of the game.
Admittedly, due to the fact that I’m really, really bad at most puzzle games, I had to use a walkthrough on some of the puzzles. There are 60 puzzle pieces you need to collect in the game, each accompanied by a puzzle to solve. I needed help with four of them, which I guess isn’t too bad for me. Right? Anyways, if you haven’t tried Braid yet, you should definitely check it out.
I give this game 4.5/5 stars.
Drakensang:
So, I was disappointed when Dragon Age: Origins, one of my most anticipated games of 2009, was delayed from spring of this year until closer to the end of this year. In an attempt to find a game to quench my thirst for a more “old school,” party-based RPG, I stumbled on upon Drakensang. I read some reviews for it, which say it’s decent, and at $30, I thought it was a pretty good deal...and I was right.
The world of Drakensang is based upon a German pen-and-paper RPG series called The Dark Eye, and centres on you trying to prevent the resurrection of an evil, world-destroying force. Before the game starts, you can choose a hero from a list of pre-built characters, or create your own. As you journey through the game, you encounter other characters who can join your party (up to a maximum of four characters, though “guest” characters can increase that to five), each of whom have their own unique talents and abilities. You can also buy new equipment and weapons for your characters, and tweak their stats to suit your needs.
The game does start out a little slow initially, and most of the enemies you encounter early on can be killed just by piling in. However, as you progress in the game, the story does start to become more interesting, and the combat becomes increasingly difficult, forcing you to diversify the abilities of your parties, and strategically choosing which enemies to attack.
In the end, Drakensang is a great traditional RPG in the vein of Baldur’s Gate. Considering the amount of content you get in this game versus the price you pay, RPG fans should give this one a chance.
I give this game 4/5 stars.
Shadow of the Colossus:
A friend of mine got me Shadow of the Colossus for my PS2 a while ago, but I just never got around to playing it until recently. This is also another game that I hear many people say is a classic. After completing it, I have to say that I really enjoyed it, but my experience with it was marred by a couple of issues.
The story of SotC revolves around you trying to resurrect a girl named Mono by beating down a total of 16 giant Colossi. One thing I have to say about the game is that it has some of the best boss battles I’ve ever played in any game (although admittedly, the game is nothing but boss battles). The design of each Colossi and the sheer scale of some of them is truly awe-inspiring. And when you finally find a way to take down a Colossi, it feels like a real accomplishment.
However, there are a couple of problems I had with the game. First off, the camera angles in this game can often get in the way of you fighting a Colossi, as sometimes the camera may jerk to a position you really don’t want it to. Also, the controls are a bit cumbersome. Maybe it’s because I’m too accustomed with the Prince of Persia games, but it took a while for me to get use to having to press a button to grab a ledge, instead of you just auto-grabbing a ledge when you jump near one.
Despite the problems, my overall experience with SotC has been very positive. If you still have that old PS2 lying around, give it a try. I believe it will be one of the most unique gaming experiences you’ll have.
I give this game 4/5 stars.
Other gaming stuff:
First off, yay for Capcom bringing Street Figther IV and Resident Evil 5 to the PC. The anticipated release dates for these games are July for SF4, and “later this year” for RE5.
Second, boo for Eidos and Warner Brothers delaying Batman: Arkham Asylum until the end of the summer. I really wanted to give this game a try, especially after learning that a lot of the voice cast from Batman: The Animated Series will be in it. Hopefully this extra time will allow the developers more opportunity to polish the game.
Lastly, for the one or two Final Fantasy fans out there that have not yet seen the footage from the Japanese demo of Final Fantasy XIII, go check it out now!
http://www.gametrailers.com/game/final-fantasy-xiii/2649
That’s all for now! Until next time! -
2009-04-11 14:47:09
Hey everyone. Well, I recently released a couple of new AMVs, which can be found here:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=93871
These are fairly simple AMVs, relative to some of my past projects, but I still had a fun time making them. Now, on to some game reviews:
Empire: Total War
The Total War games are some of the best series of strategy games that I’ve played. Empire: Total War continues the series’ tradition of epic real-time strategy battles, combined with an over-arching turn based campaign. Taking place in the 1700’s, Empire trades in swords and arrows for muskets and cannons.
The Road to Independence campaign takes place before and during the American Revolution, and it serves as a good “tutorial” campaign. As a Canadian, it felt kind of surreal when I invaded and conquered Quebec City with George Washington as my general. When I got into the main campaign, I played as Prussia. I was able to take over most of Europe (except for the British Isles), as well as parts of North Africa. The fantastic looking land battles were my favourite part of the game. Also, even if your army is outnumbered 2 to 1, you can still pull off a victory with good tactical planning. The sea battles are Empire’s major addition to the series, and while they look great, they often took too long for me, and in the end I usually let the computer auto-decide the outcome of a sea battle.
Making alliances is also an important part of the game, especially early on, so other nations won’t try and conquer you, while you’re busy conquering other nations. My best ally was Russia, and I even helped them attack their enemies too. Also, keeping a strong economy going is important to maintaining a dominant military force. I often had to disband units when my military expenses kept putting my treasury in the red. One odd thing I found about the campaign was that, for some reason, one-state nations kept declaring war on me, even though my military could just steamroll over them. Also, another thing that annoyed me was that when you complete your turn, every other nation has to take their turn (which is of course understandable), but it takes a while since there are dozens of nations to go through.
In the end, Empire: Total War is an awesome game, and one that strategy fans, and fans of the series must not miss.
I give this game 5/5 stars.
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway
I bought this game for my PC when Steam had its Ubisoft week not too long ago. I’ve played many World War II themed shooters (including the first Brothers in Arms), so admittedly I didn’t expect too much from this game. Boy was I wrong! Hell’s Highway is one awesome WWII shooter!
You take the role of Sergeant Matt Baker of the 101st Airborne, and command his squad of soldiers. One of the things I enjoyed about the first Brothers in Arms was its emphasis on more tactical gameplay. Using cover, suppressing fire, and flanking was very important in the first game, and it’s just as important in Hell’s Highway. However, this new BiA also adds a strong cinematic quality to the game, with explosions going off all around you, sounds of bullets whizzing by you, as well as a great story (which I won’t spoil for those who have not played the game).
The graphics are, of course, top notch, but there is one glitch that I encountered where the framerate would slowdown every time my bazooka squad would run in front of me. However, I have a feeling that’s only because of the rig I’m playing the game on. The voice acting was also decent, and did a great job of conveying the story, although admittedly it won’t win any Oscars.
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway is not just a great WWII shooter, but a great shooter. Period. FPS fans should definitely give it a shot.
I give this game 4/5 stars.
That’s all for now! Until next time! -
2009-03-26 00:23:29
Congrats to the winners of both the VCA and JCA! I think both these awards show that we still have plenty of talented editors producing a lot of great videos, and I’m looking forward to seeing what AMVs are coming out for the rest of 2009.
As for me, currently my plan is to release four (possibly five) solo videos for 2009, as well as taking part in a couple of MEPs/collaborations on top of that. Actually, I already have one video completed for 2009, but I’ll release that AMV at the same time I get my next video finished (which will hopefully be within a couple of weeks).
You know, the more that I think about it, 2009 may be my most active year yet, and I hope that everyone will enjoy all the videos I create this year.
Oh, and before I forget, being able to bold and underline stuff in journals is awesome!
JOURNAL: Fizziks
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