Sunday Ramblings: Lego Pirates of the Caribbean

But... why's the rum gone!?
 

The Lego Pirates trailer

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is the fifth series to get the Lego treatment, following ports of Indiana Jones, Batman, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. The game follows the events of all four Pirates movies, starting from the first scene of Curse of the Black Pearl all the way to the end of On Stranger Tides. The style is widely similar to the feel of all of the other Lego titles, telling the whole story that the movie did in a goofy, kid friendly manner with some slapstick humor that even adults can enjoy. Most major scenes from the movies are done Lego style, with no actual dialogue but sound effects and goofy jokes galore. It’s definitely an aspect of Lego Pirates that shines.

The HUD while in combat

The gameplay in Lego Pirates is the biggest sign that the game is made for a younger audience; mash X to attack, jump around with A, switch characters with Y, and use a character’s special attack with B. The camera is essentially stationary and stays with whatever character you’re playing as, but there are certain points where you turn a corner and the camera doesn’t follow. 

The captain goes down with the ship

Each lego representation of the characters are very well done, they all have the look of the movie with the obvious block form of legos. The only one that didn’t look right was Elizabeth, it’s pretty tough to get Keira Knightly correct in lego form. The rest look great, especially with Jack Sparrow who runs around with his patented flailing arms, and he’s even voiced by Johnny Depp himself! 

You switch between characters depending on the special trait that is needed (for example: Jack Sparrow can use his compass to find hidden items, while Bill Turner can throw axes to hit targets and access special areas). The female characters can double jump to reach certain points, some characters have hammers to fix broken lego objects, and others have explosive weapons that can destroy otherwise immovable objects. Being able to switch between the characters to move through levels is a fun strategic concept, but it can get very bogged down when there are more that three characters to switch between. You can control as many as 8 people at once and it get’s very confusing to switch between all of them especially when you have enemies attacking you.

A scene from At Worlds End

Lego Pirates is by no means difficult, but there is enough hidden content to make playing through every movie worth it, noticing what you miss and have to go back and uncover along the way. The Lego games are a completionist’s dream; the “Free Play” mode is unlocked when you finish a chapter, and you can use any character you’ve unlocked on the free run through. The Port is possibly the best part of the game: you can check your progress on each movie, find hidden cheats and buy them using lego’s you’ve collected, and unlock other wings of the port after collecting enough golden bricks.

All in all, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is a solid Lego title that suffers from a few small issues. If you’re a fan of the movies and can handle the toned down violence, then this is a title you should check out. 

The Jockey’s Grade: 7.5/10

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Origins Story Trailer

Won't you feel like a man dressed up like Peter Pan?

Finally, a trailer for this game that actually peaks my interest. My only complaint about the trailer is the song. What happened to the classic Zelda tune? It almost feels like it's not a true Zelda title without the theme song being played at every possible moment. This music just... doesn't feel right. A petty complaint, but still one that bothers me enough to write it down.  

Also, ten points if anyone can tell me what youtube cover the subtitle is from! 

Rayman: Origins - 10 Ways to Get Around Trailer

Not having appendages has never been cooler

I miss the good old days when platformers were the cream of the video game crop. I could spend hours on end with my side scrolling buddies trying to finish out that next level. And when I finally did, I had to move on to the next one; it was like a drug. Sonic, Earthworm Jim, and Rayman were my boys back then. I even stuck with them (well maybe not Earthworm Jim) as they moved into the 3D platforming era, joined by Jack and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Spyro, and Sly Cooper. But it seems as if the golden age of platformers is past us in favor of the FPS and RPG which is not a bad thing, just different.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw this trailer pop up on the news feeds. There seems to be a mini trend of the classic platformer returning to the modern system with the emergence of Sonic Anniversary and now Rayman Origins. The beautiful thing about bringing an old platforming game to a new system is the potential you have to get creative with it; to add more elements that the old systems were simply not capable of. This is one of those games that I will most likely play no matter what scores it receives because I want to relive those memories on my new system. Now if they can just start doing Jak games again...

Need for Speed: The Run "Lonely Boy" Trailer

A trailer a game that reveals a song? You lost me. 

I want this game. It's been forever since there's been a Need for Speed game that's been worthy of anyone's attention, and I think this is the one to break that trend. However, I do have my concerns from watching this trailer. The cutscenes are cool and the driver is finally making it out of his car, but the story makes me think that this is going to be a very linear game. It's essentially a huge race from San Francisco to New York City. 

If they had "open world" elements to it, they would either have to create the entirety of the United States or put the race on hold every time you wanted to explore somewhere. Neither of these options would work for this game. So I'm interested, yet apprehensive about how this Need for Speed is going to go. I'm also not going to touch it unless the single player itself promises at LEAST ten hours of gameplay. Yes, my demands are high, but so are my expectations. Watch this trailer and tell me you don't feel the same. 

Oh yeah, and the trailer "debuted" the song "Lonely Boy" by the Black Keys. Cool I guess?

