Happy Saturday! Avengers Assemble is back!!
Carly on Comics is a blog about all things nerdy. Carly is a 20 something chick who loves all things geeky, nerdy, dweeby and overall awesome.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Movie Trailer of the Day: Red State
So, Smodcast Productions just released and all new Red Band trailer for Red State that premieres in October. This is Kevin Smith's newest movie, and you'll notice it looks NOTHING like previous films from the director. Check out the trailer and hopefully you'll be as excited about this as I am!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
100,000!
Hey everyone! Last night we hit 100,000 views on the blog, which I consider a HUGE milestone. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who read, and enjoy regularly. I love having an outlet for my nerdiness, and I love being able to (hopefully) bring a smile to your face. Thank you all so much for reading!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wacky Wednesday: Movies
So, with SDCC finally behind us, there are a few things nagging at me. Mostly it's just the rumors I hear about more stupid movies that are going to be made. I mean, currently in the pipeline we have Battleship and Candyland which are both movies based on fucking boardgames from when I was 7. This will continue to displease me until they decide to sign on for a "Pretty Pretty Princess" movie as well as a "Mousetrap" or "Jenga" movie. What am I talking about? The "Mousetrap" movie would never work. God knows the shitty game never did.
I feel like Hollywood is taking a "throw shit against the wall and see what sticks" mentality to movies now. I guess my thought is, instead of making 300 awful movies, why not just make a few really good ones? Instead of shitting all over my childhood (The Smurfs movie, anyone?), try coming up with a few original ideas. Oh wait, there are none of those left, and that is exactly why we're bombarded with a billion sequels.
What got me off on this anger march is the fact that there were two things confirmed at SDCC this year that really rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not sure why I've become so enraged about them, but I'll let you read the confirmations, then you decide whether I am entitled to be legitimately annoyed.
Jurassic Park 4. Yes, that's right. Steven Spielberg confirmed that there will, in fact, be a JP4. My initial reaction was "Why?" followed by "Wait, they made a Jurassic Park 3?" I guess this kinda falls under the category of "Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD". I mean, the mere fact that I told more than one person about this project, and I wasn't the only one in the room to forget about JP3, should say something about the franchise. I mean, I UNDERSTAND why he's doing it. The technology is better, it's been regarded as a relatively successful franchise (at least the first two), and last, but not least, he's Steven f'n Spielberg, so any studio who wanted a big payday would gladly take on the project. I'm not sure why this annoys me so much. It could be that I was up at 6 with a screaming baby, or the mere fact that I feel like it's a total cop-out, but this whole thing irritates me. But that's not the only irritating thing to come from Comic-Con, so let's look at the next thing...
Captain Planet: The Movie. *SCHWING!* That was the sound of a million nerds (and a few non-nerds) getting a big 'ol boner over a movie that will be shitty. Again, let's take all of the great memories of things from my childhood and completely ruin them. As a kid, I LOVED Captain Planet. I was probably one of the biggest fans ever of that show. My sister and I would even pretend we were Planeteers. They were great memories, and that is where I wish for them to remain. Untainted memories form my 8 year old brain. Hey, that rhymed! This is just another project that shouldn't exist. I mean, look at the guy for crying out loud! We're going to make him into a LIVE ACTION movie? I mean, with THAT haircut and THOSE underpants, and the fact that he hangs out with children is going to make him look like a total pedophile.
I guess at the end of the day, I can be irritated about it, but there is nothing I can do about it. There are so few original ideas out there now, that if they can reboot a series, slap another number onto a franchise, or get ideas from beloved books, good on them. It doesn't mean that I have to watch.
Now that I am sufficiently through ranting, I will leave you with the following video, because God knows you've had that ridiculous theme song in your head since you read the words Captain Planet.
I feel like Hollywood is taking a "throw shit against the wall and see what sticks" mentality to movies now. I guess my thought is, instead of making 300 awful movies, why not just make a few really good ones? Instead of shitting all over my childhood (The Smurfs movie, anyone?), try coming up with a few original ideas. Oh wait, there are none of those left, and that is exactly why we're bombarded with a billion sequels.
