Tekken 6 is an imperfect gem of a fighting game. Most fans of the series will no doubt enjoy this latest installment, but there are many small issues that crop up and make you wonder why it wasn't held back for more polishing.
There were two versions of Tekken 6 in the arcades, the original, which added Bob, Zafina, Miguel and Leo to the ever expanding cast, and Bloodline Rebellion, bringing along Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch along for the ride. This console version is basically the latter of the two, with a "Scenario Mode" that tries to tell the backstory of Lars and Alisa. We'll get to that later.
There are two major additions to the combat system for Tekken 6. When hit with certain moves during an air juggle, characters are slammed to the floor, unable to move for a second or two. Called the "Bound" state, this situation is great for expanding combos and getting the fight in your favor.
The second major change is the new Rage system. When someone's health is low enough, their attacks do added damage. It gives them one last chance to get back in the game, which can lead to some intense battles between evenly match players.
Aside from the combat revisions, there's a new motion blur effect that kicks in during certain animations(you can turn this off in options if you want). The effect is done well and adds a sense of realism to fighting games that I'm sure other developers will try to emulate in one form or another.
Character models are the game's highlight. All 40 characters are meticulously detailed and sport some great animations. If you don't like the default costume for your favorite character, there are a ton of options to choose from. You're bound to end up with the look you want, you'll just need the skills to back up your masterpiece. No one likes to look good on the floor in a fighting game.
To unlock those customizations you'll need plenty of Fight Money, Tekken's own personal currency. You'll earn fight money any number of different ways. Many of the fan favorite modes are back, (Survival, Arcade, Team Battle, Time Attack, Arena- a shortened story mode, and Practice to name a few) and you'll earn money from most of them. An even easier way to unlock stuff, however, is to tackle the all new Scenario Mode.
Scenario Mode has you picking stages off of a map and going through them Urban Reign-style(yeah you read that right, unfortunately). It follows the story of Lars and Alisa, but you unlock a new character for Scenario Mode each time you beat them or work with them. You'll then be able to use them in place of Lars, only the cutscenes will still show him instead of whoever you've chosen.
The story is mostly forgettable, something that's sadly becoming a standard with the Tekken games. Controls for this mode can range from manageable to downright horrid, depending on how many enemies are on screen. Alisa or another character is with you at all times. Sometimes they do what they're supposed to do, other times they'll follow you and simply stand there. If they're low on health, they won't seek it out. I've literally seen Alisa run right by Chicken instead of over it to get her health back. I've watched and laughed as she stood amongst a sea of eggs as her health hovered near Rage levels. In that case it's up to you to run close by the health your teammates needs so that they'll unintentionally heal themself. Seriously.
While this mode isn't exactly the most fun to play, you have the much appreciated bonus of unlocking items during your run. It's much cheaper(and faster) than buying each item individually, and adds a bit of fun to an otherwise disappointing mini-game as you watch the tally near the end of the level, telling you how much money you've earned and what items you've picked up.
Earlier in the year, Namco promised online play for this mode, which may have made it a slightly better experience. At launch, that was not available. We'll have to wait for a patch.
That's not the only thing that needs patching, though.
Aside from the usual offline fun, there is Tekken 6's online component . Namco touted the netcode as "improved" when asked about it earlier this year at E3, but unfortunately it doesn't seem that way.
If you played Tekken Dark Resurrection Online for the Playstation 3, you have an idea of how badly things can go with an online fighter. Unless you played against someone in your immediate area, matches ranged from decent to dismal. It's the same case here. Juggles you'd land offline with little effort need to be reworked or done with different timing. As someone who's been playing online games since Phantasy Star Online for the Sega Dreamcast, I fully understand that latency and 60 frames of data per second cannot always come together in perfect harmony. Ranked matches are paired for you(to prevent people from fighting the same victim over and over, for one thing), and Namco's netcode doesn't always make the best choices. Thankfully, you can do Player Matches, which I strongly recommend. You have the Quick Match option, which is pretty much Ranked Match without a rank, throwing you against someone who probably isn't close enough to your area for a good fight, or you can go the Custom Match route and pick from a list. Why you're not given the option to simply do a Quick Match for someone in your area is surprising to me.
In fact, that's one of many odd design choices Namco made with this game...
In your usual fighting game jargon, many things have been nerfed.
In Practice mode, there is no option to record and playback moves for your dummy. You can no longer "hold" a move from the movelist and then scroll through it with the right analog stick, something that makes learning characters much, much easier.