Batman: Arkham City - Nightwing DLC Review Trailer

Oh HELL yeah!

So it looks like Arkham City is really going to try and fit as many Batman characters in its walls as humanly possible, and I am definitely not complaining. Nightwing is a great addition to challenge mode and I bet people are going to like his style of combat even better than Batman's (bold statement). Honestly I just want to get my hands on those Escirma sticks and do some serious electric damage.

Nightwing is a litte bit smaller than Batman, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in agility and technique. You'll see a lot more martial arts with the 'Wing, along with masterful use of stealth takedowns and whatever gadgets he has at his disposal. The DLC will run you 560 microsoft points, which is just under ten dollars if my memory serves me correctly. Keep bringing on the extra characters, I just can't get enough of them.

Top Five Tuesday: Grand Theft Auto V Locations

The best places to commit felonies over and over

So you must have heard by now that Grand Theft Auto V was officially announced today by Rockstar. The announcement came with a logo for the game (pictured left), which of course stirred up a gaggle of rumors about where the game will be taking place. We've seen fictional versions of New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco so far, is there something new on the horizon? We'll have to wait until at least November 2nd to find out, when the first trailer is set to be released. Until then, take a look at the five places I would love to see GTA5 take place. These aren't places I think Rockstar will actually choose, simply places I think would be awesome.

5. Chicago

Downtown Chicago

Chicago would be an awesome setting for the next GTA game. Chi-town as Kanye tends to say, has the best of both worlds. The very nice, very populated downtown area, and the rough and tough run for your life if you every end up there south side of Chicago. There's iconic landmarks such as the Sears Tower and Wrigley Field that GTA can make their playful stabs at. And it's on Lake Michigan, making the whole "city surrounded by water" a little bit easier to do. We talkin' 'bout Chi-town!

4. Atlanta

Downtown ATL

Ludacris once stated in one of his songs about the ATL, "see gangstas roamin', and parties don't stop 'till 8 in the mornin'". That is why Atlanta would be a really cool setting for the Grand Theft Auto series. It's in one of the more populated areas of the dirty south, and there's plenty of gang violence and racism to go around to fill up a video game that involves stealing cars and shooting people. Plus there's the CNN center, Georgia Dome, and the Georgia World Congress Center. Did I mention racism? Man, I love the south.


3. Detroit

View of the General Motors Tower

Why wouldn't you set a game titled Grand Theft Auto in the city with the highest amount of car-jackings in the country? I mean... the largest car manufacturing city in the country? But seriously, a GTA title set in Detroit would probably be the darkest one that they've ever made, if Four Bothers or 8 Mile taught us anything. It would also be cool to introduce a snow element to a Detroit-based game, making driving more difficult while opening up the ability to interact with the snow (GTA snowball fights? Yes please).

2. Washington D.C./Baltimore/Philadelphia

The Philly skyline

This is a very San Andreas based idea, but think of how cool this concept could be. Take DC, where there is a very definite drug and gang problem underneath the nation's capital and all other monuments that Rockstar would have a field day playing with. Then move on to Baltimore, the city that used to boast the highest murder rate in the country and the setting for The Wire, possibly one of the most badass shows in TV history. Then go north to Philly, where people are just generally jerks. An east coast San Andreas with the next generation console treatment is something that I would definitely be excited to play. If GTA has made it work with cities literally six hours away from each other, imagine how easy it could be when Philly is maybe three from DC.

The Inner Harbor in Baltimore

How fun would it be to drive on that?

1. Boston

Well this sure did make me homesick

Okay, call me biased. Got it all out? Good because I'm going to explain exactly why the Bean would be an amazing GTA setting. Boston is by no means a large city, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in personality. Go to Southie and run jobs for a character that all but mirror's Whitey Bulger. Head up to the North End and do favors for the Italian mob. Head down to Dorchester and Roxbury and see what kind of gangs you can mix yourself with there. Head even farther south to experience the Latino and Jamaican flavor of Jamaica Plain and Hyde Park. With Rockstars capability of creating a massively accurate city, we could see a Boston that extends up to Cambridge and Somerville, from Newton to Revere, and as far south as Quincy. Oh yeah, I can see you're interested now.

What do you think?

What cities would you want to see a Grand Theft Auto game take place in? Which one do you think it will actually take place in? Leave it here!

Warp: "Echo & Swap" Trailer

The cutest way to make people explode

Well isn't he the most adorable thing ever! I can't believe I haven't heard about Warp until now, but I'm very intrigued after watching this trailer. Not really sure what the game is about, but it is obviously puzzle based, and we get a look at two of our main character's abilities. I found myself hilariously entertained the entire time while watching the dark comedy showcased here, and I can't wait to find out more about this game.

The first ability is called Echo, where the character makes a holographic image of himself that can pass through walls and fool the guards that are trying to kill you. Upon seeing your echo, the guards flip out and try and shoot it, ultimately shooting each other or something that blows them to pieces. The other ability, swap, allows the character to switch places with objects of similar mass, making it useful for crossing gaps too wide to jump, or pulling frightened scientists into electrical death traps. This trailer was simple, to the point, and very fun to watch. Hopefully there will be more soon!