What got me off on this anger march is the fact that there were two things confirmed at SDCC this year that really rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not sure why I've become so enraged about them, but I'll let you read the confirmations, then you decide whether I am entitled to be legitimately annoyed.
Jurassic Park 4. Yes, that's right. Steven Spielberg confirmed that there will, in fact, be a JP4. My initial reaction was "Why?" followed by "Wait, they made a Jurassic Park 3?" I guess this kinda falls under the category of "Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD". I mean, the mere fact that I told more than one person about this project, and I wasn't the only one in the room to forget about JP3, should say something about the franchise. I mean, I UNDERSTAND why he's doing it. The technology is better, it's been regarded as a relatively successful franchise (at least the first two), and last, but not least, he's Steven f'n Spielberg, so any studio who wanted a big payday would gladly take on the project. I'm not sure why this annoys me so much. It could be that I was up at 6 with a screaming baby, or the mere fact that I feel like it's a total cop-out, but this whole thing irritates me. But that's not the only irritating thing to come from Comic-Con, so let's look at the next thing...
Captain Planet: The Movie. *SCHWING!* That was the sound of a million nerds (and a few non-nerds) getting a big 'ol boner over a movie that will be shitty. Again, let's take all of the great memories of things from my childhood and completely ruin them. As a kid, I LOVED Captain Planet. I was probably one of the biggest fans ever of that show. My sister and I would even pretend we were Planeteers. They were great memories, and that is where I wish for them to remain. Untainted memories form my 8 year old brain. Hey, that rhymed! This is just another project that shouldn't exist. I mean, look at the guy for crying out loud! We're going to make him into a LIVE ACTION movie? I mean, with THAT haircut and THOSE underpants, and the fact that he hangs out with children is going to make him look like a total pedophile.
I guess at the end of the day, I can be irritated about it, but there is nothing I can do about it. There are so few original ideas out there now, that if they can reboot a series, slap another number onto a franchise, or get ideas from beloved books, good on them. It doesn't mean that I have to watch.
Now that I am sufficiently through ranting, I will leave you with the following video, because God knows you've had that ridiculous theme song in your head since you read the words Captain Planet.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Hot Nerd of the Week: Clark Duke!
This is one of my most favorite people of all time. He's just starting to hit it bigtime now, but I've been following him for a few years now, and he can make me laugh without fail.
Best known as Michael Cera's real-life best friend, Clark Duke was born and raised in Glenwood, Arkansas. After high school, Clark attended Loyola University where, for his thesis, he wrote, directed and produced the web series "Clark and Michael", where he and Michael Cera play fictional versions of themselves.
Over the years, Clark has gained recognition in the acting world. In 1992, he was nominated for a Young Actors Award as an "Outstanding Actor Under Ten in a Television Series" for his role in Hearts Afire.
In 2007, Clark scored the recurring role of Dale Kettlewell on the television show Greek.
In 2008, Clark starred in the "Funny or Die" classic Drunk History vol 2. Where he gained much more recognition, especially among comedic actors.
Also in 2008, Clark co-starred in his first major motion picture, Sex Drive. In 2010, he co-starred in two of my favorite movies, Kick-Ass and Hot Tub Time Machine.
Clark is currently working on the movie A Thousand Words starring Eddie Murphy.
Although there is not a whole lot about Clark's personal life available, he's got a TON of nerd appeal. That, joined with his ability to make me laugh no matter what he;s in is the reason that Clark Duke is this week's Hot Nerd!
Best known as Michael Cera's real-life best friend, Clark Duke was born and raised in Glenwood, Arkansas. After high school, Clark attended Loyola University where, for his thesis, he wrote, directed and produced the web series "Clark and Michael", where he and Michael Cera play fictional versions of themselves.