I've also experienced random slowdown for myself when practicing with Paul(this guy's an even bigger beast now, but that's something else entirely). It happened at least six times during the same practice run. This doesn't happen during any other mode, or at least hasn't for me so far.
Oddly enough, the "Hidden Retreat" stage is not selectable in Practice mode, either.
The "CHICKEN" soundbite is gone. Why take that out? It's been a staple since Tekken 3.
During all modes, you'll see the name of that particular mode at the bottom of the screen. There's no need for this at all, even though you barely notice it when you're fighting, which only makes it stand out more. I don't like to speculate, but I have to wonder if maybe someone forgot to remove some code during the debug process. I just can't understand how seeing "Player Match" or "Survival" benefits the player. Fight number? Yeah. Total time? Perhaps. But the name of the mode? No need for it.
The HUD after the main title screen just doesn't feel right. It doesn't look cool or feel seamless. I don't know what Namco was going for here.
The ability to rank up past 1st Dan offline has been removed. You have to rank up online, which makes no sense. Why not just give players an offline AND online rank? It worked just fine in Tekken Dark Resurrection Online, and it gives players a little more to do, a little more incentive to keep playing.
The graphics are inconsistent. As mentioned earlier the character models are impressive, but the stages themselves range from good, to underwhelming. If you look closely, you'll notice in the backgrounds of some stages that buildings or other set pieces look crude. Some stages do a great job of hiding this with fog or other weather effects. Other stages miss the boat, and spectators with a sharp eye are more likely to notice.
Speaking of weather effects, characters do not get wet or get snow on them at all, even though a couple of the stages have heavy rain and snow effects. To me, this is inexcusable in today's age, even with 40 characters. If it's raining, you can't have both characters in the middle of it without showing any effect from it. You've gone and added motion blur, so why don't we see their kicks and punches interact with the rain and snow in some way as well(making a trail in the snow is a small step)? At times it's disheartening because you can see what Namco was going for with certain stages like Lightning Storm, Tunnel Disaster and Manji Valley. You're initially taken in by them, but once you look closely and notice the little things missing, you can't ever get that first impression back.
The soundtrack for this game is hit and miss. Nearly every Tekken game has a few memorable tunes that fans seem to embrace, and while this one is no exception, it certainly has less than earlier installments. The music seems to get the job done for the most part amping you up for a good fight, but it's not something you'd rock in your car.
In spite of all the small inconsistencies, I still feel this game was worth the $60 investment. I'll be playing it for quite some time, and if the upcoming patch does what it's supposed to do, I'll probably even play Scenario Mode online with a couple of friends from time to time. I just wish Namco had made less missteps with this game. This is the wrong time of year to release an unpolished product, and they could certainly feel the heat on 11/10 when a.....little known.....title named Modern Warfare 2 just happens to hit the market.
Final Score: 3.75 out of 5
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Still Life 2 delayed.....again, Fast and Furious, Wheelman, Larry Stinkage
Still Life was a third-person, point and click adventure game, with puzzles. It first arrived on PC, then was ported to Xbox sometime later. Last year I picked it up and played through it. Fun game, with a cliffhanger ending.
From what I've read, the reason behind the cliffhanger ending was that the studio ran out of money and couldn't finish the game properly. The game *does* end abruptly after much buildup, so I'm inclined to go with that theory.
Still Life 2 was originally going to release last last year, but was delayed until April of this year. All was fine until maybe six hours ago. The German version is out, but the English version will not be available until August(June for download, if we're lucky).
WTF.
I think I was one of maybe 12 people in the U.S. to reserve this game at Gamestop.
Oh well, at least I'll save $30 this week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have you seen "Fast and Furious"?
Do you agree with all the negative reviews the film is getting?
I saw it last week and I can't believe it's scoring so low at RottenTomatoes.com.
You go to a Fast and Furious movie for three things.
1. Detailed rides, driven at high speeds.
2. Hot women.
3. Varying levels of action.
At least that's how I see it. The previous films were like that, and I liked them alot(well the first and third more than the second).
If you're looking for Oscar calibur performances and a complex plot, you're setting yourself up for a letdown.
Some of the reviews I've read complain about things like a lack of character development, even though the four "main" characters have technically already been established since the beginning of the series. Most of the people in the theatre would know this is the fourth film.
If you saw Fast and Furious, what did you think of it? How did it stack up to the previous films?
