So, for anyone wondering if The Dark Knight is going to be able to live up to, or even surpass, Batman Begins i suggest you check out ign's review here.
And to all of you doubters who said "that's terrible idea," when you first heard Heath Ledger was going to be playing the joker, i suggest you also read the review, check out this comic, and finally direct your attention to the title of this post. Thank you.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
(PS3) Review: Metal Gear Solid 4
It's just as awesome as every other review you've read says it is. Now go play it.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Metal Database. AND: To answer about Raiden...
So one of the things in thursday's PSN update was the Metal Gear Solid 4 database. A free add-on that gives you a multimedia encylcopedia with the entire history of Metal Gear characters, places, weapons, technologies, events, etc. This is...just cool, and a much smaller download size than i expected. Pretty much everything that you didn't even know that you didn't know is in this database, and it even keeps track of what you've read already. Also, a very cool feature, if you haven't beaten MGS4 yet, the databse "locks" all spoiler information that would ruin the game for you. Kojima-san certainly has a dedication to his storytelling.
I did find the answer to my question about Raiden in the database also. While not stated explicitly, it is implied that THIS (what's mentioned in the database) is why he became mostly cybernetic. Fair enough, but shouldn't that have been mentioned IN THE GAME? Of course there is the possibility that i missed it, but i'm almost done with my second playthrough (taking my time a lot more than the first) and it still doesn't seem to have been brought up. Whatever man, maybe i just need to have more conversations via codec.
I did find the answer to my question about Raiden in the database also. While not stated explicitly, it is implied that THIS (what's mentioned in the database) is why he became mostly cybernetic. Fair enough, but shouldn't that have been mentioned IN THE GAME? Of course there is the possibility that i missed it, but i'm almost done with my second playthrough (taking my time a lot more than the first) and it still doesn't seem to have been brought up. Whatever man, maybe i just need to have more conversations via codec.
(PS3) Fatal Inertia: Let me hear you say "...meh."
Yeah, that was about my reaction to this game. A hovercraft racer in the same vein as WipeOut (or blatant ripoff of, depending on your level of cynicism/fanboyism) available as of 6/19 on the PSN as either a demo (reccomended first) or a full game for $29.99. But let me start from the very beginning, the opening cinematic. Why, exactly, is my driver a skintight leather clad female? Not that i don't like unrealistically hot rendered women as much as the next guy, but when i'm playing a game where that cinematic is the only time i'm actually going to see that character (racing game) at least make it entertaining or worthwhile in some way; make it a monkey! people love monkies!
Simian digressions aside, let's move on to my first real gripe with this game; the sense of speed. The really isn't any, i got a better sense of speed playing Mario Kart Wii, which actually kept popping into my head while i played the demo. Seriously, if i'm racing with a futuristic, ultra-advanced hovercraft, i want it to look like i'm going more than 30mph, damnit! The racing aspect does have its noteworthy points, however. The ability to adjust the pitch of your craft slightly up or down allows you to maintain a much better speed while on a slope or incline of you adjust your craft's orientation to parallel the ground. Pretty cool, and i hope they utilize it throughout the game, but i don't see it remaining all that entrancing for more than the first few times it's used. There's also the ability to strafe, which allows you to avoid incoming weapons, make sharper turns, and barrel-roll if double-tapped. Also kinda cool to mess with while racing, but again, not compensation for the severely lacking sense of speed.
Did i mention there are weapons in these reaces? Oh yes. Everything from battle of Hoth style cables, to rockets, magnets (yes, magnets) and EMP's to disable everyone aroudn you's vehicle. The weapons are actually pretty cool and all have some kind of alternate fire, whether it's jsut firing backwards or riding the rocket for a speed boost instead of firing it. The cable in particular is fun with this, you can attach it to the vehicle in front of you to launch yourself forward and disconnect jsut as you fly by them, or attach it to the wall at a sharp turn to swing yourself Batman-style, pretty fun to jsut mess around with, for profit or not. There was one thing about the weapons that bothered me, and it wasn't even really abotu the weapons, it was about their marketing. All i kept hearing about leading up to racing (in meadia and in the game itself) was these "physics-based" weapons. Uhhh, ok. Yeah, i definately see where physics plays into the weapons -- a shackwave that knocks around surrounding craft, anythign with the cable -- but it doesn't really stand out above every other weapon system in every other weapon-enabled racing game. In fact, if i hadn't been staring at the game going "next-gen physics, next-gen physics, lookin for next-gen physics," i probably wouldn't have noticed at all. I suppose that's not really a fault of the game though, just lack of creativity/over-hyping on the designers' part.
There are some cool variants when it comes to the racing though. One match gave all the racers infinite magnets (they make the craft stick together or to other metal objects if too close) and no other weapons. Sounds novel, except that all i had to do was get in first and keep dropping my infinite supply of magnets behind me for all the other guys to run into. Elimination mode was another race type i encountered in my time with the demo. Every lap the driver in last place is "eliminated," read: you explode. Definitely a cool way to race, except that in the track i was on i managed to take a turn too sharp and put myself on an earlier part of the track without crossing the start/finish line, meaning i was actually in last. Now the seperation between these two lanes on the track was NOT marked, so inly knew id' shifted myself backwards from teh big flashing "Elimination Warning" on my screen. Maybe a little less time on the "physics" and more on the track design, huh guys? Also, form what i can gather form the demo you only end up getting a total of three vehicle to shoose from. ...THREE!!? REALLY!? That's beyond disappointing, but maybe the promise of customizing your vehicle will soften that...assuming you get to mess with more than THREE parts on your vehicle.
