Posts Tagged ‘Video Games’
Posted by Buckley in Games, Reviews on February 19th, 2010
Who knew that going to hell would look so good… and be fun!
Even with its similarities Sony’s God of War, Dante’s Inferno does enough to separate itself from its counterpart. To be fair, for the first third of the game I was making internal comparisons to God of War, but soon after I stopped doing so and let Dante’s Inferno stand on its own merit. You might remember our initial coverage of the game from Comic Con 09, previewed by our hostess Seena. Most of the artwork for the monsters in the game have remained the same with the exception of a few changes.
The biggest hurdle I had going into the game was how Visceral Games changed the story to make it fit into the context of a videogame; for example, instead of being a poet in the Middle Ages, Dante is now a veteran of the third crusade which puts his birth some 200 years before the actual birth of the real Dante Alighieri. He’s also given a wife named Beatrice who, historically, was not the name of Alighieri’s wife, though she was the subject of many of his poems.
Instead of writing a poem that is basically one giant complaint about those who wronged him in his life, he is a real dirt bag that commits atrocities while on the crusade. Throughout the course of the game he must save Beatrice, because she made a wager with Lucifer that Dante would become a better person while he was away, and lost — thereby forfeiting her soul to the devil. While the story seems like a lot to swallow on paper, in the context of the game it works quite well.
Some elements of the poem are retained in the game’s story, such as the character of Virgil, who still acts as a guide to Dante during his journey to save his wife Beatrice. All 10 levels of hell are translated into game levels as well. From the city of Acre to the Ninth circle of Treachery, every level follows the progression of the poem which is a nice touch.
In terms of gameplay, it basically is a God of War clone. From the action with the scythe to the quick time segments, a lot of the same mechanics were lifted and placed into Dante’s Inferno. But that’s not a bad thing. In fact it’s a good thing. If you’re going to make a third person action game, why not try and emulate one of the best? There 
are a couple of things that “Dante’s Inferno” does to separate it such as the Punish/Absolve mechanic. Choosing to Punish or Absolve foes gives you experience for either a Holy or Unholy side. Gaining more experience unlocks new levels (seven in all) which allow you to buy new upgrades and combinations. Both sides mostly offer completely different upgrades with a couple exceptions being Health and Mana upgrades. The Unholy side offers more weapon combinations while the Holy side offers more magic and holy cross upgrades.
Graphically, the game looks pretty good, but could have looked better if it didn’t have to run at 60 frames per second, necessary for an action game of this magnitude. Each level of Hell looks like it was pulled from a heavy metal cover or your worst nightmare. The game also has a unique twist with its cinematics. During flashback sequences, each movie is animated to what seemed like a ’70s style of animation that really made it stand out. For real time cinematics, the game uses the more traditional CG animation which looks incredible.
The most serious complaint I had with the game would be that even on a normal mode setting the game is unforgiving at times, and often made me consider lowering the difficulty. The other would be the uneven use of checkpoints. There would be segments in the game where about 10 minutes would pass and I would die only to have to redo the entire sequence again, which created a good amount of frustration.
Dante’s Inferno offers a fantastic experience worth playing. Those who own a PS3 can wait till next month for God of War 3. For those who can’t wait, or who have never played God of War nor owned a PS3, Dante’s Inferno is a great substitute for that experience.
Dante’s Inferno has been rated M by the ESRB and is available for the PS3, XBox 360 and PSP platforms.
Posted by Jesse in Games, Latest News, Movies on January 12th, 2010
Oh god if only it were real…
Thanks to our friends at G4 TV for this!
Posted by sean in Latest News, Movies on November 20th, 2009
Movies based on video games have slowly been gaining a foothold in the industry over the last few years. And while most (Doom, Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros.) have been lackluster and even downright terrible, there are certainly a few (Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Silent Hill) that have at least seen enough success to warrant the sequel treatment. Mind you, I’m not saying those ones are good. Just successful. Anyway, video game films may be almost at the point where they’re treated like serious movies – not deep statements on human nature, maybe, but at least real event flicks. The best evidence for this is the current trend of development deals that happen before the game itself is even released – and the latest instance of that involves none other than Brad Pitt.