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Live Action Trailer

Oh. My. Goodness.

Hold on, I'll get to you in a moment, I just need to recollect my thoughts for a second. More specifically, I need to pick my brain up off of the floor. This was amazing. I watched it three times in a row before I had a thought beyond an incomprehensible squeal of pure joy. Skyrim is going to be a huge, ground breaking follow up to Oblivion, considered one of the greatest RPG's of all time.

It's amazing how moving one minute of live action can be. I won't lie, I would definitely be one of those people running in the opposite direction because, well, I like to live. Being burnt to a crisp by a giant dragon is not my cup of tea. Oh yeah, did I mention that YOU GET TO FIGHT DRAGONS IN THIS GAME!? Sold. Game, set, and match Skyrim; you win. November 11th, get here right now.

Battlefield 3 - Live Action TV Launch Trailer

Tomorrow, tomorrow, there's always tomorrow!

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. I'm a fan of live action trailers in general (the Halo: Reach live action trailer gets me every time) and this one delivered literally with a bang. The transition from real life into the gameplay was smooth and didn't feel forced. The action was heart pounding, and the escalating of the conflict made it feel like the game would be rife with intense action. 

Scores for Battlefield 3 are already coming out, and like I thought, this game is going to be nothing short than stellar. The Frostbite engine looks amazing (pending you actually download the patch and have an HD capable television) and it looks like we have a great FPS on our hands. Whether it will beat COD, we'll just have to wait a week to see. 

Sunday Ramblings: Blizzcon 2011

The holy trifecta of PC gaming! ...Kinda

Another Blizzcon is in the books, and there is plenty of news to talk about from the past two days. Some good, some bad, some really really ugly (and some cute and cuddly). I reviewed the three big trailers debuted during the conference, but here's what I thought of the games as a whole.

World of Warcraft: Kung Fu Panda 3

 The Mists of Pandaria trailer

Fans of the most popular MMORPG on the planet were thrown for a loop and a half at the announcement of a new expansion pack: The Mists of Pandaria. The expansion will come with most of the familiar additions; the level cap will be increased to 90, there's a new world to explore, and a new race/class to play as. 

Pandaria looks like a very calm, tranquil Asian countryside, inhabited by the meditative yet ferocious Pardaren. The Pandaren are, you guessed it, WoW's interpretation of giant panda bears. If this makes you groan, then you may want to stop reading. The new class which as far as I know is only playable with the Pandaren, is called the Monk. The Monk uses attacks that are very fist and martial arts based. If you haven't put two and two together, they are essentially a race of kung fu pandas. I find that hilarious and very intriguing to play. Others have sworn off the game all together because of this choice. What side you're on is truly up to you.

Oh yeah, the Pandaren are also a "neutral" race, which means they will be beating the crap out of each other in the name of the Horde or Alliance once they get out of the starting zone. That's really weird to me.

Starcraft II: Don't burn bridges. It will come back to stick tentacles through you.

Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm trailer

I was very impressed with the Starcraft 2 announcements over the weekend, and its new expansion looks like it will add a lot of good content to the highly anticipated (and successful) RTS. The new units for each faction look totally awesome and there's a host of new characters that will force the single player story forward. 

While the main appeal of Starcraft still lies in the multiplayer (it's a headlining game on the Major League Gaming circuit) there is still a slice of SC players who play for the single player campaign, and Blizzard has done a great job of making sure they stay satisfied. Be on the look out for more Heart of the Swarm info in the upcoming weeks.

Diablo 3: It's happening! It's really happening!

 Black Soulstone Cinematic trailer

It's official kids: we have a release date! You can all get your sweaty gaming hands on the third installment of the series on February 1st, 2012. That is assuming that it doesn't get delayed and pushed back any further. 

The biggest news surrounding Diablo wasn't necessarily anything about the game (you can read my critique of the cinematic trailer they showed and how much it rubbed me the wrong way here) and more about its release deals. If you buy an annual subscription to World of Warcraft starting as early as right now, you get instant access to the beta of Diablo and the game for free upon its release. 

I view this move as two different things. First, it's an awesome deal for people that play a lot of WoW and are planning to get Diablo as well once it comes out. For more casual players of the game who aren't sure how much time or money they are going to have on their hands come February (me) it's more of a leap to go after it. The exclusive in-game mount is always a nice perc, but worth tying yourself down to two games for a year? That's yet to be decided. 

Talk to ya! 

So that was Blizzcon 2011. There was some hands on opportunity for DOTA 2 and Titan along with a performance by the Foo Fighters, but thanks to my lack of income I got to cover the conference from the comfort of my own home. Which games impressed you? Which games had you running away covering your ears and screaming so you couldn't feel the pain? Like always, leave it here.