If Hannah Montana hadn't released last week, I seriously think it would have repeated as #1.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I played through Wheelman on Xbox 360.
The game....ugh...alright....
Grand Theft Auto IV, Niko Bellic.
Wheelman, Milo Burik.
The embarrasing similarites between the names tell you all you need to know, but I shall elaborate.
I shall.
I shall, because I have suffered.
You see my friends, Niko had substance.
When he stepped off the boat, he was backed by great writing, memorable supporting characters, and a city with it's own identity. Obvious lack of content aside(GTA:SA had a wealth of stuff to do compared to GTA IV), you were thrust into a world you could give a damn about.
Milo is a generic undercover cop spouting generic lines during generic cutscenes. His supporting cast is a generic one that you don't care about, even when the generic story tries its damndest to make you care near its generic climax.
He says nothing while on foot, or jacking a car, or shooting an enemy. Only during cutscenes.
The protagonist from GTA III said not a damn thing throughout the story, and managed to be a more memorable character. This most likely has to do with the solid story backing him up(not to mention being the first in a line of highly regarding fully interactive "sandbox" titles), but I digress.
The city of Barcelona does not live up to its exciting name. I felt like I was in the same place no matter where I went. Driving across long distances got boring very quick, so I started using the map and just picking missions that way instead. It cut down on the tedium, but in a way it highlights the generic nature of Barcelona. I'd say that it takes away from the player "getting to know" the city, but like I said before, once you've seen a little of it, you've pretty much seen it all. I really had no desire to drive around and see the sights, and if you actually go and play this game, you'll probably feel the same way.
Now I don't want to *completely* bash this game. It does try to do some new things. Where it fails is in the execution. Vehicle Melee is a cool concept. The problem with mapping it to the right stick is that you lose the ability to move your camera freely. In any 3D game, you need to be able to see where you want to see, when you want to see. This is especially true when you're surrounded by several gang or cop cars, all gunning for you.
Another problem with vehicle combat is shooting while driving. Generally, you lock onto a target and hold down the left bumper to keep firing at it. The reticule starts out fairly large, shrinking and going red as you fire more bullets and do more damage. While this is happening, the camera will fixate on that enemy. Your choices are to either keep shooting or let go and focus fully on driving. Your enemy fires a relentless hail of bullets, so obviously you want to stop that from happening, right? If they're not close enough to slam your car into, you need to keep firing so you won't keep taking damage. Later in the game when enemy seem to take more damage, this gets very annoying.
Alternatively you can use Milo's other moves, which are tied to the Focus Meter that builds as you driving at high speeds and break through things.
The Cyclone is good for enemies behind you. When activated the car spins around to drive in reverse. Slo-Mo kicks in and you can fire at key points of the enemy vehicles to blow them up.
Aimed Shot slows down times and lets you shoot things in front of you.
If you don't use your Focus Meter on these moves, you can use it to boost your speed for a little while.
AirJacking is probably the coolest part of the game. With a well timed button release, you jump forward through the air from your vehicle to one that someone else is driving and kick them out/off of it. It's a fun little feature that I'm sure someone will jack for themselves when they make *their* GTA clone.
The cars look decent, but lack a true sensation of speed. Bikes are much faster. All vehicles handle fairly well, but there is a limited selection so they get repetitive after maybe an hour or two.
The music selection is a complete joke. Wholly forgetable. The only track that sticks out for me is the theme song from the opening menu. The radio stations have no identity at all. They're just as (wait for it) generic as the entire city of Barcelona.
There are side missions to do. Races, package deliveries, auto theft, rampages, taxi missions(racing the clock). Completing them with an A rank or higher builds your stats and unlocks things.
Weapon selection is very basic. Many of the guns feel the same. You can get a headshot from about 50 feet away with an uzi with no problem. The shotgun isn't that exciting.
When I played the demo for this game, I really felt it had promise. After I got my hands on a copy for a few days, I had had enough. The only way I'd pop this back into my Xbox would be to grab the last couple of Achievements I didn't get before. That's it. There are really no other reasons to play this game again.
If you simply must play the full game, I strongly reccommend renting it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm playing Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust for the Xbox 360.
I'm not even done with it, but I can tell you flat out.....
STAY AWAY.
This is one of those instances where I have a game for a couple of days and I've waded through so much s**t(with a few laughs along the way, I'll admit) that I have to see it through.
This game has so many problems. Horrible screentearing. Walking pedestrians who out of nowhere decide that they're sitting in a car and driving down the sidewalk. On rails sequences where you have to sit and eat hits while you wait to get a clear shot on an enemy who's shooting through an object.