CLARK AND MICHAEL - Eggs for Breakfast - watch more funny videos
Over the years, Clark has gained recognition in the acting world. In 1992, he was nominated for a Young Actors Award as an "Outstanding Actor Under Ten in a Television Series" for his role in Hearts Afire.
In 2007, Clark scored the recurring role of Dale Kettlewell on the television show Greek.
In 2008, Clark starred in the "Funny or Die" classic Drunk History vol 2. Where he gained much more recognition, especially among comedic actors.
Also in 2008, Clark co-starred in his first major motion picture, Sex Drive. In 2010, he co-starred in two of my favorite movies, Kick-Ass and Hot Tub Time Machine.
Clark is currently working on the movie A Thousand Words starring Eddie Murphy.
Although there is not a whole lot about Clark's personal life available, he's got a TON of nerd appeal. That, joined with his ability to make me laugh no matter what he;s in is the reason that Clark Duke is this week's Hot Nerd!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Evan T. Reviews Captain America!
Note from Carly- I honestly had every intention of posting a new Hot Nerd today, but I'm going to push it off until tomorrow, so that we can look at Evan T's review of "Captain America: The First Avenger" while the topic is still relevant. Enjoy!
P.S. To Evan T. - Remember that $5 bet you and The Editor made about Cap vs. Thor? I think you'll be wanting to make sure you have that $5 on hand ;-)
Evan T. at the Movies!
Ok. Kiddies, I saw a little movie called "Captain America: The First Avenger". Twice. It was fantastic. And here is why...
Cap (Aka Chris Evans) Works so Well - I was skeptical, like most, when Mr. Evans was cast. I had seen him in the Fantastic Four movies, Not Another Teen Movie, Cellular, and The Losers (if you haven't seen the last two, do yourself a favor and check them out) and didn't know if he could be my Steve Rogers. He does it and really does it well. Between some of the best special effects I have ever, EVER seen and the performance by Mr. Evans it all adds up to awesome. He did a amazing job and I cannot wait to see him as Cap again. This is the Cap I have waited for.
Holy Cow Does Marvel Know How to Pick Directors - So Joe Johnston was picked to helm this movie. He had previous experience directing October Sky and The Rocketeer ( A grossly undervalued movie) and he knocks it out of the park here. The whole movie, from the beginning in the present to the majority in 1942, everything works to perfection. Mr. Johnston has had "Pulp" hero experience and he uses that to his full advantage in Captain America. It works, so well.
Captain America Does NOT Try to Re-invent the Wheel - So, I watch a lot of cooking shows. They often say executing a complex dish is less complicated than executing a simple dish to perfection. I feel like Captain America did not try anything I haven't seen. Rather, they did a simple story and did it to perfection. From cast ( Listen, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Stanley Tucci and Derek Luke are all SUPPORTING ACTORS!!!. These people are stars in their own right and they are the supporting cast people!) to story, effect and pacing, everything is executed to perfection. They know their story has been told before. They just tell it better.
Seriously, go see this movie. Marvel is on some kind of roll with their last few movies and man, I am ready for The Avengers.
Ok, so when you sit through the movie, past the credits, you will see a preview for 2012's Avengers movie. Holy Cow Awesome Sauce Fantastico Amazing! Seeing the heroes all together for the first time on a big screen is worth the 11 bucks alone. Seriously, are you not entertained?
P.S. To Evan T. - Remember that $5 bet you and The Editor made about Cap vs. Thor? I think you'll be wanting to make sure you have that $5 on hand ;-)
Evan T. at the Movies!
Ok. Kiddies, I saw a little movie called "Captain America: The First Avenger". Twice. It was fantastic. And here is why...
Cap (Aka Chris Evans) Works so Well - I was skeptical, like most, when Mr. Evans was cast. I had seen him in the Fantastic Four movies, Not Another Teen Movie, Cellular, and The Losers (if you haven't seen the last two, do yourself a favor and check them out) and didn't know if he could be my Steve Rogers. He does it and really does it well. Between some of the best special effects I have ever, EVER seen and the performance by Mr. Evans it all adds up to awesome. He did a amazing job and I cannot wait to see him as Cap again. This is the Cap I have waited for.