SSX - "Survive It" Trailer

Hey, can you still see three feet in front of you? No? Alright, out you go!

 

After a trend of disappointing trailers from the supposed "big" games that are to be released soon, SSX comes out of nowhere and blows them out of the water. Big air, dangerous situations, and high octane gameplay fuel this trailer into excellence. I felt my heart lift into the air every time someone launched into the air, and the settings look gorgeous and deadly.

That takes me to what I really loved about this trailer, the challenge that the game presents to the player. This may look like the usually arcade style that SSX has done so well over the years, but it feels different somehow; call it a hunch if you will. The goal is to survive the tracks, no racing, (I'm sure there will be racing but this looked like a single player heavy trailer) no rings to collect, just get down the mountain in one piece. Challenge accepted.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Launch Trailer

Watch out, bold statements ahead

Oh boy, looks like Activision is pulling out the big guns in this trailer. And by big guns I mean a completely ridiculous statement that isn't backed up by any facts anywhere. The most anticipated game of all time? Are you kidding me? I'm cool with games trying to create hype around themselves, but this is just extreme. I can name plenty of games that I'm way more excited about playing, and I'm certain lots of other people can do the same. That gives me an idea for a Top Five Tuesday: the top five games that I'm anticipating way more than Modern Warfare 3.

Look, I really am pumped to play this. I've been a Modern Warfare fan since day one, I consider Captain Price as a father figure of sorts, but please just let your game do the talking. The sad part is, the action shown in this trailer would have spoken for itself. It's the same mistake that Battlefield made by putting the "60 awards" thing at the beginning of their trailer. I get that they're duking it out for the better game, but the truth of the matter is that most people will probably get both, granted they can afford it. And the better game will be recognized when they come out. At this point, I honestly don't know which will be better. Also, no multiplayer in the trailer? For same, COD.

Blizzcon 2011 - World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Trailer

Kung-fu Panda!

Okay, so this is the part where Blizzcon takes a very strange (not necessarily bad!) turn. I'm sure plenty of people will argue with me on this one, but here it goes. Blizzard introduces a new expansion in this trailer titled "Mists of Pandaria". There are unsurprising announcements in this trailer are that the level cap is being raised to 90, and we have a new race and class to play as along with a new world to explore.

Here's where it gets weird: The new race are a bunch of pandas called the Pandaren living in the mystical world of Pandaria. That's right, the new WoW race is a bunch of cuddly looking panda bears. But there's more! The new class is called the Monk, which specialized in martial arts. If you can put two and two together, or simply read the subtitle on the blog post, Blizzard essentially created a race of Kung-Fu Pandas. I almost expected Jack Black to jump into the screen to start yelling about something.

So there you have it, the future of World of Warcraft are pandas. Whether or not that's a good thing is still yet to be seen. How do you feel about the Pandaren? Leave it here!

Blizzcon 2011 - Starcraft II "Heart of the Storm" Trailer

"Just trying to kill some bugs, sir!"

So when my teachers in college warn me about burning bridges, this has to be what they're talking about. The Terran screwed Kerrigan over royally in the first Starcraft, and now it's coming back to bite them in the butt. She's pretty pissed about the whole "leaving her to the mercy of the Zerg" thing, and she's not going to let her old comrades forget about it.

What's super impressive about this trailer is that it's all done using the in-game engine. It's amazing how far games like these can push the PC's ever evolving capabilities. The new units looked interesting and I can't wait find out more about them. And I'm super interested to see how the Kerrigan situation plays out. So Blizzard's one for two right now in my book, thank you for giving us a trailer that actually showed us some of the cool stuff that will be in the game.

Blizzcon 2011 - Diablo 3 "Black Soulstone" Cinematic Trailer

That time that the big demon tries to do something evil

Aren't cinematic trailers just so darn pretty? See, I'm forced to talk about how darn good this trailer looks because there's virtually nothing else in it that I can use to fill up space in this post. I know that it's super early in the game (no pun) for Blizzard to start revealing everything about the game, but for goodness sakes, the beta's been out for a while and there are even class overviews for everyone to see.

Enter Leah, she's searching for... something when all of a sudden these stone statues start coming to life and happen to be demons. The leader of said stone demons (which I assume to be Diablo, they don't actually say in the trailer) vows to bring his army to kick some serious normal people butt and to find the Black Soulstone, whatever that is, while Leah cries a lot.

Call me spoiled, but I wanted to see some more action and content in this trailer. It doesn't even really set up the story that well for people who have never payed either of the first two Diablo titles. Hopefully the next trailer will be better.

Blizzcon 2011 Trailer Coverage

The one convention to rule them all

Blizzcon, one of the most anticipated video game conventions of the year is finally upon us. As it is one of the biggest events on the video game calender every year, I'll be spending the rest of today and tomorrow covering any and every trailer that is released. Mostly because I couldn't afford a ticket. And on Sunday, after I've been able to absorb all the Blizzardy goodness (and hopefully a minimal amount of fails) I'll have a rambling post about all of the big news breaks and my opinions about all of it. Keep an eye out, kids!