All of this isn't to say that i hate the game, i just don't really like it either; it's just: ...meh. That attitude actually sums up the last thing i'd like to mention, the graphics. While not standout, the visuals are certainly servicable, and shiny! All in all, i'd say the visuals are abotu what i'd expect from a $30 downloadable title. There's also splitscreen (2 player) and online (8 player) multiplayer i didn't get a chance to tryout, but all to consider there is lag and stability, soooo...yeah. So if you just can't wait for WipeOut HD to get your racing, shooting hovercraft fix, and have 30 bucks you don't need, get Fatal Inertia. Otherwise you're probably better off just waiting for WipeOut.
Simian digressions aside, let's move on to my first real gripe with this game; the sense of speed. The really isn't any, i got a better sense of speed playing Mario Kart Wii, which actually kept popping into my head while i played the demo. Seriously, if i'm racing with a futuristic, ultra-advanced hovercraft, i want it to look like i'm going more than 30mph, damnit! The racing aspect does have its noteworthy points, however. The ability to adjust the pitch of your craft slightly up or down allows you to maintain a much better speed while on a slope or incline of you adjust your craft's orientation to parallel the ground. Pretty cool, and i hope they utilize it throughout the game, but i don't see it remaining all that entrancing for more than the first few times it's used. There's also the ability to strafe, which allows you to avoid incoming weapons, make sharper turns, and barrel-roll if double-tapped. Also kinda cool to mess with while racing, but again, not compensation for the severely lacking sense of speed.
Did i mention there are weapons in these reaces? Oh yes. Everything from battle of Hoth style cables, to rockets, magnets (yes, magnets) and EMP's to disable everyone aroudn you's vehicle. The weapons are actually pretty cool and all have some kind of alternate fire, whether it's jsut firing backwards or riding the rocket for a speed boost instead of firing it. The cable in particular is fun with this, you can attach it to the vehicle in front of you to launch yourself forward and disconnect jsut as you fly by them, or attach it to the wall at a sharp turn to swing yourself Batman-style, pretty fun to jsut mess around with, for profit or not. There was one thing about the weapons that bothered me, and it wasn't even really abotu the weapons, it was about their marketing. All i kept hearing about leading up to racing (in meadia and in the game itself) was these "physics-based" weapons. Uhhh, ok. Yeah, i definately see where physics plays into the weapons -- a shackwave that knocks around surrounding craft, anythign with the cable -- but it doesn't really stand out above every other weapon system in every other weapon-enabled racing game. In fact, if i hadn't been staring at the game going "next-gen physics, next-gen physics, lookin for next-gen physics," i probably wouldn't have noticed at all. I suppose that's not really a fault of the game though, just lack of creativity/over-hyping on the designers' part.
There are some cool variants when it comes to the racing though. One match gave all the racers infinite magnets (they make the craft stick together or to other metal objects if too close) and no other weapons. Sounds novel, except that all i had to do was get in first and keep dropping my infinite supply of magnets behind me for all the other guys to run into. Elimination mode was another race type i encountered in my time with the demo. Every lap the driver in last place is "eliminated," read: you explode. Definitely a cool way to race, except that in the track i was on i managed to take a turn too sharp and put myself on an earlier part of the track without crossing the start/finish line, meaning i was actually in last. Now the seperation between these two lanes on the track was NOT marked, so inly knew id' shifted myself backwards from teh big flashing "Elimination Warning" on my screen. Maybe a little less time on the "physics" and more on the track design, huh guys? Also, form what i can gather form the demo you only end up getting a total of three vehicle to shoose from. ...THREE!!? REALLY!? That's beyond disappointing, but maybe the promise of customizing your vehicle will soften that...assuming you get to mess with more than THREE parts on your vehicle.
All of this isn't to say that i hate the game, i just don't really like it either; it's just: ...meh. That attitude actually sums up the last thing i'd like to mention, the graphics. While not standout, the visuals are certainly servicable, and shiny! All in all, i'd say the visuals are abotu what i'd expect from a $30 downloadable title. There's also splitscreen (2 player) and online (8 player) multiplayer i didn't get a chance to tryout, but all to consider there is lag and stability, soooo...yeah. So if you just can't wait for WipeOut HD to get your racing, shooting hovercraft fix, and have 30 bucks you don't need, get Fatal Inertia. Otherwise you're probably better off just waiting for WipeOut.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
PS3: !!SPOILERTASTIC!! Metal Gear Solid 4: Sooo...why's Raiden a cyborg ninja?
So i finished mgs4 earlier today and besides wanting to immediately start a new game (which i didn't because i needed sleep) there was one thing that was never explained: why did Raiden become a cybernetic ninja? Last time i saw him he was standing in a crowd of people in new york and now everything but his head, heart and spine are cybernetic prosthetics? WTF!? when did this happen and why? was he just bored with not being able to sword fight with his foot/teeth? was there a terrible accident where he sat in a hot tub full of acid? no one ever even asks: "So, what's with the crazy new transparent lower lip/oddly Gekko-like feet/white blood/ability to withstand swords through the abdomen? Something crazy happen?" You can't just leave that stuff out, man! And at the end he's had it all replaced with an organic looking body, only clearly attached in the exact same shaped patches as his previous ninja body! ...well...uhhhh...what?
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