Trailers are a huge part of E3, whether they are showing the very first footage from an anticipated game, debuting something completely new, or delivering a movie like CGI experience, trailers are a crucial way publishers sell their game to us. These are my personal picks for the best trailers of this year's E3.
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#10: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit debut trailer
Its Need For Speed. Its the return of Hot Pursuit. Its made by Criterion. Yeah, nuff' said.
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#9: Halo: Reach Campaign trailer
It has space combat. Nuff' said.
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#8: Portal 2 teaser trailer
The only reason this isn't higher, is because its simply a teaser trailer. It mainly shows what we already know about Portal, and not any of the new gameplay mechanics present in this sequel. But its still the first footage of Portal 2, and that's enough.
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#7: Infamous 2 debut trailer
Love it or hate it, Cole's got a new look, a new voice, and new powers. He also has a new threat, all debuting in this new trailer.
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#6: Metroid: Other M trailer
It may not show much of anything new, but its still Metroid, its still awesome, and the music is epic.
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#5: Donkey Kong Country Returns debut trailer
Its Donkey Kong Country, its made by Retro Studios, the music is awesome, that sunset level looks beautiful, nuff' said.
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#4: Kirby's Epic Yarn debut trailer
Its Kirby, and he's more adorable than ever. Boasting a completely unique visual style and gameplay, this trailer needs to show nothing more to be epic.
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#3: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II "Betrayal" cinematic trailer
Lucasarts certainly seems to have taken a fond liking to releasing cinematic trailers, as their latest trailer for the sequel to 2008's smash hit is pure brutal dual-lightsaber wielding CGI beauty.
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#2: Star Wars: The Old Republic "Hope" cinematic trailer
At last year's E3 we were treated to the awesome "Deceived" cinematic trailer for The Old Republic. Apparently because of the positive reaction to that trailer, they decided to go ahead and make another one. This time showing just how tough a Republic soldier can be, and a Jedi that looks very similar to a certain Knights of The Old Republic character.
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#1: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword debut trailer
Is this really surprising? This is the trailer we were all waiting for. Does anything else really need to be said? Its Zelda, its awesome.
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Thursday, June 24, 2010
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review (Movie)
Wolverine was without a doubt the star of the first three X-Men movies. Many have said they could have been called "Wolverine and the X-Men", which ironically is the name of latest X-Men cartoon. Considering Wolverine's popularity from comic readers, it really came as no surprise that he was the most developed character of the franchise. Movie goers also became fans of the clawed Canadian with Hugh Jackman's practically perfect portrayal of the character. So it only makes sense to capitalize on Wolverine's popularity by giving him his own movie right? Well, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is here, and its a fun, if slightly inconsistent ride.
The storyline in X-Men Origins: Wolverine serves as an unofficial "what if?" story of sorts to those familiar with the comics. What if DOG really was Sabretooth? What if Thomas Logan really was Wolverine's biological father? And what if Wolverine and Sabretooth really are brothers and found out at an early age? These changes from the comic storyline work well, although some changes just seem unnecessary, such as Wolverine being born roughly fifty years earlier than he was in the comics. Unfortunately the story moves a little too fast, and ends a little too quickly. The first one hundred plus years of Wolverine and Sabretooth's life is told in the first ten minutes of the film, and Logan's time spent with the team assembled by Stryker is as equally short. The pacing is a little too choppy at times and keeps the film from maintaining a good consistent flow. There's also a few plot-holes that are never explained and will leave some scratching their heads. Also the method used to erase Wolverine's memories is rather crude and a little nonsensical.
Thankfully X-Men Origins: Wolverine is superbly acted. Hugh Jackman once again proves he's perfected the role of Wolverine so well that he could portray the character in his sleep. Jackman is well-matched with Liev Schreiber who fits the role of Sabretooth like a glove, conveying all the character's evil creepiness with eery believability. Sadly X-Men Origins: Wolverine makes the same mistake that X-Men: The Last Stand did, which is introduce too many characters and not give them enough screen-time. This is most true in the case of Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds is so perfectly cast as the character that it leaves you wanting to see so much more of him, and the final transformation the character makes is sure to displease Deadpool fans everywhere. Taylor Kitsch's role as Gambit is also far too short. Despite the accent, Kitsch's portrayal of the character is spot on, but again, it leaves you wanting to see more of him. The rest of the cast does a fine job, most note-worthy being Will.i.am's acting debut as Wraith, and cameo appearances of Cyclops and Emma Frost.
Despite the faults of the storyline and under-developed characters, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is still an enjoyable film. The action scenes are exhilarating and fun to watch, and most importantly, they are easy to follow. In fact, the action scenes in this movie are some of the best I've ever seen in a film before, filled with plenty of "wow" and "oh snap" moments. The special effects are also top-notch, featuring plenty of explosions and other visually striking moments. In many ways its the quintessential Summer popcorn flick. Its by no means mindless or unintelligent however. X-Men Origins: Wolverine has plenty of depth, humor, likable characters, and some beautiful cinematography to make this a solid addition to the superhero movie catalog.