Battlefield 3 - Launch Trailer

Heeeeeeeeere's JONNY!

I really dislike being broke because this game is going to be the bomb diggity. Now that I've gotten my random 90's moment of the day out of the way (rhyme alert!) I can actually talk about what I saw here. The trailer starts with a groan. 60 video game awards? I get that you're still trying to kill Call of Duty, but come on, who REALLY cares?


On to the good stuff: we actually get some semblance of narrative in the trailer, and it went in a totally different direction then I expected. I guess watching trailers solely composed of huge battles just made me think that it was all the game was going to be. But of course we have captured soldiers, corruption, and everything else that seems to come standard with modern day war games. I can't say I hate it though, I have a feeling that Battlefield has pulled off something magical here. Not to mention the graphics look AMAZING. I can't wait to get my hands on this game.


Is Battlefield going to be on your shelf this Tuesday? Leave it here!

Assassin's Creed: Revelations - "No Mercy" Trailer

Everyone aboard the Ezio train!

Let's get the embarrassing stuff out of the way: It took me a second time through the trailer before I realized Altair was in it as well. It's morning, what do you expect from me? Ok, now on to the real deal! Ezio is going to kick so much tail in this game. There's like 2000% of my daily recommended amount of tail kicking in this trailer alone. 

There's not much more that can be said about AC:R that hasn't really been said in the first two trailers I've posted about the game. We have the story all but set, we've seen all the new weapons and one of the new cities (which I assume is one of several settings). I feel all but ready for Desmond, Altair, and Ezio to start their final chapter together. And I couldn't be more excited about it. 

So simply sit back and enjoy this little session of awesome, and try not to go crazy waiting for November 15th. Because I can't really make any promises for myself.

Soul Caliber V: Character Reveal Trailer

Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?

I've never been a huge fan of fighting games, especially the Soul Caliber series, but this trailer may have just changed the game up. SC always loves to bring in one character that isn't actually from the series (Link, Spawn, that old dude with who was lame and didn't even have a freaking weapon) but this character reveal is the best one yet. That's right SC freaks, the newest unique character that will be available to you will be... drum roll please... Ezio freaking Autidore. 

This is a great choice by the Soul Caliber team. With all of the hype surrounding Assassin's Creed: Revelations, why not play off of the excitement? With the exception of Vader and Yoda, this is the best outsider Soul Caliber character to date. They better make him as badass as possible.

Who would you want to see in a Soul Caliber game? Leave it here!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Strike Packages Trailer

Something that everyone can enjoy
  

Finally, Call of Duty is making SOME sort of adjustment to their multiplayer. I'm not a bad COD'er by any means; I've never had my K/D ratio drop below 1.09 (ratio of kills to deaths) but my longest streak is not very impressive by any means. I'm a 2, 3, or 4 and out kind of player. This new Strike Package format makes me giddy to pick up the multiplayer again.

First and foremost: Kill streaks are no more. They are now "score streaks" which means anything that gets you points will get you closer to unlocking your next reward. This now makes playing any game that isn't deathmatch WAY more interesting because you'll be getting rewarded for flag captures, bomb plants, and everything else. There's a definite leveling of the playing field happening for the players that may be better operationally than with their guns.


The strike packages are split into three distinct classes: assault, support, and specialist. Assault is the classic COD outfit, all the score streak rewards are offensive, from turrets to missiles, to AC-130 airstrikes. Support is, well, all about supporting your teammates. This means advanced UAV, jammers, recon planes and much more. The most exciting part about support is if you die, your score streak doesn't reset. That's right, people like me who only get a few kills before getting their ticket punched have just as much opportunity to unlock their top tier score streak reward. 


The last package, specialist, is a whole different beast. As any COD player knows, you start with three "perks" or power-ups for your character. As a specialist, after two kills, you unlock a fourth perk. Make it to four kills, and another one unlocks. Rinse, wash, and repeat until you hit an 8 kill streak, and EVERY perk is unlocked for you, essentially turning you into a super soldier. Go ahead, take a second and let that sink in.


So that's the Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer as we see it so far. Excited yet? Leave your opinion of this format change here!

Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Gameplay Trailer

Holy explosions, Batman

I need this game. Right. Now. I could just end the post here and my statements would be completely justified by the video, but I need to continue on before I watch it again and lose all coherent thoughts.

This trailer was awesome. A little flashy, but I'll forgive it because the action was so good and pure. Vehicle combat looks smooth and expertly done (a Battlefield staple) and it looks like we finally have a true contender to the Call of Duty franchise. But we all knew that already.

I want to play the map where you have to jump off of a cliff and parachute into the actual area before the fighting starts. That is the coolest concept for a map I've ever seen, and it puts such an awesome twist on how the battle will start. It seems that instead of teams starting on opposite ends on the map, the team parachuting in will be spread throughout the area, with the opposing team having time to set up and start shooting before the enemy even touches the ground. But at the same time, it gives the parachuting team a chance to surround their dug in opponents along with chopper support. I can tell you that's gonna take a long time to start getting old. October 25th can't come soon enough.