CAMERA PROBLEMS.
This is my own fault. I knew going in that this game wasn't going to be as entertaining as Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude. I knew that going in, but I had to try it anyway. Even though it debuted at $20.
Jay Mohr does voicework for the game, among other well known actors. Actually, I will say that the voicework for all the main characters is spot on. Some of the dialogue is hilarious. The rest is riddled with cheap jokes.
At least they put some effort in.
From what I've read, the reason behind the cliffhanger ending was that the studio ran out of money and couldn't finish the game properly. The game *does* end abruptly after much buildup, so I'm inclined to go with that theory.
Still Life 2 was originally going to release last last year, but was delayed until April of this year. All was fine until maybe six hours ago. The German version is out, but the English version will not be available until August(June for download, if we're lucky).
WTF.
I think I was one of maybe 12 people in the U.S. to reserve this game at Gamestop.
Oh well, at least I'll save $30 this week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have you seen "Fast and Furious"?
Do you agree with all the negative reviews the film is getting?
I saw it last week and I can't believe it's scoring so low at RottenTomatoes.com.
You go to a Fast and Furious movie for three things.
1. Detailed rides, driven at high speeds.
2. Hot women.
3. Varying levels of action.
At least that's how I see it. The previous films were like that, and I liked them alot(well the first and third more than the second).
If you're looking for Oscar calibur performances and a complex plot, you're setting yourself up for a letdown.
Some of the reviews I've read complain about things like a lack of character development, even though the four "main" characters have technically already been established since the beginning of the series. Most of the people in the theatre would know this is the fourth film.
If you saw Fast and Furious, what did you think of it? How did it stack up to the previous films?
If Hannah Montana hadn't released last week, I seriously think it would have repeated as #1.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I played through Wheelman on Xbox 360.
The game....ugh...alright....
Grand Theft Auto IV, Niko Bellic.
Wheelman, Milo Burik.
The embarrasing similarites between the names tell you all you need to know, but I shall elaborate.
I shall.
I shall, because I have suffered.
You see my friends, Niko had substance.
When he stepped off the boat, he was backed by great writing, memorable supporting characters, and a city with it's own identity. Obvious lack of content aside(GTA:SA had a wealth of stuff to do compared to GTA IV), you were thrust into a world you could give a damn about.
Milo is a generic undercover cop spouting generic lines during generic cutscenes. His supporting cast is a generic one that you don't care about, even when the generic story tries its damndest to make you care near its generic climax.
He says nothing while on foot, or jacking a car, or shooting an enemy. Only during cutscenes.
The protagonist from GTA III said not a damn thing throughout the story, and managed to be a more memorable character. This most likely has to do with the solid story backing him up(not to mention being the first in a line of highly regarding fully interactive "sandbox" titles), but I digress.
The city of Barcelona does not live up to its exciting name. I felt like I was in the same place no matter where I went. Driving across long distances got boring very quick, so I started using the map and just picking missions that way instead. It cut down on the tedium, but in a way it highlights the generic nature of Barcelona. I'd say that it takes away from the player "getting to know" the city, but like I said before, once you've seen a little of it, you've pretty much seen it all. I really had no desire to drive around and see the sights, and if you actually go and play this game, you'll probably feel the same way.
Now I don't want to *completely* bash this game. It does try to do some new things. Where it fails is in the execution. Vehicle Melee is a cool concept. The problem with mapping it to the right stick is that you lose the ability to move your camera freely. In any 3D game, you need to be able to see where you want to see, when you want to see. This is especially true when you're surrounded by several gang or cop cars, all gunning for you.
Another problem with vehicle combat is shooting while driving. Generally, you lock onto a target and hold down the left bumper to keep firing at it. The reticule starts out fairly large, shrinking and going red as you fire more bullets and do more damage. While this is happening, the camera will fixate on that enemy. Your choices are to either keep shooting or let go and focus fully on driving. Your enemy fires a relentless hail of bullets, so obviously you want to stop that from happening, right? If they're not close enough to slam your car into, you need to keep firing so you won't keep taking damage. Later in the game when enemy seem to take more damage, this gets very annoying.
Alternatively you can use Milo's other moves, which are tied to the Focus Meter that builds as you driving at high speeds and break through things.
The Cyclone is good for enemies behind you. When activated the car spins around to drive in reverse. Slo-Mo kicks in and you can fire at key points of the enemy vehicles to blow them up.