Holy Cow Does Marvel Know How to Pick Directors - So Joe Johnston was picked to helm this movie. He had previous experience directing October Sky and The Rocketeer ( A grossly undervalued movie) and he knocks it out of the park here. The whole movie, from the beginning in the present to the majority in 1942, everything works to perfection. Mr. Johnston has had "Pulp" hero experience and he uses that to his full advantage in Captain America. It works, so well.
Captain America Does NOT Try to Re-invent the Wheel - So, I watch a lot of cooking shows. They often say executing a complex dish is less complicated than executing a simple dish to perfection. I feel like Captain America did not try anything I haven't seen. Rather, they did a simple story and did it to perfection. From cast ( Listen, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Stanley Tucci and Derek Luke are all SUPPORTING ACTORS!!!. These people are stars in their own right and they are the supporting cast people!) to story, effect and pacing, everything is executed to perfection. They know their story has been told before. They just tell it better.
Seriously, go see this movie. Marvel is on some kind of roll with their last few movies and man, I am ready for The Avengers.
**SPOILER**
Ok, so when you sit through the movie, past the credits, you will see a preview for 2012's Avengers movie. Holy Cow Awesome Sauce Fantastico Amazing! Seeing the heroes all together for the first time on a big screen is worth the 11 bucks alone. Seriously, are you not entertained?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Catching Up With Carly
Hey everyone! This week is my unofficial comeback! I finally think I have the kid in enough of a routine (HA!) that I can FINALLY get in some writing... I thought since today is Sunday, and generally a low-traffic day, that I'd catch you up on what's been going on with me the past few weeks. I'll do it bulletin point style :-) I'll be back tomorrow with a brand new "Hot Nerd of the Week", as well as a link to my Big Shiny Robot "True Blood Review". Without further adieu, here has been what I've been up to since July 7th...
* Had a baby on July 8th
* Learned that babies really DO go through about 15 diapers (or more a day), as they are little shit factories
* Have watched the Summer premier of season 2 of "Homes From Hell" and season 1 of "Restoration Home"
* Discovered (much to my dismay) that I am now in the key demographic for people who watch "Good Morning America"
* Started watching "Torchwood" on Starz, and even though I LOVED "Torchwood" on BBC, the Starz version is currently rocking my world
*Almost finished "Deadwood". I only have one episode left to watch and I'm super sad about that, so I'm trying to delay watching it, because I can't come to terms with the fact that it went off the air four years ago...
* Begun watching "The Sopranos", and I feel like, if Italian Americans have a problem with "Jersey Shore", they HAD to have had a problem with "The Sopranos"
* Ordered a shit-load of clothes off the internet so I wouldn't have to go out in the disgusting heat
* Discovered that I have "Mommy-vision" while driving now. This amazing ability allows me to spot shitty drivers from a mile away
* Watched "Arrested Development" for the 10,128th time
Last but not least....
* I FINALLY broke 10,000 gamer points on XBox. I did it while playing "X-Men Arcade"
I know it looks like I've just been watching TV until my eyeballs fall out, but that's only because I have been, When the heat index has been over 100 degrees for the last week, the last thing on my mind is doing anything other than A) going swimming or B) leaving the confines of my central air.
Hope you all have a lovely day, and I'll be back tomorrow! Hopefully, I can even talk Evan T. into a couple of reviews this week :-)
* Had a baby on July 8th
* Learned that babies really DO go through about 15 diapers (or more a day), as they are little shit factories
* Have watched the Summer premier of season 2 of "Homes From Hell" and season 1 of "Restoration Home"
* Discovered (much to my dismay) that I am now in the key demographic for people who watch "Good Morning America"
* Started watching "Torchwood" on Starz, and even though I LOVED "Torchwood" on BBC, the Starz version is currently rocking my world
*Almost finished "Deadwood". I only have one episode left to watch and I'm super sad about that, so I'm trying to delay watching it, because I can't come to terms with the fact that it went off the air four years ago...