WWE 12 "Road to Wrestlemania" Trailer

YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, BROTHER

So, I'm going to look past the fact that I didn't actually see any gameplay/graphics until halfway into the trailer. I'm also going to look past the fact that the trailer made it look like you can only really play as three different characters. So take those away and you have... well, nothing. 

This trailer makes me wonder why they keep making wrestling games. Do they really sell that well to justify them? It's all flashing lights and dudes on steroids throwing each other around. Oh, yeah, IT'S NOT EVEN REAL FIGHTING. I'll stick to the MMA and boxing games, thanks. They're done WAY better than the WWE games as of late, and at least have some sense of realism to them. I'll leave the fake fighting to the meat heads. 

(Video courtesy of g4tv.com)

Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Trailer

I was 11 when this came out!? Man, I'm old.

Just kidding, I still have a normally functioning bladder (for now) so I can't be that old. Oh, right, matter at hand. So Grand Theft Auto III, a pioneer of the gaming industry as we know it has turned 10. Rockstar released a trailer thanking loyal fans for their service, highlighting some of the greatest aspects of the game.

Lots of guns, even more explosions, and some really odd characters fill this minute and thirteen seconds of pure nostalgia. I don't know about you, but I plan on finding my PS2 right away when I get home to fire up the disk one more time. This trailer has another purpose along with thanking fans, though. In honor of the ten year anniversary of GTA III, Rockstar is releasing the game to mobile devices.

It seems as though a lot of classic games are getting the re-boot treatment these days. Is this a good thing or should the classics stay, well... classic?

Need for Speed: The Run "Race of your Life" Trailer

Spoiler: People actually drive these cars

Oh look it's another Need for Speed game, a bunch of the same old... what't that you say? There's actually some semblance of narrative to this game? You actually get to put a face with the character who will be driving the car? THERE ARE SEQUENCES WHERE YOU'RE NOT DRIVING!?

Everything that I ever knew about Need for Speed just got thrown out the window after watching this trailer. And trust me, that is a good thing. The formula was busted. Sure, they gave us open world driving, awesome cop chases and a whole lot of throttle, but I never played a NFS game and felt truly satisfied with the story. Or felt as if there was one at all. So I'm really excited about where this game is going to go because it's doing things that no other game in the series has ever done.

Would you like to see the driver actually step out of the car in The Run? Or is a narrative something that NFS fans tend to run scream from? Leave it here!

Saints Row the Third: "Modern Warfare 3" Parody Trailer

If you can't beat 'em...

This is absolutely brilliant. With heavyweights Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 taking shots at each other just days before their release, Saints Row the Third comes out of nowhere and makes a trailer that blows both games out of the water. Complete with cities outlined in neon (MW3) and the "actual gameplay footage" Battlefield 3 and other nods towards how ridiculous the two games are playing towards one another, Saints Row has an excellent piece of marketing on them.

What this trailer also does well is point to the fact that it is NOT either of these games. The action is very tongue in cheek and at some points comical. The setting seems very futuristic compared to the first two titles in the trilogy (hence it being a sequel to the last game) and I'm dying to hop on one of those hover motorcycles.

Do you think this is a good trailer? Or did THQ just get in the ring with a ready-to-bite Mike Tyson?

Sunday Ramblings: Epic Oatmeal Fight

Last week, the female hosts of Attack of the Show wrestled in oatmeal in the name of good TV. I was there to witness it.

Kevin, our male host and instigator

Candace, contender number one

And they're off!

They needed some help remembering what a marble looks like

Well, you get the point

Sara wins!

I'm sure mom is very proud

And of course, the ceremonious water to the chest

As fun as it was to sit in the audience for this and be on TV during a nationally broadcasted show, I couldn't help but feel awkward for the whole stunt. It's probably because I knew that my mom would watch this because I'm on TV, and this isn't exactly something I would expect my mom to enjoy. Imagine my surprise when she informed me that I should have told the hosts that the oatmeal is good for their skin. 

But all in all it was a fun time, the show is run really well and what nerd doesn't dream of two attractive women wrestling around in oatmeal? I can't wait to go back and see AOTS in studio again. You can watch the video of the event here, I'm in the bottom left of the crowd in the teal shirt. Jockey, out. 

*All photos courtesy of g4tv.com

Prototype 2: "The Red Zone" Cinematic Trailer

Don't make him angry. You won't like him when he's angry.

Just like the Uncharted series, I admittedly don't have much experience with the Prototype franchise (darn you, console specific games). That aside, a good trailer is a good trailer, and this is a "give me a second so I can process all of the win that I just saw" good trailer. 

If your eyes failed you or simply glazed over during the last two minutes, you can see that our protagonist, James Heller, isn't exactly a real boy. In fact, he's a grown man with arms that turn into demon swords and grappling chains. I did have to restart the trailer because I passed out from holding my breath for too long as Heller made mince meat of the soldiers trying to shoot him. 