Aimed Shot slows down times and lets you shoot things in front of you.
If you don't use your Focus Meter on these moves, you can use it to boost your speed for a little while.
AirJacking is probably the coolest part of the game. With a well timed button release, you jump forward through the air from your vehicle to one that someone else is driving and kick them out/off of it. It's a fun little feature that I'm sure someone will jack for themselves when they make *their* GTA clone.
The cars look decent, but lack a true sensation of speed. Bikes are much faster. All vehicles handle fairly well, but there is a limited selection so they get repetitive after maybe an hour or two.
The music selection is a complete joke. Wholly forgetable. The only track that sticks out for me is the theme song from the opening menu. The radio stations have no identity at all. They're just as (wait for it) generic as the entire city of Barcelona.
There are side missions to do. Races, package deliveries, auto theft, rampages, taxi missions(racing the clock). Completing them with an A rank or higher builds your stats and unlocks things.
Weapon selection is very basic. Many of the guns feel the same. You can get a headshot from about 50 feet away with an uzi with no problem. The shotgun isn't that exciting.
When I played the demo for this game, I really felt it had promise. After I got my hands on a copy for a few days, I had had enough. The only way I'd pop this back into my Xbox would be to grab the last couple of Achievements I didn't get before. That's it. There are really no other reasons to play this game again.
If you simply must play the full game, I strongly reccommend renting it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm playing Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust for the Xbox 360.
I'm not even done with it, but I can tell you flat out.....
STAY AWAY.
This is one of those instances where I have a game for a couple of days and I've waded through so much s**t(with a few laughs along the way, I'll admit) that I have to see it through.
This game has so many problems. Horrible screentearing. Walking pedestrians who out of nowhere decide that they're sitting in a car and driving down the sidewalk. On rails sequences where you have to sit and eat hits while you wait to get a clear shot on an enemy who's shooting through an object.
CAMERA PROBLEMS.
This is my own fault. I knew going in that this game wasn't going to be as entertaining as Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude. I knew that going in, but I had to try it anyway. Even though it debuted at $20.
Jay Mohr does voicework for the game, among other well known actors. Actually, I will say that the voicework for all the main characters is spot on. Some of the dialogue is hilarious. The rest is riddled with cheap jokes.
At least they put some effort in.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Are you serious, Sony?
Why am I bleeped in my own chatroom?
I could understand the need for this if chatrooms were public spaces. In HOME, being bleeped as a default is annoying, but understandable.
But if it's just me and a friend text chatting, why do you feel the need to bleep the "pis" out of episode?
Come on now.
Text chat isn't the option everyone has been hoping for, but it's a welcome addition and a step in the right direction. It's good just for messing around, but not ideal for anything during game other than "I'll be (here)".
Hopefully, you'll release voice chat soon and just make this the second option it's supposed to be.
What do you think of text chat so far?
I could understand the need for this if chatrooms were public spaces. In HOME, being bleeped as a default is annoying, but understandable.
But if it's just me and a friend text chatting, why do you feel the need to bleep the "pis" out of episode?
Come on now.
Text chat isn't the option everyone has been hoping for, but it's a welcome addition and a step in the right direction. It's good just for messing around, but not ideal for anything during game other than "I'll be (here)".
Hopefully, you'll release voice chat soon and just make this the second option it's supposed to be.
What do you think of text chat so far?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wow.
A price drop for the Playstation 2? That's it? That's the "big announcement"?
To be fair, did Sony claim first that this was a big announcement, or was it just IGN and other websites hyping things up? If this announcement just got blown out of proportion, it's not really Sony's fault that it's underwhelming, but if they were the ones drumming up that hype they've made another(minor) misstep.
Most of the people who play video games more than say, five hours a week, probably already have a PS2, or may have decided to go without one. A price drop *might* make some people pick one up again to play some of their older games that don't work on their particular model of Playstation 3, or it might convince some of the people who've been saying "Screw PS2." for the last 9 years, but I don't think the spike in sales will last too long.
Sony should let people assemble their own bundles. Pick 1 or 2 titles from a selection of good games(God of War, and Ratchet and Clank for example) to go along with your new system for $10 or $20 less than what you'd pay seperately.
It couldn't hurt, could it?
What I'd really like to hear more about is the rumored 2.70 firmware update for the PS3. If and when this happens the service will at least be somewhat comparable to Xbox Live, and still free. They'd still have a long way to go and no chance of having Netflix anytime soon, but at least PSN would be taking steps in the right direction.