* Begun watching "The Sopranos", and I feel like, if Italian Americans have a problem with "Jersey Shore", they HAD to have had a problem with "The Sopranos"
* Ordered a shit-load of clothes off the internet so I wouldn't have to go out in the disgusting heat
* Discovered that I have "Mommy-vision" while driving now. This amazing ability allows me to spot shitty drivers from a mile away
* Watched "Arrested Development" for the 10,128th time
Last but not least....
* I FINALLY broke 10,000 gamer points on XBox. I did it while playing "X-Men Arcade"
I know it looks like I've just been watching TV until my eyeballs fall out, but that's only because I have been, When the heat index has been over 100 degrees for the last week, the last thing on my mind is doing anything other than A) going swimming or B) leaving the confines of my central air.
Hope you all have a lovely day, and I'll be back tomorrow! Hopefully, I can even talk Evan T. into a couple of reviews this week :-)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Updates!
Hey there everyone! Sorry I haven't been more attentive lately, life with the baby bot is a killer, and the second I get a free moment to myself, I'm trying to brush my teeth or throw in a load of laundry... I'll be back regularly as soon as I get myself into some sort of sleep rythm, and am not completely brain dead. I plan on going to see "Captain America" this weekend (don't worry, I'll be having the grandparents watch el bebah, I'm not that asshole who brings their kid to the movies), so we should have a review on that soon. I'll also be getting back to my weekly columns at Big Shiny Robot next week as well, so fear not! I have not abandoned you, I'm just adjusting at the moment :-) Just wanted to let you know what's going on, and I promise I'll be back on a regular schedule soon! xo
Monday, July 11, 2011
Programming Note
Hey everyone! Sorry to be scarce for the last few days, but big things have been happening... The Editor and I welcomed the newest member of our family into the world on Friday, so things have been a little hectic.. Evan T. will be covering a few things for me over the next few weeks, and I'll post when I'm able to. Hope you all had a great weekend, and without further adieu, I'd like you to meet Riley!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Saccheraferious Thursday: Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles Edition
Happy Thursday everyone! I thought for today I would feature everyone's favorite heroes in a half shell. Have a great day, and I'll see y'all back here tomorrow!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Superheroes from Around the World: The United Kingdom!
Marvel Comic's Captain Britain, A.K.A Brittanic, A.K.A. Brian Braddock is probably the U.K.'s best known superhero. I say that because I'm in the states and I've heard of him. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, Captain Britain made his first appearance in Captain Britain Weekly #1 in October, 1976. Designed to uphold the laws of Britain, Captain Britain was meant to be the U.K. version of Captain America.
Brian was born and raised in the small town of Maldon, Essex and educated at Fettes College in Edinburg. He was a shy and studious youth, living a relatively quiet life and spending a lot of time with his parents and siblings.
After his parents were killed in a laboratory accident, Brian took a fellowship at Darkmoor nuclear research centre. When the facility is attacked by the technological criminal Joshua Stragg (A.K.A. "The Reaver"), Brian tries to find help by escaping on his motorcycle. Although he crashes his bike in a nearly fatal accident, Merlyn and his daughter, the Omniversal Guardian, Roma appear to the badly injured Brian. They give him the chance to be the superhero Captain Britain. He is offered a choice: the Amulet of Right or the Sword of Might. Considering himself to be no warrior and unsuited for the challenge, he rejects the Sword and chooses the Amulet. This choice transforms Brian Braddock into Captain Britain.
Brian is superhumanly strong, able to lift 90 tons, and possesses enhanced reflexes, stamina and senses. He can also fly up to 770 mph for prolonged periods. He derives his energies from the friction between dimensions, focused in a matrix centered on the U.K., and formerly needed his costume to focus his powers and provide a battery when outside the U.K.; however he may have alleviated this weakness when he briefly severed his mystic connection to the U.K. to empower Kelsey Leigh. As Britannic, he had prophetic visions, tied to memories of experiencing all history while lost in the timeline. He is apparently immune to his sister's psionic powers, though not his elder brother's reality warping abilities.