Getting to finally watch the whole thing, including Heller summoning two really mean looking creatures and watching them tear five guys to shreds, I was sold. I will say that this was a cinematic trailer, so the game won't obviously look this smooth and well, epic, but it still looks pretty darn good. It's just a great time for video games these days.

Star Wars: The Old Republic - "Signs of War" Trailer

The force is strong with this one

Yes. Yes yes yes yes. I want it now. It was cool to see some characters from the former trailers appear in this one, which makes me hope that they will have active roles in the game as NPC's, kind of like a Thrall sort of thing (yes, I know that's and outdated WoW reference but I just really like Thrall).

Anyways, we see a lot of the different classes that will be filling this game and there will be definite distinctions between how they look, especially between the two factions. There were quite a few worlds featured as well, and I can't wait to explore them. And if they have an epic large scale battle like the one in the trailer, I very well might never play another game ever again.

Syndicate "Origins" Story Trailer

A history lesson, from 8-bit to 1080p

This was a unique approach to a trailer, but I really liked it. Not many people (including me) knew that the upcoming Syndicate is actually a modern adaptation of an old 8-bit game, and the first half of this trailer caught us all up to speed.

The last half shed a little bit more light on the story itself, namely the corporation that our protagonist (which I'm still not really sure if he's good or bad) works for. Its name is Eurocorp and it sells militarized technology, which makes the parts where you were extracting data chips from dead scientists brains make way more sense. You're employed by Eurocorp to essentially steal information from the other corporations with the help of your partner/mentor who had a really awesome looking sniper rifle.

Between this trailer and the original gameplay one that was released, I'm starting to get very interested in this game. Seems like this was a good call for a reboot, now let's just hope it can follow through.

Batman: Arkham City - Launch Trailer

Da-na nuh-na nuh-na nuh-na Batman!

The sequel to the greatest superhero game of all time launches in four days, and the launch trailer is here to make us salivate one more time before the release. A large chunk of Gotham has been turned into a giant Arkham, and everything is still being run by the inmates. What's new is that the Joker isn't running the show this time, Hugo Strange has somehow managed to take control of the entire "city". There are tons of super villains in Arkham City trying to take over in their own way, though. They include, but aren't limited to, The Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, and many others. Bring on the boss fights.

A couple of things jumped out at me while watching the trailer. First was at about 1:35, you see Batman fighting with a juiced up Bane. If you played Arkham Asylum, you remember beating the tar out of Bane, but I guess he's on your side now. This is kind of funny considering Bane has been announced as one of the main villains in the upcoming Batman flick. Irony at its finest. The second pleasant surprise was seeing a flash of Robin towards the end (not in that way, you pervs). I really hope he becomes a playable character soon.

Anyhow, Arkham City promises to be bigger and badder (in a good way) than Arkham Asylum, and I couldn't be more excited to get my hands on it. Until then I'll be humming the theme song to myself.

Dark Souls: Hardcore Trailer

You will die. Better learn to love it.

This game frightens me. Not because it's dark and scary and a lot of goulish-looking monsters jump around every corner to cut your head off. It's because I HATE dying. Hissy fits have been thrown back in the day. So that's my dilemma with Dark Souls: it looks like an amazing game and it's been getting really good reviews all over the place. But you die so much and that's just going to get on my nerves.

So you've seen the trailer and I'm sure a lot of you have played the game. Should I try this out knowing that I'm going to die a lot and that's going to frustrate the hell out of me? Someone, please make this decision for me.

Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Trailer

The best inter-species foursome you'll ever be a part of

(Video courtesy of G4tv.com)

Look past the fact that this trailer is essentially a giant ad put together by bioware (hosted by the marketing director himself) and feast your eyes on the potential awesomeness of multiplayer in Mass Effect 3. Looks like the developers have been listening to the players pleas, and are in fact adding a co-op storyline to the final installment of the Mass Effect trilogy. I for one could not be happier about this. Just think of all of the awesome combinations you could put together when you combine four of the six classed into one squad. Not to mention I can play as a Turian now. Garrus was always my favorite. 

This has the potential to be a great addition to Mass Effect 3. Knowing Bioware's reputation for putting out really well done RPGs, I trusted the person being interviewed when he said that you can still get a full, satisfying ending from the game if you play the multiplayer or the single player story. And since I'm sure that I'm not alone in the countless hours of time I've poured into the first to games of the series, I know that I'll be taking the time to complete both branches of the story. 

While some actual multiplayer gameplay would have been nice to see, I'm sure some will be coming out in the not too distant future. Does this multiplayer announcement excite or dismay you? Leave it here!

Goldeneye 007: Reloaded - Multiplayer Trailer

The best thing you ever had, again. And then one more time. 