Ryu Ga Gotoku 3(Yakuza 3) has sold pretty well in Japan, but how is the full game? Has anyone played it? I love the demo. There are only a few fights(not a complaint, it's a demo), but they're fun. The arcade has some new games in it to mess around with. I'm sure the full game does not disappoint. If you've played it out know someone who has, please post about it.
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch and you haven't done it already, you should really check this game out. The game is free, and there are over 150 free songs to play.
My Chun-Li Fight Pad was making cracking noises when I played, so I got another one. It's been about two weeks and now *it's* starting to make the same noises, too. MarkMan may have helped design the pad, but MadCatz mass produced it, and they screwed up. I was so happy with this product initially. Now I kind of feel like the D-Pad is just going to pop up when I'm playing one day and hit me in the face. Logitech is probably the one brand who hasn't let me down when it comes to third party products.
Multiplayer for Dead Rising 2? Sweet.
To be fair, did Sony claim first that this was a big announcement, or was it just IGN and other websites hyping things up? If this announcement just got blown out of proportion, it's not really Sony's fault that it's underwhelming, but if they were the ones drumming up that hype they've made another(minor) misstep.
Most of the people who play video games more than say, five hours a week, probably already have a PS2, or may have decided to go without one. A price drop *might* make some people pick one up again to play some of their older games that don't work on their particular model of Playstation 3, or it might convince some of the people who've been saying "Screw PS2." for the last 9 years, but I don't think the spike in sales will last too long.
Sony should let people assemble their own bundles. Pick 1 or 2 titles from a selection of good games(God of War, and Ratchet and Clank for example) to go along with your new system for $10 or $20 less than what you'd pay seperately.
It couldn't hurt, could it?
What I'd really like to hear more about is the rumored 2.70 firmware update for the PS3. If and when this happens the service will at least be somewhat comparable to Xbox Live, and still free. They'd still have a long way to go and no chance of having Netflix anytime soon, but at least PSN would be taking steps in the right direction.
Ryu Ga Gotoku 3(Yakuza 3) has sold pretty well in Japan, but how is the full game? Has anyone played it? I love the demo. There are only a few fights(not a complaint, it's a demo), but they're fun. The arcade has some new games in it to mess around with. I'm sure the full game does not disappoint. If you've played it out know someone who has, please post about it.
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch and you haven't done it already, you should really check this game out. The game is free, and there are over 150 free songs to play.
My Chun-Li Fight Pad was making cracking noises when I played, so I got another one. It's been about two weeks and now *it's* starting to make the same noises, too. MarkMan may have helped design the pad, but MadCatz mass produced it, and they screwed up. I was so happy with this product initially. Now I kind of feel like the D-Pad is just going to pop up when I'm playing one day and hit me in the face. Logitech is probably the one brand who hasn't let me down when it comes to third party products.
Multiplayer for Dead Rising 2? Sweet.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Rorschach
Man...I just saw Watchmen on an IMAX screen with two friends. We got there late, missed maybe the first three minutes, had some of the crappiest seats in the house, and I still loved it.
(My neck hurts.)
I've been reading comics since I was a little kid, but somehow the magnitude of Watchmen escaped me. I'd heard about it a few times and never looked into it. I had no idea how much of an impact that 12 issue series had on comic books. No idea that one of the coolest characters ever, Rorschach, even existed.
When I first saw the trailer for the film sometime last year, I thought it was laughable. The shot of some unknown guy in a cape(Night Owl) landing reminded me of Batman too much to take seriously. Another of a cornball with a flamethrower(The Comedian, ironically), and then some random blue man floating(Doctor Manhattan). It just looked silly, and I clearly remember saying to my friend "I'll never go see that crap.".
Some of the people in that audience gasped out loud as if they were seeing something special. I was too, I just didn't know it at the time.So glad to be wrong.Over the last couple of months, the hoopla finally got to me and I decided to take a chance. I got my hands on a copy of the graphic novel, and it was, to put it lightly.....bleeping great. Easily deserving of all praise over the years.
Arguably a literary classic, Watchmen was deemed unfilmable by the writer himself. Alan Moore, who is also the brains behind other comic classics such as "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen", "V for Vendetta" and "From Hell", refused to have his name placed in the credits. He even refuses to watch the film.
I really hope he changes his mind someday.