The game, which has a release date of January 12, 
2010, is already the subject of a development deal between Capcom and Pitt’s shingle, Plan B, to be developed into a possible starring vehicle for the actor. No writer or director has been attached yet.
The game, a third-person shooter, follows the adventures of a pilot named Will who crash-lands in the Bermuda triangle and is whisked away into an alternate dimension. There, he meets a group of other Survivors, and soon learns that the dimension was created as a kind of prison for a group of alien dictators called The Watchers, who were forced through the portal by a group of human overthrowers. With the help of the other Survivors, Will must defeat the Watchers and find a way to return to his home reality. It’s a cool concept, and the game’s pretty highly anticipated. Throw Brad Pitt into the mix, and we might just have the very first video game movie worth viewing in a non-altered mental state.
Posted by dominie in Games on May 18th, 2009
Here’s something a little different. We got a very boastful recommendation for the latest Pokémon game from one of our young readers. This will be the next generation of kids to carry the torch. His excitement alone should entice you to have a look into the Pokémon world.
This challenging Pokémon game is very, very fun. It is about raising Pokémon, catching all of them, defeating the Pokémon league, going underground, and saving and catching legendary Pokémon. You can connect with people close to you with wireless connection or connect with people around the world with Nintendo WI-FI connection.
I like the game for many reasons. One is that, unlike Diamond and Pearl, you can go to the distortion world, a world where gravity goes wacky. Another reason is that you can catch both Dialga and Palkia, who are really good Pokémon.
This game can be played on the DS, the DS lite, or the DSI. It costs $34.99. I would rate it A+!
Posted by dominie in Games, Latest News, Movies on November 25th, 2008
Bloody Disgusting posted a link today to the new McG directed Terminator: Salvation poster from Warner Bros. which you can view at Yahoo! Movies. It’s unlike any poster I’ve ever seen. I don’t want to ruin it so click here for the international “online” one-sheet and teaser trailer for the upcoming release.
In related news, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Equity Games Production, and Halcyon Games announced today that there will be a Terminator: Salvation tie-in video game where you can role play as John Conner and blow up robots.
According to i09, “the video game is a third person shooter game where you are charged with building the resistance and fighting Skynet. Characters from the film will be inside the video game along with all of the new Skynet baddie bots, including the giant Harvesters.”
Terminator: Salvation arrives May 22, 2009.
Posted by dominie in Latest News, Movies on September 12th, 2008
Brittany Snow (Prom Night) has signed to be the lead in Senator Entertainment’s Clock Tower, a feature film (reported here) based on Capcom’s classic horror video game of the same name. The screenplay, penned by Eric Poppen (Borderland) is loosely based on all of the games and according to Bloody Disgusting, “concerns a young woman who receives a disturbing phone call from her estranged mother warning her not to come home. When she investigates, she uncovers a terrible supernatural truth from her past.”
Martin Weisz (The Hills Have Eyes 2) will direct the project, which begins lensing in Los Angeles come November. B-D scored the following casting breakdown for the film adaptation:
[DR. THOMAS BATES] is in his 40s – 50s and married, with a young daughter, he is a renowned psychiatrist who has finally given up a long stint in a maximum security psych ward for private practice. However, his new upscale patients are boring rather than challenging, and he jumps at the chance to dig his teeth into something more substantial. We later learn that Thomas, not unlike Alyssa, suffered a disturbing childhood, and lost his schizophrenic mother to suicide. As a young boy he had vowed to learn how to make the voices that plagued her go away. While he could not save his mother, he finds a chance to do something right in the life of Alyssa Hale…LEAD (9)
[ELEAZER BARROWS] 40s – 60s. He’s a grizzled man with a terrifying face in a long black robe, usually seen with an antique pair of shears, he is a fire ‘n’ brimstone preacher from the 17th century, responsible for the hanging of a great number of “witches.” He now makes his presence known to those remaining members of the Hale family, including Alyssa Hale and Chloe Bates…LEAD (6)
[SANDI BATES] is in her mid 30s – early 40s, wife of Thomas and mother to their six-year-old daughter, Sandi is a likable, nurturing woman, a furniture restorer who works out of the home. She’s happy to have her husband working regular hours with more sane patients, irritated and concerned when he takes such an interest in the case of a young woman at the hospital. Later, she becomes alarmed when it seems that Thomas may harm their little girl…LEAD (11) (more…)
Posted by dominie in Comics on August 27th, 2008
In addition to the Dead Space EA video game and Dead Space: Downfall, both arriving in October, and the ongoing Image Comic series, Dead Space has launched their new website, NoKnownSurvivors.com.