Didn't a remake of this game, like, just happen? To answer your question, it did, but it was only released on the Wii (freaking Nintendo). So we get Goldeneye, arguably the FPS to rule them all, yet again for the 360 and PS3. I'm definitely not complaining about this because anyone who has gone back to their N64 for a round of multiplayer has enjoyed it, but was most definitely cursing the games controls at the same time. Two analog sticks for the win.

Here's the rub: there is very little original content in this reboot. The trailer was advertising the fact that they were bringing back everything you loved about the original Goldeneye with better graphics. The same characters, the same weapons, and variations of the same maps. Are they playing to a demographic or what? Although I did find myself smiling upon seeing paintball marks all over one level (and oddjobs' tiny self) I feel conflicted over whether or not I'd want to buy an updated version of something that I've spent countless hours playing. 

There are noticeable additions (iron sight aiming, 16 player multiplayer, some extra characters) but I'm very interested on how the game scores when it comes out. I'm as big of a Goldeneye fan as they come, so I can't say that I'm not excited for a more in depth multiplayer and single player experience on my Xbox. What do you think, should more original content be thrown in, or do you simply want a modern day interpretation of a classic?

Uncharted 3 "Desert Village" Gameplay Trailer

I can show you the world...

I'll start this off with the fact that I don't own a PS3 and I've never played an Uncharted title, or seen one being played in person for that matter. Good thing I just look at trailers. The first thing I took away from this four minute preview was the level of detail in such a simple setting. The desert has never looked so good and you can tell that Uncharted 3 is going to push the PS3's capability, which is impressive on its own. The village looks old and worn from its location, and the camera moves with the same urgency that Drake does.

We open on Drake struggling over a dune and discovering said village, and he seems to be beaten up pretty badly. Desperately climbing and falling through the seemingly abandoned town, he finally comes across some water that is undrinkable. He climbs out of the cave, busts through a door, and lands smack dab in the middle of a bunch of guys that don't seem very happy to see him. 

From that point on, Drake seems to forget that he was barely clinging to life just seconds before, and turns into freaking superman. He runs wild through the area he fell into, taking at least 300 bullets without slowing down. He beats, shoots, and blows up everyone around him seemingly without breaking a sweat. Strange transition, but at least the action was enjoyable. Uncharted is one of the few reasons I would consider getting a PS3, and this trailer makes Drakes new adventure look as epic as ever.

Hitman Absolution "Run for Your Life" Playthrough Video

Well... that happened.

If you thought that there was a whole lot of awesome packed into the on minute Hitman teaser trailer, go ahead and multiply that by seventeen. Smooth gameplay, awesome "spidey sense" during the stealth moment, and just overall badassery. Hitman is back in a big way, and he's coming back guns blazing.

My favorite part was towards the end, when our main hitman walks up to the counter of donuts and automatic weapons disguised as a cop, surrounded on all sides by law enforcement and SWAT. I really thought that he was going to pick up one of the rifles and try his luck with the couple of dozen armed men around him. But he reaches for the doughnut, and a cut scene plays that reveals Agent 47 may or may not have been a cop before turning into the cold blooded killer that he is.

So there you have it: story depth, smooth stealth, and a whole lot of awesome kills. This game can't come out soon enough.

Hitman Absolution Gameplay Teaser Trailer

It's been a long time... shouldn't have left you

DISCLAIMER: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

It's been far too long since a hitman game came out (and even longer since a good one was released) so imagine my joy when this trailer hit the airwaves. It's the beauty of this generation of consoles, the game looks better and appears to play better than its predecessors. But then again, we wouldn't have Hitman without the games that came before this one.

Existentialism aside, this teaser did exactly what it was supposed to do, it got me really excited to see the full length play through. Seems as though Hitman is coming back in a big way and I for one can't wait to welcome Agent 49 back with open arms. Assuming that I would see him coming in the first place.

This trailer is short but sweet, look out for the full length play through in the coming weeks. Oh, and ten points to anyone who caught the Aaliyah reference in the subtitle.

Sunday Ramblings

Sir, put down the television camera.


Good evening to everyone and welcome to round two of the Sunday Rambling series. Today I feel the need to ramble a bit about the never ending duel between Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 and how it is literally tearing into everything I do.

Battlefield 3 comes out on the 25th and Modern Warfare 3 just released an epic trailer detailing the upcoming single player story. I have watched this trailer many times on my computer and even posted it on the Jockey site, but it's starting to creep into my social life. When I was at a Mexican restaurant tonight, I actually stopped the conversation to point out to my friend that the same trailer was on the TV playing behind us. I can't listen to any of my favorite hip hop artists anymore because all have their songs have been used in your trailers.

What I'm trying to say is, just stop these crazy marketing campaigns with one another and let your product do the talking. Or just come out sooner so I don't have to wait. But more importantly with all of this hype you're putting around yourself, know you've set the bar very high and we expect an almost perfect game out of you.

What do you think, are games advertised so hard that it makes the game seem disappointing in its shadow? Or are we just unhappy unless we have the perfect game?


(Photos courtesy of google images)