When you're trying to condense a 12 issue story into something workable, compromises have to be made. Even the most diehard fans have to understand that. The best thing you can do as a director(in this case Zack Snyder, 300), is be as faithful to the source material you *do* use as possible.
The picture Moore painted in Watchmen is quite clear. A dark, forboding story. Brutal violence, many times doled out by our multi-faceted "heroes". Depictions of sex. Coarse language. Smurf scrotum. The "money making" route would be to do some trimming and go for PG-13. You know....so some of the kiddies can see it. Thankfully, Zack Snyder fought hard to do just the opposite. Sacrificing content due to time constraints is one thing, but messing with the tone of the story would have ruined it.
Watchmen was never meant for kids. Every bit of violence and every act of depravity further reinforce the world in which these characters live.
Before seeing this film I took a look at several reviews. Normally I avoid doing this because some of these bastards don't know how to mark *SPOILERS*, but, having read the graphic novel, I already knew the story anyway.
65% last I checked.
Instead of looking at the positive reviews, I read some of the negatives. Alot of these "negative" reviews praised the majority of the movie(special effects, certain scenes, most of the cast's acting), but ended up giving the film a low score anyway.I came away from the reviews with the impression that most fans of the graphic novels would at least leave the theater satisfied.
Sure enough, I left the theater with slight eyestrain and neck pain, but a smile on my face.
Rorschach was every bit as badass as he was in the graphic novel. Played to perfection by Jackie Earle Haley. PERFECTION. I cannot think of one thing wrong with his portrayal of Rorschach. Not one. What they took away from Rorschach in terms of dialogue, they gave back with action scenes. I'm not ruining a thing. Go, and remember to sip your drink instead of gulping it. You don't want to go to the bathroom and miss something. He easily has some of the most memorable lines in the film.
Rorschach.
Doctor Manhattan(Billy Crudup) was another solid character. I just wish he put some pants on, or even some dark boxers. Put that away, man. Maybe Zack was throwing so many smurf cockshots up there just to annoy people in the industry? I get the fact that he didn't want to compromise, and I appreciate it, but dude just took it a little too far. Crazy.
Night-Owl(Patrick Wilson, "Hard Candy" with Ellen Page), another great portrayal. I really can't say much without ruining certain plot points for those of you who haven't read the graphic novel.
The Comedian(Jeffrey Dean Morgan), was right up there with Rorschach as well.
Basically, everyone does well, but these particular characters stuck out to me.Fan of "First Wave", a show about an alien invasion that ran for five seasons on Sci-Fi Channel, will recognize an actor from that series in his short role.
If you're interested in seeing this and live near a Best Buy, they're running a promotion where if you buy Xbox Live products(Points Cards, Gold subscription time cards, etc), you can get Watchmen movie pack for free. This movie pack gives you two tickets, each valued up to $12, and a promo code for XBL which lets you download Watchmen behind the scenes footage.
Old news, yes, but it helped me last night:-P.
The obvious question, "Is this a good film for people who have NOT read the graphic novel?".
The answer isn't as simple as you might think.
For one thing, the graphic novel is extremely rich and detailed. There is a wealth of backstory and several plotlines that in the film are either cut down drastically or removed altogether. There are references to characters and shots of characters that casual viewers just will not get. People who've read the novel and have it fresh in mind will pick up on them almost instantneously, as they are faithfully recreated from the source material.
This stuff may or may not take you out of the experience. For me, I felt it was doing it's job, which was to further reinforce the world these characters live in while providing at least "some" backstory.
Both of the friends I saw the film with loved it, one of which read up to Chapter III in the graphic novel, the other hadn't read any of it.
If I were to rate this film, I'd give it three and half out of four stars. I'm buying the Blu-Ray as soon as it drops. If there really is a director's cut, I'm sure it'll be even better.
Have you seen Watchmen? Post your thoughts.
(My neck hurts.)
I've been reading comics since I was a little kid, but somehow the magnitude of Watchmen escaped me. I'd heard about it a few times and never looked into it. I had no idea how much of an impact that 12 issue series had on comic books. No idea that one of the coolest characters ever, Rorschach, even existed.
When I first saw the trailer for the film sometime last year, I thought it was laughable. The shot of some unknown guy in a cape(Night Owl) landing reminded me of Batman too much to take seriously. Another of a cornball with a flamethrower(The Comedian, ironically), and then some random blue man floating(Doctor Manhattan). It just looked silly, and I clearly remember saying to my friend "I'll never go see that crap.".