The website will utilize all manners of storytelling and filmmaking from audio effects to the rapidly growing 3D animation techniques to serve fans with more Dead Space content. Over the next nine weeks, fans can immerse themselves into the world and follow every step of the process as the creators tell two tragic stories, Misplaced Affection, followed by 13.
Misplaced Affection follows “an organ replacement technician who falls hard for a capable female security officer. 13 is the “tale of a sleeper agent who makes the wrong decisions for the right reasons.” Each story is four chapters long, with new chapters going live every Monday.
Posted by EricC in DVD & Blu-Ray on August 23rd, 2008
Anchor Bay sent out the following release:
A holy relic has been discovered. And it doesn’t lead to Heaven…Meet Your Maker on DVD and Blu-ray Disc Oct. 28
Anchor Bay Entertainment and Electronic Arts present Dead Space: Downfall, the feature-length movie prequel to one of the hottest new video games of the year
BURBANK, Calif. (August 22, 2008) – Evidence of mankind’s creator also plays host to our worst nightmare, in Anchor Bay Entertainment’s October 28th DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases of Dead Space: Downfall. SRP for the DVD is $26.97, $34.98 for the Blu-ray. (more…)
Posted by EricC in Games on August 5th, 2008
An update has been released regarding the film version of the video game Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead assured Eurogamer work proceeds after a delay. “Roger Avary [Beowulf], the writer, had a commitment that was in line before working the Wolfenstein stuff, but I’ve recently been in contact with Roger and he’s actually working on the script right now.”
Avary is attached to write and direct the project should it receive a green light.
Hollenshead also told Shack News that “I’d like to do another Doom movie; I thought working with it was a blast. There are some lessons we learned. The best way to do things better is to get the experience.” Universal retains the film rights and has not made any noise about making a sequel given the original’s disappointing reception and box office performance.
Posted by EricC in Movies on August 1st, 2008
Disney announced that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has been shifted from 2009 to May 28, 2010. The video game adaptation is being directed by Mike Newell, the movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley and Gemma Arterton. As the summer 2010 calendar currently lays out, that puts it a week after Shrek the Fourth and a week prior to Thor.
Posted by EricC in Games, Latest News on July 31st, 2008
While waiting for the next Gears of War game or the feature film, you can settle back and enjoy the first of three novels set in that realm. DelRey has signed a deal with Epic Games and best-selling Star Wars novelist Karen Traviss has written the first book.
will go on sale October 28 followed a week or so later on November 7 when The Gears of War 2 video game for the Xbox 360 is on sale. (more…)
Posted by EricC in Games, Latest News, Movies on July 25th, 2008
The recently announced big budget film version of Gears of War will now be produced by Legendary Pictures, the production firm riding high from the success of its most recent release, The Dark Knight.
Variety reports the Microsoft and Epic Games video game will be handled under Warner Bros.’ New Line banner where the deal was signed last year before it was folded into the parent firm. The 2009 anticipated release has now been moved to an indefinite date.
Len Wiseman is directing with Chris Morgan writing the script after a previous draft was submitted by screenwriter Stuart Beattie.
It’s the second videogame adaptation for Legendary, which is also developing a pic based on Blizzard Entertainment’s hugely successful “World of Warcraft.” In addition, Legendary topper Thomas Tull is a co-founder of videogame publisher Brash Entertainment.