3.5/5
 |
| "WHY ARE WE YELLING?!" |
The storyline in X-Men Origins: Wolverine serves as an unofficial "what if?" story of sorts to those familiar with the comics. What if DOG really was Sabretooth? What if Thomas Logan really was Wolverine's biological father? And what if Wolverine and Sabretooth really are brothers and found out at an early age? These changes from the comic storyline work well, although some changes just seem unnecessary, such as Wolverine being born roughly fifty years earlier than he was in the comics. Unfortunately the story moves a little too fast, and ends a little too quickly. The first one hundred plus years of Wolverine and Sabretooth's life is told in the first ten minutes of the film, and Logan's time spent with the team assembled by Stryker is as equally short. The pacing is a little too choppy at times and keeps the film from maintaining a good consistent flow. There's also a few plot-holes that are never explained and will leave some scratching their heads. Also the method used to erase Wolverine's memories is rather crude and a little nonsensical.
 |
| "My claws are better." |
Thankfully X-Men Origins: Wolverine is superbly acted. Hugh Jackman once again proves he's perfected the role of Wolverine so well that he could portray the character in his sleep. Jackman is well-matched with Liev Schreiber who fits the role of Sabretooth like a glove, conveying all the character's evil creepiness with eery believability. Sadly X-Men Origins: Wolverine makes the same mistake that X-Men: The Last Stand did, which is introduce too many characters and not give them enough screen-time. This is most true in the case of Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds is so perfectly cast as the character that it leaves you wanting to see so much more of him, and the final transformation the character makes is sure to displease Deadpool fans everywhere. Taylor Kitsch's role as Gambit is also far too short. Despite the accent, Kitsch's portrayal of the character is spot on, but again, it leaves you wanting to see more of him. The rest of the cast does a fine job, most note-worthy being Will.i.am's acting debut as Wraith, and cameo appearances of Cyclops and Emma Frost.
 |
| Arguably the best part of the movie, sadly doesn't last long. |
Despite the faults of the storyline and under-developed characters, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is still an enjoyable film. The action scenes are exhilarating and fun to watch, and most importantly, they are easy to follow. In fact, the action scenes in this movie are some of the best I've ever seen in a film before, filled with plenty of "wow" and "oh snap" moments. The special effects are also top-notch, featuring plenty of explosions and other visually striking moments. In many ways its the quintessential Summer popcorn flick. Its by no means mindless or unintelligent however. X-Men Origins: Wolverine has plenty of depth, humor, likable characters, and some beautiful cinematography to make this a solid addition to the superhero movie catalog.
3.5/5
Sunday, June 20, 2010
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Uncaged Edition) Review
Movie games suck. Its one of those unwritten laws of gaming. So upon first hearing of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie tie-in game, I was quick to judge. I rolled my eyes, and thought great, another sucky movie game featuring one of my favorite superheroes. But then, I discovered that it was being developed by Raven, the guys behind the fantastic Action/RPG series X-Men Legends, and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. And, they had actually been working on the game for quite some time. After reading plenty interviews and previews, I started to get excited, even hopeful. So, against my better judgment, thinking for sure I was setting myself up for disappointment, I went out and bought a copy, placed it in my 360, and hoped for the best. And this time, I'm glad I took the risk.
First thing first, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a whole lot of bloody fun. Bloody, BLOODY fun. In fact, I haven't had this much fun with a game in a while. The combat is fast and visceral, and, most of all, brutal. This is not your family friendly version of Wolverine your used to seeing in games, movies, or cartoons. This is Wolverine in his purest, most brutal, berserker rage form. If you ever wondered what exactly it is that Wolverine does best, play this game, and you will quickly find out.
The highlight of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is without a doubt the gameplay. You have your standard light and heavy attacks, which you can chain together in a variety of ways to execute different combos. You also gain a set of Fury attacks that include the group devastating claw spin, the dismembering claw drill, the out of control claw cyclone, and of course berserker rage which makes your attacks way more damaging among other bonuses to your attributes. In addition to those are the grab attacks, which you can use to impale enemies on objects in the environment, or execute a quick kill. There's also a nice set of counter moves, blocks, and aerial combos. To top it all off there's the Lunge ability, which allows you to leap to enemies over vast distances. At times this ability reaches comical heights due to the absurd lengths you can use it to lunge to, but lunging strategically across the battlefield is so much fun that you'll likely ignore how unrealistic it is.
Graphically wise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is impressive. The environments are nicely detailed, and the lighting effects are well done. The visual highlight however is Wolverine himself, particularly his healing factor. This is the first time Wolverine's healing factor has truly been nailed. As he takes damage, you'll see it, from his clothes to his skin, and all the way down to his adamantium skeleton. After large battles I found myself zooming in and watching the real time healing factor go to work. Watching Wolverine fully heal from a bloody mess back to full form is truly an impressive sight. There were a couple times I noticed some texture pop-up however, as well as some jaggies in the background, but this was in only one area toward the end of the game.