Some of the people in that audience gasped out loud as if they were seeing something special. I was too, I just didn't know it at the time.So glad to be wrong.Over the last couple of months, the hoopla finally got to me and I decided to take a chance. I got my hands on a copy of the graphic novel, and it was, to put it lightly.....bleeping great. Easily deserving of all praise over the years.
Arguably a literary classic, Watchmen was deemed unfilmable by the writer himself. Alan Moore, who is also the brains behind other comic classics such as "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen", "V for Vendetta" and "From Hell", refused to have his name placed in the credits. He even refuses to watch the film.
I really hope he changes his mind someday.
When you're trying to condense a 12 issue story into something workable, compromises have to be made. Even the most diehard fans have to understand that. The best thing you can do as a director(in this case Zack Snyder, 300), is be as faithful to the source material you *do* use as possible.
The picture Moore painted in Watchmen is quite clear. A dark, forboding story. Brutal violence, many times doled out by our multi-faceted "heroes". Depictions of sex. Coarse language. Smurf scrotum. The "money making" route would be to do some trimming and go for PG-13. You know....so some of the kiddies can see it. Thankfully, Zack Snyder fought hard to do just the opposite. Sacrificing content due to time constraints is one thing, but messing with the tone of the story would have ruined it.
Watchmen was never meant for kids. Every bit of violence and every act of depravity further reinforce the world in which these characters live.
Before seeing this film I took a look at several reviews. Normally I avoid doing this because some of these bastards don't know how to mark *SPOILERS*, but, having read the graphic novel, I already knew the story anyway.
65% last I checked.
Instead of looking at the positive reviews, I read some of the negatives. Alot of these "negative" reviews praised the majority of the movie(special effects, certain scenes, most of the cast's acting), but ended up giving the film a low score anyway.I came away from the reviews with the impression that most fans of the graphic novels would at least leave the theater satisfied.
Sure enough, I left the theater with slight eyestrain and neck pain, but a smile on my face.
Rorschach was every bit as badass as he was in the graphic novel. Played to perfection by Jackie Earle Haley. PERFECTION. I cannot think of one thing wrong with his portrayal of Rorschach. Not one. What they took away from Rorschach in terms of dialogue, they gave back with action scenes. I'm not ruining a thing. Go, and remember to sip your drink instead of gulping it. You don't want to go to the bathroom and miss something. He easily has some of the most memorable lines in the film.
Rorschach.
Doctor Manhattan(Billy Crudup) was another solid character. I just wish he put some pants on, or even some dark boxers. Put that away, man. Maybe Zack was throwing so many smurf cockshots up there just to annoy people in the industry? I get the fact that he didn't want to compromise, and I appreciate it, but dude just took it a little too far. Crazy.
Night-Owl(Patrick Wilson, "Hard Candy" with Ellen Page), another great portrayal. I really can't say much without ruining certain plot points for those of you who haven't read the graphic novel.
The Comedian(Jeffrey Dean Morgan), was right up there with Rorschach as well.
Basically, everyone does well, but these particular characters stuck out to me.Fan of "First Wave", a show about an alien invasion that ran for five seasons on Sci-Fi Channel, will recognize an actor from that series in his short role.
If you're interested in seeing this and live near a Best Buy, they're running a promotion where if you buy Xbox Live products(Points Cards, Gold subscription time cards, etc), you can get Watchmen movie pack for free. This movie pack gives you two tickets, each valued up to $12, and a promo code for XBL which lets you download Watchmen behind the scenes footage.
Old news, yes, but it helped me last night:-P.
The obvious question, "Is this a good film for people who have NOT read the graphic novel?".
The answer isn't as simple as you might think.
For one thing, the graphic novel is extremely rich and detailed. There is a wealth of backstory and several plotlines that in the film are either cut down drastically or removed altogether. There are references to characters and shots of characters that casual viewers just will not get. People who've read the novel and have it fresh in mind will pick up on them almost instantneously, as they are faithfully recreated from the source material.
This stuff may or may not take you out of the experience. For me, I felt it was doing it's job, which was to further reinforce the world these characters live in while providing at least "some" backstory.
Both of the friends I saw the film with loved it, one of which read up to Chapter III in the graphic novel, the other hadn't read any of it.
If I were to rate this film, I'd give it three and half out of four stars. I'm buying the Blu-Ray as soon as it drops. If there really is a director's cut, I'm sure it'll be even better.
Have you seen Watchmen? Post your thoughts.
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