MI-13, the Corps, agents of Merlin, champions of Otherworld's Camelot, Pendragons, and Hellfire Club.
You can find more information, as well as a detailed history of Captain Britain HERE at Marvel.com!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Carly on Comics Reviews Some Video Games!
Hello hello! Hope y'all had a great weekend full of awesomeness and fireworks! Last week I promised some video games, and this week I'm delivering. We're going to take a peek at the three games I've been playing as of late, and I'll let you know what I think of each!
Lucha Fury- The first game we're going to look at is the side-scrolling awesomeness for Xbox Live Arcade called "Lucha Fury". This is by far one of the best button mashers I've played in a long time. The press release for the game describes the synopsis as the following:
"In the world of Lucha Fury, the lost, ancient recipe for Pollojo, the nectar of the gods, is discovered by a struggling bar owner, who turns it into a highly successful energy drink. The gods, however, are not so happy about humans stealing their drink, and they set out to reclaim what is theirs - destroying humanity in the process. Four masked luchadores, having never accomplished much of anything in the past, suddenly find themselves without Pollojo and are sparked into battle to take down the old gods and return with their precious energy drink, possibly saving the world along the way."
Basically, there are four different luchador wrestlers to choose from, each with their own skill set and you pick the one you like best. For me, the chick was the obvious choice. The graphics are very colorful and vibrant, and the animation reminds me very much of "Borderlands", which I love. The best part about this game is that you can play local multiplayer with up to four people. In my opinion there are not enough games like that, where if you'd like to have three of your closest friends to play a video game you can all be on the same console playing together. Damn kids today with their online friends... Seriously, get a real live friend or two. The game will set you back $10, but it's totally worth it for all of the button-mashing fun you'll have with your friends!
Child of Eden- The jury is still out on this one for me. "Child of Eden" is the follow up game to "Rez", which I've never played, but people seem to love. "Child of Eden" can be used with or without a Kinect, but I feel like the experience is better with a Kinect. The synopsis is as follows:
"Child of Eden thrusts you in the center of a battle to save Project Lumi, a mission to reproduce a human personality inside Eden, the archive of all human memories. As the project nears completion, the archive is invaded by an unknown virus. The player's mission is to purify Eden from the virus to restore hope and peace."
Instead of killing things, you "purify" them, and as you do so, you start to realize (when you're using the Kinect) that it feels like you're conducting the world. Each time you "purify" an enemy, there is a different sound fed back to you, so you're essentially making music. I found the game to be a little bit difficult to get used to, and I wish that it had more save spots, so that if I failed 3/4 of the way through a level I didn't have to go all the way back to the beginning, but other than that, it's certainly an experience unlike any other. I described the game feel as "zen". If you're a big fan of the Kinect, it's certainly a must have.
Heavy Rain- The last game up for review today is "Heavy Rain" for the PS3. I know this one has been out for a while, but I just recently borrowed Evan T's PS3, so give me a break. I love this game. After the first half hour of playing I thought I was going to hate it, then I got submerged deeper into what was going on with the story, and it's pretty f'n amazing. I don't know how to refer to it other than a "choose your own adventure" type story. There are four different characters you're playing as, each at different times, and the story is told based on the decisions you make. It's like playing a movie, if that makes sense. Wikipedia's synopsis of the game is:
"Heavy Rain's story is a dramatic thriller modeled after film noir, featuring four protagonists involved with the mystery of the Origami Killer, a serial killer who uses extended periods of rainfall to drown his victims. Ethan Mars is a father who is trying to save his son from being the next victim, while investigative journalist Madison Paige, FBI profiler Norman Jayden, and private detective Scott Shelby are each trying to track down clues to the Origami Killer's identity."