The sound work in X-Men Origins: Wolverine is also impressive. Hugh Jackman does a fantastic job voicing the character he's become so accustomed to playing on-screen. Liev Schrieber also reprises his role as Sabretooth, and will.i.am as John Wraith respectively, and both do a fine job. The rest of the voice-overs are generally well done. Hearing the screams of fallen enemies is cringe-worthy, but in a good way, as its oddly satisfying. And the chatter of frightened and paranoid soldiers is often times hilarious. The sound of Wolverine's claws tear through flesh and bone is also sickly satisfying.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is also a very cinematic experience. The camera will often times zoom in on the action and slow down, giving you a nice visual of all the carnage. To add a little variety, the game throws in some thrilling moments such as using a turret to gun down speeding boats, taking down a group of helicopters, leaping from truck to truck escaping a rushing flood of water, and skydiving after a sentinel. As fun and exciting those moments are, perhaps even more so are the boss battles. You can't just run up and mash the attack button to defeat these bosses, they require you to utilize all of the skills you have accumulated, sometimes in inventive ways. Thankfully the game doesn't make the mistake of using quick-time events, you'll need to rapidly tap a button now and then, but that's it, you always feel in control of the action.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is far from perfect however. First of all, the storyline is a jumbled mess. Logan often recalls his mission in Africa, which is told in bits and pieces throughout the course of the game. For the first half of the game, you'll return to Africa every couple of hours or so, but around the beginning of the second half, you'll be returning roughly every ten to thirty minutes. This flashback style of storytelling works well for TV shows like LOST, but here it just falls flat. Probably as expected there's also some repetition issues. For a game that relies heavily on flashy combat, you need to keep upping the ante. Unfortunately the game runs out of new tricks about two thirds into it. Another area where the problem of repetition arises is with the mid-bosses. These enemies come in two forms, and their attacks are nearly identical, therefore the technique needed to defeat them is the exact same. Dodge, lunge, slash away, jump off, repeat. There's also a few technical faults typical of movie games that X-Men Origins: Wolverine unfortunately shares, including occasional framerate dips, and buggy collision detection. You'll likely come across a few random glitches during your playthrough as well, some even may require you revert back to your last checkpoint. Along the way you'll also come across some puzzles which serve as sort of a breather between all the chaotic action. Unfortunately these puzzles are mind-numbingly dull, as they almost always require slowly pushing some sort of object into a specific place. Even worse are the platforming sections, which feel extremely clunky and at times can be infuriating.
Despite these faults, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the first game to make you truly feel like you are Wolverine. The storyline is a mess, its sometimes repetitive, and it has a number of technical failures and glitches. But X-Men Origins: Wolverine can't help but be a whole lot of fun. Its sure to please any Wolverine fan looking for a true to the character experience. At least those old enough to appreciate him at his most brutal.
7.75/10
*Originally written May 11, 2009*
First thing first, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a whole lot of bloody fun. Bloody, BLOODY fun. In fact, I haven't had this much fun with a game in a while. The combat is fast and visceral, and, most of all, brutal. This is not your family friendly version of Wolverine your used to seeing in games, movies, or cartoons. This is Wolverine in his purest, most brutal, berserker rage form. If you ever wondered what exactly it is that Wolverine does best, play this game, and you will quickly find out.
 | |
| "HEY GUYS!" |
Graphically wise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is impressive. The environments are nicely detailed, and the lighting effects are well done. The visual highlight however is Wolverine himself, particularly his healing factor. This is the first time Wolverine's healing factor has truly been nailed. As he takes damage, you'll see it, from his clothes to his skin, and all the way down to his adamantium skeleton. After large battles I found myself zooming in and watching the real time healing factor go to work. Watching Wolverine fully heal from a bloody mess back to full form is truly an impressive sight. There were a couple times I noticed some texture pop-up however, as well as some jaggies in the background, but this was in only one area toward the end of the game.
 |
| X-Force costume FTW. |
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is also a very cinematic experience. The camera will often times zoom in on the action and slow down, giving you a nice visual of all the carnage. To add a little variety, the game throws in some thrilling moments such as using a turret to gun down speeding boats, taking down a group of helicopters, leaping from truck to truck escaping a rushing flood of water, and skydiving after a sentinel. As fun and exciting those moments are, perhaps even more so are the boss battles. You can't just run up and mash the attack button to defeat these bosses, they require you to utilize all of the skills you have accumulated, sometimes in inventive ways. Thankfully the game doesn't make the mistake of using quick-time events, you'll need to rapidly tap a button now and then, but that's it, you always feel in control of the action.
 |
| Turns out the cake wasn't a lie... |
Despite these faults, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the first game to make you truly feel like you are Wolverine. The storyline is a mess, its sometimes repetitive, and it has a number of technical failures and glitches. But X-Men Origins: Wolverine can't help but be a whole lot of fun. Its sure to please any Wolverine fan looking for a true to the character experience. At least those old enough to appreciate him at his most brutal.
7.75/10
*Originally written May 11, 2009*
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