It's a hauntingly awesome story, and you'll be amazed at how attached you'll get to the characters. If "L.A. Noir" is anything like "Hard Rain", I need to go out and buy a copy STAT.
Lucha Fury- The first game we're going to look at is the side-scrolling awesomeness for Xbox Live Arcade called "Lucha Fury". This is by far one of the best button mashers I've played in a long time. The press release for the game describes the synopsis as the following:
"In the world of Lucha Fury, the lost, ancient recipe for Pollojo, the nectar of the gods, is discovered by a struggling bar owner, who turns it into a highly successful energy drink. The gods, however, are not so happy about humans stealing their drink, and they set out to reclaim what is theirs - destroying humanity in the process. Four masked luchadores, having never accomplished much of anything in the past, suddenly find themselves without Pollojo and are sparked into battle to take down the old gods and return with their precious energy drink, possibly saving the world along the way."
Basically, there are four different luchador wrestlers to choose from, each with their own skill set and you pick the one you like best. For me, the chick was the obvious choice. The graphics are very colorful and vibrant, and the animation reminds me very much of "Borderlands", which I love. The best part about this game is that you can play local multiplayer with up to four people. In my opinion there are not enough games like that, where if you'd like to have three of your closest friends to play a video game you can all be on the same console playing together. Damn kids today with their online friends... Seriously, get a real live friend or two. The game will set you back $10, but it's totally worth it for all of the button-mashing fun you'll have with your friends!
Child of Eden- The jury is still out on this one for me. "Child of Eden" is the follow up game to "Rez", which I've never played, but people seem to love. "Child of Eden" can be used with or without a Kinect, but I feel like the experience is better with a Kinect. The synopsis is as follows:
"Child of Eden thrusts you in the center of a battle to save Project Lumi, a mission to reproduce a human personality inside Eden, the archive of all human memories. As the project nears completion, the archive is invaded by an unknown virus. The player's mission is to purify Eden from the virus to restore hope and peace."
Instead of killing things, you "purify" them, and as you do so, you start to realize (when you're using the Kinect) that it feels like you're conducting the world. Each time you "purify" an enemy, there is a different sound fed back to you, so you're essentially making music. I found the game to be a little bit difficult to get used to, and I wish that it had more save spots, so that if I failed 3/4 of the way through a level I didn't have to go all the way back to the beginning, but other than that, it's certainly an experience unlike any other. I described the game feel as "zen". If you're a big fan of the Kinect, it's certainly a must have.
Heavy Rain- The last game up for review today is "Heavy Rain" for the PS3. I know this one has been out for a while, but I just recently borrowed Evan T's PS3, so give me a break. I love this game. After the first half hour of playing I thought I was going to hate it, then I got submerged deeper into what was going on with the story, and it's pretty f'n amazing. I don't know how to refer to it other than a "choose your own adventure" type story. There are four different characters you're playing as, each at different times, and the story is told based on the decisions you make. It's like playing a movie, if that makes sense. Wikipedia's synopsis of the game is:
"Heavy Rain's story is a dramatic thriller modeled after film noir, featuring four protagonists involved with the mystery of the Origami Killer, a serial killer who uses extended periods of rainfall to drown his victims. Ethan Mars is a father who is trying to save his son from being the next victim, while investigative journalist Madison Paige, FBI profiler Norman Jayden, and private detective Scott Shelby are each trying to track down clues to the Origami Killer's identity."
It's a hauntingly awesome story, and you'll be amazed at how attached you'll get to the characters. If "L.A. Noir" is anything like "Hard Rain", I need to go out and buy a copy STAT.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Happy Independence Weekend!
Yup, I'm taking a mini-vacay! I'll be back on Tuesday with two video game reviews though, so don't worry! That will give you something to look forward to :-) Hopefully you're all looking at weekends that are just like mine, filled with friends, family, UFC and fireworks (literally, or metaphorically). I leave you now with the best thing I could think to post for Independence Day, and as Evan T. would say 'Merica. Catch you guys Tuesday!
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